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A Comparative Study Of The United States Response To Haiti's 2010 Earthquake And Indonesia's Indian Ocean Tsunami In 2004, Yineth Sanchez Apr 2013

A Comparative Study Of The United States Response To Haiti's 2010 Earthquake And Indonesia's Indian Ocean Tsunami In 2004, Yineth Sanchez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The 2010 Haitian Earthquake resulted in approximately 220,500 casualties and 1.8 million people displaced. Similarly, the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 caused catastrophic effects in the southeast region of the globe devastating more than twelve countries in less than ten minutes. In Indonesia alone, the tsunami caused 225,000 deaths and left 1.7 million individuals displaced. Both of these disasters were regarded as national emergencies for their respective countries. During the initial recovery period, Haiti and Indonesia faced serious relief challenges that led them to ask the international community for assistance. As one of the major global contributors of aid in …

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A New Order In A New World: The Titan Economic Model, Linea Cutter, Nathaniel Dolan, William Kotkin, Elizabeth Mortazavi Apr 2013

A New Order In A New World: The Titan Economic Model, Linea Cutter, Nathaniel Dolan, William Kotkin, Elizabeth Mortazavi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“A New Order in a New World: The Titan Economic Model” is a brief news-styled film report depicting a radical, albeit fictional, accounting of only one possible future-history for economic development of humanity. Speculating on the future-history of global economic structures raises noteworthy concerns while simultaneously setting the stage for rather radical new ideals.

A small group of NSU Honors students set about this very task of speculation on future-history in Dr. Brodman’s fall 2012 Honors course History of Economic Development. The time-frame of the film is set in December of 2012 amidst total collapse of the globalized economic …

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Agonism In Marine Fish Species, Kory Evans Apr 2013

Agonism In Marine Fish Species, Kory Evans

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this experiment was to observe agonistic interactions between juvenile members of the families Haemulidae and Lutjanidae. Both families are salt water fishes whose habitats and diets frequently overlap. Lutjanidae, commonly referred to as snappers, are a critically important commercial and recreational species that are sought after by fishermen worldwide. It is this fishing pressure that is most likely responsible for the decline in global snapper populations.

Traditionally, grunt (Haemulidae) are more abundant than snapper, and it is not entirely understood why. There are notable differences in the behavior of the juvenile members of these two families, with …

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Anticancer Effects Of Pumpkin Seed Extracts On Lncap Prostate Cancer Cell Line, Rajeswari Murugan, Jackie Lynne Jornadal, Yanira Quinonez Apr 2013

Anticancer Effects Of Pumpkin Seed Extracts On Lncap Prostate Cancer Cell Line, Rajeswari Murugan, Jackie Lynne Jornadal, Yanira Quinonez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Clinical research has shown that Pumpkin seed (PS) is effective in treating various conditions including benign prostatic hyperplasia, inflammatory prostatitis, and prostatic secretion. However, there is insufficient scientific data available regarding the cytotoxic effects of PS on prostate cancer cells. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of both aqueous and alcohol extracts of PS on the LNCaP prostate cancer cell line and elucidate the possible mechanisms involved in mediating these effects. During the study, LNCaP cells were treated separately with aqueous and ethanolic extracts of PS (50-200 μg/ml concentrations). After 24 hours of treatment, …

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Applications Of Abstract Algebra To Puzzle Modeling, Sharvel Bousemaan Apr 2013

Applications Of Abstract Algebra To Puzzle Modeling, Sharvel Bousemaan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Abstract Algebra is an area of mathematics which focuses on the properties of algebraic structures. One such structure, called a Group, has properties which are applicable to puzzle solving. We provide the fundamental properties of permutation groups and discuss certain theorems which enable one to model a variety of puzzles. In addition, we demonstrate how the computational algebra program, GAP can be utilized in order to work with the large permutation groups that describe very complex puzzles. Our goal is to use the mathematics underlying these puzzles in order to understand how they can be solved.

