Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Dna Microarrays To Compare The Gene Expression Profiles Of Paclitaxel And Acetic Acid 2,2'-Thiobis, Bis [[(2-Hydroxyphynyl) Methylene]Hydrazid] In A549 Cells: Part 1, Jennifer Diane Ellzey

Honors Theses

There are several classes of anticancer drugs, including the antimicrotubule drugs, which halt mitosis by interfering with the activity of microtubules, the cylindrical protein polymers that play a role in segregating chromosomes during mitosis. While most antimicrotubule drugs act by destabilizing the microtubule polymer and reducing microtubule assembly, paclitaxel, a drug first isolated from the bark of Taxus brevefolia, halts mitosis by stabilizing microtubules, thus interfering with the dynamics of polymerization and depolymerization that are crucial to their function. In light of the mounting resistance to paclitaxel, it is more important than ever to discover new drugs with a similar …

European Lingua Franca? Germany's Relationship With English In The Late Twentieth Century, Anna Elise Fleming

Honors Theses

The following thesis analyses the maintenance of national education, business, and social infrastructures (such as popular media and advertisement) for the English language within German borders. This linguistic situation in Germany, combined with the pressure of English as a global language, signifies the possibility of English becoming the lingua franca (common language) for Europe (both European Union and non-European Union countries), especially in the areas of higher education, business, and media.

Maya Ritual And Myth: Human Sacrifice In The Context Of The Ballgame And The Relationship To The Popol Vuh, Jessica Zaccagnini

Honors Theses

The ballgame existed as an integral facet of Mayan life. Ritual and mythic expression are inextricably linked to the execution of the ballgame and are deeply integrated into Mayan culture. Ritual human sacrifice is an unquestionable aspect related to the ballgame. The Maya rulers extended the outcome of the ballgarne by satisfying the deities through ritual and human sacrifice (Scarborough 1991 :143). The Quiche book of epic narratives, named the Papal Vuh, is a recurring theme in the exploration of the ballgame and it is deeply weighted with mythic significance. A discussion of how this theme is interwoven into the …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Teaching Contemporary U.S. History: Music As A Voice For Civil Rights Protest 1950-Present, Robert D. Kuban

Honors Theses

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Contemporary U.S.History: Music as a Voice for Civil Rights Protest,1950-Present. This departmental honors project was created to take an in-depth look into popular music's voice as a medium for Civil Rights protest. This unit composed of eight lesson plans is to serve as a resource for teachers to create a real and tangible interdisciplinary approach to teaching contemporary U. S. history. The material covered is derived from popular music of its time, yet based strongly on research ofactual events. These lessons cover a narrow yet vital and significant scope of civil rights protest, action, and …

Women's Diaries In An Online Era, Emily Ostendorf

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Methamphetamine In The United States: A Social Constructionist Perspective, Natalie Metz

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

From Expression To Interpersonal: A History Of The Wmu Department Of Communication, Mercedes L. Varasteh

Honors Theses

As the Western Michigan University community celebrates its Centennial year, it is intriguing to consider not only how much the university has grown in the number of buildings or its student population, but to also recognize how the many academic disciplines have developed over the years.

The Unfinished Woman: Images Of Single Women In Wharton, Parker, And Paley, Erin Wolverton

Honors Theses

Is the life of a single woman really worth living? The question permeates the culture of the post-feminist era. Women without children and without a committed relationship in their lives can be categorized in two ways: those who deliberately dismiss the idea of a spouse and those who have not found an acceptable one yet. Both categories carry their own social stigmas: a woman who can't trap a man is a failure, a woman who doesn't want one is unnatural. These prejudices have been a part of women's unconscious behavior since the earliest days of feminism.

Hadivadlo In Chattanooga : A Critical Assessment Of The Process Of Producing School For Fools, Ben Williams

Honors Theses

The goal of this project was to create an experimental theatre production called School for Fools in the Studio Theatre of the UTC Fine Arts Center in February of 2003. Spanning nearly an entire year, the process for me was one of compiling a dramaturg's notebook ofresearch and materials related to the play, adapting and revising the text from the original, written by Belgian playwright Michel de Ghelderode in 1937, creating costume and set designs, appropriating a cast, raising funds for the production, and then directing the play. Particularly important to this production was the idea of style. In essence, …

The Vascular Plant Flora Of The Tennessee River Gardens Area, Amanda Erin King

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project was to identify all native and introduced vascular plant species near the Tennessee River Gardens. The field work resulted in 355 specimens that represent 81 families, 190 genera, and 268 species. In addition to collecting and identifying, I also compared my flora with that of Lookout Mountain Park to determine the degree of similarity between the two sites which are both south of the Tennessee River. Another comparison was completed contrasting my flora with the flora of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The biotic similarity data I compiled are presented along with the biotic …

