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Honors Theses

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Evaluation Of Dna From Blood And Saliva Overtime, Janine Smalling Dec 2019

Evaluation Of Dna From Blood And Saliva Overtime, Janine Smalling

Honors Theses

In this research, we will examine the quantity of DNA over time. In John M. Butlers, "Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing", he charts out the average amount of DNA extracted from different bodily fluid samples. Examples include blood, semen, saliva, urine, etc. Though valuable, the values presented are in the cases of a fresh extraction of the sample. It is important to note that in most cases when DNA is being extracted from crime scene evidence, the samples are not fresh and have been degraded to some extent. On a crime scene, time is only one of the factors affecting …


A Female's Profession: Gender Disparity In Occupational Therapy, Jodi Collins Dec 2019

A Female's Profession: Gender Disparity In Occupational Therapy, Jodi Collins

Honors Theses

Occupational therapy celebrated it’s one hundredth anniversary in becoming an established therapy in 2017. The history between 1917 and 2017 is rich with stories of origin, adaptation, and assimilation. The initial need of occupational therapy was to assist in rehabilitation efforts of soldiers assigned to combat in World War I, yet as history has unraveled, the need for the therapy has manifested and is now used on individuals of all ages and walks of life. Upon the initial creation of the therapy, females made up the entire field of then termed “reconstruction aides” due to the high number of males …


Mosquito-Borne Illnesses And Their Disproportionate Impact On Variant Infrastructures: A Gis Map Comparison Of Three Regions., Jenna N. Price Dec 2019

Mosquito-Borne Illnesses And Their Disproportionate Impact On Variant Infrastructures: A Gis Map Comparison Of Three Regions., Jenna N. Price

Honors Theses

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth and they spread diseases through their bites. Chikungunya, Dengue, Malaria, Yellow Fever, West Nile Virus, and Zika are six diseases of concern that are transmitted by mosquitoes. This honors thesis will attempt to provide relevant information and a critical analysis of current literature. Disease descriptions of the aforementioned illnesses and country evaluations for Niger, South Sudan, and the United States of America are included for comparison and evaluation. A Geographic Information System was used to create several maps comparing the three regions of the earth specified. The models are used to show country …


Disrupting Democracy: The Impact Of Natural Resources On The Development Of Post-U.S.S.R. Countries, Taelor G. Martin Dec 2019

Disrupting Democracy: The Impact Of Natural Resources On The Development Of Post-U.S.S.R. Countries, Taelor G. Martin

Honors Theses

This study seeks to examine why former Soviet states, united by common political and economic history through their time under the Soviet Union, have taken such radically different paths in development. Chiefly, why are some states in the region some of the most democratically developed in the world, but others are some of the least? Natural resource rents are introduced as a factor that can stall development by limiting the capacity for critical democratic institutions to develop. Utilizing a fixed-effects regression analysis, we find that higher resource rents as a percent of GDP have a statically significant, negative relationship with …


Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Look Into Selective Mutism, Katelyn R. Campbell Ms. Dec 2019

Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Look Into Selective Mutism, Katelyn R. Campbell Ms.

Honors Theses

More than likely, a child will encounter a medical or educational professional to help them throughout their educational career sometime in their lives. Speech-language pathologists regularly see students from general education classrooms to special education classrooms. However, some disorders require multiple professionals to work as a team to ensure the child is functioning appropriately for his/her age. Selective mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder that causes such anxiety to the point where the child is unable to speak. Due to this being a frequent misdiagnosed disorder, a team of professionals is required to treat it. For this study, graduate students …


Funding The Field: A Literature Review Of The Kentucky Agrability Program’S Financial Need To Assist Agricultural Workers Across The Commonwealth, Leah D. Goodman Dec 2019

Funding The Field: A Literature Review Of The Kentucky Agrability Program’S Financial Need To Assist Agricultural Workers Across The Commonwealth, Leah D. Goodman

Honors Theses

This thesis combines the disciplines of occupational science, occupational therapy, and agriculture in order to outline a need for additional financial funding for the Kentucky AgrAbility Program. The Program has made a phenomenal impact on the lives of many individuals who have suffered from farm-related injuries; however, the scope and quality of its services are limited due to constricted access to funds. Through examining and exploring literature available on the topic, a need and argument for additional funding is constructed. Current partnerships are explored and methods of improvement, including an employee training course, are proposed. A new partnership with the …


