Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Incubation Humidity On Broiler Chicks, Claire Caples

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Leg health issues are a welfare problem in commercial broiler chickens and an economic issue for the broiler industry. Broilers exhibiting leg abnormalities show altered gait, reduced ability to access resources, and increased lameness incidence. These leg health issues can result from many animal and environmental factors during incubation and post-hatch. Incubation strategies may contribute to the development of leg health issues, and recent research has increased focus on incubation factors affecting embryonic development and health and welfare post-hatch. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of high (80%), low (55%), and ideal (65%) humidity on …

Developing Protective Measures To Reduce The Incidence Of Bacterial-Induced Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis In Broiler Chickens, Alexa L. Thomas

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis (BCO) lameness is a significant animal welfare and food safety issue affecting the commercial broiler industry in the United States and worldwide. Bacteria can translocate from the respiratory system and/or the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream, eventually settling in bone microfractures leading to necrosis and BCO lameness.

This study evaluated the effects of Probiotic 1 and Probiotic 2 on the incidence of BCO lameness in broiler chickens. Probiotic 1 was applied as a spray on Day 1-old chicks, while Probiotic 2 was administered prophylactically (orally in feed) from Day 1 to Day 56. Birds were assigned …

An Analysis Of Cellular And Tissue Function Of Lipin In Drosophila Melanogaster, Judah Christian Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of energy expenditure and energy storage is a key characteristic of life. Numerous enzymes play a crucial role in regulating energy metabolism. Lipins are a highly conserved family of proteins that function in both lipid synthesis and gene regulation. In the glycerol-3 phosphate pathway, lipins act as a phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) producing diacylglycerol. In gene regulation, lipins act as transcriptional co-regulators of metabolic genes. The enzymatic PAP activity occurs in the cytoplasm; however, for lipins to function as gene regulators, they must translocate into the nucleus. Nuclear translocation is facilitated by the nuclear localization signal (NLS) within the protein. …

Fractured Inheritance: Quantifying The Economic Impact Of Heir’S Property On Arkansas Farmers, Makenzie Mcjunkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heir’s property arises when the original owner still holds the title despite their passing, and ownership is distributed among their heirs. This was driven by barriers to retaining land ownership and access to legal support in predominantly African American populations in the early 20th century. This approach allowed land to remain in the original owner's name while granting continued ownership to future generations without formal paperwork. Additionally, allowing limited land access, land management, and disparities in capital access compared to property with direct ownership rights. This analysis examines how modern heir’s property impacts agricultural returns. This study develops a conceptual …

Characterizing The Medial Forebrain Bundle In Adolescents With Anhedonic Depression, Tina Nguyen

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adolescent depression has quickly grown in prevalence, yet the underlying neuropathology remains poorly understood. Anhedonia–the diminished ability to experience pleasure–is a core symptom of melancholic depression. Early identification of biomarkers associated with anhedonic depression could help mitigate the severity of the disorder by enhancing treatment efficacy. Blunted functionality of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), the reward center of the brain, and abnormal dopaminergic activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have both been linked to depression. Furthermore, glutamatergic input from the hypothalamus modulates the VTA which in turn, downregulates dopamine release in the NAcc. However, there is limited evidence supporting that …

The Effect Protein Supplementation On Waist-To-Hip Ratio, Bmi, Lipid Profile, And Resting Energy Expenditure In Postmenopausal Women, Caleb Flores

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Postmenopausal women are a growing and at risk population that face increased risk for adverse changes in body composition, lipid profile, and overall cardiometabolic health due to hormonal changes associated with aging. Over 40% of postmenopausal women have obesity, which can be linked not just aging but the menopausal transition. Because of the negative effects of menopause on cardiometabolic, research into dietary interventions to combat these effects are needed. High-protein diets have shown promise in mitigating these effects, but sufficient research has not been done to determine the effects on postmenopausal women. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of …

Assessing The Prevalence Of Ehrlichia Spp. In Ticks Associated With Canids In Arkansas, Eva J. Berryhill

