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Food Security in Mauritius
Get PDFLocated over 600 miles off the East coast of Madagascar, Mauritius is an island nation with a population of over 1.2 million people. In the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to travel to Mauritius and conduct a representative food insecurity survey alongside other University of Arkansas and University of Mauritius students and professors. With more than 400 surveys in over 80 locations, we gathered data in every district on the primary island of Mauritius. The group used a survey based on the standard USDA question list and compiled the results to find that the population of Mauritius had a rate of food insecurity of ~48%. Beyond the surveys, I was able to have tremendous personal and professional growth throughout the trip
Relationship Between Nutritional Knowledge and Eating Disorder Risk Levels
Get PDFThe prevalence of disordered eating is a critical public health concern that often progresses towards the development of a diagnosable eating disorder (ED). This, in turn, has detrimental physical and psychological consequences for individuals. Organizations such as the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) have recognized nutrition education as a crucial component of prevention and recovery. Determining the extent to which nutrition knowledge is related to risk factors for EDs is worth investigating due to its implications for healthcare approaches – especially among adolescent and young adult populations. The goal of this research was to collect data regarding the nutritional knowledge and eating disorder risk levels of non-nutrition students between the ages of 18-29 and to identify associations between the two variables. When filtered for eligible responses, 156 participants completed the survey. Overall, findings indicated disordered eating as not being related to nutrition knowledge, although when reviewing our female-only sample, a trend was found for a decrease in eating disorder risk levels as nutrition knowledge in the measured health management subcategory increased. Further research exploring the relationship will be necessary for clarifying outcomes among larger samples
Characterizing the Medial Forebrain Bundle in Adolescents with Anhedonic Depression
Get PDFAdolescent depression has quickly grown in prevalence, yet the underlying neuropathology remains poorly understood. Anhedonia–the diminished ability to experience pleasure–is a core symptom of melancholic depression. Early identification of biomarkers associated with anhedonic depression could help mitigate the severity of the disorder by enhancing treatment efficacy. Blunted functionality of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), the reward center of the brain, and abnormal dopaminergic activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have both been linked to depression. Furthermore, glutamatergic input from the hypothalamus modulates the VTA which in turn, downregulates dopamine release in the NAcc. However, there is limited evidence supporting that the white matter tract connecting these three microstructures, the infero-medial medial forebrain bundle (imMFB), exhibits any abnormalities. The aim of this study was to characterize the imMFB in adolescents with anhedonic depression. Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study was extracted to create a total sample size of 2,931 subjects, which was broken down into four subgroups: high depression and high anhedonia (hDhA), high depression and low anhedonia (hDlA), low depression and high anhedonia (lDhA), and low depression and low anhedonia (lDlA). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task was collected to examine NAcc activity during reward anticipation. Structural coherence of the imMFB was quantified by using fractional anisotropy (FA), a metric used in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). Subjects with high levels of anhedonia exhibited lower structural coherence in the last 25% of the left imMFB and higher structural coherence in the first 25% of the right imMFB. Subjects with high levels of depression exhibited blunted NAcc activity while anticipating small rewards; however, this decreased functionality was not correlated to FA values of the imMFB. Results indicated that structural abnormalities found in the imMFB may be more strongly associated with anhedonia, while functional blunting of the NAcc is linked to depression
Structural stability of FGF1-FGF2 dimer established via salt bridges with mutation K296Q
No full textFibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) are a family of cell-signaling proteins. FGF, specifically the FGF-1 subfamily, which contains FGF-1 and FGF-2, is important in several biological functions such as wound healing, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. FGF-1 has cell proliferation properties and FGF-2 has angiogenic properties. These FGFs have great potential for wound-healing therapy medications...
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Prosecuting the Material Support of Terrorism in the Post-9/11 Era
Get PDFBefore the attacks of September 11th, material support of terrorism using the 18 U.S.C § 2339B statute was hardly investigated and prosecuted. In the years following 9/11, however, the government began to charge and prosecute material support offenders at an increasing rate. Structural-contextual theory is used to explain this phenomenon by analyzing how the government utilized tightened coupling to expand what they looked for and charged under 18 U.S.C § 2339B. The current study furthers past literature by analyzing 2339B offender demographics, case outcomes, counts outcomes, conviction rates, and the length of sentences. The findings solve discrepancies in past literature regarding sentence length and the use of the statute in federal courts before 9/11. The results demonstrate that defendant\u27s demographics vary in 2339B cases. Additionally, the findings show that case outcomes and average sentence length can be predicted after 9/11. Conviction rates under the 18 U.S.C § 2339B material support statute can be expected to increase after 2001. Ultimately, it is found that the widening of what the government was investigating and prosecuting as material support affected conviction outcomes, sentence lengths, and count outcomes. These findings suggest that future research should analyze the effects that terrorist group category and the type of material support provided have on outcome variables
“Cry Harder!”: How Parents Traffic Their Children Through Forced Child Begging and Child Labor
Get PDFThis thesis examines the complex intersection of socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing forced child begging, a form of human trafficking, across different global regions. Through comprehensive literature analysis and examination of data from the Global K-anonymized Dataset from Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (2021), this research reveals a critical gap in human trafficking discourse: the absence of a unified definition and understanding of forced child begging. Despite affecting millions of children worldwide, forced child begging remains fragmented in academic literature, scattered across disciplines including child welfare, anthropology, and media studies rather than being centrally addressed in anti-trafficking frameworks. The research identifies that while street-based begging by older boys in regions like Senegal represents the most documented form, other manifestations such as internet-based exploitation through family vlogging and kidfluencer culture meet the same criteria yet receive minimal recognition. The study highlights inconsistencies in policy approaches, noting that NGOs like Anti-Slavery International, Polaris, and Freedom United provide the most comprehensive frameworks for addressing this issue. This thesis concludes that forced child begging constitutes a severe human rights violation that operates in plain sight, sustained by interconnected societal problems including poverty, inequality, and food insecurity. By establishing the need for definitional clarity and cross-disciplinary recognition, this research lays groundwork for more targeted interventions and reveals how human trafficking manifests in everyday environments, often unrecognized despite its pervasiveness
Non-Profit Foundation Boards: An Investigation into Best Practices using Fayetteville Public Library Foundation as a Test Case
Get PDFEffective 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.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1001/thumbnail.jp
Can Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters Predict State Anxiety?
Get PDFBackground: Anxiety is one of the most experienced mental health disorders. Recent research has suggested a relationship between gait parameters and anxiety, however the disparity in measurement methodologies of both anxiety and gait makes it difficult to draw broad conclusions. Better understanding the relationship between anxiety and gait mechanics creates opportunity for a more holistic understanding of the interaction between mental health, functional capacity, and quality of life. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate if spatiotemporal gait parameters measured on a pressure-sensing walkway are related to anxiety.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/coesym25/1011/thumbnail.jp