Digital Commons Network^™

Between The Man And Beast: Reactions To Evolutionary Science In Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls Of The King And T. H. White's The Once And Future King, Mary Feldman

Masters Theses

The development and popular acceptance of evolutionary theory in the nineteenth century, of which Charles Darwin was perhaps the leading voice, produced perhaps the greatest cultural cataclysm of the Modern age. It held theological and philosophical implications beyond the scientific realm, profoundly impacting the humanities as well as science. The Arthurian legend, a story that has been told and retold for centuries before and after Darwin, offers us a unique opportunity to examine how a preexisting story was radically altered in the light of evolution. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King and T. H. White's The Once and Future …

Identification Of Actin Cytoskeletal Protein Interactions With The Fission Yeast Scaffold, Mid1, Marian Testori

Masters Theses

Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell division. Cell division in eukaryotic cells occurs by the formation of a contractile ring, predominantly composed of filamentous actin (F-actin). During mitosis, actin filaments polymerize to form rings at the medial plane of the cell that constrict causing the cell membrane to pinch and divide. Proteins that regulate this process are essential because dysregulation can lead to uninhibited cell growth and division. In fission yeast, the protein Mid1 functions as a scaffold to recruit regulatory proteins required for actin filament formation and simultaneously anchors the contractile ring at the cell division site. The …

The Effects Of A Moisture-Wicking Fabric Shirt On The Physiological Responses During Acute Exercise In The Heat, Kimberly Wigboldy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects that a form fitted, moisture-wicking fabric shirt, promoted to have improved evaporative and ventilation properties, has on the thermoregulatory, physiological and perceptual response during moderate intensity exercise in the heat for an extended duration of exercise of 90 minutes. Ten healthy subjects (7 males, 3 females), completed two heat stress tests consisting of 20 minute seated rest in a neutral environment (24°C, 60% RH), 30 minute seated rest in a hot environment (33°C, 60% RH), and 90 minutes of exercise(50% V0_{2 peak}) on a magnetically-braked cycle ergometerin a …

Predicting The Effects Of Land-Use And Climate Change On Michigan Stream Ecosystems, Jacqueline M. Taylor

Masters Theses

Land use change from forest to agriculture can alter the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of stream ecosystems. The objective in this study was to use macroinvertebrate community structure and function, physicochemical measurements, and watershed land cover type to assess stream ecosystem health in response to the effects of agriculture and predicted changes in temperature regime due to climate change. I used key biotic indices include the % Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT), taxa richness, total abundance, and Shannon’s diversity to make a comparison of six agriculturally impacted tributaries in the Muskegon River Watershed located in Michigan, USA. The stream …

Disease Ecology Of A Microsporidian Parasite And Its Effects On Mottled Sculpin, Jared Joseph Homola

Masters Theses

Infectious disease can influence organisms at all levels of ecological organization, from individuals to ecosystems. Likewise, the ecosystems where pathogens exist directly influence their success. Recent theoretical studies have tied disease prevalence to biotic factors such as genetic diversity, biodiversity, and host behavior, and abiotic factors that include temperature and increased nutrient concentrations. Parasites included in the phylum Microspora are increasingly recognized for being ubiquitous in nature, although their ecological roles are generally unknown. This study examined several environmental, community, and host-related metrics to compare the biotic and abiotic aspects of 16 small streams; 6 with mottled sculpin (Cottus …

An Exploration Of The Impact That Postmodernism Has On Competition In Sport, Shara Crow

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact that postmodernism has on competition in sport. Previous studies compartmentalized social thought and competition in sport. This study appreciates that the two are connected, and it is through this connectedness that the impact emerges. By describing, finding, and analyzing relationships through text as well as notating text iteratively, it was found through a postmodernist critical awareness to meta-narratives that sport is expressed in two main themes: (a) identity (b) and hierarchy/authority. Moreover, both of these themes are interrelated to social interaction. These findings indicate that social interpretation impacts the complex …

Use Of A Specific Alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonist Can Prevent Loss Of Retinal Ganglion Cells In An In Vivo Rat Glaucoma Model, David Mata

Masters Theses

Acetylcholine (ACh) has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) through activation of α7 nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs). In this study, the neuroprotective effects of the α7 nAChR agonist, PNU-282987, were investigated using an in vivo model of glaucoma in adult Long Evans rats. Hypertonic saline injections were used to induce a glaucoma model. After one month, retinas were removed, flat mounted, fixed and labeled with an antibody against Thy 1.1 to label RGCs and fluorescently tagged for visualization. Eye drop application of PNU-282987 resulted in neuroprotection against RGC loss in …

Expression Of The Chemokine Receptor, Cxcr4, And Its Ligand, Sdf-1, Are Increased In Purkinje Cells Of The Multiple System Atrophy Cerebellum, Megan Welter

