Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanisms Of Connectivity In Neuronal Development, Janay Vacharasin

Theses and Dissertations

The development of neuronal connectivity requires the careful orchestration of multiple cellular processes including the control of neuronal arborization and synapse formation or function. Defects in these processes during neuronal development will give rise to disorders of neuronal connectivity like autism. In the present work, we examine the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that build the neuronal wiring of the developing brain. We use human stem cell-derived neurons to study neuronal arborization and function focusing on genetic and environmental risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders that include autism and intellectual disability. Specifically, we focused on the contribution of the endomembrane, chromatin, and …

A Finding Place: Social Justice Poetry Toward Empathy In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Patricia Vicino

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a combined reader-response and close reading approach to social justice poetry on the empathy levels of secondary level English Language Arts students in my classroom. This action research study occurred over a six-week period during a Fall 2021 English elective course with six student participants in a high school within South Carolina. Research was conducted via a mixed methods approach that analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data from prestudy and poststudy Likert scales along with surveys, interviews, observation notes, and artifacts. The data revealed that student empathy levels were elevated after the study unit …

Using Multimedia Vocabulary Games To Improve Newcomer Esol Students Motivation And Vocabulary Acquisition, Elizabeth E. Brittingham

Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the use of the multimedia learning platform, Quizlet, to help newcomer ESOL students learn English vocabulary. The use of Quizlet to learn vocabulary is supported by Mayer’s Cognitive Load Theory. With an influx of ESOL students, and a lack of teacher training, Quizlet may help to create a more equitable solution for newcomer ESOL students to learn English vocabulary. The findings of this study show that newcomers benefit from using Quizlet to learn vocabulary in the language 2 by matching it to the vocabulary in the language 1, but only if they are able to read …

Effects Of Positive Social Comparative Feedback During Practice On Motor Sequence Learning, Performance Expectancies, And Resting State Connectivity, Allison Foster Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Positive social comparative feedback indicates to the learner that they are performing better than others. While this type feedback supports motor skill learning in some tasks, the effect of social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning remains unknown. In addition, the OPTIMAL theory predicts that positive social comparative feedback may trigger a dopaminergic response in the brain. However, no studies have utilized neuroimaging techniques to investigate this question. Therefore, the aim of these studies was to determine the effect of positive social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning, performance expectancies, and resting state connectivity of dopaminergic neural pathways.

In the …

Statistical Methods For Analyzing Multi-Omics Data: Dependence Structure And Missing Values, Wenda Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The advancements in high-throughput technologies have made it possible to generate a huge number of "omics'' data, including genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics. Combining multiple data sources and performing joint analyses with all available information and the phenotypic outcome can reflect various aspects in complex biological systems, such as revealing regulation processes, discovering novel associations between biological entities, and identifying relevant biomarkers for certain diseases or phenotypic outcomes. This dissertation focuses on developing statistical models for analyzing multi-omics data. It is comprised of three topics: (1) integrative analysis for multi-omics data with missing observations in intermediate variables; (2) …

Investigating Performance Of Model Fit Indices In Multiple-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis: Complications With Ordinal Data, Ning Jiang

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of three commonly used model fit indices when measurement invariance is tested in the context of multiple-group CFA with categorical-ordered data. As applied researchers are increasingly aware of the importance of testing measurement invariance, as well as Likert-type scales are frequently used in the social and behavioral sciences, specific guidelines are in need for establishing measurement invariance using model fit indices.

