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Analyzing Multigene Stacking And Genome Editing Strategies In Rice, Bhuvan Pathak

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Crop improvement through biotechnology is an integrated effort, incorporating multiple approaches like integration of genes, editing of native genes, and removal of selection marker genes. Before streamlining the protocols, the efficiency and feasibility of the individual approach and their components must be tested. This study evaluated following approaches: 1) stacking an array of genes into a single locus by site-specific integration via Cre-lox recombination in rice, 2) determining the efficiency of I-SceI and the CCR5-ZFN in the targeted excisions of gene fragments in rice and Arabidopsis, and 3) determining the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 in generating targeted mutations for genome editing …

Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Cruciferous And Apiaceous Vegetables In C57bl/6j Mice Colon, Rosa Moreno Narvaez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated chemo-preventive potential of cruciferous and apiaceous vegetables against colon cancer. Colon inflammation is one condition closely related with colon cancer initiation. Therefore, we wanted to compare if total western diet (TWD) was as pro-inflammatory as died-induced obesity (DIO) and a better dietary model for human conditions, and determine if diet supplementation with cruciferous (broccoli, watercress and cabbage) or apiaceous vegetables (celery and parsnip) could reduce dietary inflammation, and which vegetable was more effective.

Male CBL57/6J mice were fed chow for seven days, on day eight, mice were assigned to one of the following diets: American Institute …

The Physicochemical Properties Of Soy Protein Hydrolysate And Its Formulation And Stability With Encapsulated Probiotic, John Stricklin Edwards

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soy protein isolate (SPI) and probiotics can serve as a functional ingredient and beneficial supplement, respectively, to food formulations, but few studies focus on the compatibility of these two ingredients. The objective of this study was to prepare soy protein isolate (SPI) from defatted soybean flour and identify an optimal hydrolysis protocol to create soy protein hydrolysates (SPH) with improved solubility and functional properties and achieve an optimum encapsulation technique for probiotics and to determine the in vitro viability of encapsulated probiotic cells with SPH in a gastrointestinal environment. The SPI was prepared using an alkaline extraction procedure for solubility …

The Effects Of Foot And Udder Scoring On Cow And Calf Performance, Clayton Lee Mcguire

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Foot soundness and udder conformation are essential for longevity in beef cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of foot angle (FA), claw set (CS), teat size (TS) and udder suspension (US) scores on cowherd performance. Data were analyzed for 1,685 observations on Angus-based cows over a four-year period. At weaning FA, CS, TS, and US were evaluated. Scores are based on nine-point scales. A score of one indicates straight pasterns, divergent toes, enlarged bottle shaped teats, and absence of a median suspensory ligament; nine indicates weak pasterns, curled toes, small symmetrical teats, and a tight …

Coccidiosis Vaccination And Nutrient Utilization In Broiler Chickens, Alyson Elaine Gautier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Four experiments were conducted to evaluate the interrelationships among coccidiosis vaccination and nutrient utilization in floor-reared broiler chickens. Experiment 1 longitudinally compared the effects of coccidiosis vaccination and a chemical coccidiostat on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology. Coccidiosis vaccination had no significant impact on morphology, overall body weight gain and feed intake of vaccinated birds, although vaccination impaired overall FCR. Vaccination elicited a transient reduction in digestibility of energy and nutrients, particularly for lipids, but vaccinated birds were able to recover from these reductions by 20 d. Experiment 2 assessed the impact of vaccination in digestibility of different …

Production And Purification Of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Fused To Two Collagen Binding Domains Expressed In E. Coli Bl21 Using Flask And Fed-Batch, Hazim Aljewari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Delivering effective and non-toxic doses of bioactive materials that can aid in activating tissue regeneration to wounded tissue has proven to be an enormous challenge. This study was designed to produce a potential therapeutic recombinant protein by fusing two collagen binding domains to basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF) through a collagenase cleavage site linker, so it can release the bFGF in a wound site by the action of this enzyme. The novel fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL-21 (E. coli) using traditional flask shaker and fed-batch cultivation. Cell lysate was purified by FPLC using Immobilized metal affinity chromatography …

