Digital Commons Network^™

The Correlation Between Student Self-Advocacy And Postsecondary Success, Kaleigh Tarabek

Honors Theses

This project incorporated ideas of a previous study that examined the effects of self-advocacy and conflict resolution training modules on the ability of four high school seniors with mild disabilities to ask for their accommodations (Holzberg, et al.,. 2019). The survey I will be using: Self-Determination/Self-Advocacy Checklist, from the transition planning inventory, will be used for the pre and post assessment in order to measure the increase from student indicated don’t knows to yes. I will be compiling student data using student surveys. I will reflect and analyze survey responses as my sample size and student demographics will be different. …

Acute Physiological And Perceptual Responses To Unilateral Versus Bilateral Walking With Blood Flow Restriction, Sage Donaldson

Honors Theses

The use of blood flow restriction (BFR) has skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years as a therapeutic modality. Studies have shown that the application of BFR at 20-30% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max) yields similar improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle mass, and strength when compared with traditional exercise at 60-90% of VO_2max. The substantially lower workload accompanying BFR allows for more tolerable workloads in special populations, such as those recovering from musculoskeletal injury. Because previous studies regarding BFR have mainly focused on bilateral BFR, it is unclear how unilateral BFR compares to bilateral BFR. …

Using Creative Writing And Literacy To Dismantle The School To Prison Pipeline, Tyler N. Gross

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of this research was to elevate the voices of minoritized girls of color (those with intersecting identities such as being Black, Brown and/or gender nonconforming, and/or having a disability) through creative writing and literacy, by engaging them in a process of inquiry that allowed them to creatively express themselves and to share their experiences within the school-to-prison pipeline. Using creative writing and a curriculum that the researcher created, the young women participating in various activities that helped them share their experiences and allowed them to think about countering the narrative about young girls of color and with …

Clothing: The Gateway To Trucks Or Tiaras, Riley Mccormick

Honors Theses

This research observes and analyzes the gendering of children’s clothing and how this affects how adults see children and gender, how children will grow to view one another, as well as how the children will eventually see themselves. For the purpose of this research, I am analyzing clothing for children of the ages two to eight because that is when a child begins to recognize themselves as their own person, begins to understand their personality, and starts to understand their own sex (Capsi, Roberst, Shiner 256). Children’s clothing often expresses messages that assert a masculine or feminine gender. These messages …

Investigating The Use Of Saligae® To Identify Expirated Blood On Various Material, Maria Bigos

Honors Theses

Expirated bloodstains and impact bloodstains have very similar physical characteristics. The main way Blood Pattern Analysts identify bloodstains in based on their physical characteristics. This can lead to difficulty distinguishing between expirated blood and impact spatter. Expirated blood can be identified through the presence of air bubbles, however these are often only present on non-porous surfaces. However, if expirated bloodstains can be identified through the presence of saliva, this can provide an alternative way to identify expirated bloodstains. This study examined if SALIgAE can be accurately used to identify the presence of saliva in blood and thus, be a way …

Assessing Sustainability At Ccu, Savannah Billings

Honors Theses

An assessment of sustainability initiatives and culture at Coastal Carolina University, recommending stronger institutional support for sustainability.

When They Lost Their Words: The Impact Of Microaggressions And Exclusion On Chinese International Students’ Linguistic Capacity And Leadership Emergence, Kexin Li

Honors Theses

This research investigates the impact of microaggressions and social exclusion on Chinese international students’ English fluency and leadership emergence. We entered a group of Chinese international students into an online study in which they filmed two videos of themselves speaking English before and after being exposed to either an identity-threatening or an identity-safe condition, both presenting an ostensible group they would be joining and with the identity-safe condition added small inclusionary changes. The results demonstrated that Chinese international students speak English more fluently and tend to show more interest in participating in group activities when put into an identity-safe environment. …

The Case For The Moral Rationale Of Diversity, Will Walker Jr.

