Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of A Farmers' Market Intervention On Food Insecurity, Health, And Diet Of Individuals Living In Rural, Appalachian Mississippi, Heather A. Poole

Honors Theses

Objective: This study examined: 1) the impact of a farmers' market nutrition education and incentive intervention on household adult food security status, produce intake, perceived diet quality, and perceived health of individuals living in rural, Appalachian Mississippi; and 2) the relationship of household adult food security status to produce intake, perceived diet quality, and perceived health at baseline. Methods: Participants were recruited for a 12-week farmers' market nutrition education and incentive ($3.00/week) intervention at two rural farmers' markets in an economically distressed, Appalachian Mississippi county and completed pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results: The mean age of participants (n=60) was 57 …

Catalyzing Entrepreneurship And Economic Development Program: An Analysis Of The Educational Opportunities In Mississippi's Tourism Industry, Holly Ruth Pitts

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide an analysis of the educational opportunities provided by the tourism industry in Mississippi, and to highlight the University of Mississippi's efforts to institutionalize community engagement. I undertook this study as a result of my role as a Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) innovation scholar at the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement. The McLean Institute was expanded as part of UM's 2020 strategic action plan, and its mission statement involves advancing transformative service and fighting poverty through education. I began my research as a participant observer serving as an …

Out Of Darkness, Have I Cried Unto Thee: An Examination Of The Treatment Of African Americans At The Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum During Reconstruction, James Gerald Paul

Honors Theses

The area of my research concerns the treatment of the mentally ill at the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum during Reconstruction particularly mentally ill African Americans. My primary research came from reviewing archival documents regarding the asylum at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson, MS. The annual reports from the superintendent and board of trustees of the asylum provided the greatest amount of information. In addition to these documents, I also drew input from scholarly works on lunatic asylums including Whitney Barringer and Adia Brooks as well as writers on Reconstruction and the development of black culture in …

The Barriers They Face: The Legal, Social, And Economic Obstacles Immigrants Encounter As They Attempt To Gain Acceptance In French Society, Kara Rachel Chobot

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Weight Intervention Dismantling Study: The Effect Of Social Support And Self-Monitoring On Weight Management In College Students, Kathryn Prendergast

Honors Theses

Evidence shows that psychological intervention with obese individuals facilitates improved diet, increased physical activity, weight loss, and maintenance of stable body weight over time. These interventions use techniques derived from broader theory and empirical work related to the health belief model (HBM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and social cognitive theory (SCT) to target general health behaviors in terms of diet, patterns of eating, sleep, stress, and level of physical activity. These behaviors have been effectively targeted by multi-component evidence-based practices utilizing self-monitoring and social support: two common components that facilitate implementation, requiring few resources. While evidence suggests that interventions …

Healthcare Professionals Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Biosimilars In Northern Mississippi, Amanda Seals

Honors Theses

The emergence of biologics over the past the past few decades has led to a new interest in the production of a classification of drugs known as biosimilars. The vast complexity involved in the discovery, development, and manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars has made researching the knowledge and perceptions among healthcare professionals important. Healthcare professionals must have an understanding of biologics, as these medications are used for some of the most rare diseases. Healthcare professionals in northern Mississippi were surveyed on their knowledge of and attitudes towards biologics and biosimilars in order to gain insight on the current status of …

A 2-Part Study Examining; Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates Among High-Risk Adults And The Influence Of Education On Knowledge And Awareness Of Hepatitis B And The Use Of Vaccines As A Safe, Preventative Measure Among University Of Ms Students, Ariel Wilson

Honors Theses

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented and controlled through vaccination. However, vaccination among high-risks adults in the U.S. is still low (50%). This poses serious threats for HBV transmission between infected individuals and high-risk individuals. Objective: The specific aims of this research were to (a) explore the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination uptake from 2011-2014 (b) to examine intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational level factors associated with receiving hepatitis B vaccination among high-risk adults. Methods: Data were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011-2014 to (1) assess the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination and …

An Analysis Of Entrepreneurial Education In The Criminal Justice System, Austin Powell

Honors Theses

Currently, American federal and state prisons release more than 600,000 offenders each year that contribute to the estimated 70 million or more Americans that have some form of criminal record. By holding a criminal record, successful reentry for offenders are difficult because the criminal record serves as a barrier to public benefits. There are many correctional education programs designed to help offenders while in prison to overcome these barriers. Entrepreneurial education programs are becoming more popular, due to the positive recidivism and post-release employment results. The purpose of this study is to compare entrepreneurial education to other programs while analyzing …

