Digital Commons Network^™

Ecotourism Enterprises: The Case For Indigenous Community-Owned Tourism In Ecuador, Simone A. Berkovitz

CMC Senior Theses

With the rapid growth of the global ecotourism industry, the sector has had difficulty attaining its intended goals of environmental responsibility and local development. In recent years, there has been a recognized need for greater incorporation of local communities into tourism operations. This thesis explores the challenges facing ecotourism, while arguing for the potential found in ecotourism enterprises owned and operated by indigenous communities in Ecuador. An analysis of two distinct Ecuadorian cases demonstrates the potential for multi-faceted environmental and social impact in diverse contexts. Finally, by understanding the processes that build impact embedded in the business models, this study …

Corporate Social Responsibility And Financial Performance In The Consumer And Nonconsumer Sectors, Lauren Allen

CMC Senior Theses

With corporate social responsibility (CSR) becoming more important to stakeholders and thus firms, understanding the relationship between CSR and corporate financial performance (CFP) is becoming more and more important. Although there is much research examining the general CSR-CFP relationship, there is very little, if any, research that investigates the CSR-CFP association across industries. With a sample of 429 firms from the S&P 500, my study looks to see if this association differs between the consumer and nonconsumer sectors. Time-series regression analyses reveal that while the CSR-sales relationship is negative for both consumer and nonconsumer companies, the CSR-gross profit association is …

The Circuit: An Original Television Series, Grace T. Ding

CMC Senior Theses

Between good and evil there's a whole lot of gray: Welcome to The Circuit.

A shady private security firm recruits criminals straight out of prison and sells its services to the highest bidder, saint and sinner alike (mostly sinners). Through the trials and tribulations of a diverse ensemble cast, the show explores some of my absolute favorite themes in storytelling: gray morality, found families, and unlikely heroes. Follow our gritty and guarded lead Shaye as she struggles to tame a group of talented and contentious ex-cons under the shadow of her ambitious and manipulative father, all the while struggling to …

Mergers & Abenomics: The Determinants Of M&A In Japan's New Economy, Ethan S. Hallberg

CMC Senior Theses

This paper investigates the influence of various macroeconomic variables on Japan’s merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, both in terms of total deal value and total number of deals. Looking at monthly data from June 1997 to December 2013, I use econometric time-series analysis to find that: First, total deal value per month is not well explained by our macroeconomic variables, but about half of the variation in number of deals per month can be explained by our dataset. Second, the most important determinant in the total number of deals per month during our period is the level of national debt, …

Changing The Climate Narrative: How A Long-Term Climate Change Might Save Our Lives, Natalie P. Harreld

CMC Senior Theses

The goal of this paper is to offer new insights into the climate change debate by shifting away from the heated anthropologic arguments that dominate politics, media, and popular science. Instead, I choose to rely on the long-term impacts of a changing climate on our planet. The paper begins with a break down of key processes involved in short-term and long-term climate change, using the latest research. After a foundational understanding of climate sciences is established, we will discuss the failure of the climate change debate in educating the general public about the facts of a changing climate. Finally, the …

Crime And Punishment Through The Lens Of Professional Sports: An Empirical Study Of Racial Stereotyping, Jonathan Hendel

CMC Senior Theses

This study expands upon the study of racial stereotyping through looking at the realm of professional sports. An athlete’s race, the sport an athlete plays, and the crime the athlete commits were all investigated to determine whether racial stereotyping plays a role in verdict and sentencing decisions. Participants were exposed to one of eight vignettes in a 2 (Race: White or Black) X 2 (Sport played: professional football or professional soccer) X 2 (Crime: sexual assault or performance enhancing drug use) design. The dependent variables measured are classified as “seriousness, guilt, and responsibility” and “sentencing.” Results from this study show …

Idealized, Inspirational, And Intellectual Leaders In The Social Sector: Transformational Leadership And The Kravis Prize, Tawney A. Hughes

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the importance of transformational leadership in the social sector. Transformational leadership is a theory of behaviors and attributes focused on the relationship between leaders and followers of a group or organization (Avolio, 1999; Bass & Avolio, 1990a). It involves four factors: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.

