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Autofluorescence To Study The Effects Of Acid Concentration On Cellular Metabolism In Vitro, Robin L. Raley

Chemistry & Biochemistry Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced sunburns and their accompanying afflictions are a growing public health concern in the United States. There is a need for techniques that can accurately and non-invasively characterize the physiology of sunburned skin tissue directly after UV-damage and applying a topical skin treatment to relieve pain and promote healing. Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) can be used to investigate metabolic processes in live cells through endogenous fluorescence of the cofactors, NADH and FAD. These methods employ the optical redox ratio of FAD/(NADH+FAD), mean NADH lifetime, and the separation of the free and bound …

The Effects Of Men's Lacrosse Protective Equipment On Thermoregulation And Perceptions During Exercise Heat Stress, Amanda Glasgow

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of men's lacrosse protective equipment on thermoregulation and perceptions during exercise heat stress

Amanda P. Glasgow: Exercise Science Research Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

Background: Exertional heat stroke and other heat related illnesses are a common concern for athletic coaches and players. Looking to prevent further injuries, it is questioned whether players perceive if their bodies are heating to a dangerous level. Many factors play into the body’s response and the players perception including thirst, thermoregulation, and the kind of protective equipment the athletes are wearing. Purpose: Examine if perceptual responses are different when participants wear men’s …

The Effects Of Men's Lacrosse Protective Equipment On Thermoregulation And Perceptions During Exercise Heat Stress, Amanda Glasgow

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of men's lacrosse protective equipment on thermoregulation and perceptions during exercise heat stress

Amanda P. Glasgow: Exercise Science Research Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

Background: Exertional heat stroke and other heat related illnesses are a common concern for athletic coaches and players. Looking to prevent further injuries, it is questioned whether players perceive if their bodies are heating to a dangerous level. Many factors play into the body’s response and the players perception including thirst, thermoregulation, and the kind of protective equipment the athletes are wearing. Purpose: Examine if perceptual responses are different when participants wear men’s …

Correlation Between Myostatin And Lean Muscle Mass In Older Adults, Mishann Luedders

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Correlation Between Myostatin and Lean Muscle Mass in Older Adults.

Luedders, M., Gray, M., Patton, S., Washington, T., Binns, A. Exercise Science Research Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

Background: Our older adult population is growing exponentially and with it, the number of falls and debilitating injuries that afflict their population grows as well. A fall brings with it many possible injuries, healthcare costs, fear and increased mortality. There seems to be a lack of preventative measures in our healthcare system to help protect our elders. One possible measure is a simple blood test that looks at the level of …

A Bayesian Framework For Estimating Seismic Wave Arrival Time, Hua Zhong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because earthquakes have a large impact on human society, statistical methods for better studying earthquakes are required. One characteristic of earthquakes is the arrival time of seismic waves at a seismic signal sensor. Once we can estimate the earthquake arrival time accurately, the earthquake location can be triangulated, and assistance can be sent to that area correctly. This study presents a Bayesian framework to predict the arrival time of seismic waves with associated uncertainty. We use a change point framework to model the different conditions before and after the seismic wave arrives. To evaluate the performance of the model, we …

Assessing Commonly Used Methods In Measuring Yield Of Cellulose Nanocrystals, Marilyn Pharr

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cellulose is a ubiquitous, renewable biopolymer found in plants that can be broken down to isolate cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). CNCs have been utilized in various applications that include biomedical technology, structural composites, and barrier films because of their unique mechanical, optical, and physicochemical properties. CNCs can be produced by a variety of approaches from cellulosic materials; however, strong acid hydrolysis is the most common and effective technique as it results in stable colloidal suspensions. Existing literature reveals a wide range of CNC yields, depending on the production process, raw material used, and the method of yield estimation. The yields of …

Rating Curve Development For The Upper James Fork, Lower James Fork And Hinkle Jones Creek In The Upper Poteau River Watershed In Arkansas, Meagan O'Hare

