JBC Commons (New College of Florida)
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BTS-Dash: A Multi-Platform Social Media Aggregator
No full textWith the rise of social media, it has become more and more difficult for an individual to track down a comprehensive amount of information on a single topic, forcing them to search out multiple sources in order to stay up to date. A dashboard can be a useful tool in automatically collecting and displaying data for an individual to access and interpret, but only if the dashboard is laid out in a way that can be quickly and effectively understood. In order to develop a framework for an effective dashboard layout, a social media aggregator dashboard focused on the popular K-Pop group BTS was developed. The overall design focused on prioritising accessibility, usability, data trustworthiness, and the aesthetics of the dashboard. To test the efficacy of the created dashboard, a usability study with 8 participants was conducted among fans of the dashboard’s topic. The study showed that a single page layout, with data displayed in order of relevance, and with social media feeds designed to remind users visually of the source of the data, was effective in helping users understand how to intuitively navigate the website and where the data displayed was sourced from, but that buttons and text descriptions were less effective in assisting users with locating information on the dashboard
HOMOLOGY MODELING OF GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE FROM A HALOPHILIC BACTERIA
No full textA novel species of halophilic bacteria from a Florida marine environment (Zooshikella MI-3) was identified, its genome sequenced, and a likely Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) identified by sequence similarity. In this thesis project, a three dimensional structure was proposed for this G6PD enzyme using sequence homology in SWISS-MODEL. The structure was refined and verified for accuracy using the YASARA, ProtParam, MolProbity, SAVES Verify3D and ProSA web servers. A biological assembly was created via structural homology using the dimer G6PD of L. mesenteroides. Surface interactions between protein chains were quantified in Chimera and ChimeraX and compared to those from known crystal structures of G6PD. The limitations of generating a correct biological assembly via template based homology were explored. Structural features of this protein were compared to known characteristics of halophilic proteins to gain insight as to what types of adaptations this species employs to survive in a high salt environment. The presence of the ectoine biosynthesis gene and the lack of acidic proteome signatures provided evidence that this halophile employs ectoine as a compatible solute instead of importing potassium and chloride ions. The structural model showed the active site residues in very similar locations as G6PDs from crystal structures. This model predicts fewer ionic interactions between subunits compared to other G6PD structures
“Exploring the Status of Working Women in Honduran Maquiladoras: The Intersection of Labor Rights, Reproductive Rights, and Human Rights”
No full textThis thesis explores the relationship between women’s labor and reproductive rights and how it is experienced in the Honduran maquiladora industry. I explore this relationship through three main lenses: capitalism, patriarchy, and the lack of regulation of rights. This approach aims to describe the structures and ideologies that negatively impact working women’s labor and reproductive rights in maquiladoras. While I explain the repercussions of these structures and ideologies in the context of Honduras, I also emphasize the role of external forces and actors – foreign corporations and the United States – in perpetuating structural and systemic issues. Namely, an understanding of Honduras’s history and contemporary events and movements is necessary to understand that the United States has been invested in Honduran geo-politics since the early 19th century. Lastly, I discuss how these events correlate with working women’s current experience in maquiladoras. The labor and power structures created in the fruit plantations during Honduras’ banana republic era is replicated within an industrial setting, thus leading to the maquiladora industrial complex. In this modern and industrial context, inequality and exploitation is further perpetuated. Ultimately, this work presents an intersection of gender, labor rights, capitalism, and how women led grassroots organizations have been and continue to be at the forefront of Honduras’ labor justice movement
THE CONTENTION ABOUT PROTECTION: LEGAL STATUS OF PROTRACTED REFUGEES IN JORDAN, BANGLADESH, INDIA, AND KENYA
No full textThe trend of international refugee crises lasting longer and longer leads to additional concerns and strains for host countries. Not only that, but long-term refugeehood creates continued dependence on the host nation and bars access to most durable solutions. One way to move from dependency to self-sufficiency for these refugees is to obtain a legal status that allows them to engage with their host society in a meaningful way. This study posits that the status of protracted refugees in a host state is to some degree dependent on the origins of the crisis (ethnic cleansing versus civil war) and on the presence of national groups in the host country of similar ethnicity to those fleeing the crisis. In addition, emphasis on security issues affects the status and rights of refugees as well. Four country cases were selected based on these criteria to better illuminate these potential differences; all are neighboring states to the country of origin and major refugee host states. Palestinians in Jordan and Rohingya in Bangladesh were cases of home country ethnic cleansing, while Sri Lankan Tamils in India and Somali in Kenya were cases of civil war. Both Palestinians and Tamils shared strong ethnic connections to host country national groups. Cases of origin state ethnic cleansing showcased larger central government sympathy than cases of civil war. Those country cases with strong ethnic connections had more access to aid, sympathy, certain privileges, and, in one case (West Bank Palestinians), citizenship status than their counterparts. Nevertheless, in all countries selected, security concerns trumped rights and privileges, specifically the right to move and the right to find employment. The primary method of limiting these rights was through the creation and maintenance of refugee camps, which provide ease of aid access and the official legality of a refugee label in exchange for an inability to leave (often not by choice of the refugee). The camp itself also came to light as a security concern. By denying refugees a legal status beyond refugeehood and the ability to leave camps, the host country governments create perpetual security issues for themselves
The Heat is On: An Analysis of the Thermal Tolerance of the Invasive Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia as a Model for CTmax Studies in Squamates
No full textAs climate change continues to threaten biodiversity around the world, time is running out to protect many species from extinction. Lizards are among the most threatened species, and over twenty percent of all lizards are expected to face extinction as temperatures increase globally. Hemidactylus mabouia is an invasive and highly abundant species of gecko in Florida and limited information is available on their thermal tolerance.These lizards were collected in Sarasota, Florida, where their CTmax was measured by the demonstration of loss of normal function in the form of pants and muscular spasms. I hypothesized that the two methods of measuring CTmax would produce similar results and predicted that H. mabouia is not at risk of becoming extinct in Florida based on climate change projections for the future. The data revealed an average CTmax of 38.5±2.6°C using the panting method and 41.9±0.92°C using spasms, which was a significant difference. Based on these findings, H. mabouia is not at risk of population decline in Florida in the near future and that there is a strong relationship between CTmax and method of measurement. Further research with a larger sample size will support these conclusions
EMPIRICAL AND EPISTEMIC JUSTIFICATIONS:A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MAPPING VALIDATION TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATING SEAGRASS ABUNDANCE
No full textEmpirically, I perform three different mapping validation procedures (by eye, photo-quadrat, and point count) in order to compare their functionality as ground truth data. I calculate the benthic substrate coverage in a subset of the Sarasota Bay in Florida by using high resolution aerial images and perform accuracy assessments using the three validation procedures. Philosophically, I assess how the methodology of mapping validation procedures assumes a framework of scientific realism for practicing scientists, implying an absolutism about the truth in scientific claims. I then assess the procedures I used in the comparative study of mapping validation procedures through the epistemic framework of Catherine Elgin’s True Enough
HOW UNIVERSAL IS UNIVERSAL? A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REFUGEE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN FRANCE AND GERMANY
No full textAnnually, millions of asylum seekers leave their countries to seek safety from persecution, violence, and war. It is in the international community\u27s interest for countries to establish methods to provide access to universal health care. This study examines health care access for refugees in France and Germany. Comparative analysis of these two universal health systems confirms that France and Germany are both states that provide asylum seekers and refugees with access to care, with only some limitations. Differences between these two universal health care systems did not significantly contribute to legal access to care for refugees. National policies between the two highlighted access to care limitations of time restrictions, documentation status, perception of care urgency, and age. From a health perspective, this study emphasizes the need for countries to focus on improving equitable, timely access to health care by decreasing waiting periods and investing in more resources to mitigate disparities among their populations and prepare for refugee integration
Nature Photography – A Unity Game
No full textWithin this Thesis, I talk about the creation of a nature photography game created using C# and the Unity engine. In this game, the player begins in a nature center, and then travels between three different locations - A field, a plains river, and a volcano – each with different animals that would be native to that location in the wild. The player then can return to the nature center and view the pictures that they’ve taken. The art of the game was created using Blender, for the 3d models of the locations and buildings, and Clip Studio Paint, for the 2d drawings of the animals. The code and a playable build file for the game can be found at https://github.com/real- afluegge/thesis-project
MULTIPLE RASPBERRY PICAMERA RECORDING AND VIDEO STITCHING SOFTWARE
No full textMost animal behavior experiments constrain the experimental design to a single camera, small terrestrial animal and small arena. Advancements in modern technology have allowed for new designs of animal behavior experiments to be created like the multiple Raspberry Picamera recording system generated for the Pritzker Marine Laboratory’s flume tank. This system pilots an experimental design allowing for multiple cameras to be used, and large aquatic animals in large arenas to be studied. This Picamera system produces a single panorama-like output of the entire enclosure by using cost-effective and open-source materials, making it cheaper than standardized alternatives
ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF INVASIVE REMOVAL TECHNIQUES ON MANGROVE GROWTH AND BURROWING CRAB POPULATIONS
No full textMangroves are unique ecosystems, bridging land and sea, and hosting a plethora of ecologically and economically valuable species. Mangroves provide a nursery habitat for marine life, protect and build shorelines, and sequester large amounts of atmospheric carbon. Mangrove trees have an interdependent relationship with the burrowing crabs which live alongside them. Burrowing crabs act as ecosystem engineers; assisting in nutrient cycling and decomposition, altering the sediment chemistry and promoting plant growth. This study takes place on a spoil mound caused by channelization in a mangrove island. Impacts of invasive tree removal techniques on mangrove growth, crab populations, and substrate characteristics are explored with the goal of identifying the invasive removal technique(s) which best support mangrove growth and burrowing crab populations. Mangrove measurements and soil and litter samples were collected in addition to conducting crab population surveys to quantify the influence of invasive removal on mangrove growth, substrate characteristics, crab presence, and crab burrow density. This allowed for an analysis of the relationship between substrate characteristics and crab burrow density. One-way ANOVA, chi squared, and regression analyses performed in JMP 16 showed no significant direct or indirect impacts of invasive removal treatment on mangrove growth or crab populations