Digital Commons Network^™

Combined Effects Of Hyperglycemic Conditions And Hiv-1 Nef: A Potential Model For Induced Hiv Neuropathogenesis., Edward A Acheampong, Cassandra Roschel, Muhammad Mukhtar, Alagarsamy Srinivasan, Mohammad Rafi, Roger J Pomerantz, Zahida Parveen

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Hyperglycemic conditions associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) or with the use of antiretroviral therapy may increase the risk of central nervous system (CNS) disorders in HIV-1 infected patients. In support of this hypothesis, we investigated the combined effects of hyperglycemic conditions and HIV-1 accessory protein Nef on the CNS using both in vitro and in vivo models. Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell type required for normal synaptic transmission and other functions were selected for our in vitro study. The results show that in vitro hyperglycemic conditions enhance the expression of proinflammatory cytokines including caspase-3, complement factor 3 (C3), and …

Navigating The Gaze: Young People's Intimate Knowledge With Surveilled Spaces At School, Patricia Krueger

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The 1980s introduced numerous state and federal policies that created a similar ideology of discipline and punishment in the educational system and the criminal justice system, a phenomenon known today as the school-to-prison pipeline. Several critical elements are involved in the production and maintenance of the school-to-prison pipeline, such as zero tolerance regulations, surveillance technologies, and strengthened in-school discipline practices. In this dissertation I argue that these elements of the pipeline maintain a strong presence and occupy the physical spaces of public schools. Moreover, surveillance cameras and police officers are most often installed in the cities' most under-resourced public schools, …

Repellent Crimes And Rational Deliberation: Emotion And The Death Penalty,, Susan Bandes

College of Law Faculty

No abstract provided.

Foreword, Susan Bandes

College of Law Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Emergence Of Biotechnology In The State Of Mississippi: A Review, Whitman Scott Dowlen

Honors Theses

This publication was written with the intention of performing an analysis of the present in-state bioscience initiative and subsequent Mississippi industry incumbents. Hopefully, this publication will be employed as an informative tool to Mississippi residents, universities, policy makers and private corporations considering investment in research and development in the state of Mississippi.

Harry Potter: Magic Or Illusion?, Douglas Fugate Caldwell Williams

Honors Theses

When first introduced, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series rocked the world of children’s books. It quickly topped bestseller lists and became the talk of the elementary world. But then something strange happened: grown-ups began reading the series. By the time that the last couple of books debuted, crowds of all ages fonued around bookstores to gather the latest editions. The series was all over the news, with notable critics giving their opinions and censorship debates arising in various regions. The cultural phenomenon had begun. Such a massive reception begs one question: will the Harry Potter series be a literary classic? …

Crowning Glory: A Sociological Study Of Gender In The Beauty Pageant System, Lee Taylor

Honors Theses

This thesis provides a sociological examination of the personal experiences of beauty pageant participants in the South. By deconstructing the ideal view of women in beauty pageants, I attempted to answer how pageant contestants view their individual participation in the oppressive framework of the beauty pageant contest. In order to provide an in-depth analysis on the role of gender in beauty pageants, I conducted personal interviews and field study observations. Additionally, I researched current online sources and scholarly publications concerning gender and beauty pageants. The beauty pageant system demands that young women alter their bodies and personalities in order to …

The Butterflies: An Original Film Produced Throught The University Of Mississippi In August 2008, Winsor Yu-Liang Yuan

Honors Theses

This paper is an account of a student’s original short film from the first stages of its artistic intention to its completion. The film is entitled The Butterflies. The paper provides a close inspection of the evolution of the film’s artistic intention, how that intention was realized, and how it was not realized. It describes the hardships, stresses. triumphs, and victories of the filmmaker during months of preparation and production.

