Digital Commons Network^™

Divine Or Demonic? A Social Approach To Epilepsy From Greco-Roman Antiquity To The Early Middle Ages, James Nicholas Sumrall

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to evaluate how epilepsy was defined, perceived and understood in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as how these ideas were adapted and changed during the early centuries of Christianity. To this end, the thesis is divided into six parts. The Introduction briefly explains epilepsy and discusses how the social approach method can be applied to the disease. Chapter I introduces the Hippocratic understanding of epilepsy and outlines the Greco-Roman religious concepts of pollution and purification, which frequently informed ancient perceptions of epilepsy. The first chapter also analyzes the general relationship between disability, disease and divine selection …

Examining The Effects Of Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids On The Antimicrobial Activity Of Piscidins In Vibrio Cholerae, Elizabeth Allen

Honors Theses

Antimicrobial peptides are found in all organisms and have gained notoriety in recent years for their effectiveness against a variety of pathogens. Piscidins, first isolated from the mast cells of vertebrates, comprise a family of these host defense peptides. Piscidins 1 (P1) and 3 (P3), found in sea bass and other fishes, are isoforms with different modes of action. P1 induces membrane perturbation, while P3 binds DNA to exert antibacterial activity. Each has the ability to bind Cu2+ (P1Cu and P3Cu) which dramatically impacts their antimicrobial characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity of metallated and …

Amateur Photography: Finding New Perspectives And Seeking Authenticity, Stephanie Swart

Honors Theses

This paper acts as a detailed research and understanding of amateurism within the photographic medium and practice. The research serves to unveil the influence that the turn of the 19th century amateurs in America and beyond have on contemporary photographers utilizing aspects of amateurism. The history of amateur photography is discussed as a precursor to the introduction of two contemporary photographers who utilize amateurism to varying degrees. This paper exists as a way to learn from the amateur mindset and embrace the spontaneity and magical whim of pointing and shooting. In order to satisfy the varying elements of amateurism in …

Leadership, Job Stress And Uncertainty Among Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Impacts And Implications In Lieu Of Pertinent Theoretical Constructs, Davis Woodson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on practicing nurses in the United States. The study considered the effect of communication, self-efficacy, intolerance to uncertainty, and life satisfaction on nurses’ job satisfaction; additionally, this study considered the extent to which nurses perceived organizational response efficacy was predicted by their perceptions of communication and perceived threat susceptibility. A total of 191 nurses participated in the online survey. The study revealed that life satisfaction was positively predicted by communication, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction in multiple regression analyses. Perceived communication positively predicted perceived organizational response efficacy …

When I Grow Up: Intimacy Work And Collegiate Theatre, Anna-Carson Tyner

Honors Theses

The field of intimacy work within the wider theatre industry is rapidly growing, and universities should be prepared to meet the demands the industry is setting forth. Since 2016, intimacy direction has been making its way into the professional theatre world. As intimacy work becomes more mainstream, students will enter college with the ultimate goal of going into the field. Through this research, I have set out to create courses that could fit into the framework of a collegiate theatre program that would support students’ desire to learn about the intimacy field, and to create a department environment built on …

Biochemical And Computational Characterization Of Small Regulatory Rnas In The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Isabelle Townsend

Honors Theses

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process by which gene expression is regulated using small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Three classes of ncRNAs, including micro-RNA (miRNA), short-interfering RNA (siRNA), and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA), are readily distinguishable in eukaryotic systems based on unique characteristics such as read sizes, overlap signatures, and mode of biogenesis. In this study, a method for purification of small RNAs was explored in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. This method involved the use of Sepharose beads for anion exchange chromatography to enhance purification of Argonaute associated small RNAs. Following RNA extraction and purification, small RNA libraries were created …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Soil Respiration In A Longleaf Pine Forest., Caroline E. Paxton

Honors Theses

Prescribed fire is a common tool used to increase the herbaceous diversity in longleaf pine forest understories and to eliminate competition from undesirable mid-canopy species. Little is known about the effects of these fires on the soil respiration rates within these forests. A study of the effects of prescribed fire on soil respiration was conducted within a longleaf pine stand at the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center to examine soil respiration across seasons and before and after a prescribed fire. Soil CO₂ efflux rates were measured using a LICOR LI-8100A gas flux system with long-term chambers from October 2020 to …

Unraveling The Mummy: The Effects Of Natural Mummification On The Recovery And Degradation Of Dna, Marissa Gandolfo-Muller

Honors Theses

As demonstrated through casework and research studies (Hawass et al., 2010; Gielda & Rigg, 2017), anthropogenic mummification and modern-day embalming can expedite degradation of DNA. Current research in the field of forensic mummification is sparse and little research has been done on quantifying naturally mummified DNA (Leccia et al., 2018; Shved et al., 2014). This research focuses on observing and quantifying the differences in the recovery and degradation of DNA from specimens that have been naturally mummified. This research on natural, forensic mummies is a blend of experimental archeology and postmortem DNA analysis.

