Digital Commons Network^™

Methods Development And Force Field Evaluation For Molecular Simulations Of Interactions Between Structured Peptides And Functionalized Material Surfaces, Galen Collier

All Dissertations

The process of protein adsorption to material surfaces is highly complex and it is one of the most fundamental concepts upon which progress in the field of bioengineering is based. The strategic design of material surfaces for optimal utility in specific biological environments is absolutely dependent upon a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying protein adsorption, yet there is still a very limited understanding of these mechanisms. The primary reason for this lack of understanding is that protein adsorption is a dynamic process which occurs at the atomic and macromolecular scale, where experimental analyses provide a view that is static …

Tactile Interfaces: Epistemic Techne In Information Design, Josephine Walwema

All Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of the rhetorical concept of techne and how it might inform the field of Information Design, specifically in an Instructional Design space. I argue that current models of Information Design draw insights from (a) the scientistic models that emphasize rational and universal reach (b) the craft tradition that places emphasis on mechanistic acquisition of the right skills and (c) an interpretive rhetorical model. These perspectives dominate the Instructional Design paradigm, rendering systems-based design processes that at times eschew designing in favor of organizing. I suggest that the discipline requires a remediated epistemic techne shaped by …

Educational Leadership And School Culture: A Study Of The Perceptions Of Effective Leadership, Pearly Milton

All Dissertations

Effective leadership has been cited as essential for creating and sustaining effective schools. Selecting, assigning, and retaining such leaders is a difficult task at best. Characteristics and/or skills deemed essential for effective leaders have been identified by researchers; however, many of our schools continue to produce results that are less than desirable. In addition, leaders who may be effective in one setting may not be in another. Research indicates organizational/school culture may be a contributing factor to the success of these leaders. Moreover, research indicates culture may have an impact on the characteristics perceived as effective/ineffective leadership attributes within these …

An Ecological, Genetic, And Reproductive Study Of Big Bluestem (Andropogon Gerardii) Populations In The Carolinas, Robert Tompkins

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
AN ECOLOGICAL, GENETIC, AND REPRODUCTIVE STUDY OF BIG BLUESTEM (ANDROPOGON GERARDII) POPULATIONS IN THE CAROLINAS
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem) is a dominant grass of the North American tallgrass prairie and is also found in remnant populations in the eastern U.S., including North and South Carolina. This research included a systematic study of the ecology, genetics, and reproductive potential within and among A. gerardii populations in the Carolinas. Floristic composition and edaphic (soil) features were characterized for eight A. gerardii populations across various physiographic regions of North and South Carolina. A total of 362 quadrats (1 m x 1 m) …

Electromechanics Of Biological Systems Studied By Scanning Probe Microscopy, Gary Thompson

All Dissertations

The functional role of piezoelectricity and of other modes of electromechanical coupling across the hierarchical structures of biological materials garnered interest many years ago. Many biological materials have been described as exhibiting piezoelectric behavior, from wool fibers to wood planks and even to living mammalian cells, but efforts are on-going towards understanding how electromechanical coupling in biological systems transcends from the molecular to tissue levels.
In pursuit of high-resolution measurements of such hierarchical electromechanical coupling, scanning probe microscopy-based techniques are considered. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) becomes the specific focus of this work, and the nascent development of PFM is reviewed …

Novel Nanofiber Structures And Advanced Tissue Engineering Applications, Vince Beachley

All Dissertations

Extracellular matrix (ECM) nanofibers such as collagen and elastin make up an important component of natural tissues. These structural components serve to impart mechanical strength and provide locations for cell attachment and biomolecule storage. Cells respond to their structural environment in a wide variety of ways beyond physical support, and it has been demonstrated that this environment directly modulates cell behaviors such as, morphology, differentiation, ECM production, attachment, and migration. ECM nanofibers also play an important role as a template for tissue formation during development, remodeling, and regeneration. Nanofiber based tissue engineering strategies aim to mimic the geometry of the …

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Response To Gold Nanoparticles, William Mcallister

