Digital Commons Network^™

Climate Change, One Health And Mercury, L. K. Duffy, T. Vertigan, B. Dainowski, K. Dunlap, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Climate change is occurring on both regional and global scales. The use and global distribution of toxic metals is increasing and affecting environmental, animal and human health as a result of air, water and food contamination. Mercury (Hg) in major forms Hg°, Hg²⁺ and methyl mercury (CH₃Hg⁺) are increasingly available around the globe. Both metal and organic contaminants are impacting the health of all species on the planet. Mercury is an example of a metal that can cause or aggravate a disease state, for example, diabetes. Habitat stewardship is needed to maintain a healthy system, …

The Ocean's Vital Skin: Toward An Integrated Understanding Of The Sea Surface Microlayer, Anja Engel, Hermann W. Bange, Michael Cunliffe, Susannah M. Burrows, Gernot Friedrichs, Luisa Galgani, Hartmut Herrmann, Norbert Hertkorn, Martin Johnson, Peter S. Liss, Patrick K. Quinn, Markus Schartau, Alexander Soloviev, Christian Stolle, Robert C. Upstill-Goddard, Manuela Van Pinxteren, Birthe Zäncker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Despite the huge extent of the ocean's surface, until now relatively little attention has been paid to the sea surface microlayer (SML) as the ultimate interface where heat, momentum and mass exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere takes place. Via the SML, large-scale environmental changes in the ocean such as warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and eutrophication potentially influence cloud formation, precipitation, and the global radiation balance. Due to the deep connectivity between biological, chemical, and physical processes, studies of the SML may reveal multiple sensitivities to global and regional changes. Understanding the processes at the ocean's surface, in particular involving …

Methodological Approach To The Ex Vivo Expansion And Detection Of T. Cruzi-Specific T Cells From Chronic Chagas Disease Patients, Gonzalo R. Acevedo, Silvia A. Longhi, Alcinette Bunying, Nazila Sabri, Augusto Atienza, Maria P. Zago, Radleigh Santos, Valeria A. Judkowski, Clemencia Pinilla, Karina A. Gomez

Mathematics Faculty Articles

The discovery of T cell epitopes is essential not only for gaining knowledge about host response to infectious disease but also for the development of immune-intervention strategies. In Chagas disease, given the size and complexity of the Trypanosoma cruzi proteome and its interaction with the host’s immune system, the fine specificity of T cells has not been extensively studied yet, and this is particularly true for the CD4+ T cell compartment. The aim of the present work was to optimize a protocol for the generation of parasite-specific memory T cell lines, representative of their in vivo precursor populations and capable …

Coral Larvae Are Poor Swimmers And Require Fine-Scale Reef Structure To Settle, Tom Hata, Joshua S. Madin, Vivian R. Cumbo, Mark W. Denny, Joana Figueiredo, Saki Harii, Christopher J. Thomas, Andrew H. Baird

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Reef coral assemblages are highly dynamic and subject to repeated disturbances, which are predicted to increase in response to climate change. Consequently there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying different recovery scenarios. Recent work has demonstrated that reef structural complexity can facilitate coral recovery, but the mechanism remains unclear. Similarly, experiments suggest that coral larvae can distinguish between the water from healthy and degraded reefs, however, whether or not they can use these cues to navigate to healthy reefs is an open question. Here, we use a meta-analytic approach to document that coral larval …

Always Loved But Never Entitled: Professor Intentions To Promote Leadership In Women, Daniel R. Conn, Roslyn J.F. Billy

The Qualitative Report

This article focuses on three professors from Midwestern University and how their intentions to encourage women to see themselves as leaders play out in their respective classrooms. Through educational connoisseurship and criticism we describe and interpret the ecological impacts of professor intentions in promoting women as leaders. To this end, we find the professors realize these intentions by the way in which they care for their students. In caring for their students, the professors take an “always loved by never entitled” approach, where they balance building a sense of support and confidence among their students with an understanding that leaders …

2017 Colleges Of Education, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering And Computing, Health Care Sciences,Nursing, Psychology, Farquhar Honors College, Natural Sciences And Oceanography, And Business And Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Variable Patterns In Spur And Groove Reef Morphology Explained By Physical Controls And Their Relevance For Platform-Top Sedimentology, Robert C. Gardiner Jr

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Spur and groove (SaG) morphology is a common ornamentation of reef-armored Holocene carbonate platform margins. Composed of margin-normal promontories constructed of coral framestone, termed “spurs”, interleaved with similarly orientated gullies, “grooves”, this morphology varies based on a host of physical controls. Primarily, the surrounding oceanographic conditions as well as the size and shape of the platform the SaG is encompassing, directly influence the development and organization of SaG. Since grooves act as conduits for carbonate sediment transport, this study seeks to examine the relationship between SaG organization dictated by platform size and shape and how that in turn influences platform-top …

