Digital Commons Network^™

"I / Believe In Ruin": Trance, Affect, And Disorientation, Zachary Melton Kinsella

All Theses

In thirty-four numbered entries, The Pink Trance Notebooks (2015) assemble Wayne Koestenbaum’s daily observations, musings, and obsessive attachments that explore the possibilities and dangers of inhabiting a disoriented trace-state. To uncover the politics of trance at the heart of Koestenbaum’s Notebooks, I turn to theories of affect that work well with Koestenbaum’s experimental and innovative poetics. I argue that Koestenbaum’s mode of writing illustrates a drive toward an all-encompassing, inclusionary, and empowering exploration of how to make and how to obscure meaning and knowledge. The three main chapters that comprise this project approach trance poetics from a different conceptual angle. …

On-Farm Environmental Assessment Of Very Small To Small-Sized Strawberry Farms In The Southeastern United States, Dilhani Nisansala Jayawardhana

All Theses

Strawberries are the fifth most demanded fruit in the United States, with most eaten raw. Fresh strawberries are prone to on-farm contamination as evident by the number of foodborne disease outbreaks attributed to their consumption. Between 1997 and 2017, 32 strawberry-related outbreaks were reported, sickening 933 U.S. Americans. Proper implementation of risk management practices (RMP) can decrease strawberry exposure to foodborne pathogens. Most U.S. strawberry farms consist of very small-size operations, presenting unique challenges for implementing RMP. On-farm environmental assessments on small strawberry farms can be used to identify factors associated with RMP implementation. Two objectives guided this research: (1) …

Colonial South Carolina Cowpens And Savannas: Analyzing The Distribution Of Colonial Cattle Grazing Sites Using Gis And Predictive Modeling, John Benjamen Thomas

All Theses

Some of colonial Charleston’s most significant landscapes are rural savannas. While it is often overlooked, the colonial cattle industry centered in South Carolina’s Lowcountry savannas played a large role in the early economy. Ultimately, the cattle trade provided many of the resources that made Charleston one of the wealthiest cities in colonial America. Today, the preservation of the physical landscapes associated with the cattle industry is more important than ever as issues like climate change and urban growth and development threaten to destroy these historic landscapes.

The purpose of this thesis is to test the applicability of modeling techniques as …

American Bison Impacts On Riparian And Wallow Vegetation Communities, Sze Wing Yu

All Theses

Grasslands are one of the most threatened landscapes in North America, and the Northern Great Plains Ecoregion of Montana has been identified as a global priority for grassland conservation. Within this ecoregion, the nonprofit American Prairie Reserve was created to establish a large conservation herd of plains bison (Bison bison bison, hereafter referred to as bison) in an effort to restore the landscape to ecological conditions prior to agriculture in the region. Bison are regarded as a keystone species for their unique behaviors that drastically influence ecosystem structure and function. Among these behaviors is a decreased use of …

Referees Seeing Red: Uniform Color And Aggression In Team Sports, Zac Patterson

All Theses

Color plays a vital role in visual perception and communication. Scientists have developed standards for measuring and comparing hues, marketers use color to develop brands and communicate with consumers, and psychologists study the feelings and states of mind associated with colors. In the color psychology field red emerges as a color that elicits high-energy or activating responses from humans and other animals with some degree of consistency. Researchers investigate red’s effects in a number of contexts, from appetite to perceived aggression and even sexual desire and intent. Findings on the topic of red and aggression in particular branch out into …

“Integration With Difference:” Harvey Gantt’S Legacy At Clemson Recontextualized And Resurrected Into Architecture, Marquise Drayton

All Theses

In 2017, the Clemson Board of Trustees dedicated the granite marble surrounding Thomas Green Clemson's statue near Tillman Hall as "Gantt Circle." Named after Harvey Gantt, the first Black student at the university, it was an initiative pushed by the History Task Force to contextualize the Upstate land grant school's history better. The stonework complements the historical marker near the campus building where Gantt registered for his first semester there on January 28th, 1963. However, outside of these physical landmarks, a namesake scholarship endowment, and a multicultural office that honors him and his wife, there are no free-standing buildings on …

Jerry Fireman: Modeling Characters For A 1930s Cartoon, Matthew Ray Joyner

All Theses

Jerry Fireman is concept for a 3D animated cartoon that is based on the style of early 1900s cartoons. It is inspired by the pioneers in early animation, Fleischer Studios and Walt Disney, and designed with the intent to educate people on the social and political environments that influenced the production of cartoons during the 1920s and 30s. During the development of this concept, I investigate different modeling techniques to represent the main stylistic elements of these early animated drawings in a 3D form, and I compare the possible modeling workflows for advantages and disadvantages in this process. In this …

