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Ethiopia: Ancient Glory, Awaiting Recovery, Tseggai Isaac

Comparative Civilizations Review

The name Ethiopia is associated in the Book of Genesis with the creation of the world, indicating a sacred and ancient heritage. We find Ethiopia mentioned as having relations with the ancient Biblical nations such as Israel, Egypt, Assyria, and Mesopotamia. Ethiopians get uplifting gratification in reading specific scriptural references from the Bible and applying them to the country. These Biblical allusions include discussion of the Queen of Sheba and her son, King Menelik the First, born from her relationship with King Solomon, who was himself the son of King David, the founder from whom came the lineal parentage of …

Unl Emeriti And Retirees Association Newsletter, February 2025

UNL Emeriti and Retirees Association: Newsletters and Other Materials

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti and Retirees Association Newsletter, February 2025

Welcome from ERA President Pam Edwards

New members

ERA Board members

Award-winning ERA members

Wake up your social well-being, Connie Boehm

Book review, The Brothers:John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles and Their Secret World War

Funding opportunities

Glow BIG RED

A look ahead at programming

Recapping past programming

Memory moments

Special announcements

Up-Island Council On Aging: Planning For The Future, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Up-Island Council on Aging (UICOA). The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury residents age 50 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (UICOA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of older residents of Up-island.

Post-Term Births As A Risk Factor For Small For Gestational Age Births And Infant Mortality In Brazil, Mexico, And Palestinian Refugees: An Analysis Of Electronic Birth Records, Zeina Jamaluddine, Lorena Suarez Idueta, Enny S. Paixao, Julia M. Pescarini, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Miho Sato, Akihiro Seita, Luis A. Martinez-Juarez, Mauricio L. Barreto, Eric O. Ohuma, Louise T. Day, Oona M.R. Campbell, Hannah Blencowe

Faculty Publications

Background:

Post-term pregnancy, defined as reaching or exceeding 42 + 0 weeks of gestation, is known to be associated with unfavourable birth outcomes. High-income countries have responded to this risk by widely adopting labour induction protocols in late-term, but many low- and middle-income countries have not. However, understanding underlying mechanisms linking post-term births to adverse newborn and infant outcomes remains limited.

Objective:

To investigate the (a) prevalence of post-term, (b) the risk factors associated with post-term (c) the association between post-term births and the risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates and of infant mortality in middle-income settings.

Methods:

We used existing …

Towards A Pedagogy Of Self-Determination: Teaching With Generative Ai In The Library Classroom, Russ Peterson

Georgia Library Quarterly

With the swift ascendence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT disrupting the academic and cultural landscape, librarians have debated how to respond to this incredibly consequential technology. From pondering its applications in completing rote tasks to denouncing its ethical conundrums, the debate has mainly centered on whether AI should even be used. In an instruction context, the scholarly conversation has been somewhat limited to how the ACRL Framework can be utilized when teaching with generative AI. What has yet to emerge is an assertive pedagogy that practically engages with generative AI while affirming the agency of students as independent actors …

Victoria Evans Memorial Library: 2024 Year In Review, Christy Casimiro

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Environmental Monitoring Report: For Work To Be Performed: July 1, 2023 Through June 30, 2024, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation

Environmental Monitoring Reports

This FY2024 EMR presents results for independent projects, originally defined in TDEC’s FY2024 Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) and subsequently completed over the course of FY2024 period of performance.

Environmental Monitoring Plan: For Work To Be Performed: July 1, 2025, Through June 30, 2026, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation.

Environmental Monitoring Plans

The Tennessee Department of Enviornment and Conservation, Division of Remediation, Oak Ridge (TDEC DoR-OR), provides the annual Fiscal Year 2026 EMP for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This report is submitted as a comprehensive plan for TDEC DoR-OR monitoring and assessment activities across the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, (ORR) in accordance with terms of both the Environmental Surveillance and Oversight Agreement (ESOA), as well as in support of activities being conducted under the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA).

Zombie-Auras: Genai And Hybrid Text Production, Joshua Nieubuurt

English Faculty Publications

This paper explores the iterative evolutions of textual production and their impact on the “aura” of texts, as conceptualized by Walter Benjamin. The study identifies three key phases of textual production: the natural, the mechanized, and the digitized, each progressively displacing the “cult value” of texts. This cult value is lost through increased ease of creation, reproduction, dissemination, and dislocation of creators and audiences in time and space. The advent of Generative AI (GenAI) marks the latest evolution, transforming the “aura” into a memetic “zombie” form—familiar yet opaque, evoking both the sublime and fear. By examining Benjamin’s notion of “aura” …

Exploring Gen Z'S Attitudes Towards Animals And The Environment, Michelle Sinclair Ph.D., Jack Stennett, Ying Chung

General - Animal Protection

This quantitative and qualitative study involves surveying young adults (Generation Z) from China, the U.S., Thailand, and Indonesia to explore motivators and barriers regarding their involvement in animal and environmental protection.

