Life Sciences Commons^™

The Global Effects Of Climate Change: Detrimental Impacts On The Environment, Ecosystem, Coral Reefs, Human Health/Well-Being, And Global Economy, Lucky Heng

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Despite criticism, scientists have been continuing to find more evidence to prove that the threats on the coral reefs around the world are real. The impact of rising climate temperature, pollution, ocean acidification, etc. has been leading to increasing amounts of mass bleaching and a massive decline in coral reefs in past decades. This research study utilizes a systematic literature review and secondary research to collect, analyze and provide evidence that climate change impacts the ecosystem, and marine life (coral reefs) species on the planet. By addressing the impact of climate change and its significance on the ecosystem and global …

The Stability Of The Speech-To-Song Illusion, Jennifer Hsu, Brooke Booth, Jordyn Karns, Rodica R. Constantine

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

The Speech-to-Song (STS) illusion: when a listener is presented with multiple repetitions of a spoken phrase and begins to hear it as increasingly song-like. In the present study, we aim to verify anecdotal evidence that suggests the STS illusion is temporally stable and replicate existing evidence that excerpts transform to song by the third or fourth repetition and perhaps faster upon future encounters.

Microstructure And Sensory Attributes Of Rabbiteye Blueberries Subject To Osmotic Dehydration And Two Freezing Methods, Antonio Carlos Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Frozen, thawed and osmotically-dehydrated highbush (HB) (Vaccinium corymbosum) and rabbiteye (RB) (V. virgatum) blueberries were analyzed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe microstructural differences in their skin. Rabbiteye blueberries of both frozen, thawed and osmotically-dehydrated treatments, had thicker skins than highbush blueberries. Rabbiteye blueberries, collected from local farms, packed and blast frozen (PBF), had thinner skins than individually quick-frozen (IQF) blueberries. Washing berries prior to freezing had no effect on skin thickness. Sensory analysis of samples determined there were no differences (p > 0.05) between PBF and IQF methods and species with respect to skin intactness, grittiness, sweetness, and …

Our Natural World, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

It’s nothing earth-shattering to say our natural world gives us everything we need to survive, from the oxygen we breathe and the clean water we drink to that apple you are enjoying with your lunch today. We all know this. However, we sometimes fail to appreciate and act on the converse—if we fail to maintain a well-functioning and resilient natural world our future is literally at risk.

What’s more, our reliance on nature goes deeper than the base physical essentials of air, water and food that are required for life. Our bodies—physically, mentally and emotionally—are healthier for their interaction with …

High-Frequency Ultrasound In Patients With Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis, Jianguo Wen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to investigate the value of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) in differentiation of the seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (SNRA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and in the diagnosis of SNRA. 83 patients diagnosed with SNRA (SNRA group) and 40 diagnosed with OA (OA group) who received HFUS were retrospectively analyzed. The grayscale (GS) scores, power Doppler (PD) scores, and bone erosion (BE)scores were recorded, and added up to calculate the total scores of US variables. The correlations of the total scores of US variables with the 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed. The …

Vegetation And Nutritional Changes Over 20 Years Of White-Tailed Deer Exclusion, Gabrielle Nicole Ripa

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge of the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter deer) as dominant herbivores throughout the Southeastern United States of America is lacking. To address this, three paired experimental units of exclosures and controls were constructed in 2000 on three Wildlife Management Areas across Mississippi within the ecoregions of the Upper Coastal Plain, Lower Coastal Plain, and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Vegetation was sampled in the summers of 2000, 2005, and 2021 including vegetation structure, canopy coverage, basal area, and species composition. Additionally, in 2005 and 2021, biomass was sampled to determine potential impacts on nutritional carrying capacity. Among the …

Molecular And Phenotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Broiler Chicken Flocks In Mississippi, Priyanka Devkota

Theses and Dissertations

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the causative agent of colibacillosis. APEC causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry. In this study, 66 E. coli isolates were collected from broiler flocks across Mississippi and categorized as clinical and non-clinical isolates. Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance profiles of these E. coli were examined. The data disclosed a higher prevalence of virulence genes in clinical isolates than in non-clinical isolates. High differences on the genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance among clinical and non-clinical isolates were observed. Whole genome sequences of avian E. coli elaborated a diverse …

