Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Prenatal Paternal Cigarette Smoke On Male Urogenital Disorders: A Systematic Review, Raphaelia V. Mcdonald

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Urogenital disorders, including cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and reduced semen quality, represent significant congenital and developmental challenges in male reproductive health. While maternal smoking during pregnancy is a well-established risk factor, emerging evidence indicates that paternal smoking may also have adverse effects on male offspring’s reproductive development. This systematic review assessed the impact of paternal cigarette smoke exposure before and during pregnancy on the incidence of various urogenital disorders.

By synthesizing data from five critical studies, we found that paternal smoking was associated with a 3.8-fold increased risk of cryptorchidism and hypospadias, a 1.26-fold reduction in semen quality, and potential epigenetic changes …

Exploring Nurses' Perspectives Of The Use Of Hospital Interpretation Technologies Versus Other Methods For Communicating With Non-English Language Preference (Nelp) Patients: A Literature Review, Natalie Moreira-Rivera

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Nurses' perspectives on the use of interpretation technologies compared to other methods for communicating with NELP patients when providing treatment in a hospital setting was explored utilizing a literature review. The literature search was conducted using CINHAL, APA PsychInfo, Medline, and Applied Science & Technology Source databases. The search resulted in 84 articles, of which 6 were eligible to be included in the narrative review. Three themes emerged that helped explain nurses’ perspectives: preferred technology, facilitators/benefits, and barriers/concerns. Interpretation technologies were preferred over in-person translators in most cases. Nurses and other healthcare providers perceived technologies as convenient, flexible, versatile, and …

Factors Leading To Osteoporosis In Turner Syndrome, Daniella O. Aleshinloye

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Turner Syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder from conception characterized by the partial or complete absence of the second X chromosome in females. Chromosomal abnormalities, both numerical and structural, contribute to a significantly higher prevalence of fractures (30.5-32.2%) compared to non-TS postmenopausal women (14.9%). This highlights the intrinsic bone abnormalities associated with TS and increased fracture risk. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) is commonly used to assess bone mineral density (BMD). However, its accuracy in individuals with TS is limited due to the partial volume effect, highlighting the need for further clinical research to understand bone density changes compared to …

Assessing The Prevalence Of Behavioral Work-Related Exposures Among Nail Technicians, Kayla R. Mecoli

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Nail technicians can be exposed to more chemicals and allergens than the general population due to the unique exposures they experience in their day-to-day operations. This study focused on behaviors nail technicians participated in that may have increased their risk of infection, pain, allergy, or ailment. A cross-sectional study was organized, assessing the prevalence of behavioral exposures among nail technicians and their correlation with other factors like prior education, workplace type, and symptoms experienced. The goal was to create a better understanding of how the modern-day nail technician is protecting themselves while working, by identifying gaps to facilitate the creation …

Dance Movement Therapy For Pediatric Oncology Patients And Its Effect On Cancer Therapy-Related Symptoms, Victoria M. Trautwein

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Pediatric cancer patients are susceptible to emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms impacting their quality of life. Dance movement therapy is a non-pharmacological method that has been shown to improve feelings of depression, anxiety, emotional, somatic symptoms, and overall quality of life. While much of cancer research is dedicated to finding cures, it is also important to focus on identifying methods for improving the symptoms and quality of life for pediatric cancer patients.

Aim: The purpose of the literature review is to examine studies that show the effects of dance movement therapy on pediatric oncology patients’ cancer-treatment related …

Unraveling The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Staphylococcus Aureus Carriage: A Comparative Research Of Pre- And Post-Pandemic Samples, Catherine G. Johnston

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant changes in the epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus carriage and disease. This study aims to assess these changes by leveraging respiratory samples collected from a longstanding cohort, comparing the genomic characteristics of S. aureus isolates from pre- and post-pandemic periods. We analyzed S. aureus genomes and phenotypically determined macrolide resistance to characterize population structure, antibiotic resistance, and virulence profiles. Changes in S. aureus carriage rates, macrolide resistance, disease occurrence, and population structure between samples collected pre- and post-pandemic were examined. By using respiratory samples, chart reviews, and risk factor questionnaires of 498 children from a …

Corporate Restructuring Spin-Off In A Technical Project-Based Organization, Stephen J. Davis

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

A technical project-based organization (TPBO) is a type of organizational setup that uses project management as the main economic driver. An TPBO tends to be adept at accepting change due to its inherent trait of constant change within the organization as resources move from project-to-project accepting scope changes along the way. Regardless of its ability to accept more change, every organization goes through a lifecycle. At some point, the organization must implement a change in the life cycle to avoid failure. A corporate restructuring spin-off is one way an organization can avoid organizational failure. Although the tool is used in …

