Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Health Rocks! With A Control Group, Dan Wang, Yunqi Wang, Maria R. De Guzman, Yan R. Xia, Kieu-Anh T. Do, Zhenqiao Yang

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Youth substance use challenges their health and well-being. There is research and practical need for rigorous evaluation of substance use prevention programs in prompting positive youth development. This study examined the program effectiveness of Health Rocks!, a youth substance use prevention program, with a quasi-experimental two-factor mixed evaluation design. We gathered data from 584 participants (i.e., 475 youth in the treatment group and 109 youth in the control group) and conducted paired-sample t-tests for each group to compare youth substance use-related outcomes before and after the training. Results showed that youth in the treatment group reported significant increases in substance …

Comparing Virtual And In-Person Delivery Modes Of A Preschool Stem School Readiness Program During The Pandemic, Yaebin Kim, Courtney E. Lyons, William P. Evans, Dan Weigel

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study describes the transition of a preschool STEM school readiness program from in-person to virtual programming during the early pandemic phase, examines in-person and virtual program data to understand the effectiveness of these two program delivery modes, and presents lessons learned from this abrupt transition. Results suggest that in-person and virtual classes were effective and equivalent on parent ratings and program monitoring variables. Future study will be needed to fully determine the cost-benefit impacts of in-person, virtual, and hybrid program delivery models on STEM school readiness and other family engagement programs.

News You Can Use— Helping Older Adults Make Informed Food Choices, Chih-Cheng Lu, Sarah Francis

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This cross-sectional study investigates the impact of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Nutrition Education With Seniors (NEWS) program on the food-related challenges faced by older adults. The study used quarterly evaluations spanning 2012 to 2022, focusing on the application of newsletter information; 3,281 surveys were completed. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed for sociodemographic analysis, while z-tests with Bonferroni correction compared column proportions. Respondents were primarily female (64.5%), aged 60-69 (52.1%). Many encountered a decreased food supply (47.1%), yet experienced no impacts from these changes (47.3%.) Most used NEWS information for food choices (79.7%) and resource management (83.9%), …

Changes In Nutrition, Food Safety, And Physical Activity Behaviors: A Comparison Between The Peak Health And Performance And Teen Cuisine Curricula, Tyler B. Becker, Ronald J. Gibbs Jr.

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study compared the Peak Health and Performance curriculum (PHP) to the Teen Cuisine curriculum (TC) on improving nutrition, food safety, and physical activity (PA) behaviors among youth. The quasi-experimental study was conducted in Michigan middle and high schools and included 1007 5th- through 12th-grade students, who participated in either the PHP or the TC curriculum. There were 465 students in the PHP group and 495 students in the TC group. Nutrition, food safety, and PA behaviors were surveyed before and after each program. Individual curriculum pre- and post-scores were compared using a paired t-test, and between-group changes were examined …

Understanding Extension-Library Partnerships: Results From A Three-State Survey, Noah Lenstra, Gary Deziel

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

When attending to community needs, collaboration across community organizations yields outcomes that are dynamic and sustaining. Given the interest in collaboration across organizations, and the desire to understand how these partnerships occur, this study sought to explore the collaborative efforts of Extension and public libraries in three states: Kentucky, North Carolina, and Vermont. Foundational information was gathered regarding programming within this partnership, alignment of efforts, and the experiences of partnering from the perspectives of both Extension and library staff, including successes and challenges. Most considered collaboration an expansion to their reach and determined that results included enhanced engagement through cooperation, …

Competitive Conquest: Charting The Climb To Pokémon Supremacy, Robert Dilworth

BCoE Publications

This manuscript presents a comprehensive exploration of optimizing Pokémon gameplay through data-driven methodologies, aimed at enhancing competitive performance in high-stakes environments. In the first section, we introduce a robust Pokémon teambuilding algorithm that leverages statistical analysis of championship-winning compositions. By employing multiple linear regression techniques, we predict team performance based on critical factors such as Base Stat Totals (BSTs) and various coverage types. This integration of data science principles into Pokémon strategy underscores the importance of offensive capabilities over defensive considerations, ultimately contributing to advancements in teambuilding strategies. Our proficiency in R programming facilitated the development of an efficient codebase …

