Digital Commons Network^™

Home Is Where The Hot Tamale Is: Rediscovering The Delta, Georgia Corinne Clarke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project is an in-depth personal exploration of the hot tamale in the Mississippi Delta, presented in a long-form magazine piece. It analyzes the cultural exchange that brought the hot tamale to the region in the early 20th century, its racial representation in the Delta, and its future as chefs across the nation seek to interpret the regional cuisine. Further, this thesis analyzes the hot tamale’s components that tell why and how the hot tamale became a staple, and the story of hardship and discrimination that it symbolizes. Traveling through my own past, this piece reflects the interactions that …

Impact Of Human Disturbance On The Behavior And Physiology Of The Endangered Ringed Sawback Turtle (Graptemys Oculifera), Jessica Mary Heppard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Turtles are one of the most threatened taxa worldwide. In addition to direct anthropogenic impacts such as hunting and pollution, unintentional indirect human disturbance affects poikilothermic turtles by disrupting thermoregulatory basking behavior. In this thesis I assess the behavioral and physiologic impacts of high boat traffic, reductions of basking structures, and environmental factors on basking behavior, rates of disturbance, thermoregulation, parasite load, shell condition, and population recruitment in two populations of the endangered ringed sawback (Graptemys oculifera), also known at the ringed map turtle, on the Pearl River outside Jackson, MS. Basking behavior was influenced by availability of basking structures, …

Feasibility Of Aquasolvetm Hpmc-As Lg Via Hot-Melt Extrusion: Effect Of Pressurized Co2 On Physico-Mechanical Properties, Mashan Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to investigate the processability of Aquasolve™ HPMC-AS LG via hot-melt extrusion, and to examine the effect of pressurized carbon dioxide (P-CO2) on the physico-mechanical properties of Efavirenz (EFA)-loaded extrudates (EXT). EFA is as a poorly water-soluble drug and HPMC-AS LG was chosen as a carrier for this study. To optimize the process parameters and formulations, various physical mixtures were prepared with the following composition: EFA (30-40-50% w/w) and HPMC-AS LG (70-60-50 % w/w) respectively. Physical mixtures were extruded through the co-rotating twin-screw extruder (16mm Prism Euro Lab, Thermo Fisher Scientific) utilizing a standard …

Crystalline Salt Formation Of An Acidic Drug Indomethacin Using Hot Melt Extrusion Technology, Mustafa Bookwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although salt formation is the most ubiquitous and effective method of increasing the solubility and dissolution rates of acidic and basic drugs, it consumes large quantities of organic solvents and is a batch process. Herein, we show that the dissolution rate of indomethacin (a poorly water-soluble drug) can be increased by using hot melt extrusion of a 1:1 (mol/mol) indomethacin:tromethamine mixture to form a highly crystalline salt, the physicochemical properties of which are investigated in detail. Specifically, pH–solubility studies demonstrated that this salt exhibited a maximal solubility of 19.34 mg/mL (>1000 times that of pure indomethacin) at pH 8.19. …

Development And Characterization Of Fluocinolone Acetonide Loaded Nanosized Lipid Carriers For Ocular Delivery Via Subconjunctival Route: Synergistic Effect Of Vitamin A Palmitate, Bhavik Soneta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though nanotechnology which exploits the use of nanoparticles for therapeutic application have embarked as an emerging tool for drug delivery applications, the delivery of therapeutic molecules into deep ocular compartments has always been a challenging task. In this regard, the main objective of our current investigation was to develop and evaluate the fluocinolone acetonide (FA) loaded nanostructure lipid carrier (FA-NLC) in situ gel for improved ocular bioavailability by subconjunctival injection. FA, a corticosteroid administered for inhibiting the ocular inflammation either as intravitreal injection or as intravitreal implants. The FA-NLCs were developed by using vitamin A palmitate as one of the …

The Effect Of Environmental Perturbations On The Plant Phyllosphere Microbiome, Bram W. Stone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Applying ecological concepts to microbial communities has proved to be challenging, often revolving around the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes applied heterogeneously across the habitat in time or space. The phyllosphere is the aboveground surface of plants on which microbial communities, composed primarily of Bacteria, but also including Archaea and microbial eukaryotes, exist and is characterized by stochastic immigration balanced with strong selective forces. Variation in bacterial community composition was characterized across space and time, with special attention given to the exposure of phyllosphere communities to rain as a plausible mechanism of ecological disturbance. Bacterial communities were characterized …

