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Determining The Toxic Threshold And Other Use Characteristics For Industrial Hemp Seed Oil Used For Wood Product Protection, Daylan M. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Plant-based wood treatments have been utilized for many years, with varying success. Oils such as those extracted from linseed (flax), tung, and hemp plants have been used for thousands of years as finishes on wood. These are all drying oils, which dry to a film when exposed to air. Hemp seed oil has a high fatty acid content and can take a long time to dry on wood products but is valued in woodworking for being easy to use, food-safe, and having little to no odor. In this study, cold-pressed hemp seed oil, blended with a soybean carrier oil, is …

Integrated Analysis Of Untargeted Liver, Serum Metabolome And Gut Microbiome Following Selenium Deficiency Diet In Selenoh Knockout And Wildtype Mice, Richard Eugene Baird

Theses and Dissertations

Selenoprotein H (SELENOH) is an oxidoreductase located in the nucleolus, and its biochemical levels decrease with selenium (Se) deficiency, as reported in mammalian research. This current investigation aimed to understand the impact of nutritional Se deficiency on gut microbial composition and metabolomic profiles. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio, linked to various health conditions, was balanced for wildtype (WT) mice (1.06). In contrast, selenoh knockout (KO) mice associated with dietary Se deprivation had a significantly (p < 0.002) lower ratio (0.56), suggesting dysbiosis. It is believed that SELENOH levels decreased due to the Se deficient diet, and the selenoh KO mice exhibited alterations in microbial community composition and metabolite profiles, as supported by correlative analyses. With respect to the bacterial communities, significant differences between diets occurred for three taxa, including Akkemansia mucinphila, Bacteroides caecimuris, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii. Candida tropicalis, Malassezia restricta, and Cyberlindnera jadinii were three abundant fungal yeasts. Only Cyberlindnera jadinii exhibited significantly greater relative abundance between genotypes and was more abundant in the selenoh KO versus WT mice. Correlation analyses between bacterial and fungal taxa revealed both positive and negative relationships, but no specific trends were observed. The liver and serum metabolomic data contained similar amino acids, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Using NMR spectroscopy, 112 liver metabolites were detected, while GC-TOF-MS analysis of the serum revealed the presence of 172, comprising both polar and nonpolar compounds. The metabolite levels varied significantly when analyzed using multivariate models such as PCA and PLS-DA (VIP scores), particularly for glucose, taurine, lactate, and UDP-glucose, which are associated with energy production and cellular health. Overall, the Se deficient diet had the most significant impact on the microbial community structure and the concentration of key metabolites within liver tissues and serum. Correlation analyses conducted across studies revealed significant linear relationships between metabolites and the microbiome. However, these differences were associated with bacterial and fungal taxa containing low relative abundances. Based on these findings, further investigation into the impact of SELENOH homeostasis on microbial and metabolite profiles should be conducted using selenoh KO mice under various nutritional Se dietary levels.

Cotton Response To Banded Vs. Broadcast Potassium Fertilizer Rates And Varietal Response Of Peanut To Disease Pressure In A Mid-South Growing Environment, Bryce Dale Bullock

Theses and Dissertations

Cotton and peanut are commonly grown in rotation for two reasons, cotton requires high fertility, and peanuts are susceptible to diseases which cannot survive on cotton. The objectives of these two studies were to determine if banding K2O closer to the rooting zone of cotton could potentially decrease the amount of potash required to decrease costs, and to determine varietal susceptibility of peanut to early and late leaf spot and southern blight. Application rates of K2O were determined based on soil tests with a full rate being 90 Kg ha-1 and a half rate being 45 Kg ha-1 banded and …

Variables That Affect Designers’ Use Of Edible Planting In Residential Landscape Design, Emily Margaret Butler

Theses and Dissertations

Edible landscaping or “foodscaping” has had a resurgence into the mainstream. Though many trailblazers aim to encourage edible landscaping through homeowners and renters, there seems to be a lack of initiative from designers. To identify the variables that can affect a designer’s use of edible planting in the residential Southeastern United States, research and statistical methods were employed. Beyond interviewing an expert in the field of edible planting in the residential space, a survey consisting of both Likert and open-ended questions was sent to licensed landscape architects in the Southeastern U.S. The survey was conducted using Qualtrics and analyzed using …

