Digital Commons Network^™

Illuminating Perceptions Of Social-Ecological Complexity For More Holistic Management Of Parks And Protected Areas, Michael Patrick Blacketer

All Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on illuminating human perceptions in a social-ecological system (SES) through three studies: (1) revealing human perceptions of the influence of social network structure on social dynamics in an SES; (2) understanding human perceptions of biophysical and social change related to a SES, and (3) exploring how key stakeholder groups might perceive social-ecological reciprocities in an SES. To achieve these endeavors, this dissertation advances analytical tools that have yet to be widely used in natural resource management to understand stakeholders’ perceptions of social-ecological complexity: social network models, perceptions of change, and fuzzy logic cognitive mapping. These tools represent …

Factors Influencing Students’ Choice Of An Institution Of Higher Education, Michael Bryan Moody

All Dissertations

This study examined the following research question: What factors influence student college selection process? The study sought to fill an existing gap in the literature by examining what role technology and other relevant factors have on students’ decision-making as related to college choice. By identifying influencers of college choice, the study’s findings can add to the body of knowledge that admission counselors might use as they develop an appropriate recruiting mix of strategies best suited for today’s college applicants

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As the theoretical framework, this research drew on the previous work of Hamrick & Hossler (1996) which combined constructs of …

Development Of Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-Cp) Fiber As Stationary Phase For Biological Sample Application, Lei Wang

All Dissertations

Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as an alternative support/stationary phase for biomacromolecule separations on analytical and preparative scales have been developed by Marcus research group. The combination of the fiber micro- and macro-structures and in-column orientation allows operation at comparably high linear velocities (~100 mm s-1) without excessive system backpressure. The ability to move fluid efficiently through the structure is complemented by the fact that the fiber physical structure is effectively nonporous with respect to the size of proteins, therefor there is no significant intrafiber diffusion. Ultimately, these factors combine for protein separations that are devoid of appreciable van Deemter C-term …

February 12, 2020 Conference Call, Beth Ashmore

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Committee Annual Reports And Updates

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

May 2020 Full Issue

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Finding The Ephemeral: Aura, Apperception, And Digitally-Mediated Music, Rodger Eugene Bishop

All Theses

This paper attends the live music performance in the 21st century to reconsider German philosopher Walter Benjamin’s theses on the authenticity of art in his 1935 essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” Benjamin focuses on the emergent technology of photography in the 20th century as a method of technical reproduction of the art object, and, as he indicates, as having “captured a place of its own among the artistic processes” (219-20). Benjamin proposes several theories on the mechanical reproducibility and distribution of art within the culture industry, and his attention to the aura of the …

Scheduling Control For Many-Server Queues When Customers Change Class, Mary Elizabeth Saine

All Theses

We consider a two class, many-server queueing system which allows for customer abandonment and class changes. With the objective to minimize the long-run average holding cost, we formulate a stochastic queueing control problem. Instead of solving this directly, we apply a fluid scaling to obtain a deterministic counterpart to the problem. By considering the equilibrium of the deterministic solution, we can solve the resulting control problem, referred to as the equilibrium control problem (ECP), and use the solution to propose a priority policy for the original stochastic queueing system. We prove that in an overloaded system, under a fluid scaling, …

"A Phenomenon To Monitor:" Racial Discrimination At Nasa, 1974-1985, Ruth Joy Calvino

All Theses

As NASA propelled mankind beyond the limits of the earth, women and African American employees fought against discriminatory structures and systems within the agency. Since its inception, NASA administrators and NASA’s black employees had a tenuous relationship. Black employees did not trust their supervisors, NASA Equal Employment Opportunity staff, or the discrimination reporting processes. Utilizing the case files of the class action lawsuit MEAN v Fletcher, new oral interviews, NASA EEO and administrative archives, and US Congressional hearings, this thesis argues that NASA was structurally and systemically racially discriminatory. NASA’s problems were similar to those at other technological agencies, both …

