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Grand Valley Magazine, Vol. 24, No 1, Fall 2024, Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley Magazine

Grand Valley Magazine is a quarterly publication about Grand Valley State University produced by University Communications since 2001.

Friend Or Faux: A Scientific Comparison Of Reciprocal Relationships And Parasocial Relationships And Their Psychological Effects, Emma J. Krouse

Honors Theses

The prominence of social media in our society has led to an increase in the presence of parasocial relationships—a relationship in which someone perceives another person as having an interpersonal relationship with them, despite not interacting with the media user directly. Our current body of literature has produced little understanding of how these relationships compare to reciprocal relationships, in terms of their psychological ramifications. Specifically, there is little consensus in the literature about what factors of well-being are most impacted by sustaining parasocial relationships. This study aimed to investigate these gaps in knowledge and compare how these different types of …

Independent Mediation: A Restorative Justice Approach To Conflict Resolution Among College Roommates, Sarah Morris

Honors Theses

College roommates significantly impact students' college experience. Universities have traditionally aimed to improve roommate satisfaction through pairing strategies, but evolving technology trends regarding students independently selecting roommates via social media have limited this application. This research proposes an alternative: equipping students with informal restorative justice training to independently manage roommate conflicts. Drawing on restorative justice principles, the training focuses on developing skills in active listening, framing dialogue, and crafting effective, non-transactional apologies. These methods foster accountability and empower students to collaboratively resolve conflicts without university intervention. This informal approach minimizes logistical burdens compared to formal restorative justice programs. The training …

Effect Of Washing On Plastic Bag Surface Composition And Color, Katelyn Haas

Honors Theses

Plastic is prevalent in each aspect of everyday life. Due to its regular use and pervasiveness, plastic is a type of evidence that persists at a crime scene. The color and chemical signature of a plastic can be used to identify a potential common source of the bag and aid in the investigation of a crime. Plastic trash bags, composed of low-density polyethylene, colorants and/or coatings, are a common plastic submitted for analysis. However, pretreatment of the plastic in the lab before analysis (i.e. washing away debris) could alter the color and chemical signature. A deeper understanding of the extent …

Bridging The Gap: Factors Affecting College Students’ Use Of University Health Services, Courtney Rudolph

Honors Theses

This thesis, titled “Bridging the Gap: Factors Affecting College Students' Use of University Health Services," investigates the barriers and motivators influencing student engagement with campus health resources at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Given that approximately 2,000 college health centers across the U.S. serve over 20 million students, understanding why some students underutilize these services is crucial for enhancing campus health outcomes (National College Health Assessment - ACHA, 2024). Using a mixed-methods approach, the research gathered data through surveys (n = 118) and an in-depth interview with the EKU Student Health Coordinator. The study aimed to identify key factors affecting students' …

We Aren’T Laughing: Analysis Of Male Stand-Up Comedy And Violence Against Women, Kaylynn R. Smith

Honors Theses

Misogyny is a prime example of a concept that humans cannot fully solve. In this thesis, I am examining comedy as an outlet for misogyny in today’s culture. This thesis collects data from the social media platform, TikTok, to gather social reactions to a prominent and controversial act in stand-up comedy. This act was performed by Matt Rife in November of 2023 on the popular streaming service, Netflix. In this particular act, Rife opened to his live audience with a joke about domestic violence and its victims. This study includes a qualitative content analysis of both the Netflix special and …

Investigating The Bioactive Properties Of The Genus Lygodium Through Phytochemical Composition Analysis, Sasha N. Carrasco

Honors Theses

Many of the secondary metabolites produced by plants serve as a chemical defense mechanism against herbivory, some of which have been utilized by humans for medicine (Kusari et al., 2014, Facchini and De Luca, 2008). While many phytochemicals have been identified in angiosperms, other major land plant lineages have received less attention despite their taxonomic diversity and putative utility. For instance, some species of monilophyte (ferns), are used medicinally by indigenous cultures to treat various ailments (Wong et al., 2018). Of focus in this manuscript is the genus, Lygodium (Sw.) which is comprised of climbing ferns exhibiting worldwide distribution. Previous …

Occupational Therapy In Psychiatry: A Safe, Affordable Approach For Better Care, Isabelle G. Cassada

Honors Theses

Occupational therapy (OT) is a therapeutic practice designed to enhance independence in individuals’ activities of daily living (ADL) across all age groups. While widely recognized for its role in physical rehabilitation, it is less commonly applied in mental health care. This underutilization can be attributed to a significant gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of OT in improving occupational function (OF) for individuals experiencing the negative effects of mental illnesses. Notably, OT in mental health care is not a new concept and dates to before World War I (WWI). This thesis conducts a literature review of fifty-one sources to …

Behind Every Strong Man Is An Even Stronger Woman: Women In The Wwe, Jenna Roberts

