Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Different Plant-Based Foods Consumption On The Composition And Diversity Of Gut Microbiota, Ayoub Al Othaim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plant-based diets are primarily derived from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables. Such patterns are associated with health benefits by promoting general health and preventing many diseases and metabolic disorders. Fruits and vegetables are key sources of high-quality nutrients such as dietary fibers and polyphenols. Since they are rich in dietary fibers and polyphenols, whole fruits and vegetables represent unique and somewhat understudied modulators of the gut microbiota and its associated functions. This study aims to (i) investigate the impact of varying dilutions of cherry juices concentrate on the composition of the murine gut microbiota, (ii) investigate the impact of …

Surface Modified Polypropylene Membranes For Treating Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Waters By Membrane Distillation, Tharaka Hawpe Gamage

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Membrane distillation is an emerging technology for treating hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced waters. Suppression of membrane fouling by inorganic and polar and non-polar organic compounds is a challenge. Here polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, polyacrylic acid, polvinylallyl imidazolium bromide and polyvinylhexyl imidazolium bromide chains have been grafted from the membrane surface. Fouling is initially due to adsorption of organic compounds followed by scale formation. When challenged with produced water, membranes modified with polvinylallyl imidazolium bromide chains provided the greatest resistance to fouling. For EC pretreated produced water and synthetic produced water that contained mainly inorganic species, the flux decline was much less.

Laughter As A Priming Agent For Change, Linnea M. Heintz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the importance of laughter as a factor in influencing employee job satisfaction ratings. The Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1985, 1997) and pulses of laughter were used in this study. To explore the relationship between laughter and job satisfaction, results of the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1994) were collected quarterly (four times a year) for three consecutive years, beginning six months prior to the start of the two-year study and six months post. The study sample was composed of 545 employees (34% male, 66% female) operating out of 10 employee-owned retail chain locations …

Molecular And Genetic Studies Of Robo2 Transcriptional Regulation In The Central Nervous System Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Muna Abdal Rahim Abdal Rhida

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drosophila Robo2 axon guidance receptor is a member of the evolutionarily conserved Roundabout (Robo) protein family that is involved in directing axons that cross the midline to the other side of the animal body. Robo2 roles mainly depend on two factors: The functional domains of the Robo2 protein, which is extensively studied, and the dynamic transcription of robo2 in various subsets of cells throughout embryogenesis which is not fully understood. Thus, knowing robo2 enhancers that transcriptionally regulate robo2 during embryogenesis is significant. To investigate robo2 potential enhancers, we screened 17 transgenic lines of Drosophila that were generated by Janelia Research …

Remote Performance Modulation Of Ultrafiltration Membranes By Magnetically And Thermally Responsive Polymer Chains, Arijit Sengupta, Anh Vu, Xianghong Qian, Sumith R. Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ultrafiltration membranes, that respond to an external magnetic field and local temperature have been developed. Surface-initiated activator-generated electron transfer (AGET) atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been used to graft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) from the surface of 300 kDa regenerated cellulose membranes. The polymerization initiator was selectively attached to the entire membrane surface, only the outer membrane surface or only the inner pore surface. A superparamagnetic nanoparticle was attached to the end of the polymer chain. The DI water flux as well as the flux and rejection of bovine serum albumin were investigated in the absence and presence of a 20 …

Evaluating The Effects Of Wood Source On The Physicochemical Properties Of Crosslinked Cellulose Nanocrystals, Helena Tchoungang Nkeumen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cellulose is an abundant and naturally occurring biopolymer that has been used by humans for food, shelter, and clothing for about two centuries now. Highly crystalline nanoparticles derived from cellulose, called cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), show great potential to meet the rising need for sustainable and nontoxic materials for biomedical applications. However, multiple biomedical applications of CNCs, such as those involving their use in tissue engineering scaffolds, require CNC-based structures to be stable in aqueous environments, a property that native CNCs do not possess due to their inherent hydrophilicity. Chemical crosslinking of CNCs addresses this issue by providing aqueous stability to …

