Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis Of Molecular Probes For The Detection Of Toxic Analytes, Rashid Mia

Dissertations

Two different types of molecular probes have been synthesized. The first family of probes is the coumarin class of compounds. These chemodosimters are referred to as Low Molecular Weight Fluorescent probes (LMFP). The other type of molecular probe is a macrocycle known as a pillar[5]arene receptor.

The chemodosimters (2.12a-c and 3.12a) were synthesized in four to five steps. The photophysical properties were extensively studied in various solvent systems (DMSO, CH₃CN, DMF, MeOH, EtOH, Me₂CO, MeCO₂Et, CHCl₃, C₆H₅Me, and C₆H₆). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) …

The Relationship Between Principal Support And First-Year Teacher Job Satisfaction, Beau Hannah

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between the four dimensions of principal support and first-year teacher job satisfaction. First-year teachers responded to an online questionnaire that collected demographic data and information regarding principal support importance and overall job satisfaction, using a Likert scale. This questionnaire was developed to measure principal support and first-year teacher job satisfaction. The researcher used a combination of the Principal Support, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and a collected of items addressing the importance of the principal supports, along with demographics of the respondents.

A multiple linear regression was used to predict to what …

Employee Engagement And The Role Of Time Perspective, Donna Valestro

Dissertations

Employee engagement is how employees think, feel, and form intentions to decide behavioral actions. A review of related literature indicated a central tension between employees and the work environment requires psychologically adapting and adjusting to cope with their perceptions of internal and external conditions. The employee’s goal is to stay as close to their authentic self as possible within the organizational environment to maintain their well-being. The psychological process comprises a temporal dimension represented as time perspective in this study. The purpose of this research is to determine if a relationship exists between employee engagement and time perspective.

This nonexperimental, …

Re-Framing Gender: An Analysis Of Journalism’S Social Media Characterization Of Female Presidential Candidates During The 2020 Presidential Election, Taylor Kiernan

Dissertations

The completion of this dissertation would not have been possible without those who supported me both academically and personally throughout this process.

I would like to thank my dissertation chair and mentor, Dr. Christopher Campbell whose expertise and guidance made this research possible. I would also like to thank my dissertation committee members Dr. David Davies, Dr. Cheryl Jenkins, Dr. Laura Stengrim, and Dr. Fei Xue, for their guidance and advice during the research process, as well as their expertise in the classroom which molded my abilities as a researcher during my time at The University of Southern Mississippi.

I …

Obstacles To The Implementation Of Criminal Justice Reform, Matt Allen

Dissertations

Mass incarceration or overincarceration has gained significant attention over the last two decades, and criminal justice reform seeks to address it. This study uses constructivist grounded theory to examine the implementation of criminal justice reform legislation in Mississippi. Mississippi was chosen as the study setting because the state has been recognized as a national leader in enacting reform legislation and it has one of the nation’s highest incarceration rates. It is well established that policy implementation affects outcomes. Therefore, if the policies Mississippi is implementing are effective and they are implemented correctly, it stands to reason the state could benefit …

Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation For Supraclavicular And Femoral Nerve Blocks Utilizing Ultrasound Guidance For Student Nurse Anesthetists, Mitchell Fowler, Christopher Bond

Doctoral Projects

The purpose of this DNP project was to create a tool to teach and evaluate student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) at TheUniversity of Southern Mississippi (USM) on supraclavicular and femoral nerve blocks to promote safety in the clinical setting. An objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) for ultrasound-guided supraclavicular and femoral nerve blocks was created as the basis for this project. Best-practice techniques as identified by the AANA’s 14^thstandard of nurse anesthesia practice were researched and used in the development of the OSCE to promote a culture of safety for SRNAs and patients (AANA, 2019).

