Digital Commons Network^™

Clean. Freaks., Christopher Jackson Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An excerpt from an experimental literary crime novel interrogating adolescent identity, internalized anti-queerness, mental illness, and white moderatism.

Ever Higher, Kacie Reilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is part one of my first novel.

Examining The Effect Of The Florida Talented Twenty Program On Black Acceptance Rates At Flagship Institutions In Alabama, Juwan D. Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Americans are more college-educated today than at any point in history. Black Americans have experienced persistent inequities in higher education, especially in southern states. Alabama’s history of inequity, segregation, and lack of signature initiative to generate college access maintain and sustain gaps in higher education for Black Alabamians. Black students are especially underrepresented at the two flagship institutions in the state of Alabama. In a complex legal and political context, race-conscious efforts are often challenging to advance. This positions race-neutral efforts such as percentage plans as more viable in states such as Alabama. This study examines the application of the …

Essays On Migration, Andreas Benjamin Vortisch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation covers two evaluations on migration policies and their impact on distinct groups of immigrants.

The first chapter deals with a recent policy in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, which started to charge tuition fees from international students in 2017. Tertiary education remains free of charge in all other 15 states, which warrants a difference indifferences approach. My analysis with publicly available data focuses on enrollment rates and provides additional insights into the geographical distribution of changes in enrollment behavior. I find that the international enrollment share decreased by about 2 percentage points at treated institutions, largely thanks to …

Opioid Tapering And Mental Health Crisis In Older Adults, Shishir Maharjan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Opioid tapering and discontinuation have been increasing in recent years with the implementation of national prescribing guidelines. The study aimed to examine the relationship between opioid tapering and mental health crisis events in older Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted using the 2012-2018 5% national Medicare claims data. Older adults with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) who were receiving long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) were included in the study Cases were defined as individuals experiencing mental health crisis events; controls were identified using incidence density sampling. The opioid tapering velocity was measured in the 120-day hazard period that …

U.S. Gaap Financial Statements Best Practices In Presentation And Disclosure, 76th Edition, 2022; Accounting Trends & Techniques, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Accounting Trends and Techniques

No abstract provided.

Repetition And Retracing In Aphasia Across Discourse Types, Emily Anna Culbertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Fluency is an important criterion to classify subtypes of aphasia. Previous studies have discussed the factors of fluency using various speech-language aspects. However, limited research investigated how much lexical hesitations (i.e., repetitions and retraces) are produced in people with aphasia. Lexical hesitations are important indicators of word finding difficulty and self-error detection skills which may be mediated by cognitive-linguistic demands across different discourse tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the lexical hesitations production in people with fluent and non-fluent aphasia compared to neurologically intact adults in various discourse tasks.Method: Three groups of people with fluent …

Linguistic Landscape-Economics, Marta Galindo Parra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is the result of studies in two fields, the linguistic landscape (LL) and the economics of language (EL), and the relationship between them. In particular, this study concentrates on: (1) the analysis of the language used in public signs in two specific areas in the southern U.S., Ybor City and West Tampa, both located in the City of Tampa, Florida; and (2) the evaluation of the language skills and labor market performance of the agency involved in the public signs. The literature review focuses on the theories and methodologies more commonly used in previous LL research and language …

An Exploration Of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education And Training: Currently Available Information, Perspectives, And Beliefs, David D. Allen Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background and Objectives

Interdisciplinary research has come into the limelight over the last 30 years. Current literature identifies interdisciplinary research as having the potential to assist in solving complex contemporary problems or issues through the inclusion of multiple disciplinary perspectives to account for the systematic intricacies therein. This project served as an exploration of interdisciplinary graduate education, graduate interdisciplinary research training, and the practice of interdisciplinary research, using three primary objectives. We first sought to identify and present current information around interdisciplinary graduate education and research training. Second, study personnel aimed to explore opinions and beliefs on interdisciplinary education and …

Effects Of Tonic Drone And Singing On The Pitch Accuracy Of Middle And High School String Players, Starkey Allen Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of tonic drone, and tonic drone and singing on the intonation accuracy of middle school and high school string students in a classroom setting. Participants (N=58) in the study included middle and high school string players from two school districts in northern Mississippi. Tonic drone (n=22) and tonic drone and singing (n=36) groups were comprised of one middle school and one high school class each. One group performed pitch–matching exercises that include a tonic drone while the second group performed pitch-matching exercises that included the tonic drone and singing. A …

Visitation, Ellie Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A collection of poems.

