Digital Commons Network^™

Multiscale Integration Of Receptor-Ligand Dynamics Into Discrete And Continuous Tumor Growth Models With Application To Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment, Romasa Qasim

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor cascade plays a crucial role in the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are a class of drugs that inhibit epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs), thereby preventing the downstream signal transduction. Despite their importance, models that link spatial receptor dynamics to tumor growth remain scarce. Further, TKIs act through selective mechanisms, inhibiting active, inactive, or all receptor states, which poses a challenge to traditional modeling approaches.

We propose to numerically study two mathematical models incorporating receptor-dynamics into cancer models to describe the impact of EGFR overexpression and TKIs. The first …

Pathways Of Nitrogen Loss After Fertilization In Dryland Ecosystems, Fidel Manuel Renteria

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dryland ecosystems cover approximately 41% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, and are characterized by limited moisture, nutrient-poor soils, and pulsed precipitation regimes that collectively constrain nutrient cycling. Although nitrogen (N) is often assumed to be a primary limiting nutrient in these environments, fertilization studies frequently reveal minimal biotic response to added N—a pattern known as the "dryland nitrogen paradox." This paradox has been attributed to rapid nitrogen loss via gaseous emissions and leaching, exacerbated by interactions with water and phosphorus (P) availability. To investigate these loss pathways, we conducted a field experiment at the Jornada Experimental Range in the northern …

Machine Learning And Protein Engineering Approaches To Understanding Kinesin-5 Activity, Jason Eden Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cancer is a term describing a collection of diseases that result in uncontrolled cell growth. Cancer has manifold etiologies and underlying cancers are rouge biochemical pathways involving many different proteins. In the current work, two approaches are used to enhance knowledge of kinesin-5, a potential cancer target involved in cell division. Kinesin-5 promotes cell division by cross-linking and separating microtubules in dividing cells. The first approach uses machine learning (ML) to identify small molecule inhibitors for kinesin-5. Though decades of research have uncovered classes of small-molecules which inhibit kinesin-5 in vitro and in vivo, no candidates have reached phase III …

A Sociocognitive Perspective On The Activation Of Productive Epistemic Resources In College Students' Understanding Of Chemical Equilibrium, Henk Steven Van Den Bogaard

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Science education, particularly in higher education, has a content coverage problem: it has long been described as "a mile wide, an inch deep" in various consensus documents from the National Academies. In chemistry education, the most common general chemistry curriculum covers topics as chapters based on the popular Sienko and Plane 1960's general chemistry textbook. The limited time available in such fast-paced coverage may limit the instructor's modeling and assessment of key performances in developing a mechanistic understanding of complex chemistry phenomena. In this sociocognitive, qualitative investigation, general chemistry II students' responses to assessment prompts were used to activate cognitive …

The Legality Of Autonomous Weapon Systems Within The Context Of The Law Of War, Zack Naqvi

Barry Law Review

No abstract provided.

Crossing The Mediterranean: The Italian Response To The Migration Situation (2014-2024), Avery F. Van Scoy

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Undergraduate Honors Theses

As Europe increasingly mirrors aspects of its sociopolitical landscape from the first half of the 20th century, a critical examination of historical biases and identity has become imperative. The enduring myth of Italiani, brava gente, or Italians, good people, continues to shape national identity and inform attitudes toward irregular migration, contributing to a growing number of fatalities in the Mediterranean. These deaths are caused, in part, by migration policies that prioritize keeping irregular migrants from reaching Italy by outsourcing border enforcement and restricting access to resources for organizations that seek to aid vulnerable migrants. The endurance of Italiani, brava gente …

Novel Trimethoprim-Based Metal Complexes And Nanoparticle Functionalization: Synthesis, Structural Analysis, And Anticancer Properties, Abbas M. Abbas, Hossam H. Nasrallah, A. Aboelmagd, W. Christropher Boyd, Haitham F. Kalil, Adel S. Orabi