Autonomous Power And Profound Agency: Women And Magic In The Icelandic Legendary Sagas, Amanda Platz

All Theses

The Icelandic Legendary Sagas contain within them a unique representation of women’s autonomy and agency, seen strongly in the ways women use magic. Scholars such as Jochens and Friðriksdóttir discuss women’s representations most prominently in the Family Sagas, often brushing over the Legendary Sagas due to their fantastical and mythological nature which makes cultural analysis based on the texts difficult. The fantastical nature of the Legendary Sagas, however, presents the opportunity to thoroughly explore unique representations of women’s autonomy. Other female archetypes often analyzed in the sagas are represented influencing male action, such as the inciter or whetter who encourages …

Window Into Vesuvius: The Story Development And Production Process Of An Augmented Reality Experience Based On The Letters Of Pliny The Younger, Dn Cherry

All Theses

Augmented reality’s growth brings a need for developed experiences, especially those centered around storytelling. However, as a new medium, the language and approaches for designing and developing said content are still being established. This work explores and proposes design and technical production techniques to produce an augmented reality narrative, adding to the foundation- examining what is necessary, effective, and practical. The methods described will be presented through the story of the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius as witnessed from Pliny the Younger. The historical event of the eruption coupled with augmented reality showcases the power of storytelling in the …

Equine-Assisted Services: Current State And The Role Of Recreational Therapy, Kaylin Ashley Woods

All Theses

Research in numerous disciplines describe the use of equine-assisted services (EAS) in treating the symptoms and improving the quality of life of individuals with emotional, mental, physical, and/or intellectual disabilities. However, the research on EAS in regard to recreational therapy practice and the function of the CTRS is limited. This study used a multi-method survey to examine the CTRSs’ specific role in the provision of EAS and the current state of equine services in recreational therapy practice. Results of this study may be used to help recreational therapists understand the current state within the field, their role in providing EAS, …

"Enthusiastic Jew And Lover Of Humanity": August Bondi And The Roots Of Transnational Freedom During The Long Nineteenth Century, Matthew Christopher Long

All Theses

Migration is a decidedly human condition that has influenced the development of all nations. Yet the cultural and demographic impacts upon the United States during the long nineteenth century brought about by the mass movements of peoples from Africa, Europe, and beyond were especially pronounced. Immigrants to North America brought with them more than linguistic and cultural artifacts, however; propelled by intellectual currents in their countries of origin, they often carried with them a sensibility of revolution, radical republican politics, and a moral suasion that they employed as they navigated the political and social realities in their new countries. Many …

Toward A Common Understanding Of Video Commercials And Narrative Advertisements, Raine Templeton Riley

All Theses

Video commercials, or television advertisements, have gained a lot of attention in scholarship since the first television advertisement aired in 1941. In recent years, scholars have examined advertisements using the lens of narrative persuasion and as entertainment features on their own. This study builds on previous literature by identifying types of advertisements – non-narrative and narrative – and further describes narrative advertisements in terms of structural aspects and appeal types using exemplars. A set of nearly 200 unique award-winning and otherwise popular advertisements are categorized by Advertisement Type based on prior works in advertising as well as Primary and Secondary …

Trauma Or Trapped: Conceptualizing Moral Suffering And The Impact Of Occupational Stigma, Chloe A. Wilson

All Dissertations

Moral suffering occurs when employees feel constrained by organizational factors that are perceived as conflicting with their values. Moral suffering has been conceptualized through moral distress and moral injury, and while both terms have conceptually similar definitions, no study to date has empirically examined the distinction between the constructs. Thus, the current study examined the distinction between moral injury and moral distress, and whether perceived occupational stigma was a moderator of the relationship between moral suffering and mental health symptoms, meaningful work, and counterproductive work behaviors. Participants were 479 adults from 20 industries, who were recruited from Mturk to participate …

Genomics-Assisted Breeding For Grain Yield And Composition In Sorghum, Sirjan Kumar Sapkota

All Dissertations

Cereal grains provide over half of the total calories for human and animal nutrition. Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the fifth most important cereal grain in the world and a source of staple for over half a billion people in the semi-arid tropics. As human population is projected to become nine billion by middle of this century, crop production needs to increase by 70% to 100% to meet the increasing demand for food. The advancement in genomic technologies and their application in breeding has potential to assure food security. The objectives of this study was to explore application of …

Pretreatment Of Cellulosic Biomass Through Bioleaching To Reduce Inorganic Ingredients, Ning Zhang

All Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most abundant natural resources available, though has not been fully exploited as a feedstock for fuel and chemicals. Thermochemical conversions of this biomass face a range of issues as a result of the inorganic elements present in the biomass, thus necessitating a pretreatment to remove such elements. Bioleaching is one promising method to achieve this objective, by utilizing microbial activities to extract and remove the inorganic components from the biomass feedstock.In this research three microbial species including two fungi (Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger) and one bacterium (Burkholderia fungorum) were selected to pretreat four …

