The Influence Of Urban Forms And Street Infrastructure On Pedestrian-Motorist Collisions, Taylor J. Foreman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Unwalkable cities are afflicted by serious issues such as increasing rates of pedestrian traffic accidents, public health concerns, and the denied right to have an accessible city. This study examines how different types of urban forms and street infrastructure contribute to the prevalence of traffic accidents in two major metropolitan cities in the United States: Atlanta, Georgia, and Boston, Massachusetts. This study utilizes geospatial analysis through the Average Nearest Neighbor and Optimized Hot Spot Analysis tools to determine the spatial distribution of traffic accidents throughout both cities. Additionally, statistical tests were conducted to explore the relationships between the number of …

The Portrayal Of Disability In 19th And 20th Century American Novels, Taylor Whittington

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the treatment of disabled characters by their family and communities in 19^th and 20^th - century American literature. The three works being evaluated are, The Monster (1898) by Stephen Crane, The Sound and The Fury (1928) by William Faulkner, and Of Mice and Men (1937) by John Steinbeck. Although The Sound and The Fury and Of Mice and Men contain a white disabled character, The Monster details the disfiguration of an African American man. In The Monster, race exacerbates the community’s response to the disfigured Henry Johnson, compared to Lennie in Of Mice and Men, …

Conceal Reveal, Jacquelyn A. Bolton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the human condition expressed through the materiality of textile and fiber arts and its connection to spirituality. The human condition, as I understand it, is the state of being a person complete with a mind, body, and spirit. This includes all the experiences a person encounters in life—birth, growth, aging, conflict, love, loss, grief, injury, relationships, trauma, rejection, joy, acceptance, and so on. The human condition answers the question: What does it mean to be a person? We are in flux. This ever-changing aspect of “being” is captured in the inherent qualities that are found …

Effects Of Imagined Financial Difficulties On State Adult Attachment Systems, Loren Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

According to Bowlby’s definition of attachment theory, insecure attachment systems negatively regulate individuals' behaviors, thoughts, and feelings (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). As individuals age, negative views of others and the self can grow, inevitably hindering relationships with others and self-esteem. Empirical research suggests a strong positive relationship between low socioeconomic status (SES) and developing an insecure attachment style among children (Sherry et al., 2013; van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2010). With many similarities between child and adult attachment models, there is a gap in the literature examining the impact of lower SES on adult attachments. Although socioeconomic status's effects on general …

Acceleration Patterns During Standing And Running Tumbling Passes In Collegiate Cheerleading, Benjamin L. Paquette

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Tumbling requirements and expectations of heightened difficulty of tumbling skills has grown to become a vital component in competitive collegiate cheerleading. Acceleration patterns during tumbling skills has been previously explored in gymnastics, with a floor routine being the most similar in nature, but not completely transferable considering differences in tumbling surface, execution strategy, and setting. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate acceleration patterns during different tumbling passes in collegiate cheerleading athletes. Fifteen female collegiate cheerleaders (age = 19.6 + 1.50) participated in the study. Each participant completed a max of seven different tumbling passes (two standing, 5 …

Comparative Analytics On Chilli Plant Disease Using Machine Learning Techniques, Sai Abhishta Roy Seelam

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis concerns the detection of diseases in chilli plants using machine learning techniques. Three algorithms, viz., Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and their variants have been employed. Chilli-producing countries, India, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Spain, the United States, and Turkey. India has the world’s largest chilli production of about 49% (according to 2020). Andhra Pradesh (Guntur) is the largest market in India, where their varieties are more popular for pungency and color. This study classifies five kinds of diseases that affect the chilli, namely, leaf spot, whitefly, yellowish, healthy, and leaf curl. A …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Predicting Missed Clinic Visits Among Patients Living With Hiv On Antiretroviral Treatment., Osaremhen Ikhile

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) often face challenges that contribute to missed clinical care which can impact their health outcomes.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine associations of clinical and sociodemographic factors such as age at the entrance into antiretroviral treatment (ART), rurality-urbanicity, biological sex, province of residence, and viral load with PLHIV’s tendency to miss scheduled visits for ART among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2019.

