Digital Commons Network^™

A Poetically Embodied Out-Of-Body Experience, Natalie Sunseri

Honors Theses

The choreographic project Euphoric Dysphoria emerged as a response to the choreographer’s gender dysphoria and personal observations about the way that feminine-presenting people are perceived and approached in dance spaces, particularly in comparison to masculine-presenting people. The dance originated as a choreographic exploration of extreme femininity and masculinity, and it evolved into a manifestation of performative gender and experiential gender. The choreographer was guided by her poem “Uneven Envy” when developing movement and building relationships among the dancers. She considered the contributions of Judith Butler, a scholar who writes about gender manifesting in the body due to socialization, and Laura …

An Analysis Of Public Library Services To The Military Community, Rachel Brown

Honors Theses

The military community is an underserved population in many public libraries. Historically, military bases have had a dedicated military library on base, but in some cases budget cuts have led to their closure. The closure of military libraries provides an opportunity for public libraries to fill the gap and provide support to the military community. Despite not being equipped to handle many of the unique challenges that Service members and their families encounter, public libraries have been making great strides towards providing support to the military community as a whole. Current research focuses on how military lifestyle impacts psychosocial development, …

Fringes, Dantaye Walker

Honors Theses

Fringes is an experimental sound installation containing five stations, each representing unique experiences which shaped each associated personality The installation, though bearing witness to these personalities is seen from my own perspective. This creative journal explains the narrative and story behind each station, provides the artistic context that guided fundamental decisions, and details the final draft of each station and the overall experience of attending the exhibit. Additionally, it was created out of necessity for expression brought on by the traumas I experienced personally. The project also serves as an experiment in low-budget tools and methods for creating conceptual art, …

Cultural Folk, Political Lore: The Politics Of Folklore During The United States Occupation Of Haiti From 1915 To 1934, Cheyla G. Muñoz Ramos

Honors Theses

My project focuses on Haitian folklore in the early twentieth century in connection to the first United States’ occupation of Haiti. The United States’ Marine Corps occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934. This nineteenth-year occupation brought violence and racial stereotypes towards the Haitian population, especially the peasantry. United States Americans coming to Haiti intensified these stereotypes. During this period, Haitian upper-and middle-class members heavily politized Haitian folklore and used it to defend Haiti against these stereotypes. Scholars have long discussed the anthropological works of ethno-anthropologist Jean Price-Mars as someone who tried to show the value of Haitian folklore, especially the …

Be Loved, Be Bold And Other Resources For Student Content Creators, Mary Patton Murphy

Honors Theses

The following thesis records the development of the student-produced podcast Be Loved, Be Bold, which ran intermittently from August 2020 to March 2023. Initially a hobby, the podcast became a project for investigating story-telling and marketing among college students, with the transition to project occurring in August 2022. This effort sparked a question, “What is the best way to produce, market, and maintain a faith-based podcast geared towards college students?”

The project was guided by two overarching goals: 1) Maintain the production and marketing techniques of the already existing podcast. 2) Explore other production and marketing techniques to improve …

Mental Health Among D1 Female College Athletes: Prevalance And Links To Athletic And Academic Performance, Mary Goebel

Honors Theses

Background. NCAA Division I female student-athletes are underrepresented in mental health research; existing research among female athletes tends to focus only on disordered eating and body appearance. This study aims to 1) describe the prevalence of mental health issues (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress) among female Division I college athletes, and 2) assess the association between mental health issues and the student-athlete experience (i.e., athletic and academic performance).

Methods. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study that used a self-administered online survey. The participants were NCAA Division I female student-athletes, mainly from the University of Mississippi. Demographics and sample characteristics were …

The Role Of Narrative Medicine In Patient Healing And Meaningful Clinical Practice, Elizabeth Gray Duperier

Honors Theses

The patient-clinician relationship is one that relies heavily on trust and understanding—both of which are reached through effective communication. As medicine advances, it is increasingly important to prioritize the human interaction in the clinical encounter. Illness is more than just a set of diagnoses; it is the culmination of one’s way of being and interacting with the world while experiencing these diagnoses—it is a narrative. In order for physicians to provide quality care, trust and understanding are of the utmost importance, but oftentimes these are not at the forefront of medical practice due to logistical barriers that the US healthcare …

Sharing My Story Through Public Speaking: Young People And Mental Health, Alexandra Isabella Bush

