Digital Commons Network^™

Hiding In The Shadows: The Growth Of The Coconut Sector In The Gold Coast, Ca.1874-1957, Abdul Kuba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides an analysis of the development of the coconut sector in Ghana during the colonial era. While previous scholarship on the export crop economy of this African society has grown impressively in recent years, little attention has so far been paid to the coconut sector. To fill this gap, this dissertation draws on previously unused archival material and on other sources dealing with the colonial economy of the Gold Coast, and it engages two of the many models used to evaluate the impact of colonialism in Africa: the vent for surplus and dependency models.

It is shown, on …

Opportunity Restored: Using Creative Measures To Provide Students With Academic Advancement Opportunities Lost During Covid-19, Randal Clint Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods action research study examines the Fast Track and Graduation Path (FTGP) programs—equity-focused interventions developed to offer opportunity to students who experienced academic disruption during COVID-19 emergency schooling (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). The programs targeted students retained due to socioeconomic status, learned helplessness, or the technology learning gap, rather than a lack of ability or low prior performance (Jenson, 2013; Maier & Seligman, 1976; Bower, 2019). FTGP provided structured academic pathways, daily facilitation, technology-based instruction, and character education to rebuild learner confidence and achievement (Reimer & Hill, 2022).

Quantitative data from the Edgenuity© learning platform revealed the program’s …

Optimizing Infill Density For Fabricating Novel Radio Frequency Devices Utilizing Additive Manufacturing, Bibek Kattel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is revolutionizing radio frequency engineering. Along with rapid prototyping and fabricating complex structures, it enables varying substrate thickness and dielectric properties, which are highly beneficial for radio frequency research. However, despite its growing popularity, there’s a gap in understanding how 3D printing process parameters affect the electrical properties of the 3D printed structure. In radio frequency design, where device performance and characteristics heavily depend on electrical parameters such as relative permittivity, this hinders the consistency, repeatability, and reliability of 3D printed radio frequency devices.

This research addressed this gap by investigating the relationship …

Politics Or People? Salience Of Security Council Member States' Political Interests And Participatory Inclusion Of Local Populations In Peacekeeping Mandates, Olivia Melvin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When and under what circumstances do United Nations (UN) plans incorporate participation of local populations in peacekeeping processes? In “ideal” form, peacekeeping “aims to guarantee the stability of any agreement reached to reduce the likelihood of renewed fighting” (Clayton and Dorussen 2021, p. 151). In statute and earliest conceptualization, peacekeeping served as a means of third-party intervention to oversee and facilitate cessation of conflict. In public-facing addresses by UN Secretary-Generals and guiding documents on the goals and strategies of UN peacekeeping, intended outcomes are articulated as efforts to go beyond conflict cessation and toward fostering conditions of sustained peace (United …

Exploring Simplified Reservoir Computing Systems For Resource-Constrained Edge Ai Hardware, Ziyi Niu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Echo State Networks (ESNs) have emerged as a promising paradigm for modeling complex temporal dynamics due to their unique architecture in which only the output weights require training, while the recurrent internal reservoir remains fixed. This characteristic significantly reduces training complexity and computation time, making ESNs particularly attractive for real-time processing and resource-constrained, low-power hardware implementations. However, conventional ESNs typically employ the computationally demanding hyperbolic tangent (tanh) activation function within the reservoir neurons, which poses challenges for efficient hardware realization. To address this limitation, recent research has focused on exploring alternative lightweight activation functions—including Logistic, Tent, tanh-Linear, ReLU, and Quadratic …

Purple To Powder Blue: Exploring Interactions Between Military-Connected Students With Disabilities And Student Services At The University Of Mississippi, Maura Mollet-Hobbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the interactions between military-connected students with disabilities (MCS/D) and student services at the University of Mississippi. As the population of MCSs in higher education continues to grow, partly due to expanded federal education benefits like the Forever GI Bill, a subset of these students face challenges related to their disabilities. This study focuses on MCS/Ds and examines how institutional support and policies intersect with their complex identities.

