Digital Commons Network^™

Kentucky Wastewater Treatment Plants And The Prevalence Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes, Anthony Jeck

Honors Theses

Antibiotic resistance has been a growing problem in healthcare and agriculture for several decades. Antibiotic resistance has been evolving naturally for millions of years, but the process is also accelerated by human activities. Wastewater treatment plants have been studied as potential sources of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments. In this study, several wastewater treatment plants in southern Kentucky were tested for the presence of blaSHV, blaCTX, and tet(B) using PCR and gel electrophoresis. Preliminary evidence suggests that the wastewater treatment plant at West Hickman may be a source of tet(B) and that the wastewater treatment plant at Silver Creek …

Effects Of Acute Stress And Ethanol Consumption On Il-1Β In Female Long Evans Rats: A Pilot Study, Kristin R. Creel

Honors Theses

Background: Acute stress elicits many physiological, behavioral, and neurological responses, and many studies have aimed to better our understanding of these responses and their effects. However, a majority of preclinical studies have used male test subjects, despite growing evidence that males and females have different responses to acute and chronic stressors. This study thus aims to evaluate the ability of three different acute stressors to cause a physiological stress response in adult and adolescent female subjects.

Methods: In this preliminary investigation, Female Long Evans rats (N=12) underwent three acute stressors over the course of three consecutive days. In order, these …

Measurement Of Material Thickness Using X-Ray Attenuation, Oliver Mikhail H. Gaerlan

Honors Theses

The experiment will measure the thickness of a thin aluminum foil by sending a beam of x-rays through the foil. The thickness of the foil is related to the difference in the intensity of x-rays that pass through the aluminum window and the initial intensity of the x-ray source. The intensity is also related to a property of the material known as its attenuation coefficient. To calculate the attenuation coefficient, another foil with known thickness, mass, and surface density is used to calculate the attenuation coefficient.

Looking Anew At The Rothko Chapel: The Future Of Interfaith Space On The Catholic Campus, Krista Bondi

Honors Theses

The University of Dayton is among many Catholic institutions that are experiencing the need for multi-faith accommodation as its student body becomes more diverse in the 21st century. While the majority of the University’s population is Catholic, there are growing numbers of Muslim, Jewish, and Protestant students as well as others of undeclared faiths or of no faith traditions who must interact on campus. In view of the history of Catholic higher education and the current practice and philosophy of interfaith dialogue, how should the University of Dayton approach this new multi-cultural reality in terms of dedicating space and designing …

Visual Identity: Creating A Visual Identity For Corbin, Kentucky, Jordan D. Jung

Honors Theses

This paper examines the role and importance of visual identity in place branding. After assessing the definitions of visual identity in the context of place branding, it evaluates the purpose of an effective visual identity. There are many factors that a visual identity can influence such as: portraying the place’s reputation, promoting interaction, distinguishing between competition, and building brand equity. The creative aspect of this project is seen in the creation of two visual identities. These factors of a visual identity influenced the design decisions for the two visual identities for the city of Corbin, Kentucky which demonstrates the value …

The Gold Standard: Understanding The Impact Of Perfectionism On Occupation, Mary E. Wagner

Honors Theses

Occupational Science seeks to understand human occupation, often grouping occupations into categories and considering external factors that influence what people do. The current literature in psychology includes several studies on perfectionism, but there are no studies within occupational science literature. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how perfectionism impacts the occupations of college students studying occupational science and provide a measurable and meaningful depiction of the interaction between these variables. Original research was conducted using a mixed methods approach. The Almost Perfect Scale, Revised (APS-R), developed by Slaney, Mobley, Trippi, Ashby, & Johnson (1996) was …

Chronicling The Developments Of The Double Reed, Jenna Sehmann

Honors Theses

This study examines scholarly articles in thirty-eight years of periodical journals, The Double Reed, published by the International Double Reed Society. Research articles were coded to fit into twelve prominent categories: career-related, composition, extended techniques/modern practices, health, historical, instrument, interview, pedagogy, performance practice, performer profile, reeds, and other. After an analysis of journal articles (N =935) from The Double Reed, results indicated historical articles, interviews, and composition-related articles were the most prominent categories. There was a fairly even dispersion between oboe and bassoon articles, while the majority of published material was generated from American authors. Additional trends are …

