Digital Commons Network^™

A First-Year Teacher’S Implementation Of Short-Cycle Formative Assessment Through The Use Of A Classroom Response System And Flexible Grouping, Adrienne Irving Dumas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As teachers, we are tasked with ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills necessary to not only perform with proficiency on local, state and national assessments, but also to provide our students with opportunities to develop confidence and competence as learners of mathematics through meaningful, challenging and worthwhile activities. As such, many teachers have turned to technology and cooperative groups as staples in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to understand how one first-year teacher implemented what she was taught in her undergraduate coursework in teaching two specific units of instruction in two sections of high …

Development Of Topical Oil/Peg Creams Of Voriconazole, Abhishek Shivashankar Shettar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Voriconazole (VRC) was selected as a model drug for preparation of Oil/PEG cream consisting of PEG 2000, PEG 400 and propylene glycol after performing drug-excipient compatibility studies. Twin screw processor with a 10 mm co-rotating twin screw configuration was used for preparation of oil/PEG creams. Creams prepared using twin-screw processor were characterized for the following: Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), pH, Solvent activity (as)), viscosity, drug content uniformity, in vitro drug release testing (IVRT) and in vitro permeation testing (IVPT) using human cadaver skin. Creams are heterogenous biphasic semi-solid preparations consisting of oil and aqueous phases, wherein one phase is dispersed …

Damage Detection Using Destructive Testing Of A Reinforced Concrete Slab, Michael Edward Daves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Visual inspection is one of the primary tools for evaluating the health of bridges as more reach or exceed their intended lifespan. Bridge deterioration must be monitored to ensure continued safety, so owners need maintenance reports to decide on corrective actions. Strategic repair can offer asset managers the benefit of saving money and time; thus, knowing where to locate and what type of repairs can be challenging when relying on visual techniques alone. A tool designed to aid bridge inspectors is the SHE^tm program, which quantitatively measures damage location and severity for any set of time data.

Synthesis Of Fluoroflavones As Potential Neuroprotective Agents, Maali Alshammari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flavones are polyphenol natural products that are known to have neuroprotective effects against many diseases caused by the formation of reactive species. Flavonoids are subgroup of flavones and they are believed to function as antioxidants. Specifically, they target free radicals and eliminate its harmful effect on the cell. Fluoroflavones were designed to improve the potency of the antioxidant activity and potentially be used as neuroprotective agents. A monofluorinated and trifluoromethylated flavone were synthesized by using commercially available fluorination reagents, N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide; and Togni’s or Umemoto's respectively. After the synthesis of the desired flavones and their monofluorinated and trifluoromethylated derivatives, biological testing …

The Temporal Conatus And The Problem Of Motion From Eternity, David Harmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spinoza’s theory of persistence is articulated through the conatus (EIp7) and the ratio of motion and rest (EIIp13). Section I explores Spinoza’s usage of “motion,” and illustrates that the conatus is essentially temporal. From this claim and Spinoza’s conception of eternity, the problem arises. I explain this as a contradiction between Natura naturata and Natura naturans. Section II features an evaluation of the potential acosmist solution and reveals how it contradicts other Spinozistic commitments. I construct an alternative solution in Section III. Temporal passage is not an adequate idea for Spinoza. However, Spinoza considers duration to be a feature of …

Girls At The Skate Rink, Jennifer Carol Key

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A collection of original creative writing.

Ownership Conversion As A Solution For Ex Post Agency Problems: The Case Of Franchising, Erik Tristan Markin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the strategic decision of franchising firms to convert company-owned outlets to franchise contracts in response to persistent agency problems. Moreover, this study investigates how franchisor-level, market-level, and outlet-level characteristics interact with this relationship. Using a longitudinal sample of company-owned fast-food restaurants, I find that increased agency problems at focal restaurants increases the likelihood of being converted to a franchise and that this relationship is moderated by both franchisor- and outlet-level characteristics but not market-level characteristics. Limitations and future research opportunities are discussed.

Molecular Simulation Of Graphene Oxide (Go) Nanocarriers For Doxorubicin: Effects Of Ph And Go Pegylation On The Drug Loading, Retention, And Release, Mina Mahdavi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as a powerful tool is used to investigate the graphene oxide (GO) based drug delivery system in the process of drug loading, drug carrying and drug release. Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used anticancer drug, is used as a drug model. The effect of different parameters including pH levels and the oxidation level of GO sheets on the drug loading mechanism is broadly discussed in this study. The drug release from the GO sheet using pH stimulus is explored and results confirmed that GO can release DOX molecules at acidic pH level.

