Scholars Junction - Mississippi State University Institutional Repository
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Measuring Market Sentiment Towards CEO Incentives
No full textIn the absence of agency issues, CEOs will act in the best interest of shareholders by maximizing firm value. Existing literature documents the individual agency of the CEO and how firms incentivize CEO behavior to align with shareholder interests. To study groups with varying initial incentives, I divide CEOs into internal and external origin to determine differences in compensation. This study then utilizes regressions to study the differences between candidate origin and corresponding incentive structure. I hypothesize that CEO profile influences compensation design to address candidate skills and agency costs, impacting firm value and market perception of CEO future value. To test this, I develop further event study regressions of stock price returns around announcement of CEO incentive plans to develop insight into how the stock market interprets CEO incentive structures
Reap What You Sow: Using Historic Enrollment Data to Strategically Recruit Students
No full textAs the higher education landscape continues to become more competitive, adapting our marketing strategies to affordably recruit students will be imperative to maintaining both relevance and financial stability. Research has predicted an increase in tension as institutions weather the enrollment cliff, a period characterized by a steep decline in the number of college-age students in the United States. While this research is useful in informing our outlook in the coming years, there is little research surrounding the most efficacious methods for recruiting college students. Using data from Mississippi State University\u27s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness on student status and residency, each College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) major\u27s composition was analyzed based on first-time/transfer and in-state/out-of-state students to compose a list of recommendations for CALS administration. This set of recommendations was formulated to decrease the use of blanketed marketing tactics and improve the cost-per-acquisition of each student in the college. Although the recommendations have not been implemented, the research shows that there were previously undiscovered trends in the college\u27s recruitment and areas of low return that could be reevaluated in the coming months to create a more cost-effective set of campaigns for the college departments and programs
Understanding Garden Resource Use by Low-Income Families with Children
No full textHome gardens are an important supplemental source of food for many families and provide multiple health benefits. However, the practice of gardening may be more challenging for low-income families with limited access to gardening resources. The University of Minnesota Extension offers gardening resources, but it is unclear how these resources are used by low-income families with children. Aim 1 of the project was to understand access to and use of Extension and other vegetable gardening resources by low-income families with children. Aim 2 of the project was to develop a set of recommendations for improving access to existing resources and to further develop resources desired by low-income families. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eligible individuals regarding their interest and experiences with home gardening. Five major themes were identified, ranging from a need for baseline support in gardening to how environmental concerns motivated families to garden. Themes identified from the analysis informed recommendations for making gardening resources more applicable and accessible to low-income families. The recommendations are intended to be used to develop gardening interventions that will ultimately improve health outcomes for low-income families and increase the number of people who experience the benefits of gardening
In search of educational justice: Lived experiences of community college presidents and their authentic critical leadership
No full textThere are several gaps in research related to the fields of study of community college leadership and its influence on shared governance discussions and decision-making. The purpose of the current study is to address the gap in the study of community college leadership and its influence on shared governance discussions and decision-making through a critical, intersectional investigation of authentic critical leadership and its potential to influence shared governance group discussions and decision-making in distinctively different ways than those advocated by mainstream leadership theories. Participants participated in semi-structured interviews and were observed in a shared governance group meeting to identify evidence of how a community college president from a historically marginalized social group utilizes their lived experiences as a former community college student to influence governance group discussions and decisions on matters related to educational justice. Findings from this study validate the hybrid authentic critical leadership theory, emphasizing that leaders shaped by oppressive, racist educational systems are well-equipped to advance educational justice. In a climate where educational justice efforts face political backlash, leaders in the study are not retreating but embedding educational justice deeper into their leadership practices. Additionally, the findings critique symbolic or performative leadership, instead highlighting authenticity and action as essential for meaningful, structural change. Additionally, the study’s findings reveal that leadership identity as political capital, shows how intersectional identity and strategic storytelling enhance trust, credibility, and effectiveness in shared governance. It challenges traditional views of governance as neutral, presenting authentic critical leaders as strategic agents who use relationships and identity to influence policy and advance educational justice. Amid the current landscape of federal threats to the country’s education systems, the study reveals that relationship-building often holds more power than formal authority. These findings extend current leadership scholarship by positioning relational and identity-driven leadership as a necessary, strategic response to political pressures and as a key driver of institutional transformation in community colleges. Limitations to this study, as well as recommendations for future research in this area, are discussed
