Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Participation In Play Through Staff Training At We Rock The Spectrum, Megan Poppens

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed by partnering with We Rock the Spectrum in Franklin, Tennessee. We Rock the Spectrum is an inclusive, sensory-safe play environment for all children. The goal was to provide education, coaching, and practical tips for staff to foster increased inclusion and participation in play. A training manual was created with topics including the impact of play, development, respectful disability language, disability terms and abbreviations, sensory regulation, safety, common misconceptions, pediatric diagnoses, strategies for leading groups, behavior management, and interacting one-on-one with children. The educational resources were used to enhance the staff member’s knowledge, confidence, and skills …

Expanding The Availability Of Adapted Athletics For Youth With Physical Disabilities In Middle Tennessee, Alexandra Hurd

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with ABLE Youth in Nashville, TN. ABLE Youth is a non-profit organization that uses sports as the motivation for children who use wheelchairs to reach their goals of independence. The two main goals of this project were as follows: One, to facilitate the Music City Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, the largest adaptive athletics event in Tennessee, and Two, to expand the variety of sports offered at the monthly Super Sports Saturday events. By the end of this capstone experience, volleyball and lacrosse were introduced to the ABLE youth program participants. Ideas for future …

The Effect Of Visual Dominance On Word Learning In Infants And Adults, Lauren Tocco, Abby Vonk, Grace Sarafa, Calista Burke, Chloe Swanson

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Learning new words is critical in infancy, and continues to play a role in learning throughout the lifespan. In infancy, it often involves discerning the link between an object and its name. However, when an object's name is heard, many objects could be present, making it difficult to determine which object goes with the name. Yu and Smith (2012) documented one factor that may aid early word learning: infants hold objects close to their faces, making those objects appear larger ("visual dominance"). They found correlational evidence that successful name learning was associated with visual dominance. We adapted a method used …

Turbulence And Zonal-Flow Impact In The Madison Symmetric Torus In Quasi-Single Helicity, Nicholas J. Kaipainen, Y. L. De Jong, L. Helder, M. J. Pueschel, J. S. Sarff, P. W. Terry, P. D. Vanmeter

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Reversed-Field Pinches (RFPs) operating in the Quasi-Single-Helicity (QSH) magnetic geometry exhibit significant improvements in confinement time as compared to standard discharges due to the efficient saturation of large-scale tearing modes. This modification to the magnetic geometry and profiles introduces new instabilities which drive transport. This work focuses on diagnosing the microinstabilities and microturbulence in a non-reversed Madison Symmetric Torus QSH experiment. Local gyrokinetic simulations are conducted with the GENE code to identify the dominant instabilities as ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) and density-gradient-driven trapped-electron-mode (TEM) at core and edge radial locations, respectively. It has been previously observed in the RFP (Williams PoP 2017) …

Pessimism And Virtuous Hope: Can They Coexist?, Allie Prindle, Alexa Burgess, Katherine Yakes

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The purpose of this study is to conduct an exploratory analysis to understand if high pessimism and high virtuous Ithemba hope (see table below) can coexist as individual differences. The virtue of Ithemba hope is operationally defined as a purposeful vision in adversity, encouraging others for the common good (Thomas et al. under review). A qualitative study has suggested that the virtue of hope can coexist with pessimism especially in the context of high adversity, showing that anticipating bad events with a hopeful mindset can result in positive outcomes of flourishing (Thomas et al., 2022). This study builds on the …

Potential Non-Carbonate Buffering In An Interdunal Wetland/Slack Along Lake Michigan, Faith Huff

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Interdunal wetlands/slacks occur in Lake Michigan's coastal dunes where the wind scours the sand to the water table. Since May 2016 we have performed ecohydrological studies on the largest interdunal wetlands/slack, ~1.25 ha in size, lying within a deflated parabolic dune east of Lake Michigan at the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Michigan. The slack’s hydrology is influenced by Lake Michigan-Huron, appearing and increasing in size and water depth with rising lake levels and decreasing in size to drying with low levels. Prior to 2014, the slack was completely dry and dominated by upland dune species due to low lake levels. …

Longitudinal Effects Of Meaning-Making Expressive Writing On Mental Health, Chloe Swanson, Carmen Casper, Isabella Brady, Claire Van Duinen

