Digital Commons Network^™

Implications For Clinical Practice When Working With Latino Families Affected By Pediatric Cancer: An Integrative Systematic Review, Karla Rodas

Theses and Dissertations

The high mortality rates within the Latino population due to childhood cancer and the psychosocial challenges that come with the disease warrants attention from mental health professionals to provide support and address the distress experienced by affected families. The purpose of this integrative systematic review was to identify the psychosocial challenges faced by Latino families navigating childhood cancer, explore the role of cultural resiliency as a coping mechanism, and examine culturally adapted clinical interventions that integrate cultural resilience, promote psychosocial well-being, and improve treatment engagement. A PRISMA flow diagram was used to illustrate the systematic review process, which included 11 …

Behavioral Response Of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) To 3 Bittering Agents, Panchalie B. Gunathunga, Bethia H. King, Christopher J. Geden

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

House flies, Musca domestica L., are pests at livestock facilities. House fly numbers are controlled mainly by manure management and chemical controls, like use of toxic baits. Some toxic baits contain denatonium benzoate as a bittering agent, to avoid poisoning of children. House fly behavioral response to denatonium benzoate was examined, using 2 different diluents, sucrose solution or orange juice. Response of flies to quinine and sucrose octaacetate, 2 other bittering agents, was also examined in sucrose. Sucrose is the sweetener in commercially available toxic house fly baits. The proboscis extension response of both male and female flies was significantly …

Comparison Of Dynamic Mode Decomposition With Other Data-Driven Models For Lung Cancer Incidence Rate Prediction, L. Raymond Guo, Jifu Tan, M. Courtney Hughes

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Introduction: Public health data analysis is critical to understanding disease trends. Existing analysis methods struggle with the complexity of public health data, which includes both location and time factors. Machine learning offers powerful tools but can be computationally expensive and require specialized knowledge. Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) is an alternative that offers efficient analysis with fewer resources. This study explores applying DMD in public health using lung cancer data and compares it with other machine learning models.

Methods: We analyzed lung cancer incidence data (2000–2021) from 1,013 US counties. Machine learning models (random forest, gradient boosting machine, support vector machine) …

Mercury Concentrations, Health, And Marine Food Consumption Across Four Eastern Caribbean Populations: Insights From A Novel Community-Based Study, Russell Fielding, Catherine Brown, Jessica Dutton, Martin S. Forde, Heather Harewood, Lisa Hunt, Catherine Macdonald, Cameron Mewhirter, Vincent Reid, Madison Smith, Holly Taylor, Katelyn Zimmerman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mercury (Hg), as an environmental pollutant, can have harmful effects on human health. A common way that people are exposed to Hg is through seafood consumption. This project was designed to investigate Hg exposure through seafood consumption and its health effects among adults in 4 Caribbean countries: Barbados (n = 117), Grenada (n = 90), St. Lucia (n = 126), and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (n = 77). We applied a novel, community—based method, which involved recruiting and paying local barbers and hairstylists to collect hair samples from their clients who consented to join the project as participants. Participants …

‘Preventing Births’ As A Gender-Neutral Harm: Making Sense Of Reproductive Violence In South Africa’S Genocide Case Against Israel, Heidi Matthews

Articles & Book Chapters

Abstract In its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, South Africa alleges that, in the period since October 7, 2023, Israel has imposed measures intended to prevent births within the Palestinian group in Gaza. To the extent that South Africa’s case for ‘preventing births’ relies on the traditional framing of reproductive justice, wherein violations are conceptualized in terms of restrictions on reproductive (read: women’s) health and capacity, it risks advancing the human rights of ‘women and children’ at the expense of a more progressive development of the law of genocide. This article uses the ongoing genocidal …

Wasting Disease Of A Marine Foundation Species Links Community Interactions To Disease Dynamics, Lillian R. Aoki, Olivia J. Graham, Reyn M. Yoshioka, Rebecca Maher, Lindsay Alma, Eileen E. Hofmann, Colleen A. Burge, Drew Harvell, Maya L. Groner

