Digital Commons Network^™

State And Regional Comparisons Of Breastfeeding Policies And Rates: A National Study, Erin Johnson

Honors Theses

State legislation focused on promoting and supporting breastfeeding is relatively new, beginning in the 1990s. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an association between state breastfeeding rates and state breastfeeding legislation and other institutional policies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases breastfeeding report cards with the most up-to-date state breastfeeding rates. These reports are used to examine the relationship between state breastfeeding rates and number of breastfeeding policies passed by a state. Government initiatives, such as Healthy People Initiative, and organizational practices, such as Baby-Friendly USA Inc., are also studied to determine their …

Fungal-Algal Speed Dating: Exploring Symbiotic Potential Of Fungal-Algal Cocultures, Natalie S. Williams

Honors Theses

Symbiotic relationships are widely studied phenomena in the biological world. Of particular interest are the ubiquitous relationships that exist between fungi and photoautotrophs. While much is known about the commonly occurring interactions that persist between fungi and a wide range of terrestrial plants, we are interested in exploring the symbiotic capacity between fungi and earlier diverging lineages of the plant kingdom, notably green algae. We developed an experiment to allow for a medium-throughput analysis of fungal-algal interactions using three model green algae: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella vulgaris, and Penium margaritaceum. With numerous replicated assays, these algae were individually paired with a …

A Study Of The Kratom Alkaloids And Their Binding To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Reba Elizabeth Ann Chamblee

Honors Theses

Kratom, a plant commonly found in southeast Asia, has traditionally been used for medicinal treatments. Recently, however, the popularity of the drug has significantly increased due to its euphoric effects, leading to it being used as an alternative to illegal opioids. Several alkaloid compounds have been isolated from the leaves of the plant. The main alkaloids seen are the following five alkaloids: mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, speciociliatine, speciogynine, and paynantheine. Two alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have exhibited high potencies and are potentially even more potent than morphine. Previous studies have indicated that the main mediator of the psychoactive effects is the opioid …

Japanese Mascots: Diplomatic Tool, Domestic Escapism, Gwenafaye Mccormick

Honors Theses

In Japan, mascots are not only representatives of sports teams and sugary cereals, but are vital diplomatic tools of communication and domestic tools of escapism. Though a multitude of mascots exist, scholarship on the topic tends to portray the body of mascots as one-dimensional. This thesis analyzes the modern mascot field and provides previously undefined categories for mascots based on their application, as their absence hinders further analysis. These definitions also describe the subversive social space that mascots inhabit in Japanese society and allow the thesis to examine consumers’ relationships with mascots. An analysis of the U.S. and Israeli embassy …

Tracking Using Fusion Of Multiple Inertial Measurement Units, Jacob Reed Mccall

Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis is to determine the effectiveness of fusing data from multiple inertial measurement units (IMU) to reduce bias and noise with an overall goal of achieving accurate tracking, which is the process of locating a body as it moves in a fixed environment. Every sensor is subject to noise, and each sensor has its own unique set of biases. The thesis presents a systematic overview of the sensors used in this research, which feature linear acceleration, angular acceleration, and a directional sensor, to form an inertial navigation system (INS). Sources of noise and bias that affect …

Dworkinian Liberalism, The Right To Pornography, And The Internet, Will Nowell

Honors Theses

In a 1981 journal article, “Is There A Right to Pornography?,” Ronald Dworkin argues that we have a right to ethical independence that includes the right to consume pornography. The purpose of this thesis is to inquire as to whether Dworkinian liberalism does entail a right to specifically internet pornography. This research is primarily focused on Ronald Dworkin’s writings in Justice for Hedgehogs, Sovereign Virtue: The Theory and Practice of Equality, and Taking Rights Seriously to describe the principles and character of Dworkinian liberalism and its philosophical relationship to the question of the right to pornography. This thesis considers contemporary …

Watering The Desert: Azraq, Public Opinion, And Environmental Post-Materialism, Wesley Gerard

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I analyze the physical, political, and societal transformations in Azraq, Jordan, caused by over-exploitation of the town’s aquifer. I also connect the changes I and others have observed in Azraq to two main theories: postmaterialism and its counterarguments, and the tragedy of the commons. In short, postmaterialism argues that societies that have advanced so that citizens do not have to devote their time and money to survival will have larger rates of environmentalism; the tragedy of the commons details the negative consequences of environmental degradation on those living around a common resource. In conducting the study, I …

Electroencephalogram (Eeg) For Delineating Objective Measure Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sampath Jayarathna, Yasith Jayawardana, Mark Jaime, Sashi Thapaliya

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that often impairs a child's normal development of the brain. According to CDC, it is estimated that 1 in 6 children in the US suffer from development disorders, and 1 in 68 children in the US suffer from ASD. This condition has a negative impact on a person's ability to hear, socialize, and communicate. Subjective measures often take more time, resources, and have false positives or false negatives. There is a need for efficient objective measures that can help in diagnosing this disease early as possible with less effort. EEG measures the …

Don’T Make Your Guests Wait On Line, John Gerdes Jr., Betsy Stringham

ICHRIE Research Reports

This report compares hotel reservation website load times to best practice. Long load times can cause users to abandon websites, resulting in lost revenue. Results from our research indicate load times for hotel reservation websites exceed best practice times for both desktop and mobile devices. Site design must consider load time with competing design requirements.

