In October, 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump released a document titled “Contract with the American Voter.” This document promised, among many things, that within his first 100 days of his potential presidency, he would repeal and replace Obamacare. When he was unable to fulfill that promise, he employed rhetorical tactics...
National Geographic’s June 2018 magazine titled “Planet or Plastic?” drew attention to a growing problem throughout the world: ocean plastic. The eight plastic-related articles in the magazine are an example of science communication as a critical method of not only disseminating information but also raising awareness of the marine debris...
The purpose of this honors thesis research project is to investigate the molecular causes of childhood and infant T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. T-cells are the work horses of the immune system, and like any organ, must develop properly to be fully functional. Improper development of thymocytes into T-cells can lead...
Innovative nanoelectromechanical switches (NEMS) have the prospects to reduce device actuation voltages as compared to traditional semiconductor devices. Current research on NEMS seeks to avoid irreversible adhesion at the nanoscopic level, which results in device failure. Minimizing leakage currents and increasing device longevity are additional goals of this approach. The...
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus: hereafter; sage-grouse) population in Modoc County California is geographically isolated and has been subsidized by translocation to prevent inbreeding depression since 2005. Despite significant efforts to increase the population through translocations and habitat improvement by cutting encroaching western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), only a single lek...
Stasis theory has long stood as a foundational pillar of Western rhetoric. It is an integral component of the canon of invention, and has been in existence since the times of ancient Greek scholars. However, it is currently facing a substantive challenge to its efficacy and its very existence. This...
Vaccinia virus (VV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus that is a prototypic member of the orthopoxvirus family. Previous works has showed that three of the major structural proteins found within the mature VV virion core 4a, 4b, and 25K are produced from higher molecular weight precursors at late times...
On January 8th, 2011 tragedy struck in Tucson, Arizona. A gunman opened fire on Representative Gabrielle Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event, wounding thirteen and killing six ("Arizona Shooting"). Four days later, President Obama spoke to a grieving crowd at the University of Arizona's McKale Memorial Center. This study seeks...
Quinone outside Inhibitor (QOI) fungicides are one of the most widely used fungicide classes (FRAC 11) in the world. This popularity is the result of their ability to effectively manage a wide array of economically important pathogen species on a broad range of crops. While having mostly preventative activity, some...
A fundamental difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is the presence of membrane bound organelles in eukaryotes. The dynamics of membrane trafficking within the cell are responsible for everything from intercellular communication and cell homeostasis, to mitosis, cell migration, and differentiation. These processes require exocytosis and compensatory endocytosis, often working...