Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploratory Analysis Of U.S. Academically Intensive Charter Schools (Aics), Robert Maranto, Jamison White, Sean Woytek

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Considerable amounts of research have discussed "No Excuses" charter schools preparing traditionally disadvantaged students for higher education. Yet, no scholarly work has identified or investigated U.S. academically intensive charter schools (AICS) that were founded to enable students to excel academically as much as their abilities and efforts allow. Here, we offer an exploratory study of AICS, defining them, describing the lived experience of an AICS principal, presenting the first national data comparing AICS campus and student characteristics to those of other charter schools, and assessing whether, nationally, AICS succeed on their own terms, with relatively high academic achievements. The data …

Framework For Mapping Sublimation Features On Mars’ South Polar Cap Using Object-Based Image Analysis, Racine D. Cleveland, Vincent F. Chevrier, Jason A. Tullis

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mars’ south polar cap hosts dynamic landforms known as Swiss cheese features (SCFs), which form through the sublimation of carbon dioxide (CO2) ice driven by the planet’s extreme seasonal and diurnal solar insolation cycles. These shallow, rounded depressions—first identified by Mars Global Surveyor in 1999 and later monitored by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)—have been observed to increase in size over time. However, large-scale analysis of SCF formation and growth has been limited by the slow and labor-intensive nature of manual mapping techniques. This study applies object-based image analysis (OBIA) to automate the detection and measurement of SCFs using High-Resolution …

Overcoming Barriers To Literacy For Individuals Who Need Or Use Aac: Lived Experiences, Key Research Findings, And Future Directions, Janice Light, Christine Holyfield, David Mcnaughton, Dana Nieder, Jamie Preece

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Literacy supports participation in education, employment, healthcare, and community living, and enhances communication for individuals who need or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Research has demonstrated that individuals with developmental disabilities who need or use AAC can successfully acquire a wide range of literacy skills when provided with effective tools and evidence-based, adapted instruction delivered by trained professionals. Unfortunately, individuals who need or use AAC typically face significant barriers to literacy learning: (1) They may be excluded from literacy instruction or only have access to instruction that requires spoken responses severely limiting their participation; (2) Their service providers may …

Exploring The Promise And Limitations Of Point-Charge-Free Potentials For Hydrocarbon Modeling, Raymond Weldon, Feng Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Models for hydrated and neat hydrocarbons are developed with the adaptive force matching method using either B3LYP-D3(BJ) or MP2 as reference. Hydrocarbons, being non-polar, present an opportunity to explore the possibility of creating force fields without modeling electrostatics. For liquid methane, ethane, cyclopentane, and cyclohexene, models without partial charges achieved excellent agreement with experiments when fitted against MP2 reference with SAPT dispersion. In aqueous solutions, models without solute partial charges maintain high quality for saturated hydrocarbons but exhibit reduced accuracy for cyclohexene. Notably, liquid methane's weak intermolecular interactions make it particularly sensitive to the choice of reference method. Our findings …

Sidesense: Robust Physiological Motion Detection Via Mmwave Joint Communication And Sensing Systems With Multiple Beams, Mohammed Shadman Ishrak, Jannatun Noor Sameera, Alvin Yang, Yanjun Pan, Yao Zheng, Olga Boric-Lubecke, Victor M. Lubecke

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A 28-GHz multibeam joint communication and sensing system called SideSense is presented, in which a line-of-sight (LoS) beam is used to maintain reliable communication, while other sensing beams are used to enhance physiological motion detection. SideSense decodes the motion frequency and shape from the channel state information (CSI) by first tuning the gain ratio and phase differences between the LoS communication beam and non-LoS (NLoS) beam to maximize the sensing signal-to-noise ratio (SSNR) without significantly degrading the communication channel capacity (CCC). Analytical results based on a bistatic model are presented to show a gain ratio of around 1 and a …

Regularity, Uniqueness And The Relative Size Of Small And Large Scales In Sqg Flows, Z. Akridge, Z. Bradshaw

Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The problems of regularity and uniqueness are open for the supercritically dissipative surface quasi-geostrophic equations in certain classes. In this note we examine the extent to which small or large scales are necessarily active both for the temperature in a hypothetical blow-up scenario and for the error in hypothetical non-uniqueness scenarios, the latter understood within the class of Marchand's solutions. This extends prior work for the 3D Navier-Stokes equations. The extension is complicated by the fact that mild solution techniques are unavailable for supercritical SQG. This forces us to develop a new approach using energy methods and Littlewood-Paley theory.

