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Genetic Variation Of Rice Stink Bugs, Oebalus Spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) From Southeastern United States And Cuba, Allen Szalanski

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (F.; Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) has been a pest of rice in the United States since the 1880s. Besides this species, there now are two invasive Oebalus species, O. ypsilongriseus (De Geer) and O. insularis Stål, which are found in Florida. Genetic variation of these economically important species is unknown, limiting our understanding of Oebalus evolution and demography. Here we provide the first population-level investigation of genetic diversity in these species. Ninety two adult stink bugs were collected from the southeastern United States (Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida), and Cuba. A region of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase …

Human Serum Albumin Interaction With Organochlorine Pesticides, D. S. Sanford, R. Yadav, A. Mishra

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant blood plasma protein and plays a crucial role in drug transport and physiological homeostasis. HSA has a highly flexible structure consisting of three domains, each with multiple binding sites lined with hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues. The structural properties of HSA make it a robust reservoir and receptor for various endogenous and exogenous compounds, including therapeutic drugs. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are a subclass of pesticides characterized by their chlorine content. Once widely used, these compounds remain persistent in the environment and biological systems despite regulatory restrictions in many developed countries. The strong ligand-binding …

Breaking Ground: The Impact Of Construction On Nutrient Loads In An Urban Stream, Brody N. Wilson, Shannon Speir, Alana G. Strauss, Caroline G.T. Anscombe

2025 Research Poster Competition

Degradation of water quality is primarily driven by human activities, such as urbanization. Urban Stream Syndrome (USS) can be characterized by the negative physical, chemical, and biological changes to water quality as a result of urbanization. One key effect of USS is the input of excess nutrients, which can drive unwanted macrophyte and algal growth. New construction is prevalent in urbanizing areas, resulting in the influx of nutrients, sediments, and other materials into stream ecosystems. However, few studies have examined the impacts of active construction on water quality. As such, we do not understand how construction affects nutrient transport downstream. …

Intercellular Stress Generation During 1d Collective Migration Of Cancer Cells, Logan Waddle, Jian Zhang

2025 Research Poster Competition

Physical forces drive many cellular processes such as migration and proliferation. A metastatic tumor will have invasive strands/chains that extend from the main tumor. These chains of cells collectively migrate away from the main tumor to establish new colonies elsewhere in the body. However, how physical forces drive this collective invasion and the required energy for this process is not well understood. Invasion of a metastatic tumor to surrounding tissues leads to a majority of cancer-associated death and is often a collective effort among cells, it is therefore important to fully understand the process behind collective cancer invasion.

The goal …

Ecological Interactions Of Large Mammals In Luangwa, Zambia, Jahzara Osborne, Amelia Villaseñor

2025 Research Poster Competition

"The connection between mammalian behavior in national parks and human-driven environmental change is tenuous. National parks are often considered the last vestiges of natural space, yet they are created and maintained by humans. South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) within the southern East African Rift is a microcosm of this global conundrum and is also a region where stable isotope data is sparce. Understanding the mammalian diets of mammals in the SLNP via carbon and oxygen stable isotopes in teeth will provide a means of understanding variation in one aspect of mammal behavior that may be affected by changing animal-human relationships. …

Glucose Limitation And The Second Glycolysis Peak In Stimulated Macrophages, Melih Karabacak

2025 Research Poster Competition

Previous studies have shown that individuals exposed to fever temperatures are much more likely to combat infections compared to those who are at normal body temperatures. However, in recent years, achieving fever responses has gotten much more difficult. Fortunately, in Dr. Durdik’s lab, it has been seen that effective fever temperatures can be generated artificially. The primary focus of the Durdik lab is an understudied field: the relationship between macrophage activity and fever temperatures. One key piece of information discovered from this research is the pattern of macrophages to go through different levels of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, with the …

The Effect Of Parental Behavior On The Ontogeny Of The Immune System In The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia Sialis), Wyatt Boehm, William Kirkpatrick, Sarah E. Durant