The teaching self-efficacy of agriculture faculty at community colleges in the southern United States
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess the teaching self-efficacy of agriculture teachers at community colleges in the southern United States. The accessible population consisted of all current faculty who teach agriculture at community colleges within the southern United States (N=102) with 102 surveys being distributed and 39% completing the survey. This descriptive study utilized a causal-comparative research design and a purposive sampling technique to select faculty to participate in the study. Means were used to determine how strongly teachers felt about their perceived teaching self-efficacy. Standard deviations helped to determine how the responses varied. Frequencies and percentages determined how many respondents answered each question and the proportion of respondents. The demographic portion of this study concluded that the typical community college agriculture teacher in the southern United States was a white male between the ages of 45-64 with a yearly gross income from teaching between 80,000. In addition, community college agriculture teachers taught between 1-10 years at a community college, teaching 11-20 hours per week. The majority were full-time faculty members, teaching anywhere from 6-10 different courses per year, with one-half having received some certification or a degree in teaching and 75% having received some professional development training related to teaching. Most had a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in an agricultural field with many being former teachers working in forestry, horticulture/landscaping, or Extension. The findings of this study indicated that community college agriculture faculty in the southern United States possessed “quite a bit” of teaching self-efficacy regarding student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management. Male community college agriculture faculty had higher levels of perceived teaching self-efficacy on the classroom management and instructional strategy subscales than their female counterparts. Faculty with 6 to 10 years of teaching experience had significantly higher levels of perceived teaching self-efficacy in all three subscales. Faculty members who taught part-time had higher perceived levels of teaching self-efficacy on the student engagement and instructional strategies subscales, but not on the classroom management subscale. Faculty who received training and development had a significantly higher level of perceived teaching self-efficacy on the student engagement subscale than those who had not received such training
Real-time enhanced tornado warning product guidance based on tornado debris signature height and population density
No full textThis research aims to develop an operational program for enhancing real-time tornado warning capabilities by integrating tornado debris signature (TDS) analysis with population impact assessment. The proposed Python-based tool will ingest Level II radar data to identify and analyze TDS, estimating tornado intensity based on maximum TDS height. For high-intensity tornadoes, the program will project the potential impact area using storm motion vectors and integrate this with population density data. The system will assess whether the situation meets National Weather Service criteria for enhanced warning products, providing forecasters with rapid, objective guidance for critical warning decisions. The program’s performance will be validated using historical tornado cases. Expected outcomes include reduced forecaster cognitive load during severe weather events and consistent recommendations for enhanced tornado warnings. Limitations such as radar distance constraints and time lags in TDS formation are acknowledged
The effects of Ataxin-1 overexpression in the central nervous system on specific behavioral and physiological characteristics of Drosophila melanogaster
No full textSpinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the ataxin-1 gene, which results in an abnormally long polyglutamine tract. Similarly, overexpression of wildtype Ataxin-1 (wt-Atx-1) in Drosophila melanogaster leads to neurodegeneration, reduced lifespan, and impaired negative geotaxis. Observations include disruptions in sleep-wake cycles, increased oxidative stress biomarkers (like protein carbonyls), and dysregulation of developmental genes such as armadillo (arm) and nemo kinase (nmo). Additionally, elevated expression of SUMOylation-related genes (Aos-1, Uba2, and dSmt3 or dSumo) and increased SUMO protein levels indicate enhanced SUMOylation in the brain. Quantitative analysis of neuronal degeneration in SCA1 flies reveals significantly greater neurodegeneration compared to controls. These results highlight the disruptions in sleep-wake cycles and roles of oxidative stress, gene dysregulation, and SUMOylation in SCA1 pathogenesis
Evaluating the efficacy of functional feed additives in broilers with or without a live coccidiosis vaccine challenge
