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- Title
- Are Privileged Individuals More Likely to Make Unethical Decisions?.
- Creator
- Koff, Lauren, Lanning, Kevin, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Growing inequality over the past few decades has been a great problem for the majority of Americans. Inequality is in part a reflection of privilege. The objective of this research was to investigate the association between privilege (including socioeconomic status or SES) and honesty (cheating behavior), along with relationships between privilege and personality and finally personality and honesty. This work furthered our knowledge of perceptions of social justice and the mechanisms...
Show moreGrowing inequality over the past few decades has been a great problem for the majority of Americans. Inequality is in part a reflection of privilege. The objective of this research was to investigate the association between privilege (including socioeconomic status or SES) and honesty (cheating behavior), along with relationships between privilege and personality and finally personality and honesty. This work furthered our knowledge of perceptions of social justice and the mechanisms underlying unethical behavior. Participants completed a questionnaire on Amazon MTurk that measured constructs of privilege (subjective SES, race, education, occupation, gender) and unethical behavior (participants completed three skill and chance-based tasks, each of which afforded the opportunity to report scores honestly or dishonestly). Results did not show strong correlations between privilege and cheating, but there was significant evidence that those high in entitlement were most likely to cheat. Our conclusion provides further evidence of personality’s influence on ethical behavior
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003648
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ARMED SMUGGLING: THE BALANCE BETWEEN DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE IN 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURY BRITAIN.
- Creator
- Mason, Joshua, Ely, Christopher, Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The golden age of smuggling occurred in and around the British Isles in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a result of increases in regulations and taxes the government instituted to pay for a series of costly wars at the end of the 17th century, smuggling greatly increased. With the implementation of major punishments for smuggling, such as the death penalty, the smuggling trade grew more violent. Armed smugglers sought to achieve a balancing act between violent acts and public acceptance. In...
Show moreThe golden age of smuggling occurred in and around the British Isles in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a result of increases in regulations and taxes the government instituted to pay for a series of costly wars at the end of the 17th century, smuggling greatly increased. With the implementation of major punishments for smuggling, such as the death penalty, the smuggling trade grew more violent. Armed smugglers sought to achieve a balancing act between violent acts and public acceptance. In order to better understand how armed smugglers achieved this balance, this thesis will focus on the connections between armed smugglers and the British Public.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00116
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Artificial evolution of aconitase via heat-shock induced oxidative stress.
- Creator
- Crary, Sean, Kirchman, Paul, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Oxidative stress, where oxygen has an unpaired electron, has been shown to damage cellular components. These electrons injure local cellular machinery and have the potential to interrupt major protein pathways. Aconitase is a key polypeptide with multiple niches in the cell, and has been shown to be a target for free radical impairment. We utilize artificial evolution using heat shock to cause major oxidative damage. With up to 99% fatality and repeated exposure we have an effective way to...
Show moreOxidative stress, where oxygen has an unpaired electron, has been shown to damage cellular components. These electrons injure local cellular machinery and have the potential to interrupt major protein pathways. Aconitase is a key polypeptide with multiple niches in the cell, and has been shown to be a target for free radical impairment. We utilize artificial evolution using heat shock to cause major oxidative damage. With up to 99% fatality and repeated exposure we have an effective way to select against aconitase mutants via respiratory deficient yeast on glycerol, a non-fermentable growth medium. In this experiment, we use the previously described artificial evolution coupled with error-prone PCR to select for heat-resistant aconitase mutants. The results are in the form of purified DNA from different clones. These will give future insight on the important enzymatic domains of aconitase.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003641
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.
- Creator
- Lago, Isabella, Rice, Claire, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Artificial intelligence and robotics are still relatively new and being introduced, although they have been making headway into the healthcare industry. Over time, there have been many improvements, constant updates, and changes to better the technology. There are many different ways this technology has been introduced and implemented into the industry. These innovations are not within one country, but throughout the world. A large concern with this level of technology is that humans will not...
