Digital Commons Network^™

Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, And Second Wave Feminism, Lauren A. Stealey

Honors Theses

The First Ladyship is an ambiguous, constitutionally undefined role. The women who have inhabited this role since Martha Washington have had to interpret this role in their own ways and encounter the scrutiny or approval of their country along the way. On this national stage, these women have influenced and been influenced by contemporary conceptions of American womanhood. National discussion shifted to focus prominently on the role of women particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, in the resurgence of an organized women’s rights movement known as Second Wave Feminism.

In this qualitative study, I focused on two First Ladies during …

Study Of The Function Of The Mold Specific Gene Ms95 In Dna Repair In The Pathogenic, Dimorphic Fungus Histoplasma Capsulatum, Erin M. Smith

Honors Theses

Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) is a dimorphic fungus that is the etiologic agent of the respiratory infection Histoplasmosis that is mediated by a shift from the mold phase to the pathogenic yeast phase. Genes have been identified that are specific to the mold or yeast phase in order to study the molecular biology of this shift. MS95 was identified in a subtractive cDNA library that was enriched for mold-specific genes, and has been found to be homologous to the DNA damage-responsive gene DDR48, which functions in DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In order to elucidate the function of MS95, a …

Examining The Relationship Between Parental Overprotection, Use Of Assistive Technology, And Independence With Routines Among Children With Physical Disabilities, Kelsey I. Shinnick

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships between parental overprotection/overindulgence, assistive technology utilization, and independence with routines among children with physical disabilities. Participants included 26 primary caregivers of children with physical disabilities age 6 to 12 (M = 8.65, SD = 2.00). Data regarding demographic information, parenting practices, the child’s gross motor functioning, assistive technology (AT) use, independence with routines, and frequency of routines were obtained from the primary caregiver via an online survey. While no significant relationships between the variables of interest were observed after controlling for the child’s age, gross motor functioning, and …

The Use Of A Small Molecule To Improve The Thermostability Of Dna Junctions, Arik Shams

Honors Theses

The short-term goal of this research project is to employ small molecules as a means to stabilize four-way DNA junctions (4WJs) composed of natural DNA and chimeric nucleic acids. The long-term goal of the project is utilizing the 4WJs as extracellular therapeutic inhibitors of DNA binding proteins [i.e. Histones and High Mobility Group Protein B (HMGB1b)]. A number of studies have shown that classical intracellular DNA-binding proteins have a variety of deleterious side-effects when present in the extracellular milieu. In order to develop a successful 4WJ therapeutic, we are focused on using modified nucleic acids to enhance the stability of …

Risk Propensity And The Aviator Shortage, Timothy S. Seales

Honors Theses

This is an exploratory research study of the possible similarities in risk propensity between aviators and potential aviators and to determine the feasibility of using focused marketing strategies to increase the number of annually issued pilot certificates. This exploratory research was chosen for its significance in that there is a steady decline in the number of pilot certificates being issued annually (Blair, 2012), and there is also a dramatic increase in the number of airline pilots reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 (Cary, 2012). The result of these two combined circumstances may cause an acute aviator shortage in the …

“No On 26” And @Ms4healthyfams: A Study Of Excellence Theory Public Relations In The Magnolia State, Karelia L. Schmitz

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to better understand how public relations campaigns that are designed to influence public policy can incorporate principles from James E. Grunig’s Excellence Theory to improve campaign effectiveness and relevance. In this case study of the Mississippians for Healthy Families campaign in opposition to Mississippi Proposition 26, social media distributed was viewed to analyze its content messages and practices. The study’s research question was designed to understand communication methods used by Mississippians for Healthy Families through the “No on 26” campaign, and the question was examined through a content analysis of materials collected from MS4HealthyFamilies …

Regulation Of Gene Expression In Karenia Brevis, Skylar C. Rodgers

Honors Theses

Karenia brevis is species of dinoflagellate responsible for most of the harmful algal blooms that occur in the Gulf of Mexico. These blooms can be detrimental to the environment and the economy of a coastal region due to the brevetoxins produced by Karenia brevis. Currently, the cause of these blooms, as well as the mechanisms of associated toxin production, are unknown. Efforts to characterize Karenia brevis at a molecular level are ongoing. However, based on genomic findings, researchers have hypothesized that regulation of gene expression occurs post-transcriptionally. In many organisms, non-coding RNAs, such as natural antisense transcripts (NATs), play …

The Orphan Train Adventures Series: The Kelly Siblings’ Trek To Responsibility, Ashten T. Redell

