The University of Kansas: Journals@KU
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Conspecific oophagy by an invasive Argentine Black-and-white Tegu (Salvator merianae) in Florida, United States
No full textA Hero of Two Worlds: The 1910/11 Steuben Statues in Washington and Potsdam and German American Memory Politics
Get PDFClinical efficacy observation of intranasal dexmedetomidine spray in adults undergoing lower extremity orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia
Get PDFObjective: This study aimed to evaluate the sedative effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine spray in adult patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia and to analyze its role in reducing preoperative anxiety.Methods: From July 2024 to January 2025, a total of 120 adult patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia at our medical institution were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG) or the control group (CG), with 60 patients in each group. Patients in the experimental group received intranasal dexmedetomidine spray 30 minutes before surgery, whereas those in the control group received intravenous midazolam over the same period. Sedation level, anxiety level, vital signs, anesthesia recovery, and incidence of adverse reactions were assessed.Results: The Sedation scores significantly increased after drug intervention in both groups compared to the pre-administration baseline. The STAI scores in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Baseline values of Heart Rate (HR), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), and Pulse Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂) showed no significant differences between the two groups before drug administration. HR, MAP, and SpO₂ tended to decrease in both intervention groups compared with baseline values, but no pathological changes were observed. The experimental group had significantly shorter times in spontaneous breathing recovery, awakening, and extubating than the control group. The incidence of adverse reactions was 5.0% in the treatment group, significantly lower than the 28.4% in the control group.Conclusion: Intranasal dexmedetomidine spray significantly enhances sedation levels, alleviates preoperative anxiety, and demonstrates good safety in adult patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia.
Teacher and Student Perceptions of Competency Based Education: A Mixed Methods Exploration
Get PDFThis study sought to uncover the perceptions of elementary teachers, and students about competency-based education (CBE) in a district transitioning from traditional practices. The purpose was to investigate how CBE is perceived from varying perspectives and identify areas working well and needing improvement during the transition. Utilizing a mixed-methods design, data was collected via qualitative surveys and interviews with teachers, administrators, and students from two suburban elementary schools. Findings indicate teachers generally viewed CBE positively, highlighting benefits such as improved tracking of student mastery, positive classroom climates, and better differentiation. They perceived increased student agency and understanding of learning objectives. Challenges included inconsistencies in assessment and grading, confusion among families and upper elementary teachers regarding the mastery-based system, and insufficient resources. Supportive staff and collaborative environments aided teachers. Students reported mostly positive or neutral perceptions but expressed a desire for greater control and interest incorporation in their learning. Findings suggest a need to enhance student agency through personalized learning, improve family communication about the new grading system, and provide more resources and clearer guidelines for effective CBE implementation, particularly for upper grades. This research offers valuable insight into elementary CBE transitions despite sample size limitations
"Bertita" Cáceres en el teatro: Entrevista con Hermes Reyes y su lucha por la justicia social en Honduras
No full textEl 20 de agosto de 2024 me reuní con Hermes Reyes, uno de los artistas escénicos más versátiles que tiene Honduras, para charlar sobre su carrera que abarca desde la dramaturgia, actuación, dirección, producción, títeres, pantomima y cine, así como defensor de los derechos humanos y de los pueblos originarios, lucha que ha sido central en su práctica artística. Su vida ha sido dedicada a los grupos marginados en Honduras, al servicio y protección de los demás. Sus visiones personales, políticas y de gestión cultural reflejan su evidente motivación por construir un mundo más humano en el que las artes son centrales. En nuestra charla abarcamos sus inicios como actor, dramaturgo, activista político, así como su colaboración y amistad con Berta Cáceres, activista ambiental y líder de la comunidad indígena Lenca en Honduras quien fue asesinada el 3 de marzo de 2016. Reyes me compartió como a Bertita, (como aún la llama cariñosamente) le gustaba el teatro, especialmente los títeres y la pantomima y con frecuencia invitaba a Reyes a presentar obras en los territorios lencas que dramatizaban su lucha. Como resultado de esta colaboración y tras el asesinato de Berta Cáceres, Reyes escribió y dirigió la obra de teatro Ancestras. Ancestras se compone de cortas escenas donde personajes míticos y reales representan la vida y el legado de Cáceres. Bajo la dirección de Reyes y posteriormente de Mario Jaén, Teatro Taller Tegucigalpa ha recorrido territorios lencas y ocho municipios de Honduras difundiendo el mensaje de justicia para Cáceres. Su recepción ha cambiado con el tiempo: del duelo silencioso, al miedo y la condena. Esta entrevista es parte de mi compromiso y amistad con Reyes de mantener viva la memoria de Bertita a través del teatro
“Songs and Laughter Were Heard”: Frontline Songs and Poems in the Folklore of The Great Patriotic War
