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Theses and Dissertations

Theses/Dissertations

2019

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Diasporic Strangers In The Mirror: Ever-Evolving Identity And The Immigrant Experience, Meriam Metoui Dec 2019

Diasporic Strangers In The Mirror: Ever-Evolving Identity And The Immigrant Experience, Meriam Metoui

Theses and Dissertations

This text explores the disparity between immigrant parents and their American born or raised children and show the chasm of misunderstanding between generations navigating different national and cultural contexts found in novels such as The Joy Luck Club, The Namesake, Americanah, and Everything I Never Told You.


Taking Advantage Of Second Chances Through Reassessment, Benjamin D. Lee Dec 2019

Taking Advantage Of Second Chances Through Reassessment, Benjamin D. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

A critical factor in Skills-Based Reporting is the opportunity for students to reassess in an effort to enhance learning. In this middle school, however, few students were taking advantage of the opportunity to reassess. The study focused specifically on investigating how Skills-Based Reporting impacted student mindset and to what extent parent involvement played a role in whether students chose to reassess or not to reassess. Students and parents from this middle-school setting shared their perceptions on Skills-Based Reporting. For use in the quantitative phase of the, a student survey was administered to each student in the middle school to collect …


Tomb Of The Unknown Marxist, Anna Ozbek Dec 2019

Tomb Of The Unknown Marxist, Anna Ozbek

Theses and Dissertations

Tomb of the Unknown Marxist tracks a journey of uncovering an individual’s past as a leftist revolutionary in late 1970s Turkey. In doing so, the project explores the political movements of that turbulent period and asks what remains of the revolution in the revolutionary once these moments are well in the past.


Automatic Detection And Prevention Of Fake Key Attacks In Signal, Tarun Kumar Yadav Dec 2019

Automatic Detection And Prevention Of Fake Key Attacks In Signal, Tarun Kumar Yadav

Theses and Dissertations

The Signal protocol provides end-to-end encryption for billions of users in popular instant messaging applications like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Allo. The protocol relies on an app-specific central server to distribute public keys and relay encrypted messages between the users. Signal prevents passive attacks. However, it is vulnerable to some active attacks due to its reliance on a trusted key server. A malicious key server can distribute fake keys to users to perform man-in-the-middle or impersonation attacks. Signal applications support an authentication ceremony to detect these active attacks. However, this places an undue burden on the users to manually …


Shared Resources (Contractual Obligations), Jordan Lord Dec 2019

Shared Resources (Contractual Obligations), Jordan Lord

Theses and Dissertations

Shared Resources (Contractual Obligations) is a feature-length documentary that seeks to understand how various kinds of debt––emotional, historical, moral, social and financial––are entangled in my family. After my dad was fired from his job as a debt collector, my parents declared Chapter 13 bankruptcy––a 5-year debt repayment plan. The film follows my parents over the course of their bankruptcy, joining observational footage of their day-to-day lives with essayistic voiceover narration, my parents’ reactions to an early edit of the film, my family members’ and my own audio descriptions of what is visible in the film, and open captions of the …


Interface Of Glass And Topology, Travis Adams Dec 2019

Interface Of Glass And Topology, Travis Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Interface of Glass and Topology is a supportive statement for a collection of blown glass sculptures that employ principles of continuous surface topology along with line and color applications to create a perceptual visual experience. These forms address issues of balance and continuity as well as space relationships of both inside to outside and object to self. This supportive statement will discuss topology as a basis for composition and larger questions of interconnectivity with our environment that serves as a guiding theme of my work.


Multiple Agent Target Tracking In Gps-Denied Environments, Skyler Tolman Dec 2019

Multiple Agent Target Tracking In Gps-Denied Environments, Skyler Tolman

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are effective for surveillance and monitoring, but struggle with persistent, long-term tracking, especially without GPS, due to limited flight time. Persistent tracking can be accomplished using multiple vehicles if one vehicle can effectively hand off the tracking information to another replacement vehicle. This work presents a solution to the moving-target handoff problem in the absence of GPS. The proposed solution (a) a nonlinear complementary filter for self-pose estimation using only an IMU, (b) a particle filter for relative pose estimation between UAS using a relative range (c) visual target tracking using a gimballed camera when the …


Novel Magnetic Delivery Systems For Platinum Anticancer Drugs, Lamis Alaa Eldin Refaat Dec 2019

Novel Magnetic Delivery Systems For Platinum Anticancer Drugs, Lamis Alaa Eldin Refaat

