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Does The Health Literacy Of Spanish Speakers Impact Their Vaccination Decisions?: A Literature Review Of Related Research, Kelly Tran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: The Hispanic community has historically faced high rates of vaccine hesitancy when compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. This not only poses a threat to their individual health, but also to their community. In a population that is disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infections, it is critical to address vaccine uptake concerns to control the pandemic and prevent future spread of infections.

Objective: This study aims to explore Spanish speakers' vaccination decisions and to explore whether improving health literacy would be an effective approach in increasing vaccination rates. The secondary objective is to describe the role of physicians in decreasing …

The Efficacy Of Treatment Of Symptoms Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Associated Health Risks Using Insulin Sensitizers: A Meta-Analysis, Isabella J. Wong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is common among women of reproductive age (ages 15-49), and it can put patients at higher risk for diseases such as type II diabetes or coronary heart disease. While the mechanisms behind PCOS are poorly understood, it is diagnosed using two characteristics: hyperandrogenism and anovulation. Once diagnosed, many patients are also tested for insulin resistance (IR). While IR is thought of as a symptom of PCOS, this study will examine the effects of treatment of IR to manage symptoms of PCOS rather than treatment of hyperandrogenism. This meta-analysis used data from studies previously published by searching …

Prevention Of Perineal Tearing During Childbirth: A Literature Review, Victoria Manzo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Perineal lacerations can be caused by a variety of risk factors such as a large fetal head circumference, birthing positions that place strain on the sacrum, and first-time births. Preventing perineal tears can be challenging for laboring women. Exploring the possible prevention methods to decrease the severity of perineal tearing or preventing it altogether can be beneficial for laboring women's physical and mental health. The primary purpose of this literature review was to examine which interventions are most likely to prevent perineal tearing during childbirth. The secondary purpose was to evaluate natural perineal tears in comparison to surgical incision, or …

Attention, Working Memory, And Adaptive Functioning In Emerging Young Adults With Psychometrically-Defined Schizotypy, Parth Nakirikanti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Schizotypy, a complex construct linked to schizophrenia-related traits, encompasses positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms. This study offers a review of the concept of schizotypy, including its historical evolution, tracing it from Bleuler's early mention in 1911 to Meehl's continuum model. Embracing a dimensional perspective, this research underscores the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding schizotypy. Deficits in sustained attention and working memory within schizotypy remain underexplored, with prior studies yielding inconsistent results. Adaptive functioning deficits in individuals with schizotypy are also inadequately understood. Examining a college student population, this investigation utilized scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire …

The Effect Of Educational Versus Recreational Screen Time On Depression Levels Among University Students, Gage Guettler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Despite the amount of people currently using technology and the overwhelming amount of data already presented on the topic of how technology affects a person's mental health, there seems to be little information on how the different types of activities on the different types of screens affect university student's mental states. This research study examined the amount of time that a University of Central Florida (UCF) student spends on what was defined as educational activities in front of screens and what was defined as recreational. The definitions of what is educational and what is recreational screen time came from a …

Relationship Between Patient Race And Provider Communication, Kristin M. Marino

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Health disparities by race in the United States have been persistent over decades and one possible reason for that could be that physicians are communicating differently with different races. The purpose of this study was to systematically review literature regarding the relationship of patient race/ethnicity with physician-patient communication. The overall project of which this is a part is a mixed methods review, but my part of the study involved only studies using observational data such as audio and video recordings of physician-patient encounters. This study investigated research that compares physician communication with patients across a wide range of ethnic groups, …

Acute Myocardial Infarction Among People Living With Hiv: Comparing Immunological And Virological Control By Hispanic Ethnicity Of The All Of Us Research Program Participants, Eugenio Reina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States, individuals of Hispanic ethnicity receive disproportionately lower-quality healthcare. These healthcare disparities exacerbate unequal access to quality healthcare services, including disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care. Research on the role of ethnicity on the CVD outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH) has been limited. We hypothesize that immunological (CD4+ cell count) and virological (HIV viral load) control may play a role in the development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among PLWH, and that Hispanic ethnicity may worsen these outcomes.

