Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling The Flow And Creep Compliance Properties Of Ice-Cream Mixes, Hiran Ranaweera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work documented the influence of the protein source (MPC80 and WPC80), protein content (4-12%), and temperature (5-35ºC) on the rheological behavior (flow curve, frequency sweep, and creep-recovery) of ice-cream mixes (ICM). For each protein source, the viscosity of the ICM was satisfactorily modeled (𝑅2>0.98, 𝑅2 𝑎𝑑𝑗>0.98, and E0.99), while the recovery phase was represented by an empirical model. The percentage of recovery (%R) of the ICM significantly decreased with the protein content.

Newcomer Adjustment And Affective Commitment: A Two-Wave Moderated Mediation Model, Shay Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As job and career changes continue to increase in the post-pandemic work environment, new employees are not staying in their roles long enough to identify with their organization, causing high turnover in the first few months of employment. To address these problems, there is increasing evidence that providing resources and support during the socialization process will increase employee commitment, retention, and organizational performance. I propose that an integrated theoretical framework combining Socialization Resources Theory (SRT) and Job Demands-Resources Theory (JD-R) is best suited to explain the relationship between newcomer adjustment and affective commitment. A moderated-mediation model is developed and tested …

Middle American Gothic, Jordan Heisler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though Gothicism has evolved since its inception in the eighteenth century, its most common tropes—such as deteriorating settings, supernatural figures, and foreboding atmospheres—have remained integral to the genre. While, the following fictional collection, Middle American Gothic, draws inspiration from these familiar Gothic tropes, it substitutes the grandeur of crumbling castles, monasteries, and sprawling estates for a common town within the rural Midwest. Similarly, while the collection nods to the existence of supernatural beings, none of its stories actually rely on anything otherworldly as a source of terror. Its setting, while not traditionally Gothic, features a series of decaying, outdated homes …

Factors Associated With Increased Breastfeeding At Initiation And Continuation At Two Months In American Indian Women, Addison Reimer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The purpose of this report was to determine the prevalence of breastfeeding at initiation and two months continuation in American Indian South Dakota mothers who gave birth between 2017-2019 and determine the factors associated with breastfeeding and various health behaviors and beliefs. This study serves to fill the current gaps in research focusing on breastfeeding in American Indian women in South Dakota. Methods: Data from the South Dakota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (SD PRAMS), a state-based surveillance system, was used to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal behaviors, attitudes, and experiences. Logistic regression was used to determine …

Characterization Of Porcine Respiratory Epithelial Cells And Their Innate Immune Responses To Bacterial And Viral Ligands, Yam Prasad Gautam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to a pathogenic attack, the host produces a series of defense mechanisms through various intracellular signaling pathways. The byproduct of these signaling pathways helps tackle the invading pathogen and protects the body from getting into a diseased state. This system is called the immune system. The immune system can be divided into two branches namely the innate immune system and adaptive immune system. The groups of immune cells that provide protection regardless of the pathogen specificity constitute the innate immune system. The system that acts according to the pathogen specificity is called the adaptive immune response. The production …

Mitakuye Oyasin : Pedagogy And Design In Composition I, Jody Lee Rust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mitakuye Oyasin, an Oceti Sakowin (Lakota/Nakota/Dakota) phrase that translates as “All My Relations,” is a philosophy that means all things created on earth and in the universe are related and inhabit a shared space. Because all things are related and share space, they all have a purpose and a responsibility to discover and serve that purpose to ensure all of our relatives thrive in our shared space. This relational thinking influences the way the Oceti Sakowin interact with the world, including the way they teach. In this thesis, I analyze the way composition theories shape the curriculum and pedagogy of …

Students’ Perceptions Of Specific Laboratory Curricula On The Learning Experience In Chemistry Courses, Arwa Ali Alshehri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laboratory courses play a key role in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills and providing experience in certain aspects of a laboratory setting including reactions, materials, and equipment. Prior studies suggest that a laboratory course assists students toward cognitive gain on lecture content. In contrast, other studies conclude that laboratory is uncorrelated with cognitive gain on lecture content. Thus, a discord exists between researchers regarding the role that laboratory experiences play in furthering the understanding of chemistry concepts taught in lectures. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of two different laboratory curricula on students’ performance in …

Emerging Respiratory Viral Pathogens, April Nelsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory disease is arguably the most important health concern for the production animal industry [1-3]. Respiratory problems accounted for the highest mortality both in the swine and beef industries [1, 4]. Respiratory pathogens remain the most vital for swine and bovine research and disease monitoring [2, 5-7]. As pathogens, in particular viral pathogens, mutate, novel disease-causing viruses emerge, and there becomes an increasing concern and need for identification with control perimeters. One frequently identified disease syndrome is Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC). PRDC is characterized by pneumonia of mixed respiratory infections with contributions from the environment and management practices. The …