Finding Humanity In Dystopia: Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale And Oryx And Crake, Emily Thrash Peters

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the relationship of humanity and literature in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake. Through personal narration, Offred tells the story of being a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian government in which language is forbidden. She struggles to remain human in a world that treats her as a reproductive machine. Offred’s experiences lead her to forbidden games with the Commander, an affair with the Commander’s guardian, and escape because of love and trust in a world void of emotion. In Oryx and Crake. Jimmy/Snowman thinks he is the last genuine human being …

Testing A Model: Ca2+ Induced Exposure Of Tryptophan In Neural-Cadherins, Chinelo Udemgba

Honors Theses

Cadherins are transmembrane cell adhesion proteins that are critical for tissue formation and maintenance. Cell adhesion by cadherin requires binding of 3 calcium ions at the interfaces between the ectodomain modules. Recent data suggest a model in which calcium induces a relatively large conformational change in the first ectodomain module, domain 1, by causing the detachment of the A-strand from the core of domain 1 and exposure of a tryptophan in the second position, W2. The exposure of W2 is crucial for formation of a strand-crossover structure that is believed to be the adhesive dimer interface. In order to establish …

The Ontology Of Number, Garrett Michael Strickland

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I hope to offer a historical summary of the discussion of the ontology of number. I will begin with the origins of the argument, focusing primarily on the first two major players, Plato and Aristotle, and I will continue to the major players and positions of the debate as it stands today. This done, I will give some of my own insights and impressions on the subject, and I will discuss which, if any, of the positions seem acceptable and why.

Beyond Observation: Literature And Science In Kafka, Rilke, Mann And Musil, Katya Ilina

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The relationship between science and literature is an expanding area of scholarly interest which remains underrepresented within the field of Germanistik. This dissertation will attempt to close the gap by focusing on the interactions between the selected works of Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, Thomas Mann, and Robert Musil, and the scientific outlooks which began to emerge in the nineteenth century primarily by focusing on the concept of observation. Observation is a concept important for the period of my investigation because it signified a major shift in consciousness. The prior facile division into impartial experimenter and observed phenomenon, so characteristic …

Anger Et Cetera: Understanding The Emotions In Ethics, Damien Dupont

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation argues in part that because the ethical theory of sentimentalism is based on the mistaken belief that emotions are non-cognitive, sentimentalism cannot account for the fact of the influence of cognition in morality and moral action. Therefore sentimentalism is of little use in ethics.

This work is done by going back to examine Western thinking on the emotions from its dawn in Homer's writing through to contemporary philosophy and neurophysiology on the emotions. Following the development of the way emotions were thought of and how they related to ethics allows the identification of an intellectual forked path brought …

Memorial Laws: Social And Media Construction Of Personalized Legislation, 1994-2005, Faith H. Leibman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the possibility that certain social, demographic, and political factors have led to the recent adoption by American state legislatures of what are known as Memorial Laws. First enacted in 1994, these laws have become increasingly common. However, there has been little or no formal academic research into them. This investigation aims to provide a preliminary analysis of Memorial Laws and to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics affecting their passage. Specifically, this study examines a variety of demographic traits of victims and the characteristics of the crimes committed against them in an attempt to determine …

Proclomations, Speeches And Letters Of Napoleon Buonaparte During His Campaign Of Egypt 1-8, Trent Dailey-Chwalibog, Brittany Gignac

Napoleon Translations

The following texts form a series of letters, speeches, and official proclamations of Napoleon Bonaparte during his campaign in Egypt at the turn of the 19th century. Bonaparte, with the title of commander-in chief, joined together both the French army and navy in 1798 to carry out this complex conquest. His intention was to seize Egypt, which was part of the Ottoman Empire, in order to create a French presence in the Middle East, and to protect French trade which was at the time being hurt by British relations with trade authorities in Egypt, the Mamluk Beys. One of the …

A Few Good Women: Break Through Roles In Three War Plays, Bobby Ellis Pelts

Honors Theses

A Few Good Women: Break Through Roles in Three War Plays (Under the direction of Colby Kullman)

