Digital Commons Network^™

Modelling Global Climate Variables With Cellular Automata Networks, David Robinson

Honors Theses

Cellular automata are discrete models that can be used to simulate many physical systems. Cellular automata have been used to model gas diffusion, different types of chemical reactions, population growth, and land use change over time. Recent research into cellular automata networks has shown that if sparse long range connections are added to a cellular automata, then it will exhibit properties of complex networks. Furthermore, research into modeling climate systems has shown that modeling the global climate as a complex network can be used to predict individual climate variables. In this work we attempt to connect these ideas by simulating …

County Chairs Speak Out: How Mississippi's County Party Organizations Connect With Voters, Phillip C. Waller

Honors Theses

This paper includes the results of a qualitative study of 11 Mississippi county party chairs interviewed about their role in the state and how that role has been affected by redistricting. I highlight their comments on their perceived roles, organizational purpose, voter outreach strategies, competition, voter turnout and state and county relationships. Though I started my project hoping to focus on the effects of redistricting on county party organizations' outreach to voters, only 3 of the 11 county chairs I interviewed significantly changed their actions after the 2011 redistricting cycle. The only county chairs who mentioned major changes in their …

Discovery Of Resistance-Reversing Agents In Antibiotic Resistant Strains Of Escherichia Coli And Klebsiella Pneumoniae From Natural Product Libraries, Andrew B. Watkins

Honors Theses

Objective: The objective of this exploratory research is to discover compounds, particularly from natural products, that inhibit ESBL, KPC, and NDM-1 mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in the Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods: This objective will be accomplished utilizing a high-volume bioassay testing natural product samples from the National Center for Natural Products Research. This assay tests samples against 6 different strains of bacteria known to express β-lactamases in the presence and absence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of the test antibiotic. By structuring the assay in this way, differentiation may be made between the inherent antibacterial activity of …

Apartheid In France: Galvanization Of Political Concern For The Role Of Ethnic Identities In French Society, Francesca Talley Diggs

Honors Theses

The French state's colorblind policy prescription is the base of a contentious, current debate over whether or not the government should acknowledge ethnic and racial components of its citizens and collect such data from minority groups. An increasingly colorful population presents new questions to the framework of French identity, legally blind to ethnicity, and tests the durability of the French model. Has the role of ethnic identity in France become a legitimate political concern under President Hollande's administration despite legislation that outlaws ethnic data collection? Is the illegality of ethnic statistics detrimental to combatting discrimination and social fragmentation in France? …

Optimization Of An Ethylbenzene Process, Garrison Padgett Morgan

Honors Theses

In industry, chemical plants should be running at optimal performance in order to maximize profit. However, this is frequently not the case. Optimization is the process of improving an existing situation, device, or, in the case of chemical engineers, a chemical process. Furthermore, there are numerous strategies to optimize a chemical process, and it is up to the engineer to decide what to change in order to make the optimization worthwhile. Last semester, I was able to show my knowledge of optimization by applying changes to an existing ethylbenzene producing plant. I simulated the base case for this plant and …

Exposure To Narratives And Social Reasoning, Cassandra Chlevin

Honors Theses

This study drew predominantly from previous work on the relationships of narrative and non-narrative texts with empathy and social reasoning. It has been posited that fiction -- due to the parallels between narrative texts and the social world -- may help readers maintain if not cultivate their social skills, whereas readers of non-narrative material may not have this benefit. This project attempted to both replicate and extend this pattern in a Seventh-day Adventist Christian sample by using instruments employed in previous research as well as a set of Bible-based instruments. Correlational analysis and nested linear regression were used to examine …

The Story Which He Never Stops Telling Himself: Autobiography, Narrative Community, And The Deconstruction Of Selfhood In Virginia Woolf's The Waves, Melodie Roschman

Honors Theses

This paper examines narrative, biography, and selfhood in Virginia Woolf's The Waves (1931). The novel, a "play-poem," follows six friends' monologues from childhood to death. I analyze aspiring writer Bernard from his childhood of telling stories about companions to his inability to narrate his autobiography, arguing that he fails because he has no self to narrate. Referencing Jacques Derrida's Of Grammatology's (1974) theory of the deconstructed self identifiable only in conversation, I argue that Bernard destroys his identity by silencing his friends and becoming the sole speaker; Woolf's biographical theory thereby establishes the communal self, prefiguring tenets of postmodern philosophy.

