Digital Commons Network^™

The Stones And The Bones: Contemporary Issues In Cultural Property, Christopher Michael Blocker

Honors Theses

Cultural property has recently become an important issue in the international community. Major museums across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum, have been involved in litigation or settled out of court with foreign governments who claim objects in their museums' collections were looted or stolen from native soil. The topic of repatriation occupies one aspect of the thesis. Another section is concern with the philosophical framework within which people may think about cultural property and its implications, as well as about vital issues in ownership. The major part of the thesis …

An Investigation Of Communications Laws And The Mississippi Business Manager, Melissa Ann King

Honors Theses

This study sought to determine if Mississippi business managers were versed in maintaining a legal workplace with their knowledge of 15 major United States laws relating specifically to the area of business communication. It also sought to gather relevant information based upon personal views related to two critical communications laws; the Civil Rights Act of 1964- Title VII Equal Employment Opportunity and the Age Discrimination Act of 1967. The study went on to determine if the 15 laws were actually being used in the workplace by Mississippi business managers. After proper approval by the University of Mississippi Office of Research …

Growth And Immunocomptence In Parasitized Domestic Turkeys( Meleagris Gallapavo): Is There A Trade-Off?, Virginia Austin Harrison

Honors Theses

Parasitic infection can prove to be detrimental to the condition, reproductive fitness, and survival of the host organism. During infection, an organism experiences trade-offs between functions such as growth, reproduction, and immunological activity as a result of limited resources. When challenged by infection, wild turkeys, adapted for survival, should fight the infection rather than invest in growth. Because domestic turkeys have been artificially selected to grow rapidly, I hypothesized that they would invest in growth rather than immunocompetence. To test this hypothesis, I infected domestic turkeys with coccidia and measured components of growth and immunocompetence. Turkeys were infected with the …

Across The Racial Divide: Women Writing Women In Select Post-Civil Rights Fiction, Marty Marie Hitt

Honors Theses

In this paper we present the mathematical methods necessary to utilize the Rivest. Shamir, and Adleman (RSA) cryptosystem. Beginning witn the Divi sion Theorem and an introduction to modular arithmetic we then delve brieflv into group theory, leading up to our presentation of LaGrange’s Theorem. Next we prove Fermat’s Little Theorem, Wilson's Theorem, and Euler's Theorem. arriving at a definition and explanation of the RSA method. We conclude this paper with a short discussion of prime generating techniques, focusing our attention on Pocklington’s prime determination method.

The Limits Of Laïcité: Islam And The Headscarf Issue In France, Lindsay Blaire Beeman

Honors Theses

Laicite is the term given to France’s complex policy of separation between church and state. Developing out of a long and tumultuous religious history, laicite set out to resolve the problems that the French state had with religion by eliminating its presence in the public sphere. At its inception, the policy did not have clearly stated objectives. As a result, it was not equally applied and many problems ensued. The most recent debacle involving the application of laicite was Vaffaire dii foulard, or headscarf affair. Citing the principle of laicite, numerous teachers and principals in French schools required Muslim students …

Elusive Peace: A Comparative Analysis Of Civil Wars And Conflict Resolution In El Salvador And Colombia, Jessica Bryant

Honors Theses

This study compares the historical contexts of the rise of civil wars and their modem trajectories in Colombia and El Salvador. Through an analysis of the successful negotiation of peace in the Salvadoran case via a United Nations peacekeeping mission, it makes conclusions about the relevancy of such an operation for obtaining peace in Colombia. After a brief discussion of the United Nations evolving peacekeeping mandate and recent literature about this type of peace negotiation, this thesis examines each country’s history and its war’s termination (in the case of El Salvador) and transformation (in the case of Colombia). Recent literature …

An Initial Evaluation Of Select Social Welfare Programs Instated By Hugo Chavez, Maria Catarina Gutierrez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Stopping The Flood Of Denglish: The Difficult Dilemma Faced By German Language Organizations In Modern-Day Germany, Julianne Kay Lofton

Honors Theses

In this study I examined the reactions of official and independent German language organizations to the influx of Denglish, which is a hybrid mix of German and English, and Anglicisms. The independent language organizations tend to be more open in opposing these linguistic influences, and often want strict language protection laws like those in France and Poland. I hypothesized that Germany’s Nazi past has led to a general lack of patriotism and nationalism in Germany, which has affected their language policy and allowed Germany to be overrun by Denglish and Anglicized words and phrases. Germany is experiencing a renewal of …

