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Optimizing Mars Terrain Segmentation With Weakly Supervised Learning: A Focus On Weighted Loss From Annotation Metadata, Malika Dutta May 2025

Optimizing Mars Terrain Segmentation With Weakly Supervised Learning: A Focus On Weighted Loss From Annotation Metadata, Malika Dutta

Theses and Dissertations

The study of planetary surfaces heavily depends upon space rovers that gather detailed images of terrain needed for analysis and navigation. Deep neural networks and other sophisticated machine learning techniques are necessary for autonomous navigation in challenging terrain. However, the inconsistent annotations by citizen scientists frequently hinder the performance of these models. This study seeks to optimize terrain segmentation to improve the autonomous capabilities of future Mars rovers by presenting a novel weakly supervised learning framework to handle noise and unreliability in datasets. Using factors like number of clicks, pixel accuracy, and annotator dependability, the method utilizes annotation metadata in …


Bucket-Based Priority Queues For A* And Related Bounded-Suboptimal And Anytime Search Algorithms: Theoretical And Practical Advancements, Garrett Michael Fereday May 2025

Bucket-Based Priority Queues For A* And Related Bounded-Suboptimal And Anytime Search Algorithms: Theoretical And Practical Advancements, Garrett Michael Fereday

Theses and Dissertations

For shortest-path problems with a small number of integer transition costs, it is well-known that the performance of the classic A* algorithm can be improved by using bucketing to reduce priority queue overhead—in particular, by using a bucket queue data structure for the priority queue, instead of a binary heap. This dissertation describes several theoretical and practical extensions of this approach. First, the traditional two-level bucket queue data structure is modified in simple ways to improve the worst-case complexity of its operations, which leads to the first demonstration that the priority queue operations of a two-level bucket queue for A* …


Assessment Of Pagp Gene Function In Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Pathogenicity Using Different Challenge Models, Hailey Fugate May 2025

Assessment Of Pagp Gene Function In Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Pathogenicity Using Different Challenge Models, Hailey Fugate

Theses and Dissertations

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in poultry, contributing an estimated $40 million in annual losses in the U.S. broiler industry alone, and contributing to growing concerns over antibiotic resistance. This study investigated the role of the pagP gene, which encodes a lipid A palmitoyl transferase involved in immune evasion, using both a broiler chick and embryo challenge model. Deletion of pagP significantly reduced mortality and lesion severity in broilers, indicating its role in APEC pathogenicity. However, in embryos, pagP deletion had minimal effects on survival and bacterial colonization, suggesting alternative virulence mechanisms …


Investigating Structure-Property Relationships Of Bio-Inspired Gel, Mohammad Moinul Hossain May 2025

Investigating Structure-Property Relationships Of Bio-Inspired Gel, Mohammad Moinul Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

High-modulus, stretchable, and resilient hydrogels possess a wide array of promising applications across multiple fields, such as the development of sophisticated prosthetic devices, artificial skin, electronic devices, and soft robotics. Elastomeric biopolymers, like resilin, show high stretchability and resilience, facilitating power-amplified movement in various species essential for feeding and defense mechanisms. To mimic the properties of resilin, we developed a hydrogel system of hydrophobic and hydrophilic components. These gels are synthesized by free radical polymerization of acrylic acid (AAc), methacrylamide (MAM), n-tert-beutylacrylamide (BAM) or n-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), and poly (propylene glycol) diacrylate (PPGDA). This research aims to compare the large-strain mechanical …


Wildfire Hydrologic Impacts, Kathleen E. Inman May 2025

Wildfire Hydrologic Impacts, Kathleen E. Inman

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfires are essential processes for certain ecosystems but are increasing in severity and occurrence. These increases are negatively changing hydrology. Anticipating the hydrologic changes is necessary for management of effected watersheds, infrastructure, and downstream users. This study hypothesized land cover changes post-fire would increase water temperature and discharge in burned watersheds located in the Willamette Basin. This study (1) evaluated the change in estimated curve numbers (CN) from land cover pre-fire and post-fire to assess expected runoff impacts in watersheds, and (2) identified the significance of actual water temperature and discharge changes using non-parametric statistical analysis. An unburned watershed and …


