Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Brain Activity Using Fnirs During Discomfort Mitigation With Vr Meditation, Jordan Sammarco

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pain perception can be drastically affected by external factors in the surrounding environment. Previous studies relying on subjective ratings of pain have shown that guided meditations supplemented by virtual reality (VR) can reduce the perception of pain more successfully than the audio alone. The research question for this study was: How does the efficacy of meditation as a means of pain mitigation differ with and without the application of VR? To answer this question, we used fNIRS to visualize changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which has been shown to play a role in the larger pain matrix in …

How Mental Health Impacts The Relationship Between Aesthetics, Perceived Usefulness, And The Intention To Follow Self-Help Social Media Accounts, Quang Hong Phuoc Thai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mental health self-help accounts on social media often provide tips and strategies for individuals struggling with mental health difficulties to improve mental health outcomes. As mental health poses a public health concern that causes economic and physical problems worldwide, this self-help approach offers a potential solution to help millions of people at risk. In accordance with Technology Acceptance Models, how useful an individual finds a social media account should predict their intent to follow such accounts. Additionally, since social media accounts are highly visual content-driven, aesthetics may be a significant driver of intent to follow social media accounts. The present …

Silver Doped Nanoceria (Agcnp) Integrated Silk Scaffold For Chronic Wound Healing, Architha K. Venkatesan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Chronic wound healing can be seriously impeded by the formation of biofilms, infections, peri-wound edema, hematoma, osteomyelitis, and the formation of reactive oxidative species (ROS). We hypothesize that a scaffold created from Silver-Doped Nanoceria (AgCNP) embedding silk can be beneficial to aid the wound healing process, inhibit inflammation and prevent microorganisms from forming a biofilm over the wound. Current wound healing methods such as intradermal injections are not advantageous to use since they can cause unwanted responses elsewhere in the body other than the wound site. Silk, however, has a positive impact on the wound healing effect and can be …

Perceptions Of Music Performance Anxiety Throughout The Covid-19 Pandemic And Their Predictors, Caroline E. Villacis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Performance anxiety affects individuals across many fields, from sports to medicine to music. Research in the area of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) has been of particular importance to instrumental and vocal soloists and ensemble members for several decades. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many musicians have been required to change the format and location of their performances. These adjustments, as well as musicians' existing unique characteristics and life experiences, may have impacted their experience of MPA. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors on MPA. Participants (N = 251) were …

Personality And Social Media Use, Joshua Pearson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study seeks to examine the connection between social media usage and the Enneagram personality model. This connection will aid in a better understanding of what motivates individuals to use social media. The information found in this study will be applied to understanding behavioral addiction. This understanding will allow more personalized treatment for individuals already subject to these behaviors and preventive treatment for those more susceptible to behavioral addiction to social media. In order to find the connection between social media use and the Enneagram personality model, a survey including an Enneagram personality inventory, a social media use inventory, and …

The Relationship Between Evening Screen Time Use And Objectively Measured Sleep Outcomes In U.S. College Students, Donya Sedaghat

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Research suggests that elevated levels of screen time in the evening can negatively impact sleep outcomes (sleep duration, quality, and latency). Yet, there is a lack of evidence exploring if this relationship exists in college students. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between evening screen time use and objectively measured sleep outcomes in US college students. College students (N = 29) junior or senior standing in a Health Sciences major were recruited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Participants wore accelerometers on their wrist for 24hr/day for seven days to capture sleep duration, efficiency, awakenings, and …

Bilingual Switch Cost Effect On Language Processing, Ancuta Rader

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Recent reports suggest that over half of the world's population regularly uses two or more languages (or dialects) in their daily lives. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 21.6% of the population communicates in a language other than English within their homes. Thus, it is essential to methodically investigate how language processing and learning vary between monolingual and bilingual individuals. To date, research on the effects of bilingualism on language processing has been inconsistent or conflicting. The present study was designed to empirically examine if bilingual speakers differ in language processing and comprehension compared to their monolingual counterparts. It was hypothesized …

Chemical Analysis For Phytochemical Residues On Ceramics From Cape Canaveral Archaeological Sites, Jacob Woodard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study aims to contribute to the field of paleoethnobotany in Florida archaeology by presenting a novel approach to chemical residue analysis using UV-vis spectroscopy. The project's main goals are to develop a spectroscopic method for analyzing ceramics to identify phytochemical residues and present the findings of chemical analysis applied to ceramics from the Cape Canaveral archaeological mitigation project (CCAMP). The study focuses on two sites, the Penny site (8BR158) and Burns site (8BR85) in Florida's Indian River region.

