Digital Commons Network^™

Potential Cellular Mechanisms Of Estrogen's Effects On Maintaining Sperm Production In Aging Rats, Matthew Pate

Honors Theses

Testosterone production by Leydig cells declines during aging in both men and rodent models. Previous results from our lab demonstrated that daily sperm production also declines in aging rats and alterations in the estrogen environment of the testis contribute to this decline. Importantly, estrogen treatment during aging was able to attenuate the age-associated decline in sperm production. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which estrogen maintains sperm production remain unclear. These experiments were designed to further investigate the effects of estrogen on sperm production in an attempt to further define the cellular mechanisms regulated by estrogen within the testis. …

A Comparison Of Gastrointestinal Bacterial Population Between Indoor Cats And Outdoor Cats, Farhana Binti Ikmal Hisham

Honors Theses

This study used fecal samples from four indoor cats and four indoor-outdoor cats in order to identify the microbial communities in the gut of cats. This information was then used to compare the microbial phyla between both groups for any differences. Total microbial DNA was isolated from each fecal sample, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq high throughput method. The sequences were identified using the bioinformatics program mothur. The results show that indoor cats had a more diverse microbial community as compared to outdoor cats. Indoor cat samples had 26% more microbial species, and eight more …

Preferential Methods Used By Celcis Students To Enhance Conversational Skills., Karina Mariadas

Honors Theses

Conversational skills are something that can be improved over time. For new language learners, conversing in English can be difficult. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the preferential methods to enhance conversational skills used by students from the Center for English Language and Culture for International Students (CELCIS) at Western Michigan University. The study was conducted using a survey questionnaire consisting of 7 parts. The conversation improvement methods that were addressed in the survey included: print, audio-visual, electronic devices/technology, face-to-face conversations and games. 112 students, 35 females, 75 males and 2 unknowns, participated in the survey during …

Adapting Architectural Models For Visualization Using Virtual Reality Headsets, Bernardo Martinez

Honors Theses

Business contracts represent a main source of income for Architects. Acquiring these contracts requires the latest and most immersive technology that improves their sales against competitors. Virtual reality provides an in-depth experience that allows clients to have a reasonable assurance that the building meets their physical expectations. Videos and photos are detached and mundane; while they provide some visual representation they will not allow the user to compare his physical characteristics (height, length, width) with a 3D model. In this paper, I describe a procedure for automatically importing 3D models from Revit into Unreal4. I also describe the workflow required …

Analysis Of An Electrospun Nanofiber Device Applicable To Limb Salvage: Mass Loss, Morphological Changes, And Quantification Of Antibiotic Release, Caitlin Quinn

Honors Theses

The creation of an electrospun nanofiber embedded with two antibiotics that will be used to prevent infection while also stimulating bone regeneration will be explored. The nanofiber will contain an aminoglycoside and a glycopeptide, and it is sought to deliver a sustained release of antibiotics for up to 12 weeks. To determine release rate, nanofiber samples are immersed in 10.0 mL of MiliQ water (MQ), incubated at 37°C, assayed at specific time intervals, and then analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry. A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) in tandem …

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 …

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 …

Characterization Of Embryonic Stem Cell-Differentiated Cells As Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Rachael N. Kuehn

Honors Theses

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), due to their ability to differentiate into different cell types while still maintaining a high proliferation capacity, have been considered as a potential cell source in regenerative medicine. However, current ESC differentiation methods are low yielding and create heterogeneous cell populations. If transplanted in the human body, differentiated ESCs could be rejected by the immune system, form tumors, or may not function normally within the human body. On the other hand, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a type of adult stem cell typically derived from bone marrow, have proved to be excellent candidates in clinical applications due …

A Manipulation Study: The Effect Of Predation Risk On The Space Use Of The Chilean Rodent, Octodon Degus, Erin D. Myers

Honors Theses

Predation has significant effects on animal behavior and space use across species. In small mammals, the home range areas are shown to be influenced by predation risk. This project incorporates trapping data to analyze how predation risk influences the space use of Octodon degus, a social rodent endemic to Chile. We compared range size of degus living in four predator exclusion enclosures versus four control, non-predator exclusion enclosures in Parque Nacional Bosque de Fray Jorge, Chile through grid trapping methods. For each enclosure (NP and P) 95% MCP, 95% Kernal, 95% Distance Interval, and average captures was measured. There were …

