Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploration Of The Oral Microbiome In Non-Ventilated Hospitalized Patients, Kimberly Emery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) impacts 1 in 100 hospitalized patients and is a significant patient concern due to its negative clinical outcomes. Many factors play a role in NV-HAP development: oral health, oral care, microaspiration risk, and the oral microbiome. Little is known about how the oral microbiome alters during hospitalization. This study explored changes in the oral microbiome of non-ventilated hospitalized patients over time and analyzed the relationship between the oral microbiome, pre-hospital residence, and NV-HAP. A prospective, observational design was used to recruit 46 non-ventilated adults 65 years and older from a large medical center in central …

Plasmonic Sensor Based Detection Of Dopamine, Sang Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

With a rapidly ageing population, neurological diseases are becoming increasingly relevant in the design of public health policies and strategies in western societies. In the last decades, biochemical research has consistently shown the critical role that neurotransmitters and their associated metabolites play as biomarkers in tracking and diagnosis of different brain disorders and cancers. In particular, dopamine, an organic electrochemical neurotransmitter, has been shown to be paramount for the proper functioning of the neural system. Dopamine's dysfunction, has been shown to underlie the pathogenesis in several neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, depression, chronic schizophrenia and psychosis. Unfortunately, currently available …

Surface Engineering For Controlled Growth And Deposition Of Nanomaterials - Assembly And Design At The Nano-Microscale, David Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Materials with nanoscale dimensions offer several important benefits over bulk materials (e.g. increased surface area, low-cost, deviation from bulk properties, etc.). Such materials are critical components for next-generation energy storage materials, optoelectronic devices, and catalyst systems. However, these materials are often processed in liquid media, and their diminutive structures are fragile in the presence of capillary forces. As such, preparing uniform and stable nanomaterial coatings is a significant challenge. Herein, we discuss an approach where the substrate itself is factored into the assembly and growth of these materials. First, nanoporous surfaces were utilized to achieve a uniform deposition of one-dimensional …

How Small Organic Osmolytes Modulate Actin Filament Assembly Kinetics And Mechanics, Pavlo Kravchuk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Actin filament assembly and mechanics are crucial for muscle contraction, maintenance of cell structure, motility, and division. Actin filament assembly occurs in a crowded intracellular environment consisting of various types of molecules, including small organic molecules known as osmolytes. Ample evidence highlights the protective functions of osmolytes such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), including their effects on protein stability and their ability to counteract cellular osmotic stress. Recently, TMAO has been shown to counteract the denaturing effects of urea on actin filament assembly based on bulk fluorescence assays. Yet, how TMAO affects individual actin filament assembly dynamics and mechanics is not well …

Remote Learning During Covid-19 On Internal Medicine Residents' Education: Barriers And Enhancements Through Lived Experiences, Stephanie Rivera-Velazquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered instructional changes within higher education. Accommodations for continued instruction included a transition to remote learning. However, little research exists regarding the experiences of medical residents during this transition in their education while combating the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study, phenomenological in nature, aimed to explore the lived experiences of internal medicine medical residents at one medical college in Central Florida regarding the transition from face-to-face instruction to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven participating medical residents underwent semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Garrison's Community of Inquiry conceptual model and Hall and Hord's Concerns-Based Adoption Model …

Advancing Medical Education By Optimizing The Use Of Formal And Informal Curriculum Resources, Ziana Bagot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Current and aspiring medical school students are inundated by curriculum resources. To optimize the curriculum resources that are offered in medical education, the present work examines both institutionally and commercially developed resources from the lens of various stakeholders through three separate, yet related, studies. The first study, a scoping review, synthesizes and recognizes gaps in scholarship regarding obstacles that underrepresented, pre-medical students encounter in applying to medical school, specifically focusing on the impact of access to commercial test preparation resources. A review of existing literature regarding this population's medical school admission difficulties yielded a majority of non-empirical, deficit-focused articles that …

Deadly Combinations: Factors That Are Associated With Simultaneous And Concurrent Polysubstance Use, Laura Lightfoot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Mortality reports show that most overdose deaths include more than one substance. In addition, there is a gap in the literature that discusses risk factors for polysubstance use. The objective of this study was to explore what factors relate to the likelihood of engaging in polysubstance use, defined as using more than one substance. Specifically, the goal was to evaluate predictors of simultaneous (i.e., the use of alcohol and another substance at the same time in the past six months) polysubstance use and concurrent (i.e., the use of any two substances in the past six months) polysubstance use, vs. no …

