Life Sciences Commons^™

Taste Of Florence: A Hospitality Student's Guide To Study Abroad In Florence, Emma M. Mcclure

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this creative project is to better prepare hospitality student for studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Studying abroad can be a daunting class, but there’s so many benefits from doing it. For example, you learn a lot about yourself and others around you. It better prepares you for after college because it teaches you life lessons like becoming more aware of the world around you. It also sets you apart from others when you start to apply for internships or jobs, because it shows the companies that you are independent and culturally diverse.

The results that I gathered …

Arkansas Wheat Performance Tests 2025-2026, J. F. Carlin, R. D. Bond, J. C. Mccoy, C. J. Bullock

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Wheat variety performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for small-grain producers. The tests were conducted at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center at Harrisburg, the Northeast Research and Extension Center at Keiser, the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station near Marianna, the Pine Tree Research Station near Colt, and the Rohwer Research Station near Rohwer. Specific location and cultural practice …

B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2025, J. Hardke, X. Sha, N. Bateman

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas is the leading rice producer in the United States. The state represents 45.2% of total U.S. rice production and 45.7% of the total acres planted to rice in 2025. Rice cultural practices vary across the state and across the U.S. However, these practices are also dynamic and continue to evolve in response to changing political, environmental, and economic times. This survey was initiated in 2002 to monitor and record changes in the way Arkansas rice producers approach their livelihood. The survey was conducted by polling county extension agents in each of the counties in Arkansas that produce rice. Questions …

The Effect Of Sustainable 3d Store Design On Consumer Online Shopping Behavior, Sophie G. Roussel

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sustainability has become a significant factor in shaping consumer shopping habits. Companies are implementing 3D store designs to provide a more immersive and interactive experience. Further study is needed to investigate whether a sustainable, green-focused 3D storefront shifts consumers’ satisfaction with online shopping and their intention to buy products from a sustainable store. This study seeks to fill the research gap by examining how sustainable 3D store design influences consumer shopping behavior. Specifically, three distinct 3D store mockups were developed using Visual Retailing (VR) technology. The same number of visually appealing features, products, and store layouts was used to make …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2024, Frank Seo, Luke Pullo

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the nineteenth in a series that examines agriculture’s economic contribution to the Arkansas economy. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) on value added, employment, and labor income was estimated with the Impact Analysis for Planning System (IMPLAN) for the most recent year available, 2024.

Summaries Of Arkansas Cotton Research 2025, Fred M. Bourland

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Planted cotton acreage in Arkansas decreased in 2025 to 520,000 acres compared to 650,000 planted acres in 2024. Arkansas producers harvested 515,000 acres, which was a decrease of 125,000 acres from the 640,000 acres harvested in 2024 (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=Arkansas&year=2025). The 515,000 harvested acres ranked Arkansas third nationally, trailing only Texas and Georgia in harvested acres (https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/795725/cropan26.pdf). The average cotton yield, as reported by the USDA, was 1,239 lb lint/ac, which ranked fourth nationally, behind California, Louisiana, and Arizona. Arkansas farmers produced an estimated 1.329 million bales, which is a decrease from 1.788 million bales produced in 2024. This production still ranks …

Differences In Local And Systemic Immune Responses To Primary And Secondary Immunizations With The Herpesvirus Of Turkeys (Hvt) Vaccine In Layer Pullets., Allie K. Bowerman, Jossie M. Santamaria, Chrysta N. Beck, Gisela F. Erf

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

Marek’s disease, caused by a herpesvirus, is a major health issue in poultry production. In chickens, vaccination with live herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) provides effective protection. Little is known about the immune responses to the HVT vaccine. In this study, the immune responses to primary (V1) or secondary (V2) intradermal (i.d.) HVT vaccinations were examined. V1 and V2 were i.d. injected into growing feather (GF) pulps of six 9-week-old and six 19-week-old Light-brown Leghorn (LBL) pullets, respectively. Growing feather pulps and blood were collected before (0 h) and periodically through 10 d or 28 d post pulp injection (p.i.), respectively, …

