Life Sciences Commons^™

Bio-Bust: Investigating Biotech Stock Factors Contributing To Abnormal Returns In The Wake Of Silicon Valley Bank's Failure, Spencer Kent

CMC Senior Theses

Following the unprecedented collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in March 2023, this study explores abnormal stock price reactions within the biotechnology sector. As the chosen financial institution for countless Silicon Valley-type technology and healthcare firms, SVB's failure had a profound impact on small to mid-sized biotech companies. Analyzing a dataset of 180 biotech firms during a two-day event window over SVB’s collapse, I investigate whether exposure to SVB, or other factors, was the primary contributor to negative abnormal stock price reactions, considering variables such as the percentage of cash held at SVB, whether a firm maintained an active SVB …

Developmental Stress Signaling And Substance Use: Cortisol Reactivity Moderates The Effect Of Early Life Adversity On Alcohol Misuse Behaviors Among College Students, Keeley Lariviere

CMC Senior Theses

Stress-motivated drinking is common among college students facing increased independence and novel stressors. Early life adversity (ELA) as well as individual variation in neuroendocrine stress signaling significantly increase risk for alcohol misuse. Research on the relationships between ELA and the physiological stress response system, suggest that a dampened stress response may mediate the relations between ELA and alcohol misuse. However, other research has suggested that rather than acting as mediator, stress reactivity may interact (moderate) the relations between ELA and alcohol misuse. This study examined the associations between ELA, cortisol reactivity to an acute stressor, and self-reported alcohol misuse in …

C. Compactum Acts As A Comprehensive Climate Archive And Ecological Foundation In The Labrador Sea, Sadie Heckman

CMC Senior Theses

Clathromorphum compactum, a species of crustose coralline algae (CCA), is incredibly valuable for the future of high latitude ocean health, both as a comprehensive archive of changing ocean conditions, and ecologically as a foundational species for promoting biodiversity. Previous work establishes C. compactum as an effective climate proxy, and its life history provides several advantages for this use. C. compactum grow in nongeniculate, generally radial formations on hard substrates, over a wide distribution in mid-to-high latitude oceans and at subtidal depth ranges. Indeterminate growth leads to extreme longevity in C. compactum (Halfar et al., 2008), and growth rates are relatively …

Harnessing Antagonistic Pleiotropy: Tolc-Dependent Coliphages Can Drive Reduced Antibiotic Resistance In E. Coli, Cooper Mckenna

CMC Senior Theses

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens has been a growing concern in healthcare around the world, and bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising method to combat MDR infections. One defense mechanism of E. coli against antibiotics is the TolC-AcrAB efflux pump. At the same time, some phages use TolC as a surface receptor to infect the cell. This puts TolC at a crossroads in which it is beneficial to the bacteria to protect against antibiotics but harmful by allowing phage infection, creating the potential for evolutionary trade-offs. Previous research has identified only three TolC-dependent phages and shown phage-resistant E. …

What Are We Most Curious About? Understanding The Relationship Between Curiosity And Marginal Knowledge, Alexis Lee

CMC Senior Theses

There are several competing theories about the relationship between curiosity and metacognitive judgment, or one’s assessment of their own knowledge. Novelty theories say that curiosity is highest for wholly unknown information; complexity theories say that curiosity is highest for moderately unknown information; and the Region of Proximal Learning (RPL) theory says that curiosity is highest for almost-known information. The present study aimed to address how curiosity differs within marginal knowledge (MK), memory content that is available but not accessible, across two experiments. In both experiments, participants responded to 100 short-answer general knowledge questions, selecting a phenomenological category to represent their …

Gut Dysbiosis Correlates With Covid-19 Severity, Ednita Escobar

CMC Senior Theses

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) impacts not only respiratory but also gut and oral microbiomes, influencing the manifestations of COVID-19. Each person’s unique microbiome consists of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, some of which are symbiotic and others potentially harmful. Alterations in the gut microbiome, specifically, can affect the severity and symptoms of COVID-19. A review of studies indicate a pattern of gut dysbiosis in COVID-19 patients characterized by a decrease in beneficial microbiota and/or an increase in opportunistic pathogens. This gut imbalance correlates with disease severity, suggesting that the gut microbiome plays a significant role …

