Digital Commons Network^™

Independent Investigations Of The Relationships Between Altruistic Behavior And Empathy With Depression, Colton Watson

Honors Theses

Depressive symptoms can influence a variety of individual factors, including altruism and empathy. The nature of that relationship, however, is poorly understood. Cross-sectional studies examining the empathetic and altruistic abilities of people with varying levels of depressive symptoms have produced mixed results, as both the magnitude and direction of any correlations between empathy or altruism and depression are varied. Thus, we aimed to examine the impact of depressive symptoms on self-report measures of altruistic behavior and empathy. Using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self Report (QIDS-SR) to measure depressive symptoms, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to measure empathy, and the …

Effect Of Declaw Bans On Shelter Cat Populations, Lauren Bowles

Honors Theses

Growing concern over animal welfare has led to new policies that ban declaw procedures on cats. In the United States, several cities have instituted bans, including Denver, Colorado. This study examines whether the ban has resulted in changed euthanasia rates and adoption rates in an animal shelter system. Data on euthanasia rates and adoption rates were gathered for thirteen years prior to the ban and for five years following implementation. The euthanasia rate was found to have decreased while the adoption rate increased. Several possible explanations are explored and a recommendation for public policy is given.

An Analysis Of County Level Energy Burdens In Mississippi, Nirmal Bhatt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Extinguish The Spark: Mass Protests As A Determinant Of Journalist Killings, 1992 - 2020, Ryan Jarratt

Honors Theses

Previous research indicates that civilian mass mobilizations in protest of the government can have profound negative effects on a state’s ability to govern. The most prevalent news sources in most localities are still traditional journalistic television and print publications. Citizens rely on journalists to track state abuse, misdeeds, and corruption, which affects when citizens mobilize against the state. The occurrence of protests, especially those involving protestor violence and lethal government responses, can seriously threaten a political regime and border on a civilian uprising. I contend that more frequent mass mobilizations in a state motivate the government to adopt a more …

“Fragrantasia: 24 Ekphrastic Poems About Scent”, Maeve Rigney

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

In Other Words, Socialized Medicine: Journal Of The American Medical Association Versus The International Labour Organization, Tanner Deyoung

Honors Theses

In the summer of 1952, the International Labour Organization—an agency of the United Nations—adopted the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention. It detailed and defined the minimum acceptable standards for social security in nine different areas, including medical care, in the nations which ratified the convention. However, in order to ratify the convention, nations need only prove compliance with four of the nine areas, possibly eliminating medical care reform entirely. This provision did not prevent the American Medical Association, through its published journal, from attacking the recommendations related to healthcare as “socialized medicine.” Through these attacks, the AMA continued its pattern …

Social Media Usage During Covid-19: Friend Or Foe?, Claudia Dominique

Honors Theses

College students experience more stress and are more vulnerable to mental illness as compared to the general population. Both COVID-19 and social media usage have shown to be stressors that augment this pre-existing issue. The goal of the current study is to highlight the relationship between the social media usage and mental health of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a correlational and longitudinal research design, undergraduate students completed self-report mental health and social media usage measures throughout the semester. Researchers found that both social media usage, anxiety, and depression levels were higher post-pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic. However, …

"You Can Disagree Without Being Disagreeable": A Rhetorical Study Of Tweets About Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg And Amy Coney Barrett, Lauren Durham

Honors Theses

The selection, nomination, and swearing in of Justice Amy Coney Barrett took place amid an already tension-ridden political and cultural landscape. As a figurehead of women’s rights and equality, Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not want President Trump to choose her successor. Her dying wish was for her seat to be replaced after the 2020 presidential election. Nevertheless, Trump moved his Supreme Court nominee through the process at an unprecedented rate, and within six weeks of Ginsburg’s passing, a conservative constitutional originalist named Amy Coney Barrett took her place.

