Digital Commons Network^™

Parowan Valley Gaming Pieces And Insights Into Fremont Social Organization, Molly Allison Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis primarily addresses the implications of Fremont gaming pieces in the Parowan Valley. First, I review ethnographic gaming pieces and compare them to the Fremont worked bone pieces in order to support the idea that they were used by the Fremont in games similar to the ones recorded ethnographically. Then, I analyze a collection of Fremont gaming pieces from excavations at three Parowan Valley sites. I note drastic differences in the characteristics found on pieces inside the Parowan Valley and those form outside the Parowan Valley. It is also clear that gaming pieces are being produced in the Parowan …

Development Of A One-Dimensional Contaminant Model For Streams And Rivers, Scott Allen Fant

Theses and Dissertations

The Contaminant Model for Streams (CMS) was developed for use in studies where both data and resources for model application are limited. CMS can be quickly and easily applied, yet it is still versatile enough to be used for a variety of conditions ranging from short term spill modeling to multi-year simulations of contaminant fate in stream water and bottom sediments. The model can be applied for both organic and inorganic contaminants. Suspended solids can be transported or a steady-state concentration may be input. Steady-state, uniform hydraulic conditions are assumed within the modeled reach, which greatly reduces model complexity. A …

Prediction Of Estuarine Morphological Evolution, Gaurav Savant

Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are vital environmental and economic resources, providing habitat for thousands of species, absorbing runoff, and supporting recreation and commerce. Yet, despite their importance, estuaries are threatened by human activities. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Cross Spectral techniques were used in the analysis and prediction of estuarine morphology. The estuaries selected for study were Suisun Bay, CA and Mobile Bay, AL. It was found that EOF is an effective and efficient technique to analyze morphology, a coupling with cross spectral methods such as Fourier Transformation (FFT) resulted in determination of forcing functions responsible for imparting variance to the bathymetry. …

Characterization Of Fresh Muscle Pigments In Channel Catfish And Their Influence By Chilling Stress, Youkai Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Color and color components are important quality attributes for fresh channel catfish muscle. The objective of the present research was to obtain inside understanding regarding color distribution, color component stability and the pre-slaughter conditions influence on color and color components and other quality attributes. Catfish fillets were rendered to be paler and redder on iced storage; and paler, less red and less yellow by ice-water chilling process. Visual classified “reddish” catfish fillets had higher heme-protein content than “white” fillets and these pigments were derived mainly from hemoglobin. Pre-slaughter live fish chilling in ice water and bleeding at slaughter also slightly …

The Use Of A Behavior Screener To Predict Outcomes On High Stakes Tests For Elementary School Students, Rebecca Anne Emens

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have consistently shown that teachers’ ratings of behavior were predictive of academic difficulties. While research has clearly indicated that behavior has a reciprocal relationship with academic achievement, there is a scarcity of research on the relationship between outcomes on high stakes tests and student behavior. Early identification of children at risk for academic difficulties is vital for successful intervention and remediation. Therefore, this researcher investigated use of a brief behavior screener as a predictor of students at risk for failing a high stakes test. Results from the Behavior Assessment System for Children–Teacher Rating Scale–Child Screener (BASC-TRS-C Screener) provided an …

Sequence Analysis Of The 16s-23s Intergenic Spacer Regions Of Flavobacterium Columnare, Lorelei Melissa Ford

Theses and Dissertations

The 16S, 23S, and 5S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are highly conserved sequences in bacteria. For this reason, rRNA genes are often used for phylogenetic classification. On the other hand, the regions between the structural sequences, known as intergenic spacer regions (ITS), are under less evolutionary pressure to be conserved. Because they are not as highly conserved, they can be used to differentiate strains of the same bacterial specie. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 16S-23S ITS of Flavobacterium columnare, an important pathogen of cultured fish, by comparing the 16S-23S ITS sequences from 70 isolates. We developed …

Separation Of Organic Acids And Lignin Fraction From Bio-Oil And Use Of Lignin Fraction In Phenol-Formaldehyde Wood Adhesive Resin, Badamkhand Sukhbaatar

