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Effects Of Year-Round Supplemental Feeding Of White-Tailed Deer On Plant Community Dynamics, Beau Navarre Aug 2021

Effects Of Year-Round Supplemental Feeding Of White-Tailed Deer On Plant Community Dynamics, Beau Navarre

Theses and Dissertations

Supplemental feeding is commonly practiced to enhance available nutrition for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The effects of supplemental feeding on the surrounding vegetative community may be related to herbivory, trampling, and seed dispersal. I evaluated how these potential mechanisms affect vegetative communities using a matched-pair design (fed and ecologically equivalent unfed sites) during 2018-2020. In a short-term manipulative portion of the study, I sampled the vegetation prior to feeding and during two years of feeding. In a long-term retrospective study, I sampled feeders established 5-7 years previously. Feeders increased daily detection rate of deer and seed dispersing non-target wildlife, percentage …


Relaxations Of The Weakly Chordal Condition In Graphs, Benjamin Lee Hathcock Aug 2021

Relaxations Of The Weakly Chordal Condition In Graphs, Benjamin Lee Hathcock

Theses and Dissertations

Both chordal and weakly chordal graphs have been topics of research in graph theory for many years. Upon reading their definitions it is clear that the weakly chordal class of graphs is a relaxation of the chordal condition for graphs. The question is then asked could we possibly find and study the properties if we, in turn, relaxed the weakly chordal condition for graphs? We start by providing the definitions and basic results needed later on. In the second chapter, we discuss perfect graphs, some of their properties, and some subclasses that were researched. The third chapter is focused on …


Biomass Production Of Black Willow (Salix Nigra Marsh.) And Eastern Cottonwood (Populus Deltoides Bartr. Ex Marsh.) In The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Bini Dahal Aug 2021

Biomass Production Of Black Willow (Salix Nigra Marsh.) And Eastern Cottonwood (Populus Deltoides Bartr. Ex Marsh.) In The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Bini Dahal

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed at developing allometric equations for the estimation of aboveground biomass of black willow and eastern cottonwood and determine biomass production by these species under several planting spacing and harvest frequency combinations. Logarithmic model with dbh and tree height was the best fitting model for individual tree aboveground biomass estimation of both species. At area level, logarithmic models with stand age, dominant height, and planting density produced the best results. Mixed-effects modeling showed statistically significant effects of harvest frequency for eastern cottonwood but not for black willow. Overall, we conclude that, biomass production of black willow and eastern …


An Investigation Of The Feasibility Of Markov Chain-Based Predictive Maintenance Models In Integrated Vehicle Health Management Of Military Ground Fleets, Bouteina Driouche Aug 2021

An Investigation Of The Feasibility Of Markov Chain-Based Predictive Maintenance Models In Integrated Vehicle Health Management Of Military Ground Fleets, Bouteina Driouche

Theses and Dissertations

Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) systems use models and algorithmic techniques to process Condition-based Data (CBD) to offer prognostic information and actionable imperatives in support of Condition-based Maintenance (CBM) for the system. IVHM technology was first introduced by NASA to gather data, diagnose, detect, and predict faults, and support operational and post-maintenance activities in space vehicles. Eventually, it expanded to other vehicle types such as aircraft, ships, and land vehicles [1]. In recent years, the United States Army has been implementing a policy of CBM to transition from preventive to predictive maintenance [2]. One of the many challenges faced by …


Effects Of Acute, Chronic, And Cyclical Hypoxia On The Physiology And Transcriptome Of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus), Brian Ott Aug 2021

Effects Of Acute, Chronic, And Cyclical Hypoxia On The Physiology And Transcriptome Of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus), Brian Ott

