Digital Commons Network^™

The Phenomenon Of Professional Burnout Among Military Chaplains In Ukraine, Artem Makovskyi, Oleg Mateyuk, Oleksandr Bilovskyi, Anton Datskov, Dmytro Oleshko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of professional burnout among military chaplains in Ukraine in the context of their personal experience of being in extreme (combat) conditions. The relevance of the problem is due to the prolonged impact of combat operations, high psycho-emotional stress, and the special role of military chaplains in the system of moral and psychological support for Ukraine's security and defense sector. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the concept of professional burnout by K. Maslach, the provisions of the person-centered approach, and the theory of personal experience. The empirical study …

Ideology And Law In Tension: The Macedonian Socialist Model Of Secularism And Its Constitutional Legacy, Aleksandar Spasenovski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the constitutional and ideological foundations of church–state relations in socialist Macedonia (1945–1990), situating them within the broader framework of socialist Yugoslavia. It argues that the Macedonian model of secularism was shaped by a structural tension between Marxist atheism as an official ideological doctrine and formal constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion. While constitutional texts affirmed separation and religious liberty, statutory regulation and political practice constrained the public role of religion and marginalized religious communities within the socialist legal order.

By analyzing ideological premises, constitutional provisions, and legislative instruments, the article identifies the defining paradox of the Yugoslav …

Theological Foundations And Regional Adaptation Of Jihadist Ideology In Russia: Case Of The North Caucasus, Tilekkabyl Amangeldi, Gulzhan Rasheva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The growth of jihadist movements in the post-Soviet space has generated significant scholarly interest in the ideological and theological mechanisms that sustain militant mobilization. Russia, particularly the North Caucasus, represents an important regional context where global jihadist doctrines intersect with local political conflicts and historical narratives of resistance. This article examines the theological foundations of Russian jihadist movements in order to understand how militant actors reinterpret Islamic doctrines to legitimize violence and construct ideological authority. The study aims to analyze the key theological concepts that shape jihadist discourse in Russia and to explore how global Salafi-jihadist ideology has been adapted …

Book Review: Reymont, Władysław. A Pilgrimage To Jasna Góra. Translated From Polish By Filip Mazurczak., John Grondelski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Reymont, Władysław. A Pilgrimage to Jasna Góra. Translated from Polish by Filip Mazurczak. Waterloo, Ontario: Arouca Press, 2020. Pp. xxiv + 111. PB, $17.95. ISBN 978-1-989905-15-9. Also HB.

The Symbolic Language Of Militarized Orthodoxy In Patriarchal Sermons, Architecture, And Pseudo-Historical Memory, Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to a comprehensive cultural and religious analysis of the processes of militarization of religious worldview in modern Russia using the example of public speeches of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, as well as the symbolic space of the Main Temple of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the study of the mechanisms of sacralization of war through the integration of historical memory, Orthodox rhetoric and the state ideology of the “Russian world”. The study analyzes the peculiarities of the interpretation of World War II as the sacred foundation of modern Russian …

Imperial Islam And Colonial Control: The Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly As A Mediator Of Russian Rule In The Kazakh Frontier, Zharas Akhan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the strategic role of the Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly (OMSA) as a pivotal instrument of imperial governance in the Kazakh Steppe during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The study investigates how the Russian Tsarist administration instrumentalized Islamic institutions to exercise political control and facilitate the integration of nomadic Kazakh society into the imperial hierarchy. Drawing on extensive archival evidence, the author analyzes the institutional evolution of the Muftiate, its involvement in diplomatic and intelligence operations, and the intermediary agency of Tatar mullahs who bridged the gap between the Kazakh aristocracy and the Russian bureaucracy. The paper identifies …

The Reformation And The Formation Of A Ukrainian Model Of Theological Education: From The Ostroh Academy To The Present, Vitalii Leonidovich Khromets Dr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article traces the institutional history of theological education in Ukraine from the Ostroh Academy (1576) to the present, proposing a typological framework of four models. The Ostroh Academy is interpreted as a proto-university synthesising Orthodox confessional formation, humanist learning, and civic responsibility. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (1632/1701) is read as a paradoxical Counter-Reformation continuation of the same logic, appropriating the Jesuit collegium model as an instrument of resistance to Polonisation and Latinisation. The eighteenth-century network of collegia — Chernihiv, Pereiaslav-Khmelnytsky, Kharkiv, and the Poltava Slavonic Seminary — is treated as a mature networked form integrating theological education with Pietist influences …

Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 7), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Transformation Of Spirituality: Religious Practices Of Ukrainian Youth During The Full-Scale War, Tetiana Bevz, Olena Hazizova, Viktoriia Kapustina, Serhii Maiatskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the transformation of spirituality among Ukrainian youth during the full-scale war and the changes in religious practices, motivations, and individualized faith in the context of existential crises, social upheavals, and mass population mobility. The impact of war on the role of religious institutions, including the development of institutional adaptability, the shift to horizontal communication models, and the decolonization of religious narratives, is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the formation of “social religiosity,” when faith serves not only as a tool for individual spiritual practice but also as a tool for civic participation and volunteer initiatives. The …

Religious Norms In The Mechanisms Of Legal Regulation Of Freedom Of Conscience In Modern States, Mykola Lahodych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article is devoted to role of religious norms in the legal regulation of freedom of conscience, with a special focus on the institutional interaction in modern democratic societies between religious organizations and the state, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The extant scholarly literature has addressed first and foremost the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and church autonomy. However, less attention has been devoted to the institutional mechanisms through which religious norms operate within public administration. The study utilizes comparative legal analysis, institutional analysis, discourse analysis of official church documents and qualitative analysis of 28 judicial and institutional cases …

Saint Sophia Of Kyiv As A Sacred Space Of Religious Memory And National Identity, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Olha Hordiichuk, Viktoriia Omelchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines Saint Sophia of Kyiv as a sacred space where religious memory, Christian symbolism, sacred geography, and national identity intersect. Using historical, hermeneutic, cultural-studies, and discourse approaches, it analyzes the cathedral’s architecture and iconography, particularly the Virgin Orans, the “Unshakable Wall,” and the concepts of Kyiv as the Second and New Jerusalem. The study demonstrates how medieval Christian meanings have been preserved, transformed, and reactivated within cultural and religious memory. It argues that, particularly during Russia’s war against Ukraine, Saint Sophia functions as a dynamic symbolic space where sacred meanings interact with contemporary national identity, historical continuity, and …

The Bureaucratization Of Faith: Appointed Clerics And The Limits Of Tsarist Administrative Control In The Kazakh Steppe, Zharas Akhan, Kanat Uskembaev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the religious policy of the Russian Empire in the Kazakh Steppe during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focusing on the state's institutional efforts to co-opt and instrumentalize the Islamic clergy for colonial governance. Drawing on administrative and archival data, the study examines how Tsarist authorities leveraged imperial religious frameworks to deploy state-appointed Tatar mullahs into Kazakh society and formalize the middle-tier religious office of the akhund. Taking the Bukei Horde under Jangir Khan as a critical case study, the author illustrates how religious titles were integrated into the imperial bureaucratic apparatus to enforce political loyalty and …

Daily Religious Life Of Muslims In Kazakhstan And Central Asia During The Soviet Period: Controlled Institutions, Unofficial Islam, And Atheist Policy, Adiyet Kairken, Kuralay Aubakirova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The core focus of this study is the dialectic between the anti-religious policies enforced by the Soviet totalitarian regime in Central Asia and Kazakhstan and the resilience of Muslim communities in preserving their spiritual and cultural identity. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the daily religious lives of Muslims under Soviet rule, examining the constraints placed on religious obligations and the functions of state-controlled religious institutions. The research investigates the mechanisms of the state apparatus, including atheist propaganda techniques, educational campaigns targeting the youth, and the role of official religious directorates. Furthermore, the study identifies the significance of underground …

Rsif Burkina Faso Country Report 2026 - English, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Burkina Faso has placed human capital development and structural economic transformation at the center of its development agenda. The country’s National Development Plan 2026–2030 (Plan RELANCE) seeks to build a sovereign and prosperous nation through endogenous and sustainable development, with priorities that include strengthening human capital, productive sectors and infrastructure. These ambitions require a stronger base of scientists, engineers and innovators capable of supporting the country’s transformation.

