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Examining Illness Invalidation And Illness Perception In Relation To Physical Functioning In The Context Of Cardiovascular Disease, Jaclyn Ciera Turner

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Invalidation is defined as the perception of cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses of others that are experienced as denying, lecturing, overprotecting, not supporting, and not acknowledging with the respect to the condition of the patient (Kool, 2012). Invalidation has also been suggested to negatively impact patients’ physical health (Kool, 2012). One specific type of invalidation is illness invalidation (II), defined as attitudes of distrust, suspicion, lack of support for, or acknowledgement that a patient is suffering from an illness (Blom et al., 2011). In addition to II, illness perception (IP) is another construct that has been linked to negative physical …

The Link Between Greek Involvement And Alcohol Consumption: A Utilization Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Examine Fundamental Influences, Alex Knoll

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Elevated levels of alcohol consumption among college students associated with Greek life are a well-documented occurrence in the United States (Baer, 1994; Capone et al., 2007). Many studies have sought to understand the precise influence(s) responsible for facilitating such inflated amounts of alcohol consumption behaviors. This study utilized the theory of planned behavior in an attempt to ascertain the most salient influences that may be contributing to Greek and non-Greek collegiate alcohol consumption. Specifically, one’s attitudes, perception of acceptable norms, and their perceived level of control over their behaviors were examined in relation to alcohol consumption.

An undergraduate collegiate sample …

Alleged Insanity: Frank Johnson Sr., Racial Injustice, And The Failure Of The Mental Health Care System In South Carolina, Jonathon P. Johnson

Senior Theses

This thesis is about Frank Johnson Sr. and the circumstances that led to his downfall as a farmer and father of six, to his tragic death in the isolation of a racially segregated mental institution 18 miles away from his home. Using his life and incarceration at the South Carolina State Park mental health facility, I argue that racial injustice contributed to his tragic death and the woefully inadequate treatment thousands of African Americans in South Carolina received during Jim Crow. Additionally, I argue that the tragic circumstances around my great grandfather’s institutionalization and death were part of an enduring …

Perceived Emotional Invalidation In A Developmental Context: Does Gender Matter?, Brian B. Johnson

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Emotional invalidation is the dismissal, minimization, or punishment of an individual’s emotional experience (Linehan, 1993). Although it has been sparsely studied, the research that has been conducted indicates that it is likely implicated in a multitude of psychopathology and adjustment issues. The current study had three main objectives. The first of these was to investigate the current perceptions of emotional invalidation in a peer interaction for emerging adults and how that is predicted by gender, perceptions of childhood emotional invalidation via caregivers, and gender of the caregivers. The second objective of this study was to investigate the propagation of emotionally …

Fear Of Missing Out And Collegiate Alcohol Use: An Examination Of Relationship And Direction, Noah R. Wolkowicz

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Collegiate alcohol abuse is an ongoing problem in the United States (Core Institute, 2014). While there have been numerous investigations into this concern, the precise nature of what motivates alcohol misuse in this population still contains areas of uncertainty. One such area could be the newly identified phenomenon known as Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). Research into FoMO demonstrates it as a motivator for individuals to seek socially rewarding experiences (Przybylski et al., 2013); this characteristic indicates it as a potential risk factor for collegiate alcohol abuse. When considering alcohol’s ubiquitous nature as a social facilitator in college campuses, these …

The Effect Of Ostracism And The Influence Of Childhood Emotional Invalidation On Impulsivity: An Eeg Study, Matthew N. Tyra

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Impulsivity is a multi-faceted construct that underlies many forms of maladaptive behavior. There are multiple influences that precede impulsive behavior, and one of these may include the feelings of childhood invalidation and negative peer interactions, specifically being ostracized. However, these relationships have not been heavily examined. This study therefore integrates a multidisciplinary approach in order to better understand impulsivity, parent and peer relationship influences, and the neural activity related to this behavior as measured by electroencephalogram (EEG). Using EEG, the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) component was measured as an index of brain activity related to selective motor activation. Impulsivity measurements …

Characterization, Synthesis And Stabilization Of Au Based Bimetallic Catalysis For The Hydrochlorination Of Acetylene, Kerry Charles O'Connell

Theses and Dissertations

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the third most-produced plastic polymer world-wide by volume after polypropylene and polyethylene. Vinyl chloride monomer, which is polymerized into PVC, is produced via mercuric chloride catalysts that deactivate as mercury sublimes into the atmosphere from the catalyst surface, resulting in substantial environmental concerns.

