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Advocacy Poster
No full textThe work I am submitting for the Celebration of Student is a pair of advocacy posters. These are black and white pieces that advocate for social justice and uniting as humans to fight injustices in our society. I thought of making these posters in the summer of 2020 during the height of people becoming aware of our unjust society. I want people to ask themselves how am I helping unite Americans in the quest for solidarity and protecting our rights? I also want people to ask themselves In what ways am I spreading love to others
SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Wastewater Samples via Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction
No full textSARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus that infects humans. It was first discovered in 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since spread worldwide infecting more than 100 million people as of March 2021. Due to the speed at which the virus spreads, primarily through respiratory droplets, close monitoring is necessary to detect potential outbreaks. One of the avenues of sampling involves detection of viral RNA in wastewater, which is a fast and accurate way to determine SARS-CoV-2 levels in a community. Clinical evidence suggests that both asymptomatic and symptomatic people pass SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in their feces very early on in the infection process. Studies indicate that viral particles can be detected in wastewater days before any clinical signs and symptoms are detectable in a patient.This provides critical information to public health authorities to track outbreaks and intervene earlier to prevent further spread of the virus. NMU partnered with Michigan EGLE to measure SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA levels in Marquette’s wastewater. Samples were collected weekly from four lift stations and the City of Marquette’s wastewater treatment plant. The raw samples were concentrated, and RNA was extracted and then processed via Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) as described in the Standard Operating Procedure (Rose, et al.)1. Digital Droplet PCR is a nucleic acid detection system that uses water-oil emulsion droplets to quantify nucleic acid levels. Unlike other PCR techniques, ddPCR partitions individually generated droplets containing nucleic acid to provide absolute quantification that is highly sensitive. The data that was collected was used to observe SARS-CoV-2 levels over a period of fifteen weeks. High levels of SARS-CoV-2 were detected during the weeks of November 17th and December 1st, especially at the Pine Street Lift Station, and there has been a general downward trend
Progression of Indigenous Environmental Conflicts in the UP in Correlation to the National Development of Indigenous Legal and Social Power
Get PDFThis essay looks at how the reactions to environmental conflicts and activism pertaining to the Indigenous people in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan have changed over the years as Indigenous people have fought for recognition and legal status in the United States
Wolf Selection of Human-Modified Linear Features and Cover Types When Hunting and Killing White-Tailed Deer Fawns
Get PDFPredators must optimize and adapt foraging behavior for multiple spatial scales to take advantage of abundant and vulnerable prey. Wolves (Canis lupus) live in human-modified landscapes where anthropogenic disturbances and landscape alterations can influence predator-prey dynamics. In southern boreal ecosystems, wolves rely heavily on seasonally abundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns, which are highly susceptible to predation in their first weeks of life. My objective was to understand how anthropogenic disturbances—specifically timber harvest areas and linear features—and cover types influence where wolves hunt and kill fawns. During 2016–2019, I fit wolves with 20-min-fix-interval Global Positioning System (GPS) collars and searched clusters of GPS-locations to identify where wolves killed fawns. I identified 217 wolf-killed fawns from 12 wolves. I then created 4 models to predict where wolves hunted and killed deer fawns, whether wolves killed fawns in similar places they hunted fawns, and visibility characteristics at kill sites. Wolves hunted and killed fawns near linear features during the early fawning season. Wolves selected young timber harvest areas to hunt and kill fawns but overall hunted farther from these areas. Horizontal visibility (or concealment cover) was lower at kill sites than random sites, which indicated that wolves likely rely on scent to find fawns. By combining wolf movement data, locations where wolves killed fawns, and characteristics of those kill sites, I provide novel insight into how and where wolves forage for fawns in the southern boreal forest
HOMESCHOOLING DURING COVID-19: A CASE STUDY
Get PDFThe purpose of this collective case study was to describe the lived experiences of homeschool families during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically how they managed their day to include teaching elementary school-aged children in the rural Midwestern United States. This qualitative case study allowed the researcher to analyze the phenomenon of homeschooling during a global pandemic, and the strategies necessary to balance home and schooling during unprecedented times. The data for this case study included a pre-interview questionnaire, an interview, and primary source documents from two homeschool families. The means by which the homeschool families organized their day to include the teaching of elementary school-age children was studied along with the successes and challenges of homeschooling.
