Life Sciences Commons^™

Adjudicating Technology Facilitated Violence Against Women In Egypt: Between The Text And The Application, Eman E. Zidan

Theses and Dissertations

Technology-facilitated violence against women (TFVAW) has surged on digital platforms, leading to a sharp rise in victimization rates among girls and women globally. Egypt’s pioneering cybercrime legislation, though comprehensive, remains gender-neutral and inadequate in judicial application. Community perceptions reveal systemic gaps that erode public trust and fuel demands for specialized protections. This study analyzes Egyptian judicial responses to TFVAW cases through comparative jurisprudence with jurisdictions that feature gender-specific norms. Findings demonstrate that textual provisions alone fail to arrest this escalating phenomenon, underscoring the need for integrated reforms: tailored legislation, heightened awareness campaigns, and collaborative education on rights, duties, and societal …

The Rpm-1/Phr Signaling Hub Modulates Tau-Induced Neurodegeneration Through Regulation Of Microtubule Stability And Mapk Pathways In C. Elegans, Xinxing Ding

Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, are characterized by the accumulation of pathological tau proteins and progressive neuronal loss. Although research regarding tau-mediated toxicity is extensive, the specific pathology that determine whether neurons maintain homeostasis or succumb to collapse under tau-induced stress remain incompletely elucidated. A central, yet still insufficiently understood, feature of these diseases is the disruption of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton . The PHR protein family is evolutionarily highly conserved; within this family, RPM-1 in C. elegans functions as an intracellular signaling hub that regulates axon development, synapse formation, axon termination, and various microtubule-associated processes. This …

From Anaerobic Digesters To The Human Gut: Ecological Responses Of Microbiomes To Environmental And Biological Perturbations, Maliea Annholden Nipko

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities regulate essential ecological and metabolic processes across both engineered and host-associated ecosystems. Although these systems differ substantially in composition and function, they are governed by common ecological principles including community succession, resilience, species interactions, and responses to environmental and biological perturbations. This dissertation investigates how perturbations influence microbiome structure, function, and stability through three complementary studies spanning anaerobic digestion and the human gut microbiome. First, the effects of an extremophilic biological pretreatment using Caldicellulosiruptor bescii were evaluated in industrial-scale anaerobic digesters treating dairy manure. High- temperature pretreatment substantially altered microbial community composition, with bacterial populations remaining metabolically active …

Biomechanical And Talar Cartilage Responses To Running In Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability, Minsub Oh

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has shown altered movement patterns and joint loading, which increase the risk of posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis. Abnormal vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) during running may contribute to talar cartilage degeneration; however, the acute biomechanical and cartilage responses to running in individuals with CAI remain unclear. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare running biomechanics and changes in talar cartilage thickness and T2 relaxation times before and after running between individuals with CAI and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty individuals with CAI and 20 healthy controls completed running biomechanics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions. …

Transcriptomic And Genomic Insights Into Nutrient Stress Responses And Subgenome Evolution In Chenopodium, Ashley Kathleen Marcheschi

Theses and Dissertations

Chenopodium is a diverse genus of nutritionally and ecologically important species in the Amaranthaceae family. This thesis investigates two outstanding questions in the genus: how Chenopodium quinoa responds transcriptionally to nutrient deficiency and how Australian Chenopodium species are related through their subgenomic ancestry and evolutionary history. First, we characterized transcriptomic responses of C. quinoa to deficiencies of twelve essential macro- and micronutrients across leaf and root tissues using RNA sequencing. Leaves showed the strongest responses under nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, and zinc deficiency, while roots responded more evenly across conditions. Recurring responses included suppression of photosynthesis, remodeling of translational machinery, reactive …

A Rho5-Cnc1-Dnm1 Signalling Module Coordinates Multi-Organelle Execution Of Regulated Cell Death In Yeast, Justin Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Regulated cell death is a conserved process with major implications for health and disease, yet how yeast cells integrate stress signals to determine survival versus death remains unclear. This thesis investigates Cyclin C (Cnc1), a conserved Mediator kinase module component with both transcriptional and mitochondrial roles. Together with Cdk8 Cnc1 primarily represses stress response genes, while upon stress it translocates to the mitochondria to induce mitochondrial fragmentation with the dynamin-related GTPase Dnm1. Using structure-guided separation-of-function mutants, I demonstrate that Cnc1-dependent death requires its mitochondrial function rather than its transcriptional role, and that its effector Dnm1 acts as a signaling node …

