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Exercise In The Dark: The Effect Of Ambient Light Intensity On The Subjective Exercise Experience, Anthony J. Fioravanti

Open Access Master's Theses

Exercise is a feasible way to reduce all-cause mortality, yet participation rates are paradoxically low. A growing trend of exercise classes in the dark has been anecdotally reported as a way to increase exercise participation by removing the element of comparison. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ambient light intensity on the subjective exercise experience. Specifically, the effect of ambient light levels on social physique anxiety and affective responses was measured during group cycling exercise in two different lighting conditions. It was hypothesized that social physique anxiety (SPA) would be lower when group cycling exercising …

Measuring Motivation For Effective Headache Self-Management: An Application Of The Transtheoretical Model Of Behavior Change, Hayley M. Lindsey

Open Access Master's Theses

Migraine is a highly prevalent disease that often reduces quality of life and can be a financial burden to individuals and societies. Migraine frequency and severity are associated with sleep, stress, exercise, diet, and treatment use. Effective migraine management likely requires the use of a multiple health behavior change model. The current study applied the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change to migraine among adults to better understand factors influencing adults’ readiness to practice effective migraine self-management. Focus groups were conducted with 22 adults experiencing recurrent migraines. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes emerged: 1) effective migraine self-management includes several health …

Heat Transfer Mechanisms In Gold Nanoparticles Studied Via Pump-Probe Measurements, Ludovica Palazzo

Open Access Master's Theses

The investigation of gold nanoparticle thin films for cancer therapy is a topic of significant interest in the scientific community. A comprehensive examination of their heat transfer properties is crucial to explore their potential applications in materials science and medicine. This study focuses on measuring and analyzing the heat transfer properties of gold nanorod thin films utilized in cancer therapy, with a specific focus on the effective electron-phonon coupling factor. The thin film was realized through the spin coating of a gold nanorod solution onto a hydrogel platform to ensure adherence between the solution and the glass coverslip. Using pump-probe …

Composite Hedonic Scores And Subjective Palatability Ratings In Young Adults Consuming Three Breakfast Meals Differing By Level Of Food Processing And Nutritional Quality, Ilayna Seibold

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To compare subjective palatability ratings across three meals differing by processing and nutritional quality (NQ) in healthy young adults. The aim was to match meals for subjective palatability in preparation for a larger crossover study. As such, an interim analysis was planned to determine if the meals were tracking towards similar ratings or not.

Methods: In this within-subjects individualized-testing study, 30 consented participants reported demographics. They each came for one 1-hour lab visit to sample three matched (flavor profiles, macronutrients, energy) test meals differing by processing and NQ: Low Ultra-Processed food (UPF)/High NQ (Meal 1), High UPF/High …

Associations Between Fatty Acid Status And Postpartum Depressive Symptoms In Ghanaian Women At 6 Months Postpartum: A Secondary Data Analysis, Kelly L. Zarka

Open Access Master's Theses

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects 10-20% of women globally and has a negative impact on maternal and infant health. Omega-3 fatty acids have been implicated in psychiatric health due to their anti-inflammatory properties, contrasting with the proinflammatory effects of omega-6 fatty acids. Within Ghana, 2% of an estimated 2.3 million people are living with mental illness and are not seeking treatment due to poor attitudes surrounding mental health. We do not fully understand the risk factors associated with the development of PPD, and therefore how to inform pro-grams seeking to make positive reforms in this area.

Methods: This …

Migratory Patterns Of Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharias Taurus) Along The Us East Coast, Bethany Deloof

Open Access Master's Theses

Sand tigers (Carcharias taurus) are often taken as bycatch in commercial fisheries and captured by recreational anglers despite being prohibited. They also have one of the lowest rates of reproduction among elasmobranchs, producing two offspring every two or three years. These traits have generated concern about the sustainability of sand tiger populations, both globally and along the US East Coast, and interest in characterizing movements and essential habitat for this species. A total of 396 sand tigers, ranging from 78 - 246 cm fork length and 100.33 - 285 cm total length, were tagged with acoustic transmitters from …

