Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing Holograms To Perform Cognitive Health History Screenings, Franchesca I. Gonzalez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Marginalized populations, defined as a group of individuals who experience systematic disadvantages due to various social identity factors (Oxford Review, n.d.), experience uneven barriers to cognitive and mental health assessments, including socioeconomic, linguistic, and educational inequities, that contribute to misdiagnosis (Petersen et al., 2018, Saeed & Masters, 2021). This study investigates the feasibility of hologram-based patient simulations as an educational intervention for undergraduate nursing and graduate Nurse Practitioner students. Culturally representative, three-dimensional holographic patients were created to replicate complex geriatric encounters and facilitate cognitive health screenings. Established assessment tools, including the Mini-Mental Status Examination, Patient Health Questionnaire 2 and Patient …

Exploring The Link Between Relationship Status And Emotion Regulation Strategy Use, Abigail A. Echols

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Romantic relationships affect many areas of life and are important sources of interpersonal emotion regulation, yet little research has investigated whether relationship status influences emotion regulation strategy use and emotion dysregulation. Considering that the types of emotion regulation strategies individuals use significantly affect their well-being, understanding the link between relationship status and emotion regulation strategy use is important. This study compared single, partnered, and recently separated individuals’ emotion dysregulation and use of eleven intrapersonal and eleven interpersonal emotion regulation strategies in general (i.e., trait) and in a specific situation (i.e., state) through retrospective self-report scales and an autobiographical writing task. …

A Constitutional View Of Administrative Agencies, Anthony J. Diego

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research focuses on a nuanced area of American law and history: the constitutionality of administrative agencies. Determining their constitutionality requires a sound and fundamental understanding of administrative agencies’ history and purpose, as well as applicable constitutional principles. Reliance on core legal and historical documents founding the United States, as well as existing literature analyzing them, is essential to this determination. Administrative agencies have existed within the United States government since the Founding, though not without scrutiny and exception to government operations. Recently, Supreme Court precedent dramatically changed agency operative functions, making it now an opportune time to analyze the …

Venezuela's And Mexico's Oil Industries: Policy Making Sets The Course, Camila Gimenez Valero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The puzzle of Venezuela's crisis is one that researchers often try to understand. How did one of the richest nations in the world become one of the poorest? Venezuela is nowadays seen as a country with political unrest, where people struggle to get by and with a corrupt government. However, this was not always the case. Throughout the 20th century Venezuela had remarkable economic stability. Having discovered the world's largest known oil reserves, the nation's economy quickly developed, and the country also became known for its long-standing democracy. After the election of Hugo Chavez in 1998, Venezuela began to decline …

Criminal Defenses In The Age Of Ai: An Examination Of How Technological Advancements Are Challenging Traditional Duress And Mistake Of Fact Defenses, Lauren Lepage

Honors Undergraduate Theses

AI has rapidly evolved into a defining force of modern life, transforming industries by automating tasks, streamlining workflows, and enhancing everyday experiences. However, the same advancements, especially in deepfakes, now enable highly convincing manipulation of audio, images, and video, blurring the line between truth and fabrication. As these technologies grow more accessible, they not only reshape digital interactions but also challenge core principles of criminal law and culpability. This research examines the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology and analyzes the challenges they pose to traditional criminal defenses. Employing a doctrinal legal research approach, it evaluates statutory …

Measuring Personality And Animal Treatment Attitudes With The Pet Scale, Zackery J. Hilton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous research has looked at the association between personality traits and the proclivity, or history, of committing acts that are characterized as animal abuse or animal cruelty. Much research has also found that individuals who exhibit this type of behavior towards animals also tend to exhibit similar behavior towards other individuals, mainly in the form of domestic or child abuse. Previous studies have measured animal abuse using very explicit and extreme criteria, using acts that are without question blatant abuse or torture; however, there is some grey area where many may argue whether certain acts should be considered abuse, which …

A Systematic Literature Review On The Benefits Of Biofeedback Therapy As A Treatment For Diabetes Mellitus Induced Chronic Peripheral Neuropathy, Amy Krueger

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The objective of this systematic literature review is to examine the research on biofeedback therapy and evaluate its effectiveness in treating chronic diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This comprehensive review was conducted using the PRISMA 2020 method of analysis. All studies included at least 10 patients with T1D or T2D and current or past foot ulcers and/or DPN. Each study was also available in their entirety. Studies with fewer than 10 participants, those which examined neuropathy unrelated to diabetes, or those with healthy test populations were excluded. Studies that were only partially available were also not used. The databases used were PubMed, …

