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The Dark Side Of Mind Wandering: Examining The Impact Of Emotionally Valenced Task Unrelated Thoughts On Working Memory, Audrey Hood, Samantha Gestido, Abraham Yacaman Apr 2015

The Dark Side Of Mind Wandering: Examining The Impact Of Emotionally Valenced Task Unrelated Thoughts On Working Memory, Audrey Hood, Samantha Gestido, Abraham Yacaman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Working memory (WM) is a dynamic system responsible for maintaining and processing information, and controlling attention (Engle & Kane, 2004). Although WM remains stable during adulthood, it is altered by a variety of factors including affect (Ilkowska & Engle, 2010). However, there remains debate regarding whether the impact of affect on working memory is driven by positive or negative affect. For instance, negative affect impairs WM performance due to increases in Task Unrelated Thoughts (TUTs; Curci, Lanciano, Soleti & Rime, 2013). High levels of TUTs reduce performance on a variety of cognitive functions, including sustained attention (McVay & Kane, 2009) …

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The Devil's Due, Ricardo Lugo Apr 2015

The Devil's Due, Ricardo Lugo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Devil’s Due” is a short film about a husband desperately trying to save his dying wife. He finds a solution, but what will he be willing to sacrifice? The film is written and directed by Ricardo Lugo. Other crew members and actors include Alex Lugo, Andrew McGarrett, Lauren McGarrett, Aaron M. Abelto, Laura Ten Zijthoff, and Addys M. Guerra.

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Temperature Dependent Variation In Self-Reported Contagious Yawning Within A Single Season, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti Apr 2015

Temperature Dependent Variation In Self-Reported Contagious Yawning Within A Single Season, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Previous cross-cultural research on humans has shown that self-reported contagious yawning frequency varies between distinct seasons and climate conditions. However, it remains possible that differences in yawning across seasons may be a result of physiological circadian changes across the year. In attempt to address this question, here we discuss the results of a study investigating the variation in the frequency of self-reported contagious yawning within a single season in one geographic location. A total of 142 pedestrians were recruited outdoors during an 18-day period over the summer in an equatorial monsoon climate in southern Florida, USA. Consistent with the thermoregulatory …

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The Function Of Yawning In Reducing Acute Hyperthermia Following Physiological Stressors, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti Apr 2015

The Function Of Yawning In Reducing Acute Hyperthermia Following Physiological Stressors, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The present study attempts to look at the extent to which yawning reduces stress induced acute hyperthermia. When stressed socially or physiologically, body temperature rises with the stressed subject experiencing acute hyperthermia, essentially inducing a brief fever. Thus, after the removal of the stress stimulus, body temperature should begin to decrease and return to baseline conditions, which may be achieved through various thermoregulatory mechanisms. One such mechanism is yawning. Yawning is a deep inhalation of air accompanied by rapid increases in blood flow around the face head and neck. As supported in recent research across a wide range of taxa, …

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The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Small Businesses Of Varying Sizes, Franklin Saunders Hiffernan Apr 2015

The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Small Businesses Of Varying Sizes, Franklin Saunders Hiffernan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Small businesses face many posing costs when conforming their entire insurance infrastructure to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. This survey of the literature includes key information on the implications of the ACA on small businesses, providing detailed cost and benefit potential over a range of circumstances. The purpose of this research was to open up the complicated text of the ACA itself and provide true to life situations where the implications can be visualized and better understood. Due to the complicated terminology of the ACA, many Americans are still improperly informed as to how the reform will take …

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The Potential Effects Of Caffeine, Energy Drinks, And Alcoholic Drinks On Gene Expression Using The Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) Model System, Amal Bhullar, Ashley Chang-Story Apr 2015

The Potential Effects Of Caffeine, Energy Drinks, And Alcoholic Drinks On Gene Expression Using The Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) Model System, Amal Bhullar, Ashley Chang-Story

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Especially while in college, young people are supplementing their diets with various additives including caffeine in the forms of pills and energy drinks, in addition to consuming alcoholic beverages. This project aims to investigate the effects of three concentrations (low, medium, and high) of various caffeinated and alcoholic dietary additives/beverages on gene expression. Since yeast share approximately 30% of their genome with humans several conserved genes belonging to various functional groups (digestion, cell cycle, ion channel, molecular chaperone, kinases and transcription) were selectively targeted in this study. High, medium and low concentrations of caffeine tablets, energy drinks (Red Bull energy …

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Understanding The Mysteries Of African Ancestry Along My Maternal Lineage, Natalie Negrón Apr 2015