Investigating Culicoides Diversity, Distribution, And Behavior In Arkansas, Cassandra Steele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are globally important vectors of pathogens affecting livestock and wildlife. In the United States (US), transmission of bluetongue virus (BTV), epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) results in economic losses and periodic mortality events of wild and domestic ruminants. Culicoides sonorensis is the confirmed vector of BTV and EHDV in the western regions of the US, however this species is uncommon throughout much of the eastern and southeastern US, where hemorrhagic diseases remain endemic. There are likely other putative vector species responsible for pathogen transmission. This research investigated Culicoides diversity, distribution, …

The Gravity Of The Ukraine War: Measuring Conflict Impacts On European Grain Trade, Stefan Bonchis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the heterogeneous structural disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine on the European Union’s agricultural trade architecture, focusing on three critical commodities: wheat, maize, and sunflower seeds. Employing a structural gravity model framework across all 27 EU Member States, the study evaluates two conflict episodes, the 2014 Crimea annexation and the 2022 full-scale invasion, to identify the net beneficiaries and heavily impacted nations within the EU agricultural trade network. The empirical strategy utilizes a dual-test design to capture the full scope of the disruption. Test A (Ukraine towards the EU trade) reveals a distinct geographic logic in …

Corn Yield And Tissue-Potassium Response To Potassium Fertilization, Wyatt A. Rongey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Potassium (K) deficiency is an increasingly important yield-limiting factor for irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) in Arkansas, where below optimum soil-test K (STK) acreage is increasing and visible K deficiencies or hidden K hunger threaten yield and profitability. Improving K management for modern, high-yielding hybrids require refining soil-test-based fertilizer recommendations and defining growth-stage-specific tissue-K sufficiency ranges that diagnose deficiency before irrecoverable yield loss occurs. This research aimed to i) quantify corn grain yield and yield component responses to K fertilization across a wide range of STK levels; ii) determine the frequency and magnitude of agronomically and economically meaningful yield responses …

Evaluation Of Loading, Release, And Bioavailability Of Resveratrol Encapsulated In Porous Starch, Yu-Yun Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resveratrol (Res) is a polyphenolic compound found in grapes, red wine, and berries, with health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. The poor stability and bioaccessibility of Res after consumption by humans require the development of delivery systems. Among many delivery systems, porous starch (PS) is a safe, cost-effective, and high in adsorption capacity encapsulation material for drugs and bioactive compounds sensitive to environmental factors like light and heat. Porous rice, corn, and potato starch have different granule sizes, pore volumes, and surface areas. However, the impact of these encapsulation capabilities remains unclear among the three porous starches. …

The Role Of Speculators In The Agricultural Futures Market And Their Impact On Prices, Clement Asamoah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study evaluates the impact of speculative activity on agricultural commodity returns, specifically in the corn, soybeans, rice, and oats markets. The study also analyzed the influence commodity returns have on speculative positions. Weekly data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission were used as a proxy for speculative activity, and futures data were also retrieved from Barchart. Vector Autoregressive models and the Granger Causality tests were estimated to identify the relationships between returns and speculation. The paper found that speculative positions do not Granger-cause returns over the course of a week except for rice Tuesday results, which recorded a statistically …

Identifying Muscle Health Deficits Among Older Adults With And Without Cognitive Impairment, Ray Guerreros Urbina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age-related declines in skeletal muscle health (SMH) and cognitive function are major contributors to disability, loss of independence, and reduced quality of life among older adults. Emerging evidence suggests that skeletal muscle and cognitive health may be interconnected through shared physiological mechanisms; however, the relationships between specific aspects of SMH and cognitive performance remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between SMH and cognitive performance among older adults and to determine whether SMH differs between cognitively healthy and cognitively impaired individuals after accounting for age and physical activity. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using …

Challenges And Opportunities In Dry Aging: Producer Perspectives And Valorization Of Dry- Aged Waste Products, Peyton Scout Arnold

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the projected increase in the dry aging market, producers may be hesitant to incorporate dry aging practices. This thesis aims to identify primary concerns faced by producers in implementing a dry aging program. Semi-structured interview surveys were conducted via Qualtrics (N = 100). Results indicated that an “advanced” level of dry aging knowledge correlated with a higher importance in the use/sale of dry aged products (P = 0.02). Cost, demand, and sourcing were the top three concerns of producers practicing dry aging. Those considering implementation were concerned with cost, processing parameters, safety, demand, and sourcing. No significant differences were …

