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Evaluating Population Dynamics, Movement, And Spawning Success Of Paddlefish Polyodon Spathula At Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Chelsea Rae Gilliland Aug 2018

Evaluating Population Dynamics, Movement, And Spawning Success Of Paddlefish Polyodon Spathula At Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Chelsea Rae Gilliland

Theses and Dissertations

An abundant Paddlefish Polyodon spathula population exists in a 0.8 ha pool below a water control structure at Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi. Managers were concerned that regulated flows from the structure were causing an ecological trap if Paddlefish were being attracted from the larger river downstream during the spawning period, but conditions were not suitable to facilitate reproduction. Between February 2016 to April 2018, 117 Paddlefish were identified and daily abundance was estimated between 18 and 75 fish. Telemetry study of 59 fish suggests a mixed population structure where some remain in the pool year-round and …


Using Photovoice To Derive The Shared Experiences Of Adolescents At A Camp For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Matthew Collier Aug 2018

Using Photovoice To Derive The Shared Experiences Of Adolescents At A Camp For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Matthew Collier

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disability characterized by social communication deficits, repetitive and restrictive behaviors, and language and communication deficits. Its prevalence among the general population has led to increased efforts to intervene effectively during childhood and adolescence. Prior quantitative and qualitative research suggests that camps are an effective setting to deliver social skills intervention for children with ASD; however, there are gaps in research that need to be addressed, such as a lack of empirical qualitative evidence, difficulty with language and communication issues inherent to ASD, and limited reliable studies involving the photovoice methodologies. The research questions designed …


Temperature Effect On Maize Germination And Root Elongation, Omar Nazhan Ali Aug 2018

Temperature Effect On Maize Germination And Root Elongation, Omar Nazhan Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Early planting is one technique to avoid or reduce heat and drought problems that negatively affecting grain crop production. If producers adopt early planting, cold temperatures may negatively affect corn yield. It is important to select hybrids that are suited for planting earlier in the southern United States. Experiments were conducted by imposing low temperatures during seed germination. Twenty commercially available corn hybrids were evaluated for seed germination and root elongation. The first objective was: 1) To determine if some hybrids germinate better at cooler temperatures than others; and 2) Determine variation in root elongation at cold temperatures among commercially …


The "Split Gaze" Of Refraction: Racial Passing In The Works Of Helen Oyeyemi And Zoë Wicomb, Allison Wiltshire Aug 2018

The "Split Gaze" Of Refraction: Racial Passing In The Works Of Helen Oyeyemi And Zoë Wicomb, Allison Wiltshire

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I expand considerations of diaspora as not only a migration of people and cultures but a migration of thought. Specifically, I demonstrate that literary representations of diaspora produce what I consider to be an epistemological migration, challenging the idea that race and culture are stable and impermeable and offering instead racial and cultural fluidity. I assert that this causal relationship is best exemplified by narratives of racial passing written by diasporic writers. Using Homi Bhabha’s concepts of mimicry, hybridity, and ambivalence, I analyze Helen Oyeyemi’s Boy, Snow, Bird and Zoë Wicomb’s Playing in the Light, arguing that …


In Situ Induction Heating Of Electrodes And Applications, Mohammad Azizur Rahman Aug 2018

In Situ Induction Heating Of Electrodes And Applications, Mohammad Azizur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the fabrication of an induction heating apparatus and its use to directly heat small platinum and gold electrodes in electrolyte solution. The heating characteristics of the electrodes were studied via the entropic shift of redox potential with temperature and change in Faradaic current. Temperature pulse voltammetry (TPV) and cyclic voltammetry were used for temperature calibration under various heating conditions. The maximum temperature reached at a 0.25 mm diam platinum electrode surface in solution was 84 degrees C. At heated electrodes an increase in current was found to be due to convection and diffusion. TPV was performed with …


Investigating The Influence Of Herd Behavior On Protection Motivation: A Multi-Stage Experiment, Ali Vedadi Aug 2018

