Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of The Mechanical Properties Of Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate By Nanoindentation Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Zouheir Drira

Theses and Dissertations

Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel based polymers are among the most widely used synthetic materials for biomedical applications. Because of their biocompatibility, and ease of fabrication, hydrogels are highly suitable for use as constructs to engineer tissues as well as for cell transplantation. A critical parameter of importance for PEG hydrogels is their mechanical properties which are highly dependent on the environmental conditions. Properties of PEG-based hydrogels can be engineered to resemble scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix molecules, which provide structural support, adhesive sites and mechanical as well as biomechanical signals to most cells. The mechanical properties of these synthetic …

Identification Of Micrornas In Bovine Spermatozoa With Implications Of Fertility, Lashonda S (Lashonda Shakita) Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules that could possibly play a major role in fertility. In the experiment, spermatozoa were extracted from bovine followed by an extraction of total RNA. Bovine spermatozoa were extracted from two bulls of different fertility, high and low fertility. An expression array was done to compare the expression levels of the microRNAs. It was shown that thousands of microRNAs are present in bovine spermatozoa but only a small amount was significantly expressed. The microRNAs from low fertility bulls were more highly expressed than those in high fertility bulls. A Bioanalyzer gel was used to confirm the …

Flower Forcing In Banana Shrub (Michelia Skinneriana Dunn.) And Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea Wild.), Shen Ma

Theses and Dissertations

Flower forcing to meet holiday market can increase the value of potted flowering plants. This study was to investigate the effects of chilling and post-chilling photoperiod treatments on flowering of banana shrub and the effects of water stress, daminozide, chlormequat, and ethephon on flowering of bougainvillea. Experiments were conducted at R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center and MSU Dorman Greenhouse at Mississippi State University (MSU), Mississippi State, MS. Results from banana shrub experiment indicated that 8-week chilling at 8 ºC was necessary for banana shrub to break bud dormancy and a tank mix of daminozide and chlormequat was able to …

Fractionation Of Soybean Meal, Cottonseed Meal And Wheat Middlings Using Combination Of Sieving And Air Classification, Ravi Kumar Challa

Theses and Dissertations

Fiber separation from these animal feeds could increase the protein and hence increase the value of the animal feed. The objective of the study was to evaluate the combination of sieving and air classification for fiber separation from soybean meal (SBM), cottonseed meal (CSM) and wheat middlings (WM). The effect of yields of lighter fractions on fiber separation from size fractions was also investigated. At low yields of lighter fraction (5%), the quantity of fiber product separated was 3.7, 1.3 and 4.8% by weight of SBM, CSM and WM respectively. At high yields of lighter fractions (15%), the quantity of …

Effects Of River Discharge And Marine Environmental Factors On The Brown Shrimp Fishery In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Adam George Pollack

Theses and Dissertations

Regression analyses and delta-lognormal models were used to investigate whether river discharge and environmental variables significantly affected relative abundance of brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Significant negative relationships were found between mean river flow during winter and spring months and catch rates (CPUE) off Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi/Alabama. However, during the same months significant positive relationships between CPUE and the variation in mean river discharge were found for each state. In Texas and Louisiana, delta-lognormal models revealed depth zone was the most significant variable (P≤0.001) in describing distribution, while time of day (P≤0.001) was most …

Effects Of Various Fumigants And Alternative Processing Methods On The Safety, Volatile Composition, And Sensory Quality Of Dry Cured Ham, Ramandeep Kaur Sekhon

