Digital Commons Network^™

Hipaa And Security Compliance During Telehealth Consultations, Rashel Razo, Caitlin Zeher

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Telehealth utilization trend has been estimated to rise by 70 percent according to a report by the American Medical Association. During pre-pandemic times, only five percent of patients utilized telehealth, compared to 25 precent of patients during 2020. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), telehealth refers to the utilization of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical and administrative health care services. Moreover, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare provider entities to observe patients’ data privacy, and security while providing telehealth services. This research in progress aims to investigate …

Investigating The Metal-Binding Properties Of Chitosan And Bisphosphonate Functionalized Chitosan, Andrew Brandea, Ashley Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Functionalized polymers can be used as chelating agents to remove heavy metal contaminants from water. Chitosan is a biologically derived and commercially available polymer with a wide variety of clinical and industrial applications. The primary amine pendant group on the repeat unit of chitosan has the potential to act as a metal binding site due to the presence of a lone pair on the nitrogen atom. The purpose of this study was to functionalize deacetylated chitosan with a tridentate group to enhance its metal binding potential through the addition of more ligand binding sites. Specifically, a multicomponent Moedritzer-Irani reaction was …

Kinematic Analysis Of The Golf Swing In Collegiate Golfers Using Titleist Performance Institute (Tpi) Screen And Motion Capture K-Vest System, Anabella Duran

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Back pain has become a common injury in today's society. Not only does it affect the general population, but it has been found to largely affect golfers, greatly affecting their performance and ultimately their career. However, screenings such as the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) screen and motion capture systems,K-Vest, have been developed to test golfers for certain postures to prevent injury from occurring. The purpose of this project was to assess the physical and kinematic sequence of the golf swing in male and female collegiate athletes as an injury prevention method. 10 male and 9 female collegiate golfers were tested …

Munkgeeroachy: A Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophage Isolated From Soil, Ashley Janke

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There are many bacteria that are growing resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies. Bacteriophage therapy, the use of viruses to treat bacterial infections, is a promising alternative. The goal of this project was to isolate and identify phages from soil samples that infect Gordonia rubripertincta. G. rubripertincta is a gram-positive bacterium that is typically found in soil and aquatic habitats. Gordonia species are rapidly becoming associated with human and animal diseases. Infections of G. rubripertincta have typically been found after various surgical procedures such as the applications of catheters, or the use of …

Nfl Draft Trainee Performance Profiling By Position, Maria Berrocales, Aidan Rohman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study was to profile NFL draft trainees on physical and performance characteristics. Fifty-four players were categorized into Big, Big-skill, and Skill groups. We measured body fat (BF%), lean body mass (LBM), total mass, sprinting forces and ground contact time (GCT), jump height (JH), jump absolute (AJP), and relative (RJP) power, and reactive strength (RS). ANOVA determined between-group differences. Profiles were viewed via Z-score radar plots. There was a significant between-group difference in characteristics, F(24, 76)=5.18, p<0.001;Wilk's Λ=, partial η²=0.621. Post-hocs showed Skill had greater JH (p<0.001), RJP (p<0.001), and RSI (p=0.005) versus Big. Big had greater values versus …

Photodynamic Inactivation (Pdi) Of Microorganisms With Nitrogen Substituted Meso-Pyridyl Porphyrin Structures, Tiffany Pakela, Sanjana Sivaiah, Trisha Jaganathan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Photodynamic Inactivation (PDI) is an antimicrobial approach targeting pathogens independent of antibiotic resistance. The growing international concern for the rise in drug resistant microorganisms has driven for research in approaches that will keep these microbes from developing any immunological adaptations. Photosensitizers are molecules activated by light that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) lysing and causing cell death in structures of microbes and in diseased mammalian cells. The photosensitizers applied in this experiment are meso-Tetra(N-methyl-_-pyridyl)porphine tetrachloride structures. Three variations of the nitrogen placement were used to understand the interactions between such and the bacterial cell wall of Escherichia coli. These …

Reducing Inoculum Effect By Modulating Growth Productivity Through The Superpathway Of Purine, Pyrimidine And Histidine Synthesis In Escherichia Coli, Melissa Marzouk, Daniella Hernandez, Allison J. Lopatkin Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is estimated that by 2050, 10 million people will die annually due to infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. An understanding of the mechanisms that bacteria use to resist antibiotics is essential for extending the usefulness of our existing antibiotics. One mechanism that bacteria use to resist antibiotics is the inoculum effect (IE). During IE, high-density bacterial populations require higher concentrations of antibiotics to be killed compared to low-density bacterial populations. Recently, it has been discovered that growth productivity, defined as the relationship between ATP and growth rate, can explain IE for multiple antibiotics. If growth productivity is sufficiently …

