Digital Commons Network^™

The Effectiveness Of Worksite Breastfeeding Programs On Breastfeeding Initiation, Duration, And Exclusivity, Amy Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Time Demand Theory: A Case Study Of One Charter School, Farham A. Hussein

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of Renewable And Hydrolytically Degradable Polymers From Biomass-Based Monomers, Mathew Dennis Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

Renewable polymers (bioplastics) offer an alternative to petroleum-based polymers and reduced environmental impact through decreased petroleum dependence and a sustainable product lifecycle via renewable, biomass-derived monomers and completely degradable polymers. Applying green chemistry principles, melt polycondensations of 1,3-propanediol with malonic acid and 1,3-propanediol with itaconic acid were performed to produce poly(trimethylene malonte) (PTM) and poly(trimethylene itaconate) (PTI), respectively. Aluminum chloride was used as the catalyst and reaction temperatures from 125-175 °C and reaction times from 2-32 h were attempted in order to produce high yields and molecular weights (Mw). Gravimetric yields ranged from 20-95 wt.% for PTM and 20-85 wt.% …

Sedimentation Solutions For The Port Of Gulfport, Ms, Trey Elton Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The Port of Gulfport along with others on the Mississippi Gulf Coast experience large amounts of sediment deposition within their harbors and channels. The primary tool for sediment removal is dredging, which can be expensive and create downtimes in port operations. Research will study deposited material to determine its sources and suggest solutions for reduction of sediment deposition using structures, technologies and/or practices. Instruments used for such studies will be clam-shell dredges, Niskin tubes, and automatic samplers to test bed sediment gradation, suspended point sediments and tidal variations in suspended sediments, respectively. Additionally, fluid mud data will be retrieved from …

Immunizations And Autism: Educating The Public, Lori L. Slaubaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that the avoidance or delay of immunizations can lead to significant outbreaks of diseases previously thought eradicated. Recent outbreaks of diseases, such as measles, have emphasized the need for immunizations to protect each child, which in turn protects the population as a whole. Although research has not substantiated a link between the occurrence of autism and thimerosal , a preservative used in many vaccines since 1930, many parents continue to avoid immunizations out of fear that those containing thimerosal may cause autism in their child. Educating parents on the evidence related to thimerosal as a preservative in …

Handedness As A Predictor Of Success In Far Part 141 Flight Training, Danielle Dracy

Theses and Dissertations

The current study assesses the prevalence of left-, right-, and mixed-handedness and handedness as a predictor of success in flight training. The convenience sample is comprised of students enrolled in or who have previously completed the private pilot course at the University of North Dakota’s Part 141 flight training program. The Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and self-report methods are used to determine subject’s handedness. Success in flight training is assessed using student computerized academic and flight records. Statistical analysis of the data does not show a significant difference between left-, right-, and mixed-handed students with any of the measures used. This …

Differential Use Of Language By Adolescents Across Modes Of Written Communication, Kris A. Vossler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how adolescents in a small urban setting in the upper Midwest use alternative modes of written communication (i.e., text messaging, email, instant messaging, and social networking) for discourse purposes in order to identify ways in which these modes could be utilized by non speaking individuals. This study explored the factors related to choice of mode, including identity of the communication partner, number of communication partners, purpose of the communication, and personal preferences of the individual.

This qualitative study followed grounded theory methodology and used interviews as the primary means of data collection. …

Learned Communication Within A Patient Centered Medical School Curriculum, Susan J. Splichal

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Demand For Simplified Stormwater Modeling Tools Within The Design Profession To Facilitate The Adoption Of Sustainable Stormwater Practices, Austin Malone Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater runoff is a major environmental concern, particularly in urban environments. Trends in managing stormwater have evolved (and continue to evolve) from a quantity only approach into a sustainable approach, which integrates quantity, quality, the environment, and aesthetics. Best management practices (BMPs) and Low Impact Development (LID) are two well-documented techniques capable of managing to sustainable standards. There are a number of stormwater models available to design professionals today. However, there are few which integrate site-scale BMP/LID analysis in a simplified fashion. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a demand in the design profession for …

Comparison And Analysis Of A Lignite Seam In The Wilcox Group, Choctaw And Kemper County, Mississippi, Joshua M. Johns

Theses and Dissertations

The Wilcox Group includes the most abundant lignite bearing strata in Mississippi. Currently, the only lignite mine in Mississippi is located in Choctaw County with a proposed mine in Kemper County. Six lignite seams are currently mined in Choctaw County. One of those seams is believed to be continuous, from SE Choctaw County through central Winston County, NE Neshoba County into SW Kemper County (roughly 50 miles). Establishing a cross section from Choctaw to Kemper County verifying a continuous lignite seam would provide a stratigraphic marker horizon in correlation along strike, which is uncommon in the Wilcox Group sediments. Through …

