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Developing A Self-Sanitizing Mask To Combat The Spread Of Infectious Disease, Matthew Crawford Jan 2021

Developing A Self-Sanitizing Mask To Combat The Spread Of Infectious Disease, Matthew Crawford

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Masks have become an important part of everyday life, protecting both the wearer and individuals nearby from the spread of infectious diseases, most notably severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, these masks are easily contaminated, whether through continued use or by the wearer touching the mask fabric with contaminated hands, therefore reducing the efficacy and exposing the user to these contagions. When the mask becomes contaminated, it can be discarded, which produces large amounts of waste that will end up in a landfill, or it can be washed, which is …


Documenting The Undocumented: Understanding Identity And Displacement Through U.S. Latinx Experiences, Thelma B. Quintanilla Jan 2021

Documenting The Undocumented: Understanding Identity And Displacement Through U.S. Latinx Experiences, Thelma B. Quintanilla

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Undocumented migrants are a part of our daily lives, yet we rarely hear their stories or know who they really are; the word "undocumented" can have a negative connotation both within and outside the Latinx community and is often associated with criminals and various other negative stereotypes. This study aims to understand how identity is affected by documentation status and how that affects the undocumented and documented Latinx community, the experiences of Latinx people of different documentation status with connections to illegal immigration, and how they navigate through those experiences in the United States of America knowing that they are …


Gender Identity, Discrimination, And Adjustment Among College Students, Nicole A. Coco Jan 2021

Gender Identity, Discrimination, And Adjustment Among College Students, Nicole A. Coco

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research sought to test the notion that the non-cisgender population experiences an inordinate toll in regard to their mental well-being as a result of inaccurate or incomplete classification of their self-identified gender identity among US college students (N = 591). In accordance with the previous literature, the non-cisgender population experienced a significant increase of perceived experience of microaggressions and internalized symptoms. Contrary to expectations, there was no significance found for rates of identity distress. Previous literature did not reflect a significantly lower score of challenging the binary for Caucasians in relation to Hispanic and Asian ethnicities, as this …


Memoria: Re(Member)Ing How To Heal, Vilma E. Portocarrero Jan 2021

Memoria: Re(Member)Ing How To Heal, Vilma E. Portocarrero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This serves as a contextualization of my family history and a reflection of my lived experience as a first-generation Nicaraguan American woman living in the United States. In my writing, I explore displacement caused by political unrest and the intergenerational impact of war on families. This work is multi-genre, incorporating elements of creative nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and oral history.


The Relationship Between Campus Involvement And Civic Engagement, Sheina L. Koolik Jan 2021

The Relationship Between Campus Involvement And Civic Engagement, Sheina L. Koolik

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate if campus involvement, either in high school or college, has a relationship with civic engagement after college. Current UCF students, who have at least finished their first year, will be surveyed about their high school involvement to determine if it is related to their college engagement; and, recent UCF Alumni, graduated between 2014-2018, will be surveyed to determine if there is a relationship between campus engagement and civic life after graduation. As well, the data will review other key aspects like campus location, race, gender, international status, motivations, religious affiliations, etc. The …


The Effects Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy On Irritability In Menopausal Women, Giavana Hanna Jan 2021

The Effects Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy On Irritability In Menopausal Women, Giavana Hanna

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The start of the menopausal transition involves the introduction of various somatic, urogenital, and psychological symptoms; of the symptoms, irritability is one of the main complaints reported by women. The use of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has become more prevalent in society, specifically treating the somatic and urogenital symptoms of the menopausal transition. This study aims to determine the effects of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) on irritability in menopausal women. To test the hypotheses, an online survey was distributed to women via social media and word-of-mouth. Participants were asked to respond to various questions, which were then analyzed based …


Multifactorial Media Analysis Via Design Of Experiment For Type Ii Collagen In Primary Rabbit Chondrocytes, Javier A. Velez Toro Jan 2021

Multifactorial Media Analysis Via Design Of Experiment For Type Ii Collagen In Primary Rabbit Chondrocytes, Javier A. Velez Toro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease that affects the articular cartilage of the joints. Millions of people suffer worldwide and it is a major cause of disability in the United States. Current research for treatments of osteoarthritis are studying tissue-engineered cartilage in vitro generated by articular chondrocytes. A challenge faced in vitro for cartilage tissue engineering is the failure of chondrocytes to produce adequate expression of type II collagen. Surprisingly, the media commonly used in vitro lacks 14 vitamins and minerals present in the physiological environment of chondrocytes. Therefore, studying the interactions between micronutrients and chondrocytes may help in potentially increasing …


