Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Community Based Food Intervention: Cooking Matters In Charleston, Ms, Lindsay Fournier

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Cooking Matters classes in producing improvement in individuals’ cooking skills and confidence, as well as their eating behaviors, shopping skills, and perceptions of cooking in rural Charleston, MS. These classes have reported great success in more urban areas such as Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, DC; however, different challenges may be faced in rural Mississippi. To study the effectiveness of the interventions in a new context, pre- and post-intervention self-report surveys were performed and evaluated using Wilcoxon statistical analysis as well as paired sample t tests, and bootstrap …

The Effects Of Narrative Processing On False Recall, Calista Spears

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to test whether false memory intrusions occur at a greater rate when participants encode words in a narrative processing scenario, as compared to a survival scenario or a pleasantness condition. In each condition, the participants were presented with one list of words related to an unlisted critical word adapted from Stadler, Roediger, and McDermott’s (1999) norms. For each condition (narrative, survival, and pleasantness), participants read a set of instructions and processed words by writing things related to the condition (i.e., writing a story line using the word, listing how the word would be used …

Vital Signs: Exploring Medical American Sign Language Interpreting Services In Mississippi, Morgan Pfleger

Honors Theses

This research involves the regulation, education and training, and availability of medical sign language interpreters in Mississippi, a topic that is seldom studied. The research consisted of a review of past literature on topics related to interpretation and Deaf and hard-of-hearing population, systematic policy review, and interviews with 9 individuals from 7 different medical facilities and one interview with 4 participants together in Mississippi including primary care providers, hospitals, and community health centers. These data were used to explore the interpreting services being provided for those using sign language in Mississippi. Both national and state policies require that alternative methods …

Interpreting Efforts In Mississippi Schools: Does Spanish Dialect Diversity Hinder Communication?, Walker Fortenberry

Honors Theses

This work examines the different Spanish dialects spoken by interpreters and their clients in public schools in Mississippi and whether dialectal mismatches hinder communication between interlocutors. To do this, I conducted a brief interview and survey of several interpreters for the Tupelo Public School District. The interview and survey assessed the interpreters’ personal use of Spanish dialects as well as their ability to identify certain dialects and opinions as to the relevance of dialects in their work. I found that interpreters, though aware of dialectal differences among Spanish speakers, were generally not able to identify specific dialects. Furthermore, I found …

Blood Glucose Levels Of Esports Athletes During High Intensity Gaming, Gunner Rhoden

Honors Theses

Given the rise in popularity of Esports, it is important to better understand the relationship between Esports and the human body. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between blood glucose levels and performance in Esports. Ten undergraduate students (9 male, 1 female; age = 20.3±1.2 years; BMI = 28.8±7.6; Esports mean hours per week = 18.9±14.3) were recruited from the Esports club at the University of Mississippi. Blood glucose levels were measured using a HemoCue Glucose 201 Analyzer (Angelhome, Sweden) a total of 8 times (4 per session). After the completion of an initial familiarization session, …

The Effects Of Largazole, A Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, On Breast Cancer Cell Viability And Metastasis, Hannah Mccowan

Honors Theses

Histone deacetylase enzymes modify epigenetic characteristics of a genome by removing acetyl groups from histone proteins in chromatin. Histone deacetylase inhibitors work by stopping this activity which can have various results in a cell including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and migration. The purpose of these experiments was to see how largazole, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, affected cell viability for breast cancer and associated metastatic cell lines in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The experiment was completed by setting up two 96-well plates with varying concentrations of largazole and conducting a sulforhodamine viability assay. The specific cell lines used in …

Accounting Research And Professional Development, Ragan Riley

Honors Theses

This paper is a compilation of various accounting studies assigned by Dr. Victoria Dickinson throughout a yearlong professional development course for accounting. During each of the twelve cases, the student was required to identify accounting principle problems within the cases, research proper accounting practices, and critically think through how these situations should have been handled in order for these companies to be in accordance with GAAP. There were also cases that facilitated decision making for students in their future career such as location decisions and articles regarding current accounting problems. This course allowed students to network with peers and accounting …

