Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Feeding A Ground Raw Soybean Diet On Reproductive Performance And Carcass Quality Of Prepubertal Gilts, Daniel Jason Sykes

Theses and Dissertations

The administration of raw soybeans to the diet of prepubertal gilts had no effect (p>0.05) on age to puberty, number of corpora lutea, or embryos present. Also, the number of pigs farrowed live and 28d litter weights did not differ between gilts consuming the raw soybean diet and gilts consuming the control diet. There was a reduction (p<0.05) in the number of pigs weaned in the group consuming the raw soybeans but no differences (p>0.05) in weaning weights. Gilts fed the raw soybean diet had a reduction (p=0.05) of hot carcass weights compared to gilts consuming the control diet but exhibited no differences for other carcass parameters measured. Thermal imaging was able to differentiate gilts …

The Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi):Interactions With Cucurbits And Its Status As A Sweetpotato Pest In Mississippi, Daniel Edward Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

The spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber) is regarded as a pest of sweetpotatoes in Mississippi; however, its feeding on sweetpotatoes has not previously been documented. They are attracted to cucurbit crops that could be utilized as a trap crop or sentinel plant for management of cucumber beetles in sweetpotatoes. Studies were conducted between 2006 and 2008 to determine if cucurbit plants have the potential to serve as a trap crop or as sentinel plants for the spotted cucumber beetle in sweetpotato fields, and to determine the status of the spotted cucumber beetle as a sweetpotato pest in Mississippi. …

The Use Of Non-Invasive Monitoring Techniques For Profiling Hormonal Changes Associated With Stress And Reproductive Cyclicity In Domestic And Non-Domestic Species, Marcus Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Accurately examining animal endocrine profiles pose unique challenges due to possible human interaction influencing basal values. Standard methods of gathering information about an animal’s endocrine status are often dependent upon restraint and use of invasive methodologies. However to accurately monitor the influence management practices, blood sampling sometimes requires that hormone measurements be observed from animals in a relaxed state. To this end, methods for non-invasive monitoring (NIM) are greatly needed to obtain basal endocrine measurements. Such methods include fecal collections followed by hormone extraction, and remote sampling technologies for obtaining blood samples without handling. The overall objective of this study …

Solvent Methods In Coupled-Cluster Theory, Kanchana Sahan Thanthiriwatte

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the implementation of the molecular electronic structure calculations with an implicit solvent model using coupled-cluster theory. The theory for and the implementation of the solvent reaction field method (SCRF) and the reference interaction site model (RISM) at the coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) are presented. In the SCRF model a solute molecule is placed in a spherical cavity, and the outer solvent is represented by a dielectric continuum, which is characterized by the dielectric constant of the solvent. The reaction field is introduced to the system by using the multipole moment expansion of the electronic structure of …

Pictures With A Voice: Understanding The Everyday Lives Of Native Americans Of The Chickasaw Nation In Developing A Nutrition Social Marketing Campaign, Krystal Rebecca Bowen

Theses and Dissertations

Randomly selected Native American families eligible to receive commodity foods were provided cameras to take pictures of visual responses in the areas of: 1) primary food purchases, 2) family use of food, 3) family activities and information access, and 4) future goals of the family. Using a focus-group format, participants chose five pictures that represented the group’s consensual responses. Selected pictures and meaning were analyzed using thematic analysis procedures. Twelve families completed the project. There were four major themes: 1) the importance of family and the Native-American community, 2) health of individual and family including extended family as it pertains …

Population Genetics Of Helicoverpa Zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Differentiation And Quantification Of Overwintering And Spring Migratory Populations In Northern Mississippi, Satya Ravikanth Vemula

Theses and Dissertations

Helicoverpa zea, commonly referred to as corn earworm, has been a major pest of corn and cotton, along with many major crops grown in United States. Migration of this pest plays a major role in its distribution and successful survival. Part of the current resistance management strategy for transgenic crops, using non-Bt crops as refuges, is totally based on the movement of the adult populations between the Bt and non-Bt fields, and successful exchange of genetic material between the rare resistant and susceptible populations. To study the movement and migration patterns, and their implications in resistance management, suitable molecular genetic …

Predictors Of Paternal Commitment And Paternal Involvement Among Low-Income African American Fathers, Deadric Treandis Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Results indicate that structural factors are highly predictive of paternal commitment and paternal involvement among low-income African American fathers, thus lending strong credence to the structural barriers perspective. Moreover, while findings also indicate that several cultural factors are associated with paternal involvement (e.g., attitudes toward single motherhood and low self-efficacy), they are at odds with the cultural deficiency perspective. These results have both theoretical and policy implications. With respect to fatherhood theory, findings derived from this research call for a much-needed theoretical integration in studying paternal commitment and paternal involvement among low-income African American fathers; that is, to synthesize and …

