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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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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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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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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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Not Yearning To Be Saved: Arranged (2007) And The Politics Of Liberal Savior Narratives, Shaheer Afaqi Apr 2026

Not Yearning To Be Saved: Arranged (2007) And The Politics Of Liberal Savior Narratives, Shaheer Afaqi

Journal of Religion & Film

In recent decades, Western film and television platforms have devoted growing attention to portrayals of Orthodox Jewish and Muslim communities. However, a significant subset of these productions is marked by an important limitation: the trend of savior narratives. Such narratives are based on the notion that Orthodox Jewish women and observant Muslim women are often yearning to escape their customs and communities. These narratives are a product of the liberal assumption that individual autonomy is central to human flourishing. However, this article argues that Arranged (2007) prepares audiences to question this assumption and thereby revisit savior narratives. Analyzing the film …

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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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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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Restorative Literacy: Designing Human-Centered Learning In Technological Times, Camille O'Quin Apr 2026

Restorative Literacy: Designing Human-Centered Learning In Technological Times, Camille O'Quin

Research Days

As educational environments increasingly integrate artificial intelligence and automated instructional tools, important questions emerge about what must remain distinctly human in teaching and learning. This presentation introduces Beyond the Margins (BTM): Restorative Literacy for Rising Voices, an interdisciplinary initiative that reimagines literacy instruction through relational, justice-centered practice in technological times.   Grounded in the Restorative Literacy framework, BTM integrates structured literacy instruction, narrative identity development, restorative dialogue, and interdisciplinary collaboration across speech-language pathology, social work, counseling, psychology, and special education. Implemented with justice-involved adolescents, the model positions reading and writing not only as academic skills but as pathways to voice, belonging, …

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More Utilitarian Or Less Deontological? A Process Dissociation Approach, Kyle Fleming Apr 2026

More Utilitarian Or Less Deontological? A Process Dissociation Approach, Kyle Fleming

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is well known in consumer behavior research that normatively equivalent tasks can elicit different preferences. Recent work has extended this finding to moral judgments, showing that matching tasks elicit stronger utilitarian preferences than choice or rating tasks. However, the processes driving these reversals remain unclear. According to the reflective utilitarian view, deeper processing increases utilitarian tendencies (i.e., the perceived importance of the outcome increases relative to the intrinsic moral value of the action). The intuitive deontologist view posits that deeper processing decreases deontological tendencies (i.e., the moral value of an action becomes less important). Finally, the reflective minimalist view …

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A Civil War Of Screens: How Partisan Media Fractures American Democracy, Ava Khlopin Apr 2026

A Civil War Of Screens: How Partisan Media Fractures American Democracy, Ava Khlopin

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Political polarization in the United States has always consistently posed a fragile threat to democratic stability, as seen in historic timelines of the Civil War. With the rise of highly partisan media, these threats have rapidly increased over the past two decades, forcing ideological division and threatening our nation's unity once again. This research focuses on whether partisan media affects political polarization. The study utilizes the NES data set and incorporates Framing Theory, Selective Exposure Theory, and Participatory Media Theory to examine the relationship between exposure to a particular media stream and ideological extremity. The results indicate that viewers of …

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Understanding Atopic Dermatitis In East Asian Populations, Kaitlin Chao Apr 2026

Understanding Atopic Dermatitis In East Asian Populations, Kaitlin Chao

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder driven by disrupted skin barriers and immune dysregulation. While much research has explored its mechanisms, most studies focus on generalized populations, overlooking critical ethnic differences. East Asian individuals, for example, experience a particularly high prevalence of AD, linked to unique genetic and immunologic patterns. Common FLG mutations in East Asians include R501X and c.3321delA; however, certain ethnic subgroups carry other variants, such as K4022X, S3296X, and S2889X, demonstrating how different mutations contribute to a range of atopic dermatitis severity. Immune analyses further reveal heightened Th17 and Th2 activation, elevated IgE levels, …

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Low-Dose Atropine As A Therapeutic Intervention For Myopia Progression, Annabelle Chang Apr 2026