Identification Of Conditionally Essential Genes Required For Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium Adaptation To The Chicken Cecal Extract Through Ex Vivo Modeling And Transposon Insertion Sequencing, Deborah Bukola Olubanjo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) remains a major foodborne pathogen associated with chicken, where it can persist in the intestinal tract without overt disease and contribute to zoonotic transmission. The chicken cecum represents a complex ecological niche shaped by microbial competition, host-derived substrates, short-chain fatty acids, oxygen limitation, extracellular components, and diverse metabolic gradients. Although transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) has been widely used to define bacterial fitness determinants, limited work has examined genome-wide adaptation of S. Typhimurium in chicken ceca-derived ex vivo systems that preserve key features of the avian cecal environment. This dissertation investigated conditionally essential genes required …

Evaluation Of Metabolizable Energy And Phosphorus Availability In Conventional And Fractionated Dry-Grind Corn Co-Products For Poultry, Luke Parisi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the availability of energy and phosphorous (P) in dry-grind corn co-products in chickens was assessed. In the first objective, the determination of energy availability, both a precision-fed rooster assay and an ad libitum fed broiler chicken assay were used in order to elucidate energy availability in corn co-products. There were 8 samples of corn fermented protein (CFP) and 2 samples of conventional distillers dried grains with solubles (CDDGS) evaluated for metabolizable energy (ME). The CFP contained a mean CP and crude fat of 55 and 3.7% (DM basis), respectively, compared with 30 …

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Rice Expressing Arabidopsis Thaliana Dreb1a Gene, Yanis Anetha Vasquez Valdes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice is a globally consumed crop and feeds more than half of the world’s population. Nitrogen (N) fertilization is required for increasing rice crop production and yield, but producers often overuse N fertilizers, exceeding plant uptake capacity. Around 40% of the applied N is lost through volatilization and denitrification to the environment, causing algal bloom formation, greenhouse gas emissions, and water pollution. Therefore, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice has become a principal objective to achieve sustainable agriculture. NUE is a complex trait in rice that coordinates three processes: nitrogen uptake, transport and assimilation, which together support photosynthesis, biomass …

Evaluation Of Thresholds For Adult Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Lineolaris (Beauvois), In Thryvon® Cotton, William Anderson Fletcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tarnished plant bug (TPB) is the most economically damaging insect pest of Mid-South cotton. TPB reduces yield is reduced by damaging squares, terminal growth, and small bolls, resulting in reduced yield. Currently, cotton grown in the Mid-South averages 1-6 insecticide applications per year for control of TPB. The introduction of ThryvOn® cotton technology provides a new management strategy for TPB control. ThryvOn® technology produces the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein Mpp51Aa2, which has insecticidal activity on TPB. A field study was conducted at five locations in 2024 and seven locations in 2025 across the Mid-South to evaluate different threshold levels for …

Effects Of Soil Contamination On The Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Washes For Contaminated In-Shell Pecans, Erin Ramsay

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A study was done to evaluate the survival of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) on directly and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans over a 28-day period, determine STEC reductions after treatment with individual and sequential antimicrobial washes on direct and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans, and determine the cross-contamination potential of the spent pecan washes after a treatment. Pecans were directly and soil-inoculated with an STEC cocktail (O157:H7, O157:NM, O121, and O26). Direct inoculation was achieved by spraying the STEC cocktail on the pecans and homogenizing by hand for 2 min. For the soil-inoculation method, autoclaved pecan tree orchard soil was sprayed with the …

Alternative Methods To Improve Livestock Performance While Grazing Low-Quality Forages., Ivan Raynard Thomas Jr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stocker cattle producers in the southeastern part of the U.S. heavily depend on traditional forages such as bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon] pastures during the warm season for grazing. Summer annual forages offer stocker cattle operations a valuable alternative source of forage. These forages have high yield potential and can help extend the grazing season. This is particularly beneficial during the summer months when traditional forage sources may be limited. Warm-season annual grasses may experience a decrease in crude protein concentrations during late summer and early fall. As a result, it may be necessary to find alternative sources of crude protein or …

Evaluation Of A High Protein Low Oligosaccharide Soybean Meal In Poultry Production, Kasey Matusik

