Digital Commons Network^™

Mastering Aes: A Deep Dive Into The Advanced Encryption Standard, Diana Dancea

Undergraduate Student Symposium

AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard, and it serves as the most popular symmetric encryption algorithm to date. The term ‘symmetric’ implies that the same key encrypts and decrypts; this is an important detail for the design and implementation of the algorithm. Encryption is crucial in today’s world since it plays an essential role in everyday life. Wi-Fi, Online Banking, and many more, all rely on encryption to keep them secure. Some of the more technical processes that AES typically works with include HTTPS and SSL/TLS protocols, since they handle the authenticity and data integrity part of digital certificates and …

Mother-Calf Contact Exchanges In Bottlenose Dolphins, Savanna Duda

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The relationship between a dolphin mother and her calf has been well studied, but details regarding tactile exchanges within these dyads are limited. Contacts between five adult female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and their calves were examined from video collected in October 2017, 2018, 2019, and January 2018. Of the 312 contact events documented, 289 had a clearly initiating dolphin, who started the behavior. Calves initiated 65.7% of contacts, with 82.6% categorized as affiliative, initiating with body parts besides rostrum or fluke, while 77.8% of mother-initiated contacts were affiliative. Therefore, the overall trend for mother-calf contacts was affiliative. …

Munkgeeroachy: A Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophage Isolated From Soil, Ashley Janke

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There are many bacteria that are growing resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies. Bacteriophage therapy, the use of viruses to treat bacterial infections, is a promising alternative. The goal of this project was to isolate and identify phages from soil samples that infect Gordonia rubripertincta. G. rubripertincta is a gram-positive bacterium that is typically found in soil and aquatic habitats. Gordonia species are rapidly becoming associated with human and animal diseases. Infections of G. rubripertincta have typically been found after various surgical procedures such as the applications of catheters, or the use of …

Nfl Draft Trainee Performance Profiling By Position, Maria Berrocales, Aidan Rohman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study was to profile NFL draft trainees on physical and performance characteristics. Fifty-four players were categorized into Big, Big-skill, and Skill groups. We measured body fat (BF%), lean body mass (LBM), total mass, sprinting forces and ground contact time (GCT), jump height (JH), jump absolute (AJP), and relative (RJP) power, and reactive strength (RS). ANOVA determined between-group differences. Profiles were viewed via Z-score radar plots. There was a significant between-group difference in characteristics, F(24, 76)=5.18, p<0.001;Wilk's Λ=, partial η²=0.621. Post-hocs showed Skill had greater JH (p<0.001), RJP (p<0.001), and RSI (p=0.005) versus Big. Big had greater values versus …

No Evidence Of Recovery After The Dwhos In The Abundance Of The Five Dominant Families Of Micronektonic Crustaceans In The Gulf Of Mexico, Theophilus Herbet

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Micronektonic crustaceans are an essential element of the global marine food web. A number of studies conducted between 2011 and 2015 indicated that the was a significant decrease in all families of micronektonic crustaceans sampled on these cruises. The sampling was in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which may have contributed to the die-off. Two datasets from 2021 and 2022 were analyzed in the current study to determine if there have been any signs of recovery. Statistical analysis determined that there was no significant difference between the 2021 and 2022 datasets, even though the abundances for three …

Nutraceutical Supplementation Effects On Perceptive Fatique Symptoms In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systemic Review, Rajvi Patel, Emanuella Brito

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a seriously debilitating disease characterized by long lasting fatigue and exhaustion that does not improve with rest. ME/CFS is reported in individuals of all ages and various racial, socioeconomic, and ethnic groups. This condition has no standard treatment but supplementation with vitamins and other nutraceuticals have been recommended by clinicians to manage the patient symptoms. The evidence of efficacy of these nutraceuticals or diet strategies are however absent from the current literature. The intent of this systematic review is to evaluate the ClinicalTrials.gov, a registry of clinical trials run by the United States National …

