Digital Commons Network^™

Successful Weight Loss, Weight Loss Maintenance And Psychological Characteristics In Minority Men And Women Attending An Inner-City Weight Loss Program, Julie Ann Hall

Masters Theses

Inner-city communities are disproportionately impacted by obesity and chronic disease. The LOSE BIG Challenge is a motivational physical activity and nutrition education program offered to inner-city Grand Rapids, Michigan residents with diabetes or hypertension. Twenty-eight participants (26 women, 2 men) in a 12-week culturallybased weight loss program were studied. Before and after the intervention, height, weight, lifestyle information, readiness to change, eating behaviors, depression scores, and quality of life scores were measured. Participants were followed 4 and 6 months post intervention. At baseline, 86% of the participants were obese (BMI >30 kg/m²), 54% watched more than ten hours …

The Church Of Craiglockhart: Wilfred Owen And Siegfried Sassoon‘S Critique And Use Of Religion In Their World War I Poetry, Brian Karsten

Masters Theses

Throughout history, faith and religious principles have been used as motivation for war. Accordingly, political leaders, religious leaders, and writers all used religion-themed propaganda to encourage enlistment in World War I. Two soldier poets, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, after meeting in the asylum of Craiglockhart, together recognized the injustice represented in using faith to promote warfare. Subsequently, they wrote poetry which criticized the religious and political hierarchy, countered the theology used in propaganda, and attempted to reveal the atrocities in battle. Although Sassoon‘s poetry remained satirical of the use of religion, Owen recognized its power and used religion and …

Laboratory And Field Performance Of The Biosand Point Of Use Water Filtration System In The Artibonite Valley, Haiti, Andrew John Sisson

Masters Theses

The research presented here is summary two years of studying the Biosand filter (BSF) both in Haiti during March 2011 and in the laboratory. In Chapter 2, we examined the long term use and sustainability 55 BSF systems near Deschapelles, Haiti and 47% were found to be no longer in use. Interviews with BSF owners revealed problems related to intermittent filter use. A review of 17 BSF field studies also was included to compare and substantiate observations made in Haiti. Together, previous field studies and our observations point toward the importance of providing culturally appropriate technologies and education materials explaining …

The Role Of Saturated Fatty Acids In Connexin Expression On Endothelial Cells And Eosinophils, Kurt Anthony Ashack

Masters Theses

Eotaxin is a potent chemoattractant for eosinophils that becomes elevated in the tissues in response to inflammation and increased adiposity. Therefore, eosinophil migration into adipose tissue should increase in diet-induced obese individuals, yet it does not. This suggested to us that something within the cellular microenvironment of diet-induced obese individuals might be altering the endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules (ELAM) such as VCAM-1 or selectins on the endothelial cells, thus preventing eosinophils from entering the inflamed tissue. Connexons are gap junctions in endothelial cells and on immune cells such as macrophages that are composed of connexins and have been shown to …

Origin Of Great Lakes Brown Trout, Salmo Trutta: A Phylogeographic Analysis Using Mtdna Sequence Variation, David Baisch

Masters Theses

The brown trout, Salmo trutta, was first introduced to the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1887 from European broodstocks to found a recreational salmonid fishery; however, the origins of these progenitor lineages remain largely unknown. Trout from these regions are very specialized to their native habitats and matching North American stocks to similar watersheds may help increase survivability by introducing the stock to a more appropriate environment. The objective of this study was to determine the European origins of brown trout found in the Great Lakes. We analyzed 144 brown trout from ten watersheds across Michigan and Wisconsin and identified …

Aquatic Mesohabitats: Abiotic And Biotic Comparisons In A Sand-Dominated, 3rd Order, Michigan Stream, Edward M. Krynak

Masters Theses

Mesohabitats are visually distinct areas within a stream that provide habitat heterogeneity and increase invertebrate diversity. As such, mesohabitats represent an important spatial scale that underpins the emergent properties, ecology, and ecosystem structure and function of a stream. Within a Western Michigan stream, woody debris, macrophyte beds, and organic matter pools, were examined to determine if visual distinction also relates to a significant difference in abiotic and biotic parameters. Habitats were sampled from July, 2010 – June, 2011 for chemical-physical characteristics including velocity, temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity and organic matter. Biotic sampling occurred during the same time span and included …

High School Policy Debate As An Enduring Pathway To Political Education: Evaluating Possibilities For Political Learning, Ellen C. Zwarensteyn

Masters Theses

This paper addresses the role competitive high school policy debate participation has on key developmental markers of political learning. As identified by the Carnegie Foundation’s Political Engagement Project (PEP), political learning includes political knowledge and understanding, political identity, and the development of political skills. Based in interviews with former high school debaters, the results of this study suggest there may be a transformative, politically enduring and engaging experience surrounding policy debate.

