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Rsif CôTe D'Ivoire Country Report 2025 - English, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Côte d’Ivoire is on a positive economic trajectory, with annual GDP growth at about 6%. Investing in human capital to develop a skilled workforce is one of the ways to sustain this impressive growth. Côte d’Ivoire is one of nine African countries investing in the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) of the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET), since 2019. Its initial contribution of USD 1 million is used to train Ivorian PhD students in selected African host universities and collaborating international partner institutions. Through PASET-Rsif, Côte d’Ivoire will build strong institutions and future science …

Rsif CôTe D'Ivoire Country Report 2025 - French, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

La Côte d'Ivoire est sur une trajectoire économique positive, avec une croissance annuelle du PIB d’environ 6 %. Investir dans le capital humain pour développer une main-d'œuvre qualifiée est l'un des moyens de soutenir cette croissance impressionnante. La Côte d'Ivoire est l'un des neuf pays africains qui contribuent au Fonds Régional de Bourses d’études et d'Innovations (Rsif) du Partenariat pour le Développement des Compétences en Sciences Appliquées, Ingénierie et Technologies (PASET) depuis 2019. Sa contribution initiale de 1 million de dollars est destinée à la formation des doctorants ivoiriens dans des universités d’accueil africaines sélectionnées et en collaboration avec des …

The Economic Impact And Policy Implications Of Innovative Medical Technologies On The Canadian Healthcare System, Hamid Sadri

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Abstract - Hamid Sadri - The Economic Impact and Policy Implications of Innovative Medical Technologies on the Canadian Healthcare SystemDespite considerable per capita expenditure, the Canadian healthcare system faces a complex crisis characterised by strained operational capacity, substantial shortages of Health Human Resources (HHR), and suboptimal patient outcomes. This crisis arises from a decentralised and fragmented structure, further aggravated by isolated budget allocations and persistent underfunding of critical infrastructure and medical technologies. The outcomes of these issues include excessively prolonged wait times for essential procedures and diagnostics, limited access to primary and specialised care, and persistent health disparities that disproportionately …

The Economic Impact And Policy Implications Of Innovative Medical Technologies On The Canadian Healthcare System, Hamid Sadri

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Abstract - Hamid Sadri - The Economic Impact and Policy Implications of Innovative Medical Technologies on the Canadian Healthcare SystemDespite considerable per capita expenditure, the Canadian healthcare system faces a complex crisis characterised by strained operational capacity, substantial shortages of Health Human Resources (HHR), and suboptimal patient outcomes. This crisis arises from a decentralised and fragmented structure, further aggravated by isolated budget allocations and persistent underfunding of critical infrastructure and medical technologies. The outcomes of these issues include excessively prolonged wait times for essential procedures and diagnostics, limited access to primary and specialised care, and persistent health disparities that disproportionately …

The Potential For Diagnosing High Blood Pressure At The Dentist: An Examination Of Periodontal Disease And The Oral Microbiome In Raised Blood Pressure., Amazon Doble

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Background: Hypertension is increasingly linked to periodontitis. However, the nature and specific mechanistic relationship of this remains unclear, however may involve reduced oral and systemic nitric oxide (NO) availability. There remains limited research on the oral microbiome during hypertension that could support such a causative mechanism involving NO.Aims: This project aimed to examine links between periodontal disease, the oral microbiome, and raised blood pressure, while establishing a cardiovascular risk case-finding clinic with a GP referral pathway.Methods: The project comprised three studies: Study I established and identified cardiovascular risk case-finding in a dental environment (n=200). Study II evaluated clinical markers and …

A Multiethnic Approach Of Stakeholder Involvement To Set Priorities For Oral Health Research, Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Setting research priorities is a key component of an effective research system. Stakeholder involvement, both formal and informal, is crucial in this process. Only few studies focus on the challenges of engaging diverse populations, particularly those from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, or how their values and priorities may align or differ.In Malaysia, a multiethnic and multilingual country, significant oral health disparities have been reported across ethnic groups. For example, the Malaysian National Oral Health Survey (2017) documented a higher prevalence of dental caries among Chinese children (30.7%), the highest oral cancer rates among Indians (46.2%), and the lowest prevalence …