Pilot Study Of A375 Melanoma Xenograft In Nu/Nu Mice, Samaya Danthurthy, Trisha Seal, Velayutham Sadeeshkumar, Maab Sultan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Pilot studies play an important role prior to conducting a full-scale research study as they determine crucial components of the study, such as sample size and whether or not randomized control trials (RCTs) will be feasible. In this pilot study, 5 male and 5 female Nu/Nu mice that were approximately 25 grams and 7 weeks old were injected with 2 million A375 cells in 0.2 mL of the right flanks of the mice. Once the tumors became palpable, their volumes were measured three times per week using a caliper. Upon completion of the study, average tumor volumes and standard deviations …

Reassessing Taxonomic Classification Of The Zoantidean Epizoanthus Giveni Using Marginal Musculature As A Defining Character, Mackenzie Magyar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The ability to identify species as individual units of evolution determines our capacity to link individuals to all knowledge of structure, function, and evolution of biological systems. Species that are misclassified will be linked to the wrong catalog of knowledge, errors which may propagate through the literature in unpredictable ways. Zoanthidean taxonomic classifications are commonly determined using histological sections of the marginal musculature, which is responsible for polyp retraction and has diverse structural components unique to different taxa. Although classification defined by marginal musculature has been used over time, publications since 2015 have increasingly expanded the working knowledge of this …

Red Dog Loess, A Last Glacial Dust Deposit, White River Badlands, S.D., Lakshmi Srikari Ravulaparthi, Ian Chang, Haley Perkins, John Nichols, Curtis Frye

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Understanding the detrimental effects of prehistoric climate change is essential to understanding our potential for future global climate disasters. During the Last Glacial Period (LGP) beginning around 70 thousand years ago, as Earth’s temperature dropped, the midcontinent grew increasingly dry, resulting in the ecological collapse of the Great Plains grassland ecosystems. Due to the breakdown of the grasslands, wind eroded the Great Plains, depositing vast amounts of windblown dust (loess). These loess deposits form valuable midcontinental agricultural deposits in Nebraska and Iowa. This study aims to identify the origin of the loess found on mesas in the White River Badlands …

Reducing Inoculum Effect By Modulating Growth Productivity Through The Superpathway Of Purine, Pyrimidine And Histidine Synthesis In Escherichia Coli, Melissa Marzouk, Daniella Hernandez, Allison J. Lopatkin Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is estimated that by 2050, 10 million people will die annually due to infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. An understanding of the mechanisms that bacteria use to resist antibiotics is essential for extending the usefulness of our existing antibiotics. One mechanism that bacteria use to resist antibiotics is the inoculum effect (IE). During IE, high-density bacterial populations require higher concentrations of antibiotics to be killed compared to low-density bacterial populations. Recently, it has been discovered that growth productivity, defined as the relationship between ATP and growth rate, can explain IE for multiple antibiotics. If growth productivity is sufficiently …

Regulatory Roles For Stress Responsive Transposable Elements In Rice, Jenna Handal, Michael Egozi, Andy Pereira Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Transposable elements, or mobile DNA sequences, are known for their structural and functional roles in the rice genome. As sources of genetic variation and drivers of evolution, transposable elements have been extensively studied for their regulation of gene expression and alteration of phenotypic traits. In addition, transposable elements are shown to be activated in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. As the global temperature rises, heat stress threatens crop production worldwide. Research has shown that heat stress hinders optimal rice growth, development, and yield. Concern for food security amidst a growing population calls for development of novel methods to …

Research In Anatomy And Physiology During Covid-19: Global Lessons Learnt And Future Recommendations, Jeet Patel, Harsh Chheda

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The persistent Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant disruptions of research studies within the fields of Anatomy and Physiology. As the pandemic resulted in many governmental and institutional restrictions, it became increasingly challenging to pursue research in general. Disciplines like Anatomy and Physiology that require kinesthetic/tactile application of concepts or testing hypotheses through hands-on active engagement were either halted or slowed down, as the new social guidelines and risks to certain groups of people hindered up-to-date researchdata collection. This called for the design and adoption of innovative scientific and technological research tools and protocols. An effort to help …