Environment, Behavior, And Internal Consciousness: A Study Of Space And Time In Dostoevsky, Laura Claire Bagwell

Honors Theses

Individual and public space creates the reality of daily existence for a human being. The ideological perspectives a person maintains are direct products of individual space experience because the larger societal context of a region constructs the norms for behavior and belief Dostoevsky writes concentration narratives that focus on the urban and rural space surrounding a protagonist, and contrasts between these two settings to illustrate the impact of environment on the human psyche. This study examines the use of external conditions to describe literary characters and the ideologies and behaviors they maintain. In researching space and time in the literature …

Pov-It: The Pov-Ray Interactive Tutorial, Eleanor O'Rourke

Honors Theses

The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, commonly known as POV-Ray, is a computer graphics package that can be used to produce highly sophisticated and photorealistic images and animations. POV-Ray is widely used in the computer graphics community for a diverse variety of applications, including teaching college courses, creating visual music animations, and generating computer art. Although the popularity of POV-Ray is apparent, the teaching materials available for the package are confusing, disorganized, and inaccessible. In this project, I have designed an online system that provides a series of interactive tutorials that teach users how to create images using the POV-Ray …

Soviet Language Policy In Uzbekistan: How The Role Of Russian Has Changed Through Soviet Times And Independence, Mary Catherine Boehmer

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the progression of Soviet language policy in Uzbekistan and its effects. It also examines how the perception of Russian has changed in post-Soviet Uzbekistan and Uzbeks now view their own language as a direct result of language policy. I based my research on the research of others and the interview of a former Peace Corps volunteer who lived in both Tashkent and Andijon for a total period of two years. Through my investigation, I discovered how the Central Asian languages were formed on the basis of language, how Soviet leaders used both Russian and ethnic languages to …

Dynamics Of Transcriptional Repression By Λ Cro Repressor In Vivo, Dustin Land Markle

Honors Theses

Cro is a regulatory protein that participates in the life cycle switch of bacteriophage lambda (X). While wild-type Cro is produced as a single domain polypeptide monomer, two monomers must assemble to form a dimer before Cro can act as a functional transcriptional repressor. We suspect that dimerization of Cro monomers determines, in part, the dynamics of the activity of the protein in vivo. Rate and equilibrium constants for dimerization of several Cro variants have already been determined in vitro,, and dimerization of Cro monomers is slow relative to other similar proteins. This study is concerned with exploring the in …

The Interplay Between History And Religious Ambivalence In John Updike's Rabbit Tetralogy, Kathryn Sewell Gillen

Honors Theses

The protagonist of John Updike’s Rabbit Tetralogy, Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, is examined and explained in terms of his ambivalence and spiritual concerns. Rabbit is commonly accepted as a socio-historical symbol - an “American Everyman” - but this explanation alone fails to account for his inclination towards the unknown. Combining Rabbit the symbol with Rabbit the individual allows for a more complete understanding of Updike’s intent to make a statement that is both political and theological. Rabbit’s continual movement between extremes (his ambivalence) is considered foremost. Rabbit’s indecision is a constant throughout the four novels, his most defining characteristic. Once this …

The Absence Of Financial Feminism, Blythe Leigh Keenum

Honors Theses

This thesis describes alumni donor behaviors for University of Mississippi double-alumni married couples and analyzes those behaviors through the lens of gender. I used data from the University of Mississippi Foundation databases. A subsequent review of scholarly literature dealing with gender and philanthropy gave additional context for analyzing results. These analyses showed a considerable tendency for UM double-alumni households to favor males’ schools across multiple variables and the presence of household bargaining is strongly indicated.

Out Of The Agrarian Closet: Rereading The Velvet Horn By Its Queer Currents, Jacob W. Brasher

Honors Theses

Jacob W. Brasher: Out of the Agrarian Closet: Rereading The Velvet Horn by its Queer Currents This thesis begins with an analysis of Agrarianism and its effects upon the popularity of a Southern writer, Andrew Nelson Lytle, and his crowning work. The Velvet Horn. Agrarianism was introduced to society in 1930 through the volume. I'll Take Mv Stand, to which Lytle contributed an essay, “The Hind Tit,” and was immediately and summarily rejected as a viable economical philosophy for the South. The thesis concludes that Agrarianism's unpopularity combined with Lytle's devotion to it throughout his life ultimately damaged his popularity …

Huka Entertainment: Creating A Full-Service Concert Event Company Focusing On Concert Promotion, Talent Buying, And Ticketing, Bennett Alexander Drago

