Digital Commons Network^™

Ecosystem Services Of Moist-Soil Wetlands: Water Quality Benefits And Crayfish Harvest, Economics And Consumer Acceptance, Amy Brooke Alford

Theses and Dissertations

I estimated yield, population metrics, production costs, and evaluated consumer acceptability and nutritive content of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii, P. zonangulus) harvested from moist-soil wetlands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) during springs 2009-2011. I also compared nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads exported from moist-soil wetlands and nearest agriculture fields in the MAV during winters 2010-2012. Daily yield of crayfish from moist-soil wetlands was 2.4 kg (wet) ha-1 (SE = 0.50; 95% CI = 1.3-3.4). When graded by size, yield of large crayfish (> 30 g) from wetlands dominated by P. clarkii was four times greater (P < 0.05) than yield of large crayfish from wetlands dominated by P. zonangulus. Crayfish harvesting costs (2013 US dollars [$]) ranged from $405.69 ha-1 to $917.88 ha-1 and breakeven selling prices ranged from $3.74 kg-1 to $8.49 kg-1. Consumer acceptability, proximate composition, and total fatty acid content of P. clarkii did not differ (0.73 > P > 0.11) …

Efficacy Of An Experiential, In-School Educational Program For Improving Elementary School Students' Attitudes And Knowledge About The Environment, Leslie M. Burger

Theses and Dissertations

Stagnant science achievement by students, greater demands and stresses on natural resources and environmental systems, and societal disengagement from nature highlight the need for education programs to ameliorate subsequent consequences. One attempt to address science performance and environmental apathy is Youth Environmental Science (YES), an environmental education program initiated in 2011 in a rural, minority-dominated, upper elementary school in Mississippi. The program provides five consecutive days (30 hours) of experiential learning in natural sciences. During 2011-2013, I studied cognitive and affective responses of fourth and fifth grade students to YES participation using a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design. The influence of demographic …

An Examination Of The Predictors Of General Recidivism, Violent Recidivism, And Property Recidivism Among Juvenile Offenders, Megan Suzanne Stubbs-Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Although studies examining juvenile recidivism have focused primarily on violent recidivism, the factors that predict recidivism likely differ by offense type. To examine general, property, and violent recidivism, this study combined individual-level data (i.e., offender and case characteristics) from the Mississippi Youth Court Information Data System (MYCIDS) for the years 2009-2011 and contextual-level data (i.e., county characteristics) from the 2010 U.S. Census and the 2010 Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). Results showed that offender characteristics predicted only general and property recidivism, but case characteristics mattered for all three types (i.e., general, violent, and property recidivism). Contextual characteristics (i.e., the percentage of …

Assessment Of Secondary Agricultural Educators' Attrition Risk In The Southern Region Of The National Association Of Agricultural Educators, Roseanne Ellison Scammahorn

Theses and Dissertations

Attrition of secondary agricultural education professionals is a major concern to the educational system in the United States. A number of studies have documented that attrition is a very serious problem, especially for beginning teachers during his or her first years on the job. As the need for teachers continues to grow, it becomes progressively more difficult for school administration to recruit, identify, and hire highly qualified secondary agricultural education teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the attrition risk factors among secondary agricultural education teachers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee and …

Students' Perceptions Of The Adult Basic Education General Educational Development Program At A Rural Mississippi Community College, Trena Starlene Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine GED students’ perceptions of the ABE/GED program at a rural Mississippi community college. There were 64 GED students who participated in this study. A survey containing 15 questions was administered to the participants. Likert-scale response type questions were used to provide information particularly on students’ perceptions of the ABE/GED program. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were run to determine if differences existed among students’ perceptions based on age, race, and gender. The findings of the study showed that overall the students had a positive perception of the ABE/GED …

Survival And Habitat Selection Of American Black Ducks In Tennessee, Kira Cristina Newcomb

Theses and Dissertations

American black duck (Anas rubripes) populations declined throughout North America from 1950–1990, but the breeding population since has stabilized. However, limited information exists on black ducks in the Mississippi Flyway, where wintering populations continue to decline. I radiomarked 111 female black ducks at Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in winters 2010–2012 to estimate winter survival and investigate patterns of habitat selection. Winter survival (83–85%) was greater than or comparable to previous estimates for black duck populations in North America. Interval survival increased 0.6% with a 100 g increase in body mass, but survival differed between years and waterfowl hunting seasons …

