Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Covalent Ineteractions Of Trimethylamine N-Oxide (Tmao) And Urea In Water, John Prather

Honors Theses

TMAO and urea are important osmolytes. Osmolytes help maintain cell volume with their presence inside and outside cells. Urea is used by kidney cells to neutralize strong osmotic gradients caused by excretion of hypertonic waste. Although urea is for volume- maintaining purposes, it is also known to be a strong denaturant of cellular proteins. The method by which urea destabilizes folded proteins is a debated topic. There is evidence that urea binds directly to amino acid side chains to make protein folding less thermodynamically favored. It has also been suggested that urea acts indirectly to denature proteins by destabilizing the …

Nursing During An Era Of Change: A Challenge And Opportunity, Wm. Martin

College of Business Faculty and Staff Works

Healthcare in the United States and other nations is changing dramatically at an unprecedented pace. In the United States, these sweeping changes are partially a result of the Affordable Care Act. Across the world including the United States, the other driving forces include an aging population, increasing prevalence of chronic, lifestyle related diseases, advances in technology, and pressures to lower costs. Nursing has always led and adapted to changes in healthcare delivery. Based upon a review of the literature and an analysis of forecasted changes, this paper outlines seven driving forces of change confronting nurses today. These changes are presented …

Up In Smoke: The Unintended Consequences Of Marijuana Legalization In The United States On Public Health And Safety, Claire Colquitt

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore the potential public health and safety consequences of the legalization of marijuana in the United States. A review of existing literature on the health effects of marijuana use and marijuana's impact on public safety was conducted. Researchers are still unclear as to exactly how marijuana use affects brain structure and function, but some studies indicate that long-term chronic use leads to changes in both neurological function and physical brain structure. Researchers have been unable to identify how marijuana use affects respiratory function and physical health. Finally, marijuana's relationship with psychological health is …

Visualization Techniques Of Shear Wave Propagation In Wormlike Micellar Fluid, Connor M. Tierney

Honors Theses

In an aqueous solution amphiphilic molecules can self-aggregate and form a wormlike micellar fluid. These non-Newtonian fluids have been studied in the context of diagnostic medical imaging due to the fact that the fluids have viscoelastic properties and can act as a nonperishable model for human tissue. They also display flow-birefringence, which is a property that allows for the analysis of shear wave propagation through the fluid. However, one issue encountered at lower micelle concentrations is the inability to see the emergent birefringence pattern that results from shear wave propagation. In this study Experiment 1 was an analysis of shear …

An Investigation Of Protein-Dna Binding Characteristics By Fluorescence Anisotropy, Danna Nobile

Honors Theses

Recent studies have illustrated the presence of several secondary, non-B DNA structures that are associated with the promoter regions of several oncogenes, such as the intensely studied MYC gene. Two such secondary structures, G-quadruplexes and i-Motifs, have become topics of interest due to their prevalence within oncogenic promoters and their potential accessibility for future drug targeting due to their globular natures. Though fairly extensive research has been conducted to understand different factors affecting G-quadruplex formation and stability, similar studies for i-Motifs, particularly related to thermodynamics, are still evolving. One factor known to contribute to the additional energy required for duplex …

Comparison Of The Spatial Distributions Of Cavitation Damage With The Measured Diffraction Patterns For A High-Power Ultrasonic Transducer, Davis Lane Rogers

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a model of the propagation of ultrasonic fields produced by an ultrasonic transducer, a device that uses a piezoelectric crystal to produce high-intensity ultrasonic waves. The transducer operates immersed in a water bath where it generates waves of sufficient intensity to produce non-linear phenomena that include acoustic streaming and cavitation. This study used a planar transducer to visualize the damaging effects of high-intensity ultrasonic waves targeted on acrylic plates. Seven plates were targeted and positioned from 8.5 to 11.5 cm from the transducer. The spatial distribution and degree of …

Estimating The Number Of Components Of A Spatial—Em Algorithm: An R Package, Aishat O. Aloba

