Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Algorithms: A User-Centered Evaluation Of A Feature Recommender System In Requirements Engineering, Oluwatobi Lasisi

Theses and Dissertations

Several studies have applied recommender technologies to support requirements engineering activities. As in other application areas of recommender systems (RS), many studies have focused on the algorithms’ prediction accuracy, while there have been limited discussions around users’ interactions with the systems. Since recommender systems are designed to aid users in information retrieval, they should be assessed not just as recommendation algorithms but also from the users’ perspective. In contrast to accuracy measures, user-related issues can only be effectively investigated via empirical studies involving real users. Furthermore, researchers are becoming increasingly aware that the effectiveness of the systems goes beyond recommendation …

A Step Toward Understanding Software Development In The Public Sector: A Study Of A Department Of Defense Research And Development Organization, Joshua Q. Church

Theses and Dissertations

This paper focuses on the importance of effective software development processes and a foundational understanding of success factors in the public sector. Although there has been significant investment in information technology, not all public sector software projects result in a successful return on investment. This study explores the crucial factors, referred to as Critical Success Factors (CSFs), that enable the success of public sector software development projects. Additionally, this study aims to discover if the CSFs, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), or its methodologies are more impactful for the success of software projects. This study aims to also identify …

Understanding Vascular Calcification Through The Lens Of Canonical Wnt Signaling, Karlee Mcneel

Theses and Dissertations

Every 37 seconds, someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease. Vascular calcification is one of the underlying causes of these fatal events. Medial calcification develops following arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Medial calcification is characterized by the deposition of hydroxyapatite in the medial layer of the arteries after normal vascular smooth muscle cells undergo a phenotypic switch to resemble osteoblast-like cells. It is hypothesized that this switch is caused by the wingless related (WNT)-Signaling pathway. The WNT-Signaling pathway, upon activation, causes the upregulation of osteogenic markers for the development of osteoblast-like cells. Current treatments alleviate consequences of …

Hydrological And Water Quality Assessment Of Forested Coastal Watersheds, Shreeya Bhattarai

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal regions are at risk of environmental threats. Flooding in coastal rivers is the result of intense precipitation which is triggered by climate change. Coastal watersheds are prone to losing significant amounts of sediment and nutrients because of the shorter transport pathway that drains directly into the coastal water. In this study, the hydrology, flood frequency, and water quality assessment of two coastal watersheds, Wolf River watershed (WRW) and Jourdan River watershed (JRW), were conducted using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Since WRW and JRW are the main tributaries to fetch freshwater to Saint Louis Bay (SLB) of …

Evaluation Of Italian Ryegrass And Palmer Amaranth Control In Mississippi, Johnson Harris Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Italian ryegrass is a problematic weed in Mississippi corn production due to the development and proliferation of glyphosate resistance. Studies were conducted to assess Italian ryegrass control prior to planting using herbicides. Effects of fall and spring applied burndown herbicide applications for Italian ryegrass control and subsequent corn grain yield were investigated at the R.R. Foil PSRC in Starkville, MS, at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Newton, MS, and the Black Belt Experiment Station in Brooksville, MS on soil textures ranging from sandy loam to silt clay loam. A fall preemergence (PRE) application of S-metolachlor + metribuzin followed …

Effects Of Alternative Jet Fuels On Aerospace-Grade Composites: Experimental And Modeling Studies, Naoufal Harich

Theses and Dissertations

The aviation industry aims to reduce its environmental impact through innovation and research. The usage of composite materials for multiple primary structures represents one such measure. Several alternative fuels were approved and used along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These alternative fuels are produced from wastes and biomasses. Some alternative fuels were initially only approved as drop-in fuels, meaning they must be blended with conventional fuels to operate. Fuel tanks are usually embedded into the wing structure, which is mainly made of composite materials. These composites tend to absorb fluids it encounters through their matrix phase. The absorption behavior …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Methane Seeps And Seafloor Geomorphology On The Northern Us Atlantic Margin, Gabriel Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Methane seeps are a transport pathway for carbon from seafloor sediments to the marine environment with important implications for global biogeochemical cycling. Accordingly, there is substantial interest in better understanding the processes that control seep location and predicting the distribution of seeps with existing seafloor datasets. Visual evaluation of methane seeps, in multibeam sonar water column data, suggests a spatial relationship between seeps and specific seafloor morphologic features such as ridge crests. In this thesis, seafloor geomorphology at 1996 seep detection sites on the US Atlantic margin was quantitatively characterized by geomorphologic phonotype, bathymetric position index, slope, rugosity, and aspect …

Cameroonian Immigrant Youths: Perceptions Of Influences On Educational Attainment And Outcomes In American Schools, Marlise De Paul Ngassam

