Digital Commons Network^™

Invasion Of Microplastics Into The Reproductive Tissues Of Feral And Domestic Felines, Emma K. Quade

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although plastics have many useful properties in modern society, once these materials are introduced into the environment, they can cause extensive damage. Following degradation into microplastics (MP), plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, these contaminants can make their way into a variety of different environments and organisms. There are many studies that have investigated the prevalence of MP in marine environments, but fewer studies have looked into terrestrial systems, and even less that have focused on contamination in companion animals. This study sought to investigate the invasion of MP into the reproductive tissues of felines, Felis catus, …

Interaction Of The Dap-10 Fluorescent Light-Up Aptamer With An Environment-Sensitive Dye, Crystal Violet, Marina Tsukanova

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Crystal violet (CV) is an environment-sensitive dye whose fluorescence is strongly influenced by microenvironment polarity and viscosity, increasing markedly when rotational and vibrational motions are restricted. While the fluorescence enhancement of CV by fluorescent light-up aptamers (FLAPs) has been noted in literature, the specific binding interactions between CV and aptamers in the DAP-10 family have remained under-investigated.  The objective of this work is to elucidate the binding site interactions between CV and the DAP-10-42 FLAP. It is hypothesized that positions 34 and 35 of the aptamer’s sequence reside in a proposed quadruplex-duplex junction that form the dye-binding pocket of DAP-10 …

How Does The Frequency Of Visits Impact The Quality Of Life For Nursing Home Residents?, Sophie M. Carlton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This integrative literature review examines the relationship between quantity of visitation and quality of life (QOL) of nursing home residents. The purpose of this review is to examine existing research to determine whether an optimal “dosage” of visitation exists that meaningfully enhances QOL for this vulnerable population. Establishing an evidence based- guideline may help reduce uncertainty for families and promote more consistent improvements in resident well-being. Nursing home residents are the focus of this work because their limited ability to leave the facility makes visitation one of their primary sources of non-occupational social interaction. The COVID19 pandemic further heightened the …

Analyzing Early Medieval Perspectives Of Fetal Development, Nivedha Srinivasan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines early medieval perspectives of fetal development by analyzing two manuscripts: British Library, Cotton Tiberius A III and Leiden University, Vossianus lat. Q69. This study will investigate how knowledge of pregnancy was shared throughout England before the establishment of universities. Interest in medieval reproductive language has piqued in importance in recent years, especially due to modern legal debates surrounding reproductive rights. By examining descriptions of the nine months of fetal development in these two manuscripts, as well as in widely known earlier medical texts like Pliny’s Natural History and Vindicianus’ Gynaecia, this research explores how monastic writers in …

Barriers To Mental Health Care Among Emerging Adult Women Across Racial, Ethnic, And Lgbtq+ Identities, Tikyla M. Euline

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period characterized by increasing mental health concerns, yet many young adults do not seek professional psychological services. The present study examined barriers to mental health care among undergraduate women, with particular attention to the intersecting identities of sexual minority status and racial/ethnic minority status. Guided by intersectionality theory, the study investigated whether LGBTQ+ women, women of color, and individuals holding both identities reported greater perceived barriers to treatment, higher levels of medical mistrust and discrimination in healthcare settings, and lower mental health service utilization. Participants included 373 undergraduate women between the ages of 18 and …

Generating Genomic Resources For The Pink Sundew And Its Specialist Herbivore Moth From A Single Gene To Entire Genomes, Kerissa F. Tarpley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Genomic resources are critical for the conservation of threatened species, providing valuable insights into genetic diversity, population structure, and adaptive potential. This thesis focuses on two ecologically interconnected species: the carnivorous plant pink sundew (Drosera capillaris) and its specialist herbivore the sundew plume moth (Buckleria parvulus). The sundew and plume moth face an uncertain future as their vital bog habitats continue to disappear. The sundew plays a crucial role in the life cycle of the plume moth, which relies on the sundew during its larval stages for survival. To aid in species detections, I first generated …