Evaluating The Effects Of Medium Chain Fatty Acids On Sow Reproductive Characteristics, Offspring Biological Health Markers, And Growth Performance, Analicia J. Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A sow’s diet can influence and her offspring not only in the suckling period, but well after weaning. The objective of this study was to determine how supplementing medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) in gestation and lactation impacted offspring growth performance as well as the biological markers of pig quality from the suckling period until week 6 of the nursery period. A total of 77 primparious and multiparious females and their 438 offspring were utilized in this study. Sows and gilts (218.15 kg ± 32.15 kg BW at d28 of gestation) were assigned to one of 2 dietary treatments: Control …

Effects Of Heterocycles On Biologically Relevant Molecules, Sajith Manjrake Vijayan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is difficult to overstate the importance of heterocycles in many fields of science (including organic, inorganic, pharmaceutical, medicinal, and material science). Due to their remarkable potential for being involved in a vast array of reactions, heterocyclic molecules make up the majority of pharmaceuticals as well as more than half of all natural products. Moreover, nature widely uses heterocycles, and scientists learned to imitate nature by incorporating them into drug molecules to enhance their biological activity. In this research work emphasize the use of heterocycles in biomedical applications.

The first study presents the design, synthesis, and computational evaluation of four …

Inclusive Music Teacher Preparation In The Presbyterian College Of Education At Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana, Samuel Agbenyo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past three decades, Inclusive Education (IE) has emerged as a crucial educational agenda all over the world. In this study, IE is the practice of including students with disabilities in the general (music) education classroom, where they are educated together with their typically developing peers. Although IE efforts began in Ghana in 1957, some pitfalls have characterized the implementation process over the years, especially regarding music teacher preparation to implement the policies. Studies have reported a state of frustration among stakeholders, notably the elementary school teachers, who feel inadequately prepared to teach within IE settings. In this case …

Repetition And Retracing In Aphasia Across Discourse Types, Emily Anna Culbertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Fluency is an important criterion to classify subtypes of aphasia. Previous studies have discussed the factors of fluency using various speech-language aspects. However, limited research investigated how much lexical hesitations (i.e., repetitions and retraces) are produced in people with aphasia. Lexical hesitations are important indicators of word finding difficulty and self-error detection skills which may be mediated by cognitive-linguistic demands across different discourse tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the lexical hesitations production in people with fluent and non-fluent aphasia compared to neurologically intact adults in various discourse tasks.Method: Three groups of people with fluent …

Molecular Design Of Transition Metal Complexes For Photocatalytic Co2 Reduction And Redox Mediation In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Anthony Devdass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The search for cost-efficient alternate energy sources has been a significant goal of the scientific community. Around 83% of global primary energy consumption currently comes from fossil fuels and this over dependency on fossil fuels has been a major contributor for increased carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere. The safe path is to use carbon-neutral energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy or to use these renewable energy sources to drive chemical reactions to convert CO2 to energy rich fuels or fuel precursors. Such a strategy involves storage of energy in the form of chemical bonds …

Resilience Capacity Of School Meal Programs In Southeastern U.S. School Districts During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Findings From Mississippi, Louisiana, And West Virginia, Kritika Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi (MS), Louisiana (LA), and West Virginia (WV) have some of the nation’s highest rates of poverty and health disparities, reflected in high rates of food insecurity. Many of the school districts in these states have greater than 40% of students qualifying for free meals and, under community eligibility, can provide meals free to all children. School meals play an important role in addressing food insecurity in the U.S. and those were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability of social systems (schools) to continue operations during adverse circumstances (pandemic) to ensure the sustained outcome of interest (food security) …

Linguistic Landscape-Economics, Marta Galindo Parra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is the result of studies in two fields, the linguistic landscape (LL) and the economics of language (EL), and the relationship between them. In particular, this study concentrates on: (1) the analysis of the language used in public signs in two specific areas in the southern U.S., Ybor City and West Tampa, both located in the City of Tampa, Florida; and (2) the evaluation of the language skills and labor market performance of the agency involved in the public signs. The literature review focuses on the theories and methodologies more commonly used in previous LL research and language …

On Statistical Models For Signal Detection, Adedotun Michael Lawal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A thesis on developing statistical models that will aid in predicting signal detection at an infrasound sensor given a noise model for the sensor. The thesis aims first to provide a means to sample from a set of atmospheric profiles effectively using a statistical model, so we can have a smaller sample space to generate transmission loss values, saving time for running propagation models. And secondly, it aims to provide a formalism for a signal detection criterion using signal-to-noise ratio. The statistical model is developed using Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis also known as Principal Component Analysis, and Inverse Transform Sampling. …

