Digital Commons Network^™

An Operational Performance And Safety Comparison Of Roundabouts Vs. Traditional Intersections, Vincent Spahr

Honors Theses

As the modern roundabout becomes a more popular intersection alternative in the United States, the ability of the roundabout to effectively manage traffic and to do so safely is on the forefront of engineering concerns. Despite decades of international success and credibility, regions throughout the U.S. have been hesitant to implement roundabouts in place of more traditional intersections. This case study of a series of intersections in Dublin, OH assesses the operational performance of roundabouts as it compares to that of their stop-controlled and signalized counterparts and analyzes historical crash data to evaluate the safety of the various intersection types. …

Practical Cosmopolitans: The Diversity Of A Changing Indian Ocean, 1500-1750, Jordan Seitz

Honors Theses

The Indian Ocean has served as a catalyst for trade throughout history, connecting multiple cultural and geographical spheres. My goal was to dissect the ways in which social and cultural norms were impacted by the large amount of diversity found within Indian Ocean port cities between 1500 and 1800. Specifically, I chose to investigate the possibility of the creation of a virtue of diversity, similar to the concept of Cosmopolitanism. In this case, this would mean a variety of people who differ in cultural, ethnicity, and religion sharing mutual respect within a particular space. Among the factors which shaped these …

Examining The Role Of Self-Esteem In The Association Between Emotional Vulnerability And Psychological Well-Being, Kathryn Schilling

Honors Theses

The purpose of the proposed study was to examine the association between emotional vulnerability and psychological well-being, and test whether the association varies based on level of self-esteem. Researchers define psychological well-being as an appraisal of one’s life where a person gives conscious evaluative judgments about one’s satisfaction with life as a whole (Grossi et al., 2013). Emotional vulnerability is defined as the degree to which a person renders himself or herself exposed to the emotional pain of rejection. Experiencing social rejection has a negative effect on self-esteem, however, having high self-esteem may buffer the self against the pain of …

The Second Punic War: The Turning Point Of An Empire, Timothy Edward Schaefer

Honors Theses

Though the foundation of the Roman Empire is considered by some to be in 27 BC with Octavian’s acceptance of the name Augustus, its origins were in fact in the late 3rd Century BC with Rome’s involvement in the Second Punic War. The nearly 20 year war pitched Rome against Carthage in what became a turning point in Roman history. Rome would undergo economic changes that led to the establishment of the practice of Roman aristocrats paying extra costs of the war in an exemption of military service. During the war, Rome’s armies were active farther abroad for greater lengths …

Chitinozoan Biodiversity In The Ordovician Of Gondwana: An Interval-Free Approach Using The Quantitative Stratigraphic Correlation Program Conop9, Rachel Sales

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the biodiversity patterns of a group of fossil organisms called chitinozoans. Chitinozoans are organic-walled, planktonic microfossils that first appear in the Early Ordovician Period (488 million years ago) and diversify rapidly through the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician Period was a time of great global climate change, and by studying this group of fossil plankton, we hope to better understand how modern plankton, which are the base of the marine food chain, might respond to climate change. We used a method called constrained optimization (CONOP9) to construct a composite range chart of 152 …

The Effects Of Music On Employee Affect, Nolan J. Mcnulty

Honors Theses

This thesis is concerned with the effect of music on mood in the workplace. Mood, or affect, is an important attribute in the working environment. For Example, positive affect is directly proportional to employee satisfaction, which can lead to more productivity and more efficiency. The mood of employees at a student café at the University of Dayton was assessed with and without background music while they worked. Data were collected over a two-week period from 20 student employees. Data included background questionnaires asking for demographic information such as music preference, music experience, and hours spent listening to music. The Positive …

The Seal Of Solomon: An Exploration Of Storytelling, Ryan M. Krisby

Honors Theses

The Seal of Solomon is a work of fantasy with steampunk, flintlock-fantasy elements exploring Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, also known as the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey is both a physical and personal journey in which the hero ventures from their common world and into a realm of supernatural wonder where they encounter challenges, until they enter the “belly of the whale,” undergo an apotheosis and achieve the ultimate boon. They return to their common world changed, enlightened from their experiences and with a freedom over their life that they did not have before. I explore the tropes and elements of …