Influence Of Diverse Forage Environments On Honey Bee Colony Health, Angus Catchot Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Honey bees are important pollinators that face a multitude of stressors in their environment such as pathogens, parasite pressure, forage availability and pesticide exposure. This study examined how the makeup of different environments and the stressors related to those environments are affecting honey bee health in Mississippi. A field experiment was conducted during the first year of the study across four distinct landscapes ranging from intensively cultivated cropland to predominantly natural forage habitats to assess the impact of landscape availability on varying honey bee colony health parameters. Locations that had cultivated crops within foraging range produced more honey and brood …

Characterizing The Impact Of Cover Crop On Soil Microbiome Function Affecting C And N Inputs In Corn Production System, Durga Purushotham Mahesh Chinthalapudi

Theses and Dissertations

Cover cropping (CC) is a widely adopted strategy to improve soil health and microbial diversity in agroecosystems. However, its influence on microbial community dynamics and ecosystem functions remains context-dependent, particularly under variable nitrogen (N) inputs. This dissertation integrates a three-year field study (2021-2024) in corn-based systems with a meta-analysis of 473 soil samples from diverse Mississippi cropping systems to evaluate CC effects on soil microbial structure, function, and ecosystem multifunctionality. In the field study, soil bacterial and fungal communities were profiled using high-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA for bacteria, ITS2 for fungi). Seven CC treatments ryegrass, balansa, radish, red clover, …

The Evaluation Of Traditional And Latency Based Functional Analyses On The Identification Of The Function Of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior, Mallie N. Donald

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that up to 80% of children with developmental disabilities have feeding problems. Feeding problems typically coexist with the presence of inappropriate mealtime behavior which includes behaviors such as aggression, throwing food or utensils, or turning head away from the presented bite. As a result, functional analysis procedures are commonly used to determine the function of inappropriate mealtime behavior to later inform effective function-based interventions. Traditional functional analysis procedures utilize the measurement of the rate of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Several limitations exist within traditional procedures for the assessment of inappropriate mealtime behavior which include demands across all test and …

Evaluation Of Furrow-Irrigation And Agronomic Management In Mississippi Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Thomas W. Eubank Iv

Theses and Dissertations

A new non-transgenic rice has been developed called ROXY, which is resistant to formulations of oxyfluorfen. Utilizing the ROXY rice production system in a furrow-irrigated system could help combat troublesome terrestrial weeds and be a viable option for producers. To evaluate the performance of oxyfluorfen in furrow-irrigated ROXY rice production system, two concurrent field studies were conducted at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS, from 2022 to 2024. The first study evaluated residual grass and broadleaf weed control with oxyfluorfen applied delayed-preemergence (DPRE). Factor A was oxyfluorfen rates of 0, 700, and 981 g ai ha-1. Factor …

Strategic Use Of Exogenous Feed Enzymes And Sodium Bisulfate To Optimize Broiler Production, Spencer Thomas Karn

Theses and Dissertations

Poultry producers must continually evaluate nutritional strategies to enhance broiler performance and sustainability. Chapter II assessed sodium bisulfate (SB) applied to litter, feed, and water across a 42-day grow-out. Applying SB to litter reduced pH, while 0.3% and 0.4% dietary SB improved feed conversion ratio (FCR). Water acidification with SB during the final week did not impair performance, supporting its use as a preharvest intervention. Chapter III evaluated phytase at 500, 1500, and 2000 FTU/kg, with or without protease, in reduced amino acid diets over 56 days. Birds fed a nutrient-adequate diet with 1500 FTU/kg phytase outperformed all reduced-amino acid …

From Gametes To Genes: Genetic Quality Assessment Of Anuran Cryopreserved Spermatozoa And Derived Embryos, Trinity Isabella Kassuhn

Theses and Dissertations

Sperm cryopreservation is an important tool within the suite of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) as it enables long-term storage of genetically valuable gametes. However, knowledge of the diagnostic criteria for assessing sperm quality and the genetic consequences of using cryopreserved sperm in amphibians is limited. This gap has raised concerns in captive breeding and reintroduction programs regarding the potential impact that cryopreserved sperm and the derived embryos may have on a population. The thesis aims to investigate how sperm cryopreservation affects the genetic material in both sperm and resulting embryos, with implications for in situ and ex situ amphibian populations. …

Understanding Pollinator-Forb Interactions And Evaluating Trapping Methods For Pollinator Monitoring In Lawns Of The Southeastern United States, Sara Rose Kirby

