Digital Commons Network^™

The Culture Of The Body: The Beautiful, Sublime, And Ugly In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Courtney Huff-Oelberg

All Theses

This thesis uses Edmund Burke’s concepts of the sublime and beautiful to consider social categories within Frankenstein. Reading the creature as excluded from the aesthetic categories of the sublime and the beautiful, the thesis locates Frankenstein’s creation within a category all its own: the ugly. Since the creature is clearly left out of the category of the beautiful, one might imagine he could be comprehended under the classification of sublimity; however, he actually produces horror and disgust. The final section reads the creature’s label as ugly as a reflection on the classifications of the beautiful and the sublime. Looking at …

Better Than Adequate: An Investigation In Contemporary Short Fiction, Stephen Michael Hundley

All Theses

This thesis is comprised of two components—one critical and one creative—sharing one, convergent goal of achieving a better understanding of, and ability to produce, quality fiction. The critical component addresses craft elements in contemporary fiction. Specifically, these elements include: premise, place, and decoder statements. By analyzing these techniques in the work of active, or otherwise remarkable, authors, the thesis explores the ways in which the pieces are successful and attempts to isolate and come to an understanding of the specific elements employed. The creative component, made up of six works of short fiction, hopes to employ the techniques discussed in …

The Desubjectified Subject In The Poetry Of Rosmarie Waldrop, Amanda Rebecca Johnson

All Theses

Criticism of Rosmarie Waldrop’s Driven to Abstraction has centered around her fascination with the notion of zero as both a negation and the locus of infinity, but has so far neglected to discuss the implications that this lacuna has on the role of the subject. True to its title, Driven takes the reader on a journey toward nothingness where desubjectification is made into the subject of the work. Through the use of the prose poem which eschews traditional poetic form and conventional syntax, Waldrop employs a collage that not only provides material representation of abstract concepts, but also demonstrates the …

The Importance Of Visual Effects In Film Narrative And Film Theory, Cassidy Lamm

All Theses

The focus of this work is to explore the ways in which visual effects have been given a key role in the narrative of film. It explores the history of digital compositing and film theory, discussing how new technology has changed the way audiences relate to, evaluate, and enjoy film. With this idea in mind, two separate live action shorts began production: one with invisible computer graphics (CG) elements (effects that replicate reality) and one with obvious CG elements. In this paper I will present how the storyboarding, filming, modeling, surfacing, fx, animation, and compositing are crafted in relation to …

An Investigation, Development, And Application Of Lighting Design For Virtual Reality Using Unreal Engine, Sarah Lydia Ann Martin

All Theses

Humanity has used lighting for millennia to chase away encroaching darkness, to increase the power of narrative, and to enhance the appeal and mood in crafted en-vironments. Theater, cinema, and architecture, among other fields, have developed, applied, and refined concepts of using light as a directed tool, but the relatively young field of virtual reality has not yet developed rigorous conventions. This thesis doc-ument describes work in investigating, developing, and applying designs for lighting conventions in virtual reality. Traditional artwork, photography, cinema, video-game, and environment lighting are considered and used to extrapolate concepts for lighting within virtual-reality applications. The developed …

The Architecture Of Keeping Animals: Preservation Responses To Changing Animal Welfare Ideals In Mid-Sized American Zoos, Victoria Mccollum

All Theses

Beginning in the mid-20th century, most of America’s Zoos began to re-evaluate the spaces which housed their living creatures. As advances in science and technology brought forward new information on animal welfare and care, zoos were soon faced with choices on the treatment of their current building stock. A range of preservation treatments emerged, from abandonment to demolition/new construction. This thesis examines the range of preservation treatments that took place in zoo buildings built prior to 1950 at the Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL), the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Cincinnati, OH), the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium (Toledo, OH) and …

Ceramic Microfiltration Of High-Strength Industrial Wastewater Using An Automated System, Weiming Qi

All Theses

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) wastewater is a kind of high-strength industrial wastewater that contains a high amount of total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and proteins. One industry that has high-FOG wastewater is the rendering industry, which converts animal byproducts to protein meal and fat, which have value as a commodity. FOG wastewater in the rendering industry is usually treated by dissolved air flotation (DAF) and the recovered proteins and fats are sent back to the rendering process stream. An important drawback to DAF is that chemical flocculants are usually needed, but these chemicals become contaminants in …

Layout And Animation Development For The Animated Short Making Friends, Daniel Edward Raitz

