Volume 5, No. 1, 2021

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11868/2716
Acta Spartae is the undergraduate journal of sciences and mathematics at The University of Tampa, and is designed to recognize and promote the vibrant undergraduate research community at UT by providing a forum for the dissemination of research and ideas produced at the University.

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    Editor's Note
    (College of Natural and Health Sciences, The University of Tampa, 2021) Deneault, Ethan
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    Exploring the Potential Shared Pathology of Eating Disorders and Addiction: A Behavioral Neuroscience Approach
    (Department of Psychology, University of Tampa, 2021) Colaianni, Allison; Sara B. Festini
    This literature review will examine the potential overlapping neural contributions to eating disorders and addiction from a behavioral neuroscience perspective. The major similarities between eating disorders and alcohol abuse are related to dopamine (DA) activity within structures of the prefrontal cortex. Specifically , abnormal DA and other neurochemical function and structural differences are evident within the medial orbitofrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral striatum. Differences in these regions and their circuits appear to contribute to the impulsive and reinforcing behaviors that are exhibited in both types of disorders. For instance, commonalities found between eating disorders and addiction include the sensitization of DA systems and high medial prefrontal cortex activation in response to food or during drug cravings. Research seems to suggest that these similarities can increase the likelihood of someone with an eating disorder developing substance abuse, but not vice versa. Additionally, evidence suggests that the pathology of bulimia nervosa may be more similar to that of alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders than the pathology of anorexia. Thus, there may be a greater probability of bulimics developing alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders than anorexics; however, the structural and functional similarities still suggest risk in all eating disorders.
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    Searching for Stellar Associations in Gaia DR2
    (Department of Physics, University of Tampa; CIERA/Northwestern University; Columbia University; Pontificia Universidad Católica Católica de Chile, 2021) Jennings, Brolan; Andrews, Jeff; Agüeros, Marcel; Chanamé, Julio; Simon Schuler
    We present preliminary results of a search for previously unidentified stellar associations in the second data release (DR2) from the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite. Gaia DR2 contains precise astrometric data on more than 1.2 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. We have modified a Python code originally intended to identify wide stellar binaries through a Bayesian formulation, which includes correlated uncertainties in the proper motions and parallaxes, to expand it to larger stellar groups of 10 or more stars. The search volume includes the whole sky within 500 parsecs of the sun, where stellar parallaxes are more discernible. The code has been optimized to filter out background stars by testing over several well known stellar associations, including the Pleiades open cluster and the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. We have been able to successfully identify the Pleiades, Upper Scorpius Centaurus, and Messier 39 stellar associations with our code and are now searching the sky for previously unidentified associations. Identifying new stellar associations will help constrain models of the dynamical evolution of the Galaxy.
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    Spatial Distribution of Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) Within St. Joseph Sound, Florida
    (Department of Biology, University of Tampa; Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy, 2021) Johnson, Ryan P.; Miller, Matilda; Michael Slattery
    Pinellas County is known for its multitude of highly diverse barrier islands, one of which is Honeymoon Island State Park. On the eastern side of the island is Saint Joseph Sound, an intracoastal waterway containing important seagrass habitat that supports high biodiversity. Cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) are pelagic intermediate predators that migrate seasonally into Saint Joseph Sound. The species’ spatial distribution within the waterway was analyzed in relation to shark landings (potential predators) from years 2013–2019. Multiple spatial maps were produced using geoprocessing tools from ESRI ArcGIS. Statistical analysis indicated that the Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) was not significant , but sharks and R. bonasus were inversely associated with each other within the sample sites. Boggy Bayou, a seagrass fat, located outside the state park boundary contained 405 R. bonasus individuals caught within the sampling period, while 23 individuals were caught inside the state park boundary. The spatial maps and statistical tests indicated that R. bonasus are not associated with state park boundaries in the intracoastal waterway. Data configured in the GIS project map aided in locating aggregation sites of R. bonasus and identified their preferred local habitat as a protected seagrass bed with an adjacent sandy bottom. Further analysis, along with habitat restoration in the intracoastal waterway would help to ensure the abundance of R. bonasus within the local area.
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    Theia 456 and Its Stellar Components
    (Department of Physics, University of Tampa, 2021) Kattenberg, Trevor; Simon Schuler
    The release of Gaia astrometric data has allowed for machine learning to locate hundreds of potentially new Galactic star clusters and moving groups. Our research is focused on one such association of stars, Theia 456. Theia 456 is a stellar filament of an estimated 468 stars that is within 1 kpc of the Sun, and our group’s preliminary analysis suggests stars in Theia 456 share similar compositions. Due to these properties, Theia 456 is considered primordial, resulting from the Galactic stellar formation process rather than the result of dynamical processes such as tidal stripping. Our research is focused on utilizing a python code we have developed to analyze positions, proper motions, and parallaxes of stars in the second data release (DR2) of the Gaia catalog to confirm or reject the stellar members of Theia 456. We endeavor to verify the validity of Theia 456 as a primordial stellar filament and possibly identify additional members of the association. This research will contribute to our understanding of the evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy.
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    Effects of Academic and Social Engagement on Episodic Memory in Young Adults
    (Department of Psychology, University of Tampa, 2021) Ramsdell, Kassandra; Sara B. Festini
    Research on older adults has shown that those who are busier and live a more engaged lifestyle show cognitive benefits versus those who are less busy. Episodic memory, in particular, tends to show the largest relationship to busyness in older adults. However, whether this relationship exists in young adults is still unknown. In Study 1, college-age participants completed an engagement questionnaire, a word pair association test, a face-name association test, and other measures of stress and busyness. Study 2 replicated the procedure of Study 1 and additionally examined the impact of alcohol use and sleep deprivation. Contrary to hypotheses, both studies indicated that neither academic nor social engagement was significantly related to episodic memory in young adults. We propose that young adults may generally be busier than older adults and therefore less susceptible to the influence of engagement.
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    The Effect of Flow Rates on Predation of Donax variabilis by Luidia clathrata
    (Department of Biology, University of Tampa, 2021) Cacace, Rachel; Detmering, Sarah; Vaillancourt, Gabrielle
    The slender armed sea star (Luidia clathrata) and coquina (Donax variabilis) are found along the shorelines of the temperate waters of Tampa Bay. Sea stars have heightened reception to chemical cues and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis was tested in this study. Different induced flow w rates similar to those in Tampa Bay (stagnant, low flow fow, and high flow w) were tested on predation choice of sea stars on coquina clams. This experiment was achieved by using a flow w bar in a ten-gallon tank of synthetic seawater kept at 34 parts per thousand (ppt). One dead and one live coquina were placed on opposite ends of the tank, and the seastar was placed in the center. Flow rates were changed over a series of treatments, and each feeding regime was timed. The findings of this study suggest that there is no significant difference in flow w rate when compared to predation time, as well as no association between prey choice (dead vs. alive) and flow w rate. Additionally, behavior on choice was observed and found that there was no significant difference in flow w rate and foraging behavior. These findings indicate that predation on coquina by slender armed sea star is not dependent on flow w rate and that there is no association of prey choice. Results should be used to propagate further research on other observed predators to determine if these organisms purposely choose the scavenging technique in order to expend less energy on feeding behaviors.
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