Digital Commons Network^™

The Politics Of Sexual Assault On The Theatrical Stage: How Theatre For Social Change Challenges Systems Of Oppression, Gerry Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The critical introduction analyzes how theatre has been used as a tool to directly address politics and influence social change. Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed has been of particular importance and influence in contemporary theatre which directly mirrors the failures of society by representing the people who are most affected. The purpose of theatre for social change is to accurately represent oppression within communities and inspire audiences to play an active role in finding solutions for these oppressive systems once they leave the comfort of the theatre. The critical introduction is followed by the full-length play, Victim Does Not …

Combined Neuroendocrine And Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Sinonasal Tract: A Morphologic And Immunohistochemical Analysis And Review Of Literature, Shweta Agarwal, Annemieke Van Zante, Michaela L. Granados

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Sinonasal malignancies constitute 3% of head and neck cancers, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) the most common histology. Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) are rare, with a subset showing neuroendocrine carcinoma and a non-neuroendocrine component. The pathogenesis of these combined tumors is largely unknown, and TP53 driver mutations may play a role. A database search for combined NEC was performed across two institutions (UNM and UCSF) spanning 15 years. Excluding NUT midline carcinoma, 3 cases met inclusion criteria. All were morphologically NEC + SCC and underwent a comprehensive immunohistochemical evaluation. Tumors demonstrated two components histologically: moderately to poorly differentiated SCC and high-grade …

Analyzing Business-Focused Social Networks In Hiring: The Influence Of A Job Candidate's Network On A Recruiter's Hiring Recommendation, Hannah V. Kibby

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Social media has altered the ways in which people interact. Business-focused social media profiles, such as those on LinkedIn, can act as a proxy for a traditional resume. However, these websites differ from a traditional resume in that information presented is sometimes informal, personal, and irrelevant to the member’s career. Furthermore, HR employees are able to view a job candidate’s social network. This research investigates the influence of a recruiter’s knowledge of an applicant’s professional network on the recruiter’s perception of the applicant’s trustworthiness and hence their willingness to take risk in the hiring relationship. A review of the literature …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 23: The Jersey Devil, And Friends, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

For nearly three hundred years reports have surfaced of a purported cryptid form known as the ‘Jersey devil.’ In this work an interpretation of the goals of biogeography is given, and how this field can be related to such alleged phenomena, as well as to some of the ideas of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) that seem to find their origin in the writings of Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Money Moves: An Analysis Of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment In Europe, Susan Soh

Honors Theses

In recent years, China has begun engaging in outward foreign direct investment (FDI). There is a significant amount of literature dedicated to understanding China’s FDI in developing nations. However, very little research has been conducted over Chinese FDI in advanced economies. As a result of this gap in existing literature, the question arises, what explains Chinese FDI in Europe?

As FDI is a transaction to which both the donor and recipient countries must agree, this thesis has a dual focus. One chapter of the thesis analyzes the effects of and motivations for Chinese FDI on European nations. In this chapter, …

Effects Of Ethanol On Glun1/Glun2a And Glun1/Glun2b Nmda Receptor-Ion Channel Gating Kinetics, Robert W. Peoples, Hong Ren

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Background

The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a major molecular target of alcohol action in the central nervous system, yet many aspects of alcohol's modulation of the activity of this ion channel remain unclear. We and others have shown that ethanol inhibition of NMDAR involves alterations in gating, especially a reduction in mean open time. However, a full description of ethanol's effects on NMDAR kinetics, including fitting them to a kinetic model, has not been reported.

Methods

To determine ethanol's effects on NMDAR kinetics, we used steady-state single-channel recording in outside-out patches from HEK-293 cells transfected with recombinant GluN1/GluN2A or …

Exploring Risk Factors Of Alzheimer’S Disease Using Mouse Models, Xian Han

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that accurately recapitulate pathology and molecular changes are crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and subsequent therapeutic development. We examined five commonly used mouse models of AD (5xFAD, J20, APPNL-F, APPNL-G-F, Tau P301S) and compared their whole- and phosphoproteomes with human AD (the integration of three published datasets) to study whether they can mimic protein/RNA expression discrepancies, molecular changes, and enriched pathways found in human AD cases. The mouse models especially 5xFAD and APPNL-G-F show proteomic signatures similar to human AD but lack human-specific AD progressions, such as dysregulation of synaptic pathways and networks. Integration …

A Cloning-Free Recyclable System For Crispr-Cas9 Mediated Mutant And Reversion Construction In Candida Albicans Clinical Isolates, Amanda K. Vogel