Theses and Dissertations

Randomized complete block designs with three replications were utilized to evaluate the effects of fumigation with sulfuryl fluoride (SF) (0, 12, 24, 36 and 72 mg/L), phosphine (PH3) (0, 200 and 1000 ppm at 48 hr), methyl bromide (MB) (0, 4, 8, 16, and 32 mg/L for 48 hr), carbon dioxide (CO2) (0, 60% at 48 hr and 60% at 96 hr) and ozone (O3) (0 ppm and 175 ppm for 48 hr) on the volatile flavor compound concentrations in dry cured ham. Fluoride and SF concentrations increased (P < 0.05) in dry cured hams as SF fumigation concentration increased, but all samples contained fluoride and SF concentrations below the legal limits of 20 and 0.01 ppm, respectively. Also, as phosphine fumigation concentration increased, the residual concentration of phosphine also increased in the hams (P < 0.05), but all samples contained levels that were lower than the legal limit of phosphine in stored food products (0.01 ppm). Minimal differences existed in the presence and concentration of aroma active compounds in fumigated hams when compared to the control. Triangle tests indicated that consumers could not discern (P > 0.75) between the control hams and the fumigated hams. This study …

Efforts Toward Understanding Dietary Components And The Reproductive Behaviors And Limitations Of The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Erin Donivan Trueblood

Theses and Dissertations

Preservation of giant pandas, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is a worldwide concern. This study was designed to examine dietary and reproductive challenges associated with panda management. Phytoestrogens are natural plant compounds that mimic estrogen and often negatively impact mammalian reproduction. Phytoestrogens in bamboo, the panda’s primary food source, is unknown. Here, estrogen radioimmuno- and receptor-binding assays revealed estrogenic activity in three species of Phyllostachys bamboo. These results present indirect evidence of phytoestrogenic mimics in bamboo, but their relevance is still unknown. Studies were also conducted to observe panda reproductive behaviors in an attempt to augment the use of an artificial vagina (AV) …

Faunal Communities Of Temporary Wetlands Of Upland And Floodplain Public Forested Lands In North Mississippi, Katherine E. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

I conducted surveys of amphibian, reptile, and small mammal communities surrounding 4 isolated, upland and 6 stream-connected temporary wetlands on Tombigbee National Forest and Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in north Mississippi from May 2001 - March 2006. Trap captures yielded 17 amphibian species (n = 11,142), 21 reptile species (n = 541), and 10 small mammal species (n = 472). Upland pools supported greater diversity of Ambystomatid salamanders, anurans, lizards, and mice (Peromyscus spp.), than floodplain pools. Factors including landscape position of pools, proximity to alternate water sources, and barriers to dispersal potentially influenced faunal communities of temporary wetlands. Infrared-triggered …

Biomass Pretreatment For Increased Anhydrosugars Yield During Fast Pyrolysis, Qi Li

Theses and Dissertations

Production of liquid fuels is a high national priority to provide transporation fuels. Production of liquid biouels from biomass has been idenfied as a viable goal over the next decades. Fast pyrolysis is the rapid thermal degradation of lignocellulosic biomass in the absence of oxygen. Levoglucosan, which can be hydrolyzed and fermented into bio-ethanol, is produced during the pyrolysis process of the cellulose contained in biomass. Pure cellulose results in the production of levoglucosan of more than 50% by feedstock weight while woody biomass typically produces about 3% during pyrolysis. Researchers have performed significant research into methods to increase yields …

Biogeochemistry Of Microbial Mats From A Hypersaline Pond And Reef Biofilm From A Modern Coral Reef, The Bahamas, Mary Keith Puckett

Theses and Dissertations

Biofilm communities host complex biogeochemical processes and play a role in the formation of many carbonate rocks by influencing both carbonate precipitation and dissolution. In this study, the biogeochemistry of microbial mats from a hypersaline pond and biofilm from a coral reef are described using SEM, microelectrode profiling, Biolog, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and carbon nitrogen analysis. Results show that the microbial mats are distinctly layered, having an oxic upper portion and an H2S-rich lower portion. The most significant conclusions are that the mats have exceptionally high TOC values and display significant differences in microbial communities present, both between …

Advancements In Power System Monitoring And Inter-Operability, Vinoth Mohan Mohan

