Digital Commons Network^™

A Temporal Analysis Of A Deep-Pelagic Crustacean Assemblage (Decapoda: Caridea: Oplophoridae And Pandalidae) In The Gulf Of Mexico After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Devan Nichols

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, the largest oil spill in U.S history occurred off the coast of Louisiana from April 20^th to September 19^th, when the well was declared officially sealed by the U.S Coast Guard, after releasing more than 4.4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (McNutt et al., 2012). This spill was unique because it occurred in deep water approximately 1500 m below the ocean surface. Virtually nothing is known about the effects of oil spills on marine life in the deep sea, and there are limited data on mesopelagic and bathypelagic animals …

Ron And Kathy Assaf College Of Nursing - Nsu Dedication, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Books and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

2018 Commencement-Shepard Broad College Of Law, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Fine Grained Compositional Analysis Of Port Everglades Inlet Microbiome Using High Throughput Dna Sequencing, Lauren M. O'Connell, Song Gao, Donald S. Mccorquodale Jr., Jay M. Fleisher, Jose Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background

Similar to natural rivers, manmade inlets connect inland runoff to the ocean. Port Everglades Inlet (PEI) is a busy cargo and cruise ship port in South Florida, which can act as a source of pollution to surrounding beaches and offshore coral reefs. Understanding the composition and fluctuations of bacterioplankton communities (“microbiomes”) in major port inlets is important due to potential impacts on surrounding environments. We hypothesize seasonal microbial fluctuations, which were profiled by high throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and analysis.

Methods & Results

Surface water samples were collected every week for one year. A total of four samples …

Barriers To Pregnancy Spacing In Women Living With Hiv: A Series Of Informational Interviews, Rachel K. Scott, Piyapa Praditpan, Patricia Tanjutco, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Regina Zopf, Manon M. Schladen

The Qualitative Report

For reproductive-age women living with HIV, birth spacing allows for optimization of maternal health and viral suppression to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. We conducted semi-structured informational interviews to explore use of contraception for birth spacing. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Audio files were reviewed to capture non-explicit data. We interviewed 18 multiparous HIV positive women. All described experiences with at least one contraceptive method. Six themes emerged: Burden of contraception, Failure of birth control, Impact of youth and lack of life experience, Community beliefs about birth control, Lack of partner cooperation, and Altruism. Women viewed birth spacing favorably. Young …

Student-Athletes’ Experiences With Racial Microaggressions In Sport: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis, Sae-Mi Lee, Malayna B. Bernstein, Edward F. Etzel, Brian T. Gearity, Clayton R. Kuklick

The Qualitative Report

Despite growing research on racial microaggressions as a subtle but prevalent form of racial discrimination, research on microaggressions in sport and their effects on the psychosocial wellbeing of athletes is scarce. Moreover, some researchers question the legitimacy of microaggressions due to their subtle nature and inconsistency in how they are experienced (Lilienfeld, 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine U.S. collegiate student-athletes-of-color experiences with racial microaggressions in sport through a new theoretical lens, Foucauldian poststructuralist theory. We theorized microaggressions as an example of the daily panoptic gaze that leads to self-surveillance and the production of normalized individuals (Foucault, …

Collecting Sufficient Evidence When Conducting A Case Study, Pearl R. Smith

The Qualitative Report

Case study is a popular research design within the social sciences despite concerns of its credibility. Case studies provide an in-depth exploration of the unit of analysis (case). Hence, data triangulation is a key characteristic of the design whose purpose is to provide a thick, rich, and contextual description. Data for varied sources enhances credibility of the study. However, studies involving only one source of evidence exist in peer reviewed publications. This paper reviews the nature of case studies and discusses the importance of data triangulation. Further, three published case studies involving a single source of data are reviewed and …

Ecological Correlates Of Community Structure In Seagrass-Associated Fishes In North Biscayne Bay And Port Of Miami, Florida, Elizabeth F. Colhoun

