Digital Commons Network^™

Backpack Funding: What Happens When Dollars Follow The Student?, Alison Heape Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A growing movement in the United States in recent years, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought a wave of school choice policies, which allow students to opt into an educational arrangement outside of their zoned traditional public schools (TPS) using public funds. Critics frequently express concern that these policies place an undue financial burden on both taxpayers and school districts. States adopting such policies may take on the additional financial responsibility of educating students who would otherwise privately finance their education, posing an additional cost to the state. When students do leave TPS to participate in private school choice …

Digital Biophilia In Web Interface Design For Accessibility And User Well-Being, Bryana Michelle Peifer

Theses

This interdisciplinary study explores the intersection between horticultural therapy and web design, focusing on the impact of biophilic design principles in shaping contemporary practices within digital interface design. This exploration addresses the multifaceted relationship between humanity and the natural world, particularly how this connection serves as a source for the emergence of nature-inspired elements in digital expressions and their subsequent integration into modern web design for accessibility and well-being. As digital environments increasingly dominate daily experiences, the need for digital wellness through nature integration has become critical, especially for individuals who have physical disabilities, limited mobility, or limited access to …

A Tale Of Two Toxicants: Investigating The Interaction Between Hexavalent Chromium And Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid., Morgan Elizabeth Delnicki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental contaminants of major public health concern. Despite commonly being found together in contaminated drinking water, no studies have considered the concomitant health effects of Cr(VI) and PFAS, specifically perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). In vitro studies using CHO cells assessed the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Cr(VI) and PFAS both individually and in combination. Intracellular and extracellular Cr levels were measured with Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. PFOS was found to exacerbate Cr(VI) induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Additionally, a novel in vivo model of studying the hepatotoxicity of Cr(VI) was established. Adult Hartley …

An Exploration Of Lgbtq+ Runner Motivation And Constraints., Michael Clemons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Running offers extensive benefits beyond physical fitness, encompassing mental, emotional, and social advantages. However, LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges in participating in the running community, which remains predominantly White, cisgender, and heterosexual. With the LGBTQ+ population in the U.S. growing, there is a need to understand their motivations and barriers to participation in running events and training groups. This study explores these motivations using self-determination theory, comparing LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ runners to identify differences in driving factors such as social connectivity, self-esteem, and competition. Additionally, it examines barriers LGBTQ+ runners face, ranging from structural obstacles to intrapersonal challenges, and how …

Human Salivary Gland Stem/Progenitor Cells For Tissue Engineering, Sars-Cov-2 Susceptibility, And Neurointegration, Caitlynn Barrows

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Salivary glands and the saliva they secrete are important for digestion, chewing, and maintaining oral health. Reduced saliva production leads to a decreased quality of life for patients experiencing hyposalivation as a result of disease or injury, thus a large effort has been dedicated to developing materials and medium to recapitulate the structure of the gland for regenerative medicine. In doing so, we have come closer to developing a more complex model to study disease. These models, however, do not yet fully recapitulate the gland. In this dissertation, we describe a new cell source that can be used to develop …

Clonal Phenotype Mapping Reveals Genomic Alterations Underlying Tumor Immunosuppression During Immunotherapy, Er-Yen Yen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Tumors are dynamic ecosystems that evolve under selective pressures, shaping their ability to either elicit or evade immune responses. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), where immunotherapy has yet to become an effective treatment option, we investigated the role of intratumoral heterogeneity in influencing immune interactions. Using orthotopic clonal replica tumors, we tracked clonal dynamics in response to anti-PD1 therapy and found that while treatment had limited impact on overall tumor volume, it induced profound shifts in clonal composition. Spatial lineage analysis of treatment-naïve tumors revealed that clones with distinct immunotherapy sensitivities occupy unique tumor microenvironments, a pattern that remained stable …

College Students And Wearable Health Technology: A Study On Digital Health Literacy, Gavin Wright

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The market for wearable devices has seen significant growth in the last decade and is only expected to increase as the world enters a new age of health literacy known as digital health literacy. Digital health literacy, or eHealth literacy, is defined as “the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem.” The issue with this new age is that most consumers have access, but lack the ability to apply the knowledge that they must improve their health. The goal of this study is …

