Digital Commons Network^™

Inline Real Time Moisture Sensing For Gin Cotton, Lucas Gay

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of a capacitive sensor in measuring moisture content of cotton within the moisture range of 6-13%. The assessment was conducted in two phases: static and dynamic. During the static phase, models to predict moisture content were created and a 95% Confidence Interval of [-0.619,0.619], Percent Residual Accuracy of 97.586%, and a mean error of 4.396% were achieved. The Bland-Altman plot yielded a curve with a slight positive trend, suggesting the data could be modeled more appropriately by multiple models. The dynamic phase saw similar results as the static tests in …

Remote Physiological Monitoring Of The Giant Panda And Red Panda Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy And Machine Learning, Qingyu Sheng

Theses and Dissertations

Appropriate conservation decisions and efforts must be based on real−time and accurate information about wildlife populations. However, it is extremely challenging to monitor the population demography and physiological traits of many threatened and secretive animal species through direct observation and capture. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has the potential to be a remote tool to address questions concerning wildlife physiology and demography by analyzing “signs” of animals without seeing or capturing them. In this dissertation, two species, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) are used as a case study, to demonstrate NIRS’ feasibility …

Synthesis Of Biomass-Based Graphene Nanomaterials For Aqueous Heavy Metal Removal And Cement-Based Composite Property Enhancement, Tharindu N. Karunaratne

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing biomass such as lignin, bamboo, soybean, corn stalk, rice husk, etc., as a carbon source to produce graphene-based nanomaterials has been reported recently. However, the potential of using such nanomaterials for engineering and environmental applications has not been realized. This dissertation investigates the use of graphene-based nanomaterials synthesized from using biomass as a carbon source for water remediation and cement-based composites’ (CBCs) property enhancement.

The first chapter introduces graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials, as well as the synthesis and application of graphene-based nanomaterials for removing heavy metals in an aqueous solution and for property enhancement in CBCs. The experimental investigation …

Unmanned Aerial System Integration Safety And Security Technology Ontology, Rebecca A. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is a versatile and essential tool for law enforcement, first responders, utility providers, and the general public. Integrating the UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) poses a significant challenge to policymakers and manufacturers. A UAS Integration Safety and Security Technology Ontology (ISSTO) has been developed in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) to aid in this integration. ISSTO is a domain ontology covering aviation topics corresponding to flights, aircraft types, manufacturers, temporal/spatial, waivers and authorizations, track data, NAS facilities, air traffic control advisories, weather phenomena, surveillance and security equipment, and events, sensor types, radio frequency ranges, …

Macroecological Patterns Of Frugivorous Fishes’ Diversity (Serrasalmidae) In The Amazon Drainage Basin, Karold Vivianna Coronado Franco

Theses and Dissertations

The Amazon River drainage basin is known as the most biodiverse region in the world. Regarding freshwater fish, this region contains around 15% of the world's fish richness. The fish family Serrasalmidae have a variety of feeding preferences including Pacus (herbivores) and Piranhas (carnivores). Fruit eating fish species are evolutionarily the oldest species in the family and have a mutualistic interaction with flooded forests. Considering the diversity of feeding habits of the Serrasalmidae family, it represents an excellent model to study ecological questions related to factors that influence the spatial distribution of species and factors that contribute to the maintenance …

Automated Mapping Of Oblique Imagery Collected With Unmanned Vehicles In Coastal And Marine Environments, Jacob B. Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

Recent technological advances in unmanned observational platforms, including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), have made them highly effective tools for research and monitoring within marine and coastal environments. One of the primary types of data collected by these systems is video imagery, which is often captured at an angle oblique to the Earth’s surface, rather than normal to it (e.g., downward looking). This thesis presents a newly developed suite of tools designed to digitally map oblique imagery data collected with ROV and sUAS in coastal and marine environments and quantitatively evaluates the accuracy of the …

Pairing And Rotation-Induced Nuclear Exotica In Covariant Density Functional Theory, Saja Teeti

Theses and Dissertations

Covariant density functional theory (CDFT) is one of the modern theoretical tools for describing the nuclear structure physics of finite nuclei. Its performance is defined by underlying covariant energy density functionals (CEDFs). In this dissertation and within the framework of the CDFT, different physical properties of the ground and the excited states of rotating and non-rotating nuclei have been investigated.