The Ethics Of Service : A New Approach To Service Learning, Jonathan C. Zur

Honors Theses

The new model of service presented in this paper gives a framework for considering the possibilities for ethically grounded service. It does not solve al I of the problems with competing interests or tradeoffs in wellbeing, but is a solid foundation upon which many important discussions can be based. By examining the continuum of self-interest, the discussion of intent, preparedness, and outcome, and consideration for mandatory service, the paper has offered a comprehensive assessment of the ethics of service. The four parties - the volunteer, the client, the university, and the service site - have particular responsibilities to their own …

Studies On The Role Of Foldign Of The Cro Protein In The Genetic Switch Of The Bacteriophage Lambda, Chinwendu Chioma Onwubiko

Honors Theses

The Cro protein plays a critical role in the genetic switch, which governs the life cycle of the lysogenic bacteriophage lambda. Cro is a slow folding protein. The aim of this thesis is to test the idea that the folding rate of Cro has a direct effect on the dynamics of gene regulation in living cells. One way to test this hypothesis is to increase the rate of folding inside cells. SlyD is a peptidylprolyl isomerase that increases the rate of Cro folding in vitro. Strains of E.coli with varying levels of SlyD were infected with the lambda virus and …

Synthesis Of Polymer Nanofibers Through Emulsion Polymerization, James Douglas Hankins

Honors Theses

Emulsion polymerization has been used for decades to synthesize polymer latexes for both industry and academia, and theory suggests that the process may also be useful in the detailed study of individual polymer chains or “nanofibers”. To date, however, no successful attempts have been made to use emulsion polymerization in such a manner. Therefore, this work seeks to gather information about polymer nanofibers formed through emulsion polymerization and, as a result, incite its use for similar research in the future. Emulsion polymerization was used to create numerous polystyrene solutions with varying concentrations of cetyltrimethylammonium p-toluenesulfonate (surfactant) and sodium chloride (salt). …

Doing All You Can, Brother?': Visual Themes Of World War Ii American Propaganda Posters, Justin Rives Nicholas

Honors Theses

This thesis is a result of an in-depth analysis of the three thousand plus propaganda posters used in the United States during World War II. The bulk of these posters are housed at National Archives II in College Park, Maryland. The analysis was conducted within the context of several questions. What were the goals of the propagandists? How were those goals visually represented in the posters? What were the visual themes? Why were these goals and themes deemed necessary? How do the goals and themes fit into the overall context of a total war? The concept of being in a …

Strong Black Woman: An Examination Of Cultural Images Of Black Women, Tamika Renee Montgomery

Honors Theses

Through literary works and life experiences and in an effort to dispel negative images, an unrealistic image of a strong black woman has been presented to society. As a black woman surrounded by black women who have attempted to personify this superwoman image, and more importantly as a black woman who has been encouraged to adopt this image, I have done research to discover if this woman truly exists. I have read a number of literary works that span over the entire twentieth century, examined cultural and psychological studies relevant to the black woman. I also did research on the …

Transitions: Decentralization And Senegalese Political Parties, Megan Earline Norris

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to examine the role that decentralization and political parties have played in Senegalese democratization from colonial time to present. By examining five influential time periods in modem Senegalese history, this thesis investigates the evolving nature of the Senegalese political system in relation to its current democracy. The first chapter discusses Senegal’s colonial background and the legacy of centralization left by the French. Chapter two explores the decolonization process in Fiench West Africa and its specific impact on Senegal. The remainder of the thesis studies the terms of the three presidents that have led Senegal since its independence …

Hyperprolactinemia, Dannielle Braund

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Don't Worry... It [Corn] Won't Kill You: The Starlink Crisis, Kelly J. Price

Honors Theses

What would you do ... if someone told you that the food you just ate was not safe for human consumption? In 1999, consumers across the nation were faced with this fear and began to second-guess the food they had been accustomed to eating for years. After Kraft Foods' Taco Bell taco shells were recalled in September for containing traces of StarLink corn, a genetically modified corn hybrid not approved for human consumption, consumer confidence in U.S. corn by-products decreased and manufacturer credibility dwindled (Aventis stops, 2000). People wanted to know who to blame for the apparent food contamination problem. …

Communicator-In-Chief: Presidential Use Of Television Past, Present, And Future, Jenna Wasson

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to determine how television has changed as a communication medium for presidents over the past half century. An evaluation of the evolving ways presidents use television to communicate with and to build support from the American people has been conducted. Presidential communication strategies have been identified by drawing primarily from primary sources written by presidents and White House staff. Television technology and the television audience have changed over the years. Presidents have taken a more pro-active, aggressive role in their efforts to harness television for their own purposes. Why have these changes occurred? What impact have these …

Integrated Test For Exploitation And Discrimination In The National Basketball Association, Kathleen Carney

Honors Theses

Over the past thirty years, economists have become increasingly interested in the labor market for professional sports. These studies have focused primarily on exploitation, the difference between marginal revenue product and salary, or discrimination, salary differentials based on race, or ethnic background. This paper attempts to combine both areas of research, that is, to explain the systematic deviation of marginal revenue product from salary as a function of race, or ethnic background. Using NBA data collected over three seasons 1995-98, we specify a three-equation model, an enhancement of the Scully two-step method presented in 1976. We then ask if players …

