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A Look Into Abstinence Only Sex Education Vs. Comprehensive Sex Education, Katrin Scheurer Apr 2011

A Look Into Abstinence Only Sex Education Vs. Comprehensive Sex Education, Katrin Scheurer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For almost two decades between the years of 1990 and 2010, many schools in the US were educating their young people on sex via abstinence only programs. Abstinence only sex education means that when students are taught in school about sex that they are taught abstinence is the only way (Barnett & Hurst, 2003). In comprehensive sex education the students would be taught more information about different contraceptives, sexual health and sexual decision making (Barnett & Hurst, 2003). In February, 2010, after years of federal funding for abstinence only sex education, President Obama cut this budget by $170 million. The …

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The Widening Spectrum Of Celiac Disease, Mary-Catherine Fleck Apr 2011

The Widening Spectrum Of Celiac Disease, Mary-Catherine Fleck

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Celiac Disease or Celiac Sprue is a chronic autoimmune disorder with a genetic component. Gluten or gliadin is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Ingestion by genetically susceptible individuals, under certain conditions such as surgery, infection, or severe emotional stress can trigger the onset of Celiac Disease, the production of anti-gliadin antibodies, which destroy the villi lining the lower intestines. This is where most of the nutrients for sustenance are absorbed and hence can lead to malnutrition, diarrhea, anemia and fatigue; the villi gradually get restored, only upon exclusion of gluten from the diet. What was once only …

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Construction Of A Polyphosphate Kinase Gene Deletion In Yersenia Spp., Shan Desai Apr 2011

Construction Of A Polyphosphate Kinase Gene Deletion In Yersenia Spp., Shan Desai

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this experiment is to study the bacteria, Yersinia pestis, Yersenia enterocolitica, and Yersenia pseudotuberculosis, and the possible role of the enzyme polyphosphate kinase (PPK) in pathogenicity, motility, and gene expression. PPK is an enzyme that produces inorganic polyphosphate, which is universal and found in all forms of life from prokaryotic bacteria to eukaryotic mammals. The PPK enzyme has been shown to be required for motility and virulence of several pathogenic bacteria. Yersinia spp. are diverse bacteria that cause diseases ranging from gastrointestinal diseases to bubonic plaque; however, the role of PPK is unknown. …

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Project Braille: The Implementation Of The Seeing-Eye Computer, Jeremy Cantor Apr 2011

Project Braille: The Implementation Of The Seeing-Eye Computer, Jeremy Cantor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this project is to provide convenient access to all of the printed materials to the visually impaired by utilizing functional senses other than sight. The proposed solution involves the use of modern technology to convert printed text into computer readable text through optical character recognition and later narrating the text using modern text-to-speech conversion (TTS). The process of converting books into an audio version via computer is currently in its infancy stage of development. There are several major issues that must be addressed in this conversion process. Today’s systems that are devoted to the TTS conversion process …

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The Influence Of Emotional Regulation On Response Inhibition, Alexandra Srour Apr 2011

The Influence Of Emotional Regulation On Response Inhibition, Alexandra Srour

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The relationship between emotional regulation and response inhibition is examined. The presentation of highly arousing emotional pictures interferes with ongoing cognitive processes such as one’s ability to inhibit an unwanted response. In study 1, we measured emotional regulation and response inhibition independently. Results indicated that low emotional regulators exhibited faster reaction times. However, we did not find a correlation between emotional regulation and response inhibition. In study 2, we will examine the collective influences of emotional regulation and response inhibition. Participants will be trained to either up-regulate or down-regulate their emotional reactivity to highly-arousing negative stimuli. We predict that participants …

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Implicit Bias And Public Policy Recommendations, Alyssa Mineo Apr 2011

Implicit Bias And Public Policy Recommendations, Alyssa Mineo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We intend to measure implicit (as opposed to self-reported) attitudes towards gay people, specifically in the context of adoption rights. Opponents of gay adoption rights persist in arguing that having gay parents is harmful to the children and for this reason should be opposed. However, if the position is based exclusively on concern for the welfare of the children rather than (entirely or partially) on the parents’ sexual orientation per se, it should follow that any individual who acts out of this concern would be equally concerned with the welfare of the children adopted by heterosexual parents. Whatever restrictions …