Honors Theses

Women in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have come to the forefront of WWE programming form out of nowhere. This honors thesis sets out to show that this narrative is false and that the progression of women in the WWE began long before the company had its current name. This thesis uses the theory of the four waves of feminism to show the correlation of the evolution of women in society to the evolution of women in the WWE. In doing so, this project shows both the similarities and differences between the women in the WWE and women in the United …

9/11: Fueling The Misleading Fire Of War And Its Reflection In Country Music, Corban L. Profitt

Honors Theses

The interplay between American patriotism and country music underwent a profound transformation in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, as significant historical events reshaped national identity. This project examines the evolution of conservative patriotism in country music through key events such as the Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and the First Gulf War, culminating in the post-9/11 era and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It explores how these geopolitical shifts influenced public sentiment and how country musicians became both commentators and amplifiers of national rhetoric. The pre-9/11 era saw artists like Merle Haggard and Hank Williams Jr. use their …

Voicing Experience: Learning About And Understanding The Latina Experience In The United States Through Coming-Of-Age Literature, Audrey G. Childress

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the works of Latina female authors from the United States of America in the coming-of-age genre and how the themes addressed in the novels provide readers with insight into what aspects of the Latino culture in the United States affect the decisions Latina women make when it comes to deciding whether to pursue higher education. The thesis examines three novels by Latina authors from the United States in the coming-of-age genre. These novels include The House on Mango Street, The Poet X , and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. It discusses themes such as …

Highs And Hollows: Exploring The Overall Drug Use Of Kentucky Universities From Urban To Appalachian, Venessa Miller

Honors Theses

Drugs cause chemical changes to a person’s mental and physical state and the misuse of such substances is a problem that affects not only strangers but our community and those closest to us. It is of utmost importance to determine the root and depth of the drug problem, especially among populations where the risk is highest. College students, also known as emerging adults, are a vulnerable group due to their unique environment that fosters higher exposure rates and the normalization of substance use. The current study focuses on students in higher educational institutions throughout Kentucky, a state known for being …

State Solutions To Human Trafficking: A Critical Backbone In Combating The Tragedy, Gabriella Weiss

Honors Theses

This honors thesis paper provides an overview of human trafficking in the United States and the states’ roles for addressing the problem. It starts off by describing the background behind human trafficking, including the typical victims, perpetrators, and the locations where victims are found. In order to better understand the context of state solutions, the next section describes the current federal government’s anti-human trafficking efforts as that is important to better understand state roles and responsibilities. This section includes the current enacted laws and legislatures, victim services, awareness programs, intelligence sharing and investigation agencies, and funding. The state section includes …

Geopolitical Shifts In Scandinavia: Analyzing The Diplomatic Trajectories Of Sweden And Finland, Pedro Ruvalcaba

Honors Theses

The geopolitical landscape of Scandinavia has witnessed significant transformations over the past century, bringing nations like Sweden and Finland to the forefront of international relations discourse. This thesis examines the evolving diplomatic strategies of these countries in response to contemporary geopolitical challenges, including the assertiveness of Russia, the rise of global powers such as China and North Korea, and the implications of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 serves as a critical juncture, prompting Sweden and Finland to reevaluate their long-standing policies of neutrality and non-alignment, ultimately leading to their recent NATO membership.

Tracing the …

Review Of "Minority Discourses In Germany Since 1990", Karolina Hicke

German Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Fail Fast, Fail Small: Designing Resilient Systems For The Future Of Software Engineering, Jill Willard, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The principles of "fail fast, fail small" have emerged as critical in modern software and system design. By planning for minor, manageable failures instead of catastrophic breakdowns, developers can ensure that systems degrade gracefully, maintaining functionality even when encountering issues. This article delves into strategies for designing resilient systems, beginning with the concept of slow degradation and distributed systems that prioritize core functions while allowing non-critical components to fail without significant user impact. The Netflix recommendation engine serves as a prime example of a system that continues to operate under failure conditions. Chaos engineering, a proactive methodology for stress-testing system …

2024 October, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for October of 2024.

Network Effects, Word Of Mouth, And Entry Performance: A Study Of Digital Freemium Products, Noman Shaheer, Liang Chen, Jingtao Yi, Sali Li, Huiwen Su

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

International entry research rarely examines strategies affecting entry performance in a target country, largely due to data limitations in the traditional multinational enterprise setting. However, the emergence of digital business with trackable international performance data helps address this gap. We utilize digital freemium products as our research context to examine the effect of two major demand-side strategies associated with freemium products, network effects and word-of-mouth (WOM), on entry performance across different institutional environments. By analyzing 1,891 freemium games, we show that lower network readiness of a target country strengthens the impact of network effects on entry performance whereas higher network …

