Digital Commons Network^™

The Recession Of 2008: For Better Or For Worse, Kelsy Litchenburg

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

With nonstop discussion about the current recession in the government, news, classroom, social media, and any other type of communication outlet, there is seldom a minute that Americans are not impacted by our current economic condition. Constantly, we are faced with pitfalls of the recession, like job loss and a declining house market, but who is to say that the motion of our economy doesn't follow Newton's third law stating that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction? Meaning that for each negative this recession brings, might there also be a positive social effect as well? After …

Hollow Fiber Membranes In Increased Algae Growth For Biobutanol Production, Allison Mcatee

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Algae are a unique and remarkable species of plant that is capable of thriving on land deemed useless for the cultivation of food crops. They also breathe in the harmful greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. As the fastest living organism to complete a life cycle, algae is the single most effective user of carbon dioxide in the world thus making it an important ally for diminishing the threat of global warming. Furthermore, algae are comprised of high concentrations of lipids, rendering it an appealing option for use in biodiesel production, specifically butanol. Increasing the algae’s supply of carbon dioxide gas causes …

The Effects Of Physical Activity Education On Exercise Self-Efficacy And Physical Activity: A Comparison Study Between Exercise Science And Physical Education Teacher Education, Megan Wojcicki

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the adjustment families undergo when a child is diagnosed with deafness as well as their adjustment to the child hearing after a cochlear implant is in place. The participants of the study were four hearing adults between the ages of 18-28 who have a younger sibling with a cochlear implant. The qualitative study used reports from four participants to reflect on how hearing loss and subsequent cochlear implantation impacted the family’s lives. Contrary to expecting findings, the themes did not change and all four reported nurturing and personal growth as key themes.

Using Capillary Electrophoresis To Detect Amyloid Protein Aggregation, Jennifer Kurtz

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia accounting for ½ to ¾ of all cases. AD is characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive function over a span of 10 years, ultimately ending in death. The main possible cause of AD being researched is the formation of soluble, oligomer amyloids. Amyloids are proteins that misfold and aggregate in the brain causing potent neurotoxic effects on neurons in the brain. Microchip electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis are two potential methods of determining the level of amyloid aggregation. In order to detect at physiological concentrations, covalent dyes must be used to …

Sweetgum Bark: Extraction, Purification, And Determination Of Antioxidant Activity, Shiloh Hurd

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) is a native tree species that grows as a volunteer in the understory of managed pine forests in Arkansas. Sweetgum, as well as other volunteer species, must be removed before the pines can be harvested. Sweetgum wood can be converted to hemicellulosic and cellulosic sugars by dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. These wood-derived sugars can then be fermented into cellulosic ethanol. Usually, the bark is not deconstructed into sugars, but transformed into thermal energy via a combustion process. Interestingly, the bark of the sweetgum contains value-added products that could be recovered prior to thermal processing. …

Investigation Of A Locus On Chromosome 9 For Contributions To Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome In Broilers, Sriram Krishnamoorthy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the ascites syndrome in chickens has been investigated for years, it continues to inflict financial losses to the world poultry industry. It is estimated that 8% of the 361 million broiler deaths are due to ascites leading to losses of millions of dollars annually. Efforts to curb the incidence of ascites are typically designed to slow early growth. This limits the birds' ability to show its true genetic potential and impacts later yields. In 1994 lines divergent for susceptibility to ascites were established from a commercial sire line through sibling selection of birds reared at local altitude after testing …

Effect Of Enzymatic Treatments On The Physiochemical Properties Of Different Corn Starches, Curtis Robert Luckett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amylose readily reassociates to form films and crystalline structures that are resistant to digestion by amylolytic enzymes and known as resistant starch type III (RS3). This study investigated the RS3 formation and cereal coating properties from enzyme-modified corn starches with varying amylose contents, including Hylon VII (70% amylose), Hylon V (50% amylose), and common corn (25% amylose). For RS3 formation, corn starches were first gelatinized and then hydrolyzed using β-amylase to varying degrees. The resultant hydrolyzed starch was debranched with isoamylase and then exposed to 3 times of temperature cycling at 135/133/133°C for 30 min and 95°C for 24 hr …

Genetic Analysis Of Chromosomal Regions Affecting Sperm Mobility In The Chicken (Gallus Gallus Domesticus), Sharath Chandra Munnaluri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project is focused on determining the contributions of particular genetic loci to low sperm mobility in the chicken. Sperm mobility has been shown to be a major determinant of male fertility in broiler breeders. A whole genome SNP scan identified chromosomal regions (QTLs) that control sperm mobility. I used microsatellites from 4 chromosomal regions ( 15.151 on chromosome 6, 12.435 on chromosome Z, 12.341 on chromosome Z, and 17.214 on chromosome Z) to determine the association of these regions with sperm mobility in experimental lines divergently selected for mobility phenotype. Determination of the genetics underlying sperm mobility will identify …