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Canine ehrlichiosis is a disease that is commonly seen in dogs. In previous studies, the southeastern part of the United States has been identified as an area of high prevalence. Arkansas was included in the region where the prevalence is high. Changes in climate, household income, and tick population were identified as factors contributing to this high prevalence. Canine ehrlichiosis is caused by three Ehrlichia spp., which are E. canis, E. ewingii, and E. chaffeensis. Ticks are responsible for transmitting the disease, specifically R. sanguineus, D. variabilis, and A. americanum. For this study, the goal was to determine the prevalence …

Utilizing 16s Ribosomal Rna Sequencing To Identify Bacterial Species Colonizing Lame Birds With Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis, Kara Hoover

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Broiler chicken lameness has become prevalent in recent years due to high growth rates in broilerchickens. Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO), the main cause of lameness, is characterized by necrosis of femoral and tibial heads in affected birds. Heavier birds are more susceptible to mechanical stress in these regions, which results in microfractures, leading to lameness. BCO lameness poses huge financial pressure to the poultry industry, as 14-50% of flocks can become affected during outbreaks. The purpose of this experiment was to identify bacterial species present in birds with BCO lameness. A total of 1,560 chicks were randomly distributed into …

The Effect Of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Supplementation On Humoral Immunity Against Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis Lameness In Broiler Chickens, Bailey Herberger

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) lameness, the most predominant locomotive illness in fast-growing broilers, causes substantial animal well-being issues and affects broiler production, leading to huge financial losses. Several strategies, including feed supplementations using organic trace minerals, vitamin D, probiotics, and prebiotics, have been utilized to alleviate BCO lameness incidences in broiler chickens. Previous studies have indicated that feeding an additive of Panbonis^®-G-1,25(OH)₂D₃ from Solanum glaucophyllum containing 1 µg/kg G-1,25(OH)₂D₃ to broilers for the first 28 days of their production cycle reduced BCO lameness by more than 50%. In this study, we …

Effects Of Intradermal Injections Of Lipopolysaccharide On The Local And Systemic Acute Inflammatory Responses In Turkeys, Delaney F. Roberts

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

In chickens, the growing feather (GF) pulp has been established as a cutaneous bioassay to monitor and assess tissue/cellular immune activities in response to intradermal (i.d.) injections of test materials. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the suitability of the GF bioassay in turkeys by examining the acute inflammatory responses initiated by i.d. GF-pulp injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). For this, three, 5-wk-old turkey poults were used. Two poults had 8 GFs injected (10 μL/GF) with low (L)-LPS (0.1 μg/GF) and 8 GFs with high (H)-LPS (1 μg/GF), while a third poult had 8 GFs injected with endotoxin-free …

Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams, Brynnen Beck

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the urban world expands, the construction of impervious surfaces increases erosion and runoff into nearby streams. Urbanization also adds waste from human activity into the environment. One of these wastes is runoff from road salt application in winter months, which can increase stream salinization and interfere with other important ecological processes, such as denitrification. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare nitrate removal via denitrification between two urban streams to understand the role of road salts in freshwater salinization. We compared conductivity measurements between the streams to see how background conductivity (a proxy for salinity) influences resilience …

Understanding The Impact Of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) Feeding, And Drought Stress On Drought-Tolerant And Drought-Resistant Soybean (Glycine Max)., Adriana G. Peissel

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drought and insect herbivory are two major stressors on high-value crops like soybean (Glycine max). However, few studies have explored how these stressors interact, despite their presence in tandem under field conditions. We investigated how drought stress and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) caterpillar herbivory impact Magellan (drought-tolerant) and Blackhawk (drought-susceptible) soybean cultivars. The soybean plants were subject to four treatment groups (1. Drought 2. Herbivory 3. Drought + Herbivory 4. Well-Watered) during a treatment period of 7 days in a greenhouse. We then measured plant height, physiological traits, trichome density, soil moisture, and larval mass gain. …

Understanding Factors That Drive Wildlife Mortality During Prescribed Fire Management Of Prairie Restorations, Hunter M. Griffey

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fire is a key ecological disturbance, which plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and early successional species. For today’s land managers, prescribed fire is key in the restoration and maintenance of prairie ecosystems, halting woody encroachment and creating habitat desperately needed by many species. However, fire may have unintended effects on wildlife populations through direct mortality. Among taxa living in fire-dependent ecosystems, reptiles are predisposed to direct mortality, and several studies have recorded significant mortality during prescribed burns. However, the few studies investigating reptile mortality in prescribed fire are limited by small sample sizes and generally have limited analysis …

