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Postures In Mobile Device Usage: Effects On Interpretation Bias, Mood, And Physical Tension, Gabriela Flores-Cruz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Past research has shown that there is a relationship between body posture and cognitive processes. However, postures used with technological devices has not been studied more extensively. The purpose of this study was to examine posture effects when using a mobile device on interpretation bias, mood, and physical tension. Each participant was randomly assigned one of three conditions: sitting slumped, sitting upright, or lying down. Participants were asked to complete the Scrambled Sentences Task (SST), a task of unscrambling emotional and neutral sentences, to measure their interpretation bias. Additional questions were asked to measure the participant's physical tension and mood. …

Studies On The Potential Regulation Of Usp30 By Omi/Htra2 Protease, Sunmi Jin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to determine whether the deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin specific protease 30 (USP30) is cleaved by Omi/HtrA2 (hereafter referred to as Omi) protease during mitochondrial stress. USP30 is a mitochondrial protein that is anchored in the outer mitochondrial membrane and has components in the intermembrane space (IMS) as well as in the cytoplasm. USP30's IMS component has a six-amino-acid sequence that is very similar to Omi's consensus cleavage sites. Under normal conditions, Omi resides exclusively within the IMS; therefore, if Omi were to cleave USP30, it would target the part of the protein located in the …

The Role Of Cues And Kinematics On Social Event Perception, Estefania Berrios

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The belief that intentions are hidden away in the minds of individuals has been circulating for many years. Theories of indirect perception, such as the Theory of Mind, have since been developed to help explain this phenomenon. Conversely, research in the field of human kinematics and event perception have also given rise to theories of direct perception. The purpose of the study was to determine if intentionality can be directly perceived rather than requiring inferential processes. Prior research regarding kinematics of cooperative and competitive movements have pointed toward direct perception, demonstrating participants can accurately judge a movement as cooperative or …

Role Of T-Bet In Production Of Immunoglobulin Isotypes In An Influenza Setting, David Sidhom

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Influenza is one of the most common diseases worldwide, yet the vaccines against influenza are only 35% effective at protecting against infection. Creating a more effective vaccine requires an understanding of the foundation and the factors that contribute to a strong and protective adaptive immune response. T-bet [TBX21] is a transcription factor that plays an instrumental role in the orchestration of the type 1 immune response, which is the specialized response used by the immune system for a cell-mediated response against intracellular pathogens, such as influenza. It has yet to be explored in an influenza setting on the role T-bet …

The Effects Of Zinc Nanofertilizers On Tomato Plants, Ketsira Pierre

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Farmers around the world aim to use soil with adequate nutrients to produce sufficient and quality crops to the world's ever-growing population. Unbalanced use of nutrients in the soil will lead to soil deficiency, which is usually seen in South and Southeast Asian countries. This soil deficiency is often due to loss of micronutrient(s) within the soil from farming practices. Micronutrient deficiency affects not only plant growth but human health. Plants grown in nutrient deficient soil produce food with nutrient deficiencies, which affect people dependent on these foods for nutrients (Kathmandu, 2004). Nutrient deficient diseases and disorders like malnutrition are …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection And Treatment, Genesis M. Brador

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection globally is high, and although there is no cure for it, the antiviral drug acyclovir is used to alleviate symptoms. There are two types of HSV: HSV-1, which typically infects the oral area, and HSV-2, which is associated with genital infections. A mother who carries the infection may transmit it to a neonate in different ways, most commonly via vaginal delivery in the presence of active lesions. There are three types of HSV disease that affect newborns: skin, eyes or mouth (SEM) disease, central nervous system (CNS) disease, or disseminated disease. The …

Draining Your Brain: The Effects Of Four Fatiguing Task Domains On Executive Function And Prefrontal Cortex, Salim A. Mouloua

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study empirically examined the effects of four fatiguing task domains on executive function through participants' reaction time, accuracy, and brain activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC). Forty college-age participants were collected (16 males and 24 females), of which eleven were examined using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging system. The present study used a 4×2 mixed factorial design consisting of fatiguing task (arm contractions task, vigilance task, distance-manipulated Fitts' task, size-manipulated Fitts' task) as a between-participant variable and n-back testing period (pre-test versus post-test 3-back task) as a within-participant variable. Results indicated significant increases in 3-back performance after …

Should Athletes Receive Sleep Hygiene Education? A Systematic Literature Review, Ines L. Contreras

