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The Role Of Cheating Behavior And Personality Traits In Deception Detection Ability, Joshua Braverman Apr 2016

The Role Of Cheating Behavior And Personality Traits In Deception Detection Ability, Joshua Braverman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this study we examined the relationship that propensity for cheating, as well as several other personality traits, have with deception detection ability. Participants were first administered a behavioral measure of their tendency to cheat on a short mathematics exam, as well as a measure of anger toward hypothetical cheaters. Second, participants viewed a series of video clips of NSU students making truthful and deceptive statements; participants attempted to discriminate between truthful and deceptive statements, and also rated the personality traits of the NSU students. Third, participants attempted to discriminate between truthful and deceptive statements in 8 media clips of …


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

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

Undergraduate Student Symposium

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


Yoga - Beyond The Asana, Christa Barone Apr 2016

Yoga - Beyond The Asana, Christa Barone

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Yoga - Beyond the Asana” is a documentary that explores the yoga lifestyle, demonstrating that yoga is for everyone. This documentary shatters preconceived notions, one yoga class at a time. The documentary is directed by Christa Barone.


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

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

Undergraduate Student Symposium

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


Development Of A Library Of Synthetic Compounds With Multiple Pharmacophores, Alissa Svedberg, Zachary Galloway, Akshay Naraine Apr 2016

Development Of A Library Of Synthetic Compounds With Multiple Pharmacophores, Alissa Svedberg, Zachary Galloway, Akshay Naraine

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is known that chalcones and pyrazolines possess antibacterial and antifungal activity; the overall goal of this project was the development of a library by synthesizing novel hybrids containing both chalcones and pyrazolines. The hybrids may show antibacterial efficiency against S. aureus, E. coli, and Candida albicans. Oxindole derivatives have shown previous biological activity in combating bacteria such as S. aureus and E. coli, but using N-alkylation, the novel derivative may be further reacted using various aldehydes yielding a library of hybrids that may have antimalarial, antitubercular, and cytotoxic effects.


Efficiency Of An Electrostatic Sprayer In The Application Of Disinfectant, Karan Patel, Leonor Sarria, Antonia Bukatevych Apr 2016

Efficiency Of An Electrostatic Sprayer In The Application Of Disinfectant, Karan Patel, Leonor Sarria, Antonia Bukatevych

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Continuing research and development has led to new advancements in sanitation technology which allows for better preventative techniques against disease and illnesses. A total solutions company, ByoPlanet, developed an electrostatic sprayer that applies a negative charge to a disinfectant. This permits a stronger attraction to the environment as objects are naturally positively charged. Our goal was to determine if the electrostatic sprayer was able to treat objects that are not in the direct line of contact with the spray. The treatment was Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide and water was used as a control. The electrostatic sprayer was placed three feet from …


Evaluation Of The Cytotoxic Profile Of Metformin And Y15 In Platinum Resistance Ovarian Cancer Cells, Keerthi Thallapureddy, Sam Batko, Zara Khan Apr 2016

Evaluation Of The Cytotoxic Profile Of Metformin And Y15 In Platinum Resistance Ovarian Cancer Cells, Keerthi Thallapureddy, Sam Batko, Zara Khan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Metformin, an antidiabetic drug, has been previously shown to induce cytotoxicity in platinum resistant ovarian cancer cells and increase phosphorylation of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), a tyrosine kinase implicated in the development of this platinum resistance. Therefore, we evaluated the combined cytotoxic efficacy of Metformin and the focal adhesion kinase inhibitor 1,2,4,5-Benzene Tetra amine tetra hydrochloride (Y15) in platinum resistant OVCAR 3 ovarian cancer cells. The cells were treated with concentrations of Y15 and Metformin to determine IC50 values, which were then used to treat cells with Y15 and Metformin separately and in combination. DNA fragmentation and poly ADP …


Improving Mental Fitness: The Impact Of Mindfulness Meditation Training On Sustained Attention And Working Memory, Turi Castro Flach, Haley Hickey, Lauren Gispert Apr 2016

Improving Mental Fitness: The Impact Of Mindfulness Meditation Training On Sustained Attention And Working Memory, Turi Castro Flach, Haley Hickey, Lauren Gispert