Honors Theses

For my thesis I took an in-depth look at HUKA Entertainment, which is the company I co-founded in January 2006. The paper is divided into two major sections. The first section of the paper covers our largest event to date: The 92 ZEW Late Night Concert Series. This section of the paper also covers the many business opportunities in the music industry, the history of HUKA Entertainment, and all the elements it takes to produce a live event. The second section of the paper covers a detailed marketing plan for HUKA’s current status and its future plans. After HUKA Entertainment …

Freedom Through Education: The Sunflower County Freedom Project, Susan Rebecca Morrison

Honors Theses

The United States intelligence community is an integral part of the security of our' nation. It has been continually growing and redesigning itself for the past 230 years to suit the needs of the people and of the nation. Inhibiting the American intelligence system, however, is the struggle for the U.S. to find a balance between the rights of the people and the security of the nation. This struggle has been at the basis of change in almost every instance of intelligence redesign. It is these changes that have become the study of this thesis. Major trends found in the …

Influence Of Carrageenan-Induced Nociception On Separation-Induced Distress Vocalizations And Hyperthermia In Domestic Fowl Chicks, Erin Kathleen Johnson

Honors Theses

While there is extensive research on the effects of stress on pain perception, very few studies have been conducted on how vary ing pain intensities affect stress levels. This study was conducted to simulate this relationship by using carrageenan-induced inflammatory nociception to quantify its effect on the stress measures of social separation stress devocaJizations (dVocs) and body temperature in 6-7 day old domestic fowl chicks. Nociception was induced 2 hours prior to the stress test, via intraplantar injection of carrageenan at either 0 %, 0.125%, 0.25%, or 0.5%, and was measured directly after the stress test by both foot withdrawal …

Stability Studies Of Domain 2 Of Neural Cadherin, John Kyle Mccool

Honors Theses

Neural cadherin is a member of a family of calcium binding cell adhesion molecules. These cell surface proteins mediate intercellular adhesion through association of protomers on the same cell surface to form lateral interactions, and juxtaposed cells then undergo adhesive interaction. This action occurs by ordered calcium dependent associations mediated through the five extracellular N-terminus β-barrel domains. While the critical function and structure of classic cadherin is well established, the energetic mechanism of adhesion is still unclear. This study includes experiments into the purification and stability of Domain 2 in neural cadherin with the motivation that Domain 2 is a …

Cruciform Extrusion In Methylation-State Variants Of Pbr322 Plasmid, Lucas Morgan Mcelwain

Honors Theses

The presence of DNA secondary structures in genomic DNA has been observed in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Specifically, sections of ssDNA may melt out and form cruciform/hairpin structures within palindromic sequences or areas of high purine content. Negative supercoiling of the DNA is necessary for energetic favorability of such an event. These noncanonical structures may serve as molecular switches, providing additional regulation of DNA transactions such as transcription and perhaps replication and recombination. Secondary structures associated with regulatory regions are of particular interest as potential sites for the binding of small molecules, which could alter the expression of genes. The …

Bailey Junior High And The Desegregation Of Jackson Public Schools, Marcial Davidson Forester Iii

Honors Theses

This thesis details the history of Jackson, Mississippi through the eyes of education, specifically through the public schools, and in particular Bailey Junior High (present day Bailey Magnet School). Newspaper articles from Jackson’s primary media suppliers, along with personal interviews and academic essays, were used to gather information on the subject. Chapter One explores the early years of segregated public education in Jackson, as well as the beginning of Bailey Junior High and the community investment in Jackson Public Schools in the 1930s and 1940s. After World War II, the city’s growing population brought greater demands for classroom space, and …

The Usa Patriot Act: A Constitutional Analysis, Dean Sterling Kidd

Honors Theses

This thesis is an examination of various arguments for and against the constitutionality of the USA Patriot Act in regard to the First and Fourth Amendments. The arguments are generally in a framework of competing interests: national security and civil liberties. Specifically, Sections 203, 206, 213, 215, 216, 218, and 505 of the Act are discussed. The analysis of these sections includes their actual language, and commentary from law journal articles. Relevant Supreme Court and lower court cases that relate to national security are also incorporated. The thesis also has a general commentary about the teiTor attacks which led to …

A Comparative Analysis Of Institutions, Policies, And Vehicle Emissions Between The United States And The European Union, William Lee Ramsey Iii

