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Job Design: A Human Approach Through Catholic Social Teaching And Job Design Theories, Thomas Decastra

Honors Theses

“Job Design: A Human Approach through Catholic Social Teaching and Job Design Theories” is a thesis that looks at the stories of job design theories and catholic social teaching in the last 150 years. Both stories are told and analyzed independently. The story of job design theories begins with Fredrick Taylor, moves to applied psychology, and finishes with contemporary practices that include lean production. The story of Catholic Social Teaching starts with Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, includes one document from Second Vatican Council, and three other papal encyclicals ending with Pope Benedict XVI’s Caritas in Veritate. Then …

Discrimination Against Disabled Persons In Malawi And The United States: A Comparative Study, Stephen Crum

Honors Theses

Physically disabled individuals experience hardships that are more severe than the general public in both Malawi, African and in the United States. Disabled Malawians and Americans experience lower employment rates and lower annual incomes than the general public. Additionally, there is a lower educational attendance rate among disabled individuals in each country. This study sought to determine what factors contributed to these educational and employment deficiencies in both countries. Possible factors for the deficit may include discrimination, poor infrastructure, or the severity of the physical disability. A survey was administered to students (N = 52) at the University of Dayton …

Examining Acculturative Stressors Of The International Student: Following Study Abroad Students In South Korea And Morocco, Chin Yi Chen

Honors Theses

International students, particularly students studying abroad for a limited period of time, face certain challenges in entering and adjusting to a new cultural environment. This research focuses on different acculturative stressors including language, differences in nonverbal communication, discrimination, and academic pressure. By comparing and contrasting the perspectives of various students with the researcher’s experience, this qualitative study provides insight into the lived experience of international students and the research through on-site fieldwork conducted over a year on university campuses in South Korea and Morocco. It discusses the results of the undertaken research and offers suggestions for resolving or minimizing these …

The Effects Of Moral Licensing On High-Cost And Low-Cost Helping Behaviors, Kaitlin E. Boyd

Honors Theses

Previous research on moral licensing demonstrates that individuals who behave morally are less willing to help in the future; but is this still the case when the cost of helping is low? The present thesis examined the effects of moral licensing on prosocial behavior that is high in cost-to-self and low in cost-to-self. Contrary to past literature, participants in the control condition did not rate themselves as more willing to help than participants who felt morally licensed. This presents a need for more thorough research on the mechanisms of moral licensing. Participants did, however, rate themselves as more willing to …

Preparing Pre-Service Teachers To Work With English Language Learners, Alexandra Hill

Honors Theses

English Language Learners (ELLs) can be misidentified as students with special needs. Teachers often watch these students struggle in school and assume they have a cognitive delay, when in reality, they may just be struggling with their language delay. To be identified as needing special education services, these students undergo assessments to test their abilities. These assessments were created for students who speak English. Studies have shown that “Familiarity with Standard English accounts for more than 50% of the total test variance on IQ and achievement test measures for fourth graders and 60% to 90% of the variance for seventh …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Three Unique Mono-Metallic Lanthanide Complexes, Jasminder S. Grewal

Honors Theses

Three unique lanthanide complexes of formula Ln(tdh)3dpp (where Ln = Eu3+, Tb3+or Nd3+; tdh = 1,1,1- trifluoro-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexanedione and dpp = 2,3-Bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine) were structurally characterized. X-ray quality crystals were grown through slow evaporation in a solution of concentrated ethyl acetate and hexanes. Each of the metals are eight coordinate, with 6 oxygen atoms from the tdh ligand and two nitrogen atoms from the dpp. Specifically, the nitrogen from 1-pyridyl group and the 1-pyrazine group coordinate to the lanthanide metal. Luminescent studies were performed on all three compounds. The Eu and Tb complexes were able to emit light in the visible region …

Transit As An Alternative Mode Of Transportation: A Case Study Of Its Usage, Availability, Patterns And Value For Non-Commuter Trips, Sara Hardman

Honors Theses

The mode of transportation a user picks impacts the environment, the social environment, and the user himself/herself. While research on alternative modes of transportation is prevalent in both the engineering and sociology fields, little attention has been given to the choices people make concerning how they run errands and other social trips, focusing instead on commuter trips. This case study examines three different shopping malls and the surrounding bus stops in order to determine the role distance plays in bus usage and the value that shopping centers place on access to local bus routes. Determination of the value and potential …

Sex-Dependent Electrophysiological Responses Of Lucilia Sericata To Concentration Gradient Of Indole, Erin T. Filbrandt

