Digital Commons Network^™

Through A Cultural Lens: The Association Between Parentification And Identity Development In Relation To Ethnicity, Jasmine A. Garcia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Expectations of children to perform parenting tasks above their development level, a phenomenon known as parentification, is said to be destructive in western literature. However, in other cultures, children taking on some parenting duties may not be considered a detriment but rather an attribute of filial responsibility. The current study examined the relationships between identity distress and parentification as it differs by culture. A comparison of parentification by ethnicity revealed that individuals who did not classify as an ethnic minority experienced significant levels of identity distress compared to ethnic minority individuals regarding parentification. This variation may be attributed to elements …

Protection Or Control? – The History & Impact Of The Major Crimes Act On Native Americans And Its Future In Criminal Law, Cameron A. Garrow

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this thesis, I traced the history of the Major Crimes Act of 1885, focusing on United States Supreme Court cases regarding the Act's enforcement and its constitutionality. In particular, analysis focused on how the USSC's decisions affected Native Americans within the field of criminal law, both as defendants and victims, and how these decisions prove to be contradictory or unjustly detrimental in nature. There is also focus on the ongoing issues in the state of Oklahoma resulting from the Major Crimes Act's enforcement that have begun to spread from a state-level crisis into a nationwide problem. The thesis concludes …

The Overlooked Importance Of Repetition And Retention In Jewish Prayer, Akiva Groman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Modern methods of education pertaining to Jewish prayer services in schooling had been seen to be lacking when looking at the connection students feel while praying. Students will often be distracted or deliberately avoiding prayer since they are unaware of what is happening. The following research hopes to propose a system to increase engagement and connection by having individuals follow the prayers during the orated portions of prayer. By exposing a set of participants with limited knowledge of the Jewish prayer services to repeated exposure of reading while following along with the words, we hope to show an increase in …

Semi-Robotic Knee Arthroscopy System With Braking Mechanism, Thai Hua

Honors Undergraduate Theses

To alleviate the poor ergonomics which surgeons suffer during knee arthroscopy, a semi-robotic device with braking mechanism is created for intraoperative assistance. A slitted ball joint assembly is developed to transmit the clamping force to the arthroscope inside. Ball deformation and stress at various angles to the vertical and clamping forces is recorded through Abaqus Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Contact forces between the scope and inner surfaces of the ball is also computed in FEA at different clamping forces. The von Mises stress occurring in the ball joint is under the yield stress limit for polyethylene, and there is noticeable …

The Implications Of Religion And Internal Motivations On Health Behaviors, Sarah Jamaleddine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

It is considered that religion and internal motivations may act as guiding forces behind the thoughts and actions of individuals. The purpose of this thesis is to explore if religiousness and internal motivations may influence individual health behaviors. To explore these relationships, a convenience sample using a 5-minute Qualtrics survey with questions regarding religiousness, internal motivations, and health behaviors was developed. This survey was offered to UCF students over the course of a few semesters. It is hypothesized that individuals that indicate more religiousness and stronger internal motivations (greater internal locus of control and self-efficacy) will demonstrate more positive health …

Effectiveness Of Acoustic Design In Public Spaces, Jana V. Jirgens

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this thesis, a discussion on the effectiveness of acoustic design in public spaces is made. The auditory properties of a location have noteworthy implications on the success of a building's design and how a room is perceived. Depending on the requirements of each location, either a reverberant or sound-absorbing approach is best suited for the environment. Moreover, public health is negatively affected by long-term involuntary noise exposure. Because of this, there is an obvious demand for continued and expanded study in acoustic design. This thesis aims to challenge interior design choices made in four testing locations: a classroom, a …

Detection Of Familiar Versus Unfamiliar Auditory Stimuli, Nupur S. Kumar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explored auditory thresholds relating to the cocktail party effect and ringtones. The cocktail party effect describes when meaningful stimuli are able to be detected at lower thresholds when compared to other stimuli. Speech has always been considered special in its perception, especially with its connection to the cocktail party effect; however, other auditory stimuli may also be significant. Previous literature has examined how the motor system may be involved in speech perception and the qualities of speech that make its perception unique. At the same time, other research has examined how other auditory stimuli may also require special …

The Effects Of Past Betrayals On Trust Behavior, Trenton D. Lam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Experiencing interpersonal betrayals or trust violations can often create negative consequences for victims when creating new relationships. Past studies have found that trauma from previous betrayals can impair trust and thereby trust behavior for victims in the future. However, little research has been done to empirically characterize this connection and existing studies have provided conflicting results. The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between past trust violations, measured through the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS), and present self-reported trust and trust behavior. Differences in trust behavior between those with or without a history of betrayals was measured …