In an effort to rationally synthesize non-mercuric catalysts, strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) was used to prepare highly dispersed and active gold nanoparticles over low point of zero charge (PZC) carbon to increase the active metal surface area. The use of <1.5nm gold clusters did not lead to large increases in activity as there was an increased degree of particle coalescence during reaction for activated carbon supported samples. A pronounced support effect was observed in which oxide supports completely prevented Au sintering, but was virtually inactive. This suggests that the active site for the hydrochlorination reaction involves the carbon surface.

The stabilization of carbon supported gold nanoparticles in the HCl-rich reaction environment was …

On Becoming An Ecologically Conscious Social Worker: Exploring Professional Identities That Include A Response To The Environmental Crisis, Meredith C. F. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

Mounting scientific evidence about the global environmental crisis has created an urgent call to action for all people to promote sustainable environmental practices that enhance the well-being of humans and the ecological systems in which they live. Despite the increasing body of social work literature or the recent social work leadership’s emphasis on this call to action, the social work profession as a whole has been slow to embrace an “expanded professional identity” that includes a response to the environmental crisis. Further insight is needed from individual social workers who have expanded professional identities. Knowledge is needed from their specific …

Cultural Perceptions Of Chikungunya In The Dominican Republic, James Preston Kerns

Theses and Dissertations

Chikungunya (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus that recently (2013) entered the Western hemisphere and tore through the Caribbean and most of Latin America. The symptoms include rash, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and fever. In many cases, sufferers report persistent arthralgia long after the actual viral infection has subsided. There are a variety of misperceptions about CHIKV, which directly impact public health efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of the disease. Understanding the epidemic spread of CHIKV in the DR and the growth of misconceptions about the origin, severity, cause, and treatment of the disease requires a perspective that encompasses …

An Investigation Of The Succination Of The Selenoproteins Thioredoxin Reductase And Glutathione Peroxidase, Scott Lanci

Theses and Dissertations

We have identified the irreversible protein modification S-(2-succino)cysteine, a product of the Kreb’s cycle intermediate fumarate reacting with the thiol group of cysteine (Cys) residues, also termed succination. Succination is increased in adipose tissue of diabetic mice in vivo and in adipocytes matured in high glucose medium (25 mM) in vitro. Selenocysteine (Sec) is a less common but highly conserved amino acid that has major functions in redox chemistry. Sec possesses a lower pKa (~5.4) and is much more reactive in comparison to Cys. This project aimed to determine if succination occurred on Sec residues in two selenoproteins that play …

Enabling Studies To Optimize Biomaterials For The Treatment Of Myocardial Infarction, Eva Adriana Romito

Theses and Dissertations

The canonical mechanism of wound healing is disrupted following a myocardial infarction (MI), manifesting as an unregulated response that negatively impacts left ventricular (LV) function. This mechanism, termed post-MI remodeling, culminates in an outcome that favors progression to a systolic heart failure state and death for the patient. Therapeutic approaches following the occurrence of a MI are designed to modulate the natural remodeling process and mitigate the loss of cardiac function. The mechanics and structure of the healing infarct have been the focus of numerous pre-clinical and clinical investigations, leading to the impending clinical introduction of material injections as a …

The Collegiate Experiences Of Lesbians In Panhellenic Sororities, Rebecca Marie Littefield

