Digital Commons Network^™

Performance Enhancement Of Wide-Range Perception Issues For Autonomous Vehicles, Suvash Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the mission-critical nature of the autonomous driving application, underlying algorithms for scene understanding should be given special care during their development. Mostly, they should be designed with precise consideration of accuracy and run-time. Accuracy should be considered strictly which if compromised leads to faulty interpretation of the environment that may ultimately result in accidental scenarios. On the other hand, run-time holds an important position as the delayed understanding of the scene would hamper the real-time response of the vehicle which again leads to unforeseen accidental cases. These factors come as the functions of several factors such as the …

Early College High Schools And Community College Partnerships: Perceptions Of Community College Administrators In Mississippi, Zachary W. Moulds

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of community college administrators in Mississippi regarding the early college high schools located on their campuses. While the ECHS model has become prominent in several states, Mississippi’s efforts to implement the model have yet to be fully examined. Six administrators from three community colleges with ECHS located on their campuses were individually interviewed and asked to share their perceptions of the ECHS model. The participants were asked a series of 12 questions composed by the researcher. The results of the study indicated that each of the administrators overwhelmingly view …

Department Of Longing, Anthony Gabriel Coffman

Theses and Dissertations

Many have chosen to divide the world of fiction into literary and genre. I do not believe these have to be mutually exclusive. Writers such as Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and Benjamin Percy note the importance of literary devices while simultaneously creating plots that elicit emotional responses from readers. It is my goal to accomplish the same, and bridge the gap between literary and genre fiction in my collection of short stories by using symbolism and imagery to create a sense of the foreboding.

The Dark Side Of Artificial Intelligence: Understanding The Role Of Perceived Algorithm Unfairness On Ride-Hailing Driver Discontinuance, Zhenya Tang

Theses and Dissertations

Ride-hailing platforms (RHP) are sharing economy platforms that connect passengers who need to order a private ride or to share a vehicle with drivers who want to share a ride. However, after rapid growth, major RHPs (e.g., Uber, Lyft, and Didi) have begun to face severe driver shortages. Attracting and maintaining a large driver base is critical to the survival and success of any RHP no matter its size. While practitioners are urging to seek suggestions from academia to prevent driver loss, limited research attention has been paid to RHP drivers’ discontinuance. To fill this gap, this dissertation aims to …

Metabolic Profiling Of Firefighter Plasma Using 1h Nmr Platform Following Curcumin, Ketone Supplementations And Carbohydrate Restricted Diet Benefits For Oxidative Stress Suppression, Richard Eugene Baird

Theses and Dissertations

Occupational health surveys reported that first responders such as firefighters (FF) have some of the highest levels of cardiovascular disease in the nation from poor eating habits and lack of exercise. Three studies were established with goals to identify oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers and improve cardiovascular health for FF including: 1) a 28-day-carbohydrate restricted diet (CRD), 2) a heat-house search and clear protocol in personal protection equipment (PPE) plus curcumin supplementation, and 3) a treadmill exercise protocol in PPE with ketone salt supplementation. During those studies, stored blood plasma subsamples were evaluated for targeted antioxidants or untargeted metabolite concentration fluctuations …

Extended School Closure: The Perspectives From A Rural School Community, Ha Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption to students worldwide, especially younger ones. This instrumental case study investigated how elementary students in a rural United States southeastern community experienced the sudden, extended closure of their school building facilities triggered by this health emergency. Multiple stakeholder perspectives were gathered through semi-structured interviews with the elementary school principal, three classroom teachers, three elementary-aged students, and three student family members, along with classroom observations as well as corresponding documents and artifacts. Interview commentaries and weekly reflective commentary journal entries were employed to address data validation and reliability issues. The findings demonstrate how the rural …

The Impact Of High- Vs. Low-Load Resistance Training On Measures Of Muscle Activation, Strength, Body Composition, And Hormonal Markers, Marissa Laina Bello

Theses and Dissertations

Resistance training has shifted towards a high- vs low-load training approach. Heavier loads are suggested to maximally recruit motor units and optimize strength adaptations, whereas lower loads stimulate hypertrophy. However, a majority of the research has not used a true strength range when assessing load. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to examine and determine significant differences in strength, body composition, and hormonal markers over nine weeks of high- or low-load resistance training. Secondary purposes of the current investigation were to assess and quantify training load for resistance training using sEMG sensor-embedded compression shorts. 17 recreationally-trained males were randomized …