CCPO Publications

Infectious disease plays a key role in shaping marine communities, including in seagrass meadows, which form biodiverse coastal habitats. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is the most widespread seagrass species and is susceptible to seagrass wasting disease, caused by the protist Labyrinthula zosterae. As a foundation species, eelgrass strongly influences ecosystem structure, function and services; recent work has begun to explore the links between critical community interactions and seagrass wasting disease. Here, we highlight recent advances about how the eelgrass community regulates and responds to seagrass wasting disease, from the microbiome to herbivores and filter feeders. We further show …

The Role Of Post-Cloacal Gland Biofluorescence In Male-Male Communication In Plethodon Cinereus, Kasey Watterson

Masters Theses

Biofluorescence is increasingly recognized as a potentially important form of visual communication across a wide range of taxa, yet its ecological and behavioral function remains largely untested in many terrestrial species. In the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), fluorescence is a sexually dimorphic trait most strongly expressed in males, particularly around the cloacal region and ventral side of the tail, areas that are often displayed during territorial contests and courtship. Rival males also direct behaviors like cloacal investigation toward these fluorescent regions, suggesting a potential signaling function. Since fluorescence is often displayed during territorial contests, I hypothesized that fluorescence in male …

Residual Effect Of Silicate Agromineral Application On Soil Acidity, Mineral Availability, And Soybean Anatomy, Mariana De Carvalho Ribeiro, Antonio Ganga, Isabella Silva Cattanio, Aline Redondo Martins, Rodrigo Silva Alves, Luís Gustavo Frediani Lessa, Hamilton Seron Pereira, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Cassio Hamilton Abreu-Junior, Gian Franco Capra, Arun Dilipkumar Jani, Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Silicate agrominerals (SA) may be sustainable soil amendments that can minimize dependence on conventional fertilizers (CF). We evaluated the residual effects of SA application as a source of Si and as a soil remineralizer, using soils with contrasting chemical-physical features cultivated with soybean. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions and treatments were arranged in a 5 × 2 + 2 factorial scheme: five rates of SA, two soils in addition to CF. The soil was incubated before cultivation, followed by the sequential sowing of corn and soybean. At the R4 phenological stage, when the pods were fully developed, soybean …

From Microbes To Molecules: Synthetic Biology Approaches For Advanced Materials Design, Roshini Ramachandran, Frank Macabenta, Grace Bettencourt, Shulammite Feng

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Traditional materials synthesis often involves energy-intensive processes with significant waste generation and limited control over material properties. This review examines synthetic biology as a sustainable alternative for designing advanced materials with enhanced precision and versatility. It explores microbial biomineralization, detailing how microorganisms influence the formation of mineral deposits and participate in key biogeochemical cycles. It highlights recent research advancements in using a wide variety of microorganisms for the synthesis of inorganic materials such as metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, quantum dots, magnetic nanoparticles, and thin films. The review also discusses the production and properties of various biopolymers. Important factors that …

Cloning, Expression, And Characterization Of Collagen Galactosyltransferases From Human, Sponge, And Sea Walnut, Jeong Seon Kim, Tingfei Chen, Botao Zhang, Tristin M. Miller, Marisa E. Gilliam, Houfu Guo

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Collagen is an extracellular matrix protein conserved across animals and viruses, with its function regulated by post-translational modifications of lysine residues. Specifically, certain lysine residues in collagen are hydroxylated to form hydroxylysine, which serves as an attachment site for hydroxylysine-linked glycosylation. This glycosylation process is initiated by collagen galactosyltransferases from the GT25 family, also known as GLT25D or COLGALT proteins. Despite their biological importance, efficient methods for expressing and isolating GLT25Ds have yet to be fully developed, and the biochemical mechanisms underlying their function still need to be better understood. To address this, we performed sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses …

Dual Biologic Therapy Induces Remission In Refractory Crohn’S Disease With Vedolizumab And Ustekinumab, Syed Adeel Hassan, Courtney Perry, Patrick Carey, Durham Colohan, Mohamed Gebril Eltaher, Nabila Dawoud, Mahmoud Elkammar, Waqas Rasheed, Casie Mayne, Amy Stuffelbeam, Deborah R. Auer Flomenhoft, Terrence A. Barrett

