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Invegstigating The Causes Of Antibiotic Resistance In A Periodic Environment, Haley Mckissack, Uzair Mohammed, Kyle Cahill, Steven Thomas Apr 2015

Invegstigating The Causes Of Antibiotic Resistance In A Periodic Environment, Haley Mckissack, Uzair Mohammed, Kyle Cahill, Steven Thomas

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Misuse of antibiotics, coupled with a lack of new antibiotics being discovered, has threatened our ability to treat bacterial infections. Confounding our ability to effectively combat antibiotic resistance is the myriad of ways in which bacteria can resist antibiotic treatment. One mechanism is the inoculum effect, a phenomenon in which the inhibitory concentration of an antibiotic increases with initial cell density. Previously acquired data has indicated a mutation exclusive mechanism by which resistance arises. However, it is currently unknown as to whether or not the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria due to spontaneous mutation plays a role in the inoculum …


Induction Of Apoptosis By Jfd-Ws In Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Xenograft Implanted Athymic Nude Mice, Janelle Alvarez, Meera Bhalani, Thanigaivelan Kanagasabai Ph.D., Sivanesan Dhandayuthapani Ph.D., Appu Rathinavelu Ph.D. Apr 2015

Induction Of Apoptosis By Jfd-Ws In Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Xenograft Implanted Athymic Nude Mice, Janelle Alvarez, Meera Bhalani, Thanigaivelan Kanagasabai Ph.D., Sivanesan Dhandayuthapani Ph.D., Appu Rathinavelu Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) can be stimulated when a cell has reached its pre-determined lifespan. The intrinsic pathway is typically activated for cell cycle regulation, thus preventing tumor formation. Bcl-2 family proteins can play a pro or anti-apoptotic role by regulating the expression levels and modes of action of other proteins such as caspases, which cleave cell parts until the cell is no longer functional. Many studies are focusing on proteins that regulate the apoptotic pathway, as anomalies may lead to tumor formation. The purpose of this study was to assess effects of a novel water-soluble cancer drug, known as …


Modeling And Simulation Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Chemotaxis In Response To A Dynamic Engineered Bacteria, Divya Pandya Apr 2015

Modeling And Simulation Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Chemotaxis In Response To A Dynamic Engineered Bacteria, Divya Pandya

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Parasitic helminthes remain important causative agents of human, plant and animal diseases. Helminthes seek out food sources and navigate toward potential hosts using olfaction of simple chemical cues, a process called chemoattraction. While several studies have examined how nematodes, including Caenorhabditis elegans, behave in response to a chemoattractant, how the characteristics of the chemoattractant affect worm behavior has yet to explored. In this manuscript, we develop a mathematical model to examine how characteristics of common chemoattractants affect movement and behavior in the model nematode C. elegans. Specifically, we model a scenario where a toxic, engineered bacteria designed to …


Nova Southeastern University's Participation In Many Labs 3: Evaluating Participant Pool Characteristics Across The Semester Via Replication, Guy Merus, Andrea Moran, Boglarka Varga, Stephanie Ponce, Idania Elizabeth Cater, Alexis Murphy Apr 2015

Nova Southeastern University's Participation In Many Labs 3: Evaluating Participant Pool Characteristics Across The Semester Via Replication, Guy Merus, Andrea Moran, Boglarka Varga, Stephanie Ponce, Idania Elizabeth Cater, Alexis Murphy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A crowdsourced project from 23 university participant pools, including NSU (total N = 2,696; NSU N = 131), examined variation in 10 well known psychological findings and 8 individual difference measures over the course of the academic semester. Undergraduate psychology participant pools serve as a major resource for behavioral research studies. Many researchers have hypothesized that the traits and attentiveness of student research participants vary across an academic term (e.g., students who participate later in the semester may be lower in conscientiousness and higher in openness to experience). However, there is very little systematic evidence regarding the magnitude of such …


Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Stem Cells In A 3-Dimensional (3-D) Hydrogel, Anastasia Talalenko, Kevin Petersen Apr 2015

Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Stem Cells In A 3-Dimensional (3-D) Hydrogel, Anastasia Talalenko, Kevin Petersen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Introduction: Bone Regeneration in craniofacial region due to traumatic injuries and congenital defects is a major clinical problem. Cleft palate is the second most common congenital defect. Our long-term goal is to regenerate bone in the palatal region using tissue-engineering approaches. Bone tissue engineering utilizes osteogenic cells, osteoconductive scaffolds and osteoinductive signals. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord (HUMSCs) are highly proliferative with the ability to differentiate into osteogenic precursor cells. Objective: The primary objective of the study was to encapsulate HUMSCs in PuraMatrix™ (PM), a peptide hydrogel, and investigate their survival and osteogenic differentiation. PM is an …


