Digital Commons Network^™

The U.S. Policy Of Democracy Promotion In Latin America, Steven Gilbert

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The U.S. policy of democracy promotion in Latin America has consisted of promoting governments that are favorable to U.S. political and economic interests rather than democracy itself. While the U.S. claims to have a tradition of “promoting democracy” in Latin America, justification for U.S. intervention has been questionable and inconsistent. U.S. support for Latin American regimes has coincided with favorable economic policies rather than with the strength of democracy within a country. Historically, the protection of resources for extraction has been one of the main goals of U.S. policy in Latin America. U.S. A historical overview of U.S. relations in …

Fat Is Fine: Influences Of Medical Research, Body Image And Self-Esteem And Social Justice On Socially Unaccepted Bodies, Rachel Girard

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In the current popular of America, fat is seen as a very bad thing. Having excess weight is not only a perceived health risk, but is also socially unacceptable. Three major areas relating to fat— medical research, body image and self-esteem, and social justice—are explored in order to explain the current perceptions of excess weight, the impact these perceptions have and what could be done to change them. The overarching goal of this project is to make readers more aware of the conflicting research there is about fat, to show how unnecessary this negative view of excess weight is and …

Celebrities: Who They Are, How They Gain Popularity, And Why Society Is So Fascinated With Them And Their Court Cases, Kristina Gregory

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper is an exploration of celebrity justice. Many different definitions of the term celebrity exist, as do many different views on what exactly constitutes celebrity status and the role those of this status plays in society. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of publicity regarding celebrities are disputed. Having celebrity status can both be beneficial and detrimental to the welfare of the celebrity. Studies show that when involved in a trial, publicity can actually harm the celebrity because of the bias the media can create in the mind of the public. This pretrial publicity leads to more convictions for celebrity …

A Comparative Study Of Higher Education, Michael Hugh Haynes

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

During my undergraduate career at Eastern Michigan University, I have had the privilege to study various aspects of public higher education through my public administration degree work. Most of that work has focused on the state of Michigan alone, giving me only one perspective on the inner workings of state colleges and universities. By the beginning of my final year, there were many questions that I had yet to answer because of my “domestic” focus on Michigan. Why are there so many schools in the state of Wisconsin that are called the University of Wisconsin? Are all universities independent from …

An Evaluation Of Health Research Methodology In The Literature, A. Irene Gamalski

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Understanding the research being conducted in health care is essential to being an effective manager. Using databases such as Medline and Pub Med, provided by the National Institute of Health, and selecting the criteria of keywords "health", "management", "research" and "trial", published since 2002 in English and on human subjects, a population of peer-reviewed journals was identified. A random sample from this population was obtained; the research methodologies were evaluated and compared for practical application.

Isolation And Analysis Of The Kati Promoter From Arabidopsis Thaliana, Lalita C. Patel

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Plants that reduce water loss by transpiration present less agricultural stress to the environment. Transpiration is limited by the size of pores, or stomata, on the surfaces of leaves. Stomatal aperture is related to the ion concentration in surrounding guard cells, which varies in response to fluctuating concentrations of potassium ions, the principle counter-ion chloride, and the organic counter-ion malate. Levels of malate in guard cells may be altered by increased activity of NADP-Malic Enzyme (NADP-ME) expression. The goal of our research is to create transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants with increased NADP-ME expression in the guard cells, limiting transpiration through …

Influence Of The Z'Cation Site On The B-02 And B-08 Band Lengths In Tourmaline Group Minerals, Lindsay Sochalski

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Tourmaline group minerals are commonly assigned chemical formulae and identified based on normalization of chemical analyses. Difficulty in measuring the lighter elements as well as the valence state of iron can lead to uncertainty when differentiating tourmaline species. For this reason, there has been a significant amount of work investigating methods to identify tourmaline species aside from normalization assumptions. Most research to date has focused on variations and site-ordering at the X-, Y- , and Z- sites. Of all the sites in the tourmaline crystal structure, however, the only site that seems to remain chemically static is the B–site, as …

The Alexander Technique, Nichole Lauren Vasu

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Imagine there was a magical book, which upon reading and then applying the learned knowledge would correct all problems with posture and pain within the body. It sounds fairly implausible, but now imagine the book is real, and one really can find a release from pain simply through learning more. I was quite skeptical at first, refusing to believe it could be that easy: all I needed to do was learn more about my body, see a teacher once a week, and read books, and I would have better posture, less pain, and a better quality of life? It seemed …