The Effect Of Dexmedetomidine On The Frequency Of Ureteral Jets Detected In Dogs Using Standard Brightness Mode Ultrasonography, Leonard E. Jordan Ii May 2025

The Effect Of Dexmedetomidine On The Frequency Of Ureteral Jets Detected In Dogs Using Standard Brightness Mode Ultrasonography, Leonard E. Jordan Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Ultrasonography can be used in dogs to visualize urine entering the urinary bladder (ureteral jets) to determine whether urine enters the bladder normally. Dexmedetomidine is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist used for chemical restraint and has diuretic properties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on the number of jets detected using B-mode ultrasonography. We hypothesized: that intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine would cause increased numbers of jets; that jets would increase with increasing doses of dexmedetomidine and length of sedation. Compared to baseline, increases in observed jets occurred at 30- and 40-minutes post 3 mcg/kg (p=0.042 …


Finite Element Analysis Of Hydroxyapatite (Ha) Coated Porous We43 Magnesium Scaffolds For Simulating Long-Time In Vitro Degradation Using A Continuum Damage Model, Dam Kim May 2025

Finite Element Analysis Of Hydroxyapatite (Ha) Coated Porous We43 Magnesium Scaffolds For Simulating Long-Time In Vitro Degradation Using A Continuum Damage Model, Dam Kim

Theses and Dissertations

While magnesium and its alloys are viable biodegradable implant candidates for its similarity of Young’s modulus with human bone and its strong biocompatibility, a pure magnesium scaffold degrades too rapidly to be used in many orthopedic implications. Overcoming this high degradation rate has been one of the biggest technical challenges for Mg-based biomedical applications. This research focuses on validating a finite element analysis framework using a continuum damage model and its application to simulate the degradation process of non-coated additively manufactured WE43 and HA-coated WE43 magnesium scaffolds. This work includes determining model input parameters by matching in vitro experiment results …


Cyber Security Threat Recognition And Preparedness Of Undergraduate Students, Litany Hope Lineberry May 2025

Cyber Security Threat Recognition And Preparedness Of Undergraduate Students, Litany Hope Lineberry

Theses and Dissertations

Cybersecurity awareness and preparedness are critical competencies for individuals across academic disciplines and professional sectors. However, undergraduate students often lack sufficient knowledge and skills to recognize and mitigate cybersecurity threats. This dissertation examines cybersecurity threat recognition and preparedness among undergraduate students through a three-phase research approach. Study 1 explores faculty perspectives on students' cybersecurity awareness, identifying gaps in knowledge and preparedness across various fields of study. Study 2 investigates industry professionals' perceptions of new hires’ cybersecurity readiness, assessing the alignment between academic training and industry expectations. Study 3 evaluates the effectiveness of an online intervention designed to enhance students' cybersecurity …


Asphalt Durability Improvements By Way Of Specification Advancements, Jessica V. Lewis May 2025

Asphalt Durability Improvements By Way Of Specification Advancements, Jessica V. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to provide content through which industry and agencies can adjust and/or update standards and specifications, as appropriate, to accommodate the present-day needs of the asphalt industry towards producing more durable asphalt. A total of 78 asphalt mixtures and 9 asphalt binders were evaluated for up to 10 years of field aging to provide content that was analyzed to meet this objective. A full-scale aging site in Columbus, Mississippi was the focal point of the aging experiments. A major conclusion from this work was that Cantabro Mass Loss (CML) testing of cores was able to …


The Effect Of X-Ray Irradiation Technology On Salmonella Spp. And Quality Parameters Of Ready-To-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Kala Grace Morris May 2025

The Effect Of X-Ray Irradiation Technology On Salmonella Spp. And Quality Parameters Of Ready-To-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Kala Grace Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella contamination in cookie dough poses a threat to consumers. This study investigated the effect of X-ray irradiation on Salmonella-inoculated ready-to-bake chocolate chip cookie dough and its impact on dough quality. A Salmonella cocktail (~10 log CFU/g) was prepared and inoculated into cookie dough samples (~6.5 log CFU/g) and then treated with X?ray irradiation (0.25, 0.5, and 1 kGy). Salmonella decreased by 1.15, 1.79, and 2.49 log CFU/g, at an exposure of 0.25, 0.5, and 1 kGy, respectively. Quality parameters (pH, aw, and colorimetry) were evaluated for two brands. No statistical difference (P>0.05) in pH was observed for Brand …