Women Workforce Attrition Dynamics In Indian It/ Ites Sector, Sharda Singh, Shirshendu Ganguli, Rajasekhar David

The Qualitative Report

The objective of the study is to identify various factors responsible for women's workforce attrition in Indian IT/ITES sector. Thematic analysis was used to generate the factors affecting women's workforce attrition. For the purpose of the study, semi-structured in depth interviews were conducted with some of the women employees of different IT companies. Interviews can be broadly classified into four sections. The first section dealt with personal profiles; second part contained a discussion on the benefits provided by organizations; third part elaborates on factors responsible for women's workforce attrition; and the last part dealt with suggestions on reducing attrition rate …

Environmental Factors Affecting Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nesting, Hatching, And Incubation Patterns In Broward County, Florida, Zoey Ellen Best

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Reproductive success in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles is strongly dependent on the effective placement and internal conditions of their nests. Embryos rely on optimal incubation conditions for proper development and growth, which determines how many hatchlings will emerge from the nest. The internal microclimate of each nest is delicately balanced and can be easily influenced by external environmental conditions. This study was designed to examine several environmental variables and determine their effects on sea turtle nesting numbers, hatching success, and incubation conditions in Broward County Florida. Over a span of 25 years (1991-2015), the Broward County Sea …

Geospatial Analysis Of Tursiops Truncatus, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, From Noaa Cetacean Stranding Data In Florida To Explore Human Fishery Impacts, Jamie S. Ahn

HCNSO Student Capstones

Cetacean strandings provide valuable biological and geographic information, including various human impacts to vulnerable populations. This study utilizes global information systems (GIS) to conduct geospatial analyses of common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, strandings impacted by fishery interactions in Florida from 2002 to 2014 along with summary statistics of the types of interaction and gear involved. In addition four human impact factors, average human population, average number of boat licenses, average number of fishing permits, and coastline length, were compared to the stranding densities per county for association and predictability. Four regions of stranding “hotspots” were identified, and all human impact …

Mapping The Spatial-Temporal Variation In Ras Ghanada Seagrass Meadows And Sand Shoals Between 1996, 2006 & 2012, Ryan Brookbank

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass meadows offshore Ras Ghanada, as elsewhere, are an important component to the ecosystem providing numerous benefits to both aquatic and human life. This work focused on mapping the spatial and temporal distribution of seagrass meadows offshore Ras Ghanada using aerial photography acquired in 1996 and high-resolution satellite images captured in 2006 and 2012. The movements of sand shoals were also tracked, so as to further explain the dynamics of this ecosystem, as it is the area between the shoal crests that hosts the best developed seagrass meadows. The natural limiting factor for seagrass on the Ras Ghanada coastal shelf …

Growth Of Orbicella Faveolata In La Parguera, Puerto Rico, Darren B. Marshall

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Reef-building corals are subject to high amounts of stress, including pollution and rising sea surface temperatures due to climate change. These factors can affect the ability of corals to produce their calcium carbonate skeletons. Evaluation of the effects of climate change may be facilitated by evaluation of records of coral skeletal growth over a long period of time. The aim of this study was to evaluate skeletal growth of the coral Orbicella faveolata in La Parguera, Puerto Rico over a 32-year period. For this, 14 Orbicella faveolata core samples were collected from corals at two reefs (1.2 km apart) in …

Assessing The Rate And Extent Of Transgenerational Acclimation And Adaptation To Ocean Warming, Abby C. Nease

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

A primary goal of climate change research is to determine if species will be able to persist in a warmer environment. Most studies predict climate change will cause many species to become extinct. However, these predictions are based on experiments where only a single life stage or generation of a species was exposed to predicted future conditions (i.e. shock treatments), and thus overlook the possibility of species adapting or acclimatizing to new environmental conditions over multiple generations. As a result, current projections of species persistence through climate change are likely to overestimate species extinction. In this study, the rate and …

Teaching, Learning, And Assessment: Insights Into Students’ Motivation To Learn, Simon R. Walters, Pedro Silva, Jennifer Nikolai

The Qualitative Report

This study draws upon the perspectives of sport and recreation undergraduate students in New Zealand who were involved in the design of their own assessments, and discusses the implication of the teaching and learning environment on this process. In a previous study, student criticism had emerged of current teaching strategies and assessment methods at their institution. The purpose of this current study was to directly address some of these concerns and for lecturers and students to work collaboratively to develop a more learner-centred teaching and learning environment. Students from a second-year sociology of sport paper were invited to design their …

Developing Luminescent Lanthanide Coordination Polymers And Metal-Organic Frameworks For Bioimaging Applications, Aida Gonzalez, Xiu Mei-Chu, Kathryn A. Pitton, Ryan Crichton, Jeffrey D. Einkauf

