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Science And Activism: Overcoming Stereotypes, Alexis Good, Kathleen Taylor Apr 2016

Science And Activism: Overcoming Stereotypes, Alexis Good, Kathleen Taylor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There is a rift between environmentalists and environmental scientists brought on by societal stereotypes (Sissenwine). Environmentalists strive to advocate for environmental change; however, when they are defined by their stereotypes, their political movements are minimized by society so that they are no longer effective (Bashir). Environmental scientists often disengage from environmentalists because they do not want to obtain the associated stereotypes of these activists (Bashir). This is problematic because it prevents knowledgeable individuals from coming together in order to address the larger environmental problems in society (Castano, Paladino, et al). Therefore we will provide solutions that will allow environmentalists to …

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Selective Stimulation Of At2 Angiotensin Ii Receptor Subtype Increases Neural Stem Cell Proliferation, Nadia A. Siddiqi, Brigitte Blanco, Leena Couling Apr 2016

Selective Stimulation Of At2 Angiotensin Ii Receptor Subtype Increases Neural Stem Cell Proliferation, Nadia A. Siddiqi, Brigitte Blanco, Leena Couling

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Angiotensin II is a potent hormone in the renin-angiotensin system that regulates blood pressure through vasoconstriction. Altered levels of angiotensin II has been linked to several diseases, such as kidney disease and stroke. The angiotensin II receptors, AT1 and AT2, have a similar affinity for angiotensin II. The AT1 receptor is found in heart, blood vessels, kidneys, lungs, and brain. The AT2 receptor is abundant in the fetus and neonate, but has a controversial role in the adult. Recently, the AT1 and AT2 receptors were found to be expressed in neural stem cells. As neural stem cells have a demonstrated …

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The 'Triangle' Formula: A Role And Play Option Analysis Of The Triple-Post Offense, Tiffany Kelly Apr 2016

The 'Triangle' Formula: A Role And Play Option Analysis Of The Triple-Post Offense, Tiffany Kelly

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The triple-post offense, widely known as the triangle offense, has been accredited for producing 11 NBA championships, but has vanished from the league since the absence of all-time winningest coach, Phil Jackson, pre ‘14-‘15 season. With his return, there has been much interest in the offensive system and its functionality. However, there are more questions than answers surrounding the triangle offense when validating the reason for its success. Excluding the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks in the current league season (’15-’16), the offense stands untouched by many teams due to the confusion in how it operates. This research …

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The Effect Of Financial Hardships On Mental Health, Nekoro Reid Apr 2016

The Effect Of Financial Hardships On Mental Health, Nekoro Reid

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper will explore the role of financial resources, or lack thereof, on mental health. Specifically, it will examine the relationship between family structure (single parent and two parent homes) and financial resources on parental mental health. The results of this paper will provide a better understanding of the impact of financial strain and hardship on single parents, especially single mothers. It will also assist in informing the relevant national agencies that strategies for debt resolution need to be implemented on a national level in order to provide single parents with the resources that they need to thrive financially. This …

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The Effect Of Y15 And Curcumin On The Ovarian Cancer Cell Line Ovcar3, Nicole Coelho, Amanda Ramnot Apr 2016

The Effect Of Y15 And Curcumin On The Ovarian Cancer Cell Line Ovcar3, Nicole Coelho, Amanda Ramnot

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Curcumin gives turmeric, a spice derived from Curcuma longa, its yellow color. Previous studies have reported that curcumin inhibits the proliferation of multiple cancer cell types, including ovarian, pulmonary, brain, and breast cancer through various pro-apoptotic mechanisms. In advanced ovarian cancer, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed and contributes to cancer aggression and resistance. 1,2,4,5-benzene tetraamine tetrahydrochloride (Y15) is an inhibitor of FAK and combining it with curcumin shows promise in reducing the FAK activity in ovarian cancer. Therefore, in the current study, the cytotoxic effect of Y15 and curcumin in combination and alone on the …

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The Impact Of Gender Inequality On Earnings Of Women In Stem Fields: Historical Evidence And Possible Solutions, Matthew Hoy, Teodora Suciu Apr 2016

The Impact Of Gender Inequality On Earnings Of Women In Stem Fields: Historical Evidence And Possible Solutions, Matthew Hoy, Teodora Suciu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study examines the current gender inequality in STEM fields, as well as its causes and some possible solutions. STEM–also known as the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math–are heavily male-dominated fields. The matter of gender inequality in these fields begins with gender separation during childhood and continues to the issue of the pay gap during adulthood. It is proven that currently women generate less capital than males in the same position in STEM fields, leading to a harsh divide between genders. Recent and relevant studies describing the statistics and explaining the reasons behind these gender and pay gaps …

