Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Staff Satisfaction And Flu Vaccine Uptake Through Standardized Workflow Tools, Salma Adriana Blanco

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Insufficient workflows can cause documentation to be confusing, which ultimately

limits staff engagement. This has led to staff dissatisfaction and a low vaccination uptake in

outpatient clinics. The implementation of a standardized workflow tool and proper staff

education and training can improve staff satisfaction and vaccination adherence, as indicated by

a review of literature. Aim: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to implement a

change in workflow in the electronic health record and staff training in an urban community

health clinic primarily serving low income and Latino patients. This intervention seeks to

increase medical assistant user satisfaction …

Media Disparity? Analyzing The Media Coverage Of Violent Vs. Non-Violent Crimes In Central Arkansas, Alicia Dorn

Theses and Dissertations

The media's disproportionate coverage of violent crimes compared to non-violent crimes may create a skewed public perception of crime rates and safety in Central Arkansas, potentially influencing policy decisions and community relations. This research examines whether news outlets in Central Arkansas cover violent crimes more frequently than non-violent crimes and compares this coverage to actual crime statistics from law enforcement agencies. The study aims to understand the potential impact of media representation on public perception of crime. The study employed a mixed-methods content analysis of three major Central Arkansas newspapers (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Pine Bluff Commercial, and Hot Springs Sentinel Record) …

Libraries Accessibility Plan 2025-2027

Accessibility Committee

Two-year plan providing a roadmap for committee projects and goals. Authored in 2025 by the University Libraries Accessibility Committee as an internal document.

Capstone Project Proposal: The Role Of Nutrition Education On Dietary Vitamin B12 Intake In Decreasing Postpartum Depression- A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Andrea Villalba Torres

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition that affects many women after giving birth but tends to go untreated. Research has identified that nutrition has an essential role in neurological health, including iron, folate, and the B vitamins. However, recent research regarding PPD and dietary interventions is limited. To address this gap, a 12-week-long pilot randomized controlled trial is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of a text-based nutrition education program, encouraging dietary vitamin B12 intake, on reducing PPD symptoms in women 2-6 weeks postpartum. 128 participants will be recruited from 15 different Miami-Dade WIC clinics. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression …

Flooding Behavior Near The Us/Canada Border: Complications And Approaches, Maria T. Dodson

Honors College Theses

Flood forecasting remains a major challenge due to the nonlinear nature of hydrological systems and uncertainties in environmental data. This study aimed to address the prevalent challenges that arise from forecasting flooding behavior. To address the inherent complexity of hydrological forecasting, a machine learning framework was developed and trained on major contributing factors. To achieve an optimal balance between computational efficiency and predictive performance, a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) was selected as the optimal machine learning model. As the chosen dataset, North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 (NLDAS2), is known to have inaccuracies in the important feature Relative …

Bearing The How: Self-Compassion, Religiosity, And Basic Psychological Needs As Predictors Of Meaning In Life, Benjamin Wenndorf

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

While meaning in life (MIL) has been established as a significant contributor to psychologists’ understanding of wellbeing (Pollet & Schnell, 2017; Steger et al., 2008; Steger et al., 2011), some theorists believe MIL to be the fundamental human drive (Frankl, 1946/1962). Despite the significance that has been placed on MIL as a core component of human existence, little research has explored more than one variable at a time in relationship to MIL. Recent literature has explored self-determination theory’s (SDT) basic psychological needs microtheory as a predictive model for understanding MIL within a greater context of positive psychology (Martela et al., …

Mississippi River Pre-Loess Terrace Deposits: Distribution Of Aggregate Resources, Jonathan Leard

Theses and Dissertations

Pre-loess Terrace Deposits are a Pleistocene, high-quality aggregate resource of gravel, sand, and clay subjacent to loess of varying thickness along the eastern valley wall of the Yazoo Basin in Mississippi. This project delineated 1,230 mi2 of this resource with a volume greater than 33 billion yd3 from the misinterpreted Citronelle Formation in Desoto, Tate, Marshall, Panola, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha, Grenada, Carroll, Holmes, Yazoo, Madison, Hinds, Warren, Jefferson, Claiborne, Adams, Franklin, and Wilkinson Counties with nine terrace base levels at 40, 180, 220, 250, 270, 300, 330, 340, and 370 feet msl indicated by test holes, gravel mine data, outcrop studies, …

