Digital Commons Network^™

Investors’ Reactions To Csr News In Family Versus Nonfamily Firms: A Study On Signal (In)Credibility, Naciye Sekerci, Jamil Jaballah, Marc Van Essen, Nadine Kammerlander

Faculty Publications

We study family firm status as an important condition in signaling theory; specifically, we propose that the market reacts more positively to positive, and more negatively to negative, CSR news (i.e., signals) from family firms than to similar news from nonfamily firms. Moreover, we propose that during recessions, the direction of these relationships reverses. Based on an event study of 1247 positive and negative changes in the CSR ratings for all firms listed on the French SFB120 stock market index (2003-2013), we find support for our hypotheses. Moreover, a post hoc analysis reveals that the relationships are contingent on whether …

April 27, 2021 General Faculty Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Agent-Based Coordinated Control Of Power Electronic Converters In A Microgrid, Maryam Nasri, Hebert L. Ginn Iii, Mehrdad Moallem

Faculty Publications

This paper presents the implementation of an agent-based architecture suitable for the coordination of power electronic converters in stand-alone microgrids. To this end, a publish-subscribe agent architecture was utilized as a distributed microgrid control platform. Over a distributed hash table (DHT) searching overlay, the publish-subscribe architecture was identified based on a numerical analysis as a scalable agent-based technology for the distributed real-time coordination of power converters in microgrids. The developed framework was set up to deploy power-sharing distributed optimization algorithms while keeping a deterministic time period of a few tens of milliseconds for a system with tens of converters and …

Associations Between Family-Based Stress And Dietary Inflammatory Potential Among Families With Preschool-Aged Children, Valerie Hruska, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Alison M. Duncan, Jess Hines, David W. L. Ma

Faculty Publications

Chronic stress is known to influence dietary choices, and stressed families often report poorer diet quality; however, little is known about how family-based stress is linked with dietary patterns that promote inflammation. This study investigated associations between family-based stress and the inflammatory potential of the diet among preschool-aged children and their parents. Parents (n = 212 mothers, n = 146 fathers) and children (n = 130 girls, n = 123 boys; aged 18 months to 5 years) from 241 families participating in the Guelph Family Health Study were included in the analyses. Parents reported levels of parenting distress, depressive symptoms, …

Owsnet: Towards Real-Time Offensive Words Spotting Network For Consumer Iot Devices, Bharath Sudharsan, Sweta Malik, Peter Corcoran, Pankesh Patel, John G. Breslin, Muhammad Intizar Ali

Publications

Every modern household owns at least a dozen of IoT devices like smart speakers, video doorbells, smartwatches, where most of them are equipped with a Keyword spotting(KWS) system-based digital voice assistant like Alexa. The state-of-the-art KWS systems require a large number of operations, higher computation, memory resources to show top performance. In this paper, in contrast to existing resource-demanding KWS systems, we propose a light-weight temporal convolution based KWS system named OWSNet, that can comfortably execute on a variety of IoT devices around us and can accurately spot multiple keywords in real-time without disturbing the device's routine functionalities.

When OWSNet …

How Do Canadian Public Health Agencies Respond To The Covid-19 Emergency Using Social Media: A Protocol For A Case Study Using Content And Sentiment Analysis, Anita Kothari, Lyndsay Foisey, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Michael Bauer

Publications

INTRODUCTION: Keeping Canadians safe requires a robust public health (PH) system. This is especially true when there is a PH emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media, like Twitter and Facebook, is an important information channel because most people use the internet for their health information. The PH sector can use social media during emergency events for (1) PH messaging, (2) monitoring misinformation, and (3) responding to questions and concerns raised by the public. In this study, we ask: what is the Canadian PH risk communication response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of social media? METHODS AND ANALYSIS: …

Cognitive Digital Twins For Smart Manufacturing, Muhammad Intizar Ali, Pankesh Patel, John G. Breslin, Ramy Harik, Amit Sheth

Publications

Smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0, a trend initiated a decade ago, aims to revolutionize traditional manufacturing using technology-driven approaches. Modern digital technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Big Data Analytics, Augmented/Virtual Reality, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the key enablers of new smart manufacturing approaches. The digital twin is an emerging concept whereby a digital replica can be built of any physical object. Digital twins are becoming mainstream; many organizations have started to rely on digital twins to monitor, analyze, and simulate physical assets and processes. The current use of digital twins for smart manufacturing is largely …

Garnet & Black Spring 2021, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

Garnet & Black Magazine

No abstract provided.

