University of Southern Mississippi
Aquila Digital Community (University of Southern Mississippi, USM)Not a member yet
11361 research outputs found
Sort by
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Microbial Communities Colonizing Plastic Tent Fabrics in a Tropical Environment
No full textPlastic polymers provide immense utility in almost all industries. However, their mass production and persistence in natural ecosystems has resulted in a significant accumulation of plastic waste in our biosphere. To protect structurally important plastic products from degradation as well as potentially accelerate the breakdown of plastic waste, the factors affecting plastic degradation in natural settings must be elucidated. In this study, six tent fabrics (A-F) containing polyvinylchloride (PVC) coatings were suspended in the tropical atmospheres of Horoko, Panama and Affobaka, Suriname for two years. At seven timepoints (1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-months), fabric replicates were sampled for the quantification of fungal biomass, fabric mass loss, and the characterization of the fungal and bacterial communities via PCR metabarcoding. The Panama site had overall higher relative humidity and total precipitation, while the Suriname site was higher in overall temperature and total solar radiation. Each fabric showed consistent decreases in area-specific mass and tensile strength with time, with Fabric F at the Suriname site having the greatest decrease in both metrics throughout the experiment. Location and exposure time had a significant effect on both the fungal and bacterial communities; with the former being dominated by classes of phylum Ascomycota (Eurotiomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Arthoniomycetes), and the latter dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinomycetota, and Cyanobacteria. Future studies should evaluate these taxonomic groups regarding their potential role in the direct or indirect breakdown of recalcitrant plastic polymers deployed in natural environments
Evaluating a Brief Virtual Parent Training Module to Increase Implementation of Effective Instruction Delivery
No full textThis single-case experimental study evaluated the impact of a virtual Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) module designed to teach Effective Instruction Delivery (EID) to caregivers of typically developing children with mild to moderate compliance difficulties. Three parent–child dyads participated in a concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. The intervention included an asynchronous virtual learning module, with virtual Behavioral Skills Training (BST) provided as needed. Parents\u27 use of EID was directly observed and measured across baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases. Results demonstrated a functional relation between the virtual BPT module and increased parent use of EID. All three parents showed immediate and sustained improvements following the module, with one requiring BST to reach mastery, as well as maintained EID use during follow-up. A functional relation between increased EID use and child compliance was not observed, as all children exhibited high compliance levels during baseline. Social validity was assessed using the C-CASS, and all parents rated both the virtual BPT and EID strategies as acceptable, feasible, and effective. These findings support the use of brief, fully virtual BPT programs to improve parent implementation of effective instruction delivery and demonstrate their potential as a practical alternative to in-person training. This study adds to the evidence base supporting virtual behavioral interventions and emphasizes the need for accessible, efficient parent training formats
Anesthesia Informed Consent: An Objective Structured Clincial Examination
No full textInformed consent is a fundamental component of anesthesia practice and is recognized as professional Standard IV by the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). Despite its importance, anesthesia providers often face challenges in effectively obtaining consent from patients. Within The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP), a need was identified to strengthen student competency in conducting anesthesia informed-consent discussions. This project developed and implemented an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a standardized, evidence-based approach to teach and assess informed-consent skills in alignment with the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA, 2019) standards. The intervention was designed to enhance communication, reduce performance-related anxiety, and increase confidence among novice student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs), while also serving as a potential tool for practicing certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). The doctoral project polled graduate level professors with OSCE writing experience and practicing CRNAs for real-world experience. Future studies are recommended to further evaluate the OSCE, adapt it to evolving AANA standards, and explore its broader application in anesthesia education
Navigating Academic Challenges in College Students: The Interplay Between Grit, Emotion Regulation, and ADHD Symptoms in Influencing Academic Impairment
No full textAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is estimated to impact 2.8% of adults worldwide, although the core symptoms of ADHD are experienced at varying levels of severity by countless adults without the disorder (Faraone et al., 2021). These symptoms may also lead to significant functional impairment across domains, especially in the academic domain (Faraone et al., 2021; Ginsberg, 2014; Hirsch et al., 2018). Therefore, this study sought to elucidate why some college students with ADHD symptoms appear to flourish while others struggle with the rigors of academia. This study examined the influence of grit (e.g., maintenance of interest and effort toward goals or challenges over time) and emotion regulation on the relation between ADHD symptoms and academic impairment. Data gathered from 1,204 college students (18 - 29 years of age) across eight universities in the U.S. were analyzed. Results revealed that one facet of grit (consistency of interest [CoI]) was a significant moderator of the positive association between ADHD symptoms and academic impairment. Specifically, high levels of CoI appeared to dampen the association between ADHD symptom severity and academic impairment at low to moderate levels of these variables; however, at high levels of these variables, this association strengthened. As such, it may be important to assist students in identifying and aligning career goals/interests with their course materials to help establish and maintain motivation for academics. However, for students with high levels of CoI, ADHD symptoms, and academic impairment, it is recommended that they are taught how and when to end costly pursuits inconsistent with their objectives or overarching goals
Chronicles From A Village Historian
No full textChronicles From A Village Historian is a short story collection that reimagines Zimbabwean folktales. It contains stories that, to my knowledge had only survived through oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation. This collection was born from the realization that these tales are slowly getting lost, as evidenced by my family’s struggle to remember them. I worked with my mother, who sent me recordings of the stories. From each tale, I identified the central source of tension. For example, in “Principles of Etiquette,” a girl lives with her grandmother, a cannibal witch who eats any man interested in her. From there, I reconstructed the plots, rewriting them from scratch. Thus, the stories in this collection are not direct transcriptions of the original tales but reinventions shaped by my creative interpretations.