The Effect Of Using Board Games In Reducing Language Anxiety And Improving Oral Performance, Yi-Chun Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many English as a second language (ESL) learners feel anxiety about speaking English, and their oral performance is affected in this situation. This study aims to determine the effect of using board games on the improvement of ESL students’ oral performance. Task-based instruction and communicative approaches to pedagogy were used for the games. This is a descriptive method of research which intends to determine the correlation between the usage of educational board games and the level of learners’ language anxiety as well as their improvement in oral performance. The pre-test and post-test which were adapted from the Speaking Proficiency English …

Demands And Offers In Ultimatum Games, Jeremiah Wills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pecorino and Van Boening (2010) introduce the embedded ultimatum game. The authors embed an ultimatum game into a stylized legal bargaining framework and cross analyze the offer and dispute behavior in this game with the same behavior in a baseline simple ultimatum game. The current study seeks to test the replicability of a computerized version of these games. Additionally, variations of the two games are introduced here to test the effects of specific manipulation of the framing of the simple ultimatum game, as well as to test the effects of specific manipulation of the offer structure in both the simple …

Evaluation Of Parent Involvement In Families In Transformation (Fit) Wellness Program For Children, Heather Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Engagement Strategies And Their Impact On Underserved Students, Marquis Mccloud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Depending On Twitter For Breaking News: A Comparison Between American And Saudi Students, Maria Zoheir Hamdan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aimed to measure the extent of American and Saudi students' dependence on twitter to get breaking news and how they interact with this platform in light of uses and gratifications theory. To investigate the similarities and differences between the two groups, 91 American students and 98 Saudi students participated in an online survey in spring 2018. It concluded that both American and Saudi students depend on twitter to get breaking news, and finding out what is happening is the first motivation to use twitter. While most Saudi students voted for twitter as the most important source to get …

Creating Divergence: Examining The Development Of Creativity Through Executive Function, Language And Mindset, Brittany Nielsen Avila

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creativity is a multifaceted construct influenced by task constraints (Glucksberg & Wesiberg, 1966; Runco, 1986), cognitive processes (Bijvoet-Van Den Berg, & Hoicka, 2014; Claxton, Pannells, & Rhoads, 2005) and motivational factors (dweck, 2006; lucas & nordgren, 2015), and is hypothesized to have significant "slumps" where the development slows, such as the "fourth-grade slump" (Torrance, 1967; 1968). The purpose of the present study was to examine the hypothesized "fourth-grade slump" in creativity and determine whether cognitive factors, such as executive function (i.e., cognitive control, Zelazo, Muller, Frye & Marcovitch, 2003), motivation factors (i.e., mindset and persistence), and situational factors (i.e., language …

Abstinence Based Sex Education: A Mixed-Method Evaluation Of Experiences With And The Effectiveness Of Sex Education In The Deep South, Heather Costa-Greger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the effectiveness of federally funded, abstinence-based sex education programs. It evaluates students' experiences with sex education programs that have been, in some cases, proven to provide medically inaccurate information. Using a mixed-method online survey, this study focuses on undergraduate college students in Sociology 101 courses at the University of Mississippi. The online survey, which has both quantitative and qualitative elements that assess students' sex education experience, what they remember being taught and what they wish they would have been taught. The results of the study highlight important shortcomings in current sex education programs in the deep south, …

Experiences Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Mississippi Community Colleges, Krystal Michelle Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

L2 Teachers' Efficacy: The Impact Of Professional Development, Nino Jakhaia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the impact of a 25-hour professional development on English as a foreign language (L2) teachers’ sense of efficacy in writing instruction in the country of Georgia. It also explored the links between teachers’ beliefs about teaching writing, self-efficacies in instructional strategies, and the professional development. A convenience sampling technique was used to select teachers for participation in the professional development. The quantitative data was collected through the teacher efficacy scale. The qualitative methods in the form of semi-structured questions about efficacy were used to enhance the data by examining teachers’ perceptions of the …

The Use And Effectiveness Of Warm-Downs By Brass Students From The University Of Mississippi And Band Directors From Mississippi, David Matthew Cuevas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although many instrumental directors recognize the importance of warm-downs for their brass players, actual research surrounding the topic is practically non-existent. This study was started with the purpose of determining the effectiveness and use of warm-downs in the state of Mississippi. Twenty brass players from The University of Mississippi were surveyed over the course of four weeks; at the end of each week the subjects would report the amount of pain they experienced while playing. In addition, band directors from various parts of Mississippi where surveyed on how they implemented warm-downs. The study found that there was a direct correlation …