Show moreArtificial intelligence and robotics are still relatively new and being introduced, although they have been making headway into the healthcare industry. Over time, there have been many improvements, constant updates, and changes to better the technology. There are many different ways this technology has been introduced and implemented into the industry. These innovations are not within one country, but throughout the world. A large concern with this level of technology is that humans will not be needed. However, caregivers are important in providing a connection with patients as well as running the technology. Patients and caregivers differ in their views of this technology. This paper discusses the current literature on these innovations, the benefits and ethical considerations involved with this technology, and the many advancements to come.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00179
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE SPECIES OF MILKWEED IN VARIANT SOIL CONDITIONS.
- Creator
- Young, Jessica Elizabeth, O’Brien, William, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Milkweeds (genus Asclepias) are the host plants for caterpillar stages of milkweed butterflies (subfamily Danianae), notably the monarch butterfly, Danaius plexippus (Linnaeus). Loss of suitable habitat and host plants threaten monarch populations. For my thesis research, I examined artificial propagation of milkweed plants, specifically the effects of three different soil substrates and exposure to hormone powder on the survival rates of cuttings from two milkweed species, A. tuberosa...
Show moreMilkweeds (genus Asclepias) are the host plants for caterpillar stages of milkweed butterflies (subfamily Danianae), notably the monarch butterfly, Danaius plexippus (Linnaeus). Loss of suitable habitat and host plants threaten monarch populations. For my thesis research, I examined artificial propagation of milkweed plants, specifically the effects of three different soil substrates and exposure to hormone powder on the survival rates of cuttings from two milkweed species, A. tuberosa rolfsii and A. curassavica. Fifty-four cuttings of each species were transplanted to substrates of a mixture of peat moss and perlite, only peat moss, and potting soil. Half of each of the groups of cuttings were exposed to rooting hormone powder. A binomial logistic regression model was developed to determine the significance of each of the independent variables in the likelihood of survival of any individual cutting. The model specified had an 84.3% accuracy in correctly predicting the survival of the cuttings. This experiment may offer insights on the best environment for the propagation of native species of milkweed, which could be beneficial in the development of more native habitats for monarch butterflies in Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00238
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Assaying Mutant Marine Bacteria for Lithium Extraction.
- Creator
- Alexander, Didier, Kirchman, Paul A., Wetterer, James, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Lithium (Li) is used in many commercial products. With the recent development of a potent new lithium battery suitable for hybrid and plug-in electric cars, demand for lithium should soar. Seawater has low Li ion concentrations, and has not been considered a profitable commercial source of this element. For my thesis work, I attempted to develop a mutant strain of the marine bacteria Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae capable of sequestering lithium from seawater. I expose the bacteria...
Show moreLithium (Li) is used in many commercial products. With the recent development of a potent new lithium battery suitable for hybrid and plug-in electric cars, demand for lithium should soar. Seawater has low Li ion concentrations, and has not been considered a profitable commercial source of this element. For my thesis work, I attempted to develop a mutant strain of the marine bacteria Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae capable of sequestering lithium from seawater. I expose the bacteria to shortwave ultra violet (UV) light with the intent of obtaining a lithium dependent mutant. I was not successful at isolating such a mutant. However, I noted differences in colony size, between colonies grown in lithium media and sodium media, after UV treatment. Based on other research, the bacterial recovery methods of lithium and other metals from seawater remains a plausible option.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003553
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Assemblage dynamics of exotic herpetofauna on Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University.
- Creator
- Kingsland, Kimber, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Many species considered exotic, by both biological definition and social construction, have been introduced into South Florida. These species compete for resources with native species and with each other. In this study, I surveyed the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter Florida during spring and fall of 2005 to determine the assemblage dynamics of several exotic herpetofauna species, primarily the nocturnal Wood Slave gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), the Indo-...