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study uses the lens of expectation theory to highlight the educational achievements of Cameroonian youths in American educational institutions as it also examines their individual educational experiences and the many challenges (social, cultural, and academic) that each encountered in his or her journey toward significant educational outcomes. Findings from this study challenge the misconception that students coming into the United States other than from Asia and Europe are academically inferior to their counterparts born in the U.S. Six francophone Cameroonian-born young adults between the ages of 19-30 residing in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area participated in this study. …

Evaluation Of Conservation Practices Effect On Water Quality Using The Swat Model, Vivek Venishetty

Theses and Dissertations

The deterioration of water quality due to human-driven alternations has an adverse effect on the environment. More than 50% of surveyed surface water bodies in the United States (US) are classified as impaired waters as per the Clean Water Act. The pollutants affecting the water quality in the US are classified as point and non-point sources. Pollutant mitigation strategies such as the selective implementation of best management practices (BMPs) based on the severity of the pollution could improve water quality by reducing the amounts of pollutants. Quantifying the efficiency of a specific management practice can be difficult for large watersheds. …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Hair Coat Shedding Ability, Apparent Forage Digestibility, And Mineral Status In Angus Cattle, Margaret P. Loftin

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between hair coat shedding ability, apparent forage digestibility, and mineral status in Angus cattle. Fecal samples were collected on fall calving Angus cows for one week in March, May, and July from 2019-2022. Liver and plasma samples were collected in March and July each year. Fecal samples were analyzed for DM, ash, NDF, and ADF while liver and plasma were analyzed for mineral concentration. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS with significance declared at P0.05. Interactions were detected for DM, NDF, ADF, and liver Fe concentration. The model …

Limits Of Tectonic Reactivation On Mars Using Earth Analogue Analysis And Numerical Modeling, Jonathan Rich

Theses and Dissertations

Recent geodynamic modeling studies suggest that the geometry of structural landforms in the Ouachita Mountains (OM) has been influenced by the reactivation of a weak scar in the mantle-lithosphere during intracontinental orogenesis. As deformation on one-plate planets such as Mars can be considered intracontinental, and impact cratering deeply scarred the Martian lithosphere, we hypothesize that structural geometries on Mars may also reflect heterogenous networks of lithospheric scarring. To investigate this hypothesis, we model the pre-erosional fold structure of the Maumelle Chaotic Zone in the OM to compare fault and fold geometries with that of the seismically-imaged mantle-lithosphere scar. We then …

Effects Of Sampling Methodologies On Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Tissue Populations In Commercial Layer Pullets, Sethulakshmi Kattupparayil Sasidharan

Theses and Dissertations

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) can cause chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys. Impacts of MG infections can include increased morbidity and mortality, decreased egg production, hatchability and feed efficiency. Biosecurity and bio-surveillance remain the primary means of deterrence as the current means of control are not wholly effective. Further applications towards the characterization of MG-related disease control requires proper understanding of the characteristics of MG infections with accurate and efficient quantification of in vivo MG populations. To this end, study was conducted to determine the in vivo MG populations in infected pullets and to determine impact of …

Lateral Swelling Pressure In Variably Saturated Expansive Clay, Steven Ray Garrett

Theses and Dissertations

Lateral swelling pressure induced in expansive soils upon wetting can adversely impact the performance and integrity of earthen structures and foundations. The yearly cost associated with damage to structures from expansive clays in the United States is estimated to exceed the loss associated with natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. The main objective of this dissertation is to provide new insight into the evolution of lateral swelling pressure in variably saturated expensive soils under infiltration via physical testing. In the first part of this study, a new laboratory-scale testing apparatus was built to measure lateral and vertical swelling …

Evaluation Of Nutrient Digestibility Of Weaned Calves From Early And Late Shedding Dams, Jennifer Keele

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have investigated several factors that could alter fetal growth, including nutrient restriction (Valiente et al., 2021), hair shedding (Gray et al., 2011), and extreme hot and cold temperatures (Davidson et al., 2022). Hot temperatures and increased humidity percentages in the southeast United States caused researchers to investigate the hair coats of Angus cattle in the commercial production setting. An improvement in fiber digestibility and calf birth and weaning weights has been observed in Angus dams that shed 50% of the winter hair coat by May (Gray et al., 2011; Burnett et al., 2021). Our objective of this experiment was …

Pruning Ghsom To Create An Explainable Intrusion Detection System, Thomas Michael Kirby

Theses and Dissertations

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) that provide high detection rates but are black boxes lead
to models that make predictions a security analyst cannot understand. Self-Organizing Maps
(SOMs) have been used to predict intrusion to a network, while also explaining predictions through
visualization and identifying significant features. However, they have not been able to compete with
the detection rates of black box models. Growing Hierarchical Self-Organizing Maps (GHSOMs)
have been used to obtain high detection rates on the NSL-KDD and CIC-IDS-2017 network traffic
datasets, but they neglect creating explanations or visualizations, which results in another black
box model.
This paper offers …

