Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Portable Laser-Induced Fluorescence Sensor, Adam Oswalt Powers

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design and construction of a portable laser induced fluorescence sensor. The objective was to create a low-cost, versatile, and modular laser induced fluorescence sensor for agricultural remote sensing. The sensor module should able to be integrated with different pieces of hardware. The objective was successfully accomplished with the creation of a sensor module that met all of the requirements. The sensor module integrates with a handheld unit for reading and visualizing the data that was constructed and is described in this work. Performance testing and experiments were carried out with the sensor module in the handheld …

By Degree: A History Of Heat In The Subtropical American South, Jason Hauser

Theses and Dissertations

Heat has a history, both because temperatures changed and the way humans understand and experience those temperatures changed. This dissertation excavates that history by examining how southern heat—heat considered distinct to the subtropical American South—affected the social, economic, and political development of the United States. This dissertation argues that southern heat proved consequential for the nation as both a physical force and human construct, and that only by keeping the materiality of relatively high temperatures in conversation with the idea of heat does a full history of southern heat emerge. By looking at how humans interacted with southern heat, both …

Effect Of Water Hardness On Adsorption Of Lead From Aqueous Solution Using Douglas Fir Biochar, Dhara Gogri

Theses and Dissertations

Water pollution due to heavy metals can be hazardous to both the environment and human health. The aim of this research is to provide a low-cost alternative for lead remediation. Biochar was produced from the fast pyrolysis of Douglas fir (DBC). Magnetic biochar (MDBC) was synthesized by mixing aqueous biochar suspensions with an aqueous Fe3+/Fe2+ solution. In chapter I, an overview of lead as an emergent contaminant is given. Different biochar production techniques have been discussed along with different mechanism of adsorption of lead onto biochar. Chapter II is a study of adsorption of lead on DBC and MDBC under …

Effects Of Feed Additive Strategies For Commercial Broiler Production And Gut Health, Courtney Elizabeth Ennis

Theses and Dissertations

The total removal of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) from poultry feed is underway in the United States. Feed additive strategies will be utilized to maintain the efficient growth, health, and economic value found with current commercial broiler production. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of feeding an encapsulated butyric acid and zinc product (EBAZ) at 3 inclusions on d 0- 49 Ross x Ross 708 male and female broiler performance, blood chemistry, and cecal short-chain fatty acid content. These data suggest that EBAZ can be safely included at 0.5 g/kg and at 2.5 g/kg into diets for Ross x Ross 708 …

Efficacy Of Bentonite And Calcium Montmorillonite Clays At Reducing Aflatoxin M1 Transfer In Lactating Holsteins, Sarah Caitlin Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring carcinogens found on grains, particularly in warmer climates. Because of their carcinogenic properties, they are strictly regulated and are only allowed in minimal amounts. Aflatoxin B1, the most potent naturally occurring carcinogen known, is metabolized in the liver to form aflatoxin M1, which is present in the milk of lactating animals. If aflatoxin concentrations are elevated above legal limits, the milk cannot be used for human consumption. Because of this, research has been conducted to evaluate ways to mitigate its absorption in the animal and prevent transfer to the milk. One such way is through the …

Electrolyte Interactions With Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles In Water, Ha Ganganath Sanjeewa Perera

Theses and Dissertations

Electrolyte interactions with colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solutions have been implicated in a wide range of research and applications. Existing studies on electrolyte interactions with NPs are primarily based on the electrical double layer (EDL) theory. However, the EDL model provides very limited information on how electrolytes directly bind to NPs, electrolyte impact on charge distribution on NPs, and NP morphological modification upon electrolyte binding. Furthermore, the previous reports have mainly focused on either cations or anions binding onto NPs, while the potential cation and anion coadsorption onto NPs and NPacilitated cation-anion interactions remain largely uncharted. Filling these knowledge …

Engendering Landscape: A Gendered Analysis Of Migration To The Buffer Zone Of Carara National Park, Costa Rica, Jessica Ann Arends