Low-Dose Atropine As A Therapeutic Intervention For Myopia Progression, Annabelle Chang

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) is growing at an increasingly alarming rate throughout the world. Data from 2010 measured myopia presence in the world's population to be 27% yet is predicted to reach 52% by 2050. One of the most common interventions implemented today is low dose atropine (0.01-0.05%) which acts upon muscarinic receptors in the back of the eye to slow eyeball elongation. The objective of this experiment is to examine the effectiveness of low dose atropine on slowing myopia progression in children by monitoring refractive error and axial length. It was hypothesized that low dose atropine will produce …

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Importance Of Patient-Provider Concordance And Sickle Cell Disease, Hamza Atiq Shaikh, Shivank Lattupally, Stavya Gupta Apr 2026

Importance Of Patient-Provider Concordance And Sickle Cell Disease, Hamza Atiq Shaikh, Shivank Lattupally, Stavya Gupta

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States, with a disproportionate impact on African American communities. The disease is characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells that restrict blood flow, leading to chronic pain, organ damage, and reduced life expectancy. While medical advances such as hydroxyurea therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and emerging gene therapies have improved disease management, many patients continue to experience barriers in receiving effective and equitable care. One factor that may influence patient outcomes is patient-provider concordance, defined as shared characteristics such …

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Long Covid Analyzed: A Systematic Review Comparing Adults Affected By Long Covid To Adults Without Persistent Symptoms, Dev Patel Apr 2026

Long Covid Analyzed: A Systematic Review Comparing Adults Affected By Long Covid To Adults Without Persistent Symptoms, Dev Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Over one-hundred million Americans were diagnosed with COVID-19, resulting in over one million deaths so far. Long COVID is defined as a chronic condition that presents a wide range of conditions occurring after SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least three months. Since there is no definite test for Long Covid, many individuals may not know that they have this illness. Therefore, it is imperative within the Public Health field to synthesize current research to generate meaningful interventions and preventive practices. The research question is "What is the symptom spectrum like clusters, burden, for adults eighteen or older diagnosed …

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Artificial Intelligence Liability: Implications And Best Practices For Legal Professionals And Ai Developers, Alyssa Heinze Apr 2026

Artificial Intelligence Liability: Implications And Best Practices For Legal Professionals And Ai Developers, Alyssa Heinze

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into the legal profession has transformed legal research, drafting, and decision-making, while simultaneously introducing novel ethical, regulatory, and liability risks. As attorneys increasingly rely on generative AI systems, concerns surrounding hallucinations, bias, confidentiality breaches, and deceptive outputs have exposed both legal professionals and AI developers to heightened scrutiny. This presentation examines the current and emerging landscape of artificial intelligence liability in the United States, with particular attention to the absence of a comprehensive federal regulatory framework and the constitutional controversy surrounding Executive Order 14179 and its preemption of state AI legislation. By analyzing federal …

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Addressing Co-Occurring Mental Illness In Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ella Riddle Apr 2026

Addressing Co-Occurring Mental Illness In Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ella Riddle

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Co-occurring mental health conditions are highly prevalent among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and represent a significant area of concern in adult mental health care. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders reports that between 73%-81% of adults with ASD meet the criteria for at least one co-occurring mental illness (Buck et al., 2014). The national average of adults living with mental illness, as determined in 2022, is 23.1% (National Institute of Health, 2022). As these statistics illustrate, adults with ASD experience high rates of co-occurring mental illness, yet these conditions are often treated …

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State Of Tennessee Board Of Parole 2023-24 Annual Report, Tennessee. Board Of Parole. Apr 2026

State Of Tennessee Board Of Parole 2023-24 Annual Report, Tennessee. Board Of Parole.

Board of Parole

No abstract provided.

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State Of Tennessee Board Of Parole 2024-25 Annual Report, Tennessee. Board Of Parole. Apr 2026

State Of Tennessee Board Of Parole 2024-25 Annual Report, Tennessee. Board Of Parole.

Board of Parole

No abstract provided.

