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Got Breadfruit? Marshallese Foodways And Culture In Springdale, Arkansas, Diana Kay Chen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding human food choices is essential in the examination of cultural knowledge and decision-making among members of any ethnic group. Ethnographic and cognitive anthropology methods, including a novel calculation of cognitive salience, were used in this study to explore the domain of traditional Marshallese foods in Springdale, Arkansas. Springdale is home to the highest population of Marshallese people outside of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI); the population is expected to rise as people continue to migrate from the RMI because of global climate change and other factors such as family ties. Studies of traditional foodways are increasingly crucial …

Relationships Among Beef Cow Productivity Traits And Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Bovine Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene, Ashley Finney

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

When eukaryotes are exposed to stressors such as heat, toxins, and low oxygen levels, heat shock proteins (HSPs) are synthesized to maintain normal cellular function within the body. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) gene have been associated with calving percentage, and Julian calving date in spring-calving crossbred Brahman cows (Rosenkrans, et al., 2010). Our objective was to determine associations between previously identified polymorphisms in the promoter region and coding sequence of the bovine Hsp70 gene and beef cow efficiency. We evaluated productivity traits, including Julian calving date and calving rates, of fall-calving cows at each …

Cancer Cachexia: Metabolic Changes That Occur In Oxidative Capacity And Carbohydrate And Lipid Metabolism Of The Liver, Sarah Ramey

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

BACKGROUND: Cancer cachexia is defined as cancer-associated muscle wasting, and is a cancer side effect that dramatically affects cancer prognosis, is thought to be at least partially mediated by increased energy expenditure, and is directly responsible for the death of 20-40% of all cancer patients. Although the liver is known to be a predominant regulator of whole body metabolism, there is little known about its relationship to the development of cancer cachexia. PURPOSE: The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate alterations in liver metabolism by examining measures of hepatic glycogen storage, oxidative phenotype and lipid content throughout the …

Changes In Hepatic Extracellular Matrix During The Development Of Cancer-Cachexia In Mice, Kyle Turner

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

CHANGES IN HEPATIC EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CANCER-CACHEXIA IN MICE

Turner K.W.¹, Rosa-Caldwell M.E.¹, Brown J.L.¹, Lee D.E.¹, Perry R.A.¹, Haynie W.A.¹ Washington T.A.¹, Wiggs M.P.², Greene N.P.¹: ¹University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas; ²Univeristy of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the most widespread and deadly diseases in recent history. Cancer-cachexia is a systemic, metabolic disorder that greatly disrupts the patient’s energy balance, causing uncontrollable weight and, specifically, skeletal muscle loss. This cancer-induced cachexia is …

The Work Of Living Art, Empathy, And The Creation Of An Aesthetics Of Perception In The Early Twentieth Century, Sarah Peil Winstead

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adolphe Appia (1862-1928), theorist and pioneering voice of the New Stagecraft Movement in twentieth century theatre, was a transformative influence on the history of scenic design. This paper looks at the links between Appia’s theories in theatre scenic design and contemporaneous German aesthetic theory. At the time German theorists like Adolf Hildebrand and August Schmarsow developed an aesthetic theory, Einfülung or empathy theory, based on the connection between the human body and perception. I will argue this theory influenced not only Appia and his contemporaries it also shaped the landscape of mid-century theatre design. Appia’s own theories revolved around three …

Quantification Of Tumor-Associated Macrophages Following Immunomodulation Therapy In A Murine Allograft Model Of Colorectal Carcinoma, Caroline Spainhour

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Colorectal Carcinoma (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, with 150,000 new cases annually in the United States. Traditional treatments include chemotherapy and invasive surgery; however, research has shown that only 25% of patients that undergo traditional treatment have a positive result. Immunotherapy is an emerging form of cancer treatment that utilizes the patients’immune system to fight cancer cells by targeting inflammation, which plays a large role in the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are immune cells that affect the inflammatory microenvironment of tumors. TAMs are M1 in the early stages of tumors, …

A Farm Bill To Help Farmers Weather Climate Change, Peter H. Lehner, Nathan A. Rosenberg

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The Farm Bill has an enormous impact on climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture account for almost 10 percent of total U.S. emissions and up to a quarter of all emissions globally. The Farm Bill encourages the use of carbon-intensive agricultural practices and products responsible for these emissions, but nonetheless offers several opportunities to quickly expand carbon sequestration, making it a critical piece of climate legislation. This essay will examine the climate impact of the Farm Bill, focusing on the commodity, conservation, and crop insurance programs. It then proposes politically feasible changes to these programs aimed at minimizing agricultural …

