2025 Research Poster Competition

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  Nests with Higher Thermal Variation Produce Fewer Fledglings with Larger Bills than Higher Temperature Nests

  Salvador Barraza-Del Barco, William Kirckpatrick, Sarah Heissenberger, and Sarah DuRant

  Warmer temperatures and increased temperature variability are predicted in the future due to climate change. Phenotypic outcomes of avian nestlings are heavily impacted by nest temperature. We examined metabolic rates and growth of Eastern Bluebird nestlings subjected to increased mean temperature and increased temperature variability within the nest during development.

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  Non-Profit Foundation Boards: An Investigation into Best Practices using Fayetteville Public Library Foundation as a Test Case

  Esther Beller

  Effective governance is critical for the success of non-profit organizations, with foundation boards playing a central role in ensuring accountability, strategic direction, and resource allocation for the organization. This thesis investigates best practices for non-profit foundation boards, using the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation as a case study to evaluate the efficiency of its governance practices. The research aims to identify whether the Foundation board operates efficiently and adheres to established best practices for non-profit boards.

  To address this, a two-phase methodology was employed. The first phase involved an extensive review of scholarly journals, industry guidelines, and other resources to define criteria for best practices in non-profit board governance. These findings informed the development of interview questions designed to assess the efficiency of a non-profit board, specifically the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation board in this case. In the second phase, interviews were conducted with board members and library executives, providing qualitative insights into their operational strategies, decision-making processes, and adherence to the identified best practices.

  The research is expected to support the hypothesis that the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation board operates efficiently and incorporates several recognized best practices, including transparent decision-making, strategic alignment with the organization’s mission, and active engagement of board members. These results will contribute to the broader understanding of non-profit governance by highlighting how established best practices can be implemented and tailored within a specific organizational context to improve overall board effectiveness.

  By combining theoretical research with practical application, this study will offer valuable insights for non-profit boards seeking to improve their governance practices and better fulfill their organizational missions.

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  The Effect of Parental Behavior on the Ontogeny of the Immune System in the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

  Wyatt Boehm, William Kirkpatrick, and Sarah E. DuRant

  Previous research has explored the trade-offs between growth and immune endpoints in offspring since early development is critical in shaping adult responses to disease. However, an unexplored aspect of immune development is the influence of parental behavior on immune outcomes. I observed parental behavior during early development and its influence on offspring immune condition. To analyze parental behavior during incubation in the Eastern Bluebird, I quantified incubation constancy (percentage of time spent on the nest) and its impact on white blood cell ratios throughout development. Incubation constancy is useful in defining general trends in adult incubation behavior. Here, I have used it to examine how it influences aspects of immune condition critical to adult disease outcomes.

  I used an established nest box system (208 boxes) managed for Eastern Bluebirds by the DuRant Lab in Fayetteville, AR. To examine parental behavior, I used data gathered from two-channel temperature loggers, in which one logger is placed inside and one outside the nest box. Using NestIQ (Hawkins and DuRant 2020), a program developed by the DuRant lab that uses machine learning to detect changes in parental behavior in relation to environmental temperature and nest temperature, my work has capitalized on recent advances in computer programming to quantify changes in animal behavior as it relates to environmental conditions. Blood samples were taken from Eastern Bluebird nestlings on day 5 and 10 of incubation. The samples had been previously collected and stained by William Kirkpatrick. The white blood cell count for a slide was completed by counting 100 white blood cells within the stained blood smear on a slide. Each blood cell that was counted was classified as a lymphocyte, heterophil, monocyte, eosinophil, or basophil. To calculate white blood cell ratios, I divided the number of heterophils and eosinophils by total lymphocyte numbers.

  When examining the results for my project, I first compared Heterophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio and eosinophil count between days 5 and 10 for each individual bluebird. We found a significant change in both Heterophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio and eosinophil count from day 5 to day 10. From these results, it is evident that much more immune system development occurs between day 5 and day 10 rather than before day 5. This tells us that immune system development is not prioritized within the first 5 days post hatch. When looking at findings for constancy, there were no significant relationships between white blood cell count and parental behavior, except for monocyte count. Monocyte numbers were significantly predicted by adult constancy. There was not clear evidence to know if parental behavior influences the development of the immune system as a whole. These results can be used to understand more about the timeline of immune system development in the eastern bluebird. Additionally, these findings could be used to do further research into why parental behavior seems to only effect monocyte numbers and no other aspects of the immune system.