Show moreMany species considered exotic, by both biological definition and social construction, have been introduced into South Florida. These species compete for resources with native species and with each other. In this study, I surveyed the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter Florida during spring and fall of 2005 to determine the assemblage dynamics of several exotic herpetofauna species, primarily the nocturnal Wood Slave gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), the Indo- Pacific gecko (H. garnotii), and the diurnal Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei). I found that the more recently established (H. mabouia) was out-competing (H. garnotii) on most of the buildings being surveyed. The study also showed that the Cuban treefrog, (Osteopilus septentrionalis) population affected the gecko populations significantly. (A. sagrei) was the primary anole found on campus, with sightings of (A. carolinensis) the native Florida green anole, being rare.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11609, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT11609
- Subject Headings
- Amphibians, Reptiles, Biological diversity conservation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ASSESMENT OF ZOOXANTHELLAE COMMUNITIES IN MONTASTREAEA CAVERNOSA FOLLOWING MESOPHOTIC TO SHALLOW TRANSPLANTATION.
- Creator
- Perez, Diana, Moore, Jon, Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Mesophotic reefs support a large, biologically diverse community and are capable of providing larvae to shallow reefs. This study compared the zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll concentrations of Montastreaea cavernosa colonies in Flower Garden Banks from mesophotic, shallow, and transplant depth treatments testing their differences over bank location, treatment, and time through a transplant experiment. It also compared the percent of zooxanthellae cells remaining after a bleaching event....
Show moreMesophotic reefs support a large, biologically diverse community and are capable of providing larvae to shallow reefs. This study compared the zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll concentrations of Montastreaea cavernosa colonies in Flower Garden Banks from mesophotic, shallow, and transplant depth treatments testing their differences over bank location, treatment, and time through a transplant experiment. It also compared the percent of zooxanthellae cells remaining after a bleaching event. Time was the driving factor for the differences in the algal symbiont concentrations. Zooxanthellae and chlorophyll were reduced after the bleaching event. However, there was no significant difference between the symbiont densities and chlorophyll concentrations between the transplant and shallow samples, demonstrating that they bleached equally. The lack of difference provides evidence for the plasticity and adaptability of coral and gives hope for the future of shallow reefs since mesophotic corals may be able to adapt to the thermal stresses of shallow reefs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00040
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ASSESSING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOLERANCE TO AMPHETAMINE USING C. ELEGANS.
- Creator
- Torres Valladares, Dayana, Carvelli, Lucia, Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Amphetamine (AMPH) is a potent psychostimulant and is a known substance of abuse, also used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. AMPH acts at the dopaminergic neurons through the dopamine transporter (DAT), and it leads to DAT-mediated efflux, resulting in an overall increase of dopamine (DA) in the synaptic cleft. It is known that exposure to AMPH may cause sensitization and/or tolerance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to AMPH are not yet...
Show moreAmphetamine (AMPH) is a potent psychostimulant and is a known substance of abuse, also used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. AMPH acts at the dopaminergic neurons through the dopamine transporter (DAT), and it leads to DAT-mediated efflux, resulting in an overall increase of dopamine (DA) in the synaptic cleft. It is known that exposure to AMPH may cause sensitization and/or tolerance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to AMPH are not yet well understood. Because DA has an inhibitory effect in C. elegans’ locomotion, the animals fail to sustain their normal swimming behavior when exposed to AMPH and paralyze within few minutes. This behavior, termed Swimming Induced Paralysis (SWIP), was used to test whether C. elegans develops sensitization and/or tolerance to AMPH. Our results show that repetitive exposures to AMPH reduced SWIP suggesting that C. elegans develops tolerance to AMPH after repeated exposures.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003725
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Assessing the Impacts of Amphetamine Exposure Following Selective Ablation of Dopaminergic Neurons Via the Fluorescent Protein, KillerRed.
- Creator
- Byrd, Gabrielle Dakota, Carvelli, Lucia, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
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Killer Red (KRed) is a fluorescent protein which is capable of the selective ablation of targeted cells via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when exposed to the appropriate wavelengths of visible light. By expressing KRed in the dopaminergic neurons via the dopamine transporter (dat-1) promoter, these neurons may then be ablated with minimal to no damage to other limitrophe cells. Utilizing this cell-targeted ablation in the model organism C. elegans, this study aims to...