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Research suggests that repeated expressive writing is beneficial for one's health and can help individuals psychologically process adversity (Sexton & Pennebaker, 2009). Because research has demonstrated that expressive writing improves one's outlook on life, it is valuable to determine the most effective method of expressive writing for the best outcomes on mental health. One valuable mechanism by which a journal may improve mental health is through enhancing meaning (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020). Accordingly, we examined the longitudinal effects of journaling mental health over time. We hypothesized that participants who journal over a series of weeks with the intention of …

Changes In Working Memory Performance With Various Simultaneous External Stimulation, Mackenzie Korff, Wyatt Oonk, Riley Checkley, Mackenzie Halton

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

A physically active lifestyle is associated with improved quality of life. Consequently, technologies have advanced to create active walking or cycling workstations where individuals may increase their physical activity in an otherwise sedentary work-related setting. The effectiveness of these active workstations on the brain’s working memory; its ability to process linguistic and conscious perceptual stimuli, is not well understood. This study evaluated changes in working memory by comparing N back-2 scores while completing a heart rate monitored, low-intensity, cycle ergometer exercise protocol. Three conditions were tested during three visits, one week apart from each other. For each trial, the participants …

Development Of A Liquid Chromatography Method For The Quantification Of Carbohydrates In Peat Soils, Christopher Klaver, Parker Diaz, Abigail Brewer, Gael Figueroa-Enriquez, Madison Smith

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Peatlands are an important carbon sink. However, climate change threatens to cause the peatlands to release their stored-up carbon. This would result in lots of carbon dioxide and methane to be released into the atmosphere due to the increased peat decomposition. This would end up forming a positive feedback loop, and thus resulting in more and more carbon lost from the peat. The biochemical composition of the peat is an indicator of the degradation state of the peat as well as its ongoing vulnerability to decomposition. In this study, we developed an HPLC method for analyzing the carbohydrate composition of …

The Synthesis And Electropolymerization Of Porphyrin-Substituted Ethylenedioxythiophene (Edot) Monomers, Benjamin D. Mcintyre, Joshua A. Hawkins, Kenneth L. Brown

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Two electroactive monomers were synthesized for use in forming redox-active films on electrodes. Such electroactive films are useful as redox mediating coatings in the functionalization of electrodes for sensor applications. Tetraphenylporphyrins were coupled to 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) using different connector lengths and then metallated with iron to form monomers capable of electropolymerization. Hydroxymethyl EDOT was tosylated and then reacted with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde in a Williamson ether synthesis to give an EDOT-functionalized aldehyde. This aldehyde was condensed with pyrrole under acidic conditions to form a novel EDOT-substituted porphyrin. The second porphyrin monomer was prepared similarly with a four carbon chain connector inserted between …

No "Butts" About It: The Heavy Metal Impact Of Cigarette Litter, Faith Huff, Connor Monson, Spencer Whittington

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Cigarettes are the most common litter globally. Following smoking, the filter is left with carcinogenic compounds, tar and metals. All of which are highly toxic for wildlife, affecting reproduction, behavior and mortality rate in animals. The heavy metals that are left within the filter also have potential to leach from the cigarettes and enter the groundwater system. As these heavy metals enter the system, it leads to adverse effects on the environment and can cause detrimental health effects in humans, such as cell damage, induced carcinogenic processes and loss of cellular functions. Much research that exists currently only focuses on …

What Makes A Host Unique? A Prototype Analysis, Tyler Kennedy, Tasia Parsons, Lauren Zago

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The concept of hospitality has been in human culture for thousands of years. However, despite its historical significance, hosting has mostly been overlooked in scientific studies. Although a scale for measuring hospitality was recently developed (Meagher et. a, 2022), it draws from philosophical and theological accounts of hospitality. The current study instead investigates the associations held by the general population regarding the concept of a good host, relative to a good visitor and a good person. Following the procedure used by Samuelson et. al (2014), two studies investigate what attributes are most prototypical of a good host.

