Digital Commons Network^™

Multiplexing Reductive Alkylation Of Peptides For Quantitative Proteomics, Kevin C. Souza

Honors Scholar Theses

Reductive alkylation is a robust and commonly used labeling technique for quantifying proteins and peptides in complex samples using mass spectrometry. This technique involves the attachment of alkyl groups to an amino group at the N-terminus and lysine residues of a peptide, causing a mass shift that is detectable using mass spectrometry. This work aims to explore the application of reductive alkyl labeling in multiplexed quantitative proteomics. The first part of the study investigates the effectiveness of the labeling of peptides using a variety of aldehydes via reductive alkylation. The aldehydes were chosen, such that they provided various degrees of …

When Mac Shouldn’T Smile Back: Anthropomorphic Logo And Effect On Consumer Perceptions Of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Ainsley E. Ballard

Honors Scholar Theses

Drawing on prior research suggesting that anthropomorphic design can increase trust, liking, and perceived competence, this research investigates whether these effects extend to generative artificial intelligence logos. A three-group between-subjects study was conducted to examine how varying levels of logo anthropomorphization influenced consumer perceptions of an artificial intelligence brand. In being assigned to one of three logo conditions, humanoid (high anthropomorphism), animalistic (moderate anthropomorphism), or nature/geometric (low anthropomorphism), participants evaluated the new logo across multiple dimensions, including liking, brand fit, trustworthiness, and willingness to buy. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the low anthropomorphism condition consistently received the most positive ratings, …

Factors Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts: An Empirical Analysis, Christo D. Jamo

Honors Scholar Theses

The number of pedestrian deaths increased by 78% between 2009 and 2023, while other motor vehicle crash deaths increased by 13% in the same period [1]. To identify potential pedestrian safety measures, this study analyzed the effects of location-based demographics, pedestrian phasing type, and other physical infrastructure and behavior variables on the probability of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at signalized intersections, which is a surrogate measure of crash risk. Data were collected from 55 intersections in Connecticut, and the pedestrian-vehicle interactions were classified by severity based on the Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique: undisturbed passage, potential conflict, minor conflict, or serious conflict. Because …

Gender-Neutral Insurance Reform In The United States: Actuarial Challenges In Pricing And Reserving, Matthew O'Connor

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines whether gender remains an appropriate rating variable in the U.S. insurance industry. Gender has historically been used across several lines of insurance because it has demonstrated predictive value in areas such as mortality, claim frequency, and health utilization. However, the continued use of gender creates challenges as insurance systems attempt to accommodate individuals who do not fall within traditional male/female binary classifications.

The paper first reviews the current state of gender use in U.S. insurance, including examples from auto, health, life, and annuity markets. It then considers equity and ethical concerns, particularly the tension between actuarial fairness …

The Germinal Center Blueprint For Spatial Immune Mapping And Antibody Discovery In Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Nodes, Angel Shah

Honors Scholar Theses

Sentinel lymph nodes are the first nodes that receive drainage from a tumor and are commonly used to evaluate whether cancer has begun to spread, but they also provide an important window into how a patient’s immune system is reacting to tumor-derived antigens. This project examines immune activity within SLNs, with particular attention to germinal centers, where B cells mature, undergo clonal expansion and somatic hypermutation, and generate improved antibody responses. Using a combination of spatially mapped immune marker staining, rapid sampling of reactive germinal centers, cytokine profiling, and single-cell/single-nucleus RNA sequencing, the study aims to characterize the localization, activation …

From Prescription To Plate: Redefining The Pharmacist’S Role In Food Is Medicine Initiatives, Aleena R. Thomas

Honors Scholar Theses

Produce prescription (PRx) programs are an emerging Food is Medicine intervention designed to address diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity by integrating healthcare delivery with access to fruits and vegetables. Diet-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease represent a major public health burden in the United States, particularly among populations with limited access to nutritious food. Despite growing evidence supporting PRx programs, pharmacists -- who routinely manage these conditions and monitor outcomes -- are underutilized in program implementation. The objective of this project is to translate the public health aspects of PRx programs into an accessible, …