Insights From An Updated Personnel Selection Meta-Analytic Matrix: Revisiting General Mental Ability Tests’ Role In The Validity-Diversity Trade-Off, Christopher M. Berry, Filip Lievens, Charlene Zhang, Paul R. Sackett

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

General mental ability (GMA) tests have long been at the heart of the validity–diversity trade-off, with conventional wisdom being that reducing their weight in personnel selection can improve adverse impact, but that this results in steep costs to criterion-related validity. However, Sackett et al. (2022) revealed that the criterion-related validity of GMA tests has been considerably overestimated due to inappropriate range restriction corrections. Thus, we revisit the role of GMA tests in the validity-diversity trade-off using an updated meta-analytic correlation matrix of the relationships six selection methods (biodata, GMA tests, conscientiousness tests, structured interviews, integrity tests, and situational judgment tests) …

Intertidal Seagrass Extent From Sentinel-2 Time-Series Show Distinct Trajectories In Western Europe, Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies, Simon Oiry, Philippe Rosa, Maria Laura Zoffoli, Ana I. Sousa, Oliver R. Thomas, Dan A. Smale, Melanie C. Austen, Lauren Biermann, Martin J. Attrill, Alejandro Roman, Gabriel Navarro, Anne Laure Barillé, Nicolas Harin, Daniel Clewley, Victor Martinez-Vicente, Pierre Gernez, Laurent Barillé

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Intertidal areas, which emerge during low tide, form a vital link between terrestrial and marine environments. Seagrasses, a well-studied intertidal habitat, provide a multitude of different ecosystem goods and services. However, owing to their relatively high exposure to anthropogenic impacts, seagrasss meadows and other intertidal habitats have seen extensive declines. Remote sensing methods that can capture the spatial and temporal variation of marine habitats are essential to best assess the trajectories of seagrass ecosystems. An advanced machine learning method has been developed to map intertidal vegetation from satellite-derived surface reflectance at a 12-band multispectral resolution and distinguish between similarly pigmented …

Voices From The Field: How Did You Come To Engage In Students-As-Partners Work?, Aisha Naz Ansari, Felix Reid, Jem Hunt, Marissa Chow, Tanya Henry, Kelly Matthews, Tracy Douglas, Caroline Campbell, Thomas Rodgers, Suzanne Faulkner, Elizabeth Dombi, Lynne Jones, Lauren Mcmichan, Gillian Melville, Subethra Pather, M. Dulce Estêvão, Brent Terwilliger, Emily Faulconer, Robert Deters, Darryl Chamberlain, Amanda Millmore, Alex Tang, Gabriella Wong, Meg Wang, Sara Hamidi, Karen Arm, Kike Ladipo, Joanna Wilson-Scott, Mary Pryor, Mailie Besson, Samu Turi, Joy Perkins, Alexis Skopelitis, Scott Hicks, Zoha Aftab, Catherine Bovill, Kathryn Waddington, Sandra Smeltzer, Fatima Iftikhar, Jeremy Moulton, Jordan Ross, Alecia Matthews, Michelle Willmers, Ellie Davison, Thomas Hobson, Cassandra Iannucci, Loykie Lomine, Tamara Hervey, Rachael Lewitzky, Asia Majeed, Steve Briggs, Hurshal Pol, Kiu Sum, Chante Johannes, Tiffany Yeung, John Parkin

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The language of students as partners was cemented into higher education (HE) practice and scholarship 10 years ago. While it had been circulating in higher education policy, practices, and publications before that, two key 2014 publications on engaging students as partners, or SaP, inspired a myriad of practices and publications brought together by the relational, values-based ethos of partnership (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Healey et al., 2014). A seductively simple idea— that students can collaborate with staff as partners on matters of teaching and learning—landed at the right time. The higher education sector was increasingly fixated on student involvement and …

October 2024 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Zno Nps On Ovarian Histological Structure And Function In Adult Female Rats, Noori M. Luaibi, Faisal G. Lazim, Haidar J. Muhammed

Baghdad Science Journal

Nanotechnology is one of the most important techniques that is widely used in many fields by changing the physical and chemical properties of materials to form new scale substances called nanoparticles to make them more effective. ZnO NPs is one of these particles that is used in multiple applications, especially in cosmetic and sunscreen products. Thus, the uses of these particles in great quantities make them in constant contact with the body and can enter the circulating blood in a different ways. The aim of this study was to find out the effect of ZnO NPs on the histological structure …

Synthesis, Spectroscopic, And Characterization Of Novel Nano Sized Mannich Base Complexes With Pt (Iv) And Au (Iii) Ions And Assessing Their Antioxidants Activity, Alya'a J. Ahmed, Mahasin F. Alias

