Digital Commons Network^™

4-H Youth Volunteer Retention In Science Projects, Veronica Del Bianco, Melissa Cater, Janet Fox

Journal of Youth Development

Retention of volunteers and participants is a critical concern for programs that rely on their manpower, but limited empirical research exists, especially on youth volunteers. This descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative study examined the influence of volunteer motivation, participation, and science project type on the retention of 4-H youth volunteers ages 12 to 19 years participating in science projects in 3 states. An instrument was created for this study that included both existing survey scales and researcher- developed items based on combined research from the citizen science, volunteer development, and youth development fields. The research revealed that consistency and engagement were correlated …

Listening To Youth Through 17 Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessments: Implications For Programming And Policy, Cassandra Jessee, Audrey Marie Moore, Christy Olenik, Chelsea Pallatino Trevelline

Journal of Youth Development

Between 2015 and 2020, USAID invested in 17 country-focused and regional youth assessments to investigate young people’s priorities and needs. This article analyzes the results of those assessments and their implications for youth programming and policy in low- and middle-income countries. Primary data collection, document review, and secondary data analysis form the basis for the findings presented in the article. Our analysis across all assessments focused on identifying the most marginalized and vulnerable youth within each country of focus and understanding youth’s priorities and the barriers and facilitators for achieving them across the sectors. Securing a decent livelihood was the …

Does Construction Service Provider's Response Matter? Understanding The Influence Of Anecdotal Information On Online Consumer Decisions, Arnal Ponathil, Amro Khasawneh, Kalyan Piratla, Sudeep Hegde

Open Access Publishing Fund

The home improvement service industry is growing rapidly, and the advancement in technology has made information about service providers, such as customer reviews, accessible with a few clicks. However, the impact of anecdotal information, like reviews and a service provider's response to a review, have not been studied extensively in the home improvement service industry. Using the Data Frame Theory of Sensemaking, this study investigated the combined effect of these two variables on an online consumer's decision. We recruited 360 participants through Qualtrics Research Services to participate in a 4∗3 between-subjects study. The findings suggest that when all reviews were …

Case Study Of Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Support Bridge Inspections, Joseph M. Burgett, Gurcan Comert

The Professional Constructor

This paper presents the results of a case study conducted to evaluate the potential benefit of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, as a tool to improve the bridge inspection workflow. The study conducted two experiments to determine how well deficiencies could be detected using a UAS. Both experiments were conducted using the same test bridge. The first experiment was carried out by the bridge inspection engineers (BIEs), who had previously inspected the bridge using traditional methods. They used the drone to search for inspection points identified in the inspection report. The second experiment was conducted by …

Stick Built Vs. Panelize Wall/Truss Framing For New Home Construction: A Time Study Labor Comparison., Eric A. Holt, Jim Anzlovar, Alexander Welsh

The Professional Constructor

Due to many trends in the construction industry (material cost increase, labor shortages, supply chain issues, pandemic, market demand outpacing supply), the homebuilding industry is looking for alternative ways to frame homes. In response to the National Housing Endowment (NHE) Request for Proposal, the researchers reviewed the literature on the housing market’s current state regarding the scale and scope of the skilled construction framers shortage and the current market share of single-family framing method; stick-built vs. panelization. Working with industry part ners, the team analyzed time studies for multiple new home builds. It was found that panelized wall framing systems …

Polydnavirus Innexins Disrupt Host Cellular Encapsulation And Larval Maturation, Peng Zhang, Matthew Turnbull

Open Access Publishing Fund

Polydnaviruses are dsDNA viruses associated with endoparasitoid wasps. Delivery of the virus during parasitization of a caterpillar and subsequent virus gene expression is required for production of an amenable environment for parasitoid offspring development. Consequently, understanding of Polydnavirus gene function provides insight into mechanisms of host susceptibility and parasitoid wasp host range. Polydnavirus genes predominantly are arranged in multimember gene families, one of which is the vinnexins, which are virus homologues of insect gap junction genes, the innexins. Previous studies of Campoletis sonorensis Ichnovirus Vinnexins using various heterologous systems have suggested the four encoded members may provide different functionality in …

