Current Search: FAU (x) » info:fedora/fau:williamsphotos (x) » Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College (x)
View All Items
Pages
- Title
- Plea bargaining, coercion, and fairness.
- Creator
- Jimenez, James R., Tunick, Mark, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
The process of plea bargaining in the American legal system has long been criticized for being coercive. I use Robert Nozick’s criteria for coercion to show that plea bargaining is not inherently coercive. However, prosecutors can introduce coercion into the process, and the possibility of uneven introduction of coercion in offering pleas makes the system of plea bargaining unfair. However, that plea bargaining can be unfair and often coercive does not mean that it must be abolished. Although...
Show moreThe process of plea bargaining in the American legal system has long been criticized for being coercive. I use Robert Nozick’s criteria for coercion to show that plea bargaining is not inherently coercive. However, prosecutors can introduce coercion into the process, and the possibility of uneven introduction of coercion in offering pleas makes the system of plea bargaining unfair. However, that plea bargaining can be unfair and often coercive does not mean that it must be abolished. Although the current state of plea bargaining is not ideal and does result in unfairness for many, there does not seem to be any viable options to radically reform the process at this time without losing efficiency, though standardizing some plea offers while leaving the discretion of whether to offer pleas to the prosecution could help remove some of the coerciveness and unfairness
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003587
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Racializing the queer: racialized bodies and the construction of gay and lesbian identities.
- Creator
- López, Andy, Njambi, Wairimũ N., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
The contemporary Gay and Lesbian movement emphasizes “identity” in an effort to unify all people being marginalized based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. However, such an “identity” falls short of inclusion of all people of color, and becomes a tool for the oppression of those who do not fall within the contexts already defined. This paper will highlight parallels between the construction of racialized sexuality and the construction of “gay” and “lesbian” identities....
Show moreThe contemporary Gay and Lesbian movement emphasizes “identity” in an effort to unify all people being marginalized based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. However, such an “identity” falls short of inclusion of all people of color, and becomes a tool for the oppression of those who do not fall within the contexts already defined. This paper will highlight parallels between the construction of racialized sexuality and the construction of “gay” and “lesbian” identities. Moreover, I will examine the ways in which Race Studies and Gay & Lesbian Studies are entangled in the context of American culture, particularly with regards to racialized bodies and the ways in which they have been marked as “sexually deviant." Utilizing my own experiences as a person of color, whose body does not match common conceptions of male and female, I argue that any identity formation denies the multiplicities present within a given body
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003591
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Lysander Spooner, Lifestyle Anarchism, and Jury Nullification.
- Creator
- Skrod, Ed, White, Daniel, Christopher Strain, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Individual anarchism, a social movement of the early nineteenth century, was founded on the principles of self-sovereignty and individualism. One such anarchist, Lysander Spooner, argues in “Vices are not Crimes” that vices should not be criminalized by the State. To do so, “deprive*s+ every man of his… liberty to pursue his own happiness.”1 I argue that Spooner’s essay lays the foundation for “lifestyle anarchism,” the doctrine that all the affairs of human beings within the domain of their...
Show moreIndividual anarchism, a social movement of the early nineteenth century, was founded on the principles of self-sovereignty and individualism. One such anarchist, Lysander Spooner, argues in “Vices are not Crimes” that vices should not be criminalized by the State. To do so, “deprive*s+ every man of his… liberty to pursue his own happiness.”1 I argue that Spooner’s essay lays the foundation for “lifestyle anarchism,” the doctrine that all the affairs of human beings within the domain of their lifestyle choices (provided they do not harm the person or property of another), should be managed by individuals or voluntary associations. One method of resistance against the criminalization of lifestyle choices is jury nullification: the ability of the jury to return a verdict of “not guilty” despite evidence of guilt. Spooner, in An Essay on the Trial by Jury, argues that nullification can be used to resist oppressive laws. I contend that lifestyle anarchists should support efforts by organizations such as the Fully Informed Jury Association to educate the public of their ability to practice jury nullification.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003606
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Isolating the Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Gene (SOD2) from T. scripta"".
