Digital Commons Network^™

Open Liver Open Lung: Elaborate Expressions In White Hmong, Luke Walker Packer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a description of four-word elaborate expressions in White Hmong, a Hmong-Mienh language spoken in the northern mountains of Southeast Asia. The goal of this work is to describe the behavior, characteristics, and functions of the expressions using data from the White Hmong-English Dictionary (Heimbach 1980). A native speaker helped find 318 examples of elaborate expressions in the dictionary. Elaborate expressions have previously been described as "a balanced group of four words in which the first and third element, and the second and fourth element, are either identical to each other or share a common meaning and often …

Deployable Mechanisms And Applications For Minimally Invasive Surgery, Jacob L. Sheffield

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores techniques to utilize deployable, developable, and compliant mechanism design principles while investigating applications for minimally invasive surgery. This work also examines contemporary outreach strategies to broaden awareness and expand dissemination avenues of engineering research. The outcomes of this research aim to (i) equip product designers with machine design tools, (ii) deliver background and designs to mitigate surgical frustration and procedure complications associated with obstructed laparoscope lenses during laparoscopic surgery, and (iii) provide engineering researchers with new tools to extend the impact of their research. Part one of this work (Chapter 2) introduces methods for embedding linear-motion mechanisms …

Exploring The Role Of Salt-Tolerant Halomonas Inoculant In Altering Plant Gene Expression To Improve Salt Tolerance In Alfalfa., Ashley Kay Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Soil salinity is an increasing problem facing agriculture in many parts of the world. Climate change and irrigation practices have led to decreased yields of large areas of farmland due to increased salt levels in the soil. Irrigation introduces salts to the soil that with time accumulate and threaten crop yield. In arid climates like Utah, the practice of irrigation is especially threatening to salt-sensitive crops including alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Plants that have tolerance to salt are needed to feed livestock and the world's population. One approach to address this problem is to introduce genes encoding salt tolerance into the …

Grief In Children With Disabilities And How It Is Portrayed In Children's Picture Books, Erjola Gjini

Theses and Dissertations

Even though today's children's literature provides a wide range of topics, including books on death and grief, and much has been done to represent children with disabilities accurately and positively, there is still room for improvement. This descriptive study sought to understand how individuals with disabilities were represented in 177 grief-themed children's books from 1965-2023. From the results, only seven books included representations of individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the literary devices such as euphemisms or metaphors utilized in the books to describe how death was represented may inadvertently perpetuate inaccessibility to resources about grief (Berns, 2004). Thus, when choosing books …

The -Go Morpheme And Reference Tracking In Jicarilla Apache, Lee Shanideen Ferrin

Theses and Dissertations

Jicarilla Apache is a Southern Athabaskan language with a complex verbal structure, including a prefix template with positions for more than ten affixes. Little has been done to document or describe the language grammatically or typologically, but one of the morphemes that has been described in the literature is the suffix -go. The morpheme can be found in elicited speech as well as in narrations. This morpheme is one of the few verbal affixes that can appear after the verb stem and plays a role in many subordinate clause constructions. It has been described as a temporal marker, a feature …

An Assessment Of Cattle Traffic On, And Seed Dispersion Patterns Of, Sclerocactus Wrightiae, David D. Lariviere

Theses and Dissertations

Cattle grazing has been a historic use of rangelands in Utah since Pioneer settlement in the mid 1800's. Wright fishhook cactus is a small globose cactus endemic to an area of 280,000 ha in south-central Utah and was listed as endangered in October of 1979, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). By 2010, concerns were expressed that soil compaction in proximity to the cactus posed a threat to this species, though there was no empirical data to support such concern. In order to assess the impact of cattle traffic on Wright fishhook cactus, we used an imprint device …

Using De Novo Transcriptomes To Decipher The Relationships In Cutthroat Trout Subspecies (Oncorhynchus Clarkii), Andrea Leena Kokkonen

Theses and Dissertations

Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) is a salmonid native to Western North America. For almost 200 years, the taxonomy of these species has fluctuated as ichthyologists and fisheries managers alike have tried to understand the diversity seen within these fishes. In the 1950s, Robert Behnke reexamined the cutthroat trout and identified 14 subspecies based on morphological observations, Pleistocene events, and modern geographic ranges. These designations were instrumental in preserving the remaining diversity of cutthroat trout. Over time, molecular techniques (i.e. karyotypes, allozymes, and mtDNA) have largely replicated Behnke's phylogenies. However, these studies have revealed that some of these relationships are consistently …

Ecofeminism Reimagined: Discourse & Embodiment In Young Adult Literature, Laurel Krapivkin

Theses and Dissertations

In this project, I will begin to develop a reimagined ecofeminist lens that is informed by a careful attention to the relationship between discourse and embodiment. The field of children’s literature would benefit from additional guidance on how to think complexly about ecofeminist tenants in young adult literature. While the novels I’ve chosen to analyze in this project certainly contain ecofeminist themes such as care, reciprocity, discussion of embodiment, depictions of nature and the relationships between humans and the environment, this project’s scope is not to create a definition for what constitutes an ecofeminist young adult text. Rather, I intend …

