Digital Commons Network^™

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Measures Of Service Quality And Satisfaction Of Golf Spectators In A Korean Ladies' Professional Golf Association Tournament, Jaemon Sun

Master's Theses

A variety of spectator sports, leisure activities, and internet media developments have changed the sport market environment into a serious global competition. In this sport market environment, it is necessary to execute customer satisfaction management to meet the wants and needs of sport spectators. Understanding which service quality factors best predict customer satisfaction is an important issue in the sport events industry. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction for spectators in attendance at a Korea Ladies' Professional Golf Association Tournament event. A secondary purpose of the study was to …

A Critical Examination Of Green Economic Development As A Post-Disaster Recovery Approach: The Case Of Greensburg, Kansas 2007-2012, David Edgardo Leiva

Master's Theses

In May 2007, an EF-5 tornado ripped through and annihilated 95% of Greensburg, Kansas, a town of about 1,500 people in the southwestern portion of the state. On the heels of the disastrous Hurricane Katrina federal response and with the promise of two sitting presidents to use all of the federal support available, the town vowed not only to "survive, but thrive." Months later, Greensburg civic, business and elected leaders - with a host of external expertise - unveiled a recovery plan that not only set in motion the rebuilding of the two-square mile town but also offered the opportunity …

Conservation Genetics Of Gar (Atractosteus Spp.), Sandra Elizabeth Bohn

Master's Theses

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a large-bodied species of fish that historically was widely distributed in coastal drainages around the Gulf of Mexico and well north in the Mississippi River basin. Currently this species is experiencing population declines across much of its range. However, in some parts of its range, such as Texas, this species has shifted from being viewed as a trash fish to being the target or a growing sport fishery. As populations decline and angling pressure increases, different state agencies are faced with the common challenge of developing the most effective methods for managing …

The Tweet Delete Of Congress: Congress And Deleted Posts On Twitter, Theresa Loraine Cardenas

Master's Theses

Since 2006, increasingly more politicians have joined , and are active on, social media networks, in order to reach out to constituents. However, politicians, such as Anthony Weiner, have started to find themselves in the middle of Twitter scandals and criticism, since their posts are openly available to the public. These ramifications may be leading politicians to delete their tweets, but thanks to the Sunlight Foundation and its website Politwoops, deleted tweets by politicians are now archived and ripe for political research. This raises the question Which members of Congress are deleting tweets and why? Thus, I conduct the first …

An Examination Of Media Accounts Before And After School Shootings: A Content Analysis Of Newspaper Articles Pertaining To Firearms On Campus, John Ronald Harrington

Master's Theses

Very few topics elicit such polarizing responses as that of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. Since our country's infancy, firearms have been an integral part of our society. Over the years firearms have undoubtedly become ingrained in the American culture, but their presence has not been unanimously welcomed. While many Americans stand firmly by their right to bear arms, others adamantly oppose the notion that civilians should be able to possess such firearm s. This study explores the current literature regarding firearms, concealed carry firearms, and the news media's portrayal of concealed carry firearms on school campuses. …

Adsorption/Desorption Process Of Stimuli-Responsive Polymers On Simulated Natural Surfaces Using Qcm-D & Afm Analysis, Yan Zong

Master's Theses

The stimuli-responsive adsorption of polyelectrolytes to biosurfaces provides an important vehicle for development of protective coatings, delivery of therapeutic agents, and cosmetic applications. Developing a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and kinetics of adsorption/desorption processes of polymeric systems to biological surfaces is of critical importance in predicting performance and designing new formulations. This study describes quartz crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy analysis of a poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) copolymer (Gantrez® S97 BF) adsorption on dental mimicking surfaces to determine properties including thickness, morphology, viscoelasticy, and rate of adsorption/desorption of the polymer layer as a function of solution environment. A …

Friction Ridge Dysplasia And Its Preponderance In The Afghanistan Population, Chelsea Elyse Woullard