A culture of safety …

Best Practice Guideline: Color-Coded Syringe Labeling Of Anesthesia Induction Drugs, Lauren Elizabeth Pilgrim, Ashley Taylor Johnson

Doctoral Projects

The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to propose a safe practice recommendation through the utilization of evidence-based research on the use of the standardized color-coded labeling guidelines for user-filled syringes in anesthesia practice. The primary objective of standardized color-coded labeling is to improve patient safety by facilitating the identification of user-prepared medication syringes. Guidelines developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) are endorsed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and aim to increase quality care and patient safety. Currently, there is no standardized color-coded labeling system in anesthesia practice that …

Airway Assessment And Bag-Mask Ventilation: An Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Kristen Berry, Leigh Allyson Brantley

Doctoral Projects

Airway assessment and bag-mask ventilation are critical components to the foundation of an anesthesia provider’s airway management. The SRNA may find difficulty in efficiently providing these skills when entering the clinical atmosphere, which could potentially lead to delayed patient care, adverse patient outcomes, and loss of confidence in the SRNA’s abilities. USM’s nurse anesthesia faculty recognized the need for an OSCE in airway assessment and BMV. The OSCE was developed and targeted at first-year SRNAs prior to entering clinical, with aims to increase competence, prevent delays in care, and prevent adverse patient outcomes.

The airway assessment and BMV OSCE was …

Best Practice Recommendation On Anesthesia Involvement In Preoperative Interdisciplinary Rounding On Surgical Inpatients, Elizabeth Davis

Doctoral Projects

Healthcare professionals are always seeking methods to improve patient care and patient outcomes and increase efficiency while reducing errors. By improving communication through the implementation of interdisciplinary communication, improved care quality, fewer variations in care, and enhanced collaboration among the healthcare team may be an outcome (Hoke & Falk, 2012). While anesthesia is involved in patient care throughout the perioperative period, their expertise may impact the patient’s outcome and quality of surgical care. With the involvement of anesthesia in interdisciplinary rounding, the patient may be optimized, and the plan of care may be more appropriate and individualized.

The potential for …

The Relationship Between Status Motives And Social Activism, Olajuwon Olagbegi

Honors Theses

Numerous social and cultural events have resulted in increased interest and participation in social activism in the United States, stemming from mounting dissatisfaction with social inequality. Though explanations have previously included increased issue exposure and awareness due to the proliferation of digital media and increases in progressive ideology amongst the nation’s younger generation, the current study tests the hypothesis that social activism may in part be motivated by interest in status acquisition, given the evolutionary value of status for securing access to resources and mates. To test this hypothesis, participants were randomly assigned to a status versus control priming condition …

Comparative Genome Analysis Of Fungal Antagonists Marinomonas Ostreistagni 398 And M. Spartinae 468., Jessie L. Fields

Honors Theses

Under certain conditions, the Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus grasses in marshes undergo progressive decline in an event known as Saltwater Marsh Dieback, which may be attributed to the presence of the plant pathogenic fungi Fusarium. The microbiomes of S. alterniflora and J. roemerianus from Deer Island, MS were characterized and Fusarium suppressing bacteria were identified. Among isolates capable of antagonizing Fusarium were Marinomonas ostreistagni 398 and M. spartinae 468. Despite the progress in understanding the diversity of Marinomonas, our ability to explain ecological, metabolic, and biochemical traits of marinomonads at the genomic sequence level remains limited. Analysis …

Item-Specific And Relational Encoding, But Not Warnings, Are Effective At Reducing The Illusion Of Competence, Emily Cates

Honors Theses

Metamemory, or the ability to understand the capacities of one’s own memory, is an important part of the learning process. One method for assessing metamemory is through the Judgment of Learning (JOL) task in which participants are asked to judge the likelihood of correctly remembering a target word in a cue-target word pair when only presented with a cue word at test. The associative direction of the cue-target pair has been shown to affect the accuracy of JOLs. Unlike forward pairs (e.g., credit-card), in which JOLs accurately predict recall, an illusion of competence has been reported for backward associates (e.g., …

Risk Perception And Response Among International Students Of The University Of Southern Mississippi, Elida Lopes Souza Rocha

Master's Theses

Given the exposure of university campuses to hazards, disaster mitigation is a critical element of higher education policy. Although U.S. higher education institutions are leaders in the global education market, emergency warning systems give little consideration to how international students perceive risk, prepare for hazards, or access warning technologies available to them. This poses several questions regarding the suitability of hazards mitigation practices and the welfare of international students.

