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Articles 1 - 30 of 31
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Computer Vision: Object Recognition, Michael Zalokar '00
Computer Vision: Object Recognition, Michael Zalokar '00
Honors Projects
One of the growing fields in computer science is that of Artificial Intelligence or AI. Many theories have evolved to make a computer intelligent and so far no one has succeeded (Dreyfus 1992). One of the methods used by the Shelley Project in the past has been to use a back propagation neural network that is the backbone of the GNU Neural Network Visualizer (GNNV). GNNV uses a neural network to try to identify known objects, like faces, in the field of view. A different method, that is the focus of this research, is to identify objects in the image. …
Mutagenesis And Cloning Of Photosynesis Genes Of The Filamentous Bacterium, Chloroflexus Aurantiacus, Kristi L. Berger '00
Mutagenesis And Cloning Of Photosynesis Genes Of The Filamentous Bacterium, Chloroflexus Aurantiacus, Kristi L. Berger '00
Honors Projects
Chloroflexus aurantiacus is a green non-sulfur bacterium that preferentially grows photosynthetically under lighted, anaerobic conditions. The biosynthetic pathway for one of the photosynthetic pigments, bacteriochlorophyll c, is not well understood but may share common steps with the better understood bacteriochlorophyll a pathway. Cultures of C. aurantiacus were mutagenized in order to produce photosynthetic pigment mutants to be used later in the determination of intermediate compounds in the pathway for bacteriochlorophyll c synthesis. However, mutants with photosynthetic pigment deficiencies were not produced due to experimental difficulties. The photosynthesis genes of C. aurantiacus, such as the bchXYZ genes, are of evolutionary interest …
Determinants Of Economic Growth In East Asia: A Linear Regression Model, Elizabeth Kowalski '00
Determinants Of Economic Growth In East Asia: A Linear Regression Model, Elizabeth Kowalski '00
Honors Projects
The level of economic growth for a country represents many aspects of life in that country. These aspects range from the strengths or weaknesses of macroeconomic policy to the quality of life for the average citizen. High or stable levels of economic growth are associated with very productive economies, higher GDP per capita and higher standards of living. However, low levels of economic growth are linked to low levels of productivity, poor living conditions and stagnant markets. High levels of economic growth are clearly desirable.
United States And Indonesian Children's Reports Of Intimacy In Their Same-Sex Friendships: Gender, Developmental, And Cultural Differences, Andrea M. Fosco '00
United States And Indonesian Children's Reports Of Intimacy In Their Same-Sex Friendships: Gender, Developmental, And Cultural Differences, Andrea M. Fosco '00
Honors Projects
Intimacy is one of the primary factors that distinguishes close friends from distant friends and acquiantances. Since intimacy is considered an important aspect of peer friendships, researchers have begun to explore and understand intimacy in greater detail. Intimacy in same-sex peer friendships was assessed in the present study by interviewing fifth graders and eighth graders from Indonesia and the United States. Self-disclosure, emotionally centered behaviors, and activity centered behaviors were included in the present study's conceptualization of intimacy. Gender, developmental, and cultural differences were found in the results. Females mentioned more emotionally centered behaviors in their descriptions of their friends …
Lasalle's Invariance Principle On Measure Chains, Anders Floor '00
Lasalle's Invariance Principle On Measure Chains, Anders Floor '00
Honors Projects
It was in 1892 that Lyapunov published his paper giving his "second method". The basic guiding principle was that we might be able to know something about the stability of the system from the form of the equations describing it. Specifically, the idea was that it would not be necessary to know the solutions of the equations involved. This is of course very useful since in most cases solutions are extremely difficult or even impossible to find. Lyapunov's insight was that if a function could be found with, among other properties, a negative rate of change along the solution of …
Psychosocial Effects Of A Parent-Child Communication Activity On Siblings Of Children With Autism, Caryn Terril '00
Psychosocial Effects Of A Parent-Child Communication Activity On Siblings Of Children With Autism, Caryn Terril '00
Honors Projects
The goal of the project was to decrease the worries of siblings of children with autism through a parent-child communication activity. Other goals of the project were to increase the accuracy of the parent's perception of the child's worries and to increase the quality of parent-child autism specific communication. The perceived effectiveness of the intervention as well as general family communication were also explored. Participants were be recruited through school districts and support groups serving families of children with autism. 15 parents and 16 siblings of children with autism, between the ages of6 1/2 and 13, participated in this study. …
