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Social Connectedness for International Student-Athletes in Collegiate Athletics
No full textThis study explores the experiences of international student-athletes (ISAs) of Latin American origin at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (D1) 4-year public institution in the Western part of the United States. ISAs of Latin American origin comprise less than 1% of the entire NCAA D1 student-athlete population (NCAA 2023). ISAs of Latin American origin navigate their new day-to-day lives without a trusted support system. Social connectedness means feeling supported, valued, and cared for by others with a sense of belonging (CDC 2024). Drawing on discourse analysis, which is informed by the linguistic anthropology field, this research study employs interviews to examine the impact of social connectedness in the college-athletic experience of ISAs of Latin American origin. The findings reveal the challenges ISAs face and how social connectedness helps them overcome them. I conclude by reiterating the sociopolitical climate in the U.S., including Trump’s executive orders (2025) and how it can impact the college experience of ISAs of Latin American origin
WNT Pathway Transcriptional Responses in Colorectal Cancer Organoids and Cell Lines
No full textColorectal cancer (CRC) affects approximately 10% of people worldwide. Cases in older persons are decreasing due to the impact of increased CRC screenings. However, early-onset CRC cases have been increasing since 1995; the factors driving this trend are unknown. Mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, which regulates WNT/β-catenin signaling, is the most common somatic mutational mechanism driving initiation of CRC development, yet in early-onset CRC cases, APC mutations are not as frequent. WNT/β-catenin signaling is nearly always upregulated in CRC, consequently identification of other mechanisms of WNT/β-catenin dysregulation is necessary to understand tumorigenesis in APC mutation-negative CRCs. To investigate this question, we studied 13 patient-derived CRC organoids, 6 APC mutation-negative and 7 APC mutation-positive organoids, and 1 normal colon organoid. Of the CRC organoids two, one APC mutation positive and one mutation-negative, were selected that exhibited microsatellite instability. Two mechanisms of CRC development, independent from APC, may be found in LGR5 and MYC. LGR5 and MYC are WNT/β-catenin target genes that have been known to play a role in CRC development. LGR5 is a stem cell marker found in cells at the base of colonic crypts. LGR5-negative stem cells in mice have shown decreased self-renewal and WNT-responsive gene expression, but the actual mechanism behind LGR5-driven carcinogenesis is not well understood. Previous organoid studies investigated LGR5 mRNA in response to L-WRN conditioned media and WNT alone, showing an up-regulation LGR5 with L-WRN conditioned media, but notably did not show the same result with WNT alone. These results led us to question which component of L-WRN was causing LGR5 up-regulation. We tested the individual components of L-WRN, the results of which showed LGR5 mRNA is overexpressed in 11 out of 13 patient-derived organoids when exposed to Noggin, a bone-morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonist.
MYC is a proto-oncogene whose over-expression is implicated in a multitude of cancers. Compound 895 was developed as a novel WNT-inhibitor, and is hypothesized to simultaneously inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases and CDC2-like kinases that regulate WNT signaling. Multiple WNT/β-catenin target genes were analyzed for the purpose of viewing post-transcriptional effects of 895. These results demonstrated an up-regulation of MYC mRNA, specifically, in all 13 organoids as well as 3 human cell lines. These results indicate a potential compensatory mechanism allowing for MYC up-regulation that needs to be further investigated
Shades of Identity: Examining the Interplays of Racism and Colorism on Ethnic-Racial Identity, Skin Tone Satisfaction, and Skin Tone Centrality Among Latine Youth
No full textColorism is pervasive globally and holds salience within Latine populations. Adolescence is an important developmental period when Latine youth make meaning of racialized experiences, and examining how racism and colorism shape youth development and lived experiences is needed. First, it is important to understand how racism and colorism co-occur, and research should explore how racism and colorism relate to how youth feel about their ethnic-racial identity (ERI; i.e., negative affect) and come to terms with their ERI (i.e., exploration and resolution), as well as how youth view their skin tone (i.e., skin tone satisfaction). Second, research utilizing advanced longitudinal methods is needed to understand how racialization experiences inform youth development across time. The current dissertation sought to contribute to colorism and ERI literature through these foci across two papers by using advanced quantitative methods and analyses. The first paper explored how negative racialization experiences (e.g., racial microaggressions) relate to the ERI of Latine adolescents, and how skin tone, skin tone satisfaction, and gender moderate this association from an intersectional and cultural ecological lens. The second paper examined how racial discrimination relates to skin tone satisfaction over four days among Latine adolescents, and how skin tone self-concept moderates this association. Understanding the complexity of colorism, racism, and ERI across distinct dimensions and approaches will advance our understanding of Latine youth development and well-being