Effects Of Management And Hydrology On Vegetation, Winter Waterbird Use, And Water Quality On Wetlands Reserve Program Lands, Mississippi, Kathryn Sarah Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

No evaluations of plant and wildlife communities in Wetlands Reserve Program wetlands have been conducted in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Therefore, I evaluated active and passive moist-soil management (MTYPE) and early and late draw-down on plant communities, waterbird use, and water quality on 18 WRP lands, Mississippi, 2007-2009. Active-early sites had greater waterfowl Vegetative Forage Quality (VFQI), percentage occurrence of grass, plant diversity, and structural composition than passively managed sites (P < 0.10). I modeled variation in densities of wintering waterbirds; the best model included VFQI*MTYPE and decreased % woody vegetation (wi ≥ 0.79). Additionally, waterbird densities varied positively with active-late management (R2 ≤ 0.27), as did duck species richness with flooded area (R2 = 0.66). I compared water quality parameters among managed wetlands and drainage ditches but did not detect differences due to variability. Therefore, wetland restoration on WRP lands should focus on active management and maximizing wetland area.

Early-Season Management Of Twospotted Spider Mite On Cotton And Impacts Of Infestation Timing On Cotton Yield Loss, John Frederick Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, most twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, infestations occurred during the late season near maturity, but since 2005, infestations of cotton have become more common throughout the entire season. Several factors may have contributed to the increasing frequency of mites in seedling cotton, one of which is a shift in production practices from furrow applied aldicarb to neonicotinoid seed treatments for thrips control. Another factor that may impact T. urticae densities in seedling cotton is a shift from pre-plant tillage to conservation tillage or no-till cropping systems. Although the literature confirms that T. urticae can cause extensive cotton yield …

Decrescendo Vocalizations Of Female Mallards And Mimicry By Duck Callers, James Thomas Callicutt

Theses and Dissertations

Female mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) exhibit diverse vocalizations. Duck hunters mimic these vocalizations using artificial calls made from hardwoods or plastics. Hardness of these calls and extent to which humans can mimic live mallards using an artificial call were unknown before this study. I compared hardness of 7 species of hardwoods and cast acrylic and found acrylic, cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa), bocote (Cordia alliodora), osage orange (Maclura pomifera), and pecan (Carya sp.) were the hardest materials tested. I also compared acoustic metrics of field recordings of vocalizing female mallards to those of experienced duck callers using calls of these materials equipped …

An Exploration Of Amniotic Fluids As A Possible Source Of Fetal Infection In The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Fiv)-Infected Cat Model Of Pediatric Aid, Brittany Tenille Clay

Theses and Dissertations

The role that amniotic fluid (AF) may play in HIV vertical infection is unresolved. We used the FIV-infected cat model to study this question. We hypothesized that AF may be a source of fetal infection if the virus is present in the fluids. However, virus neutralizing (VN) antibodies in AF may limit vertical transfer. Fetuses were delivered from FIV-infected queens by cesarean section at early and late gestation. AFs were aspirated from intact fetal membranes and tested for viral antigen and RNA and for FIV-specific antibody. Randomlyselected samples were tested for VN activity using a syncytium reduction assay. Neither FIV …

Atomistic Simulations To Study Magnetic, Mechanical, And Thermal Properties Of Materials Using Density Functional Theory And Semi-Empirical Methods, Amitava Moitra

Theses and Dissertations

We performed atomistic modeling to study magnetic, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials. We executed molecular statics and dynamics simulations for this study, using density functional theory (DFT) and semi-empirical methods, such as embedded atom method (EAM) and modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potentials. In our first study, we showed that when Al atoms are substituted in barium hexaferrite, the total magnetization monotonically decreases due to the fact that Al atoms preferentially occupy the majorly contributing magnetic sites. The second study was to explore the diffusion mechanism of Ba atoms in hematite in order to study new techniques to build …

Bacteria And Fungi Associated With Red Imported Fire Ants Solenopsis Invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) And Mounds In Mississippi, And Their Potential Use As Biological Control Agents, Sandra Winia Woolfolk

Theses and Dissertations

The assemblage of bacteria and fungi associated with red imported fire ants (RIFA) Solenopsis invicta Buren was obtained from Hinds, Leake, and Madison Counties (location) along Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. The sites were selected due to the limited presence of RIFA within the park and the more natural, undisturbed ecosystem. Active mounds containing soil, plant debris, and RIFA (substrate) were collected in March, July, and November of 2004 (time). Samples were processed according to standard microbiological protocols, and microorganisms identified using morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. A total of 71 bacteria (2324 isolates) and 50 fungi (1445 isolates) were …

