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Samurai in the Labyrinth : Japan in American Comic Books and Role-Playing Games, 1975-1995
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. History - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025This dissertation argues for the emergence of what I call the Japanese fantastic within tabletop role-playing games, computer role-playing games, and comic books in the United States from 1975 to 1995. The Japanese fantastic is the product of intense fan interest in Japan being translated into these new and evolving subcultural pursuits by producers, designers, and fans, providing a positive, albeit violent image of the country. A default vision of Japan as a heroic, honor-bound, warrior culture emerged in comics and games at the same time mainstream American sentiment towards Japan was declining due to economic tensions. The Japanese fantastic demonstrates how the perception of Japan was shifted in subcultural media through the conventions and structures of emergent fandom and the interests of a post-war generation more intrigued by Japan as a source of fascination than as a geopolitical rival or client state.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
MECHANISMS OF PLANT PROTECTION BY ISOPRENE AGAINST OZONE STRESS
No full textThesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - Master of Science, 2025Isoprene is a five-carbon volatile compound that naturally occurs in various plant species. Isoprene has multiple functions, including modulation of atmospheric chemistry and plant defense mechanisms. Under high nitric oxide conditions resulting from extensive industrial activities, isoprene can significantly increase ozone (O3) production in the atmosphere. Additionally, isoprene can protect plants from environmental stresses, including O3 stress. The mechanism by which isoprene protects plants from O3-induced damage remains unknown. Previous studies have shown that isoprene can protect plants against ozone (O3) damage. These studies involved the fumigation of leaves with isoprene and O\uac\uac\uac\uac\uac\uac\uac\uac3 simultaneously, which led to the conclusion that isoprene can act as an antioxidant to directly quench O3 and other reactive oxygen species. However, the mechanism by which isoprene protects plant foliage from ozone damage is unclear. Recent data show that isoprene alters the expression of genes required to alleviate abiotic stress. I hypothesize that the protective role of isoprene against O3 is through isoprene-mediated changes in gene expression with subsequent reductions in ROS production and programmed cell death. The data in this thesis show that priming non-emitting Nicotiana tabacum leaves with isoprene protects against O3 stress in the absence of isoprene. Therefore, isoprene does not need to be simultaneously present with O3 to have a protective effect. Understanding the mechanism of isoprene actions can help design future isoprene research to harness its beneficial roles while mitigating ozone pollution. My thesis focuses on elucidating how isoprene protects plants against O3 stress.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
UNTARGETED METABOLOMIC ANALYSIS OF LEMNA MINOR DURING REMEDIATION OF THE ANTIBBIOTIC SULFAMETHOXAZOLE
No full textThesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Biosystems Engineering - Master of Science, 2025Duckweeds are small, free-floating, aquatic plants which are found on all continents except Antarctica. They grow rapidly, are considered highly adaptable, and have shown great potential for the phytoremediation of organic pollutants. Phytoremediation specifically refers to pollutant removal via plant mechanisms, however, plants in nature do not exist in a vacuum. In fact, plant health and metabolism are greatly influenced not only by abiotic factors like water and nutrient availability, but also by biotic factors, such as the surrounding microbial community. The relationship between microbes, plants, and their metabolisms, can be thought of as a metabolic economy, where there is a constant and dynamic exchange of metabolic products, or metabolites, rather than currency. Plants and microbes are capable of the uptake and metabolism of compounds which are not components of their typical metabolic processes, including organic pollutants. After uptake, organic pollutants can be transformed, conjugated, or even partially degraded; the products of which can then be sequestered within cells, or exuded. Pollutants can induce changes in other metabolic processes, resulting in metabolites which are not derived from the pollutant itself. Such indirect effects could include the excretion of metabolites which bolster the overall resilience or efficiency of the system. To harness the full potential of phytoremediation, we must not only understand the influence of abiotic factors on phytometabolism of pollutants, but also the influence of the pollutant on the metabolic economy. Our study focuses on the phytoremediation of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) by Lemna minor, or common duckweed. Our aim was to integrate traditional plant physiology metrics with metabolomic data while examining the fate of SMX in an axenic duckweed system. We quantified the traditional plant health metrics, growth rate and chlorophyll content, under different abiotic conditions as well as during and after SMX exposure. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics workflows were used to examine the exudate profiles under the various abiotic and exposure conditions. Our results indicate that Lemna minor growth rate and chlorophyll content are dependent on media formulation and were unaffected by 1 mg/L SMX. This change in physiology was reflected in the metabolomic data, where separation in exudate profiles was observed based on media type. While SMX had no effect on physiology, there was evidence of change in metabolomic data: slight separation between treated and control duckweed was observed in a PCA, and 37 metabolites were isolated as being induced by SMX exposure.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
