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A 2-Part Study Examining; Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates Among High-Risk Adults And The Influence Of Education On Knowledge And Awareness Of Hepatitis B And The Use Of Vaccines As A Safe, Preventative Measure Among University Of Ms Students, Ariel Wilson
Honors Theses
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented and controlled through vaccination. However, vaccination among high-risks adults in the U.S. is still low (50%). This poses serious threats for HBV transmission between infected individuals and high-risk individuals. Objective: The specific aims of this research were to (a) explore the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination uptake from 2011-2014 (b) to examine intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational level factors associated with receiving hepatitis B vaccination among high-risk adults. Methods: Data were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011-2014 to (1) assess the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination and …
Culture-Independent Analysis Of Microbial Communities Associated With Hydroponically Grown Living Lettuce, Abby Matthews
Culture-Independent Analysis Of Microbial Communities Associated With Hydroponically Grown Living Lettuce, Abby Matthews
Honors Theses
The bacteria associated on and within a plant make up that plant's microbiome. Given recent interest in how microbes can affect human health, as well as developments in DNA sequencing that allow us to examine microbial communities without culture techniques, a number of recent studies have investigated the composition of the microbial communities on edible plants. Leafy green salad vegetables pose an added interest, since they are consumed without sterilization or cooking. This study investigated the bacterial composition of endophytic and epiphytic communities of hydroponically grown green leaf lettuce that is sold with the roots intact and referred to as …
Bring Your Own Device Initiative To Improve Engagement And Performance In Human Anatomy And Physiology I And Ii Laboratories, Kelsey Hillhouse
Bring Your Own Device Initiative To Improve Engagement And Performance In Human Anatomy And Physiology I And Ii Laboratories, Kelsey Hillhouse
Honors Theses
At the University of Mississippi, just 4.93% (2014) and 6% (2015) of Human Anatomy and Physiology students responding to an informal, opinion survey stated that their favorite lab activity was using microscopes. In addition, performance on lab practical questions involving the identification of specimens under a microscope is low with the average percent correct being as low as 31.85% and no higher than 41.94%. These numbers are troubling in that Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II are required courses for students desiring entry into many allied health professions where knowledge of tissues, obtaining samples for biopsy, and interpreting microscopic …
Effects Of Mutating Ctra-Binding Sites Within The Pile Promoter Of Caulobacter Crescentus, Sarah Chong
Effects Of Mutating Ctra-Binding Sites Within The Pile Promoter Of Caulobacter Crescentus, Sarah Chong
Honors Theses
This project investigated the regulation of pilA by the global transcriptional regulator CtrA in the dimorphic bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. The pilA gene encodes the pilin subunits which are polymerized into helical filaments to produce pili, and the gene is directly activated by CtrA such that filaments are produced after cell separation. The pilA promoter harbors three regions that have been shown to bind CtrA (Binding Regions 1, 2, and 3), and multiple CtrA recognition sites are found in these regions, which is unusual for CtrA-dependent promoters. However, none of the binding sites match the CtrA consensus binding sequence. The canonical …
Examination Of Electroglottography (Egg) And Surface Electromyography (Semg) As Techniques To Assess Oral Motor Activity During Consumption Of Four Forms Of Chocolate, Taylor Patterson
Honors Theses
The study assessed individual oral motor activity while eating different types of chocolates through the use of electroglottography (EGG) and surface electromyography (sEMG). I hypothesized that chocolate samples with higher milk solids and cocoa composition would be preferred by subjects as assessed by subject evaluation of textural attributes for the four chocolate samples. I predicted that preference will be significantly and positively correlated with oral motor events [e.g. sEMG activity of master and suprahyoid muscles, total number of chewing actions, and time to last swallow (EGG)]. The experiment used a subject group of 40 students enrolled at the University of …
Autoregulation Of The Glial Gene Reversed Polarity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Chase Suiter
Autoregulation Of The Glial Gene Reversed Polarity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Chase Suiter
Honors Theses
Autoregulation is the process where an encoded protein is able to bind to and positively or negatively regulate its own expression. Autoregulatory loops are crucial for sustained gene expression, and such loops have been demonstrated to be important for development in organisms ranging from Danio rerio to Arabidopsis thaliana and Drosophila melanogaster. The cells of the nervous system arise from progenitor cells that eventually adopt one of two fates: neuronal or glial. This decision is controlled by glial cells missing; however glial cells missing is expressed briefly at the beginning development. The glial gene repo is a gene that is …
Spatial Variation Of Bacterial Communities On The Leaves Of A Southern Magnolia Tree, Emily Q. Nguyen
Spatial Variation Of Bacterial Communities On The Leaves Of A Southern Magnolia Tree, Emily Q. Nguyen
Honors Theses
The leaf surface, or phylloplane, is a dynamic environment for its microbial inhabitants, which can be subjected to many environmental factors. Existing phylloplane studies have focused on differences in bacterial community structure between trees of the same species, in different geographical locations, or between trees of different species. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of bacterial communities on the leaves of a single tree. In this study, leaf samples from different areas of the canopy were obtained from a single Magnolia grandiflora tree. Samples were taken from the high (3.5-4.0 m above the ground), middle (1.5 m), inner middle …