The Role Of Personal Disposition And Preference Matching In Information Security Message Persuasiveness, Feng Xu

Theses and Dissertations

How to design effective persuasive information security messages to motivate individuals’ engagement in recommended protective security behaviors has become a top priority in the information security field. Although fear appeals have been shown to be an effective means to influence individuals’ security-related protective behaviors, recent information security research has called for a deeper understanding of recipients’ information processing of messages to design effective fear appeals. Previous IS security research has explored two individuals’ information processing routes of security messages, the central route, and the peripheral route, and has investigated the impacts of central variables, perceived argument quality, and peripheral variables, …

Enhancing The Performance Of Dowel Type Fasteners And A Case Study Of Timber Truss Failure, Lon A. Yeary

Theses and Dissertations

This document will outline the findings of three separate and independent studies: Study 1: In or around 1972, an experimental building was constructed. One of the intents of the construction project was to demonstrate advancements in wood building construction design. It was value-engineered throughout. That is, its materials and systems were intended to function at or near design capacity. In 2019, part of the roof of the structure collapsed. This case study investigates two potential factors that led to the failure: stress concentration in excess of the 12 allowable stress for 2 × 4 web members and insufficient plywood sheathing …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experience Of Parental Caregivers For Children With Severe Epidermolysis Bullosa, Michael J. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Providing care to child with a chronic, rare diseases has been identified as a major life stressor with a myriad of negative physical and mental health consequences. These stresses have previously been found to create burden that may impair caregiving efforts and increase the risk of mortality for both the caregiver and affected child. Many rare diseases affect children. It is not known how caregiver burden and the source of stress varies by disease. Qualitative methods have been used to understand caregiver experience with the rare disease, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), but no such studies have occurred in the United States. …

Perceptions Of Middle School Students On Gardening, Julie B. White

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions middle school students had about agriculture and gardening as part of the GrOW (Gardening and Overall Wellness) Program. This included multiple constructs, including students’ gardening efficacy, perceptions of those who had already completed the GrOW Program, perceptions of those who had not completed the GrOW Program, and students’ future interests in gardening. The population for this study was sixth-grade students at the Partnership Middle School in Starkville, Mississippi. A quantitative instrument was used to assess the perceptions of the students (n = 222).

Overall, students had positive perceptions about the …

An Optimization Modeling Framework To Evaluate Civilians Response Under Active Shooter Violence Situations, Joseph G. Kerlin

Theses and Dissertations

Workplace safety is under serious threat due to the increasing trend of active shooter violence in recent years. Therefore, it becomes essential that the safety of a workplace is rigorously and, most importantly, methodologically assessed against active shooter violence. To serve this purpose, this study proposes a machine learning-optimization framework to assess the safety of a building against possible active shooter violence. First, several state-of-the-art machine learning models are employed to predict an agent’s movement decisions (with directions) under different violence scenarios. The predictions are then utilized in a mixed-integer linear programming model to maximize the agent’s utility under a …

The Application Of Food-Grade Chitosan And Another Food-Grade Compound In Coatings To Control Tyrophagus Putrescentiae (Schrank, Family: Acaridae) Growth On Dry-Cured Hams And Their Impact On Dry-Cured Ham Quality, Wenjie Shao

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to evaluate if chitosan and another food-grade compound can be incorporated into food-grade coatings in conjunction with propylene glycol and polysaccharides to control Tyrophagus putrescentiae growth without affecting sensory attributes, water activity, and moisture content of dry-cured hams. Each coating solution was coated on ham cubes (2.5 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm³, n = 5/treatment) or infused in ham nets, and dry-cured ham cubes were wrapped in the ham nets prior to inoculation with 20 mixed-sex adult mites. Randomized complete block designs with two replications were utilized to evaluate the efficacy of …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Sustainable And Biobased Copolymers From Lignocellulosic, Guery Saenz

Theses and Dissertations

Natural compounds have been the primary resource used to produce polymeric materials by humankind since the mid-1900s. Yet, progress in bio-based polymers from renewable feedstock has encountered some obstacles, mainly due to the low prices of petroleum-based monomers, compared to natural and sustainable materials. However, most commodity plastics are non-degradable materials, and solid plastic waste accumulation adversely affects the environment. As the world population is growing and demanding chemicals, energy, and plastics materials, polymer research is focusing on synthesizing bio-based and degradable polymers. Thus, biomass, a sustainable and inexpensive feedstock, is highly appropriate for designing alternative thermoplastics that are degradable …

