Digital Commons Network^™

Assisted Reproductive Technologies For Southern Cricket Frogs (Acris Gryllus), Audrey Grace Koltz

Honors Theses

Amphibians are facing the most drastic biodiversity declines of all vertebrates, with an estimated 41% of amphibians threatened with extinction. Captive breeding programs employ a variety of assisted reproductive technologies including environmental manipulation, hormonal therapies, artificial fertilization, and gamete preservation to augment vulnerable populations and optimize genetic diversity. Amphibians require a species-specific combination of environmental, social, and physiological cues to reproduce, which makes universal and successful captive breeding programs especially elusive. Here, I investigate assisted reproductive technologies for a small frog species, the southern cricket frog (Acris gryllus). Establishing successful methods for southern cricket frogs may yield promising results for …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of Diabetes Solutions Telehealth Coaching Services, Caroline Brock

Honors Theses

Diabetes remains a growing public health concern, particularly in underserved regions such as rural Mississippi, where barriers to healthcare access and diabetes education contribute to poor disease management. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of 27 participants enrolled in Diabetes Solutions, a telehealth-based diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES/T) program offered by the Mississippi Diabetes Network. Using a phenomenological approach and structured interviews, the study identifies four major themes: structural benefits of the program, knowledge gained, common changes by participants, and quality of life outcomes. Participants consistently emphasized the value of personalized coaching, emotional encouragement, and practical education on …

Client-Centered Food Distribution: An Analysis Of Patron Preferences At The Oxford Food Pantry, Ella Mann

Honors Theses

Food insecurity has long penetrated the rural South. This limits access to nutritious foods like fresh produce and contributes to chronic health conditions that may arise. Food pantries serve as a vital resource in addressing these disparities by providing free food to families in need. Many of these pantries incorporate strategies to increase consumption of nutrient dense options such as fruits as vegetables. These strategies can vary but the client choice model has proven to align with the self determination theory and promote greater autonomy in food selection. This study aimed to assess the food preferences of patrons at the …

Challenges Us Study Abroad Students Face When Acculturating To A Foreign Food Environment, Sydney C. Davis

Honors Theses

Studying abroad presents a unique opportunity for college students to immerse themselves in new cultures, including experiencing different food environments and dietary customs. However, adapting to a foreign food culture can pose various challenges that impact students’ overall health, eating behaviors, and study abroad experiences. The purpose of this study to develop a survey instrument designed to investigate the extent to which U.S. study abroad students embrace, accept, and face challenges with different aspects of Italian food culture, using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) as a guiding framework. Initial survey items were developed with information obtained from focus group discussions …

Case Studies In Modern Accountancy: Exploring Financial Ethics, Corporate Influence, And Regional Development Through An Interdisciplinary Lens, Caroline Klocke

Honors Theses

This thesis compiles five case studies researched and completed during the 2023-2024 academic year, each exploring a different topic pertaining to the accounting profession today. With the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, professor at the University of Mississippi, these case studies were completed throughout the Accountancy 420 class to fulfill the research requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy. The first case emphasizes reliable international financial reporting, while exploring the exposure of fraudulent Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges that costed American investors billions of dollars. The second explores U.S. military spending …

Cooking For A Cause: Food Insecurity In Lafayette County, Ms, Anna K. Richie

Honors Theses

Many people in Lafayette County, MS, experience ongoing difficulties with consistent access to healthy food options. According to the Mississippi Health & Hunger Atlas, “food insecurity rates in Mississippi are consistently and statistically higher than national averages—having been ranked as #1 or #2 for highest food insecurity rate every year for the past 15 years” (Haggard, Cafer & Green, 2017). This capstone project examines how a Little Free Pantry (LFP) initiative can contribute to local food security efforts and evaluates cooking demonstration outcomes using ingredients found in LFPs. The approach combines quantitative and qualitative methods by tracking pantry inventory data …

Bridging The Justice Gap: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic At North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, Emma-Kathryn Bond

Honors Theses

Over the course of two years, I spent more than 130 hours completing on-the- ground volunteer work with the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), a clinic within North Mississippi Rural Legal Services that provides free legal assistance to individuals navigating disputes with the IRS. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees legal representation in criminal cases, no such guarantee exists for civil matters such as tax disputes, housing instability, or loss of public benefits. Clinics like LITC fill a crucial gap by offering support in areas that are often overlooked, such as tax law, where clients risk audits, wage garnishments, and court proceedings …

Empowering Youth Through Cooking Classes, Jamiya C. Mason

Honors Theses

Chronic health issues and poor dietary habits continue to disproportionately impact rural communities in Mississippi, especially among children. Research has shown that early exposure to healthy foods and cooking practices can positively influence lifelong health behaviors. Cooking classes have also been linked to improved food literacy, culinary confidence, and willingness to try new foods. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a short-term culinary program on children’s cooking self-efficacy and food behaviors in Quitman County, Mississippi.

