The purpose of this Barrett Thesis Project is to review the existing literature on ACL injuries specifically regarding their risk factors, prevention, and recovery options. The content of the review has been placed into four sections: physiological factors, biomechanical factors, surgery and recovery factors, as well as training factors. Physiological factors look at static structures and their impact on ACL injuries, more specifically, the role that variations on physical structure values can have on injury incidence. Biomechanical factors focus on the ways that movement can contribute to injury and the ways that incorrect movement or unanticipated movement can have on the structures of the knee. Surgery and recovery factors look at surgical techniques that have been used to correct ACL injuries and the details of their function as well as certain surgical techniques that have differing rates of success and how they can impact re-injury and rehabilitation rates. Finally, training factors analyze techniques that can be used in both pre-injury or post-injury situations therefore, this section looks at the ways that training can minimize re-injury as well as work towards preventing the initial injury. Overall, this research review looks at how these factors come together to contribute to an ACL injury and the ways that injury incidence can be minimized. Risk factors come together in order to create an undesirable situation in which the ACL ligament ruptures. These risk factors are either physiological or biomechanical in nature. As a result of injury, certain surgical techniques can be used that impact the success of a patient. Evidence for the benefit of training factors can then be applied in order to reduce injury risk or prevent future injuries.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to predict /r/ acquisition using acoustic signal processing. 19 children, aged 5-7 with inaccurate /r/, were followed until they turned 8 or acquired /r/, whichever came first. Acoustic and descriptive data from 14 participants were analyzed. The remaining 5 children continued to be followed. The study analyzed differences in spectral energy at the baseline acoustic signals of participants who eventually acquired /r/ compared to that of those who did not acquire /r/. Results indicated significant differences between groups in the baseline signals for vocalic and postvocalic /r/, suggesting that the acquisition of certain allophones may be predictable. Participants’ articulatory changes made during the progression of acquisition were also analyzed spectrally. A retrospective analysis described the pattern in which /r/ allophones were acquired, proposing that vocalic /r/ and the postvocalic variant of consonantal /r/ may be acquired prior to prevocalic /r/, and /r/ followed by low vowels may be acquired before /r/ followed by high vowels, although individual variations exist.

The sports universe has been around for over a century and yet the at home sports viewing experience has seen little change. Even though our society has seen monumental innovative, technological advances, watching sports at home has not undergone any changes and may soon find itself a thing of the past unless something changes. When the COVID-19 pandemic arose, a problem surfaced of revenue loss and decreasing fan retention leaving teams and leagues stumbling for solutions. RYZE offers a never before seen product that can revolutionize how sports fans watch and engage in sporting events. By taking the lucrative concept of “battle passes” from the video game industry and placing it in the sports industry, RYZE hopes to increase overall fan revenue, retention, and engagement. A clear market size and wide range of potential customers, RYZE looks to help fans stay engaged while also earning prizes. With competition ranging from fantasy sports to virtual reality, RYZE has competitive advantages that give it potential to become a sports fan’s go to product when thinking about their favorite team. RYZE has gone from a propelling question to a bright idea and then to a prototype along with a full pitch deck and hopes to engrain itself in college athletics, MLB, and other professional sports leagues.

Students from the Founder’s Lab at ASU created Equalitree, a company whose main focus is bringing together fans, student-athletes, coaches, and executive staff. In developing the company, the founders looked at various data points from the NCAA about what is already being done to increase diversity and inclusion. After finding staggering statistics about the state of diversity, the founders began to create ‘Equalitree’. A consulting agency tackling diversity and inclusion. The goal is to increase diversity and inclusion within sports organizations through a series of educational events, social campaigns, and dialogues. In researching the effectiveness of this business model, the founders hosted a week of events. The first event was a dialogue, in which attendees were presented with statistics of diversity within college sports, what is being done on college campuses to bridge gaps and open dialogues, and even held a discussion. For the second event, the founders hosted Keynote Speaker, former NFL player L.J. Shelton, to speak on his experiences within college sports and the NFL. Overall, Equalitree received highly rated reviews and feedback from attendees about the events and the effectiveness.