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Candida albicans is a ubiquitous opportunistic fungal pathogen and one of the most prevalent causes of fungal diseases worldwide. The reference isolate SC5314 is one of the most widely used strains for both experimental and genetic studies, but it is becoming increasingly evident that genetic diversity in clinical isolates plays an important role in antifungal resistance, virulence, and pathogenicity. These recent discoveries highlight the need for genetic tools that are capable of investigating genes in multiple strain backgrounds. Here we build on the SAT1-flipper method and combine it with CRISPR-Cas9 technology to achieve cloning-free homozygous deletion in a single transformation …

Time Series Classification With Multistage Modeling Using Deep Learning, James Arthur

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Time series classification (TSC) can be efficiently implemented with several techniques. Many techniques are based on analyzing 1-D signals in the time series data. In this work, we make an intrinsic analytical implementation of a new time series classification that involves a two-stage process. Firstly, by using Recurrence Plots (RP), we transform the time series into 2D images. The second stage consists in taking advantage of deep learn- ing models to perform our classification. The image illustration of time series introduces different feature types that are not available for all 1D signals, and therefore our classifi- cation problem is treated …

Online/Incremental Learning To Mitigate Concept Drift In Network Traffic Classification, Alberto R. De La Rosa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Communication networks play a large role in our everyday lives. COVID19 pandemic in 2020 highlighted their importance as most jobs had to be moved to remote work environments. It is possible that the spread of the virus, the death toll, and the economic consequences would have been much worse without communication networks. To remove sole dependence on one equipment vendor, networks are heterogeneous by design. Due to this, as well as their increasing size, network management has become overwhelming for network managers. For this reason, automating network management will have a significant positive impact. Machine learning and software defined networking …

No Better Than Any: An Exploration Of Masculinity And Modes Of Violence, Brian Daniel Lee

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In these seventeen short stories, I attempt to elicit and unmask hegemonic structures for what they are: destructive, dehumanizing, and unnatural. In these stories, I have positioned seemingly benevolent or at least nonviolent male and female protagonists in worlds somewhat removed, but not foreign from our own. The stories are intended to convey a sort of bathetic majority response to the destructive forces at work in society. The purpose for these settings and largely nonplussed characters is to better trace the fault lines of the masculine hegemonic structures and to pull symbolic and systemic violence into an atmosphere where it …

Insights On The Behavior Of Nano-Copper In The Agroecosystem: Mycorrhizal Associations With Spearmint (Mentha Spicata), Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology offers significant potential benefits to our society, including the agriculture sector. With the advancement of nano-enabled agrochemicals towards sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, it is essential to address environmental issues associated with the use of nanoscale materials. The same properties that give promise to applications of nanotechnology in modern agriculture could have unintended consequences on ecosystem dynamics. A point of concern for risk management is the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to beneficial microbial communities, which support a variety of ecosystem services.

Use of copper (Cu) products in agriculture are based on their abundance, role as a micronutrient, and …

Headquarters Report: Mda Strategic Plan: In The Rear View Mirror And Around The Curve, Karen Burgess Cae

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Association Executive Director's year-end report discusses the accomplishments and challenges of the MDA's 2021-25 Strategic Plan. Member value remains high, as indicated by a Net Promoter Score of 43 and positive feedback on benefits like TDSC.com. However, younger practitioners are less engaged due to pandemic-related challenges. Member engagement saw a successful in-person Annual Session and increased online engagement. Organizational sustainability remains strong, but efforts are focused on maintaining membership participation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including a collaborative website, made significant progress. Advocacy efforts resulted in Medicaid reform and defeating restrictive bills. The report concludes by emphasizing the evolving …

J Mich Dent Assoc December 2022

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Monthly, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and feature articles to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

In this issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story on Ensuring an Inclusive Environment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients.
• A clinical feature: Traumatic Ulcerative Granuloma Mimicking Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Lichen Planus.
• Feature information on the University of Michigan’s BioArtography Project.
• A recap on MDA volunteer leadership activity at the 2022 ADA House of Delegates.
• News you need, Editorial and regular department …

Shades Of Blue, Allison D. Thomas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

"Shades of Blue" is a confessional narrative that explores the ways in which our lives can be covered in a tinge of color. The experiences that shaped this collection are marked by the calm powder blues and rough midnight blues that change the way we see and think about the world. This narrative work took on a confessional voice because of the autobiographical nature of confessional poetry. Like other confessional collections this work is an exploration of the self and the truth of life. This collection was constructed by employing various poetic devices and forms. Several poems take on correspondent …

