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The Influence of Political Uncertainty on Financial Markets During U.S. Elections: A Comprehensive Analysis
Get PDFThis thesis examines the impact of U.S. presidential elections on financial market performance, focusing on volatility, investor behavior, and market returns. Political uncertainty during election years often triggers market fluctuations, influencing investor confidence, policy expectations, and sector-specific reactions. By analyzing historical election-year data, this study identifies consistent patterns of increased volatility, shifts in investor sentiment, and post-election market stabilization. Findings suggest that while short-term uncertainty affects market behavior, long-term investment strategies should prioritize broader economic trends over election-driven fluctuations. These insights provide practical guidance for investors navigating politically uncertain environments
Exploring the Influence of Female Mate Choice Genetics on Male Mate Preferences in Bicyclus anynana
No full textMate preferences often appear differently across species and sexes, and this preference variation may be associated with genetic variation. For preferences that are genetically determined, the region of the genome that determines mate preference in one sex may also impact the preference of behavior of the other sex. To assess the genetic relationship between female mate choice and male mate preferences, we used the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Having developed a selection line bred for female preference for four dorsal forewing spotted males, instead of the wild-type (WT) female preference for two dorsal forewing spotted males, we set out to determine if male preferences are also shifted in this selection line. We assess WT and selection line male preference for WT versus selection line females, to determine if selecting for female preference for 4-spotted males has a pleiotropic effect on male preference for WT females. Preliminary data suggest that both WT and selection line males may prefer WT females over selection line females. This finding suggests that either pleiotropic effects of the preference for 4-spot locus, or inbreeding, may be influencing female attractiveness in this species
Lucky Charms: Leveraging Consumer Data Analysis for Strategic Decision-Making at General Mills
No full textThis undergraduate thesis examines the application of data analytics in sales strategy and consumer insights from the perspective of a summer internship at General Mills. It gives an overview of the company’s background, industry position, and intern’s role within the sales organization. It outlines the personal learning objectives established before the internship and how they evolved through practical experience.
A central focus of the summer internship was the analysis of consumer demographics within the cereal category to enhance sales performance and optimize retail execution. Using the Data Science Analytics Process as a framework, this thesis details the problem statements, methodologies, and analytical approaches employed to complete the intern projects. By leveraging demographic data, purchasing patterns, and market segmentation, insights were generated to drive more effective product positioning and promotional strategies. A literature review contextualizes the project within existing research, evaluating relevant methodologies in sales analytics and their applicability to the internship assignment. Results highlight key insights gained, the impact of data-driven decision-making on sales operations, and recommendations for improving business performance.
The analysis was conducted using Walmart Luminate, NielsenIQ, and E2Open, three business intelligence tools that provide data on consumer behavior, market trends, and sales dynamics. These tools enabled insights into sales performance and competitive positioning that were shared cross functionally with brand and supply chain teams. This thesis also discusses the challenges encountered in working with large-scale retail data and the strategic implications of these data-driven decisions.
This thesis contributes to a broader understanding of how data analytics can be used to understand consumer behavior, optimize sales strategies, and drive growth within the cereal market. It offers a practical intern perspective on the growing role of data science in the corporate sales environments, particularly within the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry
Optimizing Fire Station Placement in Sugar Land, TX: A Socioeconomic Risk-Based Approach
Get PDFFire station placement has a critical role in emergency response efficiency and community safety. Traditional optimization models focus on mainly the minimization of response times and the maximization of coverage. However, this approach may overlook potential socioeconomic disparities that can influence emergency demand. This study seeks to expand upon the existing project of zoning a fire station in Sugar Land, TX, by integrating spatial road network analysis and publicly available census data—including population density, median household income, and age-based vulnerability—into a Maximal Coverage Location Problem (MCLP) framework. Using a road network-based travel time with realistic constraints, the goal is to identify an optimal location for an additional station. This weighted optimization’s goal is to ensure that the coverage is equitably distributed, prioritizing vulnerable populations while maintaining efficiency. The findings will provide a data-driven methodology for emergency planners to enhance public safety via equitable resource allocation
Reflections on Teaching the Rule of Law: An Essay
Get PDFThis Essay reflects on a Rule of Law course taught at the University of Arkansas School of Law since 2009, exploring its evolution and purpose over fifteen years. Moving beyond a historical survey of the rule of law and debates about its meaning, the course integrates diverse disciplines such as psychology, economics, and current events to cultivate lawyer professionalism through a rule of law lens. Central to the course is a focus on corruption—its causes, consequences, and cures—with professionalism presented as a key antidote, and an emphasis on helping students define what the rule of law means to them and why it matters, encouraging a personal and professional commitment to upholding it. This Essay includes guidance for others seeking to design similar courses, while tracing how this specific course came to incorporate a sustained focus on corruption alongside the rule of law
Investigation of the Stability Conferred by the Salt Bridge SB12 to the Structure of the Recombinant FGF1-FGF2 Dimer
No full textIn the United States, among other countries, an estimated 145 billion dollars are spent yearly on wound care treatments. Recently, a novel Fibroblast Growth Factor dimer (FGF1-FGF2 dimer) was developed to solve this common issue among patients globally...
Under Embargo: Available for viewing on Friday, May 01, 202
Stress Affects Infectious Disease Outcomes in Canaries
Get PDFChronic stress is related to a decline in immune function in all living organisms and is known to increase the likelihood of developing or exacerbating chronic non-infectious diseases. However, the role of chronic stress in affecting outcomes of infection important to individual health and endpoints important for epidemic dynamics (e.g., likelihood of transmission) are not well understood. In this study we exposed canaries (Serinus canaria) to chronic stress or control conditions after which they were inoculated with Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, a bacterium that causes respiratory disease in birds.
Following the chronic stress protocol, the canaries were assessed every day for measures of body condition (body mass and fat score) and disease pathology (eye swelling). Once a week, we also swabbed eye conjunctiva to measure pathogen load and collected blood samples to measure hematocrit levels. In this system greater eye swelling and higher pathogen loads are associated with greater likelihood of MG transmission.
Preliminary data demonstrated that birds exposed to chronic stress had greater body mass and fat stores but showed no significant differences in disease pathology compared to control birds. Pathogen load analysis using qPCR indicated no significant differences between stressed and control groups. However, chronic stress was associated with prolonged recovery times and higher mortality rates. Our findings highlight the ecological significance of chronic stress in wildlife populations, suggesting that frequent stressors, such as habitat disturbance or food scarcity, may heighten disease susceptibility and mortality. These results underscore the potential for chronic stress to amplify epidemic risks in stressed populations.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1039/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