Digital Commons Network^™

Rna Sequencing In The Development Of Cancer-Cachexia, Thomas Allen Blackwell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Cancer is a major public health problem in the U.S. and the world. In 2013 there were an estimated 1,660,290 new cases of cancer in the U.S. Cancer-Cachexia (CC) is a common effect of many cancers, and is directly responsible for 20-40% of cancer-related deaths. The mechanisms that control the development of CC are not well understood. Most investigations of CC focus on the post-cachectic state and do not examine the progression of the condition. The purpose of this study was to utilize RNA sequencing to analyze transcriptomic alterations throughout the progression of CC. Methods: Lewis Lung Carcinoma cells …

Experiment-Based Quantitative Modeling For The Antibacterial Activity Of Silver Nanoparticles, Mohammad Aminul Haque

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silver (Ag) has been well known for its antimicrobial activity for a long time. Recent research showed the potential of Ag nanoparticles as emerging antimicrobial agents. However, little quantitative analysis has been performed so far to decipher the mechanism of interaction between nanoparticles and bacteria. Here, a detailed analysis based on kinetic growth assay and colony forming unit assay has been carried out to study the antimicrobial effect of Ag nanoparticles against Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. It was observed that the presence of Ag nanoparticles increased the lag time of bacterial growth while not affecting the maximum growth rate …

Interactive Effects Of Flow Regime, Climate Change, And Angler Harvest On Smallmouth Bass At The Southern Range Extent, Christopher Middaugh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Ozark-Ouachita Interior Highlands of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri are the southern extent of native Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu range. Smallmouth Bass are an important species economically and ecologically, but it is unknown how climate change may affect them in this region and in particular how Smallmouth Bass may be affected differently across streams from various flow regimes. Here I present three projects investigating how climate change, flow regime, and angler harvest may interact to affect Smallmouth Bass over the coming century. I first modeled present and future water temperatures and calculated growth rate potential for Smallmouth Bass from streams …

Growth And Survivability Of Microorganisms At Martian Temperatures And Pressures, Rebecca Lynne Mickol

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The discovery of methane in the martian atmosphere via numerous ground- and space-based sources has prompted the study of methanogens as models for life on Mars. Methanogens are microorganisms within the domain Archaea, many of which utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen to produce methane. The non-photosynthetic nature of methanogens indicates that they could exist in sub-surface environments, protected from harmful UV and ionizing radiation on the surface of Mars. These organisms also do not require organics, which are sparse on the planet.

Additionally, the wide variety of environments we find life in on Earth, as well as evidence for …

Instrumental Aspects Of Oxygen Sensing: Quantitation And Recalibration Of A Biofouled Oxygen Sensor, Marlena Patrick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In vivo oxygen sensing is a critical area of research for medical applications, such as ischemic stroke, but this important topic is not fully understood or resolved. In addition, the best method for calibration of in vivo sensors is as yet undetermined. For all implantable devices, biofouling, the adsorption of biological material to the device surface, is another significant problem with no clear or well-defined solution. One method employed is to apply a protective polymer membrane to the sensor surface in order to minimize the adsorption of biological material. The work described here investigates two polymers applied to a gold …

Characterization Of The Thermal Environment During Transport Of Commercial Broiler Chickens, Douglas J. Aldridge

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transport of commercial broiler chickens from the farm to the processing plant is perceived to compromise welfare under some circumstances. Research has been conducted using European standard equipment to characterize the environment experienced by poultry during broiler transport. In contrast no studies have been reported on the environment experienced by broilers under United States standard industry practices during transport. Moreover, microenvironment temperatures within industry trailers have not been reported.

The present study characterized the thermal micro-environment experienced by broiler chickens during transport across different seasons. The temperatures were influenced by temperature mitigation practices (plastic wrap, double side board, single side …

Effects Of Northern Bobwhite Management On Raccoon Abundance, Habitat Selection, And Home Range In Southwest Missouri, Jacob Cody Mcclain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Habitat management has become vital for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) conservation. In Missouri, efforts to conserve remaining populations on public lands have included the use of two management models. The Intensive Management Model (IMM) promotes hard edges, by creating a juxtaposition of different habitat types, while the Extensive Management Model (EMM) maintains a grassland-dominated landscape through the processes of fire and grazing. Preliminary results suggest that bobwhite success is significantly higher on EMM sites than IMM sites. Management efforts through IMM may be hindered by unintentionally managing for nest predators like raccoons (Procyon lotor). Nest predators may forage more often …

