College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Chemistry

10307

Patois and Power: Inmate Argot in Modern Penal Histories

This project constitutes the first attempt to reconstruct the history of the modern American penitentiary from the convict perspective. As of now, there are virtually no historical studies of the culture of the American convict and the way in which prisoners adapted to, resisted, or rebelled from official penal policies. This project will argue that, while American prisoners have always employed means of resistance to administrative control, it was not until the interwar period (1919-1940) that there emerged a truly national prisoner culture. This culture - most commonly deemed the "convict code" - was made possible through a series of demographic and political changes following World War One that, cumulatively, brought members of the American underclass together in the nation's Big House prisons in unprecedented numbers. In these enormous institutions, prisoners exchanged ideas and methods of tacit resistance, allowing for the creation of a widely-disseminated, anti-administration inmate code of conduct that bridged the experiences of inmates from a wide variety of racial, ethnic, and demographic backgrounds. I have visited the New York State and Federal Government archives in search of prison records and have recorded over 5,300 unique prisoner case files, all of which have been taken from the records for New York's Auburn Penitentiary and the federal prisons at Leavenworth and Alcatraz Island. As each prisoner file describes conduct infractions through mini-narratives, I have been using these records to create a series of descriptive vignettes about prison rebellion and resistance. I have also run the aggregate data on prisoner biographical information (age, race, offence, sentence) and the number and type of conduct infractions through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to find statistically-significant patterns in acts of prisoner resistance. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 21.4)

10306

Transport of Drugs Across Surfactant Covered Emulsion Surfaces

"Many drugs do not readily dissolve in water. Because blood is mostly water, oily drugs cannot directly be injected into the bloodstream because they will form large oily aggregates and potentially block blood flow. Due to this limitation, these drugs must first be added to a safe formulation prior to injection. Common formulations used are emulsions, or stabilized mixtures of oil and water at small droplet sizes. First, we present a new method we developed to measure the dissolution or drug release of emulsions after an injection.

Several drug emulsions, particularly the anesthetic drug propofol have significant side effects. Propofol injection often causes moderate to severe pain near the injection site. With our new method, we have investigated and demonstrate one potential cause of this pain. Propofol emulsions release the entire drug content very rapidly after injection. This causes a concentration spike in the blood local to the injection site which we believe is causing toxicity to cells in the vein and causing a pain response.

In emulsions, surfactant molecules stabilize the oil-water mixture by aligning at the oil droplet surfaces. Many surfactants can be used to make stable emulsions. In this study, we also demonstrate that emulsions made with different surfactants do not affect the emulsion dissolution time observed.

And finally, several strategies to reduce the pain on injection of propofol are suggested. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 13.6)"

10299

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Criminology, Law and Society

This dissertation explores, over time, groups with varying levels of delinquency to establish which important life events (i.e. graduating from high school, having a child) influence which level of delinquent individuals, how these influences differ across developmental stages, and to what extent these life events influence future delinquent paths. Individuals within the identified delinquent groups (i.e. high, medium, low delinquency groups) who had life events occur are matched to individuals within the same respective group who did not experience that life event by values on characteristics related to the life event and their future outcomes. Results are presented as having implications for the application of limited resources for the prevention of crime. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 13.5)

10287

College of Medicine - Medical Sciences

Breathing and swallow are both unquestionably fundamental functions for mammals. Breathing sustains life by taking in oxygen needed for metabolism, and removing the product of these reactions, carbon dioxide. Swallow plays, not only an important role in getting nutrition, but also a key role in preventing the entrance of foreign material into pulmonary tree. Patients with dysphagia are at high risk of pulmonary aspiration and following aspiration pneumonia. The impaired swallow function in disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and spinal injury, leads to increased morbidity and/or mortality. The long term goal of this project is to investigate the neurophysiological mechanism of swallow and respiration central control, to illustrate the central neural network of swallow and respiration, and furthermore, to develop better treatments and rehabilitation for dysphagia patients. This project will focus on determining the neuronal behavior of the VRC expiratory neurons during eupnea and swallow, and their interrelationships. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 16.9)

10282

College of Public Health and Health Professions - Public Health (M.P.H.)