Post-Exercise Ice Bath (10 Degrees Celsius) And Athlete Recovery, Sierra Lelii Apr 2015

Post-Exercise Ice Bath (10 Degrees Celsius) And Athlete Recovery, Sierra Lelii

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Coaching professionals implement post-workout ice baths with athletes; however, minimal research exists demonstrating the effectiveness of these practices on athletic performance and recovery. Purpose: To assess the effects of a post-workout ice bath on recovery. Methods: Ten athletic subjects (18-24 yrs; 171.5±11.2 cm.; 68.1±14.9 kg; 23.0±3.5 BMI) were tested for flexibility (sit-and-reach), power (vertical jump), strength (squat), agility (5-10-5), speed (10-m) and pain perception (scale). Following performance measures, each athlete completed a damaging eccentric plyometric protocol. Athletes were randomly assigned into a post-workout ice bath group (ICE), which took a 15 minute ice bath (10° C) following exercise protocol; or …


Posture And Cognition, Jana Mrkaja Apr 2015

Posture And Cognition, Jana Mrkaja

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This experiment examined how priming and posture influence attention. Previous experiments have shown that different body postures can influence cognitive focus and task performance. For instance, participants adopting an unfocused posture were slower at performing a visual search task (Chisholm, Risko, Evan, & Kingstone, 2013). However, this could be due to the effects of priming on attention (Bargn, Chen, & Burrows, 1996). In the current experiment, participants adopted either a focused leaning, forward upright or an unfocused, back slouched posture. Furthermore, participants were either primed or not primed by indicting that the posture will either increase or decrease their attentional …


Shifting Londoner Medical Practices In The Early 1800s: The Influence Of Paris Medicine, Aarabhi Rajagopal Apr 2015

Shifting Londoner Medical Practices In The Early 1800s: The Influence Of Paris Medicine, Aarabhi Rajagopal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For centuries, Western medicine has developed and flourished in the urban city of London, changing the dynamic between the practice and focus of medicine. This study aims to understand and compare the medical practices in London before and after the introduction of Paris medicine, examining the contributions Paris medicine made to create the “after” medical practices in London. Specifically, in the early 1800s, clinical medicine in London was profoundly affected by Paris medicine, a branch of clinical medicine that flourished in France in the late 1700s and early 1800s, leading to the innovation of medical practices currently in use today. …


Spatial Analysis Of Uniform Crime Reports, Crime Clearance Rates, And Office Entry-Level Salaries, Laraysa Nugent Apr 2015

Spatial Analysis Of Uniform Crime Reports, Crime Clearance Rates, And Office Entry-Level Salaries, Laraysa Nugent

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this project is to apply environmental criminology theories to spatially examine the distribution of 2013 Part 1 Uniform Crime Report (UCR) offenses and Crime Clearance Rates (CCRs) by Florida judicial circuits (n=20). The goal is to identify judicial circuits with the highest and lowest CCRs; and present a spatial analysis that visually represents statistically significant judicial circuits for the criminal offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle thefts. Additionally, the current study identifies and analyzes cities (n=30) within the 11 th judicial circuit (Miami-Dade county) because it had the lowest CCR; …


Spiritual And Supernatural Elements Of English Theatre (1550-1612), Mariah Busk Apr 2015

Spiritual And Supernatural Elements Of English Theatre (1550-1612), Mariah Busk

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In “Spiritual and Supernatural Elements of English Theatre (1550-1612)”, I use four plays to examine the secularization of supernatural elements of English theatre during the High Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. My research shows that in Everyman (c.1500) by Anonymous, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (c. 1588) by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet (c. 1600) by William Shakespeare, and The White Devil (c.1612) by John Webster good and evil characters digress from being religious, spiritual figures to being humanized representations of these figures. Corresponding to this secularization is the loss of a God-like figure and a more common use …


Study On The Effects Of Tulsi On Lncap Cells And The Mechanism Used To Induce Apoptosis, Omar Garcia, Omar Viqar Apr 2015

