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From Bedtime To Bacteria: A Sleep Extension Pilot Study Revealing Gut-Linked Pathways, Maya Totev Apr 2026

From Bedtime To Bacteria: A Sleep Extension Pilot Study Revealing Gut-Linked Pathways, Maya Totev

Undergraduate Student Symposium

While the gut contains trillions of bacteria that influence the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, its implications in health interventions and wellness are often underappreciated. Lifestyle factors, including sleep duration and quality, influence gut microbiome composition and are linked to adverse health outcomes. While sleep extension is known to benefit health, emerging evidence suggests the gut microbiome and inflammatory pathways may help clarify these underlying mechanisms. This pilot study examined the effects of a two-week sleep extension on the gut microbiome composition in healthy adult females as part of a larger investigation of sleep, stress, and systemic inflammation. Participants completed …

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The Association Between Ultra-Processed Foods And Inadequate Sleep In Us Adults From Nhanes, 2005-2018, Seema Rajper Apr 2026

The Association Between Ultra-Processed Foods And Inadequate Sleep In Us Adults From Nhanes, 2005-2018, Seema Rajper

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Ultra-processed food (UPF), rich in sugar and fat, could affect sleep quality due to inflammation and hormonal imbalance. However, the population level data is scarce, and the findings are mixed, especially in adult populations. We examined associations between UPF consumption and odds of inadequate sleep (characterized by sleep difficulty and/or inadequate sleep duration: short sleep (<7h) or long sleep (≥9 hours)) among U.S. non-pregnant, non-lactating adults using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with a 14-year span. We assessed 33,156 adults (aged ≥ 20 y) using up to two 24-hour diet recalls from the NHANES (2005 to 2018). UPF intake was calculated using the NOVA classification system, and inadequate sleep (specifically sleep difficulty, short sleep, long sleep) was ascertained from the self-reported sleep disorder survey. Odds of inadequate sleep (aORs) were compared across the quartile intakes of UPF using population weights-adjusted multivariable general logistic regression. Of the 33,156 adult participants, 34.9% had short sleep (n=11,576), 11.9% had long sleep (n-3,937), and 24.7% had sleep difficulty (n=8,199). We also found that the highest quartile of UPF, relative to the lowest quartile, is significantly associated with 23% increased odds of short sleep (aOR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.07-1.41; p=0.023), after adjusting for all covariates. The dose-response relationships between higher UPF intake and higher risk of short or long sleep were determined, respectively (both p <0.05). However, no association was found with sleep difficulty (aOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.95-1.26; p =0.6185). We found the dose-response relationship between higher UPF intakes and higher risk for inadequat sleep …

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Energy Drinks Are Bad... Or Perhaps Not? A Comprehensive Evidence-Based Review Of Energy Drink Safety And Performance Effects, Saanvitha Rajendara Apr 2026

Energy Drinks Are Bad... Or Perhaps Not? A Comprehensive Evidence-Based Review Of Energy Drink Safety And Performance Effects, Saanvitha Rajendara

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Energy drinks rank as some of the most widely consumed functional beverages. However, they still cause controversy, confusion, and strong public opinions. Although many assume that these products are inherently harmful, a growing amount of research is constructing a different understanding. In reviewing the comprehensive analysis conducted by Dr. Jose Antonio, this presentation examines the scientific evidence behind the more common questions and misconceptions about energy drinks. These include rols of key ingredients like taurine and B-vitamins, as well as the energy drinks' influence on performance, metabolism, and overall health. The review also looks at sleep, cardiovascular function, and cognitive …

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Microbial Photodynamic Inactivation (Pdi) With Meso-Pyridyl Porphyrin Isomers Under Metabolic Gene Knockouts, Dylan Mavlyanov, Kenneth Supersano Apr 2026

Microbial Photodynamic Inactivation (Pdi) With Meso-Pyridyl Porphyrin Isomers Under Metabolic Gene Knockouts, Dylan Mavlyanov, Kenneth Supersano

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Photodynamic Inactivation (PDI) is an antimicrobial technique that functions independently of conventional antibiotic resistance by combining light, photosensitizers, and oxygen in order to eliminate pathogens. Drug-resistant microorganisms have long posed a global challenge, increasing the need for methods that prevent microbes from acquiring further immune adaptations. Photosensitizers serve as compounds that, upon light activation, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in order to induce microbial membrane damage and cell death, while also showing effects against cancerous mammalian cells. An investigation was conducted on three meso-Tetra(N-methyl-pyridyl) porphyrin tetrachloride isomers, examining their three conformations of nitrogen substitutions in both freebase and copper-metalated …

