Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Need To Enact Federal, Environmental-Friendly Incentives To Facilitate Infrastructure Growth Of Electric Automobiles, Vamsikrishna Karanam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As newer technological advancements are developed and introduced, a question regarding their adoption into society has become known. If such advancements in technology mutually benefit the people using them as well as the environment we live in, should there not be provisions in place to incentivize the creation and purchase of these technological advancements.

Electric vehicles are an advancement of technology that is currently available for widespread adoption in the transportation sector of our country. However, questions as to why EVs should be adopted will be asked by critics. That is the question this thesis attempts to answer. Our global …

Investigating The Relationship Between Biological Age And Mutant Huntingtin Misfolding, Ratnesh Kesineni

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Huntington Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat tract in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. This CAG tract expansion causes production of mutant HTT (mtHTT) protein, which misfolds and forms inclusions in the brain that accumulate with age. Misfolded mtHTT aggregates have been linked with increased cell death in neuron cell culture, leading to speculation that mtHTT aggregates cause cell death. However, there are mouse lines that have robust mtHTT inclusion deposition, but no HD-like signs or neurodegeneration. Furthermore, neuronal HD cultured cells with inclusions were found to be …

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell And Chondrocyte Mobility In 3d Bioprinted Hydrogel Constructs, Alesia Lokshina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive cartilage degeneration disease with a complex pathologic mechanism. Although OA has devastating effects on patient quality of life and places a significant burden on the healthcare system, no disease-modifying drugs have been found, and surgical treatment options are often unsustainable. 3D bioprinting is a novel field within tissue engineering that focuses on developing biocompatible constructs that can be implanted to replace an organ or tissue. Such constructs have a great potential to become treatments for OA. Understanding cell mobility within hydrogels could play a vital role in advancing the development of biocompatible constructs. However, due …

“Stay Home, Save Lives": A Study On Covid-19 And Intimate Partner Violence, Grace E. Messina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the introduction of COVID-19, preliminary data suggests that the forms and frequency of abuse relating to intimate partner violence (IPV) have changed. Most of society was unaware of the arising silent pandemic which was happening to the individuals in abusive relationships who were being quarantined with their abuser. The IPV resources were extremely aware of this silent pandemic due to large numbers of individuals seeking emergency shelter. However, there was only a priority for public safety due to COVID-19 when in hindsight, there needed to be a balance of public safety as well as increased aid for the individuals …

Comparative Evaluation Of Assemblers For Metagenomic Data Analysis, Matheus Pavini Franco Ferreira

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Metagenomics is a cultivation-independent approach for obtaining the genomic composition of microbial communities. Microbial communities are ubiquitous in nature. Microbes which are associated with the human body play important roles in human health and disease. These roles span from protecting us against infections from other bacteria, to being the causes of these diseases. A deeper understanding of these communities and how they function inside our bodies allows for advancements in treatments and preventions for these diseases. Recent developments in metagenomics have been driven by the emergence of Next-Generation Sequencing technologies and Third-Generation Sequencing technologies that have enabled cost-effective DNA sequencing …

The Fusion Between Differentiated Instruction And Social-Emotional Learning In Early Childhood Development And Education, Brianna Perry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis introduces a novel application of the fusion between Differentiated Instruction (DI) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as a needed and reciprocal relationship in the early childhood classroom. DI is an approach to teaching that aims to tailor the teacher’s instruction to the individual needs of each child. Instruction, content, and students' expression of knowledge can each be differentiated. Differentiation itself is a vast topic that begs to be narrowed and balanced. Some teachers experience obstacles to differentiation or struggle to efficiently differentiate their classroom. In an attempt to solve this phenomenon, this thesis explored DI and specifically its …

Flashbulb Memories Among College Students During Covid-19, Sabah Qureshi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Flashbulb memories are formed through widely shared events that have affected the culture and community. The “flash” in flashbulb memories refers to the specific details that individuals have developed in their memories. The presented research focuses on the specific event of college students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) hearing about university closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research study sought to identify the variables that have affected the accuracy of flashbulb memories formation regarding the event of college students hearing about university closure because of the pandemic. The variables of the students’ relevance to the university, location, …

Novel Microbe-Resistant Clay Dressing For Healing Burn Wounds, Kasey L. Rigby

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Every year, about 550,000 patients receive medical attention for minor and major burns in the United States.¹ In 2020, it was estimated that 11 million people worldwide suffered from burn injuries, with 150,000 of those burns being fatal.² Burns are among the most painful and debilitating recalcitrant wounds that can often turn terminal when infection occurs. The different grades for burns that we aim to treat are first, second, and third degrees.² Each burn type is susceptible to secondary infection that can be life threatening, and as a result, are extensively treated with antimicrobial agents.2 At present, …

A Reflection On Modern Western Adolescent Transitional Care Of Patients With Chronic Conditions, Samuel Schepps

