Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Chronic Prophylactic Naproxen Sodium On Skeletal Muscle Adaptation To Resistance Exercise In Recreationally-Trained College-Aged Males, Christi Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resistance exercise causes exercise-induced muscle injury (EIMI), triggering an acute local inflammatory response associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is characterized by a predictable discomfort and decreased level of muscle performance and is believed to be the product of both mechanical and inflammatory processes. From the latter perspective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been investigated for their potential to alleviate DOMS-associated symptoms. Such analgesics exert their effects by blocking the formation of prostaglandins; however, prostaglandins, specifically prostaglandin F 2?, also play an important role in skeletal muscle regeneration. While some have advocated the use of NSAIDs for the relief …

Effects Of Tornado Damage, Prescribed Fire, And Salvage Logging On Oak (Quercus Spp.) Saplings In Upland Oak Forests In Northern Mississippi, Jeffery B. Cannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After European colonization and extensive logging folloby long periods of fire suppression, oak dominated forests, woodlands, and savannahs are being replaced by an unprecedented forest ecosystem. In Mississippi, these new forest systems are dominated in the mid- and understory by mesophytic species such as red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.). Partial thinning of trees folloby prescribed fire can regenerate oaks in managed timber stands. A severe tornado occurred on a monitored oak stand in northern Mississippi. Of the damaged plots, some were treated with either prescribed fire or salvage logging or were left alone. I examined …

Conservation Genetics And Distribution Of The Yazoo Darter (Etheostoma Raneyi), Kenneth Alan Sterling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Yazoo Darter is a range-restricted endemic fish in north-central Mississippi. Because the limited and fragmented range of this species puts it at risk of extinction, the Yazoo Darter has been classified as vulnerable or sensitive by several agencies and conservation organizations. However, the actual conservation status of this species is uncertain. Information necessary for conservation management is relatively sparse and is scattered among published and unpublished sources, particularly collection records. I have consolidated all known collection records for this species into a standardized database which has not only yielded valuable information presented here, but will provide a resource for …

Nutrition Assessment And Intervention Improves Body Composition And Diet In Ncaa Female Volleyball Players, Rachel Wenzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intercollegiate volleyball is a powerful sport that consists of two to three hour matches; therefore, optimal physical condition is critical for top performance. This study assessed nutrition and anthropometric parameters at the start and conclusion of both the spring 2009 (no intervention) and spring 2010 (intervention) off-seasons as well as additional measurements four months after the intervention. The subject' body composition, total energy, carbohydrate and protein needs were calculated and intakes were assessed. The intervention consisted of monthly individual nutrition counseling sessions based on analysis of intake from three-day food records. Food records were analyzed using Nutrient Data System for …

Population Biology Of A Coastal Dune-Dwelling Spider (Arctosa Sanctaerosae) Along The Hurricane Disturbed Northern Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Robert A. Hataway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the continued increase in the number of tourists visiting the Northern Gulf coast in the last century and the resulting development of this coastline the habitat of Arctosa sanctaerosae has become fragmented; and the sprawl of large cities along the coast has further degraded available habitat. In addition to anthropogenic disturbance to this coastal region, hurricanes are an additional and natural perturbation to the ecosystem. This habitat has seen a number of major tropical storms over the last decade and I have sought to explore the impact of habitat destruction and storm-induced disturbance on a species of spider endemic …

Relationship Between Coastal Vegetation Biomass With Elevation And Salinity Gradients, Ying Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surges and waves generated by hurricanes and other severe storms can cause devastating damage to property and loss of life in coastal areas. Vegetation in wetlands and coastal fringes can reduce storm surges and waves while complementing traditional coastal defense approaches such as permanent levees, seawalls and gates. The effectiveness of marsh vegetation in attenuating storm surge energy and reducing soil erosion depends on the level of primary production at the time of the storm surge and the ability of marsh vegetation to recover rapidly from damage caused by the storm surge. Marsh production depends on a variety of abiotic …

Response Of Riparian Plant Communities To Hydrological Alteration: Are Seed Banks A Means Of Restoration?, Siobhan Boyer Gorham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of anthropogenic modifications of stream systems on in situ plant community composition and seed bank composition were examined at five riparian sites in the Yazoo River watershed in northern Mississippi. This analysis was performed to determine if the soil seed bank can provide a means for the restoration of riparian floodplain plant communities. The study sites represented five different kinds of hydrological alteration: a highly incised riparian terrace isolated from the stream channel, a deforested original stream with reduced flow due to channelization and standing water due to levees, a forested original stream with reduced flow due to …