The Standing Of Anger: Insights From The Debate(S) On Constructed Emotion, Andrew Holzer

CMC Senior Theses

In her book, Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, Justice, Martha Nussbaum argues that anger is inherently flawed because it fundamentally contains the desire for payback. To support her argument, she posits specific metaphysical claims about the nature of emotions like anger. This thesis is an extended critique of her metaphysical foundation from the perspective of empirical research in the neuroscience of emotion. The first reason to dispute this picture is descriptive; this view of anger is based on an outdated version of cognitive appraisal theory, which sees emotions as triggered directly by static moments of cognitive appraisal. The second …

Mental Imagery Contributes To Loss Aversion By Amplifying Negative Emotions, Daniel Kroshchuk

CMC Senior Theses

Defined as the experience of sensory information without the presence of external stimuli, mental imagery is thought to play a role in memory, emotional regulation, and decision-making. Recent studies suggest that mental imagery varies widely across the general population, with approximately 2-4% of individuals having a reduction or complete absence of visual imagination, a phenomenon known as aphantasia. Individuals with aphantasia show reduced emotional arousal to fear-inducing imagery, raising the question of how variation in imagery affects cognitive processes that are influenced by emotion. Specifically, in economic decision-making it has been shown that the prospect of loss triggers negative emotions, …

Effects Of Male Attractiveness On Prostaglandin E2 Production Levels, Kyra Cousins

CMC Senior Theses

Sexual conflict or sexual antagonism can encourage co-evolution between males and females of a given species. In house crickets (Acheta domesticus), unattractive (smaller) and attractive (larger) males seem to use differential allocation of prostaglandin E₂ in their spermatophore to pursue different propagation strategies in influencing female oviposition. This study aims to determine the means by which attractive and less attractive males press their reproductive advantage by focusing on prostaglandin E₂. To test the hypothesis that the difference in prostaglandin E₂ concentration is essential for female reproductive manipulation, spermatophores were retrieved from 21 pairs of mated …

The Role Of Herbal Medicines In Central American Indigenous Communities; Improving Accessibility To Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treatment, Sarai Ortega

CMC Senior Theses

Indigenous communities in Central America have used various plant medications to treat illnesses and diseases for centuries. Clinicians must consider improving traditional healthcare methods that are intrinsic to indigenous communities in order to increase access to effective treatments, particularly for diseases that these communities are more at risk for. This work aims to propose a method to identify whether traditional preparations of five plants (Anacardium occidentale L., Hamelia patens Jacq., Momordica charantia L, Neurolaena lobota L. R. Br. Ex Cass., and Tecoma stans L. juss. ex Kunth) can reduce blood glucose levels in rats with type two diabetes. Additionally, …

Analysis Of Biologically Effective Dose For Retroactive Yttrium-90 Trans-Arterial Radioembolization Treatment Optimization, Mj Lindsey

CMC Senior Theses

Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) is a protracted modality of radiation therapy where radionuclides labeled with Yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y) are inserted inside a patient's hepatic artery to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While TARE has been shown to be a clinically effective and safe treatment, there is little understanding of the radiobiological relationship between absorbed dose and tissue response, and thus there is no dosimetric standard for treatment planning. The Biologically Effective Dose (BED) formalism, derived from the Linear-Quadratic model of radiobiology, is used to weigh the absorbed dose by the time pattern of delivery. BED is a virtual dose that can …

The Relationship Between Parasite Infection, Body Condition, And Migration In White-Crowned Sparrows And California Towhees, Madeline Galbraith

CMC Senior Theses

Long-distance animal migration plays a large role in the spread of infectious disease, potentially causing an increase or a decrease in infection. These outcomes can be serious, as infection has the ability to induce a variety of effects on the host, all which may impact their overall health. The consequences of infection on a host can be measured using body condition. Changes to an individual’s body condition are central to the mechanisms involved in migration’s ability to both increase (ex: susceptibility) and decrease infection (ex: migratory culling). Therefore, when assessing potential migratory effects, it is important to consider relationships between …

