JBC Commons (New College of Florida)
Not a member yet
9773 research outputs found
Sort by
A Comparison of Domesticated Rat Behavior Between Differing Environment Types
No full textEnriching environments consist of elements that provoke more naturalistic behaviors to appear within a focal species through incorporating novelty typically not provided within laboratory environments. This study set out to compare the behaviors displayed by domesticated rats when provided with two distinct enriching environments. It was hypothesized that there would be differences in the behaviors displayed between the different cages. To test this hypothesis the behaviors of two senior female rats were observed during their time in a standard pet rat cage and a bioactive/naturalistic cage over the course of three periods (control, experimental, and reintroduction), with the standard pet rat cage serving as the control. The behavior of the rats was observed and categorized for a total of 7.2 hours per period. There was a difference in the behaviors displayed between periods, even among the control and reintroduction periods. This is in part due to both individuals decreasing their hiding during the experimental period by 24.1% and 20.8%. This study demonstrates that differing environments have an influence on behavioral expression within domesticated rats
Cracked Reality: The Theater of Chaos And Accessibility in Academia: Building a More Inclusive and Less Intimidating Environment
No full textAbsurdist humor and horror is the only way to survive in the nonsensical world. Situational comedy, irony, and the macabre; this is the essence of the world of spontaneity. My work is fueled by the need to provoke unsettling emotions, leaving audiences to sit and digest feelings of discomfort and joy in the catharsis of humor. I mean, what’s more funny than watching someone have a mental breakdown? Like, come on, you’re not special, all of us are freaks. SO, I’m a bit of a freak. I like building on ideas as I produce art, feeding my emotions into all types of media. Video Art and live performance is my flavor of choice. Spontaneity, absurdism, humor, and horror go hand-in-hand. Through a series of Videos and performances, displayed in both the physical and digital worlds, an unpredictable narrative is told. You will feel strange
BOMBAZOS Y BELONGING: EXPLORING BELONGING AND CONNECTION BETWEEN LATINE STUDENTS THROUGH DANCE AT A PWI
No full textBy utilizing dance and performance ethnography in tandem with the practice of bomba (an Afro-Puerto Rican dance, genre, and drum), this thesis seeks to understand the themes of belonging and connection amongst Latine students at New College of Florida, a predominately White institution (PWI). How may dance act as a safe space, or counterspace, for students of marginalized identities to foster a sense of belonging? Can connecting to one another, despite our cultural differences within the Latine diaspora, lend itself to finding “home” in an otherwise hostile PWI? According to this study’s participants, finding familiar aspects of one’s culture amongst peers and entering a space with the intention of understanding, a sense of belonging can be fostered on campus. The concept and creation of counterspaces, in conjunction with safe spaces, can also lend itself to understanding how Latine students find a sense of belonging at a PWI. Further, connection between a student’s heritage and their peers of similar descent may also contribute to fostering belonging between students and the physical landscape and location of their institution, in this case, New College
Exploring the Impact of S. mutans and L. casei on Cellular Disruptions: Insights from C. elegans as a Model for Microbial Dysbiosi
No full textThe term microbial dysbiosis describes the interaction of microorganisms with cancerous cells, facilitating tumor progression and metastasis. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), a cariogenic bacterium, employs its adherence and acid-tolerant capabilities to collaborate with other bacteria in invading host cells, thereby promoting oral squamous cell carcinoma and other extra-oral diseases. In contrast, Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) exhibits probiotic properties known to assist in the treatment and prevention of intestinal cancers, fostering microbial homeostasis. When grown together, S. mutans and L. casei engage in a competitive relationship, with L. casei hindering the dominance of S. mutans. However, the intricacies of this relationship are not fully understood, leaving a knowledge gap regarding their impact on cell cycle disruptions and the underlying molecular pathways. This study investigates the effects of S. mutans and L. casei on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) through two life stage assays quantifying larval populations. Assay 1 compared worm development on S. mutans versus L. casei, using OP50 bacteria as a control, while assay 2 evaluated whether L. casei provided a protective effect. Statistical tests including an ANOVA and t-tests were used to analyze the differences between the means of the treatments. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy was used to capture images of C. elegans L4 hermaphrodites and their eggs. The ANOVA results indicated that the number of eggs and L4 worms were very different between treatments in assay 1 (p-value = 0.0004 \u3c 0.05). Worms cultivated in S. mutans exhibited a decrease in the number of offspring produced, along with delays in the development of both the eggs and offspring. A closer examination of DIC images revealed morphological defects for the eggs and the small and twisted pharynx phenotypes for the L4s. Notably, worm growth on L. casei prior to S. mutans exposure did not confer protective effects, as indicated by the comparable phenotypic and developmental delays and the consistent reductions in egg and offspring counts. The assay 2 t-test results (p-values = 0.8825 and 0.6647 \u3e 0.05) support this point, indicating that the means of the S. mutans (OP50) and S. mutans (L. casei) treatments are very similar. The literature suggests that egg defects may be due to egg retention, a defective eggshell, or mutations having to do with the sperm or oocyte. The twisted pharynx phenotype in adults is due to a defect in actin attachment to the cuticle during growth, but it does not affect the worm’s feeding ability. The small phenotype can be explained by mutations in collagen genes and their related biosynthetic pathway products that form the cuticle. Overall, cellular pathway mutations or cuticle defects seem to be the common factor. To explain what bacterial component is causing these effects, a hypothesis was formed that an S. mutans virulence factor is affecting C. elegans genetic expression, which could alter its metabolism and/or immune response to result in the observed phenotypes. Some proposed ways to test this include a genetic screen or chemical purification of the S. mutans virulence factors. This project successfully positions C. elegans as a model organism for microbial dysbiosis research by employing the oral pathogen S. mutans. It is the first examination of this bacteria in C. elegans, laying the groundwork for identifying molecules causing cellular aberrations that may be associated with human diseases
INVESTIGATING INDICATORS OF RADICALIZATION WITHIN POLITICAL COMMUNITIES ON REDDIT
No full textProminent cases of political violence in America are often approached by determining a potential cause and seeking a solution specific to that cause. For example, a mass shooting tied to a political ideology may be approached as the consequence of a nationwide mental health crisis or failures in gun control. However, efforts to understand and prevent such cases may be more successful if these acts are addressed as the result of radicalization: a trackable process that leads to violence. Additionally, the role of internet-based platforms has been questioned in relation to the violent realization of radical ideas. Therefore, researching the process of radicalization as it occurs within online spaces may offer valuable insight into the effective prediction and prevention of political violence. However, the potential nuance of internet-based communications within the process of radicalization necessitates further research. This study employs text-based analysis methods used by Ted Grover and Gloria Mark (2019) to investigate the behavioral patterns of internet-based political communities on the social media website Reddit. User comments taken from political communities on Reddit are analyzed and compared over a six-month period using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC). The comparison aims to determine whether warning behaviors of the radicalization process are observable within political communities online. The warning behavior of idea and topic fixation is investigated by reviewing the frequency with which terms are mentioned. Next, the sentiment of comments is analyzed, addressing the potential warning behavior of an increasingly negative tone. Finally, the comments are reviewed for markers of in-group identification, which has been identified as another potential warning behavior in the radicalization process
Confrontation in the Backlands: An Approach to Mario Vargas Llosa’s The War of the End of the World
