Digital Commons Network^™

Machiavelli's The Prince: Utopia And Dystopia, Lea Yonago

Young Historians Conference

Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is regarded as one of the first works of political realism, a text that put power and pragmatism before all else. I speculate that Machiavelli took absolutism as a point of departure because he was attempting to regain Medici favor. However, his commitment to a prince and its corresponding praxis exemplifies the power of utopia. Along the lines of Lezsek Kolakowski, “utopia” here refers to a state of social consciousness that is an inevitable product of developing historical conditions. Without utopias, there could be no social subject which processes and shapes the world. Antonio Gramsci would …

The Court Of Versailles Under Lou’S Xiv: Home To The Desperate, The Destitute, And The Debauched, Evelyn L. Cooper

Young Historians Conference

“A nobleman, if he lives in his providence, lives free but without substance; if he lives at Court, he is taken care of, but enslaved.” A quote by a contemporary of Louis XIV, King of France and resident of Le Château de Versailles, Jean de La Bruyère reveals the more intricate reality of the Court in seventeenth century France. Versailles was not merely a royal spectacle, nor another French palace, it was a highly politicized project undertaken by Louis XIV with the express intent to devastate the noble class. This paper explores the means by which Louis weaponized Versailles and …

Most Vulgar And Barbarous: A History Of Tattoo Stigma, Sophie Luzier

Young Historians Conference

For thousands of years, tattoos have been used cross-culturally for purposes ranging from religious affiliation to ritual. Still, many societies today associate tattoos with deviance and criminality, making it difficult for tattooed people to find employment and acceptance within society. This negative stigma can be traced all the way back to Ancient Greece, when tattoos were used to mark slaves and prisoners of war. Other examples are given from Dynastic China, Japan, the American circus, and the Holocaust. This examination of tattoo stigma throughout history exposes larger patterns of racism, hegemony, and ostracism, and gives us an awareness of social …

Death And Vengeance Behind Every Corner: The Great Purge And The Psychology Of Joseph Stalin, Isabella Gurin

Young Historians Conference

Under Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union, the Purges, or “repressions” as they are now known in Russia, led to the direct and indirect deaths of an estimated twenty million people through starvation, executions, and forced labor camps. As the uncontested dictator of the Soviet Union for nearly twenty-five years, Stalin made no attempt to gain popular support among his nation but enforced his interpretation of communist-socialist rule by means of unremitting oppression and terror. Why did he utilize such vindictive measures? Was it his absolute aversion to any authority and ruthless insistence on total control at all times? …

“An Impediment To Those Who Would Walk The Difficult Way”: How St. Francis Of Assisi’S Revolution In Catholic Thought Was Built On The Perceived Inferiority Of Femininity, Julian F. Balsley

Young Historians Conference

St. Francis of Assisi is undoubtedly one of the most famous saints in the Catholic Church. Known for his complete poverty and deep love for the poor and animals, the Little Poor Man of Assisi has become renowned for his way of life and the fraternity he started that has continued for over eight hundred years. In an organization rife with cardinal sin, Francis was in stark contrast with his asceticism and rankless order. However, St. Francis’ entire ideology is built on the Catholic belief that women are inherently inferior to men and dangerous to those following God. Francis used …

Service-Learning For Infrastructure Improvements In Herald Square - Accuracy, Gabriela Funes, Tanvir Ahmed, Annie Benson, William A. Loyed

Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning (Archived)

Generation of Terrestrial LiDAR model to assist in the design of public infrastructure.

Service-Learning Modeling For Infrastructure Improvements In Herald Square, Shane M. Henry, Hayden A. Holder, Joel Juarez, Teresa M. Macias, Zenan C. Merritt, Luke H. Ward, Aniya A. Williams

Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning (Archived)

Use of terrestrial LiDAR scanner in Service-Learning project to assist the design of public infrastructure.