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Stream discharge is necessary to estimate loads and calibrate and validate watershed models. Access to long-term water quality data and discharge measurements allows for modeling of water quality changes across a watershed over time. However, discharge monitoring stations are often expensive to install and maintain, particularly in small rivers. A more cost-effective method for monitoring streamflow has been implemented in the Upper Poteau River Watershed (UPRW) in Arkansas. This method consists of an SonTek acoustic doppler instrument for measuring storm stream flow, with is combined with manual baseflow discharge measurements. The combined stormflow and baseflow measurements are combined with a …

Consumer Power To Change The Food System? A Critical Reading Of Food Labels As Governance Spaces: The Case Of Acai Berry Superfoods, Christine Parker, Hope Johnson, Janine Curll

Journal of Food Law & Policy

This article argues that the marketing claims on food labels are a governance space worthy of critical examination. We use a case study of superfood açaí berry products to illustrate how marketing claims on food labels encapsulate dominant neoliberal constructions of global food systems. These marketing claims implicitly promise that by making careful choices consumers can resist and redress the ravages of unbridled global capitalism. Food labels suggest that consumers can use market signals to simultaneously govern our own selves and the market to ensure sustainable, fair, and healthy consumption. In response, this article develops, justifies and applies a socio-legal …

To And Through College: Investigating Attitudes Towards, Enrollment In, And Graduation From College, Elise Swanson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Postsecondary access and degree completion are increasingly important concerns for individuals and policymakers. This dissertation presents evidence on three distinct strategies for increasing students’ level of preparedness for higher education, rates of postsecondary enrollment, and rates of postsecondary degree completion. The first is an intervention aimed at increasing eighth-grade students’ familiarity with college life. Results from an experimental study indicate that students assigned to participate in campus visits demonstrate higher levels of knowledge about college, are more likely to have conversations with school personnel about college, put forth higher levels of effort while completing a college-related survey, and express a …

Electrophysiological Correlates Of Visual Object Category Formation In A Prototype-Distortion Task, Stephanie Marie Long

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In perceptual learning studies, participants engage in extensive training in the discrimination of visual stimuli in order to modulate perceptual performance. Much of the literature in perceptual learning has looked at the induction of the reorganization of low-level representations in V1. However, much remains to be understood about the mechanisms behind how the adult brain (an expert in visual object categorization) extracts high-level visual objects from the environment and categorically represents them in the cortical visual hierarchy. Here, I used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in object representation formation during a hybrid visual search and prototype …

Will-Independent Mereological Trinity Monotheism: A Defense Of The Logical Coherence Of, A Priori Motivation For, And A Particular Model Concerning The Doctrine Of The Trinity, Andrew Kirschner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The doctrine posits that God is one being, but three persons. The orthodox parameters for affirming the Trinity are found in the early Ecumenical Creeds of Christendom, especially the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds. Four primary affirmations emerge as a summary of the essential content of the doctrine: (ONE): There is one God; (THREE): The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct divine persons; (FATHERSOURCE): The Father is the source of the Son and the Holy Spirit (perhaps with the Son, perhaps not); and (EQUALITY): The three persons in the Trinity are ontologically equal; none is greater than any of the …

The Impacts Of Administering Metabolites Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae On Broiler Performance, Yields And Salmonella Content Of Component Portions, Bill Douglas Potter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of using health-promoting Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation metabolites in poultry production and processing can be measured in respect to multiple measures of success. Traditionally this yeast-based compound has been administered to poultry, livestock, poultry, and other species to improve animal performance and production volume output. In addition, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation metabolites have also been shown in more recent research to reduce colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the host organism’s gastro-intestinal tract. In this dissertation, the impacts of administering a functional ingredient containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolites on broiler performance measures and pathogen reduction were measured. One of the studies in …