This thesis explores the roles played by women in three war plays: Lysistrata by Aristophanes, Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, and A Piece ofMy Heart by Shirley Lauro. The thesis describes the ways in which the characters of each of these plays defy traditional social expectations of women in wartime. These characters challenge the ideals of femininity and "proper" behavior while defying the typical roles of wife, mother, and nurse in war. The thesis argues that the context of war …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Summer Day Camp In The Local Church As An Opportunity To Encourage Youth In Their Spiritual Growth, Church Identity, And Service, Michael J. Stevenson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Large amounts of time and effort are expended by youth directors in providing camp related opportunities for employment. It is widely hoped by these youth directors that the experience of being a camp staff person will increase spirituality among the staff, that it will strengthen their identification with the Seventh-day Adventist church, and that, in the future, these same staff members will desire more opportunities to serve in the mission of the church. The purpose of this project is to qualitatively study whether staff are affected positively or negatively in the ways mentioned above, by being staff members of …

An Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Natural Church Development Within Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The United States And The Resulting Church Growth, Rodney Jon Mills

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem

Natural Church Development (NCD) is a church health paradigm that is being used in Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States as a tool for increasing both church health and growth. One question that needs to be addressed is whether the implementation of NCD within Seventh-day Adventist churches results in church growth.

The Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish a validation of the NCD process by evaluating the church growth experienced at the Milwaukee Central Seventh-day Adventist Church and compare that growth with Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States which have participated in taking …

Marine Mammal Response To Ecosystem Variability In Monterey Bay, California., Julia Burrows

Master's Theses

The coastal upwelling ecosystem near Monterey Bay, California is an extremely productive, yet variable, ecosystem and an important foraging area for mobile, apex predators, such as marine mammals. Longer-term studies are required to better understand how marine mammals respond to temporal environmental variability; however, few of these studies exist. We conducted monthly shipboard line-transect surveys in Monterey Bay from 1997 to 2007, concurrent with hydroacoustic and oceanographic sampling. Twenty-two species of marine mammals were identified, and monthly and annual densities were calculated for the 12 most commonly sighted species. Densities varied among years, whereas species richness remained relatively constant. Marine …

Relations Between Language And Executive Function In Spanish-Speaking Children., Ana Luz Portillo

Master's Theses

The literature on the development of executive function (EF) has been largely limited to studies of middle-class English-speaking children. This study extended executive function research to a primarily low socioeconomic status (SES) sample of Spanish-speaking preschool children living in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine a variety of language measures (vocabulary, grammar, and comprehensive language) in relation to a variety of executive function measures (working memory, inhibitory control, and attention-shifting). Results revealed that Spanish speakers performed on some, but not all, EF measures comparably to higher SES English-speaking peers, in concurrence with previously reported findings. …

Literary Prose And Poetry In San Francisco's Black Newspapers, 1862--1885., Jan Batiste Adkins

Master's Theses

This thesis addresses the topic of literature of poetry, short stories, travel narratives, and didactic narratives published in the Pacific Appeal and the Elevator newspapers of San Francisco during 1862--1885. Many of the literary writings published in these newspapers were written by residents of San Francisco's African American communities and also residents of other communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. This research not only documents the imaginative writings by African American writers and others interested in the issues facing African American citizens, but it analyzes the trends, structure, tone, themes, imagery, language, and issues during the initial year of …

Whitefly Fauna Of Clark County, Nevada., John W. Dooley Iii

Master's Theses

The research presented here documents the whitefly fauna within the Las Vegas area in Clark County, Nevada, with information on the geology, host and plant communities in the area where the whiteflies were collected. Only specimens of the immature fourth stage (puparium) were observed and collected at Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, and the Mojave Desert surrounding Las Vegas.

Seafood Labeling And Consumer Behavior: A Fishwise Case Study, Sonoma County, Ca., Alicia Ushijima Elsholz

Master's Theses

Decades of unsustainable commercial fishing have resulted in depletion of fish stocks, destruction of ocean habitats, and unintended capture and death of fish and marine mammals. In addition, unsustainable aquaculture practices threaten wild species and pollute surrounding natural habitats. In an attempt to combat these adverse impacts, FishWise, a seafood labeling program, was created to encourage consumers at health food stores and gourmet markets in the US to purchase seafood caught or farm raised in a sustainable manner. This study evaluates FishWise to determine its effectiveness in educating consumers about sustainable fishery issues and in influencing purchases of sustainable seafood …