To achieve the study goal, two Monte Carlo simulation studies were conducted. Study 1 investigated the sampling variability of fit indices under different levels of invariance tests. Based on …

Truth And Identity In Dostoevsky’S Raskolnikov And Prince Myshkin, Gwendolyn Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Situated in the context of Bakhtin’s understanding of Dostoevsky’s narrative structure, the goal of this thesis aims to analyze the ways in which Dostoevsky’s characters negotiate their identities through a dialogic process of truth-telling as it appears in two forms: an explicit expression of truth that is consciously made by a novel’s characters in earnest dialogue, and an unspoken, even unconscious expression of truth that is not openly expressed, but can be inferred from the seemingly illogical reactions and behaviors of characters in the novel. The latter form is established in terms of Freud’s discussion of the unconscious and unconscious …

Reconceptualizing Informal Learning In An Online Learning Environment, Silvia Clark

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020, many organizations moved their formal training programs to an online learning context due to COVID-19. Informal learning, which refers to activities that are self-guided and occur independently outside of formal learning contexts has gained significant interest among researchers and practitioners in the past two decades as it has been identified as the primary type of learning in today's organizations. Despite the increasing interest in informal learning, no attempt has been made to examine and understand informal learning in an online learning environment.

This dissertation provides an integrative review of prior work on formal and informal learning in online …

Using Visual Arts To Teach Beginning Literacy Skills, Stacy Phaxaysithideth

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of using visual arts to teach rhyming words and word family words. Two interventions were used, both utilizing the use of visual arts to learn both literacy skills. The interventions were then assessed with a pre- and post-test to see the if the interventions were successful. A student attitude survey was also given at the end of the study to see how the students felt about the interventions. A semi-structured interview was done at the end of the interventions as well to collect the thoughts of my co-teacher on the interventions. Lastly, my teacher observations …

Materials Discovery By Flux Crystal Growth: Synthesis, Structure Determination, Magnetic, And Optical Properties Of Complex Oxides, Oxychlorides, And Oxyfluorides, Darren Andrew Carone

Theses and Dissertations

Exploratory crystal growth has proven to be a successful technique in the synthesis of new compounds with desired properties. This method is very versatile and has various iterations, but results described herein were obtained through flux growth at high temperatures utilizing mixed alkali halide salts. The tunability of these reactions with respect to reactant ratios, reaction temperature, heating/cooling rates, metal precursors, and choice of flux allow for the exploration of phase spaces between a combination of elements and observation of significantly different products and/or structure types from minor tweaks.

Most of the research presented in this dissertation describes results that …

An Assessment Of The Performance Of The Earthscope Automated Receiver Survey: A User’S Guide To Ears., Erin L. Taxon

Theses and Dissertations

An Assessment of the Performance of the EarthScope Automatic Receiver Survey: A User's Guide to EARS.

With the advent of digital seismic recording, the ability to process and interpret large quantities of seismic data has become increasingly vital. EarthScope Automated Receiver Survey, EARS, was launched in 2005 to estimate bulk crustal properties in real time, at all broadband seismograph stations, globally. EARS utilizes the receiver function HK stacking method to estimate a station’s crustal thickness (H) and ratio of P wave velocity (Vp) and S wave velocity (Vs), known as Vp/Vs (K). Receiver function analysis observes the arrival times …

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation As An Adjuvant For Nonfluent Aphasia Therapy: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Lynsey Mcgrath Keator

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying effective and efficient rehabilitation tools is crucial to improve language outcomes for persons living with chronic aphasia. Speech entrainment has proved to be particularly successful in improving speech output in nonfluent aphasia. It is hypothesized that, for patients with aberrant oscillatory synchronization between anterior and posterior language regions of the left hemisphere, speech entrainment may act as an external gaiting mechanism to bolster an impaired efference copy and improve synchrony between these regions. Theoretical and empirical evidence supports this idea that speech production relies on anterior-posterior connectivity in the left hemisphere.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) delivers low, periodically-alternating …

Automated Contingency Management For Water Recycling System, Shijie Tang

Theses and Dissertations

NASA’s exploration program envisions the utilization of a Deep Space Habitat (DSH) for human exploration of the space environment in the vicinity of Mars and beyond. Communication latency and extreme limitations of power and life-supporting resources make it imperative to operate the DSH systems in a highly autonomous fashion. One such system is the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) which needs to be monitored and optimized to support its designated missions.

