Digital Commons Network^™

Weak Disorder Limit On Diamond Hierarchical Graphs With Vertex Disorder In The Critical Case, Casey Reid Lochridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We compare three models for a directed polymer in a random environment (DPRE): the rectangular lattice, the branching lattice, and the diamond hierarchical lattice. Our focus is primarily on the diamond model, in which the polymers traverse a recursively defined diamond graph with a random environment composed of random variables indexed by the vertex set. The diamond graphs are constructed iteratively according to a given branching parameter b ∈ {2, 3, 4, . . .} and segmenting parameter s ∈ {2, 3, 4, . . .}, and our main result concerns the critical case b = s. In this case, …

Enhancing Flex Student Success: Factors Influencing Achievement In The Istudy Program At The University Of Mississippi, Jennifer Jewel Sanford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions have recently increased the number of online courses offered to students. A need exists to understand student success within asynchronous self-paced online education programs. This study explores the factors that impact student success in the Independent Study Program (iStudy) at the University of Mississippi, focusing specifically on Flex (Full-Year) enrolled students. Student success is defined as achieving a completion grade of "C" or higher. The proposed study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of student performance data with qualitative feedback from student performance data and exit surveys. The assessment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of …

Improving American Learners’ Pronunciation Of Arabic Pharyngeals: Traditional Vs. Tbi Method, Yasmine Sedeek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mastering the phonological aspects of a second language (L2) poses significant challenges for adult learners, often affecting their intelligibility in acquiring that language (Derwing, Munro, & Wiebe, 1998). McAllister (1997) has highlighted L2 learners’ struggles in perceiving and producing novel segmental features, which is corroborated by The Perceptual Assimilation Model of L2 speech learning (PAM-L2) proposed by Best & Tyler (2007), which posits that the perception of L2 phonetics is a critical precursor to their accurate production. Against this backdrop, the present study aims to improve the intelligibility of Arabic pharyngeals (/ʕ/ and /ħ/) among English-speaking learners studying Arabic as …

Investment Decisions Of Institutional Investors, Sunghan Bae

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the first essay, we investigate whether social preference affects institutional investors’ socially responsible investing (SRI) by examining US insurance firms. Prior literature suggests that investors value firms’ socially responsible endeavors and are willing to sacrifice financial gains when conducting SRI. We show that, on average, insurers allocate less weight to securities with high ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) scores. However, a subset of insurers with high Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scores overweight high ESG securities. Moreover, we find that insurers with high CSR scores experience positive abnormal returns when they invest in high ESG stocks. This indicates that insurers …

Indirect And Direct Pathways Of Migratory Shorebird Effects On Nitrogen Cycling Within Temporarily Flooded Agricultural Fields, Victoria Blocker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The global human population continues to grow exponentially, and agriculture will need to become more productive to meet growing food demands. Humans also need clean water and other services that ecosystems provide. This requires future agriculture production to reduce environmental and wildlife impacts through improved efficiencies and best management practices. Migratory shorebirds rely on wetlands throughout North and South America as stopover habitat for rest and refueling during migration. Temporarily flooded farmlands in the Mississippi Delta have proven to be beneficial locations for shorebirds during migrations along the central flyway. This conservation practice also enhances wetland properties that promote excess …

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 2, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of April 1 through June 30, 2024.

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of July 1 through September 30, 2024.

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 4, Joshua Sharp

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of October 1 - December 31, 2024.

