Digital Commons Network^™

58(2) Front Matter

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ai & The Legal Profession: Special Issue Introduction, Jon Festinger, Kc

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Do The Canadian Practical And Legal Frameworks On Ai Adequately Address The Uses Of Llms In Courts?, Céline Castets-Renard

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Algorithmic Sentencing & Displaced Judicial Discretion: Storytelling Solutions For Rule Of Law Problems In The Age Of Ai, Katie Szilagyi

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Care For Chatbots, Peter Wills

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Lying Chatbot Makes Airline Liable: Negligent Misrepresentation In Moffatt V Air Canada, Isabelle St-Hilaire

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Insights Gained From Applying Molecular Techniques To Gray Triggerfish (Balistes Capriscus Gmelin, 1789) In The Mexican Caribbean, The Southern And Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Geaceli G. Orive

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on Balistes capriscus (Gray Triggerfish), a reef-associated species dependent on hard-bottom habitats in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Using mitochondrial DNA barcoding and phylogenetic analyses, genetic structure across four sites was assessed: Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Veracruz, Chinchorro Bank, and Xahuayxol. Samples from RGV and Veracruz exhibited limited haplotype diversity, minimal nucleotide divergence, and weak genetic differentiation-patterns consistent with recent population expansion and ongoing connectivity within the GOM. While the study centered on B. capriscus, all individuals from Chinchorro and Xahuayxol unexpectedly grouped with Canthidermis maculata (Spotted Oceanic Triggerfish), suggesting misidentification, cryptic diversity, or taxonomic uncertainty in …

Summer 2025, Georgia Library Quarterly

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Girls Of Riyadh Narrating The “Velvet Class” In Saudi Arabia, Yahya Hassan Al-Wadhaf

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Banat al-Riyadh, translated as Girls of Riyadh, is a Saudi controversial novel which was initially published in 2005 and appeared as an English version in 2007. The narrative gives a detailed and an inside view to the domestic and ‘private’ part of the Saudi society. It gives an access to that ‘velvet class’ as the narrator describes the women that occupy the narrative space of Girls of Riyadh. The novel addresses in a revolutionary manner issues pertaining to women’s rights, dreams, hopes and aspirations The novel addresses in a revolutionary manner issues pertaining to women’s rights, dreams, hopes, and aspirations …

The Effect Of Diet Formulations Containing Different Protein Sources On Energy And Nitrogen Utilization In Lactating Jersey Cows, Kortney Ann Harpestad

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It is well understood that lactating dairy cows require metabolizable protein (MP) for milk yield and milk protein synthesis. Diets with conventional feed sources like corn and soybean meal (SBM) may not sufficiently meet all MP and amino acid (AA) requirements so supplementation with more rumen undegradable protein (RUP) rich feeds or rumen-protected AA can be fed to support animal performance. The growth trajectory of biofuels has resulted in dramatic increases in the production of feeds like heat treated soybean meal (HTSBM). While the chemical composition of this product is understood, there is a need to better understand how HTSBM …

Prioritizing Privacy In Artificial Intelligence: A Practitioner-Grounded, Layered Framework, Prince Boadi

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems rapidly assume responsibility for processing large volumes of sensitive personal data, organizations struggle to identify which privacy safeguards deserve immediate, sustained investment. This study develops a practitioner-informed framework that ranks and organizes privacy controls for AI environments, thereby bridging the persistent gap between regulatory mandates and implementation realities. Using grounded theory and thematic analysis of 152 qualitative responses drawn from experts in technology, healthcare, government, defense, and education, we coded interview data in ATLAS.ti to surface three interdependent control layers—Strategic Governance Controls, Operational Controls, and Technical Controls—that map closely to the NIST Privacy Framework and …

Foundations Of Quality: A Toolkit For Professional Growth In Infant/Toddler Classrooms, Amber A. Hulin

Masters Projects

This project aims to tackle the issue of inconsistencies in the educational experiences provided by many early childhood programs. This project focuses primarily on the infant/toddler age group. Chapter 1 identifies a key contributing factor in these inconsistencies: a shortage of high-quality teachers due to lack of infant/toddler focused content in teacher preparation programs and further professional development. Chapter 2 reviews the literature including what a high-quality educator is and how a high-quality educator impacts a child’s development. It also identifies the various teacher preparation programs and highlights the lack of infant/toddler content in professional development. Chapter 3 presents a …

The Need For Specialized Career Development Services For Collegiate Student-Athletes, Scott Victor-Allen Spaanstra

