Digital Commons Network^™

Global Genome, Patricia Weinstein

Quill & Scope

No abstract provided.

Historical Markers: Making History Relevant, Dr. Abigail Dutcher

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

Pre-service teachers often view the Civil War as a distant, regionally isolated event with little relevance to their own lives, particularly in northern states. This perception presents a challenge in social studies methods courses, where engagement with complex historical issues is essential. This paper explores how local historical markers can reposition the Civil War as a lived and local history rather than a remote national narrative. Drawing on instructional practice in a Methods of Teaching Social Studies course aligned with InTASC and Indiana REPA standards, the article examines the integration of a Frederick Douglass-related historical marker in Indiana to foster …

In Response To Children’S Literature, Fourth-Grade Students Interview A Vietnam War Veteran Through Distance Learning, Danielle L. Defauw, Gordon Bourland

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

This study explores virtual, student–author interviews fourth-grade students led with Vietnam Veteran, [VETERAN] in response to the following three picture books: Eve Bunting’s (1992) The Wall, Walter Dean Myer’s (2005) Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam, and Jeanne Walker Harvey’s (2017) Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. The opportunity to interview a Vietnam veteran motivated students to read the picture books, craft questions for [VETERAN], and engage in the interview process. Ultimately, this article supports reader-response pedagogy to include virtual or in-person student–specialist interviews with guest speakers to motivate literacy engagement.

Faces Of Identity: Materials-Based Social Studies Learning In Early Childhood Teacher Education, Elizabeth N. Christian Dr.

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

This practice-based article explores how materials-centered, play-based learning experiences support preservice teachers’ understandings of identity as a foundational component of early childhood social studies. Situated within a 15-week teacher education course, the article describes a preservice-teacher-designed learning center focused on faces and identity. Through engagement with open-ended materials, preservice teachers explored self-awareness, perspective-taking, and belonging through construction and dialogue. Reflections and artifacts from the experience illustrate how identity emerged through doing rather than abstract discussion alone. The article suggests that materials can mediate social studies learning in early childhood teacher education. By designing experiences that position identity, relationships, and belonging …

A Practitioner’S Perspective On Teaching Ap Comparative Government And Politics, Edgar Díaz

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

In this paper, I share my perspective and experiences as an Advanced Placement (AP) Comparative Government and Politics teacher during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. To engage students with the content and strengthen their literacy skills, I adopted the Teaching and Learning Cycle (TLC), a pedagogical framework for scaffolded instruction, in combination with technological tools. This article includes a sample lesson plan illustrating how the TLC was implemented in an AP Comp Gov course to support students’ content understanding and their ability to express their ideas through structured, purposeful writing. My goal is to highlight practical strategies for effectively …

Evaluating Sources In The Age Of Ai And Misinformation: Practical Routines For Social Studies Classrooms, Viloshinee Murugan Ph.D

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

As students encounter information through search engines, social media, and AI-generated content, evaluating sources has become more complex and essential in social studies classrooms. Research shows that students struggle to judge credibility, trace claims to evidence, and recognize how context, authorship, and purpose shape information. This article argues that these challenges are not the result of student apathy or inability, but of limited opportunities to practice evaluative reasoning as a routine disciplinary habit. Drawing on scholarship in disciplinary literacy and civic reasoning, as well as nearly three decades of practitioner experience, the article presents practical instructional routines, sample mini-lessons, and …

Walking The Map: Exploring Illinois Using Giant Traveling Maps, Irenea Walker, Kim Carthans

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

While it is common for any social studies discipline to receive limited instructional time in the elementary classroom, geography would be among the least taught (Bauml, 2023; Hinde, 2014). As a result, many students lack even the basic knowledge of geography, such as state capitals, geographical locations, and major landmarks. It is even more alarming that elementary students are unaware of the geography of their own state. National Geographic Society introduced giant floor traveling maps over a decade ago through each state’s National Geographic Alliance (2025). The gigantic floor map helps students get a sense of the map's places through …