A Test Of The Environmental Kuznets Curve For Local And Global Pollutants, Robin Meers '00
A Test Of The Environmental Kuznets Curve For Local And Global Pollutants, Robin Meers '00
Honors Projects
The early stages of economic development are generally associated with increases in the level of industrialization. Along with this industrialization comes increases in populations of cities and pollution causing transportation. For all these reasons, the development of a country is usually associated with increases in the amount of pollution. However, after a certain threshold level of income, the quality of the environment becomes important and people are willing to pay for a cleaner environment. After this point the level of pollution is likely to decrease. This hypothesized inverted-U relationship between the amount of pollution and the income of a country …
A Study Of The Solvolysis Reactions Of Tetrahydrofurfuryl Tosylate, Rebecca Centko '00
A Study Of The Solvolysis Reactions Of Tetrahydrofurfuryl Tosylate, Rebecca Centko '00
Honors Projects
The solvolysis of epoxycarbinyl substrates 1 has been the subject of several mechanistic studies. In spite of these investigations, it has not been established whether these solvolysis reactions proceed with anchimeric assistance from the epoxide oxygen and involve an oxabicyclobutonium ion intermediate or whether unassisted solvolysis occurs. Conflicting data in the literature suggest that the ability of the epoxide oxygen to provide anchimeric assistance is dependant upon structural and electronic features of the epoxycarbinyl substrate in question. The aim of this project was to study the nucleophilic substitution reactions of tetrahydrofurfuryl and tetrahydropyranyl sulfonates 2a and 2b as well as …
An Empirical Investigation Of The Determinants Of Fertility, Michelle Y. Ewert '00
An Empirical Investigation Of The Determinants Of Fertility, Michelle Y. Ewert '00
Honors Projects
As sociologists and economists evaluate the demographic trends of the past century, they note that total fertility rates have fallen worldwide. Using various theories to explain demographic change, scholars attribute the fall in fertility rates to a variety of social and economic factors. This study evaluates the effect of determinants of fertility from three major theories of fertility decline. Using World Bank and United Nations data, this study considers the impact of female illiteracy, female labor force participation, per capita GNP, urbanization and female secondary education on total fertility rates. Linear regression analyses for the years 1970, 1980 and 1990 …
An Assay For The Estimation Of Organic Content In Unknown Biological Samples, William J. Schneider '00
An Assay For The Estimation Of Organic Content In Unknown Biological Samples, William J. Schneider '00
Honors Projects
Potassium dichromate, in an acidic solution, will oxidize organic material. The reduction to the chromium ion is associated with a color change, which can be measured as a change in absorbance using a spectrophotometer. The degree of change is linearly related to the total energy contained in a sample and this information can be used to predict the energy content of unknown samples. However, the slopes of these relationships are significantly different for carbohydrates and proteins. It is hypothesized that these variations are due to differences in the reaction kinetics and that these differences can be used to predict the …
The Integration Of Capital Markets: A Study Of Market Integration Principles And The Effects Of Macroeconomic Shocks On National Stock Market Comovements, Kristopher Kaneta '00
The Integration Of Capital Markets: A Study Of Market Integration Principles And The Effects Of Macroeconomic Shocks On National Stock Market Comovements, Kristopher Kaneta '00
Honors Projects
Traditionally, international investors seek to determine whether international capital markets are integrated or segmented. That is, do similar assets yield similar risk adjusted returns, or significantly different returns given certain informational and capital flow barriers? With this in mind, this research chooses to focus on the rapidly developing financial markets of Southeast Asia and determine the degree to which international stock market movements may be correlated with each other. Through panel data and OLS regression analysis, the research will show an increasing correlation between these capital markets over time, and the significant impact certain macroeconomic variables may have on capital …
Holographic Optical Tweezers: Development And Analysis Of The First Holodeck Prototype, Matthew T. Dearing '00
Holographic Optical Tweezers: Development And Analysis Of The First Holodeck Prototype, Matthew T. Dearing '00
Honors Projects
Tightly focused light can be used to non-invasively trap and manipulate micro-objects, a technique called "optical tweezing." By utilizing the large field gradients present in a focused laser beam, micro-particles-including biological specimens and many other materials-can become confined in all three dimensions. While optical tweezing has existed for over a decade, it has generally been limited to trapping one or two particles at a time. We have developed a technique that uses laser light to assemble large numbers of micro-particles in a highly controllable way. Here we describe, for the first time, the complete implementation of holographic optical tweezer arrays …