Exploring Factors Of Acceptance Of Chip Implants In The Human Body, Radha D. Chebolu Jan 2021

Exploring Factors Of Acceptance Of Chip Implants In The Human Body, Radha D. Chebolu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The technology and telecommunication industries have made significant progress in the past few decades leading to several inventions and designs that have significantly improved efficiency in all aspects of human life. These innovations in science and technology improve our quality of life. Modern technology enables us to access vast amounts of information and services through a network of interconnected computers and machines. Recently, various technologies have been proposed to incorporate the human body into this incorporated network. One of these proposed technologies are chip implants meant to be inserted into the human body at various suitable body parts, such as …


Examining One Teacher's Practices In Supporting Students With Exceptionalities In An Online Setting, Alyson L. Hepler Jan 2021

Examining One Teacher's Practices In Supporting Students With Exceptionalities In An Online Setting, Alyson L. Hepler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explored how students with exceptionalities learned literacy skills in an online learning environment and how the teacher was supported in the online classroom environment through professional development. Analysis of classroom observations and interviews with a teacher resulted in five findings: (1) There was limited professional development for teaching exceptional education students online. (2) Meeting exceptional student educational needs in the online environment was challenging for the teacher. (3) During the teacher's online lessons, there were some elements of literacy present such as comprehension and real-world examples. (4) The teacher missed out on some key components for literacy development …


Facilitation Of Enviromental Factors To Reduce Sound Decibels In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Literature Review, Cassandra Hanlon Jan 2021

Facilitation Of Enviromental Factors To Reduce Sound Decibels In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Literature Review, Cassandra Hanlon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This literature review investigates nursing interventions to reduce decibel levels in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The secondary purpose of this review was to evaluate if the interventions to reduce noise in the NICU had different outcomes for normal weight premature infants and infants afflicted with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The data bases for completing this review were Google Scholar, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus), PubMed, and Elton B. Stephens Co. (EBSCO). The key search words included ‘NICU and decibels', ‘reducing decibels', ‘neonatal abstinence syndrome' ‘decibels', ‘preterm infants' and 'normal weight preterm infant*'. The …


The Role Of Ms-818 In Altering Age-Related Characteristics Of An In Vitro Model Of Senescence In Neural Stem Cells, Sandeep Sreerama Jan 2021

The Role Of Ms-818 In Altering Age-Related Characteristics Of An In Vitro Model Of Senescence In Neural Stem Cells, Sandeep Sreerama

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aging of the brain is the leading risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers and has deleterious effects on brain functions. It follows that attempts to reverse the aging process may be therapeutically valuable. Neural stem cells (NSC) have been shown to play a critical role in maintaining brain functions, and their number is severely decreased with age. The development of senescence-like characteristics and declining functions in NSCs have been proposed to be responsible for brain aging and tumorigenesis. MS-818 is a pyrrolopyrimidine that has been shown to increase the NSC population and reverse the decline of behavioral function …


Hxrf Analysis Of Yugüe Obsidian, Jessica L. Clark Jan 2021

Hxrf Analysis Of Yugüe Obsidian, Jessica L. Clark

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Analysis was performed on a 31-artifact sample of Late Terminal Formative obsidian excavated in 2003 from the archaeological site of Yugüe in the Lower Verde Valley of Oaxaca. This analysis was performed to determine the geochemical sources of the individual obsidian artifacts and replicate a prior study of Yugüe obsidian performed by David T. Williams for his thesis at the University of Colorado. This earlier analysis determined that five obsidian sources were present. Sourcing was accomplished using a handheld X-Ray fluorescence instrument and bivariate plotting of relevant trace elements. Five sources of obsidian were found during analysis: Pachuca, Otumba, Paredon, …