Theses and Dissertations

In a typical utility control center, there could be hundreds of applications running to take care of day-to-day functionality. In many cases, these applications are custom-built by different vendors. With the expectation for high reliability of the electric power grid, many utilities are increasingly moving towards sharing data with each other and with security coordinators. But this data exchange is hampered by incompatible electrical applications built on proprietary data formats and file systems. Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI‟s) Common Information Model (CIM) was envisioned as a one-sizeits-all data model to remove incompatibility between applications. This research work utilizes the CIM …

Crosstalk Between Angiotensin Ii Receptors And Insulin Receptor: A Possible Mechanism For The Co-Development Of Hypertension And Insulin Resistance, Maya Ramdas

Theses and Dissertations

Molecular analysis of the cross talk between Angiotensin II (Ang II) and insulin signaling systems reveal that they are multifaceted and occur at cellular level and intracellular level. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the crosstalk between the Ang II receptors-AT1 and AT2 and the Insulin Receptor (IR) to understand the changes in the signaling pathway that could lead to the transition from hypertension to insulin resistance. Transient expression of rat AT2 in CHO cells induced co-immunoprecipitation of the AT2R with IRâ and inhibition of IRâ tyrosine phosphorylation. An AT2-peptide carrying the amino acids 226-363 (that spans 3rd intracellular loop …

A Descriptive Study Of Intercollegiate Athletics In Mississippi's Public Community And Junior Colleges, Brian Colson Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to provide an assessment of the involvement of Mississippi's community and junior colleges in intercollegiate athletics during the academic year 2007–2008. These data could assist community and junior college presidents, vice presidents residing over athletics, athletic directors, and other policy makers in their decision-making processes concerning intercollegiate athletics. They could compare their institution with other institutions in the state. This study included the entire population of Mississippi's public community and junior colleges that offered intercollegiate athletics. Frequencies and percentages were utilized by the researcher to report the information. Data were collected to provide an …

An Examination Of Crisis Preparedness At Christian-Affiliated Institutions Of Higher Education, Stacy M. Burrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine crisis preparedness at Christian-affiliated institutions of higher education. Second, this study examined Christian-affiliated institutions of higher education presidents’ perspective of their institution’s ability to prepare for crises based upon the four critical indicators of organizational crisis preparedness as described by Zdziarski (2001): a) the types of crisis institutions prepare for, b) the phase of crisis prepared for, c) the systems in place to respond to crisis, and d) the stakeholders involved and considered in preparations. Implications from this study provided recommendations for crisis preparedness that are specific to Christian-affiliated colleges and universities. …

In Vivo And In Vitro Nutrient Balance And Assessment Of Pcr And Biophotonics As Techniques For Evaluating Ruminal Bacteria, Adam I. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

To better understand the facets of nutrient utilization, a series of in vivo and in vitro studies were undertaken to elucidate the effect of supplementation on utilization of moderate-quality bermudagrass hay and to identify mechanisms to evaluate the role of rumen bacterial populations on feedstuff utilization. A digestion trial was conducted using 6 ruminally cannulated steers receiving bermudagrass hay supplemented with soybean hulls (HULLS), cracked corn (CORN), or soybean hulls and cracked corn (MIX; 75% and 25%, respectively) in a 3x3 Latin Rectangle arrangement. Additionally, ruminal fluid was continuously cultured using the BioFlo® 110 fermentation system to evaluate the in …

Incorporating Multiresolution Analysis With Multiclassifiers And Decision Fusion For Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, Terrance Roshad West

Theses and Dissertations

The ongoing development and increased affordability of hyperspectral sensors are increasing their utilization in a variety of applications, such as agricultural monitoring and decision making. Hyperspectral Automated Target Recognition (ATR) systems typically rely heavily on dimensionality reduction methods, and particularly intelligent reduction methods referred to as feature extraction techniques. This dissertation reports on the development, implementation, and testing of new hyperspectral analysis techniques for ATR systems, including their use in agricultural applications where ground truthed observations available for training the ATR system are typically very limited. This dissertation reports the design of effective methods for grouping and down-selecting Discrete Wavelet …