Masters Projects

Research has shown that college students benefit greatly from career development services provided by their university (Bridgstock et al., 2019). However, many collegiate student-athletes may find it difficult to utilize their on-campus career development resources due to additional time constraints, stress and pressure, and struggle with athletic identity (Carodine et al., 2001). This project explores the importance of specialized career development support for student-athletes at collegiate universities as specialized career development services have been shown to benefit students (Patton & McMahon, 2021). This project will introduce career development services to help student-athletes as well as provide the tools to evaluate …

An Examination Of Inclusive Education Programs For Children With Disabilities, Haley Misiewicz

Masters Projects

This project addresses the ongoing need for high-quality professional development that equips early childhood educators with effective strategies for inclusive education. Research consistently demonstrates that inclusive settings benefit both students with disabilities and their typically developing peers, yet many educators report a lack of confidence, training, and support when implementing inclusive practices. Grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and informed by federal legislation such as IDEA and ADA, this project presents a professional development toolkit designed to support preschool through second-grade teachers in creating accessible, responsive classroom environments.

The toolkit consists of a 90-minute training session, …

Contextualization Of Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (Hcap) In An Aging Population In Rural Low-Resource Settings In Africa: Experiences And Strategies Adopted To Optimize Effective Adaption Of Cognitive Tests In Kenya, Roselyter Riang’A, Eunice Muthoni, Niranjani Nagarajan, Felix Agoi, Patrick Mwangala, Alden Gross, Jean Ikanga, Kenneth Langa, Edward Miguel, Anthony Ngugi

Population Health, East Africa

Cross-cultural adaptation of cognitive assessments is crucial for detecting Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) in aging populations. This study documents the adaptation of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) for a pilot study on the Longitudinal Study of Health and Aging in Kenya (LOSHAK) in rural Kilifi County, Kenya, highlighting challenges and strategies for optimizing outcomes. As part of the LOSHAK feasibility phase, cognitive tests including: the Swahili Mental State Examination, 10-word recall, animal naming, story recall, clock drawing, and making change, were administered to 202 participants (≥45 years) from the Kaloleni/Rabai Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KRHDSS). …

Bridging The Capacity Building Gap For Antimicrobial Stewardship Implementation: Evidence From Virtual Communities Of Practice In Kenya, Ghana, And Malawi, Ana De Lima, Kwame Buabeng, Mavis Sakyi, Hope Chadwala, Nicole Devereaux, Collins Mitambo, Christine Mugo-Sitati, Jennifer Njuhigu, Gunturu Revathi, Emmanuel Tanui

Pathology, East Africa

Background/Objectives: Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs is an invaluable intervention in the ongoing efforts to contain the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly in low-resource settings. This study evaluates the impact of the Telementoring, Education, and Advocacy Collaboration initiative for Health through Antimicrobial Stewardship (TEACH AMS), which uses the virtual Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) learning model to enhance AMS capacity in Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used, which included attendance data collection, facility-level assessments, post-session and follow-up surveys, as well as focus group discussions. Results: Between September 2023 and February 2025, 77 virtual learning …

Dp-Brem: Differentially-Private And Byzantine-Robust Federated Learning With Client Momentum, Xiaolan Gu, Ming Li, Li Xiong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Federated Learning (FL) allows multiple participating clients to train machine learning models collaboratively while keeping their datasets local and only exchanging the gradient or model updates with a coordinating server. Existing FL protocols are vulnerable to attacks that aim to compromise data privacy and/or model robustness. Recently proposed defenses focused on ensuring either privacy or robustness, but not both. In this paper, we focus on simultaneously achieving differential privacy (DP) and Byzantine robustness for cross-silo FL, based on the idea of learning from history. The robustness is achieved via client momentum, which averages the updates of each client over time, …

Efficacy And Safety Of Oral Decitabine/Cedazuridine In The Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukaemia Subpopulations From Phase 2 And 3 Studies, Michael R Savona, Olatoyosi Odenike, Gail J Roboz, Harshad Amin, Amy E Dezern, Elizabeth A Griffiths, Kim-Hien Dao, Amer M Zeidan, Bhavana Bhatnagar, Rena Buckstein, Brian Leber, Mary-Margaret Keating, Somedeb Ball, Aram Oganesian, Yuri Sano, Harold N Keer, Guillermo Garcia-Manero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) are commonly used in treating chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML); however, data from prospective studies of DNMTis in CMML are limited. The present analysis evaluated the efficacy, safety and pharmacodynamics of the oral DNMTi decitabine/cedazuridine in the subset of patients with CMML from the phase 2 and 3 trials, which led to the approval of this agent for myelodysplastic syndromes and CMML in the United States and Canada. Potential prognostic factors also were analysed. In all, 34 patients with CMML were screened and 33 were treated. Most patients (76% [n = 25]) had myelodysplastic type-CMML and 77% …

Patient, Physician, And Assessor Blinding In Phase Iii Randomized Trials In Oncology: A Meta-Epidemiological Analysis, Gabrielle Brown, Pavlos Msaouel, Avital M Miller, Ramez Kouzy, Timothy A Lin, Joseph Abi Jaoude, Ethan B Ludmir, Alexander D Sherry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Blinding mitigates bias in randomized trials and may be especially crucial for surrogate endpoints, such as progression-free survival (PFS). Here, we characterize utilization of and factors associated with blinding in Phase III oncology trials with PFS primary endpoints.