Supplemental Trace Minerals (Zn, Cu, And Mn) As Sulfates Or Hydroxy Trace Mineral Sources For Beef Heifers, Randy Hunter Burnett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Crossbred heifers (n = 286, 255 ± 4.5 kg initial BW, 295 ± 16.5 d of age) were used over a 2-yr period to determine the effects of mineral source on beef heifer development at 2 locations (n = 71 and n = 72, Fayetteville, blocks 1 and 4; n = 72 in each of 2 breeding groups, Batesville, blocks 2 and 3). Heifers were stratified based on initial BW, age, health, prior research projects, and sire, and then assigned to 6 groups of 12 heifers, that were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 trace mineral treatments. The 2 treatments …

A Comparative Analysis Of Feed And Environmental Factors On Broiler Growth In The United States, Alexandra Gulli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broiler production in the United States has become an important industry within the last half century. As the demand for poultry continues to increase and the concern of climate change also increases, it will become an important part of the industry to become more sustainable. This study uses a feed optimization model, a broiler growth model, and a life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine how feed ingredients and the barn environment can affect the broiler’s growth and production emissions. A multi-criteria ration optimization model is used to produce feeds based on carbon footprint and cost. A growth model is used …

Using Stable Isotope Geochemistry To Determine Changing Paleohydrology And Diagenetic Alteration In The Late Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation, Ut Usa, Daigo Yamamura

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Western Interior Basin of the North America preserves one of the best sedimentary and paleontological records of the Cretaceous in the world. The Upper Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation is a rapidly deposited fluvial sequence and preserves one of the most complete terrestrial fossil record of the North America. Such a unique deposit provides an opportunity to investigate the interaction between the physical environment and ecology. In an effort to decipher such interaction, stable isotope composition of cements in sedimentary rocks, concretions and vertebrate fossils were analyzed.

Despite the difference in facies and sedimentary architecture, the isotope composition does not change …

Improvement In Simple Artificial Insemination In Sheep Using Chilled Extended Semen And Consideration Of Fertility In Ewes, Mohan Acharya

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three studies were conducted to improve simple artificial insemination in sheep using chilled extended semen and evaluate methods to predict fertility in ewes. The first study evaluated the effect of semen extenders and storage temperature on motility parameters of ram semen stored for up to 72 h. Single semen collected from each ram was divided into four parts and extended using four extenders: milk, TRIS, TEST, and CJ-2, diluted to 600 million sperm/ml and loaded into 0.25 ml straws for storage at 4 and 15° C. Most of the CASA motility parameters were higher after extension and storage at 4 …

Genome Wide Association And Next Generation Sequencing Approaches To Map Determinants Of Ascites In Broiler Chickens, Shatovisha Dey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

These studies have investigated different candidate genomic regions for their contributions to ascites in broilers. Ascites syndrome is a manifestation of idiopathic pulmonary arteriole hypertension that concerns the poultry industry worldwide. Investigations have demonstrated the disease to be genetically regulated and to exhibit moderate to high heritabilities. Although previous studies have indicated a few chromosomes to be involved with ascites, no genes have been identified to date with direct links to the disease. This dissertation presents a collection of studies that determine the genomic and genetic interactions for regions on chromosome 2 and 9 for ascites phenotypes in broiler chickens. …

Marksburg: The Evolution Of Administration, Trade And Economics From 12-15th Centuries, A.D., Claire E. Beach

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Between the fifth and eighth centuries AD, central Europe experienced large amounts of migration. Known as the Völkerwanderung, an estimated 750,000 people moved in bands of 10,000-20,0002 across Europe. As these bands moved across Europe, many established settlements on tribal or village systems. These new peoples created a hierarchy, setting themselves above those they defeated. Despite being socially marginalized, the original peoples remained technically free and retained full rights to their lands under the allodium system. The word allod is of Frankish origin and indicates property inherited along family lines. The right to allodial lands could not be revoked by …