Exploring Student Perspectives On Informal And Formal Learning In University Makerspaces, Abigail Holcombe Baker

All Dissertations

Informal Learning Spaces (ILSs) are increasing in popularity in many educational and community settings (Berman, 2020). One such ILS is a makerspace, where people participate in general activities of creating, building, designing, and tinkering (Oxman Ryan, Clapp, Ross, & Tishman, 2016). Makerspaces have been touted as spaces that provide students with opportunities to build fundamental knowledge, hone communication and social networking skills, offer intergenerational learning opportunities, fabricate artifacts for personal interests, and take an active and situated role when learning design skills (see: Barniskis, 2016; Blikstein, 2013; Cohen et al., 2017; Curry, 2016; Kajamaa & Kumpulainen, 2019; Lakind et al., …

Evaluation Of Plant Hormones On Herbicide Safety In Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas L.), Giovanni Caputo

All Theses

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam)] growers need new technologies to manage weeds as current strategies rely on combinations of pre-emergent (PRE) or cultivation, which do not provide season long weed control. A label expansion of postemergence (POST) herbicides would be extremely beneficial to farmers and could improve weed management in sweetpotato.

Three studies were conducted at the Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center from January 2019 to November 2020 to investigate the ability of plant hormones and ascorbic acid (AsA) to improve sweetpotato tolerance to applications of POST herbicides. An in vitro study tested bentazon injury on three …

Evaluation Of Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion For Increased Sludge Handling Capacity And Energy Production At The F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center, Julia Ann Funk

All Theses

Two-phase anaerobic digestion (AD) of municipal wastewater separates the hydrolytic-acidogenic phase from the methanogenic phase, resulting in optimization of the respective microbial communities, increased stability, shorter residence times, and increased methane production rates compared to conventional single-phase treatment. Anaerobic co-digestion of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) with municipal wastewater also offers the potential for increased methane production rates; however, FOG can lead to system upsets and overall digester failure if not managed properly. Anaerobic co-digestion in a two-phase system could offer the potential of alleviating many of these upsets, including more efficient conversion of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and …

Comparing Cyberincivility And Cyberbullying In The Workplace: Measurement, Outcomes, And The Power Imbalance, Annie Wilson

All Dissertations

In recent years, the ever-expanding role of technology in the workplace has led to increased incidents of cyberincivility and cyberbullying in this setting. These constructs are related to cyberbullying among youth but have important distinctions as the settings, behaviors, and outcomes can differ. As the body of literature on cyberbullying and cyberincivility in the workplace grows, it is difficult to assess the validity of results as there are various measures used to quantify these constructs, and there is some disagreement in the literature on the definitions and distinction between the two. It is impossible to assess the prevalence, behaviors, and …

Rapid Isolation And Quantification Of Exosome And Lentivirus By Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography On A Polyester Capillary-Channeled Polymer Fiber Stationary Phase, Sisi Huang

All Dissertations

Exosomes are vesicles secreted by cells having a size range from 30-150 nm and carrying genetic materials that are important for intercellular functions. Besides, mounting evidence suggests that tumor cells secrete more exosomes than normal cells making it important to quantify exosomes as well. Thus, it is important to be able to efficiently isolate and quantify exosomes for potential use in clinical diagnostics, as well as to develop a deeper understanding of their role in intercellular processes. Apart from exosomes, Lentivirus is another bioparticle that has drawn great attention from researchers. Lentivirus is a genus of retroviruses with a size …

A Survey Of Language Shaming Experiences In Interpreter Education, Dawn M. Wessling, Suzanne Ehrlich