Honors Theses

Although there is much literature highlighting the instrumental benefits of diversity (Gurin et al., 2002; Gurin et al., 2004; Hurtado,2006; Jayakumar,2008), little research focuses on the effects of diversity that arise because of moral rationales for diversity. Expanding into the question of diversity rationale’s effect, we in this study measured the relationship between institutional rationales for diversity and undergraduate students’ perceived feelings of belonging. Using one-tailed multivariate analysis of variance (N=257), our results show that the moral rationale for diversity has more beneficial outcomes for undergraduate students, regardless of their race or ethnicity. More specifically, our analyses show that undergraduate …

Doing Good Better: The ‘Do Good’ App, Emily Trumble

Honors Theses

Although we all want to do the right thing, doing so reliably is often extremely difficult because we do not always know what the right thing to do is. Personal biases undermine our ability to perceive information in a way that does not favor ourselves. Additionally, even without those biases we often do not have enough information to make adequately informed decisions . The solution to this problem is the Do Good App, an app which would assist people in making the correct decisions. Unlike humans, the Do Good app would not be biased and it would have easy access …

Does Duration Matter?: Assessing The Role Of Duration In Adverse Childhood Experiences, Miranda Thompson

Honors Theses

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with several negative physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood (Felitti et al., 1998). However, a criticism of the ACEs measure is that it does not account for the duration of these events (McLennan et al., 2020). Thus, I aim to replicate previous ACE findings and determine whether an ACEs measure accounting for duration is a better predictor of mental health outcomes. Methods: 244 adult participants reported on their ACEs with duration and their mental and physical health. Three ACE scales were formulated: the traditional ACEs scale, and two duration-based scales, ACEs Years …

Interactive Neuroscience: Designing And Implementing Web-Based Simulations To Teach Cognitive Neuroscience Concepts In An Online Classroom A Pilot Study, Kendall Stewart

Honors Theses

While computer simulations are effective tools when learning difficult concepts, little is currently known about the most effective learning environment for the implementation of computer simulations in the classroom. The current study aimed to determine if the effectiveness of simulations depends on the learning environment in which they are implemented. Tested within various passive and active learning environments, this study begins to shed light on the impact of the instructional method in which simulations are implemented on learning outcomes for novice learners. Results from this study suggest that within passive learning environments, simulated animations may be more effective than informationally …

The Commercialization Of Crime Solving: Ethical Implication Of Forensic Genetic Genealogy, Hannah Lee

Honors Theses

With the advancement of DNA technology and expansion of direct-to-consumer DNA services, a growing number of cold cases have been solved using a revolutionary new investigative method: familial DNA mapping. While the technique has been lauded by law enforcement as revolutionizing criminal identification, others are concerned by the privacy implications and impact on the family structure. In this thesis I will draw on communitarian, liberal rights, utilitarian, and social justice arguments for and against the practice. I conclude that this method has the potential to increase security and provide justice for victims and families, but absent comprehensive regulation and privacy …

Power And Performance: The Role Of Witchcraft In The Leadership Of Queen Elizabeth I And James I Of England, Sabrina Garcia

Honors Theses

Modern day beliefs about the Early Modern European witchcraft trials portray this time period as ignorant and superstitious, easily falling pretty to religious fervor. However, when looking at the primary source materials from the Elizabethan and Jacobean reigns one can see that beliefs on witchcraft were quite varied and complex. By using primary documents, as well as popular plays at the time that focus on malleus maleficarum (harmful magic) this thesis attempts to explore what witchcraft beliefs can reflect about the leadership performance styles of the monarchs Queen Elizabeth I and James I of England. Witchcraft was an intellectual battleground …

Responsible Belief- An Interpersonal Approach, R J. Conk

Honors Theses

Beliefs occupy a powerful role in all aspects of our lives and are essential to many of the most impactful realms of human activity. All intellectual, political, and social activity relies on the stable function of our belief practices, and our everyday experience certainly reflects this. At times, we find it fitting to hold people

responsible for the beliefs they develop, and if these beliefs are in some way bad or incorrect, to blame them for them. However, this is in tension with the popular sentiment that opinions are open to (mostly) free adoption and expression. So long as your …

Prospective Physical Therapy Education Revisions According To Appalachian Physical Therapists And Physical Therapist Assistants, Paige N. Freeman

Honors Theses

Abstract

Physical Therapy Education Revisions According to Appalachian Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants

Paige Freeman

Dr. Michael Lane PhD, Department of Exercise Science

According to the American Physical Therapy Association and associated literature, the Physical Therapy profession has not changed significantly since its modern beginnings despite the obvious changes in technology and research. The lack of these changes can leave graduates underprepared for the challenges of the workplace and have an increased variability in practice, yet students continue to pay more for the same inadequate education. These issues exist overall within the Physical Therapy and Physical Therapist Assistant professions …

Cosmological Inflation In N-Dimensional Gaussian Random Fields With Algorithmic Data Compression, Connor A. Painter

