Digital Commons Network^™

A Multilevel Analysis To Evaluate Variability In Sdoh Clusters Within Rurality And Its Effects On Cancer-Specific And All-Cause Mortality In The Us., Stephie Ann Abraham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social determinants of health (SDOH) factors have consistently been shown to impact all-cause and cancer-specific mortality. Area-level SDOH factors that coexist to form “high-risk” clusters are more prevalent in rural than urban areas. However, heterogeneity within rural and urban areas may contribute to variations in SDOH factors that could influence higher mortality rates and is not considered in other studies. The primary objective of this study was to utilize ecological and individual-level data to determine if the composition of SDOH clusters within counties in the rural-urban continuum contributes to differences in all-cause (AC) and cancer-specific mortality rates of lung and …

Perceived Organizational Support Of High-Performance Support Staff Members In Professional Soccer Organizations., Erica B. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore perceived organizational support among high-performance support staff (HPSS) within professional soccer organizations. Specifically, this study examined how HPSS define organizational support, identified factors that shape their perceptions, explored organizational challenges they experience, and analyzed how those challenges intersect with their perceptions of support. Organizational Support Theory (OST) and its central construct, Perceived Organizational Support (POS), served as the theoretical framework guiding this study. OST assumes employees form global beliefs about the extent to which their organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being. To address the study’s purpose, a basic interpretive …

The Important Of Female Coaches: What Barriers They Face, Why They Stay, And What Can Be Done To Attract More., Hayley E. Yourous

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After the passage of Title IX, there has been an increase in the number of females participating in sports; however, the same cannot translate to women in coaching or leadership positions (Acosta & Carpenter, 2014; Hart et al., 1986; LaVoi & Baeth, 2018). The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of females who had served as head coaches in the high school setting with at least eight years of experience as a head coach. The NCAA (2022) reported in 2020 that female coaches accounted for 41.3% of female teams' head coaches, both intercollegiate and …

Alkali-Silica Reactivity And Ionic Transport In Mortar With Hydrophobic Inclusions., Isaac Offei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) causes extensive damage to concrete infrastructure worldwide, with traditional mitigation strategies increasingly constrained by supplementary cementitious material (SCM) supply limitations. This dissertation investigates an innovative approach to ASR prevention through strategic application of hydrophobic materials to modify moisture and ionic transport pathways in cement mortars. The research employed a comprehensive three-objective experimental program using highly reactive aggregates and three hydrophobic materials: hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-treated fumed silica, silane-based emulsion, and silane-based crème. The first objective demonstrated the feasibility of hydrophobic aggregate surface modification, achieving 46% and 38% reductions in ASR expansion for washed and non-washed hydrophobic aggregates, respectively. Microstructural …

Reclaiming Bodily Autonomy Through Gullah Geechee Natural Healing, Tamaray Yvonne White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s sociopolitical climate, restrictive reproductive laws continue to disproportionately target Black women, reinforcing historic patterns of racialized and gendered oppression. This thesis argues that Black women will recommence their usage of traditional herbal healing as both a survival strategy and an act of reclaiming bodily autonomy in defiance of hostile legal, financial, and medical systems. The Gullah Geechee community serves as a blueprint for this transition, offering cultural continuity, intergenerational knowledge, and a model for community-based healthcare and resistance. By tracing the historical necessity of herbal medicine among Gullah Geechee women, this study situates ancestral natural healing within contemporary …

Synthesis Of Phenyl-Substituted Zinc Dipyrrin Photosensitizer For Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Stephen Ankomah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The release of CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion drives the need for its conversion into more sustainable options like CO and CH₄ via photocatalytic reduction. This process requires a catalyst, sensitizer, and electron donor. Zinc dipyrrin-based complexes are promising photosensitizers, offering an alternative to expensive, rare-metal-based systems. Most first-row transition metal dipyrrin compounds have short excited-state lifetimes due to rapid nonradiative decay, but Zn(II) dipyrrin complexes stand out. With a d¹⁰ configuration, they lack deactivating ligand field states and can access long-lived triplet states through a charge-separated intermediate. A phenyl-substituted Zn(II) dipyrrin complex was synthesized and studied using NMR to …

