Honors Students' Works
Persistent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11299/193319
This collection contains capstone papers and projects from UMD Honor Students from 2015 to the present.
Browse
Browsing Honors Students' Works by Issue Date
Now showing 1 - 20 of 146
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Analyzing Google Flu Trends(2015) Nelson, MaryItem Palladium-catalyzed C-3 Benzylation of Indoles with Benzyltributylammonium Chloride(2015) Reuter, ChadThe indole scaffold probably represents one of the most important structural subunits for the discovery of new drug candidates. In recent years the transition metal induced-synthesis of indole compounds has gained increased popularity. However, simple alkylation of indole suffers problems such as regioselectivity at C-3, C-2, and N-1 positions.1 The purpose of this study is to study the benzylation of indole, specifically at the C-3 position, with benzyltributylammonium chloride (Fig. 1) using palladium catalysts. Using Pd(OAc)2 (II), a 40% conversion from indole to 3-benzylindole was achieved. The product was determined via GC-MS and H1-NMR. Optimization of reaction conditions followed by using various Pd catalysts with different oxidation states which found ammonium hexachloropalladate (IV) to obtain the highest conversion of 82%. Substituted indoles were then reacted to determine C-3 regioselectivity. Percent conversion varied between substituted indoles.Item The Origins of Attraction(2015) Hagen, AubreyItem Juvenile and Adult Daphnia Magna Survival in Response to Hypoxia(2015) Strom, EricaThis study was undertaken to determine survival of juvenile and adult Daphnia magna under hypoxic conditions in comparison to its predators. Because D. magna perform diel vertical migration to avoid visually-oriented predators, they spend a significant portion of the day at depth where light and oxygen levels are low. In this series of experiments, Daphnia magna were exposed to low dissolved oxygen concentrations and assessed for survival. Juvenile D. magna were hypothesized to tolerate a lower dissolved oxygen concentration than adults because of their smaller size and presumed lower oxygen consumption. The dissolved oxygen concentration lethal to 50 percent of both juvenile and adult D. magna was found to be 0.47 mg/L, which is significantly lower than the minimum dissolved oxygen limits experienced by its predators.Item Intracellular Ca2+ acts as a binding modulator for annexin A2(2015) Schramel, StephanieCalcium ions, Ca2+, serve as important signaling molecules specific for the eukaryotic cell for multiple purposes including propagating signal transduction pathways and initiating muscle contractions. In the presence of Ca2+, the family of membrane binding proteins called annexins have an enhanced ability to bind to negatively charged phospholipids within the cellular membrane. A member of the annexin family, annexin A2, is suggested to play a role in muscle repair by interacting with the protein dysferlin which is associated with diseases called dysferlinopathies. Dysferlinopathy is a type of muscular dystrophy in which the muscle is weakened or atrophied due to a reduction or absence of dysferlin. In order to better understand the role of annexin A2 in membrane repair, it is necessary to examine the binding properties of this protein in response to the initiating trigger for membrane repair, the influx of calcium ion. Therefore, the interaction between annexin A2 and Ca2+ was investigated. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to identify the number of Ca2+ molecules that annexin A2 binds, the sensitivity of annexin A2 to calcium (its affinity) and the thermodynamic mechanism by which this protein senses and responds to calcium ion (enthalpy). Describing details of calcium ion binding by annexin A2 will lead to a better understanding of muscle membrane repair mechanism which can be applied to diseases such as muscular dystrophy. As in this disease, the damage is due to an influx of too much calcium ion, essentially poisoning the cell in a way that is not understood.Item Cardiovascular Demands of Snowmobiling(2015) Hunt, MaryItem 3Dimensional Coaching: Fact or Fiction(2015) Mattson, Shaun“Sport is a great vehicle by which life skills can be taught,” Dr. Jeff Duke. This very sentence is the reason that the 3Dimensional Coaching model is starting to become more and more relevant in today’s world. This method wants coaches to look past the physical skill and game fundamentals that many of today’s coaches only worry about. 3Dimensional Coaching involves the body, mind, and spirit. The specific characteristics are everything from those game specific skills to the player’s motivations for being on the team and to go even further it wants coaches to begin looking into individual’s values and motivations. The purpose of this study was to try and find some evidence that supports 3Dimensional Coaching that it does not only help make these kids into better people but still allows them to perform at a higher level. Literature review was done to try and find other sports that used a similar model. I looked first more in depth at what exactly 3Dimensional Coaching is through their website and through an interview with Dr. Jeff Duke from the University of Central Florida. The second source I looked at was information from the United States Tennis Association. They have identified several psychological skills that are necessary for heightened levels of performance. These skills correlate strongly with 3D Coaching and the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory. Finally, I looked at the culture created at the University of California Los Angeles by quite possibly the greatest coach in the history of sports, John Wooden. His pyramid of success has been adopted by countless coaches, including the staff I work for at Superior High School, and is another great example of what 3D Coaching is promoting. This study involves six participants that all filled out the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory prior to the 2014 Wisconsin High School football season. These same participants were then evaluated at three different points throughout the season by their position coaches on the basis of alignment, assignment, and technique used. Seasonal statistics were also collected to show performance. The results from this can be found at the end of the report. Future implication for this study can also be found at the end of the report.Item A