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Honors Theses

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Dam Politics: Bolivian Indigeneity, Rhetoric, And Envirosocial Movements In A Developing State, Thomas Moorman Jan 2017

Dam Politics: Bolivian Indigeneity, Rhetoric, And Envirosocial Movements In A Developing State, Thomas Moorman

Honors Theses

How is the natural environment used and understood in contemporary Bolivian politics? To answer this question, this thesis examines two environmental conflicts, one past and one contemporary. In 2011, indigenous communities from the Indigenous Territory and Isiboro Secure National Park participated in the Eighth March for Territory and Dignity to protest the Villa Tunari—San Ignacio de Moxos Highway planned for construction through the TIPNIS. Using the existing literature, I show how this protest utilized distinct forms of environmentalism to combat state resource claims. My contribution to the field is the exposition of how the environment is used and understood surrounding …


The Pharmacodynamic Functions Of Low-Dose Rapamycin As A Model For Universal Influenza Protection, William Gust Jan 2017

The Pharmacodynamic Functions Of Low-Dose Rapamycin As A Model For Universal Influenza Protection, William Gust

Honors Theses

One of the most sought after breakthroughs in modern influenza research is the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that would protect against all strains of avian influenza. An unlikely model for this kind of protection might be found in the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. Traditionally used to prevent organ transplant rejection, low doses of rapamycin have been found to protect mice against infection with distinct subtypes of influenza. However, it is not understood how a partial block in this pathway provides optimal heterosubtypic immunity. Interestingly, previous experiments have shown that low dose rapamycin inhibits germinal center formation to reduce antibody …


Evaluation Of Sigma Ligand Az66 Analgesic Potentiation Of Cannabinoids, Jacqueline Morris Jan 2017

Evaluation Of Sigma Ligand Az66 Analgesic Potentiation Of Cannabinoids, Jacqueline Morris

Honors Theses

Sigma receptors have become a popular subject for research the past few decades, but there is still much mystery behind these receptors and how they work. Sigma receptors, like cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptors, have effects on the human body including appetite regulation, depression, and analgesia. AZ66 is a highly selective sigma receptor ligand that has antagonistic properties. Sigma receptor antagonists have been shown to potentiate the analgesic effects of opiates; however, there are no known literature reports about the interaction between the sigma receptor system and the endocannabinoid system, including CB1 receptors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate AZ66 …


Cannabidiol Mitigates Opioid Reward On Conditioned Place Preference In Mice, James Roland Markos Jan 2017

Cannabidiol Mitigates Opioid Reward On Conditioned Place Preference In Mice, James Roland Markos

Honors Theses

This study sought to determine whether the cannabis constituent, cannabidiol (CBD), is able to attenuate morphine reward in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Mice received IP injections of either saline or morphine and increasing doses of CBD that were paired with a distinct environment in the CPP apparatus. Morphine-produced place preference was dose-dependently blocked by CBD. Furthermore, none of the tested doses of CBD exhibited reward or aversion. The finding that CBD blocks opioid reward suggests CBD may be useful as an abuse deterrent, particularly in the setting of opioid use for pain management.


Re Magazine And The Politics Of The Little Magazine, Jesse Webb Jan 2017

Re Magazine And The Politics Of The Little Magazine, Jesse Webb

Honors Theses

The little magazine played a widely significant role in the political and cultural history of Western civilization. Literary and ephemeral in nature, the little magazine gave birth to Modernism in the early 20th century by publishing the works of little known authors such as William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot to name a few. Later, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America recognized the influential role of the little magazine and began funding magazines that spoke to the anti- communist left in Europe and in the Americas at the beginning of the Cold War. While …


Egg Laying Bird With Male Plumage Demonstrates The Puzzling Nature Of Sexual Differentiation And Selective Mate Preferences In Zebra Finches, John Aaron Howell Jan 2017

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 …


Population Genetics Of The Giant Red Centipede Along The Appalachian Mountains, Kayla Elayne Ladner Jan 2017