Chemistry Faculty Publications

In this study, we synthesized a novel trimethoprim derivative, 4-(((2-amino-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl) pyrimidine-4-yl)imino)methyl)benzene-1,3-diol (HD), by the reaction of trimethoprim with 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. We then prepared metal complexes of this derivative with Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Ag(I), and Zn(II) and functionalized them with ZnO and Au nanoparticles. Their structures were confirmed through 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, FTIR, conductivity, thermal analysis, magnetic susceptibility, X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and TEM, revealing octahedral geometries for all complexes. Surface features were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) analysis. Pharmacokinetic parameters and target enzymes for HD and its complexes were computed using the SwissADME web tool, with the BOILED-Egg model …

Pathways Beyond Performance: How Curriculum Style Impacts Emotional Intelligence And Interpersonal Communication In Medical Students, Dan Yacubovich, Jonathan Tadros, Jennifer Fischer, Dana Zambito

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Medical schools employ various curricula to foster medical knowledge and professional competencies. Emotional intelligence (EQ)—the capacity to manage emotions and interpersonal relationships—is essential in clinical care. While research links EQ to academic and communication skills in nursing and international medical students, limited data exist for U.S. medical students, particularly regarding curriculum type.

Objective: This study evaluates whether different curricula—Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Synergistic-Guided Learning (SGL)—are associated with differences in EQ and interpersonal communication skills (ICS) at Rowan-Virtua SOM.

Methods: EQ was measured using the MySkills Profile (EIQ16). ICS scores were derived from standardized patient encounters in the pre-clinical years. …

Direct Synthesis Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Reducing Sugars: Enhanced Ce3+ Surface Density For Biological Application, Balaashwin Babu, Elayaraja Kolanthai, Craig J. Neal, Samarah V. Harb, Udit Kumar, Yifei Fu, Sudipta Seal

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are recognized for their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), making them promising candidates for mitigating oxidative damage in biomedical applications. However, many conventional synthesis methods limit the formation of Ce³⁺ states, which are critical for this antioxidant function. Building upon previous findings that glucose can promote Ce³⁺ formation, this study investigates the broader impact of both reducing (glucose, fructose, galactose) and non-reducing (dextran, sucrose, cyclodextrin) natural sugars on CNP synthesis. CNPs were synthesized in the presence of these sugars, and the surface densities of Ce³⁺ were measured. Results showed that reducing sugars significantly increased …

Identifying Trends Among University Club Athletes, Emma M. Griffin, Laura Jean Burton

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explores the factors influencing students’ decisions to join and remain involved in club sports at the University of Connecticut. Drawing on survey data and in-depth interviews with current club sport athletes, the research investigates how demographic, socioeconomic, and personal background variables such as prior sport involvement, academic motivations, and social aspirations shape patterns of participation. Findings suggest that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and those with significant competitive youth sport involvement comprise most club sport athletes, often citing a desire for balance, community, and stress relief as key motivators to joining. These results align with prior literature on …

Immune Response To Long-Term Lipopolysaccharide Infusion In Sheep, Laura A. Centanni

Honors Scholar Theses

Poor maternal nutrition (restricted and over-feeding) during gestation alters metabolism, growth, and body composition of offspring. It may also affect immune function. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of long-term immune challenge using lipopolysaccharide in sheep. Through two challenge weeks, each consisting of five days of lipopolysaccharide treatment, monitoring, and data collection, the treatment was found to be safe in sheep and effective to elicit an immune response. The data from this study will inform future studies on maternal nutrition in the University of Connecticut Animal Science Department.

Engineering Affinity Of Yth Protein To M6a-Rna, Katelynn E. Horvath

Honors Scholar Theses

Engineered RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) show promise for diverse applications in research and therapeutic development. Modulating the interaction between YTH-domain containing proteins and methylated RNA ligands could result in a high affinity, highly specific binding protein for the advancement of research tools in neurodegenerative disease. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modified RNA contributes to stress granule formation that promotes neurotoxicity in neurodegenerative disease, with concentrations of m6A-RNA increased fivefold in Alzheimer’s Disease. Further affinity maturation of the YTH-m6A interaction through directed evolution of the YTH domain could produce a novel protein with increased affinity better suited for the development of biological detection tools or …