Using grounded theory to extract analysis of debaters’ experiences, this study demonstrates how sustained competitive high school policy debate experience directly advances political learning and should be a tool …

Determining The Sufficiency Of The Bhlh Gene Nato3 In Dopamine Neurogenesis, Darcy Nichole Kaufman

Masters Theses

Floor plate cells of the mesencephalon have the ability to become more floor plate cells or differentiate into dopamine containing neurons. Maturation of these neurons can be marked by the stage of differentiation. When dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta are no longer able to communicate with the corpus striatum due to a marked loss in the neurotransmitter dopamine, movement disorders such as those present in Parkinson’s disease occur. The bHLH transcription factor Nato3 is known to be necessary for normal dopamine neuron formation, however, our lab was interested in its sufficiency to drive a dopaminergic lineage. The …

A Narrative Life Story Of Activist Phyllis Lyon And Her Reflections On A Life With Del Martin, Dianna Lee Johnson

Masters Theses

Phyllis Lyon met the love of her life in 1953. Her name was Del Martin. When they fell in love, homosexuality was an illness that needed to be cured, a sin to be confessed and an illegal act that should be punished. Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon are legendary in the lesbian community for originating the Daughters of Bilitis--an underground lesbian social club in San Francisco formed in the 1950s. They spent the next 55 years together confronting society and policy about the inequity of gays, lesbians, and women. In each of these social movements, however, they were the minority …

Effects Of Oak Savanna Restoration And Thinning On Gypsy Moth Predation Rates And Small Mammal Communities, Angela Lynn Larsen

Masters Theses

The United States Forest Service is conducting an oak savanna restoration using thinning and prescribed burning in the Manistee National Forest in Michigan to provide habitat for Karner blue butterflies (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). Since this is a federally endangered species, alternatives to spraying pesticides to control exotic invasive defoliators, such as European gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar), are necessary. Although gypsy moths are invasive to North America, there are several predators, such as whitefooted mice (Peromyscus leucopus), other small mammals, invertebrates, and parasitoids, keeping gypsy moth populations low. This study investigated whether the interaction between …

Meeting English Language Learners’ Academic Needs Through Teacher Training: A Multicultural Approach, Marjorie Ninoska Gomez Talavera

Masters Theses

Research has revealed that educators are often ill-prepared to teach culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Research suggests that in order to meet the challenges of working with diverse learners, development of multicultural education must include the promotion of sensitivity towards different aspects of diversity. This study explores K-8 teachers´ knowledge and understanding of their students´ learning needs, specific to language and culture, and teachers´ perception of preparedness to effectively deliver instruction to learners of diverse linguistic and cultural background. In this study, the researcher has hypothesized that teachers are ill-prepared to teach linguistically and culturally diverse learners. The study consists …

Winter Habitat Selection And Genetic Relatedness Of Southern Flying Squirrels In Southwest Michigan, Sheila M. Miara

Masters Theses

Few studies have examined winter habitat selection for southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) in northern latitudes where winter conditions are harsher than southern latitudes and resource availability is particularly limiting. Winter den tree characteristics and use by 19 southern flying squirrels (10 females and 9 males) were investigated from November through February in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. The mean home range size using 100% minimum convex polygon for 18 individuals was 3.40 ha (±0.46 0.46 SE) and there was no significant difference between genders (P= 0.56) or ages (P=0.50). The mean 95% fixed kernel home range size was 0.15 …

An Improved Custom Development Process Utilizing Lean Methods And Tools, Lisa Gay Smith

Masters Theses

Works have been written on the applications of lean principles and methods to product development, manufacturing, and the office. However, works written on the applications applied to research and development and custom product development processes have been exclude because of the inherent variability in the product design process. This work applied lean principles and tools to custom product development processes. A furniture company with $1.3 billion in annual sales, custom product development process was studied and lean principles, behaviors, and tools were applied using a traditional six step approach mixed with nontraditional practices as well. Within the six steps, the …

Organic Options For Striped Cucumber Beetle Management In Cucumbers, Katie Brandt

Masters Theses

Striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittata F.) are a serious pest of cucurbits, particularly on organic farms. These pests are the vector and overwintering host for bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila), which kills plants and can render cucumbers, melons and other produce unmarketable. During field research in 2009, row covers, compost tea and reflective mulch were compared on a commercial organic farm in Ottawa County, Michigan. I collected data on plant growth, incidence of bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila), marketable and unmarketable yields and profits. I found that row covers led to significant increases in plant growth, significant increases in marketable yield during …

Hybridization Facilitates The Rapid Evolution Of Reduced Herbicide Sensitivity In The Widely-Managed Invasive Aquatic Plant, Eurasian Watermilfoil, Elizabeth Ann Larue