Cancer-Induced Muscle Wasting, Jacob Levi Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer-induced muscle wasting, otherwise known as cancer-cachexia, is a wasting syndrome that occurs in approximately 80% of cancer patients that is the primary cause of death for 22%-30% of cancer cases. Cancer-cachexia may be metabolically induced; therefore, the central hypothesis of this dissertation is mitochondrial degeneration occurs before cancer-cachexia, and increased oxidative stress because of mitochondrial degeneration in muscle may instigate cancer-cachexia. Lewis Lung Carcinoma cells (LLC) or PBS (control) were injected into the hind-flank of C57Bl6/J mice at 8 wks age, and tumor allowed to develop for 1, 2, 3 or 4 wks. Mitochondrial quality, function, ROS emission, protein …

Antibacterial Properties Of A Cationic Imidazolium-Containing Poly(Ionic Liquid), Kaitlyn P. Brickey

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Poly(ionic liquids), or PILs, have been shown to have a number of biological applications as ligands, drug delivery vehicles, and nonviral DNA delivery mechanisms. Additionally, PILs have been proven to be efficient antibacterials. Imidazolium-containing PILs have promising results in antibacterial studies, but relating to their chain and charge density, only the effects of mono- & bis-imidazolium PILs have been sufficiently described in literature. The work detailed in this thesis aimed to further existing research on the effect of chain density by controlling the UV-initiator immobilization time. The effects of chain density were investigated by grafting poly(vinylimidazolium chloride) onto SiO_{2 …}

Phylogeny Of The Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma Spectabile) Species Complex In The Ozark Highlands Of Arkansas, Mckenna George

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Darters are small, benthic fishes that live in freshwater rivers and streams and belong to the family Percidae. Pleistocene glaciations fragmented many darter species, resulting in speciation, but new species are often hard to detect if they are morphologically identical to pre-existing species. Intraspecific hybridization and resulting introgression, which occur frequently in glaciated areas, further complicate identification by introducing heterospecific genomes into mitochondrial DNA, making it difficult to accurately resolve phylogenetic relationships. The results of Bossu and Near’s 2009 study highlight this issue, showing a large degree of incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees.

This study analyzed samples from …

Interpersonal And Ideological Kindness: A Biocultural Approach, Sally Averitt-Hubbard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In accordance with Richard Dawkins’ materialist “selfish gene” theory of human behavior, altruism is a subject matter that is treated conservatively by biologists, whose understanding of the human version of altruism tends toward mutualistic and sometimes reputation-based explanations of charity, kindness, and helping. Trivers (1971) first stated that non-kin altruism could evolve if altruistic behavior is balanced between partners over time, implicating a strictly mutualistic domain for kindness. But kindness herein is defined, beyond mere mutualism or reciprocity, as “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” Further, kindness tends to have an action-oriented dimension, as in Goetz et al.’s …

Nutraceutrical Snack Prepared From Sprouted Rough Rice And Green Gram And Its Physichocemical Properties, In Vitro Glycemic Index, And Sensory Attributes, Rachel Browder

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Snacks make up a large portion of the U.S. daily meals, but unhealthy snacks may be causing consumers to become overweight or obese. A healthy alternatives are germinated cereals and legumes, which undergo chemical compositional changes producing smaller size molecules for easier digestion and generate bioactives. Therefore, the objective of this research was to develop a healthy and nutritional snack chip from germinated, Arkansas produced rough rice and germinated green gram that will be easier for the body to digest, provide much higher protein than conventional chips or crackers with low on the glycemic index, and still meet consumer demands …

The Effect Of Breakfast On Energy Metabolism, Appetite, And Food Intake In Young Versus Older Men, Allie Murphy

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

As life expectancy continues to rise, it is important to consider optimal nutrition recommendations to improve health outcomes, quality of life, and physical independence in older adults. Previous studies have focused on the impact of breakfast on postprandial appetite in younger adults. Research on the effects of breakfast on appetite in older adults is limited. Several studies have identified protein as a key nutrient for older adults. Protein has been shown to increase satiety for longer periods of time and decrease cravings later in the day when compared to high carbohydrate meals. However, more research is needed to determine the …

In-Vitro Simulation Of Acute Ischemic Stroke, Paolo Garcia

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a condition that involves the occlusion of a blood vessel within the brain, effectively preventing the passage of oxygen and nutrients. AIS is highly prevalent in the United States, where nearly 795,000 strokes happen per year and 87% of those are ischemic. From a medical standpoint, the obstructing clot can be removed with the use of a stroke retrieval device. However, a need arises for testing the aforementioned devices on a patient’s specific vascular geometries in order to increase the likelihood of a successful procedure. Outlined is a process for developing a physical simulation of …

