Digital Commons Network^™

High-Efficiency Transformation Of Yeast By Electroporation, Lilly Ruell

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes and optimizes efficiency in the yeast transformation protocol using electroporation. Three variables were tested for optimization, they are the following: DNA concentration, cell density and electroporation voltage. Further verification of transformation was done through the analyzation of HPLC data to ensure protein production. The results conclude that DNA concentration was the most important dependent variable for transformation efficiency. A voltage of 2000V is the optimal condition to achieve efficient yeast transformation. Cell density had no observational difference in transformation efficiency at the range of DNA concentration necessary for research use. Improving this efficiency of the yeast transformations …

The Opioid Crisis: Implications For Western Michigan University, Kennedy Koebbe

Honors Theses

The opioid epidemic has become a national crisis in the United States of America. The area of study for this paper, is how university students ages 18-25 are affected by the opioid crisis. This thesis will include a review of current literature pertaining to the opioid epidemic. The main goal of this thesis is to educate Western Michigan University students and faculty about the nationwide opioid epidemic. A PowerPoint will be created using the structure of a professional poster. The PowerPoint will be presented in an online face-to-face browser. Commonalities in the findings are discussed throughout the presentation. These include …

Neuronal Dances, Olivia Balsley Saltus

Honors Theses

Neuronal Dances is a project inspired by Alain Destexhe and Luc Foubert’s music compositions of neuronal activity. Their songs were derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of human brainwave activity during wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), rapid-eye movement sleep (REM), and epileptic seizures. Their unique sounds were combined to provide the soundtrack for Neuronal Dances performance. The movement of the performance was inspired from brain activity research describing the types of brainwaves and neurons that inspired the sound. The goal of Neuronal Dance was to represent these processes through dance for concert performance. If this project were to be done …

Impact Of Denial Of Sexual Offenses On Sentencing And Treatment Strategies, Jenna Luallen

Honors Theses

The prevalence of sexual offenses calls for a reevaluation of how the system treats offenders and addresses indicators of risk. How an individual convicted of a sexual offense accepts or denies the assault can weigh heavily on the sanctions imposed upon them, and how the system processes the offender. Acceptance of guilt is an important goal in offender treatment programs, and denial is reportedly used as an indicator of high risk of recidivism. Deeper examination into how individuals who deny their offense are understood and processed throughout treatment aids in the identification of best practices for working with sex offender …

Investigation Of Bax-Vdac Interactions And Their Role In Apoptosis, Marie Merrell

Honors Theses

Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death. Increasing knowledge of this biological process can lead to understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer alike. In mammals, this process occurs through mechanisms that are localized to the mitochondria. The release of cytochrome c is from the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) is regulated by pro and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. If the latter are successful, then cytochrome c’s release into the cytosol activates a caspase cascade, resulting in apoptosis of the cell. Pro-apoptotic Bax is present in complexes that contain voltage dependent anion channels (VDACs). We hypothesized that in healthy cells, VDACs …

Phenotypic Analysis Of S. Aureus Strains From University Student Health Centers And Environmental Controls, Antonio Teixeira

Honors Theses

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a group of pathogenic bacterial strains resistant to a class of antibiotics that is a major cause for concern in health care systems. There is a lack of study in whether health care centers are reservoirs for these bacteria, especially within developed countries. Five environmental swab samples were collected from five different university health care centers across the region, and 16 swab samples from a general university environment. Any isolated bacterial strains collected underwent five biochemical tests (mannitol fermentation, DNase activity, oxidase activity, catalase activity, and coagulase activity) to preliminarily identify S. aureus bacteria. 24% …

Delinquency In The Caribbean: Stakeholder Perceptions Of Root Causes, Laura Nolterieke

Honors Theses

There is a gap in the research on juvenile delinquency within the Caribbean context. As countries such as St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Kitts, and Nevis have growing delinquency and crime rates, there is a need to bridge this gap in the literature. This research sought to examine the main causes of juvenile delinquency within St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Kitts, and Nevis, as described by juvenile justice stakeholders, such as probation officers, prosecutors, and judges, within their respective countries. Through the use of grounded theory, the data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparison method. From these data, six themes …

Investigating The Efficacy Of Dna Damage With Bleach In Forensic Laboratories And At Crime Scenes, Alyssa Tuccinardi

Honors Theses

Household/commercial bleach (6% NaOCl, sodium hypochlorite) degrades DNA through oxidative damage, production of chlorinated base products, and cleavage of DNA strands (breaking it into smaller and smaller fragments). The presence of these lesions significantly impacts the ability to generate a full genetic profile from an evidentiary sample. In fact, knowledge of the damaging effect of bleach on DNA is the basis for its use in forensic laboratories to clean workbenches and prevent cross-contamination of samples between cases. Additionally, bleach is used intentionally by criminals to clean up crime scenes and destroy DNA evidence. A previous study demonstrated that bleach has …

