Creolization and Romanity: the continuities and changes of Roman Egypt.

Past scholarship has analyzed Roman Egypt through the process of Romanization, but my research evaluates the province through creolization instead. The process of creolization is complex but affords indigenous populations more agency than terms like romanization. The thesis addresses the Egyptian and Greek continuities in language, religion, and way of life to display the extent of creolization. Analysis of Roman Egypt through the post-colonial lens better represents the changes that took place and the intent of the Roman principate. Much of the research derives from papyrological and archaeological sources to create a more nuanced understanding of what Roman Egypt looked like and how the cultural change took place. In the end, it is discovered that numerous continuities existed, stemming from both Egyptian and Greek cultures; the continuities present display a lack of interest from the Roman perspective of changing the cultures of Egypt. Many Romans not only allowed the existing cultural practices to continue, but Romans took interest in the traditions and took part in several. The importance of this thesis stems from its refutation of past scholarship and past understandings of the province and Roman imperialism as a whole. Roman imperialism was far less idealistic and was instead motivated by pragmatic motivators

Rock Art Management and Landscape Change: Mixed Field Assessment Techniques for Cultural Stone Decay

As tourism continues to grow as one of the world’s most ubiquitous markets, the development and promotion of non-invasive techniques for cultural stone decay analysis and landscape change are vital to establishing conditional base-lines to best aid cultural heritage management (CRM) efficacy. Using rock art as a medium, this dissertation presents three independent case studies employing the Rock Art Stability Index (RASI) and repeat photography to explore the merits of mixed rapid field assessment techniques in relation to CRM and heritage tourism. While rock art is only one example of irreplaceable world heritage resources, examining how they decay and what methods can effectively quantify their change provides valuable data leading to a better understanding of human/environment interaction within the context of tourism and cultural resource management. The first case study examines the applicability of combining the two methods on rock art in the Arkansan Ozark region, showing considerable promise. The second addresses the temporal flexibility of the mixed methods on rapidly changing, and highly impacted, rock art sites on Grenada, West Indies, demonstrating the method pairing’s tremendous monitoring and emergency response potential. The third case study explores adapting RASI to analyze other forms of cultural stone by employing the mixed methods on selected hewn monuments in Petra, Jordan, aptly identifying a critical disparity between appearance and stability. Ultimately, each case study exemplifies different aspects of cultural stone decay and modern challenges: from initial preliminary evaluations to assessing the impact of uninformed conservation efforts, and examining the influences of mass tourism and human interaction at heritage sites. Mixed field techniques effectively highlighted both the need for and benefits of employing such methods for rock art management, cultural stone stability, and global heritage management

Analysis of Environmental Influences on Dressed Stone Decay: a Case Study of Tafoni Development on a Hewn Djinn Block in Petra, Jordan

Petra, Jordan captivates tourists and researchers with its dramatic sandstone cliffs, Nabatean, Roman, Byzantine and Roman architecture, and rich cultural heritage. However, increasing tourism in the valley is exacerbating stone degradation and complicating heritage management. This research analyzed environmental influences on dressed stone decay via tafoni development and evaluating cell evolution on an isolated hewn feature, known as Djinn Block X. Resembling other sandstone blocks found in the area, this irregular sandstone monument exhibits faces ranging in size from 2.5m by 3.5m to 3.9m to 4.2m (29m perimeter). Protruding features, incisions along the top, and a large platform attached to the northern face suggests this monument was ritualistic or unfinished. Over twenty morphometric and micrometeorologic variables were measured for the ten largest and smallest tafoni cells per face. Data were examined and analyzed statistically, photographically, and cartographically. A mirrored-value-aspect matrix was created to reveal statistical relationships between aspect and detailed measurements including cell depth, average diameter, estimated volume, surface temperatures, ambient temperature, and humidity. Results supported field observations displaying greatest decay on the southern and northern faces with r2 values as high as 0.157 at 144˚N for cell volume (total material lost). Moreover, morphometric data exhibited episodic spikes in cell growth, both by depth and diameter, supporting a possible threshold response explanation. These findings challenge steady-rate decay models and represent major implications for rock decay and tafoni research, as well as cultural stone assessment. Furthermore, Geomorphologic research such as this provides policy-makers information necessary to improve conservation efficacy for crucially sensitive heritage sites

Rabies postexposure prophylaxis survey--Kentucky, 1994.

