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Milner Library Technical Services Department 2025 Annual Report, Milner Library

Reports and White Papers - Milner Library

Annual Report for the Technical Services Department of Milner Library, Illinois State University, for calendar year 2025.

Shadowrunning The Human: Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun Series And Transhumanism, Alexander P. Orelup

English Theses & Dissertations

I argue that Harebrained Schemes’ video game series Shadowrun critiques transhumanism in three distinct yet related ways: in terms of religion, political control, and identity capitalism. In doing so, Shadowrun attempts to counter claims that video games are an inherently transhumanist medium and provides an opportunity for players to resist a potential transhuman future. This further elucidates the trends and perceptions of transhumanism within American culture around the time period. I utilize a variety of methodologies in my argument, ranging from cultural studies, narratology, ludology, and close reading in order to grasp all of the audio-visual and gameplay elements that …

The Territorial Continuum: American Samoa, Criminal Adjudication, And Territorial Administration, Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud

Cardozo Law Review

The standard account of American territorial expansion posits that territorial acquisition moved along a spectrum of sovereignty. The federal government acquired new inhabited land through conquest or purchase, and the Constitution tasked Congress with organizing and administering the new territories until they were ready to become states. That pattern came to an abrupt halt in 1898 when, at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, the Supreme Court, fearing the extension of citizenship to and the permanent integration of non-White populations into the American polity, suddenly pronounced that the Constitution authorized the holding of colonies. The Court thus sentenced new territories, …

From Waiver To Shield: The Routine Misapplication Of The Federal Tort Claims Act’S Discretionary Function Exception, Alexander Sitnikov

Cardozo Law Review

When a pedestrian trips and falls on a defective sidewalk, liability usually turns on negligence. But when the property surrounding the sidewalk belongs to the federal government, tort liability often vanishes altogether. This result is just one of the many shortcomings of the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and one of its most controversial and heavily litigated provisions: the discretionary function exception (“DFE”). This Note explores the current judicial interpretations of the FTCA and DFE, which often work in conjunction with state laws and federal regulations. Despite the central public policy rationale and congressional intent surrounding the FTCA and its …

Conscripts, Convicts, And Contractors: Ersatz Soldiers And Russia's Total Mobilization Workarounds, Tad A. Schnaufer Ii, Guido Rossi

Journal of Strategic Security

The large-scale conventional conflict in Ukraine has absorbed hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Yet, domestic considerations have limited mobilization of citizens into the military at the devastating cost of prolonging the conflict. The 2022 Russian invasion force should have comprised far more personnel to ensure success at the outset. Russian leadership grossly underestimated the Ukrainian will to resist and vastly overestimated its own capabilities. Once the initial attack failed, both Russia and Ukraine only incrementally mobilized their populations, leaving neither side with overwhelming strength to create a breakthrough that would end the war. Hence, the ongoing slog …

Push And Pull: Nato, Eu, And Poland’S Positioning After 2022, Zsombor Zeöld, Réka Dobreffné Bogár, Dániel Bernát Vay

Journal of Strategic Security

The 2022 Russia-Ukraine war profoundly reshaped European security, exposing long-standing weaknesses while accelerating institutional adaptation within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). This article argues that NATO reaffirmed its role as the guarantor of hard deterrence and defense commitments (“pull effects”), while the EU advanced as a provider of institutional support, logistics, financial tools, and defense-industrial initiatives (“push effects”). A case study of Poland illustrates how a frontline state navigates these dynamics, using NATO’s pull and the EU’s push to expand its security agency and shape broader European defense debates. Together, these developments suggest a …

Sino-Indian Competition And Small-State Responses In The Western Indian Ocean: The Cases Of The Seychelles And Mauritius, Sidhyendra Sisodia, Manoj Kumar Mishra