Theses and Dissertations

Urban turfgrass landscapes are widespread across the southeastern United States but offer limited ecological value under conventional management. This thesis evaluates the pollinator support potential of ten forb species commonly found in low-maintenance lawns and assesses the effectiveness of two insect sampling methods, sweep netting and pan trapping. Over two years of field surveys, native forbs such as Symphyotrichum divaricatum and Claytonia virginica supported significantly greater insect abundance and diversity than introduced species. Network and modularity analyses revealed that native plants facilitated more specialized pollinator interactions, including those involving oligolectic bee species. In a complementary study, pan traps effectively sampled …

Impact Of Buffered Dry Vinegar And Fermented Onion Juice On The Quality And Shelf-Life Of Fresh Pork Breakfast Sausage, Emily M. Little

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for clean-label meat products has increased interest in natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobials. This study evaluated the effects of buffered dry vinegar (BDV), fermented onion juice (FOJ), and their combination (CMB) on microbial stability and sensory quality of pork sausage during 9 days of refrigerated storage. Sausages were assigned to control, FOJ (0.5%), BDV (0.5%), or CMB (0.25% each) treatments. BDV and CMB significantly reduced aerobic and psychrotrophic counts by days 7-9, while yeast increased across all treatments over time, reaching ~7 Log CFU/g by day 9. Sensory analysis revealed lower oxidation and off-note intensity in …

Evaluating The Dietary Supplementation Of Soy Lecithin For Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus), Crystal Lodi Conde

Theses and Dissertations

Soy lecithin (SL), a phospholipid rich ingredient derived from soybeans, was tested to evaluate the effects on channel catfish growth and physiological responses. In Trial 1, formulated diets with gradual SL levels were tested. Fish fed 1.5% SL had improved feed efficiency, while 0.5% SL enhanced protein conversion efficiency. The SL influenced cortisol levels during recovery from air exposure stress and improved survival after bacterial challenge. The Trial 2 tested three different lipid sources: Soybean oil (SBO; control), 1% SL + SBO, and catfish oil (CFO). The SL-fed fish also presented improved feed efficiency compared to the SBO group. There …

Sweetpotato Insect Pests: Virus Vector Management And Rearing, Rachel Emily Morrison

Theses and Dissertations

Sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are vegetatively propagated through slips, making them prone to viral buildup. Aphids are insect pests known for transmitting viruses to crops, which reduces yield. This study examined different options for aphid management to reduce the spread of potyviruses: crop borders, crop oils, and insecticides. However, the results of this research showed that treatments were not successful at reducing the spread of the four potyviruses tested. An additional objective was to establish a colony of banded cucumber beetles (Diabrotica balteata) in the laboratory. These beetles are a leaf-feeding and root-feeding pest of sweet potatoes. Two colonies of banded …

Evaluating The Impacts Of Cover Crops At Different Nitrogen Rates On Soil Microbial Dynamics Within A Sweetpotato Production System, Lahari Nekkalapudi

Theses and Dissertations

A field study was conducted from 2023 to 2024 at Pontotoc, Mississippi, to evaluate the effects of cover crops and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on soil microbial communities in sweet potato production. The study followed a randomized split-block design with three cover crops (Clover, Wheat, and Fallow) and three N rates (0, 50, and 100 lb N acre⁻¹), each replicated four times. Soil samples were collected at cover crop termination, sweet potato planting, and harvest. Bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed using Illumina HiSeq sequencing. Soil properties such as total carbon, total nitrogen, pH, POXC, and microbial activity (AWCD) were also …

Spawning And Rearing Techniques For Improved Production Of White Crappie (Pomoxis Anularis), Matthew E. Nichols

Theses and Dissertations

White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis) is a popular species, commonly propagated in hatcheries to support fisheries and supplement natural populations during cyclical declines. However, limited information exists regarding the effects of extended broodstock holding periods (>4 weeks), which are critical for enhancing flexibility in hatchery practices. Furthermore, rearing larval-to-juvenile crappie in outdoor ponds would greatly benefit from optimized fertilization and stocking densities to improve growth and survival rates. Additionally, dietary preferences during early life stages remain poorly understood, yet are essential for maximizing production efficiency. This study found holding broodstock for > 6 weeks can significantly reduce fertilization percentages. We also …

An Evaluation Of The Mississippi 4-H/Ffa Replacement Beef Heifer Development Contest, Lindsey V. Pansano

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi 4-H/FFA Replacement Beef Heifer Development Contest began in 2008 to provide youth with a contest to showcase their managerial skills relating to beef cattle. This study examined the impact of contest participation on development of life skills, technical skills, and choice of occupation. Youth and parents/guardians reported slight to moderate improvement in life skills. The same groups also agreed that technical skills were improved through contest participation. While most youth did not consider the contest to impact their choice of occupation, all indicated that they are currently involved in the beef cattle industry as adults. Overall, these results …

