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Budding Brain, Kurshaad Cheenibas, Smit Patel, Adam Adbulhafid, Patrick Cao Apr 2011

Budding Brain, Kurshaad Cheenibas, Smit Patel, Adam Adbulhafid, Patrick Cao

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mathematics is used to illuminate the world around us by describing what we see through various models. Models can range from simple linear models of gravity and line weaver Burk to complex models such as models of storms. Simple models are easy to use but lack the accuracy in prediction that more complex model provide. The difference between this dynamic model and statistical model are descriptive while dynamic model are predictive. Descriptive model make sense of data and predictive model use the data you have to make prediction. This research seeks to uncover cross disciplinary nature of dynamic model and …

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A Regression Study Of The Relation Between Rocks And Fish Assemblages, Kaitlyn Brucker Apr 2011

A Regression Study Of The Relation Between Rocks And Fish Assemblages, Kaitlyn Brucker

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The objective of this study is to see if the amount of rock in a given transect is related to the fish that inhabited the area. A regression analysis is conducted to find the relation between the two variables, rocks and fish. Besides finding the model, the analysis includes the confidence interval for the coefficient s, residual plots, predicted intervals of the number of fish for selected values of the amount of the rock, and identifying outliers and influential points by looking at various statistics, such as RESIDUAL, STUDENTIZED RESIDUALS, COVRATIO, and DFFITS.

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A Perfect Day, Juan Sebastian Gallo Apr 2011

A Perfect Day, Juan Sebastian Gallo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Perfect Day” is a short film about a normal day in an average American office. Will hates his job and goes through the motions painstakingly. However, a comical incident that seems to threaten the office gives him the chance to break out of the norm and find his individuality. The film is directed by Juan S. Gallo. Other crew members and actors include Lyle Howe, Kevin L. Alvarez, and Marc Pulido.

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A Tale Of African Dust: Cross-Oceanic Transport And Climatic Impact, Calista Ming Apr 2011

A Tale Of African Dust: Cross-Oceanic Transport And Climatic Impact, Calista Ming

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Aerosols are believed to partially counteract greenhouse warming effects and can also cause harm to human health, although the detailed mechanisms are not fully understood. A major reason for this is the lack of knowledge of the composition, origin and evolution of these aerosols. In order to better understand these issues, field research was carried out at Ragged Point, Barbados, during the summer of 2010. The sampling site is the eastern most point in the Caribbean region and the first land contact for dust aerosols that originate in Africa and travel transatlantic to the Caribbean and Floridian regions. Aerosol samples …

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Adhesion Of Transferrin To Tisifilcon A Contact Lenses, Darshan Solanki, Stephanie Brinon Apr 2011

Adhesion Of Transferrin To Tisifilcon A Contact Lenses, Darshan Solanki, Stephanie Brinon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Tear proteins are known to deposit differently on contact lenses of different materials, causing lens wearer comfort to be compromised. We examined the adhesion of transferrin to contact lenses made of tisifilcon A, a rigid gas-permeable silicone hydrogel (FDA Group III). Lenses were incubated 2.0 mg/ml solutions of human holo-transferrin for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days, and protein adhesion was determined by bicinchoninic acid assay. Transferrin adhesion increased from day 0 to day 3 and then dropped after days 4 and 5. This pattern resembled transferrin adhesion to lenses made of polymacon (FDA Group I), alphafilcon (FDA Group …

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A Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis Model: Spiraling Out Of Control, Rajeswari Murugan Apr 2011

A Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis Model: Spiraling Out Of Control, Rajeswari Murugan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Arrhythmic Sudden Cardiac death accounts for up to 5 million cases per year across the world. Cardiac arrhythmia is an abnormal activity in the heart that can lead to sudden cardiac death resulting from ventricular fibrillation. The electrocardiogram (ECG) reading during an arrhythmia indicates rapid contractions of the heart. This phenomenon is due to the development of a re-entrant circuit of electrical activity that repetitively stimulates the heart. The heart presents a spatio-temporal complex system, where the tissue biophysics and structure leads to reaction diffusion type models. These models portray the re-entrant wave patterns observed during arrhythmia. Fibrillation is characterized …

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The Study Of Lagenidium Giganteum Crinkler Genes, Alexa Vyain, Tulsi Patel Apr 2011