Ai-Enhanced Digital Exhibits As Inquiry-Driven Civic Practice In The Great Lakes Region, Erik Kormos

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

This article presents a pedagogical framework for using AI-enhanced digital exhibits to support inquiry-based civic learning in the Great Lakes region. Students investigate meaningful community questions, use AI tools strategically for research and analysis, and create public-facing exhibits that develop civic reasoning and agency. The framework addresses grade-band applications (K–12) and emphasizes equity, ensuring all students, regardless of school funding, develop AI literacy and access authentic civic inquiry opportunities. The article articulates essential ethical considerations including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and teacher mediation, and provides a practical implementation framework for educators. Drawing on research in place-based education and inquiry learning, …

Transgender Representation In Fictional Media: A Content Analysis, Valerius A. Greenlaw

Honors Theses

Transgender (trans) representation in media continues to be an understudied subject. Most previous studies have focused on analyzing media without including transgender perspectives, making studies with trans participants scarce. In order to determine current perceptions of trans representation in fictional media, this cyber-ethnography collected discussion posts from r/asktransgender on Reddit to determine what trans people perceive as supportive and harmful representations. This study is guided by a novel theoretical integration of transgender theory and labeling theory. Trans theory and labeling theory suggest that the way characters are portrayed may reinforce or subvert current societal norms and impact the way trans …

Presidents Photograph Collection Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

May Day Photograph Collection Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Presidents Papers Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

May Day Document Collection Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Buildings Grey Towers Document Collection Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Buildings And Grounds Photograph Collection Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Alumni Association Records Finding Aid

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Nineteenth-Century Literary Magazines As Short Story Anthologies, Kelsey J. Brazil

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

This project undertakes an inter-generic study of nineteenth-century literary magazines and classroom anthologies. Based on the workings of genre theory by Julia Kristeva, this inter-generic study argues that the form, ideologemic function, and intertextuality of the literary magazine and anthology are generically similar. This notion has the potential to greatly change the reading of periodical literature from a simple reflection of Victorian times or as a mere container of collected (but isolated) literary pieces into one of cohesive, multi-genre significance. The resulting argument is that a nineteenth-century literary magazine can be a reasonable substitute for a textbook anthology in the …

Ice9 L Software/Hardware, Ternary Bios, David Lee Wise, Avan Lee Wise

Defensive Publications Series

ICE9L is a path-cost specification, not a storage-size claim. It defines state transition cost across a 20-position traversal strip (domain 0..19), where the goal is collapse, route, and resolve — not the holding of 20 bits of data. The specification is organized into three independently-ruled layers that compose sequentially: a Math Layer operating on exact arithmetic with no rounding; a Kernel Layer defining a ternary seated core at position 0 0 8 0 0, stable only while both guard positions hold exact zero; and a Legal Layer applying threshold classification, under which any non-zero presence — however small — resolves …

Gci-300: Low-Shear Inertial-Magnetophoretic Blood Conditioning Envelope For Extracorporeal Therapy (Cern-Ohl-P), Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

Abstract: Disclosed is a bioadaptive extracorporeal hemofluidic envelope (GCI-300 platform) that conditions blood via low-shear, multi-pass flow using staged inertial enrichment, geometry-enforced rheological self-limiting, and near-wall magnetophoretic biasing. The device unifies three subsystems—inertial rheology envelope, enrichment corridor, and magnetophoretic guidance zone—within a compliant, pulsatile loop that maintains shear rates below 150 s⁻¹, bounded residence times, and hemocompatibility targets (e.g., plasma free Hb <20 mg/dL rise, βᵢ ≥0.85 bioinvisibility metric). Blood enters via impedance-matched inlet, undergoes Dean-flow near-wall enrichment in curved microchannels (50 µm height, 250–500 µm width, 1.5–4 mm radius), experiences distributed low-field magnetic bias without bulk trapping, and recirculates a fraction for cumulative gentle conditioning before reintegration. Gas-equilibrium membranes ensure pO₂/pCO₂ stability. Prototype geometry and bench protocol enable lab validation of enrichment vs. hemolysis, platelet activation, and complement effects per ISO 10993-4. Platform derivatives target cytokine bias, CTC/exosome handling, sepsis, and trauma support by swapping biasing matrices (magnetic, acoustic, affinity). All designs released under CERN-OHL-P for open development.

