Animals in Space!

This is an extremely flexible project about the role of animals in space that you should adapt to fit your classroom’s needs. When I designed this lesson plan, I kept in mind different socioeconomic levels, and access to technology (or rather, lack thereof). I have attached my personal “daily” schedule for your use and guidance, but this project can be adaptable to any classroom without any set time restrictions. The point of this project is to allow students to learn how to research and present information. Additionally, it corresponds with the Hidden Figures nonfiction book because it requires students to look beyond historical advancements and find the individual animals who paved the way for our present

Using Phenomenological Methods to Describe Maternal Perceptions of Positive Worksite Breastfeeding Support Experiences Across Various Industries

Background: Since paid maternity leave is uncommon in the United States, mothers who choose to breastfeed often return to work while breastfeeding. Adequate worksite support has been associated with longer duration of breastfeeding and greater job satisfaction; however, many mothers must navigate challenges upon returning to work. Despite recent worksite breastfeeding support improvements such as federal protections and the availability of model worksite breastfeeding support programs, it appears those employed in industry sectors that are traditionally more challenged to support pumping mothers, such as food service and retail establishments, education, and healthcare may continue to experience inadequate workplace support. Purpose: The purpose was to better understand mothers’ positive worksite breastfeeding support experiences in these historically challenging work sectors. Common factors associated with mothers’ positive experiences may subsequently be used to develop worksite breastfeeding support materials and help. Methods: Recruitment occurred via social media and snowball sampling. Participants (n=20) completed open-ended, semi-structured phone interviews. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed. Significant statements were extracted from transcripts, formulated meanings were developed, and statements were organized into themes. Data collection, analysis, and determination of saturation were guided by phenomenological methodology. Member checking was performed with 10 participants toward the end of the study period by assessing participant agreement with emergent themes and drafted materials. Results: Common themes that emerged from interview content included: maternal and managerial flexibility in working with suboptimal pumping spaces, ability to negotiate schedule flexibility, formal and informal managerial support, supportive coworkers, and maternal determination to continue breastfeeding. Most (90%) participants “strongly agreed” the themes were consistent with their experiences and 100% “strongly agreed” the drafted materials would help improve worksite breastfeeding support. Conclusion: Elements of worksite support associated with successful experiences in these sectors may be used to develop a worksite breastfeeding support intervention to better support mothers to continue to breastfeed upon their return to the workforce

MicroRNA expression and function during porcine oocyte maturation and early embryonic development

Understanding oocyte maturation and embryo development in the pig is essential to improving farm animal reproduction efficiency. Many reproductive tissues are associated with a high degree of transcriptional and translational turnover that may be in part regulated by non-coding RNA such as microRNA (miRNA). The oocyte consists of a storage of maternal RNA and nutrients that are utilized to support oocyte maturation and early embryo development. MiRNA have been identified in the oocyte and throughout early embryo development in many species including the pig. MiRNA exert their biological impact on the cell through post transcriptional gene regulation (PTGR) by interacting with the 3\u27 UTR of a specific target mRNA. MiRNA expression during oocyte maturation and embryo development up to the 4-cell stage is potentially critical as little to no transcription occurs in the oocyte following germinal vesicle breakdown until the activation of the embryonic genome. Our objectives were to 1) determine the importance of MIR21 expression and function during oocyte maturation, 2) develop and test an in vitro heat stress (HS) model for pig oocyte maturation and test the effects of HS on MIR21 expression, and 3) characterize the expression of miRNA during rapid trophoblastic elongation in the pig. Our data demonstrate that expression of mature MIR21 is increased approximately 4-fold (P = 0.001) in MII oocytes compared to GV stage oocytes. Additionally when MIR21 is inhibited during in vitro maturation, maturation rates are decreased from 55.4 ± 3.6% in control to 33.7 ± 3.6% in MIR21 inhibited. Following in vitro fertilization, MIR21 inhibited oocytes produced fewer 4-cell stage embryos (41.7 ± 12.1%) compared to the control group (73.0 ± 5.7%). While no decrease (P = 0.34) in PDCD4 mRNA (a MIR21 target) was observed, inhibition of MIR21 resulted in increased (P \u3c 0.05) PDCD4 protein expression in MII oocytes compared to control MII arrested oocytes. Heat stress during oocyte maturation caused alterations in both MIR21 and PDCD4 expression in MII oocytes and in 4-cell embryos created from oocytes matured during HS. In addition, other markers of HS, such as heat shock protein 90A (HSP90A), were also affected in 4-cell stage embryos created from HS oocytes. Our data demonstrated that HS during oocyte maturation caused a significant decrease in MIR21 in 4-cell stage embryos cultured in thermal neutral conditions which was associated with a significant increase in PDCD4 mRNA in the same group of embryos compared to 4-cell stage embryos created from oocytes matured in TN conditions. Elongating pig conceptus were collected from pregnant pigs on Day 12 of gestation (spherical and elongated) and on Day 14 (elongated; n =4 for each morphological stage). Small RNA libraries were created and subjected to massively parallel deep sequencing using the ABI SoLID sequencing platform. Total miRNA reads for each stage of development were 7,319K, 13,831K, and 30,618K for spherical (D12S), day 12 filamentous (D12F) and day 14 filamentous (D14F), respectively. Several miRNA were selected for validation including MIR21, MIR301a, MIR23b, MIR10a, MIR200a, MIR574, MIR4057, and MIR467a. Many of these selected miRNA demonstrated significant fold changes between two or more conceptus stages and were validated within individual samples at each stage by RT-PCR. This confirmed that miRNA are temporally regulated during embryo elongation and potentially play a role in regulating cell differentiation, migration and transformation of the porcine conceptus