Assessing The Impact Of Storing Water Samples At Ambient Temperature On Plankton Metabarcoding, Stephanie N. Lievano

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Increasing incidence of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) has led to fish kills, air quality hazards, and economic impacts. One economic impact is on tourism, one of the main sources of Florida’s income, where billions of dollars are lost to such events. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC-FWRI), with the help of collaborators, collects water samples from across the state for HAB monitoring. These samples are stored at ambient temperature for up to 24 hours which could directly affect data analyses. Here, in collaboration with FWRI-FWC, I investigated whether this storage technique affects plankton …

Switching Languages, Switching Personalities: The Socio-Cognitive Implications Of Bilingualism, Hannah F. Stern

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing prevalence of bilingualism worldwide highlights the importance of further research into its impact on socio-cognitive processes. This study examines variations in personality traits, anxiety levels, locus of control, and cognitive load during language switching, utilizing cultural and visual-linguistic priming techniques to explore real-time socio-cognitive shifts across language contexts. A 2×3 mixed-factorial design compared language groups (monolingual vs. bilingual) across three priming conditions (semantic, cultural, and control). 120 participants completed a series of subjective and objective measures, including the Big Five Personality Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and Rotter’s I-E Scale in both languages, with controlled language-specific priming conditions …

Studying Chronotypes And Their Role In Sleep And Mental Health: A Scoping Review, Evan Nguyen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sleep patterns remain a significant public health concern globally, impacting several aspects of life, including mental health. This scoping review examined how chronotype and circadian typology predict mental health, with sleep quality serving as a crucial mediator. While the importance of sleep is widely acknowledged, there is a lack of studies specifically investigating chronotype-aligned interventions to reduce psychological distress. To address the shortage, a comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted, identifying six papers for analysis. These studies mostly utilized cross-sectional designs to assess diverse global groups, including university students, healthcare workers, and military personnel. The results indicate that …

Individual Differences In Personality Traits And Anthropomorphic Tendencies, Olivia S. Young

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Anthropomorphism is broadly defined as the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman entities. Those with higher levels of neurodivergent traits, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may struggle to maintain eye contact with and interpret the emotions of others. Anthropomorphic interaction patterns between both those with and without ASD differ between various entities such as cars, cartoon characters, animals, and humans. Results of this study have implications across domains including human factors, cognitive science, and human-animal interaction. This study employed the use of unique stimuli in combination with various scales to measure personality traits and anthropomorphic tendencies. Participants were asked …

The Implicit Perceptions Of Asian American Adoptees And Their Clinical Implications, Cai Li L. Franckewich

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Asian American adoptees occupy a unique “in-between” space, shaped by societal perceptions of race, culture, and family context. This study examined how family composition and racial pairings influence perceptions of an Asian American adoptee. Undergraduate students completed an online survey in which they were randomly shown one of five images depicting the adoptee with different family compositions, without being told she was adopted. Participants then read a story describing the adoptee experiencing common college stressors, and rated statements on a 7-point Likert scale regarding the adoptee’s well-being, factors influencing her behavior, and behavioral descriptors. Results indicated that participants perceived stronger …

The Role Of Resistance Training In Managing Menopause-Related Changes, Alyson K. Strauss

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Resistance training serves as a critical non-pharmacological strategy for mitigating the physiological and psychological declines associated with the menopausal transition. This natural biological phase, marked by declining estrogen levels, typically leads to accelerated bone mineral density loss, sarcopenia, metabolic regulation disturbance, and heightened mood disturbances. To evaluate the efficacy of targeted exercise interventions, a systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. From an initial pool of 60 relevant articles, 13 studies met the specific inclusion criteria, focusing on structured resistance training protocols for perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal cohorts.