To verify our hypotheses, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to investigate …

Comparison Of Health-Related Quality Of Life Trajectories In Older Breast Cancer Patients And Noncancerous Controls Over Ten Years, Maria Eduarda De Azevedo Daruge

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The adverse effects of cancer treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQL) are the primary concern of elderly women diagnosed with breast cancer. The interplay of transient and progressive functional impairments caused by cancer therapies, alongside the accelerated physical declines associated with the normal aging process, are all negatively correlated to HRQL. This study compared the HRQL trajectories between cases and controls for ten years after diagnosis. The cancer group included 1467 women (age ≥ 65), diagnosed with primary breast cancer, registered in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry, and completed the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) …

Nursing Interventions For Families Of Children With Down Syndrome Evaluating Coping Mechanisms And Community Resources, Ashley M. Brophy

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder, occurring in 1 out of every 700 births in the United States (Skotko et al., 2009). After receiving the initial Down syndrome diagnosis, the majority of mothers reported feeling frightened and anxious, and very few rated the experience as positive. Parents reported feeling that their physicians focused on the negative aspects of Down syndrome and rarely provided enough resources (Skotko, 2005). The purpose of this literature review was to identify current community resources for families of children with Down syndrome and identify the most effective ways for medical professionals to support parents …

Testicular Cancer And Firefighters: An Umbrella Review, Andre Naguib Guirguis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Purpose: The relationship between testicular cancer and working as a firefighter has been a relatively brushed off scope of concentration until recent years and recent developments in hopes of presenting new protocols and better guidelines to screen for testicular cancer in this occupation. The purpose of this study was to perform a scoping review to present the current data concerning testicular cancer and its association to the occupation of firefighters.

Methods: PubMed as a data base was used and articles concerning firefighters and testicular cancer were found and screened for eligibility with respect to the kind of study and the …

The Psychological Impact Of An Intensive Care Admission On Survivors Of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome And Covid-19 Ards, Leah K. Shinn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background:

With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an influx of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an inflammatory lung condition. ARDS survivors are at high risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to intensive care unit (ICU) medical treatments/procedures. They are known to have traumatic memories triggered by their sensorium months to years after being discharged from the ICU. One study found that 23% of ARDS survivors experienced long-term PTSD symptoms 2-3 years after hospital discharge (Bienvenu et al., 2018). Unknown is whether there are similarities in the memories and sensory triggers of PTSD amongst ARDS and …

The Influence Of Genetics, Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress, And Energy Deficit On Migraine, Victoria Dm Maldonado Llinas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The pathomechanism of migraine attacks is not understood well, however, is currently believed to be a brain disorder. Migraine is a multifactorial disorder that needs to be investigated in multiple research areas to shed light into its mechanism and find ways to treat it effectively. Migraine episodes come from one or many things at the same time, and such vary from person to person. However, sufficient evidence in recent studies show there is a strong relationship between genetics with patients having specific genes that may be responsible for the disease or a genetic sequence passed down through generations in families, …

Factors That Lead To Poor Oral Health In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jaskiran Kaur Bains

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Maintaining dental health is vital as it contributes to the psychological well-being of an individual and the overall systemic health through preventing chronic diseases. Unfortunately, poor oral health has been identified as a common trend in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There is limited research regarding the barriers that result in rates of increased dental manifestations in patients with ASD compared to neurotypical individuals. This study strived to identify the barriers that contribute to poor oral health in individuals with ASD in order to establish interventions to break those barriers and improve overall dental health in the Autism community. …

Understanding School Shootings Using Qualitatively-Informed Natural Language Processing, Quan K. Do

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prior literature has investigated the connection between school shootings and factors of familial trauma and mental health. Specifically, experiences related to parental suicide, physical or sexual abuse, neglect, marital violence, or severe bullying have been associated with a propensity for carrying out a mass shooting. Given prior research has shown common histories among school shooters, it follows that a person's violent tendencies can be revealed by their previous communications with others, thus aiding in predicting an individual's proclivity for school shootings. However, previous literature found no conclusions were drawn from online posts made by the shooters prior to the mass …

High Medicaid Nursing Homes: What Nursing Home And Resident Characteristics Are Associated With Covid 19 Cases?, Abigail A. Cobbina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The coronavirus pandemic exposed the systemic issues faced by nursing homes with a higher percentage of Medicaid residents. By using the Brown University's Long-Term Care focus facility-level data and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, the study examines the association between the nursing home and resident characteristics with Covid-19 cases in high-Medicaid nursing homes. Fifty-eight facilities in Florida were identified as having residents whose primary support was Medicaid. The findings from the study suggest a higher proportion of Medicaid residents, for-profit status, and chain affiliation status, were associated with a higher prevalence of Covid-19 cases among nursing home …

Benefits Of A Family-Based Judo Program For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jeslin George

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can impact the entire family. Parents of children with ASD reportedly have greater stress levels, family conflict, financial concerns, and poor health habits than parents of neurotypical (NT) children. While many parent-focused interventions have been developed, these interventions focus on parent training and child behavior outcomes rather than the health and well-being of the parents. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of a 15-week family judo program on physical and psychosocial health in parents of children with ASD. A total of 18 parents of children with ASD participated in a weekly …

