Digital Commons Network^™

Bankruptcy Prediction, Gold, And The Great Auto Bailout, Katelin E. Byrd

Honors Theses

With recent economic instability, bankruptcy prediction is a tool that is useful to companies and researchers who are interested in the financial stability of an industry or company. This thesis studies bankruptcy prediction during the most recent recession that occurred in the United States for General Motors with Ford as a comparison company and compares the possibility of bankruptcy to the price of gold per ounce for the corresponding year. The multiple discriminant analysis model was used to complete this research. This model uses financial ratios to predict bankruptcy. This research yielded an inverse relationship between the price of gold …

Static And Dynamic Error Correction Of A Computer-Aided Mechanical Navigation Linkage For Arthroscopic Hip Surgery, Kangqiao Li

Honors Theses

While beneficially decreasing the necessary incision size, arthroscopic hip surgery increases the surgical complexity due to loss of joint visibility. To ease such difficulty, a computer-aided mechanical navigation system was developed to present the location of the surgical tool relative to the patient¿s hip joint. A preliminary study reduced the position error of the tracking linkage with limited static testing trials. In this study, a correction method, including a rotational correction factor and a length correction function, was developed through more in-depth static testing. The developed correction method was then applied to additional static and dynamic testing trials to evaluate …

A Cross-Cultural Study Exploring Structural Factors Of Men's Sheds, Kaitlyn Mcgrail

Honors Theses

The Men’s Shed program was developed in Australia in 2006 with the explicit goal of establishing a place for men to socially interact and to help maintain their health and well-being. The Men’s Shed program has grown tremendously and has continued their growth in many other countries. There is limited research conducted about the organizational and structural features of the Men’s Shed program. There has been no research to date conducted cross-culturally on the program. The aim of this study is to conduct a descriptive, cross-cultural study on Men’s Shed organizations and the characteristics of the Men’s Shed participants. By …

Individualized Education Program Complexities For Students With Autism, Jordan Rohraff

Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) belongs to a group of closely-related neurobiological disorders (Phetrasuwan, Miles & Mesibov, 2009). Incidence of this disorder is on the rise and is also seen as a topic of increasing concern, especially among educators and parents. Students with ASD need assistance from a variety of professionals in order to achieve academic success. To maintain effective communications between all involved parties, a collaborative plan must be put into place. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is an educational roadmap for students with disabilities. Although these important plans have many benefits such as providing students with their much needed …

“Additional Analysis Of Previously Collected Data: Food Choices In Children With Autism”, Kristin Crinion

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to look at children with autism and their food choices based on previously collected data. The previously collected data includes a caregiver survey to determine food acceptance level (e.g. severe, moderate, typical), and a caregiver reported food inventory. The caregiver reported food inventory was used to see what specific foods children with autism are eating and in what food categories (e.g. dairy, fruits, vegetables, protein, and carbohydrate). Per previously literature, it is researched that children with ASD tend to have more food selectivity than typically developing children (Suarez, Nelson, & Curtis, 2012). There is …

An Overview Of Sensory Processing Disorder, Heather Lonkar

Honors Theses

This thesis was done to evaluate the basic overview of the definition, diagnosis, comorbid conditions, symptoms, causes, and treatment, as it pertains to Sensory Processing Disorder. Although the research has been light on this subject, there have been studies done, that show the possible causes, and effectiveness of treatment in children. The purpose was to examine, more closely, the relationship between Sensory Processing Disorder and the outcome of occupational therapy based sensory integration (OT-SI) intervention. Controversy surrounding sensory integration exists, because of lack of fidelity in research. Researchers are currently interested in the fidelity of the treatment, and whether or …

