Digital Commons Network^™

Project Moda, Emma Forster

Honors Theses

After graduating High School, I attended Kendall College of Art and Design, majoring in Industrial Design. A little background history ... sophomore year of High School, I missed two months of school due to serious medical issues (still live with these issues). During this time I found art as a comfort and something I could turn to when I felt nothing was there. Hence, this is why I attended Kendall College of Art and Design.

However, I really struggle my first year of college questioning if! was majoring in something I was truly happy with or was I majoring in …

Senior Voice Recital, Sarah Mikulski

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Core Aspects Of Curriculum Development: A Literature Review And Development Of Program Handbook For Health Informatics And Information Management, Nicole Yon

Honors Theses

TIle purpose of this review was to determine the basic principles of curriculum design and to understand how they are used to develop a competent curriculum handbook. The findings were used to develop a handbook for the Health Informatics and Information Management major at Western Michigan University. This literature review focuses on a variety of web pages, articles and books that analyzed the topics of curriculum design and curriculum handbook development. A review of the Bronson School of Nursing Handbook and the Temple University - Health Information Management Department B.S. in Health Information Management (HiM) Student Handbook was also conducted. …

Investigating Adolescent Bullying Programs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, Amanda Waligora

Honors Theses

Recently, substantial research has been conducted towards the widespread concern of adolescent bullying. Definitions and qualifications of bullying incidents have changed as studies and factors relating to bullying have evolved. Extensive amounts of resources can be found and made available for schools, parents, and adolescents in relation to bullying, but the question stands if these theories and resources are being used in the schools, and if so, how. This study focuses to examine current bullying program implementations within school districts of the Southwest Michigan area. Qualitative analyses on interpretive interviews were conducted to determine what school districts are actually doing …

A Qualtitative Comparison Examining How The Educational Needs Of Students With Disabilities Are Met In West Africa Vs. The United States, Katherine Sniegowski

Honors Theses

The focus of this qualitative study was to examine the differences in services for students with disabilities In United States vs Dakar, Senegal.The strengths, weaknesses, and presenting needs of each system were addressed . The research questions addressed were: How is a disability defined?, (2) What support services are available for children with disabilities?, (3) What is the level of family support for children with disabilities?, Ind (4) How are teachers prepared 10 work with children with disabilities? The qualitative methodology used to examine the research questions include: personal interviews with school personnel in a self-contained school for children with …

Neuroplasticity And Mindfulness Meditation, Richard Widdett

Honors Theses

My thesis topic of choice was how mindfulness meditation is linked to neuroplasticity in the brain. The brain is an incredibly complex and powerful organ. Each area of the brain serves a specific purpose and is interconnected. Neuroplasticity is the term used to describe the molding and shaping of the brain based on our experiences from the moment we are born. Mindfulness is defined as the “ability to pay total attention to the present moment with a nonjudgmental awareness of the inner and/or outer experiences.” Many studies have been conducted researching the brain and meditation. The findings from these studies …

The Business Of Human Trafficking, Elizabeth Kaczmarek

Honors Theses

Human trafficking has been a social justice issue that has been addressed in the past by many scholars in the social sciences fields and has recently started to be acknowledged by academics in business fields. Exploited labor assisted in building almost all civilizations and while is no longer as blatant as it once was, it is just as prevalent and the market is becoming more aware of the issue. As with profit performance and environmental sustainability, consumers are starting to demand that the third pillar of sustainability – people – be addressed by organizations. In this paper, the current status …

Free Trade As Neocolonialism: Cafta, The United States, And Guatemala, Margret Reuter

Honors Theses

In today’s world, free trade is seen as a forgone conclusion in the march towards economic development. The origin of free trade agreements rests in the neoliberalist surge of the twentieth century based upon finding a middle ground between central planning and laissez-faire capitalism. As the twentieth century progressed, neoliberalism and the ideas associated with it fell more to the side of laissez-faire capitalism. Free trade agreements between developed and developing countries demonstrate a play of power on behalf of the developed countries that seems unfair. There are stories that are not told about free trade agreements. Economic data analysis …