The Synthesis Of New Donor-Sigma-Acceptor Compounds As Potential Current Rectifiers, Trey Gautier Vaughan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The zwitterionic D-σ-A’s are characterized by having an anionic donor, a cationic acceptor, an intervening sigma-bond bridge, and an aliphatic tail. The aliphatic tail is of such length as to impart greater solubility in organic solvents since the formal charges on the donor and acceptor lead to poor solubility. Additionally, the aliphatic tail is required for Pockels-Langmuir deposition to facilitate the favorable van der Waal’s packing when combined to form dense monolayer registries. These monolayers may then be suitable for measuring the bulk electrical properties.

A Study On The Comparison Of Sample Location Of Pultruded Composites Exposed To Corrosive Environment, Md Mahmudul Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Composite structures may experience different environments during their prolonged service life. These environments may include corrosive, acidic or both or many others that can adversely affect the mechanical properties of the structural composites. Various studies have been done on the environmental effects on the composites but only a few are on structural shaped pultruded composites. More specifically, none of the studies tell anything about the effects of corrosive media on the locations of the structural shaped pultruded composites coupon samples. Hence, this current study focused on two primary objectives, 1) the durability characterization of structural shaped pultruded composites after an …

On The Relationship Between Resilience, Meaning, And Hardiness: A Bi-Factor Exploratory And Confirmatory Analysis, Lauren Weathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Meaning in life, resilience, and hardiness have been conceptualized in a variety of ways. Some researchers theorize that these constructs share significant overlap. The goal of the current study was to examine how much overlap exists between these concepts. Three thousand and ten participants from a university in the Midwest and a university in the South completed measures of meaning in life, resilience, and hardiness. It was hypothesized that some items from these measures would create a unidimensional model while some items would create multidimensionality. Hypotheses that incorporated both models were important as there is disagreement within the literature with …

To Sink Our National Character: Slavery And National Character In The U.S. House Of Representatives, 1789-1820, Jessica Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1790 1804 and 1819 the U.S. House of Representatives debated measures intended to restrict slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. During these three debates slaveholding representatives primarily from the Lower South attempted to call into question the general government’s right to discuss and legislate on slavery contending that except for in a few specific instances outlined in the Constitution slavery was purely a state matter not a national one. Their opponents employed a variety of tactics to counter this idea. One particularly effective approach was an expression of concern for the impact of slavery and the slave trade on …

The Relationship Between Intra-Cultural Factors And Feedback Seeking Behavior In Supervision Among Counselors-In-Training In Counselor Education Programs, Sumedha Therthani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For this research study a cross-sectional correlational survey research design was utilized. Counselors in training both master and doctoral level currently receiving clinical supervision in counselor education programs (n=123) participated in this study. Participants were administered (a) tolerance of ambiguity scale (b) individual power distance scale (c) feedback-seeking frequency scale (d) feedback-seeking source scale and (e) feedback-seeking style scale. Six research questions were the subject of data analyses in this study. Analyses included conducting multivariate multiple regression and simple regression analyses to understand whether tolerance of ambiguity and status identity predict graduate counselors’ feedback-seeking (a) style (b) source and (c) …

Moral Agency: A Philosophical Inquiry Into Its Scientific Foundations, Makensey Sanders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a longstanding discussion of what the criteria are to distinguish science from non-science. In section one of this paper, I will focus on four demarcating criteria of a scientific theory: (1) value neutrality; (2) verifiability; (3) falsifiability; and (4) reproducibility. Keeping these criteria in mind, I will turn to the notion of moral agency (focusing on psychopathy, autism, and personal identity) and the question of whether the current way we conceptualize and research it can be deemed as scientific according to the four criteria.

In section two, I will discuss the role psychopathy and autism play in understanding …

Diversification In The Neotropics – Evolution And Population Genetics Of The Armored Catfish Hypancistrus Sp. From The Xingu River, Marcella Goncalves Santos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Xingu River, one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon River, is currently in peril due to the recent construction of hydroelectric dams, but little is known about the numerous fish species it supports. This dissertation focuses on three pleco catfish species belonging to the genus Hypancistrus from the Xingu River with partially overlapping distributions: H. zebra, H. sp. (L174), and H. sp. (L66/333). Chapter 1 is a bibliographic review of Amazonian freshwater fish diversity, with the goal of discussing the hypotheses of speciation mechanisms that can be tested in this system, including the relative importance of ecological adaptation …

