Digital Commons Network^™

Psychometric Evaluation Of Memory And Concentration Sections In The Standardized Assessment Of Concussion, Seungho Ryu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate validate the memory and concentration sections of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) from the SCAT5. Two studies were conducted. The first study examined item difficulty and discrimination using 10 new word lists of 3 versions in the immediate memory section using item analysis based on classical test theory and to equate scores earned on different versions of 10 word lists using test equating methods. The second evaluated the validity of digits backwards in the concentration section, and evaluated current and new scoring methods for the digit backwards. Two hundred young adults …

Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: Sensitivity Analysis For Anisotropic Materials With Hexagonal Symmetry, Christopher Lee Sevigney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resonance ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) is an experimental method by which material properties are obtained by careful observation of the resonant vibrations of a meticulously crafted sample. Among the most common applications of this technique is the determination of single-crystal elasticity. Previous works have considered the reliability of elasticity information obtained via the RUS method when the material is of isotropic or cubic symmetry, and this work extends these efforts to materials with hexagonal symmetry, such as titanium di-boride. The reliability of elasticity information obtained by RUS is evaluated by Sobol Analysis and by close examination of the stiffness-frequency functionality. Findings …

Executive Coaching: A Cohesive Conceptual Model And The Qualitative Investigation Of Executive Coaching Styles, David Morelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Executive coaching is a field in search of a conceptual model to tie together disparate studies and theories. While several decades of research validate ‘that’ coaching works (Athanasopoulou & Dopson, 2018), it’s been unclear is to ‘how’ coaching works. For over two decades, the field has been calling out for a conceptual model (Kilburg, 1996; Athanasopoulou & Dopson, 2018) and hasn’t known where to turn. While several attempts have been made, each of them suffered from conflation and lack of specificity, perhaps due to the lack of theoretical grounding amidst coaching’s nascence as a field. Answering this call is important …

Turnover Intentions Of Self-Initiated Expatriates: The Role Of Servant Leadership And Organizational Embeddedness, Caleb W. Lugar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this dissertation is turnover of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). The significance of the SIE domain is evidenced by the exponential growth in SIE literature since the publication of the seminal research article authored by Inkson, Arthur, Pringle, and Barry (1997). Research in the SIE domain is also of interest to practitioners employed in multinational organizations who increasingly recognize that SIEs are an untapped source of global talent. To contribute to the SIE literature, in Essay One, of my three-essay dissertation, I first provide a systematic SIE literature review. Second, my unique contribution is a systematic review of the …

"Slums Are Our Most Expensive Luxuries": Little Rock's Metroplan And The Making Of The Neoliberal City, 1939-1980, Monica N. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores Little Rock, Arkansas, as a site that provides a surprising perspective for understanding the national history of postwar urban policy. By centering Little Rock, this dissertation joins recent efforts to historicize neoliberalism and serves as a starting point to understanding the role of smaller cities in the history of neoliberalization.

Coping With Pain And Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Adults With Sickle Cell Disease, Monika Salkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives

The objectives of this dissertation are to: 1) to examine the psychometric properties of the CSQSCD among adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients; 2) to identify psychosocial predictors of health-related quality (HRQOL) among adult SCD patients; and 3) to identify the distinct, multidimensional patterns of strategies for coping with SCD and their association with HRQOL among adult SCD patients in the United States.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based self-administered survey. Adults with SCD were recruited with the help of Rare Patient Voice, a market research company that maintains a panel of SCD patients. Psychometric properties …

Chronology Of The Fatherland Site, Daniel Shawl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A recently discovered mound (Mound E) at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians (22AD501, the Fatherland Site) dates to the Foster phase of the Mississippian period (1300-1500 CE). This new chronology is stems from analysis conducted on ceramic assemblages from Robert S. Neitzel’s (1965) excavations and ceramic assemblages from Tony Boudreaux’s (2019) excavations at the site. Frequency seriations, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and radiocarbon dates suggest that Mound E was constructed and in use several hundred years prior to European contact at the site. The results of this body of research brings new insight into a portion of history of …

Decentralized Narrowband And Wideband Spectrum Sensing With Correlated Observations, Xingjian Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the utility of several approaches to the design of good distributed sensing systems for both narrowband and wideband spectrum sensing problems with correlated sensor observations.