Intensification As A Survival Strategy For Early Settlers On The Tombigbee National Forest, Jessica L. Gisler

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the relationship between success and access to children, slaves, and kin as labor sources during the period of 1833 to 1865 in northeast Mississippi. The theoretical concepts of agricultural intensification and relative intensity were used to measure variability among the households. Artifacts from seven archaeological sites were used to establish mean dates. These sites were tied to their original occupants through historic records. A historic document search revealed the number of slaves and children each family had, and whether they had kin living nearby. Agricultural census records showed the productivity of each farm during the study period. …

Investigating Knowledge And Behavior Intention Among Ghanaian Smallholder Farmers, Alyssa Marie Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

Rural farmers in developing countries lack knowledge, access to educational resources, and capacity to stay informed of and implement current farming and health practices. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of an educational program on the utilization of native plants in farming and health practices among rural farmers in Ghana. The research objectives were to describe the population, assess farmers’ knowledge of farming and health practices, describe participants’ current and planned behavior, and observe the implementation of the practices taught. Results indicated participants’ knowledge of farming and health practices increased after the workshops. Results also indicated …

Long-Term Stand Dynamics In A Pyrophytic Longleaf Pine Ecosystem, Darcy Helen Hammond

Theses and Dissertations

Reference ecosystems are a valuable tool for restoration and management efforts in degraded ecosystems. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), a pyrophytic southeastern U.S. ecosystem, have declined precipitously in extent since European settlement. Pine mortality and growth patterns were examined in a 15-year re-measurement study in two old-growth stands. Both stands experienced postire mortality and short-lived decreases in basal area. Distance to nearest neighbor had a significant effect on mortality of small (<10 cm DBH) pine. To better approximate reference conditions, saplings of five co-occurring hardwood species were destructively measured for bark accumulation and taper using bark and wood thickness. Significant species differences were detected in bark:wood ratio (P<0.001), with no difference in wood diameter. Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) had a bark:wood ratio 3x the closest species and steeper slopes of bark accumulation, suggesting that it is a fireapted species. These results will inform reference conditions for critical regional pine restoration efforts.

Finite Element Analysis Of Adhesive Bonding Performances Of Wooden Dowel Pin Joints In Furniture, Xin Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This study was performed to investigate how pressure, glue amount, dowel penetration depth and wood grain orientation affect direct withdrawal resistances of dowel pin joints both experimentally and numerically, and develop FE (finite element) models to simulate tensile strength, contact pressure, and shear stress occurred in dowel pin joints. Results indicated that the direct withdrawal resistance load of a dowel pin joints can be predicted based on knowing the glue bonding shear strength between dowel and joint member materials and the pressure between the contact surfaces of the dowel and hole of a connected joint member. The FE contact element …

Evaluation Of Herbicide Formulation And Spray Nozzle Selection On Physical Spray Drift, Jasper Lewis Cobb

Theses and Dissertations

New transgenic crops are currently being developed which will be tolerant to dicamba and 2,4-D herbicides. This technology could greatly benefit producers who are impacted by weed species that have developed resistance to other herbicides, like glyphosate-resistant Palmer Amaranth. Adoption of this new technology is likely to be rapid and widespread which will lead to an increase in the amount of dicamba and 2,4-D applied each season. It is well-documented that these herbicides are very injurious to soybeans, cotton, tomatoes, and most other broadleaf crops, and their increased use brings along increased chances of physical spray drift onto susceptible crops. …

A Command And Control Approach To Red Teaming, Kaitlin Britt Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

As the military has to react and respond to cyber attacks, they also are having to develop a way to apply cyber operations to the command and control hierarchy already in use. This thesis studies the requirements for a cyber command and control (C3) and conducts an experiment to test whether a C3 approach to red teaming helps users find more vulnerabilities. Since red teaming is similar in setting to the cyber operations setting, if the team finds that a C3 helps team members find more vulnerabilities, then a C3 environment can help the military better respond to cyber attacks. …

