Digital Commons Network^™

Value-Directed Remembering: Evidence For Distinctive Processing Of High Value Items, Donald Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large body of literature has found that when participants are instructed to maximize their score, they reliably demonstrate better memory for information assigned high relative to low-values. This value-directed remembering effect has been replicated numerous times throughout nearly three decades of research. The most current theoretical explanation posits that high-value items disproportionately benefit from semantic processing relative to low-value items; however, this does not explain how this additional processing supports better memory for high-value items. Prior research suggests that semantic processing may benefit memory through item-specific processing or the processing of unique aspects of meaning. To this extent, the …

The Queer And Trans Ecologies Of Shakespeare's Ocean, Elijah Two Bears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis squarely approaches the overlooked theoretical nexus of early modern blue ecologies and LGBTQIA2S+ studies to argue that Shakespeare's ocean is a deeply queer space that inspires both queer and trans effects in his characters, plays, and audiences across time. I argue you can’t fully process Shakespeare’s aquatic environments, and the broader range of his more watery plays, without accounting for the queer destabilization and trans self-fashioning that is inextricably linked with encountering the ocean, whether it is through shipwreck, ship travel, or near-drownings. This project recreates a lost world using whatever small gems of textual and historical evidence …

The Ability Of Mississippi School Personnel To Recognize And Act On Internalizing Disorders In Students, Madison Varner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood internalizing disorders traditionally do not garner much attention in academic settings; however, previous research has found that 1 in 4 public school students in Mississippi experiences some form of an internalizing disorder. These disorders strongly affect both behavior (e.g. bullying, school attendance, and social performance) and academic performance (e.g. literacy, mathematical learning). Under several existing pieces of legislature, public schools should already be providing treatment for these disorders; however, few schools have any provisions for the numerous students silently struggling. The primary objective of this study was to investigate teachers’ understanding of internalizing disorders and their frequency in school …

Willingness To Use Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) And Preferences For A Pharmacy-Based Prep Program Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Swarnali Goswami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to: 1) estimate willingness to use PrEP (WTUP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) using meta-analysis; 2) to assess patterns of minority stressors, HIV/AIDS acquisition stress and PrEP stigma among MSM and evaluate the association of such patterns with WTUP, using latent profile analysis; and 3) to elicit MSM’s preferences for a community pharmacy-based PrEP delivery program, using a discrete choice experiment.

First, a meta-analysis using a random-effects model revealed a moderate pooled prevalence proportion for WTUP of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.54-0.61) (or 58 out of 100) among PrEP naïve MSM estimated …

Karaites & Reformers: Two Failed Cases Of Coherent Interpretation, Menashe Chaim Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are two groups which claim that proper textual interpretation does not require extratextual information. They posit that the meaning of texts is discoverable from the words of the text and/or an individual's reason alone. Thus, no extratextual information is required to arrive at a cogent and coherent interpretation. The medieval Karaites reject the notion that there is any such thing as interpretive precedent and everyone's interpretation, when guided by reason, is as valid and coherent as anyone else's. Early Protestant Reformers such as John Calvin and Martin Luther argue that all one needs to interpret the Bible is the …

The Current State Of School Culture In Elementary Schools In Mississippi During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rodney Harrison Hurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the Spring of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic changed not only the way in which our daily lives were carried out, but it also drastically effected the way schools operated. Many if not all school districts in the state of Mississippi began operating in some type of remote fashion during the spring of 2020. Some school districts switched to an online format while others operated using a hybrid model which may have included work packets being completed at home or a combination of the two. The type of model by which each school operated often depended on the resources available …

A History Of Freed Slaves' Homes In Northern Nigeria, 1900-1926, Ajibola A. Abdulrahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is about the children rescued from slave traders by the British colonial government in Northern Nigeria in the early twentieth century. The children were first settled in state-owned Freed Slaves Homes located at Zungeru and Borno provinces in 1904. After the state-owned Homes were abolished in 1909, they were moved to the privately-owned Lucy Memorial Freed Slaves’ Home. The study focuses on the experiences of these liberated children within the premises of the Freed Slaves' Homes and in settings outside of these institutions in Northern Nigeria. Drawing on previously unused archival materials obtained from various parts of the …