Genre Controversy: Human Universality Or Plagiarism In The Dystopian Genre?, Taylor V. Kingston

Honors Theses

In a fusion of behavioral psychology, evolutionary psychology, and literary analysis, this thesis considers the possibility that human nature dictates the types of rhetoric utilized in any given genre. Operant conditioning emerged as the governing device in a case study of the dystopian genre since readers must be made to associate fear or hope with particular government structures. Implicitly then, literature is molded into its genres by the human desires addressed by that genre’s reigning themes. This “mold” seems to have created a strain of novels within the dystopian genre that are so similar there have been accusations of plagiarism. …

The Effect Of Exercise Training On Skeletal Muscle Gdnf Content And Neuromuscular Physiology In A Mouse Model Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis., Nicole Carpp

Honors Theses

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease accompanied by the loss of motor neurons, leading to paralysis and death. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes neuron health and function and has been proposed as a therapeutic treatment for ALS. GDNF protein expression in skeletal muscle is regulated by physical activity. The aim of this study was to determine if low intensity exercise would increase GDNF expression in skeletal muscle and slow degeneration of motor neurons in a mouse model of ALS. Following the first sign of disease onset, transgenic ALS mice were randomly assigned to one of three …

Removing Aflatoxin M1 From Milk Using Activated Carbon And Its Effects On Protein Concentration, Kaylin Chaney

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Kinetic Characterization Of B-Carotene In N-Hexane At Various Oxygen Concentrations, Katelyn Mary Arnold

Honors Theses

We have characterized the photo – degradation of ẞC in oxygenated and deoxygenated n–hexane solvent and in the solid phase using broadband (BB; λ ≥ 200 nm) and 313 nm filtered output of a 100 W Hg Arc lamp. Oxygen concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 100% were used in the solution phase studies. ẞC(s) did not photo – degrade upon exposure to BB light under air atmospheres; the mass and appearance of the samples, TLC chromatograms, and the absorption spectra were all identical pre- and post-irradiation. In the solution phase, the order of the photo – degradation with respect …

Mostly True: An Exploration Of My Family History, Jessica Urban

Honors Theses

Family histories are tricky things, especially when the people in the stories don't necessarily want to talk about their pasts. My family immigrated to the US in the early 1800's, many to escape the anti-Semitism that was rampant in their countries. Through a series of personal interviews, family stories passed down from generation to generation, and my own imagination to fill in the gaps, I have compiled a series of short stories about my family and their lives in America from their arrival here in the 1800's to the present day. Although each family has a different story to tell, …

Hate Crime Laws: What Are They And Who Do They Protect?, Maya Pedersen

Honors Theses

Perhaps due to media attention, especially to recent high-profile cases, awareness of hate crime laws has increased. When people think of the groups protected by such legislation, factors such as race/ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation often come to mind. People victimized because of their affiliation with any designated group should be protected under these laws and perpetrators of such crimes should receive enhanced penalties. More specifically, the Hate Crime Protection Act (2009) made it a federal offense to assault someone because of sexual orientation. Relatively little research has been conducted on hate crime legislation, but it is important to understand …

Suspension Electrospinning Carbon Nanotube Doped Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Nanowires, Ryan Hensleigh

Honors Theses

The synthesis, characterization and application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received substantial attention in recent years, particularly in the field of polymer nanomaterial composites (PNCs). CNTs possess impressive thermal, electrical and mechanical properties, and PNCs incorporating them have shown multitude increases in these same properties with relatively low percolation thresholds [1]. Electrospinning is an effective and tunable materials synthesis platform for the manufacture of micro and nanofibers that has shown particular promise in the fields of carbon nanotube PNC processing due to the favorable isotropic alignment CNTs undergo due to the electrospinning process [2]. CNT alignment has been shown to …

