Digital Commons Network^™

Cultivation Of Oleaginous Microorganism Consortium On Municipal Wastewater For The Production Of Lipids, Jacqueline Isonhood Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Alternative fuels are necessary to meet the increasing demands for fuels. Alternative fuels such as biodiesel are produced using vegetable oils, which are prominentt in the food industry. An alternate feedstock could be oil-producing microorganisms. These oleaginous microorganisms are defined as accumulating more than 20% of their weight in oil as lipids. Cultivating these microorganisms for oil production is not economical due to the high production costs from the sugars in the culture medium. Municipal wastewater could be a potential growth medium that has not previously been considered for cultivating oleaginous microorganisms. However, municipal wastewater contains a low concentration of …

Decellularized Porcine Myocardium As A Scaffold For Cardiac Tissue Engineering, Bo Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure are leading causes of mortality globally. Recently, cardiac tissue engineering has become an attractive option for MI treatment due to the following advantages: it might provide optimal tissue performance maintained by viable transplanted cells, and might also stimulate the formation of vasculature supplying oxygen and nutrients in the patched region. However, fabrication of a thick viable cardiac patch with 3D scaffolds that are thoroughly recellularized with desired cells remains a challenge. We hypothesize that the decellularized porcine myocardium scaffold can preserve natural extracellular matrix (ECM) structure, cardiomyocyte lacunae, mechanical properties, and vasculature templates that …

Evaluating A Vegetated Filter Strip In An Agricultural Field, Alina Fay Young

Theses and Dissertations

The use of best management practices has become common in recent years, leading to the need for hydrologic models to predict their behavior and effectiveness. A vegetated filter strip at Mississippi State University was used to test two models: the Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN Best Management Practices Editor (HSPF BMPrac) and the System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN). Water samples were taken during the Spring of 2011 and tested for sediments and nutrients; HSPF was used for computing flows, sediments, and nutrients. The filter strip was not effective at pollutant removal with removal efficiency rates of 68.1, 91.7, …

Diagnosis And Characterization Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, Lifang Yan

Theses and Dissertations

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an important viral pathogen affecting all ages of cattle, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide. BVDV infection is associated with a diverse array of symptoms including gastrointestinal disorder, respiratory distress, fetal malformation, stillbirth, abortions, and mucosal disease (MD). Transplacental infections of fetuses between 42 and 125 days of gestation can result in immune-tolerance and the surviving fetuses become persistently infected (PI). PI animals are major reservoir of BVDV and it becomes problematic to control the disease. The objectives of this dissertation were to: 1) develop a cost-effective testing scheme to detect BVDV PI animals …

Efficacy And Biodegradability Of Pentachlorophenol In Conventional And Biodiesel Amended Carriers, Saeed Keshani Langroodi

Theses and Dissertations

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is widely used as a wood preservative for wood products. It has been proposed that a modified PCP carrier system based on a diesel/biodiesel mixture should be used in place of the conventional diesel/KB3 carrier, but there is some question as to whether or not this modified carrier system can provide the same service life for wood products treated with PCP. The main objectives of this research were to evaluate: 1) the comparative biodegradability of PCP in soil containing either diesel/KB3 or diesel/biodiesel, and 2) the comparative decay resistance of wood treated with formulations containing either diesel/KB3 or …

Validation Of Bioluminescent Escherichia Coli O157:H7 For Use As A Pre-Harvest Food Safety Model, Heather Ann Duoss

Theses and Dissertations

Cattle are naturally colonized by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli within the gastrointestinal tract. The most notorious of the enterohemorrhagic E. coli is E. coli O157:H7, which can cause serious illness to humans if ingested. To ensure that the United States has a safe food supply, research is ongoing in pre-harvest food safety and pathogen intervention strategies. While advances in pre-harvest intervention strategies are encouraging, no method has proven to completely eliminate and/or control O157:H7. A key limitation to successful pathogen intervention strategies is the inability to track and monitor pathogens in a real-time fashion. Through the use of bioluminescent plasmids harboring …

Why Can't A Woman Fly?: Nasa And The Cult Of Masculinity, 1958-1972, Erinn Catherine Mccomb