Honors Theses

The leading modern theories of cosmological inflation are increasingly multi-dimensional. The “inflaton field” φ that has been postulated to drive accelerating expansion in the very early universe has a corresponding potential function V , the details of which, such as the number of dimensions and shape, have yet to be specified. We consider a natural hypothesis that V ought to be maximally random. We realize this idea by defining the V as a Gaussian random field in some number N of dimensions. We repeatedly simulate of the evolution of φ given a set of conditions on the “landscape” of V …

What’S In An Ace: The Role Of Ace2 In Covid-19’S Tissue Damaging Effects, Christian White

Honors Theses

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is the disease state caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the current pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infects cells via the membrane bound form of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Aside from its role in viral entry, the role of ACE2 in the morbidity and mortality of severe COVID-19 is often overlooked. ACE2 functions as a member of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by cleaving the angiotensin II into angiotensin (1-7). Angiotensin II increases inflammation, thrombosis, and inflammation, whereas angiotensin (1-7) decreases these phenomena, making ACE2 an important balancing agent. ACE2 is …

An Analysis Of The Utilization Rates For Eastern Kentucky University’S Fleet Of Training Aircraft, Erica J. Gilbert

Honors Theses

For years, aviation industry experts have warned of a looming pilot shortage in our nation’s air transportation system. As outreach efforts have yielded positive results in recruiting pilots, many flight training programs have seen unprecedented increases in enrollment. Eastern Kentucky University is no exception. Partly because of this industry wide growth, the price of acquiring, maintaining, and fueling aircraft goes up each year. As a flight training program grows and resources become scarcer, it is incumbent upon the governing body to maintain control over tangible assets and human assets for the interest of all stakeholders. Through analysis of historical and …

Discovering The Wire: Dominance Effects In The Processing Of Polysemes In Sentences, Gwynna Ryan

Honors Theses

Previous research examining the processing of polysemous words presented in neutral sentence contexts has revealed conflicting results. Two different models attempt to explain these divergent patterns. The first predicts that the subordinate sense of an ambiguous word is more difficult to retrieve and process while the second predicts no differences in processing difficulty between the subordinate and dominant senses of ambiguous words. The current study tested the different predictions of these models by presenting sentences with polysemes in a neutral context. Critically, the sense relatedness of the polysemes and the sentence structure were held constant, while the sense frequency of …

Story And Sorority: How Sisters Shape The Novels Of Jane Austen, Morgan Elizabeth Reid

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact and use of sisters and sorority in the novels of Jane Austen, answering the question of how they are shaping the narratives of the stories. Focusing in particular on Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, I highlight the ways that Austen’s writing crafts plots that rely upon sisters to function. Austen also uses sister figures to reveal the characteristics of her main protagonists and to express the themes she is most concerned about within each story. I also show Austen’s pattern of affirming the value and importance of …

Chemical And Co-Solute Effects Of Polyethylene Glycol On I-Motif Formation, Lindsey Rutherford

Honors Theses

DNA typically forms Watson and Crick double helix structures in which adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine pair with their complimentary DNA base. However, DNA i-motif structures can form in cytosine rich DNA, typically under slightly acidic conditions (~pH 6). DNA i-motifs are four stranded secondary structures in which cytosine pairs with cytosine to form a quadruplex. The i-motifs are typically formed in acidic conditions because of the protonation in the C•C base pair between one of the three hydrogen bases. Recent studies have suggested i-motifs can also form under neutral conditions, which is more realistic for a cell. It is …

The Interhemispheric Connectivity Of The Auditory Cortices, Taylor Stansberry

Honors Theses

Objectives: The corpus callosum of the brain is an important and complex structure that allows communication between the two cerebral hemispheres. In the absence of knowledge about the relationship between the corpus callosum and the auditory cortices, this study aimed to investigate how the structure changes. Specifically, we explored the age associated changes of interhemispheric connectivity between left and right cortices through the corpus callosum.Methods: Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data from enhanced Nathan Kline Institute- Rockland Sample (NKI-RS), we isolated the auditory corpus callosum, or the section of the corpus callosum that transfers auditory information, in each individual subject …

Covalent Modification Of Genetically Engineered Polymers With Bodipy Fluorophores, Emilie Smith

Honors Theses

Osteoarthritis and other debilitating diseases cause chronic pain that is difficult to manage. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are the current standard of treatment for many long-term pain management, but there are potential systemic effects when using NSAIDs long-term. Therefore, it isnecessary to have an alternative option for NSAID delivery that doesn’t include these systemic effects. Hydrogels can be that alternative option. Hydrogels’ distinct characteristics allow them to be viable in the body, degrade under unique conditions, and be modified through many different chemistries. Additionally, hydrogels can be engineered and their properties optimized for the use as a drug depot inside …

