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Honors Theses

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Walk-Training Increases Expression Of Gdnf In Pectoralis Muscle But Not Diaphragm From Mouse, Erin Donovan Apr 2014

Walk-Training Increases Expression Of Gdnf In Pectoralis Muscle But Not Diaphragm From Mouse, Erin Donovan

Honors Theses

Neurotrophic factors are proteins that play an important role in the development and maintenance of neurons. Recent studies have shown that neurotrophic factors may hold promise for treating damage to the nervous system caused by trauma or diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in skeletal muscles and affects peripheral motor neurons. Results of previous studies have demonstrated that exercise can increase GDNF content in skeletal muscle of rat. The goal of the current study was to examine whether expression of GDNF in skeletal muscle of mouse is also regulated …


Resisting (And Reproducing) Language Domination In A Bilingual Kindergarten Classroom, Roxana Gamble Apr 2014

Resisting (And Reproducing) Language Domination In A Bilingual Kindergarten Classroom, Roxana Gamble

Honors Theses

In modern U.S. society, English is considered the language of power while Spanish is considered a minority language, unfit for academic or professional settings. These macro-level power inequalities are evident in micro-level interactions between students and teachers in mainstream schools. Dual language education programs, however, attempt to challenge this ideology by elevating the status of minority languages and their speakers. In this study, I use an ethnographic/discourse analysis approach to examine how one teacher's practices in a dual language kindergarten classroom work to both reproduce and resist dominant ideologies about Spanish. Through participant-observation, interviews, and audio recordings of naturallyoccurring speech, …


The Relevance Of Fraternity New Member Education Programs, Christopher Miller Apr 2014

The Relevance Of Fraternity New Member Education Programs, Christopher Miller

Honors Theses

College can be a difficult time of transition for young men, and done properly a fraternity can provide a strong tool for initial and continued success. My thesis will center on a curriculum I developed for the new members of my fraternity, the Michigan Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp). Under the auspices of SigEp’s nationally implemented Balanced Man Program, my program is aimed to help new members of college and SigEp understand collegiate life, fraternity, and how living a life centered around the principles of SigEp can help ensure success in college and in life after college. The …


Two-Way Dual-Immersion Programs, Monica Nealis Apr 2014

Two-Way Dual-Immersion Programs, Monica Nealis

Honors Theses

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, “of the 281 million people aged 5 and over in the United States, 55.4 million people (20 percent of this population) speak a language other than English at home” (Center for Applied Linguistics). As this number of English language learners, also known as ELLs, continues to grow, families and educators alike are looking for effective programs and instructional strategies to serve these children and adults (CAL). “Dual-language education” is an umbrella term used for an additive form of education in which students are taught literacy and other content (reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social …


¡Vamos: Es Hora De Conocer España! Unit Plan For The Life And Culture Of Spain, Katheryn Cook Apr 2014

¡Vamos: Es Hora De Conocer España! Unit Plan For The Life And Culture Of Spain, Katheryn Cook

Honors Theses

This thesis, ¡Vamos: es hora de conocer España!, is a unit plan for a high school Spanish course focusing on the life and culture of Spain, with an intense focus on the languages of Spain other than Spanish. The cultures of the regions where these languages are found in Spain are rich with history and are quite individual and unique. The goal of this unit was to create a connection between language and culture for new language learners. When someone has a story and a context behind what they are learning, they will have a connection to the material …


Position Tracking Using Wifi, Tyler Bayne Apr 2014

Position Tracking Using Wifi, Tyler Bayne

Honors Theses

Position tracking using WiFi is needed as a more accurate method of intra-building tracking due to Global Positioning System's (GPS) lack of accuracy in buildings. The main application of this project is to provide a safety system, which may be either tracking employees within a building and allowing them to send an emergency message through a device, or to track objects throughout a building. The devices can send simple messages to a central location. These messages will include position information and which emergency has been selected. The devices consist of two buttons and two LEDs, and with a button press, …


