Digital Commons Network^™

Invasive Honeysuckle: Using Remotely Sensed Imagery To Map Landcover Change At Taylor Fork Ecological Area, Avery Krahwinkel

Honors Theses

Invasive species can have detrimental impacts on biodiversity and local ecosystems and are frequently targeted by natural area management for treatment and removal. Two common species of invasive honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii and Lonicera japonica) decrease plant diversity and alter ecological systems such as food webs in Kentucky. Both species are found in abundance at Taylor Fork Ecological Area (TFEA) and difficult to effectively manage. Remote sensing tools like multispectral imagery can be used to efficiently locate and quantify the abundance of invasive honeysuckle at TFEA because of the unique spectral signatures of various landcovers. This study used a …

More Than Just Hyper: The Mislabeling And Overmedicating Of Adhd In Children Ages 5-10, Katlyn Waltz

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the frequency and consequences of the misdiagnosis and overmedicating of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in elementary school aged children, ages 5-10. The information within this paper utilizes recent evidence-based psychological and medical research done surrounding ADHD in children. Specifically focusing on what a misdiagnosis looks like and how this can affect the child. Physically, if an alternative diagnosis is overlooked, the severity of the problem worsens. Emotionally children often feel misunderstood. Misdiagnosis often occurs due to symptoms being shared with other disorders such as thyroid disease, sleep disordered breathing, developmental delays or anxiety/depression.

For children who are …

Musculoskeletal Risk Among Radiology Professionals: Ergo, The Importance Of Ergonomics, Jodie M. Caithamer

Honors Theses

Workers in physically demanding occupations are at increased risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), particularly with prolonged exposure to awkward postures and static loading. Healthcare workers, including those in radiology, are particularly affected. This study used an anonymous survey based on the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), to assess body regions of discomfort and ergonomic risk factors.

In total, 48 radiology healthcare workers participated. Musculoskeletal discomfort was highly prevalent, with 96% reporting symptoms in the past 12 months. The most affected areas were the lower back (76.1%), neck (56.5%), and shoulders (34.8%). Awkward postures such …

Media On Trial: The Effects Of Media Coverage On Legal Proceedings In High-Profile Cases, Julia Luxon

Honors Theses

This paper examines the constitutional tension between the First Amendment and the Sixth Amendment, specifically in relation to media coverage and the right to a fair trial in high-profile criminal cases. This study explores the contextual and media environments surrounding the high-profile cases of Sheppard v. Maxwell, The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson, and State of South Carolina v. Richard Alexander Murdaugh. By conducting a comparative analysis, I examined the media narratives present in each case and how they influenced public perception and its impact on the administration of justice. This study …

You Hit Your Head, What Comes Next? How Can Speech-Language Pathologists Assist In Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery?, Elayna R. Wollam

Honors Theses

Traumatic Brain Injuries are complex injuries caused by an impact or penetrating wound to the head that disrupts the typical functioning of the brain. TBIs are highly prevalent and complex injuries. They can present in different severities, have numerous causes, and result in a variety of different types of symptoms and impairments. These impairments can include articulation disorders, language disorders, fluency disorders, swallowing disorders, social communication disorders, cognitive communication disorders, and more. Every injury will be different, and every individual will experience different symptoms and have different priorities for their recovery. This means treatment should also be nuanced to reflect …

Legalizing Sex Work: Transforming Hidden Jobs Into Professions, Sakura L. Wilder-Hamilton

Honors Theses

Prostitution, also known as the “world’s oldest profession,” has long been tried and remembered as a tolerated vice. However, sex work is still a stigmatized and criminalized profession around the globe that has yet to become a real profession. Because of this stigma and criminal label, sex workers have become a hidden population within society. Meaning, although there is a lot of stigma attached to sex work and sex workers, there is relatively little known about the realities of sex work, as sex workers are often excluded from scholarly research and discussions regarding their work. This research, through a thematic-chronological …

