Digital Commons Network^™

Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds For In Vitro 3d Tissue Engineering, Victoria E. Santillan, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Stephanie Bule, Ronish M. Shrestha, Carter Rodzik, Alan Mendoza Estrada, Stephen L. Farias, Marina Tanasova, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Publications

Tissue engineering is widely used in research for investigating cellular proliferation, behavior, and responses to various stimuli. However, the predictive value of preclinical studies using cell culture plates is limited by the inability to recapitulate the complexity of the physiological microenvironment. Synthetic three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds can be engineered to mimic the complex morphology of the extracellular matrix of native tissues and can serve as physiologically relevant platforms for preclinical studies. In this study, 3D electrospun scaffolds were characterized to aid in breast cancer research. Unlike previous studies that focused primarily on scaffold fabrication or cell viability, this work systematically evaluates …

Streamlined Biomedical Image Processing Pipelines, Jiehyun Kim

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on advancing carotid artery analysis through a series of visualizations and deep learning tools for calcified plaque assessment and related biomedical imaging tasks. Accurate plaque evaluation is essential, but current workflows depend on slow, clinician-dependent manual review. To address these limitations, this work introduces the CACTAS framework, a set of tools and methods that enable fast and reliable plaque segmentation for clinicians.

The first study, the CACTAS-Tool, provides a web-based labeling tool that enables clinicians to label plaque directly in three dimensions through a streamlined one-click interface. This tool significantly reduces the effort required to generate high-quality …

Talk To Me: Exploring The Sociocultural Ecology Of Home Language And Literacy Practices Of Families In India, Surbhi Puri

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Existing research highlights the role of home language and literacy environments (HLLE) in shaping early language and literacy development, yet few studies have examined the practices of multilingual families in India. While home environments offer rich learning opportunities, broader sociocultural and policy contexts influence how families support literacy and language development. Families’ insights into home language use, literacy routines, and cultural practices remain underexplored in early childhood education research.

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the HLLE of preschool-aged children in India and examine how families support early language and literacy development within multilingual home …

Transformative Teaching And Learning - Practicing Emancipation Through Co-Construction And Dialogue In Workplace Learning, Lisa Roe

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING: PRACTICING EMANCIPATIONTHROUGH CO-CONSTRUCTION, AND DIALOGUE IN WORKPLACE TEACHING ANDLEARNING

June 2026

Lisa A. Roe, B.A., University of Maine

M.Ed., Suffolk University

Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Patricia Krueger-Henney

This dissertation investigates how emancipatory and creative practices can transform vocational high school classrooms into spaces of shared power, dialogue, and mastery-based learning. Using an autoethnographic methodology, I examined my practice as a vocational educator in information technology over the course of an academic year.

Grounded in Wheatley’s fractal organization theory, Kincheloe’s critical constructivism, Lave and Wenger’s situated learning, and dialogic pedagogy, …

Computer-Aided Development Of Novel Antioxidants, Rita Bernadett Vlocsko

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Physiological redox homeostasis is a fine balance between prooxidants and antioxidants that are integrated elements of several reduction-oxidation mechanisms at molecular, organellar, cellular and tissue levels. When this equilibrium is disrupted and prooxidants become dominant, the body relies on endogenous and exogenous antioxidants to counterbalance the dysregulation and ultimately prevent the progression of oxidative stress. Reactive species (reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, or reactive sulfur species) are significant contributors to prooxidant activity. Over the years, substantial knowledge has been accumulated regarding their origin and roles in disease development, leading to the discovery and development of antioxidants that effectively target …

Whose Knowledge Is Sustained?: Dominican Students’ Cultural And Linguistic Experiences Navigating White, Female, And Monolingual Pedagogical Spaces, Carminia Lissette Castillo

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how Dominican newcomer youth experience schooling in U.S. secondary schools, with emphasis on language, curriculum, identity, belonging, and students’ visions for more humanizing educational environments. Grounded in student testimonios, the study explored how school structures, pedagogical practices, and teacher–student relationships shape students’ academic engagement, emotional well-being, and sense of recognition as they navigate migration, language transition, and racialized identity formation. Informed by raciolinguistic, culturally sustaining, and critical interpretive frameworks, this study centered Dominican students’ voices as sources of knowledge about schooling, exclusion, and possibility. The findings comprise three central themes. First, students described raciolinguistic schooling …

