Digital Commons Network^™

Biological Control Of Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis Invicta) Using Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) In Central Arkansas, Sim Mckague Barrow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Red imported fire ants are major pests in the southeastern United States. As a part of an integrated pest management strategy, a biological control program has been implemented which includes Pseudacteon decapitating flies. These flies are parasitoids of fire ant workers and two species of Pseudacteon are established in Arkansas: Pseudacteon tricuspis and Pseudacteon curvatus. Pseudacteon cultellatus and P. obtusus were released in the spring and fall of 2013. Despite sampling throughout 2014, establishment cannot be confirmed. Two phorid fly sampling methods, hand aspirating and sticky traps, were studied. A vacuum aspirator was compared with two sticky trap configurations. Sticky …

Evaluation Of Porcine Ipec-J2 Cell Line Growth Rate And Immune Response To E. Coli (0111:B4) Lps, Xiaofan Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the intestinal porcine epithelial cell-jejunum 2 (IPEC-J2) cell line as a model to study the innate immune function of live pigs. Growth rates of IPEC-J2 cells in T-75 flasks and 96-well plates were evaluated using a hemocytometer and spectrophotometer for cell quantity measurements to determine growth rate and doubling time. Growth rates of IPEC-J2 cells in T-75 flasks and 96-well plates were 0.4016 and 0.2851 times of doubling/day respectively with a doubling time of 1.73 d and 2.43 d, respectively. Confluent IPEC-J2 monolayers were tested at five time intervals (0, 1, 2, …

Short-Term Effects Of Poultry Litter Or Woodchip Biochar Amendment In A Temperate Zone Agronomic System, Katy Elizabeth Brantley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biochar, a charcoal product produced by the anaerobic thermal decomposition of biomass, can provide agronomic benefits when soil applied. However, research is lacking in temperate region soils investigating specific biochar products and their effects on agronomically important crops. A greenhouse study utilizing poultry litter biochar and a field study utilizing pine woodchip biochar were conducted to observe the effects of biochar application to Northwest Arkansas soils on corn growth and nutrient availability. A third experiment investigated poultry litter and pine woodchip biochar influences on soil water retention. In all three experiments, biochar was applied at three rates (0, 5, and …

Oxidative Stability Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Rich Soy Oil Obtained By Heterogeneous Ruthenium Catalysis, Saurabh Ravindra Lele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has multiple health benefits but it is difficult to obtain sufficient CLA in a healthy diet to obtain the clinical effects. A CLA rich-soy oil (CLARSO) with up to 20% CLA has been produced by heterogenous catalysis but no studies of its oxidative stability have been reported. CLARSO and soy oil primary and secondary oxidation products were measured at 50oC in the dark. The CLARSO was less stable than soy oil but adsorption bleaching improved its oxidative stability. However, induction times were dependent on the analytical method used. Fatty acid oxidation kinetics was determined by measuring …

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 …

The Response Of Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) To Slow Release Foliar Fertilization And The Effect Of Environment On Absorption, James Matthews Burke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In cotton production, nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient and the demand is substantial. Foliar-N fertilization is regarded as an effective and environmentally sound method of supplying cotton with N during times of deficiency and high demand. In response to the potential benefits of the foliar-N fertilization of cotton, a myriad of foliar-N based fertilizers have been created; each with their own individual chemical technology and constitution. Experiments were performed with the objectives of examining the effects of the slow-release foliar-N fertilizer, Nitamin® (1) on the growth and development of field-grown cotton, (2) on uptake under various environmental conditions, …

Winter Field Pea As A Leguminous Cover Crop In Corn Production, Matthew Carroll Marsh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leguminous cover crops, which fix nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere and add to the N content of the soil, have the potential to replace or partially replace commercial nitrogen fertilizers. In this experiment, field pea (Pisum arvense) was used as the leguminous cover crop in a conventional tilled corn (Zea mays) production system. In a 2-yr experiment (2008 and 2009), conducted at two locations in Arkansas, field pea was planted on half the field in the fall and allowed to grow until late April to early May. Field pea biomass was recorded, N content of biomass determined and then the …

A Portable Impedance Biosensing System Based On A Laptop With Labview For Rapid Detection Of Avian Influenza Virus, Yixiang Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) H5N1 is a highly pathogenic virus found not only in birds but also in human. Rapid and sensitive detection method is needed to help prevent the spread of AIV H5N1. In this study, a portable impedance biosensing system based on a laptop with LabVIEW software was developed for detection of AIV H5N1. First, a virtual instrument was programmed with LabVIEW software to form a platform for impedance measurement, data processing and control. The audio card of a laptop was used as a function generator while a data acquisition card was used with the signal channels for …

