Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Behavioral Intervention Training On Parents' Stress, Parenting Behaviors And Self-Efficacy, Emily Schworer

Honors Theses

For children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), early intervention is incredibly important. In order for a behavioral intervention to be fully effective, it needs to be followed at all times of the day, not just during school hours. Because of this, a key factor during intervention is the involvement of parents of the child with the disorder. Parents/caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders participating in behavioral interventions at the Faison School for Autism were surveyed in order to find out more about strategies used when implementing a child’s behavioral plan at home, and also their overall understanding of the …

Adenovirus Type 5 Virions Asymmetrically Lose Icosahedral Structure At Low Phs Of Endosomes, Jennifer Marie Jarboe

Honors Theses

After receptor mediated endocytosis into an endosome, human Adenovirus Type 5 (Ad5) undergoes structural changes that allow the virus to release a viral protein, pVI, that lyses the endosome and releases the virus core into the cytosol, where it travels to the nucleus to insert its genome. Structural studies of Ad5 at a range of pHs typical of endosomes (7.5-4.5) using a transmission electron microscope show that Ad5 undergoes asymmetrical loss of proteins from vertex regions at the pH of the late endosome (pH5.15). Following further acidification, Ad5 ejects core material preferentially through one vertex—indicating an asymmetry at one vertex …

Generic Medicine Price Discrimination In The Emerging Market, Amy Mcmahon

Honors Theses

This paper studies price discrimination in forty emerging markets for forty-nine generic drugs for the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases. This paper studies how the age of a drug and how income distribution in a country affect the price discrimination of that drug in the country. Price data comes from the World Health Organization and Health Action International database. This paper shows that: (1) the longer the drug has been on the market, the less price discrimination that is present; and (2) the greater the income inequality in a country, the more price discrimination that is present. …

Multiphase Screen Development, Chris Tarrant

Honors Theses

This honors thesis research project was the study and development of a compact separation device for the oil and gas industry involving a multiphase cylindrical screen filter. Cylindrical screens can be used for solids removal in multiphase flow in upstream oil and gas applications. This study focused on cylindrical wire-wrap screen test unit design and performance characterization to determine volumetric flow rate and pressure drop correlations.

The project goals were met with research, test unit design, CFD modeling, calculations, and physical testing. The comprehensive testing will take place during the summer of 2013 and is planned to consist of building …

Differential Diagnosis Of Adhd And Bipolar Disorder : An Analogue Study, Sarah Yurinich

Honors Theses

Bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share an overlapping number of symptoms. These shared symptoms may result in the misdiagnosis or over diagnosis of these two disorders. The purpose of this study was to look at the diagnostic practices of clinicians and clinicians-in-training to see what diagnosis they would give to a hypothetical patient who presents with ambiguously ADHD and bipolar disorder symptoms. Clinicians and clinicians-in-training (N = 40) read two vignettes, one child and one adult, where the patient presented with both ADHD and BD overlapping symptoms, and then were asked to provide one primary DSM-IV diagnosis, …

Need-Based Heroism : The Motivation To Assign Heroic Status To Others, Torrie Williams

Honors Theses

This study was looking to determine whether people are more likely to look for heroic qualities in others in an emergency situation where a hero is needed, compared to a situation where nothing is wrong. This study also sought to find whether strangers in non-emergency situations will be seen as more villainous and more threatening than strangers in emergency situations. The hypotheses were supported. Participants found an ambiguous stranger to be more heroic in an emergency scenario, compared to a nonemergency. Additionally, in the situation where no hero was needed, the participants found an ambiguous stranger more threatening than in …

The Politicization Of Biblical Analysis By Protestant Army Chaplains During The American Revolution, Andrea Stevens

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the presence of political ideology within sermons delivered by chaplains in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. In particular, this thesis studies sixteen sermons delivered by Episcopal, Anglican, Congregationalist and Presbyterian chaplains between the years 1776 and 1802. The analysis of these sermons reveals an influence of the political climate during the Revolution on the ways in which the chaplains taught from the Bible. This essay begins with the formation of the chaplaincy as a response to four main needs of the soldiers: the need for a justifier, encourager, disciplinarian and religious teacher. The chaplains referenced …

The Effect Of Oral Contraceptives On Performance In Sexually Dimorphic Cognitive Tasks, Kathryn Sears

