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Invocation, Joseph Kozar

Proceedings: 2020 Global Voices on the University of Dayton Campus

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning For Cyberattack Detection, Kayla Chisholm

Honors Theses

Machine learning has become rapidly utilized in cybersecurity, rising from almost non-existent to currently over half of cybersecurity techniques utilized commercially. Machine learning is advancing at a rapid rate, and the application of new learning techniques to cybersecurity have not been investigate yet. Current technology trends have led to an abundance of household items containing microprocessors all connected within a private network. Thus, network intrusion detection is essential for keeping these networks secure. However, network intrusion detection can be extremely taxing on battery operated devices. The presented work presents a cyberattack detection system based on a multilayer perceptron neural network …

Novel Zinc Porphyrin And Bacteriophage Pev2 Combination Therapy For Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilms, Erin Elise Pellot

Honors Theses

Within recent years there have been a growing number of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Many of these strains produce biofilms, which are sturdy layers of bacteria on a surface. Biofilms often form layers on surfaces which can prevent typical antibiotic treatment methods from being effective. In recent years the novel porphyrin, Zinc Porphyrin (ZnPor), has been used at the University of Dayton to disrupt biofilms created by the bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Experiments using ZnPor as a biofilm disruptor have successfully reduced the number of colonies present on multiple substrata (Patel). To further reduce biofilms presence on substrata surfaces the …

Weaponization Of The Socialist Label In Modern American Politics, Matthew Schubert

Honors Theses

This thesis studied the attitude of people in the United States toward the idea of socialism. The first section of my thesis examined how people define socialism, and whether there is any definition that is common among a large group of people. It also looked to see if this definition was different than their definition of democratic socialism. The next section addressed people’s support of a bill or political candidate identified as a socialist. The goal was to see if people would be willing to support a candidate or bill with socialist ideas, but shy away when they see the …

Barriers Of Low Health Literacy In Achieving Informed Consent, Wyatt Kaiser

Honors Theses

For many members of lower socioeconomic classes in the United States, a routine trip to a doctor’s office can be fueled by complete fear and confusion. This is due to a variety of factors, but a major contributor is the low level of health literacy that is often associated with members of lower socioeconomic levels. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Informed consent documents are used frequently when …

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Drugs On The Drosophila Glioma Model Involving The Pi3k; Egfr Pathway, Patricia Katherine Parker

Honors Theses

Glioma are glia-derived brain tumors that have poor prognosis. This thesis project tests Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor drugs that have shown promise during an ongoing chemical drug screen on an alternate oncogenic pathway. In the ongoing chemical screen, tumors were induced in Drosophila melanogaster by expressing Pten^RNAi to eliminate the tumor suppressor gene, Pten, which negatively regulates the Pi3K pathway. For this thesis project, tumors will be induced through constitutively activating the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) through the Pi3K pathway. Therefore, these two projects individually look at two different types of glioma and aim to determine if certain drugs …

The Eastern Europe Britain Wanted: Serbian Independence As Recorded In British Newspapers, 1867, Sarah H. Eyer

Honors Theses

This is a study of Victorian British foreign policy reflected in newspapers. The study focuses on data obtained from the British response to Serbian independence in 1867. The Conservatives focused on ways to keep the balance of power in Europe. The Liberals were guided by their belief in progress and debated amongst themselves if the Balkan countries were ready to be independent nations. However, neither group knew much about Serbia or what was happening there. The newspapers reflected that Britain had little interest in what Serbia wanted but rather reflected what Britain wanted Europe to look like and how Serbia …

The Influence Of Riparian Invasion By The Terrestrial Shrub Lonicera Maackii On Aquatic Macroinvertebrates In Temperate Forest Headwater Streams, Michelle N. Little

Honors Theses

Headwater streams in the midwestern United States are an important ecosystem because they are home to key macroinvertebrate species and serve as the starting point for river systems. According to the river continuum concept, any terrestrial inputs to headwater streams can influence biotic communities and abiotic conditions downstream. Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is an invasive shrub species prominent in the midwestern U.S. whose allelopathic properties have proven detrimental to local biodiversity. We hypothesized that increasing L. maackii density along headwater streams would alter the diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. Five sites located in Montgomery and Miami Counties, Ohio were chosen …