Mozart To Monroe, Isaac C. Brooks Dec 2019

Mozart To Monroe, Isaac C. Brooks

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to give examples of how very different genres of music can live in cohabitation with the same respect and admiration within the world of music. This thesis explores the origins of each genre, the inherent differences between the two, and the process its author followed to produce the finished product. Mr. Brooks draws from his experience as both a professional bluegrass and classical musician and demonstrates through his own compositions how the two genres can be meshed and formed into a hybrid which could be performed respectively in front of experts in either of …


Humanitarian Aid In Haiti: Friend Or Foe?, Samantha L. Tamplin Dec 2019

Humanitarian Aid In Haiti: Friend Or Foe?, Samantha L. Tamplin

Honors Theses

Humanitarian aid to Haiti has both positive and negative effects on a country that is already in a state of turmoil. Considering the aspects of education, economics, and the political climate in Haiti, and after conducting both academic research and primary source interviews from those affected firsthand by these issues, I concluded that outside aid and volunteerism to Haiti, and other third-world countries like it, is ultimately ineffective. Donations coming into Haiti are doing more harm than good because the amount of goods being gathered and shipped to Haiti combined with the instability and corruption of the government in that …


Homo Sum: The Metaphysical Anthropology Of Liberalism, Arthur Martin Dec 2019

Homo Sum: The Metaphysical Anthropology Of Liberalism, Arthur Martin

Honors Theses

This study takes a critical look at the work of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau in relation to Patrick Deneen’s first anthropological assumption of Liberalism, presented in his book, Why Liberalism Failed. Deneen claims that Liberalism conceives of human persons as naturally separate and non-relational. Man is not a ζῷον πολιτικόν (Politikon Zoon or Political animal) in Liberalism. Human persons are not the kinds of being that thrive in interpersonal relationships but are by nature isolated and come together for limited self-interested purposes. The main work of this paper includes an attempt to flesh out Hobbes’, …


Reshaping The United States' Anti-Trafficking Legislation: The Need For Uniform Reporting And Victim Rehabilitation, Bryant Cross Dec 2019

Reshaping The United States' Anti-Trafficking Legislation: The Need For Uniform Reporting And Victim Rehabilitation, Bryant Cross

Honors Theses

Trafficking in persons—or “human trafficking”—is a prevalent issue in the United States in the twenty-first century. Since the turn of the century, awareness surrounding the national and international problem of human trafficking has gradually risen. This rise in awareness came hand-in-hand with Congressional efforts to combat the trafficking of human beings through federal law—namely, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 and its subsequent reauthorizations. Unfortunately, federal legislators’ initial framing of the trafficking in persons problem as an international issue—rather than a national issue—led to the creation of a weak legislative foundation for anti-trafficking efforts in the United States. …


Refugee Camp Education: Hope, Gaps, And Barriers, Allyson Dykstra Dec 2019

Refugee Camp Education: Hope, Gaps, And Barriers, Allyson Dykstra

Honors Theses

The urgency to provide humane living conditions such as food, shelter, safety and education grows with the refugee population as temporary stays become more permanent. Refugees are staying longer in emergency arrangements, which appears to affect mental health, ability to hope, and sustainable coping mechanisms for these populations. With dissatisfactory conditions in camps, this paper intends to explore how refugees cope with their environment and in what ways needs are not being met, in order to explain the present condition of refugee health, their coping mechanisms, and how to combat it.


Childhood Trauma And Early Adult Engagement In Deviant Behavior: A Measure Of Experiential Avoidance And Impulsivity Association, Angelene Green Dec 2019

Childhood Trauma And Early Adult Engagement In Deviant Behavior: A Measure Of Experiential Avoidance And Impulsivity Association, Angelene Green

Honors Theses

Childhood trauma (CT) has been associated with early adult behavioral deviance (BD), as maintained by previous research. The current study examined experiential avoidance (EA) and impulsivity (IMP) as mechanisms through which childhood trauma and resulting behavioral deviance are related. Participants for the study included 588 students of Western Michigan University, comprised of both males and females. The participants ranged between the ages of 18 and 35. For data collection, participants completed an online survey through an online platform. Participants were directed to select responses in accordance with the variables of interest. For the purpose of identity preservation, the survey responses …