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The Impact Of Social Media On Small And Medium Businesses, Albert Baldoni Apr 2016

The Impact Of Social Media On Small And Medium Businesses, Albert Baldoni

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In the past few years, social media’s popularity has increased exponentially. Its fundamental uses were for entertainment, but as it evolved, it became a greater part of everyone’s lives; including businesses. This analysis takes a look at the impact of social media and networking on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). First the characteristics of businesses adopting social media will be analyzed to see what factors promote its adoption. These aspects are grouped into the three main categories of organizational, manager, and environmental. Then, the impact of social media adding value to a company through branding will be looked at. This …

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The Impact Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On Businesses And The American Workforce, Shona Joseph Apr 2016

The Impact Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On Businesses And The American Workforce, Shona Joseph

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or PPACA has caused many changes that have affected both businesses and employees. Many businesses have lost profits because they had to provide insurance for their workers. Thus, some businesses have changed their organization structures in order to combat mandates from the PPACA. First, businesses have cut down the number of employees working for their firm in order to have fewer than fifty workers. When a business is under fifty employees, it is considered a small business allowing it the right to legally not have to provide health insurance for its workers. Secondly, …

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Urbanization Effects On Size And Fecundity Of Nephila Clavipes, Jake Ripp Apr 2016

Urbanization Effects On Size And Fecundity Of Nephila Clavipes, Jake Ripp

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Typically, urbanization leads to habitat destruction and negative effects on the success of native species, however generalist predators like spiders may be exploiting these areas. Urban habitats tend to be warmer (due to the heat island effect), harbor an abundance of light attracted prey species and contain reduced densities of large native predators (bats and birds) when compared to natural areas. These attributes may provide Nephila clavipes, the Golden Orb Weaver, with an optimal habitat which enhances their overall productivity. I examined the effects of increasing levels of urbanization on body size and fecundity of N. clavipes. I …

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Using Engineered Bacteria To Explore Biological Invasions, Josue Conde, Neil Thackar Apr 2016

Using Engineered Bacteria To Explore Biological Invasions, Josue Conde, Neil Thackar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

One critical ecological challenge is to circumvent invasion from non-indigenous organisms. Studying the factors that affect the ability of a non-indigenous species to colonize and spread into a new territory is very challenging due to multiple confounding factors. Synthetic biology is often not subject to these confounds, and thus we utilize it to explore factors that allow invasive species to successfully invade a new area. Specifically, we use engineered bacteria that are programmed to have an Allee effect, a fundamental growth dynamic that is observed in most invasive species. Using these bacteria, we take a two-pronged approach. First, we examine …

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Working Memory Capactiy And The Benefits Of Mental Imagery Practice On A Ring Toss Game, Kavan Thompson Apr 2016

Working Memory Capactiy And The Benefits Of Mental Imagery Practice On A Ring Toss Game, Kavan Thompson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this experiment was to investigate how individual differences in working memory capacity affected an individuals’ ability to benefit from mental imaging. The main hypothesis for the experiment was that individuals with higher working memory capacity would benefit more from mental practice than individuals with lower working memory capacity. Subjects were placed in either a mental and physical practice group or a physical practice only group. The mental/physical practice group practiced a ring toss game for three minutes, then had five minutes of mentally visualizing a 25-point toss, followed by another two minutes of physical practice. The physical …

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Fighting Thyroid Cancer, Rosie Khachatryan Apr 2016

Fighting Thyroid Cancer, Rosie Khachatryan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Fighting Thyroid Cancer” is a short film about my experience with thyroid cancer. The film was created to raise awareness regarding this kind of cancer, because it can go unnoticed for many years. With the use of my real life experience, as well as interviews from people close to me that have gone through the same things, I hope to help people with this disease know that it can get better. I want to encourage others to ask their doctor to see if they might have this disease, because I had no idea. The film is directed by Rosie Khachatryan.