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous studies show the need to find a solution to improve the athlete's recovery and help overcome their sleep disorders. Sleep hygiene is a list of habits and recommendation that enhance sleep quality. Sleep hygiene education has been used in some research to fill the need of the athletes. Still, a lack of information exists on the development of sleep hygiene programs and related impacts. This thesis aims to perform a systematic review of the literature of scholarly journals articles from 2007 to 2018, focusing on the relationship between sleep hygiene education and athletes sleep quality and quantity. The investigation …

Investigation Of Microplastic Accumulation In The Gastrointestinal Tract In Birds Of Prey, Julia Carlin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Plastic pollution is unavoidable in the natural environment. Consequences of plastic ingestion include exposure to environmental pollutants and toxin accumulation, causing endocrine disruption, inflammatory and physiological stress in organisms. Microplastics have been shown to transfer across food webs, however, limited studies have examined microplastic accumulation across terrestrial food webs. Furthermore, few studies have examined plastic pollution in apex predatory animals. A study was conducted to quantify the abundance of plastic pollution in the gastrointestinal tract in birds of prey. Two species were investigated, one which forages in terrestrial habitats and one which forages in aquatic environments including Buteo lineatus (red-shouldered …

Alpha Amylase As An Emerging Biomarker Of Microaspiration In Mechanically Ventilated Patients: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Chloe Chase

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aims: The purpose of this thesis was to synthesize the current literature on alpha amylase as an emerging biomarker of microaspiration in mechanically ventilated patient.

Methods: The methodology included a review and synthesis of pertinent research articles from 1981-2018, written in English language. Criteria for inclusion in the review were all articles that evaluated α- amylase in tracheal secretions or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) as a diagnostic tool for identifying microaspiration. The search yielded 11 studies that were reviewed.

Findings: The findings suggest that once aspiration occurs, the duration of α-amylase in the lungs requires further exploration to assist in …

Waking Up White: The Search For Black Happiness, Jason Gregory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Waking Up White (WUW) is a television pilot written, directed and co-produced by Jason D. Gregory serving as part of his thesis requirements for earning a Master of Fine Arts in the Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema program at the University of Central Florida. The project attempts to answer the question "what if" by placing the main characters in a "fish out of water" scenario. In WUW a Black family wakes up White and has 30 days to determine if they'd rather return to their cultural roots or stick with the "new skin" that they are in. Upon awakening to their new …

Cavitation And Heat Transfer Over Micro Pin Fins, Arash Nayebzadeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the dramatic increase in the usage of compact yet more powerful electronic devices, advanced cooling technologies are required to maintain delicate electronic components below their maximum allowable temperatures and prevent them from failure. One solution is to use innovative pin finned heat sinks. This research is centered on the evaluation of hydrodynamic cavitation properties downstream pin fins and extended toward single-phase heat transfer enhancement of array of pin fins in microchannel. In this work, transparent micro-devices capable of local wall temperature measurements were micro fabricated and tested. Various experimental methods, numerical modeling and advanced data processing techniques are presented. …

Disinfection By-Product Formation Potential Assessment For Central Florida Groundwater Supplies, Tulsi Shukla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disinfection of potable water supplies is a primary requirement of the United States' Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Safe Drinking Water Act. The use of chlorine as a disinfectant is widely accepted by water purveyors due to its effectiveness and low cost. However, chlorine reacts with natural organic matter present in water supplies to form suspected carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs). In this work, the formation of the regulated chlorinated by-products total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5) for eleven Central Florida wells has been investigated. Fluorescence, UV-254, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), specific UV absorbance (SUVA), chlorine decay, and TTHM and HAA5 …

Nanoscale Functional Imaging By Tailoring Light-Matter Interaction To Explore Organic And Biological Systems, Negar Otrooshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Probing molecular systems with light has been critical to deepen our understanding of life sciences. However, conventional analytical methods fail to resolve small quantities of molecules or the heterogeneity in molecules assembled into complex systems. This bottleneck is mostly attributed to light diffraction limit. In recent years, the successful implementation of new approaches to achieve sub-wavelength chemical speciation with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has paved the way to a deeper understanding of the effect of local composition and structure on the functional properties of a larger scale system. The combination of infrared light, to excite the vibrational modes of …

Determining Common Patterns Of Gastrointestinal Health In Emerging Adults: A Latent Class Analysis Approach, Helize Vivier

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Emerging adulthood is often-overlooked in current gastrointestinal (GI) health research; however, epidemiological evidence suggests that GI disorders are increasing in this population. The purpose of this study was to first define common GI symptom subgroups within emerging adults and then to characterize these group differences with key biopsychosocial factors encompassing diet, depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as physical and social functioning related to quality of life. A total of 956 emerging adults from a southeastern US university were surveyed on GI symptoms, psychosocial factors, and demographics. Latent class analysis uncovered three statistically significant GI symptom patterns within the sample …