Innovating Sustainability Education Through The “Bird’S Eye” Perspective, Carly Kasicki

Honors Theses

Various disciplines were used to define sustainability through their lens and set an education space that integrated students into finding needed and creative solutions for the problems affecting their community. This was done through the creation of an University Honors course that took 13 students and put them into a class split into two parts: setting a base foundation of sustainability knowledge through learning the views and struggles of different disciplines every week and then building a sustainability project that caters to the needs of the community. This class was used to create an education experience that is responsive to …

The Effects Of Emotionally Appealing Messages On Perceptions About Marine Plastic Pollution: Implications For Science Communication On Social Media Outlets, Shelby Miller

Honors Theses

Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is one of the most pressing problems in the world today with many effects on ecological, economic, and social aspects of society. Global plastic production is around 322 million tons, with 10% of the world’s plastic products entering the ocean every year. Environmental campaigns use humor and shock in order to influence consumer behavior in regard to plastic products. Such approaches are important to utilize on social media in order to effectively communicate the issues posed by MPP. In this study, students and staff at the University of New Haven campus were given a survey containing …

Hiv-1 Tat Interactions With Opioids Are Modulated By Progesterone And Estradiol, Dejun Jackson

Honors Theses

HIV infection and combined substance abuse are comorbid epidemics. Previous studies show that concurrent opioid drug use may potentiate HIV-1-mediated neurotoxicity partly via interactions with opioids. Preclinical studies suggest that the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat), an HIV regulatory protein, can synergize with opioids to exacerbate its already neurotoxic effects. However, its interactions with clinical opioids, such as oxycodone, have yet to be elucidated. Additionally, Tat disrupts a number of systems including the dopaminergic system, which contribute to its capacity to potentiate the rewarding effects of abused drugs. Although the neurotoxic effects of Tat may be inhibited by gonadal steroids …

That Belongs To Me, Ellie Anne Greenberger

Honors Theses

A collection of fictional short stories and a novella that explores family relationships, specifically female family relationships that span across generational lines and what we inherit from our families whether intentional or unintentional. (Under the direction of Tom Franklin)

Synthesis And Characterization Of Pamam-Fatty Acid “Janus-Type” Dendritic Hybrids For Biomedical Applications, Abigail Grace Barker

Honors Theses

Janus dendrimers are amphiphilic macromolecules that have shown promising potential in the biomedical field. Due to their unique structure and properties, these branched block copolymers have the ability to self-assemble into bioinspired spherical nanoaggregates. Because they possess a hydrophobic and hydrophilic moiety, these aggregates show potential as drug delivery systems that can transport both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. However, many of the proposed dendrimer systems suffer from certain weaknesses that hinder their practical usage as clinical treatment options. Some of these shortcomings include specificity, solubility, size, surface charge, and mechanical properties. To combat these problems, we synthesized and characterized a …

Synthesis Of Fluorinated Pyrazoles Via Intra- And Intermolecular Cyclization Reactions, Matthew Saucier

Honors Theses

Pyrazole-based pharmaceuticals treat a wide array of diseases and conditions including obesity, diabetes, cancer, microbial and viral infections, pain and inflammation, and many neurological disorders. Syntheses for this biologically significant substrate have been well developed, but current methods to afford fluorinated pyrazoles are limited by variability and selectivity. By 2013, over 25% of all drugs available on the market contained the element fluorine due to its unique characteristics leading to improved target protein binding, bioavailability, and metabolic stability. In order to harness these pharmaceutical benefits of fluorine and overcome its difficulty in handling and stability, we set out to develop …

The Relationship Between Glucocorticoids And The Humoral Immune Response To Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Challenges In Eastern Bluebirds, Joshua Smith

Honors Theses

Numerous studies have examined relationships between adrenal glucocorticoids and the immune system’s ability to fight disease. The relationship can vary, with glucocorticoids having either stimulatory or inhibitory effects. The pathogenic bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) elicits an adaptive immune response in birds, in which B cells produce MG-specific antibodies to fight the infection and prevent reoccurrence. Previous research found that Eastern Bluebirds that produce the most antibodies in response to MG infection also have the highest glucocorticoid levels. This finding led to the current study investigating whether corticosterone, the primary glucocorticoid in birds, stimulates production of antibodies in response to immune …

Breast Cancer Sub-Clones That Metastasize To Lung And Bone Exhibit Different Metabolic Preferences, Mollie Merrell

Honors Theses

Metastasis is responsible for the majority of cancer related deaths. In breast cancer the lungs and bones are the major sites for metastasis. Previous studies used the metastatic aggressive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer line to isolate sub-clones that preferentially invade the lungs (LM line) or bones (BoM line). While genes associated with the tissue specific metastasis have been identified, it is unknown if metabolic adaptations contribute to the growth of the LM and BoM lines in their respective organs. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the LM and BoM lines exhibit differences in glucose and glutamine …

