Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Water Sanitation Options For Poultry Production, Pramir Maharjan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An evaluation of poultry farm water supplies was conducted to determine the value and impact of water system sanitation practices in commercial broiler houses on microbial levels. Water line cleaning between flocks using concentrated disinfectant solution before placing chicks reduced biofilms retained in the lines to a safe level. Occasional microbial surges were noticed during different points of flock grow-out period even when daily water sanitation was present indicating water is highly susceptible to microbial contamination. However, the daily water sanitation practice controlled the occasional microbial surges in water from sustaining and kept drinking water to a microbiologically acceptable level. …

Influences Of Music Genre And Components On Food Perception And Acceptance, Alexandra Jean Fiegel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Managers of consumer goods companies (i.e., restaurants, grocery stores, and bars) have the potential to effectively utilize environmental factors to stimulate desired consumer behaviors. Background music has been identified as one of the most readily manipulated and influential elements to which a shopper or consumer may be exposed to in a service setting. Nevertheless, little is known about the effect of background sound on food perception and acceptance. This research sought whether background music genre and musical components can alter food perception and acceptance, but also to determine how the effect can vary as a function of food type (i.e., …

Biodiesel Transesterification Byproducts As Soil Amendments, Solomon Parker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For every ten kilograms of biodiesel that is produced from the transesterification of vegetable oil, approximately 1 kg of glycerol is produced as a byproduct. Also known as glycerin, it is a chemical used in many products including cosmetics, foods, and desiccants. However, the crude glycerol created during biodiesel production is tainted with potassium hydroxide and methanol making it unsuitable for commercial use without costly refinement. With increase in production of biodiesel driven by rising fuel prices, the market has become glutted with glycerol and it is on the threshold of becoming a waste product. Common methods for disposing glycerol …

Modeling Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Net Return Implications For Cow-Calf Producers In The Ozark Highlands, Stephen Aaron Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cow-calf producers in the Ozark Highlands region are under continuous pressure to improve economic efficiency. Additionally, estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cow-calf and forage production processes may become increasingly important as policy makers seek to mitigate or reduce agriculture's role in climate change. As such, this analysis had three objectives. Objective 1: Provide a model that could be used by cow-calf producers, extension agents, and researchers to evaluate GHG and net return (NR) repercussions when modifying site characteristics, production methods, and inputs. Objective 2: Develop a user guide such that the methodology for estimating cow-calf GHG emissions and NR …

Using The Ceres-Maize Model To Create A Geographically Explicit Grid Based Estimate Of Corn Yield Under Climate Change Scenarios, Ryan Zachary Johnston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The CERES-Maize model was evaluated in its capacity to predict both regional maize yield and water use within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) Region 1 between the years 1997-2007. A grid based, geospatially explicit method was developed to express the various rainfed and irrigated maize cultivars grown across the region. Overall, the calibrated model compared well for both physiological and yield parameters, producing significant linear relationships (p

The calibrated and validated CERES-Maize model was used to predict potential evapotranspiration and yield under three IPCC weather scenarios for the year 2050 to evaluate crop production …

Initial Fine Mapping Of The Spinach Downy Mildew Resistance Locus Rpf1, Wei Yang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spinach is an important vegetable crop grown in many parts of the world (Correll et al. 2011). It has become increasingly popular due to its nutritional value as it is very high in antioxidants (Prior, 2003). Spinach production, however, is affected by many biotic stresses. Downy mildew, caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae (Pfs) , is perhaps the most important biotic constraint for spinach production worldwide (Correll et al, 1994). As of 2012, 14 races of Pfs have been reported (Correll et al., 2011). The rapid increase of new races is likely a direct result of substantial changes in …

