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Honors Theses

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Females Influence Brain Evolution: Dance Complexity Related To Volume Of A Sensorimotor Region In Manakins, Wilson Helmhout Jan 2016

Females Influence Brain Evolution: Dance Complexity Related To Volume Of A Sensorimotor Region In Manakins, Wilson Helmhout

Honors Theses

Manakins are a family of birds the males of which use acrobatic, non-vocal display behaviors to attract females to mate. Across the manakin family (Pipridae), species perform displays of varying complexities with variation in the number and type of display sites, acrobatics, and number of mechanical sounds. Females of at least one species, select males on the basis of 10s of ms differences in performance of certain male display elements suggesting strong sexually selection. Additionally, recent studies show a positive relationship between display complexity and relative brain weight in manakins. This overall association of complexity with brain weight could be …

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A Comparison Of Cleated Footwear Conditions And The Effects On Ground Reaction Forces During The Phases Of A Side-Cut Task, Zachary Bridges Jan 2016

A Comparison Of Cleated Footwear Conditions And The Effects On Ground Reaction Forces During The Phases Of A Side-Cut Task, Zachary Bridges

Honors Theses

Within sports and athletics, one area of interest is finding methods to increase the performance of athletes while simultaneously minimizing their risk for injury. In two of today's most popular sports (soccer and American football), cleated footwear is common equipment used to increase performance during sport-specific tasks. The interaction between cleated footwear and sport-specific tasks is one area of interest researchers are beginning to investigate and analyze the concerns of performance and safety. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of American football cleats, soccer cleats, and running shoes have on ground reaction forces (GRF's) in …

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An Industry Giant's Struggles: Google's Relative Failure Within China, Zachary T. Cookston Jan 2016

An Industry Giant's Struggles: Google's Relative Failure Within China, Zachary T. Cookston

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to understand and further explain the reasons culminating in Google's relative failure in the Chinese search engine market. By examining Google's tenure in China, Google's fairings in other large East Asian markets, and other Western corporations' troubles adapting to the Chinese market, this paper works to exhibit the reasons for Google's failure in China. Many of Google's high-ranking officers have claimed censorship as the most important factor in forcing the industry giant to vacate one of the fastest growing and most populous search engine markets in the world, but this paper seeks to exemplify that Google's approach …

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I Got It On Silk Road: An Examination Of Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Tor And The Dark Web, Zachary Mitchell Jan 2016

I Got It On Silk Road: An Examination Of Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Tor And The Dark Web, Zachary Mitchell

Honors Theses

As communication technology has grown, so has the potential for crimes to be committed with the new technology. The United States government has attempted to stay current with the times by introducing legislation to increase federal power to detect and stop these crimes, but some feel that some of these new laws and acts reduce personal freedoms and liberties. Enter Tor and the Dark Web, a set of often misunderstood tools and web-based resources designed to make users' data and behavior on the Internet anonymous. This paper describes the aforementioned laws, how Tor and the Dark Web work, and examines …

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A Background And Chronological Take On High Frequency Trading, Quinn H. Murray Jan 2016

A Background And Chronological Take On High Frequency Trading, Quinn H. Murray

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze, in context of high frequency trading, potential market manipulation techniques (i.e. market making arbitrage, statistical arbitrage, market structure arbitrage, and directional strategies), and to review the subject from a chronological perspective from the 1960s onward, covering topics not limited to Regulation National Market System, the flash crash of May 6, 2010, and the August 24, 2015 market crash. To date, high frequency trading's effects on the United States market place have been well documented. This thesis will speculate about the true nature—whether adverse or beneficial-- of this fascinating, evolutionary, highly scrutinized topic.

