Theses - Honors College

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Drink Your Garlic Tea and Take Your ACE Inhibitors: Mexican-American Alternative Medicine and Texas Medical School Cultural Competency Programs
Martinez, Miranda; Hardin, Karol; Health Science Studies.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
Current literature suggests that healthcare in the U.S. does not adequately address culture. This issue is important in border states such as Texas that have large populations of Spanish-speaking patients, yet Texas medical school training is insufficient for treating the growing Hispanic population. In particular, Texas medical schools are inadequately preparing students to provide culturally competent care to Hispanic patients. This lack of preparation often contributes to cultural and linguistic barriers between physicians and Hispanic patients. A physician’s lack of understanding about a patient’s cultural background can hinder the physician-patient relationship, thereby negatively affecting patient outcomes and adherence. Therefore, physicians should be taught common features of Hispanic cultures that impact healthcare, such as the use of complementary medicine, spiritual healing practices, undisclosed pharmaceutical use, and other cultural values pertaining to health. Through a review of sociological studies, medical school curricula, and historical records, this study argues that cultural competency holds a significant role in improving health equity for Hispanic patients. Recommendations are made for Texas medical school cultural competency programs to incorporate instruction on culture and require language components as an approach to more effectively teach students to provide culturally appropriate care.
Ambiguous Morality in the Human Condition as Reflected by Modern Villains from Popular Culture
McNeal, James; Kendrick, James; Business Fellows.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
What makes morality and the question of right and wrong increasingly challenging to answer, and how does the recent trend of complex villains across various media reflect the state of morality? Through examining eight characters drawn from popular culture and analyzing their narratives and beliefs, their unique reflections of the human condition provide a basis for the human struggle between good and evil. Such a basis encompasses how individuals come to think about their actions and the actions of those around them in a way that expands the understanding of others. The narratives and beliefs of villains receive comparison with other, real-world examples across disciplines including, but not limited to, popular culture, philosophy, current events, and sociology. As each villain explored is expressly different, the implications and parallels derived from each are examined in ways that reflect their individuality. Analysis of each character’s actions and ideologies illustrates morality as a uniquely individual construct.
Self-Interest, Obligation, and Anxiety: Abortion Ethics in Colonial New England
Treat, Madelyn; Edwards, Elise; History.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
This thesis considers how colonial Americans in late seventeenth and early eighteenth-century New England perceived and regulated abortion. After reviewing medical, legal, and religious texts from the time, I propose that colonial authorities generally did not view abortion as an issue, except when it was perceived as an attempt to hide sexual immorality. Even so, records of court cases involving abortion show that colonists hoped to keep instances of abortion from the attention of these authorities. This tension provides insight into colonial anxieties regarding self-interest, communal obligations, and sin.
Comparison of Narrative Discourse Production Using Correct Information Units (CIUs) in Individuals with Unilateral Brain Damage
Fisher, Hannah; Yoo, Hyunsoo; Communication Sciences and Disorders.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
The aim of this study is to compare the narrative discourse production differences in adults with right hemisphere damage (RHD) and aphasia resulting from left hemisphere damage, using measures of CIUs (total # CIUs, CIUs/Minute, and %CIUs) to better understand the language difficulties experienced by individuals with unilateral brain damage on both the microlinguistic and macrolinguistic levels of discourse. We hypothesize that individuals with aphasia will perform lower on all measures of CIUs analyzed compared to individuals with RHD. To test this hypothesis, narrative discourse samples of 15 aphasic individuals and 15 individuals with RHD from the TalkBank Database were analyzed using CLAN. Results from this analysis show that individuals with aphasia performed lower on all measures of CIUs, indicating that their narrative discourse performance was poorer, less accurate, relevant, informative, and on topic, compared to the individuals with RHD.
