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Water Resources Assessment Of The Rito Peñas Negras, Bruce Thomson, Abdul-Mehdi Ali

Water Resources Field Methods Reports

During the summer of 2011 students and faculty from the UNM Water Resources Program conducted an investigation of the Rito Peñas Negras in the Cuba District of the Santa Fe National Forest. The objective was to conduct an assessment of the stream and determine its characteristics, quality, and ability to meet its designated use of supporting high quality coldwater aquatic life. The Rito Peñas Negras is a small first order stream with a total length of 7.9 miles. It has one tributary, the Rito Café, which adds another 4 miles to its length. The watershed consists of 10,850 acres and …

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In Stormwater From The Pajarito Plateau, Northern New Mexico., Marwin Shendo

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are distributed throughout the globe and represent an environmental threat to wildlife and human health. The New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission has established surface water standards for Wildlife Habitat and the Human Health of 14,000 and 640 pg/L respectively. Preliminary studies identified elevated levels of PCBs in stormwater samples collected from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) watersheds draining the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico, including the Los Alamos County town site. PCB samples were collected at 59 stormwater runoff Site Monitoring Areas (SMAs) from 1996 to 2008 at LANL. PCB Aroclor concentrations ranged from 218,070 …

Neuromechanical Alterations Due To Induced Knee Pain And Effusion During Functional Movements, Jihong Park

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Examine neuromechanical alterations due to isolated and/or combined knee pain and effusion in functional movements. Methods: A 4X3 randomised controlled laboratory study with repeated measures was used. Nineteen, healthy volunteers (age: 22.4 ± 2.4 years) underwent four different treatments (control, effusion, pain, and pain/effusion) with a week wash out period. Ten near-infrared cameras with 43 reflective markers, 12 surface EMG electrodes, and two ground-embedded force platforms were used to record neuromechanical changes during functional movements (walking and drop landing). To induce pain, 5% sodium chloride (1 ml) was injected into the infrapatellar fat pad. To induce effusion, 0.9% sodium …

The Effects Of Whole Body Vibration On Dorsiflexion In Chronic Ankle Instability, Lesley Abigail Thalman

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Whole body vibration (WBV) platforms are currently used as adjunctive training devices for exercise programs, and have been shown to facilitate flexibility. One of the biggest contributing factors to chronic ankle instability (CAI) is the lack of dorsiflexion after lateral ankle sprains and WBV may be an effective way to increase range of motion in this population. PURPOSE: Determine if WBV done concurrently with static stretching (SS) is more effective then SS alone in improving dorsiflexion ROM in subjects with CAI. METHODS: Subjects were divided into 3 groups (control, static stretch, and static stretch and vibrate). Subjects stretched 4 …

A Framework For Studying The Physical Degradation Characteristics Of Dvds And Their Relationship To Digital Errors, Brian K. Saville

Theses and Dissertations

The methods used to store data on DVD-R discs have been proven to work over the last 15 years. However, there has been a growing concern that these discs will be outlasted by the paper records they were meant to replace. The data on a DVD-R is stored as optical contrasts which have the potential to be misread and even damaged. This damage may occur either on the surface or internally to the disc, especially on the recording layer itself. The literature is saturated with studies attempting to determine the time period in which discs may fail and what the …

Wnt Signaling Exerts An Antiproliferative Effect On Adult Cardiac Progenitor Cells Through Igfbp3., Angelos Oikonomopoulos, Konstantina-Ioanna Sereti, Frank Conyers, Michael Bauer, Annette Liao, Jian Guan, Dylan Crapps, Jung-Kyu Han, Hanhua Dong, Ahmad F Bayomy, Gabriel C Fine, Karen Westerman, Travis L Biechele, Randall T Moon, Thomas Force, Ronglih Liao