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Despite advancements in the therapeutic armamentarium for Crohn’s disease (CD), biologic and small molecule monotherapies are associated with sub-optimal response and remission rates. Utilizing dual biologic therapy (DBT) holds the potential to increase efficacy in the treatment of refractory or partially responsive CD. Evidence pertaining to this strategy remains limited. Methods

We retrospectively examined refractory CD patients treated with a combination of ustekinumab and vedolizumab. Outcomes to DBT at week (wk) 52 were compared to monotherapy. The primary outcome constituted corticosteroid-free remission. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, infections, hospitalizations, surgeries, treatment persistence, and disease clearance. Results

Sixteen of 21 …

Ukrainian Studies On Terrorism: Contemporary Overview And Thematic Classification, Lesia Horodenko, Yevhen Tsymbalenko

Journal of Strategic Security

This article presents the first systematic and reproducible map of Ukrainian academic scholarship on terrorism (2000–2024). It addresses three questions: what directions the field has developed, which methods prevail across periods and disciplines, and where the gaps lie. The central argument is that clarifying the boundary between media terrorism—amplification via media logics—and information terrorism—manipulative information operations—reorients the field under conditions of hybrid warfare. Methods: systematic search of national repositories and journals; mixed-methods content analysis with iterative thematic coding and periodization (pre-2014; 2014–2021; post-2022). Corpus: n=896 publications. Results: a post-2014 surge and a post-2022 consolidation around hybrid warfare strategies, information operations, …

The Classic, Winter 2025, Public Relations

The Classic, 2020-present

Zwemer View: The Legacy of Standout Leaders; Around the Green: Enrollment Goals Shattered; A New Colenbrander; New Corner, New Chapter; A Fresh Name, a Timeless Legacy; On Call; Agape Anthem; Program Evaluator; Perfect PA Pass Rate; Lux Circle; Ideas for Impact; Tanya Vaas: Making Campus Feel Like Home; End Of An Era: Five Retire from NWC; Summer in the Lab; Giving to Northwestern College in 2024-25; In High Demand; Faith at Work: NWC Earns "Best" Again: Classier Classrooms, Team Builder, Servant-Leader, Faithful Historian, Thoughtful Teacher; Among the Region's Best; Standout Alumni; Stimulating Simulators; Endowed Appointment; New Academic Pathways; Best in …

The Ill-Fated History Of Animal Protection Laws: Why Congress Must Create An Animal Protection Agency, Melissa Baines

Animal Law Review

Over the years, the United States Congress has passed several federal laws with the intention of protecting animals from being subjected to inhumane treatment by humans. Such laws have great potential to create positive change for animals, but all of these laws have been delegated to inappropriate government agencies for oversight and enforcement. It is time to finally remove the impossible task placed upon these federal agencies—who have been asked to carry out their own stated mandates while also promulgating rules that effectuate animal protection laws in conflict with those same mandates—by creating a federal Animal Protection Agency with the …

Lunar Refueling: Legal Issues And Suggested Solutions, Francesca Giannoni-Crystal

Journal of Law and Mobility

The establishment of settlements and economic activities on the Moon is expected to occur in the near future, positioning the Moon as a critical hub for continued exploration of the Solar System. Central to this development is the creation of a lunar refueling industry, which will play a pivotal role in supporting lunar activities and fostering further exploration.

Lunar refueling, which includes extracting local resources like lunar ice water to obtain hydrogen, offers key benefits, such as reducing the need for resupply missions from Earth, lowering launch costs, extending mission capabilities, and enabling launches from the Moon, which are more …

Writing And Publishing Scientific Articles: Course Workbook, Editing Services, Research Medical Library (Formerly Scientific Publications)

Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles: Course Workbook

No abstract provided.

