Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between Plasma Genistein And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Breast Cancer Survivors, Tran Pham

Honors Undergraduate Theses

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women. Breast cancer screenings and improvement in treatments have resulted in the rising number of survivors in the recent decade. This urged the need for post-diagnosis lifestyle changes to improve breast cancer patients' quality of life. Many studies found soy food, the primary dietary source of phytoestrogens, has a protective effect against breast cancer recurrence and mortality. Dietary phytoestrogens can be classified into two groups: isoflavones and lignans. Daidzein and genistein were identified as the …

The Impact Of Childhood Sexual Abuse On Adult Sexual Assault Victimization, Psychological Distress And Substance Use, Diamonde Mccollum

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The goal of this thesis is to explore the mechanisms underlying the association between women's experiences of child sexual abuse (CSA) and substance use in adulthood. Specifically, I evaluated the role of CSA, adult sexual victimization (ASA), and psychological distress including symptoms of depression, perceived stress, and PTSD on substance use. Research has shown that individuals who experience CSA are more likely to experience ASA, which results in psychological distress. Individuals may engage in substance use to cope with psychological distress from CSA and ASA, consistent with the self-medication hypothesis. Women (N = 225) were recruited from Mechanical Turk …

The Effects Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy On Irritability In Menopausal Women, Giavana Hanna

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The start of the menopausal transition involves the introduction of various somatic, urogenital, and psychological symptoms; of the symptoms, irritability is one of the main complaints reported by women. The use of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has become more prevalent in society, specifically treating the somatic and urogenital symptoms of the menopausal transition. This study aims to determine the effects of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) on irritability in menopausal women. To test the hypotheses, an online survey was distributed to women via social media and word-of-mouth. Participants were asked to respond to various questions, which were then analyzed based …

The Effect Of Microdosing Classical Psychedelics On Cognitive Performance, Michael Harris

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Public interest and scientific inquiry are currently bringing psychedelic research back into the spotlight after a decades-long respite from clinical human trials. A majority of the research during this recent renaissance has surrounded applications of psychedelics in the fields of mental health. Less attention is being focused to other research areas where psychedelics may also prove informative, such as cognition and information processing. A common trend taking place is the act of administering very small doses of psychedelics as a potential cognitive enhancer, called microdosing. With less research being focused on these areas however, it is not well documented whether …

The Influence Of Intersecting Identities On Chronic Stress In College Students, Heather E. Meyer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the influence of chronic stress in college students. It focuses on the broader chronic stressors that college students experience related to physical and mental health, financial health and wellbeing, and presence of social supports, then addresses the more specific chronic stressors related to intersecting identities of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. This phenomenon is analyzed under the theoretical frameworks of social determinants of health, intersectionality, and systems theory. An online survey with both open and closed-ended questions was conducted with undergraduate social work students from the Bachelors of Social Work program at the University of Central …

Craving For Attention: Examining Mood And Attention Bias In The Moment As Predictors Of Alcohol Craving, Katie R. Moskal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Alcohol consumption is prevalent on college campuses. There are a number of theories that seek to explain the link between alcohol use and mood. The affective-processing model posits that negative affect may interact with subconscious cognitive factors, such as attention bias (AB), to promote drug-seeking behavior. In contrast, the incentive-sensitization model suggests positive mood may drive drug seeking behavior, and this drive may be moderated by cognitive factors (e.g., AB). The current study hypothesized that both positive and negative mood would be associated with drug craving in the moment. It was further hypothesized that AB would moderate mood-craving associations. Participants …

Exploring Factors Of Acceptance Of Chip Implants In The Human Body, Radha D. Chebolu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The technology and telecommunication industries have made significant progress in the past few decades leading to several inventions and designs that have significantly improved efficiency in all aspects of human life. These innovations in science and technology improve our quality of life. Modern technology enables us to access vast amounts of information and services through a network of interconnected computers and machines. Recently, various technologies have been proposed to incorporate the human body into this incorporated network. One of these proposed technologies are chip implants meant to be inserted into the human body at various suitable body parts, such as …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) For Individuals With Epilepsy, April Detrick