Study On The Effects Of Tulsi On Lncap Cells And The Mechanism Used To Induce Apoptosis, Omar Garcia, Omar Viqar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Homeostasis is a major property that entails the regulation of internal conditions to maintain stability in the human body. A key aspect of regulation is the removal of unwanted cells. Critical diseases such as cancer may occur due to excess cell proliferation. Inducing apoptosis can be a significant method of treating cancer. Understanding the mechanisms of apoptosis can be advantageous towards combating diseases in which cells are unnecessarily proliferating. Tulsi (Holy Basil) is a plant that has shown many therapeutic properties. Furthermore, it has shown to contain significant antitumor agents. Analyzing the level of expression of proteins when cancer cells …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Oxindole Derivatives, Armando Perez, Kaitlyn Pope, Palina Woodhouse Apr 2015

Synthesis And Characterization Of Oxindole Derivatives, Armando Perez, Kaitlyn Pope, Palina Woodhouse

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Uncaria Tomentosa (Cat’s Claw), a plant well known to yield potent antibacterial compounds that contain Indolin-2-one (2-oxindole) as the common moiety has instigated the medicinal chemists to develop broad spectrum antibiotics. Researchers around the world have focused on methodical modification at several key locations of this molecule with the intent of studying the biological activities. In that line, this research focuses on the synthesis of Knoevenagel adducts at the carbon -3. We have synthesized over twenty five analogues starting from Indolin-2-one and substituted aryl aldehydes by condensation reaction in basic ethanolic medium. Reaction conditions needed to be tuned to improve …


The Dark Side Of Mind Wandering: Examining The Impact Of Emotionally Valenced Task Unrelated Thoughts On Working Memory, Audrey Hood, Samantha Gestido, Abraham Yacaman Apr 2015

The Dark Side Of Mind Wandering: Examining The Impact Of Emotionally Valenced Task Unrelated Thoughts On Working Memory, Audrey Hood, Samantha Gestido, Abraham Yacaman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Working memory (WM) is a dynamic system responsible for maintaining and processing information, and controlling attention (Engle & Kane, 2004). Although WM remains stable during adulthood, it is altered by a variety of factors including affect (Ilkowska & Engle, 2010). However, there remains debate regarding whether the impact of affect on working memory is driven by positive or negative affect. For instance, negative affect impairs WM performance due to increases in Task Unrelated Thoughts (TUTs; Curci, Lanciano, Soleti & Rime, 2013). High levels of TUTs reduce performance on a variety of cognitive functions, including sustained attention (McVay & Kane, 2009) …


The Devil's Due, Ricardo Lugo Apr 2015

The Devil's Due, Ricardo Lugo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Devil’s Due” is a short film about a husband desperately trying to save his dying wife. He finds a solution, but what will he be willing to sacrifice? The film is written and directed by Ricardo Lugo. Other crew members and actors include Alex Lugo, Andrew McGarrett, Lauren McGarrett, Aaron M. Abelto, Laura Ten Zijthoff, and Addys M. Guerra.


Temperature Dependent Variation In Self-Reported Contagious Yawning Within A Single Season, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti Apr 2015

Temperature Dependent Variation In Self-Reported Contagious Yawning Within A Single Season, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Previous cross-cultural research on humans has shown that self-reported contagious yawning frequency varies between distinct seasons and climate conditions. However, it remains possible that differences in yawning across seasons may be a result of physiological circadian changes across the year. In attempt to address this question, here we discuss the results of a study investigating the variation in the frequency of self-reported contagious yawning within a single season in one geographic location. A total of 142 pedestrians were recruited outdoors during an 18-day period over the summer in an equatorial monsoon climate in southern Florida, USA. Consistent with the thermoregulatory …


The Function Of Yawning In Reducing Acute Hyperthermia Following Physiological Stressors, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti Apr 2015

The Function Of Yawning In Reducing Acute Hyperthermia Following Physiological Stressors, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The present study attempts to look at the extent to which yawning reduces stress induced acute hyperthermia. When stressed socially or physiologically, body temperature rises with the stressed subject experiencing acute hyperthermia, essentially inducing a brief fever. Thus, after the removal of the stress stimulus, body temperature should begin to decrease and return to baseline conditions, which may be achieved through various thermoregulatory mechanisms. One such mechanism is yawning. Yawning is a deep inhalation of air accompanied by rapid increases in blood flow around the face head and neck. As supported in recent research across a wide range of taxa, …


The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Small Businesses Of Varying Sizes, Franklin Saunders Hiffernan Apr 2015