The Glorious Magdalene: The Influence Of Mary Magdalene On Medieval Women’S Spirituality, Kayla Ray

Graduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Supply Chain And Quality Of Botanical Ingredients, Stefan Gafner

Oxford ICSB

Examples from the past show that a supply chain disruption, or a series of such disruptions, generates sudden spikes in consumer demand, and that abrupt, unplanned changes to the supply and demand in botanical materials lead to an increase in adulteration and fraud. When this happens due to simultaneous interruptions of numerous ingredients based on a global pandemic, as in the case of COVID-19, it is predictable that unscrupulous suppliers and sellers of botanical ingredients will attempt to take advantage of supply shortages by manufacturers of herbal medicines and dietary supplements to sell them lower-quality or sometimes adulterated materials.

Among …

The Impact Of Special Education Professional Development On New, Intermediate, And Veteran General Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Regarding Instructing Students With Disabilities And Implementation Of Accommodations, Sara Juarez-Mendoza

Graduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Immulina Enhances Host Resilience Against Influenza Virus-Induced Illness In A Prodromal Mouse Model: Part B – Changes In Viral Load And Clinical Signs Of Infection, Kashif Shamim, Tahir Mir

Oxford ICSB

The University of Mississippi Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center is performing research on the potential use of Limnospira (formally Arthrospira) to enhance resilience against influenza viral infection. Limnospira is a cyanobacterium that has been used as a food for centuries and more recently as a popular health supplement. A commercial extract called Immulina has been developed that concentrates the level of immunomodulatory activity due to Braun-type lipoproteins – compounds that activate immune pathways through a toll-like receptor (TLR) 2-dependent mechanism. Although oral ingestion of Immulina has been reported to exhibit a protective effect against subsequent H1N1 influenza A (IfA) …

Mary Magdalene: The Fragmented Woman, Lucy Durben

Undergraduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Environmental Science Curriculum For Elementary Students In Bali, Iliana Chen

Undergraduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Cannabinoid Acids And Neutrals In Consumer Products Via Gc-Ei-Ms, Alexandra Kurm

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa L., aka hemp) produces a variety of compounds covering numerous chemical classes such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and terpenoids. Cannabinoids (acidic and neutral) are responsible for producing psychoactive and other pharmacological effects. In the first stage of this project, cannabinoid acids were studied due to their ability to bind to the spike protein of the COVID-19 virus and thus inhibit cell entry, replication, and infection. In this second phase, we expanded the number and types of consumer products studied. We applied our methodology to analyze three new consumer products in several matrices containing various combinations of …

Social Influence On Risky Choice, Kesha Patel, Michael Bixter

Student Research Symposium

Are people’s risk preferences influenced by the preferences of others they interact with or observe? Traditionally, decision preferences were conceptualized as a stable, dispositional trait. However, recent research has demonstrated that there is a degree of malleability in preferences, with social influence having a particularly potent impact. To better understand the extent of social influence on risky decision-making, a mixed-study design was carried out that involved participants making a series of hypothetical monetary choices between smaller-certain and larger-risky rewards. Participants completed three blocks of the risky-choice task: (1) the pre-exposure block where choices were made without any social information, (2) …

Odysseus Of The Arctic: The Epic Of John Franklin And The Search For His Lost Expedition, Andy Manne

Young Historians Conference

This paper examines and maps the reasons for the lasting impression and legacy of the search for Sir. John Franklin's disappeared 1845 expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, burgeoning British Arctic exploration provided a rich foundation for serialized narratives, which, as they played off sentiments of national ambition and imperial pride, inspired a romanticization of the Arctic region and the men who explored it. The search for John Franklin's missing expedition became the epicenter of this trend due to the search efforts of his wife, Lady Jane Franklin, and the controversial findings …

The Contribution Of Domestic And International Conflict In Renaissance Italy To The Sport Of Fencing, Amelia E. Nason

Young Historians Conference

Fencing, the art or practice of attack and defense with the foil, épée, or saber, has progressed over hundreds of years from the warfare of Germanic tribes to a regulated Olympic sport. This paper investigates the development of fencing during the fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian Renaissance and outlines a variety of ways that fencing culture mirrored Italy’s at the time, demonstrating that Italian fencing was a product of both international and domestic conflict beyond the sport itself. The competitive cultural influence of aesthetic epicenters such as the Florentine Republic over other European countries—particularly France, Spain, and Italy—was paralleled by …