All Theses

In this master's thesis we look at elucidating the interactions between nanoparticles and cells. Specifically, we looked at how the cell mechanics are affected, cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles, and shifts in cell phenotypes. There has been much research looking into whether nanoparticles are cytotoxic, but limited amounts looking at their effect on mechanics especially with vascular smooth muscle cells. This cell type has two distinct phenotypes of synthetic and contractile that each serve different purposes physiologically.
The first experiments we did were cytotoxicity assays to see if the cells could survive the treatment with nanoparticles. If the cells died within …

The Open Source Composition Space, Carly Finseth

All Theses

This paper integrates composition theory with pedagogical practice in order to redefine what is traditionally viewed as the `writing classroom.' Specifically, it explores a new way of considering composition as both a term and a cultural ideology that encompasses many forms of creative expression: traditional alphabetic texts, digital alphabetic texts, multimodal texts such as videos and podcasts, and programming code. The work explores a pedagogical model that can be used to teach composition in its various forms. It also examines what it means to instruct in a classroom in today's digital age by incorporating ideas from traditional classroom teaching, online …

Impact Of High-Speed Inkjet On Digital Printing And Traditional Offset Lithography, Caroline Sellars

All Theses

This thesis was prepared in order to examine the impact of high-speed inkjet printing on the offset lithography market within the commercial printing and publishing segments. Digital printing has become more widespread in recent years, but high-speed inkjet is making advances in its capabilities and technologies. With the printing industry evolving and print consumers preferring shorter print runs and in a shorter amount of time, print technologies are evolving to meet these needs. Print-on-demand is growing tremendously in the publishing industry, and personalization and 1-to-1 marketing is growing in the commercial printing segment as well. Market demand is changing in …

The Boys I Should Never Write About, Ashley Rivers

All Theses

This creative thesis is made up of twenty-three poems written in various styles, though most fall into two different categories, the short, sparse, Eigner-like poems or the long narrative poems. The poems demonstrate the theme of how women's sexuality fits into society and how that sexuality affects their lives. This creative thesis also demonstrates the author's ability to understand poetry and literature in general through the ability to create.

Stereoscopic Simulation For Animation And Special Effects, Daniel Morella

All Theses

Stereoscopic content, when presented well, provides an exciting and entertaining experience for viewers. The advent of new techniques and technologies is helping stereoscopy to become more commonplace, with 3D movies becoming a staple at theaters around the world. Further, 3D televisions and content are poised to experience tremendous growth in the coming years. Even video games are exploring 3D content, with recent releases like Toy Story Mania as seen on the Disney website [Disn11].
The biggest problems with stereoscopic content are that it usually requires expensive hardware to view, and extensive time and technical prowess to create. These issues limit …

Effects Of Temperature, Light And Plant Growth Regulators On Fuel-Efficient Poinsettia Production, Francis Odula

All Theses

Fuel-efficient poinsettia production has become an important topic in recent years due to increased fuel costs while wholesale prices have remained relatively unchanged. Fuel-efficient production results in energy saving, reduces costs associated with production and improves profitability of the poinsettia crop. Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of Fascination (a plant growth regulator), production temperature, light, and cold pre-harvest temperature on bract expansion, cyathia development, and retention for fuel-efficient poinsettia production.
The first experiment (Chapter 2) examined the effects of the plant growth regulator Fascination on bract expansion of poinsettias grown at relatively cool production temperatures. Poinsettia, (Euphorbia …

Ambition's Apex: The Private Art Gallery Of The Aiken-Rhett House, Christine Mathieson

All Theses

This thesis is an analytic in-depth examination of the private art gallery added to the Aiken-Rhett House in Charleston, South Carolina in 1858. The goal of the work is to imagine, understand, and contextualize the gallery, delving deeply into the lives, travels, and ambitions of its owners, William and Harriet Lowndes Aiken. Exploring all aspects of the gallery's inspiration and design, as well as the provenance and significance of works of art housed in it, the paper poses two questions: why a gallery; and why this gallery. Answers to these questions are located in socio-historical analysis that focuses on the …

The Role Of Planning Tools As Strategies For Combating Childhood Obesity, Jacquelyn Coats