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass habitats are critical habitat for many fish species and are currently threatened by anthropogenic and natural factors, such as coastal development, pollution, global climate change, and sea level rise. There are few studies that have tracked long- term changes in seagrass habitat and their associated fish communities. This project addressed this need using data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from two South Florida sites, North Biscayne Bay, FL (NBB) and Port of Miami, FL (POM). The USGS sampling was part of ongoing monitoring projects designed to assist future management decisions that would enhance the protection of …

Assessment Of Metals In Tissues Of Marine-Associated Birds In South Florida, Caitlyn A. Nay

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seabirds – broadly defined as any bird species associated with the marine environment – are exposed to a wide range of environmental contaminants. Vectors of exposure to metal pollution include by external contact, inhalation, and most often ingestion of food and incidental seawater. Seabirds are often considered marine ecosystem bioindicators due to their high trophic position, relatively long lifespan, and wide geographic ranges. We examined the concentration of total mercury (THg), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), in the kidney, liver, breast muscle, and feathers of seven species of juvenile and adult seabirds commonly found in South Florida: brown pelican Pelecanus …

Patterns In Caribbean Coral Spawning, Anna C. Jordan

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Most corals worldwide are broadcast spawners that rely on synchronous gamete release for successful fertilization. Spawning synchrony may also decrease the probability of heterospecific fertilization that may produce maladaptive hybrids. Despite the importance of reproductive timing, researchers have only recently begun to collect spawning data across coral species in the Caribbean, but these data remain to be analyzed. This study investigates interannual, seasonal, and environmental patterns that may influence Caribbean scleractinian spawning times. The number of spawning observations varies widely among location and species. Most spawning observations were collected in Florida, Curaçao, and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Acropora …

Population Dynamics Of The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, And The Development Of A Species-Specific Monitoring Protocol, Elizabeth Goergen

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Historically, Acropora cervicornis was found in high densities on many Caribbean, Florida, and Gulf of Mexico reefs. A disease outbreak in the late 1970s and 80s caused up to 99% loss of A. cervicornis cover at some sites, leaving populations sparsely distributed throughout its range and typically found as isolated colonies. Even though populations are depauperate causing a decrease in sexual reproduction, its fast growth rate and ability to reproduce through asexual fragmentation affords this species the potential for quick recovery and population growth. However, limited to no natural recovery has been documented. Many of these populations are poorly studied …

Genetic Population And Evolutionary Dynamics Of The Angel Sharks, Squatina Spp., Cristin Keelin Fitzpatrick

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Once so abundant as to be called the ‘common’ angelshark, Squatina squatina has been extirpated from nearly the entirety of its historical range, from the eastern North Atlantic, to the Mediterranean Sea [International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Critically Endangered]. The angelshark now only occurs in any abundance in the waters surrounding the Canary Islands. I present the first genetic assessment of the angelshark’s population dynamics and diversity from three locations within the Canary Islands archipelago: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote. Using a suite of individual mitochondrial genome regions [Control region (CR), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 …

The British Art Of Colonialism In India: Subjugation And Division, Aziz Rahman, Mohsin Ali, Saad Kahn

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article utilizes a three-pronged analytical model to examine the mechanics of British colonialism and its socioeconomic and political consequences in India. Those three elements are divide and rule, colonial education, and British laws. The British took some reformative initiatives that ostensibly deserve appreciation such as the development of a predictable legal system, investment in infrastructure development, and education in the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. However, most colonial policies and reforms were against the will and welfare of the people of India. The British took away India’s resources and introduced the English educational system to create an educated and …

Colonialism And Peace And Conflict Studies, Sean Byrne, Mary Anne Clarke, Aziz Rahman

Peace and Conflict Studies

The nature of colonialism is examined in this comparison of British colonial policy in Ireland and Canada toward Indigenous people. The histories and realities of Indigenous peoples’ experiences of colonizing violence are not adequately addressed by the dominant approaches of the democratic peace theory’s universalist neoliberal technocratic values, expectations, and assumptions (see Mac Ginty, 2013). PACS scholars and practitioners need new interpretive frames to make sense of the impact and consequences of colonialism and the intent of genocidal destruction across different colonial contexts in order to understand the deep roots of conflict (economic exploitation, internalization of oppression, racist ideology), and …

The Current Volume 29 : Orientation Issue-Pullout Section, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

This is a section found in the orientation issue.

