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Honors Theses

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The Origins Of An Everyday Behavior: Why Do People Share Meals?, David Lee Jan 2014

The Origins Of An Everyday Behavior: Why Do People Share Meals?, David Lee

Honors Theses

Humans are socially driven creatures that require constant interaction. One way humans have consistently expressed their social nature since prehistory is through sharing meals. Recent studies and literature were examined in order to investigate the roots behind why sharing meals has been the most consistent method of social output. Through careful reading and analysis, reasons behind why people share meals were traced in perspective levels. The biological and molecular aspect explains how humans evolved from prehistoric primates and their similarities associated with food consumption. Genetics and food preferences also play a role by allowing humans to taste food rather than …


Attaching Meaning To Sex: Attachment Styles And Possible Mediators Of Safe Sex Behavior, Dominic Antonacci Jan 2014

Attaching Meaning To Sex: Attachment Styles And Possible Mediators Of Safe Sex Behavior, Dominic Antonacci

Honors Theses

Attachment theory, first posited by Bowlby (1969, 1973, 1980), has been expanded and applied to many aspects of human development as well as to adult relationships. Hazan and Shaver (1987), for example, define romantic relationships as an interaction between caregiving, attachment, and sex. It would then be expected that attachment has an effect on sexual behavior, and indeed, Strachman and Impett (2009) have reported that anxious individuals are typically less likely to use condoms than avoidant individuals. This study attempted to explore the link between attachment and beliefs about sex and condom use as possible mediators for the differences seen …


How To Win Elections And Influence Parties: Party And Electoral System Development And Manipulation In The Republic Of China, James B. Cutchin Jan 2014

How To Win Elections And Influence Parties: Party And Electoral System Development And Manipulation In The Republic Of China, James B. Cutchin

Honors Theses

This work asserts that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been able to retain power in Taiwan's apparently competitive democratic system through manipulation of the political party and electoral systems. These systems have a close relationship in which the electoral system is a result of the party system. During Taiwan's transition to democracy the KMT was able to use their one party dominant position to establish an electoral system which favored them in elections. This electoral system in turn shaped the emerging political party system to the benefit of the KMT. Over time, as political conditions in Taiwan shifted, the …


An Environmentally-Friendly Design To Reduce Energy Loss By Heat Transfer Through Windows, Andrew Li Jan 2014

An Environmentally-Friendly Design To Reduce Energy Loss By Heat Transfer Through Windows, Andrew Li

Honors Theses

With windows as main areas of energy loss in residential environments, a market exists for a product to act a removable barrier which improves heat transfer for cases of extreme temperatures in seasonal weather. Such a product would allow consumers to save money in the long run without permanently losing the use of their windows when the weather is mild and such an apparatus is not needed. This project designs such a product using an assembly of polished aluminum foil for low radiation emissivity, ABS plastic for an insulating material with low conductivity, and an aluminum glass mirror pane which …


Trailer Hitched: A One Act Play, Shelby K. Grady Jan 2014

Trailer Hitched: A One Act Play, Shelby K. Grady

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the creative process of writing and developing a written piece of theatre. It delves into the methods of preparing to write a play (plot outlines, character descriptions, writing exercises), the maturation of the story throughout the writing process (enhanced by workshops, journal writing, and the reading of published plays), as well as the progression of the project through varying stages of revision (aided by readings of the work, feedback from peers and advisors, and consideration of criticism). The thesis is a culmination of the aforementioned exploration, resulting in a complete one act play as well as an …


Modeling Nitroglycerin-Induced Migraine In Rats, Stephanie Staszko Jan 2014

Modeling Nitroglycerin-Induced Migraine In Rats, Stephanie Staszko

Honors Theses

The present research sought to determine whether nitroglycerin (NTG) produced changes in clinically relevant endophenotypes of migraine. Rats were given a single injection of NTG or vehicle with the following dependent measures recorded: Rat Grimace Scale, hot and cold tail flick latency, Rotor-Rod performance, and photophobia and movement in traditional and modified light/dark boxes. NTG increased rat grimace scores but did not produce thermal allodynia nor photophobia. Further, NTG produced paradoxical increases in Rotor-Rod performance and movement. These results demonstrate that a single injection of NTG does not produce behaviors that parallel clinical symptoms of migraine.