Understanding The Mysteries Of African Ancestry Along My Maternal Lineage, Natalie Negrón

Undergraduate Student Symposium

People have often been interested in their ancestral roots, and the ability to document ancestry via the use of genetic tools has never been greater and more economical. Inspired by the Human Genographic Project, the purpose of this study was to better understand the historical links connecting African ancestry to Puerto Rican individuals along their maternal lineage. Previous research had shown that the researcher’s maternal ancestry was linked to Haplogroup L1, which is one of the human subpopulations to have more recently migrated from Africa. For this project, DNA samples were collected from cheek swabs of both the researcher and …

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Viral Videos: Random Phenomena Or Reproducible Templates?, Marisa Oleski Apr 2015

Viral Videos: Random Phenomena Or Reproducible Templates?, Marisa Oleski

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of the passage of policies that regulate physician assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands. In the case of Oregon, data was collected from the Oregon State Health Department and was used to identify the number of participants, demographics, and number of deaths as a result of physician assisted suicide. In the case of the Netherlands, data was collected from a Dutch online publication known as Statline and supplementary information was gathered from an evaluation titled “Law Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide”, which was done with the …

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Water-A Source Of Life And Disease: The Evolution Of Water Quality In London, Lisa Marie Pace Apr 2015

Water-A Source Of Life And Disease: The Evolution Of Water Quality In London, Lisa Marie Pace

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research was to explore the many impacts and changes that have occurred over time due to the quality of water, and the introduction of public sewer systems. This research begins historically in the city of London, focusing on the Thames River, public wells, and the many rivers that provided a source of water to the citizens of London and branches out into modern day water quality in London. If clean water was made accessible to the citizens of London previously many epidemic diseases, such as Cholera, could have been avoided. By providing clean water many lives …

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What Has Been The Impact Of The Passage Of Policies That Regulate Physician Assisted Suicide In Oregon And The Netherlands?, Chantel Grant Apr 2015

What Has Been The Impact Of The Passage Of Policies That Regulate Physician Assisted Suicide In Oregon And The Netherlands?, Chantel Grant

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of the passage of policies that regulate physician assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands. In the case of Oregon, data was collected from the Oregon State Health Department and was used to identify the number of participants, demographics, and number of deaths as a result of physician assisted suicide. In the case of the Netherlands, data was collected from a Dutch online publication known as Statline and supplementary information was gathered from an evaluation titled “Law Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide”, which was done with the …

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Why Do Patients Who Are Going Blind Lose Their Blue Color Vision First?, Mariana Ferraz Apr 2015

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 …

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A Guide To Exoplanets: Observed Properties, Classification, And Habitability Of Alien Worlds, Rosario Echeguren Apr 2015

A Guide To Exoplanets: Observed Properties, Classification, And Habitability Of Alien Worlds, Rosario Echeguren

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We present a study of exoplanets. Exoplanets are planets orbiting not our sun but other host stars. The thousands of known exoplanets are extremely diverse in terms of mass, orbit, and host-star type. This study will examine the physical properties of exoplanets and their characterization, as well as exoplanetary habitability through the lens of the emerging discipline of astrobiology. The goal of this study is to create a guidebook, which will act as a unique and engaging reference guide for future space travelers.

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Attractiveness Perception And The Influence Of Mate Availability, Ashley Stelmaszek, Mariah Chadukiewicz Apr 2015

Attractiveness Perception And The Influence Of Mate Availability, Ashley Stelmaszek, Mariah Chadukiewicz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Psychological studies on the perception of facial attractiveness have shown that attractiveness perception can be influenced by nonphysical factors, such as relationship status and limited or plentiful availability in the mating pool (Kniffin, K; Wilson, D, 2004), (Madey, 1996). The focus of the present study is to examine perception of physical attractiveness when presented with a manipulated verbal cue that gives an illusion of either a limited or plentiful population of mates. We want to determine if the participants will adjust their perceptions of physical attractiveness when it is implied that there is a limited selection of mates. We hypothesize …

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Changes In Population Densities Of Porties Sverdrupi, An Endemic Coral Of The Sw Gulf Of California, Stephan J. Robson Apr 2015

Changes In Population Densities Of Porties Sverdrupi, An Endemic Coral Of The Sw Gulf Of California, Stephan J. Robson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

At Isla Catalana in the SW Gulf of California, Mexico an endemic coral species Porites sverdrupi lives unattached within rhodolith beds. Very little biological and ecological information is known about this species. Where previously described, Porites sverdrupi was found as widely scattered colonies in very low densities (0.0038%). Random walk quadrat sampling was done with a primarily monospecific aggregation of P. sverdrupi. Twenty five (½m x ½m) photo quadrats obtained in August 2014 were analyzed using CPCe software and compared to values in 40 quadrats from 2011. The number of colonies per square meter significantly increased from 54.7 in …

