RSS 1.0Brockport Senior Honors Theses
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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Student’s Health & Well-beingThe coronavirus disease and pandemic abruptly emerged in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China and has continued to leave long-lasting mental and physical impacts (Centers for Disease Control, 2023). The first confirmed cases in the United States emerged in Washington State by January 20, 2020, with the first death reported on February 29th, 2020 (Copeland et al., 2021). The disease was caused by SARS-CoV-2, which is a type of coronavirus that was identified in 2019 and caused a pandemic of respiratory illnesses called COVID-19 (Copeland et al., 2021). COVID-19 can spread from person to person through droplets in the air caused by an infected person (The Johns Hopkins University, 2022). While the disease can show mild-to-no symptoms in some individuals, some may experience severe cases that leave long-lasting muscle and lung damage, nervous system problems, kidney and lung failure, and death (The Johns Hopkins University, 2022).
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Are Sweatshops Ethically Defensible?Sweatshop labor has been a source of debate among scholars due to the ethical concerns it raises. A defender of sweatshops would argue that sweatshop labor is a means of reducing company costs that also provides employment opportunities to economically underdeveloped countries. A sweatshop opponent would defend that potentially hazardous working conditions and minimal wages cannot be ethically justified. Previous studies in the field have highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of each side of the sweatshop labor debate. This paper will take the specific position that sweatshops are a permissible form of labor so long as laborers are able to maintain a minimum standard of living, which includes affording basic necessities and having basic human rights respected. In addition, the paper argues that there is some motivation for businesses to promote socially responsible business practices extending beyond legal requirements.
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The Lifetime Affects of Childhood Family ViolenceFamily violence is a massive problem in the United States and it affects many children across all demographics; leading to a wide range of health and behavioral problems that continue to follow them through life. Family violence changes the child’s developing brain in a multitude of ways, changing the size and shape of several structures including the amygdala and the hippocampus. Behavioral changes are also seen in children and adolescents who experienced family violence in the home, some of these behaviors stay with them for long periods of time or even their entire life. A multitude of negative health outcomes is also seen in these individuals, including problems such as obesity and chronic heart problems, which could be an indicator of how family violence is also a health epidemic in the United States. This scholarly project brought some recommendations on how to treat the problems caused by family violence, and how to prevent it from happening. The first goal of this scholarly project was to review and collect different changes in an individual that are linked to family violence. Many previous studies have a very specific focus, such as changes to the amygdala. This project was meant to bring a more holistic approach to bringing together all the aspects of the long-term impact of this on a child. This research project was performed by completing a literature review by accessing many different databases and journals, including the Psychinfo database and journals that focus on preventative health. Family violence is a topic that is on the rise worldwide. It is crucial that awareness is raised of all the complications it may cause, to have an intersectional approach to come to terms with the aftermath, and a main goal of prevention of this form of abuse, maltreatment, or neglect that a child or adolescent experiences.
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The Identification of the MCHR-1 in J774A.1 Macrophages and The Effect of Melanin-concentrating Hormone on a 3T3-L1 Adipocyte-J774A.1 Macrophage Co-CultureMelanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) stimulates appetite in higher-order mammals, and our lab has demonstrated previously that MCH signaling by developing 3T3-L1 preadipocytes elicits changes in gene expression of several immune regulatory genes (Cook, 2021). I hypothesize that signaling between immune cells and adipose tissue contributes to the negative health outcomes of the obese phenotype. Co-culturing of two or more cell types together provides an opportunity to study cells in a setting that better reflects intercellular communication between cells in a tissue, therefore I planned to establish a co-culture model system consisting of adipocytes and macrophages in our laboratory. First, the J774A.1 macrophage line was acquired. Eventually, successful macrophage culturing technique was learned. Then, I asked whether theses J774A.1 macrophage expressed the Mchr1 gene and MCH receptor protein as well as whether this cell line responded at all to MCH. Finally, migration was quantified via fluorescein-labeled macrophages into a pre-adipocyte culture with and without MCH treatment in a co-culture. These results demonstrate that J774A.1 cells do respond to MCH, although there was trouble in detecting Mchr1 gene and MCHR1 protein expression in these cells. It was also demonstrated that MCH treated co-culture wells facilitate migration of macrophages into the preadipocyte cell layer in our co-culture model. A further experiment with differentiated adipocytes showed no MCH influence on macrophage migration. Future studies will aim to repeat and expand this model to study macrophage migration towards developing and differentiated adipocytes.