Effectiveness Of An Educational Intervention To Reduce Ageism In Undergraduate Students In An Entry-Level Nutrition Class, Ann Irvin Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the older adult population continues to increase, ageism remains an issue in the healthcare system and is prevalent among nutrition-related professionals. The aim of our study is to is determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention to reduce ageism among pre-healthcare professionals including Nutrition major students. Undergraduate students enrolled in an entry-level nutrition class were recruited and randomized into an intervention (INT) group (n=30) and a control (CON) group (n=29). The online educational intervention consisted of pre-recorded lectures and videos regarding ageism and myths regarding aging for the INT group, and on cultural competency and biases (other than ageism) …

Nature's Converts: Reading The Land And Nature In The Early American Conversion Narrative, 1727-1831, Cullen Rex Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the connections between cultivating the land and cultivating the soul through select readings of early American conversion narratives composed between 1727-1831. Over a century after British Colonists colonized the shores of New England, members of the United Ministers of Boston championed the efforts of their descendants, who both cultivated the land and the Indigenous and new arrived souls emplaced within the North American landscape. As they told their readers in 1727, their dual cultivating efforts were worthy of universal adulation and imitation. And in 1836, the words of Reverend Nahum Gold echoed those of the United Ministers …

Development Of Ibuprofen Tablet With Polyethylene Oxide Using Fused Deposition Modeling (Fdm) 3d Printing Coupled With Hot-Melt Extrusion, Sooyeon Chung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ibuprofen is known to plasticize several polymers used in the pharmaceutical field, and it is considered challenging to achieve an immediate release by fused deposition modeling (FDM). Therefore, this study aimed to print ibuprofen tablet with a focus on achieving immediate release. Polyethylene oxide (Polyox WSR N80) was used as a main matrix to form the ibuprofen filament due to its water-soluble property and manifesting suitable mechanical property even with the high drug loading (40% w/w). Several release modifiers such as Kollidon VA64, Kollidon 12PF, Kollicoat IR, Kollidon CL, and Mannitol were added separately to the formulation to enhance the …

Manipulations Of A Memory Interference Paradigm, Lindsay Kyle Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The AB/DE, AC/FG paired associate learning task, which has been utilized in numerous experimental studies, is purported to induce both proactive (PI) and retroactive interference (RI) simultaneously. However, until now, there have not been any studies validating or determining the optimal format of this paradigm. As such, the purpose of this series of experiments was to make manipulations to the task in order to maximize its efficacy. Across the series of experiments implemented herein, we manipulated various aspects of the paradigm (e.g., semantic relatedness of the word pairs, number of trials) driven by theoretical underpinnings of memory interference theory. Experiments …

Rap1a Overlaps The Age/Rage Signaling Cascade In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Stephanie Burr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic individuals have an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease due to stiffening of the left ventricle, which is thought to occur, in part, by increased AGE/RAGE signaling. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate within the body over time, and under hyperglycemic conditions, the formation and accumulation of AGEs is accelerated. AGEs exert their effect by binding to their receptor (RAGE) and can induce myofibroblast differentiation, oxidative stress, cell-extracellular matrix contraction, and cell migration. Previous findings from our lab have demonstrated that preventing the production of Rap1a, a Ras-like GTPase signaling protein, in cardiac fibroblasts will decrease type 2 diabetes …

Topics On Applications Of Optimization Theories On Statistical Methodologies, Duc Anh Anh Doan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, We show the results of our researches in statistical sampling, functional optimization, and methodology for partially observed Markov process (POMP) models. In statistical sampling, we introduce a p-generalized smoothing method that enables the Langevin-Monte Carlo method to generate a sample from a log concave distribution weakly smoothing potential function. For our optimization research, we introduce an accelerated inexact gradient (AIG) method. Combining the strengths while mitigating the weakness of its parent methods: gradient descent and Nesterov's accelerated gradient, AIG converges with excellent rates for both convex and non-convex optimization problems for smooth objective functions. Furthermore, we also …

The Middle To High School Transition: An Applied Research Study To Improve And Support High School Readiness In High-Poverty Schools, Robert Davis Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The applied research study aimed to improve high school readiness for eighth-grade students transitioning to ninth-grade in high-poverty schools. Middle school educators are struggling to prepare students for ninth-grade without the proper transition support programs. This applied research study's framework was based on improving student performance, preventing academic achievement loss, addressing social-emotional learning, and informing students of operational procedures to prepare them for the high school environment. An action plan was developed and implemented in three phases to address each element of concern intentionally. Phase one consisted of Saturday Academy tutoring to improve student performance in reading and math. Implementation …