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Cultural Implications Of Starbucks Consumption In China: Why Do Chinese Have A Latte On Their Mind?, Garrett Hersh Jan 2016

Cultural Implications Of Starbucks Consumption In China: Why Do Chinese Have A Latte On Their Mind?, Garrett Hersh

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis was gain a more comprehensive understanding concerning the Chinese consumers understanding of coffee and Starbucks in China as a luxury good. Considering China's recent history, as well as the introduction of a capitalist, consumer economy, examining the Chinese consumers' consumption pattern of this foreign, arguably luxury, good, is reflective of Chinese consumer ideals. A literature review analyzing the relationship between Chinese consumer ideals and the introduction of global consumerism, in addition to a set of interviews and surveys were conducted in attempts to understand the current Chinese consumption patterns of Starbucks coffee. After conducting the …

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The Entrepreneurship Center At The Mississippi Development Authority: An Assessment Of The State's Small Business Engine, Ryan Snow Jan 2016

The Entrepreneurship Center At The Mississippi Development Authority: An Assessment Of The State's Small Business Engine, Ryan Snow

Honors Theses

The importance of a strong entrepreneurial environment for overall economic development is well established. Mississippi, this Mississippi Development Authority's Entrepreneur Center is the state's leading authority on small business development. However, there has been little to no analysis of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Entrepreneur Center. Two surveys were conducted. The Mississippi Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Survey (MEES) was administered by the University of Mississippi's McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement last fall to a population of 4214 business and community leaders with a responsive sample of n= 573. This survey is used to contextualize the business ecosystem of …

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Tortoise And The Hare: A Case Study Of Quota Laws And Women's Representation In Congress In Argentina And The United States, Hannah Arrington Jan 2016

Tortoise And The Hare: A Case Study Of Quota Laws And Women's Representation In Congress In Argentina And The United States, Hannah Arrington

Honors Theses

Given recent political tension between political parties in both the United States and Argentina, there has been an increased demand for improved and more accurate congressional representation, specifically women's substantive representation in Congress. As the first nation to institute a legislative candidate gender quota law, Argentina has been the leading Latin American nation to confront anti-feminist politics. Under the cupo de ley femenino, the quota mandate of 1991, all major political parties and certain governments cabinets in Argentina are required to fill a set thirty percent of positions on party candidate lists with women (Ley No 24.012). Whereas in the …

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Concussion In Women's Soccer: A Prescriptive Analysis Of Force Loading During Heading, James Michael Robinson Jan 2016

Concussion In Women's Soccer: A Prescriptive Analysis Of Force Loading During Heading, James Michael Robinson

Honors Theses

Women's soccer has the highest incidence of concussion among female sports. However, there has been relatively little research investigating the immediate and cumulative effects of soccer heading on brain injury, especially among youth. In an effort to better understand concussion in the often-underserved population of women high school soccer players, we investigated, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the nature of force loading during heading of a soccer ball. Data was collected from the Oxford High School Women's Varsity Soccer Team using X2 Biosystems' xPatch, which measures force loading magnitude and direction with six degrees of linear and rotational freedom using a …

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An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Sigma-1 And Sigma-2 Receptors And The Endocannabinoid System, Jenn Miller Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Sigma-1 And Sigma-2 Receptors And The Endocannabinoid System, Jenn Miller

Honors Theses

Within the past two decades, sigma receptors have become a popular area for research. Although much has been learned about their structure, subtypes, and functions; there is still much to be learned. Consisting of two receptor subtypes (sigma-1 and sigma-2), it has been discovered that sigma receptor ligands potentiate the analgesic effects of both opiates and cannabinoids, though the exact mechanism and sigma subtype on which this occurs is still unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if potentiation of opiates and cannabinoids occurs through sigma-1 or sigma-2 receptor signaling. Tetrad assays were performed for: 1. Morphine, an …

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Oneworld Stories: Intercultural Competence Through Literature, Jessica M. Bunch Jan 2016

Oneworld Stories: Intercultural Competence Through Literature, Jessica M. Bunch

Honors Theses

For this study, I focused on the effective ways and benefits of teaching intercultural competence in schools. Without intercultural competence, children in the United States are unable to make a connection with the different cultures that surround them in the world. Basing my methods from Darla K. Deardorff Process Model of Intercultural Competence (256) and cultural reflection of folktales, I researched whether a child can connect to the world around them by comprehending a different culture more through interactive writing or informative reading. In order to answer this question, I conducted a two-part project to collect data. The first part …

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Barriers To Access Under The Affordable Care Act: An Analysis Of Marketplace Enrollment, Jessica Ann Johnson Jan 2016

Barriers To Access Under The Affordable Care Act: An Analysis Of Marketplace Enrollment, Jessica Ann Johnson

