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- Title
- Help or hindrance: an evaluation of the 287(g) program and local immigration enforcement in Florida.
- Creator
- Klaas, Kristina, Steigenga, Timothy J., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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The 287(g) program trains state local law enforcement agencies and authorizes them to enforce federal immigration law. Utilizing data from Collier, Bay, Miami-Dade, and Lake counties, this thesis analyzes the impact of Florida's 287(g) program to determine if the program effectively targets "criminal aliens," as outlined in the goals of the program. While the implementation of 287(g) in Florida has increased the number of unauthorized immigrants deported, the initiative has not effectively...
Show moreThe 287(g) program trains state local law enforcement agencies and authorizes them to enforce federal immigration law. Utilizing data from Collier, Bay, Miami-Dade, and Lake counties, this thesis analyzes the impact of Florida's 287(g) program to determine if the program effectively targets "criminal aliens," as outlined in the goals of the program. While the implementation of 287(g) in Florida has increased the number of unauthorized immigrants deported, the initiative has not effectively met its stated goal to target criminal aliens. Furthermore, the 287(g) program has resulted in other consequences, such as the criminalization of immigrants, hindering local law enforcement agencies in promoting community safety, and transferring local immigration enforcement costs to the federal government.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003589
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A mathematical model of the Austrian political business cycle.
- Creator
- Bensoussan, Ilan, Jakee, Keith, Blue, Meredith, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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We construct a formal model that reconciles non-formal risk-based Austrian business cycle theory with models of political business cycles. In our model, the incumbent political party induces the central bank to enact an expansionary monetary policy. This policy lowers the real interest rate, which leads to an increase in investments. As more individuals invest, assets inflate, leading to a boom-bust cycle; voter utility increases because asset values are higher. An increase in voter utility...
Show moreWe construct a formal model that reconciles non-formal risk-based Austrian business cycle theory with models of political business cycles. In our model, the incumbent political party induces the central bank to enact an expansionary monetary policy. This policy lowers the real interest rate, which leads to an increase in investments. As more individuals invest, assets inflate, leading to a boom-bust cycle; voter utility increases because asset values are higher. An increase in voter utility leads to an increased likelihood that the incumbent political party will be reelected. In an attempt to avoid a violent bust in assets, the central bank may implement a contractionary monetary policy to raise the real interest rate in increments. If the financial system becomes illiquid before the policy is implemented, then a speculative bubble burst occurs. The cycle regenerates a year before the next election when an accommodative monetary policy is implemented once again.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003558
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An animal model of performance enhancing drugs and catastrophic interference.
- Creator
- Rabinowitz, Akiva, Earles, Julie L., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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The neural networks that underlie memory and learning are some of the most complex systems that scientists seek to describe. Recent research has demonstrated that drugs which increase synaptic plasticity possess the capacity to enhance memory. The question that the present study sought to address was whether it is possible that cognition-enhancing drugs might enhance some memories to the detriment of others. Mice of the C57BL/6J inbred strain were trained on the Morris water maze task. They...
Show moreThe neural networks that underlie memory and learning are some of the most complex systems that scientists seek to describe. Recent research has demonstrated that drugs which increase synaptic plasticity possess the capacity to enhance memory. The question that the present study sought to address was whether it is possible that cognition-enhancing drugs might enhance some memories to the detriment of others. Mice of the C57BL/6J inbred strain were trained on the Morris water maze task. They were then transferred over to a second, similar, water maze and trained using either the cognition-enhancing drug apamin or saline injected intraperitoneally. A strong correlation was observed in the apamin mice. The better they learned the second water maze task, the poorer they recalled the solution to the initial water maze. Our findings support the concept that performance-enhancing drugs are a facilitative factor in the memory phenomenon of proactive interference.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003600
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Alarm pheromones in aquatic snail species: schreckstoff and stuff.
- Creator
- Apap, Ian, Wetterer, James, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Many aquatic organisms show alarm responses to chemical cues. For my thesis research, I tested whether two species of aquatic snail (one freshwater and one estuarine) show response to chemicals released by a crushed conspecific. I measured behavioral reaction of a freshwater snail and an estuarine snail species. I first tested the species from a freshwater pond, comparing the behavior of snail exposed to crushed snail extract with controls over a period of 24 h. In the first trial,...