Analysis Of Bending Waves In Saturn's Rings, Claudia Denise Orozco Vega Jan 2021

Analysis Of Bending Waves In Saturn's Rings, Claudia Denise Orozco Vega

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Saturn's rings are a complex, dynamic system that can provide unique insight into the structure and features of the planet and surrounding system. We use stellar occultation data of Saturn's rings collected from the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph to visualize and analyze bending waves present within the rings. Analysis of the propagation of these waves gives insight into the surface mass density of the local ring region and can be used to further our understanding of ring dynamics and ring formation. Our analysis of the Mimas 7:4 bending wave estimated a surface mass density between 30 g cm-2 and …


Cares, Labors, And Dangers: A Queer Game Informed By Research, Amy Schwinge Jan 2021

Cares, Labors, And Dangers: A Queer Game Informed By Research, Amy Schwinge

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Queerness as a quality has a permanent fluidity. Videogames as a medium are continually evolving and advancing. Thus, queer games have a vast potential as an art form and research subject. While there is already a wealth of knowledge surrounding queer games my contribution takes the form of both research paper and creative endeavor. I created a game by interpreting the queer elements present in games research. My game reflects the trends and qualities present in contemporary queer games, such as critiques on empathy and alternative game-making programs. This paper details what research inspired elements of my game as well …


Phototransduction Components In The Visual System Of Hard-Bodied Ticks, Arimar J. López Limas Jan 2021

Phototransduction Components In The Visual System Of Hard-Bodied Ticks, Arimar J. López Limas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Ticks are terrestrial invertebrate parasites that attach to their hosts to feed on their blood. Ticks are composed of three families: Ixodidae, Argasidae, and Nuttalliellidae. Ixodid ticks include members of the genera Amblyomma, Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus. Ticks can transmit diseases to animals and humans, making them an important organism to study. Current tick-bite mitigation strategies include acaricides (harmful if misused), and CO2 traps (effective in decreasing tick abundance, but costly to use). Since the visual system of ticks has not been studied extensively, I expect that by studying their visual system, alternative tick-bite mitigation …


The Implications Of Case-Based Learning (Cbl) On Biochemistry Education: An Integrative Literature Review, Ryan C. Ripert Jan 2021

The Implications Of Case-Based Learning (Cbl) On Biochemistry Education: An Integrative Literature Review, Ryan C. Ripert

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 has significantly impacted the world as we know it, especially in higher education institutions. In response to COVID-19, most colleges and universities were forced to close their doors to students and switch to online learning over Zoom. Although most students are adjusted well to this new mode of education, other students, such as individuals pursuing degrees in the sciences, have difficulty adapting to the online mode of instruction. Case-based learning (CBL) is considered one of the best strategies in teaching a course like Biochemistry in a large classroom setting. Implementing CBL in biochemistry education may increase student engagement …


News On Social Media, Rwa, And Anti-Asian Sentiment During Covid-19 Pandemic, Hang Duong Jan 2021

News On Social Media, Rwa, And Anti-Asian Sentiment During Covid-19 Pandemic, Hang Duong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 fake news, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), sociodemographic factors (i.e., race, biological sex), and xenophobia along with anti-Asian sentiment during the pandemic. Participants included 133 female and male college students. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) exposed to COVID-19 fake news, (2) exposed to real news related to COVID-19 news, and (3) no news exposure. All participants from three groups were then asked to complete a series of measures regarding their attitudes toward Asian Americans and xenophobia. Participants levels of RWA and sociodemographic variables of race and biological sex …


Physicians And Their Patience: Redefining Healthcare Relationships Through Readability Optimization, Rachel V. Ball Jan 2021

Physicians And Their Patience: Redefining Healthcare Relationships Through Readability Optimization, Rachel V. Ball

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study takes legibility research and extends it to the medical setting. Internal Medicine Physicians from UCF developed six passages of medical text detailing a History of Present Illness (HPI) Report from an emergency department as well as comprehension questions for the purpose of our study. In our study, we first presented non-medical passages and comprehension questions in six common fonts to identify participants' individual fastest and slowest fonts. We then gave participants medical passages in both their best and worst fonts while measuring reading speed and comprehension. This study was delivered to a population of Amazon Mechanical Turk …


An Application Of Economic Norms Theory To Brazilian Corruption, Nina B. Neto Jan 2021