Theses and Dissertations

Fraternities and sororities are a well-established culture on many college campuses. Today, about 16% of all college graduates were members of a fraternity or sorority while attending their alma mater (Gallup, 2014). Out of this 16%, approximately 3-4% of sorority membership is known with certainty to be lesbian or bisexual (Case, 2005). What are the experiences of these women? Do they face specific challenges within sorority life due to their sexual orientation? This qualitative study examines the experiences of lesbians in Panhellenic sororities in order to bring light to a relatively invisible subculture and inform the practices of current practitioners. …

Frequency Of Colonoscopy Surveillance In Average-Risk Adults Relative To Guideline Recommendations, Meng-Han Tsai

Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cancer in the United States with an estimated 132,700 new cases and 49,700 deaths in 2015. Well-performed screening colonoscopies prevent cancer by allowing visualization of the entire colon and removal of precancerous polyps (adenomas). Persons with high-risk polyps at screening are therefore advised to undergo periodic surveillance colonoscopy. Screening and surveillance colonoscopy guidelines were updated by the U.S. Multi-society Task Force (USMSTF) in 2006, which emphasized risk stratification by polyp features at screening colonoscopy.

This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with screening colonoscopy at an endoscopy center in South Carolina between …

The Influence Of Wait Time Units On Patience In Intertemporal Choice, Rafay A. Siddiqui

Theses and Dissertations

Patience is important for consumers. It allows consumers to forgo immediate desires and instead reap greater benefits in the future. We can see a conflict between immediate and future benefits in our everyday decisions, such as when we decide whether to spend money on frivolous products while shopping at the mall, or to set money aside for the future.

In this dissertation I study patience through the context of intertemporal choice. These choices are commonplace in the marketplace, and involve choosing between a smaller-sooner (SS) and a larger-later (LL) reward. SS and LL are separated by a wait time period. …

Straight Outta K-1: An Authoethnographic Analysis Of A Black Male Teacher's Experience Employing Hip Hop In A Kindergarten-First Grade Classroom, Anthony Broughton

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the learning outcomes of a Black male kindergarten-first grade teacher’s usage of Hip Hop as an instructional approach using autoethnography as a method. The primary research question that guided this work was, “What can I learn from an examination of the experiences of Black male kindergarten/first grade teacher and students from a retroactive examination of the use of Hip Hop Pedagogy in a kindergarten/first grade classroom of African American children? Data sources for this study included of artifacts (electronic classroom portfolios, videos of classroom instruction, archived teaching evaluations, parents’ e-mails, student assessments, correspondence from administrators, lesson plans …

Divine Ideas For Metaphysical Realism, Michelle Lynn Panchuk

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years more and more theist philosophers have turned their attention to an apparent tension between the existence of abstract universals and the God of classical monotheisms. In this project I argue that this tension can be relieved by adopting a Neo-Augustinian account of universals. When the doctrine of creation ex nihilo is given sufficient place within one’s theory, divine concepts can do all of the work for which abstract universals are usually posited. Over the course of 5 chapters, I argue that the problem of universals, at base, requires a theory of properties as its solution; that my …

Enhancing The Efficacy Of Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors By Genetic Modulation Or Pharmacological Inhibition Of Bone Marrow Derived Cells In The Tumor Stroma, Nikeya Lashanna Tisdale

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of tumor associated stromal cells in tumor formation, progression, and response to therapy has led to a paradigm shift in cancer therapy. For many years, tumors were considered as a mass consisting only of actively proliferating cancer cells and therapies were design to target these cells. However, research in the last two decades has shown that tumors are not only comprised of a heterogeneous population of neoplastic cells, but they are also comprised of and infiltrated by a heterogeneous population of non-tumor cells that contribute to tumor progression and potentially affect the efficacy of tumor-directed chemotherapies. Tumors are …

Sleep Disruption And Cancer Incidence In A Southeastern Veteran Population, Alexandria F. Delage

