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- Title
- Nf1 Mutations Impair Memory-Related Plasticity in the Drosophila melanogaster Mushroom Body.
- Creator
- Gilliland, Brandon, Tomchik, Seth, Macleod, Gregory, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The purpose of this project was to understand the effects of therapeutic antidepressants with respect to circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. Antidepressants are known to have a role in dopamine and serotonin signaling pathways. These pathways have been observed to have a role in circadian rhythm, the biological process involving sleep patterns. In the experiments completed thus far, it has been observed that the flies administered antidepressants have more fractioned sleep than the...
Show moreThe purpose of this project was to understand the effects of therapeutic antidepressants with respect to circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. Antidepressants are known to have a role in dopamine and serotonin signaling pathways. These pathways have been observed to have a role in circadian rhythm, the biological process involving sleep patterns. In the experiments completed thus far, it has been observed that the flies administered antidepressants have more fractioned sleep than the control group flies. It has also been noted that normal light to dark sleep cycles are altered significantly in the flies given antidepressants. It is important to research and to understand the effects of antidepressants in Drosophila melanogaster because it could lead to a more effective way to administer antidepressants to humans without harmful side effects.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005191
- Subject Headings
- College students --Research --United States.
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- EXAMINING INTERFERENCE AND SUPPRESSION EFFECTS FOR SPIDER STIMULI IN THE EMOTIONAL STROOP TASK.
- Creator
- Banks, Jenna, Vernon, Laura, O’Brien, William, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The emotional Stroop task is an information processing approach that assesses emotion. College students completed a neutral and a spider-word emotional Stroop task in the presence of a fear stimulus, a disgust stimulus or nostimulus for control participants. Following the Stroop tasks, participants underwent a Behavioral Approach Task with the stimulus present during the Stroop task. Participants were asked to come back for a second session where the Stroop tasks and Behavioral Approach Task...
Show moreThe emotional Stroop task is an information processing approach that assesses emotion. College students completed a neutral and a spider-word emotional Stroop task in the presence of a fear stimulus, a disgust stimulus or nostimulus for control participants. Following the Stroop tasks, participants underwent a Behavioral Approach Task with the stimulus present during the Stroop task. Participants were asked to come back for a second session where the Stroop tasks and Behavioral Approach Task was repeated in the presence of the opposite stimulus seen in the first session. Although not statistically significant, the findings of this study suggest that spider phobics take a longer time to color name spider words on the emotional Stroop task than non-phobics in the presence of a disgust stimulus or in the absence of a stimulus. However, they appear to perform about the same as non-phobics in the presence of a feared stimulus.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003608
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- [provisional self-evidence].
- Creator
- Arrighi, Rachael, Lemeh, Dorotha, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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[the following is perhaps a theory of reading, particularly reading of academic texts, or reading of academic texts about which one intends to write, its objective to free the reader and, by extension, the writer, through freeing the text. it is open to failure, its interest less in the provision of a successful argument—it is perhaps best understood not as an argument but as an exercise, a getting-into-or-maintaining-yet-mutating-shape—than in the demonstration that such reading/writing is a...
Show more[the following is perhaps a theory of reading, particularly reading of academic texts, or reading of academic texts about which one intends to write, its objective to free the reader and, by extension, the writer, through freeing the text. it is open to failure, its interest less in the provision of a successful argument—it is perhaps best understood not as an argument but as an exercise, a getting-into-or-maintaining-yet-mutating-shape—than in the demonstration that such reading/writing is a valid strategy, albeit one that, following Bailey, is positively contrarian in terms of employing “a bare minimum of physical [mental] exertion” and “equipment, [or] financial or material resources” (Micro Bionic 12).]
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003503
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Behavioral enrichment of captive black bears (Ursus americanus).
- Creator
- Gonzalez, Jasmine, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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A crucial aspect of captive animal care is enrichment, ranging from simple additions of flora to complicated foraging puzzles. Enrichments are vital in creating an environment for animals that is similar to their wild habitat and eliciting natural behaviors. Enrichment is also used to inhibit unnatural or harmful behaviors, like pacing. Commonly, enrichment techniques are not scientifically tested, and the universality of enrichments is rarely scrutinized. This study explores the universality...
