Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Potential For Range Expansion Of The Red Tide Algae Karenia Brevis, Edward W. Young

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Phytoplankton communities are vital to oceanic ecosystems. While most are harmless or beneficial, a select group possesses the capability to produce toxins and cause mass die-offs of marine organisms. Florida red tide, caused by blooms of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, is common in the Gulf of Mexico, although blooms have been transported to the Atlantic coast and impacted estuaries where K. brevis is not normally found. An in-depth overview of compiled estuary research evaluated the possibility of the continued spread of Florida red tide blooms to Southeastern Atlantic estuaries and the likelihood of establishment in non-native regions. A …

Prioritizing The Largest, Oldest Corals For Disease Intervention In A Coral Disease-Ravaged Area: Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, Alysha Brunelle

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Coral diseases appear to be more devastating than ever before. When a virulent disease ravages a coral ecosystem, it can significantly change the population’s demographics and cause local extinctions. Disease intervention response during such an event is impossible at a landscape scale, therefore priorities must be considered. Saving the largest, oldest colonies of reef-building species is a good choice due to their high fecundity and ecological function. Their size, as a proxy for age, is an indicator of their resistance to previous perturbations which may indicate higher fitness. Their size also provides habitat to many organisms and wave resistance in …

Pilot Project For Future Fast And Accurate Detection Of The Human Fecal Marker Hf183 For Presence Of Human Pollution In The New River, Angie Louis

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

One type of pollution that has a negative impact on the environmental waters originates from fecal contamination. Identifying the source of pollution is an important step in effective resource management, mitigation, and reducing risk to human health. Microbial source tracking (MST) can be used to identify fecal pollution and to identify specific microbes in the environment and the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can be utilized in this analysis. In this pilot study the New River waterway, running through the City of Fort Lauderdale, was tested for a human specific bacteria Bacteroids, using the TaqMan HF183 qPCR assay (HF183/BFDrev). …

Algal Coverage Detection And Classification Using Envi: Correlation With Dissolved Oxygen Levels In Elkhorn Slough, Ca, Jason Dawson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Estuaries are exposed to varying stressors, whether they be physical, chemical, or environmental. The most notable of stressors is eutrophication of coastal and inland ecosystems. This is a result of increased supply of nutrients fueling production within the system. One outcome of this increased nutrient load to the system is that of algal blooms. These blooms can impact the aesthetic appearance and degrade the quality of health of the system. Many of these coastal zones and waterways are critical habitats for many biological (some endangered) species and serve as recreational areas for human populations. Elkhorn Slough, California is one of …

A Shark Conservationists Toolbox: Current Dna Methods And Techniques Aiding In The Conservation Of Sharks, Arianna N. Nixon

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Elasmobranchs are important members of their community. Many sharks are important apex predators that help maintain the health of their ecosystem. However, shark populations are globally declining. This is partially due to the fact that sharks are highly targeted for their fins, meat, liver oil, teeth, and skin. However, they are also killed from anthropogenic effects such as habitat destruction and pollution. Most shark species have life history characteristics that also make them more vulnerable to overfishing. Sharks are also difficult to study due to their elusive nature and identification issues. That is why molecular tools are increasingly becoming important …

To Feed Or Not To Feed: Examining The Effects Of Provisioning Tourism On Nurse Sharks In Caye Caulker, Belize, Carlee Jackson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Wildlife tourism is increasing in popularity around the world, creating the need to understand alterations in animal behavior and spatial distributions that may occur due to associated anthropogenic disturbances. Nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum, Bonnaterre 1788) are commonly used for wildlife tourism within the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve in Belize. Shark and Ray Village (SRV) is a site within the reserve where nurse sharks are consistently fed by tour/snorkel boats to create an interactive experience with tourists, termed provisioning tourism. Prior to this experiment, no studies had been conducted in SRV to evaluate the impact of provisioning tourism (tourism …

How Do They Feel About It? Testing A New Mixed Methods Survey Tool To Assess Collective Emotional Status, Michael G. Schwab, Vasileios Margaritis

The Qualitative Report

Emotions are now widely accepted as important elements of qualitative research, in studies of individuals and communities. However, collective emotional status—what a community feels about a given situation or proposition—can be challenging to assess. In this study, we examined the validity and acceptability of a new mixed methods survey tool, primarily qualitative, to address this challenge—the Assessment of Collective Emotional Status (ACES). The tool begins with an adjustable set of questions about emotion, to draw respondents’ attention to their own feelings. These are followed by an emotional self-assessment, in which respondents select and prioritize five emotional responses to a standardized …