Evaluation Of Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.) Yield Potential Following Simulated Population Loss And Replant Strategies, William Paul O'Neal May 2025

Evaluation Of Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.) Yield Potential Following Simulated Population Loss And Replant Strategies, William Paul O'Neal

Theses and Dissertations

Soybean producers are often faced with challenges regarding stand loss situations that can be caused by many different things. Often, in a replant situation, producers must decide if it is best to keep the failed stand without replanting, keep the failed stand and replant at a lower rate, or terminate the failed stand and replant at a full rate. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to evaluate soybean yield potential following differing levels of simulated stand loss as well as to evaluate soybean yield potential following simulated stand loss with different levels of replant. Experiments were conducted in 2023 …


Large-Scale Reserve Constrained Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow Methods, Yehong Peng May 2025

Large-Scale Reserve Constrained Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow Methods, Yehong Peng

Theses and Dissertations

The Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow (ACOPF) problem seeks optimal operational planning for power systems with the lowest cost within the operational and physical constraints, ensuring higher efficiency and reliability for the power system. Meanwhile, the power reserve scheduling, which ensures an adequate backup capacity to compensate for demand and supply fluctuations, contingencies, and various unforeseen disruptions, plays a crucial role in power system reliability. As power systems become more stochastic and dynamic, the co optimization of energy and reserve becomes a significant trend among independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs), as it yields substantial benefit improvement …


Evaluation Of Broiler Performance And Processing Metrics Through Sodium Bisulfate Application To Litter And Varying Inclusions In Feed, Samantha Suzanne Plocher May 2025

Evaluation Of Broiler Performance And Processing Metrics Through Sodium Bisulfate Application To Litter And Varying Inclusions In Feed, Samantha Suzanne Plocher

Theses and Dissertations

Poultry producers must continuously evaluate current practices and determine new ones to further optimize broiler production. Sodium bisulfate (SB) is used as a poultry litter amendment (SBL), but also in human food to control pH; thus, initiating interest for SB in feed (SBF) for performance and gut health benefits. This thesis utilized common diets varying in SBF (Chapters II and III) and SBL (Chapter II; SBL1- d 0 and SBL2 – d 0 and 18) to optimize 40 d broiler performance, litter quality, and d 41 processing metrics. For Chapter II, d 0 SBL1 dramatically lowered litter pH, while minimally …


Cotton Development, Yield, And Boll Distribution Response To Row Pattern And Plant Density, William Joseph Rutland May 2025

Cotton Development, Yield, And Boll Distribution Response To Row Pattern And Plant Density, William Joseph Rutland

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of row pattern and plant density on the ability of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to compensate and sustain profitable yields has been evaluated by many studies. However, new varieties exhibiting more vigorous growth and more exaggerated row patterns have yet to be evaluated. Therefore, experiments were conducted in Starkville, MS and Stoneville, MS in 2021 and 2022 to evaluate the influence of 1x1 skip row patterns and plant density on cotton growth, development, yield, boll distribution, and profitability. In 2021 there was no yield response due to plant population. However, in 2022, yields increased as plant density increased. …


Evaluating The Efficiency And Effectiveness Of Drones For Monitoring Animals, Emma Ann Schultz May 2025

Evaluating The Efficiency And Effectiveness Of Drones For Monitoring Animals, Emma Ann Schultz

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate animal population estimates inform effective conservation and management strategies. Drones have become a common tool for animal monitoring. Typical drone flight planning involves image overlap to create an orthomosaic; however, this may lead to animal population estimate errors. To quantify this sampling error, I simulated a range of real-world monitoring scenarios for robust application in assessment of animal counts from drones using agent-based modeling. Scenarios investigated effects of 1) animal densities, 2) animal distributions, 3) animal movements, and 4) drone flight patterns. First, I investigated five animal densities (n = 4, 9, 25, 49, 100 animals/survey area) and three …