Divergent Responses Of Branched-Chain And Straight-Chain Lipid Membranes To Butanol Stress Revealed By All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Joshua Olaf Aggrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Membrane integrity under chemical stress is critical to cellular survival and industrial microbial bioproduction, yet the molecular basis of bilayer resilience remains poorly understood. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulation, we compare the effect of increasing concentrations of 1‑butanol on membranes composed of straight-chain (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, DPPC) and branched-chain (1-anteiso-palmitoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, APPC) lipids, which differ in the point of attachment of a single methyl group. In the absence of butanol, both membranes exhibit well-ordered architectures consistent with experimental benchmarks; however, under increasing solvent stress, their behaviors diverge markedly. DPPC membranes display gradual thinning, modest area per lipid …

Floodplain Lake Hydrodynamic And Morphodynamic Connections Through Hydraulic Modeling Along The Pee Dee River, Sc, Charles Cj Mina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rivers have been essential in the success of humankind. This reliance has created a vested interest in studying the rivers' environmental history through using floodplain deposits, with the assumption that coarser sediments correlate to higher discharge floods. However, shifting hydrological connectivity and hydrodynamics can complicate this correlation in primary repositories of flood deposits, oxbow lakes, by altering the texture of sediments delivered to them. Studying these complications is essential for quantifying paleoflood magnitude using the sediment record, but has been difficult, as the currently used index of hydrological connectivity relies on water stage, which does not reflect the sediment flux …

The Food Truck: A Multi-Product Newsvendor With Expectile Risk, Sekyiwaah Nuamah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Newsvendor Problem is a fundamental model in Operation Research and Supply Chain Management used to determine the optimal order quantity under uncertain demand to minimize expected costs.
This research extends the classical Newsvendor problem to a multi--product setting, addressing the risk of asymmetric cost structures faced by a food truck. This thesis introduces expectile risk measures to quantify and manage uncertainty in demand, moving beyond traditional risk metrics. To evaluate the impact of expectile-based decision-making, we analyze three types of demand distributions--simple, symmetric, and skewed. For skewed distributions, we apply linear spline inverse interpolation to derive expectile values from …

Uncovering Conserved Biosynthetic Gene Clusters And Interbacterial Interactions Of Myxobacteria In Polymicrobial Communities, Shailaja Khanal Pokharel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myxobacteria are prolific producers of specialized metabolites and key contributors to microbial interactions within soil and other environments, yet fundamental questions remain about the conservation of their biosynthetic capacities and the dynamics that shape their coexistence with neighboring microorganisms. This dissertation addresses these gaps through three integrated research directions. In Chapter 2 we utilized a pan-genome framework across eleven genera and 195 sequenced genomes,including ten newly reported isolates, and found five BGCs were identified as the conserved BGCs across the Myxococcota. These clusters encode metabolites with established ecological functions, none of which are known toxins, suggesting selective maintenance of signaling …

Asking Nicely: Americans’ Perception Of Jordanian Arabic Speakers’ Politeness When Making Requests In English, David Henen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Arabic-speaking Jordanian male graduate students at an American university in Mississippi employ request directness strategies and modifications as polite devices in oral English, and how American native speakers perceive these requests. Drawing on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory and the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project taxonomy (Blum-Kulka et al., 1989a, 1989b), this study employed a mixed-methods design to examine request production and perception. Data were collected from six American English native speakers from Mississippi and six Arabic-speaking Jordanian international students, all at the same university, through six discourse completion tasks, six role-plays, and semi-structured interviews. …

Beyond The Surface: Exploring The Experiences Of Black Female Athletes At Power 4 Institutions, Michonné Leatrice Gamble-Rivers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black female athletes, have a long history of fighting for visibility and inclusion. They are celebrated and hyper-visible as performers on the court yet deemed invisible in the institutional decision making that shapes their holistic development and success. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) challenges this structural problem looking to amplify voices that have been historically silenced by systems that reduce these individuals to mere athletic capital.