Associations Between Low-Carbohydrate Diet Score And Prognostic Factors Among Adults With Diabetes Mellitus: An Analysis Of The Nhanes 2005-2016, Elta N. Charles

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the leading chronic diseases affecting Americans. There is a lack of literature discussing the link between diet and prognosis of those already diagnosed with DM. Objective: To provide insight into which diet is better for the outlook of diabetes mellitus by examining the associations between the low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) score and three diabetes-related health indicators: blood hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides, and retinopathy. Methods: A total of 3,313 U.S. adults with DM were selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2016. Presence of retinopathy was ascertained through self-reporting. Dietary intake was measured …

Conceptions About Terrorism: How Fearful Are We And How Does That Affect Us?, Rebecca Jackson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Since the crusades, terrorism has been a form of violence used to promote some kind of agenda, whether political, social, religious or ideological (Martin 2018). With many different definitions of what constitutes terrorism, it is somewhat difficult to measure what exact impact terrorism has had globally. Attacks such as those on 9/11 in the United States and the Manchester bombings have been accepted worldwide as examples of acts of international terrorism. International terrorist attacks have lasting effects on both those directly affected as well as the larger community and beyond. Studies have shown that Americans are overly afraid of terrorism …

Defense Trade-Offs In The Evolution Of The Fruits And Flowers Of Genus Cornus, Danielle R. De La Pascua

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The optimal defense hypothesis predicts that the allocation of plant defenses across plant organs is proportional to the importance of a given organ to plant fitness. Despite this, much less work has been devoted to the study of reproductive defenses in plants relative to vegetative structures like leaves. This study examines the apparancy hypothesis and the resource availability hypothesis using a phylogenetic comparative approach within the genus Cornus . During the 2016 growing season, plants of 25 species of Cornus were tracked for flower and fruit phenology as well as sampled for floral and fruit tissue in a common garden …

Gender Negotiation Among People In Poly/Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships, Vanessa Rijo - Sánchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States, people are encouraged and even coerced by social forces to behave and interact according to rigid social mores that tend to privilege individuals from a specific gender, racial, and class backgrounds. As many theorists have stated, sexual, gender, and racial minorities navigate their lives experiencing oppression at different levels and at the intersections of different systems of inequality. The marginal social location of these identities often results in people re-defining the social meanings through which they construct their social lives. Although much research has been devoted to investigating the different ways in which people resist the …

Micromanipulation And Genetic Analysis Of Individual Sperm Cells For Sexual Assault Investigations, Amanda Penn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual assault investigations utilize both physical and biological evidence to aid in the investigation. Physical evidence may include fingerprints, hair, fibers, stains, soil, and glass. Biological evidence may include semen, saliva, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, and skin. Semen, often found in small or trace quantities, is of great importance when trying to identify the perpetrator. From the semen sample, DNA profiles using autosomal short tandem repeats (aSTRs) (gold standard in forensic science) or Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) can be obtained and can be used to identify a perpetrator through comparison to suspect reference samples or by searching the profile …

Investigating The Role Of Neuronal Aging In Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome, Katlin Marie Hencak

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is an X-linked late-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by a noncoding trinucleotide repeat expansion in the FMR1 gene. This gene produces fragile x mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA binding protein whose targets are involved in brain development and synaptic plasticity. One of the proposed mechanisms of FXTAS pathogenesis is an RNA gain-of-function in which the repeat expansion causes toxic mRNA that sequesters important proteins in the cell, interfering with their functions. Another suggested method of pathogenesis is through a mutant protein called FMRpolyG. This protein results from repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation, in which the expanded …

The Mediating Role Of Resilience In The Relationship Between Attachment Style And Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety, Melanie Jurgensen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although previous research has identified a relationship between insecure attachment styles and symptoms of depression and anxiety, evidence regarding the mechanisms of action driving this relationship has been lacking. Consequently, the current study examined the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between insecure attachment styles (i.e. anxious-avoidant, anxious-ambivalent, helpless-disorganized and frightened-disorganized) and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The current study included a sample of 182 participants (i.e., 87 men and 95 women) who completed six questionnaires that assessed each participants' relationship with their caregivers during their childhood, present symptoms of depression and anxiety, and their resilience. Correlational analyses indicated …

All Things Considered: Child Custody After A Same-Sex Dissolution Of Marriage, Alissa M. Williams