Hiv-1 Tat And Opioids: Implications For Stress-Related Psychopathology, Salahuddin Mohammed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overarching goal of this dissertation was to assess the interaction of HIV-1 Tat protein with opioids like oxycodone and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and develop novel therapeutic strategy to restore HPA dysfunction in adult HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice. In the past 3 decades, combined antiretroviral therapeutics (cART) has increased the life expectancy of HIV infected individuals, with a significant decline in the number of deaths. However, due the inability of cART to sufficiently target latent CNS viral reservoirs (predominantly microglia and astrocytes to a lesser extent), approximately 50% of the HIV+ infected population contends with neurological, neuropsychiatric and neuroendocrine …

An Exploration Of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education And Training: Currently Available Information, Perspectives, And Beliefs, David D. Allen Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background and Objectives

Interdisciplinary research has come into the limelight over the last 30 years. Current literature identifies interdisciplinary research as having the potential to assist in solving complex contemporary problems or issues through the inclusion of multiple disciplinary perspectives to account for the systematic intricacies therein. This project served as an exploration of interdisciplinary graduate education, graduate interdisciplinary research training, and the practice of interdisciplinary research, using three primary objectives. We first sought to identify and present current information around interdisciplinary graduate education and research training. Second, study personnel aimed to explore opinions and beliefs on interdisciplinary education and …

Tectonic Origin Of The Mississippi River Using Evidence From Detrital Zircons From The Cretaceous Mcnairy Sand, Manuel Dela Eli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

U-Pb geochronology of detrital-zircon in the McNairy Sand from southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and northern Mississippi characterizes when the Ancestral Mississippi River changed its flow direction from westward in the Early Cretaceous, progressing south in the Late Cretaceous. The aim of this study is to investigate the sediment deposition patterns of the McNairy Sand unit the northeastern margins of the Mississippi Embayment to reconcile the known records of westward and southward drainage of the Mississippi River through time. The sediment accumulated during the reactivation of the Late Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic Reelfoot rift system at the end of the Mesozoic …

Beginning Teachers' Perceptions Of New Teacher Mentoring In A Suburban Mississippi School District, Kelly Anne Ladner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

New teacher attrition rates are continuously increasing, thus resulting in large numbers of teacher turnover from year to year. With the ever-growing teacher shortage, replacing new teachers has become even more challenging. If the trend continues, school leaders in the K-12 system will continuously be faced with hiring and training new teachers each year.

The current recruitment model compels teachers to “fake until they make it,” thus resulting in low teacher morale and job satisfaction. Most new teachers experience low morale, classroom management challenges, feelings of isolation, and lack of support from coworkers and administration, which leads to continuously increasing …

Exploratory Studies On The Feasibility Of Developing Microneedles Using Hot Melt Extrusion Coupled With Fused Deposition Modeling 3-D Printing, Nikeeta Palande

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transdermal drug delivery enables efficient local and systematic drug delivery while offering advantages such as non-invasiveness, patient compliance, and avoidance of first pass metabolism compared to parenteral administration. Due to strong and the multi-layered structure of the skin creates complex barriers which makes the delivery of therapeutic agents across the skin becomes challenging. Microneedles have been shown to deliver drugs through the transdermal route by penetrating the skin’s protective barrier, stratum corneum (SC) and creating a pathway for drug permeation to the dermal tissue. Traditionally, microneedles were fabricated using various types of materials and process such as casting, injection moulding, …

Design Of An Ophthalmic Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Containing Amphotericin B And Nonadecanoic Acid For The Management Of Fungal Keratitis, Vishal Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fungal keratitis is a fungal infection of the cornea. Untreated ocular infections can damage the unique, delicate structures of the eye leading to blindness and visual impairments. It primarily affects the corneal epithelium and stroma, although the endothelium and anterior chamber of the eye may get involved in more severe disease. Amphotericin B (AMB) is a macrocyclic polyene that poorly penetrates ocular tissues. However, AMB is a drug of choice used for the treatment of fungal keratitis caused by Candida. Nonadecanoic acid (NDA) is a 19-carbon fatty acid obtained from plants or bacteria which has shown antifungal activity and acts …

Covid-19 And Headache-Related Disability, Lauren Thaxter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migraine is a common nervous system disorder that is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and approximately half of individuals with migraine report their migraine attacks cause substantial impairment in activities. A bidirectional relationship exists between migraine and psychological symptoms, and comorbid psychological symptoms compound migraine-related disability. Due to COVID-19 pandemic response procedures, many university students experienced institutional closures and corresponding increases in depression, stress, and anxiety, with the most prominent worries being about one's own health and the health of loved ones. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between COVID-19 status (pre-COVID vs. during COVID) and headache-related …