Show moreA crucial aspect of captive animal care is enrichment, ranging from simple additions of flora to complicated foraging puzzles. Enrichments are vital in creating an environment for animals that is similar to their wild habitat and eliciting natural behaviors. Enrichment is also used to inhibit unnatural or harmful behaviors, like pacing. Commonly, enrichment techniques are not scientifically tested, and the universality of enrichments is rarely scrutinized. This study explores the universality of a "Snak'n'Trim", a hollow ball 10 inches in diameter with a 1 inch opening for food items to be inserted into the ball. Four bears, (two male, two female) were observed for ten weeks, five in the summer and five in the winter. Daily observations were made during baseline and enrichment trials. Behavior frequency was calculated and results indicate a significant (p<.01) difference between baseline and enrichment trials, providing evidence for the efficacy of the Snak'n'Trim.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359302, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT3359302
- Subject Headings
- Captive wild animals, Black bear, Behavior, Black bear, Habitat, Social behavior in animals, Black bear, Effect of human beings on
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The miseducation of Hugo Chavez: political learning and populism in Latin America.
- Creator
- Fertitta, David., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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This project examines the role of political learning in predicting the recent rise of left-of-center governments in Latin America, ranging from moderate center-left coalition governments to one-party populist regimes. Studies of populism consistently point to the role of natural resources and economic crises in predicting the rise of populist regimes. This study adds the concept of political learning by using measures of moderation in the current regime as a dependent variable and measures of...
Show moreThis project examines the role of political learning in predicting the recent rise of left-of-center governments in Latin America, ranging from moderate center-left coalition governments to one-party populist regimes. Studies of populism consistently point to the role of natural resources and economic crises in predicting the rise of populist regimes. This study adds the concept of political learning by using measures of moderation in the current regime as a dependent variable and measures of oppression in earlier regimes as independent variables. Utilizing case studies of Venezuela and Chile as ideal types and plotting ten further cases on indicators of repression, military spending, corporate tax rates, government spending, the percent of votes going to moderates, and economic freedom scores from Freedom House, I argue that the likelihood of the rise of populist regimes is greater in countries that have not experienced the sort of intense political repression that generates political learning.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335021
- Subject Headings
- Power (Social sciences), Populism, Politics and government, Politics and government
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The consequences of conditioned democracy promotion by the United States in Latin America.
- Creator
- Walsh, Kelly., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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Democracy promotion is an important tenet of United States foreign policy. However, U.S. democracy promotion efforts are conditioned by geopolitical concerns, economic goals, and security interests. This thesis analyzes the impact of U.S. foreign policy in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Evidence from these cases suggests that United States foreign policy has contributed to the growth of unhealthy or pseudo-democracies in Latin America because frequently the policy reinforces the...
Show moreDemocracy promotion is an important tenet of United States foreign policy. However, U.S. democracy promotion efforts are conditioned by geopolitical concerns, economic goals, and security interests. This thesis analyzes the impact of U.S. foreign policy in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Evidence from these cases suggests that United States foreign policy has contributed to the growth of unhealthy or pseudo-democracies in Latin America because frequently the policy reinforces the political and economic power of entrenched elites or the military. These groups, whose interests more closely align with U.S interests, are often uncommitted to supporting policy that promotes human rights and equitable distribution of wealth and power or that demands universal political liberties. Democracy is promoted rhetorically rather than in practice, and consequently is unresponsive and illegitimate. Future democracy promotion efforts by the United States, if they are to be successful, must overcome this illegitimacy by compensating for the conflicts that conditioned democracy produces.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/210005
- Subject Headings
- Democracy, Democratization, Government policy, Politics and government, Foreign relations, Foreign relations
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The commodification and militarization of American public space: from a genealogy of the public to a politics of place.