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Recovery Of Larval Strongylid Nematodes From Raccoon, Procyon Lotor, Hema Narlapati, Rebekah St. Godard Apr 2016

Recovery Of Larval Strongylid Nematodes From Raccoon, Procyon Lotor, Hema Narlapati, Rebekah St. Godard

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A major challenge in the development of biocontrol methods targeting intestinal helminths is the lack of readily available strongylid experimental models that are also noninfective to humans. Noninfectivity to humans (and other nontarget organisms) is an important criterion for such models as this allows them to be used experimentally with minimal biosecurity measures, in standard laboratory settings. Preliminary laboratory work on raccoon feces in the context of an undergraduate parasitology course indicated that local raccoons are host to a specialist strongylid, Arthrocephalus lotoris, which only infects raccoons and skunks. Athrocephalus does not directly penetrate into its host, but must …

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Analyzing South Florida's Waterways For Lead Contamination, Megan Bruce Apr 2016

Analyzing South Florida's Waterways For Lead Contamination, Megan Bruce

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Periodic testing and analysis for lead contamination in surface waters is important to better prevent tragedies like the one currently happening in Flint, Michigan. For this project, water samples will be taken from various locations in South Florida, and the locations will be recorded using GPS coordinates listed as degrees, minutes, and seconds. The samples will then be analyzed for lead concentration using an Atomic Absorption Flame Spectrometer; the vales will be recorded in ppm. Finally, the concentrations of lead from environments that have little to no development will be compared to that of urban and rural locations. This type …

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Fighting Antibiotic Resistance By Encouraging Bacteria To Cheat, Uzair Mohammed, Tom Abraham, Khadija Chowdhury Apr 2016

Fighting Antibiotic Resistance By Encouraging Bacteria To Cheat, Uzair Mohammed, Tom Abraham, Khadija Chowdhury

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a significant public health concern. Some bacteria degrade penicillinderived antibiotics by expressing the enzyme beta-lactamase. This provides protection for the entire colony, creating an incentive for other bacteria to “cheat” by benefiting from the enzyme without incurring the resource costs associated with producing it. It may seem that this free-rider problem would prevent cooperation from arising within an evolutionary framework, but many instances have been described in nature. Previous research has shown that the expected outcome is a coexistence between cooperators and cheaters, with the group becoming increasingly susceptible to eradication as the fraction of …

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Isolation Of Antibiotic Producing Microorganisms From Various Soil: The Everglades, Davie, And West Palm Beach, Antonina Bukatevych, Taura Khorramshahi, Nick Morgan Apr 2016

Isolation Of Antibiotic Producing Microorganisms From Various Soil: The Everglades, Davie, And West Palm Beach, Antonina Bukatevych, Taura Khorramshahi, Nick Morgan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Small World Initiative is combating the decrease in antibiotic effectiveness. The majority of antibiotics in current use originate from soil dwelling bacteria. The soil samples were obtained from The Everglades, West Palm Beach, and Davie. After these soil samples were collected, they were serially diluted and plated to isolate bacteria. Isolated bacteria from the diluted plates were tested against tester strains to determine if a zone of inhibition was present. Isolates that presented of zone of inhibition were further characterized via Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) Analysis to identify the genus of the bacteria. We have also identified …

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Measuring The Time Diffusion Of A Colored Gas In A Small Enclosed Container, Fernando Reachy-Guadarrama Apr 2016

Measuring The Time Diffusion Of A Colored Gas In A Small Enclosed Container, Fernando Reachy-Guadarrama

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The diffusion time measurement of colored gases in closed containers is extremely important for many experiments in chemistry. For example, we used the diffusion time (Δt) of iodine in air -inside a closed container- to calculate the free mean path (λ) of molecules by using the relation λ = (Srms)2/(≺υ≻δt); here ≺υ≻ is the average molecular speed of the gas and Srms can be reasonably estimate to be one-half of the predetermine height that the gas has to reach. The usual method to measure Δt for a vertically upward …

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Quick Contrast Sensitivity Function Testing In Adults Without Ocular Disease And Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa, Manonmani Murugappan Apr 2016

Quick Contrast Sensitivity Function Testing In Adults Without Ocular Disease And Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa, Manonmani Murugappan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The objective was to determine the reliability and range of results for area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) measures obtained with the quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) test in adults without eye disease and those with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Nineteen RP patients and 39 adults with normal visual acuity (VA better than 20/25) and no ocular disease repeated qCSF testing at two sessions within ~1 week binocularly and monocularly, as well as with a NoIR 4% transmission filter to simulate low illumination in the eye with better VA for normals and binocularly for RP patients. Compared to younger …

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Shedding Light On Banana Spiders In Urban Habitats, Ashley Lonergan Apr 2016

