Digital Commons Network^™

Matrix Training For Expanding The Communication Of Toddlers And Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jacy Durdel, Maggie Ratcliff

Honors Theses

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly display a range of deficits from communication skills to play skills. When the ability to generalize is improved, a greater number of stimuli can be learned without having to be directly taught, which can be done through matrix training. Matrix training provides a framework for actively teaching a singular exemplar of a target, and, through recombination, many more stimuli can be learned. Participant is a 4-year-old boy diagnosed with ASD who was taught noun-verb combinations through tactile movement of figurines. All targets are tested before and after the single stimulus of each …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Sex Offenders Amongst Rural Populationns, Riley Allen

Honors Theses

The current study aims to examine rural residents’ attitudes regarding sex offenders and their perceptions of the recidivism rates of these types of individuals. Data from qualitative interviews of rural Illinois residents (N=24) will be used. This archival data will be coded with NVivo software to determine the prevalence of certain responses indicating positive or negative attitudes as well as perceptions of both adult and juvenile recidivism rates. Through the examination and analyses of the coded data, this study will help determine what kind of attitudes rural residents in southern Illinois harbor towards sex offenders and how that may correlate …

Sustainable Manure Management In Intensified Corn Production Systems For Maintaining Crop Quality And Yield, Managing Soil Phosphorus, And Increasing Soil Health, Gabriella Burkett

Honors Theses

Dairy farmers often surface apply phosphorus (P)-based liquid manure to corn (Zea mays L.) for silage, supplementing with N fertilizers for optimum corn nitrogen (N), optimizing crop production while decreasing P loss to the environment. However, injecting manure may further conserve losses and reduce synthetic N fertilizer need. An experiment was conducted on a dairy farm in Breese, IL from May 2019 to April 2022 with two main treatments including (i) surface application of manure at P-based rate supplemented with 123 kg ha^-1 synthetic N and (ii) manure injection at P-based rate supplemented with 17 kg ha^{-1 …}

Fritz Lang's Critique Of Capitalism Through Body Language In "Metropolis", Nathan Bailey

Honors Theses

This honors thesis argues that Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film Metropolis contains nonverbal narrative elements (including body language, architectural proxemics, and phallic imagery) that align the film with Marxist class structures. The film provides a moral epigram, “the mediator between head and hands must be the heart,” which this paper aims to define through a Marxist lens. This thesis narrates Metropolis’ verbal and nonverbal narratives through observing intertitles in the film alongside the elements that perplex the viewer and overload the senses. The aim of this paper is to notice where the head, hands, and heart make …

Esg Is Fiduciary Duty, Katherine Held

Honors Theses

This Thesis defends the validity of ESG Investing (Environmental, Social, Governance Investing) as an advisor’s fiduciary responsibility. The financial industry is increasingly including ESG considerations when calculating the intrinsic value of a stock. In opposition to this valuation trend, nineteen state attorney generals (Nineteen) have attacked ESG, challenging its legality by claiming that it violates state and federal law and the fiduciary responsibilities that hold investment advisors accountable to their clients. After identifying key elements of fiduciary responsibility that are being ignored by the Nineteen’s position, several key and relevant United States statutes are reviewed and applied to their argument. …

A Probable Case Of Osteosarcoma: A Differential Diagnosis Of Cancers In The Ancient World, Katherine A. Hosick

Honors Theses

Ongoing archaeological investigations at the North Tombs Cemetery, Tell El-Amarna, Egypt, have, to date, yielded a skeletal sample of 141 graves and at least 252 individuals that have been recovered, representing the non-elite responsible for erecting, and inhabiting a new city (c. 1353 BCE) (Dabbs, 2020) . Recent data on the recovered remains show a trend toward pathological changes in the skeletons attributable to occupational stress-related injuries, specifically those associated with demanding physical labor. One individual (Individual 1154), who was buried wrapped in textile, as is typical of the cemetery exhibited an abnormal bony abnormal bony proliferative lesion on the …

Magma Production Beneath Subduction Zones: Using Numerical Models To Evaluate Melt Production Under Batch And Fractional Melting Conditions, Francesca Burkett

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Social Media In The Development And Regulation Of Student Free Speech: Mahanoy Area School District V. B.L. (2021), Kailyn Stone

