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A Vegetation Analysis On Horn Island, Mississippi, Ca. 1940 Using Characteristic Dimensions Derived From Historical Aerial Photography, Guy Wilburn Jeter Jr.

Master's Theses

Horn Island is part of the MS/AL barrier island chain in the northern Gulf of Mexico located approximately 18kn off the coast of Mississippi. This island’s habitats have undergone many transitions over the last several decades. The goal of this study was to quantify habitat change over a seventy year period using historical black and white photography from 1940. Using present NAIP imagery from the USDA, habitat structure was estimated by using geo-statistics, and second order statistics, from a co-occurrence matrix, to characterize texture for habitat classification. Percent land cover was then calculated to determine overall land cover change over …

One Big Puzzle, Two Thousand Tiny Pieces: An Analysis Of The Juvenile Remains From The Shady Grove Ossuary, Jaimie Arlene Ide

Master's Theses

This thesis is an inventory and analysis of the juvenile remains excavated in 2010 from a Middle Mississippian ossuary at the Shady Grove site (22QU525), located in the Mississippi Delta. This project presents a clear challenge given the commingled and incomplete nature of the sample, as well as the preservation biases associated with subadult material, but this research offers valuable insight into the demographic pattern of the larger population at the site, as well as the mortuary practices which created the ossuary at Shady Grove. A “bone-by-bone” inventory revealed the presence of 43 juvenile individuals between the ages of 0 …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The Teacher Incentive Fund (Tif) Grant In Mississippi Pilot Schools, Albert William Carter

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to assess administrators and teachers’ perceptions of the key components of the Mississippi Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant in Mississippi pilot schools. The study examines the difference in perceptions between administrators and teachers. The study also investigated if there was a relationship with the TIF grant and student achievement by comparing the percent of students who scored a minimum of proficient on the MCT2 in TIF schools before and after the grant. Achievement was also examined by comparing percent of proficiency of TIF schools with comparable, non-TIF Mississippi schools.

The participants in the …

Photoelectric Characterization Of Bacteriorhodopsin Reconstituted In Lipid Bilayer Membrane, Joel Kamwa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this work was to conduct basic research in biologically inspired energy conversion solutions. A photosynthetic protein (Bacteriorhodopsin) was reconstituted in a bi-layer membrane. Then, when a laser beam was shined on the membrane, the photon energy was used by the protein to pump protons across the membrane. The translocation of protons across the membrane was measured as photocurrent. For this purpose, a system was built to characterize the lipid bilayer membranes and to measure the photocurrent. The lipid bilayer membrane was characterized by its capacitance and resistance. A picoampere photocurrent was observed when Bacteriorhodopsin protein was present …

Effects Of Water Column P-Availability And Litter Microbial Mediated Processes And Stoichiometry In Aquatic Systems, Ayla Smartt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment of aquatic ecosystems is prevalent and can have detrimental effects on biological condition. Many of these effects have been attributed directly or indirectly to changes in autotrophic processes. However, in detrital-based streams changes in course detrital stoichiometry and decomposition have been related to changes community structure and production at higher trophic levels highlighting the importance of considering the heterotrophic microbial responses to enrichment. Leaf litter stoichiometry, which is determined in part by the tree species source and the microbial communities that comprise the associated biofilm, is likely related to decomposition rates, but few studies examine these variables …

Effects Of Grain Sorghum Muffin On Blood Glucose And Insulin Responses In Prediabetic Men, Xuan Gu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prediabetes is a sub-health condition in the development to type 2 diabetes, which has been long overlooked. Grain sorghum contains functional starch fractions, which have been widely reported for their potential on blood glucose control and diabetes prevention. A human study with prediabetic men was conducted to investigate the effects of sorghum starch on postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels. Grain sorghum and wheat (control) muffins containing 50 g total starch were consumed by 15 prediabetic male subjects on two mornings with a 1-week washout period. Plasma samples were collected on -15 (baseline), 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, …

Atom-Based Geometrical Fingerprinting Of Conformal Two-Dimensional Materials, Mehrshad Mehboudi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The shape of two-dimensional materials plays a significant role on their chemical and physical properties. Two-dimensional materials are basic meshes that are formed by mesh points (vertices) given by atomic positions, and connecting lines (edges) between points given by chemical bonds. Therefore the study of local shape and geometry of two-dimensional materials is a fundamental prerequisite to investigate physical and chemical properties. Hereby the use of discrete geometry to discuss the shape of two-dimensional materials is initiated.

