Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Effects Of Masks On Student Engagement In Ece And Ese: A Literature Review Of Related Research, Anna M. Frahm

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During the advancement of COVID-19, safety protocols (including facial masks) were incorporated into public settings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), due to safety regulations, recommend wearing face masks when in close contact with other people in public environments, such as in a classroom, where social distancing is difficult. Understanding these CDC recommendations is still critical when looking for effective and safe alternative forms of masking for particular industries. Many industries smoothly transitioned to daily use of traditional cloth masks, but other industries (such as education) serving clients with high communicational needs and communication-centered services sought masking alternatives. …

Psychological Reactance And Sensation Seeking As Risk Factors For Perpetration Of Sexual Violence, Elana Gabriel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual violence is a major public health issue within the United States, particularly that with perpetrators who are men and victims who are women. Understanding risk factors for sexual violence perpetration is necessary to decrease the overall severity of sexual violence. In past research, psychological reactance has been shown to be associated with sexual violence perpetration, yet there is limited research on this association. Additionally, previous research has found that other traits may enhance the predictive properties of psychological reactance and that sensation seeking can predict sexual violence risk factors and sexual violence perpetration. Yet there is little to no …

The Effect Of Flooding On Inequality In Developing Countries: A Qualitative Analysis, Eva Gregory

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Global warming continues to have a negative effect on the environment and, by extension, the economy. Incidence of natural disasters are increasing because of climate change, with flooding being one of the most common and costly types of disaster. Studies on the effect of floods on the economy have revealed that flooding increases the amount of income inequality. However, there is not a unified, qualitative analysis of the reasons for the post-flood increase in inequality. This thesis examines multiple different flood events in several developing countries to answer how flooding affects inequality in developing countries. It produces a synthesized analysis …

Heterogenous Reduction Of Co2 Over Boron-Rich Alb2, Jose C. Berger

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Evidence suggests that the recent drastic changes in the global climate have been caused by greenhouse gases, especially CO­₂. As a result, scientists are aiming to develop processes that either minimize the production of these gases or convert them into products of higher value. To that end, the catalytic properties of a two-dimensional boron-rich material were investigated. Herein is reported that such a material can reduce CO₂ into benzene, C₃ species, and C₄ species at relatively low temperatures (225-450 ℃) and pressures (0.38 MPa). Current data suggest that a low-temperature induction period (e.g., 225 ℃) …

Access Barriers To Long-Term Healthcare For Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Mary E. Farley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Approximately one in five women in the United States experience childhood sexual abuse or rape as an adult. Healthcare providers are often not equipped to address the long-term effects of sexual trauma and its impact on one's health. Research Question: How can healthcare providers lessen service barriers for SA survivors? Method: This qualitative study employed convenience sampling from clinics that offered family medicine, urgent care, gynecology, or obstetrics. Participants included 11 physicians, physician assistants, and nurses. A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore health providers' perspectives and current practice procedures regarding treatment for sexual assault survivors and the …

Diabetes Mellitus Among Black/African Americans: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Epigenetic Research, Eliana Jacobs

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During their lifetime, Black/African Americans have a higher likelihood of developing the diabetes mellitus metabolic disorder than other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. While research indicates that socioeconomic status, diet, and obesity factor into race disparities, the epigenetics field additionally identifies historical and contemporary racism as contributors to race disparities. This study is a qualitative analysis that examines a sample of health science research articles that use an epigenetics approach to understand diabetes among Black/African Americans. I analyzed the extent and mechanisms through which articles subtly reproduce dominant stereotypes of Black/African Americans and diabetes through representations of …

Paleoethnobotanical Investigation Of Pre-Columbian Archaeological Site 8br158, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida., Jennifer I. Moreno Palacios

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Starch grain residue analysis was conducted on 18 artifacts collected in 2021 from the archaeological site 8BR158 on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This paleoethnobotanical analysis investigates plant use by the pre-historic inhabitants of the Central Coast of Florida where there is a lack of archaeobotanical research. The starches recovered from the archaeological artifacts were studied in order to identify plants used for culinary and/or medicinal purposes. Wild plants commonly found in Florida, such as acorn (Quercus), were identified in this study that were used for food resources. Domesticated plants such as maize and beans were also …

A Meta-Analysis: Significance Of Biofluid Biomarkers In Sports-Related Traumatic Brain Injury, Stephanie Oliveira

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: To reduce the reliance on clinical judgment for the regulation of sports-related traumatic brain injury, identifying and measuring objective to biofluid biomarkers can provide important insight into the diagnosis (Determining the type and origin of a disorder) and prognosis (Determining the chance of survival of a disorder) of SR-TBIs. A biomarker is a qualitative or quantitative measurement that provides a measure of a subject’s physiological or pathological condition at a specific time or during a disease state. Recent literature has suggested that biomarkers can help in the screening of patients exhibiting symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Despite …

Covid-19: Views On Seriousness, Handling/Response, And Behaviors Of Undergraduate Students At The University Of Central Florida, Shemuwel H.I Russ

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Objective – Views surrounding COVID-19 are divided. The objective of this thesis is to investigate if views surrounding COVID-19 can be inferred based on college-level demographics. I explore the views of undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida.

