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Genetic And Epigenetic Investigations On Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome In Meat Type- Chickens, Khaloud Alzahrani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a collection of studies that investigate the genetic and epigenetic associations to ascites phenotype in broiler chickens. Ascites is a significant metabolic disease associated with fast-growing meat-type chickens (broilers) and is a terminal result of pulmonary hypertension syndrome PHS. It is a multi-factorial syndrome caused by interactions between genetic, physiological, environmental, and managemental factors. It was estimated that ascites accounts for losses of about US$1 billion annually worldwide and for over 25% of broilers mortality. Although traditional and molecular genetic methods in the selection and in performance improvements, has greatly reduced ascites frequency, yet it has not …

Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Mitigation On Escherichia Coli Cfu And Growth And Development Of Hydroponic Leafy Greens, Nathan J. Eylands

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have set new standards that apply to agriculturalists producing crops eaten fresh and/or raw by consumers. This new produce safety rule, known as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), has established science-based standards for all areas of production in agriculture with regards to microbial contamination. Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a particular bacterium of concern under FSMA guidelines. Grower compliance is mandatory and therefore vital to the continuation of any farm. Greenhouse hydroponic growers have shown advantages in efficiency when compared to conventional farming methodology. Those, however, with recirculating hydroponic systems face unique …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2017, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Allergy Training Or Lack Thereof, Madelyn Freeman, Mary Kate Klenke

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food allergies affect many people in our society today, and the food service industry must keep up with the demand for allergen-free food from their customers. The objective of this research is to gain insight from the employee’s perspective of the importance of food allergies and what training method would help them learn best. Through this research we intend to learn how we can engage employees during training, increase training retention, and stress the importance to change their behaviors and utilize safe practices in regards to allergens. We compared both quick and full-service restaurants’ food-allergy training methods in this study …

Systems To Attract And Feed Pollinators In Warm-Season Lawns, Michelle Wisdom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pollinating insects are responsible for the production of many agricultural crops and they require floral resources to fulfill their life-cycle. Ideally, pollinating insects will encounter a diversity of floral resources across their entire season of activity, and those floral resources can include both herbaceous and woody plant species. Managed turfgrass areas have been identified as potential locations for creating pollinator-friendly habitats. In the transition zone, where both warm- and cool-season turfgrass species are present, the persistence of herbaceous plants in warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) and buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), may be affected not only by the competitive nature …

Study Of Three Potential Variables That May Impact The Maximum Shear Force And Shear Variation During The Growth And Transport Of Mixed Sex Broilers Grown In Commercial Poultry Houses, Mark Christie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperature conditions during the transportation to the processing facility of commercial broilers have a direct impact on the meat texture, specifically maximum shear force and shear variation of cooked breast meat. Analysis of a calendar year of flock data (N=346), reveals that the largest impact of transport conditions, specifically temperature, is on the standard deviation of the flocks range of cooked shear values. The optimal transport temperature that yields broiler breast meat with average flock minimum shear and standard deviation values is approximately 60°F. The shear values for flocks at or near 60°F are on average 1 kg less than …

The Effect Of Dehydration On Metabolism And Energy Substrate Utilization, Zachary Robert Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure hormonal and metabolic markers in humans to see if simulating dehydration would emulate measures that are seen in prediabetic humans. 60 volunteers were divided into equal categories by sex and body mass index of normal or overweight. Participants completed two oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) after being intravenously infused with a isotonic or hypertonic saline solution for 120 minutes in a counter balanced order. All trials began with a euhydrated subject with a urine specific gravity (USG)

Importance Of Forests Outside Protected Area Networks For Large-Seeded Tree Species And Their Large-Bodied Avian Frugivores--A Study In Vazhachal Reserve Forest, India, Aditi Achyut Lele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Western Ghats, the mountain chain running along the west coast of India, is one of eight global hotspots of biodiversity and is particularly notable for its endemic flora and fauna. Yet only 10% of this land enjoys the protected status. Vast forested lands exist outside the protected network of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the form of reserve forests, community forests, and private lands. The present study sought to understand the role of such forests in the context of ecological system involving large-seeded tree species that depend on large-bodied avian frugivores for seed dispersal. I conducted a study over …

