Digital Commons Network^™

Antrim To Ayrshire, Eric Jude Hatcher

Master's Theses

In the summer of 2007, I visited Scotland during a personal vacation. During that trip, I kept a private journal that later became the source of an interest in the genre of travel writing. In this thesis, I present a discussion of the genre, as well as, build a framework into which my writing can be placed.

A System For Measuring Radiation Induced Chemical Products In Atmospheric Gases Using Optical Detection Methods, Tyler Webster Reese

Master's Theses

This research is a part of an effort to characterize the chemical products generated by radiation interacting with atmosphere. One method of detecting ionizing radiation is to monitor the radiation induced products in the atmosphere around the source. This project explored the potential for using Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy to evaluate the presence of chemical products generated by the air-radiation interaction near an alpha radiation source. In particular, measurements of ozone concentration within a controlled atmosphere chamber as affected by radiation exposure were obtained.

The first portion of this thesis provides brief reviews of ionizing radiation and ozone formation as well …

"For Such Is A Friend Now": Reflection And Revision In Shakespeare's Comic Friendships, Leah Rainell Boudreaux

Master's Theses

In early modem England, "friendship" was a term both flexible and deeply fraught. It could apply to a wide range of relationships, including, for example, those between family members, lords and tenants, or male members of the aristocracy. The ideals associated with friendship at that time had a profound impact on the way that the relationship was represented both in a historical and literary sense. During that time, William Shakespeare crafted remarkable and resonating depictions of friendship which have endured the through the ages. The distinction between Shakespeare's work and the work of other early modem writers lies in the …

Explaining The Variability Of Free-Living And Attached Bacterioplankton Abundances In The Bay Of St. Louis, Mississippi, Allison K. Mojzis

Master's Theses

The Bay of St. Louis (BSL) is a shallow and vertically well-mixed estuary on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and supports the recreational and commercial activities of the surrounding towns of Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead, DeLisle, and Pass Christian. In addition to residential communities, various industrial and commercial sites inhabit the watershed and coastline. The Hollywood casino, DuPont titanium dioxide plant, and multiple sew_age treatment plants, as well as nonpoint sources of pollution, contribute to poor water quality. To evaluate spatial and temporal changes in BSL water quality, freeliving and attached bacterioplankton concentrations were enumerated by epifluorescence microscopy. Nine stations …

Recasting Genre In Tennessee Williams's Apprentice Plays, Christina Ilona Hunter

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates Tennessee Williams’s earliest full-length plays, also known as the apprentice plays—Candles to the Sun, Fugitive Kind, Not About Nightingales, Spring Storm, and Stairs to the Roof—by comparing, contrasting and contextualizing them in relation to Daniel Chandler’s generic criteria of drama; namely, narrative, characterization, setting, topics, iconography, and staging techniques. The present study also draws upon an extensive body of scholarship pertaining to genre theory, Williams’s cultural contemporaries, and the historical and psychological backdrop of Depression-era America. In these early plays, Williams diverged sharply from the dramatic generic conventions of his day, manipulating them in new …

The Influence Of Nanoporous Crystalline Structure On Low Molecular Weight Mass Transport In Syndiotactic Polystyrene, Justin Paul Brandt

Dissertations

Solid-state structure, crystalline morphology, crystallization kinetics, thermal, free volume, and gas transport properties of semicrystalline syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH) have been investigated. Solid-state structure of sPS after crystallization from the melt and glassy state was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density and wide angle x-ray diffraction analysis (WAXD). The measurements confirmed low density of syndiotactic polystyrene crystalline forms, which in the case of α and δe was smaller and in the case of β and γ crystalline forms was slightly larger than the density of the glassy amorphous sPS. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) …

A Separation Of Church And Growth? The Intersections Of Seventh-Day Adventism And Economic Development In Puerto Rico, Josefer Montes

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the intersections of religion and economics, specifically the Puerto Rican economy and the Puerto Rico Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA). Chapter II investigated the relationship between an economy that exports its currency and one that imports its currency by researching how United States monetary policy impacts the Puerto Rican economy. Through the perspective of the Optimal Currency Area (OCA) framework as posited by Mundell (1961) and employing a vector autoregression (VAR) model, the impact of U.S. monetary shocks was investigated by regressing those effects against Puerto Rican employment data. While the Puerto Rican business cycle generally follows that …

Examining The Effect Of A Year Of Service In Americorps On Members' Attitudes Toward Attending College, Jessica Lucky Roberts

Dissertations

This study had two purposes. First, this study sought to determine how a year of service in the America Reads-Mississippi (ARM) AmeriCorps program impacted members’ perceptions and attitudes toward the non-monetary value of earning a college degree, the importance of earning a college degree in obtaining employment, and the influence of service in the ARM AmeriCorps program on members’ motivation to attend college. Second, this study sought to determine if a year of service in the ARM AmeriCorps program impacted members’ decisions to use the Segal Education Award they earn upon the successful completion of their year of service. Through …

Teacher Attitude Toward Differentiated Instruction In Third Grade Language Arts, Vivian Marina Mclean

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction in third grade language arts in classrooms across a southern region of the United States. The researcher sought to answer four research questions “Does National Board Certification affect teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction,” “Does teacher education affect teacher attitude towards differentiated instruction?”, “Does teacher experience affect teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction?”, and “Does professional development affect teacher attitude toward differentiated instruction?”