A Novel Approach To Grass-Legume Management, Juan Kevin Quamina Solomon

Theses and Dissertations

A 2-yr grazing study quantified pasture and animal responses of four forage systems (FS) grazed at two stocking rates (SR; 3 or 6 animals ha-1). Using „Marshall? annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and „Durana? white clover (Trifolium repens L.), FS treatments included spatially separated grass and legumes within the same paddock (SS), monoculture grass (MG), monoculture legume (ML), and a binary grass and legume mixture (MIX). Annual herbage mass (HM) was similar among FS at high SR (1900 kg ha-1), but at low SR, grass plots had greater HM (2900 vs. 2000 kg ha-1) than plots of legume monocultures. Animals …

Estimating The Carbon Fluxes Using The Casa Model In The Southern United States, Venkata Narendra Appala Rongali

Theses and Dissertations

A minute change in human body temperature can get one collapsed permanently. If this is the case with human body, one might wonder what would be the case with Earth. The result is the greenhouse. The main function of the greenhouse gases (GHG’s) is to tap energy from the sun and prevent the heat energy escaping to space, thus sustaining life on earth. Because of increased human activity, industrialization, and deforestation, the concentration of the GHG’s in the atmosphere has increased, resulting in a temperature rise. Considering the effects of temperature rise, caused by the GHG’s, one should know the …

Evaluation Of Cost-Share Assistance Programs As An Incentive For Wildlife Habitat Management And Conservation On Private Lands In Mississippi, Corey David Wigginton

Theses and Dissertations

Cost-share programs to improve sustainable land and water use are offered from federal, state, and non-governmental entities to non-industrial private (NIP) landowners. Despite the broad attention given to the ecological benefits of these programs, far less attention has been focused on their social impacts and benefits. To achieve the desired environmental objectives laid out within these programs, natural resource agencies must work to maintain high levels of satisfaction and participation among private landowners. The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes and motivations of participants enrolled in one of three cost-share programs in Mississippi and compare those with …

Evaluation Of Parameters Specified In Awpa Standard E1-97: Standard Method For Laboratory Evaluation To Determine Resistance To Subterranean Termites, Gary Brian Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the evaluation of many aspects of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) Standard E1-97, “Standard Method for Laboratory Evaluation to Determine Resistance to Subterranean Termites.” This standard is used extensively for testing the efficacy of new products and preservative systems against subterranean termite species. Research was done to determine what changes, if any, are needed for testing against subterranean termite species such as Coptotermes formosanus (Shiraki) and species of native termite genus Reticulitermes (Holmgren), primarily R. flavipes (Kollar). Variables from the current standard were tested to determine effects of parameters such as moisture of sand substrate; …

Exceptionally Well-Preserved Quaternary Fossils From Sawmill Sink Blue Hole, Abaco, The Bahamas, Nancy Ann Albury

Theses and Dissertations

A diverse assemblage of exquisitely-preserved fossil animals and plants were collected from Sawmill Sink blue hole in Abaco, Bahamas. More than 40 species have been identified including extinct tortoise, an extant crocodile, and birds that no longer live in The Bahamas. This study addresses the mechanisms that preserve fossils in blue holes and discusses paleoecological implications from faunal diversity and sediment composition. Blue holes are waterilled caves with surface openings that may trap animals and surface-driven vegetation. In Sawmill Sink the talus cone within the halocline acts as a substrate on which organics collect that drive microbe ecology. Their byproducts, …

Injury And Damage By Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus Festinus (Say), In Group Iv Soybean, Ishakh Pulakkatu-Thodi

Theses and Dissertations

Threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), is a pest of soybean during vegetative and reproductive stages. The primary damage from this pest is girdling of the main stem during vegetative stages and girdling of the petioles during reproductive stages. Previous research determined that yield losses are greater during reproductive stages than vegetative stages. I hypothesized that some reproductive stages are more vulnerable to damage than other stages. I used field cages infested with different pest densities at five reproductive stages of group IV soybean. A greenhouse study compared the injury and damage caused by the adults and nymphs. The field …

Laboratory And Field Studies On Subterranean Termites Native To The Eastern United States, Nathan Shook Little

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates modifications to AWPA Standard E18-06 to develop an above-ground field test for subterranean termites native to the eastern United States. AWPA Standard E18-06 was modified in two stages to progressively increase optimum conditions for subterranean termite feeding. Modification II, which incorporated the use of house bricks and feeder strips with a solid ventilated cover, had an increase in termite attack with less variation between tests. This study also investigates the effects of adding antioxidants, both natural and synthetic, and analogues which lack antioxidant properties, to test wood blocks on feeding by Reticulitermes flavipes Kollar using AWPA Standard …

Factors Related To Predicting Grade Point Averages Of Dislocated Workers At A Rural Community College, James Brent Gregory