In Study 1, …

Explainability In Multivariate Time Series Classification Machine Learning Models, Emanuel Sanchez, Giovanni Battaglia

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Explainability within models is a crucial part of machine learning (ML) models because it promotes trust in the models by providing insights into how their predictions were determined. Our study applies the classification model XCM's explainability component in identifying the critical features leading to classification decisions on data collected while participants performed patient-handling tasks on manikins. Studies show that nurses sustain musculoskeletal injuries early in their career, attributable to some extent to posture adopted during patienthandling tasks. The ML models classify posture adopted during tasks as "good", "poor", or, in some cases, "neutral", where good posture minimizes the risk of …

Effects Of Role Models And Empathy On Moral Foundations In Pre-Health Students, Jenna Mccormick

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The presence and quality of a role model while a medical student progresses through their graduate level training has a positive impact on their ability to succeed. This is especially applicable when considering a student’s empathy levels and changes in their moral foundations during their education. Though medical school can oftentimes be a more stressful and rigorous environment, research has not yet evaluated whether these findings already begin at the undergraduate level. The data for this study is panel data including pre-health undergraduates and those who at some point were pre-health. This study looks at how mentorship while in undergraduate …

Environment And Sexual Expression: Hormone-Induced Sex Change In Sexually Plastic Trees, Jillian Hickok, Colin Kalkman, Michael Laporte, Arsh Mir, Samantha Weaver

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

In a small number of species, plant sex expression is an environmentally determined characteristic and can change throughout the organism’s lifetime. This plastic response to environmental changes has important and intrinsically interesting ecological and evolutionary implications, but is as yet an understudied phenomenon. In particular, little is known about the proximate hormonal cues that mediate plastic sex determination. This study examines the impact of selective hormonal treatment on sex expression in a sexually plastic tree species, Acer Pensylvaticum, with the aim of further elucidating this idiosyncratic process. Live A. pensylvanicum twig samples were taken from five trees in Sleeping …

Memorable Messages Regarding Adoption And Religion: Perspectives Of Adult Adoptees, Kendall Maes, Katherine Martin

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Adoptive parents commonly report religious motivations as a driver in their decision to adopt (Helder & Marr, 2020) and a small literature examines ways that adoptive parents use religious meaning-making to frame their experience as adoptive parents (Firmin, 2017). However, little research has examined the perspective of adult adoptees regarding memorable messages linking religion and adoption that they heard while growing up and the impact of these messages. Adoptees encounter microaggressions, when individuals make assumptions based on the adoptee's race, ethnicity, or background. This has a negative effect on the mental health of adoptees. The current study sought to identify …

Ubiquitination Of Xct: Impacts On The Protein's Stability, Turnover Rate, And Localization, Sofia Rosenberger

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

System x_c^- imports cystine and exports glutamate. Its presence on the plasma membrane has been shown to increase directly with oxidative insults. Ubiquitin, a small protein, is directly involved in the trafficking and degradation of numerous proteins within cells and has been shown to bind to System x_c^-. Moreover, upon oxidative insult, protein ubiquitination increases. However, it is not understood how ubiquitination of the transporter impacts its activity. Therefore, the objective of this project is to directly assess how ubiquitination affects the protein’s stability, turnover rate, and localization in the context of oxidative stress. We …

Percussive Massage And Dynamic Stretching As A Between-Race Warm Up For Collegiate Swimmers, Madeline Kievit, Madison Raymond, Elena Salazar, Madeline Tessin

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Swimming is a sport that often requires multiple events to be completed in a short-time frame. Breaks between races have the potential to negatively impact subsequent performances, causing athletes to resort to out-of-water warm-up methods. To date, no research has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of using a percussive massage gun (PMG) as a warm-up tool between races. This study evaluated percussive massage and dynamic stretching (DS) as a warm-up by determining impact on completion time between two 100-y freestyle sprints compared to passive recovery (NT) in collegiate swimmers. It was hypothesized that PMG and DS would lead to …

My Mother's Milk For Michigan Infants Data Web-Based Application Focus Group Feedback, Delaney Wesolek, Aurore Shima

