Digital Commons Network^™

An Algebro-Geometric Approach To Reverse Engineering The Lac Operon In E. Coli, Priscila Reyes, Ly Nguyen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Discrete modeling of biological mechanisms such as the lac operon is crucial in giving us a thorough understanding of their function and the related control mechanisms. This, in turn, provides us with a deeper insight into the organisms that employ these biological mechanisms as a whole. In this work, we utilize certain techniques from algebraic geometry, such as Gröbner basis, to attain a polynomial representation of the lac operon in E. coli based on its required catalysts and environmental conditions. First, we construct a Boolean network and wiring diagram of the lac operon system in order to predict the status …

Attitudes Of Rural Ecuadorians Toward Conservation Of Species And Environmental Education, Amanda Craig

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The exploration of people's attitudes in regard to other animal species with whom they co-exist in a shared ecosystem is a key element necessary for the improvement of local and regional conservation initiatives. In Ecuador, species such as the jaguar (Panthera Onca) require vast ranges of tropical rain forest and stretches of riverbank in order to survive in the wild. Increasing numbers of people share the forest with jaguars and other species. Habitat destruction and conversion, hunting and the potential lack of knowledge regarding the species’ ecological role continue to influence the conservation efforts of these threatened large …

Can Affordable Housing Stimulate The Fort Lauderdale Economy?, Andrew Socarras

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not affordable housing can have a positive impact on the Fort Lauderdale economy and, if possible, to identify the methods on how to extract the most profitable outcomes for society. Many times, affordable housing is managed improperly and after only a matter of years is regarded by locals as the “projects” or “ghetto.” As a result, the neighborhoods that encompass these developments depreciate in value, impairing the local economy.

Fort Lauderdale has experienced a grown spurt within the past 5 years and is continuing to grow at a steady pace …

Don't Think It, Don't Do It: Controlling Executive Control, Karissa Delorme, Hannah Dean

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Self-control involves the ability to control immediate impulses and desires. According to the ego depletion model, self-control is a limited resource. Many studies have found that participants who perform a selfcontrol task show impaired performance on subsequent executive control tasks, such as those measuring working memory and attention. In this study, we hypothesized that individuals who perform a self-control task would subsequently demonstrate poorer inhibitory control as measured in a Stroop and stop signal task. Participants were first given instructions to list their daily activities for five minutes as they either attempted to not think about a white bear (self-control …

Dsc And Tga Analysis On 3-Flowable Dental-Light Cured Restorative Composite, Samon Nazemian

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Since their introduction in 1996, dental-light cured flowable composites have been used as restorative materials for filling and repairing minimally invasive cavities. They are commonly used because they are insoluble, aesthetic, insensitive to dehydration, easy to manipulate, and reasonably inexpensive. Various brands advertise multiple advantages and are comprised differently. One property prior flowable composites exhibited was a significant polymerization shrinkage, which makes it unsuitable for occlusal wear. In this project, we analyzed the marginal shrinkage and stability of three different types of composites: CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES Flow, Genesis Flowable Light Cure Composite, and GrandioSO Heavy Flow. The composites were cured …

Shifting Londoner Medical Practices In The Early 1800s: The Influence Of Paris Medicine, Aarabhi Rajagopal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For centuries, Western medicine has developed and flourished in the urban city of London, changing the dynamic between the practice and focus of medicine. This study aims to understand and compare the medical practices in London before and after the introduction of Paris medicine, examining the contributions Paris medicine made to create the “after” medical practices in London. Specifically, in the early 1800s, clinical medicine in London was profoundly affected by Paris medicine, a branch of clinical medicine that flourished in France in the late 1700s and early 1800s, leading to the innovation of medical practices currently in use today. …

Why Do Patients Who Are Going Blind Lose Their Blue Color Vision First?, Mariana Ferraz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a slowly progressive, inherited retinal degeneration affecting roughly 1 in 4000 people, typically resulting in a loss of peripheral and night vision, with most legally blind by age 40^[1] . RP is characterized by the apoptosis of retinal rods and cones (photoreceptors). Cones are responsible for central and color vision, while rods provide peripheral and nighttime vision. Over 20 years ago, it was reported that some RP patients initially lose short wavelength cones (i.e., s-cones for blueviolet colors; e.g., imagine a world in which shades of blue look grey), but no further research on this …

