Digital Commons Network^™

Pharmacy: The Backbone Of Healthcare, Jordan Raye Myers

Honors Theses

The field of pharmaceuticals is growing and changing everyday. Being a part of the creation of new medicines and new treatments is a dream. Throughout my life my favorite subject has always been science, specifically where the sciences of biology and chemistry intersect. Biology and chemistry have significant overlap in the field of pharmacy. I believe that the passion and love I have for combining these two sciences will reflect in my career as a pharmacist and open doors for me to positively impact the lives of patients and the pharmaceutical field. I chose to pursue a career in pharmacy …

Village Saints And A Little Black Magic: The Benefits Of A Mission Trip Opportunity For Natural Science Students In Culturally Diverse Southern Mexico, Brooke Sanderford-Bester

Honors Theses

My thesis project shares my personal experiences of a Summer 2019 medical mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. An Honors travel grant allowed me to walk the dirt roads and streets to learn the fascinating history of these people, to visit their shrines and churches to better understand their religious beliefs, and to travel mountainous, hand paved roads to a remote village that welcomed me with coffee sweetened with cane sugar and fresh bread baked in outdoor ovens. The groundwork has been laid for future Natural Sciences students to serve through an annual medical mission trip to Oaxaca.

An Overview Of Foster Care, Rachel M. Smith

Honors Theses

If my life were to represent a novel, the beginning chapters would be filled with countless stories of people pouring into and investing in me to ensure that I have a successful future. As I have aged and started to appreciate all that has been done for me, I want to make sure the chapters that finish my novel are filled with stories of me giving back to others and my community.

During my time at Ouachita Baptist University, I have been given incredible opportunities to serve those around me. One example would be through my internship at the Percy …

Inside Jobs: Historical Conspiracies And Their Effects On The Discipline Of History, Emily Mcgee

Honors Theses

Conspiracy theories have been a captivating facet of American culture for decades, grasping at the tail end of any horrifying or momentous event in order to make sense of mindboggling circumstances or loss of power. However, these theories seem to have grown intensely in popularity even in the last decade. Some credit this unprecedented growth to the internet and social media sites, and some even blame particular political leaders. But researchers, political scientists, psychologists, and historians have come to the same consensus: conspiracy theories have been gaining more traction among the public, to the point where these ideas cannot be …

Parent Knowledge Regarding The Relationship Between Literacy And Language Development, Emily Pankiewicz

Honors Theses

Countless research articles support the connection between literacy and language development. This project explores the knowledge parents have about this connection. The paper first summarizes key findings and provides background information about the relationship between literacy and language development. Then, it discusses the results of a survey performed by the researcher. The first section of the survey collected demographic information and the second section contained 16 statements about the relationship between literacy and language development. Survey participants indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with each statement, based on their previous knowledge.

Three main questions were addressed in …

Beyond Stereotypical Picture Books: An Inquiry Of Hidden Life Lessons From Patricia Polacco, Ruthie Lenards

Honors Theses

By applying a historical study of the author, Patricia Polacco, the thematic perspective is evident in her books. Many do not see those hidden life lessons due to the stereotypical norms of picture books. The reader will learn how Patricia Polacco's life lessons may not be hidden to the viewer.

Visual Arts Education For Grades 6-12 In Arkansas And Its Changes Since The Twentieth Century, Callie Anna Dunlap Oxner

Honors Theses

The field of education in the United States has changed greatly in many ways since its foundation. No longer do students meet in small log cabins with all ages together to learn the basics of a few practical subjects before returning to regular life. The federal government seeks to provide consistently updated standards for how children of all ages should be instructed and have frequently modernized the education system. From creating mandated subjects of learning, such as math, science, reading, writing, foreign languages, and art, raising teacher salaries, and instigating assessments to ensure complete subject literacy, America has shown in …

Spiders In A Window: How Dangerous Stories Lead To Dangerous Women, Mattie Mae Motl