Theses and Dissertations

Bio-oil produced from biomass by the fast pyrolysis method is promising as a renewable fuel and as sources of industrial chemicals. In this study, lower cost separation methods of organic acids such as acetic and formic acids and pyrolytic lignin fraction present in bio-oil were investigated to provide basic data needed for future industrial production procedures. The calcium oxide method and a quaternary ammonium anion-exchange resin method were studied to separate organic acids as respective salts and the methanol-and-water method was studied to separate the water-insoluble pyrolytic lignin fraction. The calcium oxide and anion-exchange methods were shown to be effective …

Patterns Of Fish Communities And Limnological Conditions Relative To Floodplain Landscapes, Seiji Miyazono

Theses and Dissertations

The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi includes several rivers and hundreds of floodplain lakes within an area greatly impacted by agriculture. I studied 17 of these lakes distributed over the lower half of the Yazoo River Basin to document fish assemblages and limnological patterns and to identify environmental variables that might influence these assemblages. Potential connectivity of the lake to parent river and wetland-lake area ratio in the watershed were related to the limnological conditions and fish communities. Lakes with greater potential connectivity tended to be deeper and had greater specific conductance and greater fish species richness including more riverine …

Physiological Impact Of Hematocrit Level During Stress In Broilers, Lindsay Hale Mcwilliams

Theses and Dissertations

Initial experiments evaluated the impact of hematocrit on a bird’s ability to adapt to stress and what physiological mechanisms occurred to maintain oxygen carrying capacity (OCC). A final experiment was conducted to obtain proteomic evaluation of protein expression in monocytes of unstressed broilers. In initial experiments, ACTH treatment was applied to hematocrit separated broilers. Experiments evaluated effects of ACTH on broilers with low (19 to 22%, Experiment 1; 18-21%, Experiment 3), high (25 to 28%, Experiment 1; 24 to 27%, Experiment 3) or non-selected hematocrit levels (Experiment 2 and 3). After 4 d of ACTH, all treated birds had significantly …

Porcine Embryogenesis And Effects Of Mycotoxins On Early Pig Development, Hongfeng Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of culture media and mycotoxin on porcine preimplantation embryonic development has been investigated. In the first experiment, porcine embryonic cleavage rates were similar in NCSU-23 and PZM-3 culture media, while more blastocysts were produced in PZM-3 (P<0.05). BAX and BCL2L1 transcription levels were similar in blastocysts cultured in both media. Cleavage rates were significantly decreased in the presence of cycloheximide (P<0.05), and both á-amanitin and cycloheximide completely inhibited blastocyst formation. In the mycotoxin experiment, porcine embryonic cleavage rates decreased in 10 ìM á-ZEA group, while blastocyst rates decreased in 30 ìM á-ZEA group (P<0.05). Total cell numbers of blastocysts were significantly lower in the 10 µM á-ZEA group (P<0.05). The transcription levels of POU5F1 and BCL2L1 were similar, while that of BAX and the ratio of BAX/BCL2L1 significantly increased in 3 ìM and 10 ìM á-ZEA groups compared to control group.

Potentiation Of Microglial Toll-Like Receptor Stimulated Inflammatory Cytokine Output By Manganese: A Role For P38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase, Patrick L. Crittenden

Theses and Dissertations

Manganese (Mn) neurotoxicity has been recognized for a long time and it affects primarily the basal ganglia. However, only recently has inflammation, which is known to play an important role in neuropathology, been considered as part of its toxic mechanism. In the current study, we have shown that Mn-potentiation of inflammatory cytokines ( IL-6 and TNF-á) in microglia is not dependent on the activaton of the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 signaling pathway by lipolysaccharide (LPS), as potentiation by Mn is observed in microglia activated with agonists for other TLR, such as TLR2, TLR3, and TLR9. Furthermore, enhancement of inflammatory cytokine production …

Multi-Scale Evaluation Of Mechanisms Associated With The Establishment Of A Model Invasive Species In Mississippi: Imperata Cylindrica, D Christopher Holly

Theses and Dissertations

Of concern in this research were the ecological parameters associated with the establishment of a model invasive plant species, Imperata cylindrica, across a scale of ecological organization. Specifically, the study addressed the species’ ability to: differentially respond to abiotic and biotic constraints during seedling establishment, exhibit a novel underground competitive interference mechanism, and alter the decomposition dynamics in newly invaded ecosystems. Finally, the last portion of the research was centered around creating a predictive habitat model that will provide information on the most important variables responsible for creating habitat for this species. The population level seedling study indicated that soil …