The Study Of Lagenidium Giganteum Crinkler Genes, Alexa Vyain, Tulsi Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lagenidium giganteum is an entomopathogenic oomycete that is known to infect and kill the larvae of mosquitoes. Due to this characteristic, the organism has been deemed a potential alternative to chemical insecticides. This information is significant when the world issue of mosquito control is considered. The human death toll now reaches one million per year by mosquito-borne diseases, and the research on potential alternatives to chemical insecticides is quite minimal. Only seven L. giganteum protein-coding gene sequences have been reported to date, and the objective of this project is to accelerate the gene research of L. giganteum and identify the …

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Tmnt: Dynamic Models Of Cancer And Hiv, Christina Gobin, Emily Nguyen, Fayssa Salomon, Arash Nasajpour Apr 2011

Tmnt: Dynamic Models Of Cancer And Hiv, Christina Gobin, Emily Nguyen, Fayssa Salomon, Arash Nasajpour

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Differential equations are used to build dynamic mathematical models for systems and nonlinear phenomena, which dynamically change with time. Ordinary differential equations describe a relation that contains functions of only one independent variable, and one or more of their derivatives with respect to that variable. Applications of those models are found in biological systems. In one study, homogeneous mathematical models are used to describe the interactions between cancerous cells and the immune system. Modeling using differential equations will allow better understanding of the behavior and spreading of those malignant cells. The models will investigate the dynamics of populations of cancer …

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The Impact Of Psychological Stress On An Acute Stress Challenge: An Investigation Into Biochemical, Social And Personality Correlates, Tatiana Viena, Isabelle Barbu Apr 2011

The Impact Of Psychological Stress On An Acute Stress Challenge: An Investigation Into Biochemical, Social And Personality Correlates, Tatiana Viena, Isabelle Barbu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Stress exposure activates a variety of physiological coping systems. While acute stress responses are considered important for healthy coping, overexposure to stress results in an alteration of the functioning of the stress (HPA) axis, leading to a variety of deleterious psychological and physiological effects. For that reason, understanding and explaining these mechanisms is essential. Here, we sought to determine whether chronic psychological (examination) stress would result in a decreased ability to mount an acute stress and immune response. We also assessed locus of control and social support measures. Thirty subjects participated in 2 sessions (baseline and examination week) in which …

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The Effects Of Traditional Weight Training Versus Crossfit On Various Measures Of Physical Performance: A Case Report In A 25 Year Old Healthy And Fit Female, Inna Dumova Apr 2011

The Effects Of Traditional Weight Training Versus Crossfit On Various Measures Of Physical Performance: A Case Report In A 25 Year Old Healthy And Fit Female, Inna Dumova

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this case study was to determine the effects of the CrossFit Workout versus Traditional Weight Training on various performance indices. During the 4-week experimental periods for each of the workouts, the subject consumed a standard Mediterranean diet. Each workout was conducted 3 times per week during those 4 weeks. No pre-workout stimulants were used in either of the workout regimens. Tests were done at the end of the experimental periods to determine the effects each workout had on strength and performance, which were compared to the pre-workout “control” data. Significant changes were found in the vertical jump …

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The Effects Of Sugar Substitutes On Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Hannah Bromberg Apr 2011

The Effects Of Sugar Substitutes On Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Hannah Bromberg

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sugar substitutes are marketed as being healthier than sucrose (table sugar). Within this experiment, information about how table sugar and three different sugar substitutes, Splenda (sucralose-based), Truvia (stevia-based), and Equal (aspartame-based), affect gene expression in yeast was examined. Since the genomes of yeast and humans are approximately 30% similar, the specific genes selected for analysis in yeast overlapped with genes that are expressed in humans. Thus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast) was used as a model eukaryotic organism in order to examine the effects of sugar substitute exposure on gene expression. The yeast was grown under four different conditions: 1) A …

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The Effects Of An Unrestricted High-Protein/High-Fat Diet Plus Exercise On Body Composition: A Case Report, Diana Mantilla Apr 2011

The Effects Of An Unrestricted High-Protein/High-Fat Diet Plus Exercise On Body Composition: A Case Report, Diana Mantilla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this independent study is to demonstrate the effects of exercise, diet and dietary supplementation on body composition and various indices of performance and health using a case study model. The exercise regimen consisted of heavy resistance training in combination with various aerobic exercises. The training program will follow a periodized scheme such that the volume and intensity of the exercise will be altered throughout the 8-week intervention period. Furthermore, the alterations in diet will involve an isocaloric replacement of carbohydrate with protein and fat. No change in caloric intake will occur. Various dietary supplements such as whey …

