Digital Commons Network^™

Monte Carlo Simulation Of A Nonlinear Epidemic, Blair Margaret Bannerman

Honors Theses

An event-driven Monte Carlo method is used to simulate a simple, nonlinear epidemic. This model illustrates how quickly and to what degree an epidemic spreads through a population. Moreover, it yields information concerning the uncertainties of the epidemic. Some basic assumptions involving the probabilistic dependence of the rate of change of each class in the population must be determined. The rate of infection and the rate of removal from infection are based on case studies found in literary sources. The evolution of the populations is estimated on a time scale that is advanced based on the waiting time. The waiting …

Aspects Of Schooling Behavior In The Golden Shiner, Notemigonus Crysoleucas: Nearest Neighbor Distance, Angle Of Sqimming, And Antiphasic Coupling, Megan Thomas Brown

Honors Theses

Many fish swim in schools at some point in their life. This behavior is beneficial for feeding and safety from predators, and may reduce energy expenditure during swimming. The hydrodynamic theory of schooling states that fish in a school take advantage of the wakes produced by other members of the school. This theory has been both supported and refuted in various studies. Using a swim tunnel, nearest neighbor distance, antiphasic coupling and the angle of swimming were studied in golden shiners {Notemigonus crysoleucas) while schooling. A plexiglass container placed inside the swim tunnel restricted fish to swimming in one plane …

Cultural Imposition Or Cross-Cultural Communication: An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration Of Christian Missionary Rhetorics, Marian Draffin

Honors Theses

This project is a tropological and visual exploration of the rhetorics of Christian missionary culture written in an auto-ethnographic mode. The texts explored include a sample of recruitment brochures produced by mission's organizations, recorded accounts of those who were affected by missions, either as a missionary or as a member of the respondent culture, and journals and photographic images from my own short term missionary work. This exploration is driven by my curiosity about the power dynamics of Christian missionary work: Is the work of a Christian missionary culture a type of cultural imposition and domination? Can Christian missionary work …

Leading A 'Torn Country' : Turkey's Ideological And Civilized Divide, Joshua Walker

Honors Theses

Turkey, since 1923, has proven to be a valuable case study in ideological and religious tensions and national identity crisis; however, with a newly elected government, Turkey appears ready to write a new chapter in its history. The complexity of the issues that exist within a modern state along with the diversity of traditional cultures and rich history of Turkey do not allow for a singular civilizational inclusion as Huntington advocates, nor a single ideological path to follow. The Kemalist heritage of this young country has presupposed the necessity for adopting modernity as defined by the West. but the tension …

Hyperprolactinemia, Dannielle Braund

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Student Perception Of Parental Responses To Their Adolescent Behaviors: The Characteristics Of Those Who Are Labeled Negatively And The Impact Of The Labels, Stephanie Medley

Honors Theses

The following research uses labeling theory to determine what type of individual is most likely to be labeled negatively by their parents during adolescence. Labeling theory hypothesizes that if an individual is negatively labeled they are more likely to engage in secondary deviance than an individual who is not labeled negatively. The assumptions of labeling theory will be identified. Types and levels of deviance will be identified. Prior research will also be examined to identify what types of characteristics have already been identified as to increase the likelihood ofbeing labeled negatively. Next, the sample and methodology will be identified. The …

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. …

The Effects Of De-Tracking On Students And Teachers, Jacob M. Bultema, Kristen M. Scranton

Honors Theses

School districts use an array of methods to group students for their academic needs. In years past, many schools have tracked their students. This practice involves placing students in different classes according to their ability levels and past academic record. However, in recent years, some schools have decided to do away with this homogenous grouping and instead "detrack" their schools, grouping students heterogeneously. Proponents of tracking argue that homogenous grouping is advantageous to higher-ability learners. Teachers sometimes find it difficult to teach students with the broad range or achievement levels typically found in a heterogeneous environment. It is also argued …

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 …

Analysis Of The Colby Quarterly Econometric Model Of The U.S. Economy Using The Economic Effects Of September 11th, Alison Culpen

Honors Theses

The economic repercussions of September 11th are unique in that never before have economists needed to forecast and examine the impact of an event of such magnitude. This paper explains many of the economic effects of September l Ith, from the initial aftermath to recent developments. These effects are used to analyze the Colby Quarterly Econometric Model of the U.S. economy by simulating the model with actions taken by the government, such as an increase in spending, as well as other economic consequences resulting from September 11th. These simulations are then examined in more detail through multipliers that ultimately reveal …

The Relations Between Parenting Styles And Juvenile Delinquency, Misty Wittenborn

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relations between Diana Baumrind's (1971) parenting styles and juvenile delinquency. The Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991) was used to assess parenting style. The Self Reported Delinquency Survey (Elliot & Ageton, 1980) was used to determine delinquency levels in adolescents. There were 63 participants with ages ranging from 14 to middle twenties. The participants were asked to fill out the questionnaires on the Internet. The data was saved on-line, and was analyzed using correlational and multivariate procedures. We hypothesized that the permissive parenting style was highly correlated with high scores of delinquency. …

Argentina: La Crisis Financiera, Jennifer Barros

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Autistic Behavior Modification Techniques, Evana Sandusky

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Aesthetics In Removable Partial Dentures, Andrew Desiniotes

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Modern Racism, Color-Blind Attitudes, And Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action, Joseph Ravitch

Honors Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between modern racist attitudes, attitudes toward affirmative action, and colorblind attitudes. One hundred seventy two college students were given the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), Modern Racism Scale (MRS), and Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action Scale (ATAAS). Results confirmed a positive correlation between modern racism and colorblind attitudes. In addition, modern racism was able to predict scores on the Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action Scale (ATAAS).

