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The Communicative Experiences of Potential New Members (PNMS) in Greek Life Recruitment
No full textThis qualitative study delves into the communicative experiences and uncertainty management strategies of women participating in primary sorority recruitment. Drawing upon Uncertainty Management Theory and Social Penetration Theory, data were collected through six focus groups comprised of participants who engaged in the recruitment process. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: (1) Relationship Building and Self-Disclosure, highlighting the significance of interpersonal connections and self-disclosure levels in determining house preferences; (2) Uncertainty Management, which elucidated the role of social support, intentional uncertainty cultivation, and emotional responses in navigating the recruitment process; and (3) Emotional Decision-Making, underscoring the influence of emotions such as comfort, surprise, and discomfort on participant decisions, despite limited information availability. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of primary sorority recruitment dynamics, offering insights for scholars and Greek community members alike. These findings shed light on the pivotal role of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence in shaping recruitment outcomes and underscore the need for further research in this area
Psychiatric Clinicians\u27 Perspectives on Pharmacogenetic Testing in an Inpatient Setting and a Proposal of a Guideline for Patients with Extended Hospitalization
Get PDFThe purpose of this doctoral project is to enhance the understanding and application of pharmacogenetic testing among inpatient psychiatric clinicians. In addition, it proposes a guideline for PGx use in patients who have been hospitalized for a duration exceeding 90 days. In modern mental health care, psychotropic medications are extensively prescribed in the treatment of numerous mental health conditions. However, the use of psychotropic medications raises concerns among patients regarding their effectiveness and possible adverse reactions, leading to a lack of adherence to therapy. Over the past two decades, researchers have been exploring the effects that genetic variants have on the metabolism and response to drugs. Pharmacogenomics is an area of study whose principal objective is the investigation of how genes impact drug responses. Research findings suggest that the utilization of this methodology may improve pharmacotherapy and reduce the incidence of adverse drug reactions through the customization of treatment to an individual\u27s genetic makeup.
The doctoral project was performed at a mental health facility located in Meridian, Mississippi. The target population for this project is mental health clinicians, primarily psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, employed at the site. The participating clinicians received an educational session on pharmacogenomic testing. A pre-survey and post-survey design was used to evaluate existing viewpoints and determine the degree to which the project goals were accomplished. The doctoral project leads developed an educational PowerPoint® to inform clinicians about the benefits of integrating pharmacogenomic testing into their professional practices. A comparison of pre and post-survey data indicated that the educational presentation was successful. Furthermore, a proposal for a standardized guideline for genetic testing was introduced and accepted, which would apply to patients who have been hospitalized for more than 90 days and have experienced intolerable adverse effects from prior psychiatric medication or have failed to respond to at least one adequate course of treatment
Satellite Image Analysis and Sidewalk Classification using Deep Learning Models
No full textLack of sidewalk pavement can contribute to pedestrian fatalities and injuries in the USA. Although many researchers have conducted research on sidewalk detection, there are not many publicly available datasets that we would work on for sidewalk classification. In this study, I conducted classification tasks using pretrained CNN models including VGG16 and ResNet50. I extended these models by adding custom layers at the top of pretrained layers, employing various techniques to improve the classification accuracy.
The dataset comprises 4,731 images of sidewalk based on occlusion levels, including images where the sidewalk is visible from overhead and instances where sidewalk is occluded by tree canopies, buildings, or vehicles etc. These images were collected manually using ArcGIS Pro from Allegheny County, PA USA.
