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Development Of A Sox9 Reporter Cell For High-Throughput Chondrogenic Assessment, Alyssa R. Mickle Jan 2020

Development Of A Sox9 Reporter Cell For High-Throughput Chondrogenic Assessment, Alyssa R. Mickle

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease caused by the deterioration of articular cartilage and is a leading cause of disability in the United States and worldwide. Much current research into improved treatment for this disease is focused on tissue engineering through the growth of cartilage sheets made by articular chondrocytes. However, as chondrocytes proliferate in vitro, they also lose their ability to produce dense extracellular matrix, a necessary component of articular cartilage conferring mechanical strength. SOX9, a transcriptional activator, increases type II collagen expression, a key articular cartilage extracellular matrix component. Thus, SOX9 promotes an articular cartilage phenotype. Therefore, …


Synthesis Of Polyacrylic Acid - Dopamine Nanoparticles As Radical Scavengers For Antioxidant Applications, Russell D. Cox Jan 2020

Synthesis Of Polyacrylic Acid - Dopamine Nanoparticles As Radical Scavengers For Antioxidant Applications, Russell D. Cox

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The antioxidant activity of novel drugs has been of increasing interest in recent years. Free radicals are linked as a cause to many diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer,1 so development of drugs that can scavenge and break down free radicals is needed. One such potential solution is using dopamine, which is water-soluble and an antioxidant. However, the tendency of antioxidant drugs reacting undesirably with proteins and other biochemical compounds is a big issue for the drugs' antioxidant potential. One solution is by encapsulating the antioxidant compound in biocompatible polymer nanoparticles. In this project, dopamine is bound to the polymer …


Physical Activity Moderates The Relationship Between Apoe4 Status And Working Memory: The Health And Retirement Study, Dalia T. El-Shafie Jan 2020

Physical Activity Moderates The Relationship Between Apoe4 Status And Working Memory: The Health And Retirement Study, Dalia T. El-Shafie

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between physical activity and working memory decline among older adults with APOE4 status. The APOE4 allele is currently the strongest predictor of risk for Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias. The publicly available data from the Health and Retirement Study was used to complete this Retrospective Longitudinal study. Three hypotheses were explored. H₁: It is expected that the presence of the APOE4 allele will be associated with worse overall working memory performance and a steeper rate of decline in working memory over time. H₂: Meanwhile, it is expected that participants …


Sensing Symbiosis: Investigating The Symbiotic Magnetic Sensing Hypothesis In Fish Using Genomics, Elizabeth Boggs Jan 2020

Sensing Symbiosis: Investigating The Symbiotic Magnetic Sensing Hypothesis In Fish Using Genomics, Elizabeth Boggs

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The mechanism behind magnetoreception – the ability to sense magnetic fields for orientation and navigation – still remains one of the most difficult questions to answer in sensory biology, with fish being just one of many taxa known to possess this sense. Characterizing a magnetic sense in fish is crucial for understanding how they navigate their environment and can inform on how increasing anthropogenic sources of electromagnetic fields in aquatic environments may affect threatened fish species. This study examined the hypothesis put forth by Natan and Vortman (2017) that magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), bacteria that create their own chains of magnetic …


Role Of Polyploidy In Leaf Functional Trait Evolution Across Wild Helianthus, Anestacia S. Robinson Jan 2020

Role Of Polyploidy In Leaf Functional Trait Evolution Across Wild Helianthus, Anestacia S. Robinson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Whole genome duplication, or polyploidy, is a common process in plants by which failures in meiosis or fertilization result in offspring with twice the number of chromosomes. This doubles the number of copies of every gene, an effect thought to generate new ‘raw material' upon which natural selection can act. Few studies exist examining the consequences of polyploidy for plant physiological traits. Doubling the number of gene copies may have unknown effects on leaf structure and function. In this study, I compare diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid species within the genus Helianthus (wild sunflowers). Forty different accessions of wild sunflowers were …


"The Milk Is Love": Understanding Mothers' Emotional Attachment To Breastmilk, Chandel M. Perez Jan 2020

"The Milk Is Love": Understanding Mothers' Emotional Attachment To Breastmilk, Chandel M. Perez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mothers are known to have an emotional attachment to their infant; however, some mothers also experience an emotional attachment to their own milk. Exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary solids are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. Some mothers produce enough surplus milk to donate to a human milk bank. This thesis considers the emotional attachment to milk experienced by women who donate milk to a milk bank. This research is based on participant observation in a human milk bank in Florida and interviews collected …


