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Microplastics, Macro-Problems: Abundance Of Man-Made Materials In The Waters And Sediments Of Florida State Parks, Luciana M. Banquero, Kate Mclendon, Andres Alatorre, Mackenzie Daniels, Savanna Freeman, Cassidy Starke, Katherine Harris, Sidney J. Busch Dec 2023

Microplastics, Macro-Problems: Abundance Of Man-Made Materials In The Waters And Sediments Of Florida State Parks, Luciana M. Banquero, Kate Mclendon, Andres Alatorre, Mackenzie Daniels, Savanna Freeman, Cassidy Starke, Katherine Harris, Sidney J. Busch

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Man-made materials (MMM) are pollutants introduced to the environment by human activity. Microplastics (MP) are a type of MMM that threaten living organisms through bioaccumulation. The term MMM also encompasses pollutants produced from natural materials, such as rayon and microfibrillated cellulose, which are used in food packaging. This study aims to determine the extent of MMM pollution within estuaries in two of Florida’s state parks, as well as the effectiveness of using restored vegetation on shorelines to reduce MMM pollution. Tomoka State Park and Gamble Rogers State Park were selected at the request of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. …


Determining The Extent Of Pioneer Mangrove Acidification On Intertidal Oyster Reefs, Cindy Whitten, Andres Alatorre, Nicole Campbell, Savanna Freeman, Sydney Henderson, Kate Mclendon, Connor Wright, June Davison, Madison Ganci, Katherine Harris Dec 2023

Determining The Extent Of Pioneer Mangrove Acidification On Intertidal Oyster Reefs, Cindy Whitten, Andres Alatorre, Nicole Campbell, Savanna Freeman, Sydney Henderson, Kate Mclendon, Connor Wright, June Davison, Madison Ganci, Katherine Harris

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stretches 251 kilometers along Florida’s east coast and is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America. Mosquito Lagoon, the northernmost portion of the IRL, is home to mangroves and intertidal oyster reefs that provide numerous ecosystem services. These two habitats are overlapping as climate change drives mangroves poleward. Scientists have documented mangrove expansion and the transition of oyster reef habitat to mangrove islands. Past studies have shown large, adult mangrove stands drive soil acidification. The goal of this study was to understand if stand-alone, or pioneer, Rhizophora mangle (red mangroves) and Avicennia germinans …


Vertebrate Animal Behaviors And Abundances On Estuarine Shorelines Stabilized With Biodegradable Materials Utilizing Wildlife Cameras, Katherine Guise Jun 2023

Vertebrate Animal Behaviors And Abundances On Estuarine Shorelines Stabilized With Biodegradable Materials Utilizing Wildlife Cameras, Katherine Guise

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Living shoreline stabilization is a restoration technique that utilizes natural materials as breakwaters, plus vegetation landward of the breakwaters, to protect coastlines. This research does not provide information about how new, biodegradable restoration materials affect vertebrates that utilize these shorelines. For this project, I monitored 18 restoration sites along Canaveral National Seashore with wildlife trail cameras: 3 made with cement-infused jute breakwaters, 3 with metal gabion oyster shell breakwaters, and 4 with previously used breakwaters manufactured from plastic mesh oyster shell bags. This project used 4 sites as positive controls (intact vegetation) and 4 as negative controls (highly eroded, no …


Legislating Healthcare: A Legislative History Of Healthcare Equity And Access In The Mid-20th Century United States, Jazmin Alvarez Mar 2023

Legislating Healthcare: A Legislative History Of Healthcare Equity And Access In The Mid-20th Century United States, Jazmin Alvarez

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Historically, the United States has struggled to provide accessible healthcare to all Americans. Now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country must rebuild its healthcare system to account for the devastating loss of healthcare personnel and the impending physician shortage. This paper discusses four U.S. laws that were intended to increase accessibility and how their history can guide the nation to better healthcare.