New Propaganda: Remnants Of Soviet Mass Media In Pro-Kremlin Popular Culture, Sylvia M. Stewart Jan 2014

New Propaganda: Remnants Of Soviet Mass Media In Pro-Kremlin Popular Culture, Sylvia M. Stewart

Honors Theses

Russia has had a long history of propaganda produced by governmental bodies. The Soviet Union controlled entire sectors of media and used it to try to control the ideology and actions of their populace. After the fall of the USSR in 1991, Russian society was thrust into the wild west of capitalism. Once state-controlled industries, such as television, were purchased by private players in the system who wanted a say in the formation of the new Russia. However, when Putin was elected in 2000, the landscape of Russian popular culture began to change. Para-governmental and non-governmentally affiliated groups took over …


Boredom And Memory For Positively And Negatively Valenced Words, James Kirchner Jan 2014

Boredom And Memory For Positively And Negatively Valenced Words, James Kirchner

Honors Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether boredom affected memory for positively and negatively valenced words in addition to class names (e.g., History) that were presented in an auditory modality while participants listened to a recorded script. This was accomplished by comparing the recall of a doodling group, who were asked to shade in shapes while listening to a recorded script, with a non-doodling group, who simply listened to the script. The results indicated that participants in the non-doodling group recalled more class names (e.g. History) from the script than participants in the doodling group. In addition, …


Cognitive Poetics And Italian Literary Criticism, John Biffle Jan 2014

Cognitive Poetics And Italian Literary Criticism, John Biffle

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the possibility of the application of cognitive poetics to Italian literature, with a comparison to four major nineteenth century currents of literary criticism. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research, the data was obtained from reviewed psychology articles, textbooks regarding both psychological and literary subjects, original sources containing the examined poetry and prose, e-books, and open source web material for literary works that lacked copyright. Unless specified, all translations from Italian to English were done by me. Since cognitive poetics are based on the assumption that we perceive literature similarly to how we perceive reality and that …


Promotion Of Environmental Engagement Through Positive Youth Development In Tanzania, Katherine Westfall Jan 2014

Promotion Of Environmental Engagement Through Positive Youth Development In Tanzania, Katherine Westfall

Honors Theses

With climate change and environmental degradation already having devastating effects on communities in sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing youth's commitment to the environment and mobilizing their pro-environmental action is increasingly urgent. In this study, we explored predictors of environmental commitment and action based on a model of positive youth development. We predicted that sociodemographics, self-efficacy, connection to nature, sense of community, and club participation would predict environmental commitment and action. Tanzanian youth (N = 959) from regions across the country completed self-report measures assessing these constructs. Using a series of logistic and hierarchical multiple regressions, we were able to predict statistically significant …


Directing The Oxford Children's Chorus: Observations And Advice For Directing An Extracurricular Children's Choir, Kathryn E. Shuford Jan 2014

Directing The Oxford Children's Chorus: Observations And Advice For Directing An Extracurricular Children's Choir, Kathryn E. Shuford

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the observations and experiences of a first year choir director in an extracurricular choral program. Observations were taken from the weekly rehearsals of the Oxford Children's Chorus, a community children's chorus for 4-6th grade students in Oxford, Mississippi, during the fall 2013 semester. The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter provides background information about the Oxford Children's Chorus and the subsequent chapters each deal with a different aspect of directing a community choral ensemble: planning for a rehearsal, running a rehearsal, and growing the organization. Topics discussed include: choosing repertoire, rehearsal pacing, rehearsal order, …


An Examination Of The Stockholder Response To Corporate Religiosity And Religiosity's Effects On Operational And Financial Reporting Quality, Katrina Marie Briscoe Jan 2014

An Examination Of The Stockholder Response To Corporate Religiosity And Religiosity's Effects On Operational And Financial Reporting Quality, Katrina Marie Briscoe

Honors Theses

Religion has been shown to influence decision makers at both the individual and business level. In this paper, I examine the stockholder response to corporate religiosity and religiosity's effects on operational and financial reporting quality. Industry adjusted return on assets and industry adjusted accruals are my measures for operational and financial reporting quality, respectively. Using religiosity data from Dyreng, Mayew, and Williams, I evaluate the 1999 and 2006 mean stock returns by degree of religiosity and return on assets and by degree of religiosity and accruals earnings management. I find that stockholders favor the least religious companies with the highest …