In this study, two control specimens and …

Vertebrates At The University Of Southern Mississippi: A Wildlife Survey Of The Bear Point Bayou And Surrounding Gulf Park Campus, Hannah Mcduffie

Honors Theses

This project originated through interest in pursuing a field-based research project involving vertebrates. After conducting literature reviews, it was found that the Bear Point Bayou running through the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park Campus has never been thoroughly surveyed for species richness (Mohrman et al. 2016). Four sites on the Gulf Park Campus were chosen and vertebrate species were documented and identified through observations, camera trapping, and vocalization recordings. These data, along with species previously recorded on campus, were combined, and compared to data from the Gulf Coast Phenology Trail of which the Gulf Park Campus was recently added …

The Diversity And Evolution Of Phenazine Biosynthesis Pathways In Enterobacterales, Christian Leise

Honors Theses

Enterobacterales is an order of Gram-negative bacteria that encompasses plant and animal pathogens and organisms of industrial importance. Some of these bacteria produce secondary metabolites classified as phenazines (Phz). Studies in other groups of microorganisms revealed that phenazines are redox-active and exhibit broad antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic activity. Enterobacterales are known to produce phenazines, but details about the diversity, biochemistry, and function of phenazine metabolites in these organisms are missing. In this work, we screened the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank for genome sequences of phenazine-producing (Phz+) Enterobacterales. Additionally, genomes of Phz+ strains Pectobacterium carotovorum cc303 and …

Exploring How Popular Media Affects The Motivations And Hesitations Of Women Who Go Through Sorority Recruitment At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Whitley W. Howell

Honors Theses

Fraternity and sorority life is an important part of many college students’ experiences. Sororities provide college women with many opportunities for leadership, service, academics, and growth. Even though sororities have many benefits, they often have negative connotations in popular and social media. Often, these negative stereotypes affect people’s perception of sororities, and many women have hesitations about joining a sorority because of the way sororities are portrayed.

Sorority women express concern with the media’s negative representation of Greek life. The negative connotations affect how people see the sororities. Recruitment of new women into the chapters is an important part of …

Mitochondrial Replacement And Mitonuclear Interactions In The Broadstripe Topminnow (Fundulus Euryzonus), Auburn Ansley

Honors Theses

When species hybridize, mitochondrial and nuclear introgression can take place. This is commonly observed in freshwater fish species, such as the Fundulus notatus complex, which is composed of F. notatus, F. olivaceus, and F. euryzonus. The broadstripe topminnow, F. euryzonus, is only found in the Amite and Tangipahoa Rivers in the Lake Pontchartrain drainage, where it overlaps in distribution with F. olivaceus. Previous studies determined that F. euryzonus in the Tangipahoa River system possesses mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from F. olivaceus as a result of hybridization between the two species. The goal of this thesis was …

The Effects Of Canine-Assisted Therapy In Speech Therapy, Malak Dawoud

Honors Theses

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine how speech-language pathologists utilize canine-assisted treatment in their practices and the speech-language pathologists’ perceptions of the effectiveness of using canine-assistance in speech therapy. A nine-question survey was sent via email to the licensed members of the Mississippi Speech-Language -Hearing Association (MSHA). The author used the source, SurveyMonkey, to acquire and analyze the data. The data was used to determine the prevalence of canine-assisted therapy in speech therapy and to discover if the speech-language pathologists believed this kind of therapy was effective. Additionally, when canine-assisted therapy was used, was there a particular …

Investigating Subcellular Localization Of Somatic Piwi Proteins In The Annelid Capitella Teleta, Tierra D. Cooper

Honors Theses

PIWI proteins are well known for their various roles and localization in germline development of diverse organisms, yet their specific role and function in somatic tissue remains elusive. PIWI proteins are essential for the biogenesis of PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), silencing mechanisms, sexual reproduction, and regeneration. piRNAs are PIWI bound RNAs that play an essential role in transposon silencing. PIWI and piRNAs expression and localization have been discovered in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster and mice; however, its localization in the C. teleta annelid is currently unknown and the subject remains an active area of research. In the present study, the …

The Role Of Gac/Rsm Signal Transduction Pathway In The Biology Of Antagonistic Marine Bacterium Gynuella Sunshinyii 449, Anhthu Truong

Honors Theses

Gynuella sunshinyii is a newly characterized bacterium with a remarkable ability to produce multiple secondary metabolites that act as potential antibiotics for medical applications. Currently, little is known about gene regulation in this unusual microorganism. In 2018, studies conducted of rhizosphere microbiomes of tidal marsh grasses on Deer Island, MS, resulted in multiple isolates of halophilic, aerobic, Gram-negative bacteria with antagonistic properties. One of the most active antagonists was identified as Gynuella sunshinyii 449. The genome of strain 449 was sequenced with Illumina MiSeq, assembled with Unicycler and SPAdes, and annotated with RASTtk. The annotation revealed a 6.09 Mb genome …