The local geometry of a surface embodied in 3D space is determined using four invariant numbers from the metric and curvature tensors which …

Changes In Monomeric And Polymeric Pigments During Chokeberry Juice Processing, Kail David Wilkes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chokeberry consumption has been increasing due to research exposing great potential of health-promoting compounds. However, chokeberries are highly astringent and are typically consumed in processed forms in which product heating is applied. Processing chokeberries has been reported to degrade bioactive compounds, thus limiting the potential for consumers to obtain their health-promoting benefits. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of chokeberry juice processing and storage on anthocyanin, flavonol, proanthocyanidin, hydroxycinamic acid, and polymeric pigment content, as well as percent polymeric color. In addition, new analytical methodologies were explored to better understand possible outcomes of polymeric pigments due …

Gesn Light-Emitting Devices, Yiyin Zhou

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon based optoelectronic devices have been investigated for decades. However, due to the indirect band gap nature of Si and Ge, developing of efficient light-emitting source on Si is still a challenging topic. GeSn based optoelectronic devices have the great potential to overcome this deficiency for several reasons. By adding more fraction of Sn into Ge, GeSn band gap could be reduced. The narrowed band gap could be developed for near to mid infrared applications. The alloy can even become the direct band gap material with a large Sn composition (beyond 8%). This feature could enhance the light emission from …

Biological Control Of Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis Invicta) Using Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) In Central Arkansas, Sim Mckague Barrow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Red imported fire ants are major pests in the southeastern United States. As a part of an integrated pest management strategy, a biological control program has been implemented which includes Pseudacteon decapitating flies. These flies are parasitoids of fire ant workers and two species of Pseudacteon are established in Arkansas: Pseudacteon tricuspis and Pseudacteon curvatus. Pseudacteon cultellatus and P. obtusus were released in the spring and fall of 2013. Despite sampling throughout 2014, establishment cannot be confirmed. Two phorid fly sampling methods, hand aspirating and sticky traps, were studied. A vacuum aspirator was compared with two sticky trap configurations. Sticky …

The Update, December 2014, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue:

-- Harlem Hellfighters: UNI Alumnus Publishes Award Winning Book
-- Department News
-- School of Music Events
-- Science Students Travel to Minneapolis: 50th Anniversary of the Nobel Conference
-- Faculty Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Awards
-- Graphic Design Students Create Work for the Community: Students Created Work for the Hearst Center for the Arts and Cedar Rock State Park
-- Alumni Spotlight: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry: Dane Jacobson
-- Alumni Spotlight: Department of Physics: Jack Dostal
-- Alumni Spotlight: Department of Earth Science: Cara Wright
-- Student Spotlight: Department of Philosophy & World Religions: …

Studies To Characterize Heavy Metal Content And Migration From Recycled Polyethyleneterephthalate, Michael John-Ross Whitt

Master's Theses

Packaging Materials account for 31% of the world’s municipal solid waste. Agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) are pushing for the increased use of recycled thermoplastic materials. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a commonly recycled thermoplastic which is used to package ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables. Most recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) packaging materials contain heavy metal catalysts, the most common being antimony. The recent increased use of recycled plastic materials has been suspected as the source of increased human heavy metal exposure. In this study, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead and antimony …

A Study On Malaysian Mathematicians’ Way Of Knowing, Lim Chap Sam

The Mathematics Enthusiast

“Can you name me a mathematician?” “Einstein??”

“Do you wish to become a mathematician one day?”

If these questions were asked to the public or any school students, the most likely answer to both questions might be a big ‘No!’. Why is this so?

The director of the Public Understanding of Mathematics Forum, Gene Kloz (1996) claims that the mathematics profession is the most misunderstood in all of academia. According to him, the public thinks that mathematicians contemplate ancient proofs and work as lonely recluses. Moreover, the most common public image of a mathematician has been furnished by a physicist …

Bearing Children, Bearing Risks: Feminist Leadership For Progressive Regulation Of Compensated Surrogacy In The United States, Sara L. Ainsworth

Washington Law Review

Compensated surrogacy—an arrangement in which a woman carries and gives birth to a child for someone else in exchange for money—intimately affects women. Yet, feminist law reformers have not led efforts to regulate this practice in the United States. Their absence is notable given the significant influence of feminist lawmaking in a host of other areas where women’s interests are at stake. This lack of feminist law reform leadership can be understood, however, in light of the complex issues that surrogacy raises—complexity that has long divided feminists. In response to efforts to pass surrogacy legislation in Washington State in 2010, …

Transcription Of The Streptococcus Pyogenes Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Biosynthesis Operon Is Regulated By Previously Unknown Upstream Elements, Marina Falaleeva, Oliwia W. Zurek, Robert L. Watkins, Robert W. Reed, Hadeel Ali, Paul Sumby, Jovanka M. Voyich, Natalia Korotkova

