The Northwest (NW) Atlantic porbeagle Lamna nasus is overfished and captured as bycatch in fisheries within the region. A comprehensive understanding of the population’s life history (e.g., reproduction) and habitat use, and the impact of capture with different gear types (e.g., post-release mortality) is needed to ensure effective fisheries management plans, develop bycatch mitigation strategies, and support stock recovery. This research used satellite tagging technologies to address gaps in knowledge needed to support management and conservation decisions for the NW Atlantic porbeagle. I provided the first estimate of post-release survival and recovery periods for immature porbeagles captured with rod-and-reel. Although survival was high (100%), juvenile porbeagles exhibited a recovery period in surface waters that may make them vulnerable to further fishing interactions. Next, I described the vertical habitat use of young porbeagles to recommend possible fishing modifications to reduce risk of capture. Young porbeagles spent more time in surface waters during summer compared to fall and during the night compared to day, suggesting that risk of capture may be reduced by setting gear deeper during summer and at night when this life stage’s behavior is reduced to the upper water column. Then, I provided an analysis of the seasonal and life stage-based habitat use of porbeagles. Space use was concentrated in continental shelf waters around Cape Cod, Massachusetts regardless of season and life stage. Given the relatively small and static high occupancy area overlaps with a high concentration of fishing activity, this region could be considered for spatial management of the NW Atlantic porbeagle. Finally, I used ultrasonography and satellite tagging to describe the three-dimensional habitat use of gravid porbeagles for the first time. Gravid porbeagles demonstrated seasonal differences in horizontal and vertical habitat use but spent most of the pupping season in waters southeast of Cape Cod or on Georges Bank, suggesting this region may be serving as a pupping ground for at least a portion of this population. Conservation efforts should focus on these important habitats to protect the next generation of porbeagles.

This study examined bite force generation in American monkfish (Lophius americanus) and how it scaled with size, focusing in particular on the roles of the quadratomandibularis (QM) muscle and mechanical advantage in jaw closure in this species. Considering the feeding strategy of other anglerfishes, it was hypothesized that monkfish would trend towards force optimization rather than speed optimization in terms of the jaw closing system. The data revealed that bite force has a slightly positive allometric scaling relationship with size, while mechanical advantage was constant throughout growth. Maximum theoretical bite force ranged from 8 N to 87 N, with total lengths ranging from 17 cm to 51 cm. When comparing the bite force of the American monkfish to that of 10 other fish species, small monkfish exhibit a bite comparable to similarly sized species. However, larger monkfish were estimated to have a stronger bite than organisms of similar size.

The intramandibular joint (IMJ) in Helostoma temminckii, also known as kissing gourami, is located in the lower jaw at the articulation of the dentary and angular-articular bones. These fish are known for a ‘kissing’ behavior, facilitated by the IMJ, which allows the jaws to protrude and rotate making the mouth appear to look like pursed lips. The IMJ has independently evolved in the teleost lineage multiple times, and the mechanics are slightly different in each lineage. In kissing gourami, there are no muscular connections to the region of the lower jaw anterior to the IMJ, thus the IMJ is something of an enigma in terms of how it is mobilized during feeding, and moreover returned to a resting state after feeding. High-speed video was used to examine lateral expansion particularly in the regions of the intramandibular joint (IMJ) and the quadratomandibular (QMJ) joint. Individuals were filmed from a lateral and ventral view simultaneously during food capture. From the data, it appears that the expansion at the IMJ contributes to lateral expansion of the head during food capture. Lateral expansion at the location of the IMJ appears to occur in tandem with rotation about that joint; however, lateral expansion in this species is also rather slight due to their extremely rigid heads.