Costs And Challenges In The Mississippi Log Trucking Industry, James Tucker Shannon May 2025

Costs And Challenges In The Mississippi Log Trucking Industry, James Tucker Shannon

Theses and Dissertations

Challenges impacting Mississippi log trucking businesses include escalating production costs, labor shortages, aging ownership, and rising liability insurance premiums. These concerns are transmitted back to loggers, landowners, and the entire forest products industry, reducing their contributions to the state’s economy. Lack of current knowledge concerning the adaptation of Mississippi log trucking companies under adverse business conditions necessitated a statewide mixed-mode survey to determine the industry’s structure, the nature of liability insurance premiums, and business owner perceptions about driver hiring and profitability. Mississippi log trucking business owners and drivers were predominantly middle-aged, with fewer individuals under the age of 40. Log …


Design And Evaluation Of A 5g Testbed: Analyzing Security Solutions, Iq Sample Management, And Performance Visualization, Mohammed Saleh Shaik May 2025

Design And Evaluation Of A 5g Testbed: Analyzing Security Solutions, Iq Sample Management, And Performance Visualization, Mohammed Saleh Shaik

Theses and Dissertations

The evolution of 5G networks has introduced new opportunities for high-speed, low-latency wireless communication, supporting a wide range of applications from industrial automation to secure data transmission. However, as 5G networks become more complex, ensuring security and maintaining optimal performance present significant challenges. This thesis explores the development of a 5G testbed using Software-Defined Radios (SDRs) and open-source platforms to analyze signal behavior, security implementations, and performance. The testbed, built with the open source srsRAN software library and widely available SDR hardware, serves as a controlled environment for studying 5G communications security features and innovations. To evaluate transmission characteristics, in-phase/quadrature …


A Fine-Tined Bert Model For Improved Querying Of The Unmanned Aerial System Integration Safety And Security Technology Ontology, Minh Hong To May 2025

A Fine-Tined Bert Model For Improved Querying Of The Unmanned Aerial System Integration Safety And Security Technology Ontology, Minh Hong To

Theses and Dissertations

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) in all industries is steadily increasing every year. To govern the use of UAS, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeks to provide a foundation of rules and regulations for UAS operation in the National Airspace System (NAS). The UAS Integration Safety and Security Technology Ontology (ISSTO) was developed using the Web Ontology Language (OWL) in 2023. In 2024, a query application was developed to search ISSTO for information about the safety and security of UAS operations. While the application is functional, the search results can be further fine-tuned to match what the user …


Combined Effect Of Chitosan And Lemon Essential Oil-Infused Slush Ice On The Shelf Life Of Channel Catfish, Dianna Wilson May 2025

Combined Effect Of Chitosan And Lemon Essential Oil-Infused Slush Ice On The Shelf Life Of Channel Catfish, Dianna Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to investigate the biopreservative effects of chitosan and lemon essential oil in slush ice treatments on the microbial shelf life of refrigerated catfish fillets. Catfish fillets were stored in slush ice treatments containing chitosan (CH), lemon essential oil (LO), a combination (CH+LO), water (CTRL), and no slush (NS) for three d at 4 C, then stored at 4C for twelve d post-slush. The growth of background microflora in catfish fillets treated with CH and CH+LO was reduced (P<0.05), maintaining total aerobic counts below 4.5 log CFU/g, while the control reached spoilage levels (>7 log CFU/g) by Day 6. Chitosan effectively extended the microbial shelf life but lowered pH, …


Roles Of Class Iii Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase, Vps34, In Phagocytosis, Autophagy, And Endocytosis In Retinal Pigmented Epithelium, Feng He, Ralph M Nichols, Melina A Agosto, Theodore G Wensel May 2025