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Beauty Stereotypes among College StudentsFrom first glance, we begin to make assumptions about a person’s personality characteristics based on their appearance. There may be trends within the qualities that are most often attributed to attractive and unattractive individuals. To explore this topic, we will be conducting one-on-one interviews that utilize open-ended questions. These scripted questions shape a conversation in which participants can explain how their attraction toward a made-up individual may impact their perception of the person’s personality. Attributing certain qualities to individuals based solely on their perceived attractiveness can be harmful to those who are given more opportunities based on their appearance. It is commonly understood that unattractive individuals have been looked down upon when compared to attractive individuals. Therefore, we need to be aware of these stereotypes so we can challenge harmful biases. One-on-one qualitative interviews will be used to collect data on people’s assumptions in these scenarios.
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Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Media on Adolescents and Young AdultsSocial media has been growing rapidly as are the effects on those who use it. A literature review was conducted that examined 19 peer reviewed articles that focused on social media use. The purpose was to determine the strengths and weaknesses social media has on the health of adolescents and young adults. A variety of sample sizes were used between the years of 2015 to 2022. The journal articles were found through Brockport library’s database along with Google search engine. Social media platforms included in the study were MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Musically and TikTok. The research question was, “How does social media impact adolescents and young adults both negatively and positively?” Results of the review suggest there are a great amount of negative effects of social media such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, bullying, suicide, and procrastination. However, there are also a great amount of positive effects of social media including remote employment, support through internet friends, fast communication, and quick information. The next step of this research is to ensure more protections are in place to protect this vulnerable age group from the negative effects of social media. Future research should continue to examine the positive benefits social media does have in the population.
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Transforming the Honors College Experience at SUNY BrockportCollege is often a place where students are shaped in a way that allows them to find their true self. Oftentimes, a key influence in this process is a mentor. The relationship a student forms with a mentor can make or break their experience at college, which is why it is necessary to facilitate good mentoring relationships early on. In the SUNY Brockport Honors College, we attempt to do this through the Peer Mentor Program. However, with recent factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and leadership changes, this program, like many others, would benefit from an evaluation of its practices and effectiveness. To promote a better honors college experience, I will examine the mentoring literature regarding effectiveness and the impact an effective mentor can have on a student’s trajectory. Next, I offer strategies that work in the peer mentoring program for Academic Planning Seminar (APS) at SUNY Brockport based on an informational interview with the program’s director. Then, I pinpoint where it seems the Honors peer mentor program could benefit from improvement, based on an analysis of surveys and my own experience. Finally, I offer suggestions to the Honors College for what they can do to practically develop the program to its fullest potential, based on the combination of literature, surveys, interviews, and my knowledge of psychology and communication.
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Correlations Between 1, 25-Dihydroxy Vitamin D (Vitamin D-3) and Adipocyte GrowthIt is estimated by the World Health Organization that over 650 million adults worldwide are classified as obese, a health problem that can lead to death and other serious health issues (Obesity and Overweight, 2021). Obesity itself can result from many factors, such as genetic predisposition, environment, stress, diet, sleep, and exercise. One avenue of study on combatting obesity involves Cholecalciferol, more commonly known as Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is created in the skin after exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D3 itself is mainly believed to play a significant role in the regulation and absorption of calcium. However, some studies have pointed out that Vitamin D3 may also stop the growth of fatty tissue. This study applied Vitamin D3 solutions on both undifferentiated and differentiated forms of mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells over a set of days. Cells were stained either by oil-red, or by crystal violet, the absorbance of these stains was measured in a spectrophotometer. Data shows that there may be a correlation between Vitamin D3 exposure and lipid growth, but overall results are inconclusive, and more testing would be required to achieve a definitive conclusion.
