Digital Commons Network^™

Formulated Ataxia, Alexandra Renner

Honors Theses

Formulated Ataxia is an athletic and vigorous choreographic work based on the overall theme of recognizing order within chaos. With a cast of eleven dancers, I created a world that depicts the cycle of anxiety and how I seek organization within chaos. Choreographically, I toyed around with aspects of my neurological condition, synesthesia. Synesthesia can be described as a way of organization people and situations with numbers. Part of my research involved delving deep into the theory of chaos, as it mirrors the cyclical nature of my mental and emotional instability. This work invites a thrilling and exhausting experience for …

Weaving Charlotte's Web: An In-Depth Guide To Cannabidiol, Lauren Pitts

Honors Theses

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, first gathered national spotlight after Charlotte Figi and her mother Paige were able to find two physicians willing to prescribe CBD to treat Charlotte’s seizures. Charlotte suffered from Dravet Syndrome, but was able to find relief from CBD, which decreased the number and severity of her seizures. This sparked national interest and was the catalyst that lead to research and changes surrounding CBD uses and legality. Cannabidiol is a single cannabinoid that is found within the Cannabis sativa plant family—the same family that includes marijuana. This cannabinoid differs from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and does not provide …

Organized Caudal Photoreceptors In The Medicinal Leech, Baylee Bancroft

Honors Theses

Visual systems are essential to an organism’s survival. There are a wide range of photosensory organs across the animal kingdom, varying by means of structure, complexity, and the way in which they transduce information. Regardless of variation, visual systems provide the organism with information regarding external stimuli based on how light interacts with surrounding matter. The medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, is one of the many important model organisms of neurobiology as this segmented annelid possesses a relatively simple nervous system and a rudimentary visual system. The leech also exhibits a restricted range of quantifiable overt behaviors and is capable of …

Examining The Effects Of Time On Antibiotic Resistance Within Prairie Restorations, Haley Ritsema

Honors Theses

Widespread antibiotic use in agriculture spreads antibiotic resistance (AR) genes throughout the ecosystem and can impact bacterial community composition and function. Restoring agricultural fields back to their native prairies has been shown to remediate other damaging effects of agriculture, and have the potential to remediate AR from the soil as well. In this study, our first aim was to determine if soil bacterial communities return to pre-agricultural conditions over time following restoration to native plant communities. We did this by assessing the soil characteristics, extracellular enzyme activities, bacterial community composition, and functional metagenomics across a chronosequence of seven restored prairies, …

Perspectives Of Health Care Providers In The Dominican Republic Towards Pregnant Haitian Women, Diana Hernandez

Honors Theses

Due to the lack of basic health care in Haiti, many Haitian women cross the border looking for a better public health service in the Dominican Republic. However, differences in cultural and medical practices exist between both countries. Thus, for my thesis, I intend to study and explain the challenges that Dominican health care providers feel might impede their abilities to provide adequate health care to pregnant Haitian patients and how they respond to and manage those challenges that they face.

A Rhapsody Wild, Corey Davis

Honors Theses

This thesis is a fictional novel which explores themes of morality and tragedy within the society of a crime-and-murder-ridden city called Spekender. The mayor, Ev Edison, has become a disgraced recluse as a result of the tragic deaths of his wife and unborn child a year and a half prior to when the story takes place. His remaining children (three boys and a girl named Nimble) are left to navigate their disaster-torn worlds in isolation from their father and from each other. All of this changes one day when Nimble encounters a dangerous supernatural character that seems to know everything …

The Impact Of Vaccine Coverage And Exemptions On The Resurgence Of Vaccine Preventable Disease: A Review Of The Literature, Kara Costantino

Honors Theses

Vaccinations are a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of disease. In recent years, vaccine coverage rates have declined while nonmedical exemption rates have increased. These changes have contributed to increased prevalence of vaccine preventable diseases. Declining vaccine coverage and increasing nonmedical exemptions are a threat to public health and the relationship between these factors needs to be understood. Clusters and outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases have occurred as a result of more people declining vaccination. Factors that may incline someone to refuse vaccination include safety concerns, lack of trust, freedom of choice, decreased understanding for the need, …

Examining The Prevalence Of Loneliness And Social Support Of Undergraduates In Western Michigan University's Sociology Department, Michael Kemme

Honors Theses

Humans, by nature, are social beings. This is evident by any number of examples, ranging from the psychological effects of solitary confinement in prisons, to the plethora of social media platforms available today. Humans, clearly, have a desire, if not a need, to be surrounded by and interact with others. Because of this, loneliness, especially its relationship to social support, has been a strong topic of research in academia.