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Following the decision rendered in Obergefell v. Hodges, there have been unabating talk as to how courts may rule on disputed matters involving same-sex marriages. One specific aspect this thesis intends to focus on is what to expect from custody rulings following dissolutions of same-sex marriages. The purpose of this thesis is to interpret just how courts may rule regarding child custody in same-sex divorces, based on the concept of stare decisis. Given the fresh face of marriage equality in America, there is a lack of research done in the area. This thesis will serve as a substructure and reference …

Reinforcement Learning For Optimal Control Of Network Epidemic Processes, Alec H. Kerrigan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Our society is increasingly interconnected, making it easy for cascades/epidemic (diseases, disinformation etc). Current epidemic control efforts are based on approximate network epidemic models, which often ignore the unique complexity and rich information embedded in the complex interconnections of real-world networks/populations.Deep reinforcement learning (RL) is a powerful tool at learning policies for these nonlinear, complex processes in high-dimension. To control an epidemic outbreak on a Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible network epidemic model, we design a RL framework with a custom reward structure using the node2vec embedding technique. Results indicate deep RL is able to determine and converge on an optimal intervention policy in …

Evaluating Lactobacillus Acidophilus As A Model Organism For Co-Culture Cancer Studies, Samuel A. Mikhail

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The causality dilemma between dysbiosis and cancer has given rise to numerous studies both exploring the mechanisms behind cancer progression and the associative shifts in the microbiota upon carcinogenesis. Aside from the hallmark study of Dr. Barry Marshall in establishing the true causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori and gastric adenocarcinoma, studies have only been successful in adding associative links of carcinogenesis mediated by bacteria to the literature. The current field is limited in its ability to establish causative relationships, and further work is needed to construct a reference community whose physiological responses reflect global community responses. In this thesis, the …

Lower Osteocalcin Is Linked To Genetic Polymorphisms In Tnfrsf1a/1b And Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, Ahmad K. Odeh

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that results in inflamed joints and osteoporosis. Previous studies have shown that Mycobacterium avium subspecies Paratuberculosis (MAP) has a role in the downregulation of active osteocalcin in Crohn’s disease (CD). Since RA and CD have a similar pathology, we hypothesize that active inflammation following MAP infection will result in downregulation of active osteocalcin in RA patients. In this study, a total of 82 individuals (48 RA and 34 healthy) were examined for MAP status and for active osteocalcin. Out of the 48 RA patients, 18 were MAP positive compared to only 1 out …

The Honorary White Population: Fighting For Self-Identification, Reina E. Chehayeb

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore the history of classification of Arab-Americans within the United States, showcase how Arab-Americans have encountered systematic racism, and give reasons why Arab-Americans should be able to self-identify. Currently, according to the Census definition, Middle Easterners fall under the "White" category. This is a misrepresentation of Middle Easterners as they should be considered a minority in light of societal treatment and policies set forth by policy makers. Even though much research has been conducted by the Census, they have elected to withhold the Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category from the 2020 …

An Examination Of Oppression Via Anti-Abortion Legislation, Saphronia P. Carson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis utilizes a reproductive justice framework to discuss the impact of anti-abortion legislation and the anti-abortion movement on women of color and low-income women, arguing that reduced access to abortion is oppressive to minority women. Chapter 1 outlines the theoretical framework of this thesis, focusing on feminist Marxism, Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, and radical and third wave feminist perspectives. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the anti-abortion movement and the major state and federal laws and court cases that have defined women's access to abortion in the United States, including Roe v Wade, the Hyde Amendment, Planned Parenthood v …

Stochasticity In An Artificial Neuron Using Ag/2d-Mos2/Au Threshold Switching Memristor, Madison Manley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Neuromorphic computing comprises of systems that are based on the human brain or artificial neural networks, with the promise of creating a brain inspired ability to learn and adapt, but technical challenges, such as developing an accurate neuroscience model of the functionality of the brain to building devices to support these models, are significantly hindering the progress of neuromorphic systems. This has paved the way for artificial neural networks (ANN) to meet these criteria. The memristor has become an emerging candidate to realize ANN through emulation synapse and neuron behavior. In this work, we are fabricating an Ag/MoS­₂/Au …

Quantifying The Shortage Of Mental Health Care In Venezuela Through Media Content Analysis, Andrea B. Alfonsi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aim of this thesis was to assess the gaps and deficits in the mental health care staffing and related prescription drug or therapeutic intervention availability in Venezuela using media content analysis. This thesis also assessed the measures suggested by Venezuelan medical professionals for addressing the population's needs for mental health services amid the nation's crisis. The shortage of mental health care in Venezuela was assessed because various stressors, including life events, chronic stressors, and daily hassles, are substantially less than optimal among Venezuelans. The mental health consequences of these factors, along with the detrimental psychosocial demands commonly faced by …