Honors Theses

This Thesis evaluates the tension between the constitutional free speech rights of students and the rights of schools to maintain a controlled environment that is conducive to learning. The inception of the internet and social media has permanently altered the way that students communicate, impacting student free speech jurisprudence. The significance of evaluating student free speech rights lies in the protection of American schools as “nurseries of democracy”. In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), the Supreme Court held that students possess First Amendment rights within the schoolhouse, however the Court has failed to provide clear guidance …

Telling The Atypical Truth: Disability Community-Building Through Podcasting, Erica Stearns

Honors Theses

The community of disabled and/or medically complex individuals represents a relatively small demographic worldwide; therefore, it is difficult for community members to find and build relationships with others directly within the local community whose lived experiences reflect their own. As a result, many individuals within the disabled and/or medically complex community experience isolation and depression. Social media and other digital resources often serve as a mechanism for community-building in such situations. Atypical Truth is a podcast that episodically explores a variety of topics that relate to life as caregivers, disabled individuals, and/or individuals with complex medical conditions.

I used …

Parents’ Experiences Navigating The Diagnostic Process For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Grace J. Lafo

Honors Theses

The diagnostic process for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can pose many barriers for families, especially within rural communities where there is a lack of adequate diagnostic and therapy services available. Factors such as cultural stigma, medical professionals, financial constraints, and travel have previously been reported as barriers for pursuing a diagnosis within rural geographic regions. The current study was conducted to identify obstacles that parents face within rural southern Illinois while on the path to receive an accurate diagnosis of ASD for their child. This study also aimed to determine what resources were being provided to parents at the time …

Documenting A Personal And National History: Echoes Of The Urban-Rural Divide In The Works Of Helga Gamboa, Sonja Gelin

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes a series of vessels created by artist Helga Gamboa from 2003-2008. Gamboa, an Angolan artist, based in the United Kingdom, uses her work to recount the experiences of rural women during the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) and her own experience growing up in the capital during the final years of the Salazar-Caetano regime. Gamboa’s syncretic approach incorporates European tin-glazing and indigenous African hand-building techniques. Early Modern Portuguese and traditional Southern Angolan material culture also guide the artist. The resulting works document a lasting urban-rural divide among Angolan women, dating back to colonial policy, liberation struggles, and civil …

Innovating Sustainability Education Through The “Bird’S Eye” Perspective, Carly Kasicki

Honors Theses

Various disciplines were used to define sustainability through their lens and set an education space that integrated students into finding needed and creative solutions for the problems affecting their community. This was done through the creation of an University Honors course that took 13 students and put them into a class split into two parts: setting a base foundation of sustainability knowledge through learning the views and struggles of different disciplines every week and then building a sustainability project that caters to the needs of the community. This class was used to create an education experience that is responsive to …

Kidney Tomosynthesis Image Reconstruction Algorithms And Image Quality Evaluation, Allison Mcminn, Ying Chen

Honors Theses

Kidney stone disease is one of the most common diseases that faces the American population. For proper diagnosis of kidney stones medical imaging must be performed. The current gold standard for kidney stone detection is computed tomography (CT) imaging. However, CT imaging exposes the patient to large amounts of x-ray radiation. Digital tomosynthesis is a novel technique in medical diagnosis due to its ability to generate high-resolution images while limiting the radiation dosage to patients. Tomosynthesis is a three-dimensional imaging technique that allows the reconstruction of an arbitrary set of planes from limited-angle series of projection images. Tomosynthesis has well-published …

Analysis Of Varying Opportunities In International Education, Jaira Gibson

Honors Theses

This analysis explores various countries and opportunities to teach overseas and the implications that coincide with it. Japan, Poland, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam are countries that currently have high academic success; hence, they have been included to analyze their education structure, brief overview of their culture, curriculum, teaching practices, and the culture surrounding their schools to best understand the opportunities a foreign teacher could have. Furthermore, a comprehensive description and analysis of programs designed for international teaching opportunities is included. These programs include but are not limited to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Peace Corps. …

A Modern Cat-Tas-Trophe? The Relationships And Impacts Between Feral Cat Management And Sustainable Urban Development: A Literature Review, Gage Mofield

