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Unbridled Healing: Identifying the Barriers of Equine-Assisted Therapy
Get PDFDespite 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\u27s 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\u27s findings support advocacy efforts to address these barriers and potentially expand EAT access to more diverse populations.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1046/thumbnail.jp
I-630: Divisive Connection
Get PDFThe United States’ highway infrastructure provides ease of access to and through cities and towns across the nation. For many of us, this system of interconnected infrastructure is little more than a means of wayfinding with easy access via plentiful exits to just about anywhere along their footprint. This study peels back this veneer of excess and access to relay an uncomfortable truth: these highways have been and continue to be weapons of segregation and White Supremacy, afflicting millions nationwide with mental and physical health issues, restricted mobility, and further restricted access to social mobility in a nation already rife with economic barriers. Within this study is an in-depth narrativized historical study of the city of Little Rock and the city fabric surrounding I-630 before, during, and after its construction. Racial demographics, data on income and wealth, and data on the health of the populace are then mapped using GIS software to further display these data in relation to the footprint of I-630 and other surrounding highways to further the narrative by grounding it empirically. Findings in this study show that I-630 has played an undeniable role in segregating the Black and White populations and that its effects are still visible in the composition of the city’s racial demographics and the people’s access to health and wealth
Multimodal Learning for Visual Perception and Robotic Action
Get PDFMultimodal learning aims to weave information from images, language, depth, and other sensors into one coherent representation, much as people naturally combine sight, speech, and sound. Progress toward that goal is slowed by three gaps: vision encoders that cannot balance crisp object boundaries with global context, 3-D semantic maps that are computationally prohibitive for real-time, open-vocabulary queries, and vision-language-action pipelines that depend on large token pools with weak relational grounding.
We first introduce AerialFormer, a lightweight hybrid of convolutional and Transformer layers that captures long-range structure without sacrificing fine detail. On the large-scale iSAID benchmark it reaches 69.3% mean IoU, improving on the previous best by 2.1 points, and it also surpasses recent methods on Potsdam and LoveDA without extra computation.
We then introduce Open-Fusion, a real-time 3D semantic mapping system that incrementally builds a TSDF volume using region-level features extracted from a vision-language model. By storing open-vocabulary semantic embeddings in spatial memory, it enables interactive and language-driven queries such as locating objects directly from the 3D map, providing a practical foundation for semantic understanding in robotic environments.
Finally, we propose SlotVLA, a relation-centric visual tokenizer and policy that compresses each observation into a compact set of four interaction-focused slots, explicitly capturing functional object relationships. On ten LIBERO-Goal manipulation tasks, SlotVLA achieves 63% success with a single camera and 75% when a wrist camera is added, an improvement of 4 to 11 points over object-centric or pooled-token baselines while sustaining 12–15 fps inference.
These three contributions show that explicit structural bias, language-aligned 3-D semantics, and compact relational tokens can make multimodal perception and reasoning both faster and more accurate, offering a solid foundation for future work on understanding complex environments across space, time, and modality
Ecological Interactions of Large Mammals in Luangwa, Zambia
Get PDFThe 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.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1013/thumbnail.jp
Simulation-Enhanced Bayesian Optimization of System Designs using Hybrid Physical and Computer Experiments
Get PDFWe 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.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1016/thumbnail.jp
Stakeholder Perspective-Taking in Engineering Design; A Neurocognitive Approach
Get PDFDuring the engineering design process, the ‘black box’ of a designer\u27s mind determines who the stakeholders are, which stakeholder needs they are addressing and how they will address them. This process can build bias into engineering designs, leading to less equitable, accessible, and inclusive engineered artifacts. Design neurocognition, a new field that aims to determine the unknowns of a working designer’s mind, has arisen because of this uncertainty. The fNIRS (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) allows insight into the prefrontal cortex during decision making processes by analyzing the change in oxygenated blood in the surface of the prefrontal cortex, about 3 cm (about 1.18 in) in depth. Triangulating the data received from both brain activity (from the fNIRS), with the traditional methods of design cognition and design thinking exercises results in a more robust emotional evaluation of the problem at hand. This study\u27s objective is to analyze through interviews before and after data collection whether assuming stakeholder perspectives impacts the student perceptions of the importance of stakeholder engagement within the design process. The study is built upon design vignettes, a snapshot of an engineering problem that participants can clearly visualize. In this case, stormwater management in Northwest Arkansas. The participants will be asked to assume three stakeholder perspectives, a resident experiencing flooding, an engineer working toward a solution for stormwater management, and a City Public Works director, in random order and identify all needs and concerns they would have as their given stakeholder. The participants will be interviewed before and after data collection about the perceived effects of stakeholder engagement. The fNIRS data, which will be collected during the entire sequence of events, will be triangulated with the identified needs and interview data to determine whether different patterns of brain activation are associated with different design outcomes. Case studies alone have been shown to engage students more effectively than plain information, but little research has been done on what is happening differently within the student’s brain during such case studies. The results from this work build a stronger argument that stakeholder engagement should be incorporated more heavily into engineering courses, as in the long term, this learned procedure of stakeholder engagement and empathy leads to the lessening of repeated marginalization of certain disregarded groups, creating a better design for each stakeholder involved in the issue.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1040/thumbnail.jp
Analysis of Marshallese Perceptions of Health and Weight in Adolescents
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of the research is to understand the perceptions of Marshallese adolescents on the topic of health and weight, in order to provide guidance for interventions and public health efforts. The United States has the largest Marshallese population outside the Marshall Islands. Perceptions of weight and health is under researched for minority communities and from the insight of adolescents. Pacific Islanders such as the Marshallese are often categorized as part of the larger Asian American ethnic population, which is not always accurate in certain aspects where public health could provide support areas of concern.