Morphological And Molecular Taxonomic Identification And Phylogenetics Of Criconematoidea, Marco Cordero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The superfamily Criconematoidea has been studied since 1886. It is composed of two families: Criconematidae (subfam. Criconematinae, Hemicycliophorinae) and Tylenchulidae (subfam. Tylenchulinae, Paratylenchinae and Tylenchocriconematinae). Multiple species in genera have been identified and differences and similarities have been found. Species belonging to genera Mesocriconema and Criconemoides show very few differences making their identification difficult. Seventy two populations were studied. They were collected in Arkansas and/or received from the following states: California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee. Populations of the following species were identified: Mesocriconema curvatum, M. kirjanovae, M. onoense, M. ornatum, M. sphaerocephala, M. surinamense, M. vadense, M. …

Genetic Diversity Of Seed Dormancy And Molecular Evolution Of Weedy Red Rice, Te Ming Tseng

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice is the grain with the third-highest global production. In the US, Arkansas is the largest rice producing state; however, an estimated 62% of the rice fields in the state are infested with red rice, and can cause up to 80% yield reduction in rice. Among its weedy traits, seed dormancy plays an important role in its persistence, and helps red rice escape weed management techniques thereby increasing the red rice soil seedbank. Red rice also has the potential to hybridize among themselves and with cultivated rice, thus resulting in diverse phenotypes and genotypes. In this study we measured variation …

Bio-Separation Process Improvement Via Genomic Manipulation: Development Of Novel Strains For Use In Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (Imac), Ryan Curtis Haley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation is comprised of three parts. Part I describes proteomic analysis of native bacterial proteins from Escherichia coli (E.coli) that bind during Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). Part II describes the value in exploiting proteome based data as a tool toward the design an E. coli expression strain that is particularly useful when Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography is employed as the initial capture step of a homologous protein purification process. Part III describes a methodology of chromosomal mapping of all contaminant gene products.

The objective of Part I was to identify all E. coli proteins that bind to Co(II), …

Proteomic Studies Of The Influenza Virus-Human Cell Interactions: The Responses Of Host Cell Protein Expression To Viral Infection And The Novel Host Proteins That Interact With Virus Protein Ns1, Yimeng Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) continue to be a threat to human health. Despite extensive studies, the mechanisms underlying the IAVs-host interactions during IAV infection remain elusive. We employed quantitative proteomic methods to systematically explore the host cell protein expression responses to IAV infection and examine the function of a critical IAV protein called NS1 by identifying its host binding partners. Specifically, we used a 2-dimentional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) based proteomic method to screen host proteins whose expression was substantially altered by IAV. One critical protein named IκB kinase-gamma (IKKγ) was found to be significantly down-regulated during IAV infection. Functional studies …

Physiological Effects Of Low Mowing Heights, Rolling, And Foot Traffic On Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens, Joseph Ronald Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Golf course superintendents are managing creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) putting greens throughout the transition zone where temperatures can exceed optimum levels for consecutive days in the summer. The stress of creeping bentgrass associated with these supraoptimal temperatures has been well documented, but the management practices implemented on putting greens to increase green speeds may exacerbate these environmental stresses. To date, the physiological effects of these management practices in combination have not been evaluated for putting green turf. The objective of this dissertation project was to determine the effect of mowing heights, light-weight rolling, and foot traffic on performance and …

Dark Green Color Index As A Method Of Real-Time In-Season Corn Nitrogen Measurement And Fertilization, Upton Siddons

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corn (Zea mays L.) requires higher rates of nitrogen fertilizer than any other major U.S. crop partly because N fertilizers are subject to loss through various mechanisms. Because of this, corn may suffer from inadequate nitrogen fertilization or producers may over-apply nitrogen to compensate for early-season nitrogen losses. A timely, accurate, and precise method for measuring in-season corn N status is needed to allow producers to keep nitrogen use efficiency high within a growing season.

