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No full textCreative ThesisAxiomatic reasoning is a form of logical operation with which scientific theory and
technological advancement have been developed in our society. An axiom is some fact or idea
that is assumed to be true. Several thinkers fall into the trap of allowing their personally held
axioms to influence their work. They have made assumptions about the results they want and
then worked backwards from desired results to prove their theory. An individuals personally held
axioms are evident in everything that they say. Any statement of unequivocal facts by an
individual usually can be a good indication of their privately held assumptions. As we progress it
becomes more and more clear how little we understand about reality. A statement like “Reality
is...xyz” as opposed to “I think reality is...abc” highlights the speaker’s lack of awareness of
these principles. I believe we need to listen more carefully and pay closer attention to our human
society to continue into the future. A good “setup” is a great platform for listening,
metaphorically speaking
Quantitative Analysis of Predictors of Self-Perceived Recovery from NSSI
No full textColor poster with text, charts, and graphs.Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the intentional injuring of one’s body without the intent to die. Efforts are needed to understand the motivation and recovery process of NSSI. Recovery can be experienced differently by individuals and may be related to various mechanisms, (Lewis & Hasking, 2021) . Andersson et al. (2024) qualitatively found three themes of recovery that encompass facets of self-compassion, social support, resiliency, and mental health distress. Our study expands upon current research by quantitatively examining variables related to perceived NSSI recovery. We hypothesized that self-perceived recovered individuals would score higher in self-compassion, social support, and resiliency and lower in mental health distress and self-criticism. We also explored which of these factors would predict perceived recovery. Young adults (N = 712, Mage = 19.55, SD = 1.46, 73.4% female, 90.8% White) from a Midwest University were recruited to answer questions about the variables above. ANOVA and Regression analysis indicated that the variables studied significantly differed between groups and were significant predictors of perceived recovery highlighting the importance of promoting these factors when treating NSSI.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Challenges in Identifying and Managing Comorbidities for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia : A UK Case Study
No full textColor poster with text, maps, charts, and graphs.The study explores the perspective of important stakeholders in nursing home care to better understand the difficulties and opportunities for improvement regarding care and quality of life for residents living with dementia and comorbidities. The research can guide interventions to address these challenges and enhance care. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 13 stakeholders from a family-run nursing home in 2024. Participants included care assistants, well-being companions, a registered nurse, the manager, the owner, a general practitioner (GP), and informal caregivers. Interviews were conducted online via Microsoft Teams, and thematic analysis was used to identify key challenges and factors involved. Five key challenges emerged, including managing the consequences of dementia, addressing staff knowledge gaps, creating inclusive services, compensating for an under-resourced healthcare system, and understanding caregiver responsibilities. Eight facilitating factors were also identified, such as a holistic approach to care and ensuring continuity and personalization. The findings suggested that psycho-educational interventions to improve clinical care and geriatric knowledge, in addition to basic psychological training for staff, can help to address these challenges. These suggestions try to improve interactions with families, enhance the quality of care, and ultimately improve the quality of life for nursing home residents with dementia and comorbidities.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Relationship Between Specific Hopelessness and Concurrent Suicide Urges
No full textColor poster with text and graphs.Recent work suggests that hopelessness about specific experiences may provide a better understanding of suicide risk, or contribute to the general hopelessness motivating suicidal thoughts, but most of this data comes from cross-sectional studies. The current study examined how specific life stressor hopelessness related to concurrent suicidal urges directly, and indirectly through the effects of general hopelessness. Participants, 25 outpatient adults with current suicide ideation, completed a 21-day EMA study with three prompts per day. Items assessed general hopelessness, hopelessness about specific stressors, and suicide urge intensity. We conducted a nested within-person (1-1-1) mediation model. All variables were person mean-centered, with scores reflecting deviations from each person’s averages. All specific hopelessness facets, except financial, were correlated with general hopelessness, which was related to suicidal urges. Partner, social, home, and health hopelessness had direct associations with suicidal urges, but only social, home, and health hopelessness remained significant after accounting for general hopelessness. General hopelessness fully mediated the specific hopelessness effects of work and partner, and partially mediated social, home, and health hopelessness on suicide urges. This study provides evidence of the nuanced role of hopelessness on suicide urges and the importance of targeting specific facets of hopelessness in interventions.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Enhancing Accessibility in Exhibition Design : Lessons from ‘Beyond the Gaze’ Exhibition
No full textColor poster with text, images, and photographs.This research examines how the ‘Beyond the Gaze’ exhibition improved accessibility within Foster Gallery and provides recommendations for museums and other cultural institutions to ensure access for all visitors. Existing guidelines, such as the 2010 American with Disability Act (ADA) Guidelines, outline only basic requirements. A 2020 LA County Arts and Culture report highlights accessibility challenges in the arts through interviews with disabled artists. It emphasizes that while accessibility broadens engagement, barriers persist. Some artworks remain inaccessible unless designed inclusively, and modifications can sometimes alter interpretation. My approach includes evaluating the Foster Gallery's physical space, signage, exhibition design, and visitor experience to identify both strengths and areas for improvement. I used feedback from artists and accessibility professionals to create practical solutions. This research reveals that while the exhibition made strides in accessibility within Foster Gallery, such as improved signage, wider circulation routes, and tactile exhibition elements, more improvements are needed. Key recommendations for galleries include alternative text formats, interactive audio guides, adequate seating, and accessible exhibition layouts that meet and exceed ADA standards. By prioritizing accessibility, institutions can create environments where all individuals can fully engage with and enjoy artistic and historical experiences.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