2025 Research Poster Competition

Previous research has explored the trade-offs between growth and immune endpoints in offspring since early development is critical in shaping adult responses to disease. However, an unexplored aspect of immune development is the influence of parental behavior on immune outcomes. I observed parental behavior during early development and its influence on offspring immune condition. To analyze parental behavior during incubation in the Eastern Bluebird, I quantified incubation constancy (percentage of time spent on the nest) and its impact on white blood cell ratios throughout development. Incubation constancy is useful in defining general trends in adult incubation behavior. Here, I have …

Nests With Higher Thermal Variation Produce Fewer Fledglings With Larger Bills Than Higher Temperature Nests, Salvador Barraza-Del Barco, William Kirckpatrick, Sarah Heissenberger, Sarah Durant

2025 Research Poster Competition

Warmer temperatures and increased temperature variability are predicted in the future due to climate change. Phenotypic outcomes of avian nestlings are heavily impacted by nest temperature. We examined metabolic rates and growth of Eastern Bluebird nestlings subjected to increased mean temperature and increased temperature variability within the nest during development.

Stress Affects Infectious Disease Outcomes In Canaries, Vansh Singhal, Erin Sauer, Salvador Barraza-Del Barco, Kamiah H. Turner, William H. Kirkpatrick, Weston Perrine, Sarah Heissenberger, Sarah E. Durant

2025 Research Poster Competition

Chronic stress is related to a decline in immune function in all living organisms and is known to increase the likelihood of developing or exacerbating chronic non-infectious diseases. However, the role of chronic stress in affecting outcomes of infection important to individual health and endpoints important for epidemic dynamics (e.g., likelihood of transmission) are not well understood. In this study we exposed canaries (Serinus canaria) to chronic stress or control conditions after which they were inoculated with Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, a bacterium that causes respiratory disease in birds.

Following the chronic stress protocol, the canaries were assessed every day for measures …

Leukocyte Infiltration Profiles At The Site Of Intradermal Injection Of Silikon-1000 In Scleroderma-Prone Ucd200/206 And Healthy White Leghorn Chickens, Katee L. Johnson, Jossie M. Santamaria, Chrysta N. Beck, Gisela F. Erf

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Intradermal injections of silicone-based fillers for the face and body may cause chronic inflammation and fibrotic reactions in some individuals. Chickens from the UCD 200/206 White Leghorn (WL) line spontaneously develop a fibrotic autoimmune disease known as scleroderma/systemic sclerosis (SSc). Using the SSc-prone UCD and healthy WL chickens, a longitudinal study was conducted to examine the cellular inflammatory responses to intradermal (i.d.) injections of sterile SILIKON-1000. Specifically, the pulp (a skin derivative) of growing feathers (GFs) was i.d. injected with sterile SILIKON-1000 or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as injection control (8 and 3 birds/line, respectively; 10 µL/GF; 20 GFs/bird). Two GFs …

Identification Of Salt Tolerance And Stress Response In Us Department Of Agriculture Tomato Germplasm At The Seedling Stage, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Kenani Chiwina, Hanan Alkabkabi, Qun Luo, Neelendra K. Joshi, Xiaolun Sun, Xuan Zhuang, Kai-Shi Ling, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil salinity is a significant abiotic factor that impedes sustainable crop production in key agricultural regions worldwide. Saline cultivation adversely affects soil quality, whereas the use of saline water for irrigation disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of plants. Continuous irrigation with high salt concentrations leads to a gradual buildup of soil salinity, thus hindering optimal plant growth and development. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on breeding salinity-tolerant cultivars of various crops. In this study, 71 tomato accessions sourced from 20 countries and provided by the US Department of Agriculture were evaluated under controlled greenhouse conditions and subjected to …

New Insights Into Fertilisation With Animal Manure For Annual Double-Cropping Systems In Nitrate-Vulnerable Zones Of Northeastern Spain, Dolores Quilez, Monica Guillen, Marta Valles, Arturo Dauden, Beatriz Moreno-Garcia

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Maize double-cropping production systems in Mediterranean areas have a great nitrogen extraction capacity and high nitrogen (N) requirements. This study aims to assess whether in these farming systems, animal manure can be applied, using adequate management practices, at levels exceeding the maximum annual amount of livestock manure established in the European Nitrate Directive for vulnerable zones (170 kg N ha-1) without increasing the risk of water nitrate contamination. We compare the risk of nitrate leaching under two fertilisation strategies, one with synthetic fertilisers and the second with a maximised application of pig slurry, exceeding the limits of the EU Nitrate …