Design Of A Cyclic Pressure Bioreactor For The Ex Vivo Study Of Aortic Heart Valve Mechanobiology, Kimberly Jo Schipke

Theses and Dissertations

The differentiation of myosin into the respective heavy chain isoforms has shown a correlation with high mechanical stress. Aortic valve myosin expression has been reported; however, the characterization of the pressure response has yet to be fully developed. Thus, a cyclic pressure bioreactor was developed to elucidate the á/â-myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression in aortic valve leaflets subject to physiological and pathological transvalvular pressure loads. The pressure bioreactor achieved the desired pressure modulation via LabVIEW controlled solenoid valves. Results showed á/â-MHC expression on the fibrosal endothelium and minimal dispersal in the subendothelium, indicating the presence of smooth muscle cells. Endothelial …

Development And Application Of A Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay For The Myxozoan Parasite Henneguya Ictaluri, Matthew J. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

Proliferative gill disease (PGD) caused by the myxozoan parasite Henneguya ictaluri is one of the most devastating parasitic infections in channel catfish aquaculture. Currently, there is no effective treatment for H. ictaluri and the unpredictable outbreaks can result in 100% mortality. Management strategies have been developed to prevent losses in newly stocked fingerlings by evaluating the PGD status of a pond prior to stocking, which is difficult since resident fish may not show clinical signs even when actinospore levels are lethal to naive fish. Current diagnostic methods are limited to the identification of an active infection and methods of predicting …

Development Of A Bioenergetic Model For Black Carp To Predict Consumption And Growth, Nathaniel Charles Hodgins

Theses and Dissertations

Black carp consume large quantities of mollusks but food consumption and growth rates have not been studied. Consumption and growth of two sizes of fish fed formulated and natural diets at 20, 25, and 30 C under laboratory conditions were measured. Consumption and growth of fish fed formulated feed increased as temperature increased but followed a convex relationship for fish fed a natural diet. Metabolic and fecal production rates were determined for fish at each temperature. This information was used to develop balanced energy budgets for black carp. Bioenergetic simulation models were constructed to predict consumption and growth in natural …

Characterization Of Johne's Disease In Mississippi Cattle, Jesse Lee Carter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to characterize Johne’s disease in Mississippi cattle. Nine hundred eighteen animals from 23 sale barns in Mississippi were tested for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Ten milliliters of blood and 4-10 grams of feces were collected from cattle over two years of age presented to the attending auction veterinarian. Information obtained at the time of collection included the animal’s sex, type, and reproductive status. Serum samples were screened by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MAP. Shedding status was determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on corresponding fecal samples. Overall, 17.3% (4/23) of sale …

Effect Of Poultry Litter Amended With Aluminum Sulfate On Plant Growth And Soil Properties, Sosten Lungu

Theses and Dissertations

Amending litter with aluminum sulfate (Al-S) has proven to be effective in reducing water-soluble P but there are concerns that it could result in soil pH reduction and increase levels of extractable soil Al if applied to acidic soils. A glasshouse study with soybean (Glycine max, L Merr) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) as test crops was conducted to determine the impact of applying litter amended with Al-S at 0, 10 and 20% to an acidic sandy loam soil. These treatments were applied to meet N needs of a crop grown in soil with pH levels of 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 …

Effects Of Nisin And Buffered Sodium Citrate Supplemented With Sodium Diacetate Against Listeria Monocytogenes On Commercial Beef Frankfurters Formulated Without Antimicrobials Stored At 4 And 10{Deg}C In Vacuum Packages, Shweta Kumari

Theses and Dissertations

Post process application of antimicrobials is one method to control recontamination of Listeria monocytogenes on cooked RTE meat products. This study evaluated the antilisterial effect of externally applied solutions of nisin, buffered solution of sodium citrate supplemented with sodium diacetate (SCSD) and a combined solution of the two antimicrobials on commercial beef frankfurters formulated without antimicrobials. Autoclaved frankfurters were inoculated (104 -105 CFU/g), dipped (5 min, 25 ± 2°C) in treatments consisting of 2000; 4000;or 6000 IU/ml nisin, and buffered solutions of 2.5; 3.0; or 3.5% SCSD (Study I), and 6000 IU/ml nisin followed by 3.5% SCSD, or 3.5% SCSD …