Journal of Strategic Security

The India-China rivalry, once concentrated on their contested land border, has now spilled decisively into the maritime domain, with both powers competing for influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Much of the existing literature focuses on Sri Lanka and the Maldives, leaving the Seychelles and Mauritius relatively underexplored. This article addresses that gap by examining how India and China have expanded their engagement with these small island states across security, infrastructure, and political domains. Drawing on defense cooperation, infrastructure projects, and contested basing proposals, it shows that both islands adopt selective hedging, albeit in different forms. Mauritius practices asymmetrical …

Post-Ukraine Fallout: How Azerbaijan’S Break With Russia Reflects The Strategic Consequences Of A Weakened Kremlin, Hasan Alisoy

Journal of Strategic Security

This article analyzes how Russia’s declining power, accelerated by its military overextension in Ukraine, triggered a historic rupture in Russia–Azerbaijan relations, culminating in the 2025 Yekaterinburg incident. It argues that the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens in Russian custody—and the retaliatory actions taken by Baku—did not cause the diplomatic collapse, but rather crystallized a long-term realignment rooted in Azerbaijan’s post-conflict assertiveness and Russia’s unraveling regional leverage. Drawing on the 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani airliner by a Russian missile, the premature withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh, and Azerbaijan’s evolving alliance with Türkiye, the article positions this realignment within a …

The Digital Radical: Online Extremism, Propagation, And Terror By Design's Strategic Implications For Homeland Security, Hunter Lacroix, Shevach Berkovits

Journal of Strategic Security

The 'lone wolf' figure has long been central to counterterrorism analysis, representing the trajectory from non-participant to self-directed actor aligned with extremist causes. Traditional frameworks emphasizing in-person networks or online exposure, however, fail to capture the transformation of radicalization in the algorithmic age. The Arab Spring demonstrated the mobilizing power of digital platforms, yet movements like ISIS later weaponized these networks to provide ideology, belonging, and identity to dislocated populations. This article introduces the concept of the Digital Radical—an individual who transitions from passive consumer to active propagator of extremist narratives, sustaining and expanding radical ecosystems in a symbiotic …

Navigating Power Play: Sri Lanka’S Strategic Role In Indo-Pacific Geopolitics, Neeraj Singh Manhas, Jyot Shikar Singh, Tilak Raj Sharma

Journal of Strategic Security

The Indo-Pacific’s geopolitical significance has surged due to China’s assertive rise, prompting the QUAD nations to counterbalance Beijing’s influence. Sri Lanka, a strategically located island state, emerges as a key hub for global trade and security. It examines how Sri Lanka navigates its geopolitical position to achieve national goals while balancing the interests of larger powers. Lastly, Colombo’s strategic engagements with major powers and regional frameworks highlight efforts to assert agency and amplify the voices of smaller island states. Despite its strategic importance, Sri Lanka’s agency is constrained by power asymmetries in the Indo-Pacific, contributing to understanding small-state geopolitics.

A Tilly Comparative Study On State-Building In South Vietnam And Afghanistan, Hoang Trung "Alex" Vu, P.S. Sam Tran

Journal of Strategic Security

The 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was often compared to the 1975 fall of South Vietnam as two strategic failures by the United States in attempting to establish a Western-friendly, democratic government in their regions. While superficial similarities could be observed between the two cases, this research provides a further comparative analysis of state-building efforts in South Vietnam and Afghanistan to uncover critical lessons in regime-sustaining and the politics of American intervention. The article uses Charles Tilly’s "war makes state" concept to examine war-making, state-making, protection, and extraction as core elements of state-building. The research utilizes comparative historical analysis to …

Accurate Reading Of The Result Of The Security Transfer In Vietnam, Jason Cooley

Journal of Strategic Security

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, numerous American citizens wanted to see the removal of US soldiers from South Vietnam. To appease these individuals, officials in Washington carried out troop withdrawals. As American personnel left, South Vietnamese servicemen assumed their security duties. This security transfer, like most security initiatives, produced mixed results. By employing levels of success and failure from notable policy scholars and recognizing the productivity of some key units of the South Vietnamese Army, it will be possible to present a more accurate reading of the results of the transfer than those currently available in the literature …

