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Water Scarcity: Impact On Water Rights, Institutions, And An Irrigated Agriculture, Nataly Medina

All Theses

This thesis combines two papers to provide a better understanding of the effects and management of water scarcity during periods of water shortage. The first manuscript discusses the evolution of water rights across the southeastern United States in response to increasing demands and droughts, while the second manuscript studies the effects of water scarcity on agriculture production in the western US.

The southeastern United States has historically benefited from abundant water supplies, allowing them to apply the riparian doctrine with little regulation. However, in the past few decades, the region has undergone major shifts in water policy. In the first …

Use Of Biorational Products For Botrytis Management In Floriculture Crops, Josselyn Calidonio

All Theses

Botrytis cinerea is an important pathogen that has a significant economic impact on the floriculture industry from propagation to the postharvest environment. Chemical fungicide applications have been one of the main approaches that growers use for botrytis blight management; however, studies have shown that the indiscriminative use of these chemicals leads to fungicide resistance (Brent and Hollomon, 1998; Fillinger and Elad 2016). This thesis explores the potential use of biorational products for botrytis blight management. Biorationals are defined as compounds that have low or no direct mammalian toxicity and few effects on the environment (Paulitz and Belanger 2001). A review …

Multi-Commodity Flow Models For Logistic Operations Within A Contested Environment, Isabel Strinsky

All Theses

Today's military logistics officers face a difficult challenge, generating route plans for mass deployments within contested environments. The current method of generating route plans is inefficient and does not assess the vulnerability within supply networks and chains. There are few models within the current literature that provide risk-averse solutions for multi-commodity flow models. In this thesis, we discuss two models that have the potential to aid military planners in creating route plans that account for risk and uncertainty. The first model we introduce is a continuous time model with chance constraints. The second model is a two-stage discrete time model …

Ultrastructure For The Diagnosis Of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia In South Africa, A Resource-Limited Setting, Monica Birkhead, Samuel Otido, Theodore Mabaso, Keketso Mopeli, Dorcas Tlhapi, Charl Verwey, Ziyaad Dangor

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: International guidelines recommend a multi-faceted approach for successful diagnoses of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). In the absence of a gold standard test, a combination of genetic testing/microscopic analysis of structure and function/nasal nitric oxide measurement is used. In resourcelimited settings, often none of the above tests are available, and in South Africa, only transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is available in central anatomical pathology departments. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and ultrastructural findings of suspected PCD cases managed by pediatric pulmonologists at a tertiary-level state funded hospital in Johannesburg.

Methods: Nasal brushings were …

Combined Behavioral And Engineering Approach To Preventing Highway Fatalities, Benjamin Blandford, Reginald Souleyrette, Caitlin N. Pope, Tony Fields, Erin Lammers-Staats

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Traditional, single-discipline highway safety approaches can be augmented through multidisciplinary approaches that consider both engineering and behavioral interventions (e.g., education, enforcement, public outreach campaigns). Leveraging a systems-based conceptual framework of roadway safety, multiple forms of statistical and geospatial analysis, and SPF modeling and network screening, this report proposes and demonstrates methods for unpacking the influence of behavioral-related factors on crash occurrences and outcomes. The primary focus is on behaviors targeted in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan — aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, and driving without proper restraint (i.e., seatbelts). Based on application of these methods, the report highlights areas …

Mapping Roles Of Active Site Residues In The Acceptor Site Of The Pa3944 Gcn5-Related N-Acetyltransferase Enzyme, Cillian Variot, Daniel Capule, Xhulio Arolli, Jackson Baumgartner, Cory T. Reidl, Charles Houseman, Miguel Ballicora, Daniel P. Becker Ph.D., Misty L. Kuhn

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

An increased understanding of how the acceptor site in Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) enzymes recognizes various substrates provides important clues for GNAT functional annotation and their use as chemical tools. In this study, we explored how the PA3944 enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa recognizes three different acceptor substrates, including aspartame, NANMO, and polymyxin B, and identified acceptor residues that are critical for substrate specificity. To achieve this, we performed a series of molecular docking simulations and tested methods to identify acceptor substrate binding modes that are catalytically relevant. We found that traditional selection of best docking poses by lowest S scores …

2023-2024 Graduate Catalog, The University Of Alabama In Huntsville

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Superficial Thrombophlebitis In Ipsilateral Breast After Covid-19 Vaccination, Zhichao Zhou, Patricia Q Tran, Alyssa M Adams, Kristopher Kieft, John A Breier, Caroline S Fortunato, Cody S Sheik, Julie A Huber, Meng Li, Gregory J Dick, Karthik Anantharaman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In globally distributed deep-sea hydrothermal vent plumes, microbiomes are shaped by the redox energy landscapes created by reduced hydrothermal vent fluids mixing with oxidized seawater. Plumes can disperse over thousands of kilometers and their characteristics are determined by geochemical sources from vents, e.g., hydrothermal inputs, nutrients, and trace metals. However, the impacts of plume biogeochemistry on the oceans are poorly constrained due to a lack of integrated understanding of microbiomes, population genetics, and geochemistry. Here, we use microbial genomes to understand links between biogeography, evolution, and metabolic connectivity, and elucidate their impacts on biogeochemical cycling in the deep sea. Using …