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Articles

This study focuses on the solvothermal synthesis of two lanthanide-based coordination polymer/metal-organic framework systems assembled from 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) in the nano-sized regime for use as bioimaging agents. These materials were synthesized using two different lanthanide ions, a luminescent center (Eu, Tb) for optical imaging purposes and Gd, whose magnetic properties are particularly beneficial in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as
a contrast agent. Together, these two features allow for multimodal imaging, useful in the study and diagnosis of disease. Under identical reaction conditions, two different compounds were formed upon changing the identity of the optically active lanthanide metal ion. Compound …

Youtube Integration In Science Classes: Understanding Its Roots, Ways, And Selection Criteria, Rose Kayee D. Pecay

The Qualitative Report

YouTube is among the popular platforms in social media in today’s digital age. Along with this popularity and the pressure to integrate ICT in the curriculum, the myriad of benefits afforded by YouTube for the improvement of science education encourage science teachers to utilize it in the teaching-learning process. This investigation was then effected to generate an understanding of science teachers’ means and motives in using YouTube in their respective classes. Following the principles of phenomenology, two themes vis-à-vis YouTube integration surfaced. “Spectatorial” pertains to the passive use in which science teachers’ participation is limited to viewing purposes. Anent, the …

Mineralogical Analysis Of Aeolian Dune Deposits, White River Badlands, South Dakota, Megan O'Connor, Paul Baldauf

Biology Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

The goal of this study is to test our hypothesis that sand dunes in the White River Badlands (WRB), South Dakota, northern Great Plains, formed during one or more prolonged prehistoric droughts. WRB dune fields are located on tabletops north of the White River in southwestern South Dakota. These parabolic dunes have maximum relief of 30 m and open to the northwest, consistent with the dominant wind direction for the region. Currently, dunes are stabilized by a drought-adapted, mixed grass prairie community.

Sand dunes form when 1) prolonged drought kills prairie vegetation, allowing wind to erode and transport sediment, forming …

Differences In Jump Height And Reactive Strength Index-Modified In Dancers And Non-Dancers Performing The Vertical Jump From Two Positions, Sarah Hutcher

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The vertical jump (VJ), the gold standard for assessing leg power, is most commonly performed from a squat stance (SS). However, dancers often initiate jumps/leaps from a plié, externally rotated from the hip or “turned out” (TO). Testing dancers from a SS may not indicate activity specific power. This study’s purpose was to determine differences in jump height and leg explosiveness, as measured by reactive strength index-modified (RSI-mod) when performed from TO and SS positions in dancers and non-dancers. Thus far, five healthy participants who are physically active at least ten hours/week have been studied; three dancers, having at least …

Screening For Type Iii Secretion System Inhibitors, Samir Nacer, Kendall Mockridge, Kevin Lujan, Chris Soha, Eugenia Jimenez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Commonly used antibiotics are becoming less effective because they target bacterial cell walls or processes, which create a selective pressure for bacteria to become resistant, leading to the formation of “super bugs”. Some of these pathogenic bacteria include E. coli, Salmonella, Chlamydia and Yersinia. These species utilize a type III secretion system (T3SS), which are needle-like structures on their surface used to inject host cells with toxins in order to evade our immune system and cause infection. Recently a new method for testing compounds to determine if they inhibit the Y. pestis T3SS was developed by our …

We Are All Humans, Lekha Mutyala

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Diversity is an ongoing topic of conversation in the United States of America today. What exactly entails diversity? What are some examples of racism, prejudice, and injustice in a society that promotes freedom of speech and encourages a melting pot? The presentation addresses features of diversity as they appear in a few historical and contemporary events. Through a rhythmic re-telling, the accounts establish the core identity of who everyone is despite differences. The presentation’s objective is to analyze components of diversity and to display results in an unexpected format.

Sargassum-Associated Fish Communities Are Stable Over Time And Feature Low Levels Of Parasitism, Kelsey Fox

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sargassum mats are common features of South Florida coastlines. Consisting of pelagically drifting clumps of brown algae (usually of the genus Sargassum), these mats are critical nursery habitat for many fish species, providing surface shelter in otherwise exposed open ocean areas. However, the ecology of Sargassum mat communities remains unstudied. This project addressed two key knowledge gaps. First, the long term stability of Sargassum community structure was assessed in samples collected over an 8-year period. Overall 9 fish species were collected (N=150). Individual Sargassum mats typically harbored 2.6 ± 0.7 fish species which were equally abundant in any given sample …

Assessment Of Heavy Metals In Subsistence-Harvested Alaskan Pinniped Vibrissae, Chitra Gotluru

