20566 research outputs found
Sort by
The Switch: Determinants of family school modality choices during the COVID-19 pandemic
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to the U.S. K-12 education system, disrupting traditional public school enrollment while fueling growth in private schooling and homeschooling. Some research has analyzed these decisions at the state level or with administrative data, but little is known about the associated characteristics of these decisions nationally. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of public, private, and homeschooling enrollment patterns during the pandemic, focusing on the transitions families made between these schooling types and identifying key characteristics associated with switching in and out of public schools. Using a discrete choice duration model and random forest algorithms on data from the Understanding America Study conducted by the University of Southern California, we find that factors such as parental education, household income, and trust in Fox News were significant predictors of school switching behavior. Notably, homeschoolers and private school enrollees exhibited contrasting associations with variables like income, urbanicity, and family size. We also attempt to capture the changes in the importance of these factors through these analyses. Perceived risk of COVID-19 and the availability of remote learning options were found to be relevant variables at the beginning of the pandemic. Understanding the characteristics of families exiting and reentering public schools can help districts design responsive policies and address socioeconomic sorting that may exacerbate segregation. Moreover, the persistent gap in public school enrollment seen in administrative data—potentially explained by truancy, unregistered homeschooling, or kindergarten non-enrollment (Dee, 2023)—highlights the need for improved data tracking and points to educational setbacks. Finally, the school choice movement in the United States has strengthened in recent years, with many states passing legislation supporting the marketization of schools (Abdulkadiroglu & Andersson, 2022). Learning about parental educational decisions, especially at a time of crisis like a pandemic, and the stickiness of these choices can shed light on potential risks when implementing various education policies.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1011/thumbnail.jp
State Governments\u27 SNAP Administration against the National Mandate: Principal-Agent Theory Case Study
Full text linkSince their earliest iterations in the New Deal, entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and welfare programs have served as a political third rail, but concerns over their administration, budgets, and fit into the mandate of the national government can conflict with the political necessity of maintaining them. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), colloquially known as food stamps, is a prime example of a welfare entitlement that many Americans rely on to meet their regular nutrition needs. Similar concerns about waste, methods of administration, and budget constraints crop up every time the program comes up for reauthorization in the United States Congress. This case study of the SNAP program will take a critical look at both data and policy changes nationally and state-side since 1989 and analyze disconnects between SNAP’s intent stated by the federal government and program administration on the state level. The theory employed in the analysis understands the administrative relationship between states as the agents and the national government as the principal. These two administrative roles create an asymmetry that requires the principal to determine a level of discrepancy balanced with trust in the agent to exercise a specific mandate. The data-based analysis considers changes in political control, significant alterations of SNAP policies, and other regional shifts as potential causal factors in total enrollment, benefit distribution and dispersals, and error or waste data. The policy change analysis will similarly trace these causal factors as features of political changes in policy design, executive adjustments, or support for policy action. Preliminary data analysis has indicated that political alignment of state governments, particularly among governors, plays a significant role in which policies a state adopts and how rapidly the state administration aligns with that policy. The implications of this research serve to explore an infrequently studied administrative relationship between state and national governments as well as the use of state governments as a platform for partisan resistance to a national agenda.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1005/thumbnail.jp
Investigation of Neurophysiological Changes in Hypothalamic Hormone Synthesis and Brain Matter Alterations During Stages of Anorexia Nervosa Recovery
No full textAnorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder that causes various physiological consequences such as endocrine disruptions and neurobiological alterations. Current data is inconclusive whether these issues resolve after weight is restored. The purpose of this study is to use PCR testing and MRI analysis to investigate alterations in hypothalamic hormone synthesis and brain matter volume during simulated AN and following weight recovery with the use of an animal model.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/coesym25/1006/thumbnail.jp
The Electric Revolution: A Quantitative Analysis of Tesla\u27s Sales Growth
Full text linkThis thesis explores the key factors influencing Tesla\u27s sales growth within the evolving electric vehicle (EV) market. It uses regression analysis to quantify the impact of average sales price, charging infrastructure, EV demand, and macroeconomic performance on Tesla\u27s vehicle sales. The analysis is based on data from Tesla\u27s annual reports, the Alternative Fuels Data Center, the International Energy Agency, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Key findings include a significant negative correlation between average sales price and vehicle sales, and a strong positive correlation between charging infrastructure and sales. These insights offer valuable implications for Tesla’s strategic decision-making, investor analysis, and policy formulation in the context of electric vehicle adoption and market dynamics
Ecological Interactions of Large Mammals in Luangwa, Zambia
Full text linkThe 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
Exploring topological defects in Janus bilayers of Cr(I,Cl)\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e and Cr(I,Br)\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e
Full text linkChromium halides such as CrI3 have attracted interest recently. They possess the remarkable property of sustaining long-range magnetic order down to the thickness of only a few layers [1, 2]. However, CrI3 lacks Dzyaloshinskyii– Moriya interaction (DMI) due to inversion center present between the adjacently bonded Chromium atoms.
The inversion center can be removed through the fabrication of Janus Monolayers by adding another trihalide along with Iodine to synthesize the material, that is to grow Janus monolayers Cr(I, X)3 where X is another halide such as Cl or Br [3].
