Digital Commons Network^™

Covid-19 And The Emergence Of A New Illness Narrative, Thomas M. Allison

All Theses

Arranging the experiences of our lives in some kind of order gives us a way to make sense of ourselves, others, and the things that happen to us. The singular chaos of being in a body, being of a body, becomes a little easier to articulate when channeled through a narrative form. Perhaps this is why scholars of literature and medicine have become increasingly interested in diaristic, autobiographical accounts of illness, or illness narratives. Texts of this variety, emerging in print around the mid-twentieth century and proliferating online through the present, contain the experience of illness in a manageable framework. …

“The Profoundest Arcana Of Our Dual Existence, And Its Intermediates”: The Technology Of Monstrously Gendered Bodies In “Carmilla” And Havelock Ellis, Evelyn Grey

All Theses

Queer readings of the Gothic traditionally privilege and prioritize a lens of stabilized sexuality at the forefront of their framework for tackling the genre and its works, often dismissing the destabilizing effects of gender queerness in their theoretical pre-occupations. This thesis takes up Susan Stryker’s political project of de-centering and de-privileging queer-sexuality as the primary lens of queer critique and does so through a reading of Le Fanu’s “Carmilla” to read Carmilla as a prototypically trans character, a topos that is woven in and inseparable from her status as a paradigmatic Gothic monster. The Gothic is read as trans and …

An Analysis Of Presence And User Experiences Over Time, John J. Porter Iii

All Dissertations

This manuscript presents the result of a series of studies intended to shed light on understanding how trends regarding user experiences in VR changes over time when engaging with VR games.

In my first study, I explored how user experiences compared when playing Minecraft on the desktop against playing Minecraft within an immersive virtual reality port. Fourteen players completed six 45 minute sessions, three sessions were played on the desktop, and three in VR. The Gaming Experience Questionnaire, i-Group presence questionnaire, and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire were administered after each session, and players were interviewed at the end of the experiment. …

Forest/People, Taylor Andrew Parker

All Dissertations

The Clemson Experimental Forest (CEF) is a 17,500-acre forest surrounding and owned by Clemson University. Loved by many, it is a working forest managed for sustainable timber harvest and used to provide a laboratory for teaching, research, and demonstration based on its affiliation with Clemson University and its charter through the New Deal. The Clemson Experimental Forest is a setting for recreation and re-creation by those in the greater Clemson community and the Upstate of South Carolina. As the population in the Southeast United States grows, so too do the impacts and pressures on natural areas. The CEF is experiencing …

A Critical Evaluation Of China’S Thirteenth Five-Year Plans For Economic And Social Development, Shaobo Li

All Dissertations

The fundamental promise of socialism in China is to provide common prosperity for all. However, after 40 years of economic reform since the 1980s, China has become one of the most unequal societies in the world. Five-Year Plan has been one of the most important public policy tools of the Chinese government since 1953 to guide the nation’s social and economic development. Considering China’s socialism promise, the existing social and spatial inequality, and the central importance of the Five-Year Plan, it demands academic attention to examine how the issue of inequality between different social groups and regions are addressed in …

An Ecological Approach To Rehabilitation For Traumatic Brain Injury, Lisa Hoskins

All Theses

Advancements in technology, research, and practice are scientifically establishing the relationship between the mind, body, and built environment. In modern TBI rehabilitation medicine, a team of specialists works together to assess the physical, mental, and emotional effects of brain injuries on individual patients and to develop and carry out a plan of action that helps them to overcome, compensate for, and cope with changes in their levels of ability. TBI rehabilitation can integrate holistic practices that better consider an integrated mind-body relationship as well as the built environment as potentially significant factors in supporting functional ability.This thesis investigates the potential …

Genome-Wide Association Studies Of Antimicrobial Activity In Global Sorghum [Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench], Lindsay Kaye Shields

All Theses

Sorghum is a common feed grain globally with vast genetic and phytochemical diversity that may provide numerous health benefits, including its aptitude as an antimicrobial feed grain. This study highlights the antimicrobial potential of a collection of 384 diverse sorghum accessions against two prominent foodborne pathogens, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella enterica. Following extensive screening, we determined that sorghum grain extract is more efficient at inhibiting C. perfringens than S. enterica. Antimicrobial activity observed against C. perfringens was not significantly correlated with either total phenols (r = 0.12) or tannin concentration (r = 0.12). Moreover, we mapped loci associated …