An Investigation Of The Effects Of Hysteresis On The Rotation Percept, Maximilian James Shumake Jan 2014

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Hysteresis On The Rotation Percept, Maximilian James Shumake

Honors Theses

Although much research has been done on the role of hysteresis in apparent motion displays, no research has investigated the effects of hysteresis for rotary motion. The present experiment sought to determine and quantify the effects of hysteresis on the rotation percept. Participants viewed two types of apparent motion stimuli, which consisted of tokens appearing to move in a clockwise, counterclockwise, or chaotic fashion. One of the displays slowly changed from favoring a percept of rotation to a percept of non-rotation and vice versa. We fit the data using a logistic function and compared the point at which the direction …


The Effect Of Sumatriptan On Clinically Relevant Behavioral Endpoints In A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In Rats, Morgan Elizabeth Davis Jan 2014

The Effect Of Sumatriptan On Clinically Relevant Behavioral Endpoints In A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In Rats, Morgan Elizabeth Davis

Honors Theses

The present research sought to determine the effects of sumatriptan on clinically relevant behavioral endpoints in migraine produced by repeated nitroglycerin (NTG) administrations in rats. Rats were given 5 NTG administrations each of which was followed by either saline, 0.3 mg/kg sumatriptan, or 1.0 mg/kg sumatriptan over a 2-week period. During their 5th NTG migraine episode, behavioral endpoints were the Rat Grimace Scale, photophobia, and movement. Sumatriptan dose dependently attenuated a) loss in weight, b) elevated Rat Grimace Scale pain scores, and c) decreased movement in the modified light-dark box. In addition, rats with the highest dose of sumatriptan tended …


The Performer's Journey As A Student Of Music, Rachel Saliba Jan 2014

The Performer's Journey As A Student Of Music, Rachel Saliba

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a study of one student's journey as a student of singing at the University of Mississippi. The author documented her progression through four years of vocal study, culminating in a recital performance that occurred on December 7, 2013. First, the author presents the development of a lifestyle that was reflective of her career as a musician. Next, the author provides a description of rehearsal procedures that enabled technical improvement. Then, the author includes a copy of the program notes that were given to the audience of the December recital. Finally, the author presents an analysis of …


Connection And Isolation, Lynda Lee Jan 2014

Connection And Isolation, Lynda Lee

Honors Theses

As one of the most recurrent subjects of visual art, the human form as been an important means of communicating human experiences and expressing the philosophical and scientific thoughts of a society. During the early 20th century, artists in Europe began distorting and abstracting the human figure in ways that were unprecedented and often times visually unsettling to emphasize its withdrawn and isolated condition while also suggesting a sense of fragility and vulnerability. Although there are various forms of isolation that can result from a number of different causes, my project explores the concept of social isolation brought about by …


Generational Dream: First Generation American Citizens And Their Relationship To The American Dream, Anna A. Mintz Jan 2014

Generational Dream: First Generation American Citizens And Their Relationship To The American Dream, Anna A. Mintz

Honors Theses

The term the "American Dream" was coined in 1939 by James Truslow Adams and has undoubtedly become an integral part of the American ethos. This narrative has brought thousands of immigrants to American shores with the promises of prosperity and success for centuries. Yet in 2014, it must be questioned whether this dream still holds significance for the young people of this country. By studying first-generation American citizens, whose parents did not grow up here, it can be ascertained how relevant this narrative still is and the sort of power that it retains. The following research describes my interactions with …


La Identidad De Los Carabineros De Chile: The Evolving Identity Of Chile's National Police Force And The 1973 Military Coup, Jeffrey O. Lamson Jan 2014

La Identidad De Los Carabineros De Chile: The Evolving Identity Of Chile's National Police Force And The 1973 Military Coup, Jeffrey O. Lamson

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of Los Carabineros de Chile, Chile's national police force, from their origins under Carlos Ibáñez in 1927 until their involvement in the 1973 military coup against President Salvador Allende. Various presidencies primarily used this corps during this period as a weapon against popular mobilization and thus influenced the development of the Carabineros' institutional identity. To explore how this identity evolved, this thesis examines primary sources, mostly in the form of newspapers found in the National Archives in Santiago, Chile, that illuminate the Carabineros' relations with the public. The knowledge of the Carabineros' institutional identity contributes …


