Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of The Minimum Size Rule In The Red Grouper And Red Snapper Fisheries With Respect To J And Circle Hook Mortality And Barotrauma And The Consequences For Survival And Movement, Karen Mary Burns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although closed seasons, bag limits and quotas are used to manage fishes within the Grouper/Snapper Complex off the southeastern United States, size limits are the cornerstone of fisheries management. Because fishers must release all undersized fishes despite fish condition, this regulation has created a mandatory catch and release system. Inherent in this management strategy is the supposition that these undersized fish survive in sufficient numbers so as to justify this regulation. To satisfy this criteria fish mortality must be low and released fish must also experience minimal sub-lethal effects. Determination of sublethal effects and evaluation of their potential impairment and …

Novel Roles For B-Raf In Mitosis And Cancer, Meghan E. K Borysova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The MAP kinase pathway is well known for its key roles in regulating cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. MAP kinases have also been implicated in mitotic functions, however these functions are less-well understood. Recent studies from our laboratory used Xenopus egg extracts to identify B-Raf as an essential activator of the MAPK cascade during mitosis. Therefore, the first objective of my dissertation research was to determine if B-Raf has functional significance during mitosis in human somatic cells.

Using RNA interference against B-Raf and various immunofluorescence techniques, I show that B-Raf: (1) localizes to and is phosphorylated at a key …

Reading The Pattern In "The Yellow Wallpaper", Sarah Silverstein

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This paper is a literary analysis of Charlotte Perkins Gilman‘s short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper." In the story the unnamed protagonist is diagnosed with a "nervous disease" and confined to a nursery/bedroom in "ancestral halls" (253). Ironically, it is through this nursery that serves as a prison cell for the captive and ill woman that she finds her voice and her freedom. This paper examines the symbolic devices and imagery that reflect her struggle and provide an escape route for women confined to an oppressive child-like status. Her diary entries are the mechanism whereby she records her observations and examines …

Examining Adhesion Of Lysozyme And Transferrin To Omafilcon A Contact Lenses, Neena Chandrasekaran, Shan Desai, Darshan Solanki

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Contact lenses induce the formation of human tears, which contain approximately 60 different proteins, when worn on the naked eye. We examined the adhesion of human transferrin to FDA Group II Omafilcon A contact lenses, fabricated from a biomimetic material whose interaction with tear proteins is not well understood. Furthermore, the consequences of protein accumulation are uncertain. Experimental procedure included incubation of Omafilcon A lenses in human transferrin for five days. Protein adhesion was determined by bicinchoninic acid colorimetry on a daily basis through spectrophotometry. As a result, transferrin adhered to the Omafilcon A lenses to a lesser extent (~10%) …

A Study Of Lifespan In The United States, Jacqueline Carrion

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this project, a regression analysis study is conducted to see if the average lifespan (LIFE) in the United States is related to the following six characteristics: MALE, the ratio of male to female in percentage, BIRTH, the birth rate per 1000 population, DIVORCE, the divorce rate per 1000 population, BEDS, the hospital beds per 100,000 population, EDUCATION, the percentage of population 25 years or older having completed 16 years of school, and INCOME, the per capita income. In this study, the outliers and the influential observations will be identified by looking at various statistics, such as RESIDUAL, STUDENTIZED RESIDUALS, …

Dizzying Duplicity: Women's Dance Of Discord, Amanda Allen Thompson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

An examination of Dorothy Parker's "The Waltz" and Tillie Olsen's "Tell Me a Riddle " reveals a telling commonality: the cyclical redundancy that characterizes women's lives in early to mid-period twentieth century America.. Dorothy Parker's piece is an amusing allegorical short story in which the protagonist finds herself dancing with a partner with whom she secretly would prefer not to dance. However, such an option is unavailable to women in polite society. Parker's narrator/protagonist is internally impudent but externally compliant as her rebellion eventually dissipates and she dances her life and her autonomy away. Olson‘s "Tell Me a Riddle" tells …

Data Networking Lab Implementation Using Virtualization, Carolina Usbeck

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Conventional computer laboratory is expensive and it requires expensive cabling and routers to set up. It also requires careful hardware planning and implementation that can take weeks to implement. We are demonstrating an implementation of a computer- networking laboratory on a single machine that each student can implement on his or her own machine using virtualization. The laboratory is tested with sample networking experiments. The laboratory will be delivered as a software appliance that can be made available to all students in taking computer-networking courses. The implementation is done using completely free or open source software packages.