Sheinbaum’S Dilemma: Mexico’S Security Choices After Fto Designation, Ghaleb Krame, John P. Sullivan, Magdalena Garcia

Journal of Strategic Security

The US designation of six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) marks a pivotal shift in bilateral security relations, compelling Mexico to navigate a complex strategic landscape. This study uses game-theoretic modeling, scenario analysis, and Nash equilibria to evaluate three possible responses by the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum: (1) Total Subordination—fully aligning with US counter-cartel efforts, (2) Covert Subordination—secretly integrating US support while maintaining a public stance of sovereignty, and (3) Strategic Resistance—rejecting US intervention in favor of an independent security approach.

New evidence on US-side border corruption and clearer definitions of key terms (joint cross-border operations, intelligence fusion …

Doctor, Teacher, Terrorist: The Life And Legacy Of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. By Sajjan M. Gohel. Oxford University Press, 2023., Naveen Khan

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Third Generation Gangs And Transnational Cartels. Edited By John P. Sullivan And Robert Bunker. Xlibris, 2025., Nathan P. Jones

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Plasma Ptau181 Levels On Clinician Diagnostic Confidence And Management In Memory And Cognition Clinics: A Multi-Site Before-And-After Study, Johannes C. Michaelian, Azadeh Feizpour, James C. Vickers, Jane E. Alty, Jessica M. Collins, Vincent Doré, Catriona Ireland, Anna E. King, Ralph N. Martins, Michael Woodward, Sharon L. Naismith, Christopher C. Rowe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Recent advances allow blood tests to detect key proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: In this before-and-after study across three Australian memory and cognition clinics, we evaluated the impact on clinicians' diagnostic confidence and management following disclosure of routine patients' AD probability, using predefined plasma phosphorylated tau 181 (pTau181) thresholds set at 90% sensitivity and 90% specificity for amyloid-beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) positivity. Results: One hundred thirteen participants (mean age: 71.2 ± 8.4; mean Mini-Mental State Examination score: 27.7 ± 2.5) with dementia (n = 17, 15.0%), mild cognitive impairment (n = 48, 42.5%), and subjective …

Setting Research Priorities For The Use Of Digital Technology In The Self-Management Of Heart Health: The Results Of The James Lind Priority Setting Partnership, Lis Neubeck, Simon Nichols, Nicola Straiton, Louise J. Dunford, Amitava Banerjee, Susan Dawkes, Donna Fitzsimons, Maria Hayes, Alistair Lawson, Abigail A. Lyons, Mary Mcauley, Jill Mclaggan, Richard Mindham, Nicholas L. Mills, Rakesh Modi, Alice Pearsons, Amanda Pitkethly, Fiona E. Strachan, Coral L. Hanson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: There are wide inequalities in access to cardiovascular care, and risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity are often not well managed. We aim to identify the most important questions about how digital technologies can help people and their carers prevent cardiovascular disease and improve access to care. Methods and results: A priority setting partnership that aimed to generate a top 10 list of research priorities for the use of digital technology in the prevention and management of heart disease and heart conditions in the UK and Ireland, with equal input by people with lived …

A Treat-To-Target Approach For Obesity Management: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Surmount-5 Trial., Carel W Le Roux, Luca Busetto, Louis Aronne, Deborah Bade Horn, Georgios K Dimitriadis, Beverly Falcon, Luis-Emilio Garcia-Perez, Elisa Gomez Valderas, Theresa Hunter Gibble, Cagri Senyucel, Julia P Dunn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: With new advancements in obesity medicine, clarity on goals and expectations for successful disease management is limited. This post hoc analysis assessed application of proposed treat-to-target (TtT) thresholds for obesity to the outcome measures of SURMOUNT-5, which randomised participants with obesity to tirzepatide or semaglutide.