Cultural Diversity: Pain Beliefs And Treatment Among Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, Chinese-Americans And Japanese-Americans, Anthony J. Alvarado

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this project was to examine culture and the impact it has on the pain experience. Pain, albeit acute or chronic, is an important subject to understand because it can have detrimental effects on the body if not properly managed. Culture has been found to be a factor that influences one’s pain experience and thus the need for healthcare professionals to acknowledge this is imperative. The cultures examined in this paper include: Mexican- Americans, African-Americans, Chinese-Americans and Japanese-Americans. Within these four cultural groups their beliefs about the origin of pain, physical responses to pain, health and illness beliefs …

The Involvement Of Rho-Associated Kinases (Rocks) In Epha4 Signaling In Xenopus Laevis, Ashley Bate

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

XEphA4 is a cellular receptor that functions to regulate cell and tissue interactions in amphibian embryos via a repulsive mechanism that involves actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Ectopic EphA4 signaling in Xenopus embryos results in a loss of cell-adhesion and rounded cell morphology, and this phenotype is consistent with EphA4 signaling in cultured A6 cells. How EphA4 achieves its effects on the actin cytoskeleton at the molecular level is largely unknown. One known step in the pathway is that EphA4 causes inhibition of the small GTPase RhoA. RhoA has many downstream effectors that cause cytoskeletal reorganization; the most recognized of these are …

Giving The Devil His Due: The Emergence Of The Fallen Hero In English Literature, John K. Feldkamp

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In 1637, John Milton wrote Paradise Lost, which presented the story of Satan’s fall from heaven. From this text, a humanized Satan was born who, despite his evil vices, consisted of heroic traits which future authors loved. Milton’s Satan became the model for future Romantic Authors including Lord George Byron. By examining specific influences in the late 1700’s, one can understand how the Prince of Darkness evolved into a tragic hero.

Optimal Strategy In The Game Show, "1 Vs. 100", Seth A. Hoxworth

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In this paper, we will be using a simplified method (a geometric distribution statistical approach) and move through a more detailed approach (using dynamic programming) to analyze when contestants should quit versus when they should stay in the TV game show “1 vs. 100.” We will observe optimal contestants’ strategies for when they should statistically quit answering questions or stay for the highest probability of a contestant win and the greatest possible expected amount of money to walk away with.

Doubling Identities: Character Representation And Narrative Style In Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim, Bushra M. Malaibari

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

From "Heathens" To Heaven Enslaved, Latoya Abraham

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The effects of having one’s culture taken from him/her can be catastrophic, and unremitting ramifications have plagued Black Americans as a consequence of living in a culturally oppressive environment.1 This cultural negation is devastating, for African Americans have been denied their very connection to their humanity and self-worth. During slavery, Europeans used Christianity as a tool of oppression.2 This is not to say that Christianity has never served the purpose of liberation, and the purpose of this paper is not to attack the Christian religion. However, religion can be used as a tool of oppression, for religion has the ability …

Religion And Pathography, Audrey L. Carrier

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

For millennia, religion and medicine have coexisted in an ever changing relationship. In the beginning the two were almost inseparable as many believed that illness was the direct effect of angering their God, deities, or spirits. With the advancements of medical technology religion’s grasp on medicine has weakened and shifted. Religion still plays a part in medicine, however, it is minor and only among specific people. The primary role is now in the area of coping, or emotional healing. Traditional religious coping methods include prayer, meditation, and special rituals. One non-traditional technique, that is a relatively recent addition, is the …

Exploring The Role Of Meetings And Events Coordinators In The Political Arena, Mary Ryan Douglass

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The conventions and meetings market is now generating over $300 billion annually in the United States (Eventective, 2008). This industry is comprised of conventions, trade shows, corporate meetings, social functions, and political events among others.