Mapping The Neuroexposome: Integrative Analysis Of Dementia Risk Factors Through Multi-Omics And Environmental Profiling In The Egyptian Population., Mai Ahmed Saadzaghloul Othman

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Dementia represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of the twenty-first century, with the global burden projected to reach 153 million cases by 2050. Egypt, as the most populous Arab nation, faces a corresponding rise in age-related diseases, yet comprehensive data from low- and middle-income countries remain severely limited. The neuroexposome framework, integrating genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and metabolic alterations, offers a powerful strategy to characterize the complex interplay between internal and external risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease Related Dementias (ADRD).

Objectives: This thesis aimed to: (1) examine the distribution of APOE alleles …

Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef

Theses and Dissertations

Corporal punishment (CP) and severe physical punishment (SPP) remain a major public health, child rights, and child protection policy concern. In Egypt, despite legislative reforms, survey-weighted analysis of the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021 (CAPMAS, 2022) reveals prevalence rates of 60.5% for CP and 27.4% for SPP among children aged 1–14 (author’s calculations using EFHS-2021, n=7623), yet evidence distinguishing the determinants of routine corporal punishment from escalation to severe physical punishment remains limited in low- and middle-income contexts. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this mixed-methods study identifies key drivers of CP and its escalation to SPP among Egyptian …

Sequencing Of Chenopodium A-Genome Diploids To Identify Potential Mechanisms Of Speciation: A Preliminary Study, Riley Roser

Theses and Dissertations

The genus Chenopodium is of increasing significance, mainly due to allotetraploid quinoa (C. quinoa Willd.,2x = 4x =36, AABB genome) becoming globally recognized for its high nutritional value and tolerance for stress. Diploid A-genome relatives of quinoa in the Western Hemisphere have shown speciation patterns congruent to adaptive radiation, particularly in the North American continent, where a number inhabit ecological niches while others form mixed populations where they are sympatric. Characterization of the genetic mechanism(s) underlying this rapid speciation, could clarify their potential usefulness for improving quinoa . Previous whole-genome assemblies of AA diploids C. watsonii A. Watson and C. …

Discovery Of Bmi-Associated Gut Microbiome Signatures In The Awi-Gen 2 Cohort, Meriem Yagoubi

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is increasing across sub-Saharan Africa amid rapid dietary, environmental, and urbanization transitions, yet the gut microbiome features associated with adiposity in African populations remain under-characterized. This study investigated whether species-level gut microbiome composition is associated with body mass index (BMI) in the AWI-Gen 2 cohort, and whether BMI-associated microbial signals remain detectable after accounting for the dominant geographic structure of the microbiome. Gut microbiome community structure and diversity were characterized across 1,665 participants, and differential abundance analysis was used to identify taxa associated with BMI after controlling for study site. Machine learning models were then trained to assess how …

Investigation Of Environmental Influences On Multiple Sclerosis: A Study For Egypt’S Health, Noha Ezzaldin Alziny Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, chronic neuroinflammatory disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. While global research has identified potential environmental influences, most evidence comes from Western populations, creating a significant knowledge gap for regions like Egypt, which has witnessed a dramatic rise in MS prevalence over recent decades. This study hypothesized that Egyptian MS patients exhibit a distinct biological signature in their blood, characterized by an imbalance in essential and toxic trace elements (the metallome) and alterations in stress-response biomarkers associated with neuroaxonal injury and cellular stress. Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively profile and compare …

Rethinking Functional Groupings In Basketball Wings Through Ecological Trait Frameworks, Dhruv Mehrotra

Theses and Dissertations

This paper starts with a review about Plant Functional Types and then goes deeper into the conceptual foundations of Plant Functional Types (PFT's) with detailed discussion of global trait spectra such as the leaf economics spectrum and the fast-slow continuum. Using concepts like response and effect traits, the review then talks about how a trait based ecological framework can provide a more robust guideline to classify plants. The review then talks about how players in basketball have been classified in the past along with some of the newer typologies. The review starts to draw some parallels between the ecological framework …

