Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis Of Tert-Butyl Ester And Ethyl Ester Prodrugs Of L-Gamma-Methyleneglutamic Acid Amides For The Treatment Of Cancer, Tristan D. Tran

Honors Theses

Metabolic pathways differ in cancer cells compared to noncancerous cells. Glutaminolysis is the primary producer of biosynthetic precursors in cancer cells, which allows for the cells to proliferate. In previous publications, the Le lab has established efficient synthetic routes to L-γ-methyleneglutamic acid amides which have shown to be as efficacious as tamoxifen and olaparib in inhibiting the growth of various breast cancer cell lines. These compounds have shown to inhibit the growth of MCF-7, SK-BR-3, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines after 24 or 72 h of exposure. Furthermore, these compounds were selective in inhibiting the growth of cancer …

Identification Of Signal Transducers In Plant Shoot Gravitropism Using Genetic Screens, Lilla Reed

Honors Theses

Gravitropism is an essential response for plant growth and architecture. The signal transduction pathway that links gravity sensing to gravity response remains unclear because the key signal transducers involved in this pathway are unknown. In this project, we applied an artificial microRNA(amiRNA)-assisted genetic screen in isolating mutants displaying altered gravitropic phenotype in the darkness. Two amiRNA lines showed a significantly decreased gravitropic phenotype in the hypocotyl, and amiRNAs in these lines were identified to target a hypothetical transmembrane protein and a receptor kinase, respectively. Further experiments need to be done to confirm their phenotypes and establish them as signal transducers …

What Happens When A Company's Marketing Strategy No Longer Mirrors The Shopping Trends Of The American Consumer: A Case Study Of Sears, Roebuck And Company, Savannah Burnett

Honors Theses

Once America’s largest mass merchandiser, Sears is a name that remains recognizable for many people. Throughout our country’s history, the U.S. retail industry has often shifted alongside its country’s major historical events. However, one major corporation who once mirrored the ebbs and flows of the United States economy slowly faded out of the minds of the American consumer. This thesis seeks to answer if Sears’ fall from grace was a direct reflection of American consumer trends.

Secondary data was gathered through books accessed from the university library, newspaper articles, scholarly journals, and online news sources, as well as the company’s …

Kindness Without Barriers: An Investigation Of The Benefits Of Social Organizations For Students With Disabilities, Abby Newton

Honors Theses

While legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) has made monumental progress in education for individuals with disabilities, there is still an evident need for increased accessibility and equity of opportunity within the K-12 environment. IDEA guarantees students with disabilities will receive a Free Appropriate Public Education, but this law does not include discussion on the evolving barriers to social participation students with disabilities often face, and sequentially, the impact this has on one’s learning environment. This report will examine the benefits of extracurricular activities for …

Los Pedrenses: Alternative Tourism, The Spectacle Of Youth, And Struggles For Local Authority In La Pedrera, Uruguay, Gwendelyn Gardner

Honors Theses

Tourism has been a longstanding industry in La Pedrera, a rural beach town along the Atlantic coast of Rocha, Uruguay. The effects of recent forms of tourism massification in the form of los boliches and Carnaval have prompted residents to develop a local discourse and sociopolitical front against youth and mass tourism. This discourse has roots in the strong connection between residents and the environment that has shaped the development of the community as caretakers of the region. Such reasoning is based on interviews with La Pedrera locals, social media analysis, and articles for local and national newspapers in conjunction …

The Association Between Sleep And Relationship Quality Among Undergraduate Students, Catherine Smith

Honors Theses

This study sought out to examine the association between sleep and relationship quality in undergraduate student populations. Attending university is a novel experience for emerging adults but is subsequently associated with increased sleep difficulties and increased exposure to various social relationships. Indeed, the literature suggests social relationships can influence sleep in all populations, but few have explored relationship quality in the context of conflict and support in undergraduates. The quality of different social relationships (romantic, family, and friend), the severity of insomnia symptoms, and length of sleep duration were investigated. The current study collected data from a sample of ten …

Financial Accounting Case Studies, Winn Sams

Honors Theses

This thesis is an assembly of eleven accounting case studies completed during the 2021-2022 academic year, while enrolled in the ACCY 420 course instructed by Dr. Victoria Dickinson. The case studies included in this thesis cover a broad range of topics within the field of accounting. These topics include the impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on businesses, the financial effects of COVID-19 on Pfizer Inc., examining cities of future residence for accounting careers, an interview with a business owner, and an Excel verification course. Cases 6 through 11 are dedicated to the analysis of ExxonMobil and its …