A Strategic Framework For Estimating International Container Flows: An Empirical Study, Dung-Ying Lin, Hsin-Chun Huang, Steven Travis Waller, Xiang Zhang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Maritime transportation is a highly complex transportation system that plays a pivotal role in international trade. Its low-cost and high-volume advantages have enabled it to cover most of the world’s cargo transportation. However, with the trend of global trade volume increasing almost every year and the recent congestion of ports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chaos in global supply chains not only increases operating costs for shippers but also makes it difficult for countries that rely heavily on port trade to plan for their ports’ future. To develop a strategic analytic tool to estimate container flow in liner shipping, …

Gvsu Press Releases, 2024, Grand Valley State University

University Press Releases, 1961-Present

A compilation of press releases for the year 2024 submitted by University Communications (formerly News & Information Services) to news agencies concerning the people, places, and events related to Grand Valley State University.

Utilizing Gsk3beta And Integrin Inhibitors To Target Stat3 Activity In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Emily Anne Pratt

Master's Theses and Capstones

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer associated with poor prognosis and characterized by increased rates of proliferation and metastasis. TNBC gets its name due to the lack of the three receptors commonly found in other breast cancer types: estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Breast tumors expressing these receptors can be treated with hormonal therapies, but TNBC tumors will not respond to such treatments and are therefore more difficult to treat. To circumvent this, targeted therapies that inhibit proliferation and migration are of great research …

Occurrence And Fate Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In Atmospheric Deposition, Surface Waters, And Sediments Discharging To The Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Katherine Alexina Wieck

Master's Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of several thousand synthetic organic compounds commonly utilized in the manufacturing of consumer products and in industrial processes since their initial development in the 1940s. Although the widespread presence of PFAS in environmental matrices derives from many different industrial and domestic sources, recent studies characterizing their fate in aqueous systems have primarily focused on point source discharge, such as those from wastewater treatment facilities, airports, and industrial complexes. Focusing on point sources neglects atmospheric deposition, an important diffuse background source of PFAS into surface waters and sediments. Furthermore, atmospheric deposition is likely …

Carotenoids And The Associations With Gut Microbiota Bacterial Populations In Chronic Kidney Disease Hemodialysis Patients, Andrea Kendall

Theses and Dissertations

Background: With increased prevalence and mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD), treatment by renal replacement therapy using hemodialysis (HD) has increased in parallel. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota play an important role in the progression of CKD; influential dietary factors have not been studied exhaustively to date.

Objective: To explore the relationships between dietary carotenoid intake, the abundance of specific gut microbiota, and symptom-related outcomes in patients with CKD on HD.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the gut microbiota characteristics relative to carotenoid intake in CKD subjects on HD in central Illinois (n = 20). The Block Dialysis …

Associations Between Physical Activity And Academic Achievement In Young Adolescents, Alex Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the associations between physical activity and academic achievement among young adolescents. A secondary aim of this study was to analyze differences in physical activity and academic achievement by SES and race/ethnicity. The sample consisted of 30 middle school students (10 boys and 20 girls) between the ages of 11.0- and 14.9-years. Partial correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement while controlling for SES and race/ethnicity. 2 x 2 factorial analysis of covariance were utilized to examine the differences in SES and race/ethnicity groups, as well as interactive effects within physical …

Communication Supports To Enhance The Community Participation Of Young Children With Complex Communication Needs: A Utilization-Focused Evaluation, Amy L. Yacucci

Theses and Dissertations

This utilization-focused evaluation study aimed to describe augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports to enhance communication accessibility for children with complex communication needs in a children’s museum. Utilizing feedback from museum staff and parents of children with communication disabilities, the study sought to identify practical strategies to improve the effectiveness of AAC supports in creating more inclusive community spaces. A utilization-focused evaluation framework (Patton & Campbell-Patton, 2022) guided the assessment of embedded-aided communication supports within the museum, ensuring that findings were relevant and actionable for stakeholders. The evaluation revealed three key insights: (a) the importance of communication access through multiple …