Genetic Reconstruction And Diversity Analysis In The Usda Forest Service Populus Deltoides Breeding Collection, Carlos Armando Rivera Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis investigates the genetic structure and diversity of the Populus deltoides collection from the USDA Forest Service breeding program. Using genomics techniques, six population groups with varying levels of admixture were identified, revealing extensive historical recombination and complexity in the population structure, which contrasts with earlier studies from different regions. The research also confirms the collection's integrity by detecting operational errors and contamination, addressed through genetic identity and parentage analysis. Notably, over 80% of the clones have contributions from multiple ancestors, indicating widespread interbreeding. Additionally, a reliable database was created, covering about 96% of the unique genotypes. This enables …

The Adverse Digital Childhood Experiences (Adces) Framework: A Transformative Paradigm For Decoding Digital Adversity And Safeguarding Human Agency In Child Development And Lifespan Trajectories, Asrat G. Amnie

Publications and Research

Childhood is no longer confined to physical spaces; It increasingly unfolds within digitally saturated environments where algorithmically mediated technologies shape attention, learning, and identity formation from the earliest years. Traditional adversity frameworks, particularly the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) model, do not capture the distinctive, persistent, and often invisible risks of digital life. To address this gap, this study advances the Adverse Digital Childhood Experiences (ADCEs) framework, an empirically informed and theory-driven extension of ACEs that systematizes ten interrelated domains of digital adversity encompassing social, cognitive, and environmental stressors. These include cyberbullying and exploitation, commercial surveillance and privacy harms, technoference and …

A New Model For Predicting Two-Zone Parameters Based On Geometric Modifications In Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations, Jason B. Metten

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to create a new and improved model for key Two-Zone modeling parameters, 𝜒 and 𝛿2𝑝. It explores how geometric changes to centrifugal compressors impact these modeling parameters. While centrifugal impellers are an important part of many systems, the flow through such impellers is inherently complex, making performance often difficult to predict. There are many approaches for modeling this complex flow environment, one method being the Two-Zone model developed by Dave Japikse. Values for 𝜒 and 𝛿2𝑝 are often determined from data obtained from test rigs or correlations. In this study high-fidelity CFD simulations …

Effects Of Beach Morphology On Nesting Behavior And Success Of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) In South Carolina, Reagan Rutkowski

Honors Theses

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) rely on sandy beach habitats for successful reproduction, yet nesting success is strongly influenced by physical beach features. This study examines the impact of beach morphology on nest survivorship across six nesting beaches in Horry and Georgetown counties, South Carolina. Three key hypotheses were tested: (1) nests placed at higher elevations exhibit greater survivorship, (2) nests located further from the recent high tide line experience higher survivorship, and (3) overall beach morphology influences nesting behavior and outcomes. Beach morphology variables—including elevation, slope, and nest-to-water distances—were measured at individual nest sites, while survivorship data …

Netflix And Kill: The Role Of True Crime Consumption In The Development Of Acquired Capability For Suicide, Chandler Jayne Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) identifies acquired capability as a key factor contributing to suicidal behavior. Previous research has shown that violent media exposure can increase suicidal risk through desensitization, imitation, and trauma activation. However, little is known about the role of true crime consumption (TCC), a popular form of violent media engagement, in relation to IPTS constructs. This study examined whether TCC predicts acquired capability for suicide, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. A total of 215 participants were retained after data cleaning. Hypotheses predicted that higher TCC would be associated with higher acquired capability (H1), that TCC would …

