Digital Commons Network^™

Us Public Opinion About The Safety Of Gene Editing In The Agriculture And Medical Fields And The Amount Of Evidence Needed To Improve Opinions, Brandon R. Mcfadden, Joy N. Rumble, Kathryn A. Stofer, Kevin M. Folta

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Implementation of gene editing in agriculture and medicine hinges on public acceptance. The objectives of this study were to explore U.S. public opinion about gene editing in agricultural and medical fields and to provide more insight into the relationship between opinions about the safety of gene editing and the potential impact of evidence to improve opinions about safety.

Methods: Data were from two samples of U.S. respondents: 1,442 respondents in 2021 and 3,125 respondents in 2022. Survey respondents provided their opinions about the safety of gene editing in the agricultural and medical fields and answered questions about the number …

Vaccine Immunogenicity Versus Gastrointestinal Microbiome Status: Implications For Poultry Production, Chrysta N. Beck, Jiangchao Zhao, Gisela F. Erf

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

At the turn of the 21st century, the importance of maintaining a balanced microbiome was brought to the forefront of the microbiology, immunology, and physiology research fields. Exploring the complex interactions between vaccine administration, mucosal microbiome, oral tolerance, and enteric inflammation in health and disease is challenging since environmental factors (such as diet and sanitation) have major influences on gut microbiota composition. High enteric pathogen load has been shown to contribute to dampened cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to vaccines in human case studies, either through elevated enteric inflammation or increased tolerance to environmental microbes. Although antibiotic and probiotic interventions …

Accelerating Neurotechnology Development Using An Agile Methodology, Anil Kumar Thota, Ranu Jung

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Novel bioelectronic medical devices that target neural control of visceral organs (e.g., liver, gut, spleen) or inflammatory reflex pathways are innovative class III medical devices like implantable cardiac pacemakers that are lifesaving and life-sustaining medical devices. Bringing innovative neurotechnologies early into the market and the hands of treatment providers would benefit a large population of patients inflicted with autonomic and chronic immune disorders. Medical device manufacturers and software developers widely use the Waterfall methodology to implement design controls through verification and validation. In the Waterfall methodology, after identifying user needs, a functional unit is fabricated following the verification loop (design, …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In The Giant Panda Gut, Feilong Deng, Yanhua Han, Yushan Huang, Desheng Li, Jianmin Chai, Linhua Deng, Ming Wei, Kai Wu, Huabin Zhao, Guan Yang, Jiangchao Zhao, Ying Li, Chengdong Wang

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, we have successfully constructed a comprehensive database of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) pertaining to the gut microbiota of the giant panda. Through our analysis, we have identified significant reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), namely Escherichia coli, Citrobacter portucalensis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Furthermore, we have elucidated the primary contributors to ARGs, including Streptococcus alactolyticus and Clostridium SGBP116, in both captive and wild pandas. Additionally, our findings have demonstrated a higher prevalence of ARGs in the metagenome, with notable expression of the RPOB2 gene in S. alactolyticus. Crucially, 1217 ARGs shared homology with human gut …

Clostridium Butyricum And Carbohydrate Active Enzymes Contribute To The Reduced Fat Deposition In Pigs, Lingyan Ma, Shiyu Tao, Tongxing Song, Wentao Lyu, Ying Li, Wen Wang, Qicheng Shen, Yan Ni, Jiang Zhu, Jiangchao Zhao, Hua Yang, Yingping Xiao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pig gastrointestinal tracts harbor a heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystem populated with trillions of microbes, enhancing the ability of the host to harvest energy from dietary carbohydrates and contributing to host adipogenesis and fatness. However, the microbial community structure and related mechanisms responsible for the differences between the fatty phenotypes and the lean phenotypes of the pigs remained to be comprehensively elucidated. Herein, we first found significant differences in microbial composition and potential functional capacity among different gut locations in Jinhua pigs with distinct fatness phenotypes. Second, we identified that Jinhua pigs with lower fatness exhibited higher levels of short-chain fatty …

Mucosal Adjuvants And Delivery Systems, Billy M. Hargis, Neil R. Pumford, Marion Morgan, Srichaitanya Shivaramaiah, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Amanda Wolfenden

Patents Granted

Adjuvants comprising chitosan cross-linked with an aldehyde or mannosylated chitosan are provided herein. Methods of making the adjuvants and methods of combining or linking the adjuvants with antigens are also provided. The adjuvant-antigen combinations can be used in vaccine formulations and the vaccine formulations can be used in methods to vaccinate animals against the source of the antigen or to enhance the immune response in a subject.