Making A Place At The Table: A Guide For Small, Rural, And Suburban Libraries, Laura C. Collins

South Carolina Libraries

This article serves as resource for libraries in rural and suburban areas that are serving communities experiencing changes to their ethnic diversity, particularly an influx of immigrants from one central location with English as a second language (i.e. India, China, Syria, etc.). Within, resources include: research supporting the benefits of having a multilingual collection; common missteps and pitfalls in serving minority communities; examples of how to determine the community’s needs; provides recommendations for finding community partners; and shares resources from the American Library Association and other organizations to find grants, develop collections, and conduct outreach services.

Source Evaluation Strategies For The Misinformation Age, Allison I. Faix

South Carolina Libraries

This article provides a summary of recent criticisms of checklist approaches to source evaluation to build a fuller picture of the issues involved with relying on checklists and factors that have increased the complexity of evaluating sources in the misinformation age. It then looks at new source evaluation strategies and methods which can be used by teachers and librarians to better prepare students for the internet realities they now face in their academic and personal online research.

The Financial Impact Of Covid-19 On Nonprofit Organizations, Dr. Charles Harrington

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Abstract — Scholars and practitioners have argued that effective financial management, particularly the development of operating reserves, can help nonprofits survive economic shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on the nonprofit sector, provides an opportunity to test whether nonprofits have followed that recommendation, and if so, whether nonprofits with operating reserves were better prepared for the pandemic. Using data from an original survey of more than 600 nonprofit human service and arts organizations, administered when most states had stay-at-home restrictions, we show that most nonprofits experienced an immediate impact on their programs and financing. Yet, those …

Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Inflammation In Japanese Men, Ayaka Kotemori, Norie Sawada, Motoki Iwasaki, Taiki Yamaji, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James Hébert Scd, Junko Ishihara, Manami Inoue, Shoichiro Tsugane

Faculty Publications

Background: Dietary components are known to affect chronic low-grade inflammation status. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®) was developed to measure the potential impact of a diet on an individual's inflammatory status, and it has been validated mainly in Western countries.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the validity of the energy-adjusted DII (E-DIITM) using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentration in Japanese men and women.

Methods: In total, 6,474 volunteers from a cancer-screening program (3,825 men and 2,649 women) completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and their hs-CRP concentrations were evaluated. E-DII scores were calculated on the basis of 30 food …

The Daily Gamecock, Look Back Move Forward, April 2021, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

April

No abstract provided.

Telepsychiatry Adoption Across Hospitals In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study, Zhong Li, Sayward Harrison, Xiaoming Li, Peiyin Hung

Faculty Publications

Background: Access to psychiatric care is critical for patients discharged from hospital psychiatric units to ensure continuity of care. When face-to-face follow-up is unavailable or undesirable, telepsychiatry becomes a promising alternative. This study aimed to investigate hospital- and county-level characteristics associated with telepsychiatry adoption. Methods: Cross-sectional national data of 3475 acute care hospitals were derived from the 2017 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Generalized linear regression models were used to identify characteristics associated with telepsychiatry adoption. Results: About one-sixth (548 [15.8%]) of hospitals reported having telepsychiatry with a wide variation across states. Rural noncore hospitals were less likely to adopt …

April 7, 2021 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Telepsychiatry Adoption Across Hospitals In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study, Zhong Li, Sayward Elizabeth Harrison Ph.D., Xiamoing Li Ph.D., Peiyin Hung

Faculty Publications

Background: Access to psychiatric care is critical for patients discharged from hospital psychiatric units to ensure continuity of care. When face-to-face follow-up is unavailable or undesirable, telepsychiatry becomes a promising alternative. This study aimed to investigate hospital- and county-level characteristics associated with telepsychiatry adoption.Methods: Cross-sectional national data of 3475 acute care hospitals were derived from the 2017 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Generalized linear regression models were used to identify characteristics associated with telepsychiatry adoption.Results: About one-sixth (548 [15.8%]) of hospitals reported having telepsychiatry with a wide variation across states. Rural noncore hospitals were less likely to adopt telepsychiatry (8.3%) …

Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Related To Heart Failure Risk And Cardiac Function: A Case-Control Study In Heart Failure Patients, Jalal Moludi, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Soghra Alisgharzadeh, James R. Hébert Scd, Mohammad Alizadeh

Faculty Publications

Aims: Previous studies suggest that diet and inflammation are important risk factors for heart failure (HF); however, the associations remain unclear. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) was established to measure the inflammatory capacity of individuals' diet. This study aimed to explore the DII in HF subjects compared with controls. Methods and Results: We conducted a case–control (116 cases and 113 controls) study that recruited in the similar clinics. DII scores were calculated based on dietary intakes. N-Terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed in both groups. In order to analyze DII scores with HF as …

Timing Of Term Elective Cesarean Section And Adverse Neonatal Outcomes: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study, Ayah Al Bizri, Nansi Boghossian, Anwar Nassar, Pascale Nakad, Dina Jaber, Rabih Chahine, Gaby Fallakha, Gjaotj Makhoul, Khalid Yunis

Faculty Publications

Background Rate of cesarean section (CS), including elective CS has globally increased. Studies have found that term elective CS before 39 weeks of gestation is associated with increased risk of adverse respiratory outcomes.

Objective To determine the rate of elective CS and examine the association between timing of elective term CS and adverse neonatal outcomes in a large population of Lebanese women.

Methods A Multi-Center Study was conducted using data from the National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network database. Simple and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between timing of term elective CS and adverse neonatal outcomes. …

Maternal Pragmatic Language Difficulties In The Fmr1 Premutation And The Broad Autism Phenotype: Associations With Individual And Family Outcomes, Jessica Klusek, Angela John Thurman, Leonard Abbeduto

Faculty Publications

Broader phenotypes associated with genetic liability, including mild difficulties with pragmatic language skills, have been documented in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mothers of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). This study investigated the relationship between pragmatic difficulties and indicators of maternal well-being and family functioning. Pragmatic difficulty was associated with loneliness in mothers of children with ASD or FXS, and with depression, decreased life satisfaction, and poorer family relationship quality but only in mothers of children with FXS. Results suggest that subtle maternal pragmatic language difficulties are a risk factor that that may contribute to …

Business Responses To A Pandemic In A Global Economy: Case Studies Detailing The Impact Of Covid-19 On Medical Supply Chains, Lowell Hundley Coleman

Senior Theses

This paper details the best practices of three multinational medical supply companies in their efforts to overcome supply chain disruptions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Through a series of case studies on the supply chain responses of 3M, Becton Dickinson, and Honeywell between January and December of 2020, this paper highlights the strengths and weaknesses of their respective supply chains, company cultures, and mitigation strategies and provides useful insight into what actions medical supply companies will need to make going forward to prevent and reduce supply chain disruptions amidst future global pandemics.

An Evaluation Of The Sustainability Of The Palm Oil Industry, Leah Marie Roberts

Senior Theses

The goal of this thesis is to critically analyze the sustainability of the rapidly growing palm oil industry in order to diagnose whether the benefits of production outweigh the varied costs incurred by stakeholders, how the industry can be improved, and what analytical tools consumers can use to make better purchasing decisions. The body of the thesis begins with a discussion on sustainability definitions and determines that for this paper, sustainability will be defined as analyzing the socioeconomic and environmental effects of palm oil and how they affect different actors of the value chain in order to allow for prescriptions …

The Dominance Of Masculinity: How The Expectation Of Stereotypical Gender Role Performance Undermines The Productivity Of Gay Men Working In Public Accounting Firms, Joshua Leinheiser

Senior Theses

Discrimination against LGBTQ employees in business settings has been shown to be a problem and negatively affects these employees’ productivity and well-being. In particular, discrimination against gay and other queer men often stems from the view that homosexuality is emasculating and conflicts with traditional expectations of male gender performance. This is seen as undesirable in business since traditional masculinity is seen as useful due to its association with competitiveness and control.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether this paradigm extends to the workplaces of public accounting firms. A survey containing questions about gender, sexuality, gender expression, experiences …

Phonological Variation Among Young Spanish-English Dual Language Learners On An English Sentence Repetition Task, Sarah Kate Coleman

Senior Theses

Purpose - There is a need for research informing best practices for assessing the language abilities of bilingual children, as well as research regarding typical phonological development of bilingual children. The purpose of the present paper is to contribute broadly to informing bilingual phonological assessment practice by examining phonological variation in Spanish-English speaking children’s English sentence repetition responses and the relation between these phonological variations and performance on the English sentence repetition task.

