Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of The Prevalence And Treatment Trends Of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Among Patients With Diabetes In A Rural Population, Lauren Daigle

Honors Theses

Evidence for adherence to the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) screening and treatment guidelines for various health complications of diabetes in rural populations is limited. The ADA recommends annual foot and eye exams and supports the use of the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament (SWM) to detect signs of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). This study evaluated the prevalence and treatment trends of DPN among patients with diabetes in a rural population. Fifty-two individuals over the age of 18, with known Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus, were recruited to participate. Participants were asked to respond to a 29-item, multiple choice and freeform question …

Paleolithic Protection In A Western World: A Look Into Preagricultural Nutrition As A Remedy For The Diseases Of Civilization, Emilie R. Caron

Honors Theses

The aim of this investigation is to discover the associations of the Western diet to noncommunicable diseases and to determine if a reversion to a Paleolithic diet will provide treatment and prevention of these diseases. Noncommunicable diseases, otherwise known as Diseases of Civilization, are lifestyle influenced diseases and encompass obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and associated cancers. Incidences of these diseases have skyrocketed in the past century and show no signs of decline. Since 1900, the death rates due to heart disease and cancer have risen to account for 47% of total deaths in the United States in 2010. (Tippett, …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study Of Mikey, Gabrielle Lober

Honors Theses

This paper describes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including diagnostic criteria, suspected causes, prevalence, comorbidities, and influences on client factors. A hypothetical case study is presented to give readers an illustration of what someone with ASD might look like. Possible treatment based on evidence and selected frame of references will be given for the hypothetical client. This paper is not all inclusive of the role of occupational therapy in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but gives an illustrative example.

Gigapan Education, Marissa Morgan

Honors Theses

Secondary-school students and teachers need a safe, secure website where they can experience the life of their peers around the world through GigaPan panoramic images. Using a simple point and shoot camera, students can create deep-zoomable panoramas called GigaPans. A Ruby on Rails website was created to provide a location and interface for sharing and discussing these GigaPan panoramas between students and teachers across the globe. By sharing experiences and culture through this technology, the website aims to create a community of technologically and culturally aware young people.

Influence Of Benagene Supplementation In Conjunction With High Intensity Cycling Exercise, Wilson P. Simmons

Honors Theses

High intensity aerobic performance is determined by the body’s maximal ability to match lactate production and clearance rates, defined as the lactate threshold (LaTh). Intensities performed above the LaTh result in accumulation of lactate causing fatigue. In a double-blind experiment, using trained cyclists and triathletes, we investigated skeletal muscle adaptations that occurred following 28-days of Benagene supplementation (oxaloacetate). The testing protocol consisted of an initial cycle test (T1) to measure VO₂max, LaTh, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), power output (PO) and heart rate (HR). Testing began after a 15-min warm-up at 75W, beginning at 100W, increasing 30W each 3-min …

You Are What You Eat: Gastronomy And Geography Of Southern Spain, Katherine F. Perry

Honors Theses

Using empirical and numeric data, this study explores the use of food as a proxy to understand the cultural-historical geography of southern Spain. After spending three months in Granada, Spain, I compiled the most commonly used thirty-five ingredients from a selection of Spanish cookbooks and contextualized them within the broader history of Spain. The elements of traditional Andalucían cooking fit into three primary chapters of Iberian history: Roman occupation, the Moorish invasion beginning in the 8^th century, and the Columbian exchange, or the exchange of goods that took place between the Americas and Old World following European discovery of …

Black And White Advertising In Fashion Magazines, Lauren E. Necaise

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of a quantitative analysis with respect to black and white advertising in select women’s fashion magazines. There were five research questions outlined.