A New Fluid-Structure Interaction Point-Projection Method, Philip Robert Ivancic

Theses and Dissertations

A new point-projection method was developed to transfer loads and displacements in a two-way coupled fluid-structure interaction problem. The existing method involved projecting the load at each computational fluid dynamics (CFD) node onto a corresponding computation structural dynamics (CSD) element. The load is distributed to the CSD nodes on that element. However, the solution is not unique and will vary the projection. In the new method, a rigid pyramid element is built upon the CSD element and that encompasses the CFD node. Thus, the CFD load will be uniquely distributed to the CSD nodes. After the CSD code updates the …

Aerodynamic Analysis Of A Tumbling American Football, Daniel Edmundson Hare

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the aerodynamic effects on an American football are characterized, especially in a tumbling, or end-over-end, motion as seen in a typical kickoff or field goal attempt. The objective of this study is to establish aerodynamic coefficients for the dynamic motion of a tumbling American football. A subsonic wind tunnel was used to recreate a range of air velocities that, when coupled with rotation rates and differing laces orientations, would provide a test bed for aerodynamic drag, side, and lift coefficient analysis. Test results quantify effect of back-spin and top-spin on lift force. Results show that the presence …

An Approach To Genetic Silencing Of Ricin In Castor (Ricinus Communis L.), Daniel Joseph Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is a high-yielding oilseed crop native to tropical Africa. The seed contains ~60% oil by weight, yielding approximately 1,200 kg of oil per hectare. The oil is composed of ~90% ricinoleic acid, a unique hydroxylatty acid. Its unique composition provides castor oil with distinctive characteristics important for industrial use. Unfortunately, this valuable oilseed has not been widely cultivated in the United States since 1972, due in part to the presence of ricin in the seed. Ricin is a highly toxic lectin found in the endosperm of mature castor seed. This project sought to silence ricin production …

The Impact Of Principal Leadership Styles On School Accountability, Kimberly Nicole Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of principals’ leadership styles on the academic achievement of students as measured by the Mississippi Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). The 2013-2014 school year MCT2 mathematics and language arts scores were used as measures of student achievement and high-stakes testing. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ5x) was distributed to 420 principals. However, because of incomplete information given by the principals on the questionnaire, and the fact that the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) did not report MCT2 scores for particular schools, some of the principals’ information was not useful; thus leaving the researcher with a sample …

Biomass And Decomposition Dynamics Of Invasive Chinese Tallow (Triadica Sebifera) In The Southeastern United States, Allison M. Stoklosa

Theses and Dissertations

Recent and anticipated global change has focused concern on the role of forests in ecosystem functioning and carbon sequestration. Of key importance is identifying relevant factors that drive carbon and nutrient dynamics and the consequences of changes in these processes. Systems undergoing invasion by invasive woody species are particularly prone to changes. This study examined the branch and crown biomass and decay dynamics for the invasive Chinese tallow tree in Mississippi, USA as well as the influences of stand and site conditions on biomass modeling and arthropod contributions to fine woody debris decay. Coupling biomass and decay models presents a …

Characterization Of Maize Genes In Response To Aspergillus Flavus Infection And Aflatoxin Accumulation, Matthew Constantine Asters

Theses and Dissertations

Aspergillus flavus is a pathogenic fungus causing maize ear rot disease and producing aflatoxins that are carcinogenic to humans and animals. Characterizing maize host resistance mechanisms and prioritizing candidate resistance genes are important to the development of resistant maize germplasm. This study investigated transcriptomics approaches and statistics methods on the identification of maize host resistance genes. Full-length cDNA libraries were also constructed and evaluated for gene cloning and functional analysis. This study established important sources for functional studies on differentially expressed genes and for identification of allelic gene forms to characterize gene polymorphisms and facilitate the development of DNA markers.

Development And Optimization Of A Rapid Assay Kit For The Detection Of Vibrio Cholerae In Bivalves, Demarcus Rashad Carter

Theses and Dissertations

A rapid assay kit for Vibrio cholerae (Vc) was developed to detect and quantify Vc cells in oyster samples within 24 h. The kit, formulated within a two -phase (liquid and solid) 96-well plate, can detect biomarker expression of Vc when the enrichment broth and incubation temperature are optimized. The kit showed 91 % selectivity and 92 % specificity when tested with 23 inclusive Vc and 106 exclusive non-Vc strains. The kit was further optimized using 47 samples of oysters, clams, and soil. There was no significant difference in most probable number between the kit, conventional PCR and BAX PCR …

