University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida (UCF): STARS (Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship)Not a member yet
166656 research outputs found
Sort by
Virtual Volunteering Support for the USDA Horticulture Center in South Florida
No full textDuring Fall 2025, I completed 40 hours of virtual service with the USDA Horticulture Center in South Florida. My volunteer work involved simple but essential support tasks, including organizing digital files, entering basic data into spreadsheets, sorting and labeling plant-related photos, and helping prepare materials for outreach activities. Even though the tasks were basic, they directly supported the Center’s research, data organization, and community education programs. This project highlights how small, consistent contributions improve workflow efficiency in agricultural research and help strengthen public outreach efforts.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2025fall/1056/thumbnail.jp
DISINFORMATION DETOX: Media Literacy as a Tool for Student Empowerment
No full textIn today’s digital environment, information flows faster than ever and a lot of it is inaccurate, biased, or deliberately misleading. Media literacy is essential for academic success and informed citizenship. Media Literacy Essentials, a pilot module in the UCF Libraries’ information literacy program, provides strategies for improving media literacy
Complete Atrioventricular Block In A Heart Transplant Recipient
No full textComplete atrioventricular (AV) block, though uncommon in heart transplant recipients, is a potentially life-threatening condition that demands rapid diagnosis and management in the acute care setting. During complete AV block, there is a failure of electrical conduction from the atria to the ventricles resulting in the independent and dyssynchronous contraction of the heart chambers. Due to the resultant decrease in cardiac output, patients may experience lightheadedness, fatigue, shortness of breath, syncope and near syncope, and, in severe cases, cardiogenic shock may develop. A 58-year-old female with past medical history including hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and congestive heart failure and prior heart and renal transplants on chronic immunosuppression presented to the emergency department (ED) for near syncope. The initial electrocardiogram (EKG) revealed complete AV block with a ventricular rate of 40 beats per minute. Shortly after arrival, the patient became unresponsive. The patient received atropine and transcutaneous pacing was initiated with successful electrical and mechanical capture. The patient regained consciousness and during reassessment was found to be alert and oriented. She was transferred to a tertiary care center, where inpatient workup revealed no evidence of ischemic or structural cardiac pathology. A transvenous pacer was placed, and the patient was effectively discharged. One month following hospital discharge, the patient re-presented to the ED for palpitations. Pacemaker interrogation demonstrated no abnormalities, however, endomyocardial biopsy revealed mild acute cellular rejection prompting reconciliation and optimization of immunosuppression therapy. Complete AV block is a rare but emergent complication in heart transplant recipients, often linked to chronic rejection, acute infection, surgical trauma, or transplant vasculopathy. Prompt recognition and intervention are critical. This case report discusses potential etiologies and underscores the importance of multidisciplinary coordination in the management of complete AV block in the subpopulation of heart transplant recipients
Health Disparities Among Hispanic/Latino Community
No full textThis research project is about health disparities among the largest minority group in the United States, which is the Hispanic/Latino community. This ethnic community offers a rich and deep culture that impacts the United States through new experiences and so much more. However, many individuals suffer from health disparities due to lack of documentation status. Through lack of documentation status, many are not able to receive insurance coverage. This is an issue because the United states healthcare field is very costly and require individuals receiving that care to have insurance to help cover the cost. This research will dive deeper into understanding how this is a huge issue to this community and ways to help solve this issue
Addressing Anxiety & Depression Among College Students: A Social Change Method
No full textBy creating a resource-rich and encouraging environment, this project seeks to address the common problem of anxiety and depression among college students. Creating and executing workshops centered on coping strategies, stress management, and mental health awareness are important tasks. In order to promote candid communication and lessen feelings of loneliness, we are also establishing peer support groups. In addition, we\u27re creating a thorough online resource center with details on crisis hotlines, mental health services, and self-care techniques.
