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Predicting Kidding Date Using Prepartum Milk Calcium Concentrations And Comparing Kid Growth To Colostrum Quality In Goats, Justin Hamm

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Goats have a very long history with mankind and are commonly used as a nutritious red meat source around the world. The supply of goat meat in the United States does not meet the growing demand from ethnic consumers. This provides an economic opportunity in Arkansas agriculture because goats are uniquely adapted to the Ozark environment. There is a wide gap in caprine research which facilitated the conception of the study’s objectives to determine whether prepartum milk in goats showed a sudden rise in calcium levels within 24 to 48 hours of kidding and to ascertain whether an increased …

Molecular Basis Of Pathogenesis And Host Determination In Cercospora Sojina: From Phenotypic To Genotypic Patterns, Wagner Calegari Fagundes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Frogeye leaf spot (FLS), caused by Cercospora sojina, is an important and recurrent disease of soybean in many production regions. Genetic resistance is potentially one of the most cost-effective and sustainable strategies to control FLS. However, C. sojina has already demonstrated the ability to overcome resistance conveyed by single R-genes (resistance genes) of soybeans, followed by the emergence of new physiological races. Although understanding population genomics and the virulence gene inventories in fungal plant pathogens is extremely important to improve disease control measures, studies regarding host specificity and pathogenesis in C. sojina are very limited. Therefore, the overarching goal of …

Interfacial Tailoring Of Lithium-Ion Batteries By Atomic/Molecular Layer Deposition, Qian Sun

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are promising energy storage devices, which play significant roles in addressing problems related to fossil fuels depletion and environmental pollution. Since the 1990s, LIBs have attracted great attention for many applications. Nowadays, LIBs are dominating portable electronics, having several advantages over their forerunners, such as high voltage (3.3~4.2 V) [1,2], low self-discharge (< 5~10 %/month) [3,4], wide operation temperature (-20~60 °C) [5,6], and fast charge/discharge rate [7,8]. However, LIBs deliver an energy density of 100-220 Wh/kg in practice to date, which is far from their theoretical ones, thus hindering their further applications in electric vehicles. Additionally, LIBs have been plagued by other problems, such as intolerance to overcharge/overdischarge, low heat resistance, lithium dendrites growth, large volume change of the silicon anode, large polarization and even safety problems.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) are two important techniques, both proceeding in self-limiting gas-solid reactions and exhibiting excellent capabilities for ultra-thin films, conformal coatings, and controllable growth. They can be employed to address the problems of LIBs mentioned above by …

A Generative Statistical Approach For Data Classification In A Biologically Inspired Design Tool, Marvin Manuel Arroyo Rujano

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the research this thesis describes is to find a way to classify text-based descriptions of biological adaption to support Biologically Inspired design. Biologically inspired design is a fairly new field with ongoing research. There are different tools to assist designers and biologists in bio-inspired design. Some of the most common are BioTRIZ and AskNature. In recent years, more tools have been proposed to aid and make research in the field easier, for example, the Biologically Inspired Adaptive System Design (BIASD) tool. This tool was designed with the goal of helping designers in early design stages generate more …

Epidemiological Studies Of Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus And Potential Resistance Mechanisms To Its Vector Neohydatothrips Variabilis (Beach), Jing Zhou

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is one the most important crops in global agriculture with annual production of over 260 million metric tons. As the dependence of a growing global population to soybean has increased, so does the importance of soybean diseases and pests. Over 200 pathogens attack soybean; among them, viruses pose a major threat to the soybean industries accounting for approximately 10% of the annual yield reduction caused by diseases in the past two decades. Soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV) is a relatively newly discovered virus causing the homonymous disease. The widespread occurrence of the disease in major …

Super Unleaded Malbec? A Case Study In Flawed International Standard Setting At The Codex Alimentarius, Justin Schwegel

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) provides rules on the adoption and enforcement of SPS measures. It also presumes that food safety regulations adopted by WTO Members that conform to relevant international standards are consistent with the SPS Agreement. The relevant international standard setting body for food safety is the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which conducts most of its food safety risk management work through subsidiary bodies such as the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF). CCCF establishes maximum limits for food contaminants and codes of practice for reducing food …

A Meticulous Food Safety Plan Today Avoids Handcuffs Tomorrow, Kim Bousquet

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In August 2010, thousands of people across the United States were poisoned by eating eggs unknowingly tainted with Salmonella enteritidis bacteria. Following a lengthy investigation, the owners of the facility where the outbreak began were sentenced to three months in prison. This is not a one-off case; poor food safety practices are responsible for several outbreaks and often end in incarceration. Filthy hen houses, diseased fruit storage, and negligent food processing may be the last thing we want to imagine, but these practices have much to teach today's food producers. This article first examines how poor food production practices can …