Using appropriate software, hue, saturation, and brightness values of digital images can be combined in a dark green color index (DGCI) which is closely associated …

Efficacy Of Probiotics For Reducing The Incidence Of Lameness In Broilers Grown On Wire Flooring, John Matthew Stark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing broilers on wire flooring provides an excellent experimental model for reproducibly triggering significant levels of lameness. In Pilot Study #1 using broilers from Line C grown on wire flooring, adding the Biomin probiotic PoultryStar® to the feed reduced the percentage of lameness by half when compared with broilers that received the control diet alone. In Pilot Study # 2 using broilers from Line B grown on wire flooring, adding the PoultryStar® probiotic reduced the percentage of lameness to 8% when compared with 28% lameness in broilers that received the control diet alone. The objective of this study was to …

An Analysis Of Firearms Training Performance Among Active Law Enforcement Officers, John Thomasson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Firearms proficiency is an implicit expectation, held by the public of police officers, due to presumption that the required firearm training is an adequate preparation for a deadly force encounter. However, anecdotal evidence and available data on police shootings suggest that conventional, unrealistic training methods are wholly inadequate. To present stress into firearms training, some departments have opted for exercises such as physical exertion and shoot-house training as a substitute for realistic simulation of force-on-force confrontations.

To determine whether such exercises are comparable, an observation of performance and heart rate levels was conducted on a group of eight police officers, …

Expression, Production, And Purification Of Novel Therapeutic Proteins, Mckinzie Shea Fruchtl

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interest in the production of recombinant proteins consisting of collagen binding domain (CBD) fused to a bioactive material has increased due to the targeting/attachment capabilities of CBD. For example, CBD fusions can be applied to the reversing of bone density loss and the repair of the eardrum, specifically, by choosing an appropriate fusion partner (parathyroid hormone or epidermal growth factor). The production of CBD fusions was examined using batch and fed-batch culturing of Escherichia coli to express the fusion proteins, and affinity chromatography to isolate the final product.

Different medium formulations, feeding strategies, and induction methods were tested in order …

Local Food And Agriculture Awareness: The Literacy Of Local Produce And Agriculture In Northwest Arkansas, Kyle Colton Flynn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that adolescents and children, both male and female, are failing to meet the daily fruit and vegetable consumption requirements (Kim et al., 2011; Upton et al., 2012; Harris et al., 2012). Other studies have shown that with increased exposure and availability of produce, students (K-5) tend to consume more fruits and vegetables (Cullen et al., 2009; Evans et al., 2012). The purpose of this study is to identify whether Northwest Arkansas eleventh grade high school students possess experience and knowledge of local produce and agriculture. Out of 1054 students enrolled at …

Extraction And Purification Of Gamma-Tocotrienol From Rice Bran Oil Deodorizer Distillate, Mary Kordsmeier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The tocols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta- tocopherols (T); alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienols (T3)) make up the vitamin E family of antioxidants. Tocols have many health benefits. Gamma-T3 has been shown to protect against harmful radiation effects in mice. During rice bran oil refining up to 90% of tocols in rice bran are lost to the deodorizer distillate. The objective of this study was to optimize parameters for analyzing and isolating tocols from rice bran oil deodorizer distillate (RBODD). NP-HPLC analysis of tocol standards was optimized by testing ten mobile phases. Tocol extraction was optimized by testing three concentration …

Litter Conditioning Is Differentially Affected By Leaf Species, Phosphorus Enrichment, And Light Availability, Erin E. Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic enrichment of nitrogen and phosphorus is one of the most pervasive and detrimental threats to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. In streams that rely on allochthonous basal food resources, such as leaves, nutrient pollution can result in altered food quality and decreased carbon (C) standing stocks. However, the magnitude and mechanisms of this change in quality are poorly understood. Laboratory microcosm studies were conducted to 1) quantify the response of litter C:P to a gradient of phosphorus (P) enrichment (0, 0.05, and 0.5 mg SRP/L) across leaf species with variable levels of degradability (sugar maple and oak), and 2) quantify the …