An Application Of Economic Norms Theory To Brazilian Corruption, Nina B. Neto

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study aims to explore the relationship between clientelistic economies and systemic corruption under the framework of Economic Norms Theory. Pointedly, it examines the evolution of contractual mortgage credit as a percentage of GDP (representing the growth of a non-self-enforcing contract market) compared to both actual and perceived levels of corruption in Brazil in order to assess whether Brazil is exemplary of a transitioning economy under the theory of Economic Norms. The hypothesis of this paper is two-fold. First, I expect that as mortgage credit as a percentage of GDP generally increases, actual corruption will decrease. Secondly, I expect that …


Fluid-Structure Interaction For A Deformable Anisotropic Cylinder: A Case Study, Jared T. Decker Jan 2021

Fluid-Structure Interaction For A Deformable Anisotropic Cylinder: A Case Study, Jared T. Decker

Honors Undergraduate Theses

For a structure designed to interact with the surrounding fluid, structural deformation under loads induced by fluid flows is an important factor to consider, and one which is traditionally difficult to account for analytically. Coupling the finite element method for structural analysis with the finite volume method for the determination of fluid response allows for accurate simulation of the pressure and shearing loads applied by the fluid onto the fluid-structure interface, while also determining localized structural displacements that would cause changes to the geometry of the interface. This work seeks to simulate the behavior of cylinders with varying heights and …


Analysis Of Lubricants At Trace Levels Using Infrared Spectroscopy, Tanmai Bandarupalli Jan 2021

Analysis Of Lubricants At Trace Levels Using Infrared Spectroscopy, Tanmai Bandarupalli

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Analysis of trace evidence involved in sexual assault investigations holds considerable potential as a newer avenue of identification when bulk, larger evidence is not found or unreliable. Trace analysis of forensic materials involves common findings such as strands of hair, residues left on clothing, shards of paint or glass, etc. In recent research focused on the analysis of trace materials found as evidence in a sexual assault, there has been promise in condom and bottled lubricant classification based on their chemical profiles that can provide an associative link in an investigation. Few studies have considered the examination of lubricant evidence …


Crime/Mystery: Reinventing Tropes, Gabrielle Santiago Jan 2021

Crime/Mystery: Reinventing Tropes, Gabrielle Santiago

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Throughout the ages, the crime/mystery genre has stayed marginally the same with a variety of tropes making their debut as time went on. Many of these tropes were introduced by notable writers, such as, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins, Patricia Highsmith, Dorothy L. Sayers, and others. Due to this, the researcher decided to pinpoint the most common or overexposed tropes within this genre and reinvent them within the narrative that the researcher has created. The tropes that will be utilized are the ones with a remote location and limited suspects, having every person connected to the victim to …


Democratization As A Peacekeeping Strategy: A Comparative Analysis Of The United States And The European Union, Gabrielle Orphali Jan 2021

Democratization As A Peacekeeping Strategy: A Comparative Analysis Of The United States And The European Union, Gabrielle Orphali

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether democratization should be utilized as a method of peacekeeping. This is determined by studying both the United States and the European Union's efforts to spread democracy globally. The historic framework is studied to understand the unique perspective each body has formed in defining democracy, and the method through which it should be spread. The definition of power, democracy, and the state are studied. The concepts are applied to the case studies of Iraq and Turkey in order to make a determination.


The Australian Paradox: Politics Of An Energy Transition, Lindsay H. Bushing Jan 2021

The Australian Paradox: Politics Of An Energy Transition, Lindsay H. Bushing

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The 1973 oil shock was the first energy crisis modern industrialized economies experienced. The disruption exposed the limitations of energy systems that rely on fossil fuels, creating a demand for experimentation of energy alternatives. In their book, Renewables: The Politics of a Global Energy Transition, Michaël Aklin, and Johannes Urpelainen provide a framework to analyze this transitionary period for selected countries, as well as the events that provoke the need for change in the form of the 1970s external shocks in oil prices. In this paper, for the first time, Aklin & Urpelainen's framework will be applied to Australia …


Developing A Targeted Ultrasound-Responsive Nanobubble-Based Gene Delivery System For Osteoporosis Treatment, Angela Shar Jan 2021