Air-Stable Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Based Ccc-Nhc Pincer Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, Photophysical And Raman Vibrational Studies, And Dft Studies, Plus Observation Of An Abnormal Carbene Pincer, Jason A. Denny, Georgette M. Lang, Shane Autry, Vivek Dixit, Tyler L. Woodby, Annie Mcclellan, Jaclyn M. Trate, Nathan I. Hammer, Charles Edwin Webster, Thedford K. Hollis

CAS Publications

A series of CCC-NHC pincer Pd(II)X complexes, where X = Cl, Br, or I, were synthesized by a metalation/transmetalation reaction sequence and characterized by NMR and Raman spectroscopy, photophysical studies, X-ray crystallography, and DFT computational studies. This is the first detailed report of the CCC-NHC pincer Pd complexes analogous the previously reported Pt analogs. Photophysical measurements show that by varying the X ligand, the emission wavelength can be tuned. The chloride complex is a water and air stable blue emitter with a quantum yield of 46% and all three complexes have photostabilities >90%. A combined DFT and TD-DFT study has …

Agricultural Producers' Perceptions Of Stressors: A Study On Controllability And Persistency, Mary Nelson Robertson, Devon Mills, Brice A. Fortinberry, Mary Marshall Waller, Hunter H. Thompson, Marina Denny, David Buys

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Farm stress negatively impacts agricultural producers’ (APs) physical and mental health. The average age of agricultural producers has increased in every USDA agricultural census since 1945, and the stressors may be either or both caused or exacerbated by increasing age. The Cooperative Extension Service is well-known for working with APs and is well-equipped to address these concerns for this aging population. To better understand farm-related stressors, this study examines APs’ and Extension agents’ perceptions of major stressors faced by APs. Focus groups were held to identify stressors and determine the controllability and persistency of those stressors. The mean age of …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of An Integrated Nutrition Education Curriculum And The Impact On Preschoolers' Food Liking, Alicia Stapp, Laurel Lambert, Georgianna Mann, Kaitlyn Sills, Kenya Wolff

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Nutrition education during early childhood that includes experiential learning, modeling, and family engagement can support lifelong healthy eating habits.

Purpose: The present study examined the impact of a nutrition-integrated, 32-week supplemental curriculum entitled Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Communities on children’s exposure to fruits and vegetables, ability to identify fruits and vegetables, liking of fruit and vegetables, and teachers’ perceptions of the curriculum.

Methods: A pre- and post- fruit and vegetable pictorial Likert survey was administered to 261 Pre-K4 children. To investigate teachers’ perceptions of the curriculum, a post-intervention focus group was conducted with 19 teachers.

Results: Significant differences …

Social Determinants Of Alzheimer’S Disease And Dementia: The Mississippi Landscape, Kenneth R. Butler Jr., Denise Lafferty, Stacee B. Naylor, Kimberly C. Tarver Md

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are those conditions in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, physical and cognitive functions, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Numerous social factors are significant contributors to the development and progression of various diseases. Recently, much attention has focused on assessing the impact of social factors on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The objective of this commentary is to describe and assess the SDOH that have been associated with increased risk of ADRD in the context of the social environment in …

The Jackson Water Crisis Across The Lifespan: Living And Dying For Clean Water, Ashley W. Jones, Antonio J. Gardner

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the midst of freezing temperatures from a snowstorm, the city of Jackson, MS faced the potential demise of its drinking water infrastructure. Triggered by the freezing of water pipes in the city and a subsequent fire at a local water treatment facility, the lack of clean, accessible water made daily tasks more difficult for the city’s older adult population who had limited mobility, income, and ability to relocate. This commentary examines the effects of ongoing water infrastructure issues in Jackson, MS and its effect on aging in place. Considerations for a …