Characterizing Particle Bed Stratigraphy As A Function Of Particle Size In An Airless, Microgravity Environment, Gillian Gomer, Michael Fraser, Anthony Meola, Raquel Guzman Feb 2023

Characterizing Particle Bed Stratigraphy As A Function Of Particle Size In An Airless, Microgravity Environment, Gillian Gomer, Michael Fraser, Anthony Meola, Raquel Guzman

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Asteroids and other small planetary bodies are covered in a loose, dynamic layer of multi-sized dusty particles. We are focused on developing methods to further understand this surface regolith behavior to inform future landing missions on these small bodies for resource collection. The Strata-1 experiment was designed to study granular behavior in a passive, microgravity, airless environment. These conditions, simulating that of an asteroid’s surface, were attained by installing Strata-1 aboard the International Space Station for 347 days. In this experiment, we took images of red, green, and blue multi-sized glass shards within a tube to better understand their stratigraphy. …


Paternal Ages And Genetic Diseases And Congenital Anomalies, Neda Hamood Feb 2023

Paternal Ages And Genetic Diseases And Congenital Anomalies, Neda Hamood

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

he purpose of this research is to investigate the link between Advanced Paternal Ages (APA) (i.e., APA ≥ 35 years and APA ≥ 50 years) and genetic diseases and congenital anomalies. Currently, the relationship between both APA and genetic diseases and congenital anomalies remains unclear. There is room for improvement, however, to investigate systematically the relationship between specific congenital anomalies in newborns and APA. More recently, the link between APA (as opposed to existing studies analyzing Advanced Maternal Age alone) and genetic diseases has been recognized by researchers, epidemiologists, and various health experts. Thus, this study serves to examine the …


Coping Mechanisms In Graduate School: A Discipline Comparison, Sandra P. Montenegro Jan 2023

Coping Mechanisms In Graduate School: A Discipline Comparison, Sandra P. Montenegro

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The current study aimed to provide an overview of graduate students’ stress and coping mechanisms. Per self-reported questionnaires, participants (N=95) rated their experiences with academic-related stressors, common coping mechanisms, and strain outcomes (somatic symptoms, insomnia, and burnout). This study found that task-related stressors were the most prevalent for graduate schoolwork. More specifically, graduate students in STEM, Arts & Humanities, and Social Sciences rated the amount and difficulty of the tasks (quantitative and qualitative properties of tasks) as the highest stressors in graduate school. The preferred coping strategies across all fields were planning and emotional coping. Additionally, students in STEM reported …


Associations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Adult Sexual Assault Experiences, Psychological Distress, And Substance Use, Diamonde Mccollum Aug 2022

Associations Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Adult Sexual Assault Experiences, Psychological Distress, And Substance Use, Diamonde Mccollum

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

This study evaluates the potential mechanisms underlying the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and substance use among adult women. Moreover, CSA, adult sexual assault (ASA), and psychological distress (including symptoms of depression and perceived stress) was evaluated to determine how it contributes to substance misuse. Past research shows that individuals who experience CSA are more likely to experience ASA, which results in psychological distress. Individuals may use substances to cope with psychological distress from CSA and ASA, consistent with the self-medication hypothesis. Women (N = 225) were recruited from Mechanical Turk (Mturk) and completed an online survey. Results indicate …


Food Insecurity After Hurricane Maria: Perceptions And Psychological Effects Among Puerto Ricans, Valeria J. Sostre Sostre Aug 2022

Food Insecurity After Hurricane Maria: Perceptions And Psychological Effects Among Puerto Ricans, Valeria J. Sostre Sostre

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, leaving the island devastated. Maria directly affected the availability of nutritional food for survivors, creating an experience of food insecurity among Puerto Ricans. Using the US Adult Food Security Survey Module (Spanish Version) from the United States Department of Agriculture, Puerto Rican adult households without children (old) were assessed nine months after the hurricane with the aim of identifying specific groups of households that were food insecure and the psychological effects associated with food insecurity. Forty-six of the 85 households assessed were identified as food insecure, …


The Behaviors Of A Captive Father-Daughter Pair Of Ateles Geoffroyi Geoffroyi, Felicia Gordian Oct 2021

The Behaviors Of A Captive Father-Daughter Pair Of Ateles Geoffroyi Geoffroyi, Felicia Gordian

