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Hunting by humans affects the navigation of two endangered mammals in Zimbabwe and Brazil
No full textWhy Flesh? Examining the Power of Flesh in David Cronenberg’s The Fly
No full textThis thesis is an exploration of body horror, specifically how one film’s use of body horror impacts the body and the flesh within the body. “Why Flesh? Examining the Power of Flesh in David Cronenberg’s The Fly is a close-viewing analysis of the film and how Cronenberg’s carefully constructed film allowed for him to isolate the ways in which body horror truly terrifies audiences and forces them to confront themselves. Through the examination of flesh as it is impacted by pregnancy, aging, and chronic illness, The Fly acts as an excellent lens to discuss not only popular themes in body horror, but also get at the root of why they are horrifying
Islet Target Genes Required for Niche Assembly and Formation in Drosophila melanogaster
No full textA particular cell type, known as stem cells, possess a unique capability to self-renew and have the capacity to differentiate into mature cell types. To maintain stem cells, they require signals from a cellular microenvironment called the “niche. The stem cell niche regulates stem cell fate and has the ability to house and regulate a population of stem cells through intricate signaling pathways. Signals transmitted from the niche are important for stem cell self-renewal and cell differentiation signals, and proper signaling requires niche placement in a specific tissue location to polarize the tissue and get regenerated by new cells. Our lab currently studies the Drosophila testis stem cell niche in the male gonads of embryos. Distinct placement of the stem cell niche at apex (tip) of the testis tube organizes stem cells near the apex; cells undergoing differentiation will reside further down the testis tube. The niche forms during late stages of embryogenesis when pro-niche cells begin to migrate to the anterior region of the gonad and assemble the stem cell niche. The gonad niche tilts toward the visceral mesoderm (Vm), which sends Slit and FGF signals. In response to Vm signals, niche cells express the transcription factor islet, which is required for niche cytoskeletal polarization and anterior niche assembly (Anllo and DiNardo, 2022; Anllo et al., 2019). Recent single cell RNA sequencing data predicted Islet target genes that are expressed in the adult niche, and I prioritized testing three of these candidates: btk29A, kon-tiki, and scribble. My goals are to (1) identify if candidate Islet target genes are expressed in the embryonic gonad niche and (2) reveal whether these niche-expressed genes mediate niche assembly and function. My data revealed expressed of all three of these candidates in the niche, show that btk29A is required for niche assembly, and suggest potential roles for scribble, and kon-tiki in niche cells. Future experiments will confirm whether Kon-tiki and Scribble are required for niche assembly. Our understanding of the mechanisms that initially create a compartmentalized stem cell niche during development, in addition to anterior cell movement, will give us a more comprehensive grasp of how the niche is properly formed. These principles will help to clarify concepts about tissue function and development, including the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway for stem cell self-renewal, which is translatable to other systems (Leatherman and Di Nardo, 2008)
WORK RELATED STRESSORS AMONG WOMEN IN NORTH CAROLINA WHO MISCARRIED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
No full textMiscarriage is highly prevalent in the United States, yet limited research has explored how work-related stressors impact women’s bereavement period. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new workplace stressors, including job instability, heavier workloads, and managing multiple responsibilities remotely. This study explored the work-related stressors experienced by women in North Carolina who suffered a miscarriage of a desired pregnancy between March 30, 2020, and February 24, 2021. An interpretive descriptive design was employed, guided by the transactional stress and coping theory developed by Lazarus & Folkman. We analyzed 18 interview transcripts using conventional content analysis and identified five major themes: Work-life Balance, Work From Home, Work Accommodations, Workplace Social Support, and Mental Health. Findings revealed that participants had negative impacts on their mental health, experienced stress, anxiety, isolation, and frustration as a result of inadequate work accommodations, blurred work-life boundaries, remote work challenges, and limited social support from coworkers and employers. There is a need to further explore the workplace stressors women face following a miscarriage, as well as to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of workplace policy changes and educational initiatives in mitigating the impact on their mental health outcomes
Epitope tags are not created equal: disruption of cellular function of a translation factor by a short viral tag