Position Tracking Using Wifi, Nathan Conrad Apr 2014

Position Tracking Using Wifi, Nathan Conrad

Honors Theses

Position tracking using WiFi is needed as a more accurate method of intra-building tracking due to Global Positioning System’s (GPS) lack of accuracy in buildings. The main application of this project is to provide a safety system, which may be either tracking employees within a building and allowing them to send an emergency message through a device, or to track objects throughout a building. The devices can send simple messages to a central location. These messages will include position information and which emergency has been selected. The devices consist of two buttons and two LEDs, and with a button press, …


Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Andrew Campbell Apr 2014

Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Andrew Campbell

Honors Theses

An experiment was designed to quantify the relative displacement between the calcaneus and talus ankle bones during various types of loading. The ankles were embedded in an epoxy resin and three loads were applied: compressive forces, flexion moments, and inversion moments. A stereo camera system took photographs during the loading process, and the images were correlated via digital image correlation (DIC). The DIe was carried out via a suite of homemade programs written using the open-sourced computational program Octave.


Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Nathan Ortiz Apr 2014

Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Nathan Ortiz

Honors Theses

Subtalar arthrodesis is performed when cartilage in the talo-calcaneal (the ankle) joint is degraded in a patient and there are multiple approaches to this surgery. Using synthetic bone material, fixtures were cast from aluminum, using the process of evaporation pattern casting, and epoxy. This casting was used to grip the calcaneus bone of the foot in order to load it mechanically, simulating different scenarios that would be encountered during walking. The relative displacement of the ankle joint was measured using a digital image correlation (DIC) program that was modified to work in both two- and three-dimensional space. This program can …


Design And Analysis Of A Cold Gas Propulsion System For Stabilization And Maneuverability Of A High Altitude Research Balloon, Mitchell Brownell Apr 2014

Design And Analysis Of A Cold Gas Propulsion System For Stabilization And Maneuverability Of A High Altitude Research Balloon, Mitchell Brownell

Honors Theses

The need for a cold gas propulsion system is crucial to the scientific industry which allows for maneuvering and stabilizing a high altitude research balloon and propose an inexpensive, light weight design that researchers can reproduce. The methodology to the design of this system was based on factors that are all dependent upon one another. The parameters that directed the decisions made throughout this design project was the thrust needed to rotate the unit, and the allowable weight permitted by federal regulations. The frame was designed with a gas storage system, gas transmission system, and nozzle assembly which was integrated …


The Laureate, Nicole Burchette Apr 2014

The Laureate, Nicole Burchette

Honors Theses

The Laureate’s mission is to provide undergraduate students at Western Michigan University a place in which to publish their works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and other creative works. The Laureate strives to be a professional and engaging journal that appeals to all. The opportunity to serve as Editor-in-Chief for the thirteenth edition of the The Laureate has been an honor and a privilege. Along the way I have worked with a variety of team members to select and build the collection. Working close with my fellow editors, this edition of The Laureate came together as the result of much hard …


The Effects Of A Picture Acitivty Schedule And Functional Communication Training, Sarah J. Lett Apr 2014

The Effects Of A Picture Acitivty Schedule And Functional Communication Training, Sarah J. Lett

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects a package treatment containing a picture activity schedule and functional communication training on the reduction of problem behaviors on a child with developmental delays. The study was conducted by first establishing discrimination between pictures, to be used in the picture activity schedule. Then the tutors progressively advanced through the six phases of the picture activity schedule. Each phase taught fundamental rules such as “first this, then that”, and built the schedule to more complex structure. In this way, the student could anticipate upcoming tasks, and preferred activities. The predictor strategy …


Simple Visual Discrimination Training For A Child With Autism And Exceptional Learning Difficulties, Rachel Burroughs Apr 2014

Simple Visual Discrimination Training For A Child With Autism And Exceptional Learning Difficulties, Rachel Burroughs

Honors Theses

One of the most basic pre-requisite skills for learning is simple visual discrimination. Unfortunately, the literature is lacking in how to teach simple visual discrimination to children with difficulty learning. To address this problem, the current study set out to teach a child with autism, and exceptional learning difficulty, simple visual discrimination. To do this, the researchers used a simple reversal design using a prompt fading strategy. To shape the independent behavior of selecting the correct stimulus in the presence of two other stimuli, the researchers started by reinforcing touching the stimuli when there were no other distractor stimuli present, …