Journal Of Food Law & Policy - Volume 14 Fall 2018, Journal Editors

Journal of Food Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers Residing In The U.S., Connor K. Otto

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The largest population of Marshallese immigrants in the Contiguous U.S. resides in Northwest Arkansas. Despite adequate access to healthcare, the Marshallese face many health disparities, perhaps partly due to the language barrier they face in healthcare settings and education. Regarding breastfeeding rates, women in the Marshall Islands have a significantly higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding than in Marshallese women residing in the U.S. who face cultural barriers. Breastfeeding is positively correlated to many benefits for infants and is recommended exclusively for at least 6 months by pediatric policy organizations.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to examine breastfeeding …

Changes In Cultural Competency Of Nurses Caring For Marshallese Islanders Following An Educational Intervention, Abigail Childers

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Background: Marshall Islanders are one of the fastest growing migrant populations in the US and Northwest Arkansas. Health disparities and maintenance of strong cultural values and norms may adversely affect the Marshallese participation in the health care system. Evidence shows that cultural competency training can improve the attitudes, knowledge, skills and behaviors of health professionals and has many positive impacts. The Clinical Cultural Competency Questionnaire (CCCQ) is a research-validated tool that can be used to measure perceived cultural competency through many subscale categories.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to implement a cultural awareness educational program and to …

Physiological Characterization Of The Soynam Parental Lines Under Field Conditions, Akshita Mishra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The narrow genetic pool of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) in North America can limit its future yield gains. Among the worldwide germplasm collection of 45,000 unique landraces, only 80 contribute 99% to the collective parentage of North American soybean cultivars. Among these 80 landraces, just 17 contribute to 86% of the collective parentage of the modern cultivars. The Soybean Nested Association Mapping population (SoyNAM) was therefore developed with the objective of diversifying the soybean gene pool. Forty diverse soybean genotypes from maturity groups (MG) 1 through 5 were crossed with a common MG 3 parent to develop 40 recombinant …

Evaluation Of Genetic And Environmental Influences On Broiler Meat Quality, Sara Katherine Orlowski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effect of both genetic and environmental influences on broiler meat quality were evaluated over three experiments. Selection response was assessed for broiler lines selected for high (HBY4) and low (LBY4) four day percentage breast yield which were formed from a random bred control (RAN). A modern random bred population (MRB) created in 2015 was evaluated for differences in 4 day percentage breast yield and the resulting differences in the incidence and severity of the woody breast and white striping myopathies. Additionally, the use of embryonic thermal manipulation to impact cell division and early caloric feed restriction to slow growth …

Vegetation Characteristics And Bird Communities Associated With Singing Painted Buntings In Northwest Arkansas, Lauren Kristina Thead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been shown that bird communities are affected by the species composition and physical structure of plant communities. Within avian communities, the bird species that are the most localized in distribution tend to be the most affected by habitat changes. My research analyzed plant and bird communities found with the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris Linnaeus), a locally common but declining species throughout much of its range. First, I describe vegetation characteristics associated with singing male Painted Buntings in northwest Arkansas. I categorized field sites with singing male Painted Buntings as either managed for wildlife or unmanaged, based on land-use …

Burning Community Integration And Disability, Christopher Shane Brace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with anxiety and depression have always been marginalized and stigmatized. Individuals with “hidden” disabilities are encouraged by society to keep them hidden, or face ridicule and persecution. Society decreases their sense of self-worth, and self-efficacy by destroying any perception of normalcy. Social support resources are vital for individuals with anxiety and depression’s continued mental health. As time goes on the individuals experience a decrease in the amount of available resources, at the same time the need for them increases. These individuals need a way to quickly replenish their social resources and the Burning Man regional network creates a unique …

Weed Control And Management For Vegetable Soybeans In Arkansas, Seth Bernard Abugho

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], known as edamame, needs weed management tools. Releasing locally adapted edamame soybean varieties and registering herbicides are necessary for successful production and expanding the edamame industry. This research aimed to 1) identify herbicides labeled for grain soybean for potential use on edamame; 2) evaluate differential tolerance of edamame soybean varieties to selected grain soybean herbicides; and 3) identify a feasible edamame-based crop rotation system. For objective 1, 26 herbicide treatments were tested on AVS-4002 edamame including preplant (PPL), preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) herbicides labeled for grain soybean. Preplant herbicides caused 9 to 28% …

