Digital Commons Network^™

Socially Deviant Communities Online: How The Pro-Anorexia Movement Utilizes The Anonymity Provided By The Internet To Thrive, Samantha Thomas

Honors Theses

The creation of the internet has produced an environment in which many communities have been able to develop into strong and thriving societies. A large number of communities that are now predominantly online were unable to exist successfully before the establishment of the internet for a variety of reasons. The internet has made it easier for people from different backgrounds and locations to network, form communities, and share information with one another. Unfortunately the internet has also given harmful underground communities the opportunity to develop and thrive as well. Socially deviant communities, groups that support ideas and behaviors deemed unacceptable …

Osteopathic And Chiropractic: An Examination Of The Patient-Physician Relationship In Their Respective Practices, Cody L. Ward

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Shared Prosperity Initiative As A Solution To The City Of Kalamazoo's Impoverished, Maurice Washington

Honors Theses

The Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Initiative acts a combatant to reducing poverty for the City of Kalamazoo rather than a solution. Combining micro social work training of treatment plans for clients and its incorporated methodologies to the macro problem of poverty for the City’s constituents emphasizes a unique but valuable perspective to have as a potential policy maker. The question is whether such a perspective is truly applicable and such was the goal of the nearly year-long research. Data obtained from interviews, meetings, focus groups and interviews were reviewed from a prior initiative to formulate much of the research and analysis. …

An Empirical Test For Overrepresentation Of Black Youth Arrests In Mississippi, Ashley R. Mcknight

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to empirically test for black youth overrepresentation at the initial contact (arrest) stage of the juvenile justice system. In 2002, an amendment was made to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 which called for states to monitor disproportionate minority contact at all levels of the juvenile justice system. Arrest data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics has been gathered to determine the rate and percentage at which black youth are arrested compared to white youth. More so, youth population statistics are acquired from the U.S. Census and are converted to percentages. …

Silenced Voices: Sexual Violence During And After World War Ii, Cassidy L. Chiasson

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the different types of sexual violence present during and immediately after World War II and focuses specifically on the European Theater of the war. Memoirs, journals and diaries were used as primary sources. This research focuses on the overlapping themes of sexual violence in the form of forcible rape and sexual violence as a means of protection and survival. The goal of this research is to provide a comprehensive view of the complexity surrounding many situations in which sexual violence occurred. It also aims to partially fill the gap in historical literature on this topic, and bring …

Effects Of An Anti-Neoplastic High In Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Kevin M. Schrader

Honors Theses

The study was a month-long diet change focused on increasing omega-3 fatty acids and decreasing omega-6 fatty acids. This was done by using a Mediterranean style of eating focusing on fish, fruits, and vegetables. At the end of the diet, I lost 19 lbs, had a 2% decrease in body fat, a 2% increase in muscle, and a 7 beats per minute reduction in my heart rate.

Learning From The Past: A Comparative Analysis Of The Influences Of The Great Depression On The Recent Financial Crisis., Shirish Bade Shrestha

Honors Theses

The Great Depression and the recent financial crisis are events that have changed the lives of many American and global citizens. In hopes of preventing similar mistakes in the future, we should study, analyze, and learn from these past events. This investigation attempts to do just that through a rigorous study of the past Great Depression and recent financial crisis. We will explore the two events separately, analyze their similarities and differences and then discuss what we have learned from the Great Depression and see how that knowledge has been used to combat the recent financial crisis. The Great Depression …

"..." Modern Silence, Sarah Maher

Honors Theses

Silence is remarkable, both in concept and in reality. The human ear is outstanding at doing what it was made for. Not only can it withstand loud sound, but can also recognize the softest and most intricate whisperings, as well as everything in between. The ear can recognize all of these sounds and passes them on to our brains for interpretation. Our ears collect all sound but our brains determine what to focus on and what to ignore. But what if there are no “important” sounds? What if you are sitting alone in an empty room, making no unnecessary sounds? …