Biophysical Characterization Of Thermophilic Branched-Chain Amino Acid Periplasmic Binding Protein From Thermotoga Maritima, Sky Marsicano

Honors Theses

Members of the periplasmic binding protein superfamily are involved in the selective passage of ligands through bacterial cell membranes. The hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga maritima encodes a putative periplasmic branched chain amino acid binding protein (TM1135). The gene was cloned into pET21a(+), overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified using Ni-NTA chromatography, and confirmed with SDS-PAGE and MALDI mass spectrometry. Biophysical characterization of the protein was performed with fluorescence spectroscopy, absorbance spectroscopy, and circular dichroism experiments to investigate structural stability and ligand binding ability. Using circular dichroism, we demonstrate that TM1135 binds to the branched chain amino acids isoleucine, leucine, and valine, and …

Evaluation Of Fecal Egg Counts (Fec) As A Viable Means To Estimate Ascaridia Galli, Heterakis Gallinarum And Capillaria Obsignata Burdens In Laying Hens, Alexander H. Moss

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The control of gastrointestinal helminths, specifically Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, and Capillaria obsignata, is a critical component of poultry health management, particularly in free-range and organic farming systems. Methods of estimating parasite burdens, such as post-mortem examinations, are not feasible for large-scale commercial operations due to their invasiveness and time requirements. This study aimed to evaluate the use of fecal egg counts (FEC) as a non-invasive and efficient method for estimating the worm burdens of these parasites in laying hens. A flock of 12 brown egg laying, spent, hens were individually penned on concrete. Fecal samples (both cecal and intestinal) …

Hiring Preferences Of Federally Recognized Tribes" Survey And Analysis, Kristen Gutierrez Lovoti

Master of Public Administration for Senior Leadership

In the United States, there are currently 574 federally recognized Tribal nations. Both employers and applicants face challenges in the hiring process. Tribes may face challenges finding qualified applicants with the necessary skills for specific roles. A less-qualified employee may result in less impactful program outcomes, lower revenue, discouraged employees, and higher turnover rates. In addition, hiring an employee who doesn’t understand Tribal culture may result in ineffective programs, policies, and/or miscommunication. For those looking to work for a Tribal government, applicants often find challenges in that hiring preferences/policies (P&Ps) are different from Tribe to Tribe and not posted in …

Revisiting Co-Expression-Based Automated Function Prediction In Yeast With Neural Networks And Updated Gene Ontology Annotations, Cole Mcguire

Computer Science Honors Theses

Automated function prediction (AFP) is the process of predicting the function of genes or proteins with machine learning models trained on high-throughput biological data. Deep learning with neural networks has become the dominant machine learning architecture of contemporary AFP models. However, it is unclear what difference exists between neural networks and previous machine learning architectures for AFP. Therefore, we created a model of AFP in yeast using neural networks that is trained on gene co-expression data to predict Gene Ontology (GO) labels. When trained on the same input data, we found that our model outperforms two other experimentally-validated co-expression-based AFP …

Commencement Program 2025, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | Message from the President

3 | 2025 Events of Commencement

5 | The Academic Procession

6 | Institutional Administration

7 | Board of Trustees

8 | Significance of Academic Regalia

9 | University History Highlights

11 | Criteria for Institutional Awards

13 | Loma Linda University Health and Loma Linda University Honorees

The Programs, The School Honorees, and The Speakers

29 | School of Medicine

50 | School of Pharmacy

63 | School of Dentistry

81 | School of Public Health

94 | San Manuel Gateway College

101 | School of Allied Health Professions - Allied Health …

A Multi-Layered, Discourse-Oriented Exploration Of Learning Assistant-Student Interaction In Calculus I, Rebecca Butler

Doctoral Dissertations

Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduate near-peer tutors who aid in the instruction of collegiate courses in which they have previously been successful as students. It has been consistently shown that students in LA-supported STEM courses have more positive course outcomes than their peers without LA support. The benefits include improved retention, better scores on content assessments requiring higher-order reasoning, and a greater sense of belonging in STEM. Little is known about why students in LA-supported courses evidence this range of positive course outcomes, but it is conjectured that LAs facilitate these outcomes through their frequent and engaging interactions with students. …

