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Assessing The Potential For Increased Capacity Of Combined Heat And Power Facilities Based On Available Corn Stover And Forest Logging Residue In Mississippi, Selvarani Radhakrishnan

Theses and Dissertations

The amount of available biomass feedstock and associated cost components were analyzed to determine the potential increase in energy capacity of two existing combined heat and power plants in Mississippi. The amount of corn stover and forest logging residue within a 10-mile radius can satisfy the existing requirements of CHP plants in Scott (1 MW) and Washington counties (5 MW). Transporting feedstock within a smaller source area had lower transportation costs, but higher total unit cost than the two other source buffer scenarios. However, capital costs associated with higher plant capacities were significantly higher and plant expansion may not be …

Assessment Of The Lactation Index For Managing White-Tailed Deer Populations, Kamen Lee Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

I analyzed precision and accuracy of lactation data to reflect actual fawn recruitment for various levels of fecundity, neonatal mortality, harvest intensity, and hunter selectivity. I evaluated and developed a correction equation to adjust for harvest date effects on lactation detectability. I compared metrics of site-specific fawn recruitment (e.g., lactation rates, hunter observation fawn-to-doe ratios, and post-season fawn-to-doe ratios) among themselves, and to site-specific indices of carnivore abundance, for 18 properties across Mississippi and Alabama. Accuracy of lactation rates are compromised due to variation at minimal harvest intensity and insensitivity to change in fetal rate or neonatal mortality. Lactation data …

Use Of Whey-Based Edible Coatings As Antioxidative And Antimicrobial Agents, Sashie Weerasinghe

Theses and Dissertations

Edam and Cheddar whey were thermized (T) for different time periods (5–30 min) at 70 degrees Celsius, vacuum evaporated, and spray dried to obtain whey powders (WP). Native and thermized WP were evaluated for antioxidative properties. Edam and Cheddar WP significantly reduced thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and peroxide value (PV) in ferric-catalyzed soybean oil emulsions. Thermization significantly improved antioxidative properties of WP with 5T, 10T, and 15T treatments showing better protective effects compared to 20T and 30T treatments. Based on these results, native (0T) and thermized (5T, 10T, and 15T) Edam and Cheddar WP coatings, with and without enzymatically hydrolyzed …

Varietal Loblolly (Pinus Taeda L.) Response To Various Management Schemes And Comparison Among Genetic Improvement Levels, Billy Landis Herrin

Theses and Dissertations

Increased growth rates, wood quality, and disease resistance have been accomplished within loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) through genetic selection and improved management practices. Genetic engineering of trees has the potential to further improve these selections but also needs to be tested. Two studies were conducted. Study one compares three levels of genetic improvement: Mass-Control Pollinated (MCP), Second Generation Op (2nd gen), and Varietal Material. After three years the MCP material had larger mean heights, mean diameters, and mean volume than the other two genetic entities. However the top five performing varietals were about 0.5 feet taller than the MCP …

Yield Aggregation Impacts On Area-Based Insurance And Commodity Program, Yang Wang

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilizes farm yield data to generate the relationship between farm and county yields, and farm and crop reporting district (CRD) yields by using seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). The relationships are used to examine whether CRD level insurance is a viable alternative for county level Group Risk Plan (GRP) or Group Risk Insurance Protection (GRIP) by generating the certainty equivalent for each producer under different insurance scenarios, which includes no insurance, county level insurance and CRD level insurance under different scales and risk aversion coefficient levels. The analysis is conducted for Iowa CRD 10, Ohio CRD 10, Georgia CRD …

Biofacies Analysis Of Late Mississippian Ostracodes And Their Use As Paleoenvironmental Indicators In The Bluefield Formation, Mercer County, West Virginia, Benjamin T. Stencil

Theses and Dissertations

The Bluefield Formation (Chesterian, Upper Mississippian) of the Appalachian Basin is a lithologically variable unit, composed of mudstones lithofacies with subordinate amounts of sandstone and limestone. By analyzing sedimentology and the prominence of ostracodes, an ostracode biofacies model was generated that provides a large-scale paleoenvironmental framework for the Bluefield Formation. Three ostracode assemblages were defined in an effort to identify environmental conditions during deposition of the Bluefield: Assemblage I - Polytylites Assemblage; Assemblage II - Sansabella Assemblage; and Assemblage III - Whipplella Assemblage. The assemblage distributions indicate that nearshore transitional marine environments were common and normal open marine conditions were …

