Digital Commons Network^™

A Catalog Of Solo Piano Works Written By Twentieth Century Mexican Composers, Lucas Arcizo

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Tanapox: A Potential Oncolytic Virus For The Treatment Of Cancer, Joel Marty

Honors Theses

The National Cancer Institute defines cancer as a group of related diseases characterized by unimpeded cell division with metastatic abilities. Cells frequently mutate and potentially become cancerous, but generally these cells are cleared by the immune system. The disease state of cancer arises when the mutated cells evade the immune clearance, which indicates medical intervention is required. Current therapies most commonly utilize chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the two, however, alternative therapies are being developed such as immunotherapies and oncolytic viruses (OVs). OVs cause a viral infection, clearing cancerous cells through viral replication mechanisms, such as viral cytolysis, while …

Self Vs. Other Perception Of Personality Through Facebook, Marianna Williams

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of A Photograph, Jackson Covey

Honors Theses

I discuss a variety of images in the areas of war and politics. In particular, I talk about how they convey their messages and some of the history behind them.

Examining The Effect Of Perseverative Thinking On Physiological Activation In Response To Stress, Kathleen Kelly

Honors Theses

The current study had two aims: (1) measure changes in heart rate variability from the time of learning about a stressor task to completion of the task and (2) measuring the change in heart rate during and after the stressor task. Thirty participants were recruited from a midwestern university campus as well as surrounding communities. The study utilized a laboratory based stressor to examine the influence of perseverative thinking on stress recovery over a 24-hour period. Participants were involved in the study for a continuous 48 hours that included three lab visits. Participants’ activities and heart rates were measured through …

An Analysis Of Bilateral Tripart Hippocampal Volume And Its Relation To Spatial Processing In A Middle Childhood Sample, Emily Marler

Honors Theses

Throughout the years, animal research has unearthed that certain cells in the hippocampus contribute to spatial processing, which involves an animal’s recognition of its environmental layout and directionality. In order to apply this work to human children, we will identify whether hippocampal volume is related to spatial processing, including identifying which section(s) of the hippocampus seem to be more related to processing layouts versus directionality. Based on previous literature (Goodrich-Hunsaker, Hunsaker, & Kenser, 2005; McHugh, Fillenz, Lowry, Rawlins, & Bannerman, 2010), we predicted there would be a relationship between bilateral posterior and middle hippocampal regions and spatial processing, such that …

Feminist And Holistic Pedagogies, Shay Frailey

Honors Theses

In this Honors Thesis I combine holistic and feminist educational theory, what Paulo Freire refers to as “humanizing education,” with my own critical reflection on the empowering educational journey I have taken as an undergraduate (1 Pedagogy). This has been a journey to claiming my own voice, agency, empowerment, and critical understanding of my self-becoming and how this process works for others. These social justice pedagogies have helped me understand how identity is shaped by cultural contexts and institutions like education. Using the feminist research methodology of autoethnography, I show and describe the coming together of empowering pedagogy in …

Importance Of Vaccinating For Canine Parvovirus: Best Practices For Prevention, Ariel Gorham

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Historical Text And Historical Archaeology: Hunting The Narrative Of Kievan Rus, Ivory M. Spears

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on the historical narrative of Kievan Rus between 860 to 1240 and the importance of historical archaeology in order to gain a clearer understanding of its history. Very few sources written in the 9^th to 13th centuries in Rus survive today. The Primary Chronicle is the most widely known and available account of the history of Rus for historians to use. However, scholars utilize the chronicle with caution because the original oldest surviving chronicle was written almost two centuries after the first dated entry. We can expect that not everything written in the chronicles was accurate …

17Β-Estradiol In Carbondale Treated Wastewater Effluent: A Cross Comparison Study, Evan Mcdermott

Honors Theses

Natural estrogens are endocrine disrupting compounds and common pollutants in municipal wastewater. The concentration of 17β-estradiol was monitored in effluent from both the southeast and northwest Carbondale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their receiving waters for nine weeks. The analysis was performed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) and the internal standard estrone 3-methyl ether. Recoveries were 60.0±3.9%, and significant loss of analyte was found after storage greater than one week. The northwest effluent (NWE) had higher 17β-estradiol levels of 7.1-76.2ng/L than the southeast effluent (SEE) between Below Detection Limits (BDL)-54.0ng/L, which suggests 17β-estradiol was carried with colloidal organic …

It Is Always Worth It To Check It Again: Examining Nematodes Of Rodents From The Konza Prairie, Hailey Penticoff

Honors Theses

The Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) is centered on the 3,487-hectare tallgrass Konza Prairie in eastern Kansas. The area supports 11 common species of rodents, some of which are reservoirs of zoonotic microparasites, including etiological agents for babesiosis and Lyme disease. Furthermore, each of the rodent species harbors an array of helminths. No baseline inventories of helminths or microparasites have yet been performed through the tallgrass prairie ecoregion. We captured rodents using Sherman traps, processed them via standard museum methods, and examined them for nematodes. Necropsies were completed on the same day of capture and nematodes collected were fixed …

Sensory Processing Disorder: A Design Research Report, Ashley Booth

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Geochemistry Of Surface Waters And Groundwater At Eku’S Meadowbrook Farm, Madison County, Kentucky, Reid E. Buskirk

Honors Theses

Agricultural activities often contaminate watersheds with excess nutrients leading to poor water quality and eutrophication. Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Meadowbrook Farm raises crops and livestock, which contribute dissolved nutrients to the neighboring Muddy Creek watershed. Our goal is to understand Farm water geochemistry to develop methods to sequester phosphorous and limit nutrient contamination.