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens intends to introduce new members to the black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi geoffroyi) enclosure. The behavioral analysis of captive animals within their human-made zoo environments is pertinent information for zookeepers before such an introduction can be made. To contribute to that goal, this study observed the behaviors of a father-daughter pair of black-handed spider monkeys. This study observed their vocalizations, habitat utilization, enrichment utilization, conspecific interactions, and interactions with humans to better understand how they interact with their environment as well as their group dynamics. This behavioral baseline can then be utilized to …


The Effect Of Covid-19 Risk-Enhancing Job Characteristics On Emotional Exhaustion, Zoe Politis, Ignacio Azcarate, Michael Distaso Sep 2021

The Effect Of Covid-19 Risk-Enhancing Job Characteristics On Emotional Exhaustion, Zoe Politis, Ignacio Azcarate, Michael Distaso

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed heightened threats to worker well-being. We know that different jobs pose different levels of risk to employees. Physical proximity and exposure to disease/illness are job characteristics that present threats to employee physical health. Based on cognitive theories of stress, we hypothesized that these job characteristics also pose a threat to employees’ emotional well-being. Our sample of 177 participants was made up of working students coming from the University of Central Florida, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and healthcare professionals recruited using a snowball sampling method. These participants consisted primarily of healthcare workers, food service workers, teachers/ …


How Music And Art Affect Compassion And Perspective Taking: A Collaboration Between Ucf Restores And Opera Orlando, Kathryn Sunderman Sep 2021

How Music And Art Affect Compassion And Perspective Taking: A Collaboration Between Ucf Restores And Opera Orlando, Kathryn Sunderman

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The ability of music and art to impact emotions and behavior is well understood based on studies conducted in a laboratory. However, research in a laboratory setting does not always generalize well to a natural environment. In this pilot study, we investigated how attending an opera that portrayed a wartime Christmas truce affected the audience’s levels of empathic concern and perspective-taking. Paired samples t-tests were conducted on data from 63 adult participants (M = 52.17 years). The results indicated that attendance at this operatic performance positively changed both empathic concern and perspective-taking, suggesting that even in a naturalistic setting, music …


The Minatory Minotaur: Demythologizing Myth In “The House Of Asterion”, Evan Chiovari Jul 2021

The Minatory Minotaur: Demythologizing Myth In “The House Of Asterion”, Evan Chiovari

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Recent critics of Jorge Luis Borges’s “The House of Asterion” (1947) have traced the author’s revisions in the original manuscript, charting his changing arrangement of information through the text. This essay investigates the information itself through structuralist and historicist theory. A structuralist reading analyzes Asterion’s worldview and shows how various narrators dock the integrity of his voice. Historicism probes aspects of religion, biology, and architecture to limn the true complexity of Asterion’s ties with society. Together, these theories reveal a trove of intricate intrigue and doubt. In this study I examine how Asterion, a reinvention of the Minotaur, is painstakingly …


Self-Injurious Behavior In A Captive, Malimprinted Coragyps Atratus, Brittany Swartout Jul 2021

Self-Injurious Behavior In A Captive, Malimprinted Coragyps Atratus, Brittany Swartout

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Lurch is a Coragyps atratus who was raised in captivity and imprinted on humans. He was an education animal at the Silver Springs Zoo until its closure. Lurch was moved to the Central Florida Zoo and has been feather picking and self-mutilating since then. Self-injury is not well documented in raptors and few treatments have been explored. It is often caused by stress of some sort and is not seen in the wild. These observations were conducted in order to observe the environmental factors that influenced these behaviors in Lurch. In an attempt to curb his feather picking, Lurch was …


Exploring Ch’Timi’S History, Structure, And Decline: A Field Study Chez Les Ch’Tis, Felix Balak Jul 2021

Exploring Ch’Timi’S History, Structure, And Decline: A Field Study Chez Les Ch’Tis, Felix Balak

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

This research investigated the history of the Ch’timi language and some of the differences between it and Standard French, as well as its decline and what, if anything, is being done to stop it. Ch’timi is a part of the Picard language group, spoken primarily in the north of France, and parts of Belgium. It is an endangered language, and few people still speak it to this day. This field research aims to determine how speakers of the language see it, whether they think it should be preserved, and whether anything is being done to keep it active. To answer …


