Honors Theses

Integral domains behave mathematically like the set of integers, and as a result, mathematicians are often interested in applying properties and functions of Z to other integral domains in order more thoroughly analyze these sets. One such integral domain is the set of Gaussian Integers, denoted Z[i]. The set of Gaussian Integers shares many characteristics with the set of integers, and it has multiple algebraic and number theoretic applications, including identification of pythagorean triples. In addition to being an integral domain, Z[i], like Z, is further classified as both a unique factorization domain and a euclidean domain. Along with the Gaussian Norm Function, these classifications allow us to analyze relative primality within the set. Because of this, the Euler-o function, which has historically been applied to Z, can also be analyzed within the set of Gaussian Integers.

Application of the Euler Phi Function in the Set of Gaussian Integers

Introduction
Recently, attention for chemistry research has been directed towards "Green Chemistry" which is the design of chemical "processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances".(1) The Twelve Main Principles of Green Chemistry encompass this definition over a wider range. Specifically the 1st principle which states to prevent waste which needs to be specially treated or cleaned up.(2) Not only are these principles better for the environment, they are able to save money as well.(3) While the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded several projects under Green Chemistry, there are still processes which involve hazardous materials.(4) One of those is the method of soil dissolution for heavy metal analysis.(5) Before this is looked into; however, the causes and effects of soil pollution must be looked into, as soil digestion is part of a process used to determine qualitative and quantitative data about soil contamination.

Development of Green Digestion Methods of Soils for the Recovery of Cadmium, Arsenic, and Lead

The present study sought to determine the relationship between job satisfaction, autonomy and motivation. Sections pertaining to selected facets of the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1985), Work Autonomy Scale (Breaugh, 1985), and Work Tasks Motivation Scales (Fernet, et al., 2008) were used to measure the correlates. Each correlate was separated into different facets that were measured: Job Satisfaction (Supervisors, Coworkers, Pay, & Operating Procedures), Autonomy (Work, Scheduling, and Method), and Motivation (Complementary Tasks, Administrative Tasks, and Teaching Tasks). The survey was administered to public school teachers in a large suburban area. There was no significant correlation between the correlates and most of the facets. A significant relationship was found between Autonomy and Job Satisfaction of Pay as well as between Criteria Autonomy and Job Satisfaction of Pay. Additionally, Motivation for Administrative Tasks and Method Autonomy also had a significant positive correlation.

The Relationships among Autonomy, Job Satisfaction and Motivation

Many beehive products such as propolis, Manuka honey, bee pollen, and royal jelly have been used by people due to their popular known health benefits. A novel bee product, bee venom, has demonstrated effective in treating various debilitating conditions, and thus bee venom therapy has been the subject of scientific studies to quantify its medical efficacy. Although bee venom has been used for millennia in Eastern medicine, modern bee venom therapy (BVT) originated in Europe in the 19th century, but was brought to the U.S. by Dr. Bodog Beck after World War I. The treatment became more widespread in the West as the 20th century progressed (Cooney et al, 2011). There are currently various application methods with the most popular being apipuncture (acupuncture with bee venom where needles are initially dipped into the venom before applied to the patient) and bee venom injections (Mohammadi et al, 2015). The multiple beneficial effects of bee venom include increased blood circulation, stimulation of the pituitary-cortical system, and reduced pain and inflammation (Mohammadi et al, 2015). These responses help treat the symptoms of many diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions. With additional research, the use of bee venom can be included as a means to safely alleviate the symptoms of several autoimmune diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Therapeutic Effects of Bee Venom on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon that occurs in about 5% of the population, is characterized by the involuntary expression of a stimulus through association with another stimulus, usually in another sense, such as associating purple with the letter “A” (Yon & Press, 2014). There are several different forms of synesthesia, involving every combination of every sensory modality. Spector and Maurer (2013) found that the most common forms of synesthesia include grapheme-color synesthesia, in which graphemes such as letters and numbers induce a specific color, and time-space synesthesia, in which weekdays, months, etc. occupy a specific space either inside the synesthete’s mind or outside their body. These forms of synesthesia can be categorized in several ways, from their function to their onset of symptoms. Rogowska (2011) refers to one particular category of synesthesia pertaining to associational, artistic synesthesia. Famous painters, writers, and other artists such as painter Vassily Kandinsky and novelist Vladimir Nabokov have reported synesthetic-like experiences, which has led to the study of the relationship between synesthesia and creativity (Mulvenna, 2007). Synesthesia and its effect on creativity holds an interesting topic of study, as understanding the link between synesthesia and creativity may reveal aspects of synesthesia such as its possible causes and whether it can benefit individuals. History

A Colorful World: Synesthesia’s Effect on Creativity Through Firsthand Abstract Representations of Grapheme-Color and Ordinal-Linguistic Personification

Genetic testing has opened new doors into understanding a patient’s future health. The human genome is extremely vast and complicated. Testing an entire genome for the innumerable genetic variants that have a bearing on the development of cancer is costly both in time25 and efficiency. Testing for just a single gene results in seeing a whole group of variations, which may or may not be pathogenic11. Pathogenic, in this case, is defined as a variant known to cause or increase risk of a disease, the degree of which is determined by how co-segregated it is with the disease16,17. One of the genes that is examined when looking at hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) often is Cadherin-1, or CDH1.

