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Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 14, April 6, 2026, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – April 20, 2026

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Mitochondrial Presequences Harbor Variable Strengths To Maintain Organellar Function, Youmian Yan, Baigalmaa Erdenepurev, Thiago N Menezes, Ian Collinson, Natalie M Niemi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hundreds of mitochondrial proteins rely on N-terminal presequences for organellar targeting and import. While generally described as positively charged amphiphilic helices, presequences lack a consensus motif and thus likely promote protein import into mitochondria with variable efficiencies. Indeed, the concept of presequence strength underlies biological models such as stress sensing, yet a quantitative analysis of what dictates strong versus weak presequences is lacking. Furthermore, the extent to which presequence strength affects mitochondrial function and cellular fitness remains unclear. Here, we capitalize on the MitoLuc protein import assay to define multiple aspects of presequence strength. We find that select presequences, including …

For Us, By Us: A Sensory Ethnographic Study Of Creating Queer Safe Spaces, Chelsea Dawn Liddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This sensory ethnographic study conducted in the summer of 2025 looks at the impact of for us, by us queer spaces on queer young adults working as counselors at a queer youth camp located in a rural Midwestern United States area. Interviews and a researcher journal were used to co-create data with the queer young adult participants and provide sensory information beyond spoken language. Queer theory as presented by Judith Butler (1990, 1993, 2004, 2015) and Sara Ahmed (2006, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2021) is considered throughout, as well as ideas of space and place as conceived by Doreen Massey (1993, …

Targeting Mitochondrial Fitness To Restore Immune Balance In Aging: The Role Of Urolithin A, Rafael Moura Maurmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Aging drives systemic functional decline and represents the primary risk factor for comorbidities and mortality. Immune dysregulation is central to chronic age-related inflammation, with macrophages acting as key mediators of unresolved tissue damage. This functional compromise coincides with metabolic maladaptations including elevated mitochondrial stress and impaired mitophagy, which exacerbate oxidative stress and inflammatory overstimulation. However, the exact mechanistic links driving these phenotypes remain incompletely understood. Urolithin A (UA) has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance mitochondrial health via mitophagy stimulation, yet its immunoregulatory effects in the context of aging remain unexplored. Objectives: This study aimed to characterize mitochondrial dysfunction …

Organismic Encoding Of Geographic Information In Dna, Hema Siva Gayathri Dalavayi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Recent evidence suggests that DNA also encodes information that reflects long-term environmental conditions. This work examines whether an organism’s genome encodes specific environmental information, and if so, what is its nature and origin. Genes from three insect groups, Simuliidae (blackflies), Lepidoptera (butterflies), and Formicidae (ants), were analyzed to address the geographic provenance (latitude, longitude) problem. DNA was converted into numerical signatures using noncrosshybridizing DNA bases and used to train machine learning (ML) models. Predictions achieved errors below the baseline, even for models trained on combined data without region-specific labels, indicating that DNA encodes this information and suggesting that the underlying …

Explaining The Experiences Of Black Male Graduates With Pell Grants At A Public, Four-Year Historically White Institution In Tennessee, Travis Tyshawn Strattion

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This qualitative narrative inquiry explains the factors that contributed to the success of Black male graduates who received Pell Grants at a public, four-year historically White institution in Tennessee. Situated within persistent racial and economic inequities in higher education, the study examines how Black men from low-income backgrounds navigated institutional systems not originally designed to support their success. Guided by African American Male Theory (AAMT; Bush & Bush, 2013b) and Padilla’s Expertise Model of Student Success (EMSS; Padilla, 1994; Padilla et al., 1997), the study centers participants as active agents who developed strategies, knowledge, and meaning-making practices to persist to …

Balancing Act: The Impact Of Feminine Expression, Name, Image And Likeness (Nil) On The Mental Health Of Female College Athletes, Sedaria Lanora Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Female college athletes navigate multi-faceted pressures at the intersection of gender, race, finances, and athletic identity. However, their lived experiences remain understudied. This qualitative study examined how feminine expression and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) financial pressures intersected to impact the mental health of Division I female college athletes. Guided by a hermeneutic phenomenological framework and grounded in Brewer et al.’s (1993) Athletic Identity Theory and Crenshaw’s (1989) Intersectionality Theory, data was collected through semi-structured virtual interviews with eight participants representing a range of sports and racial backgrounds. The thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase model which yielded …