EXPECTATIONS AND REALITIES : AN EXAMINATION OF DECISIONS AT TWO POINTS IN THE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Education Policy - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025This dissertation analyzes two critical educational decisions at different system levels: K\u201312 school choice and college persistence. Using both critical quantitative and qualitative methods, I explore how demographics shape opportunities, experiences, and trajectories, focusing on how expectations guide educational decisions and how policies reshape them.The first paper examines K\u201312 school choice. Choosing a school involves weighing expected benefits, particularly academic and social support. Through a survey experiment, I analyze how parents perceive a school's impact and how their expectations respond to different data presentations. I identify the causal effect of providing disaggregated demographic data alongside school-wide averages on parental expectations. This study sheds light on how expectations shift in relation to personal background and informational context. The second paper centers on college persistence, beginning with an evaluation of a state university\u2019s retention grant program. The program forgave outstanding university balances to promote continued enrollment and degree completion. While the grant tended to accelerate the time to degree, findings revealed unexpected disparities: students with the greatest financial need and Black students were less likely to graduate after receiving a grant. A follow-up study explores the role of financial insecurity in persistence decisions. I examine students\u2019 financial expectations for college and the strategies they planned to manage costs. These are compared to the realities of their financial struggles and support networks. Students\u2019 narratives reveal how financial uncertainty interacts with institutional policies and resources, either reinforcing their path toward degree completion or increasing vulnerability to withdrawal. This helps explain why retention grants may fall short of their intended impact.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
Optimizing dental adhesives using monomers with multiple hydrogen-bonding sites
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Materials Science and Engineering - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025Adhesive dentistry, which entails bonding between bulk composites and dental tissues, has advanced in recent decades to improve the bonding performance of composite-based restorations. Despite these advancements, the resin-dentin interface remains vulnerable and susceptible to collagen degradation and methacrylate hydrolysis. Most recurrent caries and restoration failure occur at the adhesive interface, where poor and non-durable adhesion leads to gap formation and bond degradation due to bacterial activity, enzymatic breakdown, and hydrolysis by oral fluids. One contributing factor to this failure is the phase separation of the adhesive layer, facilitated by the presence of water or residual solvents, creating poorly polymerized hydrophilic domains. These domains increase water sorption, accelerating hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation.To understand spatial heterogeneity and phase separation in dental adhesives, we examined how adhesive composition influences phase structure; using analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), and atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging. For adhesive formulations with increased 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) fraction, the lower initial viscosity attributed to this co-monomer delays the onset of diffusion limitations within the reacting network, and thus allows for extensive phase separation. While HEMA has been considered a thermodynamic compatibilizer in previous studies, our work highlights the importance of kinetic (diffusion constraints) in predicting ultimate phase structure. This knowledge can inform future material design, particularly when addressing the need for robust, uniform adhesives.To address challenges associated with dental adhesive performance and heterogeneity, incorporating strong hydrogen bonding sites into the adhesive network, such as 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy), can enhance bonding with collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite, while improving bulk mechanical performance in the oral environment. To this end, UPy-methacrylamide monomers were synthesized using three oligomer glycol chains (Jeffamine D-230, D-400 and EDR-148) as spacers to enhance miscibility of UPy-based monomers with the other components in adhesive resins. These UPy monomers (UPy-OPG230-MMA, UPy-OPG400-MMA, UPy-OEG148-MMA) were employed as partial replacements for HEMA in experimental adhesives. Results shows that incorporating UPy-methacrylamide monomers enhances kinetics, biocompatibility, and bulk mechanical performance, with the length and chemistry of glycol chains influencing hydrogen bonding strength, particularly in wet oral conditions. Specifically, the adhesive formulation containing UPy-OPG230-MMA exhibited the strongest hydrogen bonding in aqueous condition, making it optimal