Diagnosis Of Myocardial Hypertrophic Disease States Through Machine Learning And Mechanistic Modeling, Michael William Ward

All Theses

Chronic pressure overload (PO) due to arterial hypertension can lead to structural changes within the heart including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and eventually diastolic heart failure (DHF). The initial diagnosis of PO and LVH is typically challenging and costly, and thus, a new predictive diagnostic tool is desired. In a recent paper by Zile et al., it was found, through the use of a simple multivariate logistic regression, that there exists a multi-biomarker panel with predictive capabilities for the classification of patients with LVH and DHF. In our new work, we furthered the investigation into the plasma biomarker panel proposed …

On Moving Beyond And Looking Behind: An Analysis Of Contemporary Queer Of Color Digital Art And Performance, Caroline Kinderthain

All Theses

Queer theory has long limited its revolutionary potential by prioritizing white gay cis men in the fight for political and social change. Theorists like Roderick Ferguson, José Esteban Muñoz, Gloria Anzaldua, Audre Lorde, and Jasbir Puar, to name a few, have expanded the foundations of queer theory to account for queer people of color and the potential for queer futurity. The innovative work on queer utopia that is set up in Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia is the foundation for the performance and art analyses that shape this project. To contextualize the queer utopian looking that I find crucial to these objects, …

Intimate Distortions, Katherine Van Drie

All Theses

Intimate Distortions look beyond the stereotypes of nature and conditioned social prescription to reflect upon the complexities and nuances of our contemporary society. As we endeavor to overcome trauma and the negative influences that knock us off balance, Intimate Distortions exist in a complex place between nature and culture – a place of hybridity that indicates something evolved and ‘natural’, but also to the historical, social and cultural constructs that humans continue to exist within. This work explores how we, who are part of the natural world, contrive to mold our identities and present ourselves to others in superficial and …

Gendered Image Repair: An Analysis Of Gender's Interaction With Image Repair Strategies, Madison L. Wilson

All Theses

This research was designed to examine how transgressor gender and image repair strategies interact to influence favorable perceptions of a transgressor after an image- related crisis. Drawing on the image repair theory, gender performance and double bind, and expectancy violations theory, four hypotheses were proposed. It was predicted that using an image repair strategy would be viewed more favorably (based on levels of acceptability, likability, perceived responsibility, likelihood of repeated offense, and deserved punishment) than not using an image repair strategy. It was also predicted that transgressing men would be viewed with more favorably than transgressing women. Additionally, it was …

Comparing The Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of Stattic To Indirubin-E804 In Raw264.7 Macrophages, Logan Tisch

All Theses

Natural products containing derivatives of the basic indole backbone have gained significant interest in the use against cancer cells, inflammation, and a multitude of disorders in the human body. The indole backbone is present in several endogenous hormones such as serotonin and melatonin. Additionally, the indole-containing amino acid tryptophan is the starting structure for many endogenous metabolites controlling natural physiological homeostasis such as circadian rhythms, healthy gut microbiota, and gut health. Natural indirubin is a deep red bis-indole isomer of indigo blue, both of which are biologically active ingredients used to treat neoplasia, chronic inflammation, and enhance xenobiotics' detoxification. Naturally …

Design Of A Channel-Access Protocol For A Wireless Ad Hoc Network With Mimo And Adaptive Transmission, Yifan Kang

All Theses

An ad hoc network is a wireless network that does not depend on a pre-configured infrastructure but instead creates network connectivity by utilizing the available nodes to relay packets. In this thesis, we focus on the media access control layer that has a cross-layer design and exploits features of the physical layer. The radios all utilize direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) modulation and a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system. The channel-access protocol uses transmission scheduling to ensure collision free and fair access to the channel for all nodes. However, a limitation of transmission scheduling is poor utilization of high-quality links. We investigate …

In Vivo Analysis Of An Injectable Tannic Acid Crosslinked Collagen Type I Bead Scaffold For Tissue Regeneration Post-Lumpectomy, Kylie King

