Digital Commons Network^™

Intestinal Inflammation Model Inducing Gut Leakage By Different Methods In Broiler Chickens Using Fitc-D As A Marker, Eduardo Vicuna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) have been used in food animals to reduce enteric inflammation and maintain intestinal homeostasis, thus improving performance. Due to increasing restrictions regarding the use of AGP, precise and high throughput enteric inflammation models and markers to search for effective alternatives are urgently needed. Oral administration of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) and its passage into blood can be used as a marker for tight junction permeability. FITC-d is a large molecule (3-5 kDa) which does not usually leak through the intact gastrointestinal tract barrier. However, when conditions disrupt the tight junctions between epithelial cells, the FITC-d …

Design And Verification Environment For High-Performance Video-Based Embedded Systems, Michael Mefenza Nentedem

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, a method and a tool to enable design and verification of computation demanding embedded vision-based systems is presented. Starting with an executable specification in OpenCV, we provide subsequent refinements and verification down to a system-on-chip prototype into an FPGA-Based smart camera. At each level of abstraction, properties of image processing applications are used along with structure composition to provide a generic architecture that can be automatically verified and mapped to the lower abstraction level. The result is a framework that encapsulates the computer vision library OpenCV at the highest level, integrates Accelera's System-C/TLM with UVM and QEMU-OS …

Enabling Runtime Self-Coordination Of Reconfigurable Embedded Smart Cameras In Distributed Networks, Franck Ulrich Yonga Yonga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Smart camera networks are real-time distributed embedded systems able to perform computer vision using multiple cameras. This new approach is a confluence of four major disciplines (computer vision, image sensors, embedded computing and sensor networks) and has been subject of intensive work in the past decades. The recent advances in computer vision and network communication, and the rapid growing in the field of high-performance computing, especially using reconfigurable devices, have enabled the design of more robust smart camera systems. Despite these advancements, the effectiveness of current networked vision systems (compared to their operating costs) is still disappointing; the main reason …

Genetic Mapping Of Yield And Normalized Difference Vegetative Index In Soft Red Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Christopher Keith Addison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wheat is the most widely cultivated cereal crop, being grown on 17% of the global crop land and as such must be adapted to an array of environmental stresses. In order to become a variety, wheat breeding lines must be tested across a range of environments for both high productivity and stability. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and indices are tools that can aid plant breeders in the selection of superior lines. Soft red winter wheat accounts for 20% of the total wheat production in the United States, being grown in the southeastern U.S. predominantly along the Mississippi River. However, …

Monitoring Abundance Of Ips Bark Beetles And Determining Related Tree Mortality In Arkansas And Texas, Chandler Stefan Barton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The abundance of the southern pine engraver beetles, Ips avulsus (Eichhoff), I. grandicollis (Eichhoff), and I. calligraphus (Germar), was monitored with pheromone-baited traps in 2012 and 2013 in Arkansas and eastern Texas. Additionally, vehicle-based and comprehensive ground-based surveys were used to estimate and confirm the amount of dead and fading trees in each trapping site. Pine engraver beetles have historically been recognized as secondary invaders of healthy trees, but observations of pine mortality in Texas and Arkansas appeared to correspond with high population densities of Ips spp. Forest sites exhibiting subjectively high or low incidence of Ips-associated mortality in Arkansas …

Phylogeny And Diversity Of Entamoeba In Cockroaches, With An Emphasis On Periplaneta Americana, Mustafa Husain Fakhri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the parasitic Amoebozoan Entamoeba histolytica has been well-studied for its role in human pathogenesis, the biodiversity of invertebrate-inhabiting Entamoeba has scarcely been investigated. Using molecular methods, I searched for Entamoeba in the guts of cockroaches from four of the six Blattodean families. Entamoeba small-subunit rRNA genes were recovered from all eight species of cockroaches tested, five of which represent newly discovered hosts. Phylogenetic analysis of over 190 sequences revealed a novel and highly diverse clade of cockroach-inhabiting Entamoeba, separate from the clade predominated by vertebrate-inhabitants. These results double the known genetic diversity of Entamoeba and suggest that they may …

"Keep Funding Or Else... It's Mustaches": Building A Community Of Literacy At Owl Creek, Ian Whitlow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following research report on literacy practices presents an analysis of the data collected over the course of four months at Owl Creek middle school in Northwest Arkansas. Following a qualitative research protocol, I interacted with middle school students who participated in the Razorback Writers after-school literacy outreach program sponsored by the University of Arkansas. This report details the two major literacy practices encouraged in this after school program - the collective read-aloud sessions focusing on the graphic novel I Kill Giants, and the students' creation of their own graphic novels, which were developed in group workshops. In the following …