This thesis investigates the relationship between USM international students and natural hazards. Responses from online surveys and semi-structured interviews data were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative methods to document the extent …

Privacy-Aware And Hardware-Based Accleration Authentication Scheme For Internet Of Drones, Tom Henson

Master's Theses

Drones are becoming increasingly present into today’s society through many different means such as outdoor sports, surveillance, delivery of goods etc. With such a rapid increase, a means of control and monitoring is needed as the drones become more interconnected and readily available. Thus, the idea of Internet of drones (IoD) is formed, an infrastructure in place to do those types of things. However, without an authentication system in place anyone could gain access or control to real time data to multiple drones within an area. This is a problem that I choose to tackle using a Field Programmable Gate …

Investigation Of N-Sulfonyliminium Ion Triggered Cyclizations For The Synthesis Of Piperidine Scaffolds, Kaitlyn Birkhoff

Honors Theses

In consideration of the on-going global pandemic, immediate access to Food and Drug Administration approved pharmaceutical medications and vaccines is a matter of utmost priority to our national healthcare system. One significant modality in managed care is the dispensation of prescription drugs for the prevention or treatment of illnesses and diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physicians order and provide over 2.9 billion prescriptions each year with analgesics, antihyperlipidemics, and dermatological agents being the most prescribed therapeutic classes. Within those classes exists a disparate variety of chemical structures that must be prepared on a metric ton …

Assessing The Impact Of Covid-19 Restrictions On The Perinatal Experience In Mississippi, Baylee Grimsley

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess how COVID-19 restrictions affected the perinatal experience of women in Mississippi. A flyer detailing the purpose and inclusion criteria of the study was sent via social media platforms. Five postpartum women from the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area participated in this study. Eight open-ended questions were asked in an interview format, and a seven-question demographic survey was given to each participant at the conclusion of the interview. Five restrictions related to COVID-19 were identified: visitor restrictions in the hospital, mask requirements in healthcare facilities, screening of patients upon admission to the Labor and Delivery …

Techniques For The Enantioselective Asymmetric Synthesis Of Benzyl Substituted Malonic Acid Esters, Madison Hansen

Honors Theses

A popular method for the enantioselective synthesis of substituted malonic half esters is hydrolysis via Pig Liver Esterase (PLE), however some substrates produce low enantiomeric excess, namely benzyl-substituted malonic esters. Presented here are alternative methods explored for this synthesis, the first being phase-transfer catalyzed hydrolysis via N-benzyl quaternary ammonium salts derived from cinchona alkaloids. The second method utilized chiral auxiliary directed benzylation with auxiliaries including menthol and oxazolidinones. Though unsuccessful, this research provided valuable groundwork in the investigation for the enantioselective asymmetric synthesis of benzyl-substituted malonic acid esters.

Keywords: Pig Liver Esterase, Enantioselectivity, Phase-Transfer Catalysis, Cinchona Alkaloids, Quaternary Ammonium …

The Formation Of Proxy Force And External State Relationships: Prospect Theory And Proxy Force Decision Making, Brandon Temple

Dissertations

Proxy war is a common tactic employed by great powers as a safer alternative to direct conflict, especially in the era of nuclear weapons. While proxy war is common, there is a lack of research on the formation of proxy-external state relationships. Previous research has typically examined the phenomena of proxy war through the perspective of the external state power, leaving a gap in the literature. This dissertation fills that gap by assessing the conditions under which armed groups enter into proxy relationships with external states. Using prospect theory as a framework for understanding more clearly armed group decision making …

