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Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries And Increased Dementia Risk: A Pilot Study Investigating Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy As A Mechanistic Link, Nikhila Paleati, Nika Kozar Yazmin Restrepo, Nitish Dundigalla, Aishwarya Muppoor, Natalia Noto, Blanche Tamiya, Roshini Bodicherla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is estimated to affect ~69 million people worldwide each year. Mild TBI’s are the most common form of brain injury, characterized by little-to-no time unconscious and minimal observable deficits immediately post-injury. Mild brain injuries are commonly attributed to participation in contact sports and military service. Even mild TBIs, especially repeated injuries, have devastating long-term consequences, including an increased risk of stroke and dementia. Therefore, it is of great interest to determine the mechanisms that drive the relationship between different types of TBIs and various aspects of dementia-associated neuropathology, so that targets for intervention may be identified. …

Sex-Specific Differences Resulting From High Fat Diet Observed In Microglial Responses Across Varying Brain Regions, Divya Komandooru, Divya Papaiya, Anshika Motiani, Shalet James, Zachary Lawrence

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Microglia are the resident immune cells in the nervous system, as they activate and release cytokines in response to immune challenges and maintain brain homeostasis. Consumption of a high fat diet and resulting metabolic disease (e.g. obesity and type 2 diabetes) alters microglial activity; however, studies have yet to explore sex differences in the effects of high fat diet/metabolic disease on microglia across several brain areas concurrently. This is vital given the heterogeneity of microglial distribution, morphology, and function across various pathological states. Male and female C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a low fat (LF; 10% fat) or high fat …

Social Vulnerability, Built Environments Conducive To Physical Activity, And Adult Obesity Int He State Of Florida, 2021, Shreeya Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Social vulnerability, or a community’s ability to respond to stressors on health, might contribute to disparities in obesity rates. For officials to better target anti-obesity efforts, it is also important to understand the contextual factors surrounding social vulnerability from an environmental justice perspective. This study’s purpose is to investigate the role of social vulnerability and environments not conducive to physical activity on adult obesity at the county level in Florida. We conducted an ecological, cross-sectional study among the 67 Florida counties. To measure county-level social vulnerability, we utilized the 2020 CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Environments not conducive to physical …

S-Prg Eluate Downregulates Osteoclastogenesis: S-Prg's Possible Indication For Subgingival Caries, Janaki Chandra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) is a new bioactive filler that has been used for the restoration of tooth decay. S-PRG’s unique property to release six types of bioactive ions, including fluoride (F−), prevents the adhesion of dental plaque to tooth surface while suppressing tooth demineralization. Although S-PRG may be potentially used for subgingival caries restoration, the possible effect of S-PRG on the pathogenically promoted bone absorption in periodontitis remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible inhibitory effect of S-PRG eluate on osteoclasto-genesis (OC-genesis) in vitro. S-PRG elute at the sublethal concentrations, which were formerly …

Synthesis Of Metal Binding Polymers For Water Purification, Meha Pandya, Francisco Castro Wetzstein

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Water is one of the most precious resources on our planet, making up roughly two thirds of the earth’s surface. Despite the abundance of water, access to clean water has become increasingly difficult. Decades of industrial activities and neglect for the environment have contributed to water pollution. Heavy metals, a common water pollutant in drinking water, are known to cause damage to multiple organs and are one of the major causes of cancer as well as other life-threatening conditions. Removal of heavy metal contaminants is a critical part of water purification. While several methods exist, the use of polymers to …

Students' Perceptions Of Campus Safety At Nova Southeastern University, Kamalika Reddy Pothapu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sexual assaults continue to be a significant problem on college campuses. Research suggests that students who do not feel safe on campus tend to suffer levels of anxiety and depression that can interfere with their academic success and positive social experiences. Though Nova Southeastern University’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus appears to be a safe campus, students’ perceptions of safety are not clear. The purpose of this presentation is to present an analysis of student perceptions of safety and the risks of being a victim of violence. Data will be collected using a survey that asks students a series of questions analyzing …