Landuse And Soil Property Effects On Infiltration And Soil Aggregate Stability In The Lower Mississippi River Valley, Rebecca Lynn Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Following European settlement of the Lower Mississippi River Valley (LMRV), agricultural expansion and unsustainable, agriculturally related practices have caused groundwater depletion, soil erosion, and surface water contamination by eroded sediments and sediment-bound nutrients to become major environmental threats to the region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of common landuses [i.e., native prairie, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland, and conventional-tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) agriculture] on surface water infiltration and aggregate-stability-related properties [i.e., water-stable macroaggregate (WSA) size distribution, total water-stable macroaggregate (TWSA) concentration, and mean weight diameter (MWD)]. The overall infiltration rate …

Feedforward And Feedback Signals In The Olfactory System, Srimoy Chakraborty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The conglomeration of myriad activities in neural systems often results in prominent oscillations. The primary goal of the research presented in this thesis was to study effects of sensory stimulus on the olfactory system of rats, focusing on the olfactory bulb (OB) and the anterior piriform cortex (aPC). Extracellular electrophysiological measurements revealed distinct frequency bands of oscillations in OB and aPC. However, how these oscillatory fluctuations help the animal to process sensory input is not clearly understood. Here we show high frequency oscillations in olfactory bulb carry feedforward signals to anterior piriform cortex whereas feedback from the aPC is predominantly …

Synchrophasor-Based Fault Location Detection And Classification, In Power Systems, Using Artificial Intelligence, Hemal Falak

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the introduction of sophisticated electronic gadgets which cannot sustain interruption in the provision of electricity, the need to supply uninterrupted and reliable power supply, to the consumers, has become a crucial factor in the present-day world. Therefore, it is customary to correctly identify fault locations in an electrical power network, in order to rectify faults and restore power supply in the minimum possible time. Many automated fault location detection algorithms have been proposed, however, prior art requires topological and physical information of the electrical power network. This thesis presents a new method of detecting fault locations, in transmission as …

Development And Evaluation Of Selected Chemoprophylaxis Candidates And A Candidate Live-Attenuated Vaccine For Prevention Of Histomoniasis In Turkeys, Lesleigh Beer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Histomoniasis, commonly known as blackhead disease, has increased in prevalence due to the regulatory ban of prophylactics and therapeutics within the past 30 years. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the efficacy of selected dietary chemoprophylaxis candidates as well as an in vitro live-attenuated vaccine candidate Histomonas meleagridis for prevention of histomoniasis. Chapter one addresses deoxycholic acid and a biliogenic diet intended to endogenously increase production of this secondary bile acid. Deoxycholic acid was effective in vitro but failed to prevent histomoniasis when evaluated during the in vivo experimental disease trial with turkeys. The biliogenic diet did not …

Reduced Disposal Area Performance Utilizing Secondary-Treated Effluent In Profile-Limiting Soils, David A. Meints

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Onsite wastewater systems dispose of primary treated effluent by utilizing the soil for final recycling and renovation of wastewater into the environment. Soil and site limitations have become a challenge to design a wastewater system and dispose of onsite wastewater using a conventional pipe and gravel design. Using secondary-treated effluent from an advanced treatment unit applied to a reduced disposal area offers an additional alternative when developing an onsite wastewater system. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of hydraulically loading limiting soils with secondary-treated effluent in a reduced disposal area. A reduced disposal area was constructed …

Phylogenomics And Geometric Morphometrics Define Species Flocks Of Snowtrout (Teleostei: Schizothorax) In The Central Himalayas, Binod Regmi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Schizothorax (Snowtrout) is a genus of medium-sized minnows (Cypriniformes) inhabiting glacier-fed streams, rivers, and lakes in the Himalayas. There are more than 30 species of Schizothorax across the region. The speciation and diversity of the Snowtrout in the vast hinterlands of the Himalayan Region has not been fully explored. Three species in Lake Rara, Western Nepal are considered a species flock, comprising endemic ecotypes that are morphologically differentiated and reproductively isolated.