The significant influence of peer support has been one of the most important lessons learned. When students share their experiences with people who can relate to their difficulties, they frequently feel validated and comforted. We\u27ve also learned how critical it is to de-stigmatize mental health conditions through education and open communication, which empowers students to get treatment without worrying about being judged
When The Leader Goes Rogue: Comparing Conservative Parties’ Responses To Election Denial By Their Respective Leaders In The Us And Brazil
No full textThe intent of this thesis is to explore the responses of political leaders and parties in Brazil and the United States to Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump and how these responses have influenced the political landscape and the democratic institutions in each country. Both Bolsonaro and Trump challenged democratic norms, prompting varied reactions from political actors that have shaped governance, public trust, and institutional stability. The differing levels of resistance or Complicity from political leaders and parties have had lasting effects on democracy. This thesis will examine the respective narratives, democratic institutions, partisan reactions, and shifts in political discourse to assess the broader implications of these responses on democracy in Brazil and the United States
Measuring Achilles tendon stiffness and kinetics in-vivo
Full text linkThis study aims to measure the gastrocnemii Achilles subtendon passive stiffness and energy storage during walking. Stiffness was first determined using a noninvasive method that combines ultrasound, motion capture, musculoskeletal modeling, and a force transducer. Eight healthy participants were tested using this method to obtain the passive force-displacement relationship of the Achilles tendon at two different knee angles to calculate stiffness of the gastrocnemii subtendon. A gait analysis session was then performed using ultrasound, motion capture, and an instrumented treadmill at self-selected slow, normal, and fast walking speeds, using stiffness to calculate the subtendon’s force and energy storage. Gastrocnemii Achilles subtendon stiffness measurements were found to lie lower than previous studies as the soleus Achilles subtendon is excluded. Average gastrocnemii Achilles subtendon force between slow and fast walking trials increased by 39% during terminal stance. Average energy storage between slow and fast walking trials also increased by 86% during terminal stance. This approach for direct measurement of stiffness and energy storage properties of the Achilles tendon can be further utilized to evaluate surgical outcomes, improve treatment planning for various musculoskeletal conditions, and enhance the accuracy of musculoskeletal modeling
A Time Series Analysis Of The Macroeconomic Indicators
Full text linkUnderstanding inflation—particularly across regions and categories—is crucial for effective policymaking, strategic business decisions, and safeguarding vulnerable populations, as it highlights the diverse drivers and impacts of price changes within the economy. This has become increasingly crucial in recent years between the volatile inflation conditions introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, energy price shocks, and renewed trade tensions and tariffs. This thesis analyzes 77 U.S. monthly inflation time series from 2003 to 2023 using two forecasting approaches: an elementwise Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model and a Factor-Augmented Vector Autoregressive (FAVAR) model. The data obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes monthly inflation indices, including national and regional consumer price indexes across key sectors such as food, housing, medical services, and energy.
Results show that both SARIMA and FAVAR outperform a naïve benchmark, with FAVAR demonstrating improved accuracy across regional datasets. SARIMA performed slightly better at the national level, suggesting that univariate models may capture broad inflation trends more effectively. The FAVAR model also offered a notable computational advantage, making it a scalable and efficient approach for high-dimensional time series forecasting
Factors Associated With Fatalism Among Hispanic and Latina Breast Cancer Survivors
Full text linkAs fatalism, a person’s attitude towards their life, increases, there is a significant level of medical mistrust and avoidance, which can delay cancer diagnoses and affect the prognosis of the disease. Literature has shown that many factors, including age, race, acculturation, locus of control, education, and fear can influence fatalism. However, little research has been conducted on whether fatalism differs independently by Hispanic origin and its associated factors among Hispanic breast cancer survivors. This study used data from the Hispanic Breast Cancer Study at the University of Central Florida. The original study recruited 408 women aged ≥ 20 years, diagnosed in 2015-2022 with breast cancer and living in Central Florida, following the state-mandated patient recruitment procedures. Fatalism was measured using six questions in the Multidimensional Fatalism Measure questionnaire, each scored using a 5-point Likert-type scale, with higher scores indicating a high fatalistic belief. Fatalism scores were compared to self-reported Hispanic/Latina origin while controlling for potential confounders in the multivariable linear regression analysis. This research identifies potential confounders in Hispanic/Latina breast cancer survivors that were previously unclear. Both religion and an external locus of control were found to be positively associated with fatalism, while age, income level, education level, and language use at home were negatively associated with fatalism. It was also found that fatalism scores were different in Colombian participants than in any other Hispanic subgroup. The findings from this research can help physicians gain a deeper understanding of breast cancer survivors’ attitudes towards their lives according to their Hispanic origin, which will improve patient care
Sports and Rhetorical Marginalization: A Case Study of Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark
Full text linkThis thesis explores the manifestation of racism, sexism, and capitalism in the language and rhetoric of sports media through a case study of WNBA players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. This study theorizes that sports media has referred to Reese and Clark with damaging language tied to the intersections of their respective identities. This thesis also identifies and analyzes the presence of repeated themes throughout select sports media that mirror relevant theories surrounding stereotypes, biases, and marginalization in sports. Examining and analyzing the subtle nuances at play allows one to understand how language implicitly reinforces harmful narratives and, thus, how to minimize their impact on daily life