Episodically Defined Categories In The Organization Of Visual Memory, Karla B. Antonelli

Theses and Dissertations

Research into the nature and content of visual long-term memory has investigated what aspects of its representation may account for the remarkable ability we have to remember large amounts of detailed visual information. One theory proposed is that visual memories are supported by an underlying structure of conceptual knowledge around which visual information is organized. However, findings in memory for visual information learned in a visual search task were not explained by this theory of conceptual support, and a new theory is proposed that incorporates the importance of episodic, task-relevant visual information into the organizational structure of visual memory. The …

Geologic Controls Of Sand Boil Formation At Buck Chute, Mississippi, Seth M. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Sand boil formation due to underseepage is a potential failure mechanism for levees in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Sand boils were identified in the Buck Chute study area in the 1990s during high water events and during the 2009 Flood. The site is unique due to the presence of point bar and abandoned channel deposits. To understand the role of these alluvial deposits on sand boil formation at the site, a geologic investigation of the subsurface was conducted. Using shallow geophysics, cone penetrometer tests (CPT), borings, and a geographic information system (GIS), it was concluded that the thin blanket …

Computational Methods For Solving Next Generation Sequencing Challenges, Tamer Ali Aldwairi

Theses and Dissertations

In this study we build solutions to three common challenges in the fields of bioinformatics through utilizing statistical methods and developing computational approaches. First, we address a common problem in genome wide association studies, which is linking genotype features within organisms of the same species to their phenotype characteristics. We specifically studied FHA domain genes in Arabidopsis thaliana distributed within Eurasian regions by clustering those plants that share similar genotype characteristics and comparing that to the regions from which they were taken. Second, we also developed a tool for calculating transposable element density within different regions of a genome. The …

Cybersecurity Testing And Intrusion Detection For Cyber-Physical Power Systems, Shengyi Pan

Theses and Dissertations

Power systems will increasingly rely on synchrophasor systems for reliable and high-performance wide area monitoring and control (WAMC). Synchrophasor systems greatly use information communication technologies (ICT) for data exchange which are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Prior to installation of a synchrophasor system a set of cyber security requirements must be developed and new devices must undergo vulnerability testing to ensure that proper security controls are in place to protect the synchrophasor system from unauthorized access. This dissertation describes vulnerability analysis and testing performed on synchrophasor system components. Two network fuzzing frameworks are proposed; for the I C37.118 protocol and for an …

Poets Talking Shop (The Poet’S Work, Ed. Reginald Gibbons), George Woodcock

Ontario Review

GEORGE WOODCOCK is the founding editor of Canadian Literature. Among his many books are The Canadian Novel in the Twentieth Century; Gabriel Dumont: The Metis Chief and His Lost World; and Thomas Merton: Monk and Poet. He is a contributing editor of OR.

New Fiction: Illumination, Participation, Tact (T. Alan Broughton, David Helwig, Hugh Hood, William Maxwell, Kent Thompson), Gary F. Waller

Ontario Review

GARY F. WALLER, a former OR contributor, teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, and has published essays and reviews widely.

The Magician’S Wife, Derk Wynand

Ontario Review

DERK WYNAND'S Pointwise has recently been published by Fiddlehead, and a collection of prose, One Cook, Once Dreaming, will be published by Sono Nis this year. He teaches Creative Writing at the University of Victoria.

Imsa B-Wing Lab Renovations Budget, Illinois Math And Science Academy

Lab Renovations

No abstract provided.

Imsa B-Wing Lab Renovations Specifications, Illinois Math And Science Academy

Lab Renovations

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Photography Training For Recreation And Wellness Marketing, Erica Pax

Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology Plan II Graduate Projects

The Department of Recreation and Wellness marketing office previously did not have a standardized photographic workflow to ensure all marketing student employee photographers consistently capture, edit, name, and store digital image files. As a result, the digital photo library contained digital image files of varying quality that were organized inconsistently. These inconsistencies made it difficult for designers to quickly and efficiently locate adequate image files for use in the creation of promotional items. In addition, a reduction in administrative staff and an increase in workload necessitated that new student employees learn new processes through self-instruction.

The researcher created a photography …

[2014-12-12] Governance And Compensation Committee Of The Board Of Visitors, Virginia Commonwealth University. Board Of Visitors

VCU Board of Visitors Minutes

Official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee.