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GENOME SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF A NOVEL SEDIMENT-DERIVED MARINE BACTERIUM AND ITS BIOSYNTHESIS OF THE ANTIMICROBIAL MOLECULES PRODIGIOSIN AND CYCLOPRODIGIOSIN
No full textWith the rise of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, the search for novel compounds exhibiting antimicrobial properties has become an important area of research. Antimicrobial secondary metabolites produced by novel species of bacteria provide a new avenue for drug innovation. A red pigment-producing bacteria with antimicrobial properties was isolated from marine sediment off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida and named MI3. The genome of MI3 showed less than 78% identity to known bacterial species. Phylogenetic analysis based on the genome showed MI3 represents a new species of the genus Zooshikella. SEM imaging showed the bacteria to be spirillum shaped and forming a biofilm. MI3 produced a red pigment that displayed two absorbance peaks, 575 nm at low pH and 480 nm at higher pH. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the extract indicated the presence of prodigiosin and cycloprodigiosin with m/z peaks at 324.20 and 322.19 respectively. Genomic analysis indicated the presence of secondary metabolic biosynthetic gene clusters including prodigiosin, ectoine, and aryl polyene. Further analysis of the genome revealed a homologous gene with 77% identity to a gene proposed to be associated with C-H activation and cyclization of prodigiosin, PRUB680. MI3 was also determined to have several antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, transporters, and drug targets
LATTICE-BASED ENCRYPTION METHODS
No full textEncryption is necessary for digital communication, but the development of quantum computers pose a theoretical threat to modern encryption systems. The class of problems surrounding lattices are difficult for quantum computers to solve efficiently, and have been used to try and construct new, more secure encryption methods. This thesis describes two popular lattice problems used and gives a close look at two different lattice-based encryption methods, referred to as GGH and NTRU, and takes a look at their respective successes through some examples. Finally, we describe other encryption methods which have been proposed as adaptions on the NTRU system, and some thoughts on post-quantum cryptography
CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR GAMES AN EMBODIED APPROACH TO MATHEMATICS PEDAGOGY
No full textIn the theory of embodied cognition, mathematical activity is thought to be facili- tated in large part by epistemic “mappings” that translate bodily intuitions about the world into abstract conceptual domains. Since their popularization, these ideas have influenced discourse in mathematics education. Another currently popular topic in mathematics education is the growing evidence that learning games can enhance learning outcomes. Combining these facts, this work proposes to construct real- world or virtual games which directly map onto mathematical concepts via concep- tual metaphors. Games of this kind, which I dub conceptual metaphor games, intend to encourage learning as exploration, making for an approach to inclusive pedagogy which is both person-centric and theoretically sound such that it can be accessibly presented as separate from the underlying theory. I argue that play and discussion of these games can serve as “grounding” experiences with mathematics that confer understanding through a lighthearted medium. An example is given involving the embodied source domain of frogs hopping on lily pads, demonstrating an implemen- tation of such a conceptual metaphor game in a pedagogical context. Additionally, I implement a demo level of a virtual browser-based game which can extend to a larger project for empirical evaluation
15 Minutes in Heaven
No full textIn this paper, I research the evolution of stand-up comedy throughout American history as well as key stand-up influences. I highlight the effect these comedians had not only on society but on my comedy as well. I also performed fifteen minutes of stand-up comedy in which I prepared material throughout ten weeks of deep research, performance, and corrections with my academic advisor Diego Villada. I detail the process of putting on a comedy show, how I felt before, during, and after as well as how I plan to apply what I have learned throughout this project to my future
JUST DANCE: AN INVESTIGATION OF DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY ON THOSE WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE
No full textThe current study explores whether Dance/Movement Therapy contributes to a perceived higher quality of life in those with Parkinson’s Disease compared to other types of physical activities/therapies. 10 people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) were recruited from two Sarasota-based Parkinson’s support organizations and were identified as being a part of the Dance/Movement Therapy (n=7) or the Control (n=3) condition. The researcher met with all the participants through Zoom to take an online survey, created by the researcher with questions taken/modified from the PDQ-39 and PDQUALIF, asking about their perceptions on their physical, emotional, and social aspects of quality of life. Additionally, the 7 Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) participants were interviewed about their personal experience with DMT. All the results were purely descriptive, as there was not enough data to do any inferential statistical analyses. The survey results showed trendlines moving in the direction of improvement in quality of life with longer time in PD-focused physical activity/therapy. Upon further analysis of the survey data, the data suggests a positive relationship between more time in PD-focused physical activity/therapy and better quality of life, as well as an effect of how long ago participants were diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The interview results showed that a majority of participants said “yes” to notice physical, emotional, and social changes that they attributed to Dance/Movement Therapy, with more positive than negative items reported for all three quality of life categories. Finally, all 7 DMT participants said they would recommend DMT to other people with Parkinson’s Disease. It is important to state that definitive conclusions can’t be made with the unexpectedly small sample size, although these hints of data may be worth exploring in future studies
DYNAMICS OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS WITH AUTOREGULATION: A COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY APPROACH
No full textTo maintain cellular homeostasis, cells continuously respond to external stimuli by employing a variety of regulatory mechanisms that often involve up-regulation of some proteins. This study focuses on deterministic and stochastic modeling and analysis of dynamics of a hypothetical protein P with negative autoregulations in E.coli. It assumes that the input signal up-regulates the protein P , and P down-regulates its own production using 2 types of autoregulatory mechanisms. The mathematical models are differential equations that describe the dynamics of mRNA and protein P for 3 scenarios: (1)Simplistic model with no regulation, (2)Model with transcriptional autoregulation, and (3)Model with translational autoregulation. The model parameters are estimated from previous literature for E.coli. The steady state and stability of each of the models are analyzed and the dynamics of P to step-like external transient signals is investigated as the signal amplitude and persistency change. Our analysis shows that the negative autoregulation models produce faster response to the signal compared to the model with no regulation, and they also control unnecessary protein synthesis. The return time to the resting states after removal of the signal is faster in the autoregulation models. Moreover, among all 3 models, only the transcriptional autoregulation model is capable of producing oscillatory dynamics. Gene networks are inherently noisy due to random fluctuations in protein molecules. To study regulatory roles of random fluctuations in the dynamics, we employed the Gillespie algorithm to simulate the models stochastically. At steady state, our stochastic simulations predict that the transcriptional autoregulation model is the noisiest followed by the simplistic model, and the translational autoregulation model has the lowest noise level. The noise level depends on the strength of inhibition. The transcriptional autoregulation model filters out the noise in the input signal for a period of time after the signal application, and this time becomes longer as the strength of the feedback gets stronger. The other two models do not filter out input noise to this extent
Red Crowned Cranes
No full textMural with two large Red Crowned Cranes facing each other. Their bodies are made of abstract organic forms starting with blue, purple, and green closest to the neck of the crane, then bursting into orange, red, and light yellow. Each crane is set off against an orange and pink chrysanthemum. The entire image is enveloped by green and pink geometric patterns which melt into soft brush strokes as they move up the mural. The mural is covered in a clear glitter top coat, making it shimmer in the sun.https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/pubart/1106/thumbnail.jp
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIPHEP-TYPE LIGANDS AND A RU(II) COMPLEX FOR CATALYTIC ALCOHOL ACCEPTORLESS DEHYDROGENATION
No full textThis thesis describes the synthesis and characterization of a BIPHEP-type (2,2\u27- Bis(diphenylphosphino)biphenyl) ligand with four pendent ethyl substituents (2-EtBIPHEP, Chapter 2) and efforts toward another BIPHEP-type ligand, 2-COOHBIPHEP, that contains four pendent carboxylic acid substituents (Chapter 4). 2-EtBIPHEP was successfully synthesized at a 1-gram scale over four reaction steps starting from PCl3. Three literature procedures for the synthesis of o-bromooxazoyl benzene (BrPhOx) were tested ; one procedure allowed us to prepare 14.42 g of BrPhOx (84.9% yield). The ability for LiPhOx to react with phosphorous electrophiles was also explored . An initial investigation of the behavior and thermal stability of one Ru complex, [CpRu(2-EtBIPHEP)(MeCN)]PF6, under alcohol acceptorless dehydrogenation conditions is discussed in Chapter 3. The metal complex bearing 2-EtBIPHEP was thermally unstable under catalytic conditions, so the thermal stability of this complex was explored using several solvents, temperatures, and other additives. This work contributes towards an ongoing project using these ligands to investigate the importance of ligand pKa in alcohol acceptorless dehydrogenation
PHYSICAL SECURITY RISK ANALYSIS AND MANAGMENT
No full textThe purpose of this senior project and internship experience is to immerse the student in the industry of physical security management and to provide a diverse skillset that will prepare a student for future endeavors in the industry or even different industries outside of security services. The project’s learning experience will help the intern acquire soft skills and hard skills that will allow for greater upwards mobility in a corporate management setting and to make the intern a more well-rounded individual overall. The goal of acquiring these skills was achieved by the end of the internship experience, in which the intern acquired an improved ability in public speaking, business negotiation and adaption, personnel leadership, and how to communicate effectively in a management environment. Hard skills such as acquiring progress in an accredited certification program for security management would also be acquired in this project experience, advancing the intern towards becoming more qualified in the security services industry. Through the combination of unique skills and perspectives gained from a New College of Florida’s economics education, I was able to effectively apply life experience and academic experience to successfully complete this senior project with excellent outcomes. The application of economics, work ethic, and critical thinking would allow for improved business operations for Randex-Gulfside Protective Services LLC in Sarasota, Florida
MODERN ART AS PROPAGANDA: VERA MUKHINA\u27S SOVIET PAVILION SCULPTURE AT THE 1937 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
No full textSince 1851, international exhibitions have impacted millions with their awe-inducing splendor and gigantic displays of cultural and technological innovations. The 1937 iteration stands out from the crowd for the strong political implications of its displays as World War II loomed in the future, especially the tense confrontation between the German and Soviet Pavilions. This thesis considers how the U.S.S.R. used this event as an opportunity to propagate an idealized image of itself to the rest of the world via Vera Mukhina’s Industrial Worker and Collective Farm Woman, which crowned the Soviet pavilion. It more specifically examines how this sculpture functioned as propaganda that supposedly demonstrated the successful modernizing Russian state. It also highlights the way in which Mukhina drew on Classical iconography to suggest the U.S.S.R.’s rightful place among Western democracies, in spite of the harsh repression and brutal purges conducted under Stalin