This page is required for all dissertations, theses, and doctoral projects
Abel Inversion Comparison of Geant4 Simulation and Ozone Production Using Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy in Nitrogen/Oxygen Mixtures in the Presence of Alpha Radiation
Get PDFThe effects of radioactive materials on atmospheric gases have been a topic of interest for years. Radioactive materials ionize the surrounding air, and subsequent reactions lead to molecules such as ozone and nitrogen oxides. The presence of these species above background levels can be used as a marker for radioactive materials which has desirable defense applications like remote detection of radioactive materials. The molecules created in the presence of radioactive materials have been quantified in literature using G-values, which is the number of molecules of a product produced per 100 eV of deposited energy. In this work, Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS) is used to measure ozone at different positions above a 5 mCi 210Po alpha source that is shielded with a stainless-steel lid for 60 minutes and then unshielded. Abel Inversion is used to transform straight-line path measurements of ozone above the source from CRDS taken at various lateral offsets into a radial profile of ozone centered over the source. A Geant4 radiation transport Monte Carlo model of the experimental system is used to model spatial distributions of energy deposition, assess particle energy spectra and trajectories, and create stopping power plots that are comparable with published NIST data. The number of ozone molecules measured experimentally is used with the computationally modeled spatial distributions of deposited energy for 1.0 second of activity to investigate ozone G-values, G(O3), when looking at 1 mm3 voxels, straight-line paths of 1 mm3 voxels, and an entire layer of 1 mm3 voxels. Based on the model’s spatial predictions and the physical system’s constraints, measurements were conducted 1.6 cm above the source. G(O3) values were calculated across individual and ranges of voxels but were all found to be much higher than anticipated, especially where deposited energy trends towards zero causing G(O3) values to diverge. Previous literature shows G(O3) of roughly 10, which is roughly a factor of 10 lower than this work’s values. The main takeaway of this work is that G-values are reasonable when looking at averaged behaviors but have issues with the approach of taking measurements along different beam paths or when subdivided into individual voxels
\u27Let There Be One\u27: P.D. East, The Petal Paper and the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi
No full textP.D. East is a misunderstood figure. He was the sole white Mississippi native to offer unqualified support to racial equality in the pages of a newspaper he owned during the earliest days of the Civil Rights Movement. Yet the few depictions of his life and work in The Petal Paper that exist, scholarly or otherwise, are brief and cursory, with the only extended study devoted solely to him containing many inaccuracies, particularly regarding his early life. In addition to establishing the facts of East’s early life, this thesis contributes to the movement’s historiography in three specific ways. First, a close examination of the weekly column East published in The Petal Paper, from 1953 to 1962, shows his gradual evolution from a segregationist to a movement supporter. This kind of insight for a poor white Southerner, which East was, is rare. Second, that same examination of East’s weekly columns reveals that the actions of segregationists were what initially motivated him to break with Mississippi’s white power structure. This motivation complicates the established historiography, which is full of stories of whites who supported the movement out of altruism, religious conviction, and/or legal resignation. Third, East made his stand for equality in Mississippi’s Piney Woods, a place of intense racial violence. Exploring the responses he received from various segregationist groups further illuminates how movement supporters were viewed—and dealt with
Letters from the Periphery: L.E. Faulkner’s Crusade Against Communism
Get PDFThis thesis explores L.E. Faulkner’s political activism. Faulkner, a railroad executive from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, launched a number of anti-communist crusades throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Utilizing his personal correspondence, political articles, and newspapers, this thesis argues that anti-communist networks were influential and powerful tools used by Faulkner and other local activists to shape the national discourse around anti-communism. Faulkner created an interconnected web of anti-communists that linked protestant fundamentalism, capitalist advocacy, racial politics, and Americanism. His 1943–1944 civic education campaigns with Rotary International and Kiwanis International and his 1954 opposition to the World Council of Churches serve as case studies demonstrating how he organized and recruited leaders and organizations in the church, business community, and civic organizations into his grand coalitions. Frequently, Faulkner acted as an intermediary between America’s regional small towns and rural communities and prominent leaders. The image of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the House Un-American Activities Committee, and the Hollywood blacklists present a Washington-based portrayal of the Second Red Scare in the United States. Faulkner’s campaigns showcase how local elites were fundamental. Ultimately, this thesis highlights the significance of grassroots political mobilization and expands the historiography of where, when, how, and by whom the war on communism was waged in the United States
Conspiracy and Populism: The Politics of Misinformation
No full texthttps://aquila.usm.edu/katrinagulfcoast_photos/1056/thumbnail.jp
Law and Politics: Criminal Fraud and Election Disinformation
No full texthttps://aquila.usm.edu/katrinagulfcoast_photos/1074/thumbnail.jp