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2011

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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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Externship In Graz, Austria: Research Opportunities, Nergess Taheri, Corynne Dignan Apr 2011

Externship In Graz, Austria: Research Opportunities, Nergess Taheri, Corynne Dignan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the Medical University of Graz, Austria (MUG) formed a unique externship opportunity. The opportunity is only awarded to two undergraduate students at NSU annually. The six week externship in 2010 consisted of two research opportunities. The first experiment consists of studying the effects of different preservation methods on pig liver explantations and the second studies the impact of Sanopal on Cyclosporin-A induced nephropathy in rats. Prior to beginning the research we underwent training in the different techniques involved in each experiment as well as the ethical situations faced when conducting the experiments. The techniques we …

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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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Investigation Of A Crime Scene: Applying Biological And Chemical Forensic Techniques, Jennifer Marcelin, Jorge Leal, Sagir Patel, Lindsey Nowland Apr 2011

Investigation Of A Crime Scene: Applying Biological And Chemical Forensic Techniques, Jennifer Marcelin, Jorge Leal, Sagir Patel, Lindsey Nowland

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this experiment was to explore the principles of investigating a crime scene; utilizing both biological and chemical laboratory techniques. Collecting proper evidence is crucial to crime scene investigation. The insight that an investigator may gain about a perpetrator can be determined by analyzing the physical evidence obtained at the scene, and therefore an investigator must carefully examine numerous pieces of evidence found at a crime scene. However, the knowledge and education of the investigator are able to elucidate both the obvious and the obscure. Each piece of evidence may provide a clue to who committed the crime …

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Influence Of Hardbottom Availability On A Nearshore Fish Community, Jesse Secord, Angelica Garcia, Rocio Masgoret, Kaitlyn Brucker Apr 2011

Influence Of Hardbottom Availability On A Nearshore Fish Community, Jesse Secord, Angelica Garcia, Rocio Masgoret, Kaitlyn Brucker

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this project is to determine if hard bottom availability affects the fish abundance and species richness of a nearshore community. The research was conducted on the northeast side of Hillsboro Inlet in Broward County, Florida. The Rover Diving Technique was used to conduct visual fish counts while snorkeling within four 30 m2 areas. Quantification of hard bottom and sand substrates were also performed within these areas using transect lines. The majority of data collection occurred on a weekly basis from February 21, 2010 to October 10, 2010. We hypothesized there would be a direct correlation between …

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Independence From The Operating System, Thomas Sylvester Apr 2011

Independence From The Operating System, Thomas Sylvester

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Virtualization is almost as old as mainframe computers, when a large computer was shared by several different users. Computer engineers have also struggled with many different Operating Systems (OS) that traditionally worked on specialized hardware. Usually only one OS could be loaded on one physical machine at one time. This posed a significant barrier to experimentation and testing of multi-OS environments.

These VMs can relieve instructors and students of the configuration issues across different physical machines; every class's VM can be loaded the same way. These VMs have additional benefits. Dedicated VMs can be created to address OS, software and …

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Implicit Bias And Public Policy Recommendations, Alyssa Mineo Apr 2011

Implicit Bias And Public Policy Recommendations, Alyssa Mineo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We intend to measure implicit (as opposed to self-reported) attitudes towards gay people, specifically in the context of adoption rights. Opponents of gay adoption rights persist in arguing that having gay parents is harmful to the children and for this reason should be opposed. However, if the position is based exclusively on concern for the welfare of the children rather than (entirely or partially) on the parents’ sexual orientation per se, it should follow that any individual who acts out of this concern would be equally concerned with the welfare of the children adopted by heterosexual parents. Whatever restrictions …

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Expression Of At1, At2 Receptors And A Non-At1, Non-At2 Angiotensin Ii Binding Site In Rat Brain After Endothelin-1 Induced Ischemic Stroke, Luz Gonzalez Reiley, Aisha Haniff Apr 2011

Expression Of At1, At2 Receptors And A Non-At1, Non-At2 Angiotensin Ii Binding Site In Rat Brain After Endothelin-1 Induced Ischemic Stroke, Luz Gonzalez Reiley, Aisha Haniff

Undergraduate Student Symposium

New findings suggest that the activation AT1 receptor decreases cerebral perfusion after an ischemic stroke in the brain while the activation of AT2 receptor opposes those actions providing neuroprotective effects. Recent discoveries reveal the existence of a novel non-AT1, non-AT2 binding site for angiotensin II (Ang II) in the brain which may indicate additional effects of the brain angiotensin system after ischemic damage. To assess this, 5 rats were microinjected with 3 μM of 80 μM endothelin-1 (ET-1) to stimulate middle cerebral artery occlusion in the right hemisphere of the forebrain. 24 hours later, the rats were sacrificed and the …