Acute Exercise On Memory Function: Open Vs. Closed Skill Exercise, Justin Cantrelle

Honors Theses

Accumulating research suggests that acute exercise may enhance memory function. Limited research, however, has evaluated whether the movement patterns of acute exercise may have a differential effect on memory. Such an effect is plausible, as research demonstrates that open-skilled exercise (e.g., racquetball) may have a greater effect on memory-related neurotrophins (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factors) when compared to closed-skilled exercise (e.g. treadmill exercise). A key distinction between open- and closed-skilled exercise is that open-skilled exercises are those that require an individual to react in a dynamic way to a changing, unpredictable environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether …

An Analysis Of The History And Ethics Of Video Games, Trenton Brock

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Mao Zedong And The Cultural Revolution: In Theory And Impact, Marissa Bryan

Honors Theses

Across the globe, the 20^th century witnessed several instances of tyrannical regimes and leaders; Chairman Mao Zedong was argued by many to have been one of the most merciless tyrants that this era witnessed. A founder of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong was one of the most significant and controversial political actors in the last century. Chairman Mao became the leader of the People’s Republic of China after declaring its existence in 1949, marking the beginning of both a communist regime in the East Asian territory and Mao’s tyrannical reign. Zedong can be remembered for several of his …

Should The United States Collect Intelligence On Its Close Allies?, Shannon Brophy

Honors Theses

The United States does not collect intelligence against all countries with the same intensity. Members of the so-called Five Eyes alliance—the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand— are believed to be excluded, and allegedly so is the United Arab Emirates. Should this policy continue in today’s unpredictable and fast-changing geopolitical environment? The Five Eyes alliance has given the United States an unmatched level of integration with its allies by increasing intelligence sharing between its members—but does this mean the United States should still not collect intelligence on them? Especially now that the UAE has allegedly been …

Analysis Of Varying Opportunities In International Education, Jaira Gibson

Honors Theses

This analysis explores various countries and opportunities to teach overseas and the implications that coincide with it. Japan, Poland, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam are countries that currently have high academic success; hence, they have been included to analyze their education structure, brief overview of their culture, curriculum, teaching practices, and the culture surrounding their schools to best understand the opportunities a foreign teacher could have. Furthermore, a comprehensive description and analysis of programs designed for international teaching opportunities is included. These programs include but are not limited to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Peace Corps. …

Rethinking Boundaries, Spaces, And Networks Between Geography And Military Science: Understanding And Actualizing Real-Time Integrated Command And Control For Joint Air Operations, Samuel Wright

Honors Theses

Imagine a military commander standing around a table with a three-dimensional hologram projected onto to it. The hologram is of an ongoing air war of which this general is in command. Friendly forces are portrayed in blue and enemy forces in red as the opposing forces movements and actions are tracked and continuously updated. The commander has god’s eye view of where his forces are positioned relative to the enemy’s forces. Because of this view, the commander is able to make effective decisions with quick synergistic efficiency to achieve his desired outcome: defeat of the enemy. This scene invokes an …

Raman Spectroscopy Study Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And Cannabidiol And Their Hydrogen-Bonding Activities, Kalee Sigworth

Honors Theses

Cannabis and products containing its cannabinoids have grown rapidly in acceptance and use in recent years with legalization of cannabis in many countries and US states. Cannabidiol and Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol are two primary cannabinoids in Cannabis that have been shown to produce analgesic effects along with many other positive side effects for the user. These two cannabinoids interact with receptors in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. No spectroscopic study to our knowledge has been performed to analyze the hydrogen bonding effects of interactions between these two cannabinoids and solvents. Here, we employ theoretical Raman spectra through computational methods to study …

Small Island Taphonomy In Western Australia, Courtney J. Newberry

Honors Theses

Forensic death investigations rely on postmortem interval estimations to establish a timeline surrounding a decedent’s death. Several methods are used, often together, to make such estimations. One of the main methods is the evaluation of the stage of decomposition; although decomposition follows the same general steps, the length of the process can vary by location and environmental factors. Animal scavenging can also impact decomposition by consuming flesh and impacting insect activity on the remains.