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mindfulness meditation has received a great deal of scientific interest in recent years. Of interest to the current study, mindfulness meditation training has been shown to improve sustained attention (Morrison, Gooldarran, Rogers, & Jha, 2014), decision making (Hafenbrack, Kinias, & Barsade, 2014), working memory (Mzarek, Franklin, Phillips, Baird, & Schooler, 2013) and reduce the impact of stress on working memory performance (Banks, Welhaf, & Srour, 2015; Jha, Stanley, Kiyonaga, Wong, & Gelfand, 2010). The improvement in working memory performance is important due to the relationship between working memory and fluid intelligence (Conway, Kane, & Engle, 2003), reasoning (Kyllonen & Christal, …


Love Yourself, Jackie Garcia Apr 2016

Love Yourself, Jackie Garcia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Love Yourself” is a short film about a young girl named Sydney who is struggling to feel confident during her first semester as a college student. She wants to fit in with a particular sorority on campus. After being invited by one of the sisters to an ANAD banquet, Sydney realizes her inner beauty and builds enough self-confidence to rush the sorority she had wanted to join since the start of the semester. The film is directed by Jackie Garcia. Other crew members and actors include Janette Garcia and Tatiana Munoz.


Molecular Chlorination Of Sucrose And Possible Growth Effects On Human Gut Microbiota, Kristi Njaravelil, Avidor Gerstenfeld Apr 2016

Molecular Chlorination Of Sucrose And Possible Growth Effects On Human Gut Microbiota, Kristi Njaravelil, Avidor Gerstenfeld

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Bacteria in our gut, are responsible for facilitating a variety of functions from metabolism to maintaining immunological homeostasis. The gut microbiota have also been shown to be affected by diet. Sucralose, a minimally metabolized, non-nutritive, and non-caloric sweetener, is found in a variety of food and drinks marketed to diabetics and health conscious individuals. Sucralose is chlorinated sucrose (common table sugar). Indicators suggest that sucralose may have a deleterious effect on gut microbiota, possibly leading to health conditions such as Crohn’s disease. Although there are likely several mechanisms involved, the purpose of this experiment is to focus on the effects …


Phycocyanin Enhances The Cytotoxic Profile Of Cisplatin In Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells By A Mechanism That Is Focal Adhesion Kinase Dependent, Syed Hussain, Shona Joseph Apr 2016

Phycocyanin Enhances The Cytotoxic Profile Of Cisplatin In Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells By A Mechanism That Is Focal Adhesion Kinase Dependent, Syed Hussain, Shona Joseph

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A major treatment approach in ovarian cancer is platinum based therapy. Initially more than 80% of cancer patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer achieve remission with platinum therapy. However, the majority of these patients relapse and develop drug-resistant disease over time. The overexpression of the tyrosine kinase, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) causes this resistance, which can promote cancer cell survival and metastasis. Prior experiments report that Phycocyanin (C-PC), an accessory pigment in the Cyanobacteria spirulina, demonstrates cytotoxicity towards multiple cancer cell lines and enhances cisplatin activity in lung cancer. This study evaluated the ability of C-PC to sensitize the …


Porphyrin Basicity Competition Studies Of Octa Alkyl Substituted Porphyrins With H2tpp, Alfredo Lam Apr 2016

Porphyrin Basicity Competition Studies Of Octa Alkyl Substituted Porphyrins With H2tpp, Alfredo Lam

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Competition studies of the free base octa alkyl substituted porphyrins for the protons were carried out using H2TPP. The reaction with H2OEP produces the free base H2OEP, the dication H4OEP+2, and the monocation H3OEP+1. Although the monocation is easily seen in the solution, it is difficult to isolate. The cause appears to be a type of disproportionation reaction taking place upon crystallization, where the dication is formed at the expense of the monocation. In each experiment, an equimolar solution of two free-bases was made. Since H …


The Role Of The Brain Atlas In Research And Education With A Specific Focus On The Allen Brain Atlas And A Novel Fresh Brain Atlas, Rebecca Nosal Apr 2016

