Digital Commons Network^™

Ultra-Plex Immunofluorescence Stainings To Classify Precancerous Lesions For The Stratification Of Their Risk For Progression Toward Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Arthi Jaishankar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common and fatal type of esophageal cancer since it is usually only diagnosed at a later stage. Similar to other cancers, ESCC arises through precursor lesions which are known as dysplasias and occurs when cells have uncontrolled growth and changes to both the tissue structure and gene expression. Clinical intervention at the precancerous stage would greatly improve survival rates, however predicting which lesions will actually become malignant continues to be a challenge. The current traditional method for ESCC diagnosis is hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histopathology, but it is not sufficient for predicting …

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 …

Holistic Support For College Students Navigating Food Allergies & Food Insecurity At Higher Education Institutions, Chloe Milliron

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Both food allergies and food insecurity are public health concerns that are becoming increasingly prevalent. However, there has been limited discussion on how to support individuals who experience these two challenges concurrently, particularly at higher education institutions. In this study, I examined the intersection of food allergies and food insecurity among students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). There is a focus on the disparities in access to safe foods, financial responsibility, healthcare, and overall well-being. A total of 221 UCF students completed the survey distributed, which assessed food security status using the USDA’s Household Food Security Survey Module, …

Baseball-State Of The Game, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

As we enter the final week of the baseball season, it might be time to reflect on the state of the game. This is generally the point in the season when there is a rash of jeremiads on the condition and health of the former national pastime. Baseball people seem to always see the game in decline. Over the years, I have dismissed these as overblown and off the mark, because generally they are. Now, for the first time in my multiple decades as a baseball fan, I am ready to join the mournful chorus.

Zinc Or Swim: Investigating Zinc Pollution From Restoration Materials, Megan R. Jensik

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Zinc is an essential nutrient, but can be toxic at high concentrations, negatively affecting various biological functions. Gabions are galvanized metals coated in zinc that are used for many human purposes, including coastal restoration efforts attempting to avoid using plastic materials. However, gabions can degrade in marine environments, potentially leaching metal into the water and soil. There is a knowledge gap regarding the occurrence and impacts of zinc pollution in the areas where these gabions are deployed, including the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). To address this, sediment samples were collected from the IRL and analyzed for their physical and chemical …

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 …

123 Studies Use In The Review, Abdul-Akeem Sadiq

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

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 …

Bilingual Education And Academic Performance, Gaspar Dantas

LEAD Scholars Academy Showcase

Bilingual education plays a crucial role in fostering cognitive benefits and promoting academic success, especially in multilingual societies. However, disparities in access to quality bilingual programs and inconsistent policies have led to inequities, particularly affecting Latinx and immigrant communities (Baker, 2011; Gándara & Contreras, 2009). Historical policies, limited funding, and misconceptions about bilingualism have hindered progress (Crawford, 2004). To address these challenges, recommendations include expanding dual-language immersion programs, and securing equitable funding through policy reforms (Baker, 2011; Gándara & Contreras, 2009). A sustained commitment to these efforts is essential to overcome systemic barriers and provide equal educational opportunities for all …

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 …

A Unified Thermodynamic Framework For Regime Discovery, Entropy-Aware Optimization, And Emergent Leadership In Flocking Systems, Victor Nkwocha

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis presents a unified framework for modeling, optimizing, and analyzing collective behavior in flocking systems through a thermodynamic and statistical lens. In the first study, we employ entropy-regularized Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) to identify distinct thermodynamic regimes—ordered, transitional, and disordered—based on the energy and entropy profiles of simulated agent-based flocks. The second study introduces the Organic Adaptive Flocking Algorithm (OAFA), a biologically inspired, entropy-aware extension of the Boids model. OAFA dynamically adjusts rule weights based on local entropy signals and is optimized via a multi-objective NSGAII framework to balance cohesion, separation, energy efficiency, and disorder. Results show that entropy …

Forgetyounot: A Student-Led Non-Profit For Dementia And Alzheimer's Awareness, Amanda M. Nunez-Ferreira