Investigating Growth Performance And Intestinal Barrier Integrity In Heat-Stressed Modern Broilers And Their Ancestor Jungle Fowl, Travis Tabler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress (HS) has a negative effect on poultry production sustainability due to its adverse consequence on bird welfare, health, growth, and mortality. Although modern broilers have greater gut mass and higher energy use efficiency than unselected birds, they are more vulnerable to HS that induces “leaky gut syndrome,” or increased intestinal permeability. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of HS on growth performance and gut barrier integrity in three modern broiler lines and their ancestor the Jungle Fowl. Four chicken populations including Giant Jungle Fowl (JF), Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB), 1995 Arkansas Random …

The Acute Effect Of Water Intake On Glucose Regulation In Low Drinkers, Adam David Seal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous evidence suggests the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) may be a modifiable factor contributing to hyperglycemia. Significant differences in urine concentration and copeptin, a marker for AVP, have been observed between low and high water drinkers. Purpose: The purpose was to investigate the acute effect of adequate water intake on glucose regulation in low drinkers. Methods: 7 healthy (5 males, 2 female) low drinkers were recruited using a water frequency questionnaire (WFQ), spot and 24-h urine sample (age 43±6 y, BMI 30.9±3, WFQ volume 823±403 mL∙d-1, 24 h Uosm 961±105 mmol∙kg-1, copeptin 8.17±3.05 pmol∙L-1). During two experimental protocols, participants remained …

Effects Of 50:50 Proportion Bull:Cow Blend Levels And Incorporation Of Finely Textured Beef On The Color Of Precooked Ground Beef Patties, Colton Allen Althaber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Variation in internal cooked color of ground beef is an economic concern for the ground beef market. Persistent pink color in hamburger patties can lead consumers to the perception of an undercooked product. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the effects of bull:cow blend proportions, with or without finely textured beef (FTB), and cookery method on internal color of precooked ground beef patties. Batches (9.1 kg) of 85% lean ground beef were manufactured with 0, 33, 67, or 100% 50:50 bull:cow blend (remainder of lean was 100, 67, 33, or 0% Select-grade knuckles, respectively) mixed with 2 …

Annual Financial Report, 2018-2019, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Annual Financial Report

No abstract provided.

Animal Science E-Newsletter, September 2019, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of Animal Sciences

Animal Science e-Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Ansc, Fall 2019, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of Animal Sciences

Animal Science Newsletter

"Dedicated to the Alumni and Friends of the Animal Sciences Department, University of Arkansas."

Developing A Social Marketing Plan For Direct To Consumer Agricultural Operations, Madelaine Giebler

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since the 1980 farm crisis, the agricultural economy has continued to decline with United States farmers receiving less than 16 cents per dollar spent on food (Dunnum, 2017). As a way of combatting decreased profitability, agricultural producers are turning to direct marketing (Rainey, et al., 2011). Direct marketing exists as a social marketing in which producers develop a personal relationship with their customers (Rainey, McGraw, & Popp, 2011; Weinreich, 2011). In order to be successful in social marketing, the audience with which they are trying to reach must be determined as well as the most effective way to meet the …

Studies On Pathogenesis Of The Diseases Caused By Macrophomina Phaseolina And Phomopsis Longicolla On Soybean, Marcio Leizer Zaccaron

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean (Glycine max), a legume, is an economically important crop in many parts of the world, including the USA, Brazil, Argentina, China, and India, currently the top five producing countries. Soybean is primarily used as feed, with incising markets for food and biodiesel. Similar to most crops, soybean yield and quality are affected by a diverse group of plant pathogens. In particular, several species of filamentous fungi have been the cause of severe yield losses in most growing regions world-wide. The soil born fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, causal agent of charcoal rot, has been found to be endemic to several soybean …

The Archaeology Of Mississippian Vulnerability And Resilience In The New Madrid Seismic Zone, Michelle Megan Rathgaber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the vulnerability and resilience of Mississippian people in the Central Mississippi Valley to the large-scale New Madrid seismic zone earthquakes of the late15th to early 16th century. This is done using the theory of eventful archaeology/anthropology to look at cultural materials both before and after an event (such as an earthquake and sand blows) to look for evidence of changes to the schema and resources on which a society relies. If changes are present, the event can be labeled as such, if there are no changes, it means that the society affected did not see the event …

Men's Basketball Media Guide, 2018-2019, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Athletics Media Relations