Synthesis Of Amino-Functionalized Methacrylamide And Methacrylate Monomers, David Kurian, Rehan Contractor, Naga Ganti, Saipranavi Reddy Kethireddy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Amino-functionalized monomers have versatile applications in the field of medicine. Their current applications include enhanced nucleic-acid based drug delivery as well as the formation of polyplexes for non-viral gene delivery. The cationic amino group in these monomers conjugates with negatively charged amino acids and DNA. One of the most common amino-functionalized monomers is 2- aminoethyl methacrylamide (AEMA). To synthesize the methacrylamide, ethylene diamine is reacted with methacrylic anhydride (or methacryloyl chloride) via nucleophilic acyl substitution. The most prevalent synthesis involves the use of a tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) protection group to ensure that only one of the amino groups is functionalized. This …

The Democratization Of South Korea: A Study Of The United States Involvement Pre- And Post-Korean War, Amenia Farraj

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The United States has an extensive history of foreign intervention, especially during the latter half of the 20th century. While most Americans know this involvement includes Vietnam, the Middle East, and Latin America, the impact of the United States on South Korea is studied less, earning the Korean War its moniker as the forgotten war. The initial involvement of the US in the development of South Korea began following World War II and continued through the end of the 20th century into the 21st century. The similarities between South Korea and the United States demonstrate the build-up of South Korea …

Synthesis Of Polymer-Drug Conjugates For Transdermal Delivery Of All-Trans Retinoic Acid (Atra), Esha Sultana, Ashley Guillen-Tapia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Vitamin A and its derivatives are heavily used in the cosmetics industry to improve the appearance of skin discoloration, texture, as well as to treat skin disorders. Better known as retinoids, these substances are marketed for their anti-aging and anti-wrinkle effects. A common retinoid, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), generically known as tretinoin, has diverse biological activities including promoting keratinocyte proliferation, preventing trans epidermal water loss, inhibiting metalloproteinases, and stimulating angiogenesis within the dermis. Despite its various benefits, ATRA is often toxic and highly unstable in its natural form and as a result, is complexed with proteins or chemically conjugated to …

The Relationship Between Race And Factors Related To Poor Mental Health And Suicide Ideation Among High School Students: An Analysis Using 2019 Yrbss & Samhda Data, Brandi Rado, Pranav Iyer, Alex Worts

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The correlation between age and mental illness among adolescents is relatively high. There is a noteworthy amount of research into the prevalence of suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide within this age group, however, there is a need for research into the relationship between suicidal indicators, display of symptoms, and actual diagnoses of mental illness. Previous research show trends between minorities and females leading to higher rates of mental disorders and suicide, but there is little evidence to make a prediction about differences in regard to specific race and suicidal indicators. This study aims to analyze the correlation between race in …

The Tale Of Traditional Tobacco As Told Through The Hummingbird Brings Back Tobacco Cherokee Legend, Natalie Toops

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Hummingbird Brings Back Tobacco is a Cherokee legend which emphasizes the cultural, spiritual, and medicinal properties of tobacco. The plot of this story will align with the research of, and presentation on, traditional tobacco. The story begins with a connected community praying for healing and wisdom through tobacco rituals. Suddenly, the community suffers as their tobacco was stolen by the Dagul’ku geese who wanted the benefits for themselves. In the end, the heroic hummingbird reclaims the community’s tobacco thus restoring their spirit. The paradox of tobacco for many Native American communities confounds anthropological study. Tobacco has been revered as a …

The Relationship Between Minority Communities, Health Care, And Sexual Literacy, Samantha Grady

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Within the medical field, there is evidence of disparities related to the race/ethnicity of individuals, specifically in minority communities (Guzzo & Hayford, 2012). This issue is highly prevalent, and multiple studies have been conducted attempting to find the root cause (Richardson & Norris, 2010; Guzzo & Hayford, 2012). This study aimed to not only understand the background between minority communities, sexual literacy knowledge, and healthcare access but to also conduct a pilot project that spread information about reproductive health to a predominantly Latinx community in Sarasota, Florida. Additionally, the values and culture of those communities were investigated to identify the …