Diagnostic Ability Of Rate Of Torque Development For Patellofemoral Pain, Arun Loganathan, Neal R. Glaviano Phd, Sungwan Kim Phd

Honors Scholar Theses

Context: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a highly prevalent condition (22.7% in general population) that significantly impacts the quality of life of those who suffer from it. However, there is no gold standard test to diagnose it yet, leading to inconsistencies with treatment as well as delayed intervention. Rate of torque development (RTD) is a neuromuscular measure that has shown strong connections to PFP.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic ability of RTD for PFP.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Thirty-five individuals with PFP (24 males and 11 females, 22.7 ± 3.7 years, 1.67 ± 0.1 …

Home Cage Pre-Training Enhances Behavioral Task Performance In Head-Fixed Mice, Richard Zou, Claudia Mizerek, Nicholas Audette Dr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Animals utilize predictive processing to improve the processing of sensory information by reducing neural responses to anticipated stimuli and increasing responses to unexpected ones. Prior studies use simple, single-prediction, head-fixed behavioral paradigms, leaving it unclear how the brain stores and processes multiple predictions. Animals must be taught sound generating behaviors to study multiple, simultaneous predictions; however, learning in head-fixed conditions is inefficient. Therefore, we developed a two-lever behavioral task with auditory feedback and exposed mice to the task in home cages prior to switching to head-fixed training. Behavioral analysis suggests that mice understand key components of the task during pre-training, …

Play To Win: A Randomized Controlled Trial To Assess The Effects Of Play-Based Training On Upper Extremity Function In Children With Hemiplegia, Vivian London

Honors Scholar Theses

Hemiplegia, or paralysis of one side of the body, is the primary symptom of unilateral cerebral palsy, a subtype of cerebral palsy, the most common movement disorder in children. Standard of care is regular physical and occupational therapy to improve performance in bimanual activities, but conventional therapy can be expensive and draining for caregivers and children, so a need exists for a novel intervention that can take place at home and that is economical for families while being engaging for children. This thesis reports data from a subset of ten children seen as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial …

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Reactions To Germ Exposure Based On The Big 5 Personalities, Elizabeth Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

Despite extensive didactic and clinical training, variability in adherence to infection prevention practices in undergraduate nursing students exists. Individual differences, such as personality, may help to explain this inconsistency. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the Big Five personality traits were associated with self-reported pathogen mitigation or avoidance behavior in undergraduate nursing students. An online survey design was used with undergraduate nursing students. Participants were presented with scenarios depicting different pathogen exposures and asked to indicate their likelihood of engaging in pathogen mitigation behaviors. The Big Five personality traits were also assessed, and bivariate …

A Border Of Broken Promises: The Unfulfilled Commitments Of The Crc For Migrant Children At The U.S. Southern Border, Eva R. Passer

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis examines how closely the treatment of migrant children from Latin America to the United States aligns with the ideals of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Its central question is: to what extent do current practices comply with CRC standards? Although the CRC outlines clear obligations to uphold the best interests and fundamental rights of all children, these principles are inconsistently applied within U.S. immigration policy and practice. Through a comparative analysis of Donald Trump’s first administration and Joe Biden's presidential administration, this thesis evaluates six CRC articles concerning child migrants. It then …

Identifying And Quantifying The Presence And Benefits Of Natural Products In Commonly Consumed Herbs, Fruits, And Teas, Angelica Velasquez

Honors Scholar Theses

Natural products are primary or secondary metabolites derived from plants, animals, or microorganisms that display bioactive properties which can be beneficial to human health. Such properties include antibiotic, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and may play a role in drug discovery. These compounds can be isolated and synthetically altered to enhance their therapeutic potential. However, isolating individual compounds from natural sources is often challenging due to their low abundances. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) enables the detection of trace-level metabolites, making it an indispensable tool in the screening process. In this study, GC-MS was utilized to identify and quantify natural compounds in 12 …

The Development Of A Crispr-Based Calibrated Functional Assay For Classifying Pathogenicity Of Msh2 And Msh6 Variants In Lynch Syndrome, Olivia N. Amodeo

Honors Scholar Theses

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary disease caused by the inheritance of a mismatch repair gene variant. Individuals with this condition are predisposed to cancer development, most commonly colorectal cancer. Current guidelines for variant classification are based on numerous evidence categories, including functional evidence. However, many novel clinical variants are not well characterized, and evidence is difficult to obtain if functional assays are not calibrated.