Antibacterial Activity Of Byoplanet's Advanced Oxidation Prototype, Karan Patel, Poorandai Sanicharran, Joanna Theodorou

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In today’s effort to improve public health, antimicrobials have been a key point of focus in reducing the spread of infectious disease. ByoPlanet, a total solutions provider for bringing advanced science for killing today’s germs, took on the challenge of developing new products for sanitation in its Advanced Oxidation Prototype. In this system, distilled water is exposed to UV light and infused with ozone. Our goal was to determine if the treated water exhibited antibacterial activity. Ten liters of distilled water was pumped through the Advanced Oxidation Prototype for 15 minutes. The treated water was applied to Escherichia coli or …

Modeling And Simulation Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Chemotaxis In Response To A Dynamic Engineered Bacteria, Divya Pandya

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Parasitic helminthes remain important causative agents of human, plant and animal diseases. Helminthes seek out food sources and navigate toward potential hosts using olfaction of simple chemical cues, a process called chemoattraction. While several studies have examined how nematodes, including Caenorhabditis elegans, behave in response to a chemoattractant, how the characteristics of the chemoattractant affect worm behavior has yet to explored. In this manuscript, we develop a mathematical model to examine how characteristics of common chemoattractants affect movement and behavior in the model nematode C. elegans. Specifically, we model a scenario where a toxic, engineered bacteria designed to …

Source Memory Recognition After A Distractor Task, Rajeev Jaundoo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Without the language to describe the objects and events in the environment, is it more difficult to encode memories of those objects and events? Based on our previous research, we expected better memory for objects we have the language to label. Specifically, in our study we examined the relationship between language and source memory. First, participants were presented the names of novel animals to learn. Participants were then asked to draw some of the animals they just learned, along with some novel animals as well. This exposed the participants to novel stimuli, but without any language or labels to describe …

14th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, presents student projects through presentations, papers, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments and independent projects. The projects do not have to be complete; presentations can represent any stage in the concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature review to fully …

Estimating Growth And Mortality In Elasmobranchs: Are We Doing It Correctly?, Brian J. Moe

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The instantaneous mortality rate (M) is an important parameter in elasmobranch management and conservation, but is difficult to estimate directly. Thus, indirect estimates based on relatively easily obtained life history parameters are commonly used. Many indirect methods incorporate one or more parameters from the von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM), which is often criticized for its inability to describe changes in growth associated with maturity. The Lester growth model (LGM) is a biphasic alternative to the VBGM that incorporates trade-offs between reproduction, growth, and survival, and may therefore more accurately estimate M. I used published data from 29 …

Using Visual Vignettes: My Learning To Date, Tricia L. Morrison

The Qualitative Report

Cancer survivors report a gap in work integration advice from healthcare professionals. This occurs despite physicians routinely providing comment upon survivors’ work abilities to insurers and employers. In order to understand the phenomena of survivors’ work integration from physicians’ perspectives, a vignette methodology was used. Vignettes were chosen as a means to explore physicians’ perspectives in a non-confrontational and sensitive manner. Vignettes, composed of photographs and narratives reflective of survivors’ lived experiences of work integration were presented to 10 physicians during individual interviews. In this manuscript, I outline my experience using vignettes, the learning I have achieved, and the modifications …

Positive Psychology’S Character Strengths In Addiction-Spirituality Research: A Qualitative Systematic Literature Review, Sahaya G. Selvam

The Qualitative Report

There is an increasing interest in the scientific study of the association between spirituality and recovery from addiction. While most of these studies have provided evidence for a possible relationship, others have explored the underlying mechanisms and meditators in the relationship. However, generally, many studies and reviews have not approached the issue within a specific theoretical framework of mainstream psychology. In an attempt to fill this gap, the review being reported here undertook a Qualitative Systematic Literature Review (QSLR) of addiction-spirituality literature. QSLR is an orderly manner of searching for academic literature, selecting relevant literature following a set of inclusion/exclusion …

Opening The Ears That Science Closed: Transforming Qualitative Data Using Oral Coding, James A. Bernauer

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this article is to describe an alternative method for transcribing and transforming (analyzing and interpreting) oral data collected from interviews. Rather than record and then immediately transcribe data, the “oral coding” approach relies on a Three-Phase Approach. Phase One involves extended and reflective listening to the original interview data. This extended time with data in its original oral form enables researchers to construct both propositional and tacit knowledge in relation to the phenomenon being investigated. Intensive encounters with the original data are continued during the Second Phase of analysis and interpretation by re-recording on another device those …