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The Effect Of Water Temperature On Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Abundance In Port Everglades, Brittany Lape Apr 2011

The Effect Of Water Temperature On Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) Abundance In Port Everglades, Brittany Lape

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Port Everglades, located near Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center, is a wintering area for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), because it is a warm-water habitat. This study used data that were collected on trips through the Port, which was then examined with the following criteria for comparison: past water temperature versus current water temperature, past surveyed manatee numbers versus current manatees surveyed, and water temperature versus manatees surveyed. These comparisons were examined to illustrate any climate change trends that have occurred, as well as how those have affected the manatees in Port Everglades. These data were then …

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The Effectiveness Of Various Pesticides On Aphid Infestations, Saamia Shaikh, Darshan Solanki Apr 2011

The Effectiveness Of Various Pesticides On Aphid Infestations, Saamia Shaikh, Darshan Solanki

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The main goal of this research was to examine the effectiveness of various pesticides on aphid infestations found on landscape and garden plants. Aphids, also known as plant lice, are small (~5 mm) sap-sucking insects in family Aphidoidea commonly observed in home landscapes and gardens, as well as in many agricultural areas. They are some of the most destructive insects on cultivated plants and control of these pests usually requires pesticide treatments. The three most common types are organic, synthetic, and soap pesticides. We chose three commonly sold varieties at a local home improvement warehouse to use for during this …

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The Effects Of An Ad Libitum High Protein-High Fat Diet On Body Composition And Health, Catalina Rodriguez Apr 2011

The Effects Of An Ad Libitum High Protein-High Fat Diet On Body Composition And Health, Catalina Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of a high-protein high-fat diet on an inactive 21-year-old female student during two 30-day experimental periods; there was no exercise intervention.. For the first 30 days of the study, a 47% carbohydrate, 23% protein, and 29% fat diet was followed and approximately 1573 calories were consumed. During the second experimental period of 30 days, the subject consumed a higher-protein/higher-fat diet that consisted of 24% carbohydrate, 29% protein, and 48% fat diet. Approximately 1719 calories were consumed daily. A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel and Lipid Panel blood test was obtained at the …

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Standardization Of A Technique For Quantification Of Glutathione Concentration In Human White Blood Cells: A Biomarker For Autism?, Luis Puchi, Reina Miranda Apr 2011

Standardization Of A Technique For Quantification Of Glutathione Concentration In Human White Blood Cells: A Biomarker For Autism?, Luis Puchi, Reina Miranda

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Glutathione is an unusual tripeptide ubiquitous in scientific literature for its antioxidant capacity and its relevance as an indicator of oxidative stress. Glutathione’s role within cellular homeostasis is well documented, but the entirety of glutathione’s biochemical role within the human body remains fervently researched. Deficiencies in glutathione have been linked to patients suffering from a wide spectrum of disorders including, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and autism (Pastore, Federici, Bertini, & Piemonte, 2003). Much of the research on glutathione centers on the relationship between the reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) versions of the tripeptide. Fluctuations which lower the ratio of GSH to …

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Survey Of Fish Landings In Broward County: Preliminary Results, Jennifer Anders, Kaitlin De'aeth Apr 2011

Survey Of Fish Landings In Broward County: Preliminary Results, Jennifer Anders, Kaitlin De'aeth

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Each year thousands of recreational saltwater fishers are drawn to South Florida. Statewide regulations exist to monitor the sport and its associated landings. However, these laws may not be enough to protect local populations. Many of the commonly overfished species in Florida, specifically the snapper and grouper species, are targeted and caught by recreational fishers. To examine the current state of fishing activities in Broward County a questionnaire was created and recreational fishers were asked to participate anonymously. The purpose of the questionnaire is to provide baseline information on targeted species and landings off the coast of Broward County, as …

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Synthesis Of Porous Organic Materials For Gas Storage Media, Reena Parikh Apr 2011

Synthesis Of Porous Organic Materials For Gas Storage Media, Reena Parikh

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to help synthesize porous organic materials as possible gas storage media. Moreover, experimentation and chemical reactions will assist in finding and producing products that will be porous. Their porous nature will enable them to hold a certain volume of gas or act as agents for drug delivery. Earlier research involved a reaction to place an extra ring on the compound NBAIICuOAc. This molecule has two benzene rings, of which have shown to hold a trace amount of methane gas after DMF and H2O have been removed from it. It has been hypothesized …