Incremental Growth Through Professional Learning Communities Of Math Teachers Engaged In Action Research Projects, Liza Bondurant

CoE Publications

This study investigates the experiences of a professional learning community (PLC) com- posed of six secondary math teachers enrolled in a graduate math methods course. Through the discussion of educational texts and collaborative inquiry, the teachers identified classroom challenges they aimed to address through individual action research projects. The PLC provided a supportive environment for teachers to share their processes, receive peer feedback, and collectively reflect. This study underscores the value of action research and PLCs in driving educational improvement. By en- gaging in structured inquiry within a collaborative setting, teachers gained insights into pedagogical issues, developed targeted incremental interventions, …

Escuchemos Las Voces Bilingües De Nuestros Educadores Rurales: Who And What Matters For The Education Of Secondary English Learners In A Rural Florida School Community, Nidza V. Marichal

The Rural Educator

Guided by constructive epistemology and grounded in Greenwood’s place-conscious education theory and critical race theory in education, (CRT), this narrative-informed qualitative study critically examines how the lived experiences of three bilingual educators shape their work with English Learners (ELs or multilingual learners, MLs) in a Florida rural school community. Primary data consist of videorecorded interviews and photo elicitation that illuminated teachers’ told life narratives. Findings from this study demonstrate that the voices of the bilingual teachers matter for improving EL education in this rural community. The teachers’ reflections about their “ontological-becoming,” their engagement with the rural school community, and the …

Aspirational Mexican American Parenting In The Rural South: Multilingualism, Hard Work, And The Middle Class, Alma D. Stevenson, Scott Beck

The Rural Educator

This study examined the parenting choices of Mexican-heritage former child migrant farmworkers who are now financially stable and raising their own children in the rural South. The study yielded multiple significant findings using data collected during semi-structured, bilingual focus groups and analyzed through grounded theory coding. The participants spoke of painful childhood memories of how their poverty and biculturalism left them isolated. Now, as adults, they have sought middle-class belonging for themselves and their children. They described their “pedagogies of the home” as seeking to preserve their linguistic heritage, teach the value of hard work, and facilitate their children’s upward …

Multilingual Educators In Superdiverse Rural Schools: Placing Administrators And Teachers’ Cultural And Linguistic Wealth At The Center Of Rural Education, Carla Paciotto, Gloria A. Delany-Barmann

The Rural Educator

Centered on reconceptualizations of “rural” and “rurality” that reimagine and transcend the “traditional imaginaries” of rural educational settings as places of disadvantage and isolation, this article presents the partial results of a mixed methods study funded by the Spencer Foundation about expanded and pivotal roles played by rural multilingual (ML) teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators in two rural school districts located in U.S. Midwest COVID-19 hotspots. The pandemic made the historical struggles and inequities that ML students face in U.S. schools glaringly evident, as ML families experienced a disproportionately negative impact of the virus on their health and financial stability and …

Mississippi State University Libraries Archives & Special Collections Collection Development Policy, Mississippi State University Libraries

Policies and Procedures

No abstract provided.

Mississippi State University Libraries Collection Development Policy, Mississippi State University Libraries

Policies and Procedures

The following policy provides guidelines for the selection of library materials and presents the rationale underlying material selection at Mississippi State University Libraries. While the policy does not anticipate every contingency that may arise, the philosophy expressed throughout provides a basis for sound acquisition decisions.