Empathy And Cultural Involvement As Pathways To Resilience In The Face Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Native American Indians, Joy Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine two specific pathways to resilience for Native American Indians (NAIs) that have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) and are seeking behavioral health services on the Choctaw Indian reservation: empathy and cultural involvement. The study is an examination of the effects of empathy and cultural involvement on the resilience of NAIs with one or more ACEs. The researcher also investigated the type of ACEs reported among adult NAIs seeking behavioral health services on the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian (MBCI) Reservation. Lastly, the association between ACEs and resilience was …

Towards Structured Planning And Learning At The State Fisheries Agency Scale, Caleb A. Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Inland recreational fisheries has grown philosophically and scientifically to consider economic and sociopolitical aspects (non-biological) in addition to the biological. However, integrating biological and non-biological aspects of inland fisheries has been challenging. Thus, an opportunity exists to develop approaches and tools which operationalize planning and decision-making processes which include biological and non-biological aspects of a fishery. This dissertation expands the idea that a core set of goals and objectives is shared among and within inland fisheries agencies; that many routine operations of inland fisheries managers can be regimented or standardized; and the novel concept that current information and operations can …

An Evaluation On The Effects Of Additions And Deletions Of Specific Nutrient Management Strategies On Corn Yield At Different Plant Densities, James D. Dew

Theses and Dissertations

Improved management strategies are needed to increase yield production and quality. The study aimed to determine suitable cultural practices for improved corn production. Experiments were set up at Verona and Stoneville, Mississippi, from 2020 to 2022. Treatments included row configurations (single and twin-row), plant populations (79,000 and 99,000 seeds ha-1), and six combinations of nutrients with or without fungicide. The nutrients evaluated were two nitrogen rates 235 and 314 kg N ha-1, phosphorus 45 kg P ha-1, potassium 112 kg K ha-1, sulfur 22 kg S ha-1, and zinc 11 kg Zn ha-1, and fungicide at 272 ml ha-1. In …

Evaluation Of Warm Season Vegetables Using Sustainable Production Practices, Jacob Arthur

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable practices were evaluated for the production of two warm season vegetable crops, tomato and chile peppers. The first study investigated the plant vegetative growth, fruit production timing, yield components and fruit quality of three hybrid and three heirloom tomato cultivars grown in a high tunnel using grafted and non-grafted plants. Grafting the selected tomato cultivars with the two rootstock types did not alter total marketable yield of any cultivar, but affected overall stem diameter, fruit color, and β-carotene concentrations of tested tomato cultivars. The second study evaluated the plant growth, yield, and fruit quality of nine heirloom chile pepper …

Disease Resistance And Productivity In Genetically Improved Loblolly Pine: Results From A Resistance Screening Trial And A Midrotation Comparison Of Genetic Improvement Levels, Stephen W. Goodfellow

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of tree improvement has resulted in genetic gains in loblolly pine productivity, form, and resistance to fusiform rust. The goal of this study was to advance the understanding and applied use of genetic improvement by analyzing inter- and intra-provenances hybrids’ rust resistance and evaluating midrotation performance of varying levels of genetically improved stock types. The first study compares 16 seedlots at the USDA Resistance Screening Center and evaluates rust resistance of controlled-pollinated inter- and intra-provenances crosses, and openpollinated seedlots from three provenances: Western Gulf, Atlantic Coastal, and Interior Piedmont. Post inoculation, one Coastal OP seedlot was resistant and ten …

Survival, Regrowth And Morphotype Formation Of Salmonella Strains After Exposure To High Or Low Concentrations Of First Generation Qac In Water, Grace Umutesi

Theses and Dissertations

This study determines the differences in survival of eight Salmonella strains concentration of BAC in water, followed by regrowth in high and low nutrition conditions containing sublethal concentration of BAC. Our results show strain difference in survival, persistence of Salmonella in BAC at different concentrations. All eight strains of Salmonella were non-recoverable when exposed to 40 to 48 µg/ml BAC for 1h in water. When exposed to 24 µg/ml of BAC for 1 h in water, S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and S. Heidelberg ATCC 8326 cells were non-detectable from the initial 7 log CFU/ml. S. Blockley 7175, S. Virchow 7207, …