Quantifying The Effects Of Abiotic Stress On Early Season Growth, Development, And Physiological Characteristics In Corn, Charles Hunt Walne

Theses and Dissertations

Corn is one of American agriculture's greatest success stories, where we have witnessed incredible increases in yield potential over the last half-century. However, abiotic stress is still the primary limiting factor preventing plants from reaching their true yield potential. In addition, agriculture is not exempt from the deleterious effects of changing weather patterns and the altered climate our world will face as time progresses. Thus, increasing our understanding of how crops interact with their environment both above and below the soil will be crucial to increasing production on a global scale while maximizing profitability at a local level. Five studies …

Getting Ahead And Getting Along In Entrepreneurial Networks: Network Effects Of The “Dark” And “Light” Sides Of Personality In New Venture Performance, Victoria Antin Yates

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how dark and light personality traits influence venture performance via mediating effects of social structure. Because entrepreneurship is an inherently social process, theoretical perspectives of social network theory and social comparison theory are used to examine how entrepreneurs’ dark and light personality traits interact with personality traits of socially proximal others to influence venture performance via network structure. These perspectives are drawn together using socioanalytic theory. This dissertation argues that agreeableness and narcissism interact with the personality traits of network others at the group-level to influence structural hole positioning within entrepreneurial networks; in turn, structural holes are …

The Impact Of Teacher Diversity On Student Outcomes, Kristie White Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Closing the teacher diversity gap was fundamental to closing the achievement gap between White and Black students. The gap in teacher diversity has continued to widen over the last decade. As the number of Black students in public education increases, the number of Black teachers continued to decline. The teaching profession remained a predominately white female workforce. A lack of teacher diversity had a negative effect on all student achievement. Black teachers served as role models to Black students. Those Black students taught by Black teachers had better academic achievement, behavior, motivation, and aspirations to attend college. In order to …

Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Response To Sub-Lethal Concentrations Of Paraquat At Different Growth Stages, Tameka L. Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

Off-target herbicide movement onto rice is an annual problem in rice-producing areas within Mississippi. In Mississippi, rice is routinely drill‐seeded in April to early May. Because these dates often coincide with preplant and/or preemergence (PRE) herbicide applications to corn (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], drift onto neighboring rice crops is likely to occur. Although the effects of off-target movement of paraquat on rice may not be visibly apparent, the potential effect on rough rice yield could be detrimental. Field research was conducted at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS, …

The Nexus Among Disasters, Social Vulnerability, Subsidiarity Assistance, And Government Finance In The U.S., Aisha Sarah Ahmadu

Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have examined the effect of natural disasters and social vulnerability indicators on broad factors using different theoretical frameworks; however, no study synthesizes a framework of theories to comprehensively examine the nexus among natural disasters, social vulnerability, subsidiarity principle, and government finance in the U.S. The dissertation utilizes a broad framework of theories to address two objectives of the dissertation namely the determinants of (1) infrastructure investment and (2) public assistance programs.

Using panel data from 50 U.S states over a 17-time period (2000 – 2017), the first objective of the study investigates the determinants of infrastructure investment using …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Using Social Media For Classroom Instruction In Secondary Schools, Beverlee Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done to explore social media on students and instructors and their perceptions of social media use in higher education, but little research has been done on teachers in secondary education and their perceptions of social media use in the classroom. Due to the lack of research, the purpose of the study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of social media use to improve students’ learning and students’ engagement and if their perceptions varied by selected demographic variables. The study was conducted in three northeast Mississippi secondary schools, a 6th and 7th grade school, 8th and 9th grade …

The Diffusion And Adoption Of Precision Agricultural Technologies And Practices In Six Selected Southern States, Patterson Perez Hilaire

Theses and Dissertations

Precision agriculture continues to be prevalent within row-crop production. The purpose of this study was to investigate the adoption status of precision agricultural practices among selected row-crop (soybean, wheat, corn, cotton, peanuts, and rice) producers in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Seventy-four percent of row-crop producers surveyed in this study had adopted precision agricultural practices in their farming operations. Eighty-three percent of respondents indicated they were using automated GPS technology such as autosteer, 66% were using manual guidance such as lightbar, 63% variable-rate prescription map, and 34% auto-sprayer boom section or nozzle control. The primary source for receiving …

Academic Misconduct: Its Importance To Persistence And Graduation, Tabor Lancaster Mullen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of an act of academic misconduct on transfer student GPA, retention and completion. Three groups were compared from data compiled from 2009-2015: freshman and new transfer, transfer and native student in honor code violations, and transfer student between violators and non-violators. The outcome determined if not committing an act of academic misconduct benefits students’ immediate academic success as seen through a maintained or higher GPA, retention from one semester to another, as well as completion.