Development Of An Interactive Model Predicting Climatological And Cultural Influences On Annual Groundwater Volume In The Mississippi Delta Shallow Alluvial Aquifer, Tia Leni Merrell

Theses and Dissertations

Water volume in the shallow alluvial aquifer in the Mississippi Delta region is subject to seasonal declines and annual fluctuations caused by both climatological variability and crop water use variations from year-to-year. The most recently documented water volume decline in the aquifer is estimated at 500,000 acreeet. Available climate, crop acreage, irrigation water use, and groundwater decline data from Sunflower County, MS are used to evaluate the climate-groundwater interactions in the Mississippi Delta region. This research produced a model that simulates the effects of climatic variability, crop acreage changes, and specific irrigation methods on consequent variations in the water volume …

Campus Emergency Evacuation Traffic Management Plan, Di Wu

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis was motivated to simulate the evacuation traffic of Mississippi Stated University (MSU) main campus using the Path-Following logic of TSIS/CORSIM and to evaluate a set of traffic management plans. Three scenarios of traffic management plans were developed and tested. A NCT of 123 minutes was projected if evacuate without any plan. In comparison, under a pre-planned traffic management plan the NCT would decrease to 39 minutes. Further, if implement contra flow the NCT would reduce to 21 minutes. If even further adjust the signal timing plans at the university exits a NCT of 20 minutes would be achieved. …

Cho-Human Hybrid Cells As Models For Human Chromosome Non-Disjunction, Elizabeth Balconi Evans

Theses and Dissertations

We have used Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-human hybrid cells containing chromosomes 16, 18, X, and 21 to test the ability of human kinetochores to successfully bind to spindle microtubules and to be distributed to the daughter cells. We have established the intrinsic rate of non-disjunction among these human chromosomes noted above and compared these rates with those in cells presented with mitotic challenges such as taxol, nocodazole, and mitosis with unreplicated genomes (MUG). Cells were grown on culture slides, fixed and processed for immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Daughter pairs were identified by staining with anti-á-tubulin to identify …

Effect Of Nitrogen, Location, And Harvesting Stage On Peppermint (Mentha X Piperita L.) Productivity, Oil Content, And Composition, Vasile Cerven

Theses and Dissertations

Peppermint dry weight biomass was higher in Verona (8119 kg/ha) than in Stoneville (6115 kg/ha). Overall both, oil content and yield were higher in bud formation stage than flowering stage. The levels of major essential oil constitutes were (-)-menthol 26 – 30 %, (-)-menthone 14 – 21 %, (+)-menthofuran 5 – 11 %, and eucalyptol 3 – 4 % of total essential oil content at flowering stage. Menthone content and its yield were higher at first cut; however, (+)-menthofuran content and its yield were higher at the second cut at bud formation. Although N fertilizers at rate 80 kg/ha did …

Treatment Of Timtek Process Water By Co-Composting And Aqueous Phytoremediation, Lauren Heard Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

The Timtek process involves crushing of small diameter trees to form mats which are coated with adhesive then pressed into boards. Crushing yields an effluent water that has a high biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSS). This water must be remediated before it can be discharged into water ways. The objective of this study is to evaluate: 1) the co-composting potential for process waste water, scrim wood waste and poultry manure; and 2) the potential for phytoremediation of diluted process water using duckweed. The results showed that co-composting reduced the bulk and toxicity …

Understanding The Impact Of Technical Assistance On Early Care And Education Sites In Mississippi Rural Communities, Kimberly Mechelle Triplett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if early childhood teachers can enhance literacy and language development in preschool children and strengthen the literacy with the support of an on-site technical assistant (TA). The present investigation sought to explore two questions: Is there a statistically significant difference between classroom environments for which teaching early literacy skills, as measured by the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Toolkit (ELLCO) Research Edition of three and four-year-olds participating in the on-site technical assistance model when compared to classroom environments in programs where early childhood teachers did not participate? and Is there a …

Variables That Impact High School Dropout, Mario Antonio Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine which variables contribute to high school dropout in a north central Mississippi school district’s only high school. The study population consisted of 301 students who enrolled as freshman in a north central Mississippi school district’s only high school during the 2002-2003 academic year and could have graduated from high school in 2006. Student data were obtained from the Mississippi Student Information System (MSIS) database, which contained all relevant information to this study. Data were collected on the following variables: gender, ethnicity, age, disciplinary infractions, whether or not a student was socially promoted, …

