Digital Commons Network^™

Cytotoxic Effect Of Iphinoe: A Marine Natural Product On Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells, Simran Agarwal, Deepthi Gangaram

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men in the United States. It is estimated that one in every three men will develop prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, among them one in six will progress to carcinoma of the prostate. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are commonly sought-after treatments for prostate cancer. However, recently there has been a growing number of discoveries reported in favor of the chemopreventative abilities of natural products. Therefore, the primary focus of this study was to determine the cytotoxic effect of Iphinoe extract (IE) from marine cyanobacteria, on LNCaP prostate cancer cells. …

Stress, Cognitive Functioning, Mind Wandering, And Mindfulness: A Latent Variable Examination, Edward Zacka, Lindsay Craig

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Stress is a common facet of daily life. Unfortunately, a clear pattern of a negative impact of stress on a variety of cognitive functions has emerged. For instance, psychological stress has been shown to impair working memory (Banks & Boals, 2016; Klein & Boals, 2001) and perceived stress and PTSD symptoms have been linked to poorer self-report everyday cognitive functioning (Boals & Banks, 2012). Mind wandering—or thoughts unrelated to the current task —increases as a result of daily stressors and increases in mind wandering lead to decreases in cognitive functioning (Banks & Boals, 2016). Mindfulness meditation training improves working memory …

Zooplankton Community Productivity Determined Through Stable Isotope Analysis, Paul Katz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Zooplankton samples were collected from five stations off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fl, between approximately 8 and 18 km offshore over a one year period in 2007. Zooplankton were sorted taxonomically for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. This study shows evidence that a shift in zooplankton diet takes place throughout the year, from lipid rich diatoms to lipid poor dinoflagellates. Additionally, the stable isotope ratios reveal fluctuations in productivity that we have used to trace distinct water masses and meteorlogic conditions. These are the first data of their kind that have used stable isotopes ratios of zooplankton to …

Combating Cooperative Antibiotic Resistance, Tom Abraham, Aimee Doiron

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health concern, causing more than 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths each year. To better combat the problem of antibiotic resistance, we studied the effects of cheater bacteria using a strain of Escherichia coli with the ability to express β-lactamase. Specifically, we mapped the conditions that cause cooperative bacteria to exhibit a strong Allee effect – in which colony survival depends on the initial population exceeding a certain minimum threshold. Bacteria that express β-lactamase confer protection to the population when ampicillin is present. This provides an incentive for cheater bacteria to enjoy the benefits …

Printing 3-D Molecular Models Of The Angiotensin Ii, Type 1 Receptor And Its Anti-Hypertensive Ligand (Olmesartan), Riti Vohra, Valentina Ramirez, Guy Merus

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Through the use of protein visualization software, such as Jmol, it is possible to design and ultimately print 3-D structural protein models. Literary review and protein database files help shed light on the important structural components of proteins. As an example, the Angiotensin II, AT1 type receptor, known by its protein database file, 4ZUD, was selected to demonstrate this process. Blood pressure regulation through the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is mediated through the activation and inhibition of Angiotensin II (AngII) from its precursor Angiotensin I (AngI). Activation of AngII leads to vasoconstriction, resulting in an increase in blood pressure, while AngII …

Proliferation And Osteogenic Differentiation Of Dental Stem Cells In A Nanofibrous Hydrogel, Kristina Antuna, Jerry Ennolikara

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Background: Cleft palate is the second most common congenital defect in the US. This genetic disability can be extremely debilitating affecting individual’s speech and facial growth. Bone tissue engineering emerged as a potential option for the repair and regeneration of the bone in the defect area. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament derived stem cells (PDLSCs) encapsulated in a self-assembling, nano-fiber hydrogel scaffold, PuramatrixTM. Methodology: PDLSCs were cultured in PuramatrixTM. The cell proliferation was measured by a colorimetric WST assay at 1, 2, 3 and 5 day intervals. Cell viability …

The Psychological And Physiological Implications Of Sleep Restriction: A Comparison Of Voluntary And Experimental Sleep Restriction Groups, Sri Moturu, Kevin Douglas, Kaylin Huitsing

