Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Examination Of The Interplay Of Attachment Styles, The Supervisory Relationship & Counseling Self-Efficacy, Kamiron Ball Tran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the intricate dynamics between attachment styles, the supervisory relationship, and counseling self-efficacy among supervisory dyads in counseling. The findings reveal five themes: supervision is relational, supervision is a therapeutic space, security within supervision bolsters self-efficacy, supervision is a mirror for clinical practice, and the nuanced "both/and" nature of attachment and self-efficacy dynamics. This study addresses a gap in the literature by offering qualitative insights into the interplay of attachment styles, supervisory relationship, and counselor self-efficacy, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of the complexities within supervisory practices in counseling.

The Value Of Empathy For Teachers In Nontraditional Classrooms, Mindy Clair Waldrop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the experience of teachers in nontraditional classrooms, particularly those in Juvenile Detention Centers (JDCs). Using the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology this study interpreted the lived experience of teachers in nontraditional classrooms. Hermeneutic principles involve using texts, including interview transcripts, to develop understanding and interpret meaning. Following interviews with teachers currently practicing in the JDC nontraditional classroom setting, the researcher engaged in the hermeneutic circle of understanding, which requires an ongoing commitment to the attitude of hermeneutic phenomenology and reflection (Alsaigh & Coyne, 2021). Four themes emerged as significant to the experience of teachers and their use …

Dixieland Do Sul: Brazilian Racial Democracy And The Recontextualization Of Transnational Confederate Symbols (Vol. 1), Maximilian Xavier Conrad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following their defeat in the American Civil War, tens of thousands of American Southerners, many of them former Confederates, fled the United States to seek out new homelands in Latin America. Thousands would set their sights on Brazil, encouraged by the promise of arable land and the prospect of a new society in one of the hemisphere’s last slaveholding societies. Though many of these Confederados returned to the United States after Reconstruction, their influential presence in Brazil has remained a persistent factor. What has been the resulting impact of this nineteenth century Confederate immigration? This thesis volume will argue that …

Spatial Variation Of Microbial Communities In Aquatic Ecosystems In The Southeastern United States, Jordan Heiman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spatial variation in bacterial communities, or bacterial biogeography, is important for understanding the role of microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles. In the Southeastern United States, aquatic ecosystems are highly biodiverse and imperiled, yet few studies have investigated bacterial biodiversity and biogeography in this region. In this dissertation, I aimed to understand the bacterial biogeography in aquatic ecosystems in the Southeastern United States and how this spatial variation relates to abiotic factors in these ecosystems. To do this, I analyzed biogeographic patterns in bacterial communities from three distinct types of aquatic ecosystems (rivers, a lake, and beaches) and conducted a microcosm experiment …

Quality & Credibility Ff Adhd Information On Social Media And Adhd Help-Seeking Intentions, Saara Zakkiya Nasruddin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: There is an increased prevalence of adult Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and stimulant prescription use in the United States, especially when compared to years prior to 2020. Due to accessibility and popularity of ADHD on social media, many individuals gain information on ADHD from these sources. People may view information on social media as credible due to its ability to provide connection, community, and empowerment. However, content analyses of ADHD information on social media show the quality of content on social media is poor. These content analyses utilized outdated quality evaluation tools that are not specific for social media. Principles …

Open-Source Frameworks For Groundwater Analytics: Advancing Machine Learning Workflow Development And Deployment, Sarva Pulla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation introduces three innovative tools to advance groundwater analytics: the GRACE Downscaler, Synthetic Timeseries Generator, and a lightweight web-based service for deploying machine learning and physical models. These tools address critical challenges in groundwater management by enhancing the local applicability of GRACE satellite data, overcoming data scarcity through synthetic generation, and simplifying the deployment of complex hydrological models. The GRACE Downscaler provides a reproducible workflow for regional groundwater analysis, while the Synthetic Timeseries Generator creates opportunities for model development in data-poor regions. The web-based service demonstrates how advanced models like MODFLOW can be made accessible for rapid simulations and …

Breaking Barriers: Ben Williams Integrates Ole Miss Football, Fredderick Nettles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breaking Barriers: Ben Williams Integrates Ole Miss Football is a written and visual thesis that explores the life and cultural legacy of Robert Jerry “Ben” Williams — the first Black football player at the University of Mississippi — while tracing a broader lineage of Black pioneers in American football. Structured through a multi-chapter analysis, this work examines the significance of Williams’s quiet leadership during a time of racial unrest in Mississippi, alongside historical figures like Fritz Pollard and Woody Strode, who first paved the way for racial integration in football.

