Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Testosterone With Prostate Specific Antigen And Prostatic Acid Phosphatase For The Serodiagnosis Of Prostate Cancer In Adult Males, Annie Chu

Honors Theses

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in men. The American Cancer Society has estimated that there were 240,890 newly diagnosed cases in 2011 and 33,720 deaths from prostate cancer. Diagnosis of this disease has traditionally been done by measuring prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels through sero-chemical testing. The purpose of this study is to compare serum testosterone levels to PSA levels and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) levels in the search for new and more accurate technology. This study shows that testosterone was not efficient in correctly diagnosing those with prostate cancer. It had a …

The Effects Of Xanthigentm Supplementation On Body Composition, Serum Markers Of The Metabolic Syndrome, And Hepaptic Enzyme Levels In An Obese Population, Emily Buras

Honors Theses

XanthigenTM [100 mg brown seaweed extract (0.8 % fucoxanthin) and 100 mg pomegranate seed oil (70 % punicic acid)] has been shown to significantly reduce body fat, liver fat, and improve serum markers of liver function in obese females. Twenty-nine participants were matched for age, gender, and body fat percentage and randomized into either a XanthigenTM group or a placebo group. For 16-weeks, participants were asked to consume a reduced calorie diet while supplementing their diet with their respective pills three times per day. Data were analyzed using multivariate ANOVA with repeated measures and presented as mean ± standard deviation. …

The Effects Of Xanthigen Supplementation On Body Weight, Resting Energy Expenditure, And Body Composition In An Obese Population, Lisa Knecht

Honors Theses

Since obesity is a significant problem that is facing the American people, there has been great interest in trying to develop a successful health supplement to help counteract the effects of obesity. Xanthigen is a new supplement composed of brown seaweed extract and pomegranate seed oil and is theorized to increase resting energy expenditure and decrease BMI and body fat. This study involved a 16‐week supplementation protocol to examine the effects of Xanthigen supplementation on an obese population in the Mississippi area. Testing of resting energy expenditure, BMI, and body fat percentage took place every four weeks for 16 weeks. …

Weak Central Coherence Theory Problem Solving In Adults With Asperger Syndrome, Marie Ferderer

Honors Theses

This study examined the effect of Weak Central Coherence on problem solving strategies in adults with Asperger Syndrome. A group of adults with Asperger Syndrome and a group of Neurotypical adults were assessed using a riddle game. This game required participants to solve a riddle based on a cryptic language clue. The types of problem solving strategies employed by each group were recorded and compared in statistical analyses.

Significant differences in problem solving strategy were obtained for the two groups. The neurotypical group evidenced a strategy in which they considered the meaning of the language clue while attempting to solve …

Testosterone Supplementation Effects On Low Bmd In Males Ages 19-62: A Six-Month Intervention, Kara Palmer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a six-month testosterone supplementation on bone mineral density (BMD) in males ages 19-62. Recruiting potential subject through a local clinic, five subjects were eligible for participation in the study. A pre-supplementation DEXA scan was used to measure BMD of the lumbar spine and hip. A post-supplementation DEXA was done after six months of supplementation; the same sites were scanned. Of the initial five subjects, three subjects completed the study. All subjects showed an increase in serum testosterone levels (∆= +537 ng/dL). After the supplementation subject one showed an increase …

An Investigation On The Interaction Of Various Natural Products With The Amyloid-Β Peptide; Betulinic Acid Causes Rapid Amyloid-Β Fibril Formation At The Expense Of Soluble Oligomers, Matthew Planchard

Honors Theses

In this report we investigate the interaction of the natural compounds asiatic acid (AA), asiaticoside (AS), umbelliferone (UM), and betulinic acid (BA) with the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, the aggregation of which is implicated to be the major pathogenic event in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Screening of compounds for ability to affect Aβ aggregation was performed via ThT fluorescence. Only BA showed consistent deviation from controls, causing virtually instantaneous formation of large amounts of fibrils in a concentration-dependent fashion. Turbidity assays ensured the aggregation monitored via ThT was not experimental aberration. Kinetics utilizing ThT and turbidity indicated that BA causes immediate exponential …

Obesity Trends In Head Start Preschoolers, Anna Sanders

Honors Theses

The purpose of this natural comparative study is to see if changes in diet, education, and activity made in a South Mississippi Head Start (HS) preschool from Fall 2007 through Fall 2010 made any changes in the Body Mass Index (BMI) trends in two cohorts of low-income African American 3-year-olds. Cohort 1 BMI trends were measured in Fall 2006 and Spring 2007, before major HS changes in diet, education and activity were made (pre-treatment), and Cohort 2 was measured in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, after major changes were made (post-treatment).