The Effect Of An Aiming Device On The Accuracy Of Humeral Transcondylar Screw Placement, Katherine Neal

Theses and Dissertations

Canine cadaveric forelimbs (136) were randomly assigned to either treatment (aiming device) or control (fluoroscopic-guided) groups, and to either diplomate or resident for humeral transcondylar screw placement. Each limb underwent a transcondylar humeral screw placement from a lateral to medial direction. Digital radiography was used to evaluate screw trajectory, measured as deviation from the epicondylar line, and eccentricity on the humeral condyle. Procedure time, difference in outcome based on experience level, and complications were recorded. In the right limb, screw trajectory with the aiming device was decreased compared to fluoroscopy. There was no difference of accuracy between leg laterality with …

Impact Of Soil Moisture Stress At Different Phases Of Corn Growth And Development, Ranadheer Reddy Vennam

Theses and Dissertations

Suboptimal soil moisture during the growing season often limits growth and yield potential of corn. This study aimed to assess the impact of varying soil moisture regimes on corn growth at different growth phases involving vegetative, flowering, and grain-filling stages. Exposure to moisture stress (80% of the control) during the vegetative stage resulted in a 65% reduction in stomatal conductance and increased the canopy temperature by 5 ^oC, which led to a substantial decrease in total dry matter (56%). Moisture stress-induced reductions in silk length (19%) and fresh weight (34%), negatively affected kernel number (53%), and weight (54%). Unlike …

Evaluation Of The Virulence Potential Of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated From Broiler Breeders With Colibacillosis In Mississippi, Jiddu Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a bacterium that is responsible for colibacillosis in birds. However, information about broiler breeder APEC isolates is limited, but the data is critical due to the transfer of this bacteria down the production pyramid to progenies resulting in high mortality. Therefore, we evaluated the phenotypic virulence characteristics of 28 isolates using embryo lethality and day-old chick challenge assays. Also, the in vitro adhesion and invasion potential of selected nine isolates were identified. Results showed more than 1/3^rd of the isolates were highly virulent and the virulence increased as the number of virulence-associated genes …

Loaded Lipid Emulsified Volatile Anesthetics In Canine Primary Hepatocytes, Patricia De Carvalho Ibrahim Obeid

Theses and Dissertations

In the 19th century, halothane hepatitis became a sensitive and well-known subject in human anesthesiology due to the production of a noxious metabolite further discovered, trifluoroacetic acid. Subsequently, isoflurane, enflurane, and desflurane were also investigated for potentially causing hepatitis through the same metabolite. Sevoflurane, however, does not generate trifluoroacetic acid and is quickly conjugated and excreted.

For more than four decades these anesthetics have been experimentally developed for intravenous injection by having added either a lipid or fluorocarbon-based carrier to produce general anesthesia with less drug and faster onset of action. The use of intravenous emulsified halogenated anesthetics as an …

Impact Of A Feeding Strategy And Management Practices On The Health And Welfare Of Pullets And Laying Hens, Gerald Rodney Self

Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this thesis is to understand the impact of management on commercial egg layers, whether that be environmental-related, health-related, or other possible stressors within the pullet and post-peak phases. Furthermore, the study seeks to examine what effects to performance and production these impacts may induce within a commercial layer in differing phases, specifically the pullet and post-peak phases. Chapter two explores into coccidiosis within the pullet phase, which induced by a commercial vaccine, can provide stress to a pullet, lowering protection against infection, and seriously compromising its growth and development into peak lay. Chapter three explores into …

Is A Test The Best?, Giulia Ronnette Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The test effect (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006) demonstrates that performance on a final test is better when an immediate test is taken after reading a passage rather than rereading. Although transfer appropriate processing has been suggested as a theoretical explanation, the results could be due to elaborative retrieval processes during the immediate test that are not available during restudy. We compared testing to three other strategies using elaborative retrieval—Generating Questions, Read-Recite-Review, Teaching—to determine whether they would be as beneficial as testing. Results showed that each of the alternative strategies produced final test performance equal to that of testing, suggesting not …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Evaluation Of Heat Abatement Use, Vaginal Temperature, And Activity Of Pregnant, Lactating Holstein Cows Housed On Pasture With Or Without The Choice Between Shade And Sprinklers For Heat Abatement., Kevin M. Braman

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to determine how pregnant, lactating Holstein cows on pasture interact with shade and sprinklers when offered a choice or no-choice between methods. Authors hypothesized that cows would use shade more then sprinklers, but sprinklers would be more effective at cooling cows. Additionally, authors predicted cows using shade more would have decreased lying bouts and steps and an increase in time lying, compared to cows choosing sprinkler. Results indicate cows will use both methods when offered alone or together. However, cows will choose to be exposed or in shade at lower temperature humidity index values, …

The Interaction Between Predation And Sound Pollution On The Internal And External Microbiome Of The Grasshoppers Melanopus Sanguinipes, Alanna Bond

Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities such as construction and agriculture directly affect its surrounding environments. Many studies have focused on how megafauna and flora are impacted by human activities, however, relatively little is known how new occupation of land affects smaller organisms such as insects and microbes. Additionally, other stressors such as predation can impact host physiology. The grasshopper species Melanopussanguinipes was chosen to be used in a study to measure how stress caused by artificial sound and predation can alter exoskeleton and gut microbiomes once exposed to these stressors.