Anxiety, Stress, And Depression As A Predictor Of Established Vaping Among High School Students, Autumn Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has linked initiation of e-cigarette use with mental health but has not identified how mental health factors impact patterns of use of these products in adolescents. I tested the hypothesis that adolescents who report vaping to cope with stress, depression, and anxiety have more established patterns of use with data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey. Crosstabulations and logistic regression outcome measures included current use, intensity of use, and cumulative lifetime use. Reasons for initial and current use related to mental health were associated with current e-cigarette use, more intense use, and higher cumulative use. Mental health plays …

Spectral Methods And Wavelets In Quantitative Finance Problems, Davood Damircheli

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation leverages advanced spectral methods and wavelet techniques to address complex quantitative finance models, enhancing the computation of financial derivatives and risk assessments. Building on foundational studies, this research extends these methods to broader, intricate financial contexts. The first section explores fractional-order generalized Chebyshev wavelets (FOCW) applied to fractional advection equations, relevant in both mathematics and physics. Using a regularized beta function to compute the Riemann-Liouville fractional integral operator, this study introduces a novel numerical scheme with robust accuracy, confirmed through error analysis and empirical tests. The second part examines the fractional Black-Scholes equations for option pricing under subdiffusive …

Considerations For Cottonseed Oil As A Feedstock For Renewable Fuels, John Elmore

Theses and Dissertations

As the world population grows and the standard of living improves in developing countries, global energy demand will continue to rise, with energy use in the developing world expected to increase dramatically more than the per capita reductions in developed countries from efficiency improvements. Nearly a third of the total global energy demand is used for transportation, resulting in a substantial contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While the demand for energy rises, initiatives and regulations are underway to mitigate the amount of GHG emissions to Earth’s atmosphere. As efforts progress in industry, governments, and society to reduce the total …

Impacts Of Upgrading Gcc On The Srtuner Compiler Autotuning Algorithm, Jonathan D. Butterfield

Theses and Dissertations

An often-overlooked research gap is the applicability of research over time. The impact of updating the GNU Compiler Collection version was investigated for the SRTuner compiler optimization research. Versions 7 through 14 were tested using documented flags and recommended flag dependencies. Quality controls measured and enforced consistency across test runs and benchmarks. The performance of SRTuner was compared to a random control while the impact of enforcing flag dependencies was evaluated. The most influential flags were investigated by turning them off in isolation, but results were mixed. It was determined that enforcing flag dependencies resulted in improved performance, but the …

Responding To The Urban Canvas: Murals, Preservation, And Placemaking In Meridian, Ms, Katy Kemalyan

Theses and Dissertations

Public murals that depict elements of local culture and history are a creative placemaking tool increasingly used by preservationists invested in the revitalization of their historic districts. As this trend rises, it becomes necessary for preservationists to ask what should be painted, restored, or left alone? Research on public murals neglects Southern mid-sized towns, considerations of existing murals, and historic architecture used as substrates. Rectifying this omission and employing geographic surveys and stakeholder interviews, this study seeks to expand which genres of murals are considered for their creative placemaking value. Normally distinguished primarily by source in literature, community murals, ghost …

The Biology Of Green Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias Viridis Walter) And Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum Cannabinum L.) And Response To Triclopyr Formulations And Other Auxin Herbicides, Kayla L. Broster

Theses and Dissertations

Studies were conducted in Oktibbeha and Clay Counties in Mississippi to determine the response of green antelopehorn milkweed and hemp dogbane to triclopyr and other auxin herbicides in non-cropland areas. These studies were conducted at four locations with well established populations for each species throughout 2020 to 2023, with applications repeated at each location the following year if populations persisted. Treatments included a high and low rate of each herbicide studied, with all four triclopyr formulations included for both species. Injury response data were collected two and four weeks after treatment and population density data were evaluated using individual stem …

Rapid Kinetic Fluorogenic Quantification Of Malondialdehyde In Ground Beef, Keshav Raj Bhandari