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  Differences in cellular and humoral immune responses to a primary and secondary immunization with herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) vaccine in layer pullets

  Allie K. Bowerman, Chrysta N. Beck, Jossie M. Santamaria, and Gisela F. Erf

  In poultry production, chickens are routinely vaccinated with live herpesvirus vaccines for protection from lymphoma causing Marek’s disease virus. However, information on the immune responses to these vaccines is limited. This study examined cellular and antibody responses to primary and secondary vaccinations with herpesvirus of turkey (HVT). Six unvaccinated 9-wk-old, and six HVT-vaccinated (s.c. at hatch) 19-wk-old, layer pullets received a first (V1) or a second (V2) HVT vaccination, respectively, by intradermal injection of HVT-vaccine into the pulp of growing feathers (GFs; 10 µL/GF; 16 GFs/bird). GFs were collected before (0h), and at 0.25, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10d post-pulp-injection (p.i.) and, blood, at 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28d p.i. To assess leukocyte profiles in GF-pulps, cell suspensions were prepared for immunofluorescent staining and leukocyte population analysis by FACS. ELISA was used to measure plasma levels of HVT-specific IgM and IgG. GF and blood data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and 2-way repeated measures ANOVA, respectively, to test effects of vaccine, time, and their interactions, followed by Tukey’s HSD tests when appropriate (P≤0.05 for all tests). Both V1 and V2 recruited leukocytes, primarily lymphocytes, by 1d p.i. (P≤0.05) with peak levels (% pulp cells) observed by 3d that were higher (P≤0.001) with V1 (54%) than with V2 (24%) and declined gradually to near 0h levels by 10d. Heterophils and macrophages peaked (4% each; P≤0.05) at 0.25d with both V1 and V2. However, V1 and V2 differed greatly in recruitment of T- and B-cells, with V1 recruiting much higher levels at 3, 5, and 7d (P≤0.05). While CD4+ T cells dominated the T cell response to V1, with elevated levels from 3 to 10d, CD8+ T cells were the most abundant T cells responding to V2, with peak levels on 1 to 3d p.i. (P≤0.05). Plasma HVT-IgM levels were elevated (P≤0.05) on 10 and 28d post V1 but did not change post V2. Similarly, HVT-IgG levels increased steadily post V1 (P≤0.05), reaching near maximal levels by 14d, while V2 did not stimulate a further increase. The temporal, qualitative, and quantitative differences in leukocyte presence at the site of HVT injection post V1 versus V2, suggest development of cell mediated immunity in response to HVT vaccination.

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  Consumer Preferences for Delayed Ripening in Apples: A Comparative Study of Gene-Edited and All-Natural Fruit Coating

  Kyla C. Clouthier

  This study investigates consumer preferences for food waste reduction technologies using a discrete choice experiment and Latent Class Analysis (LCA). Willingness to pay (WTP) results reveal a higher WTP for gene-edited ($2.64/lb) and spray-coated apples ($3.05/lb) relative to untreated apples ($1.80/lb). LCA identifies three consumer segments with distinct preferences and behavioral traits. Segment differences in WTP, food waste concern (F = 12.13, p < 0.001), and consumption habits (F = 20.40, p < 0.001) were statistically significant. Findings highlight the need for tailored marketing and policy strategies to promote the adoption of sustainable technologies and reduce food waste.

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  Enhancing Agricultural Knowledge of Rural and Urban Elementary School Children in Arkansas

  Anna Davis, Michael Popp, Isabel M. Whitehead-Adams, and Brandon R. McFadden

  Research suggests that 4th- and 5th- grade students are potentially ill-informed about general agricultural knowledge nationwide due to a growing gap between agriculture and the general population, including young students. As such, and with the help of an Honor’s College grant, students were surveyed at both rural and urban schools across Arkansas to assess how much they knew about where their food comes from and to determine whether they connected it back to agriculture. Additionally, students were asked to draw a picture of a farm to capture what farming means to them. A short presentation about general agricultural knowledge, following a seed of corn to the consumer plate, was used to assess its effectiveness in increasing awareness and interest in the agri-food system. Pre- and post-presentation responses were then analyzed for differences among students by i) grade level; ii) rural vs. urban elementary setting; and iii) whether or not the student had taken an Arkansas history class. The presentation effectively increased knowledge across all categories of questions. The presentation was also effective in generating career interest in agriculture and increased awareness of the connection between agriculture and food. The differences between rural and urban settings and by age highlight the importance of tailored educational experiences and strategies that could inform future curriculum development. Targeting students early on is one suggestion. Providing more real-life visuals in a presentation to urban students may also be more effective. As such, using information collected in this survey, we have gained insight into how to target educational materials about agriculture to appropriate audiences.

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  A Review of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Reporting and Analysis of Incidents

  Ryker Davis and Neelakshi Majumdar

  Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drones are rapidly integrating into various industries. However, safety concerns regarding their design, training, and operation are rising. To ensure safer integration into the National Airspace System (NAS), it is crucial to understand the potential risks associated with UAS operations. To address these safety concerns, a systematic analysis of UAS incidents is essential to identify common factors and potential risks. There are various sources that record UAS safety events such as accidents and incidents. Analyzing these safety events to identify their causes and contributing factors may help in developing improved design and operations and thereby implementing mitigation strategies for safety events. This study aims to bridge the knowledge gap in civilian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) safety status to inform safety decisions and highlight potential limitations in the current reporting system. To address the gap, I firstly reviewed the status of UAS safety reporting in the U.S. by identifying different incident databases and the information they record. Then, I analyzed UAS safety reports from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System database to identify trends and contributing factors in reported incidents. I used the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework to systematically classify human errors, hardware/software malfunctions, and environmental factors. The analysis revealed that human factors, such as decision errors and regulatory violations, account for 78% of reported incidents, while hardware and software malfunctions contribute to 20%. Environmental factors, such as collisions with objects, were notably rare. The highest number of incidents occurred under visual meteorological conditions (VMC), emphasizing the need for improved operator training even in favorable conditions. By highlighting critical safety issues, such as inadequate authorization practices and equipment failures, this research provides a foundation for enhancing regulatory frameworks, improving operator training, and developing fail-safe technologies for UAS. The study’s insights not only contribute to safer integration of drones into the National Airspace System but also establish a roadmap for addressing emerging challenges in UAS and next-generation autonomous air operations.