Through archival research, interviews, and narrative storytelling, the thesis also …

Student Informed Instruction: Vertical Non Permanent Surfaces, Cononiah L. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I, an 8th grade mathematics teacher, have used vertical dry erase boards in my classroom for years to promote student engagement and perseverance after participating in a book study on Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl. Year after year, the implementation of this strategy was constantly refined based on research, other teachers’ experiences, and my perceived notions of students’ experiences while at the dry erase boards. I never, however, asked students to thoughtfully share their experiences. In this study, I introduce the method of student informed instruction to refine how I use vertical dry erase boards in my classroom. After …

Persuasion Knowledge In A Post-Truth Era, Emma Welch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Commenting on a world replete with conspiracy theories, fake news, and virality on social media, some have dubbed the era we are currently living in as the “post-truth” era, defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”. The post-truth era is said to affect how individuals make decisions, form opinions, and communicate with one another. Although many frameworks have emerged along the way that describe how consumers deal with persuasive communication, truthful or otherwise, emerging technology has added a new layer to the …

Regional Differences In The Adoption Of Automated License Plate Readers Among Police Departments, Dalton Lee Massingill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the 2000s, the adoption of License Plate Readers (LPRs) in the United States has steadily increased. Prior research has shown that agency characteristics (mainly size) strongly impact the likelihood of LPR usage. However, researchers have primarily examined larger police departments and used smaller samples in examining the adoption of LPRs. This study uses recent data from a nationally represented sample of law enforcement agencies to examine the relationship between agency geographical location and LPR usage. The current study extends past literature by examining the impact an agency’s geographical location has on LPR usage. Research has not studied if LPR …

Formulation Development Of Simvastatin Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System Using Hot Melt Extrusion, Srikanth Chilamula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simvastatin, a potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, lowers cholesterol levels. It prevents cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes in patients with high cholesterol and heart disease. However, its oral bioavailability is limited due to its poor aqueous solubility The current study aims to enhance the solubility of the poorly water-soluble drug simvastatin through the development of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). Gelucire® 48/16 (oil), Gelucire 44/14 (surfactant), and Cremophor RH40 (co-surfactant) were assessed as potential excipients for SEDDS formulation. Initial SEDDS (Before adsorption) formulations were created based on the solubility of simvastatin in solid lipid excipients, as determined by a …

Imaginative Play In The Inculcation Of Creativity As An Intellectual Virtue, Annie Elisabet Gustafsson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creativity, defined as the ability to generate original and innovative ideas and products, is widely valued yet not explicitly taught. This largely stems from the understanding that creativity cannot be cultivated through traditional methods like imitation or direct instruction, as such approaches contradict the essence of creativity itself. However, we must not write it off as unteachable. To help us better understand what can be done to teach creativity effectively, we must consider its character.

This paper offers a theory of creativity as an intellectual virtue, drawing on Linda Zagzebki’s components of virtue and aligning creativity with Aristotle’s phronesis and …

Tennessee's Mississippi: An Audio Documentary, Michelle Bright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tennessee’s Mississippi is a four-episode audio documentary preview of a future podcast in the making. It centers on Tennessee Williams’ Mississippi plays and stories and how they connect to the real cultural history of this state. Williams is known as an international playwright, and while much scholarship has been done on his work, very little has focused on the significance of Mississippi in creating a place identity for his characters for his most successful plays in the first twenty-five years of his career. This place identity is even more apparent when he begins to move away from using Mississippi in …

Exploring The Perspectives Of Black Male Students At An Hbcu In Rural Mississippi And The Role Non-Cognitive Factors Within A First-Year Experience Program Play In Their Continued Enrollment, Billy J. Benson, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention and graduation rates are declining nationwide but are exceptionally low for Black men. Extant research substantiates that various influences contribute to a student’s ability to persist to graduation. Apart from the positive impact of HBCUs on educational outcomes for Black students, empirical research highlights that enrollment, campus engagement, retention, success, and graduation are problematic (Palmer et al., 2013). Many factors—academic and non-cognitive—affect a student’s ability to persist to graduation (Bosco, 2021).

This problem of practice (PoP) explores the perspectives of Black male students at an HBCU in rural Mississippi and the role non-cognitive factors within a first-year experience program …

Campus Recreation Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum: Perceived Student Employee Outcomes, Amanda Alpert Jessee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kuh and colleagues (2008) use the term high-impact practices (HIPs) to describe co-curricular programs that are particularly effective in advancing student learning. The original list of HIPs does not include campus employment, which McClellan et al. (2018) argued should be added. According to the results from the 2019 NASPA survey reported by Burnside et al., recreational services is one of the top three areas in the number of student staff members. These student employees tend to come from a diverse academic background (Kampf & Teske, 2013) and may not be pursuing a future career within the recreation field. Campus recreation …

