Digital Commons Network^™

Low Concentrations Of Ethanol Promote Longevity Via The Insulin Receptor And Heat Shock Factor 1 In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Maxime Fernand Bilodeau

All Theses

Alcohol abuse has been extensively studied and is well known to cause multiple health problems, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and some forms of cancer. Conversely, there has also been an ongoing debate about whether ethanol in moderation has beneficial effects. For example, some studies have found that light to moderate alcohol consumption can have cardiovascular benefits and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, there have been studies showing that low concentrations of ethanol can increase the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the pathways and mechanisms involved in ethanol-mediated longevity are still unknown.

In this …

Equine Gastric Ulcers; A Pilot Study: Associated Biomarkers And Polysaccharide Supplementation As A Solution, Peyton Victoria Svagerko

All Theses

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome affects roughly 90% of performance horses. The only reliable antemortem diagnostic method is endoscopy, which is an invasive process. The cornerstone of treatment is acid suppression, a cost-prohibitive option that is not viable for long-term use. The objectives of this study were to investigate the efficacy of a polysaccharide (PS) supplement on gastric ulcers in the squamous (SQ) and glandular (GL) regions of the equine stomach and identify associated serum and salivary biomarkers. It was hypothesized that severity of SQ and GL ulcers throughout the supplemental period would decrease and levels of serum and salivary proteins, …

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) …

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 …

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 …

Consumer Preferences For Value Added Products: A Case Study For South Carolina, English Lane Ratliff

All Dissertations

This study utilized an online survey administered to South Carolina (SC) consumers in conjunction with a discrete choice modeling approach to examine: i) the knowledge and degree of familiarity with both the USDA Certified Organic and the Certified Naturally Grown labels, ii) the impact of several factors including demographic characteristics, purchasing behaviors, and frequency of organic consumption on consumer’s preferences and Willingness to Pay (WTP) for organic products in South Carolina. This study also includes a Meta-Analysis of WTP for organic products. The first chapter analyzes familiarity of two different labels; USDA Certified Organic and the Certified Naturally Grown. This …

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 …

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, …

Spatial Planning To Examine Regional Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Obesity And Diabetes By Analyzing The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Retail Environment: Applying A Machine Learning Approach, Michelle Eichinger

All Dissertations

In the United States, food insecurity has been an ongoing concern nationwide, with over 17.4 million Americans affected. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as “food stamps,” aims to improve food security by providing financial assistance on food purchases to income-eligible households. SNAP participants redeem their benefits at SNAP-authorized retailers, including supermarkets, small discount stores, convenience stores, corner stores, and pharmacies. The retail food environment influences food purchasing behavior, thus contributing to poor diet. In the United States, low-income residents, including SNAP participants and minority residents, are more likely to have diet-related …

Supplemental Schedules For The Year Ended June 30, 2021, Clemson University Controller's Office

Supplemental Schedules

No abstract provided.

Land-Grant Press Authorship Decision Tree, Dawn A. White

Scholarly Writing

No abstract provided.

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2020, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Developing A High-Value Pima Cotton Production System For South Carolina, Sarah Katherine Holladay

All Theses

With current production of Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) in the United States being limited to the West, expanding cultivation into other parts of the country requires extensive research. Pima cotton is extra-long staple cotton with superior and more valuable fibers than the more broadly cultivated species, upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). With Pima cotton production once existing in South Carolina prior to the 1930’s and boll weevil (Anthonmus grandis grandis Boh.) invasion, it was hypothesized in this study that it could be cultivated in the state once again. The objectives were (1) to identify pima genotypes in a two-year …

Cover Crop Performance And Potential Benefits To Wildlife In The Southern Piedmont Of South Carolina, Sean Carlisle Byrd

All Theses

The Southern Piedmont region of South Carolina has been historically a mixture of forests, grasslands, and agroecosystems. While forests and grasslands have declined due to development, agroecosystems may be able to provide habitat for summer bird species in the region. Cover cropping is a practice in conservation agriculture that can conserve and improve soil resources, yet adoption is low in the Southeast due to long cash crop growing seasons and a lack of technical knowledge on regionally appropriate cover crops. Two field experiments were conducted in 2019 on a sandy loam in Pendleton, South Carolina to determine summer cover crop …