Drought Resilience Of Cowpea During Vegetative And Reproductive Stages, Sujan Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important leguminous crop. Exposure to drought can lead to significant reductions in yield and quality. Designing strategies to mitigate the effects of drought requires a comprehensive understanding of how trait variability influences resilience at various crop growth stages. Three experiments were conducted to assess the response and resilience of various cowpea genotypes under control (100% irrigation) and drought (50% irrigation of control for 14 days) conditions during the vegetative (nodulation initiation - V2, and peak branching - V4) and reproductive (flowering - R1, and seed fill - R4) stages. The short-term drought impacted …

Evaluation Of Soil Steaming, Cover Crops, And Allelopathy: An Integrated And Sustainable Weed Management Strategy In Sweetpotatoes, Alaina Marie Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a persistent weed in sweetpotato and vegetable cropping systems caused by its aggressive growth habit and limited control options. The present study assessed two alternative, chemical-free methods: steaming the soil and the use of allelopathic cover crops. Greenhouse and field experiments showed that steaming suppressed the germination of yellow nutsedge effectively and that treatments for 45 min provided the highest control of all the soil depths tested (100%). A leachate experiment examined the allelopathy of five cover crops against yellow nutsedge and showed that buckwheat and cereal rye had the largest reductions in shoot …

Feed-Based Strategies To Improve Poultry Production Efficiency, Anna Kathryn Riggs

Theses and Dissertations

The poultry industry continues to make significant strides in efficiency and innovation, particularly through advancements in nutrition. This thesis explores two key areas within broiler nutrition that are essential to supporting sustainable, cost-effective poultry production. First, the potential of a next-generation exogenous carbohydrase enzyme blend containing beta-mannanase and endo-glucanase is investigated when supplemented into reduced-energy, all-vegetable diets based on corn, soybean meal, and corn distillers dried grains with solubles in male broilers over a 42-day grow-out period, including processing (Chapter II). Second, the thesis examines the use of modeling strategies such as cubic, quadratic, kernel and smoothing spline to predict …

Raspberry Cultivar Evaluation Trial In Mississippi, Apphia Santy

Theses and Dissertations

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) are valued for their flavor, appearance, and nutritional quality. This study evaluated 26 raspberry cultivars over two seasons (2023 and 2024) in Mississippi under a 50% shade-covered system, using organic and conventional fertilization in 7-gallon containers. Cultivars included floricane- and primocane-fruiting types. Data collected included harvest timing, yield, berry weight, soluble solids content (°Brix), titratable acidity, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC). Results showed cultivar differences in yield, berry quality, and antioxidant levels. In 2023, conventionally fertilized plants produced higher yields; in 2024, fertilizer had no impact. Late-season harvests had elevated phytochemicals. ‘Prelude,’ ‘Nova,’ …

Academics Vs Athletics: Prioritizing The Students In Student-Athletes And The Importance Of Their Return To The Classroom, Stephen Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) aims to enhance student- athletes' educational experiences but Law 6.5.1 inadvertently causes students to miss 300 hours of academic instruction annually. This dilemma forces school districts to choose between robust sports programs and rigorous academic schedules, ultimately creating a disadvantage for students. While participation in sports has been linked to improved academic performance, the current structure disproportionately allocates resources to athletics over academics, with only 51% of schools offering after-school academic programs compared to 77% for sports. This paper discusses the benefits of sports, including higher attendance and graduation rates, but also highlights …

Intergenerational Transmission Of Health: Evidence From Indonesia, Fatima Khan

Theses and Dissertations

This study estimates the causal transmission of health from mothers to their children. Intergenerational associations in health and other human capital outcomes are well established, but those associations may not be causal due to common unobserved factors between a mother and her child. This study employs two-stage least squares, using weather variation as an instrument, to causally identify the relationship between maternal health and child health outcomes in five dimensions: height-for-age, self-reported health, blood pressure, lung capacity, and hemoglobin levels. The data are from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (1993--2014), a longitudinal survey that provides a 21-year look into the …

Acute Exposure Of American Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) To Selected Antidepressant Drug: Histological, Biochemical, And Immunohistochemical Assessments, Md. Faisal Amin

