Digital Commons Network^™

Towards The Synthesis Of An Artificial Fluorescent Siderophore, Ashley Burns

Honors Theses

Siderophores are molecules capable of binding ferric ions with high affinity (Ka = 1052). This thesis outlines our attempts to synthesize an artificial siderophore, which incorporates a signaling group to help monitor the uptake of ferric ions. The artificial siderophore is a tripodal molecular receptor synthesized in a five-step procedure with a proposed final sixth step. Rhodamine 6G azide (95.0% yield) was formed from rhodamine 6G and the synthesis of 2-azidoethanamine was modified from the literature. The tripodal arm portion of the sensor was successfully synthesized by protecting the catechol of 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde to form 3-formyl-1,2-phenylene dimethanesulfonate (98.8% yield). The reduction …

Monkey Mind: Everyday Observations Of Mental Illness, Mikhayla Dunaj

Honors Theses

When I first was able to identify that I dealt with anxiety, I was 18 years old. At the time, I didn’t know how to explain it, and assumed it was only because I was in an unhealthy relationship, after already having been in an abusive one. At the end of my third year at Western Michigan University, I suffered a mental breakdown and started counseling.

The process of counseling was difficult, because as I opened up more, I realized that I had spent a majority of my life stuffing down things that were actually anxiety symptoms, assuming that it …

Syrup Process Optimization, Anelis Susana Chiluisa Calvache

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project involves the optimization of a marshmallow syrup process, sponsored by the owners of the line, the Kellogg Company was the sponsor. This report shows the work that was done for the period of three months, and covers the objective of the project, as well as the problem statement. The Kellogg Company currently produces a Syrup as an ingredient in the production of several cereal bars. The process is divided in four sections: Gelling Mix Tank, Syrup Mix Tank, Syrup Cool Tank and Syrup Use Tank. The entire process itself takes around 80 to 120 minutes …

Understanding Evolutionary Relationships Between Sedges Genus Rhynocospora, Abidell T. Thomas

Honors Theses

The relationships among species in the genus Rhyncospora, a member of the flowering plant family Cyperaceae, are of value to study as they are essential plant components to our ecosystem. Sedges are necessary for wetland preservation, land-sea barriers, and in many cases serve as a natural water detoxifier. Rhyncospora is a prime genus to ask questions about their phylogeny because their evolutionary history is poorly understood for them to be so prevalent. To understand the relationships between a specific group of sedges (genus Rhyncospora) I utilized nucleotide sequence data in a phylogenetic approach. Phylogenetics is the study of …

Improving Sexual Health Efficacy: A Qualitative Study Of Female College Students’ Experience With Sexual Health Education And Subsequent Capacity For Application, Naomi Elizabeth Cheek

Honors Theses

Issues such as sexual assault, high rates of sexually transmitted infections, and high teen pregnancy rates are downstream effects of poor sex education. The current study examined the question, “In what ways do a person’s background in sex education, including family, school, and social learning, impact current efficacy and knowledge regarding sexual health?” Specifically, this study looked at the educational experiences of female college students at Eastern Kentucky University through semi-structured qualitative interviews. After signing an EKU IRB approved informed consent document, audio recorded interviews were conducted. All audio interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis to find …

Searching For A Voice: An Introduction To Transgender Voice And Communication Therapy, Nicholas Brock

Honors Theses

Over the last 50 years, the cultural shift in the ideologies that shape the minds of individuals have primarily focused on social progressivism. Specifically regarding the United States, prominent leaders such as Harvey Milk pushed for social freedoms for members of the LGBTQ+ community. While Milk and his following fought for freedom and recognition, other leaders and supporters of the LGBTQ+ movement across the world were also fighting with fire in their hearts in their search for social justice. Barriers broke and glass ceilings shattered during these movements, but there is more to be done, today. As recognition of the …

The Weight Of Invisibility: The Effects Of Child Brokering On Sibling Relationships, Andrea Patino

Honors Theses

This research serves to explore the definition of a child broker and the effects that such title can have on children. The research identifies the different aspects that child brokering affects the way the children interact with their families and form relationships. It focuses on the aspects that children may have difficulties with when growing up and what their ways of coping encompass. The primary research was conducted to explore the relationships that children develop with their siblings and how these may be affected by the child’s responsibilities and feelings. The focus on sibling relationships discusses an aspect of child …

