Digital Commons Network^™

Potential For Democratization In Ethiopia, Abby Sonnier

Honors Theses

The United States is losing the competition for global power to China, especially on the African continent. This thesis aims to analyze opportunities for the United States to take advantage of China’s withdrawal from Ethiopia in order to develop relations with the quickly growing country and influence the country toward democratization. This author found that while democracy is not likely, through increasing relations with Ethiopia’s prime minister, the United States has an opportunity to push for increased individual freedoms for Ethiopians. The author relied on open-source information and strategic analytic techniques often employed by the U.S. intelligence community.

The Effects Of Disclosure On Perceptions Of Different Overt Stuttering Severity Levels, Katelyn Geringswald

Honors Theses

This study measured perceptions of a 17-year-old adolescent male who stutters, relative to select speech skills and personality characteristics, as a function of self-disclosure at various overt severity levels. 983 participants were assigned one of the four conditions, including (1) a no-disclosure control group, (2) mild stuttering severity self-disclosure, (3) moderate stuttering severity self-disclosure, and (4) severe stuttering severity self-disclosure. Participants assigned to the control condition viewed only a primary video stimulus of a 17-year-old adolescent who stutters. Participants assigned to one of the three experimental conditions (mild, moderate, or severe severity disclosure) watched a brief self-disclosure statement, followed by …

Perfectionism And Internalizing Disorders As Predictors Of Career Indecision Among College Students, Paige Jones

Honors Theses

Perfectionism has been found to be a significant predictor of career indecision in adults. Perfectionism has also been linked with internalizing disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children. The primary aim of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between those internalizing emotions experienced in childhood and career indecision as an adult. There have not been many studies for career indecision based on emotions directly from one’s childhood, so this study aims to provide some basic understanding on that relationship. This study investigated if perfectionism and internalizing disorders (measured retroactively) during childhood were correlated …

Bringing Biochemistry Home: Transforming Milk Into Yogurt, Ashley King

Honors Theses

Communicating the beauty and complexity of biochemistry to students in a large classroom during the pandemic: what a challenge! We undertook a novel endeavor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry by introducing a mandatory kitchen chemistry experiment in a lecture course. Milk, the epitome of our identity as mammals, also contains all of the major biochemical macromolecules studied in Biochemistry I. Further, the making of yogurt invokes physical processes that are the major processes and molecular forces that dominate the content of the course. Here, we report the results of massive parallel experiment conducted in the kitchens of the …

Small-Family Mindset: An Analysis Of The Impact Of China's Family Planning Policies On Family Culture, Sarah Ansley Croft

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of China’s family planning policies on women’s attitudes towards family culture and the implications on China today. The family planning policies began in the 1970s as an emergency measure intended to create a short-term voluntary small-family culture by decreasing fertility rates. My research, comprised primarily of primary and secondary qualitative sources, discusses the development and implementation of the policies, the economic reforms beginning in the 1980s, and their joint effects on fertility rates, sex ratio at birth, women’s liberation, and changes in family culture, particularly in rural areas. This study found that the family planning …

The Politics Of Water Resource Management: State-Guided Framing Of China’S South To North Water Diversion Project And Its Impact On Citizen Perception, Mary Barlow

Honors Theses

Due to China’s geographic and human-exacerbated water scarcity, government leaders have turned to the South to North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) in order to ensure a reliable source of water for the country’s increasingly parched Northern cities and townships. This thesis examines this inter-basin water transfer project (soon to be the world’s largest) through the lens of how government actors have framed the project. This official framing analysis is presented in tandem with citizen perceptions observed through online commentary in order to evaluate how effective such framing has been. Through such analysis, this research observes a pattern of nationalism and …

Chronic Exercise And Memory Interference, Lisa Vogelgesang

Honors Theses

This online study examined whether chronic exercise is associated with attenuated memory interference. Sixty-three healthy, young adults completed an interference task (AB/AC-paradigm) and self-reported the number of days and minutes a day they engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. We found that proactive interference (PI), but not retroactive interference (RI), occurred but none of the exercise modalities significantly impacted PI. Future studies should evaluate whether different interference tasks display diverse sensitivities to exercise-induced changes in memory interference. Moreover, other potential modulating factors, such as the duration and intensity of the exercise should be controlled for.