Linguistic Expressions Of Pidgin In Nigerian Stand-Up Comedy, Jimoh Junior Braimoh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of the comics’ lexical choices and how they achieve their goals with words. The comics’ choice of words is far from being incidental, superficial, or supplementary. Performers’ choices of words show how their ideas are embodied in language. That is to say, the effect of how a comedian uses words and humor strategies is vital for understanding the contextual meaning of jokes and how they appeal to logic and reason. The objectives are to identify and categorize lexical choices and interpret their denotative, connotative, and affective meanings. Based on the Incongruity Theory (Attardo, 1994) Data …

Student Success: Do First-Time, Full Time (Ftft) Students At The University Of Mississippi Enrolled In Intermediate Math (Ds 099) Earn Higher Grades In College Algebra (Math 121) Than Those Students Who Enrolled Directly In College Algebra?, Martina Brewer-Mister

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Critics of developmental studies suggest that remedial courses may negatively influence a student’s program selection, persistence, and completion because remedial classes do not count toward graduation requirements (Long & Boatman, 2013). They have also found that over half of the students referred to remediation do not complete the courses (Clayton, Crosta, & Belfield, 2014; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010). The number is even lower for minority students (Bailey, 2010).

Using pre-existing data collected from the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning at the University of Mississippi, an independent sample t-test and correlation analysis were conducted to examine the outcomes …

Fugitivity, Confinement, And The Afterlife Of Slavery In Contemporary African American Migration Narratives, Juyoun Jang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates a post-Civil Rights-era literary history of fugitive slave figures and their fugitive acts amid temporal and spatial confinement as constituting a tradition of contemporary African American migration narratives. The point of departure for this project is the Prologue of Ralph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man, where the unnamed Black narrator endures a forced migration to New York, but also invites readers to witness his performance of hibernation in an underground space in a building reserved for white tenants. On the one hand, the low, claustrophobic, and dark space of the narrator’s basement signifies Black migrants’ historical subjection to …

Motivation Of Individual Directors: A Consolidated Perspective, Yankun Jia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies the motivation of individual directors on the corporate board and the impact of the motivation of individual directors. Building on previous work, I synthesize self-determination theory, identity theory, and social identity theory to build a comprehensive framework to understand the motivation of individual directors. By analyzing the satisfaction or frustration of basic psychological needs, the engagement of social roles, and the self-categorization and social identification process, this dissertation delivers a preliminary probe into the micro-foundations of the motivation of individual directors in the corporate governance literature.

Blood Tide: A Novel, Teagan Kessler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a work of fiction about a detective who moves to Louisiana to outrun a tragic incident in his past. In Louisiana, he catches a case involving the sheriff’s daughter, who has gone missing. Later found dead, the woman’s life comes to light through the detective’s investigation, all while he battles his PTSD.

Faculty Perceptions Of Open And Affordable Education Resources, Megan Lowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A now-common question regarding whether or not individuals should pursue college degrees is whether college is worth the cost. One of the ways that institutions of higher learning may help students reduce cost of attending college, thereby reducing the financial stresses, is to reduce expenses where possible. One place where institutions of higher learning can reduce expenses for students is course texts and materials. This reduction can be accomplished in several ways, but one way that has gained visibility is the use of open educational resources (OER) and affordable education resources (AER), also known as AOER. This qualitative research study …

Inevitable Mortality And The Incessant Momentum Of Medicalized Death, Clifford Mckay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atul Gawande, MD, affirms the inevitability of human mortality and the end of life in natural death. He decries current medical delivery’s incessant momentum toward medicalized death and recommends a meaningful conversation between doctor and patient to chart a course of care that supports what is important to the patient. But the tradition of a doctor’s dominance and a patient’s submissiveness disrupts the conversation. New definitions of both doctor and patient, and the intent to respect a patient’s autonomy, will facilitate decision-making and support patients’ values at the end of life, diminishing the momentum of medicalized death.

The Effects Of Advocate Disclosure On Perceptions Of A Female Child Who Stutters, Peyton Mcknight

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that people who stutter are frequently attributed with negative stereotypes by listeners as a result of their speech. Previous research has examined the use of self-disclosure in offering the stuttering community a means of acknowledging and sharing the presence of their stuttering with a conversation partner. Subsequently, stuttering self-disclosure has been shown to reduce negative listener perceptions. Select advocate disclosures have also been found to yield beneficial results for a male child who stutters, but the effects of advocate disclosure on perceptions of a female who stutters has remained unexplored. This study expands upon previous research and examines …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Model To Level The Playing Field For Black Students In A High Poverty Middle School, Shanika Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic failure and achievement gaps plague high-poverty school districts with majority-minority student populations. Culturally responsive pedagogy provides an opportunity for educators to bridge the gap caused by poverty and educational disparities. This applied research aimed to create a culture of teaching and learning that impacted student behavior and growth and proficiency in English Language Arts and math at a high poverty middle school. The eighth-grade teachers and students were exposed to this pilot program to increase teacher capacity in cultural responsiveness and increase student achievement. This applied research study utilized two action plan elements, which included professional development and implementation …