The research employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate how MCS/Ds interact with student services at the University of Mississippi, considering the intersection of their military connection and disability status. By …

Storytelling In Context: How Resources Enable And Constrain The Stories Entrepreneurs Tell, John J. Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how entrepreneurial storytelling is shaped by and shapes its material and cultural context, extending the Theory of Cultural Entrepreneurship (TOCE). While TOCE highlights storytelling as a mechanism through which entrepreneurs construct legitimacy and secure resources by drawing on culturally resonant narratives, prior research has largely overlooked the constraining and enabling role of material resources in this process. This dissertation addresses this gap by examining how context functions, not merely as a backdrop but as a constitutive force in entrepreneurial storytelling. Using ethnographic methods, two studies were conducted at a regenerative farm and processing facility in rural Mississippi. …

The Characterization Of Radiation Forces Using Tunable Acoustic Lenses, Sina Rostami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the design, analysis, and optimization of tunable acoustic lenses with a primary focus on beamforming, dynamic focusing, and the generation of limited diffraction beams. The study examines the performance of four-channel and six-channel lenses in producing highly controlled ultrasonic fields with minimal diffraction. Numerical simulations and experimental validation are used to demonstrate how these lenses effectively form focused beams that maintain spatial coherence over a range of distances.

A systematic comparison between the four-channel and six-channel lenses is performed at multiple focal configurations (5.5 cm, 7.8 cm, and 10.0 cm). The results show that both lens types …

An Evaluation Of A Collaborative Effort In High School Science Classes To Support Teaching And Learning Through Professional Development, Shalanda Saulsberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to improve high school teachers’ instructional practices through professional learning. This applied research study, using program evaluation, sought to improve science instruction in building their capacity through instructional practices. Faculty interest was created from reviewing various school and district data sources, observing the practices of science teachers, and having informal conversations with students about learning. Although professional development was provided in the past, there was a need for content-specific science professional learning to change teachers’ instructional practices. Through targeted professional development sessions, as well as observation and feedback, there was a goal of increasing …

Maximum Likelihood Estimation For Partially Observed Markov Model Using Different Tail Perturbations, Zamzam Qazi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work is about parameter estimation of POMP models using the two-time scale Iterated Filtering algorithms with p-generalized Gaussian perturbations. The algorithms are effective for estimating numerous types of infectious disease models such as COVID-19, influenza or various other diseases. First, we introduce the generalization of Stein’s identity for normal distribution to p-generalized Gaussian distribution, which enables more flexible perturbation with different tail behaviors. Then, we provide proofs and verify their authenticity by applying them in black box optimization as well as optimization of multivariate state space models. Also, we propose a novel weighted average algorithm for maximizing likelihood through …

The Daily Choices And Personality Quiz: Designing And Testing A New Manipulation Of Masculinity Threat, Caitlin M. Shaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Boys receive unique messaging about their gender identity from an early age, including that they must avoid anything associated with femininity (Blakemore, 2003). Failure to follow this group norm is usually met with punishment or ridicule (Kane, 2006; Katz, 2020). Unsurprisingly, this socialization might teach boys that manhood is not guaranteed. Precarious manhood theory (Vandello & Bosson, 2013) argues that manhood–but not womanhood–is a status that must be socially earned, but can be revoked, making it “precarious.” Since the theory’s inception, researchers have explored ways to experimentally examine the consequences of “lost manhood” using masculinity threat paradigms which describe men …

Microgravity-Induced Effects On Global Gene Fitness And Secondary Metabolite Yield In Bacteria, Gayatri Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria are ubiquitous and capable of colonizing nearly any environment, including extreme conditions such as deep oceans, high altitudes, and even space-faring vehicles. These vehicles present unique stresses not found on Earth such as microgravity and radiation. As space exploration advances, understanding how microgravity affects bacterial life has become increasingly important. Over the past 60 years, studies using both real and simulated microgravity have revealed species-specific responses, collectively indicating broad changes in bacterial function and physiological adaptations.