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 …


Action Understanding Via Mirror Neuron Systems: A Proposed Model For The Science And Treatment Of Stuttering, Madison Jones Jan 2017

Action Understanding Via Mirror Neuron Systems: A Proposed Model For The Science And Treatment Of Stuttering, Madison Jones

Honors Theses

Persistent developmental stuttering is generally considered to be a speech disorder characterized by repetitions, prolongations and postural fixations, and is relatively resistant to therapy. While mainstream stuttering therapy continues to rely on behavioral speech targets, recent research suggests that mirror neuron systems can be activated to temporarily induce natural sounding fluent speech in those who stutter via exposure to second speech signals. Despite the prevalence of speech-motor based stuttering treatments, a unified account of how and why fluency is enhanced through endogenous methods remains elusive. The purpose of these two exploratory studies is to further test the validity of the …


Little Philosophers: Assessing And Prompting Philosophical Reasoning With Children, Makensey Sanders Jan 2017

Little Philosophers: Assessing And Prompting Philosophical Reasoning With Children, Makensey Sanders

Honors Theses

There is a debate in academic philosophy and psychology of whether or not children can or should do philosophy. Robert Kitchener asserts that due to cognitive limitations, children under the age of 10 cannot think philosophically (Kitchener, 1990). Murris (2000) challenges Kitchener's arguments and concludes that more research is needed. Further, this is a period during which children show individual differences and development in cognitive capacity, specifically within executive function relating to conscious control that may influence abstract thought (Zelazo et al., 1997). The present study assessed 7- to 9-year-olds' and adults' ability to answer philosophical questions in relation to …


Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands, Mariah Leigh Cole Jan 2017

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands, Mariah Leigh Cole

Honors Theses

The cannabinoid receptors, members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, have been implicated in numerous human physiological functions and diseases. These receptors, cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid type 2 (CB2), are most concentrated in the central nervous system and immune cells, respectively, and have each become a target of therapeutic interest. Dual CB1/CB2 agonists such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of nausea, pain, and glaucoma, but suffer from psychotropic effects mediated by CB1, motivating the search for CB2 selective therapeutic agents. Selective modulation of the CB2 receptor has therapeutic potential in human health disorders …


Madness In The Middle Ages: An Examination Of The Treatment Of The Mentally Ill In The Medieval Era Based On Order And Gender, Bailey Grace Elkin Jan 2017

Madness In The Middle Ages: An Examination Of The Treatment Of The Mentally Ill In The Medieval Era Based On Order And Gender, Bailey Grace Elkin

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the treatment of the mad in Europe during the Middle Ages. I read various primary and secondary sources in the course of my investigation. Several of the secondary sources used quotes from primary sources, so I used some of that evidence as well. My conclusions were that the treatment of the mad varied based on gender and estate. When someone from the third estate went mad, family members tried mostly religious cures, since those were the only resources available to them. When members of the second estate went mad, relatives, other members of the nobility, and the …


Modeling Migraine Chronification And Its Relief; The Effects Of Thc On Recurrent Ntg-Induced Migraine Endpoints In Rats, Blake Sowers Jan 2017

Modeling Migraine Chronification And Its Relief; The Effects Of Thc On Recurrent Ntg-Induced Migraine Endpoints In Rats, Blake Sowers

Honors Theses

This study investigated the analgesic effects of a THC pro-drug in a rodent model of recurrent migraine. Rats received 4 nitroglycerin-induced (NTG: 10mg/kg/2ml) migraine episodes every third day for 12 days; saline, cremaphor-vehicle, propranolol (10mg/kg/ml), or THC-VAL-HS (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg/ml) were given IP 30 minutes before NTG. Behavioral endpoints of photosensitivity, activity, orbital tightening, and tactile allodynia were assessed 110 m after NTG. Migraine severity increased over the course of the four episodes, pointing toward chronification and an important step in model validation. However, neither propranolol nor THC-VAL-HS significantly attenuated any of the migraine-related endpoints. These data are …