This study investigates the scavenging guilds and rate of decomposition of pig (Sus scrofa) legs on Rottnest Island, Australia. Three sites with unique environments were selected …

Comparative Analysis Of The Results From The Ideal Gas Assumptions With More Rigorous Calculations From Pro/Ii Of The Production Of Pharmaceutical Grade Acetone, Soibifaa Frank-Briggs

Honors Theses

The Chemical engineering team was assigned by Landshark Inc to investigate the production of 30,000 tonnes/yr of pharmaceutical-grade acetone with a purity of 99.9 wt.% from the dehydrogenation of isopropanol (IPA). The team was tasked with determining the necessary process and unit operation criteria to ensure the economic feasibility of the proposed plant.

The major goal of this thesis is to provide a data comparison of the reactor in acetone production process when designed in Microsoft Excel and Pro/II. The first part of this thesis will introduce the base case briefly, transition into engineering optimizations and show the results found …

The Relationship Between Autism And The Multiple Intelligences Theory: Identifying Patterns In Learning For Educational Purposes, Rhiannon M. Duvall

Honors Theses

The Multiple Intelligences theory has been used to modify lessons in the traditional classroom for years. Incorporating this intelligence theory into lesson plans, teachers address students various learning abilities. However, this educational theory can also be used to improve students’ strengths in intelligence areas they are not proficient in. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with autism with social deficits due to their developmental disorder. Autism spectrum disorder can negatively impact various cognitive elements of an individual’s life, but it primarily affects an individual’s social skills and interpersonal intelligence. One of the most prominent solutions to improving social skills for …

The Effects Of Cognitive Training On Neurodegenerative Disease: A Proposed Study, Mark E. Dvornak

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases impact over 5 million Americans and costs over $290 billion annually. One possible method to restore cognitive functioning is cognitive training. Cognitive training is a broad term and can include activities like brain games, puzzles, meditation, music training, and many more activities. While there have been many studies researching individual forms of cognitive training, none have researched combining two forms of training. This research will study the effects of a combined cognitive training programming that includes 1) music training and 2) exergaming. Exergaming is a new form of training combining aerobic exercise and …

Music From The Dark And Silence: Incorporating Deaf, Hard Of Hearing, And Visually Impaired Students Into The Music Education Classroom, Emily Grindstaff

Honors Theses

No abstract submitted

A Study Of The Product Development Process For The Transparent Kitchen Knife Block, Benjamin Payne

Honors Theses

The purpose of this document is to summarize the research and planning, design, market evaluation, cost analysis, and production process for a kitchen knife block. The team began by researching multiple knife block designs and evaluating what strengths and weaknesses existed with the basic models that are currently offered in different marketplaces. After collecting data on material costs and discussing different design features, the team created a survey in order to gauge consumer preferences and gain a better understanding as to what features and price point the average customer would consider purchasing. The resulting information was used to create an …

How Misinformation And Mistrust Compound The Threat Of Epidemics, William Boyd

Honors Theses

This thesis was conducted to study the effects of misinformation and medical mistrust on the public health field. I use the events of the Chapare Virus outbreak in Bolivia in the summer of 2019 and the public dialogue during that time period to discuss these themes. I used data from market survey's in La Paz, newspaper articles from Página Siete, and Tweets from the time period of the outbreak. My findings suggest that misinformation and medical mistrust affected public health measures, which has major implications for the way the public health field should address future public health events.