Uncertainty In Decision-Making Within The Dental Context Of Malaysia’S Multi-Ethnic Population – A Mixed-Methods Study, Prashanti Eachempati

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Background:Uncertainty is an inherent part of healthcare, particularly in decision-making. Shared decision-making in many Asian contexts faces challenges due to language barriers, religious practices, hierarchical clinical norms, and collectivist approaches to decision-making. Under uncertain conditions, these challenges become even more complex and may be influenced by individuals’ tolerance of uncertainty. Understanding how both patients and dentists of multi-ethnolinguistic groups experience and respond to uncertainty is therefore essential to support context-sensitive, culturally responsive dental decision-making.Aim:To explore how multi-ethnic patients and dentists in Malaysia, with varying levels of uncertainty tolerance, perceive and respond to uncertainty in oral health decision-making, and how they …

Co-Constructing The Future Of Digital Intimacy, Chris Geeng, Lucy Qin, Allison Mcdonald, Amna Batool, Diana Freed, Oliver L. Haimson, Jevan Hutson, Elissa M. Redmiles, Zahra Stardust, Miranda Wei, Douglas Zytko

Articles

The Internet, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies have transformed the way humans can interact with each other and express romance, sex, and other forms of intimacy. Digital intimacy, including online dating, sexual/intimate content sharing, online sex work, and romantic chatbots, has grown ubiquitous. This can both be a source of great joy, such as when connecting remote partners and supporting sexual self-expression, and a source of harms, including but not limited to image-based sexual abuse, deepfakes, location privacy violations, and technology-enabled intimate partner violence. As new technologies continue to transform digital intimacy, this workshop aims to create a sex-positive …

Curb Their Enthusiasm: Controlling The Discretion Of Creative Prosecutors, Scott Schumacher

Articles

On January 6, 2021, a mob of supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol Building to disrupt the certification by Congress of the presidential election. Joseph Fischer was a member of that mob, and he was one of the individuals who forced his way into the Capitol Building. He was charged with multiple criminal counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) for allegedly attempting to delay Congress’ election certification. In Fischer v. United States, the United States Supreme Court reversed the obstruction charge, holding that section 1512(c) did not apply to …

Nursing Simulation For Pediatric Communication: An Integrative Literature Review, Jayla R. Call

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore literature focused on enhancing nursing students' communication skills with pediatric patients through simulation. Effective communication is key to building rapport and trust, which are essential for improving patient outcomes. However, nursing students may experience anxiety when interacting with pediatric patients due to limited training in communication techniques. Simulation offers a valuable opportunity for students to practice and refine their skills in a risk-free environment, allowing them to build confidence and competence. An integrative literature review was conducted, utilizing three databases and PRISMA guidelines (Page et al., 2021) to gather relevant studies for …

Title Page, South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Understanding Rural Legal Deserts To Inform Public Policy: Identifying And Describing Lawyer Gaps In Non-Metropolitan Counties, David J. Peters, Emma Bartling, Emily Meyer

South Dakota Law Review

Rural legal deserts have become a growing topic of interest to legal scholars and social scientists in the U.S. However, current research is limited by measurement issues and by the lack of national-scale analyses. To address these limitations, we identify legal deserts by applying latent profile analysis to lawyer gap rates for N = 2,307 non-metropolitan counties in the U.S. Lawyer gap rates are calculated as local demand for lawyers minus the local supply, using employment in private practice law offices from the Census Bureau. Next, we statistically describe the spatial, demographic, economic, and social characteristics of legal deserts. We …

Masthead, South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Mapping The South Dakota Legislature, John Mccullough