No full textHow does one show a society in crisis? What is the separation between history and fiction? Mario Vargas Llosa’s novel The War of the End of the World, is aimed at providing at least the basis for an answer. This novel is a fictional retelling of the real-life Canudos War, based on Euclides Da Cunha’s Os Sertões. The Canudos War (1896-1897) was a conflict in which Canudos, an autonomous religious commune, was completely wiped out in a war with the First Brazilian Republic. After first providing historical background, this paper examines Os Sertões as well as more contemporary perspectives on the Canudos War in order to give a complete picture of the real-life events and figures that Vargas Llosa bases the narrative on. This paper looks at the novel in the context of its time and the interplay between history and fiction, before going into a series of character analyses, focusing on their understandings of reality and the ideals that motivate them. The conclusion that is ultimately drawn is that Vargas Llosa, through a subjectivity-based portrayal focus of conflict, sought to emphasize what he saw in the Canudos war as the inescapability of storytelling, in defining a world, in understanding an individual’s place in it, and in the creation of the justifications for the worst violence
NEMATODES AS A MODEL FOR DRUG ADDICTION: USING DOPAMINE DEPENDENT LOCOMOTOR BEHAVIOR IN C. ELEGANS TO INVESTIGATE PSYCHOSTIMULANTS
No full textThis thesis discusses drug addiction research, particularly focusing on psychostimulants like amphetamines and their effects on the brain\u27s dopamine pathway. It explores Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism to study drug addiction and highlights its advantages, such as its fully mapped nervous system and highly conserved dopamine pathway. This research tests the effectiveness of the swimming induced paralysis (SWIP) assay in C. elegans treated with ephedrine, a psychostimulant. Results indicated a significant increase in paralysis (52.5% to 82.9%) with higher ephedrine concentrations (5.0 mM to 7.0 mM), suggesting its potential as a model for studying drug addiction and other dopamine-related disorders. The data supports previous work and emphasizes C. elegans as a valuable tool for developing a better understanding of drug addiction and potentially creating new treatments. Although useful for studying molecular mechanisms, using C. elegans as a model does have limitations, and further research is still necessary to improve its efficacy as a model for human diseases such as drug addiction
Generalization of Planck’s Law and Analysis of Inflection Points and Maxima
No full textThe study proposes generalizations of 18 mathematical forms of Planck’s thermal radiation law. Sixteen transcendental equations are derived and solved for calculating the positions of three characteristic points: two inflection points and a maximum. Displacement laws for each of the characteristic points (total of 52 points), in the spirit of Wien’s displacement law, are proposed. The study analyzes eight unitless probability density functions (PDFs) via proposed inflection point parameters, compared to the conventional standard deviation statistical parameter. Additionally, the proposed comparative study is utilized as a framework for linking Photobiological processes and the Planck’s thermal radiation law. It is proposed that 91% of the bio-photons are bound between the two inflection points of the per-wavelength photon radiance PDF, expressed as a function of the photon energy. Finally, the study suggests extensions of the generalization of Planck’s thermal radiation law to the realm of solid-state phonons
Genesis from the Origin at the Hands of Random Gods: An Asymptotic Inequality for Two Random Growth Processes
No full textWe define two random growth processes taking values in subsets of the integer lattice Z×Z. We use the processes to generate random convex hull processes and numerically study the ratio of the expected value of the corresponding areas. Our results lead us to conjecture an asymptotic inequality for the ratio of the expected areas
THE DISCOVERY, DISCLOSURE, AND INVESTIGATION OF CVE-2024-25825
No full textCVE-2024-25825 is a vulnerability found in FydeOS. This thesis describes its discovery, disclosure, and its further investigation in connection to a nation state actor. The vulnerability is CWE-1392: Use of Default Credentials, CWE-1393: Use of Default Password, and CWE-258: Empty Password in Configuration File found in the /etc/shadow configuration file. The root user’s entry in the /etc/shadow file contains a wildcard allowing entry with any, or no, password. Following responsable disclosure, Fyde, CISA, and Mitre were informed. Fyde was already aware of the vulnerability. There was concern that this vulnerability might have been purposefully placed, perhaps by a nation state actor. After further investigation, it apears that this is unlikely to be the case. In cases in which poisoned code is suspected it might be prudent to contact the appropriate CERT, rather than the parent company. This, however, clashes with the typical teaching of responsable disclosure