Promoting Dual Language Learners’ Social And Emotional Development Through Creative Drama: A Case Study, Qianyi Gao

All Dissertations

The demographic landscape in the U.S. is changing rapidly, and early childhood programs are experiencing an increase in the enrollment of Dual Language Learners (DLLs). The current study focused on the social and emotional aspects of DLL students and employed a case study design to explore the impact of creative drama on young DLLs’ social and emotional development. Six DLL students enrolled in a Head Start center participated in the 9-week creative drama intervention. Results from the paired t-tests showed that participants’ social and emotional skills improved significantly after the intervention. Qualitative data further revealed that participants demonstrated improvements in …

Regulation Of Neuron Development By Slc7a5-Mtor-Ulk1, Aidan Mikkel Sokolov

All Dissertations

Neuron development involves intricate morphological changes reliant on the serine/threonine kinase mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), a cell growth regulator that supports anabolic processes such as mRNA translation. Upregulated mTORC1 activity during neuron development causes altered neuron morphology, which is a hallmark of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). While the role of mTORC1 in neuron development is well documented, there is insufficient information on what precise upstream and downstream components of the mTOR pathway are involved. Two underexplored regulators of neuron development are the unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (Ulk1) and solute carrier family …

Small Molecule Disruption Of Starch Utilization In Bacteroides As A Non-Bactericidal Therapeutic Method, Anthony Daniel Santilli

All Dissertations

Recent discoveries regarding the connection between changes to the human gut microbiome (GM) and the onset of various illnesses, especially those mediated by an autoimmune response, has led to interest in novel therapeutic methods to address such alterations. Targeted small molecule therapeutics could pave the way for phylum, genus, or even species-level population control of the GM in order to prevent undesirable changes that might promote disease onset. In pursuit of such treatments, the work presented in this dissertation demonstrates to use of small molecule amylase inhibitors to disrupt the starch utilization system (Sus) found in Bacteroides species, a common …

Visually Guided Action For The Person-Plus-Object System: Generalizing The Optic Flow Equalization Control Law To Asymmetrical Bodies, Kathryn Lucaites

All Dissertations

Visually guided action in humans occurs in part through the use of control laws, which are dynamical equations in which optical information modulates an actor’s interaction with their environment. For example, humans locomote through the center of a corridor or through the center of two obstacles by equalizing the speed of optic flow across their left and right fields of view. This optic flow equalization control law relies on a crucial assumption: that the shape of the body relative to the eyes is laterally symmetrical. Humans engaging in tool use are often producing person-plus-object systems that are not laterally symmetrical, …

Mapping Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Curriculum Assemblages: A Post-Qualitative Inquiry, Hilary Rene Tanck

All Dissertations

In my post-qualitative inquiry, I investigated four middle school mathematics teachers’ curriculum work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curriculum has been undergoing a transformation as teachers have greater access to online resources and digital tools (Pepin et al., 2017; Webel et al., 2015). The transformation was further exacerbated by the changes forced by COVID-19 as teachers scrambled to reimagine their curriculum systems in a different context—virtual, hybrid, and concurrent. This study used a post-qualitative approach branching away from traditional linear notions of curriculum to one that is complex, dynamic, and creative. The goal was to create a space to consider curriculum …

Development Of A Tissue Engineered Pulmonary Heart Valve For Pediatric Patients, Maria Margarita Rodriguez Bruce

All Dissertations

Background: Each year in the U.S., an estimated minimum of 40,000 infants are expected to be affected with some form of congenital heart defect (CHD), while a quarter of infants affected with CHD will require invasive treatment within the first year[1]. The current treatments for CHD that involve valve intervention are not tailored to growing children. Mechanical and biological substitute of valves deteriorate and accumulate calcification when implanted in very young patients[2]. In addition, children with current valve substitutes are faced with a lifetime of drug regimens, such as anti-coagulants, to prolong the longevity of the replacements and multiple surgeries …

Effects Of Virtual Human In Dyadic And Crowd Settings On Emotion, Visual Attention And Task Performance In Interactive Simulations, Matias Volonte

All Dissertations

This manuscript presents the result of a series of studies intended to shed light on understanding the effects of virtual human interactions on users’ impressions. This phenomenon was empirically examined in two distinct scenarios namely Dyadic and Crowd.For the dyadic investigation scenarios (studies one, two, three, and four), I used a medical training interactive software named the Rapid Response Training System (RRTS). This simulation was originally used for training medical personnel in the recognition and detection of signs and symptoms of patient’s medical deterioration. This simulation presented a hospital room with a virtual patient. Users were tasked with checking the …