The Peaceful Transition Of Spain: How Authoritarianism Became Democracy, Emma Haiser Dec 2019

The Peaceful Transition Of Spain: How Authoritarianism Became Democracy, Emma Haiser

Honors Theses

The peaceful transition from authoritarianism under Francisco Franco to a democratic constitutional monarchy after Franco’s death stands as a critical juncture in modern Spanish history because of the uniqueness of the historical event. The transition occurred without direct foreign intervention to manipulate Spanish politicians into passing democratic legislation; instead, the transition was initiated by Francoist leaders who willingly enacted the regime’s change which undermined their initial place in society. The Spanish transition was caused by three main factors: societal opposition to the Francoist regime, democratic international influence, and progressive leaders taking office after Franco’s death. This paper will explore the …


Food Insecurity On Wmu’S Campus: Student Satisfaction Of The Invisible Need Project, Ava Daly Dec 2019

Food Insecurity On Wmu’S Campus: Student Satisfaction Of The Invisible Need Project, Ava Daly

Honors Theses

Previous research suggests that food insecurity is higher among college students and individuals from minority populations than the general population. Many college campuses have recognized this issue and developed on-campus food pantries to mitigate food insecurity among students. Nevertheless, barriers exist that prevent students from utilizing on-campus pantries. The purpose of this study was to investigate college students’ relationship to food and food access at Western Michigan University (WMU). Student satisfaction of WMU’s on-campus food pantry, The Invisible Need Project, was also explored. Data were gathered through a 28-question online survey and one in-person focus group. Participants were undergraduate and …


The Macroevolution Of Diadromous And Non-Diadromous Clupeiformes., Lindsey Dehaan Dec 2019

The Macroevolution Of Diadromous And Non-Diadromous Clupeiformes., Lindsey Dehaan

Honors Theses

Migration is a common life history strategy across the animal tree of life. This behavior is energetically demanding and may trigger strong selection for the evolution of an optimal ecomorphology to lessen energetic costs, yet the ecomorphology of migratory aquatic species remains poorly understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that migratory fishes exhibit predictable phenotypic patterns in body size evolution in response to evolving migration: migratory fishes are larger than non-migratory fishes. Migratory fishes may also have functional traits (e.g. fin shape) associated with locomotion that have experienced similar selective forces and exhibit predictable evolutionary patterns, resulting in migratory lineages sharing …


Air Quality And Environmental Justice: An Analysis Of County-Level Data In The United States, Alyssa Tittle Dec 2019

Air Quality And Environmental Justice: An Analysis Of County-Level Data In The United States, Alyssa Tittle

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the relationship between air pollution and poverty and race/ethnicity at the county level in the United States. Using air pollution data from the Environmental Protection Agency and population characteristics data from the Census Bureau to model relationships in RStudio, results show that race/ethnicity, population, and median value of owner-occupied housing units are the most statistically significant variables associated with air quality.


Lightweight Racing Suspension, Colin Haynes Dec 2019

Lightweight Racing Suspension, Colin Haynes

Honors Theses

The purpose of this senior design project is to design and optimize the new suspension system for Western Michigan University’s 2020 solar car. The current solar car was 43% heavier than the average solar car, and was the heaviest single occupant vehicle competing in the American Solar Challenge. The scope of the project is to reduce the weight as much as possible from the old 2016 suspension. The new suspension weighed 34.91 lbs less than the 2016 suspension system while maintaining a minimum factor of safety greater than 1.5, compliant with American Solar Challenge regulations. The design consists of a …


Rain Gardens: The Return Of Ecosystem Services, Katie Dehaan Dec 2019

Rain Gardens: The Return Of Ecosystem Services, Katie Dehaan

Honors Theses

In the modern world impervious surfaces, especially in urban areas, abound. These include roads, highways, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs that have replaced permeable surfaces, mainly open land, forests, and wetlands. Rainwater runs off of these surfaces collecting pollutants on its way to permeable areas. Rain gardens collect and process rainwater. Native plants with deep root systems process large volumes of rainwater and the microorganisms living in the soils and roots can process pollutants. The purpose of my research was to find out what variables affect species presence or absence in rain gardens. Species presence or absence at the time …