A Contextual Analysis Of The Early Work Of Andrzej Trautman And Ivor Robinson On Equations Of Motion And Gravitational Radiation, Donald Salisbury, Daniel Kennefick

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the mid-1950s, Andrzej Trautman published a series of papers connected with his dissertation work written under Leopold Infeld. In these, he drew upon the slow motion approximation developed by Infeld, the general covariance-based strong conservation laws enunciated by Bergmann and Goldberg, the Riemann tensor attributes explored by Goldberg and related geodesic deviation exploited by Pirani, the permissible metric discontinuities identified by Lichnerowicz, O'Brien and Synge, and finally Petrov's classification of vacuum spacetimes. With several significant additions he produced a comprehensive overview of the state of research in equations of motion and gravitational waves that was presented in a widely …

A Comprehensive Systematic Review Of Machine Learning Applications In Assessing Land Use/Cover Dynamics And Their Impact On Land Surface Temperatures, Rasool Vahid, Mohamed Aly

Environmental Dynamics Faculty Publications and Presentations

In a world experiencing rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of land surface temperature (LST) variation has invited substantial attention due to its profound impact on the environment and human well-being. Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) within urban areas significantly influence the dynamics of LST and are a major driver of urban eco-environmental change. The complex connections between LULC dynamics, LST, and climate change are investigated in this systematic review, with a focus on the combined effects of these variables and the use of Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The data in this study, based on peer-reviewed publications from the …

Stratigraphic Evidence Of Backwater Morphodynamics And Lowland River Deltas In The Northern Hemisphere Of Mars, C.M. Hughes, J.B. Shaw, A.M. Fernandes, T.E. Swanson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Backwater morphodynamics describe feedbacks between hydraulics and sedimentation in fluvio-deltaic systems in the coastal backwater zone. On Earth, normalized channel belt width decreases approaching the coastline and drops sharply at the start of the backwater zone. This systematic decrease allows a backwater/belt-width window to be defined, one backwater length upstream from the coast with normalized widths from 2 to 6. We use the backwater/belt-width window to interpret backwater morphodynamics and estimate backwater length on Mars using narrowing channel belts at Aeolis Dorsa. We measure nine belts from martian delta deposits and compare normalized width to distance upstream from an ancient …

Evaluating The Chemical Composition And Sensory Attributes Of Japanese And U.S. Sake, Rahul Sen, Katie Hope, Ben Bell, Scott Robert Lafontaine

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sake, a traditional rice beverage from Japan, is brewed using four key ingredients: rice, water, a koji mold, and yeast. While sake is gaining popularity in the US market, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the best practices for sake production and how different methods impact the chemical and sensory aspects of American sake as well as its resemblance to traditional Japanese sake. This study compared 21 sake samples from Japan and the U.S., covering grades such as ginjo, diaginjo, junmai, and nigori. Out of total 209 features, 120 were significant aromatic compounds with esters (e.g., ethyl decanoate, hexyl …

Learning To Support Science: Gender Differences In How Scientific Literacy Mediates Formal Education's Effect On Us Adults' Public Support For Science, Kevin Mark Roessger, Arie Todd Greenleaf

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction Scientific literacy is targeted by the knowledge deficit model, which predicts that increased scientific literacy improves public support for science. The model, in part, assumes formal education drives scientific knowledge, which, in turn, drives support for science. To date, though, this relationship is unclear, and research shows that, while formal education is associated with adults' public support for science, scientific literacy maintains only a small relationship with support for science, one that may differ by gender.Methods Using a conditional process analysis, we drew on 2018 General Social Survey data to examine whether scientific literacy mediates education's effects on support …

Perchlorate Brine Formation From Frost At The Viking 2 Landing Site, Vincent F. Chevrier

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The presence and stability of brines on Mars’s surface remain a significant mystery in planetary exploration. Previous mechanisms proposed for brine formation include melting of ice-salt mixtures and salt deliquescence. However, melting lacks a recharge mechanism, and deliquescence is impeded by Mars’s extreme surface aridity. This study explores an underexplored process: the role of seasonal frost in brine formation. Utilizing meteorological data from the Viking 2 lander—the only mission, with Phoenix, to observe in situ water frost formation—I demonstrate that brines can form over approximately 30 sols at the end of winter as frost sublimates. The stable brines exhibit a …

