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The Neuromodulatory And Hormonal Effects Of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As Evidenced By Salivary Alpha Amylase, Salivary Cortisol, Pupil Diameter, And The P3 Event-Related Potential, Christopher M. Warren, Klodiana D. Tona, L. Ouwerkerk, Jeroen Van Paridon, Fenna Poletiek, Henk Van Steenbergen, Jos A. Bosch, Sander Nieuwenhuis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a new, non-invasive technique being investigated as an intervention for a variety of clinical disorders, including epilepsy and depression. It is thought to exert its therapeutic effect by increasing central norepinephrine (NE) activity, but the evidence supporting this notion is limited.

Objective

In order to test for an impact of tVNS on psychophysiological and hormonal indices of noradrenergic function, we applied tVNS in concert with assessment of salivary alpha amylase (SAA) and cortisol, pupil size, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings.

Methods

Across three experiments, we applied real and sham tVNS to 61 healthy participants …

Music Education And Its Impact On L2 Learning, Johanna Nilsson

Master's Projects and Capstones

English Language Learners are disproportionately underrepresented in secondary music classes in the United States. They are systematically excluded due to overly restrictive schedules, high emphasis on test scores and academic remediation, real and perceived cost of participation, and the types of courses that are offered at most secondary schools. At the same time, musical intervention research has revealed that musical ability is linked to literacy, pronunciation, and vocabulary retention, all aspects of second language acquisition. By excluding English Language Learners from music education, we could be denying them a tool that could positively impact their language acquisition. However, most of …

Homeward Bound: The Struggle Senior Dogs Face To Find Their Fur-Ever Homes, An Exhibition Proposal, Natalia Chavez

Master's Projects and Capstones

For this capstone project, I created a proposal for an exhibition centering around animal rights that focuses on the rights of senior dogs in United States animal shelters. Homeward Bound: The Struggle Senior Dogs Face to Find Their Fur-Ever Homes intends to raise awareness of the difficulties senior dogs face in being adopted from animal shelters, while promoting individuals to be active and engaged participants in actions to support the needs of senior shelter dogs.

Senior dogs have the highest probability of euthanasia in shelters.[1] Shelters and rescue organizations provide much needed assistance to senior dogs, supporting their …

Asian America And Empathy: Understanding The Chinese American Experience Through The Art Of Flo Oy Wong, Brienne Wong

Master's Projects and Capstones

This capstone examines how the work of Chinese American artist Flo Oy Wong could be an impetus for dialogue for creating empathy for the Asian American experience. The capstone briefly discusses Chinese American history as the Chinese are one of the earliest immigrant groups to the United States and Asian American art history which demonstrates the role of art for Asian Americans. It also describes the importance of empathy in society and how some museums today are trying to apply empathy to serve their communities. Within this framework, I discuss artist Flo Oy Wong whose ability to tell stories about …

Transcriptome 3′End Organization By Pcf11 Links Alternative Polyadenylation To Formation And Neuronal Differentiation Of Neuroblastoma, A Poetsch, S Danckwardt

School of Biomedical Sciences

Diversification at the transcriptome 3'end is an important and evolutionarily conserved layer of gene regulation associated with differentiation and dedifferentiation processes. Here, we identify extensive transcriptome 3'end-alterations in neuroblastoma, a tumour entity with a paucity of recurrent somatic mutations and an unusually high frequency of spontaneous regression. Utilising extensive RNAi-screening we reveal the landscape and drivers of transcriptome 3'end-diversification, discovering PCF11 as critical regulator, directing alternative polyadenylation (APA) of hundreds of transcripts including a differentiation RNA-operon. PCF11 shapes inputs converging on WNT-signalling, and governs cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and neurodifferentiation. Postnatal PCF11 down-regulation induces a neurodifferentiation program, and low-level PCF11 …

Characterization Of Gene Products Associated With Reduced Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize (Zea Mays), Dafne Alves Winders

Theses and Dissertations

The fungus Aspergillus flavus L. is an agricultural threat, particularly for maize (Zea mays L.). Its invasive growth and contamination before and after harvest can lead to the loss of the commodity and cause life threating consequences to humans and livestock that consume a contaminated product. The differential expression profile of two resistant maize inbred lines, Mp313E and Mp719, and two susceptible maize inbred lines, B73 and Va35, were evaluated in the mRNA and protein levels. The experimental designed used allowed to observe the responses of these maize lines to A. flavus inoculation and to the stress caused by wounding …