The nature of the Supreme Court position, the contrasts between the two …

Pro-Understanding: Understanding The Pro-Choice Catholic, Natalie Eilerman

Honors Theses

Abortion is a widely debated and polarizing topic in the United States. While many Catholic leaders and members tend to hold beliefs against abortion, some Catholics are pro-choice. This study explores the perspectives and experiences of this often-under-recognized group. Mixed methods research was conducted to analyze 1) how perspectives towards abortion are changing among Catholics in the United States (using data from the General Social Survey from 1977-2018), and 2) the experiences of college students at a private, predominately white, Catholic university in the Midwest who identify as pro-choice and Catholic. Quantitative analysis shows that Catholics’ attitudes towards abortion are …

The Jewish Organizations Fighting Fascism In The United States, Maya Leibold

Honors Theses

Recent years have shown a rising trend in fascist and antisemitic actions and attitudes in the United States. In response to this trend, communities have organized into various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) committed to mobilizing people to combat fascism and antisemitism as they see it. An analysis of these organizations’ methods and varying degrees of success will offer a blueprint for future action against fascism. Due to their historical connection to this type of mobilization against fascism, this research will be focused on Jewish-led and organized NGOs. NGOs are often the first to call attention to actions by groups and states …

Exploring Risk Factors For Maternal Mortality: A Qualitative Study, Grace Lowe

Honors Theses

Maternal mortality, the death of a woman during pregnancy or within one year of delivery, claims approximately 700 women annually in the United States. In Ohio, the rate is slightly less than 16 women each year. Knowledge and intervention of risk factors, particularly the non-medical factors for maternal mortality are crucial to preventing these deaths. This qualitative interview study with community health workers identified specific risk factors Ohio mothers face and how they are being addressed in the field by individuals who work directly with pregnant and postpartum women. The interviews uncovered various interventions that are recommended to reduce the …

Tiktok And The Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, And Two-Spirit People Movement, Meghan Leinhauser

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited People (MMIWG2S) social movement via content analysis and interviews. The study includes analyzing a sample of 50 videos posted to the social media platform TikTok, and an interview with a user who posts videos about MMIWG2S. TikTok uses a unique algorithm to tailor users’ feeds based on the types of videos with which they watch and interact. This allows for the creation of an online community that shares common interests with one another, especially in a time where communication methods have changed significantly. …

Behold Your Mother: Wives And Mothers As Partners In Christ's Priestly Mission, Jordan Mccormick

Honors Theses

This research explores the Catholic Church's teaching on the priesthood of the laity and, specifically, how the lay priesthood of women, as wives and mothers, works in tandem with and complements the ordained priesthood. The concept of lay priesthood is rooted in our baptism - where we are invited into and given the power to participate in Jesus Christ's priesthood through our own prayers and sacrifices, our ministering to others, etc. In this study, the lives of five lay women from the 19th and 20th centuries, who are either canonized saints in the Church or who are on their way …

Ain't No Sunshine When They're Gone: Pollinators In A Solar Prarie, Brigid M. Morgan

Honors Theses

Around the world, pollinator populations are decreasing due to climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, pesticide use, and disease. A solar prairie can provide that habitat space with native plants to attract and promote the growth of native pollinator populations. In this study at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, I sought to find out if native pollinators were using the habitats inside and around the solar panels at Curran Place. By using pan traps weekly throughout the summer months to collect the insects, I found that native pollinators are using the habitats between the rows of …

Towards A "Pedagogy Of Beauty": The New Evangelization, English Education, And Renewal Of The Catholic School, Elena Niese

Honors Theses

In the complex cultural landscape of the modern world, evangelization, or the proclamation of the Gospel, cannot look the same as it once did. In 1975, Pope Paul VI addressed this need for renewal, calling for a “new evangelization.” Subsequent popes, including Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, have continued to place this missionary impulse at the forefront of their initiatives. Yet, despite this emphasis, much remains elusive. What exactly is the new evangelization? This thesis will trace the evolution of the new evangelization from its conception to today, proposing how the English educator within the Catholic school can …

A Computer Vision-Based Method For Bolt Loosening Detection, Savannah Burdette

Honors Theses

Routine bolt-loosening inspection plays an essential role in managing and preventing the degradation of our nation’s highway bridges over time. Neglecting to perform these inspections could result in public safety concerns. The study of this thesis develops a cost-effective method of bolt-loosening detection based on computer vision. To this end, two input images of the bolted connections are collected at two different inspection times. The feature points are then identified from the input images, based on which a geometric transformation matrix is applied to correct any perspective differences between the two images. Next, we select the image patches of the …

