Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Movement Pattern Proficiency Is Similar Across Stroke Type Dominance In Collegiate Swimmers, Jessica Pokryfke

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The swimming strokes are different biomechanically and necessitate specific strength and conditioning programs for injury prevention and performance enhancement. Differences may also exist in functional movement pattern proficiency between swimmers of different strokes. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) identifies dysfunctional movement patterns and consists of seven tests (deep squat, hurdle step, inline lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up and rotary stability). Results may guide specific corrective exercise programs that could be implemented into team-based strength and conditioning sessions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine differences in functional movement pattern performance between stroke dominance …

Harmful Or Helpful?: Helicopter Parenting Among Latina/O Emerging Adults, Alina Alba, Samantha Mirman, Nehemie Dantica, Stephanie Nguyen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

When young adults enter college, parents sometimes have difficulties relinquishing control over their child. Parents might continue to be overinvolved and oversolicitous in their child’s life while in college, which is referred to as helicopter parenting (HP). HP tends to be developmentally inappropriate for college students, who often seek autonomy and independence during this time of emerging adulthood. Controlling parenting in general has been linked to the impostor phenomenon, or impostorism, which involves distressed feelings of being intellectually fraudulent despite being highly capable. However, from the perspective of Latina/o emerging adults (those between 18 and 25 years old), parental control …

Hollow, Amelia Figueroa, Jieun Son

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Hollow” is a narrative short about a girl that breaks up with her emotionally abusive boyfriend after countless months of trying to make things work. In the final moments of their relationship, the story explores how it all started, what lead her to this point, and how she copes and perseveres in the aftermath. The film is directed by Amelia Figueroa and Jieun Son. Other crew members and actors involved TBA. The film is meant to be a narrative message about emotionally abusive relationships. More recently in pop culture, there’s been a wave of songs and stories about toxic relationships …

Human Gut Microbiome Composition Is Associated With Perceived Stress And Cortisol, Esha Parikh

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Recent research on the gut microbiome is calling attention to the role that the microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA) plays in influencing behavior. One particularly exciting, yet understudied, function of the MGBA is that alterations to the microbiome can increase stress susceptibility through increasing psychological vulnerability. While this notion is interesting, it remains largely unexplored in humans likely owing to the complex, multidisciplinary approach required to provide evidence for such a hypothesis. The current study sought to shed light on this uncertainty through connecting measures of stress and cognition in humans with gut microbiome composition. Seventeen male participants (mean age = 24, …

Influence Of Diisopropyl Fluorophosphate, An Irreversible Cholinesterase Inhibitor, On Autonomic Modulation, Joseph Puthentharayil, Sandeep Beesabathina

Undergraduate Student Symposium

After the Gulf War, approximately 25-32% of the 700,000 veterans deployed are still facing cardiovascular issues, joint pain and muscle pain, neurophysiological problems, and various symptoms that cannot be medically explained. These medical mysteries are commonly known as Gulf War Illness (GWI). It is important to know that understanding how these various symptoms are related allows for treatment as veterans return back to civilian life, preventing exposure to further diseases. In this study we used mice that were exposed to diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), a cholinesterase inhibitor that can be used as a substitute for sarin gas, which was used during …

Measuring The Difference Volunteers Make: An Evaluation Of A Residential Air Quality Program In San Miguel, Costa Rica, Courtney Commissiong

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this trip is to serve the residents in the slums of Los Lagos through home renovation work. The public health topic surrounds community and environment improvement. The task is to build two wood-burning stoves and convert two houses from dirt floors to wooden (pallet) floors. There will be little side projects, that the trip participants will complete as needed by each individual family home. This includes painting houses and gardening work. Currently, only a few families have stoves in their homes. The wood-burning stoves that will be built are EPA-certified and thus burn more efficiently. The objective …

Memory And Attention While Scuba Diving, Stephanie Talavera, Anastasia Zwenger

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There is a high level of cognitive functioning required by SCUBA diving given the task loading that divers experience. Poor memory and attentional skills are reported by divers while under water, especially as the depth of the dive increases. In this study, participants completed both shallow (8 m) and deep (28 m) dives. Participants learned and were tested on a list of 36 words, completed the trail making task to assess executive functioning, and completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to assess anxiety levels. The Profile of Mood States survey was also completed and they provided saliva samples to measure cortisol …

Metabolic Inactivation Of Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7), Mahnoor Asif, Christy Abraham