Different preprocessing techniques were applied to the dataset, such as image resizing, image extraction from bounding boxes, and image mapping to actual class label. Due to the class imbalance nature of the dataset, an augmentation technique was employed to augment the minority class and reduce the imbalanced. The data was partitioned into a training (80%) and test (20%) sets. The models were trained with and without augmentation and their performances were evaluated using metrics including precision, recall, F1- score, accuracy, and area under receiver operating curve. The results showed VGG16 outperforms ResNet50 in sidewalk classification and employing data augmentation technique to the minority class proves beneficial when dealing with imbalanced data in image classification tasks
Understanding Chain Dynamics and Conformation of Conjugated Polymers in Films and Solutions
No full textSignificant efforts have been dedicated to the development of high-performance organic electronic materials, endowed with novel attributes that traditional inorganic silicon-based electronics cannot provide. Conjugated polymers stand out as the predominant class of organic semiconducting materials, offering a unique avenue to manufacture flexible, ductile, large-area, and customizable electronic devices through cost-effective solution processing. Despite the extensive array of processing methods, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of conjugated polymer solutions and thin films. This dissertation endeavors to unravel the intricate structure-property-processing relationships of these materials by delving into their mechanical, dynamic, and thermodynamic characteristics across a spectrum of conjugated polymers. The dissertation is organized into three distinct segments.
In the first segment, we probe the factors influencing stress relaxation in thin films by conducting direct stress relaxation experiments under varying conditions, such as temperature, film thickness, and the glass transition temperature of the polymers. Our findings reveal that conjugated polymers have a fast stress relaxation rate, and the polymer-air and polymer-water interfaces expedite the rate of stress relaxation in the thin glassy film.
In the second segment, we delve into the chain conformation of ladder polymers, a novel class of conjugated polymers distinguished by double strains of chemical bonds along their backbones. We employ scattering techniques and other methodologies to characterize their structures. Our observations highlight that the rigid backbone of ladder polymers curtails the entropy of dissolution, consequently restricting the solubility of these unique materials.
In the third segment, we investigate the impact of solvent quality on various conjugated polymers with distinct architectures. Our approach involves the use of static light scattering and other analytical techniques. We discern that the volume fraction and architecture of side chains significantly influence solution conformation. Notably, our research underscores the strong stacking propensity of conjugated polymers in solution, which can impede their solubility.
In the fourth segment, we invested the impact of chain rigidity on the solution diffusion dynamics of conjugated polymer chains through a comprehensive light scattering analysis. CPs are less rigid in good solvents like chlorobenzene but more rigid in bad solvent toluene. And ladder type CPs have the most rigid backbone with stiff rod like diffusion behavior.
In summary, this dissertation offers a comprehensive exploration of the mechanical, dynamic, and thermodynamic attributes of conjugated polymers, both in the context of thin films and solutions. The insights gained through this research are poised to inform the design and processing of conjugated polymers and organic electronic devices, enhancing our ability to harness their full potential
The Relationship Between Inclusive Leadership, Psychological Safety, and Job Embeddedness on Employees\u27 Turnover Intent in a Post Crisis Environment
No full textLarge-scale adverse events such as natural disasters and pandemics interrupt business services, initiating defining moments for organizations. The trend of people exiting the workforce compels organizations to examine turnover risk and search for factors that mitigate the impact of resignations. In response to the increase in voluntary turnover and retirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines four elements that have impacted the workplace since 2020–turnover intent, job embeddedness, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership.
This quantitative study examined the relationship between inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and job embeddedness on employees’ turnover intent. Professional and supervisory level employees of public sector agencies in a southeastern state completed an internet-based survey administered through Survey Monkey. The statistical analysis addressed the research objectives through correlational and multiple regression statistical analysis. The findings indicate that inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and job embeddedness were significantly related to employees’ turnover intent. Results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the independent variables influenced 31% of the variance in employees’ turnover intent.
