Education Commons^™

Hypoxia Mediated Selection In Breast Cancer, Vanessa R. Santos

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Understanding the consequences of tumor hypoxia has importance to both basic and applied cancer research. Using green fluorescent protein expressed ductal carcinoma in situ cells (cells of relatively less invasive natural among other types of breast cancer) kept in buffered and glucose rich media; cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions. Each day for ten days, one tissue culture dish is removed and counted for viability, toxicity, pH, and total cell count. These counts are then compared to a control kept in the incubator. Once 20% of the original sample remained viable, the cells were returned to normoxia and allowed to …

Comparison Of Measurements Of Gender Inequality For Sub-Saharan Africa., Brittany A. Nunnelee

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Women’s issues are a topic of great debate as women increase in their political and civil representation in the public arena. As some countries work towards a more just and equal society, we look for ways to measure that improvement in equality. Several indices have been developed by International agencies such as the United Nations, which are designed to measure a country’s well-being by looking at several factors relating to gender inequalities. The Gender Status Index (GSI), Gender Development Index (GDI), Gender Inequality Index (GII) and Freedom House indicators are all such indices. GSI and GDA are calculated from several …

Obstacle Avoidance System For The Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm, Stephen Cummings

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

The wheelchair mounted robotic arm (WMRA) is designed for a person in a wheelchair who also has limited to no use of their arms to autonomously move around and assist the use in activities of daily living (ADL). While moving around the room autonomously, the WMRA will need an obstacle avoidance system so it does not collide with anything while it makes its route to its final destination. My project is to design a schematic and then construct a mount for the eleven proximity sensors, eight in the front and three in the back, needed on the WMRA so that …

Phylogeographic Analysis Of The Bushy Seaside Tansy (Borrichia Frutescens) Along The Coast Of Florida, Christopher S. Thaver, Aaron Schrey, Christina Richards

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

I investigated phylogeography of Borrichia frutescens (bushy seaside tansy) in Florida. Phylogeography is the study of the geographic distribution of the genealogy of individuals. It is used to help understand how the changes in the landscape shaped the populations’ gene pool. Borrichia frutescens is a coastal salt marsh plant which occurs in Florida. I isolated a segment of the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) in Borrichia frutescens. First, I obtained Borrichia frutescens from multiple locations in Florida. Next, I extracted DNA from leaves and perform a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a segment of cpDNA; I will then determine the DNA …

Fana, Feminism, And Future Fiction: The Girl Hero’S Journey In Tannanarive Due’S Blood Colony, Jacqueline N. Horwich

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

This paper seeks to analyze the novel, Blood Colony, by Tananarive Due, with particular focus on how the main character, Fana, does and/or does not identify with feminism. Fana is a young teenage girl with rare and magical blood who seeks to eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the help of her friends. As Fana’s journey progresses, she undergoes the stages of feminist self-actualization in the context of the mythological hero’s journey. Although it takes place a few years in the future, Blood Colony parallels our present time and presents a strong metaphor about global health care access. To determine whether …

Inducible Expression Of Cancer Testis Antigens Following Treatment With A Dna Methylation Inhibitor, Tyler J. Farnum

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Background: Critical to the success of cancer immunotherapies is the identification of appropriate target antigens. Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are ectopically expressed immunoprivileged antigens transcriptionally controlled by DNA methylation which have utility as immunotherapeutic targets. 5-azacytidine, an analogue of cytidine, has been shown to induce expression of CTAs in cancer. During the experiment, we analyzed matched samples from 42 myelodysplastic syndrome patients receiving an oral regimen of 5-azacytidine to determine if an anti-CTA immune response was generated.