Initially, this study examined Novosphingobium aromaticivorans, a lignin-degrading bacterium detected in spacecraft cleanroom environments by assessing gene fitness during growth in microgravity on …

Efficient Hierarchical Design In Reservoir Computing, Shuai Song

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reservoir Computing (RC) has established itself as a compelling paradigm for modeling complex temporal dynamics, particularly owing to its efficient training regime, theoretical grounding in dynamical systems, and growing compatibility with hardware-oriented deployments. Among RC variants, Echo State Networks (ESNs) remain popular due to their simplicity and effectiveness; however, traditional ESNs with densely connected, randomly initialized reservoirs present inherent limitations in scalability, energy efficiency, and hardware realizability challenges that hinder their adoption in edge and embedded intelligence scenarios.

In this work, we present an efficient hierarchical reservoir computing framework that integrates three complementary strategies: (1) deterministic Simple Cycle Reservoirs (SCRs) …

A Study Of The Ultrasonic Properties Of Dispersive Materials, Farhana Afrose Sonia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the ultrasonic behavior of nanocomposite and polymer materials by evaluating the phase velocity and attenuation coefficient of 20% multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced composites and nylon. The primary goal of the work is to study longitudinal and shear wave propagation in both composite and homogeneous media. To achieve this, I used thru transmission techniques to collect data at multiple incident angles, including 0°, 30°, 35°, and 40° relative to the transmitting transducer.

I analyzed the acquired ultrasonic signals using both time-domain and frequency-domain techniques. In the time-domain approach, I measured the peak-to-peak time delay from gated waveforms …

1:1 Ipad Implementation & Standardized Testing, Kristen Lane Whitehead Zemek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between 1:1 iPad implementation and student performance on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) standardized tests. As school districts increasingly adopt 1:1 technology initiatives, it is critical to understand their impact on key academic outcomes. This research examines the extent to which the consistent use of iPads in the learning environment influences student achievement in core subjects. By analyzing test score data from schools with established 1:1 iPad programs, this paper seeks to provide empirical evidence to inform educational stakeholders, administrators, and policymakers. The findings aim to contribute to the broader discourse on technology integration …

“Listen To The Angels Shouting”: Witnessing, Erasure, And The Legacy Of John Wesley Work Iii, Kennedy Uselton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Questions surrounding the relationship between erasure, music, and memory are deeply embedded within contemporary academic discourse. Music and its makers are continually remembered, forgotten, rediscovered, and lost. How we frame these conversations about memory is especially critical when considering the legacy and cultural remembrance of the Blues. This includes acknowledging that the truth of musical memory extends beyond the artists themselves—it includes those who document, study, and shape how the Blues is archived, interpreted, and narrated. This thesis addresses these questions of memory and erasure through a reconsideration of the figure of John Wesley Work III (1901–1967), a Black scholar, …

Examining Stress, Stress, Potentially Traumatic Events, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Emotional Support Among Individuals With Skin Disease Symptoms, Taylor A. Strange

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the complex interplay between psychological stress, trauma-related experiences, and skin disease symptoms, alongside the potential moderating role of emotional social support. While the worsening effect of stress on skin conditions is well-documented, the specific association between trauma and dermatological symptoms, and its contribution to inflammatory responses, warrants further exploration. The stress-buffering hypothesis posits that perceived emotional support can mitigate the negative impact of stress on quality of life in chronic health conditions. This hypothesis has found support across various chronic physical and psychological ailments, yet its applicability to dermatological conditions remains less established. Our study pursued two …

Academic Achievement Variables: Significance Devalued By Correlated Variables, Ray J. Yancy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study investigates the relationship between student academic achievement and various external factors, including funding, student attendance, school attributes, and family income, across 147 Tennessee K-12 public school districts. Using Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) and End-Of-Course (EOC) scores to define student achievement, the study analyzes data from over 1900 schools during the 2023-2024 school year. Employing the statistical analysis software - SPSS - for descriptive and correlation analysis, the study excludes schools with incomplete data. The findings reveal significant correlations between student achievement and 80% of the external variables, rejecting the null hypothesis in 12 of 15 cases …