Increasing Access To Acceptable And Affordable Gluten-Free Baked Goods, April Litchford, Karin Allen, Cindy Jenkins, Eva Timothy, Paige Wray

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Transitioning to a gluten-free (GF) diet can be difficult due to limited reliable recipes to produce baked goods at home and poor quality of commercially available baked goods. This study tested basic recipes capable of creating acceptable GF baked products at home using commercially available GF flour blends. Recipes for a drop cookie, rolled cookie, bread, and pizza crust were tested and altered during this research to produce reliable recipes for GF baked goods. To assess the acceptability of these GF baked goods, products were tested for springiness, moisture content, hardness, height, spread, taste, appearance, and texture during in-lab testing …

A Midwest Perspective On Biochar Integration In Extension, Blake C. Colclasure, Elizabeth Bose, Jack Dempsey, Taylor K. Ruth

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Biochar can be considered a climate-smart, agricultural soil amendment due to its ability to provide long-term storage of carbon. Research examining the impacts of biochar-enriched soils reported improved soil characteristics often leading to agricultural benefits, especially in nutrient-poor soils. Despite the potential use of biochar in the Midwest, United States, few studies have examined biochar in Extension. This study, guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action, used survey methodology to collect information on Midwest Extension agents’ (n = 125) knowledge, attitudes, and subjective normative beliefs toward biochar. These factors, along with agents’ demographics and perceptions toward sustainable soil amendments, were …

Sorting Out Equity: The Q-Sort Method In Mathematics Education Research, Liza Bondurant, Jamaal Rashad Young

CoE Publications

In this research commentary, we review the current utilization of the Q-Sort methodology (QM) in mathematics education and provide an example of how Q-Sort can support a more accurate assessment of PSTs' equity beliefs.

Cascading Effects Of Assumption Violations In An Extension Program Development Model, Susan T. Guynn, Patrick Hiesl, Shari L. Rodriguez, Janet Steele

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The Cooperative Extension Service delivers informal educational programs that can help to improve the lives of citizens and communities. Planning, design, implementation, and evaluation are crucial considerations for Extension programs and serve as the foundation for the Extension Program Development Model. The Extension Program Development Model has underlying assumptions that may not be explicitly stated or apparent to Extension practitioners, but if the assumptions are violated, it can lead to cascading effects that impact the effectiveness of an Extension program. This paper will discuss the assumptions of the Extension Program Development Model and the potential impacts of assumption violations. We …

Nutrition Education For Refugees: Successful Strategies And Barriers, Jessica Smith, Habiba Nur, Martha Archuleta, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Celina Wille, Casey Coombs, Heidi J. Wengreen

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Nutrition education can improve nutrition and health for refugees. Extension program directors providing nutrition education to refugees were surveyed regarding successful program techniques, program challenges, and both the barriers refugees face and the strengths they possess concerning healthy eating. Researchers used grounded theory to explore the qualitative data. Hands-on, skill-based learning emerged as a main theme of successful programs. Language and cultural issues emerged as main program challenges. It is recommended that future refugee nutrition education programs provide culturally sensitive opportunities for skill-based learning.

Emotional Experiences Of Mental Health First Aid Trainees: A Qualitative Study, Alexander E. Chan, Emma T. Kniola, Raya Francis

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a program that helps participants identify, understand, and respond to mental health and substance use disorders. Research studies focusing on the emotional experiences of MHFA participants are lacking. Studying these experiences can help improve the training process for MHFA learners. This paper aims to identify participants’ motivations for signing up for MHFA and investigate their emotional experiences when applying MHFA knowledge in real-world settings. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews. Participants (n = 20) completed 30-minute interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes related to the motivators and feelings of participants when applying …

The Positive Behavioral Management Strategies Program (Pbms) For Parents, Teachers, And Caregivers: Impacts And Outcomes, Victor Harris, Brian Visconti, Ginny Hinton, Riley Curie, Shyama Hausner

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study examined the impact of the Positive Behavioral Management Strategies (PBMS) online educational program on 624 participants in the southeastern region of the United States. The PBMS program incorporates established behavioral management principles with new research-based practices to promote healthy, positive relationships between adults and children while constructively managing and preventing problematic behavior. Additionally, the PBMS program helps parents and teachers to recognize the motivations behind misbehaviors and to avoid some common mistakes in child behavioral management. It also describes how to recognize and capitalize on “teachable moments,” which are indispensable in the developmental process. A retrospective-pre-test-then-post-test design was …