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sleep restriction (SR) has profound adverse effects on health and wellbeing; however, it is not clear if there are differential effects of chronic and voluntary SR vs. short-term and involuntary SR. In order to examine this possibility, we tested the extent to which psychological and physical health measures were influenced by a group of participants who voluntarily restricted their sleep (VSR) relative to participants who underwent 7 days of experimental sleep restriction (ESR). We tested a female-specific population since sleep complaints in women are particularly associated with impaired psychological functioning. Upon study enrollment, sleep group categorization (ESR vs. VSR) was …

Sargassum-Associated Fish Communities Are Stable Over Time And Feature Low Levels Of Parasitism, Kelsey Fox

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sargassum mats are common features of South Florida coastlines. Consisting of pelagically drifting clumps of brown algae (usually of the genus Sargassum), these mats are critical nursery habitat for many fish species, providing surface shelter in otherwise exposed open ocean areas. However, the ecology of Sargassum mat communities remains unstudied. This project addressed two key knowledge gaps. First, the long term stability of Sargassum community structure was assessed in samples collected over an 8-year period. Overall 9 fish species were collected (N=150). Individual Sargassum mats typically harbored 2.6 ± 0.7 fish species which were equally abundant in any given sample …

Colleges Must Require A Diversity Course, Nadia A. Siddiqi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It has been over half a century since the Civil Rights Act was passed into law, however, prejudice and discrimination rooted in race, color, religion, sex or national origin is still prevalent in our society today. In fact, hate crimes, motivated entirely or partly by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity, increased 6% between 2014 and 2015. Implementing a diversity course requirement for all undergraduate college students nationwide would help to combat this outbreak of hatred in the country by fostering graduates who are better equipped to understand the perspectives of …

A Compression Of Digital Data Using Linear Algebraic Methods, Qaas Shoukat

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Data compression is the most important software tool to enhance the performance of digital devices without implementing significant and costly hardware modifications. This poster will discuss the basics of digital data compression and how it is used to optimize data storage. By highlighting some pitfalls of current compression methods, the need for more efficient methods will be illustrated. The mathematical foundations of a novel compression method based on linear algebraic operations will then be presented. One goal of this poster is to present some issues within a number of current compression methods, such as JPEG compression. Another goal is to …

Academic And Emotional Intelligence In First Year College Students: A Research Proposal, Izabella Bass Klicsu, Victoria Biddle

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The relationship between academic intelligence and emotional intelligence (EI) is essential for the success of first year college students. This research proposal reviews the literature on the teaching and learning of students in first year seminar type courses. Goleman’s (2001) 2x2 emotional competencies model of EI predicts recognition and regulation of self and other. The ability to recognize and regulate one’s emotions enhances student’s academic performance. The main purpose of the research study is to generate hypotheses about the measurement of emotional intelligence as it complements GPA.

Colleges Must Require A Diversity Course, Nadia A. Siddiqi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It has been over half a century since the Civil Rights Act was passed into law, however, prejudice and discrimination rooted in race, color, religion, sex or national origin is still prevalent in our society today. In fact, hate crimes, motivated entirely or partly by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity, increased 6% between 2014 and 2015. Implementing a diversity course requirement for all undergraduate college students nationwide would help to combat this outbreak of hatred in the country by fostering graduates who are better equipped to understand the perspectives of …

Heavy Metal Contamination At Unregulated Target Shooting Sites In The Everglades, Megan Bruce, Stacey Spadafore

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Heavy metals such as lead and copper can negatively impact organisms and the environment exposed to the pollution. These metals can enter the environment in many ways; for example, hazardous waste, discarded sporting gear, leaded gasoline, pesticides, or roadways. A heavily used, unregulated target range was discovered in the Everglades. This location, Krome Avenue, is unregulated and bullets and shell casings litter the area. We hypothesize that the Krome Avenue range will have higher levels of lead and copper than control sites. Water, soil, plant, and invertebrate samples were collected from the site to identify if any metal pollution is …