Patient’S Willingness To Seek Help From Pharmacists In The Management Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Omkar Nitin Ghodke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background

This study examined factors influencing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients' willingness to seek pharmacist-led disease management, using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IMBP). Despite evidence supporting pharmacist interventions in improving outcomes, patient engagement remains low.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was employed. Semi-structured interviews with eight RA patients identified themes aligned with IMBP constructs. These findings informed a theory-driven survey distributed electronically to 509 RA patients via Qualtrics. Quantitative analyses (descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multiple linear regression) were conducted using IBM SPSS and AMOS.

Results

Interviews revealed 13 themes across five IMBP constructs. Facilitators included positive attitudes (trust, reassurance), …

Loneliness And Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Patric Justin Leukel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is by extension associated with potentially life-threatening events (e.g., heart attack, stroke). Loneliness, which has been linked to cardiovascular health problems, may be an important risk factor for hypertension. Most studies exploring psychosocial factors and blood pressure focus on single-point measurements of blood pressure, which have notable limitations. The current study investigated the association between loneliness and markers of hypertension (i.e., mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure dip, average pulse pressure, and AASI) in a diverse sample by utilizing an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) device. Sixty …

Modeling Capillary-Gravity Wave Scattering With Contact Lines And Meniscus, Guoqin Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Capillary–gravity wave scattering is crucial in fluid systems governed by gravitational and surface tension forces, yet classical theories often neglect key boundary and geometric effects. This dissertation examines two influential mechanisms—dynamic contact line conditions and meniscus curvature—that significantly affect wave behavior at smaller scales.

First, a semi-analytical framework is presented to show how dynamic contact lines, modeled by an effective-slip boundary, alter wave reflection and transmission around a fixed, semi-immersed cylindrical barrier. Using linear potential flow theory combined with conformal mapping and integral-equation methods, the study quantifies how barrier geometry, Bond number, and slip parameters shape energy dissipation. It identifies …

Careers On The Spectrum: Enhancing Higher Education Career Services For First-Generation Neurodivergent College Students, Shyra Jannay Lynch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the unique career service needs and experiences of first-generation neurodivergent college students (FGNCS) at the University of Mississippi. First-generation college students (FGCS), as the first in their families to attend college, often face distinct challenges in navigating higher education due to limited familial support and unfamiliarity with academic resources. Meanwhile, neurodivergent students, those with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and various cognitive differences, encounter unique barriers related to sensory sensitivities, communication, and social integration within academic and career environments. At the intersection of these identities, FGNCS encounter distinct challenges in career services that may not …

Advancing Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Innovative Applications Of Hot Melt Extrusion For The Preparation Of Drug Complexes And Fixed Dose Combination Immediate Release Formulation With Diverse Crystalline Properties, Sivaram Munnangi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research encompasses three distinct studies focusing on innovative applications of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. The first investigation explores the implementation of solvent-free hot-melt extrusion (HME) to enhance the solubility and dissolution of Ibuprofen (IBU) through the formation of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. Molecular docking and phase solubility studies confirmed the hosting of IBU in Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβ-CD). A twin-screw co-rotating extruder aided complex formation, and a Quality by Design (QbD) approach, using a Box-Behnken design, systematically studied the impact of process variables on solubility and dissolution. The second study delves into abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) employing ion-exchange resin complexation as a chemical barrier. …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Biologic Or Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs In Terms Of Opioid Tapering And Discontinuation Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Shadi Bazzazzadehgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Pain is the most common patient-reported outcome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), frequently managed with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT), despite limited evidence supporting its efficacy and safety. Given the inflammatory nature of RA pain, biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) may relief pain and facilitate opioid withdrawal. This study compared rates of any opioid tapering, rapid opioid tapering, and opioid discontinuation among Medicare beneficiaries with RA who initiated b/tsDMARDs, including tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi bDMARDs), non-TNFi bDMARDs, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi).

