Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Navigating Asynchronous Online Learning: The Impacts Of Active Learning And Assigned Group Work On Student Motivation, Belonging, And Inclusion, Shea Elisabeth Carr

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Motivation, belonging, and inclusion are all critical factors for student success but can be difficult to support in asynchronous online courses. Active learning and required group work have been shown to increase student motivation in in-person and synchronous online courses, but little is known about their impact in online asynchronous settings. This dissertation aimed to 1) evaluate the effect of active learning on student motivation in an online asynchronous setting and 2) evaluate the impact of assigned group work on student motivation and perceptions of belonging and inclusion within the context of an online, asynchronous physiology laboratory course. It was …

Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Plasticity By The Gut Microbiome, Taylor R. Valentino

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiome could play a role in skeletal muscle plasticity, providing novel treatments for muscle wasting diseases and/or performance enhancements. I first sought to determine if the gut microbiome is necessary for skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise. Forty-two, four-month old, female C57Bl/6J underwent nine weeks of weighted wheel running or remained in cage with a locked wheel, without or without the administration of antibiotics (treated). In response to wheel running, I found that antibiotic depletion of the microbiome led to a blunted hypertrophic response in the soleus muscle as measured by normalized muscle wet weight …

Lifestyle Contributors To Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Adam J. Berrones

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Aortic stiffness is an independent risk factor that has prognostic value regarding future cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as myocardial infarction, strokes, and heart failure. Although death rates due to coronary heart disease have declined in recent years, the leading global killer remains CVD and prevalence is still high. Understanding lifestyle contributors associated with aortic stiffness would provide the public with insight into targeting key health-related behaviors.

The purpose of this observational study was to examine the association of physical activity, physical function, and dietary quality as independent factors contributing to aortic stiffness in apparently healthy middle aged men. Fifty-two …