Theses and Dissertations

Carboplatin's success in the treatment of major types of cancer has been attributed to its ease of administration and its high therapeutic index. However, despite its superior toxicity profile, myelosuppression remains to be its dose-limiting side effect. Liposomes have been researched extensively as carrier systems for therapeutic agents; their high biocompatibility, their ability to escape the immune system and most importantly their ability to incorporate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs led to numerous liposomal formulations being designed for cancer therapy. Magnetic nanoparticles have been gaining attention as their properties enable them to be used in various therapeutic and diagnostic applications, …


Hero Baby, Elizabeth J. Harney Dec 2019

Hero Baby, Elizabeth J. Harney

Theses and Dissertations

With fiction and theory, the following pages give context to my most recent body of work called Hero Baby. The work in Hero Baby embodies an aesthetic of cuteness, as highlights the relationship between: aggression and protection, power and submission, war and commodity, nationalism and desire for love.


^A Weather Of Her Wake—Should Something Be Missing?, Chip Chapin Dec 2019

^A Weather Of Her Wake—Should Something Be Missing?, Chip Chapin

Theses and Dissertations

Conciliating an economics of care, support, and desire through the languages of state control, commodity, and shared resources ^A Weather of Her Wake confronts unspoken exchanges endemic to relationships in capitalist society, choreographing relationships that invites both performer and audience to negotiate architectures charged with intimate memory.


An Exploratory Case Study On The Perceived Effectiveness Of Co-Teaching And A Need For Professional Development, Jaquelyn M. Joas-Foy Dec 2019

An Exploratory Case Study On The Perceived Effectiveness Of Co-Teaching And A Need For Professional Development, Jaquelyn M. Joas-Foy

Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is an instructional method used to educate many special education and at-risk youth. This study explored the perceived knowledge of and effectiveness with co-teaching through the perceptions of co-teachers and administrators at a large suburban high school. This study also explored the perceived effectiveness of co-teachers in Gately & Gately's eight components of effective co-teaching (2001). Four dyads completed the Co-teaching Rating Scale and a questionnaire. They also engaged in classroom observations and a focus group. Data from these data sources along with a focus group that included administrators from the high school generated a picture of co-teaching and …


Analysis Of Applied Modifications To A Cone Penetration Test-Based Lateral Spread Displacement Prediction Model, Alexander Edward Corob Dec 2019

Analysis Of Applied Modifications To A Cone Penetration Test-Based Lateral Spread Displacement Prediction Model, Alexander Edward Corob

Theses and Dissertations

This study set out to examine the effectiveness and reliability of six modifications to the Zhang et al. (2004) CPT-based lateral spread model. A regression analysis, distribution charts, and a discriminant analysis are performed to determine how effective the modifications are on the model. From the comparisons and statistical analysis performed in this study, application of these modifications reduces over-predictions from strain-based prediction methods. Unfortunately, the tendency to under-predict displacements on average is also increased.


Maintaining Agronomics, Economics, And Furrow-Irrigation Efficiency In Mid-Southern Usa Soybean Conservation Production Systems, Corey Bryant Dec 2019

Maintaining Agronomics, Economics, And Furrow-Irrigation Efficiency In Mid-Southern Usa Soybean Conservation Production Systems, Corey Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

Mid-southern USA soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] producers are being pushed to increase adoption of conservation tillage systems as a means of increasing the application efficiency of gravity flow irrigation systems. This research was conducted to determine whether the efficiency of furrow-irrigation systems could be manipulated through conservation tillage systems while maintaining soybean productivity and profitability. Three experiments were conducted near Stoneville, MS on a Dubbs silt loam (Fine-silty, mixed, active, thermic Typic Hapludalfs) to determine the effects of reducing tillage and increasing ground cover residues on irrigation application efficiency, irrigation water use efficiency, soybean grain yield, and net returns …


The Impact Of Utilizing Peer Mentoring Interactions, New Laboratory Experiments, And Writing-To-Learn Practices In Undergraduate Chemistry Education, Dulani Samarasekara Dec 2019

The Impact Of Utilizing Peer Mentoring Interactions, New Laboratory Experiments, And Writing-To-Learn Practices In Undergraduate Chemistry Education, Dulani Samarasekara

Theses and Dissertations

High attrition rates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are major challenges in undergraduate education. Many students enrolled in STEM fields end up switching their majors to non-STEM fields or leave college without earning any academic qualification. Due to these reasons, the United States is facing a critical shortage of future talented STEM personnel in the domestic workforce. Therefore, graduating a sufficient number of talented students in STEM fields has come to national attention. It is important to examine strategies for improving STEM-major retention and undergraduate education in STEM disciplines. The main purpose of this study was to …