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

ForgetYouNot is a student-led community non-profit organization focused on promoting awareness for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Created in 2023, ForgetYouNot has been able to impact the local communities of Pembroke Pines, Orlando, and Gainesville, and plans to continue to impact additional communities by expanding to additional university campuses. We work to promote awareness and education on memory loss diseases, and create a community around conversation, where people have a safe space to share if they have been affected by neurodegenerative diseases within their family. ForgetYouNot has now expanded to a virtual high school research program, as well …

Damping Modulation Of Dampened Kapton Surfaces, Sebastian Esteban

Honors Undergraduate Theses

When droplets are vibrated or disturbed, they can exhibit a complex sloshing motion, an understudied behavior in drop physics. Droplet sloshing involves a complex combination of transverse and longitudinal motion that changes the droplet's effective weight on the surface the droplet is on. Our current understanding stems from preliminary work focusing on a cantilever beam of fixed thickness and variable viscosity of the liquid being sloshed. This investigation will focus on how variable cantilever thickness and constant viscosity for a liquid being sloshed affects the beam's deflection under consistent vibration. It will also investigate how the natural frequency of a …

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 …

Fabricating Silver-Ceria Polymer Nanocomposite Scaffolds For Biomedical Therapeutic Applications, Shreya S. Pawar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Improper healing of bone fractures and limited regeneration of bone following bone tumor resection remain a prevalent complication worldwide. Long-term effects of this include joint instability, limited movement, and arthritis. Bone infections (osteomyelitis), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation via excessive inflammation, and underlying conditions such as osteoporosis can contribute to suboptimal bone tissue regeneration. ROS accumulation stimulates osteoblast apoptosis, while promoting osteoclast differentiation. These processes inhibit mineralization and osteogenesis. Conventional therapeutics involve the utilization of drugs and bone grafts. However, these approaches pose limitations and can result in subsequent complications. Microbial infections, ROS accumulation, and excessive inflammations are factors that …

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 …

An Ailment I Will Fight With: Differential Diagnosis And Methodology Evaluation Of Possible Treponemal Infection At Dayr Al-Barsha, Egypt, Lindsey D. Lefebvre

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Treponemal diseases, including bejel, yaws, pinta, and venereal syphilis, have long plagued human populations and continue to pose public health challenges today. Despite their persistent global presence, the origins, transmission pathways, and archaeological identification of these diseases—caused by various subspecies of Treponema pallidum—remain contested. This study explores the utility of standardized diagnostic criteria, as proposed by Baker et al. (2020), in assessing the presence of treponemal disease in highly fragmentary skeletal remains from the Roman-period necropolis at Dayr al Barsha, Egypt. Through the examination of 14 individuals, this research seeks to (1) identify indicators consistent with bejel (T.p. …

Determining Essential Attributes For Experience And Satisfaction In The Customer 4.0 Era: A Kano Model Approach, Cintia Z. Buffon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The world is constantly changing, with rapid technological advancements and increased digital connectivity shaping daily activities. In this evolving landscape, customers have transformed into what is known as Customer 4.0—a new generation of consumers who expect high levels of personalization, digital engagement, and greater transparency from organizations. These expectations extend to higher education, where students demand more customized learning experiences, interactive content, and digital accessibility. This research investigates engineering students' preferences regarding educational attributes aligned with Customer 4.0 characteristics using the Kano model. While the Kano model has been widely applied across industries, its use in higher education remains limited. …

Genomic Consequences Of Habitat Fragmentation In The Florida Scrub-Jay: Diversity, Adaptation, And Disease Susceptibility, Maryam Ghoojaei

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Habitat fragmentation is a severe threat to biodiversity by reducing population size, gene flow, and adaptive potential, especially in habitat specialists like the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). This dissertation integrates whole-genome sequencing and immunogenetics to assess the genomic consequences of habitat fragmentation across three primary Florida Scrub-Jay strongholds: Archbold Biological Station, Ocala National Forest, and Florida’s East Coast. In Chapter 2, I focused on adaptive genetic diversity at the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II genes. I characterized MHC allelic richness, evaluated signatures of selection, and examined associations with pathogen infections. Despite population declines, I found moderate MHC diversity, suggesting …

Contagion Chronicles: A Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Armed Conflict And Infectious Disease, Devyn Escalanti