South Dakota Law Review

All state legislatures are unique. Each is rooted in a state’s political tradition and culture. A state legislature carries out its constitutional duties at a specific place— in a capital city and usually in a state capitol building. The setting of legislative activity is not simply a backdrop on a political stage, but rather, it is an integral component of a state’s political story. What makes the South Dakota Legislature’s story “one-of-a-kind” is the location at which it carries out its work. This article maps out that location, showing its distinctiveness among all state legislatures and providing a greater context …

South Dakota's Citizen Legislature: 100 Sessions Of Constancy And Change, Tonnis H. Venhuizen, David K. Wheeler

South Dakota Law Review

The 2025 session of the South Dakota State Legislature marks its 100th regular session, providing an opportunity to reflect on its history and celebrate its role as a citizen-focused, part-time, and accessible institution. Established in 1889, South Dakota’s statehood was shaped by a desire to end the perceived corruption of territorial governance and to create a system rooted in republican principles, limited spending, and agrarian values. The state’s early legislature emphasized fiscal restraint, citizen representation, and rural priorities. Over time, reforms modernized the institution, including changes to apportionment, term limits, and technology, enhancing transparency and public engagement. Women gained representation …

Have Recent Legislative Changes In South Dakota Made Using The Initiated Measure Process More Difficult?, Cory Heidelberger, Teagan Mcnary, Reynold F. Nesiba

South Dakota Law Review

The right of the people to initiate and refer laws has been enshrined in South Dakota’s Constitution since 1898. In recent years, citizen advocates have used the initiated measure process to raise the minimum wage (2014), end payday lending (2016), and expand Medicaid (2022). In November 2020, Amendment A passed with 54% of the vote, legalizing recreational marijuana. However, after judicial review, this result was nullified. While these ballot measures were being organized and promoted, South Dakota’s Republican supermajority legislature and two Republican Governors enacted dozens of changes to the initiative and referendum process. Some of these measures, too, have …

Reevaluating South Dakota's Child Support Deduction: Balancing Retirement Contributions And Children's Needs, Marilyn Trefz

South Dakota Law Review

This article explores how South Dakota’s child support provisions, particularly the 10% allowable deduction for voluntary retirement contributions from parents’ gross income, affect the fair distribution of financial responsibilities between parents. By exploring the historical context and evolution of this statute, this article highlights the challenges and disparities the 10% deduction creates, particularly for custodial parents living in poverty. Through a comparative analysis with other states and a discussion on balancing retirement savings with child support needs, the article argues for reconsideration of the statutory allowance. The article’s aim is to ensure that the next revision of the child support …

Introduction To Contemporary Facets Of Injustice, Gordon Babst

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Injustice itself is too infrequently the subject of direct rumination, with one notable exception being Judith Shklar’s The Faces of Injustice. The chapters in this volume consider some contemporary injustices, revealing their presence in ways that help to explain current issues that range from inequities in food access to the dangers of Christian nationalism, from better understanding how to conceptualize international law, to income disparity and the tax code.

Religious Liberty, Public Accommodations, And Non-Discrimination: A Rapidly Emerging Injustice, Gordon Babst

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., suggested to many that the scope of religious liberty was in a principled, logical way expanded to include free expression rights of corporate entities. It is concerning that many champion the decision as a basis for expanding religious exemptions to non-discrimination law as regards public accommodations, especially since the same reasoning that is being used with respect to the contemporary target of discrimination based in religious belief—American citizens who happen to be in a sexual minority—would apply by analogy, as it once did explicitly, to racial minorities. Unfortunately, given the …

Emotional Balance, Health, And Resilience At The Start Of Covid-19 Pandemic, David Pincus, Bernard P. Ricca, Brooke Jenkins, Julia K. Boehm, Vincent Berardi, Amy C. Moors, David A. Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Self-organizing systems can shift between stability and flexibility in response to perturbation, a potential adaptive mechanism for understanding biopsychosocial resilience. Inverse Power-Law (IPL) structure, a frequency distribution that describes fractal patterns commonly produced by self-organization, produce measurements of stability and flexibility. This study applies these measures to emotional resilience at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ratings of frequency over the past week (1-5 Likert scale) across 12 emotions (six positive and six negative) gathered in mid-April 2020 as part of a survey of adults’ (N = 4,094) pandemic experiences and health in the USA. The distributions of everyone’s emotion …

