University of Southern Mississippi
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Archival Literacy Principles as Facilitated by University Websites: A Webometric Content Analysis
Full text linkArchival literacy, the skills and knowledge one needs to effectively utilize an archive or special collections, is often taught to undergraduate students during one-shot instruction sessions or semester-long courses. For users who do not attend these sessions, archives may be inaccessible due to a lack of archival literacy. In the digital age, one way for institutions to bridge the gap between archives and users who do not attend these instruction sessions is by creating websites that align with principles of archival literacy.
This study utilizes a webometric content analysis methodology to analyze how well the homepages of institutions of higher learning in the American South help users prepare for research visits and provide instruction on conducting archival research. The results of this study indicate that many sites include information geared towards helping researchers prepare for visits, including contact information, collecting scope or mission statement, and an address. However, sites rarely include resources instructing users how to conduct research. These results indicate that institutions need to update their websites and include more information on archive search strategies and jargon to facilitate the development of archival literacy and to ensure that their archives are accessible for all users
Sibship Analysis of Fall and Spring Spawn Gulf Sturgeon Eggs in the Choctawhatchee River, Florida
Full text linkThe Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is an anadromous species that inhabits rivers along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Facing challenges from overfishing and habitat alteration, the Gulf sturgeon is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This study investigated the genetic distinctiveness of fall and spring spawning groups of Gulf sturgeon in the Choctawhatchee River, a critical habitat for the species. In this study, I used microsatellite loci to analyze Gulf sturgeon eggs previously collected in the fall and spring of 2019 and 2020. The goals of this study were to verify the genetic identity of eggs sampled in the fall and spring as belonging to appropriate spawning groups and to estimate the effective number of breeders (Nb) for each spawning season. STRUCTURE analysis was used to determine the presence of two genetic clusters. Genetic diversity metrics such as observed heterozygosity (HO), expected heterozygosity (HE), and allelic richness (AR) were calculated to assess genetic health. Additionally, the effective number of breeders (Nb) was estimated using COLONY. The results confirmed the existence of two genetically distinct spawning groups corresponding to the fall and spring seasons. High average membership coefficients (q) supported this genetic distinction. Genetic diversity metrics were similar across all four cohorts. Four full-sibling pairs were identified across three cohorts, all originating from the same sampling pads. Estimates of Nb were generally similar across cohorts and had overlapping confidence intervals, suggesting relatively similar numbers of reproductive adults in both fall and spring
Tailoring the morphology of block copolymers via solvent-vapor annealing
Full text linkTriblock polystyrene-polyisobutylene-polystyrene (PS-PIB-PS) copolymers have widespread applications from thermoplastic elastomers to protective coatings for ballistic applications. The incompatibility between the soft PIB and hard PS phases leads to phase separation and subsequent formation of morphological domains like lamellae and cylinders. The structures are stabilized by physical crosslinks, which can greatly improve the toughness of the triblock systems by preventing chain pullout during tensile deformation. We tailored the morphologies (achieving different morphologies with the same block copolymer) by changing the annealing conditions of the block copolymers. Solvent vapor annealing was used to selectively activate the mobility of a particular block, causing a shift in morphology. Diblock and triblock copolymers were subjected to solvent annealing with solvents that favored each block and analyzed using Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering to determine the resulting morphologies. Our findings demonstrate that solvent and vapor annealing conditions can be strategically tuned to control morphology and long-range order in tri-block copolymers. Both relative solubility of the solvent in the blocks, determined by solubility parameter, and solvent vapor pressure are leveraged to achieve desired morphologies
Sensory Awareness in Architectural Design and Construction: A Guide to Inclusion and Hospitality for All
Full text linkModern approaches to architectural design and construction have gravitated toward elegance, glossiness, and over exaggeration of a bright environment through materials such as marble, glass, white paint, and fluorescent lighting. While these choices can be alluring, their impact on individuals with disabilities and sensory processing disorders is typically dismissed. This study explores the intersection of architectural elements — such as lighting, noise, scent, and spatial organization — and sensory overload in disabled individuals. Through a detailed literature review, education of architectural principles, and incorporation of building techniques, this study proposes a computer-generated three-dimensional model of a shopping center. The primary focus area is a boutique, selected due to its stereotypical lack of sensory awareness in commercial avenues. This space will incorporate features that highlight where accessibility and inclusion meet architectural design and construction. Sensory considerations will be prioritized for lighting and noise, wayfinding, and aroma presence. This model and research aim to provide a conceptual influence for future designers, to ensure inclusion and hospitality for all customers. Further, it is the hope that this model and research will emphasize the amount of work that is still to be done on making buildings inclusive in addition to accessible
Chemistry Education at the University of Southern Mississippi Through Computation and Active Learning Methods
Full text linkEducation is one of the pillars of society. It evolves alongside scientific progress, shaping how students learn and engage with complex topics. The incorporation of new educational standards at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was implemented in two parts: through computational chemistry laboratory exercises for teaching laboratories and through the synthesis of organic molecules for research projects in an upper-level spectroscopy class. The goal of these projects is to improve learning of abstract and/or complex topics beyond the teaching methods traditionally utilized in the undergraduate laboratory and in the classroom.