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Source Memory Recognition After A Distractor Task, Rajeev Jaundoo Apr 2015

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 …

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Flings And Things: The Effects Of Men's Tattoos And Companions On Women's Short- And Long-Term Romantic Interests, Tair Dar Perl, Fanny Shuster Apr 2015

Flings And Things: The Effects Of Men's Tattoos And Companions On Women's Short- And Long-Term Romantic Interests, Tair Dar Perl, Fanny Shuster

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Women use available cues to determine men’s fitness as long and short term mates. Previous studies have shown that men with tattoos are perceived as more dominant and prone to risk taking. In study 1, women rated men who were electronically manipulated to either have or not have visible tattoos. We hypothesize that tattooed men will be preferred for short-term mating strategies, but less-preferred for long-term mating. Further, a woman’s impression of a taken man includes pre-conceived assumptions that he has compelling qualities as a potential mate. These impressions, however, may be attenuated by how attractive the man’s romantic partner …

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Journey Of A Thousand Miles, Cerone White Apr 2015

Journey Of A Thousand Miles, Cerone White

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Journey of a Thousand Miles” is a short documentary film about two gay African-American men who have been living with HIV for over 30 years combined. This documentary will serve to highlight the journey of these two men, focusing on their triumphs and struggles endured when they were first diagnosed. This film will also take us on a journey documenting the progress on the HIV/AIDS epidemic then and now, examining how far we as a society have travelled over time. The hope for this film is to shine a spotlight on men who are HIV-positive and living life to the …

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Retention Of Enzymatic Activity Of A Proteinase K-Peg Silica Nanoparticle Conjugate For Use On A Biomedical Point Of Care Device, Nicholas Ledra Apr 2015

Retention Of Enzymatic Activity Of A Proteinase K-Peg Silica Nanoparticle Conjugate For Use On A Biomedical Point Of Care Device, Nicholas Ledra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We wish to report the successful assembly of a nanoparticle silica with proteinase K enzyme using a PEG bridge. The bridge is a hetero-bi-functional activated material which reacts with free amino groups on one end (SVA) and Sulfydryl groups on the other (MAL). This 20,000 molecular weight cross linker was selected to allow for the retention of enzymatic activity.

The nanoparticles that were created are intended for use in clinical diagnostic devices, such that the enzyme is active on large substrates and can be immobilized according to device architecture. We report here that the enzymatic activity of this nanoparticle silica …

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Morphological Variation Of The Penis And Cirral As Well As Potential Denticulated Bristle Function In The Barnacle, Chthamalus Stellatus, Dan Schneck Apr 2015

Morphological Variation Of The Penis And Cirral As Well As Potential Denticulated Bristle Function In The Barnacle, Chthamalus Stellatus, Dan Schneck

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Many barnacles have phenotypically plastic cirri and penises. We studied this ability in Chthamalus stellatus over a range of wave exposure, height and population density along the John U. Lloyd State Park jetty. We also examined specialized, serrated bristles found on the cirri to determine functionality of these bristles, as well as to document any variation. We observed no meaningful variation in penis or cirrus morphology with wave exposure, height or crowding. However both correlate with body size, which is greatest in the middle of their vertical range. Barnacles in the middle of their vertical range also had more denticulate …

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Neural Stem Cell Proliferation, Differentiation, And Survival In Response To At1 And At2 Angiotensin Ii Receptor-Specific Agonism, Puja Patel, Sujay Kamisetty, Brigitte Blanco, Leena Couling Apr 2015

Neural Stem Cell Proliferation, Differentiation, And Survival In Response To At1 And At2 Angiotensin Ii Receptor-Specific Agonism, Puja Patel, Sujay Kamisetty, Brigitte Blanco, Leena Couling

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Major components of the brain Renin‐Angiotensin System may provide modes of therapy for impaired neurons. Angiotensin II via its receptors, AT1 and AT2, induces proliferation and differentiation of rodent neural stem cells. This study was undertaken to determine if AT1 and AT2 receptor stimulation by Angiotensin II induces proliferation and differentiation of human neural stem cells (hNSC). This study will assess whether selective agonism of AT1 and AT2 receptors on hNSC could possibly induce proliferation and differentiation in damaged areas of the brain caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, and several neurodegenerative diseases in a therapeutic manner. Using hNSC, this …

