Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Urea Hydrolysis As A Biomarker For Detecting Pathogenic Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In Clinical Isolates And Raw Oysters, Maryam Kate Mohammadi-Aragh

Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) infection is commonly caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish. Raw oysters are associated with most Vp outbreaks. Pathogenic Vp express thermostable-direct hemolysin (tdh) and to some extent thermostable-related hemolysin (trh). Additionally, some pathogenic Vp express urease (uh). The objectives of this work were to discern any relationships between urease (uh) expression, tdh/trh expression, and hemolytic activity in pathogenic and non-pathogenic clinical strains, and to compare urease, motility, tdh/trh expression, and hemolytic activity in raw oyster isolates. This information would determine if urease could be used as a biomarker to detect pathogenic Vp. About 80% …

Design And Frequency Characterization Of Dual-Piezoresponsive Foam Sensors, Cory Nelson Newton

Theses and Dissertations

Multifunctional "self-sensing" materials at the frontiers of current research are generally designed to gather only a single type of information (such as quasi-static strain data). This project introduces a new sensor that is both multifunctional and dual-response, indicating its ability to not only perform in mechanical and sensing functions but also in its ability to sense multiple types of response. The proposed new class of sensing materials, comprised of nanocomposite polymer foams, exhibits measurable piezoresistive and quasi-piezoelectric phenomena in the form of change in resistance and voltage generation in response to deformation, respectively. An initial sampling of the envelope of …

Biopolarity: Coral Scientists Between Hope And Despair, Irus Braverman

Journal Articles

Biopolarity draws on extensive interviews with dozens of coral scientists and on my observations of the international coral reef symposium in Hawaii on June 2016 to document the oscillation of coral scientists between hope and despair in their imaginations of coral futures. At one extreme of the oscillation are catastrophic predictions of the death of corals by the mid-21st century. In this despondent narrative, corals are getting fried and nothing short of an abrupt (and unlikely) shift in how humans use fossil fuels will save them. The pessimistic trajectory of this swing of the pendulum comes replete with daunting maps, …

The Parthenon, December 9, 2016, Lexi Browning

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

2016-12-09, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Board of Regents meeting minutes for December 9, 2016.

Network Interdiction Models And Algorithms For Information Security, Apurba Kumer Nandi

Theses and Dissertations

Major cyber attacks against the cyber networks of organizations has become a common phenomenon nowadays. Cyber attacks are carried out both through the spread of malware and also through multi-stage attacks known as hacking. A cyber network can be represented directly as a simple directed or undirected network (graph) of nodes and arcs. It can also be represented by a transformed network such as the attack graph which uses information about network topology, attacker profile, and existing vulnerabilities to represent all the potential attack paths from readily accesible vulnerabilities to valuable target nodes. Then, interdicting or hardening a subset of …

Chemical Weapons And Other Atrocities: Contrasting Responses To The Syrian Crisis, Tim Mccormack

International Law Studies

Why has the use of chemical weapons in Syria engendered such a substantive multilateral response in stark contrast to almost every other egregious international law violation perpetrated against the civilian population? Various theories have been offered but the explanation has little to do with humanitarian concerns for Syrian victims and is more readily explicable by unusual (in the Syrian context) alignment of U.S. and Russian national interests. Bashar al-Assad was convinced to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention, to surrender his stockpiles of chemical weapons and to co-operate with international investigators deployed under UN Security Council auspices amid a cacophony …

America Reads-Mississippi/Americorps Reading Program's Impact On Mississippi Community College Attendance, Charity Yarbrough

Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of AmeriCorps programs, reading, education and civic engagement has been emphasized in a large portion of the United States. Members enlist to serve schools and communities for 1 year, possibly 2. Upon completion of a member’s year(s) of service an education award is given which can be used to attend a community college, university or repay student loans. This study showed how AmeriCorps/America Reads programs partnered with community colleges and universities which recruited members to volunteer at school sites and community centers tutoring students in classrooms to improve reading, grades, engage in community service activities, use education …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between College Football Fans And Their Rival Teams, Morgan Young

Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored how fan identification and negative rival perception affect the decision to blast or support the rival in indirect competition in college football. 258 participants (M age=24.15, 51.16% female) responded after being targeted via social media, email, and in person. Fans higher in identification had a more negative rival perception, were more likely to blast the rival, and were less likely to support the rival in indirect competition. A negative rival perception increased blasting and decreased rival support. The results contribute to current literature on rivalry and fan identification and aid marketers in marketing segmentation and targeting …

The Effects Of Sub-Lethal Chlorine Induced Oxidative Stress On Biofilm Formation And Thermal Resistance Of Salmonella, Janak Dhakal