Academic Mentorship In Honors, Victoria L. Abbott

Honors Theses

A recently developed program at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) uses course-embedded tutors called Writing Fellows to provide first-year students with an academic peer mentor. Writing Fellows are assigned to an English 101 class which they attend, and outside of the class, they meet individually with students in consultations concerning their academic projects or papers. Since the Honors Program at EKU currently lacks a sustainable peer mentorship program, the author Tori Abbott attempted to combine elements of the Writing Fellow program with the needs of Honors students. The mentor for this Honors thesis, Katie Patton, taught two sections of the Honors …

Shared Book Reading Practices In The Daycare Setting, Sarah Oliver

Honors Theses

This study reviews emergent literacy, instructional techniques (specifically dialogic reading), and how involved different professionals are with literacy instruction with young children. Because little research has been done regarding shared book reading practices in the daycare setting, a mixed methods research design was utilized in order to determine the scale dialogic reading prompts are used during shared book reading by daycare instructors and their beliefs about early literacy. Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data collected revealed three key themes: narrow view of literacy, limited understanding of early literacy instruction, and value of literacy. In other words, the participants believe …

What’S The Buzz All About? Creating Understanding Of Colony Collapse Disorder, Kristen Marie Gosnell

Honors Theses

Honey bees are perhaps humanity’s most important pollinators. Although they influence an incredible number of plants that we consume every day, their contributions to mankind’s diet are often overlooked. However, this may soon cease to be the case; if honey bees continue their downward descent and disappear, the foods they pollinate will too, leaving an enormous void in their wake. One of the leading causes of honey bee loss is Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious phenomenon in which hives suddenly collapse, seemingly without cause. This thesis asks several questions: What is CCD? What causes it? How can it be prevented? …

Family Factors And School, Michael Pierce

Honors Theses

One of the most overwhelming issues at Eastern Kentucky University is academic retention. In 2013, Eastern had a four-year graduation rate of 23.5%. Each university has a goal to keep academic retention as high as possible. EKU has one of the highest rates of enrollment from students of the Appalachian region, an area of Kentucky that is diverse both ecologically and culturally than other regions of the state. EKU is also known among its students for being a “suitcase school,” a college or university that is active Monday through Friday, but is quiet on Saturday and Sunday due to students …

The Future Of Journalism, Alexia S. Walters

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of interviews conducted with professionals in the field of journalism on the topic of the future of journalism as it relates to the print version of local newspapers and its competitors.

The Evolution Of The Scope And Political Ambition Of The State Attorneys General, Elizabeth A. Brumleve

Honors Theses

The state attorneys general (AGs) play a crucial role in government, on both a state and national level. They provide the legal voice of the state in matters ranging from the defense of state laws to consumer protection and, for some, criminal prosecution. The increase in the amount of multistate litigation undertaken by the attorneys general and their growing influence over policy reflect an expansion in the scope of this office. Furthermore, the AG’s office provides an effective record-building platform from which candidates can, and often do, establish campaigns for higher office. The 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), a …

E-Commerce’S Impact On Big-Box Retailers, Brian Bates

Honors Theses

The history of retail has been an evolutionary process of new innovations and transformations. Previous changes include: the development of catalogue based retail, and the recent innovation of super stores, known as big-box retailers. It is possible that we are dawning upon a new revolution of the retail environment as electronic commerce (e-commerce) continues to grow. This paper will analyze the impact of e-commerce on retail markets, specifically big-box stores (warehouse style retailers with over 750 million in sales). Using financial and real estate data from Bloomberg^TM, and e-commerce data from eMarketerTM and the US Census Bureau two …

“Instafamous” Women And The Question Of Empowerment: Feminist Reading Of Popular Constructions Of Female Bodies On Instagram, Sarah Spech

Honors Theses

Instagram has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years, catapulting some of its users into a new type of fame--"Instafame." Female users who achieve "Instafame" do so in large measure by carefully constructing an identity that articulates a popular ideal of the female body. Many commentators see this presentation of self as a new means of empowerment. But others argue that these "Instafamous" women are pressured to objectify themselves in order to accumulate thousands of “likes” to create and sustain their celebrity status. In this presentation, I analyze the images on some popular fitness Instagram accounts using the feminist …