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Dipole Moment Of Ni(Ii), Cu(Ii), And Zn(Ii) Porphyrins And Out Of Plane Distortions Quantified By Semiempirical Methods And Compared To Thin Layer Chromatography, Dean Kalam Apr 2011

Dipole Moment Of Ni(Ii), Cu(Ii), And Zn(Ii) Porphyrins And Out Of Plane Distortions Quantified By Semiempirical Methods And Compared To Thin Layer Chromatography, Dean Kalam

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The objective of this experiment was to calculate the dipole moment of Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) porphyrins and relate the measurements to the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) experimental results. Tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and Octaethylporphyrin (OEP) were metallated with these transition metals (Ni(II) d8, Cu(II) d9, and Zn(II) d10). The results of the TLC were then futher compared to the dipole moment from calculations obtained using semi-empirical methods. It is known that different transition metals can expand or contact the core of these porphyrins due to electronic effects as well as size. The TPP series follows …

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Bystanders To Evil: The Failure Of The United States’ Foreign Policy Towards Genocide, Anam Ismail Apr 2011

Bystanders To Evil: The Failure Of The United States’ Foreign Policy Towards Genocide, Anam Ismail

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Since the Armenian Genocide in the early twentieth century, the United States’ policy towards genocide has been, at best, delayed and, at worst, intentionally indifferent. This study will examine America’s historic reaction to genocide, as well as the radically different results that might have been achieved with even minimal efforts. To understand American action, research will focus on four examples of mass killing: the extermination of Jews and other undesirables by Nazi Germany, the widespread ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims by Serbian nationalists, the conflict between rivaling Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda, and the ongoing war plaguing Southern Sudan. The …

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A Final Truth: Based On The True Story Of A College Student Diagnosed With Hiv/Aids, Uyen-Linh Jackie Dao Apr 2011

A Final Truth: Based On The True Story Of A College Student Diagnosed With Hiv/Aids, Uyen-Linh Jackie Dao

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“A Final Truth: Based on the True Story of a College Student Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS” is a short film about a student living with HIV/AIDS. It is a dramatic retelling of a true story. The film touches on the social stigma of a person living with the disease, and the implications that the disease can have on friendship, sexual health, and college life. This story is told through the perspectives of a close group of college friends. One of the friends is living with HIV/AIDS and is unable to tell her friends in fear of rejection and judgment by her …

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The Effect Of Thimerosal-Containing And Thimerosal-Free Pediatric Flu Vaccine On Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Christie Rubio Apr 2011

The Effect Of Thimerosal-Containing And Thimerosal-Free Pediatric Flu Vaccine On Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Christie Rubio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mercury-based preservatives including thimerosal, typically added to some vaccines, may pose health concerns as mercury toxicity has been implicated in many human diseases. In this study, microarray technology and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to examine the potential effects of a typical dose of thimerosal-containing vaccine (TCV) or thimerosal-free (TFV) pediatric flu vaccine on gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model organism that shares roughly 30% of its genome with humans. Yeast were grown in three treatments: standard media (YEPD), YEPD plus TCV, and YEPD plus TFV. Microarray gene expression data were examined for variability both within …

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On Parmenides’ Reality, Nathaniel Dolan Apr 2011

On Parmenides’ Reality, Nathaniel Dolan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The treatment being submitted here for the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Student Symposium began quite simply in the form of a journal entry submitted as one of the required elements of Dr. Toscano’s Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 1010) in the 2010 fall term. The professor’s review and critique of that original work (which was comparably brief compared to this final edition) produced remarks from Dr. Toscano that motivated me to reevaluate my own interpretations of the proposition on Reality put forth by Parmenides of Elea in the fifth century BCE. Having studied philosophy as a personal interest …

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Construction Of A Polyphosphate Kinase Gene Deletion In Yersenia Spp., Shan Desai Apr 2011

Construction Of A Polyphosphate Kinase Gene Deletion In Yersenia Spp., Shan Desai