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  Unbridled Healing: Identifying the Barriers of Equine-Assisted Therapy

  Sally A. Hamm and Amanda Terrell

  Despite the documented benefits of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) for mental health conditions, this complementary approach remains underutilized. This qualitative study investigated barriers preventing wider EAT implementation by examining challenges faced by clients, facilities, and volunteers. Data collected through open-ended surveys from 33 participants and the researcher's autoethnographic observations revealed eight common barriers: Accessibility (48 mentions), Money (43), Time (30), Awareness (23), Physical Factors (13), Relationships (13), Risk (13), and Weather (7). Clients identified financial constraints as their primary barrier, particularly insurance limitations. Facilitators struggled most with accessibility challenges, including lack of resources, trained staff, suitable horses, and appropriate facilities. Volunteers faced significant time constraints and communication difficulties. Novel findings included communication issues for volunteers, relationship barriers affecting retention, physical limitations to participation, and weather-related constraints affecting all stakeholder groups. The study's findings support advocacy efforts to address these barriers and potentially expand EAT access to more diverse populations.

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  Zyn: The Social Buzz

  Paula Hayek, Charlotte McCormick, and Page D. Dobbs

  Use of nicotine pouches among adolescents are increasing as marketing of Zyn through social media platforms such as, TikTok, is spreading quickly. Micro-influencers on TikTok are presenting the nicotine pouch, Zyn, and its abundance of flavors. The attractiveness of Zyn is primarily due to its subtleness, assortment of flavors, and convenience. The objective of this research is to examine how social media marketing of Zyn pouches is influencing the increased use of this product among adolescents and young adults. This research will aim to answer how Zyn is being communicated on TikTok, what demographic is primarily depicted using or talking about Zyn on TikTok, and what kind of sentiment is being portrayed on TikTok about Zyn.

  Current research studies examine nicotine pouch marketing primarily though radio televisions and print advertising. What they often lack is a source that all adolescents and young adults are consumed by: social media. Ranking third worldwide for the largest social media platforms with the greatest advertise reach, this research investigates TikTok’s Zyn marketing towards adolescents. The methodology for this research included coding for 112 TikToks to identify popular demographics, gender expression, flavors, sentiments, and dependence of Zyn. Our research shows that many of the individuals making the videos are white males, with a wide variety of branding, focusing mainly on wintergreen and spearmint flavors. Additionally, the videos contain a primarily positive sentiment, satire, and little talk about cessation, addiction, or dependence.

  My research team and I developed a codebook to accurately define the coded terms when examining TikTok videos. Our preliminary review included conducting an initial review of a sample of TikTok videos related to Zyn, and identifying preliminary codes based on recurring themes, phrases, behaviors, and symbols. We defined the codes by assigning clear, operational definitions to each code to standardize interpretation. Lastly, we finalized the codebook and maintained a log of codebook revisions to document changes and ensure transparency. Following codebook development, all 112 videos were annotated by two trained coders. The full metadata was examined for all videos based off number of followers, likes, comments, shares, and common Zyn hashtags.

  Zyn is a tobacco-free nicotine pouch that is put inside an individual’s upper lip, risking gum damage and oral cancer. Nicotine pouches can be highly addictive and pose cardiovascular problems, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. With its appealing qualities of discreteness and uniqueness being marketed through TikTok, young adults are getting attracted to Zyn products. Using this research, we can effectively show how the marketing of Zyn affects the young adult population. Our findings allow us to make informed public health recommendations to mitigate the risks associated with nicotine use among young people.

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  State Governments' SNAP Administration against the National Mandate: Principal-Agent Theory Case Study

  Hank Herzfeld

  Since their earliest iterations in the New Deal, entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and welfare programs have served as a political third rail, but concerns over their administration, budgets, and fit into the mandate of the national government can conflict with the political necessity of maintaining them. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), colloquially known as food stamps, is a prime example of a welfare entitlement that many Americans rely on to meet their regular nutrition needs. Similar concerns about waste, methods of administration, and budget constraints crop up every time the program comes up for reauthorization in the United States Congress. This case study of the SNAP program will take a critical look at both data and policy changes nationally and state-side since 1989 and analyze disconnects between SNAP’s intent stated by the federal government and program administration on the state level. The theory employed in the analysis understands the administrative relationship between states as the agents and the national government as the principal. These two administrative roles create an asymmetry that requires the principal to determine a level of discrepancy balanced with trust in the agent to exercise a specific mandate. The data-based analysis considers changes in political control, significant alterations of SNAP policies, and other regional shifts as potential causal factors in total enrollment, benefit distribution and dispersals, and error or waste data. The policy change analysis will similarly trace these causal factors as features of political changes in policy design, executive adjustments, or support for policy action. Preliminary data analysis has indicated that political alignment of state governments, particularly among governors, plays a significant role in which policies a state adopts and how rapidly the state administration aligns with that policy. The implications of this research serve to explore an infrequently studied administrative relationship between state and national governments as well as the use of state governments as a platform for partisan resistance to a national agenda.