The Effects Of Virtual Reality-Based Mindfulness Meditation On Cognition, Rafael Leite

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Due to relatively recent strides made in the field of virtual reality, the technology's potential use in a clinical setting has been the focus of a growing body of research. Multiple studies focus on benefits of its combination with meditation interventions; however, few explore its impact following a short-term period of utilizing both. This investigation aims to explore that gap in the literature by determining whether an improvement on mindfulness and working memory test scores would be seen following a single session of virtual reality meditation. That was done by randomly assigning participants to one of two conditions. One group …

Characteristics Of Anxiety In Autistic Adults, Melissa Lewis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Modern Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research has shifted in focus from explaining a debilitating childhood illness to helping individuals of all ages, cultures, and intelligence navigate their social problems. Understanding of the adult perspective has also grown massively since the autism diagnosis changed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in 2013 and has brought into question how the neurodevelopmental disorder affects the individual. Anxiety symptoms in ASD, like the existence of camouflaging, have proven unique only to ASD, and recent findings suggests that the cause of anxiety in autistic individuals may be due to fundamental differences in communication …

Na Our Cinema Be This: The Evolution Of Themes In Nigerian Cinema, Carol C. Merengwa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper examines the themes in Nigerian cinema, popularly referred to as Nollywood, and their evolution over time. This analysis will give indigenous and colonial context to the origins of filmmaking in Nigeria and illustrate how the societal events impacting the country influenced the subject matter being explored. Through research from scholarly journals, review of specific films, and input from filmmakers in the industry, we will gain an understanding of Nollywood cinema and the stories which Nigerian filmmakers decide to share.

An Analysis Of The Role Of Fentanyl In Fatal Overdoses In Orange County, Logan Michalski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Fentanyl is a potent narcotic analgesic that leads to countless overdoses each year. Past studies have shown that fentanyl use has been growing substantially in counties within Florida. However, little research has been done to quantify and analyze rates of fentanyl overdose within Orange County, particularly over multiple year periods of time. The goal of this study is to provide information and analysis on the rates of fentanyl overdose within Orange County, Florida from 2019 to 2021, and to explore demographic factors that correlate with fentanyl overdose. It is hypothesized that the rate of fentanyl overdoses will have significantly increased …

U.S. Party Platforms And Their Response To Racial Issues, Megan Moylan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines the handling of racial issues in United States political party platforms from 1964 to 2016. The primary objective of this study is to analyze how the two major political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, have approached issues of race in their platforms.

To accomplish this, a content analysis was conducted on the platforms of both parties during this time period. Each reference to race in the platforms was categorized as either "acclaim," "defend," or "attack." "Acclaim" refers to statements that praise racial progress or advocate for policies that benefit marginalized communities. "Defend" refers to …

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Identity: The Role Of Ego-Dystonicity, Andrea B. Mullin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been linked to a dysmorphic construction of self that is closely tied to mental illness (Bhar & Kyrios, 2007). Although associations have been found, no study has determined the impact of OCD on one's self-perception, to better understand how to resolve patients' dysmorphic construction and fear of oneself. College students (N = 410; M = 20.60, SD = 4.27) completed an anonymous online survey for course credit. The survey consisted of a demographic questionnaire, the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (Foa et al., 2002), theEgo-Dystonicity Questionnaire (Purdon et al., 2007), and the Self-concept Identity Measure (Kaufman et …

Therapeutic Gardening And Its Effects On Depressive Symptoms In Dementia Care, Shannon E. Norton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To present a literature review of the positive effects and overall reduction of depressive symptoms that an intervention such as therapeutic gardening has on individuals living within memory care facilities.

Background: As most humans age, they often lose abilities or skills that they have had for their entire lives (e.g. driving, grooming, toileting, seeing and/or hearing). By implementing programs that involve therapeutic garden therapy, individuals with dementia who are at greater risk for clinical depressive symptoms may find that this alternative approach improves their symptoms.