The Experiences Of Systemic Invalidation In Chronic Pain Care Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Individuals: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study, Claira Moro, Stuart Spicer, Charley Hobson-Merrett

Peninsula Medical School

This study explored the lived experiences of individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities living with chronic pain and prescribed pain-relief medication. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, eight participants were recruited from a single primary care network in England. Two Group Experiential Themes were developed. This paper reports one: From Dismissed to Disengaged: the trauma of seeking help, with three sub-themes: (1) “Being fobbed off” – dismissal across healthcare and benefit systems; (2) “It just seemed horrible to me, to take it off me” – pain relief as withdrawn, stigmatised, or conditional; and (3) “Do I want to poke the bear?” – disengagement …

Visualizing Perception: Systems Of Perception And Cognition In Animal Species, Felicia Soto

Theses

Animal species utilize various modes of perception based on their individual adaptations and survival needs. The sensory organs of an organism serve as an interface between the present environment and the organism’s central nervous system (Dangles et. al, 2009). An organism will make decisions based on the information being perceived and processed by that individual's nervous system. Studies investigate the mechanisms of these interactions in a variety of ways, from studying physiology and functional morphology, to conducting observational studies of perception. These studies concerning perception and cognition in animals can help to uncover parallels between animal species, as well as …

Telaah Kritis Mengenai Perspektif Historis-Evolusioner Dalam Studi Hukum Dan Perkembangan Nasional Di Indonesia, Jimly Asshiddiqie, S.H., M.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Kemungkinan Terjadinya Pencemaran Akibat Penambangan Dasar Laut Dalam Dl Laut Banda Ditinjau Dari Segi Hukum Lingkungan, H. Ruhulessin, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Quantifying Dag-Ness: A Multi-Component Framework, Erik Csikos

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are important structures across many disciplines, including mathematics and network science. They are especially useful in modeling causal and hierarchical relationships in a wide variety of applications. The primary
features of a DAG, directedness and acyclicity, are traditionally treated as binary. A graph is either DAG or it is not. Because of this, graphs are not usually interpreted as partially acyclic or partially directed. To address this gap in understanding, we
introduce a framework, consisting of five components, that will provide a continuous measure of DAG-ness. This measure will take into account edge acyclicity, node cyclicity, …

International Student Transition: An Autoethnographic And Archival Study, Abdulsamad Olajide Yusuf, Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Within the framework of a globalized university campus, this study investigates the process that an international student goes through while adapting to a new culture. Using autoethnography and archival research methods, this study recounts the personal and lived experiences of a doctoral international student navigating the cultural adjustment contexts of a southeastern public university, providing an understanding of how the challenges and opportunities faced by international students are historicized and located within a broader cultural and social context. This approach includes maintaining a reflexive journal, self-analysis, personal conversations, and analyzing historical records and correspondences, including policy papers, factbooks, and institutional …

Administering Surveys To International Undergraduates—Recommendations For Best Practices, Ricardo Paniagua, Barry Fass-Holmes

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Researchers and educators historically have administered surveys to collect data, track perceptions, and/or solicit opinions from undergraduates, including internationals, attending American institutions. To promote survey responses’ generalizability, the present report advocates the following recommendations for best practices in survey administration. 1) Use stratified random sampling methodology to identify which specific subset of students from the campus’ source population to invite to the survey. 2) Strive for, design, and implement an administration process that achieves a high response rate (preferably above 90%). 3) Choose an incentive that is truly salient for survey invitees to recruit and reward them for their time. …

Epidemiological Survey Of Abortion In Camels (Camelus Dromedarius) And Histopathological Investigation Of Toxoplasmosis And Neosporosis In Those Animals From Slaughterhouses In Southeastern Algeria, Amira Djeddou-Benabid, Hind Houssou, Omar Bennoune, Ferhat Nouicer, Amel Djaout

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are heteroxenous apicomplexan parasites recognized as major causes of reproductive disorders in numerous mammalian species. The present study aimed to assess through an epidemiological survey, the prevalence of reproductive losses in 75 dromedary herds during the period 2022-2025, as well as the associated risk factors, and to detect these protozoa by histopathological analysis in 63 dromedaries slaughtered at the slaughterhouse of El Oued province (126 samples: 63 hearts and 63 diaphragms). The survey revealed that 80% of the herds had a history of abortions, of which 60% also reported cases of stillbirth. Risk factor analysis …

Effect Of Root Canal Sealer Type On Obturation Density: An In Vitro Comparison Of Ah Plus, Bioactive Rcs, Novel Bioactive Glass-Based Bioceramic Sealer, And Zinc Oxide Eugenol, Poulomi Guha, Pradeep Solete, Nishitha Arun, Praveen Kumar Elango, Sanyukta Singh

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: To compare the obturation density of four root canal sealers—AH Plus, Bioactive RCS, a novel bioactive glass-based bioceramic sealer, and zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) using a standardized single-cone obturation technique.