Roles And Regulations For Pharmacists In State-Level Disaster Relief Efforts, Rachel Lowe Jan 2014

Roles And Regulations For Pharmacists In State-Level Disaster Relief Efforts, Rachel Lowe

Honors Theses

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine what expanded roles have been identified for pharmacists by the states in disaster relief efforts, what regulations currently exist for pharmacists in disaster relief efforts in each state, and whether or not disaster relief and public health training should be added to the pharmacy school curriculum. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to survey fifty-three boards of pharmacy via email and Qualtrics Survey Software. Results: Analysis of the survey results showed that most states lack a disaster preparedness plan and expanded roles for pharmacists in disaster relief efforts, and most …


Explaining The Decline In Fertility Rates In Post-War Italy, Susanna Rychlak Jan 2014

Explaining The Decline In Fertility Rates In Post-War Italy, Susanna Rychlak

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to examine the decline in fertility rate in post-war Italy and identify its causes. Fertility rate in Italy dropped dramatically across 1970-2010 in a stark departure from the nation's previous reproductive patterns. This has led to an increasingly aging population, and holds important implications for Italy's future. This study demonstrates that there has been a meaningful shift in cultural values that has led to fertility decline in Italy since 1970. In order to provide historical context for the importance of this cultural shift, the thesis first presents the Italian culture and familial structure of …


The Smoke Free Campus Movement, Daniel Roberts Jan 2014

The Smoke Free Campus Movement, Daniel Roberts

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the rising number of smoke free college and university campuses in the United States and to identify the mechanisms that can be used to implement a national policy requiring all colleges and universities to be smoke free. To fully investigate this topic, I utilized qualitative research through analyses from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, reports from the Surgeon General, a tobacco control legal consortium, newspaper articles, television news reports, websites of colleges and universities with smoke free policies, to consolidate the research into an overarching picture of the current climate …


Parent Satisfaction With Diabetes Technology In Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Laura Brooke Carter Jan 2014

Parent Satisfaction With Diabetes Technology In Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Laura Brooke Carter

Honors Theses

Purpose: To increase glucose control, advanced technologies are being integrated into diabetes self-management in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Two technologies being adopted is Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII), more commonly known as insulin pumps (pumps) and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). The purpose of the study was to better understand the experiences of parents whose T1DM child is using insulin pumps and CGM devices in diabetes self-management. Methods: This study was approved by the University of Mississippi IRB. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of parents in the Mid-South region of the U.S. The local chapters …


Do Sports And Public Relations Make A Winning Combination For Schools? - How Public Relations Is Utilized In The Ole Miss Athletics Department And That Of Four Other Universities, Lauren Mcmillin Jan 2014

Do Sports And Public Relations Make A Winning Combination For Schools? - How Public Relations Is Utilized In The Ole Miss Athletics Department And That Of Four Other Universities, Lauren Mcmillin

Honors Theses

This thesis covers several areas of investigation. A majority of the information came from staff members in the Ole Miss Athletics Department and the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, including information from my own experiences working with both organizations. In researching other schools, I reached out to colleagues associated with the four other universities that I examined, interviewing them on different subject matters. Additional information was found in textbooks and online articles. From my research, I was able to discover the various methods that schools use to promote athletics programs. By employing the areas of public and media relations, marketing, social …


Gender Differences Associated With Memory Recall, Lee Morgan Gunn Jan 2014

Gender Differences Associated With Memory Recall, Lee Morgan Gunn

Honors Theses

This study investigated whether a gender difference existed in the context of romantic relationships. Participants rated positively valanced words and negatively valanced words, that were related to a romantic relationship, on how relevant they were to realistic romantic relationships. Participants were then given a free recall task to recall any words that they rated earlier. The study found that a gender difference did exist in the context of negatively valanced words. Women were more successful in recall of negatively valanced words than men. These findings indicate that women encode emotional information differently than men encode emotional information and recall that …


Role Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Aphasia Therapy And Rehabilitation As Reported By Practicing Speech-Language Pathologists, Meredith Wooley Jan 2014

Role Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Aphasia Therapy And Rehabilitation As Reported By Practicing Speech-Language Pathologists, Meredith Wooley