An Electric Commerce Platform For Material Testing Laboratories, John Ferris Mitchener

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of the Internet has allowed businesses to create new sales and marketing channels to provide value for their customers in the marketplace. Engineering manufacturers and suppliers have taken advantage of the internet to automate the customer service aspects of their businesses as well as to market their services in a cost-effective but widespread manner. This work aims to apply the practices and benefits of electronic commerce (e-commerce) to a material testing laboratory through the creation of a functioning website with e-commerce features. The effects of Search Engine Optimization, website accessibility issues, marketing considerations, security concerns, and common business …

Experiences Of School Administrators And Teachers: Challenges And Promising Practices During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Helen Teresa Hyde Carter

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the lived experiences of teachers and administrators as reflected in their responses regarding instructional materials, instructional delivery, social and emotional well-being of students, and access to critical school services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants shared their experiences about how the instructional materials and delivery modes were selected as well as the guidance and support given by school administrators. Major challenges and concerns along with promising practices related to student engagement, social and emotional well-being of students, and access to critical school services were identified.

Expanding The Market Of Biomaterials, Franklin Quin Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Biomaterials such as wood and bamboo are in high demand as a building material with the push for building with green technology. The wood product industry accounts for approximately 4% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is more than $100 billion. The industry supports over 752,000 full-time equivalent jobs, most of which are in rural areas where employment opportunities are limited. The estimated global market value of bamboo is estimated to be $60 billion annually. This research will explore the use of wood and bamboo in different end use products. The objectives of this research will …

Passive Vs. Active Wearable Technology Monitoring Trunk Flexion In Elementary Teachers, Bailey Jose

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to assess the biomechanical and subjective measures of elementary school teachers while wearing active and/or passive wearable devices during the average workday. Five elementary school teachers wore a harness that held an Upright GO 2 posture tracking device and a Vicon Blue Trident sensor on the participant's upper back for two school days. Haptic feedback was on for one day and off for the other. Data from the Vicon wearable was analyzed to determine participants’ trunk flexion severity, frequency, and duration. Surveys were used to determine perceived exertion and perception of wearable technology. This …

Patterns Of Distribution And Dispersion Of Silver Carp In An Oxbow Lake, Jordan Besson

Theses and Dissertations

Oxbow lakes are highly productive waterbodies that host multiple life stages of many freshwater aquatic species. Oxbow lakes also provide habitat to Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), which has enabled populations to grow and expand within the United States. Silver Carp are undesirable because they can compete for resources with native fishes. My goal was to identify patterns of distribution and dispersion of Silver Carp in Moon Lake, Mississippi, to assist and inform precise harvesting of fish. I implanted thirty-five adult Silver Carp with acoustic tags that I released into Moon Lake. I observed that Silver Carp were disproportionately …

The Effect Of Vitamin B-12 Supplementation On Visual Reaction Time In Young Adult Females, Sean M. Servalish

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of vitamin B-12 supplementation on visual response time (VRT). Menstrual cycle phase (MCP) and 24-hour dietary intake of B-12 were also observed as dependent variables. This blind, placebo-controlled trial observed 14 young adult females in four treatment groups: control, 500mcg (low dose), 2000mcg (moderate dose), and 3000mcg (high dose). The study lasted 28 days, with participants treated weekly, randomly assigned to each of the treatment groups. When comparing B-12 dose treatment groups to VRT baseline, there was significant improvements in VRT. Compared to the placebo, there were no significant differences among treatment groups. Significant differences …

Roles Of Limestone Particle Size Ratios And Phytase Levels On Performance, Eggshell Quality, And Bone Health In Post-Peak And Late-Lay Single-Cycled W-36 Laying Hens, Charis Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of fine (F) and coarse (C) limestone ratios and exogenous phytase at standard and superdosing activity on performance, egg quality, and bone quality of post-peak and late-lay Hy-Line W-36 hens. For post-peak, treatments with 40F:60C at 0 and 400 FTU/kg (standard phytase activity) increased hen-day egg production (HDEP). Treatments with 15F:85C decreased feed intake (FI) but also increased unsaleable eggs (UE) and eggshell-breaking strength (EBS). Treatments with 0 and 400 FTU/kg increased albumen quality and treatments with 1500 FTU/kg increased bone quality and phytate breakdown. For late-lay, interaction effects of …

Integrating Steel Slag Aggregates Into Asphalt Paving By Harmonizing Availability, Quality, Economics, And The Environment, Timothy R. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides guidance on how to balance matters related to the environmental stewardship, market sources, origin and uses, material properties, performance, and economic impact of using slag materials in pavements. The literature on this topic provides numerous references on the use of slag materials for specific applications, and this thesis aims to make use of those references along with other data from the author to describe slag materials from a holistic perspective and provide some suggestions for balancing several factors that impact optimal use of this resource within pavement structures. Discussion is given to the increased importance of recycling …