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation examines the relationship between armed conflict and infectious disease transmission through a novel theoretical framework that integrates ecological disturbance and health systems resilience theories into epidemiological contexts. The framework conceptualizes diseases along a continuum from "pulse" to "press." Pulse diseases, like Ebola, are characterized by sudden onset, high mortality, and short-term outbreaks. Press diseases, like HIV, progress gradually with lower mortality and long-term persistence. Grounded in this pulse–press disease typology and ecological and health systems resilience, the theory suggests that the absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, and resilience of community health workers in conflict areas can influence disease transmission, …

Shock Tube Investigation And Chemical Kinetic Modeling Of Green Propellants For Space Missions, Marley Albright

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hydrazine thrusters have been used for decades to land spacecraft on other planets. While its use is common, handling hydrazine is difficult due to its toxicity; this poses a risk to humans during testing and loading the propellant onto a spacecraft. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has limited human exposure to 1 part per million (ppm) of hydrazine per eight-hour workday. Green propellants are promising alternatives because they have lower toxicity but do not sacrifice performance. Green propellant technology has been demonstrated in space and future missions are planned, such as NASA’s Green-Propulson Dual-Mode technology demonstration. At the University of …

Authorship Attribution Of Ai-Generated Codes, Soohyeon Choi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The field of code authorship attribution focuses on identifying the author(s) of source code written in a specific programming language. Various methods, including manual crafting, automated crafting, and deep learning-generated features, have been developed for this task. These techniques leverage the unique stylistic patterns inherent in code, such as structure, comments, variable names, and function names, to attribute authorship accurately. This field has practical applications in software forensics, cybersecurity, and code plagiarism detection, enabling investigations into issues like piracy, intellectual property violations, and malware attribution. In educational settings, it helps detect plagiarism in programming assignments. However, traditional methods face challenges …

Assessing Driving Performance And Safety In Managed Lanes: A Human Factors Study On The Effects Of Buffer Separation Treatments With Delineators, Sharfuddin Ahmed

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Buffer separation with delineators is one of the commonly used separation treatments across US highways to distinguish managed lanes (ML) from general purpose lanes (GPLs). As MLs continue to be integrated into US highway system for improving traffic flow and reducing congestion, this separation method has become more popular due to its flexibility and cost efficiency over more robust physical separations. While past studies have explored the effectiveness and safety of buffer separations with delineators compared to other treatments, none have examined how specific changes within the buffer design—like separation width and delineator height—impact driver behavior. It is particularly important …

Practical Applications For Biomechanical Modeling Methods, Joseph M. Dranetz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Models are tools humans use to understand and assess the world around them. The field of biomechanics is one well suited to modeling pursuits. Physiological systems are complex, and modeling may serve as an appropriate method in understanding them. Recently, technologies enabling the collection of biomechanical data have improved greatly and continue to expand. This dissertation serves as an anthology of various attempts to collect and interpret biomechanical data with modeling.

The first study: Electromyographic, ultrasound, and knee torque data was collected from both legs of an individual with a unilateral transtibial amputation. These data were used to generate a …

Integration Of System Dynamics And Agent-Based Simulation To Emulate Cyberattacks In An Iot-Based Smart Grid, Francisco Valdez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The electric power grid is a cyber-physical system (CPS) that plays a fundamental role in modern society. With the integration of renewable energy sources and advanced communication technologies, Smart Grids (SGs) can enhance both the profitability and reliability of the electric power system. The communication network that interconnects numerous remotely distributed generators, devices, and controllers plays a vital role in grid control, and current trends favor the widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. However, this network is inherently vulnerable to cyberattacks. This dissertation presents a hybrid methodology to model and analyze the dynamic behavior of an electrical Smart …

Critical State-Based Study On Deformations Due To Construction Activities And Blast Densification, Jorge Enrique Orozco-Herrera

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The behavior of geo-structures and foundation systems in densely populated urban areas relies on the successful performance of the supporting soils when subjected to static (e.g., the weight of the structure or service loads) or dynamic (e.g., earthquake-induced ground motions, construction-induced vibrations, wind loads, or traffic) loading scenarios. Construction-related activities and ground improvement operations can also be responsible to alter the stress-strain-strength behavior of supporting soils by causing vibration-induced ground deformations, excessive vibrations, or mobilizing soil shear strength in relation to in situ or as-built conditions. Construction-related activities and ground improvement operations such as blast densification trigger complex dynamic input …