Digital Commons Network^™

Multidisciplinary Literary Review: The Relationship Between Social Media And Empathy, Mayra E. Salgado

Honors Theses

This literary review examines the different psychological perspectives on the relationship between social media usage and empathy. Specifically, it discusses the association by expanding on the fields of cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, clinical psychology, and some evolutionary psychology. I define empathy and discuss its developmental journey, its cognitive functions, its neurobiological processes, its possible damage caused by social media usage, and its effects on physical and mental health. Lastly, I argue that research focusing on high levels of social media usage and its relationship with levels of empathy should focus on creating an elaborate longitudinal study to gain more information on …

Guardians Of The Data: Government Use Of Ai And Iot In The Digital Age, Jannat Saeed

Honors Theses

The exponential growth of technology, epitomized by Moore's Law – “the observation that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit will double every two years”– has propelled the swift evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. This phenomenon has revolutionized various facets of daily life, from smart home devices to autonomous vehicles, reshaping how individuals interact with the world around them. However, as governments worldwide increasingly harness these innovations to monitor and collect personal data, profound privacy concerns have arisen among the general populace. Despite the ubiquity of AI and IoT in modern society, formal …

Understanding The Influence Of Follower Count On Purchase Behavior And Consumer Perception In Influencer Marketing, Emaan Aziz

Honors Theses

In recent years, influencer marketing has emerged as a popular strategy for brands to connect with consumers on social media. This study examines the impact of influencer follower count on consumer purchase behavior and perception of influencers in the context of influencer marketing. A qualitative research approach was employed, surveying 60 participants familiar with the concept. The findings suggest a relationship between influencer follower count and consumer perceptions of influencer attractiveness indicating that influencers with larger followings are more likely to be deemed attractive to social media users. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on influencer marketing …

Booktok: The Cultural Phenomenon Introducing A Stagnated Industry To A New Generation, Daley Culberson

Honors Theses

BookTok, a creator-driven subset of TikTok that promotes and discusses books, gained popularity in 2020. Its emergence has significantly altered the book industry, allowing once-unknown authors to transform into bestselling novelists with the click of a button. Modern romance, fantasy, and young adult novels are typically favored on BookTok. These novels are vastly different from the books in the traditional literary canon, challenging conventional ideals regarding what types of literature could be considered canonical. Additionally, BookTok is primarily driven by younger users, allowing many teenagers and young adults to rediscover the joy found through reading and writing. This research project …

Understanding Taf13 (Tata Box-Binding Protein-Associated Factor 13) Upregulation In Eukaryotic Cells, Selin Kaplanoglu

Honors Theses

TATA-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (Tafs) comprise RNA Polymerase II (RNA Pol II) pre-initiation complex. This universal component carefully controls the transcriptional initiation process. One of the Tafs, Taf13, also plays an important role in the regulation of RNA Pol II transcription initiation which is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to humans. It is found that Taf13 is overexpressed in cancer cells, although the exact mechanism that is responsible for this overexpression is unclear. Our hypothesis suggests that targeted degradation by the 26S proteasome via ubiquitylation [Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS)] may be the mechanism that regulates the stability of Taf13. To …

Nonduality And Identity: An Exploration Of Form, Genre, And Perspective, Hannah Ritter

Honors Theses

This thesis utilizes hybrid forms of poetry and prose to examine questions of nonduality, perspective, and identity, simultaneously testing the boundaries of genre and form as a whole. The opening craft essay offers a more specific analysis of form and genre, particularly those of poetry / prose and fiction / nonfiction, while the creative writing demonstrates how such differentia are relevant to the art of creative writing.

“Bad Taste, Bad Hygiene, And Bad Morals:” Dress Reform Movements And Women’S Fight For Greater Independence During The Late 1800s., Emily Cahill

Honors Theses

The Victorian Age is debated as a time of brilliant growth, beauty, and prosperity for people living in England. While this era is described as a glory age for England, it was also an age of great inequality. There were significant advancements in learning and new societal freedom, like the widespread availability of education and abundance of jobs. However, freedom was not experienced equally by everyone in the public. One of the main things women sought to change was freedom in their wardrobe. It was nearly impossible to progress in society under the rigid restrictions women’s clothes put on them. …

Elucidation Of The Overexpression Of Taf2 In Eukaryotic Cells, Morgan Osborn

Honors Theses

Through several studies, Taf2 has been found to be upregulated in various cancer cells. However, the mechanism through which this increased expression of Taf2 occurs remains unknown. As evolutionarily conserved ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) maintains protein homeostasis for normal cellular function, we hypothesized that stability of Taf2 may be regulated by this UPS and this UPS may be dysregulated in cancer cells causing overexpression of Taf2. To test our hypothesis, we assessed the role of the UPS in the regulation of the stability of Taf2 by 26S proteasome-mediated degradation. To do so, we performed molecular experiments mainly through two steps: 1st …