Methods: A comprehensive, electronic, literature search in the CINAHL database was completed and included …

Antiziganism And The Rise In Electoral Success Of Extreme Right-Wing Parties In Central And Eastern Europe, Mohamedameen I. Osman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

My thesis explores the association between Roma's perceptions of discrimination against them by native populations and electoral support of populist or extreme right-wing parties in Central and Eastern Europe. Roma communities have historically been discriminated and persecuted; however according to findings in the literature, during the Cold War there had been improvements in terms of protection of their rights and their economic advancement. Following the end of the Cold War, however, Roma lost these protections and their status worsened. This deterioration is partly attributed to the rise of far-right parties in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe; this connection, …

Evaluation Of The Violence And Stigmatization Against Children With Disabilities: A Literature Review, Nmesoma Ozougwu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Violence and Stigmatization against children with disabilities are critical public health issues. Children with disabilities are a vulnerable population as they are exposed to various forms of discrimination and violence globally. The forms of abuse include, but are not limited to, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The experiences of Children with disabilities are massively undocumented and there is also a lack of existing literature addressing the issue. The abuse and violence against children with disabilities are also underreported specifically in cultures where this abuse is socially accepted. There are gaps in the literature regarding the condition of children with disabilities …

Possible Relationship Between Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation And Recovery From Resistance Training, Saagar R. Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplementation and recovery from resistance training. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is commonly found in marine sources. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are widely known for offering cardiovascular health benefits and for their anti-inflammatory properties, but their role in resistance training recovery is a relatively novel area of research. This review was conducted by qualitatively analyzing a collection of studies that have been published on the relationship between Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplementation and recovery from resistance training in either resistance-trained or untrained …

Learning Disabilities And The Impact Of Accommodation Programs In Post-Secondary Education, Jacqueline Persaud

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As enrollment rates for students with learning disabilities steadily increase, post-secondary institutions must become more inclusive. Current literature reveals a gap in studies between post-secondary education and student views on access programs. Our endeavor focused on this community. The survey was distributed using SONA and by the Student Accessibility Services Office via Qualtrics. Our study looked at 312 participants, aged from 18 - over 30 years old and who varied in sex. More satisfaction with accommodations equated to more academic competence towards goals. However, the results showed less satisfaction with personal lives and self-acceptance. This is possibly due to participants …

The Encapsulation Of Enzymes In Multiphase Complex Coacervates, Akash R. Rajaram

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Polyelectrolyte complex coacervates (PECCs) result from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in solutions containing oppositely charged polymers ¹. Multiphase polyelectrolyte complex coacervates (MPECCs) result from the combination of multiple, specific PECCs ². The encapsulation of proteins in PECCs can serve as promising vehicles for the effective delivery of protein-based therapeutics, which are notoriously difficult to deliver. The encapsulation of model proteins, such as Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) ³ or Human Hemoglobin (Hb) ⁴ have illustrated the protein-encapsulating capabilities of these PECC systems. The encapsulation of proteins in MPECCs is a topic that has yet to be explored; however, it …

Provider Perceptions On The Usage Of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy To Influence Behavior Change In Individuals With Substance Use Disorders, Leia T. Rausch

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Recent research studies and clinical trials have suggested that psychedelic therapy with psychological support can offer beneficial and synergistic effects in reducing or eliminating substance use disorder (SUD) patterns and symptoms. However, very little is known about SUD healthcare providers' perceptions of the usage of psychedelic-assisted therapy in SUD treatment. The present study assesses biomedical SUD healthcare providers' perceptions and concerns to better understand potential barriers to the effective implementation of psychedelic-based therapies and formulate further recommendations for research efforts surrounding them. This study collected data through a short survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews from nine participants involved in SUD …

Gateways To Lived Experiences: Analyzing Florida's B.E.S.T. Elementary Ela Standards To Create A Standards-Based Inventory List Of Multicultural K-2 Children's Literature, Elizabeth D. Rios

Honors Undergraduate Theses

All educators are responsible for making their students feel safe, capable, and seen in the classroom. One way this can be accomplished is by implementing culturally responsive pedagogy. Our students will come from many different backgrounds. One of the most vital ways students will feel seen is by having characters in the books they read that they can identify with and learn from. Therefore, teachers should put effort into including children's literature in their classrooms by choosing culturally diverse books that are also high-quality and align with state standards. There are many high-quality pieces of children's literature that include culturally …

The Role Of Mental Health Evaluations In The Prevention And Intervention Of School Shootings, Livine Saint-Louis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In 2022, there were forty-two mass school shootings, a record that surpassed the previous years. As of April 2023, there have already been fourteen school shootings that have resulted in injury or death. Each year, the frequency of mass school shootings and the number of victims continue to rise. Regarding the shooters' characteristics, some have reported a history of mental illness, instability within the home, poor academic performance, and more. In the United States (U.S.), one out of five children and adolescents are diagnosed with mental health disorders (Brookman, 2017). This study will examine four significant perpetrators that committed mass …

