This thesis outlines the four novels of my fantasy series in-progress, entitled Pemoki and Kenacia (named for two nations engaged in a twenty-year conflict). It details the complex workings of the universe in which the series takes place, and seeks to capture the essence of the characters’ journeys through a number of fictional texts exchanged within the universe, which I refer to as “writing within writing”. It includes a guide containing notes on the international and domestic politics, religions, technologies, magic system, and invented languages of the P&K universe; four extensive plot summaries complete with dialogue; eight instances of writing within writing, including four collections of letters, a coronation speech, two articles in conversation with one another on the subject of magic science, and a series of journal entries documenting an investigation of a suspected foreign spy; and finally, an appendix listing the names and magical abilities of the cast, as well as the fictional locations they inhabit. “Writing Within Writing” lays the groundwork for a tetralogy that, in its final published form, will explore themes of corruption, redemption, free will, death, grief, endurance, love and betrayal, among others.

The food-insecure population in the United States is significant, with a disproportionately large food insecure population being college students. Food insecurity is an issue of great concern not only because of the presence of malnourishment, but especially because of the many negative effects on health it can have on individuals that come as a result of malnourishment. In addition to the many health issues that can arise, food insecurity has also been found to be correlated with poor academic performance in school which is especially important when it comes to the food insecure college student population. Among the many reasons that college students might be food insecure, one issue that is explored is that college students do not have the capabilities to prepare adequate meals for themselves, so their lack of ability to do so contributes to their food insecurity. One way to combat this issue is to encourage college students to take the initiative to learn how to cook meals. A survey evaluated the food insecurity status of undergraduate ASU students and explored various food habits such as meal preparation, fresh produce consumption, and various influencing factors and obstacles of eating healthy, among others. Results found that those who identified as food insecure were less likely to cook meals for themselves as often as those who are not food insecure, nor were they as likely to consume fresh produce as those who are not food insecure. Additionally, all students have reported improved academic performance and/or physical/mental wellbeing. With the support that eating healthy meals is important for college students’ academics and physical and mental wellbeing, as is having the knowledge on how to prepare healthy meals, a fresh produce resource guide was created with the purpose of encouraging ASU students to learn the basic skills of cooking and meal preparation.

As the global population of people over 65 increases, so does the risk for developing dementia such as Alzheimer’s Disease. This neurodegenerative disease leads to severe cognitive decline and memory deficits as a result of dysregulation in neurons. While the symptoms of Alzheimer's are well-characterized, the mechanisms contributing to this disease pathology are not fully understood. In this study, I used rhesus macaques as models for age-related cognitive decline based on their similarities in brain structure with humans. The RNA sequencing data in this study came from four different types of glial cells in the entorhinal cortex of the brain: oligodendrocytes, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). I observed that glial cell classes exhibit sex differences in cell composition, with males generally displaying greater changes in cell composition with age than females. A greater number of differentially expressed genes were upregulated with age than were downregulated. Multiple genes in every glial cell class were directly related to neuronal function and maintenance. Generally, genes upregulated with age in these cells were related to synaptic signaling and neuron development. These findings showcase changes in glial cells that could potentially be linked to cellular pathways involved in Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. With a more robust understanding of how specific genes in these types of cells change with age, it could be possible to improve early disease detection methods.

Heterotrophs such as E. coli contain metabolic pathways with enzymes called carboxylases that are capable of fixing CO2 gas to form metabolites, which has implications for aiding with CO2’s role in climate change. The reductive branch of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle serves as an important pathway for NAD+ regeneration in enteric bacteria in anaerobic conditions and leads to the production of succinate, a useful industrial product. The enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is responsible for fixing CO2 in the conversion of PEP to OAA within this pathway and has potential to be a significant carbon fixation module in heterotrophic organisms. This project explored pck genes from select organisms by transforming plasmids to test if these variants have improved kinetics compared to the native E. coli Pck and to investigate their ability to improve succinate bioproduction.

MyCollegeCooking.com is a student-driven initiative aimed at revolutionizing the way college students approach nutrition and cooking. Understanding the unique challenges faced by students, such as limited space and time constraints, our platform provides accessible tools and inspiration for preparing nutritious meals. Beyond offering recipes, our website includes detailed nutritional information and encourages interaction from users, fostering a dynamic community. Supported by research and feedback from over 100 college students, our focus on simplicity, accessibility, and balance addresses the common concerns of time and money. Through strategic marketing efforts, particularly leveraging social media, we aim to raise awareness and promote healthy cooking habits among college students nationwide. MyCollegeCooking.com isn't just a recipe website; it's a collaborative platform dedicated to enhancing the well-being and success of students through nutritious eating and community engagement.

Sea turtles are threatened globally. Their conservation requires, not just scientists and governments, but communities as well. Conservationists have been developing ways to reduce tensions between governments, biologists, and local communities. While community-based conservation has been implemented successfully in certain cases, work must be done to acknowledge the spiritual values of nature to garner more support for conservation from local communities. For this reason, we chose to analyze how sea turtles have been viewed spiritually in Latin America and globally throughout history by performing a literature review. Many coastal communities have centuries old spiritual beliefs regarding sea turtles. Furthermore, we conducted a case study in Ostional, Costa Rica, a village known for its sea turtle conservation, as well as its controversial sea turtle egg harvesting. From this study, which utilized surveys and interviews, we learned that spirituality is a motivator for conservation for the people of Ostional. Thus, we suggest that spirituality should be utilized as an appeal for local communities to support local conservation efforts. Governments and scientists should include spirituality in community-based conservation discourse. Further studies should assess how best to apply spiritual appeals in this discourse and its effectiveness overall, as well as among different age demographics.

Ballet is both a classical dance art form and a physically demanding sport. Dancers go through extraneous training to produce anatomically unnatural movements but in a safe manner. Flexibility, balance, and coordination are mandatory to advance to the higher levels of training. Ballet technique is danced with the feet turned outwards or externally rotated and requires a high range of motion of several joints in the body. Because of the nature of ballet technique, dancers frequently suffer from injuries. Studies have found that lower limb, especially knee, ankle, and foot injuries, and hip and back injuries are prevalent in students and professionals. Identifying the roots of these issues is vital to prevent injuries. Technical errors such as rolling in the arches of the feet while externally rotated, having a loose core, and over-rotating the legs increase the risk of injury. Training dancers correctly through proper teaching techniques, promoting anatomically sound ballet technique, and identifying physical weaknesses are possible solutions to reduce injury risk. This project aims to identify risk factors for common injuries in dance and identify possible solutions to prevent them.

The term "Latinx" has emerged as a gender-neutral alternative to the gendered "Latino/Latina" label, sparking debates within the Latino community. However, the implications of creating a new label extend far beyond the minority group it aims to represent. This study investigates the differing perspectives of individuals within and outside of the Latino community regarding the term and its meaning. It provides additional literature that explores how people's identification with labels affects their support for political candidates and advocacy groups. Specifically, the survey experiment examines how candidates’ use of these labels influences their political support.