Bending Under Pressure: "In-Vision" It’S Plain To See, Megan Oswald

Undergraduate Student Symposium

"It is not what you look at that matters, it is what you see." –Henry David Thoreau

Vision is key to the human experience. It is often the first sensation received for environmental navigation. While to the average eye images may be clear, ocular disorders can distort their production, making the study on ocular disorders essential. Glaucoma is characterized by damage to the optic nerve due to excessively high intraocular pressure (IOP). It is assumed that IOP is uniform throughout the eye. Therefore we can link glaucoma to the deformations of the cornea, which is the oculardisorder of astigmatism inhibiting …

Surface Bacteria Distribution On Campus And The Potential Health Impacts Of Exposure, Rachel Sewnarine, Yusra Quadri, Sonya Chacko

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Have you ever wondered what's in the air we breathe, on the tables we touch or on the things that help keep us clean? A previous pilot study conducted last year at NSU provided a glimpse into the presence of bacteria on campus. The goal of this study was to provide additional data on this important topic by increasing the number of sites sampled, the total number of replicates, as well as provide insight into the types of bacteria that are sampled. Gram staining procedures, as well as specific identification kits are planned on pure bacterial cultures to aid in …

Social Support And Psychosocial Health Among Hiv-Seropositive Individuals, Lydia Malcolm, Maria Marcoulli, Dyona Augustin, Vera Lopez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Existing literature has documented a positive correlation between social support and adjustment to illness among HIV/AIDS. However, there is limited research focusing exclusively on the influence of family support on psychosocial health in this population. This study sought to examine the influence of family support on psychosocial health among substance users with HIV/AIDS. Thirty-one African-American HIV-positive substance users (M ± SD age = 41 ± 8; 55% women) were recruited from clinics. Demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral data were collected via face-to-face interviews. The independent variable was family support. The dependent variables were HIV/AIDS knowledge, HIV attitude, HIV related physical …

The Attitudes And Roles Of Indigenous People Of Veracruz, Mexico Towards Manatees, Sylvia Duluc-Silva, Christina Ledon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

During a Nova Southeastern University sponsored investigation, principal investigators Dr. Edward Keith and Dr. Eileen M. Smith-Cavros will be conducting research entitled "CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF MANATEES AT EL MANATÍ, VERACRUZ, MEXICO" with the assistance of undergraduate researchers (Sylvia Duluc-Silva and Christina Ledon). The fieldwork research will be conducted in order to obtain data regarding the history of the Veracruz manatees that appear to have played an important cultural role to the indigenous peoples of Veracruz. Once the basic interviews with the people are performed for the purposes of the primary research, the undergraduate researchers and the principal investigators …

Metagenomic Analysis To Determine Habitat And Abundance Of Helicosporidium, Christian Benitez, Alyssa Fernandez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Helicosporidium are parasitic, non-photosynthetic green algae shown to have potential in providing biological control against mosquito larvae. By determining where Helicosporidium resides, this organism can be more abundantly studied to gain a better understanding of its life cycle, transmission, and potential effects as biological control agents. Therefore, the isolation and study of Helicosporidium shows promise in the fields of biology and environmental science. In this research project, environmental water samples were obtained and analyzed to determine if any Helicosporidium inhabited the sample. Using a metagenomics approach, DNA extraction of all the microorganisms residing in the water samples were conducted followed …

Lament, Michael Mcgregor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

"Lament" is a story of one brother's journey to grow and let go of a battle between him and his brother. After he discovers the passing of his brother, he begins to look back at their relationship. It's a story that shows that family is stronger than anything, and although his older brother is homosexual, it doesn't change the fact that they are brothers. The film is directed by Mike McGregor. Other crew members include Philip Ortiz and Adam Walters.

