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From the Fillmore to the Zen-dō: The Trippy History of American Buddhism
No full textIn this thesis, I consider both why boomers were driven to cultivate that psychedelic soil and what it was about that fertile seedbed that made it so conducive to the sprouts of American Buddhism. In doing so, I hope to shed light on how the blooms - the subsequent, various manifestations of American meditation-based convert Buddhism13 - have been fundamentally shaped by their shared relation to a psychedelic, countercultural past. The aspirations, beliefs, and views of the sixties counterculture continue to leave their mark on Buddhism in the United States. In future projects and research (likely including my PhD dissertation), I plan to continue the story by looking at how and why Buddhist practitioners and teachers that emerged from the counterculture report shedding other aspects of their “hippie” lifestyle (most notably, drugs, which for many had previously been a central element) as their dedication to Buddhist practice increased
Boat Cleaning Station Tools Remove Invasive Species from Boat Interiors
No full textBoat Cleaning Station Tools Remove Invasive Species from Boat Interior
PART 1: TARGETING THE β-BARREL ASSEMBLY MACHINE (BAM): A SYNTHETIC APPROACH TO OVERCOME ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA PART 2: APPLICATION OF THE BUCHWALD-HARTWIG AMINATION REACTION FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONALIZED BENZODIAZEPINE DERIVATIVES
No full textABSTRACT PART 1: TARGETING THE β-BARREL ASSEMBLY MACHINE (BAM): A SYNTHETIC APPROACH TO OVERCOME ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA by Alexander Vincent The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 2025Under the Supervision of Professor Alan W. Schwabacher Antibiotic resistance among Gram-negative bacteria presents a significant challenge to global public health. This thesis explores two synthetic strategies aimed at developing innovative and unique therapeutic agents using different scaffolds, quinolones and benzodiazepines. The first approach targets the β-Barrel Assembly Machine (BAM), a vital multiprotein complex responsible for the proper assembly of outer membrane β-barrel proteins. By designing a synthetic molecule that mimics the key hydrogen-bonding interactions of an inhibitory peptide with the BamD subunit, this work seeks to overcome the limitations of peptide-based therapeutics—namely, rapid degradation and proteolytic susceptibility—thus offering a novel means to disable bacterial resistance mechanisms in Gram-negative bacteria. PART 2: APPLICATION OF THE BUCHWALD-HARTWIG AMINATION REACTION FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONALIZED BENZODIAZEPINE DERIVATIVES by Alexander Vincent The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, 2025 Under the Supervision of Professor Alexander (Leggy) Arnold The second strategy leverages the Buchwald–Hartwig amination reaction to functionalize benzodiazepine scaffolds. This palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling method enables the incorporation of small, non-aromatic amines and amine salts into the benzodiazepine framework, facilitating precise modulation of properties such as solubility, bioavailability, and receptor binding affinity. Systematic optimization of reaction parameters, including ligand selection, temperature, solvent, and catalyst concentration, ensures high yield and selectivity in synthesizing these derivatives. Together, these complementary synthetic approaches broaden the chemical toolkit for combating antibiotic resistance and contribute to developing more selective and effective therapeutic agents.2027-06-0
Leaving Its Mark: Exploring the Effects of Space on Collective Memory in the Bronx
No full textSenior Honors Thesis, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMemories are a universal part of life and while they might seem deeply personal, some memories are collective, or shared by a group of people with a common thread. One of these common threads can be space, a constant that shapes how people experience the world around them. But multiple different communities can occupy a space, both at the same time or at different times, and theory on collective memory does not take into account how demographics affect the formation of space based collective memories. The Grand Concourse, a neighborhood in the Bronx borough of New York City, offers a perfect ground to explore these questions. Having once held the highest concentration of Jews in the city to now being prominently African American and Latino, the neighborhood and its changing demographics allow us to look at how collective memories span across demographics and time. Utilizing interviews conducted with both Jewish and non Jewish residents, this thesis seeks to establish the collective memory of the neighborhood and see if and how it changes as the neighborhood changes
Green Organic Chemistry: Halogen Free Isolation of Crude Curcumin and Ar-Turmerone from Turmeric
No full textThe spice Turmeric, which comes from the underground stem of the Curcuma longa plant, has many compounds in it, such as curcumin or (1E, 6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione. Curcumin has a vast number of beneficial properties such as, antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory properties, boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and other great properties. Curcumin is a conjugated molecule, meaning that it has special chemical properties such as absorbing UV light. So far, the known isolation methods used chlorinated solvents like Dichloromethane and Chloroform. These compounds are great solvents, especially for conjugated systems because they interact favorably with the delocalized π electron system of conjugated molecules. However, these solvents are dangerously carcinogenic and are toxic to the environment. So, with that in mind, a new solvent system without any halogenated solvents at all was developed. A system of 60% Hexanes, 39% Ethyl Acetate and 1% Methanol proved to be effective in isolating Curcumin from Turmeric by methods of Thin-Layer chromatography and Column Chromatography. This solvent system uses much safer compounds compared to halogenated solvents and is much less hazardous for the environment. The extraction and isolation yielded 0.2376g of Curcumin from 5.0125g of Turmeric (4.74% yield). Curcumin was characterized by TLC, NMR-Spectroscopy and IR-Spectroscopy
Signaling Pathway Reconstruction Analysis Streamliner