Guidelines for Effective Management of Diamondback Moth in Brassica Crops
No full textThe diamondback moth (DBM) is a significant pest in Arizona brassica crops, presenting ongoing management challenges. This document offers practical, Arizona-specific guidelines for controlling DBM in both transplant production and field settings. It emphasizes careful transplant inspection, timely scouting, sanitation, insecticide rotation, and the integration of biological control strategies. These recommendations aim to help growers and pest control advisors achieve effective, sustainable DBM management while reducing the risk of resistance.Documents in the Arizona Pest Management Center collection are made available by the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please contact https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center
At the Break of Cosmic Dawn: Identifying and Understanding the Most Distant Galaxies and Galaxy Clusters with JWST
No full textExtragalactic astronomy began nearly a century ago with the discovery of the first galaxies and galaxy clusters. Since then, our understanding in this field has progressed tremendously, both observationally and theoretically. However, prior to the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), high-redshift galaxies and galaxy clusters were not well understood due to observational limitations. With its suite of infrared instruments, JWST has fundamentally changed our understanding of extragalactic astronomy and the distant Universe by revealing an early period of galaxy formation that was more vigorous than expected based on pre-JWST predictions, finding luminous galaxies in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang. In this dissertation, I used JWST to identify and understand galaxies and galaxy clusters at the break of cosmic dawn. I first identified an extreme galaxy overdensity at z = 5.4 using imaging and wide field slitless spectroscopy from JWST's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Then I systematically searched for galaxy overdensities at z ≈ 5-9 using a similar data set and found N = 17 in total. Together, these two studies provide some of the first evidence for accelerated galaxy evolution within overdense environments at high redshifts, thereby constraining dark matter halo assembly and galaxy formation at early cosmic times. Later I inferred the stellar populations and rest-frame colors for N = 22 star-forming galaxies at z ≈ 8 using ultra-deep imaging from JWST/NIRCam and JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Then I studied one of the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxies, JADES-GS-z14-0, at z > 14 using the same set of observations. Together, these two studies discovered rapid mass assembly and metal enrichment during the earliest phases of galaxy formation, while demonstrating the unique power of mid-infrared observations to understand galaxies at cosmic dawn. I conclude by discussing the outlook for future work in identifying and understanding the most distant galaxies and galaxy clusters with JWST, alongside existing and upcoming telescopes
Reimagining Tight Spaces: YPAR, Resistance, and Possibility in Public Schools
No full textThis dissertation explores how Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) functions as a form of resistance and possibility within the tight spaces of public schooling. Drawing from critical ethnography, the study examines how teachers and students navigate, resist, and reimagine educational environments constrained by standardized curricula, surveillance, and political hostility—particularly in Arizona’s deeply contested public school landscape. Working in four YPAR classrooms across three high schools, this research centers the experiences of both students and teachers, positioning them as agents of transformation.Grounded in theories of third space (Soja, 2008; Gutiérrez, 2008), infrapolitics (Scott, 1990), and critical consciousness (Freire, 1970), the study reveals how YPAR cultivates student agency, critical inquiry, and culturally relevant pedagogy. The research identifies how teachers and students create spaces of resistance within schools, challenging dominant narratives and reimagining what education can be. Through interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, findings illustrate how these third spaces become sites of both survival and liberation—where student voice and teacher advocacy coalesce in everyday acts of infrapolitical resistance. Ultimately, this dissertation contributes to scholarship on critical pedagogy, teacher resistance, and youth activism by documenting the complexities and possibilities of embedding YPAR into public school classrooms. It offers a nuanced portrait of how education practitioners and youth work together to transform schools from spaces of constraint into places of collective inquiry and hope