Methods: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to a panel of 29 CTAs including NY-ESO1, Mage-1, and SSX2 were analyzed by ELISA, Western Blot, and SEREX …

Effects Of Mk-801 On Cocaine Place Conditioning In Adolescent Female Rats, Aman Dhaliwal

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

One of the most studied neurotransmitter systems in addiction is the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which primarily uses dopamine to build a reward and learning mechanism. Glutamate and NMDA receptors are also used in the pathway. MK-801 is a NMDA receptor antagonist and is thought to disrupt the mesolimbic pathway, thus slowing or stopping addiction. The present experiment assessed the effects of MK-801 on cocaine conditioned place preference in adolescent female rats. Rats were injected with either saline or MK-801, and 30 minutes later were placed them in the conditioning chamber for 20 minutes. Changes in chamber preference were assessed to …

Men Get Laid, But Women Get Screwed. A Radical Feminist Look At America’S Harmful Views On Women’S Sexuality., Rebecca G. Killik

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

There is a great misunderstanding in our society that women who encounter unwanted pregnancies knew exactly what the consequences were when they decided to have sex. Unfortunately, for a great deal of these accidental mothers, there is a huge stigma put on pregnant women who are non-married and/or in their teens and early twenties. In America there is an increasing incidence of teenage pregnancy rates because of lack of sex education. Ironically, these figures are lower” in six other Western countries [which] range from only 13 to 53 percent of the U.S. rate.” (Westoff 254) What is more, “in women …

An Education Production Function For Botswanan Secondary Schools, Nathan T. Moore

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

This study investigates the determinants of educational outcomes in the developing world by estimating an education production function for Botswanan secondary schools. Education plays an essential role in the development process, as a high-quality educational system is the only means by which a developing country expands its stock of human capital. Additionally, education contributes to the improvement of health outcomes and political institutions. Sub-Saharan Africa is perhaps the region of the world for which efficiency in education is most important, as policymakers are faced with the combination of a rapidly growing population, low levels of education, and limited resources. Without …

Economic Determinism Of Reproductive Ideologies, Kristen L. Brustad

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

While having children is an individual or couple based decision, general population trends help to indicate correlations between certain factors and fertility. Among these factors is the state of the economy. For an individual deciding on potential children, the expected costs can help to explain whether or not a person knowingly and purposefully plans to have children. The concept of this research is to combine the qualitative data on personal ideologies about having children with the quantitative data on how the economy has impacted these fertility decisions. On the most basic level, this research aims to gain insight on the …

The Use And Perceived Effectiveness Of E-Marketing Technologies In Restaurants, Evan Beese

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Abstract

The purpose of this research study is to examine the use of and the perceived effectiveness of e-marketing technology in restaurants. Split between quick service restaurants (QSR), fast/casual, casual/family dining restaurants, and fine dining restaurants, the importance of e-marketing technologies will determine which methods are most effective to each respective restaurant section. A survey was utilized to find the answers to research questions. An electronic survey was sent to 3000 Hospitality Technology magazine subscribers who manage information technology in restaurants. Three hundred twenty responses were obtained with 10.6% response rate, representing 190,966 restaurants in the United States. Findings showed …

Searching For My Sister, Crystal Tenn

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

My thesis analyzes adopts a discursive approach to reconstruct and recover the life history and memory of my sister, who committed suicide at the age of 21. As opposed to looking for my sister in the pathologizing, hidden accounts of diagnostic categories, a discursive approach within communication allows me to look for her in what in visible and manifest in language. I transcribed three narratives describing my sister’s life and analyzed them in conjunction with literature and a textual analysis. The narratives are spoken transcriptions from my mother, a local chiropractor who befriended my sister, and I. The literature review …

Development Of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroacridin-9(10h)-Ones As Potential Inhibitors Of P.Falciparum Isolates Tm90-C2b & W2 Via Structure Activity Relationship (Sar) Studies, Lisa Luong

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Malaria exceeds 200 million annual cases worldwide due to increasing parasitic resistance to commonly available antimalarial drugs such as atovaquone. The objective of this research is to prepare 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9(10H)-one(THA) derivatives (by utilizing structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of the benzenoid ring of the THA scaffold) to test for activity against P. falciparum isolates TM90-C2B (an atovaquone-resistant strain) and W2 (an atovaquone-susceptible strain). Synthesis of THAs involves refluxing substituted anthranilic acids in phosphorus oxychloride (POCl₃) with cycloalkanones to form various 9-chloro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridines. Subsequent hydrolysis in acetic acid yields the respective THA. When compounds were screened in vitro against blood stages …