Show moreMany aquatic organisms show alarm responses to chemical cues. For my thesis research, I tested whether two species of aquatic snail (one freshwater and one estuarine) show response to chemicals released by a crushed conspecific. I measured behavioral reaction of a freshwater snail and an estuarine snail species. I first tested the species from a freshwater pond, comparing the behavior of snail exposed to crushed snail extract with controls over a period of 24 h. In the first trial, significantly more snails climbed out of the water at the 8-h mark (χ2=8.86, p<.05) and the 24-h mark (χ2=4.98, p<.05). In the second trial, this difference was significant at the 2-h mark (χ2=4.43, p<.05). In one trial with estuarine snails, I found no evidence of an alarm response. The differences in response between the two species may relate to differences in environment. Alarm chemicals may supply useful information on local predation in a pond with little water movement, but not in an estuary, where water flow would quickly disperse these chemicals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003555
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Androcentric expressions in academic writings.
- Creator
- Coats, Ashley, Njambi, Wairimũ N., Lanning, Kevin, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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The pervasiveness of androcentric thinking in many Western societies is evident in language. A prime example of androcentric language has historically been English, especially formal writing. In recognition of this detrimental practice, the American Psychological Association (APA) began prohibiting use of the generic “he” in articles published in psychology journals during the 1970's. However, other forms of malecentered language remained unchallenged, and I argue that academic writings still...
Show moreThe pervasiveness of androcentric thinking in many Western societies is evident in language. A prime example of androcentric language has historically been English, especially formal writing. In recognition of this detrimental practice, the American Psychological Association (APA) began prohibiting use of the generic “he” in articles published in psychology journals during the 1970's. However, other forms of malecentered language remained unchallenged, and I argue that academic writings still favor masculine interests. In this study, articles published in academic journals were examined for four instances of possible androcentric expression: number of citations for female versus male authors within a journal; frequency of first name stated in citations of male versus female authors; first placement of female versus male data in correlation matrix tables; and attribution of difference to males versus females in comparison statements. Significant results were found in all studies. These instances have practical implications, including discrepancies in who is applying for positions and who is receiving them.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003571
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- If you can’t play nice, play roller derby: investigating gender performativity in women’s flat track roller derby.
- Creator
- Valerie Cannon, Fewkes, Jacqueline, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby is one of few contact sports available to women in the U.S. in which women play by the same rules as men. Contact sports are traditionally a male dominated arena in the United States. Rollergirls both challenge and negotiate socially constructed gender norms by participating in this contact sport while dressing and fundraising according to heteronormative concepts of sex appeal and femininity. While Rollergirls demonstrate their strength and endurance on the...
Show moreWomen’s Flat Track Roller Derby is one of few contact sports available to women in the U.S. in which women play by the same rules as men. Contact sports are traditionally a male dominated arena in the United States. Rollergirls both challenge and negotiate socially constructed gender norms by participating in this contact sport while dressing and fundraising according to heteronormative concepts of sex appeal and femininity. While Rollergirls demonstrate their strength and endurance on the track, they often do so under a derby persona, emphasizing their femininity to counterbalance their participation in a masculine activity. In this manner, Rollergirls demonstrate how intertwined athletic capability and sexuality are, and the difficulty gaining recognition in female athletics.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003569
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- From borders to neighborhoods: explaining the shift toward state and local immigration law enforcement in the United States.
- Creator
- Cadena, Erika, Steigenga, Timothy J., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Immigration law enforcement has historically been a federal responsibility. The 1996 enactment of section §287 (g) of the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act represented a major change, allowing state and local officers to be trained to perform the legal functions of immigration officers through Memorandums of Understanding (MOAs) with the federal government. Despite this change, few states utilized the MOA process until after the terrorist attacks of September 11th,...
Show moreImmigration law enforcement has historically been a federal responsibility. The 1996 enactment of section §287 (g) of the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act represented a major change, allowing state and local officers to be trained to perform the legal functions of immigration officers through Memorandums of Understanding (MOAs) with the federal government. Despite this change, few states utilized the MOA process until after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Following the attacks, there has been a steady increase in both the number of MOAs and other forms of local and state immigration enforcement (such as Arizona's SB 1070). This thesis argues that the shift toward local immigration policy activism is a result of the post-9111 political atmosphere, the repeated failure of comprehensive immigration reform, and the rise of new migrant destinations. An analysis of these factors points to the primarily symbolic nature of local immigration enforcement initiatives.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003567
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Junot Díaz y su personaje Oscar Wao: un acercamiento hacia lo dominicano.
