Digital Commons Network^™

Healthy Eating Index And Body Fat Distribution, Masar Ozrail

Theses and Dissertations

Body fat distribution has been identified as a more significant risk factor for metabolic-related diseases. This study investigated whether body fat distribution affects dietary outcomes (quality and intake), anthropometric measures, body composition, and skin carotenoid levels. A cross-sectional study with 91 female students was conducted. Thirty-one percent of participants (n=28) had an android body fat distribution. Body fat distribution was associated with WC and WHtR (p

Mobile Learning: Examining The Relationships Between The Use Of Mobile Devices And Student Performance In Ela And Math Within Technology And Non-Technology Districts, Gabrielle S. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Mobile and other internet-connected devices infiltrate society, including K-12 classrooms. A large body of research indicated that these devices might distract students; however, other studies have revealed many benefits when the devices are used for educational purposes. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the use of mobile devices and student performance in mathematics (MA) and English Language Arts (ELA). The study compared two districts, one that had implemented a 1:1 technology infrastructure for learning and one that had not. Archival data on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) standardized test were accessed from the two districts, containing fourth-grade …

The Use Of 87sr/86sr Isotopic Ratios To Assess Natal Areas And Movement Of Juvenile Gulf Sturgeon Acipenser Oxyrinchus Desotoi In The Pascagoula And Pearl River Systems, Joshua Neary

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of water and dietary influence, and time duration for discernment, of pectoral fin spine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr were evaluated in Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus. Fish were subjected to ⁸⁷Sr-enriched water (0.1 mg/L) or diet (0.25 migrogram/g or 0.5 microgram/g) for 1, 2, 3, 6, or 12 weeks. Fish were also held at 15 or 25°C to determine if temperature influenced ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Results found fin spine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr changed in water after 1 week and diet after 12 weeks suggesting water is the primary influence. In wild Gulf Sturgeon A. o. …

Development Of A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (Lamp) Assay For The Rapid Detection Of Clostridium Perfringens, Deepa Chaudhary

Theses and Dissertations

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) causes diseases such as necrotic enteritis in poultry. Current methods for early detection of C. perfringens, including culture, and molecular techniques (PCR and qPCR), have logistical limitations in detecting pathogens on-site because they require specialized equipment and long sample preparation time. This study describes developing a highly sensitive on-site LAMP assay combined with a simple DNA extraction method to detect C. perfringens. Results showed that the LAMP assay was highly specific and sensitive with the optimal reaction conditions: 63°C for 30 mins with primer concentration of 1.2 mM FIP/BIP and 0.2 mM F3/B3. The HotSHOT method …

An Inventory And Analysis Of Human Remains From The Aklis Site (12vam1-42) Curated At Mississippi State University, Kaelyn Olson

Theses and Dissertations

This project was an inventory and analysis of human remains from the Aklis archaeological site (12VAm1-42), located in the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The human remains inventoried during this project were collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and MSU during surface collection and emergency salvage excavations at Aklis. The statistical analysis of the data focused on the minimum number of individuals (MNI) per square meter, the degree of long bone completion, skeletal element counts across excavated features, and the degree of weathering. Results indicate that the assemblage curated at MSU includes a …

Establishing The Relationship Between Broiler Beak Size, Starter Feed Particle Size Selection And Performance, Maria Jose Alvarenga Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

Starter feed particle size (FPS) is typically small (~1200 µm) due to bird beak capacity (BC). Recent research has found that chicks can consume a larger FPS than previously thought; however, preferred FPS and its relationship with BC has not been established. Experiment 1 was conducted to determine the effect of breeder flock age (BFA) and feeding strategy (FS) on 0-14 d performance, BC and FPS preference. These data found that BC was dependent upon BFA and FPS consumed was dependent upon FS. Also, chicks could consume increased FPS without impacting starter performance; thus Experiment 2 was conducted to determine …

Quasi 1d Modelling Of A Scramjet Engine Cycle Using Heiser-Pratt Approach, Asmaa Chakir

