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The Silver Bullet Hypothesis : Case Studies Of Post-Webster Virginia Gubernatorial Elections, Anne M. Morgan

Master's Theses

The 1989 Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services U.S. Supreme Court decision triggered a "new politics of abortion," marked by a shift in venue of the abortion political debate to the states and by invigorated mobilization of pro-choice activists alarmed about a potential erosion of abortion rights in state laws. Surfacing in the wake of the decision was a "silver bullet" theory of abortion: that unrestricted support for legal abortion guarantees a candidate's electoral victory. Case studies of two post-Webster gubernatorial elections in Virginia fail to confirm the validity of the silver bullet theory. Public opinion findings reveal that the electorate …

A Case Study The Effects Of A Powerful Committee Chair On The Passage Of The Wilderness Bill, Kenneth S. Livingston

Master's Theses

The case of the Wilderness Bill reveals several important insights into the process, policy and politics of wilderness legislation in the late 1950s and early 1960's. The process generally conformed well with the expectations of a strong committee chair model that characterized Congress during the late 1950s and early 1960s. To be sure, the politics involved accommodation of competing interests and was facilitated by a president eager to pass a pro-wilderness bill. Above all, the compromise which ultimately led to the passage of the Wilderness Bill was influenced by the powerful committee chairman of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee …

Osteology, Morphology, And Female Choice In Species Of The Genus Cynolebias (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), Marcelo Loureiro Barrella

Master's Theses

Relationships among the species of the annual fish Cynolebias are unclear. An analysis of the utility of different osteological and morphological characters for phylogenetic analyses was done using clear and double stained specimens and measurements of morphometric parameters respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of the egg chorion. Female choice tests were also conducted to test male traits that may be preferred by females. The osteological analysis showed that some characters previously unreported may be phylogenetically useful. Head scalation patterns were found to be intraspecifically variable, making them inappropriate to use in systematics. Each morphometric parameter …

The Effect Of Thyroid Hormone On The Expression Of A7 Myosin Heavy Chain Mrna In Xenopus Laevis, Bradley Thomas Butkovich

Master's Theses

It has long been known that thyroid hormone (TH) is responsible for metamorphosis in tadpoles. It is also known that A7 MHC, an adult muscle isoform, is expressed in adult Xenopus laevis frogs, but not in larvae. Furthermore, the appearance of A7 corresponds with the onset of metamorphosis. The present study investigated the relationship between TH and the expression of A7 MHC mRNA in Xenopus laevis. Isolated tails in culture and 6-n-propyl 2-thiouracil (PTU) treated tails were treated with TH and the presence of A7 mRNA analyzed with in-situ hybridization, and RT-PCR. It was found that TH caused substantial …

The Effects Of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid On The Diazotrophic Soil Microbial Community, Denise M. Brown

Master's Theses

This study measures the effects of 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on growth and nitrogen fixation capabilities of the native microbial soil community during eight field trials conducted over an eight month period. After application of 2,4-D, soil samples were analyzed for enumeration of diazotrophic and general microbial communities, and for nitrogenase activity as measured by the acetylene reduction assay (ARA). Statistical analyses were conducted using Minitab. Results show that 2,4-D significantly stimulated growth of diazotrophic microbes in 87.5% of the trials and was found to have a stimulatory growth effect on the general microbes in 62.5% of the trials. A …

Feasibility Of Stocking Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idella; Cyprinidae) To Control Hydrilla (Hydrilla Verticillata; Hydrocharitaceae) In Lake Anna, Virginia, Paul Matthew Overton

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using triploid ·Ctenopharvngodon idella (grass carp) to control Hydrilla verticillata in the Waste Heat Treatment Facility (WHTF) in Lake Anna, Virginia. The four objectives were to determine: the frequency of occurrences of grass carp over hydrilla; the proportions of hydrilla to other aquatic macrophytes in the guts of grass carp; effects of physical and chemical factors on movement of grass carp; and a theoretical stocking rate of grass carp for the WHTF. Frequency of occurrence of grass carp over hydrilla was calculated to be 84% and correlated with impoundment …

Central Opioid Regulation Of Parental Behavior In Juvenile Rats, Jacquelyn C. Wellman