Mechanisms Of Vancomycin Resistance In Mixed Species Biofilms, Lina Alsad, Leslie Nevarez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The studies conducted are aimed at determining the interactions between Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus in a mixed biofilm. Microbes generally prefer to grow as part of a biofilm, as opposed to individual planktonic cells, in order to communicate, share nutrients, and gain protection from environmental stresses. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Candida albicans are the most common microbes found to grow within biofilms in humans and are among the leading causes of infectious disease. Previous research in our lab has indicated that S. aureus is less susceptible to the antibiotic vancomycin when grown in a mixed biofilm. …

Math And Politics: Analyzing Political Polling In 2008, Kelly Koziol

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Political polling was a hot topic in 2008 with an extended presidential primary election season and a historical presidential election in November. This research examines the quality of political polling during the presidential primary election season in an effort to predict which political polls would be most accurate in the general presidential election. This analysis was done using thousands of political polls from across the United States that were released to the public from a variety of sources. The statewide primary election polls themselves differed in a variety of ways and the data was stratified by many factors including: which …

Effects Of Periodic Acceleration (Pgz) On Cardiovascular Health, Sam Aminov

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Heart disease is among the leading killers of both men and women in the United States. Periodic acceleration (pGz) is a promising non-invasive treatment that induces the expr ess io n o f mult ip le ca rd iop rotec t ive med ia tors t hat funct io n i n myocard ia l preservation, ischemia and reperfusion, and post-ischemic injuries. In this literature review the expression of nitric oxide synthase in endomyocardium and the implications of periodic acceleration on overall cardiovascular health were examined. Periodic acceleration increases pulsatile sheer stress on the vascular endothelium leading to the release …

From Failed Unity To Long-Term Division: The Impact Of Nineteenth-Century French Diplomacy On Haitian-Dominican Relations, Geneviève Chantal Volcy Céant

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are sometimes referred to as two wings of the same bird. However, to Dominicans the island is Quisqueya while Haitians refer to it as Hispaniola. This distinction offers a symbolic illustration of their opposing attitudes, which are usually explained as cultural differences. In this paper, I take into consideration the historical roots of these difficulties and in particular the role of France during the post-colonial era. French diplomats invested in and exploited the island's political instability, driving the two populations apart. The research presented in this paper addresses the negative impact of nineteenth-century French diplomacy …

Tax Havens: The Art Of Avoidance, Michael Rasmussen, Ryan Nicol

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Tax Havens: The Art of Avoidance is a symposium based on the essay: "Evasive Maneuvers: Tax Havens, Tax Evasion, Tax Avoidance, and the Future of Tax Law in America." Rarely do intriguing or titillating issues of tax law present themselves and tax havens are no exception. This symposium looks to change this perception; tax havens are interesting! The symposium has two objectives (1) discuss and define what tax havens are and (2) illustrate the struggle the United States has in dealing with them.

Chimes: April 3, 2009, Calvin College

Chimes

New study abroad: Netherlands attracts science and engineering majors by Priscilla Megalaa

Trips encourage service-learning by Jen DeVries

Beauty queen brightens lives of hospitalized children by Jasmine Wilson

Dutch celebrate heritage by Griffin Jackson

Deur wows at NCAAs, wins national title by Chaz Amidon

Gifts go beyond tuition by Tommy Heyboer

Alumni finds giving back to Calvin rewarding by Ben Graves

Smoking ban a necessary trend by Chase Hulderman

Gender roles still an issue today by Joel Meredith

Land –Based Sources Of Pollutants To Coastal Waters Of Southern Belize – Comparison Of Predictive Model With Empirical Data, Victor Eduardo Alegria

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Level III fugacity-type model was applied to southern Belize (Stann Creek and Toledo Districts) to predict which of the pesticides most heavily used in banana and citrus farms are most likely to end up in streams and coastal waters via surface runoff. Concentrations of all target pesticides in coastal waters of southern Belize were then measured during two sampling campaigns (dry season and rainy season) in 2008. Several pesticides were measured in significant levels, including some as far out as waters overlying coral reefs. The presence of these pesticides in the coastal waters indicates that agricultural activities in southern …