A code sheet was created to obtain data with regard to factors including: number of black and white and total advertisements, product/service category, setting, advertisement size, percent of black and white of the ad, position, product/user, black and white visual and verbal (words/ information), emotional/intellectual appeal. This allowed the research questions to be answered. A qualitative analysis was also performed on repeat advertisements for products that used both color and black and white advertising with …

Does Gut Microbiota Affect The Diet Preference In Anurans?, Jordan A. Rice

Honors Theses

Gut microbiota is a community of bacteria that live in the digestive track of a host. These microbes assist in the breakdown of indigestible materials as food passes through the alimentary canal. Metabolites from bacteria may play a role cell to cell communication with their host and thus gut microbiota may affect the diet preference of the animal host. Southern Leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) and Green Tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) were used as focal species to test whether gut microbiota affect their diet preference. Three groups of tadpoles were tested. The control group was fed a …

Quality Of Life In Adolescents With Cancer, Alexis Guastella

Honors Theses

There is no current universally accepted definition for quality of life (QOL). One source defined the concept of QOL as how an individual measures the goodness of different aspects of their life. These assessments include one’s emotional reactions to life events, disposition, sense of fulfillment, and satisfaction with personal relationships and work (Theofilou, 2013). Another definition encompasses the person’s level of functioning and overall satisfaction and well-being of their life (Lavdaniti & Tsitsis, 2015). QOL can be influenced by many factors, including physical health and certain disease processes. One disease in particular that can significantly affect one’s QOL is cancer. …

Quality Of Life In Adolescents With Cancer, Molly Ryan

Honors Theses

There is no current universally accepted definition for quality of life (QOL). One source defined the concept of QOL as how an individual measures the goodness of different aspects of their life. These assessments include one’s emotional reactions to life events, disposition, sense of fulfillment, and satisfaction with personal relationships and work (Theofilou, 2013). Another definition encompasses the person’s level of functioning and overall satisfaction and well-being of their life (Lavdaniti & Tsitsis, 2015). QOL can be influenced by many factors, including physical health and certain disease processes. One disease in particular that can significantly affect one’s QOL is cancer. …

Fine-Scale Monitoring Of Running Buffalo Clover (Trifolium Stoloniferum) Restoration Populations At Taylor Fork Ecological Area, Chelsea L. Perkins

Honors Theses

Running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum Muhl. ex A. Eaton) is a species of clover that is federally listed as endangered. Trifolium stoloniferum requires mesic habitats with partially filtered light and will be outcompeted without periodic disturbance, such as grazing, mowing, or trampling. The purpose of this study was to understand rates of flowering and clonal reproduction associated with different growth stages of T. stoloniferum. During this study I visited 6 restoration sites of T. stoloniferum once each week from April to October, marking new individuals with a unique numbered metal tag and assessing the growth stage of individuals. …

Perceptions Of Mental Health Among First Year College Students, Kelly N. Mcgowan

Honors Theses

College students are at risk for exposure to, exacerbation, and development of mental health issues. Exposure to and existence of historical stigmas and misconceptions is a portion of the hesitancy for this population to acknowledge symptoms and seek help. This hesitancy is often put in place by the media, in how they portray mental health Anxiety, mood, eating, psychotic, and substance abuse disorders are prevalent in this population. Colonel Campers are known for their involvement and retention at Eastern Kentucky University and are a representation for this at risk population. The participants were surveyed via a mixed quantitative and qualitative …

Socially Deviant Communities Online: How The Pro-Anorexia Movement Utilizes The Anonymity Provided By The Internet To Thrive, Samantha Thomas

Honors Theses

The creation of the internet has produced an environment in which many communities have been able to develop into strong and thriving societies. A large number of communities that are now predominantly online were unable to exist successfully before the establishment of the internet for a variety of reasons. The internet has made it easier for people from different backgrounds and locations to network, form communities, and share information with one another. Unfortunately the internet has also given harmful underground communities the opportunity to develop and thrive as well. Socially deviant communities, groups that support ideas and behaviors deemed unacceptable …

Osteopathic And Chiropractic: An Examination Of The Patient-Physician Relationship In Their Respective Practices, Cody L. Ward

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Tourism In Jamaica, Natalie Kearns

Honors Theses

Tourism is a fast and continuously growing industry throughout every region of the world. The effect that tourism has on a location usually isn’t the first thought when vacationers enter their destination location. In order to understand the effect of tourists and the tourist industry have had on Jamaica, I examined Jamaica’s historical development, including the tourist industry and the racial inequalities that developed as slaves were brought to the island. Then, using theories on place, identity, and authenticity, I conducted a content analysis of images tourists see while researching vacations to Jamaica.