A Quantitative Approach To The Analysis Of Human Hair For Forensic Examinations, David S. Hernandez Funes

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hair is frequent trace evidence found in crime scenes due to its high transfer potential due to natural shed. They can provide investigative information in various cases, including homicide, sexual assault, missing persons, and human trafficking. Physical examination of hair involves the analysis of microscopic features, such as color and pigmentation, commonly using bright field microscopy. Microscopical techniques are non-destructive, with minimum to no sample preparation that can be followed by chemical and biological analysis. Although individualization is not possible via microscopical methods, it can be used to include or exclude potential donors. However, previous microscopical techniques lack quantitative and …

Flora And The Cloud Maker: Exploring Burnout Through Animation, Tiffany Marin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Flora and The Cloud Maker is a two-dimensional (2D) animated short film inspired by my personal experiences as a graduate student learning to balance work-life demands. Pursuing higher education has generated many unanticipated challenges. One of these challenges includes experiencing the state of psychological exhaustion, or “burnout”. Flora and The Cloud Maker’s purpose is to show that burnout is common, and recovery is possible. Many graduate students struggle with work-life balance, burnout, and anxiety in their daily lives. Through strong use of color theory and charming visuals, Flora and The Cloud Maker demonstrates that though the road to higher education …

On Immunogenomic Evolution And Disease In Marine Turtles, Katherine R. Martin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Characterizing immune gene diversity and function is paramount to understanding population adaptive potential and species survival in the face of selective pressure from infectious disease. In this dissertation, I examined immune gene evolution and function using sea turtles to better understand the selective forces shaping reptile immunogenomic diversity. I focused on four species from the northwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico: loggerheads (Caretta caretta), green turtles (Chelonia mydas), leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii). In Chapter 2, I characterized MHC class I (MHCI) evolution and diversity in Ca. caretta …

The Lived Experiences Of Diverse Caregivers Of Children With Disabilities Participating In Out-Of-School Time Activities, Vanessa Spero

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of parents, family members, and caregivers of youth with disabilities from diverse backgrounds who participate in out-of-school time (OST) activities. This study acknowledged the low employment rate for people with disabilities and the potential for OST activities that utilize positive youth development (PYD) frameworks to increase life skill development to increase employment opportunities. Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology and photo-elicitation methods were used to engage six caregivers in a series of one to three interviews. These results were analyzed with three major themes and nine sub-themes identified. The identified themes and …

Blackened Faces: Unearthing The Political Shift Behind Illinois' Response To Racialized Labor Violence During The Virden Affair And Coal Wars Of 1898-1899, Jonathan C. Yegge

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis investigates the relationship between politics, law, race, mobility, and violence in 1890s Illinois to highlight the socio-political causes of a temporary pro-labor shift in Republican policy. It centers on Illinois Governor John R. Tanner’s atypical response to racialized labor violence during the Virden Affair and the broader Coal Wars of 1898-1899. This research builds on socio-economic and cultural studies of the labor movement and Black strikebreaking. It introduces state politics and law, two essential lenses of analysis which the historiography has largely neglected in favor of economics and bottom-up history. In lieu of the typical pro-labor accounts of …

Comprehensive Analytics Of Automated Vehicles’ Effectiveness, Benefits, And Crash Severity, Shengxuan Ding

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Automated Vehicles (AV) are increasingly becoming a reality, offering major road safety improvements and advancements through the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving Systems (ADS). Although research on AVs is progressing, several key gaps remain. There is a lack of sufficient matched data between AV and HDV crashes to compare their differences, along with a need for more detailed datasets to analyze ADS and ADAS crash severity and assess ADAS safety effectiveness. First, the research investigates overall trends within the AV dataset by utilizing 1,099 ADS, 1,001 ADAS and 35,113 HDV crash data. including ADS (Society …

Effectively Communicating Uncertainty In Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasts, Robert W. Eicher

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This body of research investigated methods for effectively communicating the inherent, technical uncertainty in tropical cyclone intensity forecasts through three separate studies. The first investigation uses Hurricane Laura as a case study. Laura rapidly intensified before making landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, catching some residents off guard. The study demonstrates how publics could be more effectively alerted to future hurricane worst-case scenarios using best practices recommended by the risk communication literature. The second study is an experiment that examines the effectiveness of adding numerical probability information to hurricane forecasts. Prior research suggests that using numeric probability information along with words and …

