Digital Commons Network^™

Essays On The Industrial Organization Of Internet Markets, Ahmed Eddhir

All Dissertations

Chapter 1

Information disclosure can help overcome problems associated with asymmetric information. For example, Lewis (2011) argues that sellers with high-quality products will reveal more detailed information about their products, allowing them to charge higher prices. Using data from eBay marketplace, I empirically study the effect of information disclosure in mitigating asymmetric information. I find that auctions generally sell for a higher price when sellers disclose more information, and this effect appears stronger when the quality level of the product is more uncertain. However, when other quality assurance mechanisms are available, sellers may not rely on information disclosure purely as …

Yield And Nutritional Composition Of Conventional And Bmr Pearl Millet Under Different Management Conditions, Madeline A. Oskey

All Theses

The main objectives of these studies were to evaluate the yield, composition and digestibility of conventional and BMR pearl millet (PM, Pennisetum glaucum) with different establishment dates or harvested at different maturity stages. A second objective was to evaluate the impact of mixing PM with cowpea on measured variables. Two trials were conducted in field plots (1.5 m x 6.1 m) as randomized complete block designs with a split plot arrangement of treatments. In trial 1, two varieties of PM (conventional and BMR) were planted at two different dates (14d apart) and harvested at early heading stage. In trial …

Enzymatic Targets For Improvement Of Malting Sorghum, Andrew Disharoon

All Theses

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is a climate resilient grain cereal crop originating from Africa that has traditionally been used to make a variety of fermented beverages such as pito and baijiu. In western markets, the use of sorghum to produce beers and beverages has recently risen in part due to the visibility of a gluten sensitive/intolerant market and a growing interest in unique inputs for beverage production. As such, there is a developing body of research on sorghum as a malted input into beverages. A major limitation to the wider adoption of sorghum as a substrate in mashing is its …

Investigation Of Consumer Acceptability Of Beverages Through Automated Facial Expression Analysis And Overall Liking, Funan Jiang

All Theses

This research aims to understand consumer’s preference by self-reported overall liking (hedonic scores) and facial expressions elicited by beverages measured by automated facial analysis software (AFEA). Two independent studies were included:

In study 1-Observing and comparing emotions measured through AFEA and hedonic response on basic tastes (N=32), consumers’ facial expressions evoked by bitter and sweet taste solution at high concentrations (1.08g/L and 48.0g/L respectively) (ISO 8586- 1:1993) and water were studied. It concluded that the overall liking of water was significantly higher than bitter and sweet (p

In study 2- The influence of labeling on consumer emotion and hedonic liking …

Detecting Periods Of Eating In Everyday Life By Tracking Wrist Motion — What Is A Meal?, Surya Sharma

All Dissertations

Eating is one of the most basic activities observed in sentient animals, a behavior so natural that humans often eating without giving the activity a second thought. Unfortunately, this often leads to consuming more calories than expended, which can cause weight gain - a leading cause of diseases and death. This proposal describes research in methods to automatically detect periods of eating by tracking wrist motion so that calorie consumption can be tracked. We first briefly discuss how obesity is caused due to an imbalance in calorie intake and expenditure. Calorie consumption and expenditure can be tracked manually using tools …

Role Of Cyp2b In Unsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism, Obesity, And Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Melissa Heintz

All Dissertations

Obesity is closely linked to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the United States, and the most recent 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey recorded 42.4% of adults are obese. Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) play a primary role in phase I detoxification pathways, which in humans, includes over 90% of phase I-dependent metabolism of clinically used drugs, especially within CYP families 1-3. These enzymes also metabolize a vast number of environmental pollutants including industrial and agricultural chemicals, as well as endogenous compounds such as steroids, bile acids, and fatty acids. Hepatic …

Data Literacies And Social Justice: Exploring Critical Data Literacies Through Sociocultural Perspectives, Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens, Simon Knight, Alyssa Friend Wise, Thomas M. Philip, Maria C. Olivares, Sarah Van Wart, Sepehr Vakil, Jessica Marshall, Tapan Parikh, M. Lisette Lopez, Michelle Hoda Wilkerson, Kris Gutierrez, Shiyan Jiang, Jennifer B. Kahn