Methods: A new-user cohort study design was implemented using 5% Medicare (2012-2020). Beneficiaries with RA, …

Meeting The Mandate: An Applied Research Study On Improving Student Success In Advanced Placement Courses., Heather Bryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational policy influences the landscape of American public schools. School leaders are tasked with navigating change and addressing unforeseen repercussions stemming from shifts in educational policy. As Mississippi moved to integrate Advanced Placement courses in all high schools, school leaders were tasked to comply and provide systems of support for school and student achievement. These unintended consequences led to an adjustment in expectations and rigor in all classrooms. This applied research study with program evaluation aimed to mitigate this change and support not only Advanced Placement students, but all students, to facilitate student growth and achievement. The program sought to …

Do College Students Delegate Over The Counter Product Choice To Pharmacists? A National Survey Experiment, Joanne Elizabeth Mansalay Canedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: College students are known to have more frequent use for over-the-counter (OTC) cold products. Choice overload can lead to an increased burden of responsibility and dissatisfaction with one’s decision. The act of delegating to a pharmacist can prevent OTC product misuse and potential for abuse. The objective was to examine the effect of OTC choice difficulty and pharmacist accessibility on college students’ likelihood to delegate pharmacists for choosing OTC products for the common cold.

Methodology: An experimental within-subjects survey design was utilized on a national convenience sample of undergraduate students aged 18 years and older through Qualtrics market research …

Afrissippi, Peter Muvunyi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Guelel Kumba, a Senegalese Fulani griot, chef, and musician currently residing in Oxford, Mississippi, incorporates West African cuisine and music into his daily life in the South. This profile study asks: How does Kumba's performances and cooking translate Fulani heritage into Mississippi's blues and soul-food scenes? The research employed observation, secondary sources, purposeful semi-structured interviews, and a documentary.

Kumba views tradition as an arsenal, preserving its essential rhythms and flavors while reworking family recipes and tunes to suit local tastes. Customers can eat, listen, and interact their way into shared history at his food truck and …

Study Of The Mechanism And Physiological Impact Of Transcriptional Regulation Of Pilin-Encoding Pila Gene In Caulobacter Crescentus, Anurag Rijal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus with a unique dimorphic lifestyle is a model organism for studying prokaryotic development. An important cellular structure is the hair-like appendage called pilus, made up of monomeric subunits called pilins. The pilus helps C. crescentus in surface sensing and attachment, leading to cellular differentiation. Despite these advantages, the C. crescentus cell expresses the pilus filament on its surface for a very short period in its life cycle, during the motile swarmer stage. This study examined the precisely-timed transcriptional regulation of the pilin-encoding gene pilA, and uncovered the impact it has on bacterial survival.

CtrA, a global …

The Effects Of Timbre On Melodic Dictation In Advanced Placement Music Theory Students, William Thomas Ardrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of varying timbres on melodic dictation accuracy. Melodic dictation is used not only in collegiate music curricula but also in high school Advanced Placement Music Theory (APMT) courses. Studies examining the effects of varying timbres on dictation are limited (Gephardt, 1978; Gonzalez et al., 2015), and further investigation was needed. Subjects in this study (N = 52) were APMT students who completed melodic dictation tasks in four timbres: Bb clarinet, Bb trumpet, piano, and marimba. A repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant difference in melodic dictation accuracy across …

Here, There: Jewish Identities In The South Through The Lens Of Food, Charles George Pappas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the role that place performs in the creation of different Jewish identities in the South through the study of foodways practices. The first chapter provides a historical background of Jewish foodways and an analysis of two Jewish cookbooks and their recipes. These texts act as historical markers of the similarities and differences between varying diasporas across space and time and show how these elements impact Jewish culinary practices. Chapter two is centered around an oral history conducted with Jewish chef Laurence Faber and the places that have shaped his approach to the food served at his Knoxville …