Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Effects Of State Anger On Self-Reported Psychopathic Trait Inventories, Olivia C. Preston

Dissertations

Research indicates that experiencing anger is linked to social undesirability and temporarily induces a host of significant changes within an individual, such as hostile attribution bias, lower trust, increased impulsivity, poorer decision-making, and preferential recall. Such changes theoretically may inflate psychopathy scores due to a greater ability or willingness to endorse attitudes, behaviors, cognitions, and emotions that are regarded as reflective of psychopathic traits and may potentially introduce random error variance into measurement. Such distortion due to mood may bear important implications for applied settings where one individual’s scores are measured at a single time point, rather than research where …

Reconciling Religious And Scientific Epistomologies: Leveraging Mutuality To Enhance Acceptance Of Science And Respect For Religion, Mary Medlin

Dissertations

One prominent factor associated with accepting science as factual includes religiosity, with greater espoused religiosity often associated with less acceptance of scientific facts and greater secularism associated with greater acceptance of science as factual, but often reduced respect of religious beliefs. Such dichotomies exacerbate perceptions that science and religion are mutually exclusive, thereby fostering conflict between individuals with different perspectives and increasing ideological polarization. The current study sought to compare these mutually exclusive articulations of science and religion to a mutualist articulation of science and religion as complementary ways of knowing. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of four …

Higher Education Business And Technology Leaders’ Behaviors That Drive Outcome Alignment, Katherine Lynch-Holmes

Dissertations

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face unprecedented challenges, including capacity alignment, financial sustainability, and even public confidence (Grajeck & Brooks, 2020; Grawe, 2019; Oblinger, 2019; Simone, 2020, Wheeler, 2020, Witt & Coyne, 2019). Financial challenges force HEIs to reduce costs by making decisions like cutting programs, laying off staff or merging institutions to reduce operating costs (Chen et al., 2019; Sellingo, 2017; Witt & Coyne, 2019). Higher education leaders (HELs) must act as trusted partners and broker technology to align processes, support, and outcomes (Luftman 2000; Petkovics, 2018; Reinitz, 2019). Unfortunately, higher education’s business-technology (BITA) alignment remains lower than other national …

A Performer’S Guide To Barbara York’S Four Paintings By Grant Wood, Allen Parrish

Dissertations

In 2012, Barbara York was commissioned by John Manning to write Four Paintings by Grant Wood for solo tuba. The work is based on four paintings by native Iowan painter, Grant Wood. The four paintings are Stone City, Iowa; Young Corn; American Gothic; and Parson Weems’ Fable. York included details from these paintings in each movement. This dissertation includes information about Barbara York, Grant Wood, the programmatic details of Four Paintings by Grant Wood, and technical considerations for the work. The performer should be better prepared to create a well-informed performance after reading this dissertation.

Elucidating The Role Of The Msaabcr Operon In Persister Cells Formation And Stress Response In Staphylococcus Aureus, Shanti Pandey

Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that causes lethal systemic conditions such as infective endocarditis, osteomyelitis, sepsis and pneumonia. Chronic in nature, these diseases are often refractory to the antibiotic treatment. Such recalcitrance is mainly caused due to the presence of persister cells, which are a bacterial subpopulation that exhibits extreme, yet transient antibiotic tolerance accompanied by a transient halt in the growth. However, upon cessation of antibiotic treatment, resumption in growth of persister cells causes recurrence of infections and treatment failure, displaying tremendous clinical significance. In this study, we show the involvement of the msaABCR operon in persister …

Atomic Oxygen Resistant Low Earth Orbit Stable Polymer Matrix Composites Employing Phenylphosphine Oxide Epoxy-Amines, Witold Fuchs

Dissertations

Atomic oxygen (AO) attacks polymer matrix composites (PMC’s) on the surfaces of spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO) and threatens safe spacecraft operation and service life. Incorporating phenylphosphine oxide (PPO) groups into polymer chains offers a self-regenerating method of protection from AO but remains poorly understood. Herein, epoxies containing PPO groups were synthesized with increasing concentrations of phosphorus [P] from 0 to 8 wt % to investigate their AO resistance. Measurements confirmed the exposure of these materials to AO produces a passivation phosphate (POx) layer on the surface of the sample and the efficacy of the resultant layer was directly …

Using Native Ads In Public Relations Campaigns: A Study Of Instagram Influencers In Kuwait, Ahmad Alhaidar

Dissertations

Native advertising through online influencers is one of the fastest-growing online advertising formats that public relations practitioners use worldwide. However, there is a lack of research about how public relations practitioners utilize native advertising in social media in the Middle East. The current study focused on Kuwait, one of the areas with the most notable growth in Instagram usage in recent years.

This study examines the effects of persuasion knowledge, the congruence between influencer and product, and parasocial relationships on ad credibility, influencer credibility, sharing intention, brand interest, and purchase intention. The scholar utilized a 2 (persuasion knowledge: active vs. …

Water Elites’ Perceptions Of Water Security In The Middle East And North Africa Region, Ghaleb Akari

Dissertations

The Middle East and North African region continues to face significant water security challenges. The purpose of this dissertation is to gain a deeper understanding of water elites’ perceptions of water security in the MENA region. It is not meant to generalize the findings. Instead, the intention for the research is to identify, explain, and analyze by national elites' contrasting perceptions in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Tunisia.

