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Effects of Supplemental Honey and Essential Oil on Antibiotic Effectiveness on \u3ci\u3eStaphylococcus aureus\u3c/i\u3e
No full textWith chronic misuse of antibiotics causing faster development of antibiotic resistance, people have been looking for better alternatives to enhance or replace the use of antibiotics. Two of these alternatives are honey and essential oils, both of which have shown merit in reducing antibiotic resistance and improving antibiotic efficacy. We hypothesize that the use of these alternatives in conjunction with our modern treatments will produce overall more effective treatments than antibiotics alone. In our study, we used a disc diffusion assay to determine if supplementing antibiotics with these alternative treatments would improve it at all, identifying that both honey and essential oils seemed to greatly impact the zone of inhibition on Staphylococcus aureus. While the combination of the two was significantly better than control, it wasn’t a significant reaction. Though this specific study only speaks to topical treatment of antibiotics, it does show that honey and peppermint essential oil can help improve our bacteria crisis, as these home remedies are far more available, potent, and complex than expected
Cobalt in the Congo: Colonial Exploitation of The Democratic Republic of the Congo and its Lasting Effects
No full textCobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo currently exploits large amounts of Congolese, destroys the natural environment, and creates instability within the nation. The early histories of the Congo basin showcase European colonization and vast examples of the exploitation of the people and resources in this area. My presentation focuses on the lasting effects Belgium\u27s colonization has on the region in devastating ways and the connections of the modern day exploitation of the Congo due to cobalt mining and the exploitation of the Congo during its existence as a European colony
Verifying Expression of \u3ci\u3eHelicobacter pylori\u3c/i\u3e sRNAs \u3ci\u3eHPnc2450\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eHPnc2620\u3c/i\u3e Using Northern Blot Analysis
No full textHelicobacter pylori is a bacterial pathogen that infects the stomachs of half the world’s population and has the potential to cause severe illness, including ulcers and cancer. Factors contributing to disease outcomes include genetic variability of the infecting H. pylori strains and their regulation of gene expression. There is mounting evidence that small RNA (sRNA) molecules contribute to gene expression regulation in H. pylori. A former graduate student contributed to this body of work with the characterization of sRNAs HPnc2540 and HPnc2620. She compared by RNA sequencing the RNA from an unmodified H. pylori strain to RNA of those overexpressing HPnc2540 or HPnc2620, and found that these sRNAs regulate expression of a set of overlapping genes, including some that promote disease. Our objective is to use Northern Blotting to demonstrate that HPnc2540 and HPnc2620 expression is higher in the respective H. pylori overexpression strains compared to the unmodified strain. This involves gel electrophoresis on RNA isolated from three strains of H. pylori: an unmodified strain, a HPnc2540-overexpression strain, and a HPnc2620-overexpression strain. The gels will then be blotted to a nylon membrane and “probed” with a fluorescent oligonucleotide that is complementary to HPnc2540 or HPnc2620. The probed nylon membranes will be imaged by a Typhoon NIH Biomolecular Imager and the intensity of fluorescent bands will indicate the level of expression of the sRNA in each strain. We anticipate that fluorescent bands will be brighter in H. pylori sRNA-overexpression strains probed with the complementary fluorescent oligonucleotide than in the unmodified strain
Motherhood and Matriarchy in Octavia Butler’s Speculative Fiction
No full textOctavia Butler was an author who was well known for including feminist themes in her works of speculative fiction. Among these themes are most prominently the themes of motherhood and the matriarchy. In this paper, I examined four of Butler’s works (two novels and two short stories): Dawn, Fledgling, Bloodchild, and The Evening and the Morning and the Night. Each of these works contains depictions of motherhood and matriarchy, although they manifest in different ways. In this paper, I will examine, through literary analysis and feminist theory, how these themes manifest, and what the use of these feminist themes can tell us about Butler’s larger social commentary
Re-embracing a Lost Identity: Second generation Russian American experience growing up in a cultural conflict.
No full textThis paper explores the complex experiences of second-generation Russian-American immigrants through the personal narrative of Anastasia, a young woman whose journey highlights the psychological and cultural tensions of growing up between two worlds. Delving into her story, the research illustrates how the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse and the challenges of American assimilation contribute to mental health struggles and identity fragmentation. The study incorporates both personal interviews and a review of literature on post-Soviet nostalgia, Americanization, and cultural stigmas surrounding mental illness among Russian immigrants. Anastasia’s upbringing was shaped by the conflicting values of her parents’ Soviet past and the expectations of American society. She experienced familial trauma, stigmatization of mental health, and a distancing from her cultural roots, common themes among second-generation immigrants. Over time, however, she began reconnecting with her Russian heritage through music, language, and cultural exploration, signaling a reclaiming of identity that had long been suppressed. The paper argues that assimilation can obscure cultural identity, but reconnection is possible and often vital for personal growth. It calls for further research on the unique mental health needs of second-generation immigrants, especially those from post-Soviet regions, and emphasizes the importance of culturally informed support systems. Anastasia’s narrative provides a powerful lens to understand the resilience and dual identity formation of second-generation immigrants and underscores the need for broader inclusion of these voices in academic and psychological discourse
The Ideological Root of Stigma In Foster Children
No full textChildren in foster care are often subjected to harmful stereotypes that set up systems that are detrimental to their development. The discrimination that foster children experience is rooted in the connection between the biological connection between foster children and their guardians; the concept of found families is often frowned upon due to the unconscious bias people have. Societal biases for genetically biological children set up a system that hinders potential and confines children to harmful stereotypes. This type of stigma allows for negative perspectives and expectations for those in care, both for children and the environment they reside in. This stigma against foster children does not just manifest out of nowhere. This stigma is deeply ingrained, and it is rooted in centuries of ideas regarding the validity and legitimacy of the nature of familial relationships.
