Digital Commons Network^™

The Last Drinking Drys: The Repeal Of Prohibition In Mississippi, Joseph Stone Green

Honors Theses

The repeal of prohibition in Mississippi is a topic that has attracted little scholarly attention, and even existing attention consists of a scattered and often conflicting account of events. The purpose of this thesis is to examine and re-examine the events and players involved in the repeal of alcohol prohibition in Mississippi in 1966. While broader issues such as faith, society, and even race helped shape the context within which a movement to repeal prohibition both began and succeeded, this paper will not delve into these larger concerns any more than is necessary to understanding the significance of specific events …

Perceptions Of Nursing Students Regarding Patient Suffering, Molly Marie Shivers

Honors Theses

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experience of nursing students in situations involving the suffering of a patient. Through analysis of interviews of senior nursing students, six themes were gathered. The themes discovered were: Student nurses in the face of suffering, desire knowledge and support from faculty: allowing time for student interaction and sharing prior to and post experience is important; Student nurses in most cases have prior experiences with suffering that color the student nurse professional view of suffering; Student nurses stay busy in the face of suffering, feel helpless and without interventions, however, …

100 Years Of Hoops: A Personal Perspective Of Ole Miss Basketball, Whitney Lauren Tarpy

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the past 100 years of Ole Miss Basketball and the role it plays in the University’s athletics and student-athletes’ lives. Through in-depth interviews with four former players, the study focuses on significant eras in the program’s history and how that person’s story fits in with Ole Miss history. After the research was conducted, it could easily be seen what Ole Miss basketball meant to that person during their collegiate career as well as the present. It can be concluded that although Ole Miss basketball does not have a powerful program in terms of national championships, conference titles …

The Bolivian Press And The Fight For A Revolution, Brandi Nicole Davis

Honors Theses

The role of the press and journalism as a whole can be varied. The press covers hard news such as crime and politics, and it features stories that highlight notable people and places. There are usually newspaper sections for sports, business and entertainment as well. I wanted to look at a press system that operated outside of these American norms. What would the newspaper look like? What kind of events would it cover? The 1952 Bolivian National Revolution was an instance of a revolutionary press whose purpose was not to uphold the norms of the time but to bring about …

The Language Facilitation Training System: Vocal Verbal Behavior, Maija Graudins

Honors Theses

The Language Facilitation Training System (LFTS) is a subsystem of the Behavioral Research Supervisory System (BRSS). Both of these are contained within BATS, which is the Behavior Analysis Training System. These systems were developed by Dr. Richard Malott in one of the Behavior Analysis programs at Western Michigan University.

Implications For Nursing Involvement In Health Care Reform: An International Comparison, Erin Mccuen

Honors Theses

In this paper, a comparison of two countries' approaches to deliver healthcare services to their people and the practice of professional nursing will be presented. The report is based on a study abroad course where data were gathered about the two countries and included a ten day tour of Slovakia meeting many healthcare leaders and nursing students. A pictorial presentation of this report is attached (See Appendix) as evidence of the comparisons between the two health care systems. The United States of America and the Republic of Slovakia are two countries that have particularly interesting healthcare delivery and nursing practice …

The Financing And Reform Of The United States Healthcare System, Sarah Georgeau Bernheisel

Honors Theses

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately forty-five million people in the United States, including nearly nine million children, were without health insurance in 2007 ("Fast Stats A to Z" 1). Additionally, in 2007, nearly 30% of young adults, ages 18-24, in the United States were uninsured ("Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage" 22). Sadly, none of these figures includes the countless individuals who have insufficient healthcare coverage caused by their high out-of pocket costs compared to their wages.

Assessment Of Eating Disorder Knowledge Among College Students & The Effectiveness Of A Primary Prevention Program, Patricia Eileen Edwards

Honors Theses

Objective: To assess the current knowledge of eating disorders among college students and to determine the effectiveness of a prevention program in increasing eating disorder knowledge. Participants: College students enrolled in the University of Mississippi and in a Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) 311 Nutrition course. Methods: Participants in attendance of an FCS 311 Nutrition course were administered a 21 question survey to assess a baseline knowledge level of eating disorders. Participants were later educated on eating disorders through a primary prevention program “Eating Disorders 101”. The previous survey was administered again to assess the knowledge gained and the effectiveness …

A Cross-Cultural Content Analysis Of The 2008 American Presidential Election, Willow Beverly Nero

