Digital Commons Network^™

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2024, Frank Seo, Luke Pullo

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the nineteenth in a series that examines agriculture’s economic contribution to the Arkansas economy. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) on value added, employment, and labor income was estimated with the Impact Analysis for Planning System (IMPLAN) for the most recent year available, 2024.

The Relationship Between Depression And Cognitive Proficiency Index Across Biological Sex, Angela N. Ferdinardo

Dissertations

Depression is a widely studied mood disorder, and understanding its effect on cognitive functioning has become an important area of research. While research has examined relationships among depression, working memory, and cognitive deficits, limited research has explored depressive symptoms and cognitive proficiency across biological sex. Depression manifests similarly in men and women, though men are more likely to experience irritability, impulsivity, and anger, while women tend to experience sadness, stress, and sleep disturbances (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2023). Women are also more likely to seek treatment and cope differently than men. This study examined the relationship between depression and cognitive proficiency …

Evaluating The Motivations Of Participants In Online Equine Extension Courses, Sarah Vos

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditional program evaluations emphasize participant demographics, knowledge gain, behavior change, and program impact. However, evaluating participant motivation can provide addition insight into why participants enroll in extension programs and help explain participant engagement and persistence throughout a program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participant motivation in two online equine extension courses and examine potential relationships between motivation, demographics, and course delivery method, and describe participant engagement in Virtual Horse Judging Camp (VHJC). This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling of participants in two online equine extension courses, Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) and VHJC. The …

Machine Learning In Flow Cytometry For Acute Myeloid Leukemia Diagnosis: A Scoping Review, Katrina Jezzela M. Dela Pena Md, Mls (Ascp)

Other Specialties

Manuscript version:

Introduction: Flow cytometry is essential for the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but conventional analysis is labor-intensive, operator-dependent, and increasingly complex. Machine learning (ML) may support automated analysis; however, its readiness for clinical implementation remains unclear. This scoping review mapped ML approaches applied to flow cytometry for AML-related diagnosis.

Methods: PubMed was searched for English-language primary studies applying artificial intelligence, ML, or deep learning to human flow cytometry data for AML diagnosis or classification. Eligible studies reported diagnostic performance metrics. Study characteristics, preprocessing, data representation, model architecture, validation strategy, performance metrics, interpretability, and implementation considerations were descriptively …

Analysis Of The Cannabinoid Compositions, Byproducts And Heavy Metals In Unregulated Cannabinoid Products By Hplc-Ms/Icp-Ms, Simone K. Melle

All NMU Master's Theses

The rapid expansion of unregulated hemp-derived products has created a need for analytical methods that characterize both cannabinoid composition and contaminant occurrence. This thesis used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify cannabidiol (CBD), Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in commercial hemp-derived products, laboratory-prepared hemp oils, cultivated hemp tissues, extracted material, and post-harvest soil. Commercial products showed wide cannabinoid variability, with several samples containing more than one target cannabinoid, while laboratory-prepared plant oils showed a more consistent profile dominated by …

Eusocial Caste Specialization Under Abiotic And Biotic Stress In A Stingless Bee, Tetragonisca Angustula, Kristin M. Robinson

Dissertations

Eusocial insects rely on division of labor to achieve high colony efficiency and provide essential ecosystem services, but specialization may also constrain colony resilience when workers operate near their physiological or behavioral limits under abiotic and biotic stressors. How specialization mediates these responses remains poorly understood, particularly in stingless bees (Tribe: Meliponini). Using the agriculturally relevant stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula, which possesses a specialized soldier subcaste, I investigated how a high degree of worker specialization influences physiological tolerance and predator responses across worker subcastes.

In this dissertation, I quantified variation in thermal tolerance and desiccation resistance among worker subcastes …

History-Dependent Gain Control In The Paraventricular Thalamus: Neural Substrates Of Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning, Michael Martino

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by hyperarousal and heightened reactivity that generalize beyond the original traumatic event, yet the neural mechanisms by which prior stress experience biases future fear learning remain poorly understood. Stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) is a well-validated rodent model of this phenomenon, in which a severe stressor produces persistent sensitization of subsequent fear acquisition. This dissertation used a 30-day SEFL paradigm to identify the brain-wide functional signature of stress sensitization and to identify candidate neural substrates.