Honors Theses

The following thesis undertakes a comparative analysis of the United States and European Union’s institutions in place for the decision making process concerning environmental policy, as well as certain policies that have come out of this process (most specifically those concerning vehicle emissions). Several concerns over the environment have come about in the last few years, and the problem of pollution is one that must be addressed. I will examine how the EU and US are dealing with these concerns about the state of the environment, as well as the processes that are involved in creating legislation to tackle the …

Brain Responses To Smoking-Related And Emotionally Positive Pictures In Smokers And Non-Smokers, Ashley Parker

Honors Theses

The effects of anticipating smoking-related pictures on a brain measure of anticipation, the contingent negative variation (CNV), were assessed in 6 habitual smokers and in 6 nonsmokers. Groups were balanced by gender. The CNV was measured using a standard 16-channel EEG cap. The participants viewed 30 repeated images that were smoking-related, positive, or neutral. Smokers generated a greater CNV during the anticipation of smoking-related pictures, compared to non-smokers. The present findings indicate that the procedures used in the present study might be useful to assess the effects of smoking cessation treatments and individual differences in the degree to which smokers …

Database Creation And Implementation Using Open Source Software, Shelby Patru

Honors Theses

This project is designed to investigate the use of open source software and utilize this software to create a database for GNP Acoustical. This honors thesis will focus on the history of open source software, the pros and cons of using this software, a brief look at open source vs. proprietary software, the open source maturity model and the specifics of major software packages in the open source field that could be used to complete this project. Open source software was chosen as the subject for this project because of its increasing popularity among worldwide corporations.

This project was going …

On Conway's Generalization Of The 3x + 1 Problem, Robin M. Givens

Honors Theses

This thesis considers a variation of the 3x+1, or Collatz, Problem involving a function we call the Conway function. The Conway function is defined by letting C3(n)=2k for n=3k and C3(n)=4k±1 for n=3k±1, where n is an integer. The iterates of this function generate a few 'short' cycles, but the s' tructural dynamics are otherwise unknown. We investigate properties of the Conway function and other related functions. We also discuss the possibility of using the Conway function to generate keys for cryptographic use based on a fast, efficient binary implemenation of the function. Questions related to the conjectured tree-like structure …

A Comparative Analysis Of Human Rights Laws In The United States And Australia, Emily F. Chalifoux

Honors Theses

Discrimination does not make good business sense; it causes tension and a decrease in productivity. Even though human rights laws vary from country to country, conforming with these laws makes business more cohesive and productive. Some of the many benefits include:

• Increase the pool of potential employees and, therefore, the chances of getting the best person for the job,

• Build morale and productivity of employees

• Minimize complaints, disruptions and legal wrangles, leaving employees to focus on their work, and

• Add to the bottom line and build the company's reputation in the community.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze …

The Mrs. Browns Of Modernism, Kathleen O'Donnell

Honors Theses

I begin with this literary critical parable because I am interested in arguments about and attempts to define what modernism was. I situate the following project after the fall of the modernist canon, in a literary critical context in which it remains doubtful that modernisms could be modernism again. As a response to that situation, I propose a way of defining modernism that may do justice to the complexity and variety of modernist texts, while seeking also to recognize that which they had in common. Although what follows might be called an analysis of literary form, it is not a …

Complicating "Female Suicide Bombers" : Violence, Agency And Gender In The Rhetoric Of Shahida, Chelsea Rock

Honors Theses

Since 2002, popular Western news media has become fixated with the "advent" of the Palestinian female suicide bomber when a woman named Wafa Idris detonated herself on a busy Jaffa Road in Israel. Questions about gender, domesticity, violence, subjectivity, and technology arise as researchers, journalists and others confront culturally conceived notions about women and their roles in both Islamic and Western societies. Proposing a broader concept of violence that is cognizant of women's violent histories and struggles over agency, this essay suggests that analyses of women and violence are incomplete without critically thinking about the "female suicide bomber"--or shahida--within their …

Courting Disaster : Women, Romance, And Novels In Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century Britain, Beth J. Massie

Honors Theses

Society always fears that something is corrupting its youth and therefore dooming the future. In the late eighteenth century, British High Society believed that the sentimental and overly dramatic courtship novel was adversely affecting the actions of marriageable young women. In response to these fears, women writers of the early nineteenth century produced literature designed to guide young women safely and happily through the steps of courtship and marriage. The impact of British society's changing views on courtship and marriage combined with the fears raised by the courtship novel in the minds of older society transformed the courtship novel of …