Mo-Doped Titanate Nanofibers From Hydrothermal Syntheses For Improving Bone Scaffold, Yang Tian

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A longstanding interest in bone tissue engineering is the development of new bio- scaffolds that can be manufactured on a large scale with high throughput at low cost. Here, we report a low-cost and systematically optimized hydrothermal synthesis for producing Mo- doped potassium titanate nanofibers with high structural purity. This new nanosynthesis is based on bone tissue growth on an undoped titanate nanowires-entangled scaffold, as previously reported by our team. The morphological and structural characterization data suggest that the crystal structure of Mo-doped titanate nanofibers closely resembles that of the undoped ones. This resemblance is potentially valuable for assessing the …

Turtle Species And Ecology Drive Carapace Microbiome Diversity In Three Seasonally Interconnected Wetland Habitats, Matthew Parks, Jun Sheng Lee, Kassandra Camua, Ethan Hollender

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Different species of freshwater turtles exhibit primary behaviours ranging from aerial basking to benthic bottom-walking, cycle between wet and dry conditions at different time intervals, and undertake short-distance overland movements between aquatic habitats. These behaviours in turn may impact the accumulation of microbes on external shell surfaces of turtles and provide novel niches for differentiation of microbial communities. We assessed microbial diversity using 16S and 18S rRNA metabarcoding on carapace surfaces of six species of freshwater turtles residing in three adjacent and seasonally interconnected wetland habitats in southeast Oklahoma (United States). Communities were highly diverse, with nearly 4200 prokaryotic and …

Faculty Handbook, 2023-2024, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.

Graduate Catalog Of Studies, 2023-2024, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Graduate School Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Monitoring Animal Feeding Operations Using Satellite Image Analysis (2024), Barira Rashid

Three-Minute Thesis Research Posters

Monitoring Animal Feeding Operations Using Satellite Image Analysis

The 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) is a research communication competition that challenges students to communicate the significance of their projects without the use of props or industry jargon in just three minutes. The winner of the 3MT competition moves on to the Council of Southern Graduate School’s Regional Conference in March 2025.

Undergraduate Catalog Of Studies, 2023-2024, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Undergraduate Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Annual Report, 2023-2024, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. School Of Continuing Education And Academic Outreach

School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach - Global Campus Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Annual Report Of The Wally Cordes Teaching And Faculty Support Center For The Year Ended…2024, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Wally Cordes Teaching And Faculty Support Center

Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Inquiry: The Unversity Of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal - Volume 23 Issue 2 - Fall 2024, Inquiry Editors

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Deciphering The Double-Edged Action Of Sting Pathway In Cancer, Neelabh Datta

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Cancer cells have unstable chromosomes and damaged DNA, which can activate the cellular alarm system cGAS-STING. This mechanism detects DNA in the incorrect location (the cytosol) and produces type I interferons, which can recruit immune cells to combat cancer. However, certain tumours can bypass or use this mechanism for their own benefit. This short article examines how cGAS-STING influences the different cells of the tumour microenvironment (TME), and how it can have both anti-tumour and pro-tumour effects. It also demonstrates how additional STING signals can cause inflammation and contribute to cancer growth. To employ cGAS-STING against cancer, it is critical …

Office Of Nationally Competitive Awards, Inquiry Editors

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Army Rotc Annual Program Report, 2023-2024, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Army Rotc

Army ROTC Annual Program Report

No abstract provided.

Faculty Highlights, Inquiry Editors

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Probable Extirpation Of The Jackrabbit (Lepus Californicus) From Arkansas, D.B. Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) was first documented in Arkansas during the modern era in Franklin County in 1927. Over the next few decades records were reported from multiple counties in northwest Arkansas and the species was locally common in Benton, Crawford, and Washington counties in the 1950s. The last Arkansas record documented in the scientific literature was from 1968 and since then there have only been three credible reports, with the last being from the late 1980s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission solicited reports of jackrabbits from the public and failed to find evidence of them from a …

History And Distribution Of The Wood Stork (Mycteria Americana) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, L. Serviss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) were thought to be common visitors to Arkansas in the early 1900s, but observations declined mid-century. Surveys of citizen science data and other online sources indicate that numbers of unique observations and total counts of birds have increased since 2000. Storks do not breed here, but have been reported in 34 of 75 counties, and appear mostly in August and September. Birds apparently originate from Mexico. Number of observations have increased since 2016, but many of those observations include only a few birds rather than larger flocks.

An Annotated Checklist Of The Camel Crickets (Insecta: Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) Of Arkansas, H.W. Robison, C.T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A total of 14 native species of camel crickets and one introduced taxon representing three genera (Ceuthophilus, Phrixocnemis, and Diestrammena) of the orthopteran family Rhaphidophoridae, are herein reported from Arkansas. The most diverse genus was Ceuthophilus, with 13 native species, while Phrixocnemis had one native species, and Diestrammena, formerly Tachycines, was represented by one introduced species. This updated checklist is intended to be of use to entomologists, naturalists, professional biologists, and resource managers in evaluating the biodiversity of Arkansas. State distributional maps are provided for each species listed by county, and habitats are discussed in which each species was taken …

Fish Leeches Of Arkansas, D.J. Richardson, W.E. Moser, C.T. Mcallister, S.P. Lawson, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Recent collection within Arkansas greatly enlarges the knowledge concerning hosts and distributions of fish leeches within the state. The natural history of the 6 species of fish leeches known from Arkansas (Placobdella montifera, Placobdella pediculata, Cystobranchus klemmi, Cystobranchus verrilli, Myzobdella lugubris, and Myzobdella reducta) is reviewed and updated and molecular data are provided.