The Impact Of Anti-Opioid Print Messages On High-Sensation-Seeking Personalities And Behaviors: A Comparative Study Of Public Service Announcements And Research, Allison B. Gordon

Honors Theses

The rate of opioid overdose deaths has dramatically increased over the past several years. Efforts to reach users to describe the negative consequences of use appear to have little effect on users. This research seeks to understand how mass media messages, specifically printed public service announcements (PSAs), can reverse the upward trend of opioid use by targeting the attitudes and motivations of high-sensation-seekers. The hypothesis suggests a positive correlation between some advertisements and expressed intention to avoid trying or using opioids. Samples included students at Eastern Kentucky University in the Nursing, Psychology, and Sociology departments in addition to accredited, professional …

Do Negative Perceptions Of Students' Built Environment Affect Their Health Status?, Karissa Hunt

Honors Theses

Research suggests that the social determinants of health should be evaluated in order to combat health disparities for disadvantaged populations. The five social determinants of health are economic stability, education, health and healthcare, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Research has been done concerning built environment’s impact on health, however little research has been done on college student’s perception of their campus built environment and how it impacts their health. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between negative perceptions of built environment and poor student health statuses, and if so …

The '24' Effect: How Entertainment Media Affects The Public Perception Of Torture, Thien-Kim T. Tran

Honors Theses

This thesis highlights how entertainment media perpetuates the public perception that the use of torture is an effective method to gain valuable and actionable intelligence from enemy combatants. This poses a significant problem to society because torture does not work, and if society continues to believe this misperception, it may lead to the erosion of societal morals for future generations. A possible explanation for entertainment media’s role in the continuation of this misperception could be related to the mere exposure effect due to frequency of torture being seen on television. In order to see how entertainment media perpetuates this misperception, …

The Influence Of The Law In American Literature And Culture, Emily Johnson, Steven Hamelman

Honors Theses

This piece explores the relationship between law and its influence within American literature and the overall culture. Themes of discrimination, corruption, greed, advocacy, and incriminating evidence, present in the analyzed texts and films, greatly plays into the American public’s perception of their judicial system. Is it truly the law influencing American literature and culture, or is it the sentiments of the masses influencing the legal field itself? This work aims at analyzing this question, while also making a point to explain what American citizens can do with such influence and knowledge.

Depression, Anxiety, And Suicidal Ideation: An Evaluation Of Student Mental Health At Texas A&M — Commerce, Tristan Nelson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Academic Feminists Analyses Of Female Celebrities From The 1980s To Today, Brittany A. Carey

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the history of academic feminists and their changing debates over race, class, sexism, and sexual preference from the 1980s to the present. In the 1980s, white feminists tended to focus on sexism in the workplace and class discrimination, while black feminists focused instead on the racism and classism that black women faced both inside and outside of academia. More recently, millennial feminists, in both third- and fourth-wave feminism, have continued to focus on racial discrimination within feminism (and broader society) while also examining women’s sexual preferences. However, they have stopped focusing on sexism in the workplace and …

A Historical Analysis Of Non-Normative Embodiment Through The Lens Of Frankenstein’S Creature, Ashley H. Hobson

Honors Theses

A trend to historicize the field of Disability Studies has emerged in recent years. However, little research has been done to place different societies and generations in conversation with one another. This thesis will utilize various adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in order to explore shifting anxieties concerning non-normative embodiment through the vessel of the Creature. I examine the Creature’s changing physical form next to scientific and medical literature of the period to explore connotations of disability and otherness within that society. I consider the manifestation of anxieties towards non-normative embodiment through Mary Shelley’s 1831 Frankenstein, James Whale’s 1931 …

Analysis Of The Demands Of A Student Athlete, Jaret Curtis

Honors Theses

College athletics has become a staple in our society today. In this analysis, I do a detailed analysis of the demands of a collegiate student athlete. To be more specific, I look at how participating in college athletics affects hirability post-graduation. I am currently a football student athlete here at WMU so I have first person access to this information and can relate very well to this topic. I obtained information by taking an autobiographical approach and applying my experiences as a student athlete and using outside research to answer the question of whether or not being a student athlete …