Perceptions Of The Deaf Among Various University Social Groups, Ashley Thrash

Honors Theses

Due to lack of previous research in this area, research for this project will be conducted on various social groups on the Hattiesburg campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in order to determine the attitudes towards the deaf held by each social group. (For this project, a social group is defined as an organization whose members are college students on a university campus.) Research will be conducted through the use of a survey instrument designed to measure hearing people’s perception of deaf people, in terms of their intelligence, job skills, communication skills, academic skills, ability to deal with traffic, …

Barriers And Motivators For Influenza Vaccination Compliance Among Healthcare, Shelby Rogers

Honors Theses

The influenza vaccine is a topic of much debate and concern throughout the healthcare profession. This vaccination has been shown to drastically reduce the number of nosocomial infections of the flu among hospitalized patients. While many healthcare professionals are aware of the benefits of obtaining the influenza vaccination, many remain noncompliant to actually getting vaccinated. This research will use a form of evidence-based practice known as an integrative review of literature in order to determine the course of nursing action to implement regarding influenza vaccination that will best increase the rates of its compliance among health professionals. A number of …

Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding The Human Papillomavirus And Hpv Vaccine Among College Students: A Gender Comparison Study, Kristen O'Flarity

Honors Theses

Objective: Both young men and women should obtain the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in order to reach its intended public health benefits. Because men are behind in this vaccination campaign, this study compared knowledge and attitudes regarding HPV and the vaccine among college-aged men and women in order to improve vaccination strategies among this at-risk population.

Methods: A convenience sample of 95 university students, 40 men and 55 women, ages 18 to 26 (mean age of 20.2) completed self-administered pencil-and-paper questionnaires with approximately 40 questions that assessed the desired variables. Knowledge was measured through multiple choice and true/false questions. …

The Effects Of Music Genre On Rate Of Perceived Exertion In Aerobics Classes, Hannah Hogue

Honors Theses

Upon entering an exercise facility it would be inconceivable not to hear some form of music playing while people are exercising. Whether music is playing over the loudspeakers, or individuals are listening to their iPods, music is a vital part of exercise for many individuals. With so much emphasis on listening to music during physical activity the question arises, “What makes music such a popular component of exercise?” Many studies have assessed the effects of music on exercise (Elliott, 2007; Karageorghis, 1999; Karageorghis & Priest, 2008; Kravitz, 1994; Matesic & Cromartie, 2002). These studies indicate that music has positive effects …

Parental Involvement In Speech-Language Intervention, Victoria Beech Finley

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how parents of children who are successful in therapy are involved, from the parent’s perspective. Literature on parental involvement in therapy is limited, especially findings from the parent’s perspective. This thesis follows a phenomenological qualitative design. The investigator interviewed three mothers regarding their participation. The investigator then transcribed the interviews and cyclically analyzed them to find salient themes across all three. There were two shared themes, acceptance and emotions. It is hoped that this study will provide insight for other parents so that they can contribute to their children’s success in speech-language intervention.

The Effect Of Socioeconomic Status On Local School Wellness Policy Implementation In Mississippi Public Schools, Rebecca Masters

Honors Theses

In recent years, rates of overweight and obesity have increased dramatically in America due to nutritionally poor diets and more sedentary lifestyles. Research has shown that obesity is a risk factor for numerous other conditions such as stroke, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. Unfortunately, overweight and obesity do not only affect the adults in our nation. Rates of overweight and obesity have also increased among American children. Approximately 17% of American children are obese, which is three times the rate of 1980 (Menifield, Doty, & Fletcher, 2008). In order to improve the overall health of America’s …