Digital Commons Network^™

Embedding Creative Communities In Urban Tourism Planning: Toward A Smart Culture Ecosystem For Sustainable City Development In Surakarta, Indonesia, Istijabatul Aliyah, Rara Sugiarti, Ratri Werdiningtyas, Arzaq Taukida, Fausta Ezra Firzatullah, Reyza Amrulloh

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Creative communities are increasingly integrated into urban tourism, yet their environmental performance remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study introduces the Creative Cluster Environmental Performance Index (CCEPI), a novel composite socio-ecological assessment tool for integrating environmental performance into creative tourism planning and governance. This study employed a qualitative socio-spatial design Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and policy review (2021 to 2023). The framework is applied to evaluate environmental performance across five creative clusters in Surakarta, Indonesia: Laweyan, Kauman, Pasar Gede, Sudiroprajan, and Alun-Alun Kidul. The CCEPI integrates ten indicators across five creative clusters in Surakarta, Indonesia: Pasar Gede, Alun-Alun …

Book Review - Ayodeji Olukoju And Tokunbo A. Ayoola (Eds.), Politics, Economy, And Society In Twentieth Century Nigeria, (Lanham, Md: Lexington Books, 2023), Xvii + 328 Pp. $120.00. Hardback. Isbn: 978-1-66692-996-6., Omon M. Osiki

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review - Lindsay Pérez Huber And Susana Muñoz, Why They Hate Us: How Racist Rhetoric Impacts Education, (New York, Ny: Teachers College Press, 2021), 240 Pages, Isbn: 0807764981, Olufemi Oyebade

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

No abstract provided.

Southern History Remixed: Conversation With Dr. Michael Bertrand1 On His Book, Southern History Remixed, (Gainesville, Fl: University Press Of Florida, 2024), 322 Pp., Sheri Bartlett Browne

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

No abstract provided.

Myth, Spirituality, And Thought Patterns In Two African And Brazilian Ritual Dramas, Dele Layiwola

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

This essay conceptualizes and historicizes the phenomena of religion, custom, and belief systems by utilizing two celebrated dramatic texts and performances as practical illustrations of the complex roles they play in the social, political, and cultural lives of human beings, irrespective of their geographical locations. The arguments demonstrate that religion or spirituality is a given phenomenon in the personal and public lives of the denizens of various societies. It possesses its own logic and rules, which may not be mutually compatible, nevertheless constitute a constant universal principle. The paper employs dramatized examples to show that in classical or modern times, …

Ikenga: Symbolism, Spirituality, And Sociocultural Importance In Igbo Traditional Belief Systems, Chinyere Ndubuisi

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

The Ikenga, a noteworthy relic of the Igbo people of southern Nigeria, is examined in this paper as a major art object for a better understanding of African traditional religions and belief systems. Ikenga is a wooden sculpture traditionally made to represent an individual's power, achievements, and spiritual essence among the Igbo. Ikenga is ascribed the embodiment of the relationship between personal action, ancestral respect, and divinity within Igbo mythology. Within the framework of Igbo traditional religion, this paper examines the ontological significance, spiritual purposes, and social consequences of the Ikenga. The symbolic relevance of Ikenga as both a personal …

Language And Culture: Exploring The Links Between Africans And African Americans, Joash J. Gambarage

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

Due to the generational distance between contemporary African Americans and the earliest generations of enslaved Africans, the deep cultural connection between these two groups has not been sufficiently explored. Moreover, much of the existing literature on African culture in the Americas primarily focuses on retentions related to religion, music, food, and language, often missing other critical aspects of cultural continuity within the African diaspora, such as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and Niger-Congo linguistic ties, naming practices, and African epistemologies. This exclusion limits our understanding of how the historical movement of Africans and the persistence of African cultural legacies, have …

Situating Everybody Hates Chris (Ehc): The Appeal Of The Show, Elizabeth Johnson, Donald Culverson

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

"Everybody Hates Chris" (EHC) achieved critical success by employing comedy to address significant social issues, distinguishing itself in early-2000s television. Unlike earlier and contemporary series such as "Moesha," "The Hughleys," and "The Cosby Show," EHC offered a nuanced portrayal of Black family life, engaging an audience often overlooked or misrepresented by mainstream media. This article examines shifts in the television industry from the late 1990s to the early 2000s that facilitated EHC's innovative approach. The series departed from traditional family sitcoms, functioning not merely as entertainment but as a social commentary on the complexities of the family as a societal …

Christian Missions’ Medical Work In The Colonial Ilorin Province, 1900 To 1960, Rasheed Onagun

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

A scarcity of labor and the pursuit of optimal profit maximization led to the colonial government's collaboration with Christian missions to disseminate and expand Western healthcare to the populace. In Ilorin Province and Nigeria as a whole, missions undertook the majority of colonial medical work and public health initiatives. For the first time in the history of Ilorin Province, missionary endeavors introduced Western medicine as an alternative healthcare source to many, necessitating a historical examination. This paper explores existing literature, oral testimonies, and extensive archival documents to analyze the impacts of missionary medical work on the well-being of the people …

Editors’ Note: Introducing The Inaugural Edition

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

No abstract provided.