Research News, Grants, 2024, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Grants (2015-)

Grants and contracts awarded during July - September 2024 - Revised 10/22/24

Research News, Grants, 2024, Volume 4, Joshua Sharp

Grants (2015-)

Grants and contracts awarded during October - December 2024

Application Of Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology For The Preparation Of Carbamazepine Extended-Release Tablets, Chamundeswara Srinivasa Akash Kalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an anti-convulsant and specific analgesic for trigeminal neuralgia that reduces polysynaptic responses and blocks post titanic potentiation. Moreover, CBZ is effective in partial and generalized convulsions and mixed types. It is not effective in petit mal seizures. Carbamazepine extended-release tablets are used to treat episodes of mania (or) mixed episodes i.e., symptoms of mania and depression that happen at the same time, in patients with bipolar disorder. The present study was designed to develop CBZ extended-release tablets with acrylic acid-based polymer (Eudragit® RL PO) using a melt granulation and to match the USP dissolution test specification. Thermal …

The Relationship Between Aim Pathways Professional Development, Teachers’ Sense Of Efficacy For Literacy Instruction, And Literacy Knowledge, Among K-3 Teachers, Shakita Bagwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching reading has been an ongoing challenge for many educators across the United States. Numerous studies suggest that teachers feel they were not adequately prepared to teach reading and have low efficacy in delivering literacy instruction. Teaching reading requires educators to be knowledgeable about the alphabetic principle, decoding new words, and how the brain learns to read. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the relationship between AIM Pathways Professional Development on teachers’ literacy efficacy and knowledge compared to teachers who did not receive the professional development. A survey was administered to eighty-eight teachers in Mississippi Literacy Support Schools. Multidimensional scaling …

More Than A Feeling: Materializing Sympathy In Nineteenth-Century American Literature, Kathleen Downes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“More than a Feeling: Materializing Sympathy in Nineteenth-Century American Literature” breaks from a long tradition of criticism that only considers the nineteenth-century belief that sympathy was a benevolent, voluntary, imaginative act of feeling that maintains moral rectitude through the identification of suffering with others. In this context, sympathy is primarily defined as identificatory sympathy. “More than a Feeling” expands the definition of sympathy in the nineteenth century as also something that could be atmospherically communicated, transmitting good or bad feeling, and thus affecting and infecting those around them. This other form of sympathy, which for this project I term “effluvial …

Portraits Of Dayton, Alabama: Images Of Women And Place In The Antebellum South, Laura Corran Conte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The scholarship on women in the antebellum American South is extensive. Since the 1980s, historians have debated the relationships between white plantation mistresses and the Black women they enslaved. This project adds to that conversation by examining the extant material culture from Dayton, Alabama, to understand the lives of slave-holding mother and daughter, Thyrza Jane Catlin Cade (1811-1876) and Adolpha Thompson Cade Reeves (1845-1888) and the families they enslaved. This project combines gender studies with art historical analysis to ask questions about whether stories of white, elite slaveholding planter families from the Deep South anything have left to teach us. …

On Inference-Time Adversaries In Object Detection Models, Soumil Datta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing use of AI in various applications, its ability to impact different communities is a crucial aspect to the advancement of humanity and technology. However, with its often unexplained properties, AI models could wreck havoc if loopholes are found. Adversarial attack algorithms have been shown to cause deep neural networks to fail on image classification and object detection tasks while being visually imperceptible to humans. Adversarial attacks cause out of distribution predictions and can cause the model to fail in unexpected ways.

Formulation Development And Characterization Of Isoniazid-Pyridoxine Combination Gummies Using An Extrusion-Based 3d Printer, Aditi Rajendra Holkunde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to formulate and evaluate Isoniazid-Pyridoxine-loaded gummies for use in a population ranging from pediatric to geriatric and to study the applicability of BIO X 3D printer in printing gummy formulations. Semisolid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing is an emerging technology in personalized medicine. To address clinical multi-dose requirements, SSE has been explored to manufacture new preparations. In this study, Isoniazid (INH) and Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (PDX) were used to make gummy formulations for use in the treatment of Tuberculosis. A suitable semisolid mixture for SSE was prepared and incorporated into the BIO X 3D printer for extrusion-based 3D printing …