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Belief In Paranormal Prophecies: Motivated By Narcissism, The Need For Meaning, Or Self-Focused Sensation Seeking, Laurie Cruz, Scott Earley, Alex Pop Apr 2013

Belief In Paranormal Prophecies: Motivated By Narcissism, The Need For Meaning, Or Self-Focused Sensation Seeking, Laurie Cruz, Scott Earley, Alex Pop

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Many Americans believe in paranormal phenomena despite a lack of credible evidence. The acceptance of systems such as astrology and numerology can leave people vulnerable to financial and emotional exploitation. This study explores personality variables associated with the acceptance of personal information generated by a scientific or astrological system. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a positive or negative personal statement, generated from either a scientific or an astrological source. The following hypotheses were tested: positive statements would be accepted more than negative statements, participants who exhibit subclinical narcissism will more strongly reject negative statements and will more strongly …

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Biomechanics, Design, And Fitting Of Prosthetics And Orthotics, Alan Nguyen Apr 2013

Biomechanics, Design, And Fitting Of Prosthetics And Orthotics, Alan Nguyen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The proposed independent study was in conjunction with the biomedical engineering students on the Mercer on Mission team at Mercer University. The course had two settings. The clinical training and manufacturing of prostheses took place in a class and laboratory setting in the biomedical engineering department at Mercer University. A portion of the class was dedicated to learning basic Vietnamese to help overcome language barriers. The application of said training took place in various clinics in poor and rural areas of Vietnam, specifically Vinh Long Middle School, Dong Thap Community Medical Clinic, Dat Do County Community Medical Clinic, and Long …

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Expression Levels Of Various Proteins In Wild-Type And Transfected Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells, Rebecca Zeller Apr 2013

Expression Levels Of Various Proteins In Wild-Type And Transfected Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells, Rebecca Zeller

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The MDM2 oncogene has become one of the major fields of cancer research since this oncogenic protein is expressed in several common human cancers including prostate cancer. MDM2 interacts with many proteins in the cells such as p53 and leads to over expression of PI3K, HIF-1α, VEGF. Hence exploring the role of alterations associated with these genes at the transcription level has become a major part of our prostate cancer research. LNCaP cells that have been transfected (LNCaP-MSI) with a gene silencer specific for MDM2 was speculated to become a good model for some of our advanced studies in prostate …

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Feminist Activism: Using Technology To Raise Awareness About Domestic Violence, Nadine Grifoni, Morgan Sanchez Apr 2013

Feminist Activism: Using Technology To Raise Awareness About Domestic Violence, Nadine Grifoni, Morgan Sanchez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Our project will visually represent a community-based study we conducted on domestic violence and its relationship to college students. In this poster presentation, we will assess the relationships between sites of activism for college students, as well as the effectiveness of community resources for survivors of dating and domestic violence. We will reflect on two parts of our research: firsthand experience at a College Bride’s Walk (a community-based initiative to create solidarity amongst neighboring university institutions) and interviews with domestic violence survivors at a local domestic violence shelter.

Our purpose will be to use our primary research to engage in …

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Ferling,' The Brightest City Light, Sasha Strelitz Apr 2013

Ferling,' The Brightest City Light, Sasha Strelitz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, owner of the famed City Lights Bookstore, is not only considered as the premiere publisher of Beat literature, but he is also an accomplished Beat writer himself. This project will explore the fact that Ferlinghetti’s works mirror themes and stylistic nuances typical of the literature of the Beat Generation. These include: Eastern religious influences, a modernist American perspective, creatively unique poetic alignment, elements of jazz composition and drug experimentation that Beatniks are notorious for, and lastly, methodology that is visibly a legacy of Walt Whitman – for instance, cataloging, eclectic internal rhyme, and a like-minded, all-encompassing moral consciousness. …

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Halo Or Noose?, Arielle Mejia-Garcia Apr 2013

Halo Or Noose?, Arielle Mejia-Garcia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper analyzes Coventry Patmore’s “The Angel in the House,” John Ruskin’s “Of Queens’ Gardens,” and Virginia Woolf’s “Professions for Women.” The role of women in the Victorian age was a major issue of dissention which inspired many literary works reflecting divergent viewpoints. The expectations of women are very clearly defined in Ruskin’s essay “Of Queens’ Gardens,” in which he discusses the specific differences and varying capabilities of men and women. Patmore’s poem “The Angel in the House” epitomizes the “ideal” woman and wife, portraying the oppressive standards inflicted upon women of that era. Virginia Woolf's essay, “Professions for Women,” …

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How Quorum-Sensing Based Synthetic Circuits Have Revolutionized Our Understanding Of Evolutionary Dynamics, Lauren Boudreau Apr 2013

How Quorum-Sensing Based Synthetic Circuits Have Revolutionized Our Understanding Of Evolutionary Dynamics, Lauren Boudreau

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Synthetic biology uses gene circuits to explore and answer fundamental questions in biology. A gene circuit consists of a rationally engineered series of genetic elements all of which interact leading to a novel behavior in a cell. One genetic element that has revolutionized our ability to control cell behavior is quorum sensing, defined as the ability of cells to communicate using small diffusible molecules. Implementation of genetic elements that allow quorum sensing has led to the engineering of gene circuits that have addressed important evolutionary questions in areas such as altruistic cell death, predator-prey growth dynamics, the evolutionary benefits of …

