Digital Commons Network^™

An Ecojustice Analysis Of Nursing Education, Kristi Jo Wilson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The concept health is constructed within socioeconomic, political, cultural, and ecological contexts that affect how personnel in the medical and nursing fields practice. The idea of health and its associated practices in Western countries has arisen from modernist discourses such as mechanism and rationalism, which further support a capitalist economic system that stresses efficiency, specialization, and volume for profit. In Western industrial cultures in particular, health is primarily driven by consumerism and market forces and is generally defined within two categories: wellness and illness.

To explore this concept further, I interviewed seven nurse scholars who see health in a different …

Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Cybersexual Addiction, Monica M. Lackups-Fuentes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual addiction has long been a controversial topic, and it has become no less tendentious with its latest incarnation as Internet cybersexual addiction, i.e., the addiction to sexual materials on the Internet. As cybersexual addiction is a relatively recent phenomenon, it is important to have adequate measures to assess the behavior and provide empirical support for diagnostic criteria. While a number of measures are used in the research, none of the measures are based on the currently proposed diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to develop a new measure of cybersexual addiction based on the proposed hypersexual disorder diagnostic criteria and …

Examining Teaching As Performance: A Study Of Developed Persona, Justin Hopper

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores teaching as performance in relation to Richard Schechner’s view on “performance in everyday life.” The focus of the investigation centered on why teachers in higher education develop teaching personas. The phenomenographic study used observation and interview to better understand the topic. The sample included nine lecturers from higher learning institutions in Southeast Michigan; data from field notes and audio recordings were used. Four of the lecturers taught or had professional experience with the performing arts. The correlation between those with performance backgrounds and those without was studied. Reasons for specific teaching personas being developed include the teacher’s …

Contradictions And Control: Michigan Elementary Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Legislated Teacher Evaluation, Kathryn N. Coffey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Michigan Teacher Quality and Tenure Reform bill was signed into law in July 2011. The law mandated specific requirements for annual performance evaluation of all teachers and prohibited teacher evaluation as a subject of collective bargaining. The purpose of this phenomenological, collective case study was to describe the lived experiences of Michigan elementary teachers in traditional public schools as they experienced the phenomenon of having their performance evaluated under this state-legislated teacher evaluation policy, to understand the meanings they ascribed to the phenomenon, and to synthesize those meanings to describe the essences of that experience.

Using semi-structured in-depth phenomenological …

Perceived Credibility Of Child Witness Statements Based On Age And Gender, Beverly M. Griffor

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Although a great deal of empirical research and theoretical analysis has been done on in relation to jury perception of the credibility of child witnesses, virtually none of it has focused on the impact of age and gender of child witnesses alone on juror perceptions. This study expands on the existing body of knowledge on juror bias by exploring the connection between the perceived credibility of a child witness and the age or gender of that witness. Participants were given a choice between two children of different ages and/or genders. The participants were asked about the believability of the identified …

The External Microbiome Of Bats: Effects Of Season, Site, Host Species, And Body Region, Kyle G. George

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

White-nose syndrome is a cutaneous fungal disease that has been detrimental to North American bats for over 10 years, but few investigators have examined the natural microbiota living on these mammals. I explored the influence of season, geographic site, host species, and body region on the external microbiome of four cave-hibernating and two migratory species. Automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis was used to profile bacterial communities from three cutaneous regions of 222 bats across winter and summer sites in Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky. Season, site, host species, and body region all influenced the composition of external bacterial communities, but geographic …

Development Of Non-Formaldehyde Wrinkle Resistant Finishes For Cotton And Linen Using Carboxylic Acids, Preeto Arya

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study aims to develop and evaluate the wrinkle recovery performance of cotton and linen fabrics after treating them with an appropriate combination of mono and dicarboxylic acids in the presence of ingredients like an initiator and a catalyst. Therefore, an experimental study was developed with a 2x3x3 factorial design with the acid combination, pΗ, and concentration as the independent variables to help investigate the effects on wrinkle recovery angle, wrinkle recovery appearance rating, and carboxyl group content of the treated fabric samples. The data were analyzed based on the percent weight gain of treated samples, carboxyl ‘n’ group content, …