Understanding The Diverse Field Of “Educational Technology” As Revealed In Twitter Job Postings: Encoding / Decoding Approach, Merve Basdogan, Zulfukar Ozdogan, Curtis J. Bonk

The Qualitative Report

In this study, we attempt to understand discursive interrelationships among five professional job advertisements which are often used interchangeably, including educational technology, educational design, instructional design, learning design, and instructional systems design. The purpose is to better understand the distinctions, interactions, and overlaps of these disciplines using Encoding/Decoding Model over the discourses of the jobs’ announcements. We collected data using a social network analysis tool, NCapture, and imported to qualitative analysis software (i.e., NVivo) to conduct thematic analyses. For this study, 171 job postings in Twitter were captured by using NCapture as a Web-browser extension. Findings indicated that the relations …

The Apoptotic Effect Of Gsk-3 Inhibitors: Bio And Chir 98014 On H1975 Lung Cancer Cells Through Ros Generation And Mitochondrial Dysfunction., Theodore Lemuel Mathuram, Thiagarajan Venkatesan, Jayanta Das, Umamaheswari Natarajan, Appu Rathinavelu

HPD Articles

OBJECTIVE: GSK-3 has been reported to be upregulated in malignant diseases, including lung cancers, thus suggesting it to be a valid target for cancer treatment. The study elucidates the possible mechanism involved in the ability of GSK-3 inhibitors: BIO and CHIR 98014 to regulate proteins involved in cell death of H1975 lung cancer cells.

RESULTS: BIO and CHIR 98014 successfully induced apoptosis at lower concentrations in H1975 cells but not in H460 lung cancer cells. Moreover, increased ROS generation and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential were observed in both treatments. Cleavage of caspase-3 was observed in both BIO and CHIR …

Sex-Specific Modulation Of Blood Pressure And The Renin-Angiotensin System By Ace (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) 2, Hong Ji, Aline M. De Souza, Bilkish Bajaj, Wei Zheng, Xie Wu, Robert C. Speth, Kathryn Sandberg

HPD Articles

We showed ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) 2 is higher in the kidney of male compared with female mice. To further investigate this sex difference, we examined the role of ACE2 in Ang-[1-8] (angiotensin [1-8])-induced hypertension and regulation of the renin-angiotensin system in the kidney of WT (wild type) and Ace2 KO (knockout) mice. Mean arterial pressure rose faster in WT male than WT female mice after Ang-[1-8] infusion. This sex difference was attenuated in ACE2 KO mice. Ang-[1-8] infusion reduced glomerular AT1R (angiotensin type 1 receptor) binding in WT female mice by 30%, and deletion of abolished this effect. In contrast, …

Application Of Self-Efficacy Training In Group Aural Rehabilitation: An Interprofessional Collaborative Model, Stephen D. Roberts, Nancy A. Delich

JADARA

Few studies have explored self-efficacy training with persons with hearing loss (PHLs), yet alone with their communication partners (CPs). The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the impact of self-efficacy training as a framework for an Interprofessional Psychosocial Group Aural Rehabilitation (IPGAR) workshop with PHLs and their CPs. Four PHLs and their four CPs consented to participate in the IPGAR workshop that employed interventions including short lectures, psychosocial exercises, communication strategies training, speech perception training, adaptive/stress reduction exercises, and group discussions relevant to mutually established shared goals for each couple. The participants reported improved communication abilities in the …

The Current: Orientation Issue - Volume 31 Issue 1, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

Orientation issue for 2020

Post-Secondary Employment And Education Outcomes Of Young Adults Reporting Both Vision And Hearing Impairments In The High School Longitudinal Study Of 2009, Emily M. Lund

JADARA

This article reports the post-secondary education and work activities of 43 young adults who reported a history of both hearing and vision disabilities (i.e., deafblindness [DB] in Wave 4 of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Most of the sample reported having worked, attended post-secondary education, or both since completing secondary education. Approximately half of the sample still lived with their parents, and most reported receiving financial support from their parents. Thus, although engagement in work and education was relatively high, most participants had not achieved financial independence.