Women In Medicine: Past, Present, & Future, Ryleigh S. Livingston

Honors Theses

Women have been healers throughout history, even dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece, but it is only recently that they have been accepted into mainstream Western medicine. This research examines women and their role in healing and healthcare from ancient Egypt and through the Middle Ages, focusing mostly on Western medicine, but also looking at Eastern traditions in medicine in the world of Islam and China. The second part of this project details the creation and execution of an event hosted by the author and her co-chair La'Mayah Hodges for Women's History Month and the research that was presented …

An Examination Of The Moderators To The Effect Of A Brief Mindfulness Intervention For Acute Pain, Daniel J. Pineau

Honors Theses

Mindfulness interventions are becoming used more often in numerous therapy protocols for people suffering from mental illness as well as physical stressors. The current study aims to assess the effectiveness of a brief (15 minute) mindfulness intervention, and its effect on how tolerant participants can become of a cold-pressor task. We aim to look at not only the effectiveness of the treatment itself, but also possible moderators to the effectiveness of said treatment. Two moderators that will be analyzed are general levels of distress intolerance and emotion regulation skills. Our hypothesis firstly will analyze whether or not brief mindfulness interventions …

Examining The Genetic And Environmental Relationship Between Parent Personality And Childhood Deviance, Alexandra B. Willis

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project was to examine the relations between parent personality and child externalizing behaviors (e.g., acting out, aggression). To do this, parent personality, child temperament, and externalizing behaviors in children were examined. To further understand the role of genetics vs. environmental influences, identical (MZ; monozygotic) twins and fraternal (DZ; dizygotic) twins were compared. This allowed the percentage of the relation that was due to shared environment between the parent and the child versus the percentage of the relation that was due to genetic commonalities between the parent and child to be examined. For this study, archival data …

The Relation Between Self-Reported Alcohol And Cannabis Use And Prospective Memory In College Students, Emily Koberstein

Honors Theses

Emily Koberstein, Stephanie Clancy Dollinger, Ph.d, & Sherrie Parks, M.A.

Department of Psychology

The Relation between Self-Reported Alcohol and Cannabis Use and Prospective Memory in College Students

The aim of this study is to see if there is a relation between drug use and prospective memory performance. Prospective memory is the ability to remember to do something in the future and is a vital aspect of everyday living. Prospective memory can be broken down into short-term, long-term and event-based or time-based components. Most research on prospective memory has primarily examined differences between young and old adults (e.g., Einstein & McDaniel, …

Plague Inc: Distribution Of Health Resources In The Modern World, Allison Rump

Honors Theses

Due to the ever increasing connectedness of our world, disease can spread faster than ever before. Therefore global health care is a pressing issue in the modern world. The Ebola epidemic of 2014, which infected an unprecedented number of people, was reminder of not only of human fragility but of the state modern medicine, especially when deployed in economically developing areas. Not only is medicine about the science and treatment of disease, it also is about economics and the ability to pay for treatment. This can manifest in many forms, for the Ebola epidemic there often were not enough equipment …

The Effects Of Exercise On The Microbial Metabolites Of The Equine Cecum, Ashton (Johanna) Wilson

Honors Theses

Little is known about the effect of exercise on the microbial profile of the equine cecum. As hindgut fermenters, horses are particular sensitive to gastrointestinal disorders. Previous work (McKenzie et.al., 2010; Walshe and Duggan, 2011; Schoester et.al., 2012; and Jager et.al., 2013) has demonstrated an impact of exercise on the fecal microbial composition of equines and canines. However, no information has been reported on the effects of exercise related to ammonia and volatile fatty acid production within the cecum. The objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that increasing exercise would impact the production of ammonia and volatile …

Development Of A Novel Portable Signal Acquisition Device For Use In Local Mining Industrial Applications, Jacob Walker

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Southern Illinois Ticks: An Ecological And Medical Overview, Madeleine A. Pfaff

Honors Theses

Ticks are of concern to southern Illinois residents because they are common in the forested landscapes of the region and have the capability to cause disease in humans and pets. There are several tick-borne illnesses of concern to southern Illinois residents. Prescribed burning is a potential method of tick control, but no significant results were found in the correlation of tick density with time since burn.