Targeting the Eukaryotic Initiation Factor eIF4A to Overcome PDCD4 Tumor Suppressor Downregulation Against Breast Cancer Progression and Stemness
Subramanian, Alagu; Taube, Joseph; University Scholars.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
Despite advances in adjuvant-therapy, resistance to cancer therapeutics is common and requires novel approaches. Moreover, highly aggressive triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) lack effective targeted treatments. Deregulation of translation factors is associated with the increased proliferation of TNBC, heightened cancer stem cell (CSC) activity, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and poor patient outcomes. Thus, targeting translation regulatory factors upregulated in TNBC is a promising approach to developing novel treatments. Pateamine A (PatA), a natural marine macrodiolide product, inhibits RNA cap-dependent translation by sequestering the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4A. eIF4A promotes the translation of polypurine-rich mRNA sequences, which are enriched within certain oncogenes. Here we report the anticancer efficacy of novel PatA analogs against breast cancer cell lines. The PatA analogs exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity to breast and colorectal cancers compared to non-cancerous cells measured by cell viability studies. Novel analogs show greater antiproliferative potency against models of TNBC than against human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). To further elucidate eIF4A as a molecular target, we conducted analyses of patient tissues in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Our analyses reveal the overexpression of eIF4A in tumors compared to normal tissues and gene correlation studies reveal the upregulation of key co-expressed tumor drivers including beta-catenin, fibronectin, and EMT markers such as SNAIL and SLUG. Further analyses show a downregulation of tumor suppressor protein PDCD4, an endogenous inhibitor of eIF4A, in tumors. We have generated eIF4A and PDCD4 shRNA knockdown cell lines to uncover the eIF4A-PDCD4 regulatory axis across breast adenocarcinoma cell types. We show that the loss of eIF4A attenuates the mesenchymal and stem-like phenotype of breast cancer stem cells revealed by phenotypic assays. Our results suggest that targeting eIF4A is an effective approach against highly proliferative and metastatic breast cancer types. The presented findings underscore the potential of the eIF4A-PDCD4 axis as a promising target and supports translational control as a viable approach against aggressive cancers.
Caribbean Literature Reconsidered: Reading Contemporary Dominican Literature with Haitian Prose
Hill, James K; Abell, Jacob; Spanish.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
In this thesis I analyze samples of literature from the island of Hispaniola to distinguish certain cultural tendencies found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Haitian texts studied in this project include: Compère Général Solei by Jacques Stephen Alexis (1950) and Brother I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat (2007). The Dominican texts in this review consist of: A Wedding in Haiti by Julia Álvarez (2012) and multiple short stories and poems from the book Ni de aquí, ni de allá compiled by Ángela Abréu (2021). My arguments are organized into three chapters: 1. Socioeconomic Progression and Exile 2. Climate 3. Négritude, Gender Identities, and Stereotypes This thesis concludes with a reinforcement of the arguments presented and offers a connection between the themes of each chapter.
Unintended Consequences of Overturning Roe v. Wade
Clewett, Kathryn; Bridge, Dave; University Scholars.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
The Republican Party should not be celebrating the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Instead, they should be planning ways to prevent a potential Democratic resurgence, which could employ a playbook that Republicans themselves crafted. In 1973, Roe afforded the Republican Party an issue in which the GOP could encourage social conservatives to start voting Republican. The GOP strategically used the issue of abortion to form the modern New Right and to win elections for the next 50 years. This can be explained through the framework of issue evolution, which allows political parties to capitalize on a salient issue with a cross-partisan majority. In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Does that ruling create a similar issue evolution possibility for the contemporary Democratic Party? Will the Democratic Party let the abortion issue fester in the states, promoting a crisis at the voting booth that may bring about historic voter shifts? If so, then Dobbs’ long-term effect, ironically, might be to expand the ability to obtain an abortion.
Government Agency, Non-Governmental Organization and General User Twitter Accounts: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Dissemination of HPV Vaccine Information
Cottick, Sarah; Walden , Sarah; Biology.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
In this experiment, public health information dissemination about the HPV vaccination is explored between two groups of Twitter accounts, government agencies and non-governmental organizations versus other interacting Twitter users. The usage of the rhetorical strategies personal narrative, word choice, and sentiment and post frequency was evaluated between the two groups, with the hypothesis in support of other interacting Twitter users having increased usage of rhetorical strategies and more frequent posting. To conclude, the two-week long experiment, it was found that the other interacting Twitter users demonstrated better rhetorical strategy usage in their posts, especially when it came to informational terms, and posted more frequently. At the end, government agencies and NGOs struggled with infrequent posting and lack of rhetorical strategies which could prevent accurate vaccine information from being disseminated on social media sites like Twitter and the ability of misinformation to be more easily spread by other users as well.
Music and Second-Language Acquisition: Examining the Connection Between Musical Aptitude and Japanese Pitch Accent Proficiency
French, Madeline; Dracos, Melisa; Linguistics.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
Acquiring the prosody of a second language (L2) is a notoriously difficult feat. Researchers interested in exploring how this process might be made easier have looked to a potential relationship between musical and linguistic pitch processing in the brain, theorizing that L2 learners with elevated musicality might have an advantage in acquiring L2 prosody. While several research studies have successfully demonstrated a musicality advantage in L2 prosody acquisition, most of this research has been limited to the acquisition of tonal language prosody, which differs from other speech prosody types, like pitch accent, in its fundamental purpose and structure. To determine whether the musicality advantage extends to L2 learners of pitch accent languages, the present study measured the musical aptitude and pitch accent proficiency (both productive and perceptive) of 28 late L2 learners of Standard Japanese. Data analyses demonstrated that musical aptitude scores, particularly in pitch-related musical sectors, had a strong and significant relationship with both productive and perceptive prosody scores. These results suggest that music may have a place in the development of pedagogical and learning strategies for L2 learners of pitch accent languages.