A Case Study Of The Mississippi Teacher Corps (Mtc) Program Graduate School Experience As It Relates To Mtc Postgraduate Teacher Retention, Sandra Evelyn Carver Hubbard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation in practice (DiP) is to explore the relationship, if any, between the Mississippi Teacher Corps Graduate School experience and the expressed reasons of some of its teachers to either leave their placement school; teach in another critical-needs school in Mississippi, but not remain long-term; teach in another state; or exit the profession of classroom teaching after completion of the program. This study will only focus on teachers who left their placement school, another critical-needs school in Mississippi, or classroom teaching after 5 years. These five years include the two years while participants were in the …

Mapping In/Exclusion: Queer Identity In Oxford, Mississippi, Julia Kraus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis employs a mixed methods approach to investigate LGBTQ communities in Oxford, Mississippi, within the unique context of the Bible Belt panopticon. Through an examination of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Oxford (UUCO) and Oxford Pride, the study delves into the themes of visibility and surveillance, resistance and subversion, community and identity, and institutional interactions and impacts. The research is grounded in seven original interviews with UUCO members, providing nuanced insights into the functioning of LGBTQ communities within a conservative environment. Additionally, the creation of a podcast episode titled “Queering Oxford: the Long Path to Pride” offers an innovative …

Race/Ethnicity And Gender Preferences In The Small Firm Exempt Offering Market, Mercer Bullard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Minority and female entrepreneurs who have sought to raise capital in private (exempt) securities offerings in the U.S. have encountered a market in which they are substantially underrepresented. The most relied on exemption, Regulation D (Reg D), generally requires that investors meet wealth requirements. Such “accredited” investors may seek investment opportunities in networks from which minorities and women are excluded or that are biased against them. In 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission created a new crowdfunding exemption (Reg CF) that was intended to improve access to capital for such disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Reg CF generally allows anyone to invest and …

Magnolia State Of Mind: Memory And Memorialisation In Mississippi, Cosmo Mcgee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the ways Mississippi has historically and contemporaneously crafted its collective memory through symbolism. Confederate memorial groups endeavoured to create a “Lost Cause” memory of the state’s Antebellum past, validating its White supremacist systems into the 1960s. With the violence of the Civil Rights era failing to stop integration, Mississippians would spend the next sixty years debating the best ways to represent the state’s history.

This work looks at three distinct manifestations of Mississippi’s memorial culture: the discussions around and changes to the state flag, the cultural and sporting atmosphere of the University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”), and …

Evaluation Of Process Parameters For Continuous Manufacturing Of Quetiapine Fumarate Immediate Release Tablets Using Twin Screw Wet Granulation, Tejaswini Naguboyina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Granulation is one of the important unit operations in the manufacturing of solid dosage forms like tablets and capsules that regulate the quality of end products. It is a process of particle enlargement by agglomeration technique, which improves flow properties, compressibility, reduction of dust formation, drug content uniformity, dissolution rates, and overall product stability. Traditionally, it has been a batch process due to a better understanding. However, there has been a shift towards continuous manufacturing using a Twin-screw granulator, which is more robust, scalable, and versatile for various applications. This work presents the use of Twin screw wet granulation (TSWG) …

Spins And Kicks: An Analysis Of Dynamical Properties Of Compact Binaries Using Gravitational Waves, Sumeet Kulkarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The detection of over 90 compact object mergers involving black holes and neutron stars as gravitational wave events by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors over the course of three observing runs has ushered in the new era of gravitational wave astrophysics. Within a decade, we have transitioned from a detection to the population era, with a combined catalog of these events making it possible to study the population properties of compact objects, estimate their local merger rate, and provide clues as to how they can form binaries. This dissertation focuses on two particular displays of the dynamical dance …

Montesquieu: The Nature Of L’Esprit Des Lois, Christian Jax Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Baron de Montesquieu received a copy of his L’Esprit des lois, he was horrified by the total removal and reorganization of critical parts of his text, changed ideas, and an abnormal amount of printing errors in his work. While he saw these issues hindering the reception of his work, this thesis argues that the chaos of the text, in both its style and publication, made the book more popular instead of hindering it. Montesquieu, his editor, and his publisher constructed a new kind of text that was broad in its subject matter and ambiguous in its meaning where its …