Targeting L-Arginine Metabolism To Control Small Cell Lung Cancer Transformation, Robert L. Burns Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cancer is known for its unregulated and mutagenic characteristics. The topic of targeting cancer by inhibiting the metabolic pathways it uses to thrive has been a focus of modern cancer research. Specifically, in lung cancer, the transformation from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a focus. This transformation often comes with a grimmer prognosis and reduced survival rate. This is primarily due to SCLC being resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. This frontline treatment for EGFR mutant NSCLC has shown to be quite effective until transformation to SCLC occurs. To further study …

The Effectiveness Of Therapeutic Interventions For The Management Of Vulvodynia: An Integrated Literature Review, Arianna Cohen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Problem: Vulvodynia, an unexplained vulvar pain, is a medical condition affecting women of all ages, races, and ethnicities and causes pain levels ranging from very mild discomfort to extreme suffering.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore women’s knowledge toward seeking care for vulvodynia and to explore the different types of treatments prescribed after diagnosis. The secondary purpose of this review was to describe the treatments most effective in reducing pain caused by vulvodynia.

Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using articles from 2001 to 2021 that focused on diagnosis of vulvodynia and the relief of …

Obstetrical Nursing Care And Cesarean Section Delivery Rates In Laboring Women: An Integrative Review Of Literature, Ayana Cornelius

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: There is a documented overuse of C-sections (CS) in the United States. The majority of research surrounding CS overuse focuses on the physician’s role, location (state, city, hospital), hospital policies, and the reason why the CS is being performed. Little research focuses on the nurse’s influence on CS outcomes, although nurses spend the longest amount of time with the patient. Methods: Data for this literature review examined 13 research articles between 1992 to present, exploring factors relating to the overuse of CS, specifically, data relating to the correlation between CS and the nurse’s role. Results: Recent research has shown …

The Relationship Between Methadone Familiarity And Methadone Opinions Among Community Corrections Staff, Luis Israel Culcas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis. Fortunately, effective treatments for opioid use disorder exist (OUD); however, they are underutilized. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) decrease death by 50 %. These MOUDs are particularly relevant in the criminal justice population given that this population has a higher OUD disease burden but is less likely than the general population to receive this life-saving treatment. Research has identified negative attitudes toward MOUDs among corrections staff as a barrier to utilizing MOUDs. This thesis examines the relationships between community correction staff familiarity with methadone, one type of MOUD, …

The Efficacy Of The Role Of Therapeutic Play In Alleviating Pain Or Anxiety In Pediatric Cancer Patients, Savannah B. Duke

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic play in alleviating pain or anxiety in the pediatric cancer patient.

Background: Therapeutic play is an intervention often incorporated within the care of pediatric cancer patients and children with other disease processes to promote well-being. Even though play therapy is supported by research, nurses have the option to implement nursing care interventions in a play-like manner. Therapeutic play is an individualized technique that provides an intentional opportunity for children to express their emotional responses in a controlled environment.

Method: The databases used in this search included CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, ERIC, and Education …

The Relationship Between The Population's Perception Of Herniated Intervertebral Disks And Their Known Physical Presentation, Jonah D. Gant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The second most common lumbosacral diagnosis in the United States is a herniation or prolapse of the intervertebral disc. Individuals with herniated discs can have a wide variety of clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic to severe spinal cord compression and pain. Studies suggest that an individual’s pre-existing perception of a condition is likely to influence their course of recovery. Currently, perceptions the general public holds regarding the consequences of disc herniation is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess current views regarding disc herniations in the general population with their reported prevalence and clinical outcome. This was …

A Retrospective Dosimetry Comparison To Define Uncertainties Found In A Novel Intensity Modulated Electron Therapy (Imet) Treatment Technique For Use In Radiation Therapy, Marco A. Masciantonio

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study will investigate the difference in radiation at different volumes between traditional electron beam therapy and a novel IMET. The difference in dose will be recorded between the novel IMET and the IMET with a slight shift in the target area. The percent difference between this new model treatment and the model treatment with a shift will be calculated. The main goal of this project is to determine if the target area is still sufficiently treated with this slight shift of the patient in different directions. The percent difference is crucial for the success of this project. It will …

The Intertwined Relationship Of Stress And Sleep Quality Of Undergraduate Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jordan Nguyen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study aims to examine the relationship between stress and sleep of undergraduate students during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The possibly correlational relationship between these two parameters was determined with respect to how this population was faring during recent times, two years into the pandemic. The study also served to examine how this relationship changed over time based on three time frames: before the pandemic, during the advent of the lockdown (March 2020-May 2020), and during recent times. A survey was developed to collect data from the undergraduate participants for correlation and regression analysis to determine the relationship …