International Journal of Interpreter Education

Problems of practice (Henriksen & Richardson, 2017) are the impetus for change across many disciplines and result in a myriad of solutions toward best practices. Teaching American Sign Language/English interpreting is no different than other genres in higher education in seeking continuous improvement. Signed language interpreters in teaming situations may engage in self- and peer critique in the process of creating an interpretation (Russell, 2011). As a result, interpreters are cognizant of corrections they may receive from their peers, whether new to the field or long-term practitioners. The action of being monitored by peers and the related behavior are not …

Global Pride: Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Interpreting, Deb Russell, Colin Allen

International Journal of Interpreter Education

This open-forum article highlights an interview conducted with Colin Allen, a Visiting Lecturer from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology and Abigail Gorman, an activist and graduate student at Birkbeck College, University of London, in the UK. In this interview, they highlight their experiences while coordinating International Sign interpreters for Global Pride, a virtual international global event that took place in June 2020. This was the first time that Global Pride has provided communication access to the international deaf LGBTIQA+ Community via sign interpreting services. (For the purposes of this article, LGBTQIA+ refers to …

Fluid Rheological Effects On Insulator-Based Dielectrophoresis, Joseph Armakan Bentor

All Theses

Insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) has been increasingly used to focus, trap and separate particles and cells for various microfluidic applications in the fields of analytical chemistry, bioanalysis, cell biology and clinics etc. It exploits insulating structure(s) to create electric field gradients for dielectrophoretic manipulation of particles and cells in microchannels. However, iDEP has thus far been demonstrated to work with Newtonian fluids only in the majority of the reported applications. As many of the biological (e.g., blood, saliva, DNA solutions, etc.) and chemical (e.g., polymer and colloidal solutions) fluids exhibit non-Newtonian behaviors, it is important and necessary to understand how the …

Delivering Highly-Characterized Low-Dose X-Ray Radiation To Biological Samples, Jaclyn D'Avanzo

All Theses

Since the advent and swift adoption of x-ray imaging in 1986, the understanding of radiation among the general populace has markedly increased as has the average annual radiation exposure. The biological effects of high doses and high dose-rates, particularly related to x-ray radiation, became a concern of the scientific and medical communities within the same year due to the unregulated use of such imaging. The dangers of these high doses sparked extensive studies, health recommendations, and regulations. However, after it became common practice to use the lowest dose necessary to facilitate medical treatment, the research on the biological effects of …

Constitutive Expression Of The Inositol Polyphosphate 5- Phosphatase Gene Alters Plant Development And Enhances Abiotic Stress Tolerance In Creeping Bentgrass, Chen Chang

All Theses

Inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), a second messenger molecule and a very important component of phosphoinositide (PI) signaling, participates in plant growth and response to various abiotic stresses. Strict control of the IP3 balance is critical for normal plant development. Type I Inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (InsP 5-ptase) functions to hydrolyze soluble inositol phosphates, such as IP3. It has previously been reported that transgenic Arabidopsis, a dicotyledonous plant species overexpressing InsP 5-ptase exhibit a sharply declined IP3 level, but enhanced tolerance to various environmental adversities, indicating an important role the InsP 5-ptase plays in regulating phosphoinositide (PI) signaling to mediate plant stress responses. To …

Raising Awareness Of Endangered Species Through The Use Of Digitally Created Characters, Justin Weeks

All Theses

Animated films have no shortage of memorable characters. They are the subjects of the film and are designed intentionally to be appealing. They are also what sell merchandise, as evidenced by high-end collectibles created and sold by toy companies such as McFarlane and Sideshow. [58] [85] Put simply, audiences love the characters in animated films. That same appeal can be used strategically to aid endangered species. [49] Persons that have a positive attitude towards a particular animal are more likely to want to protect it by assisting in its conservation. [57] This protective instinct can be especially strong in the …

The Second-Person Narrative Mode Used As A Proposed Engagement Form In Virtual Reality Storytelling, Rodney Florencio Da Costa

All Theses

Methods of storytelling in cinema, theater, and literature have well-established conventions that have been built throughout narrative history and the development of these more traditional formats. In virtual reality, though, many of the techniques that have formed part of this cinematic language or visual narrative are not easily applied. In general, when the virtual reality narrative term is used, it is associated with filmed or rendered 360º videos that use head-mounted displays for presentation and most often uses first and third-person narratives, which may compromise a director's intent for story flow.