A systematic global investigation of pairing properties based on all available experimental data on pairing indicators has been performed for the first time in the framework of covariant density functional theory. It is based on separable pairing interaction of Ref.\ …

​​Evaluating The Utility Of Trial-Based Functional Analyses Of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior: A Comparison Of Identified Functions Across Functional Analysis Methods, Meredith Huff Staggers

Theses and Dissertations

A critical first step in addressing problem behavior is to identify the function of the problem, or reason for engaging in the problem behavior, using systematic assessment procedures known as a functional analysis (FA). The literature consistently demonstrates the effectiveness of FAs, and variations of FAs (e.g., trial-based functional analysis [TBFA]) for assessing a variety of topographies of problem behaviors across populations, age groups, and settings; however, the use of TBFAs for assessing the function of inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) has been documented in the literature only once. The purpose of the current study was to contribute to the research …

Predicting How Science Self-Efficacy And Identity Contributes To Postsecondary Stem Degree Selection, Bo Jason Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the earliest indications that a student may be interested in STEM paths is the students’ own self-efficacy for science as well as how they may see themselves in a STEM career as part of their science self-identity (Schlegel et al., 2019). Currently, there is a need to contribute to research that can assist agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Education and the National Academy of Sciences in advising the nation, including high schools and postsecondary institutions on ways to increase the enrollment of students in STEM-related careers. This study examined the extent to which …

Eddy Current Defect Response Analysis Using Sum Of Gaussian Methods, James William Earnest

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of methods to automatedly detect and produce approximations of eddy current differential coil defect signatures in terms of a summed collection of Gaussian functions (SoG). Datasets consisting of varying material, defect size, inspection frequency, and coil diameter were investigated. Dimensionally reduced representations of the defect responses were obtained utilizing common existing reduction methods and novel enhancements to them utilizing SoG Representations. Efficacy of the SoG enhanced representations were studied utilizing common Machine Learning (ML) interpretable classifier designs with the SoG representations indicating significant improvement of common analysis metrics.

Halide Substitution Of Ternary Bismuth Chalcogenides For Photovoltaic Applications, Thomas Boggess

Theses and Dissertations

Semiconductors play an integral part in modern society. From computing to LEDs their use is ubiquitous, and no field is more reliant on them than that of power generation. Current political movements have seen a push to decrease reliance on traditional forms of power generation, which relies on fossil fuels, to renewable sources such as solar power. However, current commercial solar panels, based on silicon, are lacking in efficiency, only reaching between 18% and 22% efficiency.¹ In recent years, materials called perovskites have been garnering significant attention as possible replacements for silicon cells due to their favorable optoelectronic properties. …

An Investigation Into Perceptions, Expectations, And Development Of Professional Skills In Engineering Students, Morgan Kathryn Green

Theses and Dissertations

Upon graduation from an undergraduate institution, engineering graduates are expected to have a baselevel skill in technical skills related to their discipline. Teaching technical skills comes naturally to engineering programs as the conceptual understanding of the material form the foundation of engineering ability. However, engineering graduates also are expected to have a baselevel of professional skills, which are more subjective in nature and do not have a standardized approach for teaching or assessing them at the undergraduate level. An investigation into current perceptions of professional skills by relevant parties is an initial step in providing more structure to professional skills …

Interactive Effects Of Bark Beetles, Ophiostomatoid Fungi, And Subterranean Termites On Wood Decomposition And The Biogeochemical Cycling Of Pine Forests, Kimberlyn Pace

Theses and Dissertations

A frequent source of pine tree mortality in recent years can be attributed to pine bark beetles and their vectored Ophiostomatoid fungi, an organism that has been observed to attract subterranean termites that preferentially recruit to this downed woody debris. This interaction may significantly modify biogeochemical fluxes in bark beetle mass mortality events, but studies are often limited to singular regions or single pine-dominated ecosystems. Two studies were designed to test the interactive effects of these associations on terrestrial biogeochemical cycles and decomposition processes, the first using replicated field trials in Mississippi, Arizona, and Honduras across two years and the …

Exact Solutions For Schrodinger And Gross-Pitaevskii Equations And Their Experimental Applications., Bhavika Bhalgamiya

Theses and Dissertations

A prescription is given to obtain some exact results for certain external potentials �� (r) of the time-independent Gross-Pitaevskii and Schrodinger equations. The study motivation is the ability to program �� (r) experimentally in cold atom Bose-Einstein condensates. Rather than derive wavefunctions that are solutions for a given �� (r), we ask which �� (r) will have a given pdf (probability density function) �� (r). Several examples in 1 dimension (1D), 2 dimensions (2D), and 3 dimensions (3D) are presented for well-known pdfs in the position space. Exact potentials with …

Navigating The Road To Distributional Social Equity Using Smart Cities Technologies, Annus Azhar

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to understand the mechanisms behind the adoption of smart cities technologies (SCT) and how they can promote social equity in local communities in the United States. There is a distinct lack of empirical research addressing the methods designed for the promotion of social equity despite their numerous benefits. The present study will address this omission in the scholarship by providing evidence-based insights on how public administrators can leverage SCT to promote distributional social equity through the Digital Era Governance (DEG) and Adoption Theory frameworks. This study also demonstrates the efficacy of applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) …