Effects Of Sleep On Intrusive Symptoms And Emotional Reactivity In A Laboratory-Based Film Analog Study, Anna Marie Thi Thanh Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by four symptom clusters. Recently, research highlights the need to focus on the impact of intrusive symptoms as a possible risk factor for the development and maintenance of PTSD. Cognitive and sleep models contribute to further understanding of intrusive symptoms. Recent work also highlights disgust as an emotion closely associated with the emergence of posttraumatic stress symptomology following traumatic events. This study used a film eliciting disgust in order to examine the effects of sleep on the intensity of intrusion symptoms and emotion reactivity. The sample consisted of 49 college students randomly assigned to …

Quantifying The Effect Of Intrinsic Aging On Skin Microstructure And Mechanical Function Using Multiphoton Microscopy, Alan Edward Woessner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the next couple of decades, the number of elderly individuals is expected to double, bringing increased healthcare spending due to seemingly minor injuries to skin. In skin, the 3D dermal collagen fiber network, which is the primary load-bearing structure, undergoes changes in organization and composition due to intrinsic aging. However, the relationships between altered microstructure and mechanical function is not well understood. Quantitative imaging techniques have been used in the past to link skin structure to mechanical function, but previous analysis has been limited to 2D assessments. Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is a non-destructive imaging technique with intrinsic depth-sectioning capabilities, …

Alcohol Abuse And Misuse Amongst Homeless Persons In Northwest Arkansas, Reilly Gibson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol misuse and abuse has been found to be a detrimental risk to individuals having significant impact on their overall health and well-being. Any comprehensive attempt at examining the intersection of alcohol abuse history along with one’s risks and resources as it relates to abuse history among homeless individuals is missing. Using in-depth interviews among homeless adults in Northwest Arkansas (n=168), the current study examines the role of social vulnerabilities, individual risks, and social and psychological resources in explaining alcohol abuse history. Findings support the hypothesis that a person’s vulnerabilities and risks are associated with alcohol abuse histories. Persons who …

Weaning Induced Gut Dysfunction And Nutritional Interventions In Nursery Pigs: A Partial Review, Xiaoyuan Wei, Tsungcheng Tsai, Samantha Howe, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Weaning is one of the most stressful events in the life of a pig. Unsuccessful weaning often leads to intestinal and immune system dysfunctions, resulting in poor growth performance as well as increased morbidity and mortality. The gut microbiota community is a complex ecosystem and is considered an “organ,” producing various metabolites with many beneficial functions. In this review, we briefly introduce weaning-associated gut microbiota dysbiosis. Then, we explain the importance of maintaining a balanced gut microbiota. Finally, we discuss dietary supplements and their abilities to restore intestinal balance and improve the growth performance of weaning pigs.

Estimating Irrigation In Rice Fields With A Water Balance Approach, Kristen Trinh

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Global food production must increase to meet the demand associated with increased population growth, so irrigation water use will continue to rise. Therefore, it is important to monitor water usage particularly when an irrigation flowmeter is unavailable. A field water balance was created for a selection of rice fields in East-central Arkansas under observation in 2018 and 2019. From those, irrigation inputs are deduced from the water balance alone. First, each field had sensors that collected water table level (WTL) data. Next, other water inputs and outputs such as precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) were collected from two modeled sources. The …

Analysis Of The White-Tailed Deer Population Of Hobbs State Park, Jesse Morrison

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

White Tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are the only deer species native to Arkansas, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem. Healthy deer populations are important for environmental and human wellbeing, and overpopulation can lead to poor herd health, overgrazing, increased vehicle collisions, and transmission of diseases. Monitoring deer populations through surveys can be a useful tool in managing wildlife and maintaining Arkansas’ natural resources.

This study analyzed trends in Hobbs State Park’s deer population and estimated the current roadside deer population of the park. Data from past surveys was analyzed for trends using a Mann-Kendall Test, and a distance sampling …

Low Impact Development: Low-Maintenance Design To Encourage Residential Adoption Of Sustainable Systems, Haley Ellis

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Residential adoption of low-impact development (LID) technology can positively impact downstream watershed hydrology by reducing total volumetric discharge from the residential site. This reduction can provide economic, environmental, and social benefits for the residents as well as the community at large. Additionally, homeowners are often affected by stormwater related issues, like flooding or washout, that could be easily mitigated with a sustainably engineered LID structure or network. Engineering for sustainability often includes the blending of several objectives to provide greater overall benefit. This thesis compares the outflow characteristics of three low-maintenance residential LID design scenarios differing in rain garden soil …

