Digital Commons Network^™

Communication Techniques For Nursing Students, Karlee Coddens

Honors Theses

This thesis will discuss the effects nursing preceptors have on nursing students' clinical experience. This thesis will explore multiple factors that negatively impact nursing student’s communication with their preceptors. It has been found that clinical experiences are extremely important for the future of nursing students. However, there is often a communication barrier between nursing students and their preceptors. This barrier can lead to negative outcomes for new nurses entering the field. Strained communication can also create dangerous situations for patients. Students who fear harsh comments or vertical violence may be reluctant to disclose the limitations of their knowledge. We completed …

Facing Famine: Justice And The Case Of Unilateral Intervention, Tanner R. Brooks

Honors Theses

Through the course of this year, 900 thousand people will have to struggle through conditions of famine, and a total of 345.2 million will experience food insecurity of some kind. These concerning figures represent an over twofold increase since 2020.1 This presents a serious problem, as access to food is so plainly vital to every aspect of an individual’s existence. It should therefore be uncontroversial to assert the grave nature of the occurrence of famine and other food emergencies faced by so many today. Food emergencies are not merely a result of insufficient food, but rather the institutional policies enacted …

A Qualitative Study Of Food Behaviors In University Of Mississippi Students As They Relate To Nutrition Security, Bethany Selby

Honors Theses

Recent literature has demonstrated high rates of food insecurity in college students, with most estimates ranging from 30 to 40 percent. Additionally, the college diet is notoriously lacking in nutrition, and a large majority of college students do not meet the recommendations made by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Nutrition security, defined as an individual having consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods that promote wellbeing and prevent disease, addresses both of these issues.

This study, conducted in Spring 2022, used focus groups to examine food behaviors in a sample of majority undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi (n …

Early Life Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure Of F0 Zebrafish Causes Hyperactivity In F1 Offspring, Jenna Cripe

Honors Theses

As cannabis increases in its accessibility, potency, and acceptance across the United States, investigation into the multigenerational effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure during key stages of development is critical. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there would be behavioral impacts in the F1 offspring following a dose-response of THC exposure (0.08, 0.4, or 1 µM) during development in the F0 generation. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were utilized in this study. Behaviors (locomotive activity and anxiety-like behavior) in the F1 generation were evaluated at 120 hours post-fertilization (hpf) with the larval photometer response (LPR) assay, and at 3, 11, …

Approachability And Mask-Wearing During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review, Lauren Dehaan

Honors Theses

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic greatly impacted many aspects of life. Due to the airborne transmission of this respiratory disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement in early April of 2020 recommending that people wear face masks as part of an effort to reduce the spread of the virus (CDC, 2020). Mask-wearing presented a plethora of adjustments in many areas of life. In this literature review, we focus on the sociological impacts that mask-wearing had on sociability and approachability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studying the sociological impact of COVID-19 serves to inform both mental …

Approachability And Mask-Wearing During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review, Lindsay Kovach

Honors Theses

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic greatly impacted many aspects of life. Due to the airborne transmission of this respiratory disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement in early April of 2020 recommending that people wear face masks as part of an effort to reduce the spread of the virus (CDC, 2020). Mask-wearing presented a plethora of adjustments in many areas of life. In this literature review, we focus on the sociological impacts that mask-wearing had on sociability and approachability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studying the sociological impact of COVID-19 serves to inform both mental …

Communication Theory Analysis Of Coda Movie, Lindsay Casey

Honors Theses

This undergraduate honors thesis addresses how the hearing community views and treats the d/Deaf community. The contents of this thesis include a literature review, communication theory, and qualitative analysis of the film, CODA (2021). Findings leave the hearing community with three main suggestions to implement when interacting with the d/Deaf community. These suggestions include acknowledging the daily communication struggle amongst members of the d/Deaf community, maintenance in a conversation may lead to exploitation and finally, due to different speech codes we should enact cultural respect towards others.