Regulatory Roles For Stress Responsive Transposable Elements In Rice, Jenna Handal, Michael Egozi, Andy Pereira Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Transposable elements, or mobile DNA sequences, are known for their structural and functional roles in the rice genome. As sources of genetic variation and drivers of evolution, transposable elements have been extensively studied for their regulation of gene expression and alteration of phenotypic traits. In addition, transposable elements are shown to be activated in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. As the global temperature rises, heat stress threatens crop production worldwide. Research has shown that heat stress hinders optimal rice growth, development, and yield. Concern for food security amidst a growing population calls for development of novel methods to …

Sargassum Accumulation At Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Giavanna Iglio, Jarod Johnson, Kayla Jones, Kaleb Myers, Juliana Ottens-Rivera, Aidan Pflieger, Manuel Ploner, Kevin Rafferty, Maura Wondra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sargassum is a typically floating phaeophyte (brown alga) with important ecosystem functions. It is a producer, generating biomass via photosynthesis, and providing habitat for small epipelagic organisms in the open ocean. In August 2022, large amounts of Sargassum were seen on the beach at the northern end of Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (VDMEJSP), Dania Beach, Florida, up to 152cm thick. This disturbs the intertidal environment, which is typically composed of carbonate sands, and smothers infauna. Furthermore, this creates ephemeral habitats for species not typically associated here. The extent of Sargassum deposits was measured from 7 September through 25 …

Sex-Specific Differences Resulting From High Fat Diet Observed In Microglial Responses Across Varying Brain Regions, Divya Komandooru, Divya Papaiya, Anshika Motiani, Shalet James, Zachary Lawrence

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Microglia are the resident immune cells in the nervous system, as they activate and release cytokines in response to immune challenges and maintain brain homeostasis. Consumption of a high fat diet and resulting metabolic disease (e.g. obesity and type 2 diabetes) alters microglial activity; however, studies have yet to explore sex differences in the effects of high fat diet/metabolic disease on microglia across several brain areas concurrently. This is vital given the heterogeneity of microglial distribution, morphology, and function across various pathological states. Male and female C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a low fat (LF; 10% fat) or high fat …

Sex-Specific Effects Of High-Fat And Ketogenic Diets On Cognition And Hippocampal Neurogenesis In C57b16/J Mice, Shalet James, Zachary Lawrence, Iliana Uribe, Ariana Hernandez, Eleanor Wind, Blanche Tamiya, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Natalia Noto, Yazmin Restropo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Poor diet and metabolic diseases (obesity, Type 2 diabetes), are associated with increased risk of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression. Previous studies suggest that high-fat diet results in sex-specific effects in mice, including adult hippocampal neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and performance on cognitive-behavioral tasks. The ketogenic diet, a popular weight loss regimen, is characterized by a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet. Under carbohydrate restriction, the body enters ketosis, producing ketones bodies as a source of energy. While the ketogenic diet is very high in fat content, it may also possess neuroprotective properties against brain aging and neurodegenerative …

An Optimal Strategy For Using Mixture-Based Combinatorial Library Data To Find T-Cell Epitopes, Sofia Celis

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Positional scanning libraries are well established in their use for peptide sequence identification and binding site optimization. Their use in identifying T cell stimulatory peptides has also previously been explored. Here we present a retrospective analysis on the results of mixture based positional scanning libraries of T-cell stimulatory peptides done before 2019 in order to identify an optimal strategy for using mixture based combinatorial library data to find T cell epitopes. The screening of positional scanning libraries against CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones was analyzed using biometrical analysis approaches of various kinds in order to evaluate their relative effectiveness …

Are Students In Broward County, Fl, Who Get Less Sleep More Likely To Experience Depressive Symptoms?, Kelly Nyman, Alissa Lopez, Lauren Herrera

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is commonly known that sleep can significantly affect overall health in both physical and mental states, but can getting less sleep be an attributing factor to high school students experiencing symptoms of depression? In this study, we will determine whether less sleep is associated with feelings of sadness or hopelessness which are common symptoms of depression. Finding a link between the two could allow us to implement sleep education programs that would lower rates of depression in high school students. Using data collected from the 2019 YRBSS from Broward County, Florida, data was run comparing high school students who …

Associations Between Minority Status, Culture, And Mental Health Help-Seeking, Ariana Ali, Zahra Aziz, Samhita Doranala, Shannon Parma M.S.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Many cultural attitudes foster a stigma towards mental health. Mental health stigma within minority cultures often leads to limited mental health-related conversations within households, due to the “taboo” nature of the topic. Lack of familial openness can influence an individual’s attitudes and behaviors toward mental health care. This study aims to investigate whether differences exist between minority and White students and mental health help-seeking behaviors and perceived cultural openness to mental health.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy project at a private university in South Florida. We examine the relationship of cultural and familial …