Social Stigma, Public Health, And Addiction In Albania, Ediola Malkouari Jan 2020

Social Stigma, Public Health, And Addiction In Albania, Ediola Malkouari

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Drug use is considered in many countries the plague of today's society. Researchers from medical, psychological and sociological fields, as well as lawmakers, are interested in finding more answers to this widespread phenomenon. All over the world there are known conflicts related to drug producing, transportation routes and distribution, that harm the economy and social standing of the involved communities or countries. Policies towards drug use vary from country to country, but this research focuses on how stigma affects the lives of individuals suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) in Albania. Substance use disorder is not often considered a disease, …


Understanding Aggressive Driving Behavior: The Role Of Personality And Individual Differences, Enilda M. Velazquez Jan 2020

Understanding Aggressive Driving Behavior: The Role Of Personality And Individual Differences, Enilda M. Velazquez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

According to recent reports, 56 percent of total vehicular accident deaths were related to aggressive driving. Previous research on aggressive driving was related to cognitive failures, sex differences, individual driving habits, and to a lesser extent, personality. Personality focused aggressive driving research has not produced a consensus on the predictive nature of personality traits on the propensity to engage in aggressive driving. However, a lack of consensus on personality's role in aggressive driving warrants further empirical examination into the relationship between personality and aggressive driving. Similarly, the impact of individual differences on aggressive driving behavior cannot be ignored; the role …


Effects Of Death Anxiety On Learning Performance, Umaima Haseeb Jan 2020

Effects Of Death Anxiety On Learning Performance, Umaima Haseeb

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study examines whether or not a person's anxiety level might be linked to their learning performance. Many studies in the past have examined math and test anxiety, but the present study will examine the effects of death anxiety on learning performance. Individual's anxiety will attempt to be induced through fear of death. Participants were presented a set of four symptoms, similar to Gluck and Bower's 1988 category learning study. The participants were asked whether or not they think the symptoms of the patient are positive for COVID-19 or positive for the flu. The hypothesis was that there would …


Detection Of Point Mutations Conferring Gentamicin Resistance In Escherichia Coli Using A Split-G4 Probe, Michael J. Greenberg Jan 2020

Detection Of Point Mutations Conferring Gentamicin Resistance In Escherichia Coli Using A Split-G4 Probe, Michael J. Greenberg

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The objective of this project was to develop a DNA hybridization sensor that can detect the presence of E. coli and reveal its resistance to the drug gentamicin. This probe will enable rapid and user-friendly diagnostics of E. coli infections and analysis of bacterial gentamicin-susceptibility profile by interrogation of a fragment of E. coli 16S rRNA bearing a substitution in the gentamicin-resistant cells. The sensor is promising for the point-of-care use to provide a timely UTI diagnostic solution. A quick diagnosis of E. coli infection and antibiotic resistance is crucial for treatment. To design a hybridization probe, we proposed a …


Nanopore-Based Metagenomic Comparison Of Airway Colonizers Between Cystic Fibrosis Patients And Healthy Individuals, Anita Samadabadi Jan 2020

Nanopore-Based Metagenomic Comparison Of Airway Colonizers Between Cystic Fibrosis Patients And Healthy Individuals, Anita Samadabadi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder involving a mutation in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR), which causes dysfunctional transport of chloride ions across cell membranes. CF affects multiple body systems and a few of its symptoms include chronic cough, difficulty breathing, obstructive airway disease, bacterial pulmonary infections, maldigestion, malabsorption, pancreatitis, and male infertility. Until recently, treatment options have been limited to alleviating symptoms, but a new classification of drugs, CFTR modulators, provide an opportunity to slow the progression of the disease and improve clinical outcomes. The effect of CFTR modulators may be attributed to the …


Systematic Literature Review Of Cognitive Behavioral Treatments For Patients With Classical, Secondary, And Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia, Linnea B. Herzog Jan 2020

Systematic Literature Review Of Cognitive Behavioral Treatments For Patients With Classical, Secondary, And Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia, Linnea B. Herzog

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful neuralgia with a complicated pathology that is not clearly understood. Due to the ambiguity of the condition, patients often have to search for medical providers that specialize in trigeminal neuralgia, and even with the guidance of a specialist, some patients do not respond well to treatment.1 Despite the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the disease, there are treatments available that can provide some level of pain relief for patients suffering from this disorder. When a patient does not respond well to medical therapy, surgery can be the next appropriate step in patient care management. …


Factors Related To Physical Education Course Enrollment At The Community College Level, Jennifer Katz Jan 2020