To address this, our lab created a calibrated functional assay that calculates an odds of pathogenicity score for MSH2 and MSH6 gene variants that can be used as evidence for classifying variants of uncertain significance. This …

Reversible, Light-Controlled Inhibition Of Stim1-Mediated Calcium Signaling Using Photoswitchable Ml-9 Derivatives In Jurkat-Lucia Nfat Reporter T Cells, José L. Matute Gálvez

Honors Scholar Theses

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) through calcium release-activated

calcium (CRAC) channels is the dominant pathway for sustained Ca2+ influx in

non-excitable cells and is essential for T cell activation, driving downstream

signaling through the calcineurin-NFAT transcriptional axis. Dysregulation of

SOCE produces multi-systemic disease phenotypes, establishing that precise,

spatiotemporally controlled modulation of this pathway is a fundamental

therapeutic requirement. ML-9 is one of the only characterized small molecules

capable of targeting SOCE upstream at the level of STIM1 localization, but lacks

the selectivity, pharmacokinetic properties, and spatiotemporal control necessary

for therapeutic development.

This work describes the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of …

Disturbances In A Convergece Zone: Artisanal Fishers And The Making Of The Nearshore In Northern Coastal Peru, Leigh Shattuck Rodi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project seeks to study how artisanal fishers in northern coastal Peru interpret and respond to environmental change provoked by three sources of harm: climate change, overfishing, and contamination. Drawing from six and a half weeks of ethnographic fieldwork among artisanal fishers in Lobitos, Peru, this paper foregrounds the concept of the nearshore assemblage to highlight the ever-shifting relations between humans and marine ecologies that constitute littoral and oceanic worlds. Artisanal fishers utilize discriminatory, non-mechanical methods to fish in a protected section of Peru’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Fishing livelihoods in this space were previously possible because the convergence of …

Staying In Stem?: A Qualitative Exploration Of Women’S College Classroom Experiences In Stem Education, Sarah Dapaah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women leave STEM not because of a lack of ability, but because of the classroom and institutional conditions they encounter once they arrive. This study examines how classroom experiences shape women’s decisions to persist in or leave STEM majors at the college level. Drawing on the sociological frameworks of doing gender, gendered organizations, and intersectionality, this study explores how gender, race, and class shape women’s experiences of belonging, support, discouragement, and recognition in STEM. Using 21 semi-structured interviews and 4 classroom observations at the University of Mississippi, the study analyzes the experiences of undergraduate women who remained in STEM, women …

“Con Ăn Cơm Chưa?” (“Have You Eaten Yet?”): Foodways, Identity, And Generational Place-Making For Vietnamese Women In Memphis, Alana Freimanis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the role of food within community tactics for mobilization and negotiation. In order to do so, this study employs a mixed-methods approach of semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and archival analysis, to answer questions around how participants subvert historically racialized narratives around Vietnamese immigrant’s labor, family, and identity. Specifically, how do Vietnamese American women in Memphis use food labor to negotiate racialized immigrant identities and mobilize cultural and community power within the constraints of gendered expectations, class position, and racial stereotypes? Furthermore, this research focuses on Vietnamese women’s positionality, centering women chefs and community leaders as the …