While organic residue analysis (ORA) has been applied to various materials and regions, limited research ORA on has been conducted within …

Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercises In Relation To Anxiety And Depression, Ethan D. Mote

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The use of exercise is crucial as a means of treatment for various psychological disorders. However, as more research is being done, there seems to be a lack of consensus as to which type of exercise is most effective, aerobic or anaerobic. 232 students participated in this study via Qualtrics, and were asked to participate in the study by answering 9 questionnaires: the Demographics Questionnaire, GAD7, Beck Depression Inventory, PCL5, QOLS, Exercise History and Attitudes Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Healthy Eating Assessment, and the RYFF Psychological Well-being Scales. The results found that a combination of aerobic, anaerobic, and …

Biological Versus Social Factors Of Juvenile Sex Offenders: A Meta-Analysis, Katherine M. Phillips

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Juvenile sex offending is not a new phenomenon but is one of limited research, with only a slight increase in research in the past decade. This meta-analysis used 5 articles to determine which holds a greater influence on juvenile sex offenders, biological or social factors. Biological factors were divided into impulsiveness, psychosis/mental health diagnosis (excluding paraphilic disorders), and sexual deviance/paraphilia. Social factors were divided into antisocial behavior, prior criminal activity, prior exposure to sexual activities/pornography, and history of being sexually abused. This meta-analysis found that biological factors have a slightly greater effect on Juvenile sex offenders, but it was not …

The Influence Of Genetics, Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress, And Energy Deficit On Migraine, Victoria Dm Maldonado Llinas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The pathomechanism of migraine attacks is not understood well, however, is currently believed to be a brain disorder. Migraine is a multifactorial disorder that needs to be investigated in multiple research areas to shed light into its mechanism and find ways to treat it effectively. Migraine episodes come from one or many things at the same time, and such vary from person to person. However, sufficient evidence in recent studies show there is a strong relationship between genetics with patients having specific genes that may be responsible for the disease or a genetic sequence passed down through generations in families, …

Attention, Working Memory, And Adaptive Functioning In Emerging Young Adults With Psychometrically-Defined Schizotypy, Parth Nakirikanti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Schizotypy, a complex construct linked to schizophrenia-related traits, encompasses positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms. This study offers a review of the concept of schizotypy, including its historical evolution, tracing it from Bleuler's early mention in 1911 to Meehl's continuum model. Embracing a dimensional perspective, this research underscores the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding schizotypy. Deficits in sustained attention and working memory within schizotypy remain underexplored, with prior studies yielding inconsistent results. Adaptive functioning deficits in individuals with schizotypy are also inadequately understood. Examining a college student population, this investigation utilized scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire …

Effect Of Estrogen On Chondrogenesis In Female Articular Chondrocytes, Ebony R. Parsons

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As women age and transition into menopause they face a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis leading to total joint replacements. Estrogen is the primary female reproductive hormone. As a woman approaches menopause, estrogen production decreases by 100-fold. Previous research has shown that Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) reduced joint replacements in post-menopausal women. However, there is a lack of research surrounding ERT's effect on chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular matrix production, particularly 3D culture extracellular matrix production. Chondrogenesis is a process of skeletal development resulting in the formation of cartilage. Chondrocytes, derived from mesenchymal progenitors, serve as the fundamental cellular component in …

Preparing College Students With Adhd For Online Job Interviews: Self-Regulation & Psychophysiology, Tahnee L. Wilder

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation investigates the complex dynamics of digital communication, highlights the unique stressors it places on college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and advocates for adopting interdisciplinary methods to enhance their participation in online communication environments. While online interviewing has become increasingly common in the employment domain, it poses unique difficulties for individuals with ADHD, who may struggle with self-regulation and communication skills. Due to the absence of physical presence, online interviews pose a significant challenge to individuals in perceiving and responding to the nuanced range of non-verbal cues, which can greatly impact the effectiveness of their communication. To advance …

