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Alpha Amylase As An Emerging Biomarker Of Microaspiration In Mechanically Ventilated Patients: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Chloe Chase

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aims: The purpose of this thesis was to synthesize the current literature on alpha amylase as an emerging biomarker of microaspiration in mechanically ventilated patient.

Methods: The methodology included a review and synthesis of pertinent research articles from 1981-2018, written in English language. Criteria for inclusion in the review were all articles that evaluated α- amylase in tracheal secretions or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) as a diagnostic tool for identifying microaspiration. The search yielded 11 studies that were reviewed.

Findings: The findings suggest that once aspiration occurs, the duration of α-amylase in the lungs requires further exploration to assist in …

The Florida 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment And Variance In County Support, Brittany Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Several interest groups seek to put a $15 per hour minimum wage amendment on the Florida ballot in 2020. Floridians voted successfully to increase the minimum wage back in 2004. While the measure passed by over 50% in every county, there were substantial differences. What explains variance in support for the 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment among Florida counties? Hypotheses were drawn from previous literature and theory and multiple regression models find several statistically significant results. The percentage of Hispanic residents and the percentage of residents with a high school education or less had a positive relationship with support for increasing …

Factors Contributing To The Negative And Unhealthy Psychological Conditions In The Ed Rn, Ariana M. Nieves

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The emergency department is a stressful environment. Emergency department registered nurses (ED RNs) are at an increased risk of development of negative and unhealthy psychological conditions due to their frequent exposure to stress and traumatic events. These conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder, compassion fatigue, and burnout syndrome, which are already known to be common in the emergency department registered nurse population. It is important to understand the factors that influence the development of these psychological conditions in order to provide better education to nurses regarding prevention of the development of these psychological conditions. This literature review aimed to identify articles …

Assessing The Impact Of Digital Health Technologies On Maternal Health Care In Sub-Saharan Africa, Samerawit Tadele

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Maternal morbidity and mortality are prevalent issues worldwide that profoundly affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa. Estimates vary, but by the end of 2015, at least 300,000 women died in LMICs due to preventable pregnancy and childbirth conditions. Pregnant women die from complications that could be detected and managed if they were able to receive early access to necessary health interventions. Mobile technology is increasingly common across the globe, including LMICs, and incorporating digital health technologies, especially mobile phone (mHealth) programs, can offer a possible solution to morbidity and mortality related to pregnancy. A literature review analyzing the …

The Influence Of 3d Porous Chitosan-Alginate Biomaterial Scaffold Properties On The Behavior Of Breast Cancer Cells, Minh-Chau N. Le

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in regulating cancer cell behavior. The tumor microenvironment describes the cancer cells, and the surrounding endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells, along with the extracellular matrix (ECM). The tumor microenvironment stiffens as cancer undergoes malignant progression, providing biophysical cues that promote invasive, metastatic cellular behaviors. This project investigated the influence of three dimensional (3D) chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffold stiffness on the morphology, growth, and migration of green fluorescent protein (GFP) – transfected MDA-MB-231 (231-GFP) breast cancer (BCa) cells. The CA scaffolds were produced by the freeze casting method at three concentrations, 2 wt%, …

Righting Our Wrongs: Examining The Moderating Effects Of Moral Identity On The Relationship Between Counterproductive Work Behavior And Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Ian M. Hughes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

There is a void that exists within the discretionary behavior literature as it pertains to the counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) relationship, respectively. The present study examined the moderating effects of moral identity on the relationship between CWB and OCB. In addition, exploratory analyses using moral identity sub-dimensions, organizational fairness, and job satisfaction were conducted. The study recruited 254 participants using MTurk. Using moderated multiple regression, a moderating effect for internalization (a moral identity sub-dimension) was revealed for the relationship between the organizational sub-dimensions of CWB and OCB. Other moderation analyses proved to be non-significant. Theoretical …

Fall Risk Assessment In Community- Dwelling Older Adults: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Maryann Dool

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Abstract

Aims: 1) To determine fall risk assessment using subjective and objective measures; 2) To understand older adults' perception on fall risk assessment.

Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used and consisted of two phases. Phase 1, the quantitative data was collected from nineteen older adults at an independent living facility in Orlando, Florida. Phase 2, the qualitative data was collected from three participants of Phase 1. After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, the study was conducted at Lutheran Towers an independent living facility located in the downtown area of Orlando, Florida. Three measurement tools were used: demographic …

Investigation Of The Cell-Cycle Dependent Activity Of The Brca1-Rbbp8 Complex For Homologous Recombination, Jil Shah

Honors Undergraduate Theses

When cells undergo mitosis, they must replicate all six billion base pairs of DNA within the nucleus. With the sheer volume of information, it is impossible to replicate with 100% accuracy each time. Homologous recombination (HR) is one of many mechanisms the body has developed to correct and repair replication errors to DNA. HR is specific to double-stranded breaks to DNA, and it requires a sister chromatid to preserve the genetic code. BRCA1 and Rbbp8 interact to form a complex that is heavily involved in this process. Although there is a strong consensus about the involvement of these proteins in …

Exploring Environmental Heat Injuries In The Pediatric Population, Jennifer Bowman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Children are considered a vulnerable population in society. While thermoregulation in children is similar to that of an adult, children are vulnerable to heat-related illness. Student athletes have been found to be particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness for numerous reasons, including intense outdoor play. Football players are perhaps the most at-risk population of student athletes due to the intense physical requirements, outdoor practice during the hottest months of the year, and the extensive protective equipment required. By conducting a literature review on the subject of pediatric heat illness, the purpose of this thesis is to explore evidenced based research and …

Mechanochemically Synthesized Cobalt Oxide-Based Particles For The Reduction Of Nitrophenols And Impacting Factors To Its Mechanism, Lorianne R. Shultz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mechanochemically synthesized cobalt oxide-based particles are employed for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4NP), a toxic water contaminant. This reduction produces 4‑aminophenol (4AP), a less toxic, pharmaceutical precursor for drugs such as paracetamol. The indicated reduction has been completed previously using noble metals and/or catalysts requiring extensive solvent use, and time as part of their preparation. The cost and synthesis of these noble metal catalysts hinders the sustainable broad scale application as an environmental remediation solution. The catalyst synthesis explored in this study utilizes the green chemistry technique of vibratory ball-milling and annealing cobalt oxide-based particles at different temperatures, producing …

The Envelope Stress Response In Sedimentation-Resistant Escherichia Coli, Neel K. Shah

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous research discovered the existence of sedimentation-resistant mutants of E. coli. Genomic studies revealed that these mutants resisted sedimentation due to independent modifications to genes that influenced the Rcs signal transduction pathway, causing increased secretion of an exopolysaccharide capsule comprised primarily of colanic acid. The Rcs system is responsible for detecting envelope stressors; consequently, ampicillin and osmotic stress were used to perturb the cellular envelope and study the response of the mutants compared to wild-type cells. It was found that the overproduction of colanic acid in the mutants confers some resistance to envelope stress; however, the mutants still behaved …

Studies On The Potential Regulation Of Usp30 By Omi/Htra2 Protease, Sunmi Jin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to determine whether the deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin specific protease 30 (USP30) is cleaved by Omi/HtrA2 (hereafter referred to as Omi) protease during mitochondrial stress. USP30 is a mitochondrial protein that is anchored in the outer mitochondrial membrane and has components in the intermembrane space (IMS) as well as in the cytoplasm. USP30's IMS component has a six-amino-acid sequence that is very similar to Omi's consensus cleavage sites. Under normal conditions, Omi resides exclusively within the IMS; therefore, if Omi were to cleave USP30, it would target the part of the protein located in the …

Academic Competence, Self-Efficacy, And Achievement Expectations Among International Students At The University Of Central Florida, Emily Hynson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the vast and continued growth of international students in the U.S., it is important to focus on this expanding group and identify factors that aid or hinder academic performance, achievement, expectations, and competence. Factors known to affect academics among international students, such as language barriers, acculturation to American society, university support and structure, social integration at the university, family support, and motivating factors to study in the U.S were examined. It was hypothesized that these known factors would negatively correlate with the academic outcomes of international students examined in the current study. It was also hypothesized that these factors …

Exploring Galvanic Replacement As A Method To Engineer Peroxidase-Mimics Nanoparticles, Kuryn T. Magloire

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Peroxidase enzymes are of critical importance within the scientific community for their applications in biosensing assays. In a living system, natural peroxidases function as catalysts in the oxidation of peroxide (e.g., H2O2) - a harmful byproduct of aerobic processes and convert them into harmless compounds. Such an ability allows peroxidases to serve as labels in biosensing assays, where they are conjugated to antibodies and accurately produce a detection signal by catalyzing substrates. However, due to intrinsic limitations, namely instability, Peroxidase made of proteins substantially inhibit broader applications.