Synthetic Cannabinoids: Law Vs. Science, Melissa R. Sterling

Honors Theses

Synthetic cannabinoids are designer drugs which have been made to mimic the effects experiences by tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC). These substances are sprayed on herbal blends and ingested through smoking. There are many different structures of synthetic cannabinoids because the Controlled Substance Act has outlawed certain structures. A chemist can alter an already known structure by changing a minor detail creating a new legal drug. The problem with these drugs is that they cause many adverse effects and are bad for public health. In order to decrease the use of these synthetic substances the legalization of marijuana is being considered. The issue …

Turn And Face The Strange: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror In The Work Of David Bowie, Victoria L. Dershem

Honors Theses

David Bowie, one of the most recognizable names in the history of modern music, is primarily famous due to his constantly reinvented public image and often flamboyant alter-egos. However, throughout all his distinct stylistic eras, the presence of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror themes has remained a constant characteristic of his work. It is found on stage and in the studio as a singer and musician, as well as on-screen in his theatrical and television career. This thesis explores how his personal fascination with these genres has influenced his career, through the inclusion of specific references to works of fiction in …

Centering The Right: Mapping The Queer Discourse Of The Family Research Council And Focus On The Family, Stephen C. Brown

Honors Theses

Religious Right organizations like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council have been known for their vitriolic discourse when it comes to the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) community. The ways in which they have discussed queer rights have characterized the LGB community as especially sinful and a threat to American society. Specifically targeting Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, this paper looks at rhetorical strategies they have used when discussing gay rights. The paper identifies a significant shift in their discursive practices such that recently the LGB community is portrayed in a more sympathetic …

Synthesis And Purification Of A Nucleoside Platinum Complex That Promotes Dna Cross-Linking, Ryan Spear

Honors Theses

Cancer is a deadly and ever present disease in humans and its treatment has become a focus of many types of research. This project was designed to synthesize a platinum complex that will cross-link DNA and in turn cause cell death for rapidly dividing cells (usually cancer cells). The target compound strongly resembled the structure of a nucleic acid, thymidine. Further, nucleic acids are extremely important to cell life and cell membranes have transporters specific for them. Therefore, the purpose to exploring this new platinum complex was to create compound that a cell can easily transport inside its cell and …

Identifying The Dna Sequence Requirements For A Synergistic Interaction Between Two Cis-Regulatory Elements, Kaitlyn R. Francis

Honors Theses

My thesis research studies the genetic material that is the blue print to make animal life. In animals, a key type of genetic material is sequences collectively referred to as cis-regulatory elements (CREs). These sequences control the expression of genes; more specifically they instruct when to turn “ON” or “OFF” the production of a gene’s functional product. My research investigates the interaction between the two CREs, the Anterior Element and the Dimorphic Element of the fruit fly species Drosophila melanogaster. These two CREs act synergistically to produce a pattern of expression for the bab1 and bab2 genes that differs …

Exploring Data-Driven Electricity Feedback On Energy Conservation Behavior In The University Of Dayton Student Neighborhood, Daniel R. Esposito

Honors Theses

In general, homeowners do not have a concrete idea of how much energy their houses are using at any given moment. This energy “invisibility” is thought to be a barrier toward people adopting more sustainable behaviors. This study involves installing energy monitors in houses in the University of Dayton student neighborhood to analyze two important questions: whether the monitors teach students about the relationship between their activities and energy consumption, and whether the monitors influence students to adjust their household behaviors. Due to complications with and uncertainties in the data, quantitative conclusions could not be drawn. Fortunately, data collected from …

Photoreactions Of A Water Soluble Poly-Isoquinolpyrrole With Plasmid Dna, Gregory Versteeg

Honors Theses

With the goal of creating a porphyrin we reacted isoquinol pyrrole, p-fluorobenzaldehyde, and boron trifluoride etherate under appropriate conditions. Instead of a porphyrin being synthesized, we created polyisoquinol pyrrole in high yield and with great absorption properties around 600nm. We characterized this compound via UV/vis spectroscopy, proton NMR, and electrochemistry. The compound was then reacted with [Ru(bipy)2Cl2] to create a cationic compound and this molecule was tested as a possible photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT) but it was unable to photocleave plasmid DNA above 550nm. The original compound was then methylated and this new compound was also tested as a …

Novel Neuroprotective Function Of Apical-Basal Polarity Gene Crumbs In Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Mediated Neurodegeneration, Andrew Steffensmeier