- Creator
- Boulos, Tara Maïke, Cañete-Quesada, Carmen, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Junot Díaz’s novel centers on the life of Oscar Wao, a black overweight, “ghetto nerd” who is obsessed by two passions: women and science fiction. Although Oscar identifies himself as a Dominican-American, he does not resemble the “ideal” Dominican man and does not share the stereotypical “Dominican qualities”, such as hyper-sexual or machismo behavior. His peculiarities, on the contrary, classify him not only as an outsider within North American society but also within the Dominican...
Show moreJunot Díaz’s novel centers on the life of Oscar Wao, a black overweight, “ghetto nerd” who is obsessed by two passions: women and science fiction. Although Oscar identifies himself as a Dominican-American, he does not resemble the “ideal” Dominican man and does not share the stereotypical “Dominican qualities”, such as hyper-sexual or machismo behavior. His peculiarities, on the contrary, classify him not only as an outsider within North American society but also within the Dominican community. By placing this marginal character in the center of his novel, Díaz reconsiders and reconstructs “Dominicanness” as it has been presented by previous Dominican authors. This thesis explores the way Díaz breaks away from conventionalism and offers a more complex and diverse image of Dominican-American identity today.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003563
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Three Assassins: Women, Revolution and Violence in Modern World History.
- Creator
- Zigmond, Ashleah, Ely, Christopher, McGetchin, Douglas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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This thesis examines three women who committed the unprecedented crime of attempting to assassinate a key male figure in three separate times and places. It involves the government’s and society’s reaction and implications about the role of gender in the violent deeds transforming society at times of revolutionary upheaval. The women examined are Charlotte Corday from eighteenth century France, Vera Zasulich from nineteenth century Russia, and Shi Jianqiao from twentieth century China. These...
Show moreThis thesis examines three women who committed the unprecedented crime of attempting to assassinate a key male figure in three separate times and places. It involves the government’s and society’s reaction and implications about the role of gender in the violent deeds transforming society at times of revolutionary upheaval. The women examined are Charlotte Corday from eighteenth century France, Vera Zasulich from nineteenth century Russia, and Shi Jianqiao from twentieth century China. These women shared numerous qualities that, when combined, provided the women with the ability to see themselves as equals in the patriarchal societies in which they lived, allowing them to participate in the typically male dominated public sphere.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003610_0
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Synthesis and reactivity of organometallic complexes of iridium and iron in aqueous and basic media.
- Creator
- Webster-Gardiner, Michael, Smith, Eugene, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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The catalytic activation of C-H bonds and the subsequent functionalization of hydrocarbons into heteroatom containing products is an area of fundamental importance in chemistry. Three different iridium pincer complexes for C-H activation were synthesized, IrCl3NNN, IrCl3NNN methyl, IrCl3NNNN (NNN= bis-((benzoimidazol))amine), (NNNmethyl = bis-(benzoimidazol)methyl)amine), and (NNNN = tris-((benzoimidazol))amine). These complexes were analyzed for C-H activation between benzoic acid and KOD...
Show moreThe catalytic activation of C-H bonds and the subsequent functionalization of hydrocarbons into heteroatom containing products is an area of fundamental importance in chemistry. Three different iridium pincer complexes for C-H activation were synthesized, IrCl3NNN, IrCl3NNN methyl, IrCl3NNNN (NNN= bis-((benzoimidazol))amine), (NNNmethyl = bis-(benzoimidazol)methyl)amine), and (NNNN = tris-((benzoimidazol))amine). These complexes were analyzed for C-H activation between benzoic acid and KOD/D2O solutions. We found that the C-H activation did not proceed catalytically. Also iron containing derivatives containing similar ligand motifs were synthesized , FeCl3NNNN, FeCl3IPI, FeCl3BPB, FeCl3BPB-OH (IPI = 2,6-diimidizoylpyridine, BPB = 2,6-dibenzoimidizoylpyridine, BPB-OH = 4-hydoxy-2,6,dibenzoimidizoylpyridine) and studied for their reactivity towards C-H bonds, O2 and N2 in aqueous basic media. The iron complexes were analyzed for the possibility of using them as O-atom or N-atom transfer reagents for hydrocarbon oxidation. Preliminary results suggest that upon reduction the iron complexes are capable of direct reaction with O2 and N2.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003609_0
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Politics of Propaganda and Repression in Ceausescu.s Romania.