Students' Perception Of Parental Involvement In Academic Achievement At A Rural Community College, Nerma Antrese Moore

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Lysine And Threonine Responses In Ross X Ross Tp16 Male Broilers, Derrick Lashawn Everett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Lys and Thr responses of TP-16 male broilers. Experiment 1 (14-28 d of age) showed no significant live performance effects. In Experiment 2, Lys and Thr (P=0.021) interacted to affect 28 to 42 d body weight gain and (P=0.004) feed intake. Lys main effects improved body weight gain (P=0.002), and feed conversion (P=0.009). Thr fed at the 0.68% level improved body weight gain and feed conversion. Mortality did not differ among treatments and averaged 0.09% across all treatments. The study indicated the sensitivity of the Thr:Lys ratio when broilers are fed …

Flagellar Sensilla Of Females Of Selected Species Of Vespidae (Hymenoptera), Andrew Oliver Mccaskill

Theses and Dissertations

Little information regarding the flagellar sensilla of the Vespidae, particularly Polistes, exists in the literature. A variety of social behaviors in vespids, such as alarm pheromones and pheromone response, involve intraspecific communication. Therefore, an understanding of sensory receptors in social wasps would benefit further behavioral and neurological studies of wasps. The flagellar sensilla of female paper wasps Polistes dorsalis, Polistes metricus, and the solitary wasp Monobia quadridens were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. A number of olfactory receptors, contact chemoreceptors, and mechanoreceptors were named and described. Possible functions of these receptors were proposed based on morphological and ultrastructural …

Has The Education And Health Relationship Changed Over Time?A Panel Analysis Of Age, Period, And Cohort Effects, Wesley Lynn James

Theses and Dissertations

Two vital American social institutions, education and health care, are intimately related. The individual-level relationship between education and health is tenuous, changing over time, throughout the life course, and across generations. Previous research in this area does not separate the mediating effects of age, period, and cohort or assess the unique effects of various levels of educational attainment on health. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this dissertation untangles these factors to find that education has become a more important predictor of health now than twenty years ago, education benefits health across the life course, and …

Evaluation Of Technology Aimed To Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency For Delayedlood Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Production, Jason Morris Satterfield

Theses and Dissertations

Improving nitrogen (N) use efficiency is crucial for maximizing growth and yield in rice production. Tools to determine precise midseason N rates as well as knowledge of the effects of starter fertilizer N applications on rice growth and yield are lacking. Field experiments were conducted in 2007 and 2008 at the Delta Research and Extension Center to evaluate canopy reflectance as a means for determining yield and N nutrition at midseason and to assess agronomic effects and N recovery efficiency of starter fertilizer N. Measurable in-season parameters were significantly related to grain yield. Grain yield and measured parameters were related …

The Self-Organization Of Insight: Entropy And Power Laws In Problem Solving, Damian G. Stephen, James A. Dixon

The Journal of Problem Solving

Explaining emergent structure remains a challenge for all areas of cognitive science, and problem solving is no exception. The modern study of insight has drawn attention to the issue of emergent cognitive structure in problem solving research. We propose that the explanation of insight is beyond the scope of conventional approaches to cognitive science in terms of symbolic representation. Cognition may be better described in terms of an open, nonlinear dynamical system. By this reasoning, insight would be the self-organization of novel structure. Self-organization is a well-studied phenomenon of dynamical systems theory, associated with specific trends in entropy and power-law …

Museum Discovery Rooms Engaging Families Using Learning Theories, Cassandra E. Demski

Theses

No abstract provided.

City Of Guadalupe: Community Plan, Cornelius Nuworsoo, Jeffrey W. Hook, Cal Poly Graduate Planning Studio

City and Regional Planning

The Guadalupe Community Plan contains long‐term goals, objectives, policies, and programs to provide a basis for decision‐making and guide development. Designed to create optimum levels of services, economic activity, and quality of life for residents and visitors, these statements are based on comprehensive research into existing community characteristics, anticipated opportunities, and public input. Guadalupe must be prepared to respond to the challenges and changes that projected population growth will bring, and this Plan can help guide that response. This Plan is both a statement of purpose and a decision‐making tool. As a statement of purpose, the Plan consists of the …

Antibacterial Activity Of Amchur (Dried Pulp Of Unripe Mangifera Indica) Extracts On Some Indigenous Oral Microbiota Causing Dental Caries, Charu Gupta, Amar P. Garg, Ramesh C. Uniyal