- Creator
- Sanchez, Jairo, Kirchman, Paul A., Chandrasekhar, Chitra, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are molecular oxygen-derived molecules that are exceedingly reactive, often generated as free radical bi-products of mitochondrial respiration, which cause oxidative stress that leads to aging. To avoid the generation of ROS, aerobic organisms have antioxidant defense mechanisms that use enzymes such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) to convert the superoxide radicals into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. Manganesecontaining SOD (Mn-SOD), a product of the SOD2 gene is...
Show moreReactive oxygen species (ROS) are molecular oxygen-derived molecules that are exceedingly reactive, often generated as free radical bi-products of mitochondrial respiration, which cause oxidative stress that leads to aging. To avoid the generation of ROS, aerobic organisms have antioxidant defense mechanisms that use enzymes such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) to convert the superoxide radicals into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. Manganesecontaining SOD (Mn-SOD), a product of the SOD2 gene is found in all eukaryotic organisms in the mitochondrial matrix, including T. scripta (red-eared slider turtle). Extraordinarily, T. scripta can live without oxygen for long periods of time without experiencing adverse effects when oxygen is again available. The purpose of our experiment is to clone the T. scripta SOD2 gene, and test its activity. A partial fragment of the gene has been isolated by screening the cDNA library, and we are currently working on finding the remaining sequence.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003605
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Isolation of the methionine sulfoxide reductase B3 (MSRB3) gene from the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans.
- Creator
- Bishop, Eric, Kirchman, Paul A., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) is hypothesized to be a primary cause of aging and aging-related diseases. For my thesis research, my advisor and I examined adaptation to oxidative stress in the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, a turtle that goes long periods with low oxygen during hibernation, but then quickly re-acclimates to higher oxygen levels upon surfacing. This dramatic ischemia/reperfusion event should result in ROS formation, but the turtle appears to...
Show moreOxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) is hypothesized to be a primary cause of aging and aging-related diseases. For my thesis research, my advisor and I examined adaptation to oxidative stress in the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, a turtle that goes long periods with low oxygen during hibernation, but then quickly re-acclimates to higher oxygen levels upon surfacing. This dramatic ischemia/reperfusion event should result in ROS formation, but the turtle appears to reduce oxidative stress. We aimed to isolate the gene for methionine sulfoxide reductase B3, a protein that alleviates oxidative stress by reconverting oxygen damaged methionine-R-sulfoxide to the amino acid methionine. We designed degenerate primers to amplify a conserved region of the MSRB gene to isolate a partial DNA sequence. We then used 5’ RACE PCR and vectorette library PCR to isolate much of the coding region of the gene from T. scripta.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003560
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Recent developments in phase-vanishing reactions with PTFE (Teflon®) as a phase screen.
- Creator
- Pels, Kevin, Dragojlovic, Veljko, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
The Phase-Vanishing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon®) method separates two reactants with a layer of semipermeable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon®) tape. Expanding on previous work by Van Zee and Dragojlovic, this work investigates the use of the PV-PTFE method under solvent-free conditions and explores its value as a synthetic method for Wittig reactions to produce allenes and allenyl esters. We conducted multiple brominations, halolactonizations, and tandem Diels-Alder...
Show moreThe Phase-Vanishing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon®) method separates two reactants with a layer of semipermeable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon®) tape. Expanding on previous work by Van Zee and Dragojlovic, this work investigates the use of the PV-PTFE method under solvent-free conditions and explores its value as a synthetic method for Wittig reactions to produce allenes and allenyl esters. We conducted multiple brominations, halolactonizations, and tandem Diels-Alder-halolactonizations under solvent-free conditions with largely successful results. We also synthesized an allenyl ester, as well as cis-stilbenes using benzyltriphenylphosphonium salts, but cannot report any significant advantage of the PV-PTFE method over known methods.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003598
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Regulation of dynactin-mediated microtubule anchoring by the p24 subunit.
- Creator
- McCullough, Lindsay, Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Dynactin is a 1.2 MDa multisubunit complex that is involved in a variety of cellular functions including vesicle motility, microtubule organization, and cell division. The function of most dynactin subunits are at least partially characterized, with the exception of p24. Very few things are known about p24: it has a molecular weight of ~20,800 Da, is mostly α-helical, is only found in dynactin and binds directly to p150Glued. We are using overexpression, shRNA-mediated knockdown, and...