Theses and Dissertations

Scramjet engines are key for sustained hypersonic flights. Analytic models play a critical role in the preliminary design of a scramjet engine configuration. The objective of this research is to develop and validate a quasi-1D model for the scramjet engine encompassing inlet, isolator and combustor, to evaluate the impact of flight conditions and design parameters on the engine functionality. The model is developed assuming isentropic flow in the inlet with a single turn; modified Fanno-flow equations in the isolator that account for the area change of the core flow; and the combustor is modeled using Heiser-Pratt equations accounting for the …

The Influence Of Taste Sensitivity To 6-N-Propylthiouracil (Prop) On Anthropometric Measurements, Body Composition, And Eating Behaviors Among Female College Students, Abeer Mohammedsharief Alardawi

Theses and Dissertations

Taste is one of the crucial factors that contributes to shaping eating behaviors and is also one of the leading reasons that affects our preferences to like or dislike some foods that mainly have a bitter taste. Variation in bitter phenotype (tasters and non-tasters) could influence diet quality and in turn body weight, which overall influenced health outcomes. The objective of this study was to identify whether bitter taste phenotype status influences anthropometric measurements, body fat percentage, and eating behaviors (liking and intake) in female college students. In this cross-sectional study (n = 86), female college students aged 18 to …

Stable Numerical Methodology For Variational Inequalities With Application In Quantitative Finance And Computational Mechanics, Davood Damircheli

Theses and Dissertations

Coercivity is a characteristic property of the bilinear term in a weak form of a partial differential equation in both infinite space and the corresponding finite space utilized by a numerical scheme. This concept implies \textit{stability} and \textit{well-posedness} of the weak form in both the exact solution and the numerical solution. In fact, the loss of this property especially in finite dimension cases leads to instability of the numerical scheme. This phenomenon occurs in three major families of problems consisting of advection-diffusion equation with dominant advection term, elastic analysis of very thin beams, and associated plasticity and non-associated plasticity problems. …

Disease Resistance And Productivity In Genetically Improved Loblolly Pine: Results From A Resistance Screening Trial And A Midrotation Comparison Of Genetic Improvement Levels, Stephen W. Goodfellow

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of tree improvement has resulted in genetic gains in loblolly pine productivity, form, and resistance to fusiform rust. The goal of this study was to advance the understanding and applied use of genetic improvement by analyzing inter- and intra-provenances hybrids’ rust resistance and evaluating midrotation performance of varying levels of genetically improved stock types. The first study compares 16 seedlots at the USDA Resistance Screening Center and evaluates rust resistance of controlled-pollinated inter- and intra-provenances crosses, and openpollinated seedlots from three provenances: Western Gulf, Atlantic Coastal, and Interior Piedmont. Post inoculation, one Coastal OP seedlot was resistant and ten …

Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Treatments In Vitro And On Fresh Produce Against Selected Foodborne Pathogens And Microbiome Diversity Amongst Blueberry Farms, Angelica Maria Abdallah Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on evaluating the antimicrobial activity of chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) and different plant-based antimicrobials (carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol as bioactive compounds and muscadine extract- ME and blueberry extract- BBE as plant extracts) against selected foodborne pathogens under in vitro conditions and on produce (spinach and blueberries). In addition, bacterial microbiota associated with blueberries and blueberry farm environments from three different regions: Cundinamarca, Colombia; Mississippi, United States; and Guadalajara, Mexico, was determined. Under in vitro conditions, carvacrol and thymol were more effective (lower MICs and MBCs) than eugenol against Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 (MIC=MBC=0.2 mg/ml), and …

Survival, Regrowth And Morphotype Formation Of Salmonella Strains After Exposure To High Or Low Concentrations Of First Generation Qac In Water, Grace Umutesi

Theses and Dissertations

This study determines the differences in survival of eight Salmonella strains concentration of BAC in water, followed by regrowth in high and low nutrition conditions containing sublethal concentration of BAC. Our results show strain difference in survival, persistence of Salmonella in BAC at different concentrations. All eight strains of Salmonella were non-recoverable when exposed to 40 to 48 µg/ml BAC for 1h in water. When exposed to 24 µg/ml of BAC for 1 h in water, S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and S. Heidelberg ATCC 8326 cells were non-detectable from the initial 7 log CFU/ml. S. Blockley 7175, S. Virchow 7207, …

Precise Measurement Of The Nuclear Dependence Of The Emc Effect In Light Nuclei, Abishek Karki, Abishek Karki