May 2018 Student Handbook, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Student Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Neuropsychiatric Aspects Of Near-Death Experience, Jerod Buchta, Mir Saleem

Biology Faculty Articles

Throughout human history, there have been numerous reports of a baffling process when individuals have come to the brink of death. This process, referred to as near death experiences (NDEs), cause an individual to experience events that even the most advanced science can still not answer. This review serves as a reference for the factors, phenomenology, and measurement techniques for near death experiences as well as summarizing these experiences in certain conditions, such as cardiac arrest and admission of anesthetics. Discussed are the theories, effects, analyses of specific processes involved pertaining to experiences of those who walked along the edge …

Periodontitis In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Simran Agarwal, Deepthi Gangaram, Mir Saleem

Biology Faculty Articles

Periodontitis is a chronic, inflammatory disease that is characterized by swollen gums, degradation of jaw structure, and potentially tooth loss. Like Periodontitis, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is also highly prevalent and largely multifactorial. Type 2 Diabetes is a condition in which higher than normal blood glucose levels cannot be properly maintained as the body’s normal mechanism of maintaining proper blood glucose levels, the release of insulin from pancreatic islet β-cells, becomes ineffective. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the relationship between the incidences of Periodontitis and Type 2 Diabetes. The risk that Type 2 Diabetes poses for …

The British Colonization Of Australia: An Exposé Of The Models, Impacts And Pertinent Questions, Peter Genger

Peace and Conflict Studies

By adopting the purview of Peace and Conflict Studies and the expository approach of historical archaeology of colonialism, this paper succeeds in enumerating the models the British used to establish and perpetuate colonial violence on the Indigenous Australians, and the traumatizing impacts the violence is exerting on them. The sole essence of the paper is not only to re-establish that the British colonization of Australia was deliberate, just as the heinous models they used. Most essentially, the paper identifies the following institutions: Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), the UN and challenges them to move from their current inert condemnation of …

The Effect Of Social Support On Self-Care For Patients With Diabetes, Avidor Gerstenfeld

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

No abstract provided.

The What, Where, How And Why: A Review Of Being Ethnographic: A Guide To The Theory And Practice Of Ethnography, Jetlexis Carlos

The Qualitative Report

In Being Ethnographic: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Ethnography, Raymond Madden presents ethnography in a way that is easily understood by describing real life experiences from both his own work and others working in the field. This book is a great resource to guide those who wish to conduct ethnographic research or need a learning tool to understand the underlying nature of ethnographic research. Madden links the way ethnographic research is done to how ethnographic research is thought about. It is a great introduction to the “what,” “where,” “how,” and “why” of practicing of ethnography.

Exploring Literature For Conceptualisations Of Male Infertility: A Phenomenological Analysis, Sunu C. Thomas

The Qualitative Report

Fathering a child is an important aspect of the identity of a man as motherhood is for a woman. Male factor infertility is one reason for the inability to father a child and this can contribute to many issues for a man at a personal or societal level. Although male infertility is a major contributing factor for the overall infertility for couples, our understanding of it is minimal. The objective of this exercise is to describe the meanings that men attach to their inability to reproduce and the conceptualisations of male infertility. A phenomenological approach has been used to analyse …

The Impact Of State Subsidies For Family Leave On Foster Care And Adoptions, Florence Neymotin

HCBE Faculty Articles

The present analysis explores the impact of changes to state-level benefits in New Jersey (2009), Rhode Island (2013), and California (2004) on the number of children in foster care or adoption systems. Data from the Children's Bureau are combined with Census population estimates to produce yearly per-capita measures of adoption and foster care during 2007-2016. The effects of state-level benefits related with those federally mandated by the Family Medical Leave Act on foster care and adoption are explored, with suggestions made for future policy and research into various kinds of support for individuals providing fostering and adoptive care.