Theses and Dissertations

This is an investigation into the history of masculinity in spaceflight during some of the tensest years of the Cold War era. This dissertation asks why the U.S. did not counter the Soviet launch of the first woman into space. Scholars have pieced together the story of American women’s fight for spaceflight. The dissertation adds another layer to this narrative by analyzing the construction of the astronaut image from 1958 to 1972, a period characterized by a widespread masculinity crisis. Scholars of Cold War America suggest that Americans saw communism, conformity, feminism, homosexuality, bureaucracy, corporations, male consumerism, leisure, automation, and …

Development Of An Innovative Detection Technology For Escherichia Coli O157:H7, Qian Gu

Theses and Dissertations

Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection in food is conducted mainly by DNA/PCR, immunoassay or conventional methods. However, all the methods require multiple incubation steps. Antibiotic and isolation agars were found as the main factors that lead to false-positive results. An improved rapid detection method was developed by decreasing detection time and enhancing easiness of detection without the need for any analytical instrumentation. A combination of selective ingredients and temperature was utilized to allow the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the detection. The detection method minimized the effects of the main false positive bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacter spp. The sensitivity, …

Growth And Swimming Endurance Of Juvenile Channel Catfish In High Temperature Environments, Michael B. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are important to aquaculture and natural ecosystems, however little is known regarding effects of high summer temperatures, which are predicted to increase with climate change. Therefore, two studies were conducted to examine physiological effects of high temperatures on juvenile channel catfish. The first examined effects of three cycling thermal regimes (23-27°C, 27-31°C, and 31-35°C) characteristic of culture environments in Mississippi on growth, food consumption, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate, and activity. The second study measured active and resting metabolic rates and swimming endurance at constant temperatures (27, 31, and 35°C). The best growth and feed …

Impact And Management Of Twospotted Spider Mite In Pre-Flowering Cotton, William Sidney Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Experiments were conducted to determine the impact of twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, on cotton injury and yield. Artificial infestations were initiated at the three leaf stage of cotton growth and removed after specified durations of infestation. Yields were reduced for durations of infestation 21 days or greater. In a second experiment, the interactions between twospotted spider mite, thrips, at-planting insecticides, and foliar insecticides were studied to determine their impact on cotton yields. Twospotted spider mites and thrips reduced cotton yield. In a third experiment, twospotted spider mites were released from a central point in 0.024 hectare blocks of …

An Applied Investigation Of Corn-Based Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles In The Production Of Natural Fiber-Plastic Composites, Hugo Eudosio Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research was to examine uses for distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a coproduct of ethanol production plant, in the fiber-reinforced plastic composites industry. Initially the effort intended to take advantage of the DDGS components, using chemical reactions, to produce coupling agents to improve the physical properties of the composite. Four different chemicals plus water were used to convert proteins into soluble amino acids. The results were not as expected, and appeared to show an early pyrolysis of DDGS components. This may be due to regeneration of proteins when pH of solutions is neutralized. Procedures …

Stress Responses And Attachment Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Food, Dongryeoul Bae

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of the US hospitalization and mortality caused by Listeria monocytogenes was estimated to be the highest of 31 food-borne pathogens including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, and Clostridium. This pathogen has an ability to survive under extreme conditions widely found in the natural environment and food. Among 13 serovars L. monocytogenes serovar 4b, 1/2a and 1/2b are mainly associated with human listeriosis outbreaks. The deadliest outbreaks of human listeriosis and massive product recalls in multi-states were associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) food products such as mexican-style cheese, turkey deli meat, cabbage, and cantaloupes contaminated with the bacterium. Thus, contamination of …

The Biology And Management Of Phytophagous Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae) In Mississippi Soybean Production Systems, James Wesley Mcpherson

Theses and Dissertations

Stink bugs are the most economically important insect pest of soybeans in Mississippi. This study focused on several aspects of stink bug biology and management. One study examined the residual activity of certain insecticides. Rain was shown to reduce residual activity and after three days most insecticides provided very little control of stink bugs. Stink bugs complete at least one generation a year on early season hosts before moving into soybeans. A study of these early season hosts found that rice stink bug was more prevalent on grasses than the other hosts sampled. Brown stink bug was found on all …

