Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Google Smart Compose On The Process Of Open-Ended Writing, Sijan Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, a lot of new natural language models have been developed which help individuals with writing. One of the widely used tools is Google’s Smart Compose which is a text-predictive system that helps individuals to write by reducing the need for repetitive typing. Though this tool has been well established and used by a lot of people, there is a lack of studies on its impact on open-ended writing.

In this thesis, we investigate the effect of Google’s Smart Compose in open-ended writing. To do this, we built a custom software that collects data while the users are writing on …

Navigating To The Top: Career Success Experiences Of Black Women Senior Leaders In Higher Education, Gladys R. Peters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The career advancement for Black women in higher education is not the same as their counterparts. Gender equity practices fail to challenge homogenous professional communities limiting how race and gender influence leadership advancement for Black women career trajectories. Black women who occupy positions of institutional influence and authority as senior leaders have largely been overlooked in in higher education research. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, this multiple case study explored the lived experiences of 10 Black women presently working in senior leadership roles in four-year public institutions of higher learning. This study sought to contribute to a deeper understanding of …

Unveiling Mississippi's Artistic Souls: A Documentary Journey, Sandip Rai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This MFA thesis presents a short documentary film focusing on the lives and artistic processes of four distinct artists residing in Mississippi: Andrew Bryant, Anne Scott Barrett, Jared Spears, and Stephen Brown (5th Child). The film delves into the intricacies of each artist's creative journey, capturing their unique perspectives and offering invaluable insights into their artistic endeavors.

Over the course of more than a year, this documentary underwent numerous revisions and refinements to ensure its significance both to the public audience and, most importantly, to the featured artists themselves. As an artist, the filmmaker was deeply motivated to unravel the …

The Effect Of Work Accommodations On The Risk Of Relapse In Physicians And Nurses With Co-Occurring Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Corbin Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accessing reasonable work accommodations may be difficult for healthcare professionals with impairments, particularly those who suffer from mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD). The use of workplace accommodations by medical professionals who also have MHSUD may experience barriers to their accommodations. The article explores (1) the difference between the types of work accommodations and (2) the types of barriers healthcare professionals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders experience and how they impact their risk of relapse. Implications for physicians, nurses, and counselors are discussed.

Distraction By Any Other Name? The Impact Of Music On Social Exclusion Recovery, Sydney G. Wicks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across three experiments, this work investigated whether the effectiveness of music on social exclusion recovery was greater than that of other distracting noises. I hypothesized that listening to music would be effective in improving needs satisfaction after instances of rejection (being explicitly disliked; Study 1) or ostracism (being ignored; Studies 2-3). Further, I examined whether this effectiveness was mediated by reduced rumination, increased emotional engagement (feeling moved by audio), and increased parasocial experiences (sense of one-sided psychological bonds). Ultimately, music was shown to be effective (albeit, relatively) in improving one’s needs when compared to a baseline condition. Additionally, listening to …

Service-Learning: A Key To Effective Communication For Radiologic Sciences Students, Chelsea Palmer Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many healthcare entities across the globe are moving away from the idea of only treating patients’ diseases to a model of focusing on the overall well-being of patients. Because of this change, healthcare academia must also focus on this change when helping educate clinical practitioners. One major proponent of this type of care is effective communication between the practitioner and the patient. In order to help students grow in this vital attribute, educators must think outside the normal realm of academia and incorporate experiential learning strategies. One method that is often used to place students in an active environment with …

Transportability Of Adversarial Attack, Jonggu Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to leverage machine learning algorithms to introduce adversarial cloaks, or noise, into images containing real individuals and assess whether the resulting images still accurately represent human subjects. Specifically, I seek to discern whether images featuring avatars, placed in the same spatial configuration as humans and subjected to similar perturbations, can be effectively used to generate adversarial examples capable of fully masking a person. By analyzing the probability of correctly identifying personhood, I strive to establish a method of utilizing virtual avatars to provide increased privacy for users. This research has significant implications for advancing …

Farmers’ Preference And Willingness To Accept Carbon Payment Programs: Evidence From South Dakota, Pramisha Thapaliya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is crucial to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Agricultural soil carbon sequestration holds great potential in reducing GHG emissions. No-till, conservation till and cover crops are some of the widely recognized carbon-sequestering agricultural conservation practices. However, farmers need to adopt these carbon-sequestering practices to realize the potential of agricultural soil carbon sequestration. Carbon payment or market programs are voluntary mechanisms that could incentivize farmers’ adoption of conservation practices that sequester carbon. However, there is limited knowledge of farmers’ preferences and willingness to accept (WTA) carbon payments for enrollment in such programs. This study investigates …

