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Ja, Ich Will: Framing The Same-Sex Marriage Debate In The 17th Session Of The German Bundestag, Stephen Colby Woods

Honors Theses

In 2001, Germany passed the Life Partnership Act (Gesetz über die Eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft), establishing civil partnerships for same-sex couples. At the time, Germany was a forerunner in the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. Despite the approval of 74% of Germans, same-sex marriage was a fiercely debated topic from 2009 to 2013 in the 17th session of the Bundestag. During this session, the Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, and Free Democratic Party make up the Majority government, and the Social Democratic Party, Alliance 90/the Greens, and the Left made up the Opposition. This thesis uses framing theory to examine what …

Parasitism And Feather Reflectance In Mourning Doves (Zenaida Macroura), Wesley Youngblood

Honors Theses

The theory of sexual selection has proven to be an important factor in understanding the mechanisms behind the evolution of secondary sexual traits. The Hamilton and Zuk (1982) hypothesis of parasite-mediated sexual selection postulates that birds evolved ornamentation to indicate parasite resistance to potential mates. My research explores the relationship between parasite load and plumage coloration in hunter-harvested mourning doves. Plumage from seven body areas was collected, ectoparasites were quantified and blood smears made so that intracellular hematozoan parasites could be quantified. Tarsometatarsi were measured, and the testes of males were collected to determine any effects of parasite load on …

An Evaluation Of Soil Extracellular Enzyme Activity In Response To Burning As A Forest Restoration Technique, William M. Steward

Honors Theses

Burning is a method of forest restoration with the goal of returning natural tree species to ecosystems. Burning has a wide range of effects on an ecosystem, including the alteration of important soil processes and characteristics. One of the key components of soil is the activity of extracellular enzymes, which can be used to provide insight into the nutritional requirements of soil microbes as well as nutrient availability and cycling. Because enzymes are important in the overall functioning of soil and can be used to assess soil health, there is great need to examine the effects of burning on soil …

Lessening The Economic Impact Of Incarceration: Privatize, Reinvest, Or Realign In Mississippi?, James Foster

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how private prisons, justice reinvestment, and public safety realignment are currently being implemented in the United States to lessen the economic impact of incarceration and determine which, if any, would work best in Mississippi. Several methods were used in this study, including a comparison of operational costs between state and private prisons, regression analysis to test the effect of Drug Courts on drug-related admissions, and an investigation on capacity levels in county, state, and private prisons. The conclusions drawn from this study demonstrate the pros and cons of private prisons currently operating …

Essential Roots: Planting Seeds For A Bright Future; A Pilot Implementation Of Transitional Service That Promotes Nutritional Health And Business Skills For Students With Idd, Jennybeth S. Hendrick

Honors Theses

Too many men and women with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are unable to live autonomously due to economic instability and the lack of knowledge to successfully make appropriate and healthy life choices. To improve attainment of financial independence and autonomous living, transitional services must be implemented into grade schools so that adolescents can master basic life skills to help their future quality of life. Essential Roots: Planting Seeds for a Bright Future, a pilot transitional program and evaluation was conducted in a classroom at the Scott Child Development Center, Oxford, MS. The goal of the non-randomized, controlled research study …

Electromyography Of Mastication Muscles In College Athletes, John Ratliff

Honors Theses

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if co-activation in enhanced neck muscles increased surface electromyography (sEMG) activity in the masseter while chewing with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd molars. Sixteen football players from The University of Mississippi volunteered for this study. Football players were examined because they strengthen their neck 4 days a week to help prevent neck injuries and concussions. Participants' average body fat was 15.68% and average body mass was 100.69 kilograms showing that the participants were larger, muscular individuals compared to non student-athletes and represent a unique, study group. Participants performed maximum weight on a …

Dereplication And Prioritization Of Natural Product Extracts For Antifungal Drug Discovery, Kara Fowler

Honors Theses

The prevalence of opportunistic fungal infections in hospital settings are at alarming rates. Through technological advances in natural product research, plants have become a useful source for antifungal drug discovery. More samples can be screened at once, fractionated in less time, and biologically tested at smaller quantities. However, isolating antifungal compounds from these plant extracts and determining their specific chemical makeup can still take up a significant amount of time. Therefore, this thesis presents a prioritization technique to prevent the need to isolate every compound within an active fraction. With the guidance of literature research on the genus and species …