Influences Of Contexts On Consumers' Visual Attention Towards Food Images: Eye-Tracking Studies, Baoyue Zhang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food perception is influenced not only by sensory properties of the food itself, but also by individuals- or environment-related contexts. Visual cue appears to be the most dominant factor in modulating food perception. This research aimed to determine whether individuals' visual attention towards food images can vary as a function of contextual variables such as hunger/fullness (Chapter 3), chronic stress (Chapter 4), and culture (Chapter 5). In Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, participants were asked to freely view visual slides, including four different images per slide, shown on the monitor. Using eye-tracking techniques, participants' visual attention towards food images (e.g., …

The Homeless Bird: A Motion Graphics Narrative About Deforestation And Animals., Kyle Griffin

Theses

The Homeless Bird is a short animated story expressing the loss of homes for wildlife due to the destruction of habitats such as deforestation. With the loss of natural habitats each year, many animals have to migrate to areas that are unfit to provide for them. The main goal is to draw attention to this problem and to help encourage the audience to act.

The project concerns the combination of practicing motion graphics design theories and experimenting with available computer graphics integration technologies. The final piece is a 2:55 minute visual story that combines both a fantasy and realistic setting.

Dynamics Of A Kinetic Energy Storage Device For A Translating Hydrokinetic System, Matthew Robert Douglas

Theses

Current hydropower is sourced predominately from dams, which have several ecological and societal issues. Despite growing demand for energy, dam construction has recently been at a standstill. Hydrokinetic systems are new methods of harvesting renewable energy from rivers without requiring dams. Hydrokites, a subset of hydrokinetic systems, use a translating hydrofoil to generate electricity. Previous models of hydrokite systems have been promising, but their performance in experimental settings has not been as expected. One possible cause for this discrepancy is a loss in system energy when the hydrofoil reaches the end of its stroke, resulting in significantly less power generation. …

Towards Intelligent Caring Agents For Aging-In-Place: Issues And Challenges, Di Wang, Budhitama Subagdja, Yilin Kang, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The aging of the world’s population presents vast societal and individual challenges. The relatively shrinking workforce to support the growing population of the elderly leads to a rapidly increasing amount of technological innovations in the field of elderly care. In this paper, we present an integrated framework consisting of various intelligent agents with their own expertise and responsibilities working in a holistic manner to assist, care, and accompany the elderly around the clock in the home environment. To support the independence of the elderly for Aging-In-Place (AIP), the intelligent agents must well understand the elderly, be fully aware of the …

Palimtextual Tracts: Susan Howe’S Rearticulation Of Place, Mandy Bloomfield

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines American poet Susan Howe’s engagement with landscape and place across the trajectory of her career, centrally examining three key poems: Secret History of the Dividing Line (1978), Thorow (1987) and Souls of the Labadie Tract (2007). In so doing, it demonstrates this work’s pertinence for discussions of environmental aesthetics. Starting from the premise that Howe’s poetic engagement with entangled historical and environmental questions is as much formal as it is thematic, I focus on two of her prominent techniques: the “palimtextual” excavation of source materials and the spatial use of the page. I argue that this poetry’s …

Transnational Mobilities And The Making Of Creative Cities, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This review essay on the literature on creative cities pays particular attention to the ways in which transnational mobilities contribute significantly to the making of such cities. The paper reviews critically both the literature and phenomena of creative cities and their transnational flows by framing the discussion around the mobility of ideas (creative economy/creative city discourse), the mobility of people (the migration of the creative class), the mobility of technology (the travel of the creative cluster and architectural iconism phenomena), the mobility of finances (capital and investment flows), and the mobility of images (transnational artistic collaborations and products).

Introduction To Issue On Education For A Tolerant And Multicultural Indonesia, Lyn Parker, Chang Yau Hoon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity is intrinsic to the concept of Indonesia. The national motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, often translated as ‘Unity in Diversity’, though more directly translatable as ‘Diverse but One’, is emblazoned on the national symbol, the Garuda, which appears in classrooms, offices, statues and even living rooms all around the country. Indonesia has long enjoyed the reputation of a diverse and tolerant country. However, after the fall of Suharto in May 1998, it seemed to erupt in a conflagration of violence. Religious and ethnic conflicts alerted both citizens and scholars of Indonesia to the danger of …

Polysubstance Use Patterns And Psychosocial Functioning Among Participants In The Electronic Dance Music Scene, Danielle D. Alfrey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electronic dance music (EDM) events are strongly associated with polydrug use, or the use of several substances at one time (Fernandez-Calderon et al., 2011), which has contributed to overall negative stereotypes of the EDM scene. Nitrous oxide use has been documented in EDM research, but mainly in qualitative designs (Hunt, Evans, Moloney, and Bailey, 2009). Qualitative research suggested participants pair nitrous oxide inhalation with use of ecstasy, or MDMA, for feeling an enhanced effect. This EDM study examined nitrous oxide use using a quantitative design and investigated how polysubstance use was related to positive and negative consequences of involvement in …