This thesis aims to put a new light on …

Analysis Of Relative Frequency Of Commuting Modes During Covid-19 Pandemic", Shreya Chintawar

All Theses

At the end of December 2019, a new coronavirus spread in Wuhan, China, and worldwide and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared this outbreak of the COVID-19 virus a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Different states and cities implemented various strategies including school closure, working from home, and restaurant and shop closures to control the virus spread, resulting in reduced travel demand. COVID-19 provided an opportunity to understand the differential impacts of a pandemic on travel demand. This study investigates the changes in the U.S. transportation mode use and factors influencing changes in mode use frequency for commuting during the …

The Bachelor As A Platform For Format Subversion: Authorial Intent And Audience Reaction, Michael A. Vaughan

All Theses

It is quite clear while watching any iteration of The Bachelor franchise that there is a formulaic design that each season follows with the rare delineation here and there, and much of this can be attributed to the show’s intended audience demographic that it is trying to reach. The audience for The Bachelor is relatively stagnant, as there is little change amongst the show’s viewership and, until recently, very little change on the side of the show’s producers to alter the audience that it brings in. Because the primary demographic that The Bachelor reaches consists of mainly women, a number …

Framing Ludens: Pawn Swapping And Game Mode Alteration In An Unreal Engine Game Level, Jeffrey Paul Martell

All Theses

Knight of Drones is a hybrid twin-stick top-down shooter and side-scrolling platformer that aims to bring vintage gameplay to a contemporary game engine. A single swatch of the top-down game mode and a pair of levels from the side-scrolling game mode will be presented beginning with the player characters and player pawn assets and then extending to the level design and game design assets.

The game deals with the fallout effects of climate change and serves as a cautionary tale against pollution and weaponized AI. This message will appear primarily in the game's atmosphere, literally in the background in some …

Site-Specific Nanoparticle Therapy For Treatment Of Medial Arterial Calcification, Tyler James Gibson

All Theses

Vascular calcification is a disease associated with the cardiovascular system in which minerals (i.e. Calcium Phosphate) are deposited into the walls of arteries, veins, and valves of the heart. Although low amounts are common in most individuals, abnormally high deposition of these minerals, specifically calcium salts, reduces vascular elasticity and hardens the artery. Medial arterial calcification (MAC) occurs when minerals diffuse through the artery into the medial layer of the arterial wall. MAC causes hemodynamic disturbances by reducing elasticity in the artery and therefore hardens the artery. MAC can be intensified in combination with other diseases such as diabetes or …

Power And Agency In Teachers' Digital Writing Feedback: A Virtual Education Environment, Alicia Kelley

All Dissertations

This multiple case study explored how adolescents and their teachers in a virtual education environment navigated the process of teachers’ digital writing feedback and its accompanying power dynamics. The study addressed a need in literacy research to understand how digital writing feedback functions in virtual schools due to concerns related to lower standardized test scores in reading among virtual schools (Fitzpatrick et al., 2020) and large increases in virtual school enrollment in recent years (Center for Research on Education Outcomes, 2015). This move toward virtual learning was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic (Farrow et al., 2020). The study’s theoretical framework …

Smart Home Privacy Decision Making: A Web Of Context, Conceptual Models, Heuristics And Interfaces, Paritosh Pradeep Bahirat

All Dissertations

Smart Home IoT is gaining popularity because of its ability to render a connected experience and a high level of automation to its users. To render this connected experience, smart home devices need to collect and share data from their environments. From privacy and security standpoint, the data collection can be an important cause of concern for smart home IoT users. The research presented in this dissertation is focused on understanding how smart home IoT users make privacy decisions. With the understanding of these decision preferences, privacy settings interfaces for smart home users are created which can be helpful in …