Effects Of Melatonin Supplementation On Exercise Induced Stress In Horses, Hannah Clark Valigura

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise is a necessary component of athletic conditioning but imposes substantial physiological stress on horses, resulting in oxidative stress, inflammation, muscle damage, and thermal strain that can impair performance and recovery. Melatonin, a neurohormone with potent antioxidant and thermoregulatory properties, has been proposed as a novel nutritional strategy to mitigate these effects. This dissertation aimed to (1) characterize serum melatonin concentrations following oral supplementation, (2) evaluate the effects of melatonin on oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle damage biomarkers after exercise, and (3) examine its influence on physiological parameters during exercise under warm weather conditions. Across a series of controlled experiments …

Community Development Professionals’ Perceptions Of Agritourism In Mississippi, Emma Jane Berry

Theses and Dissertations

Agritourism has emerged as a strategy for supporting rural economies, strengthening community identity, and increasing agricultural literacy. Although prior research has examined agritourism operators and visitors, limited attention has been given to the perceptions of community development professionals who influence local planning and program support. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine community development professionals’ perceptions of agritourism’s role in community development, economic growth, and agricultural literacy in Mississippi. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, data were collected through two semi-structured virtual focus groups with 12 professionals representing Extension, tourism, economic development, and Main Street organizations. Data were …

Cytokinins, Gibberellins, And Ethylene On Plant Form And Flowering In Streptocarpus, Rachel Bobo

Theses and Dissertations

Plant form and flowering of Streptocarpus x hybridus Ladyslippers® ‘Grape Ice’ and ‘Deep Blue Vein’ were examined in response to exogenous application of ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid], gibberellin 3 (GA3), benzyladenine (BA), and growth retardants ancymidol and chlormequat chloride. 750 mg L-1 ethephon applied at 3 weeks post-transplant (WPT) is effective in chemically pinching premature floral buds, delaying flowering by up to 10 days without restricting final plant size. Early applications of GA3 and BA hasten flowering by up to 10 days. GA3 and BA also interacted to promote floral development when applied early in the production cycle; increasing flower …

Determining Agricultural Literacy Proficiency Of Extension Professionals And Primary Volunteers In Mississippi, Molly Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The development of agricultural literacy is a lifelong process, moving from gaining agricultural knowledge to communicating with others to applying to societal issues, and extends beyond the formal classroom. The Mississippi State University Extension Service has the ability to reach various audiences through educational programming, making them a potential catalyst for change in increasing agricultural literacy across the state. The study aims to determine the agricultural literacy levels of Extension professionals and primary volunteers in Mississippi and the factors potentially influencing these levels. Twenty-nine Extension professionals and eleven primary volunteers completed a survey of demographic questions and the Judd-Murray Agricultural …

The Development And Evaluation Of An Automated Tactical Tillage Tool To Identify And Control Weeds In Row-Crop Production Systems Using Vision-Based Machine Learning., Clara Anne Cobb

Theses and Dissertations

Controlling in-field weeds in row-crop production systems is vital to the success of the operation. To control weeds, most producers use combinations of weed control strategies, including tillage and herbicide applications. Cotton production operations across the country have been trending toward conservation tillage practices in an effort to minimize soil disruption and maintain crop residues on the soil surface. This practice, in addition to the adoption of herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties, has encouraged more use of chemical herbicides. The overuse of these herbicides has resulted in an increase in herbicide-resistant weeds, making weed control difficult for farmers. This research aimed to …

From Miocene Origins To Ecological Diversification: Unraveling Evolutionary Dynamics Of North American Asters (Symphyotrichum), Sushil Dahal