The Community Of Inquiry Effect On Learning For An Online Course, Robert Dawson Coffey

All Dissertations

Technology is transforming higher education by removing geographic constraints for both students and instructors and increasing learning and cooperation with internet-based applications. Bloom’s taxonomy continues to play a significant role in instructional design for both the classroom and online, but other theories that address the challenges of designing and teaching effective online courses have emerged. Also, classroom techniques, many learned as a teaching assistant in graduate school, may not transfer to an online environment. The Community of Inquiry framework (CoI), which originated in 1999 in response to online education, emphasizes the importance of teaching, social, and cognitive presences as necessary …

Examining The Everyday Life Of Child Care Workers: How Low Wages And The Lack Of Benefits Affect Their Lives And Decisions About Employment, Amanda Megan Mcdougald Scott

All Dissertations

Child care workers’ wages have been an issue that has plagued the early childhood education field for over five decades. Although research exists on child care workers’ low wages, turnover rates, and lack of benefits, the details of daily life experiences from child care worker perspectives are scant. This study aims to add a lived experience perspective to the child care worker research, as well as provide stories which may be used as examples to inform policy change.

This qualitative Participatory Action Research entailed semi-structured interviews with 14 child care workers to investigate: (a) the everyday life of child care …

The Influence Of Environmental Health Indices On Antibody Responses Against Streptococcus Agalactiae In Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, Kursten A. Anderson

All Dissertations

The common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, is one of the most recognized marine mammal species. These mammals now serve as a sentinel species to evaluate and monitor ecosystem health in critical coastal regions. For example, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin health and environmental risk assessment project (HERA) has studied these animals over the past 20 years from the Charleston harbor in South Carolina (CH) and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) in Florida, USA, as part of an overall approach to understanding links between Oceans and Human Health (OHH). Environmental pressures, assessed as a combination of pollution exposure, habitat quality, and …

Systems Modeling To Predict Mechano-Chemo Interactions In Cardiac Fibrosis, Jesse Daniel Rogers

All Dissertations

Cardiac fibrosis poses a central challenge in preventing heart failure for patients who have suffered a cardiac injury such as myocardial infarction or aortic valve stenosis. This chronic condition is characterized by a reduction in contractile function through combined hypertrophy and excessive scar formation, and although currently prescribed therapeutics targeting hypertrophy have shown improvements in patient outcomes, pathological fibrosis remains a leading cause of reduced cardiac function for patients long-term. Cardiac fibroblasts play a key role in regulating scar formation during heart failure progression, and interacting biochemical and biomechanical cues within the myocardium guide the activation of fibroblasts and expression …

360-Degree Analysis Of The Produce Prescription (Rx) Program, Joel Hamilton

All Dissertations

The Produce Prescription (Rx) program served patients who utilized a local free clinic, had incomes below 200.0% of the federal poverty line, were uninsured, and had a diet-related chronic health condition. Participants received nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, recipes, and a bag of local produce (their nutrition prescription). Their nutrition prescription aimed to provide enough produce for participants to eat two servings each day for fourteen days. The hope was to improve disease management through nutrition education and the promotion of plant-based diets.

A combination of Produce Rx participants, Clemson Free Clinic personnel, healthcare professionals, patients of a separate local clinic, …

Glycosome Heterogeneity, Import Complex, And Metabolism In Trypanosoma Brucei, Christina L. Wilkinson

All Dissertations

The kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei is responsible for both human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and the wasting disease nagana found in cattle. Unique to kinetoplastids are the specialized peroxisomes, named glycosomes, which compartmentalize the first several steps of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, nucleotide sugar biosynthesis, and many other metabolic processes. There are many studies surrounding the heterogeneity and complexity of glycosomes as well as how these organelles proliferate and import their proteins. Here, I first explored new methods to analyze glycosome heterogeneity by flow cytometry. The advancement of flow cytometry has yielded methods that enable the identification of vesicles between 30-1000 nm …

Advancing Waterfowl Ecology And Management: Assessments Of An Online Course, Professional Credentials, And Graduate Student Publication Performance, Lauren Hernandez-Rubio

All Dissertations

University programs with waterfowl teaching, research, and outreach in the United States and Canada have decreased from approximately 55 to 33 programs (~40%). A reduction in these programs may lead to a loss in professional capacity of waterfowl and wetlands specialists working for science and conservation of these resources. Three research projects were conducted: (1) the creation and assessment of inaugural online course in waterfowl ecology and management, (2) identifying academic and experiential credentials perceived important for a successful career in the waterfowl profession by professionals and current students, and (3) identifying waterfowl graduate students’ performance in publishing in peer-review …

Cornered: Intimate Relations In The Words Upon The Window-Pane, Charles I. Armstrong

International Yeats Studies

No abstract provided.