Com Outlook Spring 2015, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

Perspectives Volume 3: Number 1, Spring 2015, College Of Health Care Sciences

Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Relationships Between Physical Characteristics Of Recreational Runners And Lower Extremity Injuries, Steven Marc Jackson

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between anthropometric measurements, proximal and distal lower extremity muscle performance, core muscle endurance, lower extremity flexibility, and neuromuscular control with the incidence of injury in recreational runners over one season. Also, when a relationship was established, we sought to evaluate the predictive validity for any of the variables being investigated for risk of injury in this population. Study Design: Prospective cohort Methods: Anthropometric measurements, proximal and distal isometric lower extremity muscle performance, isometric core muscle endurance, lower extremity flexibility and neuromuscular control were measured in 75 recreational runners prior …

Usefulness Of The Managemed Screen (Mms) And The Screening For Self-Medication Safety Post Stroke (S5) For Assessing Medication Management Capacity For Clients Post-Stroke, Jessica J. Bolduc, Regula H. Robnett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Occupational therapists need to efficiently and accurately screen a client’s medication management capacity, especially for clients post-stroke. Most therapists are not aware of, nor do they utilize specific assessments for, medication management capacity. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the results of the ManageMed Screen (MMS), the Screening for Self-Medication Safety Post Stroke (S5), and the Montreal Assessment of Cognition (MoCA) on a population of rehabilitation clients post-stroke to determine the usefulness of the medication assessment tools in clinical practice. These screens were designed for use in occupational therapy practice among other healthcare professions: the MMS was …

Seasonal Warm-Water Refuge And Sanctuary Usage By The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In Kings Bay, Citrus County, Florida, Danielle C. Sattelberger

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The largest Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) aggregation at a natural warm-water refuge occurs in Kings Bay, Crystal River, FL. Over the last 32 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Florida have created a network of manatee protection areas within Kings Bay including a year-round refuge designation and seven Federal manatee sanctuaries during the winter manatee season (November 15 – March 31). Aerial survey data collected between 1983 and 2012 was used to examine the seasonal change in manatee distribution within Kings Bay in order to assess the effectiveness of current sanctuary sizes …

Land-Based Coral Nurseries: A Valuable Tool For Production And Transplantation Of Acropora Cervicornis, Keri L. O'Neil

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral nurseries have become a popular and successful method to produce coral fragments for reef-restocking and restoration projects worldwide. Numerous in-situ coral nurseries have been established and many studies have focused on the most effective way to produce coral fragments in offshore nurseries. In contrast, production of coral fragments in land-based nurseries is rarely studied despite a growing knowledge of coral husbandry and coral aquaculture. Little data exist on the success of tank-raised corals when transplanted back into reef environments. This thesis presents the results of a study designed to assess the use of land-based coral nurseries in production of …

Implementation Of An Exercise Program In Breast Cancer Rehabilitation To Improve Shoulder Outcomes: A Pilot Study, Dragana Ceprnja, Katherine Maka

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To examine the effects of a group exercise program on shoulder pain, disability, range of motion, and strength. Method: This was an observational study of twenty-six patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery and were receiving physiotherapy intervention. The intervention was a supervised 8-week exercise group program. The primary outcome measure was shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI). Secondary outcome measures were shoulder range of motion of flexion and abduction and strength of shoulder flexion and abduction. Results: The average age of patients referred to the group was 56-years (range of 29 to 71 years). The average time …

Affect And Online Privacy Concerns, David Charles Castano

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of affect on privacy concerns and privacy behaviors. A considerable amount of research in the information systems field argues that privacy concerns, usually conceptualized as an evaluation of privacy risks, influence privacy behaviors. However, recent theoretical work shows that affect, a pre-cognitive evaluation, has a significant effect on preferences and choices in risky situations. Affect is contrasted with cognitive issues in privacy decision making and the role of affective versus cognitive-consequentialist factors is reviewed in privacy context.