In Search Of Monsters Abroad: Serving Summonses On Foreign Organizations Under Rule 4 And Fifth Amendment Due Process, Kyle M. Druding

Duke Law Journal

Recently, federal prosecutors' increased interest in criminally charging foreign organizational defendants has revealed a "jurisdictional gap" in Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Rule 4, which has operated largely unchanged since its adoption in 1944, requires that a copy of a compulsory summons be served on an organizational defendant by mailing it either to the defendant's "last known address" in the relevant district or to its "principal place of business elsewhere in the United States." The courts have divided over how to confront jurisdictional challenges brought by certain foreign corporations—those without domestic principal places of business and …

The Duty To Maintain, Nadav Shoked

Duke Law Journal

Property is closely associated with freedom. Following the demise of the feudal property system, property ownership in Anglo-American law came to imply an individual's freedom to act as she pleases on her land. For their part, modern property theories—whether right-based, utilitarian, or relational—employ the normative value of freedom to justify ownership. Courts and scholars have always acknowledged the fact that this freedom of the owner cannot be absolute: an owner's freedom to do as she pleases on her land is often limited to protect other owners. However, the consensual assumption remains that an owner is not subject to affirmative duties. …

Evidence And Extrapolation: Mechanisms For Regulating Off-Label Uses Of Drugs And Devices, Ryan Abbott, Ian Ayres

Duke Law Journal

A recurring, foundational issue for evidence-based regulation is deciding whether to extend governmental approval from an existing use with sufficient current evidence of safety and efficacy to a novel use for which such evidence is currently lacking. This "extrapolation" issue arises in the medicines context when an approved drug or device that is already being marketed is being considered (1) for new conditions (such as off-label diagnostic categories), (2) for new patients (such as new subpopulations), (3) for new dosages or durations, or (4) as the basis for approving a related drug or device (such as a generic or biosimilar …

An Evaluation Of Metric Methods Of Race Differentiation In The Human Pelvic Girdle For The Application Of Expert Witness Testimony, Laura Natalie Yurka

Master's Theses

Research has shown that measurements from the pelvic bones and femur can be utilized for race estimation when the skull is absent or damaged. The literature reported levels up to 95% accuracy when utilizing discriminant function analysis to simultaneously classify race and sex. This research examined the previously reported methods of race estimation within the evidence standards for forensic science as well as current statistical standards. New metric measurements from the pelvis and femur were also proposed and tested to assess their utility as race indicators. Finally, this research addressed concerns that skeletal collections like the Robert J. Terry Skeletal …

Classroom Amplification: The Necessity Of Sound-Amplification In The Classroom, Kalley Ellis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In a classroom, the optimal signal-to-noise ratio, as is recommended by the American Nation Standards Institute (ANSI), is 35 dBA, with the reverberation reaching a maximum of 0.6s (Lewis, 2008); yet, in classrooms today, the typical signal-to-noise ratio ranges from 40-73 dBA (Lewis, 2008). With at least 75% of the school day being spent in listening activities (e.g. reading, instructions, lecture, etc.), this noise level in the classroom has great impact on what a child hears and, thus, learns (Blazer, 2008). Unfortunately, with each new year, classroom sizes are increasing and creating an even more detrimental noise level and signal-to-noise …

Reforming The Performance Of Masculinity: Stephen Crane's Critiques Of Riis's And Roosevelt's Civic Militarism, Cambri Mcdonald Spear

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Progressive Era (1890-1920) marks a unique period of social change in American history not only because of reformists' muckraking attacks against political machines and other corrupt social practices, but also because gender permeated every aspect of reform. The doctrine of separate spheres, which had been such a mainstay of Industrial Revolution-era America, was blurring rapidly, as many reformists, like suffragists, pressed for greater gender equality. However, an extremely fascinating characteristic of this period that is often overlooked is the inevitable way in which the performance of gender became essential for reformists to be successful.

Targeted Drug Delivery System For Kidney And/Or Liver Failure Patients Using Human Serum Albumin, Sean Bedingfield

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Compromised liver and/or kidney function reduces the acceptable dosage of a variety of medications that can be administered to patients. These patients still have a need for drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antivirals, and antibiotics. The project goal is to provide a drug delivery system to accommodate these reduced dosage limits with added therapeutic benefits to address symptoms of liver or kidney failure. Localized drug delivery allows for a smaller, concentrated dose rather than inundating the patient's system with the drug of interest. Human serum albumin (HSA) is a researched candidate for drug delivery with therapeutic properties. HSA …

Low-Impact Infrastructure: Development And Design Potential For Surface Application Alternatives For Subsurface Infrastructure In Yellowstone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin, Michael R. Pace

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In sensitive and iconic landscapes, such as Yellowstone National Park’s Upper Geyser Basin, construction and expansion of visitor services is hindered, and often blocked, by the potential for environmental damage that could occur during the installation of subsurface utilities. These utilities, crucial to the success of development, require an alternative method of installation when placed in locations requiring special consideration and protection.

