Digital Commons Network^™

Using Expression Profiling To Understand The Effects Of Chronic Cadmium Exposure On Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Zelmina Lubovac-Pilav, Daniel M. Borras, Esmeralda Ponce, Maggie Louie

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Cadmium is a metalloestrogen known to activate the estrogen receptor and promote breast cancer cell growth. Previous studies have implicated cadmium in the development of more malignant tumors; however the molecular mechanisms behind this cadmium-induced malignancy remain elusive. Using clonal cell lines derived from exposing breast cancer cells to cadmium for over 6 months (MCF-7-Cd4, -Cd6, -Cd7, -Cd8 and -Cd12), this study aims to identify gene expression signatures associated with chronic cadmium exposure. Our results demonstrate that prolonged cadmium exposure does not merely result in the deregulation of genes but actually leads to a distinctive expression profile. The genes deregulated …

Dominican Students Host Speed Interview Workshop, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The students were participating in a speed interview workshop dinner with professionals from Bay Area businesses, including Deloitte, U.S. Capital Partners, Chevron, and Lateef Investment Management. Sponsored by the Dominican Accounting and Finance Association (DAFA), the event attracted about 35 students and 10 professionals.|

Project Vote Smart Bus Plans Dominican Stop, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The non-partisan Project Vote Smart group has created an archive of searchable information on all the candidates for president, U.S. Congress, governor, and state legislature. The organization is traveling the nation on a 45-foot red and blue motor coach to deliver information on each candidate’s voting record, speeches, campaign finance information, and interest group ratings.

Ms Grad Students Contribute To Research Study In Pnas, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Brittany Philpot, Alex Patent, Sonia Flores and Gabby Cailing joined Dr. Dale Bredesen and Dr. Rammohan Rao in laboratory research at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging that shows ApoE4 reduces neuroprotective SirT1 levels. The study’s findings examined the mechanism by which ApoE4 confers risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Faculty And Student Perceptions And Behaviours Related To Information Literacy: A Pilot Study Using Triangulation, Barbara Jean Ganley, Amy Gilbert, Dianne Rosario

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This pilot study was developed to determine if the University’s students were proficient in IL based on the requisite skills defined by ALA (2000), to define faculty and student perceptions and behaviours related to information literacy (IL) and to test an evaluation rubric using empirical inquiry and triangulated methods. Findings suggested that not all students (n=164) had satisfactory IL skills even at the senior student level. While 4th year college students (seniors n=91) fared better on an IL survey when compared to 1st year college students (freshmen n=53), analysis of the senior students’ theses led researchers to believe that students …

Hospitality As Companionship And Justice, Laura Stivers

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

My work has not been in direct ministry to people who are homeless but instead I have been involved in writing, teaching, and organizing to do the work of justice. . .to end homelessness as this homeless poet asks us to do. Organizing for justice through structural change (e.g. affordable housing, good work for all, universal healthcare, no wars, etc.) is of paramount importance. It is our fight. The problem of homelessness is less about the individuals who find themselves without a place to sleep and more about our collective identity as a people and a society. Organizing for justice, …

The Association Between Mercury Emissions And Individuals With Autism Aged From 3-21 In The State Of California From 2001 To 2007, Sen Guo

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The paper explores how historical mercury deposition associates with the incidents of autism, identified in individuals aged from 3 to 21 in California from 2001 to 2007. The association between mercury deposits and the prevalence of individuals with autism aged from 3 to 21 in California was explored using the data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and the U.S. Education Department. A correlation analysis is applied to find if a relationship between mercury deposits and the autistic individuals in California. A regression test is run showing that for every 2.41ng/square meter per year increase of mercury deposits in California, …

Comparing Full Day Kindergarten To Half Day Kindergarten, Alisha Catherine Bazzano

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study examines half- and full-day kindergarten programs and their effectiveness in regard to a child’s academic progress. Some literature finds a positive relationship between the success of a child and the minutes spent in the classroom. However, other literature debates as to how long the progress is sustained. The purpose of this study is to compare the scores of kindergarten students in both half-day and full-day programs and analyze the data to determine if one program is more successful than the other. Three assessments in language arts were given to each student, assessing uppercase, lowercase, and letter sounds. The …

The Effect Of Intensive Reading Intervention On California State Testing Scores In A Small Rural Middle School, Mackenzie Erickson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study evaluated the effectiveness of reading intervention on California Standardized Test (CST) scores that was implemented in a rural community in Northern California. The study addressed the challenge of meeting the objective of increasing student performance in English language arts on the CST. Investigating whether or not there was a significant relationship between students receiving the intensive intervention and positive academic growth as it is measured on the CST is important for future implications of intervention programs at this site. The literature review focused on the process of adolescents acquiring literacy, differences in achievement within poor and rural communities, …

The Effect Of The Love And Logic Program On Student Motivation, Courtney V. Coffin