Gradual Guidance And Independent Activity Schedules For Children With Autism, Amanda Driscoll Apr 2014

Gradual Guidance And Independent Activity Schedules For Children With Autism, Amanda Driscoll

Honors Theses

The goal of this intervention was to increase on-task and on-schedule behavior in a child with autism through the use of gradual guidance and an independent activity schedule. The participant was a three year-old boy who exhibited noncompliant problem behavior. He was at mastery level for the tasks that were included in the independent activity schedule and had no prior learning experience with an independent activity schedule. Gradual guidance was used to decrease the time it took for him to learn the complex behavior that is involved with an independent activity schedule and to keep the participant on-task and on-schedule …


The Combined Effects Of Picture Activity Schedules And Extinction Plus Differential Reinforcement On Problem Behavior During Transitions, Jessica Hurdelbrink Apr 2014

The Combined Effects Of Picture Activity Schedules And Extinction Plus Differential Reinforcement On Problem Behavior During Transitions, Jessica Hurdelbrink

Honors Theses

To decrease problem behaviors and increase compliance during transitions, a treatment package consisting of a picture activity schedule combined with extinction and differential reinforcement of other behavior was implemented. The study consisted of baseline and the intervention. Based on previous studies involving picture activity schedules, Gina Cross wrote the protocol for the teaching of the activity schedule and the transition protocol. The teaching protocol was made up of four stages of most-to-least prompting, and involved teaching the child to move the picture icon to the bottom of the schedule independently. The transition protocol gave instructions on how the tutor and …


The Effectiveness Internal Auditing Has To Help Improving Companies, Kelsey Miller Apr 2014

The Effectiveness Internal Auditing Has To Help Improving Companies, Kelsey Miller

Honors Theses

Internal auditing is an independent consulting activity done within the company to insure and improve a company’s operation. The thesis is going to look at, if internal auditing has good effectiveness and efficiency in helping improve companies. Can internal auditing help a company stay on the right track? In the past, there has been much fraud, lies, scandals made by big companies, like Enron and Worldcom. These upsets have cost investors billions of dollars when the share prices of affected companies collapsed. Internal auditing should be able to know what is going on in the company and create ways to …


Taboo Topics: Depression, Anxiety, Sexual Assault, And Ptsd; The Influence Of Stigma On Help Seeking, Kaitlyn Cichocki-Goss Apr 2014

Taboo Topics: Depression, Anxiety, Sexual Assault, And Ptsd; The Influence Of Stigma On Help Seeking, Kaitlyn Cichocki-Goss

Honors Theses

This review analyzes investigations into the stigma associated with depression, anxiety, sexual assault, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how stigma affects patients seeking treatment. The three disorders and the experience of sexual assault are examined for; prevalence, past and present stigma, and the history of the diagnosis. Each of the three disorders and sexual assault carry social stigma. Stigma can be described as a negative belief towards one group of people and in this case, stigma likely prevents people from seeking help. Researchers have found that one way to reduce stigma and the barrier that it has on help …


From Foster Care To Becoming A Family Member, Zachary Henderson Apr 2014

From Foster Care To Becoming A Family Member, Zachary Henderson

Honors Theses

This exploration examines different aspects of the transition from a foster care placement into an adoptive home. This project was completed using the qualitative research approach will allowed for semi-structured interviews w ith single individuals. Both participants experienced foster care during their youth. The interviewees were drawn from a convenience sample. The interviews were then then transcribed. The transcripts where then examined to search for common themes which may improve the transition for child going from foster care to adoption. Although the sample is small, the insight is great. It seems that the professionals were competent but not humble regarding …


Core Aspects Of Curriculum Development: A Literature Review And Development Of Program Handbook For Health Informatics And Information Management, Nicole Yon Apr 2014

Core Aspects Of Curriculum Development: A Literature Review And Development Of Program Handbook For Health Informatics And Information Management, Nicole Yon

Honors Theses

TIle purpose of this review was to determine the basic principles of curriculum design and to understand how they are used to develop a competent curriculum handbook. The findings were used to develop a handbook for the Health Informatics and Information Management major at Western Michigan University. This literature review focuses on a variety of web pages, articles and books that analyzed the topics of curriculum design and curriculum handbook development. A review of the Bronson School of Nursing Handbook and the Temple University - Health Information Management Department B.S. in Health Information Management (HiM) Student Handbook was also conducted. …