All Theses

Cinema is the result of crafting an illusion, an acknowledgement of character and art that works to convey meaning to its viewer. The audience recognizes the work to be fiction but still interprets meaning through abstraction. Animation is a cultivation of this applied abstraction to the art of film. As the evolution of traditional art transformed itself from realism into abstraction, animation picked up the torch and pushed the movement onward. Radically changed in the early and mid 1900 by Walt Disney Production, Warner Bros., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; animation styles shifted to emphasize characters over abstraction, character being any object that …

Investigating The Inhibitory Effects Of Fats, Oils And Grease Addition On Fatty Acids Degradation During Anaerobic Co-Digestion, Mehul Narendra Soni

All Theses

Most of the wastewater treatment plants are being upgraded to serve as water resource recovery facilities, reducing and in some cases eliminating, the dependence on the electricity grid for energy requirements remains one of the preeminent targets. Methane yields from conventional anaerobic digestion systems are not often sufficient to fulfil the requirements of these modern-day resource recovery facilities. Although there are numerous articles on co-digestion of municipal sludge with fats, oils and grease (FOG) waste reporting noticeable increase in biogas production, there are enough reports of inhibition and digester upset to warrant further study. Our present study is focused on …

Just Enough: The Work Of Susan Vander Kooi, Susan E. Vander Kooi

All Theses

This body of work considers how psychological human experience parallels the rhythms of the natural world, with an aesthetic of spare elegance. Focusing on the desert and a temperate forest in winter, I explore the concept of having just enough and too much, and its effect on human mentality, both during and resulting from times of scarcity. Stories are a fundamental part of the work. Wall texts containing narratives function as an entrance point for the viewer. Using metaphor, simple grandeur, and ritual, this work provides an opportunity to inhabit the artwork through installation and photography. Photography encourages the viewer …

Effects Workflow And Asset Creation For Animation, Live-Action, And Virtual Reality, Stephen Thaddaeus Wassynger

All Theses

Animation, live-action, and virtual reality all use effects to further express the artistic vision of story creators. The effects help immerse the viewer in a fantasy world that is unlike anything that exists on Earth. In this paper I explain the planning, creation, and final implementation of various effects assets for Making Friends (an animated short), Right to Bear Arms and Hot Air (live-action shorts), and Journey to Proxima Centauri: Terror of the Mnar (a virtual reality experience). I also cover some of the differences and limitations when creating effects for animation, live-action, and virtual reality. Lastly, I explore if …

Dendarian: A Young Man's Quest & The Functions Of Fairy Tales, Daniel Atkinson

All Theses

The primary content of this creative thesis is a portion of a manuscript: the prologue and first two chapters of a novel to be called Dendarian: A Young Man’s Quest, which could be considered a work of literary fantasy. Secondarily, this thesis contains a critical essay entitled “The Functions of Fairy Tales,” which explores the ways in which the fairy tale form has been used in recent years by various authors to address social and philosophical issues. This essay sheds light on my own creative work in that Dendarian attempts on several levels to explore cultural values within Western society.

Impacts Of Two Temporal Rotations From A Nontoxic Bait To A Cholecalciferol Rodenticide On Wild House Mouse Mus Musculus L. Consumption, Bait Station Interaction, And Movements, Sean Price Nolan

All Dissertations

Commensal rodents, including the house mouse (Mus musculus L.), pose a substantial risk of damage and disease towards human kind, threatening the infrastructure and food supply on which it depends. The implications of rodent infestations have become more significant as issues of public health and food safety become elevated priorities. Effective control of house mice relies heavily on rodenticides of which, the efficacy is known to be impacted by a variety of factors including palatability, social interaction and the development of behavioral aversions. In this study, analysis of consumption rates, recorded video, and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) data were utilized to investigate …

The Functional Significance Of Structural Novelty In The Locomotor Apparatus Of Turtles, Christopher James Mayerl

All Dissertations

The relationship between form and function can have profound impacts on the evolution and ecology of a lineage. Because of this relationship, variation in the morphology of a lineage has often been linked to adaptive radiations. However, form-function relationships are not linear, and variation in morphology does not necessarily predict variation in function due to the pervasive presence of mechanical equivalence in physiological systems. This possibility is often investigated through the lens of biomechanics, which uses physical principles to create a framework for comparing different systems with similar mechanical behaviors. Turtles represent an excellent system for studying how variation in …