Evaluating The Impact Of An All-Vegetable Protein Supplement Containing Fat Emulsifiers And Probiotics On Broiler Performance, Jordan Weil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, several niche markets, such as organic and “all natural”, are marketed within the poultry industry. However, little research has been undertaken to determine the cost-effectiveness of poultry diets used to produce chicken within these markets. Specifically, the economics and resulting profits associated with raising chicken with antibiotic-free, all-vegetable (AV) diets are not evaluated. As national chain restaurants such as Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread begin to mandate poultry suppliers raise chicken without antibiotics and use AV diets, it becomes increasingly important to evaluate the economics for integrators. Given the rapidly changing feeding strategies necessary to respond to consumers’ and wholesalers’ …

Intravenous Administration Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles In The Chicken Model, Huong Thi Ngoc Le

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To be used in health care, the safety and effectiveness of nanoparticles needs to be tested in a living organism. The objective of this project was to develop the chicken as a convenient animal model to examine tissue targeting of intravenously (i.v.)-injected iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles. In Experiment 1, different doses of IO-COOH were i.v. injected into chickens; blood was collected at 0, 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes post-injection; liver, spleen, lung, and kidney were collected after the last blood collection. For Experiment 2, IO-COOH and IO-PEG were i.v. injected into chickens; blood and the organs were collected at …

Animal Science E-Newsletter, August 2017, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of Animal Sciences

Animal Science e-Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Creating Sustainable Supply Chains: Influencing Sustainable Practices In The Supply Chain, Saif Mir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations worldwide are reporting their commitment to create sustainable supply chains. Ultimately, supply chain professionals are the drivers of change within their respective organizations, so this dissertation examines the role of communication as a tool to persuade supply chain professionals to create sustainable supply chains. The three studies within this dissertation employ different methodologies to examine the role of communication in the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives. The first study, a grounded theory investigation, highlights the network, communication, and structural factors that provide a strong business case for the development of sustainability initiatives. A strong business case influences the …

Simulation Modeling Approach For Evaluating A Solution Designed To Alleviate The Congestion Of Passenger Flow At The Composure Area Of Security Checkpoints, Maria Luisa Janer Rubio

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a previous study, we found that replacing the exit roller of a security checkpoint lane for a continuously circulating conveyor could potentially increase the throughput of passengers by over 28% while maintaining the TSA security-waiting time limit (Janer and Rossetti 2016). This study intends to expand this previous effort by investigating the impact of this circulating conveyor on the secondary screening related processes. Leone and Liu (2011) found that imposing a limit on the x-ray screening time, and diverting any item exceeding this limit to secondary screening, could decrease the waiting time by 43%. Our objective is to verify …

The Structural And Functional Properties Of A Double Mutant Of Human Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (Hfgf-1), Arwa Mohammed Alghanmi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF-1), a member of the FGF superfamily, is a potent mitogen and heparin-binding protein involved in a broad spectrum of biological processes, including angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and wound healing. Design of hFGF-1 with an increased thermal stability and an enhanced cell proliferation activity is highly desired for wound healing applications. Herein, we have designed the variant of FGF-1 by substituting two important amino residues in the heparin-binding pocket. The variant was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and was successfully purified to homogeneity using an affinity chromatographic procedure. Far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis showed that the …

A Laboratory-Scale Study On The Production Of High-Value Products From Broiler Litter Involving Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion And Mushroom Cultivation, Joe Barrett Carter Iii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a need to investigate alternate uses and treatments of broiler litter that lessen environmental impacts and decrease costs associated with its disposal. Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which organic material is converted to a renewable fuel source. However, the substrate for anaerobic digestion often requires some form or pretreatment. Certain types of fungus have been investigated as a pretreatment for anaerobic digestion, one of which is Pleurotis ostreatus or the oyster mushroom, which also produces an edible fruiting body. Thus, this study was performed to investigate the use of broiler litter for oyster mushroom cultivation and …

The Effect Of Blinded Hydration State On Thermoregulation And Performance In Male Cyclists, Jon David Adams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of these studies was to observe the effect of dehydration on exercise performance while subjects were blinded to their hydration status. Methods: Study 1: Seven male cyclists (weight: 71±8 kg, body fat: 14±6%, VO2peak: 59.4±6 ml∙kg-1·min-1) exercised for 2 hours on a cycle ergometer at 55% VO2peak, in a hot-dry environment (35°C, 30% rh), with a nasogastric (NG) tube under euhydrated (EUH-NT) and hypohydrated (DEH-NT) conditions. In both trials, thirst was matched by drinking 25 mL every 5 min. In the EUH-NT trial sweat losses were fully replaced via the NG tube. Following the 2 hours of …

Civic Tenderness: Love's Role In Achieving Justice, Justin Leonard Clardy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Martha Nussbaum’s work Political Emotions: Why Love Matters for Justice identifies the role that compassion plays in motivating citizens in a just society. I expand on this discussion by considering how attitudes of indifference pose a challenge to the extension of compassion in our society. If we are indifferent to others who are in situations of need, we are not equipped to experience compassion for them. Building on Nussbaum’s account, I develop an analytic framework for the public emotion of Civic Tenderness to combat indifference.

