Digital Commons Network^™

Distribution Of Woodpecker Activity Relative To Wooden Utility Structure Usage In The Southeastern United States, Hannah Chelsea Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Woodpeckers are a group of avian species that cause damage to wooden power utility structures. In the southeastern United States, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), has accrued an estimated $5 million USD annually from woodpecker damage. Previous work has focused on effectiveness of reactive mitigation and restoration efforts with little investigation of preventative methods. To address this knowledge gap, this study will i) use species distribution model techniques to predict damage suitability across the TVA service area, ii) use Bayesian hierarchical community model techniques to estimate species richness of the woodpecker community in the service area, and iii) recommend target areas …

Prevalence Of Salmonella, Campylobacter, And Spoilage Bacteria On Broiler Meat At Different Stages Of Commercial Poultry Processing, Hudson Thames

Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella and Campylobacter are two foodborne pathogens that continue to persist in broiler processing. Various studies have demonstrated that peracetic acid can effectively reduce the prevalence pathogens on broiler meat. However, there are a limited number of studies comparing the effects of peracetic acid on broiler meat from different processing plants. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and spoilage microbes on broiler meat at different stages of poultry processing in commercial plants that use peracetic acid as the primary antimicrobial. Results indicated that there was a high initial microbial presence on broiler meat …

A Pilot Study Examining The Influence Of An Entrepreneurial Education Program On Entrepreneurial Intention And Its Antecedents In A Population Of Adolescent Males In Recovery, Ian Mckay

Theses and Dissertations

Drug addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder that has been characterized by the compulsive use of addictive substances despite adverse consequences to the individual and society. Research has shown various social-psychological factors (e.g., positive affect, self-efficacy, behavioral intentions, beliefs held by others, and ones' perceptions of a behavior) to be essential determinants in recovery. Research has also demonstrated Entrepreneurial Education Programs (EEPs) to improve specific and global self-efficacy and autonomy in adolescent populations. The following study is the first to examine the impact of a therapeutically oriented EEP on entrepreneurial intentions and its antecedents in a population of adolescent males …

Perceived Close Friend And Parent Disapproval/Approval Of Illicit Use Of Prescription Stimulants, Kara L. Nayfa

Theses and Dissertations

Illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) has become more common in the late adolescent and emerging adulthood populations. This study examined the impact of close friend and parent disapproval/approval on IUPS in college students.

A sample of 903 college students (M_Age = 19.23) completed a questionnaire assessing variables including lifetime IUPS (14.59% of sample), and perceived close friend/parent disapproval/approval of either academic or recreational IUPS. A 2 X 2 chi-square test of independence was used to analyze data regarding perceived close friend/parent disapproval/approval and IUPS. There were four primary findings.

First, students were significantly less likely to report having …

Bridging The Divide: Revisiting The Conceptualization Of Impulsivity And Its Relation To Alcohol Use And Alcohol Problems., Karen Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

The development of multiple theoretical models and measures of impulsivity has led to inconsistent use of this term and disagreement regarding the most salient predictors of alcohol-related outcomes. The present study examined whether self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity measure the same construct and how eight conceptually distinct facets of impulsivity relate to alcohol-related outcomes. Participants completed measures and tasks to assess alcohol use, alcohol problems, trait impulsivity, and behavioral impulsivity. The UPPS-P and behavioral measures of impulsivity were largely uncorrelated with each other. Negative urgency and alcohol use emerged as direct predictors of alcohol-related problems. Lack of premeditation demonstrated …

Optimal Control Of Adaptive Wild Hogs, Katherine Barkley

Theses and Dissertations

Wild hogs (sus scrofa) have caused major damage to agricultural crops in the US due to their lack of natural predators and fast reproduction rates. Wild hogs change their behavior to evade capture. Thus, control methods are thwarted and may not result in sufficient mortality to keep pace with the reproduction of wild hogs. This study extends previous invasive species literature to include increasing costs due to adaptability in two settings: the presence of hogs is deterministic or stochastic. The analysis is limited to one farmer's objective function with varying degrees of adaptability for "smartness". The findings concluded the population …

Chess With Pigeons, Katie Starliper

Theses and Dissertations

In a time of Global Pandemic, massive social justice demonstrations, and concerning political shifts, reality feels inaccessible and at times even unreal. With quarantine and social distance as the new norm, our human connections are abstract and digitized. My thesis will be a collection of short fiction that seeks to employ methods of the speculative genre and alternative narrative structure to explore our shifting understanding of humanity and connectedness. The introduction to this collection will lay out the process through which speculative realities better define our own.