The Role Of The Brain Atlas In Research And Education With A Specific Focus On The Allen Brain Atlas And A Novel Fresh Brain Atlas, Rebecca Nosal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In the post-genomic era, brain atlases are key resources in education and research. They are critical to establishing a foundation to further the understanding of gene expression, neural connectivity, and development. This review focuses of the development of a model brain atlas, the Allen Brain Atlas, and the current construction of a novel brain atlas, the Frozen Brain Atlas. The Allen Brain Atlas, specifically the mouse atlas, was created in an effort to map the distribution pattern of mRNAs expressing the entire mouse genome in the brain. The goal is to use the mapped connectivity as a basis for future …


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

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

Undergraduate Student Symposium

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


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

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

Undergraduate Student Symposium

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


A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Using Anecdotal Data And Photographic Evidence To Obtain Baseline Data For Southeast Florida Reefs, Catherine Brady Apr 2016

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Using Anecdotal Data And Photographic Evidence To Obtain Baseline Data For Southeast Florida Reefs, Catherine Brady

HCNSO Student Capstones

By using first-hand accounts, interviews, and photographs from fishermen throughout the region (Martin, Palm Beach and Broward counties), this paper will provide evidence of changes in recreational fish catches. It will also identify a shift in commonly caught fish species, factors that affect the head boat business, environmental changes and suggestions for management. Head boat fishing is a favorable activity for tourists and regular anglers in the state as well as the region. Upon returning from their day trip, companies often provide photo opportunities to display the day’s catch, as part of the fishing experience. Companies that have been around …


Science-Based Policy Plan For Australia's Coral Reefs, David Booth, Lauren Nadler, Steve Doo, Elizabeth Madin, Sue-Ann Watson Apr 2016

Science-Based Policy Plan For Australia's Coral Reefs, David Booth, Lauren Nadler, Steve Doo, Elizabeth Madin, Sue-Ann Watson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Australia’s coral reefs are currently under threat from a range of short-­‐ and long-­‐term stressors. The ability of corals to recover from acute disturbance events, such as bleaching, cyclones and crown-­of-thorns seastars outbreaks, is greatly influenced by the multitude of stressors reefs are currently experiencing (1). Since healthy coral habitat is essential for the persistence of associated fish and invertebrate communities, as well as the industries that rely on them (2), all possible action must be taken to reduce stress factors to corals and associated organisms. Practical changes to current reef policies will reverse the decline in the health of …


Asymptotic Stability Of Non-Unique Solutions Of Initial Value Problems, Muhammad Islam Mar 2016

Asymptotic Stability Of Non-Unique Solutions Of Initial Value Problems, Muhammad Islam

Mathematics Colloquium Series

We consider an initial value problem (I. V. P.) of a first order nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We assume that the I. V. P. can have more than one solution. We study a new type of stability property of these solutions. This stability is not the standard Liapunov stability, commonly studied in the field of differential equations.


Bacterial Indicators Of Fecal Pollution: Exploring Relationships Between Fecal Coliform And Enterococcus Groups In Central And South Florida Surface Waters, Shelby G. Craig Mar 2016

Bacterial Indicators Of Fecal Pollution: Exploring Relationships Between Fecal Coliform And Enterococcus Groups In Central And South Florida Surface Waters, Shelby G. Craig

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Ambient and recreational surface waters worldwide experience fecal pollution due to a variety of anthropogenic sources. Fecal waste has been proven, for over a century, to harbor pathogenic microorganisms which subsequently cause a variety of disease and illness in human hosts. The benefits of utilizing fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) as a simple, inexpensive means to detect fitful human pathogens within a variety of water matrices are vast. However, no universal agreement exists in regard to which indicator is best suited for detection of fecal contamination and pathogens in environmental waters, and no single standard for bacterial indicators has been federally …


Reflections On Peace From Interculturality, Dora Elvira Garcia-Gonzalez Mar 2016

Reflections On Peace From Interculturality, Dora Elvira Garcia-Gonzalez

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article purpose to think about interculturality in connection with what peace means, since many of the great conflicts in the history of humankind have been provoked by the failure to settle conflicts, by the absence of genuine dialogue and the inability to listen, thus producing violence among persons and among cultures. Therefore, to overcome these situations it is necessary a deep understanding of what peace means, as well as of its relation to justice and ethics. This will make it possible to seek the development of a positive interculturality, within a framework of peace. The existence of interculturality does …