The Effects Of Disclosure On Perceptions Of Different Overt Stuttering Severity Levels, Katelyn Geringswald

Honors Theses

This study measured perceptions of a 17-year-old adolescent male who stutters, relative to select speech skills and personality characteristics, as a function of self-disclosure at various overt severity levels. 983 participants were assigned one of the four conditions, including (1) a no-disclosure control group, (2) mild stuttering severity self-disclosure, (3) moderate stuttering severity self-disclosure, and (4) severe stuttering severity self-disclosure. Participants assigned to the control condition viewed only a primary video stimulus of a 17-year-old adolescent who stutters. Participants assigned to one of the three experimental conditions (mild, moderate, or severe severity disclosure) watched a brief self-disclosure statement, followed by …

Computational Investigation Of Stellar Cooling, Noble Gas Nucleation, And Organic Molecular Spectra, Jax Dallas

Honors Theses

Since the advent and optimization of the Hartree-Fock method, quantum chemistry has been utilized to investigate systems operating on timeframes and environments traditionally unavailable to bench-top chemistry. As computational methods have grown more robust and less time consuming, quantum chemistry has been utilized to investigate a range of fields, including the steadily growing discipline of computational astrochemistry. Through the lens of computational astrochemistry, chemistry that occurred billions of years ago can be explored with equal clarity to that which is currently happening in the cosmos. The work presented throughout this thesis is a series of investigations into different timeframes of …

The Role Of Automotive Value Chains In The Development Patterns Of Mississippi, Mitchell Palmertree

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the automotive industry within Mississippi through a Global Value Chain lens. Through interviews conducted with economic developers affiliated with Nissan and Toyota’s recruitment, this thesis highlights the effect these final assembly plants on local economic development and the role these economic developers play in their recruitment. The automobile industry within Mississippi behaves much like the automobile industry elsewhere within the world as they tend to locate near final markets, drive the co-location of suppliers, and remain long-lived institutions in the community. This thesis also illuminates the role of state and local actors in recruiting the automotive industry. …

The Politics Of Water Resource Management: State-Guided Framing Of China’S South To North Water Diversion Project And Its Impact On Citizen Perception, Mary Barlow

Honors Theses

Due to China’s geographic and human-exacerbated water scarcity, government leaders have turned to the South to North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) in order to ensure a reliable source of water for the country’s increasingly parched Northern cities and townships. This thesis examines this inter-basin water transfer project (soon to be the world’s largest) through the lens of how government actors have framed the project. This official framing analysis is presented in tandem with citizen perceptions observed through online commentary in order to evaluate how effective such framing has been. Through such analysis, this research observes a pattern of nationalism and …

Purification Of Pcbp2 And Its Effect On The Formation Of Dna I-Motifs And Secondary Structures, Nathan Redden

Honors Theses

Several secondary, non-B forms of DNA are associated with the promoter regions of many oncogenes, including the intensely studied c-MYC gene that codes for a transcription factor. Two such secondary structures, G-quadruplexes, and i-motifs, have become topics of interest due to their prevalence within oncogenic promoters, as well as their potential accessibility for drug targeting. B-form DNA can adopt alternative structures under certain conditions. These alternative structures are favored when there is an asymmetric distribution of guanosine and cytosine on complimentary DNA strands. The strand rich in guanosine is able to form a quadruple stranded DNA complex termed a G-quadruplex. …

The Great Equalizer Or A Modern Iteration Of Historical Inequality: Artificial Intelligence In Latin America, Santana Amaker

Honors Theses

In recent years, governments across Latin America have taken steps to foster the development and implementation of artificial intelligence causing an expansion of the use of AI in the region. For instance, countries like Colombia and Argentina are using AI in their judicial systems. Superficially, the allure of AI in the judicial system stems from the thought that AI is an impartial entity that will pass fair and unbiased judgement. However, just like the programmers responsible for creating AI, algorithms used in AI system can be biased. The reason being AI is often trained to make predictions or decisions based …

Chronic Exercise And Memory Interference, Lisa Vogelgesang

Honors Theses

This online study examined whether chronic exercise is associated with attenuated memory interference. Sixty-three healthy, young adults completed an interference task (AB/AC-paradigm) and self-reported the number of days and minutes a day they engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. We found that proactive interference (PI), but not retroactive interference (RI), occurred but none of the exercise modalities significantly impacted PI. Future studies should evaluate whether different interference tasks display diverse sensitivities to exercise-induced changes in memory interference. Moreover, other potential modulating factors, such as the duration and intensity of the exercise should be controlled for.