The Effects Of Delayed Initial Bathing In Newborns, Danielle Nitzachon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Delayed bathing of the newborn infant for twenty-four hours after birth can decrease potential newborn complications such as hypoglycemia, hypothermia, and improve the infants skin integrity and breastfeeding rates. The primary purpose of this literature review was to examine the health benefits of delaying initial bathing in newborns for twenty-four hours. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed using peer-reviewed, research articles from multiple databases focusing on delayed infant bathing after birth and health benefits. 15 articles met the inclusion criteria and answered the research questions. Two studies showed the effects of vernix caseosa on improved skin integrity and …

Internal State Language And Coping In Narratives Of Covid-19: Relation To Psychological Well-Being, Divya Pradipkumar Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic had global consequences for billions of individuals, including high rates of mortality and morbidity, lost income, and prolonged social isolation. In the short and long term, this crisis will have an impact on people's lives and mental health. The current correlational study looks at how internal state language, stress, and coping are used in college students' narratives concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown experiences in relation to psychological well-being. A sample of 216 undergraduate students completed surveys that recorded their narrative experiences of COVID-19, psychological well-being, depression severity, and measure of how stressful occurrences in one’s life …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of The Relationship Between The Creb Protein's Neuroplastic Functions And The Implications In Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Possible Link Between Synaptic Plasticity And Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mani Sarmast

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this two-part study, I investigated whether the cyclic-adenosine monophosphate response element-binding (CREB) protein has the potential to be clinically modulated as a therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Part one consisted of a systematic review that was conducted on select articles gathered through a stepwise method to explore (1) the relationship between diseased, neurodegenerative brains and levels of active, phosphorylated CREB (pCREB), (2) increased activation of CREB as a treatment for neurodegenerative symptoms, and (3) a potential therapeutic drug for neurodegenerative diseases that can target CREB signaling. The results of the systematic review showed evidence that suggested …

Uterine Fibroid Prevalence And Health Care Disparities By County. Florida, 2010-2019, Saarah K. Sherifi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Also known as uterine fibroids, leiomyomas occur in 70% of women. A uterine leiomyoma is a benign growth in the muscular wall of the uterus which, if left untreated, can grow, and affect surrounding organs, leading to complications, including hemorrhage and death. Symptomatic women often experience pain and debilitating menstrual cycles which, in turn, result in poor health, poor quality of life, and loss of income. Preventative and treatment services in Florida could benefit from the characteristics of women affected the most by this disease in the state. Thus, we describe the demographic characteristics and estimate the prevalence rate of …

The Association Between Obesity And Covid-19: An Analysis Of Risk Factors, Talib H. Hakim

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to focus on whether solely obesity (measured by BMI) leads to an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality in terms of excess in-hospital deaths. As the grim milestone of one million deaths in the United States from COVID-19 was reached, one could assume the disease would continue to coexist with humanity in the long term. While vaccination continued to limit the spread of COVID-19, it was essential to investigate risk factors that may exacerbate the severity of the illness in humans. Obesity is already a global pandemic affecting 40% of Americans and over 650 million …

The Impact Of Head And Neck Surgical Scars On Appearance And Acceptance Of Dermatography As A Cosmetic Intervention, Simcha Chaitoff

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Many surgical procedures in the head and neck regions produce visible scarring. The most common of these surgeries are tracheotomies and thyroidectomies. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in tracheotomy scars, particularly in those who survived severe infection with the disease and required long-term ventilation. Individuals with neck scars are at an increased risk of health consequences such as reduced quality of life, depression, and negative body image. Research on attitudes toward and reactions to individuals with such scarring is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine how people rate images of scarred individuals on personality …

Assessing The Feasibility, Acceptability, Appropriateness, Barriers, And Facilitators To Implementing Naloxone Distribution In Residential Areas At Ucf, Isabella S. Arguello-Howe

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the rise of accidental fentanyl overdoses and recreational opioid use in college-aged populations, the need for campus-based overdose prevention and harm reduction measures is at an all-time high. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is an FDA-approved, lifesaving, medication which can be intranasally delivered by laypersons. Naloxone reverses opioid overdose, essentially buying time until an overdosing individual receives emergency medical attention. While some previous studies have examined access to naloxone on college campuses, to my knowledge no study has explored distribution of naloxone in residential college areas, such as dormitories and within Greek housing. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was …

Effects Of Mental Health Disorders On Time Perception, Mirella S. Galliano-Rechani