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

To reach national expert recommendations of 6 months of exclusive human milk for infants, a multifactorial and interdisciplinary approach is needed to increase lactation outcomes. Mother's Milk for Michigan Infants (MMMI), a nurse-led research team, developed MyMMMI Data, a bilingual (Spanish and English) encrypted web-based smartphone application. MyMMMI Data provides targeted enhanced lactation education; tracks participant-recorded feeding, pumping, diaper, and weight logs; and links participants to online resources. This study aimed to assess the visual appeal, usability, and helpfulness of MyMMMI Data to increase lactation duration. A convenience sample of 25 English (n=15) and Spanish-speaking (n=10) lactating parents (<12 weeks postpartum) and lactation consultants were recruited to participate in an online focus group and complete a demographic survey. During focus groups, the team used a deliberative discussion approach and collected verbal and non-verbal responses while participants created accounts and interacted with MyMMMI Data. Focus group data was examined using a qualitative thematic analysis. Most participants were lactation providers (n=17, 65%) and college-educated (n=10, 58%) with a bachelor's degree. The themes identified were organization, aesthetics, motivational features, account creation/maintenance, and resources. Participants liked the purpose, design, and logging features. Areas of concern were account creation and the tone and nuance of the Spanish translations. Recommendations such as timers and push notifications were specified. Feedback revealed that MyMMMI Data is appealing, simple to use, engaging, and educational, but creating an account and translation tone needs improving. Participants stated they would continue using or recommend MyMMMI Data. Limitations include self-reported data and participant fidelity. Focus groups helped refine this smartphone application to address technical, functional, and language issues. Application and Spanish-language revisions are underway. Although participants requested timers and push notifications, these features are incompatible with the current application platform.

Render Unto Hitler: Examining The Inconsistency Between Mormon Beliefs And Mormon Policies In The Nazi Era, Nick Walker

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Amid the Nazi persecution of various Christian sects, Heber J. Grant, the president and living prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), declared to his congregation in Salt Lake City that Mormons in Germany were able to gather freely. The LDS Church has a long history of displaying its pro-Jewish beliefs, which should have made them natural enemies of the Third Reich. Yet, the Latter-Day Saints leadership, through a logical and carefully fostered survival strategy, offered legitimation to the Nazi state for the sake of self-preservation. From incorporating anti-Semitic references in LDS publications to excommunicating a …

Temperature Sensitivity Of Nitrogen Mineralization In Peat From Bogs Across A Michigan Transect, Madison Smith, Hannah Sturgeon, Abigail Brewer, Gael Figueroa-Enriquez, Christopher Klaver

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

In this study, seven peat bogs across a latitudinal transect of Michigan were used to analyze inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) release from peat to predict the impact that climate warming has on peatland nitrogen cycle. More nitrogen release is expected in samples kept at warmer temperatures (simulated climate warming) and also from samples from lower latitudes in the transect. 1-m peat core samples were taken at each site. 20 g of acid washed sand was added to upper chambers of microlysimeters (two-chambered filter towers). 50 g of peat was added onto the sand and was left to equilibrate for …

Β-Decay Strength Function Of 53ni And 52co, Gabe A. Balk, A. Spyrou, M. K. Smith, W. Von Seeger

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The p process is believed to be responsible for the formation of heavy proton-rich nuclei in the universe. This work deals with the decay of two nuclei that are part of the p process, ⁵³Ni and ⁵²Co. β+ decays for each isotope were recorded with the Summing NaI(Tl) detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. A preliminary β-decay Intensity Function was derived with Total Absorption Spectroscopy. Total energy spectra, β-particle spectra, individual γ-energy spectra, and multiplicity spectra for the decay to levels in the child nucleus were modeled with GEANT4 based on information from the National Nuclear Data …

Beyond Ethnicity: Perceptions Of Racial Identity Among Latina/O/X Students At An Hwcu, Sebastian Lema

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The Latino population in the United States has grown significantly, contributing to 52% of the nation's population growth in the past decade, according to the Pew Research Center. While research often focuses on the Latino population’s ethnicity, it often overlooks the diverse spectrum of racial identities within this community, leading to a homogenized understanding of their experiences. This study challenges this by examining how Latina/o/x students at Hope, categorized as White-identifying (WI), non-White-identifying (NWI), and international students (IS), perceive their racial identity in the context of privilege, racism, colorism, and belonging. Our total sample is 55 students (20 WI, 20 …

Examining Regression Assumption Violations In Machine Learning Models Using The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Dataset, Grace Mooney Anderson, Melia Brewer

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

A growing practice within the psychological sciences is a reliance on machine learning models for data analysis. Machine learning models may have profound implications for improving human well-being and health (e.g., Walsh et al., 2017). However, like any statistical model, machine learning requires that the assumptions of linear regression are met, though the implications of violating these assumptions in machine learning models are unknown. Our study investigates these potentially stark consequences by testing machine learning models in simulated data with built-in assumption violations, as well as a publicly available dataset. We hypothesize that when regression assumptions are violated, we will …

The Effects Of Self-Selected And Pre-Selected Music On Acute Exercise Perceptions And Performance In Insufficiently Active College Students, Alison J. Bache, Tiovanni M. Knight, Lazerick T. Smith Jr.