Effect Of Sapropterin Dihydrochloride On Neuropsychiatric Functions For Individuals With Phenylketonuria: A Systematic Review, Ricky Lin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare metabolic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 births worldwide. Individuals with PKU cannot properly metabolize phenylalanine (Phe) due to a deficiency in phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), leading to elevated Phe levels and associated cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments. Although early dietary management has reduced the risk of severe intellectual disability, many individuals with PKU continue to experience deficits in attention, executive functions, and mood regulation. Sapropterin dihydrochloride, a synthetic form of the PAH cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), offers a pharmacological alternative that enhances residual enzyme activity in responsive individuals. While its efficacy in lowering blood Phe …

An Analysis Of Florida's Dual Enrollment Laws: How Florida's Model Is Uniquely Protected By The Fourteenth Amendment, William H. Hamman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Florida’s dual enrollment program is an offering within the state’s basic education package, allowing secondary students to participate in postsecondary courses while simultaneously earning secondary and postsecondary credit. In Florida, around 80,000 students participate annually, and 1.5 million students are within the grade range eligible for participation in the program. This thesis analyzes how the program, and subsequently eligible students, are granted constitutional protections under the Fourteenth Amendment. The author conducted this research to highlight the expansive nature of constitutional law and demonstrate how Florida’s model is unique among state-mandated dual/concurrent enrollment programs. To conduct the necessary research, the author …

Lifetime History Of Concussions In Relation To Blind Perceptual Distance Estimation Ability, Mackenzie K. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationship between visuospatial estimation and a lifetime history of concussions. Current literature on concussions investigates visuospatial working memory and estimation ability separately, but not conjointly. In order to examine this relationship, a novel neuropsychological task was designed to measure visuospatial estimation ability in working memory, named the Perceptual Estimation Test (PET). This novel task was designed with three variations that would increase in complexity as they progressed, and each variation would include three trials. Participants were scored on their accuracy performance during the PET. Participants aged 18-25 were recruited from students attending the University of Central …

The Paradox Of Financial Competence In Tourism Smes In West Africa: Accounting Knowledge, Gender, And Tax Bribery Risk In Ghana And Sierra Leone, Ersem Karadag, Melih Madanoglu

Journal of Hospitality Financial Management

This study examines the paradox of financial competence among tourism SMEs in West Africa, where business owners’ expertise in accounting and finance, rather than shielding firms from corruption, may increase their exposure to tax bribery. Using firm-level data from Ghana and Sierra Leone, the analysis reveals that financially competent entrepreneurs are more likely to face bribery requests due to increased transparency and visibility in extractive institutional environments. Logistic regression results show a positive association between financial competence and bribery exposure, with the effect amplified for women-owned firms. The findings highlight a behavioral and institutional mechanism in which competence, signaling financial …

Exploring The Impact Of Pain Management Agreements On Physician-Patient Relationship: A Qualitative Analysis From The Patient’S Perspective In Opioid Analgesic Treatment, Shriya Doranala

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pain management agreements are increasingly used in the treatment of chronic pain with opioid analgesics. These agreements aim to reduce misuse of opioids by providing patients clear regulations and requirements to follow during treatment. This study seeks to assess the effect of pain management agreement for opioid treatment on the patient-physician relationship from the perspective of patients with a pain management agreement in the past two years. We recruited participants for the semi-structured interview through online media groups dedicated to patients with chronic pain that is treated with opioids. A cohort of eight individuals recruited from September 2023 to January …

Mental Health Perceptions Among Caribbean Adults In The United States, Ambika Ramjawam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate mental health literacy (MHL) among Caribbean American adults and to assess the extent to which mental health perceptions (MHP) and acculturative stress contribute to variations in MHL. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey design was utilized to examine MHL, MHP, and acculturative stress among a sample of 138 participants. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to assess associations among MHL, MHP, acculturation, and age. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were performed to examine demographics across key variables. Findings revealed moderate levels of MHL (M = 4.7, SD = .99) and a weak, positive correlation …

Comparing Interactive Versus Static Educational Images On Student Learning Outcomes, Noah Schwartz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Static images routinely accompany text in educational sources such as textbooks, articles, and websites to convey complex, educational information. These are generally effective; however, current technology allows for interactive images that seem to enhance engagement. How effective are these interactive images? The present study investigated whether an interactive image produced better learning outcomes compared to a static image using the same text. Specifically, this study examined whether interactive images affected comprehension, memory, engagement, and cognitive load differently than static images. In this study, data from 153 college student participants were analyzed. First, participants were assigned to read about the neuropsychology …

Reimagining Main Street: Themed Experience Design As A Tool For Small Town Revitalization, Carrie L. Schweiger

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The idea of the American main street is deeply embedded in popular culture, often seen through layers of nostalgia that can obscure the real-world conditions of today. While an idealized nostalgia may benefit some towns, decades of change have left many struggling to fit the mold. This thesis explores how core principles of themed experience design can be integrated into existing American main streets, reimagining the way residents interact and identify with these spaces.