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  Utilizing 16s RNA Sequencing to Identify Bacterial Species Colonizing Lame Birds with Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis

  Kara Hoover, Andi Asnayanti, and Adnan Alrubaye

  Poultry lameness has become prevalent in recent years due to high growth rates in broiler chickens. Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO), the main cause of lameness, is characterized by necrosis of the femur and tibia in afflicted birds. Heavier birds are more susceptible to bacterial stress in these regions due to increased pressure on their growth plates. BCO lameness poses both ethical and financial threats to the poultry industry, as up to 15% of flocks can become affected during outbreaks. The purpose of this experiment was to identify bacterial species present in birds with BCO lameness. 1,800 chicks were randomly distributed into 2 pens with wire floor and 24 with litter floor. The wire floor acted as a control positive and induced the spread of lameness via an aerosol transmission model. During this study birds who were unable to walk when prompted were diagnosed as lame and culled. All lame birds were necropsied, and bacteria were isolated from the blood and lesions on the femur and tibia. Once bacteria were grown on agar plates, individual colonies were separated for further species identification using 16s RNA sequencing. The results showed that Staphylococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp. were the most predominant bacteria colonizing lame birds. This indicated that these bacteria could be the main causes of BCO lameness in broilers. Thus, this experiment is anticipated to help develop BCO treatments that strengthen the bone and immune system against distinct bacteria. More research is needed to discover the virulence of Staphylococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp. to prevent lameness caused by bacterial infection.

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  Calming Music as an Emotion Regulation Technique in Response to a Traumatic Sexual Assault Narrative

  Mia A. Iandolo, Reese Myatt, Alexander Garcia, Kelly Summers, Brielle White, Emily L. Allen, Marley F. Fradley, Julian Ruiz, and Ana J. Bridges

  Problem. Experiencing a sexual assault often results in lasting psychological trauma that inhibits the person’s ability to function (CDC, 2022), so coping strategies are needed to reduce those symptoms. For instance, after listening to traumatic stories, people experience significant increases in subjective distress (Bynion et al., 2023). And laboratory studies demonstrate that calming music reduces subjective distress (Judd, 2020; Ophir & Jacoby, 2020). On the other hand, calming music appears to interfere with memory and processing (Rickard et al., 2012). While music has been shown to be a helpful coping mechanism to decrease anxiety and may relate to memory and learning, no study to date has examined these simultaneously as they relate to trauma. This study examines the effect of listening to calming music (vs silence) on both anxiety levels and memory recall following the description of a sexual assault. We hypothesize that: (H1) Participants who listen to calming music after hearing the trauma script will report lower anxiety levels than those who did not listen to music, controlling for baseline anxiety levels; (H2) Participants who listen to calming music after hearing the trauma script will demonstrate less memory retention than those who didn’t listen to music; (H3) Participants’ anxiety levels will be significantly positively related to their memory retention; and (H4) The association between listening to calming music and memory for a traumatic script will be partially mediated by anxiety levels. Methods. Participants (N = 84; 73% female; aged 18-24; 7% Asian, 5% Black, 11% Latine, 4% Native American, 1% Pacific Islander, 86% White; 89% heterosexual) with no PTSD or uncorrected hearing impairments were recruited from undergraduate psychology courses. Participants came into the lab, took a baseline anxiety measure (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI; Spielberger et al., 1970), listened to a script detailing a sexual assault, then completed the anxiety measure again. Participants were then randomly assigned to listen to either calming music (“Gymnopedie No. 1"" by Erik Satie) or sit in silence for five minutes before taking the anxiety measure for a third time. Then, participants took a researcher-developed multiple-choice memory test based on the traumatic narrative they listened to. Results. Data analyses are currently being conducted. To test the hypothesis, a mediation model will be estimated in R using path analysis. The independent variable will be post-story STAI scores. The mediators will be experimental condition and final STAI scores. The dependent variable will be total story recall score. Conclusions. This research has implications for factors impacting the processing potentially traumatic information and may have extensions to the treatment of clinical populations.

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  Separating Signal From Noise in Annotator Disagreement

  Jonathan W. Ivey, Susan Gauch, and David Jurgens

  NLP (natural language processing) models often rely on human-labeled data for training and evaluation. Many approaches crowdsource this data from a large number of annotators with varying skills, backgrounds, and motivations, resulting in conflicting annotations. These conflicts have traditionally been resolved by aggregation methods that assume disagreements are errors. Recent work has argued that for many tasks annotators may have genuine disagreements and that variation should be treated as signal rather than noise. However, limited work has combined the two frameworks to separate signal from noise in human-labeled data. In this work, we introduce NUTMEG, a new Bayesian model that incorporates information about annotator backgrounds to remove noisy annotations from human-labeled training data while preserving systematic disagreements. We then use a synthetic data evaluation framework to show that NUTMEG is more effective at recovering ground-truth from annotations with systematic disagreement than traditional aggregation methods. We provide further analysis characterizing how differences in subpopulation sizes, rates of disagreement, and rates of spam affect the performance of our model. Finally, we demonstrate that downstream models trained on data aggregated by NUTMEG significantly outperform both models trained on traditionally aggregated data and models trained on the full set of disaggregated annotations. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for both annotator competence and systematic disagreements when training on human-labeled data.