Horses: How Saddle Style Defines A Culture And The Skeletal System, Brandy Morgan

Honors Theses

This paper examines the way in which various parameters affect injury type and prevalence in horse eventing. The human-horse relationship has a long history that has continued to evolve, and their relationship is still strong today, especially in the role of sports and entertainment. In equestrian sports, horseback riding has been found to be extremely dangerous in terms of prevalence and severity of injury. This paper evaluates how saddle style, the sex of the rider, rider experience, and nature of event impacts injury patterns specifically within horse eventing which utilizes an English styled saddle.

Horses: How Saddle Style Defines A Culture And The Skeletal System, Elizabeth Brandon

Honors Theses

Throughout history different cultures have been greatly impacted by horses and their uses. Today horseback riding is still a very popular sport, and though it is more dangerous than other forms of transportation, such as motorcycle riding, horseback riding is still used in entertainment, occupational, and leisure activities. Saddles have long been an important piece of equipment for riding. As the horse became a mode of transportation, many cultures had their own saddle style, but today there are two prominent saddle styles, the western and english styles. The western saddle style is used more for leisure, occupational, and rodeo riding. …

Title Not Available, Tori Paille

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Creating Como-Pickton: A Study On The Integration And Consolidation Of Como-Pickton Consolidated Independent School District, Austin Baxley

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Investigations On The Involvement Of Dopamine In The Gustatory Responses Of The Fruit Fly, Drosophila Melanogaster, Emily Anne Ousterhout

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Senior Voice Recital, Amos Warren

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

The Impacts Of Sediment Yield Estimates On A Small Reservoir In Mutoko, Zimbabwe, Brooke Patton

Honors Theses

Water scarcity is becoming a more widespread issue due to human modification of local and global hydrologic cycles. In developing countries, land degradation, soil erosion, and its impacts on water resources are significant issues due to ever increasing water resource demands attributable to growing human populations within these areas. Small, multiple-use reservoirs are an important source of water in rural Zimbabwe. It is imperative to develop further insights into, and an understanding of, the linkage between hydrology, land use, and water resource needs in order to develop resilient water supplies for populations living in these areas. Here, a hydrologic and …

An Undiscovered Wilderness--Place And Self: A Digital Curation Of Text And Images, Alana Jane Jajko

Honors Theses

Medieval manuscripts are beautiful compilations of text and image. My work explores this media as a way to celebrate the beauty of the natural world, combining nature writing with marginalia and illustrations that reflect the content of the text. The calligraphy style is modeled after the font used in the Book of Kells, as it too portrays natural imagery throughout its pages. Manuscripts were meant to glorify the text within, and it is my hope to glorify and preserve an appreciation of nature in a world where it is sometimes overlooked. The culmination of this research has grown into a …

"Will The Sun Come Up In The Morning?" : The 1999-2000 Conflict Between Summerhill School And The British Department For Education And Employment, Emily Kerwin

Honors Theses

On March 23, 2000 a group of school children sat in the Royal Courts of Justice in London and voted to accept an agreement between Secretary of State for Education David Blunkett and their school, Summerhill School in Leiston, Suffolk. This vote ended a year-long fight to keep the school from closing. Carmen Cordwell, the chair of that meeting later remarked, "This is our charter for freedom. After 79 years, this is the first official recognition that A.S. Neill's philosophy of education provides an acceptable alternative to compulsory lessons and the tyranny of compulsory exams. With this one bound, we …

Isolation Of Microbial Nrps And Pks Gene Clusters For Natural Product Isolation, Danielle N. O'Hara

Honors Theses

Greater than 99% of microbes living in the environment are uncultivable due to their complex nutrient and temperature requirements for growth. These microorganisms present a potential source of natural products that could be developed for biotechnological and pharmaceutical uses. Microorganisms with phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) activity are of high interest due to the role PPTase plays in activating non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) gene clusters. These gene clusters produce multi-enzymatic, multi-domain megasynthases that produce complex natural products utilized by the host organism for selective advantages. This study isolated genomic DNA from soil samples collected from the University of …