Typology, Tabernacle And Tradition: A History Of Interpretation Of Hebrews 9:11-14, Samuel A. Mullins

Honors Theses

The texts of the Bible have been used and interpreted in various ways across different time periods and different cultures, and there is much to be gained by studying these changes. Changing attitudes about and uses of Scripture tell us something about other changes taking place in society. They reflect new ideas about religion, knowledge, and authority. Most of all, they demonstrate the techniques used by pastors, theologians, and other authors to make texts written long ago relevant to contemporary problems. The purpose of my study is to use Hebrews 9:11-14 to look at the ways in which the interpretation …

Human Rights And Healthy Societies: Opening Social And Cultural Spaces For Peacebuilding, Margaret A. Maloney

Honors Theses

Exploring peace demands rethinking many of the assumptions that have driven the field of peacebuilding. Previously, scholars have investigated the content of peace agreements in relation to the promotion of sectors that include security, justice, and democracy. However, I hypothesize that by focusing narrowly on these areas, scholars and peacemakers overlook crucial ingredients that create stable post-conflict societies. This senior thesis examines the inclusion of social and cultural rights in peace agreements and aims to contribute to a more robust understanding of whether traditionally “soft” issues like education, art, and women’s participation may have significant impacts on the long-term health …

Trauma, Oppression, And Identity: A Philosophical Approach To Justice In Catholic Communities, Dominic Sanfilippo

Honors Theses

Many disciplines have contributed to the evolving understanding of trauma and oppression. The discipline of philosophy offers us the opportunity to ask the question: what should we be doing to create conditions of justice in communities where people have experienced trauma or oppression in relation to their identity? In this thesis, I will use philosophy to propose ways that we can ameliorate injustice in social and religious settings, particularly Catholicism. By examining historical and contemporary questions around identity and the self, I hope to begin to articulate both a specific problem in the Church and identify possible paths toward creating …

The Effectiveness Of Active Interaction In Interactive Visual Imagery As Created By The Keyword Method, Morgan Pair

Honors Theses

A proven mnemonic method called the Keyword Method can be used to learn concrete word pairs, such as when learning a foreign language. In the Keyword Method, an English word that sounds or looks similar to the foreign word (the “keyword”) is used to relate the foreign word and its English equivalent (Raugh & Atkinson, 1975). There are two steps to the keyword method. The first is to learn the foreign word, English translation and English keyword. The second step is to then create an interactive visual image using the English word and keyword (Raugh & Atkinson, 1975). This second …

'Letters Full Of Love': Wayne Booth's Theories Of The Implied Author And Reader In Brad Marsh's Wwii Correspondence, Josephine A. Just

Honors Theses

This project consists of a qualitative study of the WWII correspondence of Captain Brad Marsh from the collection of letters donated by his daughter on April 26, 2013. I draw from the narrative theory and works of Wayne Booth to examine Marsh’s construction of self as an implied author by examining how he presents his experiences and portrays his emotions. I also examine how Marsh constructs his implied self by paying attention to details such as the information he shares with Lynn and how he presents it. I explore the nature of the implied author and reader in the correspondence …

First Person Accounts Of The Proyecta 100,000 Program, Adolfo Diaz

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Love Of The Law: The Ethical Christology Of Southern Baptist Rhetoric And Language Concerning The Lgbtq Community, Alexander James Ward

Honors Theses

The connection between society and a group is a complex and often tangled relationship. The division between the two can be blurred in many cases and therefore the movement of individuals within a particular group within a larger society is something that cannot always be immediately apparent. However, group identity and personal identity play an integral role in understanding how movement and action occur by individuals as they attempt to make sense of culture and its connection to their personal identity. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and its members are no different. This Protestant denomination is one of the most …

Activism, Community And Cultural Heritage: “Communitism” In Creek Literature, Rachel Maria Cain

Honors Theses

"Communitism" refers to literature that encourages activism by celebrating and promoting American Indian communities. This thesis investigates how the literary works, The Fus Fixico Letters (1902 – 1908) and Drowning in Fire (2004), are communitist by supporting specific political and social changes in Creek communities. Through The Fus Fixico Letters Alexander Posey promoted his progressive political convictions, including that Creeks should embrace land allotment and endorse the creation a separate state for American Indians. Drowning in Fire, by Craig Womack, takes place throughout 1904 – 1993 and relates traditional Creek stories and practices to modern life. The novel delves …