Rock: Riesz Occupation Kernel Methods For Learning Dynamical Systems, Victor W. Reilly, Chau Nguyen, Kamel Lahouel, Anthony Kolshorn, Nicholas Fisher, Bruno Jedynak

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a representer theorem for a large class of variational problems, generalizing regression, finite element methods, and providing techniques for learning partial and ordinary differential equations (PDEs and ODEs). We apply our formulation to the multivariate occupation kernel method (MOCK) for learning dynamical systems from data. Our generalized method outperforms the MOCK method on most tested datasets, while often requiring considerably fewer parameters. Experiments are presented for learning ODEs and PDEs.

‘It’S Just So Much Work For Our Little Hands’: Exploring The Multi-Dimensionality Of Pre-School Children’S Lived Experience In Shaping Expressions And Perceptions Of Learning., Sasha Tregenza

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis creatively explores the multi-dimensionality of pre-school children's lived experience in shaping expressions and perceptions of learning within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Concepts of ECEC practice within England continue to be shaped by the lasting legacies of those regarded as early years ‘pioneers’, alongside theories of child development and an ever-increasing influence of governmental legislation and policy. Pioneers and policy combined, has led to growing emphasis upon school readiness and performativity culture, resulting in repeated and often unchallenged pedagogy within ECEC. This qualitative study draws upon aspects of facet methodology as a research orientation, to disrupt existing …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On Substance Use Amongst The Hispanic Maternal Population, Emily C. Olivo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To explore and synthesize existing research that focuses on the relationship between socioeconomic status and the use of substances amongst the maternal Hispanic population. By examining research and these factors, interventions can be identified to lower reported substance use rates amongst Hispanic mothers of childbearing ages.

Background: Minorities such as Hispanic women deal with a myriad of struggles, especially during motherhood. Socioeconomic status and substance use can contribute to a large part of the struggles faced by this population. Hispanic and Latina will be used interchangeably throughout this review of literature.

Method: A comprehensive electronic review of 3 databases …

An Examination Of Preservice Teacher Knowledge Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) In The Elementary Classroom, Breana K. E. Webb

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the knowledge of preservice teachers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how well prepared they might be when supporting students in elementary classrooms. ADHD is a diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in children and has been increasingly diagnosed over the past several years. Teachers play a crucial role in providing effective instruction to each and every student in the classroom. Managing classroom instruction with diverse learning capabilities and behaviors requires teachers to understand the characteristics of ADHD, as well as instructional adaptations and behavioral interventions, among preservice teachers. Findings indicate that while most preservice teachers recognize the basic …

Organization And Activation Of Caffeine Expectancies, Catherine S. Forsyth

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Caffeine is the most consumed and widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Whether someone uses caffeine or not, expectations about use can be influential to some degree. Expectancies exist everywhere and are extremely influential in all aspects of life. Regarding drug use, expectancies can affect behavior, outcomes, and one’s experience with the drug. Caffeine is no exception, caffeine expectancies have been seen to play a role in several actions such as the development, maintenance, and reinforcement of caffeine use. This study examined latent use profiles of caffeine and relationships between the profiles and the activation of caffeine expectancies. Multidimensional …

Remedios Varo: Peregrinaciones, Julia Condes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

At the time of her death, the artist Remedios Varo (1908–1963) left behind over 500 works of art, the majority of which were created in her adopted country of Mexico. Known for her meticulously crafted fantastical paintings, Varo underwent exile and displacement due to first the Spanish Civil War, and later World War II, which led her to relocate to Mexico, where she would create prolifically for the remainder of her life. This paper will examine the effect of those experiences on the artist and the work she produced, attesting to Varo’s ability to translate complex emotions regarding the human …