Analysis Of Multigenerational Behavioral Effects Of Dietary Benzo[A]Pyrene Exposure In Adult Zebrafish, Mary Beth Gillespie

Honors Theses

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that is linked to negative reproductive and developmental effects in humans and animals. Because BaP is carcinogenic, and its continued presence in the environment allows it to be inhaled and ingested, better understanding of the effects of BaP is needed. To determine the behavioral effects of BaP exposure, zebrafish were used as a model. Wild-type zebrafish (5D) underwent two separate 21-day dietary exposures to 2.5 and 25 μg BaP/g fish to compare how BaP exposure affects locomotor activity. Following the dietary exposure, fish were mated to obtain and raise the F1 generation to …

Early Intervention Service Delivery Models In Mississippi: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Claire Harper

Honors Theses

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare two models of service delivery for early intervention in Mississippi from a health care sector perspective: (1) face-to-face therapy in the home environment and (2) a hybrid model (i.e., telepractice and face-to-face therapy in the home environment), in order to compare costs and determine the most cost-effective service delivery of early intervention.

Methods: Children (n = 10) were recruited and determined to qualify for early intervention services through the Mississippi First Steps Early Intervention program. One early intervention provider, a certified SLP, from the northern health region provided early intervention …

Clinical Effectiveness Of Early Intervention Via A Hybrid Teletherapy Model: Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rylan Ponthier

Honors Theses

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of Early Intervention (EI) provided via a hybrid model of teletherapy and traditional face-to-face therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to children without ASD.

Methods: In total, 10 children were evaluated receiving early intervention via a hybrid model of teletherapy and traditional face-to-face therapy. The children were divided up into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 5 children with ASD and Group 2 consisted of children without ASD. All children were assessed using the Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale (RITLS).

Results: After 20 early intervention sessions, …

Diagnostic Approaches To Combat Antibiotic Resistance In Bacteria, Alexander Oliveri, Shade Smith, Anshul Anugu

Honors Theses

The threat of antibiotic resistance is a major problem faced by the healthcare field affecting millions of people and costing tens of thousands of lives annually. Of the potential ways to mitigate this issue the field of antibiotic resistance testing presents an opportunity for significant improvement and benefits. Several methods of such diagnostic processes can yield more informative results than the current commonly used Kirby-Bauer test. However, there are benefits and limitations to each method. In the context of a clinically relevant diagnostic for antibiotic resistance, the microarray platform exhibits the necessary breadth with opportunities to overcome some limitations with …

A Survey Of Financial Accounting Reporting, James H. Robbins

Honors Theses

This thesis takes a survey of key accounting issues and concepts addressed in financial accounting reporting. Accountancy majors of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College were given an opportunity to complete their thesis before their internship during senior year by taking two classes over junior year. This thesis was constructed under the guidance of Dr. Vicki Dickinson. The thesis itself is a compilation of twelve different cases, and each case studies various areas of the accounting and business environment.

The Effect Of Advocate Disclosure On The Perceptions Of A Young Adult Who Stutters, Madeline Simpson

Honors Theses

This between-group study designed weighed the effects of stuttering disclosure on the perceptions of a 17-year-old male who stutters, relative to perceived speech skills and personality characteristics. 1225 participants were included in the dataset analysis with a balanced distribution across all ranges. The conditions used in this study include (1) control condition (no disclosure), as well as experimental conditions including: (2) father disclosure, (3) male coach disclosure, (4) female teacher disclosure, (5) girlfriend disclosure, and (6) female speech-language pathologist. Participants in the control group only viewed the primary video stimulus, while participants in the experimental groups viewed one of the …

Investigations Involving Mononuclear And Dinuclear Transition Metal Catalysts For Photochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Ansu Edwards

Honors Theses

There is currently a global energy crisis, which is in desperate need of solutions. New energy sources are required that will not pollute as much as our longstanding reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels as an energy source. This pollution involves large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly carbon dioxide (CO₂), that contribute to environmental problems such as climate change. In this context, a fairly recent research direction to address this problem is the development of transition metal catalysts that can convert CO₂ into reduced carbon products that can serve as chemical fuels. This work focuses on the …

The Functional Connectivity Of The Auditory Cortex In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Katherine Wilson