Optimizing Ethephon Application Timing For ‘Meyer’ Zoysiagrass Seedhead Suppression, Brandon C. Mcnally

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp. Willd.) is a desirable, low-input turfgrass species used on golf courses. However, prolific zoysiagrass seedhead production in the spring can increase golf course maintenance costs and reduce aesthetics. Previous research demonstrates that a single autumn ethephon application can suppress zoysiagrass seedhead production the following spring, but the optimum application timing is not well-defined. The objective of this research was to determine the optimum window for an effective ethephon application for ‘Meyer’ zoysiagrass seedhead suppression. Small-plot field research was conducted in Indiana, Kansas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Seedheads were suppressed up to 99% depending on application timing. In …

Comparative Analysis Of Hydration Status And Microbial Quality Of Tap Water Between Urban And Rural Settings In The Ashanti Region Of Ghana, Marina A. Tandoh, Priscilla Owusu, Claire-Rush N.A. Nkrumah, Veronica Tawiah Annaful, Chris Y. Asare, Samuel Selormi Attu

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Maintaining proper hydration is crucial for human health, physiological functions, and cognitive performance. This study sought to determine the hydration status and the microbial safety of tap water in an urban setting (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Campus) and a rural community (Adjamesu) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The water safety perception and hydration status of 171 study participants aged 10-61 years were assessed. Six taps were randomly selected at each site in triplicates, resulting in 36 water samples. The microbial quality of the water was assessed by testing for heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella. …

Dictyostelids: The Second Major Group Of Slime Molds, P. Liu, Z.J. Zhang, J.H. Ge, Y. Zou, Z. Li, S. Li, Y. Li, S.L. Stephenson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The dictyostelids (also called cellular slime molds or social amoebae) are among the more abundant and widespread groups of microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this fact, they are totally unknown to most people, who sometimes confuse the dictyostelids with myxomycetes (or plasmodial slime molds). The first dictyostelid (Dictyostelium mucoroides) was described by the German Oskar Brefeld in 1869. More than 180 species are now known, and these organisms have been recorded from the high arctic to the subantarctic. The primary microhabitat for dictyostelids is the soil/humus layer on a forest floor, but they also occur in a number of other …

In Vitro Comparative Study Of Composite Coatings For Magnesium-Based Bone Implants, Abdelrahman Amin, Bryce Williams, Thomas Mcgehee, Alyssandra Navarro, Vipul Patil, Mostafa Elsaadany, Hanna Ibrahim

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study provides a comparative assessment of the corrosion, morphology, and biological properties of four of the most promising coating methods for magnesium in biomedical applications, namely micro-arc oxidation (MAO), graphene oxide (GO)-containing MAO coating, MAO/sol-gel composite coating, and MAO/polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer dip coating approaches. Despite the abundance of research focused on these promising coating approaches, there is a notable lack of comparative studies evaluating their properties. To this end, the investigated composite coatings are ZK60+MAO, ZK60+MAO/GO, ZK60+MAO/Sol-gel, and ZK60+MAO/PCL composite coating. Several tests were used to assess various properties of the prepared groups such as in vitro corrosion characteristics, …

Color Development Of Direct Acidified Pork Sausage Containing Alternative Curing And Reducing Agents, Jacob R. Tuell, Harley Francis, Sydney Bentz, Ashley R. Pitti, Morgan L. Denzer, Derico Setyabrata

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study evaluated the inclusion of preconverted alternative cures (celery powder [CELERY], beet powder [BEET]) compared to conventional sodium nitrite (NaNO2 [NITRITE]) formulated to 125 ppm of ingoing nitrite (NO2) in pork sausage acidified with encapsulated citric acid. Formulations included cherry powder (CHERRY) at 1000 ppm as an alternative cure accelerator, conventional sodium erythorbate (ERYTH) at 547 ppm, or no cure accelerator (NONE). The application of a holding period (OVERNIGHT) or not (IMMEDIATE) prior to thermal processing was evaluated. Batches (n = 3) were prepared in a 3 x 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of cures, accelerators, and holding periods. …

