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Volume 16 Issue 1
Full text linkThis issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2001, marks a new creative direction, featuring works inspired by New Beat writing, a movement that draws influence from the Beat Generation while incorporating modern literary innovation. Originally archived as Volume 16, Issue 1, the print edition only notes Fall 2001 as its publication date. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.
The New Beat concept, as introduced by editor Jack Malone, is explored through works that emphasize raw emotion, cultural critique, and personal expression. Highlights of this issue include The End by George Koschei, a gritty and unfiltered narrative of survival and self-discovery, and The Psalmist, After Johnny Cash’s \u27Oh Bury Me Not.\u27 by Virgil Suárez, a poetic meditation on history, loss, and American music. Southern Holiday by Mark SaFranko blends literary fiction with themes of freedom, self-exploration, and transience, while Open Mike by Paul Sohar captures the pulse of spoken-word culture.
This issue also introduces poetry and prose exploring modern disillusionment, including Hummingbird in Zero Gravity by James Cervantes, a reflection on artistic perseverance, and Credo (for Charles Bukowski) by Herb Kitson, a raw and unapologetic homage to countercultural literature
Effective Communication as Preferred by Providers
Full text linkHealthcare providers rely on an electronic medical record (EMR) to provide comprehensive documentation of a patient’s health history, a method for documenting their care, and as an avenue to give the next steps in patient care. Therefore, any changes in how an EMR functions can become a hindrance to clinicians in providing accurate patient care. As EMR development teams, specifically analysts, prepare software changes, they must decide on the appropriate method for communicating these changes with various healthcare clinicians. The purpose of this project is to standardize the process for analysts to effectively communicate outpatient EMR software changes to key stakeholders based on their preferred style of communication. This quality improvement project was completed in an outpatient pediatric clinic. The project methods included a survey to identify communication preferences from key stakeholders, the creation of a flowchart with documentation for analysts to develop communication standards, and a post-survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication process. The results indicated that by establishing a standardized communication process, the EMR changes were easy to follow and distribute to other clinicians. A review of the literature showed that knowing your audience, learning their communication preferences, and following through with those preferences are impactful to successful communication, education, and customer satisfaction. Effective communication that is clear and easy to distribute allows for increased confidence in using an EMR system. Increased confidence allows healthcare clinicians to focus on the patient first and technology last
Understanding the Impact of Data Poisoning on Financial Fraud Detection: Thresholds and Feature Sensitivity
Full text linkFinancial fraud detection systems increasingly rely on machine learning models, yet their vulnerability to data poisoning attacks remains underexplored in real-world financial settings. This study aims to systematically evaluate how malicious data poisoning, through label flipping and feature manipulation, affects the performance of widely used fraud detection models. Focusing on Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Isolation Forest models, we investigate two key aspects: (1) the existence of a pollution threshold, the critical proportion of poisoned data beyond which model performance degrades sharply, and (2) the feature-level sensitivity of these models, identifying which financial transaction features are most vulnerable to poisoning-based manipulations. Using a publicly available credit card fraud dataset, we will conduct controlled experiments under varying poisoning intensities and attack patterns. Preliminary defenses, such as simple anomaly-based data filtering, will also be evaluated for their effectiveness. The expected findings will not only quantify the risks posed by data poisoning but also provide actionable insights on model selection, feature monitoring, and lightweight defense strategies for improving the robustness of financial fraud detection systems.
Keywords: Data Poisoning, Financial Fraud Detection, Pollution Threshold, Feature Sensitivity, Machine Learning, Robustnes
Light as a Lasso: The Design and Construction of an Optical Trap
Full text linkThe goal of our work is the design and construction of an optical trap, also known as an optical tweezer, using equipment commonly available to the undergraduate physics laboratory. Such devices allow us to observe and manipulate micron-scale (on the order of one-thousandth of a millimeter) objects in 3-dimensional space using only light.The system consists primarily of five components: a laser, two mirrors to collimate (make parallel to the optical table) the beam, two lenses forming a beam expander, two more lenses granting control over the trapping plane, and a microscope objective to focus the beam. Thus far we have aligned the collimating mirrors, calculated the necessary magnification of the beam expander for optimal trapping, and aligned the beam expanding lenses. Remaining work will be focused on introducing the microscope into the beam path and aligning the trap to achieve successful trapping of polystyrene spheres
Arkansas Tech University Modular Robot Training System
Full text linkThe Arkansas Tech University Modular Robotics Training System (ATUM RTS) project was started two semesters ago by a team of six engineering students at Arkansas Tech. Their goal was to combine the two existing systems of the Georgia Tech Robotarium and the Micromouse maze solving competition. This was done to bring new challenges and excitement to maze-solving robotics while incorporating the cloud-based learning system of the Georgia Tech Robotarium. By creating randomized mazes using tiles and remote walls, ATUM RTS will provide an additional resource to students that will allow them to utilize their knowledge in real world applications. This was partially achieved by the previous group through their design and creation of a bistable wall flexure actuation using the properties of nitinol, a shape memory alloy. While their design worked, it did not achieve the desired scale, sustainability, safety, and efficiency originally desired. To correct these flaws the previous team faced, we have made it our goal to completely redesign the wall mechanism using an altered design of linear motion by combining the properties of both PCB motors and ironless linear motors
Organizational Policy Initiatives for a Neurodiverse Workforce
Full text linkNeurodivergent individuals make up a significant percentage of the population and yet lag in employment due to employment barriers of the traditional workplace. While the benefits of a diverse workplace are well documented, there is still a large deficit when it comes to neurodiversity equitable access. To attract and retain a neurodiverse workforce, organizations must make changes that align with research-backed methods for policy building and in turn change the organizational leadership focus to a transformational, growth-based framework.