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Research suggests a relationship between time distortion and mental health disorders, and the present study sought to examine this proposition. Prior research suggests that negative emotions are associated with the slowing down of time. Because mental health disorder symptomology is associated with more negative emotions, it was predicted that negative emotions would mediate the relationship between mental health disorder symptomology and time distortion. A survey was administered to university students that contained measures of anxiety, depression, emotional experiences, and time perception. Mental health disorder symptomology was found to be related to negative emotions. However, negative emotions and mental health disorder …

An Examination Of Lung Cancer Treatment Characteristics On Lung Cancer Patients With Co-Existing Heart Disease, Elias Rhanime

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the rising rates of heart disease incidents in the United States and the increase in lung cancer deaths as well, many individuals suffer and get their treatments compromised due to these diseases. Especially considering that many lung cancer and heart disease patients are over 70 years of age, treatment options and success rates drop significantly. Due to this, a great concern is raised for patients with co-existing heart disease and lung cancer. This was a case-control study that assessed lung cancer treatment options and success rates for patients with co-existing heart disease. We used research papers that discussed lung …

Analyzing The Relationship Between The Quality Of Life And Race Of Lung Cancer Survivors, Alina S. Wise

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Purpose: The relationship between racial disparities and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of lung cancer patients is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to quantify the overall HRQoL of lung cancer patients and compare differences in HRQoL among racial groups in the United States.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS), a population-based national cross-sectional study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The BRFSS is conducted annually in all 50 states and collects information on demographics, health behaviors, health-related experiences, health conditions, use of medications, and use of …

Mechanical Understanding And Optimization Of Template Guided Core Needle Biopsy, Isaac Girgis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prostate cancer is the second highest cause of cancer related deaths among men. According to the diagnostic pathway for prostate cancer, a prostate biopsy is performed if an individual showed signs of lesions through high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration or suggestive digital rectal exam (DRE) results. The core biopsy mechanism involves inserting a beveled needle into the organ and removing a cylindrical fragment of tissue. Many factors affect the histological quality of the sample, including fragmentation, needle deflection, and needle insertion velocity. If a biopsy core is not clinically viable, an alternative core will need to be taken, resulting in …

Evaluating Fatal Overdose Deaths In Orange County Florida From 2019-2021, Brian Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This study sought to investigate fatal overdoses in Orange County, Florida during the years of 2019, 2020, and 2021. Data for this project was provided by the Orange County Medical Examiner's office. Each overdose death was coded for age, sex, race, and cause of death. The purpose of the study is to identify trends to inform policy reform. The results reveal that fentanyl overdose deaths are continuing to rise as heroin overdose deaths decrease. Additionally, there is greater upward trends in polysubstance opioid overdose deaths as compared to non-opioid polysubstance overdose deaths. Ultimately, a specific type of overdose death cannot …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Respiration And Seismocardiographic Signals Using Signal Processing, Machine Learning And Finite Element Analysis, Tanvir Hassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Disease management, as well as patient health, can be significantly improved by early detection of patient deterioration and proper intervention. Review of the patient's medical history and physical examination including stethoscope auscultation and electrocardiograms (ECG), echocardiography imaging, numerous blood testing, and computed tomography are common means of evaluating cardiac function. Seismocardiographic (SCG) signals are the vibrations of the chest wall due to the mechanical activity of the heart. These signals can provide useful information about heart function and could be used to diagnose cardiac problems. The variability in …

Assessing Patient Safety Culture In United States' Hospitals, Abdulmajeed Azyabi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Patient safety is founded on continuous learning because there is an urgent need to report and learn from errors, accidents, near misses, and adverse events. The traditional approach to patient safety, based on forming mortality committees and investigating accidents, will no longer be effective. Frameworks, surveys, and assessment tools have been developed over the last decade to assist organizations in measuring and understanding their culture. This a retrospective cross-sectional study included 67,010 respondents from Agency for Health care Research and Quality (AHRQ) 2018 comparative database was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This research explored whether the …

Exploring Quality Of Life Perception Among Pre-Clinical And Clinical Phases Of Medical School Students In One Medical School Program In The Southeastern United States, Carley Blades Myszkowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Medical education is a complex, intense, and demanding process. Research showed that medical school students experienced significant changes and navigated intense and fluctuating stressors during their four years of medical school (Compton et al. ,2008; Hojat et al., 2004; McKerrow et al., 2020; Pagnin & De Querioz, 2015). Research has shown medical school students were impacted by substantially reduced physical, mental, and emotional health (Rajapuram, Langness, Marshall, & Sammann, 2020). Both internationally and nationally there was a growing interest in researching the health and wellness of medical school students, particularly focusing on quality of life (QOL) (Heidari et al., 2014; …