Digital Commons Network^™

Longevity Of Visual Improvements Following Electro-Stimulation Therapies And Efficacy Of Retreatment In Retinitis Pigmentosa Subjects, Marsha Zaman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Background: Roughly half of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) subjects who received Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation (TES) and 29% who receive electro-acupuncture developed significant improvements in vision during a small-scale randomized controlled trial by our group.

Methods: We longitudinally monitored four RP subjects for declining vision due to natural RP progression, at which time a retreatment course of six weekly TES sessions or 10 electro-acupuncture sessions was administered.

Results: A 44 y/o female improved from 20/665 to 20/66 in the worse eye following the initial course of TES, but diminished to 20/333 ten months later, at which time retreatment improved vision to 20/83. …

Mathematical Approach To Understanding Consumer Behavior, Teodora Suciu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study examines the theory of consumer behavior, particularly the use of optimization within utility maximization. The science of economics deals with the behavior of economic agents: consumers, producers, and the government. Every consumer is assumed to allocate his or her income to different goods and services that he or she buys, so that the objective is optimized. Similarly, every business firm is assumed to allocate its resources so that its profits are optimized. Government agents are also assumed to allocate resources so that society’s benefits or welfare will be optimized. The resources necessary to satisfy unlimited human wants are …

Me/Cfs Genes Study: Creating A De-Identified Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Genomic Database And Analyzing Snps Frequency Trends For Potential Diagnostic Biomarker Establishment, Melanie Perez, Abhaya Moturu, Kelly Gaunt, Kristina Gemayel, Syed Shehzad Ali, Maria Cash, Leonor Sarria, Angela Vu, Ishan Shah, Nirja Patel, Marquis Chapman, Jecqueline Baikovitz, Kevin Galvez, Rajeev Jaundoo, Ana Del Alamo, Irma Rey M.D., Maria Vera M.D., Nancy Klimas M.D., Travis Craddock

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease with unknown causes. It is known that Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) play an important role in gene expression. Changes to that can manifest as phenotypic changes. Prior to this ongoing study, there existed no known databases of SNPs in patients diagnosed with ME/CFS.

Our objectives are to create and continually update a novel database of SNPs that are specific for ME/ CFS patients, and to identify the relative frequency in our cohort of specific SNPs warranting further research.

A genetic database was created on-site through the use of a secure user-friendly …

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

Undergraduate Student Symposium

No abstract provided.

Printing 3-D Molecular Models Of The Angiotensin Ii, Type 1 Receptor And Its Anti-Hypertensive Ligand (Olmesartan), Riti Vohra, Valentina Ramirez, Guy Merus

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Through the use of protein visualization software, such as Jmol, it is possible to design and ultimately print 3-D structural protein models. Literary review and protein database files help shed light on the important structural components of proteins. As an example, the Angiotensin II, AT₁ type receptor, known by its protein database file, 4ZUD, was selected to demonstrate this process. Blood pressure regulation through the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is mediated through the activation and inhibition of Angiotensin II (AngII) from its precursor Angiotensin I (AngI). Activation of AngII leads to vasoconstriction, resulting in an increase in blood pressure, while …

Rationalizing The Irrational Consumer: How Behavioral Economics Impacts Marketing, Hannah Farley

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Behavioral economics is studying the reasons why people make the economic decisions that they do, based on psychology. Before behavioral economics, most economists assumed consumers were rational in their decisions, which is a false assumption. Consumers are impacted by a variety of different sources to make the decisions that they do, which is why their choices can fluctuate and seem irrational. Marketing strategies can be influenced for the better by behavioral economics, by seeing the reasons why consumers may or may not choose a product and marketing the product based on these responses. This essay strives to explore different principles …

Simulation Of Blood Flow Through Arteries Afflicted With Atherosclerosis, Stephanie Talavera

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of death and morbidity in our society. It refers to the hardening of arteries due to plaque buildup. This can cause complications throughout the body including the heart, arms & legs, or kidneys. The purpose of this experiment was to study how occlusion size affects the blood flow physics within arteries afflicted with atherosclerosis. CFD analysis was utilized to simulate blood flow through an artery with varying occlusion levels.