The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, is a large species that it is commonly distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Despite the bull sharks global distribution, little is known about its life history. In particular, the limited reproductive information suggests the bull shark is placental viviparous, assumed to have a biennial cycle, and that newborn pup nurseries are near the coast. In order to conserve and protect any species, an understanding of the habitats where reproductive events occur is needed. In order to better understand the habitat use in Biscayne bay, Fla, and whether certain areas are critical during the reproductive cycle of bull sharks, I will evaluate circulating levels of the hormones progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone using radioimmunoassay. These samples were collected by the University of Miami opportunistically between 2012-2020 shipped to Arizona State University, where they were analyzed. For my study a total of 73 mature samples, 27 females and 46 males, were collected over the sampling period. The results indicated that Biscayne bay is an important gestation area for bull sharks. The hormonal trends for males and females demonstrated an interesting reproductive cycle, which were further supported through other placental viviparous reproductive patterns. Females had a low level of estradiol throughout most of the year, besides in the summer where there were no sharks in the bay due to movement to estuaries. During their return to the bay, there was a peak in progesterone indicating early pregnancy. Male testosterone levels indicated that there was a production in sperm right before females speculated peak in estradiol.

Refugees are a vulnerable population that are forced to conform to a life that is totally and completely different from what they are used to. Not only is the food and clothing different, but also the concepts such as handwashing, applying deodorant, and having health insurance. Although refugees are given multiple resources, most, unfortunately, do not know how to utilize them. This is why the Refugee Education and Clinic Team was founded in the Fall of 2017. The Refugee Education and Clinic Team (REACT) is a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and Arizona State University. REACT’s mission is to mitigate healthcare disparities. Mitigating the healthcare disparities that refugees can be as simple as holding a handwashing workshop. Educating is as crucial as providing health care. That excruciating tooth pain can be preventable with a dental hygiene workshop. Families will benefit from learning about pregnancy prevention. The stomach pain that many of the elders experience most likely will be from the gas caused by the food being consumed. Going to the communities and offering an hour of educating about health has and will positively impact refugee families. Ensuring that topics that will actually benefit these families is essential. Research is vital to inquire what health topics need to be taught and what services will be included in REACT’s scope of practice. The research conducted will be the Community Health Needs Assessment, which is a 9-page survey regarding health. My thesis will discuss this process and refugees. My thesis director is Dr. Lara Ferry and my second committee member is Dr. Erin Sellner.

Human rights and migration policy leave no person in a nation unaffected. Due to the recent Syrian refugee crisis, the world stage has been critically put to the test for its border policies and the infrastructure it can provide for refugees. It is an imperative to reflect on the successes and shortcomings of this ongoing issue in order to build more sustainable and impactful infrastructure for future migrant resettlement. This paper analyzes Sweden, Germany, and Jordan through a lens focused on government and social development and the correlating impact on Syrian refugees. By evaluating government entities and non-government organizations, while also interviewing Syrian refugees themselves, this paper builds a framework for understanding the global stage’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Out of this framework are recommendations for more effective resettlement practices, developed via retrospective analysis.

Undergraduate students taking Anatomy and Physiology may struggle with information overload due to constant memorization. The solution is to present the anatomical material in a more integrative manner. Traditional learning in the human anatomy labs requires students to be presented with the skin, bones, joints, and muscle systems throughout the semester. However, in the Human Anatomy and Physiology courses (BIO 201), students only spend 2.5 hours for the lab session in one or two weeks for each system. The traditional style used today is constructed systematically, but it does not combine the other systems and functions with it once presented to the students. As a result, the new approach will integrate the structures and functions of each system with the current one that is being introduced. The new approach is SiMoJi-B: Skin, Muscles, Joints, and Bones. SiMoJi-B will teach students the Skin, Muscles, Joints, and Bones systems following anatomical regions of the body each week. All systems are integrated using a layer visualization from the outer to the deepest layer. The integration is supported with human donor dissections. The integrative sequence will allow students to learn anatomy in a more interactive and dynamic way.