Sargassum Accumulation At Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Giavanna Iglio, Jarod Johnson, Kayla Jones, Kaleb Myers, Juliana Ottens-Rivera, Aidan Pflieger, Manuel Ploner, Kevin Rafferty, Maura Wondra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sargassum is a typically floating phaeophyte (brown alga) with important ecosystem functions. It is a producer, generating biomass via photosynthesis, and providing habitat for small epipelagic organisms in the open ocean. In August 2022, large amounts of Sargassum were seen on the beach at the northern end of Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (VDMEJSP), Dania Beach, Florida, up to 152cm thick. This disturbs the intertidal environment, which is typically composed of carbonate sands, and smothers infauna. Furthermore, this creates ephemeral habitats for species not typically associated here. The extent of Sargassum deposits was measured from 7 September through 25 …

Semantic Priming Across Many Languages, Ramsha Ahmed, Aishwarya Muppoor, Michelle Gruboy, Ishani Patel, Riya Patel, Sneh Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a globally distributed network of labs that conducts studies with the goals of inclusion and transparency. Crowdsourcing data worldwide enables research to be generalized through diverse participants with unique language backgrounds providing worldwide multilingual data. The PSA makes opportunities available for researchers to network and replicate studies. We have been collecting data on a study organized by the PSA. In addition to data collection, we helped to verify translations of the consent form and protocol information from English to different languages. The study examines semantic priming, which occurs when a semantically related prime (e.g. …

Sleep Health Matters For All: Wellness Intervention For The Pediatric Down Syndrome Population, Mahima Dave

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Down syndrome (DS) is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder in which an extra copy of chromosome-21 disrupts the development of intellectual abilities. Unique physical manifestations places children with DS at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which repeated blockages of the upper airway cause difficulty breathing during sleep. 80% of children with DS are afflicted with OSA, and this increases incidences of nocturnal sudden cardiac arrest by 2.57-fold compared to the general population. Manifestations of OSA, such as cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease, are common in the DS population. However, this often obscures the diagnosis. During May 2021, …

Synthesis Of Polymer-Drug Conjugates For Controlled Transdermal Drug Delivery, Ashley Guillen-Tapia, Esha Sultana

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Polymer drug conjugates represent a novel approach for drug delivery belonging to polymer therapeutics. These nano-drug delivery systems consist of biocompatible monomers covalently linked to drug molecules. One of the most recently developed methods of drug delivery is transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS). A non-invasive alternative to needle injections, TDDS offers many advantages as it exhibits high drug loading and controlled drug release. While transdermal drug delivery systems based on polymeric micelles have been previously studied, there is limited knowledge of how polymer block length and micelle size affect the drug loading and drug release profile. This project aims to …

The Abundance Of Streptococcus Mutans Within The Oral Cavity Of University Students And Implications For Disease Etiology, Esha Manku

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Microorganisms within the human oral cavity are part of a healthy ecosystem but can also contribute to disease states by increasing the severity of dental caries, the incidence of gingivitis, and the onset of periodontitis. In particular, patients with poor oral health exhibit a significant increase the pathogenic microbe Streptococcus mutans. However, research shows that S. mutans abundance may be related to a SNP within the human genome (an A/G substitution at rs7294985 in the microsomal glutathione-Stransferase 1 (MGST1) gene). Here we address the role of S. mutans abundance and SNP genotype ratios within a healthy student population (n …

The Effect Of Anti-Angiogenic Agents Jfd And F16 On The Cell Cycle Arrest And Apoptosis Mechanisms In U87 And T98 Glioblastoma Cells, Sri Vaishnavi Konagalla, Ritu Upadhyay

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord, with a 5-year survival rate of only 5%. Two novel anti-angiogenic agents, JFD and F16, have been developed and seem to be favorable for treating GBM. They work by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels that plays a pivotal role in tumor growth. JFD is a small molecule that was developed for blocking vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). F16 is the second small molecule that can cross the blood brain barrier and block angiogenesis in tumors …