Sex Differences In Adolescent Male And Female Rats Influence Changes In Non-Spatial Learning And Working Memory Following Binge-Ethanol Treatment, Jancy Mathew

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

ABSTRACT

Binge alcohol use is of primary concern in humans; given this is the most common form of alcohol consumption among this age group, which has been associated with similar patterns of alcohol use in early adulthood. Male and female adolescents report similar levels of alcohol consumption during early adolescence. In animal models, excessive ethanol has been correlated with inhibition and decreased activity within the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a primary role in the formation of short-term memory, cognition, and learning. These impairments are most debilitating during adolescence in which the brain undergoes rapid and substantial developmental changes. The present …

Attitudes Toward Medication-Assisted Treatment Within A Drug Court Program, Caroline Allison

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of individuals who become addicted to prescription drugs due to a misperception that they are safe. However, although the number of opiate users has increased, data indicates about 50% refuse drug court because of its current abstinence-based requirement to not use any mood altering medication, including prescriptions. Hillsborough County’s 13^th Judicial Circuit Court was awarded a SAMHSA Adult Treatment Drug Court grant entitled Medication Assisted Drug Court Treatment (MADCT) to expand substance abuse treatment for court-ordered felony offenders with opioid dependency. Clients receive methadone or buprenorphine, outpatient …

Applications Of Mathematics To Biology: Using Combinatorial Models To Understand Dna Rearrangements In Ciliates, Mary Ellen Billington

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Ciliates are small eukaryotic organisms that perform extensive genomic rearrangements during development, including recombination, inversion, and excision of certain genetic sequences. The mechanisms by which ciliates perform these extensive chromosomal recombination events are of great interest to both biologists and mathematicians. Understanding the sophisticated mechanisms performed in this model organism may provide insights into other epigenetic processes. Many ciliate genes have been sequenced, and it is now important to examine the possible pathways that result in correctly rearranged genes. Because ciliates perform extensive rearrangements under temporal and spatial constraints, it is likely that many recombination steps are performed simultaneously. So, …

Mk-801 Administration In Adolescent Male Rats And Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference, Stephanie Willis

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

The present experiment is extends work from Badanich and colleagues (2006), and Brown (2008). Sprague-Dawley rats can be conditioned with 20 mg/kg cocaine, meaning rats will pair cues, with the physical effects of cocaine. By associating cues with the physical effects of cocaine, the rats seek out these cues to recapture the physical effects of cocaine. Brown (2008) examined the impact of 0.2 mg/kg MK-801, a glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, on conditioned place preference (CPP) in adult male rats. Mk-801 blocks the NMDA receptor from releasing glutamate, and in turn blocks drug-associated memories. This experiment investigates the effects of …

Here’S My Card: Provincial Coinage As Advertising For The Temple Of Asclepius In Pergamum, Kelly Ward

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Subject: History – Ancient Rome – Severan Dynasty

Motivation: During my research, I noticed that imagery of Asclepius and his temple were prevalent on the Pergamene coinage of Caracalla. I decided to investigate the coinage produced by the Pergamene mint from the reign of Marcus Aurelius through Elagabalus to determine if the frequency of Asclepius-related imagery correlated to specific events, which might indicate that the Pergamenes were trying to advertise these events and the Asclepion temple via coinage.

Thesis: Special events, Asclepion popularity, and coin circulation patterns combined to motivate the Pergamenes to advertise their Asclepion on coinage.

Methods: Examination …

Imperial Cult In Ephesus: Expressions Of Inferiority, Superiority, Or Isopolity?, Erin M. Iosa

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Erin Iosa

Imperial Cult in Ephesus:

Expressions of Inferiority, Superiority, or Isopolity?

Dr. Julie Langford

Subject Domain: History – Ancient Rome – Severan Dynasty

Motivation: During my undergraduate research this summer I noticed that Ephesus minted many coins with the term neokoros on the reverse. After learning that the term eventually became a title of favoritism through the granting of an imperial cult I began researching why Ephesus was granted so many and what message were Ephesians sending and to whom.

Thesis: The imperial cult temples appear to show reverence for Rome and the Emperor, but what …

Diary Of A 19th Century German Composer, Darin A. Peachee Mr.