One Day On Our Blue Planet, Maggie Mason Smith

Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetic Analyses In Lake Malawi Cichlids Identify New Roles For Fgf Signaling In Scale Shape Variation, R. Craig Albertson, Kenta C. Kawasaki, Emily R. Tetrault, Kara E. Powder

Publications

Elasmoid scales are the most common epithelial appendage among vertebrates, however an understanding of the genetic mechanisms that underlie variation in scale shape is lacking. Using an F2 mapping cross between morphologically distinct cichlid species, we identified >40 QTL for scale shape at different body positions. We show that while certain regions of the genome regulate variation in multiple scales, most are specific to scales at distinct positions. This suggests a degree of regional modularity in scale development. We also identified a single QTL for variation in scale shape disparity across the body. Finally, we screened a QTL hotspot for …

Clemson Commencement Program, May 2018, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Conveying Personal Narrative In Virtual Reality Using Procedural Techniques And Surrealism, Austin W. Brennan

All Theses

In this thesis a personal narrative is conveyed in a virtual reality experience where procedural techniques are used to create surreal environments. Virtual reality is a powerful way to build empathy and understanding of another individual’s experiences and choices. Procedural techniques enable an artist to create complex and highly stylized scenery. Surrealism can be used to depict emotions in a way that words alone are unable to describe. When combined, virtual reality, proceduralism, and surrealism can yield a compelling vehicle to express personal narrative.

Twentieth-Century Thoroughbred Training Landscapes Of Aiken And Camden, South Carolina, Mary C. Fesak

All Theses

During the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, wealthy northerners developed the South Carolina towns of Aiken and Camden into important winter resorts. South Carolina’s mild winters and accessibility by rail attracted Gilded Age elites to Aiken and Camden’s Winter Colonies. As part of their recreational social activities, the wealthy winter residents developed golf courses, polo clubs, and fox hunts. Vacationing thoroughbred racehorse owners realized that the mild winter climate was ideal for training, leading them to establish training facilities and tracks during the early-to-mid twentieth century. These training facilities cemented the towns’ statuses as important winter training centers, leading important figures …

Who Will Save The City: A Comparative Study Of Public Policies For Revitalization In Greenville, South Carolina And Macon, Georgia, Katharine Gallotta

All Theses

With the collapse of industry in combination with suburban sprawl, American cities nationwide experienced an economic recession in the early 1980s. To counter this recession, local governments pursued a range of revitalization policies. These public policies secured various levels of success in the cities working to bring their downtowns back to life. Creating a strategy for revitalization is a difficult process and has been approached differently all over the country. Public policies directly affect the residents and development in a city, inherently making them a representation of the city’s priorities. Macon, Georgia has pursued a revitalization strategy that centers around …

Herpetofauna Occupancy And Community Composition Along A Tidal Swamp Salinity Gradient, Sidney Thomas Godfrey

All Theses

Tidal swamps provide habitats for a variety of reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna), but their community compositions in most tidal swamps are currently unknown. These swamps currently face a number of threats, such as saltwater intrusion, yet the impacts to herpetofaunal communities have not been assessed. Saltwater intrusions into the upper reaches of coastal rivers contribute to their salinity gradients, which can influence associated plant and animal communities. Our study assessed the reptile and amphibian diversity along a salinity gradient in the upper estuary of the Savannah River to further predictive capabilities regarding herpetofauna. Goals included: species inventorying; determining communities; examining …

Man And Technology: The Glitch In Nature's System, Carey W. Morton

All Theses

This work acknowledges the tangible and intangible attributes found in the complex relationship between man and nature. The human capability of manipulating the environment continues to grow at an exponential rate. The technology by which this is achieved has progressed to unprecedented heights. While this evolution has made leaps and bounds in the continuous struggle to achieve mastery over the natural world, advancements in technology challenge the very foundations of human experience. Processing this phenomenon through my own background in the rural American South, there is a nostalgic and anthropologic component to the display and content of the installations as …

#Gatlinburg: Examining Affective And Informative Social Media Content During The 2016 Gatlinburg Wildfires, Kathryn Baker Staggs

All Theses

Crisis communication has been studied in many ways; however, researchers are starting to observe this practice in the context of social media. Social media is consistently rising as the most popular and efficient platform for communication and is essential for effective communication during a crisis. During the Gatlinburg wildfires on November 28-29, 2016, social media was used to communicate about the disaster. This thesis utilized media dependency theory and the social-mediated crisis communication model to explore how organizations and the public use social media during a crisis. Radian6 software, a program that captures publicly accessible social media content, was used …