Effects Of Green Tree Retention On Birds Of Southern Pine Plantations, Michael Clay Parrish

Theses and Dissertations

In the southern United States, institutional forest owners engaged in forest certification programs often retain unharvested or less-intensively harvested vegetation when clearcut harvesting intensively managed pine (Pinus spp.) forests (“IMPFs”), a practice called ‘green tree retention’. I investigated resultant patterns of land cover and retained structural elements in recently-harvested IMPF management units (“MUs”) and related them to avian biodiversity to provide information to support harvest decisions. First, to provide forest managers baseline data on retention, I screen-digitized land cover on 1187 MUs (totaling 51646 ha) and characterized green tree retention levels and internal land cover attributes (Chapter 2). I found …

Development And Validation Of Urine Hormones By Lc-Ms/Ms Using The Boreal Toad (Anaxyrus Boreas Boreas) As A Model Species, Ashley Nicole Meredith

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of urinary hormone levels can be used to identify sex and breeding patterns in amphibians. This is especially important for ensuring the survival of endangered species. The most common way to determine hormone levels is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); however, there is the possibility of cross-reactivity with this technique, and only one hormone can be monitored per plate, limiting efficiency. In this study, the effectiveness of liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, repeatability, and through-put in monitoring hormone levels in Anaxyrus boreas boreas (boreal toads). Urine samples were collected from ten different …

Development Of A Nanofluid Simulation Platform, Jabrane Nachit

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoluids are colloidal solutions made up of particles of the nanometric scale suspended in a fluid. This type of solution has widespread great interest since the discovery of their particular properties. The Poisson-Nernst Planck system of equations (PNP) is one of the known models for the description of ion transport. This thesis aims to develop a method to solve the PNP equations in space and time for these nanoluids. Additionally, a simulation platform (C++) is developed using an iterative scheme to solve the nonlinear equations resulting from the discretization of the system. After an overview of the literature on the …

Effect Of Supplemented L-Arginine On Reproductive Parameters Of Gestating Mares, Lauren B. Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

Studies that have investigated the effects of L-arginine supplementation on blood flow to the uterus have not determined the optimal time of supplementation. No research has been conducted on nitrite concentration in the placenta and blood of mares supplemented with L-arginine. L-arginine is a precursor of NO and therefore, should increase nitrite production both in blood as well as in expelled placenta. Presence of nitrites would also be indicative of increased angiogenesis. No studies have addressed placental efficiency in mares supplemented L-arginine. Placental efficiency is vital for production of a healthy foal. Therefore, to address these short-comings the objectives of …

Creating New Germplasm To Improve Aflatoxin Resistance In Maize, Oluwaseun Felix Ogunola

Theses and Dissertations

Maize (Zea mays L), the third largest crop produced in the world is susceptible to pre and post contamination of aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a secondary carcinogenic metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus, an opportunistic fungus of maize that causes ear-rot and subsequent production of aflatoxin. Host plant resistance is one of the promising long term solution to combat aflatoxin contamination in maize grains. Resistance to aflatoxin is heritable and resistant germplasms that can be used to reduce aflatoxin resistance has been developed. Creating quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping populations to identify regions within maize chromosomes contributing to aflatoxin resistance help identify …

An Experimental Method For Testing Materials At The Intermediate Strain Rate With Closed Loop Control, Cory N. Krivanec

Theses and Dissertations

Quasi static and intermediate strain rate (5 s-1 and 500 s-1) tests are conducted on various aluminum and steel ASTM E8 subsize tensile specimens to validate a newly developed testing method which combines a previously developed serpentine bar for load monitoring and a newly described high-speed actuator. This new actuator is controlled by a semi-passive piezoelectrically actuated brake system mounted to a standard actuator, which allows for the actuator to produce high loads and quick response times (≈100 µs). Limitations of this experimental method are that tests must be monotonic (tension or compression but not cyclic loading) and strain rate …

