Digital Commons Network^™

A Four-Pronged Approach To Addressing A Wild Pig Invasion In A Bottomland And Upland Forested Landscape, Tyler Scott Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Among exotic species that are capable of invading, establishing, and reaching pest status, few pose the range of impacts to biotic (e.g., competition with native species, predation, herbivory, introduction of other exotics) and abiotic (e.g., soil, hydrology) ecosystem components that can be attributed to the wild pig (Sus scrofa). Despite the presence of wild pigs throughout the southeastern United States for centuries, new invasions continue to occur in previously uninhabited and often under-investigated landscapes, including bottomland and upland forests. The recent invasion of the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (hereafter, NNWR) in east-central Mississippi represents an …

Investigating The Role Of Plant Traits And Interactions In Emergent Wetland Nutrient Removal, Andrew Ryan Sample

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing wetland restoration in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley has been identified as a method to reduce nutrient loading in the Gulf of Mexico. Wetlands have historically been used to treat water through processes facilitated by wetland plants, and relatively few species and plant traits have been identified as important in carrying out these processes. This study focuses on some of those species and traits and aims to identify species differences and plant traits that may be important for wetland nutrient mitigation. Chapter I provides background information on nutrient pollution, wetland biogeochemical mechanisms for nutrient sequestration, and the focal species …

Use Of Comparative Genomics And In Vitro Screening Approach To Identify Vaccine Candidates For The Food-Borne Pathogen Campylobacter Jejuni, Sabin Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacteriosis is a leading foodborne illness worldwide, primarily caused by Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) which is associated with poultry consumption. The emergence of antibiotic resistance has emphasized the need for alternative strategies to control C. jejuni colonization in poultry. To assess the prevalence of C. jejuni in poultry, 270 cloacal swab samples were collected from broilers raised under No-Antibiotics Ever system. Among these samples, 16.3% were identified as C. jejuni positive. Notably, these isolates exhibited a diverse range of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes, with 61.36% of isolates showing hyper-motile and 20.45% demonstrating multidrug resistance. Following isolation, whole genome …

The Response Of Bats And Their Insect Prey To Different Coastal Upland Habitat Management Techniques, Amanda Nicole Sartain

Theses and Dissertations

Declining bat populations necessitates a need to understand how different land management techniques influence bat activity. This study assessed the influences of different coastal upland habitat management techniques, such as mulching, prescribed fire, and select cut, on forest bat activity within the Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge and National Estuarine Research Reserve. Acoustic recorders were used to monitor bat activity and insect and vegetation surveys were used to assess influences on bat activity across different land management techniques. Results demonstrate that overall bat activity was similar across different land management techniques, however larger species adapted for open-space flying were shown …

The Definition Of A Black Man: The Entanglement Of Race, Sexuality, And Space, Michael Moore

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Black queer men and transmasculine individuals navigate Black heteronormative and White queer spaces in New Orleans. Over the last few decades, articles, including anthropological and sociological, have focused on the relationship between race, gender performance, sexuality, and emotional expression among men such as Christian (2005), which analyzed how Black queer men expressed their masculinity within queer spaces (Christian 2005). This thesis builds on this literature to explore how societal and cultural pressures of masculinity can hinder Black queer men institutionally, socially, and romantically.

Expanding One-Dimensional Game Theory-Based Group Decision Models: Extension To N-Dimension And Integration Of Distributed Position Function, Mirhossein Mousavi Karimi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to expand the current one-dimensional game theory based model to a multidimensional model for multi-actor predictive analytics and generalize the concept of position to address problems where actors’ positions are distributed over a position spectrum. The one-dimensional models are used for the problems where actors are interacting in a single issue space only. This is less than an ideal assumption since, in most cases, players’ strategies may depend on the dynamics of multiple issues when dealing with other players. In this research, the one-dimensional model is expanded to N-Dimensional model by considering different positions, and separate salience …