Political events comprise a significant portion of the meetings and events market, yet this sector garners little attention within the hospitality industry or the public. Detailed exploration of the topic through qualitative research will serve to combat that problem by disseminating information about the topic. The outcome of this project consists of the identification of attributes unique to political event coordination and an evaluation of …

Detecting The Correct Portion Size, Kendra Muehlfelt

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Ravage, Rejection, Regeneration: Leo Tolstoy's War And Peace As A Case Against Forgetting, Irina R. Nersessova

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Impact Of A Revised Client Case On Students' Ability To Successfully Complete A Social Work Writing Course, Alison Reddy

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Many agencies expect newly graduated BSW students to have professional writing skills. It is therefore vital that social work programs prepare students for this aspect of practice. This study expands on the current research by determining the adequacy of a revised client case used to complete agency documents in a new social work writing course. Students completed questionnaires regarding the effectiveness of the case. The client case was found to be adequate for completing the documents.

Full Circle: T. S. Eliot's Quest For Spiritual Fulfillment, Lindsay Sarin

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Nafta On Immigration From Mexico To The U.S., Steven Gilbert

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

En el mundo de hoy, hay un proceso de globalización. Es un proceso de interacción e integración entre la gente, las compañías, y los gobiernos del mundo impulsado por el comercio internacional, la inversión internacional y la informática (What is Globalization?). No es un movimiento nuevo sino que ha existido por miles de años. Se aumentan el comercio internacional, la inversión extranjera, y el nivel de migración por nuevos acontecimientos políticos y tecnológicos. Una nueva política desde fines de la Segunda Guerra Mundial ha internacionalizado el comercio, entre otras cosas. Ha creado la tendencia actual de globalización. Los sistemas económicos …

Senior Viola Recital, Johannah Fenton

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Women Politicians: Why The United States Has So Few, Rebecca Kurtz

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The United States has very few women political representatives, especially at the federal level. Many reasons exist for why women’s representation is not equal, including the power of incumbency and the persistence of gender roles which keep women from entering politics because of a general lack of education and a responsibility to care for one’s family. With the emergence of strong women like Hillary Clinton, the factors historically known to keep women from participating may not be applicable to today. These factors will be evaluated in expectation of finding what makes women politicians successful and what measures can be taken …

The Effectiveness Of Electronic Whiteboards And Powerpoint Lessons In The Mathematics Classroom, John K. Feldkamp

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A popular method of teaching in today’s k-12 classroom is standardizing lessons on Microsoft office’s PowerPoint. Another tool which is starting to become more common in classrooms is electronic white boards, which are similar to smart boards. Attempting to discover the most effective way to teach in the math classroom, I investigated these techniques at a local school.

Quantifying Fitness Changes Of A Collegiate Women's Soccer Program Over The Course Of A Competitive Season: Utilizing Physiological Testing Measurements And Accelerometry, Sara L. Schiffbauer

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Objective: The goal of this research study is to objectively study a female collegiate soccer team throughout the course of their season. It was the purpose of this study to determine the efficacy of the implemented conditioning program by measuring and quantifying fitness changes through the use of sport-specific physiological tests. A secondary purpose was to utilize accelerometry to compare and quantify work conducted during a game to the respective subjects’ measured fitness level. Research Methods and Procedures: This study took place during a competitive season of a collegiate women’s soccer team. Twenty-five college-aged females were subjects. Four trials were …

Pieces, Amanda Slater

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Trade In Pre-Colonial Asante, Karen Sanders

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Practically, the entire area of modern day Ghana was once dominated by the Asante Empire. How did such a vast empire come into existence? This empire was able to consolidate the multiple ethnic groups within the region into one unified nation. Who were some of these ethnic groups and how were they brought into the empire? The strength of the Asante’s economy was extremely important to the longevity of their civilization. Their economic strength enabled them to procure funding which they utilized to build an army, to build trade networks, and to increase their reputation within the region. How did …

The Gothic Colonial: A Comparison Of Wuthering Heights And Native Son, Arwa Mohammad Malaibari

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This project is a comparison of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (1847) and Richard Wright's Native Son (1940). The discussion begins with how these novels should be considered within the field of postcolonial studies, although they do not fit the traditional definition of its branches of postcolonialism and imperialism. An ideological leaning can be seen in a social hierarchy that casts the Lintons and the Daltons as the elite. The systematic failure of religion, law, and education also ensures the stability of this status quo. The conventions of gothic literature merge with this effort in representing the "hybridity" or "abject" natures …

The Status Of The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And Transgender (Lgbt) Struggle For Equality In Michigan Since 2004, Danielle Tucker

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Stratigraphy And Paleontology Of The Middle Devonian Silica Formation Of Northern Ohio, John Edwin Thornton

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.