Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploratory Study Of Gait And Balance In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Krystal Mircovich

Honors Theses

Research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) display movement impairments that are distinct from typically developing peers. Results from numerous studies suggest various and inconsistent findings. Therefore, movement differences in children with ASD should continue to be assessed. The current study examined the characteristics of gait and balance in children with ASD, between the ages of 7 and 11, by comparing behavioral observation and parent report. As two of the most frequent behaviors of movement and two of the main movements implicated in neurological disorders, an evaluation of how these behaviors differ in children with ASD will offer …

A Conservative Isoleucine To Leucine Mutation Of Klentaq1 Dna Polymerase 1 Induces Conformational Change For Cold-Sensitive Phenotype, Emma Caroline Materne

Honors Theses

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) typically employs the Taq or Klentaq1 DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus to elongate short sequences of DNA during DNA amplification. Both Taq and Klentaq1 retain activity at room temperature. During assembly of PCR at room temperature, the activity of Taq and Klentaq1 can result in spurious products due to elongation of primers bound to non-target sequences. A mutation of isoleucine to leucine at position 707 of Klentaq1 results in slowing of the enzyme at room temperature without compromising the fidelity of the enzyme. To understand how a mutation over 20Å from the active site can affect …

The Effect Of Race In Primary And Secondary School Achievement : Evidence From Virginia, Khanh (Miki) Doan

Honors Theses

A large body of literature has studied the achievement gap between white and minority groups in the United States. This paper contributes to this discussion by conducting a cross-sectional study of Virginia using data for 2011-2012. I analyze the impact of race/ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic) on school district pass rates conditional on income per capita, population density, and a cohort effect in each school district. I find that the magnitude of the gap is largest in 3rd grade and smallest in 5th grade. There are little differences between Black-White gaps and Hispanic-White gaps. The gaps are neither widening nor narrowing …

The Dual Ownership Structure: A Model To Connect The Cooperative Model With Financial Markets, Davis Seung Rok Nam

Honors Theses

In business literature, the conflicts among workers, shareholders and the management have been studied mostly in the frame of stakeholder theory. The stakeholder theory recognizes this issue as an agency problem, and tries to solve the problem by establishing a contractual relationship between the agent and principals. However, as Marcoux pointed out, the appropriateness of the contract as a medium to reduce the agency problem should be questioned. As an alternative, the cooperative model minimizes the agency costs by integrating the concept of workers, owners and management. Mondragon Corporation is a successful example of the cooperative model which grew into …

The Use Of Human And Conspecific Gestures By Capuchin Monkeys To Solve An Object-Choice Task, Lindsay Paige Schwartz

Honors Theses

Most primates live in highly complex social systems, and therefore have evolved similarly complex methods of communicating with each other. One type of communication is the use of manual gestures, which are only found in primates. No substantial evidence exists indicating that monkeys use communicative gestures in the wild. However, monkeys may demonstrate the ability to learn and/or use gestures in certain experimental paradigms since they¿ve been shown to use other visual cues such as gaze. The purpose of this study was to investigate if ten brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were able to use gestural cues from monkeys and …

The Crystallization Kinetics Of Polylactic Acid (Pla) Processed Through Solid-State/Melt Extrusion, Brian Bernard Lynch

Honors Theses

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-derived, biodegradable polymer with a number of similar mechanical properties to commodity plastics like polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PETE). There has recently been a great interest in using PLA to replace these typical petroleum-derived polymers because of the developing trend to use more sustainable materials and technologies. However, PLA¿s inherent slow crystallization behavior is not compatible with prototypical polymer processing techniques such as molding and extrusion, and in turn inhibits its widespread use in industrial applications. In order to make PLA into a commercially-viable material, there is a need to process the material in …

Fastener-Based Computational Models Of Cold-Formed Steel Shear Walls, Thet Hein Tun

Honors Theses

Cold-formed steel (CFS) combined with wood sheathing, such as oriented strand board (OSB), forms shear walls that can provide lateral resistance to seismic forces. The ability to accurately predict building deformations in damaged states under seismic excitations is a must for modern performance-based seismic design. However, few static or dynamic tests have been conducted on the non-linear behavior of CFS shear walls. Thus, the purpose of this research work is to provide and demonstrate a fastener-based computational model of CFS wall models that incorporates essential nonlinearities that may eventually lead to improvement of the current seismic design requirements. The approach …

Geophysical Investigation Of Subsurface Three-Dimensional Architecture Of Icy Debris Fans With Ground Penetrating Radar In The Wrangell Mountains, Alaska, Tracey Dennis Smith

