Digital Commons Network^™

Asset Protection In Escorting Using Multi-Robot Systems, Stephen Powers

Theses

Swarm robotics is a field dedicated to the study of the design and development of certain multi-robot systems. Often times, these groups prove to be more beneficial than a single complex robot as swarms typically provide a more robust and potentially more efficient solution. One such case is the task of escorting a specified target while addressing any potential threats discovered in the environment. In this work, a control algorithm for a high volume, decentralized, homogeneous robot swarm was developed based upon a technique commonly used to model incompressible fluids known as Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH).

This proposed solution to …

A Comparative Study Of Three Approaches For Enhancing Teaching Knowledge Of Dyslexia, Kayla Steltenkamp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Teachers are the foundational component of the education system. Annually, they are required to engage in professional development opportunities to expand their knowledge. Since 1985 there has been a profusion of legislative attention to the reading disability dyslexia. Included in legislation is the mandate for teacher training, but there is a lack of research on effective professional development to increase teacher knowledge of dyslexia. This study compared three models of professional development to assess their efficacy in increasing declarative knowledge of dyslexia for elementary general education teachers. The results indicated that the use of simulation training alone was less effective …

Patchiness Of Ciliate Communities Sampled At Varying Spatial Scales Along The New England Shelf, Jean-David Grattepanche, George B. Mcmanus, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although protists (microbial eukaryotes) provide an important link between bacteria and Metazoa in food webs, we do not yet have a clear understanding of the spatial scales on which protist diversity varies. Here, we use a combination of DNA fingerprinting (denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis or DGGE) and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to assess the ciliate community in the class Spirotrichea at varying scales of 1–3 km sampled in three locations separated by at least 25 km—offshore, midshelf and inshore—along the New England shelf. Analyses of both abundant community (DGGE) and the total community (HTS) members reveal that: 1) ciliate communities are …

The Effect Of Wee1 On Mitosis In The Spb Mutant, David Leroy

Honors Theses

The speedbump mutant has been identified as an early arrest mutant, becoming apparent as soon as 80% epiboly (8.5 hours of development). This mutant has a mutation in wee1, which is a protein regulating entry into mitosis ensuring the completion of DNA replication before mitosis. The lack of this protein in speedbump allows for early entry into mitosis resulting in damage to the chromosome. Here, we investigate two questions: if mitosis in the speedbump mutant phenotype is more frequent than wild-type phenotype, and, if so, is there a phase in which the mutant phenotype favors. We used phosphorylated histone H3 …

Synthesis And Reactions Of Novel Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes, Radhika Reddy Nareddy

Theses and Dissertations

Natural products serve as a major resource for many pharmacologically-active drugs found in the market today. Using natural products as medicines, however, is associated with many limitations such as availability and isolation. An alternative to this is the synthesis of these compounds, which can be done using two different approaches: (1) Total synthesis of the molecule, and (2) A semi-synthetic approach. Total synthesis generally involves synthesis of the target molecule by assembling the ring systems or the core skeletal framework of the natural product. There are numerous methods reported in the literature for the synthesis of these ring systems. Despite …

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 …

Antigenic And Genetic Evolution Of Emerging Avian Origin Influenza A Viruses, Yifei Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Periodic introductions of influenza A viruses (IAVs) from wild birds contribute to emergence of novel strains that infect domestic poultry, lower mammals, and humans, but the mechanisms of emergence are unclear. The objectives of this dissertation research are to infer the genesis of two emerging IAVs, low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H10N8 and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N8 viruses, and to characterize the antigenic diversity and genetic evolution of contemporary H7 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) from North America. First, AIVs that are genetically close to the human H10N8 isolate were recovered at the live poultry market (LPM) visited by …

Natural Population Dynamics Of Rock Iguanas In The Bahama Archipelago, Giuliano Colosimo

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding whether groups of individuals represent a single panmictic gene pool, or multiple genetically structured populations across a species range should aid in predicting whether specific conservation strategies would be more or less effective for species preservation. Further, contrasting the population structures of multiple coexisting taxa could foster an even deeper understanding of evolutionary divergence among demes and potentially even suggest local adaptation in the form of tight coevolutionary relationships. Finally, the analysis of population dynamics within small and isolated populations could improve our understanding of the relative importance that different evolutionary mechanisms have in predicting population persistence in the …

Copper Coordination With Protein, Peptides, And Small Molecules, Whitnee Leigh Nettles