Pre-Service Teacher Perspectives On Bullying By Middle School Girls, Nicole Lyn Stoodley

Honors Theses

The present study focuses on pre-service teacher perspectives of bullying in schools, specifically on the prevalence, characteristics, and interventions of bullying by middle school girls. Participants in the Teacher Education Program of Southern Illinois University Carbondale completed a questionnaire that asked them to estimate the prevalence of bullying by girls compared to that of boys and to identify the specific behaviors that characterize bullying by girls. They described their obligations to address bullying in school and provided identification and intervention strategies. The results show that female pre-service teachers overwhelmingly report that bullying by girls is more common or considered crueler. …

An Overview Of Cancer Care And Survivorship: Advocacy For The Strong Survivors Program, Hollis Johnson

Honors Theses

With many lives affected by cancer every day, research and resources are used extensively to enhance patient quality of life. With medical advancements continuing to develop, attention to the psycho-social needs of cancer survivors is often neglected. Survivorship programs aid cancer survivors and their loved ones in creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These organizations drastically improve quality of life and create a community of understanding among survivors. In particular, the Strong Survivors program utilizes community resources and student involvement to offer nutrition information and exercise guidance to cancer survivors and their caregivers. This program has greatly impacted the Southern …

Spaghetti Versus Burgers: A Nutritional Comparison Of Italy And The United States, Cecily A. Haase

Honors Theses

The United States and Italy provide a stark contrast to one another in terms of diet and lifestyle.This research proves that by comparing traditional diets, health care, and nutrition education of these two countries. Through surveys of both American and Italian students and a thorough review of current research, lifestyle changes and suggestions are recognized. The aim of this comparison of Italy and the United States is to open the doors for more comparative research and international collaboration to improve the health of each nation.

Efficacy Of Hormone-Toxin Fusion Protein In Cell Culture, Morgan Dillard

Honors Theses

Luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are members of the gonadotropin family and are vital for fertility in animals. Both LH and hCG bind to the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), found only in gonadal cells. Binding of the hormone to its receptor causes production of the steroid hormones testosterone and estrogen. By ablating cells that express LHR, the production of sex steroids would be terminated, leading to a loss in fertility. The overall goal of the project is to create a nonsurgical, single-dose sterilant for cats and dogs by ablating these cells. One way to target these cells …

A Theatrical Approach To Raising Awareness Of Human Sex Trafficking Across The Globe, Gwenn Gideon

Honors Theses

As a culmination of my theatrical studies and other academic and personal interests developed over my four years at Bucknell University, I conducted a yearlong project that raised awareness of human sex trafficking in the 2014-2015 academic year. My project was composed of three distinct parts that included facilitating in-class workshops, public workshops, and directing a staged reading. The overall goal of this project was to raise awareness of human sex trafficking, get people interested and involved in the project, and give people the information they need to do more. This project was a THEA 319 Independent Study that was …

You Can't Sit With Us: An Examination Of The Influence Of Forgiveness And Accountability On The Use Of Relational Aggression In College-Age Women, Katherine Frances Long

Honors Theses

The current study seeks to investigate the ways in which forgiveness and accountability influence the likelihood that a female perpetrator of relational aggression will continue this behavior, and/or reconcile with her victim. It is hypothesized that when a perpetrator of relational aggression is held accountable for her actions, and is also forgiven by her victim, she will experience the greatest level of guilt, will perpetrate the least number of similar instances in the future, and will be most inclined to seek reconciliation with her victim. Ninety female students attending Bucknell University (57 in the fall, 33 in the spring) were …

Moral Education In Plato's Gorgias, Wenhui Xie

Honors Theses

In this thesis I argue for the theme of moral education as an important theme for Plato's Gorgias. The Gorgias has been commonly understood in terms of politics and philosophy either separately or jointly. I argue that the theme of moral education is equally important and deserves attention. I first contextualize the Gorgias into the cultural background of late 5th century BCE when the decline of traditional morality stimulated the Greeks to ask whether virtues (which were traditionally conceived to be hereditary traits exclusive to members of noble family) were teach-able (and thus, could be learned). Next, I analyze the …

Peer Encouragement Of Risky Behavior And Other Statistical Predictors Of Campus Sexual Assault Victimization, Gwenn Gideon

