Digital Commons Network^™

The Political And Economic Feasibility Of An American Industrial Policy, Brian S. Driscoll '93

Honors Projects

An industrial policy is "any government measure that prevents or promotes changes in the structure of an economy." This paper provides an overview of the issue, by focusing on how government can encourage productivity growth in the economy.

By studying other countries we hope to learn how industrial policy might work in America. The obvious choice to model is Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), but other countries, most notably the British and the French, have adopted certain policies as well. On the whole, while Japan has been most successful, MITI may have more credit than is due, …

Applications Of The Wavelet Transform To Signal Analysis, Jie Chen '93

Honors Projects

Like the Fourier Transform, the Wavelet Transform decomposes signals as a superposition of simple units from which the original signals can be reconstructed. The Fourier Transform decomposes signals into sine and cosine functions of different frequencies, while the Wavelet Transform decomposes signals into wavelets. Since the Fourier Transform is a global integration transform and there is no time factor in it, it cannot effectively analyze nonstationary signals whose statistical properties change with time. In order to analyze nonstationary signals, we need to decompose signals into units that are localized in both the time and frequency domains. Using the Wavelet Transform …

Causes And Effects Of Welfare Dependency, Chris Bisaillon '93

Honors Projects

The effect of welfare on work incentives has been a hotly debated topic since its inception in 1935. My research project examines the work incentive effects of an important component of the welfare system, namely Aid to Families with Dependent Children. I have done this by analyzing data drawn from a massive database of 12,800 youths called the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. I primarily use two theories for my analysis, the neoclassical theory of labor supply and the welfare-disincentive theory promoted by Charles Murray. These two theories allow me to formulate and test a number of hypotheses regarding the …

Multisurface Method Of Pattern Separation, Jennifer L. Jancik

Honors Projects

The recognition and separation of patterns is becoming increasingly important in modern applications. For example, it is currently being used at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals to aid in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

The State Of Computer Science Facilities Of Schools Across The United States That Are Comparable To Illinois Wesleyan University, Sarah A. Bartz '93

Honors Projects

The purpose of this study is to compare Illinois Wesleyan's academic computer facilities with those at other comparable U.S. colleges and universities. This study also investigates factors affecting these facilities such as the methods other institutions use to deal with and plan for the constantly changing computer world. To obtain this information a survey was mailed to over 250 institutions across the U.S. that were considered comparable to IWU. These institutions include the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, the Oberlin Group, and some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S. as ranked in U.S. News and World Report's …

The Systematic Relationship Of Hipposideros Commersoni Matungensis To Other Species Of Rhinolophidae (Chiroptera), Maureen E. Koneval '93

Honors Projects

The hyoid morphology of Hipposideros commersoni matungensis was dissected and compared to the morphology of other bats in the family Rhinolophidae. Several significant differences in morphology were found: a modified stylohyal, fused to the auditory bulla; loss of the stylohyoid; addition of a new muscle, possibly from the stylopharyngeus; a modified mylohyoid profundus; and insertion of the ceratohyoid onto only the stylohyal. Cladistic analysis suggests that of all bats examined, H. commersoni is most closely related to H. armiger, and Triaenops persicus is most closely related to Rhinonycteris aurantius. This result is unexpected because the ranges of the species are …

The Demand For Higher Education: A Cost/Benefit Analysis Of The Human Capitol Theory, Bruce T. Bennett '93

Honors Projects

I will attempt to identify the costs and benefits of the high school graduate using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth as the database. The study will be cross-sectional using those respondents born in 1964 or 1965. Using this data, I will formulate and test a number of hypotheses concerning the personal characteristics such as innate ability, family background, and other socioeconomic variables affecting the decision to go to college. Furthermore, I will explore the possibility of structural differences occurring between four groups - black males, white males, black females, and white females - to see if family background and …

The Degree Of Eating Disorder Pathology And Its Relation To Depression And Self-Esteem In A Nonclinical College Student Population, Derik M. Thieme '93

Honors Projects

Research on eating disorders has mainly focused on clinical populations and adolescents. In this study, a nonclinical sample comprised of female college students was studied. The relationship between eating disorder symptomatology and the variables of depression and self-esteem were examined using the following measures: (1) The Eating Disorders Inventory-2; (2) The Beck Depression Inventory; and (3) The Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory. A total of fifty-six subjects were studied. It was hypothesized that those subjects who scored higher overall on the EDI-2 would exhibit higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem than those who scored lower overall on the EDI-2. …

Collective Security In The Gulf: An Analysis Of The Development Of The Gulf Cooperation Council And Regional Security As A Function Of The Council, David Michael Priess '93

Honors Projects

The region today referred to as the Middle East has always interested the greatest world empires. From the times of Alexander the Great through those of the Roman Empire, the Arab expansion, the Mongols, the Ottomans, and indeed right up to the present, this area at the crossroads of three continents has drawn the attention and interference of foreign peoples. Some of them came to conquer, others simply to pass through on their way to other locales, but all considered the area in some way important to their imperial and/or commercial goals and aspirations.