Investigating The Influence Of Herd Behavior On Protection Motivation: A Multi-Stage Experiment, Ali Vedadi

Theses and Dissertations

IT users often make security-related decisions in complex and multidimensional environments. Over-reliance on current behavioral security theories (e.g. Protection Motivation Theory) that do not account for such circumstances can seriously limit researchers’ ability to comprehend such decision making. In this regard, herd behavior theory explains that when individuals make decisions in uncertain circumstances, they may observe what other people are doing, discount their own limited information and imitate others (also known as social learning). Explaining protection motivation behavior from a different theoretical perspective (i.e. herd behavior) is one of the primary contributions of this study. Investigating whether protection motivation behaviors …


Investigation Of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes In Maize (Zea Mays) Inbred Lines Resistant To Lepidoptera Larvae Feeding And Fungus Infection, Joseph Ali Noonan Aug 2018

Investigation Of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes In Maize (Zea Mays) Inbred Lines Resistant To Lepidoptera Larvae Feeding And Fungus Infection, Joseph Ali Noonan

Theses and Dissertations

Present throughout all classes of life, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) confer defense against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and insects. Identifying maize AMPs would provide breeders with a new defense resource. Here, the investigation of maize AMPs is reported. The distribution of AMPs within a panel of ten Mississippi maize inbred lines with varying resistance to Lepidoptera larvae feeding and Aspergillus infection is explored to characterize their observed resistances. Homology data-mining with two comprehensive AMP databases revealed 88 unique maize AMP protein sequences across 81 genes in the MaizeGDB B73 genome assembly. AMP-related polymorphic sites were identified using genomic primers. Analyses with qRT-PCR …


Mapping Potential Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa) Habitat In Mississippi Using Geographical Information Systems (Gis), Emma Rose Neigel Aug 2018

Mapping Potential Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa) Habitat In Mississippi Using Geographical Information Systems (Gis), Emma Rose Neigel

Theses and Dissertations

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a primary larval food source for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Planting more butterfly weed may stimulate declining monarch populations. To that end, a habitat suitability map was created for Mississippi in GIS using soil pH, soil texture, and land cover. Herbarium data were derived from the Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) database. Environmental data were from the USDA National Resource Conservation Service geospatial data gateway. Frequency analysis was used to assign scores to environmental variables of SERNEC occurrences using a suitability index. Global positioning systems (GPS) locations of butterfly weed were …


Fusion For Object Detection, Pan Wei Aug 2018

Fusion For Object Detection, Pan Wei

Theses and Dissertations

In a three-dimensional world, for perception of the objects around us, we not only wish to classify them, but also know where these objects are. The task of object detection combines both classification and localization. In addition to predicting the object category, we also predict where the object is from sensor data. As it is not known ahead of time how many objects that we have interest in are in the sensor data and where are they, the output size of object detection may change, which makes the object detection problem difficult. In this dissertation, I focus on the task …


Her Milkshake Brings Out The Girls In Amman: Examining Questions About Sexual Desire And Societal Influences Among Same-Sex Desiring Women In Jordan, Caitlin Marlena Ostrowski Aug 2018

Her Milkshake Brings Out The Girls In Amman: Examining Questions About Sexual Desire And Societal Influences Among Same-Sex Desiring Women In Jordan, Caitlin Marlena Ostrowski

Theses and Dissertations

In the Middle East and in many majority Muslim nations, homosexuality, including homosexual acts, identities, desires, and discussions of those, is considered taboo. Utilizing a feminist theoretical orientation, this project examined the ways in which same-sex desiring women in Amman, Jordan view the concept of sexually desiring and its relationship to identities. It also examined the pressures placed on them to abide by and navigate familial and religious expectations that conflict with their sexuality. This project drew upon 15 interviews from Muslim and Christian women in Amman using semi-structured and unstructured interviews and participant observation. After analysis, it was concluded …


Evaluation Of Herbicide Tolerance And Interference Potential Among Weedy Rice Germplasm, Swati Shrestha Aug 2018