Autonomous Vehicle Interior Design, Nathaniel Torchalski Dec 2019

Autonomous Vehicle Interior Design, Nathaniel Torchalski

Honors Theses

As technology in the automotive industry advances and self-driving vehicles become more commercially available, design concepts for their interiors must also be developed. Research was conducted on automotive design and autonomous technology, drawing inspiration from production and concept vehicles of the past, present, and future. A survey was conducted to gauge possible consumer needs. Hand sketches, small-scale models, and a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model was produced. A full-size model was developed using various material-forming processes, including 3D printing, woodworking, clay sculpting, and metal machining. The interior was designed with consideration for safety, comfort, and technological advancements to satisfy the needs …


Is Natural Selection Shaping Florida Manatees? : An Investigation Into The Body Shapes Between The Subspecies Of The West Indian Manatee, Juliane Johnson Dec 2019

Is Natural Selection Shaping Florida Manatees? : An Investigation Into The Body Shapes Between The Subspecies Of The West Indian Manatee, Juliane Johnson

Honors Theses

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is currently divided into two subspecies: the Antillean (T. m. manatus) and Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris). Florida manatees are found at the northern extreme of the species range, primarily inhabiting the waters around the Florida peninsula, while the Antillean manatee inhabits the remaining range from the Caribbean islands to eastern Brazil. Only in the range of the Florida manatee does water temperature drop below 20°C during the winter, and these manatees have to seek warm water refuge for thermal regulation. Allen's rule predicts that in colder climates animals will adapt to have smaller …


Methodology Of Topology Optimization, Naziha Khandoker Dec 2019

Methodology Of Topology Optimization, Naziha Khandoker

Honors Theses

The need for lighter products is becoming increasingly essential as it cuts material cost and significant amount of weight, which is a key factor in the automotive and aerospace industries. Topology optimization allows us to achieve that by applying the concept to different structures with the goal of optimal distribution of material within finite volume design domain. Its algorithms selectively remove and relocate elements to achieve the optimum performance. This project performs a study on the effect of each design parameter over mechanical performance using Finite Element Analysis and applies it to set of wing attachment brackets. The optimized brackets …


Autonomous Vehicle Interior Design, Luis Vargas Dec 2019

Autonomous Vehicle Interior Design, Luis Vargas

Honors Theses

As technology in the automotive industry advances and self-driving vehicles become more commercially available, design concepts for their interiors must also be developed. Research was conducted on automotive design and autonomous technology, drawing inspiration from production and concept vehicles of the past, present, and future. A survey was conducted to gauge possible consumer needs. Hand sketches, small-scale models, and a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model was produced. A full-size model was developed using various material-forming processes, including 3D printing, woodworking, clay sculpting, and metal machining. The interior was designed with consideration for safety, comfort, and technological advancements to satisfy the needs …


How Do Israelis And Palestinians Interpret Their Own Histories As Evidence That They Have Claim Over Israeli Held Territory?, Jacob Kubiak Dec 2019

How Do Israelis And Palestinians Interpret Their Own Histories As Evidence That They Have Claim Over Israeli Held Territory?, Jacob Kubiak

Honors Theses

The Israeli-Palestinian War over Israeli-held territories has been a major controversy for many years. The modern conflict has been raging on since 1948. This conflict has caused the displacement of 1.4 million Palestinians, uprooting them from what they believe to be their ancestral home. Along with this displacement, the conflict has caused infrastructural collapse and the rise of terrorist organizations within Israel and Palestinian territories. Both groups have their own evidence in claiming the Israeli-held territory, including archaeological history and ancient texts to argue that they are the rightful owners of this land. The narratives of land claim belief are …


Oil Preference In Ants And Arthropod Diversity In Urban Environments, Itzel Guzman-Hernandez Dec 2019

Oil Preference In Ants And Arthropod Diversity In Urban Environments, Itzel Guzman-Hernandez

Honors Theses

The success of certain ant species in urban areas is largely unknown. Available food in the environment could affect the composition of ants in urban areas due to a possible relationship between ant physiology and diet. I tested the oil preference of ants as a function of available arthropod prey in urban environments. I hypothesized that as arthropod diversity decreased, ant abundance at oil baits would decrease. Oil is an important nutrient that can affect ant body functions and activities. Ant foraging activities have been found to be affected by lipid depletion. A food source where ants can obtain oil …