Effects Of Body Weight Loading On Arch Height, Anastasia Bjelopetrovich

Honors Theses

Deformation of the medial longitudinal arch under body weight loading is often assessed using the Arch Height Index Measurement System. This system assesses change in arch height between sitting and standing, estimated to be 10 and 50% of body weight, respectively. However, body weight forces during ambulation exceed these loads, therefore limiting our understanding of arch deformation under ambulatory load ranges. Thus, the study aims were 1) to assess if sitting and standing arch height differed from that seen under 10 and 50% body weight using a force target-matching procedure, and 2) to characterize the relationship between arch deformation and …

Preachers, Politics And The Pulpit: The Influence Of Church Structure On How Clergy Approach Political Topics And How Congregations Receive Their Messages, Michael Bender

Honors Theses

Inspired by the Catholic Church’s nationwide resistance to President Obama’s contraceptive mandate in the summer of 2012, this honors thesis paper attempts to discover a link between church polity (or church structure) and whether political messages are more or less likely to be preached by clergy from the pulpit and accepted by their congregants. Given that churches are places where attendees are exposed to political messages, this paper hypothesizes that structurally centralized Christian denominations are more likely to have preached on the contraceptive mandate than decentralized denominations. Accordingly, it is assumed that Catholics are more likely to have heard about …

Design And Prototyping Of A Variable Geometry Extrusion Die To Exhibit Significant Alteration Of Shape, David C. Bell

Honors Theses

Extruded parts are conventionally made by forcing melted plastic through a steel die having a fixed opening that matches the shape of the part. Plastic parts made by extrusion include weather stripping, PVC pipe, and composite lumber. Variable geometry dies can change their opening shape during the extrusion process. Developing shape-changing dies technology offers the possibility of making parts with varying cross-sections that currently need to be made through injection molding. This is desirable as, compared to molding, extrusion tends to be faster and less expensive. Variable geometry extrusion dies have been designed and prototyped by the University of Dayton …

Results On Some Generalizations Of Interval Graphs, Jonathan David Ashbrock

Honors Theses

An interval graph is the intersection graph of a family of intervals on the real line. Interval graphs are a well-studied class of graphs. Path graphs are a generalization of interval graphs and are defined to be the intersection graphs of a family of paths in a tree. In this thesis, we study path graphs which are representable in a subdivided K_{1, 3}. Our main results are a characterization theorem and a polynomial time algorithm for recognition of this class of graphs. The second section of this thesis provides a bound for a graph parameter, the boxicity of …

Effects Of A Peer Developed Nutrition Education Intervention On The Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Elementary School Children, Sydney Marie Antolini

Honors Theses

To promote consumption and decrease plate waste, it is important to find innovative ways to encourage fruit and vegetable intake in children. In this study, collaborating with and educating students on nutrition brought attention to the issue and raised awareness in the school system of the need for better nutrition education.

Domain Representability And Topological Completeness, Matthew D. Devilbiss

Honors Theses

Topological completeness properties seek to generalize the definition of complete metric space to the context of topologies. Chapter 1 gives an overview of some of these properties. Chapter 2 introduces domain theory, a field originally intended for use in theoretical computer science. Finally, Chapter 3 examines how this computer-scientific notion can be employed in the study of topological completeness in the form of domain representability. The connections between domain representability and other topological completeness properties are subsequently examined.

One Signal, Two Behaviors: Odor Discrimination In Unmated Versus Mated Female Green Bottle Flies, Lucilia Sericata, George Iannantuono

Honors Theses

The green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata, is of critical importance in the field of forensic entomology since it is one of the first insects to arrive at a freshly deceased carcass. These flies use a highly tuned and selective olfactory system to identify and locate the carcass; response to the decomposition odor usually occurs within minutes. Male flies use the carcass for a small protein meal and for locating females while females use the carcass for feeding (unmated) and egg-laying (mated). This divergence in behavior to a common odor cue is the subject of this thesis proposal: do unmated …