Honors Theses

The Orphan Train Adventures, a series of historical novels by Joan Lowery Nixon (1927-2003), is concerned with the responsibility exercised by its child characters during the antebellum and Civil War periods. This thesis examines how Nixon, by illustrating the positive effects of responsibility through her child characters, suggests the value of cultivating responsibility in children of the contemporary period. Nixon’s use of the mid-nineteenth-century setting and the rearing practices associated with this time allows her to demonstrate positive acts of responsibility in her main characters—six siblings sent west from New York City on …

Opinions Of South Mississippi College Students Regarding Adolescent Sex Education, Mary K. Nobles

Honors Theses

Teen pregnancy and rates of sexually transmitted disease (STD) transmission among teenage Mississippians are disproportionally higher than the national average. These high rates are partially attributed to poor adolescent sex education programs in Mississippi (MS) schools. MS has a long history of inadequate sex education programs; until recently, sex education was not a required component of the curriculum. Most MS public schools teach abstinence-only education, which has been shown to be less effective than comprehensive programs. Most Mississippians probably assume that MS public schools teach the sex education programs of which the majority of Mississippians are in favor. A review …

From Marilyn Monroe To Cindy Crawford: A Historical Analysis Of Women’S Body Image Depicted In Popular Magazines From 1952 To 1995, Jayme S. Nobles

Honors Theses

For this study, the researcher viewed advertisements in popular magazines from 1952 to 1995 that focus on women’s body image. The sample consisted of advertisements found in Life and Cosmopolitan magazines. Instead of observing every issue throughout the forty-three year period, the researcher chose a few issues from each magazine every five years. 180 advertisements were viewed in this study. The researcher observed three different elements found in the advertisements: the product being sold, the appeals of sexuality, if any, in the ads, and the appearance of the advertisements’ models. This research attempted to prove that over the course of …

The Role Of Extrinsic Orientation In The Relation Between Adolescent Narcissism And Problem Behaviors, Drew A. Leggett

Honors Theses

The present study examined the moderating effects of academic and religious motivational orientations on the relation between adolescent narcissism and delinquency and aggression. It was hypothesized that adolescent narcissism would be significantly correlated with extrinsic orientation in religion and academics. In addition, it was expected that participants who reported high levels of adolescent narcissism and extrinsic motivation would report the highest levels of delinquency and proactive aggression and that an intrinsic orientation would mitigate this relationship. Data were acquired through the self-report surveys of 143 adolescents (111 males, 32 females), ranging in age from 16 to 19 (M = …

Subcloning And Expression Of Complexin Isoforms Involved In Mast Cell Degranulation, Cameron Blake King

Honors Theses

Mast cells play an important role in the immune system by releasing chemicals such as chemokines and cytokines once they are stimulated. These products are released after stimulation by a process called mast cell degranulation. Mast cell degranulation is accomplished when vesicles containing the chemicals inside the mast cell fuse with the mast cell membrane via SNARE-mediated (Soluble NSF Attachment Protein Receptors) membrane fusion. This family of proteins consists of syntaxin, SNAP 25-like protein, and synaptobrevin/VAMP (Vesicle Associated Membrane Protein)(2). Comlexin isoforms (complexin 1,2,3,and 4) have been known to regulate this system in a fashion that is still unclear. In …

Humor As A Buffer For Stress In Nurse Anesthesia Students, Kayla C. Forbis

Honors Theses

This simple, quantitative study was carried out on 18, first-year, CRNA students to determine if humor could act as a buffer for some of his or her perceived stress. Before an impending final exam, when stress levels would most likely be at their highest, the students were broken into three groups: a control group, a non-humorous group, and a humorous group. The students in the control group ranked their level of stress on a 0-10 scale without any other intervention. The other two groups watched a video clip, either humorous or non-humorous, while ranking their perceived stress on a scale …

Does Knowledge Make A Difference? Assessing Nursing Students’ Knowledge Of Proper Hand Hygiene Techniques In Correlation With Their Progression Through Nursing School, Charika R. Carradine

Honors Theses

Proper hand hygiene techniques have been widely accepted as the most effective way for health care workers to prevent the spread of diseases. The main focus of this research was to determine differences between nursing students’ semester level and their knowledge of proper hand hygiene techniques. A convenience sample was obtained from the nursing student population. The sample population included nursing students enrolled in the second, third, and fourth semester in nursing school. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version Twenty. A Parametric and descriptive statistics were used to measure the magnitude of relationships between variables, and describe students’ knowledge …