Honors Theses

The goal of the current study was to further extend limited research assessing the effects of sex, menstrual phase, and oral contraceptive use on sexually dimorphic cognitive tasks, as well as emotional regulation. Studies have found that menstrual cycle phases have cognitive and physiological effects on women’s brains depending on the concentration of female sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen (Epting & Overman, 1998). Oral Contraceptive pills (OC) contain a concentration of these female sex hormones that have been shown to alter gray matter volume to resemble men’s brains in areas associated with learning, memory, spatial navigation, and emotional regulation (Pletzer …

Exploring The Role Of Social Identities In Presidential Candidate Evaluation, Taylor Michals

Honors Theses

This research demonstrates how the social identities of race and gender can influence presidential candidate evaluation. Specifically, it emphasizes that political ideology and gender attitudes can play a significant role in how we respond to political candidates’ social identities when making our evaluations. Through an empirical study, we explore how individuals’ political ideologies and attitudes towards women in authority impact individuals’ evaluations of leaders with different social identities. Results suggest that it is not the candidate specifically nor their social identities that lead to biases in evaluations, but the perspectives of the evaluators that contribute to these biases. We find …

The Embodied Cognition Of Resilience, Kelsey Mahler

Honors Theses

First impressions can impact our opinions and behaviors towards another person. The act of priming, though, can work to alter a person’s perceptions, and subsequent behaviors. Embodiment, the idea that the body is closely tied to the processing of social and emotional information, can result from priming. The current research seeks to answer several questions related to the importance of first impressions, judgments of sympathy and resilience, deep role categorizations, and the power of priming to prompt the embodied cognition of resilience. The results of the current research partially support the initial hypotheses that—when presented with information about a target …

Morale Maintenance In World War Ii Us Army Ground Combat Units : European Theater Of Operations, 1944-45, Kevin Kane

Honors Theses

This paper examines how both the Army as an organization and its small unit leaders attempted to maintain the soldiers’ morale in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Morale was critical to the Allied victory in the war, yet the morale of frontline GIs was often neglected. This occurred with such frequency that many combat soldiers suffered from a new category of wound known as “combat exhaustion.” Through an examination of what influenced combat soldiers’ morale, a clearer understanding of what the Army did well and how it failed to support combat GIs emerges, as does an …

The Influence Of Word Problem Structures On Algebraic Expression Construction, Taylyn Hulse

Honors Theses

Certain learning domains come naturally to humans. Evidence supports that core knowledge systems of objects, number, action and space are innate for infants (Spelke, 2007). These core domains remain throughout development and they also give rise to more complex cognitive skills (Spelke, 2000). As we develop, we form new concepts that transcend the core learning domains (Carey, 2009). These new concepts, unlike core knowledge, are not innate and are learned under social and cultural pressures (Carey, 2009). This means that there is a transition from practicing core knowledge that is learned naturally and higher-functioning cognitive skills that must be specifically …

A Comparison Of Mindfulness And Incremental Theory Based Interventions, Kelsey Greenfield

Honors Theses

In only a span of 20 years, the prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased in the United States. Thirty five percent of adults and seventeen percent of children are obese. Every state has an obesity prevalence of over twenty percent (CDC, 2013). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. A person's weight and height are used to calculate BMI, which indicates level of body fatness that may lead to health problems (CDC, 2013). From the economy to healthcare, this weight trend has turned into a phenomenon that …

Potent Mutagens Have Positive And Negative Effects On Viral Fitness Of Reovirus In Vitro, Jennie Altman

Honors Theses

Due to the inherently error-prone nature of RNA replication, mutations to genomes of RNA viruses occur frequently and accumulate. We hypothesized that RNA versions of nucleoside analogues that increase mutation rates in DNA could cause increases in the mutation rate of a model RNA virus, Reovirus, and decrease the fitness of the virus in vitro due to the accumulation of deleterious mutations. After conducting multiple passages of Reovirus in mouse L929 cells in the presence of these potential RNA mutagens in four separate trials, there were not only virus samples with the expected decreased infectivity, but surprisingly, samples with marked …

Trade Evolution And Exchange Market Pressures, Bradley Rotter

Honors Theses

This paper looks at the relationship between trade openness and an exchange rate volatility index called exchange market pressure. The theory behind the paper is that increasing trade flows between nations should reduce economic volatility, as it allows for the correct allocation of goods and services across borders. The results show a negative relationship between an increase in trade openness and volatility as measured by exchange market pressures. The empirical estimate is based on 20 OECD nations from 1992 to 2007. Although, trade shows some impact on volatility, most instability arises from systematic risks that are felt globally.