An Examination Of Faith And Faith-Based Practices On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Afro-Caribbean Immigrants In The United States, Shanta K. Pamphile

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This dissertation presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring the negotiation of faith among Afro-Caribbean immigrants regarding their decision to seek support with the stress of adjusting to the United States. The analysis revealed that Afro-Caribbean immigrants experience high-stress levels as they pursue economic, professional and social advancement in the United States. The persistence of these stressors, with long-lasting residual effects, warrants psychological support. Migrants, although relying heavily on their faith for support with this stress, are willing to seek support. However, they must work through worries of caution and trust and need to discern whether seeking support may …

Investigating The Effects Of E219 Mutations In M. Tuberculosis Indole-3-Glycerol Phosphate Synthase, Cinthya Moran

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis drug resistance is increasingly a problem, but recent research has provided results that suggest Indole-3-Glycerol Phosphate Synthase (IGPS) could be a potential drug target. IGPS is an enzyme that catalyzes the fourth step in the tryptophan biosynthesis pathway, a crucial process for optimal Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. In this research, we studied IGPS from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtIGPS) to shed light on a particular conserved residue that has not been studied in depth in any IGPS homolog. My investigation focuses on understanding the role of the active site residue E219. …

An Investigation Of Trauma Cycles And The Omnipresent Parent In A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Emily Orlando

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In 2010 A.S. King published her young adult novel Please Ignore Vera Dietz. The novel focuses on several characters who are navigating both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts while also coping with various traumas. While Young Adult Literature does not usually prominently feature parental figures, King chooses to include several parents in the text, and even gives one parent a first-person narrative. Due to King’s unusual choice she is able to illustrate the manner in which trauma can move from one generation to the next. These depictions of complete “trauma cycles” allows for a more comprehensive and empathetic understanding of how …

Evolution Of Women’S Consciousness: Toward Integral Consciousness, Katherine T. Ziemke

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This article presents research materials which demonstrate historical consciousness for women of ancient European descent, the cultural heritage of the author. Awareness is examined from various historical angles in a transdisciplinary approach to the work. I explore the possibility that women’s historical and continued oppression may be a sign of the disintegration of the mental and a re-emergence of the integral structure of consciousness. A broad examination of women’s historical roles and corresponding thought shows how ancient consciousness may be used to accelerate a path toward integral consciousness today. Finally, this essay proposes that women’s historical consciousness and primordial memories …

Contributions To Robust Statistical Learning And Its Applications In Biological Spectral Imaging, Ruogu Wang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This thesis investigates robust statistical learning and its applications in biological spectral imaging. The first part of this thesis addresses the challenges raised in the statistical learning of robust expectile regression. Expectiles can be obtained through empirical risk minimization (\acrshort{erm}), which minimizes the sum of asymmetrically weighted squared deviations. However, this \acrshort{erm} scheme lacks robustness to abnormal observations and flexibility. To overcome these limitations, we adopt the empirical gain maximization (\acrshort{egm}) scheme that learns expectiles using an asymmetric Gaussian \acrshort{egm} approach. The corresponding \acrshort{erm} can be formulated with a robust expectile loss, which is bounded and nonconvex. Through a learning …

Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Functioning Among 5th Grade Students: An Evaluation Of A Pilot Screening Assessment Protocol, Samuel Sutton

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) functioning within schools has historically been considered in the context of educational impact. Currently, traditional models in education do not readily take into account changing ecological considerations for students, as they experience heightened population-wide academic and SEB concerns, increasing inequity for certain groups, and unique temporal factors like COVID-19. As a response, state and national initiatives are pushing toward earlier identification and prevention to better capture emerging ecological impacts. Prevention models utilize a Public Health Model (PHM) in schools like Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in promoting regular forms of assessment and linkages to leveled …

How The Concept Of Race And Ethnicity Played An Integral Role In The Sri Lanka Civil War From A Sociological Perspective, Pasan Vinura Joseph De Silva

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The social constructs of race and ethnicity played a pivotal role in the Sri Lankan Civil War as the intercommunal violence between the Sinhalese and Tamil groups was attributed to discriminatory policies. However, there is a lack of literature from published academic sources and archival/governmental data pertaining to the variables of race and ethnicity from a sociological perspective. The concept of race and ethnicity are an integral component of social conflict that identifies positions through self-consciousness as a cultural, religious, and linguistic community. This thesis utilizes historical research through qualitative secondary data sources to analyze how racial and ethnic inequities …