Stable Isotope Analysis (Delta Nitrogen-15 And Delta Carbon-13) And Bioenergetic Modeling Of Spatial-Temporal Foraging Patterns And Consumption Dynamics In Brown And Rainbow Trout Populations Within Catch-And-Release Areas Of Arkansas Tailwaters, Jon M. Flinders

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I examined spatial and temporal consumption dynamics using an energy intake model and a bioenergetics model of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and brown trout, Salmo trutta, within three catch-and-release (C-R) areas in Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters to determine whether trout populations were limited by food supply. I also examined the seasonal and ontogenetic shifts in the foraging patterns of brown and rainbow trout within these areas using gut content analysis (GCA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA) of C and N. I examined 605 brown trout and 768 rainbow trout for GCA and SIA at Bull Shoals, Norfork, …

Mathematical Modeling Of Fluid Spills In Hydraulically Fractured Well Sites, Oluwafemi Michael Taiwo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improved drilling technology and favorable energy prices have contributed to the rapid pace at which the exploitation of unconventional natural gas is taking place across the United States. As a natural gas well is being drilled, reserve pits are constructed to hold the drilling fluids and other materials returned from the drilling process. These reserve pits can fail, and when they do, plant and animal life of the surrounding area may be adversely affected. This project develops a screening tool for a suitable location for a reserve pit. This work will be a critical piece of the Infrastructure Placement Analysis …

Modern Modesty: The Renegotiation Of Female Pious Dress In Modern Pentecostal Assemblies, Amanda Beth Phillips

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hair buns, high necklines, long sleeves, ankle length skirts, and simple yet practical work style shoes have exemplified Pentecostal women's dress throughout the history of the movement. Their bodies fervently protected from impropriety and immorality, through prescribed attire, are the sites upon which the church inscribes its vision of the modest Pentecostal woman. How dress is used within the community to `set apart' those assembly members whom have achieved the appropriate holiness lifestyle not only makes them upstanding members of the church assembly but also defines them as `saints' (sanctified ones, holy assembly members) and helps to develop their relationship …

Worry Induction Among Adolescents: A Laboratory Evaluation, Jamie Leigh Frala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Available research indicates that worry is an important process involved in the development and maintenance of both psychological (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and physical (e.g., coronary heart disease) problems. However, this process is still in need of further investigation, particularly among adolescents. While a sizable body of literature has examined the nature, prevalence, and correlates of worry in both adults and youth, laboratory investigations of this variable using a real-time worry induction paradigm have previously only been done with adults. The current study aimed to extend the literature by using the controlled laboratory methods well established in the adult literature …

Interactions Of Nitric Oxide And Superoxide Pathways In Hyperglycemic Endothelial Cells, Steven Clay Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular complications arising from diabetic hyperglycemia represents one of the leading causes of death and greatest public health challenges of modern societies. Despite state-of-the-art glucose control, diabetic patients remain at a markedly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The loss of endothelial function (the development of diabetic endothelial dysfunction) has been implicated in the development of numerous diabetic cardiovascular diseases. The endothelial cell produces many vasoactive substances, hormones and cytoprotective biological factors. Endothelial cells are also involved in and affected by the initiation of inflammatory responses through the release and interaction of cytokines and other immune system molecules. Therefore, regulation of …

Electrospun Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering, Andreas Haukas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stem cell and tissue engineering offer us with a unique opportunity to research and develop new therapies for treating various diseases that are otherwise incurable using traditional medicines. However, development of these new therapies replies upon the establishment of in vitro cell culture and differentiation systems that mimic in vivo microenvironments required for cell-cell and cell-ECM interaction. The development of these cell culture systems depends upon the identification of appropriate biomaterials and cell sources. Biomaterials should be carefully selected and fabricated into scaffolds for supporting cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we explored the fabrication of 3D electrospun nanofiber …

Misappropriation And Patenting Of Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge And Genetic Resources, Maxim V. Gubarev

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Four-fifths of all pharmaceuticals have been developed from natural plant resources, and native plant resources similarly play a significant role in the development of new and improved crops.

Cows V. Capitalists: Visions Of A Post-Carbon Economy, Alison Peck

Journal of Food Law & Policy

I was tempted to entitle this book review something like, "Why the Farm Bill Is the Key to Our Energy Future (Hint: It's Not About Ethanol, Methane Emissions, or Carbon Sinks)." But in addition to being too long to fit across the header of a law review page, such a title would have been slightly misleading. Actually, in Simon Fairlie's view, our future is about ethanol, methane emissions, and carbon sinks - but not in the way our current agricultural policies understand and deal with these subjects.