Identifying And Applying Processes Common To Efforts In Improving The Relationship Between Humans And The Environment, Avery Thames Burns

Honors Theses

Environmental justice, corporate social responsibility and gendered discourses are three areas of research and practice in environmental efforts that this thesis research has found all suffer because they lack recognition of and cause marginalization of specific groups. This research has created a framework of four processes that help in understanding these similarities: inequality; disregarding the values and actions of outside groups; disconnect between stated and actualized values; and insider outsider ideals. By exploring how these common processes of reasoning operate in each of the three areas, the research contributes to improving understanding of the areas and increasing their effectiveness. The …

Educational Legislation In A Polarized Climate: A Look Into Mississippi Education Politics, Benjamin C. Logan

Honors Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the political process related to educational legislation and initiatives. To accomplish this purpose, I conducted four interviews with educational experts who either have been active participants in the educational legislative process or been life-long educators. From these interviews, I organized their responses into four categories. These categories were Educational Issues in Mississippi, Passing Educational Legislation in Mississippi, Polarization of Politics, and Media Influence. With these categories, I did extensive research to bring in outside literature and documents to analyze the political process related to education legislation. In my qualitative study, I …

University Of Mississippi Students' Opinions Regarding Sex Education In Mississippi, Cody Austin

Honors Theses

The main purpose of this study is to understand the opinions of University of Mississippi (UM) students regarding sex education policies in Mississippi public schools. Utilizing empirical, quantitative data collected from an online, IRB-approved survey of the UM student body, the study aimed to answer four main research questions that relate to sex education policymaking. The first question asked how sexually active UM students are. The data revealed that most UM students are sexually active, which suggests college students need to have adequate sexual health information by the time they enter college. The second question asked how satisfied UM students …

Utilizing The Zebrafish Model To Determine Anti-Epileptic Properties Of Mistletoe And Cannabis, Collin Dietrich

Honors Theses

Epilepsy affects around 50 million people in the world, therefore improving treatment efficacy and safety for epileptics is imperative. In this study we sought to screen the effectiveness and safety of cannabis constituents (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) and Tapinanthus globiferus extracts in treating epilepsy. We used a zebrafish model wherein seizures were induced by treatment with pentylenetetrazol. Our results showed that Tapinanthus globiferus dose-dependently reduced seizure activity, and no toxicities were seen at the concentrations used. In contrast delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol did not significantly reduce seizure activity and some toxicities were seen at the higher concentrations tested. We conclude that extracts …

How To Be A Girl: The Discourse Of Compulsory Heterosexuality, Desire, And Adolescent Female Sexuality In Seventeen And Cosmopolitan Magazines From The Late 20th Century, Danielle Keiser

Honors Theses

This work explores the discourse of adolescent sexuality and desire presented to readers by Seventeen and Cosmopolitan magazines published between 1970 and 1989. The essay draws distinctions between articles and advertisements, pointing to those articles and ads that promote what Adrienne Rich called compulsory heterosexuality and those that encourage a less restrictive kind of femininity. The essay claims that Seventeen, because it targets a younger audience than Cosmopolitan does, promotes a more sexually normative framework of heterosexual relationships, compulsory matrimony, and motherhood for young readers. Cosmopolitan, on the other hand, teaches readers to embrace female sexuality and desire without needing …

Cadmium Disruption Of Calcium-Dependent Dimerization Of Neural Cadherin, Dylan Ritter

Honors Theses

Cadherins are a family of transmembrane proteins that dimerize to form junctions between cells in the presence of calcium. Due to the necessity for proper cell adhesion during cell differentiation in development, we are examining whether binding of other metallic divalent cations would disrupt calcium-sensitive dimerization of neural cadherin in vitro. Specifically, we are studying the effect of cadmium(II) on the linkage between calcium binding, dimerization, and dimer disassembly. Cadmium toxicity became recognized during the Industrial Revolution, with particular attention gained during the Itai-Itai disease outbreak in China during the 1910s. This toxicity, partnered with the role of cadherin in …

Pituitary Gland Functional Connectivity And Bmi, E. Paige Rucker

Honors Theses

This study examined the link between pituitary gland functional connectivity and BMI. The pituitary gland plays various roles in the body through the secretion of hormones, but its direct role in development of obesity and BMI management is unknown. Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI) brain data of individuals with diverse BMIs were analyzed by voxel-wise analysis to determine the functional connectivities of the pituitary gland to other regions of the brain. A significant negative correlation was found between BMI and pituitary gland functional connectivity in eleven different brain regions. These regions include the posterior thalamus, lingual gyrus, precuneus, …