The Impact Of Nsu's Social Media On Recruitment, Tamia Gray

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Currently, universities are relying on social media to recruit future students, and scholarship points to brand awareness leading to higher enrollment (Mindzak et al, 2022; Roya-Velo & Hünermund, 2016). Currently, NSU uses multiple forms of social media to communicate with and recruit students for general enrollment and for more specific departments or programs; however, it is not well known how impactful that presence is on new student enrollment. This project will examine NSU’s social media presence and its influence on current student enrollment by analyzing a corpus of texts compiled from comments on the @NSUFlorida Instagram account and collecting responses …

X-Ray Crystallography Of Self-Assembling Materials, Shreya P. Surti, Ilana Kolomiyets, Zachary C. Pizzo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This research represents an interdisciplinary collaboration between NSU and KAIST, a leading research university in South Korea, and involves organic synthesis, X-ray crystallography, and materials selfassembly. This research informs the design of a new generation of self-assembling materials with improved physical properties for biomedical and technological applications.

Through analysis of the software packages CRYSTALS and Mercury, the structure of the molecule was found. The X-ray crystal’s parameters were found to be triclinic in P1 with a = 8.7008(5), b = 11.5507(7), c = 12.8580(8), a = 69.8418(18), b = 80.9295(18), g = 88.4199(18) and a unit cell volume of 1197.41(7) …

A Review Of Treatment Options For Women Facing Hereditary Breast Cancer, Ilan Nedjar, Rathika Manikandan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, which produce proteins that aid repair damaged DNA. Women who carry a pathogenic mutation in BRCA1/BRCA2 genes have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Furthermore, BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic mutations are associated with more aggressive breast cancer types (i.e., triple negative) and higher recurrence rates (10.5%) than for breast cancer of non-carrier patients. Consequently, BRCA1+/BRCA2+ breast cancer patients require a specialized treatment approach. The objective of this literature review is to summarize the various treatment options offered to BRCA1+/BRCA2+ breast cancer patients. Peer reviewed articles were found through multiple databases such as PubMed and …

An Examination Of The Social Reponse Of Children With Autism, Shriya Reddy, Shreeya Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lack the ability to engage with others and make correct social predictions. Therefore, they misinterpret cues and exhibit incorrect social responses. The study’s aim was to compare the response of children with neurotypical development and children with ASD when presented with a friendly social interaction stimulus. Neurotypical children and children with ASD were recruited from public events and educational programs. Data were collected using Tobii Pro Nano eye-tracking device to measure eye movement while children’s autism risk was assessed with the MCHAT tool. Eye-tracking data were analyzed using Tobii Pro lab and statistical data …

An Optimal Strategy For Using Mixture-Based Combinatorial Library Data To Find T-Cell Epitopes, Sofia Celis

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Positional scanning libraries are well established in their use for peptide sequence identification and binding site optimization. Their use in identifying T cell stimulatory peptides has also previously been explored. Here we present a retrospective analysis on the results of mixture based positional scanning libraries of T-cell stimulatory peptides done before 2019 in order to identify an optimal strategy for using mixture based combinatorial library data to find T cell epitopes. The screening of positional scanning libraries against CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones was analyzed using biometrical analysis approaches of various kinds in order to evaluate their relative effectiveness …

Accommodations Needed For Asd Patients During Dental Care, Krystal Eischen Olsen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project aimed to investigate caregiver perspective regarding dental provider care for visits for their child[ren] with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a developmental disorder that affects communication, sensory processing, and behavior. ASD can cause problems regarding oral health care and treatments due to the overwhelming sensations experienced by the patient, resulting in refusal behaviors regarding prevention, maintenance, diagnosis, and treatment of oral health care needs (Zhou et al., 2020). Dental providers aren’t extensively trained on treatment or support techniques recommended for this population, leading to a drop-off in patient care and a lack of caregiver training or support …