Multi-Objective Design Optimization Of Two Configurations Of Ventricular Shunts For Hydrocephalus, Will Kirkpatrick

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrocephalus is developed when the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is obstructed in the ventricles and a pressure build-up is generated within the brain. Ventricular shunts are used to remove excess fluid from the brain, but these shunts have a common problem of failure due to the shunt being obstructed by the build-up of astrocytes. To address this, two sets of 27 designs of ventricular shunts were identified and analyzed with parameters that could potentially reduce obstruction risks. The performance of these designs was examined using fluid simulations on these two sets of 27 designs. One set explored close-tipped shunt designs, …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Novel Brain-Penetrating Oxime Acetylcholinesterase Reactivators On Sarin Surrogate-Induced Toxicities, Darby Caroline Stanford

Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs), both nerve agents and insecticides, may induce damage leading to long-term neurological deficits. Oxime 20, the lead compound from a platform of substituted phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes (US Patent 9,227,937), is an oxime that reactivates OP-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and has displayed neuroprotection within the brain of rats in in vivo tests where the currently approved treatment, pralidoxime (2-PAM), has not. This research investigated the neuroprotective effect of novel oxime therapy. Gene expression in rat piriform cortex was analyzed to determine if neurotoxicity, stress, and synaptic plasticity-associated genes were down-regulated by Oxime 20 following a sublethal dose of sarin …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

The Effects Of Mechanical Strain On Vascular Calcification And The Canonical Wnt Pathway, Hannah E. Douglas

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is a significant health crisis, representing 32% of deaths worldwide in 2019. Vascular calcification (VC), a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, is a regulated biomineralization process whose exact mechanisms are unknown. Additionally, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) significantly contribute to VC by undergoing a phenotypic switch and differentiating into osteoblast-like cells. When factors like hypertension cause disturbed laminar flow in the body’s vasculature, the mechanical stress promotes the phenotypic switch and calcification of VSMCs via mechanotransduction. VC is also induced by the Wnt pathway, which is activated via mineral imbalance and mechanical stimulation. However, the exact mechanisms behind …

Nanoscale Modeling Of Membrane Systems Under Mechanical Deformation In Traumatic Brain Injury Using Molecular Dynamics, Anh Thi Ngoc Vo

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal membrane disruption and mechanoporation are nanoscale damage mechanisms that critically affect brain cell viability during traumatic brain injury (TBI). These nanoscale cellular impairments are elusive in experiments and necessitate in silico approaches such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Implementing MD, this research aims to investigate the effects of different key factors related to membrane deformation and damage, including force field resolutions, lipid compositions, and loading conditions.

To examine the impact of force field resolution, MD deformation simulations were conducted on 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) lipid bilayer membranes, using all-atom (AA), united-atom (UA), and coarse-grained Martini (CG-M) force fields. The mechanical responses …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

Upland Cotton And Nematodes: An Analysis Of Historical Resistance, Upcoming Threats, And Co-Inoculation Effects, Amanda Gaudin

Theses and Dissertations

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum ) is an important fiber crop grown throughout the southern United States. Plant-pathogenic nematodes are worm-like animals that feed on the roots of most agronomic crops, including cotton. The southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita, RKN) and the reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis, RN) cause significant yield losses in cotton every year. Current sources of resistance are effective but limited, therefore historical screenings of cotton accessions were revisited in search for novel resistance sources. None were identified but many of the screened accessions possessed markers of known root-knot nematode and reniform nematode resistance. …

Survival, Persistence, Regrowth And Morphotype Variation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Strains After Exposure To First Generation And Second Generation Quaternary Ammonium Compounds In Water, Stephen Schade

Theses and Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the toughest challenges the food industry is facing today. While quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are typically applied at very high concentrations to kill L. monocytogenes, there are some factors that can cause its reduced efficacy in the food processing environment. Sublethal concentrations of stagnated QAC have been found both in processing plants and in waste waters released to the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of two L. monocytogenes strains, Bug600 (serotype 1/2a) and ScottA (serotype 4b) to persist in lethal and sublethal concentrations of first generation QAC (benzalkonium …

Evaluating The Role Of The Bovine Vaginal Microbiome In Neonatal And Maternal Health Outcomes, Riley D. Messman

Theses and Dissertations

The dam vaginal microbiota is the first major microbial inoculating community within the neonate. The composition of the dam vaginal microbiota has implications in calf commensal microbiota development. Alterations of the dam microbial community prior to parturition could alter inoculating communities and immune responses in both the dam and calf. Thus, authors aimed to elucidate the microbial community composition of the bovine dam vaginal and calf nasal microbiota post-partum after utilizing betadine lavages (BL). The dam vaginal and calf nasal microbial communities and immune responses were evaluated at 0-, 15-, 30- and 60-day post-partum. Microbiota composition of the dam haircoat, …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Theses and Dissertations

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