Honors Theses

Icy debris fans have are newly-described landforms (Kochel and Trop, 2008 and 2012) as landforms developed immediately after deglaciation on Earth and similar features have been observed on Mars. Subsurface characteristics of Icy debris fans have not been previously investigated. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used to non-invasively investigate the subsurface characteristics of icy debris fans near McCarthy, Alaska, USA. The three fans investigated in Alaska are the East, West, and Middle fans (Kochel and Trop, 2008 and 2012) which below the Nabesna ice cap and on top of the McCarthy Creek Glacier. Icy debris fans in general are a …

A Study On The Relationship Between Gre Scores Of Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students And First Time Pass Scores On The National Physical Therapy Examination Scores: A Retrospective Study, Givan Hinds

Honors Theses

Background. This study explored relationships between Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) scores. -- Methodology. This is a retrospective correlational design utilizing a purposive sample (n = 102) of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students from three consecutive cohorts. Correlations were examined between GRE Verbal (GREV), GRE Quantitative (GREQ), and GRE Total (GRET) socres with the NPTE first time pass rate utilizing a Spearman rho correlation coefficient. Discriminant analysis was used to calculate the cut-off score that would correlate with a minimum passing score of 600 on the NPTE. -- Results. The results showed a weak, …

Emerging Adults' Friendships And Group Identification : Differential Associations With Well-Being, Ethan Wolf

Honors Theses

Happiness is a universally desirable state that humans inherently strive to achieve. Researchers have come up with different ways of operationalizing this universal construct, but have generally agreed that happiness can be considered as the frequent presence of positive affect (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). There is a reason we love being happy, and the associations between happiness and success in numerous life domains have been long documented. However, research shows that happiness is more than just a byproduct of successful outcomes and in fact contributes to life success. Positive affect and emotions leads to feelings of confidence, self-efficacy, optimism, …

The Cost-Of-Carry Model And Volatility : An Analysis Of Gold Futures Contracts Pricing, Edward M. Riley Iii

Honors Theses

The theoretical price of gold futures relies on the term structure of interest rates, the days to settlement, and the spot price of gold. However, when comparing the theoretical gold futures price and the observed price in the market, there is often a difference. The difference implies that the theoretical pricing model is incomplete. Though limited in explaining much of what causes a difference between the actual and theoretical futures prices, factors such as rise in the credit spread of interest rates and changes in the price of commodities are statistically significant and positively correlated determinants of the difference between …

Macroeconomic Surprise, Forecast Uncertainty, And Stock Prices, Alphonce M. Mshomba

Honors Theses

This paper evaluates the effect of surprises in economic data on stock prices. “Surprises in economic data” refer to the difference between the forecast and initial release actual values relative to the sample forecast error. The analysis addresses three questions. Do surprises in economic data affect stock prices? If there is an effect, is the magnitude of that effect symmetrical for positive and negative surprises? If surprises affect stock prices, how does market forecast uncertainty affect the magnitude of the effect on stock prices?

Application Of Carhart Four-Factor Model To The Aaii-Generated Portfolios, Teo Lagvilava

Honors Theses

American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) provides stock screens that follow the investment strategies of some of the most well-known investors. This paper uses Carhart’s Four Factor Model and adjusts returns for transactions costs to see whether these portfolios generate abnormal returns. I find that number of portfolios with excess returns significantly decreases under the restrictions of the four factor model and transaction costs assumptions. In addition, I find that a momentum is a statistically significant factor in explaining the returns of these portfolios. The results of this study suggest that markets are inefficient in the weakest form.

One-Pot Heteroconjugate Addition-Diels-Alder Reactions And Acetate-Catalyzed Aldol Reactions Of Α-Silyl Nitriles, Carly Mueller

Honors Theses

1. A one-pot three-step Diels–Alder reaction sequence of ethyl propiolate and thiols can be performed to produce high yields of complex bicyclic products. A KOt-Bu-catalyzed thioconjugate addition of thiols to enoates, oxidation of the generated thioenoate by mCPBA, and Li-catalyzed Diels–Alder addition of cyclopentadiene occur in situ, without any purification of intermediates.
2. Stereoselectivity of the Diels–Alder product was examined by utilizing a chiral sulfone substrate. It was determined that these substrates were unable to provide significant stereochemical control.
3. Silylation of 3-phenylpropionitrile is achieved at the α-position with trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate and trialkylamine base. Catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium acetate (2.5 mol%), …

