Digital Commons Network^™

Effectiveness Of A Novel Porphyrin Exhibiting Dark Toxicity Against The Model Organism Mycobacterium Smegmatis, Marissa C. Jama

Honors Theses

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizing porphyrins has emerged as a possible ancillary treatment against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Porphyrins, such a novel zinc containing porphyrin designated ZnP, create reactive oxygen species that are toxic to bacterial cells utilizing light by a mechanism that is not yet fully understood. Previous experiments have shown ZnP to be able to kill microorganisms in the dark which is unique to few porphyrins. The aim of this research is to understand the effect ZnP has on Mycobacterium smegmatis, a model organism for the pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium tuburculosis which causes the lung infection tuberculosis. Further experimentation is …

Zebrafish As A Model For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Bernadette Johnson

Honors Theses

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder with limited treatment options. Molecular mechanisms that cause PTSD remain unclear due to a lack of viable animal models. Considering the behavioral similarities between zebrafish (Danio rerio) and humans, their social nature, and functional parallels between select brain regions, we hypothesized that zebrafish can demonstrate PTSD and that antioxidant treatment will prevent PTSD induction. To test this hypothesis, adult zebrafish were exposed to a traumatic event then were tested immediately and three weeks after the event. Traumatized fish exhibited non-social behavior, spending 7000 fold less time interacting with tank mates then their …

Suicidality And Depression Of Those Raised In Kincare, Theresa Fitchie

Honors Theses

The rate of children who are raised in kincare (that is, by a non-parental relative), has steadily been on the rise. Past studies have indicated that this group of individuals are at an increased risk of mental health problems, such as suicidality and depression, and are often at a financial disadvantage and are overlooked for federal aid. The current study examines the suicidality and depressive symptoms of adults who were raised in kincare, compared to their peers. The participants were given the revised Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ-R) to assess suicidality, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to assess depressive symptoms, a …

Effects Of Ultrasound On Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Sarah Byrne

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age related progressive neurodegenerative disease. The exact mechanisms that lead to cell death are not entirely understood. It has been shown that accumulation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) plaques generated by mis-cleavage of amyloid-precursor-protein is the cause of neurodegeneration seen in AD. This is due to the hydrophobic nature of Aβ42 due to extra two amino acids added to the typical and naturally occurring Aβ40 in the body. These Aβ42 plaques trigger neuronal death because of the toxic nature and stress they exert on the neurons. In this study, Drosophila melanogaster transgenic model where human Aβ42 coding …

Pravastatin™ Suppresses Venous Shear Stress Dependent Induction Of Aquaporin 1 Protein Expression In Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells In Vitro, Raphael J. Crum

Honors Theses

Background: Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane water channels that facilitate osmotically-driven transmembrane water flux. AQP1 is abundantly expressed in vascular endothelium, where it functions in endothelial cell migration, wound healing, and cell volume regulation in response to mechanical stimuli. AQP1 protein abundance is enhanced in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in response to fluid shear stress. Statins, a pharmacological class of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, suppress the early development of vein graft intimal hyperplasia by improving endothelial cell function, most likely by affecting endothelial response to arterial shear stress. Statins may also differentially regulate the expression of specific AQPs by …

Seasonal Changes In Physical, Chemical, And Biotic Factors In Silver Lake, Ohio, Jacob J. Clancy

Honors Theses

The chemical makeup of a body of water can vary greatly depending on what kind of lake it is, the time of year and what kind of runoff enters the water. There are many abiotic factors that make up the water chemistry of a lake such as nutrient availability (Nitrogen and Phosphorous), pH, temperature, oxygen content and conductivity. Each of these factors plays important roles in the successes of many organisms that reside in the lake. The many species of zooplankton and phytoplankton thrive in different water chemistry conditions. Silver Lake is a unique lake in Ohio, because it was …

Biomass Cookstoves: An Empirical Study Into The Relationship Between Thermal Efficiency And Tending Practices For The Developing World, Erin Peiffer

Honors Theses

More than 2 billion people in the world use biomass stoves for cooking and heating their homes. Due to incomplete combustion, toxic byproducts such as soot, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide gasses form. These toxic substances contribute to pollution and can lead to serious health issues over time if inhaled leading to approximately 4 million premature deaths each year. The formation of these toxic substances can be mitigated, in part, through the introduction of increased turbulence intensity allowing for the so-called “well-stirred combustion regime”. Here we will be exploring the health, environmental, and social effects of biomass combustion in the …