Honors Theses

This thesis examined the roles of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) within aphasia therapy and rehabilitation. Research compiled in the literature review explained the disorder of aphasia, and the roles of SLPs when working with people who have aphaisa, as outlined in the ASHA policy document Roles of Speech-Language Pathologists in The Identification, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Individuals with Cognitive-Communication Disorders: Position Statement (2005b). This study investigated ASHA-certified, masters-level SLPs' preparedness to work with aphasia patients, as well as their familiarity of their roles and resonsibilities in aphasia therapy and rehabilitation, and their awareness of the possible forms of treatment for aphasia. …


The Success Of An Ethnic Political Party: A Case Study Of Arab Political Parties In Israel, Samira Abunemeh Jan 2014

The Success Of An Ethnic Political Party: A Case Study Of Arab Political Parties In Israel, Samira Abunemeh

Honors Theses

Israeli Arab political parties are observed to determine if these ethnic political parties are successful in Israel. A brief explanation of four Israeli Arab political parties, Hadash, Arab Democratic Party, Balad, and United Arab List, is given as well as a brief description of Israeli history and the Israeli political system. The total performance as well as individual party performances is compared to the percentage of Israeli Arabs in Israeli society in order to determine that overall Israeli Arab political parties are not successful, although there are nuances to the term of success that the parties achieve.


Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Aurora Floyd Revisited: An Experiment In Neovictorianism, Vivian Walker Lang Jan 2014

Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Aurora Floyd Revisited: An Experiment In Neovictorianism, Vivian Walker Lang

Honors Theses

My thesis is a combination of analysis and creativity. It is an exploration in the literary genre Neovictorianism, and specifically it explores a two-year period in the life of Aurora Floyd. Aurora Floyd is the protagonist of Mary Elizabeth Braddon's novel, Aurora Floyd. While many of the major themes, characters, and literary elements stem from Braddon's work, the following pages are my original work and have accumulated over the past year and a half of my time as an honors student.


Validation Of A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In The Rat, Ainslee Johnson Jan 2014

Validation Of A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In The Rat, Ainslee Johnson

Honors Theses

The present research sought to determine if repeated nitroglycerin (NTG) administrations elicited responses on clinically relevant behavioral endpoints of migraine in rats. Rats were given five saline, three NTG or five NTG administrations over a two-week period. After their fifth injection rats were evaluated using the rat grimace scale, modified light/dark box, thermal tail flick tests, elevated plus maze and forced swim test. Repeated NTG administration affected weight gain, movement in the modified light/dark box and photophobia. The thermal tail flick tests, elevated plus maze and forced swim test did not reveal treatment effects. Based on these findings, we conclude …


Dieting For Diabetes: A Mobile 'App'roach, Alaina Brooks Darby Jan 2014

Dieting For Diabetes: A Mobile 'App'roach, Alaina Brooks Darby

Honors Theses

Diabetes mellitus, being a prevalent disease in modern society, is moderately influenced by one's nutrition. Due to this, mobile programs created especially for tracking food intake can be an important aid for diabetics. The objective of this project was to analyze eight of the most prominent of these applications — MyNetDiary, GoMeals, MyFitnessPal, Fooducate, Lose It!, The Carrot, Diabetes In Check, and Daily Carb — to determine the subsets of diabetics that would benefit most from the utilization of each. Data was obtained through testing of each app and through the information provided by users on iTunes and Google Play …


Simulated Diabetes Testing Experiment Using Artificially Manipulated Livestock Blood, Hollie E. Ables Jan 2014

Simulated Diabetes Testing Experiment Using Artificially Manipulated Livestock Blood, Hollie E. Ables

Honors Theses

Due to the prevalence of diabetes and lack of simple endocrine experiments, a laboratory protocol was developed in order to increase student knowledge of the disease and the diabetic testing process. In this paper, we present the protocol for manipulating the glucose concentration of commercially available bovine blood. The bovine blood was manipulated using Ringer's solution to which glucose was added, and six samples were prepared (pre-prandial and postprandial, normal; pre-prandial and postprandial, pre-diabetic; pre-prandial and postprandial, diabetic). This laboratory exercise provides a physical, hands-on student activity that highlights pancreatic endocrinology and the results of pancreatic malfunction. The laboratory exercise …