All Theses

The failure of traditional health models to successfully combat childhood obesity is apparent when considering its sustained prevalence in the United States. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades and health officials recognize the need for integrative strategies in order to reverse the trend (CDC, 2010). The historical roots of planning and public health offer a potential venue for collaborative strategies to address the macro level factors that affect community health. This thesis examines how planning tools have been adapted to incorporate health strategies, whether or not such methods are sustainable, and what relationships are essential for …

Domestic Determinants Of Preferential Trade Agreements, J Vomocil

All Theses

The purpose of this paper is to expand previous research on the economic determinants of preferential trade agreements, both by using a updated data set and also by including new potential non-trade and domestic explanatory variables. I find that the differences in primary market sectors of trading partners, the differences in level of infrastructure, the size of countries' agricultural sectors, and differences in countries' degree of democratization are all significant factors in bilateral PTA creation, along with several other variables. While results may not be as strong as in earlier studies, there are several plausible explanations for this, and the …

Evaluation Of Manganese Control In The Source Water And Microfiltration Plant Of A South Carolina Water Utility, Daniel Lewis

All Theses

Although present in most water supplies, manganese is a difficult-to-treat nuisance contaminant in drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) of 0.05 mg/L but experts have recommended a goal of 0.02 mg/L or less to avoid chronic issues with the metal. This work is a report on manganese control for the Startex-Jackson-Wellford-Duncan (SJWD) Water District, a water utility in northwestern SC. Fourteen locations were sampled from June 2010 through October 2011. Manganese, iron, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved oxygen, and other relevant parameters were measured.
The lake-fed Middle Tyger River is the …

The Tiger Vol. 105 Issue 11 2011-04-15, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2011 April 15, Clemson University Board Of Trustees

Minutes

Minutes: Meeting of the Clemson University Board of Trustees. Executive Board Room, Madren Conference Center, Clemson, SC. 12:30 p.m.

6th Annual Focus On Creative Inquiry Poster Forum Program, Clemson University

Focus on Creative Inquiry

The poster forum today displays a few of the more than 400 projects initiated by Clemson University Creative Inquiry teams.

What is Creative Inquiry? It is small-group learning for all students. It is the imaginative combination of engaged learning and undergraduate research. Ultimately, it is the creation of an Ah-ha! Moment - and it is unique to Clemson University.

Creative Inquiry establishes small teams of undergraduate students that work with faculty mentors to take on problems that spring from their own curiosity, from a professor's challenge, or from the pressing needs of the world around them. Students take ownership of …

Fertile Ground: Assessing The Public Library As A Context For Preparing Youth For Community Engagement, Kenneth Jones, Terrence Delahanty

Journal of Youth Development

Libraries provide settings where youth can experience positive development. However, many young people and their families do not access the potential these institutions afford their communities. In addition, library staff are seldom presented with opportunities to work more intimately with young people visiting the library. This article provides data on library staff and their feelings toward youth and their experiences interacting with young people in their local libraries. The findings of the study reveal that library staff members have an array of perceptions toward young people and how youth can be affected.

The Tiger Vol. 105 Issue 10 2011-04-08, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Student Identity Development And The Perception Of Political Bias In The College Classroom, Darren Linvill

Publications

This study explored the relationship between identity development, as gauged by Marcia's identity development construct, and student perception of instructor political bias. Regression analysis was employed to compare participant responses on the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, a measure of Marcia's construct, with the Political Bias in the Classroom Survey, a measure gauging perceptions of and reactions to instructor political bias. The EIPQ's commitment scale was found to be a significant positive indicator for the PBCS's perception scale, suggesting that students who are strongly committed to their identity are more likely to perceive an instructor as having a political bias. Recommendations …

The Tiger Vol. 105 Issue 8 2011-03-11, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Economic Situation, 2011 March, Bruce Yandle

Publications

Quarterly report on the economic situation of the United States and South Carolina.

Candidates For The 2011 Election

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

March 2011 Full Issue

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Ppc Update

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Tiger Vol. 105 Issue 5 2011-02-18, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Tiger Vol. 105 Issue 4 2011-02-11, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Tiger Vol. 105 Issue 3 2011-02-04, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.