Digital Commons Network^™

Supporting At-Risk Students Through Alternative Education: A Case Study On Reintegration, Behavior, And Stakeholder Perceptions At Sharpie Academy, Bryan O'Neal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a mixed-methods case study examining the effectiveness of Sharpie Academy, an alternative education program within the Chalkboard Champions School District. The study investigated three central research questions: (1) How does participation in the alternative learning environment at Sharpie Academy influence students' behavior upon reintegration into the traditional education setting? (2) What are the perceptions of parents, teachers, and community members regarding the program's outcomes? (3) How do these perceptions influence stakeholder support for the academy? Data was collected from 121 participants, including 43 students and 78 adult stakeholders, using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, surveys, and document analysis. …

A Thesis On Incentive Structures, Shirking Dynamics, And Market Valuation In Major League Baseball: A Statcast Analysis Of Worker Effort Levels, Charles Jordan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how guaranteed contract length influences player effort and market valuation in Major League Baseball using high resolution Statcast data across over 1,200 player season observations. Fixed effects regressions on the 2015 to 2024 seasons show directionally consistent but statistically imprecise shirking and final year effort spikes in hard hit rate and sprint speed. Machine learning models (OLS and Random Forest) predict next year Dollars Over League Average (DOL) with out of sample MAE approximately $11.4–11.8 million and approximately 0.23–0.27, with plate appearances, hard hit rate, sprint speed, and contract timing as top predictors. Embedding these findings in …

Examining The Relationship Between Cultural Competency And Teacher Preparation For Ethnic Studies: The Role Of Unconscious Bias, La Taschya Renee Harris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between cultural competency and teacher preparedness for Ethnic Studies, and seeks to understand whether unconscious bias influences that relationship. California’s Assembly Bill 101 mandates that all high school seniors take Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement. Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest school district in California, the second largest in the U.S., and the fifth most segregated school district in the nation. With 44% of White high school teachers in Los Angeles Unified School District situated in the north region and a significantly less presence throughout the other three regions, the question of …

Evaluating A Self-Guided Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook For Sexual Violence-Exposed College Students Using A Nonconcurrent, Multiple Baseline Design, Marley F. Fradley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College students endorse high rates of sexual violence victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Help-seeking behaviors in college students are low and may be impacted by limited financial resources, competing obligations, treatment-related stigma, and features of PTSD such as avoidance, fear, and shame. Novel opportunities for sexually victimized college students to engage with trauma-focused interventions are necessary to mitigate the biopsychosocial consequences of PTSD. In a nonconcurrent, multiple baseline trial of a self-guided cognitive behavioral workbook for PTSD, sexual violence-exposed college students (N = 6) completed a 3-, 4-, or 5-week baseline period and then utilized the study workbook for …

Implementation Of A Three-Port Solar Converter With A Battery Energy Storage System, Maison Christopher Phipps

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing deployment of distributed solar and energy storage systems has created the need for integrated power converters that can efficiently manage photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage, and grid-tied AC output. This thesis presents the implementation and validation of a 5kW non-isolated Three-Port Converter (TPC) adapted for residential solar applications. The converter consolidates three power stage into a high-frequency, compact architecture: a unidirectional boost converter for PV input, a bidirectional interleaved buck-boost converter for battery energy storage, and a configurable DC/AC inverter for 120Vac single-phase output. The system is controlled using a central controller implemented on a TI C2000™ …

Design And Optimization Of High-Frequency Medium-Voltage Dual Active Bridge Dc/Dc Converter Using Sic Device, Hui Cao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High frequency Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converters have become a key enabling technology in medium- and high-power applications such as renewable energy integration, electric vehicle fast charging, and emerging DC power distribution systems. However, when operating at high power and high frequency, DAB converters face critical challenges including limited soft-switching range, uneven semiconductor loss distribution, deadtime-induced resonance, switching-frequency constraints of wide-bandgap (WBG) devices, and transformer DC bias during dynamic transitions. This dissertation addresses these challenges through advancements in modulation strategies and converter architecture. First, an enhanced triple-phase-shift (E-TPS) modulation scheme is proposed to achieve balanced switching and conduction losses across …