Theses and Dissertations

Copper is an essential element for all living organisms. However, due to its low redox potential it can be involved in the production of reactive oxygen species; where excess amounts of copper can be exceptionally toxic.1 In humans, malfunctions in copper metabolism are linked to diseases such as Menkes syndrome, Wilson’s disease, prion disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.2 Maintenance of copper homeostasis requires a number of proteins, such as copper transporters and chaperones to deliver copper to the correct protein while limiting free copper in the cell.3 Therefore, understanding the thermodynamics of copper(II) coordination in proteins is critical to our understanding …

Stabilized Urea Fertilizer Effects On Corn Nitrogen Use Efficiency And Soil Nitrogen Transformations, Michael Paul Nattrass

Theses and Dissertations

Urea based fertilizers are susceptible to N losses through volatilization, denitrification, and leaching. A field and incubation experiment were conducted at Mississippi State between 2013 and 2015 to evaluate the effect of fertilizer stabilizers on grain yield, N use, and N transformations in various soil textures. Stabilizers were applied to liquid urea-ammonium-nitrate (UAN) solution (32%) and granular urea (46-0-0) at labeled rates for 179 and 112 kg N ha-1 for the field and incubation experiments, respectively. Grain yield and N content at tasseling and physiological maturity were measured for the field experiment. Extracts from the incubation experiment were measured for …

The Influence Of A Graphing Calculator Program Policy Change On The Algebra I High Stakes Assessment In Mississippi, Elizabeth Anderson Repsher

Theses and Dissertations

Graphing calculator programs have been used on high-stakes tests and teacher-created assessments at the secondary and college level for many years. These programs- are even used on college-placement tests such as the ACT. Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) made the decision to no longer allow the use of graphing calculator applications and/or programs on the Subject Area Testing Program (SATP2) for Algebra I. Currently, limited research exists to address the influence of graphing calculator program use on high-stakes assessments. The programming capabilities of graphing calculators should not be ignored. Because of the 2011-2012 …

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 …

Novel And Lost Forests In The Upper Midwestern United States, From New Estimates Of Settlement-Era Composition, Stem Density, And Biomass, Simon J. Goring, David J. Mladenoff, Charles V. Cogbill, Sydne Record, Christopher J. Paciorek, Stephen T. Jackson, Michael C. Dietze, Andria Dawson, Jaclyn Hatala Matthes, Jason S. Mclachlan, John W. Williams

Dartmouth Scholarship

EuroAmerican land-use and its legacies have transformed forest structure and composition across the United States (US). More accurate reconstructions of historical states are critical to understanding the processes governing past, current, and future forest dynamics. Here we present new gridded (8x8km) reconstructions of pre-settlement (1800s) forest composition and structure from the upper Midwestern US (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and most of Michigan), using 19th Century Public Land Survey System (PLSS), with estimates of relative composition, above-ground biomass, stem density, and basal area for 28 tree types. This mapping is more robust than past efforts, using spatially varying correction factors to accommodate sampling …

Natural And Induced Mitochondrial Phosphate Carrier Loss: Differential Dependence Of Mitochondrial Metabolism And Dynamics And Cell Survival On The Extent Of Depletion., Erin L. Seifert, Aniko Gál, Michelle G. Acoba, Qipei Li, Lauren Anderson-Pullinger, Tünde Golenár, Cynthia Moffat, Neal Sondheimer, Steven M. Claypool, György Hajnóczky

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The relevance of mitochondrial phosphate carrier (PiC), encoded by SLC25A3, in bioenergetics is well accepted. However, little is known about the mechanisms mediating the cellular impairments induced by pathological SLC25A3 variants. To this end, we investigated the pathogenicity of a novel compound heterozygous mutation in SLC25A3 First, each variant was modeled in yeast, revealing that substituting GSSAS for QIP within the fifth matrix loop is incompatible with survival on non-fermentable substrate, whereas the L200W variant is functionally neutral. Next, using skin fibroblasts from an individual expressing these variants and HeLa cells with varying degrees of PiC depletion, PiC loss of …

Identification And Genetic Characterization Of Antimicrobial Activities Of Pseudomonas Mississippiensis, A Novel Bacterial Species Isolated From Soybean Rhizosphere, Jiayuan Jia

Theses and Dissertations

An aerobic, Gram-negative, rod shaped and polarlagellated bacterium, designated strain MS586, was isolated from soybean rhizosphere in Mississippi. The taxonomic position of MS586 was determined using a polyphasic approach. Analysis of the housekeeping genes supported the novel position of MS586. The results were also supported by average nucleotide identity (ANI) values. Based on these data, it is proposed that strain MS586 represents a novel species, Pseudomonas mississippiensis, within the genus Pseudomonas. The type strain is MS586. Strain MS586 showed a broad-spectrum of antimicrobial activity against plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi that are economically important in agriculture. Preliminary studies using transposon-based …

