Electronic Thesis or Dissertation

A hypothesized model of spindle organization of thalamic and hippocampal spike dynamics (Figure 1) suggests that sparsity operates in spindles as an essential component of thalamic activity that could be contributing to flexibility in learning (Varela & Wilson, 2020). We asked the question of whether sparse spindle-like (10Hz non-rhythmic) or 10Hz rhythmic activity in thalamic cells of the reuniens nucleus influence cognitive flexibility during learning after sleep. By comparing the two stimulation protocols (“nonrhythmic” and “rhythmic”), we tested if disrupting the characteristic sparsity reveals any changes in flexibility during learning after sleep. Results showed that sleep accompanied 10Hz rhythmic optogenetic stimulation of thalamic nucleus reuniens impaired rule-switching (or set-shifting) performance and disrupted the sleep enhancing rule-switch associated increase in vicarious trial and error (VTE), which we used as a metric for deliberation. We found that rule-switching was associated with a subsequent increase in VTE, as were incorrect choices, and when rats subsequently made correct choices. Instead, stimulating against the endogenous thalamocortical spindle oscillation (i.e. sleep accompanied 10Hz rhythmic optogenetic stimulation) resulted in a significant disruption in post-sleep performance and VTE during, but not prior to, rule-switching. Lastly, optogenetic 10Hz stimulation of the thalamic nucleus reuniens did not affect sleeping or waking behavior during the sleep box session but it did show a clear though nonsignificant increase in waking head velocities; thus, changes in cognitive flexibility and VTE cannot be explained by any changes in sleep itself, but rather due to the after-effects the specific patterns of 10Hz optogenetic stimulation in thalamic nucleus reuniens applied during sleep had on cognition.

Vision is a critical sense for many species, with the perception of motion being a fundamental aspect. This aspect often provides richer information than static images for understanding the environment. Motion recognition is a relatively simple computation compared to shape recognition. Many creatures can discriminate moving objects quite well while having virtually no capacity for recognizing stationary objects.
Traditional methods for collision-free navigation require the reconstruction of a 3D model of the environment before planning an action. These methods face numerous limitations as they are computationally expensive and struggle to scale in unstructured and dynamic environments with a multitude of moving objects.
This thesis proposes a more scalable and efficient alternative approach without 3D reconstruction. We focus on visual motion cues, specifically ’visual looming’, the relative expansion of objects on an image sensor. This concept allows for the perception of collision threats and facilitates collision-free navigation in any environment, structured or unstructured, regardless of the vehicle’s movement or the number of moving objects present.

Prostate cancer, the most frequent non-skin cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males within the United States. Men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer have a 5-year survival rate of approximately 30%. Goals of this study were to produce a combination of compounds that are effective against the disease with minimal side effects on normal cells, especially those of the immune system.
This study showed KBU2046 in combination with calcitriol, limit proliferation, inhibit migration, and are cytotoxic in a testosterone dependent human prostate cancer cell line. Organic compounds, ellagic acid and curcumin were tested alone and in combination with either calcitriol or KBU2046. No combinations were as effective as KBU2046 and calcitriol in inhibiting migration and proliferation of LNCaP cells.
The findings of this study support further investigation into therapeutic use of a combination of KBU2046 and calcitriol in prevention and remission of human prostate cancer.

Animals face both natural and sexual selection pressures, and at times, these pressures conflict with one another. This results in a tradeoff between sexual and natural selection. In my thesis, I examine aspects of Bachman’s sparrows’ behavior and morphology in relation to weather conditions in light of these two conflicting pressures.
Large bill size is selected for by the natural selection pressures of thermoregulation. Smaller bills are selected for by the sexual selection pressures of song quality. Both thermoregulation and song are important behaviors/processes that have fitness implications. By looking at bill size in relation to thermoregulatory ability and song quality I examined the tradeoff between these two selection pressures acting on the bill of Bachman’s sparrows

During eye lens development the lens receives oxygen from a network of capillaries that comprise of the tunica vasculosa lentis and the anterior pupillary membrane. In development there is regression of this capillaries with the vitreous and aqueous humor, which is the lens only source of oxygen, leaving the lens in low oxygen state. The lens contains a decreasing oxygen gradient from the surface to the core that parallels the differentiation of immature surface epithelial cells into mature core transparent fiber cells. These properties of the lens suggest a potential role for hypoxia and the master regulator of the hypoxic response, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1 alpha (HIF1a), in the regulation of genes required for lens fiber cell differentiation, structure, and transparency. Previous studies by our lab discovered the HIF1a-dependent gene expression patterns of lens genes by utilizing a Multiomics approach that integrated analysis from CUT&RUN, RNA-seq, and ATACseq. Additionally, our lab also established a hypoxia and HIF1a-dependent mechanism for the non-nuclear organelle degradation process required to form mature transparent fiber cells.

