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Poverty And Eastern Kentucky School Districts: An Analysis Of Effective Interventions That Lead To Academic Success, Jessica Dobbs

Honors Theses

Poverty is a persistent cycle that plagues the United States, but specifically Eastern Kentucky. This is especially evident within the school districts there. This data was collected in order to help highlight the magnitude of poverty within Eastern Kentucky and its’ impact on the academic success of the students. When analyzing data from the Kentucky School Report Card from the 2016-2017 school year, twenty-four counties were identified as having at least 75% of the student population within the district qualifying for free & reduced lunch. After the identification of those twenty-four counties, the elementary K-Prep Proficiency and Distinguished scores for …

The Effects Of The Relationship Between Racism And The Environment On Personal Health, Hannah M. Batsche

Honors Theses

Substantial research evidence suggests that racial and ethnic minority groups living in America do not have the same access and opportunities for maximized health as their white counterparts. Factors of the environment, termed social determinates of health, explain this phenomenon. There are five social determinates of health which are influenced by racism: education, economic stability, neighborhood and built environment, health and healthcare, and social and community context. Research has been conducted in various populations on how the relationship between racism and the five social determinants of health negatively affect the health of individuals. However, little research has been conducted in …

Applications Of Passive Solar Energy And Reclaimed Heat From Livestock Manure Decomposition, Naomi Elizabeth Schalle

Honors Theses

One energy intensive part of raising livestock in colder climates is keeping water warm and easily accessible to the animals in the winter. The objective of this project is to increase the sustainability of livestock farms by developing and implementing an energy conservation measure to decrease electric energy usage on the heating of water for livestock in the winter. One thing farmers have in excess is manure, an abundant and renewable resource for the farmers. This project will capitalize on that excess to encourage a creative use of resources often seen as waste, through implementing aspects of sustainability and conservation …

Community-Based Research Methods To Inform Public Health Practice And Policy: The Case Of Lead In The Mississippi Delta, Mary Alexandra Fratesi

Honors Theses

Environmental health issues are complex and require interdisciplinary and community engagement approaches to better understand them and inform policy. As one example, lead exposure has a number of dangerous neurological effects, including developmental delays and learning deficits. Potential lead exposure through drinking water and paint are areas of concern. In a 2018 document, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that up to 20% of lead exposure comes from drinking water alone. By using a type of engagement research called community-based research (CBR), this project began to address this major public health issue. CBR can be used to connect residents, their …

A Past Never Past: An Analysis Of Slavery And Reparation At The University Of Mississippi, Allen Coon

Honors Theses

The University of Mississippi was built using slaves, but the enslaved and their descendants were willfully denied admission to the university until forced desegregation in 1962. This interdisciplinary study employs a qualitative content analysis of antebellum university board of trustees and faculty minutes to investigate the benefits that slavery conferred to the university and the harms that slavery inflicted upon the campus enslaved. Analysis finds that slavery was a standard operation, that extrajudicial violence against slaves was a campus tradition, and that white supremacy was an institutional ideology at the University of Mississippi. This thesis integrates African American reparations literature …

Effect Of Reinforcement Selection On Mate Selection Rates Of Gambusia Affinis And Gambusia Holbrooki, Molly Stephens

Honors Theses

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects that reinforcement selection has on non-hybridized and hybridized populations of two separate species of Gambusia (G. affinis and G. holbrooki). In order to examine if organisms from a population that had been previously exposed to hybridization would choose mates so as to not produce species hybrid offspring, 29 trials consisting of 9 different mate preference combinations and 87 individuals were recorded and analyzed. Once mate preference was determined for each female used in each trial, the effect that reproductive isolation had on reinforcement in hybrid zones was analyzed. The results …

Is Organic Food More Nutritious?, Allyson Bridewell

Honors Theses

Organically grown food has the notion that it is healthier than its conventionally grown counterparts. There is substantial research that has been done on the effects of pesticides on produce and how these foreign chemicals have negative effects on the environment and the people consuming these chemicals. While this is a known fact, the big question is if organic food is more nutritious than its conventional counter parts. There is minimal research on the actual nutritional quality of organically grown produce versus conventionally grown produce. Various studies have looked at vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. There are many discrepancies among the …