Factors Related To Physical Education Course Enrollment At The Community College Level, Jennifer Katz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study was designed to evaluate the factors related to Physical Education course enrollment at a predominately two-year state college operating under a community college model in the state of Florida as it pertains to enrollment declines in electives focused on health and wellness. The mixed-methods study included a survey of current students at the college (n =177) perceptions and reasons for enrolling in physical education classes. Further, a historical data analysis (n = 87,399) of students' institutional records was conducted to investigate the relationship between student success and physical education. Groups included those who took physical education courses and …


Understanding The Role Of Social Networks In Influencing Adult's Participations In Physical Activity In Unequal Physical And Social Environment, Ting Du Jan 2020

Understanding The Role Of Social Networks In Influencing Adult's Participations In Physical Activity In Unequal Physical And Social Environment, Ting Du

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Physical inactivity has become a public health crisis which can be the trigger to many other chronic diseases. Participation in physical activity is correlated with a variety of factors at multiple levels, including individual physical and psychological health, interpersonal social support, and community physical and social environments. Previous studies found that individuals' social networks influenced health behaviors, including physical activity. However, it remains unclear how social networks at different life stages affect adult engagement in physical activity among different socio-demographic groups. Built upon a theoretical framework which integrates the social-ecological model, social cognitive theory and social network theory, this study …


Ultra-Low Power Circuits And Architectures For Neuromorphic Computing Accelerators With Emerging Tfets And Rerams, Jie Lin Jan 2020

Ultra-Low Power Circuits And Architectures For Neuromorphic Computing Accelerators With Emerging Tfets And Rerams, Jie Lin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Neuromorphic computing using post-CMOS technologies is gaining increasing popularity due to its promising potential to resolve the power constraints in Von-Neumann machine and its similarity to the operation of the real human brain. To design the ultra-low voltage and ultra-low power analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for the neuromorphic computing systems, we explore advantages of tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) on energy efficiency and temperature stability. A fully-differential SAR ADC is designed using 20 nm TFET technology with doubled input swing and controlled comparator input common-mode voltage. To further increase the resolution of the ADC, we design an energy …


Characterization Of Left Ventricular Volumes And Ejection Fraction In Patients With A Left Ventricular Assist Device, Viswajith Siruvallur Vasudevan Jan 2020

Characterization Of Left Ventricular Volumes And Ejection Fraction In Patients With A Left Ventricular Assist Device, Viswajith Siruvallur Vasudevan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In the treatment of heart patients, as a bridge to recovery, the challenge currently in using a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD), is to provide a method to monitor the recovery of the heart. This dissertation addresses the hypothesis that continuous monitoring of the ejection fraction of a patient implanted with an LVAD should be to examine the progress of the patient without the need for excessive in vivo measurements. Also, the ejection fraction can be used to provide a control mechanism for the pump depending on the requirements of each patient. In this dissertation, the left ventricle, in …


Cell Encapsulation In Microfluidic Channels, Mohammad Nooranidoost Jan 2020

Cell Encapsulation In Microfluidic Channels, Mohammad Nooranidoost

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Droplet Microfluidics can be utilized to control the production of single droplets and double emulsions in biomedical application. This dissertation analyzes the droplet formation in hydrophobic and hydrophilic microchannels, encapsulation of cells in flow-focusing channels, and deformation of cell-laden droplets in constricted microcapillaries. The formation of droplets is studied in hydrophobic and hydrophilic channels in order to investigate the role of contact angle on flow structures and droplet generation patterns. In the hydrophobic case, stable and well-structured droplet and slug generation is achieved. However, the flow structure in the hydrophilic case significantly depends on contact angles of the walls. A …


Classical Engineering Systems Provide Behavioral Analog For Ephemeral Insect And Plant Biomechanics, Nicholas Smith Jan 2020

Classical Engineering Systems Provide Behavioral Analog For Ephemeral Insect And Plant Biomechanics, Nicholas Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this dissertation we consider ephemeral behaviors of two small-scale living systems, mosquitoes and citrus fruit reservoirs. While these two systems share few obvious commonalities, they both express life events that are complex and conclude within approximately 50 milliseconds. We utilize high-speed videography, between 1,000-16,000 fps, to detail how complex behavior can be modeled as classical engineering systems. Beginning with the larger organism we assessed the landing and takeoff behavior of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to ascertain the secrets of their covert interaction with humans. At takeoff, mosquitoes decrease pushing contact time with substrates of low friction through a modified takeoff …


Death In The Land Of Flowers: Environment As Enemy In The Second Seminole War, Nicholas Brown Jan 2020