Youth Sport Concussion Management, Cordell J. Stover

Honors Theses

As knowledge about concussions increases and more is being discovered regarding the lasting effects of concussions, youth sport coaches need to be better informed and educated on the signs and symptoms, the management of concussions, and return-to-play procedures. This research examines what coaches of youth athletes (5-14 years of age) know about concussions and concussion management. Semi-structured interviews with coaches were conducted and analyzed in order to develop recommendations for effective training tools to help coaches identify and properly manage youth sport concussions. Results from the interviews found that coaches need more training on the long-term symptoms of concussions. The …

Patience, Young Grasshopper: Analyzing The Fungal Components Of The Grasshopper Gut Microbiome, Staci Seitz

Honors Theses

Microbes inhabit many corners of the Earth, including the intestines of all animals. These intestinal microbes, collectively called the “gut microbiome,” provide numerous nutritional and regulatory functions for the animals they live in and thus play an important role in animal health. The fungal communities in insects, specifically, play a diverse, but important role in insect physiology, as well as insect control. The goals of this project were to expand knowledge of R programming through statistical analysis of microbial ecology and to identify the fungal communities in grasshoppers to enrich our knowledge in insect fungal microbiome. Questions that we wanted …

The Effects Of Technology On Student Interest In Steam Education, Paige Elizabeth Innes

Honors Theses

In recent years, there has been a decline in interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) subjects beginning around 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Interest was monitored before and after experiencing Texas Instruments’ TI-Nspire calculators in conjunction with the TI-Innovator Hub and TI- Innovator Rover in an attempt to combat this problem. The calculators allow students to write their code and then are connected to the Hubs and Rovers to create colors and sounds on the Hub or to make the Rover move. Students begin by learning the basics of coding in this format, but they continually increase …

Compost Amendments On Urban Soils Vs. Water Retention, Anna Louise Drew

Honors Theses

This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of compost on urban soils’ ability to retain water. Data from past studies led to the development of the hypothesis that compost will increase soil’s water-holding capacity up to a certain point, but, if too much compost is present, the soil will become hydrophobic. To test this hypothesis, four treatments were chosen in the form of compost layers of increasing thicknesses (0-inch compost layer, 1-inch compost layer, 2-inch compost layer, 3-inch compost layer), and three repetitions of each treatment were randomly assigned to twelve planting plots of equal size. Kale seeds were …

Capes And Catechesis: The Use Of Comic Books To Catechize Catholic Youths, Lindsey Bronder

Honors Theses

Since the 1930s, comic books starring superheroes have been popular among youth in America. This original archival research seeks to analyze how comic books have been used in the past to catechize, or teach the Catholic faith, American Catholic youth. Using George Pfaum's comic series "Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact" (1946-1972) as an example of a Catholic comic book, this study examines and analyzes the themes and stories of the comics and how they were designed as a teaching tool. This study will also identify ways comic books can be used today as a catechetical tool.

A Language Of Silence: Analyzing The Effects Of Sexist Language On Women’S Classroom Experiences, Emily Battaglia

Honors Theses

The English language has been defined and dominated by the male voice throughout all of history. Consequently, language has played a strong role in upholding the existing patriarchal structure of society. The extent to which this affects women is still widely unaddressed in past and current research; and much of this research fails to directly address how sexist language affects women in learning environments. For my thesis, I have conducted and assessed in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 10 high school seniors and 10 college seniors. With a significant focus on female shame, silence, and self-perception, this study reveals that the language …

Metal Layer Architectures For 2d Tmd Heterostructures, Anna K. Benton

Honors Theses

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are of interest because of their potential for use in transistors and sensors due to their unique electronic and optical properties, coupled with mechanical flexibility. The band gaps of TMDs differ depending on the transition metal and dichalcogenide, the thickness of the TMD, and the structure of the TMD. To be able to tune the electronic and optical properties of TMDs, thin transition metal layers of molybdenum, tungsten, and rhenium were deposited on a silicon substrate with a 200nm oxide layer using a magnetron sputtering chamber. The film thickness and structure, surface characteristics, and conductivity …

Understanding Chemolithotrophic Reduction Mechanisms From The Dark Marine Biosphere, Anna Gwendolyn Blair

Honors Theses

As greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming and an increase in CO2 concentration in the earth’s atmosphere, the scientific community is under pressure not just to examine new technologies to reduce emissions, but also to consider the effect that increased CO2 concentration has on our terrestrial and marine ecosystems. In marine ecosystems, atmospheric CO2 dissolves and reacts with water to form carbonic acid. This diprotic acid then dissociates, contributing to a lowered pH of ocean water and affecting all levels of marine life. Fortunately, nature already has carbonate reduction mechanisms in place that can reduce the harmful effects of …