Bench- And Pilot-Scale Corrosion Control Inhibitor Effectiveness Studies For A Community's Blended Surficial And Brackish Groundwater Supply, Paula Campesino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates the lead and copper content of a public water system's finished water at the consumer's tap, through the Safe Drinking Water Act's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), promulgated in 1991. This rule was recently changed through the LCR Revisions (LCRR), that took effect in 2021. The more stringent requirements of the LCRR motivated the City of Sarasota, Florida (City), to work with the University of Central Florida (UCF) on a study of the municipality's finished water corrosivity. Initially, this evaluation investigated the City's existing finished water corrosivity using linear polarization resistance (LPR) measurements …

Understanding, Modeling, And Simulating The Discrepancy Between Intended And Perceived Image Appearance On Optical See-Through Augmented Reality Displays, Austin Erickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Augmented reality (AR) displays are transitioning from being primarily used in research and development settings, to being used by the general public. With this transition, these displays will be used by more people, in many different environments, and in many different contexts. Like other displays, the user's perception of virtual imagery is influenced by the characteristics of the user's environment, creating a discrepancy between the intended appearance and the perceived appearance of virtual imagery shown on the display. However, this problem is much more apparent for optical see-through AR displays, such as the HoloLens. For these displays, imagery is superimposed …

How Parents Perceive School Readiness, Jody Silvester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to explore parents' perceptions of children entering kindergarten and their understanding of school readiness. In this collective case study, drawing on parent interviews and artifact sampling and guided by discourse analysis (Gee, 2015), I employed Saldaña's (2021) cycle coding methods to explore the themes of what parents perceive and co-construct as 'school readiness'. Data collected for this study includes video recorded interviews of four participants as well as artifacts of their child(ren)'s classroom assessments, parent-teacher conference forms and packets, and a checklist shared by the parents. The findings of the study showed parents' perception …

Machine Learning Algorithms For Molecular Signature Identification With High-Throughput Genome Sequencing Data, Jiao Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Powered by the high-throughput genomic technologies, the RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) method is capable of measuring transcriptome-wide mRNA expressions and molecular activities in cells. Elucidation of gene expressions at the isoform resolution enables the detection of better molecular signatures for phenotype prediction, and the identified biomarkers may provide insights into the functional consequences of disease. This dissertation research focuses on developing advanced machine learning algorithms for mining large-scale RNA-Seq data in cancer transcriptome analysis. A platform-integrated model for transcript quantification (IntMTQ) is developed to improve the performance of RNA-Seq on isoform expression estimation. IntMTQ provides more precise RNA-Seq-based isoform quantification, and …

Local-Level Maternal And Infant Health: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of The Relationship Between Social Determinants Of Health, Maternal And Infant Health Outcomes, And Public Health Programs In Florida, Jacquelyn Reiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Current data highlight significant disparities in infant and maternal health (IMH) outcomes both when comparing outcomes to other countries and between groups within the U.S. Previous studies indicate that disparities in health outcomes are caused by health inequities. Health inequities are a result of marginalized groups historically being denied resources and exposed to increased risk directly impacting health. These resources and risks are considered social determinants of health (SDoH), such as income, housing, transportation, and access to care. Although SDoH influence individuals across multiple levels of society, communities are sites where individuals directly access protective resources and are potentially exposed …

Homogeneity Test On Error Rates From Ordinal Scores And Application To Forensic Science, Ngoc Ty Nguyen

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve is used to measure the classification accuracy of tests that yield ordinal or continuous scores. Ordinal scores are common in medical imaging studies and, more recently, in black-box studies on forensic identification accuracy (Phillips et al., 2018). To assess the accuracy of radiologists in medical imaging studies or the accuracy of forensic examiners in biometric studies, one needs to estimate the ROC curves from the ordinal scores and account for the covariates related to the radiologists or forensic examiners. In this thesis, we propose a homogeneity test to compare the performance of raters. We …

Volume Xxx (2023)

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Marge & Julia, Rodger Tarr

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Time Until Subsequent Pregnancy After Intrauterine Fetal Demise And Early Infant Death Based On Grieving Strategies, Gertride Delhomme

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the coping strategies of families and childbearing women after intrauterine fetal demise and early infant death. The secondary purpose is to examine the effect of grieving strategies after intrauterine fetal demise compared to early infant death on time until subsequent pregnancy in women of childbearing age. A literature review exploring parental grief and coping strategies to cope with loss and its effect on the subsequent pregnancy was conducted from various online databases. All reviewed articles in the analysis indicated that coping strategies consist of a diverse number of mechanisms during the bereavement …

Overtourism In Dichotomies: Uncovering Dynamic And Non-Dynamic Costs And Benefits In Three Tourism Destinations, Aarash Baktash

