UARK (University of Arkansas )
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Turkish Eyes for America: How Turkey Embraced the United States in the Interwar Period
No full textThis research discusses the unique relationship developed between the United States and Turkey between world wars and invites us to reconsider the popular understanding of the United States’ place in Turkey and questions the ways American officials believed were the most effective at spreading their national ideals and culture
Enhancing Poultry Processing through Human Robot Collaboration: Addressing Human Factors for Successful Automation
No full textThe U.S. poultry processing industry faces persistent challenges stemming from labor shortages, demanding working conditions, and rising consumer demand. This research investigates the potential of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) as a sustainable automation strategy to enhance worker safety, address labor deficits, and improve operational efficiency. The study adopts a human-centered approach to HRC integration, with a focus on the social and psychological dimensions of automation. Specifically, it explores the influence of demographic variables on technology acceptance, the impact of hands-on training on familiarity, trust, and perceived safety, and the regulatory landscape governing collaborative robotics in food environments. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected through literature review, expert interviews, and pre- and post-training surveys administered to students undergoing robotics training. The findings demonstrate that targeted training significantly improves participants’ familiarity with robots and reduces safety concerns, particularly in physical interaction contexts. However, participant recruitment presented notable limitations. Despite this, the study provides valuable insights into the role of training and perception in the adoption of collaborative robots. The research contributes practical implications for advancing HRC implementation in poultry processing and informs the broader discourse on human factors in industrial automation
Broiler breeders today: Feather development and nutrition
No full textThe broiler industry in the US has observed a consistent decline in fertility and hatchability, particularly the past 5 years. There are numerous managerial and nutritional approaches to optimize the pullet and subsequent mature broiler breeder, and these proceedings focus on feathering. Moreover, these proceedings examine the quantity and quality of broiler breeder plumage as affected by both pullet and hen nutrition
Examining the Use of Two-Dimensional Video Capture and a Pressure Sensing Walkway for Collection of Obstacle Crossing Measures
No full textObstacle crossing research is crucial for providing insights into how and why people trip and fall. However, a growing body of literature has proposed that laboratory-based studies may not directly translate into real-world settings due to the complex nature beyond the sterile lab. Unfortunately, the absence of real-world obstacle crossing literature is likely due to a lack of available validated methods for collection of data outside the laboratory. This dissertation explored two potential methodologies (i.e., 2D motion capture and a pressure sensing walkway) that are more portable and cost-effective for collecting real-world obstacle crossing measures. It is hypothesized that 2D video and a pressure sensing walkway will perform good-to-excellent for statistical evaluations of accuracy, agreement, and reliability, proving them adequate alternatives to expensive 3D motion capture for use in clinics and real-world collections. Participants (aim 1: n = 54; aim 2: n = 52) completed 10 obstacle crossings with simultaneous collection of 2D video and 3D motion capture (aim 1) and pressure sensing walkway and 3D motion capture (aim 2). Obstacle crossing measures collected via the 2D video and the pressure sensing walkway were compared to the gold standard (3D motion capture) during three random trials. For both aims, accuracy between methods were examined via absolute percent error, Pearson product correlation, and one-sample t tests. Agreement was assessed via Bland-Altman plot analysis and a linear regression. Lastly, intraclass correlations assessed reliability between trials. Generally, 2D video analysis performed poorly compared to 3D motion capture, for accuracy, agreement, and reliability. The pressure sensing walkway shows more promise for collection of horizontal obstacle crossing measures, evidenced by excellent accuracy of adjusted approach and landing distance with excellent agreement in crossing step length, but lack of reliability between trials is concerning. Although both 2D video and pressure sensing walkways have potential to be simple, cost-effective ways to collect obstacle crossing measures outside of a laboratory, we are not there yet
Anti-Inflammatory effects in Apio tuber
No full textInflammation is a crucial component of the body’s defense system but can lead to chronic diseases when uncontrolled. Diets rich in anti-inflammatory compounds are recognized as an effective strategy for mitigating chronic inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of Apio (Arracacia xanthorrhiza), an underutilized Andean tuber. The goal of this study was to explore the health-promoting properties of Apio tuber, which could expand its commercial value to support local farmers and contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices.
