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Am I A Scientist? Using Pláticas To Understand Stem Identity Development Among High School Latinx Students In Advanced Science Classes, Sara Sorto Carvalho

Social Justice in Educational Leadership EdD Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how Latinx students experience Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors science classes in high school, and how these experiences shape their STEM identity. Despite making up the largest demographic group at Solaris High School in Northern California, Latinx students are significantly underrepresented in advanced science courses. Using a pláticas methodology grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), and Community Cultural Wealth (CCW), this study centers student voice to understand how systemic problems, such as tracking and deficit thinking, impact students’ access to and navigation of rigorous science classes. The study includes individual and …

Microplastics In Urine, Sputum And Lung Lavage Fluid From Patients With Respiratory Illnesses, Faezeh Jahedi, Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh Haghighi Fard, Mehdi Ahmadi, Afshin Takdastan, Maryam Haddadzadeh Shoushtari, Reza Dehbandi, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Because of the ubiquity of microplastics (MPs) in the environment there are concerns regarding human exposure. In this study, MPs have been determined in three physiological fluids: urine, sputum and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF); from 30 adult patients in Iran with respiratory conditions. A total of nine small (20–100 μm) and mainly green and red fibres of polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene construction were detected in urine samples of eight participants. By contrast, 358 MPs that were dominated by small, white and transparent fibres, but also included larger (100–500 μm) fibres and fragments and spherules of various sizes, were detected in sputum …

The Evolution Of Sprinting Performance: Technological And Regulatory Influences From 1976 To 2024, Dariusz Tadeusz Skalski, Magdalena Prończuk, Kinga Łosińska, Ewelina Lulińska, Joanna Motowidło, Petr Stastny, Adam Maszczyk, Grzegorz Trybek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: This study examines the progression of sprinting performance across the 100m, 200m, and 400m events from 1976 to 2024, highlighting the influence of technological advancements and regulatory changes. Over the past decades, sprinting has been significantly shaped by developments in track surfaces, footwear technology, training methodologies, and regulatory frameworks. Understanding these factors is essential for assessing how sprint times have evolved and what future trends might emerge. Materials and methods: Utilizing a comprehensive dataset from international athletics federations, this research applies time series analysis, regression modeling, and variance testing to assess trends, gender disparities, and performance variability. Data sources …

Music As Medicine: The Impact Of Music On Pain Reported After Surgery, Anastasia Pike, Gregory T. Chesnut

Journal of Global Awareness

The impact of music on subjective reporting of pain and anxiety has been increasingly described in medical literature. Multimodal methods of alleviating postoperative pain and anxiety, including the use of live or recorded music in perioperative settings, have been shown to improve patient-reported pain levels and, in some studies, to result in decreased opioid usage. The overprescription of opioids after surgery can contribute to long-term abuse or trafficking of medications, and the use of non-opioid medications, alternative methods of pain relief, and environmental/auditory stimuli offer new mechanisms to promote safe opioid prescribing while improving both pain control and patient wellbeing. …

The Impact Of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Antagonist On Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells, Jeanne Michelle Dugas

Master's Theses

Obesity is a condition that affects over 40% of American adults and contributes to numerous preventable health issues. This condition is caused by increased adipose tissue, which forms when stem cells transform into adipocytes. Mesenchymal stem cells, including human adipose-derived stem cells (hASC), are multipotent with the ability to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, or chondrocytes. Many factors affect this transformation, including the peptide growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). The main role of GHRH is to trigger the release of growth hormone, but it has also been found to play an important role in adipocyte metabolism. We expect that if the differentiation …

Factors Influencing Student Motivations And Experiences In Stem Course Office Hours, Gabriella R. Dauber, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Office hours are a part of nearly all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, with many academic and affective benefits for students who attend. However, despite their ubiquity, there has only been limited past work examining the sources of knowledge students draw from to shape their perceptions of office hours, as well as the factors that influence students' experiences in STEM course office hours. Here, we conducted semistructured interviews with 20 students enrolled in an introductory STEM course to investigate what motivates students to attend STEM course office hours, the factors that shape their experiences in office hours, and …

The Benefits Of Trail Running: A Quantitative Inquiry Into The Cognitive Domain, Jack Edward Lemaire