Beta Diversity Provides Evidence Of Niche Based Assembly In Temperate Forest Understory Assemblages Of Mississippi, David Steven Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Assembly is a process that shapes the abundance and identity of species in a community. Niche and neutral theory explain assembly processes with mechanisms driven by either species differences, or functional equivalence and stochastic dispersal. In 2017 I sampled vegetation and environmental variables at 59 sites in the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and Tombigbee National Forest of Mississippi to explore forest understory community assembly. I developed and assessed a framework of predictions concerning general patterns and underlying mechanism. Evidence of dispersal limitation and functional equivalence were expected under neutral theory. Local environmental characteristics, surrounding landscape variables, and fire were significant …

Estimating Clapper Rail (Rallus Crepitans) Survivorship And Implementation Of Estimates Into Individual-Based Population Models, Jared Feura

Theses and Dissertations

Sea-level rise is a concern for the future of coastal marsh obligate species such as the Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans). Clapper Rails possess the potential to indicate changes to marsh ecological state due to population variation related to habitat features exhibited in previous study. Estimates for Clapper Rail survival are among the key missing parameters to create predictive models for Clapper Rail populations. I estimated Clapper Rail survival using data collected from six automated telemetry towers located in two Mississippi marshes. Thirty adult rails were harnessed with radio transmitters around telemetry towers to provide evidence of a rail’s status, alive …

Expression Analysis Of Micrornas And Microrna-Like Rnas In Aspergillus Flavus-Infected Aflatoxin Resistant And Susceptible Maize Inbred Lines, Amanda Benton Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Corn (Zea mays) is frequently infected by a soil fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus. The fungus produces aflatoxins, which cause liver cancer. Maize inbred lines that are resistant to infection by A. flavus have been developed, and these inbred lines provide excellent models for studying molecular mechanisms of maize resistance to the fungus. MicroRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) recently identified in A. flavus had been found to be correlated with aflatoxin production conditions, suggesting that the milRNAs might play a role in the regulation of aflatoxin production. In this research, small RNAs were isolated from kernels of maize (resistant Mp719 and susceptible Va35) …

Extraction Kinetics, Physicochemical And Functional Properties Of Proteins Isolated From Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) By-Products, Yuqing Tan

Theses and Dissertations

Channel catfish raising is an important aquaculture in the United States. Mississippi ranks No.1 in catfish production for continuous 4 years. However, catfish fillet processing generates huge amount of by-products, including heads, bone frames, visceras and skins, which contain significant amount of proteins. Removing and utilization of proteins from the by-product would add value to the catfish industry. Collagen was extracted from catfish skin by: (1) acid extraction; (2) homogenization-aided; and (3) pepsin-aided extraction methods. Kinetic analysis of the extraction was performed. SDS-PAGE was performed to analysis the composition of proteins in collagens extracted under different conditions. Collages extracted by …

Factors Influencing White-Tailed Deer Mortality Risk Within A Multi-Predator System In Michigan, Usa, Todd M. Kautz

Theses and Dissertations

I monitored cause-specific mortality and factors influencing mortality risk for white-tailed deer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, during two high mortality risk periods: adult female deer during Feb–May, and fawns from birth to 6 months. I observed high rates of predation and starvation for adult female deer during Apr–May, suggesting that late winter represents a survival bottleneck due to nutritional declines. A strong negative relationship existed between snow free days during late winter and mortality risk. Predation was the dominant mortality source for fawns but predation risk decreased with larger birth mass. Black bears and coyotes accounted for …

Breeding Of Cool-Season Forage Grasses For Abiotic And Biotic Stress Tolerance In The Southern United States, Eric Douglas Billman

Theses and Dissertations

Abiotic stress tolerance and biotic stress resistance have long been targets for trait improvement in the field of plant breeding. To date, much of the target crop focus has been centered on commodity crops such as corn, soybean, wheat, and rice. However, little work has been conducted on improvement of these traits in forage grasses. This is due to a number of issues, particularly that most species are obligately outcrossing, the traits are governed by many genes at unknown loci, and are greatly affected by environmental variation. This creates major complications in successfully selecting and breeding populations of forage grasses …

History, Status, And Resource Selection Of The American Black Bear In Mississippi, Stephanie Lynn Simek