The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Small Businesses Of Varying Sizes, Franklin Saunders Hiffernan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Small businesses face many posing costs when conforming their entire insurance infrastructure to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. This survey of the literature includes key information on the implications of the ACA on small businesses, providing detailed cost and benefit potential over a range of circumstances. The purpose of this research was to open up the complicated text of the ACA itself and provide true to life situations where the implications can be visualized and better understood. Due to the complicated terminology of the ACA, many Americans are still improperly informed as to how the reform will take …


The Potential Effects Of Caffeine, Energy Drinks, And Alcoholic Drinks On Gene Expression Using The Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) Model System, Amal Bhullar, Ashley Chang-Story Apr 2015

The Potential Effects Of Caffeine, Energy Drinks, And Alcoholic Drinks On Gene Expression Using The Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) Model System, Amal Bhullar, Ashley Chang-Story

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Especially while in college, young people are supplementing their diets with various additives including caffeine in the forms of pills and energy drinks, in addition to consuming alcoholic beverages. This project aims to investigate the effects of three concentrations (low, medium, and high) of various caffeinated and alcoholic dietary additives/beverages on gene expression. Since yeast share approximately 30% of their genome with humans several conserved genes belonging to various functional groups (digestion, cell cycle, ion channel, molecular chaperone, kinases and transcription) were selectively targeted in this study. High, medium and low concentrations of caffeine tablets, energy drinks (Red Bull energy …


Understanding The Mysteries Of African Ancestry Along My Maternal Lineage, Natalie Negrón Apr 2015

Understanding The Mysteries Of African Ancestry Along My Maternal Lineage, Natalie Negrón

Undergraduate Student Symposium

People have often been interested in their ancestral roots, and the ability to document ancestry via the use of genetic tools has never been greater and more economical. Inspired by the Human Genographic Project, the purpose of this study was to better understand the historical links connecting African ancestry to Puerto Rican individuals along their maternal lineage. Previous research had shown that the researcher’s maternal ancestry was linked to Haplogroup L1, which is one of the human subpopulations to have more recently migrated from Africa. For this project, DNA samples were collected from cheek swabs of both the researcher and …


Viral Videos: Random Phenomena Or Reproducible Templates?, Marisa Oleski Apr 2015

Viral Videos: Random Phenomena Or Reproducible Templates?, Marisa Oleski

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of the passage of policies that regulate physician assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands. In the case of Oregon, data was collected from the Oregon State Health Department and was used to identify the number of participants, demographics, and number of deaths as a result of physician assisted suicide. In the case of the Netherlands, data was collected from a Dutch online publication known as Statline and supplementary information was gathered from an evaluation titled “Law Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide”, which was done with the …


Walking With Liz, Paola Zaidi Apr 2015

Walking With Liz, Paola Zaidi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Walking with Liz” is a short film documentary about Elizabeth Burbano, an NSU student with a physical disability. Liz´s life has been an arduous journey to overcome the challenges posed by her disability. However, the surgeries, therapies and pain she has had to endure have not been able to slow her down on the road to achieving her dreams. The documentary is directed by Paola Zaidi.


Water-A Source Of Life And Disease: The Evolution Of Water Quality In London, Lisa Marie Pace Apr 2015

Water-A Source Of Life And Disease: The Evolution Of Water Quality In London, Lisa Marie Pace

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research was to explore the many impacts and changes that have occurred over time due to the quality of water, and the introduction of public sewer systems. This research begins historically in the city of London, focusing on the Thames River, public wells, and the many rivers that provided a source of water to the citizens of London and branches out into modern day water quality in London. If clean water was made accessible to the citizens of London previously many epidemic diseases, such as Cholera, could have been avoided. By providing clean water many lives …


What Has Been The Impact Of The Passage Of Policies That Regulate Physician Assisted Suicide In Oregon And The Netherlands?, Chantel Grant Apr 2015

What Has Been The Impact Of The Passage Of Policies That Regulate Physician Assisted Suicide In Oregon And The Netherlands?, Chantel Grant

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of the passage of policies that regulate physician assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands. In the case of Oregon, data was collected from the Oregon State Health Department and was used to identify the number of participants, demographics, and number of deaths as a result of physician assisted suicide. In the case of the Netherlands, data was collected from a Dutch online publication known as Statline and supplementary information was gathered from an evaluation titled “Law Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide”, which was done with the …


Why Do Patients Who Are Going Blind Lose Their Blue Color Vision First?, Mariana Ferraz Apr 2015