In order to gain more insight into leadership in some of the most high-impact and innovative social sector organizations, the research consists of interviews and case studies on five of the ten recipients of the Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership. Having …

The Impact Of Fitness Technology On Health Outcomes, Megan C. Kelley

CMC Senior Theses

Using 2014 data compiled from a sample of Claremont McKenna undergraduate students, I examine the effect that fitness technology (i.e., mobile and wearable technology) has on users' health outcomes. Specifically, I find no effect of mobile or wearable use on self-reported health. However, I do find some evidence of mobile use on weight but not wearable. Applying a basic OLS regression analysis, I show that mobile users tend to be heavier than non-mobile users irrespective of gender. Furthermore, I find that contemporaneous health on prior mobile use show higher weight levels compared to non- mobile prior users. Such findings provide …

The Deontological And Utilitarian Cases For Rectifying Structural Injustice In Sweatshop Labor Ethics: A Critical Assessment, Clark J. Kissiah

CMC Senior Theses

Sweatshop labor has been condemned by scholars, activists, students and consumers in more developed countries on charges of wrongful exploitation, and a failure to respect the dignity, and basic needs of sweatshop workers. This paper surveys charges against sweatshop labor, and some of the more influential arguments for, and against, rectifying the background structural injustices that perpetuate it. I argue that in certain sweatshop cases, compensating workers below a prima facie morally acceptable level can be most successful in striving towards the duty of beneficence that employers owe to their employees. Therefore, we ought to pursue utility-maximizing acts over others …

An Analysis Of The Substantive Effectiveness Of The National Environmental Policy Act: Lessons From Ivanpah, Stephanie C. Oehler

CMC Senior Theses

Nearly 45 years ago, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law to become the first national policy for the environment of the United States. As it has evolved over time through implementation and litigation, numerous countries and states around the world have emulated NEPA with similar environmental impact assessment requirements. Many scholars have evaluated the success of the legislation in accomplishing its lofty goals. Most commonly, however, these studies address the procedural performance of agencies through the creation of environmental impact statements. This thesis examines the effectiveness of NEPA in accomplishing its substantive, rather than procedural, goals …

Explorando El Liderazgo Femenino En América Latina: Lo Que Podemos Aprender De Michelle Bachelet, Cristina Fernández De Kirchner Y Dilma Rousseff, Claudia Raigoza

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the leadership styles of three female presidents in Latin America: Michelle Bachelet (Chile), Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina) y Dilma Rousseff (Brazil). These three women were chosen because each has been the first generally elected female president in their respective countries. Each woman’s profile is divided into two parts: 1) an expository evaluation of the life and career of each woman, and 2) a case study of her specific leadership style based on a particular event or challenge faced during her presidency. It is important to understand the political trajectories of these women because they demonstrate how …

Who Is The Customer? Identifying The Initial Adopters Of Formal Savings. Field Evidence From Malawi, Karan Saggi

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines household characteristics as determinants of formal savings accounts in rural Malawi. The main questions answered in this paper include the effects of household characteristics on the probability of having formal savings, the amounts saved in these accounts, and the probability of adopting formal savings. The central discussion aims to identify the initial adopters of formal savings accounts, using a marketing approach previously unapplied to this area of research. This paper also contributes to the dialogue of the household composition by considering three untried variables: number of adults, number of children, and literacy of all household members. Results …

The Determinants Of Firm Profitability: The Effect Of Social Media, Nicholas Schmidt

CMC Senior Theses

This study seeks to explore whether social media plays an important role in determining a firm’s profits. Using data from 392 Large American firms from the period 2005-2013, obtained primarily from the database, COMPUSTAT, I find that a firm’s adoption of Social Media plays a minor role in determining profits, while higher Lagged Profits, Lagged Productivity, Firm Sizes, and Advertising Expenses lead to higher profits.