Influence Of Vegetation On Sediment Bacterial Community Structure, Microbial Enzyme Activities And Phosphorus Retention In Constructed Freshwater Wetlands, Rani Menon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural activities are major sources of non-point pollutants causing eutrophication. Constructed wetlands are used as a best management practice for sequestration of nutrients from agricultural runoff. This dissertation focuses on the influence of vegetation on bacterial community structure, microbial enzyme activities, and phosphorus retention capacity of constructed wetland systems. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using unvegetated or vegetated mesocosms with Juncus effusus, Carex lurida or Dichanthelium acuminatum var. acuminatum in monoculture or mixed culture.

To study the influence of vegetation on the bacterial community structure and microbial enzyme activities, sediment samples were taken from monoculture mesocosms in the greenhouse. β-1,4-glucosidase, …

Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Succession In A Native Monterey Pine Forest And Its Potential Influence Upon Forest Population Dynamics, Kristopher Jordan Hennig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are plant symbionts influential to the growth and survival of many plant species found within forest ecosystems throughout the globe. The succession of ectomycorrhizal communities during forest maturation has been observed in a number of systems; however, though it is generally assumed that this process is important for forest dynamics, we do not fully understand the causes of succession and whether it strongly influences metrics of plant population dynamics such as population growth rates or size class structure. I studied a secondary successional chronosequence to test the hypothesis that ectomycorrhizal fungal succession occurs within a native Monterey pine …

Development And Evaluation Of Let's Eat Smart: A Pilot School-Based Nutrition Intervention For Elementry School Children In Kuwait, Sondos Ahmad Kalendar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to nutrition transition, the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing significantly worldwide especially in affluent developing countries such as Kuwait. Obesity is associated with adverse chronic health conditions and financial burdens which provides an incentive for prevention. The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a multi-component school-based nutrition intervention designed to improve healthy eating knowledge, attitudes, self efficacy and dietary behaviors among fourth and fifth graders in Kuwait. The Let's Eat Smart program was based on the social cognitive theory and used short interactive lessons, DVD sessions, posters, food models and parental letters to promote …

In Vitro And In Vivo Pharmacodynamic Characterization Of The Novel Plasma Kallikrein Inhibitor Pf-04886847, Dhaval Sanjeev Kolte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plasma kallikrein plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammation and thrombosis. Kallikrein cleaves high molecular weight kininogen (HK) to liberate the potent pro-inflammatory peptide bradykinin (BK). BK upon activation of its constitutive B2 receptors on endothelial cells leads to an increase in intracellular Ca2+ level and subsequent production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2), ultimately leading to vasodilation, hypotension, increased vascular permeability and vascular leakage. Further, kallikrein activates the complement system and stimulates neutrophil chemotaxis, aggregation and elastase release. Furthermore, kallikrein mediates the conversion of factor XII (FXII) to activated factor XII (FXIIa) thereby potentiating the intrinsic …

Epigenetic Effects Of Benzo(A)Pyrene In Fundulus Heteroclitus And Danio Rerio, Xiefan Fang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that controls gene expression and is vulnerable to early life environmental toxicant exposures. Our goal was to use two fish models, Fundulus heteroclitus and Danio rerio (zebrafish), to study the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) effects on DNA methylation status and whether the alterations could contribute to BaP-mediated reproductive and developmental toxicities. Initially, we used Fundulus to study BaP effects on glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) expression throughout development. Fundulus embryos were exposed to waterborne BaP at nominally 10 or 100 μg/L and both GNMT mRNA expression and enzyme activity were measured. Quantitative PCR and whole mount …

A Menu Analysis Of Sorority Meals At The University Of Mississippi, Jessica Lauren Moosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students transitioning to university life face numerous challenges including the problem of making healthy dietary choices. Sorority members are uniquely suited to examining dietary habits because of their access to regular planned meals and because of the social stresses they experience in regards to body image. Menus are not required to follow nutrient specific guidelines and the nutrient content of sorority meals has not been evaluated at the University of Mississippi. The purpose of this study is to analyze nutrient content of sorority meals and determine if members are able to obtain adequate amounts of nutrients from the foods offered. …

