Digital Commons Network^™

L-Selectin And Its Probable Effects On Embryonic Development, Nancy Phillipe

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The intent of this literature review project is to summarize research that provides a new way to look at properties which dominate and regulate the molecular mechanisms that determine whether an embryo will implant itself or not. The main quest of this research was to determine if L-selectin is used by the trophoblast as an adhesion factor at the beginning of embryonic implantation. Maternal uterine epithelia was examined further to see if it produces L-selectin ligand during the same time period at which the trophoblast exhibits the L-selectins. The primary role of selectins is to promote the rolling and adhesion …

Doing Math With Mathematica, Bini Anchery

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of the poster will be to introduce Mathematica to those who are unaware of the topic and explain its capabilities.

It is a powerful tool that combines graphics, programming language, numeric and symbolic computations to other applications. It has a wide range of uses such as handling complex calculations that involve thousands of terms, giving technical presentations and seminars and doing numerical simulations that range from finding the derivative to chemical reactions.

As the individual works through the problems, a notebook keeps a complete report of the input and output, etc.

Symbolic programming is the basis for Mathematica. …

Discovering And Analyzing The Patterns Of Tripepetides, Jessica Jirani, Yuliya Poberezhnyak

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A tripeptide is a peptide containing three amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Like DNA and RNA, proteins are synthesized as linear polymers (chains) composed of smaller molecules, in this case amino acids. Unlike DNA and RNA, in which there are four nucleotides from which to choose, proteins are constructed from at least 20 amino acids having a variety of sizes, shapes, and chemical properties. Each amino acid has a backbone consisting of an amino (NH₂) group, an alpha carbon, and a carboxylic acid (COOH) group.

The order of the amino acids in a …

A Researched Review On Cooperative Learning And Jigsaw, Amanda Bergamasco, Ann Marie Hernandez, Sharon Vizcaino

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The topic of this literature review is to understand the effectiveness of the cooperative learning model and one strategy, jigsaw. The goals of the review are to identify the population for which the model and strategy are used, whether or not the use of this model is successful in the classroom, and to understand what successful outcomes are possible with the model and strategy. Additionally, the instructional cycle for cooperative learning and jigsaw are explored. Our review concludes that the use of cooperative learning and jigsaw can be used with varying age groups successfully. Proper teacher planning, instructing, monitoring, and …

Microarray Analysis Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Exposed To Various Conditions, Michelle Jaffe, Stephen Berkowitz, Daveda Maharaj, Gelin Fils-Amie Jr, Roxana Ruyani

Undergraduate Student Symposium

DNA microarrays offer the ability to produce genome-wide gene expression profiles, which can be used to identify genes that may play an active role in various biological processes. The well-studied organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used in an attempt to utilize DNA microarrays in order to examine the gene expression profiles of yeast exposed to varying conditions: aerobic versus anaerobic environments, glucose versus lactose media, weak versus dense cell cultures, and non-UV-C versus UV-C light exposure. After growth reached an optimum optical density, yeast cells in each culture were lysed and the RNA was isolated and transformed to cDNA. Finally, the …

Friendships Across The Lifespan, Jennifer Haselberger, Greta P. Zuniga, Jennifer Odige

Undergraduate Student Symposium

During infancy we begin to develop social skills and learn how to deal with the people around us, especially family and friends. During infancy, we develop different types of attachment styles. Studies show that about 70% of infants acquire a secure attachment style, in which the infant uses the mother as a secure base, but ventures off to explore the surroundings. About 10% develop a resistant style, in which the infant remains near their mother but resists physical contact with her and may even hit or kick her. This infant is wary of strangers. Another 15% develop an avoidant style, …

Caffeine Effects On The Predatory Behavior Of The Orb-Weaving Spider, Argiope Argentata, Regina L. Vesci, Nicole J. Russo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Argiope argentata are orb-weaving spiders--meaning that their webs are a sticky spiral wound around radii extending from a central hub. A. argentata have poor vision and depend on vibrations in their web for detection of prey. A. argentata are large spiders; the female is 25mm and the male is 10 mm. They build webs that are approximately 80cm across. Research thus far on spiders and drugs have focused on web-building behavior after depressants or hallucinatory substances have been administered. Research on stimulants and predatory behavior has not been addressed. The proposed research is an exploratory study investigating the effects of …

Application Of Openmosix Computer Clusters For Acceleration Of Distributed And Parallel Computational, Denis Voitenko

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The openMosix is an Open Source extension to the Linux kernel. This kernel extension turns a network of ordinary computers into a supercomputer for Linux applications. Such cluster has proven to be extremely low maintenance yet very useful in solving computational problems in the areas of distributed and parallel computing such as compression, cryptography, mapping and neural network algorithms. The presentation will attempt to explain the basic configuration and the inner workings of such cluster.