Show moreKiller Red (KRed) is a fluorescent protein which is capable of the selective ablation of targeted cells via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when exposed to the appropriate wavelengths of visible light. By expressing KRed in the dopaminergic neurons via the dopamine transporter (dat-1) promoter, these neurons may then be ablated with minimal to no damage to other limitrophe cells. Utilizing this cell-targeted ablation in the model organism C. elegans, this study aims to ascertain the impacts of amphetamine exposure in the absence of proteins exclusively expressed in dopaminergic neurons. These impacts will be investigated via the comparison of amphetamine-induced behaviors in control animals and animals which have undergone the selective ablation of dopaminergic neurons. This study adds to a body of literature assessing the neurobiological mechanisms of addiction, raising further research questions and possibilities in the realm of treatment, mechanistic action, and impacts of drug abuse.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00138
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Assessment of multiple paternity for the queen conch, Strombus gigas.
- Creator
- Harris, Chris., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The commercially important queen conch, Strombus gigas, has been observed copulating with multiple partners and laying multiple egg masses during a reproductive season (Randall, 1964). While multiple paternity has been confirmed using microsatellite based genetic analysis for a variety of other gastropods, this technique has not been employed for S. gigas. Determining whether or not this species is capable of multiple paternity is important to understanding and maintaining genetic diversity...
Show moreThe commercially important queen conch, Strombus gigas, has been observed copulating with multiple partners and laying multiple egg masses during a reproductive season (Randall, 1964). While multiple paternity has been confirmed using microsatellite based genetic analysis for a variety of other gastropods, this technique has not been employed for S. gigas. Determining whether or not this species is capable of multiple paternity is important to understanding and maintaining genetic diversity of natural and captive populations. While an assessment of multiple paternity is the ultimate goal of this study, for my thesis, I have completed preliminary work which includes perfecting methods of tissue collection, DNA extraction, and DNA amplification with six non-labeled polymorphic microsatellite molecular markers, using cultured Strombus gigas animals. In addition, I collected tissue and extracted DNA from three wild S. gigas adult females and their egg masses from Pelican Shoal in the Florida Keys.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77671
- Subject Headings
- Gastropoda, Habitat, Queen conch, Conservation, Biological diversity, Marine biology, Mariculture
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Astronomically Pure: A Documentation of a Star Who Fell for a Girl on Earth.
- Creator
- Moran, Risa, Luria, Rachel, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Astronomically Pure is a work of fiction that started out as an idea of a boy falling for a star and evolved into a story about a star falling for something more than just love. It follows a star’s short visit to Earth through the perspective of a Valentina “Val” Ride who has given up on her life due to her terminal diagnosis. This story sets out to explore the limitations of love and LGBT themes through the romantic relationship developed between the main character and the star. Other themes...
Show moreAstronomically Pure is a work of fiction that started out as an idea of a boy falling for a star and evolved into a story about a star falling for something more than just love. It follows a star’s short visit to Earth through the perspective of a Valentina “Val” Ride who has given up on her life due to her terminal diagnosis. This story sets out to explore the limitations of love and LGBT themes through the romantic relationship developed between the main character and the star. Other themes expanded upon include friendship and loss once conflict arises between the main character, her human friend, and the star.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00126
- 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
- Aussie rules: scheduling as a determinant for attendance demand in the Australian Football League.
- Creator
- Charlton, Lauren M., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The determinants of attendance at Australian Football League (AFL) games have become increasingly important due to a rise in international recognition of the sport and recent structural changes in the AFL. Scheduling has received little attention in the sports economics literature as a determinant of demand. This paper estimates the effect of day-of-the-week scheduling on attendance demand using OLS regressions on panel data gathered from the 1985 to 2008 AFL seasons. One implication of this...