Master's Theses

Friction Ridge Dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder in which the friction skin ridge units do not fuse together to form continuously flowing friction ridges. The skin affected by Friction Ridge Dysplasia is generally localized to one area and gives a similar appearance of the pebbled state of skin on the snout of a dog. Many authors have briefly discussed Friction Ridge Dysplasia in their publications; however, in-depth reflection as to the cause and rate of occurrence of Friction Ridge Dysplasia has not been documented. The objective of this study is to determine whether or not Friction Ridge Dysplasia is …

Stimulant Use, Associated Psychopathology, And Eating Disordered Symptomatology, Tiffany Ann Hopkins

Master's Theses

The current study developed profiles of eating disorder, personality, and other psychopathological symptoms related to the use of central nervous system stimulants versus other types of drug use. Participants included 124 women in residential treatment for substance use with and without comorbid eating disorders. Symptomatology was measured by the Eating Disorders lnventory-3 (EDI-3), Millon Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAl). The current study utilized a series of six multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) and discriminant analyses to determine patterns of psychopathology separating stimulant use from other drug use. Results indicated that women who used stimulants were primarily separated …

Legislated Landscape: A Comparison Of New Deal Farm Communities In Hattiesburg, Mccomb, And Tupelo, Mississippi, Joy Delaine Rhoads

Master's Theses

Government New Deal farm policies of the 1930s changed the realities of farming and the landscape in Mississippi. This research endeavors to compare three farm communities created by New Deal legislation in the state: Hattiesburg, McComb, and Tupelo. The economic crisis that was the Great Depression created a highly politicized environment as citizens looked to the government for economic relief. A crisis this severe would require an exceptional effort to mitigate the economic hardships it created, in varying degrees, for millions of Americans. The actions of the federal government during the Great Depression were an interesting mix of paternalism, desperation, …

Melancholia & Metaphor In Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains Of The Day, Kristin Lasheaú Teston

Master's Theses

Critics widely acknowledge the psychological grounding of Kazuo Ishiguro's writing. His 1989 novel The Remains of the Day presents a central character deeply afflicted by his inability to acknowledge his condition. Both literal and figurative loss proliferates throughout the novel, and turning to Sigmund Freud's influential essay, "Mourning and Melancholia," allows us to understand how loss influences Stevens's narrative. In this essay, Freud explores conditions that result after the loss of person or an ideal. For Stevens, the lost object is the myth of pre-war English traditions. Freud's theories regarding melancholia provide a crucial insight to Stevens's inability to acknowledge …

Narratives By Six Year Old And Nine Year Old Boys: Brute: Institutional, And Non-Institutional Mental Facts, Adam Craig Whipple

Master's Theses

Brute facts, institutional facts, and non-institutional mental facts were studied. The philosophy of constructionism and the theory of intent provided a framework for this research. Intentionality provided the basis for social facts. Brute, institutional, and noninstitutional mental facts were operationally defined. This study analyzed the use of these facts in the narratives of 6-year-old boys and 9-year-old boys. There were a total of 19 participants in this research. This research established brute, institutional, and non-institutional mental facts as appropriate operational categories for studying children's narratives. The 6-year-old boys produced more brute facts than the 9-year-old boys. The 9-year-old boys produced …

Convergence Of Life History Phenotypes In Two Species Of Topminnows, Fundulus Notatus And Fundulus Olivaceus, Jared Aubin Harris

Master's Theses

Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar characteristics by means of natural selection. Convergence is a well-known phenomenon, but convergence resulting from equivalent environmental gradients has only been pursued in a few cases. The main purpose of this study was to look for evidence of convergence of life history traits between two sympatrically distributed topminnows. The two species typically separate along a stream size gradient with Fundulus notatus inhabiting the downstream environment, and F. olivaceus inhabiting the upstream headwater environment. However, there are at least three known drainages where the normal distribution pattern is reversed, and F. notatus is …