The Inner Workings Of The Dna Copying Nanomachine : Kinetic Studies Of Dna Polymerase I From The Thermophilic Bacterium Rhodothermus Marinus, Emily P. Kornberg

Honors Theses

DNA polymerase I from Rhodothermus marinus is a high-fidelity DNA polymerase capable of operating at high temperatures and incorporating 2´,3´-dideoxynucleotides. The R. marinus DNA Polymerase I active site contains an unusual proline in the middle of a mobile “O helix.” This proline residue is hypothesized to decrease the relative free energy of a kinetic checkpoint termed the ajar conformation, and thereby slow the incorporation of incorrect nucleotides. We aim to test the accuracy of a newly developed nucleotide incorporation model, in which the enzyme allows the template to interact with the bound dNTP in the ajar conformation, whether correct or …

Curing The Obesity Epidemic : The Government's Obligation To Regulate Food, Victoria Lyon

Honors Theses

The first chapter demonstrates the impact of the obesity epidemic in the United States. The epidemic affects obese individual directly, and burdens all US citizens. The second chapter is an argument as to why the obesity epidemic should be addressed by government intervention. The US regulates risky substances such as consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, and risky behaviors such as driving. This work explores why food is morally equal to other risky substances. The final chapter explores several food regulation policy options.

Generalization Of Expert Face Processing Takes Time, Karen Duan

Honors Theses

Same race faces are recognized better than other race faces, and this other-race effect (ORE) can be explained by reduced holistic processing of other-race faces. Holistic processing is defined as a tendency to process all parts of a stimulus interactively as a whole. Previous studies found that experience can mediate ORE in holistic processing. The present study investigated whether quality or quantity of experience with the other-race better predicts holistic processing of other-race faces between Caucasian and Asian individuals. Contrary to what we expected, we did not find any correlation between experience with the other-race and the ORE in holistic …

Factors Of Cultural Perception Of Depression: An Analysis Of Students At The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, Rachel Brosius

Honors Theses

This study focuses on the perceptions and beliefs of a population of students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga toward depression and the contributing cultural factors behind its high prevalence. The study is broken into eight sections that contribute to the overall understanding of depression in Tennessee. First, the current literature on depression and stigmata related to mental illness is examined to catalogue the findings ofresearchers with similar interests. Following this the data collection methods I took to gain the data used in this study are explained as well as the demographic elements of the study. Next the data …

Interstellar Navigation By Pulsars, Andrew Dahir

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Not Extinct: A Year In The Life Of The American Chesnut, Kristen Julina Stanfill

Honors Theses

After the widespread infection of the American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata) due to the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica the species was nearly brought to extinction and now merely exists as stump sprouts. Since the fungus infects the bark of the tree but not the root systems new shoots are able to emerge and grow before once again being girdled by the fungus. Cryphonectria parasitica is believed to have been brought to America on Asian species of chestnut which possess resistance to the blight caused by the fungus. It is the plan of the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) to integrate the genes …

Treatment Of Food Selectivity In Children With Autism: A Review Of Literature And Introduction To Holistic Treatment Approach, Tara Swodzinski

Honors Theses

Food selectivity is a problem in many of the lives of children with autism. Limited food repertoires can negatively affect nutritional status and the quality of life for these children and their families. The precise cause of this food selectivity is unknown although a number of reasons have been posited. This inability to pinpoint an exact cause has lead to a debate between researchers about whether behavioral or physiological issues are to blame. This paper first explores both of these options. Then, a new clinical program at WMU OT Unified Clinics is described that focuses on a holistic approach used …

White Female Criminals In Civil War Richmond, 1860-1865, Frances Sisson

Honors Theses

This study tells the story of white female criminals and addresses the problem of the white female criminality and the resulting reaction of the patriarchal society in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War, specifically the years 1861-1864. During the Civil War, white female criminality became a daily occurrence because of the wartime conditions in Richmond, such as inflation and overpopulation. Because of the established patriarchal society and the lack of emphasis on the women's rights movement in the South, the female involvement in crime during the war was extremely shocking to the male driven society. The judicial system struggled with …

Self-Presentation Symbols And Their Effect On Heroic And Villainous Drive, Amelia Knight

