Digital Commons Network^™

Absorbency In Tidal Resiliency, Shauna Strubinger

Architecture Thesis Prep

This thesis responds to the current threat of the impact of sea level rise on coastal population cities and proposes to create a blurred, absorbent condition, similar to the relationship between water and land.

The Question Of Slim | A Critical Look At Manhattan's Recent Trend Towards Slenderness, Raymond Sova

Architecture Senior Theses

Manhattan’s real estate market since the turn of the 20th century to present day can be characterized as an extreme optimization of the economical elements of architecture. Most of the buildings in Manhattan’s diverse and complex skyline share a tenacious desire to maximize the profitability and feasibility of a site while minimizing overall building expenditure. This concept is defined in Koolhaas’s ‘Delirious New York,’ as the relationship between “the Needle” and “the Globe.” Seemingly immeasurable wealth and investment have given rise to a new sub-typology of super-tall strikingly skinny (Slim) residential skyscrapers that may very well result in the demise …

(Urban) Waste Producing (Urban) Space, Mrunmai Fulambarkar

Architecture Thesis Prep

Although heat is the primary waste produced by industrial processes, designers can transform this by-product into energy that can allow for the creation of new public amenity and data center hybrids that integrate, celebrate and provide benefits to the urban realm.

Where Wellness Begins, Chelsea Wheeler

Architecture Thesis Prep

This thesis contends that if occupant health is placed at the forefront of design, utilizing a proposed process of design that selects and addresses three out of nine suggested elements of health through demographic mapping and utilizes these elements to construct human-centric drawings during the initial stages of design, the resulting architecture will promote occupant wellbeing.

Principal Perceptions Of Strategies To Increase Effectiveness Of Educational Non-Governmental Organizations In Southern Belize., Wesley Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaborations among schools and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are common in developing countries. These partnerships have the potential to provide effective support for educational initiatives. This study used survey methodology to determine characteristics of NGOs that increased effectiveness as determined by experienced principals (n=15) within a region of Belize. The survey used open-ended questions, and these responses were disaggregated in order to determine themes. These principals wrote that effective NGOs built strong relationships with the schools, aligned efforts with the school’s mission, and assisted with providing resources.

Private Data, Public Safety: A Bounded Access Model Of Disclosure, Mary D. Fan

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Genetic Divergence Of Chikungunya Virus Plaque Variants From The Comoros Island (2005), Caroline Wasonga, Shingo Inoue, Cecilia Rumberia, George Michuki, James Kimotho, Juliette R. Ongus, Rosemary Sang, Lillian Musila

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) from a human sample collected during the 2005 Chikungunya outbreak in the Comoros Island, showed distinct and reproducible large (L2) and small (S7) plaques which were characterized in this study. The parent strain and plaque variants were analysed by in vitro growth kinetics in different cell lines and their genetic similarity assessed by whole genome sequencing, comparative sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. In vitro growth kinetic assays showed similar growth patterns of both plaque variants in Vero cells but higher viral titres of S7 compared to L2 in C6/36 cells. Amino acids (AA) alignments of the CHIKV …

Characteristics Of Soils In Selected Maize Growing Sites Along Altitudinal Gradients In East African Highlands, Elijah Njuguna, Mary Gathara, Stanley Nadir, Sizah Mwalusepo, David Williamson, Pierre Etienne Mathé, Jackson Kimani, Tobias Landmann, Gerald Juma, George Ong'amo, Erastus Gatebe, Bruno Le Ru, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize is the main staple crop in the East African Mountains. Understanding how the edaphic characteristics change along altitudinal gradients is important for maximizing maize production in East African Highlands, which are the key maize production areas in the region. This study evaluated and compared the levels of some macro and micro-elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and P) and other soil parameters (pH, organic carbon content, soil texture [i.e. % Sand, % Clay and % Silt], cation exchange capacity [CEC], electric conductivity [EC], and water holding capacity [HC]). Soil samples were taken from maize plots along three …

An Improved Odor Bait For Monitoring Populations Of Aedes Aegypti-Vectors Of Dengue And Chikungunya Viruses In Kenya, Eunice A. Owino, Rosemary Sang, Catherine L. Sole, Christian Pirk, Charles Mbogo, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Abstract Background: Effective surveillance and estimation of the biting fraction of Aedes aegypti is critical for accurate determination of the extent of virus transmission during outbreaks and inter-epidemic periods of dengue and chikungunya fever. Here, we describe the development and use of synthetic human odor baits for improved sampling of adult Ae. aegypti, in two dengue and chikungunya fevers endemic areas in Kenya; Kilifi and Busia counties. Methods: We collected volatiles from the feet and trunks of two female and two male volunteers aged between 25 and 45 years. We used coupled gas chromatography- electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD) analysis to screen …

Political Uncertainty And The Market For Ipos, Jay B. Kesten, Murat C. Mungan

Faculty Scholarship

This Article presents a simple theory and model of the effects of political uncertainty on the market for IPOs. Our model generates four central predictions: (i) increased political uncertainty reduces the frequency of IPOs; (ii) firms that choose to conduct an IPO during periods of political uncertainty are, on average, of higher quality and generate greater return on investment in the secondary market; (iii) political uncertainty increases the cost of capital for IPO firms; but (iv) underpricing is less pronounced during periods of heightened political uncertainty. We demonstrate that each of these predictions is consistent with available empirical evidence.