Theses and Dissertations

Measurements of inclusive electron scattering cross-section ratios from light nuclei over a wide range of the Björken �� (0.3 < �� < 1) up to �� 2 = 8.3 GeV² were made as part of experiment E10-10-008, which was conducted in Hall C at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The measurements were performed using a beam energy of 10.602 GeV and an average beam current of 45 ��A. This dissertation provides a thorough description of the experiment as well as the extracted ratios of inclusive nuclear cross-sections with respect to the deuterium cross-sections (the EMC effect) for the targets ⁹ Be, ¹² C, ¹⁰ B, and ¹¹ B. The …

Human Gait Movement Analysis Using Wearable Solutions And Artificial Intelligence, Samaneh Davarzani

Theses and Dissertations

Gait recognition systems have gained tremendous attention due to its potential applications in healthcare, criminal investigation, sports biomechanics, and so forth. A new solution to gait recognition tasks can be provided by wearable sensors integrated in wearable objects or mobile devices. In this research a sock prototype designed with embedded soft robotic sensors (SRS) is implemented to measure foot ankle kinematic and kinetic data during three experiments designed to track participants’ feet ankle movement. Deep learning and statistical methods have been employed to model SRS data against Motion capture system (MoCap) to determine their ability to provide accurate kinematic and …

Effects Of Soil Management Practices On Water Infiltration And Maize Yield To Improve Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer Sustainability, Jacob Rix

Theses and Dissertations

Surface sealing and hardpans in loam soils are problematic in the Mid-South U.S. because of intense tillage. Two experiments quantified the effects of soil management practices on infiltration and maize yield in loam soils. The first study measured the impacts of in-row subsoiling frequency × furrow irrigation frequency. In-row subsoiling significantly improved the infiltration of irrigation but not the infiltration of precipitation. In-row subsoiling with low irrigation frequency is optimal to achieve profitable maize yields while encouraging groundwater conservation. In the second study, six soil management treatments were imposed. For single-ring infiltrometer tests, infiltration rates were different between the two …

Resiliency Of Levee-Protected Power Networks To Flooding In A Changing Climate Integrating Environmental Justice, Seyed Saeed Miraee-Ashtiani

Theses and Dissertations

Electric power system (EPS) is an integral part of infrastructure systems. Ensuring its resiliency to extreme weather events and natural hazards is crucial to protect the safety, economy and public health. Recorded and projected data show an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural hazards attributed to a changing climate. It is critical to ensure the integrity of the aging infrastructure systems and to promote environmental justice by shrinking the energy-equity gap to lower power outages in disadvantaged communities.

An important aspect is the resiliency interdependency of EPS to other critical infrastructure systems, an aspect …

The Effects Of Glyphosate Salts And Volatility-Reducing Agents (Vra) On Dicamba Volatility, Nicole Glenn

Theses and Dissertations

Dicamba is often tank mixed with glyphosate to increase herbicidal efficacy but may contribute to off-target movement (OTM). In recent years, volatilization has become problematic for dicamba-containing herbicides, resulting in increased regulatory requirements necessitating the use of volatility-reducing agents (VRA) for application. Research was conducted in 2021 and 2022 using low tunnels in a field environment and humidomes in a greenhouse environment to further assess how glyphosate salts and VRAs affect dicamba volatility. Our data indicate that the inclusion of glyphosate to dicamba can increase dicamba volatility, depending on the glyphosate salt used. The inclusion of the evaluated VRAs will …

Microstructure And Sensory Attributes Of Rabbiteye Blueberries Subject To Osmotic Dehydration And Two Freezing Methods, Antonio Carlos Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Frozen, thawed and osmotically-dehydrated highbush (HB) (Vaccinium corymbosum) and rabbiteye (RB) (V. virgatum) blueberries were analyzed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe microstructural differences in their skin. Rabbiteye blueberries of both frozen, thawed and osmotically-dehydrated treatments, had thicker skins than highbush blueberries. Rabbiteye blueberries, collected from local farms, packed and blast frozen (PBF), had thinner skins than individually quick-frozen (IQF) blueberries. Washing berries prior to freezing had no effect on skin thickness. Sensory analysis of samples determined there were no differences (p > 0.05) between PBF and IQF methods and species with respect to skin intactness, grittiness, sweetness, and …