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Individuals with epilepsy manage the clinical manifestations of the condition, primarily seizure-related activity, with daily use of pharmacologic agents, making it one of the most common neurological conditions treated with drug therapy for symptom management. Pharmacologic agents for epilepsy, also known as anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), are commonly prescribed to treat seizures and neurologic conditions associated with epilepsy but can lead to a reduced quality of life and many unwanted side effects. Complementary and alternative treatments can also provide relief from seizures associated with epilepsy. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the effectiveness of complementary and alternative treatments …

Relationship Between Cannabis Use And Immediate, Delayed, And Working Memory Performance Among Older Adults, Madison H. Maynard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cannabis is increasingly accessible in the United States for recreational and/or medical use. Additionally, the Baby Boomer birth cohort exhibits a greater prevalence of cannabis use than prior generations of older adults. Past research has most frequently addressed the potential cognitive effects of cannabis use in populations of adolescents and young adults. Some of these studies suggest that cannabis use is chronically associated with worse performance on tasks of verbal working memory and executive functioning, however, due to methodological variation and a wide variety of potential confounds including duration of abstinence and frequency of use, results are still inconclusive. Through …

The Role Of Ms-818 In Altering Age-Related Characteristics Of An In Vitro Model Of Senescence In Neural Stem Cells, Sandeep Sreerama

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aging of the brain is the leading risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers and has deleterious effects on brain functions. It follows that attempts to reverse the aging process may be therapeutically valuable. Neural stem cells (NSC) have been shown to play a critical role in maintaining brain functions, and their number is severely decreased with age. The development of senescence-like characteristics and declining functions in NSCs have been proposed to be responsible for brain aging and tumorigenesis. MS-818 is a pyrrolopyrimidine that has been shown to increase the NSC population and reverse the decline of behavioral function …

The Implications Of Case-Based Learning (Cbl) On Biochemistry Education: An Integrative Literature Review, Ryan C. Ripert

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 has significantly impacted the world as we know it, especially in higher education institutions. In response to COVID-19, most colleges and universities were forced to close their doors to students and switch to online learning over Zoom. Although most students are adjusted well to this new mode of education, other students, such as individuals pursuing degrees in the sciences, have difficulty adapting to the online mode of instruction. Case-based learning (CBL) is considered one of the best strategies in teaching a course like Biochemistry in a large classroom setting. Implementing CBL in biochemistry education may increase student engagement …

Influences Of Public Opinion Concerning Abortion, Enya A. Brackins

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This Honors Undergraduate Thesis seeks to examine the influences of public opinion on abortion policy. Race, Partisanship, and Gender are identified as driving forces which influences the public's opinion. As social and racial movements continue to progress so does the influence that it has on policy makers.

Awareness Of Genetic Predispositions That Increase The Risk Of Breast Cancer, Carly Huber

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States and is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Certain demographics, such as racial/ethnic, age, and gender groups, are underrepresented in breast cancer studies. This lack of representation results in issues with creating genetic tests, as variants associated with those groups are not being detected. Furthermore, these underrepresented demographics are receiving a worse prognosis than those that are overrepresented in research. This study aimed to understand how informed the understudied racial/ethnic, gender, and age populations are regarding breast cancer and genetic testing compared to …

The Benefits Of Creative Art Therapy For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review Of The Literature, Jazlyn Marie Akridge

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically diagnosed during childhood. The primary symptoms of ASD include language impairments and deficits in social skills, which can negatively affect the overall quality of life. Traditional treatment for ASD includes medication, applied behavior analysis, physical therapy, and occupational therapy; however, these treatments may have unwanted side effects and fail to address the psychosocial challenges that may result from ASD symptoms. There has been increasing interest in alternative forms of therapy, such as creative art therapies; however, the types of creative art that have been used during therapy and their benefits are …

Identity Development And Reconstruction Among Caregivers, Mackenzie Kelly

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The goal of the current study was to assess possible changes in identity upon becoming a caregiver to another adult. Caregivers of adults (N= 9) completed an online, anonymous survey. A significant change in Identity Commitment was found from pre to post caregiving. Three participants went from a Foreclosed Identity Status pre caregiving to a Diffused Identity Status post caregiving, and one participant went from an Achieved Identity Status to a Moratorium Identity Status. However, no consistent trends in responses were found among these participants, suggesting further research with a larger sample size is needed.