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Isolated From Michigan Birds - A High School Learning Experience, Cody Benfant

Honors Theses

Bacteria, extremely small prokaryotic cells, are everywhere throughout the world. One striking thing about bacteria is their size: comparing a 2-micrometer bacterial cell to a 6-foot-tall human is similar in scale to comparing a 6-foot-tall human to the distance between Chicago, IL and Denver, CO! Despite their small size, bacteria are found in almost every ecosystem and environment imaginable. From deep sea hydrothermal vents to the clouds miles in the sky, there are trillions of bacteria flourishing in all of Earth’s ecosystems, performing many important functions in global nutrient cycles. While the majority of bacteria are beneficial to humans, …

Frames, Fallacies, And The Market For Lemons, Adam Field

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to illustrate the impact of an “endowment frame” on risk behavior in games of asymmetric information. Akerlof’s (1970) description of a “market for lemons” led to the creation of a modified screening game into which the endowment frame could be placed. The game was subsequently computerized and administered to 18 test subjects in the Mississippi Experimental Research Laboratory. At the beginning of the experiment, test subjects were randomly assigned to either a control or treatment group. Each participant played 20 rounds of the game and was compensated based on his or her performance. The …

Case Study Of Various Financial And Managerial Accounting Issues, Thomas J. Phillips

Honors Theses

This thesis is different from the traditional thesis done for the Honors College. This thesis took place over the course of 2 semesters of classes in Accounting 420. Dr. Vicki Dickinson led this class and helped shape our professional development in the field of accounting. The cases were not the only part of the thesis. Every other week of the class an accounting firm would come visit. They would have a slideshow and guest speaker and discuss accounting related topics that were relevant to the field. Afterwards there was always an opportunity to network with the professionals. There were also …

An Investigation Of Possible Reservoirs Of Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus Of Turkeys In Mississippi, Walker Hyche

Honors Theses

Emerging infectious diseases are a problem among wildlife and domestic populations. It is critical for these diseases to be studied. Lymphoproliferative disease virus is a retrovirus affecting turkeys and chickens. Prior research originally identified the virus in the United Kingdom and Israel. The first case of LPDV in the United States was found in 2009 in Arkansas. This study tests different reservoirs for the virus. DNA was extracted from samples of different origins and preservation types. Through PCR and gel electrophoresis analysis, different sample types from turkey populations were tested for LPDV. This study provides a method for submitting blood …

How Will I Afford It? Financial Aid And Its Impact On Higher Education: Evidence From The State Of Mississippi, Daria Herasymova

Honors Theses

The cost of higher education, in real terms, doubled in the last twenty years, increasing faster than medical costs, the consumer price index and housing. In 1987, U.S. Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, in the New York Times article, raised the concern that financial aid has unintended consequences of enabling higher education institution to increase tuition. In this paper, through collection of data and literature review, I examine the drivers behind the rising cost of higher education and test whether the postsecondary institutions in the state of Mississippi exhibit behavior, consistent with the Bennett Hypothesis. Using fixed-effects regression model, …

Grab ‘Em By The Pussy: How Hegemonic Masculinity Encourages Locker Room Talk And Sexual Violence Against Women, Madalynn Marrone

Honors Theses

Locker room talk refers to the degrading and sexist narrative about women that is exhibited by some heterosexual males of all ages. The instance of locker room talk is not just confined to actual locker rooms, but invades our politics, educational institutions, and service industries. By researching the origins of how boys are socialized in Western culture, I have seen a correlation between engaging in locker room talk and perpetration of sexual violence. In my extensive analysis, I pieced together how socialization of boys can turn into a hegemonic masculine gender identity which in turn predisposes men to engage in …

Effects Of Perceived Audiences On Discrimination Learning In Pigeons ( Columbia Livia ), Peyton M. Mueller, Matthew Murphy

Honors Theses

The social facilitation effect is a phenomenon frequently discussed in the subfield of social psychology. Some studies have examined the social facilitation or inhibition effects in nonhuman animals, though few have examined the effect of perceived audiences on their cognitive functioning. In order to study this effect, three different video stimuli were presented to one subject while solving a memorization discrimination task. It was hypothesized that the pigeon would learn a task at different rates based on the type of perceived audience presented. No significant results were found due to the fact that the subject was unable to learn the …