Exploring A Link Between Expected Family Contribution And Continued Enrollment At Holmes Community College, Matthew Ryan Surrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The challenges facing higher education institutions across this country continue to increase, becoming more and more complex with each passing semester. Higher education administrators and those who aspire to be such must constantly stay abreast of all potential adverse issues, but especially those that affect the educational success of our students. The importance of student success is invaluable to students and society, alike, as their educational achievements enable the growth of both social efficiency and social mobility. Therefore, higher education institutions and their administrations must constantly assess and attempt to mitigate the many challenges and barriers to these important accomplishments. …

An Argument Against Positivist Separability, Nichalus Zoltan Vali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most influential views associated with legal positivism is that of the separability thesis. Primarily associated with H.L.A Hart, this thesis is widely understood to be the view that there is no necessary connection between law and morality. However, John Gardner takes this to be a naïve interpretation of separability that fails to adequately characterize legal positivism and which Hart himself did not endorse. Instead, Hart and other legal positivists were committed to the view that whether a norm is legally valid depends on its sources (i.e., social facts such as official engagement with the norm) and not …

Tanzanian Cyberscape: Exploring Language Preference Patterns Among Instagram Users, Carolyne Saria Ulomy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual platforms such as Instagram are not only characterized by massive collaboration, sharing, and access to information but also by multilingual exchanges. For example, Tanzanian social media users choose to disseminate or publish information online using different languages present in their linguistic repertoires. This study explores multilingualism in social media (Instagram) within the Tanzanian context, as well as address the statuses of Swahili, English, Swanglish/Kiswanglish, Community Languages (CLs) and Foreign Languages (FLs) on social media. Specifically, the research investigated two overarching questions: What are the factors influencing language choices among Tanzanian Instagram users? and is there an association between content …

Single Versus Dual Response Demands In An Event-Based Prospective Memory Task With Context, Anne Elizabeth Vogel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prospective memory (PM) refers to memory for future-based intentions. Previous research has explored how contextual information can support PM performance by lowering the cost to the ongoing task. For example, a study by Smith et al. (2017) demonstrated that knowing the contextual information of proximity to PM targets can affect attentional resource allocation. This was seen empirically as faster reaction times (RTs) when participants knew they were far from the target location, but longer RTs as participants knew they were approaching a target location. However, Vogel and Smith (in prep) found discrepancies in this pattern. This current study investigated these …

Atomistic Simulation Of Pfas And Graphene: Interactions For Water Applications, Bashar Moufeed Awawdeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contamination of drinking water by per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) is a global issue. PFAS have been widely utilized in a variety of applications, including water and stain-resistant coatings, fire suppression foams, cosmetics, paints, and adhesives. They have been detected in soils and rivers globally due to their widespread use and resistance to degradation. The strong C–F bonds of PFAS make them exceedingly stable and hard to remove. In order to remediate PFAS contamination in the environment, it is essential to develop selective adsorbent materials that can effectively capture a wide range of PFAS structures. On April 10, …

Ecological And Evolutionary Ramifications Of Host-Parasite Interaction In Aquatic And Model Ecosystems, Akacia Halliday-Isaac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Host-parasite interactions are ubiquitous and have negative risks and consequences on individual, population, and evolutionary scales. These risks and consequences include altered population densities, changes in interspecies interactions, and rapid changes in host phenotypes. In this thesis, I seek to understand the ecological and evolutionary ramifications of host-parasite interactions within ecosystems. To do this, I investigated the presence and environmental correlates of potential host-parasite interactions in a freshwater ecosystem and used a model ecosystem to explore how past host-parasite coevolution affects community assembly dynamics and future adaptation in the presence of new stressors. To examine the presence of potentially parasitic …

Mindfulness And Mathematics: The Relationship Between A Mindful Teacher And Mathematics Intervention, Ave Mayeux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents in American classrooms are currently required to fulfill multiple roles, making them particularly vulnerable to stress due to intense academic demands and social pressures. This stress can be particularly challenging for adolescents who struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, and/or self-regulation. Previous research indicates a positive correlation between mindfulness practices and reduced anxiety, improved social skills and interactions, enhanced academic performance, and better self-perception. This self-study explored the implementation of mindfulness exercises in a mathematics intervention classroom by adapting and creating appropriate resources, and facilitating mindfulness exercises suitable for adolescent students. Data in this self-inquiry study was generated through meticulous …

Performance Of A Selective Amplify-And-Forward Scheme For Two-Users With Two-Relays In Rayleigh Fading And Log-Normal Shadowing Channels, Mahdia Tahsin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relays serve as virtual antennas in wireless networks, fostering spatial diversity between the source and destination to enhance coverage, signal quality, and network reliability. Among the various relay-assisted communication approaches, amplify-and-forward (AF) is widely favored for its reduced computational complexity. The selection of an optimal relay is crucial for maximizing network performance, constituting a significant challenge in wireless communication. Hence, optimal relay selection has emerged as a pivotal area of research. In this thesis, we investigate the potential benefits of implementing relay selection schemes in AF relay networks featuring two source-destination pairs and two relays. Our analysis focuses on two …