The Development Of A Scfa Analysis Method And The Examination Of Factors Affecting Listeria Pathogenesis, Ashton Dix

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the three different projects that I worked on during my time in Dr. Yvonne Sun’s microbiology lab. The main goal of the first project was to develop an analytical method on UD’s campus to analyze SCFAs by using Gas Chromatography. This was achieved by creating defined media that could sustain the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) and developing a successful characterization method on a GC. The main goal of the second project was to determine the effects that SCFA supplementation and age have on Listeria infection. This was achieved using in vitro methods to assess the …

Investigating The Role Of The Etc In Listeria Monocytogenes During Ethanol Exposure, Amanda Fawcett

Honors Theses

To better understand how alcohol consumption negatively impacts our defenses against pathogens, I investigated how Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen that can cause serious infections, responds to ethanol exposure. More specifically, I investigated the contribution of the electron transport chain (ETC), which involves different proteins to carry out respiration, in L. monocytogenes survival in ethanol. Survival assays were performed under different physiologically relevant conditions for wildtype bacteria and mutants deficient in ETC components. I found that ETC mutants, compared to wildtype bacteria, exhibited significantly altered ethanol survival in a manner sensitive to oxygen levels. This suggests that ETC plays a …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Additional Sodium On Grasshopper Growth And Development, Mark Ghastine

Honors Theses

In order to investigate why sodium, combined with macronutrients, led to a spike in grasshopper abundance in a Texas prairie field, laboratory and field studies were conducted in Ohio and Texas to understand if sodium has an effect on grasshopper growth and development. These effects could happen directly, by altering grasshopper physiology, or indirectly by altering the plant communities that grasshoppers eat. To examine direct effects, grasshoppers were captured, reared, and fed diets with varying amounts of sodium. Indirect effects were examined by collecting the most dominant plants within plots treated with different micro and macronutrients, and feeding them to …

The Role Of Follower Characteristics In Ratings Of Leadership Style: A Meta-Analytic Review, Reda Aldahan

Honors Theses

Leadership is among the most important research topics across a number of areas for years now - and it shows no sign of waning. A recent search of “leadership” on Amazon, for instance, returned over 70,000 active titles. One reason for this continued popularity is that leadership is a key component of most any effective organization. Most empirical research has centered on features about the leader him/herself (the “great person” approach). An increasingly important trend has looked at the impact of followers in the practice of leadership. A number of studies have emerged now that look at follower’s perceptions and …

Millions Displaced Tomorrow: A New Framework For Climate Migrants, Connor J. Lynch

Honors Theses

Millions of people are finding their livelihoods and security threatened as the effects of climate change intensify around the world. Migration as a response to the continuing ecological crisis is often the only pathway to safety. However, the future of such migrants is uncertain given the lack of mechanisms and systems to provide legal inclusion for displaced populations. In this paper, I challenge the existing international frameworks and point out the inadequacies in protecting victims of climate migration. To address these shortcomings, I suggest a new framework consisting of three features: systematic use of technology and data to determine populations …

Toward A Pa-Inhibitor Complex Crystal System: Influenza Polymerase Acidic Protein Fusion Constructs And Protein Expression, Rebecca Kramb

Honors Theses

Globally, three to five million people are afflicted on a yearly basis with serious illnesses due to influenza. In attempts to combat this epidemic, vaccines and antivirals are developed, yet they are not effective enough. The polymerase acidic protein (PA) is vital for viral replication, and inhibiting PA would potentially stop the virus from replicating. In order to inhibit PA effectively, the structure of the protein inhibition site is beneficial but has not yet been obtained because the site is blocked by another protein in crystal structures. Our solution is to fuse different proteins to PA to open up the …

Designing Fictional Spaces: Questionable Architecture That Supports Sustainable Design, Noël J. Michel

Honors Theses

This thesis presents the modeling of spaces described in short stories that are difficult to visualize. The three stories are Kafka's “The Burrow,” Borges’s “The Library of Babel” and Barthelme's “The Balloon.” Three-dimensional models were created based on the details provided by the authors in each story. Several 2-D images are then generated from these models to match specific scenes. This consideration of these works of fiction provokes the asking of several questions about the science, mathematics and engineering that underpins the stories. In all cases, questions about sustainability arise.