Theses and Dissertations

Symphyotrichum, a plant genus traditionally treated within the genus Aster L., comprises >100 species of annual or perennial plants in the Compositae family Asteraceae. One of the most diverse genera in the southeastern US flora, the genus extends across the Americas, the Caribbean as well as eastern Eurasia. Despite its presence across the major American biomes and with distinctive floristic characteristics, several question regarding Symphyotrichum remains obscure. This research project focuses on exploring diverse aspects of Symphyotrichum systematics, biogeography and evolution. I tested three main hypotheses: (1a) Symphyotrichum originated ancestrally across Mexico and eastern North America in the Miocene ( …

Assessment Of Energy And Hydration Demands Of Farm Workers In Mississippi, Mckenzie Lynne Hargrove

Theses and Dissertations

The agricultural community in Mississippi is critical to the state’s economy and the health of its communities. Farm workers meet these needs by performing highly demanding work with long hours of labor, limited resources, and stressful environmental conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to examine and measure indicators of physiological and behavioral adaptations to the heat such as whole body sweat rate (WBSR), sweat sodium (Na+) content, urine specific gravity (USG), and fluid intake, as well as determine total daily energy expenditure (TEE) and water influx (rH2O) via the doubly labeled water technique (DLW) in farm workers during the …

Reproductive Genetics Of Caenorhabditis Nematodes, Dharani U. Matharage

Theses and Dissertations

Variation in reproductive traits and genome evolution reflects the interaction between selection, environment, and life-history. In the genus Caenorhabditis, recombination rate and sperm size exhibit a striking variation between strains and species. Here, Iintegrate three projects investigating recombination rate variation and recombination plasticity in C. elegans and sperm size divergence across Caenorhabditis species. First, I quantify recombination rates in two genetically distinct strains, N2 and CB4856, with different levels of laboratory adaptation using fluorescent markers spanning across gene-rich and gene-poor regions of the chromosome IV. I identify significant differences in recombination rate between the two strains within both gene-rich and …

Patterns Of Molecular Evolution Driving Reproductive And Genomic Processes In Sauropsids, Taylor Green

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual reproduction is an important driver of genetic diversity and speciation through such forces as selection, mutation, and drift. Sauropsids are an appropriate clade to study shared molecular drivers of sexual and genomic evolution due to their genome architecture, sex determination mechanism (SDM) plasticity, and large syntenous genomic regions. Using comparative phylogenetic methods, I identify predictable patterns of selection in meiotic recombination genes and clade-specific drivers of recombination rate evolution. Then, leveraging whole genome sequencing, I demonstrate that American alligator genomes are characterized by an ancient loss of genetic diversity driven by drift and historic inbreeding. I also generate a …

The Effect Of Stem Recutting And Floral Food On Vase Life Of Zinnias Elegans, Lauren Elise Baskin

Theses and Dissertations

A recent shift in the cut flower market focuses on locally produced cut flowers, creating interest in the consumer mind. The vase life of these cut flowers varies by variety and species. Knowing the proper post-harvest protocol is crucial information, as this affects flower’s longevity. This research used a 2x2x2 factorial design examining the zinnias variation in vase life between the following test groups: zinnias with trimmed and untrimmed stems in tap water and trimmed and untrimmed stems in floral food solution. The results of the study indicated that zinnias placed in a floral food solution and were trimmed have …

Characterizing The Microbial Structure And Function In Black Soldier Fly Digested Dairy Manure And Subsequent Larvae, Branden N. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This work examined the microbial structure and gene expression found in Black Soldier Fly larval guts and their frass when reared on dairy cattle manure that had been amended with either R. rhodococcus 21198, P. polymyxa 8158, or both and compare the results to larvae reared on untreated manure. First an overview of literature surrounding projected global food supplies and the possible use of insects to either increase them or mitigate the environmental effect of producing said supply. A cellulose degradation assay was performed to assist in determining which bacterial species to use as amendments. Characterization of the microbial communities …

Evaluating The Spray Patterns Of Boomless Spray Nozzles At Increasing Application Speeds, Thomas Hayden Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

Boomless nozzles have been largely ignored in spray studies, resulting in limited understanding of their spray patterns and how they are affected by operating parameters. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of application speed on the performance of four boomless nozzles. Dyed water was applied to Kromekote® paper to assess spray distribution based on coverage data at three speeds, and MSMA was applied to a mixed turf stand to evaluate the effect of speed on performance. Overlap simulations were done to evaluate how uniformity could be improved, and nozzle performance was compared to manufacturer claims. Spray patterns of …