Get Into It: Unpacking The Relationship Between Hegemonic Norms And The Race And Gender Of Pop Artists, Bailey Shelton

Master's Theses

Many contemporary popular musical artists are victims of media controversy while they simultaneously make musical chat history. As a culture founded and sustained by a white supremacist capitalistic patriarchy, race and sex appear to influence the way hegemonic in-groups treat minorities and the way minorities are perceived and live within the confines of said hegemony. With the context of understanding feminist theories, hegemonic norms, parasocial relationships, celebrity appeal, and norms, the researcher wanted to understand if there are clear relationship among these frameworks in modern society. This study employed a 2x2 2between subjects factorial design method to gather information about …

Multi-Valued Solutions For The Equation Of Motion, Darcy-Jordan Model, As A Cauchy Problem: A Shocking Event, Chandler Shimp

Master's Theses

Shocks are physical phenomenon that occur quite often around us. In this thesis we examine the occurrence of shocks in finite amplitude acoustic waves from a numerical perspective. These waves, or jump discontinuities, yield ill-behaved solutions when solved numerically. This study takes on the challenge of finding both single- and multi-valued solutions.

The previously unsolved problem in this study is the representation of the Equation of Motion (EoM) in the form of the Darcy-Jordan model (DJM) and expressed as a dimensionless IVP Cauchy problem. Prior attempts to solve have resulted only in implicit solutions or explicit solutions with certain initial …

An Analytical Guide To Gonzalo Vidal’S Suite De La Postguerra [Post-War Suite], Jairo Garcia Valencia

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Although Gonzalo Vidal (1863-1946) is arguably one of the most influential Colombian composers, sadly his music has been forgotten and remains unknown. Unfortunately, little is known about his work as a pianist, composer, teacher, capellmeister, conductor, and even as a writer of prose. Even though Vidal has a vast catalogue of works, the majority of which is piano music, his fame is limited to being known as the composer of the anthem of the department of Antioquia.

The purpose of this document is to focus on Vidal’s last piano compositions, which were a set entitled Suite de la Postguerra …

For Cause And Countries: Initial, Sustaining, And Combat Motivation In The Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons, 1940-1942, Timothy Defazio

Master's Theses

Before the United States entered the Second World War, 245 American pilots pledged their service to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Organized into 71, 121, and 133 Squadrons, collectively known as the Eagle Squadrons, these foreign volunteers present an intriguing avenue of soldier motivation analysis. Employing the conceptual framework offered by John Lynn and James McPherson, this thesis analyzes three components of the Eagles’ motivation—initial, sustaining, and combat.

Viewed in context, the Eagles’ decision to join a beleaguered air force reflected a commitment to ideological principles, as the desires to defend England and curb German aggression figured largely into their …

Chitosan Graphene Composite Fabrication And Characterization For Treatment Of Harmful Algal Blooms And Toxins, Sarah Zetterholm

Master's Theses

Chitosan graphene composites were fabricated and characterized as a management strategy for harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by various species of cyanobacteria. These chitosan graphene materials were compared to previously studied chitosan graphene-oxide composites in both material properties and HAB treatment. In previous studies, adsorption of the cyanobacteria onto the surface of the composite materials has been observed. Investigations of the pure materials for these composites are also included in this study to determine whether removal is a result of charge interactions with the composite, or as an inherent property of the graphene or graphene oxide. Initial results suggest that …

Human 5’-Tailed Mirtrons Are Processed By Rnasep, Mohammad Farid Zia

Dissertations

Approximately a thousand microRNAs (miRNAs) are documented from human cells. A third appear to transit non-canonical pathways that typically bypass processing by Drosha, the dedicated nuclear miRNA producing enzyme. The largest class of non-canonical miRNAs are mirtrons which eschew Drosha to mature through spliceosome activity. While mirtrons are found in several configurations, the vast majority of human mirtron species are 5’-tailed. For these mirtrons, a 3’ splice site defines the 3’ end of their hairpin precursor while a “tail” of variable length separates the 5’ base of the hairpin from the nearest splice site. How this tail is removed is …