Undergraduate Men's Perceptions Of Consent In College Campus Acquaintance Rape, M. Colleen Mcdaniel

Honors Theses

One in five women on college campuses have experienced sexual assault or attempted sexual assault (National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2015). About 98% of sexual violence perpetrators are men (Greenfield, 1997). The present study seeks to examine whether a range of individual difference characteristics, including endorsement of masculine gender norms, endorsement of modern myths about sexual assault, and self-reported sexual behavior, predict participants’ evaluations of a hypothetical acquaintance rape scenario. One hundred fifty college men completed a survey consisting of the Male Role Norm Inventory (MRNI), followed by the Acceptance of Modern Myths about Sexual Aggression (AMMSA) and the Sexual …

Behind The Stigma: The Impact Of Gender And College Adjustment On Attitudes Towards Mental Health Disorders, Maggie Inman

Honors Theses

The topic of stigmatization of mental health disorders and use of psychological services has been widely researched. Gender differences have been found in attitudes regarding acceptability and treatability of mental illness, with adherence to gender roles influencing these attitudes. Past research has not explored non-traditional gender roles or the influence of social factors, like college adjustment. This study tested three hypotheses: that men and women with more feminine gender roles will display more accepting attitudes, that men and women with poorer college adjustment will also display more accepting attitudes, and that the relationship between college adjustment and attitudes towards mental …

The Influence Of Women’S Self-Esteem On Mating Decision Making, Kathleen D. Golterman

Honors Theses

This research examines the extent to which a woman’s appearance self-esteem influences her mating decisions. Recent research finds that, at peak fertility, women erroneously perceive attractive, genetically fit men as more willing to commit to them and be better fathers to their potential offspring, but not to another woman or her offspring (Durante, Griskevicius, Simpson, Cantu, & Li, 2012). However, vast amounts of research find that attractive, genetically fit men adopt a short-term mating strategy where they seek to mate with many women but provide for none. The present study extends this research by examining the influence of women’s appearance …

An Analysis Of The Educational Systems In Finland And The United States: A Case Study, Caroline Ann Goodill

Honors Theses

International assessments have drawn attention to discrepancies in student achievement scores between countries. Due to the relatively new introduction of these tests, scholarly research on the subject has developed as the tests have produced more results. A shared goal of a majority of the research regarding international student achievement is to establish quality educational systems. As the United States continuously ranks at or slightly above or below average on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) over the past twelve years, Finland’s consistent success has drawn worldwide attention. For this reason, Finland is the educational system benchmark for this undergraduate …

The Possibility Of Communal Biases In Alibi Evaluation: The University Of Dayton, Norbert Wessels

Honors Theses

Considering the lack of data surrounding its influences, the current study aims to investigate the influence of identification with a geographic community on the alibi generation process. It does this by examining three questions:

• Do geographic cues allow you to identify with an alibi generator, and therefore have bearing on the evaluation of said alibi?
• Does identification with the alibi generator lead to stronger alibi evaluations?
• Do the answers to the previous two questions indicate bias?

To do this, 104 students at the University of Dayton were asked to engage in an alibi evaluation scenario that judged their opinion on …

Educating The Whole Child: Using Positive Adult Relationships To Develop Noncognitive Skills In Students Facing Adversity, Virginia A. Saurine

Honors Theses

Under-resourced children often experience multiple stressors in their everyday lives that can negatively impact their performance in schools. However, numerous research studies have shown that the most significant protective factor for under-resourced children is a caring, adult relationship. This study focuses on what needs to happen in the teacher-student relationship in order for the teacher to be that protective relationship. Building the teacher-student relationship aids all children, not just under-resourced children, in developing the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to be successful in the classroom. Development and presence of academic perseverance and an academic mindset of students are the …

The Impact Of Public Defense Spending And Caseload On Jury Trial Rates, Holly Travis

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Effects Of Propionic Acid On Listeria Monocytogenes Growth, Survival, And Virulence, Elizabeth A. Abrams

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes illnesses with a high fatality rate immunocompromised and elderly individuals. It colonizes the human intestine, which contains low levels of oxygen but high levels of fermentation acids. This work investigates how that environment affects various aspects of Listeria pathogenesis. Based on these results, we can ascertain whether propionate supplementation can be explored as an effective method of protecting individuals from Listeria infection.