Identifying Predictors Of New Teacher Retention, Bonita Lanoza Maready

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifying Predictors of New Teacher Retention Abstract High teacher turnover is a financial and instructional problem in schools on the national, state, and district level. Because the greatest proportion of teacher attrition (not related to retirement) and turnover occurs in the first five years of beginning a teaching career, retaining new teachers is critical to the effective use of shrinking education budgets and bringing about instructional stability, particularly in high-poverty and high-minority schools and districts. The study utilized restricted-use data from the 2007-2012 Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS) to identify predictors of teachers remaining in their initial teaching assignment into …

Acute And Chronic Vascular Responses To Blood Flow Restriction In The Upper Body, J. Grant Mouser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood flow restriction (BFR) with low load exercise increases muscular size and strength. Little is known of vascular adaptations to this training modality, and nothing was known at very low loads. These studies examined cardiovascular responses to high load (70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM)) and very low load (15%1RM) exercise, alone or at two levels of BFR. Study 1: Participants performed unilateral biceps curls using either 15%1RM with no BFR (15/00), 40% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (15/40), or 80%AOP (15/80), or 70%1RM (70/00). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and blood flow (BF) were measured in the arms …

Slavery's Holy Profits: Religion And Capitalism In The Antebellum Lower Mississippi Valley, John Lindbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the antebellum lower Mississippi Valley, a place in which white Americans identified the commercial progress of the slave-based cotton kingdom with the manifestation of God’s will. It reconciles the two different “Souths” described by recent historians of slavery and capitalism and scholars of antebellum southern evangelicalism. The dissertation begins with the early years of white settlement in the lower Mississippi Valley, when the connection between commercial prosperity and God’s providence was not clear. By the 1830s and 1840s, however, these twin ideals merged as one. In those decades, churches and ministers provided stable centers of faith …

Synthetic Investigation Of Natural Products Causing Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration, Michael John Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The terrestrial organisms Streptomyces venezuelae and Rhaponticum repens produce toxic secondary metabolites that likely function as chemical deterrents. The polyketide SV-6 from S. venezuelae and the sesquiterpene lactone repin from R. repens both produce dose-dependent and selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. These molecules represent two possible tools that can be used to explore chemotoxic induction of Parkinson’s disease. In the case of SV-6, a newly isolated metabolite, total synthesis was undertaken to confirm its structure and biological activity. The natural product was produced from methacrolein and Roche ester starting materials that were elaborated to their respective fragments, a vinyl iodide …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Dual-Acting Ligands For Mu Opioid And Neuropeptide Ff Receptors, Kelsey Gabrielle Mcpherson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pain, although subjective, is an unpleasant sensation caused by a noxious stimulus, that effects millions of people every year. Currently, the most frequently prescribed class of analgesics for moderate to severe acute and sometime chronic pain are opioid analgesics, most commonly ?-opioid receptor (MOP) agonists, such as oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl. Although these drugs provide significant pain relief, they are also associated with unwelcome side effects such as constipation, addiction, physical dependence, respiratory depression, and physiological tolerance that leads to hyperalgesia. Receptor desensitization due to excessive receptor activation by an agonist is but one source of physiological tolerance; it can …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Cefuroxime Axetil Gastro-Retentive Floating Drug Delivery System For Improved Delivery Via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Rahul Madhukar Lalge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to develop lipid-based gastro-retentive floating drug delivery system of amorphous Cefuroxime Axetil (CA) to minimize the enzymatic degradation in the gastro intestinal tract utilizing hot-melt extrusion technology for improved absorption.