Health And Care: Childhood Among The Classic Period Maya At Buenavista Del Cayo, Belize, Lindsey Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three deposits of perinates, infants, and young children within two non-residential superstructures of Buenavista del Cayo, Belize, display evidence of daily maintenance and care. A total of ten subadult individuals, aged 39.4 weeks gestation to 3 years, from the archaeological site of Buenavista were recovered during 2018 excavations. Signs of care and daily maintenance include survivorship through the vulnerable neonatal period (first twenty-eight days) and transition into infancy, survivorship with potential pinprick lesions on external and internal zygomatic, parietal, and pars basilaris, and intentional maintenance of the body after death. Identification of care and daily maintenance at Buenavista informs the …

Mining The Body: Racial Capitalism And The Embodied Sacrifice Zone, Regina Marie Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mining the Body: Racial Capitalism and the Sacrifice Zone of the Body examines 20th and 21st-century American literature, excavating the ways in which mining not only extracted resources from the earth, but also mined the bodies of their workers for their labor, often ignoring safety in the name of economy. This extraction of coal and of labor, along with its attendant exploitations, sparked unionization and labor movements throughout the century, as miners were frequently at the forefront of asserting their rights in response to this treatment. Using a framework that relies on both environmental criticism, such as Rob Nixon’s Slow …

Examining The Relationship Between Co-Curricular Programming And Burnout Among Medical Students At An Academic Medical Center, Lauren Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This three-manuscript dissertation examines the relationship between co-curricular programming and burnout among Doctor of Medicine (MD) students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), situating the issue within broader concerns about physician well-being and institutional responsibility.

Manuscript I establishes the conceptual and empirical foundation for the study by reviewing the prevalence, consequences, and theoretical framing of burnout in medical education. Drawing on Maslach’s three-dimensional model of burnout—emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment—and Astin’s Student Involvement Theory, the manuscript situates co-curricular engagement as a potential protective factor against distress. The literature review highlights alarming rates of depression, suicidal ideation, …

Connecting The Dots: Hbcus, Access To Ai Education, And The Realities Of Public-Private Collaboration, Whitney Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape workforce demands and educational priorities, this partnership has emerged as a potentially effective mechanism for advancing equitable access to emerging technologies. However, limited research has explored how and why diverse organizations engage in such collaborations, particularly in regions facing persistent educational and economic disparities. This study examines the organizational motivations driving participation in the Mississippi AI Collaborative (MAIC), a multi-sector partnership involving a higher education institution, industry partners, nonprofits, and a K-12 system. While the MAIC focuses specifically on AI education and training, the purpose of this study is not to examine AI …

School Counselor Preparation For Supporting Special Education Competencies In Mississippi, Rachel Mcclain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School counselors play a critical role in supporting the academic, social, emotional, and career development of students with disabilities (SWD) in K-12 educational settings. However, current preparation standards provide limited guidance regarding how school counseling programs should prepare school counselors-in-training to work with special education populations. This qualitative case study explored how two CACREP-accredited school counseling programs in Mississippi prepare school counselors-in-training to support SWD. Participants included school counselor educators, site supervisors, and school counseling interns affiliated with the programs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a document review of course syllabi and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed …

Invisible: An Autoethnographic Study Of Teaching And Learning With Physical Disabilities And Neurodivergence, Amanda Josephine Austin Goodwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this autoethnographic study, vignettes of a female high school teacher and graduate student with invisible disabilities are analyzed through the lens of Critical Disability Theory. This study provides teachers, administrators, and policy makers with a first-hand account of some of the barriers individuals with invisible disabilities face. Policies, environments, and practices in K-12 education, higher education, and broader society are analyzed. Advancements in inclusivity and accessibility as well as improvements in teacher education programs are suggested. Reflection throughout this study, three core themes emerged: listen, believe, and support individuals with invisible disabilities.