Honors Theses

Christian women have been marginalized, suppressed, and forgotten by Christian men for centuries. In many cases, these actions are polite when compared to the horrors which self-proclaimed Christ-followers have afflicted on women. Countless sexual abuse cases have been discovered within the walls of the Southern Baptist Church, and the headlines have not stopped printing. Articles from major news outlets such as the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News have revealed that Southern Baptist pastors, youth leaders, and deacons have assaulted hundreds of women over the past twenty years—and those numbers only include the women who are confident enough to bring …

Developing A New Water-Soluble Porphyrin As A Potential Photodynamic Cancer Therapy Agent, Catherine Shirley

Honors Theses

Photodynamic cancer therapy (PDT) is a type of treatment involving the use of light in conjunction with a photosensitive agent- a chemical or series of chemicals designed for activation when exposed to light. This research project investigated the synthesis and identification of the novel photosensitive agent, H2TPP-Pro-OH. To create the water-soluble porphyrin, (S)-(+)-prolinol was reacted with the tetra-carboxyl porphyrin, H2TPPC, to form the final H2TPP-Pro-OH product. This compound was then purified using syringe filtration and column chromatography, and subsequently characterized using infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopies, as well as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Finally, …

Protective Services Or Protecting The Service? An Analysis Of The United States Child Protection System, Margaret Ann Donnell

Honors Theses

In its recent history, the United States child protection system has proven to fulfill a desperate need within our nation regarding the welfare and well-being of our nation’s children. An overview of the child protection system’s development shows tremendous progress has been made. And yet, what was created to be a solution to the growing number of children experiencing maltreatment in the form of abandonment, abuse, and/or neglect, has potentially become the very problem. Statistics illustrate just how serious the situation has and will continue to become if something is not done. Serious concerns have arisen and remain, and individuals …

A Young Adult Scrutinizes The Michael L. Printz Award, Claire Elaine Seale

Honors Theses

In a century peppered in controversy, adolescents between the ages and twelve to eighteen are turning to young adult literature to find hope in their lives. These books with headlining titles like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter are no longer just in print, but their narratives centered around teenage protagonists are being brought to life on screen. In fact, the source of much of our twenty first century culture derives from the ingenuity of young adult authors. Although the young adult empire continues to grow in modern times, many advocates for young adult literature, including the American Library Association …

Reading Between The Lines: Exploring Literacy, The Science Of Reading, And The R.I.S.E. Initiative, Ashly Stracener

Honors Theses

I am passionate about the topic of literacy and believe it is a fundamental human right. Through my thesis, I explore why literacy is so important for individuals and society as a whole by exploring the history of how reading has been taught, how the science of reading has impacted how reading is now taught, such as with Arkansas's new Reading Initiative for Student Excellence reading initiative. Ultimately, by exploring the process of reading and the new initiative, I want to provide a new and deeper appreciation for the value of literacy.

Not Exceptions: Historic Views Of Women In Art And The Impact On Contemporary Women Artists, Abby Leal

Honors Theses

The misconception that artists of centuries past were almost exclusively men is no accident. It is a direct result of institutional inequity that kept women artists, though they lacked neither the talent nor the initiative of their counterparts, in a less advantageous position. They were denied the same opportunities for education and employment as men, and many women artists, even those with successful careers, have been lost to history. With this essay, I hope to give women artists the credit they deserve for their diversity. Not all women experienced their position in the art world the same way. Some sought …

Daniel's Journey In First Grade / El Viaje De Daniel En Primer Grado, Hannah Gallagher

Honors Theses

After growing up in a city where I was privileged to observe a combination of cultures, I felt especially drawn to how children grow up in these environments, especially as it pertains to education. With this in mind, my thesis easily became a place for me to write and illustrate a bilingual children’s picture book. This picture book is for children between the ages of five and eight years old and is written in the English and Spanish languages. I have focused the book specifically on circumstances that immigrant children from Central or South America might encounter, as they adjust …