Recent Progress In Aircraft Structural Health Monitoring: Sensors, Data And Intelligence, Abeer Kadhum Abd, Qasim Abbas Atiyah, Imad Abdulhussein Abdulsahib

Engineering and Technology Journal

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems are essential technologies that contribute to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of aircraft structures throughout their operational lifespan. With the increasing use of lightweight materials and complex structural designs, coupled with longer maintenance intervals, traditional scheduled inspection methods have become insufficient, leading to a shift towards continuous, sensor-based monitoring systems. This research aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive review of the latest developments in aircraft structural health monitoring, focusing on sensing technologies, data collection methods, and intelligent processing techniques based on artificial intelligence. This study is based on a systematic analysis of the …

Mri-Based Deep Learning Radiomics Model For Automated Classification Of Disc Degeneration In The Lumbar Spine, Shiv Patil, Om Gandhi, Mert Karabacak, Matthew Carr, Konstantinos Margetis

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Disc degeneration in the lumbar spine is a major cause of low back pain (LBP). The accurate grading of disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is critical for clinical management and patient selection for spine surgery. This study aims to develop and evaluate machine learning (ML) models that combine features from deep learning (DL) and radiomics for the automated prediction of Pfirrmann grade (PG), a measure of disc degeneration, using multi-parametric lumbar spine MRI. Sagittal T1, T2, and T2 SPACE MRIs of 218 patients with LBP were acquired from the SPIDER dataset. For each intervertebral disc and available sequence, …

Simplification Of Technical Language In Tagesschau News For B1-Level German Vocabulary Learning, Syaula Qonit Helga, Dewi Kartika Ardiyani

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

This study aims to identify and categorize the types of Fachsprache (specialized language) found in simplified Tagesschau news and to explore their potential use for B1-level German vocabulary learning. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach using content analysis. Data were collected from news videos available on the Tagesschau YouTube channel and analyzed according to three categories: (1) CEFR level, (2) subject area, and (3) usage context. The data were processed through data reduction techniques to simplify Fachsprache terms at higher CEFR levels, followed by data display and interpretation to examine the identification results, and finally, conclusion drawing. The findings …

Hydrodynamic Analysis And Cfd Modeling Of Pawec Interacted With Regularwaves Using Cfx, Ahmed Elbaz

Mechanical Engineering

The multiplicity of renewable energy sources represents the biggest challenge for environmental scientists and engineers. This research presents a mathematical model and a numerical study using the high-performance ANSYS-CFX software to analyze the dynamic behavior of the point absorberwave energy converter (PAWEC). Two different models were constructed to predict the hydrodynamic response of the wave energy converter in both free and forced oscillations under the action of incident regular waves and external mechanical damping. The differential equations are solved analytically using RKFOM. CFX multiphase model is constructed to solve the 3D Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes Equation (URANS) using the two-way …

Developing A Framework For Mooc Dropout: The Role Of Utilitarian And Hedonic Values In Student Retention, Bipllab Roy, Mave D'Souza, Madhura Laghane

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have expanded access to higher education but continue to face persistently high dropout rates, raising concerns about their long‑term effectiveness and sustainability. This study develops and empirically tests a structural framework that links utilitarian values (perceived usefulness, certificate value, time flexibility), hedonic values (enjoyment, variety and novelty, personal interest alignment), and individual characteristics (goal orientation, self‑efficacy, motivation type) to MOOC student retention. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 200 MOOC learners from Christ University, Lavasa Campus, and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS. The results show that goal orientation, self‑efficacy …

Utilizing Research Narratives To Advance Systems Thinking In Doctoral Education, Ryan Charles Weber, Kathleen Teresa Scott