The Interpretation Of Measurement, Austin David O'Connor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The interpretation of measurement representations, such as blueprints and 3D models, has been debated in engineering offices and philosophical colloquiums alike. A resurgence has begun in the philosophical literature which focuses on the recent International System of Units (SI) change in the base unit definitions. Additionally, a recent revision in the form of ASME Y14.5-2018 has been adopted by prominent engineering firms in America. This revision limits the number of viable interpretations for the Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) system of blueprint guidelines, which is meant to more effectively streamline communication between differing industries regarding part features and allowable extremities. …

Do You Think This Is Some Kind Of Game? An Examination Of The Validity Of The Trust Game, Alexander Quellhorst

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although we have a familiarity with trust that begins at infancy, we still struggle to agree on what trust is. Even after decades of trusting others, trying to be trustworthy, and experiencing betrayal, we form definitions of trust that only scratch the surface. Turning to scholars in order to improve our understanding of trust has offered limited guidance; some refer to trust as an emotional state, some think of it as a belief, and others label trust as a kind of prediction or calculation. Regardless of the sheer complexity of trust and its neighboring ideas – i.e., betrayal, expectation, reliance …

Near-Optimal Motion Planning Algorithms Via A Topological And Geometric Perspective, Aakriti Kumari Upadhyay

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Motion planning is a fundamental problem in robotics, which involves finding a path for an autonomous system, such as a robot, from a given source to a destination while avoiding collisions with obstacles. The properties of the planning space heavily influence the performance of existing motion planning algorithms, which can pose significant challenges in handling complex regions, such as narrow passages or cluttered environments, even for simple objects. The problem of motion planning becomes deterministic if the details of the space are fully known, which is often difficult to achieve in constantly changing environments. Sampling-based algorithms are widely used among …

Exploiting Natural Rna 2′-5′-Linkage In Nucleic Acid Aptamers And Dna Nanostructures, Johnsi Mathivanan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Developments in chemical synthesis of nucleic acid sequences and modifications have aided in the study of biomolecular interactions and the roles of modified nucleic acids in biology, medicine, and nanotechnology. This work describes some of the aspects of such developments, from synthesis of chemically modified RNA and DNA aptamers that can bind antibiotics and metal ions to the use of nucleic acids with novel backbone linkages in the construction of nanostructures. Analysis of such nucleic acid structures inform us on the basic structure of these molecules and the resulting functions that are applicable in fields such as biosensing, drug screening …

Effect Of Hope On Contingent Faculty Members’ Engagement In Professional Development Activities, Jingyi Huang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Employers and employees face new challenges with the rapid increase in contingent employment. This dissertation focuses on career development, one critical challenge contingent employees face. Contingent employees often receive limited resources and employer support, increasing career management's difficulties and uncertainty. As a result, contingent employees may need to exert greater “willpower” and “waypower” in their pursuit of career goals. Snyder’s hope theory (Snyder, 2002) and Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) appraisal theory were employed to explore and explain how hope relates to contingent workers’ engagement in career development activities. Snyder (2002) posited hope as a goal-oriented thinking process involving agency and …

Toward A Trustworthy And Responsible Artificial Intelligence, Saleh Afroogh

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Being trustworthy and responsible—particularly in terms of decisions and actions—in artificial agents is as crucial as it is in human agents. However, the dominant theories surrounding pertinent concepts such as trust, trustworthiness, moral responsibility, legal rights, etc., are primarily proposed, developed, and applied to human agents, not artificial ones. The absence of well-developed conceptualization and characterization of relevant concepts concerning critical agents continues to exacerbate the challenges and importance of these concepts in the realm of artificial intelligence. This void necessitates novel perspectives and approaches toward the metrics needed to foster genuinely trustworthy and responsive artificial intelligence systems. In this …

Scenario Planning In A Post-Pandemic World: Karner Blue Butterfly And The Albany Pine Bush, Senia Quevedo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study outlines four future scenarios for the Karner blue butterfly and the Albany PineBush in a post-pandemic world. Management changes and modifications are becoming more necessary due to the changing climate conditions and habitat loss. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed certain conditions that affect the Karner blue butterfly and its habitats, such as noise and air pollution, increased outdoor recreation, and pausing development along the pine bush borders. A scenario planning model was used to better understand how policy and lockdown restrictions being lifted will affect the Karner blue butterfly population after the Albany Pine Bush surveyed a record-high …

Distinguishing Between Living And Dead Plant Material From The Red Spruce Using Atr Ft-Ir Spectroscopy, Bailey Ann Hoplight

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Spectroscopic methods have recently been used to analyze plant species and maturation. However, there is a lack of research into employing spectroscopy for distinguishing living plant material and dead plant material, which is important for the agriculture and environmental health fields. Here in this study, we have shown the potential of ATR-FT IR (Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy) to classify plant materials as living or dead through the help of multivariate statistical analysis methods. Plant samples were from the roots and needles of picea rubens, more commonly known as the red spruce tree. The samples were classified by …