Mitigating Adverse Impacts Of Increased Electric Vehicle Charging On Distribution Transformers, Akansha Jain

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing interest in electric transportation, and the number of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing. The resulting increase in EV charging power demand has an adverse impact on the existing power grids, especially the distribution transformers. The repeated and continued overloading caused by EV charging can significantly reduce their operational life. This dissertation aims to comprehensively study the adverse impacts of EV charging on distribution transformers and provide robust and practical solutions to mitigate it. A typical North American secondary distribution system with different EV penetration levels and four realistic residential EV charging scenarios are used for the …

The Consequences Of Low Energy Availability Related To Relative Energy Deficiency In Male Athletes: A Systematic Review, Lauryn Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

RED-S is a syndrome that stems from low energy availability (LEA) in athletes. It can impact numerous physiological and psychological functions, as well as negatively affect performance. Because RED-S is a relatively new syndrome, there are few studies showing the impact of RED-S on performance and physiological factors. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the consequences of induced LEA in relation to RED-S in male athletes. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, Five studies were deemed eligible based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies measured risk of RED-S through body composition, bone …

Race, Gender, And Inheritance: The Experience Of Black Farmers In Mississippi, Gbenga Idowu Elufisan

Theses and Dissertations

The population of Black farmers in the U.S. has declined to 2% of farmers in the U.S. because of institutional racism, land dispossession, heir’s property, and youth’s disinterest in farming. Most works on Black farmers have focused on racism, and heirs’ property, but little is known about the influence of race, gender, and inheritance on Black farmers’ experience. To understand this, I asked: what are the contemporary challenges associated with farming among Black farmers in Mississippi? How do race, gender, and inheritance influence the experiences of Black farmers? And how do Black farmers cope with their farming challenges? Twenty farmers …

Design Of High-Power Ultra-High-Speed Permanent Magnet Machine, Md Khurshedul Islam

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for ultra-high-speed machines (UHSM) is rapidly growing in high-tech industries due to their attractive features. A-mechanically-based-antenna (AMEBA) system is another emerging application of UHSM. It enables portable wireless communication in the radio frequency (RF)-denied environment, which was not possible until recently. The AMEBA system requires a high-power (HP) UHSM for its effective communication performance. However, at the expected rotational speed range of 0.5 to 1 million rpm, the power level of UHSM is limited, and no research effort has succeeded to improve the power level of UHSM.

The design of HP-UHSM is highly iterative, and …

Secure And Efficient Federated Learning, Xingyu Li

Theses and Dissertations

In the past 10 years, the growth of machine learning technology has been significant, largely due to the availability of large datasets for training. However, gathering a sufficient amount of data on a central server can be challenging. Additionally, with the rise of mobile networking and the large amounts of data generated by IoT devices, privacy and security issues have become a concern, resulting in government regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, and ADPPA. Under these circumstances, traditional centralized machine learning methods face a problem in that sensitive data must be kept locally for privacy reasons, making it difficult to …

A Screening Tool For The Implementation Of Electric And Thermal Energy Storage Systems At Commercial And Industrial Facilities, Mckenna P. Amerson

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of on-site renewable systems with energy storage devices is an important topic in improving energy management for commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Energy storage technologies have the ability to impact the end user’s power reliability while creating measurable energy and cost savings. However, the potential yet remains to increase the application of these systems. To determine the feasibility of renewables and energy storage in commercial and industrial applications, a pre-screening software tool is developed using data-driven algorithms to complete an energy, cost, and carbon savings analysis of storage implementation. A case study of a standalone retail building is …

Two-Essay Based Exploratory Research On Service Robots’ Anthropomorphized Voice Types, Accents, And Speaking Styles, Jutong Wen

Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, service robots play an increasingly important role in frontline service across various industries. However, many questions surrounding service robots as a novel service option are still less studied, and thus, remain uncertain to marketers. Therefore, this dissertation investigated and addressed some of these questions, by assessing the potential advantages of service robots, not only as compared to human employees, but also among service robots’ different humanlike vocal features, including voice types, accents, and speaking styles. Specifically, to address the research gaps identified through an in-depth literature review conducted in Chapter 2, a series …

The Silent Grave: A Geophysical Investigation Of The Brush Arbor Cemetery In Starkville, Mississippi, Kathryn Cassidy Jean Rayburn

Theses and Dissertations

The Brush Arbor Cemetery is an early-to-late 19th century Black cemetery that was also the meeting place of one of the first Black church congregations in Starkville, Mississippi. The cemetery has suffered greatly from structural violence and degradation. Utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), this research has revealed important information about the Brush Arbor Cemetery. The results of the GPR survey suggest there are 54 potential unmarked burials in addition to 35 marked burials. The Viewshed analysis suggests that the likely meeting place of the church congregation is in complete view of the white Odd Fellows Cemetery directly across the street. …