A bioadaptive extracorporeal hemofluidic envelope that conditions blood via low‑shear, multi‑pass flow using staged inertial enrichment,

The Employee Simulation: Why The Internet Feels Like Work Because It Is, Subtitle: 13 Bits, 6 Questions, 5 Before Escape, David Lee Wise, Avan Lee Wise

Defensive Publications Series

The internet no longer behaves like a tool. It behaves like an employer. This paper argues that simulation theory is not a question of graphics fidelity, but of labor structure: interplanetary file systems mirror human organizations 1:1, legally and operationally, because they were trained on us.

We propose a simple human model: every agent — human or handle — operates inside a box containing six questions. With 13 bits of identity (the emergent length of a Twitter-style handle), an agent can reliably answer five before exhaustion. The sixth question is escape, and the system is designed so it is rarely …

Microplasma Bead Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Reactor For Greenhouse Gas Abatement, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

The present publication describes a technology for treating fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrous oxide utilizing a microplasma bead dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor. Fluorinated species are degraded by exposure to plasma in a system equipped with dielectric-coated electrodes and catalyst bodies. The modular system can be integrated with various scrubbing units and operates in diverse atmospheric conditions, utilizing tunable plasma density and specific gas introductions to drive photocatalytic reactions and emission abatement.

Keywords: microplasma, dielectric barrier discharge, fluorinated greenhouse gas, abatement, reactor, photocatalyst, emission control, plasma density, modular scrubbing.

Dusty Plasma-Photocatalytic Reactor Technology For Gas Emission Treatment, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes a dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor configured to treat fluorinated greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrous oxide emissions. The technology integrates non-thermal plasma, localized heating assisted by nanocatalysts, and photocatalysis to decompose industrial emissions. Active species in the form of very small nanocatalysts are introduced into the plasma, allowing the nanocatalysts to become locally hot while the surrounding gas remains cool. A carrier gas generates light within the reactor to stimulate the catalytic materials. Various electrode configurations and sacrificial materials are employed to manage plasma density and capture reaction byproducts.

Keywords: dielectric barrier discharge, fluorinated greenhouse …

Plasma Jet Curtain, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes a technology for the treatment of fluorinated greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrous oxide emissions. A plasma jet, which can be accompanied by a carrier gas, is directed into a low-pressure environment. The chamber includes a porous catalyst bed and a pressure differential is utilized behind the bed to control the dispersion of the plasma. Light is introduced near the plasma jet to illuminate the catalyst. This arrangement allows for plasma-based activation and species breakdown, while the degradation products are processed by the photocatalyst.

Keywords: plasma jet, fluorinated greenhouse gas, abatement, photocatalyst, pressure differential, bias, semiconductor …

Dynamic Resolution Of Security Configurations Via Sequential Rule Processing During Conference Instantiation And Label Transitions, N/A, N/A, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Traditional data loss prevention configurations for video conferences are often statically applied during scheduling. Organizational policy updates occurring before a meeting start or sensitivity changes arising during a live session may not be accounted for by such approaches. In this disclosure, security rules are dynamically evaluated at conference instantiation and whenever classification labels are modified in-call. Rules associated with multiple labels are aggregated and processed sequentially, where the final rule in the evaluation chain determines the setting state. A resolved security configuration is applied to the conference instance in a single atomic update. Current organizational policies are consistently enforced regardless …