Sensitivity And Species Specificity Of Bisulfite Modification And Pyrosequencing Technology Used To Identify Tissue-Specific Dna Methylation Patterns In Common Biofluids Foudn In Crime Scenes, Sitara Christian Shirwani

Master's Theses

In order to convict the guilty or exonerate the innocent in criminal cases, it is crucial to reconstruct the crime scene and/or determine the nature of the crime. Identifying the different biofluids found at a crime scene can help shed light on these aspects of forensic casework. Recently, DNA methylation has been used as a means of identifying biological materials, as opposed to conventional protein/enzyme based methods. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to the 5' carbon on a cytosine base (C), which is directly followed by a guanine base (G) and are called CpG sites. The …

Variations Of Vibrio Populations In Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus Vannamei, Aquaculture Raceways, Tracy Rene Berutti

Master's Theses

Reducing incidence of vibrioses in intensive aquaculture systems is essential to maintaining yields. This study performed real-time qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) using primers targeting 16s rDNA sequences for total bacteria, the Vibrio genus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in aquaculture tanks over the growing season. Total DNA concentrations in each sample were measured with a NanoDrop 2000 Spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific, Inc. USA). These data were compared to two levels of bio-floc solids removal in addition to physical and chemical tank parameters such as temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate. The total bacteria gene copy abundances were higher (p = 0.0081) …

Alcohol Consumption And Unwanted Sexual Experiences Among College Females: The Mediating Role Of Protective Behavioral Strategies, Kayla Darlene Moorer

Master's Theses

The narrowing gender gap regarding consumption has resulted in more alcoholrelated consequences specific to females. Compared to males, females report more sexual consequences, such as doing something they later regret, as a result of alcohol consumption. For this reason, there is a vital need for researchers to identify active methods that females can engage in while consuming alcohol in order to reduce the risk of unwanted sexual experiences (UWS). Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) have been shown to decrease overall alcohol-related consequences, but further investigation is needed to determine which strategies are most influential in reducing the occurrence of specific alcohol-related …

Age, Growth, Mortality, And The Effects Of Trawling On Mortality Of The Longspine Porgy, Stenotomus Caprinus, Cher Marie Newman

Master's Theses

Stenotomus caprinus (Longspine Porgy) is one of the most abundant bycatch species caught in trawl fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Biological data of length, weight, and abundance have been collected since 1972 on the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) surveys with a variety of GOM species, including Longspine Porgy, using trawl nets during groundfish surveys. In 2010-2011 five Longspine Porgy were obtained from Groundfish and Pelagic surveys at each station for further analysis. Age distribution was determined through von Bertalanffy length and weight-age models. The samples were separated into two regions of the GOM to …

Renewable Ocean Energy Site Selection Using A Gis: Gulf Coast Potential, Thomas Paul Wissing

Master's Theses

Development of offshore renewable wind energy for coastal states, counties and federally owned regions must account for numerous constraints and factors. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, decisions on developing sites for renewable wind energy have traditionally stemmed from environmental, socioeconomic, and political bases. Environmentally, new renewable off-shore projects cannot infringe on wetlands, marine sanctuaries, and fragile ecosystems (EFH). Placement of an offshore wind turbine should not significantly impact the surrounding environment. Taking into account maritime concerns, shipping lanes must not be impeded, and active military fly zones must be avoided.

Offshore projects must be financially self-sustaining for states and …

Influence Of Parenting Styles And Protective Behavioral Strategies On College Students' Alcohol Use And Alcohol-Related Consequences, Saarah Danielle Kison

Master's Theses

The current study examined the relationships between parenting styles, protective behavioral strategies (PBS), alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences in college students. While parenting styles have been associated with alcohol use, there are no studies which have investigated the relationship between parenting styles and negative alcohol-related consequences. Further, while alcohol use and negative consequences have been related to PBS, no studies have investigated the relationship between parenting styles and PBS. The current study hypothesized that PBS will be a partial mediator between parenting styles and alcohol use. The current study also hypothesized that PBS will be a partial mediator between …