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A Quantum Argument Against Zeno's Paradox Of Dichotomy, Ryan Christie-Muller Apr 2026

A Quantum Argument Against Zeno's Paradox Of Dichotomy, Ryan Christie-Muller

Undergraduate Student Symposium

During the pre-Socratic period, Parmenides created his radical idea of an eternal, unchanging, and motionless world. This was met with much doubt, contempt, and counterarguments that sought to disprove his statements claiming that the concept of past and future were false, and that both change and movement were impossible. Yet his student, Zeno, came after him and sought to further prove his teacher Parmenides' arguments, creating what are now talked about thousands of years later known as Zeno's paradoxes. This paper will specifically talk about Zeno's dichotomy paradox, claiming that movement cannot exist due to the inherent need to be …

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Microbial Signatures Of Breast Carcinogenesis: Synthesizing Evidence From Breast Tissue Microbiome Studiese, Caroline Rodriguez Chang, Revanth Madamsetty, Krishna Dasyam Apr 2026

Microbial Signatures Of Breast Carcinogenesis: Synthesizing Evidence From Breast Tissue Microbiome Studiese, Caroline Rodriguez Chang, Revanth Madamsetty, Krishna Dasyam

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide, affecting approximately one in eight women in the United States. Recent advances in microbiome research have highlighted the microbiome's essential role in maintaining health and influencing disease progression. Increasing attention has been directed toward understanding how microbial communities contribute to cancer development, particularly through effects on immune function, metabolism, and cellular signaling pathways. While most existing research has examined the gut microbiome and its relationship to breast cancer focusing on the gut-breast axis, microbial translocation, and their contributions to tumor progression, there is a growing need to characterize the breast …

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Hsc-3 Spheroid Enhances Macrophage Autophagy Through Upregulation Of Hgf Activator, Dhara Patel Apr 2026

Hsc-3 Spheroid Enhances Macrophage Autophagy Through Upregulation Of Hgf Activator, Dhara Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Autophagy plays a critical role in regulating macrophage function within the tumor microenvironment. Hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA) can modulate autophagy-related pathways, potentially affecting macrophage function. This study aimed to test HGFA expression in oral cancer cell cultures and its effect on macrophage autophagy in a co-culture system. THP-1- derived macrophages were co-cultured with human oral cancer cells (HSC-3) in two-dimensional (2D) monolayers and three-dimensional (3D) spheroids generated using the hanging drop method. HGFA expression in HSC-3 cells was quantified by qPCR. After 72 hours of co-culture, macrophage polarization and autophagy were assessed by flow cytometry. To evaluate the functional …

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Environmental Monitoring Of The Coral Nursery Lagoon At Peanut Island, Lindsay Scherer, Kamille Jackson, Madelyn Hooper, Briana Badowski, Nicole Mazhar Apr 2026

Environmental Monitoring Of The Coral Nursery Lagoon At Peanut Island, Lindsay Scherer, Kamille Jackson, Madelyn Hooper, Briana Badowski, Nicole Mazhar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, and pH are critical abiotic factors influencing coral reef ecosystems. Enclosed lagoons, such as the one at Peanut Island, often experience reduced water exchange, making them prone to environmental fluctuations that may stress corals. The purpose of this project was to investigate potential correlations between water quality and coral health within the Peanut Island Coral Nursery Lagoon in Palm Beach County, Florida over a year-long period. Three Onset HOBO data loggers were deployed: U22-001 to measure temperature and pH; U26-001 to measure dissolved oxygen; and U24-002-C to measure salinity. The data loggers were deployed near …

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Red Mangrove Heavy Metal(Loid)S Accumulation In Contaminated Sediments Of The South Florida Intracoastal Waterway, Sophia Welch Apr 2026

Red Mangrove Heavy Metal(Loid)S Accumulation In Contaminated Sediments Of The South Florida Intracoastal Waterway, Sophia Welch

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mangroves, recognized as hyperaccumulators, can tolerate and store high concentrations of heavy metal(loid)s without visible toxicity. While metal accumulation in mangroves has been extensively studied worldwide, data remain limited for North America, particularly in southeastern Florida, where urbanization and port activity increase contamination risk. This study quantified 16 heavy metal(loid)s in roots, branches, and leaves of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and associated surface sediments collected across four sites within Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park at Port Everglades using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Sediment samples were collected at distances of 0, 10, 50, and 100 …