Burkina Faso has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening advanced scientific capacity through its participation in PASET-Rsif since 2020. As one of the nine African governments contributing to the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund, …

Rsif Ghana Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Ghana's development agenda puts science, technology and innovation (STI) at the centre of its plans for a more productive, diversified, knowledge-driven economy. The Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework 2026–2029 names two constraints on industrial development: low investment in research and development (R&D), and a shortage of skilled industrial personnel. In response, it calls for greater use of applied research, more R&D investment and industry-relevant skills. The 2026–2029 Medium-Term Development Plan for science and technology and the National STI Policy support these goals. They call for mainstreaming STI across sectors, expanding tertiary STEM education and strengthening research infrastructure and institutional capacity. …

Rsif CôTe D'Ivoire Country Report 2026 - English, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Côte d’Ivoire’s National Development Plan (PND) 2026–2030 seeks to accelerate the country’s transformation through industrialization, increased productivity, human capital development and private-sector growth. Priority areas include agriculture and agro-industry, digital transformation, and infrastructure and industrial development, all of which increasingly depend on strong scientific and technological capabilities.

Côte d’Ivoire has been investing in PASET-Rsif since 2019, with an initial contribution of USD 1 million to support advanced doctoral training for Ivorian scientists. To date, 11 Ivorian scholars are pursuing PhD training across selected African Host Universities, complemented by research placements and collaboration with international partner institutions. The scholars are developing …

Rsif Kenya Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Kenya's Vision 2030 aims to turn the country into a competitive, industrializing, knowledge-based economy. The Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023–2027 advances this goal by prioritizing agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), housing, healthcare, and the digital and creative economy. MTP IV treats science, technology and innovation (STI) and human capital as key enablers of transformation. It also names several weaknesses in the STI system: too little investment in research and development, limited commercialization of local innovations, and weak links between research and industry.

To address these gaps, Kenya needs a critical mass of highly qualified scientists, engineers …

Rsif Mozambique Country Report 2026 - English, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Mozambique is endowed with significant natural resources, including arable land, water, energy and minerals, and occupies a strategic position as a logistics corridor in Southern Africa. Transforming these assets into inclusive and sustainable economic growth will increasingly depend on the country’s ability to develop a highly skilled workforce, strengthen its scientific and technological capabilities, and translate research and innovation into solutions for national development.

Mozambique joined PASET in 2019, reinforcing the country’s commitment to developing the advanced scientific and technical skills needed to support its national development ambitions. The Government subsequently committed USD 6 million to Rsif through the World …

Rsif Nigeria Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Nigeria's long-term ambition, set out in Nigeria Agenda 2050, is to become an upper-middle-income, diversified and knowledge-driven economy. The Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2026–2030, now being finalized, is the main vehicle for that goal. These frameworks prioritize economic diversification away from oil, industrialization, agricultural productivity, digital transformation, and human capital development. Science, technology and innovation (STI) is treated as a key driver across all of them. Nigeria's National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy also calls for more investment in research and development, stronger links between research and industry, and wider commercialization of local innovations.

Nigeria is one of the …

Rsif Senegal Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Senegal’s Vision 2050, operationalized through the National Development Strategy (SND) 2025–2029, sets an ambitious pathway towards a more sovereign, competitive and resilient economy. The agenda prioritizes productive transformation, industrialization and local value addition, human capital development, digital transformation and sustainable development, with research and innovation positioned as important enablers of national transformation.

Senegal is a founding member of PASET and has been contributing to Rsif since 2020. The country committed USD 2 million (Fig.1) through the World Bank-supported Africa Centres of Excellence for Higher Education for Development Impact (ACE Impact) project to support advanced doctoral training for Senegalese scientists. This …

Artificial Intelligence: Current Uses In Occupational Therapy Education, Breanna Chycinski, Rebecca Tauber, Brina Crown, Caitlin Noble, Meredith Murphy

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Although artificial intelligence (AI) may be an advantageous tool to enhance learning, its societal impacts are still widely unexplored. This study examined how AI is utilized in occupational therapy master’s and doctoral educational programs by faculty and students, while also investigating how such programs are preparing students to employ AI in ethical and beneficial ways. Through the lens of the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model, this paper examined relationships among occupational therapy students, faculty, their educational environments, and AI. An online survey was distributed to faculty at accredited occupational therapy programs across the United States. Questions included topics such as classroom practices, …