10254

"The American Anthropological Association (AAA) is the largest and most influential professional organization for anthropologists around the world. It is an integral part of professional development for a member of the UF community to regularly attend this conference to present academic papers, participate training workshops, and exercise membership roles.

I expect to graduate this semester and receive my PhD degree in Cultural Anthropology. At this year’s AAA conference, I plan to attend a workshop to prepare my career as an anthropologist after I get my PhD degree. First, I will attend the Workshop titled “That Almost Finished Journal Article” on December 3rd, 2014. The workshop will be an all-day hands-on session to give feedback on participants’ papers in order to improve them to publishable quality. I will work closely with renowned medical anthropologist Jaida Samudra who will talk from a journal editor's point of view about why papers are rejected or sent back for substantive revision before acceptance and how to avoid those problems while strategizing regular submissions and publications. Through a series of exercises, she will also explain the peer review process and how to deal with reviewers' comments in revisions. I will benefit greatly from this workshop since it will give me substantive feedback on my draft paper and information about how to prepare it and future manuscripts so that the likelihood they are accepted for publication is increased.

I also plan to talk to Elizabeth Briody, the executive editor of Journal of Business Anthropology, to discuss ways to contribute to the awareness of business anthropology. Business anthropology is relevant to the theme of this year’s conference, “Producing Anthropology”, because the general public and contemporary business organizations alike increasingly benefit from its contribution.

Overall, attending this year's conference is an important step in building my professional skill-set and advancing professional service to the field."

The anthropology program at UF is one of the most influential and reputable in the nation. My attendance at this conference provides a great opportunity for me to professionally represent the Gator Nation. There are three major benefits my travel brings to the UF community. First, to participate services to the discipline by discussing issues with experts contributes to the image of UF anthropology program. Second, I plan to bring back what I learn from the workshop to the UF community. For example, I will draft guidelines for establishing scholarly writing groups from UF anthropology graduate students to contribute to their publication. This knowledge is also relevant to graduate students in other social sciences. Third, the University of Florida has been named preeminent school of Florida and is currently ranked No.14 among public universities nation-wide. I plan to discuss with other UF anthropology graduate students at the conference about how to contribute to the UF rising campaign by increase our involvements in professional services to the American Anthropological Association.

10246

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Anthropology

I am a transportation ethnographer. I work in transportation spaces (buses, metros, taxis) and spaces where transportation projects are planned and discussed in Lima, Peru. I am interested in a large scale transportation overhaul currently underway in the city intended to formalize public transportation, eliminate current dominants modes of transport, and reroute how individuals move through the city. My dissertation deals research with individuals on the ground can provide a richer understanding of this infrastructural project--one that is historically contextualized and that demonstrates connections between existing social tensions and transportation systems. I have found in my research that the way Lima's residents understand the reform is largely influenced by social and economic hierarchies and those individuals' experience with past attempts to formalize transportation in the city. This presentation is one concerned with method: how does an ethnographer who works with the particular attempt an ethnography of a a public transportation system in a large, capital city? What scholarly knowledge does such a project draw on and contribute to? What contributions to our understandings of urban transport policy could such fieldwork make? (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 19.8)

10240

College of Engineering - Biomedical Engineering

Fear conditioning is a major associative learning way in human beings. Conditioning means pairing a neutral signal(stripe pattern) with a natural aversive signal(loud scream) after many repetitions of bonding presentation. After this process, subject will elicit the same response(sweat,nausea,heart rate changing etc.) to the neutral signal , and our goal is to explore the underlying brain system that is responsible for it. To be specific, first, we want to see which brain region gets activated when the subject is participating in this experiment. Second, one of our interests is to get a better understanding how the areas in the brain communicate with each other to accomplish this task. Last, we dedicate to find the relationship between the behavior measurement(e.g. heart rate) and the activity of the brain. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 11.4)

10234

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences - Entomology and Nematology