Maladaptive Personality Traits And Sex Addiction Profiles, Jonathan Knute Jore

Master's Theses

How do pathological personality traits relate to specific expressions of compulsive sexual behaviors? Previous studies have concluded that there are only small relationships between these two constructs, but such studies have usually conceptualized sexual compulsion as a unidimensional construct. The current study used a correlational design to evaluate the relationship between pathological personality traits and six general domains of sexually compulsive behaviors and cognitions in an inpatient and outpatient clinical sample (N = 540) of males seeking treatment for sex addiction. The pathological personality trait results were assessed using the MMPI-2 Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) domain and facet traits. The sexually …

Loyalist Or Patriot: The Precarious Position Of Edmund Randolph, 1774-1786, Tanisha Jean Staten

Master's Theses

On May 29, 1787, Governor Edmund Randolph took the floor of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia with a radical plan for a new federal government. Randolph was a key member of the influential Virginia delegation which paved the way for United States' Constitutionalism. An examination of his early life, legal career, and politics offers a new lens with which to view the emergence of American constitutional ideology. Building off the work ofT.H. Breen, who argues that Virginia's landed gentry inhabited a distinct culture, this work illuminates the dynamics of these elites who were absolutely pivotal in shaping a new sense …

Assessing Respiration Rates And Nutrient Dynamics Of Aritifical Reef Biofilms And Bacterioplankton In The Mississippi Sound, Lynn Elizabeth Wilking

Master's Theses

Artificial reefs are primarily used to provide a suitable habitat for target fish populations, but the structures can also improve water quality and benefit non-target organisms. Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted in the presence of biofilm on rubble and in its absence to examine bacterial growth, community respiration, and nutrient dynamics at four artificial reef habitats in the Mississippi Sound. Biofilm samples were also collected from settlement plates deployed at each site and were analyzed for 813C and 81sN stable isotope content. Respiration rates were always higher in the presence of biofilm but bacterial abundance often declined over time, and …

Seasonal And Diurnal Behavioral Patterns Of Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, That Exhibit High Site And Low Site Fidelity To Mississippi Sound, Shauna Marisa Mcbride

Master's Theses

This study examined whether bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) exhibit site fidelity to the Mississippi Sound and how the seasonal and diurnal behavioral patterns of dolphins that exhibit high site fidelity to the Mississippi Sound differ from those of dolphins with lower site fidelity. Opportunistic surveys conducted from July 2006 to April 2010 were analyzed. Statistical analyses consisted of nonparametric tests (Spearman's correlation, loglinear models, and Pearson's chi-square) to compare behavioral patterns of high site fidelity, mixed, and low site fidelity groups. Behavioral patterns significantly differed between site fidelity groups across seasons and diurnal periods. Feeding behavior was observed significantly more …

Synthesis And Study Of Stimuli-Responsive Fluorescent Polymeric Thin Films For Early Corrosion Detection By Directly Monitoring Iron Dissolution From Steel Substrates, Kevin William Harman

Master's Theses

The successful measurement and prediction of material lifetimes is of high importance for proper maintenance on metal infrastructures for prevention of asset loss through corrosive processes. Current testing protocols include mismatched accelerated weathering techniques in combination with visual corrosion detection that consume substantial amounts of time and resources and often lead to inaccurate extrapolation to natural conditions. For corrosion science and engineering to evolve further, accurate and early detection methods of efficiently evaluating materials are necessary. Fluorescence spectroscopy is one established non-destructive analytical technique that is highly sensitive and selective to a variety of metal ion species and chemical environments …

Anticipated Life Role Salience And Career Decision-Making Difficulties, Emily A. Schedin

Master's Theses

With the dual-earner population increasingly becoming the norm, undergraduate students are forced to consider the ways in which their career choice may affect their future family life, as well as how their family life may affect their career. Research has shown that undergraduate students may alter their vocational aspirations or adjust their future family plans to avoid work-family role conflict thus implying that students are making career decisions based on their prioritization of anticipated future life roles. The present study sought to investigate how the salience of different life roles may factor into the level of career decision-making difficulty (CDMD) …

Determining Hydrocarbon Distribution Using Resistivity, Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, Southwestern Mississippi, John Edward Allen Jr.