Computational chemistry, which uses theoretical calculations to model molecular properties and reactions, plays a crucial role in fields like medicine, engineering, and environmental sciences. However, USM currently offers no computational chemistry courses. To address this oversight, WebMO-based exercises were developed for general and organic chemistry labs and incorporated into Organic Chemistry I and II in a hybrid format, with pre- and post-lab surveys to assess their impact. Preliminary results suggest that despite challenges like software unfamiliarity, the exercises successfully introduced computational chemistry concepts into the undergraduate curriculum. With the ease of using WebMO, exercises are also being developed to utilize this software to understand relevant interactions between a catalyst and substrate, which are relevant to projects in my mentor’s research group. Additionally, an advanced spectroscopy course at USM focuses on elucidating the structure of organic molecules using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and mass spectrometry (MS). Over the summer, seven organic compounds were synthesized and purified through flash chromatography and analyzed using these techniques. A detailed structural analysis was created as a key for both the instructor and students after submission. Students will receive the raw data from each technique and then must analyze how these techniques work together to determine the structure of organic compounds. Together, these efforts bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, enhancing education at USM and preparing students for the demands of modern scientific careers
The Aching and Other Stories
No full textThe Aching and Other Stories is a collection of ten stories about girls and women navigating grief, friendship, illness, motherhood, disappointment, danger, and displacement. Sometimes these displacements are physical: traveling abroad, moving back home, or even having one’s house unwillingly relocated. These displacements can also be emotional: tangled in a foreign language, confronting mortality, or stumbling between adolescence and adulthood. The Aching and Other Stories balances sorrow with humor, connects character with place, and conjures sharp, surprising imagery
A Dual Experimental and Computational Approach to Designing Polymer for Performance Enhancement: Exploring Structure-Property Relationships and Shockwave Dynamics
No full textWhile extensive research has been conducted on dendritic polymers, our understanding remains limited when it comes to networks based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid (bis-MPA), particularly in relation to their unique hydrogen bonding organization. This work aims to provide key insights into the fundamental behaviors of these materials, shedding light on their bulk structure-property relationships, dielectric properties, and the effects of generational growth.
CHAPTER I provides background on dendritic polymers, with a particular focus on those based on bis-MPA, the formation of hydrogen bonding and H-bonded clusters, and a brief introduction to dielectric spectroscopy. CHAPTER II presents an overview of molecular dynamics simulations, detailing the fundamental methodologies, including theoretical frameworks, computational techniques, and key parameters relevant to modeling polymers and their interactions.
CHAPTER III compares the bulk structure-property relationships of second-generation bis-MPA-based dendrimers with those of a chemically similar but hyperbranched polymer. CHAPTER IV investigates the dielectric properties of second-generation bis-MPA-based dendrimers, along with preliminary studies on the effects of humidity on these systems and collaborative research on zwitterions as supramolecular binding motifs for dielectric applications. CHAPTER V explores the impact of increasing generation numbers in bis-MPA-based dendrimers using both experimental and computational approaches. CHAPTER VI expands the focus of this study into an investigation of the Us-Up shock Hugoniots of two distinct polyisobutylene (PIB) systems: an unoriented (isotropic) PIB and an oriented (anisotropic) PIB, where polymer chains are aligned in the direction of shockwave propagation Finally, CHAPTER VII offers a brief summary of the work herein, and identifies a few key areas for future research
Slight of Miracle
No full textSlight of Miracle is a collection of poetry composed between Fall 2022 and Spring 2025. It interrogates questions of femininity, faith and doubt, and fertility
Studying the Effect of Zinc 3-(Dibutylamino) Propionate (ZDAP) Additive on Fire Retardant, Mechanical, and Physical Characteristics of Epoxy-Amine Networks
No full textEpoxy-amine networks are useful as structural materials but are inherently flammable. To enhance the fire performance of epoxy-amine, Nazarenko research group developed zinc 3-(dibutylamino)propionate (ZDAP) as a fire-retardant additive. This zinc-salt-based fire retardant is an endothermically-degrading char former that is functionalized with tertiary amines that allow for its dissolution in epoxy-amine. As a result, ZDAP-loaded EANs showed improved fire performance. The char of these samples was analyzed with SEM/EDX and WAXs showing that ZDAP was degrading to ZnO char in a two-step breakdown. My research has found that the epoxy-amine composite Epon 828-Jeffamine D230 when loaded 15 wt/wt% ZDAP had its peak rate of heat release reduced by 38%. Furthermore, at loads of less than 20 wt/wt% ZDAP, the Young’s moduli of the composites were all within 10% of neat samples according to tensile testing and 8% for extensometry. ZDAP acted as a plasticizer whose inclusion in EAN yielded at lower strains, faster stress-relaxation, thinner necking, and lower glass transition temperatures. The effects of ZDAP synthetic method and purity on fire and mechanical performance were also assayed. It was found that reactive extrusion can produce low-quality (~80% purity) material that is effective for improving fire performance, but produces brittle material as compared with benchtop-synthesized ZDAP of ~94% purity