Honors Theses

There is a significant body of research reflecting that human beings are drawn to hero stories. This fascination stems from a basic human need for hope and the inspiration to achieve greatness. Most hero stories, especially fictional ones, contain symbolically embedded information, which helps us to mentally represent particular heroes. For example, when asked to visualize Batman and Superman two distinct images come to mind: Batman’s mask and Superman’s cape. In the real world, these symbols are a little more obscure, like a Policeman’s badge or a Fireman’s hat. Symbols are important for the understanding of viewers, but they can …

A Mathematical Model Describing The Dynamics Of Hiv Virions And Cd4+T Cells In The Human Immune System, Matthew Chacko

Honors Theses

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an intracellular parasite that attacks cells of the immune system called CD4+T cells. In ecology the Lotka-Volterra models, a classical set of differential equations, describe three interactions between species in ecosystems: predator/prey, mutualism, and competition. The human body is also an ecosystem with HIV and T cells exhibiting the three Lotka-Volterra interactions with each other. I pose a mathematical model that predicts T cell/HIV dynamics by incorporating the three Lotka-Volterra interactions and other salient biological phenomena that influence the dynamics, such as T cell senescence and the presence of viral reserviors.

Understanding Expressive Writing, Lindsay C. Dever

Honors Theses

Expressing trauma, specifically through expressive writing, leads to better health, both physically and psychologically. Specifically, the relationship between expressive writing and higher rates of affective (emotional) word use can be explained by reappraisal, a technique that reduces stress through better understanding. Reappraisal is thus related to resilience, and both are correlated with secure attachment. Secure attachment, in turn, is best folstered by authoritative parenting. Because of this research we predicted that there would be a positive relationship between resilience, language use, and authoritative parenting. In this study, 100 college-aged participants reported perceived parenting style and resilience. We randomly assigned participants …

Comparisons Of Cultural Identities In Relation To Poverty, Amanda A. Corea

Honors Theses

This research focuses on how one's cultural identity relates to their attitudes towards those in poverty and what they attribute to be the causes of poverty. Correlation and difference tests were run on data collected from questionnaires completed by a convenient sample. Beliefs about poverty and patterns of attitudes demonstrated in various culture groups were analyzed. The hypothesis that cultural identity relates to attributions and attitudes toward poverty based on learned cultural attitudes was partially supported. Significant differences were found between different cultural identity groups for both attributions and attitudes.

Bringing Back Jobs: The Factors That Influence Decisions To Offshore And Reshore Jobs Back To The U.S., Jessica R. Wahlen

Honors Theses

Offshoring has become an integral aspect of many American businesses. Companies may choose to sent some or all of thier manufacturing and service-related jobs to other countries for a variety of reasons. These reasons may be financial (e.g. lower labor costs abroad) or strategic (e.g. a desire to keep core competencies within the U.S., while sending other jobs abroad). Tariffs, quotas, and local content requirments placed on companies may also influence these decisions. A relatively recent trend has been the return of some of these offshored jobs to the U.S. In this project, I refer to this trend as "reshoring." …

Cleaning Symbiosis Of Caribbean Reef Fish: Analysis Of Biological Factors That Affect Cleaning Frequency, Kathryn Janeanna Shell

Honors Theses

Cleaning symbiosis is an important mutualistic relationship for both cleaner and client fish on the coral reef. Until recently, factors affecting the frequency of cleaning stations surrounding the reef have remained unstudied. The purpose of this study was to determine which factors affected cleaning stations in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve (Belize), with particular focus on the role played by parasites. Cleaning stations were observed for a 2-week period, and analyses were made to compare depth, cleaner and client species, and time of day to frequency of cleaning observed. Parrotfish and Surgeonfish were observed most frequently at cleaning stations …

Les Contes De Fées Oubliés: Vision D'Un Monde Plus Égal, Deborah Amato

Honors Theses

J’ai toujours aimé les contes de fées et j’ai toujours été intéressée par la question de l’égalité entre les sexes. Il y a deux ans, j’ai suivi un cours intitulé « Women in Myth and Fairy Tale». Nous avons lu et analysé des contes de fées aussi vieux que Cupid and Psyche, qui date du IIe siècle, et aussi récents que la version de Disney de la Belle et la Bête (1991). J’ai examiné alors pour la première fois les stéréotypes masculins et féminins que ces contes présentaient. Après cette expérience, j’ai voulu approfondir ma connaissance des premiers contes de …