Masters Theses

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a sporadic, neurodegenerative disease that consists of three conditions: autonomic dysfunction, Parkinsonism and cerebellar ataxia. Our lab conducted an Affymetrix global gene expression analysis using pons tissue of MSA patients to determine genes that are differentially expressed when compared to non- MSA controls. This study identified upregulated genes, including the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4, CXCR4, to which stromal cell-derived factor-I (SDF-1) is the natural ligand. The CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling pair has been sho.wn to play multiple roles in the brain, such as inducing neuronal apoptosis and promoting leukocyte recruitment during inflammation. The MSA cerebellum presents …

Functional Annotation, Transcriptional Characterization And Enzymatic Contributions Of Essential Amino Acid Biosynthesis-Related Genes, Teresa J. Clark

Masters Theses

In plants, essential amino acid biosynthesis predominantly or exclusively occurs in the plastid. The plastid in the heterokont alga Nannochloropsis oceanica is surrounded by four membranes, which add great complexity to intracellular trafficking and communication. N. oceanica genes in essential amino acid biosynthesis were functionally annotated. The biosynthesis pathways resemble the pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana, but the gene content seems to be simpler in N. oceanica.

In addition, two A. thaliana mutants with loss-of-function mutations in the aspartate kinase-homoserine dehydrogenase 2 (AK-HSDH2) gene were characterized. These ak-hsdh2 mutants demonstrate unexpected accumulation of aspartate-derived amino acids (ADAAs), particularly threonine, in …

Executive Functions And Social Interactions: Developing Social Scenarios, Mackenzie Waite

Masters Theses

The aim of this study was to develop a series of vignettes to form the basis for an assessment of executive functions (EFs) for 9 – 12 year old children. Although EFs are necessary for effective social communication and positive social interactions, currently, most EF assessments focus on impersonal activities. Little research exists that incorporates real-time processing using ecologically valid social scenarios. The current study aims to develop realistic scenarios that children could encounter in daily life. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with six participants, who worked in a school with 9-12 year old children, to gain their perspective on social …

A Discursive Analysis Of A Pregnancy Center: How Pregnant Women Are Encouraged To Develop A Sense Of Self-Worth And Emotional Wellbeing Through The Use Of Rhetoric And Imagery, Jessica Postma

Masters Theses

This study presents and alternative approach to how pregnancy is interpreted in western society and how settings such as a pregnancy center both challenges and reinforces these social standards. The promotion of abstinence, the aversion to abortion, notions of truth and morality, religious narratives, and the standard of care are all integral components to this analysis of pregnancy, language, and culture.

The Fine-Tuning Of Nomic Behavior In Multiverse Scenarios, Max Lewis Edward Andrews

Masters Theses

The multiverse hypothesis (the view that there is not just one world or universe in existence, bur rather that there are many) is the leading alternative to the competing fine-tuning hypothesis (the laws of physics and constants are fine-tuned for the existence of life). The multiverse dispels many aspects of the fine-tuning argument by suggesting that there are different initial conditions in each universe, varying constants of physics, and the laws of nature lose their known arbitrary values; thus, making the previous single-universe argument from fine- tuning incredibly weak. The position that will be advocated will be that a form …

Removing The Classical Landmark: Assessing An Epistemology Governed By Methodological Naturalism, Kegan Shaw

Masters Theses

This paper proposes to assess the naturalist project in epistemology with an eye towards exposing the project as deficient for serving as a robust epistemological project. Epistemologists treasure a certain family of questions and burden themselves with a number of specific concerns the most important of which, I think, cannot be answered by the epistemological naturalist. Ignoring these questions, I will argue, essentially amounts to a dismissal of the principle tension that primarily motivates and properly guides epistemological theorizing. This tension is the familiar appearance vs. reality distinction and characterizes what I am calling the classical landmark or boundary-stone for …

American Beisbol: How Cultural Differences Help Explain Different Approaches To Game Playing, Derek Jackson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to examine the effect of culturally derived game strategies on the success level of players in the game of baseball. Specifically, I look at both the influence of how various Latin American cultures teach the game in order to better ensure success of players at the MLB level versus how the game is taught in the United States and Japan. In this way I develop a feedback model in which these game strategies perpetuate a cycle of enculturation that further reinforces cultural/ethnic identities. In order to accomplish this goal I look at the …

Creating Sustainable Economic And Ecological Growth In The Congo Basin: Bushmeat Consumption And Biodiversity Protection, Richelle Lynn Warnock

Masters Theses

This research examines the economic and ecological sustainability of bushmeat hunting in the Congo Basin, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. Although bushmeat hunting has provided short term gain for individuals in the region, long term solutions focusing on micro and macro level interventions may provide community wide benefits, while protecting Congo Basin wildlife. Research shows that a focus on the development of key economic sectors such as agriculture, mineral resources and hydroelectricity, as well as the growth of infrastructure may provide viable economic gain for the Congo Basin. Ecotourism and improvements to forest management …