Masters Theses

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is one of North American’s most invasive and widely managed aquatic weeds. Eurasian watermilfoil also hybridizes with the native northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum) to produce many invasive and genetically diverse populations of hybrid watermilfoils. Both Eurasian and hybrid watermilfoils are commonly controlled with herbicides, but there has been recent concern that some hybrids exhibit reduced herbicide sensitivity. There is a lack of studies comparing the response of Eurasian and hybrid watermilfoils to commonly used herbicides. To determine if hybrids exhibit reduced herbicide sensitivity, I compared the sensitivity of hybrid and Eurasian watermilfoil …

The Effects Of Berberine And Nitroxl (Hno) On The Glucose Uptake In L929 Fibroblast Cells, Jude Terver-Jeremiah Chenge

Masters Theses

Berberine, which has a long history of use in Chinese medicine, has recently been shown to have efficacy in the treatment of diabetes. While the hypoglycemic effect of berberine has been clearly documented in animal and cell line models, such as 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myotube cells, the mechanism of action appears complex with data implicating activation of the insulin signaling pathway as well as activation of the exercise or AMP kinase-mediated pathway. There have been no reports of the acute affects of berberine on the transport activity of the insulin-insensitive glucose transporter, GLUT1. Therefore, we examined the acute effects …

Restoring The Richness: The Influence Of Utopia On Walker Percy’S Love In The Ruins, Kyle Matthew Mccarthy

Masters Theses

There has been much scholarly investigation regarding Thomas More’s Utopia and Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins, but never into the relationship between the two texts. This thesis attempts to rectify this omission by explicating the influence that the former has on the latter. In order to do so, a brief historical background of each author and the environment in which they lived is offered. While separated through the vast chasm of spatial and temporal context, Percy used More’s work to create a character, develop a landscape, and convey a message for the modern world. He did so by …

Effect Of Exercise On Adult Neurogenesis In Crayfish, Jennifer E. Klutts

Masters Theses

Adult neurogenesis, formation of new neurons, has been determined to be a part of the normal physiology in all species of animals studied to date. There have been several factors observed to increase the number of newly formed cells; the most potent of these factors being exercise. Though exercise has a strong effect on neurogenesis by increasing proliferation and new cell survival it has not been extensively studied in many model organisms. This study is the first to look at the effect of exercise on neurogenesis in an invertebrate through the use of crayfish, Orconectes propinquus. Experimental designs, drying protocols …

Heart Rate Artifact Suppression, Christopher Dickson

Masters Theses

Motion artifact strongly corrupts heart rate measurements in current pulse oximetry systems. In many, almost any motion will greatly diminish the system’s ability to extract a reliable heart rate. The artifact is most likely present due to normally non-pulsatile components of the body, such as venous blood and tissue fluid, which become pulsatile during motion. This paper presents a motion artifact reduction method using an accelerometer that attempts to recover a usable heart rate sensor signal that has been corrupted by motion. The method was developed for a wrist pulse oximeter sensor and was adapted for a ring sensor, both …

The Acute Responses Of Different-Sized Coronary Arteries To Testosterone, Sampath Madanu

Masters Theses

Coronary arteries supply blood to the myocardium. The blood flow within the coronary arteries is altered by various compounds produced within the body. Sex hormones such as testosterone are known to cause the relaxation of large coronary arteries. But the response to testosterone is greater in in vivo conditions compared to in vitro conditions. We hypothesize that the responses of LADs (left anterior descending arteries) and its side branches to testosterone are heterogeneous and testosterone-induced vasodilation is greater in its side branches. Therefore, our study was designed to determine the effect of testosterone in different-sized coronary arteries. LADs and one …

Dominant Upper Extremity Kinematics And Muscular Activity In Sonographers During Kidney Scanning, Jennifer Elizabeth Edwards

Masters Theses

Due to the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in sonographers, this study evaluated upper extremity kinematics and determined if co-contraction was present during kidney scans. The results provided a greater understanding of joint range of motion and muscular activity, which could be helpful in assessing risk of injury. Four sonographers had reflective markers and surface electromyography electrodes placed on their dominant upper extremity. A Vicon MX motion capture system was used to record the marker positions and electromyography data while the sonographers were scanning a volunteer’s kidneys. The shoulder joint center was determined using the instantaneous helical axis method. The …

A Novel Electronic Laparoscopic Training Device, Paul Allen Shields

Masters Theses

Laparoscopic surgery is a modern surgical technique gaining popularity due to the advantages of smaller incisions, reduced pain, and shorter recovery times when compared with open surgical techniques. Training for laparoscopic surgery is a multiyear process in which candidate’s progress through a series of surgical simulations beginning with simple dexterity and coordination building exercises and ending with actual human surgeries. Early laparoscopic surgical training is performed using simulators as high tech as virtual reality computer simulations and as low tech as mirror box trainers. Studies have clearly demonstrated that variation in surgical training devices can produce variation in training results. …