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Transitional care represents a critical juncture in the continuing care of patients with chronic conditions, particularly for adolescent patients. It also represents a significant point of failure in that process for adolescents, with many patients experiencing difficulties during the transition between adolescent and adult medicine that lead to negative long-term impact on health and wellbeing. This thesis aims at addressing adolescent transitional care processes and its obstacles through a broad medical humanities inquiry in a multidisciplinary dialogue between philosophy, social sciences, and medicine. The social, anthropological, and medical concepts of adolescence and autonomy were derived from a literature review and …

Uterine Fibroid Prevalence And Health Care Disparities By County. Florida, 2010-2019, Saarah K. Sherifi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Also known as uterine fibroids, leiomyomas occur in 70% of women. A uterine leiomyoma is a benign growth in the muscular wall of the uterus which, if left untreated, can grow, and affect surrounding organs, leading to complications, including hemorrhage and death. Symptomatic women often experience pain and debilitating menstrual cycles which, in turn, result in poor health, poor quality of life, and loss of income. Preventative and treatment services in Florida could benefit from the characteristics of women affected the most by this disease in the state. Thus, we describe the demographic characteristics and estimate the prevalence rate of …

Career Termination: The Collegiate Athletes' Self-Identity With The Transition Through The Grief And Loss Cycle, Dylan B. Street

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The research seeks to understand and explain the impact, if any, on the transition out of sport, based on the level of commitment to sport being a Collegiate Athlete. Interest for this study came from personal experience as an athlete, as well as knowing numerous athletes who have gone or are going through, questioning their Identity once their playing days came to an end. This study includes extant literature discussing Athletic Identity. It offers a different perspective than other studies working through grief and loss after losing the ability to play a sport.

The purpose of this study is to …

Exploring Genz’S Attitudes About Mental Illness: Are They More Accepting?, Katelyn E. Yarbrough

Honors Undergraduate Theses

It is assumed that stigmas surrounding mental illnesses have begun to lessen over time. Generation Z seems to be the most accepting of neurodivergent individuals and people with mental illnesses (Bethune, 2019). However, existing literature suggests that college students continue to have negative attitudes toward mental illnesses, which could lead to a refusal of mental health services, unsafe social environments, and self-medication (Phelan & Basow, 2007). To further investigate GenZ’s stigmas toward mental illness, this study assesses college students’ attitudes toward various mental health diagnoses including Depression, Anxiety, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Eating Disorders. Specifically, …

Bioprospecting For Improved Floral Fragrance In Wild Sunflower, Jason Anandappa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The cultivation of crop sunflower or Helianthus annuus is a 20 billion USD industry globally. Crop wild relatives of H. annuus have a long history of being used to breed improved traits into cultivated varieties. Cultivated H. annuus is not known to have a pleasant aroma, and at times seed yield is limited by pollination services, particularly in the production of hybrid seed. Improved floral fragrance could improve pollinator attraction and would add value to ornamental sunflowers in the context of the cut-flower industry. If volatile organic compounds that together generate favorable scents are present in wild Helianthus species, they …

The Deaf Community And Their Preferences In A Clinical Psychological Setting, Alexandra Alonso

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The focus of this study was to examine the Deaf community and their preferences for both a psychologist and the language utilized in a clinical psychological setting. The study gave each participant a mock profile for a psychologist and then asked participants to answer questions on their perceptions of the psychologist provided. A total of 22 participants who identified as Deaf, deaf, hard-of-hearing, or as an individual with hearing loss were surveyed. Results indicated that participants randomly assigned to the Deaf psychologist had higher rates of satisfaction and trust over participants who were assigned to other psychologists. The study also …

The Correlation Between Personality And Pain Perception, Farah Atta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between personality and pain perception in healthy adults. Thirty participants completed the study. All participants were asked to scan a QR code and fill out a survey on their phones that included demographic questions and the Eysenck personality inventory (EPI). The demographics section included questions on age, sex, job activity level, and physical activity level. The researcher then evaluated their pressure pain threshold (PPT) using a handheld pressure algometer. The algometer was applied to the regions of the right paravertebral (PVM), quadratus lumborum (QL), and piriformis (PF) muscles perpendicular to …

Unmoored: Exploring Identity And Change, Michelle Bondzie

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Many of the shifts in our identity are as surprising as they are inevitable. As with our bodies and our minds, it’s easy to forget that our identities are in a constant state of change — that is, until a situation forces us to face ourselves and examine who we’ve become. For adolescents, college students included, reckonings with their sense of self come frequently; they feel seismic each time they occur.

My thesis will be a short screenplay in which the central character is recovering from severe executive dysfunction, the impairment of basic skills that include working memory, mental flexibility, …

The Association Between Obesity And Covid-19: An Analysis Of Risk Factors, Talib H. Hakim

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to focus on whether solely obesity (measured by BMI) leads to an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality in terms of excess in-hospital deaths. As the grim milestone of one million deaths in the United States from COVID-19 was reached, one could assume the disease would continue to coexist with humanity in the long term. While vaccination continued to limit the spread of COVID-19, it was essential to investigate risk factors that may exacerbate the severity of the illness in humans. Obesity is already a global pandemic affecting 40% of Americans and over 650 million …