Associations Between Parent Country Of Origin And Mental Health Help-Seeking, Samhita Doranala, Shannon Parma, Zahra Aziz, Ariana Ali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mental health stigma is a barrier to help-seeking behaviors. Cultural attitudes and beliefs and about mental health can both influence and perpetuate that stigma. Research suggests that a family ethnic origin may contribute to mental health stigma. This study aims to investigate the relationship between parent country of origin and mental health help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy pilot project at private university in South Florida. Parent country of origin (U.S. vs. non-U.S.) was used to examine the likelihood of participants (n=246) to report on seven attributes related …

Comparison Of Behavior Of Mangrove Mosquitofish Across Their Range And Identification Of Their Hybridization With Eastern Mosquitofish Using Genital Morphology, Rose Leeger

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Mangrove Mosquitofish is found in many brackish and freshwater ecosystems surrounding southeast Florida and Cuba. Historical range distribution in Florida has found these fish solely in the Florida Keys and parts of Miami. This research provides an update to the northernmost range that Mangrove Mosquitofish have been observed. As the name implies, Mangrove Mosquitofish reside in areas of critical habitat: Mangrove Forests. These forests are constantly battling habitat loss and reduction due to increased urbanization in native areas. Mangrove Mosquitofish are poecillid fish species with a modified anal fin called a “gonopodium” that allows for internal fertilization. This research …

Does Exercise Reduce Mind Wandering: The Role Of Mood And Exercise Frequency, Divya Mittal, Mahati Dharanikota, Carlos Riveria-Vasquez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Chronic exercise provides various physical health benefits (Penedo & Dahn, 2005) but also results in a variety of benefits to cognitive functioning including improving working memory (Padilla, Perez, & Andres, 2014) and attention (de Sousa et al., 2019). Exercise also releases various endorphin hormones that contribute to increased positive mood (Rokade, 2011). However, less is known about how chronic exercise influences frequency of mind wandering. Mind wandering, defined as experiencing an off-task thought, has been linked to mood such that negative mood predicts higher rates of mind wandering (Smallwood & O’Connor, 2011). The current study examined the relationship between exercise …

Does Football Player Position And Number Of Sets Influence Response To Post-Activation Performance Enhancement?, Ahmad Nasri, Joseph Petruzzelli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Post-activation potentiation enhancement (PAPE) describes the acute increases in explosiveness (e.g., jump power) from pre-loading muscles with high loads in an exercise of similar biomechanics (e.g., squat). Player position and repetitive sets may affect PAPE response. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of position and time on power during a PAPE session. Twenty-nine football players training for the NFL draft representing three position groups, Big, Big-skill, and Skill performed two baseline jumps then four alternating trials of squatting-jumping. Jumps were performed on uniaxial dual force platforms and variables for jump height (JH), peak power, and reactive …

Effects On High Fat And Ketogenic Diet On Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Pathology In Male And Female Mice, Nitish Dundigalla, Shalet James, Iliana Uribe, Zachary Lawrence, Ariana Hernandez, Blanche Tamiya, Eleanor Wind

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver, affecting 25% of Americans. Interestingly, NAFLD is associated with neurological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction/dementia. Given the high rates of these diseases, understanding risk and protective factors for NAFLD is crucial. Individuals with obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and related conditions are prone to NAFLD. While consumption of high fat/Western diet increases risk, there is evidence to suggest that ketogenic diet, which is high in fat but low in carbohydrates, may protect against NAFLD. Biological sex may influence NAFLD, but the evidence is conflicting …

Exercise As A Natural Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist To Treat Binge Drinking Withdrawal, Eleanor Wind

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Binge drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States that is especially prevalent among college students. The results of a national survey reported 33% of full-time college students aged 18-22 engaged in binge drinking during the previous month. Positive results have been demonstrated in clinical trials that treated alcohol abuse with aerobic exercise. Research in animal models aims to answer remaining questions regarding implementation across sexes and age groups by studying underlying neurobiological mechanisms. One such mechanism is the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) of the endogenous brain opioid system. In animal models, administration of a KOR antagonist …

Red Dog Loess, A Last Glacial Dust Deposit, White River Badlands, S.D., Lakshmi Srikari Ravulaparthi, Ian Chang, Haley Perkins, John Nichols, Curtis Frye

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Understanding the detrimental effects of prehistoric climate change is essential to understanding our potential for future global climate disasters. During the Last Glacial Period (LGP) beginning around 70 thousand years ago, as Earth’s temperature dropped, the midcontinent grew increasingly dry, resulting in the ecological collapse of the Great Plains grassland ecosystems. Due to the breakdown of the grasslands, wind eroded the Great Plains, depositing vast amounts of windblown dust (loess). These loess deposits form valuable midcontinental agricultural deposits in Nebraska and Iowa. This study aims to identify the origin of the loess found on mesas in the White River Badlands …

Usahay, Samantha Carl Selorio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Usahay” is a documentary short film about the relationship between a grandma with Alzheimer’s and her granddaughter. It explores the bond between the two and the difficulties they face due to the progressive disease. The Filipino word usahay means sometimes and it is reflective of the day-to-day of caregiving: Sometimes things are good, sometimes things are bad. Sometimes she remembers and sometimes she does not. It is in such moments they learn to make the most of what they have. The documentary is directed by Samantha Carl Selorio.