Previous work has predicted non-trivial spin textures such as out-of-plane Néel-type cycloid with metastable Domain-Wall Skyrmions (DWS) in Cr(I,Br)3 or stabilization of bimerons in Cr(I,Cl)3 monolayers [3].
However, magnetic properties of these Janus bilayers have yet to be explored.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/1032/thumbnail.jp
Comparative Trends in Campaign Finance for United States Senate Elections After Citizens United
Full text linkWhile experts and laymen alike have agreed that United States politics have become more polarized over the last few decades, there are few answers about what has driven that polarization, as well as how that polarization has affected the campaign system. In addition, changes to campaign finance as a result of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, 558 US 310 (2010) altered the ways that money could be raised and spent to support or oppose candidates. The effects of these changes in presidential election campaigns have been well documented. This research will investigate changing trends in campaign finance in United States Senate elections amongst Republican candidates, with a particular emphasis on understanding if and how a candidate’s ideological positions affect how their campaign committees and outside groups raise funds. This research will cover election cycles from 2012, 2016, and 2020 Elections. By studying several election cycles, this research will show whether there are trends over time relating to ideological position and campaign finance issues. Using the Stanford University Database on Ideology, Money in Politics, and Elections (DIME), this research will utilize regression analysis to expose any correlations between ideological position and a variety of campaign finance topics, including donation totals, disbursements, independent expenditures, PAC support, and party support. In doing so, this project will provide a glimpse into how ideology and campaign finance are related statistically
International Rice Outlook: International Rice Baseline Projections 2024–2034
Full text link• Global rice consumption is projected to exceed global rice production for most of the coming decade, with stocks playing a crucial role in balancing the global market over the projected period.
• The projected growth in production is almost exclusively due to productivity gains.
• The projected global rice consumption is growing, driven mainly by population growth. However, the average global per capita rice consumption is estimated to increase slowly in the coming decade due to a regain in per capita consumption in Asia, the largest rice-consuming region worldwide.
• The international prices of long-grain and medium-grain rice are projected to increase in nominal terms but decrease in real terms in the next decade due to ample rice supplies.
• Rice demand in Africa will continue to grow at a high pace, thus supporting a fast growth in regional production and imports.
• Global rice trade is projected to increase in nominal and relative (to supply) terms, with Africa being the main driver of the expansion.
• Rice exports will remain concentrated between India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Cambodia in the projected decade. India will remain the largest exporter of rice, followed by Thailand and Vietnam, respectively, in the coming decade.
• On the rice import side, we project that China, Indonesia, and the EU will lose market share, while Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire will grow their market shares, by 2032–2034 relative to the situation in 2021–2023, and the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Iran shares will remain steady
The Effect of Maternal Anxiety on Breastfeeding Exclusivity and Duration
Full text linkBackground: The postpartum period, especially during the first year, presents a heightened risk for maternal anxiety. Research suggests a potential negative relationship between maternal anxiety and breastfeeding duration, though there is currently a gap in the existing literature regarding how maternal mental health impacts breastfeeding outcomes.
Purpose: This study seeks to investigate the influence of postpartum anxiety on both the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding, crucial knowledge required to support and implement targeted interventions. We expected that maternal anxiety would predict shorter exclusive and total breastfeeding durations.
Methodology: To explore the relationship between postpartum anxiety and breastfeeding behaviors, we distributed a self-reported survey via Qualtrics to women in Northwest Arkansas who had breastfed in the past 12 months (n=213). The survey was promoted in collaboration with Tiny Tusks and Infant Support, an organization offering breastfeeding resources at University of Arkansas sporting events and through social media. Maternal anxiety was measured using the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis, and separate regression models were run to assess both breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. The confounding variables included in the model were child age, maternal education, and infant birth order.
Results: The regression models were significant, but maternal anxiety did not significantly contribute to exclusivity and duration outcomes. Child age and infant birth order were significant predictors in the exclusivity model, while child age was the only significant predictor in the breastfeeding duration model.
Conclusion: Our study did not find statistically significant evidence to support the hypothesis that postpartum anxiety influences breastfeeding behaviors. The lack of significant findings may be partially explained by the limited variability found in survey responses, i.e., high rates of exclusivity and duration
The Uneven Disruptions COVID-19 Caused to Scholars’ Publication: A Preregistered Study
Full text linkThis proposed, preregistered study investigates the uneven impacts of COVID-19 on scholarly productivity among University of Arkansas faculty, focusing on how demographic and professional factors—such as gender, ethnicity, academic rank, tenure status, field of study, and the presence of children—may have moderated productivity during the pandemic. Utilizing a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, this research will collect data from 160 full-time faculty members through an online survey. Grounded in Role Theory, the study will examine role conflict and enrichment as faculty navigated shifting responsibilities in research, teaching, and caregiving during remote work. This study is particularly relevant as many assistant professors who were active during the pandemic now face critical tenure decisions, highlighting the urgency of understanding COVID-19’s impact on early-career academics.
The primary objective is to assess whether the presence of children in faculty households moderates the relationship between productivity and other demographic factors, thereby addressing a key research gap on the compounded challenges facing academic caregivers. Anticipated findings aim to reveal structural disparities impacting academic outputs and to inform recommendations for institutional policies that bolster resilience and equity in higher education. This study’s outcomes will support evidence-based strategies to address the unique challenges experienced by underrepresented groups, fostering a more adaptable and inclusive academic environment for future crises