Evaluation Of Herbicide Tolerance And Interference Potential Among Weedy Rice Germplasm, Swati Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Weedy red rice is conspecific weed of rice, identified as a threat to global rice production. As weedy rice is more tolerant to stresses than cultivated rice and has wide genetic and morphological variation we hypothesized that weedy rice has high herbicide tolerance and weed suppressive potential. Herbicide tolerance and weed suppressive potential of 54 weedy rice accessions were evaluated and the traits were associated with molecular markers. Accessions B2, B20 and S11 showed high tolerance to glyphosate and B49, B51 and S59 had high tolerance to flumioxazin. All the accessions were controlled 100% with 1311g a.i/ha (1.5x) rate of …


A Framework For Improving Breast Cancer Care Decisions By Using Self-Organizing Maps To Profile Patients And Quantify Their Attributes, Vanda Victoria Spencer Aug 2018

A Framework For Improving Breast Cancer Care Decisions By Using Self-Organizing Maps To Profile Patients And Quantify Their Attributes, Vanda Victoria Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

Considering the commonality of breast cancer among women in the United States and the increasing popularity of precision medicine and data analytics in healthcare, the aim of this study was to use self-organizing maps (SOM) to profile and make decisions about breast cancer patients. Breast cancer mass measurements were combined with nine non-medical attributes—family income, history of cancer, level of education, preference of probability level, presence of dependents, employment status, marital status, age, and location—that were randomly generated based on recent population statistics and fed into a SOM. The SOM’s accuracy was evaluated at around 80%. To show the decision-making …


A Geotechnical Perspective On Carbon Sequestration In Clay Using Gasifier Biochar, James Michael Williams Aug 2018

A Geotechnical Perspective On Carbon Sequestration In Clay Using Gasifier Biochar, James Michael Williams

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing need for employing sustainable soil improvement techniques. Concurrently, soil carbon sequestration methods continue to receive more attention in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas levels contributing to climate change. Exploring the use of gasifier biochar for soil improvement can possibility address these two needs simultaneously. This study investigates the effect of gasifier biochar amendment on mechanical, chemical and hydraulic properties of a local clay with poor engineering properties. Specifically, strength, swelling, compressibility, collapsibility, permeability, water retention, cation exchange capacity, pH, and microstructural characteristics were determined for the clay amended with 5, 10, and 20% biochar. Two …


A Network-Based Method For The Analysis Of Use And Function In Stone Tool Kits: Implications For Late Prehistoric Settlement Patterning In Northeast Mississippi, Jason Nathaniel Ervin Aug 2018

A Network-Based Method For The Analysis Of Use And Function In Stone Tool Kits: Implications For Late Prehistoric Settlement Patterning In Northeast Mississippi, Jason Nathaniel Ervin

Theses and Dissertations

A network-based method is developed for analyzing use in stone tool assemblages, where 'use' denotes the tasks for which chipped edges are suitable. Modeling chipped edges as nodes, use-wear and retouch as edge traversals, use-life trajectories of chipped edges as inter-connecting paths, and `tools' as subnetworks over which design tolerances are maintained on edge morphology, the method is an attempt to improve on existing models, allowing for complex, continuous change and multiple uses throughout a chipped edge's use-life. Avoiding analogy-based categories, the method is designed to highlight rather than obscure the possibilities for use and multi-use. Potential for integration into …


An Experimental Investigation Of Causal Explanations For Depression And Willingness To Accept Treatment, Taban Salem Aug 2018

An Experimental Investigation Of Causal Explanations For Depression And Willingness To Accept Treatment, Taban Salem

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was aimed at experimentally investigating effects of causal explanations for depression on treatment-seeking behavior and beliefs. Participants at a large Southern university (N = 139; 78% female; average age 19.77) received bogus screening results indicating high depression risk, then viewed an explanation of depression etiology (fixed biological vs. malleable) before receiving a treatment referral (antidepressant vs. psychotherapy). Participants accepted the cover story at face value, but some expressed doubts about the screening task’s ability to properly assess their individual depression. Within the skeptics, those given a fixed biological explanation for depression were relatively unwilling to accept either …


