Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Five Different Intensities Of Stand Establishment On Wildlife Habitat Quality And Tree Growth In Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations In Southern Mississippi, Phillip Daniel Jones

Theses and Dissertations

I evaluated effects of 5 intensive pine plantation establishment regimes during years 1 – 5 post-establishment on vegetation communities, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) growth, nutritional carrying capacity for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), habitat values for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), and projected financial viability in the Lower Coastal Plain of Mississippi. Treatments were combinations of mechanical site preparation (MSP), chemical site preparation (CSP), and herbaceous weed control (HWC) designed to reflect the range of operational intensities on industrial forest lands in the southeastern U.S. Results should inform plantation management decisions throughout the region. Pine growth increased with greater treatment intensity. At …

Effects Of Imazapyr And Prescribed Fire On Vegetation And Bird Communities In Mid-Rotation Crp Pine Plantations Of Mississippi, Lindsey Rae Carpenter Singleton

Theses and Dissertations

Appropriate management of mid-rotation pine plantations can improve habitat for early successional and pine-grassland adapted avian species. I tested effects of Imazapyr selective herbicide and prescribed fire on plant and avian communities in thinned, mid-rotation pine stands contracted under the Conservation Reserve Program. Within 12 replicate sites, 2 8.1-ha plots were assigned either herbicide and prescribed fire treatment or control. I described components of vegetation structure and composition in 2006. I tested effects of herbicide and prescribed fire treatment on avian relative abundance, species richness, total avian conservation value, and density of select species during 2003 - 2006. Hardwood midstory …

Effects Of Individual And Combinatorial Electrolyte Solutions Comprised Of Various Carbohydrates, Salts, And Stimulants Injected Into Broiler Hatching Eggs On Subsequent Late Term Embryogenesis And Post Hatch Performance Through Tendays Of Age, Brenna Mariechen Mcgruder

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the effects of individual and combinatorial electrolyte solution comprised of carbohydrate, salt, and a stimulant injected into broiler hatching eggs on subsequent late term embryogenesis and post hatch performance up to D 10 were evaluated in separate trials. The effects of solution concentration and volume on embryo body weight and yolk reserves were likewise considered, and limited posthatch growth, body weight, and yolk sac effects of a compound electrolyte solution were evaluated. The individual and combinatorial effects of injected solutions were examined in an effort to yield the maximum physiological growth effects on embryogenesis from the metabolic …

Elemental Analysis Of Marksville-Style Prehistoric Ceramics From Mississippi And Alabama, Keith A. Baca

Theses and Dissertations

Distinctive Marksville-style pottery is characteristic of the Middle Woodland period (200 B.C. – A.D. 500) in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and adjacent regions. Marksville material is common in the Lower Mississippi Valley, and the scarcity of similar pottery in northeastern Mississippi and western Alabama has caused claims that Marksville pots were imported into those areas; however, they may have been locally made. To test these alternative possibilities, the elemental composition of some Marksville-style potsherds, other pottery, and clays from various archaeological sites spanning the above regions was characterized using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The results show that the …

Elucidation Of Reaction Pathways For Catalytically Cracked Unsaturated Lipids, Tracy John Benson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the cracking chemistry as model lipids were reacted over a benchmark catalyst, H-ZSM-5, and two industrially used catalysts, faujasite and silica-alumina. Initial work began with a homogeneous system in which oleic acid, an unsaturated free fatty acid, and triflic acid, a Bronsted superacid, were reacted at low temperatures. Results indicated that protonation began at the double bond with cracking occurring in the direction away from the carboxylic end and producing a multiplicity of branched saturated fatty acids. Heterogeneous cracking on H-ZSM-5 at 400°C indicated that acylglycerides initially crack due to protonation occurring on the outside surface of …

Energy Expenditure And Mortuary Practices At Lyon's Bluff, 22ok520: An Evolutionary Approach, Lorien Stahl Elmore

Theses and Dissertations

Mortuary analysis has been used in the past to understand social status and social organization. The need for a scientific way to undertake mortuary analysis in achaeology is necessary because too often social status is assumed. This thesis attempts to demonstrate that there is a scientific approach that can be taken in mortuary analysis through the investigation of energy expenditure, a dimension that can measure the attributes of status. The mortuary analysis in this study is carried out using a scientific approach involving the amount of energy expended on burials by looking at burial type, grave goods, and special placement …

Axial Pull-Out Strength Of 3.5 Cortical And 4.0 Cancellous Bone Screws Placed In Canine Proximal Tibias Using Manual And Power Tapping, Jennifer Lynn Demko