Effects Of The In Ovo Injection Of Vitamin D3 Sources On The Hatchability, Performance, Breast Meat Yield, Small Intestine Morphology, And Immunity Of Ross 708 Broilers Subjected To Dietary Insufficiency And Pathogenic Agents, Seyed Abolghasem Fatemi Dec 2019

Effects Of The In Ovo Injection Of Vitamin D3 Sources On The Hatchability, Performance, Breast Meat Yield, Small Intestine Morphology, And Immunity Of Ross 708 Broilers Subjected To Dietary Insufficiency And Pathogenic Agents, Seyed Abolghasem Fatemi

Theses and Dissertations

Effects of varying dosages (0.6 to 4.8 μg/egg) of vitamin D3 (D3) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3), administrated by in ovo (amniotic) injection, on various embryonic and post-hatch physiological variables in Ross 708 broilers were investigated. The in ovo injection of 1.2 to 4.8 μg of both D3 and 25OHD3 increased serum 25OHD3 concentrations in broiler embryos in comparison to non-injected and diluent-injected control groups. Furthermore, the effects of 2.4 μg of D3 and 25OHD3 alone and in combination on the performance, meat yield and quality, small intestine morphology, and immunity of the broilers fed a diet restricted in calcium and phosphorous …


Intersecting Identities And Social Support Impacting Suicidal Ideation And Attempts Among Gender Minority Adults, Ashley R. Pate Dec 2019

Intersecting Identities And Social Support Impacting Suicidal Ideation And Attempts Among Gender Minority Adults, Ashley R. Pate

Theses and Dissertations

Suicidality rates are far higher among gender minority individuals than in the general population. This study sought to determine if intersecting identities and social support play a role in these rates. There were no differences in suicidality among gender minorities with an intersecting sexual minority identity. For intersecting racial/ethnic identities, it was found that White individuals were more likely to report past suicidal ideation than racial/ethnic minority individuals. Family support was independently associated with less suicidal ideation, whereas gender minority friend support was independently associated with an increase in suicidal ideation.


Extended Orientation: The Influence On Academic Achievement Of Transfer Students, Nicholas Gordon Dec 2019

Extended Orientation: The Influence On Academic Achievement Of Transfer Students, Nicholas Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Students who transfer from a community college to a university need to learn about their new environment in order to succeed academically at their new institution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attending an extended orientation on transfer students’ academic achievement. An extended orientation is a program hosted by the 4-year institution to teach new students about the culture, campus, resources, and opportunities offered. This study compared the academic achievement of transfer students who attended an extended orientation and a similar (based on GPA and number hours transferred) group of transfer students who did not …


Modeling Thermodynamic And Transport Properties Of Soft And Porous Materials, Md Masrul Huda Dec 2019

Modeling Thermodynamic And Transport Properties Of Soft And Porous Materials, Md Masrul Huda

Theses and Dissertations

Molecular simulations are computer experiments that allow us to investigate thermodynamic and transport properties of complex chemical systems. Here, we have investigated self-assembly of organogelators and analysed the diffusion characteristics of small molecules in the nanopores of zeolites. Molecular gels are attractive soft-materials with viscoelastic properties with applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, sensing, etc. Small organic amphiphilic gelators act as a building block of complex 3-dimensional network in molecular gels. Due to time and length scale differences, the understanding and characterization of early stage aggregation of gelators is difficult using experimental techniques. Classical and quantum mechanical approaches have been …


Inferences On The Power-Law Process With Applications To Repairable Systems, Jularat Chumnaul Dec 2019

Inferences On The Power-Law Process With Applications To Repairable Systems, Jularat Chumnaul

Theses and Dissertations

System testing is very time-consuming and costly, especially for complex high-cost and high-reliability systems. For this reason, the number of failures needed for the developmental phase of system testing should be relatively small in general. To assess the reliability growth of a repairable system, the generalized confidence interval and the modified signed log-likelihood ratio test for the scale parameter of the power-law process are studied concerning incomplete failure data. Specifically, some recorded failure times in the early developmental phase of system testing cannot be observed; this circumstance is essential to establish a warranty period or determine a maintenance phase for …


Information Retrieval From Spaceborne Gnss Reflectometry Observations Using Physics- And Learning-Based Techniques, Orhan Eroglu Dec 2019