Barriers To Recommendation Of Integrative Oncology Modalities In Supportive Care: A Mascc/Sio Survey, Alexandre Chan, Dalia Kagramanov, Reem Nasr, Chioma Asuzu, Ting Bao, Yin Ting Cheung, Jung Hye Kwon, Judith Lacey, Richard T. Lee, Maryam Lustberg, Beatrice M. Ohaeri, Santosh Rao, Enrique Soto-Perez-De-Celis, Claudia M. Witt, Ana M. Lopez

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Integrative oncology (IO) modalities aim to improve the quality of life of persons with cancer, including strategies to manage treatment and disease-related symptoms. As evidence increases to include IO in supportive care, interest grows globally. Understanding barriers to IO recommendation is key to facilitating its uptake.

METHODS: Members of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) were invited to complete an online survey in Fall 2023 assessing barriers to IO recommendation on a 5-point scale. Descriptive statistics assessed demographic data and general counts of scaled agreement, while logistic regression analysis …

Global Performance Of Remote Sensing-Based And Reanalysis-Driven Models To Estimate Open Water Evaporation, Júlia Brusso Rossi, Ayan Santos Fleischmann, Leonardo Laipelt, Bruno Comini De Andrade, Joshua B. Fisher, Justin L. Huntington, Christopher Pearson, R. Iestyn Woolway, Roseilson Vale, Júlio Tota, Gabriel B. Senay, Huilin Gao, Anderson Ruhoff

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Evaporation plays an essential role in the water cycle, influencing local and regional climates while directly impacting water availability in lakes. However, directly measuring evaporation over water bodies remains challenging due to the high costs of installing and maintaining the required in situ instrumentation. Although several remote sensing algorithms have been providing evaporation estimates, the lack of a global validation hinders our understanding of their relative uncertainties and performances across different regions. Here, we analyze the performance of a suite of models that leverage satellite data and meteorological reanalysis to estimate evaporation over lakes worldwide. We compare 3 remote sensing‐based …

Airport Coopetition And Spatial Heterogeneity In China: A Two-Regime Spatial Econometric Analysis, Zhen Wu, Polin Lai, Saeyeon Roh, Jeong Hugh Han

Plymouth Business School

The development of aeronautical infrastructure and the rise of low-cost carriers have substantially increased the demand for air travel. Moreover, airport development is shaped by spatial heterogeneity factors such as environmental conditions, regulatory frameworks, and socioeconomic variables, which complicate coopetitive interactions within the aviation network. To examine these phenomena, a dual-regime spatial econometric model utilizing different spatial weight matrices has been constructed. The model captures asymmetries in airport coopetition by analyzing variations in spatial autoregressive coefficients across regimes and identifies the spatial heterogeneity factors that drive these asymmetric relationships. Analyzing data from 48 major Chinese airports over 22 years reveals …

Retrospective Analysis Of Fda Adverse Event Reporting System (Faers) For Herbal Supplements, Luke Junck, Jennifer Lin, Nikolas Reyes, Teba Albahely, Sreehitha Sajja

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

FAERS is the national database maintained by the FDA in order to monitor the safety of drugs after they reach the market. FAERS supports post-marketing surveillance by helping regulators to detect emerging risks and guide decisions on product labeling changes or further investigations. A systematic review of 21 research articles was conducted, focusing on the population and reasonings behind adverse reports for herbal supplements. Articles were gathered from multiple databases such as Pubmed, ScienceDirect, SpringerNature, and government affiliated websites. This research explored the question, “How do adverse event reports for herbal supplements in FAERS differ across age, race, and geographic …

Tapping Into The Ocean’S Hidden Energy: Feasibility Of A 5 Mw Otec Installation In North Bali, Widodo Setiyo Pranowo, Yani Permanawati, Gisela Malya Asoka Anindita, Agung Kurniawan, Albertus Sulaiman, Johar Setiyadi, Safri Burhanuddin, Ivonne Milichristi Radjawane, Hansan Park, Endro Sigit Kurniawan

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Indonesia is an archipelagic country surrounded by water and faces energy challenges due to the low use of renewable energy. Among the potential renewable options, marine energy is a particularly suitable resource given the country’s geographical nature. Based on this discussion, seawater temperature can be used as an alternative ocean thermal en-ergy known as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) by using the difference in sea surface and deep-sea water temperatures. Therefore, this study aimed to examine OTEC installations in North Bali waters using closed-cycle OTEC calculations for a 5 MW system. Following this objective, we examined the water conditions by …