Ai Methods For Identifying Process Defects In Advanced Manufacturing With Rare Labeled Data, Ayantha Umesh Senanayaka Mudiyanselage

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to provide efficient process defect identification methods for advanced manufacturing environments using AI tools/algorithms with limited labeled data availability. Asset and equipment quality become highly sensitive in sustaining virtuous performance and safety in various manufacturing domains. Internally generated process imperfections degrade finished products' optimum performance and mechanical attributes. The evolution of big data and intelligent sensing systems leverage data-driven defect identification in advanced manufacturing environments. Widely adopted data-driven process anomaly detection methods assume that the training (source) and testing (target) data follow the same distribution and that labeled data are available in both source and target domains. …

Mortality, Survivorship, And Institutionalization: Demographic Analysis Of The Mississippi State Asylum In Context, Taylor A. Emery

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed demographic differences and differential mortality between the Mississippi State Asylum (MSA) and the state of Mississippi. Using census records, Biennial Reports, death certificates, and vital statistics from the Mississippi State Board of Health, statistical methods including Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard analysis were employed to explore significant differences in population demographics, hazard of death, and survivorship in general and with tuberculosis. Key results include proportionally more females in the MSA, increased hazard of death/decreased survivorship within the MSA compared to the State, and increased hazard of death/decreased survivorship for Black/AA individuals compared to their White/EA …

Comparison Of Aging Techniques In Wild Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Of Unknown Age From The Mississippi Sound., Christa Elizabeth Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

Age determination of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) is a critical tool in understanding their health. There are many methods of aging dolphins including morphometrics, counting growth layer groups (GLGs) of teeth, comparing dentin to pulp cavity ratio on dental radiographs, analysis of the pectoral flipper radiographs, and epigenetic testing. The most common method for aging toothed cetaceans is the counting of GLGs in the teeth. Since there are many challenges associated with aging dolphins based on the counting of GLGs, a processing technique that results in better resolution of GLGs is needed. This is a two-part study that …

An Analysis Of Moisture Environments Associated With Mature North Atlantic Tropial Cyclones, Katherine Berislavich

Theses and Dissertations

Tropical cyclone (TC) intensity and structure are affected by their environments, including sea surface temperature, vertical wind shear, and atmospheric moisture. Analyses of TC environments often rely on area-averaged quantities, yet the spatial variability of these fields can affect TC behavior, such as moisture distribution impacting where and how much rain falls. This study identifies spatial patterns of environmental moisture surrounding mature North Atlantic TCs during 2000-2021 in shear of less than 20 knots. Empirical orthogonal function analysis of total column water vapor reveals six dominant patterns. These patterns account for nearly 67% of the variance in the dataset and …

Effect Of Environmental And Geometrical Factors On Microstructure, Desiccation Cracking, And Carbon Dioxide Flux In Clays, Charles Clayton Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Studying the effects of extreme conditions, such as high temperatures and low humidity, on soil properties is important to various disciplines, including geotechnical engineering, soil science, waste management, crop management, and ceramics. The goal of this research is to investigate the effect of environmental and geometrical factors on microstructure, desiccation cracking, and CO₂ flux in clays. The objectives of this research are threefold. (1) Understand the effects of temperature on the microstructure of clay soils; (2) develop a standardized procedure for studying desiccation cracking in a laboratory setting with reliable and repeatable results; and (3) develop an environmental chamber …

A Survey Analysis Of Southeastern U.S. Dairy Producers’ Emotional States And Their Subjective Pain Perception Of Dairy Cows, Michelle M. Schuh

Theses and Dissertations

Dairy producers play a central role in evaluating and seeking treatment or care for animal pain. The primary aim of this study is to examine dairy producers’ emotional states and professional quality of life and analyze the relationship between these variables and their perception of pain in dairy cattle. Dairy farm owners and managers of 65 southeastern U.S. herds participated in a survey that included demographic information, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, a modified Professional Quality of Life Scale, and 23 items requiring participants to evaluate various painful conditions in cattle.