Arkansas Men’s Basketball

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Prescribed Burning On Wood-Decay Fungi In The Forests Of Northwest Arkansas, Nawaf Ibrahim Alshammari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prescribed burning is defined as the process of the planned application of fire to a predetermined area under specific environmental conditions in order to achieve a desired outcome such as land management. This project used both morphological and molecular methods to identify and characterize the wood-decay fungi associated with the forests of northwest Arkansas—Pea Ridge National Military Park, Devil’s Den State Park, and the Buffalo National River—through frequent visits made between February 2018 and February 2019. In addition, in order to assess the effects of prescribed burning, incubation chambers were used to compare the growth of fungi from both unburned …

Investigation Of Microbiota In Health And Disease Of Poultry, Bishnu Adhikari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The microbiotas play vital roles in health and diseases of both humans and animals. 16S rRNA genes sequence analysis is one of the most popular and commonly used methods in the analysis of microbiotas associated with hosts. In this dissertation, the microbiotas of chickens (broilers, breeders, and layers) and turkeys were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Characterization of the culturable subpopulations of Lactobacillus in the chicken gut can serve as a valuable resource for probiotic development. In Chapter 2, Lactobacillus subpopulations recovered on MRS from chicken gut were defined comprehensively for the first time using 16S rRNA gene profiling, …

Impacts Of Size Fractionation And Processing On Functional Characteristics Of Broken Rice Kernels, Rebecca Mawusi Bruce

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice flour generated from broken rice (brokens) has inconsistencies in functional properties. This may be due to differences in size and composition of brokens used for the flour. It is postulated that size classification of brokens can improve flour functionality. This study sought to investigate the effect of size fractionation of brokens on the functional or pasting properties of resulting rice flour. Broken rice was generated from six cultivars of freshly harvested rough rice that were dried at 25◦C in the laboratory. The brokens were classified into large, medium and small, using US sieve size 10, 12 and 20 respectively. …

Essays In Microeconomics, Teng Ma

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays of different topics in microeconomics.

Chapter 1 investigates the effect of environmental uncertainty over the issue of resource allocation in a common pool resources setting. This chapter provides a model of how agents allocate resource among abatement technology, production, and saving with an endogenously determined uncertain damage. The results of a laboratory experiment show a negative effect of uncertain damage on abatement technology adoption and a non-linear relationship between the investment in abatement technology and the self reported risk aversion. Contrary to the “common belief” that greater risk averse agents invest more in abatement …

Selectivity Of Infrared Heat Treatment On Inactivation Of Mycotoxigenic Fungi On Stored Grain, Shantae A. Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Selective Infrared (IR) heating holds great potential to decontaminate spores of unsafe fungi in corn. The objectives for this study were to investigate the impact of exposing corn to infrared energy at selected peak wavelengths (λ), infrared intensities and treatment durations, followed by tempering for further inactivation of microbes on the grain and explore a method for decontaminating Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) spores on corn. Freshly harvested corn with initial moisture contents (IMCs) of 16%, 20%, and 24% wet basis (w.b.) were used. The corn samples were treated at different infrared wavelengths (3.2, 4.5, and 5.8 μm) for 20, 40 …

Older Adults’ Expectations, And Knowledge Of Oral Health Issues: A Study Of Arkansas Seniors, Virginia Marie Hardgraves

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The life expectancy of the U. S. population is increasing. The advantages of fluoridated water, dental insurance, greater awareness of preventive oral healthcare measures, and more restorative dental services, have helped this generation of adults maintain their teeth into their advanced years. The demand for oral health care services will be greater and more complex that of previous generations. Challenges for the older adult, and the healthcare system providing for them, are complex. Increasing evidence of a link between oral health and overall health underscores the need to promote public health awareness of the need for dental care to be …

Visualizing Ischemic Skin Flap Necrosis Through Phasor Analysis Of Autofluorescence Lifetime Images, Hallie Ramser Toomer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Necrotic skin flaps are difficult to predict and treat due to the lack of quantitative biomarkers. Label-free multiphoton microscopy is well suited for non-invasively monitoring skin metabolism through NAD(P)H and other intrinsic fluorophores, and offers immediate future directions for assessing necrosis in the clinic. The objective of this study was to assess whether phasor FLIM could be used to evaluate skin flap status and treatment efficacy in ex vivo skin sections. Phasor maps revealed differences in growth factor treatment and region, but changes in skin flap autofluorescence at 755nm excitation and 460nm emission were not just related to NAD(P)H. A …