We Are The Same But Different: The Lives Of Two College Music Majors, Josephine M. Cannon

Honors Theses

As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder continues to increase every year, so does the number of students on the spectrum who pursue a college education. This case study was designed to examine the lives of two college music majors: one, Bella, lies on the autism spectrum with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), and the other, Rebekah, does not. In order to collect rich, reliable, and valid data, several different methods of data collection were employed. Each student graciously recorded several video journal entries, as well as individual practice sessions on their major applied instrument. In addition, each student, …

Bankruptcy Prediction, Gold, And The Great Auto Bailout, Katelin E. Byrd

Honors Theses

With recent economic instability, bankruptcy prediction is a tool that is useful to companies and researchers who are interested in the financial stability of an industry or company. This thesis studies bankruptcy prediction during the most recent recession that occurred in the United States for General Motors with Ford as a comparison company and compares the possibility of bankruptcy to the price of gold per ounce for the corresponding year. The multiple discriminant analysis model was used to complete this research. This model uses financial ratios to predict bankruptcy. This research yielded an inverse relationship between the price of gold …

The Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Using A Traditional Approach To Speech Therapy To Using A Traditional Approach To Speech Therapy Plus Non-Speech Oral Motor Exercises In Children With Articulation Disorders, Alanna D. Buckley

Honors Theses

This study focuses on an area of debate in the field of Speech-Language Pathology with little prior research on the topic. The thesis considers the use of non-speech oral motor exercises in children with Articulation Disorders. Understanding the reasoning behind the use of these exercises as well as the reasons that cause the exercises to be controversial are discussed. Data is collected from four clients at the University of Southern Mississippi Speech and Hearing Clinic. All four clients have Articulation Disorders; non-speech oral motor exercises are used in therapy with two of the clients in addition to a Traditional Approach …

Awareness, Education, And Prevention Of Chronic Kidney Disease In The Older Adult, Torrel R. Bridges

Honors Theses

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a major issue in our nation. Many of our neighbors, family, and friends have concerns and a call for our attention is necessary. CKD does not have a specific target, but individuals with diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and obesity are all at increased risk. Adults older than 65 years of age are especially at increased risk for developing CKD due to decrease in kidney function and other physiologic changes. In light of this, awareness, education, and prevention of CKD in the older adult population is important.

The number of older individuals …

Choice And Control Of Enrichment For A Rescued And Rehabilitated Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Trunactus), Hannah Bahe

Honors Theses

Animals living under human care experience stress related to a lack of control over t environment. One way to remedy this is through the use of cognitive enrichment, su choice and control of enrichment. This type of enrichment has been shown to have benefits for animals under human care including increased activity and social interactions. To determine if choice and control was more beneficial than enrichmen alone, a three year old male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was ex to novel enrichment items in two experimental conditions. For the first condition, th animal was given a novel object. During the …

Restoring The Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Forests Using Pineywoods Cattle Grazing In Conjunction With Prescribed Burning, L. Tyler Albin

Honors Theses

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is major forest constituent of the Southern Coastal Plains of the United States. Ecologically, a virgin longleaf pine forests supports increased species richness. Since the 1800s, longleaf pine forests have been exploited as a massive source of commercial products (e.g., lumber, pulp, and naval stores). A decrease in species richness has been recorded following this vast decrease in longleaf pine presence. Rebuilding the longleaf pine ecosystem is essential for restoring species richness and maintaining the ecological health of many Costal Plains habitats. Presently, the most popular restoration and management method utilized is prescribed burning. Prescribed …

Social Rejection: Downward Simulation, The Road To Recovery, Monica L. Hesler

Honors Theses

Prior research on social rejection has found that people with high self-esteem tend to cope better with social rejection. However, there is still not a complete understanding as to why they tend to cope better with rejection. Some research has found that persons with high self-esteem think about rejection differently than persons with low self-esteem which results in a better ability to cope. This thesis further examines the relationship between self-esteem and social rejection. Specifically this thesis examines how different thought being used by persons with high or low self-esteem may affect their reactions to social rejection. Based on prior …

A Cross-Cultural Study Exploring Structural Factors Of Men's Sheds, Kaitlyn Mcgrail

Honors Theses

The Men’s Shed program was developed in Australia in 2006 with the explicit goal of establishing a place for men to socially interact and to help maintain their health and well-being. The Men’s Shed program has grown tremendously and has continued their growth in many other countries. There is limited research conducted about the organizational and structural features of the Men’s Shed program. There has been no research to date conducted cross-culturally on the program. The aim of this study is to conduct a descriptive, cross-cultural study on Men’s Shed organizations and the characteristics of the Men’s Shed participants. By …