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine relationships which existed between selected demographics and college grade point averages “GPAs” for dislocated workers and non dislocated workers enrolled in career-technical courses at a rural community college. The variables included in the study are age, gender, and marital status. The study also reports identified educational goals of dislocated workers as well as the perceived enhancements and barriers to achieving the goals. This study was conducted to assist workforce investment network “WIN” personnel and college counselors in the advisement of dislocated workers interested in the pursuit of career-technical training. A survey research …

Soil Modification And Potential Allelopathy: An Investigation Into How The Invasive Casuarina Equisetifolia L. (Australian Pine) Modify Their Environment, Charlotte P. Buehler

Theses and Dissertations

Casuarina equisetifolia L. is a noxious plant species known to be invasive in the West Indies. Not much is known about its impact on its host environment. This study’s objective was to quantitatively compare physical and chemical soil differences between sites dominated by and devoid of Casuarinas. This study also conducted growth chamber experiments to determine potential for allelopathy. It was demonstrated that sites dominated by Casuarinas differed significantly in K, P, organic matter, and leaf litter depth. Application of Casuarinas leachate showed reduction in germination of radish and bean seeds by at least 32% and 70%, respectively. Once germinated …

Population Estimation And Landscape Ecology Of The Puerto Rican Nightjar, Rafael Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

The Puerto Rican Nightjar Caprimulgus noctitherus is an endangered species found in forest of southern Puerto Rico. I documented density of nightjars in Guánica Forest, the region of Guayanilla-Peñuelas, and Susúa Forest. The geographic range of the species was expanded because of this study and presence documented in a number of new localities. Stand level habitat model indicated forest type and midstory visual obscurity best predicted nightjar habitat. Landscape model predicted considerably more suitable nightjar habitat exists than had been previously estimated (> 30%) and highlighted several areas of importance for the species. I evaluated nightjar population estimation techniques and …

Potencies Of The Resistant Maize Genotypes Against Biotic Stresses And Understanding Their Strategies, Arunkanth Ankala

Theses and Dissertations

Maize is an important food crop in most parts of the world including the United States. The plants growing in the field are constantly challenged with various biotic stresses like insect herbivores and fungal pathogens. The physical wounds produced on the growing crops by the insects render the plants more vulnerable to the fungal pathogens. Hence developing both insect and fungal resistant maize varieties is crucial to benefit more from the harvest. Several studies have been in advance in this direction and as a consequence insect, in particular lepidopteran larve resistant maize genotype Mp708 and Aspergillus flavus resistant genotype Mp313E …

Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) Intraspecific Variation And Temperature Tolerance Classification Using In Vitro Seed Germination Assay, Ramdeo Seepaul

Theses and Dissertations

An experiment was conducted to determine temperature effects on switchgrass seed germination, a native species with feedstock potential for the biofuel industry. Stratified seeds were germinated at constant temperatures, 15 to 45°C with 5°C interval. Maximum seed germination (MSG) and germination rate (GR), estimated by fitting sigmoid function to germination-time series data, varied among genotypes. Quadratic and bilinear models best described the MSG and GR responses to temperature, respectively. The mean cardinal temperatures, minimum, optimum and maximum, were 8.1, 26.6 and 45.1ºC for MSG and 11.1, 33.1 and 46.0ºC for GR, respectively, varied among genotypes. Genotypes were classified for temperature …

Rapid Non-Destructive Assessment Of Wood Decay By Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Benny Green

Theses and Dissertations

The use of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for predicting levels of degradation in laboratory soil block tests was investigated. Calibrations were developed for mass loss, compression strength, and exposure period using data measured from the prior methods, and untreated and mathematically treated (multiplicative scatter correction and first and second derivative) NIR spectra from various spans of wavelengths by partial least squares regression. Strong correlations were obtained from each study conducted, while calibrations developed from NIR spectra from the cross-sectional face of southern yellow pine presented the strongest predictions. Of them, calibrations for mass loss resulted in the strongest predictions. Calibrations …

Immunomodulator Expression In Trophoblasts From The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Fiv)-Infected Cat As A Contributor To Placental Immunopathology And Reproductive Failure At Early- And Late-Term Pregnancy, Veronica Lynn Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV accounts for more than 90% of pediatric infections worldwide, yet the mechanism of vertical transfer remains unknown. The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cat is a cost-effective, small-animal model of HIV pathogenesis and MTCT, which produces a high rate of reproductive failure and fetal infection in litters delivered at early- and late-term gestation. Our previous data suggest that FIV infection may dysregulate placental cytokines and compromise pregnancy. We hypothesized that FIV-infection may cause dysregulation of placental cytokine expression, and aberrant expression of these cytokines may potentiate inflammation and transplacental infections. The purpose of this project was …