Honors Theses

Recent years have shown a worsening mental health crisis in America. Between the high prevalence of mental illness, lack of treatment, high rates of suicide and overdoses, and increasing rates of substance use, the United States has an abundance of problems, all of which relate to mental health. One contributing factor is the insufficient education about mental health topics, also known as mental health literacy. Therefore, American citizens lack necessary knowledge, such as the signs and risk factors of mental illness, treatment options, and ways to improve mental health, to name a few. One impact of low mental health literacy …

Un País Invertido: The Current Immigration Regime Of Colombia, Magdalena Hendrickson

Honors Theses

Throughout its turbulent history, Colombia has seen drastic changes in structure and administration. From military coups to shaky coalitions, the country’s infamous instability has long forced its citizens to find better prospects elsewhere. However, with the rise of the Maduro administration in Venezuela, Colombia faced a massive new flow of migrants and was forced to rectify current circumstances without properly addressing its internal issues beforehand. Despite its historical status as a nation of emigrants, Colombia marks a new norm for the rest of the globe. As new issues like climate change and increased armed conflict grow worldwide, countries on the …

Sleep Duration Is Associated With Caudate Volume And Executive Function, Nicole Jones

Honors Theses

The ineligible role of the caudate nucleus in sleep has been implicated throughout multiple scientific studies. Previous literature has shown that greater caudate volume is associated with longer habitual sleep duration in older adults- ranging from 55 years of age and up. However, the association between sleep duration and caudate volume remains unknown in the younger population. In this study, we examined the caudate volume in youth to older adults (10 to 85 years old) with a greater sample size (N=464) to increase statistical power. The volumetric size of the caudate nucleus showed significantly positive association with habitual sleep duration, …

Development Of An Immunoblot Assay To Detect Antibodies To Sars-Cov-2 Spike And Nucleocapsid Antigens In Serum Of Covid-19 Patients, Christian Hollis

Honors Theses

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created one of the most world-halting events in recent world history. Its effects have reached every corner of the globe and manifested problems within each country’s healthcare and social systems. During the pandemic, many researchers have searched to develop a more robust understanding of the novel virus’s genetic and structural material. In year three since the emergence of COVID-19, these researchers hope to implement new advancements in testing and detection for the presence of the virus.

This thesis intends to produce evidence for the reliability of COVID-19 antibody tests using immunoblot assay detection. These tests …

The Effects Of Aloe Vera On The Human Gut Microbiome, Samantha Leon

Honors Theses

The human gut microbiome is a diverse community of bacteria influenced by multiple factors including host age, geographical location, and diet. This study observed the effects of aloe vera juice on the human gut microbiome. Fecal samples were taken every two weeks over a period of one year; the subject consumed aloe vera juice in alternating cycles of consumption “on” and abstaining “off” with each cycle lasting for eight weeks. The bacterial community in each sample was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequences were identified and their relative abundances were used to look for patterns distinguishing “on” and “off” …

Associations Between Tiktok Use, Mental Health, And Body Image Among College Students, Alexz Carpenter

Honors Theses

Background. Social media use continues to increase globally, and there is a large field of research examining the relationships between social media use with anxiety, depression, and body image. College-aged students are particularly vulnerable to these associations because they are at a unique developmental point of their life. College-aged students also use social media more frequently than almost any other age group, which may put them at increased risk for negative mental health and body image outcomes related to their social media use. TikTok is a relatively new social media app that has exponentially risen in popularity, especially among younger …

Botulinum Toxin For Abductor Type Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Systematic Review, Keyona Sutton

Honors Theses

A systematic review was conducted to show that BTX (Botulinum Toxin) is the most effective treatment for Abductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ABSD). There were a total of 117 records screened for inclusion in this review. After the initial screening, there were seven successive rounds of screening for eligibility. This process produced a total of three eligible records that met the following conditions: patients presented with spastic abduction, electromyography BTX type A injection into the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle, and measurement of results with acoustic dimensions. After surveying all eligible studies, it was concluded that BTX is an effective treatment for ABSD. Every …

Gender Disparities Present Within The Legal Profession, Olivia M. Sanders

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the problem of gender disparities present within the legal profession in order to discover their causes and ways to mitigate them. Currently, there are a variety of gender disparities in the legal profession. Women are paid less than their male counterparts, are exposed to sexual harassment and violence more often, and receive fewer leadership opportunities, to name just a few of these disparities. While these disparities are documented in larger firms, little data exists on the extent of such issues in smaller firms, especially in the southeastern United States. Accordingly, I interviewed eight individuals with their juris …