Gestures Of Dissent: Self-Fashioning Performance From Southern Women Writers During The Fin De Siécle, Elisa Fuhrken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores Southern women writers during the latter half of the nineteenth-century who asserted and crafted a modernized identity by turning to various modes of transgressive performance and performance spaces. For women of the nineteenth-century, this meant extricating themselves from a domestic, sentimental identity and apprehending a more fluid, dynamic type of being. The modes of performance, such as spectatorship, orality, and gesture, allowed these women to express and articulate an alternative feminine identity while also engaging with an embodied epistemology. This thesis looks at three Southern women writers: Sherwood Bonner’s novel Like Unto Like and her travel letters …

Methylene Blue As Light And Reactive Oxygen Species Sensitive Ligand: Appicability In Hybrid Drug And Material Synthesis, Huy Dao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Methylene blue (MB) with a 10-N-carbamoyl linkage was discovered and developed as a multifunctional far-red (660 nm) photocleavable ligand capable of rendering a series of MB conjugated compounds with off-to-on fluorescence switch properties through the controlled release of MB. The released MB was successfully demonstrated to be an effective photosensitizer, imaging probe, and therapeutic agent. The complete release of MB was achieved with a cumulative light dose of 15 J/cm2. The photosensitivity was demonstrated to be dependent on the type of chemical bond at 10-N of the phenothiazine ring which links MB to a side group. Specifically, the urea bond-based …

Traumatic Life Experiences And Their Impact On Factors Pertinent To Leadership Effectiveness In School Principals, Derrick D. Hardaway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many schools across the nation are not making adequate achievement or growth goals from year-to-year. This leads to high principal turnover rates and instability in the learning environment which profoundly impacts student achievement. Currently, most efforts in schools are aimed at raising student achievement, implementing equitable practices, and limiting barriers. While these are critical actions for closing the achievement gap, the principal’s role in this process is vitally important. Therefore, this quantitative study explored how trauma affects factors that are pertinent to leader success in school principals. To determine the impact trauma has on leadership qualities, this study examined the …

Decreasing Discipline Disparities Among African-American Males: An Applied Research Study On The Effects Of Developing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Among Teachers And Equipping Students With Added Supports, Reginald Maurice Herrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools and school leaders are charged to provide equitable educational opportunities and ensure the success for all students no matter their scholastic ability giving students access to an education that is culturally responsive. Despite this charge, African-American male students receive exclusionary punishment at disparaging rates which contributes to the widening achievement gap between white and black students. The purpose of this applied research study was to decrease the rate at which African-American males are referred to the office. This study analyzes the implementation of two elements: engaging teachers in a book study on culturally responsive teaching strategies and targeted counseling …

The Role Of Social Anxiety In Prosocial Behavior Following Exclusion, Hannah Friedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social anxiety (SA) causes significant distress and impairment in several areas of daily life. Individuals with SA experience increased rates of exclusion and have more difficultly forming meaningful interpersonal relationships. Exclusion is associated with increased SA and motivations for social withdrawal in emerging adulthood. In non-SA individuals, the desire for compensatory social interaction following exclusion often produces prosocial behaviors (e.g., increased effort to help the group). Prosocial behavior levels following exclusion are not uniform, however, as an individual’s response may vary depending on the type of exclusion experienced. Although previous work has observed decreased levels of prosocial behavior in non-SA …

As Close As I Can Get To It, Kathryn Leland Henricks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A collection of poems.

1.5 Generation Korean-American Young Adults' Bilingualism And Their Identity In The U.S., Hanna Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the 20th century, particularly post-1965, there has been rapid growth in the Korean-American population in the U.S. The number of 1.5 generation Korean-Americans has also increased. 1.5 generation Korean-Americans can take advantage of learning both languages and cultures in the two countries which can help them become bilingual and bicultural individuals. However, previous studies about the language experience and identity of Korean-Americans have mainly focused on the first or second-generations (Kang, 2013; M. Park, 2005) rather than 1.5 generations. Some of these studies have focused more on children at an early age (E. S. Park, 2005; Zhou, 1997) instead …