Effects Of The Covid-19 Economic Downturn On Central Florida Nonprofits, Tiffany C. Chinwuba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

COVID-19 has had significant impacts on society, both in lifestyle and commerce, especially in Central Florida where the economy is centralized around tourism. While local and state governmental agencies are distributing aid to meet the needs caused by high unemployment, the nonprofit sector mobilized to help fill the gap in assistance by providing resources and services. However prior research into the nonprofit sector finds that prolonged economic downturn may eventually affect the nonprofit force by reduced funding to programs as it did during the 2008 economic recessions. Hence, many nonprofit organizations may be at risk of insolvency in the coming …

Relating The Big Five Personality Factors And The Method Of Dog Obtainment In Female Dog Owners, Julia Rifenberg

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Dog ownership is highly common in the United States and has a large impact on the U.S. economy due to dogs' required expenses. Thus, it is important to assess dog owners' method of dog obtainment, as it is the first step to canine companionship. Dog owner personality traits and their relationship with where dogs are obtained has not yet been studied. To assess this relationship, we reached current dog owners through an online survey containing the Donnellan et al. (2006) Mini-International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) scale and asked participants where they obtained their dog. Results indicated 90% of participants were …

A Woman Of Power: The Leadership Of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Hannah F. Anton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) was elected to the House of Representatives in 1987 and was the first female Speaker of the House, originally elected to the position in 2007. Despite the length and significance of her career in the House, there is very little academic literature devoted to the effectiveness of her leadership. In an attempt to fill this research gap, this thesis will raise the following questions; Is Nancy Pelosi an effective Speaker of the House, and has her effectiveness changed significantly over her term as Speaker? For purposes of this research, leadership effectiveness is defined as the Speaker's ability …

Coffee Is Fluid: A Discussion On Coffee And Its Modernity, Emma L. Angell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Coffee's worldwide popularity, and especially among Americans, has grown significantly over recent decades. This is credited to the rise of corporate coffee shops like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, as well as the inescapable presence of coffee marketing on the internet and social media in our everyday lives. This thesis traces coffee's popularity from its early days as a facilitator in increased production rate in factories during the Industrial Revolution up to the popularity it has gained on TikTok and other social media platforms in the 21st century. My research examines the growth of coffee culture in America through participant observation …

History, Ideology, And Evolution Of Criminal Profiling, Gayatri M. Ramesh

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Criminal profiling is the art of using evidence and crime scenes to deduce who the criminal is and where the criminals might be going next. In addition, criminal profiling is also used to link cases together with like victims. While its usage in law enforcement is relatively new, forms of the art have been around for decades. This thesis researches the history, ideology, and evolution of criminal profiling from the early 1870s to its current state. Cesare Lombroso and his research founded criminal profiling by examining how criminals and their minds vary from law-abiding citizens. Following Lombroso, various forms of …

The Referendum For Independence In Catalonia And Newspaper Coverage: The Importance Of Regional And Political Factors, Sofia N. Julien

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis analyzes the role of the news media in the Referendum for Independence in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia. More specifically, I seek to shed light on if a newspaper's geographical location or political views result in biased media coverage. Based on communications theory, I argue that news coverage can shape the public's political opinion and attitudes. My research analyzed the reporting of two core newspapers by sampling articles from a major newspaper based in Madrid, El País, and a newspaper based in Catalonia, La Vanguardia. My results suggest that the newspaper's location and distribution had …

Targeting T Cell Glycolysis To Mitigate Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Kevin Ezhakunnel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hematological cancers account for nearly ten percent of cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Patients who fail to respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy must often undergo a bone marrow transplant to treat their malignancy. A significant complication following this procedure is Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), which occurs when donor T cells mount an immune response against recipient tissues. Immunological research has highlighted the role of aberrant T cell metabolism, specifically a shift toward aerobic glycolysis, as a key driver behind the occurrence of this condition. The transcription factor FoxK1 has been revealed to be a key regulator …

A Qualitative Systemic Review On Maternal Health Disparities In Haitian Women, Alexandra Jean-Louis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: It is universally known that pregnancy is a vulnerable time for a woman's health. Women of all backgrounds endure significant physiological and anatomical changes during pregnancy and after childbirth. But the latest research studies have called attention to the unique experience of Black mothers. Compared to other racial and ethnic groups, Black women encounter health disparities at an all-time higher rate. According to research studies conducted in Haiti and the United States, Haitian women are amongst the community of Black women who are experiencing disproportionate maternal outcomes.