Methods – A link to the questionnaire created through Qualtrics was sent out to university leaders asking them to distribute it accordingly among their respective undergraduate populations. Students (N=149) responded to questions about issues related to COVID-19, college-level demographics, and political attitudes. The data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential analysis.

Results – Students still viewed COVID-19 as a serious …

Impact Of Proton And Neutron Irradiation On Carrier Transport Properties In Ga2o3, Andrew C. Silverman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This project studies the properties of minority charge carriers in beta gallium oxide (β -Ga₂O₃). The behavior of minority carriers is of high importance as it greatly affects conduction and consequently device performance. Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy and EBIC (Electron Beam Induced Current) are the main experimental techniques used to study minority carrier behavior.

High energy radiation affects minority carrier properties through damage to the material and through the production of carrier traps that reduce the conductivity and mobility of the material. In this investigation, we study the effects of various kinds of high energy radiation on …

The Affects Of The Foot Conditions On The Homeless Population, Alexander Kaye

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The research is attempting to acknowledge and explain the impact, if any, on homeless individuals not wearing socks. The curiosity for this study started on December 25th, 2018 when my family and I were volunteering at a homeless shelter in South Florida. After having numerous conversations with homeless individuals, I was informed on how they do not have enough pairs of socks to keep their feet in a healthy condition. Thus, I decided to initiate a sock drive to improve the lives of those who are homeless. This study is looking at a series of articles that are reviewing the …

How Implicit Bias Contributes To Racial Disparities In Maternal Health, Michaella Saintil

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A rise in racial disparities in maternal health has become an ongoing issue in the United States. This study uses a scoping literature review method to examine the effect of implicit bias on racial disparities in maternal healthcare. Multiple articles in this study provide sufficient evidence to prove that implicit bias is a contributing factor to the alarming rise of racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. The study revealed two distinct categories that elaborate on the health crisis that has been a continuation of practices traced backed to slavery. The analysis for this research is grounded in lack of quality …

The Effects Of Common Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Training Protocols On Muscle Excitation And Fatigue, Taylor M. Aldeghi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Low-load blood flow restriction (LLBFR) training has been shown to elicit greater increases in muscle hypertrophy and strength compared to traditional low-load training, yet few studies have compared the effectiveness of different LLBFR protocols. To our knowledge, no previous study has compared the acute neuromuscular changes induced by two common LLBFR protocols: 30-15-15-15 repetitions (BFR-75) and four sets of repetitions performed to volitional failure (BFR-F). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use surface electromyography (sEMG) to compare changes in muscle excitation and fatigue during BFR-75 and BFR-F protocols. Ten women (mean ± SD age = 22 ± 3.5 …

The Effects Of Incarceration On Depression And Anxiety In Juveniles, Melanie Alfonso

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Adolescents within the juvenile system suffer from a multitude of physical and mental health issues. Previous studies have linked incarceration to poor health in juveniles, but very few have been able to claim incarceration is the cause for the mental health issues found in incarcerated juveniles. Whether juveniles go into the system with pre-existing mental health disorders or not, still many factors are associated with the development of mental disorders while incarcerated. Based on what the field knows and does not know about the link between juvenile incarceration and mental health, the goal of this study was to determine if …

Differences In Performance Anxiety Between Expert And Amateur Dressage Riders, Hanna E. Benne

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Performance anxiety is a challenge most individuals in a sport face. From experts to novices in dressage, various individuals attempt to find harmony between horse and rider. Performance is a large part of dressage sport riding. This thesis will examine the following topics: the differences in expert and amateurs’ performance anxiety; the anxiety level of an expert or amateur who has been involved in a sport related injury; if the individual has a neurotic personality, whether more performance anxiety may occur while riding. A Mini IPIP five-factor personality test, Sports anxiety scale, Sports injury anxiety scales, and dressage questionnaires will …

An Analysis On Education As A Fundamental Right Guaranteed By The Constitution, Emily Bracht