- Creator
- Bartholomew, Andrew, Ely, Christopher, White, Daniel, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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From 1967-1989 President Nicolae Ceausescu and the Securitate (the secret or political police) repressed the Romanian people through the use of classic propaganda techniques and a unique manipulation of Romania's own national and cultural history. Ceausescu did this in order to cement his hold on the Romanian people and to ensure that Communism remained the dominant ideology within the nation. This thesis argues that Ceausescu manipulated Romania's Latin heritage, cultural and historical...
Show moreFrom 1967-1989 President Nicolae Ceausescu and the Securitate (the secret or political police) repressed the Romanian people through the use of classic propaganda techniques and a unique manipulation of Romania's own national and cultural history. Ceausescu did this in order to cement his hold on the Romanian people and to ensure that Communism remained the dominant ideology within the nation. This thesis argues that Ceausescu manipulated Romania's Latin heritage, cultural and historical icons, and the nation's national identity and history to sustain his regime. Ceausescu used these native sources and the state sponsored repression of the Securitate to give his regime the trappings of legitimacy and to cement his rule.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003556
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The death of privacy: an empirical analysis of fourth amendment jurisprudence.
- Creator
- Mathieu, Wesley, Tunick, Mark, Earles, Julie, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Privacy as a legal concept affects every single American citizen whether they know it or not. Justice Harlan's concurrence in Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 defined an expectation of privacy as one that society must recognize as objectively reasonable. The court has used this doctrine to establish different privacy tests for different situations, yet has never empirically determined whether its decisions accurately reflect society's view of what is 'reasonable.' To that end, this paper...
Show morePrivacy as a legal concept affects every single American citizen whether they know it or not. Justice Harlan's concurrence in Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 defined an expectation of privacy as one that society must recognize as objectively reasonable. The court has used this doctrine to establish different privacy tests for different situations, yet has never empirically determined whether its decisions accurately reflect society's view of what is 'reasonable.' To that end, this paper will examine the philosophical and historical origins of the right to privacy, and well as its development by the Supreme Court to its current status. I'll compare the Supreme Court's interpretation of society's expectations with empirical data from psychological studies and conduct a normative analysis to determine if the Supreme Court has accurately interpreted society's expectations and correctly crafted the right to privacy to ideally protect the citizens and limit state invasions of privacy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003593
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The antecedents of attitudes toward homosexuality: a comparison of the effects of disgust, openness, religion and contact on anti-gay attitudes.
- Creator
- Newton, Jessica, Lanning, Kevin, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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In this study, I examined the structure of predictors of attitudes toward homosexuality in a sample of nearly 800 respondents. Predictors included measures of personality (Openness to Experience), emotion (Disgust), beliefs (Religiosity), other attitudes (Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism), as well as prior exposure to homosexuals (Contact). These variables were examined in a series of statistical analyses in the prediction of Homonegativity (anti-gay attitudes). I...
Show moreIn this study, I examined the structure of predictors of attitudes toward homosexuality in a sample of nearly 800 respondents. Predictors included measures of personality (Openness to Experience), emotion (Disgust), beliefs (Religiosity), other attitudes (Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism), as well as prior exposure to homosexuals (Contact). These variables were examined in a series of statistical analyses in the prediction of Homonegativity (anti-gay attitudes). I anticipated that Contact would serve as a mediator of relationships between the remaining predictors and anti-gay attitudes. As predicted, Contact did partially mediate the relationship between two of the antecedent variables (Openness and Religiosity) and attitudes toward homosexuality. These results help answer questions like whether people who are high in Openness are low in anti-gay attitudes (a) simply because they are open or (b) because their Openness drives them to interact with homosexuals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003597
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The case of the finals tree: how constitutional issues can be resolved outside of the courtroom.
- Creator
- LoPiccolo, Alicia, Tunick, Mark, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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In December of 2005, members of the Harriet Wilkes Honors College voiced objections over the erection of a Finals Tree, a faculty and staff endorsed pine tree that held various snacks for students during finals weeks. In an email, the tree was accidentally called a Christmas tree, which it did resemble. One faculty who objected deemed the tree unconstitutional because he felt the university was endorsing a particular religion and was acting unethically. I examine the history of the Finals...