Identification of Clinically Relevant Regions of the Human CDH1 Gene for Determining Predisposition to Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and other sexual minority, or LGBTQ+, youth are at high risk for suicide. In fact, youth identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are four times more likely to attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers; the rates are higher for transgender/transsexual youth. Various factors contributing to these rates include bullying, lack of acceptance, and lack of academic material available to support LGBTQ+ youth (“Facts About Suicide”). Because of the severe need for LGBTQ+ resources, high school libraries should offer more literature with queer* characters and teachers should practice bibliotherapy with these books in their classrooms. Researchers Vare and Norton define bibliotherapy as “healing through literature… and guiding someone’s reading to foster an understanding of self or to help solve therapeutic needs” (2004, p. 190). In this same research, the authors articulate that the foundation to using bibliotherapy, especially for LGBTQ+ youth, is having educators make known that queer literature exists and is available for these students. However, while bibliotherapy is ideal in a group classroom setting, the likelihood of a queer book being taught in the classroom is still small. Thus, it is vital that these texts are still available in high school libraries so students have the ability to find a book with a character representing their own struggles in its bindings. This pilot study seeks to first ascertain the number of queer books available in select Georgia high schools while offering a sample lesson for teachers wanting to use bibliotherapy in the classroom with queer literature; next steps are included for future studies.

Reading the Rainbow: Availability and Content of Young Adult Queer Literature in Georgia Secondary Schools

This paper studies the connections between individuals’ childhood allowances and financial education and their subsequent financial capabilities in adulthood. Earning an allowance as a child can instill a work ethic in the formative years and help children progress towards financial independence. The lessons learned through earning an allowance can translate to a better grasp of financial concepts in adulthood (Danes, 2005). Conversely, an allowance that is given freely without any means of earning it can be detrimental to a child by imparting a sense of entitlement. Having this mindset in adulthood can lead to a faulty understanding of financial concepts (Danes, 2013). Additionally, the lessons parents or guardians teach in combination with giving an allowance play a crucial role in developing a financially responsible adult. For example, when parents or guardians require children to save a portion of their allowance, they simulate an environment like the one they will encounter when they become working adults (Danes, 2005). This study anonymously surveys participants about their upbringing (whether or not they received an allowance, the nature of the allowance, and how well their parents educated them on finances) and current financial situations (employment, debt, income, and savings plans). The information gained from the survey will provide real-world examples of these concepts. The researcher hypothesizes the following: First, individuals who earned an allowance will be more financially capable than those who received an unearned allowance. Second, individuals who received an unearned allowance will be less financially capable than those who did not receive an allowance at all. It is unrealistic to expect adults to understand how to manage money if they have never done so before. This study seeks to demonstrate that the foundations for financially capable adults are built during childhood.

The effects of childhood allowances on adult financial capabilities

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9th, 1989, marking the end of over 30 years of division between the German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany, and the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany. The two states were remarkably different: East Germany's economy was dictated by communism, and West Germany's by capitalism.(1) A similar situation exists today between North and South Korea, with the North ruled by communism and the South by capitalistic markets.(2) Many experts believe that the two Koreas are destined to eventually reunify as well. However, there are widely differing opinions on how such a reunification would occur. Should it occur, there would be massive economic consequences, both regionally and globally.(3) Therefore, preparation for reunification is essential.
By examining the fall of the Berlin Wall, one may be able to glean insight into how this Korean reunification may unfold. This is the essence of this study's hypothesis: whether an in-depth examination of the major events surrounding the divisions of Germany and Korea and the effects those divisions had on each country economically and socially, as well as an examination of the reunification of East and West Germany, will provide a model for Korean reunification in the future.

Predicting the Effects of Korean Reunification by Examining the Fall of the Berlin Wall

The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offence. - Edsger Dijkstra (1)
This statement may be hyperbole, but Dijkstra's view on the language reflects underlying feelings about COBOL throughout the programming world. The language was created in 1959 to allow for interactivity between computation machines.(2) More than half a century later, COBOL is still used extensively in mainframes, computers designed for large-scale calculation and record processing. Numerous factors have contributed to the longevity of COBOL, including ease of use compared to its contemporaries and an upgrade to object orientation in the 1990s.(3)
This longevity has also contributed to problems with COBOL. The chief criticism is that it has become difficult to learn as other programming languages become more user-friendly.(4) COBOL software tends to be verbose, even for simple tasks. It's said that the average size of a COBOL program is 600 lines of code, whereas a Java program performing the same operation should be 30 lines or fewer.(5) Difficulties with the language will only increase as the workforce knowledgeable in COBOL's use retire.