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a role in the control of the cardiovascular system by modulating blood pressure. While Angiotensin II (Ang II) serves as a vasoconstrictor and is the most well-known of the RAS peptides, Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) is a peptide gaining interest in its countereffects to Ang II and may serve as its antagonist. However, the rapid metabolism and subsequent inactivation of Ang 1-7 precludes its use in radioactive binding assays. For this reason, peptidase inhibitors were added to assays involving ¹²⁵I-Ang1-7 or an analog ¹²⁵I-alamandine. This study uses high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to …

Parasites Of Raptorial Birds Of South Florida, Vanessa Blanchard

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Raptors are a polyphyletic group of birds characterized by predatory behavior and physiology. They regulate small mammal and reptile populations, playing key roles in local ecosystems as apex predators; as such, they are themselves largely regulated by their parasites. However, little is known regarding the species composition and structure of their endoparasite communities. To address this knowledge gap, we surveyed endoparasites of southeast Florida raptors: American kestrels (Falco sparverius), peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus), merlins (F. columbarius), Cooper’s hawks (Accipiter cooperii), sharp-shinned hawks (A. striatus), red-shouldered hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), …

Parents: To Or Not To Genetically Enhance Children, Genesis Alvarez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Genetic therapy and genetic enhancement technology are not only developing at a rapid rate, but are also now, as proven by a Chinese scientist’s recent breakthrough, being utilized for unnecessary purposes, reasons beyond disease prevention and treatment. This development both drives society’s concern for ethical use of genetic technology and presents issues that society must immediately address. This work acknowledges the ethical concerns society has regarding genetic enhancement and subsequently analyzes a significant consequence that would come about were said practice implemented. This analysis of genetic enhancement’s morality is carried out from an ethics of care perspective, with a particular …

Patterns Of Foraging On Dead Birds In A Coastal Mangrove Environment, Laura John

Undergraduate Student Symposium

South Florida falls along the Atlantic Flyway, the migratory route for numerous North American bird species. In particular, the coastal ecosystem of South Florida provides habitat, protection and a food resource. However, the migration is energetically taxing and the mortality rate of these birds is unknown. One way to evaluate mortality is to monitor the number of carcasses, but bird carcasses are rarely observed in South Florida coastal habitats, presumably due to a high rate of carcass scavenging. To address this knowledge gap, infrared automatic game cameras at stations baited with frozen feeder chicks (to simulate dead migratory birds) were …

Population Dynamics Of Branching Corals Pocillopora Spp. In Devil's Crown, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Ean Brinker

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Corals in the genus Pocillopora (e.g. P. elegans and P. damicornis) are important reef constructors in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Pocillopora spp. are also susceptible to bleaching and mortality from temperature shifts associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation events, affecting their contribution to benthic community structure. Colony numbers and live tissue surface area have been monitored at Devil’s Crown, Galápagos Islands for the past 36 years (1983–2017). This project quantifies the data collected in 2017, in preparation for another site visit in May 2019. In previous analyses, colony numbers ranged from 0 (1983–1995) to a maximum of 154 colonies in …

Public And Private Effects Of Cooperation On Survival And Growth, Marla Fortoul, Meghan Haas

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cooperation plays a significant role in all aspects of life where multiple individuals interact for the purpose of survival. Cheaters do not pay the cost of cooperation and they can take advantage of cooperators. In theory, cheating should undermine cooperation as an evolutionary stable strategy. However, cooperation continues to persist in multiple biological systems. One possibility to explain the stability of cooperation is the use of an impure public good. This public good can be shared amongst everyone in a population (providing a public benefit), and is used to facilitate cooperation. However, there is a private benefit of this public …

Quantifying Neuronal Damage Via Immunofluorescence Staining In Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (Cipn), Kaylee Shen, Meghana Kethireddy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological cancer of plasma cells and Bortezomib (BTZ), a proteasome inhibitor, is commonly used to treat this condition. BTZ causes debilitating Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) that results in the dose limitation or discontinuation of chemotherapy. Our study focuses on determining BTZ induced neuronal damage using PC-12 cells, derived from pheochromocytoma found in rats. PC-12 cells qualify as a viable in vitro neuronal model due to their ability to differentiate into neurons with the addition of nerve growth factor (NGF). The neuronal markers including TUBB3 (β-Tubulin), GFAP (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein), MBP (Myelin …