Publications

The ability to interpret, evaluate, and make data-based decisions is critical in the age of big data. Normative scripts around the use of data position them as a privileged epistemic form conferring authority through objectivity that can serve as a lever for effecting change. However, humans and materials shape how data are created and used which can reinscribe existing power relations in society at large (Van Wart, Lanouette & Parikh, 2020). Thus, research is needed on how learners can be supported to engage in critical data literacies through sociocultural perspectives. As a field intimately concerned with data-based reasoning, social justice, …

Clemson Commencement Program,May 2020, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Biological Thatch Control On Golf Greens, Joshua Randall Weaver

All Dissertations

Thatch is a layer of living and dead plant material (stems and roots) between turfgrass leaf tissue and the soil surface and if excessive, it can decrease playability of turf surfaces, increase mower scalping and disease pressure, reduce pesticide efficacy and water infiltration, plus harbor insects. In golf greens, mechanical, thus, disruptive practices such as vertical mowing, core cultivation, grooming, and topdressing are traditional agronomic methods for managing thatch/organic matter. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted for two years to evaluate two commercial biostimulant products, Worm Power and Earth MAX, and their impact on thatch and rooting depth. Earth MAX …

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 …

Development And Assessment Of Nematode Management Zones In Cotton: Gossypium Hirsutum, William Aubrey Eubank

All Theses

Populations of plant-parasitic nematodes are difficult to manage due to their inherently sporadic nature and uneven distribution throughout a field. Soil sampling accompanied by laboratory extraction is the preferred method for estimating densities and locations of nematodes within a field. The uneven and sporadic nature of nematodes make them well suited for zone management in row crops, provided that effective zones can be defined. Effective zone definition for precision agriculture requires that differences in factors between zones are large and differences within zones are small.

This study compared methods of defining zones based on physical soil properties, soil SSURGO data, …

Effect Of Oxygen Scavenging Films And Modified Atmosphere On The Quality Of Hot-Filled Freestone Peach Puree, Steven Skrypec

All Theses

The effect of pouch films with oxygen scavengers (OSs) and modified atmosphere on hot-filled Freestone Peach puree quality indices, such as colorimetric parameters (L*, a*, b*, ΔE*, Chroma, and hue angle), browning index (absorbance at 420 nm), soluble solids content (SSC, degrees Brix), pH, and titratable acidity (TA, % acid as Malic), were evaluated throughout 21-week accelerated storage at 35C/50% RH. Three multilayer pouch films, ultra-high-barrier with an OS (UHB-OS), ultra-high-barrier without an OS (UHB), and inorganic-barrier with OSs (IB-OS); and two internal atmospheric conditions (ambient air and nitrogen) were combined to produce six variable samples. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in color values, L* (lightness), a* (redness), b* (yellowness) and Chroma (saturation) were only found between films, but not atmospheres. By the end of storage, ΔE* (total color difference) showed significant differences between films where Film UHB-OS showed the relative lowest color change (ΔE*=3.35c) followed by Film IB-OS (ΔE*=3.88b) and then Film UHB (ΔE*=6.73a). Although, based on trend line slopes of ΔL*, prediction of shelf life determined the most effective film as Film IB-OS (92 weeks), followed by Film UHB-OS (79 weeks) and Film UHB (53 weeks). Nitrogen had a lower ΔE* for the first 5 weeks, after which, color protection was based on film type, and nitrogen resulted in a lower hue angle and browning index throughout storage compared to ambient air demonstrating a protective effect. Suggested sucrose hydrolysis contributed reducing sugars for browning and increased SSC. Inconclusive results were found among pH and titratable acidity. This study demonstrated that OS films significantly extended peach puree shelf life were comparable to each other as well as nitrogen showed beneficial results over ambient air indicating prevention of oxygen-based degradative reactions.

Global Estimated Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (Dalys) Of Diarrheal Diseases: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2017, Natacha Karambizi

All Theses

Summary Background

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 is the most comprehensive study ever carried out to report on the state of global public health for the previous 28 years (1990-2017). In 2017, it covered 359 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories.