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  Glucose Limitation and the Second Glycolysis Peak in Stimulated Macrophages

  Melih Karabacak

  Previous studies have shown that individuals exposed to fever temperatures are much more likely to combat infections compared to those who are at normal body temperatures. However, in recent years, achieving fever responses has gotten much more difficult. Fortunately, in Dr. Durdik’s lab, it has been seen that effective fever temperatures can be generated artificially. The primary focus of the Durdik lab is an understudied field: the relationship between macrophage activity and fever temperatures. One key piece of information discovered from this research is the pattern of macrophages to go through different levels of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, with the four most important peaks being labeled BANG. This BANG pattern is of particular interest as it can convey the degree of macrophage activity; for example, a BANG pattern revealed earlier and at a higher level demonstrates hastened and heightened macrophage response. Nevertheless, total RNA profiling has never been conducted on macrophage responses, particularly at fever temperatures. Thus, the aim of this study is to perform RNA profiling/sequencing on each of the four peaks in BANG in a mouse macrophage cell line. In order to perform this experiment, RNA from each of the BANG peaks will be gathered from two different temperatures (37°C and 39°C). Afterwards, this data will be sent to a total RNA sequencing company for processing. Lastly, the final data will be analyzed through a variety of programs, generating heat maps and line-by-line comparisons; these may then be compared with other BANG peaks, temperatures, and macrophages from different species. As a result, critical pieces of information will be generated on BANG peaks, such as functional molecules and metabolic pathways, which can then provide a foundation for future investigations and greater insight into how fever temperatures (especially artificially) may improve immune function in the real world.

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  Shortage to Surge - Studying the Post-COVID-19 Guitar Retail Market

  Jed Kim and EmmaLe Davis

  The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most catalyzing events of the 21st century, leading to supply chain disruptions, lifestyle changes, and a massive shift towards digital technologies. During the COVID-19 lockdown, many people had more time, and over 16 million people learned guitar in the first 2 years of the pandemic. According to a study by Fender, 62% of these new guitar learners cited the pandemic as their primary reason for learning the instrument. However, pandemic policies and supply chain disruptions meant that many guitar retailers were unable to satisfy demand, and backorders began to accumulate. Since both guitars and clothing in the past have been retail items that consumers preferred to buy in person rather than online, this student-led research project seeks to compare the guitar and clothing retail markets before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2023) to discover guitar market category trends and predict future market growth to better inform manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. The study will include a literature review, hypothesis testing, a preliminary study of the datasets through summary statistics and basic visualizations (using Tableau, Python, and R), and several iterations of predictive models (regression, clustering, neural networks, etc.). The clothing retail data will be procured from the Information Systems Department in the Walton College of Business, and the guitar retail data will be procured from 2 anonymous US music retailers. After conducting interviews with industry experts at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show in California, the modeling results will be compared with the interviews, and an appropriate final model will be selected to predict the guitar retail market’s growth in the next five years.

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  Simulation-Enhanced Bayesian Optimization of System Designs using Hybrid Physical and Computer Experiments

  Luke Kim, Kelly Sullivan, Haitao Liao, and Ed Pohl

  We consider the problem of learning and optimizing the performance of a system by conducting a limited number of physical and digital experiments within a design space. Physical experiments are assumed to be unbiased but costly, while digital experiments (e.g., simulations) are less expensive but may introduce bias due to the limitations of the simulation model. This problem is relevant in many fields, such as optimizing engineered systems where performance (e.g., mechanical properties and reliability) depends on various design variables and external/internal factors. Without digital experiments, optimizing the system’s performance amounts to evaluating a noisy and expensive-to-assess black-box function, a task commonly handled using Bayesian Optimization (BO). Our research extends BO by incorporating digital experiments between subsequent physical experiments, aiming to (i) improve simulation model calibration and (ii) identify solutions that are likely to generate desirable physical experiment results. We introduce “Simulation-Enhanced Bayesian Optimization” (SEBO), a methodology that integrates these steps, and evaluate it using various one- and two-dimensional benchmark functions. A bias function is used to model the simulation model’s bias across the design space and its parameters. We compare SEBO to traditional BO, with preliminary results demonstrating SEBO’s advantages in optimizing experimental efforts; SEBO outperforms traditional BO for well-behaved functions, requiring fewer physical and digital experiments to achieve a desired objective function value. By effectively combining physical and digital experiments, SEBO offers significant potential for improving the design and optimization of engineered systems, reducing costs, speeding up design processes, and overall providing more efficient solutions in engineering and manufacturing.