Microbiota Metabolic Product Deoxycholic Acid Prevents Campylobacter Jejuni Chicken Colonization Through Modulating Ceca Anaerobes, Bilal Ali Alrubaye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni is a prevalent infectious enteritis mainly foodborne from chickens. Despite of reducing C. jejuni food contamination dramatically decreases campylobacteriosis, few effective approaches are available for the bacterial reduction in chickens. The aim of this study was to use microbial metabolic product deoxycholic acid (DCA) to reduce C. jejuni chicken colonization. Broiler chicks were fed 0 or 1.5 g/kg DCA, lithocholic acid (LCA), or urodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in diets or orally gavaged with cholic acid (CA, 1.5g/kg body weight). Birds were also transplanted with DCA modulated anaerobes (DCA-Anearo) or aerobes (DCA-Aero). Birds were infected with 109 CFU/bird human clinical …

Aqueous Ozone Inactivation Of Viruses And Bacteria On Biotic And Abiotic Surfaces, Cailin Dawley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Produce is susceptible to contamination by foodborne pathogens. Food service establishments utilize sanitizing agents to reduce microbes on produce surfaces. The research objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of aqueous ozone 1) on the inactivation of viruses and bacteria on produce; 2) on the inactivation of viruses on stainless steel; and 3) against viruses in association with bacteria on produce surfaces. For objective 1, Boston bibb lettuce and cherry tomatoes were spot inoculated with a cocktail of viruses (murine norovirus (MNV) and MS2 bacteriophage) or bacteria (Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus cereus) and washed for 40 min with samples taken every …

Risky Business: Millennials’ Protection Motivation Factors For Norovirus Outbreaks On College Campuses, Dylan Conrad Martinez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The risk and severity of hNoV transmission is obscurely recognized to foodservice millennial customers. Most commonly associated with cruise ships, consumers are not aware of its full potential to strike at other locations, especially college campuses. For the foodservice industry and the university community, it is imperative that a proactive method for increasing millennials’ motivation to practice mitigation methods emerges to reduce future hNoV outbreaks on college campuses. Research has shown that students can play a major role in the spread of hNoV on college campuses. Therefore, the purpose of these studies is to examine motivations for health protective behaviors …

Responsiveness Of Cobb Mv × 700 Broilers To Dietary Amino Acid And Energy Density, Craig William Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As new broiler crosses are introduced to the industry, it is of paramount importance to understand their nutritional digressions from previous and other modern broilers. In particular, amino acids (AA) and dietary energy have been identified as key drivers of live performance and carcass composition. In addition, increased nutrient density in broiler diets have been linked to an increase in breast muscle myopathies such as white striping and woody breast. Therefore, a series of trials were conducted to determine the responsiveness of live performance, carcass characteristics, and breast muscle myopathies of Cobb MV × 700 broilers to dietary AA and …

Fall Migration And Winter Habitat Use Of Northern Saw-Whet Owls (Aegolius Acadicus) In The Ozark Highlands, Mitchell L. Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studying movement ecology is important not only in understanding the distribution of a species, but in understanding the magnitude of migration through certain regions, as well as explaining regional differences in demographics. The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a small, migratory forest owl found throughout much of North America. Despite being captured widely during fall migration, the species’ movement ecology is poorly understood. Exploratory studies outside the saw-whet owl’s normal range have successfully captured the species during fall migration. In the Ozark Highlands ecoregion of the central United States, their status has been considered vagrant during fall and winter. …

Effect Of Macrograzers (Campostoma Spp. And Faxonius Spp.) On Periphyton In Ozark Streams With Considerations Given To Macrograzer Biomass, Phosphorus, And Season: Mensurative And Manipulative Studies, Kayla R. Sayre

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient and benthic algal biomass relationships can guide numeric nutrient criteria development in lotic systems. However, herbivorous macrograzers may confound this relationship by reducing the slope of the positive relationship between nutrients and periphyton biomass in streams. I conducted a mensurative field study to determine if stoneroller and crayfish abundance related to algal biomass at varying nutrient concentrations and manipulated macrograzer presence with electrical exclosures in streams to examine macrograzer effects on algal biomass and understand whether these effects on periphyton varied with total phosphorus (TP) or season. Macrograzer density was quantified across a TP gradient (n=15 streams; range = …

Effect Of Cooking Method On Meat Texture In Normal And Woody Broiler Breast Fillets Using Instrumental Analysis And Descriptive Sensory Analysis, Lynda D. Combs

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, broiler breast meat has changed in terms of meat quality. Meat quality has deteriorated with the rise in the occurrence of muscle myopathies. Conditions such as woody breast, which is described as pale and bulging areas of distinct hardness, compromise both the textural and technological traits that have been associated with breast meat. The Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear (MORS) method is a common method for indirectly assessing poultry meat tenderness. A blunt version of the MORS (BMORS) has been shown to be a more sensitive method at higher degrees of toughness. A slightly larger stainless steel …