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep disruption influences biological processes that can facilitate carcinogenesis. However, studies examining the relationship between sleep disruption and cancer risk have been inconclusive. This retrospective cohort study used de-identified data from the Veterans Administration (VA) electronic medical record to test the hypothesis that sleep disorder diagnoses among Veterans seeking care in the Southeast United States Service Network are associated with increased risk for cancer of the prostate, breast, colorectum, or total cancer (1999-2010, N=663,869). Sleep disorders were defined as patients with an in- or out-patient diagnosis as specified by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. Cancer cases were defined as …

Teresa Carreno: Pianist, Composer And Pedagogue. Her Life And Work From The Perspective Of Virtuoso Piano Playing At The End Of The 19th Century, Claudio Olivera

Theses and Dissertations

Teresa Carreño (1853 – 1917) was the first Venezuelan artist to achieve international recognition. As a child prodigy, she impressed pianists such as Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and quickly became a phenomenon in the United States. As an acclaimed pianist, the sheer power of her performances earned her the title of Valkyrie of the piano, and she had an extremely active performing career until months before her death.

Throughout her life, she interacted with the most important musical personalities of the time, including Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein, among many others. She was also a talented singer, as Gioaccino Rossini personally …

Essays On The Economics Of International Remittances And Migration, Marian Manic

Theses and Dissertations

Existing literature on international remittances recognizes the increasing importance of these transfers on economic development as well as their effect on the reduction of poverty in developing countries. However, the studies on this topic are still divided over the long-term effects of remittances, identifying instances when remittances have either positive or negative results. Probably the most important oversight of the literature on international remittances and migration is the lack of the regional dimension in the analysis, which is the focus of this dissertation.

In the first chapter I propose a novel spatial dataset of remittances and spending from a nationally …

Discursive Intersections: Tracing The Becoming Of Pre-Service Teachers - An Action Research Study, Elizabeth Mccall Bemiss

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to construct knowledge about the intersections between a teacher educator’s discourses and pre-service teacher identity performances in a university classroom. The researcher used Mills’ (2011) action research design to examine the ways she intersected with the identity performances of 24 pre-service teachers in a literacy methods course. Data collection included audio recordings and transcriptions of class sessions, a teacher journal, written communication between teacher and students, and course assignments. Thematic analysis and methods of discourse analysis were used to identify patterns across pre-service teachers’ performances in the classroom. Findings revealed multiple, fluid, dynamically evolving, …

Emodin Regulates Macrophage Polarization: Application In Breast Cancer Treatment, Stephen Iwanowycz

Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages are pleiotropic cells capable of performing a broad spectrum of functions. Their phenotypes are classified along a continuum between the extremes of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. The seemingly opposing functions of M1 and M2 macrophages must be tightly regulated for an effective inflammatory response to foreign molecules or damaged tissue. Excessive activation of either M1 or M2 macrophages contributes to the pathology of many diseases. Infiltration of macrophages into breast tumors correlates with increased metastasis and decreased patient survival. Tumors recruit macrophages to the primary site as well as pre-metastatic niches, and educate them to adopt …

A Study Of Material Diversity In The Carolina Colony: Silver Bluff, Yaughan, Curriboo, And Middleburg Plantations, Brandy Joy

Theses and Dissertations

The Carolina Backcountry is a temporally and geographically defined area reaching westward from the Carolina Lowcountry and its center, Charleston. For roughly a one hundred year span between the late seventeenth century and late eighteenth century it was a frontier and contact zone for colonists and indigenous groups. The Backcountry has sometimes been considered culturally and socially retarded, lacking the material refinement found in the colonial center of Lowcountry Charleston, South Carolina. Often landed estates in the eighteenth century Carolina Backcountry have been portrayed as one side of a dichotomy between refinement and local, rural folk craft traditions. I propose …

The Last Gentlemen: Southern Conservative Superfluity And The Work Of William Alexander Percy, Walker Percy, And Peter Taylor, William Matthew Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes that a robust, serious treatment of Southern conservatism can provide readers with effective ways to interpret works of Southern literature. Southern writers have always dealt with issues we might identify as “conservative,” and scholars have shown us three typical ways of Southern writers approaching conservatism. First, some writers have treated conservatism as one of many characteristics of the South; their treatments of conservatism have been part of their descriptive project. Other writers have used conservatism for more didactic, political purposes, whether that be showing the South’s sins or arguing that the South’s conservative character makes it a …