Whole-brain cFos mapping during acute fear acquisition revealed a predominant pattern of suppressed neural activity in sensitized animals, with limbic …

Integrative Taxonomic Analysis Of Cryptic Species Diversity In The Spiny Witch-Hazel Gall Aphid, Hamamelistes Spinosus (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Hormaphidini) In Eastern North America, Gavin Andrew Powell Munson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Taxonomy is the practice of identifying, classifying and categorizing species, providing structure for the vast diversity of life. Aphids are an ecologically important group of soft-bodied insects, but they can be difficult to identify because of their tiny anatomical size, reduced or simplified morphological features, and morphological variation within a single species across different generations. In this study, the taxonomy of the spiny witch-hazel gall aphid, Hamamelistes spinosus, is revised. The complex multi-generational life cycle of the aphids, which alternates between witch-hazel and birch trees, has led to confusion regarding past descriptions. Scientists in the late 1800s who were …

Nutrient Leaching Under Traditional And Intercropped Cover Crop Fields In Northern Utah, Katherine Hewitt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines whether cover crops can be used in Utah and the Intermountain West to improve water quality and reduce contamination due to nutrient leaching from agricultural soils into the groundwater. Cover crops such as grasses, clover, and other seed mixtures can be planted to improve soil health, increasing the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients, which reduces the amount of nitrate and phosphate fertilizers lost through leaching and contamination. In Utah, short growing seasons and limited irrigation water availability hinder the ability to establish cover crops. By planting the cover crop between the rows (intercropping) when the …

Pre-Post Changes In Physiological, Cognitive, And Motivational Outcomes Following An Active Video Game Intervention In Adolescents And Adults: A Pilot Study, Ashley Williams, Danielle D. Wadsworth, Thaangiah Geetha

Publications

Active video games (AVG) are emerging as a promising home-based strategy to increase physical activity by integrating movement into interactive gameplay. However, evidence remains limited regarding their effectiveness across physiological, cognitive, and motivational outcomes in adolescents and adults within household settings.

A Geometric Morphometric Analysis Of Acetabular Shape Variation Across Bat Families, Jordan L. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight, and research is concentrated on this adaptation. Their non-flight locomotion has received comparatively little attention. Previous studies show that non-flight locomotor behaviors vary across families. Members of Pteropodidae are efficient climbers but cannot effectively walk, whereas Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae are better at terrestrial locomotion but show reduced arboreal capabilities. The non-flight locomotion of Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae is less understood, although rhinolophids exhibit limited terrestrial locomotion. This study examined whether differences in locomotor behavior are associated with variation in acetabular morphology. A geometric morphometric analysis of acetabular shape was conducted across multiple …

Flexible Grazing: Evaluating Stocker Cattle As A Drought Management Tool For Utah Livestock Producers?, Ross Israelsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Drought is a persistent concern in the western United States, often leading to reduced forage production, overgrazing, and economic challenges for livestock producers. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of incorporating stocker cattle as a flexible drought management strategy under varying forage conditions across four Utah grazing locations: Park Valley, Nephi, Vernal, and Beaver. The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) was used to estimate annual forage production and stocking rates from 2001 through 2025. Four stocking-rate scenarios (100%, 75%, 60%, and 50% cow–calf stocking rates) were evaluated using a Net Present Value (NPV) framework to compare the economic performance of traditional …

Function And Regulation Of Long Polar Fimbriae During Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli Infection, Walter J. Galdamez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a foodborne pathogen that causes severe gastrointestinal disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome. EHEC employs multiple virulence factors to colonize the host intestine, including the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) encoded type III secretion system, intimin, and flagella, yet the role of long polar fimbriae (Lpf) in adhesions and infection remains less well understood. Long polar fimbriae can mediate bacterial attachment to host cells in vitro, yet the regulation and function of its two fimbrial operons, lpf1 and lpf2 in vivo remain poorly understood. Preliminary RNA-seq data from zebrafish infected with EHEC reveal that expression of …

Hyperadhesive Von Willebrand Factor Contributes To Pathogenesis Of Preeclampsia, Yajuan Wang, Chenyu Wang, Katie L Houck, Xiaoli Gao, Yuanyuan Chen, Xin Xu, Xue Zhao, Miguel A Cruz, Shu Zhang, Chester Q Li, Fengxia Xue, Min Li, Swati Shree, Jing-Fei Dong, Cha Han

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Preeclampsia is the most common complication of pregnancy, significantly affecting maternal and fetal health, and is characterized by placental and systemic endotheliopathy. Patients with preeclampsia have elevated levels of VWF (von Willebrand Factor), which is associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, whether VWF serves as a marker for endotheliopathy or contributes to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia remains poorly understood.