Comparative Effectiveness Of An Exercise And Sedentary Break Intervention On Mood Profile And Dietary Behavior In Young Adults: Pilot Study, Hannah Dau
Honors Theses
Exercise and sedentary behavior are both important subsets of PA (Physical Activity) to study, with emerging research demonstrating that sedentary behavior may predict mental health outcomes independent of PA. Additionally, a correlation has been observed between diet and PA, but few studies on this topic have employed an intervention design. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in PA and sedentary behavior influence mood profile and dietary behavior. The PA intervention consisted of progressively increasing their vigorous-intensity PA (jogging) over a 4-week period among an inactive population. The sedentary group was asked not to exercise, but …
Evaluation Of A Farmers' Market Intervention On Food Insecurity, Health, And Diet Of Individuals Living In Rural, Appalachian Mississippi, Heather A. Poole
Evaluation Of A Farmers' Market Intervention On Food Insecurity, Health, And Diet Of Individuals Living In Rural, Appalachian Mississippi, Heather A. Poole
Honors Theses
Objective: This study examined: 1) the impact of a farmers' market nutrition education and incentive intervention on household adult food security status, produce intake, perceived diet quality, and perceived health of individuals living in rural, Appalachian Mississippi; and 2) the relationship of household adult food security status to produce intake, perceived diet quality, and perceived health at baseline. Methods: Participants were recruited for a 12-week farmers' market nutrition education and incentive ($3.00/week) intervention at two rural farmers' markets in an economically distressed, Appalachian Mississippi county and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results: The mean age of participants (n=60) was 57 …
Population Genetics Of The Giant Red Centipede Along The Appalachian Mountains, Kayla Elayne Ladner
Population Genetics Of The Giant Red Centipede Along The Appalachian Mountains, Kayla Elayne Ladner
Honors Theses
This study focused on population genetics of the giant red centipede, Scolopocryptops sexpinousus, in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Two genetic markers were used—the mitochondrial COI gene, and the nuclear RNA Polymerase II gene. The goal of this study was to determine how many genetically distinct populations of this invertebrate species exist within the study area, and to understand the spatial distribution of genetic diversity within and among populations. I hypothesized several genetically distinct populations of S. sexpinosus would be detected because the complex topographic characteristics and historical climate cycles of the region are thought to limit movement of many forest …
Investigating Veterinary Management Choices For Canine Heartworm Disease (Dirofilaria Immitis) In Northern Mississippi, Tobi Ku
Honors Theses
Canine heartworm disease affects nearly 45% of dogs in endemic regions of the United States (Atkins, 2005). There are concerns that the chronic use of macrocyclic lactone (ML) preventives to kill adult heartworms (soft- or slow-kill) may have contributed to the development of ML resistance. My study of this problem had three objectives: (a) to determine the frequency of slow-kill treatment in heartworm-positive patients and compare them to practitioner estimates; (b) to survey practitioner opinions on the factors influencing heartworm disease management; and (c) to analyze the heartworm prevention history of heartworm-positive patients in order to understand the causes of …
The Effects Of Microstegium Vimineum On The Soil Microbial Community, Holly Kate Raymond
The Effects Of Microstegium Vimineum On The Soil Microbial Community, Holly Kate Raymond
Honors Theses
Invasive species can spread into native ecosystems and become dominant species. The spread of invasive species is one of the largest threats to biodiversity. Microstegium vimineum is an annual C4 grass that is native to various parts of Asia. M. vimineum was introduced to the United States in the early twentieth century and has rapidly spread due to its high seed production. This study examined the effects of M. vimineum invasion on the composition of the soil bacterial community. Soil samples were collected from two woodland sites in northern Mississippi in November 2014 and 2015. The presence of M. vimineum …
Egg Laying Bird With Male Plumage Demonstrates The Puzzling Nature Of Sexual Differentiation And Selective Mate Preferences In Zebra Finches, John Aaron Howell
Egg Laying Bird With Male Plumage Demonstrates The Puzzling Nature Of Sexual Differentiation And Selective Mate Preferences In Zebra Finches, John Aaron Howell
Honors Theses
Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are oscine Passerine songbirds that are native to Australia. Zebra finches have sexually dimorphic plumage, song nuclei, and behavior. The role of chromosomes, hormones, and genes on sexual differentiation are not completely understood. A gynandromorph in our aviary had male plumage, a male partner, and produced viable offspring. Mate preference tests revealed lower preference for the gynandromorph and its progeny than controls, suggesting that they had some traits that made them unattractive to other birds. Gynandromorph lineage males had greater same-sex preferences than control males. Chromosomes in birds are different than those in humans. Males are …
The Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Within The University Of Mississippi Community And Knowledge Of And Opinions About The University Of Mississippi Food Bank, Megan Marie Eubanks
The Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Within The University Of Mississippi Community And Knowledge Of And Opinions About The University Of Mississippi Food Bank, Megan Marie Eubanks
Honors Theses
The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of food insecurity within the University of Mississippi community. The project also investigated whether the University of Mississippi (UM) community supports and/ or knows about the UM Food Bank. A survey to determine perceived levels of food insecurity and knowledge of and opinions about the UM Food Bank was dispersed through Qualtrics Survey Software via University email to one-third of the UM faculty, staff, graduate students (including Pharmacy and Law), and undergraduate students. The final survey response count was 356 (response rate: 6.48%). Data collected for questions pertaining to food …