Decoding Oncology-Focused Biotechnology Firms: Lifecycle Analysis And Predictive Insights For Valuation From A Junior Associate's Perspective, Kesav P. Chandrasekhar

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Oncology-focused biotechnology firms present unique valuation challenges due to high R&D costs, long development timelines, and uncertain clinical outcomes. This thesis addresses such challenges by integrating the clinical development lifecycle with financial valuation models to provide predictive insights into company value. A structured framework is developed that primarily focuses on stage-specific probabilities of success (PoS) for drug candidates and their impact on firm valuation, embedded in techniques such sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) analysis. By quantitatively linking clinical trial phases and likelihoods of approval to cash flow projections, the model enables a more realistic, risk-adjusted estimation of a biotech firm's worth. Through lifecycle …

Identifying Novel Molecular Targets To Induce Ferroptosis In Drug-Tolerant Cancer Cells Through Computational Modeling, Haris J. Rana

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-driven form of regulated cell death in which the cell membrane is degraded by lipid peroxidation. It is regulated by multiple enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which prevents membrane degradation by reducing lipid peroxides and protecting cells from oxidative damage. When inhibitors like RSL3 target GPX4, lipid peroxides build up, and toxic ROS compromises membrane integrity. Traditional anticancer treatments, such as most chemotherapies, aim to eliminate tumor cells by damaging DNA and triggering apoptosis. However, resistance to apoptosis is a “hallmark of cancer,” often resulting in treatment failure. As a distinct …

Registration Of High Yield Conventional Soybean 'S17-2193' With Resistance To Multiple Diseases, Francia Seconde Ravelombola, Yi-Chen Lee, Donghun Lee, Caio C. Vieira, Alemu Mengistu, Lin Feng, Grover Shannon

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

'S17-2193' (Reg. no. CV-565, PI 707954) is a high-yielding late maturity group IV (relative maturity of 4.7), conventional soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar developed and released in 2022 by the University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research, Extension, and Education Center. S17-2193 was tested in over 88 environments (40 environments for preliminary, advanced, cooperative and uniform tests; and 48 environments for soybean state variety tests) from 2018 to 2021 in 10 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Results showed that S17-2193 was well adapted across the mid-South United States. This soybean cultivar has …

Electrochemically Precipitated Struvite Effects On Extractable Soil Nutrients, Owen Collins

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Struvite recovery from wastewater streams may provide an alternative to traditional fertilizer-phosphorus (P) sources, while also providing the benefit of reducing nitrogen and P loads in wastewater effluent and reducing effects of eutrophication in surface waters. Limited research has been conducted to assess the effects of struvite fertilization on concentrations of soil micronutrients and potassium (K) compared to other traditional fertilizer-P sources in historically agricultural soils. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of fertilizer-P source (i.e., synthetically produced electrochemically precipitated struvite [ECST], chemically precipitated struvite [CPST], monoammonium phosphate [MAP], diammonium phosphate [DAP], triple superphosphate [TSP], rock …

Determining The Flavor Thresholds Of Iron Sulfate And Iron (Iii) Chloride In Nonalcoholic Beer, Anne Hood

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The production of India Pale Ales (IPAs) has significantly grown within the U.S. craft beer industry, with IPAs accounting for nearly 44% of the total craft beer production by 2022. This increase in IPA production correlates with a rise in U.S. aroma hop cultivation, as IPAs typically undergo dry hopping, a process that enhances their aromatic profile. In a study conducted by Lafontaine et al., (2022), it was found that different hop cultivars can impact levels of metallic character in a final product from dry hopping. When specifically analyzing iron concentrations, it can be seen that the ranges of iron …

Inflammatory Response In Ucd200/206 Scleroderma-Prone Chickens To Intradermal Injection Of Silikon 1000, Katee L. Johnson

