Digital Commons Network^™

Lipid Genetics In Pregnant Women: Maneuvering The Challenges Of Using Degraded Samples, Kylee Meece

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The results of this project will explore a novel approach to lipid metabolism in pregnant women by exploring the relationship between maternal gene expression of genes critical for fat metabolism, protein expression, and maternal and neonatal outcomes. The study will also examine gene expression in lean pregnant women compared to obese pregnant women, shedding light into the adverse pathology of obesity during pregnancy. These findings may uncover a mechanism related to gene-expression that connects unfavorable maternal fat metabolism to inflammation and/or insulin resistance, which may help to uncover future targets for interventions.

The analysis of lipid gene expression requires the …

Lumina: Illuminating The World Of Holistic Beverage Branding With Switchel, Lily Lang

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This Capstone Experience project establishes a compelling brand identity for the beverage switchel, under the name Lumina. Through a comprehensive branding blueprint, a strategic framework is crafted to guide brand development. This framework encompasses industry, competitor, and strategic analyses alongside consumer insights, a communication strategy, and cost of implementing ideas. With these insights, the project extends beyond theoretical constructs to practical applications, including label design, and website prototyping. By integrating elements of advertising and design, this project aims to not only reimagine switchel, but also to establish Lumina as a distinctive and resonant presence in the beverage industry. Through strategic …

Eng 100: The Ya'll Conglomerate, Ridge Hudnall

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Eng 100: Nona, Leo Lewis

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Eng 300: On The Writing Process, Willow Revelle

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Eng 200: Manifesting Snowballs: Lessons On Connection In "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry", Cash Turner

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Eng 200: On Erica Sanchez's Crying In The Bathroom, Sophia Brannen

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Eng 200: An Analysis Of "Crocuses", Ava Balanowski

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Eng 200: Portrait Of A Wetback, Madison Estes

English 100-200-300 Conference

No abstract provided.

Dice Are Blessed Or Cursed, Warren Campbell, Cameron Miller

SEAS Faculty Publications

Dice are cursed or blessed; that is, they roll low or high, but they are never fair. They cannot be manufactured with uniform density and geometric precision. This is particularly true of 20-sided dice or D20s. Faces are smaller than 6-sided dice, and manufacturing tolerances are similar. However, some dice are fairer than others. In our studies of plastic-mold dice about 1 in 4 test fair in 3000 rolls. We have used different statistical tests, including chi-square, modified Kolmogorov Smirnov, and double binomial tests. Of these, the method that consistently performed better is the chi-square goodness of fit test. The …

Ua1c11/122 Wku Panhellenic Council Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs removed from Panhellenic Council scrapbooks.

Ua12/2/83 Pi Kappa Phi, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Ua12/2/81 Omega Psi Phi, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Ua94/5/6 Lucian Flora Student/Alumni Papers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Scrapbook and memoirs created by alumni Lucian Flora of Smiths Grove, Kentucky of his activities as a soldier in World War II. Flora saw action through North Africa and Italy from 1941 to 1945.

Ua19/16/2 Volleyball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU volleyball team in 2024.

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU football team in 2024.

Ua19/16/2 Golf Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases for WKU golf teams in 2024.

Ua19/16/2 Athletics Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases regarding general activities of the WKU Athletics Department for 2024.

In The Eyes Of The Beholders: Understanding Public Perceptions Of Dungeons And Dragons And Its Players Using Visual Media, Mallory Hardesty

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Television can have a major impact on how groups of people are seen in shows. The media that people consume have an influence on how they view and interact with the world. Television also utilizes character creation of different types of people to create an array of characters for viewers to enjoy. However, how these characters are portrayed can influence how the public sees the groups that the character is apart of. The “Nerd” subgroup started for form as a subcultural identity in the 1970s and 80s, and as this group began to form, stereotypes about them quickly began to …

What Explains American Perceptions Of Russia And China?, Shane Stryker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This undergraduate senior thesis project aims to investigate the question of how Americans perceive the challenges posed by Russia and China comparatively, and which factors have the greatest influence on these perceptions. This is important for many reasons, such as a greater understanding of American public opinion on foreign affairs that may help frame approaches to U.S. foreign policy. Additionally, finding where the American public agrees and disagrees on competitors and challengers provides us with insight that can be used to explain perceptions.

First, there will be a literature review concerning the importance of understanding public opinion, explanations and theories …

Food Accessibility Struggles For College Students With Dietary Restrictions, Ella Schleuning

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

College is a time when many students experience independence for the first time in their lives. This is the first time they have had to do their laundry on their own, keep their room clean, and maybe most importantly, they are responsible for figuring out where they are going to eat every day, for every meal. The focus of this study is on food accessibility struggles for college students, specifically looking at Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) food on-campus, as well as students with dietary restrictions.