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

This study examines how narrative storytelling functions as a pedagogical mechanism for advancing systems thinking in doctoral education. Drawing on a qualitative narrative synthesis of publicly available scholarly literature, the analysis explores how narrative practices support sensemaking, complexity integration, and collaborative learning among doctoral students. Grounded in Senge’s (2006) learning organization framework, the study investigates how storytelling contributes to the development of mental models, shared vision, personal mastery, and team learning in advanced academic contexts. Findings indicate that narrative engagement enhances cognitive integration, deepens understanding of systemic interdependence, and strengthens collaborative discourse among emerging scholars. The study extends leadership and …

Analyzing The Impact: Foster Grandparent Program, Shanetta Weatherspoon, Miyue Chen, Monica Pereda

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) is a multigenerational approach to community volunteerism. The study uses intergenerational solidarity to conceptualize the impact of the FGP. The study aims to examine the impact of two dimensions by analyzing data from the Assignment Assessment Forms and the New General Self-Efficacy Scale. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine whether there is a difference in the mentees’ behavior pre- and post-intervention over four years and by way of three priority areas. Results indicated that the FGP has an impact on both the mentees and volunteers. Findings suggest that the program’s activities are the vehicle for …

The Intersection Of Bias, Critical Thinking, & Innovation: A Quantitative Analysis, Jacob Sands, Angel Huerta

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

This study examines whether gender differences exist in critical thinking skills among elementary school students through a secondary quantitative analysis of an existing dataset (Putera, 2020). Using a sample of 25 students with complete data, the study employs linear regression and an independent samples t-test to evaluate the relationship between gender and critical thinking test scores. Results indicate that female students scored slightly higher on average than male students; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.634). Regression findings further confirm that gender is not a significant predictor of critical thinking performance. These findings align with existing literature …

Out Of Scotland, America Arose, Angela Winters

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Within the annals of history, the American Revolution and the subsequent Founding Era could rival any other historical time frame for the amount of academic analysis that has been conferred upon the people, the documents, and the overall trends that led up to the world-changing establishment of the United States of America. However, one area that has had comparatively little focus given to it is the contribution of Scottish political writings from centuries of unrest and continual attempts to maintain their sovereign rights as a free people. Often overlooked due to the celebrity-like status of French and English Enlightenment writers, …

Fate Of Nitrogen Applied To Grassland In Animal Wastes, M Sherwood

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The experiment was designed to determine the effects of land spreading of animal manures on the nutrient content of surface runoff water and infiltrating soil water. This report deals only with nitrogen (N) and attempts to quantify the losses through runoff, leaching, and volatilization of ammonia (NH3) as well as N uptake in the grass over a 3-year period. Experimental plots sited on grassland, on two soil types (a moderately drained loam and an impermeable gley), were equipped to collect surface runoff water. Ceramic probes were installed in each plot at 15-, 30-, 60-, and 100-cm depths to extract in­filtrating …

Annual Losses Of Ammonia From A Grazed Pasture Fertilized With Urea, V R. Catchpoole, L A. Harper, R J.K Keyers

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen-balance studies have shown losses of applied nitrogen (N) from grazed pastures in southeastern Queensland. Losses as high as 80% have been observed from urea N broadcast at 376 kg N/ha/yr over 8 years on a Setaria sp1uu:elata cv. Nandi pasture. Management techniques aimed at reducing this loss and thereby increasing the efficiency of use of N by pastures cannot be devised until the pathways of loss are known. The objective of this research was to estimate the annual ammonia (NH3) loss by convective transport from a urea-fertilized pasture at Samford Pasture Research Station in southeastern Queensland. Urea was broadcast …

Nitrogen Losses From Urine-Affected Areas Of A New Zealand Pasture, Under Contrasting Seasonal Conditions, P R. Ball, D R. Keeney

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing ruminants aggregate large quantities of forage nitrogen (N) into urine patches. Pasture plots treated with urine N were studied to assess its fate under contrasting seasonal conditions: cool-moist (representing winter-spring); warm-moist (late spring-early summer), and warm-dry (late summer-autumn). A permanent ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-white clover (Trifolium repens L.) sward on free-draining alluvial soil was studied. 'freatments were replicated in randomized blocks. Urine N was applied at 30 or 60 g N/m2• Relevant measurements were then continued until treatment differences disappeared. Apparent N balances for urine treatments were compiled. Fixation by white clover was always greatly reduced in …