Object Itineraries Of Metal Artifacts From The Stark Farm Site Complex (22ok778), Madeleine Marie Hale

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on creating a deeper understanding of European-made metal objects uncovered at a Late Mississippian period site by using an object itinerary theoretical framework. This theory allows for objects to be understood and analyzed without bias as it acknowledges Indigenous and archaeological perspectives by considering the many different contexts an object moves through. I apply this theory to these European-made metal objects that were transformed and used by the Chicasa as a way to introduce a more collaborative and holistic approach to the other analytical methods being used at Stark Farm (22OK778). This process was completed by using …

The Effectiveness Of Pbis For Students Who Have Behavior Interventions Plans, Valeria Shaunta Fortune-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on students with Behavior Intervention Plans. This study used qualitative research methods to obtain the perspectives of teachers who had implemented PBIS on students with behavior plans. The study relied on semi-structured interviews using questions established by the researcher. The results of the study indicate that most of the teachers interviewed feel that PBIS is effective for students with PBIS because it acts as a motivational tool, gives students something to work towards, decreases negative behaviors, and increases positive behaviors. Additionally, the study indicates that …

Non-Destructive Evaluation Of White Striping And Microbial Spoilage Of Broiler Breast Meat Using Structured-Illumination Reflectance Imaging, Ebenezer O. Olaniyi

Theses and Dissertations

Manual inspection is a prevailing practice for quality assessment of poultry meat, but it is labor-intensive, tedious, and subjective. This thesis aims to assess the efficacy of an emerging structured illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) technique with machine learning approaches for assessing WS and microbial spoilage in broiler breast meat. Broiler breast meat samples were imaged by an in house-assembled SIRI platform under sinusoidal illumination. In first experiment, handcrafted texture features were extracted from direct component (DC, corresponding to conventional uniform illumination) and amplitude component (AC, unique to the use of sinusoidal illumination) images retrieved from raw SIRI pattern images build …

Determining The Best Indicators For Targeted Selective Treatment Development Against Gastrointestinal Nematodes In Sheep And Goats In Mississippi, Lindsey N. Dearborn

Theses and Dissertations

An understanding of characteristics of sheep and goat producers across the Southeast United States is crucial for the development and vitality of the small ruminant industry. The state of Mississippi (MS) is rich in animal agriculture, and sheep and goats display the potential to become an integral part of the state’s agricultural livelihood. However, sheep and goat producers are constantly combatting the negative effects gastrointestinal nematodes inflict upon their animals. With the anthelmintic resistance status rising across the globe, sustainable methods to control parasites in small ruminants are crucial. Therefore, small ruminant producers must develop an accurate targeted selective treatment …

Trace Metal Analysis Of Pond Sediments To Measure Deposition From A Coal-Fired Power Plant In Ackerman Mississippi, Charles Bills

Theses and Dissertations

Trace element sediment pollution due to coal power plants have been reported in many countries. In this study, pond sediment samples collected from locations around a coal fired power plant in Ackerman, MS, were evaluated for their trace element concentration and pollution status. The samples were collected at two depths to study changes in element accumulation over time. The samples were digested and the elements, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Zn were analyzed using ICP-MS. Results were then compared to known background concentrations as well as sediment quality guidelines and pollution thresholds. The sample locations downwind of the …

Visual And Spatial Audio Mismatching In Virtual Environments, Zachary Lawrence Garris

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores how vision affects spatial audio perception in virtual reality. We created four virtual environments with different reverb and room sizes, and recorded binaural clicks in each one. We conducted two experiments: one where participants judged the audio-visual match, and another where they pointed to the click direction. We found that vision influences spatial audio perception and that congruent audio-visual cues improve accuracy. We suggest some implications for virtual reality design and evaluation.