The Effect Of Organization Centralization, Organization Climate, Knowledge Management And Supply Chain Integration Perception On The Success Of Product Launch In The U.S. Automotive Industry, Raed Jalal Anabtawi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines variables that may affect new product launches in the automotive industry. The automakers need to have capabilities to address product launch issues when converting their efforts into automotive products that meet consumer requirements. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of organization centralization, organizational climate, knowledge management, and supply chain integration perception on the success and effectiveness of a product launch. The survey samples consisted of 101 respondents from automotive companies. Organization centralization perception, where decisions are made solely by upper management, had no significant correlation to the success of product launch. Analysis of …

Honors Project- Goodyear, Alexa Moeller, Sara Kleines, Kristyn Gawdyda, Logan Hershberger, Casey Lauber

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is investigating whether or not their soybean oil tires should be advertised as such to the public. This paper discusses the various research methods that were used to come up with reccomendations to Goodyear. Some of these methods include secondary search, store observations, a survey, and a focus group. With the recommendations outlined in the paper, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company can assure great success with their soybean oil tires.

Statistics-Bierce Library Study, Tyler J. Hushour

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This is a report from two surveys that I created and administered to students and faculty at Bierce library who came to the Circulation Desk or the Tech Desk, as well as some of my other findings when periodically looking around the library to see where students like to study or hang-out. There was a written survey given at the Circulation Desk, and a different survey given at the Tech Check-Out Desk. The project is for Melanie Smith-Farrell, the head of Access Services, and is based on a similar study Ian McCullough did in the science library. While this is …

Brunswick Schools Video Program Social Media Campaign, Nicole Rhoades

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This social media campaign is to be executed by student managers within the Brunswick Schools Video Program. The Video Program provides journalistic experience to young students by immersing them in print and broadcast journalism that is provided to the Brunswick-area through Brunswick Educational Access Television.

Using Accounting Information To Forecast Market Performance, Tyler Atanasov

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study examines how accounting information can be used to forecast market performance of stocks. We used the specific accounting information of earnings-to-price and book-to-market value ratios, in relation to a stocks 5-year holding period return to determine market performance. The most current, quarterly data with a longer sample period than previous studies was used. First, portfolios of stocks were formed based on the value of each stocks ratio. Next, univariate tests were then run on each ratio’s portfolios to determine if there was statistical significance in the differences among the portfolios returns. Lastly, we determined that investors could earn …

Led Screen Resolution: A Lego Visualization, Andrew S. Trowbridge

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As a graphic designer, understanding the way a computer displays type and image is extremely beneficial. Before going into college, my knowledge of how a line of ones and zeros translates to a full color, high definition screen of pixels was abstract at best. This project serves to explore and demonstrate the meaning and process of LED screen resolution through a more playful and tangible lens of LEGO® bricks.

LEGOS® encourage the creative, child-like side of us. The bricks become a doorway into another side of learning. It pushes us to not be afraid to explore and delve deeper into …

Holiday Cheer For Children In Treatment, Rachel A. Hall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I have spent this semester crafting holiday cards for the patients at Akron Children’s Hospital. I will be printing multiples of the cards to help spread some holiday cheer to the children who are in treatment during the holidays. In my research about art therapy I learned how much children in treatment can benefit from both viewing and creating artwork. For this purpose, I chose to leave the insides of the cards blank with an encouraging note for them to decorate and create their own piece of art on the inside of the cards. Allowing the children a chance to …

Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Work Experience In Baccalaureate Junior And Senior Level Nursing Students, Mallory Wilson, Taylor Byers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Background: New nursing graduates entering the healthcare fields have demonstrated competency with clinical skills during their education. However, limited experience with skill performance can leave them prone to clinical errors. Higher self-efficacy levels increase competency as individuals create higher goals and are more easily able to perform tasks. Therefore, work experience during nursing school may increase nursing students’ self-efficacy as they become comfortable performing clinical skills.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between employment in health care facilities and self-efficacy of clinical skills in undergraduate nursing students.