Autism On The Net: An Autoethnographic Appraisal Of Literature On Online Socialization, Empowerment, And Kinship Of Autistic People In Digital Spaces, Lennox Le Vine-Miller

Honors Theses

In a world that is increasingly becoming more and more active online, social groups formed on the basis of interests and passions have the propensity to intersect with communities of those who experience marginalization, in this case, autistic people. As such, this work seeks to examine what the basis of an autistic cultural identity is, and how the social factors that it is built on, those being belongingness, social connectedness, and political connectedness, and how they manifest among various online communities, whether it be cosplay fandom, fanfiction communities, or virtual worlds within Minecraft and Second Life. These online communities illustrate …

Expanding On Experiential Differentiation In Crowded Markets: Success Through Understanding And Addressing Intangible Consumer Needs, Mitchell Hibbs Hibbs

Honors Theses

This thesis project focuses on exploring and elucidating how businesses in crowded markets achieve their respective success. Markets include personal care, skin products, cosmetics, perfume, and others, to name just a few relevant to this work. I argue that by focusing on customers' intangible needs and engaging them through experiential means, businesses can create a substantial, sustainable, and compelling niche, differentiating themselves from the crowd. I propose an original model, EIND (experiential and needs-based differentiation), and a working structure to implement, analyze, and design using EIND principles.

Potential For United States Participation In The European Union’S Digital Services Act, Catherine Hatfield

Honors Theses

The regulation or lack thereof of social media has become a hot-button issue in the majority of the Western world. Although the United States has made several attempts to pass widespread regulation of misinformation online, they have seen little success. Contrastingly, the European Union's recently passed Digital Services Act has already seen some success and is shaping up to be an effective piece of legislation. As such, it is worth exploring the possibility of the United States adopting this legislation, and examining how a potential partnership could aid both the United States and the European Union in furthering their goals …

Determining The Antimicrobial Activity And Permeabilizing Effects Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids And Piscidins On Vibrio Parahaemolyticus And Vibrio Vulnificus, Christina Harris

Honors Theses

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in all organisms and have gained attention for their effectiveness against a variety of pathogens. Piscidins are AMPs that were discovered in mast cells of vertebrates, mostly within marine animals, and are an important part of the innate immune system due to their potent antimicrobial properties. Piscidin 1 (P1) and piscidin 3 (P3) are found within sea bass and have different antimicrobial activities. P1 exhibits strong membrane disruptive properties, while P3 goes through the membrane to the targeted DNA. These piscidins can experience metalation with copper (Cu2+) which enhances their antimicrobial activity in vitro (P1-Cu2+ …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Interoceptive Sensibility And Distress Tolerance In Community And College Samples, William Moore

Honors Theses

Interoceptive sensibility (IS) involves the detection, integration, and interpretation of internal bodily signals, primarily from cardiovascular, pulmonary, or gastrointestinal systems. Dysfunction in interoceptive processing has been increasingly recognized as a clinically relevant factor in numerous neurological, psychiatric, and behavioral disorders. This thesis aimed to elucidate the relationship between interoceptive sensibility and distress tolerance, hypothesizing that individuals with heightened interoceptive sensibility may exhibit poorer distress tolerance, potentially influencing emotional regulation and maladaptive coping mechanisms. To explore these relationships, two studies have been conducted utilizing self-report measures of interoceptive sensibility and distress tolerance in community and college samples. In a study of …

The Role Of Oncomodulin In The Central Nervous System Inflammation, Evan Paltjon

Honors Theses

Acoustic overexposure in mice leads to an excess of calcium influx in outer hair cells (OHCs) and causes permanent hearing loss due to death of OHCs. Oncomodulin is a parvalbumin calcium buffering protein located in OHCs of the cochlea. Early pilot studies indicate that genetic deletion of OCM results in immune-related pathology throughout the cochlea. Why and how this occurs is unknown. Studies in wild type (WT) and OCM knockout (KO) mice demonstrate greater numbers of immune cells are associated with noise exposure in an OCM knockout than in WT. Expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) leads to the recruitment …

An Examination Of Products That University Of Mississippi Students Consume For Managing Their Stress, Kiersten Rickard

Honors Theses

Students are notoriously one of the most stressed groups in our society. Stress is a complex topic; causes, mitigation methods, and manifestations of stress all vary in an individual. Being that stress is an universal experience, this research capitalizes on the importance of stress and the methods used to mitigate stress. This study looks at, among other ideas, stress on the University of Mississippi campus in regards to demographics and the products (caffeine, sleep aids, over the counter medicines, stress supplements, and CBD) that students use. Results demonstrate that, overall, higher stress levels correlate to higher product usage rates. The …