Elector System Design And Ethnic Separatism: A Rationalist Approach To Ethnic Politics In Eastern Europe, Eric Wesselkamper '00
Elector System Design And Ethnic Separatism: A Rationalist Approach To Ethnic Politics In Eastern Europe, Eric Wesselkamper '00
Honors Projects
The resurgence of nationalism taking place throughout Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union raises important questions with respect to ethnic political mobilization, particularly with respect to the potential for ethnic separatism. Moreover, the region provides scholars an excellent setting in which to study the political effects of constitutional choices. This article, utilizing a rationalist approach which emphasizes the cost-benefit calculus of ethnic groups, seeks to analyze the impact of one such constitutional choice, the electoral system. The competing theories regarding the determinants of ethnic separatism are also examined. We find that the most important factor in explaining ethnic separatism …
U.S. And Indonesian Children's Descriptions Of Relational Aggression: Gender, Development And Cultural Comparisons, Elizabeth A. Jansen '00
U.S. And Indonesian Children's Descriptions Of Relational Aggression: Gender, Development And Cultural Comparisons, Elizabeth A. Jansen '00
Honors Projects
Previous studies of aggression in childhood have found that boys, as a group, are more aggressive than girls. The majority of these studies, however, focus only on physical aggression. Recently several studies have been conducted that differentiate relational aggression from physical aggression. Relational aggression involves harming others through the purposeful damage to their peer relationships (i.e., spreading rumors or ostracizing a peer from a group activity). Several studies have found sex differences in relational aggression, as well as physical aggression. The present study explores gender, developmental, and cultural differences and similarities in relational, physical, and verbal aggression in US and …
Factors Influencing Foreign Direct Investment In Lesser Developed Countries, Jason Lewis '00
Factors Influencing Foreign Direct Investment In Lesser Developed Countries, Jason Lewis '00
Honors Projects
Net private capital flows to developing countries have dramatically increased in the past 15 years with much of the investment coming in the form of long-term, foreign direct investment. Because of the unique characteristics of this type of growth enhancing investment, developing countries desire to attract and retain foreign direct investment (FDI). As a result, the lesser-developed country (LDC) has an incentive to strengthen areas and aspects of the economy or government that are heavily scrutinized by the firm when considering a possible long-term investment. This study intends to measure the magnitude and the direction of suspected determinants that heavily …
Integrating The Fine Arts Across The Elementary Curriculum, Emily Gilbert '00
Integrating The Fine Arts Across The Elementary Curriculum, Emily Gilbert '00
Honors Projects
I began my research with the intention of discovering in what ways elementary teachers incorporate the fine arts across the curriculum. For those teachers who do, I wanted to know where they learned how to do so, and how their students respond to the integration of the arts. I have a strong personal connection to this topic. The fine arts always have been an integral part of my life, which I attribute to my education: my teachers introduced me to the arts and fostered my love of the arts. From an educational standpoint, I began to wonder how teachers incorporate …
A Systematic Study Of The Correlations Between Meteorite Impacts And Soot Formation, Susanna L. Widicus '00
A Systematic Study Of The Correlations Between Meteorite Impacts And Soot Formation, Susanna L. Widicus '00
Honors Projects
A massive extinction of more than 50 percent of existing life forms on Earth occurred 65 million years (Ma) ago. This event is marked in the geological record by the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) boundary and corresponds to the Chicxulub meteorite impact in the Yucatan Peninsula. Since 1985, large quantities ofreduced elemental carbon in the form of characteristic spheroidal clusters of soot have been found in twelve KT boundary sites from across the globe. Because ofthe wide geographic distribution ofthese sites, the data was interpreted to indicate that deposition ofsoot was a global phenomenon. The source of this global soot layer is …
Brown-Headed Cowbird Brood Parasitism In Bison-Grazed And Ungrazed Tallgrass Prairie, Alexandra C. Latham '00
Brown-Headed Cowbird Brood Parasitism In Bison-Grazed And Ungrazed Tallgrass Prairie, Alexandra C. Latham '00
Honors Projects
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater has long been associated with bison (Bos bison) in North America on the Great Plains (Friedmann 1929). As a result, I anticipated that cowbirds would parasitize host nests more frequently in the presence of bison than in their absence. I predicted that several common ground-nesting avian species, Dickcissels (Spiza americana), Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), and Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), would suffer higher frequencies of brood parasitism in bison-grazed habitat than in ungrazed habitat on the tallgrass Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, located in northeastern Kansas. The frequency of cowbird parasitism for all species combined was …
