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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
Comparing Gait Patterns of Individuals With and Without Cancer
Get PDFThis study investigates the effects that cancer has on gait variables focusing on gait speed, step length, and stride width, and compares participants with cancer to participants without known disease.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/coesym25/1007/thumbnail.jp
Creating a Multi-Sensory Room at the University of Arkansas
Get PDFAutism Spectrum Disorder, or autism, is a genetic neurological condition that can affect all aspects of an individual’s life, depending on their symptoms. Autistic people tend to struggle most significantly with social and emotional issues, which often results in declining academic success. With such a multifaceted disability, autistic students can struggle to perform at the same standards as their non-autistic peers, mostly due to the complications from their disability paired with limited accommodations. The consequences of these issues can manifest as lower admission rates, higher dropout rates, and higher stress levels for autistic students. This creative and service-learning honors thesis aimed to design and create a multi-sensory room on-campus for autistic and non-autistic students to use to escape academic and interpersonal stressors, receive positive sensory stimulation, practice self-soothing activities, and have access to educational materials about autism and wellness in an academic setting. After receiving a grant from Bumpers College, we were able to locate and outfit a space with the sensory additions necessary to create a “multi-sensory room.” Educational materials were also created to provide users with information regarding autism, stimming, and other relevant information to contextualize the items placed within the room. This space can offer University of Arkansas students multifaceted support by providing a service that is open to all students, regardless of diagnostic status, with the tools and space needed to assist in emotional regulation. Future researchers should (1) assess the quality and usage of this space, providing future adjustments as deemed necessary; and (2) assess the relationship between autism, burnout, sensory experiences, and the college environment to better understand and further develop accommodations for autistic students
Prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis in ticks from South-central Kansas and Northwest Arkansas
No full textCytauxzoon felis is a protozoan that causes an often-fatal illness in felines known as cytauxzoonosis, or bobcat fever. Ticks are vectors of this pathogen, with Amblyomma americanum being the most common vector. Previous studies have noted a correlation between peak tick season and peak cytauxzoonosis diagnosis. For cytauxzoonosis, minimal treatments exist, and scientists have not found a cure, which is why focus needs to be on preventing disease. Knowledge on the prevalence of C. felis in different tick species helps veterinarians and pet owners be aware of the potential for their cat developing cytauxzoonosis if one or more ticks are found feeding on the animal. To assess the prevalence of C. felis in vectors, we collected ticks from cats and the environment in the South-central Kansas area in 2023 and Northwest Arkansas area in 2024. All ticks were collected through dragging or directly from animals. We used a qPCR assay targeting the cox3 mitochondrial gene to detect the presence of C. felis DNA in the ticks. In total, 658 ticks were tested. 20/351 ticks collected from cats tested positive for C. felis, and 2/307 ticks collected from the environment also tested positive. Of the 22 positives, 21 ticks were Amblyomma americanum and one was Dermacentor variabilis. The prevalence of C. felis in A. americium suggests that this is the most common vector in both states. For environmental collections, differences between states were significant (P\u3c 0.001). For clinic collections, there were no significant differences in the mean number of A. americanum collected between the number of ticks collected per state except when comparing May and July (P=0.0333). Cat owners should consider tick preventives at least during peak vector activity season
Influence of Gossypol from Cottonseed Meal Fed to Pregnant Sows on Seminiferous Tubule Diameters in Male Offspring
Get PDFFeral swine were first brought to the United States in the 1500s as a source of food and have been reported as an invasive species since then without an efficient method of population control. Ongoing research indicates that the total cost of the damage this species has caused estimates to around 1.5 billion dollars each year (USDA, 2023). Gossypol is a phenolic compound found in the cotton plant and can be administered in the form of cottonseed meal (CSM). Gossypol has been associated with reduced fertility in various species (Randel et al., 1992). Pregnant sows were fed cottonseed meal to reach 0.04% or 0.08% gossypol in the diet or were maintained as controls (fed corn and soybean meal base diet) between day 56 and 86 of gestation. Seminiferous tubule diameters were evaluated in boars (n = 11) born to sows (n = 5) from each treatment. At 300 ± 2 days of age, boars were euthanized and testis tissue was collected and fixed for histological analysis. Average seminiferous tubule diameter was analyzed using MIXED procedures of SAS (SAS, Inc., Cary, NC) with treatment of fixed effect. Although no differences were observed among treatments, boars whose dams consumed CSM diets with 0.08% gossypol during gestation exhibited numerically smaller seminiferous tubule diameters relative to controls. Although CSM did not reduce seminiferous tubule diameter in this study, numerical differences warrant future evaluation with increased animal numbers
The Changing Kitchen: Analyzing Sears Mail Order Home Kitchens and Gender Inequality in the United States between 1908 and 1940