Stem And Pre-Health Students’ Diminishing Online Conversation Volume Regarding Majors And Careers Within The Field: Why Higher Education Should Care, Susan Roh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the STEM and pre-health online mention volume change regarding STEM and pre-health majors, careers, and universities, with the data collection period encompassing August of 2018 through June of 2021. We evaluated if the mention sentiment shifted between academic year periods. The data gathered for this study was procured in collaboration with Campus Sonar and the social-listening tool of Brandwatch, which allowed for specifications of the data collected. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine the means of the majors, careers, and universities mentions and mean sentiment volumes. Changes in not only online conversation …

Evaluation Of Yeast Postbiotic In Sow Diets On Sow And Offspring Performance And Microbial Succession, Joel Kieser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Litter size and the resulting nutritional demand on the sow continue to increase while sow mortality and culling rate are also increasing. Non-nutritive feed additives may enhance sow health and thereby improve offspring growth and productivity after weaning. Development of the gut microbiome in piglets via microbial succession is critical for maximizing their productivity and providing stability for overcoming weaning stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of yeast-based postbiotic supplementation in gestation and lactation diets on offspring performance through the nursery period and on whether a yeast postbiotic could impact the sow fecal microbiome as …

Dynamic Modeling Of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Smart Inverters Using Power-Hardware-In-The-Loop, Bidur Poudel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inverter-based generation is replacing synchronous-based generation in the power grid. In the past, due to the dominance of synchronous-based generation, inverter-based generation dynamics were typically under-modeled as they made little contribution to voltage and frequency control. Looking at the present context, several disturbances, like the Blue Cut Fire (CA), on August 16, 2016, the South Australian Blackout on September 28, 2016, and the Canyon Two Fire Disturbance (CA) on October 9, 2017, etc., are caused by the influence of converter-based resources. So, for converter-dominated power system stability analysis and control, the dynamics of an inverter-based system cannot be under-modeled. In …

Relations Between Parent Coping With The Stress Of Parenting And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression, Maxwell Jared Luber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is important to refine understanding of the impact of adolescent behaviors on parents. In particular there is a need to improve understanding of the potential increase in parental distress caused by challenging youth behaviors. Parenting stress may play a critical role in these processes. Various coping strategies have been associated with different psychosocial outcomes, including anxiety and depression. In contrast, less effective coping strategies are linked to a higher likelihood of meeting criteria for mood or anxiety disorders. Gender differences in stress coping between women and men may contribute to women reporting higher levels of psychological distress, depression, and …

Has Journalism Education Kept Up With Digital Transformation?, Md Sazzad Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the digital world, journalism is a highly technology-dependent profession (Goni & Tabassum 2020). But there are gaps between what journalism schools teach and what employers want (Wenger and Owens, 2013). As a result, students, educators, and professionals demand the development of specific digital skills (Lee 2022). This study examines how journalism educators adapt their programs to respond to changing media environments and to the demands of professional journalism in the digital age. The researcher used a quantitative survey method to target the 119 journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass …

Who, What, And How Much: Understanding The Profiles, Preferences, And Valuations Of Individuals Likely To Participate In Food As Medicine Programs, Austin Dean Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Initial research on food as medicine programs has shown encouraging evidence, but more evidence is needed to identify the most effective models, services, delivery methods, and funding mechanisms. Previously studied programs were designed by the researchers, providers, and public health advocates without input from patients on their preferences. Patient engagement is essential to develop successful programs.

Study Aims: 1) To explore the presence latent classes among individuals with diet-related chronic diseases likely to participate in food as medicine programs; 2) To explore preferences for attributes of food as medicine programs among individuals with diet-related chronic diseases likely to participate; …

The University Of Mississippi’S First-Year Experience Course: A Quantitative Analysis, Rachael Durham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-year seminar courses have become increasingly popular for colleges and universities as they are expected to help aid in the transition to college and help students persist to graduation (Culver & Bowman, 2020).