How To Help Kids Succeed - School-Based Programs And Social Mobility, Theresa Bell

Honors Theses

Education is the key to Social Mobility and unless children from poor families get a college degree, their economic mobility is severely restricted (Tough, 2016 pg 2). In November of 2005, the City unveiled a college tuition incentive to Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) graduates, The Kalamazoo Promise. According to the Kalamazoo Promise website (2017), the purpose of the Promise is to, “provide a real meaningful and tangible opportunity for all students,” as “education is an important key to financial wellbeing.” Though access to an affordable college education is possible for Kalamazoo students eligible for The Promise, the numbers show that …

Culture, Food, And Racism: The Effects On African American Health, Kalah Elantra Vance

Honors Theses

Cultures can be influenced by a number of different factors, one of the most notable being food. Cultural food staples have often traveled from their country of origin of to be integrated into the cuisine of another. African slaves for example, used their knowledge of their West African heritage to forage soul food, a well know cuisine in the American South. The adaptations made to food practices during slavery decreased the nutritional value of the previously healthy West African dishes. After creating a relatively unhealthy food culture through slavery, African Americans continued to face persecution at the hands of the …

Importance Of Vaccinating For Canine Parvovirus: Best Practices For Prevention, Ariel Gorham

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Sensory Processing Disorder: A Design Research Report, Ashley Booth

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Psychosocial Effects Of Compensated Turnout On Dancers: A Critical Look At The Leading Cause Of Non-Traumatic Dance Injuries, Rachel Smith

Honors Theses

Dancers suffer from extremely high injury rates compared to the general population (Noh, Morris, & Anderson, 2003). Most of the injuries are overuse injuries (60-75%), as opposed to traumatic injuries (Thomas & Tarr, 2009). One of the most common overuse injuries is compensated, or forced, turnout (Negus, Hopper, & Briffa, 2005). Continual misplacement of turnout wears and tears on the body, leading to pain and injury. However, dancers feel the risk is worth it to stay relevant in a physically demanding career that has little-to-no off-season to heal (McEwen & Young, 2011). Dance companies typically have the mindset of pushing …

Effects Of Acorns On Populations Of Aedes Mosquitoes, Rachel Rogers

Honors Theses

Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) and Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) are two mosquito species that are non-native to North America and are of medical importance. Both species can be found in aquatic container habitats, such as discarded tires and tree holes. In container habitats, the influx of detritus from the outside environment is essential to mosquito production and can include a variety of plant and animal material. Seeds from oak trees (acorns) can seasonally contribute to the detritus of these container habitats. This study examined the effect of acorns from the southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) on the performance …

Breastfeeding In Public: Perceptions Of College Students In South Mississippi, Kaitlyn Sierra Kendall

Honors Theses

Breastfeeding rates have increased and declined throughout time. Perceptions of breastfeeding are mixed, with those finding it to be inappropriate and others finding it to be natural. The purpose in this study is to gain a better understanding of how college students in south Mississippi perceive breastfeeding. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale (IIFAS), a 17-item questionnaire aimed to explore an individual’s attitudes toward infant feeding. The Breastfeeding Behavior Questionnaire (BBQ) presented 12 scenarios of breastfeeding in public as a means to explore how participants would react to those encounters. Data was collected from 151 college students through an online …

Parental Care, Offspring Abandonment, And Filial Cannibalism, Mackenzie Davenport

Honors Theses

Parental care is a fundamental life-history trait that is found in many animals (reviewed in Royle et al. 2012). Parental care can include behaviors such as egg cleaning (Knouft et al. 2003), egg guarding (Royle et al. 2012, pg. 4), egg provisioning (Simmons & Parker 1989; Hilker & Meiners 2002; Royle et al. 2012, pg. 2), and oviposition-site selection (Refsnider & Janzen 2010). Such forms of parental care typically result in the spatial clumping of parents and their offspring. This often leads to density effects on within-clutch egg mortality, meaning that when within-clutch egg density increases, egg mortality also increases. …