During the Cindy storm event, concentration of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Na⁺ within baseline source waters decreased with increasing discharge through the weir. This behavior represents dilution of Farm groundwater by storm precipitation. However, K⁺ spiked concurrently with increased discharge then progressively …

Initial Characterization Of The Two Clpp Protease Isoforms From Chlamydia Trachomatis, Krystal Chung

Honors Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen responsible for sexually transmitted infections and the ocular infection trachoma. Chlamydia undergo a distinctive developmental cycle transitioning between the infectious elementary body form and the replicative reticulate body form. Each developmental form has a distinct proteome reflecting its different physiological needs. We are interested in studying how protein degradation impacts proteomic patterns throughout the developmental cycle. Chlamydia encode a pan-bacterial Clp protease system consisting of five genes: clpX, clpC, two clpP paralogs (P1 and P2), and clpB. ClpX and ClpC are chaperone proteins that unfold protein substrates and feed …

The Impact Of Transnational Nonprofit Work On The Development Of Becoming A Global Citizen, Penny Bowser

Honors Theses

Global citizens dive into the culture of a country and adopt new ideology, customs, and traditions, while maintaining their own cultural identity. This paper explores how a nonprofit organization has the ability to provide the necessary resources for a volunteer to expand upon their global citizenry. Nonprofits were created for economic, historical, and professional reasons, then are divided into categories depending upon the goal of the organization. Volunteers choose to serve at nonprofits for social, personal, and professional reasons, but will all make an impact on the people they are serving, despite the reason. By volunteering with a transnational nonprofit …

An Analysis Of Human Trafficking In The Southeastern United States: Improving Law Enforcement Training & Techniques, Katherine N. Wyant

Honors Theses

Human trafficking is an international criminal phenomenon that disregards human morals and beliefs. The United States is not immune to these heinous acts that unfortunately remain largely unseen by law enforcement and legal authorities. This research present s a comprehensive analysis of the crime in the southeastern region of the United States. By focusing on the region, and more specifically the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the research provides valuable insights to both the states within the focus region, as well as states across the country. Research topics on human trafficking vary greatly; however, this research considers existing laws in order to …

Increasing Awareness Of International Adoption Through Literature, Romy Newberry

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Traditional Art Therapy Techniques Versus Digital Art Therapy Techniques: A Comparison Using Sand Play, Kaitlyn Ralston

Honors Theses

Art Therapy is a growing field that has its basis in tactile experiences, whether those experiences involve paint, clay, sand, paper, or anything else you can imagine. These techniques all focus on the tactile nature of the process to facilitate therapeutic practices. However, many who would benefit greatly from art therapy are unable to utilize the tactile methods due to sensory limitations. Thus, the problem of how to facilitate art therapy with these clients arises. One solution to the problem would be to look to the digital realm. Unfortunately, not many digital applications exist to facilitate these art therapy practices. …

Analyzing The Benefits Of Occupational Therapy Within Palliative Care For Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review, Erin Pyle

Honors Theses

Palliative care is a holistic approach to care for individuals with serious or terminal illnesses. Palliative care has been shown to be especially beneficial for individuals with a cancer diagnosis. With the incidence of cancer in the United States on the rise, palliative care is a relevant and valuable service. The team that delivers palliative care is multidisciplinary and includes a variety of healthcare providers as well as professionals for emotional and spiritual support. Occupational therapy is beginning to be included within this team. Occupational therapy has also been shown to improve performance and function in individuals with cancer. This …

Documentary Theatre: The Bridge Between Radical Performance And Dramatic Interpretation, Baxter Chaney

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Policy Responses To Migration Flows Through The Mediterranean Sea: An Analysis Of European Union And Italian Policies, Megan M. Krynen

Honors Theses

This research seeks to understand the relationship between immigration policies enacted by both the European Union and the Italian Government and the amount of migrants entering Italy through the Mediterranean Sea. The three research questions that are addressed in this research are A) What were the key policy debates leading to the current policies regulating immigration at both European and Italian level? B) How did the policies affect migrants’ decision to move? C) How did the same policies influence and were influenced by native Italians attitude towards immigration? The methods used were a textual analysis of European Union and Italian …

On The Feasibility Of Using Genetic Algorithms To Optimize The Structure Of Small Multilayer Perceptrons, Nicholas Dinep-Schneider

Honors Theses

Artificial neural networks, which mimic the human brain's ability to learn from experiences, are increasingly being used to analyze complex datasets. However, proper structural configuration requires intuition, trial-and-error, and frequent human attention. This study investigates an automated alternative that uses a Darwinian evolutionary strategy to optimize the structure of a small-scale Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) image classification network. Using accuracy as a measure of fitness, it examines the effect of varying the amount each network learns prior to differential reproduction. The accuracy of optimized networks was significantly higher than random initial networks, being increased by up …