Chaperoning Disease Treatment Into The 21st Century, Maria Farrell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Chaperones function as the cell’s quality control system in a number of different ways. Simply put they are protein complexes that help fold new proteins into their working form, refold proteins that have been damaged, protect against protein aggregation, and tag severely damaged proteins for degradation. Because they most notably respond to damaged proteins caused by cellular environmental stresses such as proteotoxic heat shock, they are often called heat-shock or stress proteins and are classified by their molecular size, cellular compartment and function (e.g. Hsp 90). The chaperones are ligand specific, cylindrical protein complexes that make life and death decisions …

Adhesion Of Transferrin To Fda Group Iv Contact Lenses, Po-Jui (Bryan) Lin, Tehsin Siddiqui

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Contact lenses are widely used as a replacement for eyeglasses to correct vision. The adhesion of tear proteins to contact lenses contributes to lens deterioration, and may lead to vision problems and ocular pathology. Tears contain a large number of proteins, among them being lysozyme, albumin, transferrin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins and tear lipocalin. Here we report studies of the adhesion of transferrin to FDA group IV (high water ionic polymer) contact lenses. Lenses were incubated in a solution of transferrin for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days, and transferrin adhesion was determined using the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. Transferrin adsorbed to …

The Nsu Technology Student Help Site: Ideas To Actions, Angela Quintero, Jennifer Shaw, Jason Mcgwire, Lisa Barnes, Donna Cooper

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Technology students at NSU have many resources, but there are none that are made by students, for students. With this project, current technology students pass on their knowledge and research to new students, creating a network of help and support within the student body, not to mention within the University as a whole. The project uses an annotated format to list web sites that were academically relevant and useful for students. These annotations were categorized according to department (Technology), course (such as TECH 4900), and subject divisions within the course. Within these categorizations were listings of web sites that students …

The Effects Of Religious Upbringing On The Sexual Behavior Of College Students, Marissa S. Dass

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of religious upbringing on the sexual behavior of college students and their willingness to engage in drug or alcohol usage. A comprehensive questionnaire was composed and filled out by a total of fifty students on the main campuses of Nova Southeastern University and Florida Atlantic University. The questionnaire asked a series of questions ranging from age and ethnicity to type of religious upbringing and influence of religious upbringing on the individual’s sexual practices. The results of the survey were quantified to either prove or disprove the hypothesis. Analysis of the …

Self-Esteem, Family Relations And Suicide Among College Students, Andrea Boucher, Katerina Sovanova, Isaura Orozco, Alyssa Persaud, Avinash Persad

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. claiming 29,350 lives per year. Suicide rates among youth (ages 15-24) have increased more than 200% in the last fifty years. However, it is higher for the elderly (ages 85+) than for any other age group. Suicide can be prevented, but many people are just unable to see any other alternatives to their problems. It is noted that suicidal people often give various warning, but others are often unaware of the significance of these warnings or unsure of what to do about them. It was once thought that just …

Rocket And Egg Drop Project, Rezwan Alam, Andrew Barry, Nika Ferdowski, Adam Finkelstein, Fahd Sattar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Our project is to use our knowledge of kinetic energy, aerodynamics, and shock absorption to build our own rocket. These aspects of mechanical physics will determine the height of our launch and the physical strain on the rocket’s structure. In order to measure the effects of these acting forces, we will design, build and launch a rocket without the aid of a modeling kit.