Methods: A non-experimental correlational study using convenience sampling, …

Measuring Bacterial Growth Using A 3d-Printable Spectrometer, Samuel R. Bunting

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Visible light spectroscopy is a commonly used technique for measuring the growth of bacterial cultures, and growth curves provide broadly important data. However, the equipment and resources required for these experiments has been restricted to higher education and industry due to high cost and sophistication. We have previously reported on an inexpensive, 3D-printable photospectrometer called the SpecPhone. This device utilizes an iPhone as the camera, along with several other, inexpensive additions to make a fully functional spectrometer. Here, the application of the SpecPhone is expanded to the quantification of actively dividing E. coli cultures. Two protocols have been developed; one …

Effectiveness Of School-Based Interventions Versus Family-Based Interventions In The Prevention And Treatment Of Childhood Obesity, Ashley Capestrain, Emily Montague, Meghan Frantz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Childhood obesity affects 155 million children worldwide. As prevalence increases, it is important to identify effective interventions in the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity. Obesity may result in short and long term effects linked to some of the leading causes of morbidity and early mortality. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify, review, and critically appraise evidence from studies examining the effect of family and school based interventions. This review answers the following PICO question: In children, how do family based interventions compare to school based interventions, in the prevention and treatment of obesity? Methods included literature …

Educational Learning Environments, Meaghan Rooney 3287247

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The question of classroom learning environment and how it affects learning has been widely studied. The type of environment in which students learn sparks passionate debate in today’s society, since a significant amount of a child’s time is spent in a school. . Research confirms that attending school and obtaining an education will teach children to be successful citizens, but what about the environment in which they go to school? If school is what makes the next generation ready to positively contribute to society, then steps must be taken so that each child has an opportunity to thrive. Students in …

Effects Of Kangaroo Care On Procedural Pain In Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review, Alyssa M. Pagni, Sophia Kellar, Mary Rood

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Approximately 64,000 preterm infants are born annually in the United States. With preterm infants enduring between 10-16 painful procedures daily, it is important for nurses to use interventions that effectively decrease pain. Procedural pain in premature infants may result in short-term and long-term negative physical, cognitive, and emotional effects. Kangaroo care is the act of holding an infant making skin on skin contact. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify, review, and critically appraise the evidence from studies examining the effect of Kangaroo Care on procedural pain in premature infants. Literature was searched in university databases and Google …

Smart Fan, Jacob A. Carroll, Joshua B. Blanchard, Peter A. Gross, Joshua D. Riegel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Modern box fans offer a simple solution to cooling an area. However, the simplicity that makes these fans appealing also limits their potential. A smart box fan that preserves its original simplicity while providing enhanced technological features such as smartphone connectivity and variable speed selection should lead to ease of use, improved performance, and increased customer satisfaction. To this end, a regular box fan will be instrumented and technology-enhanced, thus “smart fan.” The standard AC motor will be replaced with a DC motor for finer speed selection over the allowable range. The smart fan will offer three categories of operation: …

Socioeconomic Status, Academic Success, And Relationship With Parent/Guardian: Contributions To Marijuana Use In Teens, Justin Hamas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As illicit drug use has steadily increased over the last decade, marijuana use has become much more prevalent among a variety of age groups. According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 8.6 million adolescents and young adults (age 12-25) use marijuana. This is significant as prior studies have found that marijuana use has damaging effects on the brain, especially teens whose brains are still developing. In order to gain a better understanding as to why individuals engage in marijuana use and how it may act as a coping mechanism, this study looks at how sources of …

Efficacy Of Animal-Assisted Therapy Across Pediatric Care Settings: A Systematic Review, Holly Howser, Thomas Dixon, Jessica Nunez

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With alternative therapies and complementary medicine becoming increasingly popular and supported by research, it is important for healthcare workers to be prepared to encounter and use these therapies in practice. A common problem in the pediatric healthcare setting is stress in patients and families during healthcare treatment. Animal assisted therapy (AAT), more commonly known as pet therapy, is a form of complementary alternative therapy that has been examined in this population. The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the effect of AAT on treatment outcomes in pediatric patients across clinical settings. The methods used to guide this systematic …

Designing For A Demographic: How To Reduce Poverty And The Homeless Population Through Design, Danielle M. Becker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research paper is a response to my personal encounters and experience with the homeless and low-income population in Akron, Ohio over the course of my 5 years at the University of Akron. It explores the causes and statistics of poverty and homelessness within the United States and the greater Akron area as well as what is currently being done to aid and reduce this population. Haven of Rest Ministries, one of the largest and most successful shelters in Akron, is showcased for the multitude of services they provide on a daily basis. Referencing the shelter helps to point out …