Me Or We In Criminal Behavior: A Cross-National Examination On The Impact Of Narcissism On Criminal Behavior, Adrian J. Zaragoza

Honors Theses

Crime is a worldwide issue that exists within any society. Many studies have not examined narcissism and its relation to crime in a cross-cultural perspective. The current study aimed to examine how culture can impact narcissism and criminal behavior. Hypothesis 1: Individual narcissism will be positively associated with criminal and antisocial responses to provocation scenarios in the United States. Hypothesis 2: Collective narcissism will be positively associated with criminal and antisocial responses to provocation scenarios in Kenya. Hypothesis 3: The association between individual narcissism and criminal/antisocial behavior will be stronger in the United States than in Kenya, …

All Harm, All Fouls: Human Trafficking At Large Sporting Events, Addison Caravona

Honors Theses

Human trafficking affects thousands of people worldwide every year. During large sporting events, this can become an issue as the line between consenting sex work and trafficking becomes blurred. The difficulty of quantifying human trafficking combined with the legality of sex work creates a predicament where measuring human trafficking statistics over a smaller period of time becomes incredibly difficult. Sporting events bring in millions of patrons every year, which produces unique challenges for law enforcement and advocacy groups to manage and prevent trafficking. This research investigates human trafficking surrounding large sporting events and the processes and legislation in place to …

"See Something, Say Something": The Effect Of Bystanders And Public Posting On Campus Crime Reporting, Makiah Hollinden

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to see if bystanders reacting (versus not reacting) and the presence (versus no presence) of a public crime post, on a college campus, affected student participants' intent to report a crime. We hypothesized that if bystanders responded to the crime, and if there is a public post about crime reporting, then participants would be more likely to intend to report the crime. Research participants (n = 68) were given an online survey assessing the intent to report the crime and other social norms in one of four vignette conditions: bystanders react/public post, bystanders do …

Does Sponsorship Context Matter? Comparing Local And National Sponsorship Effects On Consumer Behavior, Kathryn Flock

Honors Theses

Sponsorship use has become increasingly important as a marketing strategy for influencing consumer perceptions of the sponsoring company. This, in turn, establishes consumer relationships that result in favorable behavioral intentions. While prior research has examined national and global sponsorships, there is limited research on the differences between national and local sponsorships and how these differences could influence consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions. The purpose of this study was to examine how local or national sponsorship affects consumer perceptions, including sincerity, trust, attitude toward the sponsor, and behavioral intentions.

A mixed-methods approach was employed for this study. Study 1 used qualitative …

Appellate Review Of Child Custody In Mississippi, 1994-2024, Eleanor Detweiler

Honors Theses

This study examines changes in child custody decision-making within the Mississippi appellate court system over a thirty-year period, with a particular focus on the role of legal custody as a separate consideration from physical custody. Using a longitudinal empirical research design, appellate court decisions from 1994, 2004, 2014, and 2024 were analyzed using Nexis Uni. Cases were identified using the search term “child custody” with emphasis on case headnotes indexed under “child custody” as the area of law. Variables including party roles, types of custody sought, reasons for appeal, and case outcomes were recorded and evaluated to identify trends over …

Tough Love Or Just Tough?: The Effect Of Juvenile Military Bootcamps On Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors, Paris Labadie

Honors Theses

Externalizing behaviors, which are mental health problems manifested as outward behavior, have negative impacts on the environment and relationships (Liu, 2004). They include traits such as impulsivity, aggression, and substance use. Externalizing behaviors are more common in justice-involved youth compared to those who were not involved. Interventions for justice-involved youth, such as military boot camps, offer an alternative to incarceration and provide rehabilitation opportunities and routine. Theoretical research suggests military boot camps are problematic, citing the ineffectiveness of “scared straight” tactics. To date, there are few studies examining changes because of completing boot camps. There are also no studies examining …