Methods: We investigated the role of hyperadhesive VWF in the development of preeclampsia by studying patients, evaluating mouse models, and performing in vitro experiments.

Results: We show that patients develop VWF- and fibrin-rich thrombosis in the placenta and have significantly …

Concerns With The Statistical Analysis In “Effect Of Combined Glp-1 Analogue And Bupropion/Naltrexone On Weight Loss: A Retrospective Cohort Study”, Thirupathi Reddy Mokalla, Henry T Robertson, Sherri Pals, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality In Gambling Disorder: Evidence From A Nation-Wide Matched And Sibling Cohort Study In Taiwan, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Chih-Wei Hsu, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background and aims: Gambling disorder (GD) has been linked to suicidal ideation and suicide deaths; however, evidence on all-cause and cause-specific mortality-particularly in Asian populations-remains limited. Using a retrospective cohort study based on nationwide matched and sibling cohort, we investigated all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk in patients with GD.

Design, setting and participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 2000-2022 data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A cohort of 961 individuals diagnosed with GD was identified. An age- and sex-matched control cohort (n = 3,844) and an unaffected sibling cohort (n = 675) were constructed. Cumulative survival …

Silviculture For Coastal Forest Resilience: Promoting Forest Regeneration And Managing Invasive Plant Species, Ryan Bohannon

All Dissertations

Coastal forests of the southern United States and the ecosystem services they provide are threatened by an intensifying and interacting suite of disturbances associated with global change. Silvicultural strategies such as enrichment planting, invasive plant management, and browse mitigation treatments can enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity of forests to these threats by promoting sustainable regeneration and recruitment dynamics. To improve our understanding of coastal forest disturbance regimes and their impacts on forest stand dynamics, I conducted a systematic literature review of maritime forest disturbance ecology and identified coastal storms, ungulate browsing pressure, and invasive plants as primary disturbances shaping …

Regional Forecasting Of Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks In The Southeastern Usa Using Spbom1 With Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling, Ebere L. Anozie

All Dissertations

Southern pine beetle (SPB; Dendroctonus frontalis) outbreaks are among the most damaging biological disturbances affecting pine forests of the southeastern United States, capable of causing extensive tree mortality, economic losses, and reduced ecosystem resilience. This dissertation evaluated and advanced predictive approaches for SPB outbreak forecasting by integrating systematic review, geospatial modeling, comparative model evaluation, and artificial intelligence-based prediction. First, a systematic review of SPB predictive tools from 1978 to 2024 showed that modeling has evolved from statistical, climatic, and mechanistic approaches to remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, hybrid modeling, and decision-support systems, although many tools remain limited by scale …

Effects Of Urbanization On Barrier Island Bobcats, Meghan P. Keating

All Dissertations

Urbanization is a leading driver of ecological change and presents unique challenges for carnivores by altering habitat availability, prey communities, and exposure to anthropogenic threats. Although many carnivore species persist in developed landscapes, the ecological and demographic consequences of urbanization often remain poorly understood, particularly over long timescales. Using one of the longest-running studies of a free-ranging carnivore population, I evaluated the effects of urbanization on the behavior, resource use, exposure risk, and population dynamics of bobcats (Lynx rufus) inhabiting a residentially developed barrier island in coastal South Carolina, USA. I first examined temporal and spatial responses to …

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 …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Supply Chains, Ross Kingwell, Peter Elliott

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Demand In Key Regions And Countries, Ross Kingwell, Sean Cowman, Peter Elliott, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Demand Overview, Ross Kingwell, Paul Meibusch, Jorge E. Mayer, Richard Williams, Peter Elliott, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Demand: Health And Environmental Issues, Ross Kingwell, Nicholas Thorsager, Chris Carter

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Aegic Blogposts - Grain Industry Productivity, Ross Kingwell

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) was an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by the Western Australian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Its core mission was to increase the value and international competitiveness of Australia’s multibillion-dollar export grains industry. AEGIC ceased operation at the end of 2025.