Factors In Bmi Increase Among Multicultural Freshmen., Leah Haritan

Master's Theses

This observational research examines body mass index (BMI) changes in multicultural freshmen attending a large public urban university. It explores factors associated with BMI increase and investigates behavior changes and perceptions related to diet and body weight. The study utilizes an online survey distributed in November 2007 and again in April 2008. All 3,260 freshmen were eligible to participate. Initial response rate was 23%; 44% of initial respondents completed both surveys (N = 337). Results revealed a significant increase in BMI for on-campus residents, Caucasians, and males (P < 0.05). Decreased vegetable intake was associated with a BMI increase of less than one (P < 0.05). Fruits and vegetables were perceived by most as healthful; their high cost, and limited variety and availability on campus were deemed potential barriers to intake. Freshman weight gain may be a function of gender, residence, and ethnicity, and deserves further examination.

Ideodyssey, Vincent Bergado

Master's Theses

This novel begins during Gabe's junior year at Harbor High School, in a time of his adolescence that is challenging in unexpected ways. Two girls suddenly vie for his attention in surprisingly forward manner, straining his long-standing friendship with Mo. In the foothills outside Oak Bend, a new neighbor antagonizes him, and a new student, the first at Harbor high with Indian heritage, brings a radical shift in perspective to the small town. Gabe is perplexed by the mixed heritage of his own family, and his loneliness deepens as the color line divide in the community grows. As racial tensions …

Against Practice, Anthony V. Alfieri

Michigan Law Review

This Review examines the theory/practice dichotomy in legal education through the prism of the Carnegie Foundation's Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law. Descriptively, it argues that the Foundation's investigation of law school curricular deficiencies in the areas of clinical-lawyer skills, professionalism, and public service overlooks the relevance of critical pedagogies in teaching students how to deal with difference-based identity and how to build cross-cultural community in diverse, multicultural practice settings differentiated by mutable and immutable characteristics such as class, gender, and race. Prescriptively, it argues that the Foundation's remedial call for the curricular integration of clinical lawyer …

Analysis Of Videotape Evidence In Police Misconduct Cases, Martin A. Schwartz, Jessica Silbey, Jack Ryan, Gail Donoghue

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Potential Of Fertility Control To Manage Brushtail Possums In New Zealand, Weihong Ji

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were introduced into New Zealand from Australia in the mid-1800s and became a major invasive pest. They damage native biodiversity by browsing and predation, and they are a disease risk to the livestock industry by acting as vectors of bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management of possums includes their eradication from some offshore islands and control by trapping, shooting, and poisoning on the mainland. Possums have been eradicated successfully from some islands and greatly reduced in abundance in other areas of high conservation value or where they are infected with TB. However, possums are still at …

The Eradication Of Invasive Mammal Species: Can Adaptive Resource Management Fill The Gaps In Our Knowledge?, Sugoto Roy, Graham C. Smith, James C. Russell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Invasive alien species (IAS) threaten global biodiversity; they are the major cause of species extinction on offshore islands. Management of IAS requires data on the ecology of species in their new environment, how these species respond to management, and how these processes interact. Often, however, there is a paucity of information on key biological parameters that are critical to making management decisions. We sent a questionnaire to professionals and organizations managing invasive species and asked the respondents to prioritize a list of information they required to carry out eradication of invasive species. We analysed responses to assess the level of …

Deterring Cliff-Swallow Nesting On Highway Structures Using Bioacoustics And Surface Modifications, Jaclyn S. Conklin, Michael J. Delwiche, W. Paul Gorenzel, Robert W. Coates

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) are migratory birds that breed in colonies and frequently nest on highway structures. Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, swallows in their active nests cannot be harmed by nesting-control methods. This causes problems and delays in maintenance of structures by divisions of many departments of transportation. We evaluated 2 aversion strategies, bioacoustic deterrents and surface modifications, for their effect on cliff swallow nesting behavior. The bioacoustic deterrents consisted of sonic devices that broadcast 8 unique recordings of alarm and distress calls of cliff swallows. We made surface modifications, mounting high-density polyethylene …