A Daughter’S Inheritance: The Construction Of Motherhood Through Death, Michaela George

Doctoral Dissertations

Mother-daughter relationships have been of feminist interest for decades as this relationship shifts narrative focus to underrepresented characters. In literature their relationship illustrates and complicates what it means to be ‘woman’ and provides access to educational theories, political understanding, and familial ideologies. Further, examining how these relationships shift and alter through eras of narratives offers tangible patterns for study. My dissertation examines the mother-daughter relationships in late eighteenth-century, early nineteenth-century prose by investigating how social constructions of gender are complicated, critiqued, shaped, and altered as they are passed from parent to child in deathbed scenes. I engage with medical humanities …

Assessing The Roles Of Corticosterone And Familiarity In Prosocial Helping Tasks, Taylor Anne Kimball-Sabatella

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies have suggested that rats may be motivated by empathy, a characteristic that has been historically viewed as uniquely human, when engaging in helping other individuals escape stressful situations. Some researchers refute this idea, suggesting rats may be motivated by social interaction or other factors. To better understand what is driving helping behavior, it is critical to investigate the effectiveness of the stressors used in previous studies, how stress levels change over time, and how the stress of the recipient is related to the actions of the helper. If restraint is causing sufficient stress to the trapped individual and a …

Consumptive And Energetic Responses Of Fishes Under Pressure Of Climate Change, Nathan Thomas Hermann

Doctoral Dissertations

Marine organisms are confronted with warming waters due to climate change requiring species to exhibit responses to persist. For many fish, these responses have included range shifts to cooler waters, but are species-specific which may create further disruption through trophic mismatches. To identify potential mismatches and estimate their implications for the quality of consumption within major predators, analyses of predator stomach contents were integrated with reviews of organismal energetics and physiological parameter values. The energy density of prey that is consumed dictates the consequences of consumption, so having data expands general understanding of diet. To that end, published records (n …

Dimensions Of Green Crabs, Carcinus Maenas (Linnaeus 1785), And Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin 1791), In Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Kelsey Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations

Invasive species may alter how an ecosystem functions, such as the Great Bay Estuary (GBE) inNew Hampshire. In GBE, an invasive species of particular interest is the green cab (Carcinus maenas) because historically (and currently) there are no mitigation or eradication plans that have been implemented. It is not well-known how green crabs are interacting with oysters in GBE, whether that be wild, restored, or aquacultured. The aim of this dissertation was to document NH oyster growers’ perspectives on the issue of green crabs and oyster predation, understand their abundance, distribution and diet among natural/restored oyster areas and oyster farms …

The Last Snail In The Coffin: Climate Change Facilitates The Rise Of A Native Slipper Limpet To The Detriment Of Gulf Of Maine Ecosystems, Kaitlin Van Volkom

Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is thought to favor invasive species and harm native species, but the native slipper limpet, Crepidula fornicata, may prosper under climate change scenarios. C. fornicata is widely distributed along the East Coast of the United States and has been known to increase its reproductive output in response to warming water temperatures. This species is an ideal model organism for studying the impacts of climate change because this species has a large latitudinal distribution, are very common, and are present in many different ecosystems. However, little is known about C. fornicata population dynamics, trophic relationships, or population level differences …

Investigating The Role Of Soundscape Properties And Genetic Material As Sentinel Indicators Of The Acoustic Environment In Gulf Of Maine Coastal Marine Ecosystems, Grant Alexander Milne

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT By identifying soundscape properties and taxa detected with metabarcoding that accurately predict substrate composition, assumptions about propagative properties of the environment can be rapidly formed without the use of active acoustic sensing or invasive environmental sampling techniques. “Sentinel indicators,” are variables, processes, or components within ecosystems that can be measured or quantified and have sensitivity to environmental pressures. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and metabarcoding of seawater samples (MSS) are two minimally invasive potential methods of identifying sentinel indicators of soundscape and propagation properties of marine habitats by detecting the presence of marine taxa and extracting information from soundscapes. To …