Show moreThe determinants of attendance at Australian Football League (AFL) games have become increasingly important due to a rise in international recognition of the sport and recent structural changes in the AFL. Scheduling has received little attention in the sports economics literature as a determinant of demand. This paper estimates the effect of day-of-the-week scheduling on attendance demand using OLS regressions on panel data gathered from the 1985 to 2008 AFL seasons. One implication of this study is that attendance, and thereby revenue, could be increased by scheduling certain fixtures on specific days and times.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334251
- Subject Headings
- Sports teams, Economic aspects, Professional sports, Economic aspects, Stadiums, Finance
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Automatic Fish Tracking: Keeping Track of Who's Who.
- Creator
- Spraggins, Ari, Fily, Yaouen, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Automatic video tracking has had a major impact on animal behavior studies. One of the challenges of this technique is keeping track of the identities of the sh, especially when they swim together and exchange positions. In this project we use the python programming language to address this problem for groups of sh. The video data comes from schooling assays performed at FAU's Cave sh Trilab (Dr. Keene, Dr. Duboue, and Dr. Kowalko). The method is inspired by the idTracker animal tracking...
Show moreAutomatic video tracking has had a major impact on animal behavior studies. One of the challenges of this technique is keeping track of the identities of the sh, especially when they swim together and exchange positions. In this project we use the python programming language to address this problem for groups of sh. The video data comes from schooling assays performed at FAU's Cave sh Trilab (Dr. Keene, Dr. Duboue, and Dr. Kowalko). The method is inspired by the idTracker animal tracking software: we track patterns of brightness as a visual identi er of each sh which we then use to detect when the sh swap places.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00162
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- AUTOPHAGY IN DNA DAMAGE INDUCED ACCELERATED AGING.
- Creator
- Muravia, Mariya, Wetterer, James K., Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Autophagy, the cellular “recycling system” of unnecessary components, is a crucial mechanism for maintaining homeostasis inside the cell. Whereas impaired DNA repair function leads to accelerated aging and an early onset of several age-related diseases, it is not known whether autophagy plays a mediating role in this process. Here, we examined changes in autophagy in cells with progeria due to a disabled ERCC1-XPF, a nuclear DNA repair enzyme. We found that loss of ERCC1 function leads to DNA...
Show moreAutophagy, the cellular “recycling system” of unnecessary components, is a crucial mechanism for maintaining homeostasis inside the cell. Whereas impaired DNA repair function leads to accelerated aging and an early onset of several age-related diseases, it is not known whether autophagy plays a mediating role in this process. Here, we examined changes in autophagy in cells with progeria due to a disabled ERCC1-XPF, a nuclear DNA repair enzyme. We found that loss of ERCC1 function leads to DNA damage and a decrease in autophagic flux in cells. Low dose treatment with Rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, improved proliferation and delayed aging, or cellular senescence, in the cells. These data suggest that persistent DNA damage suppresses autophagic flux, thus contributing to early senescence and accelerated onset of age-related diseases. Therefore, therapeutics that improve autophagic flux, may prove beneficial for progeroid patients.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00012630
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Avifauna in a suburban environment.
- Creator
- Blair, Courtney., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Habitat fragmentation causes the isolation of groups of individuals within species by producing a new landscape that is uninhabitable for many species, including birds. I surveyed the John D. MacArthur campus of FAU in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 to assess the use of the campus by birds. Throughout the campus trees are lined in rows along the sidewalks and around buildings, in contrast to the pine flatwoods environment that existed prior to development. The birds observed were found...
Show moreHabitat fragmentation causes the isolation of groups of individuals within species by producing a new landscape that is uninhabitable for many species, including birds. I surveyed the John D. MacArthur campus of FAU in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 to assess the use of the campus by birds. Throughout the campus trees are lined in rows along the sidewalks and around buildings, in contrast to the pine flatwoods environment that existed prior to development. The birds observed were found performing various activities on the campus, including foraging, perching, and building nests. Individuals were concentrated around or near buildings with the most diverse vegetation. Through assessing these campus uses I suggest that there are ways we can help increase bird diversity in promoting their use of urban environments. Such solutions can help decrease the number of individuals and species lost to the destructive force of habitat fragmentation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40269
- Subject Headings
- Birds, Ecology, Wildlife management, Birds, Habitat
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Avoiding abelian squares in infinite partial words.