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of feeding a high protein, low oligosaccharide soybean meal to optimize poultry nutrition by the effects of feeding the soybean meal to roosters, broiler chickens, and turkeys. Two research objectives were evaluated to determine whether high protein, low oligosaccharide soybean meal would have increased nutritional value. The first objective assessed the metabolizable energy (ME) content of a high protein, low oligosaccharide soybean meal compared to a conventional soybean meal. Using roosters, broiler chickens, and turkey poults, three bioassays were conducted to evaluate the ME of the soybean meal. Results demonstrated …

Organic-Complexed Or Inorganic Trace Mineral Tub Supplementation: Impacts On Productivity And Reproductive Outcomes In Beef Cows And Heifers, Jacy Riddle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of these experiments was to investigate the effects of organic-complexed or inorganic trace minerals (copper, cobalt, manganese, and zinc) on cow reproductive performance, suckling calf growth, as well as heifer development and reproductive outcomes utilizing free-choice tub supplementation. In lactating cows, treatments consisted of molasses-based tub supplementation containing either complexed or inorganic trace minerals, with an additional pre-breeding drench administered only to cows receiving complexed minerals. The drench contained complexed or organic copper, cobalt, manganese, and zinc. Supplementation began approximately 6 weeks prior to fixed-timed artificial insemination (FTAI) and continued until bull removal (d 105). In weaned replacement …

Valorization Of Rice Bran For Functional Film Fabrication Using Cold Plasma For Food Packaging And Biomedical Applications, Saydul Md Safwa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Over the past few years, conventional plastic packaging materials have become increasingly concerned with their environmental impact. Therefore, the demand for bioplastics has been increasing significantly over the years. Rice milling, a process that modifies paddy rice into edible rice, generates by-products such as rice bran. Rice bran has cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and protein, which makes it a potential material for bioplastic fabrication. However, like most biodegradable films, rice bran films fall short when it comes to practical packaging applications. They often lack the strength, flexibility, moisture resistance, and barrier performance needed to compete with synthetic plastics. Most importantly, …

Seasonality Of Bovine Respiratory Disease Incidence, Nasal Temperatures, And The Nasal Microbiome In Receiving Beef Cattle: Understanding The Risk Of The Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex, Robin Ashley Cheek

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) has persistently been the leading cause of morbidity of beef cattle in the United States. Season has been directly associated with respiratory disease incidence and is likely a proxy for weather conditions, which vary by geographical location. The nose is one of the first points of contact between the outside environment and inside the body. The nasal microbiome and its relationship with BRD have been heavily studied within beef cattle, but there are not yet any studies to determine if the environment within the nasal cavity has a role to play in this mechanism. This dissertation …

Soilless Substrates As A Critical Control Point For Mitigating Food Safety Risks Within Hydroponic Leaf Lettuce Production, Eric Nuertey Tetteh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effect of hydroponic soilless substrates and microbial biocontrol agents on the persistence of foodborne pathogens in indoor lettuce production is variable depending on substrate type, pathogen species, and biocontrol formulation. This study addressed key gaps by first characterizing the ability of different substrates to support Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes survival and then evaluating the ability of pine biochar and Bacillus subtilis to suppress pathogen persistence in selected substrates under controlled conditions. In the first experiment, the persistence of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes was evaluated in four soilless substrates: rockwool (RW), low density foam (LDF), peat moss (PM) and coco …

Characterization Of River Cane Morphology, Density And Biomass In Sun And Shade In Stream Riparian Zones In Northwest Arkansas, Emily Shy-Anne Carter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

River cane, or Arundinaria gigantea Walter (Muhl.), ecosystems serve as ecological and cultural keystones, offering wildlife habitat, streambank stabilization, and construction/craft material for Native groups who utilize river cane. However, these ecosystems have declined substantially because of overgrazing, land conversion, and fire suppression, resulting in reduced patch size and culm morphology. Historically widespread across floodplains and riparian zones, canebrakes, or monotypic forests of river cane, have been restricted to small fragments. This study evaluated how canopy cover influences light availability, culm morphology, density, and biomass of river cane across eight riparian sites in Northwest Arkansas to inform restoration efforts. Light …

Instructions To Authors, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Journal Acknowledgements And Editorial Board, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Keynote Address And Meeting Program, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Business Meeting Report (Secretary's And Treasurer's Report), Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.