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Recent work in animal models and humans has demonstrated the presence of organ-specific progenitor cells required for the regenerative capacity of the adult heart. In response to tissue injury, progenitor cells differentiate into specialized cells, while their numbers are maintained through mechanisms of self-renewal. The molecular cues that dictate the self-renewal of adult progenitor cells in the heart, however, remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE: We investigate the role of canonical Wnt signaling on adult cardiac side population (CSP) cells under physiological and disease conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS: CSP cells isolated from C57BL/6J mice were used to study the effects of canonical …

Thermostability Of Sweet Whey As Influenced By Thermization And Addition Of Enzymatic Hydrolyzate Of Caseinate, Jingming Tao

Theses and Dissertations

Sweet whey is the liquid that separates from the cheese curd during manufacture of cheeses like Edam and Cheddar. Though highly nutritious, problems associated with whey utilizations include variability of desired functional attributes and lack of thermostability (TS), an attribute that is imperative in retort or pasteurization stable high protein drinks. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of pre-heat treatment (thermization) of fresh sweet whey and/or addition of casein hydrolyzate on the subsequent TS of whey protein concentrates (WPC). Fresh sweet wheys were obtained from the Mississippi State University Dairy Plant, separated, thermized for different time …

The Legacy Of Cotton: A Geographical Perspective On The Influence Of Traditionalist Politics In Mississippi, William Edward Stephen Cottrell

Theses and Dissertations

It was hypothesized that the socialspatial dialectic (location, education, politics and race) contributes to Mississippi’s low livability ranking. Regression models were employed using race, student funding rates, high school graduation rates, property tax, and voter turnout in the 82 counties as variables. The research found evidence that Blacks have lower graduation rates than Whites and property tax has a significant effect on voter participation at the gamma = .001 level. Social capital disadvantage seems to reside within both races with voter participation, property tax rates, and school funding being more pronounced with Whites. Results suggest that political capital should not …

Medication-Related Problems In Older Adults: A Focus On Underuse Of Warfarin And Warfarin-Antibiotic Interactions, Parinaz K. Ghaswalla

Theses and Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation focuses on two important medication-related problems in older adults, that is, untreated indication and drug-drug interactions, specifically with respect to a high-risk medication such as warfarin. Warfarin is a challenge to use in clinical practice due to its narrow therapeutic index, variability in dose-response and its interactions with numerous foods and drugs. This dissertation presents the research from two projects. In the first project the prevalence and predictors of warfarin use in nursing home (NH) residents with atrial fibrillation (AF), and use of secondary stroke prevention strategies was determined, in order to understand the …

Assessing Parental Involvement In Type 1 Diabetes Management During Adolescence, Elizabeth M. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common pediatric chronic illnesses. Adolescents are at risk for poorer glycemic control; however, youth whose parents remain involved in diabetes care are in better control. The current study examined parental involvement (PI) using a multi-method, multi-source approach in a sample of 255 youth (Age M = 12.83). The Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire, Parental Monitoring of Diabetes Care Scale, and 24-Hour Diabetes Interview assessed two types of PI, parental responsibility and parental monitoring. Global and specific assessment served to cross-corroborate indicators of PI related to HbA1c. Higher levels of monitoring related to lower …

Health Policy & Management News, Georgia Southern University

Health Policy & Community Health: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health receives grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Fall Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Fall Commencement ceremonies.

The Interrelationships Among Family Stress, Parenting Behavior, And Behavior Problems: An Investigation Of Internationally Adopted Chinese Girls, Cheryl Gelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although there have been many studies investigating international adoptees' outcomes in relation to their pre-adoption experiences, there is a paucity of research investigating the influence of post-adoption experiences. Guided by the proximity of the family to the child in Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory of human development, this study addressed a gap in the literature by investigating the interrelationships among family-related variables (e.g., stress in family environment, parenting behavior) and 648 internationally adopted Chinese girls' behavior problems. Moderate, positive relationships were found between family stress and both internalizing (r = .43, p < .001) and externalizing (r = .59, p < .001) behavior problems. Modest, inverse relationships were found between authoritative parenting and both internalizing (r = -.08, p < .01) and externalizing (r = -.15, p < .001) behavior problems. Additionally, modest to moderate, positive relationships were found between authoritarian and permissive parenting and internalizing (r = .18, p < .001; r = .19, p < .001, respectively) and externalizing (r = .39, p < .001; r = .34, p < .001, respectively) behavior problems. Finally, authoritarian and permissive parenting behaviors were partial mediators between family stress and both internalizing (R² = .08, p < .001; R² = .08, p …