for dental adhesive design. Replacing 50 wt% HEMA with UPy-OPG230-MMA significantly improved composite-dentin bonding strength in the self-etch mode, supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of fracture surfaces and interfacial cross-sections. These results demonstrate the potential of UPy-based monomers to strengthen the bonding interface through robust multi-dentate hydrogen bonding.Another functional unit, the catechol, has been widely studied for its strong underwater adhesive properties, including dental adhesion applications. However, catechols act as radical scavengers in free-radical photopolymerizations, slowing polymerization rates, reducing network conversion, and potentially causing cytotoxicity via leaching out of unreacted monomers. Optimizing photoinitiator systems is a straightforward strategy to counteract these effects. In this dissertation, a catechol-based monomer, catechol methacrylamide (CMA), was incorporated into a methacrylate-based adhesive resin at loading levels of 0 to 5 wt%, and multiple photoinitiating systems were explored. In addition to the conventional two-component type II photoinitiator system camphorquinone (CQ)/ethyl-4-(dimethylamino) benzoate (EDAB), a three-component type II system CQ/EDAB/diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate (DPIHP) and two type I photoinitiators, diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide (TPO) and (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) bis(4-methylphenyl)phosphine oxide (TMO), were investigated. The novel photoinitiator systems significantly enhanced reaction rates and final conversion, counteracting inhibitory effects associated with the catechol, thereby improving the biocompatibility and bonding strength. Overall, the inhibitory effects of catechol can be addressed by modifying the photoinitiator system and enhancing free radical generation, to highlight the strong potential of catechol for dental bonding applications.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
WORKPLACE EXPERIENCES OF MILLENNIAL WOMEN IN NON-FACULTY ROLES AT A PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025This qualitative study aims to explore the workplace experiences of millennial women in non-faculty roles at a large public research university. Using narrative inquiry as both methodology and conceptual framework, the study examines how participants navigate their careers, define professional success, and experience institutional culture within the higher education workplace. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with twelve millennial women, this study centers their stories to understand how career identity, flexibility, professional growth, leadership, and institutional challenges shape their working lives. Guided by Connelly and Clandinin\u2019s (2000) three-dimensional narrative inquiry space, which includes continuity (time), interaction (personal and social), and situation (place), the study captures the lived experiences of participants across multiple dimensions of meaning-making. Findings reveal that participants do not pursue linear career paths but instead prioritize alignment with personal values, adaptability, and relational leadership. Themes include evolving definitions of success, the essential role of flexibility and boundaries, lifelong learning through formal and informal development, and the impact of institutional bureaucracy and leadership on professional well-being. The study offers implications for higher education institutions, including the need to reconceptualize professional development, embed flexibility equitably, and value the leadership contributions of non-faculty staff. By elevating the voices of millennial women in underexamined roles, this research challenges prevailing assumptions about career progression in higher education and calls for more inclusive, relational, and humane organizational practices.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
Investigating the Possible Halo Structure in Al and Al
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Physics - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025Nuclei with unique structures and phenomena, including largely enhanced nucleon distributions referred to as halo nuclei, occur along the driplines of the nuclear chart. To develop nuclear theory and unveil driving nuclear forces it is important to study and understand the unique dripline nuclei. Many neutron halo nuclei have been observed close to the neutron dripline for light-mass nuclei. Nuclei with a proton halo structure are much rarer due to the Coulomb barrier. Protons extending beyond the compact core of a nucleus see the charge of the protons in the core and must penetrate the Coulomb barrier. The first neutron halo studied and accepted as a halo nucleus is Li. Known and suspected 1-neutron halo nuclei include Be, C, C, and O. Possible 2-neutron halos include He, Be, and B. Though there are many neutron halos and candidates, no definite proton halo nucleus has been identified. Suspected proton halos include B, Ne, S, P, Al, and Al. It can be argued that due to the Coulomb barrier, it is impossible for any proton halos to exist. Of the possible proton halo nuclei, Al and Al have many reasons supporting and denying the halo existence. An enhancement of the reaction cross section with a carbon target has been observed for Al. The cross section measurement of Li was essential in discovering its halo structure, making the cross section a good indicator of a possible halo structure. However, the measured reaction cross section of Al has a large uncertainty. Both nuclei have a small proton separation energy and a predicted increase