Effects Of Grazing Management On Seasonal Variation In Nitrogen Fixation, J L. Brock, J H. Hoglund, R H. Fletcher

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Using the acetylene reduction assay, field studies in recent years have investigated the variation in N fixation in grazed systems, and some of the principles involved in the interaction with available soil N have been described. This experiment ex­tends this work to include the effect of grazing management on the factors influencing N fixation. Two self-contained sheep-grazed units, one a 10-paddock rotationally grazed system and the other set stocked, were estab­lished on a high-fertility ryegrass-white clover pasture, with a basic stocking rate of 22 sheep/ha. Over the 1975-1978 period, both units were monitored for pasture growth, N fixation, and associated …

Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation Of Alfalfa, Birdsfoot Trefoil, And Red Clover, G H. Heichel, C P. Vance, D K. Barnes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage legumes such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus comiculatus L.), and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), grown in crop rotations, can provide an inexpensive source of nitrogen (N) to succeeding crops. Few quantitative measurements of seasonal patterns of N fixation in managed communities of perennial forage legumes have been undertaken, chiefly because of the lack of satisfactory methods. Therefore, there is little knowledge of how N fixation varies with crop development, yielding ability, and weather patterns. Quantitative measurements of N fixation are important in choosing the appropriate legume for use in a crop rotation and for …

Photosynthate Supply And Nitrogen Fixation In Forage Legumes, P M. Murphy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Photosynthate supply is known to limit nitrogen fixation in legumes, and the resulting shortfall in energy supply necessary for maximum crop production may be aggravated by the energy-wasteful process of hydrogen (H2) evolution by the legume N2 fixing system. There is less information available on these aspects of the nitrogen-fixing process in forage legumes, such as white clover (Trifolium repens). The objectives of the present work were to determine how N2(C2H2) fixation and H2 production are in­fluenced by carbohydrate supply in forage legumes.

Plants were grown under controlled environmental conditions, and nodule energy supply was varied by adjusting …

Selection Of Rhizobium Strains For Enhanced Dinitrogen Fixation In Forage Legume Production, C Hagedorn, W E. Knight

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A set of procedures for the selection of Rhizobium strains for enhanced dinitrogen fixation in forage legumes is presented. Although forage legumes are among the most efficient members of the Leguminosae regarding biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), they are generally neither productive nor persistent without effective nodulation by appropriate rhizobia. The following methods define a selection and evaluation process to obtain appropriate Rhizobium strains. These include (1) regional survey of the production area, (2) strain collection and soil analyses, (3) strain characterization, (4) strain selection and manipulation, and (5) field evaluation of strains. The initial procedure is to survey the region …

Interactions Between Grasses And Rhizosphere Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria, M H. Gaskins, D H. Hubbell, S L. Albrecht

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sorghum and Digitaria cultivars grown in soil or nutrient solutions were inoculated with a strain of Azospirillum in short-term greenhouse experiments. Carbon compounds lost by roots in solution culture experiments were determined in order to estimate the quantity of energy substrates that might be obtained by rhizosphere organisms from growing plants. Other plants were treated with plant growth hormones, and responses were compared to those of plants treated with killed Azospirillum cells. The similarity of the responses suggests that growth-hormone production by the inoculant organism, rather than nitrogen (N) fixa­tion, is responsible for part or all of the increase in …

Simple Computer Simulation Models For Forage-Management Applications, G W. Fick, D Onstad

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dynamic computer simulation models of forage growth can be useful in interpreting physical and biological limitations on production and in designing management systems for testing in the field. The explanatory detail of such models makes them both more reliable and more expensive to use than simple empirical formulations. Simple simulation models reduce the expense. They can also serve as reference points for designing, evaluating, or selecting more complex versions and thus provide a more ra­tional basis for using models in grassland research and management. Our objectives were to develop and to test a simple dynamic simulation model of alfalfa (Medicago …