Our study sought to provide an up-to-date analysis of the progress that has been made to eradicate diarrheal diseases using the GBD2017 data. Although significant progress has been made in reducing the number of deaths due to diarrhea, diarrheal diseases incidences and associated morbidity have not experienced the same level …

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 …

Parent-Child Communication Regarding Sport-Related Concussion, Joseph Luis Fontana

All Theses

Extant research has discussed the importance of the social climate surrounding SRC reporting, especially the need to address parents’ role in concussion management. The purpose of this study was to explore motivations and barriers to parent-child communication regarding SRC reporting via the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). This study analyzed the attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions toward parent-child communication about SRC reporting with 292 parents of 1st-12th graders who play contact sports. A structural equation model (SEM) was conducted to test the TPB model. The results indicate that parents’ intention toward having these conversations was determined by …

Microbiological Safety Of Halal Beef In The United States, Omar Ahmed Al-Mahmood

All Dissertations

Halal foods, foods permissible per Islamic law, are a fast-growing segment of the global food industry. Most microbiological evidence about halal foods is from studies conducted in Muslim-majority countries not western (Muslim-minority) countries. We aimed to determine the microbiological quality of halal beef at both slaughter and retail in the southeastern United States as well as explore the role of Halal Certifying Bodies (HCBs) in overseeing implementation of food safety practices. The study was informed by two main hypotheses: (1) microbial load will be lower in the post-evisceration slaughter stage of beef carcass samples; (2) indicator organisms will be higher …

Investigating Metal-Mediated Dna Damage Prevention By Antioxidants And Examining The Role Of Metals In Fluconazole-Mediated Dna Damage, Andrea A. E. Gaertner

All Dissertations

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the development of many diseases. Common assays to test the ability of hydrophobic compounds to prevent oxidative stress are radical scavenging assays and cell studies. However, these radical assays often do not accurately reflect biological outcomes, and the use of different cell lines limits the ability to directly compare compound efficacy (Chapter 1). Results from DNA damage prevention assays can directly compare antioxidant efficacy, but these assays have been limited to water-soluble compounds. Chapter 2 discusses the first assay that quantifiably evaluates the ability of hydrophobic compounds to prevent metal-mediated DNA …

Assessing The Equity Gap In Construction Education, Jared M. Burgoon, John Killingsworth, Jonathan W. Elliott, Molly M. Weisshaar

The Professional Constructor

There is a documented demand for an educated construction management workforce. To help meet this demand, construction education programs at numerous post-secondary institutions have established objectives and goals to recruit, train, and graduate high-quality students; and, many of these programs are charged with providing educational opportunities to students who have been traditionally underserved in higher education (e.g., female, minority, first generation students, etc.). This study compared the enrollment and retention rates, interdepartmental migration patterns, and student satisfaction and graduation success outcomes of undergraduate students enrolled in a CM program at a public university as a means of identifying trends and …

Supplemental Schedules For The Year Ended June 30, 2020, Clemson University Controller's Office

Supplemental Schedules

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Nli: A Matter Of Trust, Kristal Beachum, Matthew Zimmerman, Sarah Stokowski

Publications

No abstract provided.

Comparison Study Of Mold Growth Resistance Of Plastic Based Material Flooring (Pbm Flooring) And Ceramic Tile Flooring, Jyothi Rangineni, Jeremy Tzeng

Publications

Clemson University Department of Biological Sciences and Tile Council of North America Product Performance Testing Laboratory evaluated whether ceramic tile and Plastic Based Material (PBM¹) flooring support mold growth when exposed to fungal spores.

Mold grows in moisture-rich environments and requires only minimal sources of nutrition to support growth. It has long been identified to cause damage to buildings and construction materials and its presence in buildings has been connected to many major health concerns with various studies and reviews published on this matter.²

The method used to evaluate mold growth was ASTM G21-96 (2015).³ This …

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2019, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Video Review: History Of Afterschool In America, Maureen Toomey

Journal of Youth Development

After-school and out-of-school time programs are common across the United States and are seen as providing safe and nurturing environments for children, youth, and teens. The History of Afterschool in America documentary succinctly lays out the evolution of after-school and out-of-school time programming. The 60-minute documentary is framed in 12 chapters with narrative from historians, key advocates and leaders, practitioners, and teens. An accompanying learning guide provides discussion questions, key words and phrases, and additional resources. It is a must watch for after-school professionals, youth-serving organizations, and collaborators.

Diamond Zoysiagrass Response And Seedhead Control Using Plant Growth Regulators, Silas Ledford

All Theses

Golfers have steadily increased demands for putting green quality, including distance and smoothness. ‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass has emerged as a viable C4 turfgrass to be used by golf courses as putting greens or fairways and tees. ‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass exhibits multiple benefits over other C4 and C3 turfgrasses, but an undesirable trait is seedhead production.