Methods: The proportion of participants in each treatment group reaching proposed TtT thresholds for waist to height ratio (WHtR) < 0.53, body mass index (BMI) < 27 kg/m2, or a combination was evaluated. The associations between the thresholds and achieving low disease activity to remission (meeting goals for at least four of five defined cardiometabolic risk parameters) and normalisation or improvement in SF-36v2 physical component score (PCS) from baseline to week 72 were explored.

Results: About 23.1%-33.9% of participants treated with tirzepatide and 14.2%-20.7% treated with semaglutide reached the TtT thresholds, with greater weight reduction than the overall population. About 77% of participants who reached WHtR < 0.53 achieved low disease activity to remission, with an odds ratio of 2.31 (p < 0.001) compared to those who did not reach this target. The BMI threshold was not statistically associated with the assessed outcomes for SF-36v2 PCS.

Conclusion: In this …

Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis To Identify Symptom Clusters In Individuals With Acquired Disabilities, David S Tulsky, Aaron J Boulton, Pamela A Kisala, Callie E Tyner, Ryan Pohlig, Nancy D Chiaravalloti, Jerry Slotkin, Heather B Taylor, Mark Sherer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Acquired disabilities, such as spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, limb loss (or other major limb injury/illness), or stroke, are typically accompanied by an array of physical and emotional symptoms and social challenges that interfere with recovery and affect quality of life (QOL). Despite advances in personalized medicine, interrelationships between symptoms remain unclear, and clinicians often treat individual symptoms in isolation. The objective of this study was to identify clusters of symptoms that occur across sudden-onset disability populations, with a long-term goal of identifying targets for clinical intervention.

Methods: Participants were 755 adults who sustained a spinal cord injury, …

Combined Effect Of Sarcopenia And Impaired Respiratory Function On All-Cause Death: A Nationwide Cohort Study, Chutao Wu, Dan Wu, Mu Li, Senrong Lu, Yukai Wang, Yulong Lan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Respiratory fitness and sarcopenia status have been reported to be cross-sectionally linked with each other and increase mortality risk. However, little is currently known regarding the connection between impaired respiratory function and sarcopenia and their joint effect on future death risk. Methods: This study included 12 027 participants (50.8% were women; mean [SD] age, 58.9 [9.3] years) from a nationwide, prospective cohort in China (China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study). Respiratory function was assessed by peak expiratory flow (PEF). Sarcopenia status was assessed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria. Time-to-event survival analyses and …

Unpacking Faculty Perceptions: Disability Critical Race Theory & Adaptive Equity-Oriented Pedagogical In Teaching Practices, Courtney D. Gipson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Students with disabilities (SWD) encounter barriers in higher education despite federal legislation intended for equitable access. Community colleges enroll in a significant number of SWDs, who outstandingly are positioned to support different learners. However, the implementation of instructional practices and accommodations are shaped by false beliefs, inadequate training, and inequitable structures. Historically, research on disability and higher education have been analyzed from a deficit and ableist perspective, ignoring the intersectional experiences of SWDs and the important role faculty play in creating inclusive learning environments. This study addresses these gaps by examining community college faculty members' perceptions, beliefs, and pedagogical practices. …

An Empirically Validated Adjustment Factor Level Of Traffic Stress Framework For Urban Bicycle Network Planning, Logan Sirbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Bicyclist safety remains a critical challenge for transportation agencies seeking to expand bicycle networks while reducing crash severity and risk. To address this need, planners have used a range of evaluation approaches; however, many are costly, time-intensive, difficult to scale, and limited in transferability across jurisdictions. In response, Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) frameworks emerged as a practical tool for evaluating bicycling comfort and identifying low-stress routes using widely available roadway data. Despite widespread adoption, most LTS approaches rely on assumed design thresholds and perception-based criteria rather than observed safety outcomes, limiting their empirical grounding and consistency. This dissertation addresses …