This rocket will be used in an experiment to test the limits of its performance with respect to its passengers. Our rocket will launch with three eggs inside of it. These eggs will act as a …

Rhetorical Criticism As A Method Of Understanding History And The Art Of Persuasion, Cammie Cacace, Theodore Chamberlain

Undergraduate Student Symposium

U.S. history has been shaped by the speeches of great individuals. Democracy is built upon freedom of speech, which allows even the least privileged to speak the truth and their concerns to those in power. Those of privilege have given many of the great speeches in our history. However, some of the best have been delivered on behalf of all people in this country, and in the world. It is important that these archives of freedom and democracy be studied not only so we can understand the power of political rhetoric, but so that we can understand the events that …

Obesity In Immigrants, Ana Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Obesity is one of the main health problems in the United States. The number of immigrants is increasing dramatically over the years. (Satia-Abouta, Patterson, Neuhouser, Elder, 2002). Immigrants to the U.S. often acquire new eating patterns as they become accustomed to the American products, fast-food culture and sedentary lifestyle. The acculturation to the American lifestyle places immigrants at risk for obesity. (Thompson, Coronado, Solomon, 2004). The purpose of this research is to create an awareness of the problem immigrants are having when immigrating to the U.S. Since this problem could be the cause of more health problems such as hypertension, …

Orientation Preferences In Birds, Lessette Magnotta

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Most bird species have a dark dorsum and lighter ventrum. A possible explanation for such a color pattern could be countershading, which makes a bird less conspicuous to predators. The level of conspicuousness depends on the orientation of the bird with respect to the sun. In order for the bird to successfully camouflage itself, it must face its dorsum towards the sun when the sun is at low elevation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether countershaded and non-countershaded birds do in fact orient with respect to the sun. A goniometer was used to measure angles of perches …

Using An Optimization Method To Determine The Parameters Of The Accommodative System Of The Eye, Yuliya Poberezhnyak

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Abnormal binocular vision occurs in a broad range of disorders including strabismus, amblyopia, heterophorias, large fixation disparities, and anomalous refractive conditions. The examination and treatment of these problems are the major tasks in optometry clinics. However, the concepts and parameters used in clinic are not closely related to the parameters in the interactive model of the accommodative and vergence systems (Hung and Semmlow, 1980; Jinag, 1997). In this study, we used a mathematical optimization method (Zheng, et al., 1978) to determine these parameters for patients with normal and abnormal binocular vision and compare the results in the estimated parameters to …

Adhesion Of Transferrin To Fda Group I Contact Lenses, Eun (Tina) Baek, Tehsin Siddiqui

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Contact lenses are widely used to correct vision. The adhesion of tear proteins to contact lenses contributes to lens deterioration, and may lead to vision problems and ocular pathology. Tears contain a large number of proteins, among them being lysozyme, albumin, transferrin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins and tear lipocalin. Here we report studies of the adhesion of transferrin to FDA group I (low water non-ionic polymer) contact lenses. Lenses were incubated in a solution of transferrin for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days, and transferrin adhesion was determined using the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. Transferrin adsorbed to the Group I lenses in …

Inverse Correlation Between Water Temperature And The Presence Of Florida Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) At Port Everglades, Fl., Lindsey Fulcher

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Florida manatees are known to be intolerant of cold water. Prolonged exposure to cold water will cause a pathological cold stress syndrome. For this reason, during the winter months, manatees tend to aggregate at sources of warm water, such as springs and power plants, or to migrate south to find warmer waters. Port Everglades, the port of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a well-established manatee refuge during the cold weather months. The presence of manatees and the temperature of the water near the Florida Power and Light electricity generating plant were monitored for calendar 2003. Water temperatures in other parts of …

Dna Microarrays And Pharmacogenomics, Daveda Maharaj

Undergraduate Student Symposium

DNA microarray technology applied to the field of pharmacogenomics will provide for a better analysis of drug responses and drug efficacy in treating individuals with varying genotypes. DNA microarray technology is useful in the detection of various Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that have a propensity to inhibit or complement drug efficacy in individuals using particular medications. Since microarrays allow for the study of groups of genes expressed or repressed among various environments, this technology has allowed for the fields of pharmacogenetics as well as pharmacogenomics to flourish by studying individuals administered medications for their particular illness. While the field of …

Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis With Oral Cannabinoids, Alberto Panero

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain and spinal cord. Primarily, MS is a disease of the “white matter” tissue. In people affected by MS, patches of damage called plaques or lesions appear in random areas of the CNS white matter. At the site of a lesion, a nerve insulating material, called myelin is lost. Clinically, MS is a difficult condition to characterize because it is unpredictable and variable. Depending on which areas of the CNS are affected and how badly they are damaged, there is a great variety in …