Effect Of Molecular Crowders On The Activation Of Cholera Toxin By Protein Disulfide Isomerase, Niral Shah

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cholera toxin (CT) is a classic A-B type protein toxin that has an A subunit (A1 + A2) and a pentameric B subunit. The catalytic A1 domain is linked to the A2 domain via a disulfide linkage. CTA1 must be dissociated from the rest of the toxin to cause a cytopathic effect. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) can reduce the CTA1/CTA2 disulfide bond, but disassembly of the reduced toxin requires the partial unfolding of PDI that occurs when it binds to CTA1. This unfolding event allows PDI to push CTA1 away from the rest of the toxin.

My research question is …

Investigating The Effects Of Paraquat On Kidney Disease Biomarkers In Hek293 Cells, Zounaira Shahzad

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Farmworkers in Apopka, FL, have been subjected to overhead pesticide exposure since the 1940s. Pesticides including Paraquat (PQ), Metribuzin and Aldicarb were sprayed onto the field while farmworkers worked. In "Fed Up: The High Cost of Cheap Food," farmworkers recalled the physical toll these conditions took on their bodies, blaming pesticides for their diseases, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD). While established that pesticides, specifically PQ, may be involved in some forms of Parkinson's disease, no explicit connection has been identified for SLE, CKD, and other diseases experienced by farm workers. This study evaluated whether pesticides could contribute to kidney …

Observation Of Gapless Nodal-Lines In A Rare-Earth-Based Compound, Robert Smith

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of quantum materials by employing a combination of experimental techniques, such as angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and magnetic and transport measurements. Further collaborative support in the form of first-principles calculations is included and discussed in tandem. In this thesis, a lanthanide-based semimetal of the ZrSiS type, is investigated. Multiple nodal lines which remain gapless are observed along the X-R direction of the Brillouin zone. We also present a nodal line that is observed further below the Fermi level and aligned in the G-M direction; this nodal line appears to be sensitive to light …

Soft Skills In Stem, Mariana Sorroza Aguilar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Those working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are delivering world-changing solutions to the problems we face and are saving lives every day. Some of them do surgeries, some design airplanes and cars, others study the wildlife around us, and others create processes to facilitate the manufacturing of devices we use often. In order to do this, the engineers, scientists, doctors, and other professionals in STEM disciplines need to possess hard skills. Hard skills are often called technical skills and are measurable abilities and skills that are needed to perform tasks effectively. The tasks done share something in …

Does The Health Literacy Of Spanish Speakers Impact Their Vaccination Decisions?: A Literature Review Of Related Research, Kelly Tran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: The Hispanic community has historically faced high rates of vaccine hesitancy when compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. This not only poses a threat to their individual health, but also to their community. In a population that is disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infections, it is critical to address vaccine uptake concerns to control the pandemic and prevent future spread of infections.

Objective: This study aims to explore Spanish speakers' vaccination decisions and to explore whether improving health literacy would be an effective approach in increasing vaccination rates. The secondary objective is to describe the role of physicians in decreasing …

The Efficacy Of Treatment Of Symptoms Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Associated Health Risks Using Insulin Sensitizers: A Meta-Analysis, Isabella J. Wong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is common among women of reproductive age (ages 15-49), and it can put patients at higher risk for diseases such as type II diabetes or coronary heart disease. While the mechanisms behind PCOS are poorly understood, it is diagnosed using two characteristics: hyperandrogenism and anovulation. Once diagnosed, many patients are also tested for insulin resistance (IR). While IR is thought of as a symptom of PCOS, this study will examine the effects of treatment of IR to manage symptoms of PCOS rather than treatment of hyperandrogenism. This meta-analysis used data from studies previously published by searching …

The Impact Of Student-Led Lactation Education On Self-Efficacy In Clinical Simulation: An Integrative Literature Review, Kaitlyn Flores Yu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Simulation is a critical component of nursing education. It provides a safe environment to practice and evaluate skills, supplements clinical hours, and removes barriers to a well-rounded education. Nurses are expected to be educators as part of our scope of practice, and simulation can facilitate this. One topic of nursing importance is lactation education, as breastfeeding has been shown to have multiple benefits for both mother and baby. National rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months do not currently meet CDC recommendations. The pedagogy known as the Protégé Effect suggests that learning can be improved through teaching. Breastfeeding …