Writing And Singing The Self: Gendered Expression In The Songcraft Of Trans And Bisexual Singer-Songwriters In Memphis, Kara Leann Stewart Meredith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation contains four case studies of trans and/or bisexual singer-songwriters in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Trans and bisexual people break down the gender binary through sexual attraction or through gender identity, and must constantly “come out” to maintain visibility. The artists interviewed for this project are W1ND0W (she/they), also known as Jill Johnson, a mostly-sapphic bisexual and nonbinary singer-songwriter of hyperemo, electronic, and improvisational performance music; Suroor (she/her), a trans woman singer-songwriter of hyperpop music; Alex da Ponte (he/him), a trans man solo singer-songwriter of pop and indie rock; and Maggie Trisler of the band Mystic Light Casino (she/her), …

The Social Constructions Of Musical Listening: Audience Etiquette From The Nineteenth Century To Today, Catherine Elise Balsamo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Audiences and performers of the twenty-first century are primarily of the belief that the cultural norms of the concert hall are rules of etiquette that have been codified for centuries when they are newer than we think. Researchers have studied the background of audience behavioral trends to try to trace back to when the rules of audience etiquette became commonplace, with some scholars citing the French Revolution as a primary catalyst and others tying it to nineteenth and twentieth century conductor “cults.” By analyzing primary source material and synthesizing existing research on cultural shifts in the Western concert hall, I …

Tone And Resonance In The Congregational Singing Pedagogical Strategies For The Church Choir Context, Karen Zeferino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study explores pedagogical strategies in vocal technique for church choir. In the context of church choral ensembles, congregational singing plays a crucial role in worship, fostering community building. Therefore, developing vocal tone and resonance is essential for enhancing both musical expression and participant engagement. This dissertation argues that, despite the limitations of weekly rehearsal time, church choir directors should prioritize specific vocal exercises to address members' interests in improving tone, blend, vowel, and resonance. By incorporating pedagogical strategies tailored to the church setting, directors can promote individual vocal growth without extending rehearsal sessions. Drawing on vocal pedagogy literature and …

Louise Farrenc’S Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 35: A Historical Informed Performance Guide, Fabian Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Schneider, Fabian. DMA. The University of Memphis. March 2026. A historical informed performance guide Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35. Major Professor: Daniel Brier. This project develops a historically informed performance framework for Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 35. Through close structural and stylistic analysis, the study situates the work within the broader symphonic traditions of nineteenth-century France and Germany, comparing Farrenc’s compositional strategies with those of selected contemporaries. Particular attention is given to formal design, thematic construction, orchestration, and harmonic language to assess both shared conventions and individual characteristics. Engaging with …

Nikolai Medtner's Skazki, Op. 51: Three Movements Transcribed For Wind Band With Commentary, Erin Nicole Duke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation contributes to the wind band’s long-standing tradition of transcription by producing a performable wind ensemble transcription of three movements of Nikolai Medtner’s Six Skazki, op. 51 (Nos. 1, 3, and 6) and documenting the orchestrational decisions that shape the transfer from piano to band. Although transcriptions have historically been a staple in wind repertoire, major composers and styles are still missing, and contemporary wind culture increasingly champions the revitalization of old standards. The selected skazki offer narrative and folk-like motives that can be heard as conceptually adjacent to early twentieth-century wind literature, while remaining singular to Medtner’s distinctive …

Evolution Of Korean Dansaekhwa Monochrome Painting: Are Contemporary Korean Artists Still Carrying The Torch?, Mary Anne Mccraw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The first abstract and uniquely Korean artistic movement to emerge from South Korea, Korean Dansaekhwa is now globally popular and can be considered the embodiment of Korean contemporary art. The original founders developed a practice that was groundbreaking in its significance, involving both a new relationship between art and materials and a distinctly Korean ideology. Dansaekhwa artists in the 1960s and 1970s imbued their painting rituals with an intense study of the materiality of the art tools and supplies, infused it with the Korean meditative practice of ancient ink painting and calligraphy, and immersed it with a connection to nature. …

Philosophy Apr 2026 Self-Study Report & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

Philosophy APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for AY2025, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.

American Studies Apr 2025 Self-Study Report & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

American Studies APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for AY2025, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.