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Extensive research has investigated the effects of music on exercise. Researchers suggest that music can improve athletic performance and promote positive perceptions of exercise. However, previous research has focused on athletes or recreationally active participants, and often compares the presence of music during exercise to a lack of music. This study aims to determine whether listening to self-selected preferred music versus pre-selected motivational music improves acute exercise performance and perception of exercise in sedentary college students. Ten individuals will complete baseline testing by following the YMCA cycling protocol. Each participant will then complete two subsequent trials in which they will …

The Role Of Brain Injury In Neural Proliferation And Neuronal Migration In Adult Zebrafish, Matthew Czmer, Ashley Trainor, Carmen Casper

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasing in prevalence, with around 1.5 million people in the United States sustaining a head injury every year. Neural death following TBI contributes significantly to neurological dysfunction and, in extreme cases, death. Adult zebrafish prove a unique and advantageous model of study as they are capable of de novo neural regeneration (i.e., neurogenesis) following brain injury. While it is known that robust cell proliferation occurs in the ventricular zone (VZ) of the telencephalon of adult zebrafish, it is unknown whether these newly-generated cells and their migration aid in the process of neural repair after TBI. …

Investigation Of Convection Cells Via Truncated Eigenmode Decomposition, Gillian Donley, A. E. Fraser

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Convection cells are found in a variety of contexts throughout physics, including plasmas within the stellar interior and in neutral fluids such as planetary atmospheres. Rayleigh Benard Convection (RBC) is the most well studied model for this behavior, describing convection in fluids that are heated from below and cooled from above, resulting in a temperature gradient which can drive instabilities. Under the right conditions, this instability develops and drives convective heat transport, which is still actively researched in fluid and plasma dynamics today. We study the neutral fluid configuration of this system using a novel modeling approach that approximates the …

Variation Of Lumbar Rotation During Asymmetric Patient Handling Tasks, Elsa Brillinger, Yeageon Song, Regina Vicente

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Musculoskeletal injury to the lower lumbar vertebrae is among high prevalence in nursing personnel. Currently, lumbar rotation during patient-handling tasks (PHT) is not widely studied. This work specifically investigated lumbar rotation in asymmetric PHT tasks—tasks where the arms or shoulders are used to reach to different parts of a patient, causing the trunk to rotate. In addition, task performance was also analyzed with respect to patient weight. A pilot study was completed with 5 able-bodied volunteers without PHT experience. Three tasks were analyzed: sliding a patient towards the head of the bed using a sling (2-slide), lifting a patient’s leg …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Directing Groups For Rhodium-Catalyzed Decarbonylation, Bryan J. Forrest, Isabelle M. Klanseck, Jazmin E. Aguilar-Romero, Mary G. Kapitula

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

Reactions involving carbon-carbon bond activation are of interest to develop methods of functionalizing molecules. Work in the Johnson Group utilizes rhodium-catalyzed decarbonylation to form new carbon-carbon bonds in pyridyl ketones, where the nitrogen on the pyridine ring acts as a directing group. Though this reaction is easily replicated and gives high yields, the need for a pyridine directing group limits the range of molecules that can be synthesized. To broaden the scope of this reaction, novel directing group compounds were synthesized through different routes and their efficacy in the decarbonylation reaction was explored.

Sexual Submission, Fantasy, & Docility: What If "Sexual Liberation" Is A Patriarchal Trap?, Kersten Dekker

23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024)

The current feminist discourse surrounding female sexuality leaves a lot out of the equation. The reality is that the debate of female sexual choice often results in a dead end, and is far removed from actual women's lives. Drawing on feminist theories of fantasy, submission, sexual scripts, and pornography, I explore the ways in which indulgence in submission impacts women's docility in the real world. Through analysis of feminist literature, research, and various Internet forums, I identify three different theories of submission, and the plausibility of their isolation from oppressive consequences in the public sphere.