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of sub-lethal chlorine stress on various strains/serotypes of Salmonella on biofilm formation and thermal resistance was studied. The effect of oxidative stress (induced by 150 ppm of chlorine in TSB) on Salmonella biofilm formation on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces at three temperatures (4°C, 30°C, and room temperature) in nutrient rich (full strength TSB) and nutrient limited conditions (1/10th TSB) was evaluated. On polystyrene surface, chlorine stressed S. Heidelberg (strain ID 72), S. Newport (strain ID 107) and S. Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) formed stronger (P < 0.05) biofilms at 30°C. On stainless steel, the chlorine stressed S. Heidelberg (ATCC 8326) and S. Enteritidis (ATCC 4931) at room temperature formed stronger (P < 0.05) biofilms as compared to the non-stressed control cells. The thermal resistance of short-term (1h) and long-term (27d) chlorine stressed Salmonella Heidelberg and S. Typhimurium were compared with the non-stressed controls at three different temperatures (55°C, 58°C and 61°C) and two growth phases (logarithmic and stationary). The short-term stressed log phase cells (both serotypes) were found to be more sensitive (P< 0.05) to thermal inactivation in TSB. Upon long-term sub-lethal chlorine exposure, Salmonella developed a rugose morphotype on tryptic soy agar at 37°C. The rugose morphotype provided significant thermal protection (P< 0.05) against heat stress as compared to smooth morphotype. In chicken broth, at 55°C, short-term chlorine stressed stationary phase S. Typhimurium displayed a higher D55 value compared to non-stressed cells. The findings from this research reveal that some Salmonella strains have the potential to form stronger biofilms and exhibit higher thermal tolerance upon exposure to sub-lethal chlorine concentration.

Nitrogen And Potassium Management In Container Production Of Musa, Ensete, And Canna And Landscape Performance Of Musa, Ensete, And Musella, Maddox Martin Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Two container production studies (nursery area and greenhouse) and a landscape performance study to evaluate bananas and cannas were performed at R. R. Foil Plant Science Research Center on the campus of Mississippi State University. Previous reports determined that there is greater need of K2O fertilization in addition to N for tropical monocot nutrition. Contradictory to previous cultural recommendations for landscapes, it was determined that a N:K2O ratio is not significant for container production of Musa, Ensete, and Canna in pine bark substrate. Nitrogen rate was the most significant variable in the containerized production of Musa, Ensete, and Canna. The …

Optimal Supply Chain Configuration For The Additive Manufacturing Of Biomedical Implants, Adindu Ahurueze Emelogu

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study two important problems related to additive manufacturing (AM). In the first part, we investigate the economic feasibility of using AM to fabricate biomedical implants at the sites of hospitals AM versus traditional manufacturing (TM). We propose a cost model to quantify the supply-chain level costs associated with the production of biomedical implants using AM technology, and formulate the problem as a two-stage stochastic programming model, which determines the number of AM facilities to be established and volume of product flow between manufacturing facilities and hospitals at a minimum cost. We use the sample average approximation …

Conversion Of Industrial Waste And Wastewaters Into Lipids Suitable For Biodiesel Production, Marta Amirsadeghi

Theses and Dissertations

The potential of oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula glutinis for the sustainable production of biodiesel feedstock via fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass in pulp and paper wastewater as a fermentation media was investigated. The overall objective was to increase the levels of lipid feedstock in oleaginous yeast in order to reduce biodiesel production cost. To meet sustainable production of biodiesel, industrial wastewater and waste lignocellulose biomass were used as cultivation media and carbon source, respectively. Pulp and paper wastewater effluent was selected as a source of water and nutrients for the production of microbial lipids due to its environmental pollution as it creates …

Coupled And Uncoupled Earth Pressure Profiles In Unsaturated Soils Under Transient Flow, Syed Gous Andrabi

Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this research is to evaluate the behavior of earth pressure profiles in unsaturated soils under transient flow. In the first part, an empirical correlation is proposed to obtain the fitting parameters of Brooks and Corey’s soil-water retention model from Fredlund and Xing’s model. The retention models and the proposed equivalency between the models were assessed for 601 soil samples from the unsaturated soils hydraulic database (UNSODA). In the second part, a coupled one-dimensional hydro-mechanical model is introduced and is implemented into Rankine’s earth-pressure model to represent active and passive earth pressure profiles in unsaturated soils under …

Three Steps Forward, One Step Back? Reflection On 'Google Taxes' And The Destination-Based Corporate Tax, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah

Articles

A large puzzle underlies the recent G20 and OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. If the scope of BEPS is as broad as the reports suggest, why are corporate tax revenues in the OECD so robust?