Acceptance Of Marginalized Couples, Shaquela Hargrove Jan 2017

Acceptance Of Marginalized Couples, Shaquela Hargrove

Honors Theses

Marginalized couples (i.e., those seen as dissimilar from the socialized standard) are still not completely accepted (Lehmiller & Agnew, 2006). Almost 50% of Americans still disapprove of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) couples (Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage, 2015) and almost 13% disapprove of interracial/interethnic couples (Newport, 2013). When these couples perceive stigma due to their relationships, negative outcomes such as higher levels of depression, can occur (LeBlanc, Frost, & Wight, 2015). Previous research has identified personal factors that are similar for the acceptance of both types of marginalized couples: non-White, Republican, politically conservative, men, less educated, more religious, and …


Whore Or Hero?: Helen Of Troy's Agency And Responsibility From Antiquity To Modern Young Adult Fiction, Alicia Dixon Jan 2017

Whore Or Hero?: Helen Of Troy's Agency And Responsibility From Antiquity To Modern Young Adult Fiction, Alicia Dixon

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore the use of Helen of Troy spanning literature from Homer to the modern Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini, and to discuss how Helen's agency is both stripped from her and granted to her through the use of desire, death, and the connotations associated with her face and name. Specifically, the differences between ancient works and Angelini's novels in how these three categories are treated concerning Helen are used to show how a Helen with very similar characteristics to those Helens in ancient literature, who generally possess little or no agency, can go …


Biochemical Variation In Caribbean Sponges Of The Genus Aplysina, Sarah L. Criddle Jan 2017

Biochemical Variation In Caribbean Sponges Of The Genus Aplysina, Sarah L. Criddle

Honors Theses

Sponges are among the simplest multicellular organisms, consisting of groupings of cells with similar functions rather than true tissues. Nonetheless, sponges are ecologically significant in many marine environments, including coral reefs. They are sedentary organisms that feed by filtration from the water column, which contributes to the numerous roles they play on coral reefs, including upkeep of the reef, production of usable energy, and recycling of nutrients. Like all multicellular organisms, sponges are made up of biologically significant macromolecules. These macromolecules provide the energy for the sponge, and their relative concentrations determine how sponges can store and access the energy …


The Evaluation Of Az66, A Highly Selective Sigma-1 And Sigma-2 Receptor Antagonist, For Its Anti-Convulsive Effects In C57bl/6 Mice, Jamie Stone Jan 2017

The Evaluation Of Az66, A Highly Selective Sigma-1 And Sigma-2 Receptor Antagonist, For Its Anti-Convulsive Effects In C57bl/6 Mice, Jamie Stone

Honors Theses

The Evaluation of AZ66, A Highly Selective Sigma-1 and Sigma-2 Antagonist, for Anticonvulsive Effects in C57Bl/6 Mice (Under the direction of Lisa Wilson and Dr. Christopher McCurdy) Sigma receptors have become a popular subject for research the past few decades, but there is still much mystery behind these receptors and how they work. Researchers have found that sigma receptor antagonists can attenuate cocaine induced convulsions, however, limited research has been conducted on the effects of these antagonists on convulsions that mimic the types of seizures associated with epilepsy. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate AZ66 (20 …


The Effect Of Golf Shoe Characteristics On Static Balance Over An Extended Duration, Jordan Colbert Jan 2017

The Effect Of Golf Shoe Characteristics On Static Balance Over An Extended Duration, Jordan Colbert

Honors Theses

Golf performance is greatly impacted by balance ability, specifically during a golfer's swinging and putting motion. Previous studies have found that certain shoe characteristics can affect balance; however, no such study has been conducted for golf shoes. This study's objective was to compare balance scores between three different golf shoe styles and determine which style or characteristics serve golfers best in improving balance under quiet standing conditions over time. Twelve adults (age: 23.4 ± 2.2 years; height: 181.5 ± 9.0 cm; mass: 95.8 ± 18.6 kg) participated in this study. Each participant made four visits, one for each footwear condition: …