Spatial And Trophic Niche Specialization In Castor Canadensis, Robert Antonio Francis

Theses and Dissertations

The Hutchinsonian niche is the n dimensional hyper volume that allows for the persistence of a species. Castor canadensis, a large semi-aquatic rodent, is an ecosystem engineer and often a keystone species for many ecosystems. I examined the effect of multiple spatial scales on hierarchical habitat selection byC. canadensis using presence-only modeling techniques. I also determined individual trophic niche specialization in C. canadensis utilizing stable isotope analysis. I concluded that C. canadensis displayed scale independent habitat selection when comparing landscape and fine spatial scales. Individual trophic niche specialization occurred in colonies of the same resource availability. Also, individual trophic niches …

Multimodal Imaging Of Photoreceptor Structure In Choroideremia, Lynn W. Sun, Ryan D. Johnson, Vesper Williams, Phyllis Summerfelt, Alfredo Dubra, David V. Weinberg, Kimberly E. Stepien, Gerald A. Fishman, Joseph Carroll

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

Choroideremia is a progressive X-linked recessive dystrophy, characterized by degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), choroid, choriocapillaris, and photoreceptors. We examined photoreceptor structure in a series of subjects with choroideremia with particular attention to areas bordering atrophic lesions.

Methods

Twelve males with clinically-diagnosed choroideremia and confirmed hemizygous mutations in the CHM gene were examined. High-resolution images of the retina were obtained using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and both confocal and non-confocal split-detector adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) techniques.

Results

Eleven CHM gene mutations (3 novel) were identified; three subjects had the same mutation and one …

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% …

Mental Illness In Starkville, Ms: A Cultural Consensus Analysis Of The Public Conceptions Of Mental Illness, Curtis Andrew Kennett

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness is a complex phenomenon that is social and psychological as well as biological. But since the creation of the DSM-III in the 1980s, the landscape of mental health research and treatment in the United States has been heavily influenced by the biomedical model. The thoughts and beliefs of the lay public about mental illness are often ignored despite the push for greater cultural understanding among biomedical professionals. This disconnect, coupled with the poor mental health infrastructure, has left Mississippi with an inadequate ability to help Mississippians address mental illness. This research uses cognitive anthropological methods and biocultural theory …

Mississippi Sex Educators' Perceptions Of Youth Sexuality, Sarah Elizabeth Pellegrine

Theses and Dissertations

School-based sexuality education (SBSE) is an important and debated part of the sexual socialization of young people in the US. While existing literature addresses the sociological implications of SBSE at the policy and curriculum-level, little was previously known about the ways instructors carried out and made sense of sex education in their classrooms. In this study, I examine the relationship between how sex education instructors make sense of sex education and their understandings of youth and sexuality. I conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with sex education teachers in Mississippi public schools and used an inductive analysis approach to determine themes from …

Role Of Selenium In Age-Related Degeneration: Selenotranscriptome Hierarchy And Characterization Of Selenoprotein H, Lei Cao

Theses and Dissertations

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element exerting its biological functions mainly through selenoproteins. Our lab has recently shown a paradoxical role of dietary Se at nutritional levels of intake in the delay of age-related degeneration while reducing longevity in mice carrying humanized telomeres. The first aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effects of long-term dietary Se deficiency, aging, and sex on selenotranscriptome hierarchy in tissues. Four unique patterns in selenotranscriptomic changes were summarized. First, the responses of selenotranscriptomes to dietary Se deprivation and aging were sexually dimorphic. Second, a few selenoproteins responded to dietary Se deficiency and …

Strategies For Establishment And Low Input Forage Production Of Southeastern Wildrye, Matthew Thomas Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Southeastern wildrye (Elymus glabriflorus (Vasey ex L.H. Dewey) Scrib & C.R. Ball) is a relatively new perennial cool-season grass that has shown potential as a forage crop in the Southeastern United States. However, there is a lack of research on this species assessing its agronomic performance. To assess the agronomic performance and it’s tolerance to imazapic field trials were established in Newton and Starkville, MS. A forage production trial included five nitrogen (N) 0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 kg N ha -1 (high input) and five annual clover (low input) treatments. Tolerance to imazapic was assessed with applications of …

Temporal Growth And Harvest Adjustment Procedures For Large-Scale Forest Inventory Data, Jacob R. Beard