Winning Off The Field: How Social Media Analytics Measure The Sports Industry, Ryan Mcgarvey

Honors Theses

Since Facebook became available to the public, social media (SM) has become the most popular online activity. Currently, 91% of adults are active SM users. Of this 91% of adults on SM, more than 20% of their time online is spent on networking sites like Facebook and Twitter (Weiguo and Gordon, 2014). These powerful tools connect people around the world and show no signs of slowing down.

SM has become a popular online activity for individuals, especially for those involved in business. SM is seen as a tool to aid businesses in spreading their own message, at little to no …

Why Isn’T There A Garden At School? Assessing Five River Metro Parks’ Green Schoolyards Program, Kaleigh Jurcisek

Honors Theses

School gardens have been shown to have positive effects on children’s academic performance and personal lives. Five Rivers’ Metro Parks has a program in place to encourage and assist schools, within the Dayton region, to implement school gardens and/or habitats. This research examines the efficacy of the Green Schoolyards program through surveys and interviews with teachers and staff of 15 schools where the program has made at least one contact. This research will help inform the Five Rivers staff by identifying perceived benefits and constraints related to implementing school gardens, and may facilitate the expansion of the Green Schoolyards program. …

An Investigation Of Treatment Acceptability, Self-Efficacy, And Feasibility Of Interventions Delivered Through Different Modes Of Communication, Ashley Phillips

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Cross Cultural Study Of Food And Consumer Packaged Good Products In A New Market: Case Study In Thailand, Savanna Everett

Honors Theses

This study examines whether there are differences in consumers’ shopping behavior due to cultural orientation. The study uses comparing samples of American and Thai culture on two occasions. Theory suggests that these two cultural groups have dramatically different shopping practices. Thai, raised in a collectivist society that values price consciousness and sophistication in money handling, differ from Americans raised in an individualist society that traditionally do not have the same values (Ackerman and Tellis 2001).

We argue that differences in culture provide the most likely explanation for the differences in prices between the two types of super markets. The overall …

Cross Cultural Study Of Food And Cpg Products In A New Market: Case Study In The United States Vs Thailand, Mariel Dehn

Honors Theses

This study examines whether there are differences in consumers’ shopping behavior due to cultural orientation. The study uses comparing samples of American and Thai culture on two occasions. Theory suggests that these two cultural groups have dramatically different shopping practices. Thai, raised in a collectivist society that values price consciousness and sophistication in money handling, differ from Americans raised in an individualist society that traditionally do not have the same values (Ackerman and Tellis 2001).

We argue that differences in culture provide the most likely explanation for the differences in prices between the two types of super markets. The overall …

The College Admissions Problem: Effects Of Income And Ability Of Postsecondary Education Outcomes, Martha Whamond

Honors Theses

This paper examines the effects of students’ pre-college income on student outcomes and college admissions decisions. Under the assumption that colleges maximize utility by maximizing student outcomes, a two-stage regression model for student outcomes is building using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the 1997 National Youth Longitudinal Survey (NLSY97). The first stage estimates a model for college quality using the IPEDS dataset. The college quality estimates are then used as independent variables in the second stage. The second stage estimates student outcomes as a function of pre- college income, ability, college quality, and demographic characteristics …

Shifts In Thermal Habitats In The Gulf Of Maine Under Climate Change: A Case Study On American Lobster, Xinyi Zheng

Honors Theses

The rapid ocean warming observed in and predicted for the Gulf of Maine (GoM) raises uncertainties in the future distribution of American lobster (Homarus americanus). The location of lobsters is crucial to the long-term sustainability as well as management of Maine lobster fishery. This study provides a literature review of lobsters’ thermal preferences in the summer lobstering season and analyzes high-resolution sea surface temperature data in Geographic Information System in order to predict the changes in thermal habitats in the GoM under different climate change scenarios. The results show a projected decrease in cooler thermal habitats (11-15 °C) …

Examining Interactions Between Opsins And Carotenoid Biosynthetic Proteins In Halophilic Archaea, Alexandru M. Plesa

Honors Theses

Organisms have evolved numerous specialized molecules for constantly responding to environmental changes. Examples of such molecules are the light-driven proton-pump rhodopsins, such as bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and cruxrhodopsin (cR), and the carotenoid pigments, such as retinal and bacterioruberin. In halophilic Archaea, retinal can covalently bind bacterioopsin (BO) and cruxopsin (CO) to form the corresponding protein complexes, and its biosynthesis is indirectly controlled by the activity of the lycopene elongase (Lye) enzyme, which converts lycopene, a retinal precursor, to a form of bacterioruberin. Interestingly, opsins were shown to inhibit the activity of Lye, thereby promoting retinal biosynthesis and indirectly regulating the apoprotein-cofactor …

