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Effects Of Sow Vocalization And Scent On Complete Blood Cell Count During Early Weaning Period, Mason Paladino

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Piglets are deprived of their sows’ touch, sound, and smell after weaning which results in biological stress. The present study investigated continuing exposure of sow vocalization and scent during the early weaning period on complete blood cell count. A total of 12 litters, 8 piglets (4 male and 4 female) per litter were selected at weaning and assigned to 1 of 4 experimental treatments: control, O (olfactory group with scent and no vocal stimulation), V (non-olfactory with vocal stimulation), VO (vocal stimulation and olfactory stimulation) as a 2x2 factorial arrangement. Vocal stimulation was emulated by an audio recording of the …

Effect Of Mating On Male Choosiness In Bicyclus Anynana, Ellie Hope Magera

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Males mate multiply in many species, including butterflies, but little is known about whether the act of mating influences future male choosiness. We might expect mating to influence future preference, as previous studies have shown that pre-mating social experiences affect future male mate choice. To determine if initial male mate choice affects subsequent male mating decisions, we conducted behavioral assays using the subtropical nymphalid butterfly Bicyclus anynana. We tested three alternative hypotheses: 1) initial mating is a positive experience that strengthens male preference for the previously encountered phenotype; 2) males prefer mating with a different phenotype in their second …

Transitioning Out Of A 4-Year Non-Degree-Seeking Program For Emerging Adults With Neurodiversity, Ashlyn Walker

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

There are an increasing number of emerging adults with neurodiversity entering higher education. However, little is known about benefits and barriers to programs designed to aid in student success for neurodivergent emerging adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of neurodivergent emerging adults enrolled in a non-degree-seeking 4-year program. Participants were recruited to complete an interview assessing their lived experiences, the benefits and barriers, and the transition out of the program and into adulthood. Important themes emerged including the importance of mentors and program staff, the role of identity/confidence, development of life and social skills, the …

Effects Of Time Restricted Feeding And Whey Protein Isolate Supplementation On Dietary Intake, Mood, And Sleep In A 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial, Sydney Boudrey

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Obesity is a quickly growing epidemic that is affecting adults in the United States leading to many chronic diseases and reduced well-being. Time Restricted Feeding (TRF) is type of dietary intervention that is gaining popularity among adults for weight loss. However, current data is lacking regarding the effectiveness of TRF on facets of well-being such as sleep and mood. Moreover, to our knowledge protein supplementation in conjunction with TRF has yet to be studied. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of time restricted feeding supplemented with whey protein isolate on food intake, sleep, and mood, …

Understanding Eating Behaviors And The Factors That Affect Them In Caucasian And Ethnic Minority College Students, Warrenesha Arnold

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many studies have shown that college students do not eat well (Huang et al., 1994; Lorenzoni et al., 2021; Majeed, 2015). Research has identified factors that contribute to the reasons students don’t eat well. Factors such as food preferences (Deliens et al., 2014) eating habits before college (El Ansari et al., 2012), stress (Choi, 2020), dietary knowledge (Deliens et al., 2014; Nani, 2016), availability and accessibility of healthy foods (Payne-Sturges, 2017), knowledge of how to cook (Halfacre et al., 2021) and costs of food (Maroto et al., 2014) contributed to reasons students don’t eat nutritious meals. Dhillon et al. (2019) …

Quality Determinates Of Rice Price In Open Bag Markets In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bailey Peterson-Wilhelm, Lawton Nalley, Alvaro Durand-Morat, Aaron Shew, Francis Tsiboe, Willy Mulimbi

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

Weaknesses in the grades and standards system in low-income countries across Sub-Saharan Africa undermine the transparency of agricultural markets. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana and Mozambique rice is predominately sold in open bags and if rice price does not reflect its quality, then inefficiencies may lead to consumer welfare losses. Importantly, it is possible that impoverished communities are priced out of the market due to inflated and inefficient prices. The objective of this study is to examine determinates of rice price by estimating the impact of selected rice quality attributes on rice prices in Democratic …

Chicken Keypoint Estimation, Rohit Kala

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Poultry is an important food source across the world. To facilitate the growth of the global population, we must also improve methods to oversee poultry with new and emerging technologies to improve the efficiency of poultry farms as well as the welfare of the birds. The technology we explore is Deep Learning methods and Computer Vision to help automate chicken monitoring using technologies such as Mask R-CNN to detect the posture of the chicken from an RGB camera. We use Meta Research's Detectron 2 to implement the Mask R-CNN model to train on our dataset created on videos of chickens …

Ireland V. United States: Agricultural And Environmental Sustainability Policies, Lauryn O'Grady