A Behavioral Study Of Chacoan Peccaries (Catagonis Wagneri) In A Zoo Environment, Desdemona Kurowski Jul 2021

A Behavioral Study Of Chacoan Peccaries (Catagonis Wagneri) In A Zoo Environment, Desdemona Kurowski

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Found in the highly specialized area of the Gran Chaco, the Chacoan peccary (Catagonis wagneri) is an endangered animal threatened by industrial agriculture. In an attempt to save this species, three C. wagneri were brought to Central Florida Zoo where their health is monitored with great care in an attempt to possibly breed them in the future. While taking care of the other hooved animals, zookeepers are not able to give the peccaries their uninterrupted attention and have turned to help from the University of Central Florida to closely track if their behavior is indicative of a healthy, properly enriched …


The Effects Of Water Ice Sublimation On Slope Failures Of Icy Regolith, Christopher Cox, Madison Weinberg, Trisha Joseph Jun 2021

The Effects Of Water Ice Sublimation On Slope Failures Of Icy Regolith, Christopher Cox, Madison Weinberg, Trisha Joseph

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The frost line in a planetary system represents the distance from the central star inside of which conditions are too warm for ice to form, while beyond this line it will be stable. When an icy object passes that line heading toward the Sun it will begin to sublimate and outgas, potentially causing mass loss and surface changes. One example is surface failures, which can lead to material being removed from the object. Evidence of this has been seen on cometary surfaces, where surfaces often show structures that appear to have suffered various mechanical failures like cracking and landslides. By …


An Examination Of Oppression Via Anti-Abortion Legislation, Saphronia P. Carson May 2021

An Examination Of Oppression Via Anti-Abortion Legislation, Saphronia P. Carson

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Significant disparities in reproductive health care access and outcomes exist along race, ethnicity, and income lines. One of the starkest examples of this is the dramatic reduction in abortion access over the past 45 years that disproportionately affects minority and low-income women. While existing literature has exposed these disparities and potential reasons for them, there is less attention to the ways reduced access to reproductive health care, specifically abortion, can coerce, exploit, and systematically oppress women of color and low-income women. This research uses a reproductive justice framework to discuss the impact of anti-abortion legislation and the anti-abortion movement on …


13c Chemical Shift Concentration Dependence Of Phenol, Anisole, And Their Sulfur Analogs As A Probe Into Anomalous Reactivity In Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions, Braxton Lowers, Adam Reed May 2021

13c Chemical Shift Concentration Dependence Of Phenol, Anisole, And Their Sulfur Analogs As A Probe Into Anomalous Reactivity In Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions, Braxton Lowers, Adam Reed

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The 13C chemical shift concentration dependence of phenol, anisole, thiophenol, and thioanisole in CDCl3 was acquired and analyzed over various concentration ranges and reported with the intention of observing the effect of hydrogen bonding on the electron density around aromatic nuclei. Of the para carbon chemical shift concentration dependences observed, phenol exhibited the most significant concentration dependence. Attempts were made to determine the functions describing concentration dependence of the 13C chemical shifts observed. Notably, CDCl3 was found to exhibit relatively nonlinear concentration dependence in the same range as the compounds observed, suggesting that trace impurity and …


Eat Like A White Man: Meat-Eating, Masculinity, And Neo-Colonialism, Saphronia Carson Apr 2021

Eat Like A White Man: Meat-Eating, Masculinity, And Neo-Colonialism, Saphronia Carson

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Gender Studies scholarship has argued that one significant way contemporary hegemonic masculinities are constructed and reinforced is through meat consumption. Conversely, plant-based diets such as veganism and vegetarianism are considered feminine. This paper builds on an emerging body of research that traces this gendering of meat and plant-based diets to British colonialism in India. Drawing on ecofeminist and postcolonial theory, it shows how British colonizers feminized Indian dietary cultures, specifically Hindu vegetarian diets, to reinforce their own sense of masculinity. Through critical analyses of marketing and media, it demonstrates how these colonial gendered food images continue to populate contemporary imaginations. …