Evaluation Of Automated, Manual And Constant Aeration Practices In Managing Of Dissolved Oxygen For Channel Catfish Farming In Earthen Ponds, Shelby E. Fortune

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining dissolved oxygen concentrations under different operating schemes (constant, manual or automated aeration control) was evaluated in 20 earthen catfish ponds ranging from 0.04 to 0.07 hectares in size. Ponds were assigned to treatments based on achieving equal distribution of biomass among treatments. Catfish weighing approximately 0.11 kg each were stocked at a rate of 14,820 catfish/hectare and were fed, to satiation, a 36% crude protein floating feed for the first week and switched to a 32% crude protein floating feed for the remainder of the study. Percentage weight gain, FCR and survival were calculated but did not differ among …

Steam, Dielectric Heating And Copper Sulfate Treatment Of Inshell Pecans, Mandar Ranchhod Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Water and a copper sulfate (CSL) solution at 27, 57 and 88°C; steam pasteurization and dielectric heating were analyzed on their effect in reducing microbial load (APC) and Salmonella Typhimurium on inshell pecans (Carya illinoinensis). The CSL solution (more effective than water alone) reduced APC by 1.5 (300 s), 2 (60 s) and 4.0 (60 s) log CFU/g at 27, 57 and 88°C, respectively; and Salmonella by 3.0 log at 27°C in 60 s. Steam reduced APC by 3.7 log in 180 s and Salmonella by 4.0 log CFU/g in 30 s. Dielectric treatment reduced APC by 3.0 log and …

Molecular Based Identification Of Wood Decay Fungi From Two Field Sites In Mississippi, Robert Joseph Bucci

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on isolating important wood decay fungi from two field sites located in Harrison County, MS, and Oktibbeha County, MS. Southern Yellow Pine samples of various types and treatments including: Cu8, CuOm, ACQ, PCP, proprietary organic biocide, and un-treated were collected, and fungal isolates were cultured. DNA was extracted from isolated fungal cultures and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The internal transcribe spacer (ITS) region was sequenced, and fungal cultures were identified by comparison to sequences on GenBank using BLAST. A total of 68 fungal isolates were recovered and successfully identified from 196 samples. Thirteen basidiomycete isolates …

Expression Of The Gtp And Atp Specific Isoforms Of Succinyl -Coa Synthetase In Mouse And Human., Kristin Nora Tews

Theses and Dissertations

Succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) in eukaryotes is an alpha-beta heterodimer with the nucleotide specificity residing within the beta subunit. It was previously believed that animals have the GTP-specific isoform, while plants and bacteria possess the ATP-specific isoform. However, recent work demonstrated that both isoforms of SCS exist in mammals, and the cDNA sequences for the GTP and ATP-specific beta subunits have been determined for mouse and human. The complete genomic sequence for any of the subunits of SCS in a eukaryotic organism had not been elucidated. The promoter structures of the SCS subunits, as well as the relative expression of the …

Oxidative Stress And Diabetic Cardiomyopathy., Loren Eugene Wold

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease independent of micro-/macro-vascular complications, is manifested by prolonged action potential duration and prolonged cardiac contraction and relaxation. Several rationales have been postulated for the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy including reactive oxygen species generation, although the precise mechanism is still undefined. My central hypothesis is that oxidative damage is the ultimate cause of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In vivo: Mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of the antioxidant metallothionein (MT) were made diabetic with the β-cell toxin streptozotocin (STZ) and isolated myocytes were studied. In vitro: Doxorubicin (Dox), a potent anti-cancer drug and reactive oxygen species donor and STZ …

Characterization Of Src -Suppressed C -Kinase Substrate (Ssecks) In Rat Primary Sensory Neurons., Sandra Marie Siegel

Theses and Dissertations

SSeCKS (src suppressed C kinase substrate) is a proposed protein kinase C substrate that has been localized in the peripheral and central nervous system. In this study, approximately 40% of small primary sensory neurons in the DRG contain SSeCKS-immunoreactivity with many of these cells devoid of SP (4.8%), CGRP (4.7%), or FRAP reactivity (45.0%). In the spinal cord, SSeCKS-immunoreactive axon collaterals terminate in the dorsal third of lamina IIouter suggesting that these fibers are unmyelinated C-, or small diameter myelinated Aδ-, fibers. Additionally, capsaicin treatment essentially obliterated SSeCKS immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn. Quantitative analysis of dorsal root ganglia revealed …