Automatic Atlas Based Analysis Of Radiotracer Uptake In Bones From Fused Nuclear Imaging/Ct Data Sets Of Mice, Jeffrey Lee Vanoss

Masters Theses

Preclinical in vivo imaging is a powerful tool used for a wide variety of biomedical research applications including oncology, cardiac disease, and neurological disease. Disease physiology can be imaged in vivo with molecular imaging such as PET and SPECT. Quality analysis of molecular in vivo images currently requires an expert technician. The feasibility of large preclinical molecular imaging studies is limited by the man hours required to process the overwhelming amount of data created from preclinical scans. Our proposed solution to the bottle neck of manual image analysis is to implement automation of preclinical molecular image analysis. The method described …

Development Of A Computer-Aided Detection (Cad) Tool For Contrast Micro Computed Tomography Imaging In Diagnosing Liver Metastases, Anderson Steadham Peck

Masters Theses

High morbidity of metastatic tumors in the liver has been observed in several different types of cancers. Liver failure from metastases is one of the primary causes of death in these patients. Effective treatments for liver metastases do not currently exist. However, new pharmaceutical treatments are being explored in a preclinical setting where the cancer and its treatments are designed in vitro and then studied in vivo in mice. Therefore, effective and accurate techniques for non-invasive imaging and analysis of liver metastases in mice are critical to the development of new treatments.

In-vivo micro CT imaging is not only one …

Refinement Of The Cast Microstructure Of Hypereutectic Aluminum-Silicon Alloys With An Applied Electric Potential, Alexander Joseph Plotkowski

Masters Theses

Hypereutectic aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) alloys are widely used in the aerospace and automobile industries because of their low density, excellent wear and corrosion resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion, good strength, and excellent castability. They are used in applications that typically require a combination of light weight and high wear resistance, such as liner-less engine blocks, pistons, and pumps. However, the performance of these alloys depends on the fineness of their cast microstructure, especially dendrite cell size, primary and eutectic silicon particles. In this study, the effects of applied electric current on the cast microstructure of Al-13 wt.% Si and Al-20 …

An Exploratory Study Of Perceptions Of Benefits And Barriers To Study Abroad For Students With Disabilities, Melissa Jean Kutsche

Masters Theses

Although roughly 11% of college students identify as students with disabilities, in 2009 only 3.6% of students who studied abroad were students with disabilities. Due to the lack of research on the topic, little is known about the reasons for this underrepresentation. In this exploratory study, qualitative data analysis was used to analyze responses to an open-ended survey distributed to 749 students with disabilities at a Midwestern university. Responses from 28 students indicate that students with disabilities perceive various benefits and barriers to study abroad, and that demographic characteristics such as type of disability, age, and marital status are not …

“Temples Fit For Thee”: The Interplay Of Holy Space, Time, Actions, And People In George Herbert’S The Temple, Carrie Lynn Steenwyk

Masters Theses

In contrast to previous academic work that focuses on one aspect of the temple image, this study will demonstrate that an understanding of Herbert’s worldview, specifically his theology with particular attention to the biblical image of temple, illuminates the interplay of temple images in The Temple in a way that embraces the beauty and intricacy of the work as a whole. The study begins by examining Herbert’s religious and literary milieu, continues by exploring the various biblical images of temple that include the tabernacle, Old Testament temple, Jesus as temple, Christians as temples both individually and corporately, and the fulfillment …

Effects Of Ailanthus Altissima Soil Leachates On Nodulation And Expression Of Two Genes That Regulate Nodulation Of Trifolium Pratense, Jesse Michael Lincoln

Masters Theses

Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) is an invasive tree from China that has spread over much of North America. A number of characteristics contribute to its success, notably tolerance of nutrient-poor soils, rapid growth rates, prolific production of wind dispersed seeds, escape from predation, and the production of allelopathic compounds. That Ailanthus altissima frequently co-occurs with legumes in nutrient poor soils alludes to a possible relationship between Ailanthus altissima and nitrogen fixing legumes. Legumes increase the biospheres supply of bio-available nitrogen through facilitating the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen within structures on roots called nodules. Thus, increased nodulation of legumes caused by Ailanthus …

Effect Of Using Hand-Weights On Performance In The Standing Long Jump, Austin Filush

Masters Theses

Previous standing long jump studies have shown that jumping with hand weights can significantly increase jumping performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms that enable performance improvement in the standing long jump when using hand weights and test the hypothesis that releasing the hand weights during flight can further increase jump distance. Four college-aged male subjects were chosen based on participation in athletic activities and physical ability. Each subject executed 24 jumps (six trials for each of four different standing long jump techniques: without weights, with weights, releasing the weights backwards near the high point of …