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Benjamin Franklin once wrote “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”[1] However, nearly 200 years later the United States Supreme Court in San Antonio Independent School District vs. Rodriguez found that there was no fundamental right to education for American citizens found in the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.[2] For the purpose of this research, the definition of a fundamental right is “… a group of rights that have been recognized by the Supreme Court as requiring a high degree of protection from government encroachment.”[3]Because of this, students in America have different opportunities in …

Targeting L-Arginine Metabolism To Control Small Cell Lung Cancer Transformation, Robert L. Burns Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cancer is known for its unregulated and mutagenic characteristics. The topic of targeting cancer by inhibiting the metabolic pathways it uses to thrive has been a focus of modern cancer research. Specifically, in lung cancer, the transformation from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a focus. This transformation often comes with a grimmer prognosis and reduced survival rate. This is primarily due to SCLC being resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. This frontline treatment for EGFR mutant NSCLC has shown to be quite effective until transformation to SCLC occurs. To further study …

Success Among Incarcerated Mothers Seeking Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Brinna Desai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a type of substance use disorder characterized by repeated use of opioid drugs. These drugs are known to be rapidly addictive with severe withdrawal symptoms, making death due to overdose a rising concern. In this study, we took a closer look at a specific population of women, all of whom had children and were incarcerated for opioid use. Our goal was to better understand the factors that would impact success among this group seeking medication-assisted treatment for OUD. We developed a set of questions focused on a variety of factors including stigma surrounding the disorder, …

The Efficacy Of The Role Of Therapeutic Play In Alleviating Pain Or Anxiety In Pediatric Cancer Patients, Savannah B. Duke

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic play in alleviating pain or anxiety in the pediatric cancer patient.

Background: Therapeutic play is an intervention often incorporated within the care of pediatric cancer patients and children with other disease processes to promote well-being. Even though play therapy is supported by research, nurses have the option to implement nursing care interventions in a play-like manner. Therapeutic play is an individualized technique that provides an intentional opportunity for children to express their emotional responses in a controlled environment.

Method: The databases used in this search included CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, ERIC, and Education …

A Comparative Analysis Of The People's Republic Of China And Its Treatment Of Uyghur Muslims And Nazi Germany And Its Treatment Of The Jewish People, Jordan R. Ellis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Like many before, this thesis uses the tragedy of the Holocaust as a historical comparison to an event occurring today, mainly in the Xinjiang region of the People’s Republic of China. Many historians have argued that comparisons to the Holocaust should be academically or intellectually prohibited. Many have stated that such an effort could minimize the perceived severity of or unintentionally raise other events to the level of the Jewish genocide. However, such comparisons should be permitted and are necessary to help prevent a similar atrocity from ever occurring again. There is much to be learned from Nazi policy and …

Examining The Effects Of Synthetic Dye Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine) Exposure On Mouse Neuro2a Neurons In Vitro, Jenna L. Farnum

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Yellow Dye No. 5, also known as tartrazine (TRZ), is widely used[1] and has an accepted daily intake (ADI) of 0-7.5 mg/kg of body weight per day^[2]. Consuming TRZ dosages greater than the ADI can lead to reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes in the brain, chromosomal alterations, or neuronal dendritic changes, [3, 4] which can result in oxidative stress, impaired neuronal functioning and potential mutagenic effects. Within the ADI, there have been observed reductions of the copper zinc superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) enzyme levels.[5]We hypothesize that TRZ interacts pre-translationally inside the cell, resulting in the reduction of SOD1 mRNA. …

The Relationship Between The Population's Perception Of Herniated Intervertebral Disks And Their Known Physical Presentation, Jonah D. Gant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The second most common lumbosacral diagnosis in the United States is a herniation or prolapse of the intervertebral disc. Individuals with herniated discs can have a wide variety of clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic to severe spinal cord compression and pain. Studies suggest that an individual’s pre-existing perception of a condition is likely to influence their course of recovery. Currently, perceptions the general public holds regarding the consequences of disc herniation is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess current views regarding disc herniations in the general population with their reported prevalence and clinical outcome. This was …

Mediation Analysis Of A Broader Conceptualization Of The Three-Step Theory Of Suicidality, Ana V. Garcia Villasana

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Unsatisfactory results for the aim of reducing suicide rates have motivated the creation of new models to predict suicide, such as the ideation-to-action framework, which focuses on differentiating those with suicidal ideation and those who attempt suicide. The most recently published theory on the ideation-to-action framework is the Three-Step Theory (3ST). Step 1 proposes that the combination of pain and hopelessness causes suicidal ideation, step 2 proposes that ideation increases when pain and hopelessness surpass connectedness, and step 3 proposes that strong suicidal ideation escalates to action when the person has the capacity to attempt suicide. The theory’s concepts are …