Civic tenderness is an orientation of concern that is generated for people and groups that …

Structural Characterization Of Bacterial Collagenases, Ryan Bauer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clostridium histolyticum secretes collagenases ColG and ColH to cause extensive tissue destruction during myonecrosis. The collagenases are multi-domain enzymes consisting of a N-terminal collagenase module, s1, polycystic kidney disease (PKD)-like domains (s2 in ColG; s2a and s2b in ColH) and collagen-binding domains (CBD) (s3a and s3b in ColG; s3 in ColH). The individual CBD and PKD-like domains chelate calcium to modulate stability and domain rearrangement. Though used by bacteria to break down collagen in the extracellular matrix during infection, therapeutic use of the enzyme to break down excess connective tissue has been approved by the FDA. Meanwhile, the use of …

Effects Of Chemical And Enzymatic Modifications On Starch And Naringenin Complexation, Ana Isabel Gonzalez Conde

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Naringenin is a flavanone naturally present in grapefruit and tomato skin, which has been demonstrated to have health benefits. However, because of the low water solubility and bioavailability, naringenin applications are limited. Starch inclusion complexes have been shown to improve the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water soluble bioactive compounds. The present study aimed to prepare and characterize complexes of naringenin with starches, including potato starch and high amylose corn starch (Hylon VII), which were chemically (acetylation or hydroxypropylation) and enzymatically modified (debranched or debrahced/β-amylase treated). Soluble and insoluble complexes were recovered, and their physicochemical properties were characterized. The treatments …

Characterization Of Nanoparticles Using Solid State Nanopores, Santoshi Nandivada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Solid state nanopores are widely used in detection of highly charged biomolecules like DNA and proteins. In this study, we use a solid state nanopore based device to characterize spherical nanoparticles to estimate their size and electrical charge using the principle of resistive pulse technique. The principle of resistive pulse technique is the method of counting and sizing particles suspended in a fluid medium, which are electrophoretically driven through a channel and produce current blockage signals due to giving rise to a change in its initial current. This change in current is denoted as a current blockage or as a …

Effects Of Filtration Conditions On Clearance Of Bacteriophage, Rigen Te

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virus Clearance is one of the major challenges in biopharmaceutical industry, especially in the manufacturing of drugs. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends using several model bacteriophages as surrogates of pathogenic mammalian virus for process validation. In this work, two bacteriophages were tested against 30 kDa, 100 kDa, 300 kDa polyethersulfone (PES) membranes to investigate the effects of pore size on virus clearance. Virus particles were spiked into the protein feed solutions containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) or lysozyme at different concentrations. Besides protein concentration, the effects of feed pH on the filtration performance and virus rejection were also …

The University Of Arkansas Institutional Digital Repository Annual Progress Report, July 2017, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries

Institutional Digital Repository Annual Progress Report

Scholarworks@uark : Digital repository at the University of Arkansas.

Introduction To Signal Timing & Traffic Control, Sarah V. Hernandez, Mariah Crew, Karla Diaz-Corro, Taslima Akter

Civil Engineering Teaching and Learning

The purpose of these lesson plans is to introduce students to traffic signalization basics. Students will be lead through a series of mini-lectures on traffic control and signalization including a discussion on the limitations and benefits of traffic signalization. The lesson plans compliment a computer simulation “game” in which students act as manual operators for a single up to four by four gridded intersection. Students attempt to control the progression of signals to understand the relationship between signal timing and user delay. Through experimentation with the simulation, students generate a presentation discussing the benefits and drawbacks of signal timing and …

Animal Science E-Newsletter, July 2017, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of Animal Sciences

Animal Science e-Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Annual Financial Report Supporting Schedules, 2016-2017, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Annual Financial Report

No abstract provided.