Calcium Selective Polymeric Contrast Agents, Christian Cole Nguyen

All Theses

This work employs organic and polymer synthesis to construct a novel polymeric contrast agent for the application of mild traumatic brain injury in which affects so many lives not only in the united states by also internationally as well. Our approach to tackling this issue is to take advantage of diffuse axial injury and the phenomena of the fluctuation of free calcium ions after trauma occurs. We aim to take advantage of chelation chemistry. For this, we carefully construct a polymeric contrast agent that contains free carboxylic acid groups that can alternate between coordinating with gadolinium species in our contrast …

Technique For The Determination Of Migratable Primary Aromatic Amines Applied To Multi-Laminate Pouches Utilizing Polyurethane Adhesives, Ryan Frederick Ramey

All Theses

Primary aromatic amines (PAAs) are toxic reaction products of polyurethane chemistry and form from unreacted isocyanate monomers and water. This issue is prevalent when considering polyurethane adhesive applications in food contact materials (FCM’s) and food contact articles (FCAs). EU standards state that a maximum migration level of the total sum of PAAs may be no more than 10 ng g-1 of food. Testing for migration and quantification of PAAs has not been standardized, but this research tests a published optimized method for migration testing and quantification of compounds utilizing strong cationic exchange solid phase extraction (SCX-SPE) and ultra-high performance liquid …

Those Who Spectate Are Bound To Murder, Kaitlyn Michelle Samons

All Theses

This thesis is a criticism of chroniclers. As is said at the end of the introduction, this research not only criticizes poor investigative work (whether it be intentionally malicious, or simply lazy) from the past, but also reinforces a standard of expectation for those who wish to go into any field of research and/or writing. As writers are the last defense against the erasure of history, it stands to measure that there should be a higher expectation of those of them granted the authority to chronicle history. However, it is obvious based on the case studies of Native American lynchings …

This Is Not A Drill: A Survey Of Natural Disaster Preparedness In House Museums And Historic Sites, Rachel W. Wilson

All Theses

Natural disasters are unavoidable and oftentimes unpredictable. They have the power to physically and financially cripple house museums and historic sites. While they cannot be stopped, they can be planned for and prepared for. Natural disaster preparedness plans are a vital part of site management for all institutions. While the literature about disaster planning specifically for house museums and historic sites is scarce, the planning process has largely remained the same for the past three decades. The last survey on this topic was Covering Your Assets’ 2004 survey edited by Elizabeth Merritt. This thesis survey will serve as the next …

Articulating The Cloud: Understanding Data Centers, Renewable Energy, And Public Policy, Bailey R. Troutman

All Theses

Experts urge that drastic steps must be taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as the ongoing climate crisis worsens. Amid this, it is also important to understand the relationships between media infrastructures and the finite resources they require. This thesis goes beyond arguing that data centers are inherently unsustainable media infrastructures that consumers rely on to access the Internet and cloud storage. Instead, this thesis focuses on Google as an industry leading company in the United States to assess how the company understands their role in the climate crisis, and how they define renewable energy and sustainability. To do so, …

Atlanta United's "Heartbeat": Exploring The Experience Of The "Most Passionate Fans", Mackenzie Lane Smith

All Theses

Professional soccer has been growing across the United States as the professional

leagues begin to expand and experience more success both on and off the field. A unique fan experience can be seen with soccer as compared to other sports, with the opportunity for fans to be a part of a supporter group, a group whose main purpose is to be the most passionate and loyal fans for their team. Atlanta United, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team located in Atlanta, GA, was one of the MLS’ expansion teams in 2017 and has experienced immense success since its inception. Through …

The Importance Of Platform Producers’ Reputation Signals And Product Type On Product Performance In Peer-To-Peer Platforms, Aubrey Johnson