Using A Job Crafting Model To Examine The Job Tasks Of Program Coordinators In Graduate Medical Education, Abigail Elise Arthur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate medical education (GME) is essential to preparing physicians for independent practice in the United States. Oversight of GME programs requires strict attention to accreditation requirements, state and federal regulations, and high educational standards. Residency program coordinators are an essential part of GME administration. Program coordinators play a critical role in GME residency programs, provide essential, non-medical administration functions, and are positions that are required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This study examined the job tasks of residency program coordinators using a job crafting framework. This mixed methods study used a job crafting scale developed by researchers …

High Temperature Cmos Silicon Carbide Asynchronous Circuit Design, Landon John Caley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Designing a digital circuit to operate in an extreme temperature range is a challenge with increasing demand for a solution. Large variations in temperature have a distinct impact on electron mobilities causing substantial changes to the threshold voltage of the devices. These physical changes affect the setup and hold times of clocked components, such as D-Flip Flops, of a traditional synchronous digital circuit. Focusing primarily on high temperature circuit operation, this dissertation presents a digital circuit design methodology pairing an asynchronous circuit design paradigm called NULL Convention Logic (NCL) as well as traditional Boolean circuitry with a wide-bandgap semiconductor material, …

Immigrant Labor In Contemporary Southern Literature, 1980-2010, Huseyin Altindis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project emerges from an interest in immigrant labor, the globalization of southern literature, and the ways in which laboring bodies, specifically those of food processing workers, casino workers and motel workers, are represented in contemporary literary and cultural productions. Literary and cultural productions about immigrants and immigrant labor aim to problematize and challenge the dominant perception of immigration and narratives of immigration that continue to perpetuate ideas of exploitation and alterity. In doing so, these texts contribute to the reconstruction of the U.S. South as a global region and to the liberation of southern literature from traditional conceptual …

Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy: Examining The Relationship Of Teacher Efficacy And Student Achievement, Nouf Abdullah Alrefaei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate which teachers’ characteristics have an impact on teachers’ sense of efficacy. In addition, the relationship between mathematics and science fifth grade teachers’ sense of efficacy and student achievement was examined. Two characteristics related to teachers were examined: teachers’ years of teaching experience and teachers’ highest degree. Participants included 62 mathematics and science teachers from three school districts in Northwest Arkansas. When comparing fifth grade mathematics and science teachers’ efficacy beliefs based on their highest degree, a significant difference in teachers’ efficacy beliefs was found based on their degrees. Teachers with a Bachelor …

Identification Of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne Spp.) Of Arkansas Using Molecular Diagnostics, Churamani Khanal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are highly-adaptable, obligate plant parasites distributed worldwide. In addition, root-knot nematodes are an economically important genus of plant-parasitic nematodes. Meloidogyne incognita, M. arenaria, M. javanica, M. hapla and M. graminis have been reported from Arkansas during 1964 to 1994. Previous identifications were based primarily on morphological characters and host differentials. In this study, identification using molecular diagnostics methods was performed to identify Meloidogyne species present in Arkansas. A total of 106 soil and root samples from 36 of the 75 counties were collected and processed to obtain root-knot nematodes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed …

Evaluation Of Medicago Truncatula Accessions For Triterpene Saponins And Their Potential Impacts On Plant Pests, Samantha Roberson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plants have developed numerous ways to protect themselves from microbes and insects, including producing secondary metabolites that negatively impact an invading pathogen or pest. Saponins are specialized metabolites found in many plant species and may play a role in protecting the plant. Though saponins are found in many plant species, triterpene saponins are found primarily in dicotyledons, including legumes. Medicago truncatula is a model system for studying legume biology and some accessions accumulate high concentrations of saponins. Accessions of M. truncatula known to have differing levels of saponins in both foliar and root tissues were tested for their suitability as …

The Phenotypic Effects And Transcript Response Of Salt Stress, The Impact Of Viral Infection On Salt Stress Symptoms, And The Effect Of Salt Stress On Soybean Virus Vector Activity In Soybean Varieties That Vary In Chloride Uptake, Alma Glenn Laney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in saline soils worldwide, understanding the mechanisms for salt tolerance in plants is important to reduce yield loss due to salt stress. Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., genotypes differ in chloride uptake with genotypes that take up chloride into foliar tissues tending to be salt-sensitive whereas those that partially exclude chloride from the leaves are more salt-tolerant. Transcriptional and physiological responses were measured in two soybean cultivars, Clark and Manokin, which differ in chloride uptake in response to salt stress and in combination with Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) and its aphid vector, Aphis glycines . The interaction …