The literature review consists of an overview of the d/Deaf community’s history including …

Inhibiting Effects Of Methyllycaconitine (Mla) On Pnu-282987 Induced Neurogenesis In Blast-Exposed Mouse Retinas, Nastia Zhiyew Chan

Honors Theses

Irreversible vision loss can be caused by retinal damage, disease, or aging. In recent years, the prevalence of ocular damage due to blast trauma has been increasing due to the modernization of warfare. Adult mammalian retinal neurons were previously thought to lack the capacity for regeneration to reverse vision loss, which deemed the effects of many ocular damages permanent. However, recent studies from this lab have shown that PNU-282987, an agonist to the alpha 7 subtype of neural nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, will result in neural regeneration in adult mammalian cells. For this research project, I will be using Methyllycaconitine (MLA), …

Traveling With A Purpose: Sustainable Tourism, Nina Rossman

Honors Theses

The act of traveling is often seen as exciting for many travelers looking for adventure or to experience something different than their everyday routines. However, many current tourism trends force negative burdens onto local communities and environments. For instance, when development increases consumption in an area where natural resources are scarce to begin with, it can put pressure on those resources. There is a certain level of visitor use that an environment can manage; negative impacts occur when the changes in visitor use exceed this limit.[1]

While tourist destinations experience negative impacts from the tourism industry, tourism also supports …

Connections Through Contrast: The Built Environment Embracing Fine Art Exhibition, Josilyn Welch

Honors Theses

An emotionally immersive experience within a museum setting can foster feelings of belonging, engagement, exploration, understanding and connection. Providing an environment where empathetic immersion can be achieved through physical, psychological, and social enablers lead to transformative experiences for the visitor. To promote physical, psychological, and social enablers within the museum setting to promote empathetic immersion within its visitors, this museum will consider the following strategies:

Physical Enablers: The museum space will address physical enablers by including environmental features such as diverse opportunities for seating, immersive lighting techniques, and curated finish selections for individual exhibit spaces as well as interactive displays …

Cannabidiol (Cbd) & The Confused Consumer: How A Lack Of Leadership And Education Is Stunting Cbd Growth, Katelyn Wandel

Honors Theses

This paper expands upon previous research conducted to observe and determine the impact and relationships of factors like knowledge, trust, and intent to purchase for controversial products among consumers. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the primary controversial product further explored in this paper. The objective of this paper is to analyze the results in this research and how they relate to the question would clearer regulations, more standardization, legal guidelines, and general knowledge enhancement impact overall product trust and purchase intent of products? In addition to this primary research objective, analysis of sources and factors that impact and threaten the level of …

The Role Of The Pcc And Acc In Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Functional Connectivity Study, Claudia Gonzalez

Honors Theses

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts behavior control and social skills. Currently, ASD diagnoses are largely qualitative; thus, having more quantitative means of identification would aid in earlier diagnosis of ASD. However, more research is needed to pinpoint observable neurobiological markers of ASD. Our study focused on the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) due to past evidence suggesting its involvement in ASD symptomatology. The PCC has been linked to behavioral control and executive functioning. Moreover, previous studies support executive functioning’s responsibility for the repetitive and restricted behaviors (RRB) in ASD.

Method: Our study sought to …

Mountain (Grand)Mamas: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren During The Opioid Epidemic In Appalachia American And Their Portrayal In Media, Rosemary P. Kelley

Honors Theses

Deep within the hills of Appalachia grandparents are stepping into the familiar role of parenting as many have become the primary caregivers for their grandchildren. These grandparent-headed households (GHHs), a form of kinship care, have increased largely in response to the opioid epidemic that has ravaged the region; children are often left in the care of grandparents as parents experience substance use disorders and, in turn, incarceration. According to the US Census Bureau, over seven million grandparents live with their own grandchildren; over 32 percent of which serve as caregivers and are responsible for these children. The impact of kinship …

Does Culture Impact Academic Anxiety In University Students?, Angie J. Marroquin

Honors Theses

University students may experience academic anxiety when attending an institution of higher education. For this study we recruited a diverse population of college students with different cultural backgrounds to investigate if specific groups are more impacted by these experiences. The purpose of this study is to determine whether cultural factors (cultural inclusion, country of origin, language) influence academic anxiety in college students. A survey was distributed to Eastern Kentucky University students. The results indicated that cultural inclusion had the greatest impact on academic anxiety. Country of origin and language did not influence academic anxiety according to results.

Occupational Justice In The Justice System: The Impact Of Occupational Therapy On Incarcerated Americans, Cassidy Cain

Honors Theses

In the United States alone, there are two million people being held in prison and four million people on parole or probation. Of those released, over half will return to prison in a year. This is an alarmingly high rate of recidivism and incarceration compared to other developed nations. The United States prison system fails to rehabilitate inmates and instead equips them with maladaptive skills that will hinder their success outside of the prison. Inmates are suffering from occupational injustice, which can be detrimental to their ability to succeed outside of the prison system. Implementing occupational therapists into the prison …

Expanding Upon Excitation: The Observance Of Nonlinearity In Alexandrite, Katherine A. Stephens