The world is ever-changing with technological advancement. National economies and private organizations are shifting their infrastructure to adapt to innovation and technology. We are seeing a major shift in our transportation ecosystem as well. Automotive manufacturers are launching fully electric semi-truck (EST) on the road for freight transportation. Electric trucks will have a long-term effect on many industries and the national economy in the United States. Compared to conventional automobiles, the limited range of electric vehicles is a major obstacle. To adapt electric vehicles (EVs) to our transportation system, the U.S. needs a proper charging infrastructure in our grid. Though we have been adapting the passenger EVs, the EST needs larger charging infrastructure capabilities to charge the large batteries of these trucks to complete the journey. The most important aspect is the geographical locations of these mega charging stations along U.S. highways. To analyze the optimal locations of these charging infrastructures, we use the framework from Csiszár et al. (2020), an origin-destination (O-D) data model. OD is classified as the original location of the freight to the end destination. We also use the flow-refueling location model (FRLM) from He et al. (2019). This framework showcases the optimal locations in each route in order to complete the OD pairs. We use data from the U.S. department of energy for the locations of charging stations. Furthermore, we use U.S. department of transportation highway & transportation data to procure the major O-Ds of freight transportation.

The recent increase in common ownership makes it imperative to study the impact of common ownership on corporate policies. In this two-essay study, I examine how common owners interact with firms to make decisions and how they moderate the impact of market manipulation on corporate culture.
In the first essay, I examine whether firms in the same industry make similar investment and financial policies when their large institutional owners overlap. This relationship is important given the tremendous rise of common institutional owners and their significance on their portfolio firms’ policies. I hypothesize that common institutional owners cause their portfolio firms in the same industry to make similar policies by creating anti-competitive incentives, reducing information asymmetry, and influencing governance.