Relations Between Self-Regulation, Divergent Thinking, And Perceived Stress In Emerging Adults, Haven Wright Dec 2019

Relations Between Self-Regulation, Divergent Thinking, And Perceived Stress In Emerging Adults, Haven Wright

Honors Theses

This study investigated the relationships between self-regulation and stress, self-regulation and creativity, and perceived stress as a mediator for the relationship between self-regulation and creativity. Questionnaires were administered to undergraduate students to individually access each construct. Creativity was measured through divergent thinking and self-regulation was measured through the SRS and effortful control. Regression analyses were run to determine the relationships between the constructs. A negative association was found between effortful control and stress. Individual positive relationships were found between effortful control and all of the creative thinking styles except convergent-unpleasant. Lastly, the indirect effect of effortful control on the convergent-unpleasant …


Exploring Self-Determination And Recreational Sports Participation For Adolescents With Disabilities, Samantha K. Papp Dec 2019

Exploring Self-Determination And Recreational Sports Participation For Adolescents With Disabilities, Samantha K. Papp

Honors Theses

Self-determination is a vital skill for individuals with disabilities and provides significant benefits, such as more positive adult outcomes and greater quality of life. Recreational sports participation is another fundamental aspect of life for individuals with disabilities, as it leads to increased physical activity, enhanced self-esteem, and improved peer acceptance. Despite the well-researched benefits of both self-determination skills and recreational sports participation, a literature review revealed few studies that examined the relationship between self-determination and recreational sports participation for individuals, particularly adolescents, with disabilities. This mixed methods study was designed to fill this void, using questionnaires, interviews, and observations to …


Towards The Synthesis Of An Artificial Fluorescent Siderophore, Ashley Burns Dec 2019

Towards The Synthesis Of An Artificial Fluorescent Siderophore, Ashley Burns

Honors Theses

Siderophores are molecules capable of binding ferric ions with high affinity (Ka = 1052). This thesis outlines our attempts to synthesize an artificial siderophore, which incorporates a signaling group to help monitor the uptake of ferric ions. The artificial siderophore is a tripodal molecular receptor synthesized in a five-step procedure with a proposed final sixth step. Rhodamine 6G azide (95.0% yield) was formed from rhodamine 6G and the synthesis of 2-azidoethanamine was modified from the literature. The tripodal arm portion of the sensor was successfully synthesized by protecting the catechol of 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde to form 3-formyl-1,2-phenylene dimethanesulfonate (98.8% yield). The reduction …


A Psychoanalysis Of Rebecca West’S Unfinished Novel The Sentinel, Taylor Vesely Dec 2019

A Psychoanalysis Of Rebecca West’S Unfinished Novel The Sentinel, Taylor Vesely

Honors Theses

This thesis applies a psychoanalytic lens to a little-known and unfinished manuscript by Rebecca West. There is little scholarship on The Sentinel but a wealth of knowledge to be gained from it about the complicated psychological dilemmas the suffragists suffered. West was writing at a critical period in feminist history that is still relevant today, and this novel, which would have been her first, lays the groundwork for many of her future works. Her depictions of sexuality, violence, religion, and motherhood provide an excellent framework for both her protagonist’s self-suppression and a compelling psychoanalysis. This thesis argues that the many …


To My Room’S Future Tenant, Abigail Garcia Dec 2019

To My Room’S Future Tenant, Abigail Garcia

Honors Theses

To My Room’s Future Tenant is an original collection of poems accompanied by a critical preface.


Assessing Prevalence Of Eating Disorders Among College Students, Taylor Jordan Duncan Dec 2019

Assessing Prevalence Of Eating Disorders Among College Students, Taylor Jordan Duncan

Honors Theses

Eating disorders have become a subject of concern for college-aged young adults in recent years. Risk factors like social media use are contributing to an increase in affected students, and research suggests that gender along with other variables plays a significant role. This thesis examined the current research on eating disorders and risk factors associated with their development. Through an online survey, information from freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate students at The University of Southern Mississippi regarding their current eating behaviors, feelings toward food and body, and demographic information was collected. Data collected indicated the student population’s level of …