Benefits By Gender: Determinants Of Welfare Accessibility For Migrant Women In Western Europe, Kathryn Vojack '00
Benefits By Gender: Determinants Of Welfare Accessibility For Migrant Women In Western Europe, Kathryn Vojack '00
Honors Projects
According to statistical data, there are dissimilarities between the ease of welfare accessibility for migrant men and migrant women within European nations. Research proposes the following to be linked with welfare access: percent GDP spent on welfare, size of immigrant population, percent of Roman Catholic Church identification, relative leftism of country, percent of women in the workforce, and public attitudes of immigrant population, welfare system and feminism. Analyses of these variables indicate that welfare accessibility for migrant women is primarily explained by attitudes towards gender roles and the status of women in society rather than the size of the immigrant …
Vse Luchshe Detiam: All The Best To The Children, Soviet Ideology In Children's Fairy Tale Cartoons, Matthew Boyd '00
Vse Luchshe Detiam: All The Best To The Children, Soviet Ideology In Children's Fairy Tale Cartoons, Matthew Boyd '00
Honors Projects
I have chosen as a focus the analysis of fairy tale cartoons in the Soviet Union and have attempted to establish the specific ideological use of five films spanning 1947-1979. For the analysis of these cartoons as ideological tools I have established a theoretical apparatus. This apparatus is based upon a thorough definition of ideology as it applies to these films taken from Terry Eagleton's book Ideology. I have adopted Vladimir Propp's theoretical apparatus on the classification of fairytales from his book Morphology of the Folktale. To aid both in interpreting the history of the 1920s to 1970s Soviet Union …
Loneliness And Self-Esteem At Different Levels Of The Self, Kiley L. Bednar '00
Loneliness And Self-Esteem At Different Levels Of The Self, Kiley L. Bednar '00
Honors Projects
Loneliness is proposed to have three dimensions: isolation, connectedness, and belongingness (Hawkley, et aI., 1999). In an extension of the work by Hawkley and colleagues (1999), these levels are hypothesized to be a function of three unique aspects of self: personal, relational, and collective. Brewer (1996) proposed that self-esteem is experienced differently at each level of self. Personal self-esteem is how a person feels about himself or herself based on his or her individual traits and characteristics. Relational self-esteem is based on whether a person believes that he or she exhibits appropriate behavior in a one-on-one relationship. Collective self-esteem is …
Behavioral Contrast: A New Solution To An Old Problem, Sara J. Estle '00
Behavioral Contrast: A New Solution To An Old Problem, Sara J. Estle '00
Honors Projects
The effects of component presentation and baseline rates of reinforcement on behavioral contrast were examined in rats. Each rat was exposed to a series of six multiple variable-interval schedules, divided into two three-schedule series. Each series consisted of a standard contrast design (baseline phase, contrast phase, and baseline recovery phase). The presentation of multiple schedule components within these three phases varied as a function of condition. In condition one, rats were presented with the traditional strict alternation of multiple schedule components. In condition two, rats were exposed to randomly alternating multiple schedule components. Each subject was exposed to both high …
Effect Of Structured Work Systems On Task Performance In Children With Autism, Kari Beth Adkins '00
Effect Of Structured Work Systems On Task Performance In Children With Autism, Kari Beth Adkins '00
Honors Projects
A single-subject, alternating-treatments with no baseline design was used to study the effectiveness of work systems in three children with autism. Work systems build on the strengths of children with autism, taking advantage of their visuo-spatial strengths by building on the principles of visual cueing and organization. Individual work systems were developed for each child, and the effects of these systems on on-task behavior, dependence, productivity and organization were studied. Results indicate moderate significance for the effectiveness of work systems in increasing on-task behavior and decreasing dependence in children with autism. Results also revealed substantial evidence for the effectiveness of …
A Survey Of Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination In Costa Rican Wildlife, Mark Wieland '00
A Survey Of Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination In Costa Rican Wildlife, Mark Wieland '00
Honors Projects