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, black bears occurred throughout Mississippi but by 1932, <12 bears remained. Repatriation in neighboring states and conservation efforts in Mississippi have led to the recolonization of at least 2 subspecies (U. a. luteolus and U. a. americanus) of black bears in the state. I compiled available data to provide a synthesis of the history, current status, and management of black bears in Mississippi. Additionally, I used global positioning data collected from radio collared bears to determine the influence of distance to source population, cover type, distance to roads, distance to water, wetland reserve program areas, and human population density on black bear resource selection at various spatial scales. I studied characteristics of space use and resource selection of recolonizing bears in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (Delta). I assessed the influence of environmental parameters at the female core annual home-range (using 50% kernel density estimator) and male and female seasonal and annual home-ranges (95% kernel density estimator). Distance to source population and distance to roads had significant influence at the core female home-range scale. I found a sex-based difference in annual and seasonal home-ranges. I also found that bears exhibited response to and selection for specific resources with an affinity toward hardwood stands, particularly young-aged hardwoods. My research illustrates the importance of analyzing resource selection at multiple scales to gain a full understanding of parameters that influence the recolonization of a bear population.

Application Of Hydrocolloid And Propylene Glycol Infused Nets And Coatings On Cave Aged Cheddar Chees And Their Impact On Tyrophagus Putrescentiae Growth And Sensory Properties, Kavitha Rama Krishnan

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of using food grade coatings and nettings formulated with xanthan gum and propylene glycol (PG) or carrageenan (CG), propylene glycol alginate and PG on aged Cheddar cheese to control Tyrophagus putrescentiae growth at temperatures of 10°C, 15°C, and 20°C and relative humidity’s of 75% and 85%. Cheddar cheese cubes with treated nets and coatings inhibited mite growth at all temperature and relative humidity combinations. Control cheese cubes either without coatings or in untreated nets had fewer mites (P<0.05) at 10°C than at 15°C or 20°C. The sensory properties of the cheese were not affected by the coatings and nettings at 10°C and 75 % RH. However, all other temperature and RH combinations with the exception of the CG netting at 15°C at 75 % and 85 % RH caused sensory flavor differences (P<0.05).

Functional Role Of Protein Kinases And Phosphatase In Abiotic Stress Response In Plants, Saroj Kumar Sah

Theses and Dissertations

Soybean (Glycine max) and rice (Oryza sativa) are the most important crops cultivated worldwide. The productivity of both crops is severely limited due to drought stresses. Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling is one of the crucial phytohormones which acts as the signaling mediator in different environmental stress for adaptive response of plants. In this study, functional characterization of abscisic acid-activated protein kinase-like kinase 1 (AALK1), and low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMWPTP) were studied by developing gain-ofunction and loss-ofunction phenotypes by transgenesis. Physiological response of AALK1 showed that AALK1 modulates the drought stress response ins soybean plants. The study has …

Genetic Assessment Of Native And Non-Native White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In The Southcentral U.S., Jordan L. Youngmann

Theses and Dissertations

Population genetics of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been influenced through human actions including the translocation of deer from across the United States in the 1900s and, recently, the creation of the captive-cervid industry, which uses animal husbandry to manipulate genetic variation. To assess the effects of these actions, I studied the genetic variation of free-range and captive populations of deer across the southcentral U.S. using a 14 microsatellite panel. In free-range populations I found genetic structure that divided deer west to east along the Mississippi River. Additionally, I found that captive populations were genetically distinct from geographically proximate free-range …

Nostalgia And Forestalgia: Testing Construal Level Theory In Regard To Past-Focused And Future-Focused Marketing Appeals, Robert Wixel Barnwell

Theses and Dissertations

Marketing appeals often capitalize upon nostalgia. By highlighting periods of the past, practitioners hope to elicit positive associations in the minds of consumers between the past and desired responses, from purchases to donations to political support. Though less often, marketing appeals also draw upon the future as a way of making the featured good or service more appealing to potential consumers. Could these different temporal distances into the future or into the past impact the reaction of consumers? Could the context of a product being either hedonic or utilitarian have an influence on the outcome of these past or future …

Smoke Signals: New Contexts For The Emergence, Spread, And Decline Of Effigy Pipes In Southeastern North America, A.D. 1000-1600, Charles Van De Kree

Theses and Dissertations

The cultural significance of effigy pipes among southeastern groups during the Mississippian period (A.D. 1000-1600) has yet to be fully understood. Recent studies, however, have provided new archaeological contexts for framing explanations of their possible use and distribution among such groups. Apart from conjectures about their use as ceremonial objects, selection for effigy pipes in the Mississippian Southeast was directly related to fluctuating environmental and demographic conditions under which such objects were manufactured and distributed. These conditions provided the appropriate context for their emergence as costly signaling devices through which elite or special interest groups advertised fitness levels, typically expressed …