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A Comparative Study Of Microorganism Populations From Storm Water Treatment Areas And Select South Florida Locations, Sabina Joseph, Tamara Gali Apr 2015

A Comparative Study Of Microorganism Populations From Storm Water Treatment Areas And Select South Florida Locations, Sabina Joseph, Tamara Gali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) faculty and students are collaborating with Yale University to discover novel antibiotics produced by soil dwelling microorganisms. Pathogens responsible for many hospital-acquired infections are increasingly resistant to several antibiotics, driving the need for novel antibiotics. Antibiotic producing microorganisms present in soils should change with the concentrations of nutrients found in the soil or interstitial water in soils. To test this hypothesis, we screened for bacteria in samples from nutrient-poor soils in Davie and nutrient-rich soils in storm water treatment areas (STAs) in the Everglades. Soil samples were obtained, serially diluted and then plated on different media. …

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A Day In The Life Of Elvis, Angie Ballesteros Apr 2015

A Day In The Life Of Elvis, Angie Ballesteros

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“A Day in the Life of Elvis” is a short film about a Dachshund dog named Elvis, and his everyday life as a canine. The film follows Elvis from the time he wakes up until he goes to bed. Elvis is a very active dog and loves to play around with his owner. Elvis maintains a healthy life by venturing into the backyard with his owner Dyane, which is where the majority of the film takes place. The film is directed by Angie Ballesteros. Other crew members and actors include Dyane Ballesteros, Stephen Rafferty, Tyler Lindauer, and Elvis the dog.

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Antibacterial Activity Of Byoplanet's Advanced Oxidation Prototype, Karan Patel, Poorandai Sanicharran, Joanna Theodorou Apr 2015

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 …

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Changes In Coral Cover (Diaseris Distorta) At Isla Catalana, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Kyle Nixon Apr 2015

Changes In Coral Cover (Diaseris Distorta) At Isla Catalana, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Kyle Nixon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Diaseris distorta is a free-living fungiid coral that typically inhabits dense rhodolith beds in the SW Gulf of California where they are often overlooked in this atypical coral habitat. Diaseris distorta ranges throughout the Indo-West Pacific, however the study site at Isla Catalana is its northern-most limit within the Eastern Pacific. On four dates, June 2008, November 2009, July 2010, and August 2014, population density and mean size were documented. Each survey obtained 30 randomly placed ½ x ½ meter photo quadrats. Live coral presence in each quadrat was quantified using CPCe software, then analyzed for differences using a Kruskal …

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Shifting Londoner Medical Practices In The Early 1800s: The Influence Of Paris Medicine, Aarabhi Rajagopal Apr 2015

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. …

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Walking With Liz, Paola Zaidi Apr 2015

Walking With Liz, Paola Zaidi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Walking with Liz” is a short film documentary about Elizabeth Burbano, an NSU student with a physical disability. Liz´s life has been an arduous journey to overcome the challenges posed by her disability. However, the surgeries, therapies and pain she has had to endure have not been able to slow her down on the road to achieving her dreams. The documentary is directed by Paola Zaidi.

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Wildfires, Fireworks, And Air Quality: Episodic Events With Impactful Consequences, Aarabhi Rajagopal Apr 2015

Wildfires, Fireworks, And Air Quality: Episodic Events With Impactful Consequences, Aarabhi Rajagopal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study aims to identify and quantify the impact of episodic pollution sources, in particular fireworks and wildfire, on the air quality and public health in South Florida. Specifically, two case studies demonstrated the critical impact of episodic events on the regional air quality with long-range and/or regional transport of air parcels. In May 2007, the infamous Bugaboo Scrub Fire at the Florida-Georgia border generated a substantial amount of smoke, significantly increasing the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM 2.5). Detailed meteorological analyses, such as NOAA’s HYSPLIT trajectory modeling, showed that certain wind conditions carried the smoke plume over 400 …

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Women Of The 1950s: American Housewives And The Outrageous Expectations, Jordyn Hughes Apr 2015

Women Of The 1950s: American Housewives And The Outrageous Expectations, Jordyn Hughes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The 1950’s was a time when companies took advantage of the sexist and domesticated view that society had on women, they began aiming their advertisements at women and how products would help them please their husbands. These advertisements made people believe they would not be happy or comfortable without the product shown.

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14th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College Apr 2015

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 …

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Nsu Sharks Rx - Spring 2015, College Of Pharmacy Apr 2015

Nsu Sharks Rx - Spring 2015, College Of Pharmacy

NSU Sharks Rx

No abstract provided.

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