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD, OMIM: 104300), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure to date, is caused by the generation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) aggregates that trigger neuronal cell death by unknown mechanism(s). We have developed a transgenic Drosophila eye model where misexpression of human Aβ42 results in AD like neuropathology in the neural retina. We have identified an apical-basal polarity gene crumbs (crb) as a genetic modifier of Aβ42-mediated-neuropathology. Misexpression of Aβ42 caused upregulation of Crb expression, whereas, downregulation of Crb either by RNAi or null allele approach rescued the Aβ42-mediated-neurodegeneration. Co-expression of full length Crb with Aβ42 increased severity …

An Undivided Heart: How Mary Unites What Sin Divides According To John Paul Ii’S Theology Of The Body, Ann M. Michalica

Honors Theses

Today, personhood is often threatened by the tendency to divide the human person into two contrasting parts: body and soul. Many times, this causes the human person to be reduced to a disembodied spiritual being or a disposable object rather than a whole person called to love and be loved. In his teachings known as Theology of the Body, John Paul II uses a personalistic approach to illuminate the human person as the integration of body and soul. Scripturally based, Theology of the Body is the study of God’s reflection in the human body and human sexuality. Using John Paul …

The Disney Evolution: Princesses As Positive Role Models, Alexandria Irene Lueke

Honors Theses

The Disney Corporation has strategically captivated the attention of audiences worldwide with their iconic animated motion pictures and, as a result, has an impact on children in most nations. Due to their iconic popularity, these works have been discussed and analyzed in great detail by many scholars. Many have criticized the films for their seemingly sexist and oppressive gender messages and find fault with the princesses serving as role models for young girls; they argue that oppressive characteristics and ideas are presented. However, when one closely examines the films and compares the characteristics of the princesses to the progressive female …

The Dayton Food System: Current Access To Food In Dayton And Future Possibilities, Katherine A. Liutkus

Honors Theses

Downtown Dayton and its surrounding areas are considered to be a food desert by the USDA, which means there is limited access to healthy foods within a .5 mile radius. The implications of this include driving further for groceries or turning to convenience stores for highly processed foods. This has created health concerns for the residents of Dayton, including obesity and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to understand the food system issues, their complexity and implications, and to understand what groups are currently doing to support the food system, and what is necessary to push the issues forward …

The Role Of The Arista On Lucilia Sericata In Sensing Wind And Airflow, Relative Humidity And Volatile Compounds, Alexandra Elaine Jacob

Honors Theses

Lucilia sericata is a species of blow fly that has important applications in the fields of forensic entomology and medicine. L. sericata is one of the first organisms that arrives at decaying carrion in response to decay odors released by the carrion. The attraction stimuli are presumably the decay volatiles, but wind flow, and humidity may also influence the blow fly resource-oriented behavior. This fly species has feather-like structures known as arista that project from the antenna. The function of these structures is not completely understood, however they may play a role in sensing airflow and wind, humidity, and volatile …

Designing And Evaluating Playground Equipment For Compliance With The Americans With Disabilities Act, Leigha R. Brisco

Honors Theses

The need for accessible playgrounds is more prevalent than ever before, with approximately 3 million children having disabilities and health issues that limit their ability to partake in play and school. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recently provided, for the first time, specific accessible design standards for playgrounds. All playgrounds must now comply with these rules that went into place on March 15, 2012. As it is vital that playgrounds undergo the necessary changes to come up to compliance, there is an opportunity to develop an accessible playground design which satisfies all ADA playground standards and requirements. The objective …

Developing Social Consciousness Through Multicultural Young Adult Literature, Megan R. Abbate

Honors Theses

In this study, the novels We Were Here and Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, works which feature male protagonists struggling tolocate their multicultural identities, will be analyzed. This research will legitimize the use of multicultural young adult literature, specifically these three texts, in the classroom, despite the presence of controversial themes. This research will demonstrate the value of these texts due to their potential to foster social consciousness and aid the establishment of identity within a global context. This thesis will demonstrate ways in which young …

Story Telling: A Comparative Analysis Of Three Works By Michael Colgrass, Joseph Schwantner And Ross Lee Finney, Erick C. Von Sas