Discourse And Narrative: Creating Gender Control In Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao, Charles Lee

Honors Theses

Junot Diaz's Pulitzer-Prize-Winning 2007 novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao explores Dominican masculinity through narrator Yunior de Las Casas's portrayal of protagonist Oscar de Leon's family history. Yunior's perceived virility shapes his understanding of masculinity, which he stresses through the novel's plot and structure. This analysis considers how Yunior constructs Dominican masculinity through his narrative by marginalizing and emasculating passive character such as Oscar. I argue that Yunior's narrative closely links definition of masculinity and power as he strives to dominate passive characters in order to assert his virility as the "best" method for being a Dominican man.

The Transgenerational Effect Of Substance Abuse, Subira Brown

Honors Theses

Using a survey conducted among college students at Andrews University, this study focused on substance use and sexual behaviors of students and the presence of familial substance use problems. Analysis indicated a significant association between substance use problems of fathers and their children's substance use. There was a stronger statistical association between father's substance use problems and male children's alcohol use. In addition there was a significant relationship between grandparents substance use and youth sexual behavior for both genders. There is a need for further analysis of this study.

Changing Attitudes Towards Sexual Orientation And The Effect Of Documentary Film, Michael Jon Vanderwaal

Honors Theses

Attitudes towards LGBT people are shifting rapidly, with over half (51%) of the US population now favoring same-sex marriage. LGBT issues are also being hotly debated in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church. The purpose of this research is to examine how the film, Seventh-Gay Adventist (SGA) influences SDA college students' attitudes regarding homosexuality. My study compares attitude scores of students (N=46) using an experimental design with random assignment. Both the experimental group and the control group completed a commonly used Homosexuality Attitude Scale and modified version of Fulton's Adventists and LGB's survey at pretest and posttest. Results show that the …

Information Source, Religiosity, And Attitude Change Toward Corporal Punishment, Emilie Fennimore

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support Content In A Required Course For Teacher Candidates, Jill Winkelman

Honors Theses

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) involve the practice of providing high-quality instruction/intervention corresponding to student needs, and using learning rate over time and level of performance to make important educational decisions ( Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006a). It is being implemented in schools across the country in order to impact the learning of students with and without disabilities. MTSS integrates increasingly intensive instruction, reviews the student’s progress, and then identifies whether students need additional levels of intervention (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006b).

The purpose of this research project is to examine how well the critical components of MTSS are being taught to …

Development Of Long Endurance Small Unmanned Aerial System, Andreas Quainoo

Honors Theses

The purpose of this Senior Design Project is to design, build, and test an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). This will be used as a test platform for airborne electronics. The intended capabilities of this project include a 12-hour flight time, the ability to carry 5 lbs of payload, and the ability to recharge the batteries of electronics while in the air. With these parameters in mind, the focus of the design was on endurance, and, by extension, efficiency and durability. Upon completion, the aircraft and its onboard systems was constructed and evaluated. Secondary products of this project include an instrumented …

Teacher Guidebook For Esl Students, Ashley Ramo

Honors Theses

Language is the core of one’s identity, as it is essential in order to competently communicate and interact with other humans. Language preserves culture, and when educators are able to effectively teach English-as-a-Second-Language to students, it conveys respect for that culture. American society is highly culturally pluralistic which brings many languages into the classroom. Students bring their own experiences with them to school, including various native languages and a vast array of levels in English; some may not know a single word in English. Educators will encounter ESL students no matter what the location in the United States may be, …

A Review Of The Design Of A Pedestrian Bridge In Cape Girardeau As Part Of The Senior Design Requirements Of The College Of Engineering, Amir Rezaeivahdati

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the process, challenges and results of the design of the superstructure of a pedestrian bridge in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as part of the extension of the existing Riverwalk trail along the Mississippi River. The project was assigned to three groups of students in the Senior Design B class of Fall 2014.