Coral Genotype Influence On Growth And Stress Resistance In Acropora Cervicornis: Investigating Potential Energy Tradeoffs, Peter T. Grasso Mar 2016

Coral Genotype Influence On Growth And Stress Resistance In Acropora Cervicornis: Investigating Potential Energy Tradeoffs, Peter T. Grasso

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades coral reefs have faced unprecedented declines in health due to natural and anthropogenic sources. Until recently few studies have examined genotypic variation of growth and thermal stress resistance in Acropora cervicornis. This study aims to assess the potential for energy trade-offs between growth and thermal stress resistance by following 120 coral fragments from 12 genotypes of Acropora cervicornis over the course of 15 months to determine average growth rates for each genotype. Following the completion of the growth observation a bleaching event occurred in the lower Florida Keys providing the opportunity for examining thermal …


An Endemic Commensal Leucothoid Discovered In The Tunicate Cnemidocarpa Bicornuta, From New Zealand (Crustacea, Amphipoda), Kaitlyn M. Brucker Mar 2016

An Endemic Commensal Leucothoid Discovered In The Tunicate Cnemidocarpa Bicornuta, From New Zealand (Crustacea, Amphipoda), Kaitlyn M. Brucker

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Precise descriptions and comprehensive taxonomies of species and their ecology are essential in monitoring changes in marine biodiversity at multiple spatial scales. A currently undescribed species of commensal amphipod in the genus Leucothoe is reported from New Zealand, collected from the endemic tunicate Cnemidocarpa bicornuta. This species differs from others in the genus in having a one-articulate first maxilla palp and an apically produced tuberculate lobe on the inner margin of the outer plate of the maxilliped. Previous taxonomic surveys in New Zealand waters did not document this species, indicating that it may be a recent arrival. This research …


Environmental Variables Affecting The Performance Of Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants, Parikhit Sinha Mar 2016

Environmental Variables Affecting The Performance Of Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants, Parikhit Sinha

Climate Sustainability Lecture Series

The environmental sciences have been critical to identifying global environmental challenges such as climate change, but they have been less extensively utilized in deploying solutions to those challenges, such as solar energy. Environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, aerosols, clouds, soiling, and snowfall have important effects on solar PV performance, and these effects can vary regionally. The current status of large-scale solar PV deployment will be discussed along with the role of environmental variables on PV performance.


The Nature Of Teacher Learning In Collaborative Data Teams, Robert Michaud Mar 2016

The Nature Of Teacher Learning In Collaborative Data Teams, Robert Michaud

The Qualitative Report

As data teams have grown in popularity in recent years, they have been increasingly looked to by educational researchers because of the tantalizing prospect of combining teachers’ on the job professional development with increased and effective data use to drive instruction. Data teams have been increasingly implemented within schools by educational leaders attempting to take advantage of what teachers learn from each other in the context of a data team. Many conceptual models of data team function have been proposed, but few empirical studies have examined how teachers learn from collaborating with each other in a data team. This paper …


Conceptual Understanding: A Concept Analysis, Susan Mills Mar 2016

Conceptual Understanding: A Concept Analysis, Susan Mills

The Qualitative Report

The term conceptual understanding was analyzed to determine how educators can help students attain understanding in a concept based curriculum. The investigator sought to establish what salient dimensions and conditions supported conceptual understanding. A dimensional analysis of the term conceptual understanding was employed through a review of the literature in mathematics, science, psychology, and nursing education. The salient dimensions of conceptual understanding were identified as: factual and procedural knowledge, connections, transfer, and metacognition. The supporting properties included: meaningful learning activities, memorization, and misconceptions. The results substantiate conceptual understanding as a process. When this process is utilized by nurse educators, students …


Sponge Distribution And The Presence Of Photosymbionts In Moorea, French Polynesia, Christopher J. Freeman, Cole Easson Mar 2016

Sponge Distribution And The Presence Of Photosymbionts In Moorea, French Polynesia, Christopher J. Freeman, Cole Easson

