Digital Commons Network^™

Protective And Risk-Related Factors Associated With College Student Burnout, Dominic X. Chavez

Honors Theses

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon commonly defined by the exhaustion, cynicism, and lack of efficacy a person experiences with regard to their role (i.e., educator, healthcare worker, student, etc.). Despite the prevalence of burnout in academia, very few research studies have attempted to examine the variables associated with burnout’s severity in the case of American college and university students. Thus, the current study sought to analyze the protective and risk-related factors previously determined to be associated with academic burnout within a college population. Specifically, burnout self-ratings were compared to perceived burnout stigma, resilience, perceived social support, help-seeking attitudes, and perceived …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Cognition: Consideration Of Potential Moderators, Elizabeth G. Gaines, Mckenzie M. Cotten, Elizabeth Reese Carwile, Mary Griffin Jackson, Marascalco Liston, Lucy Wilson

Honors Theses

The present thesis aims to determine the effects, if any, of six potential moderators on the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on cognitive functioning. The modes of exercise undertaken by the participants included treadmill (Experiment 1) and stationary bike (Experiment 2) exercise. Participants in each experiment either exercised or rested for twenty minutes and then participated in either a memory recall task or cognitive functioning (“Stroop”) task. The bouts of either exercise or rest on the stationary bike were followed by a rest period during which the participant would be exposed to either standard air oxygen levels (normoxia) or hypoxic …

Asymmetric Effects Of The Ebbinghaus Illusion On Relative Depth Judgments In A Perceptual Matching Task, Caden J. Thompson

Honors Theses

The Ebbinghaus illusion, also know as Titchner Circles, is a perceptual illusion that is typically presented as a two-dimensional set of disks. These disks are configured as a central disk surrounded by an annulus of smaller or larger disks. Numerous studies have found the illusion to have an effect on size perception, but fewer studies have analyzed its effects on depth judgments. This study utilized a head-worn virtual reality environment as well as a three-dimensional display to examine the effects of the Ebbinghaus illusion on relative depth judgments in a perceptual matching task. Findings indicated that Ebbinghaus configurations featuring an …

The Faceless Dead: Unfinished Portraiture On Roman Sarcophagi, Madeleine M. Barhaug

Honors Theses

Sarcophagus, translating to “flesh-eater” in Greek, is a marble coffin Romans used for burials, commissioned for the elite and wealthy. Beautiful and unique, Roman sarcophagi are woefully under-researched, leading to many unknown and unanswered questions around their creation and existence. This thesis focuses on the question of ‘unfinished portraiture’ – a term used to describe a phenomenon in which the sarcophagus is fully carved except for the head or portrait features of the deceased. Unlike other funerary monuments such as busts or statues, ‘unfinished portraiture’ is singular to sarcophagi. This thesis explores and problematizes widely accepted explanations that range …

Providing A Solution For Active-Duty Servicewomen Facing Chronic Musculoskeletal Injuries Due To Improper Gear Fit, Celia Watson, Denver Tidwell, Hadi Obaji

Honors Theses

As senior biomedical engineering students at the University of Mississippi, we began our academic year brainstorming unmet clinical needs in healthcare intending to provide an innovative solution. After conducting personal inventories, determining a mission, and evaluating internal and external factors, we established acceptance criteria for our strategic focus and clarified our needs statement: develop a prophylactic device for chronic musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) in active-duty servicewomen (ADSW). The average female soldier is at a disadvantage compared to her male counterpart due to anthropometric and physiological differences between men and women in most aspects of physical performance (Epstein et al. 2673). These …

The Conservative Approach To Informed Consent: The Evidentiary Model And An Antidote To The Problem Of Framing Effects In Medical Decision-Making, James D. Polk