Social Support Moderates the Association between Co-curricular/Extracurricular Activity and Mental Illness Symptoms
Ridder, Robert; Schnitker, Sarah; Psychology.; Baylor University.; Elizabeth Bounds; Perry Glanzer; Honors College - Honors Program
Research has found that co-curricular and extracurricular activity and social support minimize depression and anxiety symptoms in college student populations. However, no studies have examined the interaction between social support and co-/extracurriculars in predicting mental illness. We collected self-report data from college seniors (N = 607) at a private Christian institution on involvement in various co-/extracurricular activities, social support from adults and peers, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Main effects indicated that sports/exercise and peer support were associated with lower levels of all three mental illness symptoms. Moderated regression analyses found three significant interactions. Staff support moderated the association between church attendance and depression, faculty support moderated the association between socializing with friends and anxiety, and non-university-affiliated adult support moderated the association between sports/exercise and anxiety symptoms. These results suggest that the mental health benefits of participating in certain activities may be enhanced by different sources of social support. Keywords: co-curricular, extracurricular, social support, mental illness, college students, higher education
A Spoonful of Sugar to Help the Prodrug Go Down: The Synthesis of Galactose Prodrugs as Novel Inhibitors of Tubulin Polymerization and Potential Cancer Therapeutics
Anliker, Sam; Pinney, Kevin; Chemistry.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
Microtubules provide crucial structural support for endothelial cells lining the vascular network of both healthy tissue and tumors. While healthy tissue possesses highly ordered vasculature with uniformly oxygenated cells, tumor tissue is characterized by underdeveloped and disordered blood vessels, leading to hypoxic regions of tumor tissue. This weakness within tumor-associated vasculature provides potential for both selective targeting and efficient treatment using vascular disrupting agents (VDAs). The natural product combretastatin A-4 (CA4), derived from the African bush willow, combretum caffrum, functions as both an antiproliferative agent (cytotoxin) and a promising VDA capable of selective and irreversible damage to tumor vasculature. CA4, administered as its corresponding water-soluble phosphate prodrug salt (CA4P), functions by binding to the colchicine site on the tubulin heterodimer resulting in morphological changes in the endothelial cells, shutdown of the vascular network, and overall inner-tumor necrosis. The Pinney Research Group (Baylor University) designed and synthesized an indole-based molecule, OXi8006, that bears structural similarities to both colchicine and CA4 and functions as a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization. OXi8006 and its phosphate prodrug salt (OXi8007) demonstrate inhibition of tubulin polymerization (OXi8006; IC50 = 1.1 μM, OXi8007; IC50 = 4.2 μM) and consistent cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines [GI50 values ranging from 3.5 to 38 nM against NCI-H460 (lung), DU-145 (prostate), and SK-OV-3 (ovarian)]. Cancer cells that have increased resistance to cell-cycle inhibitors are often characterized by cellular senescence, such that a healthy cell exhibits growth arrest while a cancerous cell takes on the resistant qualities of senescent cells. In a study by Wagner and associates, lysosomal-β-galactosidase (GLB1) was found to be the origin of senescence-associated β-galactose activity. Since GLB1 hydrolyzes β-galactose, the addition of a galactose onto select VDA drug candidates could provide a novel approach to selectively target cells with high resistance towards other treatment. To this end, we synthesized an OXi8006 analogue through a covalent linkage of a galactose sugar to the phenolic oxygen of OXi8006 as a proposed selective inhibitor of tubulin polymerization.
Seeing the World Through Song: The Pedagogical Applications of World Folk Traditions in the Secondary Choral Classroom
Adams, Ashley; Henry, Michele; Choral Music.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
In a choral program, the curriculum is comprised of the music selected for the ensemble. Directors must consider the needs of their students as musicians and learners when programming, which can often be a challenge. The purpose of this study is to provide a specific pedagogical lens of world folk traditions for implementation in choral music classrooms. In this study, three different musical traditions were analyzed through the lens of representative arrangements of traditional folk music. Methods drawn from the works of Kodály, Piaget, and Sheehan-Campbell were used to synthesize teaching sequences for these pieces that can transfer to other pieces of music, within and outside those cultures. Venezuelan, North Indian, and South African music were used as case studies in this collection of folk music, each for a specific pedagogical purpose that is applicable to a secondary choral classroom. The study of Venezuelan folk music, exemplified by the arrangement of Duerme Negrito by Emilio Sole, explores the applications of asymmetrical divisions of regular meters as well as the triple versus duple subdivision. North Indian characteristics are illustrated by TāReKiTa by Reena Esmail, by examining a variety of tonal colors, as well as harmonic and melodic systems that differ from the standard western scales and modes. Finally, through Thixo Onothando by Michael Barrett, South African music provides a new perspective on diction in the choral classroom through the use of language as the mechanism for teaching diction concepts.