Methods: The study participants for this quantitative study were 5338 adults …

The Relationship Between Isolation And Social Emotional Experiences In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jana Arslan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Children with ASD often face socioemotional challenges compared to their typical developing classmates (Chamberlain et al., 2006; Deckers et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2021; Locke et al, 2010; Zeedyk et al., 2015). The objective of the current study was to assess the relationship between classroom isolation and social emotional experiences (i.e., social isolation, loneliness, self-efficacy with peers, and friendship quality) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through self-report surveys in order to foster the best possible academic environment for children with ASD to succeed and create outlets for further research to be developed in regards to this subject. …

Comparison Marker-Based And Markerless Motion Capture Systems In Gait Biomechanics During Running, Hui Tang

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Markerless (ML) motion capture systems have recently become available for biomechanics applications. Evidence has indicated the potential feasibility of using an ML system to analyze lower extremity kinematics. However, no research examined ML systems’ estimation of the lower extremity joint moments and powers. Objectives: This study primarily aimed to compare lower extremity joint moments and powers estimated by marker-based (MB) and ML motion capture systems during treadmill running. The secondary purpose was to investigate if movement’s speed would affect the ML’s performance. Methods: Sixteen volunteers ran on a treadmill for 120 s for each trial at the speed of …

Strengthening The Academic Progress Of Students Within Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support, Leslie Dial

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Leadership in education is thinking, communicating, and modeling to maximize student growth and achievement. This quantitative research study explored how leadership can strengthen the academic progress of students within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). When implementation of MTSS is guided by adaptive school leadership, educators will be prepared, communication will occur, interventions will be established, and data will be evaluated. Adaptive leaders who build efficacy will ensure fidelity and continuous improvement of student achievement.

Survey research was conducted to analyze the operational level of MTSS regarding the domains of Leadership, Building Capacity for Instruction, Communication and Collaboration, Data-Based Problem-Solving, Tiered …

Educator Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Preparedness To Work In High Poverty Schools, Kristen Carroll

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The school leader and teacher have the greatest impact on student success. The level of self-efficacy and level of preparedness is of the utmost importance for educators and students alike. This study investigated the perceptions of educators in the belief of whether they were adequately prepared to teach in a high poverty school. The participants, educators from four school districts, completed a survey based on their perceptions of their own level of self-efficacy and preparedness to work in high poverty schools. The results of this study are aimed at impacting educator preparedness to better understand how to best support …

The Effect Of Genetic Relatedness On Mate Selection And Spatial Distribution In The American Alligator, Alligator Mississippiensis, Mark Hoog

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

To date, most genetic studies on the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) have focused on population genetics and multiple paternity. There have not been any studies looking at how relatedness affects alligator behavior and movement. This study focused on three main questions: 1) what is the genetic diversity among alligators in this location? 2) can parentage be accurately defined among parents and offspring? and 3) how does individual relatedness affect their spatial distribution? We examined the relatedness of 174 unique individuals from the Okefenokee Swamp Park, in South Georgia, USA. In addition, we placed Telonics^® satellite tags on …

Extralegal Bias In The United States Military In Sexual Assault Cases, Taylor F. Blackston

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

By evaluating the case recommendations following a preliminary hearing from military sexual assault cases from fiscal years 2016-2018, this study aims to assess whether or not extralegal factors are influencing decisions of case recommendations of assigned convening authorities. Using secondary data from the Department of Defense’s annual reports on sexual assault in the United States military (n=5,171), this study aims to answer the following questions: Do extralegal factors contribute to convening authorities’ recommendations following Article 32 hearings? If so, what extralegal factors contribute to convening authority's decision on non-judicial hearing recommendations? The results of the following analyses identified several extralegal …

The Impact Of Controlling Language And Source Similarity On Psychological Reactance, Caroline Yarbrough

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Persuasive health messages are frequently advertised throughout the pandemic to decrease the spread of COVID-19 while increasing the likelihood of immunity. However, research demonstrates that persuasive health messages may be ineffective because they have the potential to elicit psychological reactance. Reactance is characterized by a state of unpleasant motivational arousal and often occurs when individuals experience or perceive threats to their freedom, and it can be evoked through controlling language (Frey et al., 2021; Grandpre et al., 2003). Additionally, research has shown that similarity is associated with liking (Cialdini & Trost 1998) and people are often more inclined to comply …

Assessment Of The Utilization Of Healthcare Services Specific To Pregnancy-Related Complications In Rural And Medically Underserved Georgia, Diana L. Aguirre

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Maternal mortality is a continuing issue, with rates for the state of Georgia (3.7 per 100,000 live births) are higher than that of the US rates (2.9 per 100,000 per live births) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, n.d., 2023). However, maternal mortality may not account for health disparity factors, apart from access to quality care and physiological issues, which is a factor in pregnancy-related deaths, Pregnancy-related death, as defined by the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), is a death of a woman that occurs during or within one year of pregnancy that …

Campus Safety Data Gathering, Classification, And Ranking Based On Clery-Act Reports, Walaa F. Abo Elenin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Most existing campus safety rankings are based on criminal incident history with minimal or no consideration of campus security conditions and standard safety measures. Campus safety information published by universities/colleges is usually conceptual/qualitative and not quantitative and are based-on criminal records of these campuses. Thus, no explicit and trusted ranking method for these campuses considers the level of compliance with the standard safety measures. A quantitative safety measure is important to compare different campuses easily and to learn about specific campus safety conditions.