Show moreDynactin is a 1.2 MDa multisubunit complex that is involved in a variety of cellular functions including vesicle motility, microtubule organization, and cell division. The function of most dynactin subunits are at least partially characterized, with the exception of p24. Very few things are known about p24: it has a molecular weight of ~20,800 Da, is mostly α-helical, is only found in dynactin and binds directly to p150Glued. We are using overexpression, shRNA-mediated knockdown, and fluorescent microscopy, to determine a role for p24. When p24 is overexpressed, p150Glued is lost from the centrosome and Arp 1 remains, suggesting disruption of the complex. In addition, microtubule organization is disrupted. When p24 is knocked down, we retain p150Glued at the centrosome, along with Arp 1 and again see microtubule disorganization. These data suggest that p24 may act as an anchor to stabilize p150Glued when it binds to microtubules.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003594
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Statistical Model for College Enrollment: Exaninatino of a Selective Liberal Arts College.
- Creator
- Howard, Tamara, Jakee, Keith, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
In this study, I use a logistic regression to model the probability of an admitted applicant either enrolling into the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University or declining admission. This institution is a small, selective liberal arts college and the case study spans an eleven year period (from 1999 to 2009). To construct my model, I examine variables such as level of academic performance, personal characteristics, geographic proximity to the institution, amount of...
Show moreIn this study, I use a logistic regression to model the probability of an admitted applicant either enrolling into the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University or declining admission. This institution is a small, selective liberal arts college and the case study spans an eleven year period (from 1999 to 2009). To construct my model, I examine variables such as level of academic performance, personal characteristics, geographic proximity to the institution, amount of financial aid offered, timing of admission decision, and contact with the college. I expect that students with the highest levels of academic performance, furthest distance from the college, and least amount of financial aid offered have a higher probability of declining admissions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003585
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Some Intertidal Nerites and Littorinids of the Indian River Lagoon.
- Creator
- Dubose, Hannah, Moore, Jon, Ivey, Michelle, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
In order to be successful in any study, one has to have reliable and informative sources. The Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory of the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce is one such useful reference; it contains a complete list of species found in the Indian River Lagoon, and some more detailed entries containing basic biological and natural history information about the species. However, there are some holes in the database, particularly for non-megafauna such as small gastropods....
Show moreIn order to be successful in any study, one has to have reliable and informative sources. The Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory of the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce is one such useful reference; it contains a complete list of species found in the Indian River Lagoon, and some more detailed entries containing basic biological and natural history information about the species. However, there are some holes in the database, particularly for non-megafauna such as small gastropods. I have chosen to focus on two particular families of gastropod, the Neritidae and the Littorinidae. I have researched species of each family about which there is no information in the species inventory, and written information sheets on each according to the format of the inventory. These sheets will be submitted to the Species Inventory webpage.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003577
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Septins: one ring to bind them.
- Creator
- Kain, Anthony, Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
The cytoskeleton is composed of dynamic polymers of actin, tubulin, and intermediate filaments. These proteins are responsible for maintaining cell shape, intracellular organization and transport, cell division, and many other cellular processes. Among the cytoskeletal interacting proteins are septins, a conserved family of GTP binding proteins that polymerize into higher ordered filaments. Septins interact with and regulate the dynamics of both actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Septins...
Show moreThe cytoskeleton is composed of dynamic polymers of actin, tubulin, and intermediate filaments. These proteins are responsible for maintaining cell shape, intracellular organization and transport, cell division, and many other cellular processes. Among the cytoskeletal interacting proteins are septins, a conserved family of GTP binding proteins that polymerize into higher ordered filaments. Septins interact with and regulate the dynamics of both actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Septins also regulate the processes of cytokinesis and exocytosis. In this study we use COS-7 cells as a model for studying the localization, interaction, and dynamics of SEPT2 and SEPT7. We demonstrate that septins form filaments that colocalize with actin filaments in the cell periphery. Further, we show that actin filaments, but not microtubules, are required for formation of septin filaments in vivo.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003588
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Mechanisms of Neuroprotection Mediated by Ghrelin in Neuronal Cells.