The Sociological And Economic Factors Impacting A Workforce Development Program In An Impoverished Community, Elena Bauer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to inform about the best practices of workforce development, and to consider the sociological and economic factors in impoverished areas that are to be considered for successful traditional business principles to work. Through an in-depth study of eight African American male respondents who were participants in a job training program in Clarksdale, Mississippi, this study explores the impact of the vestiges of past discrimination embedded in the institutions and culture to make a Mississippi community particularly challenging for providing equitable opportunities for low income residents (Cobb, 1992; Duncan & Blackwell, 2014; Myers Asch, 2011). …

Multi-Generaltional Marketing: Variations And Implications Of Nonprofit Approaches, Emily Alexandra Lindstrom

Honors Theses

Research reveals that today's nonprofit organizations have shifted their longtime marketing efforts away from Baby Boomers to target the younger Millennial and Generation Z audience. In their effort to reach the new audiences, nonprofits have been forced to change their marketing strategies, including the adoption of new and more effective social networking media. Despite their shift in focus, nonprofits remain in a battle for funds with their for-profit competition. Using past and present nonprofit marketing strategies, this thesis isolates the difference between nonprofits and for-profits and identifies the influence that nonprofits have on society today. It further analyzes the current …

Spatial Variation Of Bacterial Communities On The Leaves Of A Southern Magnolia Tree, Emily Q. Nguyen

Honors Theses

The leaf surface, or phylloplane, is a dynamic environment for its microbial inhabitants, which can be subjected to many environmental factors. Existing phylloplane studies have focused on differences in bacterial community structure between trees of the same species, in different geographical locations, or between trees of different species. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of bacterial communities on the leaves of a single tree. In this study, leaf samples from different areas of the canopy were obtained from a single Magnolia grandiflora tree. Samples were taken from the high (3.5-4.0 m above the ground), middle (1.5 m), inner middle …

Parental Influence On Weight Biases In School-Age Children, Emily E. Wasson

Honors Theses

Obesity rates have rapidly increased in America over the past few decades, and with this rise comes an increase in the negative psychosocial consequences experienced by victims of weight bias. Although a fair amount of research on weight bias (i.e., the negative attitudes or beliefs one holds toward overweight individuals) has been done in adults and adolescents, limited research has been done in young children. This study worked to fill gaps in the literature by investigating if children between the ages of five and nine would show weight biases, if the biases against individuals would vary by the ethnicity and …

Pharmacists' Perceptions Of Rapid Diagnostic Testing In Community Pharmacies In Mississippi: A Diffusion Of Innovations Approach, Erin Ann Hoevelmann

Honors Theses

Objectives: The broad purpose of this study is to describe community pharmacists' perceptions of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in community pharmacies in Mississippi. The focused goal of this study is to determine the correlation between Everett M. Rogers' attributes of the diffusion of innovations (including relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability) and the willingness of community pharmacists to offer RDTs in community pharmacies in Mississippi. Methods: This study was approved by the University of Mississippi IRB. A list of licensed pharmacists was obtained from the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy. An email with study details and a link to the …

From A Tweet To The Street: The Effect Of Social Media On Social Movement Theory, Elizabeth Romary

Honors Theses

This thesis studies the role of social media within social movements and social movement theory and focuses on applying these theories to the Ni Una Menos movement of Argentina. I focus on three social movement theories: the resource mobilization theory, the political process theory, and the cultural approach. I also analyze the rise of social media in the 21st century and how they fit within the framework of the three theories. I then apply these theories to the Ni Una Menos movement. I argue that the Ni Una Menos movement emerged as a cultural movement, and shifted towards a resource …

Gunning For Gun Control: A State By State Analysis Of The Effects Of Gun Control Policies On Firearm Mortality Rates, Jade L. Robinson

Honors Theses

Gun control is not a new concept; however, due to the growing amount of supporting non profits and recent mass shootings, gun control is becoming a common topic both amongst researchers and the general public. Currently, gun control is a state issue and thus should be studied on a state by state basis. This study examines state gun control policies and firearm mortality rates to determine if there is a correlation between gun control policies and the firearm mortality rate. The years covered by this study were 2000-2014 and nine states were sampled. Two out of the nine states were …

Occupational Differences In Play Between Monolingual And Bilingual Children In Kentucky, Miranda Massey

Honors Theses

This study looked at the occupational differences between monolingual and bilingual children in the state of Kentucky. The children were ages 7-12 years old and were divided into three categories: monolingual English-speaking, monolingual Spanish-speaking, and bilingual English and Spanish-speaking. Each child and their parent/guardian was interviewed to collect data on play habits to determine if language was a factor in the play choices. Subjects were selected through convenience sampling over social media and by word-of-mouth. From all possible participants collected, one child from each category was chosen for the interview process.