Aging An Ancient Maya Population From Actuncan, Belize Using Dental X-Rays, Kaitlyn Nicole Cash

Honors Theses

My goal is to determine an accurate age at death estimation of an ancient Maya population from the archaeological site of Actuncan, Belize. This was done by measuring the lengths of the coronal pulp cavities in the individuals’ teeth. I used X-Ray images to measure the coronal pulp cavities of the teeth and estimated age using multiple regression formulae for premolars, molars, and incisors to make age estimations. The formulae came from two studies, Ikeda et al. (1985) and Drusini (2008), that form the basis of my research. Ikeda et al. (1985) was the first to use this aging method, …

Accompanied Solo: A Singer/Songwriter's Look Into The Music Industry From Design To Debut Album, Vivienne Mccracken

Honors Theses

Vivi McCracken is my self-titled debut Extended Play Record (or EP) that consists of five original songs. This project encompasses all of my creative passions, with the aim of gaining knowledge of the music industry and what it takes to debut an album from concept to completion. I wrote the music, sang the songs for the recordings, and, for my BFA thesis exhibition, I designed all the graphics, merchandise, and collateral.

The cover art is intentionally minimal. I wanted the imagery to be the main focus, so I chose a condensed sans serif typeface that felt playful enough to complement …

Hungry For Student Food Security: A Comparative Analysis Of University Food Pantry Policies, Anastasia Jones-Burdick

Honors Theses

This undergraduate research thesis aims to explore the relationship between public institutions of higher education and the operational policies of their university food pantries. The increasing rates of nontraditional students entering public universities correlate to an increasing population of students facing food insecurity, placing strain on institutional interventions, especially university food pantries (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015; Nazmi et al., 2019, p.2). This research conducted a qualitative comparative case analysis of university food pantry policies and semistructured interviews with pantry informants through a USDA-adapted evaluative framework to understand the evolution of public universities’ interventions (Barale et al., 2017). The …

Key Barriers To University-Enrolled Student Parents Enhanced By The Covid-19 Pandemic, Khadeejah Franklin, Alexa Saval

Honors Theses

Student parents, both undergraduate and graduate, already face the difficult task of balancing their studies and raising children. The COVID-19 pandemic enhanced already present issues student parents face, such as virtual-schooling, daycare costs and closings, staying home with sick children, and potentially not having a local support system, among others. Further, students who are performing laboratory research to fulfill their STEM educational requirements had their
research progress come to a halt when the country locked down. This study aims to identify the struggles student parents faced prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, what issues the pandemic exacerbated, and what new problems …

Women In Dentistry At The University Of Mississippi: Increasing The Confidence And Skills Of Future Women Dentists, Lakin Cramer

Honors Theses

Women in Dentistry became a registered student organization in February 2022. The purpose of the organization is to encourage and promote the professional and personal success of women in dentistry on the University of Mississippi Oxford campus. The historical and current literature of Women in Dentistry serve to provide a framework for the importance of uplifting women as they prepare for a career in dentistry. During my time as Founder and President of Women in Dentistry, my goal was to establish the organization, provide mentorship to prospective female dental school applicants, and increase the confidence and skills of future women …

The Associations Between Adolescent Motives For Social Media Use With Body Dysmorphia, Eating Disorder, And Anxiety And Depression Symptoms, Kaylan Melvin

Honors Theses

Adolescents spend a large amount of time on social media sites. This is notable, as adolescence is a crucial time for body image development. Additionally, recent findings suggest that using image-oriented social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, is associated with more body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Among previous studies, certain social media motivations have been found to have an association with poor body satisfaction and well-being in adolescents. To our knowledge, no studies have directly examined the association between social media motivations and eating disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents. The current study …

Execution By Alien (A Collection Of Poetry), Sara Emma Kahane

Honors Theses

The following is a collection of poems narratively depicting the childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and death of a woman and her memories. I will analyze the poetry in meaning and form as well.