Design: Focus groups of adolescents who identified as Marshallese from the ages of 10-17 were arranged into 2 groups based on age, 10-13 and 14-17 respectively. Respective groups participated in focus group discussion interviews (n=32) and then completing a survey (n=32) based on questions regarding health and obesity. Focus group discussion interviews were recorded and analyzed for themes. The survey results were recorded and analyzed. The interview and survey themes were compared and examined for correlations.
Results: Common themes for an individual considered healthy included balanced diet and physical activity. Majority of adolescents that participated in the survey concluded they believed they were healthy (66%). When asked to categorize themself, most participants (59%) categorized themself as “slightly overweight”. The participants contributed many of the same factors to why an individual would be considered unhealthy to why an individual would be overweight. When the question “who is responsible for your health?” was phrased, all focus groups had multiple participants agree individuals are responsible for their own health. Yet adolescents did not identify a specific age in which responsibility occurs, but answers varied between 10-16 years of age. The participants were also asked if they believed if it is important to be healthy as a teenager. Perceptions of Health and Weight status were found statistically significant for the overall group of adolescents in Chi-Square and Fisher Tests.
Discussion: Adolescents in the Marshallese community view weight as a proponent of overall health. Overall health was recognized as fluid due to the many proponents such as exercise, diet, and hygiene that affect health outcomes. To understand at what value of the BMI scale constitutes as unhealthy would further promote education
Overexpression and Biophysical and Functional Characterization of a Recombinant FGF21
Get PDFFibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an endocrine FGF that plays a vital role in regulating essential metabolic pathways. FGF21 increases glucose uptake by cells, promotes fatty acid oxidation, reduces blood glucose levels, and alleviates metabolic diseases. However, detailed studies on its stability and biophysical characteristics have not been reported. Herein, we present the overexpression, biophysical characterization, and metabolic activity of a soluble recombinant FGF21 (rFGF21). The far-UV circular dichroism spectra of rFGF21 show a negative trough at 215 nm, indicating that the protein’s backbone predominantly adopts a β sheet conformation. rFGF21 shows intrinsic tyrosine fluorescence at 305 nm. Thermal denaturation using differential scanning calorimetry reveals that rFGF21 is relatively thermally unstable, with a melting temperature of 46.8°C (±0.1°C). The urea-induced unfolding of rFGF21 is rapid, with a chemical transition midpoint of 0.4 M. rFGF21 is readily cleaved by trypsin in limited trypsin digestion assays. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments show that rFGF21 does not bind to heparin. Interestingly, rFGF21 demonstrates proliferative activity in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts and enhances mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These findings provide a crucial framework for the engineering of novel structure-based variants of FGF21 with improved stability and biological activity to treat metabolic disorders
Designing and Installing a Disability Accessible Teaching Garden
Get PDFAs horticulture becomes increasingly popular as a subject, activity, and form of therapy, its inclusivity has not kept up with the pace of its growth. In order to address the need for inclusivity and accessibility, gardens must adopt universal design. Individuals with special needs continuously face discrimination. While horticulture therapy has long been studied and catered to primarily neurotypical and able-bodied individuals, there is limited research on creating gardens specifically to include those with disabilities. This project aimed to create a garden that could serve the needs of all participants, regardless of their ability and sensory needs. The garden was constructed at Camp Barnabas, a summer camp for children and adults with special needs, to allow for an extensive range of feedback in terms of age and ability. The aim was to create enough diversity within the garden to be accessible and inclusive to all, to provide foundational designs to be expanded upon by Camp Barnabas or other entities, and to provide examples that people can adapt to their own public or private gardens
Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests 2024
Get PDFThe primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests is to provide unbiased data regarding the agronomic performance of cotton varieties and advanced breeding lines in the major cotton-growing areas of Arkansas. This information helps seed companies establish marketing strategies and assists producers in choosing varieties to plant. These annual evaluations will then facilitate the inclusion of new, improved genetic material in Arkansas cotton production. Adaptation of varieties is determined by evaluating the lines at five University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research sites (Manila, Keiser, Judd Hill, Marianna, and Rohwer). The 2024 tests at Keiser were adversely affected by excessive rain and subsequent slow drainage, which hindered plant development and insect control. Yields from the Keiser tests are reported but not included in the overall location means. Entries in the 2024 Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests were evaluated in two groups—transgenic and conventional varieties. The 44 entries in the transgenic test included 15 B3XF, 18 B3TXF, and 11 B3TXF lines, which were evaluated at all five locations. Five of ten varieties having the ThryvOn® technology (B3TXF), which were evaluated in the 2023 Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests, were also tested in 2024. The conventional test included 12 entries, which were evaluated at all locations except Manila. Reported data include lint yield, lint percentage, plant height, percent open bolls, yield component variables, fiber properties, leaf pubescence, stem pubescence, and bract trichome density. All entries in the experiments were evaluated for response to tarnished plant bug and bacterial blight in separate tests at Keiser. This 2024 report includes results of large-plot variety tests in 7 counties that were coordinated by Zachary Treadway