Physiology Of Human-Equine Interaction During Substance Withdrawal, Molly Marie Friend

Theses and Dissertations

Psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) is emerging as an effective treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), but research is limited concerning physiological impacts during substance withdrawal. This study investigated impacts of PIE on salivary cortisol concentrations, heart rate, anxiety, and depression during SUD withdrawal. Heart rate and cortisol concentrations were measured in horses to determine potential human-horse coupling. Saliva samples and heart rates were collected pre and post PIE from residential SUD patients (n=18) and their therapy horses (n=4) during and following the withdrawal period. Participants (n=10) also completed a survey measuring anxiety and depression (P = 0.05). A …

Anxiety, Depression, And Fear Of Dependency In Middle And Older Adults, Darby D. Mackenstadt

Theses and Dissertations

Negative stereotypes of aging, such as dependency, tend to paint a picture of older adults as frail or a burden on society. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the Fear of Dependency Scale and anxiety and depression, evaluating gender, age, and physical health as moderators. Findings suggest that age moderated the relationship between fear of dependency and depression and anxiety in women, with middle-aged women reporting the highest levels of depression and anxiety. Similarly, poor physical health in women with high fear of dependency being related to higher levels of depression and anxiety. Fear of dependency was related …

Using Geostationary Lightning Mapper (Glm) Information To Estimate Convective Turbulence, Elizabeth Rose Moore

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between lightning totals from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and convectively induced turbulence (CIT). Turbulence is a hazard that affects passengers and crew through injury, emphasizing the importance of turbulence forecasting. GLM and turbulence data collected from pilot reports (PIREPs) are analyzed to find the average distance where maximum lightning frequency occurred for warm season airmass thunderstorms from 2019-2021. On average, 410 km from the PIREP is where maximum lightning frequency occurred and varying flash rates showed that as the flash rate increases, there is a linear increase in distance away from the storm. Case …

Wildfire-Altered Geotechnical Soil Properties And Their Impact On Subsequent Landslides, James M. Kellogg

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfires result in altered landscape as well as altered soil properties. Wildfires result in conditions that are more susceptible to geotechnical hazards introducing a potential for cascading events in the surrounding area. Shallow landslides are common geohazards that result in a post-wildfire landscape. With an ever-increasing trend in wildfires, the need to better understand the impact wildfire-altered soil properties play on shallow slope instability is critical to evaluating risks to existing or planned development, mitigation of potentially hazardous conditions, prioritization of post-wildfire planning, and post-wildfire response preparation. The primary objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of …

Identifying Barriers To Data Use On U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Operations And Developing Solutions To Improve Cow-Calf Record-Keeping, William Isaac Jumper

Theses and Dissertations

Cattle health and production records (CHPR) are data collected by cattle producers and veterinarians in the form of measurements, observations, counts of events over time, and physiologic attributes that describe individual and group-level health and production. These data are useful to both veterinarians and cattle producers for making evidence-based decisions on cow-calf operations. Currently, there are no uniform, industry-wide methods of capturing and recording CHPR in the U.S. cow-calf industry. Although many cow-calf producers in the U.S. are thought to collect some form of CHPR, it is believed that relatively few are doing so in an electronic manner that facilitates …

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus) Breeding Season Calling Behavior And Roost Site Selection In A Working Agricultural Landscape In Clay County, Mississippi, Olivia A. Lappin

Theses and Dissertations

Research on northern bobwhite calling behavior and roosting ecology during the breeding season has received limited attention. However, variability in calling rate in response to conspecifics and environmental factors may affect avian monitoring strategies. We conducted 10-minute breeding season surveys (April-August) on B. Bryan Farms, Mississippi, from 2021-2022 to evaluate the impact of conspecifics and environmental covariates on male bobwhite calling rate. We observed a positive linear effect of conspecifics and temperature on calling rate. We did not find sufficient evidence to support a relationship between calling rate and cloud cover or barometric pressure. We also analyzed breeding season third-order …

Evolution And Epidemiology Of Channel Catfish Virus (Ccv), Arun Venugopalan

Theses and Dissertations

Channel catfish virus disease (CCVD) is the principal viral disease in the United States catfish industry. The CCVD is caused by channel catfish virus (CCV), with mortality reaching up to 100% in fingerlings. CCV is assigned taxonomically to the family Alloherpesviridae, genus Ictalurivirus, species Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 (IcHV-1). To date, virulence, immunogenicity, and genome plasticity of the CCV field isolates have not been investigated. Three genotypes of CCV (IcHV-1A, IcHV-1B, and BCAHV) were identified using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Virulence assessment of three representative isolates of RFLP groups suggests that IcHV-1B (pooled survival [mean ± SE]: 58.3% ± …