The Cut And The Color Line: An Environmental History Of Jim Crow In The Deep South's Forests, Owen James Hyman Aug 2018

The Cut And The Color Line: An Environmental History Of Jim Crow In The Deep South's Forests, Owen James Hyman

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues the South’s system of Jim Crow segregation, exploitation, disfranchisement, and violence was both embedded in and evolved through the successive reorganizations of the region’s forests. In turn, it tells a three-hundred-year history of black resistance and resilience in the forests of the Deep South. In the longleaf pine and bottomland hardwood forests along the Gulf of Mexico, water proved just as important as soil in determining the contours of the colonial and antebellum plantation regimes. This project follows the water to show how African Americans drew on deep environmental knowledge to form maroon communities in the colonial …


Assessing Irrigation Scheduling Using Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool (Mist) And Soil Moisture Sensors, Hazel Buka Aug 2018

Assessing Irrigation Scheduling Using Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool (Mist) And Soil Moisture Sensors, Hazel Buka

Theses and Dissertations

By using the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) “polynomial” method for corn in the Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool (MIST), the total number of irrigations required during the growing season can be reduced depending on the variety, growing degree days required to reach maturity, and the length of the growing season. Results showed that even though the SCS method called for irrigations earlier in the season, the method did not trigger irrigation events after the crop reached physiological maturity. In addition, although changing the timing of model initiation (planting vs emergence) was not important on the total crop water use, it may …


Behavior Plasticity Mitigates The Effect Of Climate Warming In White-Tailed Deer, Carter L. Wolff Aug 2018

Behavior Plasticity Mitigates The Effect Of Climate Warming In White-Tailed Deer, Carter L. Wolff

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change can alter the ecology of natural systems through various mechanisms, such as direct thermal effects on a consumer. However, consumers may employ behavioral mechanisms in response to warming. Among these may be spatial or temporal shifts in activity, making use of thermal heterogeneity on the landscape. Despite this, few studies consider the role of behavioral plasticity and spatial or temporal heterogeneity in the context of climate change. I conducted experiments to evaluate the importance of behavior in mediating the net effects of warming at the population and the individual level using captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). I created …


Determination Of Age-Related Differences In Activation And Detoxication Of Organophosphates In Rat And Human Tissues, Edward Caldwell Meek Aug 2018

Determination Of Age-Related Differences In Activation And Detoxication Of Organophosphates In Rat And Human Tissues, Edward Caldwell Meek

Theses and Dissertations

The mechanism of toxic action for organophosphates (OPs), originally developed as insecticides, is the persistent inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) resulting in accumulation of acetylcholine and subsequent hyperstimulation of the nervous system. Many OPs require bioactivation via cytochromes P450 to oxon metabolites which are anticholinesterases. Organophosphates display a wide range of acute toxicities. Differences in the OPs’ chemistries results in differences in the compounds' metabolism and toxicity. Acute toxicities of OPs appear to be principally dependent on compound specific efficiencies of detoxication, and less dependent upon efficiencies of bioactivation and sensitivity of AChE. Esterases, such as carboxylesterase (CaE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), …


Development And Visualization Of Bioluminescent Virulent Aeromonas Hydrophila In Live Catfish, Eda Ozdemir Aug 2018

Development And Visualization Of Bioluminescent Virulent Aeromonas Hydrophila In Live Catfish, Eda Ozdemir

Theses and Dissertations

Virulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh) is an important emerging bacterial pathogen causing motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) in farmed catfish. Understanding the pathogenicity of the disease is essential for the development of preventive measures. In this study, we aimed to develop a bioluminescent virulent A. hydrophila (BvAh) strain to understand the pathogen-host interactions during infection. To achieve this, a new bioluminescence expression plasmid, pAKgfplux3, was constructed and mobilized to vAh. Catfish were challenged with BvAh using immersion, injection, and adipose fin clip procedures, and bioluminescence signal was tracked in live catfish during infection. We developed a novel BvAh strain for the first …