Inhibition Of Human Carboxylesterases: Exploring Interindividual Variation Of Biochemical Activity And Novels Physiological Functions Of Carboxylesterases, Shuqi Xie

Theses and Dissertations

Carboxylesterases (CEs) are nonspecific hydrolytic enzymes and responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics and endobiotics that contain ester bonds. There are two human CE isoforms found in liver, CES1 and CES2. In this study it is shown that the mere abundance of CES1 protein expression in human liver does not predict its biochemical activity. The human interindividual variation in CES1 activities may attribute to several mechanisms. One possibility is the presence of endogenous inhibitors in liver, arachidonic acid (AA) and 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-HC). CES1 is also expressed in human monocytes/macrophages and is proposed to catalyze the rate-limiting step of cholesterol ester …

Multidisciplinary Evaluation Of No-Till Corn Grazing Systems In Mississippi, Dawn Holland Manning

Theses and Dissertations

To ascertain potential ecological and landowner benefits of non-conventional agricultural systems, this project was designed to monitor cattle production and mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) utilization of land areas that allowed grazing cattle to harvest corn planted with no-till methods. In 2005-2008, study sites were located in four counties of MS, including four steer/heifer-grazed and harvested corn fields (SHS) and four conventionally-managed and combine-harvested corn fields (CHS). Vegetation characteristics, residual grain quantities, and use by doves were measured on SHS and CHS. Steer average daily gains (ADG), quality grades, and feedlot days were compared to traditional cattle production methods. Mourning dove …

Obstacle Array Drag Coefficient Parametric Response Surface Analysis, Mouthgalya Ganapathy

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout literature, one finds where numerous methodologies and models have been developed to predict the effect of surface roughness on a flat surface. Many of the models utilize a drag coefficient as one of the necessary parameters. In urban settings with groups of buildings, the drag coefficient on an individual obstacle would be determined by parameters like wind direction and the relative positioning of a building, in addition to Reynolds number and shape. Computational experiments were performed to simulate the fluid flow around a single row and two rows of “cube” obstacles. Based on dimensional analysis, the drag coefficient was …

Optimization Of The Production Of The Lantibiotics Mutacin 1140 In Modified M9 Media, Neeti Dahal

Theses and Dissertations

Mutacin 1140, a class 1 bacteriocin, is produced by Streptococcus mutans and belongs to the type A lantibiotic family. Experiments were done to optimize production of mutacin 1140 in minimal media enabling a more cost efficient downstream purification method. The development of a small volume fermentation method enabled a rapid screen of several variables in a standard shaking incubator. This method provided a fast approach for determining components that promote mutacin 1140 production in minimal media broth. Lactose was determined to be the optimal carbon source for mutacin 1140 production. High concentrations of CaCl2 (0.3% w/v) and MgSO4 (0.77% w/v) …

Pathogen Entrance And Development Of Disease During Infection Of The American Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus By The Enterobacterium Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Simon Menanteau-Ledouble

Theses and Dissertations

Since being first reported in the late 1980ies, the Enterobacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri has rose in prevalence to become one of the two most damaging pathogens affecting the channel catfish industry. Despite this significance of the pathogen, understanding of the development of the disease, especially its route of entry into the host and the earlier stages of the infection, is still incomplete. A series of challenges were conducted using bioluminescent E. ictaluri either by infecting fish through immersion or topical application of the bacteria directly on the intact or abraded epithelium. This showed that abraded fish developed septicemia and died faster …

Detection Of Tick-Borne Bacterial Agents In Lone Star Ticks (Amblyomma Americanum) And Various Wildlife In Mississippi, Ashley Harris Castellaw