- Creator
- Case, Timothy., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The history of public space in America is consistent with a pattern of privatization, rationalization, and individual escapism. From the frontier to the regulatory bureaucracy and into suburbanization and New Urbanism, we have and are witnessing the steady decline of vibrant, critical, and democratic public spheres and their replacement with a corporate and media controlled space that reflects the commodification and militarization of American culture at the hands of these corporate elites....
Show moreThe history of public space in America is consistent with a pattern of privatization, rationalization, and individual escapism. From the frontier to the regulatory bureaucracy and into suburbanization and New Urbanism, we have and are witnessing the steady decline of vibrant, critical, and democratic public spheres and their replacement with a corporate and media controlled space that reflects the commodification and militarization of American culture at the hands of these corporate elites. After tracing a genealogy of the public and public space, this thesis will focus on two examples of New Urbanist design that illustrate the corporate nature of community politics: the Disney Corporation's Celebration, Florida and DreamWorks' Playa Vista, California. Discussing the ideological basis for both communities, this thesis will suggest possible lessons to be learned for the creation of a public based on an ethic of common ground made possible by organized resistance to corporate manipulation of place.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11591
- Subject Headings
- Cities and towns, Regional planning, Sustainable development, Land use, Urban, History
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Deterrence and guns: an analysis on the stand-your-ground extension to the "Castle Doctrine".
- Creator
- Saladrigas, Alan., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Within the last several years there has been a movement, ostensible spear-headed by pro-gun lobbyists, to remove the "duty to retreat" requirement placed on individuals confronted with deadly threats. Florida first passed stand-your-ground legislation in 2005, and has since been followed by at least 12 other states. Policy advocates claim that such a legal change should decrease crime, as a crime victims will no longer be legally encumbered by the duty to retreat. This study examines the...
Show moreWithin the last several years there has been a movement, ostensible spear-headed by pro-gun lobbyists, to remove the "duty to retreat" requirement placed on individuals confronted with deadly threats. Florida first passed stand-your-ground legislation in 2005, and has since been followed by at least 12 other states. Policy advocates claim that such a legal change should decrease crime, as a crime victims will no longer be legally encumbered by the duty to retreat. This study examines the reason why states adopted such legislation and the relationship between this legislation and crime. I find that stand-your-ground legislation is associated primarily with southern states and republican governors, and that such legislation does not significantly affect either violent crime or property crime rates in large U.S. cities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77686
- Subject Headings
- Gun control, Firearms and crime, Firearms, Law and legislation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- "_ Love her _ hate her (Check one)": priming effects of magazine covers in the 2008 Presidential campaign.
- Creator
- Montgomery, Samantha, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The primary objective of this research was to investigate the effects of passive exposure to actual media primes on several measures of attitudes. Participants rated the aesthetic properties of a series of Time magazine covers prior to completing measures of ambivalent sexism, narcissism, system justification, and personality traits. Ambivalent Sexism (AS) includes two positively correlated components, benevolent sexism and hostile sexism. System Justification may be defined as a motivated...
Show moreThe primary objective of this research was to investigate the effects of passive exposure to actual media primes on several measures of attitudes. Participants rated the aesthetic properties of a series of Time magazine covers prior to completing measures of ambivalent sexism, narcissism, system justification, and personality traits. Ambivalent Sexism (AS) includes two positively correlated components, benevolent sexism and hostile sexism. System Justification may be defined as a motivated investment in the status-quo and includes both gender-specific and diffuse forms. Participants exposed to the AS prime scored higher on Ambivalent Sexism, lower on Narcissism, and lower on several facets of the five factor model of personality. Exposure to this condition was unrelated to measures of System Justification. The research is grounded in a feminist theoretical framework and contributes to the limited pool of experimental knowledge concerning the relationship between ambivalent sexism, system justification, narcissism and personality traits.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77680
- Subject Headings
- Political campaigns, Presidents, Election, Mass media, Political aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Chavez and the media: a framework for analyzing the 2012 presidential election news coverage in Venezuela.