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) technologies have been developed in the past decades to provide a real-time assessment of system health and use this information to improve …

A Novel Cognitive Stress Paradigm To Assess Subtle Cognitive Differences In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation, Jillian Margaret Gierman

Theses and Dissertations

Fragile X premutation (FXPM) is a genetic mutation of the FMR1 gene characterized by having between 55-200 CGG repetitions. FXPM women are at risk for a variety of reproductive, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric deficits, including fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) and fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). FXTAS is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor, gait ataxia, cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and deficits in executive functions. With the evidence supporting premature aging, prevalence of cognitive deficits, and risk of developing FXTAS and dementia, it is imperative to find a reliable measure that identifies at-risk FXPM women and their subtle cognitive …

La Materialidad De Las Vivencias Femeninas: Cuerpos Discapacitados, Prostituidos Y Violados En Las Narrativas Mexicanas Escritas Por Las Mujeres, Hyanghee Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación explora los temas específicamente vinculados a las vivencias de las mujeres mexicanas tales como la anormalidad, la discapacidad, la locura, la prostitución, la violencia de género y la madre mutilada que no pueden abordarse sin tener en cuenta el cuerpo femenino. En este proyecto se discuten estas temáticas aplicando el concepto de la corporeidad o la materialidad de las vivencias que experimentan las mujeres en dicho espacio geopolítico manifestadas en cuatro narrativas mexicanas producidas por las mujeres-escritoras en la época contemporánea del final del siglo XX y al comienzo del siglo XXI: Nadie me verá llorar (1999) de …

Structure Preserving Reduced-Order Models Of Hamiltonian Systems, Megan Alice Mckay

Theses and Dissertations

Large-scale dynamical systems are expensive to simulate due to the computational cost accrued y the substantial number of degrees of freedom. To accelerate repeated numerical simulations of the systems, proper orthogonal decomposition reduced order models (POD-ROMs) have been developed. When applied to Hamiltonian systems, however, special care must be taken when performing the reduced order modeling to keep their energy-preserving nature. This work presents a survey of several structure-preserving reduced order models (SP-ROMs). In addition, this work employs the discrete empirical interpolation method (DEIM) and develops an SP-DEIM model for nonlinear Hamiltonian systems. The wave equation is considered as a …

Knowledge-Infused Learning, Manas Gaur

Theses and Dissertations

In DARPA’s view of the three waves of AI, the first wave of AI, symbolic AI, focused on explicit knowledge. The second and current wave of AI is termed statistical AI. Deep learning techniques have been able to exploit large amounts of data and massive computational power to improve human levels of performance in narrowly defined tasks. Separately, knowledge graphs have emerged as a powerful tool to capture and exploit a variety of explicit knowledge to make algorithms better apprehend the content and enable the next generation of data processing, such as semantic search. After initial hesitancy about the scalability …

The Impact Of An Interactive Simulation Program On English Language Learner Achievement In A Middle School Science Classroom, Scott Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how a particular technology program, Gizmos, would impact English language learner students in demonstrating their verbal and written comprehension of science content at a proficient level. Gizmos were incorporated as an intervention to facilitate the teaching of two different topics, convection cells and hurricane motion. This study involved three English language learner students with varying World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) proficiency levels between one and four. Semi-structured interviews, semi-structured observations, and work samples were conducted and collected from each of the participants. My analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between the use …

Cognitive Consequences Of Covid-19 Infection And Quarantine-Induced Social Isolation: Hope For The Young And Mildly Infected, Kristin Nickole Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 539 million individuals worldwide, and initial research supports the possibility that COVID-19 may damage the central nervous system either directly or indirectly. Neurological signs and noted cognitive deficits observed in even mildly infected patients are a cause for concern for those infected by COVID-19; the effect of social isolation on the central nervous system is also of interest. The present study sought to determine the extent of these potential cognitive deficits in a young and mildly infected sample of college students. Participants completed an extensive survey assessing their experience with COVID-19 and any …