Honors Theses

Since the latter part of the 20th century, there has been a gradual but significant shift of the doctor-patient relation from paternalism to a more patient-centric approach. As such, informed consent – the legal and moral requirement that a physician fully disclose relevant details to their patient and gain their consent – is a central doctrine to patient-centric care. Gone are the days of the doctor governing the patient: the patient is now considered a valuable and important decision-maker. Achieving informed consent is the foundation of patient centric medicine. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that philosophical consideration be …

Paper Or Digital? Comparing Vocabulary Learning From Internet Search To A Physical Dictionary, Olivia L. Hamilton

Honors Theses

There is an increasing presence of technology found in the educational environment. With that there are many questions about the effectiveness of learning when information can be re-accessed with the click of a mouse. Information is more accessible than ever online but expecting to be able to rely on the internet may make learning less effective than other learning methods, such as paper. Continuing research has shown deficits, which could imply a digital presence is harming the learning environment. 125 students completed this study which compared differences between paper versus online learning platforms. The study tested peoples word translation accuracy …

"To Keep Men In Awe": Religious Subversion And Anti-Providentialism In Marlowe's Tamburlaine And The Jew Of Malta, Will White

Honors Theses

In early modern England, the term “atheist” held quite a different meaning from its modern usage. Most often, it referred not to person who rejected God’s existence, but who rejected the validity of divine providence: the notion that God exerts control and order over the events of Earth. This understanding of atheism informs the reading of the 16th century playwright Christopher Marlowe, whose connection to atheistic ideas is perhaps more visible than any of his contemporaries. In this thesis, I argue that the unifying element of religion in Marlowe’s drama is anti-providentialism – a rejection of providence. I examine two …

Designing A Combination Keyboard And Mouse Device For One-Handed Use, Calvin Brinkman

Honors Theses

This paper proposes a device designed to allow a one-handed individual to effectively interface with a computer. The design aims to minimize the efficiency gap between one-handed and two-handed individuals by increasing typing speed and reducing transition time between keyboard and mouse. This paper outlines the rationale behind the design, the components and methods used in building the prototype, and the current state of the research. This design is a promising alternative to standard keyboard and mouse layouts that holds the potential to open up one-handed individuals to more job opportunities in computer dominated fields.

Examination Of A Bench-Scale Model For Post-Wildfire Flood And Water Quality Mitigation Solutions, Cheyenne Ethridge

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to determine a potential low-cost, sustainable, and rapidly deployable solution for post-wildfire flood and water quality mitigation in communities reliant on surface water for drinking water. Coalinga, Fresno County, California was selected as a study area for a full-scale solution due to its high risk of wildfires, high social vulnerability, and relatively low community resilience. A bench-scale demonstration of the system directs water into a gravel infiltration zone surrounded by a weir perimeter and followed by a clarifier. Because of their abundance in the area, almond shells were explored as a coagulant additive to …

Supporting Doctoral Research In Aging: From Exercise Barriers To Geropsychology Competencies, Alexandra Crites

Honors Theses

This thesis explored hands-on experiences supporting ongoing research in behavioral gerontology, addressing the growing need for individualized interventions, and improving professional training to meet the complex needs of aging populations. Through involvement in two primary studies—one examining exercise nonadherence in people with osteoarthritis (OA) and another developing competency standards for professionals entering geropsychology. I contributed to data analysis, research design, and the analysis of qualitative and quantitative literature. My work with Haley Hughes’ study included developing a comprehensive data table that mapped participant responses from focus groups and identifying nuanced themes related to barriers and facilitators for physical activity. For …

A Tale Of Two Faiths: Contemporary Protestantism In The Spanish-Speaking Catholic World, Jackson B. Mitchell

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the shifting religious landscape of the Spanish-speaking Catholic world through the lens of Protestant growth, particularly Pentecostal and Evangelical movements. Beginning with a historical account of Spain’s Catholic hegemony and its colonial export of Catholicism to Latin America, the study traces how Latin America’s religious identity has gradually diverged from its Spanish roots. Over the past half-century, Protestantism has grown rapidly across Latin America, challenging Catholic dominance and reshaping the region’s spiritual and social fabric.