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

The antibacterial activity of amchur (dried pulp of unripe Mangifera indica) extract (50% ethanol) was tested against ten bacterial strains causing dental plaque by agar well diffusion method. The crude extract showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity inhibiting both the groups of Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria. The extract was most effective against Bacillus sp., followed by Staphylococcus mutans and Pseudomonas sp., whereas Halobacterium sp. was found to be the most resistant. Chlorhexidine (present in mouthwashes to prevent infection of dental caries) was used as a positive control. Natural extract of amchur was found to be more effective as compared …

Improved Red-Emitting Firefly Luciferase Mutant For Biotechnical Applications, Audrey L. Davis

Chemistry Honors Papers

Luciferase from the North American firefly Photinus Pyralis catalyzes a highly efficient bioluminescent reaction that produces yellow-green light (557 nm at pH 7.8). This bioluminescence system has been adapted for a variety of applications including gene reporter assays, detection of bacteria and toxins, whole-cell biosensor measurements, and in vivo imaging. A luciferase variant with a red-shifted bioluminescence spectra and high specific activity, two qualities that are challenging to achieve simultaneously, would be especially useful when paired with a green-emitting enzyme in a dual-color reporter assay, or used alone for improved imaging in living animals.

Our lab previously reported a red-emitting …

The Role Of Interferon Gamma In The Regulation Of Il-18 Binding Protein And The Development Of Autoimmune Arthritis In A Genetically Non-Susceptible Mouse Strain, Timothy Daniel Kayes

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The etiology of the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is unknown, but the role of cytokines, including IFN-g, as effectors of immune cell function has been established by the examination of cytokine production in RA patients and through the use of animal models. C57BL/6 (B6) mice that express MHC class II molecules of the b haplotype (I-A^b) are not typically susceptible to collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), the most widely studied animal model of RA. When the gene encoding IFN-g is removed by genetic deletion, however, susceptibility to CIA is conferred. In addition, T cell responses against the immunogen that …

Daily Announcements May 2009, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Communications Office Daily Announcements

No abstract provided.

College Of Science And Mathematics Annual Report 2009, College Of Science And Mathematics, Wright State University

College of Science and Mathematics Annual Reports

This 16 page report summarizes the yearly happenings within the College of Science and Mathematics. It includes information on events through the year, enrollment, budget, and other important events within the college.

The Psychophysiology Of Self-Defining Memories, Rachel K. Hess

Psychology Honors Papers

Throughout the past 15 years, researchers have explored self-defining memories within the larger category of autobiographical memories (Conway, Singer, & Tagini, 2004; Singer, 2005; Singer & Salovey, 2003; Wood & Conway, 2006). Other researchers have examined the physiological reactions to various stimuli, some related to autobiographical memory (Gross & Levenson, 1997; Levenson & Gottman, 1983; Philippot, Schaefer, & Herbette, 2003; Schaefer & Philippot, 2005; Schwartz, Weinberger, & Singer, 1981). The present study is the first experiment to investigate the relationship of physiological correlates to self-defining memories. This study had participants generate their own self-defining and autobiographical memories, and recall them, …

Effect Of Starter Cultures On Lactobacillus Acidophilus Survival And Gene Expression In Yogurt, Elizabeth W. Ng

Master's Theses

Probiotics, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus, strains have increasingly been incorporated into food products as dietary adjuncts due to their purported health benefits. Dairy products, especially yogurt, are frequently used as probiotic delivery systems. To realize therapeutic effects, it is important to consume a high amount of probiotics. However, maintaining a sufficient amount of viable probiotics in yogurt throughout the shelf life has been a challenge as starter cultures have shown to possess some deleterious effects on probiotic survival. The main objective of this thesis project was to determine the extent of antagonistic effects imposed by yogurt starter cultures (Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. …

Supervisors, Sex, And The Seventh Circuit: No Should Always Mean No, Joshua I. Grant

Seventh Circuit Review

The Seventh Circuit in Tate v. Executive Management Services, Inc. faced the issue of whether an employee who rebuffs his supervisor's sexual advances engaged in the kind of opposition to an unlawful employment practice protected by Title VII's retaliation provision. The retaliation provision requires that an employee oppose any unlawful employment practice but does not define "oppose." The Eighth Circuit has held that an employee engages "the most basic form of protected activity" by rebuffing a supervisor's sexual advances. The Fifth Circuit, on the other hand, has found that an express rejection of a supervisor’s sexual advances does not qualify …