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States and Ireland have varying practices to achieve similar objectives in regard to environmental sustainability. While the European Union has maintained and updated a uniform policy throughout its existence--the Common Agricultural Policy--the United States instead created short-term solutions to a long-term problem. Not only does the United States tend to solve issues in the short-term, the policies between agricultural production and environmental sustainability are not necessarily aligned or remotely relative to the other. While the United States’ new Global Food Security Strategy implements parts of both agricultural and environmental sustainability, much of the history was not based off …

Nutritional Ecology Of The Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma), Jason Ortega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutritional ecology aims to understand the factors that shape the diets of animals, how these ingested meals are processed, and how the assimilated nutrients are used to shape an organism’s interactions with its environment. As environmental parameters are altered due to anthropogenic changes, the availability and quality of prey may be altered. The alteration of the nutritional landscape can be devastating to nutritional specialists, yet generalist predators may be able to cope with these changes. The western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) is a unique semiaquatic pitviper that can both forage along the land-water interface and in upland habitat when faced …

Effects Of Land Use On Soil Microbial Communities In Tropical Montane Forests Of Malaysian Borneo, Yang Kai Tang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Land use, such as logging and forest conversion to agriculture, can modify soil physicochemical and biological properties, and affect soil health. To understand how land use change can impact soil properties and canopy structure, we used a land use gradient in Malaysian Borneo consisting of six sites, including old growth forests, mixed forests, and agriculture fields. Specifically, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How do soil physicochemical properties vary across land use types? (2) Does bacterial diversity and composition vary across different land use types? (3) Does fungal diversity and composition vary across different land use types? We …

Impact Of Tourism In Developing Nations, Thomas Consolino

Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize, a small country located in Central America, thrives on tourism. The industry makes up 15% of the country’s GDP and employs roughly 40% of Belize’s population. However, the majority of tourism takes place in only a few Belizean towns, causing the economies of the other towns to not benefit from the industry. One of the towns lacking tourism is called Dangriga. Although Dangriga is on the coast and is known as the “Culture Capital of Belize”, not many tourists make is stop in or even know of Dangriga. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of …

The Mental Health Experiences Of Daca Recipients And Non-Daca Recipients, Lizeth Ariana Guadalupe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millions of immigrant children without legal status grow up in the U.S. and aspire to live and thrive in American society. However, without legal status, they face challenges in integrating into society. Implemented in 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created to help immigrant youth integrate into society by providing them with work permits, facilitating educational opportunities, and protection from deportation. However, not all immigrant children qualify for DACA, and the recent legal challenges to DACA prohibit new applicants and put roughly 600,000 recipients in legal limbo. The research questions this study poses are 1.) How …

Study Of Weight Gain In Freshman Students At The University Of Arkansas, Lily Maleknia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the poor (non-nutritional) food choices that college freshman make when living on-campus and eating at on-campus dining facilities. These poor choices lead to excessive weight gain, eating disorders, declining health and wellness, and mental health issues (i.e. depression, anxiety, lack of self-confidence). These side effects can lead to a less than desirable 1st year college experience and lack of academic success. Based on these concerns, different investigations have been performed to determine the causes of this phenomena. Given adolescent weight gain is highly linked to being overweight and obesity in adults, a better understanding …

Approaches For Mitigating Woody Breast In Commercial Broilers Through Nutritional And Management Strategies, Clay Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast myopathies have caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry over the last decade. The induction of woody breast (WB), white striping (WS), and spaghetti meat (SM) have caused textural issues, functional issues, and a decline in consumer acceptance. Of these three myopathies, WB causes the most pronounced effects on product quality and reduces functional use. Woody breast is also commonly associated with expansive breast meat growth/high performing broilers. However, progress in reducing these myopathies has been limited without hindering other aspects of poultry rearing. Generally, production performance reduces as myopathy occurrence or incidence reduces. This response is primarily …

Tangential Flow Treatment Of Poultry Processing Wastewater Using Stainless Steel Ultrafiltration Membrane, Saubana Olorunsola Dada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current treatment of poultry processing wastewater (PPW) requires a large expanse of land, takes time, and requires chemical usage. The wastewater is typically treated prior to discharge. Apart from aiming to reuse the treated water for non-potable activities, this project aimed to reduce the footprint and time required for PPW treatment. To intensify the PPW treatment units, we studied the possibility of replacing dissolved air floatation (DAF) with a stainless steel ultrafiltration membrane (SSUF). Combined PPW from all processing units taken before the first DAF and the second DAF were used for this study with no pretreatment. The SSUF …