My dissertation research examined the diversity of Schizothorax in the Central Himalayan region and evolutionary relationships among species distributed in the Tibet, Central and Southeast Asia. Chapter I describes …

Optical Enhancement In Periodic Plasmonic Gratings For Sers And Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Photodetectors (Msm-Pds) Applications, Ahmad Aziz Darweesh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is aimed to numerically study the effect of plasmonic grating electrodes on the efficiency of metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors (MSM PDs) and the sensitivity of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). This research can benefit many areas of nanoscience and optics, including plasmonic applications, such as, super lenses, nano-scale optical circuits, optical filters, surface plasmon enhanced photo-detectors solar cells, imaging sensors, charge-coupled devices (CCD), and optical-fiber communication systems. Several parameters, wire widths and thickness, gap space, taper angle, and the incident wavelength and angle, were investigated. The goal of this research is to utilize the plasmonic phenomenon by using plasmonic gratings …

Effects Of Genre Tag Complexity On Popular Music Perception And Enjoyment, Lauren Shepherd

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The popular online streaming platform Spotify added over 1400 genre tags in the last two years. Despite that numerous artists and composition competitions claim to seek projects that “transcend the traditional notion of genre,” the industry has only added more complex and mystifying genre labels. This dichotomy between artists and industry ignores the effects these labels have on consumers. Do more complex genre tags enhance the listening experience for the average consumer by providing additional information about what they are about to hear? The current research seeks to examine the effects of the granularity of genre tags on popular music …

The Evaluation Of Low-Use-Rate Zinc Fertilization Strategies On Seedling Canopy Coverage, Zn Concentration, Biomass, And Grain Yield, Maxwell David Coffin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zinc (Zn) is the most common micronutrient deficiency in flooded rice (Oryza sativa L.). Some new Zn fertilization methods have been advertised, but have limited research supporting their efficacy. This study mainly compared the effect of Zn-seed treatment rate in combination with other low-use-rate Zn-fertilization methods to the standard of 11 kg Zn ha-1 as ZnSO4 on rice early-season canopy cover, tissue-Zn concentration, and grain yield. A secondary objective evaluated an alternative method (to seed treatment with ZnO) of enhancing seed-Zn concentration using post-heading foliar-Zn application on seedling tissue-Zn concentration and grain yield. For the main objective, rice seed was …

Amphibian And Reptile Community Responses To Forest And Riparian Disturbance, Jacquelyn Christine Guzy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Riparian zones are transitional, semi-terrestrial areas regularly influenced by freshwater. These areas serve as dispersal corridors for many animal and plant species and ultimately function as important reservoirs of biodiversity in altered landscapes. While much of the riparian habitat in the United States has been affected by anthropogenic activities, management actions may mitigate potentially negative influences of these activities. For example, Streamside Management Zones (i.e., riparian buffers; SMZs) are commonly implemented within managed forests to protect water quality, but may also provide habitat for riparian-associated wildlife. Yet, little research has rigorously addressed the value of SMZs for wildlife, particularly cryptic …

Do Enallagma Exsulans From Streams And Lakes Show Patterns Of Divergence?, Savannah Rae Graham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Divergent selection across heterogenous environments could lead to adaptive divergence in populations resulting in potential local adaption. These populations have phenotypic differences that are fitness related and make native individuals more fit than non-native individuals. My research focuses on a species of damselfly, Enallagma exsulans, to explore local adaptation and morphological differences as a result of divergent selection or plasticity. My first study explored potential local adaptation of wild caught stream and lake E. exsulans using a reciprocal transplant design, a classic approach for this objective. The stream and lake sites chosen were on a small spatial scale allowing for …

The Archaeology Of Leetown Hamlet: Households And Consumer Behavior In The Arkansas Ozarks, Victoria Ann Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The hamlet of Leetown, located within Pea Ridge Military Park is the focus of this thesis. The Leetown hamlet played a role in the Battle of Pea Ridge and eventually disappeared before Pea Ridge National Military Park’s establishment in the 1960s. Shortly after the establishment of the Park, archeological investigations began. The resulting archeological investigations from 1962 to 2017 provided a glimpse into the lives of the families of Leetown hamlet within the rural Ozarks. This is an archeological investigation that focuses on establishing the date and function of the buildings within the hamlet as well as the consumer and …