Investigating Pirna Expression And Function In Regenerating Tissue Of Segmented Annelid Capitella Teleta, Beatriz Schueng Zancanela

Honors Theses

Regeneration can be observed virtually in all animals and previous studies have identified numerous genes involved in this process. In some invertebrates, the P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI) genes appear to have an essential role. One such organism is Capitella teleta, a widely accepted model for annelid development. PIWI proteins are associated with small non-coding RNA called PIWI-interacting RNAs or piRNAs, which are involved in transposon silencing in the germline cells of many animals. It was previously believed that these proteins were only expressed in germline cells, however, recent studies have shown expression in somatic tissues as well. The function …

Molecular Characterization Of Galectin From Amblyomma Americanum In Context Of Α-Gal Syndrome, Sumar Beauti

Honors Theses

The lone star tick Amblyomma americanum is a vector of various disease-causing pathogens and tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) with rapidly expanding populations in the south- and northeast regions of the United States. This study aimed to molecularly characterize galectin and determine its involvement in galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) synthesis, transport, reproductive fitness, and microbial homeostasis in this tick. The lone star tick galectin possesses two conserved carbohydrate recognition domains and shares homology with other Ixodid tick galectins. Time and tissue-dependent expression data shows that galectin is constantly expressed in salivary glands, midgut, and ovary tissues. An RNA interference approach was used to …

A Comparison Of Approval Ratings Of Gender Inclusive Spanish Suffixes Between Learners And Speakers Of Spanish., Chandler Nichols

Honors Theses

The following study aimed to investigate the correlation between varying levels of Spanish learners who had taken different levels of Spanish courses, and fluent speakers and their approval ratings of gender inclusive suffixes in Spanish. The study used a survey in order to gather information and approval ratings. The results indicated that higher level Spanish learners on average had lower approval ratings of the three gender inclusive suffixes included in the survey.

Isolated Point Discharges Into Coastal Swashes As Nutrient Sources To Coastal Waters, Mary E. Olsen

Honors Theses

Coastal water quality in the Grand Strand of South Carolina is directly influenced by human activities. Nutrient-rich runoff, stemming from numerous anthropogenic sources, finds its way into coastal waters through freshwater inputs often through tidal creeks, termed swashes. In order to better describe the amount of nutrient inputs into Singleton Swash and White Point Swash, we examine anthropogenic runoff from isolated identifiable point discharges and their nutrient concentrations. We report concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, as the sum of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium) and phosphate in discharge and creek water. We hypothesize that nutrient concentrations of isolated, minor point …

Leaf Phenology And Freeze Tolerance Of The Invasive Tree Pyrus Calleryana (Rosaceae) And Potential Native Competitors, Abby E. Hay

Honors Theses

Pyrus calleryana is quickly becoming one of the most problematic invasive species in the Eastern and Central part of the United States. Pyrus calleryana is an early successional species that quickly proliferates in highly disturbed soils such as old fields and younger prairies. Currently, this species poses a large threat to land managers as it changes the successional trajectories of forest and prairie systems, creating new novel ecosystems. Pyrus calleryana outcompetes most native early successional species and is relatively understudied. The mechanism in which Pyrus calleryana utilizes to dominate ecosystems are not fully understood, but one theory is Pyrus calleryana …

Determine The Effects Of Propionate On The Interactions Between Macrophages And Listeria Monocytogenes, Stephanie M. Johnson

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic and intracellular foodborne pathogen that can be deadly in high risk populations. During infection in the human body, L. monocytogenes may encounter macrophages, a type of white blood cell that is critical in innate immune response both by directly targeting invading pathogens and by eliciting adaptive immune responses. During intestinal as well as peripheral infections, both L. monocytogenes and macrophages may encounter propionate, a common gut microbiome metabolite. Although propionate is shown to have various regulatory and nutritional functions, its effects on infection outcome is not well understood. Therefore, the goal of this research is …

Development Of A Computational Framework For Estimating Knee Joint Contact Forces In Running, Sean W. Kapp

Honors Theses

The prevalence of running as a form of exercise and the necessity of walking for simple locomotion obscure massive forces and moments within the body. An especial area of concern is the knee, as common among these injuries is knee pain as a result from high impact on the ground or ground reaction forces. These forces are altered by the foot strike pattern of the individual; in this study, either rearfoot strike (RFS) or forefoot strike (FFS). This alteration will impact internal forces conducted upward through the body. Given the complexity of the motion of running and the forces involved, …

An Exploration Of The Widely Observed Mechanisms Permitting Freeze Tolerance & The Potential Of Cope’S Gray Treefrog, Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Samuel A. Ripley