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this experiment is to study the bacteria, Yersinia pestis, Yersenia enterocolitica, and Yersenia pseudotuberculosis, and the possible role of the enzyme polyphosphate kinase (PPK) in pathogenicity, motility, and gene expression. PPK is an enzyme that produces inorganic polyphosphate, which is universal and found in all forms of life from prokaryotic bacteria to eukaryotic mammals. The PPK enzyme has been shown to be required for motility and virulence of several pathogenic bacteria. Yersinia spp. are diverse bacteria that cause diseases ranging from gastrointestinal diseases to bubonic plaque; however, the role of PPK is unknown. …

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Cognitive Inhibition In Bilinguals Vs. Monolinguals, Juliana Acosta, Raquel Chocron, Jacqueline Pablos Apr 2011

Cognitive Inhibition In Bilinguals Vs. Monolinguals, Juliana Acosta, Raquel Chocron, Jacqueline Pablos

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Bilingualism has been linked to enhanced cognitive abilities and these enhanced abilities are believed to be mediated by the same frontal lobe system that controls language output in bilinguals. Moreover, recent research suggests that this bilingual advantage may be moderated by degree of balance between the two languages such that those who are equally proficient in their two languages show the best performance on cognitive tasks compared to unbalanced bilinguals and monolinguals. For instance, results from one study revealed that balanced bilinguals showed significantly fewer errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) than unbalanced bilinguals. Thus, the purpose of …

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Chemical Interactions Between Staphylococcus Aureus And Candida Albicans Within Mixed Species Biofilms, Rachel Comito, Fiorella Diaz, Martin Herrera, Ariel Jordan Apr 2011

Chemical Interactions Between Staphylococcus Aureus And Candida Albicans Within Mixed Species Biofilms, Rachel Comito, Fiorella Diaz, Martin Herrera, Ariel Jordan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Biofilms are communities of microbes that grow and function together in order to gain protection from environmental stressors. Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans are two of the most common microbes found to grow as biofilms within medical facilities and are among the leading causes of infectious disease. Previous studies found that S. aureus and C. albicans grow together synergistically within biofilms and that S. aureus actually secretes some chemical that drastically improves candidal biofilm growth. The current project is focused on better characterizing the mechanism of this chemical interaction. One aspect of the project examines when S. aureus secretes this …

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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 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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The Universe Divine, Alyiece Moretto Apr 2011

The Universe Divine, Alyiece Moretto

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Universe Divine” is a short film that follows Sam, a passionate young man at an important crossroads in his life. After an unsettling dream, we see that the Universe may have different plans for Sam than those he envisioned for himself. The film is directed by Alyiece Moretto. Other crew members and actors include Patrick Watkins, Cohen Robinson, Kathleen Bushong, and Jamie Mattocks.

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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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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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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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The Language Of Mathematics: Proof Without Words, Bryan Candela Apr 2011

The Language Of Mathematics: Proof Without Words, Bryan Candela

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mathematics is the language of the sciences. Unlike most other scientific laws, mathematical laws are by nature unbiased and irrefutable, and as such, tend to be accepted as truth in a way that other scientific laws cannot. While understanding the proofs of many well-known mathematical facts requires a high level of mathematical maturity, there are also many (perhaps not so intuitive) facts whose proof can be easily understood by anyone. The goal of this project is to show the use of mathematics as a language in the hope of providing insight into the beauty of mathematics.

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A Look Into Abstinence Only Sex Education Vs. Comprehensive Sex Education, Katrin Scheurer Apr 2011

A Look Into Abstinence Only Sex Education Vs. Comprehensive Sex Education, Katrin Scheurer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For almost two decades between the years of 1990 and 2010, many schools in the US were educating their young people on sex via abstinence only programs. Abstinence only sex education means that when students are taught in school about sex that they are taught abstinence is the only way (Barnett & Hurst, 2003). In comprehensive sex education the students would be taught more information about different contraceptives, sexual health and sexual decision making (Barnett & Hurst, 2003). In February, 2010, after years of federal funding for abstinence only sex education, President Obama cut this budget by $170 million. 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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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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Can Ya Hear Me Now?, Aishah Thompkins Apr 2011

Can Ya Hear Me Now?, Aishah Thompkins

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Can Ya Hear Me Now?” is a short film about a married young couple who are madly in love with each other. Michael wants nothing more than to serve God and to love his wife, Daysha. Michael works hard, and when he comes home he gives Daysha his undivided attention. And Daysha wants to please her husband and to stand by him. But Daysha has a dark secret; she is sometimes drawn to her not-so-distant past lifestyle, which involved parties, drugs, sex and clubs. Clear communication is a challenge for Daysha. Can Michael’s relationship with Daysha survive? Can Daysha’s love …

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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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