In this thesis, we utilize Clery-Act reports of campuses to automatically analyze their safety conditions and generate …

Decision Making Related To Situations When Sexual Violence Might Occur, Shakeia Salem

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The definition of sexual violence has changed over the years to include all unconsented sexual contact. Sexual violence is a global issue targeting young, college-aged adults. We used hypothetical scenarios to determine the discounting rates of participants in situations where sexual violence might occur. Undergraduate students (n = 146; mean age 20.18 years) from Georgia Southern University participated in our study. The sample of participants included 116 (79.45%) females and 30 (20.55%) males, identifying as White (n = 85; 58.22%), Hispanic (n = 5; 3.42%), Black (n = 28; 19.18%), Asian (n = 1; .68%), …

The Effect Of Tempo On Prone Hamstring Exercise - An Exploration Of Unilateral Bias, Derick A. Anglin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Hamstring injuries are common muscle-skeletal injuries with a high recurrence rate. While unmodifiable risk factors (e.g., previous injury) vary, recent evidence has questioned the utility of eccentric exercise in preventing hamstring strains. Furthermore, whether eccentric exercise can transfer to sprinting’s kinetic and kinematic requirements is of question. Therefore, this investigation examines exercise tempo (fast vs. slow eccentric phase), movement strategy (bilateral vs. unilateral), and external load characteristics (coupled vs. independent) bias concentric (CON) and eccentric (ECC) biceps femoris (BF) mean electromyography (mEMG). METHODS: Twenty college-aged students aged 18 – 33 (M = 23.4, SD = 3.12 years) with …

Using Machine Learning Classification And Esa Sentinel 2 Multispectral Imager Data To Delineate Marsh Vegetation And Measure Ecotone Movement In Coastal Georgia, Thomas A. Pudil

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Tidal marshes are unique communities that are subjected to environmental stressors including sea level rise, salinity change, and drought, resulting in constant change. It is important to monitor these changing areas because of the ecosystem services they provide to us, such as protection from storms and carbon sequestration. The proposed work for this thesis project is focused on the study of tidal marshes and the dynamics between the vegetation species within them. The aim of this project is to use geospatial technology and analyses, along with machine learning classification methods, to monitor change in these valuable ecosystems. The Georgia coast …

Supports And Services To Improve Academic Success Of High School Student Athletes, Samuel G. Nichols

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether supports and services offered in various study hall programs (Traditional, Objective Based, and/or Objective Based +) at the high school level to help student athletes be academically successful in terms of achieving a minimum GPA of 2.0 or above. Basketball programs were used for this study because it is a major sport in the school district in which the data were collected. Data were sought via questionnaires of chosen participants via convenience sampling from eight eligible high school athletic directors in one school district in Georgia. This study called for the …

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nesting Experience, Seasonal Variation, And Hatching Success On A Georgia Barrier Island, Luke Sundquist

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Loggerhead sea turtles nest commonly on the Georgia barrier islands and serve critical roles in human cultures, coastal economies, and multiple ecosystems. However, their global populations are declining and dependent on conservation efforts and informed management of natural and anthropogenic threats. Nesting offers a unique opportunity to research and protect this valuable marine species in terrestrial habitats. Microsatellite DNA sampling from eggshells can consistently identify nesting females from eggshells, allowing tracking of nesting behaviors for large populations over multiple years. Using this novel technology, we compared maternal investment and nest site-selection between first-time nesting neophytes and experienced remigrants. We sampled …

Medical Providers' Use Of Maternal Mental Health Screening Tools During Prenatal Appointments In Southeast Georgia, Andreka Ewing

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, maternal mental health disorders are the most common comorbidities experienced during pregnancy and after childbirth. In particular, the state of Georgia reports that 1 in 7 Georgian mothers experience depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, or psychosis related to these disorders. Research suggests that untreated maternal mental health can have adverse effects on the mother and unborn child. Conditions such as autism, mixed handedness, reduced cognitive ability, and affective disorders can develop while the child is in the womb of a depressed mother. Routine maternal mental health screening using a validated screening tool has been recommended to help …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Methods On Implementing Radar And Antenna Solutions To Defense And Biomedical Problems, Jalexis E. Vanga Guzman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Growing developments in antenna and radio frequency systems have created a strong incentive for researchers to study and apply electromagnetic (EM)-based solutions to modern defense and biomedical problems. The ability to transmit and receive EM waves using antenna systems has not only increased global connectivity, but also increased the need for innovation in antenna size reduction and development of radar systems.