Sex-Specific Modeling of Infant Mortality in the United States: 1995-2013
Venkata, Bhaarathi; Abell, Troy; Biochemistry.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
Infant mortality in the United States is significantly higher compared to other developed countries. The purpose of this study is to examine infant mortality over a period of eighteen years and compare mortality trends between female and male infants while adjusting for ethnicity, birthweight, and gestational age. This study utilized NCHS’s Linked Birth/Infant Death Data, sampling biannually from 1995 through 2013 (n=40,388,319) and analyzed cumulative infant mortality, perinatal mortality, and neonatal mortality. The overall cumulative infant mortality across 1995-2013 decreased, and female infants demonstrated a lower cumulative infant mortality in comparison with male infants. Both female infant mortality and male infant mortality decreased, while the discrepancy between female and male births stayed the same over the eighteen-year period. Further research will focus on building more precise models that aid our understanding of ways to further decrease infant mortality in the U.S.
Virtue in Epic Voyages: How Homer, Sir Edmund Spenser and C.S. Lewis Displayed the Significance of the Pursuit of Virtue Throughout the Treacherous Journeys of Their Heroes
Wages, Anna Louise; Weaver, William; University Scholars.; Honors College - Honors Program
This essay explores the profound influence of literature in cultivating virtue within its readers. By examining three timeless works, Homer's The Odyssey, book II of Sir Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, and C.S. Lewis's The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader’, collectively referred to throughout this essay as "epic voyages," we delve into the enduring power of storytelling to impart moral lessons. These narratives have withstood the test of time, testifying to their continued relevance as tools for virtue education. Throughout the essay, we analyze the virtues exemplified by the heroes in these tales: prudence, courage, temperance, hopefulness, and humility. We observe how these virtues guide and shape each hero's journey, offering readers fictional exemplars to inspire their own pursuit of virtue and illuminate the profound impact of literature in training individuals in the path of virtue. In the world of these epic voyages, readers embark on transformative journeys alongside their heroes, uncovering valuable insights into the human experience and the pursuit of moral excellence. Through our exploration of these timeless narratives, we uncover the enduring legacy of literature as a catalyst for virtue education, encouraging readers to navigate their own moral journeys with prudence, courage, temperance, hopefulness, and humility as their guides.
“Our Lives are Fleeting Moments”: Role of Women in Brezhnev-Era Soviet Georgian Film
Vana, Kaitlyn; Long, Michael; Slavic and East European Studies.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
From 1953 through glasnost, Georgia’s film studio was second only to Moscow’s in terms of resources and quality output. However, Soviet Georgian film tends to be underrepresented in Western academia. Georgian cinema’s golden age during the silent film era would provide an ideal foundation for the region to take the lead of other periphery republics in cinematic achievements as censorship relaxed. This thesis will examine the use of the role of women specifically through a thematic analysis of films and filmmaking in celebrated and influential Brezhnev-era Soviet Georgia, specifically in Tengiz Abuladze’s The Plea (Vedreba, 1967) and The Wishing Tree (Drevo Zhelania, 1977) and Lana Ghoghoberidze’s Some Interviews on Personal Matters (Ramdenime Interviu Pirad Sakitkhebze, 1978). Throughout this analysis, I will compare the motif of memory as facilitated through female characters. In my conclusion, I emphasize this era's impact on the current resurgence of Georgian cinema, which is predominantly led by a cohort of female directors.
A Partial Test of Zhang’s Stain Theory of Suicide: Athletic Involvement and Family Connectedness as Moderators of Relative Deprivation and Suicidal Ideation in the ABCD Study
Pechacek, Allyson; Ryan-Pettes, Stacy; Psychology.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
The purpose of this study was to conduct a partial test of Zhang’s Strain Theory of Suicide by examining whether athletic involvement and social connectedness moderate relations between relative deprivation and suicidal ideation in adolescents. It was hypothesized that relative deprivation would be related to the likelihood of suicidal ideation and this association would be moderated by athletic involvement and social connectedness. Specifically, it was expected that greater athletic involvement and stronger social connectedness would weaken this association compared to lower levels of athletic involvement and social connectedness. To test these hypotheses, moderation analyses were conducted using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Results partially supported the hypotheses. Relative deprivation was associated with suicidal ideation, and while social connectedness (measured via family cohesion) significantly moderated this association, results were not in the predicted direction. Moreover, athletic involvement did not moderate associations between relative deprivation and suicidal ideation.