Utilizing pre-existing data from the Office of Institutional Research Effectiveness and Planning (IREP), the scholar-practitioner evaluated EDHE 105, the freshman academic orientation course, at the University of Mississippi. The anonymized data file included demographic information of residency, gender, and ethnicity, high school grade point average, ACT composite scores, enrollment in EDHE 105, athlete and honors designations, first-semester grade point average, fourth-semester grade point average, fourth-semester hours attempted, …

Voices From Below: The Politics Of Leprosy Control In Southeastern Nigeria, 1926-1960, Odinakachukwu Kingsley Eze

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leprosy was an endemic disease in colonial Southeastern Nigeria but became an epidemic between the 1920s and 1940s. Unlike malaria and sleeping sickness, its endemicity did not impede European penetration at the dawn of the twentieth century. However, its spread across Nigeria intensified during colonial rule, with acute prevalence in regions hitherto prone to the disease. Therefore, from the 1920s to 1960, Southeastern Nigeria became the epicenter of British policies tailored towards preventing, curing, and eradicating leprosy disease in Nigeria. Existing research has established the involvement of different actors in this course–including Christian missionaries, colonial officials, specialized agencies, and international …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations For The Mechanical Behavior Of Alpha Quartz With Void Defects Under Tension, Yu Jia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The structural and mechanical properties of void-free and single-void α-quartz were investigated using MD simulations with three different interatomic potentials (BKS, Vashishta and Tersoff). Two distinct ensembles, NVT and NPT, were separately applied to investigate the tensile response of α-quartz under uniaxial strain and uniaxial stress states. A comprehensive comparison among different potentials, as well as comparison with currently available experiments, has been made. The BKS and Vashishta potentials accurately predicted the structural properties of void-free α-quartz, while the Tersoff potential was deviated significantly from the experimental data. Under tension, the BKS did a better description for the mechanical performance …

Bio-Inspired Memory Device Based Physical Reservoir Computing System To Solve Temporal And Classification Problems, Md Razuan Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, technological advancements in the field of computing have been limited by the slowing down of Moore’s law, which predicts the doubling of the number of transistors on a microchip every two years. The limitations of traditional solid-state electronics have become increasingly evident, as it is becoming difficult to increase the number of transistors while maintaining their reliability and performance. The breakdown of Dennard Scaling, which describes the power-density relationship in CMOS transistors, and the von Neumann bottleneck, which refers to the limited bandwidth between the central processing unit (CPU) and memory, have further exacerbated the situation. Moreover, …

Using Diverse Children's Literature To Enhance Social Emotional Learning, Lashana T. Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on examining the use of diverse children's literature and social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula to enhance the social-emotional competence skills of Pre-K students in general education classrooms. Understanding and developing these skills during early childhood has been shown to be essential for healthy child development, and early education teachers play a critical role in this process. The findings from this study suggest that while teachers have a positive view and awareness of the theoretical foundations of SEL, they may need additional training and support to effectively implement and incorporate SEL strategies in their practices. Specifically, the study highlighted …

How Chief Marketing Officers Are Paid: Consequences Of Cmo Compensation, Jasmine Parajuli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) expect Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) to “grow the business”. One of the ways CMOs can be motivated to do so is through an effective compensation package. This research synthesizes the current executive compensation literature to show how marketing leadership and top management team, firm, and industry level strategies interact with one another to influence firm performance. The first study develops a comprehensive strategic literature review based on highly rated journals from marketing and offers a major step forward in developing research questions and advancing the development of agency theory, upon which this dissertation is built on. …

Classic Maya Subadult Age Estimates From Ambergris Caye, Belize, Nikki Anne Wicox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maya of the Classic period (300-900 AD) were inhabitants of the coastal island of Ambergris Caye, Belize (Guderjan, 2007). The individuals of this island have been explored through other research, however, one sub-population on the island that has yet to be explored in depth is that of childhood. Children play an integral role in society but are often overlooked as active members based upon the modern cultural norms of childhood, as well as the perceived difficulty of identifying children´s activities in the archaeological record (Ardren, 2015; Ardren & Hutson, 2006; Danforth, 1989; Storey, 1992; Wright, 1997). My research aims to …

Attitudes Toward Arabic-English Code Switching In Saudi Society, Tareq Aldosari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is designed to explore the attitudes of Saudi students at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University toward code switching between colloquial Arabic and English and toward borrowing from the English language in Saudi society, considering two significant variables: major studied and gender. The study utilized two tools: a) questionnaires that the participants fill out after listening to recordings demonstrating code switching, borrowing and Arabic-only and b) interviews that were conducted to explore further the participants’ attitudes and the reasons behind them. Both tools considered three dimensions: superiority, attractiveness, and dynamism of the speakers. One hundred twenty questionnaires were distributed …

Successful Aging And Turnover Intention Among Older Hospitality Frontline Employees, Thamsanqa Jongile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This two-part dissertation delves into the intertwined precursors of successful aging and turnover intent in the hospitality sector. The first part applies a structural equation model to examine the link between perceived narcissistic leadership, successful aging, and turnover intentions. The author posits that work engagement, employee cynicism, and emotional fatigue are the mechanisms through which perceived narcissistic leadership affects successful aging and turnover intent. The findings affirm these conjectures, revealing that narcissistic leadership serves as a predictor of successful aging and turnover intent.