All Theses

On two-sided peer-to-peer platforms there exists a supply side (producers) and a demand side (consumers). Platform owners provide the platforms that assist in efficiently matching producers and consumers and an infrastructure that producers can take advantage of to signal quality to consumers. This study examines the effects of producer signals on product performance in the context of Airbnb, a peer-to-peer home sharing platform. Adjusting for producers with multiple listings, the analysis uses 77,445 listings from the platform to produce regression models which tests whether signals are positively related to product performance and if the relationship between producer signals and product …

Existing Building Codes And Historic Masonry Towers, John Sheridan Bennett

All Theses

The existing building codes offer exemptions for historic structures that lessen the

prescriptive requirements and offer alternative means to achieve life safety goals. Three

examples selected for this study are unreinforced masonry towers subject to high wind loads

and seismic forces to explore the methods of Prescriptive, Work Area, and Performance

Compliance with an eye to the role of the building code official and where the decisions may

impact life safety in the course of repairing, altering, or changing the occupancy of the

towers. The thesis explores the complexity of the code while forming a roadmap of the

process. As …

New Ruins, Jordan Fowler

All Theses

New Ruins is an exhibit of sculptures that integrates physical, natural, digital forms and materials. These works are constructed as ruins of the future, involving materials and systems that carry concerning implications for tomorrow.

I demonstrate two main bodies of work through this investigation. Re-encodings display large-scale assemblages of concrete, foam, organic matter and mechanical detritus with projection map glitched digital video animating their surfaces. Additionally, Generative Ruins are a series of 3D printed sculptures modelled through algorithms that parameterize and procedurally generate ruins.

Because the presentation of these works echoes the display of archaeological finds my sculptures have a …

A Slow And Spectacular Violence: Anti-Black, Environmental, And Labor Violence In Muriel Rukeyser’S The Book Of The Dead, Kaitlyn Michelle Samons

All Theses

In 1931, between 700 and 800 West Virginian miners died from “acute silicosis,” a lung disorder caused by prolonged exposure to silica dust. This event was dubbed “The Hawk’s Nest Tragedy.” The Hawk’s Nest Tragedy violence was best captured by Muriel Rukeyser in her collection of poems, The Book of the Dead. The poems within The Book of the Dead are separate from the perspectives of the victims who have died, but also currently serve as some of the few possible lenses for these victims to be remembered. Using Rukeyser’s work, this thesis will explore a single, central, question: …

Residential Status And Satisfaction With China’S Public Health Services, Ye Jiao

All Theses

This thesis examined the joint effect of hukou (household registration) status and residence location on people’s satisfaction with public health services in China. It also examines the role of education level, media use (official and unofficial), perception of equality, self–rated social status, self–rated health status, public health insurance participation in the relationship between residential status and satisfaction with public health services. This thesis found that hukou status and residence location have significantly joint effect on satisfaction. Satisfaction score is the highest among those with rural residence and rural hukou, followed by urban individuals with rural hukou, with urban individuals with …

How The Advancement Of Computer Graphics Has Improved The Representation Of Monsters In Cinema, Tommy Bui

All Theses

Monsters, creatures, and beasts have always been a part of any civilization’s culture. Through documentation and stories passed down from one generation to the other, we as a society have seen a huge variety of monsters in literature, arts, and movies. The correlation between society and its fascination with monsters stems from fear. Fear is the overall driving force for the creation of all monsters in every form of entertainment because of humanity’s attraction to the weird and abnormal. Often either a fear of science or a fear of one’s self, there is a monster that is created that corresponds. …

Learning Styles Of Undergraduate Construction Management Students And Their Impact On Best Practices For Online Education, Robert Dawson Coffey

All Theses

Construction Science and Management (CSM) students at Clemson University took a self-assessment survey to determine their preferred learning style to determine if their preferred learning style is correlated to their GPA. Also, both CSM students and instructors took a survey on course methodology to determine if their perceptions of course methodology were congruent. The results of these surveys and subsequent analyses were insignificant, and because of their insignificance, they did not factor into best practice recommendations for online course design and delivery for construction management. The greatest contributing factors for best practices in online course delivery in construction management came …