Isolation Of A Dosage Dependent Suppressor Using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae As A Model System, Rachel Chimner

Masters Theses

Human pathogenic Yersinia use a type three secretion system to deliver various effector proteins into host cells. Once these effector proteins are within the cell, they elicit a cascade of events that disrupt the normal immune response. One of these effectors, YopT, is known to disrupt actin distribution but it is currently unknown what YopT targets within the host cell. To investigate the cellular targets of the YopT effector, we use a yeast model system and a dosage-dependent suppression screen. The dosage-dependent suppression screen isolated three plasmids able to suppress YopT induced lethality within yeast. One of them, 2T9, was …

Managing Tribal Lands And Resources In Michigan: Tribal, State, And Federal Influence, Elise M. Crafts

Masters Theses

Michigan Indigenous Tribes, along with the State and Federal government, are key players in current environmental management programs and policy. The current relationship between these three entities is not clearly defined. Using qualitative data collected through collaborative interviews with employees and members of multiple Michigan Tribes, this study narrates the present dynamic of the Tribal-State-Federal environmental relationship. The Federal government's legal obligation to Michigan Tribes may mitigate potential tension between Tribal and Federal environmental departments, as Tribal-Federal communication is historically established by treaty. Across the country, Federal, State and Tribal departments face similar environmental concerns but the extent to which …

Using Attachment Theory And The Hyperpersonal Model To Examine Relationship Maintenance, Satisfaction, And Affectionate Communication In Romantic Relationships, Christina J. Gentile

Masters Theses

In this study, individuals in long-distance and geographically close romantic relationships are surveyed to examine if there are differences in regards to one's relationship maintenance, affectionate communication, and relationship satisfaction via Facebook that is exhibited to a romantic partner. Attachment theory also is utilized to examine the same variables, but to assess if the results vary by attachment style. Both this theory as well as the hyperpersonal model (Walther, 1996) is used to guide this research. This model is typically used to explain why initial interactions among strangers can lead to heightened levels of communication and idealization, but limited research …

Study Of The Insulin Mimetic Sodium Orthovanadate In Glucosamine Induced Insulin Resistnace In Primary Rat Hepatocytes, Kalan Mcpherson

Masters Theses

Insulin resistance and type II diabetes is a disease state characterized by a lack of sensitivity of insulin to provoke a proper response in insulin sensitive tissues. Currently, we utilize glucosamine to increase flux through the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway (HBP) to induce an insulin resistance like state in primary rat hepatocytes. We tested the effectiveness of the insulin mimetic sodium orthovanadate to determine if it could elicit an insulin-like response under these conditions. Mixed results were obtained on the effectiveness of vanadate as an insulin mimetic in this insulin resistant model.

Missing The Mark: Why Modern Efforts To Better Schools Through Standardization Aren't Working, Richard Knowlton

Masters Theses

In the thirty years of school reform that began with A Nation at Risk, and continues today with A Race to the Top, the United States has rapidly increased its reliance on a standardized “one-size-fits-all” policy in regard to modern educational reform. This report provides a review of the empirical and statistical evidence to demonstrate that despite lofty and well-meaning intentions, modern reform has done nothing to significantly advance the quality of education in America, and in many cases have had a severe negative impact—blocking real reform. Many schools, especially those in low-income areas, have become glorified test-prep centers in …

An Automated Approach To Dynamic Site Layout Planning, Duy Huu Nguyen

Masters Theses

Dynamic site layout planning involves determining the optimum location of resources on the construction site. Site layouts are considered dynamic because construction activities and the number and nature of associated resources change as the project progresses. Previous research has focused on the use of several algorithms to address dynamic site layout problems. These efforts do not enable automated tracking of the dynamic context of construction resources, site space and activities. This research presents an automated adaptive component level system capable of generating layouts which are optimized throughout the phases of construction projects. The system involves the integration of building information …

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations: The Failed Redeemers And The Fate Of The Orphan, Rebekah Overbey

Masters Theses

The figure of the orphan is scattered throughout the pages of Victorian novels, though few novelists created orphans that were quite as memorable as Charles Dickens. Lonely orphans and abused children appear in nearly all of Dickens' fictional works; in the novels in which the orphan is the main character, this innocent, helpless orphan is often adopted by a wealthy and benevolent benefactor, and the orphan is thus redeemed by a dramatic rescue. In Great Expectations, however, Dickens inverts this redemption by rescue that was so characteristic of his earlier novels. Instead of an innocent, helpless child, Great Expectations has …

The Role Of Extracellular Matrix Proteins On Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Stephen C. Orey

Masters Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in humans and is characterized as being highly aggressive and invasive, with the ability to locally invade different areas of the central nervous system (CNS). GBM local invasion undergoes an epithelial to mesenchmal like (EMT) process characterized by the loss of cell-cell adhesion and increased cell mobility. The EMT-like switch in GBM is triggered by a single transcription factor, Twist1, and is characterized by the loss of cell clustering, re-organization of the basement membrane, and increased cell migration. GBM invasion depends on the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) …

The African American/Black Male Experience At Grand Valley State University: Implications For The Future, Reba Loret Oguntokun

Masters Theses

Researchers note that African American male students are disadvantaged by several social, psychosocial, and institutional factors. These factors affect their enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. This study, guided by Critical Race Theory in education, explores the lived experiences of African American male students at Grand Valley State University through in-depth interviews and the utilization of qualitative data analysis. Findings reveal that social, psychosocial, and institutional factors had the ability to positively or negatively affect the academic success of the participants. The issues most frequently mentioned by participants were public school education, minority status stressors (MSS), stereotype threat, environmental incongruency, differential …

A System For Preclinical Imaging Facility Management And Data Processing, Ryan Anthony Bozio

Masters Theses

Introduction: Preclinical imaging laboratories are unique and specialized facilities that generally operate as service cores within large research institutions. The facilities offer non-invasive imaging to researchers to answer scientific questions. Facilities, such as the one located within the Van Andel Institute, have multiple imaging modalities including PET, CT, SPECT, ultrasound, and optical. These modalities often times come from different manufacturers involving various image formats. Imaging facility managers are responsible for managing collaborative projects, coordinating different groups, scheduling machine and technician time, billing customers, as well as providing meaningful and reliable results to the researchers. These challenges underscore the need for …

The Experience Of Being A Foster Parent In Non-Kinship Placements: Emotional And Psychological Impacts, Lindsay Michelle Tryc

Masters Theses

With a significant number of children in the foster care system in need of safe and stable homes, caregivers who are willing to provide such a home are vital. In 2010, almost fifty percent of foster homes were non-kinship placements with caregivers who had no biological relation to the child (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2011). As these caregivers voluntarily open their homes, they are also likely to encounter challenges with foster children due to previous traumas. The specific challenges addressed in this research study included the integration into the family, the management of behaviors, and the ability to make/break attachments. …

Demographic And Reproductive Status Of Lake Sturgeon In The Muskegon River System, Michigan, Alex C. Wieten

Masters Theses

My study focused on a threatened population of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Muskegon River system, Michigan. I assessed the condition, growth and population dynamics of lake sturgeon and compared them to nearby populations using a lengthweight relationship and the von Bertalanffy growth model. I also estimated the abundance of adult lake sturgeon in the Muskegon River system during the spawning run using closed-population models, analyzed movements of adult lake sturgeon during their spawning migrations using ultrasonic telemetry in 2011, and verified reproductive success by capturing larvae with drift nets in 2010 and 2011. The capture of …

Statistical Analysis Of Microarray Data In Sleep Deprivation, Stephanie Marie Berhorst

Masters Theses

"Microarray technology is a useful tool for studying the expression levels of thousands of genes or exons within a single experiment. Data from microarray experiments present many challenges for researchers since costly resources often limit the experimenter to small sample sizes and large amounts of data are generated. The researcher must carefully consider the appropriate statistical analysis to use that aligns with the experimental design employed. In this work, statistical issues are investigated and addressed for a microarray experiment that examines how expression levels change over time as individuals are sleep deprived. Over the course of 48 hours of sleep …

The Effect Of Accurate Categorical Activity Selection On The Prediction Of Percent Body Fat When Using The Omron Hbf-306 Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer, Abby Moulton

Masters Theses

Accurate methods for assessing body composition are important in evaluating health risk and fitness levels in individuals. Bioelectric Impedance Analysis has become a popular field method for assessing body composition because it is inexpensive, noninvasive, and easy to administer. The purpose of this study was to compare the activity level settings (Normal vs. Athlete) on the Omron HBF-306 bioelectrical impedance device to the criterion method, air displacement plethysmography, to evaluate the accuracy of the settings for college age females. It was hypothesized that the "Normal" setting would be more accurate for individuals described as normal by FIT index scores and …

Qualitative Exploration Of The Influential Factors That Impact Black Students Access To College, Kortney Jones

Masters Theses

The study examined the educational, psychological, and social factors both favorable and unfavorable that impact Black students access to college. Participants consisted of a combination of undergraduate and graduate students from either a mid-size or large Midwestern institution of higher education. A qualitative approach was taken through focus groups to collect data. The findings reported students have feelings of preparedness and underpreparedness for college regarding educational factors; feelings of discrimination/racism, feelings of White counterparts being better prepared, feelings of competitive motivation to excel, and feelings of unpreparedness for ACT regarding psychological factors; and lastly regarding social factors participants reported feelings …