Information Retrieval From Spaceborne Gnss Reflectometry Observations Using Physics- And Learning-Based Techniques, Orhan Eroglu

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a learning-based, physics-aware soil moisture (SM) retrieval algorithm for NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission. The proposed methodology has been built upon the literature review, analyses, and findings from a number of published studies throughout the dissertation research. Namely, a Sig- nals of Opportunity Coherent Bistatic scattering model (SCoBi) has been first developed at MSU and then its simulator has been open-sourced. Simulated GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) analyses have been conducted by using SCoBi. Significant findings have been noted such that (1) Although the dominance of either the coherent reflections or incoher- ent scattering over land is …


Supporting Student Success In Chemistry Using Peer Mentoring, Laboratory Experiments, And Eye-Tracking Analysis, Viveka Lakruwani Perera Dec 2019

Supporting Student Success In Chemistry Using Peer Mentoring, Laboratory Experiments, And Eye-Tracking Analysis, Viveka Lakruwani Perera

Theses and Dissertations

Active participation in the learning process enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We implemented peerocused, active learning, recitation sessions with the large-enrollment sections for General Chemistry I courses at Mississippi State University (MSState) over a period of four semesters beginning in Spring 2016. The peerocused recitation program was a success improving student final (standardized ACS) exam scores, pass/fail rates for the course, and continuation on to General Chemistry II (CH 1223) courses. Peerocused collaborative learning and students possessing ownership over their learning significantly enhanced academic outcomes of our program. Worked-example effect is the best known and apparently the most …


Vegetable, Dietary Fiber Consumption And Obesity In Japan And The United States, Megumi Hashida Dec 2019

Vegetable, Dietary Fiber Consumption And Obesity In Japan And The United States, Megumi Hashida

Theses and Dissertations

The US and Japanese populations do not meet recommended DF intakes. This study indicated the relationship between the variety of vegetables available in markets and vegetable consumption in the US and Japan. The number of vegetables available in markets was determined using online resources from five markets in each country. Mean number of vegetable products in the US was 104.4 products (SD: ±36.8) and mean number of vegetable products in the Japanese markets was 120.2 products (SD: ±15.6). There was no significant relationship between the variety of vegetables in markets and vegetable consumption between the US and Japan. This study …


Developing An Organizational Decision Making Model: The Impact Of Organizational Structures, Decision Types, And The Social Network, John Huggins Dec 2019

Developing An Organizational Decision Making Model: The Impact Of Organizational Structures, Decision Types, And The Social Network, John Huggins

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational decision making can be seen as a complex process due to the fact that decisions across organizational levels are generally interdependent, and have effects ranging from immediate to long-lasting. Reviewing decision making mathematical and process models, decision making is fundamentally characterized by multiple decision making steps from encountering a problem to determining a course of action. The first objective of this dissertation was the determination of the decision making model that a certain type of organization uses, and the establishment of a foundation for an organizational decision model framework. Decision making can be classified into three decision types: strategic, …


High School Teacher’S Acceptance Of Technology And Privacy Concerns In The 1:1 Initiative Laptop Program, Ronald Gatewood Jr Dec 2019

High School Teacher’S Acceptance Of Technology And Privacy Concerns In The 1:1 Initiative Laptop Program, Ronald Gatewood Jr

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has shown teachers’ attitudes, teachers’ preparation for using technology, and the availability of technology had significant positive associations with technology integration. However, research has shown that teachers do not fully utilize technology, they fail to implement it thoroughly due to a lack of time needed for planning the implementation of technology into the curriculum, and they do not have adequate training which contributes to underutilization of technology. Due to a lack of research from the teachers’ perspective of technology acceptance, the purpose of this study was to examine high school teachers’ acceptance and use of technology and determine …


A Systematic Approach For Waste Management In The Semiconductor Industry, Vivian Hui Dec 2019

A Systematic Approach For Waste Management In The Semiconductor Industry, Vivian Hui

Theses and Dissertations

One area that has received attention in the literature is sustainable production. This research has focused upon modifying production processes to improve sustainability. Semiconductor manufacturing has evolved into one of the most important industries in the world. However, as a new industry, semiconductor manufacturing has had far less attention in the sustainability literature as compared to more mature industries. Amongst the sustainability frameworks and methodologies that have been developed to measure the sustainability of an entity, waste is treated as an afterthought, not as the focus of the research. The literature rarely considers waste management as a component of sustainable …