Shedding Light On Banana Spiders In Urban Habitats, Ashley Lonergan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Banana Spider, Nephila clavipes, is the largest non-tarantula spider species and commonly colonizes urban habitats. This species is an orb weaver, relying on trapping aerial prey in its large vertically oriented webs. Many nocturnally active insects are attracted to light sources found throughout urbanized areas. I hypothesize N. clavipes exposed to higher light levels in urban areas will be larger than individuals in darker natural areas. Forty nine spiders were observed and recorded; twenty four in natural areas and twenty-five in urban areas. For each spider the following was recorded: GPS coordinates, web height and diameter, size of …

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Synthesis And Chracterization Of Bipyridine Bridged Iron-Ruthenium Photosensitizing Complexes, Safiyah Muhammad Apr 2016

Synthesis And Chracterization Of Bipyridine Bridged Iron-Ruthenium Photosensitizing Complexes, Safiyah Muhammad

Undergraduate Student Symposium

New bimetallic and polymetallic ruthhenium and iron complexes with bridging bipyridines have been synthesized and characterized by NMR, IR, electrochemistry, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. These complexes are: Rc(bipy)2Rc, Rc(bipy)2,Fc, and Ru(bipy-Fc2)3, where Rc = ruthenocene, Fc = ferrocene, and bipy = 2,2-bipyridine. The electrochemical behavior of the complexes reveal strong electronic communication between ruthenium and iron transmitted through the bipyridine bridges. These can be used as building blocks for the design of luminescent and redox-reactive species containing a higher number of metal centers. The complexes as well as analogs can prove useful as …

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Adenosine Deaminase Associates With Self-Reported State Anxiety And Evening Melatonin Levels, Franklin Hiffernan Apr 2016

Adenosine Deaminase Associates With Self-Reported State Anxiety And Evening Melatonin Levels, Franklin Hiffernan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Increased adenosine levels throughout the day promote sleepiness; this chemical is broken down by the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ADA gene (rs73598374) has been shown to affect sleep regulation. This ADA SNP substitutes a G allele with an A allele, thus reducing ADA enzymatic activity and resulting in higher adenosine levels. Consistent with the idea that adenosine promotes sleepiness, carriers of the A allele show elevated sleep pressure and increased EEG measures of deep (delta) sleep. Aside from these findings, the extent to which lower ADA enzymatic activity is associated with the homeostatic …

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Blood Flow Modeling In The Human Carotid Artery Bifurcation, Ly Nguyen Apr 2016

Blood Flow Modeling In The Human Carotid Artery Bifurcation, Ly Nguyen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study focuses on the behavior of the blood flow in the human carotid artery bifurcation, such as blood velocity and pressure. This provides a deeper insight into how blood flow impacts the development of the common arterial disease, atherosclerosis. The blood flow is modeled by the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations. With the assumption that blood is Newtonian fluid, the Carreau model is applied. The commercial computational fluid dynamic code called FLUENT performs the simulations in this study. The arterial bifurcation geometries are examined and analyzed in both twodimensional and three-dimensional systems. Finally, the comparison between the dimensions is expected …

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Biosorption Of Metal Ions By Neochloris Minuta And Neochloris Alveolaris Alga Grown In Regular And Nitrogen Depleted Media, Sara Rodriguez Apr 2016

Biosorption Of Metal Ions By Neochloris Minuta And Neochloris Alveolaris Alga Grown In Regular And Nitrogen Depleted Media, Sara Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Heavy metals are the most hazardous pollutants present in industrial and domestic waste water. The conventional methods for metal ions removal from wastewater are limited by technical and economical barriers, especially when concentration of metals in the wastewater is low (<100 ppm). Therefore the search and development of efficient and low-cost metal removal processes is of great importance. In this research project, two strains of algae Neochloris minuta and Neochloris alveolaris were grown in two different growth media: one with high nitrogen content (+N) and the other which was completely nitrogen depleted (-N). Nitrogen depletion increases the algal lipid content whereas a +N media would allow for the algae to synthesize more proteins. The dried algae strains were then mixed for 1 hour with metal …

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Bacterial Analysis Of Skin Flora On Hands Throughout The Day, Leonor Sarria Apr 2016

Bacterial Analysis Of Skin Flora On Hands Throughout The Day, Leonor Sarria

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project was part of an investigative report for Al Rojo Vivo’s “Amenaza Escondida” (“Hidden Threats”) on Telemundo. The television network’s team followed an individual as he carried on his daily activities. A sterile swab was used to test the objects being touched by the individual, as well as the individual’s hands after touching that object. The samples were placed on a nutrient agar plate and brought to us for incubation at 37 °C overnight. The goal of this study was to identify the bacterial changes on the hands of an individual as he goes about his daily activities. A …