The thesis then turns back to Spain, where rising immigration from Latin America and changing cultural dynamics have facilitated the reintroduction of …

Associations Between Parental Depression And Child Internalizing Behaviors: The Role Of Gender, Abigail M. Webb

Honors Theses

The present study is a cross-sectional examination of associations between mother and father depression as it relates to child internalizing symptoms and anxious and depressed symptomatology. The study builds on the literature that underscores the importance of parental mental health for child outcomes, particularly anxiety and depression symptoms, by examining the role of gender in the link between parental depression and child internalizing symptoms. This study included 256 children (M age = 9.53 years; SD = 29.97 months; 123 males) and their mothers, fathers, and teachers. The measures included the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Teacher Report …

Almost Last Again? Mississippi's Labor Force Participation Rate: Causes And Solutions, John Martin Fox

Honors Theses

Mississippi is currently ranked second to last in labor force participation rate in the country. This is the latest damning statistic inhibiting the state from growing and becoming a more nationally recognized state with higher economic output. This thesis examines how Mississippi arrived at this bleak labor force participation rate and what is currently ongoing to alleviate it. It also examines some possible proposed solutions to accelerate those efforts. Through extensive research and numerous interviews with officials from public and private sector employees directly dealing with this predicament, this thesis has assembled a thorough and comprehensive picture of how the …

Shelving Stigma: A Grocery Store Client Choice Pantry Model - A Solution To Food Insecurity In Young Adults Of Marginalized Communities While Eradicating The Stigmatization Of Food Pantry Services, Anna C. Buckley

Honors Theses

An increasing number of young adults, age 18 to 35, are becoming food insecure across America, but disproportionately in urban and people of color communities. However, food pantries have remained a social stigma causing food insecure persons to avoid using a food pantry for hunger relief. Research has shown that the grocery store model for food pantries is most beneficial for staff, while also minimizing the stigma and increasing accessibility for pantry clientele. The purpose of this program proposal is to highlight the feasibility of implementation of a client choice grocery store pantry model at the NY Common Pantry (NYCP) …

Using Generative Artificial Intelligence To Improve Software-Defined Network Security: A Brief Survey, Anthony Smith

Honors Theses

This paper aims to explore various approaches to using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to improve network security in software-defined networking. While software-defined networks provide a more programmable infrastructure, they are not immune to network security threats. Through a combination of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies and generative AI, it is possible to facilitate improved SDN security approaches that promise enhanced network efficiency and protection. Among these approaches, generative adversarial networks (GAN) based models can be employed to generate adversarial traffic samples to train the proposed AI engines proven to be effective in detecting malicious network traffic. Additionally, generative artificial intelligence can …

The Interaction Between Parenting Styles, College Adjustment, And Decision Making In Undergraduate Freshman And Sophomores, Taylor Phillips

Honors Theses

Although considerable research has investigated how parenting styles impact child development, little is known about how parenting styles correlate with young adults’ adjustment to college. Parenting styles children are raised with may impact the development of skills such as resilience, problem-solving, and emotional regulation that influence how they react to difficult life transitions. Parenting styles may also impact a person’s decision making, including in situations involving self-control. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between parenting style, college adjustment, and self-control. This study used the Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire- Short Version, the Student Adaption to …

Estimating Disease Transmissions With Assortative Mixing By Vaccination Status, Jacob D. Biesecker-Mast

Honors Theses

Many mathematical models of infectious disease assume the population is well-mixed, meaning every pair of individuals is equally likely to contact each other, potentially spreading the disease. In reality, populations are rarely well-mixed, and an important way in which they are not is assortative mixing, that is, when pairs of individuals who are similar are more likely to contact one another than pairs of individuals who are different. Failing to account for assortative mixing by vaccine status leads to biased estimates of important quantities that characterize disease transmission, including reproduction numbers. We expand on this by developing a model that …

Step-Rate Manipulation For Improved Running Economy At A Performance, Noah Clemens