Thermal Degradation Kinetics Of Aromatic Ether Polymers, Keith O. Cobb Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Fluorinated polymers of substantial high performance such as perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) and fluorinated aryl vinyl ether (FAVE) polymers can readily be synthesized by thermal [2+2] cyclopolymerization as a melt or by classical polycondensation. These fluoropolymers naturally possess high thermal and chemical resistance, low conductivity properties, and other mechanical properties. In this work, a method using 0th order kinetics is proposed and thermal degradation studies were conducted on six different aromatic ether-based polymers to gauge trends in activation energy barrier and differences in thermal stability by 0th order degradation kinetics. The activation barrier (E_a) obtained can give accurate insight into the stability …

Phytochemical And Biological Strategies To Improve Essential Oils Content In Lavender, Keefah Al-Garallaa

Theses and Dissertations

Lavender is an important medicinal plant that is sensitive to various environmental factors. Lavender essential oils have been shown to improve human health in response to many diseases. Lavender is grown all over the world, which indicates its ability to adapt to different climates. There are no reports of its commercial cultivation in Mississippi. It has been proven that there are many factors that directly affect the plant growth and concentration of essential oils in lavender. Studying these factors that affect plant growth and essential oils will be beneficial for lavender producers. The aim of this study is to increase …

Mississippi Teachers' Perceptions Of Environmental Education And Outdoor Instruction During A Covid-19 Pandemic, Kelisha Stamps

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) and outdoor instruction are essential to understanding and addressing different environmental issues in school communities. This study investigated Mississippi teachers' perceptions on environmental education and outdoor instruction during 2020-2021. A state-wide survey and follow-up interview were conducted to examine their thoughts about environmental education and outdoor instruction and COVID-19 limitations in their classrooms and how that may affect their perceptions. Analysis was conducted using SPSS contingency and frequency tables, Chi-square Test of Independence, and content analysis of qualitative data. The results showed that Mississippi teacher participants believe that environmental education in Mississippi K-12 schools is very important …

Community Learning For Flood Mitigation: Using The Community Rating System (Crs) Scores As An Indicator, Kelvin Kofi Koteyfio Amon

Theses and Dissertations

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) introduced the Community Rating System (CRS) to encourage community-level flood mitigation and increase individual-level flood insurance uptake. This study analyzes what factors influence communities to participate in the CRS and conditional on participation, what factors affect the type and intensity of participation over time? I used historical data of policies-in-force, claims, CRS participation, and U.S. Census American Community Survey for all NFIP communities in 11 key states to answer these questions. The results show socio-demographic factors significantly and positively predict communities' likelihood of participating in the CRS, whilst flood risk variables of claims and …

The Application Of Photogrammetry For The Recording And Analysis Of Antemortem Cranial Depression Fractures, Keri Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Compared to other methods for digital modeling, photogrammetry is portable, user-friendly, and cost-effective. Despite the potential benefits to the subfield of bioarchaeology, few investigations into this technology have occurred. This research attempts to fill the gap by investigating the accuracy of photogrammetry for recording antemortem cranial depression fractures (CDFs). Using the Mississippi State Asylum skeletal collection, dry bone measurements of CDFs were compared to those on photogrammetric models. Additionally, three volunteers of various skill levels attempted to identify these fractures using the digital models. Results showed that despite accuracy in recording maximum length and width measurements, maximum depth could be …

Pen Size And Brd: Impacts On Antimicrobial Use, Antimicrobial Resistance, Performance, And Profitability, Kirsten Midkiff