Annual Report 2018-2019, Depaul University College Of Computing And Digital Media

CDM Annual Reports

LETTER FROM THE DEAN

I am pleased to share with you the 2018-19 College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) annual report, highlighting the important work done by our faculty, students, and staff. We’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again: it was a big year. In 2018-19, programs across all three of our schools (Computing, Cinematic Arts, and Design) were ranked nationally. Our faculty were published in dozens of scholarly journals, screened their films over 100 times, and had their work exhibited globally. Student and alumni accomplishments included an Emmy nomination, a first place win in a Department …

Introduction To Community Psychology: Becoming An Agent Of Change, Leonard A. Jason, Olya Glantsman, Jack F. O'Brien, Kaitlyn N. Ramian

College of Science and Health Full Text Publications

Introduction to Community Psychology: Becoming an Agent of Change tells the story of community psychologists, who view social problems as being due to the unequal distribution of resources, which causes poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and crime. In addition, because no condition or disease has ever been eliminated by just dealing with those with the problem, community psychologists focus their work on prevention. Finally, community psychology shifts the power dynamics so that community members are equal members of the team, as they provide unique points of view about barriers that need to be overcome in working toward social justice. In a sense, …

The Forgotten Fisa Court: Exploring The Inactivity Of The Atrc, Aram Gavoor, Timothy M. Belsan

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC) was established in 1996 after immense political pressure from the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton Administrations and wide bipartisan support to serve as a forum to prosecute the most complex and difficult national security immigration removal cases while protecting vital classified information from public disclosure. Yet, after twenty-three years, this Article III court has not heard a single case.

This Article provides a fresh and critical inquiry into this veritable zombie court that has fallen from the public consciousness, yet still exists with a standing cadre of designated judges. It fills a significant gap in …

From Dodge To Ebay: The Elusive Corporate Purpose, Dalia Tsuk Mitchell

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This article examines the history of the law of corporate purpose. I argue that the seemingly conflicting visions of corporate social responsibility and shareholder wealth maximization, which characterize contemporary debates about the subject, are grounded in two different paradigms for corporate law — a socio-political paradigm and an economic-financial one. Advocates of the socio-political paradigm have historically focused on the power that corporations could exercise in society, while those embracing the economic-financial paradigm expressed concerns about the power that the control group could exercise over the corporation’s shareholders. Over the course of the twentieth century, scholars have debated the merits …

A Wto If You Can Keep It, Steve Charnovitz

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Recalling how the free trader Benjamin Franklin pondered whether politics in America would be able to keep the republic he had helped to create, this essay looks at whether politics in the world will now be able to keep the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the face of the ongoing attacks by the US government. The essay makes several theoretical contributions: (1) to debunk the Trump Administration's arguments that there is a trade-off between American sovereignty and global governance by showing that this is a false dichotomy; (2) to identify the key design features of specialized international organizations that are …

Introduction To The Essays Of Warren Buffett: Lessons For Corporate America, Lawrence A. Cunningham

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This is Professor Cunningham's Introduction to his renowned edited collection of Warren Buffett's famous letters to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The collection was originally prepared for a symposium held in New York City in 1997 and has been regularly updated through five editions, with additional Buffett material and Cunningham annotations. This Introduction, from the fifth edition (2019), serves as an encapsulation of the main themes of the resulting collection and locates them in contemporary debates on matters of corporate governance; corporate finance and investing; mergers and acquisitions; and accounting and taxation.

Emerging Policy And Practice Issues (2018), Steven L. Schooner, David Berteau

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This paper/chapter, presented at the Thomson Reuters Government Contracts Year in Review Conference (covering 2018), attempts to identify the key evolving trends and issues in U.S. federal procurement for 2018 and beyond. Consistent with prior practice, this chapter offers extensive coverage of the federal procurement, grant, and defense spending trends and attempts to predict what lies ahead, particularly with regard to legislative and executive activity. This year's paper discusses, among other things, the high degree of uncertainty currently being experienced in the public procurement sphere, dramatic increases to the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds, the work of the Congressionally-mandated Section …

Effects Of Patch-Burn Grazing On Breeding Density And Territory Size Of Dickcissels, Bram H. F. Verheijen, Hannah L. Clipp, Alessandro J. Bartolo, William E. Jensen, Brett K. Sandercock