Amphibians, turtles, rodents, and birds collected from a tropical conservation area in northwestern Costa Rica where pesticides are not directly applied were analyzed for organochlorine (OC) pesticide contamination. Six of thirty-nine amphibians (three of eight species), three of six turtles (two species), one of eight rodents (one species), and nine of twenty-five insectiverous birds (four species) contained OC compounds ranging from 2.77 ng/g to 277.70 ng/g. The most frequently detected compound (found in thirteen organisms) was p,p'-DDE. Heptachlor, delta-BHC, dieldrin, endosulfan II, and p,p' -DDD were each found in four or more organisms, while eight additional OC compounds were detected …
Privatization In Lithuania: General Environment And Case Studies, Ginte Sabaliauskaite '00
Privatization In Lithuania: General Environment And Case Studies, Ginte Sabaliauskaite '00
Honors Projects
The crumble of the Soviet Union left Lithuania, like many of its former republics, at a standstill. With the demise of USSR came the demise of markets in the east and it became important for Lithuania to establish economic ties with the west. The first step in this direction is to privatize much of the public property so that it can be managed with a goal of profitability. The privatization of housing and small firms is very important, but the successful privatization of large enterprises plays a crucial role in the country's overall economic success. Profitability of a large enterprise …
Sex And Gender Through An Analytic Eye: Butler On Freud And Gender Identity, Anna Gullickson '00
Sex And Gender Through An Analytic Eye: Butler On Freud And Gender Identity, Anna Gullickson '00
Honors Projects
In her book. Gender Trouble, Judith Butler reinforces the conception held by many feminist philosophers that gender identity is not natural but rather culturally-constructed. Butler supports this conception of gender mainly by reading (and misreading) Freud. I will undertake a critical reconstruction of Butler's claims about gender identity which are based on Freud. In order to complete this project, I will outline (J) currents of feminism leading us to this question of the constructedness of gender, (2) Freud's theories, especially his account of sexual development and (3) two of Butler's main criticisms of Freud. Through this exploration, I will explain …
National Political Influence And The Catholic Church, Jennifer Nash '00
National Political Influence And The Catholic Church, Jennifer Nash '00
Honors Projects
Previous literature has focused on the political importance ofthe Catholic Church within democratic transitions, while little research has followed the role ofthe Church in post transitional settings. The present research acknowledges a marked variation in the political influence among the national Churches of Poland, Brazil, Hungary and Spain following the institution of democracy. Within the national context, the Church's religious mission, the association ofthe Church with the former regime and the influence of the International Catholic Church emerge as explanatory factors.
Economic Influences On The Stock Market, Nate Taulbee '00
Economic Influences On The Stock Market, Nate Taulbee '00
Honors Projects
The following sections of this paper further examine the issues raised. Section II offers a theoretical analysis of how real GDP, unemployment, and the Fisher Effect should impact the S&P 500. Section III provides information on the expected relationship between the economy and the following major industry categories: growth, cyclical, defensive, and interest-sensitive. Section IV introduces the research design including the generalized least squares model. Section V presents the results and examines the appropriate econometric specification. Section VI concludes the study and reiterates important findings.
Informational Asymmetry And The Demand For Ipos: An Explanation Of Underpricing, Peter Karlis '00
Informational Asymmetry And The Demand For Ipos: An Explanation Of Underpricing, Peter Karlis '00
Honors Projects
There exists large informational asymmetries in the stock market, particularly in the primary market where initial public offerings are made. This paper examines the large initial gains observed in a previous study and explains them using game theory. The process of bringing an IPO to the market involves the issuing firm, the investment bank and the investors. This paper will discuss the strategic relationships that exist between these entities and why each either accepts a smaller gain or demands a risk premium based on the level of uncertainty they face. Accompanying the economic theories discussing these relationships is evidence from …
The Power Of Perception And Origin Myth: Reconsidering The Origins Of The Arthurian Legend, Rae Marie Marotta '00
The Power Of Perception And Origin Myth: Reconsidering The Origins Of The Arthurian Legend, Rae Marie Marotta '00
Honors Projects
Ashe insists that the link between Riothamus and Arthur lies within the writings of Jordanes, a Gothic historian; Gregory of Tours, a Frankish historian; Sidonius Apollinaris, a Gallo-Roman author; and William, author of the Legenda Sancti Groeznovii (Lacy and Ashe 47; Ashe, "Ancient" 310-11; Ashe, Discovery 54-57). In the mid sixth century, Jordanes wrote the Gothic History, where he explained that the Britons answered the Roman Emperor Anthemius' request for aid when confronted with a Gothic threat in Gaul. However," Euric, King of the Visigoths, came against them with an innumerable army, and after a long fight he routed Riotimus, …