A Mathematical Model For Inhibitor Drugs In The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Richard Young Leonard Iii

Honors Theses

Recent studies reveal that from the pathological standpoint, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is described by the cerebral deposition of aggregated amyloid beta (AB) polymers in the form of amyloid plaques. This thesis introduces a new mathematical model for the treatment of AD in the presence of inhibitory drugs. Two types of drugs are considered: monomer inhibitors of AB aggregation and anti-aggregate drugs. First, the model is analyzed with only one of the two drugs and then the two drugs are tested in the presence of one another. The numerical simulations of models show that the first type of drug is able …

The Bard And The Word: The Influence Of The Bible On The Writings Of William Shakespeare, Emily Gray

Honors Theses

Widely hailed as the single greatest writer and poet of the English language, William Shakespeare is not only revered for the sheer quantity and wide-ranging genres of his writing, but also the exceptional written quality, well-executed thematic diversity, and ability to explore the timelessness of the human experience. With the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible occurring in 2011 and the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death following in 2016, scholarship on Shakespeare’s use of biblical material underwent a significant resurgence. The focus of much of this scholarship has been on simply identifying the numerous references rather …

The Psychosocial Effects Of Compensated Turnout On Dancers: A Critical Look At The Leading Cause Of Non-Traumatic Dance Injuries, Rachel Smith

Honors Theses

Dancers suffer from extremely high injury rates compared to the general population (Noh, Morris, & Anderson, 2003). Most of the injuries are overuse injuries (60-75%), as opposed to traumatic injuries (Thomas & Tarr, 2009). One of the most common overuse injuries is compensated, or forced, turnout (Negus, Hopper, & Briffa, 2005). Continual misplacement of turnout wears and tears on the body, leading to pain and injury. However, dancers feel the risk is worth it to stay relevant in a physically demanding career that has little-to-no off-season to heal (McEwen & Young, 2011). Dance companies typically have the mindset of pushing …

A Guide To The Multiple Errands Test, Carly Jessup

Honors Theses

Executive function plays an important role in everyday life skills such as planning, organizing, controlling and sustaining attention, and socializing. Until recently, executive function was measured almost exclusively using laboratory-based assessments. However, many participants would score satisfactorily on those laboratory assessments, while having significant difficulty with activities of daily living. A potential solution to this issue is the Multiple Errands Test (MET), which is an ecologically valid assessment that can help predict performance of everyday life skills. The MET is a flexible assessment that can be modified in order to fit the needs of the setting and patient. Indeed, many …

A Content Analysis Of Lgbt Representation On Broadcast And Streaming Television, Carson Cook

Honors Theses

This content analysis of nine television shows from the 2016-2017 season across broadcast and streaming platforms seeks to understand the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender characters. The study updates a content analysis published in 2006 by Amber Raley and Jennifer Lucas that studied the 2001 television season. This study aims to understand how the representation of LGBT characters on television has changed since 2001, how representation of bisexual and transgender characters differs from homosexual characters, and how representation on streaming platforms differs from broadcast shows. The findings suggest that representation of bisexual and transgender characters has increased since …

Community Strain And Familial Dysfunction: The Influence Of County Characteristics On Child Maltreatment, Katherine Mobley

Honors Theses

Child maltreatment does not happen equally across communities. Instead, in some places it is nearly non-existent (less than 1 out of every 11000 children) while in others it is experienced by nearly 10% of the population. This research examined how demographic factors relate to the rate of child abuse and neglect at the county level and found that a decline in economic stability, lack of post-secondary education, an inability to reach financial stability, and the rate of drug usage in a county significantly contributed to the child maltreatment rate. Durkheim’s Theory of Anomie and Merton and Agnew’s Strain Theories were …

An Examination Of The Unanticipated Outcomes Of Having A Fun Organizational Culture, Victoria Baltz

Honors Theses

Fun organizational cultures break the social constructs of the traditional work environment. Fun organizational cultures have been gaining popularity over the past couple decades. Since fun cultures are gaining attractiveness due to reports focused primarily on the positive aspects of fun cultures, this study examined if there were any unanticipated negative outcomes of a having a fun organizational culture. Qualitative data was pulled from interviews conducted with various members of fun organizational cultures. This study focused on negative outcomes primarily in three areas: productivity, work-life balance, and relationships among members in the organization. The findings in this study did not …

Strange-Making: A Study Of Curation, Mirel Crumb

Honors Theses

The curatorial project “Strange-Making,” a three-person exhibition held at Apothecary Gallery in March 2018, is the culmination of creative research on the application of the term “ostranenie” to contemporary painting in the region surrounding Chattanooga, Tennessee. The technique of “ostranenie” or “enstrangement” is defined in Viktor Shklovsky’s Art, As Device, 1917, as the technique of describing something familiar in a way that makes it appear unknown. “Ostranenie” was originally discussed in terms of imagery in literature. This exhibition and the curatorial statement reveals the direct connection between the role description plays in representational painting as a physical construction of an …