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Renovatio, Amrish Ramnarine Apr 2011

Renovatio, Amrish Ramnarine

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Renovatio” is a short film about a couple of individuals who engage one another due to eerie occurrences in their vicinity. As each character bonds with the other, they begin to share emotions and choose sides. In this web of deception, secrets are revealed that confound even the most rational characters, ultimately concluding with their “rebirth.” The film is directed by Amrish Ramnarine. Other crew members and actors include Ximena Raquel Alvarez, Monica Lynne Herrera, Calista Siobhan Ming.

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Change And Stop-Signal Paradigms With Hands And Feet, Terrence Singh Apr 2011

Change And Stop-Signal Paradigms With Hands And Feet, Terrence Singh

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Hands and feet are useful in most sports but they are even more important when driving. The present study aims to find the time it takes to stop or switch a hand or foot movement. Researchers have noted that it takes longer to stop a hand than it does an eye, but little if any research has been done on foot movement. We are currently collecting data in the stop-signal paradigm in which subjects are to strike one of two keys when they see the corresponding visual stimulus unless an auditory signal is presented. Data are also being collected on …

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The Universe Divine, Alyiece Moretto Apr 2011

The Universe Divine, Alyiece Moretto

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Universe Divine” is a short film that follows Sam, a passionate young man at an important crossroads in his life. After an unsettling dream, we see that the Universe may have different plans for Sam than those he envisioned for himself. The film is directed by Alyiece Moretto. Other crew members and actors include Patrick Watkins, Cohen Robinson, Kathleen Bushong, and Jamie Mattocks.

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The Real Within The Dream, Jessica Furth, Christopher Garcia, Natasha Matijasevic Apr 2011

The Real Within The Dream, Jessica Furth, Christopher Garcia, Natasha Matijasevic

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Latin American modernist authors were inspired by European surrealists to craft their own experimental style, magical realism. In his short story, “The Night Face Up” ("La Noche Boca Arriba"), Argentine author Julio Cortázar employs magical realism to alter the reader’s perception of the “real” and the “dream” world. The story opens with an unnamed protagonist who gets into a motorcycle accident. The remainder of the story alternates between scenes from his hospital bed and scenes from a presumed dream, where he is a Motecan warrior running from the Aztecs. The reader is expected to believe that the hospital scene constitutes …

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Kazal Serine Protease Inhibitors And Their Role In Prototheca Wickerhamii Pathogenicity, Norberto Mancera Apr 2011

Kazal Serine Protease Inhibitors And Their Role In Prototheca Wickerhamii Pathogenicity, Norberto Mancera

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Several genes are known to be involved in pathogenic processes. Among these, Kazal serine protease inhibitors (InterPro IPR002350) have been shown to be recurrently used by pathogenic eukaryotes. Kazal serine protease inhibitors are involved in the pathogenicity of Plasmodium falciparum by providing protection to parasitic proteins from the host’s defenses. Although Kazal protease inhibitors have been associated with the pathogenicity of several eukaryotic microbes, it is unclear if they are involved in Prototheca wickerhamii infection. Prototheca wickerhamii is an achlorophyllic green alga known to cause infections in humans. Olecranon bursitis, cutaneous, and bilateral choroiditis are three types of clinical infections …

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Independence From The Operating System, Thomas Sylvester Apr 2011

Independence From The Operating System, Thomas Sylvester

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Virtualization is almost as old as mainframe computers, when a large computer was shared by several different users. Computer engineers have also struggled with many different Operating Systems (OS) that traditionally worked on specialized hardware. Usually only one OS could be loaded on one physical machine at one time. This posed a significant barrier to experimentation and testing of multi-OS environments.