Baghdad Science Journal

This study focuses on the synthesis of nano pt(IV) and Au(III) Mannich base complexes derived from ciprofloxacin by the ultrasonic sonication method. The size and morphology of nanocomplex were measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray differentiation (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Newly synthesized ligand and their metal complexes were tested for their ability to scavenge free radicals at concentrations between 6.25 and 100 µg/ml using their interaction with the stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). It has been demonstrated that all compounds enhance antioxidant activity in …

Mixed Ligand Complex: Synthesis, Characterization, And Investigation Of Biomedical Activity, Elaf A. Mousa, Basim I. Al-Abdaly

Baghdad Science Journal

A new complex, CuCl2.2H2O (M), was synthesized to react with melatonin (L1) and one of the amino acids (L-cysteine, L2) in a mole ratio of (1:1:1) (M: L1:L2) to produce the metal complex. The synthesized complex was then characterized using spectral techniques including infrared (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TG), flame atomic absorption (AAS), micro elemental analysis (CHNS), melting point (m.p.) measurement, and determination of chloride. Octahedral geometry was proposed for the complex. The copper complex was paramagnetic and non-electrolyte. The synthesized complex was evaluated as an antibacterial and antifungal agent against Escherchia coli (G-) and Staphylococcus aureus (G+). fungus Candida. The …

Radioactive Source-Detector System: Design And Monte Carlo Opinion, Zainab Kareem Ali, Ali N. Mohammed

Baghdad Science Journal

In the current research, a computer simulation program was designed and written according to the Monte Carlo method to serve as a virtual practical system instead of a real one. The program has been statistically, geometrically and numerically tested for virtual radioactive source-detector setup. The simulation program is carried out for NaI(Tl) detector, and once for Gieger-Muller counter, for a range of energy up to 10 MeV. The Law of Large Numbers and the Central Limit Theorem were used to test the accuracy and precision of the program’s workflow and an indication of how the results are close to their …

Amoxicillin And Favipiravir Bio-Degradation By Aspergillus Flavus Fungus, Rana Hadi Hameed Al-Shammari, Shaimaa Satae M. Ali, Ayad M.J. Al-Mamoori

Baghdad Science Journal

The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize Amoxicillin and Favipiravir biodegrading fungi as well as determine their characteristics and degradation pathways. The antibiotic-degrading fungus A. flavus was isolated from polluted wastewater samples using standard Potato Dextrose agar and Czapek–Dox medium. The biodegradation method was investigated in previous mediums with (Amoxicillin and Favipiravir), as the sole carbon sources. Main degradation intermediates were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and used to deduce the antibiotic degradation pathway of strain A. flavus fungal hyphae by Scanning Electron Microscopy before and after 7 days of treatment to find out the accumulation …

Synergistic Influence Of Non-Thermal Plasma And Hydrogen Peroxide On Oxidative Desulfurization (Ods) Of Model Fuel, Noor M. Abdullah, Hussien Q. Hussien, Rana R. Jalil

Baghdad Science Journal

Desulfurization is the process of removing the organic sulfur component from fuel oils. In this work, model fuel containing the sulfur compounds benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene was oxidized using plasma technique and plasma technique assisted by 30% hydrogen peroxide. Acetonitrile was used as a polar solvent in a liquid-liquid extraction stage that followed the oxidation reaction to remove the produced sulfones from the model fuel. The oxidation process was performed at operating conditions including the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to sulfur (5:1), temperature 50 ºC, air flow rate 75 ml/min, and voltage 11000 volts. The oxidation reaction was done using …

Principally Ss-Supplemented Modules, Ahmed H. Alwan

Baghdad Science Journal

In this paper, we introduce and study the concepts of principally ss-supplemented and principally ss-lifting modules. These two concepts are natural generalizations of the concepts of ss-supplemented and ss-lifting modules. Several properties of these modules are proven. Here, principally ss-lifting modules are focused on. New characterizations of principally ss-supplemented modules are made using principally ss-lifting modules. Here, weakly principally ss-supplemented is defined. It is proved that a module T is weakly principally ss-supplemented module if and only if it is principally ss-supplemented. One of the first results states that every strongly local module is principally ss-supplemented. It is shown that …

The Effectiveness Of Calcium Supplement As Orally Contrast Media For Gastric Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Zainab Abdulla Mankhi, Khalid Ibrahim Riah, Ahmed Mehmood Abdul-Lettif

Baghdad Science Journal

The objective of the present work aims to find an alternative oral contrast agent that could be used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the gastrointestinal system and satisfy the following criteria: it should be safe, it has no or few side effects, it is inexpensive, and it produces the highest imaging quality. The method: We prepared samples (solutions) as oral contrast agents by separately dissolving calcium and magnesium supplements (taken daily dose) in varied quantities of distilled water. In order to identify the sample with the lowest concentration and best quantitative image, the samples were examined in MRI by …