All simulations performed in this study imposed a Newtonian, viscous model, with laminar flow conditions and the following material parameters: the physical properties for blood were …

The Cinephile, Ryan Dahm, Aidan Rivas, Jas Anderson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Cinephile” is a short film. After a long movie-binging session and finishing his 1000^th movie, our protagonist, the cinephile, notices something is off. It is soon revealed that due to his excessive consumption of cinema, he has gained the ability to manipulate his perception of the world as if he were a video camera, and he can employ various cinematic techniques as superpowers. Unfortunately, rather than using his newly gained powers for good, he almost immediately uses his powers to mess with others for his own personal entertainment.

The Darker Side Of Education: The College Affordability Crisis, Paulette Fuerst, Kunal Karmilkar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

According to the National Center for Policy Analysis, college prices have increased by 175% (Gonzalez, O’Sullivan, 2010). As a result, the total student debt surpasses more than $1.2 trillion in 2015 (Schoen, John, 2015). The college affordability crisis is based off of the ubiquitous high price of college tuition that continues to rise over the years. Thus, it is imperative that college students are aware of today’s exponential growth of both debt and college cost, because it disrupts students from having a sustainable economic future.

Analyzing the socio-economical aspects of college affordability allows us to comprehend the impact of high …

The Influence Of A Serotonin 2a Receptor Gene (Htr2a) On Stress Responsivity, Akshay Naraine

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A single nucleotide polymorphism on the serotonin 2A receptor gene HTR2A (rs6313) alters neurological functions. Previous research has shown that the “A” allele carriers are at greater risk for increased stress responsivity. It is currently uncertain the extent to which rs6313 affects physiological and psychological responses. To address this uncertainty, we carried out a study with the hypothesis that “A” allele carriers on the serotonin 2A receptor gene would have increased physiological and psychological stress responsivity. The groups did not differ on any self-report measures of anxiety or sensation seeking. There was no difference between the groups on cortisol before …

The Psychological And Physiological Implications Of Sleep Restriction: A Comparison Of Voluntary And Experimental Sleep Restriction Groups, Sri Moturu, Kevin Douglas, Kaylin Huitsing

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sleep restriction (SR) has profound adverse effects on health and wellbeing; however, it is not clear if there are differential effects of chronic and voluntary SR vs. short-term and involuntary SR. In order to examine this possibility, we tested the extent to which psychological and physical health measures were influenced by a group of participants who voluntarily restricted their sleep (VSR) relative to participants who underwent 7 days of experimental sleep restriction (ESR). We tested a female-specific population since sleep complaints in women are particularly associated with impaired psychological functioning. Upon study enrollment, sleep group categorization (ESR vs. VSR) was …

Continuous Dependence And Differentiating Solutions Of A Second Order Boundary Value Problem With An Average Value Condition, Samantha Major, Kaitlyn Seabrook

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Using a few conditions, continuous dependence, and a result regarding smoothness of initial conditions, we show that derivatives of solutions to the second order boundary value problem y''=f (x, y, y'), a < x < b, y (x₁) = y₁, 1 d-c ∫ _c ^d y(x)dx = y₂, a < x₁ < c < d < b, y₁, y₂ ∈ ℝ with respect to each of the boundary data x₁, y₁, y₂, c, d solve the associated variational equation with interesting boundary conditions. Of note is the second bundary condition with an average value condition.

Me/Cfs Genes Study: Creating A De-Identified Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Genomic Database And Analyzing Snps Frequency Trends For Potential Diagnostic Biomarker Establishment, Melanie Perez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease with unknown causes. It is known that Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) play an important role in gene expression. Changes to that can manifest as phenotypic changes. Prior to this ongoing study, there existed no known databases of SNPs in patients diagnosed with ME/CFS.

Our objectives are to create and continually update a novel database of SNPs that are specific for ME/ CFS patients, and to identify the relative frequency in our cohort of specific SNPs warranting further

A genetic database was created on-site through the use of a secure user-friendly online …

Catfish Get Caught And Punished: Dating Profile "Cheaters" And Mate Value Ratings, Gianpaolo Stasi, Mariana Brinkerhoff, Danielle Sampson, Widline Nordelus

Undergraduate Student Symposium

People who break social rules by trying to take more than their fair share are often singled out and punished by those around them. Although this phenomenon has been studied across a wide range of human behaviors, it has not yet been investigated in one situation in which people are consistently trying to “get more than they deserve”: dating. This study tested the extent to which people may punish those potential romantic partners who falsely present themselves as valuable mates. Participants completed a task in which they (1) read a fictitious online dating profile that described a person as having …