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 …

Discounting Of Delayed Consequences In Women With A History Of Abuse, Meghan S. Harrison

Honors Theses

Women with a history of abuse often have difficulty escaping abusive relationships. One potential factor that may influence this behavior is inappropriate sensitivity to delayed or diffused outcomes. The purpose of this research was to obtain measurements of sensitivity to delayed consequences in women with histories of abuse. Participants engaged in a hypothetical money choice task to determine the relative subjective value of delayed rewards. A quantitative model relating delay to subjective value was fit to each the data. Based upon comparison with data previously reported in the literature, women with histories ofabuse discount delayed rewards to a lesser degree …

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.

Locating Postmodern Epistemology, Organizational Structure And Postcolonial Workers In The Knowledge Rhizome, Viren Mascarenhas

Honors Theses

The three excerpts from Amitav Ghosh's novels find the main characters speculating about the relationship between organizational structures, epistemology and knowledge production. In the first excerpt, Arjun tells Dinu that he does not believe that the colonial bureaucracy known as the British Anny will continue to exist if the policy of separating Indian and British officers persists. Anticipating the problems created from Indians holding leadership positions, he doubts that the British Anny "can go on." Murugan explains how the counter-scientists operate in the second excerpt, noting that members were revising epistemology by distorting knowledge through mutation. They were not following …

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 …

Western Michigan University Occupational Therapy Department Web Page, Holly Pietrzak, Melissa Byrne

Honors Theses

Website designed for WMU's Occupational Therapy department.

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. …

Girls In Motion: World War I As A Catalyst For Change In The Cultural And Fictive Landscape Of American Girlhood, Emily Honey

Honors Theses

The girls' series fiction of the First World War is particularly adept at portraying both the service of women and their idealization, simultaneously encouraging young women to go out into the workforce in the name of patriotism and discouraging them from giving up their roles as the traditional caretakers of men.

Elementary History Education And Children's Perceptions Of Time, Christine M. Mccreedy

Honors Theses

When I was in upper elementary school, social studies, history in particular, was often nothing more than reading a text to imprint for a short period of time the "facts" of history. I read books through most of the instruction. I read so many wonderful works of historical fiction, the Holocaust and the Civil War being among the most interesting subjects. Through excellent and not-so-good works of historical fiction, I saw history unfolding in the present, not just the past. The characters gave faces, stories, and meaning to the text we used in class. I grew up with a strong …

Achieving Equality, Balance, And Democracy: Racial Redistricting Throughout The Civil Rights Era To The Present, Michael Nelson Bailey

Honors Theses

Redistricting is inherently invidious and when coupled with racial considerations, the stakes become much higher. Legislative representation is at the core of the governmental process in the United States. Any changes to this process affect every citizen and their influence in our government and electoral system. This paper approaches this topic from a philosophical standpoint, evaluating the theories and ideas of the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and constitutional scholars. The issue is so complex and divisive that a full understanding of the controlling forces at work is a difficult concept to grasp. In this research the Voting Rights Act and …

Students' Ability To Communicate Algebraically Using The Internet And E-Mail, Johnny Reynolds Moore

Honors Theses

The research idea came about as a result of Dr. Rock’s doctoral to whether or not there had been any his study was published in over st to conduct the study dissertation study. We were curious as improvements in mathematics communication since 1998. We used the Algebra in Action the course of an eight-week period Internet Conte . On the odd numbered weeks, we required correct explanation of how numbered weeks asked only for the students to submit the correct answer along with a they found their answer. The problems on even We hypothesized that there would be a significant …

The Rhetoric Of Legality Vs. The Rhetoric Of Morality : Seeing Justice Through The Eyes Of Dramatic Works, Hannah C. Bate

Honors Theses

Seeing Justice Through the Eyes of Dramatic Works

The Mentor Relationship In African American Adolescent Literature, Roynetta D. Douglas

Honors Theses

The mentor relationship in African-American adolescent literature underscores the idea that young people can benefit from the counsel of caring adults outside their immediate families. In this ethnic specific subgroup, families may often suffer from financial strain due to single parent households or lack of career options. For that reason, many African-American adolescents either seek or happen upon a non-familial adult who helps them navigate through adolescence. This type of relationship, with its success and its pain, is vividly apparent in many novels geared toward young African-American girls.

Report On The Anglo-American Project In Pompeii 2001 Field School, Guy Knight

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Cultural Alchemy: The Lacuna Of African Philosophy And Political Theory Towards Cultural Separatism, Tommy J. Curry

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.