Using Cover Crops To Recycle Nutrients In An Arkansas No-Till Corn System, Kelsey Lynn Hoegenauer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops can provide many benefits to cropping systems including erosion control, weed suppression, and increased soil organic matter. Regardless of the intended goal for using cover crops, the changes to the nutrient flux in a cropping system caused by cover crops retaining and recycling nutrients needs to be considered in order to maximize the productivity of the following commodity crops. This research encompassed complementary greenhouse, field, and laboratory experiments to evaluate nutrient uptake and release by tillage radish (Raphanus sativus) and cereal rye (Secale cereale) cover crops, as well as the subsequent early-season recovery of recycled nutrients by the …

Using Peripheral Venous Pressure Waveforms To Predict Key Hemodynamic Parameters, Ali Zohair A Alalawi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of peripheral venous pressure (PVP) waveforms is a novel method of monitoring intravascular volume. Two cohorts were used to study the hemodynamics change of the body state and its influence on the PVP using (1) dehydration setting with infants suffering from pyloric stenosis and (2) hemorrhage setting during a craniosynostosis elective surgery. The goal of this research is to develop a minimally invasive method of analyzing the PVP waveforms and find correlations with volume loss.

Twenty-three pyloric stenosis patients PVP were acquired at five stages and were divided into euvolemic, normal fluid volume, and hypovolemic, significant fluid loss. Seven …

Powers And Behaviors Of Directed Self-Assembly, Trent Allen Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In nature there are a variety of self-assembling systems occurring at varying scales which give rise to incredibly complex behaviors. Theoretical models of self-assembly allow us to gain insight into the fundamental nature of self-assembly independent of the specific physical implementation. In Winfree's abstract tile assembly model (aTAM), the atomic components are unit square "tiles" which have "glues" on their four sides. Beginning from a seed assembly, these tiles attach one at a time during the assembly process in an asynchronous and nondeterministic manner.

We can gain valuable insights into the nature of self-assembly by comparing different models of self-assembly …

Comparative Plasma Proteomics In Muscle Atrophy Induced By Cancer Cachexia And Hindlimb Unloading, Kirsten Rene Dunlap

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Muscle atrophy results from a dysfunction in protein turnover that leads to loss of mass and function and occurs concurrently with multiple pathologies such as cancer and extended bed rest. Atrophy reduces overall quality of life while increasing morbidity and mortality. Currently, efficacious therapeutic interventions to treat and prevent muscle wasting in all its forms are lacking, however if conserved mechanisms can be identified between wasting conditions, this would aid in the development of multipurpose therapeutics to ameliorate this pathology. Purpose: To examine circulating factors present across atrophic pathologies. Methods: 35 male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to hindlimb unloading …

Fertility Awareness Based Methods (Fabms): Evaluating And Promoting Female Interest For Purposes Of Health Monitoring And Family Planning, Amylynn Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural or fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) help users monitor, interpret, and systematically chart female biological markers. FABMs are used as family planning methods and sometimes as reproductive health monitoring methods. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) encourages medical professionals to use female reproductive cycle patterns, ‘the female fifth-vital sign’, as a means of improving the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive health diseases, disorders, and conditions. Patients need to have accurate knowledge of healthy and unhealthy cycle patterns. The general public does not have a sufficient level of fertility health knowledge. This study examined whether females that are interested …

Black Female Graduate Students' Experiences Of Racial Microaggressions At A Southern University, Kendra Elizabeth Shoge

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found that microaggressions can cause psychological distress, frustration, avoidance, confusion, resentment, hopelessness, and fear. Previous studies from Southern universities have addressed the adjustment experiences of Black women in graduate programs, obstacles faced by Black women in higher education and strategies to overcome those obstacles, and factors associated with Black student motivation and achievement. Discrimination and racism are factors identified in those studies, however, there is little research on the experiences of Black women in graduate programs and the impact of racial microaggressions on them.

The purpose of this study was to examine Black female graduate students’ experiences of …