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 …

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 …

Mississippi Pharmacists' Knowledge And Attitudes About Pharmacy Compounding Safety And Regulation, Kimberly Allen

Honors Theses

Introduction: Pharmacy compounding, which is defined by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a practice in which a licensed pharmacist combines, mixes, or alters ingredients in response to a prescription to create a medication tailored to the medical needs of an individual patient,1 has gained recent attention at both national and state levels. Outbreaks of adverse events associated with pharmacy compounding have led to many proposed and enacted changes in how to appropriately and best regulate traditional compounding pharmacies and those that act as manufacturers. Given such recent controversies and potential confusion as to exactly how compounding is regulated, …

The Effects Of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage On Aerobic Capacity Tested Through Repeated Vo2max Tests, Luke Burnett

Honors Theses

High-intensity resistance training alongside aerobic training has been seen to improve aerobic performance due to the gains strength that accompany said resistance training. However, it has been documented that the exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) that results from the resistance training can impair aerobic performance in the days following. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the time-course of recovery from EIMD for up to seven days following muscle-damaging protocol. Eight recreationally trained participants (age 21.88 ± 0.99 yr., mass 70.02 ± 11.14 kg, height 171.61 ± 8.99 cm) volunteered to participate in five testing sessions over the course …

Reproductive And Multigenerational Effects Of Dietary Benzo[A]Pyrene Exposure In Zebrafish, Mallory White

Honors Theses

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that is a known carcinogen that also acts as an endocrine disruptor. Multigenerational impacts of PAH exposure are suggested in human cohort studies. To investigate mechanisms and developmental phenotypes associated with a dietary BaP exposure, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used. We hypothesized that BaP exposure would cause: 1) phenotypic malformations in the gonad that would affect reproductive success; 2) developmental deformities in the offspring that would lead to decreased survival and ability to reproduce without additional BaP exposure; and 3) changes in gene expression that would be conserved across generations and related …

Portraits Of Four African-American Women Who Earned Doctoral Degrees From A Predominately White Institution, Sherry M. Coleman Hunter

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Within the African-American (AA) community, higher education is one of the ultimate gifts that could lead to success and a bright future. This qualitative study explored the experiences of four AA women who earned doctoral degrees in educational leadership from a predominately White institution (PWI). The research questions guiding this study were framed to learn the following:

1. the experiences of AA women who obtained doctorates at a PWI,

2. the factors the four interviewees perceived as contributing to the successful completion of their doctorate,

3. the elements that facilitated their degree progression,

4. the factors that inhibited their degree …

Croatia In The European Union: A Study On Foreign Direct Investment, Unemployment, And Infrastructure, Mary Grace Boland

Honors Theses

This study aims to determine the possible economic success or failure of Croatia in the European Union based on three economic indicators: foreign direct investment (FDI), unemployment, and infrastructure. It also seeks to compare other economic indicators such as GDP growth and inflation of Croatia to the other 27 member-states of the European Union. The goal of this paper is not to predict the future of Croatia, but to discover areas of potential reform and to support existing research on determinants of economic success in the EU. The three chapters that focus on FDI, unemployment, and infrastructure explore the respective …

The Trajectory Of The Argentine Economy From 2001 To The Present: What Comes Next?, Mary Morgan Gladney

Honors Theses

This thesis looks at global economic factors and Argentina's internal economic policy and political conditions of the last decade to determine the near-term future of the economy. By analyzing the factors that previously influenced the trajectory of the economy of Argentina, I will try to answer this question: What is the trajectory of the Argentine economy in the current political climate? In 2001 after a ten-year period of economic policy reform, the Argentine economy collapsed. Over a decade has passed since the crash of 2001, and now Argentina is once again in a precarious position. The dependent variable of this …

Harnessing The Power Of Social Media: How Four Fortune 500 Companies Utilize Social Media, Mary Elizabeth Cronk

Honors Theses

Harnessing the Power of Social Media: How Four Fortune 500 Companies Utilize Social Media to Drive Increased Sales and Optimize Marketing. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how Fortune 500 companies use social media as an effective marketing strategy. The researcher interviewed social media managers and marketing professionals at the following four Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta, Ga.: The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, United Parcel Service and Georgia Power Company. This case study found that executives at the four selected Fortune 500 companies maintain relevant social media websites and perceive company involvement as a powerful marketing tool. However, executives …