An Impartial Supreme Court? Evaluating The Role Of Public Opinion In Supreme Court Rulings, Alexis Lass

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Susceptibility to public opinion is a phenomena faced by most political leaders, whether that be in City Halls or the United States’ Senate. Regardless, when separation of powers was conceptualized and the Supreme Court of the United States was created, the intent was to have a particular branch that didn’t make the law, but interpreted it, impartially, with a lack of partisanship opinion. In recent years, researchers have noticed a pattern of Supreme Court rulings aligning perfectly with public opinion, making field experts and citizens alike, question the integrity of the institution. The current study seeks to better understand the …

Associations Between Parent Country Of Origin And Mental Health Help-Seeking, Samhita Doranala, Shannon Parma, Zahra Aziz, Ariana Ali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mental health stigma is a barrier to help-seeking behaviors. Cultural attitudes and beliefs and about mental health can both influence and perpetuate that stigma. Research suggests that a family ethnic origin may contribute to mental health stigma. This study aims to investigate the relationship between parent country of origin and mental health help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy pilot project at private university in South Florida. Parent country of origin (U.S. vs. non-U.S.) was used to examine the likelihood of participants (n=246) to report on seven attributes related …

Pandemic Problems For Pre-Service Teacher’S Practicums ... Solved, Zachary Stepp

FDLA Journal

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, this graduate instructor leveraged the digital world to connect preservice elementary mathematics teachers (PSTs) to students to provide an online learning community. The PSTs applied our content and methods course to teaching online and learned valuable lessons from interacting with the students. The elementary students received additional attention, interaction, and knowledge from the PSTs. As for myself, I learned persistence pays off and pays out to everyone involved.

Ineffective Practice And Lack Of Motivation Of The Junior High School Athletes For Physical Training In Preparation For City Meet And Evraa, Louie P. Gula

FDLA Journal

This study aimed to identify the factors that lead to the ineffective practice and the decreasing motivation of the junior high school athletes for the physical training in preparation for City Meet and EVRAA. To point out the several factors contributing to the problem, the researcher used the Ishikawa diagram. An Ishikawa diagram is a visual representation that graphically depicts the relationships between a certain result and its causes. The studied effect or negative problem is called "the fish head," and the potential causes and sub-causes are called "the fishbone structure." It was found out that people as a factor, …

Analysis Of Attitudinal Student Learning Benefits From A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure) Adapted For Online Format, Ambika Kapil, Luis C. Gonzalez Isoba, Niraj Pathak, Arthur Sikora, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) are an increasingly utilized model for exposing students to research. The lack of robust assessments is a major hurdle to wider adoption of CUREs. The Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated a drastic shift of in-person courses to the online format. Using the Participant Perception Indicator (PPI) survey, we measured students’ self-reported changes in learning from such a biochemistry course at a large university in south Florida based on the Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Inquiry Lab (BASIL) model. By doing this, we were able to better understand the student-benefits of CUREs and how these benefits …

A Doctors Visit, Italia P. Lewis

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

"My poem follows the story of a woman's doctor's visit. It is meant to convey what women face in going to the doctor, highlighting how women's health is often ignored or pushed off as a nonissue. The inspiration for this poem came from a women's health class I took last semester, in which we read different passages about the disparities women face while trying to get medical help. From being gaslighted, ignored, and shamed for being unhealthy, my poem is meant to highlight each and every one of those issues."