Comparative Analyses Of Psychological And Training Characteristics In Judo Competitors And Non-Competitors: Mental Strength, Self-Efficacy, Grit, Resilience, Self-Control, Aggression, Mental Health, And Life Satisfaction, Leandro De Lorenco-Lima, Daniery Rosario, Stacey Gaines

Applied Sport & Performance Psychology | Faculty Scholarship

Judokas competing at the national and Olympic levels rigorously engage in numerous daily and weekly training sessions, potentially influencing the athletes’ mental conditioning. Based on the nature of competition, peak physical and mental conditioning is a prerequisite to achieve the highest place on the podium. This study investigated the differences in training characteristics, mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, aggression, life satisfaction, and mental health disorders between judo competitors and non-competitors. A total of 146 judo athletes (77.4% male) from 18 to 45 years of age, representing 60 competitors (41.1%) 86 noncompetitors (58.9%) participated in this study. Judokas answered training-related …

Chromatin Architecture And Dynamics In Native Folding States, Tianyu Yuan

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

The central question in chromatin architecture and dynamics is how meter-long DNA strands are organized within a micrometer-sized nucleus while maintaining regulation of all genomic activities. While some organizational principles have been identified and validated through both theoretical models and experiments, controversies between alternative mechanisms persist,continually refining and enriching our understanding of chromatin architecture and dynamics. At the intermediate length scale, chromatin architecture is characterized by topologically associating domains (TADs), revealed through experimental Hi-C contact maps. This organization can be explained and modeled using loop extrusion factor (LEF) models, which rely on the correlation between TAD boundaries and the genomic …

Chk2 Sustains Mitotic Plk1 Activity To Promote Proper Chromosome Segregation, Elizabeth Maureen Black

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) protects against genome instability by ensuring timely and accurate mitotic cell division, and its activity is tightly regulated throughout the cell cycle. Although the pathways that initially activate PLK1 in G2 are well-characterized, the factors that directly regulate mitotic PLK1 remain poorly understood. Here, I identify that human PLK1 activity is sustained by the DNA damage response kinase Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) in mitosis. Chk2 directly phosphorylates PLK1 T210, a residue on its T-loop whose phosphorylation is essential for full PLK1 kinase activity. Loss of Chk2-dependent PLK1 activity causes increased mitotic errors, including chromosome misalignment, chromosome …

Intestinal Mast Cell Control Of Behavioral And Oral Anaphylactic Responses, Nathaniel Dale Bachtel

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Organisms are challenged on a day-to-day basis with the decision of what, when and how much of a given food source to eat. These fundamental decisions require sensory mechanisms that evaluate the relative quantities of desired nutrients and harmful toxins present in each food source and integration of these factors with the current organismal state. In mammals, this sensing is accomplished by a diverse array of cells types, including epithelial cells, neurons, and immune cells which communicate the value of ingested food with the brain. Moreover, the immune system can store memory of past harm a given food source was …

Regulation Of Pre-Mrna Processing Through Nascent Rna Folding, Leonard Schaerfen

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

RNA sequence determines the formation of intramolecular base pairs. Together with tertiary contacts, base pairs define every RNA's structure, or fold. The catalytic, regulatory, or coding potential of an RNA strongly depends on its folding pattern. Because base pairing occurs much faster than RNA synthesis (transcription) in cells, early structural states can govern RNA processing events and dictate the formation of functional conformations. These co-transcriptional structural states remained largely unknown. To address this gap, I developed CoSTseq, a chemical probing and enrichment method to measure nascent RNA base pairing upon exit from RNA polymerases (Pols) transcriptome-wide in living Saccharomyces cerevisiae …

Criterion, Volume 43, 2025, Loyola Marymount University English Department

Criterion

Faculty Advisor: Michelle Bitting

Co-Editor-in-Chiefs: Taylor Crowell & Eriana Muñoz

Characterization Of Municipal Solid Waste Using Machine Learning Based Imaging And Chemical Analysis, Enyonam Ahadzi

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023-billion-ton report, the United States generates nearly 300 million tons of municipal solid waste every year. More than 50% of that waste is underutilized and ends up in landfills. This poses serious public health and environmental risks. But beyond the environmental and health implications, this is also a wasted opportunity. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that, for every 100 lbs of waste we throw away, about 85% can be used as fuel or for electricity generation. However, its complex and heterogeneous nature poses challenges for efficient sorting and valorization in waste to …

Valorizing Municipal Solid Waste For Sustainable Aviation Fuel And Polyhydroxyalkanoate Bioplastics: Pyrolysis And Microbial Pathways, Emon Das