A survey of rabies postexposure prophylaxis administered by local health departments for a 1-year period showed that very few patients received treatment as a result of exposure to a confirmed rabid animal. Most prophylaxis was administered for contact with domestic animals in situations where existing recommendations for quarantine or laboratory testing of the animal were not followed. Because rabies in domestic animals in Kentucky is uncommon, these findings suggest that had the existing recommendations been followed, the prophylaxis would have been unnecessary in most cases

Choosing Your Perspective: Finding Adventure in the Middle of a Crisis

We arrived in Jordan late August 2019 for Kaelin’s, postdoctoral Fulbright research fellowship: an historical repeat assessment of Petra over the last century. This was not our f irst experience living abroad, having been stationed in Amman (Jordan) a few years previous for my own Fulbright, and subsequently being based in Barbados. In fact, after our first time living in Jordan, we ended up returning on multiple occasions to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team conducting research in Wadi Rum. Jordan is an amazing country with the most hospitable and genuine people we have ever encountered in our somewhat extensive travels, so the chance to live there again was exciting – especially getting to explore every nook and cranny of Petra for Kaelin’s work, as my Fulbright previous research was focused on Jordan’s Eastern Desert (see Allen, 2019). Luckily, we have complementary specialties and regularly participate in each other’s research, but this time, instead of taking the lead, I (Casey) got to be the field assistant, grip, driver, and fixer – things I am really good at and enjoy. What an adventure it would be

Pediatric seatbelt injuries: unusual Chance's fracture associated with intra-abdominal lesions in a child

The authors report the case of a 7-year-old child involved in a motor vehicle accident. She sustained an unusual flexion-distraction vertebral injury. This spinal injury was related to seatbelt use and was associated with intra-abdominal lesions. The spinal lesion consisted of a posterior ligamentous disruption with widening of the posterior intervertebral space at two adjacent lumbar levels. The purpose of this case report is to describe an atypical and perhaps often unrecognized spinal lesion and to explain our approach to diagnosis and treatmen

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor with a sequence-specific hypoxia response element antagonist

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors have been implicated as key factors in tumor angiogenesis that are up-regulated by hypoxia. We evaluated the effects of DNA-binding small molecules on hypoxia-inducible transcription of VEGF. A synthetic pyrrole-imidazole polyamide designed to bind the hypoxia response element (HRE) was found to disrupt hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) binding to HIRE. In cultured HeLa cells, this resulted in a reduction of VEGF mRNA and secreted protein levels. The observed effects were polyamide-specific and dose-dependent. Analysis of genome-wide effects of the HIRE-specific polyamide revealed that a number of hypoxia-inducible genes were down-regulated. Pathway-based regulation of hypoxia-inducible gene expression with DNA-binding small molecules may represent a new approach for targeting angiogenesis

The social dimensions of sustainability and change in diversified farming systems

Agricultural systems are embedded in wider social-ecological processes that must be considered in any complete discussion of sustainable agriculture. Just as climatic profiles will influence the future viability of crops, institutions, i.e., governance agreements, rural household and community norms, local associations, markets, and agricultural ministries, to name but a few, create the conditions that foster sustainable food systems. Because discussions of agricultural sustainability often overlook the full range of social dimensions, we propose a dual focus on a broad set of criteria, i.e., human health, labor, democratic participation, resiliency, biological and cultural diversity, equity, and ethics, to assess social outcomes, and on institutions that could support diversified farming systems (DFS). A comparative analysis of case studies from California\u27s Central Valley, Mesoamerican coffee agroforestry systems, and European Union agricultural parks finds that DFS practices are unevenly adopted within and among these systems and interdependent with institutional environments that specifically promote diversified farming practices. Influential institutions in these cases include state policies, farmers\u27 cooperatives/associations, and organized civic efforts to influence agroenvironmental policy, share knowledge, and shape markets for more ‘sustainable\u27 products. The Californian and Mesoamerican cases considers organic and fair trade certifications, finding that although they promote several DFS practices and generate social benefits, they are inadequate as a single strategy to promote agricultural sustainability. The complex governance and multifunctional management of Europe\u27s peri-urban agricultural parks show unexpected potential for promoting DFS. Unless DFS are anchored in supportive institutions and evaluated against an inclusive set of social and environmental criteria, short-term investments to advance diversified agriculture could miss a valuable opportunity to connect ecological benefits with social benefits in the medium and long terms

Recent Decisions

Comments on recent decisions by Alfred Kaelin, John F. Beggan, Arthur J. Perry, Jerome M. Lynes, Robert E. Curley, Nicholas J. Neiers, Gordon C. Ho, Donald A. Garrity, F. James Kane, and Matthew T. Hogan