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Disparities in Oral Cancer: A Literature ReviewBeing one of the top ten most prevalent malignancies in the world, oral cancer has a poor prognosis, a delayed clinical diagnosis, and expensive treatment options. Oral cancer is becoming more common. Each year, thousands of people die from oral cancer, as the disease is associated with increased fatality due to late-stage identification. This paper summarizes findings from an in-depth literature review on the topic of oral cancer, specifically highlighting its disproportionate impact on specific demographic groups. The review first examines overall trends in the epidemiology of oral cancer. Thereafter, racial disparities are examined with a focus on differences in cancer screening, population-based trends in behaviors that serve as precursors to oral cancer (e.g., smoking), and disparities in treatment and affiliated outcomes. Finally, recommendations are offered to reduce identified disparities.
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Script-Focused Image Editor: ProgrimageImage editors are powerful tools but can be more difficult to work with than code for some specific tasks. They are great for art, but not always as good for precise image manipulation. This is where code-based editors are more effective. There are some image editors that support scripting, however, some image editors are complicated to use, with no available documentation. Other image editors have scripting hidden within submenus making it difficult to find. Furthermore, some image editors implement scripting in a way where they only a basic “run” button and lack the use of tools and interactive filters. To achieve the goal of creating a scripting tool for image editing that will be user-friendly and accessible, this exploratory study examines: “How well can scripting be implemented in an image editing application when scripting is the main focus?” The objective of this study is to create an easy-to-use image editor that allows users to create scriptable tools and image filters without having to search for the ability to do so. The proposed application, Progrimage, uses a scripting language called Lua which was designed to be beginner-friendly. Progrimage is designed to have a dedicated button to create a tool and to create a filter that can be used for drawing and manipulating objects, processing image pixels, creating layers, and more. With this image editor application, scripting has high priority. Applying a user centered design approach, Progrimage will allow users to create their own tools and filters and is intended to increase user satisfaction, and intensify learnability and user adoption.
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Manifestations of Crime and Justice in Nancy Drew BooksThe character Nancy Drew is a young American sleuth. Nancy is a blonde-haired and blue-eyed eighteen-year-old who fights bad guys and always solves the mystery in the end. The books of the same name, authored by the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, details the young woman’s experience as she is solving mysteries in her hometown. This research paper examines Nancy Drew books in terms of the crimes committed in the book, how these crimes are solved, and how the crime-doers are dealt with. It also examines representations of police and other aspects of the criminal justice system. It is hypothesized that most crimes depicted in these books are property crimes. It is also hypothesized that Nancy will be solving these mysteries and crimes with the help of family and friends. Finally, the police will arrest these offenders, after Nancy reveals the issue of course. It is also hypothesized that the police will be depicted in a positive light, being shown as helpful and competent. This was accomplished through a content analysis of three Nancy Drew Books: The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, and The Mystery at the Lilac Inn. It is found that the majority of crimes shown in these books are property crimes. Also, Nancy solves the crimes in the books, sometimes with the help of the police. The offenders are always arrested at the end of the story. The police are depicted as competent and willing to help, but some characters express reservations about requesting their help. Interesting future research could examine how these characters’ reservations reflect police attitudes in America when the books were released.