This present study sought to complete a descriptive, cross-sectional analysis that addressed five demographic characteristics (gender, race, relationship status, RSO [Registered Student Organization] or Fraternity/Sorority Membership, and on-campus v/s off-campus living …

The Effect Of Pre-Workout Supplementation On Fitness Assessment Tests, Kassidy Davis

Honors Theses

Research regarding the benefits and detriments of Pre-workout supplement has gradually increased since its popularity arose in the early 1980’s. There have been a number of studies on its effects on human physiology during a workout; however, there are few studies regarding Preworkout supplement during fitness assessment tests. Therefore, further insights concerning Preworkout supplement and fitness testing is needed. Pre-workout supplement is taken prior to a training session and has been shown to enhance a workout by increasing aspects such as focus, reaction time, stamina, and power. This could be viewed as solely a psychological enhancement than an actual physical …

Biological Evaluation Of Fda-Approved Drugs As Mirna-31 Inhibitors Using Real Time Qrt-Pcr And A Luciferase Assay, Nicholas Sienkiewicz

Honors Theses

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of post-transcriptional, negative regulators of gene expression, consisting of ~19-24 nucleotides. Since their discovery in 1993, miRNAs have been found to be involved in a diverse amount of cellular and disease pathways, including certain types of cancer. Overexpression of certain oncogenic miRNAs, including miRNA-31, have been shown to play a role in cancer cell development. Recent findings have suggested that miRNAs play a significant role in every stage of colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation, progression, and development, as well as induce resistance to chemotherapy drugs like 5-FU. In particular, research has shown that increased levels of …

Bio-Mass To Bio-Oil: Direct Conversion Vs Companion Coal Gasification, Gabriel Hayes

Honors Theses

Biomass is produced in agriculture and forestry, and can be converted to use as a fuel substitute for petroleum. Direct conversion of biomass to bio-oil is conventionally accomplished with a process called fast pyrolysis, in which the biomass is heated to promote the chemical breakdown of its components. This produces some condensable vapors which, when condensed, yield bio-oil. Such a process was compared to a process that gains heat from companion coal gasification instead of traditional heating media such as heated sand. The conversions were then compared to determine the more cost-effective method for producing bio-oil. Additional parameters investigated include …

Evaluating Contamination And Remediation At A Northeast Texas Hi-Yield Chemical Site, 1960- 1996, Aaron Ferrell

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Flexible Printed Paper-Based Battery, Justone Crosby

Honors Theses

Market demand for flexible electronics continues to grow, which, in turn, increases the demand for flexible energy storage devices. There are several types of energy storage devices available, including the alkaline (Zn-MnO₂) battery, which is the subject of this project. This project's objective was to develop a flexible, printed paper-based battery, which may be a sustainable solution to the increasing market demand. This device is low-cost and can be manufactured commercially using a scalable process.

The proposed device is an alkaline flexible cell, whose components can be printed onto paper. This alkaline system includes a zinc-based negative electrode …

Paper Recycling Fiber Recapture, William Hettel

Honors Theses

The goal of the Yoda Chemical Company Paper Recycling Fiber Recapture project and subsequent report was to identify and recommend plant optimization opportunities associated with the potential recovery of five waste streams. Additionally, an analysis of the upgrade’s design was completed in order to determine the economic viability of fiber recapture. Beginning the analysis, the five waste streams were identified and analyzed. The waste streams include the top liner, back liner, and filler liner primary cleaner rejects on the K1 machine, the common rejects from under the K3 paper machine, and the tertiary cleaner rejects from stock preparation.

Two different …

Understanding Stem Instructors’ Experiences With And Perceptions Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students: The First Step Towards Increasing Access And Inclusivity, Makayla Long

Honors Theses

Through an anonymous survey we analyzed Western Michigan University (WMU) STEM instructors’ experience with and understanding of teaching and interacting with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) students. The goal of this study was to capture the experiences of WMU STEM instructors and the resources available to them given their direct impact on Deaf/HoH students’ ability to succeed and receive a post-secondary education. The findings of this study support the claim that instructors are not well supported or aware of the needs of Deaf/HoH students, and do not have access to adequate resources to resolve the issue.