A Comparative Analysis Of Undergraduate Integrated Marketing Communications Degrees In The United States, Anne Watkins Tyson

Honors Theses

No longer are traditional marketing communications methods effectively reaching consumers. The approach of integrated marketing communications intentionally combines all aspects of the marketing communications mix into one consistent message. Research reveals that integrated marketing communications is becoming a more and more popular field of study for students and academics. Because of this, universities are forced to evaluate how their integrated marketing communications programs are taught in order to stay relevant. The purpose of this study is to conduct an analysis of undergraduate integrated marketing communications degrees in the United States. This thesis work defines integrated marketing communications, and also describes …

Empathy In Aging, Morgan Kranz, James Charles Arendt

Honors Theses

Empathy in Agingis a project exploring how to show compassion for the inevitable aging process. This form of care is physical and mental. The concept for this work comes from my time working as a nursing assistantin a nursing home. Through my experiences, this project explores what I took away through observation and interaction

Neurotoxic Effects Of Hiv-1 Gp120 And Interaction With Allopregnanolone, Kimberly A. Thornton

Honors Theses

With increasing incidence of HIV and its associated neurocognitive disorders, there has emerged a need for an antiviral with improved delivery to the CNS. In searching for drug candidates that meet these criteria, some have noted that certain steroid hormones like estrogen and progesterone that naturally accumulate in the CNS show neuroprotective effects in cells exposed to HIV proteins. This investigation focused on testing the potential protective effects of the progesterone metabolite, allopregnanolone (AlloP), against HIV protein gp120-mediated neurotoxicity. Experiments were conducted using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells that were exposed to varying concentrations of AlloP (0-100 nM) in conjunction with one …

A Social Media Analysis Of Coastal Carolina Football, Sean Ference, Andrea M. Bergstrom

Honors Theses

This is an undergraduate senior capstone project that analyzes how social media can be used to enhance CCU Athletics, specifically football.

Highway 61: Good Roads, Great Migrations, And Delta Blues, Samuel Willcoxon

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the social and racial factors that contributed to the cultural significance of U.S. Highway 61. First, I explore the background of road building and transportation in the United States. Next I detail the history of convict labor in the South, from convict leasing to convict labor on roads as a result of the Good Roads Movement. Third, I describe how economic and social conditions contributed to the out-migration of southerners during the twentieth century. Lastly, I analyze how social conditions spawned the Mississippi Delta blues, and how Highway 61 became a symbol of opportunity for blues musicians.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors And Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Review And Exploration Of Hdac(I)S And Other Chemotherapeutic Agents, William E. Sistrunk

Honors Theses

The traditional perspective of Histone Deacetylase enzymes is focused on their inherent epigenetic modification characteristics. While it is true that the histone modification these enzymes exhibit play a role in cancer and related diseases, Histone Deacetylase has a variety of non-histone targets. The non-histone targets include microtubules and are of specific interest because of the microtubules’ role in cell line differentiation, replication, apoptosis, and cancer metastasis. Using a variety of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors (HDACi) and other chemotherapeutic compounds, our research group explored the HDACi effect on breast cancer cell lines. Our goal was to indicate the presence of HDACi cell-line …

Effects Of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum On Experimentally Infected Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Meredith A. Fry

Honors Theses

The bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum is an avian respiratory pathogen that causes inflammation and swelling of conjunctiva in domestic poultry and wild finches. In the past, severity of conjunctivitis symptoms has been used to quantify infection severity and host resistance. However, many songbirds function as hosts to M. gallisepticum but do not develop this symptom at all. The absence of conjunctivitis, as well as other clinical signs, hinders our understanding of M. gallisepticum infection in the songbird community because some species are responding very differently than others. One such species is the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), a common songbird of the …

Creating The Level Up Festival: Marketing & Production Plan, Lauren Jean Cunningham

Honors Theses

The following document is a case study which began on May 20th of 2018 and was researched for the next couple of months over the course of several different internships in the entertainment industry. The purpose of the study was to compare several companies within different arenas of the entertainment industry, along with current market research in order to develop an event marketing plan for the newest live entertainment trend, esports. There were many different methods of research conducted in order to reach the final conclusion. The first method of research was done during several internships over the course of …