The Effect Of Sexual Behavior, Gender Identity, And Sexual Orientation On Mental Health Among Adolescents: A Scoping Review, Anthony Arango

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Recent CDC data from 2021 indicates an excess of one-third of high school students are struggling with poor mental health, which is a major public health concern. There is a growing body of literature about the relationship between sexual orientation and gender identity on mental health among adolescents, highlighting the need for further research on the intersection between mental health and sexuality in this vulnerable population. The objective of this scoping review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of existing literature on the relationship between sexual behaviors, gender identity, and sexual orientation on mental health among adolescents. A scoping review …

The Effects Of Forced Exercise On Traumatic Brain Injury, Courtney Mai, Drew Smith, Juanita Castillo, Karla Munoz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide public health problem that can alter daily function and quality of life. TBIs affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States annually and 300,000 of these TBIs are sports-related. Sports-related TBIs are generally known as concussions and have garnered attention due to the neurobehavioral outcomes that could arise from athletic training or exercise. This study aims to examine how forced exercise can affect TBI. This study was conducted by inducing stress via forced exercise and mild TBIs. Behavioral tests included elevated zero maze, novel object recognition, open field, and sucrose preference. Currently, …

The Role Of Inflammatory Cytokines In Alzheimer's Disease, Moha Jayram

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most frequent cause of dementia and disability in the elderly, results in non-reversible neurodegenerative alterations of the brain such as synaptic and neuronal loss, extracellular amyloid deposits, and intra-cellular deposition of degenerate filaments. It has been hypothesized that inflammatory cytokines have been linked to Alzheimer disease (AD) neurodegeneration and disease progression. To test this hypothesis a systematic review and data meta-analysis was conducted from thirty prevalent studies. Identified representative studies from various counties were found using national studies using the search query Alzheimer’s Disease:Inflammation:Cytokines:Dementia:Progression. All of the studies included data from the elderly adult population with …

Tree Canopy Biodiversity In An Urban Forestry Setting On Nova Southeastern University's Main Campus, Corinne Renshaw, Mackenzie Soligon, Guenevere Coury, James Puentes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Urban forests are important for the mitigation of flooding and dissipation of heat-island effects, resulting in the offset of energy costs for urban areas. An analysis of tree canopy biodiversity at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU’s) main campus was done to create a baseline of tree biodiversity and study how landscape management can become more sustainable. In 2022, 10 of the 36 zones, from a 2017 hurricane damage assessment map of NSU, were surveyed. In 2023, an additional 10 zones were surveyed, totaling 1,458 trees. The precise location of each tree was plotted on TreePlotter and the diversity data was analyzed …

Understanding The Link Between Parity And Dementia, Chana Vogel, Aditi Gorthy, Isabelly Dos Santos

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Dementias, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, are devastating diseases and as the aging population increases, their incidence does as well. Given the striking sex/gender difference in the prevalence of dementia, it is urgently important to understand the unique social and biological factors that predispose females. There is growing concern over potential impacts of ovarian hormones (e.g., oral contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy during/after menopause), but reproductive experience is wildly understudied as a risk factor for dementia. Dementia is characterized by cognitive difficulties likely caused by impaired hippocampal plasticity and function. Intriguingly, postpartum females typically experience reduced hippocampal plasticity, volume, …

Usahay, Samantha Carl Selorio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Usahay” is a documentary short film about the relationship between a grandma with Alzheimer’s and her granddaughter. It explores the bond between the two and the difficulties they face due to the progressive disease. The Filipino word usahay means sometimes and it is reflective of the day-to-day of caregiving: Sometimes things are good, sometimes things are bad. Sometimes she remembers and sometimes she does not. It is in such moments they learn to make the most of what they have. The documentary is directed by Samantha Carl Selorio.