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  PILGRIMS ON THE UPWARD WAY: The African American Community in Eureka Springs and The Church at Its Heart

  Kelli Ladwig

  On May 13, 1899, an unknown hand began a ledger. The heading for that page began, "Yeartley Conference Record Book of Pilgrim Chapel A.M.E. Church." The remainder of the page is blank. The following entry dates to April 18, 1902, and details collections in a different hand. These pages are from the Pilgrim Chapel AME Church in Eureka Springs and Harrison. From 1899 to 1911, this church served as the center of the African-American community in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, providing unwavering support to its members through community and worship. In time, they would buy land and build a church. The church would house a school. They would pay their pastor a stipend and eventually build a parsonage. The African-American community in Eureka Springs would disappate before the 1920s. This ledger in the University of Arkansas Special Collections provides insight into a time of unity and growth for a group of former enslaved people and their children. My presentation will share insights about the church and the ledger, part of ongoing research into this community and its members, and the reasons for the community’s abandonment.

  Interestingly, local historians, including myself, considered this ledger lost. I spent hours looking for it in places documented in a 1985 local history book. I have been working on transcribing the ledger to glean information about the church and its members. This work aims to inform about Eureka Springs’ history and to spotlight a time in the history of former enslaved people. Because of natural disasters like fires and flooding, as well as the lack of accurate reporting for African Americans during this time, Eureka Springs newspaper archives are not available. Studying sources like photographs and the ledger has become essential to this work.

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  A Statistical Analysis for Evaluating the Parameters Influencing the Rutting and Cracking Performance of Asphalt Mixtures

  Alexis Light, Mohammad Tahir Ansari, and Andrew F. Braham

  Durable pavement is essential for modern transportation infrastructure, especially in the United States of America which boasts over 8.5 million lane miles of roads and highways. Despite advanced construction techniques, asphalt pavements are susceptible to rutting and cracking, significantly affecting their performance and maintenance costs. Current methods for analyzing rutting and cracking in asphalt mixtures rely on various parameters, leading to measurement variability. This highlights the need for more rigorous analysis to explore the relationship between mix design variables and pavement performance. This research explores the IDEAL-CT and Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) data from mix designs collected by the Arkansas Department of Transportation. Both mix designs had virgin and recycled asphalt mixtures to compare how the percent recycled asphalt affected the susceptibility of rutting and cracking along with other variables. To better understand which asphalt mixture properties impact cracking and rutting in the field, box-and-whisker plots, Pearson correlation, Spearman rank correlation, and Kendall’s Tau analysis methods were used. After running these analysis methods, the CTIndex for virgin mixtures had the highest correlation with the number of design gyrations, while the CTIndex for RAP mixtures had the highest correlation with the theoretical maximum specific gravity. The rut depth correlated heavily with the upper performance grade for both virgin and RAP mixtures. Interestingly, the second highest correlation for the CTIndex was the bulk specific gravity of aggregate mixture for both virgin and RAP mixtures. The rut depth had the second highest correlation with the number of design gyrations for both types of mixtures. The outcome of this research contributes valuable insight into the key factors affecting the asphalt mixture performance and allows other owners to examine how their asphalt mixture properties impact their own performance tests.

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  Simulation of Photochemical Effects on Air Quality

  Grace Li

  Nitrogen dioxide is an atmospheric pollutant with largely anthropogenic sources; it is a combustion side product often produced by automobiles and industrial activity. It has negative effects on the respiratory system. In addition to being a pollutant itself, nitrogen dioxide is also a contributor to tropospheric ozone through photochemical reactions, both of which are EPA criteria air pollutants. Nitrogen dioxide and ozone participate in a net-zero reaction cycle in which the formation of ozone is rate-limited by the photolysis rate of nitrogen dioxide. The destruction of ozone and reformation of nitrogen dioxide is a fast reaction unaffected by photochemistry, therefore it occurs at relatively stable rates, regardless of available radiation. It is necessary to quantify the rate of nitrogen dioxide photolysis, the first half of this cycle, under varying atmospheric conditions, due to its dependence on radiation.

  FastJX is a software package which simulates the effects of atmospheric aerosols on radiation, which then affects photolysis rates. FastJX uses optical properties at a range of wavelengths to simulate the extent of radiation absorption or scattering for an aerosol layer at a specified elevation. This project specifically uses aerosol optical properties measured during the NASA Langley ACTIVATE campaign. The optical properties were most closely examined in the UV-A and UV-B wavelengths, as shorter wavelengths penetrate minimally to the troposphere and longer wavelengths do not carry enough energy to drive nitrogen dioxide photolysis.

  This project aims to correlate photolysis rates simulated by FastJX, measured aerosol optical depths, and measured concentrations of nitrogen dioxide. The measured aerosol optical depths and nitrogen dioxide concentrations come from co-located NASA AERONET and EPA monitoring sites, respectively, which allows for direct comparison. The sites, in Pasadena, California, were chosen due to their location in an urban center with consistently high levels of sunlight.

  It was found that FastJX simulation results are most closely correlated with measured changes in nitrogen dioxide levels during hours of peak sunlight, which is when photolysis is most active. This is consistent with the expectation that time of day plays a significant role in nitrogen dioxide levels, due to the combined factors of nitrogen dioxide production during rush hour traffic and nitrogen dioxide destruction via photolysis when UV radiation is present.