In Vitro Characterization Of Novel Compounds With Anti-Cancer Activity, Edgar Alonso Borrego Puerta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Two libraries of chemical compounds were analyzed for their cytotoxic activity against cancer and non-cancerous cell lines. In chapter 1, fourteen novel piperidones were tested on a panel of different cell lines to identify their cytotoxic activity. These compounds were found to have cytotoxic activity toward cancer cells with a cytotoxic concentration 50 (CC50) in the micromolar range. Furthermore, these fourteen compounds have selectivity preferentially towards cancer cells. Based on selectivity, and cytotoxicity, four compounds were selected for further characterization in the HL-60 cell line. The four compounds elicit apoptosis as measured by the externalization of the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS), …

Direct Ink Write And Thermomechanical Characterization Of Thermoset Composites, Sergio Dante Favela

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research will be divided into two sections. The first section discusses direct ink writing and thermomechanical characterization for thermoset composites. The thermoset ink is prepared with fillers aiding the printing process by modifying the rheology of the ink and geometry retention by allowing for the part to have an initial UV cure step. Three specimen formulations with different weight percentages were printed by material extrusion in the shape of tensile specimens following ASTM standard D638 to characterize the mechanical properties at room temperature, 100â?? and 200â??. Furthermore, the ink resin was characterized through DSC, TGA, and rheology testing. The …

Engineering 3d Bioprinted Cardiac Spheroidal Droplets With Cardiomyocytes And Cardiac Fibroblasts For Tissue Engineering And Drug Cytotoxicity Studies, Raven El Khoury

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Engineering is the supreme human endeavor that involves harnessing the scientific understanding of the natural world to design and invent objects to improve the society around us. Biomedical engineering is the implementation of concepts acquired from engineering in biology and medicine that aims to improve human health through the integration of engineering with biomedical sciences. The mission of a biomedical engineer is to develop technologies that help advance the quality of peopleâ??s health using various tools and materials with one passion and goal: making the patient's life longer and easier. Tissue engineering is developed from the field of biomaterials and …

Teaching About Teaching: A Philosophy Of Critical Literacy Through Phenomenological Ethics And Rhetorical Practices, Corina Lerma

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents a phenomenological approach to developing an alternative teaching curriculum for a first-year writing course anchored in rhetorical practices, but reflecting upon my experiences and understandings of phenomenological ethics and philosophy, which I believe can help envision the classroom differently and provides relevant theories to help develop more ethically aware rhetorical practices for first-year composition students. A phenomenological ethical approach that is grounded in experience, embraces ambiguity as an access point, and makes a call to responsibility and problematizes the ideas associated decontextualized and prescriptive teaching practices in higher education foregrounds the ethical implications and responsibilities we hold …

Exploring The Anticancer Mechanism Of Thienopyrazole Derivative Tpz-1 In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Jessica Dyanne Hess

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Anticancer drug discovery is a time and resource-consuming process for which exceedingly reliable and efficient modern approaches are needed. Phenotypic drug screenings can generate highly potent and innovative drug candidates; however, deconvolution of the drugâ??s target often presents significant barriers to drug development. To overcome this hurdle, we have originally combined in vitro and in silico analyses to uncover the molecular mechanism(s) driving the anticancer activity of the uniquely structured small molecule drug candidate, Tpz-1. Our study revealed that Tpz-1 is a multitargeted agent which induces the programmed death of HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia cells primarily through disruption of microtubule …

Autoantibody Against Tumor-Associated Antigens As Diagnostic Biomarkers In Hispanic Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Yangcheng Ma

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Liver cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies, in which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) takes up more than 80% of liver cancer cases. Early diagnosis and treatment are practical approaches to impede HCC progression. Identifying and classifying autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have long been interested in cancer diagnosis, especially for HCC. Circulating anti-TAA autoantibodies amplify the antigen expression and are more stable in blood, guaranteeing anti-TAA autoantibodies as valid diagnostic biomarkers in clinical application. Nonetheless, very few studies had focused on the Hispanic HCC group, which might retain distinct etiological risk factors compared to other ethnicities. The high incidence …

Authoritarian Regimes And Public Goods Structure And Survival, Benjamin Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

What explains the variance in the level of public goods provision in authoritarian regimes? Naturally, there are differences in the capabilities of states, however, there is a noticeable trend in the level of output from certain authoritarian states. Democracies have a clear causal mechanism for public goods provision, which is the electoral mandate, but dictatorships lack this feature. Hence the question is posed, why do some authoritarian states put so much effort into the provision of public goods? Singapore is considered one of the most developed states in the world, (outperforming some of the most democratic states.) yet it is …