American Mythology: The Western, The American, The Christian, And The Intersection Of The Three In "The Sins Of Tom Budd", Brandon Kopp

Masters Theses

Close to the turn of the 19th century, Frederick Jackson Turner famously proclaimed the death of the frontier, and extolled the lapsed era for the virtues and qualities which it championed - qualities which he claimed defined the American cultural identity. The Western genre of fiction carries on the traditions and values of that era to past, present, and future generations of Americans and partakes deeply in the rich tradition of human storytelling in a way that examines universal human conditions from the unique perspective engendered by frontier living and the American West. Just as Homer's work created and built …

Where Containment Was Born: Greece And The First Battlefield Of The Cold War, Christos Vourtsas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the origins, implementation, and consequences of United States intervention in Greece during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), situating the conflict within the broader development of early Cold War strategy. It argues that American involvement in Greece represented the first fully realized application of containment policy and established precedents that shaped subsequent United States foreign interventions throughout the Cold War. The study begins by tracing the political and military fragmentation of Greece during the Axis occupation (1941-1944) and the subsequent breakdown of political reconciliation following the Varkiza Agreement in 1945. It demonstrates how the resurgence of political violence …

Experiences Of Cholesterol Management Among Obese Individuals: A Qualitative Exploration Of Statin Use, Diet, And Physical Activity, Ke'andra S. Foggie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia has increased over the past decade, with obesity identified as a major contributing factor. This study examined how individuals with obesity and hypercholesterolemia managed cholesterol and experienced related challenges within their daily lives. Guided by the Chronic Care Model, the research explored participant-reported experiences of statin therapy and lifestyle practices, including dietary behaviors and physical activity, as components of cholesterol management. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis to analyze participant-reported barriers, supports, and contextual factors that shape how these practices are incorporated into daily routines. Although extensive research has examined statin …

Organising, Sustaining, Experiencing And Integrating Mental Health Crisis Care For Children And Young People: Qualitative Findings From Eight Contrasting Case Studies In England And Wales [Version 1; Peer Review: Awaiting Peer Review], Clare Bennett, Leanne Sawle, Claire Fraser, Rachael Vaughan, Steven Pryjmachuk, Iain Mcmillan, Aled Jones, Euan Hails, Nicola Bennett, Martin Elliott, Mair Elliott, Ben Hannigan, Williams Jessy

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BackgroundCrisis services are an important part of the system of mental health care for children and young people (CYP), but little is known about them or the experiences of CYP and families. This article reports findings from a normalisation process theory (NPT)-informed sequential mixed methods study, comprising three work packages (WPs), which set out to generate new knowledge in this area.MethodsApproaches to CYP crisis care across England and Wales were mapped in WP1 using survey design. Previously reported findings from this WP point to heterogeneity in service types and interventions. In WP2 eight contrasting services (five in England, three in …

Conservation Risks Assessment And Management In Community Resource Management Areas In Ghana, Nana Owusu-Ansah

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

Nine executives from three different Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) in northern Ghana were interviewed for this study. The purpose was to identify and rate key threats that could derail conservation objectives and the management solutions they applied to reduce and mitigate such threats. The leaders identified conservation risks, assessed their likelihood of occurrence, and rated their consequences. Findings showed that the CREMAs’ conservation objectives were based on 1) plants and animals, 2) cultural heritage, and 3) water resources. The utility and amenity values of these resources promote conservation goals. Thirteen risks were identified and categorized as direct or indirect. …

A Connection A Day Keeps The Patient Away: How Remote Patient Monitoring Connected To The Internet Of Things Will Change Us Healthcare Into The Us Healthcare System, Ethan Sinn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The importance of this study was due to the market inefficiencies hindering US healthcare. The three market inefficiencies of excessive cost, access challenges, and low outcome yields have puzzled industry stakeholders for years. These inefficiencies continue gobbling up resources now accounting for around 20% of American GDP. The inefficiencies are symptomatic results of two surface level problems in the US healthcare market: financial misalignments and informational fragmentation. The financial mismatches and informational gaps have caused havoc to the natural market’s daily flow since making their way to the surface and remain firmly connected to the root cause of US healthcare’s …

Recently Graduated Students From The Freely Associated States And Their Underrepresentation In Advanced Courses In Guam's High Schools: A Case Study, Tricia Mae C Togawa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative case study was to understand the cultural, psychological, and institutional factors that influenced recent graduates from the Freely Associated States (FAS) in their access and participation in advanced courses located in Guam’s high schools. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory because it explained how learning and cognitive development happen by social interactions and cultural mediation. The framework provides a lens to examine how cultural practices, values, and social context influence students’ academic experience. The Central Research Question was: How do the cultural, psychological, and institutional factors contribute to the underrepresentation of …