The Living Wage, Jenan Hadrous

Undergraduate Student Symposium

While the U.S. economy experienced unprecedented growth in income and wealth during the 1990's a significant portion of the working age population did not share in these gains. Specifically, those full time workers earning minimum wage fell behind as any gains in the minimum wage were more than offset by increases in the cost of living. It is not unusual for the family income of minimum wage workers to fall below the poverty level of income. To address this issue many local governments are now evaluating the possibility of requiring vendors who do business with the local government to pay …

Substance Abuse And The Rave Scene, Melissa Gonzalez, Kassandra Landrian, Brannecha Campbell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This research study deals with substance abuse in the rave scene. A “Rave” is an all night party, usually featuring electronic music as the primary type of music. Basically, there is an enormous amount of controversy surrounding these parties because of the reputation espoused by the media and some government agencies. According to reports from the mass media, drug use by rave party attendees in previous years was extremely high and the prevalence of individuals taking controlled substances at these parties was overwhelming. This study addressed issues pertaining to the prevalence of drug use during raves and how many individuals …

Teenage Pregnancy: Prevention, Abortion, And Help, Leslie Ramirez, Maite Bilbao

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sexual activity among the teenage population has become the norm rather than the exception. The problem not only concerns individual teenagers but their babies and their families, as well. This project seeks to provide information regarding teen pregnancies and to evaluate programs and policies that could help prevent teenage pregnancy by informing teens of the choices they can make. The importance of education and contraceptive use to prevent teen pregnancy is stressed. Statistics will help place the problem in perspective. For example, each year, almost 1 million teenage women--10% of all women aged 15-19 and 19% of those who have …

Radio Telescope Project, Andrew Barry, Jessica Davis, Jordan Gularek, Po-Jui (Bryan) Lin, Dennis O'Leary, Erin Ostroff, Graham Rasenen, Kareem Shaker

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Burke and Franklin discovered that Jupiter emits radio waves through the construction on antenna much like Radio JOVE project. Jupiter has an extremely large magnetosphere, which allows Jupiter to emit radio signals that can be received on earth. The moon Io leaves behind large clouds of charged particles as it orbits Jupiter due to its volcanic atmosphere, which interacts with Jupiter’s magnetosphere causing radio storms. The position of the sun can have a large effect on the incoming radio signals to Earth because the sun ionizes Earth's magnetosphere causing the absorption of radio waves. The position of Jupiter is also …

Microarray Technology: New Strategies In The Discovery Of The Etiology Of Schizophrenia, Roxana A. Ruyani

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Schizophrenia is a complex trait disorder attributed to polygenic and epigenic factors linked to over ten chromosomal loci that are responsible for symptoms reflecting multiple mental processes such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech and behavior. Numerous studies implicate the profound effects of both genetic and environmental factors on neurodevelopmental processes to conclude that the function of the nervous system is highly dependent on gene expression. The objective of this literature research project is to summarize the application and major conclusions of two DNA microarray research procedures executed in an attempt to identify the causes and genes attributed to Schizophrenia. …

The “Silent Killer” And Its Accomplices In Lung Cancer, Abigail A. Williams

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this literature review project is to examine some of the causes and molecular mechanisms associated with cancer, particularly lung cancer. Cancer, better known as “the silent killer”, occurs when the growth and differentiation of cells becomes uninhibited and unbalanced. While no two cancers are genetically identical even in the same tissue type, there are relatively few ways in which normal cell growth can be disturbed. One of the most common ways that cancer occurs is by the alteration of a gene, which ultimately stimulates hyperactive cell growth. This altered gene is known as an oncogene. The Ras …

Project X: The Design And Development Of An Amateur Rocket, Jason Fraser, Dennis O'Leary, Erin Ostroff

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this project is to research, design, and develop a launch vehicle capable of lifting three eggs to over 150 meters and return them intact to earth using commercially available, non-certified rocket engines, namely, A-G class engines whose total integrated impulse does not exceed 160 Newton-seconds. The construction of the vehicle conforms to the safety code of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR).

The Alumni Network, Spring 2004 (Vol. Xviii No. 2), Nova Southeastern University

Alumni Network Newsletter

No abstract provided.