The results from this research confirm that a mixture of behaviors and interpersonal actions in the workplace forms employees’ turnover intentions. Employees protect and preserve the roles where they feel well situated and form bonds with the leaders and organizations that cultivate a sense of belongingness. The bonds provide a measure of insulation from times of crisis when valuable resources are strained
An Open Access Journal Ten Years Later: The Scholarly Successes of SLIS Connecting
No full textIn the first Open Access Month ten years ago, attendees were introduced to SLIS Connecting, an Open Access scholarly journal published through Aquila, the institutional repository at The University of Southern Mississippi. A decade later, the journal continues to thrive and regularly publishes emerging research and scholarship in library and information science. Join us to learn about the journal’s progress over the past decade and to discover the advantages that Open Access journals can provide to editors, authors, and researchers alike
Graphic Novel Censorship
Get PDFGraphic novels have been growing in popularity and demand since they were first introduced as a format in 1978 by Will Eisner with his publication of A Contract with God (“Will Eisner”, n.d.). Graphic novels (GN) are a format of writing and illustration that spans fiction and non-fiction genres with many classic works being adapted into the format to encourage more young adult engagement. Yet, many libraries nationwide, including school and public libraries, lack a strong graphic novel collection. The American Library Association (ALA) is a national authority on issues related to intellectual freedom including the increase of challenges and censorship of books. During the research timeframe for this study, the ALA reported large increases in the number of challenges and censorship in libraries with a 14% increase from 2018 to 2019 (“Infographics,” 2024). Graphic novels are not immune to challenges and the perception is that graphic novels have become targets for challenges as the popularity of the format has grown. This study is intended to examine the ALA’s Top 100 Frequently Challenged Books Lists and Top 10 Most Challenge Lists to determine if graphic novels are experiencing an increase in challenges, whether the challenged graphic novels are recognized for their literary work by comparing the medium-specific Will Eisner Award and Harvey Award for graphic novels, and the reason graphic novels are being challenged through content analysis
Assessing the Impact of an Individual Diabetic Education Program and Big Data App on Three Generations of Patient Populations
Get PDFDiabetes is a chronic condition that affects numerous people worldwide. Diabetic education assists people with understanding the nature of diabetes, its side effects and how to successfully deal with the condition. The doctoral project incorporates finding out how glucose monitoring, prescription administration, dieting propensities, and the significance of customary activities. With proper education the impact on one’s health with this chronic condition can improve for the better.
The nature of this doctoral project is to assess the impact that a diabetic education program and big data app have on three generations. Members of the group partnered with Hutton Healthcare in Hattiesburg, Mississippi for one month and a half with each member choosing several patients to follow from one of the three generations to implement an intervention. Innovation can be utilized to supplement healthcare supplier diabetes care by giving both instructive and motivational bolster. Instructions were given utilizing innovation permitting patients to memorize unused hones and schedules related to diabetes administration
TwitchView(c) Monitor Use for Quantitative Neuromuscular Monitoring: An Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation
Get PDFNeuromuscular paralysis is an integral aspect of anesthesia. Muscle relaxation is implemented to provide a suitable surgical environment, aid in intubation, and enhance respiratory compliance (Cook & Simons, 2022). Neuromuscular monitoring is often used for patients undergoing general anesthesia. Proper neuromuscular monitoring is essential when managing a surgical patient undergoing general anesthesia. Anesthesia providers are responsible for knowing the theory behind neuromuscular monitoring and the appropriate execution of placement, monitoring, and interpretation of monitoring devices. Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring is a newer technology that can provide definitive numerical data regarding neuromuscular blockade. Implementing the quantitative neuromuscular monitor can potentially reduce the likelihood of adverse events related to residual paralysis. Without proper application and interpretation of quantitative neuromuscular monitoring, patients are at an increased risk of adverse events, leading to poor patient outcomes and putting hospital facilities under further financial burden.
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a versatile multipurpose evaluative tool for evaluating healthcare professionals in a clinical setting. Due to the nuance of the TwitchView(c) quantitative neuromuscular monitor, The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) lacks a standard clinical evaluation tool for placement, monitoring, and interpretation. Therefore, an OSCE for TwitchView(c) quantitative neuromuscular monitor use was developed using evidence-based knowledge. A panel of experts of clinically practicing Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) familiar with the TwitchView(c) monitor evaluated the OSCE for its competency. Survey results proved the OSCE was clinically competent and represented doctoral-level work
