Sex-Based Differences in ACVR2B and GRB10 Expression in Skeletal Muscle During Induced Cancer Cachexia and Disuse

Background: Muscle atrophy is the shrinkage of muscle fibers that are largely maintained by a balance of protein synthesis and degradation. Imbalances in protein synthesis and degradation are observed in different muscle atrophy disorders such as cancer cachexia and disuse. These forms of muscle atrophy produce distinct wasting pathologies that are influenced by biological sex. Activin receptor type-2B (ACVR2B) and Growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (GRB10) have been identified as genes that potentially regulate muscle mass while also displaying sexually dimorphic differences. Purpose: To examine the influence of ACVR2B and GRB10 throughout the development of cancer cachexia and disuse-induced atrophy in male and female mice. Methods: Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) was injected into the hind flank of male and female C57BL6/J mice at 8 weeks of age. Tumors were allowed to develop for 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks and were compared to a PBS control. Disuse-induced male and female C57BL6/J mice were hindlimb unloaded for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 168 hours and were compared to cage control mice. RT-qPCR was used to measure mRNA content of ACVR2B and GRB10 of the gastrocnemius muscle. Results: LLC female mice had ~35% lower ACVR2B mRNA content compared to PBS control with a ~40% and ~30% lower content at LT and HT compared to 2-week LLC animals (p\u3c0.05). LLC male ACVR2B mRNA contents were significantly lower by ~48%, ~56%, and ~36% at one, two, and four weeks, respectively, of tumor-bearing compared to PBS control mice (p=0.0006). No significant differences were observed in GRB10 mRNA content in LLC female mice across all cohorts. GRB10 mRNA content in LLC males was significantly lower by ~41% after one week of tumor implantation compared to LLC PBS control mice (p=0.0094). ACVR2B mRNA content in HU female mice was not significantly different across all cohorts (p=0.192). HU males displayed a ~two-fold lower ACVR2B mRNA content after 3 days compared to cage control mice (p=0.0233) and 7 days of unloading (p=0.015). GRB10 mRNA content in HU males was significantly lower at 2 and 3 days with a ~51% lower content compared to control mice with also a ~two-fold decrease compared to 7 days of hindlimb unloading. Conclusions: ACVR2B and GRB10 content displayed differential responses during cancer cachexia and disuse-induced muscle atrophy that varied by sex. Data suggests that ACVR2B and GRB10 play a greater role in males during muscle atrophy than compared to females. Future experiments incorporating additional muscle groups are warranted to better understand the pathways of ACVR2B and GRB10 and their influence between sexes during cancer cachexia and disuse

Fit Kids Rock: The Campaign against Childhood Obesity in a Valparaiso Elementary School

The Bateman Team’s topic was childhood obesity, a well-known, yet hidden issue. Before beginning the campaign, it was necessary to research the target audiences and the most effective ways to reach them. The Bateman Team chose to address elementary school third graders (about 70 students) and their faculty. Research showed that the best ways to communicate with the 8-9 year olds was through interactive activities and guidance. As a team, we coordinated with the school’s administration to implement the plan for a set time during the school day. The third graders were separated into two sections (35 students each) to attend our event. The elementary students proceeded to seven stations which engaged their knowledge on obesity, making healthy choices, and learning about the importance of exercise. Based on our evaluation of the children’s reactions to the stations, their enthusiasm, and overall engagement, we concluded that they did enjoy the events and left with a better understanding of childhood obesity. The Bateman Team assessed that 90 percent of the students will make healthier choices and implement the knowledge provided to them

The Country-Specific Nature of Apparel Elasticities and Impacts of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement

Beginning with Krugman and Helpman’s theory of demand for differentiated products, this paper estimates 104 direct price elasticities of demand for apparel in the United States. While the literature has established that apparel elasticities vary by category and across countries, I examine how price elasticities of demand for apparel vary by country, regions, product characteristics, and after the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement. Results suggest that the country has the greatest single explanatory power in predicting price elasticities, and additionally, the “race to the bottom” hypothesis in the apparel industry is supported through increasing elasticity of 3.4% from the mean value of overall price elasticity after the end of the MFA

Shaping of maternal identity through parenting experiences of a child with a disability

The focus of the present study explored how maternal identity is influenced by parenting experiences of a child with a disability. By gaining insight on mothers\u27 experiences of raising a child with a disability, a deeper understanding of the psychological impact can be achieved. This research sought to understand how a mother\u27s challenges, adjustments, and feelings in caring for a child with a disability have contributed to her self-concept. In-depth interview was employed to gather information on mother\u27s view of self as well as how others view the mother in relation to parenting a child with disability. Qualitative analysis of data was used to extract themes that describe self-identity of mothers. Mothers reported both positive and negative experiences that impacted their self-perceptions and other\u27s perception. A paradox exists between mothers\u27 experiences of negative changes in self-esteem and personal growth in being the primary caregiver of their child with a disability. In contrast to the negative emotions mothers reported a greater sense of awareness and realization of strengths. In relation to other\u27s perception of mother\u27s identity, participants reported the inability to connect with others and difficulty maintain social and romantic relationships, but discussed the ability to form meaningful relationship with mothers who share similar challenges which served as a system of support

The Role of Exorcism in the Modern World: Retrieving the Devil and Contending with the Reality of the Demonic Through a Vision and Practice of Human Wholeness