Theses and Dissertations

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are raised for aquaculture in ponds characterized by dramatic swings in dissolved oxygen concentration. If morning dissolved oxygen concentration falls below approximately 3.0 mg/L catfish consume less feed, leading to a reduction in growth and production. Although the effects of low oxygen on channel catfish appetite have been described, the underlying mechanisms responsible for those effects are unknown. Increased production of the neuropeptides corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and urotensin I (UI) are implicated in other fishes as neuropeptides that reduce appetite once an environmental stressor is detected. This project characterizes the hematological responses and transcriptional response of …


Evaluation Of Decay Effect On Tension Perpendicular To Grain Properties Of Wood, Brianna Abigail Duquette Aug 2021

Evaluation Of Decay Effect On Tension Perpendicular To Grain Properties Of Wood, Brianna Abigail Duquette

Theses and Dissertations

The study of mechanical properties of perpendicular to the grain research is important regarding connections within mass paneling and other wood connections. Research on wood properties perpendicular to grain and the effect of decay on this direction is needed. Brown-rot fungi are a major contributor in having to replace or repair wooden members; therefore, the objectives of this study were to study the effect brown-rot decay has on the mechanical properties of perpendicular to the grain over different periods of exposure; and to evaluate the efficacy of various methods on assessing decay on wood. The methods evaluated in this study …


Two Essays On Retailer Location-Based Brand Equity: Conceptualization And Refinement Of A Missing Component Of Brand Equity, Brett Jöel Paravon Kazandjian Aug 2021

Two Essays On Retailer Location-Based Brand Equity: Conceptualization And Refinement Of A Missing Component Of Brand Equity, Brett Jöel Paravon Kazandjian

Theses and Dissertations

Brand equity is a construct that has numerous implications for both academics and practitioners. It has been the topic of a great deal of research during the past three decades. Several components of brand equity have been theorized and tested over the years, but the foundation of the construct remains consistent - brand equity is enhanced by factors that increase the profitability of the firm. One factor that has long been recognized as important for the retailer brand is location, yet previous work on brand equity has never specifically considered the role of geographic location of the retailer brand in …


Exploring Suicide Acceptability In A Veteran And Non-Veteran Sample, Caitlin E. Titus Aug 2021

Exploring Suicide Acceptability In A Veteran And Non-Veteran Sample, Caitlin E. Titus

Theses and Dissertations

The suicide rate in the United States continues to rise, and rates of Veteran deaths are 1.5 times greater than those of non-Veteran adults. Previous research demonstrates that higher rates of suicide acceptability are positively related to suicide planning, suicidal ideation, and attempts. Examining rates of suicide acceptability in a Veteran and non-Veteran sample may be one pathway to understand the process by which attitudes are linked to behaviors. Study 1: Study 1 included a preliminary examination of a pre-screening measure, the Veteran Verification Questionnaire (VVQ), which aims to increase the validity of a Veteran sample online and reduce possible …


Oak Regeneration: Impacts Of Prescribed Fire And Invasive Species, Caleb Desmond Goldsmith Aug 2021

Oak Regeneration: Impacts Of Prescribed Fire And Invasive Species, Caleb Desmond Goldsmith

Theses and Dissertations

Across the central and eastern United States, upland oaks are experiencing regeneration complications. This thesis comprises two studies evaluating challenges in regenerating upland oaks. One study evaluates upland Quercus spp., Carya spp., and Acer rubrum L. response to prescribed fire and impacts on seedling growth and mortality. This study found prescribed fire promoted oak growth when canopy cover was < 77%. Oaks displayed lower percent mortality and higher resprout capacity after fire compared to red maple. The second study investigates impacts of Microstegium vimineum presence on Quercus alba L., Liriodendron tulipifera L., and Acer rubrum L. seedlings under different light and moisture environments. Microstegium vimineum presence decreased growth of both sweetgum and red maple; white oak was less impacted, likely because of its conservative growth strategy and high-water use efficiency. Oaks’ conservative growth strategy may offer more resiliency compared to its competitors in response to prescribed fire and Microstegium vimineum.