Queering La Politique Lgbtq En France : Entre L'Universalisme Et La Particularité, L' HéTéRosexualité Et Les IdentitéS Non-Normatives, Le Mariage Et La LibéRation Totale De La Communauté Queer, Erik Lampmann

Honors Theses

Après avoir institutionnalisée une diversité des sexualités et genres à travers le système du pacte civile de solidarité (PaCS) et – plus récemment – avec l’adoption du projet de loi pour le mariage des personnes du même sexe, la Ve République a rompu avec beaucoup d’autres pays en offrant à ses citoyens l’accès aux différentes types d’unions consacrés par l’état. En évoquant la libération des communautés des personnes lesbiennes, gays, bisexuelles, trans*, et queer (LGBTQ), la France s’est dit prête à élargir sa conception de citoyenneté ; elle a décidé de valorisé une nouvelle Marianne – celle d’une auto-identification qui …

The Forces Of Value: Structure And Content Of Self-Reported Values By Civilian And Military Science Students, Shelly Holland

Honors Theses

Upon graduation, students in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs are commissioned to lead the individuals tasked with protecting the American people and their ideology. This project examines the values of leaders and followers in military and nonmilitary contexts to determine if students in military education programs endorse values that are different from the values of students in non-military programs. First, this paper discusses the concept of values, and how values are defined and differentiated from other concepts. By providing an overview of past literature on values within the military and in general, the importance leaders place on values …

What Was He Thinking? Dr. William Cooper's Decision To Increase The University Of Richmond's Tuition By 31 Percent In 2005, Rooney V. Columbus

Honors Theses

“Skyrocketing,” a word frequently and hyperbolically used by columnists in the present age, is the verb du jour when describing the increasing price of college tuition in America over the past thirty years. The media does not seem to be exaggerating in this case, though. The cost of attending a collegiate institution, in the year 2013, has increased by 631 percent since the year 1978, two and a half times the national rate of inflation.1 In essence, the increase of price of a degree is well over twice the increase in the price of groceries during the same timeframe. Thus, …

Intuition And Its Proper Uses, Chris Boss

Honors Theses

What is intuition? Is it nothing but a nagging conviction in certain beliefs? Is it the same thing as common sense? When, if ever, is intuition a legitimate epistemological tool? Is the use of intuition in philosophical inquiry not just legitimate, but also inevitable? The aim of the present research project is to answer these and related questions. This research project will prove important due to the regularity with which intuitions are evoked in philosophical discourse, and the judgment errors that can result from a misunderstanding of the proper scope of these intuitions.

In section (1), I define and explain …

A Bad Following: The Big Five Factors Of Personality And Follower Reactions To Unethical Leader Behavior, Rose Wynn

Honors Theses

Leadership research currently lacks significant attention to followership as an essential component of leadership. Existing literature addresses leader traits and behaviors more than those of followers, but also falls short by offering greater focus on ethical rather than unethical leadership. The current study attempts to fill this gap by examining not only followers as an overlooked yet essential influence, but also unethical leadership, particularly as it relates to follower perceptions of such behavior. The investigation uses follower personality (defined by the Big Five Factor Personality Dimensions) as a potential predictor for follower support or rejection of unethical leadership. Findings of …

Prendre Ses ResponsabilitéS : L'ÉVolution D'Une Phrase L'ÉVolution Du Discours De La Politique ÉTrangèRe FrançAise 2003-2013, Emily Shuman

Honors Theses

« La France, bien entendu, joue un rôle considérable dans cette vaste évolution, en raison, tout d'abord des positions que sa politique, son économie, sa culture, sa force, lui avaient fait acquérir dans les 5 parties du monde. Et puis surtout, à cause de son génie, du caractère de son génie, qui fait d'elle, de tout temps, un champion et un ferment de la libération humaine »

- Général Charles de Gaulle, Conférence de Presse le 31 janvier 1964

En prononçant ces mots, le Général Charles de Gaulle a énoncé les principes et les valeurs qui unissaient son pays. La …

The Effects Of Coal Mining On Health In Appalachia : Global Context And Social Justice Implications, Adrienne Schmidt

Honors Theses

The purpose of this report is to investigate the environmental and health effects of coal mining in the Appalachian region of the United States in the context of global natural resource extraction, explore existing regulation for the reduction of negative environmental health effects of mining in Appalachia, and explore the social justice implications of current mining practices. The research for this report was limited to literature published in English. It was found that there are widespread negative health effects of mining in Appalachia due to environmental toxins, a toxic social environment of limited economic opportunity, and occupational health hazards. The …

Links Between Friendship, Psychological Symptoms, And Academic Adjustment In An Emerging Adulthood Sample, Lisa Sample

Honors Theses

It is well established that peer relationships, including friendships, have an important influence on children’s adjustment in school (Buhs & Ladd, 2001; Guay, Boivin, & Hodges, 1999). Friendship might contribute to success in school because this relationship often serves as a source of social and emotional support for the child. When a child feels comfortable in his or her environment, he or she is more readily able to participate in his or her learning (Buhs & Ladd, 2001).