Beginning with Manuscript I, this three-manuscript dissertation is built on a conceptual framework anchored in Womanist Theory, Intersectionality, and Athletic Identity, providing the necessary critical lens to investigate challenges like double jeopardy and limiting …

Exploring The Relationship Between Secondary Student Perceptions Of Teacher Involvement And Student Academic Success In Online Social Studies Courses, Thomas Matthew Herrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid growth of online learning in secondary education has highlighted the need to better understand factors that contribute to student success. While considerable research has examined online learning at the postsecondary level and in state-tested subjects, little attention has been given to social studies courses. This qualitative study explored the relationship between secondary students’ perceptions of teacher involvement and their academic success in asynchronous online social studies courses. Participants included 22 students from two accredited high schools in Mississippi, one fully online and one traditional brick-and-mortar school, both of which offered asynchronous social studies courses approved by the state …

Glp-1ra Vs. Sglt-2i: Preventing Kidney Function Deterioration Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes And Chronic Kidney Disease, Liang-Yuan Lin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) may improve kidney outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, direct head-to-head comparisons of their renal effectiveness with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i)—the recommended first-line therapy for older adults with T2DM and chronic kidney disease (CKD)—remain limited.

Objectives: To compare the renal effectiveness of GLP-1RA and SGLT-2i among older adults with T2DM and CKD.

Methods: A new-user, active comparator, matched cohort study was conducted using 5% Medicare data from 2012 to 2020. Older adults (≥65 years) with T2DM and CKD who initiated either a GLP-1RA or an …

The Relationship Between Exercise And Prospective Memory: A Meta-Analysis, Shaykhah Salman Alqahtani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prospective memory (PM)—the ability to remember and carry out future intentions—is essential for everyday functioning. This cognitive process involves intention formation, retention, cue detection, and execution. Emerging research suggests that physical exercise may influence prospective memory performance through potential enhancements in attention, executive functioning, and neuroplasticity. This thesis examines the relationship between physical exercise and prospective memory through a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature.

This review synthesized evidence from experimental studies to evaluate the effects of acute and chronic exercise interventions on prospective memory in diverse populations. Six studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In The Associations Between Alcohol Use Disorder, Aggression, And Suicidality Among Adolescents With Ptsd, Gabrielle Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is well documented and associated with elevated risk of aggression and suicidality among certain populations. However, no research to date has examined these associations among adolescents. Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), the present study examined whether the presence of AUD was associated with greater outward aggression, suicidal ideation, and attempts, and whether these associations differed across race/ethnicity, in a weighted sample of 737,996 adolescents with PTSD (10.3% Hispanic, 16.4% Black, 73.3% White). AUD presence was significantly associated with higher odds of breaking items, attacking …

A Road Less Traveled: Exploring The Motivators Influencing College Enrollment Decisions Among Youth Who Have Experienced Foster Care, John William Blue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Youth who have experienced the foster care system are an underserved student population in higher education. While higher education is an important pathway to upward mobility and civic participation, foster youth consistently face systemic barriers such as unstable placements, limited financial resources, and a lack of consistent adult guidance, resulting in significantly lower rates of college enrollment and degree attainment compared to their peers (Courtney & Okpych, 2020; Salazar, 2013). This three-manuscript dissertation investigates the challenges that youth who have experienced foster care face and the factors that influence them to pursue enrollment in four-year universities in Illinois, while also …

The Impact Of State-Mandated High-Stakes Standardized Testing On The Job Satisfaction Of Third-Grade Reading Teachers In Mississippi, Jenny Kate Ernst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how state-mandated standardized testing influences the job satisfaction of current and former third-grade reading teachers in Mississippi. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, and the Job Demands-Resources Model, the research explored how accountability pressures shape teachers’ motivation, emotional well-being, and instructional autonomy. Data were collected through an open-ended online survey of current and former Mississippi third-grade reading teachers. Analysis of responses revealed four central themes: emotional strain and burnout, loss of autonomy and creativity, impact on instructional practices, and student impact. Findings indicated that teachers perceive standardized testing as a major source of stress that …