Sexual Violence, Identity Centrality, And Mental Health Among Racial And Sexual Minoritized Individuals: An Application Of Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory, Brettland D. Coolidge

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual violence (SV) is a pressing concern in the United States. SV (i.e., unwanted sexual contact, coercion, and wanted or unwanted penetration of another). Individuals with minoritized sexual, racial/ethnic, and gender identities experience worse psychosocial outcomes than their majority counterparts. People with multiple marginalized identities have been shown to experience traumatic events at greater rates and with significantly different outcomes compared to those with one minoritized identity. Cultural betrayal trauma theory proposes that these differences in mental health outcomes may be explained in part by a shared cultural identity between a SV perpetrator and victim, which is posited to exacerbate …

Speech-Language Pathologists' And Speech-Language Therapists' Role Working With Youth In The Juvenile Justice System, Maria Cuza

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine and provide insight into how speech-language pathologists and speech-language therapists (SLP/SLT) in Australia (AUS), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA) work with youth in the Juvenile Justice System (JJS). Currently, many youth involved in the JJS struggle with language barriers and need proper services to overcome them. Studies have shown that an SLP/SLT positively affects young people in the system. This study aimed to examine the demographic, educational, and occupational backgrounds of SLPs/SLTs working with youth in the JJS and the services provided to these youth by …

Evaluating Digital Cognitive Biomarkers As A Noninvasive Diagnostic Tool For Alzheimer's Disease: Correlations With Classic Csf Biomarkers, Kasey Corripio

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting over 35 million people. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes. Digital Cognitive Biomarkers (DCBs) offer a promising approach for early detection and disease management, quantifying cognitive processes of encoding and retrieval through a hierarchical Bayesian cognitive processing model using wordlist memory tests. We hypothesize that DCBs will correlate with classic AD cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (Aβ42, T-tau, p-tau) in patients with varying cognitive decline levels compared to healthy elderly controls. Using Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data and paired Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, our results support the hypothesis, indicating …

Interventions To Alleviate Guilt In Family Caregivers Of Patients Receiving Hospice Or End-Of-Life Care: A Scoping Review, Kyla N. Huelle

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This scoping review contains a literature analysis regarding interventions used by health care workers to alleviate guilt in caregivers of patients during end-of-life care. During end-of-life care, many transitions and decisions are made that add to the burden of caregivers. Family caregivers experience many physical, financial, and emotional stressors during the journey of end-of-life care, and this can result in guilt. Feelings of guilt can lead to poorer health outcomes and coping in family caregivers and should be addressed by health providers. In this scoping review, a literature search was conducted using various key terms like "guilt," "hospice," "end-of-life care," …

Social Determinants Of Chronic Kidney Disease In The Black American Community: A Systematic Review, Addea Coleman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This systematic review aims to examine the relationship between the social determinants of health that significantly impact the prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) amongst Black Americans. The Black American population has the highest prevalence of CKD in the United States, while concurrently possessing prominent genetic risk factors for this chronic disease. The social determinants: healthcare quality and access (extended to account for health behaviors), social and community context, and economic stability were specifically assessed in this review. Key terms were utilized to search electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science, which yielded 470 unduplicated articles. Twenty-nine articles …

Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology To Study Chlamydia Occurrence On A College Campus, Jessie E. Chin Quee

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, commonly affecting sexually active college-aged adults. Presently, opportunistic testing, self-testing, and information campaigns are methods to screen vulnerable populations and raise awareness about chlamydia. Chlamydia remains underdiagnosed and undertested due to a lack of participation by individuals who may have been exposed to it. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a rising biomonitoring tool that detects the presence of disease- and drug-specific biomarkers in a community's wastewater. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology was used to detect the presence of C. trachomatis on the University of Central Florida campus. Wastewater samples were collected …

The Impact Of Student-Led Lactation Education On Self-Efficacy In Clinical Simulation: An Integrative Literature Review, Kaitlyn Flores Yu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Simulation is a critical component of nursing education. It provides a safe environment to practice and evaluate skills, supplements clinical hours, and removes barriers to a well-rounded education. Nurses are expected to be educators as part of our scope of practice, and simulation can facilitate this. One topic of nursing importance is lactation education, as breastfeeding has been shown to have multiple benefits for both mother and baby. National rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months do not currently meet CDC recommendations. The pedagogy known as the Protégé Effect suggests that learning can be improved through teaching. Breastfeeding …

Utilizing Bloodless Medicine To Decrease Infection Rates In Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Literature Review, Samantha Saint Fort

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To determine if a significant relationship exists between bloodless medicine practices and decreased infection rates in oncology patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation by performing a literature review.