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Intradermal injections of silicone materials have resulted in chronic inflammation and fibrotic reactions in some individuals. The UCD200/206 line of chickens is characterized by spontaneous development of scleroderma/systemic sclerosis (SSc), a fibrotic autoimmune disease. This longitudinal study examined the cellular inflammatory activity initiated by SILIKON 1000 (a silicone product used as a filler in human skin) at the site of intradermal (i.d.) injection and in the peripheral blood in the SSc-prone UCD 200/206 (UCD) chickens and healthy White Leghorn (WL) controls. Specifically, the pulps of growing feathers (GFs) were i.d. injected with SILIKON or endotoxin-free, sterile PBS (8 and 3 …

The Effect Of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Supplementation On Humoral Immunity Against Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis Lameness In Broiler Chickens, Bailey Herberger

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) lameness, the most predominant locomotive illness in fast-growing broilers, causes substantial animal well-being issues and affects broiler production, leading to huge financial losses. Several strategies, including feed supplementations using organic trace minerals, vitamin D, probiotics, and prebiotics, have been utilized to alleviate BCO lameness incidences in broiler chickens. Previous studies have indicated that feeding an additive of Panbonis^®-G-1,25(OH)₂D₃ from Solanum glaucophyllum containing 1 µg/kg G-1,25(OH)₂D₃ to broilers for the first 28 days of their production cycle reduced BCO lameness by more than 50%. In this study, we …

Influence Of Gossypol From Cottonseed Meal Fed To Pregnant Sows On Seminiferous Tubule Diameters In Male Offspring, Elizabeth Callaway

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Feral swine were first brought to the United States in the 1500s as a source of food and have been reported as an invasive species since then without an efficient method of population control. Ongoing research indicates that the total cost of the damage this species has caused estimates to around 1.5 billion dollars each year (USDA, 2023). Gossypol is a phenolic compound found in the cotton plant and can be administered in the form of cottonseed meal (CSM). Gossypol has been associated with reduced fertility in various species (Randel et al., 1992). Pregnant sows were fed cottonseed meal to …

Poor Sleep Quality Is Associated With Decreased Structural Coherence Of Mesolimbic Dopamine Projections In Children, William A. Walker

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Insomnia is the second most common mental disorder that affects approximately 10% of the population. An additional one-third of the population experiences occasional symptoms of insomnia like difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Sleep quality is also a key indicator of overall mental and physical health; however, researchers have only begun to study the effects of the structure of the mesolimbic pathway on sleep cycle regulation and quality. Emerging research suggests that mesolimbic dopamine projections from the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) to the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) play a role in sleep-wake regulation. In this study, I analyzed data from the …

Leveraging Natural Variation In Yeast To Understand Susceptibility Differences In Parkinson’S Disease, Julio Andres Molina Pineda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes countless suffering around the world. Both forms, familial and sporadic, have been associated with the misfolding and cytotoxicity of α-synuclein, an otherwise non-pathogenic protein suspected to have various roles in the normal maintenance of the central nervous system. Model organisms have emerged as great vessels to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms that shape α-syn biology, and great strides have been made to understand it. Yet, it is still unclear why some individuals are affected by α-syn toxicity, while others not so much. Since it’s extremely complicated to study and probe …

Effects Of Cholesterol Concentration On Liposome And Proteoliposome Behavior, Ehsaneh Khodadadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cholesterol is crucial in modulating the behavior and characteristics of biological membranes, liposomes, and proteoliposomes, for instance in drug delivery applications. Cholesterol regulates membrane stability by influencing lipid density, phase separation, and protein-membrane interactions. In planar bilayers, cholesterol enhances membrane thickness, reduces permeability, and promotes lipid ordering, adding rigidity and fluidity. Cholesterol also modulates membrane curvature in curved bilayers and vesicles, stabilizing low-curvature regions. In this work, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to examine how varying cholesterol concentrations influence the structure and dynamics of membranes, focusing on planar and curved geometries. Bilayers with cholesterol molar ratios of 0%, …

Crispy Not Risky: Effects Of Environmental Conditions On Low-Moisture Food Persistent Bacterial Pathogens, Manita Adhikari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Low-moisture foods (LMFs) were not historically seen as safety risks due to their ability to inhibit pathogen growth, but evidence shows pathogens can survive in LMFs long-term, causing outbreaks and recalls. Previous studies have lacked the ability to replicate real-world contamination scenarios in LMF processing environments. This research aimed to develop inoculation methods to form LMF persistent bacterial populations (LMF PBPs) and assess pathogen responses to environmental factors, culturing methods (broth vs. lawn), and matrix type and ratio. Inoculation methods tested were “direct” (combining bacterial culture and powder on a stainless-steel coupon) and “slurry” (premixing culture and powder). Matrices included …