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Nanomedicine-Based Modulation Of Parkinson's Disease Pathology Through Integrated Biological And Computational Approaches, Emma Hickey, Annu Joji, Abdallah Samarah, Larry Delgado, Parushi Porwal, Jonathan Tran, Jaashvi Chandagari Apr 2026

Nanomedicine-Based Modulation Of Parkinson's Disease Pathology Through Integrated Biological And Computational Approaches, Emma Hickey, Annu Joji, Abdallah Samarah, Larry Delgado, Parushi Porwal, Jonathan Tran, Jaashvi Chandagari

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons and the aggregation of α-synuclein, a protein that misfolds into neurotoxic fibrils. Current therapies primarily alleviate motor symptoms but do not slow disease progression, leaving PD pathology unaddressed. Biocompatible nanoparticles, known as carbon nanodots (CNDs), represent a promising therapeutic approach by penetrating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and distrupting amyloid structures. Preclinical studies in zebrafish models of neurodegeneration have shown that our CNDs, developed by the LeBlanc Lab, reduce tau and amyloid-β aggregation, decrease neuroinflammation, and improve neuronal function, emphasizing their translational potential for PD. Here, …

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Dual Mechanisms Of External Pressure: The Impact Of Sanctions And Aid On State Capacity In Iraq And Jordan, Emily P. White Apr 2026

Dual Mechanisms Of External Pressure: The Impact Of Sanctions And Aid On State Capacity In Iraq And Jordan, Emily P. White

Global Tides

This essay examines the influence of external economic pressures on state capacity in the Middle East through a comparative analysis of Iraq and Jordan. In the late twentieth century, both states faced fiscal shocks, including rising prices for staple goods, elevated unemployment, and revenue shortfalls that constrained regime distributive capacity. Against this backdrop of mounting domestic volatility, contrasting instruments of international economic statecraft were employed, namely, comprehensive UN sanctions against Iraq and sustained Western-led foreign aid to Jordan. Through exogenous state-building, foreign actors sought to exert punitive leverage in Iraq and pursue an agenda-setting partnership in Jordan. Despite pursuing different …

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Autocratic Legacies: Analyzing The Political Divergence Of Turkmenistan And Uzbekistan, Kolea Suehiro Apr 2026

Autocratic Legacies: Analyzing The Political Divergence Of Turkmenistan And Uzbekistan, Kolea Suehiro

Global Tides

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, two countries nearly identical in their foundational features, are moving along starkly different governmental trajectories. The dominant explanation for this divergence accounts for both structural and personalistic influences. In Turkmenistan, literature examines how an established patronal authoritarianism, necessitated by a concentrated elite and economic network, led the country along a strong authoritarian trajectory with a high degree of cult of personality. In contrast, a networked patronal authoritarianism in Uzbekistan, comprised of political and economic power-sharing, led the country along a weaker authoritarian trajectory with a lower degree of personalism. Thus, previous research has addressed how institutional structures …

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Consumerism Is The Perfection Of Slavery, Kashish Kirpalani Apr 2026

Consumerism Is The Perfection Of Slavery, Kashish Kirpalani

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In consumer capitalism, freedom is often defined through participation in the market where identity, financial stability, and happiness are tied to one's earning and spending. This paper examines how modern consumer culture restricts personal freedom by drawing on the ideas of Karl Marx, Herbert Marcuse, and Jean Baudrillard. These theorists explain how individuals become separated from their labor and from their own sense of purpose, creating dependence on systems that reward consumption. To connect these ideas to everyday life, the paper analyzes data from the National Election Studies. The results show that financial worry and recent financial hardship have the …

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Assessing The Thermal Tolerance On Genotypic Variability In Acropora Cervicornis And Acropora Palmata Corals Maintained In An Offshore Nursery In Broward County, Florida, Luisa Maria Torres Arango Apr 2026

Assessing The Thermal Tolerance On Genotypic Variability In Acropora Cervicornis And Acropora Palmata Corals Maintained In An Offshore Nursery In Broward County, Florida, Luisa Maria Torres Arango

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Global warming and constant stressors are threatening the most diverse and abundant reef-building coral, causing their rapid decline. Elevations in ocean temperature have contributed to massive bleaching events and increased mortality in key coral species throughout Florida. The degradation of coral ecosystems not only reduces marine biodiversity but also threatens fisheries, coastal protections, and tourism that depend on healthy reef systems. In response, coral nursery programs have arisen as a conservation strategy for restoring reefs. Acropora species, particularly Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis, are among the most widely used corals in restoration due to their fast growth, large branching …