Extending An Implicit Theories Approach To The Examination Of Empathy And Forgiveness, Jennifer Cecilione

Honors Theses

Empathy and forgiveness are two key constructs involved in effective conflict-resolution. Empathy has been defined in terms of its cognitive aspects (i.e. the ability to understand another’s emotional reactions to situations without actually feeling the other’s emotions) and its affective components (i.e. the ability to vicariously feel the emotions of another without directly experiencing the other’s situation). On the other hand, forgiveness has been described as the ability to act in a prosocial manner towards a transgressor. Past research has repeatedly shown links between empathy and forgiveness, such that empathy is a precursor to forgiveness. More recent research has suggested …

Construction And Optimization Of A Tapered Amplifier System For Applications In Ultra-Cold Plasma Research, Ryan Cole

Honors Theses

The number density of cold atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) is critically dependent on the intensity of the lasers used to cool the sample. To generate large optical powers while retaining the practicality of homemade external cavity diode lasers (ECDLs), a tapered amplifier (TA) system was designed and constructed to amplify the output of an existing 780 nm, continuous-wave ECDL. The amplifier’s performance is discussed in terms of its gain and power output. Under standard operating conditions, optical amplification of 12 dB is achieved, with a maximum power output of 0.75 W. The completed amplifier is installed into …

The Central Hankel Transform, Matthew J. Levine

Honors Theses

This honors thesis presents the Hankel transform on an integer sequence, a function with colorful mathematical history and rich theoretical background. We then introduce a matricial Toeplitz transform that parallels some of most famous qualities of the Hankel transform, especially when in consideration of popular sequences like the Fibonacci numbers. The result is a characterization of the injectivity of this new function, a description of some of its interesting behaviors, and a discussion of a few new Fibonacci identities.

An Investigation Of Bag3 Knockdown And Its Effects On The Cytotoxicity Of Laromustine, Colin Sheehan

Honors Theses

Laromustine is a sulfonylhydrazine anticancer prodrug whose main cytotoxic arises from its ability to interfere with DNA replication of dividing cells. Multiple studies have suggested that Laromustine induces a form of cell death known as apoptosis. In a previous study investigating the mechanism of apoptosis, bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) demonstrated significant upregulation in the presence of Laromustine. Given its anticancer ability, we selected BAG3 as a target for further investigation. BAG3 knockdown through transient shRNA transfections was performed in U138 glioblastoma multiforme cells and verified using qRT-PCR analysis. Finally, cell death assays were used to assess Laromustine’s cytotoxic effect on …

Bhabha's Hybridity And Kenyan Development: A Close Look At Banking, Land And Health, Hannah F. Tuttle, Hannah Tuttle

Honors Theses

What happens when two distinct cultures come into contact? During colonialism, this resulted in the practice of "othering," or the separation of colonial identity, portrayed as positive, modern and good, from colonized identity, illustrated as backward, barbaric and sinful. In this paper, I discuss the ways that Homi K. Bhabha's concept of "hybridity," or the ways that the intersection of these two spheres caused a third "hybrid" culture to arise, manifests in contemporary development practice. Based on a month of field research in Kisumu, Kenya this past January, I discuss the ways that these "hybrids" have formed at the intersection …

Demographics As Destiny: Modeling Population Change And Party Strategies On The Electoral Map, 2016-2040, Sam Parker

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ways demographic change will affect presidential elections over the next 25 years. It utilizes a detailed, interactive model to project the electoral effects of demographic growth in every presidential election from 2016 to 2040; the model allows me to simulate how voting rates by demographic groups might be altered by changes in party strategies. The two alternative Republican strategies this model simulates are a "doubling down" on white voters and a "diversified coalition" approach, where Republicans would reach out to minorities to build a coalition better suited to America's growing diversity.

The model's results indicate that, …