Investigating Potential Indicators Of Soil Health Through Microbiome Response To Environmental And Anthropogenic Stressors, Austin Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, the analysis of soil health has overlooked the biological component of soil due to poor understanding of connections between the microbiome and empirically measured soil health indicators. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the soil microbiome, with the aim of identifying measurable soil biological indicators. Chosen soils were examined under distinct conditions to evaluate the effect of selected environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the microbiome. Soil biological responses were analyzed via enzymatic response, microbial functional genes, and microbial community. Environmental factors such as soil moisture and organic matter showed …

Screening And Selection For Resistance To Gray Leaf Spot (Pyricularia Oryzae) In Early Planted Annual Ryegrass, Calyn M. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Cattlemen in the southeastern United States widely plant annual ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. spp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot] (ARG). It is often planted earlier than the recommended window. This exposes juvenile stands to increased pressure from gray leaf spot (Pyricularia oryzae Cavara) (GLS), causing stand loss. This study was designed to screen for resistance to P. oryzae in two ARG genotypes, Vertyl and a heat-tolerant germplasm (HTARG5) with the objective of developing a crossbred population to be improved using restricted, recurrent phenotypic selection. Experiments were conducted from 2021 – 2022. Disease severity (DS) was assessed 3wk after inoculation with …

Effects Of Parkinson’S Disease On Motor Asymmetry, Deborah Mazanek Watson

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience changes cortically, subcortically and behaviorally. This dissertation examines the asymmetry of motor behavior to explore the role of asymmetry in persons with PD and its connection to clinical symptoms. Purpose: Project 1: To assess the hand asymmetry difference in young adults versus older adults. Project 2: To investigate the difference in hand asymmetry in older adults and persons with PD. Project 3: To explore the correlation between function and clinical symptoms of persons with PD. Methods: 55 right-handed participants [Young Adults (YA) = 20, Female = 10; Older Adults (OA) = 20, Female …

Tuning The Metal/Acid Functionalities In Hzsm-5 For Efficient Dehydroaromatization, Genwei Chen

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing production of natural gas liquids attracts both academia and industry to develop on-purpose techniques converting those light alkanes to value-added chemicals. Dehydroaromatization is an alternative path for light alkane conversion to produce aromatics but still lacks active and stable catalysts. This work aims at the development of efficient dehydroaromatization catalysts by tuning the metal/acid bifunctionality of the Pt/HZSM-5 catalyst. Additionally, through co-processing light alkane with ammonia during the dehydroaromatization process, this study also proposes a new reaction system that could directly link the C-N bond for nitrile synthesis.

The results suggested that the activity, selectivity, and stability of …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher Incentives On District Attendance Incentive Programs And Their Impact On Improving Overall Teacher Attendance, Ginger Hearon Cockrell

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher absenteeism is a problem that needs a solution. It is imperative that teachers come to work each day to prepare their students for academic achievement. If teachers are chronically absent from work, the students’ academic achievement suffers. There needs to be a way to minimize teacher absences. School districts must track data that shows teacher absences in order to get a clear picture of when and where the absences are the greatest problem.

A review of the literature identified several studies conducted over the years that document the effects of teacher absenteeism. With this in mind, it is recommended …

Dog Tired: Examining The Relation Between Dog And/Or Cat Ownership And Owners’ Sleep, Courtney J. Bolstad

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep is an essential part of life, and obtaining quality sleep is important for various areas of functioning. Behaviors to promote sleep include physical activity, managing stress, reducing anxiety symptoms, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and obtaining bright light exposure. Many of these behaviors overlap with benefits observed from pet ownership (PO). The present study aimed to examine the relation between PO and sleep as well as moderators and mediators of this relation. Four research questions were examined: 1) Is PO significantly related to sleep? 2) Does gender moderate the relation between PO and sleep? 3) Do sleep-promoting behaviors (i.e., …

Physical Layer Security With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Advanced Wireless Networks, Aly Sabri Abdalla