In a society where Exorcism is seen by many as something from another realm and even unnecessary because it is viewed as superstitious or hokey, there remains the need for Exorcism to adequately contend with the evil in the world. Evil manifests in humans with demons and Exorcism provides a historically, spiritually, and psychologically profound treatment for those demons. Exorcism meaningfully engages with science to figure out what the foundation for a mental, psychological and spiritual illness is, and works alongside doctors to treat it so that holistic healing can be achieved. This paper argues that we need to recover the place of the Rite of Exorcism and reevaluate its ancient and still wide-spread spiritual practice for modern Catholics. Restoring trust in the practice of Exorcism is a powerful antidote to the reductionist (materialist) visions of human beings in the cosmos, and it provides an enhanced context for imagining wholeness and healing for human beings. There is more to Exorcism than the widely portrayed carnival like freak show that Hollywood so often depicts. It has deep significance and has the potential to restore the relationship between science and religion regarding the treatment of mental and spiritual illness

How ghost stories shape the state of Mississippi and the people

Many people chose to brush off the stories and when asked about them they would skip around the story to talk about the history of a place. Those who embraced the stories were not only knowledgable about the stories but also the history. They tended to give both sides with equal enthusiasm and seriousness. Over the years Mississippians have learned about their neighbors through the stories that they told around the campfire or at sleepovers. These stories have been passed down from one generation to the next and have a way of not only identifying a place but also a tradition and a person. While some people choose to ignore ghost stories due to religion others find them fascinating and want to seek out paranormal activity. Why they do that though remains a mystery. The purpose of this thesis project was to see how ghost stories shaped the state of Mississippi and its people. Through research consisting of interviews and articles it was determined that the effects of the ghost stories were positive depending on location and people. Certain businesses thrived on the ghost stories as they increased tourism and revenue for the people living there. However people who lived in the towns where the stories were most popular didn’t seem interested in the stories

From burnout to balance: a teacher's journey back to the classroom

Master's Project (M.Ed.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2021This project used self-reflection to investigate my experience with teacher burnout. What began as an effort to explore effective teaching practices for new teachers, quickly evolved into a critical examination of self. Through the use of the self-study research approach, reflection became a powerful tool in determining the ways in which my beliefs about teaching conflicted with my actual practices. In an attempt to align theory with practice, a literature review helped to reveal specific causes of burnout as well as solutions for overcoming it. While the final project includes a series of strategies to address my teaching challenges, larger self-realizations emerged throughout the research process. The overarching theme, however, became the uniqueness of the teaching experience. Rather than attempting to generalize my experience as true for all teachers, the final project illustrated how a teacher can use reflective practice to identify their own areas of meaningful professional development

Person-Organization Fit & Employee Hiring Practices in Sustainable Organizations

Research on sustainable people management has focused on the macro level, while overlooking methods to implement sustainability at the operational level, specifically, in its employee hiring processes. We argue that when hiring processes assess applicants’ sustainability values and behaviors, they determine the degree of values alignment or person-organization (PO) fit between the applicant and the organization. Thus, they result in the strategic hiring of individuals who will support the organization’s sustainability efforts. We focus on how sustainable organizations can use structured behavioral interviews to assess P-O fit. First, we interviewed 10 hiring managers about the role of P-O fit in their hiring processes and their methods for assessing this alignment. We found that managers described using behavioral interviews to assess applicants’ fit with organizational sustainability values. However, while significant evidence supports the idea that a structured interview process is essential to obtain reliable and valid information about job candidates, the majority followed an unstructured interview format. Second, we explored how managers can overcome some of the limitations associated with this approach by drawing from established measures and studies, including the General Ecological Behavior (GEB) scale (Kaiser, 1998) and the Sustainability Mindset Indicator (Rimanoczy & Klingenberg, 2021). We present recommendations for incorporating the former as an assessment test and the latter within a structured interview format

Cellulose Nanocrystals as a Material for Microencapsulation

Cellulose is an abundant, biodegradable, and inexpensive renewable polymer that is light in weight with high mechanical strength (Habibi, Lucia, Rojas 2010). Full fibers of cellulose have been used in many products such as plastics and textiles for over a century and a half, but recently, modern extraction techniques have made it possible to investigate uses for minuscule cellulose fibers (Habibi, Lucia, Rojas 2010). Through acid hydrolysis, cellulose fibers become rod-like nanostructures with a high aspect ratio that are known as Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) (Habibi, Lucia, Rojas 2010). Since CNCs are biodegradable and derive from a renewable resource, finding ways to organize CNCs into capsules and particles is a topic of interest, particularly for the medical industry (Gravesen, Branebjerg, Jensen 1993). For this project, CNC particles and capsules were designed and fabricated from single and double emulsion drops generated in microcapillary microfluidic devices. The dispersion of CNC nanofibers in DI-H2O was also studied to ensure uniformity in the drops. The influence of sonication on the CNC surface charge, and the corresponding rheological properties of the suspensions were studied via rheological and zetapotential measurements. Microcapillary microfluidic devices composed of a coaxial-arrangement of round and square capillaries were fabricated. Double emulsion microdroplets composed of CNC suspensions in the inner and middle fluid were generated to form CNC-loaded hydrogel particles and capsules with diameters ranging from 80 to 150 µm. Finally, the particles and capsules were harvested from solution and their morphology was studied using optical microscopy. These results are the beginning of a robust methodology that will be further developed to fabricate CNC capsules and particles from single and double emulsion drops