UARK (University of Arkansas )
Not a member yet
19829 research outputs found
Sort by
Diving Into Commercial Banking: Internship experience at Hilborn & Howell, LLC
Full text linkThis paper attempts to provide insight into the commercial banking industry through personal experience and the help of high-level lending professionals
A Study of the Agricultural Industry in Belize and Associated Future Growth Opportunities
Full text linkDuring the summer of 2025, I had the opportunity to complete an internship in Belize with Peacework. During my time there, I worked with the Ministry of Agriculture. This Thesis is a summary of my time there and a study of the agricultural industry in Belize. It explores topics like climate change, sustainable agriculture, and the economic impact of recent events and potential future events on Belize
Rekindling Hearth: An Investigation and Discussion of the Traditional and Evolving Roles of Hearth in Architecture
Full text linkThis research explores the evolving role of the hearth in domestic architecture, examining its historical significance and its continuing symbolic and architectural significance. Once essential for heat, cooking, and gathering, the hearth has shifted from necessity to nostalgic artifact due to technological advances and changing domestic patterns. This study reexamines the hearth’s spatial, social, and functional roles in architecture through a combination of literature review, theoretical analysis, and visual diagramming. Six case studies, spanning pre-modern to contemporary housing, are analyzed to identify patterns and transformations in hearth placement and significance. Through detailed diagrams, the paper offers a visual and theoretical framework to understand hearth as both a cultural artifact and architectural feature, encouraging readers to question the role of comfort, memory, and centeredness in modern homes. Interpretations suggest that the hearth remains a vital architectural and cultural element, offering insight into how we define comfort, community, and home. This study concludes by advocating for a renewed understanding of the hearth in contemporary architecture as a meaningful tool for fostering well-being, and long-lasting domestic design
Tribological Evaluation of a Graphite Coating Using a Custom Miniature Conveyor
No full textReducing friction in conveyor systems has significant economic and environmental implications, as a substantial portion of energy losses originates at the belt-bed interface. This thesis outlines the design, construction, and validation of a miniature conveyor tribological test system. Unlike conventional tribometers, which impose concentrated point contacts, the miniature conveyor replicates the distributed load consistent with industrial conveyor systems. It can measure real-time mechanical responses of steel samples coated in a low friction coating.
The mini conveyor was validated by evaluating three materials: uncoated mild steel, PDA/graphite coated steel, and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Electrical power, temperature, sound, and acceleration were recorded. Electrical power results for the uncoated and PDA/graphite coated samples showed minimal differences under the current testing conditions, while the PTFE samples exhibited decreasing power consumption due to PTFE transfer onto the belt during extended testing. Sound, acceleration, and temperature measurements demonstrated the system’s sensitivity to subtle mechanical changes. Temperature proved to be the most consistent indicator of frictional behavior, with the uncoated samples showing the highest temperature rise while the PDA/graphite coated samples showed lower changes in temperature.