Regeneration Potential And Habitat Suitability Modeling Of Three Imperiled Southeastern U.S. Woody Plants, Clayton Warren Hale Aug 2021

Regeneration Potential And Habitat Suitability Modeling Of Three Imperiled Southeastern U.S. Woody Plants, Clayton Warren Hale

Theses and Dissertations

Presented within this thesis are three studies on three rare and imperiled Southeastern woody plant species: mountain stewartia (Stewartia ovata), Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), and Miller's witch-alder (Fothergilla milleri). This work contributes to the ecological understanding of these three species allowing for better-informed conservation decision-making. Machine learning habitat suitability models are presented for mountain stewartia and Miller's witch-alder. These models can direct limited conservation dollars and manpower towards areas of the highest habitat suitability. This work also utilizes field-based data to assess the habitat needs, species associations, and regeneration potential of both Atlantic white-cedar and Miller's witch-alder. Understanding the habitat …


Commercial Douglas Fir Biochar Based Multifunctional Exotic Adsorbents For Water Remediation, Chanaka Navarathna Aug 2021

Commercial Douglas Fir Biochar Based Multifunctional Exotic Adsorbents For Water Remediation, Chanaka Navarathna

Theses and Dissertations

Providing safe drinking water and wastewater remediation are constant worldwide challenges. Adsorption is an attractive alternative to conventional techniques such as coagulation, precipitation (chemically or electrochemically), hybrid membranes, and ion-exchange for the purification of water. Biochar-based composite sorbents are increasingly popular because a range of surface chemical and physical treatments can impart performance and environmental benefits to the material. This is ideal for rural areas where more costly conventional methods may not be readily available or affordable. This dissertation focused on three different projects involving high surface area (~700 m2/g) Douglas fir biochar based multifunctional engineered adsorbents. Chapter II focuses …


Effects Of Reduced Predator Abundance On The Predator-Prey Community Of A Tropical Reservoir, Cynthia Holt Aug 2021

Effects Of Reduced Predator Abundance On The Predator-Prey Community Of A Tropical Reservoir, Cynthia Holt

Theses and Dissertations

In most Puerto Rico reservoirs, Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides are typically fast-growing with distributions composed of distinct year-classes. Cerrillos Reservoir, however, displays the classic characteristics of a crowded bass population common in temperate lakes and ponds with fish stockpiling into a single modal distribution of slow-growing fish. This developed shortly after stocking in 1997, with the population quickly expanding to carrying capacity. Consequently, relative weight declined from above 100 to about 80 and the population was mostly composed of fish <=350 mm. A protected slot limit (356-508 mm) was implemented; however, limited effort and angler attitudes towards harvest of small bass prevented the success of this regulation, which was subsequently removed. In this dissertation, I examined the efficacy of using targeted management harvests for improving growth, size structure, and condition of Largemouth Bass in Cerrillos Reservoir. I used bioenergetics modeling to simulate the effects of targeted harvests. I predicted annual consumption of stock and quality-sized Largemouth Bass and used these estimates to model the effects of population reduction on consumption and growth of remaining bass. To validate the model, experimental removals of Largemouth Bass from the crowded size classes (200-380 mm) were conducted in 2012 and 2013. In these two years, I removed 20% and 22% of the total biomass, respectively. Following the experimental removals, mean condition of Largemouth Bass increased from 83 to 90, and increases were observed in all Largemouth Bass size categories. The reduction in predator abundance resulted in increased prey availability and smaller size structure of sunfish (Lepomis spp.) and tilapia (Coptodon and Oreochromis spp.) populations. I concluded that reducing Largemouth Bass abundance in Cerrillos Reservoir can move population dynamics toward desired management outcomes, but these actions must continue indefinitely to achieve success and sustainability. Annual management harvests are feasible but impractical, so I recommend increasing angler harvest and implementing management efforts designed to limit recruitment (e.g., shoreline rotenone application) to achieve management goals.