Honors Theses

Disturbance of the auditory cortex in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is well known as well as its influence on hearing. Functional connectivity within the brain is also known to be affected by ASD. However, functional connectivity of the auditory cortex in ASD has yet to be studied. In this study, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE), functional connectivity of the auditory cortex was examined by comparing 68 individuals with ASD and 75 individuals with ASD. Four brain regions showed smaller functional connectivity to and from the auditory cortex; the occipital cortex, …

The Relationship Of Rehabilitation Therapy Clients And Grit: A Pilot Study, Kamilla Kisch

Honors Theses

Client experience is an important consideration in physical and occupational therapy (known as rehabilitation therapy.) The personality trait of grit has been studied in many different settings and populations and could have an impact on rehabilitation therapy clients’ perceptions and experiences. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between scores on Dr. Angela Duckworth’s Grit Scale (that identifies the presence and strength of grit) and perceptions of experiences by rehabilitation therapy clients. Seven males and twelve females (age: 56.78 ± 15.83) participated in this study. The Grit Scale was used to assess participants’ grit. Multiple-choice questions were …

Determination Of Metals And Microplastics In Sediment From Oyster Reefs In The Mississippi Sound, Shelby Goza

Honors Theses

This research centers on the determination of metals (Cd, Pb, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) and microplastics (MPs) in marine sediment from oyster reefs in the Mississippi Sound Estuary. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are a vital part of the Gulf Coast economy, but their population has dramatically declined in recent years due to multiple stressors, including oil spills and fluctuations in salinity from flooding. Increasingly frequent flooding events also introduce high loads of MPs and sediments containing heavy metals from the Mississippi River. These pollutants can have deleterious effects on oyster biology; however, they have not been adequately …

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Analyzing Inhumane Practices In Mississippi’S Correctional Institutions Due To Overcrowding, Understaffing, And Diminished Funding, Ariel A. Williams

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine the political, social, and economic factors which have led to inhumane conditions in Mississippi’s correctional facilities. Several methods were employed, including a comparison of the historical and current methods of funding, staffing, and rehabilitating prisoners based on literature reviews. State-sponsored reports from various departments and the legislature were analyzed to provide insight into budgetary restrictions and political will to allocate funds. Statistical surveys and data were reviewed to determine how overcrowding and understaffing negatively affect administrative capacity and prisoners’ mental and physical well-being. Ultimately, it may be concluded that Mississippi has high …

Beliefs Of Translators About Medical Spanish Pamphlets, Margaret Coulter

Honors Theses

This paper addresses the beliefs of professional Spanish medical translators regarding the use of dialect variation in medical Spanish translation and the resulting effects on the level of healthcare attained by Spanish speaking patients in the United States. The health gap between English-speaking and non-English patients is explored as it relates to inadequate translation of medical information and instructions leading to poorer health outcomes and higher readmission rates among Spanish speakers.

A Historical And Contextual Analysis Of Soviet And Russian "Active Measures": How Russian Political Warfare Efforts In Foreign Presidential Elections Have Transformed In The Information Age, Olivia Myers

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to analyze the transformation of Russian active measures in targeted national elections since the Soviet era. Through a historical analysis of research on active measures and contextual analysis of active measures campaigns themselves, this thesis finds that Russian active measures techniques have not drastically changed since the Soviet era. Instead, as a result of technology, Russian active measures have utilized platforms of social media to become more targeted, continuous, and convert. Therefore, Russian active measures campaigns have been better able to successfully target specific audiences, arguably making these campaigns more effective.

Light And Heavy Verb Usage By People With Non-Fluent Aphasia, Chase Sophia Kozak

Honors Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate the discourse elicitation task effect and whether it affects the production of verbs with different semantic weight (light verbs with vague semantic representations, e.g., ‘do’, or heavy verbs with specific semantic representations, e.g., ‘deliver’). Thirty people with non-fluent aphasia and twenty people without aphasia were included. The light and heavy verb ratios over the total number of verbs were calculated for two discourse elicitation tasks: sequential picture description and storytelling. The results for the healthy control group showed that they produced a significant higher heavy verb ratio in sequential picture description than …

Measuring Rental Affordability Dynamics For The Southern United States With Constant Quartile Mismatch, Bradley Curtis

Honors Theses

This project centers on the topic of rental housing affordability for southern metropolitan areas in the United States. In an attempt to understand how rents have changed in relation to incomes in cities throughout the American south, this study uses IPUMS data to compare changes in the distributions of rents and incomes from 2000 to 2019 for each of the geographies in question. The Constant Quartile Mismatch metric employed in this project was first implemented in the study "A constant quartile mismatch indicator of changing rental affordability in US Metropolitan areas, 2000 to 2016". This thesis hopes to extend the …