This applied project focuses on organizational policy initiatives that support the neurodivergent employee, with an emphasis on accommodations and modifications, inclusion, and leadership frameworks for management. The research targeted studies conducted with neurodivergent individuals within the workforce. The research is globally applicable, with emphasis on United States employment culture and law, and spans from 1999-present. A qualitative research approach is used by combining policy analysis, research on neurodiversity in the workplace, and proposed recommendations. Data collection consisted of review of documents, peer-reviewed studies, and other existing literature. The focus of this applied project was on Neurodivergent individuals but does not consider the broader disability community, though many policies would translate.
The two primary objectives of this applied project were to a) determine what accommodations impact neurodivergent individuals in the workplace positively and b) to create a set of guidelines and best practices that introduce these accommodations. Likewise, attention is dedicated to the application and integration of policy suggestions into the modern workplace.
Overall findings indicate that there is an abundance of low-cost accommodations and solutions available to increase equitable access for neurodiverse employees. The research conducted links workplace accommodations to improved outcomes and employability for the neurodiverse candidate. While research demonstrates that individualized consideration is paramount for the neurodiverse employee, the best way to deliver these individualized accommodations is through an overarching change in the organization’s leadership framework
A Historical-Discourse Policy Analysis of Arkansas\u27 Educational Policies: A Post-Marxist, Gramscian Perspective
Full text linkABSTRACT A HISTORICAL-DISCOURSE POLICY ANALYSIS OF ARKANSAS’ EDUCATIONAL POLICIES: A POST-MARXIST, GRAMSCIAN PERSPECTIVE Matti Izora Ibrahim Few studies have explored the macro-level factors that influence education. This research examines how political forces shaping K-12 education in Arkansas connect to broader global political trends. Grounded in a post-Marxist, Gramscian framework, the research employs a Discourse-Historical Approach (Wodak, 2001) to examine the rhetorical construction of the language in Arkansas Act 327 (2023), commonly known as the LEARNS Act, and Executive Order EO 23-05, the executive order which preceded it. Accordingly, this research examines whether these policies reflect broader global political patterns by analyzing their language and framing in relation to similar developments worldwide. Identifying the macro-level factors behind the anti-CRT movement helps trace the ideological and political forces that shaped these policies. Therefore, the research seeks to answer the question: How does state regulation of race-related educational content in Arkansas reflect the forces of hegemonic power structures within global political dynamics? By situating Arkansas’ policies within this broader context, the research provides a critical lens for understanding the intersection of global politics, ideology, and education. The findings of this research aim to encourage meaningful debate within the public, educational, and governmental spheres in Arkansas, as well as provide insights into how Arkansas’ Educational Policies align with global political trends
Evaluating the Impact of the Arkansas Inclusive Practice Initiative on Academic Outcomes for Students Transitioning From Resource Enviroments
Full text linkABSTRACT
EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THE ARKANSAS INCLUSIVE PRACTICE
INITIATIVE ON ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS
TRANSITIONING FROM RESOURCE ENVIRONMENTS
Marian Patrece Craft Kursh
This quantitative study examined academic outcomes for students with disabilities
(SWD) placed in inclusive versus resource classrooms within the Crestfield School
District (CSD), focusing on standardized assessments and final course grades. Using a
causal-comparative design, the research analyzed data from 42 students with
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) classified as Other Health Impairment (OHI)
or Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Academic performance was assessed using ACT
Aspire (2022), ATLAS (2023), and final course grades in math and reading. Independent
samples t-tests were used to determine statistically significant differences between
instructional settings.
Results revealed no statistically significant differences in math outcomes across
settings or subgroups. However, a statistically significant difference was found in reading
scores on the 2022 ACT Aspire assessment, favoring students in inclusive classrooms (p
= .018). All other comparisons yielded non-significant results, suggesting that
instructional placement alone may not substantially influence academic performance. The
study highlights the potential of inclusive settings to support literacy development and
emphasizes the importance of instructional quality, co-teaching practices, and
professional development.
vFindings contribute to the field of special education by offering empirical insights
into the effectiveness of Arkansas\u27s all-inclusive initiative. The study provides
implications for educational policy, instructional planning, and future research,
underscoring the need for fidelity in inclusive practice implementation.
Keywords: inclusion, resource classroom, special education, academic outcomes, ACT
Aspire, ATLAS, students with disabilities, OHI, SLD, Arkansas inclusive mode
Self-Reported Sarcasm Use and the HEXACO Model of Personality
Full text linkIn the present study, we examined the relationship between self-reported sarcasm use and the six trait domains of the HEXACO model of personality (honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience). We administered an online survey to collect data from participants about their general tendencies in using sarcasm. We also administered the HEXACO Personality Inventory to assess participants on each major factor and facet of the personality model. We then tested for correlations between each HEXACO factor and sarcasm use, as well as for any demographic differences in sarcasm use. We found a negative correlation between sarcasm use and agreeableness, as well as a negative correlation between sarcasm use and honesty-humility. We also found that male participants were more likely to rate themselves as sarcastic than female participants. These findings are consistent with previous research on individual differences in sarcasm use, but provide novel insight into the role that honesty-humility, a personality factor unique to the HEXACO model, plays in sarcasm use