Why Do Patients Who Are Going Blind Lose Their Blue Color Vision First?, Mariana Ferraz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a slowly progressive, inherited retinal degeneration affecting roughly 1 in 4000 people, typically resulting in a loss of peripheral and night vision, with most legally blind by age 40[1] . RP is characterized by the apoptosis of retinal rods and cones (photoreceptors). Cones are responsible for central and color vision, while rods provide peripheral and nighttime vision. Over 20 years ago, it was reported that some RP patients initially lose short wavelength cones (i.e., s-cones for blueviolet colors; e.g., imagine a world in which shades of blue look grey), but no further research on this …


Wildfires, Fireworks, And Air Quality: Episodic Events With Impactful Consequences, Aarabhi Rajagopal Apr 2015

Wildfires, Fireworks, And Air Quality: Episodic Events With Impactful Consequences, Aarabhi Rajagopal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study aims to identify and quantify the impact of episodic pollution sources, in particular fireworks and wildfire, on the air quality and public health in South Florida. Specifically, two case studies demonstrated the critical impact of episodic events on the regional air quality with long-range and/or regional transport of air parcels. In May 2007, the infamous Bugaboo Scrub Fire at the Florida-Georgia border generated a substantial amount of smoke, significantly increasing the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM 2.5). Detailed meteorological analyses, such as NOAA’s HYSPLIT trajectory modeling, showed that certain wind conditions carried the smoke plume over 400 …


Women Of The 1950s: American Housewives And The Outrageous Expectations, Jordyn Hughes Apr 2015

Women Of The 1950s: American Housewives And The Outrageous Expectations, Jordyn Hughes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The 1950’s was a time when companies took advantage of the sexist and domesticated view that society had on women, they began aiming their advertisements at women and how products would help them please their husbands. These advertisements made people believe they would not be happy or comfortable without the product shown.


A Guide To Exoplanets: Observed Properties, Classification, And Habitability Of Alien Worlds, Rosario Echeguren Apr 2015

A Guide To Exoplanets: Observed Properties, Classification, And Habitability Of Alien Worlds, Rosario Echeguren

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We present a study of exoplanets. Exoplanets are planets orbiting not our sun but other host stars. The thousands of known exoplanets are extremely diverse in terms of mass, orbit, and host-star type. This study will examine the physical properties of exoplanets and their characterization, as well as exoplanetary habitability through the lens of the emerging discipline of astrobiology. The goal of this study is to create a guidebook, which will act as a unique and engaging reference guide for future space travelers.


Attractiveness Perception And The Influence Of Mate Availability, Ashley Stelmaszek, Mariah Chadukiewicz Apr 2015

Attractiveness Perception And The Influence Of Mate Availability, Ashley Stelmaszek, Mariah Chadukiewicz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Psychological studies on the perception of facial attractiveness have shown that attractiveness perception can be influenced by nonphysical factors, such as relationship status and limited or plentiful availability in the mating pool (Kniffin, K; Wilson, D, 2004), (Madey, 1996). The focus of the present study is to examine perception of physical attractiveness when presented with a manipulated verbal cue that gives an illusion of either a limited or plentiful population of mates. We want to determine if the participants will adjust their perceptions of physical attractiveness when it is implied that there is a limited selection of mates. We hypothesize …


Changes In Population Densities Of Porties Sverdrupi, An Endemic Coral Of The Sw Gulf Of California, Stephan J. Robson Apr 2015

Changes In Population Densities Of Porties Sverdrupi, An Endemic Coral Of The Sw Gulf Of California, Stephan J. Robson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

At Isla Catalana in the SW Gulf of California, Mexico an endemic coral species Porites sverdrupi lives unattached within rhodolith beds. Very little biological and ecological information is known about this species. Where previously described, Porites sverdrupi was found as widely scattered colonies in very low densities (0.0038%). Random walk quadrat sampling was done with a primarily monospecific aggregation of P. sverdrupi. Twenty five (½m x ½m) photo quadrats obtained in August 2014 were analyzed using CPCe software and compared to values in 40 quadrats from 2011. The number of colonies per square meter significantly increased from 54.7 in …


Source Memory Recognition After A Distractor Task, Rajeev Jaundoo Apr 2015

Source Memory Recognition After A Distractor Task, Rajeev Jaundoo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Without the language to describe the objects and events in the environment, is it more difficult to encode memories of those objects and events? Based on our previous research, we expected better memory for objects we have the language to label. Specifically, in our study we examined the relationship between language and source memory. First, participants were presented the names of novel animals to learn. Participants were then asked to draw some of the animals they just learned, along with some novel animals as well. This exposed the participants to novel stimuli, but without any language or labels to describe …