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Ongoing habitat loss and intensification of management of remaining grasslands have led to large population declines of grassland songbirds in North America. As an alternative to intensive and homogeneous use of rangelands, patch-burn grazing creates heterogeneity in vegetative structure across the landscape by restoring the historical interaction of fire and grazing by large ungulates. Patch-burn grazing can increase diversity and abundance of grassland songbirds, but effects on local breeding density and territory size remain unknown, despite both being important in regulating population dynamics of species. Understanding patterns of density and territory size across the landscape is especially important for species …

Gps Technology For Semi-Aquatic Turtle Research, Madaline M. Cochrane, Donald J. Brown, Ron A. Moen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Global positioning system (GPS) telemetry units are now small enough to be deployed on terrestrial and semi-aquatic turtles. Many of these GPS units use snapshot technology which collects raw satellite and timestamp data during brief periods of data recording to minimize size. We evaluated locations from snapshot GPS units in stationary tests and on wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) in northeastern Minnesota. Stationary GPS units were placed in wood turtle habitat to evaluate location accuracy, fix success rate, and directional bias. The GPS fix success rate and accuracy were reduced in closed canopy conditions and when the stationary GPS unit was …

Effects Of The Sex Of The Perpetrator On Victims’ Subsequent Sexual Behaviors And Adulthood Sexual Orientations, Sandra S. Stroebel, Stephen L. O'Keefe, Karen Griffee, Karen V. Harper-Dorton, Keith W. Beard, Debra H. Young, Sam Swindell, Walter E. Stroupe, Kerri Steele, Megan Lawhon, Shih-Ya Kuo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Data from 2,828 female and 1,556 male adult participants from a general population convenience sample were used to measure the effect of the sex of the perpetrator on the adult sexual orientation of the victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) by adult male or female perpetrators and early incest with parents or early incest with siblings. Sexual behaviors with female perpetrators tended to promote an orientation toward sex with females and analogous behaviors with male perpetrators tended to promote an orientation toward sex with males in victims of both sexes. Many forms of incest or CSA increased the likelihood the …

A Common Arthropod From The Late Ordovician Big Hill Lagerstätte (Michigan) Reveals An Unexpected Ecological Diversity Within Chasmataspidida, James C. Lamsdell, Gerald O. Gunderson, Ronald C. Meyer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Chasmataspidids are a rare group of chelicerate arthropods known from 12 species assigned to ten genera, with a geologic range extending from the Ordovician to the Devonian. The Late Ordovician (Richmondian) fauna of the Big Hill Lagerstätte includes a new species of chasmataspidid represented by 55 specimens. This taxon is only the second chasmataspidid described from the Ordovician and preserves morphological details unknown from any of the previously described species.

Results

The new chasmataspidid species is described as Hoplitaspis hiawathai gen. et sp. nov.. Comparison with all other known chasmataspidids indicates that Hoplitaspisoccupies an intermediate morphological position between …

Development And Validation Of The Vending Evaluation For Nutrient-Density (Vend)Ing Audit, Tanya M. Horacek, Elif D. Yildirim, Melissa M. Schreiber, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Sarah Colby, Adrienne A. White, Karla P. Shelnutt, Melissa D. Olfert, Anne E. Matthews, Kristin Riggsbee, Lisa Frazen-Castle, Jesse S. Morrell, Kendra Kattelmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: This paper describes the development and validation of the Vending Evaluation for Nutrient-Density (VEND)ing audit to comprehensively evaluate vended products based upon healthfulness, price and promotion, and machine accessibility. Methods: A novel vending nutrient-density score was created to determine the healthfulness of vended snack/beverage products. Field tested in United States colleges, VENDing audit (∑nutrient-density + 10 × % healthy products) and Support sub-scores (price + promotion + accessibility) were calculated for snack/beverage machines. Higher scores indicate more healthful vending options and supports for choosing healthfully. Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Vending (NEMS-V) was used to validate the nutrient-density score for a …

Comparing Stakeholder Attitudes Toward White-Tailed Deer And Rare Plant Management In Canaan Valley, West Virginia, Kelley L. Flaherty, Philip J. Turk, James T. Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Canaan Valley, West Virginia, USA provides habitat for many plants considered rare in West Virginia. The local white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimm.) are a popular attraction for visitors as well as resident and nonresident hunters. However, concerns exist over the impact of white-tailed deer herbivory on rare plant communities in the wetlands. We evaluated stakeholder attitudes regarding white-tailed deer management and rare plant conservation by mailing surveys to property owners in Canaan Valley and Tucker County, WV, and providing surveys to visitors at Canaan Valley State Park and National Wildlife Refuge. Individuals that had incurred crop damage were …

Challenges In Understanding The Structure/Activity Relationship Of Aβ Oligomers, Albert W. Pilkington, Justin Legleiter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