Master's Theses

Morphine disrupts full parental behavior (FPB) in adult rats when administered into the preoptic area; effects are reversed with naloxone. The current study emphasizes central administration of morphine into the preoptic area and effects on parental behavior in juveniles and possible naloxone blockade. In Experiment 1, juveniles outfitted with cannulae assemblies aimed at the preoptic region were administered a regimen of morphine, naloxone, or saline, and 30 minutes later were exposed to neonates. Behavior was scored for 1 hour and animals were considered parental if they responded with FPB for 2 consecutive days. Saline and naloxone groups responded to the …

"Nothingness/ In Words Enclose" : Supplementarity And The "Veil" Of Language In Samuel Beckett's Murphy And Watt, Justin P. Jakovac

Master's Theses

Samuel Beckett has asserted that language is a "veil" in which he must "bore one hole after another..., until what lurks behind it - be it something or nothing - begins to seep through." This thesis employs Derrida's assertion that language involves the play of differance and the supplementarity of the sign. Since the supplement, in Derrida's words, "fills and marks a determined lack," language calls attention to the gap of nothingness already present in the play of differance. Murphy and Watt present both the desire for "semantic succour" of the veil and the awareness - more fully …

Characterization Of A Newly Cloned Dna Damage- Inducible Gene From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Strain D43, June-Home Chen

Master's Theses

The identification and characterization of DNA damage-inducible genes is an important topic in the study of the integrity of the cellular genome. Previously, a TnlO-lacZ derivative was inserted randomly into yeast cells and the resulting mutants were screened for insertions in DNA damage-inducible genes. S. cerevisiae strain D43 was identified as one such TnlO-lacZ insertion mutant. DNA sequencing results show the insertion in D43 is located within the TDH2 gene, which encodes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Treatment of strain D43 with DNA damaging agents and heat shock suggest TDH2 is responsive to DNA damage, but not to heat shock. Haploid mutants carrying …

Ideals Of The Lipschitz Class, Konstantin G. Kulev

Honors Theses

In this paper, a classification of the closed ideals of the Little Oh Lipschitz class of functions on the interval [0,1] is provided. The technique used to classify the ideals of the class of continuous functions is modified and applied to the Little Oh Lipschitz class. It is shown that every ideal of these two classes has the form I = {f : flE = 0} for some closed set E C [0, 1]. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the same technique cannot be successfully applied to the classification of the closed ideals of the Big Oh Lipschitz class.

Communication Games, Kimberly I. Noonan

Honors Theses

A communication game combines traditional n-person game theory with graph theory. The result is a model of a bargaining situation where communication is restricted. The game's multilinear extension (MLE), a polynomial that summarizes the solutions of the game, is well known for the case where the graph is a tree or simple cycle. This paper simplifies the computation of MLE of the communication game in the case when the graph is a series of simple cycles. The results are then applied to studying the power of each Canadian province in passing an amendment to the constitution, taking geographic location into …

Banach Spaces Of Analytic Functions, Michael T. Nimchek

Honors Theses

In this paper, we explore certain Banach spaces of analytic functions. In particular, we study the space A-1, demonstrating some of its basic properties including non-separability. We ask the question: given a class C of analytic functions on the unit disk D and a sequence [Zn] = 0 for all n? Finally, we explore Mz invariant subspaces of A-1, demonstrating that they may possess the codimension-2 property.

For Appearance's Sake : Gender Attitudes And Risky Health Behavior, Jennifer L. Douglas

Master's Theses

One hundred and forty male and female students were given questionnaires which assessed their gender attitudes, their tanning and smoking behavior, their knowledge about and perceived personal risk of lung and skin cancer, and their beliefs that tanning and slenderness are attractive. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant gender differences in tanning and in gender attitudes; women tanned more than men ... and women had more egalitarian attitudes toward gender than did men ... However, there were no differences between men and women in amount of weight-control smoking. A standard multiple regression revealed that the belief that tanning …

Impression Management And Cross-Cultural Adaptation Measures, Amy J. Montagliani

Master's Theses

The presence of the new world economy has forced individuals and groups representing various organizations historically foreign to each other in terms of language, norms, and culture to actively interact and communicate with each other in order to conduct business. These interactions are often not as successful as either side had originally hoped for a variety of reasons that typically reflect an ignorance of cultural standards, the most notable being the rules governing routine communication. Often, as in the case of expatriate business managers, a successful exchange is thwarted due to a certain degree of miscommunication, misperception, and misevaluation on …