Comprehensive Insights Into The Cholesterol-Mediated Modulation Of Membrane Function Through Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Ehsaneh Khodadadi, Ehsan Khodadadi, Parth Chaturvedi, Mahmoud Moradi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cholesterol plays an essential role in biological membranes and is crucial for maintaining their stability and functionality. In addition to biological membranes, cholesterol is also used in various synthetic lipid-based structures such as liposomes, proteoliposomes, and nanodiscs. Cholesterol regulates membrane properties by influencing the density of lipids, phase separation into liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) areas, and stability of protein-membrane interactions. For planar bilayers, cholesterol thickens the membrane, decreases permeability, and brings lipids into well-ordered domains, thereby increasing membrane rigidity by condensing lipid packing, while maintaining lateral lipid mobility in disordered regions to preserve overall membrane fluidity. It modulates membrane …

Temperature, Albedo, And Emissivity Of Triton And Proteus From Voyager 2 Iris Data, Garrett Nobis, Vincent Chevrier

Space and Planetary Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Voyager 2 infrared interferometer and spectrometer (IRIS) spectra for Triton are revisited, and the Proteus IRIS spectra are looked at for the first time. Fifty more spectra are added to the average of 16 previously used for Triton. The unit emissivity Planck function temperature result is 37.9  ±  0.5 K. Iterating IRIS temperatures over several emissivities allows for constraints on emissivity and Bond albedo based on past data. Upper and lower bounds on Triton’s temperature and albedo of 37.9  ±  0.5 to 46.1  ±  0.7 K for temperature and 0.67−0.86 for albedo are determined from the IRIS data and …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2024, Jason Kelley, Travis Faske

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2024 edition of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies Series includes research results on topics pertaining to corn and grain sorghum production, including weed, disease, nematode, and insect management; economics; irrigation; agronomics; soil fertility; drone use; and research verification program results.

Our objective is to capture and broadly distribute the results of research projects funded by the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. The intended audience includes producers and their advisors, current investigators, and future researchers. The Series serves as a citable archive of research results.

The reports inform and guide our long-term recommendations, but should not …

Classifying Detrital Zircon U-Pb Age Distributions Using Automated Machine Learning, Jack W. Fekete, Glenn R. Sharman, Xiao Huang

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The prodigious use of detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology for provenance studies in recent decades has led many researchers to amass extensive datasets (>100,000 dates). When displayed as age distributions, individual samples are traditionally compared using visual inspection and statistical methods, which can become timeconsuming and challenging when using large datasets. We propose that machine learning (ML) can more efficiently classify a sample by its source using detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions. Specifically, we hypothesize that automated machine learning (AutoML), which optimizes algorithm selection and hyperparameters, will outperform an unoptimized Random Forest (RF) classifier and the cross-correlation coefficient (R-2), a …

The Effect Of Uniaxial Compressive And Tensile Strains On The Structural, Dynamical, Electronic, And Optical Properties Of Zrcl2 Monolayer: Ab-Initio Calculations, Hind Alqurashi, Bothina Hamad, M. O. Manasreh

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently, the two-dimensional material zirconium dihalide (ZrCl2) has received a significant attention for prospective device applications due to its unique electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and topological properties. This work reports theoretical predictions for the structural, dynamical, electronic, and optical properties of ZrCl2 under uniaxial compressive and tensile strains using density functional theory (DFT). The band gap structures were found to be highly sensitive to the uniaxial compressive and tensile strains of ZrCl2 monolayer (ML). The unstrained ZrCl2 ML has a semiconducting behavior with an indirect band gap of 1.19 eV. Under the uniaxial compressive tensile stress (epsilon x) of- 6%,- 4%,- …

Comprehensive Risk Assessment Of Power Grids Using Fuzzy Bayesian Networks Through Expert Elicitation: A Technical Analysis, Yasir Mahmood, Nof Yasir, Nita Yodo, Ying Huang, Di Wu, Roy A. Mccann