Methods: Forty extracted premolars were endodontically prepared to a 15 mm working length and divided into four groups (n=10). Each group was obturated with the same F2-sized guttapercha cones and one of the sealers being evaluated. Weight variations pre-obturation and postobturation, and after complete sealer setting were used to calculate obturation density. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test (p < 0.05) to test for group differences.

Results: The bioactive glass-based sealer …

The Effect Of The Mind Diet On Cognitive Decline In Als Patients With Frontotemporal Dementia, Riya Thomas, Reba Thomas, Eliana Gitelman

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, leading to a broad range of neurological issues. Individuals with ALS experience progressive muscle weakness, dysphagia, slurred speech, and impaired movement and cognition. In addition to physical symptoms, around 15-20% of individuals with ALS also develop frontotemporal dementia (FTD). There are limited interventions to slow cognitive decline in this specific population. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet has been associated with slower cognitive decline and reduced risk in neurodegenerative disease among older adults; however, its effects have not been …

New Species Of Kronosvirus Bacteriophages That Infect Caulobacter Strain Cbr1, Tannaz Mohammadi, Austin Millwood, Maherah Shaik, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

Caulobacter segnis strain CBR1 enhances the germination rate and total biomass of Arabidopsis plants. Since bacteriophages are usually present in the rhizosphere, we isolated three additional bacteriophages, designated TMCBR2, TMCBR3, and W2, that can replicate using CBR1 as the host strain. The genome sizes and morphologies of the new phages were similar to those of the previously isolated Kronos phage, and when we compared the nucleotide sequence of these new phage genomes, we found only minor differences among the four phage genomes. Pairwise sequence comparisons indicated that the phage genomes should be grouped into three separate species within Kronosvirus genus. …

Comparative Evaluation Of Irrigants On Sealer Penetration: An In Vitro Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Study, Savani Purohit, Priyanka Zinge, Roshan Samuel, Aayush Bhatt, Rucha Pawar

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: Effective smear layer removal enhances sealer penetration in endodontics. Chelating agents vary in their efficacy, influencing treatment outcomes. In this study, the depth of penetration of AH Plus and Bio-C root canal sealers into dentinal structures was analysed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), following the application of four final irrigants: 17% EDTA, 20% citric acid, 0.2% chitosan, and 5% fulvic acid.

Methods: Ninety-six single-rooted human premolars were prepared and irrigated with sodium hypochlorite. Final irrigation used one of four agents: 17% EDTA, 20% citric acid, 0.2% chitosan, or 5% fulvic acid, followed by sonic activation. Canals were obturated …

Study Of The Changes In Vestibular Bone Plate Absorption Values After Implant Placement Under Immediate Loading For A Period Of 5 Months Using Cbct: An In Vivo Study, Hassen Merzouk, Samir Habibi, Ben Ali Boutabout

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: The study focuses on the success and durability of dental implants, which depends heavily on the bone surrounding them. Changes in this bone affect how the implant looks and functions. The researchers aimed to use CBCT, a modern three-dimensional imaging tool, to accurately measure changes in the thickness of the bone plate on the cheek side (vestibular bone plate) around implants placed in the lower jaw (mandible). Specifically, they looked at bone changes five months after placing implants that were immediately loaded (meaning they were used for chewing right away) in 15 patients who had missing molars or premolars. …

Biologically Oriented Preparation Technique In Implant-Supported Fixed Prostheses: A Systematic Review, Ghida Lawand, Roudy Khayat, Yara Ismail, Maryse Nassif, Mahmood Dashti, Jimmy Londono, Rami Al Bahri, Hani Tohme

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

This systematic review was conducted to assess the clinical and esthetic outcomes associated with convergent collar implants and compare them to divergent collar implant. The review was registered on the PROSPERO register (registration number: CRD42022326338). The systematic literature search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify studies on implant-supported prostheses related to the Biologically Oriented Preparation Technique (BOPT) until June 2023. Inclusion criteria involved experimental and clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals, excluding expert opinions. Data extraction was performed, adhering to predefined parameters for BOPT, specifications of convergent collar implants, and the assessment of outcomes. The systematic review …

