Digital Commons Network^™

Newsletter Spring/Summer 2022, Annette Kluck, Margaret Savoie, Ethan Booker

Newsletters of the Graduate School

No abstract provided.

Leaders For Tomorrow' Recipients Aim High At Ole Miss, Erin Garrett

University of Mississippi News

Incoming freshmen awarded Annexstad Family Foundation scholarships

No Association Between Perinatal Mood Disorders And Hypertensive Pregnancies, Sarah Araji, Ashley Griffin, Wondwosen Kassahun-Yimer, Laura Dixon, Shauna Kay Spencer, Sheila Belk, Gail Ohaegbulam, Kedra Wallace

Faculty and Student Publications

Mental health disorders such as anxiety and/or depression are the most common mental health disorders seen among reproductive aged women and can increase during pregnancy. Many sociodemographic risk factors have been associated with anxiety and/or depression in pregnancy, which can lead to adverse maternal and infant outcomes including the risk of a hypertensive pregnancy. The current study prospectively examined self-reported anxiety, depression and stress in pregnant women without a history of fetal loss or mood disorders beginning at 20–26 weeks. At each study visit, circulating immune factors associated with perinatal mood disorders were measured in blood samples that were collected. …

Issue 400: August 11-25, 2022, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Select Dietary Supplement Products Marketed To Support Or Boost The Immune System, Cindy Crawford, Bharathi Avula, Andrea T. Lindsey, Abraham Walter

Faculty and Student Publications

Importance: Cold, flu, and immunity dietary supplement product sales have skyrocketed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting or boosting the immune system has become an important reason for using dietary supplements, and many consumers are purchasing products through online platforms. Objectives: To examine whether select dietary supplement products advertised as supporting or boosting the immune system are accurately labeled according to the Supplement Facts label of listed ingredients and to qualitatively describe the product labels' characteristics in terms of claims made. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this case series, 30 featured immune health dietary supplements were selected and …

Exploring Biology Beyond The Classroom, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

Off-campus courses give students hands-on opportunities in biodiversity locations

Computational Tools To Expedite The Identification Of Potential Pxr Modulators In Complex Natural Product Mixtures: A Case Study With Five Closely Related Licorice Species, Manal Alhusban, Pankaj Pandey, Jongmin Ahn, Bharathi Avula

Faculty and Student Publications

The genus Glycyrrhiza, comprising approximately 36 spp., possesses complex structural diversity and is documented to possess a wide spectrum of biological activities. Understanding and finding the mechanisms of efficacy or safety for a plant-based therapy is very challenging, yet it is crucial and necessary to understand the polypharmacology of traditional medicines. Licorice extract was shown to modulate the xenobiotic receptors, which might manifest as a potential route for natural product-induced drug interactions. However, different mechanisms could be involved in this phenomenon. Since the induced herb-drug interaction of licorice supplements via Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is understudied, we ventured out to …

Education, Society, And The K-12 Learner, University Of Mississippi. School Of Education. Department Of Teacher Education

Textbooks and Open Educational Resources

An exploration of selected components of the education profession: purpose of education. American education system, education and the legal system, child and adolescent development, and diversity.

• Part 1: Educational History and Policy
• Part 2: Educational Psychology

Indoloquinoline-Mediated Targeted Downregulation Of Kras Through Selective Stabilization Of The Mid-Promoter G-Quadruplex Structure, Alexandra Maria Psaras, Rhianna K. Carty, Jared T. Miller, L. Nathan Tumey

Faculty and Student Publications

KRAS is a well-validated anti-cancer therapeutic target, whose transcriptional downregulation has been demonstrated to be lethal to tumor cells with aberrant KRAS signaling. G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical nucleic acid structures that mediate central dogmatic events, such as DNA repair, telomere elongation, transcription and splicing events. G4s are attractive drug targets, as they are more globular than B-DNA, enabling more selective gene interactions. Moreover, their genomic prevalence is increased in oncogenic promoters, their formation is increased in human cancers, and they can be modulated with small molecules or targeted nucleic acids. The putative formation of multiple G4s has been described in …

Traditional Use, Phytochemical Profiles And Pharmacological Properties Of Artemisia Genus From Central Asia, Aliya Nurlybekova, Aidana Kudaibergen, Aizhan Kazymbetova, Magzhan Amangeldi