Honors Theses

The relationship between step rate (SR) and oxygen consumption (VO2) is non-linear, with an individual’s optimal SR minimizing VO2. Prior studies suggest highly trained runners do not self-select this optimal SR, though most research has focused on submaximal speeds. This study assessed whether highly trained male distance runners self-optimize SR at a performance pace. Twelve participants (22.5 ± 3.7 years) completed nine 4-minute treadmill trials at 4.96 m/s. The first trial was self-paced; remaining trials were metronome-cued (170–200 steps/min). VO2 was plotted against SR and modeled with a second-order polynomial to estimate optimal SR. Four participants were excluded due to …

Investigating Tandem Propeller Performance In Multirotor Aircraft, Michael R. Foster

Honors Theses

Strategic placement of the rotors in a non-planar configuration can improve power efficiency in multirotor aircraft. To validate this concept, a custom-built multirotor was developed to conduct flight tests based on a prior wind tunnel study at the University of Dayton. The original study, conducted in the University of Dayton Low Speed Wind Tunnel (UD-LSWT), demonstrated that a negatively staggered rotor configuration with a vertical offset of 60% of the propeller diameter (0.6 d_z) maximized power savings of individual rotors tested in tandem configuration. Flight test data confirmed improved power efficiency in negatively staggered configurations, achieving up to …

Quantifying Droplet Breakup Regimes In High-Speed Flow Fields With Diffuse Background Illumination, Joseph R. Kastner

Honors Theses

Understanding the dynamics of droplet breakup in high-speed flow fields is critical for many aerospace applications such as liquid fuel injection into high-speed crossflow or weather encounters with high-speed vehicles. In such applications, thermophysical properties such as surface tension, viscosity, etc. as well flow parameters (Mach number) will drive the droplet breakup regime. The objective of this work is to implement diffuse background illumination (DBI) to quantify sessile droplet breakup. A shock tube will be employed to simulate high-speed flow conditions by generating shock waves of various strengths. Both head on and side imaging will be implemented to provide further …

Conduct, Discipline, And Punishment: Representations Of Early Modern Women In Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew And Much Ado About Nothing, Madeleine E. Onderak

Honors Theses

In early modern England (the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries), women’s natures and preferred conduct were frequently discussed in pamphlets, essays, ballads, and conduct manuals. This research project examines how early modern women are represented in William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing and the implications of such characterizations. Early modern literature defines virtuous women as good housewives, obedient, patient, chaste, wise, and pious; they should avoid vanity and submit to men. Early modern depictions of the ideal woman were influenced by the virtues emphasized in Christianity and Classical history and mythology. Women were encouraged to …

The Relationship Between Yoga Practice And Sports Performance Of High-Level Athletes, Molly Freeman

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to review existing literature to determine if there is a relationship between yoga practice and the sports performance of high-level athletes. As awareness of mental health in sports continues to grow, athletes and coaches are searching for therapeutic methods to promote well-being and boost sports performance Yoga is a practice combining breath, meditation, and movement that has many physical and mental benefits. This literature review explores the impact of these benefits on athletic performance. Findings that yoga can boost physical and mental fitness, two very important attributes of successful athletes, point to the practice …

God’S Got Me:The Intersection Of Faith And Mental Healing, Bre'anna Coleman

Honors Theses

Due to the lack of healthcare accessibility and other factors within the Mississippi Delta, faith and the church is often utilized within African American communities in the area as a form of mental wellness. The Intersection of Faith and Mental Healing was a photo voice methodology project that highlighted how faith and mental healing intersect and impact African Americans within the Mississippi Delta. Through three prompts, six participants discussed mental health and how faith, location, and their identities shaped their views of mental wellness. Five participants were male with one female participant. Their ages ranged from eighteen to sixty five …

Design And Optimization Of Lattice-Integrated Plif Cages Using Additive Manufacturing And Finite Element Modeling, Olivia Draughn