The Metaphysics Of Transubstantiation: The Problem Of Individuation In The Seventeenth Century, Conrad J. Collins Jan 2017

The Metaphysics Of Transubstantiation: The Problem Of Individuation In The Seventeenth Century, Conrad J. Collins

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to look at the recurring question of the relationship between theology and philosophy by investigating the 17th century debate on the Eucharist as it revolved around Descartes and Leibniz. The Jesuit explanation of transubstantiation involves the philosophical problem of individuation, which asks what makes an individual substance what it is. Therefore, the study focuses specifically on the problem of individuation as it is treated by the philosophers Descartes and Leibniz as they try to answer the previous question. Descartes's mechanical philosophy runs against the notion of what constitutes a body, while Leibniz's monadology finds …


Taking Things At Face Value: Typeface And Its Influence On Reading, Memory, Judgment And Time Perception, Danielle Hollingsworth Jan 2017

Taking Things At Face Value: Typeface And Its Influence On Reading, Memory, Judgment And Time Perception, Danielle Hollingsworth

Honors Theses

Differing typefaces, such as serif, sans serif, or script, offer varying physical characteristics and can aid or inhibit legibility. These distinctions between typefaces lead to fonts being deemed as either perceptually fluent or disfluent. As fluency of a text is altered, the notion is offered that processing changes occur, which can influence factors of reading a text. Altering fonts have previously been shown to influence reading speeds, memory, and time estimation judgment. This thesis tests the relationship of font type with these aspects, with the addition of another judgment portion regarding perception of text quality. Determining the aspects which can …


Effects Of Dioscin On Dna Methyltransferase 1 Protein Expression In Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines, David Andrew Means Jan 2017

Effects Of Dioscin On Dna Methyltransferase 1 Protein Expression In Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines, David Andrew Means

Honors Theses

In previous experiments, the steroidal saponin, dioscin, which was extracted from the roots of the wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), was observed to have potent anti-proliferative effects on the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Dioscin was also able to activate the transcription of tumor suppressor genes GATA3 and CDH1 in these cell lines. We hypothesize that the anti-proliferative effect of dioscin on human breast cancer cells could be mediated through the epigenome. Consequently, in order to explore this hypothesis, we have analyzed the expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) protein in these cells. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were …


Pretty Things Around The Sun, Alaina G. Newby Jan 2017

Pretty Things Around The Sun, Alaina G. Newby

Honors Theses

The following thesis contains six short stories written from July 2016 to March 2017 in Tupelo, Mississippi and Oxford, Mississippi.


Hot-Fire Testing Of An Af-M315e 1-Newton Thruster, Alex Mcgee Jan 2017

Hot-Fire Testing Of An Af-M315e 1-Newton Thruster, Alex Mcgee

Honors Theses

AF-M315E is a green monopropellant currently being investigated for use as a potential replacement for hydrazine in low-thrust spacecraft propulsion applications. To support devel- opment e↵orts, a series of hot-fire tests were conducted to assess the performance of AF-M315E in a 1N thruster. Preliminary design and analysis shows an increase in performance versus a comparable hydrazine system. Testing was conducted with a 1N TZM (titanium, zinc, and molybdenum alloy) thruster in late July 2016 in collaboration with the Spacecraft Propulsion Systems o ce (ER23) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Testing focused on character- izing the transient behavior of the …


The Effect On Postural Balance As A Result Of Different Types Of Golf-Specific Footwear Over An Extended Duration, Alice Mcgee Jan 2017

The Effect On Postural Balance As A Result Of Different Types Of Golf-Specific Footwear Over An Extended Duration, Alice Mcgee

Honors Theses

The sport of golf is increasingly popular within the United States, with an estimated 35 million participants worldwide. To be successful, the golf swing, regarded as a difficult biomechanical motion to accomplish, needs to be accurate and powerful. A proper swing incorporates a weight shift from the rear foot to the leading foot, which indicates that balance is crucial to maintain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of golf-specific footwear on static balance over an extended duration in order to relate it to golf performance. Twelve recreationally trained males (age: 23.4±2.2 years; height: 181.5±9.0cm; mass 95.8±18.6 …