Tax Increment Financing: A Cost/Benefit Analysis For The State Of Illinois, James C. Joslin '93

Honors Projects

While there are many supporters of TIF, it is not without opposition. The highly respected Chicago Business letter, Crains, believes that "TIFs are one of the all time great economic development boondoggles in Illinois" (9/14/92). Many people also have the perception that 'TIF has been misused to finance 'sweetheart' deals with local developers at state expense" (Ayers 21). Whether this is true or not, there are clearly differences in the level of blight and deterioration among districts. Many argue that development would have occurred in some of these districts without the aid of TIF, and that these developments merely shift …

(Un)Dress And (Dis)Empowerment): The Relationship Between Women And Dress From The Cavaliers To The Romantics, Kimberly A. Elashik

Honors Projects

References to women and their dress continually recur in British literature, especially predominant between the mid-seventeenth century (the Cavaliers) and the early nineteenth century (the Romantics). Clothing, or lack thereof, becomes one means for male authors to write about women. In John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667), Robert Herrick's "Upon Julia's Clothes" and "Delight in Disorder" (1648), and John Keats' "The Eve of St. Agnes" (1819), the authors undress the individuals to render them vulnerable, often weaving eroticism and voyeurism into their examinations. Other works, such as Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock (1714) and Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders (1722), …

Eating Away: A Study Of Women's Relationship With Food In Literature, Sheila Bauer '93

Honors Projects

Women struggle against a male dominated structure to grasp control and shape their own identities. In her analysis of the "feminine mystique," Betty Friedan states "It is my thesis that the core of the problem for women today is not sexual but a problem of identity -a stunting or evasion of growth" (Chernin 17). Friedan is correct--many women cannot define the boundaries of the self and, further, cannot find an identity within the larger social structure to claim for themselves. These three issues--self, autonomy, and identity--are interwoven as causes behind the development of eating disorders.

Photochemistry Of Nitrous Acid And Nitrite Ion, Kathryn E. Shanks '93

Honors Projects

Research is currently underway to elucidate the photochemical decomposition mechanism of nitrous acid and nitrite ion in aqueous and non-aqueous media. The quantum yield of the photochemical disappearance of nitrous acid and nitrite, as a function of pH and nitrous acid/nitrite ion concentration ratios, was examined. Spectroscopic studies have been done with nitrite ion in various aprotic organic solvents. Similar work has been started with molecular nitrous acid that was produced in aqueous solution and then extracted into organic solvents. These organic solvents were employed in order to study the quantum yield with respect to NO2- and HONO without the …

The Effect Of Temperature On The Growth Of The Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha (Pallas), Tamara K. Ross '93

Honors Projects

Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas), zebra mussels, are recent invaders of North American freshwater systems. They have a high reproductive rate and settle in high densities which can clog water intake valves and pipes. Many studies investigating the use of heat as a control measure have examined the effects of high temperatures on zebra mussel mortality. Much less is known about the effect of temperature on the actual growth rate and development of zebra mussels. This study examined the growth rates of zebra mussels at 10°C, 20°C, and 25°C over two four-week periods in the laboratory. Mussels were placed in culture dishes …

Foreign Direct Investment In Mexico, Yuet Wei Wan '93

Honors Projects

Over the last decade, Mexico's economy has been undergoing a series of exciting changes. In 1983, Mexico was still a highly inward-oriented economy with a government that was outspoken in its criticism of multinational cooperations. Today, Mexico ranks among the most outwardly-oriented developing economies of the world (Nunez 7). The present administration, under the leadership of President Salinas, has implemented significant changes aimed at liberalizing Mexico's policy towards foreign direct investment (FDI). The changes in Mexico's policy have been largely in response to the 1982 debt crisis and deteriorating economic conditions. This study deals with the way in which macro-economic …

A Lattice Gas Approach To The Structure And Dynamics Of Electrorheological Fluids, Jie Chen '93

Honors Projects

Electrorheological fluids consist of a colloidal suspension of dielectric particles in a continuous fluid of smaller dielectric constant. Molecular dynamics simulations of these fluids in an applied electric field have recently been shown to produce percolated, columnar structures. No systematic attempt has been made so far to simultaneously include the effects of temperature and the viscous drag due to the continuous fluid. We propose a dipolar lattice gas model for electrorheological fluids and study the resulting structures and dynamics. We attempt to incorporate the effect of the viscosity of the continuous medium by a dynamic ansatz that determines the range …

A Novel Technique For Studying The Shear Elastic Properties Of Weak Solids, Jason A. Payne '93

Honors Projects

We have developed a simple, inexpensive, and precise technique to measure the shear elastic modulus of weak solids using electromagnetic and optical tools. This technique can be easily adapted to measure the viscosity of a liquid also. A Helmholtz pair was used to produce a torque on a permanent magnet mounted on the smaller of two concentric cylinders, coupled by the material to be studied. The torque was controlled precisely and measured accurately in terms of the current flowing through the coils of the Helmholtz pair. An optical lever was employed to measure the angular displacement of the inner cylinder …