Functional Characterization Of The Arginine Vasotocin 4 Receptor (Vt4r) In Sensory Circumventricular Organs Of The Chicken Gallus Gallus, Nguiessan Alphonse Aman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Past studies have shown that the avian vasotocin 4 receptor (VT4R), homologous to the mammalian arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (V1aR/AVPR1A) is involved in immobilization stress. It was not known, however, whether the receptor is also associated with osmotic stress, and if so, what brain regions may be involved. Four treatment groups of chicks were used for the study. One group was subjected to 1h immobilization stress and two groups were administered intraperitoneal injection of 3 M NaCl or 0.15 M NaCl. One additional group served as controls. After 1 h, blood samples were taken for the determination of plasma levels …

Investigation Of Nuclear And Cytoplasmic Functions Of The Dlipin Protein Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Qiuyu Chen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lipin family proteins are highly conserved proteins present in species ranging from mammals to yeast. Lipin 1, the first Lipin gene identified in fatty liver dystrophy (fld) mutant mice, encodes the bifunctional protein Lipin 1, which can serve as an Mg2+-dependent phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP) and transcriptional co-regulator. dLipin, the single Lipin ortholog of Drosophila melanogaster, is required in triglyceride synthesis and fat body development. To study the transcriptional co-regulator activity of dLipin, nuclear receptors were screened to find receptors that interact with dLipin. The genetic interaction data indicated that Drosophila hepatic nuclear receptor 4 (HNF4) was a promising candidate …

Geographic Assessment Of The Perception Of Nature Reserves And National Parks In Kuwait, Meshari S. Alenezi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arabian Gulf countries have passed strict laws to preserve their environment. Kuwait has a strong history with preserving natural areas. The ecological value and richness of Kuwait's ecosystems have increased since the nature reserves were built. This research has evaluated the perceptions that Kuwaitis have of the design, creation, and development of nature reserves in Kuwait. It involved the use of survey instruments (questionnaires) and interviews with respondents of both urban and rural communities. Data from these surveys and interviews analyzed regarding perceptions of nature reserves' needs, sizes, functions, and future plans.

The results of examinations (surveys) demonstrate that …

Design Of System Level Control For A Residential Power Router, Fahad Hossain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the overall power flow and load management system for a 2 kW residential power router. The objective is to satisfy the residential load demand with cost savings by managing the energy sources including PV, battery, generator, and grid. The power flow management system algorithm is developed both for grid-connected mode and island mode. This algorithm involves the battery state of charge estimation, available PV power, load demand and electricity grid pricing. The residential load management algorithm is also developed using PV power prediction and load power prediction acquired for a day.¬ A Labview GUI is also developed …

Design Of A High Performance Silicon Carbide Cmos Operational Amplifier, Shaila Amin Bhuyan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design, simulation, layout and test results of a silicon carbide (SiC) CMOS two-stage operational amplifier (op amp) with NMOS input stage. The circuit has been designed to provide a stable open-loop voltage gain (60 dB), unity-gain bandwidth (around 5 MHz) and maintain a high CMRR and PSRR within a useful input common mode range over process corners and a wide temperature range (25 °C - 300 °C). Between the two stages a Miller compensation topology is placed to improve the phase margin (around 45°). Due to the comparatively high threshold voltage values of transistors in SiC, …

Educator Perceptions Regarding Quality Workplace Professional Development, Darrel Chris Rink

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study, Educator Perceptions Regarding Quality Workplace Professional Development, attempted to formulate through interviews and surveys the attitudes of educators regarding their personal experiences with professional development. The study was based on Donald Super's Career Development Theory, Jack Mezirow's Transformational Learning Theory, and David Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. These three theorists help form the conceptual foundation for the study.

One of the challenges the United States has had within the past fifty years is that workers were not being adequately prepared for the workplace during their school years or after. Super, Mezirow, and Kolb helped to identify stages of growth …

The Effects Of Book Format On Parent-Child Interaction During Joint Book Reading, Jennifer Lynn Bowman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technology is a part of our society and is ever changing. Therefore, it is important to examine the effects that such innovations have on parent-child interactions, especially those that have been shown to promote children's early literacy learning and future school success. This study was conducted in the context of a larger project, The Family Reading Project, which investigated parent-child engagement in joint reading activities using mobile devices. This research compared parent and child behaviors when reading traditional books versus reading e-books to determine if book format had any effect on parent-child interaction. The results of this study were that …

Gesn Devices For Short-Wave Infrared Optoelectronics, Benjamin Ryan Conley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The electronics industry has a large silicon infrastructure for the manufacture of complementary-metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) based electronics. The increasing density of Si based circuits has set a pace that is now pushing the physical limits of connectivity between devices over conventional wire based links. This has driven the increasing interest in Si based optoelectronics and to use the groundwork already established by the electronics industry for lower cost optical communications. The greatest limitation to this effort has been the incorporation of a Si based laser, which requires integration of a direct bandgap material within this CMOS process.

