Zugl.: Graz, Univ., Diss., 2006.

Populations of federally-listed gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are in decline in Mississippi. Soil and forage quality may be linked to their health and recruitment. To gain a better understanding of existing soil and forage quality conditions on areas inhabited by gopher tortoises, I investigated soil chemistry parameters, forage nutrients, and plant community characteristics from 2012 to 2013. These parameters were collected on 7 soil and habitat management treatment types in uplands on public forest lands in south Mississippi. Soil sample analyses indicated that most pH levels in soils were acidic (pH < 5.0) to strongly acidic (pH < 4.5). Greatest soil calcium levels were detected on growing season burn, moderately suitable soil areas, and soil phosphorus levels were greatest on mowed, less suitable soil areas. Greatest levels of nutrients were detected at 0 – 10 cm soil depths. Weak, positive associations were detected between soil pH and soil calcium and magnesium levels, while weak, negative associations were detected between soil pH and soil phosphorus levels. Greater levels of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus were detected in plants collected in mowed, less suitable soil areas. Cacti, forbs and, legumes were found to have greatest nutrient levels of all the plant growth forms. Moderate, positive associations were detected between soil pH and calcium levels in legumes and vines. Weak, positive associations were detected between soil pH and forage calcium levels in forbs and native grasses. Very weak, positive associations were detected between soil pH and forage phosphorus levels in vines. I found greatest species richness and percent coverage of legumes and forbs on moderately suitable soils that received growing season fire; whereas, greater species richness and percent coverage of native grasses were detected on moderately suitable soil regardless of season of burn. Greatest percent coverage of cacti (puntia sp.) and greatest quantities of above-ground plant biomass were detected on mowed, less suitable soil areas. This information can be valuable to habitat evaluation and management for gopher tortoises.

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Burn injury is considered a distressing and traumatic injury often leading to psychological disturbances such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and body image dissatisfaction. At the same time, the literature also suggests that people demonstrate surprising resiliency when dealing with their burn injury. How women who have experienced burns understand their injury and what it means to them to be a resilient, is largely ignored in the burn literature. This study addressed these shortcomings by exploring narratives from thirteen women, recruited from a regional burn center, who experienced a burn injury of up to 30% of their total body surface area (TBSA). Two interviews were conducted with each participant. The first interview employed a photo elicitation technique whereby photographs taken by the participant of her life with a burn injury were used to elicit stories in the context of the interview. The second interview was conducted using a semi-structured interview schedule developed to investigate experiences and understandings of distress and resiliency. The interview transcripts were analyzed using narrative analysis in order to explore how women constructed stories about distress and resiliency following burn injury. The findings show three main struggles the women faced in negotiating resiliency which all pertained to relational tension, that is, relationships with others. The three struggles of resiliency identified in the study are 1) feeling as though the body was public, 2) deciding how to share their burn experience with others, and 3) accepting support from others while maintaining independence. The findings of this study are discussed in the context of a relational theory named self-silencing which delineates how women behave socially to maintain relationships by inhibiting self-expression. Findings are also discussed relative to current research in the areas of burn injury and resiliency. / February 2017

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 93 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1984. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-97). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 343-350).

Burn-induced intestinal barrier failure has been proposed to be a potential cause of subsequent multiple organ failure after burn. Studies have shown that the increased iNOS activity is closely related to intestinal and pulmonary damage in rats after burn. Expression of iNOS and MMP-9 is regulated by nuclear factor NF-£eB activation, which is frequently a result of MAPKs pathway activation. This study was to investigate the role of ERKs in intestinal and pulmonary damage induced by burn in rats. In experiments, SD rats underwent 30 ~ 35 % TBSA burn. At various times after burn, intestinal mucosa and pulmonary proteins were assayed for ERKs and p38 phosphorylation by immunoblotting, nuclear extracts were assayed for NF-£eB activation by EMSA, intestinal and pulmonary iNOS, MMP-9 expressions were evaluated by RT-PCR, the FITC-dextran permeability was determined to assess the intestinal barrier function and the pulmonary microvascular dysfunction was quantitated by measuring the extravasation of Evans blue dye. The results show that burn induced ERKs and p38 phosphorylation, the expression of iNOS, and NF-£eB activation in intestinal mucosa and lung, but the expression of MMP-9 was attenuated. Treatment with MEK1/2 inhibitors, PD98059 (10 mg/kg i.p.) or U0126 (5 mg/kg i.p.) immediately after burn, attenuated the phosphorylation of intestinal mucosa and pulmonary ERKs, the activation of NF-£eB, the increase in intestinal permeability, and pulmonary microvascular dysfunction. Interestingly, the expression of iNOS in intestinal mucosa and pulmonary tissues was induced by PD98059 administration, but the expression of MMP-9 in intestinal mucosa was attenuated by PD98059 administration. These results suggest that the tissue damage is regulated by NF-£eB activation and the activation of NF-£eB is primarily mediated by signal pathway of ERKs in burn-injured rats, so the signal transduction pathway may involve ERKs and p38, NF-£eB, iNOS or MMP-9, then causes tissue damage. Further, burn-induced intestinal mucosa and pulmonary ERKs have different degree of activation. The p38 and ERKs phosphorylation showed a two-step activation in intestinal mucosa and pulmonary tissues after burn. Inhibition of intestinal and pulmonary ERKs in vivo afforded significant protection against burn-induced barrier failure. However, the data showed that iNOS may not play a major role in the burn-induced intestinal and pulmonary damage, and MMP-9 may have more affect on tissues damage.