Nonlinear Dynamical Characteristics Of Electroencephalogram Signatures In Patients With Multiple Sclerosis, Christopher I. Hernandez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The application of nonlinear analysis in studying electroencephalography (EEG) signals has been increasingly applied to patients with neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Various nonlinear analysis methods have been employed to investigate MS, offering unique insights into understanding, diagnosing, and treating the condition. This study utilized two nonlinear analyses, sample entropy (SampEn) and Higuchi’s fractal dimension (HFD), to explore the effects of Interferon-β (IFN-β) and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) on patients with MS. Data were collected from 175 participants at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, across three groups: IFN-β (n = 39), DMF (n = 53), and healthy controls (n …

Agile Healthcare: The Effects Of Information Technology Ambidexterity And Human Resource Practices On Workforce Agility And Job Performance, Jorge Flavio Sarmiento Falla

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Healthcare organizations grapple with uncertainties and rapid changes, necessitating agility within their workforce. However, empirical studies on healthcare agility are notably scarce, impeding efforts to foster an agile workforce. Through a systematic literature review, human-related dimensions and information technology aspects were found to be relevant to healthcare agility. This study addresses the impact of Information Technology Ambidexterity (ITA) and Human Resource Practices (HRP) on establishing Workforce Agility (WA). Subsequently, the study also addresses the importance of WA for the job performance of healthcare professionals. Lastly, it evaluates the mediation effect of WA on the impact of both ITA and HRP …

School Experiences Of Young Adults Since The Passing Of "Don't Say Gay", Heather M. Summers

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

As of 2020, the US is home to an estimated over nine percent of youth 13-17 who identify as LGBTQ+ (Conron, 2020). There are hundreds of bills that have been passed into laws that restrict rights for LGBTQ+ individuals (Union, Mapping attacks on LGBTQ rights in US state legislatures in 2024, 2024). With risk factors specific to youth and with legislation altering the operation of schools, there is concern regarding the effect of such laws on students (Day, 2019). This dissertation provides an overview of how LGBTQ+ youth in schools have experienced the implementation of laws that emerged between 2022 …

Public Influence On Small Wars: Somalia And A Theory Of Constituent Discontent, Barry Smith

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Public opinion predicts American small war sustainment through institutional causal mechanisms of Congress and political-military relations. An increase in general public disapproval (not necessarily connected to a war) predicts the time when Members of Congress look to their constituents for policy changes to appease broad frustration. Constituent discontent toward a U.S. small war is absorbed by individual legislators, translated into legislative constraint, and projected onto the Department of Defense that is highly attentive to Congress. America abandons war aims, despite its military advantage over adversaries, when the ways and means available for military operations are constrained by a threat or …

The Renaissance Of The Traphagen Farm, Ann Mccutchan

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Writing Award Co-Winner Graduate Essay: "Douglas And Rawlings: Literary Awareness And Advocacy Of Florida Environment", Hind Berji

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Writing Award Co-Winner Graduate Essay: The Social Problems With Cross Creek's Transcendentalism, Mohammed Forero Bucheli

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Contextualizing Tiktok Controversies: Critical Discourse Analysis Of Platform Privacy Debates, Bshaer Kameil Aharazi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study focuses on online news coverage of TikTok's privacy policies to uncover accusations related to security threats between October 2020 and May 2023. Using critical discourse analysis, the research compares TikTok's discourse with other platforms like Facebook and YouTube, highlighting the role of governments, tech companies, and users in shaping this discourse. Furthermore, it demonstrates how cultural and political factors influence privacy discussions, particularly regarding the controversies, discussions, and accusations between the United States and China. AI tool ChatGPT analyzes the discourse by focusing on the news texts' most prominent topics and keywords. The goal is to identify key …

Chinese Masculinities During The Maoist Era: Representations Of Model Men, Daniel L. Izadirad Mr.