Revisiting The Hydrostatic Assumption In The Marine Atmospheric Surface Layer, Karina Griffin

Honors Theses

The marine atmospheric surface layer (MASL), defined as the lowest ~100 m of the atmosphere overlying the ocean, is a complicated environment influenced by air-sea interactions and regional  weather patterns. In the absence of air motion, air pressure in the MASL decreases with altitude at  a constant rate due to the reduction in weight of the overlying air column. This relationship is  defined by a linear hydrostatic equation and is applied under the assumption that any dynamic  vertical pressure gradients will be small relative to the hydrostatic pressure gradient. The  hydrostatic assumption is commonly applied in the MASL despite the …

Comparison Of Levels Of Bmi, Stress, And Depression Of Women During The Prenatal Period Relative To Their Activity Levels, Kalayna King

Honors Theses

This study aimed to analyze the relationships between activity levels, Body Mass Index (BMI), stress levels, and depression symptoms in obese pregnant women in Arkansas. Two separate exercise intervention studies were combined in this analysis to ultimately give a sample size of 293 pregnant women who were randomized into standard of care group (control) and an exercise group (treatment/experimental) (n = 115 and n = 178, respectively). Women in the control groups were instructed to independently continue to follow the physical activity guidelines recommended by their gynecologist, whereas the experimental groups participated in a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise …

Justice And Peace Shall Kiss: A Comparative Analysis Of Law From Ancient Israel To Modern America, Evan Nix

Honors Theses

Modern legal scholarship frequently attributes American criminal jurisprudence to Roman structures, Enlightenment rationality, and English common law, which obscures the American system’s roots in Hebraic natural-law value frameworks. The present thesis asks: “To what extent does the American criminal justice system embody core values of ancient Hebrew law, and how does such a framework compare to purely secular models regarding societal stability and equity?” A comparative analysis draws on biblical texts of the Torah, Hebrew wisdom literature, and American constitutional and statutory provisions, tracing a genealogy from covenantal laws of ancient Israel to modern American constitutionalism. Findings indicate preservation of …

Altered Pruning In A Generative Neural Network, Sara Momen

Honors Theses

This study examines whether altered pruning in a generative neural network leads to more restricted or repetitive outputs, using Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a cautious computational analogy rather than as a biological equivalence. A compact denoising diffusion probabilistic model (DDPM) with a U-Net backbone was trained on CIFAR-10, and pruning percentage was treated as the primary structural variable. Instead of relying on a single assumed baseline, the final implemented study evaluated 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 35%, and 50% pruning under controlled conditions: the same dataset, the same epoch budget, the same random seed, and 1,000 generated samples per condition. …

Synthesis Of Piperidine Heterocycles With Specific Functional Groups Via Sn2 Reactions, Teyanna Monroe

Honors Theses

Piperidine is a heavily utilized nitrogen containing heterocycle found in numerous pharmaceutical agents, solidifying its importance as a building block in drug development. The focus of this research is to investigate different mechanisms of action for adding and replacing various functional groups utilizing readily available lab materials. These findings would lead to determining the overall influence of substitution patterns and functional groups have on stereochemistry, reactivity, and overall conformation of the piperidine ring. The synthetic approach involves the formation of 3-bromo-5-methoxy-tosylpiperidine intermediate through acid promoted cyclization, followed by nucleophilic substitution reactions to introduce various functional groups. Reaction progress and product …

Purr-Spectives: Connections Between Feline Coat Color And Human Preferences And Perceptions In Northeast Arkansas, Tiffany L. Batchelor

Honors Theses

Felines have played an important role in the lives and culture of humans for thousands of years. The purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions of felines and feline demographics to gain a better understanding of the relationship between cats and humans in the Northeast Arkansas (NEA) area in particular. For Study 1, data on phenotype and health conditions (n = 2,277 feline patients) were collected from patient files from three Northeast Arkansas veterinary clinics. For Study 2, an anonymous survey generated using Qualtrics titled “Purr-spectives: Feline Behavioral Perceptions Survey” was published through the College of Agriculture social media …