The Environmental, Social, And Economic Impacts Of Hydraulic Fracturing, Horizontal Drilling, And Acidization In California, Christina Whalen

CMC Senior Theses

The oil extraction mechanisms of hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and acidization have recently spread throughout the state of California. This thesis explores and assesses whether federal and state legislation should approve of fracking operations in California after studying its effects on human health, the environment, and the economy. This thesis assesses the impacts of fracking; analyzes the role of current legislation and regulation; compares California fracking to fracking in other states and countries; and provides recommendations for future action.

The Efficacy Of Long-Term Kinesio Tape On Grip Strength In A Healthy Population, Neel Kotrappa

CMC Senior Theses

Kinesio® Tape was invented in 1973, and since has been used in various clinical and therapy settings to prevent and heal a multitude of physical conditions. Kinesio® Tape is a 100% cotton-based elastic tape that when applied to the skin pulls the skin upwards and creates more space by lifting the fascia and soft tissue, thus increasing blood flow and decreasing edema. The tape was also purported to facilitate the strengthening of weakened muscles through neuromuscular facilitation. The objective behind this study was to determine the long-term effects of applied forearm Kinesio® Tape on maximal grip strength when paired with …

Fate Of Antimicrobials And Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In Simulated Swine Manure Storage, Stacey R. Joy, Xu Li, Daniel D. Snow, John Gilley, Bryan L. Woodbury, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The behavior of three antibiotics (bacitracin, chlortetracycline, and tylosin) and two classes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), tet and erm, were monitored in swine manure slurry under anaerobic conditions. First-order decay rates were determined for each antibiotic with half-lives ranging from1 day (chlortetracycline) to 10 days (tylosin). ARGs were monitored in the swine manure slurry, and losses of approximately 1 to 3 orders of magnitude in relative abundance were observed during the 40 day storage period. First-order degradation profiles were observed for chlortetracycline and its corresponding resistance genes, tet(X) and tet(Q). Tylosin was degraded to approximately 10% …

Taphonomic Considerations Of A Whipworm Infection In A Mummy From The Dominican Church Of The Holy Spirit, Vilnius, Lithuania, Johnica J. Morrow, Annie S. Larsen, Dario Piombino-Mascali, Rimantas Jankauskas, Justina Kozakaitė, Adauto Araújo, Karl J. Reinhard

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In the present study, the abdominal contents of 10 mummies from beneath the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, Lithuania, were examined for the presence of helminth parasites using standard archaeoparasitological techniques. Of the mummies examined, only one individual presented with evidence of parasitism. This individual was infected with both Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides (5,222 parasite eggs/gram). The conditions of many of the T. trichiura eggs suggest that a fortuitously embedded female whipworm decomposed within the individual’s gut to release the eggs, as opposed to the eggs actually being passed by the adult helminth. This study highlights …

Book Review: Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, And Create Movement By Will Mancini, Elizabeth Montgomery

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Pressure Points: Twelve Global Issues Shaping The Face Of The Church By J.D. Payne, Scott Zeller

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Legacy Churches By Stephen Gray And Franklin Dumond, Duane H. Boady

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Biology Of The Coconut Bug, Pseudotheraptus Wayi, On French Beans, James Peter Egonyu, Sunday Ekesi, Jacques Kabaru, Lucy Irungu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The coconut bug, Pseudotheraptus wayi Brown (Heteroptera: Coreidae), is a major pest of a wide range of economically important crops in Eastern and Southern Africa. The suitability of French beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabales: Fabaceae) as an alternative food for mass rearing of P. wayi was determined by elucidating its development, survival, and reproduction on French bean pods in the laboratory. Development and survival of immatures on French beans was comparable to what is reported with two hosts previously used for rearing this species, namely coconut and cashew. Adults survived thrice longer and laid almost twice more eggs on the …