  Utilizing simulation allows for knowledge of photolysis rates under a greater range of atmospheric conditions without the resource-intensive steps of measuring actinic flux in a field environment. Instead, aerosol optical depth monitors, which require less man hours, can be combined with existing optical property sets. FastJX is additionally equipped to simulate aerosol effects on other photolysis reactions, which means that the sensitivity analysis conducted here may be applied to other chemical species.

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  The Switch: Determinants of family school modality choices during the COVID-19 pandemic

  Steicy Lopez

  The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to the U.S. K-12 education system, disrupting traditional public school enrollment while fueling growth in private schooling and homeschooling. Some research has analyzed these decisions at the state level or with administrative data, but little is known about the associated characteristics of these decisions nationally. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of public, private, and homeschooling enrollment patterns during the pandemic, focusing on the transitions families made between these schooling types and identifying key characteristics associated with switching in and out of public schools. Using a discrete choice duration model and random forest algorithms on data from the Understanding America Study conducted by the University of Southern California, we find that factors such as parental education, household income, and trust in Fox News were significant predictors of school switching behavior. Notably, homeschoolers and private school enrollees exhibited contrasting associations with variables like income, urbanicity, and family size. We also attempt to capture the changes in the importance of these factors through these analyses. Perceived risk of COVID-19 and the availability of remote learning options were found to be relevant variables at the beginning of the pandemic. Understanding the characteristics of families exiting and reentering public schools can help districts design responsive policies and address socioeconomic sorting that may exacerbate segregation. Moreover, the persistent gap in public school enrollment seen in administrative data—potentially explained by truancy, unregistered homeschooling, or kindergarten non-enrollment (Dee, 2023)—highlights the need for improved data tracking and points to educational setbacks. Finally, the school choice movement in the United States has strengthened in recent years, with many states passing legislation supporting the marketization of schools (Abdulkadiroglu & Andersson, 2022). Learning about parental educational decisions, especially at a time of crisis like a pandemic, and the stickiness of these choices can shed light on potential risks when implementing various education policies.

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  Classification of TikTok Videos about Menthol Restriction Laws

  Charlotte McCormick, Susana Rodriguez Gongora, Paul Hayek, Abbie Walls, Naga Venkata Sai Raviteja Chappa, Khoa Luu, and Page D. Dobbs

  Significance. Globally, nations, states, and localities have enacted laws to restrict tobacco products that include menthol flavoring. While literature has examined policy discussions on text-based social media platforms, less is known about the characterization of menthol bans on video-based platforms, such as TikTok, that are popular among youth and young adults. The purpose of this study was to classify video content from TikTok about menthol restriction policies to identify products commonly portrayed and main themes of policy discourse.

  Methods. A sample of 1260 TikTok videos posted between October 2018 and September 2023 were collected via a TikTok application programming interface (API) from https://console.apify.com/ using #menthol (135.3 million views). A codebook was developed using the first 100 videos, where three authors expanded, collapsed, and edited codes. Using the final codebook, all data were annotated to classify: type of product (cigarette, non-menthol menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes); flavor injection device demonstration; retail environment; method of circumventing law; and race-based discourse. We also identified if the video was posted by a social media influencer or micro-influencer (>1,000 followers) and the influencers’ sentiment about the menthol restriction policy. Overall, 710 (56.3%) were relevant to menthol restriction policies. Frequencies were reported as a total of the relevant posts.

  Results. Cigarettes (49.6%) were the most commonly portrayed tobacco product in the videos, followed by e-cigarettes (20.7%). Overall, 23.7% of relevant videos included a flavor injection device and 18.6% were demonstration videos, that displayed how to inject a flavor capsule into a cigarette. 8.7% of the videos displayed a retail environment, and 13.4% described methods of circumventing the policy. Overall, 31.8% of the videos were social media influencers and micro-influencers discussing the policy. Most sentiment negatively portrayed the policy (58.4%), 32.3% was neutral, and 3% was positive.

  Implications. Video-based social media platforms are being used as a platform to share information about menthol restriction policies. Understanding methods of circumventing these policies can help policymakers and enforcement agencies ensure policy language does not create loopholes for flavor injection devices. Further, those creating messaging campaigns about such laws can address issues raised in popular social media posts.

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  Exploring Metal Additive Manufacturing in Martian Atmospheric Environments

  Zane Mebruer

  On-surface manufacturing is key to the success of a planetary colonization, especially that of Mars. However, traditional subtractive manufacturing processes are equipment, energy, and material intensive, meaning novel additive manufacturing (AM) processes must be pursued for this end. Selective laser melting, one of the most effective and versatile AM methods, would be incredibly beneficial to a Martian mission but requires an artificial argon atmosphere to create effective parts. The purpose of this study was to examine if carbon dioxide, the gas that makes up over 95% of Mars’ surface atmosphere, would be a sufficient substitute for argon in SLM fabrication. One- and two-dimensional SLM parts were created out of 316L steel in argon, CO2 and ambient atmospheres at a variety of laser parameters to examine the effects of atmospheric composition on ideal parameters, part surface quality, part cohesion, and oxidation effects. It was found that atmosphere had little to no effect on parameter choice and that no specific parameter had a controlling effect on part quality, but instead a balance of parameters was required to maintain thermal effects in an equilibrium range. CO2 was determined to be slightly inferior to argon in terms of surface quality, cohesion, and oxidation levels of manufactured parts, but was superior to ambient atmosphere. Additionally, carbon nanotubes at 1 wt% were incorporated into the 316L steel to test resulting effects on the tested material properties. Little to no difference in surface quality or part cohesion was examined, but oxidation levels were lowered which may lead to other superior material properties as a result of their inclusion.