The Lived Experiences Of Lgbtq+ Individuals Living In Male Residential Spaces In The South, Bri Reda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While LGBTQ+ visibility on college campuses has increased, LGBTQ+ students still report negative experiences, particularly in residential environments where harassment and unwelcoming attitudes are common (Kortegast, 2017; Pryor, Ta, & Hart, 2016). Previous studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals often conceal their identities in residence halls due to discomfort, further diminishing their feelings of safety and connection to the campus community (Blakmon, O’Hara, & Viars, 2020; Pryor, Ta, & Hart, 2016). Despite efforts to implement inclusive policies, little research has explored the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in male-assigned residence halls, especially in states like Mississippi with gender-segregated housing requirements (Mississippi …

Design And Prototyping Of An Acoustic Positioning System For Gps-Denied Environment, Harley Hogan Garrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Finding the placement of sensors is known as sensor localization, and is a necessary task to ensure that a network is capable of array processing operations, such as direction of arrival measurements. This thesis proposes a method to perform sensor localization for a wireless sensor network using acoustics. Each sensor is equipped with a microphone, speaker, and processor. Using these, the proposed system is able to find the distance between each sensor and later the geometry of the network. A series of optimizations help reduce error and improve the final accuracy of the system to within 6.5 cm. The proposed …

Out-Of-Pocket Costs, Treatment Pattern, And Disparities In Outcomes Among Adults With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Shishir Maharjan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to: 1) determine out-of-pocket cost trend and the impact of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provisions on the out-of-pocket costs among Medicare-enrolled chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients; 2) evaluate treatment patterns and comparative effectiveness of therapeutics classes for CLL treatment in adults; and 3) assess racial disparities and time to treatment initiation in survival outcomes among Medicare-enrolled beneficiaries with CLL.

In objective 1, a cohort study using SEER-Medicare linked data from 2006 to 2020 identified 13,356 eligible beneficiaries with incident CLL. Among them, 3,158 (23.7%) were projected to benefit from the IRA’s $2000 annual out-of-pocket …

The Development Of Teacher-Student Relationships In The Elementary School Setting And Their Influence On The Whole Child, Jana H. Kline

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship students have with teachers can influence their social development, behavior, and academic performance. Some teachers naturally build positive relationships with students while others may not realize the importance or know how to build them unless specific strategies are given. The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative research study was to examine teacher perceptions of the development of relationships with students in the elementary school setting and their influence on the whole child.

To address this purpose, data collection strategies included individual interviews with elementary school teachers. Analysis of data involved transcribing interviews and line-by-line coding. Themes regarding teacher-student relationships …

Visualizing The Fretboard: Arpeggiated Patterns, Muscle Memory, And Neurocognitive Strategies For The 5-String Electric Bass, Matthew Alexander Woisin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proficient navigation of the 5-string electric bass requires a comprehensive mastery of various techniques and a solid understanding of music theory. This includes a detailed grasp of arpeggios, chord extensions, and the development of deeply ingrained muscle memory for precise execution. This thesis introduces a structured methodology that refines existing fretboard visualization techniques and applies a unique manner of fretboard mapping, offering a more precise framework for comprehending and unlocking the full range of the instrument. By drawing insights from music theory, music education, cognitive science, neuroscience, and technology this approach is achieved by synthesizing research on visual pattern recognition, …

Current Knowledge And Perspectives Of Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport In An Athletic Environment, Meredith Rebecca Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sport performance personnel are in a unique position to directly impact athletes. While the primary individuals who manage athlete health are physicians, sport dietitians, and certified athletic trainers, sport coaches and strength and conditioning coaches also play an impactful role in an athlete’s performance and well-being. Using an original survey, this study investigated REDs knowledge by certified athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and sport coaches. The survey was employed to assess sport performance professionals’ general knowledge of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and low energy availability (LEA) and opinions on the role of health professionals in REDs identification, …