Microtheca ochroloma is a beetle that attacks important vegetables produced in Florida. It causes significant losses on organic farming systems and it is necessary to find a control method that is accepted by the National Organic Program. The use of fungi that infect insects is accepted in organic production and have a potential to control this pest. This research tested the effect of the fungi Isaria fumosorosea on the beetle mortality and leaf consumption when the insect was fed leaves applied with the fungal formulation. Ten host plants (bok choy) were sprayed with one of four concentrations: 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 g of desiccated granules per 100 ml of distilled water of the fungal formulation. Ten control plants were sprayed with distilled water only. Six adults were placed on each plant and the number of dead beetles was counted daily for 7 days. Four leaves from the center of the plant were removed, and the area consumed by the beetles was measured. No significant differences were found with adult mortality among the treatments or between the fungal treatments as a whole and the control. However, plants sprayed with 0.5 and 1 g/100 ml of water suffered significantly less damage than the control. Further evaluations should be done to determine any effect of I. fumosorosea on larval consumption. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 10)

10233

College of Engineering - Chemical Engineering

"Reflection of light from surfaces such as car dashboards and display screens such as those of TVs, computers, phones and tablets causes glare and make it harder to see those surfaces and screens properly. It may also create safety issues when one can’t see something like a car dashboard or a heavy machinery control display screen properly.

To address this problem, we developed a process where we use nanoscale silica particles (chemically the same material as glass) to make an effective scalable anti-reflective coating on different display screens and surfaces using a self-assembly process. Compared to conventional coatings, our method allows us to coat both curved and flat surfaces which is very important since a number of products are now coming up with curved display screens.

Measurements have shown that the anti-reflection coatings we developed are very effective in reducing reflection and glare. These measurements and computer simulations have also given us information on the factors determining the quality of these coatings. We are continuing to further scale-up and optimize the process, and utilizing all this data to make the coatings more effective.

Once this process is fully developed, we aim to work with display and electronics companies to integrate these coatings in their screens and displays at the production stage itself creating increased value in their products and making them more customer friendly at the same time. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 17.6)"

10228

Synthesis of pH-Sensitive Core-Shell Latex with Biobased Dendrimer Via Miniemulsion Polymerization

This paper describes the synthesis of a bio based pH sensitive polymer system. The polymerization system: mini-emulsion polymerization, results in the formation of polymer particles as nano spheres. These spheres incorporate within their shell, star shaped bio based polymers or dendrimers. These dendrimers undergo a change in shape (expand or contract) when the pH of the environment changes resulting in pore formation in the polymer spheres. To test this, a dye is encapsulated within these spheres during the synthesis process. After polymerization, the pH is changed and results show that the dye is released. Such polymer systems that respond to changes in the environment are useful as indicators or sensors and can be used to detect food spoilage, test for water and soil quality and other applications including drug delivery and therapeutics. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 13.5)

10212

Symbiosis and Compromise: Spirit, Ritual and Society ---The Study of the Folk Religion among the Tu Nationality, Northwest China

This paper will study the multi-religions co-existence phenomena among the Tu, which is one of the fifty-six nationalities in China. Especially, I will focus on the folk religion of the Tu. Since Tibetan Buddhism, Daoism and shamanism peacefully co-exist for the century among the Tu community, and the Tu joined those three religions an integrated religious system. In their long history of cultural cross-fertilization, most Tu people subscribe to all three religions to fulfill their spiritual needs. They use the folk elements to maintain social order through encouraging conformity to establish social codes, as well as to dramatize existing tensions or conflicts and to play out wished-for solutions. My study will offer a better understanding of the social and cultural mechanisms exploited to reconcile competitions and confrontations among different faiths, as well as religious tolerance and the religious landscape of Chinese minority’s society. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 16.8)

10201

Role of the egg pile on the age polyethism of workers in juvenile colonies of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki

Formosan subterranean termite is one of the most economically important subterranean termites which cost ¡Ö$18 billion annually. Baiting system is considered to be the most successful control method for subterranean termites as it can actively eliminate the entire colony. Although the design of baiting system is highly based on ecology and behaviors of termite individual interactions, there is little information available to us. To further facilitate the baiting system improvement, more fundamental information about termite interaction and division of labor at the entire society levels are needed. Our study is aimed to describe the behavioral repertoire of the whole colony. Colonies of Formosan subterranean termite were artificially built to simulate the conditions in the field which contain eggs, larvae, workers, soldiers, queen and king. From our observations, the grooming behavior is conducted mainly by the first instar worker near the egg pile. Our studies also clarified that the second instar workers perform nest maintenance. Moreover, the egg piles that previously nobody described actually play an important role in the function of the colony. The information from our observations elucidated that the interaction between termites are more socialized and the role of termites at different juvenile stages are divided, which can be an important puzzle piece to help us understand the function of the colony. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 16.9)

10196

Feasibility of Corneal Drug Delivery of Cysteamine Using Vitamin E Modified Silicone-Hydrogel Contact Lenses

"Cystinosis is a disease characterized by the accumulation of cystine crystals in several tissues including the cornea, which can cause irreversible damage. The corneal manifestations of cystinosis are treated by hourly instillation of cysteamine eye drops each day for 6 to 8 times while awake. The high frequency of eye drop instillation along with the long duration of treatment leads to poor compliance in many patients. In addition, cysteamine drug solutions are unstable and must include stabilizers and are stored in the refrigerator to prevent oxidation (lose its effectiveness). This is very inconvenient for patients if the drug should keep at low temperature all the time.

To solve the problems, we purpose to use contact lens to do the drug delivery. The drug is first loaded into the contact lens and then slowly release into the tear after the lens is placed on the eye. Compared to eye drops, the drugs released from contact lens stay with a longer time in the tear and thus have a higher therapeutic efficiency. Our innovative in this study is to modify the lens with vitamin E diffusion barriers so that the drug release duration time is further increased from 10 min to more than 2 hours. Our mathematical modeling suggests that a single contact lens worn for about 2 hours could achieve the same therapeutic effects as hourly instillation of eye drops. With our designed contact lens, patients are only required to wear one set of lenses each day instead of troublesome multiple eye drops administration. In addition, our designed contact lens provides protection effect to the drug, so that the drug will not need to storage in the refrigerator all the time. To summary, vitamin E modified contact lens is a very promising therapy for cystinosis patients.

10195

A qualitative assessment on the acceptability of a mobile application to improve management of mental health care for adolescent and young adult primary care patients

We are in the process of conducting a three-phase needs assessment about mobile apps that could help to manage and improve mental health among adolescent and young adult population living in Alachua county, as well as primary care doctors, both in rural and urban areas. At the conference, we will present the results of phase 1, which consisted on focus groups and interviews. These findings provided guidance for developing a survey which will be used in the next phase of our project. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 12.3)

10147

Rise and Decline of a Virtual Ummah in Eastern China: Power and Leadership of Imams

This research is to look at how the secular power withheld by religious leaders affects the construction of the religious power. The research is based on a three-year fieldwork conducted in an urban Islamic community in eastern China. When the new imam, the religious leader in Islam, was invited from outside to this community in 2011, his wife, a well educated women imam, with the help from other two Muslims, started a virtual community on the largest Islamic website in China. Through this platform, they organized many charity activities in the support of enthusiastic young Muslims. Thus the virtual community not only established a very good reputation amongst Muslims and non-Muslims, but also significantly contributed to male imam’s success in the community. As a result, the authority and power of this Imam had surpassed all other imams. This situation caused resistance from most old imams. They used secular power to force three virtual leaders to quit their positions from the virtual community and one member physically to leave the community. The virtual community is now stagnant and no activity is organized. The male imam is restricted to do his job as request and the female imam is completely edged out of the imams’ religious and secular leadership circle. In other words, those old imams have restored their previous authority and power. The result shows that the religious power is hard to win over the traditional secular power in practice; on the contrary, the traditional secular power is more likely to be the obstacle in religious reform. At the same time, women imam’s status cannot compete with that of men imam in Islam. (Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level: 13.1)