Get PDFDuring the Great Patriotic War, performances of music and songs were an important part of soldiers’ lives in the Red Army. This study examines how these songs functioned in unofficial aspects of the lives of frontline soldiers. There was a “cult of folklore” in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and 1940s, which meant that the depiction of folklore in film and literature was an official policy. However, the fact that such performances featured in officially sanctioned artistic works raises the question of how much was propaganda and how much reflected actual practices. To answer this question, I looked at all the references to the performances of songs in over seventy Russian-language diaries and volumes of letters written by members of the Soviet military. I did not use journalism to avoid propaganda, nor memoirs to avoid the problem of the transformation of memories over the years; instead, I used sources written during the war itself that reflected the everyday lives of soldiers
An eagerness for conspecifics: The distribution of nests of the sunflower leafcutting bee, Megachile pugnata (Megachilidae), when nesting cavities are in excess
Get PDFUnder unmanaged conditions, many ground-nesting bee species nest in large aggregations. Although cavity-nesters (xylophiles) will also nest in large aggregations when managed in agricultural settings, it is unclear if they do so instinctively or due to opportunity. Here we report that females of the xylophile Megachile pugnata Say preferentially aggregate their nests at three measured scales of cavity availability even when nesting cavities are in excess. We also find that they sometimes prefer to initiate nesting at the edges of nesting blocks but that they are generally unresponsive to the position of cavities in nest shelters: aggregations are evident irrespective of location. We propose that an important but previously unemphasized reason that aggregation behavior has been maintained by xylophiles and ground-nesting species, is the genetic benefits realized by having many unrelated mating partners available
Early Childhood Classroom Design: Integrating Montessori Principles with Neuroeducational Research
Get PDFThis critical literature review explores how classroom design influences attentional development in early childhood education (ECE). Although attention and self-regulation are frequently cited as barriers to school readiness, emerging research suggests that attention is not a fixed trait but one shaped by environmental conditions. Integrating insights from neuroeducation, embodied cognition, and biopsychosocial models, this review highlights how sensory-conscious and biophilic design elements, such as natural lighting, reduced visual clutter, and organic materials, can lower allostatic load, support attentional focus, and enhance encoding for content retention. By conceptualizing the classroom as both a physical and cognitive space, this review underscores the foundational role of environmental design in promoting developmental alignment, reducing educational disparities, and improving learning outcomes. This critical synthesis offers a compelling rationale for optimizing ECE environments through a neurodevelopmental lens, with implications for educational policy, teacher preparation, and future empirical research
Exploring Intercollegiate Adaptive Athletics Program Structures: An Application of Open Systems Theory
No full textThe purpose of this study was to explore intercollegiate adaptive athletics program structures in the United States. As athletics programs can be seen as open systems, an open systems model of sport organizations was used to guide the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants associated with intercollegiate adaptive athletics programs. A qualitative description design was used to gain a foundational understanding of program structures based on the programs’ environments, inputs, processes, and outputs. Findings suggest intercollegiate adaptive athletics program structures are highly varied and complex open systems that are closely intertwined with their environments and have observable inputs, process, and outputs. This study offers foundational knowledge about existing program structures and indicates that intercollegiate adaptive athletics programs can be understood as open systems. Implications for future research and practice are discussed
An Ethical Application to Student-Athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Sponsorship
Get PDFStudent-athletes receiving the ability to profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) ignited an industry disruption in college sports. Brands using student-athletes for sponsorship became a main NIL activity. Student-athletes are attractive to brands because of their social media following and their authentic connection with fans, alumni, and youths in the community. Sponsors having a greater presence in college sports as a result of NIL raises ethical concerns on issues of student-athlete recruiting, potential negative brand associations for a university, and sponsorship revenue being diverted from a university and going to a select few student-athletes which could result in the elimination of some university sports teams. The study of business ethics is advanced by examining various industries, each with its unique variables. This article analyzes student-athlete NIL sponsorship activities by applying The Principles and Practices for Advertising Ethics provided by the Institute for Advertising Ethics. It is important to study ethics in the context of NIL because its marketing and regulatory implementation are still in their infancy. This timely ethical evaluation of NIL activities draws upon the literature that describes sponsorship principles, characteristics and motivations of sports fans, the economic and marketing systems of college sports, and an ethical standard. Understanding and applying these concepts can lead to more effective decision-making and better outcomes for student-athletes, universities, sponsors, and consumers. Adopting an ethical approach can inspire trust in the practice of brands using student-athletes for sponsorships.