The Effects Of Communication Disorders In Individuals With Down Syndrome And How To Help Them Succeed, Shelby Louise Bradley

Honors Theses

According to recent studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in every 700 babies born is diagnosed with Down syndrome, resulting in almost 6,000 babies diagnosed in the U.S. every year. Down syndrome, also referred to as DS, comes with some physical and mental differences. Because of these differences, individuals with Down syndrome and their families face many challenges when communicating, and these challenges affect all aspects of life. An increased awareness and knowledge could hopefully and effectively address some of these communication challenges for patients with whom the speech-language pathology profession may work with …

Preparation And Cytotoxicity Of Novel Carbon Nano-Onion Materials, Cammie York

Honors Theses

The applications of carbon nanomaterials (CNM), including graphene and its derivatives such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in nanomedicine is well established. These nanomaterials have been widely used as theranostic delivery systems with the potential to deliver bioactive agents and simultaneously detect selectively diseased tissues. A rather underexplored CNM for biomedical imaging and theranostics delivery are carbon nano-onions (CNOs). CNOs are carbon-based nanomaterials that can potentially be used in cancer therapy when they are functionalized. Recent studies on cellular fate of different CNMs, including CNOs, have demonstrated that the surface composition is critical for the in vivo application of these CNM. …

Cracking The Case On Age-Appropriate Literature, Sara Neumann

Honors Theses

Reading is a vital part of education and life, therefore a necessary skill to learn. There are many debated methods as to teaching a child to read, but sometimes overlooked is another important component of the reading process—what a child reads. Books come in a hoard of different styles, genres, and formats, and their contents can be limitlessly varied. While it can be argued that all books are good to read in an appropriate time and place, as far as learning to read is concerned, there are some books that are more appropriate to children than others. Divided into age-level …

The Healing Potential Of Online, Art-Dbt: Developing A Program For Rumination And Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Reduction, Lesley Howard

Honors Theses

I developed and tested the effectiveness of an online, 6-week art-DBT (combination of Art Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) program aimed at reducing rumination and, if present, non-suicidal self-injury.

Our Stories, Paige Wright

Honors Theses

My first memory of feeling absolute and utter horror stems from my father. You have to understand, my father is a large man who, in the right light, is terrifying to a small child. This first memory is from a few days before Halloween. My parents had just bought some of those colored, spooky bulbs (they may have been purple or orange or red, in truth, I cannot remember) and were trying them out in the living room. I simply remember coming down the hallway—I may have been four or five, we definitely still had the dark, 70s style paneling …

Dance: The Universal Language Of Storytellers, Meagan A. Woodard

Honors Theses

I have grown up dancing. It has been a large part of my life. At a young age, after an experience dancing with Christ for the Nations, I was amazed that dance could reach beyond cultural boundaries. During my freshman year in an honors course, I was reminded of the concept that dance is a universal language. I have spent the last several years researching dance forms and coming into my own as a choreographer. Language can be a barrier as we try to communicate thoughts, feelings, etc. Yet, people from countries all over the world for centuries have utilized …

Effects Of Light Intensity On The Oxygen Production Of Arthrosprira Platensis, Savannah Edwards

Honors Theses

Space travel is challenging due to the depletion of resources as missions become lengthier. The cyanobacteria, Arthrosprira platensis, commonly known as Spirulina, has the potential to resolve this problem. In order to determine the effects of light intensity and nutrient availability on oxygen production and cell population growth, experiments were run on Spirulina at different light intensities and different nutrient levels. Spirulina cultures were grown in white light boxes with different light conditions (10 ��mol m-2 s-1 , 18 ��mol m-2 s-1, and a light-dark cycle with 18 hours of 18 ��mol m-2 s-1 per 24 hour period ). Oxygen …

Teachers' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Children Who Stutter, Kathryn Knight

Honors Theses

A teacher's knowledge about stuttering and perceptions of children who stutter increases positivity with years of teaching experience and the number of hours of special needs-in-service.