Storage Of Mung Bean (Vigna Radiata [L.] Wilczek) And Pigeonpea Grains (Cajanus Cajan [L.] Millsp) In Hermetic Triple-Layer Bags Stops Losses Caused By Callosobruchus Maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), C. M. Mutungi, H. Affognon, A. W. Njoroge, D. Baributsa, L. L. Murdock

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Dry mung bean and pigeonpea grains that had sustained some insect damage but fumigated before the start of the experiment were stored in triple-layer hermetic bags (Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS™ bags) or woven polypropylene (PP) bags for 6 months. Some of the bags were artificially infested with cowpea bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (PICS1, PP1) while others were not (PICS0, PP0). In an additional trial, PP bags containing the grains were treated with Actellic Super® dust before being artificially infested (PP1Ac). Moisture content, live adult C.maculatus count, grain damage, weight loss, and seed germination were determined on a monthly basis. …

Triple Bag Hermetic Storage Delivers A Lethal Punch To Prostephanus Truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) In Stored Maize, A. W. Njoroge, H. D. Affognon, C. M. Mutungi, J. Manono, P. O. Lamuka, L. L. Murdock

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Clean shelled maize was stored in woven polypropylene (PP) or triple layer polyethylene (PICS™) bags in the presence of Prostephanus truncatus Horn (PP1; PICS1) or absence of it (PP0; PICS0) at ambient conditions for six months. Moisture content, live insect population, grain damage, weight loss, and germination were analyzed on a monthly basis. Temperature and relative humidity in both PICS- and PP-bag setups were monitored, as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the PICS bags. Overall, maize stored in PICS bags had significantly lower (P<0.05) moisture content than maize stored in PP bags. Storage in PICS bag slowed growth of P.truncatus populations and blocked infestation from the surrounding storage environment. On the contrary, PP bags permitted profuse build-up of insect population and cross-infestation. At six months, grain damage was 0.0%, 3.4%, 50.5% and 73.9%, corresponding to weight loss of 0.0%, 2.0%, 36.3%, and 47.7% in PICS0, PICS1, PP0 and PP1, respectively. Germination of maize stored in PP bags dropped from 91.1% to 37.0% and 12.7% in PP0 and PP1, respectively, whereas germination of maize stored in PICS bags dropped only marginally and reached 78.1% and 71.0% in PICS0 and PICS1, respectively, in six months. Without extreme loss of grain viability, a huge decrease in insect infestation, grain damage and weight loss is achieved by storing maize in PICS bag even under P.truncatus endemic conditions. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Chemosensory Receptors In Tsetse Flies Provide Link Between Chemical And Behavioural Ecology, Daniel Masiga, George Obiero, Rosaline Macharia, Paul Mireji, Alan Christoffels

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse flies survive in a variety of environments across tropical Africa, often rising to large numbers, despite their low birth rate of one offspring every seven to nine days. They use olfactory receptors to process chemical signals in their environments to find food, escape from predators, and locate suitable larviposition sites. We discuss the identification of odorant and gustatory receptors in Glossina morsitans morsitans and the role genomics could play in management of nuisance insects. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Scattered Shade Trees Improve Low-Input Smallholder Arabica Coffee Productivity In The Northern Lake Kivu Region Of Rwanda, F. Pinard, J. M. Boffa, E. Rwakagara

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In suboptimal conditions for coffee growth, the use of shade tree is usually considered beneficial to production. This study aimed to evaluate this benefit in the poorly documented East African smallholder Arabica coffee systems in optimal climatic but suboptimal management conditions. In a 4 year observational trial in 50 coffee farms, the association of shade trees and coffee generated an average 55 % cherry production increase. Neither delay in berry maturation nor buffer in alternate bearing patterns were observed, probably due to the low productivity of unfertilized coffee plants. Quality wise, the presence of shade trees did not result in …