Community Redevelopment Agencies' (Cras) Perceptions Of The Legal, Ethical, Economic, And Financial Impacts On Florida's Redevelopment Since The Passage Of Florida House Bill 9 In 2019, Laurel L. Richmond

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This qualitative study explores the legal, ethical, economic, and financial impacts on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) following the passage of Florida House Bill (HB) 9 in 2019 by interviewing administrators and attorneys of the oldest Florida CRAs. CRAs are dependent special districts, funded by tax increment financing (TIF), and created to address areas deemed slum, blighted, or facing a shortage of affordable housing. HB 9 intended to address transparency and accountability issues and restore CRA operations and spending back to the original purpose, as authorized by Florida Statute 169.

The findings are timely and novel, given it has been five …

Assessing The Relationship Between Perceived Psychological And Physical Pain In Adults With Orthopedic Pain, Daniel C. Karimi Dehkordi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Suicide remains a public health concern in the U.S., particularly among individuals experiencing chronic pain and psychological distress. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between perceived physical and psychological pain in 41 adults with chronic orthopedic conditions. The relationship between other risk and protective factors and perceived levels of pain distress was also examined. Results showed a significant positive correlation between psychological distress and physical pain (r(39) = 0.388, p < .05) and psychological distress and depressive/anxiety symptoms (r (39) = 0.477, p < .01). Psychological distress was moderately associated with feelings of hopelessness (r (39) = 0.403, p < .01), however, the relationship between physical pain and hopelessness was weak and nonsignificant (r (39) = -0.06, p = .71). Contrary to expectations, emotional support did not buffer the effects of psychological distress (r (39) = 0.07, p = 0.66). Mediational analysis confirmed that emotional support did not influence the relationship between physical pain and psychological distress (Beta (β) = -0.969, p = 0.572; Sobel Z = 0.5598, p = 0.575). Age was not correlated with psychological distress (r (39) = -0.24, p = 0.13) or mental health symptoms (r (39) = -0.05, p = .77). While there was no significant difference across sex, males reported higher mental health symptomatology and psychological distress scores than female counterparts. These findings underscore the direct impact of physical pain on psychological distress and challenge assumptions about the protective role of social support. The study highlights the need for integrated, multidisciplinary interventions targeting both physical and psychological pain to mitigate suicide risk among individuals with chronic orthopedic conditions. Future research should iii explore alternative support mechanisms and resilience-building strategies to address the complex interplay of pain, distress, and suicidality.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems In The Age Of Llm-Based Agentic Frameworks - Adapting Small On-Device Language Models For Fact-Checking And Student Compliance Detection, Evan Vahid Naderi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As large language models (LLMs) demonstrate increasingly sophisticated language understanding capabilities, they offer transformative potential for educational technology, particularly in developing more responsive intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). To develop these systems, a synthesis that balances theoretical frameworks with practical, cutting-edge, and deployable technology would be useful. This thesis aims to advance the field of ITSs theoretically by viewing the modern advancements in natural language processing within the context of the foundational frameworks important to the fields of self-regulated learning, ITSs, and cognitive agents. Then, building on prior research on the ITS MetaTutor \citep{Azevedo2022}, this research focuses on how functions of …

Physical Activity And Hypertension Outcomes Around Menopause In Adult Women—A Secondary Analysis Of The All Of Us Research Program, Meriam F. Naguib

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hypertension significantly impacts menopausal women due to a decrease in estrogen levels. That is due to estrogen level changes, causing many metabolic alterations, one of which is increased vascular resistance, leading to hypertension. Advanced treatments are made available to help alleviate the condition; however, lifestyle modifications—especially physical activity—show a critical role in hypertension control. This thesis explored the effect of physical activity as a non-pharmacological, lifestyle intervention on hypertension in women by menopausal status (pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal). This study used a secondary analysis with a retrospective design. Physical activity was defined using the American Heart Association's (AHA) guidelines (i.e., …