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Marine Mammal Bone As Recorder Of Trace Element Dynamics During The Past 5500 Years In The North Pacific Ocean, Aidan Pflieger Apr 2026

Marine Mammal Bone As Recorder Of Trace Element Dynamics During The Past 5500 Years In The North Pacific Ocean, Aidan Pflieger

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The North Pacific Ocean has been geologically dynamic and biologically diverse since the Last Glacial Maximum (20,000 ybp). Natural fluctuations in island arc volcanism and climate likely influence the input of essential and nonessential trace elements to the Aleutian Island Archipelago, even to present day. Accumulation of these elements in the region's marine food webs provides a measure of natural fluctuations in the environment. Ninety-eight samples of tephra-preserved marine mammal bone (primarily pinnipeds) sourced from temporally identified archeological Aleut midden sites on Unalaska Island (5500-200 ypb), were analyzed for 20 trace elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations …

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The Impact Of Mouthwashes On Oral Microbiome Communities In University Students, Jinil Milind Shah, Simar Mathoun, Richa Rajesh, Hyungkyu Kim, Varsha Adabala, Chelsea Borja, Rhianna Jacob, Trisha Jois, Jordan Monteiro, Noura Naami Apr 2026

The Impact Of Mouthwashes On Oral Microbiome Communities In University Students, Jinil Milind Shah, Simar Mathoun, Richa Rajesh, Hyungkyu Kim, Varsha Adabala, Chelsea Borja, Rhianna Jacob, Trisha Jois, Jordan Monteiro, Noura Naami

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The oral cavity hosts a complex microbial ecosystem, which can be altered due to physical or chemical exposures, such as dental mouthwashes. This study examined the short-term impact of two commonly used Listerine mouthwashes, alcohol-containing and alcohol-free, compared to water (as control) on the oral microbiome and salivary pH in a college student population. Oral swab samples were collected after the oral rinse and salivary pH measurements were obtained to assess immediate biochemical changes. Microbial DNA was extracted and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using PCR. Sequencing was performed on an Illumina MiSeq platform, producing …

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Exploring The Presence Of Persistent Organic Pollutants (Pops) In The Muscle Tissue Of Various Alaskan Salmon Species, Sara Simonetti, Victoria Angelini, Vanessa Miro Apr 2026

Exploring The Presence Of Persistent Organic Pollutants (Pops) In The Muscle Tissue Of Various Alaskan Salmon Species, Sara Simonetti, Victoria Angelini, Vanessa Miro

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alaska supplies 60% of the fish consumed in the United States; therefore, determining the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fish sourced from that area is critical. POPs are chemical compounds that are classified as one of 209 congeners of either polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). They resist degradation and contribute to a range of harmful effects to both humans and wildlife, such as cancers and birth defects. Their introduction into the environment stemmed from their industrial and agricultural usage. However, despite being banned by the Stockholm Convention in 2004, they continue to be present in …

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Identifying Biomarkers Indicative Of Active And Passive Exposure To Electronic Cigarette Aerosols, Armaan Makwana, Om Patel, Suhani Makwana, Chelsea Nguyen Apr 2026

Identifying Biomarkers Indicative Of Active And Passive Exposure To Electronic Cigarette Aerosols, Armaan Makwana, Om Patel, Suhani Makwana, Chelsea Nguyen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have grown in popularity as they are portrayed as a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, recent studies have identified the presence of toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes liquids and their aerosols. While active users of e-cigarettes (AE) are directly exposed to these chemicals, little is known about the extent of exposure in non-users who are passively exposed (PE) to e-cigarette aerosols. In this study, we analyzed saliva samples from active users and non-users who are either passively exposed (those who live or work with an active user) or not exposed to e-cigarette aerosols to determine whether their …

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Fear, Formation, And The Dark Transcendent: Two Theological Approaches To Horror, John W. Morehead Apr 2026

Fear, Formation, And The Dark Transcendent: Two Theological Approaches To Horror, John W. Morehead

Journal of Religion & Film

This essay reviews two books: Bryan Stone, Christianity and Horror Cinema (Routledge Studies in Religion and Film) (New York: Routledge, 2025), and Ryan G. Duns, S.J., Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 2025).

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