Anomaly Detection In Scada Systems Using Machine Learning, Eric Kudjoe Fiah

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, different Machine learning (ML) algorithms were used in the detection of anomalies using a dataset from a Gas pipeline SCADA system which was generated by Mississippi State University’s SCADA laboratory. This work was divided into two folds: Binary Classification and Categorized classification. In the binary classification, two attack types namely: Command injection and Response injection attacks were considered. Eight Machine Learning Classifiers were used and the results were compared. The Light GBM and Decision tree classifiers performed better than the other algorithms. In the categorical classification task, Seven (7) attack types in the dataset were analyzed using …

Modeling Yield And Aboveground Live Tree Carbon Dynamics In Oak-Gum-Cypress Bottomland Hardwood Forests, Suchana Aryal

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of bottomland hardwood (BLH) forests to support the economy through timber production and carbon sequestration is acknowledged; however, their full potential is yet to be explored. This study developed variable density yield models for BLH oak-gum-cypress forests along the US Gulf Coast and Lower Mississippi River Delta. The models, with an adjusted R2 of 98% for cubic foot growing stock volume and 77% for Doyle board foot sawlog volume, are expected to be valuable tools for landowners and managers seeking to make informed decisions about BLH forest management.

A carbon stock model was also developed, and carbon sequestration …

Examining Physiological And Photosynthetic Effect Of Led Lighting On Lettuce And Kale Microgreens, James Travis Blanche

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of these studies was to observe the effects of LED lighting treatments on physiological parameters of lettuce and microgreens. Four different lighting treatments; 1) Physiospec (white), 2) Red, 3) DR9 (25:75 Blue:Red), and 4) Anthospec (at 20/80 Blue:Red); were used in this experiment. Two experiments were conducted: 1) Examining the effects of LED lights on lettuce yield and photosynthetic activity and 2) The effects of switching lighting regiments halfway through the growth cycle on Kale microgreen yield and color. Physiospec lighting was found to promote the highest yield and photosynthetic activity among the four treatments for lettuce. It …

Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search Algorithm – Performance Evaluation Under Parallel Schemes & Applications, Sandip Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search (ALNS) is a fairly recent yet popular single-solution heuristic for solving discrete optimization problems. Even though the heuristic has been a popular choice for researchers in recent times, the parallelization of this algorithm is not widely studied in the literature compared to the other classical metaheuristics. To extend the existing literature, this study proposes several different parallel schemes to parallelize the basic/sequential ALNS algorithm. More specifically, seven different parallel schemes are employed to target different characteristics of the ALNS algorithm and the capability of the local computers. The schemes of this study are implemented in a …

Design And Synthesis Of Donor-Acceptor-Donor Xanthene-Based Near Infrared I And Shortwave Infrared (Swir) Dyes For Biological Imaging, Chathuranga Rathnamalala

Theses and Dissertations

Small molecule organic dyes with absorption and emission in the near infrared region (NIR) attracted much attention for various applications such as dye sensitized solar cells, fluorescent guided surgery, stimuli responsive bioimaging and photodynamic therapy. Dyes with high absorption and emission in the NIR region are beneficial for stimuli responsive bioimaging due to the deeper penetration of NIR light, less cell damage, high resolution, and low background autofluorescence from biomolecules. Of the many small molecule dyes, xanthene-based dyes exhibit outstanding photophysical properties and good stimuli response for use in bioimaging applications. However, absorption and emission of the xanthene dyes lie …

A Generalizable Method And Case Application For Development And Use Of The Aviation Systems – Trust Survey (As-Ts)., Jamison Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

Automated systems are integral in the development of modern aircraft, especially for complex military aircraft. Pilot Trust in Automation (TIA) in these systems is vital for optimizing the pilot-vehicle interface and ensuring pilots use the systems appropriately to complete required tasks.

The objective of this research was to develop and validate a TIA scale and survey methodology to identify and mitigate trust deficiencies with automated systems for use in Army Aviation testing. There is currently no standard TIA assessment methodology for U.S. Army aviation pilots that identifies trust deficiencies and potential mitigations.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify …

The Effect Of Four Decades Of Deregulation On Competition And Productivity Of The U.S. Freight Transportation Industry, Seungjae Shin

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews the competition and productivity of the U.S. freight transportation industry for the past 41 years. This study investigated the trends of HHI market concentration index values and labor productivity values of rail and truck sectors and tried to find any relationships between the two values in the separate periods before and after the abolishment of the ICC. This study also investigated how the existence of a regulatory body impacted productivity of the freight transportation industry by using a Cobb Douglas production function on annual financial statement data in the U.S. stock exchange market. This study found that: …