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Honors Theses

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"I Don't Think She's Like The Rest Of Us" : The Freedom In Disadvantage For Orphan Girls In Early 20th Century Literature, Giavanna Palermo Apr 2008

"I Don't Think She's Like The Rest Of Us" : The Freedom In Disadvantage For Orphan Girls In Early 20th Century Literature, Giavanna Palermo

Honors Theses

Marianne Hirsch notes that often, in literature, the absence of the mother is the basis for the heroine’s development. On this foundation, there is nothing new in the observation that orphan girls in literature enjoy a kind of freedom that comes from being without parents and, specifically, without a mother. What this paper seeks to examine, however, through the textual analysis of Johanna Spyri’s Heidi, Eleanor H. Porter’s Pollyanna, Kate Douglas Wiggin’s Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and Jean Webster’s Daddy Long Legs, is the way in which the figure …


Exploring The Role Of Iscsua And Suf Operon In Shigella Flexneri Invasion And Resistance To Oxidative Stress, Benjamin R. Lloyd Apr 2008

Exploring The Role Of Iscsua And Suf Operon In Shigella Flexneri Invasion And Resistance To Oxidative Stress, Benjamin R. Lloyd

Honors Theses

Shigella flexneri is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of causing dysentery, a condition that afflicts many around the world, especially in developing countries. There are several aspects of Shigella pathogenesis that are not well understood, including a number of genetic and cellular changes that allow Shigella to adapt to stresses encountered while invading and replicating within the eukaryotic cytosol. It was the goal of this research to examine the roles of iscSUA and suf, gene systems predicted to encode for iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis proteins, in Shigella surviving exposure to oxidative stress agents and during Shigella invasion and plaque formation …


Self-Righteous Beneficence : American Diplomats And Missionary Perceptions Of The Ottoman Empire, 1908-1914, Ella M. Frantantuono Apr 2008

Self-Righteous Beneficence : American Diplomats And Missionary Perceptions Of The Ottoman Empire, 1908-1914, Ella M. Frantantuono

Honors Theses

At first glance, President Taft's praise of the Ottoman Empire's transformation seems to reflect optimism about the state of the Turkish Empire and America's role in the world. Still, the very source of this optimism, Turkey's evolution from "retrograde" to "constitutional," reveals Taft's assumption that progress for Turkey was based on adopting the "modem policies" of what he believed to be a superior culture. Taft was not alone in thinking that the event he described, the inauguration of the second Constitutional era of the Ottoman Empire, signified a tremendous improvement in the world or in linking that change to the …


Forest Fires In Southern Europe : An Econometric Investigation Of The Existence Of Economic Incentives For Fire Arson, Radoslava Dogandjieva Apr 2008

Forest Fires In Southern Europe : An Econometric Investigation Of The Existence Of Economic Incentives For Fire Arson, Radoslava Dogandjieva

Honors Theses

Devastating forest fires during the summer of 2007 resulted in an unprecedented level of destruction in the Mediterranean forests, prompting widespread speculation about profit-motivated arson as one of the principal causes of the fires. Forest protection laws essentially create a scarcity of land, making arson potentially profitable in several ways: the clearing of land for development and construction, expansion of farm size, and salvage logging (Economist 2007). This study seeks to evaluate the validity of these accusations by examining the relationship between land, wheat, and timber prices and incidence of forest fires in four countries: Spain, Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria. …


Comparing Sulfur Transformations In Surface Soils Of Chattanooga Wetlands With Different Land Use Histories, Michael Mentz Mar 2008

Comparing Sulfur Transformations In Surface Soils Of Chattanooga Wetlands With Different Land Use Histories, Michael Mentz

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess whether high sulfur inputs in a local wetland had an effect on the functions of this wetland, i.e. an increased sulfate reduction rate and an increased sulfate concentration compared to a control wetland. Sulfate reduction rates were compared in two wetlands in Chattanooga, Tennessee during July and December 2007.These wetlands were known to have bad different histories of sulfur input via sulfates in precipitation or runoff.Through use of a 35S tracer technique, overall sulfate reduction rates could be compared for the two wetlands.Replicated sediment cores were collected from each wetland on the …


An Incumbent's Guide To Reelection: The States And Economic Voting In U.S. Presidential Elections, Kyle Smith Jan 2008

An Incumbent's Guide To Reelection: The States And Economic Voting In U.S. Presidential Elections, Kyle Smith