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Individual Differences In Working Memory Capacity And Eyewitness Identification, Rachel Berger Apr 2013

Individual Differences In Working Memory Capacity And Eyewitness Identification, Rachel Berger

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A number of studies have examined the association between individual differences in working memory capacity and the production of false memories. However, the relationship between individual differences in working memory capacity and the ability to accurately identify a perpetrator out of a lineup has never been studied. The current study measures participants’ working memory capacity, sustained attention, and speed of processing in order to determine if it has an effect on people’s ability to identify a man out of a lineup. In the study, participants are placed in either a “warning” or “no warning” condition before watching a short video. …

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Individual Fms™ Tests Differ Between Collegiate Women Rowers And Soccer Players Despite Similar Total Scores, Lorena Platero, Isaac Pardo Apr 2013

Individual Fms™ Tests Differ Between Collegiate Women Rowers And Soccer Players Despite Similar Total Scores, Lorena Platero, Isaac Pardo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Total scores of < 14 on the Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS) have been associated with injury risk in athletes and healthy adults. The 7 individual tests compromising the FMS (deep squat, inline lunge, hurdle step, shoulder mobility, trunk stability push-up, active straight leg raise, and rotary stability) are scored from 0 to 3, and provide information on movement pattern performance that can be use to program corrective exercises. The purpose of the study was to examine total and individual test scores between intercollegiate rowers (ROW) and soccer players (SOC). Samples of convenience were utilized; 56 female participants (27 ROW, 29 SOC), aged 17-22, with no recent history of musculoskeletal injury performed the FMS according to protocol. An independent T-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to examine mean differences in total and individual scores, respectively. Mean total FMS scores were 15.86±2.07 and 15.83±1.91 for the ROW and SOC, respectively. 7 ROW (26%) and 9 SOC (31%) had total scores of ≤ 14. Scores were similar, p≥.05, for all 7 individual tests except rotary instability (ROW 2.33±0.48; SOC 2.10±0.31; p=0.38). We conclude that ROW and SOC performed similarly on the FMS™. However, more individual SOC were at risk for injury and scored lower on the rotary instability test indicating more a deeper dysfunction in reflex stabilization of the core musculature.

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Landslide Hazards Mapping, Badlands National Park, South Dakota: Applications In Gis, Shari Blaker Apr 2013

Landslide Hazards Mapping, Badlands National Park, South Dakota: Applications In Gis, Shari Blaker

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this project is to create an interactive hazards map that can be rapidly updated, and used to analyze emerging landslide hazards in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Digital map technology is a dramatic improvement on the analytical and predictive power of traditional paper maps, allowing us to integrate photographs, digital maps, investigator data and commentary with GIS modeling and analysis. We believe that the Norbeck Ridge Slide, which is approximately 814 meters and is adjacent to State Route 240, the main road into the Badlands National Park, is an intermittently active, slump-induced slide with destructive potential. Ephemeral …

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Madness: Sense, Consequence, And Freedom, Melissa Villalobos Apr 2013

Madness: Sense, Consequence, And Freedom, Melissa Villalobos

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This essay analyzes the shared plight of Bertha Mason, from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and the protagonist from Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” against the backdrop of prevailing gender and societal attitudes in the mid and late 19th century. The paper argues that in spite of gender roles advocating male dominance and female submissiveness that imprison them, both “madwomen” find enlightenment and qualified autonomy in their attic of seclusion, consistent with the ethos of the time in which each author wrote.

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New Findings And Characterizations Of Nbaii Complex May Hold Key To Drug Delivery, Nishant Patel, Kevin Shah Apr 2013

New Findings And Characterizations Of Nbaii Complex May Hold Key To Drug Delivery, Nishant Patel, Kevin Shah

Undergraduate Student Symposium

NBAii crystal complexes have been extensively studied and modified with the hopes of implementing them in the real world for extraordinary uses in the medical, optical, and electrical field. Our recent findings have demonstrated that the NBAii crystal not only has a porous configuration for retaining compounds within the dimerized structure but also to evacuate the compound with a given environmental cue. Through the university’s newly acquired thermogravometric analysis instrumentation, GC Mass-Spec as well as X-Ray crystallography we are further able to define and characterized the NBAii compound as well as sub compounds which can be made from similar NBAii …

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Nh-Tautomerism In Para-Substituted Tetraphenylporphyrin Derivatives, Biana Modilevsky Apr 2013

Nh-Tautomerism In Para-Substituted Tetraphenylporphyrin Derivatives, Biana Modilevsky

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The NH–tautomerism of meso–substituted porphyrins has been reported to decrease with porphyrin distortion by enhancing intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the NH protons. Electron withdrawing groups should deshield the internal hydrogen’s shifting the NH chemical shift spectra further up field by affecting the ring current, and the opposite effect is expected for electron donating substituents at the meso position of the porphyrin core. The effect of several substituents in the para positions of the phenyl group of meso–substituted porphyrins would be correlated to the NH–tautomerism in phenyl– substituted porphyrins.