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study evaluates the effect of implementing the classroom management program Love and Logic in small, middle and high school science classrooms. It focuses on science classrooms from seventh grade to twelfth grade in a small, rural district. The student population includes large percentages of white and Hispanic individuals, with a smaller percentage of Native American individuals as well as a large percentage, over 60%, of socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. There were five cohorts, divided by type of science class and age, and the intervention was implemented by a multiple baseline across behaviors method. The cohorts were seventh grade life science, …

Effects Of School Choice On Math Performance, Rachel Ricioli Wittenberg

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a significant skill level difference between freshmen geometry students who attended charter schools and those who attended noncharter schools during middle school. The study addresses the controversy over charter schools providing better educational outcomes. The literature reviewed focuses on achievement in charter schools, and also discusses the indirect effects charter schools may have on surrounding public schools. The sample includes two cohorts of freshmen geometry students from the 2011- 2012 and 2012-2013 school years, which resulted in a sample size of 115 students. The results show that the difference …

Investigation Of The Role Of Tor And Nutrient Restriction On Lifespan Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Debashree Banerjee

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase is evolutionarily conserved and is a key regulator, controlling many cellular functions to promote survival and growth in all eukaryotes. Several model organisms have indicated a relationship between TOR signaling and life expectancy, such as yeast, fruit flies and mice. Abundant nutrient availability promotes rapid growth and development, whereas depletion of nutrients reduces the activity of the pathways that are involved in growth and nutrient processing. This reduction in activity increases life expectancy, which is supported by evolutionary theories. The confirmed presence of the TOR homolog (a major regulator of growth and cell proliferation) …

The Virtual Guru And Beyond: The Changing Role Of Teacher In North Indian Classical Music, Wallace Harvey

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This project, which encompasses both written and performed aspects, is an exploration of the North Indian classical music tradition as it is taught in twenty-first century California, and a de-exoticization of a musical style that most Americans are unacquainted with. A brief overview of the basic theory, history, and practice of North Indian classical music is followed by a comparison of oral and written musical traditions. A specific composition from the North Indian classical tradition is included as an example of the form and how that form is transmitted. Emerging modes of transmission include multimedia and network technologies; their use, …

Understanding Synesthesia And Impact For Learning, Kateri Lynn Wheeler

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Synesthesia is a neurological disorder that has to do with the ‘union of the senses.’ The literature reveals that students with synesthesia are affected with various degrees of severity. Students may hear a bell ring. Their brain is wired to take that sound and interpret it differently, through color, texture, taste, sound or temperature among other things. While some people hear a bell, others may also experience the activation of another sense. The difficulties these students exhibit involves longer processing or thinking time to sort out the extra stimulus. Limiting sound environments and other visual cues like color coding to …

Health And Fitness Awareness In Schools And Student Impact: A Quantitative Study, Meena Marie Tepas

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether or not schools can have an impact on student knowledge of health and fitness if they implement programs that educate students in that content area. This study gathered information, via student questionnaires, from two school sites, to compare student knowledge at a school that implemented a health and fitness program with one that did not. The review of literature focused on current and passed data that emphasized the need for educating society on health trends, resulting impacts of unhealthy lifestyles i.e. obesity rates and diabetes, and the best venue for addressing …

Critical Issues For Administrators Of Specialized Schools, Amanda Thomas Kirk

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The current call for accountability in education increases the need for an understanding of best practices for administrators of specialized schools that serve students with special needs, including residential and day treatment programs. The literature revealed issues in curriculum planning and resource allocation to meet the complex and interrelated needs of students in specialized schools, and in effective program design for students with specific low incidence disabilities. No literature could be identified that addressed the challenges of administering specialized schools that integrate educational, therapeutic, and transitional and vocational programs in one setting. A survey of administrators of specialized schools in …

Teacher Training On Teaching Students With Dyslexia, Jeanné M. Colson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Dyslexia is a central educational issue that teachers are facing today; it is important that teachers receive specific training on how to meet the educational needs of students with dyslexia in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of training that teachers have received, if there was a correlation between grade level and training, and if teachers have a desire for additional training. The main focus of the literature review includes an overview of dyslexia including the history and sign and symptoms. There was also an emphases on the dyslexia in the classroom, including teacher …

Workshop-Style Instruction: Comparing Achievement And Attitudes Of English Only And English Language Learning Students, Jennifer Marie Radtke-Rodgers

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study analyzed the effectiveness of the Reader’s Workshop style of instruction, its effect on students’ reading comprehension, students’ attitudes about reading, and whether the effect differentiated between students who speak English as a native or second language.

All Four Knot, A Cover Story, Sean Adrian Smith

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

No abstract provided.

Dominican, High School Students Focus On Hunger, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

In November, students held “a teach-in” featuring a screening of the documentary film A Place at the Table. The event also featured a presentation by the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks about their efforts to supply healthy, fresh food to food insecure families and ways to support these efforts.