Biphasic Models Improved S-Metolachlor Dissipation Endpoint Predictions, K. Badou-Jeremie Kouame, Mary Savin, Cammy Willett, Thomas R. Butts, Erin Grantz, Matthew Bertucci, Samantha E. Robinson, Rodrigo Werle, Nilda Roma-Burgos

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Accurate predictions of herbicide dissipation endpoints are essential for making environmental management decisions, estimating the duration of weed control, and deciding crop replant and rotation options. The performance of the single first-order (SFO), first-order multiple-compartment (FOMC), bi-exponential (BEXP), first-order double-exponential decay (FODED), and first-order two-compartment (FOTC) was evaluated to describe S-metolachlor dissipation. Results showed that the BEXP and FOTC were not appropriate. The FODED was ranked as the top model with the lowest Akaike's information criterion (AICc) value among the other three candidate models and was followed by the FOMC model. The SFO displayed the largest root mean square …

Sensitivity Of Difficult-To-Control Palmer Amaranth Accessions To Fluridone And Diflufenican, Maria Carolina Souza, Matthew Coleman Woolard, Jason K. Norsworthy, Tristen H. Avent, Tristen H. Avent, Tom Barber, Rodrigo Botelho

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) has evolved resistance to herbicides targeting nine sites of action. Phytoene desaturase-inhibiting herbicides remain among the few sites of action that are still effective in controlling Palmer amaranth. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fluridone and diflufenican in controlling difficult-to-control Palmer amaranth accessions collected in Arkansas from 2016 to 2022, to quantify the response of three accessions that exhibited low sensitivity to both herbicides, and to evaluate the effectiveness of photosystem II inhibitors alone and with fluridone or diflufenican on three accessions. At 14 days after a preemergence application, Palmer …

Identification Of Salt Tolerance And Stress Response In Us Department Of Agriculture Tomato Germplasm At The Seedling Stage, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Kenani Chiwina, Hanan Mohammedsaeed Alkabkabi, Qun Luo, Neelendra K. Joshi, Xiaolun Sun, Xuan Zhuang, Kai-Shu Ling, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract. Soil salinity is a significant abiotic factor that impedes sustainable crop pro- duction in key agricultural regions worldwide. Saline cultivation adversely affects soil quality, whereas the use of saline water for irrigation disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of plants. Continuous irrigation with high salt concentrations leads to a gradual buildup of soil salinity, thus hindering optimal plant growth and development. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on breeding salinity-tolerant cultivars of various crops. In this study, 71 tomato accessions sourced from 20 coun- tries and provided by the US Department of Agriculture were evaluated under con- trolled greenhouse …

Ecological Interactions, Host Plant Defenses, And Control Strategies In Managing Soybean Looper, Chrysodeixis Includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Rahul Debnath, Justin George, Manish Gautum, Insha Shafi, Rupesh Kariyat, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Entomology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soybean looper (SBL), Chrysodeixis includens (Walker 1858) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most damaging insect pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., in the mid-south region of the United States, and causes significant economic losses to cotton, sunflower, tomato, and tobacco crops in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. Soybean production in the southern region accounted for 15.5% of the total production in the United States, and yield losses due to invertebrate pests were 5.8%, or 1.09 million metric ton, in 2022. As insecticide resistance of SBL continues to rise, the lack of alternate control strategies is a serious …

Lifetime Stressor Exposure Is Related To Suicidality In Autistic Adults: A Multinational Study, Rachel L. Moseley, Darren Hedley, Julie M. Gamble-Turner, Mirko Uljarević, Simon M. Bury, Grant Shields, Julian N. Trollor, Mark A. Stokes, George M. Slavich

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite very high rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) in autistic adults, the key psychosocial drivers of this phenomenon remain unknown. To investigate, we examined how lifetime stressor exposure and severity, which have been found to predict STB in non-autistic populations, related to STB in a multinational dataset of 226 autistic adults from the United Kingdom and Australia (67% female; M_age = 41.8, SD = 13.6, range = 19–73 years old). Results revealed that autistic men and women differ with respect to the count, severity, and type of stressors they experienced over the life course. Whereas autistic men …

Optimizing Lab Methods For Consistent Rice Milling Analysis, Samuel Olayiwola Olaoni, Bindu Regonda, Kaushik Luthra, Griffiths Atungulu