Faculty and Student Publications

The flora of Kazakhstan is characterized by its wide variety of different types of medicinal plants, many of which can be used on an industrial scale. The Traditional Kazakh Medicine (TKM) was developed during centuries based on the six elements of ancient Kazakh theory, associating different fields such as pharmacology, anatomy, pathology, immunology and food nursing as well as disease prevention. The endemic Artemisia L. species are potential sources of unique and new natural products and new chemical structures, displaying diverse bioactivities and leading to the development of safe and effective phytomedicines against prevailing diseases in Kazakhstan and the Central …

Mercury Methylation Potentials In Sediments Of An Ancient Cypress Wetland Using Species-Specific Isotope Dilution Gc-Icp-Ms, Derek D. Bussan, Chris Douvris, James V. Cizdziel

Faculty and Student Publications

Wetlands are of a considerable environmental value as they provide food and habitat for plants and animals. Several important chemical transformations take place in wetland media, including the conversion of inorganic mercury (Hg) to monomethylmercury (MeHg), a toxic compound with a strong tendency for bioconcentration. Considering the fact that wetlands are hotspots for Hg methylation, we investigated, for the first time, Hg methylation and demethylation rates in an old growth cypress wetland at Sky Lake in the Mississippi Delta. The Sky Lake ecosystem undergoes large-scale water level fluctuations causing alternating periods of oxic and anoxic conditions in the sediment. These …

A Brief History Of Archaeology At Ole Miss (Mississippi Archaeological Association Newsletter, 58.2, August 2022), Jay K. Johnson, Jessica Fleming Crawford

Faculty and Student Publications

A summary of the archaeologists holding faculty positions in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Mississippi from 1949 (Fall) through 2022 (Spring) based on the University's annual catalogue. Also includes a selected bibliography of faculty publications, a list of M.A. theses in Anthropology from 1963-2022, and archival photographs.

Social Distance, Stigma, And Help-Seeking: A Comparison Of Lay And Professional Conceptualizations Of Autism In The Southern Us, Christian Shannon Courson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding stigma, help-seeking and barriers to treatment for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is essential for informing interventions toward increased relevance and utility. An array of sociocultural and individual factors can influence lay beliefs and behavioral responses to ASD, including stigma and social distancing (i.e., preference for distance from autistic individuals). It is important to consider the Explanatory Models of ASD among helping professionals (e.g., health care, education) as they are likely touchstones along the help-seeking pathway for children with ASD. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to explore factors in the southern United States associated with …

The Ongoing Collegiate Anxiety Pandemic: It’S A Dangerous Business Going Out Your Front Door, Daniel Pineau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is an emotion that consists of worrisome thoughts, physical tension, and physiological arousal regarding the perceived potential of danger. College students have increasingly endorsed anxiety as a primary difficulty during the collegiate years. Due to this increase in anxiety and an increase in utilization of therapy services, the overall study aim was to identify the factors that influence anxiety presentations and whether or not a brief, online, therapeutic intervention could be effective for symptom reduction. A group of participants (N = 96) volunteered to complete a longitudinal study providing a brief, online, psychological intervention through the University of Mississippi. …

Impact Of Institutional Support For Research And Development At An R1 University, Joy Tatum Shideler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study utilizes a correlational research design to identify the relationship, if any, between institutional and external support of research and development (R&D) at an R1 University Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education R1: Very High Research Activity Doctoral University in the southeastern United States of America. Initial analyses of institutional and external R&D expenditures as reported in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey from 2015 through 2020 did not identify any relationships between institutionally and externally funded R&D expenditures. Additionally, initial regressions were directionally split with positive correlations in 14 fields and …

The Effects Of Interactive Object Provisioning On Corticosterone, Stress-Related Behaviors, And Cognition In Juvenile And Adult Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia Guttata), Lucas West

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identification and reduction of unnecessary stress in lab animals is important for welfare, and for scientific validity. Providing animals with infrastructure and objects that encourage exercise and species-typical manipulative behaviors can help reduce stress by meeting physical and psychological needs. The effects of such "environmental enrichment" (EE) have been heavily studied in both zoo animals "where it has been shown to reduce maladaptive behaviors" and in lab animals such as rodents, where it clearly reduces stress and anxiety, dampens reactions to stressful events, and increases cognition and the volume of related brain regions. While there is some evidence that EE …