- Creator
- Severa, William., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Famous mathematician Paul Erdèos conjectured the existence of infinite sequences of symbols where no two adjacent subsequences are permutations of one another. It can easily be checked that no such sequence can be constructed using only three symbols, but as few as four symbols are sufficient. Here, we expand this concept to include sequences that may contain 'do not know'' characters, called holes. These holes make the undesired subsequences more common. We explore both finite and infinite...
Show moreFamous mathematician Paul Erdèos conjectured the existence of infinite sequences of symbols where no two adjacent subsequences are permutations of one another. It can easily be checked that no such sequence can be constructed using only three symbols, but as few as four symbols are sufficient. Here, we expand this concept to include sequences that may contain 'do not know'' characters, called holes. These holes make the undesired subsequences more common. We explore both finite and infinite sequences. For infinite sequences, we use iterating morphisms to construct the non-repetitive sequences with either a finite number of holes or infinitely many holes. We also discuss the problem of using the minimum number of different symbols.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335460
- Subject Headings
- Abelian groups, Mathematics, Study and teaching (Higher), Combinatorial analysis, Combinatorial set theory, Probabilities
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Balancing speed and safety as the rush to find effective and prolonged treatments for COVID-19 continue.
- Creator
- Garcia, Alberto, Wetterer, James, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted life around the world. As of early December 2020, more than 69 million people have tested positive for the virus, and more than 1.6 million people have died from the disease. Researchers are now rushing to find effective means of treating and preventing this disease. The urgency of this problem requires speed, but this must be balanced with caution to avoid possible negative impacts of deploying treatments that have been insufficiently...
Show moreThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted life around the world. As of early December 2020, more than 69 million people have tested positive for the virus, and more than 1.6 million people have died from the disease. Researchers are now rushing to find effective means of treating and preventing this disease. The urgency of this problem requires speed, but this must be balanced with caution to avoid possible negative impacts of deploying treatments that have been insufficiently tested for effectiveness and safety. For my thesis, I consider challenges of the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to balance the urgency of finding quick treatment with the long-term safety of the treatments they approve. I first examine three historical examples where past treatments have been prematurely approved and discuss the lessons that were learned from these mistakes. Finally, I examine two examples from the current COVID-19 pandemic: the emergency use authorization to use hydroxychloroquine to treat severe COVID-19 patients and the new vaccines developed to prevent COVID-19 infection. It is pertinent to ensure that the benefits of any treatment outweigh the risks for the long-term benefit of society, which is of critical importance today as we face the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00140
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Batman Can Be Anybody: Self-Transcendence And Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.
- Creator
- Borislow, Alec, Luria, Rachel, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Abstract/Description
-
Directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Trilogy examines the origin and evolution of Bruce Wayne, and his hero vigilante alter ego, Batman. The trilogy consists of Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Bruce's post-traumatic journey for physical and mental excellence results in transformative and personal discovery, leading to self-transcendence. The personality trait of self-transcendence is the apex of psychologist Abraham...
Show moreDirected and co-written by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Trilogy examines the origin and evolution of Bruce Wayne, and his hero vigilante alter ego, Batman. The trilogy consists of Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Bruce's post-traumatic journey for physical and mental excellence results in transformative and personal discovery, leading to self-transcendence. The personality trait of self-transcendence is the apex of psychologist Abraham Maslow's lesser-known and amended hierarchy of needs. It is the highest level of human consciousness and development. Bruce's unwavering morality, intrinsic motivation, and spirituality are characteristic of both humanistic and transpersonal psychology and further illustrate how the motion picture series exemplifies a road map to self-transcendence.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00137
- Format
- Document (PDF)