The Truth Value Of Sentences With Legal Empty Terms., Jose Cubillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an ongoing debate in philosophy about whether simple sentences containing fictional names are sometimes true, always false, or neither true nor false. Ordinarily, a simple sentence containing names is true if and only if the things designated by those names are the way they are ascribed as being, and false otherwise. For example, the sentence “Faulkner lived in Mississippi” is true because the person designated by ‘Faulkner’ lived in Mississippi whereas the sentence “Faulkner lived in Costa Rica” is false because that person did not reside there. However, this analysis clearly does not work for sentences such as …

"The Wild Asleep": A Cultural And Environmental History Of Ramps, Catherine Jessee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ramps, wild onions, or allium tricoccum are a variety of spring ephemeral, or a flowering plant that emerges for a brief period every spring. In working through stereotypical ideas about Appalachian regional identity, I interpret the environmental history of this plant. Incorporating memory, oral histories, and folklore, this thesis complicates wider conceptions of home, community, and boundary. Tapping into an archive of ramps knowledge as it is created, I ask, what can the future of ramps tell us about place, space, and belonging?

Improving Three-Dimensional Instructional Practices Via Professional Development, Alethea Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied research study was to improve the use of three-dimensional pedagogy in science classes in chronically low-performing schools. The need to build teacher capacity became evident after the state adopted more rigorous science standards revealing deficits in teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. This study utilized two elements, three-dimensional professional development and the science cadre, to build teacher capacity as well as foster collaboration and create buy-in throughout the district among science leaders. Data collected and analyzed from classroom observations, student surveys, and teacher interviews revealed improved usage of three-dimensional instruction and increased buy-in throughout the district to …

Transdiagnostic Processes Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: An Experimental Investigation Evaluating The Role Of Emotion Regulation In Uncertain Contexts, Mary J. Schadegg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a complex disorder characterized by pervasive and uncontrollable worry. Numerous researchers have established theoretical models to explain the cognitive, emotional, and contextual processes that develop and maintain GAD. From these theories, intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and emotion regulation (ER) have emerged as two transdiagnostic processes that play key roles in this disorder. Extensive research has examined each of these processes individually; however, only four studies to date have specifically examined the association between IU and ER, and none of these studies have looked at the interconnection of these processes in GAD. The current study used …

Supports For College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Views Of Postsecondary Practitioners And Faculty Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder Student Service Provision, Susan Byrd Jenkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are matriculating to higher education at growing rates and are now believed to make up roughly one to two percent of the postsecondary student population (Cox & South, 2017; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as cited in Gobbo & Shmulsky, 2013). Service provision for college students with ASD typically falls under the oversight of student disability services practitioners who provide guidance to faculty and staff regarding accommodations. The professionals who carry out ASD service delivery are a source of expertise, insight and understanding regarding recommended supports for students on the spectrum. This study …

The Ability Of Positive And Negative Liberty, Alexandra Jo Kotter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The way in which we recognize, define, and promote freedom in our society can be deeply valuable. It can lead to important political answers and help identify rights and their nature. My intention is to consider the relationships among three conceptions of freedom. I believe that discussions of freedom which are relevant to political philosophy are necessarily normative. By this I mean that I am not discussing purely descriptive concepts of freedom- instead I am speaking of freedom which can be considered desirable, for this is what truly matters. Freedom to murder, for example, is freedom in the descriptive sense …

Halogen Bond Driven Supramolecular Materials, Dilan Chinthaka Karunathilaka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Halogen bonding (XBing) is a type of non-covalent interaction between covalently bound halogen atoms (XB donor), and Lewis bases (XB acceptor). In recent years, it has become a remarkable and adaptable tool to produce interesting molecular architectures and functionalities in organic-based materials. Such applications include liquid crystals, nonlinear optics, photovoltaics, and multicolor displays in the solid phase. Due to this variety of applications, XBing has become an exciting area of study in supramolecular chemistry. Herein are presented synthetic routes and characterization of self-assembling XBing molecules and their resulting materials. First, four different heterocyclic oligomers containing pyrazine, thiophene, and furan have …

Building Cultural Competence In Schools Through Teacher Capacity, Latonya R. Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the dynamics of how teaching culturally responsive strategies to teachers can help eliminate the opportunity gap between students of color and their White counterparts. The action research method involved first collecting quantitative data through several surveys and then explaining the quantitative results with in- depth qualitative data through interviews and professional learning communities. In the first phase of the study, the culturally responsive and teacher efficacy scale data was collected from the participants within the study and the district at large. While the district survey was not mandated, it was strongly encouraged. …