Methods: Two-arm, superiority-design trials investigating systemic therapy were identified in May 2024 from ClinicalTrials.gov with no date limitation. Trials were required to have a PFS primary endpoint. The study outcomes were the presence of double-blind designs and blinded independent central review (BICR) for the primary endpoint. Ninety-five percent credible intervals for binary outcomes were estimated from beta distributions, and multivariable logistic …

Orp2 Regulates Free Cholesterol Accumulation In Hepatocytes During Mash, Jin Wu, Yudi Zhao, Liwen Qiu, Qiaoli Chen, Xiaowei Wang, Jingwen Gu, Yan Liang, Yingjie Zhang, Hong-Yu Wang, Yang Liu, Xiaoqin Wu, Shuai Chen, Feng-Jung Chen, Mingming Gao, Hongyuan Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cholesterol crystals in hepatocytes are known to strongly associate with human metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. However, it remains unclear which molecular pathway(s) regulates free cholesterol accumulation and the formation of cholesterol crystals in hepatocytes. In cultured cell lines, oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2 (ORP2) functions to deliver cholesterol to the plasma membrane from endosomal compartments.

Methods: Here, we generated liver-specific ORP2 knockout (ORP2-LKO) mice and characterized their metabolic phenotypes on chow and high-fat diet.

Results: The ORP2-LKO mice developed much more severe hepatic steatosis than floxed control mice after high-fat diet feeding. They also demonstrated more severe liver inflammation and damage. …

Large-Scale Genome-Wide Analyses Of Stuttering, Hannah G Polikowsky, Alyssa C Scartozzi, Douglas M Shaw, Dillon G Pruett, Hung-Hsin Chen, Lauren E Petty, Alexander S Petty, Emily J Lowther, Shu-Hsien Cho, Yao Yu, Sahar Mozaffari, Christy L Avery, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Reyna L Gordon, Janet M Beilby, Kathryn Z Viljoen, Robin M Jones, Chad D Huff, Heather M Highland, Shelly Jo Kraft, Jennifer E Below

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Developmental stuttering is a highly heritable, common speech condition characterized by prolongations, blocks and repetitions of speech. Although stuttering is highly heritable and enriched within families, the genetic architecture is largely understudied. We reasoned that there are both shared and distinct genetic variants impacting stuttering risk within sex and ancestry groups. To test this idea, we performed eight primary genome-wide association analyses of self-reported stuttering that were stratified by sex and ancestry, as well as secondary meta-analyses of more than one million individuals (99,776 cases and 1,023,243 controls), identifying 57 unique loci. We validated the genetic risk of self-reported stuttering …

Bystanders Intervening During Acts Of Cyberbullying: Examining The Moderating Influence Of “Likes” And Pleas For Help, Joseph Kallman

Student Theses

Abstract

Cyberbullying research has only recently begun exploring “cyberstanders,” also known as bystanders, and their role in cyberbullying, as well as testing the bystander effect (Barlinska et al., 2013; Machackova et al., 2013; Obermaier et al., 2016; Shultz et al., 2014). In the current study, we aim to deepen our understanding of the bystander effect by manipulating the number of likes, which will indicate the number of bystanders present and the plea for help on social media via Twitter among college students, by examining how participants respond to fictitious cyberbullying incidents. The results of this study did not support our …

Shifting Instructional Planning Practices: Exploring High School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Integrating The Do The Math Protocol Into Collaborative Instructional Planning, Lillian M. Gordon

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of high school mathematics teachers regarding the implementation of the Do the Math protocol during collaborative instructional planning. This study investigates how the use of a structured planning tool can support professional growth and instructional improvement. Over five weeks, participants engaged with the protocol to collaboratively plan instruction. Data was collected through interviews, observation of collaborative instructional planning sessions, and analysis of instructional artifacts. Findings revealed two major themes. First, the protocol contributed to building content and pedagogical knowledge by deepening teachers’ understanding of math standards, promoting intentional collaboration, and encouraging the sharing …

The Impact Of A Multilingual Learner Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Perceptions Of Teacher Support, Mark A. Bryan