These VMs can relieve instructors and students of the configuration issues across different physical machines; every class's VM can be loaded the same way. These VMs have additional benefits. Dedicated VMs can be created to address OS, software and …

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Externship In Graz, Austria: Research Opportunities, Nergess Taheri, Corynne Dignan Apr 2011

Externship In Graz, Austria: Research Opportunities, Nergess Taheri, Corynne Dignan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the Medical University of Graz, Austria (MUG) formed a unique externship opportunity. The opportunity is only awarded to two undergraduate students at NSU annually. The six week externship in 2010 consisted of two research opportunities. The first experiment consists of studying the effects of different preservation methods on pig liver explantations and the second studies the impact of Sanopal on Cyclosporin-A induced nephropathy in rats. Prior to beginning the research we underwent training in the different techniques involved in each experiment as well as the ethical situations faced when conducting the experiments. The techniques we …

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Exploring The Formation Of Novel Organic Compounds In Urban Atmosphere, Melanie Campbell Apr 2011

Exploring The Formation Of Novel Organic Compounds In Urban Atmosphere, Melanie Campbell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It has been reported that the atmosphere surrounding Shanghai and other eastern Asian cities contain a surprisingly large amount of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds as well as amines, which are the byproducts of industrial sources. In theory, formaldehyde can react with primary or secondary amines and these additional carbonyl compounds containing acidic protons to form novel organic compounds, such as organic salts, through a process known as a Mannich reaction. In this research project, different types of Mannich reactions were performed in the lab by using several organic precursor compounds, some readily found in the atmosphere in Shanghai, to …

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Dipole Moment Of Ni(Ii), Cu(Ii), And Zn(Ii) Porphyrins And Out Of Plane Distortions Quantified By Semiempirical Methods And Compared To Thin Layer Chromatography, Dean Kalam Apr 2011

Dipole Moment Of Ni(Ii), Cu(Ii), And Zn(Ii) Porphyrins And Out Of Plane Distortions Quantified By Semiempirical Methods And Compared To Thin Layer Chromatography, Dean Kalam

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The objective of this experiment was to calculate the dipole moment of Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) porphyrins and relate the measurements to the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) experimental results. Tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and Octaethylporphyrin (OEP) were metallated with these transition metals (Ni(II) d8, Cu(II) d9, and Zn(II) d10). The results of the TLC were then futher compared to the dipole moment from calculations obtained using semi-empirical methods. It is known that different transition metals can expand or contact the core of these porphyrins due to electronic effects as well as size. The TPP series follows …

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Artscience: A Study Of The Human Arterial And Venous Systems, Nergess Taheri Apr 2011

Artscience: A Study Of The Human Arterial And Venous Systems, Nergess Taheri

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Artscience is a blending of both aesthetic and scientific methods. This project combines both in a way that neither can be distinguished from the other. This is a study of the human arterial and venous systems. These systems were artistically represented as linoleum block prints. Two models were produced, one for the arterial system and the other for the venous system. The process used to make the models is called printmaking. Printmaking was one of the first forms of mass illustration with each print being considered an original. In this study two linoleum blocks were carved into the desired anatomical …

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A Final Truth: Based On The True Story Of A College Student Diagnosed With Hiv/Aids, Uyen-Linh Jackie Dao Apr 2011

A Final Truth: Based On The True Story Of A College Student Diagnosed With Hiv/Aids, Uyen-Linh Jackie Dao

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“A Final Truth: Based on the True Story of a College Student Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS” is a short film about a student living with HIV/AIDS. It is a dramatic retelling of a true story. The film touches on the social stigma of a person living with the disease, and the implications that the disease can have on friendship, sexual health, and college life. This story is told through the perspectives of a close group of college friends. One of the friends is living with HIV/AIDS and is unable to tell her friends in fear of rejection and judgment by her …

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The Impact Of Speed Reading On The Generation Of Inferences, Anil Sawh Apr 2011

The Impact Of Speed Reading On The Generation Of Inferences, Anil Sawh

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This experiment explores the effect that speed-reading has on the inferences made while reading texts. More specifically it will compare comprehension and inferences made between participants that read at a normal rate and participants that have been trained to read at a faster rate than normal. Speed-reading courses promise the ability to learn how to take in larger amounts of text and information than normal reading. However, most research has shown that while these courses increase reading speed, comprehension and retention of the material suffers a significant drop (Just, Carpenter, & Masson, 1986). Very little research has examined the effects …