Our …

Therapeutic Riding And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Program Evaluation, Brenna Goodwin

All Theses

Therapeutic riding is a commonly used therapeutic approach for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research supports therapeutic riding for children with ASD; however, the effect of specific sub-types of therapeutic riding (e.g., therapeutic riding drill team) has been under investigated. Furthermore, the role of self-efficacy and other programmatic components (e.g., interaction with horses, interaction with other participants, etc.) of therapeutic riding programs have not been studied, especially among children with ASD. This study evaluated a therapeutic riding drill team for children with ASD to determine if and to what extent self-efficacy and other program components were present. Three forms …

Management And Impacts Of Wild Hogs (Sus Scrofa) In South Carolina, Susan Sullivan

All Theses

Wild hogs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species that can damage native ecosystems, negatively impact native wildlife, and potentially act as disease reservoirs in the U.S. To better understand how natural resource professionals in South Carolina approach wild hog management, I conducted a web-based survey of natural resource professionals focused on aspects of wild hog impacts and management. Generally, there was agreement among natural resource professionals regarding the approaches used to control wild hog populations and their subsequent effectiveness. The majority of respondents indicated high priority impacts needing to be addressed in wild hog management were agricultural damage …

"She Just Wanted To Get With An Athlete": The Effects Of Race And Status On The Public's Perception Of Guilt In Sexual Assault Cases, Katie Barnes

All Theses

This thesis explored the effects of race and athlete status on the public’s perceptions of guilt in sexual assault cases. It investigated how race and athlete status of a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman affected the perceived believability of the accuser and the perceived severity of the crime. It also explored the correlation between perceived guilt and rape myth acceptance. The results of this thesis did not directly support the hypotheses but hypothesis 4 was significant in suggesting that participants who gave any of the accused a lower guilt rating had higher levels of rape myth acceptance. The …

Development And Testing Of Supplemental Materials For An Undergraduate Healthy Food Product Development Curriculum, Breanne Halteman

All Theses

ABSTRACT The goal of this research project was three-fold: (1) to follow up with students who had taken the Applied Interdisciplinary Product Development (AIPD) course two years prior to assess the long-term effect of the course on perceived self-confidence in product development skills, connectedness with the department, and preparedness to enter the industry; (2) to design, implement, and evaluate course materials educating undergraduate students about the subjects of herbs, spices, and sensory science; and (3) to evaluate the success of dissemination of a sophomore-level hybrid course on healthy food product development. A Subject Knowledge Assessment (SKA) was designed to measure …

Capillary-Channeled Polymer Fibers As Stationary Phases For Protein Chromatography, Marissa Pierson

All Theses

Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers have been studied in this laboratory as stationary phases for protein separations in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). C-CP fibers are uniquely shaped so as to include eight continuous capillary-channels which interdigitate once packed into a column. The packed column resembles a monolithic structure of unobstructed flow through capillary channels which reduces backpressure and increases linear velocity, reducing separation time. Fibers are effectively nonporous with respect to macromolecules, resulting in fast mass transfer and high sample recovery. C-CP fibers made from polypropylene (PP) yield a fairly homogenous hydrophobic surface suitable for reversed phase (RP) chromatography. In a …

The Impact Of China's "West To East" Electricity Transmission Project On Energy Poverty, Xiaotian Chen

All Theses

Energy poverty, which means that people can't get enough energy for daily life, is one of the big problems in rural place of Northwest region of China. The government wants to solve the problem with a large-scale electricity transmission project named "West to East". The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the impact of "West to East" project on the reduction of energy poverty in Shaanxi province in China through the analysis of 119 counties between the years 2003 to 2015. Since residential electricity price are set by the government at artificially low levels, an alternative measure is constructed …

Characterization Of A Multi-Laminate Angle-Ply Af Patch For Annulus Fibrosus Repair, Ryan Borem

All Theses

Annually, over 5.7 million Americans are diagnosed with two IVD-associated pathologies: IVD herniation (IVDH- a mechanical disruption of the concentric fibrous layers of the annulus fibrosus (AF))) and degeneration (IVDD- a multifactorial process which initiates within the inner gelatinous core (NP), and results in a biochemical degradation of NP tissue), with over 2.7 million requiring surgical inteventions.1,2 Although both underlying pathologies are different, quite often they both lead to a decrease in IVD height, impaired mechanical function, and increased pain and disability. These pain symptoms affect approximately 80% of the adult population during their lifetime with estimated expenditures exceeding $85.9 …

Special Needs Children And Mental Health, Nancy J. Carbonell

Faculty Publications

What do these stories have in common? They are representative of many students who experience learning difficulties while at the same time struggling with mental or emotional issues. Special-needs teachers see children like Brandon, Carmen, and Jake in their classrooms every day. It is estimated that in the U.S., 37 percent of children with special needs also need mental-health care. That is approximately one in every three special-needs students! This is particularly challenging for teachers whose training did not include how to deal with children experiencing mental-health issues.