The Four Color Problem: The Journey To A Proof And The Results Of The Study, Rebecca M. Rogers

Honors Theses

The four color problem was one of the most difficult to prove problems for 150 years. It took several failed proofs and advancement in technology and techniques for the final proof to become possible. Some notable men include De Morgan first writing about the problem, Kempe giving the first proof, Heawood showing the flaws in Kempe’s work as well as making advancements of his own. The first actual proof of the problem is then discussed, as well as it’s shortcomings and the work done by other mathematicians to show improvements on them. The total of this work has lead to …

Improving Safety Regulations To Decrease Respiratory Health Issues In Construction Workers, Kendall Stiens

Honors Theses

Among the construction industry are many harmful substances that affect the health of workers exposed to harmful agents. A systematic review was constructed from several case studies that examined and evaluated the respiratory health of construction workers, as well as the factors that affect the respiratory health of workers. It was concluded that construction workers presented with symptoms such as, productive cough, asthma, and lung infections that had worsened within 3 years of being in the construction industry. Additionally, construction divisions that were exposed to harmful substances or safety hazards had a higher percentage of cigarette smokers; concluding that the …

Analysis Of The Inhibitory Potency, Oxime-Mediated Reactivation Profile, And Binding Characteristics Of Metabolites Of Phorate, Luke Acuff

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Novel Automated Drill Apparatus For Accessing Equine Hoof Wall, Wellesley Dittmar

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Orff Schulwerk And Autism: Unlocking The Gifts Of Students With Autism In The Music Classroom Through Orff Schulwerk, Mckenzie E. Garrett

Honors Theses

The concept of teaching for each student’s needs is called differentiated instruction. For students with autism in the general music classroom, differentiated instruction has received limited attention from researchers and practitioners. Although teacher education programs do include a review of special education resources and needs, music teacher education programs do not always include intensive study of accommodation for students with special needs that specifically apply to the music classroom. One strategy music teachers can use for differentiating education for their learners with disabilities is the process of Orff Schulwerk instruction. Orff Schulwerk is an approach, originally and commonly used in …

Identification Of Plant Gene Families Using Machine Learning Of Sequence Similarity, Motif Conservation And Evolutionary Distances, James Stevens

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Sexual Health Assessments In Nursing Practice: Quantitative Analysis Of Nurses’ Behaviors And Perceptions, Allison Culp

Honors Theses

Sexual health is an important yet often neglected component of patient care. Most research on sexual health assessment and its place in nursing occurred from the 1970s to the early 2000s, leaving a gap in understanding nurses’ current attitudes and beliefs toward assessing patients’ sexual health. Frequencies by which sexual health assessments (SHA) are performed by nurses today is also unknown. The objective of this study was to provide an updated understanding of attitudes, beliefs, and practices of nurses regarding SHA. An online-based Likert-scale survey was administered via social media platforms for professional nurses to complete. Results indicate that nurses …

Melamine-Derived Graphene Foam As A Thermal Additive For Water Harvesting Applications, Emily Chase

Honors Theses

This project proposes the use of a novel melamine-derived graphene foam formed by high temperature pyrolysis under inert conditions for use as a thermal additive to absorbent crystals. The high thermal conductivity of graphene foam makes it an ideal candidate for use as a cheap, flexible, and light-weight alternative to previously used copper foam and metal organic frameworks. Following surface functionalization, graphene foam may be saturated with hydrophilic absorbent crystals. The primary objectives of this research are to optimize the synthesis process of such a graphene foam to obtain the highest purity product while maintaining foam flexibility and to study …

Synthesizing And Modeling The Optical Properties Of Silica Aerogel, Hannah Margavio

Honors Theses

Silica aerogel has attracted the attention of researchers for decades for its applications in insulation materials, storage, and solar-thermal devices. The appeal surrounding silica aerogel is attributed to its unique combination of physical and chemical properties. Silica aerogel is a highly porous, optically transparent nano-polymer with a low thermal conductivity. Additionally, the material boasts a super-low density, high specific surface area, and low dielectric constant. The following report proposes a viable method of synthesizing polyvinylpolymethylsilane (PVPMS) aerogel as well as a model for determining the optical performance of TMOS aerogel by determining its radiative properties. First, the report will explore …