Toxicity Of Formulated Insecticide Mixtures To Apis And Non-Apis Bees, Joseph Edward Belsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates ecotoxicology of new insecticide mixtures to Apis and non-Apis bees. Previous studies have demonstrated the acute and sub-lethal toxicity of individual active ingredient insecticides to honey bees and to a lesser extent non-Apis bees. However, the contact toxicity of formulated premix insecticides containing multiple active ingredients to bees has not been thoroughly assessed. To address this void, laboratory studies simulating exposure to four premix insecticides under different field-realistic scenarios were conducted for two bee species.

Honey bee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus) contact exposure was examined by simulating three scenarios: (1) when bees continuously forage in a field and …

Assessing Rice Consumers’ Preferences And Willingness To Pay In Haiti, Cleeford Pavilus

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the last 30 years, rice has become the number one food staple in Haiti, and rice imports have outpaced domestic production to supply the country’s increasing rice demand. Policy makers support the claim that increasing local rice supply will not only reduce the dependency on imported rice but also upheave the national economy. However, there is a lack of information on Haitian consumers’ preferences for rice to aid the development of the local rice supply chain. This research aims to bridge that gap by assessing Haitian consumer preferences and willingness to pay for selected rice quality characteristics. The results …

Revision Of The Genus Monatractides (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae) Of The United States And Canada: New Species, Re-Descriptions, Phylogenetics, And A Key To Species, Whitney Anne Nelson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The full suite of known Monatractides (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae) taxa of North America (north of Mexico) are investigated herein using integrative methods. Species hypotheses are supported with morphology, geography, and phylogenetic analysis of the barcoding region of COI for 154 individuals from over 100 localities. Relationships between species are examined with a combined analysis of COI and 28S rDNA for 55 specimens. Previously described species are examined and re-described with color images and updated information, where possible. Our results indicate the need to synonymize two species: M. californica (Marshall, 1943) is a junior synonym of M. geographica (Marshall, 1943). We describe …

Efficacy Of Natural Compounds With Novel Carrier Systems For Controlling Campylobacter Jejuni In Post-Harvest Poultry, Sandip Shrestha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, is strongly associated with the consumption and/or mishandling of raw contaminated poultry products. Thus, interventions aiming to reduce C. jejuni counts on poultry products could greatly reduce the incidence of human campylobacteriosis. In the first study, the efficacy of a generally recongnized as safe (GRAS) compound, carvacrol (CR; derived from oregano oil), as an antimicrobial wash treatment to reduce C. jejuni on chicken skin was evaluated. Three delivery systems of CR: suspension, emulsion and nanoemulsion were used. C. jejuni counts were reduced up to 4 log10 cfu/sample by 2% dose of …

Student Affairs Bi-Weekly Newsletter, November 14, 2018, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Division Of Student Affairs

Student Affairs Bi-Weekly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Animal Science E-Newsletter, November 2018, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of Animal Sciences

Animal Science e-Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Outcomes Of Low-Achieving Third Grade Readers, Emily Jordan, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

Research shows that students who demonstrate low reading achievement in 3rd grade have trouble catching back up to grade level and being successful in school, compared to their peers who demonstrate early proficiency (Fiester 2010; Hernandez 2011; Juel 1988). This report seeks to investigate what happens to Arkansas public school students who demonstrate low achievement in reading in 3rd grade. Reading scores from three cohorts of students are followed from 3rd grade until high school, beginning with data from the 2008-09 school year and continuing through 2016-17. We examine the demographic characteristics of the low-achieving group, assess the extent to …

Student Affairs Bi-Weekly Newsletter, September 19, 2018, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Division Of Student Affairs

Student Affairs Bi-Weekly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Ansc, Fall 2018, 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."