Family is a key part regarding the development of a healthy community, however, different perspectives on the biological connection between children and their guardians are often used as ways to minimize the legitimacy of a family. In this analysis, I will organize a potential timeline of where this stigma arises and how it affects society’s approach to family. From Aristotle to Marx, their ideas of family have formed the unaddressed stigma we see among foster children today. This research explores the historical origins and societal effects of stigma around foster children, delving into the evolution of society’s perception of what a family looks like. This aims to examine the thoughts of philosophers and influential thinkers on the concept of family. This paper strives to organize an appropriate timeline for where this stigma could have started, how it has evolved, and how to deconstruct these beliefs to provide better opportunities for all children, whether they are in foster care or not
\u3ci\u3eDracula\u3c/i\u3e and The Female Other: An Analysis of the Relations Between Victorian Anxieties and Bram Stoker’s Depictions of Women
No full textBram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula, serves as propaganda for the idealized gender and sexual roles in Victorian England. The novel uses feminine and vampiric characters to express women as an Other, either by gender or radical sexuality; Lucy Westerna and Mina Harker serve as models of Victorian women exploring the “Woman Question” because of their desire to work, think rationally, and explore their individualism, while the vampiric women in Dracula’s castle serve as an entity of the Other because of their gender, sexual preferences, and ambiguity. The female Other personifies the threat and anxieties of change to the English patriarchal hegemony. I am particularly interested in analyzing the symbolic evolution of these women and interpreting what they mean to a literary audience. Through the depictions of sexuality and gender inversion with his female characters and his vampiric characters in Dracula, Bram Stoker responds to the changing ideas about gender and sexuality in Victorian England by projecting the fear of expressed female sexuality and desire with characters representing the female Other. By examining Lucy, Mina, and the vampiric women in a gendered lens, theories about the complex gender ideals of Victorian England are uncovered
Pulling Together | Pulling Apart: A Contemporary Art Catalog - Spring 2025
No full textCatalog of contemporary artworks created as a class project for Contemporary Art (ART 331) (Spring 2025), under the direction of Art Department faculty member Marc La Pointe.
Sections, artist entries and student authors include:
Performance Art and Identity1. Narcissister | Daniel J Diaz2. Darren Waterston | Raven Hendershott3. Lasseindra Ninja | Trista Merritt4. Prue Stevenson| Nafm5. Monster Chetwynd | Kenzie Thompson
The Influence of Politics, Money, and Power on Art6. Nikyra Capson | Katy Guercio7. Ai Weiwei | Rubie Jones8. Augustina Wang | Kaidence Morgan9. Zoya Cherkassky-Nnadi | Jessikah Smith10. Kara Walker | Lily Marie Taylor11. Kay WalkingStick | Waahinhewin Nay Nay Williams
The Global, Digital, and Mechanical Artworld12. Refik Anadol | Johnathan Brooks13. Zimoun | Jeremy Fett14. Marco Donnarumma | Shen Meyers15. Julio Le Parc | Oscar Ruiz16. Junji Ito | Zeke Scheel17. Linda Dounia| Dana Shortell
Art, Place, and Activism18. Kia LaBeija | Kelli Ellinger19. Dread Scott | Emerald Maxine Knopik20. Ai Weiwei | Hailey Mashtare21. Rosemary Meza-Desplas | Skylar Miller22. Vanessa Barragão | Amy Patacini23. Banksy | William Simpsonhttps://dc.ewu.edu/art_pubs/1000/thumbnail.jp
Montserrat Developments Impacting Local Coral Reefs
No full textMontserrat is a small island in the Caribbean, and over half of the island is in the exclusion zone because of the active volcano, Soufrière Hills. In that half was the old capital, Plymouth, which has since been abandoned, and their old port. The old port was getting less reliable and accessible, so they decided to build a new port in Little Bay, closer to the seat of government in Brades. This study explored how the addition of the new port impacted the corals in that area. We explored several different bays and recorded the diversity and health of the corals in the bays. Most bays we explored with the assistance of Scuba Montserrat with Emmy Aston. Throughout the entire island, there is a wave of coral bleaching that is impacting most of the corals of Montserrat, we found that near the new port, some of the corals are being impacted by Stony Coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) that is affecting many different Caribbean islands and has a high fatality rate for these corals. The corals that were close to the new port faced harder side effects from SCTLD and damage from the dredging they did for the port. Some of these corals that are facing the side effects of the SCTLD are critically endangered and need active protection. This research can help contribute to the protection of these corals
Analysis of Antibiotic Producers from Spokane Soil Samples
No full textSCC Research Club EWU 2025 Poster Abstract
Antibiotics and the bacteria from which they are derived are some of our most important and powerful medical resources. While antimicrobial/antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens are growing in number, attributed to widespread and inappropriate use of antibiotics, investments in both research and production are declining worldwide. Lynn L Silver has coined the term ‘Discovery Void’ to describe the lack of innovation in the last half-century. Given the serious threat to public health, the importance of antibiotics to treat diseases, and the subsequent inevitability of novel strain resistance demanding a more diverse selection of antibiotics - we are participating in the “Tiny Earth Research Project.” As part of our research, we collected 15 soil samples and tested 24 bacterial isolates for antibiotic production. A method of turtle tracks was used to screen for the most promising antibiotic producers. The Gram-positive tester strains were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, and the Gram-negative tester strain was Escherichia coli. We identified the best performing isolates using the 16S rRNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products