The first steps …

Self-Disclosure Of Stuttering To Various Social Referent Groups And Its Relationships With Psychological Distress, Katrina Rourke

Honors Theses

Purpose: Research has shown that there are benefits associated with verbal disclosure of stuttering. However, most of the existing literature on stuttering disclosure has focused on how it affects listener perceptions of people who stutter, and little is known about speaker-focused outcomes of verbal stuttering disclosure. The purpose of the current study was to investigate who people who stutter verbally disclose to (e.g. friends, co-workers, neighbors) and if relationships between extent of disclosure and distress vary depending on the confidant’s social referent group. The seven social referent groups of focus were family, friends, romantic partners, people in the workplace, healthcare …

Glut5 And Fructose Metabolism Inhibition In A Simulated Small Intestine Environment, Isabella Trainor

Honors Theses

This thesis describes an experiment that was designed in order to obtain information that could be useful for treating individuals with HFI. The author hypothesized that MSNBA would inhibit GLUT5 and fructose metabolism in the small intestine. The final experimental design involves exposing a small intestine cell line to fructose and MSNBA. The cell line would be exposed to MSNBA over the course of three different periods, and data was intended to be obtained using western blotting and a fructose assay kit. Although the final experimental design project was not fully carried out due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19, a plausible …

Mental Health Inpatient Hospitalization: What Nursing Can Learn From "Sensory Rooms.", Haley Wilson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this undergraduate thesis is to explore the use of sensory rooms in the psychiatric inpatient care setting. Mental illness is a serious issue, affecting millions each year. In 2018 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that one in five, or 19.6% of U.S. adults experienced some form of mental illness. Inpatient hospitalization is limited to those individuals posing a risk for serious harm to themselves or others. A census conducted by SAMHSA on April 30th, 2018, indicated 129,115 patients in the U.S. were receiving mental health care treatment in the inpatient setting. An …

Gender And Socioeconomic Disparities In Iatrogenic In-Hospital Torsades De Points, Bradley Reinoehl

Honors Theses

It has been well established for decades that women are at increased risk for torsades de pointes (TdP). Additionally, it has been well documented that patients of lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have inferior health outcomes compared to other patient populations. In this study we investigate the incidence of iatrogenic in-hospital TdP among these two demographic groups. Iatrogenic in-hospital TdP is a complex combination of medical issues and including danger from QT prolonging medications. In theory, a combination of identifiable, demographic risk factors coupled with specific clinical settings could be used to identify patients at high risk for iatrogenic …

Stimulus Fading On Teaching Receptive Identification, Dennis Pomorski

Honors Theses

Many of the skills needed to live happily and independently are not in the repertoires of children diagnosed with autism, and they do not learn these skills through exposure to others (MacDuff, 2001). One of the skills children diagnosed with ASD struggle to develop is receptive identification. There is often a risk of prompt dependence or failure to transfer stimulus control to the desired stimuli when using LTM prompting methods. Children with autism spectrum disorder may require a different approach in developing a receptive language repertoire. The purpose of this study was to teach a child diagnosed with ASD receptive …

Social Work Students' Attitudes Towards Using Yoga, Alexis Freed

Honors Theses

Current social work students are in the position of becoming future professionals who will be providing treatment and referrals to clients. It is crucial that social workers are aware of effective treatments and utilize evidence-based practices. The present study aimed to assess opinions and knowledge of social work students towards using yoga in general and as a therapeutic intervention, which is known as trauma sensitive yoga (TSY). An anonymous survey was created in order to determine this. Participants in this study were male and female students at Western Michigan University within the College of Health and Human Services who were …

Effects Of Maternal Chemotherapy On Fetal And Childhood Development, Payton May

Honors Theses

The diagnosis of cancer during pregnancy is uncommon. It is estimated that only 3,500 cases of cancer during pregnancy are diagnosed each year, which correlates to one case per 1,000 pregnancies (Pavlidis, 2000). The management of cancer during pregnancy is complex since it involves both the expecting mother and the fetus. Although there are several treatment options available, they are commonly aggressive. The diagnosis of cancer during pregnancy can create dilemmas for patients and health care providers. Pregnant women may be hesitant to receive cancer treatment due to the potential effects it may have on their developing fetus. On the …

Synthesis Of Novel Temozolomide-Fatty Acid Imide Hybrid Compounds For The Chemotherapeutic Treatment Of Glioblastoma Multiforme, Janice Pakkianathan

Honors Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive form of brain cancer that originates from glial cells, which make up the supportive tissue surrounding neurons. Temozolomide (TMZ) is the current chemotherapeutic drug administered to treat GBM as it works to inhibit the growth of the cancer cells. This research study focused on developing a method for synthesizing novel hybrid compounds that combines TMZ with various fatty acids known to have anticancer properties, forming a series of imide compounds with potential chemotherapeutic effects. Before synthesizing the compounds, various methods for synthesizing an imide from a primary amide were tested to ensure that TMZ …

Prevalence Of Sexual Harassment Among Nursing Students, Emily M. Johnson

Honors Theses

Objective

The purpose of this presentation is to exhibit the synthesis of research on the prevalence of sexual harassment against nursing students in clinical and academic settings. This presentation will also address research findings on to the effectiveness of programs to combat this problem.