Examining The Use Of Digital Tools To Facilitate Multilingual Patient-Physician Communication: A Scoping Review, Esha V. Ghosalkar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States healthcare system cares for and supports a diverse patient population. Patients come from various ethnic backgrounds, speak different languages, hold distinct religious affiliations, and more. These differences can create a chasm in the patient-provider relationship, impacting the quality of care or health outcomes. Specifically, language-discordance can affect patient-provider communication; however, technological interventions, such as access to electronic medical record tools and digital translators, can facilitate this dyadic communication. This scoping review examines the literature present on the use of digital tools to facilitate multilingual patient-provider communication. The initial search in PubMed with MeSH terms resulted in 531 …

Break The No Lunch Break Habit, Mayleen Gonzalez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A plethora of extant research focuses on the positive outcomes of recovering from the workday. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been more of a focus on how employees can recover during the workday as individuals are regularly experiencing pressure from the workplace. This thesis explicitly explores the relationship between various lunch break habits (e.g., eating during one's lunch break, not eating during one's lunch break, multitasking during one's lunch break) and psychological wellbeing, physiological strain, and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). To add to the current research, the impact of ego depletion on the relationship is also studied. A …

The Evolution Of Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Health Outcomes, Megan T. Hoang

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Health disparities between different racial/ethnic groups in the United States are substantial. When reviewed across an extensive body of literature, these disparities have been demonstrated to persist even when socioeconomic status, geographic region, health conditions, treatment methods, and patient access-related variables are controlled. This ultimately leads to higher mortality rates among minority patients, making disparities in health a highly prevalent issue. However, the literature suggests that while racial and ethnic disparities in health have been widely examined, research documenting the evolution of these changes over time is lacking. This motivates the research questions: (1) How has the impact of racial …

Evaluation Of Interactions Of Covid Nonstructural Proteins 3, 5, And 6 With Human Proteins And Potentially Therapeutic Molecules, Jessica Huitsing

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, has been ongoing for over two years. The virus spreads easily and is more unpredictable than well-known viruses like the flu, making it important to have reliable combative measures before we fully drop non-vaccine preventive actions, like mask-wearing.Therefore, we used computational protein modeling to investigate the interactions of three nonstructural proteins (abbreviated Nsp) encoded in the viral RNA genome– Nsp3, Nsp5, and Nsp6 – which are involved in the viral life cycle, with human P-type polyamine transporting ATPases ATP13A2 and ATP13A3, whose disease symptoms when mutated mimic …

Tomboys: The Role Of Protective Identity In The Gender Binary, Jalen C. Grant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the biases of individuals regarding what is perceived as feminine and what is masculine, as well as the freedoms and limitations of being labeled a tomboy. This research examined the associations among several factors: perceptions of masculine and feminine traits, perceptions of lesbian and gay identity, self-identification, and the confluence of tomboy and lesbian identity. Students in high enrollment psychology courses at a large southeastern metropolitan university (N = 385) participated in an anonymous online survey. A series of hypotheses were generated but results were highly inconsistent. Possible reasons for these inconsistencies are explored with an eye …

Clostridioides Difficile Motility In Defined Culture Media And Its Response To Nutrients, Mary Ishak

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In recent years, Clostridiodes difficile has caused a sharp increase in hospital-acquired infections. Patients on multiple courses of antibiotics experience a general clearing of normal gut microbiota, leading to dysbiosis and an opportunity for C. difficile to colonize the colon. Understanding which nutrients produce optimal respiratory metabolism in C. difficile will help to determine the reasoning behind whether the microbe invests its energy into various cellular processes, such as motility. Different C. difficile strains were first cultured in BHIS broth (brain-heart infusion, supplemented) and CDMM broth (C. difficile minimal media) before being used to inoculate soft agar wells. The …

An Analysis Of The 2014 Medicaid Expansion On New York And California's Maternal Mortality Rate, Reshanna Jagroo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the 2014 Medicaid expansion’s effect on maternal mortality rates for New York and California. The CDC reported in 2019 that maternal mortality rates have been increasing. These findings are concerning for mothers and are a problem for developed nations like the United States with improved healthcare. Furthermore, women of color are disproportionately affected relative to white women. Previous research has indicated that healthcare expansions positively affect decreasing death rates among pregnant women.

In this study, I investigate how increased access to healthcare through the 2014 Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act affects maternal mortality …