The study utilized the quantitative, quasi-experimental study design. The research was conducted using descriptive statistics …

The Relationship Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphism In Taste Receptor Genes And Body Composition, Energy Intake, And Macronutrient Consumption In Young Adults​, Manal Abbas Sunbul

Theses and Dissertations

Genetic variations in taste receptor genes play a notable role in human taste perception and food preferences and intake, which may affect nutritional and health status. Understanding how genetic variations in taste receptor genes influence food perception, preferences, and intake can play an important role in designing effective interventions to improve the quality of peoples' nutrition and minimize the risk of diet-related diseases such as obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of umami taste receptor gene TAS1R1 and GRM4 and sweet taste receptor gene TAS1R3 and percentage of body fat mass (BF%) among …

Wood Properties And Utilization Of Assorted Hardwoods, Roger Dustin Snow

Theses and Dissertations

This work is made up of three parts. Part one looks to establish design values for two types of three ply access mats from the U.S. South and Midwest. The mats were subject to 3 point bending tests to determine strength and stiffness values. Values for MOE (Modulus of Elasticity) and MOR (Modulus of Rupture) are reported by region and mat design. Part two tested five species groups of hardwoods for wear resistance and hardness. These species groups include white oak, red oak, ash, sweetgum and hickory. These tests for wear were performed on a Navy-Type Wear Tester according to …

The Interplay Of Aggregate Faculty Hiring, Aggregate Faculty Retention And Student Graduation At Community Colleges In The United States, Jared Burns

Theses and Dissertations

This research study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in community college graduation rates based on aggregate faculty hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size. The study employed a non-experimental quantitative research design with three independent variables (aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size) and one dependent variable (graduation rate).

The study utilized a one way ANOVA, independent t test, and factorial ANOVA to analyze differences in graduation rates based on aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention, and community college size. Results of the one way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences …

Environmental Impact And Life Cycle Assessment Of Biomass Supported Power Systems For Rural Communities, Hariteja Nandimandalam

Theses and Dissertations

Dependence on fossil fuels in the electric sector is one of the major contributors towards Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The increase in renewable contribution has been observed in recent years but there is still potential to utilize wood waste in rural communities for electricity generation promoting energy independence and sustainable development. For this study, a life cycle assessment approach was utilized to estimate the emissions of electricity produced from wood residue in a rural community. Therefore, the process from planting to supply for bioenergy facility to generate electricity are included. The results showed a decrease of 92-96 % in global …

Fea Analysis On A Beam Of Hexacopter Drone Frame, Aicha Chahbi El Alaoui, Taymae Ben Messaoud

ME 4233/6233 Fundamentals of FEA

Our project covers the research made, a deep analysis, the structural design, modeling, and design of a hexa copter, which has six degrees of freedom. In order to improve the drone’s dynamics and efficiency, an analysis will be conducted on one beam constituting the drone using Abacus.

Marcello Musto, The Last Years Of Karl Marx, 1881-1883: An Intellectual Biography. Translated By Patrick Camiller. Stanford, Ca: Stanford University Press, 2020. Isbn 9781503612525., Sean Sayers

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

In the final years of his life, Marx suffered repeated attacks of bronchitis and other illnesses. On doctor’s orders, he spent weeks on end convalescing by the sea, forbidden to exert himself. In the past, most biographers have passed over this period of Marx’s life very briefly, treating it as barren and unproductive. They can be forgiven for doing so, they had little to go on. Marx published very little in these years, and only a few of his letters were known. This situation has changed dramatically in recent years.

Progressives And The Jewish Question, Jacqueline Kay

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

No abstract provided.

The World’S Languages In Crisis (Redux): Toward A Radical Reimagining For Global Linguistic Justice, Gerald J. Roche

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

The world’s languages are in crisis: intergenerational transmission of around half the world’s languages is collapsing. I argue that to understand and intervene in this situation, we need to radically reimagine what it means to call it a crisis. We need to think about this crisis not simply as an acute emergency (which it is), but also in Antonio Gramsci's sense of a period in which ‘the old is dying but the new cannot be born’. In this sense, our present moment of crisis is one in which language oppression and language revitalization co-exist in dynamic tension. To analyze this …