Building Rapport Via Telepractice: The Perceptions And Strategies Used By Speech-Language Pathologists In Speech-Language Telepractice Sessions, Jaret Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Telepractice has been increasingly used in the field of speech-language pathology. Within this study, we aimed to explore the perceptions and strategies speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use to build rapport with their clients via telepractice. Two populations were considered to evaluate their influences, children with speech sound disorders (SSD) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In addition, two age groups were also studied within these disorder populations, including children ages 0-3 and children ages 4-8.

Down The Stream: The Evolution Of Queer Stream-Of-Consciousness Novels Through The Works Of Virginia Woolf And Ali Smith, Turner Nat Byrd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to understand the evolution of the stream-of-consciousness genre as it applies to, is written by, or centers queer people. Through generous Marxist-feminist readings of the works of Virginia Woolf and Ali Smith—used in this project as exemplars of the genre—it attempts to understand the differences within both the formal and philosophical/political outlook of the two authors. Specifically looking at Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse and Smith’s Hotel World, The Accidental, and Girl Meets Boy, this project posits that Smith, intentionally or not, has effectively re-written the basic narratives and re-visited the same themes as Woolf, …

Online Learning Readiness Among International Students, Brandon Mcleod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States holds a commanding 22% of the market share of international students, more than double that of the second leading country (United Kingdom). The number of international students studying at U.S. institutions has had a steady incline for decades and these students now make up approximately 5% of all higher education students in the U.S. Even still, there have been previous examinations of international students’ perceptions of online learning readiness. As online and blended learning elements are an integral part of nearly every degree program, and, indeed, nearly every course, it is imperative that we gain a better …

Effects Of Stuttering Severity Disclosures On Listener Perceptions Of A Female Adolescent Who Stutters, Mikayla Ryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure whether factual self-disclosure statements with differing levels of overt stuttering severity have effect on listener perceptions regarding an adolescent female who stutters (AFWS). Method: A total of 759 adults participated in this study. Participants were gathered through a nationwide campaign to various universities via email. There were four overt severity experimental conditions (control, fluent, mild and moderate-severe); participant assignments were balanced such that each experimental condition had comparable population demographics. Each condition contained a video stimulus of an adolescent female providing a factual disclosure statement identifying herself as a person who …

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 …

Domestic Lives Of The Worthless And Insignificant: Land And Labor In Eighteenth-Century British Literature, Mellissa Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Domestic Lives posits that the proliferation of the georgic mode in selected eighteenth-century works provided writers with the language and tropes needed to negotiate burgeoning stresses on the stability of political, cultural, and class systems. In my reading of the georgic as a “gentrifying” force, the mode generates and recreates a managerial authority over the productive potential of what I call the “laboring sort,” those who are rooted in agricultural labor. In turn, the georgic aided the expansion of the British empire by allowing for the expansion of definitions of national identity. As national identity was gentrified, so too was …

The Few Among The Many: Women's Labour In British Guiana Prisons, 1838-1917, Estherine Gwendoline Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the history of incarceration in British Guiana between 1838 and 1917 with emphasis on the interconnections between the colony’s burgeoning carceral apparatus and the life and labour of women. It highlights the intersection of coerced labour and colonialism in the colony in the post-emancipation period, by centering the lives of incarcerated women to understand the nature of state governance and the use of labour in this colonial spaces. I argue the plantocracy leveraged the expansion of the penal apparatus not to control crime but to control labour.

Tracing the use of prisons in the colony, I demonstrate …

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 …

The Daughters Of Remington Taylor, Latoya Faulk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Synopsis

Feminine hygiene is a billion-dollar industry and women of color are the largest consumers of feminine hygiene products—particularly vaginal douching; studies link this frequent use of douching to high levels of harmful chemical compounds and adverse health effects. In researching hygiene rituals, the phrase “fresh and clean” came up repeatedly when Black women expressed feelings that came with their use or purchase of tampons, powders, soaps, sprays, douches, wipes, lotions, suppositories, napkins, and creams guaranteed to tame the odorous, fluid draining, and menstruating vagina.

FRESH AND CLEAN is a novel interested in the cultural obsession of vaginal cleanliness. The …