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  Closing Equity Gaps in Biomedical Engineering: Measuring the Influence of a Clinical Immersion Class on Marginalized Students

  Alyssandra Navarro, Thomas McGehee, Bryce Williams, Timothy Muldoon, and Mostafa Elsaadany

  Combating clinical challenges with innovative engineering solutions is the sole purpose of biomedical engineering. To equip students with the skills needed for their future careers in biomedical engineering, our department has implemented a junior-level clinical and industry immersion course into the curriculum, aiming to combine unique clinical experience and design building. This service-learning course emphasizes hands-on clinical observation and the identification of healthcare issues, with the goal of building students' confidence and skills in applying the engineering principles that are taught in class. Recognizing the disparities in STEM demographics, this study specifically examines the course's impact on historically marginalized groups (HMG), such as women, Hispanic, Black/African American, Native American, and first-generation students, compared to their non-historically marginalized group (NHMG) counterparts. The disproportionate spread of demographics in engineering poses significant barriers for HMG students. These students often battle with underrepresented or repressive environments, unequal opportunity to resources, and a lack of strong community with their peers—factors that can affect confidence and students’ overall chances at succeeding.

  This ongoing study evaluates the effectiveness of the clinical immersion course closing disparities between students by analyzing pre- and post-course survey data. The surveys, which included both quantitative and qualitative questions, assessed students' skill development, sense of self-competence, and awareness of healthcare disparities. Overall, results showed the course was effective at increasing growth in skills, such as engineering design capability and understanding customer perspectives, for all students. Quantitative findings revealed significant gains in confidence and skill development across students, with HMG students demonstrating the most visible growth despite starting with lower confidence levels in comparison to NHMG students. Qualitative analysis using NVivo sentiment software highlighted the value students placed on clinical exposure and getting to speak to professionals, highlighting its role in deepening their understanding of engineering practices and healthcare inequities.

  Despite the positive impact the course had on all students, the trend of lower confidence levels for HMG students before the course was taken alludes to the disparities these students may face in the classroom. By addressing these inequities in biomedical engineering education, we can begin to strategize how we can improve curricula and programs that are inclusive and tailored for underrepresented students, aiming to close the gap and promote equity in the classroom in order to build great future engineers.

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  Ecological Interactions of Large Mammals in Luangwa, Zambia

  Jahzara Osborne and Amelia Villaseñor

  "The connection between mammalian behavior in national parks and human-driven environmental change is tenuous. National parks are often considered the last vestiges of natural space, yet they are created and maintained by humans. South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) within the southern East African Rift is a microcosm of this global conundrum and is also a region where stable isotope data is sparce. Understanding the mammalian diets of mammals in the SLNP via carbon and oxygen stable isotopes in teeth will provide a means of understanding variation in one aspect of mammal behavior that may be affected by changing animal-human relationships. Here, we present mammalian carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from enamel among large mammals including the hippopotamus, elephants, impala, and buffalo within South Luangwa National Park (n = 32 individuals). Based on carbon isotopes, elephants (Loxodonta africana) show evidence of more exclusive browsing than is common in regions like Mozambique. Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are grazers, while impala (Aepyceros melampus) are mixed feeders, which is common across parks in Southern Africa. Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) are classified as both grazers and mixed feeders. Oxygen isotopes in hippopotamus specimens are generally low but varies by more than 2%. These stable isotopes reveal animal interactions with the environment, but we will also interpret this ecological variation within the context of conservation practice and climate change. This ecological information has implications for human evolution, a discipline which relies heavily on isotope baselines from national parks, and conservation ecology.

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  Exploring topological defects in Janus bilayers of Cr(I,Cl)₃ and Cr(I,Br)₃

  Taksh Patel, Suyash Rijal, Charles Paillard, Changsong Xu, and L. Bellaiche

  Chromium halides such as CrI3 have attracted interest recently. They possess the remarkable property of sustaining long-range magnetic order down to the thickness of only a few layers [1, 2]. However, CrI3 lacks Dzyaloshinskyii– Moriya interaction (DMI) due to inversion center present between the adjacently bonded Chromium atoms.

  The inversion center can be removed through the fabrication of Janus Monolayers by adding another trihalide along with Iodine to synthesize the material, that is to grow Janus monolayers Cr(I, X)₃ where X is another halide such as Cl or Br [3].

  Previous work has predicted non-trivial spin textures such as out-of-plane Néel-type cycloid with metastable Domain-Wall Skyrmions (DWS) in Cr(I,Br)₃ or stabilization of bimerons in Cr(I,Cl)₃ monolayers [3].

  However, magnetic properties of these Janus bilayers have yet to be explored.