Debate Teams Impress At Uc Davis Invitational Event, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Students Magda Fitipaldi, Robert Mason, Carson Niello, Rachel Traina-Grandon, Crisha Carlos, Justin Paraoan and Sofia Hernandez competed for Dominican in six full rounds of Worlds/British Parliament style debate. Alum Daniel Tapia-Jimenez, Tristan Meyer, and Crisha Carlos participated as judges for Dominican.

Student-Athlete Selected By Teach For America Program, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The Liberal Studies major, now teaching and coaching in Boston, was co-captain of the Penguins’ soccer team when he learned in November of 2013 that he had been accepted into the Teach For America (TFA) program, a non-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals to teach for at least two years in low-income communities throughout the United States. Beginning in fall of 2014, Mendez taught bilingual studies in Newark, New Jersey where, according to TFA data, only 22 percent of ninth graders graduate high school in four years.| “This is …

A Transformative Experience For Occupational Therapy Students In A Simulated Learning Environment, Kitsum Li, Barbara Mccamish

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Simulation is being integrated into nursing and medical curriculum nationally and it is well integrated into the Nursing program at Dominican University of California, However, use of simulation in allied health professionals is only an emerging practice. The aim of this program is to integrate simulation into the OT curriculum in order to facilitate the development of therapy foundation skill.

Salvation From Illusion, Salvation By Illusion: The Gospel According To Christopher Nolan, George Faithful

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

You are not really paying attention to reality. Nor should you, according to screenwriter and director Christopher Nolan. You do not need to know the truth. What you need is the perfect lie. Therein lies your hope of salvation. The perfect lie will save you from lesser lies but will also protect you from the destructive austerity of the truth. That has been a consistent theme in Nolan’s cinematic corpus.

While this article will limit itself to his science fiction works – The Prestige, Inception, and his Batman trilogy – the theme of salvation from and by illusion is significant …

Shield Day Ceremony Honors Incoming Freshmen Class, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The motto is "Embrace Illumination." Freshman Alex Herrera accepted the Class of 2017 shield from Stern and Alex Lopez-Ramirez, Dominican senior class representative at the event, hosted by Associated Students of Dominican University (ASDU). Dominican alumnae Winnie Coleman ’57 and Amiya Hodge-Powell ’12 were guest speakers.

Marin Math Circle Returns With Record Attendance, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Partnering with Dominican’s Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Marin Math Circle brings together elementary, middle and high school students who are interested in exploring new mathematical topics and challenging problems. “This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce young and talented students to our campus and its incredible learning environment,” said Randall Hall, chair of Dominican’s Natural Sciences and Mathematics department. “They will be exposed to math in a way they have never experienced before.”

Ot Students Present Brain Injury Retraining Study, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

With the guidance of Li in Dominican's Department of Occupational Therapy, OT graduate students Jonathan Alonso, Nisha Chadha and Jennifer Pulido have taken that study one step further. On October 26 at the 37th annual Occupational Therapy Association of California conference in Sacramento, they gave a poster presentation entitled “Skill Generalization in Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury.” The ultimate goal with the study is to design a transfer package using a systematic therapy curriculum that will help people with ABI perform better in every-day life after using computerbased cognitive retraining

Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining For Adults With Chronic Acquired Brain Injury: A Pilot Study, Kitsum Li, Julie Robertson, Joshua Ramos, Stephanie Gella

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a computer-based cognitive retraining (CBCR) program on improving memory and attention deficits in individuals with a chronic acquired brain injury (ABI). Twelve adults with a chronic ABI demonstrating deficits in memory and attention were recruited from a convenience sample from the community. Using a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design, a significant improvement was found in both memory and attention scores postintervention using the cognitive screening tool. This study supported the effectiveness of CBCR programs in improving cognitive deficits in memory and attention in individuals with chronic ABI. Further research is recommended to validate these findings …

Panetta Institute Intern Fulfills Dominican Dream In D.C., Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Leyva worked last semester in the office of Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui, monitoring and updating the U.S. Representative’s social media outlets and website with her press secretary, handling faxes and telephone calls from her constituents from the Sixth Congressional District in Sacramento and helping create a video montage for her with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. Leyva also helped draft an op-ed editorial for Congresswoman Matsui, wrote letters to her constituents, researched legislation, sifted through newspaper articles from across the country, and, when she had time, led tours on Capitol Hill.

Dominican Receives $1 Million Grant From Osher Foundation, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

OLLI is an academic program of Dominican founded in 2004 with a $100,000 grant from The Bernard Osher Foundation. The University received $100,000 in annual grants from 2005-2008 to grow the institute. Funding also came from university resources and member donations and tuition. In 2009, the foundation awarded Dominican a $1 million endowment grant in recognition of OLLI’s growth to 520 members.