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Power grid infrastructures, essential to modern societies for electricity distribution, are prone to vulnerabilities due to their numerous sensitive components, necessitating a comprehensive risk assessment. Uncertainty in historical failure data often compromises accurate risk quantification, leading to the integration of expert elicitation as a solution. This study develops a Bayesian network (BN) risk assessment model integrated with fuzzy set theory (FST), referred to as the fuzzy Bayesian network (FBN). By incorporating expert insights, this model quantifies internal and external risk variables more comprehensively. Crisp probabilities (CPr), derived from regional transmission operator (RTO) failure incident data, are complemented by fuzzy probabilities …

Modeling Rice Leaf Area Index And Canopy Height In The Us Mid-South Region, Ellie J. Kuhn, Beatriz Moreno-Garcia, Michele Reba, Kusum Naithani, Benjamin R. Runkle

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Crop growth modeling plays a critical role in addressing the global challenges of food scarcity, carbon cycling, and water management. By simulating crop development from environmental factors, these models help predict harvest yield and carbon or water cycle terms and thus can inform policy and investment decisions. However, for some agricultural regions, such as the US Mid-South, there is a lack of comprehensive data specific to rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars and their growing conditions. Here, we use 30 field seasons of observational data to predict leaf area index (LAI) and canopy height (Hcan), key inputs for crop growth models, for …

Chatgpt Didn’T Write This . . . Or Did It? The Emergence Of Generative Ai In The Legal Field And Lessons From Mata V. Avianca, James H. Curlin Iv

Arkansas Law Review

It’s no secret: Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), for better or worse, is revolutionizing the world. The legal field and legal education at large are not immune to this explosion of possible uses for AI technology. However, as with any technological advancement, AI and Generative Language Models bring with them many challenges, including the implications of their use. One such challenge was vividly presented in the case of Mata v. Avianca, often referred to as “The ChatGPT Case.” Mata is a cautionary tale of the potential missteps that can trip up the unwitting user who naively relies on the lofty promises of …

Impacts Of Water Conservation Cost-Share Programs On Irrigated Rice Extensification And Intensification In Critical Groundwater Areas Of The Arkansas Delta, Joshua Michael Blackstock, Oladipo S. Obembe, Aaron Shew, Michele Reba, Joseph M. Massey, Phillip R. Owens, Christopher D. Delhom

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We analyzed the impact of government cost-shares for irrigation water management (IWM) conservation practices on the expansion and cropping intensity of rice (Oryza spp.) acreage in the Arkansas Delta. We used the correlated random effects probit model to control for unobserved effects and exploit changes in government spending over time. We found that government-spending impacts are heterogeneous across Critical Groundwater Area (CGA) designations. A 10% increase in government spending in counties fully within CGAs would reduce the propensity to expand rice acreage by 1.2 percentage points and the likelihood to rotate rice after rice by 7.6 percentage points. In counties …

Intercellular Stress Generation During 1d Collective Migration Of Cancer Cells, Logan Waddle

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Physical forces drive many cellular processes such as migration and proliferation. A metastatic tumor will have invasive strands/chains that extend from the main tumor. These chains of cells collectively migrate away from the main tumor to establish new colonies elsewhere in the body. However, how physical forces drive this collective invasion and the required energy for this process is not well understood. Invasion of a metastatic tumor to surrounding tissues leads to a majority of cancer-associated death and is often a collective effort among cells, it is therefore important to fully understand the process behind collective cancer invasion.

The goal …

Survey Of A Paired Gravity Anomaly Within The Benton Uplift Of The Ouachita Mountains, Isaac B. Prud'homme

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Benton Uplift west of Hot Springs, AR is underlain by a paired gravity anomaly on the order of 80 mGal. Nicholas & Rozendal (1975) have theorized that the gravitational low is caused by a “downwarp of the crust into the mantle”1 however the cause of the gravitational high is still debated. This paired gravity anomaly within the Benton Uplift follows the Ouachita orogenic belt southwest for 500 miles where it meets the Marathon uplift in southwest Texas. We conducted a gravity survey along a 108-km-long transect east of two previous gravity surveys.2,3 We corrected the data from this transect …

Assessing Biochar And Industrial Hemp To Remediate Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil, Sophie W. Sward