Characterization Of Two Genes For Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize (Zea Mays L.), John Erik Mylroie

Theses and Dissertations

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world’s largest food crops and thus any pathogens of maize are of great importance. Aspergillus flavus is one of these pathogens and it produces a carcinogenic metabolite called aflatoxin. Efforts to reduce infection by A. flavus and subsequent aflatoxin accumulation include the development of maize lines resistant to aflatoxin accumulation. However, resistant lines that have been developed contain agronomically unfavorable traits. Gene-based markers would allow for easier transfer of resistance from resistant inbred lines into maize lines with good agronomic traits. The focus of this research was the development of gene-based markers …

Differences In Fatty Acid Content Of Homogenized And Non-Homogenized Milk From Holstein And Jersey Cows, Amanda Jean Frahm

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate fatty acid concentrations of homogenized and non-homogenized milk from Jersey and Holstein cows. Twenty-two, lactating Holstein (n=11) and Jersey (n=11) cows were fed the same ration with Calan® gates twice daily. Jerseys were fed 25kg DM and Holsteins were fed 30 kg DM. Feed offered was adjusted daily according to previous day orts amount. Body weight and measurements, blood, and ruminal samples were collected weekly as were feed and orts samples. Ruminal fluid was collected from six Holstein and six Jersey cows weekly (n=42). Milk weights were collected daily and samples were …

Distance Education In Natural Resources: A National Study Of Inhibitors And Motivators For Participation In Distance Education Programs, Jodi Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Distance education is an innovative delivery method that is gaining a great deal of attention on university campuses across the United States, as well as worldwide. While this attention may seem to be newfound, the earliest record of the practice of distance education traces back to Biblical times and was later referred to as correspondence. Land-grant institutions in the United States were among the first to offer correspondence courses to students who may otherwise not have been able to attend traditional university classes. While online education programs and courses across the United States have grown, from 1.6 million students enrolled …

Effect Of Asphalt Emulsion On Surface Treated Flexible Pavements Using The Bending Beam Rheometer, Jason Michael Barham

Theses and Dissertations

Chip and scrub seal treatments are common pavement preservation practices that use asphalt emulsions. Their performance has been studied for several years, yet many questions remain. The primary thesis objective was to study near surface behaviors of flexible pavements that are candidates for seal treatments. This study investigated the ability of the bending beam rheometer (BBR) to detect pavement surface changes due to the application of asphalt emulsion. Estimated stiffness and m-value data was recorded for three asphalt concrete mixtures using mixture beams approximately 120 mm long by 12 mm wide by 7.7 mm thick sawn from the surface of …

Creating Resilient, Sustainable Local Governments: Merging Human Resource Management And Emergency Management, Stacey Cole Mann

Theses and Dissertations

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Goodman and Mann (2008) found that many locales along the Mississippi Gulf Coast did not have plans that addressed human resources (HR) issues in the aftermath of a disaster, and many vital employees were not included in the emergency planning process. The authors concluded that if involved in planning, HR managers could address typical HR issues such as compensation, retention, recruitment, and task re-orientation that become more difficult following a disaster. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of involvement of HR departments in the emergency planning process as well as …

An Investigation Of Students' Satisfaction With Academic Advising And Students' Impressions Of Academic Advisors At A Rural Community College, Vanessa Massalyn Johnson Dedeaux