Uncoverings: The Research Papers Of The American Quilt Study Group - Volume 45 (2024), Joanna E. Evans, Sarah L. Schameloh, Michelle M. Marciniak, Kristin Barrus, Cathy Erickson, Mary Fons, Sharon Fulton Pinka, Kathleen L. Moore, Terry Tickhill Terrell, Nancy Curry Bavor

Uncoverings Journal

Contents

Preface

Lapis Prints: A Forgotten Beauty, Sara L. Schamerloh and Michelle M. Marciniak

Ways of Seeing the Rotary Cutter: An Interdisciplinary Examination of Technology’s Impact on Quiltmaking, Kristin Barrus

Southeast Pennsylvania Papercut Quilts: Mary Worrall Parry’s Quilt and Related Appliqué Quilts, 1844 to 1852, Cathy Erickson

Who’s That Girl? The Shifting Identity of Use-Quilts in the Fine Art System, 1900–2024, Mary Fons

William Pinch and the Rainbow Quilt Block Company (An Update), Sharon Fulton Pinka

The Mystery of the Harlequin Star Quilts: Finding and Naming a Previously Unidentified Regional Design (An Update), Kathleen L. Moore

Peacock among the Ruins …

Vision 2024

Vision

No abstract provided.

Wildflower Of The Year, White Turtlehead (Chelone Glabra), W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

White Turtlehead is a perennial herb rising from a rhizomatous rootstock.

Quantifying Wastewater Contributions To The Upper Clark Fork River, Claire Utzman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Though algae are at the base of food webs in many rivers, large algal blooms are increasing in frequency and can cause problems with nutrient cycling, depletion of oxygen supplies at night, and release of toxic chemicals. One leading cause of algal blooms is nutrient loading into rivers, and controlling nutrient release in wastewater is one approach that can help limit algal growth. To reduce the intensity of algal blooms in the Clark Fork River in western Montana, numeric nutrient standards were put in place that regulated the release of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus into the river from wastewater. …

The Hare And The Hawk: Predator, Prey, And Coat Color Mismatch In A Polymorphic Snowshoe Hare Population, Amanda Shuler Emmel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climate change effects on predator-prey interactions are complex and poorly understood, with few study systems that explicitly connect specific antipredator traits to particular climate drivers. Such a system can be found in seasonal coat color change, whereby 21 species globally molt from a summer brown to a winter white coat to maintain camouflage with seasonal snow. Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) contend with increased predation due to climate-change induced coat color mismatch under decreasing snowcover. Through a combination of field experiments in the central Cascade mountains, my thesis investigates snowshoe hare mismatch and predation risk from both a predator …

The Freshman Life And Student Health (Flash) Study: Using Social Network Analysis To Understand How Obesity And Stigma Impact Emerging Adult Health, Alena C. Borgatti

All ETDs from UAB

Both racial discrimination and weight stigma have been identified as risk factors for poorer mental, physical, and social health. College students are vulnerable to the effects of stigma, as they greatly value peer acceptance and friendships during a pivotal time of emotional and health behavior development. The present study was the first to use social network analysis to examine the impact of weight and racial discrimination on the development of college social relationships and how these experiences influence students’ physical and mental health. 1330 participants (69% of on-campus freshmen) completed a brief survey on social networks, physical health, mental health, …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions, Attitudes, And Beliefs On Use Of The Modern Classrooms Project: A Case Study, Christina Arriagada

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how early childhood educators perceive the use of Modern Classrooms Project (MCP) in their classrooms. MCP is an instructional model that promotes blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning with ties to constructivist teaching ideals. Data were collected using a teacher interview, observations, and the review of teacher resources such as lesson plans and student learning paths. Previous research found MCP was effective at the secondary level. Findings of this study showed that early childhood educators found MCP to be an effective instructional model to use in their classrooms. I identified three themes: …

Season Influences Interspecific Responses Of Canopy-Forming Kelps To Future Warming And Acidification At High Latitude, Lauren E. Bell, Lily Westphal, Evan O' Brien, Jason A. Toy, Haleigh Damron, Kristy J. Kroeker