Comparison of Attitudes towards Entomophagy(2015) Harren, DanielWith an estimated world population of nine billion people by 2050, global food production will have to double. Insects are a viable way to fill this need but most Western societies’ view of entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, is with disgust. Whereas, other cultures from around the world eat insects regularly to meet their nutritional needs. In this study, a portion of the undergraduate body at the University of Minnesota Duluth was assessed for their perspective of entomophagy. The results indicated that there is a gender difference between females and males, where males are more willing to engage in entomophagy than females. In addition, there is not a significant difference on the perspective of entomophagy based on academic major, nor due to the perceived experience of an individual’s first recalled encounter with an insect. The results of this study can be used to design specific tactics for educating current generations in Western societies of the custom of entomophagy.Item Item Halftime is our Time(2015) Gilman, ShaneItem Novel Therapeutics for Glioblastoma Multiforme(2015) Olson, JustineItem Cumulative Intervention Intensity in Speech-Language Pathology Treatment Plans(2015) Cowles, AngelaPurpose: To examine the extent to which intervention intensity parameters are present in speech-language pathology treatment plans in educational and medical settings. Method: 120 treatment plans (46 educational and 74 medical) from northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin were examined for intervention intensity parameters specified by Warren and colleagues (Warren, Fey & Yoder, 2007). Results: Educational records: 65% specified dose frequency and 28% specified total duration. Medical records: 69% specified dose frequency and 55% specified total duration. No treatment plans recorded all intervention intensity parameters. Conclusion: It is possible that (a) dosage parameters may not be well-known among practicing SLPs and/or (b) therapists may already document intervention intensity but not systematically within the treatment plans. If speech-language pathologists documented intervention intensity in one document, SLPs and researchers may have more resources to provide evidence-based practice for clients.Item Synthesis and Testing of MCT1 and MCT4 Inhibiting Compounds as Novel Cancer Therapeutics(2015) Hughes, KevinTriple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) account for 10-20% of breast cancers and generally affect younger patient populations (<50 years) as well as African-American/Hispanic women.1,2 Current treatment options consist of surgical resection and radiation/chemical therapy; however, many of the drugs used are not cancer cell specific and result in widespread toxicity throughout body systems. A number of novel, small organic molecules selective towards cancer cells by inhibition of monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) were developed under the direction of Dr. Venkatram Mereddy. These compounds analogous to Alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHC, a known MCT inhibitor) were synthesized from readily-available reagents and show high potential as lead compounds based on in vitro and in vivo studies.Item Predictive Models of the Amount of Physical Activity Across the United States(2015) Tessier, KatelynHow physical activity affects individuals' health across the United States is an important topic for the well-being of the country. The purpose of this study is to examine how certain factors influence the amount of physical activity performed by adults in each state. Using statistical analysis techniques, such as linear regression and model selection, a model of physical activity, including several covariates, is constructed. These covariates come from various categories, such as, geographic, financial and economic, residents’ living habits, and residents’ health. The final model, model (1), consists of four covariates which are obesity, refund, uninsured and poverty. This model can be used to predict how the percent of physically active adults changes as these four covariates change.Item Item Campus Awareness of Communication Disorders at the University of Minnesota Duluth(2015) Cedergren, KasandraThe field of speech-language pathology is growing tremendously in our world today due to the increasing demands of client's in need. Unfortunately, not many individuals know that the field exists or what exactly the field entails. Both independently and on interdisciplinary teams, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with many people in their careers from other fields of study. As part of the Communications Sciences and Disorders department here at the University of Minnesota Duluth, I sent a campus-wide survey to students to find out what knowledge they have about communicative disorders on a basic level. The purpose of this study was to measure the knowledge undergraduate and graduate students have at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) about communication disorders based on majors that involved the potential to work with an SLP in the future and those majors that did not. The data collected was intended to identify if students in allied majors were significantly more educated about communication disorders than those in non-allied majors. The survey was a series of 20 open-ended and multiple-choice questions that students took online via Qualtrics: Online Survey Software and Insight Platform. The responses were electronically compiled when the survey was submitted and remained anonymous. The results were analyzed on either an item-by-item frequency basis or a chi-squared analysis.Item Searching for Viable Betting Strategies in Gambling, with Consideration to Roulette(2015) Toninato, JosephItem How Do the Personalities of American Presidents Affect the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy?(2015) Montez, MirandaThe president of the United States is one of the most important international individuals. As such, understanding the way he makes foreign policy decisions is crucial. This paper will examine the role that key president personalities have played into these decisions. It will provide a discussion of personality categorization systems, using three presidential case studies as examples. Through this it will be shown that not only does personality affect foreign policy decisions, but also that it does so in a significant manner.