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses gender as a lens of analysis for understanding the motivations of internal migrants in their decision to move to the 10 kilometer buffer zone of Carara National Park in Costa Rica. The thesis is in reaction to Wittemyer et al.’s (2008) article that statistically demonstrates that population levels at the borders of study selected national parks and protected areas across Africa and Latin America are growing due to in-migration. The study is composed of 30 interviews with Costa Rican migrants who live in three communities inside Carara’s buffer zone. This study used cultural consensus analysis and semi-structured …

Evaluation Of Foliar Fertilizer Or Cytokinin Mixtures In Combination With Common Postemergence Soybean Herbicides, Huntington Tyler Hydrick

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to reduce application costs and to integrate plant health management strategies in soybean, growers may combine POST herbicides with foliar fertilizers or cytokinin mixtures. Field experiments were conducted at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS in 2015 and 2016 to evaluate soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] injury, weed control, and agronomic performance when combining blended or single-nutrient foliar fertilizers with POST herbicide applications. Field experiments were also conducted at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS in 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the influence of cytokinin mixtures on soybean injury and weed …

Advancing Our Understanding Of The Edwardsiella, Stephen Ralph Reichley

Theses and Dissertations

Diseases caused by Edwardsiella spp. are responsible for significant losses in wild and cultured fishes around the world. Historically, Edwardsiella tarda has been considered the most phenotypically and genotypically heterogeneous member of the genus. Investigations into intraspecific variability of E. tarda demonstrated isolates previously classified as E. tarda actually represent three genetically distinct yet phenotypically ambiguous groups, leading to the adoption of E. piscicida and E. anguillarum as discrete taxa. Current genomic investigations have demonstrated significant differences between these organisms. To this end, real-time quantitative PCR assays were developed to quickly and accurately detect the pathogens in pond water, fish …

Assessment Of Volatile Metabolites For In Situ Detection Of Fungal Decay Of Wood, Nasim Maafi

Theses and Dissertations

Although incipient fungal decay of wood may be difficult to detect early, it causes a significant decrease in wood strength. Developing a reliable method of decay identifica-tion to overcome wood replacement costs by non-destructive methods is necessary. This study investigates a possibility of identifying fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as means of fungal detection using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Volatile emissions from two brown rot (Gloeophyllum trabeum and Postia pla-centa) and two white rot (Trametes versicolor and Irpex lacteus) fungi on pine and aspen and their profiles related to wood mechanical strength and mass …

Body Fat Determination Of Stock-Type Horses In Varying Body Condition By Carcass Dissection, Rump Fat Thickness, And Deuterium Oxide Dilution And Fatty Acid Composition Of Adipose Tissues, Emily Nicole Ferjak

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objectives of the study were to compare 2 body fat (%, BF) prediction methods for stock-type horses by rump fat thickness (RFT) and D2O dilution with actual tissue fat analysis by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and to identify the relationships among BF, BCS, and physical measurements. Secondary objectives were to determine the fatty acid (FA) composition of mesenteric (MS), cardiac (CD), subcutaneous (SC), intermuscular (IM), and leaf fat (LF) and to identify relationships between of FA composition and BCS in horses. Results indicated that D2O dilution is an accurate predictor of BF, and RFT alone does not accurately predict …

Water Quality Monitoring And Modeling Studies Of Onarm Water Storage Systems In A Mississippi Delta Agricultural Watershed, Juan David Perez-Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

Federal and state programs have encouraged farmers in the Mississippi Delta region to implement best management practices (BMPs) to promote soil and water conservation. An onarm water storage (OFWS) system is a structural BMP that has several potential benefits, namely, the ability to capture and reuse rainwater and tailwater runoff, provide supplemental water for irrigation, reduce groundwater withdrawals, and improve downstream water quality. However, research demonstrating these benefits and providing new insights for downstream water quality improvement and nutrient-rich runoff management is limited. This dissertation addresses these research gaps by examining the ability of OFWS systems to mitigate off-site nutrient …