Terpene cyclizations are one of the most complex reactions that occur in nature. Scientists have found that replicating this reaction in a lab setting has proved to be immensely challenging as result of the numerous intermediates that must be controlled through the cyclization process in the absence of an enzyme. This study uses commercially available lipases to conduct reactions with geraniol-derived starting materials to identify conditions for performing a terpene cyclization effectively and efficiently. Through hypothesized screening of enzymes and reaction conditions, we have identified a protocol for the successful cyclization of limonene and other geranyl-derived products.

Micro influencers have become extremely powerful in terms of swaying buying patterns among consumers. This thesis examines the greater impact that micro influencers have on brand marketing. This was completed through a literature review that highlights the evolution of marketing, influencer marketing, discussing reach, relevance, and resonance, and Generation Z’s purchasing decisions. In addition, we conducted an online survey through Qualtrics that allowed us to analyze the impact social media influencers have. The results of our research indicate that TikTok is used most frequently, but Instagram is where social media influencers are followed most. From our data, we concluded that Generation Z is most influenced by authentic, genuine content created by influencers regardless of follower count. We recommend that a brand interested in reaching Generation Z (we refer to the brand as “Brand X”) use micro influencers, as our research shows that genuine relationships are valued among this generation. We believe that micro influencers are the most valuable to use as they are able to create meaningful relationships with consumers due to their reach, relevance, and resonance with the individuals their content reaches.

This study was conducted to determine the difference in compressive strength between decayed and healthy teeth. The teeth were subjected to a compressive force to simulate the process of mastication. This was done to show that healthy teeth would be better at handling these compressive forces since they have more enamel. 26 teeth samples were collected (19 molars, 4 canines, and 3 premolars) evenly distributed between healthy and decayed. The samples were dimensionally analyzed using electronic calipers and then categorized as either decayed or healthy. The samples were then placed in a nut bolt with epoxy so that the samples could be compressed. Each sample was recorded on video while they were being exposed to the compressive force. This was done to observe how the samples were coming in contact with the Shimadzu compression machine. The amount of force that was required for the samples to exhibit the first point of breakage was recorded by the machine in pounds of force. Various analyses were conducted to determine relationships between several variables. The results showed that as the total and occlusal surface area increased, so did the amount of force the samples could absorb before breakage. As the machine came in contact with more cusps among the molar samples, those samples were able to absorb a larger compressive force. The average force that the decayed and healthy molar samples endured before breakage was roughly even, with the decayed samples average being slightly greater.

This study examines the effectiveness of two modes of exercise on inhibitory control in adults with Down Syndrome (DS). Thirteen participants attended four sessions: a baseline assessment, an Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) session, a Resistance Training (RT) session, and a session of No Training (NT). In the baseline assessment, 1-repetition max (1RM) measurements and voluntary pedal rate measurements were taken. In the resistance training session, the leg press, chest press, seated row, leg curl, shoulder press, and latissimus pulldown were performed. In the cycling intervention, the participant completed 30 minutes of cycling. The Erikson Flanker task was administered prior to each session (i.e., pretest) and after the intervention (i.e., post-test). The results were somewhat consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition time improved more following RT and ACT than NT. there was also a significant difference between ACT and NT. Additionally, it was hypothesized that all measures would improve following each acute exercise intervention, but the most significant improvements were seen following ACT. In conclusion, an acute session of ACT demonstrated a significant trend towards improvements in inhibitory control in adults with DS which we interpreted using a model of neural changes.

The various health benefits of vinegar ingestion have been studied extensively in the<br/>literature. Moreover, emerging research suggests vinegar may also have an effect on mental<br/>health. Beneficial effects of certain diets on mood have been reported, however, the mechanisms<br/>are unknown. The current study aimed to determine if vinegar ingestion positively affects mood<br/>state in healthy young adults. This was a randomized, single blinded controlled trial consisting of<br/>25 subjects. Participants were randomly assigned to either the vinegar group (consumed 2<br/>tablespoons of liquid vinegar diluted in one cup water twice daily with meals) or the control<br/>group (consumed one vinegar pill daily with a meal), and the intervention lasted 4 weeks.<br/>Subjects completed mood questionnaires pre- and post-intervention. Results showed a significant<br/>improvement in CES-D and POMS-Depression scores for the vinegar group compared to the<br/>control. This study suggests that vinegar ingestion may improve depressive symptoms in healthy<br/>young adults.