Honors Theses

The Expectation Maximization algorithm also known as the EM algorithm is an algorithm used to solve the maximum likelihood parameter estimation problem. This problem arises when some of the data involved are missing or incomplete, hence it becomes difficult to know the parameters of the underlying distribution. The EM algorithm mainly comprises of two steps; the E—Step, and the M—Step. In the E—Step, estimated parameter values are used as true values to calculate the maximum likelihood estimate, and in the M—Step, the maximum likelihood calculated is used to estimate the parameters. The E—Step and M—Step iterate through until a specified …

Kore: A Natural Paint Pigment Company, Allison Young

Honors Theses

With the company I am creating I intend to help artists recognize that sustainable options are available without giving up on quality in regards to paint products. Named Kore, my company focuses on creating reusable, environmentally friendly pigment based paints exclusively for artists. Earth Pigments is a company that makes non-toxic pigments from the earth, but unfortunately has poor product design, which reflects lesser quality paints. The branding process will include designing labels, business cards, a pamphlet, advertisements, and tote bags. My intention for Kore is to provide the highest quality paints while at the same time leave minimal environmental …

The Role Of Acceptance In Ptsd Symptomatology Among A Nonclinical Sample, Amanda E. Gerard

Honors Theses

Studies have demonstrated the role of various psychological factors such as avoidance in PTSD (Marx & Sloan, 2005; Badour et al., 2012), but research examining the role of acceptance is limited. The few studies performed in the area have demonstrated significant associations between acceptance and PTSD symptomatology (Tull et al., 2007; Vujanovic et al., 2009) in addition to providing evidence that acceptance-based treatments can be effective for PTSD (Orsillo & Batten, 2005; Batten & Hayes, 2005). The current study aimed to expand previous research by using a large nonclinical sample and controlling for several relevant comorbidities. It was hypothesized that …

The Use Of Social Media Within Organizations To Foster Connections, Collaboration, And Knowledge Sharing Among Geographically Dispersed Teams, Carmen Ramson-Herzing

College of Communication Theses and Dissertations

The study explores how internal social media platforms can help geographically dispersed colleagues become more connected, more collaborative, and more willing to share information. The study findings are based on the analysis of three social media/social networking community “teamsites” available online to three different groups within a global law firm: a Real Estate practice, a women’s affinity group, and a marketing department, in addition to interviews with six participants of such teamsites. Following an interpretive paradigm defined by Sarah Tracy (2013), this study considers Electronic Propinquity Theory, Media Richness Theory, and Social Information Processing Theory by evaluating social media as …

Creating Knowledge, Volume 8, 2015

Creating Knowledge

Dear reader,

I am delighted to introduce this eighth volume of Creating Knowledge: The LAS Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship. This volume features 19 essays and 14 art works, representing advanced coursework produced in twenty different departments and programs during the 2014-2015 academic year. Several of the essays have been honored with department awards and several draw on research supported by undergraduate research grants. Many were originally written in senior capstone seminars, research-intensive seminars, and independent studies, and many were presented in some form at one of the numerous conferences and showcases sponsored by departments and programs throughout the year. All …

The Prescribed Advantage: An Examination And Ethical Discussion Of The Growing Prescription Stimulant Culture, Joseph L. Maxwell

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to examine the current state of prescription stimulant use, particularly on college campuses, and the impact of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dilemma. I will first discuss the science explaining and relating ADHD etiology and the effects of stimulant medications on the mind and body. I will then discuss the accepted criteria for ADHD diagnosis and the ambiguity they create. Next I will identify the central issue: the widespread illicit use of stimulant medications, particularly for academic purposes. I will expound on the development of this situation, the influence of the competitive collegiate atmosphere, and …

A Study Of Earnings Managent And Financial Statement Reporting Issues Surroding Public Traded Corporations, Juntao Wu

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to study some publicly traded companies' financial reporting systems. I chose four companies in different industries to conduct a series of analyses and evaluations. In Section One, the quality of these companies' financial reporting systems is carefully examined and evaluated. First, I discuss some potential earnings management strategies that managers from different departments tend to adopt. Next, some of the chosen companies' important policies, such as revenue recognition, are compared with industrial standards or relevant policies from competitors. In addition, earnings management and financial reporting issues that relate to income taxes are discussed separately. …