The process itself consisted of a 50 question child …

Mindfulness In Education: A Literary Analysis And Program Proposal, Halle Graham

Honors Theses

The purpose of this work is to understand the potential impact of introducing mindfulness meditation and other contemplative practices to the United States Public Education System. Broken into two main components, the first section of this work is a literary analysis. Relevant studies on mental health in children and adolescents are analyzed in order to understand the state of mental wellbeing among the sample group. Research studies on integrating mindfulness into institutions (public and private schools, children’s summer camps) are also evaluated in order to understand the applications of mindfulness practices in terms of children and adolescents. Overall, the research …

“Keeping Down The Underground:” The Underrated Value Of Indie Music Scenes As Economic Development Tools For Small American Cities, Meghan Mckinney

Honors Theses

Indie music holds the largest share of the global music market and is a multibillion-dollar industry. On a more local scale, indie music can contribute significant revenue to small American cities through locally owned independent record stores, live venues, and festivals. Each of these elements, with the addition of the people involved in indie music in a variety of capacities, interacts within a centralized location known as an indie music scene. Collectively, these scenes can generate massive amounts of revenue through music sales, ticket sales, tourism, and various other business offerings. To the small cities in which these scenes operate, …

Application Of Neural Networks For Intelligent Video Game Character Artificial Intelligences, Simon D. Mikulcik

Honors Theses

Much of today’s gaming culture pushes for increased realism and believability. While these movements have led to much more realistic graphics, we also need to keep in mind the behavior of artificial intelligence characters also in the game. Neural Networks are complicated data structures that have shown potential to learn and interpret complex behavior. This research analyzes the application of neural network as primary controllers for video game characters’ artificial intelligence. The paper considers the existing artificial intelligence techniques, and the existing uses of neural networks. It then describes a project in which a video game was created to serve …

A Correlative Study Of Epidemiological Mortality And Morbidity Rates: Appalachian Vs Non-Appalachian Counties Within Kentucky, Nicholas E. Vossenberg, Lindsay Calderon

Honors Theses

In this study, differences in mortality rates were statistically analyzed between Kentucky Appalachian County Populations (KACP) and Kentucky Non-Appalachian County Populations (KnACP) for 2013. Health – risk factors and socio – economic conditions were also assessed to determine if they put KACP at a higher risk of the five most common causes of death in Kentucky. Estill County, a KACP, was also specifically examined for its mortality and health – risk factor rates. By examining the 2013 database provided by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it was determined that …

"Literally Psycho"--Empathy For Those Who Have None, Through The Use Of Literature, Tyla Poindexter

Honors Theses

In today’s society, the word “Psychopath” gets thrown around very easily. But does society really know what it means to truly be a clinically diagnosed Psychopath? This thesis is all about uncovering the truth about what Psychopathy looks like, how Psychopathy is handled in the courtroom, and why people should not despise, but have empathy for Psychopaths. This was accomplished by writing a thrilling short story about a young clinical psychologist by the name of Dr. T Campbell who is assigned to interview a very charismatic man named Peter Vetrov for the court. Peter has been deemed guilty of 3 …

The Theoretical Application And Comparison Of The Olfactory Sensory Organs In Swine Vs Canines For Accelerant And Explosives Detection, Naomi M. Sigler

Honors Theses

Swine may be able to work alongside scent detection canines, or replace them completely, in the scent detection field. Miniature pigs are the focus of this study since their larger counterparts can cause damage to potential evidence and to the scene itself. Ignitable Liquid Residues (ILRs) are searched for in post-fire conditions, and unconsumed explosives are searched for in major transportation hubs. Swine have more functional olfactory genes and less pseudogenes than humans, canines, and mice. Swine also have a highly functioning and exceedingly organized olfactory system. Swine are social creatures, which allows them to bond with a distinct handler. …

Differences In Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine Prescriptions In Areas With & Without Large Universities, Heather Bacon

Honors Theses

This investigative study is examining trends in stimulant prescribing for several Michigan counties. An ex-post facto design was used to determine trends in the amount of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine dispensed in four Michigan counties containing large universities and two Michigan counties not containing large universities over the years 2007-2012. The study found suggestive evidence that there is an increasing trend of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine prescriptions filled in both counties with and without large universities. Suggestive evidence was also found that counties with large universities display a greater average amount of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine dispensed than counties without large universities for the years 2007-2012. Because the study …