The research findings supported the work of Tomlinson, McTighe, Webb, Wiggins, Vygotsky, and Gardner. Their literature served as a foundation in the identification of the variables …

An Examination Of The Adjustment Of First Generation African American Male College Students, Adina Narcisse Green

Dissertations

Little is known about the college adjustment of first generation African American male students. The purpose of this study was to examine the college adjustment of this subgroup of students and create a profile of African American male college students as it relates to adjustment. In addition, research has found that students who do not integrate well into the college environment, both academically and socially, have a higher chance of incompletion. With African American males exhibiting the lowest retention and graduation rates among their gender and racial counterparts, investigating their levels of adjustment might aid in explaining their high rates …

An Analysis Of The Career And Solo Style Of Jazz Trombonist Carl Fontana, John Wesley Parker

Dissertations

Carl Fontana’s ability and creativity as a jazz trombonist is held in high regard by his contemporaries, as well as by those who followed him. The significant aspects of his career were highlighted in a brief biography with historical and anecdotal information provided by jazz trombonists who new him and were influenced by him. Fontana’s solo style was analyzed and compared through transcriptions of three improvisations performed during contrasting points in his career: “Intermission Riff” from 1956, “Just Friends” from 1978, and “It Might As Well Be Spring” from 1985. His influence on the jazz trombone community was discussed through …

Geological And Ichthyological Investigations Into Palaeodrainage Hypothesis For The Tennessee River, Andrea Karen Persons

Dissertations

The course of the ancestral Tennessee River has been debated in both the geological and biological literature for over 100 years. Several of the proposed courses for the ancestral Tennessee place its course across the state of Mississippi. Geochemical analysis of sedimentary rocks in the Pascagoula River basin supports these hypotheses suggesting that the rocks in the Pascagoula basin were derived from the Highland Rim of Tennessee and northern Alabama, while geochemical analysis of rocks from the Pearl River basin point to deposition from a mixture of sources including the ancestral Mississippi River and perhaps the ancestral Tennessee. To delve …

"Their Past In My Blood": Paule Marshall, Gayl Jones, And Octavia Butler's Response To The Black Aesthetic, Williamenia Miranda Walker Freeman

Dissertations

Paule Marshall’s The Chosen Place, The Timeless People (1969), Gayl Jones’ Corregidora (1975), and Octavia Butler’s Kindred (1979) enhance our conceptualization of black aestheticism and black nationalism as cultural and political movements. The writers use the novel as genre to question the ideological paradigm of a black nationalist aesthetic by providing alternative definitions of community, black women’s sexuality, and race relations. Because of the ways in which these writers respond to black aestheticism and black nationalism, they transform our understanding of movements often perceived as sexist, racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic. An examination of their works reveals the need for additional …

Older Adults And A Writing Workshop: A Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Lynn Alex

Dissertations

This study examines how older adults experience the phenomenon of participating in a writing workshop and how older adults interpret their experiences, understandings, and realities of writing. Ten older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 83 with varying degrees of experiences in writing, participated in this study. Through a semi-structured interview, each participant related his or her experience first as a writer and then as a member of a writing workshop offered through a Community Literacy Center in a mid-sized Appalachian city.

A phenomenological analysis method was used to identify and analyze themes of meaning that emerged in the …

Regulation Of Biofilm And Antibiotic-Resistance By The Modulator Of Sara (Msa) In Staphylococcus Aureus, Antony Schwartz

Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that is the causative agent of life-threatening diseases such as endocarditis and osteomyelitis. The ability of S. aureus to thrive as a successful pathogen can be partially attributed to its ability to form biofilm. Biofilm is an extracellular polysaccharide, protein, and DNA-based slime layer that protects the bacterial community. The global regulator sarA is essential for biofilm formation. Since the modulator of sarA (msa) gene regulates several virulence factors and is required for the full expression of sarA, the capacity of the msa mutant to form a biofilm was examined. The mutation of …

The Effect Of A Math Emporium Course Redesign In Developmental And Introductory Mathematics Courses On Student Achievement And Students' Attitudes Toward Mathematics At A Two-Year College, Amy Renée Bishop