A major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the accumulation and deposition of fibrillar aggregates of the amyloid-b (Ab) peptide into neuritic plaques. These amyloid deposits were thought to play a central role in AD; however, the correlation between plaque load and disease is weak. Increasing evidence supports the notion that a variety of small, globular aggregates of Ab, referred to broadly as Ab oligomers (AbO), may in fact be the primary culprits associated with neurotoxicity. Evaluation of AbO structure and physiological activity is complicated by their metastability, heterogeneity, complex aggregation pathways, and dependence on experimental conditions. Numerous different types …

Targeted Molecular Iron Oxide Contrast Agents For Imaging Atherosclerotic Plaque, Rhiannon J. Evans, Begona Lavin, Alkystis Phinikaridou, Kok Y. Chooi, Zahra Mohri, Eunice Wong, Joseph J. Boyle, Rob Krams, Rene Botnar, Nicholas J. Long

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Overview: Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide, with vulnerable plaque rupture the underlying cause of many heart attacks and strokes. Much research is focused on identifying an imaging biomarker to differentiate stable and vulnerable plaque. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-ionising and non-invasive imaging modality with excellent soft tissue contrast. However, MRI has relatively low sensitivity (micromolar) for contrast agent detection compared to nuclear imaging techniques. There is also an increasing emphasis on developing MRI probes that are not based on gadolinium chelates because of increasing concerns over associated systemic toxicity and deposits1. To address the …

Grazing Stockpiled Tall Fescue, Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

WVU-Extension fact sheet

Contralateral Repeated Bout Effect Of The Elbow Flexors Not Observed In Young Women, Bailey Brown

Honors Theses

The contralateral repeated bout effect (CL-RBE) is known as a protective effect in which an initial bout of eccentric exercise reduces muscle damage in the contralateral limb after a similar bout of eccentric exercise. To our knowledge, previous studies on CL-RBE only recruited males or a mixture of both sexes. PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of the CL-RBE of the elbow flexors in women. METHODS: Twelve healthy women (20.9 ± 2.5 years) performed two bouts of 45 maximal eccentric contractions (ECC) of the elbow flexors using the opposite arm separated by 14 days. The isokinetic muscle strength (60°/sec) was measured …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of A Recombinant Simian Varicella Virus Vaccine Expressing Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Envelope And Capsid Proteins, Thomas G. Wichman

Honors Theses

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects CD4+ T-lymphocytes, which when left untreated, later develops into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Up to 25,000 people die every week from AIDS infection, making HIV and AIDS research a very high priority for virologists. While highly researched by scholars around the world, no person has been able to develop a successful vaccine, as the retroviral nature of the virus and its high mutation rate make vaccine development incredibly difficult. However, recombinant genetic technology will hopefully allow the revolutionization of vaccines which have already proven effective in immunization. The already developed varicella-zoster …

The Role Of The Age/Rage Signaling Pathway In Cardiac Fibroblast Migration, Mallory B. Harmon

Honors Theses

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States with around 30 million who suffer from diabetes and 84 million who are considered pre-diabetic. Diabetic individuals are at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease due to a stiffening of the left ventricle, which is thought to occur through fibroblast “activation” mediated by increased AGE/RAGE signaling. Advanced glycated end products (AGEs) accumulate within the body overtime and are accelerated under hyperglycemic conditions, and AGEs exert their effects by binding to their receptor (RAGE). Fibroblast “activation” is marked by elevated levels of α-smooth muscle actin expression and …

Chinese Male Homosexual Identity Construction On Yaba(丫吧), Brendan Ryan

Honors Theses

Jianshangdejiaoyaba (肩上的脚丫吧), also known as Yaba (丫吧), is a forum on the Chinese website Baidu Tieba (百度贴吧) containing stories and questions from users that focus on homosexual experience and identity in China. The members of the forum communicate using Linyu (淋语), a form of Chinese Internet Language (CIL). This thesis seeks to understand why and how Yaba (丫吧) users use the word ji (鸡: chicken) and female kinship terms, two prominent features of Linyu (淋语). The research uses methodologies in virtual ethnography to conceptualize Yaba (丫吧) as a research site. To better understand the research site and the experience of …

Commodity Fetishism And Performative Identity: Studying The Effects Of Neoliberal Reform On The Work Of Non-Governmental Organizations In Cairo, Cynthia N. Bauer

Honors Theses

This paper explores the economic dimension of identity politics, exemplified in the case study of the NGO Safarni in Cairo, Egypt. In doing so, I argue that neoliberal economic reform has led to an expansion of the capitalist mindset to include new subjectivities, one of which is the categorization of identity. By teaching values of "diversity" and "openness," and getting significant international funding to do so, Safarni is participating in a system that is creating a new type of labor and laborer, and where this labor is one in which the self objectifies itself.