Examining historical upheavals alongside decades of media portrayals brings insight into the different stories embedded in America’s small towns, many of which remain focused on the …

Lost Things, Aloysius Devine

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Lost Things is a novella that explores sexuality, family, and mental illness. When Pearl drops out of college following a crisis in mental health, she returns to Sunnyside, Florida, where she does not belong. Pearl’s queerness and inability to meet her mother’s harsh expectations render her an outsider in her own home. However, Pearl finds solace and companionship in Saint Anthony, a goldfish her little sister won at the school fair. Pearl and Saint Anthony devolve into mutual obsession: Pearl, with the beached blue whale that washes up a mile from her home, and Saint Anthony with the ocean. Pearl’s …

Confined To Being Defined, Hope A. Reyes

LEAD Scholars Academy Showcase

No abstract provided.

Unmasking The Global Crisis Of Misinformation: Its Devastating Impact On Leadership And Public Health, Kazi S. Salsabil

LEAD Scholars Academy Showcase

With the advancement of information access, the global community faces the growing dilemma of misinformation. The sources we rely on such as news, social media, and other media platforms play a critical role in our daily decisions, particularly in health and politics. Moreover, research has shown that misinformation has contributed to significant events such as election crises and the global pandemic. The purpose of this project is to address the global crisis of misinformation on leadership and Public health. The aim is to understand the causes and effects of this dilemma while determining more effective solutions that can create a …

Spanish-Speaking Parents' Comprehension Of School-Based Speech Therapy Documentation, Daria Hernandez

LEAD Scholars Academy Showcase

Navigating speech-language therapy in schools can feel overwhelming for many families, and for Hispanic parents, language barriers and limited health literacy (HL) skills may intensify this challenge. There is a significant gap in research on health literacy strategies used by school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This issue becomes more critical when examining how Spanish-speaking parents navigate Spanish translations of essential documents like IEPs. This gap emphasizes the urgent need for research in this area, and my project seeks to help address it.

Comparative Analysis Of Estimation Techniques On Human Performance In Seek-And-Place Tasking, Adam J. Wehr

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Accurate parameter estimation is fundamental to statistical modeling, shaping the validity of inference, prediction, and decision-making. Although Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and Bayesian methods are well established theoretically, their performance relative to alternative estimators in small-sample, skewed-data contexts remains less clear. This thesis addresses this gap through a systematic evaluation of estimation techniques applied to human response time data from a controlled seek-and-place jigsaw puzzle task, where distributions are characteristically right-skewed.

A performance-modified lognormal model was developed to capture the relationship between task complexity and response times. Four estimation approaches were investigated: MLE, Method of Moments (MoM), Bayesian estimation under …

Domain-Constrained Clustering: A Two-Stage Framework For Muscle Fiber Type Identification, Fanchao Yi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation introduces a novel Two-Stage Clustering Framework for the automated identification of human skeletal muscle fiber types using fluorescence microscopy image intensity data. By integrating two complementary clustering methods, this framework overcomes the subjectivity and labor-intensive nature of traditional manual methods, offering an objective and efficient solution for large-scale muscle physiology research. The initial framework combined Density Peaks Clustering (DPC) with a Gaussian Mixture Model employing a t-distribution (GMM-t). This version was validated by comparing its clustering results with manual counts at the individual subject level. We successfully applied this framework in two published studies \cite{brennan2020,hinkley2023}, demonstrating its practical …

Sparse Low-Rank Tensor Logistic Regression With Applications In Neuroimaging, Michael Hurtado

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Discriminant analysis techniques, while extensively studied for traditional datasets, have rarely been adapted to address the complexities of high-dimensional tensor data. Recent advances in tensor decomposition, as reviewed by Burch et al. (2025), highlight methods such as CP, Tucker, HOSVD, and t-SVD, which offer robust frameworks for handling multi-dimensional biomedical data, including neuroimaging. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that integrates low-rank regularization techniques with tensor structures to tackle high-dimensional matrix and tensor data. Building on the Multi-Projection Optimal Scoring Discriminant Analysis (ROSDA) method by Huang & Zhang (2020), which employs multi-directional projection pursuit for robust classification, our …

Robust Multiple Change Point Detection For Streaming Data, Randyll Pandohie

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The growing prevalence of high-frequency, high-dimensional data streams in domains such as finance, cybersecurity, and industrial monitoring has intensified the demand for real-time multiple change point detection methods. These methods are expected to identify distributional shifts as they occur while also determining the number and locations of change points—even in the presence of noise, outliers, and limited labeled data. Traditional batch-based approaches and many existing machine learning models fall short in streaming contexts due to their reliance on static datasets and sensitivity to contamination.