Programmable Network Approaches To Resilience And Security In Phasor Measurement Unit Networks, Zhiyao He

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The security and resilience of smart grids are critical for ensuring reliable and stable power delivery. As modern power systems evolve to incorporate more advanced sensing and control capabilities, Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) have become an important source of high-frequency, time-synchronized measurements that support wide-area monitoring, control, and protection. However, the growing complexity of smart grids and their reliance on real-time communication expose them to a range of cyber threats, including data loss, tampering, and coordinated attacks. This dissertation explores the use of programmable network technologies, particularly P4-based programmable switches, to provide in-network solutions that enhance the reliability and security …

Elucidating Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Depression-Related Differences In Executive Control Under Stress, Benjamin Swanson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Executive control under stress has been shown to be a robust predictor of psychopathology, especially Major Depressive Disorder (i.e., depression). However, the underlying neural mechanisms that might explain this association have not been examined. To address this gap, both controls (n = 30) and individuals with current or past depression (n = 30) completed a modified Stroop task under fMRI. Behaviorally, we assessed both participants’ executive control performance and their subjective affect during the task. At the neural level, we examined brain regions related to both executive-related control (e.g., DLPFC) and executive-related affective processes (e.g., amygdala, striatum), as well as …

Just Because They Can, Doesn’T Mean They Will: College Students’ Use And Non-Use Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Patrick Walter Mcclain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College students engage in high levels of alcohol consumption, which can increase their risk of alcohol-related negative consequences. To address this, researchers developed Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (APBS), which are actions that students can take before or while drinking to limit their alcohol use and/or reduce their likelihood of experiencing drinking harms. However, students’ APBS use could depend on their perceived usefulness of these strategies, whether they engage in high-risk drinking, or both. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate: (1) what percentage of students (a) perceive each APBS as useful and (b) implement the APBS they find useful, (2) …

Emotion Analysis And Neural Language Models For Classification, Andrew Mackey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emotion analysis is a branch of artificial intelligence and natural language processing focused on recognizing emotions hidden throughout various forms of digital data, including text, images, and multi-modal representations. In this dissertation, we present four published and planned works that investigate different methodologies for natural language analysis tasks using deep learning techniques. The first published work we present considers the task of identifying fake news using various text and emotion representations. We demonstrate that emotion representations combined with word embedding techniques can improve the accuracy of fake news classification. Our second published work further investigates the fake news classification task …

Hyperspectral Indicators And Characterization Of Glyphosate-Induced Stress In Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.), Mario Andrés Soto Valencia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral sensing enables detection of herbicide stress in weeds, but practical use requires strategies for redundancy control, rating variability management, and evaluator bias mitigation. This thesis evaluates common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) under glyphosate exposure, aiming to identify key wavelengths, construct vegetation indices, and improve injury modeling. Greenhouse experiments used dimensionality reduction methods (principal component analysis, Relief F, Bayesian discriminant analysis) to isolate 34 unique wavelengths from about 3,200 bands. Calibration data were collected 14 days after treatment (DAT) to support wavelength selection and model development, while data from 27 DAT were used for independent validation. Class comparisons across six statistically …

Educational Freedom In The United States: Democracy, Pandemic Learning, And Family Choices, Daion Lamont Daniels

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationships among educational freedom, democratic outcomes, and family choice in the United States. Through three complementary studies, it examines how school choice interacts with civic education, student achievement, and parental behavior. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive view of how educational freedom is reshaping American schooling. The first study investigates whether private schooling supports or undermines democratic values. Using survey data from students in both private and public schools, it finds that private school students demonstrate stronger knowledge of American government and greater support for democratic norms. These results suggest that private schools may play a …

The Genetic And Environmental Determinants Of Stress Resilience Across Model Systems, Carson Len Stacy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Survival in fluctuating environments demands that organisms effectively anticipate and respond to future challenges. This capacity is shaped by both genetic background and environmental context. In this dissertation, I apply a population aware lens to explore how genetic diversity and environmental conditions intersect to shape stress survival. Integrating functional genomics and transcriptomics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer’s yeast) and a vertebrate (common canary) system, I dissect gene-by-environment (GE) interactions that underpin resilience. First, I move beyond a single reference genome by using a pan-genomic CRISPR knockout screen to assess osmotic stress survival across diverse S. cerevisiae isolates. This analysis reveals a …