Consequences Of External Factors On Placental And Offspring Development And Using Melatonin As A Potential Therapeutic, Dana S. Reid Aug 2021

Consequences Of External Factors On Placental And Offspring Development And Using Melatonin As A Potential Therapeutic, Dana S. Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Early life is critical for the development of an organism. External factors alter placental efficiency which can lead to consequential effects. The objective of the current study was to (1) examine placental characteristics and molecular factors affected by nutrient restriction (2) evaluate the mitigating properties of melatonin in a nutrient restricted pregnancy in regard to circadian, myogenic and adipogenic factors in fetal muscle and (3) evaluate the effects of prenatal and postnatal melatonin supplementation on offspring performance. In study 1, cows were fed a control (CON) or a 60% restricted (RES) diet from day 140 to 240 of gestation. Animals …


Puma And The Innate Immune Response During Pneumococcal Infection In The Lung, Daniel Edward Kennedy Ii Aug 2021

Puma And The Innate Immune Response During Pneumococcal Infection In The Lung, Daniel Edward Kennedy Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The p53-up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) protein is a pro-apoptotic, BH3-only member of the BCL2 family of effector proteins responsible for promoting organized cell death. PUMA is required for resolution of pneumococcal pneumonia in mice, as mice deficient of PUMA exhibit greater numbers of S. pneumoniae CFU within tissues and higher mortality rates than observed in Puma+/+ mice. Methods: Puma+/+ and Puma-/- mice were intranasally challenged with TIGR4 pneumococcus and sacrificed 24 h post-infection. Differences in cytokine levels from blood and whole lung tissue were detected by MILLIPLEX MAP Mouse Cytokine/Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel. Lung transcriptomes from Puma+/+ and …


Corn And Soybean Basis Dynamics In The Mid-South, Delia Barrett Aug 2021

Corn And Soybean Basis Dynamics In The Mid-South, Delia Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee all border the Mississippi River, a primary shipping channel in the United States. These Mid-South states serve as a southern agricultural hub in terms of corn and soybean production. The Mid-South is a prime location for merchandisers to take advantage of the Mississippi River in addition to a vast connection of railway systems and interstates for moving grain. The main objective of this study is to analyze local basis for selling locations in the Mid-South and connect basis movements with transportation flows to understand grain basis dynamics in the Mid-South better. An empirical analysis shows …


Enhancement Of Wood Properties With Epsilon-Caprolactam, And Development Of An Apparatus For Continuous Monitoring Water Vapor Sorption And Desorption And Its Resultant Wood Dimensional Changes, David Milsted Aug 2021

Enhancement Of Wood Properties With Epsilon-Caprolactam, And Development Of An Apparatus For Continuous Monitoring Water Vapor Sorption And Desorption And Its Resultant Wood Dimensional Changes, David Milsted

Theses and Dissertations

Lack of dimensional stability and susceptibility to the action of xylophagous organisms make wood a challenging material to work with. E-Caprolactam is a water-soluble cyclic amide chemical with low mammalian toxicity, that can be used as a bulking agent to improve the dimensional stability of wood and offers protection against subterranean termites and several wood degradant fungi. E-Caprolactam delivers a similar level of dimensional stability as that provided by PEG-1000, a chemical extensively studied in the past decades and a standard dimensional stabilizer agent for wood. Regarding wood protection, E-Caprolactam exhibits efficacy against wood decay fungi and termites at very …


Superconductivity In Two-Dimensions From The Hubbard Model To The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Model, Dipayan Roy Aug 2021

Superconductivity In Two-Dimensions From The Hubbard Model To The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Model, Dipayan Roy

Theses and Dissertations

We study unconventional superconductivity in two-dimensional systems. Unbiased numerical calculations within two-dimensional Hubbard models have found no evidence for long-range superconducting order. Most of the two-dimensional theories suggest that the superconducting state can be obtained by destabilizing an antiferromagnetic or spin-liquid insulating state. An antiferromagnet is a half-filled system because each site has one electron or hole. However, in anisotropic triangular lattices, numerical calculation finds pairing enhancement at quarter-filling but no long-range superconducting order. Many organic superconductors are dimerized in nature. Such a dimer lattice is effectively half-filled because each dimer has one electron or hole. Some theories suggest that …