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Experiences in Enhancing Functionalities in Apps Using a Customer-Focused Agile-Oriented ApproachWe describe our experience in developing a student assessment data capture and management app for a campus-based committee. The primary goal was to develop the app to be customized to the specific needs of the customer. The code from a similar app developed for another campus customer during the previous year was available to us. While this app had some features that were also replicated in our project, and that code could be reused as is, much of the functionality had to be adapted to the new customer’s requirements, and a number of features were completely new to this project. To implement this application, we took an Agile-oriented approach in which we stayed heavily engaged with the customer throughout, seeking to meet the customer’s goal of a user-friendly and intuitive GUI. Throughout the project, we encountered various obstacles. First, in a small university with no graduate program, there were few qualified students available for the project team, so the team was relatively small compared to the size of the project. In addition, we had a hard time limit dictated by the academic calendar and graduation dates. The ability to reuse code from the previous project helped, and the time spent in understanding this code was reduced considerably by the previous project’s adherence to appropriate design patterns and that our project used the same technology tools. To succeed in this environment, we also observe that it is necessary to work with the customer to identify the project scope, take a Scrum-based approach to track progress, and conduct code reviews to keep everyone “on the same page”. It is also critical to ensure that we get a team with the right skills, and ensure adherence to coding standards, for which we note that faculty member involvement in identifying the right students (rising juniors, for example), and especially in ensuring coding standards are met, is necessary
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Alternatives to Animal Use and Testing in Breast Cancer ResearchWhile animals have played a key role in scientific research for many years, there are limits to the knowledge that can be gained through this model. Recently, alternatives to animal use were created as models for human cancer research. This thesis discusses the current uses of animals in breast cancer research and what has been learned from them, as well as the alternatives that are becoming increasingly available. The drawbacks of both animal use and alternatives were discussed and how these affect breast cancer research. Alternatives were found to be functional in breast cancer research and in many cases even more reliable than the animal models.
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The Obesity Epidemic and Weight Loss Treatment StrategiesObesity has become an epidemic in the United States, our population has become accustomed to overeating, often eating foods that are high in fat and cholesterol. Americans not only have forgotten about what and how much portion sizes are, but Americans are physically inactive too. When combining the lack of activity and nutrition, an obese individual may face serious health concerns such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type two diabetes (T2DM), hypertension, cancer and even death in some cases. One of the biggest issues the obese population faces is that keeping the weight off for long periods of time is extremely difficult. Lifestyle modifications are a popular method individuals use to combat obesity. Lifestyle modifications target diet and physical activity but they also include behavior therapy. Due to the rate in which obesity has spread throughout the United States, other models such as Multiple Behavior Change have become increasingly popular. Research done on Multiple Behavior Change suggests that when participants combine diet and exercise the likelihood of weight loss is much greater. To make an impact on the obesity epidemic, effective multiple behavior interventions must focus on physical activity, diet, and sedentary behaviors. This is especially important for our youth because active children often become active adults. Therefore, intervening early is necessary for them to establish active lifestyles they will hold onto for a lifetime.
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Neurological and Physiological Effects of Vape Smoke InhalationThe rise in electronic cigarette usage amongst adolescents and adults throughout the recent years has given led to experimental research studying the various chemicals found in these devices as well as the physiological implications they pose on the human body. This research plans to perform a thorough differential analysis of chemicals found within various types of currently, and popularly, used electronic cigarettes. Liquid samples taken from the reservoirs of electronic cigarettes were prepped where chemical results were determined via Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A literature review of the found chemicals was referenced with different studies on neurological and physiological pathways within the human body where potential adverse, and unforeseen, effects of the chemicals on the body were stated and explained.