The study examines water elites’ perceptions in four areas: current knowledge level of water security, water resource management, water service delivery, and water-related risk mitigation. These elites’ perceptions of water security will help …

Evaluating Marsh Restoration Success Using Structural And Trophic Metrics On Deer Island, Ms, Emelia Marshall

Master's Theses

Coastal marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico provide essential habitat for various consumer species, however, land loss has severely degraded marsh habitat in this region. Few studies have examined restored black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) marshes, such as those found in Mississippi (MS), and how they affect faunal inhabitants.

Restoration of Juncus-dominated marshes on Deer Island, MS sought to reestablish ecological functions with the intention of supporting natural consumer assemblages. To test this, quadrat and minnow trap sampling were used to compare invertebrate and nekton abundance, species richness, and diversity of two restored marshes (5+ yrs and …

How Historic Shipwrecks Influence Dispersal Of Deep-Sea Microbiomes, Rachel Moseley

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates how historic shipwrecks potentially shape dispersal of deep-sea microbiomes. Processes impacting dispersal of microbiomes around artificial structures in the ocean and how they connect to other deep-sea habitats is unknown. Dispersal processes are explained for some macroorganisms by theories in ecology, specifically the Theory of Island Biogeography and the Wooden Stepping Stone hypothesis. These have not been investigated for microorganisms, and thus this work will probe if they are applicable to microbial biogeography in this habitat. Experiments were conducted to establish new “island-like” features in near proximity (25-125 m) to wooden-hulled historic shipwrecks in the northern Gulf …

Effects Of Pediatric Fever Education On Caregivers In The Emergency Department, Micah Brooke Thompson

Doctoral Projects

Fever in children is a common concern for parents and one of the most frequent presenting complaints seen in the emergency department (ED). Fever can be defined as a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Fever is considered a normal response to many conditions, with the most common one being infection (Ward, 2019). The biggest issue seems to be a lack of understanding by the caregivers on how to measure temperature, treat fever, and when to be concerned about temperature reading. Educating caregivers may enhance their self-management and sense of control, reduce healthcare-seeking behavior, and lower antibiotic prescriptions.

The purpose of …

Discovering Two New Solo Works For Trombone: A History, Summary, And Preparation Of Frank Gulino’S Sonata No. 1: The Journey, And Joseph Buono’S Elegy For Trombone And Piano, John Mark Whitfield Jr

Doctoral Projects

This paper will serve as a guide to musicians for the preparation and performance of two recent solo compositions for trombone worthy of study and performance: Frank Gulino’s Sonata No. 1: The Journey (2019) and Joseph Buono’s Elegy for Trombone and Piano (2016). Included will be sections or chapters on the history and background of each work, biographical information about each composer, a detailed performer’s analysis of each work, exclusive interviews with the composers, and interviews with the trombonists who commissioned and/or premiered each work.

Each individual interview will provide insight into the music, including information on personal inspirations and …

The Infusion Of Brazilian Musical Elements And Culture And How These Inform The Collaborative Pianist In Mozart Camargo Guarnieri’S Treze Cancoes De Amor, Luciana Barbosa Simoes

Doctoral Projects

This document studies the Brazilian musical and cultural elements of rhythm, dance genres, and the Portuguese language used by Camargo Guarnieri in his song cycle Treze Cancoes de Amor. The purpose of this project is to inform the reader of performance practices related to Brazilian traditions specific to these songs, and to point out challenges in performance, especially for non-native Brazilian pianists. The research was based on findings of Camargo Guarnieri, such as books, dissertations, and recorded interviews and score study of the song cycle's manuscript. In addition, an Interview was conducted with Maria José Carrasqueira, Brazilian pianist and former …

Small-Scale Resuspension And Redistribution Of Surface Sediments In The Northeast Gulf Of Mexico, Austin Harris

Master's Theses

Following the release of ~4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico from the Macondo wellhead, a vast area of the seafloor contained recently deposited marine sediments contaminated by the oil spill. The initial deposition of these contaminated marine sediments was likely not the end of the journey for the particles. Downslope gravitational processes and events of increased current speed in the deep ocean setting can result in recently deposited sediments to resuspend and be moved laterally with the current flow, increasing the area effected by the oil spill. Erosion experiments performed in a closed-loop resuspension flume were …

No More Shade: Deforestation And Rural-Urban Migration In Nigeria, Kambre Sims

Master's Theses

Some of the most well-documented motivating factors of migration in Nigeria include education, employment opportunities, and cultural conflicts. However, as the deforestation crisis has not improved and Nigeria has maintained its spot as the country with the most deforestation on Earth, access to critical forest resources may be in danger. In light of this crisis, this paper attempts to determine if deforestation has become a new motivating factor for migration as those in rural communities seek other avenues of obtaining those vital resources. Subsequently, Nigeria is also experiencing a housing crisis within its rapidly growing urban centers; obtaining and keeping …