Contraceptive Knowledge Of Female College Students, Lina Perugini

Honors Theses

Background: Over 37% of teens (aged 15-19) and 62% of young adult (20-29) women use some method of contraception (Daniels, 2019). Women in college demonstrate inconsistent use and lack of knowledge about reproduction, menstruation, and contraception (Sutton, 2017). This study aimed to assess collegiate women’s knowledge of contraceptive and tested two hypotheses: (1) women in college will demonstrate a lack of knowledge about contraception; (2) those who use hormonal birth control will demonstrate significantly higher levels of contraceptive knowledge when compared to non-users. Method: 128 female college students completed an anonymous online survey that included demographic information, history of contraceptive …

Examining The Impacts Of Flooding On Public Health, Lauren Gibson

Honors Theses

Over the past 10 years, South Carolina has experienced over five major weather events that have led to extreme flooding along the coast. These types of repeated major events have the potential to significantly impact people’s lives and livelihoods. When looking at the issue from a public health perspective, it is known that natural disasters such as flooding can negatively affect community health. However, little research has been done to analyze the impacts on individual health from flooding. This issue inspired a more in-depth research analysis to examine those health impacts from local Horry County residents. This research aims to …

Defining The Leading Edge Of The Marine – Non-Marine Transition In The Pee Dee Basin: Influences, And Dynamic Parameters Of A Highly Dynamic System, Nicole Mchugh

Honors Theses

Among estuaries, there is a large block of co-dependent and independent variables shaping habitat and environmental conditions within a critical area. Historical data proxies and indexes from seven different stations were assessed to consider temporal and spatial variability of the marine and non-marine transition along the South Carolina Pee Dee River Basin. Historical datasets from the upper reaches of Winyah Bay and lower section of the Pee Dee River basin were compiled along with shorter termed deployments of a new instrument station installed near Georgetown, SC. This area is representative of the marine-non-marine transition in drowned river mouth estuaries. Water …

Collection Of Accountancy Case Studies, Adam Lalejini

Honors Theses

The following collection of case studies examines various personal and professional topics in accounting. These topics range from personal research and reflection on important topics within the profession to a comprehensive case competition focusing on The Coca-Cola Company. Throughout the collection, theoretical accounting frameworks and solutions are applied to real world scenarios. In addition to theoretical frameworks, financial statements and relevant outside sources are used with applicable.

The Effects Of Story Processing On False Memories, Claudia Eder

Honors Theses

The various levels of processing are critical to understanding memory formation and retention. There is ample research on the levels of processing and their effects on true recall. Yet, there is still a limited understanding on which types of processing have the greatest impact on false memory formation. The purpose of this present study is to provide an investigation into how a particular deep processing task, story processing, influences both true recall and false memory recall rates. More specifically, we sought to determine whether a story processing condition leads to an increase in false memory rates when compared to two …

The Importance Of Public Space During The Covid-19 Pandemic With A Case Study Of The City Of Kalamazoo’S Kik Pool, Natalie Baker

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Alpha Domain Of Metallothionein For Hydrogen Production, Aditya Surakanti

Honors Theses

The world relies on nonrenewable resources for a significant portion of its usable energy, the most common being fossil fuels. Fossil fuels release many unwanted byproducts during their extractions and conversion processes. As a result, this excessive use leads to harsh consequences upon the environment, including rapid global warming, release of numerous water and air pollutants, and it could possibly lead to an increased risk of death in those who are exposed to these toxins. In response to this scenario, the goal of my project is to design an artificial hydrogen catalyst, which can absorb sunlight and oxidize H2O into …

"A Woman's Lot To Suffer" : Recognizing The Intersectionality Of Oppression And Resistance In Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, Elianna Srikureja

Honors Theses

Min Jin Lee's novel Pachinko (2017) portrays the historically based lives of a displaced Korean family during Japan's colonization of Korea from 1905-1945. The novel's attention to the ways that colonial endeavors complicate Confucian family and national structures exemplifies the interrelation between gender and racial oppression facing Lee's Korean women in both the public and private domain.