All Theses

Among women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, affecting about 1 in every 8 women. It accounts for approximately 30% of new cancer diagnoses and is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in developed countries. Current treatment options for breast cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Unfortunately, there are negative side effects associated with each of these, and they may not work for every patient. In addition, local breast cancer recurrence presents a high risk, especially for patients undergoing lumpectomy procedures. The goal of this project is to alleviate these …

Professional Development Needs Assessment For Environmental Educators, Laura Banister Woods

All Theses

To assess the training needs of environmental educators, a survey was designed and distributed to members of environmental education organizations. This survey included a list of 28 professional competencies representing five overarching areas that was compiled with a team of professionals and practitioners and informed by the North American Association for Environmental Education’s (NAAEE) Guidelines for Excellence (2019). Respondents to the survey were asked to rate each professional competency in terms of 1.) how important they think it is, and 2.) how well prepared they feel to perform it in their current position as an environmental educator. These two scores …

Methods For The Electrical Impedance Tomography Inverse Problem: Deep Learning And Regularization With Wavelets, Shyla Rae Kupis

All Theses

Electrical impedance tomography, also known as EIT, is a type of diffusive imaging modality that is non-invasive, radiation-free, and cost-effective for recovering electrical properties within a closed domain from surface measurements. The process involves injecting electrical current into a set of electrodes to measure the voltage on the smooth surface of the domain. The recovered EIT images show how well different materials or tissues within the domain conduct or impede electrical flow, which is helpful in detecting and locating anomalies. For the EIT inverse problem, it is challenging to recover reliable and resolvable electrical conductivity images since it is highly …

Encounters In Placelessness, Carolyn Grace Kerecman

All Theses

Encounters in Placelessness features an inherent tension between the observational and the invented. Each painting operates as inquiry, examining how space can be rationalized in the intricacy of human existence. Seeking to reconcile the physical with the existential, these landscapes become a tangible extension of the internal self. They are constantly shifting, changing, transforming, their placelessness reminding one of the ever-changing reality before them. Each moment becomes a collection of a multitude of experiences. My studio practice is intuitive, sifting through old photos, drawings, mementos, as memories seemingly bubble over. Components of different places once called home are collaged together, …

“You're In A Cult, Call Your Dad.” An Investigation Into The True Crime Podcast My Favorite Murder And Its Online Fan Communities, Kelsea Sierra Schulenberg

All Theses

The interest many women have in true crime has recently received widespread attention in popular media. For instance, a Saturday Night Live sketch that aired in late February of 2021 featured women singing about how their favorite way to unwind is to tune into the latest murder documentary or podcast. A leader in this true crime revolution, My Favorite Murder (MFM) is a true crime comedy podcast whose fan base—known as Murderinos—is massive in size and in passion. Despite the enormous popularity of true crime podcasts like MFM or Serial, research on true crime podcasts and their online fan …

Protecting Our Healthcare Heroes: Using Latent Jd-R Profiles To Predict Burnout In Emergency Medicine Clinicians During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jordan Gail Smith

All Theses

Burnout—a phenomenon characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and negative self-evaluations—is a very concerning and prevalent issue among clinicians, especially those in emergency medicine. Preliminary research conducted at the start of COVID-19 has noted that frontline clinicians are experiencing elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and fatigue, making them susceptible to burnout. In an effort to understand more about clinician burnout during COVID-19, the present study used Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to examine what profiles containing combinations of job demands and job resources exist within emergency medicine clinicians and which profiles—if any—are predictive of emergency medicine clinician burnout during COVID-19. An employee …

Parenting, Vaccines, And Covid-19: A Machine-Learning Approach, Kathleen Thurson

All Theses

COVID-19 is currently at the forefront of both out-of-school time program providers’ and parents’ minds, with additional policies and procedures added existing operating standards to protect the health of participants, staff, and parents (Environmental Health & Engineering, 2020). A failure to adequately prepare and react to different parenting styles may have both operational and financial implications for out-of-school time programs. These implications are only further exacerbated in the additional context of a global pandemic. While the COVID-19 vaccine is a hope to many that the end of the pandemic is near, parental vaccine hesitancy or refusal may pose a significant …

Gender Differences In Self-Perception Of Ncaa Division I Student-Athletes, Sean Strehlow, Tomika Ferguson, Sarah Stokowski, Lindsey Darvin

Publications

No abstract provided.