Assessing Biotic And Abiotic Drivers Of Hybridization And Species Delimitation In A Highly Reticulate Syngameon, Nicholas John Engle-Wrye

Theses and Dissertations

Hybridization, or the flow of genetic materials between varieties or species, shapes evolution by generating novel genotypes, altering allele frequencies, and driving diversification. Yet, the rate at which hybridization occurs is heterogeneous across the tree of life and the ecological and evolutionary factors that govern its occurrence remain poorly understood. This dissertation examines how conserved biotic and abiotic niches influence hybridization and uses integrative methods to delimit species boundaries within Heuchera (Saxifragaceae), a genus notable for widespread interspecific gene flow and cryptic morphological diversity. Results reveal that hybridization is most frequent where pre- and postzygotic barriers are weak, as with …

Evaluation Of Critical Nitrogen Requirements For Commercial Tomato Production In Mississippi, Prakash Khanal

Theses and Dissertations

Optimizing nitrogen (N) management is critical for tomato production, as crop requirements vary with soil, climate, and production practices. Despite the importance of tomato in Mississippi, region-specific N recommendations remain limited. Field studies (2024-2025) and a high tunnel study (2025) were conducted at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center to determine critical N rates for fresh-market tomato. Six N rates were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results provide system-specific guidance, highlighting differences in N requirements between open-field and high tunnel production. Tailoring N inputs to production environments can improve yield and fruit quality, enhance …

No-Till Versus Conventional Tillage Cover Crop Systems Effects On Cotton In The Blackland Prairie Region Of Mississippi, Mallie West Rivenbark

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) plays a critical role in cotton production systems. Management practices such as tillage systems and cover crops (CC) can influence nutrient cycling and availability within the soil. The present study assessed the effects of CC in a conventional tillage (CT) vs. no-tillage (NT) system on cotton yield, fiber quality and N use efficiency. Ramifications for CC and N rates on lint yield and cotton N uptake were investigated during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons in Verona, MS. Cover crop treatments include cereal rye (Secale cereale), crimson clover (Trifolium incaranatum) and a mix of cereal rye and crimson …

Monitoring Biodiversity Growth In An Oyster Reef Restoration: Understanding How Oyster Reef Life Cycle May Impact Biodiversity., Gabriel A. Roses

Theses and Dissertations

Oyster reefs are vital to marine ecosystem health, improving water quality and providing food and habitat for diverse species. We assessed biodiversity changes for a proposed oyster reef restoration site to help guide management, future assessment, and deepen understanding of how oyster reefs function and their ecosystems dynamics.

Bugs, Birds, Blue: Queer Ecologies Of Embodiment, Kinship, And Survival, Celeste B. Newcomb

Theses and Dissertations

bugs, birds, blue is a multi-channel audiovisual installation that examines queer ecology as a framework for understanding transgender embodiment, kinship, and survival amid environmental crisis and ongoing political attacks on trans life (Mortimer-Sandilands and Erickson). Through sculpture, projection, sound, reflective surfaces, and biological imagery, the installation places human bodily matter alongside microbial and aquatic life forms to challenge narratives that frame trans existence as unnatural, recent, or isolated. Instead, the work proposes transness as relational, adaptive, and deeply entangled with broader ecological systems. The installation is composed of two interconnected environments. On one side of the space, three aquariums rest …

Genetic Screen For Regulators Of Pol4, A Dna Repair Polymerase In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Pasang Dolma Sherpa

Theses and Dissertations

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, DNA polymerase 4 (POL4) is the beta repair polymerase, the product of the POL4 gene, and is involved in base excision repair (BER) and microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ). Despite its involvement in these repair pathways and its conservation across eukaryotes, deletion of POL4 shows no detectable phenotype under standard laboratory conditions. I hypothesized that unknown genes act as backup systems, providing redundant activities that allow pol4Δ cells to survive. To test this, a genetic screen for mutants showing synthetic lethality with pol4Δ was implemented. I constructed a strain lacking the POL4 gene and carrying …