Rural Health In Pike County: A Richard & Magnolia Community Health Needs Assessment, Victoria Bracey

Honors Theses

Rural communities across the United States suffer from poor health outcomes due to lack of resources and other compounding factors that make access to quality healthcare difficult. Mississippi is a predominantly rural state, and in the southwestern region of Mississippi lies the community of Magnolia and the community of Richard within Pike County. To better understand the health needs of Pike County, a community health needs assessment was conducted. This study aimed to assess the needs of Pike County in southwest Mississippi through the use of a community health needs assessment using focus groups. Two focus groups, with a total …

Bodies As Vessels: (Re)Production, Consumption, And Female Identity In The Handmaid’S Tale And Dawn, Shelby Clark

Honors Theses

This honors thesis examines how reproduction and food are used to signify power and impact female identity in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale and Octavia Butler’s Dawn. Both feminist dystopian novels portray societies that secure futurity through the commodification and management of women's domestic labor. The protagonist of each novel, Offred in The Handmaid's Tale and Lilith in Dawn, is responsible for ensuring the survival of humanity through forced reproduction and is additionally expected to produce or manage food. In this thesis, I argue that in both novels, female identity is reclaimed and affirmed as separate from a commodified state …

Optimizing Auv Perception For Competitive Underwater Robotics: Analyzing Performance And Simplicity Of Machine Vision Hardware, Joseph King

Honors Theses

Underwater robotics is a growing field with many practical applications, such as pipeline and offshore structure monitoring, deep sea mining, mine reconnaissance/removal, and marine environmental monitoring. USM’s Robotics Club will participate in the international RoboSub competition, where student-led teams build autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that perform a variety of tasks within a pool requiring camera-based object detection. This project analyzes affordable hardware and software options for providing machine vision to USM’s future RoboSub AUV. The performance of an ESP32-CAM microcontroller, Raspberry Pi 5, and Jetson Orin Nano single-board computers running FOMO and YOLO object detection models was compared. These models …

Competitive Reaction Pathways In The Fully Green Synthesis And Surface Modification Of Silver Nanowires Under L-Ascorbic Acid-Limited Conditions, Finley Neal

Honors Theses

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are critical building blocks for transparent conductive films (TCFs) in flexible electronics, yet their commercial viability is hindered by environmentally hazardous, energy-intensive synthesis methods and limited intrinsic chemical stability. This study investigated a fully green, room-temperature (25℃) batch synthesis of pristine AgNWs using tannic acid as a biodegradable dual reducing and capping agent under strict kinetic pH control (pH 1.25). To enhance oxidative resistance, a subsequent surface modification protocol was evaluated to deposit a protective palladium (Pd) shell using L-ascorbic acid (LAA) as a secondary reducing agent. The pristine green synthesis yielded one-dimensional Ag nanostructures with a …

Synthesis And Photophysical Studies Of Coumarin-Quinoline Derivatives, Nishrenika Pokhrel

Honors Theses

A new family of oxime-functionalized coumarin-quinoline derivatives, 5a and 5b, has been synthesized through a five-step procedure in high yields (45-98%). Compound 5a is designed as the sensing probe, while 5b serves as a model system to support mechanistic understanding. The sensing approach is based on the reactivity of the oxime group, which can undergo phosphorylation in the presence of organophosphate nerve agents. Based on this behavior, it is hypothesized that 5a can react irreversibly with a nerve agent mimic. The structures were fully characterized by NMR, FTIR, and HRMS. Photophysical properties of 5a were studied in various solvents, …

Knowledge Distillation From A Large Vision-Language Model To Compact Students For Architectural Floor Plan Understanding, Kiran Silwal