Four cooking classes were conducted with youth (grades 4–7) in a local after-school program. Lessons included vegetable-based recipes, including zucchini …

Building Community Through Food And Health: Student Initiatives To Address Food Insecurity In Mississippi, Sarah E. Sawaya

Honors Theses

This thesis explores food insecurity in Oxford and Lafayette County, Mississippi, within the broader context of state, national, and global challenges. Over a four-year period, student-led and community organizations collaborated to design programs that addressed both food access and chronic illness prevention through education, outreach, and direct service. Community input was gathered through health screenings, campus engagement, and informal interviews with residents, which guided the development of practical tools like recipe kits, QR code-based cookbooks, and on-site health education. These efforts were rooted in local partnerships and shaped by the lived experiences of those most affected. This project demonstrates that …

Health Fairs: An Effective Approach To Health Promotion Through Community Engagement And Community-Campus Partnerships, Brookleigh Brumfield

Honors Theses

Community engagement seeks to achieve long-term outcomes through collaborating with community and campus partners to address the issues affecting the community by centering their voices, concerns, and solutions. This capstone project seeks to offer health and language access for residents in Lafayette, Pontotoc, and Union Counties, and to evaluate the health fair model from the perspective of participating community and campus partners. With this information from organizations, it will be possible to create the most efficient, beneficial health fairs in these counties. The community partner perspectives show the importance of community engagement, but also the significance for the campus as …

Jtc 25: Hands-On Experience Fuels Hospitality Dream, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2025 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

Conflict, Human Development, And Neonatal Health: A Regional Analysis Of The Eastern Mediterranean, Zynub A. Al-Sherri

Honors Theses

Background. The effects of war and conflict on a population are direct and indirect in nature. One of the most devastating consequences is the destruction of healthcare infrastructure, which severely disrupts access to essential services and impedes long-term socioeconomic development. Among those most affected are newborns, as the neonatal period represents the most vulnerable stage of a child’s life and serves as a sensitive indicator of a society’s overall health and socioeconomic conditions. Given the persistent instability in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), this study aimed to explore how conflict and human development are associated with neonatal health outcomes …

Impact Of Menstrual Cycle Phase On Upper Extremity Function, Emma D. Cochran, Kaitlyn M. Armstrong

Honors Theses

Abstract

The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Upper Extremity Function

Background: There has been a significant rise in the number of female athletes participating across the spectrum of sports. While there are a multitude of research studies looking at physiology in sports on performance, training methods, and injuries; this research is general across genders. When it comes to female-specific physiology concerning training and injuries, there is little research. One such gender-specific physiological focus is the menstrual cycle in the female population. The literature suggests changes in joint laxity and muscle repair throughout the various phases of the menstrual cycle, …

Determining The Bioaccumulation Of Minor Cannabinoids In Zebrafish Larvae, Kamdyn A. Holt

Honors Theses

Due to the increasing prevalence of cannabis product availability and usage in the modern United States, particularly among pregnant individuals, evaluating the bioaccumulation of minor cannabinoids to further understand the adverse effects of cannabinoids during early development is critical. This study quantitated the uptake of eight minor cannabinoids ((∆8-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆8-THC), ∆9-THC, ∆10-THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)) in zebrafish larvae following water-borne 2 µM exposures from 6 to 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). Larvae were homogenized at 96 hpf and analyzed using a gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method developed in this study. Bioconcentration …

Jtc 25: From Community Impact To Food Innovation, Kimberly Livingston

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2025 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

Shelving Stigma: A Grocery Store Client Choice Pantry Model - A Solution To Food Insecurity In Young Adults Of Marginalized Communities While Eradicating The Stigmatization Of Food Pantry Services, Anna C. Buckley

Honors Theses

An increasing number of young adults, age 18 to 35, are becoming food insecure across America, but disproportionately in urban and people of color communities. However, food pantries have remained a social stigma causing food insecure persons to avoid using a food pantry for hunger relief. Research has shown that the grocery store model for food pantries is most beneficial for staff, while also minimizing the stigma and increasing accessibility for pantry clientele. The purpose of this program proposal is to highlight the feasibility of implementation of a client choice grocery store pantry model at the NY Common Pantry (NYCP) …

Researchers Use Machine Learning To Predict Exercise Adherence, Jordan Karnbach

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss – Sticking to an exercise routine is a challenge many people face. But a University of Mississippi research team is using machine learning to uncover what keeps individuals committed to their workouts.

Giving Day 2025 Generates $1.3 Million For Ole Miss, Tina H. Hahn

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – When the last online donation came through on Wednesday (April 9) for Giving Day 2025, 2,685 donors had combined to give $1.34 million to bolster the University of Mississippi.