Show moreIn December of 2005, members of the Harriet Wilkes Honors College voiced objections over the erection of a Finals Tree, a faculty and staff endorsed pine tree that held various snacks for students during finals weeks. In an email, the tree was accidentally called a Christmas tree, which it did resemble. One faculty who objected deemed the tree unconstitutional because he felt the university was endorsing a particular religion and was acting unethically. I examine the history of the Finals tree tradition, evaluate its constitutionality according to Supreme Court precedent, and examine whether its display violates the rights of those opposed to the tree according to democratic theory. I conclude that the erection of the tree is constitutional; however, according to democratic theory, the Honors College acted in an ethical way by creating a compromise that replaced the pine tree with a palm tree, a tree with no religious connotations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003592
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Role of IL-17 in T-Cell Development.
- Creator
- Gopaldas, Manesh, Kirchman, Paul A., Chandrasekhar, Chitra, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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T-lymphocytes develop from bone marrow derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mature in the thymus, where they participate in reciprocal signaling with thymic stromal cells. The thymic developmental stages are well characterized, but only a few intrathymic signals that influence the development of T-lymphocytes have been identified. Previous microarray experiments revealed interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and its receptor (IL-17RA) as a possible stromal-lymphoid signal. In this study, an IL-17RA...
Show moreT-lymphocytes develop from bone marrow derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mature in the thymus, where they participate in reciprocal signaling with thymic stromal cells. The thymic developmental stages are well characterized, but only a few intrathymic signals that influence the development of T-lymphocytes have been identified. Previous microarray experiments revealed interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and its receptor (IL-17RA) as a possible stromal-lymphoid signal. In this study, an IL-17RA-/- knockout was used to determine whether the IL-17RA gene has a role in T-lymphocyte maturation. We made competitive bone marrow chimeras and analyzed the percentage of donor wildtype and mutant HSCs present in the bone marrow, and compared it to the percentage of a particular blood cell type that developed from these donor HSCs. We found that IL-17RA influences the maturation of T-lymphocytes, but does not affect the development of other immune cells such as B-lymphocytes, macrophages, and granulocytes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003578
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The minimum rank problem for chordal graphs.
- Creator
- Lang, Robert, McGovern, Warren, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Determining the minimum rank of a graph has been actively studied in combinatorial matrix theory over the past decade. Given a simple, undirected graph G on n vertices, the problem is to determine the minimum rank over all real, symmetric n x n matrices whose nonzero off-diagonal entries occur in the positions corresponding to the edges of G. We use graph decompositions such as cliques, cycles, complete bipartites, etc. to help determine the minimum rank. Our focus rests on decompositions...
Show moreDetermining the minimum rank of a graph has been actively studied in combinatorial matrix theory over the past decade. Given a simple, undirected graph G on n vertices, the problem is to determine the minimum rank over all real, symmetric n x n matrices whose nonzero off-diagonal entries occur in the positions corresponding to the edges of G. We use graph decompositions such as cliques, cycles, complete bipartites, etc. to help determine the minimum rank. Our focus rests on decompositions using cliques and clique-stars. We note that cliques and clique-stars have minimum rank of 1 and 2 respectively. Such a decomposition is useful for the set of chordal graphs. A chordal graph is one that does not have an induced k-cycle, k ≥ 4. We use cliques and clique-stars to determine the minimum rank of chordal graphs with either three cliques or one clique and one clique-star in a decomposition. We highlight an example that demonstrates the difficulty of calculating the minimum rank.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003590
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The determination of KIF9's possible involvement in vesicular transport.
- Creator
- Cabibi, Lewis J., Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Vesicular transport is vital to the living cell. Motor proteins, such as the kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs), travel along microtubules with attached vesicles to achieve vesicular transport (Hirokawa 2008). However, not all kinesins participate in vesicular transport, some are required for other cellular functions. A recent study showed that the KIF9 motor is involved in keeping the microtubule organization center (MTOC) correctly positioned and oriented in Dictyostelium (Tikhonenko et al...