Method - 20 Spanish-English speaking kindergarteners completed the English sentence repetition task of the Bilingual English-Spanish Assessment (BESA; Peña et al., 2014). The phonological variations present in …

Ironing Out Anemia: Assessing The Role Of Marketplace Factors And Government Investment Incentives In Shaping East African Pharmaceutical Markets, Madison M. Bradley

Senior Theses

Africa suffers from the highest disease burden in the world, with over half of the population lacking regular access to essential medicines (Owoeye, 2014, p.214; Chaudhuri & West, 2015, p.23). Following two decades of reform, the continent has now emerged one of the fastest-growing economic regions, shifting public health focus toward non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (Holt et al., 2015, p.2). Among these NCDs is anemia, which has direct and indirect economic effects as large as 4.05% of GDP (Horton & Ross, 2003, p.51). Encouraged by the rapid growth of liberalized markets, African governments and health officials are now considering local pharmaceutical …

Makeshift Memory: Nostalgia As Collective Solidarity In The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood And Post-Imperial England, Catherine White

Senior Theses

It is a deeply human experience to long for times, people, and places of the past, even pasts we ourselves did not experience. This feeling, which we most often call nostalgia (but has earned many names throughout history) has profound influence especially in how we perceive our collective histories and use these histories to guide us forward. This experience of nostalgia is the underpinning for many of our sources of solidarity (or who we feel loyal or obligated to). However, when we feel these profound connections to the distant past, we often lose the reality of that past in the …

Us Vs. Wales: Comparing And Improving Refugee Health Policy, Payton Ramsey

Senior Theses

Inadequate strides have been made to bolster the short and long-term health of growing numbers of refugees awaiting resettlement. The United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as many countries of resettlement, guarantee the right to health as signatories of the UN 1951 Refugee Convention, but in many situations refugee accessibility to healthcare and health resources is limited by time restrictions on benefits, immigration status, and/or financial circumstances.

This thesis provides a synopsis of the historical roots of current policies and legislative frameworks relating to refugee health for Wales and the US. Through the analysis of governmental policy …

Systematic Review Of Factors Impacting Reading Impairment Rates In Studies Of Children With Developmental Language Disorder (Dld), Kayla Dewey

Senior Theses

This systematic review examined studies of individuals with developmental language disorder (DLD) to examine the rate of co-occurring reading impairment. We hypothesized that recruitment method, age, and the type of diagnostic reading assessment would be associated with different rates of reading impairment in individuals with DLD. We searched the database PsycINFO for peer-reviewed academic articles containing specific keywords related to DLD/SLI and Dyslexia, resulting in a total of 286 studies. These articles were then filtered to ensure that all articles analyzed in the present study only examined children below the age of 18, were a study of children with DLD/SLI, …

The Effects Of The Use Of Medical Interpreters Amongst The Latina Population In The Context Of Sexual And Reproductive Health, Carson Collins

Senior Theses

The Latino population in the United States is large and consistently growing. These individuals, due to cultural and systemic factors, are at greater risk for a variety of health problems, especially in the context of sexual and reproductive health. Many of these patients may not speak English as their first language and thus need to access interpretative services to receive care. This study sought to examine whether medical facilities using certified medical interpreters and requiring cultural competency training for their staff could reduce the cultural and communication barriers LEP Latinas experience when receiving sexual and reproductive health care services. An …

Student Privacy In The New Title Ix Sexual Misconduct Formal Complaint Process, Lynn M. Daggett

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Crises: Assessing The Impact Of Exclusionary School Policies On Students During A State Of Emergency Student Note, Megan Helton

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.