Tunable Electronic And Magnetic Properties In 2d-Wse2 Monolayer Via Vanadium (V) Doping And Chalcogenide (Se) Vacancies: A First-Principle Investigations, Dinesh Thapa Aug 2021

Tunable Electronic And Magnetic Properties In 2d-Wse2 Monolayer Via Vanadium (V) Doping And Chalcogenide (Se) Vacancies: A First-Principle Investigations, Dinesh Thapa

Theses and Dissertations

The first-principles density functional theory (DFT) was implemented to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of vanadium (V) substituted and chalcogen (Se) vacancies in tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) monolayer, novel two dimensional (2D) monolayer (ML) structures in binary compounds ZnX (X= As, Sb, and Bi), and novel 2D electrides on transition metal-rich mono-oxide or chalcogenides, based on Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange functional employed in Vienna Ab-Initio Simulation Packages (VASP). The inherent defect in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) contains unavoidable substitutional defects and a certain amount of chalcogen vacancies. This type of defect affects the electronic and magnetic properties …


Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization And Comparison Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri Isolates Derived From Catfish And Ornamental Fish Species, Divya Divya Aug 2021

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization And Comparison Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri Isolates Derived From Catfish And Ornamental Fish Species, Divya Divya

Theses and Dissertations

The gram-negative bacteria Edwardsiella ictaluri causes significant economic losses in aquacultured fish. Generally considered host-specific to catfish, there are reports of E. ictaluri outbreaks from other aquacultured species, including ornamental fish raised in the southeastern U.S. Thus, a comprehensive phenotypic and genotypic characterization of E. ictaluri isolates from catfish and ornamental aquaculture was warranted. Morphological, biochemical, and protein profiles of catfish and ornamental derived isolates were mostly similar. Plasmid profiles of wild-type isolates were consistent within groups. Analysis of putative anti-microbial resistant isolates from catfish revealed the presence of multi-drug resistant plasmids. Genomic comparisons indicated marked differences among host groups, …


Linking Remotely-Sensed Uas Imagery To Forage Quality In An Experimental Grazing System, Durham Alexander Norman Aug 2021

Linking Remotely-Sensed Uas Imagery To Forage Quality In An Experimental Grazing System, Durham Alexander Norman

Theses and Dissertations

Forage quality is a principal factor in managing both herbivores and the landscapes they use. Nutrition varies across the landscape, and in turn, so do the distributions of these populations. With the rise of remote sensing technologies (i.e. satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, and multi/hyperspectral sensors), comes the ability to index forage health and nutrition swiftly. However, no methodology has been developed which allows managers to use unmanned aerial systems to the fullest capacity. The following methodologies produce compelling evidence for predicting forage quality metrics (such as fiber, carbohydrates, and digestibility) using 5 measured bands of reflectance (Blue, Green, Red, Red …


Odor In The Global Environmental Context: The Effect Of Odor Context Reinstatement On Memory, Dustin D. Finch Aug 2021

Odor In The Global Environmental Context: The Effect Of Odor Context Reinstatement On Memory, Dustin D. Finch

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated that memory is dependent on the environmental context; memory is better when the same environmental context cues present at study are reinstated at test as compared to when they are not. This finding is called context reinstatement effects (Godden & Baddeley, 1975; Smith, Glenberg, and Bjork, 1978; Smith & Vela, 2001). What is unclear is whether study items are associated with the global context or with unique features within the study environment. We tested whether reinstating a singular feature of a global environment, the odor present during study, was sufficient to produce context reinstatement effects. These …