Measuring The Energy Required To Dry Rice In Commercial Rice Dryers, Maria Alejandra Billiris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to quantify and assess the energy use and efficiency of commercial cross-flow dryers when drying rice using a range of drying and ambient conditions. First, equations that predict the theoretical energy required to dry rice from any given initial moisture content to a desired final moisture content were developed for several rice cultivars using a semi-theoretical approach to obtain a basis for comparison to calculate energy efficiency. Theoretical energy requirements, expressed as the energy required per unit mass of water removed, increased exponentially as initial moisture content decreased. Additionally, medium-grains required more energy to …

Effects Of Ergot Alkaloids And Bovine Bodily Fluids On Cytochrome P450 Activity, Nicholas Scott Ezell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the Promega^TM P450-Glo assay (Promega^TM V9800) as a tool for quantifying ergot alkaloid concentration. Current techniques used for detection of ergot alkaloids are slow and expensive, do not detect all ergot alkaloids, or are not effective on bovine bodily fluids. The first study was conducted to determine effects of commercial ergot alkaloids (n = 6; 0 - 400 μM) on the Promega^TM P450-Glo assay. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) activity in assay had a differential response to each ergot alkaloid and concentration. As concentrations of ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, ergocornine, and ergocryptine increased CYP450 activity was inhibited (P …

The Geometry And Sensitivity Of Ion-Beam Sculpted Nanopores For Single Molecule Dna Analysis, Ryan Connor Rollings

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the relationship between the geometry of ion-beam sculpted solid-state nanopores and their ability to analyze single DNA molecules using resistive pulse sensing is investigated. To accomplish this, the three dimensional shape of the nanopore is determined using energy filtered and tomographic transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that this information enables the prediction of the ionic current passing through a voltage biased nanopore and improves the prediction of the magnitude of current drop signals when the nanopore interacts with single DNA molecules. The dimensional stability of nanopores in solution is monitored using this information and is improved …

Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri) In Arkansas: Resistance Mechanisms And Management Strategies, Griff Michael Griffith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since 2000, there have been thirteen weed species confirmed resistant (R) to glyphosate in the United States, six of those resistant species are present in Arkansas. The goal of this research was to confirm and to determine the level of resistance in two R Palmer amaranth biotypes from Mississippi (MC-R) and Lincoln (LC-R) Counties, Arkansas, and one susceptible (S) biotype from Clarendon County, South Carolina, which had never been exposed to glyphosate. Shikimic acid concentration over time was significantly greater in the S biotype than both the MC-R and LC-R biotypes. The lethal dose required to kill 50% (LD_{50 …}

Genetic Analysis Of The Promoter Region Of The Serotonin Receptor 5ht2b And Its Contribution To Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome In Broiler-Type Chickens, Khaloud Awada Alzahrani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a sever disorder characterized by high pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance along with specific histological changes. Idiopathic PAH is a human disease of unknown origin that showed common characteristics to PHS/ascites in chicken. PHS/ascites is a condition found in broilers causing right ventricular hypertrophy, valvular insufficiency, increased venous pressure, variable liver changes, accumulation of fluids in the abdominal cavity, and finally lung and heart failure. Currently, there is no acceptable animal model for human PAH. Our group has been validating the chicken as the medical animal model for human PAH, thus we have …

Qcm Aptasensor For Rapid And Specific Detection Of Avian Influenza Virus, Luke Brockman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been a need for rapid detection of avian influenza virus (AIV) H5N1 due to it being a potential pandemic threat. Most of the current methods, including culture isolation and PCR, are very sensitive and specific but require specialized laboratories and trained personnel in order to complete the tests and are time-consuming. The goal of this study was to design a biosensor that would be able to rapidly detect AIV H5N1 using aptamers as biosensing material and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for transducing method. Specific DNA aptamers against AIV H5N1 were immobilized, through biotin and streptavidin conjugation, onto …