Exploration And Analysis Of Attitudes And Determinants Toward Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U) Among Minority Women, Roberta Marie Thimbriel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: To explore and assess awareness of and attitudes toward "undetectable equals untransmittable" (U=U) and associations with social-ecological factors among minority women. Population: Ethnic minority women 18 years and older residing in the El Paso, TX, US - Juarez, Mexico border region. Methods: A cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed methods study using in-depth interviews and a survey instrument was conducted among a purposive sample. Thematic analysis was done on qualitative data, and descriptive, bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were done on quantitative data. Results: The majority of the participants (66.7% interviewees and 50.7% survey) were Hispanic, in their early-mid thirties, …

Using Ground Penetrating Radar To Investigate Controls On Pedogenic Calcium Carbonate Distribution In Dryland Critical Zones, Nohemi Valenzuela Garay

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Caliche or pedogenic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) layers are a common feature of arid soils, but the environmental controls on their distribution are not fully understood. Caliche layers are thought to play an important role in shallow subsurface water storage and movement, due to their water retention capacity and ability to impede vertical water transport (Hennessy et al., 1983). Therefore, caliche distribution and stability play a role in controlling water distribution in arid lands. However, due to its largely subsurface nature, caliche can be difficult to investigate and map without significant effort. I hypothesize that noninvasive geophysical methods, such as ground-penetrating …

Mental Illness Labeling In Justice-Involved People, Elena Therese Vaudreuil

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

While it cannot be denied that there is a strong correlational relationship between justice-involvement and mental illness, research has demonstrated that severe mental illness is rarely the direct cause of criminal activity. However, stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness are often rooted in incorrect generalizations regarding the link between mental illness and unpredictable, dangerous behavior, which can be magnified by labels (e.g., "schizophrenic" or "criminal"). This reduction of a person to a label results in a number of negative outcomes, ranging from the prejudice and inequitable treatment one may experience from groups such as justice workers, police, and employers …

Parent Coaching Via Telepractice For Children From Latinx Backgrounds With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Valeria Yllades, J. B. Ganz, Sanikan Wattanawongwan, Claudia Dunn, Lauren M. Pierson

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder from bilingual homes have to learn and discriminate which language to use across settings and different people. Language instruction is complicated by the core deficits in social communication, which is common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Using a single case, multiple probe design across three parent-child dyads between 3 and 6 years from Spanish speaking backgrounds, the present study examined the effect of telepractice-based parent coaching in a multimodal communication intervention. Culturally responsive approaches were integrated within the coaching model, including targeted interview questions. There was also a 15-item rubric used for identifying criteria …

Does Teacher Bias Increase Referral Of Blacks To Special Education For A Reading Disability?, Blade Wise Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that Black students are over-represented in special education for a reading disability based on the inaccuracy of teacher referrals. Teachers' accuracy in referring Black students to special education for a reading disability is not an extensively researched area. This study aims to determine if teachers' biases and attitudes toward Black students impacted their ability to accurately make a special education referral for a reading disability for this population of students. For this study, teachers completed a questionnaire, cultural competence self-assessment checklist, four vignettes, and a post-vignette question to determine if their personal biases and attitudes impacted their willingness …

My Journey Through Cinematic Camera Movement, Tim Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explains my journey to becoming a cinematographer and finding my cinematic style through both trial and error and classroom instruction at Stephen F. Austin State University, learning advanced camera and lighting techniques, and working on the 2022 summer feature as a Director of Photography (DP). I will begin with a little bit of history and then move into my influences, experiences, and preferences as it pertains to cinematography and camera movement.

The Effects Of Esports On Sport-Confidence And Imagery In Athletes, Kelton Mahon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the growing popularity of esports, athletes may be able to experience potential cognitive and performance-related benefits as a result of watching others play esports. In the current study, student athletes were randomly assigned to watch a sport esport video or a control esport video and then completed measures of sport-confidence and imagery. It was predicted that participants in the sport esport video group would score higher than the control esport video group in the cognitive efficiency and resilience aspects of sport-confidence, as well as the cognitive general, motivational general-mastery, and motivational general-arousal domains of imagery. The overall results did …

Optimization Of Clostridium Septicum Antigen Production And Evaluation Of Vaccine Administration Parameters For A Candidate Bacterin-Toxoid To Prevent Dermatitis In Commercial Turkeys, Aaron Forga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to optimize the hemolytic activity of two isolates of Clostridium septicum to evaluate if hemolytic titer of C. septicum antigen at time of formalin inactivation corresponded to increased serum antibody titer to the C. septicum alpha-toxin of turkeys immunized with an experimental formalin inactivated bacterin-toxoid vaccine. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the thesis. Chapter 2 consists of a literature review focused on clostridial dermatitis, specifically C. septicum-associated dermatitis (cellulitis) that affects commercial turkeys. Chapter 3 outlines our attempts to optimize an experimental autogenous bacterin-toxoid vaccine as a potential strategy to mitigate clostridial …