This analysis confirmed that tourism to Jamaica …

Effects Of An Anti-Neoplastic High In Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Kevin M. Schrader

Honors Theses

The study was a month-long diet change focused on increasing omega-3 fatty acids and decreasing omega-6 fatty acids. This was done by using a Mediterranean style of eating focusing on fish, fruits, and vegetables. At the end of the diet, I lost 19 lbs, had a 2% decrease in body fat, a 2% increase in muscle, and a 7 beats per minute reduction in my heart rate.

Evaluation Of Particle Size Impact On Small Farm Economic Viability, Hannah West

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Indirubin And Indigo Production In E.Coli, Gisela Cairo

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to determine the conditions that give the highest yield of indigo and indirubin in recombinant E.coli. This E.coli has been transformed with a P450 gene from woad, an indigo producing plant. The conditions investigated were the type of media, the amount of inducer, the presences of supplements, and the induction time. The techniques used during the experiments were liquid-liquid extraction using separatory funnels and centrifugation, rotary evaporation, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and thin layer chromatography. Thin layer chromatography showed that the products of the reaction are indigo and indirubin; UV-vis spectrophotometry was used to find …

Development Of A Novel Portable Signal Acquisition Device For Use In Local Mining Industrial Applications, Jacob Walker

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Overview Of Cancer Care And Survivorship: Advocacy For The Strong Survivors Program, Hollis Johnson

Honors Theses

With many lives affected by cancer every day, research and resources are used extensively to enhance patient quality of life. With medical advancements continuing to develop, attention to the psycho-social needs of cancer survivors is often neglected. Survivorship programs aid cancer survivors and their loved ones in creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These organizations drastically improve quality of life and create a community of understanding among survivors. In particular, the Strong Survivors program utilizes community resources and student involvement to offer nutrition information and exercise guidance to cancer survivors and their caregivers. This program has greatly impacted the Southern …

Spaghetti Versus Burgers: A Nutritional Comparison Of Italy And The United States, Cecily A. Haase

Honors Theses

The United States and Italy provide a stark contrast to one another in terms of diet and lifestyle.This research proves that by comparing traditional diets, health care, and nutrition education of these two countries. Through surveys of both American and Italian students and a thorough review of current research, lifestyle changes and suggestions are recognized. The aim of this comparison of Italy and the United States is to open the doors for more comparative research and international collaboration to improve the health of each nation.

The Impact Of Modern Processed And Natural Food Diets On Flavor-Nutrient Learning And Response To Sweet Taste In Rats, Kristen Marie Palframan

Honors Theses

Animals use classical conditioning to learn predictive relationships between flavors and postingestive nutrients, which allows them to regulate their body weights. This is made difficult by modern diets, which have confusing flavor-nutrient relationships due to added fats, sugars, and flavors in processed foods. Cafeteria diets containing a variety of human-typical foods are often used to study the effects of a modern diet in animal models. Foods used in cafeteria diets typically combine aspects such as high-fat high-sugar, variety, and high palatability. However, no past studies have analyzed the effect of variety on flavor-nutrient learning by using only natural foods. In …

The Effects Of Lotion Fatty Acids On Gram Negative Skin Flora: Implications For Membrane Remodeling And Pathogenicity, Adrianna Eder

Honors Theses

AIM: The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not Enterobacter aerogenes, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are three gram negative bacteria commonly found on the skin, utilize fatty acids in a manner that affects bacterial phenotype. Furthermore, an objective was to gain a deeper understanding of how the alteration of bacterial membranes, as a result of fatty acid uptake, affected the pathogenicity, membrane permeability, and resistance in gram negative bacteria. METHODS: The lipids were extracted using the method of Bligh and Dyer and analyzed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). A series of tests were performed, including a …