A Study Of Public Opinion On Sex Education In Mississippi, Karson Brandenburg

Honors Theses

In 2011, Mississippi, a state ranked fourth in the nation for high teen pregnancy rates, passed a law mandating sex education for all public school districts in the form of either the abstinence-only or the abstinence-plus method. This thesis describes the background of those two methods and how they are currently being implemented in Mississippi school districts. Additionally, it looks at how Mississippi parents and leaders feel about sex education in schools as a whole and then more specifically how they feel about the current options for sex education and the execution of sex education classes. This was done through …

Red, Blue, And Green: Determining Environmental Orientation On The University Of Mississippi Campus, Kendall Lane Mcdonald

Honors Theses

The goal of this research was to identify and begin to understand the environmental attitudes and behaviors of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Mississippi. This study employed a quantitative survey approach. The survey consisted of the Revised New Ecological Paradigm scale to measure environmental attitudes, and a lifestyle questionnaire to gauge self-reported sustainability behaviors and relationship with the natural world. This survey was broadcasted to all within the University of Mississippi's email listserv. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, means comparisons, and independent samples t-tests. Major findings included: women reported more pro-ecological responses than men in all …

An American Prophet: Wendell Berry's Community Ethic, 1965-1977, Joel Garrott

Honors Theses

This thesis provides a detailed commentary on Wendell Berry's agrarian ethic as articulated in his early literature of the 1960s and 1970s. It is part biography of Berry's early life, part history of his early thought, and part literary interpretation of his early work. It expounds on the significance of Berry's personal connection to place, and situates Berry's agrarian argument for community life in the context of the social issues addressed in his early literature. The central argument of this project is that Berry's agrarian ethic was grown out of his relationship with his native place in Kentucky, and that …

Psychiatric Symptomatology In Migraine Sufferers And The Relationship With Headache-Related Self-Efficacy, Lindsay W. Wencel

Honors Theses

Introduction: Self-efficacy (SE) refers to one's belief in their ability to successfully complete a task. Increases in SE are associated with improved pain outcomes as well as improvements in anxiety and depression (Turner, 2005). Headache-related self-efficacy (HSE) refers to a person's belief in his/her ability to manage migraine attacks. Previous studies illustrate that HSE and psychiatric comorbidities are independently related to migraine disability, severity, and treatment outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between HSE and psychiatric comorbidities among individuals with migraine. Methods: 852 young adult migraineurs (M age = 19.22; 79.9% female; 77.0% Caucasian) …

Family Vault: How To Protect And Organize Your Personal Information For Your Family, Mary Daniel Simpson

Honors Theses

Integrated Marketing Communications courses focus on examining marketing campaigns and learning to create pieces of campaigns. Students are taught that new product campaigns must garner brand awareness, and in order to do so effectively, must be weighted heavily in insightful research. This thesis seeks to culminate the knowledge gathered from the curricula by designing both a new product and an integrated campaign from which to launch the product. The new product is a life document organizer, to be used in preparation for a tragedy, such as death or natural disaster. The product's purpose is to easily deliver peace of mind …

Design And Synthesis Of Sigma-1 Probe For Positron Emission Tomography (Pet) Imaging, May Ly

Honors Theses

Sigma-1 receptor radioligands have the potential to detect and monitor various neurological diseases. Because sigma-1 receptors are believed to be associated with numerous psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative diseases, radioligands for sigma-1 receptors have the potential to serve as novel diagnostic tools and may be useful in assessing treatment effectiveness. A benzothiazolone 18F-labeled sigma-1 receptor ligand, CM304, has demonstrated promise as a specific positron emission tomography radiotracer for visualizing sigma-1 receptors in living subjects. Based on CM304, backup molecules were created to improve the overall drug profile, including half- life and bioavailability.