No full textCellular identity and fate are determined by the proteins synthesized. Initiation of mRNA translation requires an important translation factor eIF4G (ifg-1 in C elegans). Embryos use mRNA translation for spatial and temporal regulation of protein synthesis. Using CRISPR engineering, we added in-frame epitope and fluorescent tags (V5, Myc, Flag, GFP and mCherry) to IFG-1. Tagged forms containing the V5 epitope caused embryonic arrest. Internal disruption of the V5 tag restored viability at 25°C. This study demonstrates that the molecular nature of a small epitope tag is sufficient to disrupt C. elegans embryogenesis
Exploration of the Competencies of the Ideal Clinical Nurse Specialist
No full textDespite the importance of preceptors in aiding students during role transitions, limited research exists on the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) preceptor to support a symbiotic relationship with the CNS student. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of the ideal CNS preceptor
OF PASSING AND FAILING: THE INTERPLAY OF CLASSROOM TEACHING AND TUTORING IN HIGH SCHOOL
No full textAs asserted by Bowers and Sprott (2012) and confirmed by Hart (2019) and Vatterott (2019), academic success can be achieved by students when given proper assistance and guidance during the learning process. Students at Carolina High School (CHS) were given the opportunity to attend tutoring activities during the school day, called PowerHour, to eliminate barriers students can face with attending after-school tutoring. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Power Hour on improving student academic achievement. The results of this study were used to further refine the PowerHour program to provide the greatest benefit to the students attending CHS. This research focus motivated three research questions: (1) How have teachers’ perceptions of tutoring changed? (2) How have students’ perceptions of tutoring changed? (3) How have students’ academic outcomes changed? To address the research questions, I gathered student engagement data both before and after my intervention to discern if there were any changes in the level of student engagement in the courses the students were studying. I also collected data on teacher and student perceptions using open-ended surveys followed by focus group discussions with the participants. I used student achievement data to gauge any change in students’ academic outcomes. I analyzed and theorized the data I collected to help improve the overall PowerHour program so that it would provide students with a high-quality tutoring program that has the potential to positively impact their learning outcomes and ultimately set them on a path to future success
Tic: exploring Tourette syndrome with analog photography
No full textTourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations known as tics, which can significantly affect the daily lives of those diagnosed. This work explores the historical and contemporary perceptions of Tourette Syndrome, highlighting the misconceptions within the medical community and culture broadly. Beginning with an examination of the first documented descriptions of the syndrome, the research delves into the stigmatization of individuals with Tourette’s, linking past misunderstandings to modern portrayals in media. I employ a Diana F+ camera to express the emotional and physical complexities of living with Tourette Syndrome. Through analog photography, I embrace the imperfections of both the medium and the condition itself. This artistic endeavor seeks to promote dialogue and understanding of Tourette Syndrome, advocating for greater awareness and support for individuals affected by it
Creating A Predictive Pricing Model For National Football League Trading Cards
Full text linkCollecting trading cards is a decades-old hobby and fascination. Since statisticians were able to start assigning pricing values to cards, based on rarity of the card and the popularity of the player, the once casual hobby has transformed into a serious one, with some collectors focusing on financial prospecting. Currently, this “prospecting” and literature on the National Football League trading cards focuses on previous purchase prices and a subjective inference of player performance or popularity to “predict” whether a card could be a positive or negative investment. This project works to better understand correlates of average card values from a more comprehensive view of the industry: player’s physical attributes, card condition, NFL performance metrics, and draft performance metrics are considered. This paper shows strong positive relationships between passing touchdowns, passing yards, passing completion, passing attempts, passing interceptions, weighted value for drafting team, approximate weighted career value, draft pick, sacks, and Pro Bowl selection (R2 > 0.60 for all features) with average selling price of a trading card. Overall, ensemble learning produced the best model optimization when selecting the best model from Gradient Boost, XGBoost, Random Forest, and KNN outcomes. Stacking models led to increased explanation in variance and to reduced errors for all positions except Safety. MAE remained optimized for the Defensive End, Defensive Tackle, Linebacker, Offensive Lineman, Quarterback, and Running Back positions with XGBoost models