Rate Of Phosphate Uptake By Periphyton In The Everglades, Kiersten Monahan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Periphyton is an essential source of primary productivity and plays a major role in the removal and short-term storage of phosphorus in the Florida Everglades. In recent decades, runoff from the Everglades Agricultural Area has caused a serious nutrient pollution problem. In the oligotrophic wetlands, the increase of phosphorus leads to the growth of species that disrupts the ecosystem. In order to gauge the response of periphyton to these environmental changes, the rate of phosphate uptake by epipelon, metaphyton, and epiphyton mats are measured following spikes of either 150, 500, or 1000 ppb of potassium phosphate. The experiment was conducted …

Relationship Between Stance Phase Frontal Plane Kinematics And Initial Impact Forces In Collegiate Cross Country Runners, Deborah Fortino

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Result Size: 437 x 476

Rearfoot eversion (REV) and contralateral pelvis drop (CPD) play a crucial role in force absorption at impact during running. Controlling and adequately absorbing the repetitive vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) at impact is essential in injury prevention. PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the relationships between vGRF and REV, and vGRF and CPD bilaterally in collegiate cross country runners. METHODS: Eleven asymptomatic (5 females, 6 males) NCAA Division II cross country runners (age, 19.1 ± 1.1 yrs; height, 174.2 ± 11.2 cm; mass 62.2 ± 6.2 kg; 38.3 ± 15.9 miles/wk, treadmill speed, 3.6 ± …

Release Kinetics Of Anti-Sema4d Monoclonal Antibody From Alginate Beads, Nicole Levin

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Background/Introduction: The reconstruction of bone in critical size defects presents clinical challenges in cranio and oral maxillofacial surgery. The long-term goal of this project is to regenerate a resilient bone for the repair of these defects. A recent study revaled that Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D), a pleiotropic transmembrane glycoprotein, expressed by osteoclasts inhibits osteoblast differentiation. Our hypothesis holds that local delivery of anti-Sema4D monoclonal antibody (mAb) adjunct to bone-regenerative cell-therapy may enhance osteoblast differentiation. However, currently, no methodology is available for the local mAb delivery. In this study, we intended to develop a novel alginate-based anti-Sema4D-mAb delivery system. Objective: The objective …

Risk: Health And Self Control, Julieta Murzi Vargas

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Assessing the frequency with which college students undertake behaviors that have long - lasting health impacts could help us establish better preventative programs on campuses. This research will review risky decisions associated with nutrition, sleep habits, chemically-altering substances and their use, sexual safety, and general self-preservation. People are more prone to exhibiting impatience with shortterm decisions, while too much patience for long-term decisions (Mullainathan & Thaler, 2000), therefore students may undertake future risk due to present impatience and underestimation of the weight of the future risk. The purpose of this research is to specify where and what decisions are being …

Spero, Samantha Villarroel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Spero” is a short film about a woman who forgets about her passion but is reminded through her memories and finds the importance of self-happiness. The film is directed by Samantha Villarroel. Other crew members and actors include Julian Glasthal, Dekel Nahum, and Zach Matthews.

The Fat Mass And Obesity-Associated Gene (Fto): Can You Overcome Bad Genetics With Diet?, Madaline Kenyon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is a strong predictor of obesity in humans. The FTO SNP (rs1421085) results in a T to C nucleotide substitution that may result in an increased risk for obesity in individuals who carry at least one C allele. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if body composition alterations after a 4-week diet differed between those who carried the risky C allele versus those that did not. Thirty two exercisetrained subjects completed a 4-week hypocaloric diet (i.e., decreased energy intake by ~20% from baseline). After the …

The Universal Mass Function And Its Applicability To Non-Cosmic Objects, Kyle Hansotia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The universe is full of mysteries. One of these mysteries is that all objects in the cosmos—from the smallest meteors to the largest galaxy clusters—are all connected with a single mass function. This mass function is a power law with a constant slope, f(m) = k m ^-2 where is m mass and k is a normalization constant (Binggeli & Hascher 2007, "Is there a Universal Mass Function?" Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 119, 592). This means that objects with low masses are much more common than massive objects, and that the fraction of low-to-high mass …

The Gap In Healthcare, Rea Ghodasra, Rudresh Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In Hans Rosling’s Factfulness, he discusses “The Gap.” In his opinion, there is no true gap in society, but rather misconceptions. People tend to fail to recognize overlaps when comparing averages. When two averages are separated, they seem to have a big disparity, but in most cases when combined, there is little to no gap. Rosling also delves into the “extremes” of society, the rich and the poor. In most cases, the extremes of society only account for a small percentage of the population. The majority of the population is an average of both extremes, middle-class. Lastly, Rosling discusses …

The Political Reintegration Of Prominent Confederate Generals In The Us During Reconstruction (1865-1877), Steven Sigler