Genomic Analysis And Metabolic Potential Of Myxobacteria, Hanan Albataineh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myxobacteria are known for their large genomes that bestow them with a distinct lifestyle that is characterized by fruiting body formation, gliding motility, social interactions, predation, and secondary metabolite production. The powerful combination of whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics-driven analysis of sequence data has delivered unexpected insights into myxobacterial microbial communities. We applied these two approaches to investigate the chemical space and biosynthetic potential of myxobacteria. Mining different myxobacterial genomes for biosynthetic gene clusters led us to the discovery of a cryptic acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) synthase encoded in the genome of the myxobacterium Archangium gephyra. Bioinformatic analysis of this AHL synthase …

Emotion Regulation In Migraine, Tracy Protti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migraine is the third most common medical condition across the globe and a leading cause of years lived with disability due to its considerable burden. The burden is further compounded by the high prevalence of psychological comorbidities and the influence of other psychological factors on functioning. Examinations of migraine within the fear-avoidance model suggest that fear of pain (FOP) promotes maladaptive avoidance and escape behaviors, which contribute to headache-related disability. Limited research demonstrates that those with migraine engage in avoidant emotion-regulation (ER) strategies but has overlooked ER abilities beyond acceptance. The current study aimed to investigate ER in individuals with …

Protein Redesign And De Novo Design Approaches To Create Artificial Nickel-Dependent Metalloenzymes, Dhanashree Selvan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Energy crisis, energy demand and climate change are the major challenges of this century. As we face these challenges, it’s important that we depend on alternate energy forms like renewable energy sources and at the same devise ways to tackle the greenhouse effect. Therefore, it is important to move towards a carbon neutral energy economy where we can convert atmospheric carbon dioxide back into organic carbon and depend on clean energy sources like Hydrogen. These energy concerns can be tackled well if we understand the role of enzymes responsible for various biological reactions.Metals play a variety of unexpected roles in …

Do Individuals With Functional Gastrointestinal Symptoms Experience Emotions Differently? An Examination Of Emotional Responding During A Series Of Emotion Induction Tasks, Sara Witcraft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are disorders of the brain-gut axis characterized by physiological and emotional disturbances, including heightened comorbidity with psychiatric disorders. Individuals with FGIDs experience difficulties with emotional processing, including the awareness, identification, and regulation of emotions. Although emotional processing is implicated in the maintenance and exacerbation of FGID pathology, literature examining these associations is limited. The current study aimed to enhance understanding of the emotional processing of individuals with FGIDs. We recruited individuals with and without FGID symptoms and examined the: (1) association between gastrointestinal distress and psychopathology; (2) association between gastrointestinal distress and emotional and physiological responsivity; …

Organizational Green Claims And Consumer Green Perceptions In The Foodservice Industry, Jangwoo Jo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the ever-growing consumer demands and global pressures for more sustainable business operations, corporations disclose their sustainable practices, products, and services to enhance their environmental image. Consumer green perceptions resulting from those organizational green claims have not been the focus of foodservice research. The application of green performance dimensionality of the foodservice domain identified that organizational green claims regarding food, environment and administration increase consumer green confusion and green trust at the same time. Based on the results of CFA, SEM, and multigroup analyses, this study suggests implications both theoretical and practical.

Development And Evaluation Of Performance Models For Asphalt, Concrete, And Composite Pavements Using Machine Learning, Rulian Ferreira De Almeida Barros

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transportation infrastructures account for a considerable portion of public investments, which serve as the backbone of a country’s economy by providing essential services to businesses and people. In the United States, public investments in transportation infrastructure assets represent trillions of dollars. The U.S road network consists of about 4 million miles, being the world’s largest, longest, and biggest transportation system. Paved roads account for 2.6 million miles, and 93% of them are surfaced with asphalt. However, a portion of the paved roads consists of asphalt overlaid concrete pavements, also known as composite pavements. When concrete pavements start to fail, they …

Novel Applications Of Hot Melt Extrusion For Developing Oral Solid Dosage Forms With Improved Solubility, Permeability, And Stability, Dinesh Nyavanandi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today's world, with an increasing patient population, the demand for pharmaceutical medications is increasing enormously. However, pharmaceutical industries are continuously failing to meet market and patient populations' demands. Poor solubility of the drug substances is the major roadblock affecting the pharmaceutical industries in meeting the market demand and revenue. Around 70-80% of the new chemical entities within the developmental pipeline are claimed to be poorly soluble, affecting the oral bioavailability. Improving the solubility of drug substances by preserving their stability and physiological action is the primary prerequisite for developmental scientists. The underdeveloped manufacturing process with various limitations is another …