The Impact Of Team Success And Team Dynamics On Employee Effort, Tina S. Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I experimentally examine how team success affects individual employees’ attribution of their own poor performance and whether inter-team dynamics impact their subsequent efforts. I argue, using attribution theory, that more successful, relative to less successful, team performance will lead employees to take more responsibility for their own poor performance and, thus, make more positive effort adjustments. This is because employees are more likely to accept responsibility for their poor performance when they learn that their team as a whole performed well. Additionally, using social identity theory, I argue that employees on teams with stronger team dynamics will make more positive …

Moving Minds: Examining The Potential Effects Of Movement On Executive Function Among 3-Year-Olds, Zubie Reagan Pearce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine the effect of movement on the conscious control of behavior (i.e., executive function or EF) in three-year-old children. Two questions were addressed regarding the role of movement in preschoolers' EF. First, the study investigated how altering movement within EF tasks influenced children's EF performance by manipulating relevant motor patterns (i.e., arm movement within EF searching and sorting tasks) in 3-year-olds. Children wore slightly weighted armbands while engaging in two distinct EF tasks, one focusing on motor control (i.e., reaching for an object) and the other on cognitive control (i.e., sorting objects based on rules). Second, …

From Likes To Looks: The Relationship Between Tiktok Use And Body Satisfaction In A Young Adult Population, Madeline Pruett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction is becoming an increasingly pervasive problem among young adults, presenting severe implications including the onset of eating disorders and related behaviors. This alarming trend can be attributed, at least in part, to the ubiquity and influence of social media platforms, which serve as a modern catalyst for appearance pressures. While there is a substantial body of research establishing the connection between body dissatisfaction and traditional social media, the examination of newer platforms like TikTok, which have become highly popular among young adults, remains limited. As such, the present study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the relationship …

Utilizing Embedded Mathematics Instructional Coaching When Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials, Shannon E. Priest

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional development is essential for teachers to grow in their profession. However, often professional development is a one size fits all approach, and it occurs outside of the teachers’ classroom. This causes teachers to not fully implement new strategies when they return to their classroom. One way to overcome this is to utilize instructional coaching. As our school district began implementing new high-quality instructional materials without guidance, I took on the role of serving as an embedded mathematics instructional coach.

For this qualitative self-study, I acted as an embedded mathematics instructional coach and provided research-based teaching activities to peer teachers …

Listening To The Voices Of Educators In The Implementation Of The Mississippi Seal Of Biliteracy, Rosalynn Vásquez Rutland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Department of Education adopted the Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy in 2019 changing our state’s educational language policy from English-only to English-plus another world language, elevating Spanish and other world languages to a status closer to English in the districts that the seal has been adopted. This study documents the perspectives held by Mississippi educators on the benefits, new practices, challenges, and policy perception of the Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy at a high school that has adopted the seal and one that has not. Due to the difference in sample sizes between schools, this study is a generalization of …

Mirroring The Target Environment: Text And Task Authenticity In Esl Business Textbooks, Kurt Wildon Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the utilization of authentic reading materials in ESL textbooks and the role that textbook-based tasks serve in enabling ESL classrooms to mirror the target environment. Three original studies are conducted, and two models are designed and applied in order to address the research questions, which aim to establish a standard metric for assessing semi-authenticity of materials and to determine to what degree ESL textbooks prepare students for utilizing subsequent academic textbooks in similar topical areas. Textbooks developed for ESL business and academic business courses are analyzed to determine task category prevalence, reading texts in the ESL genre …

Modeling The Relationship Between Protein Sequence And Structure Using Triangular Spatial Relationship-Based Keys, Arianna Nicole Swensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein structure comparison and our understanding of protein sequence and structure relationships are intertwined. In this work, I use the TSR-based key generation algorithm to develop a model for relating sequence and structure. I develop embeddings for the sequence-based keys and the structure-based keys as the basis for a translation model between the two sets of keys, evaluating the efficacy of local and global embedding generation techniques in the context of the TSR-based comparison method.