Get PDFThe Sears Roebuck & Co mail order home was no exception to the idea that architecture and design are products of culture and society. Penny Sparke, a scholar of domestic interiors, writes that design is informed by “economics, politics, technology, culture, society, our psychological make-up, ethics, and the world’s ecological systems” (Sparke 8). In 1908, Sears responded to an increase in demand for single-family housing by releasing a home that could be delivered right to your door. This study investigates the ways in which gender inequality, particularly, the confinement of women to domestic space and housekeeping labor, manifests itself in architecture and design. This study analyzes floor plans, diagrams kitchen work triangles, and explores workflow to understand the intentions and solutions of the Sears kit home kitchen design more explicitly. Other reasons for specific design solutions were also taken into account when researching this topic. The postwar housing market, demands of single families, and the cultural climate could have also contributed to decisions made in the design of these homes. This research combines all of these ideas to answer the question of whether the Sears kit home kitchen influenced and prolonged ideas of gender inequality by isolating the woman of the home to a space that neither served its user nor advanced the cause of progressive womanhood
Imagining Indigeneity: The Construction of the Indio in the Work of José Carlos Mariátegui
Get PDFThe main focus of José Carlos Mariátegui’s (1894-1930) abundant literature was the adaptation of Marxist theory to the particular needs of Latin America. He is often considered the first major Latin American Marxist and played a key role in the history of leftism in the region. Among his most significant contributions to Marxism in Latin America is his incorporation of indigenous populations into a Marxist framework. He believed that, due to their history of communal ownership under the Inca, a “communist spirit” was retained in Peru’s indigenous population. In his writing about Peru’s potentially communist future, Mariátegui often touched on a discourse occurring in Latin America during the early 20th century: national modernization. Due to the culmination of a process of socioeconomic reorganization, Peru’s defeat in the War of the Pacific, and the growing intellectual industry, there were widespread debates over the proper course of Peruvian modernization. One key element of these debates was the question of the role of the indigenous population in a modernized society. Some advocated for their political, social, and economic inclusion, while others thought that complete modernization required the rectification of indigenous “backwardness.” In Peru, such debates played out in the written productions of urban intellectuals and did not generally involve indigenous people themselves; as a result, these arguments made use of particular imaginaries of indigeneity. This thesis argues that, though much of Mariátegui’s writing was focused on improving the lives of indigenous people through tangible reforms, his work also creates an imaginary of the Indian
Rome Wasn’t Marketed in a Day
Get PDFThis thesis explores the topics of cultural branding, consumer behavior, and tourism marketing in Rome, Italy, based firsthand experiences during a summer study abroad program. By looking at how companies, brands, and places market themselves in Rome, brands in the United States can apply the same concepts and strategies that work in a global setting. This study highlights key differences between U.S. and Italian approaches to marketing tactics and insight into why these strategies work so well in Rome. Marketing is a way for brands to build emotional connections with consumers, and companies in Rome have mastered these connections with their storytelling, something not seen often from U.S. brands. Drawing comparisons to the United States, this research provides takeaways for American marketers on how to adopt culturally grounded and sustainable practices to build stronger connections to consumers
Optimizing the Effects of YODA1 and Assessing the Effects of mRNA Silencing of PIEZO1 Gene in Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Get PDFMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that are capable of differentiating into various skeletal tissues, making them promising candidates for regenerative medicine. A critical factor influencing their differentiation potential is mechanosensitivity, the ability to respond to mechanical stimuli. The mechanosensitive calcium ion channel PIEZO1 has emerged as a key regulator in this process, particularly in osteogenic differentiation. This study investigated the role of PIEZO1 in MSC osteogenesis through pharmacological activation using YODA1 and gene silencing via siRNA. Human bone marrow-derived MSCs were cultured and induced for osteogenic differentiation under varying concentrations and durations of YODA1 treatment. Alizarin Red staining demonstrated enhanced calcium deposition in YODA1-treated groups compared to controls, indicating increased osteogenic differentiation. Quantitative PCR revealed that YODA1-induced PIEZO1 expression was both dose- and time-dependent. However, higher concentrations and prolonged exposure led to diminished expression, suggesting a feedback regulatory mechanism. Additionally, siRNA-mediated silencing of PIEZO1 significantly reduced mineralization, confirming its necessity in osteogenesis. These findings underscore the pivotal role of PIEZO1 in MSC differentiation and highlight its potential as a target for enhancing bone tissue engineering strategies
Examining the effects of quercetin on phenotypic characteristics of human mesenchymal stem cells
Get PDFIntroduction A significant obstacle to mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) potency and therapeutic utility is in vitro senescence, an irreversible cessation of replication associated with age-related complications. Senolytic drugs, such as quercetin, may be helpful in selectively culling senescent cells while leaving non-senescent cells unaffected, thereby increasing potency of high-passage MSCs.
Methods The phenotypic, genotypic, and immunomodulatory effects of quercetin were assessed using in vitro models. Senescent cells, created through repeated subculturing of MSCs in vitro, and non-senescent cells were treated with 10 μM quercetin, differentiated into osteocytes, adipocytes, and chondrocytes, and analyzed to observe the effect of quercetin.
Results Quercetin was not found to be beneficial to MSC function. It did not exhibit a consistent senolytic effect as evidenced by SAb-gal and live dead staining, hindered proliferation in the short term in some donors, and lowered the expression of osteogenic markers COL1A1 and ALP. Quercetin treatment did not, however, negatively affect adipogenesis, chondrogenesis, or indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase secretions.
Conclusion This study contributes insight into the nature of quercetin and its effects on in vitro MSC culture and function