The synthesis of these studies indicates that resistance training is a highly …

The Psychological Effect Of Maternal Separation From A Child During Incarceration: A Survey And Critique Of Risk Needs Assessments, Samantha Yearwood

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines whether frequently used correctional assessment instruments adequately capture the psychological impacts of maternal-child separation among incarcerated women. This research was conducted in response to growing criticisms that traditional risk and needs assessments fail to account for gender-specific experiences, specifically those related to caregiving roles and pregnancy. Using a qualitative analysis content analysis to assess four widely used instruments, the Women’s Risk and Needs Assessment (WRNA), Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), and Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R), the thesis  examines the inclusion of pregnancy-related variables, caregiving responsibilities, and separation-related psychological factors. …

Lie-Galois Theory, Giovanni Reed

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Differential equations are a much-studied topic in the field of mathematics, as well as other sciences, such as engineering, economics, and biology. While much is known concerning these, there is still a large gap in our knowledge about such equations. It is important therefore, both to mathematics and other sciences, that we gain a more complete knowledge of differential equations, in particular the nature of their solutions. In this research, we investigate the solution space of linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) from the standpoint of differential algebra. Differential algebra allows an ODE to be treated similarly to a polynomial, allowing …

Analyzing The Loss Of Material From A Non-Plastic Oyster Reef Restoration Alternative, Lindsay M. Dolan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oyster reefs are declining globally due to human impacts such as overharvesting, boat wakes, and climate change. Associated ecosystem services, including water filtration, fish and invertebrates’ habitats, and shoreline erosion protection, are lost when these reefs disappear. Traditionally, restoration efforts employed plastic mesh shell bags filled with recycled oyster shells as they provide recruitment substrate for new oyster spat and wave attenuating properties to protect shorelines. Due to rising concerns over microplastic pollution, non-plastic alternatives are being tested. Alternative restoration material must provide the same benefits to reef formation while maintaining structural integrity long enough for a healthy reef to …

Friends In Niche Places: An Examination Of Anole Abundance And Habitat Use In An Urban Environment Using Point Transect Distance Sampling, Ethan Gau

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Lizards in the genus anolis occupy a wide range of ecological niches, often sharing the same environment due to niche partitioning. In central Florida, the main species of anoles found are the native A. carolinensis and the invasive A. sagrei, two generalist anole species that partition into trunk-crown and trunk-ground niches in each other’s presences respectively. I surveyed the UCF main campus using Apollo Circle as the border for my study area, and I used point sampling to estimate the population abundance and density, while also collecting data on perch substrate, height, and canopy coverage. Population estimates for A. …

Balancing Evidence Recovery: Hexane’S Effect On Biological And Non-Biological Traces In Sexual Assault Kits, Maya Richards

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of solvent – based extraction methods for the recovery of lubricant residues from simulated sexual assault swabs, with emphasis on balancing chemical evidence recovery. Sequential extraction using ultra – pure water followed by organic solvents, hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethyl acetate (EA), was evaluated across water – based, silicone – based, oil – based, and hygiene product matrices. Analysis was performed using Direct Analysis in Real Time – High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (DART – HRMS), and extraction efficiency was assessed through spectral correlation with neat reference samples. Results demonstrated that solvent performance was highly dependent …

Looking Beyond Traditional Therapy: The Promising Alternative Of Ketamine-Assisted Treatments In Improving The Quality Of Life Of Veterans, Noa Gutmann

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in United States veterans has a long history of treatment with standard care interventions and therapies. Unfortunately, many modern-day veterans experience treatment resistance and comorbid depressive symptoms that have yet to be resolved. This results in suicidal ideation, hospital readmission, and high treatment dropout rates of care plans. Recent evidence has shown a positive impact of ketamine, and esketamine, therapy on PTSD and depressive symptoms severity. Although, the outcomes and generalizability of this emerging therapy, compared to standard care, are not fully elucidated on. The purpose of this literary review was to further examine the current …

Assessing Physiological Arousal During A Standard Versus Inverted Vigilance Task Using Heart Rate Variability, Taha Riaz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Vigilance tasks require sustained attention over long periods of time while monitoring for rare critical signals. Inverted or reverse vigilance/sustained attention response tasks (SART) may impose greater response-control demands. Although prior studies have compared these tasks behaviorally, there are fewer investigations examining whether they differ in physiological arousal as indexed by heart rate variability (HRV).