Morphine Disruption Of Maternal Behavior And Modifications Of Underlying Neural Activity, Graciela Stafisso-Sandoz

Master's Theses

Morphine significantly impairs maternal behavior; N aloxone, an opiate antagonist, restores it. Maternal behavior is associated with c-fos expression, an immediate early gene product, in medial preoptic area (mPOA) of females. In this series of experiments, the effects of morphine and Naloxone on the expression of c-fos were examined. On postpartum day 5 or 6, females were injected with morphine or saline ( Exp. 1 ), or morphine+Naloxone or morphine+saline (Exp. 2) and placed back in the homepage, separated from their pups by a wire-mesh partition. Sixty minutes later processing for cfos immunohistochemistry commenced. The c-fos positive cells in a …

Twixt Ocean And Pines : The Seaside Resort At Virginia Beach, 1880-1930, Jonathan Mark Souther

Master's Theses

America's seashore was virtually untouched prior to the Civil War. The American attitude toward leisure held that any time spent engaging in unproductive activities was time wasted. In antebellum society, industrialization had yet to transform the lifestyles of rank and- file Americans. In a predominantly agrarian society, work and leisure were ill-defined. No widespread notion of"leisure time" existed. To be sure, a few resorts did flourish in the antebellum United States. With the notable exceptions of Newport, Rhode Island, and Cape May, New Jersey, these tended to be health resorts situated in close proximity to inland springs believed to offer …

The Use Of Non-Commutative Algebra In Cryptographically Secure Pseudo-Random Number Generators, Brian M. Mckeever

Honors Theses

This thesis begins with a general overview of pseudo-random number generators and some of their applications. This thesis then describes their applications to cryptography, and some additional requirements imposed by cryptography. This thesis then provides an introduction to the ring of quaternions, and discusses how they can be included in pseudo-random number generators. Finally, this thesis provides a description of the performance of these generators.

"Increasing The Pensions Of These Worthy Heroes" : Virginia's Confederate Pensions, 1888 To 1927, Jeffery R. Morrison

Master's Theses

Virginia's Confederate pensions for veterans and their widows began in 1888. This financial relief for the destitute began as artificial limb provisions immediately after the Civil War. Commutations developed as some veterans could not utilize an artificial limb. These commutations, one-time appropriations approved by the General Assembly, directly precluded pensions. Pensioning of Confederate veterans was sweeping southern states during this period. However, these pensions dimly reflected the massive federal pensions received by Union veterans. Virginia's pension laws expanded the eligibility of pensioners and increased the amounts paid to them. King William County's Confederate veteran and widow pensioners were examined to …

Temporal, Social, And Meaningful Aspects Of Information Sharing Behavior, Lisa Mirabelli

Master's Theses

Previous studies on resource-sharing behavior have revealed a number of factors which influence the decision-making process. For example, Allison and Messick (1990) found payoffs, resource divisibility, fate control, and social values to be significant factors influencing resource-sharing decisions. Information sharing behavior, however, remains relatively unexamined. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of three situational cues on information sharing behavior, including the type of information at hand (ambiguous or concrete), the amount of time allotted to complete a task, and the availability of a team of experts. Results indicated a two-way interaction between the type of information and …

The Social Basis Of Emotion: Affective Consequences Of Social Comparisons With Competitive And Cooperative Others, Celinda M. Reese

Master's Theses

The present research explores the affective consequences of social comparisons made by cooperators and competitors. Participants (75 males, 90 females) were randomly assigned to either a cooperative or competitive condition in which they either performed better or worse than a partner. Participants were asked to imagine themselves in a particular situation and then report their emotional reaction to the scenario. Consistent with R. Lazarus' cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, participants in the cooperative condition reported anger when their partner's actions hindered goal attainment but reported joy when the partner promoted goal attainment. Consistent with T. Wills' theory of downward social …

The Integration Of Emory & Henry College, Scott David Arnold

Master's Theses

While Emory & Henry College's catalogue today states that the institution does not "discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin," this was not the case just a little more than thirty years ago. Throughout much of the South, African Americans were legally barred from attending various traditionally white colleges and universities. This thesis looks at the integration process at Emory & Henry College, a small private, Methodist-affiliated institution in southwest Virginia.