Honors Theses

For this literature review, I will be reviewing the impacts that feral populations have on sustainable development, specifically in urban environments, and doing an intensive analysis of the economic, social, and most significant, environmental impacts that feral cats have on the respective urban environment. Following this, I will then be reviewing the different management strategies that currently are in place for managing feral cat populations, specifically lethal methods of feral cat management, and then analyzing a non-lethal feral cat management program known as “TNR”, which stands for Trap-Neuter-Return, and seeing which methodology is the best suited for managing urban feral …

Does Fish Diet Affect Consumer Decisions? A Nutitional And Sensory Study Of Farm-Raised Trout., Sarah Booth

Honors Theses

The focus of this study is twofold: 1) compare the nutritional value of farm-raised rainbow trout obtained from commercial sources, fed different diet regimens with that of wild-caught rainbow trout, and 2) conduct a sensory analysis test on both farm-raised and wild rainbow trout products with a consumer panel understanding their preferences and attitudes to fish consumption.

The data from this study showed a higher PUFA content in fish raised on the Plant based diet. The sensory study results indicate a preference the fish raised on the Conventional diet. While these results are not conclusive because of the known variables, …

Determination And Correlation Of Volatile And Nonvolatile Compounds With Coffee Quality, Jackson Wood

Honors Theses

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks around the world and as such is a very active area of research. This research used HS-SPME - GCMS and HPLC to correlate volatile and nonvolatile coffee components with flavor profiles generated by professional coffee tasters. Coffee was also tasted and ranked by amateur volunteers culled from SIU students and faculty population. Results indicated the professionally established overall coffee scores correlated with coffee cost per ounce, and there were differences between professional and amateur tasters. Professional tasters were trained to recognize subtle differences in flavor attributes such as fruity, floral, and sweet, …

Erg1a Potassium Channel Abundance Varies Within Specific Skeletal Muscle And Fiber Type, Luke Anderson

Honors Theses

Skeletal muscle atrophy results from an imbalance of protein degradation and protein synthesis which produces a net loss of protein. This loss occurs mainly through the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (UPP). The ether-a-go-go related gene (ERG1A) is a voltage-gated K⁺ ­­channel that is upregulated in atrophying skeletal muscle. Expression of ERG1A in skeletal muscle increases UPP activity and induces atrophy. Because ERG1A appears variably expressed in muscles composed of mixed fiber types and is a K⁺ channel which has the potential to modulate contraction speed by enhancing repolarization, we hypothesized that ERG1A would be more abundant in slow-twitch fibers …

Innovative Medicine For Acl Repairs In Dogs, Megan Quinn

Honors Theses

The acronym ACL, more commonly CCL, stands for the Anterior (Cranial) Cruciate Ligament; the word cruciate means "to cross over" or "form a cross". There are two cruciate ligaments in the knee: the anterior cruciate ligament and the caudal cruciate ligament. These fibrous ligaments located within the knee join the femur and the tibia together allowing the knee to function as a hinged joint. The most common orthopedic injury in dogs is a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. This ligament typically ruptures during daily activities due to non-traumatic degeneration of the cranial cruciate ligament over time. Cranial cruciate disease …

The Politics Of A Photograph, Jackson Covey

Honors Theses

I discuss a variety of images in the areas of war and politics. In particular, I talk about how they convey their messages and some of the history behind them.

Examining The Effect Of Perseverative Thinking On Physiological Activation In Response To Stress, Kathleen Kelly

Honors Theses

The current study had two aims: (1) measure changes in heart rate variability from the time of learning about a stressor task to completion of the task and (2) measuring the change in heart rate during and after the stressor task. Thirty participants were recruited from a midwestern university campus as well as surrounding communities. The study utilized a laboratory based stressor to examine the influence of perseverative thinking on stress recovery over a 24-hour period. Participants were involved in the study for a continuous 48 hours that included three lab visits. Participants’ activities and heart rates were measured through …

Importance Of Vaccinating For Canine Parvovirus: Best Practices For Prevention, Ariel Gorham

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

It Is Always Worth It To Check It Again: Examining Nematodes Of Rodents From The Konza Prairie, Hailey Penticoff