Animal Science E-Newsletter, September 2018, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Department Of Animal Sciences

Animal Science e-Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Obesity And Place: Chronic Disease In The 500 Largest U.S. Cities, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Xuan Shi, Don Edward Willis, Jill Niemeier

Obesity

Objectives. Extant research clearly points to a correlation between place and health, specifically as it pertains to chronic diseases like obesity. The present study examines this relationship among a diverse set of compositional place indicators and obesity rates across census tracts in the 500 largest cities in the United States.

Methods. Using data compiled from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 500 Cities project and the Census’ American Community Survey, the analyses examined aggregate relationships between sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics of census tracts and age adjusted obesity prevalence rates in over 27,000 census tracts located in the 500 largest cities …

Anti-Inflammatory Effect Of Berry Essences, Inah Gu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inflammation is one of defense reactions of our body tissues against harmful stimuli such as infection and tissue injury. However, it has been reported that chronic inflammation can lead to chronic inflammatory diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This transition from acute to chronic inflammation state is usually induced by pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines including nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which accelerate the development of other chronic diseases. Accordingly, targeting these pro-inflammatory factors is one of the important roles for anti-inflammatory agents. For last two decades, researches about anti-inflammatory …

The Impact Of A Learning Community On The Perceived Wellness Of First Year Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students, Angela Mae Holland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare education guides students in obtaining skills to promote health in others. In working towards this goal, graduate students in healthcare programs potentially suffer from increased stress while undergoing the rigor of a medically based academic program. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of a learning community program had an effect on the perceived wellness of first year doctor of physical therapy students. A repeated measures quasi-experimental design was used to answer the three research questions, which guided the investigation. Three groups of participants completed the study, one serving as the experimental group with the …

Bioavailability Of Bioactive Compounds, Wing Shun Lam

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arachidin-1 (Ara-1) and arachidin-3 (Ara-3) are stilbenoids found in hairy peanut roots, which have been shown to possess similar, if not higher, efficacy in biological activities when compared to nonprenylated analogs such as piceatannol and resveratrol. Blackberry essences are concentrated volatiles, which are characterized by low molecular weight, lipophilic properties, and have also been demonstrated to have health benefits. As interest in dietary bioactive compounds functional ingredients increase, more emphasis has been placed on identifying which compounds have high efficacy as well as bioavailability. The ability of a compound to exert its health promoting effects depends on its bioavailable dose, …

Dissection Of Soil Waterlogging Tolerance In Soft Red Winter Wheat Using Genomic Approaches, Marlovi Andrea Acuna-Galindo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genomic methods including genome wide association analysis (GWAS), genomic selection (GS) and RNA-seq allow for faster selection of superior breeding lines and for identification and resolution of candidate genes. A panel of 240 soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and breeding lines were subjected to soil waterlogging stress over two seasons at Stuttgart, AR and St. Joseph, LA, US. Total concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Al, B, Cu, Na, S and Zn were determined in wheat shoots post-waterlogging using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Yield components kernel number per spike (KNPS), kernel weight per spike (KWS) …

Determinants Of Hydration In Children: The Role Of Physical Activity And Parental Dietary Habits, Hyun-Gyu Suh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of these studies was 1) to examine the factors that influence the water intake in children and 2) to identify the optimal time window to assess hydration status that would be equivalent to 24-hour urine sample in children. METHODS: Study 1: Data for 200 parents (age:3-13y, female:62%, BMI:28.4±7.0kg∙m-2) and 200 children (age:7.5±2.9y, female:44%, BMI:17.7±3.9kg∙m-2) were recruited. Subjects recorded their fluid and food consumption on the 2-day diary, and food data were analyzed by using the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) program. Physical activity levels were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). All urine samples …

Molecular Survey For The Honey Bee Trypanosome Parasites Crithidia Mellificae And Lotmaria Passim, Mary-Kate Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Honey bee populations have been fluctuating within recent years. No one cause has been attributed to colony fluctuations due to the theory that multiple stressors interact with one another to impact colony health. Consequently, microorganisms such as internal parasites of honey bees have been understudied as a contributor to colony health decline.