Multiplexed Sensor Array For Accurate Time-Of-Wetness (Tow) Measurement, Nathaniel G. Sutton, Hongbo Cong, Jiang John Zhe, Shengxi Li, Xiaoliang Zhu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this work, we use electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to observe the response of a single, photo-lithographically created, interdigital transducer (IDT) sensor, dimensions 6mm X 6 mm, with capacitive elements 70μm X 500 nm. The IDT was exposed to different wetting conditions, droplets of DI water, 0.1 M NaCl, and 0.6 M NaCl, in volumes of 0.1, 0.3, 1, and 5 μL. Deliquescence of solid NaCl salt particles in a dynamic-humidity (%RH Increasing, 33% to 85%) atmosphere is examined. Equivalent circuit fitting of impedance spectra suggests linear trends for the capacitive equivalent circuit element parameters and a decaying logarithmic trend …

Lawn Mower Lift, Randall E. Schelcher

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our team of engineers were given the task of coming up with a design project and designing the system, creating calculations, and brainstorming ideas. We set out to design a riding lawn mower lift. The purpose of this design was to assist in general maintenance like replacing blades, oil changes, etc.

To accomplish this task, our team started to brainstorm ideas and make sketches to look at all the options. We then did research and looked at different size lawn mowers and looked at the specifications. This helped our team to be able to design the size of platform needed …

Protein Release Study Using Heparin Modified Methacrylamide Chitosan Hydrogels, Dakotah G. Cox

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study was performed to improve the release of proteins from hydrogels in order to increase their effectiveness in treating spinal cord injuries. Heparin, which has the ability to bind to proteins and slow their release, underwent methacrylation, was added to prepared methacrylamide chitosan (MAC) solutions with a model protein (SDF-1α) and photopolymerized to create MAC-heparin hydrogels. Varying weight percentages of methacrylated heparin were tested in order to determine the optimal amount needed to improve the release profile. The pure MAC hydrogels and gels with 10 wt% heparin had a rapid release of the SDF-1α (>23% and >29%, respectively, …

Nosocomial Infection In The Intensive Care Unit: Case Control Comparison Of Trauma Vs Surgical Vs Medical Patients, Catherine A. Fisher

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Clostridium difficille (C. difficile) is an infection-causing bacteria prevalent in hospital intensive care units (ICU). C. difficile infection (CDI) causes severe diarrhea and intestinal issues, while being highly contagious through resistant spores. Critically ill ICU patients are particularly vulnerable due to their weakened state and often high dosages of antibiotics. We investigated the differences between trauma, medical, and surgery patients that contracted C. difficile and developed an infection (CDI) in the ICU through retrospective chart analyses. Trauma patients had statistically significantly higher mean number of days on respiratory ventilation, days with a foley catheter, days in the ICU until …

Synthesis And Fluorescent Properties Of A New Flavonoid Compound, Ashley L. Ingle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Flavonoids are highly luminescent compounds that are used in diagnosing and treating certain diseases.They are composed of two aromatic rings (ring A and ring B) and a six-membered heterocyclic pyran ring (ring C) that contains a carbonyl and hydroxyl group, which are responsible for unique photophysical characteristics associated with flavonoids. The target flavonoids (compound 1, or 1, and compound 2 or 2) were synthesized, purified and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The photophysical properties of the flavonoid were investigated in varying solvents by using UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Such properties include Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT), Intramolecular Charge …

Process Control Laboratory Skid Refurbishment, Danny Crowder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project evaluates a salvaged process control skid for potential refurbishment and educational re-use. In-lab work evaluated the existing skid. Several process control elements have been recommended for replacement, including the process tank (due to corrosion), the pressure transmitter (operability/corrosion), the flow meters (mechanical) and the control system (age). The control valves, temperature elements and transmitters, pump, holding tanks, and the electrical heat exchanger should be salvaged. An I/P converter and pressure relief valve should be added to the pneumatic feed. Enclosing of all electrical components should be prioritized. An electrical schematic for a new control system should be implemented. …

The Potential Role Of Oxidative Stress In Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure Vascular Reactivity, Abigail J. Gindlesberger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disease of pregnant women that is known to cause detrimental physiological complications to both the mother and fetus. The hypertension hypothesized to result from endothelial dysfunction may be improved therapeutically by increasing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ligand concentration and it’s Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGF and VEGFR2). Together, this receptor pathway may help overall vasodilation of key blood vessels linking the mother and fetal placental unit, allowing for increased clinical pathologies of both. Previous studies have also linked increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in preeclamptic pregnancies to the damaged endothelial tissues of the …