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This crossover study aimed to investigate the impact on human cognition of an acute bout of trail running at 5 kilometers in distance as measured by a unique cognitive testing battery. It is well documented that aerobic exercise such as trail running provides enormous neuroprotective benefits through various physiological processes, including vascular adaptations and neurotrophin production. To date, no investigation into how a shorter duration trail run specifically impacts cognition has been conducted. For this crossover study, 22 participants were recruited using convenience sampling methods from adults fitting the necessary inclusion criteria from within the greater Nashville area. Participants were …

Assessing The Influence Of Core Transformational Leadership Style On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Citizenship Behavior In A Rural Healthcare Facility, Bruce Daryl Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The successful application of core transformational leadership (CTL) in healthcare may enhance the quality of patient care and foster a positive and optimistic workforce. As such, CTL may be linked with job satisfaction (JS) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). There was a knowledge gap in understanding CTL’s relation to JS and OCB. In this quantitative study, the influence of the predictor variable CTL on the dependent variables JS and OCB was examined. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provided a theoretical lens for the investigation. The secondary data set included data from 221 participants: 37 physicians, 111 nurses, and 73 other workforce …

Plant-Based Protein Associated With Lower Body Fat Percentage In Division Iii Female Athletes, J Kim, M Frennett, W Hoerle, J Lockwood, L Cryer, S Ives Facsm, C Kotarsky

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

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Role Of Hdac1 In Type I Ifn Production By Macrophages And Dendritic Cells In Response To Tlr3 Stimulation And Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection, Andy Omeje

Biotechnology Theses

In this study we explored the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs), a group of epigenetic regulators, in production of type I interferon (IFN) by macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) in response Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and Poly I:C, a viral RNA mimic, stimulation. Human monocyte derived macrophages (MDMs) and DCs (MDDCs) stimulated with either Poly I:C or infected with Mtb produced elevated IFN-β and this was inhibited both at the protein and mRNA levels by 4-(dimethyl amino)-N-[6-(hydroxyamino)-6-oxohexyl]-benzamide (DHOB) and CAY10603 (CAY), chemical inhibitors targeting HDAC1. This was further supported by THP1-derived macrophages with HDAC1 knockdown producing reduced IFN-β …

Physiological Regulation And Paths To Social Status In Chimpanzees, Megan F. Cole

Anthropology ETDs

In this dissertation, I leverage longitudinal comparative data from naturalistic chimpanzee populations to examine the evolutionary context for healthy aging and cooperative leadership. First, I use health data from semi-free-ranging chimpanzees living at African sanctuaries (2012-2023) to demonstrate that the effects of diet and exercise that promote healthy aging in humans are shared with chimpanzees. Semi-free-ranging chimpanzees exhibit a slower pace of biological aging compared to sedentary laboratory chimpanzees (Chapter 2). Sanctuary chimpanzees also have healthier inflammatory profiles, with no evidence of chronic inflammaging (Chapter 3). Second, I use hormonal and behavioral data from wild chimpanzees at Kanyawara (2005-2019) to …

Assessing Perioperative Risks In A Mixed Elderly Surgical Population Using Machine Learning: A Multi-Objective Symbolic Regression Approach To Cardiorespiratory Fitness Derived From Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing, Pietro Arina, Davide Ferrari, Maciej R Kaczorek, Nicholas Tetlow, Amy Dewar, Robert Stephens, Daniel Martin, Ramani Moonesinghe, Mervyn Singer, John Whittle, Evangelos B Mazomenos

Peninsula Medical School

Accurate preoperative risk assessment is of great value to both patients and clinical teams. Several risk scores have been developed but are often not calibrated to the local institution, limited in terms of data input into the underlying models, and/or lack individual precision. Machine Learning (ML) models have the potential to address limitations in existing scoring systems. A database of 1190 elderly patients who underwent major elective surgery was analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative cardiorespiratory fitness data from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), demographic and clinical data were extracted and integrated into advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. Multi-Objective-Symbolic-Regression (MOSR), a novel algorithm utilizing …

2025 Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Program, Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Of California Chapter At Chapman University

Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Programs

The 2025 Induction Ceremony for the Psi of Chapter California was held on May 13, 2025 at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University. In this ceremony, 35 outstanding students and one honorary member were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Please click here to view photos from the ceremony.