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The important human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus [GAS]) produces a hyaluronic acid (HA) capsule that plays critical roles in immune evasion. Previous studies showed that the hasABC operon encoding the capsule biosynthesis enzymes is under the control of a single promoter, P1, which is negatively regulated by the two-component regulatory system CovR/S. In this work, we characterize the sequence upstream of P1 and identify a novel regulatory region controlling transcription of the capsule biosynthesis operon in the M1 serotype strain MGAS2221. This region consists of a promoter, P2, which initiates transcription of a novel small RNA, HasS, an …

Mckee Minute December 2014, Southern Adventist University

McKee Minute – McKee Library This Month

The December 2014 McKee Minute announces additions to the Center for the Study of 19th Century America, features books on Adventist pioneers, holiday films, and a spotlight on journalism and communication.

The Phototroph, Erin Koehler

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Rheumatoid Arthritis In Saudi Arabia, Hani M. Almoallim, Laila A. Alharbi

Saudi Medical Journal

The status of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Saudi Arabia (SA) was examined from various perspectives based on a systematic literature review and the authors’ personal experiences. In this regard, database and journal search were conducted to identify studies on RA in SA, yielding a total of 43 articles. Although efforts have been made to promote RA research in SA, current studies mostly represent only a few centers and may not accurately portray the national status of RA care. Notably, biological therapies were introduced early for almost all practicing rheumatologists in SA (government and private). However, no national guidelines regarding the …

Blood Sacrifice: The Connection Between Roman Death Rituals And Christian Martyrdom, Angela Dawne Kennedy

Honors Theses

Scholars from a variety of disciplines have done some incredible work on the subject of martyrdom, but the story is far from complete, particularly in terms of how and why it was so similar to the Roman concept of public deaths. The primary sources include the surviving Christian martyrologies, Greco-Roman philosophical treatises, and Roman, Christian, and Jewish histories. Martyrdom itself was a tool of assimilation that somehow bridged the communities of the empire together. There is a huge body of information in a variety of genres that contribute to this project. But there exists a hole in the combined scholarship …

Structure’S Impact On Homiletic Rhetoric: A Case Study Of Melissa Scott’S Preaching, Erik S. Nelson

Honors Theses

Though the connection between the study of rhetorical processes and the practice of expository preaching is obvious, academic cooperation between the two fields is lacking. This case study presents an example of the harmony achievable between the disciplines through the production of constructive criticism, a process known to communication scholars as rhetorical analysis, for a sample of sermons given by Pastor Melissa Scott in recent years. Scott, whose preaching style is uniquely centered on translation-based exposition, represents the modern pastor whose skill and technique might be improved upon with the implementation of recent and emerging communication theory. Specifically, this study …

Nurse Knowledge Of Clostridium Difficile, Ashley E. Frosch

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the amount of knowledge nurses have about Clostridium difficile. Seventy-five nurses participated in this study. A 25-question true/false survey was distributed via email to graduates of The University of Southern Mississippi. The survey consisted of a brief demographic section and 25 questions addressing Clostridium difficile knowledge. A total of 582 surveys were sent out with a total of 75 completed. Out of 25 questions in the survey, the majority of respondents (>50%) only answered 7 questions incorrectly. Overall, the nurses in this study possessed accurate knowledge about C. difficile; although, there …

Learning To Walk In Two Worlds: An Examination Of Soul In My Pedagogy, Colette M. Polite

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Who exactly is a teacher without soul? The answer is complex. First, this study will explore the concept of soul in education. There are varying cultural, religious and spiritual ways to examine soul. This inquiry does not seek to prove the existence of soul. Its existence is considered to be complex, and even abstract, but exists nonetheless. Soul is explored from a cross-cultural approach, which includes an emphasis on a Native American philosophical worldview and discourse. My approach involves teacher autobiography and auto-narrative to provide insights to teacher identity and the presence of soul in education. This project utilizes métissage …

Integrability And Exact Solutions For A (2+1)-Dimensional Variable-Coefficient Kdv Equation, Zhang Yu, Xu Gui-Qiong

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

By using the WTC method and symbolic computation, we apply the Painlevé test for a (2+1)-dimensional variable-coefficient Kortweg-de Vries (KdV) equation, and the considered equation is found to possess the Painlevé property without any parametric constraints. The auto-Bǎcklund transformation and several types of exact solutions are obtained by using the Painlevé truncated expansion method. Finally, the Hirota’s bilinear form is presented and multi-soliton solutions are also constructed.