Design And Synthesis Of Single Atom Catalysts For Solar Fuel Generation, Allison Harper St. John

Doctoral Dissertations

Solar fuel generation from photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is a growing area of interest to mitigate global energy and climate crises. Graphitic carbon nitride (C3N4) is a light-absorbing semiconductor with a promising outlook for solar fuels, gaining popularity in recent years due to its low cost and appropriate band positions for many environmentally relevant reactions. The addition of atomically dispersed single atom catalysts (SACs) to semiconducting materials is a viable strategy for creating active sites to improve photocatalytic performance of the semiconductors studied. Designing C3N4 materials as a support for SACs with well-defined binding motifs and sufficiently high concentrations …

The Role Of The Gut Microbiota In Opioid Use Disorder, Izabella Jannae Sall

Doctoral Dissertations

Opioids are highly effective analgesics for acute and chronic pain management but carry dangerous side effects that limit their utility and increase the risk of opioid use disorder (OUD). Yet not all individuals prescribed opioids develop an OUD, presenting a conundrum: why are so some individuals develop an OUD and others do not? While genetics, social environment, and behavior contribute to risk, they fail to explain why some individuals transition from prescribed use to an OUD. My doctoral research investigates an increasingly likely culprit that is also a promising therapeutic target: the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota is essential for …

Responding To Range Expansion: Assessing Insect Communities, Tree Decline Symptoms, And Tree Mortality Risk As The Southern Pine Beetle Moves North, Caroline Rachel Kanaskie

Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is shifting species distributions. In New England, warmer winters allow southern species to survive further north. The northward range expansion of the tree-killing southern pine beetle is the focus of this dissertation. Outbreaks of this beetle cause both ecological and economic damage, which threaten the globally rare pine barrens ecosystem. I used an interdisciplinary approach to study this insect: 1) I synthesized literature on the beetle’s natural enemies; 2) I used a suite of chemical attractants to investigate the insect community attracted to the beetle’s pheromones and assessed the diversity and abundance of its potential predators; 3) I …

Molecular Simulation Studies Of Peptide Transport Across The Mitochondrial Membrane, Son Nguyen

Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular transport across membranes is an important biophysical process. Designing molecules capable of crossing cell membranes and targeting specific organelle is becoming necessary in treating many diseases and disorders. In recent decades, cell-penetrating peptides have been studied and utilized to deliver a variety of cargoes. My dissertation work focuses on studying the molecular details of the peptide translocation process across a cell membrane. Specifically, I investigated the dynamics of mitochondrial-targeting peptides and their mechanisms of translocation across the mitomembrane. I conducted molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of model mitochondrial-targeting peptides with distinct physical and chemical properties such as sequence lengths, functional …

Redefining Children’S Experience In Social Services Offices, Julia K. Bryant

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of childhood trauma are far-reaching and diverse, influencing physical, emotional, and mental health across a child’s entire lifetime. Research indicates that children who experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse or neglect are at an increased risk for various consequences and that the environments they encounter post-trauma play a significant role in shaping their experiences. Social services offices, where many traumatized children are taken for interviews or assessments after being removed from their homes, can often become places of additional distress. This project seeks to address this issue by proposing redesigns for social services offices to create …

Acetylcholine Release In The Dorsal Lateral Straitum During Social Approach Task, Taylor Good, Oyku Dinckol, Noah Wenger, Jake Caselli, Munir Gunes Kutlu

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Nicotine Decreases ACh Release in the DS leading to a Serenic Effect during Social Approach Task

Acetylcholine (ACh) regulates attention, learning, and stress responses (Benarroch E. E., 2012). The dorsal striatum (DS), essential for stimulus-response learning, is also linked to anxiety and compulsivity (Casado-Sainz et al., 2021). We used behavioral pharmacology and in vivo fiber photometry to study ACh responses during social approach tasks in the dorsal striatum. Male and female C57BL/6J mice underwent stereotaxic surgeries to inject a fluorescent ACh sensor (ACh.Sn.Fr) and implant fiber optic cannulas in the DS. Using in vivo fiber photometry, we tracked ACh release …