Using X-Ray Crystallography To Inform Small Molecule Drug Design, Ilana Kolomiyets, Shreya Surti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project involves organic synthesis, X-ray crystallography, and the design of small molecule drugs. The ultimate goal of this project is to better understand the forces that affect the conformation of small molecules in order to develop more effective cancer therapeutics. The key molecule in this project is in reminiscent of an indole-2-carboxamide, and past research has shown that these molecules have antitumor and apoptotic effects against a variety of cancer cells. The crystals of this molecule were orthorhombic in P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions a = 14.0111(1), b = 17.7521(1), c = 45.0224(3) and …

When Having More Can Be Risky: Women's Resources Predict Experience As A Victim, Kortne Bajor, Tamara Bogdanova, Ariana Gonzalez, Nissipriya Pilli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

People accumulate different kinds of resources that they use to solve problems, including the problems of finding, attracting, and retaining a mate. Mate retention behaviors include all behaviors that function to maintain a long-term partner’s investment in the current relationship. Some of these behaviors are benefit-provisioning and function by enticing a person’s continued investment in the relationship by offering gifts, compliments, or other positive inducements. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between men’s resource accumulation and men’s use of cost-inflicting versus benefitprovisioning mate retention behaviors. The objective of the current study is to further investigate the relationship between resources and …

The Effect On Porphyrin Basicity Of Fluorine Substituted Meso Phenyl Porphyrins, Harsh Chheda, Rushi Patel, Amanda Leon, Andersen Cheong

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The protonation of meso-Tetra(2,6-difluoromethylphenyl) porphyrin (2,6-DF), meso-(3,5- difluoromethylphenyl) porphyrin (3,5-DF), and meso-Tetra(2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl) porphyrin (TF) will be studied through UV vis spectroscopy. Protonation is achieved by titration of each porphyrin in toluene with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The depiction of a wavelength shift from the free base Soret to the protonated Soret will indicate the formation of a dication. The data from the UV spectra will be used to calculate the pKa values associated with each porphyrin. Based on the results, the average pKa for 2,6-DF upon protonation was 1.67, the average pKa for 3,5-DF was 1.75, and the average pKa for …

Effects Of Sports Outcomes On Student-Athletes' Stress Biomarkers And Scholastic Performance, Juhi Dalal, Daniela Garcia Arregui, Sara Ali, Yebin Chung, Iftikharun Nissa, Shalet James, Amber Gulau

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The winner effect occurs when the probability of continuing to win increases after winning one game; it has also been shown to involve changes in the hormones and behaviors of winners and losers. Our poster outlines a new research program that we predict will test how winner effects influence stress and academic performance in student-athletes. We present lab validation of qPCR assays of a stressassociated biomarker (mitochondrial DNA copy number; mtDNA-CN), alongside a qualitative survey we developed to give athletes before and after each game. We predict that mtDNA-CN will covary with the recent game outcome(s), and that wins will …

Associations Between Religion, Perceived Family Openness To Mental Health, And Mental Health Help-Seeking Among South Asians, Zahra Aziz, Shannon Parma, Samhita Doranala, Ariana Ali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Comfortability in discussing mental health within families is a key determinant of help-seeking behaviors. This comfortability can be attributed to or dissociated from mental health stigma stemming from deep-rooted cultural and religious barriers. Research suggests that youth of South Asian descent, in particular, have one of the lowest rates of utilization of mental health resources. This study aims to investigate the relationship between both religious affiliation and family openness to conversations about mental health and help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior among South Asians.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy pilot project at a …

Geographically Based Risk Evaluation Of Disease States And Sleep Disorders Impacting Readiness Across Active-Duty Army Installations From Military Medical Databases In Fiscal Year 2021, Nandan Shastry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The impact of sleep disorders and disease states on active-duty soldiers’ readiness is a clinically relevant and significant topic. This is due to the high comorbidity of sleep disorders and a wide variety of other condition, ranging from substance abuse to obesity. Patient data collected from military health databases can be used to establish possible relationships. The current study performed a risk assessment of sleep disorders, obesity, tobacco use, and general substance abuse based on geographical distribution of active-duty Army installations through a comprehensive analysis of the Office of the Army Surgeon General Health of the Force (HoF) report, specifically …