Movement As Medicine: Dance/Movement Therapy For Individuals With Autism, Parkinson’S Disease, And Cancer, Alessia Zanobini

CMC Senior Theses

Dance/movement therapy (D/MT) is the psychotherapeutic use of expressive, creative movement to support holistic well-being. D/MT views the human being as a single body-mind unit and movement as a manifestation of life experiences. While typically practiced as a mental health intervention, D/MT can be adapted for a variety of populations. This thesis evaluates scientific data for the non-traditional use of D/MT for three conditions: autism, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. For individuals on the autism spectrum, D/MT can strengthen attunement skills, provide creative communication outlets, and relieve harmful physical manifestations of autism. For individuals with Parkinson’s disease, D/MT can simultaneously ease …

Revisiting The 2018 Corsica Oil Spill - A Preliminary Case Study Of Ecosystem Recovery From Pahs In Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus Yelkouan), Makenna Mahrer

CMC Senior Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a specific class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) heavily associated with crude oil, and pose genotoxic and physiological threats to marine life when released into the aquatic environment during a petroleum spill. This study seeks to understand the residual impacts of the 2018 Corsica oil spill on Puffinus yelkouan (Yelkouan Shearwater), a seabird endemic to the Mediterranean basin, using the species as a bioindicator for contamination in the region. Though classified by the IUCN Red List as ‘vulnerable,’ this species remains grossly understudied in present monitoring literature. This study made use of blood samples and …

Stem Education And Retention For Black Women Using High-Impact Practices: Historically Black Colleges And Universities Vs. Predominantly White Liberal Arts Colleges, Annette Njei

CMC Senior Theses

Black women are significantly underrepresented within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To address this, the Association of American Colleges & Universities crafted ten high-impact practices to increase student engagement and promote retention. This research paper examines how three specific high-impact practices (learning communities, mentoring, and undergraduate research experience) are utilized in STEM education.This research paper explores and compares the best high impact approaches that successfully teach and retain Black women within the various fields of STEM within the differing academic environments of historically Black colleges & universities ( HBCUs) and predominantly white liberal art colleges (PWLACs). …

The Relationship Between Maternal Emotion Socialization And Child Executive Functioning And Behavior: Exploring The Moderating Role Of Cortisol, Mayela Norwood

CMC Senior Theses

In the early years of life, the development of children’s executive functioning (EF) and behavior regulation are critical to their later growth and self-sufficiency. Previous studies have indicated that one pathway by which children learn to regulate their emotions is through their immediate social environments (de Cock et al., 2017). Parents, in particular, play a significant role in the development of their children‘s emotion regulation and executive functioning (Fernandes et al., 2022). At the same time, physiological responses to stress also matter. Cortisol, the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, has also been associated with children’s executive functioning and behavior …

Treatment Of Anxiety By Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Retrospective Chart Review, Rhea Gandhi

CMC Senior Theses

Surgical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was FDA cleared for depression (2005) and epilepsy. (1997). In the surgical procedure, a pacemaker is implanted below the collarbone (clavicle) and connected to the vagus nerve in the neck. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a non-surgical alternative to VNS and there is evidence supporting its effectiveness for several conditions. Advantages include lower cost and fewer adverse side effects.

Anxiety is tied to excess or unopposed sympathetic nervous system activity, while the parasympathetic nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, is relatively underactive. This study aimed to investigate a potential impact of regular tVNS stimulation …

Visualization And Characterization Of The Immunological Synapse Between Chlorotoxin Chimeric Antigen (Cltx-Car) Redirected T Cells And Targeted Glioblastoma Tumors, Arianna Livi