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

The Diary of Arthur Schröder is about a fictional German composer living at the very end of the 19^th century. It is written in the first person and included is a five minutePowerPoint presentation that features music from the period and readings from the diary. The concept behind this diary was to research and utilize a number of primary source diaries of popular European composers at the time and to synthesize their personal reflections into the thoughts of a composer who never reaches the sort of fame his contemporaries reach and who teeters on the notion of his own …

Tyche's Twin, Lynn Rose Kuznitz

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Subject Domain: History – Ancient Rome – Severan Dynasty Motivation: While doing undergraduate research this summer, I noticed a trend on the coinage of Laodicaea ad Mare during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus. This trend was the city’s tendency to depict the empress, Julia Domna, in the same way it depicted its patron goddess, Tyche after the Antioch Mint had been transferred to Laodicaea ad Mare as a punishment by the emperor. In order to understand why these depictions occurred so suddenly in our coinage records and what the motivations behind them might have been, I began my research. …

Modifications To The Hands-Free Wheelchair For Dance: Development Of A Kinetic Armrest Prototype, Michelle L. Smith

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

The University of South Florida created an interdisciplinary team between the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Theatre and Dance to build innovative, mobile devices for the Performing Arts. One device that evolved from the partnership is the Hands-Free Wheelchair for modern dance performance. It is operated and controlled by the user’s weight-shift change in the seat. In order to keep this control “hands-free”, while giving the user a sense of stability, kinetic armrests have been designed for assistance and use as a dance tool. This design incorporates anthropomorphic data, engineering design, and the five basic arm positions …

Will I Ever, Hunter A. Taylor

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

"Will I Ever" is a short story that follows Trace, a young college student, as he tries to gain control over his life.Through a drunken public revelation, Trace sexually ousts himself and begins a battle with his impotence and his lusty boyfriend, Damon. Trace looks to his ex-boyfriend, Ryan, for advice, but instead becomes blinded with guilt about a brutal accident that occured two years prior.

Running...Blank, Alexander Jones

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

USF Dance Performance major Alexander Rashuan Jones choreographed Running…Blank, a solo modern dance work, during the fall semester of 2010 as a part of his senior B.F.A. project. This solo was performed in the Fall 2010 USF Student Dance Production Concert. The work is a movement investigation of the idea of stress as it affects a person both mentally and physically. Jones constructed the dance from three movement phrases, exploring the concept of spiraling – through both the spine and the body as a whole, as well as the tension between being on balance and off balance. He utilized …

An Examination Of Influences On Hiring Practices Used To Select Head Coaches In The National Football League From 1991 To 2010, Eric C. Holland

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Managers are often critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. As a result, organizations should hire individuals that have characteristics that match the needs and expectations of the firm (Wright, McMahan, & McWilliams, 1994). However, the National Football League (NFL) may go against this conventional wisdom. According to experts, the NFL has become a “copycat league” in which teams utilize league trends rather than hiring the most qualified candidate (Greenberg, 2009). To determine the validity of this statement, the study examines the hiring practices of NFL head coaches over the past two decades. By comparing the credentials of …

Rivalry Through Games, Casey M. Parent

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Subject: History- Severan dynasty

Motivation: As a researcher on the Severan Provincial Coinage database last summer, I became interested in the coinages of two neighboring cities in Cilicia, Anazarbus and Tarsus. Each city advertised festivals and games on their coinage. I noticed that although the themes were similar, the cities seemed to favor different emperors. I wanted to know why they differed in this aspect.

Thesis: Anazarbus and Tarsus competed fiercely with one another for dominance over the koinon of Cilicia; this is evident by examining the numismatic evidence of both cities and their usage of festivals/games on these coins. …

Sex And Violence: A Way To Hold Women Down, Mary E. Spurlock

9th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration

Sex and Violence: A Way To Hold Women Down is based on the content of sex and violence in Jacobean drama and how is affected women. Were men intimidated by some of the power that women had? Was it a way to have control over them and hold them down? The goal of my paper is to answer these questions. Sex and violence is something of a taboo nature in how people view it. Sex, violence, and women is something that has always drawn in audiences, but were these women destroyed because men felt threatened by Jacobean women and their …