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory (MIFI) multi-product forest inventory divides Mississippi into five inventory regions with one region inventoried each year on a rotating basis. Resource analyses that overlap these temporally separated regions require adjustment to a common comparative time base by applying appropriate forest stand growth and harvest allocation models to the portions of a selected area not inventoried at the desired common time base. Currently the Mississippi Dynamic Inventory Reporter (MDIR) does not make adjustments to temporally synchronize portions of user selected working circles, polygons, or counties that occur in separate inventory regions. Separate inventory reports for …

Identification Of Histamine Receptors In The Canine Gastrointestinal Tract, Alyssa Martin Sullivant

Theses and Dissertations

The role of histamine in chronic gastrointestinal diseases has been increasingly recognized in humans, but the role of histamine in the canine gastrointestinal tract has not been thoroughly investigated. The presence and distribution of all 4 histamine receptors (H1, H2, H3, and H4) in the stomach, duodenum, ileum, jejunum, and colon of healthy dogs were evaluated with a commonly employed immunohistochemistry technique using antibodies predicted to cross react with canine histamine receptors. All 4 histamine receptors were identified in the canine gastrointestinal tract, and differed in location and density within sections of the canine gastrointestinal tract. Antibody specificity was evaluated …

Impact Of Simulated Corn Earworm Damage On Field Corn Yield And The Influence Of Chlorantraniliprole And Flubendiamide On Fall Armyworm And Agronomic Characteristics Of Field Corn, Bryan Michael Olivi

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of pyramided Bacillus thuringinesiss (Bt) in field corn, Zea mays L. has helped reduce kernel and foliar damage from caterpillar pests including fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). These pests can also be controlled with diamide insecticides. No compensation for manual kernel damage occurred at any section of the ear for Bt or Non-Bt corn. No consistent impacts on corn growth or yield were observed following foliar applications of diamide insecticides at various growth stages. The diamides exhibit longer residual efficacy than other insecticides available for fall armyworm management in field corn. …

Gene Expression Profiling Of Wood Decay Fungus Fibroporia Radiculosa Grown On Different Organic And Copper Based Preservatives, Ayfer Akgul

Theses and Dissertations

Copper tolerant brown rot fungi are able to depolymerize the structure of wood treated with copper or organic wood preservatives. This research used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) combined with RNA-seq to explore what genes of the brown-rot fungus, Fibroporia radiculosa, are expressed when the fungus is overcoming the wood preservatives and decaying the wood. The preliminary study of ACQ-treated wood indicated that the hydrogen peroxide needed for wood decay to proceed may come from AAOX (aryl alcohol oxidase), with oxalate regulation by ODC2 (oxalate decarboxylase), and copper regulation by COP (copper resistance P-type ATPase pump). The principal study measured …

Understanding The Exotic Distributions Of Invasive Species, Tyler Evan Schartel

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are organisms whose introduction and spread in exotic ranges result in a multitude of ecological impacts. Understanding the factors that constrain the exotic distributions of invasive species is of considerable interest. Biotic associations formed with taxa in the invaded community may be particularly important in shaping invader distributions. These associations emerge from interactions between the traits of the invasive species and some subset of the traits present in the invaded community. Focusing on how organism traits influence the outcomes of biotic interactions may inform predictions of invader distributions. This kind of trait-based approach may be most easily applied …

Co-Infection Dynamics Of The Tick-Borne Bacteria: Rickettsia Parkeri And "Candidatus Rickettsia Andeanae", Jung Keun Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) is the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri which is a causative agent of American Boutonneuse fever. Infection rates of R. parkeri in A. maculatum populations from the United States are approximately 0-56%. The first human clinical case of Rickettsia parkeri infection was reported in 2014 and the patient presented with a febrile illness similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever but showing milder clinical symptoms. Through 2016, approximately 40 human clinical cases of R. parkeri infection have been reported within southern United States. Amblyomma maculatum may also be infected with a rickettsia of unknown pathogenicity “Candidatus …

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 …

Application Timing Of Herbicides For Miscanthus (Miscanthus X Giganteus) Control And Effects Of Mowing On Rhizome Initiation And Production, Dosha Nicole Barksdale

Theses and Dissertations

Herbicide treatments were tested on mature stands of Miscanthus in 2013 and 2014 in Winston and Oktibbeha counties Mississippi. Twenty-one different herbicide treatments and two application timings, summer and fall, were evaluated. Glyphosate at 4,500 g ae ha-1 applied in the summer provided the best Miscanthus control at each location. Control with fall applications of glyphosate varied between locations. Two greenhouse studies were conducted in 2014 and 2015 at Mississippi State, MS to evaluate the effects of mowing on seedling Miscanthus, as well as the time period between seed germination and rhizome initiation. Rhizomes were visible on seedling plants 15 …