A Comparison Of Student Academic Policies Across University Of Mississippi Medical Center (Ummc), Farrah Banks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project is a three-part Dissertation in Practice (DiP) that provides a comparison of academic student policies at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). For the purpose of this study, the term “student academic policies” relates to rules and procedures for grievances, student dismissals, sanctions, and suspensions. At UMMC, potential violations on the part of students can occur based on failure to maintain required academic standards or lapses in professional conduct. An important goal of the manuscript is to reflect on ways to help ensure consistency and fairness in academic student policies based on a comparison of academic standards …

Measuring Impact Of New Teacher Mentoring Programs Through Teacher Sense Of Efficacy Scale, Ezzard Beane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The education gap between economically advantaged and economically disadvantaged students in the United States is accountable for most of the education gap in the United States and other technologically advanced countries. Unfortunately, the students who require the most academic support and quality instruction often receive instruction from the least qualified. The gap in effective instruction for the economically disadvantaged is related to the quality of instruction which is often facilitated by the least effective and least qualified teachers. The quality of teachers is directly related to the high teacher attrition rates of teachers serving economically disadvantaged students. Maximizing strategies to …

Design And Identification Of Organic Molecules As Agonists Of The Gabab Receptor And As Difluoro-C-Glycosylated Derivatives Of Flavonoids Using Molecular Modeling, Reem Alkhodier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of molecular modeling in pharmaceutical research is continuously growing. This growth is a result of the increasing number of experimental structures, the development of sophisticated modeling methods, and the improvement in computer performance by using GPUs and cloud computing. Nowadays, molecular modeling is routinely used in drug discovery to investigate biological processes and molecular properties. Herein, we use molecular modeling to investigate the behaviors of compounds with unique scaffolds.

Baclofen is the only marketed GABAB receptor agonist that is used for spasticity disorders, and it has shown promise as an anti-abuse agent. However, it has disadvantages that raise …

Synthesis And Charecterisation Of Methylene Blue Derivatives, Rohit Alluri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since its discovery, the fluorescent dye known as methylene blue has been employed in a variety of scientific disciplines. Methylene blue (MB) for intraoperative fluorescence imaging has only lately been employed. 10-N-carbamoyl linkage modification of Methylene blue helps us in developing compounds with off-to-on fluorescence switch in the presence of near infrared (NIR). Due to its naturally induced photodamage to normal tissues and deeper penetration of lesion regions when compared to UV and visible light, near infrared (NIR) light is considered favorable among the broad radiation range. The previously synthesized derivatives are not completely soluble in water, they require other …

The Role Of Technology: Graduate Students' Experiences In An Ed.D. Program, Veronica C. Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study contributes to our understanding of online learning in a graduate program – the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) – designed to prepare practitioners to impact their local contexts, practices, and communities. Online learning is one of the fastest-growing trends in the instructional use of technology (Means, Toyama, Murphy, & Baki, 2013; Nguyen, 2015). However, the literature is scant on how graduate students learn in technology-rich environments. This study aimed to explore how graduate students perceive the online learning environment in an Ed.D. program at a public, not-for-profit research institution in the United States. Unequivocally, online education is ubiquitous. However, …

Development Of Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting For Challenging Systems, Zhi Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural biology plays an important role in modern molecular biosciences. High-resolution hydroxyl radical protein footprinting (HR-HRPF) is a mass spectrometry (MS) based method for analyzing protein topography at a spatial resolution from peptide up to the individual amino acids. Fast photochemical oxidation of protein (FPOP) is an HRPF technique that generates hydroxyl radicals by UV laser-induced photolysis of hydrogen peroxide. FPOP coupled with MS technology has successfully elucidated protein structure information, protein-protein interaction, and protein allosteric or conformational change. Even though FPOP coupled MS has quickly had a large impact on the field of biopharmaceutical analysis, serious limitations still remain. …

Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports At Johnson Elementary School: An Applied Research Study, Authur Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Establishing positive relationships in a school is essential to how the administrators, teachers, students, and staff shape the culture and climate in the learning environment. The purpose of the applied research project was to implement a school wide PBIS program at Johnson Elementary School. Providing the staff with PBIS initial and ongoing professional development was a vital component of the research project. Additionally, utilizing a PBIS Team was pivotal in the project's sustainability. Based on the two-year pre- and post-PBIS implementation data, student discipline decreased significantly with the onset and continuation of PBIS during the 1st year of implementation; however, …