Metaphors In Language Learning And Teaching: Discovering The Underlying Factors Affecting Demotivation In Anglophone Learners Of Modern Foreign Languages, Holly Sallah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to increased levels of demotivation in anglophone students of modern foreignlanguages, this thesis attempted to discover potential underlying causes through the use of metaphor elicitation directed at tertiary learners in the United States of America. Students were asked to metaphorize both the language learning process and the role of the language teacher. Afterwards, a qualitative metaphor analysis revealed that participants were overwhelmingly positive in respect to the role of the language teacher, but more mixed in their metaphors regarding the language learning process, with high frequency words such as “work” and “skill”. Contrary to the literature, the role …

The Perceptions Of Black Law Students Regarding The Barriers Of Access To Public Law Schools Located In The South, Joshua Quinn Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study applies the conceptual framework of Positive Deviance and the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory to understand the problem of low Black student enrollment at four public law schools in the South. Positive Deviance is based on the observation that in every community there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behaviors and strategies enable them to find solutions to problems than their peers without fully understanding how, while having access to the same resources and facing similar or worse challenges. Critical Race Theory analyzes the role of race and racism in perpetuating social disparities between dominant …

Implications Of Gender Dysphoria On Gender Schema And Social Cognitive Theories Of Gender Development, Beau Bourgeois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project considers the implications of gender dysphoria under two prominent theories of gender development, gender schema theory (GST) and social cognitive theory (SCT). Gender dysphoria is considered a significant motivator for transgender behavior and is presented in the DSM-5 as the experience of a strong desire, or as primarily affective in nature. GST and SCT differ in a number of ways, most notably in the role affect plays for gender development and behavior motivations. The former places primary emphasis on environmental influences, leaving the role of affect in question, while the latter posits gender behavior and motivation as an …

Synthetic Studies On Valuable Fluorinated Building Blocks, Maali Alshammari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fluorine chemistry plays a diverse role in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and material industries. In fact, around 25% of pharmaceuticals and 40% of agrochemicals contain at least one fluorine atom. The incorporation of fluorine into pharmaceuticals or natural products can increase bioavailability by enhancing lipophilicity, metabolic stability, and overall pharmacokinetics properties. Our laboratory has designed a method to generate difluoroenolates from pentafluoro-gem-diols. This reactivity can be used to produce molecules displaying a difluoromethyl group. The reaction occurs through the release of trifluoroacetate. We improved the design and synthesis of fluorinated derivatives of flavones and measured their antioxidants activities. This work expanded …

Auditors Are Known By The Companies That Keep Them: The Effect Of Media Sensationalism And Audit Firm Responses On Auditor Ratification, Latoya Flint

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines media influence on auditor relationships with client shareholders. Audit firms are concerned about client loss due to reputational damage. Sensationalized media reports of corporate accounting frauds can be misleading in their description of the auditor’s responsibility for fraud detection. Although audit firms do not control media sensationalism, they can respond to it. I conduct an experiment to examine the impact of media sensationalism and audit firm responses on shareholders’ likelihood to support auditor ratification. I predict and find that high media sensationalism leads shareholders to perceive a higher level of audit firm control over adverse fraud outcomes. …

The Epistemic Obligations Of The Ideal Citizen: A Neo-Aristotelian Solution For Truth-Decay In Democratic Societies, Dakota Shane Layton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary democratic societies are currently encumbered by the problem of truth-decay. Truth-decay is defined as the following set of interrelated trends:

Speech Fluency Changes Following Deep Brain Stimulation Of The Subthalamic Nucleus In Parkinson’S Disease: A Meta-Analysis, Emily Morphis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Speech fluency changes following deep brain stimulation are one aspect that is crucial to consider when exploring treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Deep brain stimulation, specifically of the subthalamic nucleus, has been linked to a decrease in speech fluency despite improved bodily motor control. This acquired dysfluency is referred to as “neurogenic stuttering.” The purpose of the current study is to determine the incidence and severity of speech fluency decline following deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease. A meta-analysis was conducted with 7 studies (239 subjects) that recorded changes in speech fluency. All studies used a quantitative assessment, …

Effects Of Working Memory And Fatigue On Decision-Making In People With Traumatic Brain Injury, Dennis John Tirri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Worldwide, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the leading cause of injury related death and disability for children and young adults, with an estimated 50 million TBIs occurring annually. Post-traumatic cognitive fatigue, or the perceived lack of mental energy needed to accomplish a goal, is a debilitating symptom of TBI, preventing many survivors from returning to work or enjoying their pre-injury quality of life. The mechanisms underlying TBI often cause executive function deficits, such as compromised ability to make adaptive decisions. Although decision-making and fatigue share portions of the same neural network, no literature to date has examined the potential mediating …