Temperature Effects On Warm- And Cool-Season Turfgrass Species And Cultivars, Ethan Todd Flournoy

Theses and Dissertations

Research was conducted using the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research (SPAR) units at Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS to investigate temperature effects on warm- and cool-season turfgrasses. Data collected include clipping yield, total root biomass, and relative chlorophyll index (RCI). Cultivars and species in the study included: ‘Latitude 36’, ‘Tifway’, ‘MSB-285’, and ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass, ‘Meyer’ zoysiagrass, ‘Penn A1/A4’ and ‘Penncross’ creeping bentgrass, ‘Midnight’ Kentucky bluegrass, ‘Fiesta 4’ perennial ryegrass, and ‘Falcon V’ tall fescue. Grasses were grown in the SPAR units at varying day/night temperature regimes. Clipping yield was collected every three days, and regression was used to determine the temperature at which clipping …

Testing The Life History Approach: Assessing Cultural Bias In Archaeological Mussel Shell Assemblages In The Tombigbee River Drainage, Sarah Kate Mckinney

Theses and Dissertations

Zooarchaeological mussel shell assemblages can be affected by an array of biases, one of which is cultural bias. Cultural biases may be exhibited in the transport of mussels from nonlocal mussel beds, and/or in preferential taste. There are a few methods used to help determine if cultural biases are at play (e.g., nestedness and detrended correspondence analysis). This thesis aims to test a new method, the life history approach, to determine if it is a viable method for assessing cultural bias in prehistoric mussel assemblages from the Tombigbee River drainage. Shell assemblages from the drainage previously have been demonstrated to …

Incidence Of Salmonella Spp. In Farming Environments And Food Facilities By Improved Detection, Lurdes G. Siberio-Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental samples from food processing facilities and production (farms) were taken and analyzed for the presence of indicator organisms and Salmonella spp. on food contact (FC) and nonood contact (NFC) surfaces. Salmonella was isolated from both FC and NFC surfaces of a fruit and catfish-processing plant environment, but not from a dairy processing plant or from produce packaging facility environments. Scatter plots did not show a relationship between indicator organisms and the presence of Salmonella in processing environments, regardless of the facility/environment. Salmonella ser. Gaminara and Salmonella ser. Give were prevalent in the fruit processing environment. Persistence could not be …

Indirect Measures As Predictors Of Social Skills Observed Through Means Of Direct Observation, Mackenzie Denise Sidwell

Theses and Dissertations

The scope of the current study focuses on the relationship between direct and indirect methods of measuring social skills in children. Participants included 33 children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old. The sample drew from elementary schools in 2 Southern states in the U.S., as well as social skills groups from a university-based clinic. While some participants had been previously identified has having disabilities impacting social performance, it was not an inclusionary requirement and the majority of children were not identified as having a disability clinically or through a special education eligibility domain. Teachers and clinicians leading …

Influence Of Land Use, Land Cover, And Hydrology On The Spatial And Temporal Characteristics Of Dissolved Organic Matter (Dom) In Multiple Aquatic Ecosystems, Shatrughan Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were characterized using a combination of spectroluorometric measurements and multivariate analysis techniques. The study was conducted over a four-year (2012-2016) period in multiple watersheds located in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain Physiographic region of the southeast USA as well as in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of India. Surface water samples were collected from five major lakes in the Mississippi, an estuarine region in the southeastern Louisiana, and from the coastal region in the eastern Mississippi Sound in the USA, and a large river (Ganges River) in India. Absorption and fluorescence measurements were performed …

Investigations Into The Life Cycle Of Drepanocephalus Auritus With Notes On The Discovery Of A New Snail Host Biomphalaria Havanensis In Mississippi, Neely Rae Alberson