Theses and Dissertations

Many orthopedic conditions in dogs require the placement of bone screws in the proximal tibial metaphysis. Currently, both cortical and cancellous screws are used clinically depending on the surgeon’s preference; however, the ideal screw for use in the proximal tibia has not been determined. Currently, both the manual and power tapping techniques are used during surgical procedures of the proximal tibia in dogs. However, it is unknown if the use of power tapping when placing screws in the canine proximal tibial metaphysis affects screw purchase. Measurement of axial pull-out strength is traditionally used to evaluate and compare the holding power …

Survivin And P53 Expression In Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma And Correlation With Prognosis, Heidi Huffman Rose

Theses and Dissertations

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most common oral neoplasm of cats, demonstrates aggressive local invasion and has a poor prognosis. In humans, mutation of the p53 gene, crucial in cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in damaged cells, is common in neoplasms. Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, is frequently overexpressed in many types of human cancer. Studies suggest that wild-type p53 inhibits survivin expression, while mutated p53 does not. The purposes of this study included immunohistochemical examination of survivin and p53 expression in feline oral SCC and determination of a correlation between p53 mutation and survivin overexpression, as well …

Terminal-Occupation Community Patterns At Lyon's Bluff (22ok520) In Oktibbeha County, Mississippi:Sedimentological, Molluscan, Artifactual, And Geophysical Evidence, S Marshall Bierly

Theses and Dissertations

Prehistoric cultures are often studied by intrasite artifact variation and quantity without much consideration of how prehistoric populations interacted locally and regionally. Archaeologists can identify and study patterns associated with activities within a specified radius in order to gain an understanding of cultural operations. Identifying a social framework for a prehistoric society allows the investigation of group organization such as status differentiation, shared rituals, and the construction and maintenance of earthworks and living areas. That facilities were constructed for specialized use within a community is evidenced by the presence of earthworks and mounds at many sites (Lewis et al. 1998:16-17). …

The Continuing Ballad Of Franco The Kid, Jayson Ming Triplett

Theses and Dissertations

The Continuing Ballad of Franco the Kid is an installation housing a collection of thoughts, both static and animated, addressing the absurdities of cultural dichotomy in contemporary America. Its theme-park aesthetic is an intentional appropriation meant to echo the spectacle that makes up America’s cultural landscape. Within this presentation the action of various iconic characters merge with fragmented text to form an allegorical matrix used to address America’s consumption and entertainment-obsessed culture and the consequential malaise induced by such obsession. The Continuing Ballad of Franco the Kid addresses this cultural state of being while underscoring current methods of communication and …

Molecular Reprogramming In Bovine Embryos After Serial Somatic Cell Chromatin Transfer, Nelida Rodriguez-Osorio

Theses and Dissertations

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), commonly known as cloning, is the transfer of a somatic nucleus into an enucleated oocyte to produce a clone. The chromatin structure of somatic cells permits the expression of certain genes, while silencing the rest of the genome. The cytoplasm of oocytes can reprogram a somatic nucleus by reactivating the genes necessary for embryonic development and silencing the somatic genes. However, the low efficiency of SCNT indicates that successful nuclear reprogramming is a rare event. The objectives of this study were determine the extent of transcriptional reprogramming in bovine blastocysts produced by serial rounds of …

Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Of Analytes Important To Biofuels, Maria Cristina Paraschivescu

Theses and Dissertations

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable, clean burning fuel, produced from vegetable oils and animal fat. It is a mixture of fatty acid alkyl esters, products that result from the catalytic transesterification of lipids. The first part of this research describes the development of a new and direct method used to rapidly and quantitatively determine the amount of free methanol in biodiesel samples. The analytical method developed is different from the current standards for methanol determination, and it is the first headspace-SPME method used to extract methanol from biodiesel as matrix. The second part of this research describes the direct analysis …

Identification Of Disease And Weather Related Loss Factors And An Efficiency Measure Affecting The U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Industry, Seanicaa E. Edwardsorris

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed factors that affected catfish losses from diseases and weather events and factors that affected onarm efficiency. A double limit tobit model was used to determine the magnitudes of losses experienced by producers due to these events, while a linear regression model was used to determine factors that affect efficiency. Results from the weather model indicate all variables are significant and positively affect loss while producer experience and pond depth were the only significant variables that affected disease loss. The efficiency model results provide information that could be increased or decreased in order to obtain a more efficient …

Evaluation Of Performance And Maintenance Of Pavement Subdrainage Systems In Mississippi, Jordan S. Whittington

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that pavement subdrainage systems can increase the life of pavements by removing water that is detrimental to the pavement structure. The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) began including pavement subdrainage systems in the construction of major highways in the mid to late 1990’s. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of current MDOT subdrainage systems and to evaluate maintenance procedures and inspection schedules for existing edge drains and outlets. Research findings show the subsurface drainage systems instrumented in this study to be functioning efficiently. Research findings also indicate that no statewide inspection or maintenance …