Master's Theses

High energy prices created by increased global demand and ongoing international disputes have once again sparked a new wave of exploration within the United States. The need for local production is strong and the onshore shale reservoirs of the United States appear to be a prime target. The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale is one such shale reservoir that has been rapidly gaining interest throughout the petroleum industry and the availability of published data concerning the reservoir is insufficient to meet industry needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reservoir within southwestern Mississippi to document its structure, stratigraphy, and …

The Development And Use Of A Color Discrimination T-Maze Learning Task In The Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Elizabeth Ann Lamb

Master's Theses

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are becoming increasingly utilized in behavioral studies as a model of human learning and memory. The results of a previous study by Colwill, Raymond, Ferreira, and Escudero (2005) indicated that this species is capable of discriminating between colors and learning to respond to an assigned hue at either arm of a T-maze, indicating a learned association between the neutral stimulus and reward. While this original study showed that this task was appropriate for use in this species, we proposed that it had the potential to provide more data on specifics of the learning process with amended methods. …

Characterizing The Persistence Of Sewage Enterococci In Mississippi Coastal Waters, Kimberly Anne-Marie Lewis

Master's Theses

Enterococci are microbiological indicators of marine recreation water quality.
Their reliability as fecal indicators is questioned as they are shown to persist in the environment. Multiple laboratory studies on their persistence have been done but few under natural environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate how long sewage enterococci and enterococcal DNA persist in beach water and to determine whether there is a difference in the genetic diversity and hardiness of sewage vs. environmental isolates. To study persistence, sewage was diluted with beach water, placed in microcosms, and deployed at a beach site in Longbeach and Pass …

The Oaks: Interpretation And Analysis Of The Support Structures Of A 19th Century Urban Farmstead, Justin Dwayne Beavers

Master's Theses

This thesis documents the results of excavation in 2004 and 2005 of an urban farmstead in Jackson, Mississippi, called The Oaks. This research was conducted in order to find the functions of the various outbuildings at The Oaks. All the artifacts were analyzed at The University of Southern Mississippi and then placed into various models to find any correlations between the buildings at The Oaks and those of other sites like Johnson/Bates in Kentucky.

The kitchen was found to contain various architectural features as well as artifacts that corresponded with the normal findings of an 1800s detached kitchen. The barn …

Why I Killed The Draft Horse: The Golden Bough, Robert Frost, And "Progress", Eugene Charles Mcgregor Boyle Iii

Master's Theses

The absence of criticism on Robert Frost's "The Draft Horse" suggests that it is a challenge to Frost scholarship. This reading views Frost's strange and neglected poem as a return to a monomyth offered by James Frazer's hugely influential The Golden Bough. In "The Draft Horse," Frost reconsiders the concept of ceremonial sacrifice that undergirds Frazer's encyclopedic study of world culture and, by performing ceremony as a kind of modem poesis, Frost complicates the hero/sacrificial object role and critiques the progressive ideology that grounds Frazer's account to fashion a troubling epic for modern America that implicates its national readers …

Madness, Scalawagery, And Reconstruction: Dr. William M. Compton And Civil War Era Politics, Eugene Allan Branstiter

Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to advance scholars' understanding of Civil War era Mississippi through an examination of the often overlooked role former Whigs and scalawags played in the state's postwar politics. Using the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum and the career of its scalawag superintendent Dr. William M. Compton as lenses, this paper examines Civil War era Mississippi's political, social, and cultural history. In doing so, this thesis seeks to complicate the historical memory of the era—a memory often dominated by images of irreconcilable Redeemer Klansmen and Radical Republicans—by arguing that moderate white Mississippians played a powerful role in rebuilding their society …