The Comparative Effects Of Arginine Vasotocin On Reproduction In The Boreal (Bufo Boreas Boreas) And Fowler's (Bufo Fowleri) Toad, Tricia Marie Rowlison

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of arginine vasotocin (AVT) administration in the endangered boreal toad (Bufo boreas boreas) and common Fowler’s toad (Bufo fowleri). The objectives of this study were to determine if AVT could elicit: 1) calling, and 2) amplexus behaviors. Toads were paired into single male:female groups and administered AVT at varying concentrations: 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 25.0 μg/g and in different combinations: 1) only male was treated; 2) only female was treated, and 3) both male and female treated. AVT failed to stimulate any breeding behavior in the boreal toad, but …

The Impact Of Organochlorine Pesticides And Lipid Biomarkers On Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Paul Robert Eden

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is classified as a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia that results from defects in insulin action and/or secretion, and currently affects 8.3% of the US population according to the CDC’s 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Several contributing factors have been identified to development of this disease. Published evidence indicates type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients display lower overall paraoxonase activity and that this may be partially due to genetic variations in the paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) gene. Some bioaccumulative organochlorine (OC) pesticides have been shown to contribute to increased T2DM prevalence. In addition, these OC compound levels …

I'Ve Been Reading About Disaster Lately, Lisa Catherine Mcmurtray

Theses and Dissertations

I’ve Been Reading About Disaster Lately is a collection of original poetry which focuses on how identity and agency are shaped through personal and public circumstance, through the intersection of the human and animal, and through the development of language and personal mythology. This collection is preceeded by a critical introduction which analyzes how poets mediate public and private disaster. The introduction specifially focuses on the eight poems written by Bob Hicok in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shooting, and examines how language, either in its presence or absence, functions to resolve the disconnect between pre-disaster and post-disaster.

Lipid Accumulation In Synthetic Wastewater-Grown Oleaginous Microorganisms, Andrew Thompson Ford

Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater has been shown to contain the necessary nutritive requirements for the growth of microorganisms. The term, oleaginous, has been given to a classification of microorganisms know to produce up to twenty percent of the weight as oil. This study is designed to examine the potential accumulation of lipids within an oleaginous consortium grown on synthetic wastewater. Potential of the fluorescent stain, Nile red, as a lipid detector is also emphasized. Percentages of extractables greater than thirtyive percent were achieved within the oleaginous consortium using a nitrogen-limited medium. Low pH was found to increase the percentages of extractables. Xylose was …

Modeling Effects Of Climatological Variability And Management Practices On Conservation Of Groundwater From The Mississippi River Valley Shallow Alluvial Aquifer In The Mississippi Delta Region, Robert Frank Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Ninety-eight percent of water taken from the Mississippi River Shallow Alluvial Aquifer, hereafter referred to as “the aquifer” or “MRVA,” is used by the agricultural industry for irrigation. Mississippi Delta agriculture is increasingly using more water from the MRVA and the aquifer has been losing about 300,000 acreeet per year. This research expands on previous work in which a model was developed that simulates the effects of climatic variability, crop acreage changes, and specific irrigation methods on consequent variations in the water volume of the MRVA. This study corrects an identified problem by replacing total growing season precipitation with an …

Optimization Of Seed Propagation Of Seven Native Plant Species, Shane H. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

Seven plants native to the moist habitats of the pine savannas, woodlands, and Hillside Bog natural area at the Crosby Arboretum, Picayune, MS, were evaluated under laboratory and nursery conditions to determine seed germination percentage, optimal germination temperature, and the effect of substrates on germination. These native plants include: titi (Cyrilla racemiflora L.), buckwheat tree (Cliftonia monophylla Britt.), flameflower (Macranthera flammea (Bartr.) Pennell), deertongue (Carphephorus odoratissimus (Gmel.) Herb. var. odoratissimus), pink coreopsis (Coreopsis nudata Nutt.), tall ironweed (Vernonia angustifolia Michx.), and swamp bay (Persea palustris (Raf.) Sarg.). Laboratory experimentation concluded with germination and determination of optimal temperature regimes. Tall ironweed …