Design Of Control Logic And The Human-Machine Interface For A Demonstration Plant Growth Chamber Implemented On A Programmable Logic Controller, Rachael Koehler

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis covers the planning, development, and implementation of system controls and human-machine interface (HMI) for a demonstration plant growth chamber. The work is a continuation of an ongoing project to be used as an educational and recruiting tool manifesting the skills acquired from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas’ College of Engineering. This work includes emergency controls, overall design interface, and controls for both the aeration and lighting subsystems of the growth chamber. Overall design interface controls established included development of two user modes, Administrator and Visitor. The Administrator user will have full …

Performance And Economics Of Solar Inverters And Module Level Power Electronics In A 1 Mw Photovoltaic System, Maxwell Criswell

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Photovoltaic solar panels convert sunlight to electricity in the form of direct current; therefore, a necessary component of every photovoltaic system is an inverter to convert the electricity to usable alternating current. There are various commercially available inverter technologies manufactured today such as microinverters, string inverters, and central inverters, as well as module level power electronic devices such as DC optimizers that are capable of improving system performance in string and central inverter systems. This thesis compares the performance and economics of five different inverter and module level power electronic systems through model simulation using Helioscope software. The five alternatives …

An Analysis Of The Factors That Influence Success Rates Of Honors College Students, Braden Bateman

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

University honors programs provide students with challenging yet rewarding opportunities. Pursuing honors often offers students opportunities (such as access to uique coursework or specialized mentorship) that are not available to the general student popultion. However, honors programs also hold students to more or higher educational milestones in order to graduate with honors. Data from the University of Araksas Fayetteville (UAF) suggest students who start in honors as new freshmen typically graduate at rates much higher than students who were not honors freshmen. However, the percentage of those honors freshmen who complete their honors requirements is much lower than those who …

Peptoid Microsphere Coatings To Improve Performance In Sandwich Elisa Microarrays, Jesse L. Roberts, German R. Perez Bakovic, Shannon L. Servoss

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microarray performance is limited by low assay sensitivity and dynamic range. Increasing the surface area for reagent binding can help to improve performance, but standard techniques such as roughening the surface or adding a polymer coating lead to increased non-specific fluorescence and do not have reproducibly improved performance. Another approach to increase surface area is adding a microsphere coating on the surface. Poly-N-substituted glycine (peptoid) microspheres are ideal for this application due to low immunogenicity, protease-resistance, and biocompatibility. Peptoids are polymers with a backbone similar to peptides, but with the side chains appended to nitrogen rather …

Volunteering And Charitable Giving Among Australian Young Adults And The Mediating Role Of Community Service Emphasis In Secondary Schools, Albert Cheng, Rian R. Djita

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Schools play a vital role in sustaining civil society by tending to the civic formation of their students. Prior research has focused on assessing students on a variety of civic outcomes including volunteering and charitable giving, and often compares students in Government, religious Independent, and non-religious Independent schools. However, this work has mostly been conducted in North American contexts. Nor has much attention been given to developing theory and then empirically testing mediating variables that explain any observed differences across these schooling sectors. We fill these gaps in this study. Using a nationally representative sample of 4,000 Australian adults, we …

The Efficacy Of A Communication Guide On Stress Experienced By Family Members Of Patients Admitted In The Intensive Care Unit With Covid-19, Kandace Williams

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first introduced in the United States on January 20, 2020, has created worldwide panic due insufficient research and understanding of the nature of this new disease. Patients suffering from COVID-19 often require intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, resulting in stress and confusion amongst patients and their families. The high transmissibility of the disease has caused hospitals to adopt firm visitor restrictions to protect the public from exposure and spread. Families experience increased anxiety and stress due to ineffective communication with staff and restricted access to their hospitalized loved ones. A needs assessment revealed a gap in care …

The Effects Of A Survivorship Care Plan On Hospital Readmission Rates In Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant Patients, Chantaney Williams