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Singles View Other Singles As Sexy: The Influence Of Relationship Status On Judgments Of Attractiveness, Jenna Wells Apr 2011

Singles View Other Singles As Sexy: The Influence Of Relationship Status On Judgments Of Attractiveness, Jenna Wells

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Previous studies on whether people find single or non-single opposite-sex targets more attractive are inconsistent (e.g., O’Hagen et al., 2003; Bressan & Stranieri, 2008; Uller & Johansson, 2003); these effects may vary according to social and hormonal factors (e.g., Gangestad et al., 2004). We propose that participants’ own relationship status may influence their judgments of the attractiveness of single and non-single people. In the present study, 43 participants each rated the attractiveness of ten “profiles,” using a between-participants design. Each profile consisted of a photograph and short personal description of a young opposite-sex adult. Half the profiles were depicted as …

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Crystalline Metal-Organic Frameworks Drug Transfer, James M. Brandes Apr 2011

Crystalline Metal-Organic Frameworks Drug Transfer, James M. Brandes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A relatively new type of chemical compound is finding application in such areas as gas storage, and drug delivery. Metal-organic frameworks, or MOF’s, are rigid structures with large cavities which other molecules can occupy for later release and use. We are studying the properties of new MOF’s based on copper and organic molecules known as BAII’s. In at least one case it has been demonstrated that these frameworks are capable of adsorbing, and later desorbing, host molecules. This makes them candidates for drug delivery and gas storage. The synthesis, characterization and adsorption properties of one framework will be discussed. A …

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Music Production: Behind The Scenes, Michael Navarrete Apr 2011

Music Production: Behind The Scenes, Michael Navarrete

Undergraduate Student Symposium

"Music Production: Behind the Scenes" is a short documentary film about the different steps needed to create a salsa song production, culminating in a demonstration of the finished salsa song production. The film is directed and narrated by Michael Navarrete.

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Peace Through Hostility: The Beats' Call For Equality Through Aggressive Poetic Imagery, Dan Abella Apr 2011

Peace Through Hostility: The Beats' Call For Equality Through Aggressive Poetic Imagery, Dan Abella

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper focuses on the poetic techniques of two Beat poets, Lenore Kandel and Allen Ginsberg, whose impressionistic, caustic poetry is in some ways representative of the entire Beat movement. Kandel's poems ring with overt sexual overtones, seemingly unconcerned with respect to morality or grace, invoking instead shocking and disturbing images. In her poetry is an intrepid protest of violence and conformity through the paradoxical use of violent description. Like the other Beat poets, she often refused to compromise in either structure or content, adopting a flowing, free-verse form. Allen Ginsberg's poetry employs the same modes: free verse, shocking context, …

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Myh16 Masticatory Gene Mutation Correlates With The Evolution Of Human Morphological Cranial Capacity, Renee Michelle Potens Apr 2011

Myh16 Masticatory Gene Mutation Correlates With The Evolution Of Human Morphological Cranial Capacity, Renee Michelle Potens

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In the late Miocene, Homo sapiens encephalization accelerated simultaneously with an anatomic craniofacial transformation, associated with a shift towards a gracilization pattern of diet. Hansell H. Stedman has discovered a deleterious masticatory gene mutation responsible for jaw muscle development that is found in all modern human populations. This gene is functionally conserved in all non-human primates such as chimpanzees and extinct Hominidae species such as Australopithecus and Paranthropus, and is only found in its mutated, non-functional state in humans. The myosin heavy chain (MYH16) inactivation occurred after the divergence of the phylogenic lineages leading to humans and …

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Nonlinear Analysis Of Phosphorus Levels In Lake Okeechobee And Proposals Of Solutions, Lacrima Nemulescu Apr 2011

Nonlinear Analysis Of Phosphorus Levels In Lake Okeechobee And Proposals Of Solutions, Lacrima Nemulescu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The research was designed to analyze the phosphorus levels in Lake Okeechobee and the consequences related to the introduction of supplemental nutrients in an oligotrophic ecosystem. The eutrophication of a fresh water habitat has the potential of negatively impacting the underwater species, as well as the predators that depend on these organisms to obtain their nutrition. An increase in the amount of phosphorus has portrayed a positive correlation with the stimulation of plant growth. The most detrimental consequences are associated to algal overgrowth, which causes the oxygen levels inside the water to decrease and therefore deplete the sub aquatic environment …

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Mobile Operating Systems, Adenji Baker, Enrique Lifshitz Apr 2011

Mobile Operating Systems, Adenji Baker, Enrique Lifshitz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Over the last decade, there has been a proliferation on mobile computers. Last year, more than 67 million smart phones were sold in the United States. Not all mobile computers are the same; these devices, have different hardware and operating systems. Each different mobile device and operating system has unique features and is targeted to a distinct demographic. For example, Blackberry devices are marketed as the business smartphone, on the other hand, the numerous amount of applications available for the iPhone make this device a favorite among the average youth.