Polyphenol-Protein Interactions In Pigmented Cereals – A Clean-Label Approach To Tailor Starch Viscosity, Annegret Jannasch

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Viscosity plays an important role in the food industry as it affects the quality, processing stability, and shelf-life of food and impacts physiological responses such as satiation and satiety. Greater viscosity reduces food intake by increasing the perception of satiety, primarily by delaying gastric emptying and increasing tactile stimulation. Starch is commonly added to food products as a viscosifying ingredient, which often involves chemically modifying the starch via cross-linking, to enhance its resistance to high shear, temperature and acidity. However, chemically modified starches are not “clean-label” ingredients due to the use of toxic chemicals. Therefore, further exploration is needed to …

Evaluation Of Fluridone In Rice, Maria Carolina De Carvalho Rocha Souza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing pressure of Palmer amaranth [Amaranthus palmeri (S.) Watson] in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields demands new chemical control options to manage this weed. The recent labeling of fluridone on this crop from the three-leaf rice stage offers an additional residual herbicide for battling Palmer amaranth; however, research is needed to evaluate its effectiveness and rice tolerance. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate Palmer amaranth control and rice tolerance to fluridone across different locations in Arkansas in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Preemergence (PRE) applications of fluridone at 168 g ai ha^⁻1; (1× label rate) and 336 …

Impacts Of Toxic Fescue Seed Consumed By Pregnant Heifers On Maternal Blood Flow And Offspring Growth Parameters: Potential For Melatonin As A Therapeutic To Improve Offspring Growth, Rachel Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The southeastern United States is home to endophyte-infected (E+), toxic, tall fescue grass. Consumption of E+ fescue by livestock has been linked to fescue toxicosis, a disease reported to cost the United States beef industry around $1 billion in annual losses. The primary objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the influence of pregnant cattle consuming E+ seed during gestation on uterine artery blood flow and growth performance of female offspring. The secondary objective was to investigate melatonin supplementation as a mitigation strategy for expected fescue-associated decreases in uterine artery blood flow and offspring growth performance. The study reported in …

Gene Expression And Transfection Of C15orf57 In Chicken Show Clear Correlation To The Function Of The Ap2 Complex, E. Ashton Magdich

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Discovering the functions of functionally unknown genes has made a huge impact on biological understanding including poultry species. In this thesis, C15orf57 (or C5H15orf57, chicken chromosome 5 human ortholog H15 open reading frame 57), was studied to understand its genetic characteristics and function. Chapter one is literature reviews on annotation of genes, the gene information on C15orf57, the importance of characterizing unknown genes in the genome, and what is known now about C15orf57. The Chapter 2 is for the structural characterization of C15orf57, gene expression of C15orf57 in various organ tissues using the qPCR method and effect of overexpression of …

Registration Of 'R19c-1012': A High-Yielding Soybean Cultivar With Improved Flooding Tolerance At Early Vegetative Stages, Caio Canella Vieira, Rafael Marmo, C. Wu, Liliana Florez-Palacios, Andrea Acuna, D. Harrison, D. Rogers, Leandro Mozzoni, T. Roberts, J. F. Carlin, Travis Faske, F. Lin, G. Shannon, H. T. Nguyen

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

'R19C-1012' (Reg. no. CV-564, PI 707837) is a high-yielding, conventional maturity group Mid-IV (Relative maturity 4.6) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar with improved flooding tolerance at V2-V4 vegetative growth stages. It was developed and released by the University of Arkansas System-Division of Agriculture Research & Extension Center in 2024. R19C-1012 has an indeterminate growth habit, purple flowers, gray pubescence, brown pods, and seed with an imperfect black hilum. From 2019 to 2023, R19C-1012 was evaluated across 40 irrigated environments, with an average grain yield of 4302 kg ha-1, representing 93% and 99% relative yield of the Xtend and non-Xtend …