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to understand how the Affordable Care Act impacted certain groups who had faced barriers to accessing health insurance prior to the passage of the act. It provides a fundamental understanding of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act and discusses dis- parities amongst, and challenges incurred, by different groups in the current health insurance sys- tem, Research focused specifically on demographic factors of income, gender, primary language spoken, ethnicity, education and age as Ill as looked at the effect that urban setting and sufficient internet access had on enrollment rates. In order to understand the impact …

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The Supply Of Volunteer Labor: Focusing On Board Members, John Larkin Jan 2016

The Supply Of Volunteer Labor: Focusing On Board Members, John Larkin

Honors Theses

Understanding the types of people who volunteer is an important part of understanding why people volunteer and the indications of what could make others volunteer. First, understanding the types of volunteers, specifically board members, provides the needed background and overall understanding of volunteering. This information could lead to a stronger idea of how to recruit volunteers. I will also update R. B. Freeman's results which used 1989 CPS data compared to 2014 CPS data. I find that the 2014 CPS provides similar results compared to Freeman's. We both found individuals are more likely to volunteer if their characteristics are associated …

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3d Systems: An In-Depth Look Into The Past, Present, And Future Of 3d Printing, John Lars Ely Jan 2016

3d Systems: An In-Depth Look Into The Past, Present, And Future Of 3d Printing, John Lars Ely

Honors Theses

This thesis revolves around the 3D printing industry. I focused the majority of my research on the company, 3D Systems. I looked into the various factors that are holding the company back and what it can do to overcome then. I concluded that 3D Systems needs to focus more on developing and marketing printers for the domestic market. I also found that the company has to gain a stronger foothold in the Asian market if it wants to emerge as the leader of the industry.

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Dillon's Rule Versus Home Rule: A Comprehensive, Comparative Review Of The Impacts, Joseph R. Latham Jan 2016

Dillon's Rule Versus Home Rule: A Comprehensive, Comparative Review Of The Impacts, Joseph R. Latham

Honors Theses

There are two primary configurations of the American state-local relationship. The status quo configuration, pure Dillon's Rule, is a top-down organizational structure in which the state, primarily through its legislature, exercises close-to-complete oversight over decision-making at the local level — in municipalities, counties, towns, etc. An alternative configuration may be brought about by the institution of home rule, a constitutionally or legislatively conferred devolution of powers to substate governments that allows, at least nominally, for greater autonomy at the local level. This study utilizes institutional theory and a systematic review of the current body of literature concerning the tangible impacts …

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How Proposed Legislation Could Affect Corporate Taxes, Kaitlin Aspinwall Jan 2016

How Proposed Legislation Could Affect Corporate Taxes, Kaitlin Aspinwall

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore in detail three tax reform proposals and to determine the effects that each would have on three different industries, manufacturing, service based, and technology. This study looks at the detailed tax reform plans of Congressman Dave Camp, Congressman Devin Nunes, and Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Lee. In order to determine the effects that each of these plans would have on the three industries, the financial statements of Lockheed Martin, Liberty Mutual, and Facebook are analyzed as representatives of their industries. This analysis revealed the effects that the proposals would have on …

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The Evolution Of The Vampire Other: Symbols Of Difference From Folklore To Millennial Literature, Kate Buckley Jan 2016

The Evolution Of The Vampire Other: Symbols Of Difference From Folklore To Millennial Literature, Kate Buckley

Honors Theses

With its roots in Eastern Europe and rapidly spreading to Western society in the past few hundred years, the vampire has served as a double for humanity, with the division of self between monstrosity and the human ideal. Vampires in folklore and literature have been a means by which human cultures have identified concepts of human subjectivity (identity), particularly with regard to what various societies have defined as monstrous (being Othered) within human nature. This study examines how the vampire character evolves throughout the centuries, with a specific focus on the less monstrous contemporary vampires who form hybrid communities with …

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Singen Mit Schubert (Singing With Schubert): A Comparative Study Of Two Children's Choirs, Katherine C. Mclaughlin Jan 2016

Singen Mit Schubert (Singing With Schubert): A Comparative Study Of Two Children's Choirs, Katherine C. Mclaughlin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this comparative study is to examine the effects of selected works of Franz Schubert on the singing technique, attention span and overall reaction of two children's choirs: the Oxford Children's Chorus and the St. Peter's Children's Choir. In the fall semester of 2015 each choir was given a separate work by Schubert, one in German and one in English, to study throughout the semester and sing one final performance. By video recording each rehearsal and using Scribe 4 Software analysis, I was able to record the children's singing technique and attention span. Each choir was given a …