The Impact Of The Good Behavior Game On Adolescent Student Behavior In Restrictive And Inclusive Learning Environments, Allison Nicole Oliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three articles investigating the effects of the Good Behavior Game to increase academic engagement and decrease disruptive behaviors in students who have behavior disorders. Previous literature examined the effects of the Good Behavior Game on student populations in elementary and mainstream settings. Unfortunately, there is a lack of investigation with use of the Good Behavior Game in secondary settings with students with disabilities, especially behavioral disorders. Collectively, these three articles will determine the impact of the Good Behavior Game in secondary settings with students with behavior disorders in mainstream, inclusive and restrictive learning environments. This dissertation …

Face Detection Using Web Images, Chris Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current facial recognition algorithms struggle with accuracy on real world cases. Haar cascade based algorithms are fast, but require fine tuning per image in order to achieve the best results. When tasked with images where there are multiple faces at different locations, the current algorithms seem to underreport the number of faces. This study attempts to produce a more accurate classifier through the use of taking the maximum result of multiple Haar cascade classifiers with differing parameters. To do this, a web image scraper was written to gather real world images from Google images and Flickr. These images were …

Understanding Classroom Engagement For Middle School Students, Jason W. Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the dynamics of student engagement and motivation in middle school students. The action research method involves collecting quantitative data through a student survey first and then explaining the quantitative results with in-depth qualitative data through interviews and focus groups. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, the motivation and engagement scale data will be collected from middle school students in the fifth through eighth grade of Regents School of Oxford to test the motivation and engagement of these students to assess whether intrinsic motivations relate to classroom student engagement. The second …

Teacher Perceptions Of Practices Which Impact Job Satisfaction And Retention, Chiqueta Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifying teachers’ reasons for leaving the field of education and monitoring retention indicators to address and remedy the problem is critical for school leaders and policymakers in recruiting and retaining high-quality educators. Understanding teachers’ experiences and opinions can facilitate practices and protocols to increase retention. The study aimed to investigate perceptions of successful and departing teachers on school leadership practices, which impact teacher retention in rural public schools in Mississippi. By conducting a research study on teachers’ lived experiences, school leaders can explore options and construct recruitment, mentoring, and collaboration practices to encourage retention, which gives teachers a sense of …

The Impact Of Blended Classroom Pedagogy On Student Gpa In A Community College Stem Course, Sarah Mattox Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

America is facing a shortage of STEM workers and colleges must meet the demand by educating qualified graduates. However, attrition rates are high in STEM classes, particularly in minority groups. Blended learning has increased in popularity in higher education over recent years and has the potential to improve current teaching practices. Yet, limited research centers on the success of blended learning implemented in a community college STEM course. This quantitative research study (N=1264) was designed to evaluate student success in the blended learning environment versus traditional environment in an introductory community college biology course for science majors. The study indicated …

Enhancing The Oral Drug Delivery Through Hot Melt Extrusion Techniques, Neeraja Komanduri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hot melt extrusion has been developed as a fresh technique for taste masking, in recent years. This method provides many aids as compared to traditional methods like avoiding the use of solvents, continuous manufacturing, ease to scale up, and adaptability to meet the goals of FDA for quality products. This method is useful for various applications like solubility enhancement, abuse deterrence, taste masking, transdermal dosage forms like films, immediate release oral dosage forms. In this work, This technique is explored for its applications using a novel polymer, Kollicoat® Smartseal 100P and its ability to be coupled with FDM 3D printing …

Using Adaptive-Choice Based Conjoint Analysis To Explore Attributes Important In Performance For Division 1 College Football Players, Michaela Marie Slatniske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interdisciplinary teams are essential in the care of collegiate athletes. However, interdisciplinary teams may be composed of members who place utility in key athletic attributes differently. To better understand the differences in utilities various members place on athletic attributes, this study explored the relative importance of attributes in wide receivers (WR), and part-worth utilizes among levels of an attribute through an Adaptive Choice Based Conjoint (ACBC) study. Interdisciplinary team member involved in the care of college football players, including athletic trainers (ATs), ball coaches (BCs), strength and conditioning coaches (S&C), and sports dietitians (SN) were identified from 131 D1 collegiate …