Case Study Of East Mississippi Community College's Plan To Assist The Sara Lee Corporation Employees Due To Plant Closing, Bruce J. Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The aim or purpose of this study was to statistically determine whether there were significant differences in obtaining employment and wages after training provided by East Mississippi Community College (EMCC). The training was specifically provided to employees of Sara Lee Corporation, LLC, after the massive layoff when the company closed its plant in West Point, Clay County, Mississippi. The plant, a food-processing entity, had been in continuous operation since 1902 after it was founded by two brothers from Clay County, Mississippi. Data obtained from the Statewide Longitudinal Integrated Workforce Management System, as reported by EMCC and the Mississippi Department of …

Cellulosic Fiber-Derived Carbon Catalyzed By Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Wen Che

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to study the catalytic graphitization of cellulose fibers coated with iron oxide nanoparticles. Bleached cellulose fibers and iron oxide nanoparticles coated cellulose fibers were pyrolyzed at five elevated temperatures. The crystallographic structures of carbon-encapsulated iron oxide nanoparticles were then investigated by the following techniques: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Selected-Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). The graphitization of cellulosic fibers was enhanced by the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles. Moreover, iron oxide nanoparticles deposited on cellulosic fiber samples pyrolyzed above 800°C produced graphitic structures. TEM and XRD …

Chronobiology Of Lygus Lineolaris (Heteroptera: Miridae): Implications For Rearing And Pest Management, Sarah Rose Self

Theses and Dissertations

This research project consisted of three primary objectives: (1) Improve rearing methods for L. lineolaris, (2) Determine if selected behaviors displaying photoperiodicity are under circadian control, and (3) Estimate phase angle shifts of selected circadian rhythms, in an effort to contribute toward the future improvement of current integrated pest management techniques. Improving rearing methods was accomplished in three areas: (1) Estimating the optimal stocking rate to maximize production while maintaining acceptable insect quality as a function of photoperiodic regime, (2) Estimating fecundity at the optimal stocking rate and photoperiodic regime, and (3) Determining the timing of oviposition, mating, feeding and …

Comparing Recreational Amenities Of University Towns And Non-University Towns, Timothy Allen Bisantz

Theses and Dissertations

Recreational amenities present great value for the community. Their existence provides an improved quality of life, offers a connection with the natural surroundings, and facilitates a healthy lifestyle. While communities continue to create and operate recreational facilities/areas, the presence of such facilities may have indirect effects on the general population. Specifically, this thesis will compare the presence of recreational amenities in metropolitan statistical areas that contain universities which are a part of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and metropolitan statistical areas with similar populations and geographic characteristics that don’t contain an AAU-member institution.

Computational Prediction Of Flow And Aerodynamic Characteristics For An Elliptic Airfoil At Low Reynolds Number, Varun Chitta

Theses and Dissertations

Lifting surfaces of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are often operated in low Reynolds number (Re) ranges, wherein the transition of boundary layer from laminar-to-turbulent plays a more significant role than in high-Re aerodynamics applications. This poses a challenge for traditional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, since typical modeling approaches assume either fully laminar or fully turbulent flow. In particular, the boundary layer state must be accurately predicted to successfully determine the separation behavior which significantly influences the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) based CFD simulations of an elliptic airfoil are performed for time-varying angles of attack, and …

Crappie Population Characteristics Relative To Inundation Of Floodplain Habitats In Reservoirs, Jonah Dennis Dagel

Theses and Dissertations

Catch rates of age-0 and adult crappies Pomoxis spp. were compared between floodplains and coves to determine if differences in densities existed between habitats, and to determine if water levels influenced density relationships. Habitat in a cove and a floodplain of Enid Reservoir was mapped to describe differences in vegetation. Adult crappies were collected with electrofishing and age-0 crappies were collected with trap nets. Coves had the greatest spring densities of adults in 2009 and 2010, whereas floodplains attracted adults earlier in the spawning season. Recruitment of age-0 crappies was related inversely to high water levels during months preceding the …

Degree Of Pyritization And Methylmercury Analysis, Weeks Bay Alabama, Henry A. Stauffenberg

Theses and Dissertations

Methylmercury (MeHg) production is magnified in the natural environment by geochemical influxes and an active sulfate reducing bacteria community. It has been found that the presence of sulfides, excess nutrients, and the type of depositional environment (normal marine or euxinic) greatly influences MeHg production and degree of pyritization (DOP). The aim of this research is to investigate a possible connection between MeHg accumulation and the DOP in Weeks Bay sediment. Collected sediment samples have confirmed a significant presence of total reduced sulfides, inorganic mercury, reactive iron, and total organic carbon. Pyritization results indicate a normal marine environment and, of the …

Dental Microwear And Diet Change During The Greek Bronze And Iron Age In Coastal East Lokris, Greece, J Rocco De Gregory