Theses and Dissertations

Drepanocephalus auritus is a digenetic trematode parasitizing the double-crested cormorant, a piscivorous waterbird often found feeding on catfish aquaculture ponds in Mississippi. The aquatic snail Planorbella trivolvis was the only known intermediate host in Mississippi until a new snail host, Biomphalaria havanensis, was discovered releasing cercariae belonging to North and South American D. auritus haplotypes. In addition, previous work has reported D. auritus metacercariae begin to resolve in channel catfish 7-21 days post-infection. As a result, a 2-year study was undertaken to elucidate the life cycle of D. auritus and identify if channel catfish can serve as a true intermediate …

Management Of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Using Gene Manipulation And Biological Nematicides Biological Nematicides, Weasam Adnan Radhi Aljaafri

Theses and Dissertations

Soybean cyst nematode (H. glycines), reniform nematode (R. reniformis), and Root-Knot nematode (M. incognita) are three damaging plant-parasitic nematodes on soybean. Syntaxin proteins are involved in the process of membrane fusion. T wo G. max syntaxin genes (Gm-SYP22-1, and Gm-SYP22-2) that were similar in amino acid composition have been found to contribute to the ability of Glycine max to defend itself from infection by the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines. Syntaxin genes SYP22-1 and SYP22-2 were identified to be expressed specifically in syncytia undergoing a resistant reaction to H. glycines parasitism. The Gm-SYP22-1 and Gm-SYP22-2 genes were isolated by molecular …

Monitoring Aspergillus Flavus Progression And Aflatoxin Accumulation In Inoculated Maize (Zea Mays L.) Hybrids, Cedric Xavier Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Aflatoxins are a secondary metabolite produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. A. flavus has been known to infect several crops including tree nuts, peanuts, rice, cotton and maize. Aflatoxins have been found to cause tumors with aflatoxin B1 being the most carcinogenic biologically produced substance known to man. Therefore, the FDA has restricted the amount of aflatoxin in maize for human consumption to 20 ppb (ng/g). An estimated $225 million are lost each year in the United States due to aflatoxin contamination in maize crops alone. Agriculture is a vital part of Mississippi’s economy, and maize is one of its …

Identification Of Quantitative Trait Loci Contributing Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize Inbreds Mp715 And Mp717, Jesse Spencer Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Pre-harvest contamination of maize grain with aflatoxin is a chronic problem worldwide and particularly in the southeastern U.S. Aflatoxin is a mycotoxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, an opportunistic ear-rot pathogen of maize (Zea mays). Resistance to aflatoxin accumulation is heritable, and resistant germplasm-lines are available. These lines are derived from “exotic” genetic backgrounds and were released as sources of resistance, not parental inbreds. However, all current sources of resistance are quantitative, which complicates conventional efforts to introgress resistance alleles from unadapted but resistant donor lines to adapted but susceptible recipient lines. Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) and their …

Impact Of Nanotechnology-Based Semen Purification On Reproduction Of Gilts And Developmental Performance Of Offspring, Casey Lynn Durfey

Theses and Dissertations

Semen contain a heterogeneous population of viable and non-viable (damaged) spermatozoa. Proportions of non-viable spermatozoa interfere with male fertility, with available techniques unable to selectively remove prior to breeding. Nanobiotechnology may allow removal, enriching semen with high quality spermatozoa for improved productivity. Here, we applied double nanopurification with boar semen using functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. Non-viable and viable spermatozoa were magnetically separated and verified through various microscopy imaging. Viable (nanopurified) spermatozoa showed no additional damages. Nanopurification did not interfere with sperm motility and viability, with beneficial effects on motion parameters. Nanopurified spermatozoa maintained fertility following insemination, with resulting offspring indicating no …

Examining College Satisfaction In Students With And Without Disabilities, Molly M. Butts