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Changes In Coral (Pocillopora Damicornis) Population Structure In Concha De Perla Lagoon, Isabela Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Alexander Pich Apr 2016

Changes In Coral (Pocillopora Damicornis) Population Structure In Concha De Perla Lagoon, Isabela Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Alexander Pich

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Elevated sea surface temperatures associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can severely impact coral populations in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. During the 1982-83 event, 95-99% of reefbuilding corals bleached and died. This study examines if the onset of the 2015-2016 ENSO affected the important reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis. The largest known population of this species in the Islands is found in the Concha de Perla lagoon on Isabela Island. It was first surveyed in 2012 and was visited again in 2015 to determine if colony size and coral condition (bleaching, paling, or mortality) changed. Underwater photographs were quantified for …

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Defining Success: Developing An Effective Grassroots Mobilization Strategy, Nucleus Shelton Apr 2016

Defining Success: Developing An Effective Grassroots Mobilization Strategy, Nucleus Shelton

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The ability of citizens to petition elected officials for the purpose of redressing grievances are essential tenets to any functioning democracy. This research focuses on examining the divergent political outcomes of the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement. The research seeks to understand why was one able to produce viable political candidates and gain considerable influence over the American political system, while the other withered away into the history of American politics. The researcher emphasizes different aspects of grassroots politics including framing, organizational structure, and resource mobilization. The research is conducted as a qualitative empirical …

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Detection Of Lagenidium Giganteum In Plant Axil Metagenomes, Paula Leoro Garzon, Andrew Gonedes, Gregory Edwards, Isabel Olivera Apr 2016

Detection Of Lagenidium Giganteum In Plant Axil Metagenomes, Paula Leoro Garzon, Andrew Gonedes, Gregory Edwards, Isabel Olivera

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The entomopathogenic oomycete Lagenidium giganteum is known to infect and kill mosquito larvae and therefore has been seen as a potential biological control agent against disease vector mosquitoes. Phylogenetic analyses have consistently demonstrated that L. giganteum is a close relative to plant pathogens (Phytophthora and Pythium spp.). In addition, a recent transcriptome analysis showed that L. giganteum expresses oomycete genes that have been associated with plant infection. These observations suggest that L. giganteum might have evolved from a plant pathogen to an invertebrate pathogen, and have retained the ability to establish symbiotic or pathogenic interactions with plant tissues. To …

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Development Of A Method To Analyze Electronic Cigarette Liquid Solutions, Bendik Stenersen, Rebecca Nosal Apr 2016

Development Of A Method To Analyze Electronic Cigarette Liquid Solutions, Bendik Stenersen, Rebecca Nosal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Electronic cigarettes have become increasingly popular in the last decade although there is minimal evidence to support their safety. The goal of this study is to develop a method to separate and analyze the contents of electronic cigarette liquid solutions. Various solutions of different nicotine concentrations were obtained from a commercial distributor. The e-liquid solutions were diluted to optimize analysis and separation. A method was established to separate the components of the solutions, and multiple chemical analysis tools were employed to collect and analyze the data.

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Does Canine Interaction Impact A College Students' Stress And Anxiety Levels During Exam Time?, Caitlin Mccoy Apr 2016

Does Canine Interaction Impact A College Students' Stress And Anxiety Levels During Exam Time?, Caitlin Mccoy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The use of therapy dogs on college campuses has increased dramatically in the last decade. The current study will examine the impact of interaction between canines and college students during an exam period to determine any impact on perceived stress and cognitive functioning. It was hypothesized that following a brief interaction with a canine, participants would report lower levels of state anxiety and higher levels of sustained attention than participants in a control condition. Fifty-six students from Nova Southeastern University participated in exchange for course credit or a gift card. Participants were randomly assigned to a canine interaction or control …

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Efficacy Of Nematicidal Engineered Bacteria Against Diverse Nematode Species, Chelsey Thachettu Apr 2016

Efficacy Of Nematicidal Engineered Bacteria Against Diverse Nematode Species, Chelsey Thachettu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Infections with parasitic nematodes remain a significant global health problem particularly in developing nations. Despite their widespread occurrence and high rate of morbidity, few strategies have been developed to prevent and treat such infections. With the growing incidence of resistance to anthelminthic drugs, there is a dire need to develop novel approaches to preventing infection by nematodes. Recent studies confirm that engineered bacteria, designed to simultaneously attract and intoxicate the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, may be effective novel biocontrol agents. However, the efficacy of these engineered bacteria against additional nematode species remains unknown. In this study, we tested the …

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