Like Sun On A Wet Cobblestone, Renate Childs

Honors Theses

Recent College graduate, Silvie, is visiting her good friend Maddie in Rome in an attempt to put off making any major life decisions. Outside of the Coliseum she meets Giorgio, a charming American living an ideal life in Rome, and Michele De Luca, a mysterious and intelligent professor. As Giorgio plays the role of tour guide, showing Silvie around Rome, De Luca becomes a mentor for her. Silvie is a young, modern American living in the old world, and these contrasting cultures lead to detailed and insightful observations. Through her travel experiences and the relationships formed with each character, Sylvie …

Art And Aphasia: A Literary Review And Exhibition, Jessica Parrish

Honors Theses

My honors thesis explores aphasia, my primary topic of interest, through procedures spanning both of my degrees. Communication makes interaction possible for exchanging ideas, feelings, concepts, and events. Aphasia, an acquired disorder, impacts language areas that are responsible for expression, comprehension, literacy, and symbolic understanding. Aphasia interrupts the mental process responsible for converting thought to language. Literature involving both traditional speech and art therapy is discussed. Once the aphasia disorder type is assessed, a speech language pathologist designs a therapy plan. Art, which has been used in therapy and research for rehabilitation, shares a connection with language and symbolic thought. …

The Effects Of Child Birth Order And Number Of Children On Mother’S Supervision Beliefs And Practices, Alyssa Schramm

Honors Theses

Objective: This study aimed to examine (1) whether mothers’ attitudes about supervision differ based on (a) the number of children in the home and (b) the birth order of the child; (2) whether mothers’ reported supervision levels differ based on: (a) the number of children in the home and (b) the birth order of the child; (3) whether children in families with more than one child sustain more injuries than children in families with fewer children. I expected to find that mothers had more lax attitudes for their younger children versus old, and were more lax for homes with more …

A Study Of Stress Levels Of Students, Rebekah Currie

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Treating Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia With Biomedical Protocol, Samantha M. Cardenas

Honors Theses

Bipolar Disorder and schizophrenia afflict approximately 2% of the human population, more than 12,400,000 people. When family members, co-workers, and care-givers are factored in, more than 10% of the population is directly impacted by these medical conditions. Finding a way to reduce the severity of the symptoms or cure these diseases would positively impact a large number of people. This paper defines and differentiates between these two similar-but-different maladies, and explores both the traditional courses of treatment as well as the most current research with potential to help combat these diseases – especially genetic mapping with the use of neuroimaging. …

Perceived External Factors Leading To The Resumption Of Occupations Following Acquired Amputation, Danielle Brown

Honors Theses

The aim of this study was to determine external factors leading to resumption of occupations after acquired amputation. In this paper, occupation is defined as the role and activity a person deems necessary for daily living. The working hypothesis is that there are external factors that enable prosthesis wearers to resume relevant occupations.

Methods: The design of this study included a qualitative (phenomenological) approach. Following HISRB approval, a convenience sample of two participants was enrolled in the study. The subjects were active clients of a prosthetic training program and met the industry criteria of an acquired amputation and regular use …

Labeling Of Retinal Ganglion Cells In A Rat Glaucoma Model, Lucia Rodriguez

Honors Theses

Glaucoma is a degenerative disease of the retina containing multifactorial structural and functional defects. There is a loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) seen in this optic disorder. Cupping of the optic disk seen in glaucoma is a result of the loss of RGC axons at the optic nerve head where the nerve fibers connect. As a result of these factors, visual field loss is common among glaucoma patients.¹ In the United States, this visual field loss associated with glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness since glaucoma is difficult to detect.² Usually, increased intraocular pressure …

Alexander Hamilton: Slavery, Politics, And Class Status, Sara Weyenberg

Honors Theses

Though slavery is often connected with the Civil War, it was also a topic of great interest during the Revolutionary period. Many people had strong opinions on the morality of slavery, and they were not afraid to voice them. There are countless writings that, if nothing else, at least touch on the subject briefly. As one might imagine, there were people on both sides of the fence – those who took offense and those who did not. A new country was about to be born, and slavery provided just one of the tensions that was in existence at the time. …