Theses and Dissertations

This research utilizes two analytical methods to examine the dental microwear of two skeletal samples from East Lokris, Greece. The samples are from the Bronze age/Early Iron age sites of Mitrou and Tragana Agia Triada. The samples were tested according to various temporal and geographic designations in an attempt to determine if any differences in dietary constituent could be discerned from their dental microwear signatures. Both traditional dental microwear analysis using a scanning electron microscope and dental microwear texture analysis employing scale sensitive fractal analysis and a Sensofar Plµ Confocal Profiler were used. The results of analysis for both methods …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Catalytic Activity Of Silica Supported Homo- And Heterodinuclear Metal Complexes, Ankadage Samantha Ranaweera

Theses and Dissertations

Stable dinuclear complexes bis(heptane-2,4,6-trionato)dicopper(II) [Cu2(daa)2], bis(1,5-diphenyl-1,3,5-pentanetrionato)dicopper(II) [Cu2(dba)2], bis(1,5-diphenyl-1,3,5-pentanetrionato)dicobalt(II) [Co2(dba)2], and [6,11-dimethyl-7,10-diazahexadeca-5,11-diene-2,4,13,15-tetranato(4-)-N7N10O4O13;O2O4O13O15] copper(II)cobalt(II) [(CuCo(daaen)] were supported on Cab-O-Sil by the batch impregnation technique. The supported samples were characterized by UV-Vis, elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Elemental analysis and TGA data confirm that the Cu2(daa)2 complex loses one of its coordinated ligands upon adsorption onto silica in THF at greater than 4.43 wt% Cu loading. By contrast, at all Cu loadings the Cu2(dba)2 complex was adsorbed on the silica surface in CH2Cl2 without loss of ligand. XRD and DRIFTS …

The Effects Of National Board Certified Teachers On Student Achievement In Mississippi High Schools, Raymond C. Morgigno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of National Board Certified Teachers on student performance on Mississippi’s Subject Area Testing Program (SATP) English II assessment, an end-of-course exam that assesses 10th grade students in Mississippi school districts. The researcher sought to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the SATP English II scores of two groups of students (those taught by National Board Certified Teachers and those who were not). If there was a difference, the researcher sought to determine how the difference could be explained based on selected teacher demographic data (sex, race, highest …

The Effects Of Prison Program Participation On Recidivism Of Ex-Offenders In Mississippi, Chad Lamar Stocks

Theses and Dissertations

Correctional education research strongly suggests that an increase in inmates’ education will reduce recidivism rates. This study utilized logistic regression techniques to investigate the effects of prison education program participation on recidivism and employment rates. Using this method made it possible to conclude that inmates who participated in prison intervention/educational programs were significantly less likely to recidivate. The purpose of this study was to identify to what extent the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ (MDOC’s) intervention/educational programs reduce recidivism. The pre-existing data used were historical information collected as part of a longitudinal study on Mississippi inmates since 2000. The data were …

The Efficacy Of Learning Communities In Assisting Developmental Students In Achieving Graduation And Accumulation Of Credit Hours In A Southern Metropolitan Community College, William J. Ashley

Theses and Dissertations

Hinds Community College (HCC) engaged in a study that produced the transitional program. This program was in response to high rates of attrition of the college’s freshmen classes because of poor academic performance. This dissertation evaluated the effectiveness of the transitional program’s main component—the learning community created by placing students in the LLS 1151 College Life course based on their status as residence hall students. HCC’s transitional program is a further elaboration of placement policies that have been a part of the community college landscape for many years. The HCC transitional program incorporates learning communities in combination with HCC’s placement …

Effects Of Glycine-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoisocaproic Acid Calcium (Gakic) On Maximal Strength And Multiple Bouts Of Resistance Exercise, Laura Anne Hilton

Theses and Dissertations

Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium (GAKIC) is an amino acid combination postulated to improve dynamic performance of skeletal muscle during acute, anaerobic exercise in healthy individuals. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the ergogenic effects of GAKIC ingestion on resistance training performance in both trained male and female participants. Methods: Utilizing a double-blinded, crossover design, male participants completed a lower body leg press resistance exercise protocol and female participants completed a lower body leg extension resistance exercise protocol once using 10.2 g GAKIC and the other with a placebo. Results: A significant increase in TLV after GAKIC supplementation was …

A Community Of Women In Clorinda Matto De Turner's Indole, Cordelea Ann Haecker

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is Clorinda Matto de Turner’s novel, Índole. After an introduction to the topic in Chapter I, Chapter II will explore the feminist ideas that Matto de Turner described in her essays and other short writings. It will specifically deal with the idea of a community of women, gender and androgyny, Matto de Turner’s appeal for women’s rights, the concept of “la mujer peruana”, and the duties of women workers. In Chapter III, I will analyze Índole and examine the domestic community that the novel presents. I will discuss female morality and responsibility for the morality …