Effects Of Soil Management Practices On Water Infiltration And Maize Yield To Improve Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer Sustainability, Jacob Rix

Theses and Dissertations

Surface sealing and hardpans in loam soils are problematic in the Mid-South U.S. because of intense tillage. Two experiments quantified the effects of soil management practices on infiltration and maize yield in loam soils. The first study measured the impacts of in-row subsoiling frequency × furrow irrigation frequency. In-row subsoiling significantly improved the infiltration of irrigation but not the infiltration of precipitation. In-row subsoiling with low irrigation frequency is optimal to achieve profitable maize yields while encouraging groundwater conservation. In the second study, six soil management treatments were imposed. For single-ring infiltrometer tests, infiltration rates were different between the two …

Assessing Wood Failure In Plywood By Deep Learning/Semantic Segmentation, Ramon Ferreira Oliveira

Theses and Dissertations

The current method for estimating wood failure is highly subjective. Various techniques have been proposed to improve the current protocol, but none have succeeded. This research aims to use deep learning/semantic segmentation using SegNet architecture to estimate wood failure in four types of three-ply plywood from mechanical shear strength specimens. We trained and tested our approach on custom and commercial plywood with bio-based and phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. Shear specimens were prepared and tested. Photographs of 255 shear bonded areas were taken. Forty photographs were used to solicit visual estimates from five human evaluators, and the remaining photographs were used to train …

United We Stand? Investigating The Impact Of Unified Dues Agreements Between State And National Career & Technical Education (Cte) Professional Organizations On Cte Funding In The Southern States, Justin Ryan Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers have long been active in lobbying the federal and state governments in support of CTE through their professional organizations, but these are not traditionally considered interest groups. This study sought to determine if the formal relationships—dues agreements—between the two largest national professional organizations, and their state affiliates had an impact on state funding for CTE. The impacts of professional organization unity, membership rates, and lobbying expenses on state-level CTE funding were analyzed through the lens of interest group theory, a subfield of political science. Within this population (N = 13), 1) a link …

The Influence Of Taste Sensitivity To 6-N-Propylthiouracil (Prop) On Anthropometric Measurements, Body Composition, And Eating Behaviors Among Female College Students, Abeer Mohammedsharief Alardawi

Theses and Dissertations

Taste is one of the crucial factors that contributes to shaping eating behaviors and is also one of the leading reasons that affects our preferences to like or dislike some foods that mainly have a bitter taste. Variation in bitter phenotype (tasters and non-tasters) could influence diet quality and in turn body weight, which overall influenced health outcomes. The objective of this study was to identify whether bitter taste phenotype status influences anthropometric measurements, body fat percentage, and eating behaviors (liking and intake) in female college students. In this cross-sectional study (n = 86), female college students aged 18 to …

The Effects Of Glyphosate Salts And Volatility-Reducing Agents (Vra) On Dicamba Volatility, Nicole Glenn

Theses and Dissertations

Dicamba is often tank mixed with glyphosate to increase herbicidal efficacy but may contribute to off-target movement (OTM). In recent years, volatilization has become problematic for dicamba-containing herbicides, resulting in increased regulatory requirements necessitating the use of volatility-reducing agents (VRA) for application. Research was conducted in 2021 and 2022 using low tunnels in a field environment and humidomes in a greenhouse environment to further assess how glyphosate salts and VRAs affect dicamba volatility. Our data indicate that the inclusion of glyphosate to dicamba can increase dicamba volatility, depending on the glyphosate salt used. The inclusion of the evaluated VRAs will …