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In the past 40 years, three species of pinnipeds -harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) and the northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris) have undergone significant population declines . Archived vibrissae (whiskers) from these four species from the Bering Sea and throughout the Gulf of Alaska from 1993 to 2014, are used in the project. To our knowledge, this is the first time that whiskers are being used for heavy metal analyses. Whiskers are comprised of keratin, much like fur and hair, which has been …

Combating Cooperative Antibiotic Resistance, Tom Abraham, Aimee Doiron

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health concern, causing more than 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths each year. To better combat the problem of antibiotic resistance, we studied the effects of cheater bacteria using a strain of Escherichia coli with the ability to express β-lactamase. Specifically, we mapped the conditions that cause cooperative bacteria to exhibit a strong Allee effect – in which colony survival depends on the initial population exceeding a certain minimum threshold. Bacteria that express β-lactamase confer protection to the population when ampicillin is present. This provides an incentive for cheater bacteria to enjoy the benefits …

Dollar, Brianne Bailey, Grace Ducanis

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Although many of us live seemingly unconnected lives, separated by social and economic stratospheres, we are often linked through commonplace objects and locations. A dollar bill, for example. A dollar bill survives an average of 5.9 years, according to the Federal Reserve. By some estimations, it can change hands 110 times a year. And while a dollar’s economic value doesn’t change much from wallet to wallet, a dollar can change the people who carry it.

Don't Hug Me I'M Scared: Sense Or Cents?, Adam Deross

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In 2011, British artists Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling released the first episode of what would become a viral YouTube sensation. The short film series “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared” has over 42 million views on its first episode alone. I completed an analysis paper on the series putting forth my explanations and theories on the small details and plotline of the ambiguous and open series. Through my oral presentation, I aim to help others think a little bit more critically about this art form and what implications it holds for the real world.

Evaluation Of Fak And Mdr1 Crosstalk In Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells, Keerthi Thallapureddy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Platinum resistance continues to be a major challenge in the chemotherapeutic management of ovarian cancer. Increased phosphorylation of a tyrosine kinase, Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) has been implicated in the development of this platinum resistance. A multidrug resistant gene (MDR1) codes for the P-glycoprotein, a protein that plays an important role in the chemotherapeutic resistance of the platinum resistant ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, it was suspected that there may be an intracellular link between FAK and MDR1 that can determine the drug resistance and consequent escape from the cytotoxicity of the drugs in ovarian cancer cells. Hence, it is hypothesized …

Fluorinated Porphyrin Interactions In Cancer Cells, Brandon Golub, Rony Saleeb

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Photodynamic therapy is a contemporary cutting-edge cancer treatment that is currently being studied intensely. A common agent used in photodynamic therapy is a manufactured porphyrin molecule. Porphyrin molecules are activated when exposed to specific wavelengths of light, and upon activation, either cellular apoptosis or tissue necrosis occurs. Through the alteration of the chemical structure of a porphyrin molecule, differing outcomes take place in the development of the cancer treatment. Careful examination of fluorinated porphyrin derivative compounds can be implemented in order to determine applicable compounds for treatment.

Galaxy Morphology Classification System, Lennox Francis

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Citizen scientists are becoming more and more important in helping professionals working through big data. An example in astronomy is crowd sourced galaxy classification. But how reliable are these classifications for studies of galaxy evolution? We have created a tool that allows us to use crowd sourced data from college students to investigate morphological classifications and compare the data against existing professional classifications. User generated data is prone to error and comparing said data against a professional classification allowed us to establish a margin of error, which we then corrected using machine learning. The program was coded using C++, the …

Heavy Metal Contamination At Unregulated Target Shooting Sites In The Everglades, Megan Bruce, Stacey Spadafore

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Heavy metals such as lead and copper can negatively impact organisms and the environment exposed to the pollution. These metals can enter the environment in many ways; for example, hazardous waste, discarded sporting gear, leaded gasoline, pesticides, or roadways. A heavily used, unregulated target range was discovered in the Everglades. This location, Krome Avenue, is unregulated and bullets and shell casings litter the area. We hypothesize that the Krome Avenue range will have higher levels of lead and copper than control sites. Water, soil, plant, and invertebrate samples were collected from the site to identify if any metal pollution is …

Investigation Of Fecal Contamination Of Urban Tidal Flood Water In Southeast Florida, Hyo Won Lee

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Since many diseases can spread through water-borne transmission, water quality management is a big part of public health. Contamination of water by exposure to human or animal feces represents a potentially high public health risk for spread of fecal related pathogens. Thus, good water quality management seeks to better ensure the cleanliness and safety of water that people and the environment are exposed to. Due to sea level rise, tidal flooding is becoming an increasingly serious problem for coastal populations, a result of more frequent flooding of contaminated coastal landscapes. Therefore coastal flooding is a problem due to both the …