Mylife: An Online Personal Memory Album, Di Wang, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this demo, we illustrate the formation, retrieval, and playback of autobiographical memory in an online personal memory album named MyLife. The memory in MyLife consists of pictorial snapshots of one's life together with the associated context, namely time, location, people, activity, imagery, and emotion. MyLife allows direct import of memories from other online personal photo repositories. For memory retrieval, users can use not only exact cues, but also partial, vague, inaccurate, and random ones. The retrieved memories are then played back as a movie-like slide show with various visual effects and background music. MyLife holds high potential in both …

Trade Openness And Income Inequality, Sarah Polpibulaya

All Theses

This paper investigates the impact of trade openness on country’s income distribution or income inequality on both developing and developed countries during the years 1960-2005. The data are grouped into 5 year (10 periods) with 86 countries in the sample. Also, I group countries into 8 regions to observe the changes in trade openness and income inequality during the study period. Using OLS regressions, the results show that increases in trade openness leads to a greater income inequality in overall countries. By running the regressions separately for developing and developed countries, the results indicate an interesting fact: while increases in …

Use Of Electrochemistry To Monitor The Growth And Activity Of Clostridium Phytofermentans, Ariane Laurence Martin

All Theses

Microbes have a wide range of metabolic capabilities available that make them industrially useful organisms. Monitoring these metabolic processes is a crucial component in efficient industrial application. Unfortunately, monitoring these metabolic processes is often invasive and time consuming especially within an anaerobic environment. Electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) offer a non-invasive approach to monitor microbial activity and growth. We hypothesized that EIS and CV could be used to monitor Clostridium phytofermentans, an anaerobic and endospore-forming bacterium. C. phytofermentans ferments a wide range of sugars into hydrogen, acetate, and ethanol as fermentation by-products and …

Young Adult Saudi Learners With Low-Level Literacy, Randy Allen Heuring

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The guiding question addressed in this curriculum project was, how should phonics be used to improve the English acquisition success rate of Saudi military students? It documents the design and creation of a specialized unit that takes into account all aspects of student learning based on prior knowledge, educational background, cultural values, interest, and motivation. The author integrates newly developed, modified, and existing curriculum, based on relevant research into the methods. The author documents the details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the curriculum. He describes both success and struggles in implementing the …

Common Factors In Unplanned Cesarean Section, Lauren C. Compton

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Obstetrical delivery by cesarean section is a prevalent form of delivery. Whether clinically indicated or by maternal request, cesarean delivery rates in the United States have risen to account for over a third of all deliveries. Cesarean section procedures are often clinically indicated and occur because of fetal factors, but they can also be elected by maternal request. The aims of this study are to analyze the frequency of the factors in the study questions that are associated with unplanned cesarean section procedures and to compare the frequency of these factors per cesarean section with the time of day the …

An Examination Of Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practice: Implications For The Future, Jenna E. Buchman

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Physical Activity Levels And Literacy Of Grand Valley State University Students, Sarah Haller

Honors Projects

Introduction: It’s been said that students with higher physical activity (PA) levels, tend to get better grades in school. The research behind this topic is mixed, with most regarding children, not college-aged adults. Methods: A PA health questionnaire was designed in a similar format as a survey given by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The survey was voluntarily filled out by 94 randomly selected Grand Valley State University (GVSU) students. Results: No significant differences were found between PA levels and GPA or major of GVSU students. Significant differences were found between the American Heart Association’s (AHA) guidelines for PA, …

The Lonely Robin: A Children’S Book To Target Liquid Speech Sounds, Kelsey Meints

Honors Projects

The purpose of the project was to write and illustrate a children’s book for readers aged 8-10 years old. The plot was meant to engage children so that they can relate to the characters, and learn about significant real-life themes. Words were selected very carefully for the story. The book primarily focuses on words with the /l/ (e.g. lake) and /r/ (e.g. red) English phonemes. An appendix at the end of the book classifies target words according sound and syllable position. The author’s goal is that this book can be used as a tool for joint reading and independent practice …

Peer Support And Inclusion For Individuals With Disabilities: Benefits For Everyone, Rebekah Shippy

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Research On Altruism In Recent Literature Of The Three Sectors: Public, Private, And Non-Profit, Jennifer Saksa

Honors Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the topic of altruism in the recent research literature of the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The top twenty most cited articles of each of the three sectors from 1995 to 2014 were retrieved from the Web of Science Journal Citation Report database and reviewed. Data was accumulated for content analysis of trends of publishing, changing industry viewpoints on altruism, and how altruism is referenced in these articles in each sector. With the results of the literary analysis, altruism can be considered a developable skill by organizations and that it can be …

Factors That Determine Admission To And Success In Physical Therapy Programs: A Pre-Pt Website Designing Narrative, Stefanie Cesario

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of The Tohoku Tsunami On The Nuclear Energy Industry In Japan, Stephanie Robeson, Nicholas Marr

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.