Method: Undergraduate students from UCF completed a variation of either the X-CPT (standard vigilance task) or the CPT-3 (inverted/SART) task. Electrocardiogram data was recorded continuously. Data from 40 participants were analyzed. HRV was indexed using frequency domain analysis using the low-frequency to high-frequency ratio …

Rawls On The Status Of Future Citizens, Michael Moeny

Honors Undergraduate Theses

John Rawls sought to articulate principles for a just democratic society. Those principles must be justified by reasons that could be accepted by all reasonable citizens, regardless of their personal philosophical, religious, or moral commitments—what Rawls refers to as public reason. Basic political concepts, such as citizenship and rights, must also be justified in terms of public reason. Rawls stipulates that citizens enter society at birth, a claim that shapes his answer to whether legal protections for the unborn are justified. I argue that Rawls was not entitled to this stipulation, since it relies on contentious commitments that cannot be …

The Relationship Between Heteronormativity, Shame- Proneness, Shame-Withdrawal, And Empathy In College- Aged Men, Megan M. Tang

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Due to rising social discourse regarding “the male loneliness epidemic,” this study aims to examine possible predictors of empathy in cisgender, heterosexual, college-aged males. Empathy promotes prosocial behavior and is necessary for healthy interpersonal interactions, which may be limited in male experiences due to adherence to heteronormative values and lower levels of self-disclosure in men. Shame is more likely to occur when men stray from traditional gender roles, and people are more likely to engage in social withdrawal behaviors when experiencing shame. Shame-proneness has also been shown to inhibit empathetic behavior. This study explores two hypotheses, the first of which …

Lenses Of Faith And Culture: Christian College Students' Perspectives On Infertility, Mary Samuels

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis investigates the perspectives of Christian college students on infertility, adoption, and assisted reproductive technologies through focus group discussions. Following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision, 13 states have established a total abortion ban, and 28 states have established abortion bans based on gestational duration. This study materializes because recently developed state-level abortion laws may impact in vitro fertilization (IVF) access if states expand legal protection of fetal personhood. Previous research has described that while Christian traditions demonstrate cultural pronatalism and opposition to abortion, Christian individuals’ concepts of infertility and views of treatments such …

Assessing The Effects Of A Novel Breathing Exercise On Respiratory, Postural, And Muscular Performances, Tristan P. Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Breathing exercises are used in both clinical and home settings for a variety of purposes. Their functions range from reducing anxiety and stress to recuperating pulmonary function, depending on the technique and style employed. Existing literature has demonstrated that breathing exercises increase Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and may be able to improve postural stability due to engagement of the diaphragm when regularly practiced.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a novel breathing exercise would be effective in improving respiratory, postural, and muscular function.

Methods: In order to evaluate this claim, a randomized, double-blind, controlled study …

Impact Of Father-Daughter Communication And Conflict In Emerging Adulthood, Scarlett E. Gomez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper investigated how father-daughter communication patterns, motives, and conflict styles related to daughters’ perceived satisfaction in their relationship during emerging adulthood. Undergraduate participants were involved in an online survey assessing family communication patterns theory, interpersonal communication motives, conflict resolution styles, and father-daughter satisfaction. Bivariate correlations and mean comparisons were primarily relied on for analysis, with a sample size of one hundred thirty-eight undergraduate participants. Results showed that a more open family communication pattern such as the conversation orientation, was positively associated with daughters’ perceived satisfaction of the relationship. A more obedient-focused environment such as the conformity orientation was negatively …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Glass-Ceramic Nanoparticles And Nanobubbles For Integration Into Bone Regenerative Biomaterials, Sun Latt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoporosis affects over 200 million individuals worldwide and is characterized by an imbalance between osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation, leading to fragility fractures that significantly diminish quality of life. Current clinical bone cements, such as poly(methyl methacrylate), are limited by poor osseointegration, toxic monomers, and an inability to address the underlying pathophysiology of osteoporosis. This work presents the synthesis, characterization, and systematic in vitro evaluation of a sol-gel-derived, magnesium-incorporated glass-ceramic (GC) nanoparticle within the CaO-MgO-SiO₂ system for incorporation into a novel hydrogel bone cement and bioresorbable magnesium implants. XRD confirmed a biphasic amorphous-crystalline diopside composition, and TEM …