Phenolic compounds were extracted from white (WAT) and yellow Apio tuber (YAT), and Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of these extracts were measured using DPPH and ferrous reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by measuring pro-inflammatory mediators. The WAT showed higher TPC and antioxidant activity than the YAT, whereas both extracts significantly reduced nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in a concentration-dependent manner. Despite its lower phenolic content and antioxidant activity, the YAT extract showed stronger anti-inflammatory effects than the WAT extracts, suggesting that other bioactive compounds may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Although the phenolic content was moderate, both Apio varieties exhibited antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, indicating their potential as functional food ingredients with enhanced nutrition and sustainability. Promoting its broader utilization could support natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory intake while contributing to global Sustainable Development Goals
A Grounded Theory Investigation of the Experiences of Rehabilitation Administrators, Counselors, and Supervisors Providing Services to Women with Disabilities Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence
No full textAbstract There is a noticeable gap in the literature as it relates to how rehabilitation and disability service providers have worked with women with disabilities who have experienced intimate partner violence. To address the dearth of knowledge, a qualitative grounded theory study was conducted with 12 rehabilitation administrators, counselors, and supervisors regarding their experiences providing services to women with disabilities who have been in or are in an intimate partner violence relationship. Semi-structured interviews were administered, recorded, and transcribed verbatim in an ongoing manner throughout the process. As data was collected, it was analyzed using NVIVO 15, which is a qualitative research software that was used to outline themes, write annotations to integrate observations or participant interactions into the analytical process, and generate a codebook outlining the audit trail to emergent themes. Findings consisted of four themes: finding out, locating and knowing what services providers offer, accessible places to keep women safe, and educating counselors and women experiencing IPV. Discussion of hypothesized emergent grounded theory of information and knowledge deficit based on intersectionality of selective codes: barriers, resources, and training
Freezing and Shipping Optimization to Increase Quality and Profitability of Meat E-Commerce
No full textFreezing remains one of the most reliable methods for preserving meat quality and extending shelf life. However, quality deterioration can still occur due to structural and biochemical changes activated during freezing, thawing, and distribution. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers’ preference for bulk purchasing and online meat shopping has increased, raising questions about the best strategies to balance both quality maintenance and profitability. This thesis aimed to evaluate two key stages where frozen beef is most vulnerable to quality degradation: consumer-level freezing and post-purchase shipping. The objectives were (1) to determine the effects of product size and subsequent consumer freezing practices on the quality and palatability of different beef muscles, and (2) to assess the influence of multiple shipping factors on meat quality following e-commerce delivery. To evaluate the impacts of product size and subsequent consumer freezing practices, paired beef strip loins (Longissimus lumborum, LL), top sirloins (Gluteus medius, GM), and eye of rounds (Semitendinosus, ST) were collected and frozen either as sub-primal sections (SEC) or pre-cut steaks (STK). Following an initial 35-day blast-freezing cycle and thawing, samples were re-frozen in three freezer types: blast (BLS), chest (CST), or refrigerator (FRI), followed by a second thaw. Results showed that product size had a greater influence on meat quality than freezer type. SEC freezing resulted in beef samples with superior color attributes but incurred more purge loss and lipid oxidation than STK (P \u3c 0.05). Instrumental tenderness revealed that STK freezing increased toughness in LL and GM but not ST. Consumer sensory evaluations revealed that GM samples frozen as SEC and stored in refrigerator (SEC-FRI) rated lower in tenderness and overall acceptability in GM (P \u3c 0.05). To identify major shipping factors affecting meat quality, boneless strip loin steaks were subjected to 32 treatments, each treatment was a combination of six shipping factors, including container type, coolant type and load, ambient temperature, duration, and filler usage. Results showed that ambient temperature and shipping duration had the most prominent effects (P \u3c 0.05) on microbial activity (aerobic bacteria