The New Teacher Of Ideas: A Study On Social Media, Political Influencers, And Generation Z, Brenley Rinaudo

Honors Theses

The current study focuses on members of Generation Z and where they learn about politics and receive political news. Different than previous generations, Generation Z receives news on social media more than on traditional media platforms (Murmuration, 2023). Politicians must quickly begin to understand how to engage and connect with the next generation of voters on these social media platforms. For these reasons, this study surveyed members of Generation Z at The University of Mississippi. Current University of Mississippi students are members of Generation Z and reflect common trends among this Generation, such as constant usage of social media. This …

Southern Sustainability: An Examination Of Waste Management Mechanisms Within The University Of Mississippi Community, Haley Clift

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and study local mechanisms surrounding waste management at The University of Mississippi. The research study gathers quantitative and qualitative research to make conclusions about sustainability and recycling practices on The University of Mississippi's campus. The thesis discusses whether those practices are effective for those in The University of Mississippi's community based on the data collected and research conducted. The researcher also offers proposals for the University of Mississippi community based on the research conducted.

The gap that exists in the waste management processes at The University of Mississippi was addressed by blending …

The Adventures Of A Right-Handed Debitor, James Aubrey Christian

Honors Theses

The Accounting Capstone is designed to force accounting students to think through problems in the accounting industry. This will be accomplished by working through a series of case studies dealing with several areas of financial reporting. After selecting the group’s focus area, my group and I presented a case study regarding tax recommendations for Goldman Sachs.

Links Between Mental Health And Employment Outcomes Among Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emma Atkinson

Honors Theses

Problem: Mental health outcomes related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been extensively researched, although most research in the area is on children with ASD. Studies on adults with ASD are scarcer. More specifically, studies that analyze the association between mental health and work-life balance (WLB) as well as mental health and job satisfaction (JS) among employed adults with ASD is limited. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between mental health and WLB among adults with ASD, the association between mental health and perceived JS among adults with ASD, and whether or not ASD severity moderates …

An Application Of The Pagerank Algorithm To Ncaa Football Team Rankings, Morgan Majors

Honors Theses

We investigate the use of Google’s PageRank algorithm to rank sports teams. The PageRank algorithm is used in web searches to return a list of the websites that are of most interest to the user. The structure of the NCAA FBS football schedule is used to construct a network with a similar structure to the world wide web. Parallels are drawn between pages that are linked in the world wide web with the results of a contest between two sports teams. The teams under consideration here are the members of the 2021 Football Bowl Subdivision. We achieve a total ordering …

How Medical Cannabis Took Root In Mississippi, Loral Winn

Honors Theses

How Medical Cannabis Took Root in Mississippi

(Under the direction of Dr. Iveta Imre)

How Medical Cannabis Took Root in Mississippi is a multimedia journalism piece that follows the timeline of medical cannabis’ legalization in Mississippi through the lives and lenses of characters from each sector of the medical marijuana industry. Written in a journalistic style with hints of narrative methods, the article tells the story of medical cannabis advocates, current patients, state registered practitioners, dispensary owners and employees, and a family-owned cultivation facility while also providing concrete evidence and facts about the legislation and regulations included in the state’s …

Human-Wildlife Conflict In Tanzania: A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of A Collaborative, Community-Engaged Approach To Conservation Challenges, Kylie Page

Honors Theses

This paper describes the development, implementation and outcomes of a conservation education program designed to empower youth and adults to address the problem of human-wildlife conflict in rural Tanzania. The participatory approach included a three day workshop at Mikumi National Park (MNP) and community-based fieldwork that employed techniques for active engagement, such as games, role plays, field trips, and the photovoice method, which combines photography and storytelling with solution finding. Focusing on the problem of human-lion conflict, adults and youth from two villages came together with lion experts, park wardens, and educators for training at Mikumi National Park in which …

Calculating Risk: A Scoping Review Of Ncaa D1 Football Players’ Motivations To Play And The Correlation To Demographic Characteristics And Injury Experiences, Kathleen D. Walsh