Walk-Training Increases Expression Of Gdnf In Pectoralis Muscle But Not Diaphragm From Mouse, Erin Donovan

Honors Theses

Neurotrophic factors are proteins that play an important role in the development and maintenance of neurons. Recent studies have shown that neurotrophic factors may hold promise for treating damage to the nervous system caused by trauma or diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in skeletal muscles and affects peripheral motor neurons. Results of previous studies have demonstrated that exercise can increase GDNF content in skeletal muscle of rat. The goal of the current study was to examine whether expression of GDNF in skeletal muscle of mouse is also regulated …

The Consequence Of Freedom: A Sociological Analysis Of The Suicide Epidemic In Luthuania, Kyle Kaminski

Honors Theses

Lithuania has the highest global suicide rate at 40.2/100,000, according to the international suicide statistics provided by WHO (2004). Lithuania's suicide rate is over 2.5 times more than the global average. The top five countries in terms of suicide rate are Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Hungary (Ibid). All of these countries were previously under the Soviet Union's control from the end of World War II to the end of the Cold War in 1989. Lithuania has not always been at the top of the rankings for global suicide rates. Lithuania's suicide rate spiked almost 20 percent during the years …

The Effects Of Shiatsu Massage On Stressed College Students, Hannah E. Daniel

Honors Theses

This research discusses the effect that Shiatsu massages can have on stress in college students. A Shiatsu massage class was surveyed to provide further research.

¡Vamos: Es Hora De Conocer España! Unit Plan For The Life And Culture Of Spain, Katheryn Cook

Honors Theses

This thesis, ¡Vamos: es hora de conocer España!, is a unit plan for a high school Spanish course focusing on the life and culture of Spain, with an intense focus on the languages of Spain other than Spanish. The cultures of the regions where these languages are found in Spain are rich with history and are quite individual and unique. The goal of this unit was to create a connection between language and culture for new language learners. When someone has a story and a context behind what they are learning, they will have a connection to the material …

Backyard Archaeology: Informing The Southwest Michigan Community About Local Archaeological Sites And Research Through The “Evidence Found” Exhibit, Tabitha Hubbard

Honors Theses

This paper is a report of my involvement with and background research for an upcoming exhibit called “Evidence Found.” The project is a collaboration between the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. In this report, I provide a description of the exhibit and my involvement in preparing the exhibit. I also present the research I conducted for use in the exhibit. Joseph Hines, a designer with Project Arts & Ideas, and Dr. Michael Nassaney, a Professor of Anthropology at Western Michigan University and the principal investigator of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project, are creating the …

Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Andrew Campbell

Honors Theses

An experiment was designed to quantify the relative displacement between the calcaneus and talus ankle bones during various types of loading. The ankles were embedded in an epoxy resin and three loads were applied: compressive forces, flexion moments, and inversion moments. A stereo camera system took photographs during the loading process, and the images were correlated via digital image correlation (DIC). The DIe was carried out via a suite of homemade programs written using the open-sourced computational program Octave.

Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Nathan Ortiz

Honors Theses

Subtalar arthrodesis is performed when cartilage in the talo-calcaneal (the ankle) joint is degraded in a patient and there are multiple approaches to this surgery. Using synthetic bone material, fixtures were cast from aluminum, using the process of evaporation pattern casting, and epoxy. This casting was used to grip the calcaneus bone of the foot in order to load it mechanically, simulating different scenarios that would be encountered during walking. The relative displacement of the ankle joint was measured using a digital image correlation (DIC) program that was modified to work in both two- and three-dimensional space. This program can …

Application Of Concurrent Engineering Design, Chance Ballard

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Paper And Pixel : A Study In Multichannel Advertising, Jesse Jackson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Students’ Knowledge About Applying To And Attending Graduate School In Speech-Language Pathology: The Effect Of A Panel Presentation On The Topics, Chelsea Swadling