- Creator
- Viller, Adrian J., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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The media has a significant influence on any political process. In Venezuela, particularly, the media plays an important rold in defining the electorate's political opinion and attitude toward the political process. This thesis analyzed how the media's preference for conflict and individual personalities exacerbated overall societal tensions and polarization in Venezuela since 1999. I suggest a framework for a future content analysis of news coverage of the 2012 presidential election in order...
Show moreThe media has a significant influence on any political process. In Venezuela, particularly, the media plays an important rold in defining the electorate's political opinion and attitude toward the political process. This thesis analyzed how the media's preference for conflict and individual personalities exacerbated overall societal tensions and polarization in Venezuela since 1999. I suggest a framework for a future content analysis of news coverage of the 2012 presidential election in order to quantify and qualify the evolution of bias and balance in Venezuela's mass media.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359323
- Subject Headings
- Political culture, Political parties, Mass media, Political aspects, Press and politics, Politics and government
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Grasp of the Ice-Cold Hand: The Emergence of a New Kind of Gothic in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
- Creator
- Stellner, Alexis M., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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This study provides evidence for an age bias in face recognition. Younger adults viewed short video clips of young actors or of actors over the age of 60 performing everyday actions. One week later, participants were tested on their memory for these events. Recognition event types included same, completely new, and conjunction items. In conjunction items, a familiar actor performed a familiar action that had actually been performed by someone else during encoding. Participants performed well...
Show moreThis study provides evidence for an age bias in face recognition. Younger adults viewed short video clips of young actors or of actors over the age of 60 performing everyday actions. One week later, participants were tested on their memory for these events. Recognition event types included same, completely new, and conjunction items. In conjunction items, a familiar actor performed a familiar action that had actually been performed by someone else during encoding. Participants performed well at picking out the new and old events, but had more difficulty distinguishing between the conjunction events. Younger adults were significantly worse at recognizing the conjunction items when the age of the actor was different from encoding to retrieval. This study supports the hypothesis that people are better able to recognize and distinguish others within a similar age range compared to people outside that range.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11578, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT11578
- Subject Headings
- Face perception, Human information processing, Social aspects, Cognitive psychology, Cognition, Age factors
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The representation paradox.
- Creator
- Adams, Robert T., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/209983
- Subject Headings
- Politics, Practical, Representative government and representation, Political participation, Politics and government
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An introduction to the Abacoa Greenway.
- Creator
- Blubaugh, Carmen., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Greenways are corridors of relatively intact natural vegetation through otherwise disturbed habitat that typically connect larger protected natural areas. The establishment of greenway systems throughout the United States is a testament to the increasing recognition of the necessity to incorporate wild areas within urban and other disturbed landscapes for the sake of biological sustainability and the emotional welfare of human residents. In my thesis, I examine a local greenway in Jupiter,...
Show moreGreenways are corridors of relatively intact natural vegetation through otherwise disturbed habitat that typically connect larger protected natural areas. The establishment of greenway systems throughout the United States is a testament to the increasing recognition of the necessity to incorporate wild areas within urban and other disturbed landscapes for the sake of biological sustainability and the emotional welfare of human residents. In my thesis, I examine a local greenway in Jupiter, Florida, the Abacoa Greenway, which is both product and component of the greenway movement, a recent and revolutionary phenomenon in urban planning. I evaluate the greenway's ecology, the specific functions it serves, and its significance within the broader realm of environmental ethics. The primary protected habitats are a mixture of scrubby pine flatwoods and shallow wetland basins. The flatwoods provide important habitats for numerous native species, including the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and the many commensal species that live in the tortoises' burrows. The shallow wetland basins also serve a number of purposes, including a surface water management system. As a whole, the greenway is an important resource for human recreation and environmental education, including scholarly research by students and faculty at Florida Atlantic University. It serves as important link between people and nature in an urban setting where they might otherwise be completely estranged.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/11594
- Subject Headings
- Greenways, Biological diversity conservation, Government policy, Nature conservation, Government policy, Ecology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- "Our fellows in mortality": kindness to animals in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure.