The original project consisted of an approximately 1700 ft pedestrian/bicycle trail along the river, a bridge over Aquamsi street and the railroad track and designing bicycle paths along the Fountain street and Morgan Oak street to connect to the existing trail (Figure 1.) Two groups consisted …

Use Of Mobility Devices In Developing Countries; A Comparative Literature Review Introducing The Contextual Factors Surrounding Accessibility And Use Of Mobility Devices In Ghana, Bangladesh, And Guatemala., Bethany Shadel

Honors Theses

Disability in the developing world encompasses 10% of the global population and much of that population requires the use of a mobility device in order to engage in meaningful occupation. The use and accessibility of mobility devices is shaped by the significance of the barriers surrounding mobility. This research looks comparatively at the factors affecting accessibility and the use of mobility devices in three developing countries; Ghana, Bangladesh, and Guatemala. Trends within literature revealed that economic, environmental, and cultural barriers all had an impact on accessibility. Overall, this study determines that accessibility solutions are not possible without removing barriers to …

One Man's Fakelore Is Another Man's Treasure: A Case Study Of Paul Bunyan And The Legend Of The Sleeping Bear, And The Value Of Fakelore In An Interconnected World., Kalani Bates

Honors Theses

The American academic study of folklore blossomed in the past hundred years. The tumultuous battle to define, collate and structure the new study of folklore raged in the academic world, especially in the 1950’s.[1] This obsession not only manifested itself in the academic study of it, but also in the popular culture of the 1900’s. The tradition of the tall tale and the legend exploded into the consumer world, becoming a commodity produced and consumed at will.[2] Richard Dorson classifies this explosion into two very separate studies of ‘folklore’ and ‘fakelore’. Folklore is the group of stories that …

Parweb: A Front-End Interface For Cluster Computing., Jacob Potter

Honors Theses

The High Performance Computational Science Laboratory at Western Michigan University operates a cluster of systems for use by students, professors, and professional researchers. Currently users that want to access the cluster, known as “Thor”, require knowledge of the Unix/Linux command line. They also require knowledge of operating a piece of software known as TORQUE to correctly achieve results from the High Performance Computing Lab.

The Web User Interface Framework for High Performance Cluster Computing alleviates the need for intimate knowledge of a command line interface, and replaces the current interaction interface with a more user friendly and graphical oriented system. …

Physical Fitness And Body Mass Index As Predictors Of Academic Achievement, Kristin V. Sumrall

Honors Theses

In the United States, a significant portion of the population is overweight or obese. In addition to this, there are very low levels of physical fitness amongst the general population. However, in numerous studies healthy body weight and moderate to high levels of physical fitness have been linked with many benefits, including improved academic performance. This study focused on the relationship between physical fitness, body mass index, and academic achievement in college students at the University of Southern Mississippi. The aim of this study was to conduct a quantitative correlational analysis of these three factors in order to determine if …

Incorporating Augmentative And Alternative Communication Usage In Functional Therapy For Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study, Virginia K. Pampuro

Honors Theses

Current research discusses the communicative limitations of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study examined the influence of communicative devices on improving an individual with ASD’s functional communicative abilities. This study incorporated a qualitative research methodology, which included a modified ethnographic interview and several hours of clinical observation. This data was then cyclically reviewed for patterns. By incorporating various Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices into therapy and daily life, the participant was able to produce longer utterances and clarify his communicative intent and messages. This research adds to the literature by describing the importance of AAC systems in …

Utilizing Landsat Tm And Oli In Predicting Oncomelania Hupensis Habitats Around Poyang Lake Before And After Three Gorges Dam Completion, Stephanie L. Mccracken

Honors Theses

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the Schistomsoma japonicum flatworm that utilizes the Oncomelania hupensis snail as an intermediate agent. In the People’s Republic of China, these amphibious snails contaminate freshwater systems infecting humans, bovines, and other mammals and have caused significant morbidity for over two thousand years (Wertheim, et al. 2012; Zhang, et al. 2012.) The gravity of this disease prompted the national government to initiate sizable public health programs, such as the World Bank Loan Project (WBLP.) In spite of WBLP's achievements, in 2004, after this program ended, a national survey acknowledged a resurgence of schistosomiasis in …

Bystanders And Bullying: A Reflective Examination Of College Students' Experiences, Katherine Marie Larsen

Honors Theses

This study examines the individual responses of bystanders to bullying based on situational and personal variables. Using self-report data collected on 935 university students, these variables were used to determine if there was a relationship between the variables and the decision to intervene in a bullying situation for a friend. The results suggested that race, sexual orientation, and direct forms of bullying (physical and cyber bullying) have a relationship between an individual’s choice to intervene in a bullying situation for a friend. The findings failed to support the hypothesis that personal factors such as gender, socio-economic status, and a history …

America's Closet Door: An Investigation Of Television And Its Effects On Perceptions Of Homosexuality, Sara Moroni

Honors Theses

This study investigates the relationship between television and social perceptions. It uses the television shows Will&Grace, The L Word, Queer as Folk, and Modern Family for rhetorical analysis. Then, it uses the information gained from the analysis to hypothesize how and why these television shows both reflect and affect social perceptions of homosexuality.