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis analyzes male characters from Maoist era movies, novels, and posters to argue that the Importance of Wen masculinity, a man’s intellectual and artistic talents, was downplayed, and even feminized while the importance of Wu masculinity, a man’s martial and athletic talents, was increased and encouraged as these forms of media came under increasingly stringent regulation from the Chinese Communist Party. This thesis examines sources from 1949-1976 dividing them into three periods: the Early People’s Republic (1949-1965), the Early Cultural Revolution (1966-1969), and the Late Cultural Revolution (1970-1976). Each chapter studies revolutionary protagonists and counterrevolutionary antagonists and explores how …

Contributing Factors And Interventions For Increased Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (Clabsi) Rates During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review, Brittney Perry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this literature review is to determine the contributing factors of CLABSI rate increases during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify interventions which restored CLABSI rates to pre-pandemic levels to guide healthcare professionals’ actions during the next pandemic. Background: In the first two decades of the 21^st century, CLABSI rates were reduced in United States hospitals by innovating safer patient care practices. However, there was a significant increase in the annual CLABSI rate in 2020 and 2021, increasing the average length of stay, mortality rate, and cost to the U.S. healthcare system. Methods: An extensive search of CINAHL …

Financial Issues And Trends Among Testicular Cancer Patients: A Review Of Patient-Reported Outcomes, Treatments, And Employment, Staphana Valery Edouard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study reviewed existing literature on the effects of treatment and recovery costs on the multidimensional wellness of testicular cancer (TC) survivors. Peer-reviewed and scholarly articles were systematically searched and analyzed to determine the extent and impact of the overall financial effects of a TC diagnosis. This study aimed to uncover evidence indicating the possible decline in overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to the potential deleterious effects on TC survivors’ financial well-being.

We found that TC survivors’ HRQoL is affected due to the damages of high out-of-pocket treatment costs, possible loss of employment, disability, and any other …

Exploring Evidence-Based Intervention Methods In The Juvenile Justice System, Edgar J. Quinones-Gomez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A large body of research has been devoted to understanding evidence-based interventions (EBI) and their effectiveness in the juvenile justice system. This systematic review examines three commonly used interventions used to reduce recidivism among adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Functional Family Therapy (FFT), and Multisystemic Therapy (MST). The systematic review analyzes findings from prior studies evaluating the impact of CBT, FFT, and MST on recidivism among adjudicated youth. The sample includes 23 peer-reviewed studies that utilized samples of adjudicated youth in the United States and were published after 2010. Findings revealed CBT as the most …

Recognizing Risk Factors Of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia In Neonates ≥ 24 And ≤ 32 Weeks Of Gestational Age, Hannah Tatro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung condition that is diagnosed among neonates who are on oxygen therapy for longer than 28 days. BPD causes insufficient gas exchange due to prematurely developed lungs and is the most common condition that causes morbidity of prematurity. Many risk factors contribute to the development of this condition and relate to care from the delivery room to the first few days of life.

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to examine risk factors related to the development of BPD in neonates from the gestational ages of 24 to 32 weeks.

Methods: …

Sars-Cov-2 Infection History Is Positively Correlated With Frequency Of Psychotic Symptoms In Schizophrenia, Jackson D. Beecher

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous work in human and animal studies has implicated aberrant insular cortex (IC) activity in the pathophysiology of hallucinations. Of note, the IC overlaps with the olfactory cortex (OC), a region of the brain that receives extensive projections from sensory neurons of the olfactory epithelium. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious coronavirus with a demonstrated ability to cause anosmia; the virus does this by colocalizing with and damaging support cells in the olfactory epithelium, ultimately leading to alterations in olfactory receptor cell signaling to the OC. Given the overlap between OC and IC, we asked the question of whether COVID-19 …

Predicting Willingness To Attain Telehealth Medical Treatment From Personality Variables, Maxwell J. Belshe

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The continued integration of technology into healthcare has made telehealth a vital resource. Yet, factors influencing individuals' willingness to seek telehealth treatment remain relatively underexplored. In this study, I examined the relationship between social media use, personal growth, environmental mastery, and social anxiety, as well as their relationship to college students’ willingness to utilize telehealth services. A sample of 402 participants was surveyed and a multiple regression analysis was conducted to assess these variables' abilities to predict willingness to use telehealth services. The model explained 10.6% of the variance in willingness to use telehealth with social media use and personal …

Ula Reflections Within Specialized Chemistry — Trace Evidence, A Forensic Science Course, Jiyeong Hong, Laura Hilario Garcia, Brooke Bass

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2024

This presentation is to display our experience as a ULA in a specialized chemistry course within the forensic science program, Trace Evidence. This course is an upper-level chemistry course that requires a strong foundation in organic and analytical chemistry and is required for all tracks in the forensic science undergraduate program. Trace Evidence also utilizes team-based learning and a flipped modality. We were tasked with helping students during active learning activities regarding the current content by using guiding questions. We learned the best way to help students was to ask open-ended questions, enhance their motivation, and understand their frustrations or …