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

Stem cell transplants (SCTs) are complicated treatments utilized to treat hematologic malignancies and other disorders, such as multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, neuroblastomas, germ cell tumors, amyloidosis, and autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. The complex care of patients undergoing SCTs place them at high risk for adverse outcomes, including infection, cytomegalovirus, graft vs host disease, secondary new cancers, infertility, and sexual dysfunction (American Cancer Society, 2020). Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are a vital part of the discharge process to educate allogenic SCT patients about post-transplantation care. SCPs are implemented to reduce …

The Lost “Doe”: A Quality Improvement Project For Unidentified Patients, Brendi Gale

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

A Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) describes any natural or manmade disaster that stresses a community beyond their normal resources (CMS, 2019). Across the globe, populations have grappled with an increased frequency of natural disasters and a surge of critically ill secondary to pandemic SARs-CoV-2 (Cavallo, Donoho, & Forman, 2020; Smith, 2020; US Global Change Research Program, 2018). In addition, the incidence and severity of mass shootings has risen in the United States with a reported 277 active shooter events between the years of 2000-2018 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2018; Smith et al., 2019). An Emergency Department (ED) in Northwest Arkansas …

Evaluation Of Three Formulations Of Essential Oils In Broiler Chickens Under Cyclic Heat Stress, Jared Ruff, Guillermo Tellez Jr., Aaron Forga, Roberto Señas-Cuesta, Christine N. Vuong, Elizabeth S. Greene, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Alvaro J. Uribe, Blanca C. Martinez, Jaime A. Angel-Isaza, Sami Dridi, Clay J. Maynard, Casey M. Owens, Billy M. Hargis, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of the present research was to assess the dietary supplementation of three formulations of essential oils (EO) in chickens under heat stress (HS). Day-of-hatch Cobb 500 chicks (n = 500) were randomly distributed into four groups: 1. HS control + control diets; 2. HS + control diets supplemented with 37 ppm EO of Lippia origanoides (LO); 3. HS + control diets supplemented with 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm EO of Rosmarinus officinalis (RO) + 300 ppm red beetroot; 4. HS + 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm RO + 300 ppm natural betaine. Chickens that received …

A Spatially Explicit Model Of Stabilizing Selection For Improving Phylogenetic Inference, Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Brian C. O'Meara, Michael A. Gilchrist

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) are stretches of hundreds of nucleotides with highly conserved cores flanked by variable regions. Although the selective forces responsible for the preservation of UCEs are unknown, they are nonetheless believed to contain phylogenetically meaningful information from deep to shallow divergence events. Phylogenetic applications of UCEs assume the same degree of rate heterogeneity applies across the entire locus, including variable flanking regions. We present a Wright-Fisher model of selection on nucleotides (SeION) which includes the effects of mutation, drift, and spatially varying, stabilizing selection for an optimal nucleotide sequence. The SeION model assumes the strength of stabilizing selection …

Assessment Of Lippia Origanoides Essential Oils In A Salmonella Typhimurium, Eimeria Maxima, And Clostridium Perfringens Challenge Model To Induce Necrotic Enteritis In Broiler Chickens, Makenly E. Coles, Aaron J. Forga, Roberto Señas-Cuesta, Brittany D. Graham, Callie M. Selby, Alvaro J. Uribe, Blanca C. Martinez, Jaime A. Angel-Isaza, Christine N. Vuong, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Billy M. Hargis, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of the present research was to evaluate dietary supplementation of essential oils from Lippia origanoides (LEO) on necrotic enteritis (NE). Chickens were randomly assigned to three groups. Group 1: negative control; Group 2: positive control challenged with Salmonella typhimurium (day 1), Eimeria maxima (day 18), and C. perfringens (CP, days 22-23); Group 3: dietary supplementation LEO and challenged. On d 25 of age, serum samples were collected to evaluate fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-d), superoxide dismutase (SOD), gamma interferon (IFN-γ), Immunoglobulin A (IgA). Group 3 showed a significant reduction of the harmful effects of induced infection/dysbiosis and a significant reduction …

Effects Of Dietary Fibers, Micronutrients, And Phytonutrients On Gut Microbiome: A Review, Kaleigh E. Beane, Mersady C. Redding, Xiaofan Wang, Jeong Hoon Pan, Brandy Le, Cara Cicalo, Suwon Jeon, Young Jun Kim, Jin Hyup Lee, Eui-Cheol Shin, Ying Li, Jiangchao Zhao, Jae Kyeom Kim