"Speak Arabic!": Arabic Dialect Comparison Videos And The Reconfiguration Of The Maghreb-Mashreq Language Ideology, Jacquelyn Stewart-Kuhn

Honors Theses

There is a hidden power imbalance in the Arabic-speaking world. It is not related to warfare, politics, or oil, but language. For decades, Egyptian and Levantine (Mashreqi) dialects have been over-represented in Arabic language media, to the detriment of North African (Maghrebi) dialects. This imbalance has played a crucial role in reinforcing what Hachimi (2013) refers to as the “Maghreb-Mashreq language ideology,” i.e. the belief that Mashreqi dialects are superior to Maghrebi dialects. Yet in an era of social media, Mashreqi voices and dialects are becoming less dominant, and Arabic-speakers across the region are being increasingly exposed to Maghrebi voices …

Understanding The Clinician's View Of Pragmatics In Pediatric Therapy, Shelby Oliver

Honors Theses

Pragmatics is one of the most integral components of language, yet it often seems to receive little attention in therapy settings. Previous research indicates the importance of intentionally targeting pragmatic skills for children with language disorders and/or autism spectrum disorders, as well as the lack of current pragmatic evaluations. This thesis used an online survey to record how clinicians view pragmatics, how they evaluate pragmatics, and how they target pragmatics. Participants were all certified clinicians, and the research survey featured a variety of open and closed questions. Results revealed a deep pragmatics knowledge base. However, results indicated the use and …

Groomer Discourse: A Transgender-Sensitive Critical Discourse Analysis Of Queerphobic Hate Speech On Twitter, William Evans

Honors Theses

In recent times, online internet hate speech has received more and more attention due to its adaptive and mutative nature, emerging not in a vacuum but instead sprouting from the seeds of social inequity. A specific form of queerphobic hate speech known as groomer discourse or predation libel has taken new form in online spaces. This recent development, targeted almost exclusively towards the queer community and their allies, is uniquely situated at the intersection of transgender rights and sexual education in the United States. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, this study expands Spallaccia’s gender-sensitive critical discourse analysis (CDA) into a …

Suppressing Reactive Oxygen Species Via Application Of Antioxidant Supramolecular Polymers, Zacchaeus Wallace

Honors Theses

Cardiovascular diseases along with various other disease conditions are characterized by an upregulation in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can overwhelm homeostatic processes in the body, resulting in cellular apoptosis and severe oxidative damage. The lack of clinically approved treatments to regulate or alleviate this elevated ROS presence underscores the need for novel therapeutic strategies. While antioxidants promote cell rescue through ROS scavenging, their clinical translation is impeded by insufficient bioavailable concentrations at the source of injury. The opportunity to apply antioxidant supramolecular polymers of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) is an exciting prospect of research to combat corresponding issues. For this …

Mate Choice Between Two Species Of Topminnows From Dissimilar Hybrid Zones, Chloe Davis

Honors Theses

Understanding the origins of reproductive isolation between closely related species is foundational to evolutionary and ecological research. Recent reviews have documented contemporary hybridization between a large portion of species. A greater knowledge of reproductive isolation and its components are vital to expanding conservation efforts for threats such as those to species persistence and community processes. However, there is a lack of clear understanding of how isolating mechanisms evolve throughout many systems where hybridization is prominent. Individuals within the Fundulus notatus species complex (F. notatus, F. olivaceus, and F. euryzonus) readily hybridize at many contact zones replicated throughout their …

Gender, Body Shame, And Sexual Anxiety: A Mediational Model Among College Students, Allison Hanby

Honors Theses

Previous research on sexual anxiety among emerging adults has consistently reported gendered differences in sexual anxiety levels with women reporting significantly higher levels of sexual anxiety than their male peers. As sexual anxiety is linked to several aspects of sexual functioning and enjoyment, this gendered discrepancy bears further investigation. Past literature has explored factors that may be influencing sexual anxiety in emerging adults, and body shame has emerged as a potential contributing factor. Using Objectification Theory as a basis, this study seeks to understand the coexisting relationships between gender, body shame, and sexual anxiety. This study hypothesizes a model wherein …

Full-Body Movements In Speech Treatment Sessions: Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perspectives, Natalie Hurdle

Honors Theses

This author aims to determine the speech-language pathologist’s perspective on the use of full-body movements during speech therapy sessions with children with autism. A survey was distributed to speech-language pathologists and speech-language pathology aides/ speech-language teachers. The author used the source, Qualtrics, to obtain and analyze data. The findings of the current study were promising, as most speech-language pathologists were incorporating full body-movements and reported beliefs that this positively impacted children’s engagement. This study provided additional knowledge about the benefits of using full-body movements in speech treatment sessions and some insight on how much time is misused when full-body movements …

Adversity To Action: A Case Study Analysis Of Crisis Leadership, Isabelle Weatherington