Colleges Must Require A Diversity Course, Nadia A. Siddiqi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It has been over half a century since the Civil Rights Act was passed into law, however, prejudice and discrimination rooted in race, color, religion, sex or national origin is still prevalent in our society today. In fact, hate crimes, motivated entirely or partly by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity, increased 6% between 2014 and 2015. Implementing a diversity course requirement for all undergraduate college students nationwide would help to combat this outbreak of hatred in the country by fostering graduates who are better equipped to understand the perspectives of …

Differences In Jump Height And Reactice 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 …

Does Stress Hurt Everyone? Individual Differences In Susceptability To Psychosocial Stressors, Lauren Gispert, Alyssa Boltson, Samantha Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Despite the critical role working memory plays in controlling attention, when people experience negative or stressful life events working memory task performance is impaired (Klein & Boals, 2001). Further, daily variation in stress corresponds to variation in working memory performance (Sliwinksi, Smyth, Hofer, & Stawski, 2006). In contrast to robust findings that stress impairs working memory, recent evidence suggests there are individual differences in susceptibility to stress manipulations (Plieger, et al., 2016). To examine this, the current study randomly assigned one hundred NSU undergraduates to either a speech or control condition. Participants in the speech condition gave a threeminute speech …

Examining The Stress-Gut Microbiome Interface In A Human Population, Eileen Davidson, Reaghan May, Sarah Lyle

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Diverse symbiotic microbial communities are harbored on and within most eukaryotic host organisms, including humans as “microbiomes”. The human gut microbiome represents one of the best-studied microbial communities in nature. Recent research on the gut has indicated that the microbiome can influence human behavior, metabolism, and disease states. However, it currently remains unclear as to how the diversity in the gut microbiome may affect stress. To address this open question, we sought to sample gut microbiome from two populations of participants: stressed and non-stressed males. Neurobehavioral measures of emotion processing and cognition were assessed through the NIH Toolbox platform and …

How Peripheral Substitutions Affect Porphyrin Basicity, Alfredo Lam, Fady Guigati

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Using H₂TPP as a central reference, a set of proton competition studies of free base octa alkyl and meso substituted porphyrins were carried out. The H₂TPP was selected since it has a large absorption for dication at 650 nm. The octa alkyl substituted porphyrins used in this study were H₂OEP, H₂OMP and H₂etiol; selected because they are a good representation of natural occurring porphyrins. H₂TPP, H₂TBPP, H₂DPP, and H₂TTFMPP, using different arrangements on substitution, where also investigated to further study their meso …

Impact Of Mdm2 On The Expression Level Of Xiap On Various Cancer Cell Lines, Kyle Bolston, Christopher Garcia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Transcription of the mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) gene is amplified during cancer development and continues through disease progression. X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP)- MDM2 heterodimerization occurs when XIAP binds to the RING domain of the MDM2. This interaction is a pro-cancerous mechanism, which counteracts the cellular stress caused by cancer therapy, and plays a significant role in the stabilization of MDM2 and related functions. Additionally, XIAP inhibits the pro-apoptotic proteins caspase 3, 7 and 9; which are key factors in intrinsic cellular apoptosis. The objective of the study is to test the effect of MDM2 inhibitor RG7388 …

Isolation And Characterization Of Antibiotic Producing Bacteria From Storm Water Treatment Areas, Kayla Catellanos-Bristol, Taura Khorramshahi, Anupsinh Chauhan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

With the diminishing supply for new antibiotic drugs to fight the rising number of infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens, a novel program called the Small World Initiative (SWI) was developed. SWI is a collaborative research effort that combines scientific education with research. The research is performed by undergraduate students from select Universities throughout the world. The majority of antibiotics in current use originate from soil dwelling bacteria; thus, discovery of new antibiotics produced by soil microbes is used as a scientific driver to combat the antibiotic crisis. Microorganisms present in soils should change with the concentrations of nutrients found in …

Low Vision Patients' And Providers' Satisfaction With Telerehabilitation, Alisha Trivedi, Tony Succar, Pat Yoshinaga, Angie Bowers, John Shepherd, Nicole C. Ross