Investigating Adolescent Bullying Programs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, Amanda Waligora Apr 2014

Investigating Adolescent Bullying Programs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, Amanda Waligora

Honors Theses

Recently, substantial research has been conducted towards the widespread concern of adolescent bullying. Definitions and qualifications of bullying incidents have changed as studies and factors relating to bullying have evolved. Extensive amounts of resources can be found and made available for schools, parents, and adolescents in relation to bullying, but the question stands if these theories and resources are being used in the schools, and if so, how. This study focuses to examine current bullying program implementations within school districts of the Southwest Michigan area. Qualitative analyses on interpretive interviews were conducted to determine what school districts are actually doing …


A Qualtitative Comparison Examining How The Educational Needs Of Students With Disabilities Are Met In West Africa Vs. The United States, Katherine Sniegowski Apr 2014

A Qualtitative Comparison Examining How The Educational Needs Of Students With Disabilities Are Met In West Africa Vs. The United States, Katherine Sniegowski

Honors Theses

The focus of this qualitative study was to examine the differences in services for students with disabilities In United States vs Dakar, Senegal.The strengths, weaknesses, and presenting needs of each system were addressed . The research questions addressed were: How is a disability defined?, (2) What support services are available for children with disabilities?, (3) What is the level of family support for children with disabilities?, Ind (4) How are teachers prepared 10 work with children with disabilities? The qualitative methodology used to examine the research questions include: personal interviews with school personnel in a self-contained school for children with …


Turn And Face The Strange: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror In The Work Of David Bowie, Victoria L. Dershem Apr 2014

Turn And Face The Strange: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror In The Work Of David Bowie, Victoria L. Dershem

Honors Theses

David Bowie, one of the most recognizable names in the history of modern music, is primarily famous due to his constantly reinvented public image and often flamboyant alter-egos. However, throughout all his distinct stylistic eras, the presence of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror themes has remained a constant characteristic of his work. It is found on stage and in the studio as a singer and musician, as well as on-screen in his theatrical and television career. This thesis explores how his personal fascination with these genres has influenced his career, through the inclusion of specific references to works of fiction in …


Identifying The Dna Sequence Requirements For A Synergistic Interaction Between Two Cis-Regulatory Elements, Kaitlyn R. Francis Apr 2014

Identifying The Dna Sequence Requirements For A Synergistic Interaction Between Two Cis-Regulatory Elements, Kaitlyn R. Francis

Honors Theses

My thesis research studies the genetic material that is the blue print to make animal life. In animals, a key type of genetic material is sequences collectively referred to as cis-regulatory elements (CREs). These sequences control the expression of genes; more specifically they instruct when to turn “ON” or “OFF” the production of a gene’s functional product. My research investigates the interaction between the two CREs, the Anterior Element and the Dimorphic Element of the fruit fly species Drosophila melanogaster. These two CREs act synergistically to produce a pattern of expression for the bab1 and bab2 genes that differs …


Exploring Data-Driven Electricity Feedback On Energy Conservation Behavior In The University Of Dayton Student Neighborhood, Daniel R. Esposito Apr 2014

Exploring Data-Driven Electricity Feedback On Energy Conservation Behavior In The University Of Dayton Student Neighborhood, Daniel R. Esposito

Honors Theses

In general, homeowners do not have a concrete idea of how much energy their houses are using at any given moment. This energy “invisibility” is thought to be a barrier toward people adopting more sustainable behaviors. This study involves installing energy monitors in houses in the University of Dayton student neighborhood to analyze two important questions: whether the monitors teach students about the relationship between their activities and energy consumption, and whether the monitors influence students to adjust their household behaviors. Due to complications with and uncertainties in the data, quantitative conclusions could not be drawn. Fortunately, data collected from …


Photoreactions Of A Water Soluble Poly-Isoquinolpyrrole With Plasmid Dna, Gregory Versteeg Apr 2014