Honors Theses

Over 80% of the Earth’s surface is exposed to seasonal cold temperatures less than 5.0oC. Ectotherms implement a variety of strategies to survive seasonal, or permanent, cold exposure. Some of the most common overwintering strategies are migration, hibernation, and freeze avoiding behavior. However, freeze tolerance is a minority choice among ectotherms. This strategy permits organisms to survive between 50.0 to 70.0% of their total body water volumes frozen primarily in extracellular spaces for up to several months at a time. Freeze tolerant organisms undergo minimal supercooling of their body fluids to ensure ice formation is slow and produce a wide …

Dialectical Reasoning And Developing Responsive Models Toward Political Ecology, Dawson J. Vandervort

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I seek out the modes of thought that we have developed for making sense of the world and elucidate how the logic of domination and reduction of reason to a calculative tool has led to the climate crisis. Throughout my research, I look for models to overcome mechanized thought and find two useful remedies that will require time and effort to implement: critical self-reflection and storytelling skills. Self-reflection involves dialectically thinking or considering alternative approaches to how we understand the world rather than accepting the standard norms for thinking and using them without question. Storytelling involves the …

Sustainable Stories: Linking Graphic Design And The Environment To Inform, Educate, And Inspire, Shannon M. Stanforth

Honors Theses

The importance of the field of graphic design lies in its ability to communicate with others. It can serve to transcend barriers, to clarify messages, and to deepen universal understanding. Similarly, sustainability encompasses the three spheres of the environment, society and economy—demonstrating its interconnected complexities and multifaceted applications. In pursuing my Honors Thesis, I aimed to develop a project which would reflect the ideals of sustainability while simultaneously serving to educate about the importance of caring for the natural world. Furthermore, my research explores how the disciplines of sustainability and design overlap and interact, searching to discover ways in which …

Assessing The Occurrence Of Trichechus Manatus Latirostris In Mobile Bay, Alabama Using Edna, Elora Pierce

Honors Theses

In the past several decades Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) have begun to expand their summer range into the northern Gulf of Mexico. Because this is a recent occurrence, not much is known about their habitat use and distribution in this region. Citizen-sourced sighting data suggests that Florida manatees frequent subembayments of Mobile Bay, Alabama, reaching a sighting peak in August. To assess the occurrence of manatees in this area environmental DNA surveys were used from winter (February 19-20) and summer (August 21-22) of 2018. At each of the 21 sites ranging from the mouth of Mobile Bay, …

An Analysis Of The Pollinators Of Echinacea Purpurea In Relation To Their Perceived Efficiency And Color Preferences, Carmen Black

Honors Theses

This study aimed to better understand how insects interacted with species of Echinacea in Tennessee and specifically their preference to floral color. Based on previous studies I expected the main visitors to be composed of various bees, beetles and butterflies. Based on previous studies, I hypothesized that most bees (especially social bees) would most likely pollinate the purple/violet morphs of the flower versus the white morph. I also expected the bees would have the most visits to the coneflowers versus any other taxonomic group. I believe bees to be the majority of pollinators based upon the results of Stucky, Gadd, …

Young Adult: A Poetic Exploration Of Modern American Life, Ellie Bixler

Honors Theses

Adrienne Rich, in her 1993 essay “Someone Is Writing a Poem,” writes “In a political culture of managed spectacles and passive spectators, poetry appears as a rift, a peculiar lapse, in the prevailing mode.” In this collection, I make my own attempt to part with the prevailing mode. I use my poetry as a means of engaging and contending with the American socio-political dialogue that often feels both deeply pervasive and largely inaccessible. Grounded in the thematic conventions of political and ecological poetry, this collection is an exploration of what it means and how it feels to come of age …

Presidents And Populist Politics, Brooke Sobo

Honors Theses

Populist language is a common rhetorical practice of United States Presidents. There is a breadth of literature on the study of populism and populist language, yet few studies identify populist language as reimagining the relationship between president and people. This paper identifies populist language as a political tactic of presidents and links the tactic’s use to the cultivation of authority and legitimacy. A central theoretical foundation of this paper rests on Skowronek’s concept of political time and authority structures. Through the use of four case studies spanning the presidencies of Andrew Jackson, Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump, this …

Reading On The Home Front: The Evolution Of U.S. Children’S Literature And American Values During Wartime Conflicts, Sophie Barton

Honors Theses

Children’s print culture is an understudied dimension of American history. It is well established that children’s history is vital to understanding the role of the child in American history and how modern childhood has developed. This study aims to uncover how children’s print culture plays a vital role in understanding how children’s perspectives changed and the varied messages adults imposed on children during the Civil War, World War One, and World War Two. In this Honors Thesis, I study various types of print productions including short stories, comics, and school textbooks in order to understand the various ways adults attempted …