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Identification Of Breed Differences In Known And New Fescue Toxicosis Associated Phenotypes In Charolais-And Hereford-Sired Crossbred Beef Cows, Kayla M. Lucas, Dawn A. Koltes, Laura R. Meyer, John D. Tucker, Donald S. Hubbell Iii, Jeremy G. Powell, Jason K. Apple, James E. Koltes

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Beef cattle phenotypes are affected by the consumption of toxic fescue. Toxic fescue’s impact is dependent on heat stress and breed composition, with genetic variability for robustness to toxin exposure believed to exist within and across breeds. The study objective was to characterize the effect of fescue toxicosis across breeds for known and novel heat and fescue stress-associated phenotypes. One-hundred crossbred fall-calving Charolais- and Hereford-sired cows of parities 1–3 were allocated to graze either toxic fescue (n = 50), non-toxic fescue (n = 25), or a rotation between toxic and non-toxic fescue (n = 25) for 156 …

Fusion And Beyond: Satellite Cell Contributions To Loading-Induced Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, Kevin A. Murach, Christopher S. Fry, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, John J. Mccarthy, Charlotte A. Peterson

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Satellite cells support adult skeletal muscle fiber adaptations to loading in numerous ways. The fusion of satellite cells, driven by cell-autonomous and/or extrinsic factors, contributes new myonuclei to muscle fibers, associates with load-induced hypertrophy, and may support focal membrane damage repair and long-term myonuclear transcriptional output. Recent studies have also revealed that satellite cells communicate within their niche to mediate muscle remodeling in response to resistance exercise, regulating the activity of numerous cell types through various mechanisms such as secretory signaling and cell-cell contact. Muscular adaptation to resistance and endurance activity can be initiated and sustained for a period of …

Development Of A Cyberinfrastructure For Assessment Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley North And Central Watersheds Characteristics, Linda Navarro, Ahmed Mahmoud, Andrew Ernest, Abdoul Oubeidillah, Jessica Johnstone, Ivan Rene Santos Chavez, Christopher Fuller

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lower Laguna Madre (LLM) is designated as an impaired waterway for high concentrations of bacteria and low dissolved oxygen. The main freshwater sources to the LLM flow from the North and Central waterways which are composed of three main waterways: Hidalgo/Willacy Main Drain (HWMD), Raymondville Drain (RVD), and International Boundary & Water Commission North Floodway (IBWCNF) that are not fully characterized. The objective of this study is to perform a watershed characterization to determine the potential pollution sources of each watershed. The watershed characterization was achieved by developing a cyberinfrastructure, and it collects a wide inventory of data to identify …

Settingsorder Article Reprints Open Accessarticle Generation And Characterization Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells, Srikanth Sivaraman, Jackson Hedrick, Samia Ismail, Chris Slavin, Raj R. Rao

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. A completely autologous treatment can be achieved by using elastogenic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived smooth muscle cells (SMC) at the affected tissue site of vascular diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Thus, our work focused on evaluating the efficacy of (a) the combination of various growth factors, (b) different time periods and (c) different MSC lines to determine the treatment combination that generated SMCs that exhibited the greatest elastogenicity among the tested groups using Western blotting and flow cytometry. Additionally, total RNA sequencing was used to confirm that post-differentiation cells …

Generation And Characterization Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells, Srikanth Sivaraman, Jackson Hedrick, Samia Ismail, Chris Slavin, Raj R. Rao

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. A completely autologous treatment can be achieved by using elastogenic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived smooth muscle cells (SMC) at the affected tissue site of vascular diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Thus, our work focused on evaluating the efficacy of (a) the combination of various growth factors, (b) different time periods and (c) different MSC lines to determine the treatment combination that generated SMCs that exhibited the greatest elastogenicity among the tested groups using Western blotting and flow cytometry. Additionally, total RNA sequencing was used to confirm that post-differentiation cells …

The Saga Of Endocrine Fgfs, Phuc Phan, Bibhuti Ballav Saikia, Shivakumar Sonnaila, Shilpi Agrawal, Zeina Ismael Ibrahem Alraawi, Thallapuranam Krishnaswamy Suresh Kumar, Shilpa Iyer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are cell-signaling proteins with diverse functions in cell development, repair, and metabolism. The human FGF family consists of 22 structurally related members, which can be classified into three separate groups based on their action of mechanisms, namely: intracrine, paracrine/autocrine, and endocrine FGF subfamilies. FGF19, FGF21, and FGF23 belong to the hormone-like/endocrine FGF subfamily. These endocrine FGFs are mainly associated with the regulation of cell metabolic activities such as homeostasis of lipids, glucose, energy, bile acids, and minerals (phosphate/active vitamin D). Endocrine FGFs function through a unique protein family called klotho. Two members of this family, α-klotho, …