Honors Theses

This research project examines music by twentieth-century American composers Michael Colgrass, Joseph Schwantner, and Ross Lee Finney in order to compare how different composers present an aural conception to their audience through the wind ensemble medium. An aural conception is the subject upon which the music is commenting; sight (subject) through sound. The study includes an analysis of soundscapes- collections of sounds that form an acoustic representation of an action or objectin works created by Colgrass, Schwantner, and Finney. The project involves analyses of form, orchestration, and of the text, or story, about which the composer is writing. The works …

Classifying The Functionality Of Primosome Protein A In Deinococcus Radiodurans, Jacob Boone

Honors Theses

Deinococcus radiodurans is an extremophile bacterium with the capacity to withstand tremendous DNA damage that causes disruption of replisome complex activity. The efficiency of origin-independent replisome reloading directly correlates to effectiveness of DNA damage coping strategies, and remains largely undefined in D. rad primosome components. Investigation of D. rad PriA as a helicase protein was conducted to determine if PriA could be classified as a fossilized helicase. This project tested the three functions of known helicases by comparing E. coli and D. rad PriA. DNA binding, DNA unwinding, and ATP hydrolysis assays were performed on both proteins separately and results …

Resettled: A Portrait Of Bhutanese Refugees In Dayton, Ohio, Molly R. Winslow

Honors Theses

75 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Dayton, Ohio. Through an intensive case study with one Bhutanese refugee family and interviews with local refugee service providers the topics of English language acquisition, issues surrounding the job search and religion as both a community builder and insulator are examined.

A Hero’S Journey: Aegean’S Destiny, Olivia J. Ullery

Honors Theses

A young woman named Aegean is summoned by the Oracle of her village to go on a journey to defeat an evil civilization at the center of the Three Villages. Though Aegean is independent, strong-willed, and assertive, she does not know her way. With the accompaniment of Maeve, a warrior woman, and Fumito, a cloistered sage, Aegean has a model of femininity and a model of masculinity to guide her in creating her own identity. They face perils on their quest, such as deadly creatures, private struggles – even death. Yet, while they travel they learn about the history of …

Red Light Green Light: A Novel Approach To Studying The Interaction Between Enhancers And Gene Promoters, Jordan E. Vellky

Honors Theses

The human genome consists of over 3 billion base pairs, but only about 2% of this extensive supply of genetic information is recognized as a functional protein coding sequence. The remaining 98% was once considered to be “junk DNA” that lacked functional elements. Recently, this assumption has been replaced by an understanding that the non-coding genome contains many functional elements involved in gene regulation. These elements include promoters, or the region where gene expression is initiated, and enhancers, which communicate to promoters information about the cells in a body and when a specific gene’s expression should be ON or OFF. …

Determining The Transcription Factor Genes Populating A Fruit Fly Pigmentation Gene Network And Their Regulatory Connections, Samantha Stringer

Honors Theses

Morphological traits for organisms result from the concerted action of numerous genes that are interconnected into a gene network at the level of transcriptional regulation. In each network, transcription factors control the spatial, temporal, and even sex-specific patterns of gene transcription. To better understand how a gene network operates during development, I investigated the network controlling a male-specific pattern of Drosophila melanogaster abdominal pigmentation. Using RNA interference, I reduced the expression of 558 transcription factor genes to identify those needed for normal pigmentation by the occurrence of aberrant pigmentation patterns. From this, I identified 28 genes, which include several that …

Tissi, Anna Demmitt

Honors Theses

Tissi is a series of short stories depicting the lives of children living in Sudan through the genocide. There are three stories of pain and suffering that depict the lives of Yaya, Abit, and Tahir. Each child is forced to deal with the ill effects of the genocide. The stories conclude with a story of hope of one child who was able to get help in a refugee camp located in Tissi.

Literacy Instruction In Early Childhood Education: Ohio’S Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Jamie L. Dell

Honors Theses

This qualitative study’s purpose was to research effective literacy instruction in three separate primary classrooms. Three teachers were observed and interviewed as to how they are delivering best instruction in their respective classrooms. These observations were then compared with Gail Tompkins’ (2011) effective literacy educator statements as well as other best practice techniques. Once all of the data was collected, the primary investigator traced similarities throughout the three teachers and made five new additions to the collection of effective literacy educator statements by Gail Tompkins. Implications of this study include the impending Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee which is an …