Death In The Land Of Flowers: Environment As Enemy In The Second Seminole War, Nicholas Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis argues that Florida's natural environment was one of the United States Army's most formidable enemies during the Second Seminole War (1835–42), and that environmental factors, more than hostilities from Native peoples themselves, led the United States to abandon the War. Many White soldiers from the North were unprepared to cope with the environmental challenges posed by Florida. In order to build a foundation for this argument, the thesis examines how previous newcomers to Florida dealt with the environment, from the original First Peoples who arrived several thousand years ago, to European explorer/colonizers, to White Americans in the decades …


Social Justice, Inclusive Education, And Teacher Agency, Jennifer Sanguiliano Lonski Jan 2020

Social Justice, Inclusive Education, And Teacher Agency, Jennifer Sanguiliano Lonski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Public school education in the United States has a long history of supporting societal norms within the curriculum and classroom. Through the use of social justice and inclusive education (SJIE), teachers have the unique ability to disrupt the social reproduction of inequity within their content and curriculum. In order to do this, teachers must first understand social justice and inclusive education (knowledge) and feel comfortable and confident implementing it within their classroom (agency). This study focuses on 13 public school teachers who attended a weeklong professional development program which focused on social justice, privilege, trauma-informed education, mindfulness, and inclusive education …


Evaluating The Performance And Impacts Of Seawater Regeneration In An Anion Exchange Process, Daniel Whalen Jan 2020

Evaluating The Performance And Impacts Of Seawater Regeneration In An Anion Exchange Process, Daniel Whalen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This research investigated the use of seawater regeneration for anion exchange (AIX) processes. Seawater and salt-supplemented seawater regeneration of chloride-form anion resin were evaluated in regard to (1) operational performance efficiency of sulfate and natural organic matter removal, (2) competing exchange of bromide during regeneration, and (3) brominated disinfection by-product (DBP) formation due to bromide leakage. The first component involved bench-scale research that revealed that seawater-based regeneration led to bromide leakage that could be mitigated to an average of 1.82 mg/L using 1% salt-supplemented seawater, and 1.25 mg/L using 3% salt-supplemented seawater. Conceptual cost comparisons revealed that the use of …


Atomic Scale Processes And Electronic Band Structure Engineering In Thin Layered Materials, Brandon Blue Jan 2020

Atomic Scale Processes And Electronic Band Structure Engineering In Thin Layered Materials, Brandon Blue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this work, a variety of layered materials are considered for their potential technologic applications and the role of structure on the physical properties of the material system as a whole. Transition metal dichalcogenides form the core of the work discussed here, with additional results from an iron pnictide-based superconductor and for a biologically-sourced proton conductor. Here, a commercial scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with liquid cryogenic cooling provides information about both the atomic-scale structure of the surface and the local electronic density of states (LDOS) as a function of position. The interplay of superconducting and charge-density wave states is discussed …


Meroitic Childhood Diet And Weaning At Sai Island, Sudan: A Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Study Of Site 8-B-52.B, Brenna Raisor Jan 2020

Meroitic Childhood Diet And Weaning At Sai Island, Sudan: A Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Study Of Site 8-B-52.B, Brenna Raisor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This research explores the diet and weaning patterns of non-adult individuals from an elite Meroitic (300 BCE – 350 CE) cemetery (8-B-52.B) at Sai Island, Sudan. This was accomplished by conducting stable isotopic analyses of carbon and nitrogen on a sample of 54 individuals. These analyses focused on differences in adult and non-adult diet, non-adult weaning patterns, and intra-elite differences between contemporaneous cemeteries at Sai Island in order to shed light on the patterns of non-adult diet and weaning and the mother-infant dynamic. The non-adult individuals range from 36 weeks gestational age to 16.5 years of age, and the adult …


The Effects Of Plant Phytochemistry On Parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Niche Breadth, Ryan Ridenbaugh Jan 2020

The Effects Of Plant Phytochemistry On Parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Niche Breadth, Ryan Ridenbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The definition of a species, a fundamental unit of biology, has been debated since its inception. This level of classification is vital to our ability to make meaningful comparisons across all subdisciplines of biology. Cryptic species, those which are indistinguishable from another species using morphology alone, pose a unique problem. This is especially true for biological control programs, where the control of an invasive pest is achieved through the importation of a natural enemy or parasitoid from the pest's native range. The accidental importation of a cryptic species could have long lasting negative environmental effects. Molecular taxonomy provides a solution. …