Pathogen Transmission Techniques And Genotypic Resistance To Disease In The Threatened Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, Megan Bock

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Unprecedented population losses of the staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, since the 1970s have been attributed primarily to disease. Although a positive linear relationship between disease prevalence and increased water temperature has been described, the pathogen(s) causing disease and whether they are spread through the water or vectors is still poorly understood. Additionally, an increase in disease outbreaks and severity has provided an urgent need to identify natural genotypic resistance to disease in Caribbean acroporids. Studies to date have explored a variety of pathogen transmission methods, but prior to this study, there has been no examination of differences among common techniques. …

Identifying Disease-Resistant And Thermal-Tolerant Genotypes In The Threatened Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis, Morgan V. Hightshoe

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1970s, loss of herbivores, coral bleaching, pollution, and disease epidemics have reshaped the ecological framework of coral reefs. Staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, was a major reef-building scleractinian coral found throughout Florida and the Caribbean that experienced unprecedented population declines primarily due to disease and coral bleaching. These two stressors are coupled; the highest coral disease prevalence occurs after periods of thermal stress caused by increased sea surface temperature. Previous research documented three disease-resistant A. cervicornis genotypes in Panama, but it is unknown if disease-resistant genotypes exist in the Florida Keys. Thermal tolerance has been found to be …

The Current Volume 28: Issue 20, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Toxicological Effects Of Commercial Sunscreens On Coral Reef Ecosystems: New Protocols For Coral Restoration, Emilie C. Johnsen

HCNSO Student Capstones

The primary purpose of consumer-grade sunscreen is to protect skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. This market has grown during the past 80 years, and environmental contamination from increasing amounts of sunscreen compounds have created concern. In particular, impacts on ocean ecosystems have inspired investigations and toxicological research on their effects on marine life. Unfortunately, such studies using marine flora and fauna are scarce, and the impact of chemical exposure to consumer sunscreens is neither adequately measured nor completely understood. In a pilot study by the Coral Restoration Foundation, in situ toxicity exposure to 10 different brands of sunscreens …

Human Β-Defensin 1 And Β-Defensin 3 (Mouse Ortholog Mbd14) Function As Full Endogenous Agonists At Select Melanocortin Receptors, Mark D. Ericson, Anamika Singh, Srinivasa R. Tala, Erica M. Haslach, Marvin L. Dirain, Jay W. Schaub, Viktor Flores, Natalie Eick, Cody J. Lensing, Katie T. Freeman, Branden A. Smeester, Danielle N. Adank, Stacey L. Wilber, Robert Speth, Carrie Haskell-Luevano

HPD Articles

β-Defensin 3 (BD3) was identified as a ligand for the melanocortin receptors (MCRs) in 2007, although the pharmacology activity of BD3 has not been clearly elucidated. Herein, it is demonstrated that human BD3 and mouse BD3 are full micromolar agonists at the MCRs. Furthermore, mouse β-defensin 1 (BD1) and human BD1 are also MCR micromolar agonists. This work identifies BD1 as an endogenous MCR ligand and clarifies the controversial role of BD3 as a micromolar agonist.

Exploring The Teaching And Professional Development Experiences Of Adjunct Faculty, Denice Buxton

Theses and Dissertations

The heavy reliance on adjunct faculty has been a great benefit to institutions of higher education; however, it has also led to the problem of an undertrained and potentially untrained adjunct faculty workforce. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the teaching experiences of adjunct faculty at Florida colleges and to determine how their participation in orientation, mentoring, and professional development impacted their teaching efficacy. A further purpose of this study was to understand which factors helped improve teaching effectiveness. The research design for this study was an interpretative phenomenological analysis. This method was used to examine the …

The Current Volume 28: Issue 29, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.