Alternatively, nanoparticles produced from noble metals have been found to exhibit peroxidase-like abilities …

Draining Your Brain: The Effects Of Four Fatiguing Task Domains On Executive Function And Prefrontal Cortex, Salim A. Mouloua

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study empirically examined the effects of four fatiguing task domains on executive function through participants' reaction time, accuracy, and brain activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC). Forty college-age participants were collected (16 males and 24 females), of which eleven were examined using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging system. The present study used a 4×2 mixed factorial design consisting of fatiguing task (arm contractions task, vigilance task, distance-manipulated Fitts' task, size-manipulated Fitts' task) as a between-participant variable and n-back testing period (pre-test versus post-test 3-back task) as a within-participant variable. Results indicated significant increases in 3-back performance after …

Robotic Automation Of A Cnc Machine, Jace Hovey

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Robotic automation of CNC machines is becoming more popular as robot technology advances and becomes more readily available. While some CNC machines can run autonomously with part catchers, vertical milling centers require an external entity to keep the machine running. Collaborative and Industrial robots are the two main selections for automating a vertical CNC milling machine. We investigate specifically which robot type is most effective for machine tending a Haas VF2 vertical milling center. To do this a cell floor plan, risk assessment, overall equipment effectiveness evaluation, and a total cost analysis are performed to compare robots. With this results …

An Analysis Of Obstacles To Peace Between Iran And Israel, Emily M. Aspinwall

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The history of confrontation and cooperation between Iran and Israel is a volatile sequence. With the transformative impact of the 1979 Iranian Revolution on Iranian leadership and ideology, as well as Israel’s metamorphosis from a newly independent state to a regional rival, there is much to unpack in this relationship. From regime changes to nationalistic awakenings, Iran and Israel’s conflict is comprised of infinite layers brimming with historical and political implications. For the past 70 years, Iran and Israel’s diplomatic relationship has encountered numerous shifts, thus forming an axis of hostility, regional contention, and damaging rhetoric. This research analyzes the …

Womens Perception Of Their Childbirth Expereinces: An Integrated Literature Review, Nancy M. Farmer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pregnancy and childbirth are a unique and sacred time in many womens' lives and the process of giving birth often leaves women and families in a vulnerable position.

This integrated literature review examined birthing experiences from the maternal perspective and focused on the short-term and long-term implications of negatively perceived maternal experiences. While there are several international studies, only a few have been published studies from the United States.

The integrated review showed a significant impact of provider-client communication and shared decision making on a woman's overall perception of her birthing experience. Reports of excess intervention, lack of informed consent, …

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender (Lgbt) Healthcare In Rural Settings: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Caitlin Cox

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is a unique population that has specific health issues and health care needs associated with lifestyle behaviors that increase risk for certain diseases. Health concerns include mental and behavioral health, issues associated with gender identity and relationships (i.e. intimate partner violence), sexually transmitted infections, and chronic illnesses. The research suggests poorer health outcomes for the LGBT population compared to heterosexual and/or cisgender counterparts. Most research conducted with LGBT populations occurred in more populated urban settings with very few studies focusing on this population in the rural context. Consequently, there is a paucity …

The Efficacy Of Meditation-Based Treatments In Relapse Prevention For Persons With Substance Use Disorders, Florence C. Bates

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Substance abuse is a global problem that has contributed to a variety of societal, financial, health, and familial strains. An increasing prevalence of illicit drug, prescription opioids, and alcohol abuse has created a need for re-evaluation of recovery and relapse treatments. This literature review examines the efficacy of meditation-based treatments for relapse prevention in persons recovering from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). A comparative analysis of Mindfulness Based Relapse Programs (MBRP), an adapted MBRP-W program, and a Transcendental Meditation (TM) intervention was used to examine the success of meditation-based interventions. Research supports improvements associated with the meditation-based interventions including significant reductions …

Collective Nobility: Spinoza And The Politics Of Emotion, Ethan K. Uhlig

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine Spinoza's philosophy of emotion as it relates to groups of individuals, or collectives. These groups, especially political collectives such as nation-states, are evaluated through Spinozist understandings of virtue, nobility, and blessedness. From this analysis, a novel concept of "collective nobility" is used to create philosophical guidance for the emotional dimensions of politics and state action. Drug policy is used as a case study to understand how emotion influences policymaking and vice versa, both negatively (as in the United States) and positively (as in Portugal).

Short Term Examination Of Physical Activity And Sleep Quality With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Demani Barak Barnes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may not be meeting the recommended amounts of physical activity (PA) or obtain a sufficient amount of sleep, however, few studies have objectively compared PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality between typically developing (TD) youth, and youth with ASD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare levels of PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep quality between youth with ASD and TD youth. Twenty-three children with ASD and 12 TD children wore the Actigraph GT9X accelerometer over seven days and nights to assess activity and sleep. Youth with ASD had significantly greater levels …