Identification And Preclinical Assessment Of Novel Therapeutic Modalities In Environmental Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Aaron D. Schwab

Theses & Dissertations

Environmental lung diseases are preventable respiratory conditions either caused or made worse by inhaled environmental exposures. Contemporarily, environmental lung diseases are most associated with workplace exposures given specific occupational processes aerosolize inflammatory agents that can be inhaled at high concentrations. Although a considerable amount is known regarding immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated responses to environmental exposures, little is known about non-IgE mediated respiratory conditions resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enriched organic dust exposure(s). Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis have all been identified as environmental lung diseases caused or exacerbated by such environmental dusts. Therapeutic …

Recent Trends In Medical Education To Sustain An Effective Practice - A Systematic Review, Sharon Pricilla Jeevan Kumar Leela Ms., Amtuz Zehra Dr, Ayesha Siddiqhha Mukthar Ms

International Journal of Health and Allied Sciences

Learning processes in medical practices in medicinal schools put more emphasis on the hard sciences than they do on developing soft skills like empathy and communication. For this reason, the medical humanities emerged to provide a "different" take on the creative process. Medical ethics, the doctor-patient relationship, clinical research, mental illness, and professionalism are just a few of the topics that have been utilized to discuss in medical school. A strong connection between classroom learning and clinical experience is crucial for medical school graduates. Students graduating from a medical program are expected to have experience with patient care, clinical procedures, …

Computational Design Of Potent Sirna For Braf Oncogene Silencing For Enhancing Cancer Therapy, Muhammad Hermawan Widyananda, Ricadonna Raissa

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The discovery of oncogenic BRAF mutations has prompted the development of inhibitors, yet resistance remains widespread. A more effective strategy involves targeting BRAF mRNA with siRNA to overcome resistance to BRAF inhibitors. This study aims to design potent siRNA for BRAF oncogene silencing using a computational approach. The full coding sequence of BRAF was retrieved from the NCBI database and potential siRNAs were predicted using the Ui-Tei, Reynolds, and Amarzguioui rules. Identified siRNAs were further analyzed using various prediction systems and parameters, including their interaction with the hAgo2 protein. The results identified that seven siRNAs (siRNA 23, siRNA 24, siRNA …

The Association Of Resistin With Metabolic Health And Obesity In A Mexican-American Population, Reem Al-Dallal, Keziah Thomas, Minjae Lee, Aysha Chaudhri, Eleanor Davis, Priyanka Vaidya, Miryoung Lee, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Absalon D Gutierrez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Research on the relationship between resistin levels, metabolic health, and obesity has produced inconsistent findings across different ethnic groups, making it unclear whether lower resistin levels are associated with these conditions in Mexican-Americans. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between resistin, metabolic health, and obesity in an adult Mexican-American cohort (n = 1511) using multivariable linear regression analysis. Related adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) were measured simultaneously. Participants were categorized into four groups by metabolic health (healthy/unhealthy) and obesity (obese/non-obese) status. “Metabolically unhealthy” was defined as ≥2 cardiometabolic abnormalities. Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. We also …

Imaginary Friends: Engaging The Unconscious Mind Through Picture Books, Cleonique Hilsaca

MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture

“Imaginary Friends” investigates the potential of the ‘imaginary friend’ as a narrative device in picture book storytelling. By combining the research of Marjorie Taylor on ‘imaginary companions’ and Lois Rostow Kuznets on ‘toy animals’ in literature, I seek to give form to the concept of the imaginary friend, to then explore the phenomenon further by delving into the intellectual heritage of the imaginary and the unconscious mind. To explain how the imaginary friend works as a visual metaphor in illustrated narratives, I borrow principles of image-making and their effect on children, as discussed by Martin Salisbury, Morag Styles, and Molly …

Development And Feasibility Of An Immersive Feedback Protocol To Reduce Knee Moments And Pain With Potential Application To People With Knee Osteoarthritis, Evan Shrier, Shawn Farrokhi, P. Pallante, Natalia Sanchez Aldana

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of disability in the US, affecting 1 in 5 people. Of that, 45% will experience OA in at least one knee. To alleviate pain and prevent knee OA disease progression, walking modification techniques have been proposed. While studies and meta-analyses exist suggesting reductions knee moments due to these modifications (Bechard 2012, Bowd 2019, Fregly 2012), little conclusive evidence exists quantifying their effectiveness. Objective: This research aims to assess the feasibility of an immersive bio-feedback system that provides real-time information about how to effectivedly perform walking modifications that reduce knee moments …

Preliminary Study: Minimizing The Gap Between Pre-And Post-Spaceflight, Caleb E. Scheideger, Louis A. Diberardino