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of number of stocker cattle in receiving pens (large: n=150 cattle; small: n=50 cattle) on 1) BRD morbidity/mortality, and performance, 2) antimicrobial use and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Mannheimia haemolytica, and 3) profitability of stocker operations. No differences were found for morbidity (p=0.5041). Mortality tended (p=0.0744) to be higher in large groups. BW increased (p LESS THAN 0.0001) over time. A treatment*day interaction (p=0.00592) was found for ADG, with largest gains for both groups from day 14-28. M. haemolytica recovery decreased (p=0.0002) over time. Antimicrobial resistance (p=0.0179) and MDR …

Assessing Capabilities Of Thermal Imaging Technologies Equipped To Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (Suas) To Detect Grassland Bird Nests, Lori Hearon

Theses and Dissertations

North American grassland bird populations are declining more rapidly than other groups of birds. A well-established method of quantifying and monitoring grassland bird populations is by locating active nests. Active nests are often difficult to locate in grassland swards due to the varying heights within the canopy that nests are established. Studies quantifying grassland bird populations have low statistical power due to low sample sizes and high disturbance. Advances in small, unmanned aerial systems and thermographic imaging technologies have potential to improve efficiency of locating nests throughout canopies. This study explored detection accuracy of using thermal imagery to identify simulated …

Exploring The Use Of Virtual Reality To Train Pre-Service Teachers To Implement A Trial-Based Functional Analysis, Lyndsay A. Fairchild

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the use of 360 degree virtual reality training videos to teach pre-service teachers to implement a Trial-Based Functional Analysis (TBFA). Additionally, the current study sought to assess if following training, participants could generalize the assessment skills learned to a novel problem behavior. Three undergraduate education majors in their junior year of coursework participated in the study, and were exposed to 360 degree virtual reality training videos for each of the TBFA conditions (attention, demand, and tangible) in various orders in a multiple-probe design. Results from the study indicated that the videos …

Using Precision Agriculture To Identify Overlap In Conservation And Economic Opportunities In Agricultural Landscapes, Makayla Brister

Theses and Dissertations

Intense agriculture is detrimental to the environment and leads to nutrient runoff, decreased water quality, soil erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, and decreased wildlife habitat. In addition to negative environmental impacts, intense agriculture increases the financial strain on farmers. Farmers also face inconsistent yields from environmentally vulnerable lands. Due to these financial constraints and inconsistent yields, conservation goals are not always economically attractive to farmers and agricultural producers. One possible solution to this issue is the use of precision agriculture (PA) to inform strategic conservation efforts. We used PA technology to identify low-revenue field areas in the Mississippi Delta and Black …

Evaluating The Impact On Underrepresented Populations Of A 5-Day University-Based Stem Academic Leadership Summer Camp For High School Jrotc Students., Mark John Powers

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi State University leaderSTATE STEM program provides a variety of experiences for Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) high school cadets across three states: Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, the majority from underrepresented demographic populations. LeaderSTATE STEM offers 5-day residential summer camps (N=6) for over 300 students annually. The camps utilize a variety of geosciences STEM activities to increase students' awareness of science and opportunities in geoscience careers. To evaluate the effectiveness of student attitudes towards science, the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) instrument was used to ascertain changes in attitudes about science and society. Paired pre-post TOSRA survey …

Pact Of Impaired Polyamine Synthesis And Transport On Pneumococcal Transcriptome, Proteome, Metabolome, And Stress Responses, Mary Frances Nakamya

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a compilation of published work and a manuscript that seeks to understand the role of polyamine metabolism in the regulation of pneumococcal physiology. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the major cause of community-acquired pneumonia, and otitis media worldwide. Genetic diversity and serotype replacement, and antibiotics resistance to confound existing therapeutic strategies and limit the effectiveness of the available capsule polysaccharide (CPS) based vaccines. Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine and cadaverine are ubiquitous polycationic hydrocarbons that interact with negatively charged molecules and modulate important cellular processes. Intracellular polyamine concentrations are regulated by biosynthesis, degradation, and transport. This work investigated …