Effects Of A Nutrition Education Intervention On Inner City Children, Stephanie P. Windle

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on nutrition education research conducted between February and April 2014. The researcher’s goal was to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention on low-income children. The USDA and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provided most of the research used to create the intervention. The definition of “healthy” used for this study was defined by the USDA (2014) as “whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat free or low-fat dairy, and lean meats that are perishable (fresh, refrigerated, or frozen) or canned as well as nutrient-dense foods and beverages encouraged by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines …

The Eu's Cookie Cutter, But Not The Eu's Cookie, Sylvia Zdunek

Honors Theses

The members of the European Union have never had a common identity that has united them together beyond their geographical definition of "Europe." Since the beginning of the European Union and the introduction of the Euro, the decision makers of the Union have been pushing for a collective European identity. The need for this identity comes from the belief that in order for the Union to be economically sound, it needs an underlying homogenous culture. A unity in identity, values, and ideals is stronger than a unity based solely on a common currency as it lacks personal characteristics that people …

Structure’S Impact On Homiletic Rhetoric: A Case Study Of Melissa Scott’S Preaching, Erik S. Nelson

Honors Theses

Though the connection between the study of rhetorical processes and the practice of expository preaching is obvious, academic cooperation between the two fields is lacking. This case study presents an example of the harmony achievable between the disciplines through the production of constructive criticism, a process known to communication scholars as rhetorical analysis, for a sample of sermons given by Pastor Melissa Scott in recent years. Scott, whose preaching style is uniquely centered on translation-based exposition, represents the modern pastor whose skill and technique might be improved upon with the implementation of recent and emerging communication theory. Specifically, this study …

“L’Héritage” Is In The Streets: The Text, Images And Legacy Of May 1968, Justin L. Baggett

Honors Theses

The events of May 1968 in France are among the most important and influential events of the Cold War period. The posters and graffiti of the movement contain significant cultural contributions whose content and legacy are still controversial and prominent parts of French culture some 46 years later. This study examines both the visual and textual portions of both the posters and graffiti from the “mai 68” movement in Paris to discuss their relevance and their origins. This study also analyzes the legacy of the slogans from the graffiti as well as that of the visual elements of the posters. …

Nurse Knowledge Of Clostridium Difficile, Ashley E. Frosch

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the amount of knowledge nurses have about Clostridium difficile. Seventy-five nurses participated in this study. A 25-question true/false survey was distributed via email to graduates of The University of Southern Mississippi. The survey consisted of a brief demographic section and 25 questions addressing Clostridium difficile knowledge. A total of 582 surveys were sent out with a total of 75 completed. Out of 25 questions in the survey, the majority of respondents (>50%) only answered 7 questions incorrectly. Overall, the nurses in this study possessed accurate knowledge about C. difficile; although, there …

The Complexity Of Common Core: Teaching Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince As A 7th Grade Complex Text, Allyson R. Jones

Honors Theses

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards occurring across the country, schools and students are seeing changes in the organization of education. These standards, grounded in English Language Arts and Mathematics, are designed to push students’ critical thinking skills, writing ability, and methods of communication to prepare them for their life beyond secondary education. For English Language Arts, there is an emphasis on teaching complex texts. In this study, I examined the qualities of complex texts to determine if Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince could be considered a teaching tool for seventh grade students. To do this, …

U.S. And Spanish Newspapers And The Coverage Of The Land Campaign Of Cube In The Spanish-American War: June 7 - July 16, 1898, Tyler Wilson

Honors Theses

The Spanish-American War was a significant event in the history of the United States that initiated America’s imperialistic goals by spreading its economic and political influence in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and other overseas markets. In 1898, the U.S. saw its foreign and economic interests collide with Spain and its foreign policy in Cuba. This was an opportunity for the United States to expand and colonize areas of the world by challenging Spain and declaring itself as an emerging super power at the time.

The growth of journalism in the 1890s developed alongside America’s outward expansion by being the primary …