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Photosymbionts play an important role in the ecology and evolution of diverse host species within the marine environment. Although sponge-photosymbiont interactions have been well described from geographically disparate sites worldwide, our understanding of these interactions from shallow water systems within French Polynesia is limited. We surveyed diverse habitats around the north coast of Moorea, French Polynesia and screened sponges for the presence of photosymbionts. Overall sponge abundance and diversity were low, with <1% cover and only eight putative species identified by 28S barcoding from surveys at 21 sites. Of these eight species, seven were found predominately in shaded or semi-cryptic habitats under overhangs or within caverns. Lendenfeldia chondrodeswas the only species that supported a high abundance of photosymbionts and was also the only species found in exposed, illuminated habitats. Interestingly, L. chondrodes was …


Distribution, Abundance And Movement Of Fish Among Seagrass And Mangrove Habitats In Biscayne Bay, Patrick C. Goebel Mar 2016

Distribution, Abundance And Movement Of Fish Among Seagrass And Mangrove Habitats In Biscayne Bay, Patrick C. Goebel

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Inshore tropical and subtropical estuaries harbor a relatively high abundance and diversity of organisms. Specifically within estuaries, mangrove and seagrass habitats provide shelter and food for a plethora of organisms, through some or all their life histories. Given the biological connection between offshore coral reefs and coastal estuaries, there is a critical need to understand the underlying processes that determine distribution and abundance patterns within mangrove-seagrass habitats. The predatory fish assemblage within the mangrove and seagrass beds of Biscayne Bay, Florida (USA), was examined over 24-hr. time periods along a distance and habitat gradient from the mangrove edge and nearshore …


Powering The Planet: The Role Chemistry Plays In Solar Energy Technology, Amy M. Scott Mar 2016

Powering The Planet: The Role Chemistry Plays In Solar Energy Technology, Amy M. Scott

Climate Sustainability Lecture Series

Global energy demands are projected to double by 2050, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and solar energy has the greatest potential as the most benign, universal resource for generating electricity. However, harnessing the solar energy efficiently and converting it towards useful forms of power that are compatible with our current infrastructure remains an elusive goal. Today’s solar energy utilization relies on silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) technology, which converts photon energy to electrical energy. The efficiency of these devices remains low (< 30%) and the cost of processing silicon and installing solar panels in homes makes PV uneconomical compared to the current price of electricity. Research efforts towards developing new inorganic and organic materials for thin film PV to replace silicon are currently underway. Organic materials are particularly interesting from the standpoint of developing simple, cheap materials that can be easily tailored for future PV devices. The future of solar energy utilization relies on developing solar paints for vehicles, solar shingles for rooftops, and spray-on solar ink for small device applications, but continued fundamental research is needed for decreasing cost and improving efficiency for next generation devices.


Periodicity In Quantum Calculus, Jeffrey T. Neugebauer Mar 2016

Periodicity In Quantum Calculus, Jeffrey T. Neugebauer

Mathematics Colloquium Series

After a brief introduction to time scales, we will explore periodic functions on time scales. We will discuss how periodicity is defined on time scales that are not periodic. In particular, we will look at periodicity in the quantum case. Two definitions of periodicity have recently been introduced. One definition is based on the equality of areas lying below the graph of the function at each period; the other regards a periodic function to be one that repeats its values after a certain number of steps. We will show a relation between these two definitions and then use this relation …


Sustainable Whale-Watching For The Philippines: A Bioeconomic Model Of The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella Longirostris), Allison Jenny Santos Mar 2016

Sustainable Whale-Watching For The Philippines: A Bioeconomic Model Of The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella Longirostris), Allison Jenny Santos

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Whale-watching provides economic opportunities worldwide and particularly proliferates in developing countries, such as the Philippines. The sustainability of whale-watching is increasingly debated as these activities also negatively impact cetaceans through changes in behavior, communication, habitat use, morbidity, mortality, and life-history parameters. This study evaluated the total annual cost, revenue, and profit of whale-watching operators in Bais, Philippines, and predicted the changes in the population for spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris with varying levels of whale-watching effort. Total revenue was 3,805,077 PHP ($92,478 USD) while total cost was 5,649,094 PHP ($137,294 USD) with a discount rate of ten percent. The total annual …