Educating Nurses On The Impact Of Domestic Violence On Preschool Children Ages 0-5, Beverly A. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Domestic violence crosses all boundaries of culture, ethnicity, religion, education, age and socioeconomic class. Exposing young, impressionable children to violence may be traumatic and life-altering. Exposure to domestic violence can harm children cognitively, emotionally, physically and developmentally. During infancy and early childhood, children make frequent acute and well-child visits to healthcare providers. These frequent visits provide nurses multiple opportunities to identify risk and offer interventions that may foster a child's resilience to the impact of domestic violence exposure.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to provide a continuing education session for nurses to increase their knowledge …

Spinal Versus Epidural Anesthesia For The Management Of Patients With Preeclampsia Undergoing Elective Of Urgent Elective Or Urgent Cesarean Section, Lonna M. Potter

Theses and Dissertations

Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is a complication that increases maternal and fetal risk and complicates the selection of regional analgesia and anesthesia. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) work as part of a collaborative team properly managing analgesia and anesthesia in women with preeclampsia during labor and delivery. The purpose of the project is to identify the degree of hemodynamic stability associated with two commonly used regional anesthesia techniques, spinal or epidural, in patients with preeclampsia. The goal was to identify current evidence supporting best practice in analgesic and anesthetic management of patients with preeclampsia

A comprehensive review of …

Acoustic Correlates Of Fortis/Lenis In San Francisco Ozolotepec Zapotec, Anita J. Leander

Theses and Dissertations

Analyses of the Zapotec family of languages often divide consonants into categories of strong and weak consonants, more commonly known as fortis and lenis. These given categories usually correspond to voiceless and voiced, respectively. In San Francisco Ozolotepec Zapotec (SFOZ) and Santa Catarina Xanaguía Zapotec (SCXZ), prior analyses describe the fortis/lenis distinction in terms of duration, voicing, and articulatory force. This description parallels other impressionistic descriptions in Isthmus-Valley and Southern Zapotec variants. However, no study has objectively identified the acoustic patterns of the fortis/lenis contrast in SFOZ or in any Southern, Valley, or Isthmus Zapotec language. A previous instrumental study …

Postpartum Depression In Anishinaabe American Indians, Natalie M. Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to better understand the personal experience of postpartum depression among Anishinaabe American Indian women and further examine how various resources such as family, friends, Traditional healing, local and healthcare options were utilized. In addition advice was sought from a Traditional leader as to how these women can care for themselves in the postnatal period and how providers can properly manage their care.

A descriptive qualitative analysis approach was used. Interviews were conducted in 1-1.5 hours in the home of the Anishinaabe American Indian women who are from Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indian Reservation. …

The Development Of A Computational Model Of Thrombosis In Hemodialysis Catheters, Daniel J. Lattin

Theses and Dissertations

Thromboembolism (TE) significantly limits the usefulness and safety of blood-contacting devices such as hemodialysis catheters. Computer simulation of TE can provide understanding of the process and can facilitate the design of more effective devices. Previous work conducted at BYU successfully modeled TE in a simple, two-dimensional flow cell design by adding quantitative TE code to a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package, Fluent. This two-dimensional model predicted thrombus initiation and growth and adjusted flow to accommodate thrombus geometries, but was limited by computational power and unsophisticated meshing techniques. To build upon this work, and take advantage of BYU's new supercomputing …

Modeling Pure Vasogenic Edema In The Rat Brain, Charles Nottingham

Theses and Dissertations

Targeted drug delivery to the brain is difficult to achieve using conventional techniques, largely due to the blood-brain barrier’s (BBB) impediment to drug diffusion into the brain parenchyma. In response, development of convection-enhanced delivery (CED) offers the ability to circumvent the BBB and target specific areas of the brain. Predictability of infusate movement in pathological brain states during CED will maximize the effectiveness of this treatment, and therefore modeling of infusate movement must be characterized. Previous work from our lab effectively modeled CED in rats using the middle carotid artery occlusion model of cytotoxic edema. However, previous models examined for …