Effect Of Maternal Melatonin Levels During Late Gestation On The Programming And Metabolic Disposition Of Adipose Tissue And Skeletal Muscle In Bovine Offspring, Robyn Carl Thompson Aug 2018

Effect Of Maternal Melatonin Levels During Late Gestation On The Programming And Metabolic Disposition Of Adipose Tissue And Skeletal Muscle In Bovine Offspring, Robyn Carl Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to determine: the effects of maternal melatonin (MEL) supplementation during late gestation on the histological and molecular regulation in the Longissimus dorsi (LM) muscle of fetal bovine offspring, composition and gene expression of fetal perirenal (PR) adipose tissue, and LM gene expression in postnatal offspring at birth and d 195 of age. Maternal supplementation of MEL during late gestation resulted in no difference in calf fetal body weight or birth weight. However, at d 195 of age, calves from MEL treated dams had an average body weight increase of 20 kg. Fetal LM weight …


Effects Of Cultural Practices On Soybean Nectar Production, Tyler Miles Smith Aug 2018

Effects Of Cultural Practices On Soybean Nectar Production, Tyler Miles Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of cultural practices such as irrigation, planting date, and maturity group on soybean nectar production. Multiple interactions between different factors influences the amount of total sugar present in soybean flowers. Pod production was increased in later planted soybean, but later planting resulted in reduction in yield. Another study was conducted to explore the effects that variety selection had on soybean nectar production. Soybean nectar production was highly variable among varieties and was influenced further depending on their growing location. Later maturing varieties produced significantly more soybean pods. This increase in pod production was …


Exploration Of Experiential Stem Education Programs In Mississippi And Their Use By Mississippi K-12 Educators, Randi Robison Aug 2018

Exploration Of Experiential Stem Education Programs In Mississippi And Their Use By Mississippi K-12 Educators, Randi Robison

Theses and Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are important fields in today’s world. Educators can incorporate informal STEM learning opportunities into their curriculum by taking students on field trips. In this research, 210 Mississippi STEM education centers were identified, and 50 completed a survey about their programs. 17 Mississippi STEM clubs were identified and 14 completed surveys. 81 Mississippi STEM K-12 educators also completed surveys about field trips and STEM programs offered near them. A Google Map, a Geodatabase, shapefiles, and Google Spreadsheets were created to manage these data. Maps were created displaying locations of STEM centers, responses from STEM centers …


Comparative Genome Analysis Of Fish Pathogens In The Flavobacterium Genus, Salih Kumru Aug 2018

Comparative Genome Analysis Of Fish Pathogens In The Flavobacterium Genus, Salih Kumru

Theses and Dissertations

Aquaculture has potential to support the food supply of increasing world population. Flavobacterial diseases pose a serious problem in wild and aquacultured fish stocks throughout the world. Flavobacterium columnare, F. branchiophilum, and F. psychrophilum are well-known Flavobacterium species that cause important fish losses. Recently, new Flavobacterium species, isolated from diseased fish, have been reported, but their virulence mechanisms are not clear. Thus, the goal of this study was to understand pathogenicity of Flavobacterium species. To this goal, 86 Flavobacterium genomes were analyzed by comparative genomics. Predicted virulence genes were identified for all genomes. For each species, unique and shared virulence …


Composting Of Cross Laminated Timber (Clt) Sawdust, Gulbahar Bahsi-Kaya Aug 2018

Composting Of Cross Laminated Timber (Clt) Sawdust, Gulbahar Bahsi-Kaya

Theses and Dissertations

A three-month study evaluated composting of cross laminated timber (CLT) sawdust amended with 10% and 20% chicken litter. Moisture was provided by rainwater or deionized water depending on the precipitation. The contents in the containers were mixed once or twice a week for aeration. Samples were collected at 0, 45, and 90-day intervals to measure weight loss, moisture content, pH, compost maturity, microbial count, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Results indicated that composted CLT with 20% chicken litter had much higher weight reduction than others at day 45 and 90. Treatments with 10% and 20% chicken litter had a higher initial pH …