Early in its history between 20 to 30 staff from the former Western Australian Department of Agriculture were seconded to AEGIC. Following the formation of DPIRD, AEGIC continued to receive substantial annual funding support from DPIRD.

This publication is a legacy document containing collated AEGIC blog posts …

Quaking Aspen On Cedar Mountain, Utah: Status And Update, Jaycee Cappaert, Larissa L. Yocom, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy, R. Justin Derose

Wildland Resources Student Research

Quaking aspen forests are important communities in the western United States where they provide preferential food and habitat for animals, limit wildfires from spreading, and have favorable aesthetics, among other things. Their putative decline is an issue for ecology and management. We remeasured the aspen population on Cedar Mountain, Utah, to assess changes to its condition since it was originally measured in 2008 and laid the groundwork for continued aspen monitoring on Cedar Mountain. Our objectives were to compare current metrics of stand structure and composition, mortality, crown dieback, bole damage, regeneration, and recruitment, to those of the original inventory. …

Agent-Based Modeling Of Cellular Dynamics In Adoptive Cell Therapies, Yujia Wang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Adoptive cell therapies (ACT) have shown promising progress in combating cancer, but clinical responses remain heterogeneous. Key determinants, including the functional states of infused cells, tumor–immune interactions, and dosing strategies, are difficult to resolve experimentally in the dynamic and heterogeneous tumor microenvironment, limiting optimization of ACT products and treatment regimens. To address the gap, we developed ABMACT (Agent-Based Model for Adoptive Cell Therapies), a computational framework that reconstruct key cellular functions, interactions, and molecular signatures to recapitulate cell population dynamics associated with differential treatment responses. ABMACT encodes autonomous “virtual cells” using literature-informed rules calibrated with experimental data, enabling simulation of …

Transcriptional Regulation In The Uterine Luminal Epithelium, Evelyn A. Carrion

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Transcriptional Regulation in the Uterine Luminal Epithelium

Evelyn A. Carrion

Advisor: Richard R. Behringer, PhD

Abstract

The uterus is an organ comprised of multiple tissues that are essential for women’s health and reproduction. The uterus is composed of multiple tissue layers, including the perimetrium, myometrium, and the endometrium. The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus, and contains the luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and stroma. The luminal epithelium is a simple columnar layer of cells that is necessary for embryo implantation. The uterus is derived in part from the embryonic precursor tissue called the Müllerian duct. There are no …

Regulation Of Müllerian Duct Mesenchyme Transcription During Mammalian Sex Differentiation, Haowen Li, Richard R Behringer, Rachel D Mullen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Sp7/Osterix (Osx) encodes a zinc-finger transcription factor of the Specificity-protein family discovered by Nakashima et al. at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. While primarily recognized for its role in osteogenesis, Osx has also been implicated in mammalian reproductive development, particularly in male sex differentiation, where Müllerian Duct (MD) regression occurs, mediated by anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) signaling. AMH-induced regression signals are transduced by the mesenchymal tissue surrounding the ductal structure, known as the Müllerian Duct mesenchyme (MDM). It was discovered that AMH signaling is necessary and sufficient for driving Osx expression in MDM. A previous transgenic mouse reporter …

Oxidative Stress Mediated Glutamate Release And Nmda Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Remodeling In Radiation-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction, Thanh Lam

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In children younger than 14 years old, the brain and other parts of the central nervous system are the most common sites for solid tumors. Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for central nervous system (CNS) tumors. However, it often causes a progressive decline in cognitive functions, which is especially devastating for pediatric patients. Although post-mitotic neurons are generally considered resistant to radiation-induced immediate cell death, ionizing radiation causes complex neurochemical and structural changes that damage synaptic integrity. In this study, we examined the molecular cascades following a 10 Gy radiation dose applied to mouse cortical neurons. We found that radiation-induced …