An Exploration Of Outdoor Recreation Experiences Among Adults With Developmental Disabilities: Benefits, Constraints, And Facilitators, Merry Armstrong

All Theses

Between 2009-2017, 17% of youth were diagnosed with a developmental disability (DD) in the United States. These individuals have specific physical, emotional/psychological, and social needs that can require extra support in order to participate fully in recreation activities. The benefits of participating in outdoor recreation are abundant. Unfortunately, little is known about individuals with DDs’ experiences in outdoor recreation participation, and the factors that constrain or facilitate their participation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore adults with DDs’ perceived benefits of outdoor recreation, and the constraints or facilitators that affect their participation. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted …

Liquid Sampling–Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge Ionization Source Coupled To An Ultra High Resolution Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer For Diverse Spectrochemical Analysis, Jacob R. Bills

All Theses

The liquid sampling – atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) coupled to an ultra-high resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer has demonstrated expanded abilities for the uranium isotope ratios and molecular analysis by adding low polarity polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to its already impressive repertoire. The LS-APGD/Orbitrap combination has shown the ability to analyze all three natural isotopes of uranium, 234U, 235U, and 238U, simultaneously. This is different from traditional instruments use a scanning type mass analyzer, but the Orbitrap analyzes all analytes simultaneously. Traditionally, in order to analyze both uranium and PAHs, two entirely different instruments would be required, typically an inductively coupled …

Artistically Reshaping Trauma: An Exploration Of Radical Healing In The Lived Experiences And Art Of Marginalized Youth, Anitra R. Alexander

All Theses

Consumption and circulation of police brutality and the death of persons in the marginalized community present major concerns for the psychological well-being and development of marginalized youth. Contemporary events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased both negative media attention and instances of oppression towards AAPI communities. Not all adolescents are directly exposed to traumatic race-related events online; however, many are likely experiencing the direct effects of such incidents. Despite exposure and effects of these events, marginalized adolescents still demonstrate indicators of healthy coping. Indicators of healthy coping present the need to shift research from negative psychological outcomes to healing …

Transport And Precipitation Of Iron And Uranium In A Lab Scale Model Riparian Zone, Reid Williams

All Theses

Several wetlands throughout The United States are known to have attenuated significant concentrations of uranium. A recent study culminating fifty years of contaminant monitoring has indicated that uranium present in a wetland within the Savannah River Site is predominantly immobile. Previous works have demonstrated that iron cycling, organic carbon concentrations, and the sharp boundaries between anoxic and oxic zones (present in the hyporheic zones of gaining streams) substantially impact the transport of contaminants in wetlands, but the mechanisms preventing the movement of uranium at the Savannah River Site are not fully understood. However, this wetland is known to be enriched …

Were The "Best Made Better" Without In-Person Programming? Content Analysis Of Extension 4-H Programming During The Covid-19 Pandemic In South Carolina, Lauren Burdine Hood

All Theses

Since 1902, 4-H Youth Development programs have been implemented by Cooperative Extension Agents or Educators for teaching, influencing, and leading youth to new life skills that can shape and influence their futures. The motto of 4-H is “learn by doing” and is practiced with a hands-on learning approach. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 4-H programs and clubs around the nation were confined to home or distance learning and no group interaction, some even still confined to virtual-only events. This study analyzes how 4-H, specifically in South Carolina, was implemented without meeting in person. 4-H participants and their parents in South Carolina …

Investigation Of Dissimilatory Iron Reduction By Exophiala Hkrs030, Zachary Burton

All Theses

Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and is an essential component in many biological processes. While highly abundant, free iron is not readily available to biological systems since most iron is present in the earth’s crust in the form of ferrous (Fe2+) and ferric (Fe3+) iron minerals. Because of this limited availability, bacteria, plants and fungi have developed diverse ways to safely assimilate and store iron. Bacteria and some fungi have the ability to dissimilate iron. Dissimilatory iron reduction (DIR) is where Fe3+ is reduced to Fe2+ without the cell assimilating the Fe2+ and …