Building Focus: Using Relaxation Music To Support Students With Autism In The Classroom, Whitney Drewrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the use of audio sensory input, specifically, relaxation music, as a strategy to reduce off-task behavior in elementary students with autism within the general education classroom. The aim was to minimize distractions and teacher redirections, thereby promoting a more inclusive and productive learning environment for all students. Guided by the principles of improvement science, the research employed a single-case design with three elementary students diagnosed with autism. Data were collected through momentary time sampling and mood inventories during independent classwork periods.

The central research question guiding this study was: What effect does relaxation music have on the …

Topic Modeling And Culturomic Analysis Of 30,000 Books Over 100 Years Using Gensim, Michael A. Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the cultural influence of historical events on English-language fiction published between 1820 and 1929. Using a corpus of 30,256 digitized books from Project Gutenberg, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling was applied to identify recurring themes across eleven decades. The study sought to determine whether historically significant events could be detected within fictional narratives. One clear instance emerged: Napoleon Bonaparte and the Napoleonic Wars appeared explicitly in the 1820s corpus. Beyond this, several thematic patterns were observed—such as maritime language in the 1840s, national identity in the 1880s, and youth-oriented dialogue in the early 20th century—that plausibly …

The Role Of Law Enforcement In Sexual Assault Kit Submissions: A Statewide Analysis Of Decision-Making Processes & Focal Concerns In Kentucky., Rychelle Elizabeth Wilks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault case attrition persists throughout the criminal justice system, partly due to inconsistent Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) submission decisions. This dissertation examines factors influencing police officers' decisions to submit SAKs for forensic testing, applying the focal concerns perspective to understand how legal and extra-legal characteristics shape these decisions. Using statewide Kentucky data from July 2007 to March 2018, this study analyzed 2,194 adult sexual assault cases from 192 law enforcement agencies. Of these cases, 1,520 (69.3%) resulted in SAK submission. Logistic regression analyses examined the full sample, as well as four subsamples. Results provide mixed support for focal concerns …

Characterizing The Ethanol Sensitivity Of The Planar Cell Polarity Pathway In Endoderm Morphogenesis And Jaw Development., Raéden Omneil C. C. Rolle Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a large range of developmental defects due to prenatal alcohol exposure. It is characterized by neural and facial defects, including jaw hypoplasia. Many factors contribute to the susceptibility of ethanol-induced facial defects, including genetics, yet the genes involved, and the cell events they regulate, are poorly understood. Zebrafish have a large number of tools for genetic manipulation available, share 70% of genes with humans, are fertilized externally and are translucent during embryogenesis, making them great models to study FASD. Previous studies show that two members of the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway, zebrafish vangl2 …

The Role Of Psychological Capital And Case Management Intensity In Patient Activation In Permanent Supportive Housing Residents., Sarah J. Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores patient engagement with health, or patient activation, in the formerly homeless population housed in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and receiving case management support. Research is limited on patient activation in PSH residents; consequently, there is minimal understanding of factors contributing to one’s attitudes and behavior towards health care in this group. Psychological Capital refers to the components of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Research in other marginalized groups indicates increasing psychological capital may improve health behaviors. Case management provides support to PSH residents and forms of social support have been associated with improved health outcomes. Applying the …

Educational Experiences And Educational Attainment Of Elementary Students From Low Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds: Sequential Mixed Methods Evidence From Texas, Morgann L. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds face significant challenges in their educational experiences and educational attainment, and this is due to barriers related to their identity and background, inadequate support systems, and a lack of understanding of the traumas they experience. This sequential mixed methods study contains the perceptions of teachers, teacher leaders, counselors, and campus leaders in four high-poverty elementary schools in one Texas school district about the educational experiences and educational attainment of students from low SES backgrounds. The informal literature review focused on six spaces: 1) child, family, and community; 2) students from low SES backgrounds; …