Navigating Climate Action: The River As Teacher For Eco-Literacy, Educational Regeneration And Creative Participation, Bibi (Silvina) Calderaro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cultures' engagements with land and its more-than-human elements reveal their attitudes toward these dimensions, spanning a spectrum from reciprocal to transactional practices. In time, these engagements form a body of knowledges that nurtures the culture and its land, or arrests their vital and diverse qualities. This research project aims to bring to light how the different ways of engaging with and relating to land are embedded in knowledge production, distribution and communication—in short, in general educational endeavors and their philosophies—to promote a better understanding of the principles of eco-literacy. Additionally, a purpose of this project is to provide insights into …

Constructing A Parameterized Stimuli Space Suitable To Induce Controlled Changes In Human And Machine Perceptual Systems, Andrew Frankel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Traditional computer vision applications focus on objective tasks, such as object detection, classification, or segmentation. Much of human experience is inherently subjective, such as our personal response to artwork. Individualized experiences are challenging to replicate in a controlled laboratory environment, as those experiences depend on the unique history and internal models of the observer. This work presents a technique to construct a 2-dimensional parameterized stimuli space suitable to induce controlled changes in the perceptual systems of both human and machine observers. Our contributions are threefold:

1. Using a balanced dataset of 8,800 fine art images spanning 11 art movements and 88 …

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Vote For The Ccrb In 2025: A Data Visualization Analysis Of Police Oversight Under Three Mayoral Administrations, Thomas Fagin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project examines the relationship between mayoral administration and police oversight in New York City through an analysis of Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) data from 2002 to 2024. Using interactive data visualizations, historical context, and annotations that delineate the trends within the data, the project illuminates how mayoral administrations have influenced the handling and outcomes of civilian complaints against police officers. This influence can be seen in policing policy as well as appointments to the board itself. The goal is to educate voters about the CCRB and the direct impact their choice for mayor has on police accountability through …

Characterizing The Nutrition-Gut Microbiome-Host Physiology Axis To Examine Flexibility In A Fruit-Specialist Primate, Nina Beeby

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nutrition and, increasingly, microbiota are recognized in shaping all aspects of animal behavioral ecology and physiology. Since diet and nutrition shape not only animal physiology but also gut microbiota, and these microbiota serve as suppliers of and competitors to host nutrition, this raises questions of how these complex nutritional and microbial environments synergistically affect animal physiology. Examining this nutrition-gut microbiome-host physiology axis has immense potential to unveil how these intricate relationships contribute to animals’ responses to environmental change at multiple scales. Most of what we know about primate responses to environmental change is based upon studies examining one or few …

Quantifying The Individual Bilingual Experience Through A Lens Of Language Dominance, Leeann Stover

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This article-based dissertation addresses some of the issues regarding the multifaceted nature of bi/multilingualism, focusing on the significance of individual variation in the measurement of language dominance. While age of later-acquired languages has traditionally been used to classify bilingual speakers into early and late bilinguals, the construct of language dominance has emerged as an additional criterion of classification. However, despite its utility in capturing dimensions of language experience beyond age of acquisition, the construct of language dominance has its own challenges of measurement and individual variation.

This dissertation focuses on two open-ended challenges in the quantification of language dominance: how …

The Evolution Of Masculinity And Fatherhood In God Of War: Ragnarok, Jacob Tf Wingo

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

God of War: Ragnarok was released in 2023 to millions of sales and offers its players a unique look at the themes of masculinity and fatherhood set to a backdrop of mythical deities warring against one another. This game relies heavily on its narrative to convey its core themes of divergent forms of masculinity and the conflict between father and son due to differences in their masculine forms. In light of the game’s popularity and its nuanced representation of masculinity, this study uses textual analysis to explore research on masculinity, fatherhood, and gaming, focusing on the dominant narratives in God …

Dimensions Volume 60 - Full Issue, Editors, Dimensions

Dimensions

SCOLT Dimensions Volume 60

Dynamics Of Multiple Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices Adoption: Application Of The Intertemporal Multivariate Probit Model, Ali Mohammed Oumer, Michael Burton, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Applying an intertemporal multivariate probit model, we reveal complex complementarity and substitution effects as well as new insights on the drivers of adopting input-intensive and natural resource management (NRM) practices in rural Ethiopia. First, the latent factor that drives each practice is positively and significantly correlated across time, suggesting persistency in adoption decisions. Second, the significant synergies and tradeoffs between the input-intensive and NRM practices underscore that these practices are highly compatible and, hence the importance of promoting technology packages. Third, the covariates that drive adoption significantly differ between practices, reflecting the heterogeneity in farmer behavior. Farm size was associated …

The Other Secret Deals: Uncovering The Power Of Non-Binding International Agreements, Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Faculty Scholarship

In recent decades, the use of traditional international treaties has declined as states increasingly rely on deformalized agreements - non binding arrangements - such as interinstitutional agreements and memoranda of understanding. These agreements allow governments to bypass the complexities of formal treaty-making while addressing shared challenges. This Article, based on four years of research and previously undisclosed agreements, examines a twenty-year database of non-binding agreements between the United States and Mexico. Through this case study, the Article demonstrates how deformalized agreements drive much of the cross-border collaboration, offering a flexible mechanism for government agencies to shape state behavior, coordinate policies, …