Social Capital And Academic Achievement In Arkansas, Misty D. Newcomb

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a more comprehensive understanding of the impact that a child’s broader context has upon his or her academic outcomes, and presumably, life. Using Bronfenbrenner’s theory of human development, this study examines the extent to which social capital and student achievement are correlated and whether an infusion of funding for schools that presumably lack social and economic capital might predict academic achievement in schools from economically depressed regions. Findings indicate that some aspects of social capital and funding initiatives have a demonstrated impact on student achievement but there is not a correlation with …

Influence Of Pregnant Cattle Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue On Offspring Immune Function, Sidney Nicole Dunkel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective was to evaluate the influence of pregnant cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall, toxic, fescue (E+) during gestation on innate immune response of male offspring to an endotoxin challenge. Crossbred multiparous cows (n = 36) were bred to Red Angus sires and housed in replicated E+ or novel endophyte-infected, non-toxic, fescue (NE+) pastures prior to breeding and throughout gestation. From this calf-crop, a subset of post-weaned steers (n = 8 E+; n = 8 NE+) were selected for a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Blood was collected every 30 min beginning 2 h prior to (Pre-LPS) and continuing 9 h following (Post-LPS) …

Role Of Carbohydrate Source As Part Of A Higher Protein Diet On Markers Of Metabolic Syndrome, Ada-Miette Josephine Thomas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has become a major health crisis in the United States and across the globe [1]. Recent findings suggest that approximately 50% of U.S. adults will have obesity and 25% will have severe obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2) by the year 2030 [2]. Obesity-related cardiometabolic dysfunction is a significant public health concern [3, 4]. As rates of obesity increase, so too does prevalence of the metabolic syndrome [5]. In the United States, incidence of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increasing, with approximately one in three adults qualifying for a diagnosis [6, 7]. MetS is a grouping of cardiometabolic risk factors …

Potential Control Of Invasive Mesquite Through Improving The Consumer’S Understanding Of Liquid Smoke Applications., Seth W. Ellsworth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mesquite trees continue to invade forests and range lands in many countries across the world. The cost to remove these trees is staggering. In Texas, landowners spent $25 million over a 10- year period to clear 300,000 ha of mesquite trees, a fraction of the 22 million ha of Texas land affected by this invasion. Estimates are that the mesquite continues to negatively impact one to two percent of additional land in selected counties each year in Texas. However, the problem is not unique to Texas, but rather to the 44 species of mesquite trees, belonging to the genus Prosopis …

The Perceived Needs Of First Responders To Identify And Support Sex Trafficking Victims: A Case Study, Raja Kumar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found that sex trafficking in the 21st century is a growing human rights atrocity. This qualitative case study investigates law enforcement professionals’ perceived needs as first responders to identify and support sex trafficking victims. Specifically, this study examines resources, training, and support that they perceive to be critical to their success. The primary research question that guides this study is what do first responders need to identify and support sex trafficking victims? To answer this question, the following sub-questions facilitate the inquiry: A) What resources do law enforcement professionals need to identify and support victims of sex trafficking? …

The Food Distribution Program On Indian Reservations: Past, Present, And Future, Samantha Doss

Arkansas Law Review

In 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed replacing much of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with “America’s Harvest Box,” a program that would directly distribute a package of non-perishable food items to low-income families. The proposal was met with intense controversy. Many hunger advocates, grocery retailers, and former government officials spurned the idea, citing logistics challenges, nutrition concerns, and stigmatization associated with a direct distribution system. However, a few Indigenous advocates were quick to point out that a direct commodity distribution system has been in place in the United States for generations, often overlooked due to …

Preoperative Skin Preparation Protocol For Patients Undergoing Abdominal And Spinal Surgery, Lia Moyer

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

Surgical site infections are an avoidable complication in surgical patients and one of the most common hospital-acquired infections. Adverse effects of surgical site infections include increased hospital length of stay, increased costs to patient and healthcare system, disability, morbidity, and mortality. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to design a protocol with the objective of decreasing surgical site infections in abdominal and spinal surgery patients. The protocol developed used targeted depilation and antisepsis with a chlorhexidine wipe to mitigate infection risk. Results of the project showed a static hospital length of stay, no increase in preoperative time, and …

Bioavailability Of Citrulline In Watermelon Flesh, Rind, And Skin Using A Human Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cell Model, Inah Gu, Olugbenga Balogun, Cindi Brownmiller, Hye Won Kang, Sun-Ok Lee

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Watermelon produces many byproducts (watermelon rind and skin) even though those components contain various bioactive compounds, including citrulline. This study evaluated the citrulline concentration, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP assays) of different parts of watermelon and investigated the bioavailability of citrulline from different parts of watermelon using an in vitro human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cell monolayer model. Solid-phase extracted watermelon flesh, rind, and skin samples were treated on a Caco-2 cell monolayer for 1, 2, and 4 h. The collected basolateral solution at each time point was analyzed for the percentage of citrulline transport. Watermelon flesh …