Assessing The Performance Of Water Bodies In Hillsborough County, Florida Using Data Envelopment Analysis (Dea), Geoffrey George Fouad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the relationship between surface water quality and land use. Water management recommendations will be divulged based upon the interaction of lake water quality and land use. The methodology developed for this research applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a performance measurement tool, to evaluate lake water quality in relation to surrounding land use. Lake performance ratings were generated by DEA software that assessed multiple variables describing surface water nutrient loads and surrounding land use. Results from this analysis revealed a significant trend between lake water quality and land use within the study area. …

Indoor Environmental Quality Within An Elementary School Classroom: Measurements Of Felis Domesticus I, Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus I, Dermatophagoides Farinae I, And Blatella Germanica In Carpeting, Jennifer Fowler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that indoor environments can impact the health of students and can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance (USEPA 2008). In a school year, children are required by the Florida Department of Education to be in school for a total of 180 days, which is 795 hours spent in a classroom (FLDOE 2008). In the elementary school setting, kindergarten classes typically spend a portion of the school day with floor-based activities. The American Lung Association (ALA) states that over 6.8 million children under the age of 18 are affected by asthma (ALA 2008). Allergic …

Bite Force In Two Top Predators, The Great Barracuda, Sphyraena Barracuda And Bull Shark Carcharhinus Leucas, During Ontogeny, María Laura Habegger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional morphologists have extensively used measurements of performance to investigate the relationship among form, function and ecology through ontogeny. Among different measurements of performance bite force play a crucial role influencing fitness. Although, bite force has been thoroughly investigated among vertebrates, the majority of the studies on fishes have been concentrated only in small species. Consequently, this is the first study that compares the bite force performance in two large marine predators, the great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Values of posterior bite force in S. barracuda varied from 3 - 258 N …

Joint Multiple Testing Procedures For Graphical Model Selection With Applications To Biological Networks, Houston N. Gilbert, Mark J. Van Der Laan, Sandrine Dudoit

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Gaussian graphical models have become popular tools for identifying relationships between genes when analyzing microarray expression data. In the classical undirected Gaussian graphical model setting, conditional independence relationships can be inferred from partial correlations obtained from the concentration matrix (= inverse covariance matrix) when the sample size n exceeds the number of parameters p which need to estimated. In situations where n < p, another approach to graphical model estimation may rely on calculating unconditional (zero-order) and first-order partial correlations. In these settings, the goal is to identify a lower-order conditional independence graph, sometimes referred to as a ‘0-1 graphs’. For either choice of graph, model selection may involve a multiple testing problem, in which edges in a graph are drawn only after rejecting hypotheses involving (saturated or lower-order) partial correlation parameters. Most multiple testing procedures applied in previously proposed graphical model selection algorithms rely on standard, marginal testing methods which do not take into account the joint distribution of the test statistics derived from (partial) correlations. We propose and implement a multiple testing framework useful when testing for edge inclusion during graphical model selection. Two features of our methodology include (i) a computationally efficient and asymptotically valid test statistics joint null distribution derived from influence curves for correlation-based parameters, and (ii) the application of empirical Bayes joint multiple testing procedures which can effectively control a variety of popular Type I error rates by incorpo- rating joint null distributions such as those described here (Dudoit and van der Laan, 2008). Using a dataset from Arabidopsis thaliana, we observe that the use of more sophisticated, modular approaches to multiple testing allows one to identify greater numbers of edges when approximating an undirected graphical model using a 0-1 graph. Our framework may also be extended to edge testing algorithms for other types of graphical models (e.g., for classical undirected, bidirected, and directed acyclic graphs).

Sustainability And Civil Engineering, Jeremy D. Rodgers

Ohio Valley Regional Student Conference

No abstract provided.

College Senate Minutes April 2, 2009, Bronx Community College Senate

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the College Senate on April 2, 2009.

Commonwealth Times 2009-04-02

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Stem Cell Order Was Immoral And Unnecessary, Nicanor Austriaco

Theology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Washington University Record, April 2, 2009

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

April 2, 2009, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2000-2009

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.