Cultivating Consumption Of Biobased Product, Nima Nejadrezaei

Doctoral

Consumers play a critical role in transitioning towards bioeconomy. However, their positive attitudes and interest in biobased products often do not lead to actual usage because of the complexity of the decision-making process. Despite the bioeconomy’s importance, research on consumer behaviour regarding biobased products remains limited. This study bridged gaps by examining consumer perspectives on biobased products. It sought to identify factors influencing consumer perspectives and develop an integrative model where acceptance preceded actual use. Focusing on consumers from the Republic of Ireland, a test market with strong government commitment to the bioeconomy, private sector and research centre investments and …

Watershed Land Use Decreases The Nitrogen Limitation Of Benthic Algal Growth In Coastal Wetlands Of A Large Oligotrophic Lake, Matthew J. Cooper, Michele C. Wheeler

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Introduction:

Identifying patterns in the primary limiting nutrients of basal trophic levels such as benthic algae can inform the prediction of potential ecological responses to anthropogenic nutrient loading. In coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes, reduced concentrations of reactive nitrogen species such as ammonium and nitrate may limit algal growth, especially when nutrient loading is minimal. However, the response of benthic algae to macronutrient inputs remains understudied, especially in Lake Superior coastal wetlands.

Methods:

We conducted nutrient amendment assays using nutrient diffusing substrate devices in 25 coastal wetlands along the southwestern shore of Lake Superior in the spring, summer, …

To All The Nations Of The World: A Postcolonial Analysis Of Protestant Christian-Oriented Study Abroad Programs, Joshua Patterson, Melissa Whatley, Anna Kelly

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Science Across The Elementary Curriculum, Cora E. Fields

Undergraduate Theses

Science has increasingly become marginalized in the United States today. This is largely due to educational reforms and movements placing an emphasis on standardized testing and mastery of math and reading exclusively. This focus stems from initiatives such as the Back-to-the-Basics movement (1980s), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2001), and the development of the Common Core standards (2010), which prioritize data collection and test results over the hands-on experiences and inquiry-based learning that good science education gives. Because of this, many of our students are not receiving consistent, meaningful access to science instruction. This limits their engagement with …

The Enlightenment In Early America, Annette Gordon-Reed

William & Mary Law Review

The founding of the United States of America is often said to have been the product of Enlightenment ideals that emphasized reason, individual liberty, and notions of progress. During this same era, however, racially based slavery, which confounded reason, denied individual liberty to millions, and challenged ideas about progress, existed in all of the colonies of North America.

The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, embodied this seeming contradiction at the heart of the American founding. The principal author of the American Declaration of Independence enslaved hundreds of people over the course of his long life.

This Article …

The Rise Of China And The Concept Of Civilization: Constructing A Conceptual Apparatus For Cross-Civilizational Comparisons, Liah Greenfeld

Comparative Civilizations Review

The Rise of China and the Concept of Civilization: Constructing a Conceptual Apparatus for Cross-Civilizational Comparisons

The paper examines the deficiencies of the current understanding of “civilization” in the social science literature, among others exemplified by “civilizational analysis,” and proposes a new concept that adds to the conceptual apparatus of sociological theory — a new, fully independent of others, variant of the cultural process. This independence makes distinctions between civilizations as the root cause of socio-cultural diversity.

Combined with the idea of humanity as a culturally constituted reality sui generis, this concept allows the construction of the theoretical scaffolding …

The Germanic Legends Of The Gold Of The Rhine And Their Āryan Sources, Alexander Jacob

Comparative Civilizations Review

Medieval German legends regarding the gold of the Rhine have both a mythological source, as the gold of the Nibelung dwarf Andvari, and a historical Burgundian one, as a hoard possessed by the Burgundian princes. Here we point to more ancient sources of these legends, ones that are to be found in the cosmological myths and rituals of the Āryans.

Jane Goodall’S Integration Of Science And Spirituality, Estella Elpers

Father Jack McGrath, S.M., Research Award Presentations

Estella Elpers is a recipient of the Father Jack McGrath, S.M., Award for Research in Catholic Intellectual Traditions.

Faith And Hunger, Mason Hennessy

Father Jack McGrath, S.M., Research Award Presentations

Mason Hennessy is a recipient of the Father Jack McGrath, S.M., Award for Research in Catholic Intellectual Traditions.

2025 February, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for February of 2025.

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study Of Naproxen During Dental Implant Osseointegration, Hattanas Kumchai, Daniel Taub, Ryan Tomlinson

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often prescribed following the placement of dental implants, but the effects of these drugs on the osseointegration process are poorly understood. We designed a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study to quantitatively assess the effect of NSAIDs during early implant osseointegration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects receiving a maxillary dental implant were randomized to take naproxen or placebo for 7 days after the surgery. Implant osseointegration was quantified using Resonance Frequency Analysis device. Implant-Stability-Quotient (ISQ) measurement was performed at the time of surgery and at follow-up visits 1, 4, and 16 weeks after surgery. Periapical radiographs were …