23 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

This work was sponsored by the University of Richmond, School of Arts & Sciences, Department of History.

This paper examines referee bias in the Major League Soccer (MLS), particularly looking at referees’ decisions regarding penalty kicks. After analyzing the 520 penalty kicks sanctioned since the inception of the MLS, this study ascertains that referees’ display a considerable bias favoring the home team when awarding the initial penalty kick of a game. Additionally, this study demonstrates that in matches with more than one penalty kick, the penalties are disproportionately awarded to each team, suggesting that referees are compensating or atoning for their initial calls.

The work summarized in the following report includes a number of conclusions. Both damaged and natural DNA base pairs were computationally examined with density functional theory. It was found that these base pairs most closely model thermal experimental results when the ribose ring attached to form the nucleotide is substituted with a methoxymethylene and methoxy linkages at the 4’ and 3’ positions.

Verbal abuse occurs in college relationships, but this form of abuse lacks a clear definition and definitive characteristics. I studied the dialogue that surrounds verbal abuse. I was interested in how verbal abuse was discussed instead of the specific details of the experiences. Verbal abuse was purposely studied separately from physical abuse. Prior research and legal statutes were reviewed before conducting this study. Through the use of focus groups, one-on-one interviews and key informant interviews a broader perspective of verbal abuse was gained.

Lymph hearts are pulsatile organs present in lower vertebrates that propel lymph throughout the body and into the venous system, assisting in the maintenance of fluid homeostasis. In organisms such as frogs, several pairs of lymph hearts develop amidst the somites during the early tadpole stages. Due to the unique structure and function of lymph heart musculature—exhibiting characteristics of both skeletal and cardiac muscle—the origin of these cells remains highly controversial.

30 leaves : ill., some col. ; 28 cm.

This work was sponsored by the University of Richmond, School of Arts & Sciences, Department of History.

This work was sponsored by the University of Richmond, School of Arts & Sciences, Department of Music.

Bond Vigilantes are bond investors who protest structural government debt by selling bonds, increasing real yields. This increases the costs for government to borrow, allegedly causing a decrease in expenditures and ultimately a decrease in structural deficits. Models are presented which capture this effect, and offer evidence that these mechanisms have occurred over the past 50 years.