Molecular diagnostics were utilized to detect the presence of two honey bee trypanosome parasites, Crithidia mellificae and Lotmaria passim, in managed and feral honey bee populations from eight states in the United States (USA). Because studies on trypanosome infections are lacking in the USA, it is important to …

Methane Emissions From Rice Production On A Silt-Loam Soil In Arkansas, Joshua Jeffry Humphreys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Methane (CH4) emissions from rice (Oryza sativa L.) production are a source of concern in the environmental and agricultural communities. New and/or revised agronomic methodologies will be needed to identify production practice combinations that reduce CH4 emissions without decreasing yields. The objective of this multi-year study was to evaluate the effects of water management (i.e., full-season flood and mid-season drain) (2015), cultivar (i.e., pure-line cultivar ‘LaKast’ and the RiceTec hybrid “XP753”) (2015), soil organic matter (SOM) concentration (2016), and tillage [conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT)] and urea-based fertilizers [N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT)-coated urea and non-coated urea] (2017) on CH4 …

Assessment Of A Nutritional Rehabilitation Model In Two Modern Broilers And Their Jungle Fowl Ancestor: A Model For Better Understanding Childhood Undernutrition, Mikayla Baxter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization, estimated that 22.9% of children under the age of 5 are stunted. The etiology of stunting is multifactorial and is associated with poor linear growth, villous atrophy, dysbiosis, and increased intestinal permeability. Inclusion of rye in poultry diets induces nutrient deficiencies and increases intestinal permeability, dysbiosis and decreases growth rates. The objective of this dissertation was to determine if chickens consuming a rye based diet exhibited a similar pathophysiology of stunted children to develop a relevant animal model. Therefore, early or late phase malnutrition was induced determine the effects of malnutrition on performance, bone mineralization, intestinal …

Assessing A Peer Mentor Program In An Honors College Of Agriculture, Isabel Whitehead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to assess mentees’ experiences in a peer mentor program in an honors college of agriculture and to determine which factors impact mentees’ ability to relate to their peer mentor based on the theory of homophily and interpersonal attraction. Colleges of agriculture are encouraged to examine which determinants impact students’ decisions to enter agri-science programs, what draws students to postsecondary agricultural programs, and to try recruiting underserved individuals into higher education to fulfill open employment opportunities for diverse, skilled, and globally competent individuals (Goeker, et al., 2015; Stripling & Ricketts, 2017). Peer mentoring is often …

Investigating The Potential Of Plant-Derived Antimicrobials For Controlling Campylobacter Jejuni In Poultry And Poultry Products, Basanta Raj Wagle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni infection in humans is strongly associated with the handling and consumption of contaminated poultry products. Interventions reducing C. jejuni contamination in poultry would reduce the risk of subsequent human infections. In the first study, the efficacy of a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) compound, eugenol (EG; derived from cloves), as an antimicrobial dip treatment to reduce C. jejuni in postharvest poultry was evaluated. The antimicrobial efficacy of EG was studied in suspension, emulsion and nanoemulsion delivery systems. EG suspension reduced C. jejuni counts with the greatest reduction of >2.0 Log CFU/sample for the 2% dose of EG (P

Characteristics Of High-Performing Women Resident Assistants At Private Liberal Arts Institutions, Grant C. Carlson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resident Assistants (RA) are unique positions within a university. Undergraduate students are selected to enforce policy, complete administrative paperwork, and develop community in on-campus housing. Despite the critical role these students play in the advancement of university programs and retention, there is a gap in research regarding what contributes to the success of individuals in the position. Within the limited literature on RA performance and success, there is no current research relating to factors that are shared among the highest-performing women in the role.

The current study identified nine high-performing women RAs at three small liberal arts universities in the …