An Examination Of Financial Accounting Through Case Studies And Discussion, Andrew Meyer

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of eleven case studies completed over the course of the 2021-2022 academic year in the Patterson School of Accountancy in the ACCY 420 course, under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson. The cases cover a broad array of concepts within the field of accounting. A few examples of topics include the impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on business in America, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financials of Pfizer Inc., and an interview with a successful entrepreneur. From Case 6 on, the thesis is comprised of an analysis of the …

The Interhemispheric Auditory Tract Connectivity And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Josie Long

Honors Theses

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can have abnormal responses and hypersensitivity to sounds (Haesen et al., 2011). ASD is also related to inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behaviors (Bradley & Isaacs, 2006). One study by Stansberry et al. (2022) found that a higher fractional anisotropy (FA) of interhemispheric auditory white matter is associated with higher impulsivity. Our study examined the interhemispheric auditory tract (IAT) to determine whether it is impacted by ASD. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange utilizing two datasets so that we could replicate primary findings. We first isolated the IAT …

Dextromethorphan/Quinidine For The Pseudobulbar Affect In Neurological Disorders And Injuries: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Magnolia Livingston

Honors Theses

AVP-923, commonly known as Nuedexta or Zenvia, is a drug that has recently been suggested as a potential treatment for Pseudobulbar Affect in patients affected by different neurological disorders and injuries. Studies have been done to examine the effectiveness of AVP-923 on PBA, but the results of these studies don’t seem to be comparable. The goal of this meta-analysis is to assess the efficacy and safety of AVP-923. 781 individuals from six trials were included in the analysis. The analysis's findings revealed that AVP-923 considerably lowered the Center for Neurological Study Lability Scale (CNS-LS) scores and the frequency and severity …

Identification And Assessment Of Fixed Versus Growth Mindsets In Human And Anatomy Physiology Undergraduate Students, Jayanti Shukla

Honors Theses

Fixed mindsets and growth mindsets are present in individual’s attitudes, affecting their motivations to complete responsibilities or overcome challenges. In this study, we aim to identify and assess the mindsets of undergraduate students partaking in the Human Anatomy and Physiology (HAP) undergraduate course at the University of Mississippi, the gateway course being well-known for its difficulty and being described as “daunting” to many allied-health majors. By utilizing Carol Dweck’s growth mindset model, we are interested in determining whether students possess a “fixed” mindset versus a “growth” mindset, in conjunction to assessing their classroom performance correlating with that demonstrated mindset. An …

An Analysis Of Accounting Concepts Through Case Studies, Molly Medling

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to provide a holistic picture of the accounting profession through various topics in the field. Divided into case studies, each case examines a particular accounting issue or concept through research and analysis. These cases range from an examination of the events of 9/11 through the lens of the accounting profession to a multiple-case analysis of International Paper Company’s financial position and future actions. Several online articles, financial reports, and accounting courses were used to inform the information included in this thesis. These sources were not only used to provide an analysis of accounting concepts, but also to …

Telepractice-Based Language Intervention Training For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sarah Bryan

Honors Theses

This study closely examined the progression and fidelity of strategy implementation of parents undergoing an ASD language intervention training program. This instructional, interactive program was designed for parents of children with autism, thus catering to the needs of participants involved. This study assessed the use of parent comments and redirects, two kinds of parent strategies, during each parent-child interaction to provide more information about the impact of training sessions. The researchers hypothesized that by the end of training, parent participants would increase their fidelity of strategy implementation, increase their use of comments rather than redirects, and employ more open-ended questions …

An Examination Of The Research Addressing Evidence-Based Communication Approaches For Students With Autism, Sydni Kaye Mcatee

Honors Theses

The meta-analysis examines scholarly articles regarding research on evidence-based communication for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. More specifically, this research involves different forms of Alternative and Augmentative Communication. This form of communication is used without a voice. A variety of interventions for Manual Signing (MS), Speech Generating Devices (SGD), and Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) are reviewed within the research study. The purpose of this research is to define which evidence-based Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) interventions are most effective for children with Autism. More specifically, determining which form of communication can help lead children to more expressive language and …

The Effects Of Calmer On The Quality Of Life In Adults With Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder, Madilyn Morris

Honors Theses

Level 1 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a high-functioning neurodevelopmental disorder (Hodges et al., 2020; Hosseini & Molla, 2023). Several features of level 1 ASD negatively impact quality of life (QOL), and auditory sensitivity (specifically hyperacusis) is one of the most prevalent and disabling features (Danesh et al., 2015, 2021; Kuiper et al., 2019; Williams et al., 2021). Hyperacusis significantly impacts QOL in the level 1 ASD population, as current hyperacusis treatment strategies often result in various forms of social isolation (Adams et al., 2021; Danesh et al., 2015; Neave-DiToro et al., 2021).

However, Flare Audio markets a product (“Calmer”) …