Service Dog Partnerships: An Exploration of Biopsychosocial Wellbeing
No full textService dog partnerships are a unique intervention designed to assist individuals with disabilities through specialized trained tasks and support. As the popularity of service dog partnerships continues to grow, there remains a notable deficiency in rigorous empirical evidence surrounding their effectiveness. This gap has resulted in inadequate financial support, insufficient legal protections, limited guidance for healthcare professionals, and protracted waiting periods for individuals seeking these partnerships. Historically, research in this field has been hindered by underreporting of intervention details, limitations in study design, and an over-reliance on anecdotal accounts and subjective self-assessment. This dissertation aims to investigate the associations between service dog partnerships and outcomes for individuals with disabilities through a multimethod approach spanning four biopsychosocial domains. It consists of four chapters, each a stand-alone manuscript—three of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals, with the fourth under review. In Chapter 2, we investigated psychiatric service dog partnerships for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using retrospective self-report surveys and blinded clinician assessments. We found that service dog partnerships were significantly associated with lower PTSD symptom severity, depression, and anxiety; lower odds of clinician PTSD diagnosis; and higher quality of life in most areas. In Chapter 3, we employed ecological momentary assessment to measure the momentary psychosocial wellbeing of these same veterans. Service dog partnership predicted better social interaction quality (but not quantity), better affect, and lower odds of having a panic attack. Service dog placements were associated with greater activity participation, but lower odds of being away from home. In Chapter 4, we employed a constant comparative approach to analyze survey responses from caretakers of autistic children involved in a service dog program. We found that service dog partnerships were beneficial to families both internally and externally, consistent with a family systems approach. Finally, in Chapter 5, we explored overnight sleep-wake interaction in veteran-service dog dyads through actigraphy-based measures of movement and sleep. We found that dyads exhibited sleep-wake concordance at rates similar to those reported in other close attachment relationships, and that service dogs were more sensitive to veteran wakefulness than the other way around. Collectively, this portfolio of four manuscripts represents a significant contribution to the scientific discourse surrounding service dog partnerships, advancing the establishment of these partnerships as an evidence-based complementary intervention for individuals with disabilities
Hands-Free Control Of An Assistive Robotic Arm For High-Level Paralysis
No full textRecent advancements in assistive robotic arms have enabled tetraplegics to perform activities of daily living more independently. Because these systems typically require hand use, they are not a ready option for many high-level tetraplegics. Alternative means that might be used by such individuals could involve signals that arise from the head and neck. Therefore, the goal of the study was to evaluate the utility of several non-invasive methods to control a robotic arm during reaching to multiple targets in 3D space. We tested ten able-bodied human subjects using five hands-free modalities (head position, head velocity, facial electromyography, tongue and voice) to control the robot arm. For comparison, subjects also used joystick position and joystick velocity to control reaching movements of the robotic arm. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was carried out on key performance indicators such as movement time, path efficiency, throughput, and perceived workload. The hands-free control modalities of head position, facial EMG, and tongue had movement times that were not significantly different than that of the benchmark method of hand control of a joystick. Furthermore, no significant differences were revealed in perceived workload across control modalities. These results indicate, therefore, that various non-invasive, hands free methods could used effectively by high-level tetraplegics to operate assistive robotic arms
Hand Grip Strength Demonstration Inside Full Pressure Suit
No full textImmediate accessThis item is made available by the University of Arizona Center for Human Space Exploration (CHaSE) with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please visit https://www.b2science.org/center-human-space-exploration-chase
Unpressurized Timed Demonstrations of Suited Individuals in Reclined Spacecraft Seat Simulator
No full textImmediate accessThis item is made available by the University of Arizona Center for Human Space Exploration (CHaSE) with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please visit https://www.b2science.org/center-human-space-exploration-chase