Exploring Technology Integration At A Public Middle School: A Descriptive Research Study On Integration Perceptions, Factors, And Barriers, Charlene Jeffreys

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore mathematics teachers’ current instructional practices and perceptions of technology integration, as well as the perceived barriers that influence their technology integration in the classroom. Teacher perceptions of technology integration at this public middle school. Across the country, states have partnered with federal efforts, taking an active role in building a technology-rich learning environment in their states (Education Superhighway 2017). Teachers have access to a wide range of tools and practices that involve using and creating appropriate technological processes and resources to facilitate teaching, engage students, and improve learning outcomes (Richey & …

Faculty Perspectives On Assessment And Placement: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Social Validity Of Placement Tests, Multiple Measures Placement, And Guided Self-Placement, Dawn R. Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges are under ongoing pressure to increase the success of students placed into developmental courses; while many reforms focus on the length of course sequences, there is also attention on how students are assessed and placed. Studies of these assessment and placement (A&P) methods focus primarily on predictive validity; one aspect of validity that is neglected is social validity, which assesses the extent to which the goals, procedures, and effects of an intervention are socially desirable.

The purpose of this study was to use a social validity framework to explore the perspectives of community college math and English faculty …

“Where The Truth Really Lies”: Listening To Voices From African American Communities In The Southern States About Covid-19 Vaccine Information And Communication, Ran Zhang, Shan Qiao, Brooke Mckeever, Bankole Olatosi, Xiaoming Li

Faculty Publications

The high uptake of COVID-19 vaccines is one of the most promising measures to control the pandemic. However, some African American (AA) communities exhibit vaccination hesitancy due to mis- or disinformation. It is important to understand the challenges in accessing reliable COVID-19 vaccine information and to develop feasible health communication interventions based on voices from AA communities. We conducted 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) among 18 community stakeholders recruited from 3 counties in South Carolina on 8 October and 29 October 2021. The FGDs were conducted online via Zoom meetings. The FGD data were managed and thematically analyzed using NVivo …

Listening To Voices From African American Communities In The Southern States About Covid-19 Vaccine Information And Communication: A Qualitative Study, Ran Zhang, Shan Qiao, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The high uptake of COVID-19 vaccines is one of the most promising measures to control the pandemic. However, some African American (AA) communities exhibit vaccination hesitancy due to mis- or disinformation. It is important to understand the challenges in accessing reliable COVID-19 vaccine information and to develop feasible health communication interventions based on voices from AA communities. We conducted 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) among 18 community stakeholders recruited from 3 counties in South Carolina on 8 October and 29 October 2021. The FGDs were conducted online via Zoom meetings. The FGD data were managed and thematically analyzed using NVivo …

Eeg Evidence Of Altered Functional Connectivity And Microstate In Children Orphaned By Hiv/Aids, Huang Gu, Xueke Shan, Hui He, Junfeng Zhao, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Children orphaned by HIV/AIDS (“AIDS orphans”) suffer numerous early-life adverse events which have a long-lasting effect on brain function. Although previous studies found altered electroencephalography (EEG) oscillation during resting state in children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, data are limited regarding the alterations in connectivity and microstate. The current study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) and microstate in children orphaned by HIV/AIDS with resting-state EEG data. Data were recorded from 63 children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and 65 non-orphan controls during a close-eyes resting state. The differences in phase-locking value (PLV) of global average FC and temporal dynamics of microstate were …

Inhibitory Control Of Emotional Interference In Deaf Children: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials And Event-Related Spectral Perturbation Analysis, Qiong Chen, Junfeng Zhao, Huang Gu, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Impairment of interference control ability may reflect a more general deficit in executive functioning, and lead to an increase in internal-externalized problems such as impulsivity, which has been reported in deaf children. However, few researches have examined the neural mechanism of this impairment.

Methods: This study applied the electroencephalogram (EEG) technique to investigate the interference control ability in 31 deaf children and 28 hearing controls with emotional face-word stroop task.

