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Applications Of Sodium Azide In The Synthesis Of Tetrazines And Hydrolysis Reactions, My Le

Honors Theses

The inverse electron demand Diels−Alder cycloadditions of heterocyclic azadienes have provided a robust methodology for synthesizing highly substituted and functionalized heterocycles. It is widely used in organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry in the divergent construction of screening libraries and bioorthogonal conjugation. Each heterocyclic azadiene was found to possess a unique reactivity toward different classes of dienophiles, display predictable modes of cycloaddition, and exhibit substantial substituent electronic effects impacting their intrinsic reactivity and cycloaddition regioselectivity. Synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrazine has been reported in the literature since the late 19th century, showing scientists' tremendous interest in its application.

Herein we attempt to …

Diagnostic Approaches To Combat Antibiotic Resistance In Bacteria, Alexander Oliveri, Shade Smith, Anshul Anugu

Honors Theses

The threat of antibiotic resistance is a major problem faced by the healthcare field affecting millions of people and costing tens of thousands of lives annually. Of the potential ways to mitigate this issue the field of antibiotic resistance testing presents an opportunity for significant improvement and benefits. Several methods of such diagnostic processes can yield more informative results than the current commonly used Kirby-Bauer test. However, there are benefits and limitations to each method. In the context of a clinically relevant diagnostic for antibiotic resistance, the microarray platform exhibits the necessary breadth with opportunities to overcome some limitations with …

A Survey Of Financial Accounting Reporting, James H. Robbins

Honors Theses

This thesis takes a survey of key accounting issues and concepts addressed in financial accounting reporting. Accountancy majors of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College were given an opportunity to complete their thesis before their internship during senior year by taking two classes over junior year. This thesis was constructed under the guidance of Dr. Vicki Dickinson. The thesis itself is a compilation of twelve different cases, and each case studies various areas of the accounting and business environment.

The Effect Of Advocate Disclosure On The Perceptions Of A Young Adult Who Stutters, Madeline Simpson

Honors Theses

This between-group study designed weighed the effects of stuttering disclosure on the perceptions of a 17-year-old male who stutters, relative to perceived speech skills and personality characteristics. 1225 participants were included in the dataset analysis with a balanced distribution across all ranges. The conditions used in this study include (1) control condition (no disclosure), as well as experimental conditions including: (2) father disclosure, (3) male coach disclosure, (4) female teacher disclosure, (5) girlfriend disclosure, and (6) female speech-language pathologist. Participants in the control group only viewed the primary video stimulus, while participants in the experimental groups viewed one of the …

Investigations Involving Mononuclear And Dinuclear Transition Metal Catalysts For Photochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Ansu Edwards

Honors Theses

There is currently a global energy crisis, which is in desperate need of solutions. New energy sources are required that will not pollute as much as our longstanding reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels as an energy source. This pollution involves large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly carbon dioxide (CO₂), that contribute to environmental problems such as climate change. In this context, a fairly recent research direction to address this problem is the development of transition metal catalysts that can convert CO₂ into reduced carbon products that can serve as chemical fuels. This work focuses on the …

The Functional Connectivity Of The Auditory Cortex In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Katherine Wilson

Honors Theses

Disturbance of the auditory cortex in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is well known as well as its influence on hearing. Functional connectivity within the brain is also known to be affected by ASD. However, functional connectivity of the auditory cortex in ASD has yet to be studied. In this study, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE), functional connectivity of the auditory cortex was examined by comparing 68 individuals with ASD and 75 individuals with ASD. Four brain regions showed smaller functional connectivity to and from the auditory cortex; the occipital cortex, …

How Does Movement Impact Originality In A Divergent Thinking Task?, Molly B. Fontenot

Honors Theses

Research has suggested that original thought can be affected by movement. However, this research has primarily focused on children, with embodied creativity work lacking in adult populations. This study aimed to examine the impact of movement on the generation of original ideas within divergent thinking tasks in adults. To study this, participants first completed a baseline divergent thinking task asking participants to come up with as many novel uses for a common item. After baseline, participants were randomized into three different testing groups that were encouraged to engage in different types of movement during the divergent thinking task: 1) meaningful …

The Relationship Of Rehabilitation Therapy Clients And Grit: A Pilot Study, Kamilla Kisch