Honors Theses

I investigated the responses to specific concentrations of indole in the adult stage of Lucilia sericata, the common green bottle fly. Indole is a commonly used attractant at concentrations between 0 and .04% that has a floral scent at low concentrations and a fecal odor at high concentrations (Cragg, 1950). There were three treatment cages: one all male, one all female, and one mixed male and female. The purpose of these conditions was to observe the difference between sensory responses of males, non-mated females, and mated females. All cages were placed in an incubator to maintain uniform temperatures and …

Impact Of Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii) Leachate On Culex Pipiens Life History Attributes, Lauren Shewhart

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to look at the impact of a highly invasive plant, Lonicera maackii, on the primary vector of West Nile Virus in the Eastern United States, Culex pipiens. Three different assays using two different microcosms experiments were conducted to determine the rate of survivorship, pupation, emergence, and larval growth of mosquito larvae in native (Platanus occidentalis and Acer saccharum) and invasive (L. maackii leaf and flower) leachates. It was found that L. maackii has the potential to increase mosquito populations due to the fast decaying nature of its leaves and …

Design And Characterization Of Photoresponsive Supramolecular Aggregates, Julie A. Fitz

Honors Theses

Supramolecular chemistry concerns the manner in which molecular building blocks associate via non-covalent interactions and form aggregates. The particular building block in this research is a photoresponsive molecule 4,4’-azobenzene dicarboxylic acid (ADA), a molecule that isomerizes reversibly around an N-N double bond upon irradiation with different wavelengths of light. The large structural changes in the molecule that result from isomerization have the potential to modulate the properties of a supramolecular aggregate. ADA was studied under a variety of environmental conditions for the purpose of understanding aggregation behavior and geometries. A UV-Vis and Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopic study of ADA showed …

Upper Grade Level Literacy: Instructional Strategies For Struggling Readers, Claire M. Shaw

Honors Theses

Education research has shown that a quarter of eighth-grade students perform below basic reading proficiency. Despite this, reading instruction often ceases after eighth grade while text structure and content area language become more difficult. This research project focuses on studying strategies used for struggling readers in seventh through twelfth grade and includes a case study of a struggling reader in order to identify some of the characteristics and needs of struggling readers. This research synthesizes ideas from previous studies, analyzes teacher interviews for literacy instruction strategies and, in the case study, uses observation, primary source study, and reading assessments.

Examination Of Host Range Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Phages Ut1, Sn-T, And Pev2 For Treatment Of Bacterial Biofilms In Fuels, Kathleen M. Sellick

Honors Theses

Biofilms are slimy substances made up of bacteria that attach to surfaces. Biofilms can be found in humans (lung of Cystic Fibrosis patients), natural settings (rocks in streams) and man-made environments (medical devices, pipelines). Biofilms are also found in aviation fuel tanks, causing physical issues such as clogging in fuel lines and changing the chemical makeup of the fuel via bacterial metabolism. Bacterial viruses, known as bacteriophage, show potential for reducing biofilms through phage therapy. The goal is to find a phage or combination of phage with a broad host range that would be most effective in reducing the biofilms …

Investigating Bacterial Replication Restart: Can D.Rad Pria Load D.Rad Dnab Onto Dna Forks With A Leading Strand Gap?, Michael Ryan

Honors Theses

The bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans (D. rad) is able to survive multiple double stranded breaks to its DNA with no detriment to its health as its genome can be fully repaired in a matter of hours. During bacterial DNA replication, points of DNA damage can cause replication to cease, requiring an origin independent replisome loading pathway to resume the replication. This pathway is called replication restart , a highly conserved pathway in bacteria. In the E. coli replication restart pathway primosome proteins function by binding to the DNA fork and facilitating the loading of the DnaB helicase onto the replication fork. …

Epinephrine Regulates Aquaglyceroporin Hc-3 Expression And Subcellular Localization In Cultured Erythrocytes From The Freeze-Tolerant Treefrog, Hyla Chrysoscelis, Connor J. Ratycz

Honors Theses

Cope’s gray treefrog Hyla chrysoscelis, accumulates and distributes glycerol as a cryoprotectant in anticipation of freezing. Transmembrane glycerol and water flux in H. chysoscelis erythrocytes likely occurs through HC-3, an ortholog of mammalian aquaporin 3. HC-3 protein is in higher abundance and is preferentially localized to the plasma membrane in RBCs from cold-acclimated treefrogs as compared to warmacclimated animals. It is hypothesized that neuroendocrine agonists via receptor mediated second messenger pathways integrate signals derived from fasting, dehydration, diurnal, and/or temperature changes during cold-acclimation to regulate HC-3 expression as part of the mechanism of freeze tolerance. In this study, cultured …

The Acute Effects Of Aerobic And Resistance Exercise On Cardiovascular Function And Arterial Stiffness, Hayleigh Elizabeth Raiff