Coating wear was assessed using 3D confocal microscopy, revealing nonuniform wear along the samples, suggesting uneven load distribution during testing. Overall, the results confirm the conveyor system’s capability to distinguish material behavior and pick up on minute differences in conveyor health during operation. This work provides a foundation for future studies involving prolonged testing, increased loading conditions for accelerated wear, and improved mechanical stabilization to enhance measurement reliability and tribological insight
Multi-City Travel Routing Tool: Reducing Travel Costs and Time Spent Planning using APIs
No full textTravel planning is a time-consuming and ever-changing problem that can diminish the travel experience and greatly increase expenditure, if not done correctly. It is important to have an easy travel planning experience so you can enjoy the travel experience more and not waste time where it is not needed. This thesis aims to minimize the costs and time spent on travel planning using APIs and simple optimization models, creating a travel planning tool. This travel planning tool was developed in Java with the main API being Amadeus, this was combined with a greedy best-permutation heuristic to create the main route optimization function. Fixer.io was an API used to convert currency, and a database caching system was created to decrease the total amount of API pulls consumed. The average travel costs for a user-input travel itinerary that was put into the tool received an 11% average reduction in costs. There is currently no application or website dedicated to optimizing your travel route to decrease the cost of flights. This tool can be developed to fill that gap, helping users decrease the amount of time and money spent on travel planning
Cross-Facility Reliable Deep Learning Based Beef Marbling Assessment Via Unsupervised Domain Adaptation Regression
Full text linkInconsistent quality grading in beef production leads to inefficiencies, economic disparity, and consumer mistrust. While USDA meat grading traditionally relies on skilled visual inspectors, these human evaluations suffer from cross-facility variability and subjectivity. This paper introduces the first known application of unsupervised domain adaptation regression for cross-facility beef marbling score prediction—an innovation that improves generalization across diverse environments in the beef supply chain. Utilizing numerical scores ranging from 100-900, the research employed convolutional neural networks (CNNs), including ResNet, VGG, and AlexNet architectures. The study specifically introduced and validated a unified unsupervised domain adaptation regression method using the ResNet-50 architecture to enhance model generalization across diverse environments, accounting for variations in lighting, equipment, and operational practices. Statistical analyses demonstrated that the deep learning approach significantly reduced grading variability compared to human graders, achieving greater consistency and accuracy across facilities. The proposed domain adaptation model notably outperformed conventional CNN approaches, offering a scalable, robust, and practical solution for widespread industry adoption. Beyond automating grading, this work lays a foundation for scalable machine vision systems in livestock and distribution logistics, with implications for robotics, food equity, and next-generation supply chain automation
Delivering Food, Exercise, and Nutrition Education for the Prevention of Chronic Disease
No full textChronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, cancer, and stroke pose significant health challenges in the United States, with Arkansas experiencing some of the highest rates of related mortality. This project aimed to improve health literacy related to nutrition and physical activity among adults at risk for chronic disease in Arkansas, focusing on those living independently in Ozark, Ouachita, and Delta regions, as well as cooperative extension agents in Family & Consumer Sciences. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and focus groups, the study explored participants’ nutrition knowledge, health awareness, physical activity engagement, and preferred methods of receiving health information. Results revealed distinct differences between community members and extension agents in information sources and delivery preferences, with community members favoring social media formats and agents relying on established educational materials. Challenges related to trustworthiness and the need for easily accessible, evidence-backed information were identified. Findings highlight the importance of tailoring health education programs to meet the diverse needs and preferences of Arkansans at risk for chronic disease. Recommendations for future research include conducting in-person focus groups, organizing participants by age to better understand generational differences, and incorporating objective measures to complement self-reported data. This research contributes to the development of effective, community-informed strategies to prevent chronic diseases through improved nutrition and physical activity education in Arkansas
The IDEA of Inclusivity: The Fallacy of School Choice
Full text linkAs calls for reform in public education grow, students with disabilities have become the poster children for a failing system that is not equipped to handle students’ varying needs. With the number of children receiving services for learning disabilities growing, some argue that the current system not only is failing to provide students with appropriate education but is actively causing harm. Issues gaining adequate funding, disparities in educational access to racial minorities, and failure to adhere to federal mandates have made it difficult for public schools to meet the individualized needs of all students, particularly students with disabilities. One example is the LEARNS Act in Arkansas, which expands access to vouchers including for students with disabilities. However, voucher programs often require families to waive rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including access to free, appropriate public education and the least restrictive environment. This Article will explore the potential federal claims that students with disabilities may have as well as legal arguments to compel states that have subsidized education to, at a minimum, guarantee students with disabilities their federal rights, including relevant legal history of the rights of students with disabilities under federal statutes, an overview of voucher programs and their challenges, and an evaluation of the LEARNS Act in Arkansas under the Constitution that students with disabilities could make to invalidate private schools’ discriminatory admission policies as well as the denial of their federally-guaranteed rights under the state-action doctrine