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Purpose: A recent systematic review found no publications with results on the topic of telerehabilitation for low vision (LV). Our goal was to develop and evaluate components to deliver LV telerehabilitation services. Methods: Three LV providers conducted telerehabilitation sessions from their office with eight visually-impaired adults in their homes. Subjects received a hand-held magnification device for reading, and self-reported difficulty with returning for a follow-up at their provider's office. We obtained providers’ ratings for the use of hardware devices (i.e., iPad and Android tablets) and commercially available, HIPAA compliant, secure videoconference software (zoom.us) during telerehabilitation sessions at which subjects received …

Quantification Of Metals In The Shells Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassotrea Virginica, Utilizing Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, Swati Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, 2010 resulted in the largest marine oil spill recorded in U.S. history. Consequently, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife were affected adversely. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of metals in the shells of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Bivalves are suitable indicators of the surrounding ecosystem because they are sessile suspension feeders and are known to accumulate both organic and inorganic materials in their shells and tissues. Hence oysters are suitable indicators of the presence of contaminants in the food web. Analyses were performed on …

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 …

Senior Year - Nsu Women's Soccer, Monica Orteu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“SENIOR YEAR - NSU Women's Soccer” is a short documentary about the journey of three senior student-athletes, concretely from the NSU Women’s Soccer team. The film is directed by Monica Orteu. The interviewees are Gabriela Alfaro, Sidney Franko, and Nichole Poppe.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Tris(4,4-Dichloro-2,2-Bipyridine) Ruthenium (Ii), Jake Bence

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A new ruthenium (II) [Ru(4,4-dichloro-2,2-bipy)₃Cl₂ complex has been synthesized using a new procedural method. The complex was characterized by NMR, IR, and UV-Vis. After purification through column chromatography with alumnia, the percent yield was 60.39%. Electrochemistry data confirmed the presence of Ruthenium-bipyridine bonds, very similar to electrochemical data of [Ru(bpy)₃]Cl₂. The quantum yield of the [Ru(4,4-dichloro-2,2-bipy)₃Cl₂ complex was calculated after comparing with calibrated standards. This complex will be used to improve the photosensitizing properties of the complex by adding auxiliary ligands to the chlorinated bipyridine group.

The Effect Of Sucralose On The Inhibition Of Three Bacteria Species That Inhabit The Human Gut, Kristi Njaravelil, Avidor Gerstenfeld

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this experiment is to examine the proposed bacteriostatic (growth-inhibition) effect of sucralose, a minimally metabolized, non-nutritive, and non-caloric sweetener on three species of bacteria commonly found in the human gut. Sucralose has been shown to inhibit the growth of environmental bacteria likely due to the inhibition of the invertase enzyme, which is involved in the breakdown of sucrose. This study attempts to replicate this finding with bacterial species associated with the human gut microbiome and to test if the bacteria are still susceptible to growth inhibition by sucralose while in a monosaccharide rich environment, such as with …

Whey Versus Casein Protein Supplementation On Body Composition And Resting Metabolic Rate, Kristain Mejia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Research shows the benefits of Whey Isolate Protein Powder (Whey) and Casein Protein Poweder (Casein) supplementation in regards to body composition and resting metabolic rate; however, minimal research exists comparing Whey to Casein supplementation. Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to compare Whey versus Casein supplementation. Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to compare Whey versus Casein in regard to body composition and resting metabolic rate. Methods: 12 physically trained, healthy individuals (22±4.1 yrs.; 8 males; 4 females) completed a randomized two condition [Combat 100% Isolate (Whey) versus Combat 100% (Casein) intervention. The intervention consisted of …

Zooplankton Community Productivity Determined Through Stable Isotope Analysis, Paul Katz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Zooplankton samples were collected from five stations off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fl, between approximately 8 and 18 km offshore over a one year period in 2007. Zooplankton were sorted taxonomically for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. This study shows evidence that a shift in zooplankton diet takes place throughout the year, from lipid rich diatoms to lipid poor dinoflagellates. Additionally, the stable isotope ratios reveal fluctuations in productivity that we have used to trace distinct water masses and meteorlogic conditions. These are the first data of their kind that have used stable isotopes ratios of zooplankton to …

Quantification Of Metals In The Shells Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Utilizing Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, Swati Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, 2010 resulted in the largest marine oil spill recorded in U.S. history. Consequently, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife were affected adversely. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of metals in the shells of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Bivalves are suitable indicators of the surrounding ecosystem because they are sessile suspension feeders and are known to accumulate both organic and inorganic materials in their shells and tissues. Hence oysters are suitable indicators of the presence of contaminants in the food web. Analyses were performed on tissue …