Salmonella Source And Rate Of Colonization In Two Newly Constructed Commercial Broiler Houses And The Effect Of Used Litter Inoculation In A New House, Lauren Elizabeth Dodds

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of Salmonella within poultry environments and on poultry products has been well documented. However, there has not been a study documenting the effect of utilizing used litter in newly constructed commercial broiler houses on Salmonella status or on the rate and source of Salmonella contamination within new houses. Objectives of this study are to 1) determine environmental source and rate of Salmonella spp. colonization in two newly constructed broiler houses 2) to evaluate the effect of mixing used broiler litter with clean litter in a new broiler house. Results of this study suggest that Salmonella contamination of the …

Evaluation Of Varying Digestible Lysine Levels On The Reproductive Parameters Of Cobb 500 Broiler Breeders And The Performance Of Their Progeny, Leonel Mejia

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of decreasing digestible lysine (dLys) intake by broiler breeder (BB) hens from 35 to 45 wk of age on their reproductive performance and performance of their progeny was evaluated. Two types of diets were fed: a diet from commercially available ingredients consisting of dLys intakes of 1,200 (IDL) and 1,010 mg/hen/day (ID) and a semi-purified diet with dLys intakes of 1,010 (SPL) and 600 mg/hen/day (SP). Hens fed the SPL and SP diets had lower hen-day egg production compared to BB hens fed the IDL and ID diets. Fertility and hatchability of eggs set were lowest (P <0.05) for hens fed the SPL diets. Chick weight at hatch was lower (P<0.05) for those that came from the SP and SPLed hens, but 42 and 56 day body weights (BW) were similar for all treatments. Marginal improvements (P<0.10) in FCR were seen at 42 and 56 days for chicks from IDed hens compared to IDL hens. A decrease in daily intake of dLys appeared to improve BB reproductive performance when hens were fed a semi-purified diet and the same response was not observed in hens fed a diet from commercially available ingredients. Furthermore, the progeny study revealed marginal improvements in some live performance parameters. In a second study, a diet based from corn-soybean meal and formulated to a dLys intake of 1,000 mg/hen/day (CS) and three diets composed primarily of corn, soybean meal, and DDGS with 1,000 (DDGS-1,000), 800 (DDGS-800), and 600 (DDGS-600) mg of dLys/hen/day were fed to evaluate the reproductive performance of BB hens from 24 to 42 wk of age. Feeding diets composed of commercially available ingredients with dLys intake levels below 1,000 mg/hen/day did not impact BB reproductive performance. Reduced BW, carcass and breast weight, and higher (P<0.05) back half weight at 42 days of age was observed from broilers that came from 26 wk old BB hens fed the DDGS-600 diet. Reducing dLys intake in later BB hen ages did not impact progeny performance or carcass characteristics. This suggests that Lys may be in dietary surplus concentrations for commercial breeders under current practical conditions.

Energy Productivity And Efficiency Of The ‘Gher’ (Prawn-Fish-Rice) Farming System In Bangladesh, S Rahman, Bk Barmon

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Gher' farming is a unique system that incorporates the joint operation of three enterprises: freshwater prawn, fish and HYV rice, and is expanding rapidly in the coastal regions of Bangladesh because of its proven high income earning potential. In this paper, the sustainability of this system is evaluated by analysing its performance in terms of energy use by applying a stochastic distance function approach which revealed interesting and unexpected results. The prawn enterprise which is the key income earning component is found to be technically inefficient while the rice enterprise is found to be efficient. The net energy balance and …

Visual Attention Modulates Insight Versus Analytic Solving Of Verbal Problems, Ezra Wegbreit, Satoru Suzuki, Marcia Grabowecky, John Kounios, Mark Beeman

The Journal of Problem Solving

Behavioral and neuroimaging findings indicate that distinct cognitive and neural processes underlie solving problems with sudden insight. Moreover, people with less focused attention sometimes perform better on tests of insight and creative problem solving. However, it remains unclear whether different states of attention, within individuals, influence the likelihood of solving problems with insight or with analysis. In this experiment, participants (N = 40) performed a baseline block of verbal problems, then performed one of two visual tasks, each emphasizing a distinct aspect of visual attention, followed by a second block of verbal problems to assess change in performance. After participants …