The Rates Of Caries Prevalence By Sex And Age From Individuals In St. Mary Graces And East Smithfield Cemeteries, Elizabeth Houston, Joseph Upton

Honors Theses

Caries are a common pathology in past and current populations, and because of the close interaction of dentition with diet, archaeologists are able to infer components of a population’s culture from pathology like caries (Lanfranco & Eggers, 2010). Most literature implies that women have higher rates of caries than men because of cultural practices and natural physiological differences which are thought to put women at an increased risk (Lukacs, 2008). Another established trend throughout literature is that caries prevalence tends to increase with age, regardless of sex (Hillson, 2008). We evaluated data from the East Smithfield (1348-1350 AD) and Saint …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Physical Activity And Health Influences Among College Students, Rachael Larkin

Honors Theses

Objective: To assess the associations between physical activity, subjective well-being (SWB), and social media influences before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 period among college-aged students. Participants: Male and female students from the University of Mississippi who were between the ages of 18-25 volunteered to participate in this study. Out of 10,000 invitation emails distributed, a total of 290 individuals responded and were used for the subsequent analysis. Results: Almost half of the respondents (46.1%) noted a decrease in physical activity from before March-May (M-M) 2020 to during M-M 2020. In addition, 41% of the respondents reported an increase in …

End Group Modification Of Linear Dendritic Block Copolymers (Ldbcs), Chinwe Udemgba

Honors Theses

Linear dendritic block copolymers are amphiphilic molecules that consist of a dendritic hydrophilic portion and a linear hydrophobic portion. Its unique ability to self-assemble into spherical nanoaggregates while having the potential to uptake and transport both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs makes these polymers an item of interest in regard to the drug delivery field. The synthesis of polyamidoamine-polylactide linear dendritic block copolymers was designed to address the common issues in drug delivery systems, including problems in permeability, solubility, stability, specificity, and retention. Though this linear dendritic block copolymer has previously been synthesized in our lab with cationic amine surface functionalities, …

Functional Connectivity Of The Inferior Frontal Gyrus In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Emma Miller

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a “neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction” which is heavily impacts language abilities. There is an abundance of research on the neurological aspects of the disorder, which appear to have major differences of activation and functionality when compared to typically developing peers. Specifically, in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), a key language region of the brain, functional connectivity levels tend to be significantly less in ASD groups. This study recognizes these trends and aims to expand the research by locating specific functional connections …

Systematic Review Of Race/Ethnicity In Parkinson's Disease, Amia Fisher

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to examine race/ethnicity with an emphasis on African Ancestry in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) through a systematic review. Out of 448 scholarly articles that were originally extracted from the search, 445 were excluded due to their irrelevance regarding race/ethnicity and African ancestry in PD. Three scholarly articles were obtained through a PubMed/MEDLINE search for the review. Amongst the three sources that were chosen, there were more than 450,000 participants with PD that ranged in ages 40-65+; each case of PD within these studies were reported from 1993-2005. The varying races/ethnicities of White/non-Hispanic White, Black/African American, …

Explanatory Models Of Autism In Nigeria: Exploring Sociocultural Beliefs To Inform Systems Of Care, Gabrielle Udoka Robertson

Honors Theses

Advancements in the diagnosis, understanding, and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yet to benefit children and families struggling with ASD in Nigeria and other African countries. Not only is there a scarcity of research on ASD in sub- Saharan Africa, but also a lack of mental health and special education services and a lack of understanding of the sociocultural considerations that must inform culturally responsive care. As such, this study explored the sociocultural conceptualizations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nigeria and how these conceptualizations affect the experiences and care of people with autism. The unique …

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 …

"The Unhappy Class Of Females": An Examination Of Non-Elite White Women In The Civil War-Era South, Reagan Elizabeth Whittington

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the perceptions and realities of non-elite white women in the South and how their lives and expectations changed from the antebellum years to the end of Reconstruction. There were many secondary sources consulted both before and during the research process for this thesis, and these sources are listed, alongside their significance, in the introduction. Most of the primary sources referenced for this thesis were newspapers printed in the South between 1850 and 1877, but United States census data and public records were also consulted. This thesis investigates how non-elite white women were expected to behave by …