Assessing Change In Runoff Water Parameters Through Road Shoulder Vegetated Filter Strips: Experimental Comparison Of Soils And Engineered Infiltration Media, Andrew Corrado, Mohammad Shokri Mar 2021

Assessing Change In Runoff Water Parameters Through Road Shoulder Vegetated Filter Strips: Experimental Comparison Of Soils And Engineered Infiltration Media, Andrew Corrado, Mohammad Shokri

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Placement of Vegetated Filter Strips (VFS) along roadways may facilitate removal of nutrients from stormwater runoff. The objective of this research is to compare water quality performance of a VFS containing engineered media to that of typical Florida sandy soil. Storms of variable intensity were simulated over two 1:1 scale physical models of typical one- and two-lane roadway shoulders, one with engineered media (treatment), and one without (control). Simulated roadway runoff was introduced as sheet flow from the roadway and precipitation was applied with a rainfall simulator. Samples of runoff and infiltrate were tested for Dissolved Oxygen (DO) concentration and …


Vertebrate Impact On A Newly Deployed Shoreline Stabilization Project By Wildlife Camera Analysis, Julia Rifenberg, Jason Litwak, Rebecca Fillyaw Mar 2021

Vertebrate Impact On A Newly Deployed Shoreline Stabilization Project By Wildlife Camera Analysis, Julia Rifenberg, Jason Litwak, Rebecca Fillyaw

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Living shoreline stabilization is a technique that utilizes plants and other natural elements to protect estuarine coasts. Research has provided minimal information about which vertebrate species utilize living shorelines post-deployment. For this project, ten wildlife cameras were placed along a living shoreline site in Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) to document which vertebrate species utilize the living shoreline and surrounding vegetation. This shoreline was stabilized with red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shell bags in June 2019. The cameras, activated by motion sensors, remained at the site for five days a month for seven …


Success Of Glover’S Reef Marine Reserve On Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) Populations In Belize, Gianna Fanelli, Ciera Jarrett, Sara Joralemon Mar 2021

Success Of Glover’S Reef Marine Reserve On Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) Populations In Belize, Gianna Fanelli, Ciera Jarrett, Sara Joralemon

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The queen conch (Strombus gigas) provides important economic, ecological, and societal benefits to local communities throughout the Caribbean. The species, however, has fallen victim to commercial exploitation and overfishing in many areas. In Belize, even with restricted harvesting seasons, size restrictions, and regulations set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), harvesting practices have significantly depleted populations. Marine reserves, including the Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, were established to protect biodiversity and maintain populations of Belize’s natural coral reefs. Utilizing size, frequency, and evidence of harvesting (shell notches), the 2018 Tropical Marine Biology (BSC 3355) course …


A Review: Examining Narcissism In Eating Disorders: The Relationship Between Two Types Of Eating Disorders—Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa—And Two Forms Of Narcissism, Kayla Lashinger Mar 2021

A Review: Examining Narcissism In Eating Disorders: The Relationship Between Two Types Of Eating Disorders—Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa—And Two Forms Of Narcissism, Kayla Lashinger

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

This research investigates the relationship between narcissism and eating disorders (EDs). Two forms of narcissism are studied, as each are present in the individual (O’Brien, 1987). The first form, core narcissism, is major, and refers to the way the individual views themselves while the second form, narcissistic defenses, are minor, serving only to protect the sense of self (Waller et al., 2006; O’Brien, 1987). Core narcissism is exhibited as grandiose or vulnerable narcissism where grandiose includes feelings of entitlement and high self-esteem while vulnerable includes low self-esteem and self-criticality (Maples et al., 2011). The narcissistic defenses can be displayed as …


Hp Windows Mixed Reality Vs Meta 2: Investigating Differences In Workload And Usability For A Ball-Sorting Task, Joseph Pruitt, Melissa Marques, Hannah Singer, Amber Blatchford Mar 2021

Hp Windows Mixed Reality Vs Meta 2: Investigating Differences In Workload And Usability For A Ball-Sorting Task, Joseph Pruitt, Melissa Marques, Hannah Singer, Amber Blatchford

