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Medicine and Health Sciences

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

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Root Phenotyping Of Peptide-Treated Glycine Max, Salem Jackson, Fiona Goggin Jan 2022

Root Phenotyping Of Peptide-Treated Glycine Max, Salem Jackson, Fiona Goggin

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) – endogenous chains of amino acids involved in natural plant defense – have been shown to decrease damage from herbivores and pathogens by inducing an immune response, increasing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCS), transcripts, and metabolites. Exogenous treatment of soybean seeds with plant elicitor peptide GmPep3 has been shown to induce these broad-spectrum defenses and offers a new method for increasing crop yield. However, the effects of GmPep3 on indicators of soybean health – root characteristics, growth stages, etc. – have not been fully realized. Using the root-phenotyping platform RhizoVision Explorer, several root traits …


Investigating Disparities In Behavior And Care Between Alaska Native And Non-Hispanic White Victims Of Sexual Violence: The Importance Of Culturally Competent Nursing Care, Danielle Koster Jan 2016

Investigating Disparities In Behavior And Care Between Alaska Native And Non-Hispanic White Victims Of Sexual Violence: The Importance Of Culturally Competent Nursing Care, Danielle Koster

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

The purpose of this research was to determine the existence of health care disparities experienced by Alaska Native women victims of sexual violence and to address the need for sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) to provide culturally competent care. This was a secondary data analysis of research collected from over 1,600 Alaska SANE surveys between 1996-2006. Variables investigated included: behaviors during examination, condition during assault, time from assault to report, hospital admittance, injuries sustained, and victim-suspect relationships. Alaska Native women were described as having less controlled behavior, being less cooperative, and less likely to be sober; they also often suffered …


Who's On Top? The Mental Health Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Eric R.A. Carter Jan 2015

Who's On Top? The Mental Health Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Eric R.A. Carter

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Despite most men who have sex with men (MSM) expressing intercourse position preference (e.g., “top”, “versatile”, or “bottom”), there is little information regarding sexual behavior and mental health sequelae. From the perspective of gender schema theory, the current study examined how position preference related to gender roles, internalized homophobia, and mental health. A total of 70 MSM (U.S. residents, M age = 28.89 years, 68.6% White) were recruited for an online study and grouped according to position preference. Groups were mostly similar across demographic variables, although bottoms had fewer sexual partners and lower condom use than tops and versatiles. In …


Multiplexed Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Of The 16s Rrna Gene For The Diagnosis Of Neonatal Sepsis In Resource-Limited Environments, Griffin T. Sonaty Jan 2015

Multiplexed Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Of The 16s Rrna Gene For The Diagnosis Of Neonatal Sepsis In Resource-Limited Environments, Griffin T. Sonaty

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Sepsis, or dysregulated inflammation caused by bacterial infection, places a disproportionately high burden on newborns in developing countries. This is due in part to a lack of diagnostic tools suitable for sustainable use in resource-limited nurseries. One potential vehicle for a new diagnostic assay is loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a high-yield DNA amplification method. LAMP has previously been used to detect genes from single species of bacteria in blood serum samples to aid in sepsis diagnosis. LAMP could be adapted to detect a broad set of bacteria, while retaining a degree of specificity that allows clinicians to begin directed antimicrobial …


Effect Of The Clostridium Difficile Tcde Protein On Membranes Of Escherichia Coli, Sophie Hollenberg Jan 2014

Effect Of The Clostridium Difficile Tcde Protein On Membranes Of Escherichia Coli, Sophie Hollenberg

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Clostridium difficile infects millions of hospitalized patients worldwide, causing pseudomembranous colitis, a disease with symptoms attributable to two toxins produced by the bacterium.The PaLoc gene locus in the C. difficile genome is responsible for toxin production and activation, but it is not known how the toxins are released from the pathogen. Within PaLoc is a gene for the TcdE protein, which shares striking similarity to a class of membrane pore-forming proteins called holins. To assess whether TcdE catalyzes toxin release, the engineered tcdE gene was expressed in Escherichia coli. An arabinose promoter upstream of the tcdE gene was manipulated to …