A causal model was developed to address how affect influences privacy concerns and …

Image Enhancement Of Cancerous Tissue In Mammography Images, Richard Thomas Richardson

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a framework for enhancing and analyzing time-sequenced mammographic images for detection of cancerous tissue, specifically designed to assist radiologists and physicians with the detection of breast cancer. By using computer aided diagnosis (CAD) systems as a tool to help in the detection of breast cancer in computed tomography (CT) mammography images, previous CT mammography images will enhance the interpretation of the next series of images. The first stage of this dissertation applies image subtraction to images from the same patient over time. Image types are defined as temporal subtraction, dual-energy subtraction, and Digital Database for Screening Mammography …

Usable Security Using Goms: A Study To Evaluate And Compare The Usability Of User Accounts On E-Government Websites, Amran Din

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

The term e-Government refers to providing citizens a series of services that can be conveniently conducted over the Internet. However, the potential to redefine and transform e-Government increasingly relies on citizens successfully establishing and managing a user account profile online. E-Government has not adequately addressed user-centric designs for social inclusion of all citizens on e-Government websites. There is a lack of research on the usability of user account management, and a clear lack of innovation in incorporating user-friendly authentication interfaces to accommodate a diverse user population given the wealth of existing research in web authentication techniques within Identity Management. The …

Nsu Sharks Rx - Spring 2015, College Of Pharmacy

NSU Sharks Rx

No abstract provided.

Origins Of An Unmarked Georgia Cemetery Using Ancient Dna Analysis, Andrew T. Ozga, Raul Y. Tito, Brian M. Kemp, Hugh Matternes, Alexandra J. Obregon-Tito, Leslie Neal, Cecil M. Lewis Jr.

Biology Faculty Articles

Determining the origins of those buried within undocumented cemeteries is of incredible importance to historical archaeologists and, in many cases, the nearby communities. In the case of Avondale Burial Place, a cemetery in Bibb County, Georgia, in use from 1820 to 1950, all written documentation of those interred within it has been lost. Osteological and archaeological evidence alone could not describe, with confidence, the ancestral origins of the 101 individuals buried there. In the present study, we used ancient DNA extraction methods in well-preserved skeletal fragments from 20 individuals buried in Avondale Burial Place to investigate the origins of the …

Air Displacement Plethysmography And Resistance Exercise, Joan Cebrick Grossman, Ronald W. Deitrick

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of resistance exercise (RE) on body composition using air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) within 2 hours of completing RE. Methods: Thirteen university students (9 males and 4 females; 18.8±0.5 yrs; mean ± SD) volunteered for this study. The RE program (55.4±8.7 min) consisted of a combination of upper- and lower-body extremity exercises and abdominal exercises for a total of nine different exercises. Relative body fat (BF) was assessed (1.76+0.4 hr) using ADP before and after the RE along with skinfold (SF) measures, body mass (BM) and respiratory quotient. Results …

Factors Of Stress, Burnout, And Frustrations Experienced By Athletic Training Students, Justin Mauzy, Thomas G. Bowman, Stephanie M. Mazerolle, Carrie L. Fister

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: College students are at a risk for increased levels of stress and burnout, and those enrolled in healthcare degree programs are more likely to experience higher levels due to balancing demanding roles. Our purpose was to assess sources of stress, burnout, and/or frustration in athletic training students (ATSs) of different academic standings. Methods: Data were collected through the use of an original, 33-question questionnaire. An inductive approach was used to analyze the data and multiple analyst triangulation and interpretive member checks were used to secure credibility. Results: 27 male and female ATSs from freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes …

Attitudes Of Paramedic Students Towards Specific Medical Conditions: A Four-Year Study, Brett A. Williams, Malcolm J. Boyle, Stuart Howard

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude of first year students entering a paramedic course over 4 consecutive yearly intakes toward patients with intellectual disability, substance abuse, attempted suicide, and acute mental illness. Method: The students’ attitude towards four medical conditions commonly encountered in the out-of-hospital setting was assessed using the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS). The MCRS score ranges from 11 to 66. Results: 230 students in Victoria, Australia, participated in the study; 66% were female, and 76% of all students < 21 years of age. Students showed the most negative attitudes towards substance abuse, mean 35(SD+6.6), and the most positive attitude toward intellectual disability, mean 38.2(SD+6.3). Students in 2008 cohort displayed significantly higher regard for all medical conditions (pConclusions: The study findings suggest that these students in Victoria, Australia, entering an undergraduate paramedic or paramedic/nursing course have a relatively poor attitude towards the four reviewed medical conditions, particularly substance abuse.