Theses and Dissertations

This study was the first attempt to evaluate the college’s career/technical current advising practices. The purpose of this study was to investigate career/technical students’ satisfaction with academic advising at a rural community college and to investigate whether there were any relationships between students’ satisfaction and various demographic characteristics. The study also investigated students’ impressions of the academic advisors and whether there were any relationships between students’ impressions and various demographic characteristics. The researcher purchased the Survey of Academic Advising, Copyright 1997, from ACT, Inc. The Survey of Academic Advising was developed by the Evaluation Survey Service (ESS) and ACT and …

Evaluating Workstation Design Guidelines And Their Effects On The Obese Population, Michael Andre Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

Functional limitation, postural stability, and muscle recruitment of different categories of obesity were evaluated while performing an assembly workstation task. Three workstations, those designed for the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile workers based on anthropometric data tables, were included in the study. Functional limitation was measured using electro-goniometers and the maximum frontal functional reach (MFFR) evaluation to measure the difference in joint angles, forces plates were used to study the differences in postural stability, and EMG was used to evaluate the muscle recruitment of the soleus, frontal deltoid, and trapezius muscles. Also, a regression analysis was performed to evaluate if …

Kenaf Bast For Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites, Jinshu Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Cellulosic fibers sized from the macro-scale to the nano-scale were prepared hierarchically from kenaf bast fibers using chemicals. The process began with a hermetical alkaline retting followed by a bleaching treatment. The bleached fibers were hydrolyzed using inorganic acid, from which microfibers and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were fabricated. Inorganic nanoparticle impregnation (INI) was used to treat the retted fibers for the improvement of the interfacial compatibility between the fiber and polypropylene (PP) matrix. The retted fibers and INI-treated fibers were used as reinforcement for the PP polymer composites. Film casting process was used to make CNW/PVA composites. The hermetical retting …

Body Centric Antennas For Wireless Cardiac Monitoring, Travis Ann Nylin

Theses and Dissertations

The overwhelming prevalence of cardiac related deaths is the motivation behind this thesis to develop body centric antennas for wireless cardiac monitoring. Cardiac monitoring can diagnose a number of conditions including: arrhythmia, ischemia, premature atrial complexes, abnormal sinus rhythms, heart blocks, atrial fibrillation, and more. A body centric antenna operating within the ISM band (2.4-2.48GHz) has been designed, simulated, and tested. The simulation and testing indicate low mutual coupling between antennas of varying distances has been achieved. In addition, the simulation and testing indicate that a thin layer of skin over the test subject further reduces mutual coupling.

Hydrolysis Of Organophosphate And Model Substrates In African American And Caucasian Southerners By Serum Paraoxonase-1 (Pon1) And Its Relationship To Atherosclerosis, Ryan Hunter Coombes

Theses and Dissertations

Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is a high density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated enzyme displaying esterase and lactonase activity. PON1 hydrolyzes the oxons of several organophosphorous insecticides (e.g. paraoxon, diazoxon and chlorpyrifos-oxon) and metabolizes lipid peroxides of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and HDL. As such, PON1 plays a relevant role in determining susceptibility of organophosphate toxicity and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to determine associations of PON1 status (i.e. genotype and activity levels) with atherosclerosis (ATH) in individuals from the Southeastern United States. An additional objective was to determine whether PON1 genotype and/or PON1 activity levels influence the capacity of PON1 to …

Assessing The Impact Of Reading First Programs On Student Achievement In K-3 Classrooms In Selected Mississippi Schools, Angel Lakease Day-Meeks

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the implementation and impact of Reading First programs in 8 elementary schools across the state of Mississippi. The study assessed how principals, literacy coaches, and kindergarten through third grade teachers perceived the implementation of the Reading First program at their respective schools. Data from these three groups of research participants were analyzed to determine if there were differences in perceptions regarding program implementation. This study also examined if there was a relationship between participants’ judgment about implementation and second and third grade students reading scores on the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT). This study employed descriptive, survey, causal-comparative, …