Factors Influencing Intercollegiate Athletics Fundraising Structure: A Survey And Theory Development, Caleb Whitted

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Intercollegiate athletics and fundraising expectations, at institutions of higher education, continue to increase and the pressure on athletic fundraisers has never been greater. There has been little study on the effects of organization structure and design and its effect on fundraisers that work to raise funds for the athletic department. This study sought to explore the factors that contribute to athletic fundraising organization structure at NCAA Division I institutions. Using a survey and a semi-structured qualitative interview, with NCAA Division I head athletic fundraisers, research questions were crafted to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to organization …

Pharmacy Matters - August 2023, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Matters Newsletters

Featured stories: "Pharmacy Grad Named Young Alumni of the Year," "For the Love of Pharmacy: SOP Benefits from Alumni Estate Gift," "Maniruzzaman Named Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery," "Professor Recognized for Expertise in Nonprescription Medicines," "Ole Miss Alumna to Lead Alabama Pharmacy Association"

Unlocking The Potential Of Kinase Targets In Cancer: Insights From Canceromicsnet, An Ai-Driven Approach To Drug Response Prediction In Cancer, Manali Singha, Limeng Pu, Gopal Srivastava, Xialong Ni, Brent A. Stanfield, Ifeanyi K. Uche, Paul J.F. Rider, Konstantin G. Kousoulas, J. Ramanujam, Michal Brylinski

Faculty Publications

Deregulated protein kinases are crucial in promoting cancer cell proliferation and driving malignant cell signaling. Although these kinases are essential targets for cancer therapy due to their involvement in cell development and proliferation, only a small part of the human kinome has been targeted by drugs. A comprehensive scoring system is needed to evaluate and prioritize clinically relevant kinases. We recently developed CancerOmicsNet, an artificial intelligence model employing graph-based algorithms to predict the cancer cell response to treatment with kinase inhibitors. The performance of this approach has been evaluated in large-scale benchmarking calculations, followed by the experimental validation of selected …

Fostering A Sense Of Wonder: Promoting Experiential Learning Through Outdoor Discoveries On The Coast Of Maine, Joslyn Primicias

Honors Theses

Recent generations of children have been experiencing a decrease in connection to Nature, causing various negative effects on personal development and well-being. Researchers are studying the impact of environmental education programs as a potential resolution to this issue dubbed “nature deficit disorder.” Studies have shown that while citizen science by youth is rapidly expanding, little research addresses conservation science with environmental education. Recognizing this gap, the summer camps at Wells NERR are designed to ensure children’s environmental stewardship as they learn about estuarine ecology alongside environmental issues. This educational study focuses on how environmental education through estuarine activities at summer …

Out-Of-Pocket Health Expenditures Associated With Chronic Health Conditions And Disability In China, Jingyi Gao, Hoolda Kim, Sophie Mitra

College of Business and Economics

The objective of this study is to estimate the extra costs of living associated with chronic health conditions and disabilities in China. Leveraging the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study involving 13,530 respondents aged 50 and over, we apply both an ordinary least squares linear regression model and a logistic model to analyze the correlation between medical out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPEs) and chronic health conditions, as well as disabilities measured by Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) limitations. This paper bridges the gap in the literature on OOPEs and their association with disabilities and …

Physiological, Ecological, And Microbial Factors Shaping Thermal Tolerance And Performance In Ectothermic Vertebrates, Jason Warren Dallas

Dissertations

Temperature represents a major driving force in biology as it influences essential functions across multiple levels of biological organization. The role of temperature is especially important for ectothermic animals, whose biotic processes are dependent on both body and environmental temperature. Assessing the relationship between temperature and organismal performance represents an important research direction as temperatures continue to warm under anthropogenic climate change. Chapters two and three are focused on a recently colonized population of the invasive Mediterranean House Geckos at the northern edge of their invasion front. These chapters examine the ecological and physiological factors that enable these lizards to …

Development Of Modeling Approaches For A Molecular Level Understanding Of Ligand-Lanthanide-Water Systems, Sayani Biswas

All Theses

Lanthanides (Ln) are a subset of rare earth elements (REEs) that are essential components in electric vehicles, smart phones, and wind turbines. Current REE recovery processes are time intensive and produce hazardous wastes. Developing sustainable recovery processes require new techniques that are economical and less wasteful, such as affinity-based extraction and separations. Enabling affinity-based recovery requires use of ligands designed to bind strongly and selectively to lanthanides. Developing design rules to make such ligands requires an understanding of the coordination environment of lanthanide-ligand complexes. In this work, we begin to develop a molecular level understanding of aqueous lanthanide-ligand systems with …