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Aging In Remote Waters: How Are Hawaiian Monk Seal Teeth Documenting Environmental Impacts?, Megan Martiello, Mason Schleicher, Ally Sheehan Apr 2026

Aging In Remote Waters: How Are Hawaiian Monk Seal Teeth Documenting Environmental Impacts?, Megan Martiello, Mason Schleicher, Ally Sheehan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Hawaiian Monk Seal (HMS) is the second most endangered pinniped species, and an apex predator endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. Majority of the population resides in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands which are divided into three regions for research purposes: Northern Hawaiian Island (NHI), Central Hawaiian Island (CHI), and Southern Hawaiian Island (SHI). This study analyzed long-term trace elements (TE) exposure in HMS by measuring 17 TEs (Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ba, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Sr, V, Zn) in cementum growth layer groupings (GLGs) of canine teeth using laser ablation induced coupled plasma mass …

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Protecting Citrus Through Patents: Legal And Economic Implications Of Uf/Ifas Biotechnological Advances, Laeila Scott Apr 2026

Protecting Citrus Through Patents: Legal And Economic Implications Of Uf/Ifas Biotechnological Advances, Laeila Scott

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), threatens the survival of Florida's citrus industry, driving innovation in disease-resistant crops through biotechnology. This research examines how intellectual property (IP) law shapes these advancements, focusing on the direct industry impact of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Through analyzing patent strategies, licensing models, and governance structures, this study explores the balance between proprietary protections and public access. Additionally, it considers broader ethical and economic implications, including the challenges of patent enforcement and the impact on citrus growers. This research situates UF/IFAS's biotechnological innovations within the larger legal and economic …

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The Purest Form Of Religion: Christians' Obligation To Foster And Adopt, Judson Starling Apr 2026

The Purest Form Of Religion: Christians' Obligation To Foster And Adopt, Judson Starling

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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Ccp Political Warfare Campaigns Against The U.S., Naomi Park, Rael Worrhen, Hannah Worthen Apr 2026

Ccp Political Warfare Campaigns Against The U.S., Naomi Park, Rael Worrhen, Hannah Worthen

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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A Quantitative Study Of The Influence Of Natural Rights On Virginia Manumission, Stephen Langeland Apr 2026

A Quantitative Study Of The Influence Of Natural Rights On Virginia Manumission, Stephen Langeland

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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Judicial Review: A Hallmark Of American Jurisprudence, Or A Weapon Of The Judicial Activists?, James Black Apr 2026

Judicial Review: A Hallmark Of American Jurisprudence, Or A Weapon Of The Judicial Activists?, James Black

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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Manipulation Behind The Pro-Choice Movement, Madeline S. Schlautman Apr 2026

Manipulation Behind The Pro-Choice Movement, Madeline S. Schlautman

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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Psycological Effects Of Problem Gambling On Adolescents, William Mccain Apr 2026

Psycological Effects Of Problem Gambling On Adolescents, William Mccain

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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When Morals And Systems Fail: Understanding The Roots Of Youth Violence, Alex Perry Apr 2026

When Morals And Systems Fail: Understanding The Roots Of Youth Violence, Alex Perry

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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The Rise Of Quasi-Law: Administrative Governance And The Erosion Of America’S Constitutional Order, Lawrence Berdan Apr 2026

The Rise Of Quasi-Law: Administrative Governance And The Erosion Of America’S Constitutional Order, Lawrence Berdan

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

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Get Busy Living: Leaping Out Of Confinement With Kierkegaard In The Shawshank Redemption, Christian Wilken Apr 2026

Get Busy Living: Leaping Out Of Confinement With Kierkegaard In The Shawshank Redemption, Christian Wilken

Journal of Religion & Film

This article offers a Kierkegaardian reading of The Shawshank Redemption (1994), arguing that the film functions not as a miracle narrative but as a cinematic enactment of existential theology. While existing scholarship frequently interprets Shawshank through biblical typology or Foucauldian notions of incarceration, few consider how the film dramatizes Kierkegaard’s categories of anxiety, despair, and the leap of faith. Shawshank presents prison as more than a space of punishment—it becomes a refuge from the “dizziness of freedom,” a structured escape from the terrifying burden of possibility. Brooks’s suicide tragically embodies what Kierkegaard calls the “despair of weakness,” the inability to …