As early as the 1940's the subject of integration was informally discussed by the faculty and students at Emory & Henry. It became a major topic for …

Uncharted Leadership : A Study Of Leadership In The Judicial Branch, Kevin Donnelly

Honors Theses

This paper is the final product of a research oriented project in which I studied leadership within the federal judicial system, specifically the Supreme Court of the United States. This project was an in depth study of the amount, style, and effect of Leadership in the Judicial branch. Through this study I hoped to explore a major component of government which has somehow been ignored when studying leadership at the national level.

The Integration Of Women's Studies Into Leadership Studies, Olivia J. Wilkinson

Honors Theses

The purpose of my project was to study the inclusion of gender in leadership and to offer the Jepson School a critical evaluation that could be used to initiate change. The agreement and support I previously received, has led me to realize that there was room for growth. Still such a large merger of disciplines needs research and assessment before action can be taken. I know my project will provide the building block for Jepson to address this problem.

Children And Guns : A Lethal Combination, Jennifer Dunlap

Honors Theses

An unacceptable number of children die each year in the United States and Virginia as the result of abuse, neglect, and preventable injuries. Through my participation as a member of the Virginia State Child Fatality Review Team, I hope to observe and influence leadership in the process of making the state safer.

The Study Of Leadership In Experiential/Adventure Programs, Gabriel Demola

Honors Theses

Very simply, an experiential/adventure program consists of assigning a designated group to complete a series of challenging tasks in an outdoor setting. The following research will explore the ways in which experiential/adventure education serves as an effective tool for teaching leadership. The paper will describe the attributes which make it an effective tool and delve into the distinctions of the experimental/adventure program. It will also study and analyze the results of tests used to determine its effectiveness and long term retainability of the skills developed by students in these programs. Furthermore, this paper will demonstrate how this unique style of …

Entrepreneurial Leadership, Gregory Devine

Honors Theses

I intend to provide a resource which Jepson students, faculty, staff, and alumni can use when thinking about starting their own business based on information from a number of sources, the most important of which is current entrepreneurs.

The Presence Of Leadership In The Homeless Environment : A Study Of Leader Traits, Perceptions Of Leadership And Difficulties Facing Potential Leaders In The Homeless Environment, Maria C. Chavez

Honors Theses

This study examines the existence of leadership in this context of the homeless. More specifically, the study looks at the leadership traits and the potential for leadership among homeless women finding temporary refuge in an emergency shelter in Richmond, VA. It will also give more legitimacy to the notion that leadership can exist in any context. And finally, this study will look at the difficulties potential leaders in the homeless context face, and what the possible ways are to alleviate them.

Citizen Leadership And Housing : A Study Of How Citizens Are Leading Efforts To Revitalize Neighborhoods In The City Of Richmond, Gregory J. Czika

Honors Theses

This paper is going to focus on areas on the city of Richmond outside of Carytown and Shockoe Bottom. All of them are residential and are not known by tourists and typically not familiar to suburban Richmond residents. The average UR student would never voluntarily tour these neighborhoods on foot or in a car. But out of ignorance, such individuals do not acknowledge the richness that does exist in these areas they choose to ignore. The richness is not found in bright paint, smooth sidewalks, or neon signs but found in the many people who make these areas their homes-- …

Catalyst For A New Order : The Role Of Internet Technology In Today's Leadership, Morgan Benton

Honors Theses

A crucial element of leadership is decision-making. Decision-making itself is a widely researched topic, especially as it pertains to the management of formal organizations and political organizations. Almost all researchers have in their decision-making process a specific step that involves information gathering. From the amount of attention it receives it can be concluded that information-gathering is crucial to decision-making.

Lobbyists : Leadership In A Political Context, Kelly L. Beeland

Honors Theses

Though both participation in General Assembly from a lobbyist's perspective and library research, this project addresses the question: How do lobbyists serve as leaders to interest groups and within the political process? The content of this research explores the role of lobbyists as leaders in the political context. This project tracks the lobbyist's behavior and actions (not just the evolution of a bill) at specific points in the legislative process. Finally, the tasks lobbyists perform and the role they fill in the political process are defined in terms of leadership theory. In the context of this definition, lobbyists are analyzed …