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The phenomenon of overtourism, characterized by its multifaceted impacts on destinations, has emerged as a major concern in the tourism industry. This dissertation aims to explore the dynamics of overtourism, emphasizing the dual impacts of main-source tourism markets on destinations in terms of their economic, social, and environmental consequences. Unlike existing literature, which focuses primarily on the negative aspects of overtourism, the present study illustrates the nuanced interaction between tourism markets by highlighting both their potential benefits and disadvantages. This study offers an in-depth analysis of cost and benefit factors based on a priori and a posteriori segmentation methodologies, combined …

Role Of Vitamin D, Folate, And Cobalamin Deficiency In Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis Infection And Inflammation, Joseph Vaccaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Vitamin D, folate, and cobalamin (vitamin B12) are crucial micronutrients in human physiology that are necessary for healthy calcium, phosphorus, and single-carbon metabolism. Recent studies have indicated that these vitamins also affect the inflammatory response in ways unrelated to their well-characterized deficiencies. Accordingly, analysis of their effect on chronic inflammatory diseases like Crohn's disease (CD) is warranted. This investigation examines the effects of vitamin deficiency on macrophages and intestinal epithelial cells upon exposure to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP,) a pathogen capable of triggering CD, to model the inflammatory response in clinical CD patients. ELISA analysis of CD patient plasma established …

Host Cell Responses Modulate Oncolytic Viral Treatment Of Neuroblastoma Cells, Kritika Kedarinath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Neuroblastoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer that is poorly responsive to traditional cancer therapies. Oncolytic viral (OV) vectors such as Zika virus (ZIKV) and Parainfluenza virus type 5 (P/V virus) are promising neuroblastoma therapeutics, but the role of innate immune responses in the effectiveness of OV killing is not well understood. Previous studies showed the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS (expressing low CD24) had low permissivity for ZIKV infection, and this restriction was relieved by ectopic CD24 expression (CD24-high cells). Compared to permissive CD24-high cells, the non-permissive CD24-low cells had elevated basal levels of IRF-1, NF?B and phosphorylated STAT1; these cells …

The Associations Among Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress And Birth Satisfaction Among Black Women, Amanda De La Serna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine the associations among experiences of racial discrimination, perceived stress and birth satisfaction among Black women, and to examine the mediating effect of perceived stress on the association of experiences of racial discrimination with birth satisfaction among Black women. The first manuscript is an integrative literature review which evaluates prior research of the association of stress with birth satisfaction, with consideration to studies that included Black women in their samples. This review revealed a need for further research evaluating stress and birth satisfaction specific to Black women. The second manuscript examines the …

Analysis Of Multi-Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using Split Deoxyribozymes, Abryana Fergus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Globally, tuberculosis, a disease caused by the species of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) complex, stands as a leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Even though antituberculous drugs are available, treatment is challenging due to antibiotic resistance associated with point mutations in the bacterial genome. Resistance to the first-line antibiotics – rifampin and isoniazid – results in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) requiring a more complicated treatment regimen. Timely and accurate identification of drug-resistant TB cases can help prescribe the most effective treatment and prevent the spread of infection. This research aims to develop an assay to discern multi-drug resistant forms …

A Developmental Investigation Of Separation And Analysis Of Molecular Mass 302 Da Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Chiral Stationary Phase, James Janesko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

High molecular weight – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAH) are often found where air, water, and soil are subject to higher levels of industrial pollutants. These molecules are environmentally concerning due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and tumorigenic propensities. Furthermore, the isomers in this family are challenging to separate due to similar retention parameters, spectroscopic fingerprints, and mass spectral patterns. The primary purpose of this dissertation is to expand on the methodology for separation and analysis of the molecular mass 302 Da six-ring isomers using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Retention behaviors of 21 commercially available isomers in synthetic mixture were collected via …

Defining Sober Harms And Factors That Influence Them: Blame It On The Alcohol?, Jessica Flori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Reductions in alcohol use have often led to smaller reductions in harms than expected, and this may result from inadequate measurement of alcohol-related consequences. Harms questionnaires typically include consequences that can occur in the absence of alcohol use leading to an over attribution of certain harms to drinking (e.g., an individual might endorse engaging in risky behavior while drinking and while sober). The purpose of this study was to examine limitations of harms assessment by collecting data on frequency of harms while drinking and while sober, and to identify potential determinants of harms unrelated to alcohol use. College student participants …