Journey Of Realization And Adaptation Through Auto/Ethnography: A Shift To Transformative Educational Research, Tara Paudel, Bal Chandra Luitel, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This reflective paper explores Tara's doctoral research journey of realization and adaptation in auto/ethnography as a transformative research methodology. While reflecting on Tara’s journey, the auto/ethnographic paper emphasizes cultural perspectives, interpreting one's own experiences, thoughts, actions, and behaviors relating to society and culture. Likewise, auto/ethnography investigates and associates an individual's confrontation within specific educational, societal, and cultural contexts. With this ethos, the paper demonstrates how Tara, a mathematics teacher and doctoral student, encountered and observed auto/ethnography and discovered it as a path to transformation as a paradigm shift in transformative educational research by connecting lives and research (Dahal et al., …

The Challenges Of Educating Children In Low-Income Contexts: A Book Review Of Learner-Centred Pedagogy In The Global South Pupils And Teachers’ Experience, Reni Marlina, Hamdani Hamdani

The Qualitative Report

Learner-Centred Pedagogy in the Global South: Pupils and Teachers' Experience, published by Routledge in 2022 is a book written by Nozomi Sakata. The purpose of writing this book review is to guide readers through a case-based and mixed methods investigation of Learner-Centred Pedagogy (LCP) implementation in the global South, which has primarily been investigated through qualitative methodologies. This book can shed further light on the connection between students' learning attitudes and their academic achievement, particularly those of low-income students. This book serves as a link between early education, which was still founded on culture, and modern education, which is …

How Do Arts Contribute To Educational Research? A Book Review Of Arts-Based Research In Education: Foundations For Practice, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

I write this review as a recommendation for potential readers: those who are new to and veterans with respect to arts-based research. Arts-Based Research in Education: Foundations for Practice is edited by Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor and Richard Siegesmund, with contributions from 22 authors and a cover artist. In addition to providing some information from a usual structure around contents, central themes and concepts, intended audience, genres of writing styles, strengths and weaknesses, and uniquenesses, I primarily focus on the content of the chapter entitled “Four guiding principles for arts-based research practice” which I found extraordinarily significant in the second edition of …

Movement, Behavior, And Trophic Ecology Of A Pelagic Predator Guild In The Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, Ryan Keith Logan

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Pelagic apex predators exert strong influences on ecological communities, and often support valuable commercial or recreational fisheries worldwide. Yet, due to their rarity and pelagic lifestyle, many species, such as billfishes, have proven particularly difficult to study at resolutions necessary to define dynamics of recovery from fishery interaction, physical interaction with environmental features and prey exploitation, and competitive interactions among other billfish predators. This leads to a paucity of knowledge on billfish ecology and habitat use, and hinders management efforts. With the ever-improving and miniaturization of technology and oceanographic datasets, the ability to define and quantify these interactions of fish …

A Thematic Analysis Of Shared Experiences Of Essential Health And Support Personnel In The Covid-19 Pandemic., Linda Carman Copel, Suzanne C. Smeltzer, Christine D. Byrne, Mu-Hsun Chen, Donna S. Havens, Peter Kaufmann, Heather Brom, Jennifer Dean Durning, Linda Maldonado, Patricia K. Bradley, Janell Mensinger, Jennifer Yost

Faculty Articles

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on individuals who interact with patients with SARS-CoV-2 but focused largely on clinicians in acute care settings. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to understand the experiences and well-being of essential workers across settings during the pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies of the well-being of individuals who have cared for patients during the pandemic have included interviews of clinicians from acute care settings and revealed high levels of stress. However, other essential workers have not been included in most of those studies, yet they may also experience stress. …

Age, Growth And Maturity Of The Yellow Stingray (Urobatis Jamaicensis), A Biannually Reproductive Tropical Batoid., Jessica Schieber, Daniel P. Fahy, John K. Carlson, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Urobatis jamaicensis is a coastal batoid species affected by habitat loss and small-scale exploitation from fisheries and the aquarium trade, yet the life-history information available is limited. This is the first study to assess the vertebral centra from 195 stingrays to estimate age and growth patterns and compare them with the biannual reproductive pattern previously reported for this species. Age-at-size data were compared using five different growth models and found a two-parameter von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF), the Gompertz model, and a modified VBGF fit best for males, females and sexes combined, respectively. Maturity was achieved before one year. However, …