No full textNeha Talluri’s CS Master’s ThesisSignaling pathways transmit and process signals into cellular responses within cells. Understanding these pathways is essential for uncovering the mechanisms underlying different biological processes. Curated databases provide standardized representations of known signaling pathways; however, they lack context specific details needed for answering specific biological questions. Pathway reconstruction algorithms address this gap by mapping experimental omics data onto known interactomes to generate condition specific subnetworks. These subnetworks can highlight active signaling molecules and novel interactions, guiding further research into different biological processes. However, using pathway reconstruction algorithms remain a challenge. To address this, I led the development of the Signaling Pathway Reconstruction Analysis Streamliner (SPRAS), a computational framework that standardizes and automates the reconstruction process. SPRAS provides a modular framework for data preprocessing, algorithm execution, result postprocessing, and downstream analysis, enabling scalable pathway reconstruction analyses
Implementing backward design in English subject unit planning for Chinese primary schools
No full textA seminar paper presented to the graduate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science – English EducationThis paper explores the application of Backward Design in English unit teaching in Chinese primary schools, covering its academic basis, functional framework and possible benefits. Conventional teaching usually results in misalignment of teaching and learning objectives, which impacts the effectiveness of teaching. Backward Design starts from the setting goals, establishes the assessments prior to the preparation of teaching activities, and emphasizes the alignment of the three. Building on this foundation, this paper provides a practical structure based upon an actual unit designing case in a Chinese primary school, including identifying goals, developing assessments, establishing teaching approaches. The design helps to enhance teaching coherence and improve students’ language effectiveness, but it also faces challenges such as a large time investment and the need for flexible adjustments. Future research should continue to examine the application and assimilation of Backward Design in different educational settings to enhance teaching effectiveness and improve student learning outcomes
LABORATORY AND THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION INTO WAVE-INDUCED EROSION OF ICE CLIFFS
No full textWave erosion is one of the dominant deterioration mechanisms for icebergs in the open ocean, while also contributing to the ablation of ice shelves and marine-terminating glacier fronts. Oscillatory wave action around the waterline of any vertical ice cliff efficiently erodes a notch into the ice wall, over time resulting in calving of both the undercut ice overhang and the submerged protrusion/foot—a consequence that makes wave erosion especially effective at rapidly breaking down large bodies of ice. However, despite being widely considered a key driver of ice melting and breakup, few studies have sought to thoroughly investigate this mechanism either experimentally or theoretically. The current wave erosion parameterization is based on only a handful of empirical works (and one theoretical attempt) from decades ago, and has been incorporated in numerous ice sheet, ocean, and climate models since its publication. This presents a persistent and significant source of uncertainty for ice melting parameterizations, and a clear call to be re-addressed in order to improve projections of future climate change impacts, as freshwater and heat fluxes to the ocean associated with ice melt have crucial feedbacks with global climate.
Here, we report on several laboratory experiments dedicated to wave erosion of ice, along with a new theoretical approach to understanding what exactly might control the ability of surface waves to enhance waterline melting of vertical ice cliffs. The theory begins with dimensional analysis of the problem, postulating that the wave steepness, wave Reynolds number, Stefan number, Eckert number, and the square root of the water thermal diffusivity times the wave angular frequency will be influential in setting the melt rate. Then, we derive a novel equation for the wave-induced melt rate based on heat transport across a boundary layer for waves reflected off a vertical wall, coupled with a Stefan Problem to account for the phase change that occurs at the moving ice-water interface. On the experimental side, seven ice blocks were melted in a room-temperature flume subject to incident wave amplitudes between 0.3 and 2.0 cm and freshwater (zero salinity) temperatures from 22°C (room temperature) down to 10°C. Data from three ultrasonic wave gauge sensors were used to characterize the incident wave conditions and the reflection coefficient of the initially-vertical ice face, while quantitative image analysis was performed to estimate the maximum melt rate in the wavecut notch. The resulting melt rates are visualized as functions of wave steepness and water temperature, and compared with multiple theoretical predictions. The overarching goal of this thesis work is to aid in the development of a more physically-sound and observationally-robust parameterization of wave erosion that can be incorporated into models of ice, ocean, and climate interactions
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE QUERY DESIGN FOR CROWDSOURCED CLUSTERING: ALGORITHMS, ANALYSIS, AND HUMAN-CENTRIC INSIGHTS
No full textCrowdsourced clustering aims to partition n items into K clusters using noisy human input. This thesis explores both active and passive approaches to this challenge.
For active crowdsourced clustering using pairwise queries ("Are items i and j clustered together?"), we introduce a novel, practical, and efficient algorithm. Notably, it operates without requiring prior knowledge of crowdworker error rates. We provide theoretical guarantees for cluster recovery and sample complexity bounds indicating superior performance over random querying. Experiments on a real crowdsourcing platform confirm these findings, revealing that the algorithm’s efficiency advantage is most pronounced for datasets with smaller clusters; passive methods may be preferable for datasets with large clusters.
Shifting to passive crowdsourced clustering, we investigate the influence of task design—specifically, the number of items per query—on response quality. Our results show diminishing accuracy gains beyond 4 items per query. More critically, we uncover strong evidence of contextual bias: worker judgments are influenced by the items within a query.
This research contributes both a ready-to-deploy active clustering algorithm and crucial insights into task design and the necessity of context-aware noise models for passive crowdsourcing, ultimately informing the development of more robust and efficient crowdsourced clustering systems