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background and Objectives

Milling is one of the most important postharvest processes in rice production. Traditionally, the McGill #2 mill has been used for lab milling to assess rice milling performance as per the recommendation of the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). However, as the FGIS is phasing out the use of the McGill #2 mill, there is a need to recalibrate milling assessments for standardized milling evaluation across various labs. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the milling performance of three laboratory mills (McGill #2, Satake, and Zaccaria mills) on the head rice yield (HRY), milled …

Land Cover Effects On Stream Water Chemistry In The Upper Saline River Watershed, Brandy Everett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-point source (NPS) pollutants and the conversion of natural areas to anthropogenic uses are one of the most critical stressors on water quality. The Upper Saline River Watershed has seen an increase in anthropogenic land cover over the last two decades, leading it to be previously identified as a 319 NPS priority watershed in Arkansas. This study used publicly available data to assess the magnitude and trends of total nutrients (TN and TP) at both the watershed and site level scale. Results suggest a decrease of 2.6%/yr in TN concentrations and 1.5%/yr in TP concentrations at the watershed scale. While …

Advanced Numerical Techniques For Multiscale Simulations In Biofluid Dynamics, Justin Tamico Jack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of anisometric particle suspensions and congenital heart defects (CHDs) involve exploring complex phenomena within the biological sciences. The former subject dives into the phase behavior of liquid crystals (LCs), particularly the influence of the shape anisotropy of rod-like nanoparticles on phase transitions, through the implementation of statistical techniques involving molecular dynamics (MD). Conversely, the latter topic focuses on the assessment and management of severe congenital arterial stenoses, such as those found in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS), through advanced multi-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Both areas emphasize the importance of detailed analysis and the use of advanced numerical modeling …

Forced To Weather The Storm: Reforming The Livestock Indemnity Program To Improve Farm Animal Welfare, Cameron Krier Massey

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Each year, extreme weather events put the lives and wellbeing of millions of farm animals at risk. These events can lead to injury, suffering, acute and chronic stress, decreased productivity, and loss of life. As storms increase in frequency and intensity, efforts should be made to ensure livestock are protected. This paper proposes modifications to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), a federally run disaster assistance program that compensates livestock owners and growers for animal deaths and reduced value caused by eligible conditions, including extreme weather. Surprisingly, the program does not require producers to show proof and use of a disaster …

Enhancing Webtas: From An Atam Simulator To A Developmental Environment, Elizabeth G. Schmidt

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

As interest in a niche research area, like the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM), grows it is crucial to ensure that simulation tools are accessible and user-friendly for a broad audience. Existing resources can pose challenges for less experienced users, highlighting the need for enhancements that improve usability and functionality. To address these issues, key upgrades to the current online simulation platform, WebTAS, were implemented, including breakpoint functionality and nondeterminism checks, alongside features such as XML file integration, image capturing, and simulation view resets. These enhancements collectively elevate the platform from a basic learning tool to a comprehensive environment for …

Empowering Community Leaders To Drive Sustainable Tourism And Small Business Development In Dangriga, Belize, Philip Nunez

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper discusses the complexities of tourism development in Dangriga, Belize and how simple efforts can greatly impact small businesses in Central America.

Advancing Molecular Tools For The Study Of Rubus Viruses, Andrea Sierra-Mejia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since blackberry yellow vein disease (BYVD) was first described, the blackberry virome has expanded significantly. BYVD is a complex disease associated with over ten viruses, yet the role of each virus in its etiology remains understudied. Studying the effect of each virus in disease development requires the identification of single infections; however, this task has been difficult for BYVD, with all field collected material over the past two decades consistently found infected by multiple viruses. Given the diversity of viruses associated with the disease and their different modes of transmission, obtaining pure virus cultures necessitate transmission of individual viruses via …

Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Plant-Herbivore Interactions, Jessica Ayala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most important food crops in the world due to its multiple uses in agriculture sector. A major limiting factor in soybean production system is drought stress, causing up to 80% reduction in yield. Due to climate change and associated rise in ambient temperatures, water scarcity is a major concern in crop production, and consequently researchers are turning to soybean accessions that demonstrate better water use efficiency (WUE) traits. However, field grown soybean is also under severe pressure from insect herbivores, often accounting for a 30% reduction in yield. Among these, …