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Physical Activity and Functional Body Image in Youth with and without Visual ImpairmentsRecent research has found a positive relationship between functional body image and physical activity in typically developing youth; however, functional body image has not been studied in youth with visual impairments (VI). Youth with VI tend to have a lower body image and engage in less physical activity than their sighted peers. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in functional body image between youth with and without VI and the relationship between functional body image and physical activity in youth with VI. Twenty youth with VI and 20 youth without disabilities completed the Embodied Image Scale and the organized sport (OS) and active physical recreation (AR) activity categories of the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE), which measures five dimensions of activity participation. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that participants with VI had lower functional satisfaction (p = .006) and investment (p = .059) than participants without disabilities. The correlation analysis revealed several significant positive relationships: functional values with AR where (r = .472), functional satisfaction with AR intensity (r = .459) and AR enjoyment (r = .501), and functional investment with AR (r = .554) and OS enjoyment (r = .655). There were significant negative relationships between functional investment and AR diversity (r = -.475) and intensity (r = - .501). This suggests that youth with VI have lower satisfaction and investment in their functional body image; however, those that enjoyed OS and AR activities tended to be more satisfied and invest more in their functional body image.
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On the Basis of Politics: Public Approval of the Supreme CourtOver the last century, the Supreme Court’s decisions have become increasingly salient to the public, as they regard some of the most polarized topics in American politics. This has prompted serious concern for the institution’s legitimacy. What if citizens begin to view the Court as political as they do the Presidency and Congress? The judicial branch will then no longer be seen as possessing a distinct role in American politics—a role premised on the perception that the Court exercises legal rather than political reasoning. This study will use a survey to determine to what extent the approaches to constitutional interpretation are seen by the public as a proxy for ideology. It will further seek to discover whether average citizens can take their preferred approaches to interpreting the Constitution and apply them to Supreme Court case decisions. If findings reveal that the public consistently conflate ideology and interpretive stances, then the Court’s legitimacy in the public mind is increasingly contingent on politics itself rather than the Court’s ability to remain above politics as an independent institution.
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What are Stated Gaps in Injury Prevention and Treatment Available on College Campuses for Dancers?This essay is dedicated to looking at the availability of medical assistance to dancers in the collegiate setting. Dance is a physically demanding activity with prolonged training timelines, however, there has been little dedication to the treatment and prevention of injuries in dance. The apparent lack of dedicated medical assistance dancers receive is what inspired this research. The objective was to better understand this lack and how it can be improved. It is important that dancers have resources available to help treat and prevent potential injuries, which will allow for longer and more fulfilling careers that do less chronic harm to their bodies. Based on a literature review contextualized further with first-person interviews, there are some opportunities that should be made accessible to collegiate dancers to help close this gap between the medical field and the dance industry. Recommendations include creating dance medicine facilities, providing cross training opportunities, creating experiences for athletic training or physical therapy students to learn about dancers as athletes, and prioritizing screenings for dancers. By creating resources that dancers can utilize and a comfortable environment where dancers can get help to treat and prevent injuries, this gap can be closed and could result in healthier dancers.
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College Coaches’ Mental Health Literacy as it Relates to their Student AthletesOver the past decade, mental health has been a growing topic of discussion. Evaluating previous research, young adults, and specifically student athletes, face a variety of stressors in their lives. Student athletes have the responsibility to perform well in school and in their sport while maintaining their own physical and mental wellbeing. The purpose of this synthesis was to review the literature on college coaches’ mental health literacy as it relates to their student athletes. Coaches spend a significant amount of time with their student athletes and are able to recognize certain signs and symptoms of mental ill health. Mental Health Literacy of coaches is imperative to being a source of support to their student athletes. There are numerous variables that influence whether a student athlete seeks help for their mental health issues, however, coaches with a high level of Mental Health literacy are in a better position to ensure their student athletes are taking the necessary steps to seek help. This literature review shows that coaches are in a position to be an initial source of support for their student athletes. Coaches’ with a higher mental health literacy are able to create a more positive, stigma free team environment that promotes help seeking for mental health issues.
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Adherence and Accessibility in the Workplace: Directly Consulting with Disabled Workers and Prospective WorkersThe purpose of this study is to gain insight concerning patterns of the experiences and outcomes of the studied population to inform best practices, services, policy, and further studies when looking to improve the conditions that the studied population enter during the time frame the study examines