Honors Theses

The cardiovascular system changes acutely to the stresses of exercise to support the increased metabolic demand of the working tissues. This is accomplished through the augmentation of several parameters including heart rate, blood pressure, and vascular tone such as arterial stiffness. Exercise training has been shown to elicit changes in arterial stiffness but the acute effects of exercise on arterial stiffness have not been thoroughly studied. The current study examined the acute effects of no (control), aerobic (30 minutes of cycling at ~70% maximum heart rate), and resistance exercise (30 minutes, 3 sets of 10 repetitions for 6 exercises) on …

Population Variation In Fossil Graptolites: A Quantitative Study Based On Single Species Assemblages, Elliott Matthias Mazur

Honors Theses

There are several different types of variation in populations of fossil organisms. These include intra-specific (population) variation, evolutionary variation (specimens on a slab accumulating over thousands of years), and preservational variation. An understanding of the extent and type of variation present in a population is fundamental to biological and paleontological studies. This study examines several populations of fossil graptolites from which population variation can be studied without the influence of the other types, and includes several types of morphometric analyses to examine population variation in several species of fossil graptolites. These analyses include isolating three dimensionally preserved specimens from limestone, …

As Stable As The Dollar Stretches: The Impact Of Us Foreign Aid On Social Stability In Jordan, Jasmine Renee Jordan

Honors Theses

After the fall out of the Arab Spring in 2010, most of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region suffered from extreme political, social, and economical instability. Usually, the citizens of these counties were revolting against the authoritarian regimes that have held power for decades. Jordan stands as the only obvious exception. How has Jordan maintained relative economic stability where others have failed? I have found that it is hard to judge the economic or social stability of Jordan without recognizing the large amounts of foreign aid Jordan has received from the US. This thesis asks what …

The Themes Of Catholic Social Teaching Integrated Into The Work Of Ud’S Center For Catholic Education Urban Child Development Resource Center, Julie Iuliano

Honors Theses

Schools today are challenged to meet the mental health concerns of students due to an emphasis on academic testing and a lack of communication within schools to identify and treat the needs of the students. The needs of the student travel beyond the classroom into the non-academic barriers to learning. The University of Dayton’s Urban Child Development Resource Center (UCDRC), works in five local schools in the Dayton area and strives to help students cope with these non-academic barriers to learning. This study focuses on three of the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching as stated by the United States …

Power In Numbers? The Impact Of Female Formed Police Units On Women’S Empowerment, Laura Huber

Honors Theses

Advocates hailed the deployment of female formed police units (FFPUs), or all-female units, as part of UN peacekeeping missions as a groundbreaking achievement for women's empowerment. Three FFPUs have been deployed to Liberia, Timor-Leste, and Haiti. Supporters of FFPUs claim that female police are better peacekeepers, less prone to violence, and more responsive to sexual and gender based-violence. Furthermore, FFPUs are expected to act as role models, challenge gender stereotypes, and encourage local women to participate in the security sector. However, little systematic research has been conducted to evaluate these proposed beneficial impacts of FFPUs. Using feminist discourse analysis and …

Auditory Information In The Form Of A Scratching Sound Enhances The Effects Of The Rubber Hand Illusion, Bridget O'Mera

Honors Theses

The body schema describes an internal representation of the body in space, and is generated from a number of different sense modalities such as vision and proprioception. Botvinick and Cohen's rubber hand illusion (1998) demonstrates the relative contributions of vision, tactile perception and proprioception to body awareness. In this illusion, a participant's real hand is concealed from view and a prosthetic rubber hand is seen in its place. An experimenter simultaneously administers tactile stimulation to both the seen rubber hand and participant's actual hidden hand. The combination of this visual and tactile information overrides proprioceptive cues to body perception, creating …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Tetra-Ruthenated Naphthylbiliverdin, Ashley M. Berding

Honors Theses

A new naphtylbiliverdin compound has been synthesized which offers intense absorption with the photodynamic therapy window (600 nm – 850 nm). The compound has been characterized by proton NMR, high resolution electrospray mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and UV/vis spectroscopy. Coordination of four ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes was accomplished by standard procedures. The new tetra-ruthenated naphthylbiliverdin was characterized by elemental analysis. Cyclic voltammetry measurements reveal that all four ruthenium moieties are coordinated to the pyridyl groups of the biliverdin compound. The intense metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) bands of the peripheral ruthenium groups overshadow the absorption due to the biliverdin compound; …

!Que Aproveche! An American Student's Encounter With The Culture And Language Of Spanish Food, Amanda Mills

Honors Theses

As a language teacher, culture is one of the most challenging things to convey to students. It is relatively straightforward to introduce grammar and vocabulary, but culture is an entirely different topic, one that adds a level of complexity that is difficult to describe and harder to convey. I wish I could give students a living, breathing experience of what it is like to visit or live in a Spanish-speaking country, but school budgets and instructional hours typically do not allow for that. To apply my knowledge of Spanish and make it accessible and meaningful to students, I designed a …