Background: It is not uncommon for healthcare professionals to encounter Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) seeking medical treatment in the acute care hospital setting and outpatient clinics alike. However, JW's pose a unique challenge to healthcare providers. Their refusal of blood transfusions makes them a population of interest within the medical community. The refusal of blood transfusions also poses a serious challenge to successful treatment in oncology JW patients, and many hospitals will …

The Role Of Savoring In The Relationship Between Concussion History And Consummatory Reward, John O'Donnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Concussions are a relatively common neurological injury and are associated with several adverse outcomes including depression. Anhedonia is a core feature of depression, with multiple subtypes, including consummatory anhedonia (i.e., diminished reward liking). Reward liking is related conceptually to the practice of savoring pleasurable stimuli. Savoring has been a component of mindfulness-based interventions that have efficacy in treating depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between lifetime concussion history, reward liking, savoring, and depression severity. 293 participants (56% women; mean age: 19.31) completed an online questionnaire and computer-based image savoring task. Contrary to expectations, no …

Optimizing Biomechanical Models: Estimation Of Muscle Tendon Parameters And Ankle Foot Orthosis Stiffness, Sepehr Ramezani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The complexity of the human musculoskeletal system presents challenges in accurately identifying its characteristics, particularly due to the presence of redundant actuators on a single joint. Non-invasive measures are necessary to overcome these challenges. Optimization algorithms have emerged as a crucial tool to advance subject-specific musculoskeletal modeling allows a more realistic representation of biomechanical behaviors, enhancing our understanding of human movement and enabling better clinical decision-making. Furthermore, optimization algorithms play a vital role in customizing rehabilitation and assistive devices, such as orthoses and prostheses. The current ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) stiffness measurement methods require bulky, complex designs, and often permanent modification …

Exploration Of The Oral Microbiome In Non-Ventilated Hospitalized Patients, Kimberly Emery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) impacts 1 in 100 hospitalized patients and is a significant patient concern due to its negative clinical outcomes. Many factors play a role in NV-HAP development: oral health, oral care, microaspiration risk, and the oral microbiome. Little is known about how the oral microbiome alters during hospitalization. This study explored changes in the oral microbiome of non-ventilated hospitalized patients over time and analyzed the relationship between the oral microbiome, pre-hospital residence, and NV-HAP. A prospective, observational design was used to recruit 46 non-ventilated adults 65 years and older from a large medical center in central …

Plasmonic Sensor Based Detection Of Dopamine, Sang Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

With a rapidly ageing population, neurological diseases are becoming increasingly relevant in the design of public health policies and strategies in western societies. In the last decades, biochemical research has consistently shown the critical role that neurotransmitters and their associated metabolites play as biomarkers in tracking and diagnosis of different brain disorders and cancers. In particular, dopamine, an organic electrochemical neurotransmitter, has been shown to be paramount for the proper functioning of the neural system. Dopamine's dysfunction, has been shown to underlie the pathogenesis in several neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, depression, chronic schizophrenia and psychosis. Unfortunately, currently available …

Surface Engineering For Controlled Growth And Deposition Of Nanomaterials - Assembly And Design At The Nano-Microscale, David Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Materials with nanoscale dimensions offer several important benefits over bulk materials (e.g. increased surface area, low-cost, deviation from bulk properties, etc.). Such materials are critical components for next-generation energy storage materials, optoelectronic devices, and catalyst systems. However, these materials are often processed in liquid media, and their diminutive structures are fragile in the presence of capillary forces. As such, preparing uniform and stable nanomaterial coatings is a significant challenge. Herein, we discuss an approach where the substrate itself is factored into the assembly and growth of these materials. First, nanoporous surfaces were utilized to achieve a uniform deposition of one-dimensional …

How Small Organic Osmolytes Modulate Actin Filament Assembly Kinetics And Mechanics, Pavlo Kravchuk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Actin filament assembly and mechanics are crucial for muscle contraction, maintenance of cell structure, motility, and division. Actin filament assembly occurs in a crowded intracellular environment consisting of various types of molecules, including small organic molecules known as osmolytes. Ample evidence highlights the protective functions of osmolytes such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), including their effects on protein stability and their ability to counteract cellular osmotic stress. Recently, TMAO has been shown to counteract the denaturing effects of urea on actin filament assembly based on bulk fluorescence assays. Yet, how TMAO affects individual actin filament assembly dynamics and mechanics is not well …