Theses and Dissertations

With the increase of students with disabilities attending post secondary education, it is important to have an understanding of how satisfied a student with a disability is with college. At present, the research on college satisfaction focuses on specific variables and how the specific variables moderate or mediate college satisfaction; however, there is limited research in the area of college satisfaction and students with disabilities. To address the current gap in research, the purpose of the current study was to address if there was a difference in overall satisfaction in students with a disability compared to students without a disability. …

Fast Curing Phenol Formaldehyde And Isocyanate Based Hybrid Resin For Forest Products Application, Xiaomei Liu

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to develop a fast curing phenolic formaldehyde (PF) and polymeric diphenyl methane isocyanate (MDI) based hybrid resin system for wood products applications. Various formulas of PF resins were synthesized with different formaldehyde to phenol ratio, sodium hydroxide to phenol and isocyanate group (-NCO) to hydroxyl group (-OH) molar ratios. The shear bonding strength property was used to evaluate and optimize the formulations by appropriate sample preparation. The optimized resins were characterized by rheometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and other methods. In order to eliminate the influence of hydroxyl groups from water in the …

Fed Cattle Marketing: A Field Experiment, Matthew Gregory Janzen

Theses and Dissertations

To improve meat quality and consistency, cattle feeders have moved towards implementing end-point marketing strategies (EPM) based on visual estimates of physiological characteristics. A commonly used 0.5 inch backfat target was used in this analysis. Recognizing that physiological targets will not necessarily result in profit maximization; this research developed a profit maximization rule (PMR) that accounts for the dynamics of animal growth, output prices and costs. A natural field experiment was conducted in Iowa to evaluate the potential for the PMR. One hundred twenty three fed cattle were randomly assigned into two treatments (PMR and EPM). Realized profit results indicate …

Assessing A Fluorescence Spectroscopy Method For In-Situ Microbial Drinking Water Quality, Taylor Jeffery Sharpe

Dissertations and Theses

Waterborne disease is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease, in particular among high-risk populations in developing nations. State-of-the-art methods for the enumeration of microbial pathogens in drinking water sources have important limitations, including high initial cost, 24-48 hour delays in results, high staffing and facility requirements, and training requirements which all become especially problematic in the developing nation context.

A number of alternative approaches to microbial water quality testing have been proposed, with the goal of decreasing the required testing time, decreasing overall costs, leveraging appropriate technology approaches, or improving sensitivity or specificity of the water quality …

Holocaust, Memory, Second-Generation, And Conflict Resolution, Leslie O'Donoghue

Dissertations and Theses

Ten Jewish second-generation men and women from metro Portland, Oregon were interviewed regarding growing up in the aftermath of the Holocaust. The American-born participants ranged in age from fifty-one to sixty-four years of age at the time of the interviews. Though the parents were deceased at the time of this study the working definition of a Holocaust survivor parent included those individuals who had been refugees or interned in a ghetto, labor camp, concentration camp, or extermination camp as a direct result of the Nazi Regime in Europe from 1933 to 1945.

A descriptive phenomenological approach was utilized. Eight open-ended …

Evolution And Metabolic Potential Of Francisella-Like Endosymbionts Of Ticks, Jonathan Graham Gerhart

Dissertations and Theses

Endosymbiosis in arthropods involves intracellular bacteria that supply an array of benefits to the host. Endosymbionts likely enhance the health of ticks by provisioning amino acids such as cysteine and tyrosine, and cofactors such as biotin and folic acid that are not available in blood--the sole nutrient source of ticks. Endosymbionts of ticks are of special interest due to their close evolutionary relationship with tick-vectored pathogens that impact livestock and human health. For example, ticks typically contain Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLEs) that are the closest relatives of the human pathogen Coxiella burnetii. In order to understand the evolutionary relationship …

Confusion Abounds Regarding Patent Eligibility Within The Biotechnology Community, Foster Dobry

Oklahoma Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

Access To Genetics Resources In Indonesia: Need Further Legislation?, Emmy Latifa

Oklahoma Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.