Honors Theses

This study has two chapters. The first uses Ray Fair 's national economic voting model of U.S. presidential elections to pose and answer specific questions about how voting theory works in practice. The results suggest that economic activity in the year of an election is the primary determinant of voters' perceptions of presidential performance on the economy, while earlier years in the administration's term are not important. Also, voters hold the incumbent party responsible for economic conditions whether or not that party controls Congress. Finally, the results suggest that economic voting generally operates symmetrically -a fall in growth affects the …


The Penguins' Revolution: An Analysis Of Student Response To The Multi-Dimensional Chilean Educational Crisis, Abigail Hall Jan 2008

The Penguins' Revolution: An Analysis Of Student Response To The Multi-Dimensional Chilean Educational Crisis, Abigail Hall

Honors Theses

Through exploration and analysis of economic, historical and political factors stemming from the authoritarian period (1973-1990) to the present day, this project offers an interdisciplinary explanation of the emergence of the "Penguin's Revolution" in Chile. In May-June 2006, 700,000 high school students paralyzed the Chilean education system by protesting in the streets, taking over schools and not attending classes. Students organized under the Coordinating Assembly of Secondary Students (ACES) demanded that the government take responsibility for providing universal high quality and equal education. The roots of student discontent lie in the multi-dimensional education crisis, generated by the semi-privatized, decentralized educational …


Cytotoxicity Of Diepoxybutane And Epichlorohydrin In Relation To Stages Of The Cell Cycle, Megan L. Watts Jan 2008

Cytotoxicity Of Diepoxybutane And Epichlorohydrin In Relation To Stages Of The Cell Cycle, Megan L. Watts

Honors Theses

Work conducted in the Millard Biochemistry Research Laboratory examines the dual nature of molecules as carcinogens and anti-tumor agents through the molecular mechanisms of duplex DNA damage by bifunctional alkylating agents. Diepoxybutane (DEB) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) are polar molecules that form covalent DNA interstrand lesions by cross-linking the N7 position of deoxyguanosine residues. A recent experiment indicated that ECH preferentially targets nuclear DNA over mitochondrial DNA, whereas DEB shows similar rates of lesion formation for both loci. It was concluded that preferential targeting of nuclear DNA results from relatively poor uptake of ECH across the mitochondrial membrane. The objective of …


Pressure Perturbation Calorimetry And Guest-Host Chemistry Of Ndmg And N-Map With P-Sulfonatocalix[6]Arene, Cassandra Newell Jan 2008

Pressure Perturbation Calorimetry And Guest-Host Chemistry Of Ndmg And N-Map With P-Sulfonatocalix[6]Arene, Cassandra Newell

Honors Theses

The aim of this project is to provide an explanation for recently obtained binding constants for two similar guest molecules, NDMG and N-MAP, with a p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene host in ammonium acetate buffer. This work was done primarily using pressure perturbation calorimetry, which is a technique that determines the coefficient of thermal expansion, α, which is in turn related to the solute molecule's effect on the order of the surrounding water molecules. A series of experiments were designed to test the effects of suspected confounding variables on the validity of PPC data. PPC was then used to study NDMG and N-MAP in …


Using Azahetercyclic Electrophiles To Synthesize Novel Bicyclooxacalixarenes And Oxacalix[2]N-Hexylnaphthalimide[2]Naphthyridines, Doug Rooke Jan 2008

Using Azahetercyclic Electrophiles To Synthesize Novel Bicyclooxacalixarenes And Oxacalix[2]N-Hexylnaphthalimide[2]Naphthyridines, Doug Rooke

Honors Theses

Various bicyclooxacalixarenes, tricyclooxacalixarenes and oxacalix[2]N-hexylnapthalimide[2]naphthyridines are synthesized via SnAr condensation. This research has involved synthesis optimization. The oxacalix[2]N-hexylnaphthalimide[2]naphthyridines have exhibited host-guest binding in fluorescence experiments. These compounds have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction.