Dissertations

The population of multilingual learners is struggling to adapt to mainstream classes because the educational system has failed to support them on the same level as native English speakers. The gap in achievement and lack of teacher preparation demonstrates a clear need to support teachers who educate them. This study, a nonequivalent (pretest and posttest) control-group design combined with a cross-sectional survey design, addressed the effectiveness of a professional development series focused on best practices for teaching secondary math to multilingual learners. The professional development intervention consisted of one 45-minute initial session followed by twelve 15-minute mini lessons throughout the …

Building Toward A Timbral Tool-Kit: A Practice-Led Exploration Of Timbre As An Inspirational Tool In The Composition Process, Kailan O’Dell

Postgraduate

This exegesis is a practice-led investigation into the role of timbre as a tool of inspiration and musical expression in the composition process, with a specific focus on keyboard instruments. Two contrasting compositions for grand piano were recorded, then recorded again using four other distinct keyboard instrument timbres. The composer’s emotional perception of each keyboard instrument timbre was evaluated through reflective analysis, and with the use of the Geneva Emotional Music Scale. Knowledge of the emotional associations of the various timbres was used in the creation of four new compositions, one for each of the four distinct keyboard instrument timbres. …

Impact Of Humidity From Shrink (Wrap) Tunnels On Refrigeration Systems: Comparing Economic And Environmental Impact Of Natural Gas And Electric, Segun Samuel Oladipo

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines the economic and environmental effects of electric and steam shrink-wrapping tunnels used in beef packaging processes, paying particular attention to the indirect refrigeration loads caused by the heat and humidity that each system releases. Traditional sustainability evaluations frequently ignore these indirect impacts, which are especially important in meat processing facilities where 45–55% of electricity use is attributed to refrigeration. Life cycle assessment (LCA), field measurements, and thermodynamic modeling are all used in this work to offer a thorough analysis of both tunnel types.

The case study facility in Nebraska operates both steam and electric shrink tunnels to …

Non-Blackbox Robust Design Of Machine Learning In Networks, Venkat Sai Suman Lamba Karanam

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Networked systems have become increasingly complex, with newer communication technologies and standards being added every day. Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) paradigms have been adopted in networks to not only solve many fundamental problems, but also to allow seamless integration of components comprising them. The saying “let’s not reinvent the wheel” in ML/AI adoption implies that model architecture design be left for pure ML/AI researchers, while network researchers focus on input preprocessing (e.g. formatting the packet data to be fed to a model), hyperparameter fine-tuning and a trial-and-error approach to find the “best” result. …

Don't Settle For Less: Incorporating Postcolonial And Settler Colonial Perspectives Into The Sociological Canon, Eli Xavier Ornelas

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

For decades now, post-/de-/settler-/ and anticolonial scholars have advanced the argument that sociology has largely failed to incorporate critical insights from theories of empire into the sociological canon. In this dissertation, I argue that introduction to sociology textbooks offer an important vantage point from which to assess conventional sociological knowledge as textbooks are often thought to be “reflections of the discipline.” I analyze the social theory and race chapters of 21 of the most often used introduction to sociology textbooks in the United States to investigate two chapters where insights from theories of empire would be present if indeed incorporated: …

Authentication And Message Integrity Verification For Emerging Wireless Networks, Ebuka Philip Oguchi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation presents a comprehensive body of research on authentication and message integrity verification for emerging wireless networks, focusing on secret-free and physical layer security techniques across diverse, challenging, and unconventional environments.

It comprises four first-author contributions that span underground wireless systems, over-the-air (OTA) channels, vehicular communications, and nanoscale molecular networks.

The first contribution, Soil-Assisted Trust Establishment for Underground Wireless Networks (STUN), introduces a physical-layer trust bootstrapping protocol that achieves authentication and message integrity without pre-shared secrets. Leveraging underground-to-air propagation laws and trusted relay nodes, STUN resists active signal injection attacks and demonstrates security comparable to the unbalanced oil and …

Carrying Light In The Shadows: Four Portraits Of Critical Literacy Teacher Agency In Unlikely Contexts, Cassandra Schroeder

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative study utilizes portraiture methodology to explore how educators in politically conservative and predominantly White schools enact critical literacy teacher agency. Using a theoretical lens of critical literacy and second-wave Whiteness studies, this research examines the lived experiences and instructional moves of four veteran English/language arts teachers. Through cross-case analysis, the study traces how teacher agency is contextually responsive and dependent on their professional identity, awareness of sociopolitical issues, and traditional school curricular expectations. The findings highlight how educators assess risk, navigate community norms, and maintain critical literacy through dialogic pedagogy and strategic adaptation. The four teachers in the …