Crispr-Cas9 Unleashed: Gene-Slicing Adventures In The Cancer Battlefield, Shivakuma Sonnaila, Shilpi Agrawal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cancer, a global health menace, continues to pose significant challenges in terms of incidence and mortality, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. Despite existing treatments, the limitations persist, prompting a quest for novel approaches. The emergence of immunotherapy marked a transformative era in solid tumor treatments, yet its efficacy is constrained by adverse effects. Concurrently, the integration of advanced technologies into cancer treatment explores the vast potential residing at the molecular level through gene analysis and manipulation. This review articulates the role of state-of-the-art genome editing technology, notably clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR-Cas9), in overcoming the constraints of immunotherapy for …

Agile And Lean Frameworks For Enhancing Accountability And Efficiency In Public Financial Management Systems In Emerging Economies, Mercy Amuna, Eunice Acheabea Offei, Omowumi Folorunso, Charles Zormelo

Student Publications

Findings: This review reveals that Agile and Lean frameworks dramatically improve public financial management by improving fiscal accountability, budgeting efficiency, and service delivery. Drawing on 49 studies published between 2010 and 2025, the majority from emerging economies with selected comparative OECD cases, budgeting and procurement reforms emerged as the dominant sectors analysed. Agile’s iterative and adaptive approach allows governments to make real-time adjustments to budgets, enhancing the economy’s response to economic developments and crises. They focus on reducing waste and financial planning to ensure that public funds are allocated efficiently and effectively. Similarly, Rwanda and Nigeria demonstrate the benefits of …

Neuroattnfusenet Dual Branch Attention Fusion For Brain Tumor Mri Classification, Md Sanowar Hossain Sabuj, Farzana Sultana, Md Hasan Or Rashid, Rahul Mudhiraj Mullela

Student Publications

Brain tumor MRI classification remains challenging because tumor appearance varies across cases, class boundaries can be visually subtle, and public 2D MRI datasets may contain redundancy or source-specific biases that inflate reported performance. This study proposes NeuroAttnFuseNet, a dual-path attention-guided fusion network for four-class MRI image classification into glioma, meningioma, pituitary, and no tumor. The model combines a Swin-T branch for hierarchical local morphological representation with a frozen DINOv2 ViT-B/14 branch that provides a 768-dimensional global descriptor from the [CLS] token. The Swin and DINOv2 features are concatenated and passed through a channel-attention gate and fusion MLP before final softmax …

Linear And Asymmetric Interactions Of Bank And Stock Market Development In The Face Of Global Economic Uncertainty: A Focus On The Nigerian Economy, Augustine C. Arize, Ebere Ume Kalu, John Malindretos, Srinvias Nippani

Faculty Publications

This study explores the functional interaction between bank development and stock market development in the face of uncertainty variables. The geography of the study is one of the largest economies in Africa—Nigeria—regarding the following variables: credit to the private sector (CPS), broad money (M2) stock market capitalization (MCAP), and industrial production (IP), which are all scaled by the gross domestic product (GDP) and used in natural log form. Additionally, we included the natural logarithm of a measure of monetary policy uncertainty, which represents the uncertainty variable. In terms of methodology, the study uses monthly time series data from 1990:M1-2022M4 (384 …

Role Of Plants And Phytochemicals In Promoting Proliferation And Osteogenic Differentiation Of Dental Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Comprehensive Review, Hala El-Zahar, Essam Abdel-Sattar, Marwa Yousry Moustafa Issa, Shereen N. Raafat, Noha Swilam

Pharmacy

Abstract Objectives Dental mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising source for regenerative medicine due to their accessibility and capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts and other lineages. Osteogenic differentiation of dental MSCs is essential for bone formation and is regulated by multiple signaling pathways, cytokines, growth factors, and transcription factors. This review aims to summarize the effects of plant-derived extracts and phytochemicals on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of dental MSCs. Methods In this review, an extensive literature search was conducted covering studies from the past 10 years, using different online databases (SCOPUS, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Science …

Review: Big Skies, White Hoods: The 1920s Klan And A History Of Hate In Montana, By Christine K. Erickson, Brent M. S. Campney

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In Dire Straits: Los Camaroneros Of Deep South Texas, Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Tora! Tora! Tora! And The Halloween Queen [El Bombardeo Y La Reina Del Festival De Los Brujos], Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

High School Daze, Sylvia Perez, And La Llorona, Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.