Examining The Internal & External Factors That Motivate Inmates’ Participation Among Various Prison Programs, Kornicha Shaneice Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prison programming has been linked to reducing recidivism and re-incarceration, yet only a small percentage of prison programs are completed by inmates (Duwe, 2018). The demand in preparing inmates for reentry is crucial and ongoing. Studies have tried to understand the failure of prison program completion; however, research has not been aimed at specifically locating the internal and external factors that encourages this voluntary participation. This study examines internal and external motivation in order to find what factors influence inmates’ decision to pursue prison programs. This study contributes to link these factors to the programming types of religious, educational, treatment, …

End Of Life Costs In Medicare Beneficiaries With Parkinson’S Disease, Sasikiran Nunna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder which is characterized by motor and non-motor disorders. The prevalence of PD is high among elderly patients. Due to the chronic nature of PD, increasing prevalence and ageing population, it is important to understand the burden of PD at various stages of patient’s life so that value of PD therapies can be assessed. While direct healthcare costs during the life time of PD were assessed in previous studies, there is lack of information about end of life costs in PD patients. This dissertation aimed at filling the gap in literature …

Testing A Modified Model Of Stress Process For Understanding Quality Of Life Among Informal Caregivers And Assessing Their Formal Service Use, Nilesh V. Gangan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Informal caregivers provide timely care to family members who are disabled or have a chronic condition that requires close monitoring or constant assistance. To provide adequate support to informal caregivers there is a need to assess ways to improve their quality of life (QOL) and understand how formal services can be improved. This dissertation strives to extend the knowledge available for policy makers by examining the factors that can be targeted by policy makers to improve QOL of informal caregivers as well as the factors that enable the use of formal services provided to support informal caregivers. The psychometric properties …

Child Nutrition Program Managers’ Evaluation Of The Mississippi Recipes For Success (Mrs) Guide, Alexandra Hallmark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Findings from this study can assist MDE-OCN in future updates of the MRS Guide. MRS is an excellent resource for CNP professionals and can be used by other state child nutrition programs as a guide when developing or updating their own menu planning tools and training resources. The Mississippi Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition (MDE OCN) has been assisting child nutrition programs with meeting the nutritional needs of the students since 2000. The Mississippi Recipes for Success (MRS) guide is the latest recipe database developed and updated by MDE-OCN. This guide contains a database that is comprised of …

Doing Hard Things In The Context Of Values: Values Intervention As An Establishing Operation For Approach Behavior In The Presence Of Aversive Stimuli, Emmie Hebert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aversive control is an umbrella term for behavioral contingencies influenced by the removal or avoidance of aversive stimuli. When individuals are engaging in behavior that is under aversive control the behavior becomes relatively insensitive to changes in the environment outside of trying to escape or avoid the aversive stimulation. Teaching individuals to increase behavioral and psychological flexibility around potentially aversive stimuli is a goal of a therapeutic perspective called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT therapists and trainers use values to motivate their clients to engage in meaningful behaviors despite ever-changing and often aversive contexts. The aim of the current …

Rambling Blues: Mapping Contemporary North American Blues Literature, Josh-Wade Ferguson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Rambling Blues: Mapping Contemporary North American Blues Literature” revises the methodological assumptions that have underwritten our understanding of blues literature and the politics of race and region that surround it. Where previous commentators have defined blues literature primarily through its formal and thematic connections with blues music and with the sociohistorical contours of black southern life more generally this dissertation expands the boundaries of how we conceive blues literature by examining Langston Hughes’ poems “The Weary Blues” (1925) and “Po Boy Blues” (1926) August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984) Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones (2011) James Hannaham’s Delicious Foods …

A Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Based Intervention For Distressed Graduate Students, Emily Hannah Katt Jacobson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students report to experience distress at high rates. Research suggests that self-care behaviors such as sleep exercise and mindfulness practice can helpful for mental health and wellbeing. The current study examined the effectiveness of a brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based intervention on increasing self-care behaviors in distressed graduate students at the University of Mississippi (N=7). The intervention was delivered in three 60-minute individual sessions. The effects of the intervention were examined using a concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. Results indicated that five out of seven participants shoincreases in self-reported self-care behaviors after the start of the …