Honors Theses

Nonlinear optical effects are a light-matter interaction that can be observed when multiple optical fields drive a response in the material under excitation. To determine whether or not an effect is present in alexandrite, a beryl stone doped with chromium ions, literature reviews were conducted and research regarding the theory around the nonlinear multiphoton was performed. Safety measures for the laboratory and previous research using the same laser were also examined. This was taken into account when performing original experiments to measure a potential effect from a laser interaction with alexandrite. After an initial experiment was adjusted to filter out …

An Examination Of The Vaginal And Endometrial Microbiota Of Heifers And The Effects Of Selenium Supplementation On Microbiome Composition, Kobe S. Perry

Honors Theses

Selenium, an essential trace element, is involved in many biological processes serving catalytic, structural, and regulatory roles through mechanisms that are not entirely understood. Due to its health effects from either deficiency or toxicity, selenium has been well-studied, with an emphasis towards selenium deficiency which has been shown to cause immune and reproductive issues in animals. To address deficiency, different forms of supplementation have been used, yet few studies have examined selenium’s effects on the reproductive microbiome based on the type of supplementation (i.e., inorganic or organic forms). By examining bovine vaginal and endometrial mucosal samples via 16S gene sequencing, …

The Exceptional European Experience: An Analysis Of Education Abroad's Impact On College Students And The Field Of Nutrition And Dietetics, Mckenna Moore

Honors Theses

Education abroad has become a very popular avenue over the past century for college students from the United States to be immersed in a culture different from their own and experience significant growth, personally and professionally. Italy is a country that has a culture different from that of America and the contrast becomes even more evident after time abroad. United States citizens desire immediate satisfaction and this desire is accompanied through services such as drive-thrus, delivery services, and online shopping. Americans also often revolve their food experience around quantity and speed at which it is served. Italians, on the other …

Exploring Selective Mutism And Determining The Best Treatment Options, Austin Arroyo

Honors Theses

Selective mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s inability to speak or communicate effectively in certain social situations but ability to communicate in settings where they are comfortable and relaxed. This paper seeks to explain selective mutism including the description of theories of anxiety, history and etiology of selective mutism, and common characteristics associated with selective mutism. It also contains information about treatment options and determines which treatment is considered the most effective. The conclusion is that there is not one treatment that is considered the best for selective mutism. Selective mutism manifests differently from person …

The Effect Of Cinnamon Supplementation For Patients With Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Lisset Rosaldo-Hernandez

Honors Theses

Objective: The study aimed to dictate the capability of cinnamon supplements in reducing fasting blood sugar levels (FBS mg/dl) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c %) for patients with diabetes mellitus II (DMII). Comparing pre and post-intervention glycemic markers with aloe vera, ginseng, and anti-diabetic medication to determine if herbal supplements are an effective complementary alternative medicine (CAM) treatment for DMII.

Methods: The range of articles gathered consisted of 175 through MEDLINE and 510 through Google Scholar; these platforms allowed access to MEDLINE and ScienceDirect articles but were reduced to 40 based on search terms such as “Cinnamomum cassia.” ” …

Hollers, Hillbillies, And Higher Education: The Influence Of Dialect And Negative Stereotypes On The Academic Experiences Of Rural Appalachian College Students, Jessica D. Boggs

Honors Theses

Rural Appalachia is presented in popular culture as a region lacking in resources, morals, education, and more. Consequently, Appalachians who speak in the nonstandard language variety representative of the region are often subject to harmful stereotypes. This work examines the impact of negative stereotypes on dialectal Appalachian college students during their pursuit of higher education. This research was conducted via an anonymous survey investigating how students from specified rural Appalachian counties in Kentucky perceived their academic experiences regarding stereotypes, speaking a stigmatized Appalachian dialect, and how these influence others’ perceptions of them when attending any college or university. Hypotheses included …

Pleva: Spreading Information In The Age Of Misinformation, Bradley S. Lackey

Honors Theses

Pityriasis lichenoides (PL) is an uncommon cutaneous rash of uncertain etiology. PL is typically characterized by small, raised reddish-brown spots that sometimes come together in groups. The spots typically evolve into hemorrhagic crusts and ulcers. PL has an acute form named pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA) and a chronic form named pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC) and is difficult to diagnose, categorize, and treat. The exact cause of PL is unknown. There are a few hypotheses that the causes of PL could be a hypersensitivity reaction to an infection such as a virus, bacteria, parasites, an inflammatory reaction to medication, …

Legal And Community Input In The Record Of Decision For The Bluegrass Army Depot, Hannah E. Taylor