The Ge1-xSnx …

The Differentiation And Integration Of Information Technologies: Three Empirical Studies On `Bring Your Own Devices', Zachary R. Steelman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the management and configuration of organizational IT portfolios enhance organizations and their employees. Specifically, the theory of the differentiation and integration of information technologies is developed with in-depth examinations of "Bring-Your-Own-Device" (BYOD) policies. Four data collections are utilized: survey vignettes, case studies, agent-based simulations, and a questionnaire survey. Each essay uses a mixed-method approach providing insights into the selection, development, and management of ITs across individual and organizational levels.

Essay 1 explores the impact of BYOD on employees' performance, job satisfaction, and work-life conflicts. The results indicate that IT integration improves performance and job satisfaction, and …

Antibacterial Activity Of Commercially Available Plant Extracts On Selected Campylobacter Jejuni Strains, Divya Oppath Sivasankaran

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni is recognized as a leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide with approximately 850,000 cases per year in the United Sates. A total of 18 species of Campylobacter have been identified worldwide to date. Foodborne transmission of C. jejuni is mainly through the consumption of unpasteurized milk, contaminated poultry meat and water. C. jejuni can survive in very diverse environments under stressful conditions in human and animals which is different from the specific conditions and media required in laboratory experiments. There has been increased research in recent years to identify naturally occurring antibacterial agents to control and eliminate C. …

An Analysis Of Professional Adult Education Programs In Northwest Arkansas, Skyler Leigh Barry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Professional adult education (PAE) has been described as structured educational activities that are designed or intended to support the continuing development of professional or career skills, knowledge, competencies, and abilities. Previous research has shown that professional adult education is a vehicle for adult learners to continue their education and gain valuable skills which can aide in career mobility. Given the importance of professional adult education as it relates to further development of adult learners, the purpose for conducting this study was to develop a profile of professional adult education providers and programming offered in Northwest Arkansas. In order to develop …

The Perceived Benefits Of Automotive Service Excellence (Ase) Certifications For Graduates Of Four-Year Automotive Technology Programs, John Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The roots of certification in America date back to guild-like associations similar to those in Europe, but did not gain industry recognition until after World War II. It is recognized as a way for an industry to elevate itself and be recognized as a stand-alone, autonomous profession, as long as there is validity in the process and impartial oversight by an accredited governing body. It is also a way for individuals to distinguish themselves from their peers by proving a technical aptitude or competence. It allows a prospective job candidate to signal to a potential employer that they have attained …

Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy: Examining The Effects Of Career Choice, Education, And Work Experience Of Entrepreneurs, Melissa W. Sisco

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on the relationship between self-efficacy and career decision making is inconclusive because of the lack of theoretical background and causal conclusions. More research is needed to investigate how the educational background, career choice, and work experience, of entrepreneurs, influences their career decision-making self-efficacy beliefs and how those beliefs effect their decision to become entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent career choice, education, and work experience related to the level of career decision-making self-efficacy among participants in the Ventureprise business incubation program who are or are intending to become entrepreneurs. The education and …

The Role Of Higher Education In Rural Community Development, Anita Faye Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions commonly play a role in community development. Rural communities may be even more dependent on the university's investment. As higher education has looked to meet demands of stakeholders calling for greater accountability, it has become necessary for universities to be able to justify the effectiveness of these efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine the elements necessary for successful rural community development in Western Oklahoma. Utilizing the Delphi research method, 20 community development experts in rural Western Oklahoma participated in the three-round survey process. In the initial survey, participants collectively submitted a list of 41 …

Measuring The Role Of Inhibition In Auditory Discrimination In Mice, Tazima Nur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how inhibitory neurons affect sensory information processing in the cerebral cortex is an ongoing goal of both neuroscience and statistical physics research. In this master's thesis research project, an experimental system has been designed and built for studying how auditory dynamic range depends on inhibitory neurons, based on observations of mouse behavior. In this thesis, firstly, the topic of inhibition and information processing has been introduced. Then two papers related to inhibition and dynamic range has been reviewed in detail. One of the papers is an experimental work that analyzes the affect of inhibition on dynamic range. The other …

A Strategic Approach To Effectively Manage Supplier Quality Within The Construction Industry, Rufaidah Almaian

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the research is to determine the best practices for supplier quality management (SQM) in the construction industry that ensure that the supplied materials and equipment for construction projects are within the quality requirements. The research is based on three main objectives. The first objective is to describe and assess the process of assuring supplier quality inside and outside the construction industry. The second objective is to develop a framework for the supplier quality process based on the collection of SQM practices from multiple data sources. The third objective is to assess the SQM practices within the developed …