Comparing Hand Watering, Automated, And Subsurface Irrigation Treatments For Cost, Labor, And Water Use In Community Gardens., Eloísa Maria De Leon Gonzalez Aug 2021

Comparing Hand Watering, Automated, And Subsurface Irrigation Treatments For Cost, Labor, And Water Use In Community Gardens., Eloísa Maria De Leon Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Community gardens are places where people gather to share the experience of gardening. However, users often struggle to find time in their busy schedules to care for their plots and crops. This research explores the impact of different watering systems on gardening based on plant quality, cost, labor, and time for. The study analyzed the inputs and outputs of hand watering, automated, and subsurface irrigation treatments in hopes of identifying how to design community gardens for the most efficient application of water, ultimately striving to increase crop production, crop quality, and community interest. Results indicate that subsurface irrigation systems are …


Oxidative Stress Biomarkers In Blood Plasma Of Moderately Exercised Horses, Elizabeth Catesby Ott Aug 2021

Oxidative Stress Biomarkers In Blood Plasma Of Moderately Exercised Horses, Elizabeth Catesby Ott

Theses and Dissertations

Equine athletes are subjected to environmental and physical stressors resulting in oxidative stress that can negatively impact performance. Oxidative stress can result in lipid peroxidation, cell damage, and DNA degradation leading to physiological dysfunction and increased instance of disease. It has been established that humans are able to adapt to oxidative stress when exposed to extended periods of high-intensity exercise, however, this has yet to be established in the equine model. In the present study, we sought to establish patterns of oxidative stress expression immediately following exercise and adaption to prolonged exposure to exercise training in the equine model. Results …


Impact Of Economically Targeted Conservation Delivery On Agricultural Revenue Across A Range Of Commodity Prices, Emily Kranz Bedwell Aug 2021

Impact Of Economically Targeted Conservation Delivery On Agricultural Revenue Across A Range Of Commodity Prices, Emily Kranz Bedwell

Theses and Dissertations

The collective body of U.S. legislation, colloquially known as the Farm Bill, authorizes a suite of practices and programs under its Conservation Title. This includes the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which incentivizes agricultural producers to remove arable land from production to enhance soil retention, improve water quality, and restore wildlife habitat. Conservation Practice 33: Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds (CP-33) was the first CRP practice to target wildlife habitat restoration. CP-33 incentivizes producers to reestablish native herbaceous vegetation along crop field margins. Producers are often concerned with the economic opportunity costs of CP-33 enrollment. I used yield data derived from …


Evaluation Of The Effects Of Rotational Speed On Microstructural And Mechanical Properties Of Additive Friction Stir Deposited Aluminum 6061, Emily Margaret Mccabe Aug 2021

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Rotational Speed On Microstructural And Mechanical Properties Of Additive Friction Stir Deposited Aluminum 6061, Emily Margaret Mccabe

Theses and Dissertations

Additive friction stir deposition is characterized by rotating a consumable feedstock rod that induces severe plastic deformation to deposit material additively without raising the material past its melting point. In this way, additive friction stir deposition differs from traditional additive manufacturing, and new developments in this technology require further investigation of build parameters, tooling, and resultant builds to better understand this printing process and its applications. This thesis evaluated the effect of rotational speed on aluminum 6061 builds using mechanical testing and microstructural investigations. Three different build conditions were evaluated at 180 RPM, 240 RPM, and 300 RPM. Mechanical testing …


Facilitating Multiple Cue Use Eliminates Age Differences In Episodic Metamemory For Emotional Words, Ethan Flurry Aug 2021

Facilitating Multiple Cue Use Eliminates Age Differences In Episodic Metamemory For Emotional Words, Ethan Flurry