Functional Variants Of Metal-Binding Domains 5 And 6 Of The Human Wilson Protein, Sandra Weitzner

Honors Theses

Wilson's disease is caused by mutations in atp7b, a gene that encodes a copper-transporting P_1B-type ATPase, otherwise known as the Wilson protein. Over 300 different mutations cause Wilson's disease, and we focused on missense mutations occurring in the 650 amino acid N-terminus of the Wilson protein. This portion of the protein includes six metal-binding domains that function to azquire Cu(I) from the cytosol, prior to passing it through the ATP-driven membrane-spanning pump. Of particular interest are metal-binding domains 5 and 6 (WLN5-6) since we know that they are absolutely required for function of the enzyme. Several missense mutations …

Tenor Trombone Recital, Rebecca Haines

Honors Theses

This Lee Honors College Thesis consisted of approximately 180 hours of preparation of performance materials, research of compositions to be performed, and composition of program notes. The recital was held on Sunday March 16, 2014 at 5:00 pm in the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University. Works performed included solos for trombone accompanied by student pianist J.J. Treadway and a trio featuring student trumpeter Bonni Lee Beebe. Repertoire included works for trombone by von Weber, Hindemith, Blacher, Jørgensen, and Šulek. Works performed were composed during the Romantic and Modern eras. Approximately 50 audience members were present, including members …

Influence Of Soil-Residual Fomesafen And Dicamba Tank-Mixtures On The Frequency Of Ppo-Resistant Waterhemp, Theresa A. Reinhardt

Honors Theses

The present experiment quantified the selection for PPO-resistant waterhemp following a soil-residual application of fomesafen applied alone (1.32, 13.2, and 132g ai ha^-1) and in combination with dicamba (0.77, 7.7, 77 g ai ha^-1), respectively. The logistic rate structure aimed to simulate the degradation of herbicide in the soil, with the highest rate being one third of a full use rate. Tissue samples were taken from the first 20 emerging waterhemp plants in each treatment, including the non-treated control, and genotyped using an allele specific TaqMan assay to detect the codon deletion responsible for PPO resistance …

Tips As An Asset Class: Implications For Asset Allocation, Alexander Hardt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Protestantism, Liberalism, And Racial Equality, Abraham Uppal

Honors Theses

In this paper, I will examine liberalism in Protestantism. Liberals who are Protestant, Mainline Protestants, are an interesting group who are different from the conservative, Evangelical Christian crowd. I will pay special attention to racial issues like affirmative action and racism. Liberalism in Protestantism is often called the social gospel, a theology in which Protestants believe Christian teachings mandate an active role in society in which values such as freedom, equality, and love are pursued. The social gospel contrasts with the theology called individual salvation, often identified with conservative or Evangelical Christianity, in which one’s personal relationship with God is …

A Series Of Paintings Inspired By Italian Statuary, Crystal Shaulis

Honors Theses

Artist’s Statement

Vibrant art has always evoked a sense of awe within me. Thinking back to August of 2010, I was still in recovery from a stroke when I first visited the Richmond Center for the Visual Arts; Yinka Shonibare’s works were on display. I knew not of who he was, but I was struck by the brilliant colors that comprised Shonibare’s Victorian-inspired costumes, made from Dutch wax-printed cotton. They drew me in like a moth to flame. I toddled and wobbled around each figure, looking up — some were on stilts— I couldn’t pull my eyes away, and the …

Language Trends Of Spanish/English Dual Language Learners, Cailin Amundsen

Honors Theses

This honors thesis project explores past and current research on the language and literacy development and assessment of Spanish-English bilinguals. The researched differences between Spanish and English language acquisition, cross-language development patterns and phenomena found in bilingual children, and holistic approaches to accurate and authentic assessment of language acquisition of bilinguals have lent support to future research questions and methodologies. The following literature review provides clear connections from current bilingual language acquisition and literacy development studies to the future research questions and ideas they rouse. Said questions and ideas have been organized into a research proposal addressing the language trends …

Brown Capuchins (Cebus Apella) Exhibit Self-Control On A Delay Of Gratification Food Exchange Task When Food Options Differ Qualitatively, Kimberly Ann Fisher

Honors Theses

Self-control allows an individual to obtain a more preferred outcome by forgoing an immediate interest. Self-control is an advanced cognitive process because it involves the ability to weigh the costs and benefits of impulsive versus restrained behavior, determine the consequences of such behavior, and make decisions based on the most advantageous course of action. Self-control has been thoroughly explored in Old World primates, but less so in New World monkeys. There are many ways to test self-control abilities in non-human primates, including exchange tasks in which an animal must forgo an immediate, less preferred reward to receive a delayed, more …