Honors Theses

Client experience is an important consideration in physical and occupational therapy (known as rehabilitation therapy.) The personality trait of grit has been studied in many different settings and populations and could have an impact on rehabilitation therapy clients’ perceptions and experiences. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between scores on Dr. Angela Duckworth’s Grit Scale (that identifies the presence and strength of grit) and perceptions of experiences by rehabilitation therapy clients. Seven males and twelve females (age: 56.78 ± 15.83) participated in this study. The Grit Scale was used to assess participants’ grit. Multiple-choice questions were …

Determination Of Metals And Microplastics In Sediment From Oyster Reefs In The Mississippi Sound, Shelby Goza

Honors Theses

This research centers on the determination of metals (Cd, Pb, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) and microplastics (MPs) in marine sediment from oyster reefs in the Mississippi Sound Estuary. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are a vital part of the Gulf Coast economy, but their population has dramatically declined in recent years due to multiple stressors, including oil spills and fluctuations in salinity from flooding. Increasingly frequent flooding events also introduce high loads of MPs and sediments containing heavy metals from the Mississippi River. These pollutants can have deleterious effects on oyster biology; however, they have not been adequately …

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Analyzing Inhumane Practices In Mississippi’S Correctional Institutions Due To Overcrowding, Understaffing, And Diminished Funding, Ariel A. Williams

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine the political, social, and economic factors which have led to inhumane conditions in Mississippi’s correctional facilities. Several methods were employed, including a comparison of the historical and current methods of funding, staffing, and rehabilitating prisoners based on literature reviews. State-sponsored reports from various departments and the legislature were analyzed to provide insight into budgetary restrictions and political will to allocate funds. Statistical surveys and data were reviewed to determine how overcrowding and understaffing negatively affect administrative capacity and prisoners’ mental and physical well-being. Ultimately, it may be concluded that Mississippi has high …

Beliefs Of Translators About Medical Spanish Pamphlets, Margaret Coulter

Honors Theses

This paper addresses the beliefs of professional Spanish medical translators regarding the use of dialect variation in medical Spanish translation and the resulting effects on the level of healthcare attained by Spanish speaking patients in the United States. The health gap between English-speaking and non-English patients is explored as it relates to inadequate translation of medical information and instructions leading to poorer health outcomes and higher readmission rates among Spanish speakers.

On Narrative Approaches To Conspiracy Theory, John Hydrisko

Honors Theses

This thesis handles narrative approaches to conspiracy theory. It provides an overview of conspiracy theory and narrative before affirming a relationship between the two. It then introduces Fenster’s work on conspiracy narrative before engaging with the considerations therein. After discussing the tradition of visualizing narrative structure, it applies these practices to conspiracy narrative. This application allows for a discussion of recent innovations within conspiracy narrative. By using the QAnon as a case study, the paper investigates the emergence of protagonism and non-narrativism within the genre. Ultimately, this investigation suggests that contemporary conspiracy narrative is both better suited to the modern …

A Historical And Contextual Analysis Of Soviet And Russian "Active Measures": How Russian Political Warfare Efforts In Foreign Presidential Elections Have Transformed In The Information Age, Olivia Myers

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to analyze the transformation of Russian active measures in targeted national elections since the Soviet era. Through a historical analysis of research on active measures and contextual analysis of active measures campaigns themselves, this thesis finds that Russian active measures techniques have not drastically changed since the Soviet era. Instead, as a result of technology, Russian active measures have utilized platforms of social media to become more targeted, continuous, and convert. Therefore, Russian active measures campaigns have been better able to successfully target specific audiences, arguably making these campaigns more effective.

Beyond Beccaria: Diverse Criticism Of The Death Penalty In The Sixteenth, Seventeenth, And Eighteenth Centuries, Amelia Lawrence

Honors Theses

Most scholarly work on the history of criticism of the death penalty focuses on Cesare. Beccaria’s famous treatise, On Crimes and Punishments, and its impact on future thinkers and abolition movements. This thesis examines other trends, thinkers, and movements involved in the criticism or abolition of capital punishment in sixteenth-, seventeenth-, and eighteenth-century Europe. First, it argues that in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries governments carefully orchestrated executions in order to foster acceptance of capital punishment. These attempts, however, were not entirely successful: early writings and trends reveal dissatisfaction with governments’ use of capital punishment. Second, it shows that during …

Light And Heavy Verb Usage By People With Non-Fluent Aphasia, Chase Sophia Kozak

Honors Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate the discourse elicitation task effect and whether it affects the production of verbs with different semantic weight (light verbs with vague semantic representations, e.g., ‘do’, or heavy verbs with specific semantic representations, e.g., ‘deliver’). Thirty people with non-fluent aphasia and twenty people without aphasia were included. The light and heavy verb ratios over the total number of verbs were calculated for two discourse elicitation tasks: sequential picture description and storytelling. The results for the healthy control group showed that they produced a significant higher heavy verb ratio in sequential picture description than …