Molecular Insights Into The Redox Of Atmospheric Mercury Through Laser Spectroscopy, Rongrong Wu Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

The widespread pollution of mercury motivates research into its atmospheric chemistry and transport. Gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)) dominates mercury emission to the atmosphere, but the rate of its oxidation to mercury compound (Hg(II)) plays a significant role in controlling where and when mercury deposits to ecosystems. Atomic bromine is regarded as the main oxidant for Hg(0) oxidation, known to initiate the oxidation via a two-step process in the atmosphere – formation of BrHg (R1) and subsequent reactions of BrHg with abundant free radicals Y, i.e., NO2, HOO, etc. (R2), where the reaction of BrHg +Y could also lead to the …

Seasonal Trends And Sampling Time Of Day On Overall Microbial Population And Indicator Organisms In Catfish Parts And Catfish Processing Environment, Maria Gabriela Hidalgo-Sindoni

Theses and Dissertations

Commercial production of catfish is the leading aquaculture industry in the United States. Production in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas representing 96% of the total catfish sales in the USA. In 2017, the USDA-FSIS added testing of generic Escherichia coli and Enterococcus to the sampling of Siluriformes. The incidence of Escherichia coli in fish and seafood has been associated with possible fecal matter contamination. However, this indicator bacteria could also be a part of the natural microflora of catfish ponds where processing plants collect hybrid catfish. Aerobes, Psychrotrophs, Coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacteriaceae counts among environmental, liquid and fish …

Animal Husbandry In The 21st Century: Application Of Ecological Theory And Precision Technology To Inform Understanding Of Modern Grazing Systems, Ira Lloyd Parsons

Theses and Dissertations

Ruminant animals comprise the greatest proportion of herbivores around the world, provide essential ecosystem services and human consumable protein by consuming grass and human inedible dietary fiber. Herbivory pressure alters plant communities and species diversity, effectively making grazing animals ecosystem engineers in dynamic ecosystems. Development of advanced computer processing power coupled with biometric and ecosystem sensors may be employed in the internet of things framework to create an integrated information system designed to inform understanding of grazing system function and animal energy balance. Towards this end, I utilized Bos indicus / Bos taurus crossbred steers (n = 20) across two …

Structure And Dynamics Of Lignin In Condensed Phase For Biomass Conversion, Nusrat Jahan

Theses and Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass represents the largest potential volume and lowest cost for biofuel and biochemical production. Harnessing the full potential of the lignocellulosic biomass for low-carbon energy requires the knowledge of efficient breakdown and fractionation of its carbohydrates and lignin. Organic solvent pretreatment is recognized as an emerging way ahead because of its inherent advantages, such as the ability to fractionate lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose components with high purity, as well as easy solvent recovery and solvent reuse. Through all-atom MD simulation, we analyze the conformational transition of diverse lignin molecules in varying concentration of Methanol/water , DMSO/water …

Understanding The Relationship Among Cool Temperatures, Growth, Metabolism, And Energy Use Of Ictalurus Spp., Abby Vaughn

Theses and Dissertations

Although U.S. commercial catfish aquaculture ponds are in temperate regions and experience cool to cold temperatures during the winter, few studies have investigated the effects of low temperatures on catfish physiological processes. Therefore, growth, metabolism, swimming performance, and blood variables were compared between channel (Ictalurus punctatus), blue (I. furcatus), and hybrid (I. furcatus x I. punctatus) catfish at 10 and 20°C. Accelerometers were also used to evaluate relationships among acceleration, metabolism, and tail beat frequency (TBF) during swimming performance tests. Channel catfish experienced the greatest growth, yet growth was diminished across all fish types at 10°C. Metabolic processes, swimming performance, …

School Violence Is More Than Physical: Examining Predictors Of School Climate Using A National School-To-Prison Pipeline Survey, Michayla Mack

Theses and Dissertations

While a large body of literature exists related to discrimination in schools and the school-to-prison pipeline, few studies connect this literature to perceptions of school climate. The purpose of this study is to examine middle and high school students’ perceptions of school climate using an intersectional theoretical framework. Participants include 812 middle and high school students across the United States. Exploratory principal axis factor analysis included four subscales: perceptions of attachment to school staff, perceptions of school environment, perceptions of school belonging, and perceptions of effective school staff. Linear regressions for each subscale were performed, and gender, racial, sexuality, and …