The Slit-Binding Ig1 Domain Is Required For Multiple Axon Guidance Activities Of Drosophila Robo2, Lafreda J. Howard, Marie C. Reichert, Timonthy A. Evans

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Drosophila Robo2 is a member of the evolutionarily conserved Roundabout (Robo) family of axon guidance receptors. Robo receptors signal midline repulsion in response to Slit ligands, which bind to the N-terminal Ig1 domain in most family members. In the Drosophila embryonic ventral nerve cord, Robo1 and Robo2 signal Slit-dependent midline repulsion, while Robo2 also regulates the medial-lateral position of longitudinal axon pathways and acts non-autonomously to promote midline crossing of commissural axons. While Robo2 signals midline repulsion in response to Slit, it is less clear whether Robo2's other activities are also Slit-dependent. To determine which of Robo2's axon guidance roles …

Current Applications Of Absolute Bacterial Quantification In Microbiome Studies And Decision-Making Regarding Different Biological Questions, Xiaofan Wang, Samantha Howe, Feilong Deng, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

High throughput sequencing has emerged as one of the most important techniques for characterizing microbial dynamics and revealing bacteria and host interactions. However, data interpretation using this technique is mainly based on relative abundance and ignores total bacteria load. In certain cases, absolute abundance is more important than compositional relative data, and interpretation of microbiota data based solely on relative abundance can be misleading. The available approaches for absolute quantification are highly diverse and challenging, especially for quantification in differing biological situations, such as distinguishing between live and dead cells, quantification of specific taxa, enumeration of low biomass samples, large …

Eating, Drinking And Locations Of Broiler Chickens Reared Under Commercial Conditions With Supplementary Feeder Line Lighting, D. J. Aldridge, M. T. Kidd, C. G. Scanes

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study examined the distribution of Cobb 700 broiler chickens in large (1.524 m × 6.096 m) pens under commercial conditions with 2 nipple waterer lines and a single feeder. The light intensity in the house was 4 lx provided by light emitting diode lighting but with supplementary lighting along the feeder line. There was a gradation of light intensity from 100 lx at bird level by the feeders to 4 lx at the edge of the pen. In addition, a limited time budget was estimated. A video system was employed to record the number of birds eating, drinking, standing …

Dha But Not Epa Induces The Trans-Differentiation Of C2c12 Cells Into White-Like Adipocytes Phenotype, Saeed Jebor Ghnaimawi, Lisa Rebello, Jamie Baum, Yan Huang

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Muscle derived stem cells (MDSCs) and myoblast play an important role in myotube regeneration when muscle tissue is injured. However, these cells can be induced to differentiate into adipocytes once exposed to PPARγ activator like EPA and DHA that are highly suggested during pregnancy. The objective of this study aims at determining the identity of trans-differentiated cells by exploring the effect of EPA and DHA on C2C12 undergoing differentiation into brown and white adipocytes. DHA but not EPA committed C2C12 cells reprograming into white like adipocyte phenotype. Also, DHA promoted the expression of lipolysis regulating genes but had no effect …

Sweetpotato Leaves Inhibit Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation In Raw 264.7 Macrophages Via Suppression Of Nf-Κb Signaling Pathway, Hyun-Dong Cho, Cindi Brownmiller, Harun Sorker, Shahidul Islam, Sun-Ok Lee

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Limited information is available regarding the health-promoting activities of sweetpotato leaves (SPL). The present study investigated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and phenolic contents in 29 SPL cultivars harvested in 2018 and 2019. Extracts showed total phenolic contents 9.4–23.1 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, and DPPH radical scavenging activity indicated 36.6–247.3 mM of Trolox equivalent/g. SPL extracts were identified to contain bioactive components such as, chlorogenic acid (11.7–22.1 μg/mg), 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid (16.3–59.9 μg/mg), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (50.9–72.7 μg/mg), chlorophyll B (6.1–12.3 μg/mg), lutein (1.9–4.9 μg/mg), chlorophyll A (2.7–4.3 μg/mg) and β-carotene (0.1 ≤ μg/mg). RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells were pretreated with 100–200 …