The Relationships Between Nursing Staff Knowledge Of Personhood And Resident Cognitive Status, Leeanne Compere Yopp Jan 2013

The Relationships Between Nursing Staff Knowledge Of Personhood And Resident Cognitive Status, Leeanne Compere Yopp

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationships between nursing staff knowledge of extended care resident personhood and resident cognitive status. Eighty nursing staff from two similar extended care facilities in Arkansas completed a self-administered questionnaire to assess their knowledge of 21 residents, including information related to residents’ past jobs/careers; likes/dislikes/ interests; family members; other non-specific knowledge; and total knowledge. The Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) was used to evaluate resident cognitive impairment. Results of a Pearson correlation demonstrate a positive correlation between (1) staff knowledge of residents’ families, and (2) total knowledge of residents with …


Orientation For Increased Volunteer Effectiveness With Midwives For Haiti, Kelly Toner Jan 2013

Orientation For Increased Volunteer Effectiveness With Midwives For Haiti, Kelly Toner

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

This pilot study created a comprehensive orientation module to help Midwives for Haiti prepare volunteers to serve in the organization’s midwifery school in Haiti. The module was evaluated to assess its perceived effectiveness and) revise it to better fit volunteer needs. The volunteers completed the module prior to their trip to Haiti and then completed an evaluation survey upon return; only three volunteers completed the entire pilot study process. Two out of three responded that the orientation fully prepared them for their time abroad. Other comments included the need for (a) additional emphasis on basic math and drip rate calculations, …


Factors Influencing Breastfeeding In A Hospital Setting, Mary Smith Jan 2010

Factors Influencing Breastfeeding In A Hospital Setting, Mary Smith

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Breastfeeding is promoted across the globe as the optimum method of infant feeding (World Health Organization, WHO, 2003). Though there is a plethora of published benefits of breastfeeding for baby and mother, breastfeeding rates are below the national goal of 75% for Healthy People 2010 during early postpartum and considerably lower at six months and at one year (Li et al., 2005; HHS, 2000). Arkansas is significantly below the national average and goals, with only 60% of mothers ever breastfeeding versus 74% nationally (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 2008). To meet these goals nationally and on a state …


Research Note: Exploration Of Factors That Impede Door-To-Balloon Times, Erin Troby Jan 2010

Research Note: Exploration Of Factors That Impede Door-To-Balloon Times, Erin Troby

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

When experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), more commonly known as a heart attack, patients need rapid treatment in order to open up and reestablish blood flow within the coronary artery. By far, the most common way to do this is an invasive procedure that allows a physician to inflate a tiny balloon into the plaque-filled area of the artery. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have established a 90-minute goal for this procedure, which means that, from the time a patient enters the door of the emergency department (ED), the medical team has …


Preverbal Language Abilities In Monozygotic And Dizygotic Twins, Sara Albrecht Jan 2007

Preverbal Language Abilities In Monozygotic And Dizygotic Twins, Sara Albrecht

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

This study examined prelinguistic language development of twins by delineating: differences from developmental expectations; twin-twin communication and twin-mother communication differences; and monozygotic-dizygotic differences. Nine families with twins between seven and 16 months of age participated in the study. Five families had dizygotic twins, three of which were male/female pairs, and four families had monozygotic twins, only one of which was female. The primary caregiver completed a developmental history. Data consisted of Dares Primitive Speech Acts (PSA) coding during in-home video-taping (30 minute sessions) with a second coding from the video material, and maternal reporting of vocabulary and communication using the …


Use Of Calcium Hypochlorite As A Sanitizer For Seeds Used For Sprouting: Task #2; Impact: Improved Alfalfa Decontamination Technologies, Emily Damron, Carrie Klein, Melissa Leach, Jordan Mourot, Tom Murphy, Amy Seamans, Ryan Wilson Jan 2005