Photoreactions Of A Water Soluble Poly-Isoquinolpyrrole With Plasmid Dna, Gregory Versteeg

Honors Theses

With the goal of creating a porphyrin we reacted isoquinol pyrrole, p-fluorobenzaldehyde, and boron trifluoride etherate under appropriate conditions. Instead of a porphyrin being synthesized, we created polyisoquinol pyrrole in high yield and with great absorption properties around 600nm. We characterized this compound via UV/vis spectroscopy, proton NMR, and electrochemistry. The compound was then reacted with [Ru(bipy)2Cl2] to create a cationic compound and this molecule was tested as a possible photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT) but it was unable to photocleave plasmid DNA above 550nm. The original compound was then methylated and this new compound was also tested as a …


Designing And Evaluating Playground Equipment For Compliance With The Americans With Disabilities Act, Leigha R. Brisco Apr 2014

Designing And Evaluating Playground Equipment For Compliance With The Americans With Disabilities Act, Leigha R. Brisco

Honors Theses

The need for accessible playgrounds is more prevalent than ever before, with approximately 3 million children having disabilities and health issues that limit their ability to partake in play and school. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recently provided, for the first time, specific accessible design standards for playgrounds. All playgrounds must now comply with these rules that went into place on March 15, 2012. As it is vital that playgrounds undergo the necessary changes to come up to compliance, there is an opportunity to develop an accessible playground design which satisfies all ADA playground standards and requirements. The objective …


Developing Social Consciousness Through Multicultural Young Adult Literature, Megan R. Abbate Apr 2014

Developing Social Consciousness Through Multicultural Young Adult Literature, Megan R. Abbate

Honors Theses

In this study, the novels We Were Here and Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, works which feature male protagonists struggling tolocate their multicultural identities, will be analyzed. This research will legitimize the use of multicultural young adult literature, specifically these three texts, in the classroom, despite the presence of controversial themes. This research will demonstrate the value of these texts due to their potential to foster social consciousness and aid the establishment of identity within a global context. This thesis will demonstrate ways in which young …


Red Light Green Light: A Novel Approach To Studying The Interaction Between Enhancers And Gene Promoters, Jordan E. Vellky Apr 2014

Red Light Green Light: A Novel Approach To Studying The Interaction Between Enhancers And Gene Promoters, Jordan E. Vellky

Honors Theses

The human genome consists of over 3 billion base pairs, but only about 2% of this extensive supply of genetic information is recognized as a functional protein coding sequence. The remaining 98% was once considered to be “junk DNA” that lacked functional elements. Recently, this assumption has been replaced by an understanding that the non-coding genome contains many functional elements involved in gene regulation. These elements include promoters, or the region where gene expression is initiated, and enhancers, which communicate to promoters information about the cells in a body and when a specific gene’s expression should be ON or OFF. …


Literacy Instruction In Early Childhood Education: Ohio’S Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Jamie L. Dell Apr 2014

Literacy Instruction In Early Childhood Education: Ohio’S Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Jamie L. Dell

Honors Theses

This qualitative study’s purpose was to research effective literacy instruction in three separate primary classrooms. Three teachers were observed and interviewed as to how they are delivering best instruction in their respective classrooms. These observations were then compared with Gail Tompkins’ (2011) effective literacy educator statements as well as other best practice techniques. Once all of the data was collected, the primary investigator traced similarities throughout the three teachers and made five new additions to the collection of effective literacy educator statements by Gail Tompkins. Implications of this study include the impending Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee which is an …


Job Design: A Human Approach Through Catholic Social Teaching And Job Design Theories, Thomas Decastra Apr 2014

Job Design: A Human Approach Through Catholic Social Teaching And Job Design Theories, Thomas Decastra

Honors Theses

“Job Design: A Human Approach through Catholic Social Teaching and Job Design Theories” is a thesis that looks at the stories of job design theories and catholic social teaching in the last 150 years. Both stories are told and analyzed independently. The story of job design theories begins with Fredrick Taylor, moves to applied psychology, and finishes with contemporary practices that include lean production. The story of Catholic Social Teaching starts with Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, includes one document from Second Vatican Council, and three other papal encyclicals ending with Pope Benedict XVI’s Caritas in Veritate. Then …