"'This May Not Be War, But Rather Statesmanship': Sherman's March Through Griswoldville, Milledgeville, And Greater Savannah", Matthew Ryan Lempke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues that four communities in Confederate Georgia visited by Union soldiers during Sherman’s March to the Sea reorients our understanding about the state’s continued ability to resist the United States military, the level and variations of destruction, the rationales and motivations behind targeted actions, the multiplicity of experiences among diverse participants, willing and unwilling alike, and of the campaign’s broader effectiveness. The first two communities, Griswoldville and Milledgeville, were indispensable locations that set in motion a coalescence of military and political setbacks from which Confederate Georgia did not recover. As the march progressed and entered coastal communities, the …

Effects Of Off-Season Fall-Winter Farm Field Flooding On Nitrogen Gas Production, Andrew Rosson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased nitrogen (N) fertilizer use and cultivation of N-fixing crops have dramatically increased agricultural N inputs to the global N cycle. Excess N on agricultural lands is highly susceptible to loss through runoff or atmospheric emissions, potentially as a greenhouse gas (GHG). Nitrous oxide (N2O), a GHG with a warming potential ~300 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2), primarily enters the atmosphere through denitrification, which converts bioavailable nitrate (NO3-) to inert nitrogen gas (N2), with N2O as an intermediate. Wetlands are crucial for de-nitrification and N regulation due to their wet, anoxic soils, but have declined worldwide, including substantial losses …

Punishing Poverty: An Examination Of Financial Disadvantage And Out-Of-School Suspension, Joshua Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School suspension is often a response by officials to address deviant behavior within the school setting. While studies have examined various causes and consequences of school suspension, there is a dearth of literature focusing on the effects of financial disadvantage on school discipline (i.e., school suspension). Given that out-of-school suspension is a reliable predictor of juvenile justice involvement later in life, it serves as an important outcome variable in preventative criminology. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), the purpose of the current study is to analyze the relationship between financial disadvantage and …

Ftir Microspectroscopy For The Investigation Of Microplastic Pollution, Automotive Paint Layers, And Prehistoric Rock Paint With An Emphasis On Analytical Method Development, Kendall Wontor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research detailed in this dissertation centers on the development of new analytical methods using chemical imaging microspectroscopy, primarily μ[micro]-FTIR, for applications in environmental, forensic, and archeological chemistry. The state-of-the-art instrument (LUMOS II) used in this research combines optical microscopy with IR spectroscopy, allowing sample visualization during FTIR imaging and micro-analysis.

Chapter 1 serves as an introduction and provides background detail on the instrumentation and technique. Chapter 2 describes the use of fluorescent microscopy to quantify microplastics (MPs) in oysters from the Mississippi Sound. High concentrations of putative MPs were found, with sites inside bays near population centers displaying higher …

Breaking Old: Trends And Adverse Events Of Prescription Stimulant Use In Older Adults, Saumil Jadhav

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined prescription stimulant medication (PSM) use among older adults in the United States from 2012-2020 by (1) assessing annual prevalence and describing clinical characteristics and treatment patterns among new PSM users, (2) evaluating the association between PSM initiation and risk of adverse events such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality, and (3) analyzing trends in the concomitant use of PSMs and antidepressants. The study utilized 5% national sample of Medicare administrative claims from 2012-2020.

First, the study identified an increase in the annual prevalence of PSM use from 0.44% in 2012 to 0.63% in 2020 among older …

Formulation And Characterization Of Quetiapine Fumarate Floating Bioadhesive Tablets, Ajay Reddy Kolipaka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quetiapine fumarate (QF) is an antipsychotic drug, and it has a plasma half-life of 6 hours. The chemical structure of QF has nitrogen groups making it highly soluble in acidic pH and slightly soluble in alkaline pH. This study aimed to develop the QF gastroretentive tablets by TSMG technology comprising floating and mucoadhesive approach by using different viscosity grades of HPMC to improve absorption by prolonging its gastric residence time. The floating tablets were prepared using the Twin screw melt granulation (TSMG) technology, and the impact of polymer concentration and viscosity grades of HPMC on the floating ability and drug …

Exploring African American Female Students' Choice Of Stem Major At Rust College, Shatara Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In comparison to the rest of the United States population, African American women are undeniably inadequately represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As one of the oldest historically black colleges in Mississippi, Rust College has the social responsibility to increase the presence and contributions of minorities in STEM. Since the enrollment of African American females is greater than that of African American males at Rust College, the college has the fortuity to assist in increasing the diversity in STEM for both race and gender. This DIP utilizes Intersectionality Theory as the conceptual foundation to explore …