Nutritional Interventions During Late Gestation And At Weaning To Improve Beef Cattle Performance And Carcass Quality, Jessie Elizabeth Tipton

All Theses

Late gestation and post-weaning are two critical periods a calf needs to receive proper nutrition to insure adequate growth for the rest of the animal’s lifespan. Supplementation at these critical time points may be necessary in order to meet nutritional requirements. The objectives of this research were to 1) assess the performance and endocrine regulation of 15 mo old heifers born to dams who were nutrient restricted with or without protein supplementation during the last 100 d of gestation (NRS and NR, respectively) and 2) determine the effects of weaning age, lipid supplementation, and days on lipid supplement on growth, …

Living To Work: The Effects Of Occupational Calling On Mental Health At Work, Chloe A. Wilson

All Theses

While many employees work to live, others live to work. Those who experience work this way are described as having a calling. Occupational calling refers to employees who feel emotional ties to their work, viewing their work as both important and rewarding resulting from a transcendent summons, having purposeful work, or a prosocial orientation. Many positive outcomes have been linked to calling, but less is known about the potential negative outcomes that may also occur. Although a few studies have begun to investigate the negative effects of having a calling, less research has focused on distinguishing when positive versus negative …

Vascular Tissue Engineering In Metabolic Syndrome Conditions – In Vitro Studies, Anna Lu Carter

All Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is on the rise in the US and is the leading cause of death worldwide [1]. Associated disorders including stenosis of the vasculature and formation of atherosclerotic plaques can necessitate the need for repair or replacement. Tissue engineering, based on stem cells and scaffolds, is an emerging strategy for the treatment of vascular diseases. Patients who typically require vascular replacement often have comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. There remains the challenge of understanding the fate of tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) in a harsh diabetic environment.

In these experiments we aimed to develop an in-vitro vascular …

Optimization Models For Sustainable Design And Management Of Biopower Supply Chains, Hadi Karimi

All Dissertations

This dissertation presents optimization models to aid with the sustainable design and management of biopower (biomass cofiring) supply chains. We address three main challenges associated with today’s biopower projects: i) high cost of biomass collection, storage and delivery, ii) inefficiency of the mechanisms used to incentivize biomass usage for generating electricity, and iii) lack of clear understanding about the trade-offs between economic and environmental impacts of biopower supply chains. In order to address the high cost of delivering biomass, we present a novel mixed integer nonlinear program that integrates production and transportation decisions at power plants. Proposed model captures the …

Perception-Action System Calibration In The Presence Of Stable And Unstable Perceptual Perturbations, Leah Hartman

All Dissertations

Actors are able to calibrate to various changes to both their own abilities and their surrounding environments. Most calibration studies have examined recalibration to stable perturbations (i.e., a single, constant change). However, numerous real-world experiences involve perturbations that do not remain constant. The present studies investigated the effect of varying perturbations on postural sway and prospective control. It was hypothesized that short-timescale variations of a perturbation would affect participants' ability to recalibrate. Specifically, the different patterns of perturbation would result in a change to postural sway that would mediate the relationship between the condition and the ability to calibrate. It …

Evaluation Of Animal Manure-Based Compost As An Environmental Source Of Clostridium Difficile, Muthu Dharmasena

All Dissertations

The number of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) cases associated with healthcare and community is increasing. Increased isolation of this pathogen from environmental samples of soil, water, livestock animals and their feces, and produce suggests its dissemination in the environment. Identification, molecular characterization, and revealing the relationship of those isolates with human pathogenicity would be very helpful in understanding the epidemiology of CDI. Livestock manure is a rich source of nutrients for the growth of many crops, and composted manure is widely used as a fertilizer in organic farming. Microbial activities increase the temperature of composting materials, providing sufficient heat to …

Surface Modification Of Orthopaedic Fracture Fixation Implants For Infection Prevention And Improved Limb Salvage Outcomes, Sarah Helms

All Dissertations

A major cause of the high risk of infection following implantations is that the biomaterial implanted provides a surface for the bacteria to adhere and form a biofilm [1]. Altering the surfaces of biomaterials being implanted in the body has been a topic of interest in biofilm prevention research. In this proposed study, the implant surfaces are modified with two proprietary surface modification techniques, CoBlast™ and BioDep™ (ENBIO, Dublin, Ireland). The ambient temperature CoBlast™ technique sprays a stream of abrasive particles such as alumina with or without a dopant such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to permeate the surface of materials such …