The Baby Animal Effect in Wildlife Conservation Advertising

This study examines how baby animal appeals influence wildlife conservation intentions and donation behavior. Participants shown a baby animal demonstrated more empathy and stronger conservation intentions than those shown an adult animal. Furthermore, promotion-focused participants responded with higher conservation intentions and donation amounts after viewing baby (vs. adult) animals, while prevention-focused participants showed no preference. By demonstrating how baby animal appeals interact with self-regulatory focus, these findings shed light on the boundary conditions of the baby animal effect and identify empathy as the key mechanism driving conservation behaviors

High Hopes, Hard Falls: Consumer Expectations and Reactions to AI-Human Collaboration in Advertising

This paper explores what people expect from AI-human collaboration in a creative domain and how they react when the outcomes fall short of those expectations. Study 1 utilized open-ended questions and content analysis to establish that consumers expect ads created through AI-human collaboration to be of superior quality compared to those created through AI-AI or human-human collaboration. This expectation arises from consumers’ beliefs in enhanced informational task management, the generation of innovative ideas, improved creative research, and greater efficiency in collaboration when AI and humans work together. Given these high expectations, Study 2, conducted in an experimental setting, reveals that consumers evaluate subpar ads produced through AI-human collaboration more negatively due to negative expectancy disconfirmation. Study 3 further examines individual differences as a moderating factor, demonstrating that the negative impact of expectancy disconfirmation is more pronounced among individuals with higher expectations of AI-human collaboration superiority

Pre-Industrial Common Era Temperature Fluctuations in South China Inferred Based Upon Bacterial Tetraether Lipids from Lake Poyang

Quantifying past temperature changes during the Common Era (the past 2000 years) is essential for assessing the rates, magnitudes, and consequences of different climate forcings on current warming and projecting future climate change. At present, however, the quantitative evaluation of temperature changes at multi-centennial-to-millennial timescales remains not well understood. In this study, we provide a high-quality mean annual temperature record for the past 2000 years based on branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in a well-dated sediment core retrieved from Lake Poyang in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Our results show an overall pre-industrial cooling trend in the Poyang Lake region, with clear temperature changes associated with the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA), consistent with local, regional, and global records. The centennial to millennial temperature fluctuations, particularly the pronounced cooling at approximately 1500 CE, generally agrees with changes in total solar irradiance, supporting the importance of solar activity in affecting pre-industrial temperature changes. Further comparisons with other biomarker-based quantitative temperature reconstructions revealed that the temperature offset between the MWP and LIA increased with latitude and elevation, suggesting that centennial-scale temperature fluctuations were amplified at higher elevations and latitudes during the past two millennia

Grunting Increases Power Production and Vertical Jump Height in Experienced Martial Artists

Muscular power is a critical determinant of performance in athletic competitions and thus identifying methods to maximize this attribute is imperative. Grunting (GR) may be an effective way to increase power during high-velocity, explosive movements. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the effects of GR on muscular power output. Twenty-four subjects were recruited from a local martial arts academy. Each subject had a minimum of 2 years of martial arts experience. The performance measures included five maximal cross punches (CR) and roundhouse kicks (RH) to determine peak power output and three countermovement vertical jumps (CMJ) and seated landmine throws (SLT). In randomized order, subjects performed these tests under three breathing conditions which included held breath (HB), audible exhale (AE), and GR. When compared to AE and HB conditions, GR increased CR and RH power output and CMJ height but not SLT. Grunting is effective at increasing force production during striking in experienced martial artists

Sidi Zin Archaeological Project: New Investigations Into the Acheulean and Middle Stone Age in Tunisia

The Sidi Zin Archaeological Project aims to bridge understanding of the Acheulean–Middle Stone Age transition in northern Tunisia, a relatively understudied region in the context of hominin evolution. The Sidi Zin locality will provide chronological, palaeoenvironmental, geomorphological and cultural insights into Acheulean and Middle Stone Age occupations in Tunisia

Organizing For Good: Cooperatives Striving for Equity, Justice, and Ecological Well-Being

Purpose A growing body of management research is investigating how organizations can provide solutions to major social and ecological issues. Scholars suggested alternative organizations, in particular those that prioritize community and democratic decision-making, as more effective in engaging with societal challenges. The purpose of this paper is to explore cooperatives and their capacity in addressing them. Design/methodology/approach By engaging with the United Nations’ resources and the grand challenges literature in management, the authors first identified the core issues underlying each sustainable development goal. Next, the authors looked for empirical research on cooperatives that engage with those specific social and ecological issues. The authors articulated patterns as to how cooperatives address them and grouped them under five themes. The authors also articulated struggles where cooperatives fall short in fully addressing the issues at hand. Findings Based on the analysis, the authors identified five fundamental ways that cooperatives commit to and facilitate addressing challenges: providing economic gains for the many; facilitating access to essential resources; focusing on long-term community well-being; prioritizing ecological well-being; and promoting cooperation and partnership for justice. While most research on cooperatives illustrates these capacities, the authors also noted other studies that show struggles in various areas, most importantly in reducing inequalities. Originality/value While there is growing research on grand challenges, the literature has not paid attention to cooperatives and their capacity in tackling them. This paper comprehensively engages with four types of cooperatives and articulates how they facilitate addressing social and ecological issues. The findings contribute to organization design and grand challenges literatures as well as offer implications for broader management research

Palentine\u27s Day 2025

https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/cdi-gallery/1021/thumbnail.jp

Black History Month Poster 2025

https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/icc-gallery/1012/thumbnail.jp