Effects Of Hatch Window And Nutrient Access In The Hatcher On Performance And Processing Yield Of Broiler Chicks Reared According To Time Of Hatch, Joshua R. Deines, F. Dustan Clark, Doug E. Yoho, R. Keith Bramwell, Samuel J. Rochell

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effects of hatch window and hatching basket nutrient availability on organ weights, performance, and processing yield of broilers were investigated. Eggs were hatched in illuminated hatchers. At the end of each hatch window period (HWP), hatched chicks were placed into control (CTL) hatching baskets with no nutrients or baskets providing access to feed and water (FAW). This resulted in 6 treatments in a factorial arrangement of 3 HWP (early, middle, or late) and 2 basket types (CTL or FAW). Chicks remained in experimental baskets until 504 h and were then subjected to a …

Understanding Corn Variability, Edgar O. Oviedo-Rondón

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Corn is the most common feed ingredient used in poultry nutrition. Maize contributes with up to 65% of the metabolizable energy and 20% of crude protein in poultry diets (Gehring et al., 2013; Dei, 2017). Its average nutritional value is well-known, but it is accepted that the variability in its composition and energy value is a very common issue with great impact on poultry performance and health (Cowieson, 2005; Gehring et al., 2013; Latham et al., 2016; Montanhini-Neto et al., 2017). Corn variability affects growth, feed conversion, flock uniformity, digestibility, AMEn, digesta viscosity, gut microbiota composition, …

Assessing Dietary Branched-Chain Amino Acids To Achieve Linear Programming Goals Through Model Extrapolation And Empirical Research, Craig W. Maynard, Ed E. Gbur, Vinh-Loi Ly, Minh-Duc Le, Thi H. Ngan Le Jr, Justina Caldas, Michael T. Kidd

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Renewed interest, especially in the United States, has sparked in assessing branched-chain amino acid interactions in practical diets for broilers. Indeed, as L-valine enters formulation bird nitrogen excesses are reduced as diet protein falls to the new first limiting amino acid (e.g., isoleucine, arginine, or tryptophan). For a United States based example, the result is less oilseeds and more gains, which typically result in increased inclusions in corn or corn by-products, coupled with a concomitant increase in dietary leucine. The proceedings outline the foundations of the branched-chain amino acid early research, antagonism studies, and a meta-analysis conducted on publications with …

Sustaining Competitiveness In Times Of Uncertainty And Volatility: A Latin American Perspective, Antonio Kalinowski

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The poultry industry has dominated the dynamic livestock sector in Latin America during the last decades, doubling production in the last 20 years (Williams and Anderson, 2019). In the future, poultry production in the region is expected to grow at almost twice the annual global rate: 2.5% and 4.0%, respectively. The rapid expansion of the industry has been fueled by the growing consumer demand for chicken meat and eggs, given its price competitiveness and culinary preference in most Latin American countries. Per capita chicken consumption is among the highest in the world (on average ca. 30 kg/person/year), and represents above …

Amino Acid Responses In Conventional And Slow Growing Broilers, Alex Corzo, Marcelo Silva

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Conventional and slow-growing broilers are both quite responsive to dietary amino acids. However, when reducing dietary balanced protein (BP), the change in rate of gain on the slower-growing broilers results in a growth curve that is not as steep as it would be if using the current conventional broiler. Amino acid supply and balance, in combination with manipulation of dietary energy density, could enable customers to achieve the desired rate of gain when using slow-growing broilers, depending on the Global Animal Partnership or other certification level the integrator is aiming for.

Heat Damage, Maillard Reactions, And Measurement Of Reactive Lysine In Feed Ingredients And Diets, Maryane S. F. Oliveira, Charmaine D. Espinosa, Hans H. Stein

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Feed cost represents 70% of the total cost of poultry and pork production (Patience et al., 2015); therefore, a number of processing techniques have been developed to maximize utilization of nutrients in feed ingredients and diets for optimum animal growth performance. Oilseed meals are commonly exposed to varying degrees of heat to remove solvents used during oil extraction, increase nutrient digestibility, improve storage life, and to reduce anti-nutritional factors (Liener, 1994; Rehman and Shah, 2005; Goebel and Stein, 2011). Heat is also applied in the production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from dry grind ethanol facilities …