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The escalating global burden of municipal solid waste (MSW), projected to reach 3.88 billion tons annually by 2050, calls for innovative valorization strategies to mitigate environmental impacts and promote a circular bioeconomy. This thesis investigates the conversion of MSW into two high-value products: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics. Chapter one presents comprehensive physicochemical characterization and pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis of MSW feedstocks. The physicochemical results reveal that densification enhances handling and storage properties, while pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis indicates that plastic-rich MSW streams produce bio-oils with favorable hydrocarbon profiles suitable for SAF production, potentially contributing to decarbonization efforts in the aviation …

The Impacts Of Land Use And Groundwater Inputs On Stream Health And Habitat Of Jennings Creek, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Allison Francis

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Jennings Creek watershed encompasses the entire city and surrounding area; however, little work has been completed focused on assessing the Creek’s water quality, habitat, and biological indicators. Jennings Creek is fed by several karst groundwater springs, making it highly vulnerable to contamination due to the rapid connection between the surface and subsurface via sinkholes and underground rivers. An examination of Jennings Creek’s water quality, habitat, and biological indicators provides an assessment of the watershed’s health.

The methodology closely followed the methods for assessing habitat by Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet and was approved for the …

Empowering Future Educators: Exploring Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Within Integrated Stem Experiences In A Science Methods Course, Shane C. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

There is an ongoing need for preparing high-quality preservice elementary teachers who are confident and capable in the design and delivery of integrated STEM instruction. This qualitative study examines the experiences of a small cohort of preservice elementary teachers enrolled in a science teaching methods course and further examines how preservice teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy change as a result of their participation in integrated STEM experiences in science methods coursework. Data were collected using pre and post surveys to capture self-reported efficacy levels related to STEM teaching, along with semi-structured interviews conducted before and after the course to further contextualize …

Adhd As A Lived Experience Amongst Bipoc College Students, Nikash Kale

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the perspectives of Black Indigenous and Persons of Color (BIPOC) college students on Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study analyzes scoping strategies, perceived symptomatological differences, and the effects of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds among BIPOC college students. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 participants, I examine the full permeation of ADHD among BIPOC college students, its evolution from pre-diagnosis to the present, and how they navigate the disorder and its treatment. A qualitative analysis of ADHD among minorities in college will not only allow clinicians to understand the distinct struggles of BIPOC with ADHD, but it …

The Story Of North Atlantic Right Whales, Sydney Haas

Theses & ETDs

North Atlantic right whales are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In this project, an ArcGIS StoryMap was made so that the problems facing this species and the possible solutions to these problems could be communicated to a wide audience. A StoryMap is a tool that can creatively display narrative text, graphics, and maps. This StoryMap is an accumulation of data, information, statistics, policies, maps, and technological solutions surrounding North Atlantic Right Whale conservation. Scientific research and communication, whether it be through policies or education, must work together for a real impact to be …

Puerto Rico’S Grand Wyndham Hotel Río Mar, The Methods They Use To Protect Leatherback Sea Turtle Nests, And My Own Findings On These Nests, Christopher Thillet

Theses & ETDs

For a very long time, leatherback sea turtles have been harmed in many ways by ecological damage caused by humans, especially their nests. Despite this, it is also humans who have been trying their best to undo these wrongs by working to protect the environment around the areas they have constructed. This thesis serves as a reflection that will provide information on what leatherback sea turtles are and the many things that are harming them worldwide, as well as the information that the hotels of Puerto Rico have collected to help further the study surrounding the many effects that people …

Resilience And Its Effects On Psychological Well Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Taylor Reinsel

Honors Theses

Stressors and trauma in life are unavoidable. However, the way we respond and adapt to them can be within our control. This response differs from person to person, but there are factors that can influence the likelihood of an individual rebounding from a crisis, as well as factors that can put them at a higher risk of developing mental illness. One of the main factors that influences Psychological Well Being is the presence of Resilience.

The main goal of this study was to examine how factors of Resilience relate to Psychological Well Being and COVID-19 Well Being during the COVID-19 …