Therapeutic Potential Of Sglt2 Inhibitors In A Repeated Love Dose Cisplatin Model., Dianet C. Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cisplatin is a potent chemotherapeutic, thirty percent of patients develop Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). These patients are ten times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2-inhibitors (SGLT2i), FDA approved for diabetes, has shown protection in multiple mouse models of AKI-CKD. We hypothesize SGLT2i can protect the kidney in a model of repeated low dose cisplatin with/without cancer. B6:129 mice with/without lung adenocarcinoma (Lung-adeno) were treated daily with SGLT2i dapagliflozin (10mg/kg)/vehicle control. After seven days, weekly cisplatin (7mg/kg)/vehicle control was initiated for 3-4 weeks. Following final cisplatin dose, kidney function, injury, fibrosis, inflammation was assessed. SGLT2i treatment attenuated alterations …

Spectacle And The Archipelagic Void: Mark Justiniani, Simulacra, And The Poetics Of Repetition, Luisa L. Gomez

Literary and Cultural Studies Program Faculty Publications

This paper examines the tension between spectacle and meaning in the immersive installations of Filipino artist Mark Justiniani, whose mirror-and-light works produce illusions of infinite regress. While Jean Baudrillard warns against the flattening of meaning in the era of simulacra, I argue that Justiniani repurposes the tools of spectacle to resist simulation. His “void of spectacles” stages not emptiness but layered depth, offering a spatial metaphor for archipelagic thinking—fragmented, entangled, and relational. I read Justiniani’s recursive visual structures alongside the poetics of repetition in the Filipino language, where reduplicated forms such as alaala (memory), guniguni (phantasm), bulong-bulong (rumor), or halakhak …

Front Matter

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

One Step Closer To Greater Understanding! Does A Correlation Exist Between Fluid Intelligence And Player Rank In League Of Legends?, Evan Miller

Dissertations

Chess, one of the oldest modern games, has long been a model domain for expertise research. In comparison, research on video games has historically been influenced by moral panic. Cycles of moral panic tend to revolve around preconceived notions of threats, held at a societal level (typically by older generations). Politicians, quick to capitalize, then advocate for policy change based upon their constituents’ fears. Concurrent media reports draw further attention to the issue, amplifying the perception of harm. As the panic escalates, pressure is placed on scientific communities to perform confirmatory (not exploratory) research. This fundamentally biased approach to research …

Anisotropic Object-Based Shifts Of Attention Arise From Unequal Influences Of Visual Field Meridians On Neural Attention Gradients, David H. Hughes, Adam J. Barnas, Adam S. Greenberg

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Object-based attention prioritizes the processing of information appearing within a selected object. We previously showed an object-based shift direction anisotropy (SDA) whereby horizontal shifts are more efficient than vertical shifts (Barnas AJ, Greenberg AS. Atten Percept Psychophys 78: 1985–1997, 2016; Barnas AJ, Greenberg AS. Vis Cogn 27: 768–791, 2019), an effect modulated by the visual field meridians (Barnas AJ, Greenberg AS. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 77: 2516–2532, 2024). Our present aim was to understand how the functional brain mechanisms of attention give rise to the SDA. We hypothesized that the SDA arises from attentional resources being partitioned differently by …

Emotional Pathways To Trauma: Racialized Policing And Psychological Distress In Black Adolescent Males, Rochelle S. Parrish

All Theses

Introduction: Black American males, including adolescents, are disproportionately subjected to aggressive policing, often without criminal wrongdoing (Geller et al., 2014; Sewell et al., 2016). These encounters are frequently described as traumatic, marked by fear, loss, and emotional disruption (Smith Lee & Robinson, 2019). Whether direct or vicarious, such experiences can produce lasting psychological effects, particularly among Black boys who face compounded vulnerability from racialized surveillance and community-level trauma (DeVylder et al., 2018; Smith & Patton, 2016). Proactive policing tactics, such as investigatory stops and verbal aggression, have been linked to symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including hypervigilance, avoidance, …

Independent- August 2025, Leslie Lozada

The Independent (1988-present)

No abstract provided.

Hiv-1 Tat Induces Transient Tlr4/6 Downregulation In Human Microglia Cells: Implications For Neuroinflammation​, Shrimayi Gillella, Olivia Antony, Biju Bhargavan, George C. Njoku, Narendran Annadurai, Georgette D. Kanmogne

Posters: 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation associated with HIV infection. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical innate immune sensors expressed in microglia, and their dysregulation is implicated in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). In this preliminary study, we examined the basal expression of TLRs and the impact of HIV-Tat on their expression using the human microglial HMC3 cell line.