Honors Theses

In this research, the use of a large vision-language model to train smaller, deployable models for architectural floor plan question answering is investigated. Reading a floor plan today requires either a human expert or a paid query to a proprietary model, and neither option is practical for real-estate platforms that must process thousands of units at scale. To address this problem, a knowledge distillation approach is employed in which a large teacher model (GPT-4.1-mini) generates labeled question-answer pairs from floor plan images, and smaller student models learn from those labels. The teacher produced 37,027 labeled pairs from 12,343 floor plan …

Variable Hybridization Rates Between F2 Fundulus Notatus Females, Jordan Tanaka

Honors Theses

Hybridization between two related species has been widely observed and offers a lens into complex evolutionary processes. Endogenous and exogenous factors affect hybrid fitness and diversification, and pre-zygotic and post-zygotic barriers affect species’ ability to hybridize. Female mate choice is a pre-zygotic isolation mechanism which is known to be more significant than male mate choice in many species, a trend which is linked to females often investing more energy into offspring. Detailing the ways in which these mechanisms operate is integral to understanding hybridization on a larger scale. The species examined here, Fundulus notatus and Fundulus olivaceous, are closely …

Effects Of “Zero Sugar” Energy Drinks On Microbial Proliferation In Relation To The Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Madison Hines

Honors Theses

Energy drinks have rapidly increased in popularity and availability in recent years. With the rise of high-caffeine beverages, complications due to caffeine consumption have become more common in younger populations. The aim of this study was to use controlled laboratory methods to determine the effect of energy drinks on a variety of organisms commonly found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The diverse and dynamic nature of microbes in the gut makes conditions of the GI tract difficult to replicate in a laboratory setting. As an alternative, isolates of bacteria commonly found as normal flora in the GI tract were plated …

Rethinking News Classification Through A Multi-Dimensional Framework, Luana De Jesus Ferreira

Honors Theses

This thesis proposes a multi-dimensional framework for news classification that evaluates articles across three independent dimensions: headline accuracy, language neutrality, and content reliability. These dimensions produce both a continuous reliability score and a five-tier interpretive scale, while additionally classifying articles by genre and topic. To operationalize this framework, a structured annotation protocol was developed and applied to a dataset of 373 news articles drawn from 79 outlets spanning a wide range of contemporary media ecosystem. A binary Logistic Regression classifier trained on the ISOT Fake News Dataset was then evaluated against this dataset to examine how a model trained on …

Properties Design For George C. Wolfe’S The Colored Museum, Giavanna Vainisi

Honors Theses

This thesis details the properties design process for the University of Southern Mississippi’s Fall 2025 production of George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum. Through analysis of the script, research into the subject matter and playwright, and collaboration with the artistic team, this student designed and constructed effective properties for this production.

Caregiver Challenges And Health Access For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities In Mississippi, Kirsten Cunningham

Honors Theses

Current literature has highlighted the health disparities faced by individuals within the disability community and how it affects the care they receive. However, for many individuals with developmental disabilities, they require caregivers to make medical decisions for them. The purpose of this study is to focus on the caregiver’s perspective of caregiver stress, physical access to care, and health literacy to combat the challenges faced when getting access to healthcare resources for individuals with developmental disabilities in Mississippi. The researcher hypothesized, based on the literature review, that caregivers with higher levels of educational attainment would have less caregiver stress, more …

Environmental Degradation And Food Systems In Ghana: Gold Mining And Synthetic Pesticides, Da'mirah Vinson

Honors Theses

This research examines the relationship between environmental degradation and food systems in Ghana. Although sociological research has explored how extractive practices like gold mining dispossesses farmers of land (Gilbert and Albert 2016; Agariga 2021; Kwang and Blagogie 2025), the consequences for food sovereignty and security remain understudied. Research that considers food and land from a sociocultural perspective is even more limited. My research addresses these gaps by asking: How do environmental degradation practices—specifically gold mining and chemical use—affect food production, distribution, and security in Ghana? And how does the decline of arable land reshape cultural food identity? To explore these …