Honors Theses

The researcher of the following study recognized that undergraduate students in the speech-language pathology and audiology program at Western Michigan University feel unprepared and anxious about applying to and attending graduate school. The following study was conducted in order to determine the effectiveness of a panel presentation in preparing undergraduate students for applying to and attending graduate school. A professional panel of five nationally certified speech-language pathologists was gathered to give a presentation to the speech-language pathology and audiology undergraduates aiming to expand the knowledge base and reduce the anxiety that undergraduates possessed about attending and applying to graduate school. …

The Laureate, Nicole Burchette

Honors Theses

The Laureate’s mission is to provide undergraduate students at Western Michigan University a place in which to publish their works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and other creative works. The Laureate strives to be a professional and engaging journal that appeals to all. The opportunity to serve as Editor-in-Chief for the thirteenth edition of the The Laureate has been an honor and a privilege. Along the way I have worked with a variety of team members to select and build the collection. Working close with my fellow editors, this edition of The Laureate came together as the result of much hard …

The Effects Of A Picture Acitivty Schedule And Functional Communication Training, Sarah J. Lett

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects a package treatment containing a picture activity schedule and functional communication training on the reduction of problem behaviors on a child with developmental delays. The study was conducted by first establishing discrimination between pictures, to be used in the picture activity schedule. Then the tutors progressively advanced through the six phases of the picture activity schedule. Each phase taught fundamental rules such as “first this, then that”, and built the schedule to more complex structure. In this way, the student could anticipate upcoming tasks, and preferred activities. The predictor strategy …

Simple Visual Discrimination Training For A Child With Autism And Exceptional Learning Difficulties, Rachel Burroughs

Honors Theses

One of the most basic pre-requisite skills for learning is simple visual discrimination. Unfortunately, the literature is lacking in how to teach simple visual discrimination to children with difficulty learning. To address this problem, the current study set out to teach a child with autism, and exceptional learning difficulty, simple visual discrimination. To do this, the researchers used a simple reversal design using a prompt fading strategy. To shape the independent behavior of selecting the correct stimulus in the presence of two other stimuli, the researchers started by reinforcing touching the stimuli when there were no other distractor stimuli present, …

Gradual Guidance And Independent Activity Schedules For Children With Autism, Amanda Driscoll

Honors Theses

The goal of this intervention was to increase on-task and on-schedule behavior in a child with autism through the use of gradual guidance and an independent activity schedule. The participant was a three year-old boy who exhibited noncompliant problem behavior. He was at mastery level for the tasks that were included in the independent activity schedule and had no prior learning experience with an independent activity schedule. Gradual guidance was used to decrease the time it took for him to learn the complex behavior that is involved with an independent activity schedule and to keep the participant on-task and on-schedule …

The Combined Effects Of Picture Activity Schedules And Extinction Plus Differential Reinforcement On Problem Behavior During Transitions, Jessica Hurdelbrink

Honors Theses

To decrease problem behaviors and increase compliance during transitions, a treatment package consisting of a picture activity schedule combined with extinction and differential reinforcement of other behavior was implemented. The study consisted of baseline and the intervention. Based on previous studies involving picture activity schedules, Gina Cross wrote the protocol for the teaching of the activity schedule and the transition protocol. The teaching protocol was made up of four stages of most-to-least prompting, and involved teaching the child to move the picture icon to the bottom of the schedule independently. The transition protocol gave instructions on how the tutor and …

Framing Identity & Change In The Experience Of Interns, Bryleigh Loughlin

Honors Theses

The definition and framing of identity in scholarly work often focuses how an individual conducts identity work in response to identity regulation in order to construct a coherent self. This study expands upon this framework by illuminating the ways that undergraduate interns frame what identity is and the consequences of their framing for their resulting identity construction (identity work). Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, this study demonstrates how participants either framed identity as a stable entity or fluid construct. This study encourages the exploration and discovery of the colloquial ways workers define and discuss identity, so that scholars can understand …