Medicine Men Of The Anti-Progressive Party : Sacred Sites, Public Lands, And The Construction Of Religious Liberty, Jacob Culbertson

Honors Theses

On December 29, 1890 the United States Seventh Calvary descended upon a group of practitioners of the blossoming Ghost Dance religion and killed more than 300 Indians belonging to multiple Northern Plains nations. The massacre at Wounded Knee Creek was the apex of the United States government's violent campaign to win the American west from its original inhabitants, and it marked a transition in strategy in the young republic's assault on Native America. Having essentially won the land battles to annex the bulk of the economically valuable Native territory, the United States turned its attention away from the physical disposal …

The Boundaries Of Liberalism In A Global Era: A Critique Of John Stuart Mill, Chris Daly

Honors Theses

The following study examines three works of John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, Utilitarianism, and Three Essays on Religion, and their subsequent effects on liberalism. Comparing the notion on individual freedom espoused in On Liberty to the notion of the social welfare in Utilitarianism, this analysis posits that it is impossible for a political philosophy to have two ultimate ends. Thus, Mill's liberalism is inherently flawed. As this philosophy was the foundation of Mill's progressive vision for humanity that he discusses in his Three Essays on Religion, this vision becomes paradoxical as well. Contending that the neo-liberalist global economic order is …

Argentina: La Crisis Financiera, Jennifer Barros

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Personality Traits And Motivational Influences On Smoking In Lesbians, Erin C. Aholt

Honors Theses

Past studies have suggested that lesbians are more prone than heterosexual women to smoke. This study examined whether different aspects of personality and temperament were predictors of tobacco use among lesbian smokers in comparison to lesbian nonsmokers. Participants consisted of 70 lesbians, 18 years or older, who completed an online survey containing the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Gay Identity Questionnaire (GIQ), Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the Star Smoking Motivation Questionnaire (STAR -SMOQ). Results indicated that (1) there was a weaker correlation between smoking for weight suppression than has been reported in past studies of predominantly heterosexual …

Chapter 11 Of Nafta V. U.S. Democracy, Cara Mroczek

Honors Theses

The roots of the democratic system in the United States are deeply embedded within the compelling language of the Declaration of Independence. This document is still held on high regard for the inspiration it has provided to the development of democratic institutions and ideals. The creation of United States democracy was founded on the principles outlined in this historic document "that certain truths are self-evident, that people are created equal, that they are endowed with inalienable rights, that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and that the purpose of government is to protect these rights." These …

Sojourner Truth: A Video Essay, Christina Laemers

Honors Theses

To hear people talk about Sojourner in areal context, with real stories from her days in Battle Creek gives the story the human element that eluded me for quite a time. Though my story changed its focus several times, the meaning of the project was always in the back of my mind. I really had to struggle to keep it in focus as time went on and the project began to grow exponentially.

Improving The Campus Sustainability Assessment Process, Andrew Nixon

Honors Theses

The human enterprise is rapidly overwhelming the Earth’s ecological systems and draining its natural resources. According to Vitousek et al., as much as one-half of the planet’s land surface has been transformed by human activity; more than half of the world’s available fresh water is used by humans; and a quarter of the planet’s bird species have been driven to extinction by human activity (Vitousek et al, 1997). These and many other negative trends pose catastrophic implications for the future of our species and for the planet’s other inhabitants.

Is The Lottery Right For Tennessee?, Lindsay Boyer

Honors Theses

The research reported in this paper seeks to present an in-depth review of state lotteries. To accomplish this objective, I first examine the factors favoring lottery introduction including some of the arguments for and against lotteries. Then, I examine the effects lotteries have had in other states to predict the possible influence a lottery will have on Tennessee state revenues and state spending for public education. Finally, in this paper, I analyze budget data over a series of years to make possible some conclusions as to the longer term effects of state lotteries.

Self-Similarity In Network Traffic, Francisco Chinchilla

Honors Theses

It is critical to properly understand the nature of network traffic in order to effectively design models describing network behavior. These models are usually used to simulate network traffic, which in turn are used to construct congestion control techniques, perform capacity planning studies, and/or evaluate the behavior of new protocols. Using the wrong models could lead to potentially serious problems such as delayed packet transmissions or an increase in packet drop rates.

Traditionally, packet arrivals were assumed to follow a Poisson arrival process. Although Poisson processes have several properties that make them easy to work with, they do not accurately …

Rape Myths Among A Sample Of Utc Students, Nicolette Mendenhall

Honors Theses

Rape has a tremendous impact upon victims. The victim has to come to terms with the reality that she was raped,as well as face the new perceptions that other people will have about her. These perceptions will be a result of conceptions about rape that are not realistic. These unrealistic beliefs are called 'rape myths.' There has been much research on rape myths for the following reasons: they may upset the victim, they provide justification for rapists to rape someone, and they may affect a woman's behavior because she may avoid activities she believes will lead her to be raped. …