Social Inequality In The Early Bronze Age At Bab Edh-Dhra, Jordan, Natalie Patience

Theses and Dissertations

Bab edh-Dhra is the most extensively excavated cemetery from Early Bronze Age, Jordan. Despite thorough study, the social structure and existence of social inequality remain unclear. This was addressed using osteological evidence of physiological stress to compare between family tombs. In societies exhibiting social inequality, individuals of lower status experience higher levels of stress. Evidence of physiological stress (femoral length, LEH, metabolic disorders, periosteal reactions, cribra orbitalia, and porotic hyperostosis) was recorded using standard methods for 250 adults. The artifact counts in this study have been previously published. Differences in the frequency of stress indicators were compared using chi-square tests. …

Soil Moisture Stress Effects On Soybean Vegetative, Physiological, And Reproductive Growth And Post-Harvest Seed Physiology, Quality, And Chemical Composition, Godakande Chathurika Wijewardana

Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing scarcity of water resources, soil moisture stress is the single most threat to global soybean production causing extensive yield losses. The objectives of this study were to investigate soil moisture stress effects on all aspects of soybean growth and development processes and to develop functional algorithms that could be used for field management decisions and in soybean crop modeling. To fulfill these objectives, six experiments were conducted; one in vitro osmotic stress study on seed germination, four studies by imposing five soil moisture treatments, 100, 80, 60, 40, and 20% of daily evapotranspiration of the control at …

Polyploidy Hybrids From Wide Crosses Between Hordeum Vulgare And H. Bulbosum For Improving Salinity Tolerance Using Embryo Rescue, Abdullah Hassn Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Salinity is a critical challenge facing productivity of crops around the world, causing major reduction in growth, yield, and quality. It is necessary to produce varieties with the ability to tolerate salinity. However, the lack of genetic variation among H. vulgare genotypes prevents progress in developing salt tolerant varieties. H. bulbosum is a source of tolerance to stress conditions. Consequently, five accessions of domestic barley and six of wild barley were used in this study. Accessions were screened for salinity tolerance. Genotypes 7, 9, and 10 germinated at 2% NaCl. Lines of H. vulgare showed reduction of root and shoot …

Removal Of Dietary Antimicrobials And Effects Of Their Replacement With Bacillus Subtilis On The Growth And Intestinal Health Of Male Broilers, Kacey O'Donnell

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of dietary antimicrobial removal and Bacillus subtilis supplementation on the growth and intestinal health of male broilers were investigated. Birds were fed either a control, antimicrobial, or a B. subtilis probiotic diet at different feeding phases. Birds were challenged with a 10 × dose of a coccidiosis vaccine. Supplementation of B. subtilis in for antimicrobials in the late grower and early finisher phases improved growth similar to birds fed antimicrobials until withdrawal, while antimicrobial removal without B. subtilis supplementation in those periods hindered growth. The improved growth suggests that the probiotic was able to alleviate the stress of …

Pathogenicity Of Clostridium Perfringens And Its Relationship With Gut Microbiota In Chickens, Wenyuan Yang

Theses and Dissertations

Necrotic enteritis (NE), a devastating enteric disease caused by Clostridium perfringens type A, contributes to the losses of 6 billion dollars worldwide per year and is currently being considered as a major global threat to the poultry industry. In past decades, it has been well-controlled by ineed antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs). The withdrawal of AGPs due to antibiotic-resistance concerns resulted in a spike in NE incidence and led to the re-emergence of NE in the modern broiler production system. To unveil the association of toxin genes of C. perfringens, particularly for netB, with clinical NE, a self-designed qPCR primer set …

Perception And Training Needs Of Mississippi State University Extension Agents And The Level Of Demand They Receive For Information In Organic Agriculture, Thamir Niamah Al-Janabi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine perception and training needs of Mississippi State University Extension agents in organic agriculture. The study followed the Borich Needs Assessment Model. Data were collected via Qualtrics. The population of the study was 154 Mississippi State University Extension agents with 77 Extension agents responding to the questionnaire. Most agents were 40 to 49 years old with an almost equal percentage being male and female. The majority of agents (75.3%) had master’s degree. More than one third of the agents indicated the level of demand towards raising livestock organically had stayed the same. Also, …