Honors Theses

Campus sexual assault (CSA) is a chronic health crisis. There are many factors that are thought of to be predictors of CSA, such as alcohol consumption, which is the most robust correlate of CSA. Additionally, previous research (e.g., Flack et al., 2007) demonstrates a positive association between CSA and hooking up. Hazing is an activity that often includes alcohol and hooking up. Female peer encouragement of risky behavior is a set of behaviors that women engage in with other women that may place them at higher risk for CSA victimization. Some examples include engaging in hook-up and drinking bets. The …

The Impact Of Modern Processed And Natural Food Diets On Flavor-Nutrient Learning And Response To Sweet Taste In Rats, Kristen Marie Palframan

Honors Theses

Animals use classical conditioning to learn predictive relationships between flavors and postingestive nutrients, which allows them to regulate their body weights. This is made difficult by modern diets, which have confusing flavor-nutrient relationships due to added fats, sugars, and flavors in processed foods. Cafeteria diets containing a variety of human-typical foods are often used to study the effects of a modern diet in animal models. Foods used in cafeteria diets typically combine aspects such as high-fat high-sugar, variety, and high palatability. However, no past studies have analyzed the effect of variety on flavor-nutrient learning by using only natural foods. In …

Beyond The Physical:Exploring The Function Of Disease In Selected Words Of 19th- And 20th- Century French Literature, Cassandra Maria Ricci

Honors Theses

My thesis, Beyond the Physical, is a project that aims to investigate the function of disease in 19th and 20th century French literature through the analysis of the narrative techniques of three fictional novels and secondary sources. This work is an interdisciplinary study that combines the social and scientific aspects of Public Health with literary elements present in French and Francophone Studies. In La Cousine Bette (1847), a Realist novel by Honoré de Balzac, Valérie Marneffe's obsession with greed and attention leads her to pursue various extramarital affairs in her efforts to augment her financial status. Her death by syphilis …

Are There Shared Characteristics Among Children With Autism Who Develop Speech While Training With The Picture Exchange Communication System?, Katherine Neidhart

Honors Theses

It is clear in the literature that there are many factors that may contribute the development of speech as a possible outcome of training with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Research has indicated a need for more data on the characteristics and skills of children with autism that may contribute to their success while using PECS, and the possible development of speech while receiving PECS training.

This study sought to identify common characteristics and skills of children with autism that acquired speech while receiving PECS training through creating an inventory of demographics, pre-requisite skills, and other characteristics of children …

Factors Affecting Child Mortality, Lisa Wheatley

Honors Theses

This study examines the factors that contribute to the rate of child mortality within a country. Through regression analysis, this model attempts to explain the rate of child mortality for a country as a function of factors including the adult female literacy rate, fertility rates, adult female labor force participation, rate of immunization for tuberculosis, access to safe water, income per capita, and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus. This paper surveys a range of low-income countries from different regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin …

On The Shoulders Of Giants: Happiness And The Good Economy In Catholic Social Teaching, Erin C. Wingerter

Honors Theses

The economic discipline, in studying humans, relies on economic philosophers’ theories and understanding of the human person. One of Adam Smith’s most basic tenants was that man is self-interested. This thesis explores the profound implications this has had on those who study economics and what research in behavioral economics implies about its effect on life satisfaction. Catholic Social Teaching is the Roman Catholic Church’s collection of criticisms for practicing the neo-scholastic virtue ethic in social life. If self-interest is emphasized above man’s social nature, which was Smith’s second tenant, economics ignores a non-trivial portion of man’s motivation. Because irrational behaviors …

A Basis Of The Civil War: The Theological Views Of Nineteenth Century Christians On The Justification Of Slavery, Shaniqua Janeè Wells

Honors Theses

Views on the morality of slavery have produced a paradox within the Christian community. Historically, the issue of slavery has been analyzed tremendously by means of economic and cultural factors. The religious analysis of the institution of slavery has been overshadowed by secular motives. This paradox on the morality of slavery causes disunity within the Christian faith. Christianity, as a monotheistic religion, emphasizes the purpose that one God has for His people. Therefore, the multiplicity of views on God’s intentions for the treatment of human beings cannot be allowed in the Christian community. The abolitionists’ and activist’s views must be …