Efficient Automated Driving Strategies Leveraging Anticipation And Optimal Control, Robert Austin Dollar

All Dissertations

Automated vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems bring computation, sensing, and communication technologies that exceed human abilities in some ways. For example, automated vehicles may sense a panorama all at once, do not suffer from human impairments and distractions, and could wirelessly communicate precise data with neighboring vehicles. Prototype and commercial deployments have demonstrated the capability to relieve human operators of some driving tasks up to and including fully autonomous taxi rides in some areas. The ultimate impact of this technology’s large-scale market penetration on energy efficiency remains unclear, with potential negative factors like road use by empty vehicles competing …

Questioning Authority: Patents And Source Evaluation In An Era Of Misinformation, Jess O'Toole

Journal of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

In the world of academic research, patents are classified as primary literature, and are recognized as “a rich source of technical, legal and business information presented in a generally standardized format and often not reproduced anywhere else” (World Intellectual Property Organization, 2015, p.4). Because of their status, patents are often left out of conversations surrounding source credibility and evaluation. Recent news relating to the conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and several patents, however, demonstrates the potential use of patents in spreading misinformation and disinformation. Through applying source evaluation techniques in keeping with the Association of College & Research Libraries’ …

Stalking The Wild X Patent, Barbara J. Hampton

Journal of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

For most of the history of the patent office, recorded patents were used primarily to enforce the patent holder’s rights during the life of the patent and to evaluate prior art, in determining patentability. The limits of manual indexes and hand counts of entries made more sophisticated analyses impractical. Recently, a number of researchers have begun to apply scientometric methods to assess trends and causation in patterns of innovation in the United States by organizing data elements from patent documents. Although most patents are now searchable, fully digital records, the records of the earliest patents (1790–1836) were incinerated in a …

A Novel Technique For Distributed Measuring Of Strain In The Vadose Zone, Grant A. Plunkett

All Theses

Characterizing water content and pressure changes in the vadose zone is important to understanding a variety of geologic processes, ranging from storage and drainage, to evapotranspiration, and recharge. Changes in water content, or pressure, cause strain in the solid porous medium of the vadose zone, and it is possible that measuring those strains could be used as a characterization tool. The Coherence-length-gated Microwave Photonics Interferometry (CMPI) technique measures strain at high resolution along many intervals defined by pairs of reflectors distributed along an optical fiber. This technique has recently been developed at Clemson University, and it appears to have the …

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) …

Athletes As Health Advocates: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Approach To Identify Their Influence On Public Health Measures, Sai Datta Mikkilineni

All Theses

Binge drinking has been a significant public health concern on college campuses for several decades. While health communication scholars looked into addressing this issue through a multi-faceted approach, they failed to consider the role of athletes and their potential influence on college students. Thus, this thesis attempts to bridge this literature gap by adopting the theoretical framework of the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) to analyze the underlying cognitive structures in information processing that leads to attitudinal and behavioral change. Data was collected from a large south-eastern University in the United States. Results from 293 respondents show that elaboration and attitudes …

Love Labors, Ashley Felder

All Theses

Quilting-making carries associations of domestic and traditionally feminine labor and an intersection of art and life that lends itself to the layering of perspectives. It is an art form that is greater than the sum of its parts. The tactility of the quilt extends a metaphoric engagement centered on our sense of touch, how we are touched by nature and how we touch it. The quilts in this body of work draw upon deliberately slow and sensual processes of construction that employ physical and visual texture, expansive ranges of color usage, photographic image, stitched lines, and pattern to describe encounters …

The Graveyard Shift: Treatment Of Gravesites Over Time At Bethel And Old Bethel Churches In Charleston, South Carolina, Sarah Clifton

All Theses

The goal of this work is to provide researchers, preservationists, and historians with an in-depth look of the treatment of graves and gravesites over time by Bethel United Methodist Church and Old Bethel United Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina. This data can hopefully be used by researchers in a broader sense to understand the treatment of white and African American burials over time.

Gravestones and sites can reflect how we see people within society in the past, present, and future. Therefore, documentation of social and cultural history along with the documentation of the built environment that contains tangible artifacts …

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 …