Honors Theses

The Bluegrass Army Depot of Richmond, Kentucky is owned and operated by the United States Army to demilitarize the chemical weapons stockpile facility. The citizens of Richmond filed a civil suit against the Army for wanting to incinerate the stored chemical weapons. This research compiles an overview of the history of chemical weapons, current laws and legislation regarding the facility, political implications, public opinions surrounding the installation, facility stockpiles and ammunition, chemical weapons dissemination methods, and specific analysis and research dedicated to the Bluegrass Army Depot’s project stages, destruction technologies, and public involvement. The central purpose is to compile a …

The Process Of Developing A Piece Of Children’S Literature Over The 12 Cranial Nerves For The School Aged Child To Comprehend And Retain, Macey Kanaman

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Firefighter: 24/48 Versus 48/96; Sleep, Strain, And Recovery, Amy Sprague

Honors Theses

Firefighters provide important safety services for a 24-hour society. Sleep is very important to the human body. Without sleep a person can experience both short- and long-term side effects. These side effects not only put the sleep deprived person in danger but can also put the public in danger as well. There are many different shift schedules that fire departments can run on. While on duty firefighters must be ready to respond to any emergency call, they receive no matter the time. This can impact the amount of sleep they get while on duty. The current study used biometric straps …

Computational Investigation Of Porphyrin-Based Host Design For Anions And Ion Pairs, Symphony Hill

Honors Theses

Little research has heretofore been devoted to studying the binding interactions between porphyrin-based molecular hosts and anions or ion pairs. Such interactions could be important in synthesizing molecules capable of detecting, binding, extracting, and transporting ions of biological, environmental, and industrial significance. With this in mind, computational studies of nine different porphyrin hosts were performed to examine the structural and binding properties of each molecule and potential ion guests. Using the Spartan computational chemistry software, each porphyrin was modeled and binding was tested with a number of ions of different shapes and sizes. Data was then collected regarding the distances …

Evaluation Of Potential Risk Factors For Osgood-Schlatter Disease, Gabriel C. Janus

Honors Theses

Osgood Schlatter Disease (OSD) is a condition of inflammation of the patellar tendon and tibial tuberosity that can lead to pain and discomfort. It is most common in adolescents aged 8-15 years who are physically active or participate in sports. Adolescents participating in sports and going through puberty struggle to handle the load put on their lower body. The few studies that have determined OSD risk factors have performed retrospective studies that consist of subjects who have already been diagnosed with OSD. Some of the commonly accepted risk factors are overuse, performing movements such as jumping or cutting, and an …

Faces Of Faith: Monastic Identity And Protestant Theology In The Swiss Reformation, Kevin O'Gorman

Honors Theses

Religious orders were ever-present in medieval life. Their influence was not limited just to the pulpit and the physical area around monasteries but extended into the daily life of entire kingdoms. Each religious community was unique in the interpretation and expression of its Rule of life, both between and within orders. During the Reformation, religious communities faced pressure from newly converted Protestant authorities alongside theological conversations within their own walls. New Protestant theologies carried with them anti-monastic ideas that challenged religious communities to fundamentally reexamine their lives. Nowhere were these choices as complicated as in Switzerland, where monks and nuns …

Validation Of Effective Removal Of Pfas From Glassware Sampling Train Used For Evaluation Of Thermal Treatment Of Pfas, Elizabeth Riedel

Honors Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals that are extremely stable and highly toxic to the environment and human health. PFAS are used in a myriad of common products including nonstick cookware, water-resistant fabrics, personal care products, cosmetics, and aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). Because of their widespread use and resistance to degradation, PFAS have infiltrated the environment, including drinking water sources. To combat the spread of PFAS, various methods for treatment and removal of PFAS are being researched. A promising solution that has been identified for PFAS removal is thermal treatment, where degradation of PFAS occurs after exposure …

Determining The Role Of Propionate And Sigb On Benzalkonium Chloride Resistance In Listeria Monocytogenes, Emma C. Schaefer

Honors Theses

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a deadly food borne pathogen that causes listeriosis infection in humans with a high mortality rate. L. monocytogenes can form biofilms in food processing environments and become resistant to antimicrobial agents such as benzalkonium chloride (BC) and other quaternary ammonium chlorides (QACs). BC is used for cleaning and disinfection of food processing areas and is known to disrupt cell membranes of L. monocytogenes, causing cytosol leakage and the degradation of proteins and nucleic acids. Previous research shows that QAC resistance is associated with the upregulation of certain efflux pump genes (mdrL, brcABC, …