Photochemical Generation And Intramolecular Chemistry Of Β-Alkoxycarbenes, Kimberly Graves Jan 2008

Photochemical Generation And Intramolecular Chemistry Of Β-Alkoxycarbenes, Kimberly Graves

Honors Theses

The photolytic phenanthrene-based precursors for both β-methoxycarbene and β-ethoxycarbene were synthesized with and without a deuterium label attached to the a carbon. The incorporation of this deuterium label allowed distinction between a 1, 2-H shift and a 1, 2-O shift pathway to the respective alkyl vinyl ether, without the influence of a primary kinetic isotope effect. Photolyses of these precursors gave rearrangement products of the expected β-alkoxycarbenes. In the case of β-methoxycarbene, no methyl vinyl ether was observed due to its volatility. However, the appearance of aldehyde peaks in the NMR spectra, from an apparent further rearrangement to acetaldehyde through …


Stock Markets And Household Wealth: Can A Stock Market Crash Cause A Recession In The U.S. Economy?, Ishan Singh Jan 2008

Stock Markets And Household Wealth: Can A Stock Market Crash Cause A Recession In The U.S. Economy?, Ishan Singh

Honors Theses

Stock market wealth effects on the level of consumption in the United States economy have been constantly debated; there is evidence for arguments for and against its prominence and its symmetry. This paper seeks to investigate the strength of its negative effect by creating models to analyze unexpected shocks to the Standard and Poor's 500 index. First, a transmission mechanism between the stock market and GDP is established through the use of second-order vector autoregressive models. Following which, theory from the life cycle model and adaptations of previous researchers' models are used to create a structural model. This paper finds …


Decisions To Abrogate Personal Liberty: Ethics Of Conscription In The United States, Jacqueline Shuttleworth Grady Jan 2008

Decisions To Abrogate Personal Liberty: Ethics Of Conscription In The United States, Jacqueline Shuttleworth Grady

Honors Theses

The military draft in the United States has been a controversial public policy in the past. Conscription has been used for six different wars; each draft has differed from the others because of the circumstances of the war for which it was enacted and because of the way in which it was implemented. Today, because of the wars the United States is fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, a new public policy has developed, called stop loss. Stop loss affects only those people who have already served in the military, forcing them to remain in military service after the originally contracted …


Microhabitat Selection By The Tortoiseshell Limpet, Tectura Testudinalis (Müller), In Tide Pools On The Mid-Maine Coast, Emily R. Lyczkowski Jan 2008

Microhabitat Selection By The Tortoiseshell Limpet, Tectura Testudinalis (Müller), In Tide Pools On The Mid-Maine Coast, Emily R. Lyczkowski

Honors Theses

Microhabitat selection of the limpet Tectura testudinalis, an important grazer along the rocky Maine coast is examined using both mensurative and manipulative experiments. T. testudinalis substrate selection is essential to its survival in the unpredictable and harsh regime of the intertidal zone. At three sites studied in the Gulf of Maine, T. testudinalis selectively inhabits tidal pools and vertically oriented substrates. Both of these microhabitats reduce the degree of environmental stress (desiccation, extreme temperature, and hypersaline conditions) and predation experienced by individuals. Differences among sites are common, indicating the importance of varying environmental factors in regulating and influencing habitat selection …


Effect Of Observed Biological And Non-Biological Movement On Human Action And Coordination, Walter L. Campbell Jan 2008

Effect Of Observed Biological And Non-Biological Movement On Human Action And Coordination, Walter L. Campbell

Honors Theses

Recently, it has been demonstrated that an individual’s rhythmic limb movements exhibit greater variability when viewing spatially incongruent biological limb movements, but not when viewing spatially incongruent non-biological movements. Some researchers have concluded that a ‘mirror-neuron system’ might mediate the intrinsic bidirectional link between perception and action underlying interpersonal, but not environmental, coordination (e.g., Kilner et al., 2003; Tognoli et al., 2007). The current study aimed to: 1) contest this recent finding; and 2) demonstrate that the self-organized entrainment processes of coupled oscillators can explain the differing influences of biological and non-biological movements. In the first experiment, participants intentionally coordinated …


In The Absence Of Family: How Ideas Of The Substitute Family In Honduran Children's Homes Shape Perception Of The Needs Of At-Risk Youth, Stephanie Bowman Jan 2008

In The Absence Of Family: How Ideas Of The Substitute Family In Honduran Children's Homes Shape Perception Of The Needs Of At-Risk Youth, Stephanie Bowman

Honors Theses

Through an interdisciplinary analysis of children’s homes in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, this project reflects on how conceptions of family affect the prioritization of the needs of the homes’ beneficiaries. One consequence of the impoverished nature of Honduras are orphaned, abandoned, mistreated, malnourished, abused, neglected and disowned children who have come to live in group children’s homes that, for the most part, meet their short-term physical needs. But what about children’s developmental, social and educational needs? In this study, we analyze what needs homes meet according to the kind of familial substitute they provide as either a group home or …