Stream Restoration Effectiveness In Mullins Creek In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Amadeo Scott, Shannon Speir

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Lotic waterways are vital for habitat, food, water, and flood protection, but urbanization poses a major threat to their integrity. Runoff from urban surfaces leads to pollution, flashiness, loss of biodiversity, and other symptoms, also known as Urban Stream Syndrome (USS). Streams can be restored in order to combat USS, but most restorations are not monitored, so their long-term effectiveness is unknown. This study quantitatively evaluated a decade-old stream restoration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to assess its effectiveness in combating USS and achieving set restoration goals, and to gain insights for future restoration projects. Restoration goals included decreasing erosion and sedimentation, …

Evaluating Efficiency And Accuracy Of Three Texture Analysis Methods For Blackberry Fruit, Rhys M. Brock, Carmen Johns, Katelyn Lust-Moore, Margaret Worthington

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A major objective of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA) Fruit Breeding program is to improve the texture of blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson). Blackberry varieties with improved fruit firmness transport and store well and may maintain superior quality under challenging postharvest conditions than softer varieties. Increased firmness may also make cultivars less susceptible to red drupelet reversion (RDR), a postharvest disorder of blackberries in which fully black drupelets revert to red after harvest. This research project aims to assess the efficiency and accuracy of three methods applied in evaluating blackberry firmness. The study compares instrumental analysis …

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Austin Jones, Ashley Dowling, Baylie Day

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Pleated Plasma Membrane Complex In Spermatids Of The Western Siren, Siren Nettingi (Caudata: Sirenidae), S.E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I investigated the pleated plasma membrane complex of linear folds and biflagellar entities in developing spermatids of the Western Siren, Siren nettingi. My primary goal was to reveal the ultrastructural morphology of these distinctive cellular folds (usually 8 in number) as they support the flagellar formation of biflagellated sperm found in this salamander and in other members in the family Sirenidae. My results reveal that the biflagellar components (2 sets of axonemes, undulating membranes, and axial fibers), termed biflagellar complex, develop between folds or are attached onto these folds. The folds themselves are transitory and do not directly contribute to …

Does Daily Activity Overlap Of Seven Mesocarnivores Vary Based On Human Development?, Leah E. Mctigue, Ellery V. Lassiter, Mike Shaw, Emily Johansson, Ken Wilson, Brett Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many species of wildlife alter their daily activity patterns in response to co-occurring species as well as the surrounding environment. Often smaller or subordinate species alter their activity patterns to avoid being active at the same time as larger, dominant species to avoid agonistic interactions. Human development can complicate interspecies interactions, as not all wildlife respond to human activity in the same manner. While some species may change the timing of their activity to avoid being active when humans are, others may be unaffected or may benefit from being active at the same time as humans to reduce predation risk …

Motion And Teleportation Of Polar Bubbles In Low-Dimensional Ferroelectrics, S. Prohorenko, Y. Nahas, V. Govinden, Q. Zhang, N. Valanoor, L. Bellaiche

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electric bubbles are sub-10nm spherical vortices of electric dipoles that can spontaneously form in ultra-thin ferroelectrics. While the static properties of electric bubbles are well established, little to nothing is known about the dynamics of these particle-like structures. Here, we reveal pathways to realizing both the spontaneous and controlled dynamics of electric bubbles in ultra-thin Pb(Zr_0.4Ti_0.6)O₃ films. In low screening conditions, we find that electric bubbles exhibit thermally-driven chaotic motion giving rise to a liquid-like state. In the high screening regime, we show that bubbles remain static but can be continuously displaced by a local …

A Simple, Inexpensive Alkaline Method For Bacterial Dna Extraction From Environmental Samples For Pcr Surveillance And Microbiome Analyses, Abdulkarim Shwani, Bin Zuo, Adnan Alrubaye, Jiangchao Zhao, Douglas D. Rhoads

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

DNA extraction for downstream molecular diagnostic applications can be an expensive, time-consuming process. We devised a method to quickly extract total bacterial DNA from environmental samples based on the sodium hydroxide lysis of cells with or without capture by magnetic beads for subsequent PCR or quantitative PCR. The final DNA extraction method using NaOH is extremely low-cost and can be completed in as little as 10 min at room temperature with dilution, or the DNA can be further purified using silica-coated paramagnetic beads. NaOH extraction was effective for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in samples from air, soil, sewage, food, laboratory …