Theses and Dissertations

Older adults' ability to make accurate metamemory judgments indicates that aging spares metamemory (Eakin & Hertzog, 2006; 2012a; but see Souchay et al., 2006). However, age differences in metamemory accuracy for emotional information, particularly lists of positive and neutral words, indicate potential age-related impairment of metamemory (Tauber & Dunlosky, 2012; Flurry & Eakin, manuscript in preparation). These age differences may be explained by potential cue overshadowing effects (Price & Yates, 1993) in which older adults primarily used the salient cue, emotional valence, and overlooked additional cues that were diagnostic of memory. We hypothesized that age differences in metamemory for emotional …


Estimation Of Economically Optimal Potassium Rates For Soybean Production In Mississippi: Comparing Different Yield Response Functions, Felix Akakpo Aug 2021

Estimation Of Economically Optimal Potassium Rates For Soybean Production In Mississippi: Comparing Different Yield Response Functions, Felix Akakpo

Theses and Dissertations

This study estimated soybean yield responses to K fertilizer using trials data from 18 sites in Mississippi from 2011-2016. Eight response functions were fitted, including linear, linear plateau, quadratic, quadratic-plateau, square root quadratic, spherical plateau, exponential, and exponential-plateau functions. The ratio of high responsive, low responsive, and no responsive sites to K rates is 3:3:12 respectively. The response functions led to different predicted optimal K rates, and the best response function for each site was determined by the Vuong closeness test and economic loss analysis. The predicted economically optimal K rates are 157, 73, and 0 lb/acre for high, low, …


Pain And Inflammation Due To Whole-Body Vibration In A Rat Model, Folly Martha Dzan Patterson Aug 2021

Pain And Inflammation Due To Whole-Body Vibration In A Rat Model, Folly Martha Dzan Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability and is associated with whole-body vibration exposure in industrial workers and military personnel. The pathophysiological mechanisms by which whole-body vibration causes low back pain have been studied in vivo, but there is little data that improve diagnosis of low back pain. The overall objective of this research was to elucidate diagnostic biomarkers associated with whole-body vibration. Hence, a rat model for vibration-induced inflammatory responses was developed. Von Frey filaments were used to determine the withdrawal threshold of the hind paw as a surrogate behavioral marker for pain. The concentration of nerve …


Environmental And Economic Viability Of Mid-Southern Usa Corn Conservation Systems, Gene David Spencer Aug 2021

Environmental And Economic Viability Of Mid-Southern Usa Corn Conservation Systems, Gene David Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary row-crop practices in the mid-southern, USA contribute to declining water tables and impairment of downstream waters, threatening the sustainability of irrigated agriculture and vital ecosystem services. This research was conducted to determine if various conservation practices and technologies can economically reduce negative environmental consequences of regional corn (Zea mays L.) production. The environmental, agronomic, and economic effects of implementing cover crops, manipulating traffic pattern, and integrating irrigation water management (IWM) technologies (computerized hole selection, surge irrigation, and soil moisture sensors) were investigated at either the small plot or field scale in the Delta region of Mississippi. Cover crop effects …


Synthesis Of Microcapsules And Inclusion Complexes Consisting Of Hydrophobic Cores And Polysaccharidic Shells For Thermal Energy Management And Packaging, Gulbahar Bahsi-Kaya Aug 2021

Synthesis Of Microcapsules And Inclusion Complexes Consisting Of Hydrophobic Cores And Polysaccharidic Shells For Thermal Energy Management And Packaging, Gulbahar Bahsi-Kaya

Theses and Dissertations

Active substances can be stabilized to be protected from undesirable reactions, aggregation, and leaking, which would keep the intended functions of the active substances without premature degradation. Among such active substances are paraffin-based organic phase change materials (PCMs) and essential oils (EOs), which feature attractive characteristics, e.g., high latent heat of fusion and inherent antimicrobial activity. However, their high volatility requires an effective stabilization strategy. Petroleum-based synthetic polymers have often been employed to stabilize PCMs and EOs by encapsulation and complexation pathways. Despite their proven effectiveness, these polymers are from non-renewable resources, and non-degradable and often toxic, which has prompted …