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No Service, Lauren Mcgarrett Apr 2013

No Service, Lauren Mcgarrett

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“No Service” is a short film about a young college student named Katy, who is constantly dependent upon her technological devices. When her smartphone and laptop are suddenly stolen, her life is sent into chaos. How will she make it through the day when even the most basic of everyday activities become difficult for her? The film is directed by Lauren McGarrett.

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Parasites Of Invasive Snakeheads (Channa Sp.) In Fort Lauderdale Canals, Elisa D'Abbraccio Apr 2013

Parasites Of Invasive Snakeheads (Channa Sp.) In Fort Lauderdale Canals, Elisa D'Abbraccio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Snakeheads (Channa sp.) are invasive fishes native to Asia and Africa that are now ubiquitous in South Florida waterways. Their invasion of Florida waters is of concern because they are aggressive, territorial, predatory, air breathing fishes; these features have allowed them to disperse widely and adapt to a range of temperatures and environmental conditions. Their spread threatens native fishes and aquatic ecosystems throughout South Florida. Invasive species often benefit from parasite release, having fewer parasites than conspecifics in their native range and / or fewer parasites than ecologically equivalent competitors in their introduced range. To assess the possible contribution …

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Renewed Presence Of The Free-Living Coral Psammocora Stellata At Devil's Crown, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Kayla Caldwell Apr 2013

Renewed Presence Of The Free-Living Coral Psammocora Stellata At Devil's Crown, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Kayla Caldwell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study was to document the renewed presence of the free-living coral Psammocora stellata in the nearly submerged volcanic cone of Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and to determine if there were changes in coral cover between two survey periods. This coral species was previously present at Devil's Crown until being extirpated in 1982-83 by impacts associated with the 1982-1983 El Niño-Southern Oscillation. It was observed there in 2007 and was surveyed in 2009 and again in 2011 using the random walk quadrat method. Colony density and live tissue cover was determined using CPCe software …

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Repeatability Of Prebrush And Postbrush Plaque Measured Via Image Analysis, Nohora Duque Apr 2013

Repeatability Of Prebrush And Postbrush Plaque Measured Via Image Analysis, Nohora Duque

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Objective: This research used image analysis to evaluate the reproducibility of natural plaque accumulation and removal measured instrumentally.

Method: After institutional review and informed consent, healthy adults were enrolled in a study to assess the between-visit consistency of plaque measurement for overnight and post-brush plaque. At Day 1, subjects with overnight (unbrushed) plaque swished with a fluorescein rinse and expectorated, cheek retractors were inserted, and a single digital image was collected under standardized lighting conditions. After routine hygiene with a regular anticavity dentifrice (Crest® Cavity Protection) and standard manual toothbrush, disclosing and imaging were repeated. Approximately 1-week later, the imaging-brush-imagining …

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The Effects Of Enriched Environments On Learning And Neurogenesis In Octopus Vulgaris, Jelileh Whitmore, Kory Evans, Divya Pandya Apr 2013

The Effects Of Enriched Environments On Learning And Neurogenesis In Octopus Vulgaris, Jelileh Whitmore, Kory Evans, Divya Pandya

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cephalopods, particularly the octopus, have the largest and most complex invertebrate brains and are show markers of behavioral complexity. However, learning and possible concomitant neurogenesis have never been fully described in the octopus. In order to address this need, we will expose octopus vulgaris to an enriched environment and test for behavioral learning and neurogenesis. Specifically, octopuses will be placed in either an enriched or standard environment control condition and exposed to various problem-solving tasks and time trials over the course of 30 days. At the conclusion of the tasks, octopus vulgaris will be presented with a series of novel …

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The Importance Of Neurolysin In The Renin-Angiotensin System Of The Mouse Brain, Eduardo Carrera, Catalina Breton, Andrea Linares Apr 2013

The Importance Of Neurolysin In The Renin-Angiotensin System Of The Mouse Brain, Eduardo Carrera, Catalina Breton, Andrea Linares