Results: Results from behavioral task showed that deaf children exhibited lower accuracy compared to hearing controls. As for EEG analysis, reduced activation of ERP components in N1 and enhanced …

My Authentic Self: Rousseau And The Ethics Of Authenticity In The Age Of Gender Ideology, Steven Kessler

Journal of Ideology

This article examines the origins of the contemporary iteration of gender ideology pervasive in the western world today. To accomplish this, the article is broken into three main components. The first component examines the source of where the current trend in picking pronouns, genders, and sexual orientations emanates from. This is attributed to an ideology called, “the ethics of authenticity.” The tenets of the ethics of authenticity are delineated in the article. Another component of the article attributes the origin of authenticity to the work and thought of Jean Rousseau. Specifically, four of his works are examined as fundamentally important …

Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors, Adverse Experiences, And Self-Reported Hunger: Analysis Of 10 States From The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, Kathryn L. Krupsky, Sarah Silwa, Hilary Seligman, Andrea D. Brown, Angela D. Liese Ph.D., Zewditu Demissie, Ellen Barnidge

Faculty Publications

We examined associations between adolescent self-reported hunger, health risk behaviors, and adverse experiences during the 2018–2019 school year. Youth Risk Behavior Survey data were pooled from 10 states. Prevalence ratios were calculated, and we assessed effect measure modification by sex. The prevalence of self-reported hunger was 13%. Self-reported hunger was associated with a higher prevalence of every health risk behavior/adverse experience analyzed, even after adjusting for sex, grade, and race/ethnicity. Sex did not modify associations. Findings underscore needs for longitudinal research with more robust measures of adolescent food insecurity to clarify the temporality of relationships.

Search For Multimessenger Signals In Nova Coincident With Ligo/Virgo Detections, M. A. Acero, P. Adamson, L. Aliaga, T. Alion, V. Alakhberdian, N. Anfimov, A. Antoshkin, L. Asquith, A. Aurisano, A. Back, C. Backhouse, M. Biard, N. Balashov, P. Baldi, B. A. Bambah, S. Bashar, K. Bays, S. Bending, R. Bernstein, V. Bhatnagar, Roberto Petti, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Using the NOvA neutrino detectors, a broad search has been performed for any signal coincident with 28 gravitational wave events detected by the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration between September 2015 and July 2019. For all of these events, NOvA is sensitive to possible arrival of neutrinos and cosmic rays of GeV and higher energies. For five (seven) events in the NOvA Far (Near) Detector, timely public alerts from the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration allowed recording of MeV-scale events. No signal candidates were found.

Event-Related Brain Potential Correlates Of Event-Based Prospective Memory In Children With Learning Disability, Lili Jing, Qi Zhao, Yafei Zhang, Jiaojiao Wan, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Prospective memory (PM) has been reported to be impaired in children with learning disabilities (LD), but few studies have examined the underlying neural mechanism of this impairment. To address this issue, the present study applied ERP technique to explore the difference of event-based prospective memory (EBPM) in 21 children with LD and 20 non-LD children with double task paradigm. Results from behavioral data showed that LD children exhibited lower accuracy than non-LD children. The ERP results showed that the two groups displayed significant difference in the ERP components, with longer N300 latency in LD group, but there was no obvious …

The NTh-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology For Nonlinear Systems (Nth-Casam-N): Mathematical Framework, Dan Gabriel Cacuci

Faculty Publications

This work presents the n^th-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Nonlinear Systems (n^th-CASAM-N), which enables the most efficient computation of exactly determined expressions of arbitrarily high-order sensitivities of generic nonlinear system responses with respect to model parameters, uncertain boundaries, and internal interfaces in the model’s phase space. The mathematical framework underlying the n^th-CASAM-N is proven to be correct by using mathematical induction. The n^th-CASAM-N is formulated in linearly increasing higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces—as opposed to exponentially increasing parameter-dimensional spaces—thus overcoming the curse of dimensionality in sensitivity analysis of nonlinear systems.