The Plurality of Justice: Scarcity, Abundance, and Twentieth Century Dystopias
No full textContemporary American politics has become increasingly divided over
perceptions of abundance and scarcity. The twenty-first century understanding of the
American Dream, a longstanding promise of wealth and status, clashes against the rapid
decrease in access to employment, food, and housing. Though not a novel idea in and of
itself, the perception of minorities and immigrants as the capital ‘O’ Other is being
increasingly weaponized by the far right and used as a scapegoat for economic decline,
job loss, and class stratification. Though this is not a new political phenomenon, in the
last decade the Trump administration has presented abstract concepts such as marriage,
normative gender identities, and moral values as limited resources that can be somehow
tainted, diminished, or altogether eradicated by the presence of homosexuality, trans
identities, and secularism. The threat of scarcity, and the promise of abundance, is often
utilized to sow division and reap violence, chaos, and discrimination. Understanding
justice as it exists both within and outside of these conditions thus allows one to
conceptualize a version of it that does not hinge upon one’s material resources. Utilizing
theoretical approaches such as historical, cultural, Marxist, and postcolonial criticisms,
chapters of my project will be devoted to the dystopian fictional works of Aldous Huxley,
Ursula K. Le Guin, and Octavia Butler as a chronological account of twentieth century
authors’ investigations into justice as an ambiguous concept warped by the material
conditions of the society within which it exists. These works of literature—Brave New
World, The Dispossessed, and Parable of the Sower— respectively, offer special insight
into potential forms of justice by acting as thought experiments for how societies would
function socially and economically within states of extreme abundance and scarcity
Assessing Cytotoxic Effects of Essential Oils in Breast Cancer Cells
No full textColor poster with text, images, photographs, and graphs.We will evaluate the cytotoxic effects of ginger oil on cultured MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Essential oils, commonly used through topical application or aromatherapy, have been explored for their potential to alleviate the adverse effects of cancer and its treatments, such as chemotherapy. Previous research has demonstrated that ginger oil can trigger cell death in cervical cancer cells within hours in vitro. In our study, MCF-7 cells will be exposed to varying concentrations of ginger oil for two hours, and cytotoxicity will be assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the culture medium We hypothesize that ginger oil will exhibit dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cells.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
The Use of Mesalazine and Prebiotics on Metabolic Inflammation in Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrels and Outbred Mice
No full textMetabolic inflammation is a systemic inflammation event that occurs during fattening characterized by an accumulation of macrophages and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mesalazine is a gut localized nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and prebiotics help boost anti-inflammatory gut microbiota which work to reduce gut inflammation. The objective of this study is to determine if a diet containing mesalazine, prebiotics (inulin and pectin), or a mesalazine /prebiotic mixture will alter metabolic inflammation in 13-lined ground squirrels (Jctidomys tridecemlineatus) and diversity outbred (DO) mice. We chose ground squirrels, a hibernator, as our model because they rapidly gain adipose mass during their active season. Further, DO mice were chosen for their diverse genetics, more similar to ground squirrels and humans than inbred mice.
For this study, DO mice were given a gut microbiota transfer from ground squirrels 48 hours after emerging from hibernation before the beginning of treatment. We hypothesized that the diet containing the mixture of mesalazine, and prebiotics would have the greatest effect on metabolic inflammation because both compounds work to reduce inflammation in the gut. Squirrels and mice stayed on their assigned treatment for 8 weeks and tissues were collected from a subset of animals after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. We examined levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, and interleukin (IL)-6 as well as the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 in the ileum, colon, and omental white adipose tissue (oWAT) using sandwich ELISA. Ileum tissue showed the most significance compared to colon and oWAT tissues. In the ileum, IL-10 increased over 8 weeks, whereas TNF-a decreased over 8 weeks in mesalazine-treated animals. IL-6, however, increased significantly over 8 weeks within the prebiotic treatment in the ileum ofTLGS. IL-10 was highest at the 8- week time point in the ileum ofTLGS, whereas TNF- a was highest at the 4-week time point for TLGS. Mice IL-10 was the most significant at 4 weeks but remained high over the course of 8 weeks in the ileum. In the colon, IL-6, TNF-a, and IL-10 decreased over 8 weeks in TLGS. In mice, IL-6 and TNF-a decreased over 8 weeks, where IL-10 increased, in prebiotics only. oWAT did not show any change in any of the animals treated. Glucose tolerance fluctuated over time and varied among treatment groups in TLGS and mice. Body weight increased across all treatments for all treated animals, whereas energy intake remained the same for mice and increased for TLGS. This could suggest that including more prebiotics via fruits and vegetables within a diet is beneficial for reducing metabolic inflammation, and including an anti-inflammatory drug will aid in reducing gut inflammation, which could serve as a potential new treatment for metabolic disease
Oral History Interview, Patricia Kendall (2511)
No full textIn this interview, 14-year-old Eliot Kendall interviews her grandmother, Patricia Kendall, about Patricia’s experiences with energy sources and climate change as part of UW–Madison’s Grandparents University Renewable Energy Studies Major. To learn more about this oral history, download & review the index first (or transcript if available). It will help determine which audio file(s) to download & listen to.In this interview, 14-year-old Eliot Kendall interviews her grandmother, Patricia Kendall, about Patricia’s experiences with energy sources and climate change as part of UW–Madison’s Grandparents University Renewable Energy Studies Major. Patricia recalls using wood for heat and propane for cooking, with minimal electrical appliances and no air conditioning or indoor plumbing during her childhood. She first learned about renewable energy sources about 15-20 years ago and has always seen them as crucial. Patricia tells how she tries to make environmentally friendly choices at home such as recycling and using energy-efficient methods like air drying clothes. Patricia is impressed by the Wisconsin Energy Institute's research and hopes for more research to address climate change. This interview was collected in collaboration with the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) and is housed within the UW-Madison Archives Oral History Program as part of the WEI Grandparents University Oral History Project