Honors Theses

Agenda-setting theory, based on the idea that journalism has a strong correlation to audience opinion and evaluation of issue salience, shows the unportance of how the media present the news. Naturally, media values vary across cultures, wherein some news outlets serve only to inform and others approach news through partisan positions or evaluative tactics. Especially during a time of media upset in the United States, it is important to examine U.S. media values and those of other cultures. This thesis looks at some of the dominant and documented differences in newspaper reporting in France and the United States, using Patterson’s …

Hadwiger's Conjecture Applied To Mycielski And Kneser Graphs, Anne Marie Nicholas

Honors Theses

Graph theory is the study of graphs that represent a specific relation between pairs of objects from a collection. The objects are represented by vertices that are connected by edges defining the existence of such relation ship. A crucial result in graph theory, the Four Color Theorem, was first proposed in 1852 by Francis Guthrie but was not proven until 1976 by Ken neth Appel and Wolfgang Haken. The Four Color Theorem says that any graph on a plane is four colorable. Then in 1943 Hugo Hadwiger presented generalization of the Four Color Theorem which is still an important and …

The University Of Mississippi's Role In The Presidential Election, Sara Ann Ralph

Honors Theses

There are many ways to survey a population and analyze the data. Our research applies these techniques to a real world situation, specifically the out come of the 2008 Presidential Election. We will examine current sampling techniques, as well as look at past presidential predictions. Then we will con duct our own survey on the Oxford Campus of the University of Mississippi in an attempt to see what will have an effect on the voting patterns of the population.

Capturing The Banner Of Batlissmo: The Frente Amplio And The End Of Uruguay's Two-Party System, Kelly Ann Usher

Honors Theses

This paper looks at the 2004 presidential victory of the Frente Amplio in Uruguay, as well as the party’s development since 1971 to explain how it became victorious. The paper will also investigate what changes the two traditionally dominant political parties have undergone in response to the Frente Amplio’s rise. Uruguayan political science magazines and documents from the political parties themselves form the foundation of this work, supplemented by research from books and academic writings. Research showed that although the Frente Amplio started out as a radical leftist group, it was able to become moderate and use political means of …

Turkey And The European Union: Why Europe Doesn't Want A Taste Of Turkey, Ann Kirkpatrick Jacobs

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the debate surrounding Turkey’s accession into the European Union, namely the allegation by some scholars that there has been a shift in the type of opposition against Turkey during recent years. Its goal is to examine tlie reasons why this shift occurred and it focuses on France as a specific country in which a shift in opposition has occurred. In the first chapter, it analyzes editorials published in the two most important French newspapers, Le Monde and Le Figaro, alongside the context of the simultaneously occurring external and political events, in order to prove that the shift …

Cost Benefit Analysis: A Policy Tool Of Anthropocentric Utilitarianism, Nora Anne Watson

Honors Theses

For the last three decades, there has been a lively debate over the best way for a govemapproach decisions of environmental policy. Adherents to anthropocentric utilitari anism - those who believe that actions are right as they tend to promote utility for humans - favor the use of cost-benefit analysis - a tool that is used to come up with recommendations the basis of their probable costs and ment to for or against particular environmental policies benefits. Although making decisions this way may seem like a straightforward approach that should be acceptable to everyone, many challenge the latent assumptions of …

Accounting For Gift Cards: A Demonstration Of The Need For A New Accounting Standard, Ben Wilson Van Landuyt

Honors Theses

This thesis concerns the current accounting environment and methodology related to gift cards, and proposes a new accounting standard. The lack of authoritative guidance for companies that issue gift cards has led to disparities in gift card financial treatment and disclosure. Of particular concern is the treatment of revenue resulting from unredeemed gift cards. Companies generally adhere to one of two basic methods of calculating said revenue. The first method calculates revenue from unredeemed gift cards annual percent reduction of the gift card liability. An alternative method recognizes from unredeemed gift cards with the passage of time. Thesis research included …

The Evolution Of Campaign Finance And Its Reform: An Expoloration And Economic Analysis, Meghan Milloy

Honors Theses

From the blunders of Theodore Roosevelt that initiated much of the debate on campaign finance reform to Bill Bradley's ideas on voting reform as a means to reform campaign finance, this is a topic that has inspired much debate and controversy. My hope is that throughout the following pages, through the history, opinions, and empirical evidence, the reader may formulate his or her own opinions on the good, evil, and necessity — or lack thereof — of reforming the system. History teaches where we have gone wrong. Econometric evidence tells us where we should go next. And opinions for future …

The Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Effects On Women And Minorities, Shakitha Paquita Harden

Honors Theses

This paper briefly describes how the subprime mortgage crisis emerged. General observations are made concerning the effect of the crisis on the economy as a whole, but the focal point explains how women and minorities have been affected. To illustrate this point, areas of investigation include predatory and discriminatory lending. Furthermore, this document provides data illustrating the financial impact the subprime mortgage crisis has had on different minority groups compared to non-minority groups. The data that has been gathered for this paper comes from examining previous academic journals and results, researching various internet sources, and attending panel discussions held on …

Reconciling Southern Identity: Revising The Public Memory Of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, James Matthew Hopper

Honors Theses

This project explores the accepted historical narrative of white male Southern identity based upon L.Q.C. Lamar's public memory. My objective is to reinterpret some long held beliefs about Lamar s life, career, and politics, while analyzing the effect of those interpretations in fostering and challenging white male Southern identity. I found that Lamar was never fully reconstructed from his Confederate views and many of his pre-war principles made him popular and garnered loyalty among his constituency. In reinventing himself as a reconstructed politician, he used the death of Charles Sumner to offer a reconciliatory version of Southern masculinity in an …

Whole Body Vibration Effects On Activation Of Lower Extremity Muscles In Recreationally Trained Females, Margaret Jean Lancaster

Honors Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment was to measure the differences in activation in four different conditions: maximum voluntary contraction with vibration (MVC + V), maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), vibration only (V), and control group with no vibration (C). Muscles of interest were tibialis anterior (TA), vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), and medial gastrocnemius (MG). This information was obtained for a larger study involving improvement of vertical leap through vibration conditions. Methods: A sample of 13 (n=13) recreationally females was studied. EMG electrodes were used to measure activations of the TA, VM, VL, and MG. Vibration was applied at …

The Influences And Effects Of Political Communication On Young Voters In The Digital Age, Kristen Michelle Robinson

Honors Theses

(The effects of political communication has been a topic in which many political communication researchers have devoted attention. In this digital age, the role of the Internet has a great effect on the political process that people may experience during campaign times. To understand how various forms of political communication affect the political process, one must understand what political communication is and how political communication has evolved into the digital age. Furthermore, to understand these effects, specific target segments should be analyzed separately. This study explores the evolution of political communication from the election of 1952 to the present, specifically …

Pediatric Brain Tumors & Subsequent Communication And Swallowing Disorders., Emily Kathryn Chambers

Honors Theses

This study was designed to determine if there were speech, language, or swallowing disorders in a child with a brain stem glioma tumor or medulloblastoma tumor. It also was designed to determine if motor speech was more affected than swallowing in a child with a brain stem glioma tumor and in a child with a medulloblastoma tumor. Thirdly, this study investigated the incidence and treatment of speech, language, or swallowing disorders through survey. The surveys were sent through the United States Postal Service to speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The SLPs worked in pediatric hospitals or hospitals with pediatric floors. The purpose …

Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptor-Mediated Contractility Of Ovine Pulmonary Arteries: Changes With Maturation And Chronic Hypoxia, Dangtue Hu Nguyen

Honors Theses

Pulmonary vasculature tone is mediated by Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptors (mAChR) located on the vascular smooth muscle wall which are responsible for vasoconstriction through the activation of Ca^'*’ dependant intracellular signaling pathways and by the endothelium which is responsible for vasodilation through the generation of Nitric Oxide (NO). The dismption and subsequent loss of the endothelium results in vasoconstriction of pulmonary arteries (PA). This effect is observed in several studies utilizing different animal models. Chronic Hypoxia (CH) has been shown to dismpt the endothelium which in turn alleviates the vasodilatory response associated with acetylcholine (ACh) stimulation. The interplay between smooth muscle …

Defending The Rorschach Blot, Mary Reagan Lightsey

Honors Theses

Like paint thrown on a page, folded and smooshed, DEFENDING THE RORSCHACH BLOT is a different image of my life every time I look at it. It was my goal to present a portrait of myself that is a raw portrayal. While we fight the idea of being malleable, there is something to be said for realizing that no one is made of steel; we are all molded by people, circumstances and experiences. DEFENDING THE RORSCHACH BLOT embodies themes of ambition, perfectionism and moderation while exploring many encounters with failure, imperfection and excess. It is conglomeration of color blotted out …