Changes In United States Foreign Assistance Allocation And Its Effect On Terrorism, Mary Anna Smith

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to study what, if any, affect foreign assistance given by the United States had on terrorism around the world. In order to study this issue, the question, How have changes in United States foreign assistance allocation since the end of the Cold War affected observable terrorist activities?. To answer the research question, foreign assistance data from the United State Overseas Loans and Grants was compared to observable terrorist activities data from the Global Terrorism Database. This data was analyzed through statistical regression to find that there are fewer observable terrorist activities when more foreign …

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 …

Public Arguments Concerning Women's Citizenship Rights In Jordan, Saadiah Naimat-Brennan

Honors Theses

While Jordanian women can be a ministers, congresswomen, Parliament representatives, ambassador, doctor, or lawyers, and the literacy rate for females is more than 92 percent, women are still not treated as full citizens. In 2012, Jordanian women, as most of the women in the Arab world, started publicly demanding their right to grant citizenship to their children from foreign fathers. The movement started with voice of those mothers during the Arab spring, but as of 2014 the government still resists providing equality to women. Interviews of more than a hundred people who either support, oppose, or are sympathetic to the …

Dark Memories, Roseann Foster

Honors Theses

Dark Memories is the first in a series ofm\ ster> nox els. It lakes place at Ole Miss and 1 researched the historv of the Oni\ ersit\ and its traditions. I'his included a \ arieiv of inter\ ie\\ s as w ell as reading main books, fhe stor\ examines the problem of race relations and perception, fhe no\ el contains two parallel stories; the tale of three fralernitN boys during the 1962 Integration and the contemporary homicide story. When .Iordan Teague finds the bod\ of an Ole Miss co-ed. her friend and reporter. Meg Anderson begins working w ith Delecli\ …

Life After Nursing School: A Qualitative Study Examining The Traditional Bsn Student’S Experience Of Choosing An Initial Area Of Practice, Charlsie Nicole Murphy

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the traditional BSN student’s experience in choosing an initial area of practice and influences on this choice. Understanding of this experience is important for educators and healthcare agencies so they may utilize this information to improve the initial area of practice experience. This qualitative phenomenological study was based on van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Data were collected through participant interviews that were analyzed for themes related to participant experiences of choosing an initial area of practice. The data were simultaneously transcribed and analyzed to extract themes for each participant. Analysis identified three …

Resisting The Influence Of The Imeyomwana Heresy In The Nyangweta District, Lenard B. Aencha

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Imeyomwana (a heresy involving the concept of what it means to be in Christ), a group of former Adventists, is causing problems in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Nyangweta district of the South Kenya Conference. Many of their teachings contradict those of the Seventh-day Adventists Church and many members are apostatizing to this group.

Method

To deal with the heresy I employed a two-pronged strategy. On one hand I sought to enter a dialogue with those involved in Imeyomwana, while on the other hand I confronted the false teaching with biblical truth. This strategy employed two powerful planning …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Small Basis Sets And The Counterpoise Procedure To Reproduce Complete Basis Set Limit Higher-Order Correlation Corrections For Weakly Bound Molecular Clusters, Cara M. Thorne

Honors Theses

The efficacy of small basis sets and the counterpoise procedure to accurately reproduce higher-order correlation corrections, which are routinely employed to estimate CCSD(T) interaction energies at the complete basis set (CBS) limit using an additive scheme, was examined through the study of four dispersion-dominated dimer systems. The dimers of acetylene (HCCH), cyanogen (NCCN), diphosphorous (P2) and 1,4-diphosphabutadiyne (PCCP) were studied in three different configurations: cross, parallel-displaced and t-shaped at the intermolecular distance corresponding to the minimum point on the CCSD(T) potential energy curve (PEC) for each system using MP2, CCSD and CCSD(T) methods in conjunction with eight basis sets from …

Utilization Of Crowdsourced Maps In Catastrophic Disasters, Makiko Hong

Master's Theses

Crowdsourced data, the collective messages from citizens through social media like Twitter® or Facebook®, have been increasingly recognized as a vital information source in a catastrophic disaster. Because there is often insufficient emergency personnel to gather situational information during a big disaster, the crowdsourced data can offer a supplemental means for data collection or dissemination immediately after the disaster. In addition, crowdsourced maps can empower citizens with their involvement.