Honors Theses

The customization, characterization, and development of biomedical implants through additive manufacturing (AM) and finite element methods (FEM) becomes imperative to the success of surgical operations and long-term patient satisfaction. To combat stiffness mismatches and prevent stress shielding between implant and bone tissue, lattice structures can be implemented within bone implant design to reduce the effective Young’s modulus (EYM) of the implant and to promote osteointegration within bone tissue. Lattice structures are highly customizable, three dimensionally repeated patterned unit cells that can be manipulated to mimic the porous nature of bone tissues to increase implant-bone interface longevity. The study presents the …

Optimizing A Perfusion-Compression Bioreactor Via Python Integration, Umamah Amer

Honors Theses

Bioreactors are widely used in tissue engineering to support cell and tissue growth under controlled conditions. Perfusion-compression bioreactors, like the one developed in our lab, can be used to replicate the physiological loading of bone on 3D-printed scaffolds. When seeded with osteogenic cells and subjected to mechanical loading, these scaffolds serve as a model to study osteogenesis. To simulate physiological conditions, the bioreactor must apply 1000 compression cycles at forces up to 200 N, three times daily over 14 days. Upon implementation, validation testing and experimental studies exposed several limitations in the bioreactor’s control code. The system was initially programmed …

Evervital Patch: The Design And Development Of A Continuous Cardiac Monitoring Device For Post-Operative, In-Hospital Patients, Abigail Moeller, Jonathan Seid

Honors Theses

In the United States, due to the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease, over 900,000 cardiac surgeries are performed annually, with projections exceeding 1.3 million by 2029. Many post-surgical patients require continuous in-hospital cardiac monitoring, which is typically conducted using electrocardiograms (EKGs). However, traditional EKG systems such as bedside cardiac monitors and cardiac telemetry monitors rely on wired leads that can easily tangle, degrade signal quality, and require frequent readjustments or replacements due to wire breakage, and for the patient, this can cause discomfort from prolonged use. To overcome these challenges, our company, CardioSync, aims to develop a wireless cardiac monitoring …

The Impact Of Marijuana Edibles On Fetal Development In Pregnant Adolescents And Young Mothers, Rachel Doyle

Honors Theses

With the growing prevalence of marijuana use for both recreational and medicinal purposes, this study explores the impact of edible cannabis consumption on fetal development in pregnant adolescents and young mothers. While most existing research focuses on smoked cannabis in adult populations, this review highlights a significant gap regarding the unique risks of edibles among younger, vulnerable users who may perceive them as safer. Through a comprehensive literature review, the study examines the physiological effects of THC in edible form, as well as the social, economic, and healthcare factors influencing its use. Key areas of focus include maternal health, placental …

Police & Civilian Interaction: Developing A Survey Of Social Attitudes Toward Law Enforcement For Public Administrators, Austin Mendez

Honors Theses

This thesis presents an informational overview of a wide variety of controversial topics related to modern police and civilian interaction. Additionally, it presents specific survey development theory meant to aid in the creation of a highly accessible survey instrument for use by public administrators. Public administrators may find particular value in the development and continuous improvement of public policy and community education programs based on feedback from constituents. This writing focuses on survey development theory, a historical overview of relevant legal cases establishing police discretion, issues facing people in custody, legal protections specific to police, militarization, federal partnerships, police training, …

Speed Of Shear Waves As A Function Of Frequency In Micellar Fluid, Michael Basha

Honors Theses

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the frequency dependence of shear wave speed in a micellar fluid. A high-concentration CTAB-NaSal micellar fluid seeded with microspheres was used in the experiment. Shear waves were generated using a wave driver and a function generator, while a high-speed camera captured video recordings. Since the frequency of the wave driver producing the shear waves in the micellar fluid is a constant value set by the experimenter, changes in shear wave speed can be determined by measuring their wavelengths at different frequencies.The captured video was then broken down into frames using MATLAB. These …