Since college is the first-time students are responsible for their own meals, it can often …

Purpose Makes Practice: Testing The Efficacy Of A Proposed Framework For Teaching Self-Regulation Skills In The Violin Lesson, Hannah Kabrick

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Development of self-regulatory (SR) skills in musicians is crucial for the self- examination necessary for successful practice. Teaching methods that facilitate SR skills can help musicians become independent in the practice room. The first aim of this study was to design a framework for teaching that includes a five-step thinking-action sequence that will allow participants to evaluate their own playing during practice and equips them to enact necessary changes to their technique to bring their playing closer to a more proficient result. The second aim of this study was to use microanalysis with a cross-case comparative design to test the …

The Marketable Me: A Personal Branding Exploration, Amanda Prichard

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The concept of personal branding was introduced in 1997 by Tom Peters in an essay entitled “The Brand Called You”. Since that term was introduced, there has been an explosion of media written about it and many different perspectives formed. In this social media driven age, much of the public understands personal branding as something for influencers and celebrities, when in reality it can, and should, be used by everyone. This project was created to be an intrinsic case study of my own personal branding experience as a college student looking to create a smooth transition into the post-graduation world. …

Mental Health Portrayals In Video Games And Their Impacts: Horror Games And Their Reliance On The Mentally Ill, Jordan Hightower

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis seeks to address the representation of mental illnesses within the video game genre, specifically within horror video games. Horror video games have a history of relying on the mentally ill to increase the “fear factor” of games, though often do not seem to do proper research, as the portrayals often rely on stigmas and misconstruals on the mental illness being portrayed. This can lead to those who play aforementioned video games to develop subconscious stigmas and biases towards those who are mentally ill. Through a literary analysis of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Omori, examples of negative and …

I Am Gay And Catholic: An Analysis Of Identity Integration In Lgbtq+ Members Converting To Catholicism, Maria Julian

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This article examines the negotiation of sexual and religious identities among Catholic members of the LGBTQ+ community. I explore context-specific identity negotiation to determine how and why, in a time of “cultural warfare” within the Catholic Church surrounding the acceptance of LGBTQ+ participants, LGBTQ+ members choose to convert to Catholicism. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with members of the LGBTQ+ community, I identify and discuss several themes based on the identity integration process of these individuals: (1) Experiencing “The Call” (the initial interest in Catholicism), (2) Encountering the Religious “Other” (association with a welcoming and enduring Catholic LGBTQ+ Community), (3) Immersion …

The Influence Of School Policies On Black Students' Mental Health, Ama Ogyaa Boateng

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

When educators target Black students’ hair through school policies, they inadvertently target their racial identity, causing harm to their mental health (Joseph- Salisbury & Connelly, 2018). While previous research has looked at the relationship between a school’s racial climate and Black students’ mental health (Mattison & Aber, 2007), this research study explored the mental health of Black adults who have experienced racial discrimination or racial microaggressions, in relation to hair and dress codes, as Black students in the K-12 school system.

A retrospective survey was used to explore the experiences that Black young adults had in the K-12 school system …

Patterns Of Genetic Structure In Spiders Beetles, Naiya Sims

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Spider beetles are a poorly known group of North American beetles in the family Ptinidae. Protection of biodiversity requires knowledge of species- and population-level distinctiveness, so data regarding genetic structure of spider beetles can shed light on conservation priorities. Spider beetles in the genus, Coleotestudus, are distributed broadly in the southwestern US. Given their small size and lack of flight, it is presumed that the dispersal capability of Coleotestudus is limited, leading to strong population structure on a small spatial scale. We used a three-enzyme restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (3RAD) strategy to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the genome …

Visualizing Communication Disorders Through Art, Adriana Reyes

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This art series visualizes the signs, symptoms, and intervention strategies for various speech and language disorders. The illustrations were lightly sketched onto the canvas and oil-based paint was used as the medium. In the art series, the disorders depicted are childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria, articulation disorder, and aphasia. The public and parents may be uninformed or have misconceptions about communication disorders. Therefore, it is important to educate others about communication disorders to construct a network of support, respect, and learning different ways to communicate since speech and language disorders can make a profound impact on a person’s life.

Correlation Of Geochemical Zones In Great Onyx Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park, To Surficial Geological Units, William Strehl

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cave passages in Great Onyx Cave, developed within the Girkin and Ste. Genevieve Limestones of Mammoth Cave National Park, contain a variety of secondary features on cave walls, including speleothems such as stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone, evaporite minerals, and dissolution features such as pits and domes. What secondary features are present on the walls of a cave passage depends on the flow and geochemistry of capillary water that has interacted with the cave passage. In the Mammoth Cave aquifer, five distinct geochemical zones have been broadly defined and each typically contains a particular set of secondary features. Geochemical zonation in …

Analysis Of Protein-Protein Interactions Between Legionella Pneumophilia Effectors, Briana Harness

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Legionella pneumophila an intracellular, opportunistic pathogen that is the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever. A key component of Legionella’s pathogenicity is a series of effector proteins, which aid in the establishment of the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). The abundant library of effector proteins L. pneumophila has within its arsenal gives L. pneumophila the ability to infect several different hosts. The pathogenesis of L. pneumophila within various hosts depends on its ability to modulate the activity of its effector proteins through protein-protein interactions within effectors and eukaryotic host cell proteins. By understanding how L. pneumophila regulates its effectors, a …