The Effects Of An Academic Values Clarification Exercise On Academic Performance Of College Students, Dana Goetz

Honors Theses

Values exploration exercises, in which individuals are typically asked to rank order their values and describe values that are most important to them, have been used for many purposes including reducing the racial achievement gap in academic performance (Cohen, Garcia, Apfel, Maseter, 2006), increasing acceptance of health related issues (Harris & Napper, 2005), and increasing academic success (Chase, Houmanfar, Hayes, Ward, Vilardaga, & Follette, 2013). However, little research has addressed the mechanism or mechanisms through which values clarification exercises impact outcomes, particularly academic achievement. This paper analyzes values clarification exercises used in educational settings during the 1970s and the roles …

Individualized Education Program Complexities For Students With Autism, Jordan Rohraff

Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) belongs to a group of closely-related neurobiological disorders (Phetrasuwan, Miles & Mesibov, 2009). Incidence of this disorder is on the rise and is also seen as a topic of increasing concern, especially among educators and parents. Students with ASD need assistance from a variety of professionals in order to achieve academic success. To maintain effective communications between all involved parties, a collaborative plan must be put into place. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is an educational roadmap for students with disabilities. Although these important plans have many benefits such as providing students with their much needed …

“Additional Analysis Of Previously Collected Data: Food Choices In Children With Autism”, Kristin Crinion

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to look at children with autism and their food choices based on previously collected data. The previously collected data includes a caregiver survey to determine food acceptance level (e.g. severe, moderate, typical), and a caregiver reported food inventory. The caregiver reported food inventory was used to see what specific foods children with autism are eating and in what food categories (e.g. dairy, fruits, vegetables, protein, and carbohydrate). Per previously literature, it is researched that children with ASD tend to have more food selectivity than typically developing children (Suarez, Nelson, & Curtis, 2012). There is …

An Overview Of Sensory Processing Disorder, Heather Lonkar

Honors Theses

This thesis was done to evaluate the basic overview of the definition, diagnosis, comorbid conditions, symptoms, causes, and treatment, as it pertains to Sensory Processing Disorder. Although the research has been light on this subject, there have been studies done, that show the possible causes, and effectiveness of treatment in children. The purpose was to examine, more closely, the relationship between Sensory Processing Disorder and the outcome of occupational therapy based sensory integration (OT-SI) intervention. Controversy surrounding sensory integration exists, because of lack of fidelity in research. Researchers are currently interested in the fidelity of the treatment, and whether or …

Art And Aphasia: A Literary Review And Exhibition, Jessica Parrish

Honors Theses

My honors thesis explores aphasia, my primary topic of interest, through procedures spanning both of my degrees. Communication makes interaction possible for exchanging ideas, feelings, concepts, and events. Aphasia, an acquired disorder, impacts language areas that are responsible for expression, comprehension, literacy, and symbolic understanding. Aphasia interrupts the mental process responsible for converting thought to language. Literature involving both traditional speech and art therapy is discussed. Once the aphasia disorder type is assessed, a speech language pathologist designs a therapy plan. Art, which has been used in therapy and research for rehabilitation, shares a connection with language and symbolic thought. …

The Effects Of Child Birth Order And Number Of Children On Mother’S Supervision Beliefs And Practices, Alyssa Schramm

Honors Theses

Objective: This study aimed to examine (1) whether mothers’ attitudes about supervision differ based on (a) the number of children in the home and (b) the birth order of the child; (2) whether mothers’ reported supervision levels differ based on: (a) the number of children in the home and (b) the birth order of the child; (3) whether children in families with more than one child sustain more injuries than children in families with fewer children. I expected to find that mothers had more lax attitudes for their younger children versus old, and were more lax for homes with more …

A Postmortem On Nanowrimo: Analyzing The Creative Process Of Writing Under Time Constraints, Mary Westveer

Honors Theses

This honors thesis project delves into the creative writing process of writing under time constraints. The time constrain employed for my thesis was National Novella Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) which is an international online writing contest where authors join in and attempt to write a 50,000 word story in the month of November. The purpose of attempting such a feat was to see how limited time constraints affect creative writing. This thesis analyzes how narrative, character development, description, diction, dialogue and many other creative elements faired when striving to write 50,000 words in a month. This thesis dissects how the creative …

A Study Of Stress Levels Of Students, Rebekah Currie

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.