Exploring The Reliability And Validity Of The Human Spirituality Scale Scores With Older Adults In Independent Living Facilities, Charles Joseph Landrum

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to extend the findings of previous research about the construct of spirituality–as measured by the Human Spirituality Scale (HSS) developed by Wheat. To expand the research across the entire adult life span, the researcher pooled preexisting data (Wheat) from middle-aged adults with data he obtained from 236 older adults living in independent living facilities. He analyzed the pooled data from 502 adults, with an age range of 25 to 98. Using the pooled data set, the researcher divided the data into five age groupings. He conducted confirmatory factor analysis, of the model of spirituality developed by Wheat, …

Library Media Specialists Are Not Ready To "Radically Change:" The Use Of Radical Change Children's Books In New Jersey School Media Centers, Elena Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine if LMSs were using titles from a suggested list of titles found in Radical Change with kindergarten to third grade students, (b) determine how LMSs were using books with Radical Change characteristics; and (c) determine if LMSs were not using books with Radical Change characteristics, what were the reasons why they were not using or did not own the books. From the results of the questionnaire, the majority of the respondents had not heard of Dr. Eliza Dresang and her theory of Radical Change. It was also determined that many of …

Risks Of Skin Cancer And Photoaging Associated With Indoor Tanning, Amy Knutson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Vitamin D Supplementation And Breastfed Infants, Jana Zwilling

Theses and Dissertations

Exclusive breastfeeding has been proven to be the best sole source of nutrition for infants until six months of age when supplemental foods may be added. Controversies have arisen regarding the necessity for vitamin D supplementation prior to six months of age in exclusively breastfed infants. There are inconsistent practices and information provided to parents regarding the need to provide vitamin D supplementation to their infants. Therefore, the puqJose of this project was to determine the cmTent evidence for vitamin D supplementation in exclusively breastfed infants in the first six months of life. Current evidence supports supplementing exclusively breastfed infants …

Personalized Web Search By Using Learned User Profiles In Re-Ranking, Jia Hu

Theses and Dissertations

Search engines return results mainly based on the submitted query; however, the same query could be in different contexts because individual users have different interests. To improve the relevance of search results, we propose re-ranking results based on a learned user profile. In our previous work we introduced a scoring function for re-ranking search results based on a learned User Interest Hierarchy (UIH). Our results indicate that we can improve relevance at lower ranks, but not at the top 5 ranks. In this thesis, we improve the scoring function by incorporating new term characteristics, image characteristics and pivoted length normalization. …

Causative Factors Of Crashes Between A Motor Vehicle And The Amish And Old Order Mennonite Horse And Buggy, Cory Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Horse and buggy transportation is spreading as rapidly as its Amish and Old Order Mennonite users are, as are buggy crashes with motor vehicles. This study examines the primary causes of 76 reported horse and buggy crashes in Pennsylvania in 2006. The main crash types identified include a motorist rear-ending a forward-moving buggy, motorist failing to pass a buggy, buggy struck while crossing an intersection, and buggy struck while making a left turn. While causative factors varied for each crash type, major factors include the motorist or buggy driver incorrectly comprehending speed differentials, the motorist acting carelessly around the buggy, …

Reactive Airway Disease In Relation To Indoor Air Quality, Latoria Williams

Theses and Dissertations

You're at work. The housekeepers have just sprayed a chemical in the air. You can't breathe. The purpose of this project is to identify the types of diseases and symptomology created by poor indoor air quality and use this information to inform other healthcare professionals

Many different terms are used to describe this phenomenon; environmental health, environmental illness, sick building/house syndrome, and multiple chemical sensitivity. There are also a wide variety of diseases/symptoms created by this phenomenon. The search revealed that back in the 70s and 80s the term used was reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) but the more popular …

Childless Women In The Plays Of William Inge, Tennessee Williams, And Edward Albee, Suzanne Macdonald Winkel

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of three major twentieth-century American playwrights—William Inge, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee—and their dramatic use of childless women characters in Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) respectively. Although the plays of Inge, Williams, and Albee have been analyzed individually by numerous scholars, they have not been studied together as works about procreation and childlessness. The study's historical focus is the post World War II era during which time the three plays proposed for analysis were written and produced. Commonly called the baby boom …

Healing, Learning And Play, Kangana Bhatnagar

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that the first five years of life are critical for building the foundation for children’s success throughout their schooling and life. Throughout these first years of life there are a number of essential windows of opportunity during which certain kinds of stimuli are needed to help the brain develop and maintain critical connections necessary for learning. This project is a unification of a Child Development Center and a therapeutic center. This center includes children who suffer from bereavement; a broken home, death of a parent or child abuse. These children are provided with therapy by a specialist, and …