Dwaraka: An Immersive Storytelling Experience Represented In Virtual Reality Through A Graphic Novel, Nandakumar Chedikulathu Vishnu

All Theses

This thesis showcases the development of a narrative Virtual Reality (VR) experience told in the form of an immersive graphic novel. Virtual reality has the potential to be one of the more intimate forms of storytelling since it puts the user in the center of the story or scene. Similarly the graphic novel is an excellent storytelling device since it relies more on visuals rather than writing, enabling readers to absorb information faster without losing focus. Together they become a visually evocative experience for the audience by enabling them to not just look through the visuals but also jump into …

Teamwork Training For Engineering Students, Jonathan Powers

All Theses

The ability to work effectively in teams is one of the most highly sought-after capabilities in organizations today. The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) now requires colleges and universities develop teamwork skills in graduates. Evidence indicates that students and instructors view the teamwork graduate attribute as important for career success. However, despite the push from accreditation boards to increase the focus on teamwork skill development, industry continues to express that there is a gap in student capability. In an attempt to address this need, instructors are increasingly organizing course work around teamwork activities. However, students and faculty often …

Narrative Persuasion Amplification Via Interactive Narrative Media, Alexander Scott

All Theses

This research was intended to investigate if interactive narrative media enhances the effects of narrative persuasion utilizing a story about opioid overdose kits. Using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), the Entertainment Overcoming Resistance Model (EORM), and the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) as theoretical frameworks, this study examines the benefits of narrative persuasion and applies them to interactive narrative media. While these benefits have been established with traditional, unidirectional media, they have rarely been examined in media wherein the audience has the ability to affect the narrative. The hypotheses tested in this experiment posits that the interactive narrative media will elicit …

“It's Not Cramps...That's Not Normal”: A Qualitative Study On Endometriosis Diagnosis, Kayla Ashley Craig

All Theses

This is a qualitative study, regarding women with the chronic pain condition endometriosis, utilizing in-depth interviews. Endometriosis is a chronic pain condition in which the tissue of the uterus is found outside the uterine cavern. This tissue leads to many symptoms that can affect a woman’s social, personal, and professional life. Guiding literature on the history of women’s health, validation through diagnosis, patient-provider relationships, social support, and dialogism in health communication were used to inform this research. A narrative analysis approach was used to analyze the findings which consisted of four narratives: manifestations of pain, social support, patient-provider communication and …

Computational Configurations: Behind The Bricolage Of The Truelist, Emma Jayne Stanley

All Theses

Nick Montfort’s book of computational poetry, The Truelist, allows the reader to understand the code written by Montfort to produce the book as both “bricoleur” and “bricolage.” At the core of my examination, I will ask: how does computational poetry, specifically that of The Truelist, provide us with a new definition of what it means to embody a coded space, specifically a space that, according to Montfort, is constantly redefining itself for new readers? To focus specifically on examining the literariness of the text, I will primarily use Jacques Derrida’s concept of the “bricolage” from “Structure, Sign, and …

Effects Of Functional Training On Functional Movement And Stability Among Female Collegiate Club Lacrosse Athletes, Shelby A. Broughton

All Theses

Women’s lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. As of 2013, it was estimated that approximately 300,000 women played lacrosse across the U.S., and the amplified sport participation has come with an increase in injuries. One way to prevent injuries is to increase functional movement and stability through exercise regimes that incorporate strength, plyometric, and neuromuscular components. Currently, few exercise programs have been able to accomplish this although recently a group fitness class, known as F45, has attempted to combine all three aspects of functional training (i.e., strength, plyometric, and neuromuscular training). The purpose of this study …

Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2020 April 23, Clemson University

Minutes

No abstract provided.

5g, Edge Computing And Future Network Support For Huge Data (Presentation), Zhi-Li Zhang

Large Scale Networking (LSN) Workshop on Huge Data: A Computing, Networking and Distributed Systems Perspective

No abstract provided.