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The renin angiotensin system (RAS) plays a major role in cardiovascular disease. Novel metabolic pathways of the RAS offer new therapeutic targets for disease prevention. Recent studies demonstrated a novel binding site for the active hormone of the RAS: angiotensin II (Ang II). This binding site, now known to be the enzyme neurolysin, can metabolize Ang II into inactive fragments and act upon a precursor of Ang II (Ang I) to circumvent Ang II production. Radioligand binding and histological techniques were utilized to assay neurolysin and the primary receptors for Ang II (AT1, and AT2) in …

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The Influence Of Alcohol And Caffeine On Cockroach Motor Function, Isaac Chayo Apr 2013

The Influence Of Alcohol And Caffeine On Cockroach Motor Function, Isaac Chayo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The cockroach has proven to be an excellent model for investigating the pharmacological effects of different substances on nervous system functionality. The increased vigilance and wakefulness associated with caffeine is primarily mediated by its interactions with monoamine neurotransmitters in addition to its role as an antagonist for adenosine receptors. In the case of alcohol, it is an agonist for the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which partly explains its sedative properties and disruptive effects on motor function. In this experiment, we will examine the influence of caffeine and alcohol on motor function in Blaberus Discoidalis by designing an enclosed running strip marked …

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The Needs Of The Many, Nathaniel Dolan Apr 2013

The Needs Of The Many, Nathaniel Dolan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Great American Experiment began almost 250 years ago, not necessarily in pursuit of a new nation per say, but more on the grounds of courageous expedition into the unknown – a grand test-case for what a nation could be – and continues to be so courageous and experimental well into contemporary society; the experiment being whether unfettered personal autonomy can indeed exist congruently with social, cultural, and national security. Frankly, all available data suggests that such lofty ideals are ultimately not possible, and that Americans are left, nearly a quarter of a millennia after the fact, with the sobering …

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Trip To Hell, Isabel Murillo Apr 2013

Trip To Hell, Isabel Murillo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Trip to Hell” is a short film about a woman who loses her sibling. After this tragic event, the woman’s life changes. She experiences distortions in reality and becomes suicidal. One of her friends helps her to get out of the horrible situation she is experiencing, and leads her to get her life back on track. The film is directed by Isabel Murillo.

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Zombies: Round Two, Victor Mascitelli Apr 2013

Zombies: Round Two, Victor Mascitelli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Zombies: Round Two” is a short film. In keeping with NSU’s annual theme of “Life and Death,” and inspired by the popular video game “Call of Duty: Nazi Zombies,” our heroes must battle against zombies in a post-apocalyptic world using some conventional weapons and some weapons that are out of this world. Will our heroes survive? Probably not. The film is directed by Victor Mascitelli. Crew members and actors include: Kelsey Cortez, Eddie Arocho, Chris Foy, Frank Taylor, Saily Riguero, Jacob Hiler, Andrew Watson, Samantha Kountz, and Zak Rakszawski.

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Neural Stem Cells Proliferate In Vascular Niches In The Adult Mayan Cichlid Brain, Ahmed Ali, Jonathan P. Romanes, Sameed Ashfaq, Joseph V. Dellavecchia Apr 2013

Neural Stem Cells Proliferate In Vascular Niches In The Adult Mayan Cichlid Brain, Ahmed Ali, Jonathan P. Romanes, Sameed Ashfaq, Joseph V. Dellavecchia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The birth of new neurons (neurogenesis) has been observed in all adult mammalian brains examined to date. Adult neural stem cells are located close to blood vessels in each of the two neurogenic regions observed in all mammals. A regulatory role for blood vessels has recently been suggested as a mechanism to regulate neurogenesis. In recent studies, postnatal neurogenesis has been reported in several regions of the fish brain including the olfactory bulb, dorsal zones of the telencephalon, hypothalamus, and divisions of the cerebellum. While fish brain is reported to contain more neurogenic regions than mammalian brain, little else is …

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Nucleotide Excision Repair: A New Component In The Study Of Breast Cancer, Monica Azer Apr 2013

Nucleotide Excision Repair: A New Component In The Study Of Breast Cancer, Monica Azer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Breast cancer is a prevalent cancer that occurs in many women and men today. There are many exogenous and endogenous causes of DNA damage as well as a multitude of repair mechanisms to fix the damage; however, if it is not fixed, the damage becomes a permanent mutation. A series of these mutations lead to cancer. Deficient Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) is being studied as one of the main mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Deficient NER was found in stage I breast cancers as compared to normal breast epithelium and may be due to over-expression of microRNA. In order to verify this …

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