Earning The Green Light: How Organized Baseball Survived During World War Ii, Amanda Lauren Curto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how professional baseball survived and contributed to the United States war efforts during the Second World War. It argues baseball’s survival was dependent on its relationship with the federal government during the war. Previous scholarships studied baseball’s symbolism, cultural, economic, and social impacts during wartime. The scholarship has not explored how these methodologies sustained baseball while under wartime conditions. Drawing on primary sources including federal government records, correspondences, and national and local newspapers, this dissertation reconstructs the relationship between professional baseball and the federal government. Providing crucial support for Organized Baseball’s continuation came from President Franklin D. …

High School Teachers’ Experiences Fostering Empathy At A Florida Charter School: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Angela Lynn Green

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of high school teachers fostering empathy at a charter school in Florida. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s social constructivism as it provided the framework for exploring the phenomenon of fostering empathy in the classroom while considering the role of teacher and student interactions. The Central Research Question was as follows: What are the lived experiences of high school teachers with fostering empathy in their classrooms at a charter school in Florida? This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach with a purposeful sample of 10 high …

U.S. Navy Seal Operational Understanding From 1945 To 1989: A Case Study, Cade Morgan Kemp Pickford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will examine the evolution of U.S. Navy SEAL doctrine, mission scope, and overall strategic role from their formal establishment in 1962 through the Cold War interventions in Grenada (1983) and Panama (1989). It will argue that the SEALs transformed from a more experimental counterinsurgency force into a much stronger and more strategically significant instrument of U.S. military policy, shaped by the combat experience, institutional challenges, and ever-evolving geopolitical demands. Drawing upon several primary sources, including archival records, official military histories, several oral interviews, and doctrinal publications, this study employs a qualitative, thematic methodology to analyze patterns in operational …

Repeated Disasters, Evolving Plans: Flood Mitigation Strategy Change Across Pre- And Post-Disaster Planning Periods In High-Loss U.S. Communities, Jenifar Selim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This research explores how flood mitigation planning has evolved in counties exposed to multiple billion-dollar flooding disasters. The research focuses on two case studies: Jefferson County, Texas, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, two Gulf Coast communities with repeated flood exposure. Using comparative content analysis of pre- and post-disaster hazard mitigation plans, the study evaluates how local planning approaches and strategies shift following major flood events. Findings indicate that local governments largely remain reactive rather than proactive; however, these efforts are increasingly expanding beyond traditional infrastructure to incorporate broader resilience strategies, including nature-based solutions and regional coordination. The results highlight a gradual …

Recruiting New Members- The Use Of Social Media, Alan Bream Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Classroom: Five Considerations For Actualizing Social Justice In Practicum Education, Priscila Llamosa

Journal of Justice-Informed Social Work Practice and Research

Social justice, a core tenet of social work, is variably integrated into education programs' explicit curricula, leaving students with a limited conceptual understanding. Practicum[1] education, crucial for theory-practice integration, offers opportunities for developing social work skills while upholding social justice principles. This paper addresses how practicum instructors can nurture students’ social justice-oriented practice by presenting a framework for practicum education and examining its five components. Drawing from theory, empirical literature, and practice experience, the author suggests ways for practicum instructors to engage each component. Incorporating these into practicum education can enable students to actualize ADEI values in practice and …

Position Statement By The Saudi Heart Failure Working Group Of The Saudi Heart Association On The Management Of Advanced Heart Failure In Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Jelaidan, Abeer Bakhsh, Ammar G. Chaudhary, Ebtisam Alkhattaby, Fahmi Alkaf, Feras Khaliel, Ismail Raslan, Mohammed Alreshidan, Mosaad Alhussein, Waleed Alhabeeb

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia. Despite remarkable progress in guideline-directed medical therapy, a significant proportion of patients progress to advanced HF and require evaluation for heart transplantation or mechanical circulatory support (MCS). In response to this growing burden, the Saudi Heart Association (SHA) developed recommendations to guide identification, timely referral, and optimal management of candidates for advanced HF therapies in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A multidisciplinary panel of 10 HF experts from Saudi Arabia convened for a series of structured virtual meetings to review local and international evidence. The panel integrated …

Adaptation Of Malay Culture In The Society 5.0 Era In Malaysia From Cultural Geography Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review, Yanur Merny, Syafri Anwar, Dedi Hermon, Febriandi Febriandi, Saiful Adli

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Society 5.0 and globalization have transformed social organization in physical and digital spaces, reshaping cultural practices and the construction of Malay identity in Malaysia. Although previous studies have examined Malay culture, modernization, and identity, a systematic synthesis of how Malay culture adapts to technological and social change from a cultural geography perspective remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the patterns of Malay cultural adaptation and identity reconstruction in the Society 5.0 era in Malaysia. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to review 22 scientific articles published between 2020 and 2025 concerning …