A Computational Study Of Diesel And Biodiesel Combustion And Nox Formation In A Light-Duty Compression Ignition Engine, Zihan Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Diesel and biodiesel combustion in a light duty compression ignition engine were simulated during a closed cycle, using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, CONVERGE. The corresponding computational domain was constructed for the engine based on combustion chamber geometry and compression ratio measurements. Submodels were calibrated for simulation. The results were able to capture the experimental pressure and apparent heat release rate trends for both fuels over a range of engine loads and fuel injection timings. NOx emissions trends were captured for diesel, while under-predicted for biodiesel. The NOx trends were also analyzed based on the thermal NO mechanism. …

Sediment And Phosphorus Dynamics Behind Weirs In Agricultural Drainage Ditches, Elizabeth Louise Usborne

Theses and Dissertations

Low grade rip rap weirs installed in agricultural surface drainage ditches manage downstream eutrophication by slowing water flow, allowing sediments time to settle out of the water column and phosphorus (P) to sorb to soil. A laboratory experiment was conducted in microcosm chambers to simulate increased hydraulic residence time caused by weirs and two field studies were conducted to compare experimental data with field data and determine sediment deposition rates. One field study monitored weirs monthly after installation and the other measured weirs of varying ages. Weirs retained significantly more water and sediment than controls. Longer inundation times led to …

Evaluation Of Headway G For Control Of Brown Patch Of Lawn Height Tall Fescue In Kansas, 2011, C Thompson, M Kennelly

Horticulture and Crop Science

No abstract provided.

Prescribed Reading: August 2012, Centracare Clinic

Prescribed Reading

• Health Care Matters: Focus on the patient not the numbers
• Thank you for your focus on care, service
• Welcome to these new physicians
• Welcome to our new employees
• Road construction near Plaza underway
• Grant to help improve care for patients with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Celebrate with Dr. Allen Horn
• Recognition for years of service
• CentraCare Clinic to host Chamber event

Temporal Characteristics Of Monoptic, Dichoptic And Half-Binocular Collinear Lateral Masking Of Contrast Detection, Wesley Tod Kinerk

Dissertations

Purpose: The temporal characteristics of dichoptic contrast integration across space in primary visual cortex are relatively unknown. This study investigated the effect of varying interstimulus interval (ISI) and flank duration on contrast detection threshold (CDT) of a sinusoid target under monoptic, dichoptic and half-binocular viewing. Methods: Eleven subjects with normal vision participated for a mean of 25 hours each. In the main experiment, target and flanks were 3 cpd vertical sinusoids with 6 lambda (sigma = 1.5 lambda) center-to-center vertical separation. Flank contrast was normalized to 3X flank CDT. Flanks were presented at 4 durations (67-500ms) and ISIs were presented …

Danbury Hatters In Sweden: An American Perspective Of Employer Remedies For Illegal Collective Actions, César F. Rosado Marzán, Margot Nikitas

All Faculty Scholarship

The European Court of Justice's ("ECJ") Laval quartet held that worker collective actions that impacted freedom of services and establishment in the E.U. violated E.U. law. After Laval, the Swedish Labor Court imposed exemplary or punitive damages on labor unions for violating E.U. law. These cases have generated critical discussions regarding not only the proper balance between markets and workers’ freedom of association, but also what should be the proper remedies for employers who suffer illegal actions by labor unions under E.U. law. While any reforms to rebalance fundamental freedoms as a result of the Laval quartet will have to …

08-10-2012 Swosu Sayre Receives $50,000 From Class Action Lawsuit, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

THE BARK ARCHIVE 2012

The Southwestern Oklahoma State University Foundation is the recipient of $50,000 from a class action distribution from a lawsuit in Beckham County. The monies will benefit the SWOSU-Sayre campus.

Oregon Wine Board "Special" Meeting Minutes August 10, 2012, Oregon Wine Board

Oregon Wine Board Documents

These meeting minutes list individuals in attendance and missing from the "Special" August 10, 2012 Oregon Wine Board (OWB) meeting. The purpose of the meeting, which was conducted as a conference call, was for the Board to take action on the OWB Marketing Committee's recommendations for co-op matching funds for 2012-13. The meeting lasted 22 minutes.

Summer 2012 Commencement - The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin, The University Of Texas Permian Basin

UTPB Commencement Programs

Summer 2012 Commencement - August 10, 2012

Homemakers Club - Metcalfe County, Kentucky (Sc 2562), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2562. Manuscript paper titled “History of Metcalfe County” compiled by the Homemakers Club and presented by Virginia Depp, Summer Shade, Kentucky, on 6 November 1950. The paper includes historical information about the towns in Metcalfe County, including Center, Sulphur Well, Knob Lick, Wisdom, Edmonton, Curtis, and Summer Shade. Also includes information about Crail Hope, Green County, Kentucky.