Energy Flow And Conversion Efficiency In Grazing Grassland, T Akiyama, S Takahashi, M Shiyomi, T Okubo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Measurable energy storage on grassland ecosystems was examined for 5 years at the Fujinita site under the same rotation pro­gram with two grazing intensities. Daily global solar radiation and photosynthetic active radiation were measured as the energy sources in the ecosystem. Primary production by pasture plants and amount grazed by cattle were estimated by the biomass dif­ferences inside and outside of protection cages. For the estimation of energy produced or stored by plants or cattle, calorific values were examined for dominant plant species at the Fujinita site. Seasonal changes in digestibility were investigated to ascertain the energy of herbage digested …

A System Approach To Swedish Ley Production, J F. Angus, A Kornher, B.W R. Torssell

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A simulation model for estimating yield of leys from standard meteorological observations is described. It is based on an S-shaped growth curve also accounting for phasic development and regrowth depression. Effects of temperature, radiation, and soil moisture are accounted for by a growth index. Soil moisture is simulated with a standard water budget. The parameters in the model were estimated by comparing measured with calculated growth. The model then predicted final harvest with reasonable accuracy, but with underestimate of early season growth, presumably due to mobilization of car­bohydrate from storage organs. Observed ley yields from 49 Swedish parishes (1961-1978) were …

Age, Date Of Cutting, And Temperature As Factor Affecting Chemical Composition Of Berseem (Trifolium Alexandrinum L.), F Guessous

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Chemical composition ofberseem (Trifolium alexandrinumL.), produced in winter and spring under irrigation in Morocco, was investigated in a 4-year study. Berseem was planted at various dates, and after the first cut had been harvested, samples were taken from each regrowth at weekly intervals. Total plant samples and leaf and stem samples were analyzed for dry matter

(DM), ash, crude protein (CP), and crude fiber (CF). A total of 172 samples of above-ground regrowth were analyzed and used to calculate multiple regressions of chemical composition on age and date of cutting. Date of cutting was defined as number of …

Forage Quantity And Quality Contributions From A Grass-Legume-Shrub Planting On A Semi-Arid Rangeleand, D A. Johnson, M D. Rumbaugh, G A. Van Epps

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Poor grazing management has led to deterioration of vast expanses of the world's semiarid rangelands. Although contem­porary thought in range-management circles suggests that combinations of grasses, forbs, and shrubs are desirable in revegetating these areas, past revegetation mainly involved the establishment of monocultures of perennial grass. The objectives of this study were to determine the forage and protein yields of a grass-legume-shrub planting in a semiarid rangeland. The study was conducted in central Utah on a rangeland receiving 32 cm of annual precipitation. Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) was established alone and in combination with fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), alfalfa (Medicago …

Effects Of Water Stress On Herbage Quality, J R. Wilson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Uncertainty exists about whether drought is detrimental to the nutritive quality of herbage. This paper tries to resolve this uncertainty by examining the influence of soil moisture on some herbage-quality characteristics. Unpublished data from my own work and review of published literature are presented. Field plots of three tropical grasses, green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume), buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris), and speargrass (Heteropogon contortus), were subjected to perioqs of controlled drought, and herbage from these plots was compared with that from well-watered plots. Leaf and stem dry-matter ?igestibility of water-stressed herbage was either similar to or higher than that of unstressed …

Effects Of Climatic Zone, Topography, Land Utilization, And Soil Condition On Nutrient Composition Of Natural Grasses In Bali, I M. Nitis, K Lana

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A survey based on climatic zone (zones B, C, D, E, and F), topography ( coast, hill, and higher altitude), land utilization (rice field, dry land, and plantation) and soil condition (moist and dry surface) was carried out during the wet (January to February 1979) and dry (August to September 1979) seasons in 15 districts of 8 regencies in Bali. The objective was to study the quality of the natural grass commonly fed to livestock in the mixed-farming system.

During the wet season, the crude-protein content ( on dry-matter basis) of the natural grass ranged from 7.4 % (in climatic …