Optical Characterization Of Ge And Gesn Grown In Aspect Ratio Trapping Structures For Enhanced Emitter Performance, Abdulla Said Ali

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon (Si) began dominating the electronics industry since 1960s, the dominance came due to its affordability and well developed fabrication processes. But when it comes to light emitting devices and photonics devices in general, the indirect bandgap of Si has caused many scientists to search for alternative semiconductor materials that can deliver better light emission, materials that can also improve wavelengths detection which is also very limited when it comes to Si, reduce losses and greater light amplification, all this while still being affordable. Despite these limitations, Si has been widely used in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing and …

Institutional Sustainability In Ai Governance: Comparing Paths In The Eu, Japan, And Taiwan, Kuan-Wei Chen

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This article explores the concept of institutional sustainability in AI governance by comparing the approaches in the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. It begins by arguing that the relationship between AI and sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns, encompassing the sustainability of governance institutions themselves. The article posits that institutional sustainability, referring to the capacity of governance frameworks to remain effective over time, is essential in the context of rapidly evolving and future-oriented AI governance. The analysis proceeds by examining the EU’s strategy of normative anchoring through legal codification, Japan’s agile governance model based on collaboration and coordination, and Taiwan’s digital …

Development And Optimization Of Moxifloxacin Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Via Double Emulsion Organic Solvent Free Technique Applying Box–Behnken Experimental Design, Esraa M. Elshazly, Mona G. Arafa, Samia A. Nour

Pharmacy

The current research proposes the preparation of Moxifloxacin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles through a solvent-free double emulsion technique, to overcome chronic wound healing limitation. The independent variables: stearic acid, Span 80, and Tween 80 were optimized via Box–Behnken design, based on entrapment efficiency (EE%), zeta potential (ZP), and particle size (PS). To statistically optimize the formulation variables, a three-factor, three-level (3³) design involving 15 runs was employed and optimization was carried out to attain maximum EE% and ZP and minimum PS yielding an overall desirability of 0.851. Results indicated that increasing stearic acid enhanced EE%, Span 80 increase PS, and Tween …

‘Boomers’ And ‘Gen Zs’: More Alike Than You’D Think, Michelle C. Dziurgot

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This month's editorial compares Baby Boomer (born 1946–1964) and Generation Z (born 1997–2012) members of the MDA, highlighting unexpected similarities. Both generations share a strong dedication to hard work, social justice, and pride in MDA membership. They also both experienced economic downturns (Boomers: 70s/early 80s recessions; Gen Z: 2008-09 Great Recession), leading them to be cautious with savings. Although communication methods differ (Boomers prefer phone calls, Gen Z prefers texting), both desire concise conversations. They also share traditional goals like marriage, family, and a strong desire for financial security and home ownership.

Impact In Action: Your Michigan Dental Association Foundation, Anne Berquist

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, works to promote better dental health and support the future dental workforce through educational scholarships. The Foundation’s impact is increasing yearly, evidenced by a 42% increase in scholarship awards in 2024, providing $44,000 to 15 recipients. It also provides grants to statewide organizations delivering dental care to uninsured, impoverished, and underserved populations, awarding $141,500 in 2025. A high-profile program is the biannual Michigan Mission of Mercy (MOM), which provided over $1.1 million in donated care in Flint in 2024. Support is generated through various fundraisers, including the Year-End Fundraising Campaign.