Evolution And Impact Of English Language Policy In Taiwan, Kaitlin Ashleigh Rigby

Honors Theses

This thesis takes a look at how English language policy (ELP) in Taiwan has changed over time and how it has affected the education system. This thesis also investigates the different attitudes directed toward ELP, some areas of concern, and problems that have occurred as a result of Taiwan’s approach toward ELP. Understanding why Taiwan supports the English language as much as it does while also considering its approach to implementing policy will provide insight on how Taiwan believes that ELP is a necessary part of globalization.

Measuring Rental Affordability Dynamics For The Southern United States With Constant Quartile Mismatch, Bradley Curtis

Honors Theses

This project centers on the topic of rental housing affordability for southern metropolitan areas in the United States. In an attempt to understand how rents have changed in relation to incomes in cities throughout the American south, this study uses IPUMS data to compare changes in the distributions of rents and incomes from 2000 to 2019 for each of the geographies in question. The Constant Quartile Mismatch metric employed in this project was first implemented in the study "A constant quartile mismatch indicator of changing rental affordability in US Metropolitan areas, 2000 to 2016". This thesis hopes to extend the …

The Rates Of Caries Prevalence By Sex And Age From Individuals In St. Mary Graces And East Smithfield Cemeteries, Elizabeth Houston, Joseph Upton

Honors Theses

Caries are a common pathology in past and current populations, and because of the close interaction of dentition with diet, archaeologists are able to infer components of a population’s culture from pathology like caries (Lanfranco & Eggers, 2010). Most literature implies that women have higher rates of caries than men because of cultural practices and natural physiological differences which are thought to put women at an increased risk (Lukacs, 2008). Another established trend throughout literature is that caries prevalence tends to increase with age, regardless of sex (Hillson, 2008). We evaluated data from the East Smithfield (1348-1350 AD) and Saint …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Physical Activity And Health Influences Among College Students, Rachael Larkin

Honors Theses

Objective: To assess the associations between physical activity, subjective well-being (SWB), and social media influences before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 period among college-aged students. Participants: Male and female students from the University of Mississippi who were between the ages of 18-25 volunteered to participate in this study. Out of 10,000 invitation emails distributed, a total of 290 individuals responded and were used for the subsequent analysis. Results: Almost half of the respondents (46.1%) noted a decrease in physical activity from before March-May (M-M) 2020 to during M-M 2020. In addition, 41% of the respondents reported an increase in …

End Group Modification Of Linear Dendritic Block Copolymers (Ldbcs), Chinwe Udemgba

Honors Theses

Linear dendritic block copolymers are amphiphilic molecules that consist of a dendritic hydrophilic portion and a linear hydrophobic portion. Its unique ability to self-assemble into spherical nanoaggregates while having the potential to uptake and transport both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs makes these polymers an item of interest in regard to the drug delivery field. The synthesis of polyamidoamine-polylactide linear dendritic block copolymers was designed to address the common issues in drug delivery systems, including problems in permeability, solubility, stability, specificity, and retention. Though this linear dendritic block copolymer has previously been synthesized in our lab with cationic amine surface functionalities, …

Functional Connectivity Of The Inferior Frontal Gyrus In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Emma Miller

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a “neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction” which is heavily impacts language abilities. There is an abundance of research on the neurological aspects of the disorder, which appear to have major differences of activation and functionality when compared to typically developing peers. Specifically, in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), a key language region of the brain, functional connectivity levels tend to be significantly less in ASD groups. This study recognizes these trends and aims to expand the research by locating specific functional connections …

Responses Of The Carnivorous Pink Spoonleaf Sundew (Drosera Capillaris) To Nitrogen Addition, Phosphorus Addition, And Simulated Fire, Karina Rodriguez Castillo

Honors Theses

This study investigated how the carnivorous plant, Drosera capillaris(pink sundew), responded to changes in the resources of its habitat, the fire-prone, nutrient-poor wet savannas. It is of interest to determine what soil nutrient(s), nitrogen or phosphorus, limits the survival and growth of pink sundew, and to what extent, if any, does fire affect the survival and growth of this carnivorous plant. My field experiments had twenty plots with two replicate groups consisting of four pink sundews in each plot. From the fall of 2017 to the fall of 2019, only half of the plots were clipped annually, and there …

To Be Haunted: A Collection Of Short Stories, Kallye Smith

Honors Theses

This thesis is a work of collected pieces of fiction that seek to explore what it means to be haunted. By exploring the concept of ghosts, the pieces in this collection attempt to take a fresh approach to the traditional paranormal story.