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Variability in primary producers' responses to environmental change may buffer higher trophic levels against shifts in basal resource composition. Then again, in instances where there is a lack of functional redundancy because consumers rely on a few species to meet their energetic requirements at specific times of the year, altered community production dynamics may significantly impact food web resilience. In high-latitude kelp forests, a complementary annual phenology of seaweed production supports coastal marine consumers' metabolic needs across large seasonal variations in their environment. Yet, marine consumers in these systems may face significant metabolic stress under the pronounced low pH conditions …

Targeting Ocean Conservation Outcomes Through Threat Reduction, Joseph A. Turner, Malcolm Starkey, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Frank Hawkins, Louise Mair, Adeline Serckx, Thomas Brooks, Beth Polidoro, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Kent Carpenter, Minna Epps, Rima W. Jabado, Nicholas B. W. Macfarlane, Leon Bennun

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nations have committed to reductions in the global rate of species extinctions through the Sustainable Development Goals 14 and 15, for ocean and terrestrial species, respectively. Biodiversity loss is worsening despite rapid growth in the number and extent of protected areas, both at sea and on land. Resolving this requires targeting the locations and actions that will deliver positive conservation outcomes for biodiversity. The Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, developed by a consortium of experts, quantifies the contributions that abating threats and restoring habitats in specific places offer towards reducing extinction risk based on the IUCN Red List …

A Taxonomic Revision Of The Genus Hydnora (Hydnoraceae), Sebastian A. Hatt, Chris J. Thorogood, J. F. Bolin, Lytton J. Musselman, Duncan D. Cameron, Olwen M. Grace

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A systematic monograph is presented for Hydnora (Hydnoraceae), a poorly known genus of holoparasitic plants distributed across Africa, Madagascar and southern Arabia. Species of Hydnora are characterised by their underground habit, unusual fleshy flowers and complete absence of leaves or photosynthetic tissue. This is the first detailed monograph of the genus Hydnora since 1935 and is informed by a comprehensive survey of herbarium specimens and literature. Detailed descriptions, full synonymy, distribution maps and discussion concerning confusable taxa are provided for each species, along with notes on ethnobotany, ecology and conservation. We place particular emphasis on the taxonomic value of osmophore …

When And Where Can Coastal Wetland Restoration Increase Carbon Sequestration As A Natural Climate Solution, Scott F. Jones, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Dennis Baldocchi, Meagan Eagle, Daniel A. Friess, Catrina Gore, Greg Noe, Stefanie Nolte, Patty Oikawa, Adina Paytan, Jacqueline L. Raw, Brian J. Roberts, Kerrylee Rogers, Charles Schutte, Camille L. Stagg, Karen M. Thorne, Eric J. Ward, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Erik S. Yando

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are hotspots of carbon sequestration, and their conservation and restoration can help to mitigate climate change. However, there remains uncertainty on when and where coastal wetland restoration can most effectively act as natural climate solutions (NCS). Here, we synthesize current understanding to illustrate the requirements for coastal wetland restoration to benefit climate, and discuss potential paths forward that address key uncertainties impeding implementation. To be effective as NCS, coastal wetland restoration projects will accrue climate cooling benefits that would not occur without management action (additionality), will be implementable (feasibility) and will persist over management-relevant timeframes (permanence). Several issues …

Response Of Helenium Amarum To Environmental Stressors In The Presence Of Mycorrhizal Fungi And Its Role As A Pollinator Resource, Austin Jameson, Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Globally, climate change is causing shifts in precipitation patterns. Shifting precipitation patterns can be a stressor for many species. One species that is experiencing such stress is Helenium amarum Raf (H. Rock). H. amarum, thrives in dry upland pastures and low-lying grassy and sandy habitat in the mid-Atlantic (USA), where it persists despite storm-driven standing water. Helenium amarum is a species that is toxic to livestock and has been found outside its native range. Temperature and light impacts on germination are already known, but the role of water availability and potential ameliorating effects of mycorrhizae during water stress have …

Abalones At Risk: A Global Red List Assessment Of Haliotis In A Changing Climate, Howard Peters, Gina M. Ralph, Laura Rogers-Bennett