Understanding Family Dynamics In A Cross-Cultural Sample, Mary Moussa Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

The Circumplex Model of family functioning posits that balanced levels of cohesion and adaptability are associated with positive familial outcomes, whereas extremely high or low levels of these factors are associated with deleterious outcomes. Despite the popularity and utility of this model in Western cultures, there is a dearth of empirical data supporting its use in less Western or more culturally diverse cultures. The current study assessed the Circumplex Model of family functioning, cultural factors, and emerging adult outcomes (e.g., substance use, risky sexual behavior, emotional problems, prosocial behavior) across 18 U.S. sites, China, Nigeria, Switzerland, Iran, Turkey, and the …

A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Trauma-Informed Child Advocacy Program At Mississippi State University, Mary Grace Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluated the Trauma-Informed Child Advocacy Certificate (TICA) at Mississippi State University which is hosted in the School of Human Sciences, specifically in the area of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS). HDFS students (N = 94) enrolled in coursework during Spring 2021 participated in the evaluation. Students were grouped by enrollment in TICA courses, with 43 students having participated in TICA coursework and 51 students having only participated in general HDFS courses. Assessments included a perceived knowledge survey and 10 application-based scenarios. Independent samples T-tests indicated TICA students perceived themselves to have more trauma-informed knowledge, and frequency analyses …

Using Weed-Suppressive, Chromosome Substitution (Cs) Cotton As A Supplemental Weed Management Strategy, Mary Gracen Alexandra Fuller

Theses and Dissertations

Cotton is a valuable fiber crop around the world used to create fabrics, oils, and currency. The threat of herbicide resistant (HR) weed populations is precarious for cotton production. The overreaching objective of this study was to phenotype potentially allelopathic chromosome substitution (CS) lines to determine competitive accessions. The identification of competitive cotton lines would be useful in the development of alternative weed control tools. Twelve CS lines (CS-49, CS-38, CS-34, CS-39, CS-27, CS-13, CS-50, CS-26, CS-25, CS-43, CS-46, and CS-23) along with the parent line (TM1) and two conventional varieties (UA48 and Enlist) were screened in a greenhouse using …

Selected Factors Associated With Administrators' Leadership Behaviors And School Accountability, Mary Nell Vandevender Woolery

Theses and Dissertations

In this era of educational accountability, achieving and maintaining high levels of student academic performance is the goal of every school. State accountability models serve as the measure to determine if school districts are successfully educating students, and the responsibility of student academic success rests on the principal of each school. Effective leadership is a necessary component of successful schools, especially in rural school districts. The focus of this research was to explore teachers' perceptions of the leadership behaviors and practices of their principals and determine if relationships existed between the leadership behaviors and the schools' accountability ratings. A survey …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Impacting Caregivers Of Children With Charge Syndrome, Matthew A. Ferrigno

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to focus on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in parents who have a child diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome called CHARGE Syndrome. While previous studies have investigated related factors to parental PTSD (Reda & Hartshorne, 2008; Wulffaert et al., 2009), this study was one of the first to focus on parental PTSD symptomology and possible traumatic experiences related to CHARGE (e.g., medical complications). Specific concerns related to PTSD addressed in the current study included trauma histories, the number of surgeries a child underwent, and parent stress levels. One hundred and ninety-seven parents completed surveys that …

Thermomechanical Modeling Predictions Of The Directed Energy Deposition Process Using A Dislocation Mechanics Based Internal State Variable Model, Matthew Joseph Dantin

Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this work is to predict the mechanical response of an as-built Ti-6Al-4V directed energy deposition component by a dislocation mechanics-based internal state variable model based on the component's geometry and processing parameters. Previous research has been performed to connect additive manufacturing (AM) process parameters including laser power and scanning strategy to different aspects of part quality, such as porosity, mechanical properties, fatigue life, microstructure, residual stresses, and distortion. The lack of predictive capabilities to fully estimate residual stresses and distortion within parts produced via AM have hindered part qualification; however, modeling the AM process can aide …