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Environmental degradation is becoming increasingly prevalent as global industrialization runs rampant. Anthropogenic activity, such as mining, deposits inorganic pollutants into the environment, leading to potential soil and water contamination. Traditional, engineering-based remediation and containment procedures alter soil structure and aggregate stability and affect the biological function of the area impacted by mining activities. Phytoremediation is a more energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective, method of environmental restoration. Phytoremediation, on its own, works in soils that are less contaminated so that the selected plant can actually grow. Soil amendments, such as biochar, can be added to improve remediation potential in more contaminated soils. …

Effective Best Practices In Social Studies Education: Empowering Students Despite Institutional Barriers, Shelbie A. Merriweather

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social Studies has remained a prevalent feature of the curriculum taught in the United States education system since the start of the 20th century as society became concerned with teaching children to be active citizens in their communities, and has evolved to integrate the development of critical and historical thinking skills that will enable students to analyze historical events and figures to generate a historical narrative (Coleman, 2021; Smith et al., 1995). The lack of standardized tests centered around social studies has meant that legislation like No Child Left Behind limits the funding provided to social studies as opposed to …

Quantifying The Role Of Climate On Tropical River Flow (Guarare River) Along The Panama Pacific Coast, 1981 – 2020., Jessie Abrego - Bonilla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Guarare River watershed on the Azuero Peninsula of Panama, part of the Panamanian Dry Arc, experiences significant hydrological variability driven by seasonal changes, elevation, and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This study investigates precipitation and river discharge patterns over 40 years (1981 – 2020), showing that elevation influences rainfall distribution, with higher-altitude areas receiving more precipitation during the Neutral and El Niño phases. In contrast, La Niña phases bring increased rainfall to lower-elevation areas, such as Pocrí. Seasonal ENSO effects reveal that El Niño phases reduce dry-season precipitation, lowering river discharge. La Niña events sustain high wet-season rainfall, peaking …

Using Scaffolding, Gamification, And Self Awareness To Create Responsive Ux/Ui In Cad Software To Nurture Metacognition In Novice Users, Obed Ibrahim Gonzalez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Computer-aided Design (CAD) software represents a significant shift from manual and analog design processes to digital workflows, offering substantial utility, accuracy, and productivity benefits. However, CAD software often presents a steep learning curve, particularly for novice users who are new to the software or possess only basic knowledge. Traditional CAD curricula have predominantly focused on technical problem-solving—teaching tools and systems—while often neglecting strategic knowledge that encompasses reflection, planning, and refining, which are essential components of metacognition. Metacognition is crucial for transforming novices into experts who use fewer and more complex commands, employ sophisticated planning, and achieve their goals more efficiently. …

Development And Investigation Of A Novel Near-Wall Methodology For Large-Eddy Simulation Based On Dynamic Hybrid Rans-Les, Michael Tullis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to test engineering designs with reduced cost and time compared to physical testing has become increasingly common in a range of industries and research fields. While numerical methods exist that can accurately solve the equations that govern the flow of fluids, these methods are computationally expensive for practical engineering problems due to the large amount of computational power needed to resolve the fluid flow over the entire range of length and time scales. Several different approaches have been introduced to address this computational cost issue, namely Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling and scale resolving …

Empowering Through Technology: An Internship Report On Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Olivia G. Macdonald

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices play a crucial role in supporting individuals with communication challenges, particularly children with developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on AAC and offers a detailed report of an internship experience at the University of Arkansas WE CARE Summer Camp. During the internship, firsthand experiences provided valuable insights into how AAC technologies can be applied to enhance communication, foster social connections, and support behavioral regulation.

The literature review explores the different types of AAC systems, including both aided and unaided options, and discusses the …

Latent Variable Dyadic Regression Models For Predicting Over/Under Bets In Sports Betting, Alexcia Trejo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the use of latent factor models to uncover hidden structures in pair wise outcomes derived from Over/Under betting markets in sports betting. Specifically, we implement and evaluate the Eigen model, a latent space model that represents dyadic data using node-specific vectors whose inner product govern edge probabilities. By modeling relationships between teams as adjacency matrices of binary outcomes, we investigate the extent to which the Eigen model captures both homophily, the tendency of similar teams to yield consistent betting results, and stochastic equivalence, where different teams exhibit indistinguishable patterns of Over/Under outcomes. A Bayesian formulation of the …