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as enablers for supporting many applications and services, such as precision agriculture, search and rescue, temporary network deployment, coverage extension, and security. UAVs are being considered for integration into emerging wireless networks as aerial users, aerial relays (ARs), or aerial base stations (ABSs). This dissertation proposes employing UAVs to contribute to physical layer techniques that enhance the security performance of advanced wireless networks and services in terms of availability, resilience, and confidentiality. The focus is on securing terrestrial cellular communications against eavesdropping with a cellular-connected UAV that is dispatched as an AR or ABS. …

Optimizing Edge-Of-Field Water Quality Monitoring Methods To Determine The Effects Of Best Management Practices On Nutrient And Sediment Runoff, Mark Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact on water quality of combined agricultural best management practices cover crop and minimum tillage, alongside an examination of techniques used to collect those samples. Edge-of-field (EOF) water quality samples were collected from 11 working farms during a two-year paired field experiment. Results showed significant reductions in nutrient concentrations, increased discharge, and mixed findings regarding nutrient mass transport post-treatment. A suite of EOF collection techniques were compared using in-situ automated water sampling systems sampling the same runoff events. Sampling protocols influenced nutrient concentrations in composite samples, but unexpected variance in velocity sensors affected measured discharge, making …

Impacts Of Cover Crop, Soil Steaming, And Plastic Mulch On Field-Grown Tomato Production And Virus-Induced Gene Silencing In Antirrhinum, Penstemon, Petunia, Rosa, And Rudbeckia, Brenton Andrew Earl Breland

Theses and Dissertations

Weeds and soil-borne diseases can cause large yield losses in field-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production. Techniques have been developed to reduce soil-based problems. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of cover crops, soil steaming, and plastic mulch to reduce weed and disease pressure in field-grown tomatoes. Four cover crop treatments were grown in the fall and winter before spring planting. Soils were steamed to a target temperature of 71.1 °C for 0, 5, or 20 minutes. Plastic mulch was also used on half of the rows. Yield, weed densities, and disease incidence were recorded.

Reduced flowering time …

Integrating Weed-Suppressive Cotton Chromosome Substitution Lines And Cover Crops For Sustainable Weed Management In Cotton Production Systems., Alyssa Lea Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Weeds pose a challenge to cotton production, and herbicides have been the primary means of control. However, there is growing concern over weed resistance to herbicides. To address this issue, we evaluated three cover crop species and six cotton accessions for weed suppression. The study found that hairy vetch, wheat, and B16 cotton CS line effectively suppressed Amaranthus species, while MNTN 4-15, B16, hairy vetch, and wheat were correlated with the highest cotton yield. Cover crops were also analyzed for chlorogenic acid content, with wheat, MNTN 4-15, and hairy vetch producing the highest amounts. The greenhouse tray study showed that …

The Effects Of Impulsivity On Psychological Problems In Emerging Adults: Moderation By Parental Discipline And Gender, Richard K. Nelson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Parental discipline behaviors and trait impulsivity are related to the development of psychological problems in children. Less research has examined these relations during emerging adulthood, despite the continued importance of parenting and increases in impulsivity during this time. Thus, the current study examined the association of impulsivity with current parental discipline practices and psychological problems as reported by college-attending emerging adults. Specifically, paternal and maternal discipline practices were examined as moderators between impulsivity and psychological problems with gender as an additional moderator. Participants (N = 911, 38.2% women, 78.0% White, aged 18 to 25) completed self-report measures on current discipline …

A Comparison Of Ground Reaction Forces And Muscle Activity Of The Tsunami Bar® Against A Rigid Barbell During Back Squat Phases, John Carver Middleton

Theses and Dissertations

An Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study was conducted to investigate the effects of the Tsunami Bar® (TB), a flexible barbell, on ground reaction force (GRF) production and muscle activity in the quadricep, hamstring, and gluteal muscle groups during phases of the squat exercise and compare the effects to the effects to using a rigid barbell (RB). A two-by-two repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was used to compare the results. Descriptive statistics showed significantly higher GRFs for the TB during the unweighting phase, significant differences in GRFs between speeds for each phase, significantly higher forces on average with the …