In the Haiti earthquake of 2010, crowdsourced data was first used to create a web map application to aid the humanitarian effort. With some success in Haiti, these crowdsourced maps have …

Effects Of Temperature On Sexual Competition In Kelps: Implications For Range Shifts In Foundation Species, Alexis Cynthia Howard

Master's Theses

Kelp populations inhabit some of the most dynamic environments on the planet and often exist close to the limits of their temperature tolerances. Temperature cues reproductive processes in many kelps and fluctuating temperatures can affect kelp recruitment and population persistence. Some kelps compete sexually through their microscopic life history stages by releasing a pheromone that triggers the premature release of spermatozoids of neighboring species, leading to recruitment failure. It is unknown, however, whether changing temperature modifies competitive hierarchies among kelp species. To address this issue, I investigated how temperature affects sexual competition between microscopic stages of three co-existing and possibly …

Experiences Of Immigration Among Women From Taiwan, Robert Johnston

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the transformative effects of immigration from the 1960s through the 2010s among women from Taiwan living in the County of Santa Clara. The study focused on three substantive areas: (1) early life experiences and factors leading to immigration; (2) shifts in social identities after leaving Taiwan (e.g., political, national, and ethnic self-concepts in various contexts); and (3) practices of child-rearing. Several methodological tools were employed during the data collection phase of the research process, including interviews, surveys, and participant observations. The findings of this study suggested a dynamic process of change in which informants adapted to, were …

Adaptive Filtering For Heart Rate Signals, Samira Jaafari

Master's Theses

This work focused on the effects of suppressing the motion artifact of wrist photoplethysmographic heart rate signals. Monitoring of the heart can offer important insight with regard to health and wellness. The objective of the experiment conducted here was to recover the distorted signal resulting from body movement while measuring the heart rate signal non-invasively from the wrist.

The class of filters, known as adaptive filters, that can extract meaningful information from the distorted signal, used predetermined initial conditions to equalize the signal distortion due to motion. These filters do not require prior knowledge about the system.

Adaptive filters of …

Using Vegetation To Reduce Nitrogen Runoff In California Caneberries, Rebecca Riesenfeld

Master's Theses

With a 700% rise in global fertilizer use in the last 50 years, agricultural lands are a significant source of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Record high levels of nitrate-contaminated runoff from agricultural sources in California's Central Coast are affecting drinking water supplies in the Pajaro Valley and increasingly threatening the ecological health of the Monterey Bay. Bands of vegetation strategically planted to control runoff and soil erosion, or vegetative filter strips (VFS), are used in urban landscapes and at some farm peripheries. On-farm vegetative diversity has been promoted for its contribution to biodiversity and pest control. …

Comparison Of Corded And Cordless Handpieces On Forearm Muscle Activity, Procedure Time And Ease Of Use During Simulated Tooth Polishing, Gayle Mccombs, Daniel M. Russell

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Dental professionals suffer from a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Dental hygienists in particular have a high prevalence of pain in the forearms and hands. The objective of this study was to compare 1 cordless handpiece to 2 corded handpieces during simulated tooth polishing in terms of the muscle loads (recorded as electromyography (EMG) activity), duration of polishing procedure, and dental hygienist opinion about ease of use. Methods: EMG was used to quantify muscle electrical activity of 4 forearm muscles during simulated dental polishing with 2 corded handpieces (HP-A and HP-B) and 1 cordless handpiece (HP-C). A …

The Dólar Blue: The Black Market Exchange Rate For Dollars In Argentina, Brad Brunson Lanier

Honors Theses

At the beginning of October 2011, Argentina saw the emergence of a black market exchange rate for U.S. dollars. This black market exchange rate is known locally as the Dólar Blue. The importance of the Dólar Blue has become so public that it even has its own websites and social media accounts to inform its users of its daily rates as well as how and where to locate the human intermediary aspect of the black market known as the arbolitos. As a whole, black market exchange rates better reflect people's expectations about the true purchasing power of their currency and …