The Search For Mere Purgatory, Tucker Douglass

Honors Theses

Jerry L. Walls, in his book Purgatory: The Logic of Total Transformation, examines the different models of postmortem purgation that have been advocated over the years. After having assessed the value of satisfaction, sanctification, and mixed models, Walls proposes C. S. Lewis’s model as a type of “mere purgatory” that most Christians could get behind. He gives several reasons why Lewis’s account could prove most ecumenical:

1. Lewis is respected by believers from most all Christian traditions, including evangelicals;

2. his other views on the afterlife are already highly regarded;

3. his model is purely sanctification based while also …

Women In The U.S. Congress: A Study On The Role Of Gender In Electoral And Legislative Processes, Selby Tucker

Honors Theses

Using a three-part methodology, I examined women in Congress by studying their campaign finances, bill sponsorships, electoral history, and personal testaments to draw conclusions about the ability of a woman to fairly participate in the legislative process.

The Effects Of Renal Cold Storage And Transplantation On Immunoproteasome And The Complement System, Savannah Stacks

Honors Theses

Renal transplantation is the preferred method of treatment for end stage kidney disease. The majority of donor kidneys come from deceased donors and have to be stored in cold storage solution (CS) until the recipient is identified. However, prolonged CS is associated with poor long-term outcome. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of CS-related damage are largely unknown. Our laboratory recently reported that the proteasome and renal function were significantly decreased in rat kidney transplants that involved CS combined with transplantation (CS/Tx), as opposed to those that did not undergo CS (auto-transplantation/ATx). The long-term goal is to improve the transplant outcome by identifying …

The Sermon On The Mount: A Call To Obedience, Rylee Roberts

Honors Theses

I recently went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay of the Hawaiian Island, Oahu. Coral reefs and big, brightly-colored fish fill the Bay. Without goggles, I could only float on top, unaware of the depth and beauty below. When I put them on, however, I could observe the life and beauty of the ecosystem for myself. I could dive under the surface and explore what I had not known was there. I could find firm places to plant my feet when I needed to stand. I have found studying Scripture to be a similar experience. Learning more about historical and particularly cultural …

Les Femmes Capables: A Supplementary Curriculum Teaching Survival English To Female Senegalese Ells, Abigail Morse

Honors Theses

My thesis examines the contrast between a Muslim man’s opportunity to learn English versus his wife's, who, in a traditional context, would be limited by social obligations to her home and family's welfare. I look specifically at the roles of Muslim Senegalese women. I provide basic cultural context and teaching methods to ESL teachers. I also provide basic vocabulary lists and lesson plans about important situations such as "going to the doctor." The language needed to complete daily tasks is not taught in general language classes, and my goal is to change that.

Editing The Editor, Adeline Goodman

Honors Theses

When I was in the fourth grade, sitting at a round wooden table at the end of our kitchen, I wrote the first story that made me proud. My mom, Karrie Goodman, had taught me how to turn the dinosaur of a laptop on, plugging in the dial-up and giving enough time for the machine to whirl to life. At the time, we had a CD player nestled onto a shelf nearby, which was where I began my first inklings of a writing process, a writing preference. At that malleable age of barely ten years old, I preferred a glass …

The Challenges Of Deaf Women In Society: An Investigative Report, Megan Harris

Honors Theses

History has recorded the mistreatment of both Deaf people and women across time and cultures. The discrimination, struggle for rights, and the strides of progress thus far are congruent themes in both narratives, but neither expressly acknowledges the experiences of Deaf women, who encounter prejudice for both labels. In order to ascertain the breadth and magnitude of Deaf women’s challenges, their role and limitations in Deaf history, and their personal and social difficulties today were researched. These challenges are then illustrated by six personal accounts from modern Deaf women. The results of the study indicated that Deaf women experienced and …