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 …

Anticancer Activity Of Some Boronic Acid Arylidene Heterocycles, Joy Kim

Honors Theses

This research was done in order to investigate the anticancer activity of boronic acid arylidene heterocycles. Boronic acid, heterocycles, and aryl compounds have all independently exhibited various anti-microbial properties and have shown potential to be used in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of viruses and cancers. Using a one-step protocol developed by Dr. Murray, several different arylheterocyclic compounds were combined with an arylboronic acid to synthesize novel compounds. These were then tested for their anti-cancer activity on glioblastoma brain cancer cells. Although varied in potency, all had some amount of anti-cellular effect on the cancer cells. This is only the start …

Relation Between Parental Divorce And Adjustment In College Students, Breanna Connel

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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. …

Characterization Of Aquatic Sediment Bacteria Resistant To Triclosan And Antibiotics Above And Below The Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant, Laura Mims

Honors Theses

Wastewater treatment plants appear to play a role in releasing antimicrobial compounds and resistant genes into the environment. The phenomenon of bacterial resistance to multiple antimicrobial compounds is not well understood with regards to public health. Studies have examined cross-resistance to triclosan and various antibiotics in bacteria. These resistance mechanisms: target site modification, membrane resistance, and efflux pumps indicate possible ways in which bacteria have adapted to antibiotics as well as triclosan. In addition, antibiotic resistance genes occur naturally in the environment and are passed from species to species through horizontal gene transfer. Sediment samples were collected from above and …

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

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Culture Of Sustainability At Southern Miss, Amy J. Ball

Honors Theses

The sustainability movement has been studied in general before, but little research has been done on topic of the sustainability movement at universities. This study aims to contribute to the larger conversation on sustainability by looking at the ideas and motivations behind participation in the movement among students at the University of Southern Mississippi. This is done primarily through interviews performed by the researcher with a number of students in a club on campus dedicated to spreading knowledge of and participation in sustainable activities, known as the Sustainability Advocates. Background information about the sustainability movement on campus is provided by …

Women In Medicine: Past, Present, & Future, Ryleigh S. Livingston

Honors Theses

Women have been healers throughout history, even dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece, but it is only recently that they have been accepted into mainstream Western medicine. This research examines women and their role in healing and healthcare from ancient Egypt and through the Middle Ages, focusing mostly on Western medicine, but also looking at Eastern traditions in medicine in the world of Islam and China. The second part of this project details the creation and execution of an event hosted by the author and her co-chair La'Mayah Hodges for Women's History Month and the research that was presented …

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 …

Plague Inc: Distribution Of Health Resources In The Modern World, Allison Rump

Honors Theses

Due to the ever increasing connectedness of our world, disease can spread faster than ever before. Therefore global health care is a pressing issue in the modern world. The Ebola epidemic of 2014, which infected an unprecedented number of people, was reminder of not only of human fragility but of the state modern medicine, especially when deployed in economically developing areas. Not only is medicine about the science and treatment of disease, it also is about economics and the ability to pay for treatment. This can manifest in many forms, for the Ebola epidemic there often were not enough equipment …

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

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Southern Illinois Ticks: An Ecological And Medical Overview, Madeleine A. Pfaff

Honors Theses

Ticks are of concern to southern Illinois residents because they are common in the forested landscapes of the region and have the capability to cause disease in humans and pets. There are several tick-borne illnesses of concern to southern Illinois residents. Prescribed burning is a potential method of tick control, but no significant results were found in the correlation of tick density with time since burn.

Pre-Service Teacher Perspectives On Bullying By Middle School Girls, Nicole Lyn Stoodley

Honors Theses

The present study focuses on pre-service teacher perspectives of bullying in schools, specifically on the prevalence, characteristics, and interventions of bullying by middle school girls. Participants in the Teacher Education Program of Southern Illinois University Carbondale completed a questionnaire that asked them to estimate the prevalence of bullying by girls compared to that of boys and to identify the specific behaviors that characterize bullying by girls. They described their obligations to address bullying in school and provided identification and intervention strategies. The results show that female pre-service teachers overwhelmingly report that bullying by girls is more common or considered crueler. …