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the relationship between attitudes and achievement. The sample consisted of 112 students, and the study was conducted during the Spring 2010 semester at a community college in south Mississippi. The participants were enrolled in one of six classes taught by the researcher. The control group consisted of three classes (one Intermediate and two College Algebra sections) …

Study Of 3,3' Vs. 4,4' Dds Isomer Curatives On Physical Properties And Phenyl Ring Motions Of Dgeba Epoxy Via Molecular Dynamics, Deuterium Nmr, And Dielectric Spectroscopy, Samuel James Tucker

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop a multiscale understanding of crosslinked amorphous matrices, connecting molecular level events to macroscopic properties. To accomplish this goal, our methodology was to identify network architectures that influence molecular level energy dissipation through mechanisms such as bond rotations, torsions, and ring flips and then relate those molecular motions to macroscopic properties. Studies were accomplished on two aerospace grade matrices: the epoxy, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with two amines, 3,3’- diaminodiphenyl sulfone (33DDS) and 4,4’-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (44DDS). The 33DDS/DGEBA and 44DDS/DGEBA served both to provide a baseline for experimental testing of …

Toxicogenomics Analysis Of Non-Model Transcriptomes Using Next-Generation Sequencing And Microarray, Arun Rawat

Dissertations

With the advent of next generation technologies like Roche/454 Life Sciences that require low cost and less time for sequencing will help in providing a workable draft of non-model species genomes. Availability of high throughput microarray technologies for gene expression profiling provides low-cost tools for investigation of highly-integrated responses to various stimuli. These advancements along with bioinformatics processing have led to an increasing number of non-model species having well-annotated transcriptomes. The project focuses on the life cycle of development, functional annotation, and utilization of genomic tools for the avian wildlife species to determine the molecular impacts of exposure to munitions …

The Secret Identity Of Race: Exploring Ethnic And Racial Portrayals In Superhero Comic Books, Lowery Anderson Woodall Iii

Dissertations

Does race exist in comics? And if so, what do those characters tell us about how one of the largest fiction producing industries in the country has explained minority relationships to its millions of readers? This study took a close look at three of the most successful comic book characters of all time (Batman, Superman, and The Black Panther) and examines how each exemplifies a position that the comic book industry has taken on race over the years. Using a counter-narrative analysis informed by the strategies of Critical Race Theory and post-modernist thought, the racial messages lying beneath the surface …

Synthesis And Electrical Properties Of Functional Block Copolymer/Inorganic Nanocomposite Materials, Hongying Chen

Dissertations

Sulfonated poly[styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene] (sSEBS) block copolymers/inorganic nanocomposite materials were synthesized via in situ formation of inorganic fillers and characterized particularly for their dielectric properties and proton conductivities.

In preparation of sSEBS/SrTiO₃ nanocomposites, titanium (IV) isopropoxide [Ti(OPrⁱ)₄] complex was diffused into sSEBS film, followed by subsequent hydrolysis of [Ti(OPr i)4], diffusion of strontium cations in sSEBS domains, and in situ formation of crystalline SrTiO₃. sSEBS with sulfonation degree of 38.1% and 65.0% were employed, and relevant sSEBS/SrTiO₃ composites contain SrTiO₃ of 10-15 wt%. Elemental composition characterization with ESEM/EDX indicated uniform distribution of …

Links Of Connectedness: A Content Analysis And Industry Survey Comparing The Interactive Options Of Community And Metro Newspaper Web Sites, Cleveland Allin Means

Dissertations

As newspapers struggle to redefine their role in a constantly shifting mass media landscape, this research project studies how one of mass communications’ historically fundamental mediums, the community newspaper, is utilizing its Web presence to connect to readers in innovative ways that might perpetuate loyalty to the local press. A key question is: How can community newspapers utilize their Web sites’ interactive features to maintain useful links of connectedness with local readers, in effect capitalizing on the very technologies that many analysts predict will ultimately render them obsolete?

Through content analysis of newspaper Web site home pages and industry surveys, …

Student Persistence In Associate Degree Nursing Programs At Mississippi Community Colleges, Kathryn Lee Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors of student persistence and attrition in addition to strategies that may help students persist in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in first-year associate degree nursing programs at participating Mississippi community colleges and analyzed using multiple regression and repeated measures ANOVAs. Tinto’s Classic Model and Bean & Metzner’s Nontraditional Model of Student Attrition were utilized in this study. This mixed methods convenience sample yielded 564 participants, and the results were as follows: environmental factors and demographic factors of student persistence were found to …

The Experiences Of Mississippi Weekly Newspaper Editors As They Explore And Consider Producing Internet Editions, Cassandra Denise Johnson