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to investigate the motivations of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 (D1) football players for playing the game and how these motivations are associated with their socioeconomic status (SES). Further, the research aimed to investigate how the uncovered motivations were linked to injury experiences. The original project was designed as a survey-based mixed methods study on a national scale. However, issues with participant recruitment led to sidelining of that primary research. The research presented is a scoping review of the available literature pertaining to the research question: What is known from existing literature …

Who Changes Who? Political Implications Of The Rising Hispanic Population, Drayton Purvis

Honors Theses

Studying the growth of the Hispanic population yields specific political implications to be drawn based on the rate of growth for each Congressional District. Using Data from 2000, 2010, and 2020 Censuses along with Harvard’s Data Set titled, “Historical Congressional Legislation and District Demographics 1972-2014”, the information allows for interpretations to be made based on a Congressional District’s NOMINATE score and its percentage of the Hispanic population. After researching specific influences that help shape the Latino population in a political sense, like country of origin and level of generation in the United States, there were certain characteristics that have been …

Spanish Club For Healthcare Professionals, Sophie Stallings

Honors Theses

Spanish Club for Healthcare Professionals was registered as an approved student organization in January of 2023, and the first meeting was January 30. The objective of this club is to educate students entering different healthcare fields on how to communicate with Spanish speaking patients. During my time serving as the founder and president of this organization, I strived to provide a resource that would help lower the language barrier that is present in today’s society with regards to a lack of Spanish- speaking healthcare professionals. The goal is not for students to be fully fluent in Spanish but simply learn …

Predicting Our Own Demise: How Media Has Played Nostradamus To The Future Of Artificial Intelligence, Connor Denny-Lybbert

Honors Theses

In this paper, I argue that we should be hesitant and skeptical of the applications of AI technology in government due to the possibility of, and ongoing abuses of this technology by political actors. I do this by first analyzing various pieces of sci-fi media in three parts: how this media approaches crime and punishment, personhood, and human happiness. Then, I explain how these themes intersect with the above framework and how we can use the themes to guide future policy. This is followed by an analysis of what these pieces of media tell us regarding artificial intelligence and how …

How To Grow My Business On Social Media, Thomas Vehige

Honors Theses

This thesis discussed goals, strategies and tactics to expand an existing freelance sports videography business into a more robust business through the use of targeted social media campaigns. Author discusses demographic choices, social media platform selection and goals for thoughtful evaluation of opportunities and core competencies.

Social Connectedness As Experienced By Black Christian Women At A Predominantly White University, Halle Christina Miller

Honors Theses

This study examines the lived experiences of Black women attending a predominantly white Christian university and explores how they navigate social connection and belonging in this context, highlighting identity relevant experiences and intersectionality in layered identities. Literature demonstrates, social connection and belonging is an important aspect of well-being. This study serves to advance or extend theories relating to social connection and belonging by examining in particular the role that identity plays in belonging, specifically considering intersectionality and layered identities. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with three Black women who were currently enrolled in the university. …

A Cooperative Business Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation & Reflection By Principal Financial Investigator, Abigail R. George

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is a business analysis of Starbucks Corporation. The company is commonly known for its distinctive coffee shops and operates over 31,000 stores worldwide. Starbucks is also known for extreme brand loyalty, strong market position, high quality products, and premium service. The Company's weaknesses include expensive raw material and product costs, overcrowding in the US, and overdependence in the US market. If Starbucks positions themselves correctly, they have an opportunity to expand into new markets and establish brand loyalty across the globe, with expansion comes diversifying products which would expand their product mix and make them …

Digital Dna: The Ethical Implications Of Big Data As The World’S New-Age Commodity, Clark H. Dotson

Honors Theses

In the emerging digital world that we find ourselves in, it becomes apparent that data collection has become a staple of daily life, whether we like it or not. This research discussion aims to bring light to just how much one’s own digital identity is valued in the technologically-infused world of today, with distinct research and local examples to bring awareness to the ethical implications of your online presence. The paper in question examines anecdotal and research evidence of the collection of data, both through true and unjust means, as well as ethical implications of what this information truly represents. …

Black Male Educator Shortage In The Mississippi Public School System: Impact, Challenges, And Intervention Strategies, Jilkiah Bryant