Honors Theses

The Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) is centered on the 3,487-hectare tallgrass Konza Prairie in eastern Kansas. The area supports 11 common species of rodents, some of which are reservoirs of zoonotic microparasites, including etiological agents for babesiosis and Lyme disease. Furthermore, each of the rodent species harbors an array of helminths. No baseline inventories of helminths or microparasites have yet been performed through the tallgrass prairie ecoregion. We captured rodents using Sherman traps, processed them via standard museum methods, and examined them for nematodes. Necropsies were completed on the same day of capture and nematodes collected were fixed …

Initial Characterization Of The Two Clpp Protease Isoforms From Chlamydia Trachomatis, Krystal Chung

Honors Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen responsible for sexually transmitted infections and the ocular infection trachoma. Chlamydia undergo a distinctive developmental cycle transitioning between the infectious elementary body form and the replicative reticulate body form. Each developmental form has a distinct proteome reflecting its different physiological needs. We are interested in studying how protein degradation impacts proteomic patterns throughout the developmental cycle. Chlamydia encode a pan-bacterial Clp protease system consisting of five genes: clpX, clpC, two clpP paralogs (P1 and P2), and clpB. ClpX and ClpC are chaperone proteins that unfold protein substrates and feed …

The Impact Of Transnational Nonprofit Work On The Development Of Becoming A Global Citizen, Penny Bowser

Honors Theses

Global citizens dive into the culture of a country and adopt new ideology, customs, and traditions, while maintaining their own cultural identity. This paper explores how a nonprofit organization has the ability to provide the necessary resources for a volunteer to expand upon their global citizenry. Nonprofits were created for economic, historical, and professional reasons, then are divided into categories depending upon the goal of the organization. Volunteers choose to serve at nonprofits for social, personal, and professional reasons, but will all make an impact on the people they are serving, despite the reason. By volunteering with a transnational nonprofit …

The Evolution Of Cancer Research And The Dietary Intervention That Could Save Lives, Kara Starkweather

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Changes In Vitrinite Reflectance And Liptinite Fluorescence With Increasing Rank In Dispersed Organics In The Illinois Basin And Its Environmental, Economic, And Political Impacts, Kailey Zalucha-Seaman

Honors Theses

Vitrinite reflectance and spectral fluorescence are commonly used together to determine the rank and thermal maturity of shale samples. Although vitrinite is not commonly found in the New Albany Shale, solid bitumen is found in significant amounts; reflectance of solid bitumen provides another method to determine maturity of these samples. The purpose of this study was to compare the vitrinite reflectance and spectral fluorescence of liptinites to determine the thermal maturity of the New Albany Shale, which can benefit those tasked in the industry who determine the oil and gas potential of these source rocks. Establishment of a relationship between …

Phylogenetics Of Euthamia (Asteraceae: Astereae) And Asteromyia Euthamiae (Cecidomyiidae: Alycaulini), Marisa Szubryt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Procedural Tov-112 Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Transfection Via Initial Seeding And Pbabe/Pei Jet Ratio Variations, Cassondra Walker

Honors Theses

Cell transfection is an exemplary tool in protein analysis and examining transcription factor activity. While general procedures are commonly followed, each cell line requires slight differentiation in pBABE/PEI JET ratios and initial cell count for optimal transfection results. This research focusses on determining a successful procedure for TOV-112 carcinoma cells for future work with 2-methoxyestradiol and NFkB. 2-methoxyestradiol is an angiogenesis inhibitor believed to decrease inflammatory processes. NFkB promoter controls the luciferase gene on the MetLuc plasmid and is pro-inflammatory. The objective of this experiment is to modify the variables until successful results at 24 and 48 hours are observed. …

The Evolution Of Policing Tendencies Towards Sex Work In America: Colonial Era To Today, Olivia D. Partlow

Honors Theses

Policing tendencies toward sex work has changed tremendously since America was colonized. There are four major time in which policing tendencies differed greatly from each other: the pre-progressive era (colonial period until late 19^thCentury), the Progressive Era (late 19^th century to the early 20^th century), the era of state criminalization (most of the 20^th century), and the current era of nascent decriminalization (late 20^thcentury to today). Public opinion of sex workers also changed between each era. The current era of policing may be a stepping stone to total decriminalization if public opinion towards …