Yellowstone, in particular, is faced with the responsibility of protecting limited hydrothermal resources while also providing access to the general public. Sub-surface utilities threaten this responsibility due to the unknown nature of much of the subsurface

geology in …

Listening To Silence: A Rhetorical Examination Of Silence In The Tale Type The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers, Crystal Stephens

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Fairy tales are an integral part of our culture and have been for hundreds of years. Most of us grew up hearing certain stories, reading the Grimm brothers, watching Disney adaptations of classic tales, and passing these things on to the next generation. But even though we sometimes dismiss fairy tales as we get older as “stories for children,” that does not mean that fairy tales do not play an important role in our lives and cultures. Studying and understanding fairy tales can provide insight into our history, our cultures, and ourselves. As stated by Dan Ben-Amos, “The folktale has …

Revelations From A Dying Planet: Agriculture, Corporate Capitalism, And The Murder Of Nature, Linda Maccammon

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph:

Planet Earth is in trouble. Present and future generations are contributing to and inheriting levels of environmental degradation unparalleled in human history. Increasingly violent weather, droughts, floods, water and air pollution, species extinction and other environmental calamities are becoming commonplace. Every day we read alarming statistics and bleak forecasts about the deteriorating state of the environment and our chances of future survival, and every day there’s a new round of worry, finger-pointing, and denial. While government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), environmental activists, and concerned citizens labor to protect and …

The Cry Of The Fisher, Tim Madigan

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph:

A few years back, while reading The New York Times as I am wont to do (I’m one of the diehards who still insists of getting a hard copy at the campus bookstore every morning) I was startled by a picture illustrating an article with the headline: “A Fierce Predator Makes a Home in the Suburbs.” Below the title was a photo of a ferocious creature attacking a bird feeder, with a diabolical expression on its face that made it look like something that came directly out of the …

Reversible Blockade Of Complex I Or Inhibition Of Pkcβ Reduces Activation And Mitochondria Translocation Of P66Shc To Preserve Cardiac Function After Ischemia, Meiying Yang, David F. Stowe, Kenechukwu B. Udoh, James S. Heisner, Amadou K.S. Camara

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Aim

Excess mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) play a vital role in cardiac ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. P66^Shc, a splice variant of the ShcA adaptor protein family, enhances mROS production by oxidizing reduced cytochrome c to yield H₂O₂. Ablation of p66^Shc protects against IR injury, but it is unknown if and when p66^Shc is activated during cardiac ischemia and/or reperfusion and if attenuating complex I electron transfer or deactivating PKCβ alters p66^Shc activation during IR is associated with cardioprotection.

Methods

Isolated guinea pig hearts were perfused and subjected to increasing periods …

Ultraviolet Radiation And Cyanobacteria, Rp Rastogi, Rp Sinha, Sh Moh, Tk Lee, Et Al

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Cyanobacteria are the dominant photosynthetic prokaryotes from an ecological, economical, or evolutionary perspective, and depend on solar energy to conduct their normal life processes. However, the marked increase in solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) caused by the continuous depletion of the stratospheric ozone shield has fueled serious concerns about the ecological consequences for all living organisms, including cyanobacteria. UV-B radiation can damage cellular DNA and several physiological and biochemical processes in cyanobacterial cells, either directly, through its interaction with certain biomolecules that absorb in the UV range, or indirectly, with the oxidative stress exerted by reactive oxygen species. However, cyanobacteria have …

Screening For Novel Inhibitors Of Alpha-Ynuclein Seeded Nucleation-Dependent Aggregation And Toxicity As A Potential Therapeutic Strategy For Parkinson’S Disease, Mustafa Taleb Ardah

Theses

α-Synuclein aggregation is the key pathogenic event in several important neurological disorders including Parkinson’s Disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy, giving rise to a distinct group of neurodegenerative diseases known as synucleinopathies. Although the molecular basis of α – syn toxicity is mediated by a nucleation-dependent aggregation process. To elucidate the structural basis of α-synuclein mediated toxicity, we developed various methods to prepare different α-synuclein species of a defined size and morphology distribution, and we investigated their toxicity in different human dopaminergic cell lines. We observed that crude α-synuclein oligomers preparations, containing both monomeric and heterogeneous mixtures …