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Confederate statues across the South selectively honor white supremacist generals at the exclusion of those Confederates who endorsed Reconstruction. Further blurring the history of postwar Confederate loyalties, historical literature has not adequately addressed Confederate generals according to their beliefs and actions during the Reconstruction Era. Through the examination of three case studies (Generals James Longstreet, Joseph Wheeler, and Wade Hampton III), this paper identifies three unique groupings of Confederate generals. Some had a change of heart defending freedmen as Republicans, others waited patiently to join Congress as a Democrat, and a vocal majority actively rejected national politics during Reconstruction. These …

Unraveling Gsk-3: A Potential Target In Lung Cancer Cells, Sravani Alla, Mahima Kathiria, Vineela Nagamalla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women in the United States. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for 80-85% of all lung cancers. Although treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery, are being used to treat lung cancer patients, the 5-year survival rates in advanced stages of the cancer remains less than 15%. Therefore, there is an increasing need for new potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers in NSCLC cells. GSK-3, a regulatory protein kinase, functions to characterize many behaviors in cancer cells. GSK-3 …

Vegf Induced Endothelial Marker Gene Expression In Periodontal Ligament Derived Stem Cells (Pdlscs), Shreya Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Background: Establishing endothelial-cell mediated vascularization is crucial in bone tissue engineering, as blood vessels are key regulators for newly formed bone homeostasis and growth. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), derived from periodontal ligament tissue can differentiate into a wide range of cell types, including hepatocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. However, there is not much research focused on their ability to differentiate into endothelial cells. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of PDSCs differentiate into endothelial cells. Methodology: Human PDLSCs were harvested from impacted wisdom teeth from NSU clinics. The cells were cultured using standard protocols. …

Understanding The Language Experiences And Motivations Of Deaf Adolescent Latino Struggling Readers, Melissa Herzig

JADARA

Current American methods for educating Deaf adolescent Latino struggling readers need to change in order to maximize learning opportunities. This begins with identifying student strengths and building on them to help students gain new and productive skills. It is imperative to understand Deaf students’ socio-cultural backgrounds, interests, needs, and values through ethnographic research in order to identify what motivates these Latino Deaf adolescents to read. This information could guide teachers and specialists in redesigning and tailoring instruction for these students.

Transfer Of Learning From Collegiate Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Graduates To Their Employment Outcome: An Exploratory Study, Mark J. Myers, Kota Takayama

JADARA

This exploratory study of learning transfer from collegiate education to employment outcomes investigated the work experiences among deaf and hard of hearing adult college graduates. The significance of the study was incorporated in a quantitative method design targeting 19 of 64 participants in a single employment outcome. The participants received the highest ratings in teamwork and communication skills. Although gender was not originally a factor in this study, an independent test uncovered that female and male participants had significant differences in the transfer of learning competencies in the areas of communication and teamwork. A recommendation for the future is to …

Just Brew It!: Coffee's Impact On A Writing And Communication Center Space, Kevin Dvorak, Janine Morris, Jacqueline Lytle, Emalee M. Shrewsbury

CAHSS Faculty Presentations, Proceedings, Lectures, and Symposia

Our panel will present results of a semester-long study on coffee's presence in our Writing and Communication Center and argue for the importance of ephemera in understanding how individuals experience their time in the center. Adding on to the existing discussions about space and writing centers, this presentation will address what has been lacking from the ongoing writing center conversation about coffee—until now.

Non-Finitely Based Finite Involution Semigroups With Finitely Based Semigroup Reducts, Edmond W. H. Lee

Mathematics Faculty Articles

Recently, an infinite class of finitely based finite involution semigroups with non-finitely based semigroup reducts have been found. In contrast, only one example of the opposite type---non-finitely based finite involution semigroups with finitely based semigroup reducts---has so far been published. In the present article, a sufficient condition is established under which an involution semigroup is non-finitely based. This result is then applied to exhibit several examples of the desired opposite type.

Factors Contributing To The Success Of Restored Oyster Reefs In The Choptank River Of The Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Tara L. Bardar

HCNSO Student Capstones

Populations of Crassostrea virginica, the Eastern oyster, have been declining since the late 1800s. While overharvesting is the primary cause of decline, the Eastern oyster is also facing the threat of disease and habitat loss. As oyster populations decline, habitat suitable for oyster spats declines as well, as these prefer to settle on the shells of other oysters that have formed reefs. Knowing this, oyster restoration projects have been focused around testing methods that will increase recruitment of spat and allow oyster reefs to form. A current and ongoing restoration project in the Choptank River of the Chesapeake Bay, …