Effects Of The Anticancer Agent Cloretazine On Human Apurinic Endonuclease-1 Activity, Jennifer L. Bushee Jan 2008

Effects Of The Anticancer Agent Cloretazine On Human Apurinic Endonuclease-1 Activity, Jennifer L. Bushee

Honors Theses

The carbamolyating activity of Cloretazine, a novel anticancer prodrug, modifies protein function and acts synergistically with the choroethyalting species, which a1kylales DNA. The reactive subspecies responsible for carbamolylating activity is methyl isocyanate, which reacts with sulfhydryl groups and amines. DNA repair enzymes have been identified as potential targets for the modification by methyl isocyanate; in particular, base excision repair enzymes. Enzymes in DNA base excision repair include DNA polymerase beta (Pol ?) and apurinic/apyrimidic endonucease-l (APE/Ref-1). APE/Ref-1 hydrolyzes the 5' -phosphodiester DNA backbone from an abasic DNA template, where the base was excised by a DNA glycosylase. The entire nucleotide …


Textbook Bundling : Is It Really Worth The Sum Of Its Parts, Kati Simmons Jan 2008

Textbook Bundling : Is It Really Worth The Sum Of Its Parts, Kati Simmons

Honors Theses

Studies have been conducted examining the impact of commodity bundling on company profits and the premium prices charged for these bundles. With recent news of the skyrocketing costs of higher education, it is critical to highlight the specific effects of commodity bundling on the prices of textbooks. A study performed by the Government Accountability Office in 2005 cited that a main cause of increasing textbook prices is the recent inclusion of textbook supplements such as software and workbooks. This paper investigates the impact that different types of supplements have on the overall price paid for the bundle. Aggregate sales data …


Crisis Rhetoric : A Theory Of Communication In Times Of Crisis, Eric D. Loepp Jan 2008

Crisis Rhetoric : A Theory Of Communication In Times Of Crisis, Eric D. Loepp

Honors Theses

We conducted an experiment to assess the effect of presidential rhetoric in a time of crisis. Our study was based in part on terror management theory, which posits that subtle reminders of death (mortality salience) lead to increased support of leaders an authority figures. Subjects were randomly placed in either a mortality salient condition or control condition. We also composed two speeches - one charismatic and one non-charismatic - and subjects were randomly assigned to hear one of the two. Based on elements of terror management theory, we hypothesized that in a time of crisis the charismatic speech would be …


Fostering Leaders For Social Justice : Ally Identity Development And Efficacy, Allison M. Duval Jan 2008

Fostering Leaders For Social Justice : Ally Identity Development And Efficacy, Allison M. Duval

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to develop a conceptual understanding of ally identity and effective and sustainable ally behaviors in order to analyze ally development at the University of Richmond and synthesize brief recommendations for practical applications for cultivating allies. This first chapter on "Enduring Inequality and the Need for Allies" defines allies, explores privilege and constructions of difference in terms of race and gender, exposes the reality of current injustices, and demonstrates the need for allies as leaders of dominant social groups to work alongside leaders of non-dominant social groups in effecting broad social change. The second chapter …


Shorebank Corporation: A Model Of Community Development Through Commerce, Joshua Dudley Kipp Jan 2008

Shorebank Corporation: A Model Of Community Development Through Commerce, Joshua Dudley Kipp

Honors Theses

Since the passage of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, banks and other financial institutions have become more proactive about engaging in community development initiatives. One bank holding company, Shorebank Corporation, has taken this commitment to a new level by basing the whole of its practices around the promotion of community development. By filtering through prior research of the corporation and discussions with two founding members who have served as CEO and President of the corporation, it has been shown that a commercially profitable business may be created while using a business model centered around community development. This paper looks …


A Designer’S Portfolio, Hallie Landon Marshall Jan 2008

A Designer’S Portfolio, Hallie Landon Marshall

Honors Theses

The professional graphic design portfolio is a window into the graphic designer’s soul: reflecting both the personal style of the artist and the artist’s ability to adapt their skill and creativity to the needs of a particular project. The designer’s portfolio is also his introduction to the interview and career processes. This portfolio was created to reflect the designer’s lifelong interest in publications and to become the first step in a graphic design career. The project included development of the design pieces; printing and mounting the portfolio; and creating a digital portfolio by designing a website in Adobe Flash. The …


An Analysis Of Networking Between Top Executives Of Companies Suspected Of Backdating Stock Options, Rebecca Kin-Ming Lo Jan 2008

