Wetterer, James

Anochetus mayri is a widespread New World species, ranging from South and Central America and the West Indies, north to Florida and the Bahamas. Published records of A. mayri outside of the tropics come from six sites in Florida and two in the Bahamas . The northernmost published record of A. mayri came from the Pine Jog Environmental Learning Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, collected in 2002 in pine and oak litter samples. I examined whether A. mayri was also present in surrounding areas with similar environmental conditions. I found A. mayri in pine litter at other sites in Palm Beach County, but I did not find this species in similar habitats in Lee County. Additional unpublished records indicate that A. mayri is widespread in deep pine litter in Florida north to Indian River County and West to Highlands County.

The field of biology predominantly studies the structure and function of living entities, such as the human body, while women’s studies perspectives help to show the influence of culture and power on biological knowledge and principles. This thesis analyzes the scientific construction of female sexuality through the lenses of feminist science studies. The approach provides an understanding of how such ideas are imposed on Western women in particular, and the role that such women are expected to play in demonstrating that they are virginal, chaste, and faithful/trustworthy to men. I explore both scientific and religious documents that discuss female sexuality through history. I argue that understanding the roles that science and religion play can tell us much about our current social relationships regarding gender and sexuality.

Many people suffer a certain degree of dental fear, commonly brought on by an
earlier negative experience or by anticipated pain. Dental fear may prevent people from
receiving necessary treatment, ultimately worsening their health. To investigate how
dental fear is related to age, the origin of dental fear, and preference of treatment options,
a self-administered research survey was conducted. The results indicate younger
participants claim a lower degree of dental fear in comparison to older participants.
Results also showed both negative experience and anticipated pain as origins of dental
fear for individuals. Participants also responded positively to music therapy in the waiting
rooms/operatory rooms. Lastly, regardless of age and degree of dental fear, respondents
preferred receiving both pharmaceutical and psychological treatment options. Future
studies could investigate more on preventative care in dental offices and create treatment
options based on sole individuals, age groups, origins of dental fear, and effectiveness.

The cardiac ventricles release brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) when the cardiomyocytes are exceptionally stressed. Past research has indicated that BNP can be a used as a prognostic indicator in heart failure patients (Doust et al., 2005). The hypothesis is that higher BNP readings will result in a shorter amount of time that the patient has to live. 210 patients with a heart condition were admitted to the Hospice of Palm Beach County and had their blood drawn to determine their BNP level; however, only 35 patients qualified for the final analysis. The 35 patients had BNP readings ranging from 63 pg/ml to 50000 pg/ml with the average being 6620 pg/ml, whereas the normal range is <100 pg/ml. The time between the last BNP reading and the date of death ranged from 1 day to 732 days with the average being 118 days; furthermore, the trend indicated that the higher the BNP level the shorter the patient had to live which agrees with the hypothesis.

The second digit and fourth digit (2D:4D) finger ratio is known to be an indicator
of in utero androgen influence. Here, I review current research concerning 2D:4D
ratio, particularly in regards to muscle strength, muscle mass, and athletic
ability. Studies on athletes have shown a significant negative correlation
between the ratio and athleticism and an inconsistent correlation with muscle
mass and muscle strength. I propose a research study on the relationship
between the 2D:4D ratio and Crossfit athletes and its relationship to muscle
mass and muscle strength.