However, by centering female voices all too often silenced, Lee also depicts resistance modes that subvert such oppression. Using feminist and postcolonial theory, historical analysis, and close reading analysis, this project examines both the construction of oppression and the subversive resistance measures taken …

Exploring The Efficiency Of Neural Architecture Search (Nas) Modules, Joshua Dulcich

Honors Theses

Machine learning is obscure and expensive to develop. Neural architecture search (NAS) algorithms automate this process by learning to create premier ML networks, minimizing the bias and necessity of human experts. From this recently emerging field, most research has focused on optimizing a promisingly unique combination of NAS’s three segments. Despite regularly acquiring state of the art results, this practice sacrifices computing time and resources for slight increases in accuracy; this also obstructs performance comparison across papers. To resolve this issue, we use NASLib’s modular library to test the efficiency per module in a unique subset of combinations. Each NAS …

Examining Katniss Everdeen's Gender Ambiguity In The Hunger Games : How Suzanne Collins Utilizes The Ya Genre To Resist Feminine Stereotypes, Moriah K. Mcdonald

Honors Theses

Even those who passively engage with modern media are likely to notice a binary frequently imposed on young adult women—that of the kind, reputable and trustworthy “good girl” or the mean, scandalous and deceitful “bad girl.” Such themes remain significantly featured in young adult (YA) literature, a genre specifically aimed at teenagers. Thus, in analyzing The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, I undertake a twofold analysis. I illustrate how Collins’s works tackle the specific issue of binary representation of women in the media, thereby validating the usefulness of the YA genre in commenting on current day issues facing teens.

Implications Of Facial Coverings On Communication, Katherine Giustino

Honors Theses

Nonverbal communication constitutes over half of communication in verbal communicators’ production. With so much lost to covering essential parts of expressing nonverbal communication, for example the mouth, this study aims to find how that impacts the general population’s ability to communicate effectively.

A study found that masks act as an acoustic filter for speech and can attenuate high frequencies (Marler & Ditton, 2020). At the most basic level, a facial covering creates a physical barrier to communication.

This study was designed in a survey format to gather data. A total of 95 participants completed the survey in its entirety. The …

The Effects Of Musical Experience And Aptitude On Phonological Skills In A Foreign Language, Joshua Shockley

Honors Theses

Music has been shown to have an important effect on L2 language acquisition. Recently, researchers have investigated how musical ability or experience can give an advantage to L2 learners attempting to acquire specific aspects of a second language in the beginning stages of language acquisition. This study investigates this connection between musicality and early L2 ability in Spanish through a series of tests including a musical aptitude test, two language aptitude tests, a Spanish receptive test, and a Spanish imitation test. Results revealed no significant correlations between musical ability or experience and language ability as tested by the aptitude, receptive, …

Gene Expression Of Stress-Related Biomarkers And Disease Presence In Gene Expression Of Stress-Related Biomarkers And Disease Presence In Crassostrea Virginica, Jaycie Keylon

Honors Theses

Crassostrea virginica, the Eastern oyster, is an environmentally and economically important species along the East coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmentally, oysters are filter feeders, cleaning the water of contaminants. They also provide habitat and shelter for other marine species. Oysters are of significant economic value as seafood to nearby communities as well. Eastern oyster populations have been significantly adversely affected by the parasite Perkinsus marinus, which causes Dermo disease. Dermo affects oysters during times of warm temperatures and high salinities and has the potential to wipe out entire populations of oysters. Throughout this study, the …

What Makes An Expert? Characterizing Perceptions Of Expertise And Intuition Among Early-Career Engineers, Caroline Bolton

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to characterize if and how practicing engineers’ perceptions of expertise development, decision-making processes, and engineering intuition vary by aspects of identity, specifically gender and career stage. This thesis is built from ongoing work of the Miskioğlu group on the relationship between expertise and intuition in engineering. Intuition is a characteristic of experts used in decision-making, and the importance of experience in the development of expertise is well documented in literature. There is a gap around how intuition relates to experience, prompting the need to compare the perceptions of early career engineers and mid-to-late career engineers. This thesis …