Theses and Dissertations

Presented herein is rapid kinetic fluorogenic method to quantify malondialdehyde (MDA) in ground beef, utilizing 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) as the fluorogenic probe. This assay significantly shortens the total analysis time, from sample preparation to data acquisition, to just six minutes presenting a major advancement over traditional methods that typically require two hours and multiple instruments. The assay’s robustness against matrix interferences was validated using sample volume variation and standard addition calibration methods. Additionally, the effects of ambient exposure to air, washing, and cooking on MDA content in raw ground beef were quantified. While both ambient exposure to air and cooking …

Spatiotemporal Ecology Of Mycobacterium Ulcerans And Mycolactone Functions In French Guiana And Southeastern United States Aquatic Environments, Magdalene Dogbe

Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, produces mycolactone, a polyketide toxin traditionally studied for its role in human pathogenesis. This dissertation presents a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of M. ulcerans and mycolactone producing mycobacteria (MPM) ecology in the Americas and also reveals mycolactone's role in the environment as a microbial community regulator. Through comparative studies in French Guiana (endemic) and the southeastern United States (non-endemic), combined with experimental microcosm investigations, this research contributes to environmental pathogen ecology understanding. Environmental surveillance across 2,226 samples from French Guiana revealed complete MPM restriction to freshwater environments, with zero detections from 1,226 coastal …

Small Area Estimation Methods For County-Level Forest Biomass Estimation, Pratyush Dhungana

Theses and Dissertations

We evaluated small area estimation (SAE) methods for county-level forest biomass across four Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) regions in the contiguous United States using the coefficient of variation and relative root mean squared error. The Standard Fay–Herriot (FH) model was compared with multivariate, spatial, and measurement-error extensions, while the unit-level Battese–Harter–Fuller (BHF) model was compared with mixed-effects random forests (MERF) with auxiliary data from remote sensing. Spatial FH improved precision when spatial dependence was strong; otherwise, Standard FH was more reliable. All FH models were effective with fewer than 100 plots. Measurement-Error FH produced more accurate estimates than FIA …

Advancing Equity In Adolescent Mental Health: A Literature Review And Telehealth Program Design For School-Based Access, Renatta Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents in the United States (U.S.) are experiencing a mental health crisis, with disproportionately high prevalence rates among marginalized youth. Approximately 1 in 5 adolescents are diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral condition (Panchal, 2024; Sappenfield et al., 2024). Yet, an estimated 40% (1.8 million) of adolescents aged 12-17 who experience a major depressive episode did not receive treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, 2024). This project examines existing barriers that hinder access to care for this population. While schools are the most common settings for adolescent mental health supports, more than half report difficulties with meeting …

Leveraging Google Earth Engine For Computationally Efficient Pixel-Level Analysis And Vector Delineation From Satellite Data., Rishita Garg

Theses and Dissertations

Analyzing large-scale, high-resolution satellite imagery is a computationally intensive task requiring time and computing resources. This can be accelerated using cloud computing platforms such as Google Earth Engine (GEE) where computational and storage requirements can be scaled based on demand. However, cloud-based platforms for processing high-resolution imagery remain underutilized in environmental applications such as agriculture, and forest health. This thesis explored the application of GEE to two geospatial problems in agricultural conservation and disease mapping in forestry: 1) Extraction of agricultural field boundaries from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, for use in conservation, precision agriculture, land management, and organization, etc., and 2) …

Complex-Valued Structured Parameterized Learnable Filter Banks For Time-Frequency Domain Based Classification, Sabyasachi Biswas

Theses and Dissertations

Most conventional radar-based classification methods, including human activity recognition (HAR) and modulation recognition, rely on computationally intensive two-stage processes involving time-frequency (TF) transformations, such as the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), to generate micro-Doppler signature (��-Ds). These ��-Ds are then classified using deep neural network (DNN), a method introducing significant temporal latency and limiting real-time applicability. To overcome these limitations, this dissertation proposes a novel complex-valued Deep learning (DL) framework employing structured parameterized learnable filter (PLF) banks, enabling direct classification from raw radar data. The research first introduces high-resolution spectrogram network (HRSpecNet), a deep learning model designed to reconstruct high-resolution ��-Ds …

Validation And Efficacy Of A Novel External Ankle Support Device For The Prevention Of Lateral Ankle Sprains, Sally Kennon Barfield