concentration - APC and lactic acid bacteria concentration - LAB). Filler usage enhanced redness but also affected microbial concentration (depending on coolant type) (P \u3c 0.05). Notably, dry ice combined with fillers provided optimal microbial control, while container type showed minimal standalone impact. Multi-response optimization suggested that a combination of dry ice, fillers, 40% coolant load, biodegradable foam, and 3-day hot shipment provided the most desirable quality outcomes. Collectively, the findings underscore the importance of freezing methods, product size, and shipping configurations in determining the final quality of beef. This thesis provides valuable insights for both industry and consumers essential to optimize freezing and shipping practices for meat quality along the frozen meat supply chain
Three Essays on Investment Choices and Outside Influences
No full textIn this dissertation, I explore the effects outside influences, such as media and gambling, can have on investor decisions, particularly those of retail traders. Chapter 1 explores how the reporting of news over time, the news cycle, affects intraday investor behavior. We measure news events as the time from the first major news agency report relevant to a stock during the trading day until when news about that firm reaches its highest level of coverage during the remainder of the trading day. We find that the impact of news is determined by its place within the news cycle. Trading volume is more responsive to news before a story reaches peak coverage. Overall, we conclude that the context in which news is reported relative to the news cycle is important in understanding its effects on markets. Chapter 2 explores how retail trading is affected by the recent surge in gambling awareness and accessibility due to legal changes in sports betting. We measure and compare the impact of skilled (sports betting) and non-skilled (lottery) gambling on retail traders’ preferences for stock characteristics. We use a staggered diff-in-diff approach to capture the impact of legalization. Stocks headquartered in states which legalize sports betting see an increase in retail trading volume in lottery-like stocks by ~12%. This effect is weaker in states with higher Catholic populations, possibly due to catholic acceptance of gambling. We see a decrease during the NFL season, possibly due to the popularity of the sport. Chapter 3 explores the effect of media attention on investor decision making. Using intraday trading and news data from January 2014 through December 2023, we examine the impact of news publications on the trading of retail and institutional investors. We find retail traders as quick as institutional investors to respond to both the existence of news and its level of coverage across multiple news outlets. Trading responds often during the 10-minute period the news is reported, followed by reduced volume over the following 20-30 minutes. Overall, we find retail traders as responsive as institutional traders to news and this activity may impact prices
End Times: American Mortality, Death Materiality, and Social Death in the 1990s
No full textThe United States in the 1990s was marked by pervasive representations of death in popular culture. As death imagery became increasingly visible in entertainment, there was a growing detachment from the embodied, biological realities of death, a tension intensified by the ongoing AIDS crisis. This project explores how death is politicized and how decisions about who lives and dies are shaped by power. I draw on a constellation of theoretical frameworks that collectively illuminate the operations of state-sanctioned death and social abandonment. These include Michel Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, which examines the management of life by state power; Giorgio Agamben’s focus on the production of the corpse as a byproduct of sovereign authority; and Achille Mbembe’s formulation of necropolitics, which extends biopolitical analysis into the realm of war and racialized violence. I also incorporate insights from queer theory, critical race theory, and death studies to trace how marginalized identities are targeted for physical and social death. The project begins with readings of Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Don DeLillo’s White Noise, which establish foundational associations between death and the American cultural psyche leading into the 1990s. I then analyze the political use of the corpse in AIDS activism, focusing on ACT UP and DIVA TV’s documentation of protest funerals. Following this, I examine Jonathan Larson’s Rent and Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes to explore the tensions between capitalism and what I term queer (pro)creation--an ethos of community care, legacy-building, and artistic protest. Finally, I turn to Tananarive Due’s The Between and Stephen King’s The Green Mile to consider the material and liminal dimensions of racialized death, particularly as manifested in modern-day lynching and state executions