Whose Right Is It? The Supreme Court And The Second Amendment Right To Bear Arms, Mary Mitchell Purvis

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I describe the history of debate surrounding the interpretation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, leading up to the United States Supreme Court weighing in on the issue in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller (2009). To find information for my study I examined many scholarly historical and legal journals Second Amendment interpretation. I chose to use as my sources journals which I felt were most representative of the oppposing sides in the debate. I also gained information from newspaper articles on the Heller case as it evolved, both to learn about …

China's Role In The Darfur Crisis: An Inquiry Into Global Ethics, Katie Malone Swain

Honors Theses

As the rise of globalization allows for greater trade, communication, and information sharing than ever before, the way states interact with one another and the world as a whole is being redefined. The rapid economic development that has occurred globally in the last century has not necessarily been accompanied with improvements in human rights worldwide. Now more than ever, there is a need to consider a global code of ethics. Though the role of states in advancing and policing human rights has been explored in innumerable treaties, conventions and other documents, there is currently no clearly defined standard of conduct …

Sincerely Yours: An Analysis Of The Nature And Strengths Of Epistolary Fiction, Elizabeth Anne Taylor

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the accomplishments of epistolary fiction and what it offers writers. The thesis begins with a study of the history and evolution of the form to develop a base for ideas presented in the following sections. It addresses the challenges posed by the epistolary foi*m as well as the form’s possibilities. The thesis investigates specific possibilities writing techniques used in epistolary form and their effects on both the characters and readers. The concentration is on six different epistolary novels written between the mid 1600’s and today. The central argument of this thesis offers an assessment of the …

On The Metaphysics Ofphenomenal Mental States: An Inquiry Into The Mind-Body Problem From Ordinary Intuition Ofthe Mental, Brian Kyle Ferriss

Honors Theses

Brian Kyle Ferriss-On the Metaphysics of Phenomenal Mental States: An Inquiry into the Mind-Body Problem from Ordinary Intuition ofthe Mental (Under the direction of Dr. Robert Barnard)

The purpose ofthis thesis is to explore certain metaphysical issues central to the mind-body problem. This thesis approaches the debate by first addressing ordinary intuitions about the mind arguing that such an approach is appropriate and a necessary starting point for any insightful discussion on the mind. This essay, then, applies what it claims to be ordinary beliefs about the mind to a number of philosophical and psychological theories. It investigates these theories …

The Effects Of Background Stress On Cardiovascular Responses To Acute Stress, Christine Malishka Jean Bocek

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to investigate further the nature of the relationship between background stress and cardiovascular response to relationships between mood and background stress, and background stress and psychological distress were also explored. The background stress levels of 59 undergraduate students were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Measures of psychological distress were taken using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), mood was assessed with the Brief Mood Induction Scale (BMIS), and other relevant data were collected. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured through three 8-minute test periods, an 8-minute Mood Induction …

Motivation To Lead : Investigating The Power Of The Mtl Equation, Elizabeth Robinson

Honors Theses

Recent research has investigated a measurable way to determine an individual's motivation to lead in social situations by looking at specific aspects of an individual that make up his/her leadership ability and experience. The MTL (Motivation to Lead) construct is referred to as an individual differences construct that measures a person's motivation to acquire a leadership position based on specific personality traits and values (Chan & Drasgow, 2002). Chan and Drasgow's findings suggest that specific antecedents have calculable correlations to the three types of motivation to lead: Affective/Identity MTL, Non-Calculative MTL, and Social-Normative MTL. For example, Chan and Drasgow reported …

Polyelectrolyte-Linked, Multi-Layer Film Assemblies Of Aqueous Nanoparticles And Nanoshells, Anne Galyean

Honors Theses

Multi-layer films of nanoparticles and nanoshells featuring various polymeric linkage molecules have been assembled and their optical properties characterized. The growth dynamics, including molecular weight effects, and stability of the various nanoparticle film constructions, using both single polymer as well as combinations of alternating charge polyelectrolytes as linking mechanisms, are presented. The polymeric linkers studied include poly-L-lysine, poly-L-arginine, poly(allylamine hydrochloride), and polyamidoamine dendrimers. Significantly air stable films were achieved with the use of multi-layered polymeric bridges between the nanoparticles and nanoshells. Optical sensitivity normally observed with these nanomaterials in solution was observed for their corresponding film geometries, with the nanoshell …