Spring Thaw Ionic Pulses Boost Nutrient Availability And Microbial Growth In Entombed Antarctic Dry Valley Cryoconite Holes, Jon Telling, Alexandre M. Anesio, Martyn Tranter, Andrew G. Fountain, Thomas H. Nylen, Jon Hawkings, Virendra B. Singh, Preeti Kaur, Michaela Musilova, Jemma L. Wadham

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The seasonal melting of ice entombed cryoconite holes on McMurdo Dry Valley glaciers provides oases for life in the harsh environmental conditions of the polar desert where surface air temperatures only occasionally exceed 0°C during the Austral summer. Here we follow temporal changes in cryoconite hole biogeochemistry on Canada Glacier from fully frozen conditions through the initial stages of spring thaw toward fully melted holes. The cryoconite holes had a mean isolation age from the glacial drainage system of 3.4 years, with an increasing mass of aqueous nutrients (dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus) with longer isolation age. During …

Hydrogeology Of Pumice-Hosted Fens In The Winema-Fremont National Forest, Oregon, Usa, Michael L. Cummings, Jonathan Michael Weatherford, Leslie A. Mowbray

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Subaerial fallout from the Holocene eruption of Mount Mazama in the Oregon Cascade Range was deposited upon relatively low permeability volcanic and volcaniclastic bedrock and regolith. In the Walker Rim study area, erosion by ephemeral streams shortly after the eruption disrupted the lateral continuity of the 270 to 300 cm-thick pumice deposit. Co-evolution of the surface- and ground-water systems in a low-relief, low-slope landscape allowed diffuse groundwater discharge from the banks of the evolving stream system. Accumulation of organic material from groundwater dependent ecosystems at these sites of discharge allowed peat deposits to form on gently sloping erosion surfaces cut …

Characterization Of Histidine Decarboxylase In Drosophila Using An Internal Flag Epitope, Maxwell Mianecki

Masters Theses

Histamine is a neurotransmitter in arthropods and is responsible for synaptic transmission in vision, mechanosensation, temperature sensing and sleep cycle in Drosophila. Histamine is synthesized by the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC). While histamine is detectable within tissues using current immunofluorescent labeling techniques, immunological approaches have not been successful for HDC itself, with both direct antibodies and terminal epitope tags determined to be ineffective. In order to avoid loss of the epitope tag through putative N-­‐ and C-­‐terminal proteolytic cleavage, known to occur for HDC in other organisms, an internal epitope tag that does not disrupt enzyme function was utilized. A …

Neutron Study Of Structure And Dynamics Of Rigid Polymers, Naresh Osti

All Dissertations

The structure and the dynamics in two different classes of rigid polymers; ionomers and rigid luminescent polymers, have been investigated predominantly by neutron techniques. Rigidity of the backbones of both polymers affects their properties. For ionomers, it affects transport pathways, therefore, their applications for energy and separation membranes. In luminescent polymers, it determines the conformations of the chains and their electro-optical response. One group of the polymers consists of rigid hydrophobic para-phenylene backbone decorated with pendant phenyl side chains functionalized with sulfonic acid (SPP). The other family of polymers consists of poly para-phenyleneethynylene (PPE) backbone that becomes conjugated upon conformational …

America's Closet Door: An Investigation Of Television And Its Effects On Perceptions Of Homosexuality, Sara Moroni

Honors Theses

This study investigates the relationship between television and social perceptions. It uses the television shows Will&Grace, The L Word, Queer as Folk, and Modern Family for rhetorical analysis. Then, it uses the information gained from the analysis to hypothesize how and why these television shows both reflect and affect social perceptions of homosexuality.

"I Wasn't Born A Boy – I Was Born A Baby": Best Practices Versus Accepted Practices In News Coverage Of The Transgender Community, Anna Hornell

Journalism

As transgender people and issues have gained prominence in American media over the past few years, more and more journalists find themselves covering a small and marginalized community that they may not have any previous experience with. Using standards set by LGBT media watchdog GLAAD, this study aimed to examine how the prevalence of problematic journalistic practices in covering the transgender community has (or has not) changed in recent years. A content analysis of 1,019 U.S. newspaper articles from 2009 and 2014 revealed some significant changes: almost all GLAAD-identified problematic practices that were studied appeared less commonly in 2014, although …

The Use Of Variable-Bagging And The Cross-Validation Selector In The Prediction Of Alzheimer’S Using The Adni Database., Michael Wayne Godbey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dimensionality plays a huge part in the modeling process. If there are more elements in a data set than variables in each element then there are very few restrictions in selection of an algorithm. Bagging, bootstrap aggregating (Breiman, 1994), may also be used to improve a model’s prediction capability. On the other hand, if there more variables in each observation than the number of observations in the dataset, the number of usable algorithms is greatly reduced. The recently developed algorithm, support vector machines, was designed for such situations, in comparison to algorithms such as logistic regression which have instability issues …