Preliminary Sonification Of Enso Using Traditional Javanese Gamelan Scales, Sandy Hs Herho, Rusmawan Suwarman, Nurjanna J. Trilaksono, Iwan P. Anwar, Faiz R. Fajary

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Sonification—the mapping of data to non-speech audio—offers an underexplored channel for representing complex dynamical systems. We treat El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a canonical example of low-dimensional climate chaos, as a test case for culturally-situated sonification evaluated through complex systems diagnostics. Using parameter-mapping sonification of the Niño 3.4 sea surface temperature anomaly index (1870–2024), we encode ENSO variability into two traditional Javanese gamelan pentatonic systems (pelog and slendro) across four composition strategies, then analyze the resulting audio as trajectories in a two- dimensional acoustic phase space. Recurrence-based diagnostics, convex hull ge- ometry, and coupling analysis reveal that the sonification …

Impact Of One Nucleotide On Organ Enumeration And Phyllotaxy In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hazel R. Frans, Tara Phelps-Durr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism used by scientists to study plant genetics, development, and physiology. CRISPR-Cas9 is a biotechnology tool adapted from a bacterial defense mechanism to precisely edit DNA using a guide mRNA and a Cas9 protein. This project aims to create CRISPR-CAS9 mutations in the APETALA3 (AP3) gene of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. AP3 is a class B gene critical to the petal and stamen development of Arabidopsis flowers. The AP3 protein contains a MADS domain, which binds directly to DNA and may be responsible for the expression of the CaRG-box genes. AP3 works in conjunction …

Mondo: Integrating Disease Terminology Across Communities., Nicole A Vasilevsky, Sabrina Toro, Nicolas Matentzoglu, Joseph E Flack, Kathleen R Mullen, Harshad Hegde, Sarah Gehrke, Patricia L Whetzel, Yousif Shwetar, Nomi L Harris, Mee S Ngu, Gioconda L Alyea, Megan S Kane, Paola Roncaglia, Eric Sid, Courtney L Thaxton, Valerie Wood, Roshini S Abraham, Maria Isabel Achatz, Pamela Ajuyah, Joanna S Amberger, Lawrence Babb, Jasmine Baker, James P Balhoff, Jonathan S Berg, Amol Bhalla, Xavier Bofill-De Ros, Ian R Braun, Eleanor C Broeren, Blake K Byer, Alicia B Byrne, Tiffany J Callahan, Leigh Carmody, Lauren E Chan, Amanda R Clause, Julie S Cohen, Marcello Deluca, Natalie T Deuitch, May Flowers, Jamie Fraser, Toyofumi Fujiwara, Vanessa Gitau, Jennifer L Goldstein, Dylan Gration, Tudor Groza, Benjamin M Gyori, William Hankey, Jason A Hilton, Daniel S Himmelstein, Stephanie S Hong, Charles T Hoyt, Robert Huether, Eric Hurwitz, Julius O B Jacobsen, Atsuo Kikuchi, Sebastian Köhler, Daniel R Korn, David Lagorce, Bryan J Laraway, Jane Y Li, Adriana J Malheiro, James Mclaughlin, Birgit H M Meldal, Shruthi Mohan, Sierra A T Moxon, Monica C Munoz-Torres, Tristan H Nelson, Frank W Nicholas, David Ochoa, Daniel Olson, Tudor I Oprea, Tomiko T Oskotsky, David Osumi-Sutherland, Kelley Paris, Helen E Parkinson, Zoë M Pendlington, Xiao P Peng, Amy Pizzino, Sharon E Plon, Bradford C Powell, Julie C Ratliff, Heidi L Rehm, Lyubov Remennik, Erin R Riggs, Sean Roberts, Peter N Robinson, Justyne E Ross, Kevin Schaper, Brian M Schilder, Johanna L Schmidt, Elliott W Sharp, Morgan N Similuk, Damian Smedley, Tam P Sneddon, Rachel Sparks, Ray Stefancsik, Gregory S Stupp, Shilpa Sundar, Terue Takatsuki, Imke Tammen, Kezang C Tshering, Deepak R Unni, Eloise Valasek, Adeline Vanderver, Alex H Wagner, Ryan F Webb, Danielle Welter, Doron Yaya-Stupp, Andreas Zankl, Xingmin Aaron Zhang, Julie A Mcmurry, Christopher G Chute, Ada Hamosh, Christopher J Mungall, Melissa A Haendel