Satisfaction With Life Scale In American Sign Language: Validation And Normative Data, Josephine F. Wilson, Jared Embree, Deb Guthmann, Steven R. Sligar, Janet C. Titus, Kathryn C. Taylor

JADARA

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a brief instrument that assesses a person’s global life satisfaction. Using state-of-the-science techniques, the SWLS was translated into American Sign Language (ASL). A national sample of 350 deaf and hard of hearing individuals who preferentially use ASL completed the ASL version of the SWLS (SWLS-ASL) online. The individuals in this sample had a mean SWLS score of 23.4, well within the range of mean scores reported for samples from general populations of hearing individuals. No significant differences were identified in SWLS-ASL scores due to gender, cultural identification (identified as culturally Deaf or not), …

Creatively Exploring Self: Applying Organic Inquiry, A Transpersonal And Intuitive Methodology, Larisa J. Bardsley Phd

The Qualitative Report

This article explores the merit of using Organic Inquiry, a qualitative research approach that is most effectively applied to areas of psychological and spiritual growth. Organic Inquiry is a research approach where the psyche of the researcher becomes the instrument of the research, working in partnership with the experiences of participants and guided by liminal and spiritual influences. Organic Inquiry is presented as a unique methodology that can incorporate other non-traditional research methods, including intuitive, autoethnographic and creative techniques. The validity and application of Organic Inquiry, as well as its strengths and limitations are discussed in the light of the …

Older Adults—Their Focus On Food And Future Living: A Grounded Theory Approach, Kai Victor Victor Hansen

The Qualitative Report

Older adults, also known as the silver generation, are the new healthy generation. This generation has for many decades formed the basis for the prosperity found in Norway. The ageing population is growing rapidly in many countries around the world. The aim of this paper is to understand healthy active older adults’ interpretations of food and meals and their focus on food and future living. Nine CurroCus® group interviews, or fast focus groups, were conducted, lasting 37 to 56 minutes with an average of 45 minutes. Altogether, 76 persons from both genders participated, with an age span of 60 to …

Strategies Used By Military Spouse Small Businesses During A Military Relocation, Sandra D. Heredia, Patricia Fusch

The Qualitative Report

There are over 615,000 women military spouses and 1,786 known military spouse business owners who relocate every 2 to 3 years to follow their active duty spouse. The research problem addressed was the lack of strategies military spouse small business owners used to sustain their business during a mandatory military relocation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies 5 women military spouse small business owners, located at military installations in the Midlands and Pee Dee regions of South Carolina, used to sustain their businesses during a relocation. The sampling method used was census sampling. The …

Pencil Or Keyboard? Boys’ Preferences In Writing, Jennifer L. Sze, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

Handwriting is an important subject in primary schools, especially in the Early Years. The importance of writing skill is now seen as a debate with the increasing demand on children to learn technology skills to help them with 21^st Century learning—how to write on the keyboard effectively. The topic is important because handwriting is an essential life skill to have with or without technology. In this study, I looked at the importance of both in the context of the qualitative case studies in three schools in Melbourne, Australia. The aim of the research is to explore how do students …

Psychedelics: A Window To Mental Illness; Psilocybin And Depression, Kiomary Rivera Quintana

College of Pharmacy Student Research

No abstract provided.

“Ripssl”: A New Reflective Inquiry Protocol To Lift The Lid On Students’ Significant Extra-Curricular Learning Outcomes From Study Abroad, Andrea Reid, Christine Slade, Susan L. Rowland

The Qualitative Report

Education abroad generally has no overarching curriculum outside the formal study component. This paper presents the Reflective Inquiry Protocol for Surfacing Significant Learning (RIPSSL), a new approach for understanding and articulating significant learning from education abroad. Tests of RIPSSL show education abroad students use it to move beyond “it was great” when considering learning from their experiences. Our findings are important for educators and students as they work to recognize and articulate the value of education abroad. RIPSSL provides a reflective educational approach to evidence learning from life experiences by surfacing students’ significant learning in their own words.

Proceedings From The First Annual Society For Neurosports Conference, William R. Kochen

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Proceedings from the First Annual Society for NeuroSports Conference

Disruption Of Pyoverdine Synthesis In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Through Periodic Disturbance Of Biofilm Structure, Rebecca J. Quinn

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Infections due to bacteria were once easily treated using antibiotics. However, the effective shelf life of antibiotics is diminishing due to the rise and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Accordingly, novel approaches to treating infections are required. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multi-drug resistant, biofilm forming opportunistic pathogen. A determinant of P. aeruginosa’s pathogenicity is pyoverdine, a siderophore that is used to sequester iron from the environment. After being produced by a bacterium, pyoverdine is secreted into the environment where it complexes with iron. The pyoverdine-iron complex is then returned to the bacteria through diffusion, where it drives the synthesis of …

Listening To #2a: Applying A Qualitative Method To Twitter Dialogue, Laura Smith Ph.D., Laila Abdel-Salam Ed.M., Molly Coyne Ed.D., Courtney Mcvicar Ed.D., Divya Robin Ed.M., Randolph Scott-Mclaughlin M.A.