Mapping Forest Structure In Mississippi Using Lidar Remote Sensing, Nitant Rai

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed at evaluating the agreement of spaceborne Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) ICESat-2 canopy height with Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) derived canopy height to inform about the performance of ICESat-2 canopy height metrics and understand its uncertainties and utilities. The agreement was assessed for different forest types, physiographic regions, a range of percent canopy cover, and diverse disturbance histories. Results of this study suggest that best agreements are found using strong beam data collected at night for canopy height retrieval using ICESat-2. The ICESat-2 showed great potential for estimating canopy heights, particularly in evergreen forests with high canopy …

Molecular Basis Of Viroid Rna-Templated Transcription, Shachinthaka D. Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage

Theses and Dissertations

Transcription is a fundamental process catalyzed by DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (DdRPs). Interestingly, some DdRPs can use both DNA and RNA as templates for transcription. This RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) activity of DdRPs is used by RNA-based pathogens such as viroids and hepatitis delta virus for replication. In addition, RdRP activity of DdRPs widely occurs in various organisms to regulate gene transcription. Despite the importance of this intrinsic RdRP activity of DdRPs, associated factors and mechanisms are in their infancy stage. We employed potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) as a model to study RNA-templated transcription. Here, we present evidence showing that …

Evaluation Of Novel Litter Amendments For Use In The Commercial Broiler Industry, Jorge A. Urrutia

Theses and Dissertations

Poultry litter amendments (LA) are commonly used to maintain good litter quality; the most common ones; are acidifiers. However, concern over the lifespan of LA acidifiers (d) and corrosive nature revealed a need for alternative LA. Products of interest include biochar (BC), superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), and alum mud (AM). Experiment 1 was a screening study (n=17 treatments, no birds) conducted to determine the optimal application rate/method of BC, SAPs, and AM vs.commercial LA and a control. Most SAPs treatments measured metrics may be similar (i.e., bacteria, water activity) or better (pH) vs. commercial LA (PLT). High inclusions of novel LA …

Non-Traditional Adjuvants And Methods For Applying Root-Promoting Compounds In Commercial Cutting Propagation, Anthony Turner Bowden

Theses and Dissertations

The nursery/greenhouse industry is innovative. There have been several reports in the popular literature of non-traditional adjuvants used in plant propagation; however, these claims have never been evaluated in a scientific setting. Five studies, conducted at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville in 2019 and 2021 determined the impact that adding honey to water-soluble auxin solutions and surfactants to foliar applied auxin solutions on physiological responses associated with adventitious root formation. Treatments in studies presented in chapters two and three included three honey sources (multiflora, local, and Manuka). Honey-infused water-soluble auxin solutions affected plant species but not in …

Evaluation For Using Expended Bioelectrochemical Systems As Soil Amendments For Improved Corn Plant Growth And A Drought Resistant Soil., Jackson Lee Sauers

Theses and Dissertations

A long-held practice is to mix agricultural soil with a soil amendment to improve growing conditions in crops. A common soil amendment is biosolids produced from both municipal and dairy wastewater due to the macro- and micronutrients within it. Both the agricultural and wastewater industries are participating in the Circular Economy concept (CEC). Two experiments explored using expended bioelectrochemical systems (BES) that treated either synthetic dairy wastewater (DWW) or synthetic municipal wastewater (SWW) as soil amendments to improve corn plant growth when treated with three different nutrient treatments: 100%- 50%- and 0% Hoagland Nutrient Solutions. Biochar and used terracotta clay …

Assessing The Legacy Of Erosion And Flood Control Management Efforts On The Fish Assemblages And Physical Conditions Of Yazoo Basin Bluff Hill Streams, Nicky M. Faucheux

Theses and Dissertations

The hills of Yazoo Basin have a long history of land use modification and subsequent erosion and flood control issues. In response, federal actions were taken to address these issues beginning after the Mississippi River flood of 1927. Four major flood control reservoirs were built in 1932-1957, and instream low-drop grade control structures (GCS) were installed beginning in the 1980s. The objective of my dissertation was to ascertain the long-term effects of these efforts on stream fish assemblages and channel morphology. To assess whether the reservoirs affected upstream fish assemblages as barriers to recolonization by fluvial fishes or as source …

Effects Of Microcystin-Lr On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Susceptibility To Microbial Pathogens (Aeromonas Hydrophila And Edwardsiella Piscicida), Alison Marchant