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Tigers, Flies, And Longines: The Chinese Corruption Crackdown And Its Effect On Conspicuous Consumption, Kayla Smith Jan 2016

Tigers, Flies, And Longines: The Chinese Corruption Crackdown And Its Effect On Conspicuous Consumption, Kayla Smith

Honors Theses

Through the analysis of Elle China magazine articles and annual financial reports, the researcher sought to find if the 2012 Xi Jinping campaign against corruption, extravagance and graft had an effect on luxury sales. The researcher has found that the campaign has little to no effect on the luxury consumption preferences of the upper and middle class in China, only effecting officials and luxury purchases made for gifting. To offset loses from the crackdown on gifting, luxury brands have begun selling more affordable high-end liquors and watches.

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Conformational Analysis Of A Furan, Thiophene Alternating Π System, Laura Cline Jan 2016

Conformational Analysis Of A Furan, Thiophene Alternating Π System, Laura Cline

Honors Theses

Organic materials with conjugated Ï€-electron networks are increasingly being studied as an alternative to inorganic semiconductors. In order to effectively transport charge as a semiconductor, the organic materials should maintain a planar conformation, exhibit Ï€ conjugation, and be rigid to rotational interconversion. Both furan and thiophene systems have been investigated as potential organic semiconductors but difficulties with solubility, synthesis, and effectiveness hampered these efforts. A novel furan-thiophene hybrid system that exhibits promising semiconducting properties is examined here. Full geometry optimizations and corresponding harmonic vibrational frequency computations were run on a diverse set of potential furan and thiophene oligomer structures using …

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Opportunities And Challenges For Socially Responsible Business In China, Liana Tai Jan 2016

Opportunities And Challenges For Socially Responsible Business In China, Liana Tai

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to demonstrate the unique circumstances that China poses for the development of socially responsible business in China. Socially responsible business is a concept that has emerged in Western nations in recent years, due to the growing environmental and social consciousness of consumers and their increasing demands for companies to meet higher standards in this regard. Socially responsible business refers to those corporate entities that use the market to stimulate change in peoples' awareness of and attitudes toward a certain social issue and, ultimately, consumer behavior and habits. China's irresponsible corporate environment has resulted in harmful and threatening …

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Intersectional Identity Entrepreneurship: Historic Case Of Viola Turner Pursuing Legitimacy Acquisition In Insurance Industry, M. Madison Portie Jan 2016

Intersectional Identity Entrepreneurship: Historic Case Of Viola Turner Pursuing Legitimacy Acquisition In Insurance Industry, M. Madison Portie

Honors Theses

In this historical organizational study, I examine how Viola Turner, a pioneering African American female business professional, managed to climb to the board membership of a black- owned insurance company. I propose that she managed her identity entrepreneurially fitting it to match the leadership role identity in the all-black men board. To assess the veracity of this proposition, I unpack how she exhibited her identity entrepreneurship given that her social identity was perceived as ambivalent by the board that was not conducive to accepting women as members in a leadership role. I chose the case of Viola Turner because I …

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Walgreens: Financial Analysis And Recommendations, Madeleine Robinson Jan 2016

Walgreens: Financial Analysis And Recommendations, Madeleine Robinson

Honors Theses

This thesis is an analysis including recommendations for the publically traded company, Walgreens. By using the most recent 10-K filing, a complete financial analysis was completed. Through the findings it was recommended to Walgreens that they focus more on mobile growth to compete with technology of competitors, as well as bring an in store area to represent their mobile presence.