Active Shooter In The Education Setting, Clinton Seal, Drew A. Wells

Doctoral Projects

Active shooter incidents are increasing steadily and continue to pose a tremendous public safety problem, especially in the educational setting. In addition, the majority of faculty and students remain uncertain of exactly what actions to take if an active shooter event occurs on campus. The lack of education, awareness and policy drills can inadequately prepare students, faculty, and staff for an active shooter event. The recognition of this inadequacy has prompted further investigation by The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Nurse Anesthesia Program as it relates to Asbury Hall. An anonymous survey was sent to current students enrolled in the …

A Descriptive Study Of The Foster Grandparent Program In Support Of The Creation Of An Afterschool Program To Address Food Insecurity And Chronic Disease Risk In Older Adults And Children, Sara Sorrell

Master's Theses

Volunteer service is associated with self-reported health improvement by older adult volunteers in AmeriCorps Senior programs. However, little is known about how specific chronic diseases and mental health issues affect Foster Grandparents, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on volunteer activities for older adults. Using Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, this study outlines the structural influences of the Foster Grandparent program on volunteers’ motivation for volunteering, mental and physical health status before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and current household food security status. The study utilizes a survey, which was distributed by the National Senior Corps Association and …

Media Frames And Abortion Issue Polarization, Shianne Galuska

Master's Theses

The abortion issue is one of the most polarizing topics within the public and media sphere. How the media chooses to frame the abortion debate may influence public opinion and individual reactions. Specifically, articles that use incongruent abortion frames (pro-life/pro-abortion & anti-abortion/pro-choice) may be contributing to an ingroup versus outgroup mentality by highlighting who is the ingroup and who is the outgroup, thus generating moral disgust and polarization (characterized by anger, bias, and activism) amongst those with opposing views. This study sought to answer whether presenting individuals with an incongruent abortion frame increases anger, bias, and activism (polarization), as well …

Preventing Food Fights: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Single Case-Design Research In The Cafeteria Setting, Mary Ware

Dissertations

Disruptive behavior is one of the most prevalent problems in schools, with nearly 50% of all disruptive behavior occurring in non-classroom settings (e.g., cafeteria; Colvin, Sugai, Good, & Lee, 1997). However, the extent to which intervention strategies exist to address these behaviors in these settings is unknown. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a meta-analytic review in order to identify, review, and determine the effectiveness of interventions implemented within the cafeteria setting. Eighteen articles were identified through a comprehensive database search and application of inclusion criteria were included. Overall results determined that interventions implemented in the cafeteria …

Higher Command: An Examination Of African American Leadership In The Vietnam Era, Amanda Abulawi

Master's Theses

Since the founding of the United States, African Americans have sacrificed their lives to uphold the nation’s democratic ideals, all while being denied equal access to voting, education, employment, and housing rights at home. Military service appealed to many African Americans who hoped it would lead to social and economic advancement for themselves and their race. Despite African American military participation throughout the nation’s history, these soldiers were treated as outsiders through segregated units and often relegated to non-combative duties, until the Vietnam War. This was the first major conflict in which African Americans had been deployed in large numbers …

Barriers, Enablers, And Strategies Influencing Female Leaders' Career Advancement In The Nuclear Industry, Anesa Davis

Dissertations

Women entering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations increased by 19% between 1970 and 2019, but at 74% of the STEM workforce, men still dominate the field (Martinez & Christnacht, 2021). In the nuclear industry, this disparity is most apparent with few women holding leadership roles within nuclear organizations (Kovaleski, 2014; Gaspar & Dubertrand, 2019). While research suggests that companies with women leaders in the manager level through the board level excel in organizational performance (Catalyst, 2007), a problem exists for women when trying to promote to leadership positions, especially to the C-suite in STEM fields (Warner, 2014).

Findings …