Does Hydration Impact Memory: A Systematic Review, Kelsey Ellis-Lepard

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

With 60% of the adult human body composed of water it makes sense that maintaining proper hydration levels is important to survival as well as living a healthy life. Water has many roles throughout the human body: thermoregulation, being a carrier, being a lubricant, and acting as a reaction medium. As a carrier, water is responsible for allowing exchanges between cells, interstitial fluid and capillaries. In addition, water regulates the blood volume and allows blood circulation. Since water is responsible for these tasks, many systems in the body as well as the brain are reliant upon proper hydration levels to …

Development Of An In Vitro Platform For The Exploration Of Skeletal Muscle Cell Mechanobiology, Sydney Spradlin

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Muscles have the natural ability to regenerate when damaged. This works to keep the body functioning, unless this ability is overwhelmed. Volumetric muscle loss (VML) occurs when a substantial amount of a muscles mass is lost. This leads to the development of scar tissue, and often a loss of function. In order to find a solution for this condition, in vitro models are needed to explore the mechanobiology of skeletal muscle cells. Two platforms were developed in this study, to explore 3 factors: orientation, strain, and supporting structure. One platform used fibronectin stamped lanes on PDMS to encourage cell growth …

In Vitro Aortic Arch Flow Model For Vector Flow Imaging Testing, Jackson Mosley

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pediatric stenosis is the narrowing of the aorta at the aortic valve, above the aortic valve, or below the aortic valve. Typically, this disease’s severity is diagnosed by conventional Doppler ultrasound methods, or echocardiography. Conventional Doppler can sometimes overestimate the pressure gradient over the area of stenosis, diagnosing some cases of PAS to be more severe than they actually are. This causes earlier intervention than is desired in children. A new US modality, Vector Flow Imaging (VFI), is an angle-independent US imaging method that can potentially more accurately quantify peak blood flow velocities and pressure gradients across stenotic sections of …

Removal Of Carbamazepine From Drinking Water, Zachary Wiese

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the increasing prevalence of prescription medication over the past few

decades, pharmaceuticals have accumulated in various water sources. This has become a

public health concern because many pharmaceuticals have limited research on the effects

of chronic low-level exposure. According to the World’s Health Organization (WHO),

traces of pharmaceuticals products have been reported in different water sources such as

surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and drinking water.[1] One pharmaceutical of

interest that has been detected in water sources is carbamazepine. Carbamazepine is a

common pharmaceutical prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders, neuropathic

pain, and various psychological disorders. It’s mechanism …

The Relationship Between Community Dwelling Older Adult’S Fall Risk And Beliefs Of Risk For Falling In Northwest Arkansas And Bolgatanga, Ghana., Natalie Gohman

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Title: The Relationship Between Community Dwelling Older Adult’s Fall Risk and Beliefs of Risk for Falling in Northwest Arkansas and Bolgatanga, Ghana.

Gohman, N., Patton, S., Smith-Blair, N., Agana, C.: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Background: Older adults worldwide live with comorbidities, physical and psychological changes associated with aging. Statistically, however, older adults are more likely to die as a result of falling. As the worldwide population of individuals over 65 rises, so will the possibility for injuries from falls. Much research has been published concerning fall risk prevention, but minimal research surrounding protocols and practices for protecting against falls …

Sustainability Children's Book, Linden Cheek

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As human driven climate change continues to alter our planet, persuading the general public to adopt sustainable living practices has become increasingly important. Storytelling has long been a part of human culture, and recent studies have emphasized the power of storytelling to influence the audience as a means of changing behavior. This project attempted to teach sustainable principles to primary school children through the creation of a scientific children’s book. The book communicated the maxim of “reduce, reuse, recycle” by tracing a fictitious story of a town where children frequently buy new toys and throw the old toys away. The …

Effect Of Incubation Temperature On Phosphorous Release From Soils To Water, Seth Boles

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recent years, nutrient release into flood waters and runoff has been a major concern within the Illinois River watershed, as well as nationwide. This study investigated whether there was a change in the release rate of soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP) into overlying water from soil cores incubated at different temperatures. Soil cores were incubated at 4.4°C, 20°C, and 32°C. After inundation, water samples were taken periodically over a seven-hour period and SRP measured. Following the drainage of the water, the upper 5 cm soil from each core was dried and analyzed for Mehlich III-extractable and water-extractable P. The results …

Nutrient Limitation Of Algal Growth In Fishery Lakes, Madeline Ludwig

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigated the effect of nutrient addition on algal growth in three United States Forest Service lakes for fishery management in Arkansas. In fishery managed lakes, fertilization works by manipulating algae growth, a basal food resource in lakes, to promote the growth of the fish population. For the nutrient addition experiments, water was collected from each lake in cubitainers and spiked with nutrients; the treatments included the control, nitrogen (+N), phosphorus (+P), and nitrogen and phosphorus (+N +P). When algal growth was visually observed, a water sample was collected from each cubitainer and analyzed for chlorophyll-α. The results showed …