Metagenomic And Meta-Transcriptomic Analysis Reveal The Colonization And Expression Profile Of Probiotic Strains In Humans And Animals, Yunjuan Peng, Routing Chen, Zhihao Zhang, Rui Jin, Ting Xe, Xinting Liu, Jianmin Chai, Samantha Howe, Jiangchao Zhao, Ying Li, Feilong Deng

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In humans and animals, probiotics are widely accepted as crucial for host health and growth. The investigation of the probiotic colonization and expression of probiotics in the host is beneficial for proper usage of probiotics and isolation of indigenous probiotics. In this study, we analyzed commonly used probiotic strains in the intestines/rumen of humans and animals by analyzing metagenomic and paired meta-transcriptomic data from the gut or rumen microbiome of humans (n = 13), pigs (n = 6), chickens (n = 6), cattle (n = 14), sheep (n = 10), and mice (n = …

Evaluating Species-Specific Replenishment Solution Effects On Plant Growth And Root Zone Nutrients With Hydroponic Arugula (Eruca Sativa L.) And Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.), Lauren L. Houston, Ryan W. Dickson, Matthew B. Bertucci, Trenton L. Roberts

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Managing nutrients in recirculating solutions can be challenging in hydroponic production, and poor management practices can rapidly result in root zone nutrient imbalances in reduced yield. Using mass balance principles to formulate hydroponic replenishment solutions is a proposed strategy to reduce nutrient imbalances and the need to periodically replace the hydroponic solution. Objectives were to (1) formulate species-specific nutrient replenishment solutions for arugula (Eruca sativa L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) using mass balance principles and (2) evaluate the effects of using these replenishment solutions on plant growth and root zone nutrients over time. In the first experiment, …

Exploration Of Motivations For Adopting A Four-Day School Week Or Year Round Calendars: Evidence From Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee, Kate Barnes

Policy Briefs

This brief provides an overview of the motivations for Arkansas school districts adopting a four-day school week or year-round calendar. In addition to examining these motivations, this brief provides an overview of the districts adopting non-traditional calendars and policy recommendations for districts and communities considering changing calendars.

Application Of Eugenol In Poultry To Control Salmonella Colonization And Spread, Mohammed Aljuwayd, Israa Abdullah Malli, Young Min Kwon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The poultry sector is an essential component of agriculture that has experienced unprecedented growth during the last few decades. It is especially true for the United States, where the average intake of chicken meat increased from 10 pounds (4.5 kg) per person in 1940 to 65.2 pounds (29.6 kg) per person in 2018, while the country produced 113 billion eggs in 2019 alone. Besides providing nutrition and contributing significantly to the economy, chicken is also a natural reservoir of Salmonella, which is responsible for salmonellosis in humans, one of the significant foodborne illnesses around the globe. The increasing use of …

The Known And Unknowns Of Aphid Biotypes, And Their Role In Mediating Host Plant Defenses, Neetu Khanal, Christopher Vitek, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Insect species are subjected to disparate selection pressure due to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Management practices including the heavy use of chemical insecticides and introduction of insect-resistant plant cultivars have been found to accelerate these processes. Clearly, natural selection coupled with human intervention have led to insect adaptations that alter phenotypes and genetic structure over time, producing distinct individuals with specialized traits, within the populations, commonly defined as biotypes. Biotypes are commonly found to have better fitness in the new environment and, in the case of aphids, the most commonly studied system for biotypes, have the ability to successfully …

A Molecular Signature Defining Exercise Adaptation With Ageing And In Vivo Partial Reprogramming In Skeletal Muscle, Ronald G. Jones Iii, Andrea Dimet-Wiley, Amin Haghani, Francielly Morena Da Silva, Camille R. Brightwell, Seongkyun Lim, Sabin Khadgi, Yuan Wen, Corey M. Dungan, Robert T. Brooke, Nicholas P. Greene, Charlotte A. Peterson, John J. Mccarthy, Steve Horvath, Stanley J. Watowich, Christopher S. Fry, Kevin A. Murach

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Exercise promotes functional improvements in aged tissues, but the extent to which it simulates partial molecular reprogramming is unknown. Using transcriptome profiling from (1) a skeletal muscle-specific in vivo Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2 and Myc (OKSM) reprogramming-factor expression murine model; (2) an in vivo inducible muscle-specific Myc induction murine model; (3) a translatable high-volume hypertrophic exercise training approach in aged mice; and (4) human exercise muscle biopsies, we collectively defined exercise-induced genes that are common to partial reprogramming. Late-life exercise training lowered murine DNA methylation age according to several contemporary muscle-specific clocks. A comparison of the murine soleus transcriptome …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2022, Nathan A. Slaton, Mike Daniels

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.