No full textFunctional feed additives, such as probiotics, prebiotics, and phytogenics, have seen increased usage in commercial poultry production due to their ability to improve growth performance, meat yield, and overall health status. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of functional feed additives in broilers with or without an enteric challenge induced via a live coccidiosis vaccine (LCV). In the first study (Chapter II), broilers were raised on used litter without an LCV challenge and fed varying levels of a multi-strain Bacillus-based probiotic in the starter phase (1x or 2x dose). Reduced performance was observed in early phases; however, broilers fed the probiotic were able to compensate in later phases. Birds fed the 2x dose early had improved FCR ~2 points compared to a control and antibiotic diet. No differences were observed for health and managements metrics measured. In the second study (Chapter III), broilers were raised to 23 d and given a 10x dose of an LCV at d 14. Treatments included a positive (PC) and negative control (NC), zoalene (ZOA), a blend of yeast components (YC), a saponin (SAP), and their combination (YC+SAP). From d 0-14, YC, SAP, and YC+SAP had similar FCR as ZOA. Cumulative (d 0-21) BWG was improved in all treatments versus PC and ZOA and YC+SAP had similar FCR at the end of the study. In general, no differences were observed in lesion scores. In the last study (Chapter IV), 2 EXP were utilized, and broilers were supplemented with 2 levels of an alkaloid, sanguinarine (SAN60 and SAN120) versus a control (CON), and given a 10x LCV dose at d 14, as well as a 15x dose at d 42. Two different LCV were tested. In EXP 1, CON had reduced FCR throughout the EXP and no differences were observed for lesion scores following both LCV challenges. In EXP 2, CON and SAN120 improved BWG from d 0-21. The CON had the lowest cumulative FCR, but similar to birds fed SAN120. These studies demonstrate that functional feed additives may be viable solutions to enteric challenges faced in the poultry industry
Comprehensive study on bonding performance, durability, and protective measures of cross-laminated timber
No full textThe increasing use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in construction necessitates a deeper understanding of adhesive bonding properties, biological durability, and preservative treatments to enhance its performance. This dissertation investigates these aspects through three interrelated studies focusing on hardwood CLT and preservative-treated southern pine CLT. The first study evaluates the adhesive bonding performance of hardwood CLT fabricated from red oak (Quercus spp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), using southern pine (Pinus spp.) as a control. Shear block and delamination tests revealed significant variation in bond strength and moisture durability among species. While red oak exhibited the highest delamination, its bond strength was superior to that of the control samples. Yellow poplar demonstrated bond durability comparable to southern pine, suggesting its suitability for CLT applications. The second study assesses the biological durability of hardwood CLT against fungal decay and termite attack. Red oak demonstrated superior resistance to both Gloeophyllum trabeum (brown rot) and Irpex lacteus (white rot) fungi, as well as Reticulitermes spp. termites, outperforming sweetgum, yellow poplar, and the nondurable southern pine control. These findings highlight red oak’s potential as a durable CLT material, while sweetgum and yellow poplar may require preservative treatments for enhanced performance. The third study examines the efficacy of copper azole (CA-C) and micronized copper azole (MCA) treatments in improving the decay and termite resistance of southern pine CLT. Preservative treatments significantly reduced fungal and termite-induced mass loss, with both CA-C and MCA offering comparable protection. Additionally, the study highlights a complex interaction between the number of laminates, preservative treatment, and fungal species, suggesting that lamination configuration may influence decay resistance
Estimation of soybean root traits using computer vision and deep learning
No full textRoot phenotyping provides insights into root structure, function, and response to environmental stimuli, aiding researchers in improving crop yields, developing new plant varieties, and enhancing plant health. Traditionally, measuring root traits, such as length and area, is manual, time-consuming, and resource intensive. This study introduces a deep learning-based computer vision method for soybean root segmentation and traits estimation using RGB (red, green, blue) images captured under controlled illumination. A separate web-based application was also developed that can extract the root length and area using RGB images. A diverse set of 3,363 soybean root images was collected using an in-house root imaging platform with a resolution of 5,184×3,456 on a black background. Ground truth data were recorded manually and using well accepted tools such as WinRHIZOTM and RhizoVision. We adopted and fine-tuned a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model, ITErRoot, to segment roots and developed a pipeline to extract root traits using Python followed by integration as a web application. The results demonstrated that these two phenotypic traits extracted by our approach were highly correlated with WinRHIZOTM (R2=0.79) and RhizoVision (R2=0.82) in case of total root lengths of complex roots with long and thin root hairs while it achieved RMSE of 1.3 cm against manually measured simple roots without hairs. We also compared our predicted values with dry weights and were able to achieve correlation of (R2=0.45) in both cases i.e., total root length and root area. Further we evaluated this approach for root area estimation and were able to achieve correlation (R2) of 0.78 and 0.79 with WinRHIZOTM and RhizoVision respectively