Honors Theses

The shortage of Black male educators in Mississippi's public school systems is a critical issue with far-reaching implications for the state's education system. Despite the state's sizable Black population, the percentage of Black male teachers remains disproportionately low, and there is little evidence of progress being made to address this issue. This paper examines the impact of the Black male educator shortage on Mississippi's education system, the challenges faced by Black male educators, and related intervention strategies to increase the number of Black male teachers in Mississippi's public school systems. Through a comprehensive literature review and interviews with Black male …

Investigating The Impact Of Student-Teacher Relationships On Teacher Retention And Recruitment, Kylie Scott

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the impact of positive student teacher relationships on teacher retention and recruitment. The overarching research question this thesis project aims to address is how do teachers describe the impact of student-teacher relationships on their decisions to become a teacher and stay in teaching? Verbal data collected through semi-structured interviews with my former teachers have been analyzed and reviewed for common or emergent themes. These themes will be discussed along with other commentary from a literature review, results, and a conclusion.

Queer Representation In The Horror Genre: An Analysis Of Queer Stereotypes, Makenna N. Lambert

Honors Theses

Queer representation has been present across all genres of film since the dawn of filmmaking. Much of the early representation of queer identities originated in the horror genre, specifically during the time of the Motion Picture Production Code (1934-1968). However, many negative stereotypes and tropes still common in media today originated in this time period. Films like Dracula’s Daughter and Bride of Frankenstein included stereotypes like the overly effeminate, weak gay man, the aggressive, ugly lesbian, and the concept that queer people are predatory. Modern-day horror films have started to stray away from these harmful tropes, including more well-rounded and …

Buy The Rumor; Sell The News: Predicting Growth In The Shanghai Stock Exchange Resulting From The 2020 Foreign Investment Law, Jonathan Dwyer

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to prove that China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange responds to relevant policy changes, and, as a result, the new 2020 Foreign Investment Law will result in market growth. This is done by establishing a historical precedent, analyzing the significant changes brought about by the new law, and finally using three economic models to provide a mathematical basis.

Historical Truth Hurts: Administrative Response To The Contextualization Of Slavery And Racism On The University Of Mississippi Campus, Ashton Wiggins

Honors Theses

This thesis explores what instigated changes in how the University of Mississippi deals with its history of racism, how effective those responses have been, and where improvements in its response can be made. A timeline of UM’s history, interviews, and a review of the recommended and implemented contextualization efforts on campus offer insight into the tangible changes in policies at the university. Interviews with former Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on History and Context members and student leaders reveal the varying perspectives and goals that had to be compromised, and an overwhelming sense that the University of Mississippi’s failure to pursue a …

Lgbtq+ In A Rural Kentucky Town, Caroline A. Kinsman

Honors Theses

This interview series aims to understand the perspectives of LGBTQ+ community members in relation to local government in a small rural town in Kentucky. The purpose is to ascertain the correlation between the LGBTQ+ community's level of feeling accepted and the efforts and attitudes of non-LGBTQ+ officials. In total, six LGBTQ+ individuals were interviewed, and two elected government officials. Themes found within the interview series include reputation, safety, mental health, urgent change, blindness, and lack of responsibility.

Play That Funky Music: A Study Of Bacterial Contamination Of Wind Instruments, Ashley Clark

Honors Theses

Should there be standards to routinely clean instruments and what methods are available for that? It has been found that the bacteria and other microorganisms inside of musical instruments may be the culprit of respiratory infections in musicians (King et al. 2016). This project was divided into two experiments. First, clarinet reeds were introduced to three different species of bacteria. Then mouthpieces of trombonists and clarinetists of Eastern Kentucky University were swabbed and analyzed using a Colony Forming Unit assay. Bacteria was found to live on unused reeds for up to 30 days. Mouthpieces house millions of bacteria, determined by …

Oxalic Acid Leaf Disk Soak Assay Is A New Possibility In Screening For Blight Resistance In Castanea Species, Kaitlyn Harden

Honors Theses

Chestnut blight is a disease caused by the ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica in the Castanea species. The fungus uses oxalic acid (OA) to attack the tree’s cells. Castanea dentata, the American chestnut, was wiped out by chestnut blight in the early to mid-20th century, but several East Asian Castanea species appear highly resistant to the fungus. To breed resistant American type trees, screening methods are used to enable selection of interspecific hybrids. The alternative small stem assay (aSSA) is a method of screening container-grown hybrid seedlings during their first growing season by directly infecting them with C. parasitica. Some plant …