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Perceived workload and usability are crucial components of human-computer interactions. Currently, there is a gap in research comparing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) systems for workload and usability. This study attempts to bridge that gap through the comparison of the HP Windows Mixed Reality system and the Meta 2 system for a ball-sorting task. Subjective questionnaires on workload and usability were implemented as comparative measures for three game scenarios of increasing difficulty. Forty-one participants were recruited from the University of Central Florida and its surrounding communities. Results showed significantly lower cumulative total workload and greater usability (for the …


Does The Andersen Behavioral Model For Health Services Use Predict How Health Impacts College Students’ Academic Performance?, Emily Vernet Mar 2021

Does The Andersen Behavioral Model For Health Services Use Predict How Health Impacts College Students’ Academic Performance?, Emily Vernet

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

College is a critical time in a person’s life. Young adults experience transitional changes in their independence, physical and mental health, and utilization of health care. The purpose of this research study is to examine the use of the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use in predicting how health impacts the academic performance of college students through predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Data was collected from 438 college students attending a large university in the Southeast. Students answered questions about their demographic characteristics, health, healthcare use, and academics using a survey adapted from the 2018 National College Health Assessment …


Effects Of Varying Heat Indexes On Habitat Utilization And Behavior On Captive Red-Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Rubra), Jeffrey Gammon Mar 2021

Effects Of Varying Heat Indexes On Habitat Utilization And Behavior On Captive Red-Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Rubra), Jeffrey Gammon

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The two captive red-ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra) at the Central Florida Zoo experienced a more temperate climate and utilized a differing habitat than they would in their native range, Madagascar. Proper management of the species in captivity is crucial for its long-term survival as they are critically endangered. Over a four month period, heat index temperature, lemur behavior, and habitat utilization data were collected via an instantaneous scan sample. Variables were analyzed to characterize how variations in heat index alter habitat utilization and behavior of the captive lemurs. As the heat index increased, habitat use became more restricted …


Behavioral Analysis Of The Cryptoprocta Ferox In An Ex-Situ Condition, Emilie Alfonso Feb 2021

Behavioral Analysis Of The Cryptoprocta Ferox In An Ex-Situ Condition, Emilie Alfonso

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Fossas (Cryptoprocta ferox) are the top, endemic predators of Madagascar. Their populations are dwindling and are reported as “Vulnerable” by IUCN. In an effort to combat this, zoological facilities have placed the species on a captive breeding program. This study focuses on concerns one of those zoos had about their captive C. ferox. The purpose of this study was to collect activity budgets on the C. ferox to determine if there is a change in behavior due to construction occurring around the C. ferox’s habitat, analyze behavior changes during estrus, determine any behavior changes, as well …


A Jones Calculus Approach To High-Order Harmonic Generation In Solids, Erin Crites, Shima Gholam-Mirzaei, Zain Khan, Mamta Singh, John E. Beetar Feb 2021

A Jones Calculus Approach To High-Order Harmonic Generation In Solids, Erin Crites, Shima Gholam-Mirzaei, Zain Khan, Mamta Singh, John E. Beetar

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

High-order harmonics from bulk solids were first observed in 2011 by focusing an intense mid-infrared laser through a bulk crystal and detecting the harmonics in a transmission geometry. Due to birefringence and possible nonlinear effects in bulk crystal, the polarization state of the laser can change as it propagates through the crystal in this transmission geometry. This can result in harmonic signal generated with an unknown polarization of light, disrupting the signal. Alternatives to bulk crystal, such as a reflection geometry or thin films, are not always ideal – reflection geometry can introduce nonlinear reflection coefficients, while crystalline thin films …


The Relationship Between Depression And Cardiovascular Disease, Jomaries O. Gomez Feb 2021

The Relationship Between Depression And Cardiovascular Disease, Jomaries O. Gomez

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

While there has been extensive research on the link between depression and cardiovascular disease, few reviews have summarized the array of findings. In this literature review, we examined approximately 50 clinical papers and research studies to determine if reducing depression could reduce the risk of having a cardiovascular incident and if reducing the severity of cardiovascular disease could reduce depression. We identified two major mechanisms through which depression affects the cardiovascular system. We present evidence that depression and cardiovascular disease may have a reciprocal relationship. For instance, depression is as much of a risk factor for heart disease as smoking …