Relationship Of Lactate Dehydrogenase & Prolactin Genotypes To Immune Function, Growth, And Composition Of Replacement Heifers Grazing Tall Fescue, Christina Marie Turner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives of this research were to determine effects of LDH enzymatic activity and circulating PRL on immune response, growth, composition, and reproduction, and to determine the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms of LDH and PRL on immune function, growth and carcass traits, cyclicty, and fecundity of replacement heifers grazing endophyte infected tall fescue. Eighty-nine Angus based heifers had physical and ultrasound measurements along with blood samples collected at weaning, yearling, and prebreeding. Estrus detection was conducted for 10 d post each collection period, except prebreeding. Pregnancy status was verified after AI and again after bull removal. Heifers were maintained on …

Ecology And Flock-Following Behavior Of The Wedge-Billed Woodcreeper In Eastern Ecuador, Abigail Darrah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The wedge-billed woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus) is a common understory suboscine passerine of lowland Neotropical rainforests. It frequently joins mixed-species understory flocks but also regularly forages alone, and thus is an excellent model species on which to conduct comparative behavioral observations to examine the hypothesized costs and benefits of flock-following. Individuals exhibit variable flocking propensities (proportion of time spent with flocks), and thus observing the correlations between flocking propensity and physical and environmental factors can provide further insight into the importance of flock-following to the ecology of this species. Despite its abundance at many sites and its wide geographic range, surprisingly …

Molecular Diagnosis Of Metabolic Fast Growth Related Diseases In Broiler, Adnan Ali Khalaf Al-Rubaye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome (PHS) and lameness are important metabolic diseases that affect rapidly growing broilers. The research reported in the first section of this dissertation focused on developing qPCR assays to identify differences in the expression levels of four candidate genes possibly associated with PHS: angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1): urotensin receptor 2D (UTS2D); serotonin receptor/transporter type 2Bn (HTR2B); and angiotensinogen cleaving enzyme (ACE). Expression levels of these candidate genes were examined in four different tissues. We established ribosomal protein S14 (RPS14) and RNA polymerase subunit 2B (RP2B) as suitable reference genes because they showed the most consistent deltaCt …

Groundcover Management System And Nutrient Source Impact Physical Soil Quality Indicators In An Organically Managed Apple Orchard, Neal Mays

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In March 2006, four groundcover management systems (GMS) and two nutrient sources (NS) were implemented for their ability to alter the soil physical condition of a newly established, organically managed apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) orchard. Annual applications of municipal green compost (GC), shredded office paper (SP), wood chips (WC), and mow-blow (MB) grass mulch were utilized as GMS, and NS supplied to trees were from composted poultry litter (PL), a commercial organic fertilizer (CF), or an untreated control (NF) in a 4x3 factorial study. An established, conventionally-managed orchard was located adjacent to the organic research orchard on the same …

Studies On The Structure And Pathogens Of The Small Hive Beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Natasha A. Wright

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida, SHB) is an invasive pest of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the United States. The adult and larval beetles can ruin honey through fecal contamination and by vectoring a mutualistic yeast (Kodamaea ohmeri) that causes honey fermentation. These beetles also impact honey bee colonies by feeding on bee eggs, bee brood, and pollen. Severe beetle infestations can cause colonies to decline or abscond.

The SHB has been present in the United States since at least 1998. Since then, there have been several published papers on how to successfully rear these beetles. Laboratory rearing …

Response Of Breeding Birds To Forest Disturbance In The Arkansas Ozarks: Impacts Of Uneven-Aged Management, Ice Damage, And Woodland Restoration, Maureen Mcclung

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forests of the Ozarks are important breeding grounds for many bird species, each with specific habitat requirements. Natural and anthropogenic disturbance events can alter vegetational structure of forests, thereby influencing communities of breeding birds. The objectives of my study were to examine the response of breeding birds and their habitat to three types of forest disturbance: (1) uneven-aged management, (2) ice damage, and (3) woodland restoration. Avian and vegetation surveys were conducted during the 2008, 2009, and 2010 breeding seasons (May-June) in the Ozark National Forest, Arkansas. Each site was surveyed for birds four times a season using fixed-radius point …