The analysis of data yielded the following results: While each participant had varying levels of homeschool experience, each individual discussed the significance of support networks as part of the homeschool or unschool experience. Additionally, both participants discussed the challenges of balancing home, work, school, and childcare. Finally, the analysis showed that both participants enjoyed working with their children, and found it rewarding when their children thrived.
Keywords: COVID-19, distance learning, homeschooling, pandemic, reopening schools, school closures, unschoolin
PLUMAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LONG-EARED OWL (Asio otus) IN THE VISIBLE AND ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA OF LIGHT
No full textThe study of plumage is a foundational aspect of ornithology, and the features of even a single feather can provide valuable information on an individual’s health, sex, or age. Recent discoveries on the abilities of birds to see in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum has led to study of the UV-reactive characteristics of bird plumage and the biological significance of such plumage. Long-eared owls (Asio otus) possess a demonstrative capability to see UV light, and their plumage contains deposits of UV-sensitive pigments that fluoresce bright red when exposed to UV light. Little is understood about the origin and function of these pigments, and few studies have attempted to describe their variation within a species. In this study, I describe phenotypic variation within the long-eared owl, with an emphasis on both visible and ultraviolet aspects of plumage coloration. I used a molecular genetic sexing assay to evaluate a published method of sexing long- eared owls in the field based on melanistic pigmentation. I found that although some long-eared owls exhibit distinct plumage dimorphism in the visible spectrum, there also is an intermediate polymorphism that greatly limits the number of individuals that can be classified. I also investigated variation in fluorescent pigmentation through the use of a fluorescence detector and found evidence that fluorescent pigment concentration varies both between the sexes and between juvenile and adult plumage
Necrobiome Succession in Muscle Tissue as a Potential Indicator of Postmortem Interval
No full textHuman decomposition is a complex and variable process influenced by innumerable factors such as the weather, innate microbiome, environmental microbes, and a myriad of other factors. The purpose of this study is to illuminate how the aforementioned factors influence necrobiome succession and how it relates to postmortem interval through the use of buccal swab and muscle tissue sampling from the arm (deltoid) and thigh (vastus lateralis). The use of muscle tissue samples is a novel means to study bacterial succession during human decomposition. Utilization of 16s rRNA sequencing provided information used to assess the overall diversity and variability of the necrobiome community composition over the course of the decomposition process for three donors. Human remains were donated to Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) through the Northern Michigan University Body Donation Program. Analysis of the results using next generation metagenomic sequencing successfully showed patterns relating to time, temperature, accumulated degree-days, bacterial markers for sample site location, bacterial markers for donor identification, and as a whole, potential indications of postmortem interval
COMPARING THE RESPECTIVE EFFECTS OF THREE TYPES OF WARM-UP ON THE COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP: AN ANALYSIS OF NON-ATHLETE COLLEGE STUDENTS
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine and compare the respective effects of traditional, dynamic, and plyometric warm-ups on non-athlete college students’ performance of the countermovement jump (CMJ). Forty-seven male non-athlete college students were respectively allocated to three separate groups: the traditional warm-up group (TG), dynamic warm-up group (DG), and the plyometric warm-up group (PG). The DG and PG showed statistically significant improvements in push-off, force, and power (p\u3c0.001) when compared to the TG. No statistically significant differences were observed in jump height, flight time and velocity, and the effect sizes were small. The findings of this study showed that dynamic and plyometric warm-up protocols could influence CMJ performance among non-athlete college students
KINEMATIC ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH OVERARM THROWING PERFORMANCE IN CRICKET
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to identify the kinematic attributes associated with throwing performance (ball velocity and accuracy) in cricket. Three-dimensional motion analysis of sixteen cricketers performing 30 ground-fielding attempts towards a target from three approach directions (straight, non-dominant and dominant) was captured. Vertical release angle, stride length, trunk flexion velocity & forward trunk tilt angle at release were significant predictors of ball velocity across the three approach conditions. Horizontal release angle was a significant predictor of throw accuracy in all three approaches. ANOVAs revealed that throws were significantly quicker from the straight approach, and significantly more accurate in the dominant and straight conditions. Throwing performance and mechanical attributes of throwing technique differ by approach direction constraint