Education In Liberal Political Theories, Amy Cain

Honors Theses

This paper examines two sources of conflict within the literature on education in liberal political theories: the proper justifications for a state-mandated education and the necessary standard for education in a liberal state. After arguing that a liberal state must offer a child-centered justification for the universal mandate and uphold an equality standard of education, this paper proceeds to examine two common objections to such a system of compulsory education in a liberal state. This paper concludes that the perennial objections based upon concerns for familial rights and pluralism do not present a significant obstacle for incorporating a system of …

Effects Of Prolonged Downhill Running On Upper Body Muscle Functions, Robert J. Benton

Honors Theses

Downhill running exercise has shown damaging effects on the lower body muscles. However, its effects on the remote nonlocal upper limb muscle’s neuromuscular functions are not well studied. Purpose: To examine the potential effects of a 1-hour downhill running exercise on the elbow flexor muscle neuromuscular functions and performance. Methods: Seventeen healthy and physically active young adults (Control: n = 9; Running: n = 8) participated in and completed this study. The Control group rested for 30 minutes while the Running group performed 1-hour of downhill running at a 10% decline on a treadmill. Before (Pre), immediately after (Post), 24 …

Teacher Perceptions Of Open Educational Resources In K-12 Mississippi Classrooms, Christie Forgette

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I examine K-12 teachers’ perceptions and use of open educational resources (OER) in Mississippi. I used a mixed methods approach to collect data from current teachers at one Mississippi school district. I conducted interviews with, observed, and surveyed 34 teachers at this district. I coded and analyzed the data to draw conclusions. I found that teachers were using OER as supplemental materials in this district, even if they did not know the term OER. Additionally, teachers generally found OER increased flexibility and student engagement in the classroom, especially when paired with technology, but saw several challenges to …

Isolation, Identification, And Investigation Of A Novel Bioactive Furanocoumarin From Leaves Of Amyris Elemifera, Amy K. Bracken

Honors Theses

Plants produce biologically active compounds that humans have utilized for many agricultural applications. Amyris elemifera was investigated due to the known bioactivity of its family, Rutaceae, and its use in medicines in tribes of the Bahamas. Biotage® and TLC guided fractionation of the EtOAc, hexane, and MeOH extracts of the leaves of Amyris elemifera yielded bioactive compounds. Most significantly, a novel furanocoumarin, 8-(3-methylbut-2-enyloxy)-marmesin acetate (1), and its analog 8-(3-methylbut-2-enyloxy)-marmesin (2), were isolated. The structures were identified via NMR and X-ray crystallography techniques; the X-ray crystal structure for 1 was reported for the first time, and the …

Assessment Of Antebrachial And Carpal Muscle Activity During Smartphone Use: Is “Selfie Wrist” A Real Phenomenon?, Monica Stacy

Honors Theses

Reports in the media by celebrities have sparked an interest in a phenomenon being called “selfie-wrist,” in which smartphone users develop symptoms traditionally associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There has been no research to date which investigates the claims of “selfie wrist.” The primary aim of this study was to address the validity of “selfie wrist” claims. The secondary aim of this study was to further investigate the effects of texting on musculoskeletal health, taking into account the differences between texting one-handed versus two-handed, and the effect of using a grip device while texting.

The experiment consisted of an …

The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Largazole: A Potential Chemotherapeutic Agent, Hannah Lynn Carson

Honors Theses

Histone deacetylase enzymes are known for their inherent activity as epigenetic modifiers. Although, they have become recognized for their role in cancer progression and other diseases. But also, histone deacetylases have other non-histone targets, for example, microtubules, which play important roles in cancer metastasis, apoptosis, and replication. With histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), our research explored HDACi effects on breast cancer cell lines. The overall goal was to understand the potential of largazole, a class one histone deacetylase inhibitor on breast cancer cell lines. The research consisted of two parts: sulforhodamine B (SRB) viability assays under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. The …

An Assessment Of Herb-Drug Interaction Potential Of Two Herbs: Momordica Charantia And Phyllanthus Amarus, Faridah Salau

Honors Theses

The use of natural supplements alongside prescribed medications is on the increase. Thus, it is important to analyze different properties of herbal supplements that can be implicated in eliciting herb-drug interactions. The herb Momordica charnatia is used throughout the world for its antidiabetic properties, and the herb Phyllanthus amarus is used in tropical and subtropical areas of the world for its hepatoprotective properties. Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) activation capabilities of these herbs was measured using a reporter gene assay. Additionally, Cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoform induction potential for CYP1A2, CYP3A4, CYP2B6, and CYP2C9 was determined through an enzymatic assay in hepatic …