Research Aims: The aim of this systematic review is to …

Targeting T Cell Metabolism To Ameliorate Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Karin Zikra

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an important form of therapy for hematological genetic disorders and malignancies, particularly hematological cancers. However, common usage of this procedure is obstructed by graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), in which transplanted donor T cells wage an attack on recipient antigens, causing severe tissue damage and mortality. GvHD prognosis remains poor, and current treatment methods continue to be insufficient, especially for patients with more advanced and severe GvHD. T cells have been identified as the fundamental force behind GvHD, and their cellular metabolism is deemed vital to their fate and function, especially in pathogenic environments. A hallmark …

Unsupervised Meta-Learning, Siavash Khodadadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Deep learning has achieved classification performance matching or exceeding the human one, as long as plentiful labeled training samples are available. However, the performance on few-shot learning, where the classifier had seen only several or possibly only one sample of the class is still significantly below human performance. Recently, a type of algorithm called meta-learning achieved impressive performance for few-shot learning. However, meta-learning requires a large dataset of labeled tasks closely related to the test task. The work described in this dissertation outlines techniques that significantly reduce the need for expensive and scarce labeled data in the meta-learning phase. Our …

Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching: Instructional Reasoning In High-Density Black Populations, Desheila Rumph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

To be economically competitive, U.S. citizens must be mathematically competent (Wang et al., 2010). However, students in the United States have consistently underperformed those in other industrialized nations in mathematics (Program for International Student Assessment [PISA], 2018), which threatens the economic health of the nation (Achieve, 2013; Auguste et al., 2009; Harbour et al., 2018; Mickelson et al., 2013). Federal education reform was implemented and failed to improve the mathematics achievement of U.S. pupils (Cheong Cheng, 2020). Researchers have found links between teacher knowledge and student achievement; however, factors mediate this relationship (Hatisauri & Erbas, 2017). As a result, non-significant …

Computational Studies For Extending Understanding Of Complex Droplet Breakup Mechanisms, Caroline Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Conventional methods of classifying droplet breakup are evaluated in the context of unique variation in environmental and droplet fluid conditions. Most characterization is developed for subsonic speeds and Newtonian fluids, so this study extends understanding on how these forms change to a span of applications outside these conditions. Presented examples include the impact effects on hypersonic vehicles travelling through precipitation, where even smallest of rain drops at such speeds can cause damage. Before the droplet even reaches the vehicle, it interacts with the detached bow shock that leads it. Another example of exceptional recent concern is risk of viral transmission …

Psychological Distress And Affective, Behavioral And Cognitive Experiences Of Stuttering, Randy W. Panzarino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Adults who stutter (AWS) are vulnerable to the development of various psychopathological symptoms, although prevalence data are mixed, and even less clarity exists as it relates to the factors that potentially influence their occurrence. The current study sought to shed light on the prevalence of self-reported psychopathology in AWS and aimed to identify relationships between affective, behavioral and cognitive (ABC) experiences of stuttering and psychological distress. This was based on AWS' reports of speech situation-specific anxiety and speech disruption, the use of behaviors to avoid or escape stuttering, and one's communication attitude. The self-reports administered to 40 AWS via Qualtrics, …

Sexual Orientation And The Disclosure Of Unwanted Sexual Experiences, Rebekah Kanefsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, and other non-heterosexual orientations (LGBQ+) are significantly more likely to experience a sexual assault. To date, research on barriers to sexual assault disclosure (i.e., telling someone about a sexual assault) has been conducted almost exclusively on heterosexual women. Participants ages 18 to 30 participated in a cross-sectional, online study that assessed unwanted sexual experiences, disclosure of those experiences, perceptions of the police and perceptions of belonging to the LGBQ+ community. Findings demonstrated that survivors who identified as LGBQ+ took longer to initially disclose their sexual assault and had greater negative perceptions of …

Parental Fear Of Hypoglycemia, Adherence, And Glycemic Control In Young Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Jennifer Scheurich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Background: With the rising incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) among young children, it is important to understand factors related to management and outcomes in this population. Parental fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) has been examined in relation to children's glycemic control, but findings have been inconsistent. Adherence has been offered as a potential mechanism, but this has not been examined empirically with this population. This study aimed to elucidate the relations among parental FOH, adherence, and glycemic control in young children with T1D. Methods: Parents of children diagnosed with T1D before age 6 (n = 143) completed self-report measures of …