Navigating The Turbulence Into Calmer Waters In Higher Education Digital Learning, Amanda E. Major Edd, Pmp, Cptd, Josh Strigle, Melanie Jackson, Willie Freeman

FDLA Journal

Digital learning professionals and faculty are navigating turbulent waters in higher education’s current climate fueled by career reflections and the political landscape. All that is needed to improve the organizational climate is the inspiration to engage in meaningful digital learning work, whether enhancing course interactions, engaging students, uncovering course modality best practices, or improving access to higher education. True to our mission, we adapt, lead change, and persist.

Now What?, David L. Hart Jr, Rebecca J. Armstrong

FDLA Journal

NOW WHAT?

David Hart, Ph.D. and Rebecca Armstrong, Ph.D.

Making the decision to pursue an advanced degree is certainly commendable. To add to one’s knowledge base is ambitious and the results of such a commitment are monumental. However, it goes without saying that in that scheme, life’s challenges are ever-present, and along with other given responsibilities, the concept of time becomes a faded memory. If that is not enough, COVID-19 presented all degree-seekers with issues that seemed insurmountable. Many decided that virtual learning programs would provide an environment that allowed for success in the academic arena despite the forces that …

Continuing The Distance Learning Modality Of Graduate Studies In Post-Covid Philippines: A Survey, Jayrome Núñez, Louie Gula, Evaflor Alindan, Clinton John Colcol, Aristonie Sangco, Jairoh Taracina, Sammy Dolba, Al John Escobañez, Kevin Sumayang, Mark Anthony Jamisal, Francis Jim Tuscano

FDLA Journal

Getting a graduate education is one of the most important parts of a professional in a field. It allows them to climb higher in the professional rankings or even get higher pay for their academic work. All graduate students are adults and self-directed due to their past experiences in work or practice. However, when the pandemic hit the world, these self-directed learners were not spared from shutting of schools. In the Philippines, most graduate schools deliver their lessons through the traditional mode or face-to-face until the pandemic that they shifted in the emerging online learning modality. Using the mixed method …

The Application Of Virtual Reality Scenarios Coupled With Education And Recognition Of Soul Injury Can Promote Pathways Of Care For Healthcare Workers And The Public Affected By The Present Covid-19 Pandemic And Subsequent Variants., Jamie Anne Marcus

FDLA Journal

Historical learning from the 1918 Pandemic assists with grasping and focus of the present one. Engaging multi-disciplinary healthcare students in virtual reality scenarios with visual inclusion of Soul Injury staging will promote new pathways of care for healthcare workers, families, and the public affected by the present Pandemic. Virtual reality scenario simulation success is supported by social presence, social learning, and media richness theories. The Covid-19 and variant Pandemics effects include, insurmountable loss of life, loss of economic stability, loss of normal lifestyle, family function, and culture. Therefore, development of The Soul-Injury-Pathway-of-Care for patients, ancillary healthcare workers, families, and the …

Terracotta Dreams, Fidel E. Perez Pujols

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"In my art, I like to capture moments in time when I feel an overwhelming sense of a particular emotion. Different shapes and colors allow me to express these ideas."

Consumerism, Rosselyn Pérez

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"'Consumerism' was inspired by the clouding uncertainty that it brings upon our society. The piece represents the search for who is guilty of the damage caused by consumerism and questions their unwillingness to fix it.

Minute Details, Isha H. Patel

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"I drew this piece during a time when I was suffering depression, when all I wanted for was the pain and sadness to end. I painted this subconsciously not realizing at the time what it meant, I simply just did it. Later I realized that having gotten through my senior year, getting to participate in a medical assistant course, to do something that I want to do, something I love, I found light to keep going. That was my light in the darkness."

A Requiem For Those Who Rest Their Wings, Adit R. Selvaraj

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"'A Requiem For Those Who Rest Their Wings' is a piece that emphasizes how nerve-wracking it is to leave your safe space and pursue your dreams. The author behind this piece has many dreams that require them to face their anxiety and present themselves to the world. The piece was especially inspired by the author's enjoyment of Japanese music, particularly the song 'Little Bird' by Chiaki Ishikawa."