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The human gastrointestinal tract harbors a magnitude of bacteria, which are collectively known as the gut microbiome. Research has demonstrated that the gut microbiome significantly impacts the health of its host and alters the host’s risk for various chronic diseases. Many factors, such as diet, could potentially be manipulated to alter the host gut microbiome and induce subsequent preventative and/or therapeutic effects. It has been established that diet partakes in the regulation and maintenance of the gut microbiome; however, specific crosstalk between the microbiome, gut, and host has not been clearly elucidated in relation to diet. In this review of …

Effect Of Lactylate And Bacillus Subtilis On Growth Performance, Peripheral Blood Cell Profile, And Gut Microbiota Of Nursery Pigs, Xiaofan Wang, Tsungcheng Tsai, Xiaoyuan Wei, Bin Zuo, Ellen Davis, Tom Rehberger, Samantha Hernandez, Evelien J.M. Jochems, Charles Maxwell, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

To evaluate the effects of lactylate and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, complete blood cell count, and microbial changes, 264 weaning pigs were assigned to four treatments (1) control (Con) basal diets that met the nutrient requirement for each phase, (2) 0.2% lactylate (LA), (3) 0.05% Bacillus subtilis strains mixtures (BM), or (4) the combination of LA and BM (LA+BM) added to the control basal diet at their respective inclusion rates in each of the three phases. Dietary lactylate tended to increase weight gain, significantly increased feed intake, and reduced fecal total E. coli and enterotoxigenic E. coli counts during …

An Analysis Of The Patents Granted To The University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2010-2019, Lutishoor Salisbury, Jeremy S. Smith, Tian Yang

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report provides an analysis of the patents were granted for ten years (2010-2019) where at least one of the inventors is affiliated with a department or college from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. It identifies the number of patents with inventors from the various departments; the number of unique inventors in each department; and the college affiliations of the inventors; their inter- and extra-collegiate collaborators from campus and their off-campus campus collaborators.

Are Populations Of Economically Important Bonefish And Queen Conch 'Open' Or 'Closed' In The Northern Caribbean Basin?, Marlis R. Douglas, Tyler Chafin, Julie E. Claussen, David P. Philipp, Michael E. Douglas

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Demographics of co-occurring species can often be diagnosed through population genomic analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These data can define population structure, gene flow, and candidate regions in the genome that potentially reflect local adaptations. They can also gauge whether populations are demographically “open” or “closed” (i.e., with global or local recruitment). We derived SNPs from double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) to test the demographics of commercially important bonefish Albula vulpes (N = 117) and queen conch Lobatus gigas (N = 60) from two northeast Caribbean Basin islands (Grand Bahama to the north and Eleuthera to the …

Sodium Butyrate Modulates Chicken Macrophage Proteins Essential For Salmonella Enteritidis Invasion, Anamika Gupta, Mohit Bansal, Rohana Liyanage, Abhinav Upadhyay, Narayan Rath, Annie Donoghue, Xiaolun Sun

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Salmonella Enteritidis is an intracellular foodborne pathogen that has developed multiple mechanisms to alter poultry intestinal physiology and infect the gut. Short chain fatty acid butyrate is derived from microbiota metabolic activities, and it maintains gut homeostasis. There is limited understanding on the interaction between S. Enteritidis infection, butyrate, and host intestinal response. To fill this knowledge gap, chicken macrophages (also known as HTC cells) were infected with S. Enteritidis, treated with sodium butyrate, and proteomic analysis was performed. A growth curve assay was conducted to determine sub-inhibitory concentration (SIC, concentration that do not affect bacterial growth compared …

Method For Controlling The Concentration Of Single And Multiple Dissolved Gases In Beverages, Gregory S. Osborn

Patents Granted

A system and method of controlling a concentration of one or more gases dissolved in a beverage is included. The system includes a saturation tank having a gas head space, a brite tank, and a beverage supply system to pass the beverage between the saturation tank and the brite tank. A beverage supersaturated with the gas from the head space is formed in the saturation tank. The supersaturated beverage is passed from the saturation tank to the brite tank. Once the amount of gas added to the beverage exceeds saturation, some of the gas escapes from solution from the beverage …