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The Role Of Pharmacists In Prenatal Healthcare Concerning Obesity, Hypertension, And Diabetes, Madeline Ott Jan 2016

The Role Of Pharmacists In Prenatal Healthcare Concerning Obesity, Hypertension, And Diabetes, Madeline Ott

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of pharmacists in prenatal health care for women with chronic diseases. This study consists of a systematic review of Medline and Academic Search Premier listed articles concerning pregnant women and obesity, hypertension, or diabetes and pharmacy, focusing special attention on 40 articles. The second part of the study consisted of pharmacist interviews with thirteen pharmacists on how they view the current role of pharmacists in caring for pregnant women who are obese, hypertensive, and diabetic. The literature review suggested that chronic diseases can have a detrimental effect on children, and that there were many gaps …

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Intentions To Purchase Genetically Modified Foods In The United States And Germany: The Impact Of Consumer Knowledge And Attitudes, Maggie Hall Jan 2016

Intentions To Purchase Genetically Modified Foods In The United States And Germany: The Impact Of Consumer Knowledge And Attitudes, Maggie Hall

Honors Theses

Genetically modified foods are a current, ongoing issue in the world today. Much research is done on the producers and governmental regulation systems regarding GMOs, but not much research exists about direct consumer actions towards genetically modified foods. Hence, in this thesis, I focus on the consumers in Germany and the United States and their attitudes and knowledge of GMOs. I chose Germany and the US as the two overarching cases due to their perceived and reported differences surrounding GMOs on many levels, such as production and government regulation. With the aid of Clickworker and Amazon Mechanical Turk, I utilized …

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An Evaluation Of Lower-Level Modern Language Courses At The University Of Mississippi: The Student Perspective, Mallory Dixon Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of Lower-Level Modern Language Courses At The University Of Mississippi: The Student Perspective, Mallory Dixon

Honors Theses

This study provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of the lower-level modern language courses at the University of Mississippi. Evaluations and opinions about the lower-level modern language courses at the University of Mississippi were collect from students via an anonymous online survey. After analysis, it was found that the students enrolled in modern language course are very diverse. Many students had a positive experience in the lower-language courses, while others had negative experiences. It was found that the goals set by Department of Modern Languages for students are being reached by many students; however there are many students who choose …

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Setting Traps, Finn Waterstreet Udall Jan 2016

Setting Traps, Finn Waterstreet Udall

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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Keeping Students In School: An Analysis Of Dropout Prevention Methods In Canton, Mississippi, Mary Elizabeth Kakales Jan 2016

Keeping Students In School: An Analysis Of Dropout Prevention Methods In Canton, Mississippi, Mary Elizabeth Kakales

Honors Theses

With a graduation rate of 29.7% and a dropout rate of 59.8% reported in 2005, the Canton Public School District qualified as one of the most low-performing school districts in the United States. Recently, though, the district has experienced significant improvement in these areas, reporting a graduation rate of 72.2% and a dropout rate of 17.8% in 2013. In this thesis, I analyze Canton, Mississippi's dropout prevention methods and conclude that their success is attributed to the combination of a community-wide effort and desire to be worthy of honor and respect alongside Canton Public School District's extensive Dropout Prevention Plan. …

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Redox-Sensitive Block Copolymer Nanoparticle Preparation And Characterization, Mary Virginia Portera Jan 2016

Redox-Sensitive Block Copolymer Nanoparticle Preparation And Characterization, Mary Virginia Portera

Honors Theses

The purpose of the research conducted in this project was to add to a wealth of knowledge concerning chemotherapy. Although chemotherapy has been used since Paul Ehrlich's discover of Salvarsan's ability to kill Treponema pallidum (the bacterium that causes syphilis), today the term chemotherapy is mostly used in conjunction with cancer treatment. There have been many successful chemotherapy drugs produced throughout the years, but a constant problem with chemotherapy is the fact that it also affects noncancerous cells. The topic of this research investigated targeted drug delivery systems that incorporate paclitaxel, a hydrophobic chemotherapy drug. This research mainly focused on …

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Optimization Of Fluidized Bed Isothermal Reactor In A Styrene Production Process, Matthew Hamilton Peaster Jan 2016

Optimization Of Fluidized Bed Isothermal Reactor In A Styrene Production Process, Matthew Hamilton Peaster

Honors Theses

The focus of this thesis is to explain the optimization of a fluidized bed isothermal reactor in a styrene production process. The first section of the thesis gives a summary of chemical process optimization in general. The next portion of the thesis gives an introduction to chemical process simulation software, and it explains how simulation software aids in the design and optimization of chemical processes. The third section of the thesis gives a brief overview of an optimization project of a styrene production process that was completed in the previous semester with a group of three. The final section explains …

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