- Creator
- Metzner, Michael John, Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide secreted by the stomach. Over the past decade, studies have shown ghrelin to have broad effects on growth hormone release, appetite regulation, and glucose metabolism. These effects are explained largely by the high expression of the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) in both the hypothalamus and pituitary. Recently, ghrelin has been shown to have possible neuroprotective effects in other brain regions expressing GHS-R1a, specifically stimulating anti-apoptotic and...
Show moreGhrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide secreted by the stomach. Over the past decade, studies have shown ghrelin to have broad effects on growth hormone release, appetite regulation, and glucose metabolism. These effects are explained largely by the high expression of the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) in both the hypothalamus and pituitary. Recently, ghrelin has been shown to have possible neuroprotective effects in other brain regions expressing GHS-R1a, specifically stimulating anti-apoptotic and antiinflammatory pathways. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a cellular organelle responsible for processing proteins. When an abundance of misfolded proteins accumulate in the ER, cellular stress pathways ensue, and are linked to a number of neurodegenerative diseases. This project will examine the effects of ghrelin during ER stress in a human neuronal cell line. Expression of genes and proteins involved in potential neuroprotective pathways will be examined to learn how ghrelin mediates its anti-apoptotic effects in neurons.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003595
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Optimization of Piezoelectric Transducers using SDOE.
- Creator
- DeLong, Devin, Blue, Meredith, McGovern, Warren, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
A common problem surrounding piezoelectric transducers is matching the highimpedance active piezoelectric element with a low-impedance load, typically water or skin. This is a common problem with medical devices [Ali00]. Matching layers are added in an attempt to gradually decrease the impedance of the active piezoelectric element down to the impedance of water. If the impedance is not gradually decreased, acoustic waves are reflected at the boundaries that are proportional to the impedance...
Show moreA common problem surrounding piezoelectric transducers is matching the highimpedance active piezoelectric element with a low-impedance load, typically water or skin. This is a common problem with medical devices [Ali00]. Matching layers are added in an attempt to gradually decrease the impedance of the active piezoelectric element down to the impedance of water. If the impedance is not gradually decreased, acoustic waves are reflected at the boundaries that are proportional to the impedance mismatch of the two materials. A dual-matching layer transducer is analyzed, and we attempt to optimize the impedances and thicknesses of the two matching layers using statistical design of experiments.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003575
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- History of misunderstanding: The colonization of New Zealand.
- Creator
- Rumbold, William, Ely, Christopher, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Through examination of first contact between the British Empire and the Maori natives of New Zealand, as well as the failed treaty attempt between the two, I aim to illustrate England’s role in the escalation of conflict between these two cultures. Although at first glance it appears that the war was an eventual escalation of previous tensions, I maintain that British officials in New Zealand had the resources and the knowledge to prevent the New Zealand land war. They used this knowledge to...
Show moreThrough examination of first contact between the British Empire and the Maori natives of New Zealand, as well as the failed treaty attempt between the two, I aim to illustrate England’s role in the escalation of conflict between these two cultures. Although at first glance it appears that the war was an eventual escalation of previous tensions, I maintain that British officials in New Zealand had the resources and the knowledge to prevent the New Zealand land war. They used this knowledge to speed up the process of conquest. The British crown was trying to conquer the Maori through ambiguous treaties; when these failed, they initiated a war, in order to warrant a military presence in New Zealand and physically dominate the Maori.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003603
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Atrophy or progress? Evaluating the evolution of environmental policy by comparing large scale oil spills in the United States.
- Creator
- Henken, Nicole, O’Brien, William, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Many political theorists accept that focusing events effect the cycle of environmental policy change without agreeing on the specifics of how events impact the construction of legislation. Pessimistic theories (consisting of Down’s “Issue Attention Cycle” and Freudenburg’s “Atrophy of Vigilance”) and optimistic theories (including the “Punctuated Equilibrium Model” and Busenberg’s “Evolution of Vigilance Model”) offer opposing views of policy creation. As focusing events, the Exxon Valdez and...