Show moreVesicular transport is vital to the living cell. Motor proteins, such as the kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs), travel along microtubules with attached vesicles to achieve vesicular transport (Hirokawa 2008). However, not all kinesins participate in vesicular transport, some are required for other cellular functions. A recent study showed that the KIF9 motor is involved in keeping the microtubule organization center (MTOC) correctly positioned and oriented in Dictyostelium (Tikhonenko et al., 2009), suggesting it may be involved in non-transport functions. By modulating protein expression levels of KIF9 in COS7 cells, this study aims to determine whether or not KIF9 contributes to vesicular motility. Using a fluorescent dye, we have been able to track lysosome movements in living cells. Our analysis has shown that decreasing KIF9 expression has no effect on the velocity of vesicle motility, but does slightly affect processivity. This suggests that KIF9 is not directly involved in cell motility, and serves another function within the cell which may serve to decrease overall processivity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003566
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Studies towards synthesis of paraconic acids.
- Creator
- Soto, Karenia, Dragojlovic, Veljko, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Paraconic acids are naturally occurring compounds synthesized by bacteria and fungi. They are known for having antitumor and antibiotic properties. By use of a phasevanishing (PV) halolactonization with PTFE (Teflon) as a phase screen, we were able to synthesize precursors to these compounds. The PV-PTFE halolactonization of alkenoic acids with iodine monochloride gave the corresponding iodolactones, while halolactonization with bromine gave the corresponding bromolactone. Halolactonization...
Show moreParaconic acids are naturally occurring compounds synthesized by bacteria and fungi. They are known for having antitumor and antibiotic properties. By use of a phasevanishing (PV) halolactonization with PTFE (Teflon) as a phase screen, we were able to synthesize precursors to these compounds. The PV-PTFE halolactonization of alkenoic acids with iodine monochloride gave the corresponding iodolactones, while halolactonization with bromine gave the corresponding bromolactone. Halolactonization of 4-pentenoic acid with water as a solvent also gave good results. Future experiments will explore the synthesis of further precursors by means of a photolytic carbonylation of iodolactone and a phenylation-ruthenium tetroxide oxidation sequence.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003607
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Loosing the chains of injustice: the case for trying enemy combatants fairly.
- Creator
- Gray, Alan R., Tunick, Mark, Vázquez, Miguel Ángel, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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In Boumediene v. Bush, the Supreme Court held that individuals detained as enemy combatants at U.S. Naval Base Guantánamo Bay (GTMO) during the War on Terror are constitutionally entitled to the writ of habeas corpus. In so finding, the Court failed to thoroughly investigate the nature of the United States‟ relationship with Cuba – an investigation that would have indicated that procedural due process also ought to be extended to those detained at the base. In this thesis, I review the legal...
Show moreIn Boumediene v. Bush, the Supreme Court held that individuals detained as enemy combatants at U.S. Naval Base Guantánamo Bay (GTMO) during the War on Terror are constitutionally entitled to the writ of habeas corpus. In so finding, the Court failed to thoroughly investigate the nature of the United States‟ relationship with Cuba – an investigation that would have indicated that procedural due process also ought to be extended to those detained at the base. In this thesis, I review the legal battle over enemy combatants, evaluate the writ of habeas corpus as a remedy for unlawful detention, examine the extension of the Constitution beyond its territorial limits, conduct a detailed review of U.S.-Cuban relations, and conclude that GTMO detainees are also constitutionally entitled to all the protections of procedural due process.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003579_0
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Lowering oxidative stress with increased methionine content of mitochondrial aconitase.
- Creator
- Batlle, Jessica, Kirchman, Paul A., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Oxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion (O2' —), hydroxyl radical (HO.), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), build up to detrimental levels in the cell, and effects of oxidative stress are associated with aging. Mitochondria are the main site of oxidative stress, most likely due to the high level of ROS produced during respiration. Mitochondrial aconitase is an enzyme involved in respiration; due to the presence of an iron-sulfur cluster in the active...
Show moreOxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion (O2' —), hydroxyl radical (HO.), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), build up to detrimental levels in the cell, and effects of oxidative stress are associated with aging. Mitochondria are the main site of oxidative stress, most likely due to the high level of ROS produced during respiration. Mitochondrial aconitase is an enzyme involved in respiration; due to the presence of an iron-sulfur cluster in the active site, it is a target for ROS. A plasmid containing the aconitase gene to be inserted into Saccharomyces cerevisiae was designed, and will be used in the future for the pop-in pop-out method; mitochondrial aconitase will be subjected to point mutations, replacing several leucine and isoleucine amino acid residues with methionine residues near the active site and on the surface of the enzyme. The amino acid methionine has a sulfur group, which also acts as a target for ROS and could prevent inactivation of the iron-sulfur cluster of aconitase.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003557
- Format
- Document (PDF)