Investigating Sound And Gear Modification As A Means Of Reducing Shark Bycatch, Eduardo Josue Rangel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sharks are unintentionally captured during commercial fishing operations and discarded, known as bycatch. Sharks captured in this manner have high mortality rates resulting in hundreds of millions of sharks killed annually. Longline operations have the highest instances of bycatch. In this study, two methods for reducing shark bycatch were investigated. A simple gear modification on longline leaders was tested by substituting monofilament (mono) leaders with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (spectra) leaders. A recording of thunder was tested during longline fishing for a deterrent effect. The experiments were conducted simultaneously on a 915 m longline with 50 leaders with each leader alternating between …

Repetitively Counting Sheep: Sleep As A Moderator Of Executive Function Performance On Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms, Brittany S. Sapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a leading cause of disability worldwide, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is associated with considerable costs on individual and economic levels. According to a U.S. national comorbidity survey, approximately 28% of individuals experience obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in their lifetime. As with most psychiatric disorders, sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in individuals with OCD and have been linked to greater severity of OC symptoms and poorer treatment response. Similarly, deficient executive functioning (EF) has been demonstrated in OCD, with research evidencing a connection between EF impairment and OCD course, symptom severity, and treatment response. Sleep difficulties are also implicated in impaired EF, …

Preparation And Characterization Of 3d Printed Bioadhesive Delivery Systems, Mohammed Yahya Alyahya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drug delivery systems are evolving as pharmaceutical excipients and the manufacturing technologies evolve. Recently, 3D printing was introduced as a promising and versatile manufacturing technology of solid dosage forms from liquid, semi-solid, and solid intermediates. This work presents two examples of employing hot melt extrusion and fused deposition 3D printing technology to fabricate bioadhesive delivery systems loaded with miconazole. The first project shows a successful fabrication of four intraoral mucoadhesive film formulations, the formulations consist of different ratios of Eudragit RS, Hydroxypropyl cellulose EF (HPC EF), and Hypromellose HME 15LV. After the HME and 3DP fabrication of the films, the …

An Investigation Into The Feasibility Of Coupling Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology With Fused Deposition Modeling 3d Printing In Different Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms, Abdullah Ahmed Alzahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coupling hot-melt extrusion (HME) with fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a cutting-edge manufacturing technique that allows the exact deposition of materials in consecutive layers to create bespoke objects. HME technology has piqued academic research and the pharmaceutical industry's attention as a solvent-free continuous process for several pharmaceutical applications. It is possible to employ this technology alone/alongside other current technologies to produce new pharmaceuticals for various applications. The FDA has approved several HME commercial products for different pharmaceutical applications. HME and FDM 3D printing could open the door to a new era of pharmaceutical manufacturing. 3D printing has …

The Hollidays In Mississippi: A Documentary Project About Queer Family, Legacy, And Community Struggle, Christina Alison Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This MFA thesis accompanies a short documentary film encompassing a “passing of the torch” story between Eric White (GoDiva Holliday) and his drag daughter, Justin Tyler (DeePression Holliday.) After twenty years of performing and directing drag shows in Tupelo, MS, White makes the decision to let go of his passion and focus on himself. He ensures that his drag daughter, Holbrook, carries on the legacy of creating LGTBQ spaces in the conservative South. This story will also touch on the familial relationship between the two drag performers who both grew up in small-town Mississippi but in different eras. The work …

Testing Emotion Regulation As A Functional Transdiagnostic Construct, Enoch Sackey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The polythetic criteria of the DSM and ICD generate high amount of symptom heterogeneity as there are clusters of symptoms within various diagnostic category that are heuristically similar, resulting in multiple, often confusing, ways of describing sequelae of symptoms presentation. This is because the DSM and ICD classification systems were developed based on the neo-Kraepelinian framework for classifying physical illnesses, which assumes that the underlying architecture of psychopathology, which manifest in disorder symptoms, are distinct and specific. Based on this, the categorical approach to describing psychopathology has been described as purely conceptual artefact with no empirical basis in research or …

Effect Of Excipients/Solvents On The Barrier Integrity And Topical Drug Delivery Across Micropores, Abhishek Shettar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topical and transdermal drug delivery system offers several advantages over conventional drug delivery; non-invasive, patient compliance, avoidance of first-pass metabolism, and sustaining therapeutic drug levels for several days. As a route for drug administration, skin presents a large surface area and can be used for both local and systemic drug delivery. However, the skin forms a formidable barrier protecting the human body from external environmental rigors and excessive water loss, maintaining equilibrium. The skin's barrier properties can be attributed to its unique macromolecular organization and morphology. However, the organized structure of the skin, since intended to prevent the entry …