Practical Pullet And Breeder Nutrition, David J. Burnham

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Modern meat chicken breeding stock have been selected for extremely efficient conversion of feed into protein and rapid growth. As a result, it has become increasingly more difficult to rear pullets and breeders to achieve the healthy chick numbers needed to supply the ever-expanding poultry meat market. There are many factors involved in producing a healthy pullet and breeder chicken. These include; housing, lighting, temperature and air control, health, animal husbandry, feed management and nutrition. This presentation is titled, Practical Pullet and Breeder Nutrition. Feed nutrient composition is important, but feed management is critical to make the nutrition effective. The …

Dietary Fiber From Crude To Refined: Unraveling Its Value On Animal Performance, Gilson Gomes, Tara York, Xavière Rousseau

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Fiber, although a simple five letter word, is like an onion. It is only once you begin to peel back the layers that you discover the complexity within. As nutritionists we are used to thinking in terms of ‘crude fiber’, but as we move into a world without antibiotics and the need to sometimes select alternative ingredients, we are now beginning to separate fiber into its chemical components and functional properties. To understand the functional properties, such as solubility and fermentability, we first need to ensure we can accurately measure the chemical composition of fiber for a wide variety of …

Free Fatty Acid Removal From Oil Using Magnetic Nanoparticles, Daniel Sabo

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Unprocessed crude oils consist of some amount of triglycerides as well as free fatty acids (FFAs). FFAs are virtually absent in oils from living tissue. They are formed by enzymatic action after the animal has been slaughtered. Hydrolysis of ester bonds in lipids, which results in the formation of FFA from the triglycerides, may be caused by enzymatic action, heat, or moisture. This release of short-chain fatty acids is the reason for rancid flavor and odor. Furthermore, the presence of FFAs can self-catalyze and release more FFAs from triglycerides. FFAs are susceptible to oxidation, which leads to oxidative rancidity. This …

Nutrition And Coccidiosis, Po-Yun Teng, Fernanda Castro, Woo Kyun Kim

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Coccidiosis is the most common parasitic disease caused by Eimeria spp., leading to over $14 billion economic loss worldwide annually. The most prevalent Eimeria spp. in poultry include E. tenella, E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. necatrix, E. praecox, and E. mitis and have different level of pathogenicity and specific infection sites in the intestine. Eimeria spp. invade intestinal epithelial tissues and induce intestinal damage, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, hemorrhage, and diarrhea. Furthermore, coccidiosis causes reduction of growth performance, intestinal integrity, nutrient digestibility, and increase of mortality and mobility in poultry. Nutrition strategies have been evaluated to mitigate detrimental …

Every Part Of Yeast Is The Best Part, Matthieu Baulez, Bruno Bertaud, Lisa Saibi

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Yeasts are single-cell, eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the fungi kingdom. They are generally around 10μm in size, have a nuclear membrane, a cell wall, and a cytoplasmic content. Yeasts are characterized as heterotrophs, which means they rely on organic material as sources of energy and nutrients. Not all yeasts are equal. There are about 60 genera and about 1,500 species of yeasts. Only a few are used commercially. Thanks to its exceptional fermentative capacities and nutritional properties, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the main yeast used in food, beverage and baking as well as in animal nutrition. The main types of yeasts …

Blood–Brain Barrier Breakdown And Astrocyte Reactivity Evident In The Absence Of Behavioral Changes After Repeated Traumatic Brain Injury, Celeste Dunn, Nasya Sturdivant, Sara Venier, Syed Ali, Jeffery Wolchok, Kartik Balachandran

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) cause debilitating effects. Without understanding the acute effects of repeated TBIs, treatment options to halt further degeneration and damage cannot be developed. This study sought to examine the acute effects of blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, edema, inflammation and behavioral changes after either a single or double TBI using a C57BL/6 mouse model. We examined the effects of one or two TBIs, of either a mild or moderate severity. Double injuries were spaced 7 days apart, and all analysis was performed 24 h post-injury. To examine edema and inflammation, protein levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein …

Mineral Nutrition In Broilers: Where Are We At?, Rick Kleyn, Mariana Ciacciariello

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Mineral nutrition remains an essential consideration for broiler nutritionists. The complex interactions between different minerals sources, other ingredients, and the broiler itself, coupled with their relatively low costs, have led to the current status of elevated levels of minerals in broiler diets. New perspectives on sustainability have brought about a rethink of the way we formulate practical diets. There are considerable opportunities for reducing macro minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, particularly for older birds. Our understanding of attaining an ideal dietary cation-anion balance is confused by the lack of clarity in measuring the balance and the bird’s ability to …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2019, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agriculture and associated agricultural activities are major contributors to the Arkansas economy. Agriculture is defined as the sum of agricultural production and processing activities, unless otherwise specified, and includes crop and animal production and processing, agricultural support industries, forestry and forest products, and textile goods. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production and value-added processing, leading to economic activity in other parts of the economy.