First, the microglial identity of HMC3 cells was confirmed by the expression of Iba1, a microglia-specific marker. RT-PCR analysis revealed basal expression of TLR2, TLR4, andTLR6, with TLR4 showing the highest expression …

Thematic Analyses Of Session Data With Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults Obtained During A Clinical Trial, Brenna Rose Lash

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

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults in the United States experience high rates of discrimination and marginalization, contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. While clinical guidelines for gender affirming care have been developed, these guidelines often lack empirical grounding or specific, actionable strategies for clinicians. Although theoretical models such as the marginalization stress model and the psychological mediation framework offer useful foundations for case conceptualization, they do not fully capture the lived experiences or the resilience mechanisms of TGD individuals in therapeutic contexts. This project aims to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice through thematic analysis of therapy …

Exploring The Landscape Of Collective Leadership Practice In Rural Nebraska: A Qualitative Sequential Multimethod Study, Haden Myles Botkin

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rural communities across Nebraska face a myriad of complex challenges that cannot be solved by individual, heroic leaders. As such, collective leadership has begun to emerge in these communities as actors coalesce around local issues. However, little is known about collective leadership practice and development in rural contexts, resulting in a theory-to-practice gap. To that end, this qualitative sequential multimethod study sought to explore how rural community leaders and community development educators perceive, describe, and make meaning of collective leadership practices in rural Nebraska. Three phases comprise this study.

Phase I, the QUAL phase, was guided by the question, How …

“I Wish These Damned People Would Stay Put”: The Political Ambivalence Of Us Archaeologists In Guatemala, 1931–1956, Fernando Armstrong-Fumero

Anthropology: Faculty Publications

This article traces the history of how two generations of US archaeologists navigated their relationship with the Guatemalan government, from the Jorge Ubico dictatorship in the 1930s through the democratic opening of the 1940s and 1950s and the subsequent CIA-sponsored coup. Critiques of modern archaeology have focused on the discipline’s history of ideological and material collusion with different projects of US and European imperialism in the Global South. While the archaeologists discussed here benefited from US hegemony in the region, their own correspondence reflects an ambivalent relationship to formal frameworks of international law and a desire to function as autonomous …

An Exploration Of Factors Influencing Sophomore-Year Persistence At A Regional Institution In Southern Appalachia, Jonathan W. Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative and interpretative phenomenological study was to explore factors that participants identified as playing roles in their persistence through their sophomore years at a regional university located within Southern Appalachia. Research on second-year retention efforts is far lacking compared to first-year retention efforts. Reflecting the heavy emphasis placed on the first year, there is also more research on first-year retention. However, students can feel a sharp decline in support entering sophomore year, making that just as critical of a transition. Student retention has been emphasized in higher education since its inception, as an institution’s goal in …

Recommended For You Streaming Platform Recommendation Algorithms And Consumer Rights, Margaret Wilson

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Streaming platforms are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. In Canada, recent studies have suggested that 55% of Canadians use video streaming services, like Netflix, on a daily basis. Similarly, up to 30% stream audio content daily on platforms like Spotify.6 The federal government has recognized that the broadening use of these technologies creates new challenges for consumer privacy and has proposed updates to consumer privacy laws in Bill C-27. With the dissolution of the 44th Parliament on March 23, 2025, Bill C-27 died on the roll and will not be adopted. As proposed legislation, Bill C-27 signalled the direction of …

Navigating The Shadows: Evaluating Privacy Protections Against Dark Patterns, Matt Gaulton, Dominique Kelly, Dr. Jacquelyn Burkell

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Privacy dark patterns are user interface design strategies that manipulate individuals into disclosing personal information or consenting to data practices they may not fully understand or intend. This paper critically evaluates the effectiveness of Canadian, American, and European privacy frameworks — specifically, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — in addressing the regulatory challenges posed by privacy dark patterns. We argue that PIPEDA is significantly less equipped to counteract such manipulative practices, particularly in comparison to the GDPR and CCPA, due to …

Transferrin Receptor 1 Deficiency In Smooth Muscle Cells Attenuates Vascular Remodeling In Hypertensive Mice, Yoshiro Naito, Hisashi Sawada, Tetsuo Horimatsu, Masaki Ohmuraya, Masanori Asakura, Masaharu Ishihara