Small Mud And Sand Filled Paleochannels Offshore Charleston, Sc, Erin Smoak

Theses and Dissertations

The spatial variations of Quaternary sediments on the continental shelf record the progression of depositional environments during the latest sea-level rise, and are fundamental controls on submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) flow. SGD on continental shelves is an important but poorly constrained process. Spatial variations of lithologies on continental shelves, such as sand-filled paleochannels, are assumed to play a fundamental role in controlling where SGD occurs but coincident seismic mapping and sedimentological data are rare. Here we combine seismic mapping of paleochannel locations with sediment cores to examine the sedimentary characteristics of paleochannel fill and interfluvial deposits. To establish paleochannel locations …

The Cranial Morphology Of The Black-Footed Ferret: A Comparison Of Wild And Captive Specimens, Tyler Antonelli

Theses and Dissertations

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), a North American mustelid species, was once found abundantly throughout the Midwest until extreme decline in prairie dogs, the black-footed ferrets primary food source, brought the species to near-extinction. This resulted in the development of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program which included bringing the entire species into captivity with the intention of breeding the species back to sufficient numbers to allow for successful reintroduction. While in captivity, many components of the ferrets’ health were accounted for, but the current study aims to address the effects that captivity may have had on the cranial morphology of …

Iron Uptake And Accumulation Is A Target Of Nickel Toxicity During The Lag Phase In Escherichia Coli, Geoffrey Tuttle Ford

Theses and Dissertations

Various transition metals are essential to all forms of life, and are only required in trace amounts. But this dependence comes as a double-edged sword. All organisms must maintain a careful intracellular quota that does not traverse outside an acceptable range. One transition metal in particular is nickel. The importance of this transition metal has been debated widely and its function varies greatly between organisms, including bacteria. However, the adverse effects caused by over exposure to this metal have been the center of much experimentation in recent years. Still, the mechanisms of nickel toxicity and the subsequent effects on cellular …

Determination Of The Polarization Observables Cx, Cz, And Py For Final-State Interactions In The Reaction −!D ! K+−!N, Tongtong Cao

Theses and Dissertations

The hyperon-nucleon (YN) interaction plays a key role in hypernuclei and strange nuclear matter and is an important part of the baryon-baryon interaction. While considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction, the YN interaction is less known. Some parameters of the YN potential can be obtained from the NN potential by using SU(3) symmetry. However, due to broken SU(3) there are parameters, which must be obtained from fits to experimental data. High-statistics data on exclusive photoproduction off the deuteron initiated with highly-polarized photons offer a unique opportunity to extract a large sample of polarization …

Prospective Assessment Of Health Disparities And Injury Risk Factors At Basic Combat Training At Ft. Jackson, Kristin Lescalleet

Theses and Dissertations

Numerous recruits for Basic Combat Training (BCT) for the Army fail to complete the course due to injury and time lost. This study was designed to provide a more thorough list of risk factors involved in injury and attrition through real-time data analysis throughout a cycle of BCT. Throughout BCT, a researcher was placed in the Battalion Aid Station (BAS) and recorded the reason for the visit, whether it was a new or existing condition, injury location, medical history, and how long this injury has been an issue. Several risk factors were tested: sex, age, and ethnicity/race. It was found …

Visibility-Based Pursuit-Evasion In The Plane, Nicholas Michael Stiffler

Theses and Dissertations

As technological advances further increase the amount of memory and computing power available to mobile robots, we are seeing an unprecedented explosion in the utilization of deployable robots for various tasks. The speed at which robots begin to enter various domains is largely dependent on the availability of robust and efficient algorithms that are capable of solving the complex planning problems inherent to the given domain. One such domain which is experiencing unprecedented growth in recent years requires a robot to detect and/or track a mobile agent or group of agents.

In these scenarios, there are typically two players with …