Theses and Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the presence of tick-borne bacterial agents in Amblyomma americanum, lone star tick (LST), and various wildlife in Mississippi. Adult LSTs had DNA evidence of Ehrlichia chaffeensis (3.7%), E. ewingii (6.3%), and Borrelia lonestari (2.6%), while both larval (24.3%) and adult (43.5%) LSTs were positive for a Rickettsia spp. by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). White-tailed deer (WTD) were the only wildlife PCR positive for E. chaffeensis (18.8%), B. lonestari (3.1%), and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3.1%). In addition, WTD had the highest seroprevalence to B. lonestari (19.3%) and E. chaffeensis (43.9%) antigens while raccoons had the highest …

The Role Of Cattle And Gulf Coast Ticks (Amblyomma Maculatum) In The Epidemiology Of Rickettsia Parkeri Infection, Kristine T. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

I hypothesized cattle and Gulf Coast ticks (GCT), Amblyomma maculatum, may be involved in epidemiology of Rickettsia parkeri infection. I demonstrated transient rickettsemia by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the 17 kilodalton (kDa) gene in 33% (2/6) of calves experimentally exposed to R. parkeri either by direct inoculation or by placement of R. parkeri-infected GCT on calves’ ears. Calves (4/4) receiving GCT developed lesions at attachment sites consistent with a pathologic condition known as “gotch” ear whether or not GCT were infected with R. parkeri, suggesting the condition is related to GCT attachment and not to rickettsial infection. In calves …

Environmental Dna Sequencing Primers For Eutardigrades And Bdelloid Rotifers, Byron J. Adams, Jeremy Whiting, Elizabeth K. Costello, Kristen R. Freeman, Andrew P. Martin, Michael S. Robeson, Steve K. Schmidt

Faculty Publications

Background: The time it takes to isolate individuals from environmental samples and then extract DNA from each individual is one of the problems with generating molecular data from meiofauna such as eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifers. The lack of consistent morphological information and the extreme abundance of these classes makes morphological identification of rare, or even common cryptic taxa a large and unwieldy task. This limits the ability to perform large-scale surveys of the diversity of these organisms. Here we demonstrate a culture-independent molecular survey approach that enables the generation of large amounts of eutardigrade and bdelloid rotifer sequence data directly …

Meeting Minutes, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting minutes.

Modeling Molecular Transport And Binding Interactions In Intervertebral Disc, Francesco Travascio

Open Access Dissertations

Low back pain represents a significant concern in the United States, with 70% of individuals experiencing symptoms at some point in their lifetime. Although the specific cause of low back pain remains unclear, symptoms have been strongly associated with degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Insufficient nutritional supply to the disc is believed to be a major mechanism for tissue degeneration. Understanding nutrients' transport in intervertebral disc is crucial to elucidate the mechanisms of disc degeneration, and to develop strategies for tissue repair (in vivo), and tissue engineering (in vitro). Transport in intervertebral disc is complex and involves a series of …

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 10, 2009, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The Carroll News- Vol. 86, No. 10, John Carroll University

The Carroll News

No abstract provided.

Holy Cross Magazine, Vol. 44, No. 1, Winter 2010, College Of The Holy Cross

Holy Cross Magazine

Love on the Hill
Three couples, three generations, three charming stories of true romance that started—each in their own unique way— right here on Mount St. James. Plus: A revealing Q&A inter- view with Sr. Lucille Cormier, S.A.S.V., who has led more than 400 couples from “I will!” to “I do!” in her 12 years as Holy Cross wedding coordinator
By Rebecca Smith ’99

The Science of Doing
Students thrive in the Summer Research Program, where unique side-by-side experience with faculty boosts their post-College plans
By Kathleen S. Carr ’96
Photos by Dan Vaillancourt

Three-Way Win
Internships Benefit Students, Alumni, …

The Missouri Miner, December 10, 2009

The Missouri Miner Newspaper

No abstract provided.