Remote Associates Test And Alpha Brain Waves, Henk J. Haarmann, Timothy George, Alexei Smaliy, Joseph Dien

The Journal of Problem Solving

Previous studies found that performance on the remote associates test (RAT) improves after a period of incubation and that increased alpha brain waves over the right posterior brain predict the emergence of RAT insight solutions. We report an experiment that tested whether increased alpha brain waves during incubation improve RAT performance. Participants received two blocks of RAT items (RAT1 and RAT2), with the second block consisting of items that were not solved during the first block. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups, which were matched for their number of RAT1 solutions. Participants in an alpha-up neurofeedback group aimed to …

Investigating Insight As Sudden Learning, Ivan K. Ash, Benjamin D. Jee, Jennifer Wiley

The Journal of Problem Solving

Gestalt psychologists proposed two distinct learning mechanisms. Associative learning occurs gradually through the repeated co-occurrence of external stimuli or memories. Insight learning occurs suddenly when people discover new relationships within their prior knowledge as a result of reasoning or problem solving processes that re-organize or restructure that knowledge. While there has been a considerable amount of research on the type of problem solving processes described by the Gestalt psychologists, less has focused on the learning that results from these processes. This paper begins with a historical review of the Gestalt theory of insight learning. Next, the core assumptions of Gestalt …

Daily Life In Mcminnville 100 Years Ago, Ian J. Rapport, Louise Winsnes, Lindsey Hacker

Humanities and Creative Projects

The McMinnville 100 Years Ago project is a collaborative research project that has been initiated by Professor Huntsberger’s History of Mass Communication class. This particular project topic focuses on the daily life of Yamhill County in 1912. As a group we have chosen to divide our project into different subject areas: churches, businesses, schools, recreation, and clothing. In order to learn about the daily life of Yamhill County, we analyzed historical evidence from Yamhill County in 1912, such as newspapers, pictures, and journals. These documents were found with help from the Yamhill County Historical Museum and the McMinnville Public Library. …

Organizing The World: Power Dynamics And “Civilization” In The British Museum, Katherine E. Steir

History Honors Projects

The British Museum has a long and complex relationship with the British Colonial project. Applying museum theory to case studies found in the museum, this paper explores the ways in which empire is reconstructed within the British Museum, and also investigates how public gallery spaces can engage with controversial history. In the 21^st century the museum struggles to reinvent itself as a universal institution presenting collections from around the world with sensitivity. However, the museum still expresses nostalgia for the imperial past, and presents a specific and homogenous image of the ideal British citizen.

Reviews, Marvels & Tales Editors

Marvels & Tales

The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights. Translated by Malcolm C. Lyons with Ursula Lyons. Introduced and annotated by Robert Irwin. Review by Ulrich Marzolph, Enzyklopädie des Märchens.

The Grimm Reader: The Classic Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Edited and translated by Maria Tatar. Introduction by A. S. Byatt. Review by Karen Seago, City University, London.

Mulan's Legend and Legacy in China and the United States. By Lan Dong. Review by Cheryl Narumi, Naruse University of Hawai'i, Mānoa.

Eastern Dreams: How the Arabian Nights Came to the World. By Paul McMichael Nurse. Review by Bonnie D. Irwin, Eastern Illinois …

The Effect Of Photoperiod On Regulation Of Key Components Of The Life Cycle In The Bumble Bee Bombus Impatiens L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)., Edgar Javier Hernandez

Dissertations

This study investigates how photoperiod affects internal characteristics of colonies of the temperate bumble bee Bombus impatiens particularly; development, reproduction, and social behavior. To answer this question I used an experimental approach using commercially obtained colonies of B. impatiens kept under controlled environmental conditions, and using the exposure to photoperiod as the only variable. Eight different photoperiod treatments were evaluated over the social phase of the colony’s life cycle. Colonies exposed to photoperiods that simulate the species natural temperate photoperiod exhibited larger growth rates, higher, oviposition rates, and higher brood survival than colonies exposed to constant photoperiods. Similarly, colonies exposed …

Apoplectic About Hyperlexis, William D. Araiza

Res Gestae

No abstract provided.