Honors Theses

This thesis examines leadership through crisis contexts. I aim to answer two research questions. (1) How do crisis management frameworks intersect with the leadership strategies and characteristics of the person in charge? And (2) How must a leader adapt their natural leadership style and characteristics according to the nature and level of the crisis at hand to ensure leadership effectiveness? To answer these, a comparative case study analysis was performed on the following cases: Winston Churchill and World War II (Case one), George W. Bush and the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks (Case two), and Thad Allen and Hurricane Katrina …

Reclaiming The Tides Within, Ashlie Roth

Honors Theses

As a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, I pursue excellence and professionalism. My passion and curiosity for dance drives me to immerse myself in a versatile range of genres and approaches, and I am committed to continuous learning, open self-expression, and fostering human connection through movement. As a performer, I combine dynamism in physical strength and endurance with authentic emotional storytelling. I work to establish a genuine connection with both the audience and my fellow dancers, and my movement aesthetic incorporates precision, risk, and nuance. As a choreographer, I create work grounded in musicality and vulnerability. Using repetition, stillness, and rhythmic …

The Rise Of Merope, Emily Czerniak

Honors Theses

As a performer, I can explore the full range of my artistic abilities through dance. My background in ballet and musical theatre allows me to express myself through movement and bring characters to life. My aesthetic draws from my intensive ballet training paired with a passion for grounded, circular phrases that help me fully embody choreography. Through dedication and work ethic, I constantly strive to be adaptable and best represent the choreographer's vision. On stage, I aim to perform with detail, energy, and authentic expression.

As a choreographer, my life experiences influence how I explore andconvey relatable themes to audiences …

The Effect Of Emotional Intelligence On Relationships: Examining The Correlation Between Teique Score And Support System Health, Anna Lowes-Cannizzaro

Honors Theses

Emotional intelligence (EI), or the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings, and the ability to step outside of these feelings in order to use information to guide thinking and actions, has been shown to affect many aspects of a person’s life. Through prior research, EI has been linked to aspects such as marital satisfaction, job performance, and life satisfaction. This study examines how trait emotional intelligence affects the health of one’s support system. The association between trait EI and support system health, including other demographic variables, was measured with two separate questionnaires: one questionnaire measuring trait EI, the …

Induction And Modulation Of Apoptosis In Breast Cancer Cells Mda-Mb-157 And 93b By Chinese Medicinal Herbs Oldenlandia Diffusa And Bryophyllum Pinnatum, Sarah Wolf

Honors Theses

Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to contain bioactive phytochemicals with anti-cancer properties. Herbal extracts induce apoptosis in cancer cells by modulating levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins. A previous study showed that a commonly used herb, Scutellaria barbata, significantly induced apoptosis in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-157 and the therapy-resistant breast cancer cell line 93B. However, the effects of two different Chinese herbs, Oldenlandia diffusa (OD) and Bryophyllum pinnatum (BP) on these breast cancer cells are not known. This project indicates the influence of the herbs OD and BP on apoptosis of breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-157 in …

Induction And Modulation Of Apoptosis In Breast Cancer Cells 93a And Mda-Mb-157 By Chinese Medicinal Herbs Oldenlandia Diffusa And Bryophyllum Pinnatum, Rekha Isaac

Honors Theses

Chinese medicinal herbs, such as Oldenlandia diffusa, contain phytochemicals that exhibit antitumor, chemopreventive, and antiangiogenic effects in cancer cells. In this study, both Oldenlandia diffusa and Bryophyllum pinnatum (a lesser-studied herb) were tested on breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-157 and 93A by administering an aqueous extract. The effectiveness between cell lines was also compared. The apoptotic effect both herbs showed was quantified by the levels of pro and anti-apoptotic proteins expressed in each cell line. Both cell lines treated with Oldenlandia diffusa and Bryophyllum pinnatum showed significant differences in their levels of both pro and anti-apoptotic proteins when compared to …

Personal Insights: Navigating Informal Networks, Catherine Jordan

Honors Theses

As a non-traditional student, my journey through college has been anything but conventional. Unlike the typical high school-to-college transition, I embarked on my educational adventure later in life, balancing coursework with familial responsibilities and career aspirations. Within this paper, I will share my insights, my triumphs, my challenges, and the interactions that have shaped my experience. Join me as I unravel the unseen and intricate ties that link us together through learning and growth.

The International Lens Of Western Michigan University, Tesha Nowak

Honors Theses

The international students highlighted in this documentary have different stories with the same experience of studying in the United States. Some international students are at Western with family, making the transition easier for them whereas some are here alone, still trying to find the community that fits their identity. In this documentary, Western Michigan University’s (WMU) international students, will discuss their study abroad experience in the United States such as culture shock, negotiating native and new cultures and managing assumptions that Americans have about them or their cultures. Their stories will bring to light the reality of the study abroad …