Assessment Profiles Of Children And Adults Identified As Learning Disabled, Malanie Mcdiarmid '93

Honors Projects

This study examined four major assessment profiles associated with learning disabled (LD) students and adults: the discrepancy between Verbal and Performance Intelligence Quotient (lQ), with Performance greater than Verbal, the Bannatyne pattern, and the ACID profile, and a profile suggested by Ozols and Rourke (1988). The validity of these profiles was examined by using more reliable diagnostic criteria to avoid the methodological flaws present in other LD profile studies. Subjects were 120 children and adults defined as having an Academic Skills Disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Revised (American Psychiatric ;Association, 1987) criteria. The subjects' performances …

State-Dependent Learning During Alprazolam Assisted Exposure: A Pilot Study Of Social Phobia, Patrick B. Mcgrath '93

Honors Projects

Social phobia is a newly defined disorder, and treatments for it typically involve pharmacotherapy or some form of in vivo exposure. When combining these therapies, there are three possible outcomes: No effect, an additive effect, or an interference effect. If additive, the pharmacotherapy will enhance the extinction of fear, and it will not increase the chance of relapse after drug discontinuation. If there is an interference effect, the pharmacotherapy will block extinction to the phobic situation, and there will be a relapse of anxiety when placed in the phobic situation in the no drug state. If this is the result, …

An Animal Model Of Alzheimer's Disease: Behavioral And Histological Assessment Following Bilateral Intrahippocampal Injections Of B-Amyloid (25-35), David E. Kang '93

Honors Projects

Pathologically, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by deposits of neuritic plaques (NP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) typically found in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and basal forebrain. Increasing evidence suggests that the major constituent of NP, a B-amyloid protein(BAP) composed of 39-42 amino acids, possesses neurotoxic properties. It has been reputed that the neurotoxic properties of BAP(1-40) may be dependent on the aggregational state of the peptide. Recent studies have demonstrated in vitro that a fragment of the B-amyloid protein, BAP(25-35), disrupts intracellular calcium homeostasis, decreases neuronal survival, and potentiates the toxicity of excitatory amino acids (EAA). While some evidence supports …

The Effects Of Session Time And Satiation On The Form Of The Vi Response Function, Laura Campbell '93

Honors Projects

There has been considerable recent controversy over the empirical form of the function relating response rate to reinforcement rate on Variable Interval (VI) schedules. Some theories (matching, for example) predict a monotonic relationship between response rate and reinforcement rate. Other theories (behavioral economics, for example) predict a bitonic relationship. There is empirical support for both positions. Recently, Dougan, Kuh, and Vink (in press) have shown that session length is one variable which alters the form of the function. Functions were predominantly monotonic when sessions were short (10 minutes), and predominantly bitonic when sessions were long (30 minutes), when data from …

A Road Less Traveled: Soteriology In Islam, Brian Christopher Smith '93

Honors Projects

When constructing a general description for "soteriology," one must be aware of the potential scope of the term. The word "soteriology" means "doctrine of salvation" or "way of salvation." Generally understood, one can speak of "soteriologies" and imply that there is more than one way to understand salvation, more than one doctrine of salvation. It should be noted that all religious systems do not share a universal soteriology. If soteriology is not universally understood, how may one study it? A particular religious system may hold that its contentions are singularly veridical and that other understandings are false, while another religious …

Factors Influencing Variation In Susceptibility Of Prairie Plants To An Early Summer Frost In East-Central Minnesota, Bette L. Purnell '93

Honors Projects

This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting susceptibility of prairie plants to an early summer frost at Cedar Creek Natural History Area, in east-central Minnesota. Data were collected in a previously established experimental field after temperatures fell to 1.3 °C on 20 June 1992, and to 0.3 °c on 21 June 1992. The degree of frost damage to prairie plants was recorded using a scale of frost damage based on visual criteria, and possible causes of variation in frost susceptibility were examined. The degree of frost damage was independent of plant type (grass or forb), life cycle (annual, …

Computer Program: General University Requirements Package, Abhishek Kejriwal '93

Honors Projects

The objective of my research project was to write a computer program in Turbo Pascal which would determine how many general university requirements a student has completed and what requirements he or she needs to complete in order to graduate. There are six degrees offered at Illinois Wesleyan University. They are: BA (Bachelor of Arts); BS (Bachelor of Science); BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts); BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing); BM (Bachelor of Music) and BME (Bachelor of Music Education). There is a different set of criteria to be met for the completion of each of these degrees. The program …

Factors Affecting Communication Between Emergency Department Nurses, Malynnda Wright

Honors Projects

Communication of essential patient data is vital to provide effective immediate intervention in an emergency department or trauma center. The information must be complete and conveyed in a clear concise manner as quickly as possible. Without effective communication, valuable time can be wasted performing repetitious assessments, instead of conducting procedures that can save lives and reduce the length of the patient's stay.