Roles Of Class Iii Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase, Vps34, In Phagocytosis, Autophagy, And Endocytosis In Retinal Pigmented Epithelium, Feng He, Ralph M Nichols, Melina A Agosto, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI(3)P) is important for multiple functions of retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells, but its functions in RPE have not been studied. In RPE from mouse eyes and in cultured human RPE cells, PI(3)P-enriched membranes include endosomes, the trans-Golgi network, phagosomes, and autophagophores. Mouse RPE cells lacking activity of the PI-3 kinase, Vps34, lack detectable PI(3)P and die prematurely. Phagosomes containing rod discs accumulate, as do membrane aggregates positive for autophagosome markers. These autophagy-related membranes recruit LC3/Atg8 without Vps34, but phagosomes do not. Vps34 loss leads to accumulation of lysosomes which do not fuse with phagosomes or membranes with …


Assessing Perioperative Risks In A Mixed Elderly Surgical Population Using Machine Learning: A Multi-Objective Symbolic Regression Approach To Cardiorespiratory Fitness Derived From Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing, Pietro Arina, Davide Ferrari, Maciej R Kaczorek, Nicholas Tetlow, Amy Dewar, Robert Stephens, Daniel Martin, Ramani Moonesinghe, Mervyn Singer, John Whittle, Evangelos B Mazomenos May 2025

Assessing Perioperative Risks In A Mixed Elderly Surgical Population Using Machine Learning: A Multi-Objective Symbolic Regression Approach To Cardiorespiratory Fitness Derived From Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing, Pietro Arina, Davide Ferrari, Maciej R Kaczorek, Nicholas Tetlow, Amy Dewar, Robert Stephens, Daniel Martin, Ramani Moonesinghe, Mervyn Singer, John Whittle, Evangelos B Mazomenos

Peninsula Medical School

Accurate preoperative risk assessment is of great value to both patients and clinical teams. Several risk scores have been developed but are often not calibrated to the local institution, limited in terms of data input into the underlying models, and/or lack individual precision. Machine Learning (ML) models have the potential to address limitations in existing scoring systems. A database of 1190 elderly patients who underwent major elective surgery was analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative cardiorespiratory fitness data from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), demographic and clinical data were extracted and integrated into advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. Multi-Objective-Symbolic-Regression (MOSR), a novel algorithm utilizing …


Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou)2020 Consent Decree Appendix D Attachment C Sections 7 And 8 Discrepancies, Mike Mcanulty May 2025

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou)2020 Consent Decree Appendix D Attachment C Sections 7 And 8 Discrepancies, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.


Re: Comment Letter For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Principles For A Greener Cleanup Report (Dated December 23, 2024), Emma Rott May 2025

Re: Comment Letter For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Principles For A Greener Cleanup Report (Dated December 23, 2024), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.


Effects Of Different Forms Of Dietary Zinc On Weaned Steers When Fed Prior To Weaning, Christopher Lane Addison May 2025

Effects Of Different Forms Of Dietary Zinc On Weaned Steers When Fed Prior To Weaning, Christopher Lane Addison

Theses and Dissertations

Zinc (Zn) is crucial for many life sustaining processes within the body. Additional Zn is known to be beneficial during certain periods of increased stress. Weaning is one of the most stressful periods of beef calves’ lives. Due to this it was hypothesized that additional zinc in an organic form would increase weight gain and immune response compared to additional zinc in an inorganic form or no added zinc. No differences were found for ADG, Th score, IgG concentration, or mineral concentration among treatments. However, there was a novel and unexpected finding when there was no difference found in preweaning …


Empowering Patients With Health Insights: Development And Utilization Of Knowledge Graphs For Comprehensive Patient Medical Journey Mapping And Analytics, Hassan Saadeddine Al Khatib May 2025

Empowering Patients With Health Insights: Development And Utilization Of Knowledge Graphs For Comprehensive Patient Medical Journey Mapping And Analytics, Hassan Saadeddine Al Khatib

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare advancements require advanced solutions to process and understand complex patient data. This dissertation outlines a detailed framework for mapping patient journeys with knowledge graphs (KGs), which begins by analyzing existing Patient-Centric Knowledge Graphs (PCKGs) literature to identify current research gaps in the representation and analysis of patient journeys. Our research proposes solutions to these gaps through three main contributions. First, we introduce the Patient Journey Ontology (PJO), which enables systematic encoding of patient encounters, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes into a semantic knowledge structure designed for interoperability. The construction of patient journey knowledge graphs (PJKGs) is based on this foundational …