Data Sources

Gather data from the databases CINAHL, ClinicalKey, PubMed, OVID and Scopus using the search terms “sexual harassment in nurs*”, “patient initiated sexual harassment”, “sexual harassment healthcare workers”, and “sexual harassment healthcare environment”.

Data Extraction

Inclusion criteria: published between the years 2009 -2019, primary research, nursing students as participants, sexual harassment experiences, harassment occurrences inside …

Exploring Soil Texture Effects On Mustard Seed Meal Suppression Of The Weed Velvetleaf, Daheun Danielle Harning

Honors Theses

The use of mustard seed meal (MSM) as a biofumigant in managing weeds in agricultural settings has been well documented. Previous work with MSM has shown that soils with a higher sand content were better at weed suppression than soils with lower amounts of sand. It was hypothesized that the elevated sand content created more air space for volatile inhibitory compounds to diffuse and inhibit seed germination and growth. Although initial results from bioassays systematically testing the comparison of 5 differing levels of sand showed support for this hypothesis, further testing with micron-sized glass beads showed that loss of airspace …

Nothing Has Changed Since Yesterday, Why The Role Of Social Media In Radicalization Is More Complex Than It Seems, Robert T. Pollard

Honors Theses

In recent years there has been a seeming resurgence of political radicalism such as the alt-right and openly socialist groups that have coalesced around former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. This sudden resurgence of radicalism has often been blamed on Social Media and its perceived ability to create echo chambers and help these groups organize. The goal of this paper is to refute the idea that social media is the sole cause of this recent wave of radicalism by building a framework of radicalization agnostic of social media, and then to explore how social media interacts with that framework. The paper …

The Effects Of Yoga On Balance For Elementary School Aged Children Receiving Occupational Therapy, Amelia J. Hunley

Honors Theses

Balance is crucial to many daily life activities and is an indicator of independence. The addition of yoga has been shown to improve balance deficits in children, self-reported healthy adults, elderly individuals, and those with Other Health Impairments such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Yoga is a holistic method, incorporating mind, body, and soul. This holistic method is what occupational therapy operates under as well, allowing the two to work in tandem for the improvement of balance. This study explored the effects of implementing yoga to students receiving occupational therapy services for balance deficits. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency balance …

Assay Development For Isolation And Characterization Of Anticancer Properties Of Marine Fungi, Kyra Ricci

Honors Theses

Metabolites from fungi have potential use in the drug discovery process and have been used in the past to develop therapeutic agents for human use. Initial characterization of potential therapeutic properties of fungi is thus an important first step in identifying novel therapeutic compounds. In the present study, marine fungi were isolated from Myrtle Beach and assayed for anticancer properties using the soft agar colony formation assay in a 3D in vitro cellular environment. Many species were isolated from environmental samples, displaying unique morphologies and growth patterns. To optimize the soft agar assay in a six-well cell culture plate for …

Surviving Cancer Is Not The End Of The Story: Effects Of Chemotherapy On Heart Function., Jacey S. Griffith

Honors Theses

Cancer is a disease that has killed millions and cost trillions. It is a tragic disease, and while the treatment used may help fight cancer, potential long-lasting damage is inflicted onto the heart. Chemotherapies are widespread drugs used to treat any and all kinds of cancer. There are many different classes including, but not limited to, the anthracyclines, taxanes, monoclonal antibodies, alkylating agents, tyrosine kinases, and antiestrogens. For patients with breast cancer, there are about 69 different chemotherapies approved for treatment, and they are all from a variety of different classes. However, most of the classes of chemotherapies are associated …

Vaccinate Her? I Hardly Know Her!: Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy, Zachary M. Marcum

Honors Theses

Vaccines are a first defense against highly communicable diseases such as measles. For vaccines to protect the population, a vast majority must be vaccinated to maintain herd immunity. Vaccine hesitancy is delaying vaccination from the suggested schedule or refusing vaccination outright. The hesitance is commonly portrayed as a lack of knowledge or scientific literacy. But highly educated people are still just as likely to be hesitant. The basis of hesitance is likely ethically similar to that of vaccination. Understanding the methods of the vaccine hesitant will better inform attempts to persuade them. Individuals have an obligation to the community to …