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The Distribution Of Two Sea Pens (Pennatulidae) In The Sw Gulf Of California, Mexico With Reference To Predation, Angelica M. Garcia Apr 2011

The Distribution Of Two Sea Pens (Pennatulidae) In The Sw Gulf Of California, Mexico With Reference To Predation, Angelica M. Garcia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sea pens (Pennatulidae) are sessile, benthic cnidarians that inhabit soft sediment, and rely on filter feeding to obtain energy. They have a central stalk (rachis) which contains secondary polyps for feeding. Since no previous data has been collected on their distribution, abundance or size in the SW Gulf of California, Mexico, benthic surveys were conducted at depths of 11.0 - 32.6 m near Isla San Fransiscito and El Pardito. Two species (Stylatula elongata and Ptilosarcus undulatus) were observed. The average height ± s.d. (tip to sediment surface) of S. elongata was 9.5 ± 3.8 cm (n=37) and was …

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Chemical Interactions Between Staphylococcus Aureus And Candida Albicans Within Mixed Species Biofilms, Rachel Comito, Fiorella Diaz, Martin Herrera, Ariel Jordan Apr 2011

Chemical Interactions Between Staphylococcus Aureus And Candida Albicans Within Mixed Species Biofilms, Rachel Comito, Fiorella Diaz, Martin Herrera, Ariel Jordan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Biofilms are communities of microbes that grow and function together in order to gain protection from environmental stressors. Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans are two of the most common microbes found to grow as biofilms within medical facilities and are among the leading causes of infectious disease. Previous studies found that S. aureus and C. albicans grow together synergistically within biofilms and that S. aureus actually secretes some chemical that drastically improves candidal biofilm growth. The current project is focused on better characterizing the mechanism of this chemical interaction. One aspect of the project examines when S. aureus secretes this …

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Analysis Of D1s80 Locus, An Introductory Bioinformatics Analysis Study In Human Genotype, Ana Paula Delgado Apr 2011

Analysis Of D1s80 Locus, An Introductory Bioinformatics Analysis Study In Human Genotype, Ana Paula Delgado

Undergraduate Student Symposium

DNA profile analysis focuses on hyper variable regions of DNA. This project seeks to study a specific variability called VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats). DNA sequencing data of D1S80 locus was obtained from individuals from African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic databases was analyzed. The data collected had been previously processed by PCR and DNA cloning using E. Coli. This data was provided by Dr. Duncan from the Broward’s Sheriff Lab. The study demonstrated that variation of D1S80 alleles are predominantly due to the number of repeat units contained within the amplicons obtained from PCR. Also, it was demonstrated …

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A Perfect Day, Juan Sebastian Gallo Apr 2011

A Perfect Day, Juan Sebastian Gallo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Perfect Day” is a short film about a normal day in an average American office. Will hates his job and goes through the motions painstakingly. However, a comical incident that seems to threaten the office gives him the chance to break out of the norm and find his individuality. The film is directed by Juan S. Gallo. Other crew members and actors include Lyle Howe, Kevin L. Alvarez, and Marc Pulido.

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A Tale Of African Dust: Cross-Oceanic Transport And Climatic Impact, Calista Ming Apr 2011

A Tale Of African Dust: Cross-Oceanic Transport And Climatic Impact, Calista Ming

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Aerosols are believed to partially counteract greenhouse warming effects and can also cause harm to human health, although the detailed mechanisms are not fully understood. A major reason for this is the lack of knowledge of the composition, origin and evolution of these aerosols. In order to better understand these issues, field research was carried out at Ragged Point, Barbados, during the summer of 2010. The sampling site is the eastern most point in the Caribbean region and the first land contact for dust aerosols that originate in Africa and travel transatlantic to the Caribbean and Floridian regions. Aerosol samples …

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The Study Of Lagenidium Giganteum Crinkler Genes, Alexa Vyain, Tulsi Patel Apr 2011