Dissertations

This dissertation focused on the challenges Mississippi weekly newspaper editors faced when deciding to have an online edition and the issues these editors encountered when they adopted a Web newspaper. The study expounded on four areas—the operational changes weekly newspapers have had to make to produce Web editions, the different type of newsroom staff that are needed to create both editions, the content that is going in the online edition, and the financial pressures that editors work through to keep the newspapers profitable. The study was modeled after similar studies from three organizations—the Pew Research Center, the Bivings Group, and …

An Examination Of Potential Moderators In The Relations Between Mothers' And Fathers' Parenting Practices And Children's Behavior, Michelle Rae Gryczkowski

Dissertations

Research suggests that ineffective parenting practices play a central role in the development of children’s antisocial behavior. However, there is a lack of studies that relate parenting practices to positive child outcomes, examine the role of fathers’ parenting in the socialization of children, and test for potential moderators. Thus, the current study aimed to address these limitations by examining the relations between mothers’ and fathers’ parenting practices and child externalizing and prosocial behavior, and to determine whether the child’s sex, age, or ethnicity moderate these relations. Participants included 131 couples with a child aged 6 to 17. Data were collected …

The Use Of A Timeout Intervention With And Without Escape Extinction For Treatment Of Escape-Maintained Noncompliance In A Classroom Setting, Joshua Loren Needelman

Dissertations

The present study investigated the effectiveness of two time-out (TO) procedures in reducing escape-maintained noncompliance of four children in a classroom setting. Participants were screened to assess that compliance with teacher-presented instructions was low and noncompliance was escape-maintained. Teachers were then trained to use two TO procedures, one without escape extinction (EE) and one with escape extinction following TO release. Two nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants designs with a crossover element were used to compare levels of compliance across baseline, TO, and TO-EE phases. Increases in compliance were seen from baseline to the first intervention phase, and these increases were …

The Relation Between Anger Rumination, Provocation, And Aggressive Behavior, Joshua Stephen Bullock

Dissertations

Maladaptive, excessive anger rumination, conceptualized as self-focused attention towards thoughts and feelings associated with the emotion of anger, has been linked to actual aggressive behaviors. In general, the emotional experience of anger in response to provocation is a well-known antecedent of aggression. Anger rumination may be associated with increased risk for aggressive behavior by maintaining and lengthening the experience of anger. It is therefore reasonable to posit that individuals high in anger rumination may be more inclined to expend greater effort to aggress in response to provocation compared to low ruminators. That is, high ruminators when angered may be more …

Outsourcing The American Dream: An Analysis Of The Re-Employment Potential Of U.S.-Based Call Center Workers Within The Context Of Globalization, Wendell Allen Robbins Iii

Dissertations

This study examines call center workers in order to determine the effects of globalization on this class of service sector workers and to determine their reemployment potential. A major component of globalization is free trade, which enables offshore outsourcing (offshoring). Outsourcing often has the “Robin Hood” effect of taking jobs from rich countries and sending them abroad in a cost-saving effort, further, the competition of the global market has the capability of upsetting the current social and economic stability and prosperity. While this improves the quality of life for those in the poor country whose economy has developed as a …

Adaptation Of Balanced Scorecard And Multiple Criteria Decision-Making Methodologies To Measure Nation-State Power, Gregg Eric Lassen

Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a model for nation-state power. People interested in international relations, including scholars, diplomats, and analysts, need to understand relative power among nation-states, but the unit of comparison, power, remains an elusive concept. This research utilized a Balanced Scorecard approach from business and organizational behavior literature to develop a more comprehensive model of nation-state power based on international relations literature. The model was then further developed into a ranking tool which utilized multiple criteria decision-making theory. The combination of these approaches provided a tool that was used to measure nation-state power based on …

Presenting Jamaican Folk Songs On The Art Music Stage: Social History And Artistic Decisions, Byron Gordon Johnson

Dissertations

Jamaican folk songs have become a definitive characteristic of Jamaican culture. They are exemplars of a culture whose music reflects the lifestyle of most of its citizens. In modern times, their beauty has been show cased in local and foreign performances which exposes an element of the country to the world. Additionally, the arrangements of these songs by Jamaican composers like Noel Dexter and Peter Ashbourne have aided in their renaissance in modern times. This also attests to their high entertaining quality which most audiences have come to appreciate. To this end, this research analyzed the arrangements by Noel Dexter …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Motivation Characteristics On The Academic Achievement Of Upward Bound Participants, Brenda Leigh Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and motivation characteristics on the achievement of at-risk students. Seventy-nine Upward Bound program participants completed self-efficacy, motivation, and demographic questionnaires. The relationship between GPA and self-efficacy was significant, negative, and low in strength. High GPA was associated with high self-efficacy (as shown by lower numbers on the survey). Gender, length of time in the Upward Bound (UB) program, length of participation in the UB summer program, college sponsor (community or four-year college), self-efficacy characteristics, and motivation characteristics significantly predicted academic achievement as measured by GPA. The relationship between …