Multiple Aspects Of Environmental Temperature Have Complex Interactions With Avian Parental Behavior To Influence Offspring Outcomes, William H. Kirkpatrick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic climate change is projected to shift not only average temperatures across the globe, but also the amount of thermal variation experienced in the natural environment. Exposure to shifts in averages and a wider range of thermal experiences will cause shifts in wildlife behavior. In avian species, behaviors exhibited during reproduction have implications for the well-being of their offspring. Here, I explore specific incubation behaviors in four species: Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata), Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus), Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). I examined constancy, or the percentage of time on the nest, and off-bout duration, …

Broiler Responsiveness To Dietary Amino Acid Density In A Commercial Setting, Virginia Slick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research assessing the amino acid responsiveness in broilers has been conducted in experimental designs utilizing pens that contain 12 to 25 birds with high replication. While this trial design is beneficial as a way to perform high replications with multiple treatments in a way that is both economically and spatially feasible, it may not accurately translate to a rearing environment more similar to that of commercial open floor housing. This research was conducted to determine if the effects of lysine driven amino acid density diets that have been found in the traditional floor pen setting correlate to …

Using Color And Fluorescent Spectrometry As A New Rapid Cleaning Verification Method In Poultry Processing Plants, Clark Griscom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The poultry industry is expected to be growing at 3% in the total global market with the U.S. being the largest producer of poultry meat. Poultry processing plants are expected to produce 140 birds per minute with the potential of up to 175 birds per minute to meet the market demand. With the growing market and need for faster production, maintaining food safety needs to be a priority to ensure the safety of consumers. Over 9.9 million foodborne illness cases are reported each year in the United States. A change in food safety is needed, and one area lacking is …

Impact Of Silencing Automated Penicillin Cross-Reactivity Alerts On Perioperative Antibiotic Prescribing And Surgical Site Infection Rates, Michael J Durkin, Joshua Nordman, Alice Bewley, Andrew Atkinson, Jonas Marschall, Helen Newland, Kimberly G Blumenthal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We evaluated the impact of silencing penicillin cross-reactivity alerts on perioperative antibiotic prescribing and surgical site infections (SSIs) in 6 hospitals using an interrupted time series analysis. Silencing the alerts minimally increased cefazolin prescribing among penicillin allergy labeled patients (sensitivity analysis only;

A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study Of Neurosarcoidosis Myelitis: Current Observations And Future Directions, Giovanna S Manzano, David B Clifford, Steven Richard Dunham, Masoud Majed, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The optimal treatment for neurosarcoidosis myelitis is uncertain. We characterize incident neurosarcoidosis myelitis and assess treatment response by MRI and clinical scales.

METHODS: Incident probable or definite neurosarcoidosis myelitis in adults was retrospectively identified from 13 academic medical centers. Cases were analyzed by initial treatment. The primary outcome was T1 post-contrast gadolinium enhancement resolution at 6 months post-treatment. Secondary outcomes were changes in modified Rankin scale (mRS) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) from nadir to final follow-up.

RESULTS: Two hundred two patients were identified (median diagnosis age: 47 years (IQR 39-55); male: female 1.3:1). Median nadir mRS and …

Intrinsic Disinfection Byproducts In Free Chlorine And Chloramine Systems: Formation Of Chlorite, Chlorate, Perchlorate, And Chloronitramide Anion, Julian L. Fairey, Ashley D. Pifer, David G. Wahman

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Intrinsic disinfection byproducts are formed by reactions between disinfectant species and/or their decomposition products. In this review, we focus on a subset that accumulates in free chlorine and chloramine drinking water systems. First, we review the sequential formation of chlorite, chlorate, and perchlorate in hypochlorite feedstocks. Model simulations indicate chlorate and perchlorate can accumulate under realistic dosing conditions and can be managed with less concentrated feedstocks and climate-controlled storage. Second, we review the formation pathways of dichloramine and chloronitramide anion. Chloronitramide anion accumulation may be mitigated by increasing monochloramine stability and quenching reactive nitrogen species in its formation pathway.

Moribund, Jenna Curtis

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Looking Down From Parliament Hill, Kira Hook

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

When You Forget Who You Are (Addressed To Younger Me), Jasmeen Kaur

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Truro, Monica Hejaily

Gandy Dancer Archives

Medium: acrylic on canvas

Heavy Eyes, Jade Maracic

Gandy Dancer Archives

Medium: oil on canvas

Old Haunts, Archer Maduro

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.