Retaining First-Generation College Students: Faculty And Staff Perceptions, David Wolff

Student Academic Conference

Research showed faculty-student interactions impact student engagement and was a primary factor to student retention (Kuh & Hu, 2001; Means & Pyne, 2017; Swecker et al., 2013; Tinto, 1987). The literature revealed while retention may be an issue for many institutions, there is a greater need to address retention specifically related to first-generation college students (FGCS). Students often seek advice from faculty and staff when faced with questions about their academic progress. Faculty and staff voices need to be collected regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of the support systems used within an institution that promote retention for FGCS. This …

Rite To Death, Left To Life: Death Ritual As A Cross-Cultural Unit Of Analysis, Ro M. Runkel

Young Historians Conference

Death ritual is a nearly ubiquitous aspect of life within civilization, and serves the purpose of reconciling the logical positivist societal constructions that uphold social order with the fundamentally logic-breaking nature of death. This paper posits that death ritual serves as a strong cross-cultural unit of analysis as it provides insight into the defining socio-cultural traits and spiritual outlooks of different cultures. This unit of analysis is applied to Song-era Ch’an Buddhism, pre-colonial Hindu India, and Maori death ritual. For each of these examples, death rites are connected to aspects of art, culture, social organization, and spirituality or religion, and …

The History Of Vampire Folklore: Fear And Introspection 2000 Bce.-2000 Ce., Poppy N. Baxter Game

Young Historians Conference

The History of Vampire Folklore: Fear and Introspection, 2000 BCE.-2000 CE., is an exploration of the history of vampire folklore and how legends of vampires have influenced the behaviors of different cultures for centuries. Chapter one “Ancient and Classical Vampire Legends” begins with examples of pre-Christian vampire mythology including the vampire king Abhartach from Celtic Ireland, Classical Greecian vampires, Lilith as she is depicted in Sumer, as well the Old Testament during the Talmudic period of Hebrew mythology, and finally the Rakasha from Ancient Indian legends. “Slavic Vampire Folklore” concerns European vampires, more specifically the three types of vampires in …

Menstruation Products And Perceptions: Breaking Through The Crimson Ceiling, Ava Colleran

Young Historians Conference

This paper examines different views on menstruation throughout history and their effects on social, political, and economic landscapes. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Mayans all believed in the supposed ‘magical powers’ of menstrual blood. These societies held their own ideas on the limits of these magical abilities, and the good and evil forces they could be used for. Throughout these ancient societies, menstruation was used as a justification for the increased control of the state and men over women’s bodies. If menstrual blood did have these magical powers, it was a power that needed to be limited and controlled so …

A Double Edged Blade: Contrasting Theories Of Dissection Within 16th Century Italy, Sarah Zdebski

Young Historians Conference

Up until the Middle Ages, dissection was largely nonexistent. Gory and unsettling to the modern eye, physicians and anatomists alike agreed that animal dissections and comparative anatomies were more than sufficient to map out the human body. When academic dissections did begin to occur with regularity, they were rigid and formal in nature, relying on inaccurate anatomical texts written over a millennia ago by the Greek physician Galen. Dissection was a visual exercise, conducted primarily in Italian universities to provide a gory illustration for the medical student. The established format for dissection at the beginning of the 16^th century …

Law And Cultural Attitudes Towards Abortion: Ancient Civilizations To Present, Scarlett O. Anderson

Young Historians Conference

Abortion, the termination of a pregnancy, has been practiced throughout history in various forms and frequencies. The controversy of the procedure has prevailed similarly, evident from its earliest documentation to recent legal decisions. Statutory legal sanctions were scarce in ancient civilizations, and differing opinions were recorded in early medical, religious, and philosophical texts. These texts influenced centuries of common law & cultural attitudes toward the practice. Debate about the role of fetal viability, ethicality, and safety of the procedure wove their way into the public conscience. These ancient conceptions influenced the widespread emergence of statutory abortion law in the 19th …