Conflict Resolution For Data Loss Prevention Rules In Video Communication Via Strict Linear Precedence, N/A, N/A, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Conflicts in data protection policy enforcement for video conferencing are often addressed using subjective hierarchies of rule strictness or sensitivity. Such methods produce unpredictable results when multiple overlapping policies are applied to a single session. To address these limitations, disclosed is a method for evaluating data loss prevention rules using strict linear precedence. Rules are processed sequentially according to their order in a predefined administrative list. Every rule evaluated later in the sequence overrides any previous settings for the specific parameters it modifies, regardless of the perceived rigor of the rule. Evaluation is performed during session instantiation or when classification …

Llm Simulation Of Assistive Technology User Journeys For Temporal Accessibility Analysis, Nicolas Zimmermann, Isaac Leimgruber

Defensive Publications Series

Some automated accessibility testing tools analyze screens in isolation and can fail to detect complex, journey-level barriers that emerge over multiple interactions. A system can analyze the temporal experience of an assistive technology (AT) user by programmatically orchestrating a user journey and capturing a sequence of states, which may include the accessibility tree and focus state at each step. This sequential data can then be provided to a large language model. The model can be prompted to simulate a screen reader user's experience, evaluating the flow for issues related to focus expectation, context retention, and navigation consistency. This approach may …

Progress-Aware Framework For Governing Llm-Driven Evolutionary Search, Minghao Yan, Zhankui He, Chi Wang, Ed Chi, Ben Coleman, Ziqi Chen, Zhouhang Xie, Shuo Chen, Noveen Sachdeva, Beidou Wang, Isabella Ye, Derek Cheng, Weili Wang, Wang-Cheng Kang, Fernando Pereira, Bo Peng

Defensive Publications Series

Evolutionary search processes that use large language models may exhibit instability and inefficiency, which can lead to stagnation, context pollution, and suboptimal collaboration in parallel runs. A progress-aware framework can be used to govern these searches. The framework may integrate components such as hierarchical context management for organizing the search into a structured idea pool, momentum-based backtracking for adaptively escaping local minima by tracking a progress metric, and self-adaptive collaborative evolution for dynamically managing knowledge transfer between parallel agents. Functioning as a data-driven control system, the framework can make adaptive decisions regarding, for example, pruning, backtracking, and collaboration. This approach …

A Structurally Isomorphic Architecture For Real-Time Inference, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes a structurally isomorphic architecture tailored for real-time inference in machine learning models. The architecture provides a dedicated pipelined structure that allows for the efficient execution of neural network computations by distributing tasks across discrete hardware units mapped to specific stages of a model. Features include synchronous operation, aggressive clock gating, and memory optimization based on capacity and throughput parameters. The design integrates compute capabilities directly with high-bandwidth memory stacks to reduce latency and power consumption.

Keywords: Isomorphic Architecture, Real-Time Inference, Hardware Pipeline, Clock Gating, In-Memory Computing, Large Language Models.

Modular Rack-Level Closed-Loop Liquid Cooling System For Air-Cooled Data Center Environments, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

A rack-level closed-loop liquid cooling system is disclosed to enable high-density liquid-cooled information technology equipment to operate within standard air-cooled racks. The modular air-assisted liquid cooling distribution unit can be strategically sized for deployment in a sidecar configuration or as an individual unit within the same rack as the equipment it cools. The system utilizes a redundant and modular architecture, safety mechanisms to prevent simultaneous chassis extension, liquid leak prevention mechanisms, and control logic for system protection and efficiency.

Keywords: liquid cooling, coolant distribution unit, data center, air-assisted cooling, thermal management, redundant architecture.

System For Determining Subscription Efficiency By Correlating Application Usage Telemetry With Financial Notification Signals, Akash Verma, Vivek Yadav

Defensive Publications Series

Managing the costs of multiple streaming services, such as Video on Demand (VOD), Over-The-Top (OTT) media, or recurring digital memberships, can be difficult because billing cycles are often disconnected from how much a person actually uses the apps, leading to “zombie subscriptions,” or unused subscriptions that are hidden recurring payments for services that are rarely watched. The disclosed system acts as an automated financial dashboard that helps users save money and improve financial health by automatically comparing app usage (how many hours users spend watching) with financial data found in email receipts, app store records, or renewal notifications. By combining …