Functional Characterization Of The Ocfc Gene And Optimization Of Medium Components And Culture Condition For Occidiofungin Production By Burkholderia Contaminans Strain Ms14, Kuan-Chih Chen

Theses and Dissertations

he 56-kb ocfC gene cluster is required for occidiofungin production by Burkholderia contaminans strain MS14. However, the function of the ocfC gene remains unknown. Sequence analysis showed the putative protein encoded by ocfC shares significant identities to glycosyltransferase. Plate bioassays showed that occidiofungin production by the ocfC mutant (ocfC::nptII) was significantly reduced as compared with strain MS14. The occidiofungin produced by the ocfC mutant is xyloseree, which suggests the ocfC gene encodes a xylosyltransferase to add a xylose to the peptide backbone. Single variant optimization of culture condition and medium compositions was also performed in this study. The results indicated …

Prey Specificity Of Thanasimus Dubius Between Latent And Intermediate Phases Of Southern Pine Beetle, Ryann Skiles Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the pheromone preference of a bark beetle predator Thanasimus dubius between latent and intermediate phases of southern pine beetle. Two trap treatments were set up in each SPB phase. Standard Lindgren funnel traps were baited with either SPB lures or Ips lures. The number of T. dubius caught in each trap was recorded and data was analyzed using both the Mann Whitney U test and a two-way factorial ANOVA. Thanasimus dubius showed no variation in SPB pheromone preference but did show a slight increase in preference for Ips pheromones in intermediate phase areas. A protocol was developed …

Success Rates Of Ged Credential Recipients And High School Graduates: A Comparative Study Of Southeast Kentucky Community And Technical College Students, James Victor Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a statistically significant difference in collegiate success rates of GED credential recipients and high school graduates in community colleges. Data obtained from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) PeopleSoft system at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC) were used. The specific research questions investigated were as follows: 1. Is there a significant difference in academic success in the community college as measured by overall grade point average (GPA) of GED credential recipients as compared to high school graduates? 2. Is there a significant difference in academic …

An Economic Analysis Of Health, Savings, And Labor In Relation To Gender, Comfort Febisola Ricketts

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is divided into five chapters consisting of three short essays that concentrate on economic analysis of health, savings and labor. The first essay is aimed at investigating the influence of increased work hours on individuals’ health and how this may differ between males and females. It is expected that increased hours of work will have a negative impact on health but this impact may be stronger for females. In the second essay, the relationship between individuals’ health and savings behavior is analyzed. Healthy individuals are expected to be more productive, earn higher incomes, and have lower medical expenditures …

A Genomic And Transcriptomic Analysis Of Wood Decay And Copper Tolerance In The Brown Rot Fungus Fibroporia Radiculosa, Juliet D. Tang

Theses and Dissertations

Brown rot fungi are notoriously copper-tolerant, which makes them difficult to control with copper-based wood preservatives. Brown rot fungi are also unique because they have evolved a bilateral strategy for decay. Their initial attack involves the production of hydroxyl free radicals to increase wood porosity, followed by an enzymatic onslaught of glycoside hydrolases that free the sugars locked within cellulose and hemicellulose. Our molecular understanding of these biological processes, however, has been hampered by our limited knowledge of the underlying genetic mechanisms. To address this knowledge gap, high-throughput, short-read sequencing was used to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the genomics …

Multi-Scale Roost Site Selection By Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bats And Southeastern Myotis In Mississippi, Heather Lynne Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii; RBEB) and southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius; SEM) are listed on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Limited information on roost sites exists. I conducted roost surveys for RBEB and SEM on public forest lands in central Mississippi during winter and spring 2010. During winter, RBEB and SEM roosted in cavity trees with greater trunk diameters. In spring, roost trees used by SEM were located in forested areas of lower elevation, less slope, and greater distances from roads. Because imperfect detection can affect occupancy estimates, I estimated detection probabilities under different survey methods. Detection probability ranged …