Methods: Preliminary studies were performed to select the appropriate lipids. Selected ratios of CA and lipids were extruded using a twin screw hot-melt extruder. Extrudates obtained were milled to obtain floating granules and were further evaluated for drug content, floating strength and micromeritic properties. In vitro drug release studies were performed in 900 mL of simulated gastric fluid (without enzyme) of pH …

Perceptions Of University Students Toward Bilingualism In Fribourg, Barcelona, And Oxford, Madison Densmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis explores university students’ perceptions toward bilingualism and foreign language teaching in two bilingual, European communities—Fribourg, Switzerland, and Barcelona, Spain—and at the University of Mississippi in monolingual-dominant Oxford, Mississippi. This research was conducted over a period of about nine months and includes both qualitative and quantitative data: twenty-four interviews as well as three online questionnaires which were made available in the following five languages: French, German, Catalan, Castilian Spanish, and English. During the interviews and on the Qualtrics questionnaires, students were asked to share their perceptions about language, their communities, and foreign language teaching. For clarity purposes, although …

A Body A Day: Constructing Deviance At The Mississippi State Asylum, Rachel Christine Childs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the first graves of assumed-former asylum patients were discovered at the University of Mississippi Medical Center over 25 years ago, it wasn’t until 2017 that the estimated body count—which had been rising in reports for several years—rose above 7,000. Along with national attention, the growing burial site has prompted large-scale efforts by a consortium of scientists and scholars to determine how best to utilize and memorialize the remains, and yet to date, a complete cultural study that explores the sociopolitical context which these people represent has yet to be published. Consisting primarily of archival material and interviews, my research …

A Comparison Of Energy Expenditure And Prediction Equations During Walking Or Running Corrected For One Mile In Normal Weight And Overweight African American, Asian, And Caucasian Adults And Cross-Validation Of The Equations, Xi Jin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity is rapid across the world. Knowledge of the actual energy expenditure (EE) of walking and running can lead to a more precise exercise prescription which may lead to an obesity reduction or avoidance. Limited research has focused on EE during walking and running. Therefore, the aims of this study included developing ethnic based cross validated EE prediction equations for African American, Asian and Caucasian adults, and a multiple regression equation developed that included all three ethnic groups. Also, the energy expenditure among these three ethnic groups was compared. A total of 224 subjects, including 71 Caucasians, …

Excess Zeros, Endogenous Binary Indicators, And Self-Selection Bias With Application To First Marriage, Smoking And Drinking Outcomes, Lateef Subair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Invisible Labor: A Mixed-Method Study Of African American Women And Their Emotional Labor In The Academy, Danielle Buckingham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examined how black women instructors and professors engage in emotional labor through performances in order to resist controlling images and stereotypes related to their race and gender. The goal was to add to the extensive literature on emotional labor and its impact on how women and people of color navigate white hegemonic institutions (Patton 2004; Harley 2007; Evans and Moore 2015). My hope is to contribute the perspectives and counter-narratives of African American women who are on the margins of race and gender. This can provide a more intersectional explanation for some of the social issues …

A Relational Study Of International General Certificate Of Secondary Education (Igcse) Scores To The American College Test (Act) Scores In A Mississippi Innovative High School, Dane Nicholas Aubé

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: the purpose of the quantitative, correlational study of expo/facto data was to determine if a relationship exists between the Cambridge international general certificate of Secondary Education College and career readiness PUM scores and the corresponding act subsection scores of eleventh graders at a municipal pubic high school in a southern state. The degree of correlation between the two assessment results illustrated the effectiveness of the Cambridge curriculum in preparing students for the college and achievement on the act. The research is particularly important to Mississippi because Cambridge is a pilot program for the state. Performance data from Corinth school …

Building An Autonomous Indoor Drone System, Hunter Gossett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an indoor autonomous drone system using a self assembled drone which uses a companion computer as well as external sensors for autonomous flight. While autonomous drone systems have been around for some time, originating with the military, the vast majority of them are designed for outdoor use, because of their heavy reliance on GPS for their positioning systems. In order to achieve autonomous flight indoors we choose to use simultaneous localization and mapping (slam) as our positioning system. The contributions of this thesis is an in depth guide to the hardware and assembly of a drone system, …

The Influence Of Self-Prescribed Knee Bracing On Walking In Healthy Adults, Lauren Luginsland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The knee is one of the most commonly loaded anatomical joints in the human body due to maintaining an upright posture. Increased joint loading can lead to various injuries which can either be treated surgically or non-surgically including immobilization by bracing. Numerous studies have looked at functional knee bracing post-operative surgery creating a gap within the literature analyzing non-operative functional knee braces within a healthy population. Commonly prescribed functional knee braces such as the Ossur Rebound® have been prescribed by physicians, but also available over-the-counter for self-prescription to assist with injury prevention, stabilization, and protection. Previous studies have looked at …