The Weight of Womanhood: How Embodiment of Femininity Predisposes Women to Deficits in Nutrition and Mental Well-being
Behrman, Taylor; Wright, Lenore; Psychology.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
American culture has shaped the standard for feminine ideals for decades, their main source of oppression therein being embodiment. By indoctrinating women from birth into identifying and functioning as bodies, they effectively subdue their minds and their agency. This state of mind is dangerous for women because it promotes restrictive eating, manic dieting, and other nutritional habits that create deficiencies in the body. This is compounded by the profound connections between the gut and mental processes. Thus, the effects of socially constructed feminism on diet subsequently affect mental health, poor diet promoting mood disorders and neurotransmitter malfunctions. With chapters leaning into existing literature on the gut microbiome as it affects mental processes, major works of feminist commentaries on embodiment and social construction of gender ideals, and descriptive data analysis on food-choice motivations as collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), I conclude that all of these components intertwine to entrap women in a biological cage. Wherein, they are disproportionately disadvantaged both psychologically, socially, and nutritionally. Because of the ways these components overlap and involve each other, women stuck in an embodied sense of self face long term and debilitating consequences.
The Power of Storytelling: Winning the Game of Life with Scott Drew
von Engelhardt, Noah; Murray, SJ; University Scholars.; Baylor University; Honors College - Honors Program
This thesis is a short film complimented by an introductory reflection on the unique power of storytelling in human life. The short film presents an interview with Baylor Men’s Basketball Head Coach Scott Drew and seeks to elucidate his championship-winning philosophy that “the only game that matters is winning the game of life.” In the introduction, I consider three intertwined characteristics of storytelling: its universality, broad social impact, and moral influence on its audience. I then consider how these aspects are uniquely consequential in film. I end with a reflection on several storytelling lessons I gleaned while editing my short film over the course of twelve months.
The Antithesis of Ύβρις and Humility in the Pursuit of Glory: A Christological Contour of Beauty
Folks, David; Fish, Jeffery; Music Education.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
Ύβρις permeates ancient Greek literature and history. From epic to ancient kings, notions of self-exaltation are abundant. Men try to make themselves into gods and face the consequences. Comparatively, Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates humility, despite ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων (“being in the form of God”). The antithesis between Jesus and the civilization of ὕβρις before him is worthy of aesthetic consideration. In this thesis, I provide a theological aesthetic through which to see the beauty of Christ’s humility in the Carmen Christi (Philippians 2:6-11) against the ὕβρις identified through Greek history and literature. This takes place in three parts: 1) I establish a theological aesthetic by which to conduct my examination; 2) Through Homer, Solon, and ruler cults I examine the language of ὕβρις, its causes, and its consequences; 3) I elucidate the humility of Christ aesthetically in comparison to its Greek counterpart to contemplate its anthropological implications.
Varying Gene Expression in the Fat Body and Ovary of Diapausing Culex Pipiens
Mullassery, Neha; Sim, Cheolho; Biology.; Baylor University.; Honors College - Honors Program
The Culex pipiens is a vector for the West Nile Virus and enters adult diapause, a programmed state of dormancy for surviving winter conditions. During diapause, mosquitoes undergo a variety of phenotypic changes, such as arrested development, lipid accumulation, and lifespan extension. The fat body and ovarian development were noted to be altered in diapausing Cx.pipiens and thus transcriptome profiling of the fat body and ovary was used to identify downstream genes that are involved in the formation of unique histone modification patterns that contribute to the diapause phenotype. Previously, RNA sequencing was used to identify notable genes. This portion of the research used quantitative RT-PCR to validate candidate genes that were identified from the RNA-seq data. It was found that 246 fat body genes and 328 ovary genes were upregulated in diapause mosquitoes. These genes are involved in lipid synthesis, yolk production, and the resistance mechanism, confirming the phenotypes associated with diapausing mosquitoes. qRT-PCR confirmed that the genes are upregulated in the fat body. Additionally, it was found that genes associated with histone methylation and demethylation are also differentially expressed in the fat bodies of diapause mosquitoes, such as the histone demethylation gene UTX which is upregulated in the fat body of diapausing mosquitoes.

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