REACT is a student-led venture which strives to address the healthcare disparities from geographic, linguistic and cultural isolation of the refugee community in Arizona/Phoenix. We will achieve this by Understanding the needs of the community, Engaging the community directly, Educating through the use of culturally appropriate materials, and providing access to supplemental Patient Care.
This venture is unique in that it is an interdisciplinary fusion between students, health professionals, and non-profit organizations empowering underserved refugees. A refugee is an individual forced to leave their country because of persecution, war, or violence. Once they arrive in the United States, they are forced to restart their lives, often with little to no financial assets, minimal English literacy, and a lack of transferable skills from their previous occupations in their home countries. In addition to these socioeconomic disparities, it is common for refugees to face health disparities. Consequently, refugees are one of the most vulnerable populations in our society.
Our organization provides value to the refugee community through our three key services. These are made up of supplemental resources, educational workshops, and clinical services. Our supplemental materials include resources that our clients will use after they have left our care to further improve their health and quality of life. These items include personal hygiene kits, informational pamphlets, and nutritional foods.
The educational workshops we provide specifically address identified knowledge gaps that impede the autonomy of our clients’ health and wellbeing. Several of the topics that we cover (but are not limited to) are diabetes, postpartum depression, nutrition, dental hygiene, AHCCCS, and nutrition. The clinical services that the clinic will provide will be supplementary primary care services that will encompass basic physical exams, A1C blood pressure checks, and vaccinations. These services all are aimed at alleviating the barriers to health that refugees face and ultimately improve their quality of life.
Our venture seeks to maintain positive and sustained relationships with our client segments through continuous community engagement. In conjunction with providing educational workshops and clinical care in the future, REACT continually engages the community by planning formal and informal programming with the refugees based on the needs and wishes of individual communities.

REACT generates these services through the work of medical students from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and undergraduates from Arizona State University. Our team brings together the experience from hundreds of hours of work in the community, collaborations with refugee community leaders, and the insight of professionals in the healthcare/social-work industry.
Further, our members have had extensive experience working with refugees, training in culturally sensitive practices, and delivering care to those that need it most. With the cost of healthcare exponentially rising, there is little hope for refugees to find adequate culturally competent healthcare. This leads to an increase in chronic diseases, preventable health issues, and increased hospitalization costs. Supporting REACT is not only an investment in the health of the refugees but the health of our entire healthcare system.

Flight is an alternative form of locomotion with advantages that include increased ability to traverse long distances and readily escape prey. Only those animals with proper machinery are capable of flight. Wings, the machinery that enables flight, vary greatly among the wide array of animals that employ flight for locomotory purposes. Considering that form often follows function, wings are likely structured depending upon the specific flight patterns and behaviors of a particular species. Such structure must be adequate enough to effectively and efficiently create the lift and thrust necessary for flight performance. Therefore, one can expect great divergence in wing structure given the diversity of flight behavior seen within the animal kingdom. To determine how variation in wing morphology contributes to flight function, we studied dragonflies (Odonata), a group of highly maneuverable and acrobatic fliers. We assessed the wing size, morphology of the leading edge, and body dimensions of 39 dragonfly and 3 damselfly species to test how they correlated with one another. We hypothesized that these parameters would align with the known Odonata wing structure as it relates to the maximization of flight maneuverability. Relationships including wing dimensions compared to one another, body dimensions of an individual, cell shapes formed via venation throughout the wing, and leading edge diameter, were fairly consistent across the species under consideration. Cell height was the key component contributing to leading edge structure and increasing the height of the wing as a whole.

Forensic anthropologists rely on the validated sex determination methods that utilize post-cranial elements in adult remains, but, recently, research has been conducted to determine adult remain sex using just the skull. Similar research for sub-adult remains is lacking the robustness and validation that adult determination methods possess. This study utilized 20 crania measurements taken from CT scans of child patients with known sexes at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital to investigate if a sex determination method could be produced. The measurements were assessed with a t-Test, Linear Discriminant Analysis, and Principle Component Analysis to determine if sexual dimorphism was detectable and if the predictive model had discriminant power when the sample size was categorized by age. The results revealed that a few measurements were dimorphic, but were not statistically significant to determine the sex of a sub-adult outside of the sample population. Future investigations will remove age group classification to observe if this model can predict age.