The Influence Of Emotion Regulation And Family Involvement On Diabetes Distress Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Patric Justin Leukel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adults with diabetes frequently experience diabetes related distress which is associated with negative health outcomes. Family members are commonly involved in patients’ diabetes self-management. However, family involvement can have harmful and/or helpful effects on patients’ diabetes outcomes. Difficulties in regulating emotions may play a role in patients’ interactions with family members and experience of diabetes distress. This study examined the role of emotion regulation and type of family involvement in diabetes distress among 370 adults with type 2 diabetes. Two separate three-step sequential linear regression models were used to test the main and interactive effects of harmful and helpful family …

Increasing Reading Achievement: An Applied Research Study On The Effects Of Implementing An Independent Reading Time At Lester Elementary School, Sherna Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading proficiency is an important skill and demonstrated proficiency is required by the Mississippi’s Literacy Based Promotion Act of 2013 for third graders to be promoted to fourth grade. Reading proficiency at third grade also has serious implications for lifelong outcomes. The purpose of this applied research project was to increase reading achievement for the second and third grade students of Lester Elementary, specifically by exploring the effects of increased time spent reading, access and self-selection of books, and motivation to read on reading proficiency. The analysis of pre- and post- STAR data was used to determine if proficiency rates …

The Value Of Participating In Cooperative Education, Megan Upchurch Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The benefits of experiential education are well known and a popular discussion topic on college campuses. The value of participation in a co-op work experience is recognized by employers, but not necessarily by the students they are hoping to hire. This study sought to determine whether or not students who did participate in a co-op found their experiences to be beneficial to their personal or professional growth.

Academic Support Systems And College Readiness For Black Male Student Athletes, Derek Lovell King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High school athletics is a major aspect of today’s educational landscape. Sports generate revenue, galvanize communities, and provide opportunities for widespread exposure. For the black athlete, sports generally represent an opportunity to go to college. With the pressure of academic accountability, increased athletic competitiveness, and the impact of future prospects, high schools have to be innovative in order to optimize the academic experience, particularly for Black male athletes.

The impact of high school academic support systems, particularly their capacity to increase the college readiness of Black male athletes, has not been adequately examined. College GPA, college persistence rate, and college …

What Remains: Telling The Story Of Irene Taylor's Murder, Christian Leus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This written thesis serves as a companion piece to What Remains, a six-part audio podcast telling the story of Irene Taylor, a 19-year-old sharecropper’s daughter who was murdered in Altheimer, Arkansas, in 1939. The investigation of the murder, which garnered national press attention, ended with the conviction and execution of Sylvester Williams, a 22-year-old Black man also from Altheimer. This paper expands on the contextual research done in support of the podcast, including close readings of newspaper coverage and fictionalized magazine reports of the case; an examination of the Delta environment’s racialized history and its impact on the lives of …

Building Teacher Capacity As A Pathway To Equity For First-Grade Spanish-Speaking English Learners: An Applied Research Study, Mary Greenlee Moak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT The teaching of English Learners, one of the fastest-growing subgroups in American Public schools, is a task American classroom teachers are ill-equipped to handle. As students from a variety of language backgrounds move from metropolitan areas of the country to more rural locales educational leaders must equip teachers to integrate language acquisition with content instruction. Failure to do so will result in compounding learning gaps among English Learners as the language barrier prevents them from gaining content knowledge. Based in a Mississippi school with a growing population of English Learners comprising over a quarter of the school’s population, this …

Hot-Melt Extrusion Based Fused Deposition Modeling 3d Printing Of Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets: Impact Of Shape And Infill Density On Printability And Performance, Preethi Mandati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of the current research is to investigate the effect of shapes (heart and round shape tablets) and infill densities (50% and 100%) on drug release profiles of tablets prepared by hot melt extrusion (HME) coupled fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique. Two different commercial FDM 3D printers with different filament feeding mechanisms were evaluated for suitability of printing. Drug-loaded filaments of 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm diameters were extruded using Process 11 mm HME, using atorvastatin as a model drug and Kollicoat® IR, Kollidon® VA64, Kollidon®12PF, and Kolliphor® P407 as hydrophilic polymers. Filaments of Kollicoat® IR in combination …

Subcutaneous Delivery Of Albumin, Vy Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of protein drugs are used in the clinic to treat a broad range of diseases. However, because of their large molecular sizes and high hydrophilicity, protein drugs are not orally bioavailable, which commonly require intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Thermosensitive polymers have been widely investigated as in situ depots for sustained drug release delivered through subcutaneous route.Albumin is the most abundant proteins in bloodstream. It has long half-life (19 days in human) and plays important roles such as acting as carrier for fatty acids, amino acids, waste products and medical compounds. Albumin has been studied for decades …