Use Of Calcium Hypochlorite As A Sanitizer For Seeds Used For Sprouting: Task #2; Impact: Improved Alfalfa Decontamination Technologies, Emily Damron, Carrie Klein, Melissa Leach, Jordan Mourot, Tom Murphy, Amy Seamans, Ryan Wilson

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Consumption of raw or lightly cooked alfalfa sprouts has been a concern of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recent years due to connections between sprouts and foodborne illnesses. Researchers have identified, contaminated seeds as the primary source of alfalfa sprouts contamination. Contamination of alfalfa seeds can originate in the field, harvesting, storing, or sprouting. Two pathogens of particular concern on alfalfa seeds are Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E. coli) and Salmonella. These pathogens are capable of producing biofilms that provide protection for individual cells and allow for survival in otherwise hostile environments, including some disinfectant washes. Other factors …


A Survey Into The Prevalence Of Parasitic Helminths In Boiler Breeders, Anita Sarathi Jan 2004

A Survey Into The Prevalence Of Parasitic Helminths In Boiler Breeders, Anita Sarathi

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of helminth infections in spent broiler breeders. Intestinal tracts from 10 birds from each of five farms were obtained and examined for parasite identification and quantification. Heterakis gallinarum infections were the most common, followed in order of decreasing incidence by Capillaria obsignata, Ascaridia galli and Raillietina cesticillus. Peak worm burdens for individual birds were 121 (A. galli), 535 (H. gallinarum), 2I5 (C. obsignata) and 125 ( R. cesticillus). Significant farm-to-farm variation in worm burdens was observed.


Results Of A "Stages Of Change" Pilot Survey From An Osteoporosis Prevention Outreach Program, Amy S. Gray Jan 2002

Results Of A "Stages Of Change" Pilot Survey From An Osteoporosis Prevention Outreach Program, Amy S. Gray

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Osteoporosis is a serious health problem and crippling condition that often results in premature mortality and significant morbidity that may be manifested in the form of fractures, bone deformity, and pain. Osteoporosis affects almost 44 million people in the United States, 80% of whom are women. The purpose of this project was to test a pilot survey using the Stages of Change Model for health behaviors that may affect the risk of osteoporosis. Current research is lacking in use of the Stages of Change model for studying behaviors related to the prevention and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Three surveys …


Synthesis And Chemistry Of Naphthalene Annulated Trienyl Iron Complexes: Potential Anticancer Dna Alkylation Reagents, Traci Means Jan 2002

Synthesis And Chemistry Of Naphthalene Annulated Trienyl Iron Complexes: Potential Anticancer Dna Alkylation Reagents, Traci Means

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Iron complex chemistry that opens a new door to the medicinal and pharmaceutical worlds is the aim of this research. Specifically, ortho-quinone methide moieties are intermediates in several antitumor drugs and have been identified as bioreductive alkylators of DNA. In our research, a class of iron compounds has been targeted to resemble these quinone methides. It is hoped that these new compounds could be modified to provide a window of opportunity toward the discovery of a selective mode of drug delivery. We have focused our efforts on generating a reactive transition metal complexed 5-membered ring analog of o-quinone methide based …


Lymphocyte Profiles In Blood And Tumors Of Arkansas Rous Sarcoma Regressor And Progressor Chickens, Brant Ward Jan 2000

Lymphocyte Profiles In Blood And Tumors Of Arkansas Rous Sarcoma Regressor And Progressor Chickens, Brant Ward

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

The Arkansas Rous Sarcoma Regressor (AR) and Progressor (AP) lines of chickens represent an excellent model to study immune responses to tumors. Both lines of chickens initially develop tumors when injected with Rous sarcoma viros (RSV) or with DNA coding for the RSV oncogene v-src (v-src DNA). AR chickens will eventually regress the tumors whereas AP chickens will allow the tumors to progress to a terminal stage. By using both v-src DNA and RSV for tumor induction, we were able to compare the immune response to tumor antigens alone and tumor antigens in combination with viral components, respectively. To study …