Three studies were conducted at Clemson University from April 2018 to November 2019 to investigate the effects of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on ‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass’ turf quality (TQ), lateral recovery and seedhead production. Study 1 tested PGRs in a field setting on the TQ, seedhead production and …

Mammalian Artificial Chromosomes As A Synthetic Biology Tool For Transgene Expression, Charles Wang

All Theses

Mammalian artificial chromosomes, or MACs, have been studied as a potential avenue for hosting large numbers of transgenes in mammalian cells. MACs have several advantages over viral-based methods for transgene expression, including a lack of limits on loading capacity, which bypasses issues associated with integration into the genome. One area of research in which MACs can be applied is the biomanufacturing of protein-based therapeutics, where reported genome instability in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells can lead to reduced product titer. MACs can potentially aid in solving this issue by providing alternate hosting sites for transgenes for integration of protein-based therapeutic …

University Of California 4-H Latino Initiative: Experiences Of Bicultural And Bilingual Staff, Steven Worker, María Fábregas Janeiro, Claudia Diaz Carrasco, Katherine Soule

Journal of Youth Development

We report data from the first year of an initiative to engage Latino youth and families in the 4-H Youth Development Program, managed by the University of California. Through qualitative questionnaires and focus group interviews, we analyzed experiences of 6 new bilingual and bicultural program staff, hired specifically to implement youth development programming to reach Latino youth. Staff reported a steep learning curve, with competing demands to build relationships, engage youth, and show results. Lessons learned may help shape activities that other youth development programs may consider in similar efforts.

Self-Determination Through Circus Arts: Exploring Youth Development In A Novel Activity Context, Jennifer Agans, Jacqueline Davis, Spyridoula Vazou, Tal Jarus

Journal of Youth Development

Youth development takes place in many contexts, with different resulting participant outcomes. Broadening the scope of research to include non-traditional contexts such as youth circus arts programs, which are both similar to and different from other out-of-school-time contexts, may promote better understanding of the ways in which these programs impact youth development. The present study examined the prevalence of support for basic psychological needs and positive developmental outcomes among youth circus program participants. Single time-point quantitative surveys were completed by 111 youth members of the American Youth Circus Organization (62% female), ranging in age from 10 to 21. Results indicated …

University Of California 4-H Latino Initiative: Experiences Of Bicultural And Bilingual Staff, Steven Worker, María Fábregas Janeiro, Claudia Diaz Carrasco, Katherine Soule

Journal of Youth Development

We report data from the first year of an initiative to engage Latino youth and families in the 4-H Youth Development Program, managed by the University of California. Through qualitative questionnaires and focus group interviews, we analyzed experiences of 6 new bilingual and bicultural program staff, hired specifically to implement youth development programming to reach Latino youth. Staff reported a steep learning curve, with competing demands to build relationships, engage youth, and show results. Lessons learned may help shape activities that other youth development programs may consider in similar efforts.

Youth Leadership Development In The Start2finish Running & Reading Club, Majidullah Shaikh, Corliss Bean, Tanya Forneris

Journal of Youth Development

Researchers have asserted that offering intentional leadership roles to youth can help them to develop life skills (e.g., communication, decision-making); however, few physical-activity-based positive youth development programs provide youth these intentional leadership roles, and little research has explored the impact of these opportunities on youth who take them up. The purpose of this study was to understand the developmental experiences of youth leaders in a physical-activity-based positive youth development program. Sixteen youth leaders (M age= 13.37, SD = 1.36) from 4 sites of the Start2Finish Running & Reading Club participated in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences as junior coaches. …

Lesson Study Model Of 4-H Professional Development: Data-Driven Improvements To Educator Practice, Lynn Schmitt-Mcquitty, Steven Worker, Martin Smith

Journal of Youth Development

Educator professional development in the 4-H Youth Development Program needs improvement. Lesson study, an iterative and educator-centered approach to professional development, has proven to be effective in school-based settings; however, research on the model in youth development programs is limited. The present study investigated the use of lesson study with professional Cooperative Extension staff, adult 4-H volunteers, and teenage 4-H volunteers in different 4-H contexts in 3 state programs. Findings revealed improvements in educators’ data-driven decision-making, content knowledge, lesson planning and implementation, and social connections across all contexts. To work effectively within the 4-H context, however, some adaptations to the …