The Study Of Lagenidium Giganteum Crinkler Genes, Alexa Vyain, Tulsi Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lagenidium giganteum is an entomopathogenic oomycete that is known to infect and kill the larvae of mosquitoes. Due to this characteristic, the organism has been deemed a potential alternative to chemical insecticides. This information is significant when the world issue of mosquito control is considered. The human death toll now reaches one million per year by mosquito-borne diseases, and the research on potential alternatives to chemical insecticides is quite minimal. Only seven L. giganteum protein-coding gene sequences have been reported to date, and the objective of this project is to accelerate the gene research of L. giganteum and identify the …

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Carpentier’S Version Of Time: Back To The Ending, Genevieve Macaisa Apr 2011

Carpentier’S Version Of Time: Back To The Ending, Genevieve Macaisa

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In Alejo Carpentier’s short story “Journey Back to the Source,” he used a nonlinear narrative and manipulated temporal elements to challenge the traditional view of the passage of time. Through his experimentation, he developed a new form of the narrative timeline. Carpentier’s work demonstrates that time can move in reverse, from the end to the beginning, while still moving forward. The theories of Sergei Eisenstein and Henri Bergson influenced Carpentier’s experiment and reveal the magnitude of his pushing of the boundaries. For instance, Carpentier employs a narrative strategy like Eisenstein’s cinematic montage to stitch together a timeline. Bergson’s theories of …

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The Effects Of An Unrestricted High-Protein/High-Fat Diet Plus Exercise On Body Composition: A Case Report, Diana Mantilla Apr 2011

The Effects Of An Unrestricted High-Protein/High-Fat Diet Plus Exercise On Body Composition: A Case Report, Diana Mantilla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this independent study is to demonstrate the effects of exercise, diet and dietary supplementation on body composition and various indices of performance and health using a case study model. The exercise regimen consisted of heavy resistance training in combination with various aerobic exercises. The training program will follow a periodized scheme such that the volume and intensity of the exercise will be altered throughout the 8-week intervention period. Furthermore, the alterations in diet will involve an isocaloric replacement of carbohydrate with protein and fat. No change in caloric intake will occur. Various dietary supplements such as whey …

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A Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis Model: Spiraling Out Of Control, Rajeswari Murugan Apr 2011

A Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis Model: Spiraling Out Of Control, Rajeswari Murugan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Arrhythmic Sudden Cardiac death accounts for up to 5 million cases per year across the world. Cardiac arrhythmia is an abnormal activity in the heart that can lead to sudden cardiac death resulting from ventricular fibrillation. The electrocardiogram (ECG) reading during an arrhythmia indicates rapid contractions of the heart. This phenomenon is due to the development of a re-entrant circuit of electrical activity that repetitively stimulates the heart. The heart presents a spatio-temporal complex system, where the tissue biophysics and structure leads to reaction diffusion type models. These models portray the re-entrant wave patterns observed during arrhythmia. Fibrillation is characterized …

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The Language Of Mathematics: Proof Without Words, Bryan Candela Apr 2011

The Language Of Mathematics: Proof Without Words, Bryan Candela

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mathematics is the language of the sciences. Unlike most other scientific laws, mathematical laws are by nature unbiased and irrefutable, and as such, tend to be accepted as truth in a way that other scientific laws cannot. While understanding the proofs of many well-known mathematical facts requires a high level of mathematical maturity, there are also many (perhaps not so intuitive) facts whose proof can be easily understood by anyone. The goal of this project is to show the use of mathematics as a language in the hope of providing insight into the beauty of mathematics.

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Music Production: Behind The Scenes, Michael Navarrete Apr 2011

Music Production: Behind The Scenes, Michael Navarrete

Undergraduate Student Symposium

"Music Production: Behind the Scenes" is a short documentary film about the different steps needed to create a salsa song production, culminating in a demonstration of the finished salsa song production. The film is directed and narrated by Michael Navarrete.

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Journal Of The American Deafness And Rehabilitation Association Year 2011, Volume 44, Number 3 Complete Apr 2011

Journal Of The American Deafness And Rehabilitation Association Year 2011, Volume 44, Number 3 Complete

JADARA

Upload of old JADARA issue for digital access

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