in charge radius supporting a halo structure. However, their large spin makes the possibility of a halo structure unlikely. A large spin indicates that the last nucleon occupies an orbital with large angular momentum. The larger angular momentum a nucleon carries, the larger the centrifugal barrier the nucleon needs to overcome to extend beyond the core. Contrasting conclusions regarding the halo structure in Al and Al demonstrates a need for a direct measurement of the proton distribution. To directly address the debated proton distribution, a laser spectroscopy experiment on Al and Al, together with heavier Al isotopes Al and Al, was performed at the BEam COoling LAser spectroscopy (BECOLA) facility using the newly commissioned Resonant Ionization Spectroscopy Experiment (RISE) instrument at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Through measurements of the hyperfine spectra of Al, the isotope shift between each isotope and stable Al was measured. From the measured isotope shifts the differential mean square charge radii of the ground states of Al were determined in addition to the isomeric state of Al. Experimental results showed no enhanced proton distribution in Al or Al, ruling out the existence of a halo structure. Experimental results were compared with independently calculated theoretical results. Three theoretical methods were used to calculate the charge radius; Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory (NLEFT), Valence-Space In-Medium Similarity Renormalization Group (VS-IMSRG), and Skyrme Energy Density Functional (SKX-EDF). Both VS-IMSRG and SKX-EDF calculations predicted an increase in charge radius for Al, while NLEFT predicted a decrease. NLEFT calculations most accurately reproduce the experimental results for both the differential mean square charge radius and absolute charge radius results. SKX-EDF reproduces the overall trend of the experimental results well. VS-IMSRG calculations are the least accurate in reproducing the experimental results. In addition to the differential mean square charge radius of each isotope, the magnetic dipole moment was determined and compared with theoretical results. Three theoretical methods were used to obtain magnetic dipole moment results; NLEFT, VS-IMSRG, and Shell Model. NLEFT calculations are not as accurate reproducing the experimental magnetic dipole moments as they are for the charge radius. Shell Model calculations reproduce the magnetic dipole moment experimental results within expected deviations, with the largest difference for Al possibly due to deviation from well accepted effective \textsl{g}-factors in the region. IMSRG magnetic dipole moment results including a two body correction are the most accurate in reproducing the experimental results.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
Juvenile Risks and Needs Assessment : An Examination of the Predictive Validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory for Juvenile Justice and Dual System-Involved Youth
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Criminal Justice - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025Research has long found that youth with current or prior histories of contact with child welfare (CW) systems are overrepresented in juvenile justice (JJ) systems. Referred to as \u201cdual system\u201d youth, these youth have complex risks and needs and high rates of recidivism relative to JJ youth without CW contact. The unique characteristics of DS youth pose difficulties for juvenile risks and needs assessments (JRNAs) used in JJ systems to aid in decision-making and the development of case plans. JRNAs are designed to predict recidivism and identify the needs of youth similar to those whom the tool was validated on, and as DS youth are often considered a \u201cspecial\u201d population, researchers have expressed concern that JRNAs may not effectively predict recidivism for these youth. DS youth may face disparate treatment in JJ systems if the JRNA used to assist in decision-making possesses this \u201cdifferential\u201d predictive validity. Yet, very few researchers have examined this. The primary goal of this dissertation was to examine whether the predictive validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), a population JRNA used by JJ systems across the world, differs between JJ and DS youth.The present dissertation used administrative data from a sample of 1,662 youth on probation in a mid-size Midwestern county-level Family Court (the Family Court) to address four research questions: 1) identify the prevalence of DS youth in the jurisdiction; 2) investigate differences in risk, as measured by the YLS/CMI, and two-year general recidivism between DS and JJ youth; 3) identify the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI in the Family Court; and 4) compare the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI between DS and JJ youth. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses and the derived Area Under the Curve (AUC) statistic were conducted to assess predictive validity in the full sample, JJ subsample, and DS subsample, and DeLong tests were conducted to compare the predictive validity of risk scores and levels within the full sample and subsamples, and between the subsamples. Logistic regressions were conducted predicting two-year recidivism by YLS/CMI risk scores and levels to supplement the ROC analyses, and interactions between risk scores or levels and DS contact were probed. The results indicate that just under 20% (N = 327) of all youth had current or prior CW contact in the jurisdiction. These DS youth had significantly higher average YLS/CMI risk scores and greater criminogenic needs in the areas of prior offenses, education, peer relations, substance abuse, family circumstances and parenting, pro-criminal attitudes and orientation, and antisocial personalities and behaviors, but were no more likely to recidivate than JJ youth. The ROC results from the full sample indicate that YLS/CMI risk scores and levels exhibit small to moderate predictive validity in the Family Court under study (Score AUC = .672; Level AUC = .610) and that the risk score AUC was significantly higher than the risk level AUC. Risk scores and levels both significantly predicted recidivism in logistic regressions even after controlling for other variables. The results from the ROC analyses by DS contact provide preliminary evidence that the YLS/CMI as a whole does not differentially predict recidivism for DS youth relative to JJ youth, as the AUC statistics are not significantly different between the groups for either risk score or risk level, but the difference in sample size between the two subgroups may have limited statistical power. The results from the logistic regressions testing for interactions between risk and DS contact also found that the effects of neither risk scores nor levels was conditional upon DS contact. The results do suggest that predictive validity, particularly of risk levels, would nonetheless benefit from being adapted by DS contact. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
Not Just Who Says It, But How : Effects of Source, Message Strategy, and Outgroup Bias on Audience Responses to Nation Branding Campaigns
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Information and Media - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025Drawing on relationship management theory, source credibility, and social identity theory, this dissertation examines how message source (influencer, organization, government), message strategy (promotion-focused vs. mutuality-focused), and audience outgroup bias interact to influence perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward a foreign country.Using a 3 (source type)
7 2 (message type)
7 3 (repetition) mixed factorial experimental design (N = 318), participants were exposed to Instagram-based tourism messages promoting South Korea and evaluated their attitudes toward the ad and country, engagement and visit intentions, and click-through behavior. Findings revealed that organization-sourced messages were generally more persuasive than influencer-sourced messages, particularly when paired with mutuality-focused content. Mutuality-focused messages significantly enhanced perceived source credibility, which in turn mediated positive effects on attitudes and behavioral intentions. Findings highlight the importance of relational message strategies in fostering trust and engagement in international strategic communication contexts. Practically, the study offers guidance for public diplomacy practitioners designing nation branding campaigns: credibility and mutuality are central to success. Theoretically, it advances understanding of persuasion in international strategic communication, highlighting the need to integrate audience traits, message framing, and source dynamics in campaign design. This work contributes to rethinking nation branding as a relational endeavor, grounded in trust, dialogue, and perceived authenticity.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references
Neutron Elastic Scattering Cross Section of 12C with CoGNAC at LANSCE
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Physics - Doctor of Philosophy, 2025Nuclear data that are well-characterized and accurate are pertinent not only in nuclearscience, where experimental efforts exist to measure known quantities to higher degrees of accuracy and measure unknown properties of nuclear systems, but also for applications that rely upon such data for performance metrics, material interrogation, and more. Unfortunately, a wide variety of impactful nuclear reaction data, even for stable nuclei such as carbon, is scarce despite carbon\u2019s prevalence in structural, biological, and scientific systems. One property of carbon that is lacking data is the neutron elastic scattering, 12C(n, el), cross section in the fast neutron regime (starting at 48 1 MeV) which is a dominant contributor to neutron transport in carbon-rich materials. The 12C(n, el) cross section is valuable to nuclear data evaluators when updating nuclear data evaluations, simulation codes that rely on accurate and well-characterized nuclear data, and for applications of nuclear science that required detailed knowledge of neutron transport that involve the 12C(n, el) reaction.An experimental measurement of the elastic scattering cross section of 12C was accomplishedusing the CoGNAC (Correlated Gamma-Neutron Array for sCattering) detector system at the WNR (Weapons Neutron Research) Facility at LANSCE (Los Alamos Neutron Science Center). The white (continuous) neutron source available at LANSCE allows for a range of incident neutron energies to be simultaneously measured for incident energies above 1 MeV. The presented measurement utilizes the 252Cf PFNS (Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum) standard to allow for a data-driven analysis, independent of simulation, to be accomplished.The 12C(n, el) integrated cross section, differential angular cross section, and emittedneutron angular distributions were measured along with detailed uncertainty quantification and covariances in the incident neutron energy range of Eincn = 0.85 \u2013 7 MeV.Description based on online resource. Title from PDF t.p. (Michigan State University Fedora Repository, viewed ).Includes bibliographical references