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There is increasing awareness that marine invertebrates such as abalones are at risk from the combined stressors of fishing and climate change. Abalones are an important marine fishery resource and of cultural importance to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. A highly priced marine delicacy, they are inherently vulnerable: individuals are slow-growing and long-lived and successful reproduction requires dense assemblages. However, their global conservation status is poorly understood. Using IUCN Red List methodology, we assessed the extinction risk to all 54 species of abalone (genus Haliotis). Of the 21 fished commercially for human consumption either now and/or in the past, 15 …

Cyp6g2 Is The Major P450 Epoxidase Responsible For Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis In Drosophila Melanogaster, Qiangqiang Jia, Liu Yang, Jiamin Wen, Suning Liu, Di Wen, Wei Luo, Weihua Wang, Subba R. Palli, Li Sheng

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background Juvenile hormones (JH) play crucial role in regulating development and reproduction in insects. The most common form of JH is JH III, derived from MF through epoxidation by CYP15 enzymes. However, in the higher dipterans, such as the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, a bis-epoxide form of JHB3, accounted most of the JH detected. Moreover, these higher dipterans have lost the CYP15 gene from their genomes. As a result, the identity of the P450 epoxidase in the JH biosynthesis pathway in higher dipterans remains unknown.

Results In this study, we show that Cyp6g2 serves as the major JH epoxidase responsible for …

Go West: Population Genomics Reveals Unexpected Population Fluctuations And Little Gene Flow In Western Hemisphere Populations Of The Predatory Lady Beetle, Hippodamia Convergens, Arun Sethuraman, Schyler O. Nunziata, Angela Jones, John J. Obrycki, David W. Weisrock

Entomology Faculty Publications

Hippodamia convergens—the convergent lady beetle, has been used extensively in aug- mentative biological control of aphids, thrips, and whiteflies across its native range in North America, and was introduced into South America in the 1950s. Overwintering H. convergens populations from its native western range in the United States are com- mercially collected and released across its current range in the eastern USA, with little knowledge of the effectiveness of its augmentative biological control. Here we use a novel ddRADseq-based SNP/haplotype discovery approach to estimate its range- wide population diversity, differentiation, and recent evolutionary history. Our results indicate (1) significant population …

N(Alpha)-Acetyltransferase 40-Mediated Histone Acetylation Plays An Important Role In Ecdysone Regulation Of Metamorphosis In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Sharath Chandra Gaddelapati, Smitha George, Anilkumar Moola, Karthi Sengodan, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Histone acetylation, a crucial epigenetic modification, is governed by histone acetyltransferases (HATs), that regulate many biological processes. Functions of HATs in insects are not well understood. We identified 27 HATs and determined their functions using RNA interference (RNAi) in the model insect, Tribolium castaneum. Among HATs studied, N-alpha-acetyltransferase 40 (NAA40) knockdown caused a severe phenotype of arrested larval development. The steroid hormone, ecdysone induced NAA40 expression through its receptor, EcR (ecdysone receptor). Interestingly, ecdysone-induced NAA40 regulates EcR expression. NAA40 acetylates histone H4 protein, associated with the promoters of ecdysone response genes: EcR, E74, E75, and HR3, and causes an increase …

The Mechanoreceptor Piezo Is Required For Spermatogenesis In Bombyx Mori, Zhongjie Zhang, Xiaojing Liu, Bo Hu, Kai Chen, Ye Yu, Chenxin Sun, Dalin Zhu, Hua Bai, Subba Reddy Palli, Anjiang Tan

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background The animal sperm shows high diversity in morphology, components, and motility. In the lepidopteran model insect, the silkworm Bombyx mori, two types of sperm, including nucleate fertile eupyrene sperm and anucleate unfertile apyrene sperm, are generated. Apyrene sperm assists fertilization by facilitating the migration of eupyrene spermatozoa from the bursa copulatrix to the spermatheca. During spermatogenesis, eupyrene sperm bundles extrude the cytoplasm by peristaltic squeezing, while the nuclei of the apyrene sperm bundles are discarded with the same process, forming matured sperm.

Results In this study, we describe that a mechanoreceptor BmPiezo, the sole Piezo ortholog in B. mori, …