CMC Senior Theses

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) cells have demonstrated anti-tumor activity against aggressive and invasive cancers such as glioblastoma (GBM); however, clinical response rates remain low in clinical trial studies. Tumor heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment conditions pose significant challenges for treatment of GBM, thus continuous optimization of CAR-T cell therapies and identification of novel, widely expressed, and highly specific GBM antigens are vital to better patient outcomes. A newly developed CAR-T cell construct incorporating chlorotoxin (CLTX) as the targeting domain exhibited broad GBM-targeting capabilities and elicited potent cytotoxic effects during preclinical studies and is currently being tested in a phase I …

Investigation Into The Potential For Acquired Cross Tolerances Of Amphetamines, Benjamin Weldon

CMC Senior Theses

In the United States, the treatment of ADHD through use of psychostimulants in adolescents is a growing reality that many people know today and many more will know in the coming years. Although the effectiveness of psychostimulants is a known asset, the benefits of these medications may not be a permanent solution, suggesting not only the presence of a tolerance build up, but as many stimulants are prescribed in a joint effort to combat ADHD, a possible cross tolerance between two prescribed medications. There are minimal studies published that have addressed the topic of cross stimulation tolerance buildup between prescription …

Over-Wintering Grounds Social Behavior Of White-Crowned Sparrows, Lauryn Jeans

CMC Senior Theses

White-Crowned Sparrows (WCSP), Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, are small, migrating passerine birds whose over-wintering ground social behavior is poorly researched. Suitable wintering grounds must balance climate preference and migration length, are affected by territory size and habitat competition, and have long-term effects on bird fitness. A study observed Golden-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) returning every year to the same wintering ground and forming strong social communities during those winter months. We predicted that WCSPs exhibit wintering ground fixation and form stable flock structure at the Bernard Field Station (BFS) in Southern California during the winter months of October to …

The Influence Of Political Party Affiliation And Park Accessibility On Covid-19 Case Incidence, Sascha Wolf-Sorokin

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the joint effect of political party affiliation and the urban landscape, as measured by access to parks, on case rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The 2016 and 2020 U.S. Presidential Election returns are used as a proxy for a county’s political party affiliation prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A county population’s spatial relationship to its parks encapsulates the green open space within an urban environment. The data set controls for features of the built environment, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics (race, gender, income, education), COVID-19 government regulations, and presidential election returns. Using …

A Serological Analysis Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In The Obstetric Population, Sophia Rose

CMC Senior Theses

In December 2019, the surfacing and spread of a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, resulted in the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a viral antigen, SARS-CoV-2 poses a particular threat to the obstetric population due to physiological and immunological changes that women face during pregnancy. While recent studies have found that SARS-CoV-2 may have better clinical outcomes as compared to other betacoronaviruses, adverse pregnancy events such as ICU admission, preeclampsia, and/or preterm birth have been associated with COVID-19. Progress has been made in better understanding the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy, but there is still much to be known about the interaction …

Does Seclusion Alter Amygdala Activity And Amygdala-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity Leading To Emotional Dysregulation In Children? A Case For Ending Seclusion And Restraint In Public Schools, Crystal Anyanwu

CMC Senior Theses

The use of seclusion as a disciplinary practice in schools has been cited as an effective way to mitigate a child’s behavior if they pose a threat of imminent danger to others or themselves and an effective means of helping a child regulate their emotions. However, research has shown that this practice has resulted in psychological harm (e.g. traumatic stress responses), physical injuries, and death to both staff applying these techniques and the children experiencing them. The effects of seclusion on the neurodevelopment of children remain widely unknown. Traumatic stress has been shown to increase the volume of the amygdala …

Designing Virtual Reality Headsets To Prevent Myopia, Kyril Van Schendel

CMC Senior Theses

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are currently being designed and developed for consumer use. Simultaneously, the rate of myopic development is increasing around the world. Little is known about the connection between the proximity viewing in VR headsets and myopic development. The past three decades of research have indicated a probable relationship between near-work activities and the development of myopia. Based on the current research, VR headsets do not appear to induce a strong myopiagenic stimulus on axial elongation. This paper offers a potential explanation and proposes a set of design recommendations for designing future VR headsets that prevent myopia.