Changes In Ant Biodiversity Across An Urban Gradient, Hao Brooks

Honors Theses

There are two aims to this study: compare diversity across an urban gradient and across seasons. We deployed traps and identified the collected 12 ant species at nine different sites centered at Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the purpose of relating levels of urbanization to the diversity of ant species at each site. We successfully sampled in the summer (June 27, 2017) and spring (March 31, 2018), and unsuccessfully sampled in winter (Feb. 16, 2018) when we collected zero ants, likely due to cold soil temperatures. To quantify “urbanization” we divided the sites into “Urban” core verses surrounding “Suburban” area using a …

Perceptions Of College Students Towards Healthcare Provisions On Campus, Sarah Houtz

Honors Theses

Healthcare on university campuses is not a new concept. There is little evidence surrounding the effectiveness and adaptability of services provided to students by providers or healthcare facilities located on campus. Literature describes individual concepts of healthcare resources provided on campus including convenience, holistic care, abilities to refer to off campus specialty clinics, and factors related directly to the patient’s beliefs and values. However, there is a considerable gap in tools used to measure opinions directly related to the services, quality, perception, initiatives, and overall satisfaction with the provisions provided by healthcare professionals located on university campuses. Of the 23 …

How Does A 3-Week Nutrition Course Affect The Eating Behaviors Of Parents Among Migrant Farmworker Families In Michigan?, Keren Reyes

Honors Theses

Childhood obesity is a health concern in the United States, putting children at risk for serious health problems. Although there has been significant research of childhood obesity, less is known about how eating behaviors and parenting styles of Hispanic and Latino parents impact the health problems (e.g., obesity) of children. Literature demonstrates that Latina and Mexican American cultures shape parents’ feeding practices but most research fails to recognize the contexts of feeding practices within Latino community (Slusser, Neumann, Cumberland, Renenger, Fischer, & Frankel, 2012). As such, the purpose of this study is to identify the use of different parenting styles …

The Effect Of High Intensity Interval Training Vs Resistance-Based Circuit Training, Matthew Monaco

Honors Theses

High intensity interval training and resistance-based circuit training are both effective forms of exercise that promote muscular growth and can provide improvements in body composition. These different exercise methods were compared side-by-side in this study. The time commitment and intensity of each method were made uniform to yield the most accurate comparisons. Upon completion of the exercise regimen, each participant concluded by performing post-testing requirements that would be compared with their pre-testing results.

Do Global Diets Affect The Rate Of Type 2 Diabetes?, Demetria Meyer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether different global diets correlate with the increase in type 2 diabetes rates. Type 2 diabetes is the main diabetes type being looked at due to it being the one that can be maintained primarily by glycemic control, which is controlled by a good diet. Five different countries from different regions will be examined: Brazil, China, Micronesia, Nigeria, and the United States. The diets of these countries will be broken down into smaller pieces, like calories consumed each day and the percentage of macronutrients that make up the calories. Eleven food groups …

Vaccine Refusal Dilemmas, Yessica Garcia

Honors Theses

The topic of the thesis is vaccine refusal dilemmas. The focus is on the current issue of the decreasing immunization rates in children. Children are a vulnerable population and rely on their parents to make healthcare decisions for them. This thesis will address the parents’ standpoint on immunizations, the providers’ standpoint on the situation, and the sources of vaccination information available, then determine vaccine refusal dilemmas that may result. The main population of focus will be pediatric patients including their families and their providers. Dilemmas associated with vaccine refusal and/or hesitancy will include present and existing issues as well as …

Testing The Reliability Of The Use Of The Draminski® For Estrus Detection In Heifers, Ashlyn Thomas

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Farm To Liberation: Towards Feminist Food Justice, Elisabeth Spector

Honors Theses

Women are one of the many vulnerable populations experiencing the detrimental effects of human-induced climate change, and our current system of food production is one of the largest contributors to this global problem. Not only do modern methods of food production contribute significantly to climate change, but they devalue women’s knowledge and strip away their opportunities. A number of communities and individuals have begun to work against this system and work towards food justice through small-scale farming and growing their own food. Through the use of ecofeminist scholarship and original interviews, this project examines the problems within our current food …