Buffering..., Nicholas B. Vialpando

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Buffering… focuses on scenes from everyday life such as cooking breakfast or a day at the office which are presented in a half-rendered frozen form. The works are partially pixilated in certain areas to create a sense of perpetual buffering illustrating a never-ending frustration between advancement and expectation. This body of work is meant to create an opportunity for viewer to experience a sensation of tension while information perpetually buffers. This sensation reflects how society has been conditioned by its technological devices and their implied promises of instant gratification. This body of work aims to shed light on the frustration …

A Computational Approach To Predicting And Understanding New Psychoactive Substances (Nps) For Developing A Database For State And Federal Crime Laboratories, Caroline Amelia Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The object of this dissertation was to use a computational approach to predict and understand new psychoactive substances (NPS) to develop a database for state and federal crime. The primary scope of the dissertation was to better understand the interactions that take place between new psychoactive substances and their corresponding receptors. Through analysis of the interactions between the amino acids within the receptors and the NPS an understanding into the pharmacology and toxicology of these drugs can be gained. NPS such as synthetic cannabinoids fentanyl and its analogs and kratom have become more problematic for both state and federal crime …

Cognitive Influences On Preschoolers’ And Adults’ Eyewitness Memory In Response To Misleading Questions, Tonya M. Vandenbrink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated cognitive influences on the malleability of memory for an eyewitness event, specifically focusing on age, executive function, and divided attention. Preschoolers (3- to 5-year-olds) and adults completed an executive function (EF) battery, witnessed an event either under divided attention (DA) or full attention (FA), following this, participants were asked a series of questions, the majority of which were misleading from the Video Suggestibility Scale for Children. This study supports previous findings that children are more suggestible than adults to misleading questions. However, there was no influence of EF on suggestibility in either children or adults. Lastly, …

The Independent And Combined Effects Of Hypoxia And Tributyltin On The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Ann Fairly Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oysters are vital to the health of estuarine ecosystems and provide critical ecosystem services, such as water quality improvement, nursery habitat for commercially important fisheries, and shoreline stabilization. Despite their ecological and economic importance, oyster reefs are exposed to many stressors, and oyster populations in Mississippi have declined dramatically in recent years. The present study focuses on the effects of hypoxia and tributyltin (TBT) on the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Hypoxic events are increasingly comin coastal ecosystems worldwide, and TBT is a legacy toxicant once used as an antifoulant. The effects of these stressors were assessed on adult oysters deployed …

Essays On Money And Labor, Kwabena Okyere Boateng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The price-specie-flow mechanism (PSFM) is a theory of the adjustment of the balance of trade and gold flows as a result of deviations in relative prices across countries under a gold standard. The PSFM is central to quantity-theoretic discussions of economic fluctuations under a gold standard as well as analysis of whether central banks follo``the rules of the game'' of the gold standard. In short, the PSFM is the standard working assumption when it comes to gold standard adjustment. However, at least since Adam Smith there has been an alternative to the PSFM that has come to be known as …

The Transfer Culture In College Basketball, Ariel Massengale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2017, 18.5% of female women’s basketball players transferred. That ranked the highest it has ever been, second on the list for women’s sports and higher than any male sport (NCAA.org, 2018). The decision to transfer is a multifaceted issue that involves many reasons from generational differences, social media, technology, among other factors and has been rapidly increasing. For the lack of empirical studies, the foundation of this research was built on studies that focused on student retention because the same reasons a student may be retained could be the very reason a student decides to transfer depending on the …

The Evolution Of Coral Snake Mimicry, Renan Janke Bosque

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scientists have regarded mimicry as one of the most amazing examples of the power of natural selection. Early observations by naturalists of the mimetic association between venomous New World coral snakes of the genus Micrurus and harmless mimics has stimulated an intense debate about the causes and consequences of mimicry that persists today. Despite its medical, evolutionary and historical importance our understanding of evolution within the genus Micrurus is negligible. My dissertation explores the evolution of mimicry within South American coral snakes and their mimics using a multi-scale framework involving macroevolutionary (Chapter I), geographic/morphological concordance (Chapters II and III), behavioral …

Écriture Féminine Africaine Au Vingt-Et-Unième Siècle: Une Proposition De Cours De Littérature Africaine Pour Les Étudiants De Master Et Doctorat, Anaïs Louise Siewe Deuga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African Literature has been taught in universities of the world for almost 60 years now. Since then, it has evolved tremendously but the syllabi of these courses haven’t really. Most of the texts read during the twentieth century and considered as classics of African literature are still studied today while more recent literary works are ignored by scholars. Moreover, back then, it was considered useless for a girl to receive an education, priority was given to boys instead; as a result there were more educated boys than girls, and thus more male writers than female ones and these few female …