Exploring Integrated Arts Education For Students With Autism, Karen Denise Harrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often misunderstood because of challenges in communication, social-emotional development, and sensory processing. Neuroscience research highlights that individuals with ASD process information and stimuli differently, particularly in areas related to sensory integration, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. Traditional educational methods often isolate these students from their neurotypical peers, reducing opportunities to engage meaningfully with standards-based curricula. Integrated arts education offers an alternative approach, aligning with neuroscience principles by engaging multiple brain regions through movement, rhythm, imagery, and creativity, allowing students with ASD to demonstrate their learning through project-based and creative experiences that meet diverse …

Faculty Socialization In Physical Therapy Residencies, Joseph Michael Meurrier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Therapy schools. Many of the new faculty members will be composed of former clinicians who have made the transition to academia without any prior preparation or experience in the academic sphere. To help with this transition, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has accredited Faculty Development Residencies (FDRs) to help prepare new faculty for academic life. However, many clinicians transitioning to faculty life are not in a position to go through a residency prior to starting an academic position. Therefore, my goal with the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) was to take the socialization elements from the FDRs and propose a …

Exploring Mississippi Valley State University’S First-Year Experience Program: Students’ Perceptions Of Its Impact On Their Sense Of Belonging, Jordan Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colleges and universities have a primary goal of providing quality education to their students with the hope that those students go on to make positive contributions to society. While many people tend to credit classroom learning for those societal contributions, an argument can be made that supplementary experiences are just as valuable. At Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), a small, public Historically Black College/University in the Mississippi Delta area, student engagement initiatives are of extreme importance for first-year students. Students at MVSU face several challenges including college readiness, ability to afford college, and desire to persist and earn their degrees. …

Could Grange Membership Reduce Brain Drain?: Perceptions Of Student Fraternal Members On Returning To Rural America After Graduation, Amanda Leigh Brozana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural communities across the United States continue to experience population decline as young adults with postsecondary aspirations often leave their hometowns in pursuit of educational and economic opportunities. This migration, commonly referred to as rural brain drain, is often a result of the cumulative effects of limited access to postsecondary resources, career pathways, and community infrastructure that support rural retention. While extensive research documents the economic and educational dimensions of this phenomenon, fewer studies explore the influence of social, civic, and fraternal organizations on sustaining rural identity and fostering connection to place. This Dissertation in Practice proposes a study to …

Life Balance And Teacher Wellness: Exploring Protective Factors Among Early Childhood Educators, Kathryn Amidon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood educators shape future generations by guiding the development of young children. The well-being of early childhood educators is a concern due to unique stressors within the early childhood education context, including heavy workloads, high demands, and too few resources. Previous studies on the topic of teacher wellness have shown that teachers’ mental wellness impacts teacher burnout, teacher retention, and student outcomes, making the need for better understanding of the factors influencing teacher wellness a priority for future research. This quantitative study aimed to explore life balance as a protective factor of teacher wellness, inquiring about the extent of …

Investors' Perceptions Of Audit Workload And Experience Disclosures, Tara L. Baggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I employ a 3 x 2 between-subjects experiment to examine how audit experience and workload disclosures impact non-professional investors’ perceptions of audit quality. Consistent with implications for actual audit quality, I predict and find that non-professional investors perceive audit quality to be higher when disclosures report more experienced auditors. Workload, though, is more susceptible to variations in interpretation, with the possibility of discrepant effects. I identify and explore two potential interpretations of workload, effort and overwork, finding support for both, and as predicted, I find evidence that these interpretations differentially affect non-professional investors’ perceptions of audit quality. Interpreted as overwork, …

Investigating The Effects Of High- And Low-Load Resistance Training On Tendon Size, Muscle Growth, And Strength Adaptations, William Blake Hammert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To examine the effects of resistance training load and a single bout of maximal strength testing on skeletal muscle growth, distal biceps brachii tendon thickness, and task-specific and non-specific strength outcomes relative to a time-matched non-exercise control group. Methods: 216 young (~21 years), non-resistance trained adults (125 females) were enrolled, with 201 (118 females) included in the final analyses. Participants were randomized to: High-Load (n=45), Low-Load (n=48), Mid-Point (n=54), or Control (n=54). High- and Low-Load completed 6 weeks of unilateral elbow flexion resistance training to task failure, Mid-Point completed a one-repetition maximum (1RM) elbow flexion test at 3-weeks, and …