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid increase in pharmaceutical use has brought significant health benefits to humans. Studies have shown that many pharmaceuticals, such as antidepressants, are often detected in surface waters, groundwater, and even drinking water. These pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments threaten marine life seriously. Marine bivalves are vital source of seafood for people worldwide. In this study, we examined the effects of short-term exposure to fluoxetine, an antidepressant used to treat depression, at low (0.5 μg/L) and high (5 μg/L) doses over a one-week period on American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) under controlled laboratory conditions. Histological analysis revealed atrophy in the gills and …

Social Participation And Health-Related Quality Of Life For Adults With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Capabilities Mediation And Employment Status And Social Security Disability Insurance Moderation, Kayi Ntinda

Theses and Dissertations

Social participation is a key determinant of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs), yet how individuals with NDDs engage socially to support their HRQoL remains poorly understood. Furthermore, the influences of personal capabilities, employment status, and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as social factors for well-being are underexplored with this population.

This cross-sectional study investigated the direct and indirect effects of social participation on HRQoL, examining capabilities as a mediator and employment status and SSDI receipt as moderators. The study sample comprised 304 adults with NDDs (females = 83.3%; age range 18 to 60 years …

Assessment Of Floral Resources From Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Communities Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Gracie Makenna Granados

Theses and Dissertations

The Tamaulipan thornscrub is a transition zone between the neotropics and the temperate regions, harboring high biodiversity. This habitat supports a diverse insect community, including many pollinators of native and cultivated plants in Texas and northeastern Mexico. This ecosystem has been extensively degraded and lost; only 5% of its original cover remains north of the Rio Grande. Restoration of the Tamaulipan thornscrub has been ongoing for over three decades, but the important roles of pollinators in the success of such efforts and the functioning of the restored ecosystem have rarely been considered in restoration efforts. The purpose of this study …

Arginine Vasotocin And Corticosterone In Nesting And Non-Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles In X’Cacel-X’Cacelito Sanctuary, Krista Blair Reed

Theses and Dissertations

Sea turtles exhibit distinct behaviors before and after egg laying, however, not all individuals successfully oviposit. Some females display disruptions in their typical nesting behavior, returning to the water without laying eggs, which is referred to as a non-nesting emergence (NNE). NNEs can be due to external disturbances on the beach, but why they occur is often unclear. Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is a neuropeptide involved in various physiological processes, including stimulating smooth muscle contraction of the oviduct to facilitate egg deposition in nesting sea turtles. On the other hand, corticosterone is the primary stress hormone in sea turtles and is …

Exploring Transcriptional Stress Responses In Sorghum And Evolutionary Insights Into Yth Domain Proteins Across Plants, Shikha Bharti

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how plants respond to abiotic stress is crucial for enhancing crop resilience in the face of climate change. This thesis explores plant stress adaptation mechanisms through two interlinked studies that address different aspects of gene regulation. The first study investigates the transcriptional dynamics of Sorghum bicolor under drought and heat stress at 1-hour and 6-hour time points. By employing 3'-end RNA sequencing, this study provides a comprehensive temporal view of gene expression changes, revealing stress-responsive transcription factors, hormone-associated pathways, and chromatin regulators. The comparative analysis highlights both common and distinct molecular responses between drought and heat stress, providing insights …

Analyzing How Taste And Nutrition Impact Learning And Memory In Honey Bees Through Olfactory Associative Conditioning, Alessandra Elizabeth Perry

Theses and Dissertations

Honey bees detect sweet nectar, but not all sweet-tasting sugars provide nutrition. Unlike fruit flies, which can learn to avoid non-nutritious sweet foods, bees may lack this ability. To test if bees form caloric frustration memory (CFM), we conditioned them using odors paired with L-glucose (sweet but non-nutritious) or D-glucose (sweet and nutritious). Bees rewarded with L-glucose showed lower learning and long-term memory compared to D-glucose. Bees cannot differentiate between an odor associated with rewards containing malaise-causing compounds and an odor associated with a reward alone during differential conditioning. Therefore, we used differential conditioning to determine if lower acquisition in …

Transcriptomic Study On The Effect Of Salt Stress In Sorghum Bicolor Seedlings, Joshwa A. Gandy

Theses and Dissertations

The global impact and reliance on cereal crops, and sorghum in particular, is paramount for worldwide food security and for the livelihood of hundreds of millions of people. The detrimental effects of salt stress on crop plants and the huge economic losses it causes by affecting agricultural output worldwide is a devastating issue with huge impacts, which have prompted research to combat salinity in numerous ways. Understanding how cereals respond to the negative effects of salt stress is crucial for enhancing their salt tolerance. In this study of sorghum, we used a 3’-end RNA sequencing approach to elucidate major salt …