Katrina Cottages: The Value Of Place And Permanence In A Post-Disaster Landscape, Matthew C. Hinton

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the government's capacity to provide adequate long-term housing to disaster victims. In response, Congress created a pilot program to test the efficacy of permanent disaster housing prototypes known as "Katrina Cottages." However, implementation was hindered by a lack of planning and local opposition. In Mississippi, residents feared adverse impacts to property values, citing poor design quality resembling manufactured mobile homes as a primary concern. Using standardized local tax appraisals, this study finds that Katrina Cottages are valued significantly higher than manufactured homes. It further reveals no significant difference between Katrina Cottages and single-family homes. It also suggests …

Pain Tolerance Feedback And Deliberate Self-Harm In Men And Women, Matthew A. Timmins

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing literature supporting the idea that those who engage in non-suicidal deliberate self-harm (DSH) have altered pain perception compared to individuals who do not. For example, individuals who report a history of non-suicidal DSH behavior have a decreased sensitivity to transient pain during laboratory-based pain induction (e.g., Glenn et al., 2014). Research suggests that brief manipulations targeting individual beliefs can affect performance on subsequent tasks, including measures of pain sensitivity. To date, however, no study has examined the effects of experimentally manipulated pain perception on DSH behavior. The Self-Aggression Paradigm (SAP: Berman & Walley, 2003; McCloskey & …

Synoptic-Scale Differences In The Characterization Of High-Shear Low-Cape Tornado Outbreaks In The United States, Maximilian Magness

Theses and Dissertations

High-Shear Low-CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) (HSLC) Tornado Outbreaks (TOs) are a specific subset of TOs that occur each year, primarily East of the Rocky Mountains. This study looks to define HSLC TOs with the use of quartiles of the most supported shear and CAPE measure, create a climatology of HSLC TOs, and to give a better description of the synoptic-scale patterns associated with HSLC TOs. Statistical analysis of quartiles and inner quartile range (IQR) were conducted to see which is the best measure. Ultimately, Mixed-layer CAPE (MLCAPE) and 0-3km shear were used due to past support and were used …

Utilization Of Bioinformatic And Next Generation Sequencing Approaches For The Discovery Of Predictive Biomarkers And Molecular Pathways Involved In Bovine Respiratory Disease, Matthew Adam Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a highly dynamic disease complex that results from host, microbial agent, and environmental interactions. Despite nearly a century of targeted research, BRD remains the most economically damaging disease in beef cattle production and appears to be increasing in global incidence. While modern modalities for BRD detection exist, clinical diagnosis and management decisions largely depend upon clinical observations and their associated risk of disease. Though these approaches lack precision, they remain in use for many reasons, including fiscal and time constraints within beef production systems. Advancements in high-throughput sequencing have demonstrated the ability to provide insight …

Response Effort Attenuates Provoked Aggression In Men And Women, Michaela Patoilo

Theses and Dissertations

Previous efforts to manage aggressive behavior have generally focused on the emotion of anger, as opposed to aggressive behaviors. Several small-N studies have explored the promising approach of contingency-based interventions (e.g., the effort required to respond aggressively; Zhou et al., 2000), but have produced mixed results. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine whether experimentally-manipulated response effort effectively attenuates provoked aggressive responding using a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP; Berman et al., 2009). Participants included 123 (40 men; Mean age = 20.9, SD = 4.6) randomly assigned to either a low- or high-effort condition, crossed with a …

Essays On The Impact Of Aid Types, Michael Ade Fakutiju

Theses and Dissertations

The literature has shown that aggregate aid is mostly ineffective (Doucouliagos and Paldam, 2011). However, new studies on foreign aid also show that the effect of aid depends on both aid type and the donor type (Clemens et al., 2012; Isaksson and Kotsadam, 2018). Thus, the first essay investigates the impact of education aid on educational outcomes. The study uses panel data for 83 developing countries from 2000-2014 to examine World Bank education aid. The results suggest that there is no robust evidence that education aid is effective in improving educational outcomes. The paper finds some evidence that aid improves …