Faculty Research 2026

Precision medicine aims to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis by integrating multimodal data at the point of care. However, challenges arise due to the vast number of diseases, differing methods of classification, and conflicting terminological coding systems and practices used to represent molecular definitions of disease. This lack of interoperability artificially constrains the potential for diagnosis, clinical decision support, care outcome analysis, as well as data linkage across research domains to support the development or repurposing of therapeutics. There is a clear and pressing need for a unified system for managing disease entities⁠-including identifiers, synonyms, and definitions. To address these …

Regulation Of Gene Expression By Small Upstream Open Reading Frames In Escherichia Coli, Andrea R. Vansledright

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Design And Numerical Analysis Of A High-Quality Factor Plasmonic 1 × 3 Demultiplexer Based On Mim Waveguides, Karrar A. Kzar, Ahmed Ghanim Wadday, Sinan M. Abdulsatar

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

This study aims to design plasmonic filters as essential components in photonic integrated circuits,based on surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs).Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electromagnetic waves that are transmitted at metal-insulator boundaries.Optical apparatuses founded on SPPs have been widely planned too deliberate because of their outstanding possessions, like beat the diffraction limit and treatment light at subwavelength range and at high speed in minor constructions. Design and analyzing a compact 1 × 3 optical demultiplexer in a plasmonic nano structure be also designed utilize the finite element method (FEM), and the suggested structure was arithmetically simulated utilize COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software. …

Snail Snacks: Introduced Seaweeds Facilitate Performance Of An Introduced Marine Snail, Alysha B. Putnam, Adeline Dwyer, Paulette Peckol

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Facilitative interactions among introduced species can accelerate invasion and community change, yet positive interactions are often overlooked compared to competition and predation. In marine systems, positive facilitation is more commonly demonstrated indirectly through habitat modification, with fewer studies examining direct performance impacts. While introduced herbivores in non-marine systems consume and even prefer introduced food sources, this pattern is less studied in marine environments. In this study, we tested grazing preferences and growth responses of the introduced periwinkle Littorina littorea and the native Littorina obtusata, when fed native and introduced seaweeds from southern New England. L. littorea grazed broadly across …

Morphology, Phylogeny And Distribution Of Scaeurgus (Cephalopoda: Octopoda) In Southeast Pacific Seamounts, Sergio A. Carrasco, Christian M. Ibáñez, Andrea I. Varela, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Octopuses of the genus Scaeurgus inhabit upper bathyal benthic habitats and are composed of five recognized species. In this study, we conducted morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses of two individuals of Scaeurgus and provided additional field observations of the genus in seamounts of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges (southeast Pacific Ocean) over the last six years. Specifically, two specimens of Scaeurgus were collected at 234 m depth in 2019 during the EPIC oceanographic cruise onboard the R/V Mirai (JAMSTEC, Japan), and five other specimens were video recorded at depths between 210 and 340 m during three oceanographic expeditions …

Sex-Specific Differences In Lung Mitochondrial Function And Injury In Rats Exposed To Hyperoxia, Taheri Pardis, Abraham G. Taye, Devanshi D. Dave, Elizabeth R. Jacobs, Guru Prasad Sharma, Anne V. Clough, Ranjan K. Dash, Said H. Audi

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

Hyperoxia is both an essential therapy and a contributor to lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome. We hypothesized that adult female rats are relatively protected from hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (HALI) compared with males and that this protection is associated with sex-dependent differences in lung mitochondrial bioenergetics and H₂O₂ production. Adult rats were exposed to room air (normoxia) or hyperoxia (>95% O₂) for up to 60 h. Lung injury was assessed by pleural effusion, lung wet weight, pulmonary vascular filtration coefficient (K_f), histologic injury scores, and cleaved caspase-3 (CC3) staining. …

A Novel Endolysin Of Phage Persinger Infecting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Activity Against Biofilms And Structural Prediction, Layla Abbud

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Endolysins are proteins that degrade bacterial cell walls. They are encoded on the genome of bacteriophages (viruses that infect and kill bacteria). At the end of the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage, endolysins cut the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall, allowing the release of viral progeny. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-known multidrug-resistant human pathogen that causes serious problems, especially in patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). One property of P. aeruginosa is the production of biofilms, which is a defense against antibiotics. Previous research has shown that endolysins from bacteriophages can degrade biofilms. The endolysin protein from Persinger, …