Post-Metabolites Of Two Commensal Bacteria Suppress Dna Damage In An Experimental Model Of Acid Reflux Disease, Maanya Pradeep

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Chronic heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects approximately 25% of the US population [1]. Repeated bile acid exposure from the regurgitation of stomach contents leads to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause oxidative DNA damage and promote genomic instability [2]. Barrett’s esophagus (BE), which can develop as a response to chronic bile acid exposure, increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) by 30% to 125% [1].

There are more than 18,000 new cases of esophageal cancer in the United States each year, and while its incidence is relatively low compared to other cancers, its mortality …

The Role Of P2y1 And P2y2 Receptors In Human Neural Stem Cell Proliferation, Daria Sokolova

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) are located in specialized niches of the adult brain and play a vital role in both neurogenesis and neuronal repair. However, declines in NSC proliferation and metabolism associated with age and pathology make these cells less efficient at responding to neurodegenerative disease. Understanding signaling pathways that regulate NSC function is therefore essential for the understanding and development of treatments for these conditions. P2Y receptors are G-protein-coupled purinergic receptors that are activated by extracellular nucleotides and regulate cellular metabolism and proliferation. Among the eight known P2Y subtypes, P2Y1 and P2Y2 have been linked to neuronal signaling …

Recurrence And Co-Occurrence Of Enhancer-Promoter Interactions Across Human Samples, Satvik Gunjala

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Experimental mapping of enhancer-promoter interactions (EPIs) is resource-intensive, and current computational prediction methods struggle with intrinsic genomic complexity and reliance on limited training data. To address this bottleneck and provide insights for improved computational methods, this study systematically analyzed chromatin contact datasets to investigate the recurrence and co-occurrence of enhancer-promoter interactions across human samples. Putative interactions were evaluated across two HiChIP datasets comprising 218 total samples and one Hi-C dataset comprising 266 samples to assess recurrence across samples and assess sequencing depth related to unique EPIs. Additionally, a preliminary item-based collaborative filtering recommender model was developed to assess co-occurrence patterns …

Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Implants And Nanobubble-Based Delivery Systems: Integrated Strategies For Bone Loss Treatment With Cytocompatibility Evaluation, Lucas José Martinho Bizuti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis intends to investigate the development of different multimodal therapeutic strategies for combating bone loss. Most specifically, this paper will emphasize the utilization of Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Implants (MMNC) and Nanobubble-Based Delivery Systems as options for future treatment focus. The effects of biodegradable magnesium implants were evaluated for cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility via Hematoxylin and Eosin, and Masson’s Trichrome staining, as well as radiological images. The Nanobubble-Based Delivery System is being developed and optimized as a delivery system to target osteoclast activity. This paper focused on optimizing experimental parameters, which include Rotational speeds for nanobubble stimulation under microgravity conditions …

Quantifying Amendment Impact On Microbial Respiration Rate, Qwynn Starrwalker

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Wetlands play a critical role in the global carbon cycle by acting as carbon sinks, where the flooded anaerobic conditions cause slow microbial respiration compared to other soils. Comparatively more carbon is stored in the soil as organic matter than is released as carbon dioxide (CO₂). Making wetland pools of soil organic matter less available to microbes for respiration could reduce overall atmospheric CO₂ and slow global warming. This study examined the effect of kaolinite, goethite, and lime on microbial respiration rates in wetland soils under alternating hydrologic conditions. Homogenized soil from a cypress dome was separated …