The dryas monkey Chlorocebus dryas, is one of Africa's most enigmatic primates. It was found in the buffer zone of the Lomami National Park (LNP) in 2014, approximately 400 km from its known range. This new record initiated much needed field research on the species’ distribution, habitat preference, behavior, and the validity of the conspecific Cercopithecus salongo.
In Chapter 2, we used local knowledge to select sites for a camera trap survey to determine habitat use and relative abundance and tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys are more abundant in the protected LNP than in the buffer zone. Dryas monkeys were detected most frequently in the buffer zone and less in the park, thus we rejected our hypothesis.
In Chapter 3, we conducted a survey using a species-specific method to accumulate videos of C. dryas. We used these videos to determine if C. dryas and C. salongo are synonymous. Camera traps revealed an ontogenetic change in pelage pattern that supports the hypothesis that C. salongo is the adult of C. dryas.
In Chapter 4, we investigated new occurrences of dryas monkeys in gallery forests in the southern LNP. We tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest using occupancy models. Despite considerable effort, only one adult male was detected. Estimated dryas monkey occupancy was 45-91 % in continuous forest and 0-7 % in gallery forest. We rejected our hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest.
The dryas monkey Chlorocebus dryas, is one of Africa's most enigmatic primates. It was found in the buffer zone of the Lomami National Park (LNP) in 2014, approximately 400 km from its known range. This new record initiated much needed field research on the species’ distribution, habitat preference, behavior, and the validity of the conspecific Cercopithecus salongo.
In Chapter 2, we used local knowledge to select sites for a camera trap survey to determine habitat use and relative abundance and tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys are more abundant in the protected LNP than in the buffer zone. Dryas monkeys were detected most frequently in the buffer zone and less in the park, thus we rejected our hypothesis.
In Chapter 3, we conducted a survey using a species-specific method to accumulate videos of C. dryas. We used these videos to determine if C. dryas and C. salongo are synonymous. Camera traps revealed an ontogenetic change in pelage pattern that supports the hypothesis that C. salongo is the adult of C. dryas.
In Chapter 4, we investigated new occurrences of dryas monkeys in gallery forests in the southern LNP. We tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest using occupancy models. Despite considerable effort, only one adult male was detected. Estimated dryas monkey occupancy was 45-91 % in continuous forest and 0-7 % in gallery forest. We rejected our hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest.
The dryas monkey Chlorocebus dryas, is one of Africa's most enigmatic primates. It was found in the buffer zone of the Lomami National Park (LNP) in 2014, approximately 400 km from its known range. This new record initiated much needed field research on the species’ distribution, habitat preference, behavior, and the validity of the conspecific Cercopithecus salongo.
In Chapter 2, we used local knowledge to select sites for a camera trap survey to determine habitat use and relative abundance and tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys are more abundant in the protected LNP than in the buffer zone. Dryas monkeys were detected most frequently in the buffer zone and less in the park, thus we rejected our hypothesis.
In Chapter 3, we conducted a survey using a species-specific method to accumulate videos of C. dryas. We used these videos to determine if C. dryas and C. salongo are synonymous. Camera traps revealed an ontogenetic change in pelage pattern that supports the hypothesis that C. salongo is the adult of C. dryas.
In Chapter 4, we investigated new occurrences of dryas monkeys in gallery forests in the southern LNP. We tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest using occupancy models. Despite considerable effort, only one adult male was detected. Estimated dryas monkey occupancy was 45-91 % in continuous forest and 0-7 % in gallery forest. We rejected our hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforestThe dryas monkey Chlorocebus dryas, is one of Africa's most enigmatic primates. It was found in the buffer zone of the Lomami National Park (LNP) in 2014, approximately 400 km from its known range. This new record initiated much needed field research on the species’ distribution, habitat preference, behavior, and the validity of the conspecific Cercopithecus salongo.
In Chapter 2, we used local knowledge to select sites for a camera trap survey to determine habitat use and relative abundance and tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys are more abundant in the protected LNP than in the buffer zone. Dryas monkeys were detected most frequently in the buffer zone and less in the park, thus we rejected our hypothesis.
In Chapter 3, we conducted a survey using a species-specific method to accumulate videos of C. dryas. We used these videos to determine if C. dryas and C. salongo are synonymous. Camera traps revealed an ontogenetic change in pelage pattern that supports the hypothesis that C. salongo is the adult of C. dryas.
In Chapter 4, we investigated new occurrences of dryas monkeys in gallery forests in the southern LNP. We tested the hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest using occupancy models. Despite considerable effort, only one adult male was detected. Estimated dryas monkey occupancy was 45-91 % in continuous forest and 0-7 % in gallery forest. We rejected our hypothesis that dryas monkeys prefer the forest-prairie ecotone over continuous rainforest.

Dental school is a four-year, rigorous educational endeavor packed with difficulties and challenges predental students have not experienced during their undergraduate studies. In addition, dental schools demand developing new coping and learning skills to meet the requirements of a student-centered, fast-paced curriculum. In response to these challenges, it is essential to understand and embrace self-directed learning (SDL) skills and attitudes required for predental students to thrive and succeed during their dental journey (Premkumar et al., 2014). Furthermore, SDL is essential in assisting dental students in filtering the information they need to fulfill their learning needs (Siddiqui et al., 2021).
This quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study used an online survey designed by QualtricsXM to evaluate self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) level among predental students at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and whether their SDLR level would differ based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, college/major, and year of study. A convenience sample of 155 FAU predental students completed Fisher et al.’s (2001) 40-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education (SDLRSNE) and seven demographic questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted to analyze and answer the six research questions and corresponding hypotheses.
The results showed a positive attitude of FAU predental students toward SDL as total SDLR scores ranged from 119 to 179, with a mean of 151.33. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in SDLR level among participants based on age, race, and year of study. Contrastingly, there was no statistically significant difference in SDLR level among participants based on sex, ethnicity, and academic major. The college variable was not investigated as all participants were enrolled in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

Evidence in literature suggests that factors of personality are theoretically and empirically linked to counterproductive work behavior (CWB). This paper advances that personality is related to CWB through the prediction of a relationship between personality trait neuroticism factors volatility and withdrawal and CWB factors deviance and withdrawal. Further, workplace stressors are tested as moderators for personality and CWB dimensions. Useful data were provided by 542 working participants. The study affirms a personality-behavior connection between subscales of Neurotic personality, volatility, and withdrawal, with the two behavioral manifestations of counterproductive work behavior, deviance, and withdrawal. Moderating results are modest, with results indicating a moderating effect limited to only organizational constraints on the volatility-deviance relationship.