Using Mentimeter In Online Book Clubs To Engage And Educate Extension Audiences, Nichole Huff, Miranda Bejda, Emily Dewitt, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Melinda Mcculley

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cooperative Extension professionals, like many others, were tasked with quickly adapting to accommodate limited face-to-face interactions. The pandemic necessitated that Extension educators leverage online resources to deliver tailored programming in informative and innovative ways while providing engaging, hands-on learning experiences. This article highlights two studies using Mentimeter as a tool to educate and engage Extension audiences through subsequent installments of an online book club. The presented case studies examine the processes and outcomes of a unique educational approach to Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) in a non-traditional setting. The studies represent two distinct FCS disciplines: Family …

Leveraging A Team Approach For Emergency Preparedness In Georgia, Virginia Brown, Maria Bowie, Pamela Turner, Aaron Golson

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This project cultivated a foundational level of training that will grow as an integral part of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s organizational commitment to provide systemic readiness in support of the emergency response. The development of four geographically dispersed, specially trained small teams within the University of Georgia Extension System built capacity for readiness, response, and recovery to natural disasters and local emergencies. These teams help facilitate a timely and skilled response to the needs of employees and stakeholders before, during, and after natural disasters and local emergency events. Specialized training continues to be provided to all team members.

Climate Science, The Military-Industrial Complex, And The Political Economy Of Knowledge-Making: Beyond The Capitalist Ontology Of Nature?, Daniel Cunha

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

Climate science is one of the main political drivers of today’s world, informing critical scholars and social movements alike. Yet, many scholars associate it with projects of domination (the Cold War, capitalism, imperialism) while relying on it to elaborate a critique of capital. This article proposes a new historical account of climate science. Drawing from archival findings, interpreted with historical sociology combined with the critique of political economy, the article shows that a conflict developed at the National Academy of Sciences during the Vietnam War, between scientists who wanted atmospheric research to be under the auspices of NATO, as proposed …

Marshaling A Triumph: The Park Chung Hee Era, Developmental State Theory, And The Meaning Of Success In South Korea, Kevin Hockmuth

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

South Korea has long been looked to as a model of developmental success. Undoubtedly, South Korean society has experienced a remarkable expansion of wealth, social well-being, and technological capacity over the last half-century. The central turning point in this momentous transformation coincided with the authoritarian rule of Park Chung Hee (1961-1979). As such, scholars of political economy and development have paid close attention to the various facets of his regime to glean the primary causes underpinning South Korea’s developmental feats. The most significant of these efforts have emerged from works emphasizing the role of the South Korean developmental state. This …

The Political Economy Of Knowledge: Navigating Scientometric Enthusiasm Amidst Political And Economic Forces Shaping The Production And Dissemination Of Scientific Knowledge, Maria Cernat

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

While we witness heightened enthusiasm in certain peripheral areas of scientific production regarding scientometric standards, there are increasingly pressing issues concerning how the ideal of objective and rational science is being called into question. In this article, I contrast the enthusiasm for the "prestige" of top-tier journals with the increasingly urgent problems related to the lack of independence of researchers and scientific research itself in a world dominated by security institutions and corporations. While many authors rush to blame postmodernists for the lack of trust in science, recent studies in the history of science reveal an increased role of security …

Variational Quantum Algorithms For Two-Particle Systems, Cameron Moffat

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores variational quantum algorithms, a promising class of hybrid algorithms that leverage the variational principles to simulate quantum systems in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era. We present a comparative analysis of two types of Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) methods, assessing their capability to obtain the ground state of a two-particle fermionic quantum system. Also presented is our work using VQE to find ground states of a two-particle system with short-ranged interactions. Additionally, we studied variational quantum time evolution using the McLachlan variational principle, and compared the state evolution to the exact solution. Our findings highlight the strengths …