The Effect Of Weighting Development Indicators On Countries Eligibility For International Development Funding: The Case Of The Millennium Challenge Corporation (Mcc), Idrissa Noma

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government agency whose purpose is to promote economic growth and reduce poverty in low and low middle-income countries. It uses indicators to endorse countries eligibilities for international development funding. These indicators are related to economic growth and are developed by independent third parties (e.g., United Nations, World Bank), to evaluate a country's policy performance in three specific areas: (1) Ruling Justly, (2) Investing in People, and (3) Encouraging Economic Freedom (MCC, 2011). The MCC weighs indicators equally regardless of their myopic in-country relevancy to economic development. The goal of this study is …

Utilization Of Natural Green Tea And Grape Seed Extracts And Nisin To Reduce Conventional Chemical Preservatives And To Inhibit The The Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Ready To Eat Low And High Fat Chicken And Turkey Hotdogs, Amara Venkata Sunil Perumalla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ready-to-eat meat (RTE) products such as hotdogs represent a popular segment in convenience food purchases. Increased demand has led the processors to extend the shelf life by minimizing lipid oxidation and post-processing contaminants such as Listeria monocytogenes. There is a growing interest in the food processors and consumers regarding the use of natural alternatives in place of synthetic food additives to control the growth of foodborne pathogens and (or) lipid oxidation. In recent years, green tea (GTE) and grape seed extracts (GSE) are increasing choices as they have demonstrated antioxidant as well as antimicrobial properties in various food applications. …

Anxiety And Sleep Disorder Comorbidity: Affecting The College Students' Performances, Amanda Rhenee Grimes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects that anxiety disorders and sleep disorders have on students' academic performance. The prevalence of both disorders is rising in the college student population. This study examines those who have been physician diagnosed with the one or both of the disorders and how the students' grade point average (GPA) is affected.

The National College Health Assessment was used for data collection; this survey assesses college students' health habits, behaviors, and perceptions. The sample was comprised of 57 institutions representing every region in the U.S. totaling 34,208 participants. Data was acquired through …

Development Of A Microfluidic Device Coupled To Microdialysis Sampling For The Pre-Concentration Of Cytokines, Randy Francisco Espinal Cabrera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A proof-of-concept microfluidic device combined with heparin-immobilized magnetic beads was created to concentrate cytokine proteins collected from microdialysis samples. Cytokines are known to be related to several diseases such as cancer, and Parkinson's diseases, so to be able to develop more effective diseases treatments their interactions have to be well understood. Amine-functionalized polystyrene and carboxyl-functionalized magnetic microspheres of ~6.0 ìm in diameter were used to immobilize heparin. The amount of heparin immobilized on polystyrene beads was 5.82 x 10-8 ± 0.36 x 10-8 M per 1.0 x 106 beads and for magnetic beads was 0.64 x 10-8 ± 0.01 x …

A Family Affair: The Pre-Kansas Saga Of James Henry Lane, James Robert Bird

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historian Craig Miner suggests that territorial Kansas between 1854 and 1861 was "a nursery of weird and manic figures." Foremost among the weird and manic figures of Kansas history stands James Henry Lane, formerly a U.S. congressman from Indiana, and destined to become one of Kansas' first pair of senators. Writing at the midpoint of the twentieth century, Albert Castel pronounced Jim Lane "the most colorful and fascinating personality in the history of Kansas," adding that "Very likely, too, he was mentally unbalanced and paranoid."

Yet, James H. Lane never set foot on Kansas soil until he was well into …

The Green Shuttle Business Plan, Carter King

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Green Shuttle is a Limited Liability Company (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada in Spanish) to be established in Costa Rica in September 2012. We are offering an exciting opportunity to two family/friends to invest in a start-up company targeting an underserved market in a developing country. The office for the tourist transportation company will be located in San Jose, Costa Rica. The company is seeking funding of USD $105,000 for the purpose of purchasing machinery, equipment, furniture, and fixtures necessary for operations and to cover estimated operating expenses for the first three months of operations. The investment opportunity offers a …

Early Season Population Dynamics And Residual Insecticide Effects On Bird Cherry-Oat Aphid, Rhopalosiphum Padi In Arkansas Winter Wheat, Beven Mcwilliams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bird cherry-oat aphid is a common pest of Arkansas winter wheat. This aphid vectors barley yellow dwarf virus which may cause extensive crop damage and yield loss when wheat is infested by virulent aphids in the fall. Some suggest this damage may be avoided using insecticide seed treatments if growers are unable to delay planting, as is recommended. Field population dynamics of bird cherry-oat aphid during fall 2009 and 2010 was assessed through random sampling of whole plants and pan trapping methods to evaluate aphid immigration. The field plots were divided into four subplots treated with a systemic insecticide seed …