The Process Of Reclaiming Tribal Sovereignty Through Healthcare Autonomy, Karolina A. Serhan

Honors Theses

This honors thesis explores the complex interplay between health status, healthcare, and tribal sovereignty among native communities in the United States. These relationships are explored through analyzing the paradoxical and condescending nature of the Federal Trust Responsibility in relation to government-organized healthcare programs for natives. In establishing this relationship, the thesis goes on to illustrate how native communities have effectively fought to regain sovereignty through reclaiming autonomy of their healthcare systems through the use of the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The impact of tribal-led healthcare systems is further explored through an in-depth case study conducted regarding the …

Small Town, Big Future: Preparing Rural Maine Students For College, Elizabeth C. Huber

Honors Theses

While the need for a college degree has increased in the knowledge economy era, acquisition of this degree has remained difficult for low-income and first-generation students. At the same time, college preparatory programs designed for this demographic of student tend to be clustered in urban centers while very little focus is given to disadvantaged students in rural communities. The academic prospects of rural students in regards to higher education are the focus of this project. More specifically, this project explores the ways in which college-cultured programs may address the educational needs of students living in rural communities. By doing in-depth …

Failure Or Adjustment?: An Analysis Of The Slowing Growth Of The Chinese Economy, Kay G. Degraw

Honors Theses

With GDP growth for the 2016 fiscal year reported at 6.7%, it appears that the Chinese economy has departed from the three-decade period in which GDP growth averaged plus-10%. While both academic journals and media outlets have accredited this slowdown to a variety of factors, existing research has failed to conflate the economic and political factors into a comprehensive explanation. Consequently, this thesis examines the causative factors behind the slowing of the Chinese economy though the analysis of three contesting plausibility probes centered on the impact of corruption, statism, and structural economic change. The results of the plausibility probes indicates …

Visions For Waterville's Future: Perceptions Of Its Residents, Alex Wolansky

Honors Theses

Mills and factories in the United States have steadily been closing down as industry is outsourced in the globalized economy. Cities that were once prosperous face decay and often have no hopeful future outlook. Post-industrial towns face major unemployment and poverty and are not typically places for re-investment. But Rust Belt cities like Baltimore, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Milwaukee and St. Louis are not the only post- industrial hubs that are struggling. Many small towns in rural areas once thrived from manufacturing and are becoming forgotten. Local governments, policy makers, urban planners, developers and scholars are working to figure …

“La Política Del Avestruz”: The Regulation Of The Black Market For Medical Abortion In Chile, Sophia M. Bartels

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to answer the overarching question of how the black market for medical abortion is regulated in Chile. In answering this question, this thesis responds to the two sub questions: why is the Chilean government ineffective at regulating the black market for medical abortion in Chile, and how have non-governmental actors filled this vacuum through informal regulation? Although the Chilean government has one of the highest levels of state capacity in Latin America, it has surprisingly allowed this black market to exist in almost complete impunity. In this thesis, I argue that although the Chilean government has the …

Cicig In Guatemala: The Institutionalization Of An Anti-Corruption Body, Greg M. Morano

Honors Theses

When is the institutionalization of anti-corruption bodies possible in Latin America? Central America’s Cold War era internal conflicts destabilized the Northern Triangle’s governments and greatly weakened judicial institutions. The legacy of these conflicts led to the creation of parallel corrupt networks that infiltrated state institutions and perpetuated impunity and violence. However, in Guatemala, the institutionalization of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala, CICIG) has improved the country’s ability to prosecute high-level corruption against the threat of powerful and corrupt state actors. A comparative analysis of the tenures of CICIG’s three commissioners reveals …

The Anonymous Truth: Honesty And Hostility In Public And Private Online Settings, Grace S. Carroll

Honors Theses

Three studies were conducted to understand the relationship between honesty and hostility in public and private online settings. Study one analyzed a college’s public and private online forums and examined post frequency. Related to study one, study two examined the usage of these forums, and current and past social and political issues. Study one found the public forum comprised of general announcements, while the private forum hosted random jokes/statements, negative posts targeting specific people, and personal reflections. Study two’s results indicated the private forum was used more often than the public forum and race was the prevailing social and political …