The Relationship Between Place And Depression: The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Mental Health In Mccreary County, Kentucky, Beth A. Vanover

Honors Theses

There is an increased rate of poor mental health days in McCreary County, Kentucky, related to low socioeconomic status compared to other counties in the Commonwealth. This correlation is shown by examining the area’s socioeconomic indicators, such as the population’s educational attainment, employment rates, average household income, rates of poverty, and comparing these statistics with the rate of poor mental health days. Additionally, as part of the current study, residents of McCreary County were interviewed to elicit feedback on ways in which living and working in McCreary County can contribute to a poor mental health. Subsequently, these qualitative interviews were …

Give Me A Break: The Effects Of Recess In Rural Elementary Schools, Nancy E. Allen

Honors Theses

A qualitative descriptive research approach was conducted to determine the effects of recess on rural elementary schools. Counties in Eastern Kentucky are predominantly rural and ranks among the lowest ten-percent of U.S. counties in poverty, income, and unemployment rate. These variables greatly affect the health and occupations of all citizens in this area, but the researcher looked specifically at its impact on elementary students. Principals and teachers in rural eastern Kentucky elementary schools were interviewed using semi-structured interview protocol about their opinions of recess in their schools and on students. Interview data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed for themes. Results …

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Sylvia Plath And Virginia Woolf, Molly King

Honors Theses

Previous research indicates a correlation between creativity and psychopathology, particularly among female authors and poets, possibly heightening this group’s risk for suicide. This article aims to provide a psychohistory containing psychological evaluations and hypothetical treatments plans for two prominent female writers, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf both of whom completed suicide. Primary source material such as Plath’s journals, Woolf’s diaries, and related autobiographies were used as supplemental data for the clinical assessment. Plath is argued to have hypothetically met today’s DSM-5 criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, and Woolf for Bipolar I Disorder in addition to trauma-related difficulties.

Chronic Administration Of Probiotic L. Rhamnosus Increases Anxiety-Like Behavior In Group-Housed Male Long Evans Rats, Parker Maddison Griff

Honors Theses

Early life stress is a risk factor for later development of alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders in humans. Using rodent experimental models, we know that rats experiencing social isolation as early-life stress exhibit greater anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption than rats housed in groups. Examining potential preventive strategies, we investigated the effects of probiotics, which have previously been shown to decrease rodent anxiety-like behavior, on the relationship between early-life stress and anxiety-like behavior in rats. We hypothesized that probiotics consumption would decrease anxiety-like behavior in socially isolated rats, as well as in rats housed in groups. To our surprise, …

Alcohol Deprivation Effect: An Investigation Of A Model Of Alcohol Dependence And Relapse Behaviors In Male And Female Long Evans Rats, Hanna J. Peterson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand relapse behavior through a pre-clinical rodent model of relapse which models the important aspects of the human addiction and relapse condition, called the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) model. It has been found to model alcohol addiction and relapse in rats and can therefore allow for further understanding of relapse behavior as well as allow for testing of the effects of various variables like stress or therapeutic drugs on relapse behavior. The model gives rats baseline access to ethanol and then allows them access to only water, called deprivation periods, and then gives …

The Effect Of Oral Rehydration Solutions (Sports Drinks) On Strength, Speed, And Endurance: A Field Study, Andrea Wisniewski

Honors Theses

Research Objective: The specific objective of this study is to contrast three different oral rehydration solutions (sports drinks) during a prolonged exercise trial on muscular strength, speed, and endurance in healthy young adult males.

Methodology: Thirteen (13) healthy male subjects will participate in a 5-mile walk on an outdoor track carrying a 40-pound rucksack on three separate occasions while drinking one of three (3) oral rehydration solutions (sports drinks) at a rate of 250 mL every 15 minutes as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. All three trails will be performed outdoors and differences in environmental conditions accounted …

Comparative Economic Analysis Of Beef Calf Preconditioning Programs, Breanthony Baker

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.