Where Are All Of Arkansas' Chinquapins? An Ecological Assessment Of Castanea Throughout The State, Logan Pierce Estes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Around the turn of the twentieth-century, the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) was accidentally introduced into North America. This strong pathogen, which specializes on trees of the genus Castanea, spread rapidly and within half a century had nearly extirpated North America’s Castanea natives from their ranges. During this catastrophe, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) garnered much of the scientific attention, pushing the other Castanea natives – the chinquapins – to the wayside. More than a century following the spread of the blight, little research into the ecology of North America’s chinquapins had been performed, leaving these trees significantly underrepresented. The …

The Evaluation Of Genetic And Phenotypic Differences Associated With Short Term Selection Of Four Different Feed Efficiency Strategies In Japanese Quail, Alex David Gilley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of feed efficiency (FE), one unit of feed required to improve one unit of desired output, is relatively simple. However multiple outputs are desired in a commercial poultry breeding program, resulting in the need for nutrients to be partitioned in a particular manner. At the broadest level, nutrients are partitioned between production and maintenance requirements. The requirements for production and maintenance varies between birds. It is the poultry breeder’s responsibility to select individuals most aligned with the breeding objective. Irrespective of the breeding objective, various related and non-related traits influence a bird’s FE. To effectively improve FE, the …

Assessment Of Soil Properties And Vegetation In A Mounded Native Tallgrass Prairie With An Aquic And Udic Soil Moisture Regime In The Ozark Highlands Region Of Northwest Arkansas, Tyler Joseph Durre

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Native tallgrass prairies were once considered to be the dominant pre-settlement vegetation type in the eastern third of the Great Plains, but are now designated as America’s most endangered ecosystem due to conversion to agricultural land. Prairie mounds are unique soil features still present in remnant native tallgrass prairies across the United States. The main objective was to determine the effects of soil moisture regime (i.e., aquic and udic), mound position, (i.e., mound summit, backslope, toeslope, inter-mound), soil depth (i.e., 10-cm intervals from 0 to 90 cm), and their interactions on soil physical, chemical, and hydraulic properties in a mounded …

Margaret White Springs Recharge Study, Buffalo National River, North-Central Arkansas, Usa, Ashlon Elizabeth Leonard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Margaret White Springs (MWS) is one of the largest springs in the middle section of the Buffalo National River (BNR) and contributes several tens of cubic feet per second of flow to river discharge on average, yet the source of the water has not been fully studied or documented. The spring is located approximately 4 miles downstream from Robertson Hole, a losing reach of the river. At Robertson Hole the river loses a significant amount of flow to groundwater, which during the dry season (summer) can be as much as 100%. Flow in the main channel is re-established at MWS; …

Carbon Sequestration In Grassland Soils Across Arkansas, Marya Jean Mckee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The capture, conversion, and long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) as soil organic carbon (SOC), a process known as soil C sequestration, is a possible solution to the current and ever-increasing threat of rising greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Tallgrass prairies, which once historically covered the country, are known to accumulate and sequester large amounts of C from the atmosphere deep within the soil, due to their extensive rooting systems. The purpose of this research was to increase understanding of soil C sequestration dynamics and general functioning in disappearing native grassland ecosystems within Arkansas, as well as the …

Optimizing Methods To Determine Metabolizable Energy Values Of Feed Ingredients For Broilers, Skyler P. West

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determination of metabolizable energy (ME) and amino acid (AA) digestibility values of single feed indigents continues to be two of the most important aspects for successful least-cost poultry feed formulation. It would be advantageous if a common diet type could be utilized to determine both ME and AA digestibility values of feed ingredients within a single assay. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of basal diet type and excreta collection method on the ME value of single feed ingredients determined in broiler chicks using the regression method. In experiment 1, the objective was to investigate the influence of …

Classifying Interdependencies In The Food And Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Sector, John Doerpinghaus

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work classifies examples of infrastructure interdependencies found in the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector. Interdependencies are identified through an examination of rice and poultry agriculture throughout the state of Arkansas. The subtleties of interdependence examples in the food and agriculture sector are inadequately captured by the well-studied interdependence classification taxonomies. Through 39 interviews, we develop an understanding of the subtle temporal, geographic, and productivity scales of interdependence in over 100 examples and present five new, distinct classifications of interdependence: (1) dynamic physical, (2) dynamic geographic, (3) deadline, (4) delay, and (5) human, economic, and natural resource interdependencies. An …

The Effects Of Habitual Protein Consumption On Vasodilation In Young Adults, Natalie O'Neal, Jordan Rezac

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Blood pressure is a critical indicator for a number of health risks and conditions, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure, and stroke. Decreasing blood pressure occurs by vasodilation (relaxation) of blood vessels. The consumption of high amounts of protein is hypothesized to have a correlation with the vasodilation of vessels, thus creating a decrease in blood pressure. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to relate blood vessel diameter to habitual protein consumption. Our findings have the power to make individuals more aware of the effect their habitual protein intake can have on cardiovascular health. Methods: This …