Factors Affecting Child Mortality, Lisa Wheatley

Honors Theses

This study examines the factors that contribute to the rate of child mortality within a country. Through regression analysis, this model attempts to explain the rate of child mortality for a country as a function of factors including the adult female literacy rate, fertility rates, adult female labor force participation, rate of immunization for tuberculosis, access to safe water, income per capita, and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus. This paper surveys a range of low-income countries from different regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin …

Coping Mechanisms Of Children With Atopic Dermatitis, Whitney A. St. Mary

Honors Theses

This was a qualitative study that explored the lived experience of parents who had children with atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema. The study had seven volunteer participants and the objective of this study was to determine any coping mechanisms used to overcome the negative aspects of atopic dermatitis. Volunteers were obtained from the Oak Grove Family Clinic. Phone interviews were then conducted and the participants were asked a series of eight questions. After the interviews concluded the researcher then transcribed the interviews and determined common themes from parents’ responses. All of the parents discussed how using unscented lotion, preventing …

The Relationship Between Academic Success And Elementary Students Who Practice Elements Of A “Healthy Lifestyle”, Bridget A. Page

Honors Theses

Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Mississippi is the leading state in obesity, and childhood obesity has tripled in the last thirty years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). With schools under pressure to improve academically, coupled with the pressure to show that improvement through high-stakes testing, the amount of time that values the importance of physical activity in school has declined. However, research has shown a decrease in physical activity actually leads to a decrease in reading and math scores and an increase in absenteeism, tardiness, and difficulties in concentration (National Parent Teacher …

Alternative Material Nest Boxes And Impacts On Nestling Physiology And Adult Behavior In The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia Sialis), Jamie E. Jackson

Honors Theses

In the mid-nineteenth century, Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis, a native cavity nesting species) populations experienced serious declines because of a decrease in natural cavities and the introduction of non-native, competitive cavity nesting species. The creation of nest box programs led to an increase in bluebird populations and these programs continue to be of importance. In this study, a recycled metal ammunition can was used as a nest box to determine if this was a viable resource for bluebirds. This work investigated the effects of this alternate material nest box on nestling physiology and adult behavior with special emphasis …

The Missing Link: The Impact Of Nutrition Education And The School Lunch Program, Rachel E. Calhoun

Honors Theses

In the U.S., the weight status of overweight and obesity in children is increasing from recent decades (Carrol & Ogden, 2010). Research shows that the prevalence of children developing chronic diseases is influenced by obesity and overweight statuses, shown by existing risk factors (Freedman, Dietz, Srinivasan, & Berenson, 1999). Recent legislation of the National School Lunch Program has aimed to improve the nutritional value of school lunches in elementary schools by requiring fruit and vegetable meal components be provided on each lunch tray (Nutrition Standards, 2012). This quasi experimental study aimed to increase fourth graders nutrition knowledge and fruit and …

Facebook | Panopticon: An Analysis Of Facebook And Its Parallels To The Foucaultian Panopticon, Stephanie A. Fast

Honors Theses

A panopticon—the ideal mechanism for surveillance and control—has become embedded in our smartphones and our web browsers. It now pervades the fabric of approximately 890 million daily lives. It is called Facebook. This platform, on which users document their own lives in front of an audience while simultaneously surveilling the lives of their “friends,” shares startling similarities to a prison model, the Panopticon, designed in the late eighteenth-century by Jeremy Bentham, and analyzed by French philosopher, Michel Foucault. Through an analysis of Facebook’s structure and function, parallels will be suggested between the structure of Facebook and the structure of the …

Alcohol Consumption And Dietary Behavior Among College Greek Students, William B. Stevens

Honors Theses

Background: Alcohol consumption among college students has increased dramatically within the last three decades. Drinking has increased in even higher rates among students involved in Greek fraternities and sororities. The implications that this rise in drinking has on dietary behaviors are an important concern. While several studies have focused on investigating reasons for drinking and negative consequences with regards to drinking, literature is limited that focuses on how alcohol consumption affects dietary habits and behavior.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of alcohol consumption on the dietary behaviors of college Greek students.

Methods: …