Aurora

Long-duration space missions pose significant challenges to astronaut health, primarily due to the detrimental effects of microgravity on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. This research proposal aims to address the critical gap between pre- and post-spaceflight physiological conditions, focusing on the marked decline in muscle mass, bone density, and cardiovascular function. Existing countermeasures, such as resistive exercise, are insufficient to prevent muscle atrophy and bone demineralization, highlighting the need for novel solutions. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) emerges as a promising intervention, capable of eliciting muscle contractions to maintain function and mitigate atrophy. By integrating NMES into existing exercise regimens, we hypothesize …

Understanding Practices And Perceptions Of Teaching Sexual Pleasure In Undergraduate Anatomy & Physiology, Julia M. Bogunia

Honors Capstones

It is well established that sexual health is a crucial component of individual health and wellbeing. The WHO defines sexual health with emphasis on the equal importance of positive sexual experiences and absence of negative sexual health outcomes (WHO, 2006). In the classroom, instructors play a vital role in helping students learn, such as those heading towards health fields. The current study investigated what instructors’ practices and perceptions of teaching sexual pleasure are in undergraduate A&P courses. We used the Woodbury and Gess-Newsome’s Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform Model as a framework and adapted for the context of sexual pleasure. Six semi-structured …

The Effects Of Pfos Exposure On Zebrafish Dopaminergic Neurodevelopment, Allison G. Fletcher

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of environmental contaminants that cause disruptions to the nervous and endocrine systems. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is considered one of the most disruptive PFAS to the nervous system, and may disrupt neurodevelopment of the dopaminergic system, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in humans. I hypothesized that early life PFOS exposure disrupts the development of the dopaminergic system. To test this hypothesis, I exposed zebrafish to 0.05, 0.5, and 5.0 mg/L PFOS through 5 days of embryonic and larval development. To assess acute effects of PFOS on the …

Cloning And Heterologous Expression Of Human Nachrs And A Unique Spider Venom Toxin, Christine M. Vega

Theses and Dissertations

Drug development research has long focused on synthesizing novel therapeutics while overlooking isolation from naturally available sources. Recently, the discovery of the therapeutic effects of highly bioavailable animal venom caused the field of venom research to soar in popularity. Animal venom serves as a natural, sophisticated tool optimized over millions of years by evolution with the ability to bind to ion channels such as nAChRs, non-specific ligand-gated ion channels distributed throughout the human nervous system, with high selectivity and specificity. However, purifying individual venom toxins from crude venom is challenging due to its availability. Therefore, synthesizing large quantities of venom …

Engineering An In Vitro Hipsc-Derived Cardiac Tissue Construct For Regenerative Medicine Applications, Larry Mendoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality across the world with invasive surgeries and pharmaceutical intervention commonly associated with urgent care. Moreover, congenital, progressive, and hereditary heart diseases rely on many forms of medical prevention and intervention (pharmaceuticals, x-rays, bloodwork, etc.). Developing a three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue engineered in vitro model to study human cardiac physiology can revolutionize biomedical research. The purpose of this research is to optimize natural & synthetic biomaterials to fuse cardiac stem cells and synthesize a 3D-printed in vitro model for disease modeling, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine. Natural biopolymers needed for such innovations are …

Development Of Translational Microscale Systems To Interrogate How Biophysical And Biochemical Cues Alter The Phenotype Of Hormone Positive Breast Cancer, Braulio Ortega Quesada

All Dissertations

Cancer is a complicated disease and one in every three diagnoses are women with breast cancer. Recent research shows that the progression of cancer depends strongly on interactions with other non-cancerous cells and non-cellular components. Metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body, is a key step in cancer progression and makes treatment harder, leading to poor response to treatments culminating in death in ~90% of patients. This dissertation focused on creating a series of microdevices as novel pre-clinical models of breast cancer. Two different devices were fabricated to (1) study how exposing cancer cells to the …

Design And Characterization Of Lignin-Based, Thermoresponsive Soft Composites With Improved Mechanical And Transport Properties, Missoury D. Wolff

All Dissertations

In an attempt to reduce reliance on petroleum-based polymers, lignin – an abundant biopolymer – has gained popularity as a sustainable alternative. However, research on lignin-containing soft composites – i.e., hydrogel (bio)composites – has largely been heuristic, providing limited insight into the fundamental structure-processing-property relationships that govern performance improvements in this emerging class of ‘green’ soft composites. As such, this dissertation presents a systematic investigation of how lignin molecular weight (MW), composite composition, and the concentrations of crosslinker and accelerator impact the mechanical and transport characteristics of soft composites composed of lignin, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA).