Mobile operating systems are often compared by its features and …

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The Occurrence Of Helicosporidium In Freshwater Bodies In South Florida, Jhanelle Dawes Apr 2011

The Occurrence Of Helicosporidium In Freshwater Bodies In South Florida, Jhanelle Dawes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Helicosporidium is a mosquito pathogen found in most South Florida water ecosystems. It is composed of four cells and related to green algae but is non- photosynthetic. It has been proven to be a vector control agent and has therefore shown the potential to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases. However, barely any biogeographical and ecological data regarding Helicosporidium exists. In order to determine the occurrence of Helicosporidium in environmental freshwater samples, water samples were collected from a local south Florida natural freshwater body. The metagenomic DNA extraction and specific amplification of Helicosporidium 18S rDNA genes using Polymerase Chain Reaction were then performed …

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The Influence Of Emotional Stimuli On Attention Sharing In A Dual Modality Erp Paradigm: Effects Of Varying Interstimulus Intervals, Amanda Lynch Apr 2011

The Influence Of Emotional Stimuli On Attention Sharing In A Dual Modality Erp Paradigm: Effects Of Varying Interstimulus Intervals, Amanda Lynch

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A large and growing body of evidence demonstrates that attention is preferentially allocated to stimuli with emotional content. Emotionally negative stimuli serve as a mechanism of biological preparedness to enhance attention. In agreement with this idea, previous studies looking at the influence of emotional pictures on tone processing showed that the ERP measures of cognition was reduced when participants were exposed to an emotional picture with intermittent auditory startle probes We hypothesized that if an auditory oddball (attention capturing) stimulus was placed in the same perceptual time frame as a preceding emotional picture, the auditory stimulus would then share attention …

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Validation Of An Alternative Microbiological Method For Nutritional Supplements And Over-The- Counter Drugs, William Oliver Apr 2011

Validation Of An Alternative Microbiological Method For Nutritional Supplements And Over-The- Counter Drugs, William Oliver

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project is focused on determining the efficacy of the alternative microbiological plate counting method, the 3M Petri-Film plate reading device. The 3M plate reader device is used for high volume microbial enumeration of food products in large food manufacturing facilities. This device claims to increase operator speed by 3 times providing considerable cost savings to companies performing 100+ microbiological tests daily. This study was conducted to validate this device for use in tablet, capsule, liquid, semi-solid dosage forms, cleaning validations, and water sample testing. With this project we were compared plate counts on the Petri film device to plate …

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Total Synthesis Of Functionalized Acenes, Sose Tokatlian Apr 2011

Total Synthesis Of Functionalized Acenes, Sose Tokatlian

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This research project is focused on the total synthesis of three different acene dinitriles. With the understanding that syntheses of such acenes are affected by chemoselectivity, it is imperative that proper protocol be followed in order to produce the desired acenes in a favorable and useful yield. By means of Wittig reactions, condensation and reduction reactions the final product will be formed. Acene-2,3- dicarbaldehyde is utilized as a starting compound undergoing a Witting reaction and a consecutive Aldol reaction to produce a second ring with diester functionalities. Following reduction to a dialdehyde a modified Wittig reaction and consecutive Aldol reaction …

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The Relationship Between Number Of Facebook Friends And Self-Esteem, Kelsey Cortez, Jerilyn De Los Rios, Keren Moros, Veronica Quintanilla Apr 2011

The Relationship Between Number Of Facebook Friends And Self-Esteem, Kelsey Cortez, Jerilyn De Los Rios, Keren Moros, Veronica Quintanilla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Previous studies have identified relationships between social networking sites (SNSs) and the variables of its users such as age, gender and personality type. The growing popularity of SNSs has prompted the initiation of the current study which seeks to identify if a relationship exists between a Facebook user’s number of online friends and his/her level of self-esteem. A Facebook Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R) will be administered to a sample of students and adults ages 13 to 55.

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