- Creator
- Brockway, Jessica L., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy depicts characters who are especially sensitive to the suffering of all living creatures and thus engages his novel in the topic of animal rights. In this project I examine the human-animal relationships in Hardy's novel in terms of the ideas of two different philosophers: Peter Singer and Cora Diamond. I argue that, while Singer at first seems to provide a useful model for understanding these relationships in Jude, Diamond's account of these relationships is...
Show moreIn Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy depicts characters who are especially sensitive to the suffering of all living creatures and thus engages his novel in the topic of animal rights. In this project I examine the human-animal relationships in Hardy's novel in terms of the ideas of two different philosophers: Peter Singer and Cora Diamond. I argue that, while Singer at first seems to provide a useful model for understanding these relationships in Jude, Diamond's account of these relationships is ultimately a more helpful tool for understanding Hardy's ideas about animals. Diamond helps us see that Hardy believes people should help all living creatures in pain, no matter the cost to themselves, not because they recognize their suffering, but because they recognize a shared commonality with all sentient creatures.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334248
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Animal rights (Philosophy), Human-animal relationships in literature, Symbolism in literature, Animals and civilization
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Using oral cancer cell line UPCI: SCC078 to purify NuMA protein.
- Creator
- Rodrigues, Ana, Quintyne, Nicholas, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Formation of multipolar spindles is closely linked to increased genomic instability and tumor progression. Centrosome hyperamplification is insufficient to initiate this mitotic defect, centrosome coalescence must be interrupted. Studies have indicated that cytoplasmic dynein is a key factor in preventing multipolarity, and overexpression of the NuMA protein is sufficient to mislocalize dynein from the spindle and abrogate the coalescence machinery. Because the mechanism by which NuMA can...
Show moreFormation of multipolar spindles is closely linked to increased genomic instability and tumor progression. Centrosome hyperamplification is insufficient to initiate this mitotic defect, centrosome coalescence must be interrupted. Studies have indicated that cytoplasmic dynein is a key factor in preventing multipolarity, and overexpression of the NuMA protein is sufficient to mislocalize dynein from the spindle and abrogate the coalescence machinery. Because the mechanism by which NuMA can inhibit dynein is unclear, we are purifying NuMA to use in in vitro studies, to better understand how NuMA blocks dynein activity. Purifying NuMA from recombinant sources has not been successful; therefore we are utilizing a native source. We are using the oral cancer cell line UPCI:SCC078 as the source because it has nine copies of the NUMA1 gene. With modifications to the protocols used previously, our goal is to yield sufficient quantities of NuMA for biochemical analysis with purified NuMA.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003532
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Secularism in Latin America?: looking at the effects of social welfare and leftist parties on religiosity.
- Creator
- Pena, Alan Manuel., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Researchers sometimes classify religious organizations as rational actors, arguing that religious organizations attempt to minimize costs and maximize membership. Anthony Gill and Erik Lundsgaarde use the rational actor model to explain organized religion's diminished competitiveness and the correlated increase in secularity against governments with high social welfare programs. They conclude that government welfare programs contribute to increased secularity. Survey data indicates that Chile...
Show moreResearchers sometimes classify religious organizations as rational actors, arguing that religious organizations attempt to minimize costs and maximize membership. Anthony Gill and Erik Lundsgaarde use the rational actor model to explain organized religion's diminished competitiveness and the correlated increase in secularity against governments with high social welfare programs. They conclude that government welfare programs contribute to increased secularity. Survey data indicates that Chile, Cuba, and Uruguay have significantly higher proportions of secularity relative to the rest of the region. This thesis tests the hypothesis that increased secularity in Chile, Cuba, and Uruguay is caused not only by Gill and Lundsgaarde's social welfare hypothesis, but also by the historical presence of far left parties in these nations. The ideologies of longstanding far left parties are often anti-religious and may contribute to increased secularity, suggesting that leftist parties may be a predictor of increased secularity in a country. Welfare, as times passes, becomes a stronger predictor of decreased religious behavior.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77682
- Subject Headings
- Religion and politics, Church and state, History, Political parties
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Tradable permits as a policy mechanism for greenhouse gas abatement.