Size reduction techniques have been extensively studied for antennas after the development of electrically small antennas (ESAs) which follow Chu’s limit. ESAs allow the implementation of antennas with much smaller foot-size than traditional full-sized designed while keeping the same …

The Relationship Between Age, Sport, And Years Coaching On Knowledge, Confidence, Preparedness, And Intention To Intervene With Youth Athletes Experiencing Mental Health Challenges, Allyson P. Looby

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Mental disorders can affect all ages and populations, but there is an increasingly high prevalence in the pediatric population. It is estimated that 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 9-17 experiences some degree of impairment from a diagnosable mental health disorder (Merikangas et al., 2010). Youth are often not equipped to seek professional support; making parents, teachers, and coaches key to detection and referral to professional help (Ng et al., 2021). The environment youth sports creates gives coaches the opportunity to have a greater impact on youth mental health (Das et al., 2016). Purpose: Determine if age, …

Emergency Preparedness And Response: Examining Rural Hospitals (Rhs) Communication Systems Before, During, And After A Natural Disaster, Geremy D. Lloyd

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Rural Hospitals (RHs) have distinctive characteristics that constitute unparalleled challenges. One of those challenges is the ability to communicate effectively in a disaster, impacting the various effects on the affected society. Research has shown that effective emergency preparedness and response (EPR) communication is paramount when communicating informed details about emergent events. Despite the evolving complexities of communication and the technology associated with disaster communication, very few studies have successfully investigated RHs communication systems before, during, and after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to examine and assess RHs communication systems and to highlight the strengths, identify …

Investigating Salinity Intrusion Effects On Sapelo Island, Georgia Using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Bioindicators, Raymond Paul Kidder Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are threatened by the compounding effects of sea level rise and historical land modification. Historically, much of Sapelo Island, Georgia was deforested and drained using a series of ditches and canals to create arable land fit for agriculture and to provide drainage to the inhabited parts of the island. Today, this network of artificial channels is believed to be facilitating the movement of saltwater from the nearby estuary into freshwater areas on the interior of the island. This study aimed to better understand the frequency and magnitude of salinity intrusion events along with their resulting impacts to the …

Promoting The Positive: A Case Study Of The Influence Of School Climate On One Turnaround School From 2016-2022, Cynthia Gunner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Schools across the country are finding various means to address the social realities that often exist in high poverty schools. School climate is one of those social realities. While there is research related to school climate in high poverty schools, there are limited case studies related to this subject. This qualitative case study examined how one elementary school was transformed by creating a positive school climate between 2016-2022. This study also explored the impact that the pandemic and subsequent school lockdown had on the newly established school climate. Findings from this study indicated that PF Elementary School established a positive …

Exploring Relationship Among Programmatic Expertise, Work Engagement, And Turnover Intentions Across Different Generation Cohorts In State And Local Governmental Public Health Agencies, Stephanie L. Irvin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationship among public health programmatic competencies, work engagement, and turnover intentions among state and local public health workers. It also explored the moderating role of generational cohorts in these relationships. It employed a quantitative secondary data analysis using the 2021 PHWINS survey, a collaboration between the de Beaumont Foundation and The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The study's principal findings shed light on critical relationships within the public health workforce: Firstly, an increase in programmatic expertise among public health professionals is linked to increased work engagement, particularly notable within the Millennial cohort. Secondly, a …

Mapping Landcover Change And Population Displacement Of Lakshmipur District, Bangladesh Due To Riverbank Erosion From 2001-2021: A Geospatial Approach, Israt Jahan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Due to the geographical setting, the Lakshmipur district of Bangladesh experiences adverse effects of global climate change that include but are not limited to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, storm surges, coastal flooding, and riverbank erosion. While riverbank erosion is an implicit impact of climate change, it directly affects human settlements, agricultural activity, and the overall livelihoods of people in this area. Examining the spatiotemporal changes in land cover and population due to riverbank erosion in this region could help us better understand the dynamics of human-environmental relations. This study aimed to classify land cover for every five years …