Cpvib-1, A Gaga Regulator Of Tor Signaling Pathways In The Chestnut Blight Pathogen Cryphonectria Parasitica, Di Ren Aug 2018

Cpvib-1, A Gaga Regulator Of Tor Signaling Pathways In The Chestnut Blight Pathogen Cryphonectria Parasitica, Di Ren

Theses and Dissertations

Cryphonectria parasitica is the causal agent of chestnut blight, which devastated the American Chestnut tree population in the early 20th century. The discovery of hypoviruses that reduce the severity of the chestnut blight infection offers the potential for biological control. However, the spread of the hypoviruses is hampered by a diverse genetically controlled nonself-recognition system, vegetative incompatibility (vic). CPVIB-1 was identified as a transcription regulator playing an important role in the programmed cell death response to this stimulus. In this study, we have found that CPVIB-1 is ubiquitin-decorated which might lead to its degradation in the proteasome pathway. RNA-Seq and …


Data Mining The Effects Of Storage Conditions, Testing Conditions, And Specimen Properties On Brain Biomechanics, Folly Martha Dzan Crawford Aug 2018

Data Mining The Effects Of Storage Conditions, Testing Conditions, And Specimen Properties On Brain Biomechanics, Folly Martha Dzan Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury is highly prevalent in the United States yet there is little understanding of how the brain responds during injurious loading. A confounding problem is that because testing conditions vary between assessment methods, brain biomechanics cannot be fully understood. Data mining techniques were applied to discover how changes in testing conditions affect the mechanical response of the brain. Data were gathered from literature sources and self-organizing maps were used to conduct a sensitivity analysis to rank considered parameters by importance. Fuzzy C-means clustering was applied to find any data patterns. The rankings and clustering for each data set …


Molecular Interactions Between Pvt1 Transcripts And C-Myc, Onayemi Titilayo Onagoruwa Aug 2018

Molecular Interactions Between Pvt1 Transcripts And C-Myc, Onayemi Titilayo Onagoruwa

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the molecular relationships between PVT1 exons 4A, 4B, 9 and c-Myc in prostate cancer. Data showed significant regulatory interactions between these exons and c-Myc which is strongest between PVT1 exon 9 and c-Myc. This will likely have implications for PCa where PVT1 and c-Myc are dysregulated.


Allomaternal Care By Conspecifics Impacts Activity Budgets Of Colobus Guereza Mothers, Dominique L. Raboin Aug 2018

Allomaternal Care By Conspecifics Impacts Activity Budgets Of Colobus Guereza Mothers, Dominique L. Raboin

Theses and Dissertations

In primate societies, caring for infants involves nursing, protection, provisioning, and carrying - all energetically taxing states for mothers. The cost of holding and carrying clinging infants often constrains mothers from moving and traveling, potentially reducing their food and energy intake. Alternatively, when an infant is physically separated from their mother they are at risk of predation from birds of prey or other large mammals. This requires a high level of vigilance from mothers, often further deterring them from acquiring the food and energy that they need. Allomaternal care (AMC) is hypothesized to provide mothers with a way to safely …


Creating Herstory: Female Rebellion In Arundhati Roy’S "The God Of Small Things" And "The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness", Priyanka Tewari Aug 2018

Creating Herstory: Female Rebellion In Arundhati Roy’S "The God Of Small Things" And "The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness", Priyanka Tewari

Theses and Dissertations

In The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness novels, the author Arundhati Roy is not only attempting to give feminist weight to the multiplicity of locations in which gender is articulated by recasting her female characters in their quest for selfhood, she is also focusing on women and women-identified characters as agents of history, thereby contributing to an ongoing project of feminist historiography.