Bisbenzylisoquinoline And Hasubanane Alkaloids From Stephania Abyssinica (Dillon & A. Rich) (Menispermeceae), Ruth A. Omole, Jeremiah Gathirwa, Hosea Akala, Hamisi M. Malebo, Alex K. Machocho, Ahmed Hassanali, Isaiah O. Ndiege

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Two bisbenzylisoquinoline and one hasubanane alkaloids: (-)-pseudocurine (1), (-)-pseudoisocurine (2) and (-)-10-oxoaknadinine (3), were isolated from leaf extract of Stephania abyssinica, a plant used in traditional medicine in South Nyanza region of Kenya. They were characterized using 1D (1H, 13C and DEPT) and 2D (COSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC) NMR techniques. (-)-Pseudocurine (1) and (-)-pseudoisocurine (2) exhibited strong to moderate anti-plasmodial activity while (-)-10-oxoaknadinine (3) showed moderate to mild activity. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aquaporins Are Critical For Provision Of Water During Lactation And Intrauterine Progeny Hydration To Maintain Tsetse Fly Reproductive Success, Joshua B. Benoit, Immo A. Hansen, Geoffrey M. Attardo, Veronika Michalková, Paul O. Mireji, Joel L. Bargul, Lisa L. Drake, Daniel K. Masiga, Serap Aksoy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse flies undergo drastic fluctuations in their water content throughout their adult life history due to events such as blood feeding, dehydration and lactation, an essential feature of the viviparous reproductive biology of tsetse. Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane proteins that allow water and other solutes to permeate through cellular membranes. Here we identify tsetse aquaporin (AQP) genes, examine their expression patterns under different physiological conditions (blood feeding, lactation and stress response) and perform functional analysis of three specific genes utilizing RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing. Ten putative aquaporins were identified in the Glossina morsitans morsitans (Gmm) genome, two more than …

Evaluation Of Acaricide-Treated String Curtains For Control Of Two-Spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus Urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) On Greenhouse Roses And Impact Of The String Curtain On The Predatory Mite Phytoseiulus Persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Emilie M. Deletre, Romain Bonafos, Thibaud Martin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Foliar sprays of pesticides are frequently used to control two-spotted mites on rose flowers, but these also destroy predatory mites and pose a high risk of contamination for humans and the environment. Using a novel approach to avoid spray applications on rose plants, modified acaricide-treated string curtains were adapted to control the pest. Two main aims of this study were: (i) to identify the lethal concentration of string curtains treated with propargite, dicofol, flufenoxuron, acrinathrin or tau-fluvalinate (τ-fluvalinate) on Tetranychus urticae, and (ii) to test the design (feasibility) and efficiency of the string curtains to trap the phytophagous mites on …

Upcycling Church: New Hope For Transforming Declining And Plateaued Churches, Richard J. Frazer

Great Commission Research Journal

This article introduces new language and an alternative paradigm to the topic of revitalizing declining churches, which presents a transforming process for pastors, church leaders, denominational executives, and consultants to implement when coaching revitalizing churches. The biblical foundation for this writing is Jesus’ letter to the church of Sardis, recorded in Revelation 3:1–6. Five principles for upcycling a declining church are presented: embrace the crisis, answer the wakeup call, strengthen what remains, strengthen who remains, and return to spiritual roots.

Church Launch: Start Small, Stay Small—Launch Large, Grow Larger!, Dave Page

Great Commission Research Journal

Launching churches is the new paradigm for church planting in America for the twenty-first century. The old school paradigm was to plant a church and watch it grow slowly, like a tree. The new church planting metaphor is launching a church, like launching a rocket ship into space. This article argues that launching large churches is the most effective means of evangelism in the short and long run. Start small, and the church will stay small, as most do. Launch large, and the church has an opportunity to keep on growing. By launching large, churches can break church growth barriers …