Effects Of Germination Conditions Of Brown Rice In Relation To Flour Physicochemical Properties And Bread Qualities, Wipada Wunthunyarat

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gluten-free products from rice are gaining popularity among consumers because of its hypoallergenic characteristic. The absence of gluten results in inferior bread qualities such as hard texture, reduced volume and shorter shelf-life, which can be improved by the addition of external hydrolytic enzymes. Hydrolytic enzymes are activated during germination to stimulate plant growth, and hence these enzymes may function similarly to the external enzymes to improve gluten-free bread from brown rice. Therefore, the objective of this work was to investigate the activities of amylases and protease in germinated brown rice (GBR) from long-grain and short-grain rices under different germination conditions …

Effects Of Multivitamin-Mineral Supplementation On Mental Health Among Young Adults, Ya-Hsuan Chang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The percentage of young adults who had mental illnesses has increased from 2008 to 2015. However, few existing studies investigating the potential benefits of multivitamin-mineral (MVM) supplementation on mental health focused on young adults (18-24 years of age), whose eating behaviors are often unhealthy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a MVM supplement on mental health in young adults. One hundred and thirty-three college students (Mage=20.59, SD=1.77; 80.15% female) participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants consumed either a MVM supplement or a placebo for 30 days. The supplement contained B Vitamins, Vitamin C, …

Potential Antimicrobials For Controlling Listeria Monocytogenes In Frankfurters, Aaron Rashad Bodie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic microorganism that causes Listeriosis. Listeriosis is a highly mortal disease with approximately 20% mortality rate. Listeria is psychrophilic, therefore it is able to survive in the refrigerator. This affects foods at cool storage such as fresh produce and RTE meats. To ensure the safety of RTE meat, post processing treatments are used such as vacuum packing, edible films, dip and treatment. One-way RTE can be treated is with the use of antimicrobials. However, in the past chemical substances were used. Currently, consumers want more natural and organic preservatives to combat health problems from toxic components …

"It Takes Less To Be A Man Nowadays": Exploring Persistence And Change In Masculinity Narratives Among College-Aged Men, Shelby Lynn Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the last several decades, a growing field of scholarship unpacks the concept of masculinity and its implications for gender and social hierarchy. Of particular interest are the ways in which hegemonic masculinity is perpetuated through the media and social discourse. The current study uses content analysis to highlight themes in the commodification of masculinity depicted in a series of Playboy Magazine’s “What Sort of Man Reads Playboy?” ads throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Conducting focus groups, I then use responses to these historical images and a contemporary equivalent to explore the persistence and evolution of portrayals of masculine ideals …

Characterization Of The Swine Gut Microbiome Dynamics, Culturomics And Probiotics, Xiaofan Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The gastrointestinal tract is a critical place where the immune system concentrates many of its protective functions. It exerts both physical and biochemical defenses against invading foodborne pathogens and other hazards. In pigs, the gut microbiota community assembled postnatal plays a very important role in the development of multiple physiologic aspects, such as development of the gastrointestinal tract, nutrient exchange, immune defense against foreign pathogens and growth performance. Microbiome-host communication changes with age. Despite recent advances in understanding the swine gut microbiome at different growth stages, a comprehensive longitudinal study of the lifelong dynamics of the swine gut microbiome is …

Consumer Preferences For Sustainable Rice Practices In Nigeria, Glory Esohe Okpiaifo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improving the sustainability of rice production is important given its position as a global staple and its environmental footprint. The adoption of sustainable practices can generate positive externalities such as lower environmental pollution and improved working conditions for rice industry workers that could be capitalized via the design of consumer-based marketing strategies. The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) initiative aims at advancing the adoption of sustainable practices in rice production. We assess consumers’ perceptions of the SRP sustainability indicators using the Best-Worst Scaling approach to rank SRP sustainability attributes according to their preference shares and examine the effects of demographic characteristics …

Estimating Demand Elasticities For Rice In Benin, Ogoudele Simon Codjo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice consumption in Benin is increasing along with shifting consumer demand toward higher quality rice. In this context of changing demands, experimental estimation methods provide an effective way to estimate the current state of consumer preferences. We conducted a hypothetical choice experiment in 15 open markets in Benin to analyze the demand for rice and its substitutes. The results reveal that consumers value quality rice, even those in the low-income class. While high income consumers are more likely to choose high quality imported rice, low- and middle-income consumers are more likely to select high quality domestic rice among the set …