Theses and Dissertations

Microcystin-LR is a hepatotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella piscicida infections are leading causes of losses in market-sized channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). These older fish should have natural immunity in place and a predisposing factor is likely a prerequisite for these disease outbreaks. While microcystin-LR rarely causes mortality in warm-water aquaculture, we believe it may be a predisposing factor that leads to bacterial disease outbreaks during the summer months due to its ability to damage the liver. Our study investigated microcystin-LR’s effects on channel catfish susceptibility to these pathogens. We found that a sublethal dose of microcystin-LR induced …

Reassessing Nitrogen Management For Maize Production In Mississippi, Camden Dawson Oglesby

Theses and Dissertations

12 N treatments in 2020 and 11 in 2021 were replicated four times over four locations in a randomized complete block design. The first research tested the efficacy of CYG for Mississippi corn (Zea mays L.) production. The optimum N rates were calculated by fitting four models. Differences between the CYG rate and AONR were compared. AONR varied from 134 to 301 kg N ha–1 at different management levels. When we compared the AONR to the CYG rate, the CYG rate over-recommended N in 12 of the 14 possible comparisons. The second study compared different VIs, methods, and sensors at …

Dynamics Of Redox-Driven Molecular Processes In Local And Systemic Plant Immunity, Philip Berg

Theses and Dissertations

The work here presents two main parts. In the first part, chapters 1 – 3 focus on dynamical systems modeling in plant immunity, whereas chapters 4 – 6 describe contributions to computational modeling and analysis of proteomics and genomics data. Chapter 1 investigates dynamical and biochemical patterns of reversibly oxidized cysteines (RevOxCys) during effector-triggered immunity (ETI) in Arabidopsis, examines the regulatory patterns associated with Arabidopsis thimet oligopeptidase 1 and 2’s (TOP1 and TOP2), roles in the RevOxCys events during ETI, and analyzes the redox phenotype of the top1top2 mutant. The second chapter investigates the peptidome dynamics during ETI …

Investigation Of The Material Properties Of Poly Pipe Irrigation Tubing For Identifying Performance Characteristics By Thickness, Victor Frank Carey Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Poly Pipe Tubing is widely used in the Mississippi Delta for supplemental irrigation of crops during the growing season. Computerized Hole Selection (CHS) is a tool used to create a prescriptive hole punching map to manage flow and minimize tail-water runoff. Some producers have documented that CHS does not work on their farm. The common thought of failure in poly pipe tubing is the rupturing or splitting of the tubing. This research was based on the thought that failure occurs before the tubing is ruptured and is caused by over pressurization during an irrigation event. Static testing revealed that there …

The Emerging Value Of The Viroid Model In Understanding Plant Responses To Foreign Rnas, Junfei Ma

Theses and Dissertations

RNAs play essential roles in various biological processes. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that RNA subcellular localization and intercellular trafficking govern their functions in coordinating plant growth at the organismal level. Beyond that, plants constantly encounter foreign RNAs (i.e., RNAs from pathogens including viruses and viroids). The subcellular localizations of RNAs are crucial for their function. While numerous types of RNAs (i.e., mRNAs, small RNAs, rRNAs, tRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs) have been found to traffic in a non-cell-autonomous fashion within plants, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Viroids are single-stranded circular noncoding RNAs, which entirely rely …

Evaluating The Impacts Of Waterlogging Stress On Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata L.) Growth Traits And Physiological Performance, Omolayo Joshua Olorunwa

Theses and Dissertations

The progressive increase in the global population and the rapidly changing climate have put unprecedented pressure on crop production. Cowpea is one of the world’s most important leguminous crops, contributing to food security and environmental sustainability. However, cowpea productivity is limited due to waterlogging stress. The main objective of this study was to explore physiological and biochemical mechanisms to understand how cowpea genotypes respond to waterlogging stress. Four studies were conducted in controlled and field conditions to achieve these objectives. Study 1 characterized the waterlogging tolerance of 30 cowpea genotypes in a controlled environment using 24 morphophysiological parameters with waterlogging …