Physiology Faculty Publications

Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), a crucial cellular iron receptor, has a variety of biological functions. We have previously reported that TfR1 abundance increases in the aortic media of hypertensive rat models. However, its role in vascular diseases remains unknown. In the present study, we generated smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific TfR1 deficient mice and examined the impact of its deletion in mouse models of hypertension induced by angiotensin II or deoxycorticosterone acetate/salt administration. SMC-specific TfR1 deletion attenuated medial thickening and elastin fragmentation in both mouse models of hypertension. These results indicate that TfR1 in SMCs exerts a role in vascular remodeling …

The Lived Experiences Of Fathers With Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative Study, Rachael Elizabeth Schmitz

Nursing and Health Sciences

Background:

Although parents may joyfully anticipate the birth of a child, it's impossible for them to know ahead of time just how profoundly their lives will change. Postpartum depression (PPD) can result. While there is a substantial body of research regarding maternal PPD, paternal PPD has received far less attention and is neither adequately understood nor diagnosed. This is exacerbated by outdated but persistent sociocultural masculinity norms and the stigmas around mental health issues.

Purpose:

This study sought to explore the lived experiences of new fathers with PPD in order to provide greater insight into their experiences.

Methods:

This qualitative …

Are We Safe Yet? Experimental Analysis Of Emergency Post-Alert Messages, Hugh D. Walpole, Jeannette Sutton, Michele K. Olson

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity Faculty Scholarship

Wireless Emergency Alerts can offer timely warnings and crucial guidance for people at risk from natural and technological hazards. However, at the time an alert is issued, it is rarely clear how long hazardous conditions will persist and when affected people can return to normal activities. This highlights the potential benefits of issuing post-alert messages to indicate that the hazard has passed; yet in practice, these post-alert messages are rarely used. When they are used, they frequently use operational language focused on the status of the associated alert (i.e. “the alert has expired” or has been “canceled”) rather than information …

Letter From The Past President, Mcte, Carrie Mattern

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Dialogic Instruction: Teachers Can Have Their Cake, And Eat It, Too, Rebecca L. Lee

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Dialogic instruction is a talk-intensive approach to learning and teaching that is student-centered and discussion-based, promoting collaboration and academically productive conversations. Recently, educators across the country have increased the amount of time spent preparing students for standardized assessments, which often reduces teaching and learning to test preparation. While this tension suggests that teachers must choose between good teaching or good test scores, dialogic instruction is a promising practice that can enhance students’ reading comprehension outcomes while centering student choice and valuing student voice. Research shows dialogic instruction is most effective when teachers a) co-create a conducive classroom climate, b) incorporate …

Black Dandelion: Convergent Voice™, Semaj Brown

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Unburying The "Bury Your Gays" Trope In Young Adult Literature, Brooke Armbrustmacher

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

In this paper, I unpack what the "Bury Your Gays" trope is, how it originated, its purpose, and its contemporary use and impacts. Through analysis of example novels and referenced scholarly articles, I explain how character deaths do or do not align with the trope, exemplifying the broader patterns of the trope and its impacts on young adults. Educators can learn to contextually identify the trope, gain the tools to spark classroom discussion through analysis, and identify examples of novels that disrupt this trope to be implemented in classroom libraries and reading lists.

Young Adult Literature As A Catalyst For Empathy, Engagement, & Empowerment: A Generational View, Amanda Stearns-Pfeiffer, Ashleigh S. Dubie, Catherine J. Miller

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Abstract: This article is a glimpse into Young Adult Literature (YAL) pedagogy from a generational perspective. One university professor and two of her former students describe the processes, pedagogies, and challenges of introducing YAL theory, texts, and topics in university methods courses, as well as in the secondary English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. The former students will report on how they have taken ideologies and lessons learned from their university methods courses and implemented YAL in their ELA classrooms during their intern teaching semesters. Finally, the importance of including YAL in our classrooms in order to build empathy, engagement, and …

Reflection And Reimagination As Resistance: Towards Humanizing Critical Writing Pedagogy, Grace Y. Kang, Sonia M. Kline

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Given the pressures, demands, and standardization teachers face in our sociopolitically charged times, teachers need opportunities to reflect and reimagine their instruction. Drawing on critical and related scholarship, we conceptualize critical humanizing writing pedagogy. We share our instructional moves as teacher educators for enacting humanizing writing pedagogy in a graduate course and supporting teachers to enact humanizing writing pedagogy in their K-12 classrooms. Specifically, we show how a graduate student and practicing teacher found ways to shift toward critical orientations as she navigated her school’s curriculum and state standards. We argue that sociocultural and critical lenses provide powerful tools for …