Show moreMany political theorists accept that focusing events effect the cycle of environmental policy change without agreeing on the specifics of how events impact the construction of legislation. Pessimistic theories (consisting of Down’s “Issue Attention Cycle” and Freudenburg’s “Atrophy of Vigilance”) and optimistic theories (including the “Punctuated Equilibrium Model” and Busenberg’s “Evolution of Vigilance Model”) offer opposing views of policy creation. As focusing events, the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills together serve as effective cases for assessing and comparing the validity of pessimistic and optimistic policy change models. The analysis of each set of theories adds to the understanding of the construction of environmental and oil spill policy in the United States. These two major incidents, in Prince William Sound and in the Gulf of Mexico, when linked provide a long-term, multi-event continuum that more closely mirrors optimistic crisis-motivated policy change theories.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003582
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Implementing Brown v. Board: an evaluation of the success of desegregation at Suncoast High School.
- Creator
- Moore, Travis, Tunick, Mark, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
In 1954 a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that maintaining separate schools for white and black students was inherently unequal. Following the decision, school boards across the nation struggled to determine what desegregation meant for their schools. This research focuses on the history of desegregation at Suncoast High School, in Riviera Beach, FL, paying specific attention to the respective goals of the various stakeholders. The goals are discerned by drawing on official documents, newspaper...
Show moreIn 1954 a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that maintaining separate schools for white and black students was inherently unequal. Following the decision, school boards across the nation struggled to determine what desegregation meant for their schools. This research focuses on the history of desegregation at Suncoast High School, in Riviera Beach, FL, paying specific attention to the respective goals of the various stakeholders. The goals are discerned by drawing on official documents, newspaper articles and interviews. After weighing the goals of each stakeholder against the current state of desegregation at Suncoast I argue that only some goals have been met. I conclude that while the goals of the national stakeholders, school board and local white parents have been met as of 2010, some goals of the local black community—most importantly, having a community high school for their children—have not been met.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003596
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Fearful symmetry: Using William Blake to contextualize Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
- Creator
- Hesse, Megan, Luria, Rachel, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Alan Moore’s graphic novel Watchmen redefined the superhero genre, elevating comics from entertainment to literature. Though published over twenty-five years ago, Watchmen tells a story of human corruption that still resonates today. While he has inspired many modern graphic novelists, he owes a literary debt to his forefathers; in this case, Romanticist poet William Blake. Blake’s themes of duality and the symmetrical nature of innocence and experience are revisited and reinterpreted in...
Show moreAlan Moore’s graphic novel Watchmen redefined the superhero genre, elevating comics from entertainment to literature. Though published over twenty-five years ago, Watchmen tells a story of human corruption that still resonates today. While he has inspired many modern graphic novelists, he owes a literary debt to his forefathers; in this case, Romanticist poet William Blake. Blake’s themes of duality and the symmetrical nature of innocence and experience are revisited and reinterpreted in Moore’s work. By interpreting Watchmen through the lens of Blake’s poems and engravings, both author’s vision of humanity comes into focus. Blake sees human nature as a duality, a living contradiction that could use its two sides to become whole. Moore complicates this, suggesting that humanity is corrupt and if it is double-sided, it is more akin to a two-way mirror, where there is always a side we cannot see because we are blinded by our own flaws.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003584
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- MYC-induced repression of Tristetraprolin alters the expression of are-containing genes in prostate cancer.
- Creator
- Altman, Evan, Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Prostate cancer has the second highest mortality rate of all cancers in men. The Myc oncoprotein is misregulated in 70% of all cancers, including 70% of prostate cancers, and affects several cancer mechanisms. Myc is able to directly repress the expression of Tristetraprolin (TTP). TTP regulates mRNA stability by binding to select mRNAs. Furthermore, TTP is able to suppress Myc‐driven B cell lymphoma in mice. In these studies, cell culture models were used to access the role of Myc-induced...
Show moreProstate cancer has the second highest mortality rate of all cancers in men. The Myc oncoprotein is misregulated in 70% of all cancers, including 70% of prostate cancers, and affects several cancer mechanisms. Myc is able to directly repress the expression of Tristetraprolin (TTP). TTP regulates mRNA stability by binding to select mRNAs. Furthermore, TTP is able to suppress Myc‐driven B cell lymphoma in mice. In these studies, cell culture models were used to access the role of Myc-induced repression of TTP in prostate cancer. Prostate cancer cells lines were identified with inverse expression of Myc and TTP. Additionally, ARE‐containing genes with roles in various cancer mechanisms were differentially expressed in these models. These findings suggest that Myc’s ability to downregulate TTP is important in prostate cancer and provide new avenues for treating Myc‐driven prostate cancer.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003554
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Forced to Vote: Evalution fo the Effects of Compulsory Voting on Citizens.