"I'M A Strong Independent Black Woman": The Cost Of Strong Black Woman Schema Endorsement, Stephanie Castelin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Strong Black Woman Schema (SBWS) is a cultural expectation placed on black women to unfailingly display signs of strength and caretaker qualities, while suppressing their emotions. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the SBWS and psychological distress, suicidal behaviors, and resilience. Researchers expected to find a positive relationship between the SBWS and psychological distress, a positive relationship between the SBWS and resilience, and an undefined relationship between the SBWS and suicidal behaviors. The study also examined the potential moderating effects of the SBWS and resilience on the existing psychological distress-suicidal behaviors relationship. Lastly, the study examined …

The Nexus Between Cognitive Flexibility And Prejudicial Attitudes In Younger And Older Adults, Yerika Germosen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The mutability of prejudicial attitudes can be elucidated by taking into account the declines in cognition that tend to emerge as we age. This study aimed to assess whether there is a relationship between prejudice towards different ethnic groups and cognitive flexibility throughout adulthood. Ninety-five older adults and 118 younger adults were asked to complete an electronic survey encompassing measures of cognitive flexibility, social desirability, personality, optimism, empathy, ethnic attachment and prejudice. It was hypothesized that older adults would report lower levels of cognitive flexibility and higher levels of ethnic attachment in comparison to younger adults, which would in turn …

The American Dream And The Filipino College Student, Angelo Gabriel G. Baldado

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The American Dream Ideology is defined by Sociologist, Jennifer Hochschild as, "All persons in the United States can achieve the American Dream, which is defined as the achievement of success however that is defined to oneself, through hard work and one's own efforts." Filipino Americans have a unique history with the United States and much of Filipino culture has roots within its history of colonization by Spain and the United States. Previous research has shown a high consistent rate of immigration into the United States, and high rates of social mobility among second-generation Asian immigrants compared to first-generation Asian immigrants. …

Assessing The Impact Of Oyster Reef And Living Shoreline Restoration On Macroinvertebrate Community Assemblages In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Adam Searles

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As the world continues to experience substantial rates of habitat loss, habitat restoration has become of prime interest to ecologists worldwide. Restoration has shown to be successful in recovering targeted components of certain ecosystems but it is important to achieve a holistic understanding of the resulting ecological impacts it has on communities. To address this, four oyster reefs and three living shorelines were restored during the summer of 2017. These sites, along with four dead oyster reefs, four living oyster reefs, and three undisturbed (control) living shorelines, were sampled before restoration and regularly post-restoration for one year using lift nets. …

The Osi And The Nazis: America's Struggle To Expel Nazi War Criminals And Their Allies Decades After The Second World War, Evan S. Murray

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines the history of the Office of Special Investigations' campaign to identify, denaturalize, and deport Nazis and Nazi collaborators. By analyzing documents from the work of the Office's predecessor, the Special Litigations Unit, in 1977, up to and including the case of George Lindert in 1995, this research aims to provide an understanding of the Office's origins, methods, and motivations. This work was done through the consultation of court records, internal memos, letters, an official government report on the Office's activities, other literature written on this topic, and interviews conducted by the author with two former members of …

Fear Of Falling Assessment And Interventions In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Amanda S. Cappleman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Fear of falling has significant adverse physical and psychological effects for the community-dwelling older adult. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults and explore participant perceptions of fear of falling assessments and interventions. Methods: A mixed methods case study was utilized to gain an in-depth understanding of older adults' perceptions. It consisted of quantitative data collection by objective measures and qualitative data collection by four individual in-depth interviews. A sample of four community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older and living in Orlando, Florida, completed the study in their home …

A Meta-Analysis Of Neuromyelitis Optica Epidemiology In Latin American Nations, Brittany M. Zengotita

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is a rare, autoimmune, neurodegenerative disease selectively affecting the optic nerves and spinal cord. Relapsing NMO is nine times more prevalent in women than in men and approximately one-quarter of NMO patients have symptoms of another autoimmune disorder (National Institute of Health, 2019). NMO has not been linked to any genetic mutations and the cause of the disorder is unknown beyond the general understanding that the body produces anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4) which mistakenly attack cells in the nervous system. NMO affects roughly one percent of that of Multiple Sclerosis (4000-8000 patients total) in the United States, but …

Evaluating Lactobacillus Acidophilus As A Model Organism For Co-Culture Cancer Studies, Samuel A. Mikhail

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The causality dilemma between dysbiosis and cancer has given rise to numerous studies both exploring the mechanisms behind cancer progression and the associative shifts in the microbiota upon carcinogenesis. Aside from the hallmark study of Dr. Barry Marshall in establishing the true causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori and gastric adenocarcinoma, studies have only been successful in adding associative links of carcinogenesis mediated by bacteria to the literature. The current field is limited in its ability to establish causative relationships, and further work is needed to construct a reference community whose physiological responses reflect global community responses. In this thesis, the …