Shift : For Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello, Piano, And Percussion, Robby Schranze

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Leadership With Liberal Arts : From Ehebia To Jepson, Shaye Ellis

Honors Theses

“Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena.” Despite his extensive research and knowledge in the field, James MacGregor Burns still professes the complexity of the concept of leadership. The abstract nature of the topic does not lend itself to a brief synopsis or a limited understanding of a specific aspect of leadership. In many ways it eludes being confined to a particular category and exists across and between different academic disciplines. In the absence of a prescribed curriculum or method of study, institutions of higher education establish programs and departments that disseminate a distinct model or …

Do The Inter-Nucleotide Domain Loops Act As An Entropic Sink In The Catalytic Activity Of 3-Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase (3pgdh)?, Cristina Adelia Meeham

Honors Theses

In protein science the relationship between protein dynamics and catalytic activity are the subject of considerable contemporary interest. Although protein motions are frequently observed during ligand binding and release steps, the contribution of protein motions to the catalysis of bond making/breaking processes is more difficult to probe and verify. Currently, the field of protein science is trying to uncover the deeper role that dynamics plays in the catalytic activity and allosteric regulation of proteins and to better understand how to more effectively and efficiently target proteins in cancer therapeutics and other metabolic pathways.

Life After Nursing School: A Qualitative Study Examining The Traditional B.S.N. Student's Experience Of Choosing An Initial Area Of Practice, Charlsie Nicole Murphy

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the traditional BSN student's experience in choosing an initial area of practice and influences on this choice. Understanding of this experience is important for educators and healthcare agencies so they may utilize this information to improve the initial area of practice experience. This qualitative phenomenological study was based on van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Data were collected through participant interviews that were analyzed for themes related to participant experiences of choosing an initial area of practice. The data were simultaneously transcribed and analyzed to extract themes for each participant. Analysis identified three …

Anchoring The Potential Energy Surfaces Of Homogenous And Heterogenous Dimers Of Formaldehyde And Thiofomaldehyde, Christina M. Holy

Honors Theses

This work characterizes five stationary points of the formaldehyde dimer, (CH2O)2, two of which are minima, seven newly-identified stationary points of the formaldehyde/thioformaldehyde (mixed) dimer, CH2O/CH2S, four of which are minima, and five newly-identified stationary points of the thioformaldehyde dimer, (CH2S)2 , three of which are minima. Full geometry optimizations and corresponding harmonic vibrational frequencies were performed on CH2O and CH2S as well as each of the dimer configurations (Figures 3-5). The computations were carried out with second order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), with the heavy-auc-cc-pVTZ (haTZ) basis set. Additionally, thirteen density functional theory methods were employed: B3LYP, B3LYP-D3, B3LYP-D3(BJ), …

Defining College Experiences And Changing Drinking Trends Over The Course Of One Freshman Semester, Cipriano Louis Apicelli

Honors Theses

The first semester of college is a formative stage in the lives of young adults. It is a period of transformation and adaptation, and certain experiences may set the tone for the rest of the student's college career. It has long been apparent that a number of problems at the level of secondary education can be traced to the use and, particularly, the abuse of alcohol. Problems with alcohol consumption as one of the contributing factors range from poor grades, emergency room visits, to events such as unwanted sexual advances and in extreme cases, even assaults. In this study, I …

Corporate Strategy And Its Use In Solving Issues In The Accounting Field Of The Financial Services Industry, Clark Lisa

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of A Visualizer For Web Request Data Generated By An Internet Information Services Server, Daniel J. Garrett

Honors Theses

I was tasked by Graham Green at FNC, Inc. to design a web tool that is capable of visualizing log data that is produced by FNC's many servers. These logs contain data that will warn Graham about web pages that are failing, servers that are experiencing heavy loads, and sundry other pieces of information, but the data is pure text, and each server has thousands of logs. A visual tool is needed to display necessary information about the data. Rather than make a graph for each individual purpose that might be needed, I built visualization tools that are customizable for …