Dynamic Testing Of Bovine Cortical Bone, Kenton Wong Jan 2017

Dynamic Testing Of Bovine Cortical Bone, Kenton Wong

Honors Theses

Bone is the primary structural element of mammalian animals. It plays a critical role in support, strength, and resilience, and has been the subject of many investigations into its material properties. The high strain rate behavior of bone has remained relatively unexplored, however, and its properties under dynamic loads perpendicular to the diaphysis of the bone are somewhat poorly understood. Bone is an anisotropic material and displays different properties depending on its orientation during testing. It is known that bone is weaker under a compressive load in the transverse direction, but the relationship has not been tested at high strain …


A Few Good Things, Rachel Byars Tran Jan 2017

A Few Good Things, Rachel Byars Tran

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of poetry dealing with depression, the body, love, family, poverty, and the slow ache of memory.


Investigating Veterinary Management Choices For Canine Heartworm Disease (Dirofilaria Immitis) In Northern Mississippi, Tobi Ku Jan 2017

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 …


Agricultural Production Cooperatives In The Eu: Explaining Variation In Cooperative Development, Alexander Borst Jan 2017

Agricultural Production Cooperatives In The Eu: Explaining Variation In Cooperative Development, Alexander Borst

Honors Theses

This thesis examines variations in the development of cooperative businesses across member states in the European Union to identify and explain patterns in cooperative participation. Through a comparative analysis of statistical indicators coupled with regional analyses of historical determinants that may have incentivized cooperative participation, the current state of cooperatives in each region is highlighted and the relevance of each cooperative development indicator is discussed. This thesis uses literature on the early European cooperative movement, the development of the Common Agricultural Policy, and the current state of cooperative agricultural production to present a historically contextualized look at the European model …


Macbeth In Film: Directorial Choices And Their Impact On The Audience, Kellie Suzanne Mcclelland Jan 2017

Macbeth In Film: Directorial Choices And Their Impact On The Audience, Kellie Suzanne Mcclelland

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I closely examine William Shakespeare's 17th century tragedy, Macbeth, in comparison to five film adaptations for a 21st century audience: Roman Polanski (1971), Philip Casson (1979), Geoffrey Wright (2006), Rupert Goold (2010), and Justin Kurzel (2015). I chose to survey the women in Macbeth specifically because of historical blame placed on either Lady Macbeth or the witches for Macbeth's actions. General critical perceptions are that these women robbed Macbeth of his agency or free will and urged him, coerced him, to commit unspeakable crimes to advance his career. What I found in these productions are a variety …


Sans Fin: Language Of Loss, Lane Jennings Proctor Jan 2017

Sans Fin: Language Of Loss, Lane Jennings Proctor

Honors Theses

This is a hybrid collection of creative pieces that I have written in order to try to capture the feelings associated with loss and oppression. These pieces are only loosely related thematically and are not one single narrative. I especially wanted to focus on female characters who become disillusioned with their lives, find they have no real agency, or that they cannot truly write their own narratives. Through research on the Middle East, mostly focusing on Syria, and a close friendship with a Syrian refugee while I was studying abroad in Paris, I found the inspiration and ideas for many …


Healthcare Professionals Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Biosimilars In Northern Mississippi, Amanda Seals Jan 2017

Healthcare Professionals Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Biosimilars In Northern Mississippi, Amanda Seals

Honors Theses

The emergence of biologics over the past the past few decades has led to a new interest in the production of a classification of drugs known as biosimilars. The vast complexity involved in the discovery, development, and manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars has made researching the knowledge and perceptions among healthcare professionals important. Healthcare professionals must have an understanding of biologics, as these medications are used for some of the most rare diseases. Healthcare professionals in northern Mississippi were surveyed on their knowledge of and attitudes towards biologics and biosimilars in order to gain insight on the current status of …