Shelf Life Extension Of Fresh Strawberries Packaged In Clamshells With Chlorine Dioxide Generating Sachets, Samuel J. Kessler

All Dissertations

Strawberry waste occurs at all lifecycle stages from production, distribution, retail, and household handling; this is an estimated 640 million pounds of strawberries lost valuing at $1.4 billion dollars. Active packaging strategies based on the generation of gaseous chlorine dioxide in the primary package have potential to provide to preserve strawberries in storage extending the shelf life. Benchtop studies have shown significant bactericidal activity of chlorine dioxide and quality preserving effects. As chlorine dioxide travels from the source through the package the concentration decreases as it acts at the surface of the food product. As a result, dose is uneven …

Assessing Climactic Effects On Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens) Reproduction And Growth, John Cannaday

All Theses

Climate change is altering thermal regimes in aquatic systems worldwide, often impacting species on the southern edges of their ranges in the northern hemisphere. Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, a cool water species, have a patchy distribution at the southern edge of their range in North American, occurring primarily in systems that provide coolwater refugia during summer months (e.g., tailwaters below hypolimnetic release dams). However, minimum winter temperatures are much warmer in these systems than in northern locations. In northern populations, egg quality is linked to overwinter thermal conditions, with long, cold winters resulting in higher quality eggs compared to …

An Integrative Approach Concerning Radiological Protection Of The Environment: Plant Influence On Biogeochemistry And Transport, Plant Uptake, And Non-Human Biota Dosimetry For Select Radionuclides, Dawn Angel Montgomery

All Dissertations

The fields of radioecology and environmental radiation protection encompass a multitude of interdisciplinary specialties relating to the use, transport, and effects associated with radioactive substances in the environment, which often must inform each other in an integrated and iterative manner. As these fields have begun to consider a more holistic approach to environmental radiation protection, there is not only a need to evaluate fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment, but also a need to consider the dose and impacts to non-human biota residing in contaminated (or potentially contaminated) areas. Thus, the overall objective of this work was to …

Validation Of Physically Heat-Treated Process For Poultry Litter And Analysis Of Microbial Community Of Animal Waste-Based Soil Amendments Using Sequencing Approach, Hongye Wang

All Dissertations

Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO), such as animal waste or animal waste-based composts, commonly used as organic fertilizer, may contain human pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. To reduce harmful microorganisms, animal waste can be treated by composting or other validated scientific methods. But insufficient treatment may introduce pathogens into agricultural fields. As a nutrient-rich fertilizer, poultry litter may also contain human pathogens with Salmonella spp. as a primary focus. Physical heat treatments can kill Salmonella in poultry litter with or without the composting process, but validation studies or guidelines are still needed for the litter processing …

Simulated And Applied Precision Feeding System Of High And Low Forage Diets With Different Fat Sources And Sequences Of Dietary Fat Concentration In In-Vitro And In-Vivo Studies, Saad Ali M. Hussein

All Dissertations

Controlling dry matter intake (DMI) is one strategy to meet the animal’s requirements while reducing feed costs and increasing feed efficiency. Controlling intake through precision-feeding provides a more nutrient-dense diet, allowing an increase in energy and nutrient utilization efficiency while decreasing nutrient loss. The literature about precision feeding has provided information regarding optimal N intake and different dietary fiber proportions, but more information needs to be addressed. This is one of the first attempts to further our knowledge through the use of fat inclusion. In the present dissertation, a total of 4 in-vitro and in-vivo experiments were conducted. Simulated and …

Fy2021 All Salaries $30-50,000, Clemson University

Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Fy2021 Faculty Salaries Over $50,000, Clemson University

Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Fy2021 All Salaries Over $50,000, Clemson University

Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Shaping Positive Summertime Experiences For All Youth To Promote Healthy Development, Rebekah Hutton, Priyanka Nalamada

Journal of Youth Development

Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in September 2019. This multidisciplinary committee authored report examines evidence on outcomes of summertime experiences for children and youth in 4 areas of well-being: (a) academic learning and enrichment, (b) social and emotional development, (c) physical and mental health, and (d) safety, risk-taking, and pro- and anti-social behaviors. Using a systems perspective, the committee looked at how social, physical, and economic environments interact to promote or limit access for children and youth to opportunities for …