Metagenomic Analysis Of Root-Associated Microbiome Of Healthy And Taproot Decline-Affected Soybeans And Identification Of Healthy Soybean Root Endophytes With Protective Activity Against The Causal Agent, Xylaria Necrophora, Uyen Wesser

Theses and Dissertations

Plant roots are associated with a diverse microbial community of bacteria and fungi. The root microbiome communities associate with the root surface or penetrate the superficial layers of root tissues. It is of high agronomic interest to characterize root microbiomes and identify microbes with beneficial effects on plant defense against pathogens. Soybean taproot decline (TRD) is an emerging soil-borne disease caused by a fungus classified as Xylaria necrophora, challenging to control and with devastating effects on yield. Our group has initiated a study of the soybean root microbiome with three primary experiments: (I) perform a comparative study of root …

Attitudes Towards Breastfeeding Among College Students At Mississippi State University, Kristin F. Williford

Theses and Dissertations

Breastfeeding rates in America are lower than other high-income countries, with Mississippi having one of the lowest rates. A survey using the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) was distributed twice to Mississippi State University students to understand their breastfeeding attitudes. Attitudes were determined by calculating a composite score and conducting statistical tests for significance. Knowledge between health and non-health related majors were explored by using five statements, and attitudes towards the statement “Breastmilk is the ideal food for babies” were compared across demographics. Of 642 respondents, the composite score was 57.3 out of 85, and all demographics had a …

Seasonal Comparison On The Effectiveness Of Control Methods For Microstegium Vimineum In The North Carolina Piedmont, Casey Beam

Theses and Dissertations

Microstegium vimineum, or Japanese stilt grass, is an invasive species that readily outcompetes native vegetation and is of poor forage quality for wildlife. This species is widespread throughout the southeastern United States, including North Carolina. Much of this region is privately owned and there is a gap in the literature providing succinct information about the best methods of treatment, timing of treatment, and effects of treatment on native herbaceous plants in this region. In two parts, this study seeks to address this gap by employing treatments that are easily accessible to landowners at different times during the growing season and …

Latent Profiles Of Psychopathic Traits Among Emerging Adult College Students: Functional And Dysfunctional Psychopathy And Related Outcomes, Lydia J. Stanhope

Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy research continues to study the adaptability of psychopathic characteristics and differentiate between functional and dysfunctional features. The current study identified latent profiles in emerging adults and compared them across behavioral/cognitive correlates, functional outcomes, aggression types, and also examined gender differences. Results demonstrated that men scored higher across cold-heartedness and fearless dominance profiles, but not self-centered impulsivity. The low psychopathy group had lower proactive aggression than the high psychopathy group; no other differences were observed. Additionally, men and women in the high psychopathy group did not significantly differ regarding experienced outcomes. Lastly, higher psychopathy was not associated with higher proactive …

Assessing Wood Failure In Plywood By Deep Learning/Semantic Segmentation, Ramon Ferreira Oliveira

Theses and Dissertations

The current method for estimating wood failure is highly subjective. Various techniques have been proposed to improve the current protocol, but none have succeeded. This research aims to use deep learning/semantic segmentation using SegNet architecture to estimate wood failure in four types of three-ply plywood from mechanical shear strength specimens. We trained and tested our approach on custom and commercial plywood with bio-based and phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. Shear specimens were prepared and tested. Photographs of 255 shear bonded areas were taken. Forty photographs were used to solicit visual estimates from five human evaluators, and the remaining photographs were used to train …

Classified: How Inequality Shapes The ‘Need To Know’ Question In Sex Education, Sarah Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Schools are a critical site of socialization in which young people learn both formal curricular materials and informal lessons about social structure, agency, and inequality. This study examines the meaning making patterns of teachers and students in sex education classrooms and considers how these patterns reflect the structure and agency relationship between people and the institutions in which they are embedded. Through a series of interviews and using qualitative thematic analysis, I identify themes in how students and teachers discuss their experiences, how these themes relate to broader patterns of social hierarchy, and how sex education can act as a …