Global Attractivity Of Positive Solutions Of Higher Order Nonlinear Difference Equations And Its Applications, Abdulaziz Almaslokh May 2025

Global Attractivity Of Positive Solutions Of Higher Order Nonlinear Difference Equations And Its Applications, Abdulaziz Almaslokh

Theses and Dissertations

Difference equations play an effective role in many mathematical models that represent some phenomena in different fields such as physics, economics, engineering and biology. From this perspective, studying and analyzing such equations are interesting issues for the advancement of scientific research. In particular, studying the asymptotic behavior of positive solutions of some population models that are a system of difference equations has become a necessity. In this dissertation, we examine the global attractivity of positive solutions of certain higher order nonlinear difference equations and apply these results to some population models.


Promoting Collaboration And Multi-Directional Reliance By Sharing Mental Model Information For Effective Multi-Agent Teaming, Audrey L. Aldridge May 2025

Promoting Collaboration And Multi-Directional Reliance By Sharing Mental Model Information For Effective Multi-Agent Teaming, Audrey L. Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Successful human-agent teaming requires teammates to form and maintain a shared or common understanding of several attributes regarding taskwork and teamwork. With enhanced information sharing, mental model development, and team functionality, teammates (human, autonomous) can learn to anticipate each others' behaviors, preferences, and needs as well as understand their capabilities and limitations. In designing a framework to support this type of cooperative teaming, there is a need to determine how sharing knowledge, mental models, and common understandings impacts teaming dynamics and performance. By incorporating each individual's understanding into a human-agent interface, this research enables better team coordination and performance through …


The Teaching Experiences Of Black Women Faculty In Educator Preparation Providers Licensure Programs At Predominantly White Institutions, Tiffiney M. Atterberry May 2025

The Teaching Experiences Of Black Women Faculty In Educator Preparation Providers Licensure Programs At Predominantly White Institutions, Tiffiney M. Atterberry

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the experiences that Black women faculty encounter in instructional spaces of Educator Preparation Providers licensure programs (hereafter referred to as EPPs) at predominantly White institutions are important for institutional change and reform to occur. In spaces of EPPs, Black women faculty are forced to cope and deal with racialized issues such as feelings of social isolation, a lack of inclusion, acts of microaggression from students, disrespectful acts, and students challenging their knowledge and credentials. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how Black women faculty narrate their teaching experiences in EPPs at PWIs. The use of Collins’ …


Adjuvants To Improve Pre- And Postemergence Weed Control In Soybean, Sydney Baker May 2025

Adjuvants To Improve Pre- And Postemergence Weed Control In Soybean, Sydney Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops provide soybean producers with multiple benefits; however, cover crop residue can impose a physical barrier for herbicide spray droplets and hinder the deposition and performance of soil-applied residual herbicides. Adjuvants are routinely mixed with herbicides to improve weed control performance and may provide a way to help the spray droplets overcome the barrier that the cover crops impose. This research evaluated the effectiveness of several soil applied herbicide-adjuvant combinations to control Amaranthus spp. L., Sida spinosa L., and [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.] in soybean and the effectiveness of two surfactants for improving preemergence herbicide efficacy in a …


An Investigation Of Non-Persistence Of Second And Third Year Engineering Students At A Midsize Research University In The South, Kimberly Elizabeth Ball May 2025

An Investigation Of Non-Persistence Of Second And Third Year Engineering Students At A Midsize Research University In The South, Kimberly Elizabeth Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 25% of engineering students drop out during their 1st year of school, with nearly that many leaving during their second or third years. A meta-analysis of engineering non-persistence literature led to the development of an Engineering Non-persistence Model, which incorporates both quantitative and qualitative factors. While previous research primarily focused on factors of non-persistence of engineering students as a whole, this study aims to fill the gap in existing literature by examining factors within the model that contribute to non-persistence among 2nd- and 3rd-year engineering students. The goal is to provide tailored support to second and third year students …