Developing A Targeted Ultrasound-Responsive Nanobubble-Based Gene Delivery System For Osteoporosis Treatment, Angela Shar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The overall goal of this project was to develop, optimize, and test an ultrasound-responsive targeted nanobubble for delivering osteoporosis-related silencing genes such as Cathepsin K small interfering RNA (CTSK siRNA) for osteoporosis treatment. The nanobubbles were synthesized using an in situ sonochemical method. The nanobubble (NB) is composed of a gas core made from perfluorocarbon, stabilized with albumin, encapsulated with CTSK siRNA, and embedded with alendronate (AL) for bone targeting (CTSK siRNA-NB-AL). Following its development, the responsiveness of CTSK siRNA-NB-AL to a therapeutic ultrasound probe was examined. The results of biocompatibility tests with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells proved …


Characterization Of A Label-Free Fluorescent Assay For Point Mutation Discrimination Based On Split Aptamer Probes, Shannon A. Beaton Jan 2021

Characterization Of A Label-Free Fluorescent Assay For Point Mutation Discrimination Based On Split Aptamer Probes, Shannon A. Beaton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Due to the misuse of antibiotics, multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria have become more rampant in our society; these MDR have given rise to diseases that are not readily curable. One such agent is the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, which is a causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). Timely diagnostics of the bacterial infection and detection of bacterial drug-susceptibility profiles helps to initiate the necessary treatment in a timely fashion and to limit transmission of the disease. For more affordable detection of bacterial diseases, such as TN, tag-free split aptamer probes are advantageous. This proposal aims at designing split aptamer probes for detection …


Electromyographic And Mechanomyogrpahic Signal Changes With Fatigue In Adults, Rehana Koilpillai Jan 2021

Electromyographic And Mechanomyogrpahic Signal Changes With Fatigue In Adults, Rehana Koilpillai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Surface electromyography (sEMG) and mechanomyography (MMG) are well-studied signals that can reveal information about the physiological behavior of muscles during contraction. The purpose of this study was to quantify, characterize, and analyze the electrical and mechanical muscle responses to submaximal, isometric contractions in the rectus femoris in adults. Previous studies have investigated the use of EMG to monitor muscle fatigue. However, more information appears to be needed about the use of MMG to measure muscle fatigue during submaximal isometric contraction in the rectus femoris. In this study, the utility of MMG as a measure of muscle fatigue or muscle state …


Coffee Is Fluid: A Discussion On Coffee And Its Modernity, Emma L. Angell Jan 2021

Coffee Is Fluid: A Discussion On Coffee And Its Modernity, Emma L. Angell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Coffee's worldwide popularity, and especially among Americans, has grown significantly over recent decades. This is credited to the rise of corporate coffee shops like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, as well as the inescapable presence of coffee marketing on the internet and social media in our everyday lives. This thesis traces coffee's popularity from its early days as a facilitator in increased production rate in factories during the Industrial Revolution up to the popularity it has gained on TikTok and other social media platforms in the 21st century. My research examines the growth of coffee culture in America through participant observation …


Human Trafficking And Its Evolution Into Cyberspace: How Has Technology Transformed Human Trafficking Over Time?, Gabriela Landron Jan 2021

Human Trafficking And Its Evolution Into Cyberspace: How Has Technology Transformed Human Trafficking Over Time?, Gabriela Landron

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Over the past few years, with the rise of technology, human trafficking has transformed into one of the largest clandestine crimes globally. Though the relationship between human trafficking and technology has gained attention over recent years, the empirical research on this topic is still underdeveloped. As such, the relationship between technological developments and the rise of human trafficking remains unanswered. Within this frame of reference, this research aims to explore this relationship to better understand how human trafficking has flourished in cyberspace and is beginning to depend on technological advancements for predation by using a content analysis of newspaper articles. …


Modeling And Analysis Of Covid-19 And Dynamical Systems In Biology And Physics, Vladimir Grbic Jan 2021

Modeling And Analysis Of Covid-19 And Dynamical Systems In Biology And Physics, Vladimir Grbic

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this paper, we study various examples of dynamical systems found in nature and extract the necessary concepts to build upon. Then, we develop and propose a new deterministic model for COVID-19 propagation. Our model should serve two purposes. First, we will approximate the infected and deceased individuals after a given time during the pandemic. Then, using a linearized subsystem describing infectious compartments about the disease- free equilibrium (DFE), we will determine the basic reproductive number (R0) by the next-generation matrix method.