This manuscript is divided into three parts to correspond to …

Angry Tweets And Interest Groups, Sean Newhouse

Honors Theses

Social media have become a primary vehicle through which interest groups have sought influence on the U.S. political system. While the relationship between social media and politics has been studied, little research has been conducted into which posts, specifically from interest groups, receive the most public feedback. Through a content analysis, I coded more than 2,000 tweets from two pairs of diametrically opposed interest groups according to the type of language that was employed in the tweet (argumentative, agreeable, action-oriented) and the multimedia that was utilized (plain, photo, link, video). Tweets with argumentative language tended to receive more likes, retweets, …

Donald Trump’S ‘Presidential’ Rhetoric For The Wall: The Mobilization Of ‘Crisis’ Rhetoric On Behalf Of A Campaign Promise, Nicole Perkins

Honors Theses

Historically, Oval Office addresses in the United States have been given by presidents to unify the nation after a crisis. For example, George W. Bush gave an Oval Office address after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and Barack Obama delivered an Oval Office address after the San Bernardino shooting on December 6, 2015. On January 8, 2019, Donald Trump delivered his only Oval Office address to date in response to an “immigration crisis.” This crisis, according to Trump, can only be averted with the construction of a wall at the United States’ southern border. This presentation applies Barbara …

Where You Are And What You Know: Impact Of Location And Education On Individual Engagement With The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Emily V. Sandstrom

Honors Theses

The United Nations created the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to include 17 goals and 169 targets that foster ongoing environmental, social, and global economic development and aims to accomplish each goal by 2030. There has been considerable enthusiasm in various sectors since the SDGs have been in place; however, there is still a significant amount of work to be done to engage experts and young scholars (the future experts) in the SDGs. According to Salvia, et al., researchers at institutions of higher learning from around the globe found a relation between locality and research, though questions remain concerning …

Effects Of Oxygen Levels And Short Chain Fatty Acid Exposure On Antibiotic Susceptibility In Listeria Monocytogenes, Samantha Neanover

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium and foodborne pathogen responsible for causing a lethal disease known as listeriosis. Listeriosis tends to affect susceptible populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. The infection is often treated with ampicillin and gentamicin, but despite antibiotic treatments, the mortality rate of Listeria infections remains high . In this study, we investigated environmental conditions that may impact bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics in order to increase antibiotic efficacy. Listeria is an enteric bacterium and as it transits through the intestines, it is exposed to short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such …

“When You’Re Done … You’Re Still Part Of Our Family”: An Exploration Of Gendered Scripts And Relationships In Prison Reentry Programs, Ruth Schultz

Honors Theses

Historically, the criminal justice system has been primarily composed of men; this lack of diversity led services to see offenders as an almost genderless category. The demographics of the criminal justice system has greatly changed, however. In 1990 there were 43,845 women under the jurisdiction of state and correctional authorities in the US (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1995). As mass incarceration took hold in the United States, this population more than doubled; by 2017 the number of incarcerated women grew to 111, 360 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2019). Mass incarceration has led to an increase in rehabilitative programs and as …

“You Don’T Understand… It’S Not About Virginity”: Sexual Markets, Identity Construction, And Violent Masculinity On An Incel Forum Board, Joshua A. Segalewitz

Honors Theses

The “manosphere” is an online collection of antifeminists and men’s rights activists. Incels, short for involuntary celibates, interact in this space and have been labeled as extreme misogynists, white supremacists, and domestic terrorists. I engage with popular sociological theories of masculinity (including hegemonic, hybrid, and inclusive masculinities) to analyze dominant discourses on the website incels.is. The data for this project are comments from 100 threads randomly sampled from 4,532 total threads posted in 2018. Using a grounded theory approach, I first explore how incels think about sexuality as an economy, devising a scheme that places everyone in a sexual hierarchy …

The Turn From Radicalism: Self-Regulation Of The American Labor Movement, 1909-1919, Ryan Harrison Reed

Honors Theses

The American Labor Movement of the first decade of the twentieth century was a host to radical labor union organizers and diverse schools of radical thought. By 1919, however, the Movement had shifted away from radicalism toward more pragmatic cooperation between owners and workers. This thesis uses the national organ of the American Flint Glass Workers' Union to recount this same radicalism and traces its disappearance from the Labor Movement during and after American involvement in the First World War. Using events recorded in "The American Flint," it argues that the workers themselves, motivated by patriotic zeal or self-preservation, purged …