An Analysis Of Networking Between Top Executives Of Companies Suspected Of Backdating Stock Options, Rebecca Kin-Ming Lo

Honors Theses

"More than 100 companies are under investigation for options backdating... If options backdating problems are found at more companies, Congress may be driven to act. ” - Brian Cleaiy (Cleary 2007). The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how the practice of backdating employee stock options has become so widely used. The first hypothesis for this research is that networking between executives and board members of corporations has caused the idea of backdating employee stock options to spread. The second hypothesis is that particular auditing firms are more likely than others to audit corporations accused of backdating employee stock …


Graphic Design Work For The Band Riverleft, Benjamin William Deneka Jan 2008

Graphic Design Work For The Band Riverleft, Benjamin William Deneka

Honors Theses

The purpose of my thesis was to create merchandising and promotional artwork for the Oxford, Mississippi-based band RiverLeft and their album “Stranger Things.” I used the design software Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to create album artwork, posters, and other illustrations to be implemented onto promotional materials. By tying all of the artwork together around a central theme, I created an identity for the band’s marketing and advertisement around the south and beyond. 1


Pink Wave Or Red Threat? Bolivia's And Venezuela's Hydrocarbons Policies In Perspective, Patrick Hunter Dogan Jan 2008

Pink Wave Or Red Threat? Bolivia's And Venezuela's Hydrocarbons Policies In Perspective, Patrick Hunter Dogan

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Finding Space For Autonomy: Chiapas, The Ezln, And The Dynamics Of The Indigenous Communities, Thomas Joseph Koger Jan 2008

Finding Space For Autonomy: Chiapas, The Ezln, And The Dynamics Of The Indigenous Communities, Thomas Joseph Koger

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


An Evaluation Of 529 Savings And Prepaid Tuition Plans, Joshua Charles Rorie Jan 2008

An Evaluation Of 529 Savings And Prepaid Tuition Plans, Joshua Charles Rorie

Honors Theses

The pui*pose of this thesis was to evaluate the two types of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 529 college savings plans; the savings plan and the prepaid tuition plan. The investment returns of the college savings plans and, indirectly, prepaid tuition plans were compared to the current tuition inflation environment to determine which method provided the investor the most favorable return. In addition, the circumstances surrounding prepaid plans that have recently closed to new enrollment were used to evaluate the condition of the prepaid alternative. A sample of state college savings plans returns were examined along with four currently suspended prepaid …


An Investigation Of Short Sellers' Behavior Around Short Interest Announcement Dates, Wei Wei Jan 2008

An Investigation Of Short Sellers' Behavior Around Short Interest Announcement Dates, Wei Wei

Honors Theses

In this thesis, we examine the traders shorting behavior before and after the short interest settlement day. We investigate whether short sellers influence short interest by excessively opening new positions before short interest data collection. We find no evidence suggesting the existence of short sellers’ short interest influencing activities. However, in the course of examining the differences among daily short levels, we demonstrate the danger and consequences of ignoring the panel structure of the data. Plus, we find results that are inconsistent with our understanding of the short interest collection process. Thus, we also give detailed discussions on panel data …


The Foundation, Education, And Practice Of Osteopathic Medicine, Anthony P. Salvador Jan 2008

The Foundation, Education, And Practice Of Osteopathic Medicine, Anthony P. Salvador

Honors Theses

Osteopathic medicine has quickly grown into a successful and respectable branch of medical practice. It was created out of a necessity for change in the late 1800s, and continues to be a credible form of alternative medicine. After reviewing literary material, journal articles, and numerous osteopathic college sources it was seen that osteopathic medicine can be practiced in numerous settings and will become integral in the near future due to the shortage of physicians in the United States. Today, osteopaths work closely with all types of medical personal including medical doctors.


The Acquisition Of Spanish Possessive Adjectives By Beginning Adult Learners Of Spanish, Ryan J. Minier Jan 2008

The Acquisition Of Spanish Possessive Adjectives By Beginning Adult Learners Of Spanish, Ryan J. Minier

Honors Theses

Spanish possessive adjectives (e.g., mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro) are commonly introduced to students of Spanish in the later part of their first semester of study. What features characterize this grammatical category in the language? Morphologically, the Spanish possessive adjectives consist of a lexical base that is either free (e.g., mi, tu, su) or bound (e.g., nuestr-, vuestr-). The two bound bases require one of two inflectional morphemes designating grammatical gender: the suffix -o marks the masculine and -a the feminine, according to the gender of the noun modified. Both the free and bound lexical bases …