Understanding The Effects Of Mass Mortality Events On Plant Communities And Consumer Behavior, Carolina Baruzzi Dec 2019

Understanding The Effects Of Mass Mortality Events On Plant Communities And Consumer Behavior, Carolina Baruzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Mass mortality events (MMEs) are die-offs that result in increased carrion biomass and sometimes the impairment of functional roles. Concurrently, several vulture species are declining. Carrion is a basal resource in ecosystems and its recycling by vultures is considered an ecosystem service. However, the consequences of simultaneously increasing carrion loads and declining vulture populations are unknown. I developed a theoretical framework predicting that, with increasing carrion biomass, carrion food web diversity would increase horizontally and vertically, respectively increasing and decreasing carrion recycling efficiency. Using a manipulative experiment, I investigated the role of bottom-up and top-down forces affecting plant communities during …


Enhanced Controllers For Voltage-Sourced Converters Interfaced With Weak Ac Power Grids, Sushil Silwal Dec 2019

Enhanced Controllers For Voltage-Sourced Converters Interfaced With Weak Ac Power Grids, Sushil Silwal

Theses and Dissertations

Many distributed energy resource (DER) systems are remotely located and are often interfaced at low or medium voltage levels through power electronics converters such as voltage-sourced converters (VSC). Therefore, a weak-grid situation is encountered where the voltage and frequency at the point of DER coupling can experience fluctuations. A power converter designed to operate in normal and strong grid conditions may not perform satisfactorily during such weak and distorted grid conditions. Hence, considering the full dynamics of the system during weak-grid conditions in the design of converter control is indispensable to ensure the stability of the DER and the grid. …


Evaluation And Development Of Effective Tank Cleanout Procedures Following Dicamba Use, Zachary Carpenter Dec 2019

Evaluation And Development Of Effective Tank Cleanout Procedures Following Dicamba Use, Zachary Carpenter

Theses and Dissertations

Sprayer hygiene and concerns of off-target injury from auxin herbicides have increased in recent years. New auxin tolerant crops have broadened the use patterns of these herbicides. Therefore, experiments were conducted across two locations in Mississippi in 2016, 2017, and 2018 to evaluate sprayer cleanout procedures to aid in dicamba removal. Standard sprayer cleanout consisted of a triple rinse of 10% tank volume, with either a tank cleaner or ammonia added in the second rinse. Samples collected in each rinse step for all treatments were applied to actively growing soybean and dicamba concentration quantified with HPLC. Experiments were conducted to …


Evaluation Of Preemergence And Postemergence Herbicide Programs On Weed Control And Weed Seed Suppression In Mississippi Peanut (Arachis Hypogea), John Wesley Seale Dec 2019

Evaluation Of Preemergence And Postemergence Herbicide Programs On Weed Control And Weed Seed Suppression In Mississippi Peanut (Arachis Hypogea), John Wesley Seale

Theses and Dissertations

Weed control is challenging for Mississippi peanut producers. Research was established during 2017 and 2018 at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Mississippi, to evaluate herbicide programs for weed control and reducing weed seed production in Mississippi peanut production. Treatments were combinations of acetochlor, clethodim, flumioxazin, lactofen, paraquat, and S-metolachlor with their respective adjuvants if needed. Treatments were applied: PRE, early-POST (EPOST), and/or mid-post (MPOST). All treatments included a PRE application followed by (fb) application of EPOST and/or MPOST application. Flumioxazin PRE fb lactofen plus clethodim MPOST provided greatest weed control and peanut yield. This treatment provided 88 …


Effect Of Pro- And Prebiotics On The Apparent Digestibility Of Nutrients And Identification Of Fecal Bacterial Isolatew In The Sedentary And Exercising Horse, Courtney Heaton Dec 2019

Effect Of Pro- And Prebiotics On The Apparent Digestibility Of Nutrients And Identification Of Fecal Bacterial Isolatew In The Sedentary And Exercising Horse, Courtney Heaton

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objectives of the following experiments were to: 1) determine the impact of a directed microbial (DFM) blend on digestibility and microbial populations on horses fed low (LQ) and high (HQ) quality hay, 2) evaluate the differences in diet digestibility, microbial populations, and blood metabolites due to DFM supplementation to the exercising horse, 3) assess the impact of short-chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS) supplementation on digestibility and the fecal microbial ecosystem in senior (SR) vs. mature (MA) horses, and 4) determine the relationship between insulin dysregulation (ID) and morphometric neck measurements (MNM) in the non-obese stock-type horse. Results indicated that: 1) …