Systematic Review Of Race/Ethnicity In Parkinson's Disease, Amia Fisher

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to examine race/ethnicity with an emphasis on African Ancestry in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) through a systematic review. Out of 448 scholarly articles that were originally extracted from the search, 445 were excluded due to their irrelevance regarding race/ethnicity and African ancestry in PD. Three scholarly articles were obtained through a PubMed/MEDLINE search for the review. Amongst the three sources that were chosen, there were more than 450,000 participants with PD that ranged in ages 40-65+; each case of PD within these studies were reported from 1993-2005. The varying races/ethnicities of White/non-Hispanic White, Black/African American, …

Germania: The Nazi Party And The Third Reich Through The Lens Of Classical Architecture, Maggie L. Smith

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the influence of classical architectural styles and principles on architectural projects in Germany during the Third Reich. My research focuses on major projects completed by the state and does not delve into private buildings or other structures. All of the data was gathered from scholarly publications of repute and photographs to determine how Adolf Hitler’s regime utilized Greek and Roman stylistic elements in an attempt to revive the power and culture of Germany during a time of strife, as well as how Nazi architecture reflected Hitler’s personal ambition as dictator. Additionally, the thesis doubles as an expansion …

Explanatory Models Of Autism In Nigeria: Exploring Sociocultural Beliefs To Inform Systems Of Care, Gabrielle Udoka Robertson

Honors Theses

Advancements in the diagnosis, understanding, and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yet to benefit children and families struggling with ASD in Nigeria and other African countries. Not only is there a scarcity of research on ASD in sub- Saharan Africa, but also a lack of mental health and special education services and a lack of understanding of the sociocultural considerations that must inform culturally responsive care. As such, this study explored the sociocultural conceptualizations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nigeria and how these conceptualizations affect the experiences and care of people with autism. The unique …

Divine Or Demonic? A Social Approach To Epilepsy From Greco-Roman Antiquity To The Early Middle Ages, James Nicholas Sumrall

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to evaluate how epilepsy was defined, perceived and understood in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as how these ideas were adapted and changed during the early centuries of Christianity. To this end, the thesis is divided into six parts. The Introduction briefly explains epilepsy and discusses how the social approach method can be applied to the disease. Chapter I introduces the Hippocratic understanding of epilepsy and outlines the Greco-Roman religious concepts of pollution and purification, which frequently informed ancient perceptions of epilepsy. The first chapter also analyzes the general relationship between disability, disease and divine selection …

"The Unhappy Class Of Females": An Examination Of Non-Elite White Women In The Civil War-Era South, Reagan Elizabeth Whittington

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the perceptions and realities of non-elite white women in the South and how their lives and expectations changed from the antebellum years to the end of Reconstruction. There were many secondary sources consulted both before and during the research process for this thesis, and these sources are listed, alongside their significance, in the introduction. Most of the primary sources referenced for this thesis were newspapers printed in the South between 1850 and 1877, but United States census data and public records were also consulted. This thesis investigates how non-elite white women were expected to behave by …

Parental And Peer Influences On College Students' Relationships With Food, Body Image, And Intuitive Eating Behaviors, Ann Mcqueen Whatley

Honors Theses

Society is flooded with beliefs and knowledge concerning health, diet, and beauty, which all significantly impact people’s relationships with food, eating, body image, and parental and peer relationships. The present study sought to investigate parental and peer influences on college students’ relationships with food, body image, and intuitive eating behaviors by distributing a self-report survey to a sample of 197 undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi. The survey consisted of six demographic questions regarding age/undergraduate classification, gender, geographical region of hometown, relationship status, childhood living arrangements, and current living arrangement to serve as the independent variables. In addition, the …

From Ideological Resource To Financial Asset: The Evolving Relationship Between Youth And The State In Putin's Russia, Eleanor Schmid

Honors Theses

This thesis identifies four periods of Russian youth policy, and discusses how President Vladimir Putin's approach to youth and youth issues is markedly different than that of previous heads of state, and that it has evolved even within his tenure. My content coding analysis of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs' 2013-2025 Strategy identifies the main values the Russian government seeks to impart upon youth, and my analysis of public opinion surveys of youth provides evidence that there is a connection between the 2013 Strategiia and youth attitudes and values.