This thesis proposes a unified framework for robust multiple change point detection in streaming environments. The …

Leading Change, Saving Lives: The Leadership Behind The National Marrow Donor Program, Madison Rhubart, Isabella De Araujo Mota

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

As part of the LEAD Scholar Academy service-learning project, our group partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through cell therapy and bone marrow donation. The purpose of our project was to support NMDP’s mission of expanding the marrow donor registry and to explore how leadership principles can be applied through meaningful community engagement.

Our volunteer work included assembling and labeling swab kits, assisting with donor registration drives, and educating UCF students about the importance of joining the registry. Through these activities, we not only contributed to lifesaving outreach efforts but also …

Controlled Experimental Design Of Neurocognitive Delay Of Alzheimer’S In Standard American, Mediterranean, And Dash Diet Research Proposal, Jasmine Kaur

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2025

Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable illness of the neuronal system of which has been studied extensively The study presented intends to evaluate the effect of the MIND and the mediterranean diet in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the effect of the Standard American Diet on the development of it as well. Unlike many studies involving the effects of diet in the development of the disease in older populations, this study would involve UCF college students who are scheduled to graduate in 2030. The participants would be evaluated using the Cognitive Function Battery, a series of tests shown …

The Cypress Dome 2025, Issue 36, The Cypress Dome Society

The Cypress Dome

The Cypress Dome Society is the University of Central Florida’s literary organization staffed by undergraduate students. Named after a feature of the landscape on the UCF campus, we are dedicated to fostering the literary arts and promoting a sense of community among writers and artists through events and our annual publication, The Cypress Dome, UCF’s undergraduate literary journal

Integrated Compliant Structure For A Hand Exoskeleton, Tristan R. Koopman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis presents the design and prototyping of a wearable hand exoskeleton that integrates a flexible structural framework to assist with hand movement while maintaining comfort and anatomical conformity. The goal was to create a device that supports tendon-driven actuation through a compliant structure, combining elements of rigidity and flexibility to match the natural geometry and motion of the human hand. Traditional hand exoskeletons often trade off motion for structure or vice versa. This project aims to bridge that gap with a hybrid compliant design that balances flexibility and support. The design process followed an iterative approach involving rapid prototyping …

High-Performance Computational Kernels For Algorithm-System Co-Design In Machine Learning: Enabling Efficient Gcn Training And Llm Inference Serving., Shakya D. Jayakody Arachchige

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The rapid advancement of machine learning, from Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) to transformer-based Large Language Models (LLMs), continues to expose fundamental limitations in memory efficiency, scalability, and system reliability. GCNs are critical for domains such as biomedical modeling, social networks, and recommendation systems, yet their reliance on sparse general matrix–matrix multiplication (SpGEMM) makes them highly sensitive to GPU memory constraints and irregular access patterns. As graph data scales, out-of-core computation becomes inevitable, but existing systems are hindered by I/O bottlenecks and underutilized GPU resources. Our contribution with AIRES demonstrates how algorithm–system co-design can alleviate these challenges: by introducing block-wise data …

Assessment Of The Safety Culture In Petrochemical Industries In Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ahmed Mohammed Alqarfi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Given the inherently hazardous nature of petrochemical operations, an effective safety culture is critical. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 29 peer-reviewed articles published in open access between 2014 and 2024 were selected to evaluate the status of safety culture dimensions employed in the petrochemical sector. This cross-sectional study assessed safety culture in the Saudi Arabian petrochemical industry and examined the relationships among safety culture dimensions, safety motivation (SM), and safety performance. Safety performance was operationalized as personal error behavior (PEB) and attitudes toward violations (ATV), with SM modeled as a mediating factor. After obtaining IRB approval, a total of 482 employees …

Quantifying Surrogate Safety Measures And Traffic Delays At Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossings Using Video-Based Data Analytics, Md Jamil Ahsan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of midblock pedestrian crossings in terms of safety and traffic efficiency, with a particular focus on the newly implemented Mid-Block Pedestrian Signal (MPS) systems. Extensive CCTV video data were collected across Florida and processed using advanced computer vision techniques, specifically the RT-DETR model for object detection and the ByteTrack algorithm for object tracking, to analyze vehicle-pedestrian interactions in detail. Since there is limited post-implementation crash data available for all locations, Surrogate Safety Measures (SSMs) were employed to assess safety outcomes. Conflict Modification Factors (CoMFs) were estimated using Cross-Sectional (CS), Comparison Group (CG), and Empirical …