Theses and Dissertations

Ankle sprains are a common injury in sports and in life and can lead to debilitating consequences if not managed properly. Current prevention methods are limited to bracing or taping of the ankle. While these methods have been shown to help in mitigation of ankle sprains, associated issues such as performance decrements and discomfort have been noted in the currently available literature. The BetterGuards is a novel external ankle support that has been touted as the key to the issues presented by more traditional prevention methods. The purpose of this study was to determine both the effectiveness of the BetterGuards …

Space Utilization Optimization, Troy D. Rockwood

Theses and Dissertations

Outer space is a crucial and increasingly leveraged resource for advancing human quality of life; however, its utility is constrained by inherent physical and spectral limitations. This thesis examines two distinct resource optimization problems critical to the sustainable development of space. The first part of this work addresses the optimization of physical orbital space. Unlike a terrestrial resource, mismanagement of this orbital space can lead to a runaway cascade of collisions, destroying the utility of entire orbital regimes. This thesis proposes a conjunction metric to quantify orbital capacity based on Keplerian parameters. We develop a computational tool to measure and …

A Tale Of Four Cities: The Effect Of Job Specialization On Employee Turnover Within Mississippi’S Local Police Departments, Wesley Bunch

Theses and Dissertations

Unusually high employee turnover among local law enforcement officers in the United States has been well documented. This exploratory case study examines employee turnover from a bilateral perspective of both generalists and specialists within local police departments. The purpose of this study is to determine if working in a specialized unit has any effect on employee turnover amongst local police officers in Mississippi. This study used qualitative methods to conduct interviews with thirty-four officers from four different police departments encompassing Mississippi’s northern, southern, eastern, and western regions. The interviews were conducted with individuals at the rank of officer and having …

Integrated Experimental, Numerical, And Machine-Learning Framework For The Analysis Of Spray Dynamics In Diesel And Gasoline Direct-Injection (Gdi) Engines, Yassine El Marnissi

Theses and Dissertations

The regulation of diesel and gasoline direct injection (GDI) during cold starts has become subject to stricter numerical limits by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US and the European Commission (EC). For diesel engines, the EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan (Model Year 2027+) sets a certification NOₓ limit of 0.035 g/bhp-hr and an in-use fleet average limit of 0.050 g/bhp-hr, along with a PM limit of 0.005 g/bhp-hr, representing an 82.5% reduction in NOₓ compared to the former 0.2 g/bhp-hr standard. For gasoline engines, US standards regulate cold-start pollutants such as hydrocarbons (HC) ranging from 0.03 to 0.08 …

Mechanical Properties Of Oak Timbers And Mats And Toughness Of Loblolly Pine After 0 To 6 Months On The Ground., Zachary Thomas Kyzer

Theses and Dissertations

Testing wood in various ways is important to be able to understand the strength and recovery values. The first part of this study aims to assess the design values of mixed oak in-grade, 8 in. thick timbers and mats under various design and loading scenarios. Graded timbers were drilled, assembled into mats, and tested. Results indicated that the mat with a line load across all timbers, was nearly equivalent to the mat with a load applied to the middle timber only. Drilling did not negatively impact strength as compared to solid non-drilled timbers. The second part of this study investigates …

The Potential Use Of Generative Ai Technologies In The Work Of Female-Led Ngos To Redefine Peacekeeping: A Focus On The Russia-Ukraine War, Madison N. Wallace, Jennifer M. Ramos

Honors Thesis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has gained momentum in recent years. The potential of AI technologies continues to advance, demonstrating prospective utilizations in a variety of fields. This includes AI’s presence in war and war technology. AI has been especially critical for the defense strategies leveraged in the Russia-Ukraine War. But how can we use AI to positively impact human rights during war? Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Inter-governmental Organizations (IGOs) are fundamental groups that provide humanitarian aid in zones of conflict. Female-led NGOs and the feminist lens offer a revolutionary way to shape permanent peacekeeping efforts by emphasizing human rights and …