Bioseq: A Molecular Intelligence Platform Based On Organism-On-Chip Technology For Bridging Data Gaps Between C. Elegans And Humans, Hunter Edwards, Adnan Qureshi, Mizanur Rahman, Tyler Chiriboga, Amar Chittiboyina, Ikhlas Khan, Siva Vanapalli

Oxford ICSB

The FDA Modernization Act 2.0, emphasizes the urgent need for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to replace conventional animal testing in safety and efficacy assessments. NemaLife’s organism-on-chip platform, utilizing C. elegans, microfluidics and visual AI, provides a high throughput platform for in vivo screening. To enhance human relevance and reduce the inter-species gap between C. elegans and human, we developed BioSeq, a novel discovery workflow, based on high-throughput transcriptomics. Leveraging the 60-80% homology between C. elegans and human genomes, BioSeq translates worm gene expression data to human orthologs. This enables: (i) identification of differentially expressed human-relevant genes triggered by bioactive ingredients …

Caffeine-Free Plant-Based Nootropics: The Evolving Science And Regulatory Journey Of Alpinia Galanga., Deshanie Rai

Oxford ICSB

Consumer interest in using botanicals as complementary medicine to help address a variety of health benefits is rooted in the traditional use of botanicals to support for example vision performance, joint health, and mental wellbeing. With increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are seeking ways to support their mental energy. While caffeine is a widely used nootropic, consumers are wary of consuming too much caffeine and/or it’s associated “caffeine-crash” effects, and therefore looking for plant-based nootropic alternates. Plant-derived nutraceutical research is now on the research agendas in academic and industry settings. At OmniActive Health Technologies, we are helping to address consumer health …

Publicly Available Online Data From National Adverse Event Reporting Schemes: Observations On Cases Involving ‘Ashwagandha’, Jo Barnes

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Ashwagandha – Is It Safe? A Toxicologist’S Perspective, Mukesh Summan

Oxford ICSB

Withania somnifera (WS) also known as ashwagandha is a herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine with recorded use dating back centuries. Different plant parts including roots, leaves, fruits, seeds and stems are purported to have various biological actions such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-stress, anti-anxiety when used alone or in combination with other plants. Despite this long history of use as a traditional herb in Indian medicine and world-wide as a food supplement, regulatory health authorities have begun to question the safety of WS due clinical cases of herb-induced liver injury from products labelled as containing ashwagandha and concerns for WS …

Abstract Title: What Is Chaga? Unique Biochemistry Of The Sterile Conk., Anna Kreynes

Oxford ICSB

Fungal based supplements or functional mushrooms are growing in popularity worldwide. Among them, Chaga is attracting increasing attention for its broad immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Chaga is unique among “mushroom” supplements as it is technically neither a mushroom (fruiting body), nor a sclerotia, as some researchers assert, but rather a sterile conk or canker that forms on trees, infected and colonized by mycelia of the pathogenic fungus Inonotus obliquus. Commonly associated with birch (Betula spp.), I. obliquus also parasitizes other hardwood species such as alder (Alnus), beech (Fagus), and ash (Fraxinus), found in boreal forests of northern Europe, Asia and …

Supplement Product Quality Woes: A Call To Action, Andrew Shao

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Digitization Of Hptlc Chromatograms For Chemometric Analysis, Menglian Zhang, Jianghao Sun

Oxford ICSB

HPTLC has been a major analytical tool for the botanical industry for many years. Its strength has been the ability to provide multiple chromatograms for parallel visual comparison of standards and samples. It’s weakness has been the lack of digitization to allow objective chemometric analysis of the data. Two studies are presented: analysis of 3 species of Echinacea (E. angustifolia, E. palida, and E. purpurea) and analysis of cranberry supplements, fruits, and juices (35 supplements, 8 dried fruits, and 4 juices). Accurate comparison of the patterns of the chromatograms required pre-processing: removing initial and final peaks, derivatization, alignment of samples …

Rooted In Quality: Elevating Standards In Botanical Supplements, Katie Banaszewski

Oxford ICSB

The botanical supplement industry is currently navigating a landscape that demands an unwavering commitment to high standards of quality, transparency, and sustainability. This sector faces a host of challenges alongside new opportunities, particularly emphasizing the vital role of quality assurance in preserving the integrity of botanical products. To ensure the authenticity of botanical ingredients and safeguard consumer health, advanced scientific testing techniques have become indispensable. Methods such as DNA barcoding, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy play crucial roles in verifying the purity and identity of these natural products. Furthermore, as the market increasingly prioritizes ethical consumption, there is a growing …

Herbs In Commerce: Sales Trends And Consumer Attitudes In The $13 Billion U.S. Herbal Supplement Market, Bill Giebler

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Study Explores How Time-Restricted Eating Affects Weight Loss, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Time-restricted eating is the latest craze for people looking to lose weight, but whether it works remains the calorie-burning question.

Global Experts Gather In Oxford For Annual Botanicals Conference, Marisa C. Atkinson

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – The National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi is preparing to host scientists and experts from around the world for the 23rd annual International Conference on Science of Botanicals.

Um Gets $2.6m To Expand Mental Health, Preschool Education Programs, Marvis Herring

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has been awarded $2.6 million to expand two programs that provide free online counseling services to youth across the state and share an evidence-based preschool curriculum with teachers.