The second manuscript probes further into the antecedents of successful aging, evaluating a theoretical model in which …

Psychometric Properties Of The Spanish Ucla Ptsd Reaction Index For Dsm-5€“Brief Form In Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria, Evan Edward Rooney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma exposure among youth is a significant public health issue and is associated with psychiatric symptoms and impaired functioning. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, have become an increasingly salient source of traumatic exposures for youth. However, not all youth exposed to traumatic experiences go on to develop posttraumatic stress symptoms or other maladaptive reactions. Given the high need for psychological support and low resource context engendered by hurricanes, efficient and evidentiary tools for assessing risk are needed to effectively identify youth most in need of services. The present study will use a sample of 96,108 Puerto Rican youth (Grades: 3-12; …

Exploring Messages About College Attendance And Graduation, Erin Talley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Successful completion of a college degree is a growing necessity in the United States of America. Concerns about workforce readiness and the cost of postsecondary education make completion of a college degree a burdensome necessity for individuals and society. Important implications from higher education research have been integral in establishing support programs to enhance college and university admissions, persistence, and graduation. Exploration of students’ home environments (Belasco, 2013; Wladis, Hachey, & Conway, 2018), preparation for college endeavors (Banks, 2022; Gilroy, 2014), fit in college institutions (Grillo & Leist, 2014; Lutz, Bennett, & Wang, 2017), and determination, or GRIT (Duckworth & …

Alternative Southern Communities: Cultural Other "Asians" In Contemporary Fiction About The American South, Mariko Hiwatashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the representation of minority groups in contemporary U.S. Southern literature, with a particular focus on Asian communities. It not only challenges the conventional perception that Asians in America are primarily associated with the West Coast but also underscores how Asian representation in literature plays a crucial role in illuminating the complexities of regional identity and social structure in the American South.

Historically, Asian immigrants have been part of the Southern landscape since the eighteenth century when Filipino sailors settled in New Orleans. Chinese immigrants also played essential roles as laborers in the post-slavery South. However, their experiences …

A Storyteller's Remove: Place-Noticing In Welty's Disturbed Landscapes, Lucy Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi author Eudora Welty’s particular attunement to her characters’ place and time earned her canonization among southern authors bound by a peculiar sense of place. Our understanding of place, though, is rapidly evolving, spreading theoretical roots across disciplines and striving to keep up with global environmental change. Adopting frameworks from ecology, sociology, and comparative literature, this work seeks out the common denominators between Welty’s sense of place and our present perspectives, training our eye to notice relationships previously unconsidered. Unmistakable throughlines in Welty’s writing and photography offer fertile grounds for tracing place theory through visual and critical analysis, and find …

Evaluation Of How Teacher Professional Development Training Influences Teacher Instructional Practice, Sherrita Yolanda Lacy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied research study aimed to improve teacher professional development to improve teacher’s instructional practice. The need to improve teacher professional development arose from ineffective instructional practices and low academic achievement ratings. This applied research study incorporated an action plan with three elements to improve teacher professional development training. The researcher used interviews, surveys, and students’ benchmark data to evaluate the program elements in the study. Using the abovementioned instruments and the school leadership team's collaborative involvement, findings support that improving teacher professional development can lead to improved instructional practices and build teacher capacity.

A Historical Study Of Cécile Chaminade: Pianist, Composer, And Music Educator, Rebekah Leigh Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

French composer and pianist Cécile Chaminade was one of the first women to make a career of composing. She had many strong musical influences in her life including Georges Bizet, Mortiz Moszkowski, and her parents. Chaminade composed approximately 400 pieces of music, 200 of which are piano works. She preferred to compose in smaller forms and was the leading exponent of the salon music style. For many years, Chaminade was the only well-known female composer to the general public. She remains one of the most published composers of her generation. Her most successful piano piece, Scarf Dance Op. 37, sold …

How Prepared Are They? Mississippi Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness For English Learners In Content Area Classrooms, Michelle Turonek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for English learners in Mississippi content area classrooms. Specifically, the study examined the feelings and experiences teachers had on their preparedness for English learners. While researching teacher perceptions, the study also attempted to discover the reasoning behind their preparedness through pre-service coursework, professional development, and strategies of second language acquisition. A qualitative approach was used through interviews and a survey to investigate how teachers perceived their preparedness and expressed their experiences. Data was collected from ten Mississippi teachers throughout the state and analyzed by the researcher to identify …