Spatial Geochemical Changes In Central And East Texas Soils Over Time Resulting From Human Decomposition, Isabela Marisol Overturf

CMC Senior Theses

Human decomposition is studied to aid forensic investigations and better understand the impact of cemeteries on urban resources like soil and groundwater. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in soil geochemistry at and around a human grave to search for lateral nutrient movement and possibly identify new patterns in elemental concentrations that could be used in estimating post-mortem intervals (PMIs). At the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) at Texas State San Marcos, soil samples were collected from a shallow grave over the course of 54 days to conduct analysis for organic matter content, texture, pH, and bulk …

A Study Of Limited Bedding And Nesting On Maternal Behavior For Postpartum Depression, Emma Brezoczky

CMC Senior Theses

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of mothers in the US and can detrimentally affect both the mother and psychosocial development of the child (Pearlstein et al, 2009). So far, research on PPD is limited and the underlying neuropathology remains unclear. Low socioeconomic status is one risk factor that increases the risk of PPD tenfold (Goyal et al, 2010). The low resource limited bedding and nesting (LBN) paradigm used for rodents has the potential to model this risk factor. LBN has not previously been studied with PPD, but observations of disrupted maternal behaviors and depressive phenotypes makes it a …

Energy As A Limiting Factor In Neuronal Seizure Control: A Mathematical Model, Sophia E. Epstein

CMC Senior Theses

The majority of seizures are self-limiting. Within a few minutes, the observed neuronal synchrony and deviant dynamics of a tonic-clonic or generalized seizure often terminate. However, a small epilesia partialis continua can occur for years. The mechanisms that regulate subcortical activity of neuronal firing and seizure control are poorly understood. Published studies, however, through PET scans, ketogenic treatments, and in vivo mouse experiments, observe hypermetabolism followed by metabolic suppression. These observations indicate that energy can play a key role in mediating seizure dynamics. In this research, I seek to explore this hypothesis and propose a mathematical framework to model how …

Physician Assisted Dying (Pad): An Investigation Into The Mechanistic Action Of Opioid, Benzodiazepine, And Barbiturate Administration As An Alternative Measure To Forgoing Life Sustaining Treatment And Aggressive Palliation., Jordana Chanel Deighton

CMC Senior Theses

Whilst modern medicine has increased longevity, the rise in life expectancy has brought about new struggles, namely that of aging and age related disease. Thus, humanity has been presented with a new problem: at what point is death preferable to aggressive life-prolonging treatment in the face of inevitable death? And if so, what right do individuals have to control the circumstances of their death? In the West, traditionally, individuals who seek to end their own lives in the face of terminal illness opt for forgoing artificial hydration and nutrition. Driven by an increase in desire for autonomous dignified death, a …

Effects Of Drought On Habitat Quality For Native Bees In Residential Gardens Of Claremont, Ca, Max Proctor

CMC Senior Theses

Over 1,500 of the 4000 bee species found in North America inhabit California. Native bees are declining however, largely due to climate change and agricultural intensification. Previous research shows that cities can sustain diverse bee communities, due to the diversity of ornamental flowers. Urban green space represents an opportunity for native bee conservation. Residential gardens provide lots of green space and are urban pollinator hotspots. Managing yards for increased floral resources and nesting habitat can benefit native bee communities. Turfgrass provides few floral or nesting resources and negatively correlates with bee diversity. The 2011-2017 California drought caused many homeowners to …

Environmental Controls On The Spatial Distribution Of Greenfin Darters And Biodiversity In The Blue Ridge Mountains, Dri Tattersfield

CMC Senior Theses

Disproportionate concentrations of biodiversity in mountains worldwide suggest linkages between geologic processes and biodiversity that are not yet well understood. The Tennessee River Basin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the southeastern U.S. is a global hotspot for freshwater fish biodiversity. To investigate drivers of biodiversity in the Tennessee River Basin, and explore links to geologic processes, I study the Greenfin Darter (Nothonotus chlorobranchius), a small fish endemic to the upper Tennessee River Basin. I use generalized linear models (GLMs) to evaluate the influence of topography, lithology, climate and land use on the distribution of the Greenfin Darter, …