Institutionalizing Femininity: A History Of Medical Malpractice And Oppression Of Women Through 19th Century American Mental Asylums, Ciara E. Pruett

Young Historians Conference

“Institutionalizing Femininity” explores the origins of the medicalization of gender norms in 19th century mental asylums. This paper examines the connections between rampant medical malpractice in 19th century American mental asylums, and how these abuses were a symptom of the patriarchy in the medical community acting to oppress the female psyche. One of the major issues this paper examines is the indistinguishability between psychiatry and gynecology in this time period. Gynecologists created the notion that women’s reproductive organs made them insane, by arguing that issues in the uterus or reproductive organs, or simply possessing female reproductive organs could cause insanity. …

33rd Annual Young Historians Conference Program, Portland State University History Department, Portland State University Challenge Program

Young Historians Conference

This is the 2023 Young Historians Conference schedule and abstracts.

Creative Writing In Asia: Places, Languages, Societies, And Cultures – Plural, Elena Traina

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review essay of:

Disney, Dan, ed. Exploring Second Language Creative Writing. Beyond Babel. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2014. Print.

Newsletter of OUHK Tin Ka Ping Centre of Chinese Culture, iss.7, March 2021. Online.

Whetter, Darryl, ed. Teaching Creative Writing in Asia. London and New York: Routledge, 2022. Print.

Hemley, Robin, and Xu Xi. The Art and Craft of Asian Stories. London: Bloomsbury, 2021. Print.

Chemically Responsive Hydrogels, Properties, Pharmaceuticals, And Agricultural Applications: A Review, Mohammad Alrbaihat, Qusay Abu-Afifeh, Firas Al-Zeidaneen

Al-Bahir

A review of the literature on chemically responsive hydrogels about the selection of selectivity based on classification, properties, and application is presented in this article. Chemically responsive hydrogels are a type of hydrogel that undergo changes in their properties in response to specific stimuli. These hydrogels have attracted significant attention due to their potential applications in various fields, including pharmaceuticals and agriculture. Chemically crosslinked hydrogels are synthesized by covalent crosslinking of end-functionalized macromeres. Currently, a great deal of research is being conducted on hydrogel networks, also known as smart networks or hungry networks. This is owing to their potential use …

Assessing The Impact Of Supply Chain Management Processes On The Lebanese Industry Of Goods And Services During Times Of Uncertainty, Atef Harb, Mony Trad

Arab Economic and Business Journal

In general and through the three functions of Marketing, Operations and Finance, value for the customer is created. However, firms seldom create this value by themselves. Instead, they rely on a variety of suppliers who provide everything from raw materials to accounting. These suppliers when taken together can be thought of a supply chain. Being so diversified, the Lebanese firms have a huge challenge in setting an efficient supply chain process, thus, the firms and through their professional teams were able to set a detailed list of requirements to be followed to consolidate its data and to manage properly the …

Writing And Reading Connections: Giving Value To Both Sides Of The Same Literacy Coin, Zoi A. Traga Philippakos, Penelope Wiese, Adalea Davis

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

The purpose of this article is to comment on ways that writing-reading connections can take place enhancing reading comprehension and composition. Drawing from a genre-based instructional approach, examples are provided to explain such connections in the process of (a) a rhetorical analysis conducted on writing prompts and prior to reading, (b) examination of writing purposes and genres for writing and reading, (c) read alouds for retelling and monitoring meaning making, and (d) of critical reading for reviewing purposes and determination of clarity of written ideas. The article concludes with guidelines for classroom teachers and recommendations for the implementation of the …

Explicit Instruction In A Second Grade Picturebook Author Study, Ted Kesler

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Using the Learning by Design multiliteracies framework, writing workshop was transformed into composing workshop. The researcher worked with a team of four second grade teachers in an urban public elementary school to redesign their Kevin Henkes author study to equally value art and design, guiding their students in creating their own narrative picturebooks. The researcher addresses the following two research questions: 1. What explicit instructional practices did the teachers enact? 2. What influence did these explicit instructional practices have on the second graders’ composing work? The researcher applied cross-case analysis, first to create an inventory of explicit instructional practices, and …