Characterization Of Novel Histone H2b Mutants Associated With Chromosome Segregation Defects In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Thiruchelvam Rajagopal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Histones are small basic proteins that associate with DNA to form the basic unit of chromatin, the nucleosome. Histones H3 and H4 form a tetramer that is bound by two H2A-H2B dimers to form the histone octamer, to which approximately 146 bp of DNA wrap around to form the nucleosome. High resolution structural information and recent advances in the understanding of histone post-translational modifications have illuminated the many regulatory functions chromatin exerts in the cell, from the transcriptional control of gene expression to chromosome segregation. However, the specific role that histones play in these processes is not well understood. Previous …

Disgust Sensitivity, Sexual Trauma History, And Female Sexual Functioning, Tara Mcgahan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual dysfunctions are a common problem for women that negatively impact quality of life (Laumann, Paik, & Rosen 1999). A history of sexual trauma is associated with an increase in sexual difficulties (Neumann et al., 1996). One common reaction to unwanted sexual contact is disgust (Whealin & Barnett, 2010). However, the role of disgust in the relationship between sexual trauma and female sexual dysfunction has not been examined. This study explored how disgust and a history of sexual trauma related to different domains of sexual functioning (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain). Furthermore, this study assessed whether disgust mediated …

Physiochemical And Nanomanipulation Studies Of Carbon Nanomaterials, Siva Naga Sandeep Chalamalasetty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanomaterials are, without a doubt, one of man's wonder creations. Though these nanomaterials are a very recent trend, extraordinary electromechanical properties and the light weightiness of these nanomaterials attracted the attention of researchers. Although vast research has been done since the start of the US nanotechnology initiative, much effort was in the area of synthesis and characterization of the nanomaterials. However, most of the traditional macroscopic material's theories fail at the nanoscale level, and since the material properties are dependent on size and structure at nanoscale level, the behavior of the carbon nanomaterials in different environments needs attention. High …

An Alternate Approach To Ecosystem Mapping: Fusing Orthophotography With Landsat Etm+ Data For A Object-Based Classification, South Eastern Arkansas., David Mcfee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining representative sampling of biologically rich and rare ecosystems has become an important means to preventing biodiversity loss. A limitation in indentifying and quantifying ecosystems is the cost of obtaining high resolution imagery necessary for a high resolution land cover assessment. This research shows how free, different resolution imagery (orthoimages and LANDSAT ETM+) could be combined to produce a hybrid dataset with enhanced spectral, spectral and temporal properties, and processed to obtain a object-based classification of land cover of bottomland and pine hardwood forest in south eastern Arkansas. Three classification techniques were evaluated: 1) a human derived, rule based method, …

Lameness Associated With A Possible Neural Problem In The Lower Spinal Cord Of Chickens, Gallus Gallus, Gurueswar Nagarajan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the second half of the twentieth century lameness in broiler chickens has been known to be caused by different types of disorders, however the etiology of several type of lameness remain unknown. Because of the intense selection of broilers for rapid growth, some birds are more prone to physiological insults resulting in lameness. This study focuses on possible neural problems in the lower spinal cord associated with lameness in broilers. Broilers were raised in pens with wire floors and provided with food and water ad libitum. Three groups of birds 1) birds displaying a normal gait (Controls), 2) lame …

The Role Of Ascorbic Acid In The Plant-Herbivore Interaction, Kelly Ann Carruthers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ascorbic acid (AsA), vitamin C, is an important molecule that is vital for both human and plant health, because it aids in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by various abiotic and biotic stresses including UV, salinity, ozone, and attack from pathogens In order to understand the role of AsA in the plant-herbivore interaction, we looked at the effects of the wound-responsive hormones, jasmonate, wounding, and herbivory on AsA content. Our study is the first to directly compare the effects of wounding and jasmonates on AsA levels in plants. We looked at the effects of wounding and methyl …

Territories,Territoriality, And Conservation Of The Louisiana Waterthrush And Its Habitat, The Watershed Of The Upper Buffalo National River, Leesia Cheryl Marshall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla, is a migratory wood-warbler and breeding season resident of the eastern United States. Males defend breeding territories that extend linearly along clear, fast-flowing, gravel-bottomed, forest streams. Defense includes two song types, primary and extended song. As riverine specialists, birds rely upon aquatic invertebrates as prey and riparian habitat features for nesting. They use a unique foraging maneuver, leaf-pulling, that involves picking up or pulling a leaf from water, and turning it over to search for prey. Their relationship with riparian habitat introduces potential for Louisiana Waterthrushes to serve as indicators of stream health. The …