- Creator
- Van Treese, Jeff., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
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This paper examines permit trading as an instrument for greenhouse gas emission abatement and suggests that a cap and trade scheme is the lowest-cost option for achieving this goal. The paper examines relevant examples of emission trading within the United States, including the Acid Rain Program contained within the 1990 Clean Air Act, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the Chicago Climate Exchange. I address the circumstances, constraints, and degree of success of such programs in...
Show moreThis paper examines permit trading as an instrument for greenhouse gas emission abatement and suggests that a cap and trade scheme is the lowest-cost option for achieving this goal. The paper examines relevant examples of emission trading within the United States, including the Acid Rain Program contained within the 1990 Clean Air Act, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the Chicago Climate Exchange. I address the circumstances, constraints, and degree of success of such programs in relation to the Kyoto Protocol as well as other possible permit schemes at the national level within the United States. I contrast tradable permits with other forms of environmental abatement policy including command and control regulation and taxation. Finally, I analyze the effect of several variables including population and GDP on emissions growth and draws conclusions on what extent those variables play on shaping a domestic greenhouse gas trading program.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40973
- Subject Headings
- Emissions trading, Greenhouse gases, Environmental aspects, Climatic changes, Government policy, Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric, Environmental policy
- 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
- Intraspecific aggression in the difficult ant, Technomyrmex difficilis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
- Creator
- Sollins, Benjamin H., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
One mechanism allowing ant species to successfully invade new areas at a rapid pace is unicoloniality, the formation of large networks connecting colonies over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. These large networks of colonies, or "supercolonies" lack any form of intraspecific aggression, thus fighting between them is absent. I used aggression assays to study unicoloniality between colonies of the invasive difficult ant, Technomyrmex difficilis on the Florida Atlantic University...
Show moreOne mechanism allowing ant species to successfully invade new areas at a rapid pace is unicoloniality, the formation of large networks connecting colonies over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. These large networks of colonies, or "supercolonies" lack any form of intraspecific aggression, thus fighting between them is absent. I used aggression assays to study unicoloniality between colonies of the invasive difficult ant, Technomyrmex difficilis on the Florida Atlantic University Wilkes Honors College campus and a household located ~32 km northwest from the college. I found that for all trial combinations, no aggression took place among the ants. From these results, I conclude that T. difficilis does display unicoloniality in South Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335456
- Subject Headings
- Technomyrmex difficilis, Ants, Behavior, Insect colonies, Predation (Biology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Characterization of the motor protein, KIF9, in mammalian cell mitotic progression.
- Creator
- Hoke, Jordan, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The kinesin family of microtubule motors is divided into subfamilies based on structure and function. KIF9, founder of the Kinesin-9 family, has been found to interact with the GTPase Gem. Subsequent studies have shown that KIF9 is vital for flagellar movement and podosome regulation. Previous work has proposed KIF9 is required for microtubule organization as well as proper mitotic entry, progression and completion. In this study, I examined the function of KIF0 in mitotic progression using...
Show moreThe kinesin family of microtubule motors is divided into subfamilies based on structure and function. KIF9, founder of the Kinesin-9 family, has been found to interact with the GTPase Gem. Subsequent studies have shown that KIF9 is vital for flagellar movement and podosome regulation. Previous work has proposed KIF9 is required for microtubule organization as well as proper mitotic entry, progression and completion. In this study, I examined the function of KIF0 in mitotic progression using shRNA-mediated knockdown, and overexpression. In knockdown cells, I saw a significant delay in mitotic progression as well as an increase in multipolarity and multinuclearity, suggesting a failure of cytokinesis. Overexpression of KIF9 produced similar effects on mitotic progression, as well as a marked increase in chromosome distance during anaphase. Taken with previous results, my research indicated that KIF9 is required for normal mitotic progression and completion, possible via regulation of the contractile ring.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359298
- Subject Headings
- Cells, Motility, Protoplasmic streaming, Cell organelles, Cellular signal transduction, Cytoskeletal proteins
- Format
- Document (PDF)