Homelike Variables and Rates of Depression among Assisted Living Facility Residents

There is an undeniable increase in the number of aging adults who are utilizing assisted living facilities to delay transitioning into nursing homes in order to receive care in their older years. There has also been in recent years a growing interest in the importance of recognizing and preventing depression and depressive-like symptoms in the aging population. A transition from a home environment where one has potentially spent the majority of their life brings about its own set of emotions and stressors. This may undoubtedly create a variety of concerns to become apparent by current and future facility residents and the communities to which they belong. This qualitative research study sought to delve into current facility residents perceptions of facility living and whether the inclusion, or lack thereof, of homelike qualities was in any way related to their emotional wellbeing. Individual interviews were conducted face-to-face with eight persons residing in an assisted living facility. These interviews focused on several themes that were suggested through literature review: (1) the importance of feeling protected within the facility; (2) the perception of the size and scale of the facility and the impact that has on emotional wellbeing; and (3) the importance that a person places on the facility having a natural (homelike) feeling versus an institutional setting. Implications for social work and recommendations fo future research are discussed in relation to these findings

Homelike Variables and Rates of Depression among Assisted Living Facility Residents

There is an undeniable increase in the number of aging adults who are utilizing assisted living facilities to delay transitioning into nursing homes in order to receive care in their older years. There has also been in recent years a growing interest in the importance of recognizing and preventing depression and depressive-like symptoms in the aging population. A transition from a home environment where one has potentially spent the majority of their life brings about its own set of emotions and stressors. This may undoubtedly create a variety of concerns to become apparent by current and future facility residents and the communities to which they belong. This qualitative research study sought to delve into current facility residents perceptions of facility living and whether the inclusion, or lack thereof, of homelike qualities was in any way related to their emotional wellbeing. Individual interviews were conducted face-to-face with eight persons residing in an assisted living facility. These interviews focused on several themes that were suggested through literature review: (1) the importance of feeling protected within the facility; (2) the perception of the size and scale of the facility and the impact that has on emotional wellbeing; and (3) the importance that a person places on the facility having a natural (homelike) feeling versus an institutional setting. Implications for social work and recommendations for future research are discussed in relation to these findings

The forensic Burke: A for(u)mative member of the parlor

In this study, I detail the forensics education of Kenneth Burke, a leading rhetorical theorist and critic of the twentieth century. After investigating this previously unexamined area, I argue that Burke’s competitive forensics experiences pivotally informed his rhetorical schema. Theoretically guided by Burke’s pivotal term the forensic, I begin by mapping the contours of Burke’s educational biography. Next, I analyze and reconstruct Burke’s forensics education by focusing on the forensic organizations of Peabody High School, Burke’s literary society experiences at Ohio State University and Columbia University, and the literary activities of Greenwich Village. Finally, I proffer connections between forensics and two of Burke’s key terms, the parlor and ritual drama, and discuss illuminations, contributions, and directions regarding the pedagogy, theory, and biography of Kenneth Burke

The Integration of Work, Play, and Learning: The Future of the Organizational Experience

This capstone threads theories on work, play, and learning in order to present their integration as a new, future construct of the organizational experience. I argue that that an organization’s true competitive advantage is the quality of work life of its employees. To substantiate this view, I employ a cross-disciplinary framework to explore the psychodynamic relationship between employee and the organization. I also recommend additional studies on the interplay of work, play, and learning in the organizational context

Biomechanical Analysis of Streamline and the Breakout of a Butterfly Stroke

The butterfly stroke can be broken down into five main components: the initial glide phase, kicking phase, catch phase, front and back sweep phase, and recovery phase. The subject is a 20-year-old female collegiate swimmer. The purpose of this analysis is to differentiate the various stages streamline and the initiation of the butterfly stroke, and evaluate each step using kinematics.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/exercise-science-research-proposal-posters/1028/thumbnail.jp

Predicting Patriarchy: Using Individual and Contextual Factors to Examine Patriarchal Endorsement in Communities

In much feminist literature, patriarchy has often been studied as a predictive variable for attitudes toward or acts of violence against women. However, rarely has patriarchy been examined as an outcome across studies. The current study works toward filling this gap by examining several individual-and neighborhood-level factors that might influence patriarchy. Specifically, this research seeks to determine if neighborhood-level attributes related to socioeconomic status, family composition, and demographic information affect patriarchal views after individual-level correlates of patriarchy were controlled. Findings suggest that factors at both the individual- and neighborhood levels, particularly familial characteristics and dynamics, do influence the endorsement of patriarchal views