This report is the fourteenth 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 …

Alcohol Advertisements On Social Media: A Study Of How Alcohol Advertisements On Social Media Platforms Appeal To Young People, Alexis Campbell

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

Underage drinking is not uncommon and is associated with a number of school, social, legal, emotional, behavioral, health problems, and even death. This research seeks to explore alcohol-related social media advertisements across a variety of alcohol types, alcohol brands, and social media platforms. This was accomplished by a content analysis of the most popular alcohol brands’ advertisements on the Internet that examined the strategies used to appeal to consumers and the overall content patterns and characteristics of online alcohol advertisements. The strategy used differed by brand and alcohol type, but the most common themes included “taste,” “seasonal,” “holiday,” “recipe,” and …

Stage- And Sex-Specific Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Distinctive Sensory Gene Expression Patterns In A Butterfly, David A. Ernst, Erica L. Westerman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Animal behavior is largely driven by the information that animals are able to extract and process from their environment. However, the function and organization of sensory systems often change throughout ontogeny, particularly in animals that undergo indirect development. As an initial step toward investigating these ontogenetic changes at the molecular level, we characterized the sensory gene repertoire and examined the expression profiles of genes linked to vision and chemosensation in two life stages of an insect that goes through metamorphosis, the butterfly Bicyclus anynana.

Results

Using RNA-seq, we compared gene expression in the heads of late fifth instar …

Leigh Syndrome: A Tale Of Two Genomes, Ajibola B. Bakare, Edward J. Lesnefsky, Shilpa Iyer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Leigh syndrome is a rare, complex, and incurable early onset (typically infant or early childhood) mitochondrial disorder with both phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. The heterogeneous nature of this disorder, based in part on the complexity of mitochondrial genetics, and the significant interactions between the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes has made it particularly challenging to research and develop therapies. This review article discusses some of the advances that have been made in the field to date. While the prognosis is poor with no current substantial treatment options, multiple studies are underway to understand the etiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology of Leigh syndrome. …

Specific Secondary Bile Acids Control Chicken Necrotic Enteritis, Mohit Bansal, Tahrir Jatli Alenezi, Ying Fu, Ayidh Almansour, Hong Wang, Anamika Gupta, Rohana Liyanage, Danielle B. Graham, Billy Hargis, Xiaolun Sun

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Necrotic enteritis (NE), mainly induced by the pathogens of Clostridium perfringens and coccidia, causes huge economic losses with limited intervention options in the poultry industry. This study investigated the role of specific bile acids on NE development. Day-old broiler chicks were assigned to six groups: noninfected, NE, and NE with four bile diets of 0.32% chicken bile, 0.15% commercial ox bile, 0.15% lithocholic acid (LCA), or 0.15% deoxycholic acid (DCA). The birds were infected with Eimeria maxima at day 18 and C. perfringens at day 23 and 24. The infected birds developed clinical NE signs. The NE birds suffered severe …

Histological Analysis And Gene Expression Of Satellite Cell Markers In The Pectoralis Major Muscle In Broiler Lines Divergently Selected For Percent 4-Day Breast Yield, Sara K. Orlowski, Sami Dridi, Elizabeth S. Greene, Cynthia S. Coy, Sandra G. Velleman, Nicholas B. Anthony

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Muscle development during embryonic and early post-hatch growth is primarily through hyperplastic growth and accumulation of nuclei through satellite cell contribution. Post-hatch, muscle development transitions from hyperplasia to hypertrophic growth of muscle fibers. Commercial selection for breast yield traditionally occurs at ages targeting hypertrophic rather than hyperplastic growth. This has resulted in the production of giant fibers and concomitant challenges with regard to muscle myopathies. The current study investigates the impact of selection during the period of hyperplastic growth. It is hypothesized that selection for percentage breast yield during hyperplasia will result in an increased number of muscle cells at …