(Main)Streaming Hate: Analyzing White Supremacist Content And Framing Devices On Youtube, Christopher Charles Jan 2020

(Main)Streaming Hate: Analyzing White Supremacist Content And Framing Devices On Youtube, Christopher Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The emboldening of white supremacist groups, as well as their increased mainstream presence in online circles, necessitates the creation of studies that dissect their tactics and rhetoric, while offering platform-specific insights. This study seeks to address these needs by analyzing white supremacist content and framing devices on the video hosting website, YouTube. Data were collected through a multi-stage sampling technique, designed to capture a 'snapshot' of white supremacist content on the platform during a 45-day period in 2019. After line-by-line coding and qualitative thematic analysis, results showed that sampled channels varied between different levels of color-blindness and overt racialization in …


Climatic And Topologic Controls On The Complexity Of River Networks, Sevil Ranjbar Moshfeghi Jan 2020

Climatic And Topologic Controls On The Complexity Of River Networks, Sevil Ranjbar Moshfeghi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The emergence and evolution of channel networks are controlled by the competition between the hillslopes and fluvial processes on the landscape. Investigating the geomorphic and topologic properties of these networks is important for developing predictive models describing the network dynamics under changing environment as well as for quantifying the roles of processes in creating distinct patterns of channel networks. In this dissertation, the response of landscapes to changing climatic forcing via numerical-modeling and field observations was investigated. A new framework was proposed to evaluate the complexity of catchments using two different representations of channel networks. The structural complexity was studied …


A Computational Biomechanical Model-Based Optimization Of Fulcrum Support In Orthosis Enabled Closed Reduction Of Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip, Christopher Rose Jan 2020

A Computational Biomechanical Model-Based Optimization Of Fulcrum Support In Orthosis Enabled Closed Reduction Of Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip, Christopher Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Hip abduction orthosis devices (HAOD) are used to reduce the hip joint of infants affected by developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). HAOD have been successful for mild cases of DDH and ineffective for severe cases. Efforts in understanding the biomechanics of lower limbs have been made to improve the success rate of current treatment methods, especially for Grade IV dislocations (G4). The aim of this dissertation is twofold: first, it proposes the use of a varying fulcrum point (FP) located below the leg to improve DDH treatment; and secondly, it defines the optimal FP (OP) location for a broad …


Gelsolin-Mediated Actin Filament Severing In Crowded Environments, James Heidings Jan 2020

Gelsolin-Mediated Actin Filament Severing In Crowded Environments, James Heidings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Actin is an essential cytoskeletal protein that plays key roles in several cellular functions such as phagocytosis and cell motility with the help of actin binding proteins (ABPs). Gelsolin is a calcium regulated ABP that severs and caps actin filaments. Gelsolin helps control actin filament assembly dynamics that are required for cell survival. Cleavage products of gelsolin lead to Familial Amyloidosis, Finnish type, and conformational changes to gelsolin are implicated in disease progression. The majority of in vitro studies of gelsolin and actin have been performed in dilute buffer conditions which do not simulate the molecular interactions occurring in the …


Sex, Gender, Sexual Assault, And Rape On The Red Pill: A Thematic And Linguistic Analysis, Walker Talton Jan 2020

Sex, Gender, Sexual Assault, And Rape On The Red Pill: A Thematic And Linguistic Analysis, Walker Talton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The digital space has offered fertile new territory to connect with like-minded individuals and discuss anything and everything. This has resulted in the creation of the Manosphere, a collection of men concerned about the state of men and masculinity and how society views and treats men. One of the places online this community has found a home is the popular website Reddit, which offers the ability to create individual pages in which communities can form around and discuss and share information on almost any topic they desire. This study aimed to investigate the ways in which one community on Reddit, …


Synthesis Of Ruthenium Bipyridine Conjugated Antibiotic For Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging And Spectroscopy Aided Tracking In Citrus, Ryan Parente Jan 2020

Synthesis Of Ruthenium Bipyridine Conjugated Antibiotic For Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging And Spectroscopy Aided Tracking In Citrus, Ryan Parente

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Antibiotic treatment of systemic bacterial plant pathogens is an established practice in many crops; however, in citrus it has only recently become available for growers to utilize against Huanglongbing disease. The preliminary efficacy of these treatments is uncertain due to the inability to track their presence in phloem. The need to monitor their movement in planta, especially their presence and translocation in vascular tissue, is a necessary step in clarifying their effectiveness. Previous work has shown the value of Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) in distinguishing between fluorescent probes and plant tissue autofluorescence, which is normally a barrier in photochemical studies …