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Numinous Matter: Time, Image, And The Sacred In Tarkovsky’S Cinema, Pamela Breda Phd Apr 2026

Numinous Matter: Time, Image, And The Sacred In Tarkovsky’S Cinema, Pamela Breda Phd

Journal of Religion & Film

In an era increasingly defined by acceleration, fragmentation, and commodification, the act of watching cinema has become subject to the same regimes of optimization that govern nearly all other domains of life. Streaming platforms quantify attention and the rhythms of visual consumption seem to be calibrated for distraction, rather than immersion. As film theorist Jonathan Beller stresses, in the contemporary attention economy, spectatorship itself becomes a form of labor enlisted into the machinery of value extraction. Within this cultural (and ocularcentric) regime to engage with the cinematic oeuvre of Andrei Tarkovsky is a radical counter-practice. Operating in the liminal space …

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The Inscrutability Of Providence In Tarkovsky's Stalker, Peter G. Goldman Apr 2026

The Inscrutability Of Providence In Tarkovsky's Stalker, Peter G. Goldman

Journal of Religion & Film

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker (1979) follows a spiritual journey that is at once literal and allegorical. The Zone, created by an alien visitation, is a place with conscious agency, and it reacts to those who enter its space. The Stalker says, rather obscurely, "it's as if we construct it according to our state of mind." How exactly the Zone responds to those who visit it is arguably the central question of the film. The Zone's agency is analogous to Providence in some sense, and the film is filled with Christian references on several levels. While most critics see Stalker as an …

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Contemplative Absence: Sacred Experience In Abbas Kiarostami’S The Wind Will Carry Us And The Aesthetics Of Slow Cinema, Hessam Abedini Apr 2026

Contemplative Absence: Sacred Experience In Abbas Kiarostami’S The Wind Will Carry Us And The Aesthetics Of Slow Cinema, Hessam Abedini

Journal of Religion & Film

This article examines how Abbas Kiarostami’s The Wind Will Carry Us (1999) creates sacred experience through systematic absence within contemporary slow cinema aesthetics. While previous scholarship has focused on religious content in spiritual cinema, this analysis demonstrates how formal techniques—particularly strategic concealment and extended duration—generate contemplative states without explicit religious references. Drawing on Paul Schrader’s transcendental style theory and recent slow cinema scholarship, the article traces how Kiarostami adapts Persian poetic traditions, particularly concepts of pardeh (veiling) and the interplay between bāṭin (hidden) and ẓāhir (manifest), to create meaning through what remains unseen. The dying woman who never appears, the …

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Connected Automated Vehicles As Emergent Control Agents: Reinforcement Learning For Cooperative Traffic Control In Urban Networks, Ayomide Afolabi, Duleep Rathgamage Don, Mahyar Amirgholy Apr 2026

Connected Automated Vehicles As Emergent Control Agents: Reinforcement Learning For Cooperative Traffic Control In Urban Networks, Ayomide Afolabi, Duleep Rathgamage Don, Mahyar Amirgholy

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

Traffic congestion continues to pose a significant challenge, particularly in urban areas characterized by large populations and increasing vehicle ownership. Despite the implementation of various traffic management systems to address this issue, there remains substantial potential to introduce more advanced, intelligent and data-driven traffic management systems. These systems could further mitigate traffic congestion when integrated with existing measures. In this paper, we propose a reinforcement learning-based system (CAVRLS) that uses connected automated vehicles (CAVs) in mixed traffic environments to enable real-time centralized cooperative traffic control with the aim of reducing congestion in an inner congested network encircled by an outer …

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Distance-Based Clustering For Identifying Patterns In Lifetime Smoking Trajectories, Maryam Eghbalizarch, Niloufar Eghbali Apr 2026

Distance-Based Clustering For Identifying Patterns In Lifetime Smoking Trajectories, Maryam Eghbalizarch, Niloufar Eghbali

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

Cigarette smoking remains a major public health issue in the United States, causing more than 480,000 deaths annually and leading to significant healthcare and economic costs. Understanding smoking behavior over the life course is important for developing effective public health interventions. In this study, the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Smoking History Generator (SHG), which simulates individual life histories of smoking and mortality in the United States, was used to generate the smoking trajectories. A total of 200,000 individuals (100,000 males and 100,000 females) from the 1960 birth cohort were simulated. An unsupervised distance-based clustering (k-means) algorithm was …

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