Teacher Evaluation Of An Integrated Nutrition Curriculum For Mississippi Schools, Janiya A. Davis

Honors Theses

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled over the last four decades from 5 percent in 1978 to 18.5 percent in 2016, and according to the Mississippi Obesity Action Plan, 40.4% of Mississippi elementary school children (grades K-5) were either overweight or obese. Some reports have suggested that Mississippi’s overall obesity rate could reach 66.7% by 2030. Although the literature on best practices for the prevention of this condition is limited, some success has been achieved through the use of school-based nutrition interventions, in which children are taught how to make healthy food choices. …

Implementation Of A Computer-Vision System As A Supportive Diagnostic Tool For Parkinson’S Disease, Diego Machado Reyes

Honors Theses

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting nearly 1 million people in the US and it is predicted that the number will keep increasing. Parkinson’s disease is difficult to diagnose due to its similarity with other diseases that share the parkinsonian symptoms and the subjectivity of its assessment, thus increasing the probabilities of misdiagnosis. Therefore, it is relevant to develop diagnostic tools that are quantitatively based and monitoring tools to improve the patient’s quality of life. Computer-based assessment systems have shown to be successful in this field through diverse approaches that can be classified into two main …

Regulating Neuronal Growth With Structurally Defined Glycans, Gabriella D. Hartman

Honors Theses

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and keratan sulfate proteoglycans (KSPGs) play an important role in neural development. Aggrecan, a CSPG, operates in the neural extracellular matrix where it negatively regulates neurite outgrowth to prevent aberrant process formation. Unfortunately, this aggrecan or CSPG-rich/KSPG-rich barrier can also prevent neuronal regeneration, which contributes to the inability to repair brain and spinal cord injuries. Removal of CSPGs and KSPGs has been shown to increase neurite outgrowth. We extend these findings by testing the ability of structurally-defined glycans to outcompete aggrecan and allow neurite outgrowth. Our overall goal is to determine if there is a particular …

Differential Effects Of Verbal And Written Disclosure On Perceptions Of A Child Who Stutters, Peyton Mcknight

Honors Theses

This study measured perceptions of a 12-year-old boy who stutters, relative to perceived speech skills and personal characteristics, as a function of seven potential stuttering disclosure conditions, featuring either a personal verbal disclosure, written disclosure, or no disclosure, delivered by various authors (i.e., self/child, mother, teacher). 641 participants college-aged adults were randomly assigned to one of seven stuttering disclosure groups: no disclosure control, verbal self-disclosure, written self-disclosure, verbal mother disclosure, written mother disclosure, verbal teacher disclosure, or written teacher disclosure. Participants in the control group viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters reciting a short passage. Participants …

Ectomycorrhizal Fungi And Effects Of Soil Microbes Associated With Slash Pine Encroachment Into Native Longleaf Pine Habitat, Madison Brooke Woodruff

Honors Theses

Biological invasions can cause substantial changes to the environment: indigenous species can be reduced or even eliminated, soil characteristics shifted, and nutrient cycles altered. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are thought to be key biological controllers of some plant invasions, especially benefiting Pinus species in invasions at exotic sites, but less is understood about the role of ECM fungi and other soil microbes in encroachment by one plant species into the habitat of another in their native ranges. In this study, soil was collected from three habitats in southern Mississippi, USA: native slash pine maritime forest, longleaf pine savanna encroached by slash …

A Nondestructive Procedure For The Extraction Of Dna From Human Teeth, Mark Reliquias, Ann-Elodie Black

Honors Theses

This research focuses on constructing a procedure that allows for the nondestructive extraction of mtDNA from teeth for forensic DNA analysis. Currently, only a destructive method for extracting DNA from teeth is used in the forensic laboratory to identify an individual. A disadvantage of extracting DNA through a destructive method is the complete or partial loss of the tooth. To extract DNA through a destructive method, the tooth must either be cut horizontally or vertically to access the pulp, or the root ground into a powder to extract DNA from the dentine-cementum. With the destruction of the tooth, additional forensic …

Investigatin Actin-Myosin Mechanics To Model Heart Disease Using Fluorescence Microscopy And Optical Trapping, Justin Edward Reynolds

Honors Theses

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a hereditary disease in which the myocardium becomes hypertrophied, making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood. HCM is commonly caused by a mutation in the β-cardiac myosin II heavy chain. Myosin is a motor protein that facilitates muscle contraction by converting chemical energy from ATP hydrolysis into mechanical work and concomitantly moving along actin filaments. Optical tweezers have been used previously to analyze single myosin biophysical properties; however, myosin does not work as a single unit within the heart. Multiple myosin interacts to displace actin filaments and do not have the same properties …