The final OECD report on BEPS action 11 suggest that BEPS activities result in between $100 and $240 billion in annual lost revenue from corporate income taxes (CIT) on a global basis. The wide spread between these two numbers indicates the significant uncertainty involved. But even the higher number represents a relatively small portion of total global CIT revenues, since it is …

The Knowledge Gap In Workplace Retirement Investing And The Role Of Professional Advisors, Jill E. Fisch, Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, Kristin Firth

Duke Law Journal

The dramatic shift from traditional pension plans to participant-directed 401(k) plans has increased the obligation of individual investors to take responsibility for their own retirement planning. With this shift comes increasing evidence that investors are making poor investment decisions.

This Article seeks to uncover the reasons for poor investment decisions. We use a simulated retirement investing task and a new financial literacy index to evaluate the role of financial literacy in retirement investment decisionmaking in a group of nonexpert participants. Our results suggest that individual employees often lack the skills necessary to support the current model of participant-directed investing. We …

How Understanding The Nature Of Corporate Norms Can Prevent Their Destruction By Settlements, James D. Cox

Duke Law Journal

Scholars have long celebrated the importance of norms in corporate law. Indeed, norms likely guide corporate actors more than the omnipresent threat of shareholder suits. This Article divides corporate norms into two distinct groups: aspirational norms and arbiter norms. Aspirational norms announce socially desirable objectives for corporate managers and encourage certain disclosure practices; arbiter norms identify distinct transactions for closer scrutiny by an independent body, the court. This Article shows that even though aspirational norms and arbiter norms serve different objectives, they share a common characteristic—overbreadth. This feature exists whether the norm is set forth by statute or found in …

“We Believe”: Omnicare, Legal Risk Disclosure And Corporate Governance, Hillary A. Sale, Donald C. Langevoort

Duke Law Journal

The Supreme Court’s decision in Omnicare Inc. v. Laborers District Council Construction Industry Pension Fund presents new challenges for boards of directors. The opinion speaks to whether and when an issuer’s statement of belief can be false or misleading other than by proof that the issuer’s genuine opinion was different from what it stated. Statements of opinion imply something about how the belief was formed, and that process implicates the role of directors as fiduciaries.

This Article uses Omnicare as a starting point for exploring and developing the interplay between disclosure, discourse, and fiduciary duties. Using the lens of corporate-discourse …

Adaptive Financial Regulation And Regtech: A Concept Article On Realistic Protection For Victims Of Bank Failures, Lawrence G. Baxter

Duke Law Journal

Frustrated by the seeming inability of regulators and prosecutors to hold bank executives to account for losses inflicted by their companies before, during, and since the financial crisis of 2008, some scholars have suggested that private-attorney-general suits such as class action and shareholder derivative suits might achieve better results. While a few isolated suits might be successful in cases where there is provable fraud, such remedies are no general panacea for preventing large-scale bank-inflicted losses. Large losses are nearly always the result of unforeseeable or suddenly changing economic conditions, poor business judgment, or inadequate regulatory supervision—usually a combination of all …

Lindenwood Digest, December 9, 2016, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been an employee newsletter since 2009.

Pseudotransformational Leadership, Leadership Styles, And Emotional Intelligence: A Comparative Case Study Of Lon Nol And Pol Pot, Hok Roth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to help explain how and why two revolutionary national leaders of Cambodia–Lon Nol and Pol Pot, particularly the latter–had spectacular failures and became pseudotransformational leaders. It aims to build a proposition or theory that revolutionary leaders in the public sector, particularly of undemocratic regimes, tend to become pseudotransformational leaders when a) they lack certain components of emotional intelligence (EI) and/or b) adopt certain leadership styles and use them inappropriately. The author used a mixed methods comparative case study with the quantitative method nested in the qualitative one. He collected empirical data from a quantitative …

Relationships Among Environmental Attitudes, Environmental Knowledge, And Outdoor Recreational Habits Of Upper Elementary School Students In Mississippi, Katherine Elizabeth Abell

Theses and Dissertations

Research sought to evaluate environmental attitudes, environmental knowledge, and nature-based recreation in Mississippi upper-elementary adolescents, as delineated by race/ethnicity and gender. Research was conducted Spring 2015 in eight study schools using three survey instruments. Analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA, univariate analysis of variance, and generalized linear mixed models. Results found that no gender differences exist between environmental attitudes or knowledge; however, Caucasian/White students displayed significantly higher environmental knowledge and attitudes versus their African American/Black peers. Additionally, a positive relationship was detected between attitudes and knowledge of study participants. Outdoor, nature-based recreation participation varied along race/ethnicity and gender, with Caucasian/White …

Relationships Between Information Technology Skills And Performance Evaluation Scores Of Mississippi State University Extension Service Agents, James R. Loper

Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted to see if the level of use, expertise, and problem solving abilities using information technology among Mississippi State University Extension agents was positively correlated with the performance quality of the agent as measured in the Mississippi State University Extension Service agent evaluation system. A second purpose was to examine how well agents self-assess their technology skills. Lastly, the study attempted to determine if there was a set of factors (including information technology skills) that explained a substantial portion of the variation in performance evaluation scores. The results showed that the Mississippi State University Extension agent evaluation …

Political Trust And Presidential Voting: A Changing Political Environment Inducing The End Of Traditional Politics In The United States, Brett Stephen Juraszek

Theses and Dissertations

Political climates are undoubtedly changing across the nation and creating volatile fluctuations of attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. In a more entertaining season of presidential primaries, both parties – Democratic and Republican – have nominees that will once again be scrutinized by many across the country. I argue the levels of scrutiny will more likely than not be enhanced to new proportions. Since a consistent reliance on media involvement and attack ads have grown immensely amongst presidential candidates, this will translate into a wider gap in party polarization and subsequently tie into the trust of American citizens. Previous scholars have shown …

Characterization And Value-Added Utilization Of The Proteins Extracted From The By Products Of Catfish Fillet Processing Plant, Haoran Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins in catfish by-products were extracted by two methods: Alkaline extraction (AE) and salt extraction (SE). Properties of the fish protein isolate (FPI) were measured by protein yield and content, moisture content, SDS-PAGE protein patterns, color and texture profile, and compared with commercial surimi products. Our results showed that catfish frame had higher protein yield and color similarity with commercial products than the head; AE-FPI had higher yield and gel strength than SE-FPI; SDS-PAGE protein patterns of FPI from catfish frame by SE method was comparable with commercial surimi products. Based on the results, further optimization of the recovery yield …

Environmental Management System Optimization Focusing On The Waste Environmental Media In The Chemical Industry, Mesha Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The first part of this project focused on evaluating aspects of the environmental management practices of Texas chemical industries, particularly waste generation and management of the data related to these processes. The waste generation data included Texas notifications required to track wastes. The next phase consisted of characterizing industrial waste disposal methods, waste container management, and transportation including an overview of required documentation for each activity. This led to identification of issues encountered from inefficient recordkeeping, ineffective internal communication, or inadequate environmental management systems. The result of an ineffective hazardous waste data management program can be fines, damage to the …

Utilization Of Outdoor Resources To Enhance Understanding Of Geosciences, Sarah Radencic Lalk

Theses and Dissertations

Societal awareness and general understanding of the diversity of geosciences environments and phenomena across regions is vital. The primary method to obtain information about geosciences is through mass media. However, there is little coverage of geosciences information and the public may not trust it because of low geosciences awareness. Geosciences are rarely included as part of K-12 curricula and are optional at the collegiate level, contributing to the public deficiency regarding awareness and understanding of the geosciences. This research study investigated methods utilizing outdoor resources in an effort to increase region-specific understanding and awareness of geosciences among diverse groups. A …

Mexican And Central American Emigration: Exploring Recent Motivations And Challenges Of The Migrant Child Arriving To The U.S, Frank (Frank Edward) Bradford

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines several critical factors deemed to be important in examining why children from Mexico and Central America decide to take risks by traveling alone to unfamiliar places, such as the U.S., in such large numbers. An exploration of present day and historical backgrounds provide insight for social, political, and economic conditions that assist in shaping the landscape and outlook of Central Americans and Mexicans, particularly children on a daily basis.

Geotechnical Properties Of Very High Moisture Content Dredged Soil Lightly Cemented With Ordinary Or Portland-Limestone Cement, Mohammed Bazne

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable geotechnics warrants exploring beneficial reuse of the large volume of fine grained soils which are produced annually in various forms such as dredged soils and mine tailings. Often these soils are at very high moisture content, and are therefore referred to herein as VHMS for Very High Moisture Soils. These soils exhibit poor engineering properties such as low shear strength and high compressibility. This dissertation presents results from experiments conducted primarily to assess geotechnical properties over time of lightly cemented VHMS (referred to as LC-VHMS and defined as 5% or less cement by slurry mass). The main objectives of …

Hybrid Electric Aircraft, Hajar Righi

Theses and Dissertations

The main concerns of air travel are the operating costs of general aviation aircraft. Hybrid-electric system design provides a great opportunity for future aircraft models to be environmentally friendly. The Hybrid-electric power propulsion system experienced a growing interest driven by determined targets. Electric technologies have proven promising success to achieve a successful result in the near- and long-term. Combining fuel cells and batteries, this technology can enable a significant reduction in fuel consumption, noise, and emissions. Different types of fuel cells and batteries are proposed and discussed during this work. The Cessna C-172 is a candidate to test the combination …