Quantitative Measurement Of Learning In Caenorhabditis Elegans In Response To An Engineered Nematicidal Bacterium, Pallavi Velagapudi, Krunal Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Despite their global prevalence, there are very few strategies to prevent infections due to parasitic nematodes. Recent studies have shown that bacteria engineered using the principles of synthetic biology may serve as an alternative approach to intoxicating nematodes. While these engineered bacteria were initially shown to be relatively efficacious in intoxicating the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the nematodes quickly learned to avoid the engineered bacteria through aversive associative learning. In this study, we sought to use nematode learning assays to quantify the ideal amounts of toxin and attractant required to reduce aversive learning of C. elegans towards the engineered …

The Cinephile, Ryan Dahm, Aidan Rivas, Jas Anderson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Cinephile” is a short film. After a long movie-binging session and finishing his 1000^th movie, our protagonist, the cinephile, notices something is off. It is soon revealed that due to his excessive consumption of cinema, he has gained the ability to manipulate his perception of the world as if he were a video camera, and he can employ various cinematic techniques as superpowers. Unfortunately, rather than using his newly gained powers for good, he almost immediately uses his powers to mess with others for his own personal entertainment.

Towards The Development Of A 3-D Aortic Valve For Hydrodynamic Evaluation, Mahnoor Asif

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Aortic Valve Disease occurs when an individual’s aortic valve does not function at its optimum level. AVD can be divided into two types: stenosis and regurgitation. AVD stenosis occurs when the leaflets of the aortic valve do not open all the way, restricting blood flow into the aorta. AVD regurgitation occurs when the leaflets don’t close all the way, allowing blood to flow back into the heart. The disruption in regular blood flow could lead to heart failure. The purpose of this experiment was to create a replica of an aortic valve using 3D printing methods for subsequent hydrodynamic evaluation. …

Zooplankton Community Productivity Determined Through Stable Isotope Analysis, Paul Katz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Zooplankton samples were collected from five stations off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fl, between approximately 8 and 18 km offshore over a one year period in 2007. Zooplankton were sorted taxonomically for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. This study shows evidence that a shift in zooplankton diet takes place throughout the year, from lipid rich diatoms to lipid poor dinoflagellates. Additionally, the stable isotope ratios reveal fluctuations in productivity that we have used to trace distinct water masses and meteorlogic conditions. These are the first data of their kind that have used stable isotopes ratios of zooplankton to …

Behavioral Response Of Small Everglades Fish To Hydrological Variation, Predator Cues And Parasites, J. Matthew Hoch, Stacey Spadafore, Dominique Olesen, Christopher A. Blanar

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

The Current Volume 27: Issue 26, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Using Knowledge Of Shark Biology And Behavior To Inform Management And Conservation Efforts For The Globally Distributed And Fishery Exploited Shortfin Mako (Isurus Oxyrinchus), Mark Rubinas

HCNSO Student Capstones

The shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is a regionally endothermic lamnid shark with a circumglobal distribution in temperate and tropical waters. This species has special adaptations for a highly migratory, apex predator lifestyle, including specialized anatomical structures, the retia mirabilia, that allows maintenance of a higher than ambient internal body temperature, a higher percentage of red muscle fibers located closer to its body core compared to ectothermic sharks, and specialized dermal denticles to help achieve the remarkable swimming speeds for efficient predation. However, many parts of the life history of the shortfin mako are still unknown, and difficult to …

Inspiration Makes Your Dreams A Reality, Betsy Kreymer

Pre-Health Day

Ask yourself, “Why do you want to be a physical therapist?” That’s your inspiration! I knew I wanted to be a physical therapist when I was treated for an ankle injury sustained from competitive gymnastics in rural England. I was 11 years old. Making that dream a reality included moving around the globe before landing (and sticking!) a cheerleading scholarship to Nova Southeastern University.

I graduated as president of the Athletic Training Students’ Organization and with a lot of hands-on experience. I continued on at NSU in the DPT program during which I was elected vice president of my class. …

The Journey To Becoming A Speech-Language Pathologist: Advice To My Undergraduate Self, Lauren M. Stephens

Pre-Health Day

Growing up I always had an interest in the medical/science area and really enjoyed working with children. Initially, I wanted to become a Pharmacist however, after experiencing it first hand as a summer job I decided that was not the career for me. I had come to a realization that I wanted something to combine my interest in the Sciences and my love for working with children. Plus, math was never my strong suit and surviving chemistry courses didn’t sound very realistic. Therefore, I pursued a degree in Elementary Education and in doing so I discovered about Speech-Language Pathology. My …

My Journey To Optometry How Chiropractic Changed My Life: My Journey From Business Owner To Chiropractor Advice To My Future Colleagues, Hector L. Andino Rivera Ii

Pre-Health Day

Raised in a family of doctors, I never had the idea of becoming one. When I started undergraduate school in Puerto Rico, I studied business administration because I wanted to be my own boss and that was my focus. I achieved that degree in 5 years and by my 4th year I had my own business. After working in retail for 14+ and being in business for 6+ years, I visited Life University and that forever changed my life. I decided to go to chiropractic school and with that came many challenges, but that adjustment I received and the response …

Road Less Traveled: My Journey To Becoming A Research Associate, Carlos Almirola

Pre-Health Day

didn’t arrive in Public Health through conventional means. My father is a physician and I grew up thinking medicine was in my future. Towards the end of my undergrad I started to learn about other careers and eventually came across Public Health. I saw the importance of helping avoid problematic health issues in our community through early intervention. My Public Health training when combined with my background in Biology opened new doors I never knew existed. Grad School gave me the opportunity to have involvement with different community health initiatives in Baptist Congregational Health, UM Docs Program, and as well …

My Journey: From The Nsu College Classroom To The Dermatology Office Exam Room, Dana A. Haimo

Pre-Health Day

I was introduced to the Physician Assistant profession as a high school sophomore during a pre-medical program. I always desired to be in the medical field as I enjoyed science, problem solving, and interacting with others. I decided to learn more about what a PA does and if I could see myself becoming one. I began shadowing my now supervising physician in 2004. At the time, he had a physician assistant working with him, so I had the opportunity to observe their interaction, learn dermatologic terminology and procedures, and strengthen my interpersonal communication skills. I knew I could see myself …

My Journey To Optometry, Michael Bacigalupi

Pre-Health Day

Dr. Michael Bacigalupi grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His father was a letter carrier for the US Postal Service and his mother was an office manager for a local optometrist. He decided at a young age that he wanted to become an optometrist and has never regretted this decision. He is proud of his career and hopes to inspire others to consider the profession of optometry. Dr. Bacigalupi earned an Associate of Arts degree in Chemistry from Schreiner University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Optometry from the University of Houston. In 1993, he graduated magna cum laude …

Freshman At Farquhar To Pharmacy Professor: Thereality Of The Journey And Tips For Success, Nicholas Carris

Pre-Health Day

The path to becoming a healthcare provider is a commitment to lifelong learning, constant hard work, and a career that is not about you. Every class you take, everything you learn, every experience you engage in is preparing you to be a competent and compassionate healthcare provider, so that one day you can walk into the room of a desperate patient and help them. The pay is average at best, especially considering the years of training. People will be angry at you when you are doing your best to help them. People will be angry when you do not want …

My Journey To Becoming A Dentist, Zuhdiyah M. Darojat

Pre-Health Day

As a practicing general dentist and pretty recent graduate, I understand that GPAs and test scores are important, but are definitely not defining factors in being a good dentist, especially clinically. I know first hand because I was one of those students. Without the perfect grades and test scores, one may think that getting accepted into dental school and becoming a dentist is impossible, but the opposite is true. In my opinion, a successful dentist is measured by qualities including good communication and technical abilities, humility, passion, decisiveness, understanding, care, persistence, and the pursuit of excellence. My goal is to …

My Path To Medicine, Inaki Bent

Pre-Health Day

Dr. Bent is a Miami native who has worked in Primary Care since 2013. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and a Master of Biomedical Science from Barry University. He went on to Nova Southeastern University and received a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine and a Master of Business Administration degree in 2010. He completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital-University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. After completing residency, Dr. Bent joined Unihealth of South Florida-Carmel Barrau, M.D and Associates as an Associate Physician in Internal Medicine. He is a member …

Keynote Speech, Richard E. Dodge, Nick Carris

Pre-Health Day

No abstract provided.