Volunteer Outcomes And Impact: The Contributions And Consequences Of Volunteering In 4-H, Steven Worker, Dorina Espinoza, Car Mun Kok, Charles Go

Journal of Youth Development

Youth development volunteers are relied upon by many youth organizations to deliver educational programming, and consequently, fulfill organizations’ missions. Our study explored the consequences of volunteering in youth services by focusing on volunteer outcomes (consequences of volunteering on the volunteer) and volunteer impacts (volunteers’ contributions to the organization). We collected 1,245 open-ended responses to 2 questions from adults who served as volunteers in the University of California 4-H Youth Development Program. We applied iterative inductive thematic analysis without a pre-existing coding scheme to each question independently. Volunteers described their impacts on 4-H as expanding and maintaining programs for children, providing …

Lessons Learned: Implementing The Shaping Healthy Choices Program With Teenagers As Teachers, Lyndsey Ruiz, Kelley Brian, Rachel Scherr

Journal of Youth Development

One approach that has been successful at improving youth health outcomes is the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, which features garden- and cooking-demonstration-based nutrition education curricula. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of implementing Shaping Healthy Choices Program curricula in 4-H using a teenagers as cross-age teachers approach. A teenagers as cross-age teachers model was employed to educate younger youth using the evidence-based curricula in 2 projects, each lasting 6 months over a 2-year period. Teenage teachers completed an initial 2-day training and reflection-on-action discussions following each educational session. Fidelity observations were collected to assess how well …

Clemson Commencement Program, August 2020, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Development Of Seaweed Biodegradable Nanocomposite Films Reinforced With Cellulose Nanocrystals For Food Packaging, Hansol Doh

All Dissertations

This research studied is about development of seaweed biodegradable nanocomposite films reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from seaweed biomass and investigating the properties of the films. Study was conducted to isolate CNCs from seaweed biomass and these isolated CNCs are applied to developed seaweed biopolymer films. At last, degradability of these films was evaluated with a weight loss method in soil burial and lake water immersion systems.

CNCs were extracted from seaweed biomass of brown, red, and green by four steps process of depolymerization, bleaching, acid hydrolysis, and mechanical dispersion. Physicochemical and thermal properties were determined for each seaweed group …

The Effect Of Varying Environmental Conditions On The Performance Of Triboelectric Generators, Andrea Fisher

All Theses

As data creation and collection continues to increase globally, the number of sensors needed to gather data also grows. One thing all types of sensors have in common is their need for power; however, current power sources, like batteries, are limited by their life, size, and weight. To reduce these power limitations, triboelectric energy generators (TENGs) can be used to generate power from the mechanical motion that is present throughout packaged product transport. Triboelectric generation is one such low power mechanism that due to its low cost, has potential in packaging applications. In the distribution environment, packaged products are exposed …

Role Of Cyp2b6 In Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (Pfos)-Induced Toxicity And Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld), Matthew C. Hamilton

All Theses

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent, toxic fluorosurfactant foam used in firefighting foams, textiles, and other industrial products. Human CYP2B6 is predominantly expressed in the liver and responsible for metabolizing xeno- and endobiotics. CYP2B is induced by PFOS and high-fat diets in rodents and therefore it was hypothesized that CYP2B contributed to PFOS-induced steatosis. Cyp2b-9/10/13-null (Cyp2b-null) and humanized CYP2B6-Tg (hCYP2B6-Tg) mice were treated with PFOS (0, 1, or 10 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage in mice fed either a typical chow diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD). Our studies show human CYP2B6 is also inducible in vivo by PFOS. In …

Determining Indicators Of Successful Aging In A Population Of Individuals Living In An Active-Living Community, Olivia Tant Trapp

All Theses

In the United States, the older population in consistently growing, with 17.7% of adults over the age of 65 in South Carolina alone. As aging populations grow, research must examine factors linked to longevity and extended quality of life, as well as facts in both middle and later life that are associated with higher levels of successful aging (SA). This study examined the relationship between the Community Health Activities Model Program (CHAMPS) or the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP II) and fourteen selected markers of health and SA. Anthropometric data (including bodyweight, height, blood pressure, grip strength, body mass index, body …