- Creator
- Hamalian,, Jakee, Keith, McGovern, Warren, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Arend Lijphart claims low voter turnout plagues democratic countries because it causes elections to be unrepresentative of the electorate. Therefore, he believes that compulsory voting is the only way to solve this ―unresolved dilemma.‖ Proponents of compulsory voting also argue that increased voter participation has positive effects on a country. This paper will not only evaluate the effects of compulsory voting on certain aspects of citizens’ welfare, but also citizens’ overall satisfaction...
Show moreArend Lijphart claims low voter turnout plagues democratic countries because it causes elections to be unrepresentative of the electorate. Therefore, he believes that compulsory voting is the only way to solve this ―unresolved dilemma.‖ Proponents of compulsory voting also argue that increased voter participation has positive effects on a country. This paper will not only evaluate the effects of compulsory voting on certain aspects of citizens’ welfare, but also citizens’ overall satisfaction with their life and government. In order to measure each of these elements, I will look at income equality, level of government corruption, and democracy ranking. I will also use the World Values Survey to compare the feelings of citizens towards their life and government in countries with compulsory voting to those of citizens in countries with voluntary voting. I hypothesize that there will not be significant differences between the two electoral systems.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003581
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Cellular effects of knocking down expression of dynactin's p150Glued subunit.
- Creator
- Praver, Joseph, Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Dynactin is made up of 11 different peptide units with a distinct ultrastructure consisting of a shoulder/sidearm complex and a rod-like domain. It functions as a cofactor for cytoplasmic dynein, assisting in the processes of long-range vesicle movements, microtubule anchoring, endomembrane localization, and mitotic progression. Previous studies have shown that dynactin binds to microtubules at the centrosome, keeping a radial arrangement during interphase. The p150Glued subunit contains two...
Show moreDynactin is made up of 11 different peptide units with a distinct ultrastructure consisting of a shoulder/sidearm complex and a rod-like domain. It functions as a cofactor for cytoplasmic dynein, assisting in the processes of long-range vesicle movements, microtubule anchoring, endomembrane localization, and mitotic progression. Previous studies have shown that dynactin binds to microtubules at the centrosome, keeping a radial arrangement during interphase. The p150Glued subunit contains two distinct microtubule-binding domains: CAP-Gly and Basic. While both of these sequences can interact with microtubules, CAP-Gly has a much greater affinity for binding to microtubules, suggesting that the two domains may be active for different functions within the cell. Using shRNA, I looked at the overexpression and knockdown of p150Glued and examined the effect that had on the cell. Knockdown has been shown to cause defects in centrosome organization and mitotic index.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003599
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- PTFE tape as a phase screen in the synthesis of chiral α-halo ethers and acetals.
- Creator
- Crusco, Salvatore, Dragojlovic, Veljko, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
In organic synthesis, the phase-vanishing (PV) technique uses an organofluoride solution to keep two reactive solutions in separate layers, while allowing a reaction to proceed at the interface of the fluorous layer. PV reactions allow otherwise vigorous reactions to proceed at a slower, more controlled rate. In this research, we evaluated the use of PTFE tape as a phase screen in the synthesis of chiral α-halo ethers and acetals. We were successful in synthesizing the two compounds of...
Show moreIn organic synthesis, the phase-vanishing (PV) technique uses an organofluoride solution to keep two reactive solutions in separate layers, while allowing a reaction to proceed at the interface of the fluorous layer. PV reactions allow otherwise vigorous reactions to proceed at a slower, more controlled rate. In this research, we evaluated the use of PTFE tape as a phase screen in the synthesis of chiral α-halo ethers and acetals. We were successful in synthesizing the two compounds of interest, and also successful in their isolation through the use of column chromatography. Since α-halo ethers are known to be carcinogenic, the use of PTFE tape minimizes exposure to the potentially harmful substance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003572
- Format
- Document (PDF)