Investigating Initial Interactions Between Silver Nanoparticles And Wastewater, Casey Gibson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) has increased exponentially in the last 15-20 years, especially in the consumer market. NPs are currently found in over 1800 commercial products, including cosmetics, clothing, packaging, and toys. As a result, NPs can enter the environment via wastewater (WW) streams, leading to new challenges in WW treatment. This study focuses on the initial fate of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in WW. The AgNP interaction including aggregation and dissolution in both synthetic and real WW were studied. Real WW was collected from the primary-clarifier, secondary-clarifier, and effluent WW streams at two local WW treatment plants (Westside and …

Optimizing Genetic Manipulation Of Methanogens Through Faster Cloning Techniques, Merrisa Jennings

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Methanogenesis is the biological production of methane. Only anaerobic archaea known as methanogens are capable of such a metabolic feat. They have strict living conditions and substrate sources which determine their rate of metabolism. This is of particular importance from a greenhouse gas reduction perspective or biogas capturing perspective. One of the best ways to optimize methanogen methane production is via genetic manipulation. The current procedures are timely though, therefore a faster cloning processes should be developed. The objective of this study was to optimize a premade genetic transformation kit known as the Gibson Kit. The Gibson Kit was supposed …

Chloride Salt Inhibition On Lipid Production In Wastewater-Grown Algae For Biofuel Production, Will Richardson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Algae are increasingly being recognized as useful organisms for many applications in today’s world. Their ability to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace metals from water while adding oxygen to water makes them an attractive tertiary treatment technology in municipal wastewater treatment facilities. At the same time, algae produce lipids and carbohydrates that are useful for biofuel production, and they are not a human food crop unlike many biofuel feedstocks. In this study the effect of increased chloride concentrations in wastewater was assessed on the ability of two species of algae, Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus dimorphus, to function as a …

Assessing Auto-Flocculation Of Microalgae In Wastewater Treatment, Alexander Parr

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Biofuels produced from algae have the prospect to provide a cheap, carbon neutral alternative to fossil fuels. However, the high cost for harvesting algae limits its wide application, as the preferred algae strains for biofuel production are typically unicellular microalgae that do not settle in water very well. Recently, researchers have been focusing on developing a biological method to achieve the sedimentation of algae through flocculation. A recent study has concluded that introducing microalgae that self-flocculates increases the recovery of the desired microalgae, similar to the effect of using coagulant to flocculate the algae. This option can potentially be more …

In-Cage Surface Wetting System For Cooling Poultry In Transport, Ryan Clark

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Poultry health and mortality rates are important considerations in poultry production, as companies can minimize product loss and appeal to a consumer base whose concern for animal welfare continues to grow. Although animal welfare is a consideration for the entire poultry production process, this project focuses on the live-haul phase of the process, specifically during transport from grow houses to processing facilities. During the summer months, broiler chickens being transported can suffer from heat stress that can lead to death. This project consists of the designing and testing of an in-cage surface wetting system to minimize heat stress incidents …

Enhancing Quality Of Life Through Foreign Direct Investment In Northern Mozambique, Sarah-Beth Delay

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has the potential to increase economic activity and improve GDP growth in low-income countries, but can hinder economic development (quality of life improvements) if not sustainable and holistic in manner. Africa serves as a host to many cases of FDI focused on economic growth, but not necessarily improving the quality of life for its citizens. FDI has spread throughout the African continent, where many countries are well endowed with natural resources, like minerals and coal. These economies have experienced rapid GDP growth with few benefits reaching citizens of the host country. Mozambique is a low-income country …

Pid Algorithm Design For Automation Of Eukaryote Fermentation, Madison Mann

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Single celled eukaryotic organisms are advantageous in the production of proteins for use in biopharmaceuticals due to their ease of cultivation and manipulation. Because of high cell density during fermentation and an ability to allow post-translational protein modifications, yeast is particularly well-suited. To maximize the specific formation rate of the desired proteins, an optimum specific growth rate of the yeast should be found and maintained. This rate is dependent upon pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, and carbon feed rate. Fermentation can be done in a fed batch reactor system, and it is possible to use a Buglab (online biomss) sensor …

Removal Of Carbamazepine From Drinking Water, Jordan Alex Gadberry, Adam Johnson, Juan Rodriguez, Paola Marrero-Rivera, Tom Krumpolc, Zach Wiese

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the increasing prevalence of prescription medication over the past few decades, pharmaceuticals have accumulated in various water sources. This has become a public health concern because many pharmaceuticals have limited research on the effects of chronic low-level exposure. According to the World’s Health Organization (WHO), traces of pharmaceuticals products have been reported in different water sources such as surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and drinking water.^[1] One pharmaceutical of interest that has been detected in water sources is carbamazepine. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a common pharmaceutical prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders, neuropathic pain, and various psychological disorders. …