From Lazarus To Theophilus: How Manuscript Digitization Led To The Historical, Chemical, And Technological Understanding Of Iron Gall Ink And Its Counterparts, Meredith Oliver

Honors Theses

This paper examines the physical and chemical composition of iron gall ink, how such composition has changed throughout its use in history, and the current chemical, digital, and multi-spectral methods by which the digital humanities use to preserve ancient texts inscribed with such ink. By using spectral technology, I hypothesized it possible to date and locate the geographic origin of ink based on its chemical composition. Uv-vis, fluorescence, and micro-XRF spectrometry were used to analyze elemental composition. Ink samples were made to simulate the ink on ancient manuscripts for UV-vis and fluorescence spectral analysis. Micro-XRF was performed on the Vercelli …

A Broken System? Prescription Drug Use And Abuse In Fraternity And Sorority Members., Morgan Pollard

Honors Theses

Although a relationship between Greek affiliation and increased risktaking has been observed in previous research, the relationship between prescription drug abuse and Greek affiliation has not been thoroughly researched. Participants in the current study comprised a sample of 515 University of Mississippi undergraduate students (28.99% male, 71.01% female) recruited via a campus wide survey comprised of a stratified random sample of the university student population. The results of this examination reveal that there is a significant relationship between prescription drug use, all types of drugs as well as stimulants and opiates specifically, and abuse and Greek affiliation.Thissignificant relationship is examined …

Electron Cloud Studies With Transverse Beam Islands, Neetish Pradhan

Honors Theses

Electron cloud generation has been a rising problem in high energy beam chambers such as the LHC. In order to mitigate this problem, we looked for the best beam configuration to scrub the chambers and reduce its secondary electron yield. Using simulations, a five-island beam and a three-island beam were compared against a normal single beam. The five-island beam was found to work best.

Fraud And Its Relation To The Hospitality Industry, Nicole Ross

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze and explore the numerous components of fraud, including its relation and presence in the hospitality industry. Additionally, the study contains findings and analyses derived from participation in a professional development series conducted in a classroom setting and two accounting case studies hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and KMPG in Fall 2013. I will dissect fraud down to its various elements and compile a work plan and proposal originating from the findings from the study. The study examines the causes of fraud, people who commit fraud, fraud legislation, and fraud trends. Through primary and secondary …

Not Got Milk? The Effect On The Gut Microbiome Of Removing Dairy From The Diet, Patrick Tyler Stovall

Honors Theses

The human gut contains a highly diverse set of bacteria that perform a wide range of duties that include much more than just nutrient acquisition. However, the composition of this community is subject to change, with diet, age and lifestyle playing roles in the development and maintenance of the gut microbiota. This study compared the bacterial composition of the human gut when consuming a normal diet versus a dairy-free diet. Samples were taken from a single subject during three periods: 1) control (normal) diet, 2) dairy-free diet, and 3) a return to normal diet. Gut bacterial communities were identified and …

Effects Of Large Induced Superconducting Gap On Semiconductor Majorana Nanowires, William S. Cole, S. Das Sarma, Tudor D. Stanescu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

With the recent achievement of extremely high-quality epitaxial interfaces between InAs nanowires and superconducting Al shells with strong superconductor-semiconductor tunnel coupling, a new regime of proximity-induced superconductivity in semiconductors can be explored where the induced gap may be similar in value to the bulk Al gap (large gap) with negligible subgap conductance (hard gap). We propose several experimentally relevant consequences of this large-gap strong-coupling regime for tunneling experiments, and we comment on the prospects of this regime for topological superconductivity. In particular, we show that the advantages of having a strong spin-orbit coupling and a large spin g-factor in the …

A New Proof Of Borel’S Lemma In Two Dimensions, Dening Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Optical Spin Readout Method In A Quantum Dot Using The Ac Stark Effect, Edward B. Flagg, Glenn S. Solomon

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

On The Self-Excitation Mechanisms Of Plasma Series Resonance Oscillations In Single- And Multi-Frequency Capacitive Discharges, Edmund Schüngel, Steven Brandt, Ihor Korolov, Aranka Derzsi, Zoltán Donkó, Julian Schulze

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Acoustic Phonon Dynamics In Thin-Films Of The Topological Insulator Bi 2 Se 3, Yuri D. Glinka, Sercan Babakiray, Trent A. Johnson, Mikel B. Holcomb, David Lederman

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

High-Resolution Controller Data Performance Measures For Optimizing Diverging Diamond Interchanges And Outcome Assessment With Drone Video, Alexander M. Hainen, Amanda L. Stevens, Christopher M. Day, Howell Li, Jamie Mackey, Matt Luker, Mark Taylor, James R. Sturdevant, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.