In the …

Locked Dimerized Cxcl12 Exerts Radiosensitizing Effects In Head And Neck Cancer, Oscar Villarreal Espinosa, Musaddiq Awan, Abdullah A. Memon, Anne Frei, Jamie Foeckler, Rachel Kuehn, Jennifer Bruening, Becky Massey, Stuart J. Wong, Monica Shukla, Julia Kasprzak, Amit Joshi, Michael B. Dwinell, Heather A. Himburg, Joseph Zenga

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents significant treatment challenges, particularly in cases unrelated to human papillomavirus (HPV). The chemokine receptor CXCR4, interacting with its ligand CXCL12, plays a crucial role in tumor proliferation, metastasis, and treatment resistance. This study explores the therapeutic potential of engineered monomeric and dimerized CXCL12 variants (CXCL121 and CXCL122, respectively) in HNSCC and evaluates potential additive effects when combined with radiation therapy.

Methods

Clinical HNSCC biopsies were evaluated for CXCR4 expression in both previously untreated and radiorecurrent disease. HNSCC cell lines were then treated with combinations of CXCL12 variants and radiotherapy and interrogated …

Circulating Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Levels As A Biomarker Of Socioecological Adversity In Amazonian Ecuador, Tyler M Barrett, Melissa A Liebert, Geeta N Eick, Julia G Ridgeway-Diaz, Felicia C Madimenos, Aaron D Blackwell, Tara J Cepon-Robins, Samuel S Urlacher, Lawrence S Sugiyama, J Josh Snodgrass

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Circulating Epstein-Barr virus antibodies (EBV-Ab) are used as a biomarker of chronic stress in high-income settings, but their relevance in environments with a high burden of infectious disease, nutritional constraints, and limited resources is less clear. We investigated EBV-Ab as a biomarker of adversity in a setting where local ecology and economy may affect immune development differently than in wealthy countries.

Methods: We measured EBV-Ab in finger-prick dried blood spots collected from Indigenous Shuar (n = 433) and non-Indigenous Colonos (n = 84) ranging from < 1 to 87 years old in Amazonian Ecuador. For a subset of adults (≥ 15 years, n = 210), we collected socioeconomic information (income, education, and occupation) and assessed household-level market integration. We determined the most important predictors of EBV-Ab for adults and children using multi-model averaging of linear regression models.

Results: Male children (< 15 years) had lower EBV-Ab than female children (model averaged β [SE]: -0.238 [0.066]). For adults, Shuar had higher EBV-Ab than Colonos (model averaged β [SE]: 0.235 [0.113]), and high systolic blood pressure was an important predictor of elevated EBV-Ab (model averaged β [SE]: 0.088 [0.047]). Individuals who reported unpaid domestic work as their primary occupation had higher EBV-Ab than agricultural workers (model averaged β [SE]: 0.302 [0.113]). Individuals living in houses with more market-sourced infrastructure had lower EBV-Ab (model averaged β [SE]: -0.088 [0.068]).

Conclusions: Circulating EBV-Ab may capture context-specific aspects of socioecological adversity …

Guys & Dolls: A Musical Fable Of Broadway, Damon Runyon, Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of Guys & Dolls: A Musical Fable of Broadway based on a story amd characters of Damon Runyan and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Performed April 25, 2025 at 8:00pm, April 26 & May 2-3, 2025 at 7:30pm and April 27 & May 4, 2025 at 2:00pm in the Mitchell Theatre at Taylor University.

Set in the colorful, fictional world of Damon Runyon's New York City, Guys and Dolls is a musical comedy that intertwines two distinct love stories among the city's gamblers and …

Progression Of Electrophysiological Impairments In Diabetic Cardiomyopathy And Intervention Using Enicostemma Axillare, Victor Arokia Doss, Dharaniyambigai Kuberapandian

Turkish Journal of Biology

Earlier studies widely reported advanced ventricular impairments only at the later stages of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The present study aimed to understand the duration-based early to late stages of cardiac electrophysiological impairments using electrocardiography (ECG) and intervention using Enicostema axillare subsp. littorale. The experimental rats were streptozotocin (SZ)-induced diabetic rats that were administered E. axillare formulations as follows: (1) normal; (2) SZ - 40 mg/kg, single, i.p.); (3) SZ + insulin (2 U/day) + losartan (10 mg/kg); (4) SZ + insulin + losartan + E. axillare decoction (2 mL/day); (5) SZ + E. axillare decoction; (6) SZ + E. axillare …