The Effects Of Seasonal Changes And Turbidity On Swimming Performance In White Crappie Pomoxis Annularis And Black Crappie Pomoxis Nigromaculatus., Caleb Joseph Gaston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Factors that affect swimming performance in fish can also affect fitness. I tested the effects of time of day, season and turbidity on swimming performance in black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white crappie Pomoxis annularis. These closely related fish co-occur and their relative abundance is thought to be governed by the levels of turbidity in the form of suspended sediments. Black crappie predominate in clear bodies of water and exhibited significantly greater critical swimming speeds in clear water than did white crappie during spring days and winter nights. A significant reduction in critical swimming speed was observed in black crappie …

Invasion Of Hurricane-Disturbed Scrub Communities On Barrier Islands In Mississippi: A Battle Between Native And Non-Native Ecosystem Engineers, Christine Annette Bertz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Some communities may resist invasion because they are dominated by ecosystem engineers. If these dominant species are removed by some catastrophic disturbance, they can be replaced by invasive species that will dramatically alter the ecosystem in a way that may prevent its recovery. I tested several hypotheses related to this idea within barrier island scrub communities dominated by Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides Michx.). Hurricanes represent a major source of disturbance to coastal Florida rosemary communities, and individual rosemary shrubs in three populations recently impacted by major hurricanes were not protected from the storm surge at higher elevation. Unlike inland populations …

Characterization Of Cis-Regulatory Elements Controlling Repo Transcription In Drosophila Melanogaster, Robert Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The glial cells missing (gcm) gene has been identified as a "master regulator" of glial cell fate in the fruit fly Drosophila . However, the gcm gene is also expressed in and required for the development of larval macrophages and tendon cells, and lamina neurons in the adult CNS. Thus, the Gcm protein activates the transcription of different sets of genes in different developmental contexts. How the Gcm protein regulates these different outcomes is not known. My long-term goal is to identify proteins that collaborate with Gcm to promote the transcriptional activation of Gcm target genes specifically in glial cells, …

Molecular Details Of The Catalytic Activity Of Carboxylesterases, Xiaozhen Yu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carboxylesterases (CEs; EC 3.1.1.1) are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the detoxification of xenobiotics. CEs hydrolyze carboxyl esters into their corresponding alcohol and carboxylic acid. Because of their biological functions, especially their roles in converting inactive prodrugs, such as the anti-cancer drug CPT-11, to their active metabolites, a good understanding of the mechanism of the hydrolysis reaction will give us a better direction for drug design. In this study, we used a multidisciplinary approach (computational simulation, molecular biology techniques and enzyme kinetic methods) to study the dynamic motions of CEs and the potential role of these motions in the catalytic mechanism …

Effect Of Uv-A Irradiance On Lipid Accumulation In Nannochloropsis Oculata, Rathy Srinivas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The marine microalgae Nannochloropsis spp. are of both ecological and economic importance as they contribute to the base of the food chain of marine systems, and can accumulate a considerable amount of lipids. Their lipids can be grouped into two categories, storage lipids, which are mainly triglycerides (TGs), and structural lipids, which are composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential nutrients for both aquatic animals and humans, while TGs can be transesterified to produce biodiesel. Lipid formation in microalgae depends on several environmental factors and Nannochloropsis spp. have been shown to accumulate excess storage lipids under stressful conditions. …

Exploring Patterns Of Genetic Diversity Of A Malagasy Ant Species: Anochetus Madagascarensis, Nicole Annette Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Madagascar is extremely diverse and imperiled. Close to 90% of all land dwelling species are endemic to Madagascar (plants, reptiles, mammals and amphibians). Understanding patterns of genetic diversity for species can aid in better conservation efforts. In this study, I focus on the endemic Malagasy ant species, Anochetus madagascarensis. By employing a broad geographic sample of this species from throughout its distribution and a multilocus genetic data set, I explored population structure and historical factors that affected these patterns. I tested hypotheses proposed to be responsible for generating population structure, and by extension the process of speciation in Madagascar, including …

Cross-Validation Of A Recently Published Equation Predicting Energy Expenditure To Run Or Walk A Mile In Normal Weight And Overweight Adults, Cody Edward Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An equation recently published by Loftin, et al. (2010) was cross-validated using 30 subjects consisting of 10 normal weight walkers, 10 overweight walkers, and 10 distance runners. Gender was balanced across sub-groups. Participants walked or ran for 5 minutes at their preferred pace. Preferred walking pace was determined by six timed 50-ft trials and preferred running pace by the runner's typical training pace. Energy expenditure (EE) was determined via indirect calorimetry and reported in absolute units (kcal), and corrected to a mile distance. Body composition was assessed via DXA. EE per mile was predicted using the Loftin, et al. (2010) …