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 …

Efficacy Of Hormone-Toxin Fusion Protein In Cell Culture, Morgan Dillard

Honors Theses

Luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are members of the gonadotropin family and are vital for fertility in animals. Both LH and hCG bind to the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), found only in gonadal cells. Binding of the hormone to its receptor causes production of the steroid hormones testosterone and estrogen. By ablating cells that express LHR, the production of sex steroids would be terminated, leading to a loss in fertility. The overall goal of the project is to create a nonsurgical, single-dose sterilant for cats and dogs by ablating these cells. One way to target these cells …

Predicting Protein Contact Map By Bagging Decision Trees, Chuqiao Ren

Honors Theses

Proteins' function and structure are intrinsically related. In order to understand proteins' functionality, it is essential for medical and biological researchers to deter- mine proteins' three-dimensional structure. The traditional method using NMR spectroscopy or X-ray crystallography are inefficient compared to computational methods. Fortunately, substantial progress has been made in the prediction of protein structure in bioinformatics. Despite these achievements, the computational complexity of protein folding remains a challenge. Instead, many methods aim to predict a protein contact map from protein sequence using machine learning algorithms. In this thesis, we introduce a novel ensemble method for protein contact map prediction based …

Beyond The Physical:Exploring The Function Of Disease In Selected Words Of 19th- And 20th- Century French Literature, Cassandra Maria Ricci

Honors Theses

My thesis, Beyond the Physical, is a project that aims to investigate the function of disease in 19th and 20th century French literature through the analysis of the narrative techniques of three fictional novels and secondary sources. This work is an interdisciplinary study that combines the social and scientific aspects of Public Health with literary elements present in French and Francophone Studies. In La Cousine Bette (1847), a Realist novel by Honoré de Balzac, Valérie Marneffe's obsession with greed and attention leads her to pursue various extramarital affairs in her efforts to augment her financial status. Her death by syphilis …

Testing Marginal Value Theorem In Saimiri Sciureus, Evan T. Sloan

Honors Theses

Marginal value theorem (MVT), a key component of optimal foraging theory, aims to model how an individual will most efficiently utilize a resource distributed in patches of varying size and value throughout a habitat. Among the fundamental assumptions of MVT is that foragers will maximize their net energy gain by foraging in a resource patch until reaching the average rate of intake for the habitat. This "give-up time" (GUT) per patch, defined as the time between the final prey capture and departing the patch, should remain constant throughout the habitat as a whole, but vary across habitats of different quality. …

Undressing The Power Of Fashion: The Semiotic Evolution Of Gender Identity By Coco Chanel And Alexander Mcqueen, Sveva Marcangeli

Honors Theses

The use of clothing reinforces gender roles culturally assigned to men and women by emphasizing individuals' biological sex and encouraging them to behave in specific ways based on their sex. However, individuals can manipulate their clothing to challenge the gender roles assigned to them. 20th century Gabrielle Coco Chanel and 21st century Alexander McQueen are two designers who have freed women from binding and restricted clothing, which set women as objects and not as strong assets with knowledgeable contributions. I use various studies of semiology and sociology through a gender theory and linguistic standpoint to understand the signs found within …

Are There Shared Characteristics Among Children With Autism Who Develop Speech While Training With The Picture Exchange Communication System?, Katherine Neidhart

Honors Theses

It is clear in the literature that there are many factors that may contribute the development of speech as a possible outcome of training with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Research has indicated a need for more data on the characteristics and skills of children with autism that may contribute to their success while using PECS, and the possible development of speech while receiving PECS training.

This study sought to identify common characteristics and skills of children with autism that acquired speech while receiving PECS training through creating an inventory of demographics, pre-requisite skills, and other characteristics of children …

Engendering Epic: Heroism As Constructed Masculinity In The Epics Of Gilgamesh And Beowulf, Rachael Scott Poe

Honors Theses

When considering epic heroes like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, it is readily apparent that they are products of patriarchal societies, and, consequently, masculinity is an inherent consideration when defining heroism. Gender is not a neutral aspect of the human experience, nor is it uniform across socio-cultural boundaries; rather, individual cultures determine the range of appropriate and desirable behavior for each gender. Thus, the concept of gender is central to every human being, and especially to the epic heroes Gilgamesh and Beowulf whose masculine achievements shape the course of their tales. Though these heroes come from extremely different times and places, there …