Effects Of Altered Superoxide Dismutase Expression On Age-Related Functional Declines And Survival In Drosophila, Ian Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Most organisms experience progressive declines in physiological function as they age. A number of studies in a variety of species support a strong link between oxidative damage, age-related functional declines and life span determination. Here, manipulating the expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoenzymes SOD1 and SOD2, resulted in altered functional senescence and survival characteristics in Drosophila. Overexpression of cytosolic Sod1 using the yeast GAL4/UAS system conferred a 30-34% increase in mean life span and resulted in an attenuated senescence of odor avoidance behavior in aging flies. Tissue-specific Sod1 overexpression selectively in the nervous system or muscle failed to reproduce …

The Effect Of Nacl On Akinete Differentiation In The Cyanobacterium Nostoc Punctiforme, Jonathan Heekin

Theses and Dissertations

Nostoc punctiforme is a nitrogen-fixing, symbiotic/free-living cyanobacterium. There has been a great deal of research conducted on the genomic nature of N. punctiforme as it pertains to its ecologically important role in the nitrogen cycle in varied environments around the world. My study concentrated on the dormant cell type known as the akinete. Increasing concentrations of NaCl were used to follow the growth phases from germination to akinete formation (lag phase-logarithmic growth phase-stationary phase). I found that increased salt concentrations caused N. punctiforme to form akinetes faster when compared to the control. Germination rates were not greatly increased or shortened …

Electrical Behavior Of Non-Aqueous Formulations: Role Of Electrostatic Interactions In Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (Pmdis), Reshma Kotian

Theses and Dissertations

Aerosol electrostatics is an important property of pharmaceutical aerosols. The electrostatic properties of pMDI aerosols have been shown to be a function of both formulation and packaging components. The modified ELPI enables measurement of aerosol charge as a function of particle size, and the simultaneous determination of the mass distribution using chemical analysis. However, in order to fully assess the cause and effects of aerosol electrostatics in terms of its biological and regulatory implications, it is necessary to understand the basic charging mechanisms inside the pMDI formulation.

Electrical resistivity and zeta potential measurements confirmed the presence of charged species within …

Inflammatory Regulation Of Cysteine Cathepsins, Blaine Creasy

Theses and Dissertations

Cysteine cathepsins B, L and S are endosomal/lysosomal proteases that participate in numerous physiological systems. Cathepsin expression and activity are altered during various inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Early immune responses to microbial pathogens are mediated by pattern-recognition receptors, including Toll-like receptors (TLR). Signaling through TLR causes cell activation and release of inflammatory mediators, which can contribute to the severity of chronic inflammatory diseases. The impact of TLR cell activation on cathepsins B, L and S activities was investigated using live-cell enzymatic assays. Individual ligands of TLR4, TLR2 and TLR3 increased intracellular activities of the …

Effects Of Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers On The Vasoactivity Of The Spinotrapezius Muscle Of The Rat, Pete Meliagros

Theses and Dissertations

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) offer a safe, more plentiful and long term alternate to blood banks. However, they have been found to increase blood pressure which can be attributed to an increase in total peripheral resistance (TPR). Lumenal nitric oxide (NO) scavenging by these HBOCs seems to be responsible for this hypertensive effect. In addition, it is believed that hemoglobin (Hb) tetramers and dimers may extravasate and consume additional nitric oxide in the perivascular and interstitial space. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the role of NO scavenging and to confirm extravasation as a contributor to HBOC …

The Ecology Of Fear: Oviposition And Colonization In Aquatic Systems, Leeanna Pletcher

Theses and Dissertations

Amphibians and aquatic invertebrates have complex life histories that link aquatic and terrestrial food webs. It has been suggested that amphibian reproduction is an important source of carbon to some aquatic systems. This process of energy flow may be shaped by shifts in habitat selection in response to predators. We hypothesized that predators decrease colonization and oviposition of prey, reducing active inputs. Thus predation risk is expected to shift the relative amounts of active and passive subsidies. We manipulated the presence of fish predators in aquatic mesocosms. Results suggest hylid treefrog eggs and hydrophilid beetles were less abundant in predator …

Mechanistic Studies On The Electrochemistry Of Glutathione And Homocysteine, Olufemi Oyesanya

Theses and Dissertations

This research work has investigated the electrochemistry of glutathione (GSH)and homocysteine (HCSH) in order to develop sensors for these biological thiols.Ru(bpy)₃³⁺ and IrCl₆²⁻ have been used as mediators for the electrooxidation of GSH andHCSH because direct oxidation of these thiols is slow at most conventional electrodes.The electrochemical detection of GSH and HCSH has been pursued because of their biological roles.

Concerted proton electron transfer (CPET) and stepwise proton electron transfer(PT/ET) pathways have been observed in the electrooxidation of GSH and HCSH.Oxidation of GSH by Ru(bpy)₃³⁺ carried out in deuterated and undeuterated buffered (pH= pD …