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we present a project that explored the application of an established qualitative methodology to a novel source of data: microblog postings on the social media platform Twitter, also known as tweets. In particular, we adapted Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997) for use in this analysis. The coinciding aim of the project was to study the cultural impasses that seemed to characterize U.S. society surrounding the 2016 presidential election. Publicly available tweets bearing the hashtag #2A were selected for examination; this hashtag indicated the user’s intention to direct the posting to the attention of …

A Cross-Cultural Qualitative Study On Students’ Attitudes Towards Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Dara Tafazoli, María Elena Gómez Parra, Cristina A. Huertas-Abril

The Qualitative Report

This cross-cultural qualitative study investigated the attitudes and perceptions of language students towards computer-assisted language learning (CALL). We examined the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of CALL in language education according to Iranian and Spanish students’ perceptions and attitudes. In addition, we found out the differences between Iranian and Spanish language students’ perceptions and attitudes towards CALL. The participants were 237 language students, and the researchers applied an online 10 open-ended question instrument for data collection and a SWOT analysis for data analysis. The findings of the content analysis revealed that many language students in Iran and Spain approved that …

Veterans Helping Veterans Mid-Day Talk: Gulf War Illness Research, Bill Watts, Elizabeth G. Balbin

INIM Research Seminar Series

• Meet the Gulf War Illness Research Team.
• Learn about the ease of participating in research.
• Hear from veterans who have participated in research.
• Learn about different studies currently available.

Impact Of Pyriproxyfen On Virus Behavior: Implications For Pesticide-Induced Virulence And Mechanism Of Transmission, Paula A. Faria Waziry, Aarti Raja, Chloe Salmon, Nathalia Aldana, Sruthi Damodar, Andre Rinaldi Fukushima, Bindu S. Mayi

Biology Faculty Articles

Background

More than 3 years since the last Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil, researchers are still deciphering the molecular mechanisms of neurovirulence and vertical transmission, as well as the best way to control spread of ZIKV, a flavivirus. The use of pesticides was the main strategy of mosquito control during the last ZIKV outbreak.

Methods

We used vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) as our prototypical virus to study the impact of insecticide pyriproxyfen (PPF). VZV-GFP infected and uninfected Jurkat, HeLa and trophoblast cells were treated with PPF and compared to untreated cells (control). Cell …

Leading Sustainability: Understanding Leadership Emergence In Community Resources Management Areas In Ghana, Nana Owusu-Ansah

The Qualitative Report

Community Resources Management Areas (CREMAs) establishment strategy in Ghana aims at putting some biodiversity rich communal lands belonging to families and traditional rulers under conservation. Community leaders play important roles in the success of the CREMAs conservation programmes to achieving the desired sustainability in the rural areas. This study applied phenomenological approach to collect qualitative data from community conservation leaders from three CREMA sites in northern Ghana. The major findings of the study showed CREMAs establishment origins vary from community initiated projects through interest group initiatives to cooperation between central government and community enterprises. Leadership emergence was found to be …

Tuberculosis Medication Nonadherence—A Qualitative Case Study, Karthick Swaminathan, Lalitha Ramakrishnan, C. S. G. Krishnamacharyulu

The Qualitative Report

India is grappling with the problem of controlling tuberculosis nearly for the past 50 years. The problem of nonadherence to treatment regimen has also worsened the situation of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in India. This article explores the factors behind nonadherence among erstwhile TB defaulters in a rural district in India. In-depth interviews with seven chronic defaulters and with healthcare professionals were conducted at a government-run Chest Clinic. In addition to in-depth interviews with defaulters and healthcare professionals, medical records and government orders related to TB control were examined extensively. Participants were also observed to understand their interaction with healthcare …

The Potential Role Of Comics In Teaching Qualitative Research Methods, Helen Kara Facss, Jenni Brooks

The Qualitative Report

This article argues that comics have a potentially positive role to play in supporting the teaching of qualitative research methods in higher education. It tells the story of the creation and use of a short pedagogical comic. We begin with a brief review of the literature around the use of comics in teaching. Then we offer two first-person accounts. Independent researcher Helen Kara narrates her creation of Conversation with a Purpose, designed as a resource to support the teaching of qualitative interviewing. It contains the story of a student’s first real-world interview, with some deliberately ambiguous aspects, and some …

Infuse!_Volume 4_Number 1_2020, College Of Nursing

Infuse! College of Nursing Magazine

No abstract provided.