Digital Commons Network^™

Building A Future Microfinance Community In Kenya, Jack Spiehs

Senior Theses

The lack of access to financial tools has been a significant problem in many areas around the world for a long time. It prevents certain groups of people from being able to progress financially and improve their economic standing. This issue stems from an overall lack of resources and infrastructure in the area. Without the acquisition of new funds, there is no path to poverty alleviation in underdeveloped areas. Currently, the global response has been to try to provide these resources through various methods, including microfinance activities.

Microfinance institutions have been operating in Kenya for decades. They provide a variety …

Simplified Ranking Model For The College Football Playoff Through Weighted Ranking, Edward Buckhouse

Senior Theses

This research project looks to create a better system to rank college football teams in playoff contention. It uses surveys of coaches to create a weighted guideline to evaluate wins and losses for each team. This constructs a value for adjusted wins that is based on coaches’ data but strays away from the inherent bias that any single coach would have when ranking teams. The resulting Top 25 were then compared to the College Football Playoff final regular season rankings to gauge the success of the new system. The Adjusted Wins system that was established properly picked 13 out of …

Fashion Changes: How Advertisers In East Asia Used The Image Of The Modern Girl To Promote Cosumerism, Madelyn Foster

Senior Theses

The modern girl is one of the most visually memorable female archetypes of the 20th century. She emerged at the beginning of the century in countries across the world and represented the merging of modernity and consumerism, as well as the increasingly visible role of women in the public sphere. She can be seen in the art and media of many different nations around the world, and while her basic essence is the same across countries- a young, cosmopolitan woman who dresses in modern fashions- her specific traits and clothing choices depend heavily on the nation in which she is …

Interactive Sc Historical Map Application By Capistonsker, Joseph Cammarata, James Davis, Matt Duggan, Lauren Hodges, Ian Urton

Senior Theses

The Interactive SC Historical Map Application by CapiStonsker, hereby known as CapiStonsker, is an android application that creates a comprehensive user experience for individuals and groups to engage with their local Columbia history. Users of this application can discover local historical landmarks by scrolling through the interactive map on the home screen, searching for markers by name using the search bar, filtering by county, or scrolling through a list of markers sorted by proximity. If a marker catches a user's attention, he or she can tap it to learn more information, get directions, or save it for later by adding …

The Legal And Social Challenges Involved In The Expansion Of Multinational Operations: A Case Study Of Exxonmobil Indonesia, Shashaank Rajaraman

Senior Theses

Within this paper, I will analyze the legal and social relations between multinational corporations and their host countries. This analysis will be conducted through viewing the circumstances surrounding Doe v. ExxonMobil within the District of Columbia Circuit Court, in which ExxonMobil has engaged in litigation regarding their human rights record within the country of Indonesia. Through secondary research conducted both within business and legal journals, information about the practices of ExxonMobil can be examined and utilized to make general conclusions upon the corporate diplomacy practiced by multinational corporations.

Examination Of Energy Needs In Male And Female Physically Active Individuals, Savanna Griffin

Senior Theses

Content: The Female Athlete Triad refers to three interrelated components: 1) low energy availability (LEA), with or without an eating disorder (ED); 2) harmful and physiologically impactful hormonal changes; and 3) alterations in bone mineral density, which are often experienced by individuals engaged in organized sports or other intense physical activities. This phenomenon is called the Female Athlete Triad because the relationship of components has thus far been observed primarily in females. A new term, the Male Athlete Triad, has been recently developed to describe the same phenomenon in males. LEA occurs when dietary energy intake (EI) is inadequate to …

Hannah Arendt And The Lives Of The Female Intellectual Celebrity: Public Imagery And Storytelling Before And Since 1995, Gabrielle G. Johansson

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the lives of Hannah Arendt, specifically her image as a celebrity intellectual before 1995 and variant Arendtian protagonists which arose after 1995, with the publishing of Elżbita Ettinger’s Hannah Arendt/Martin Heidegger. Ettinger’s book was the first of its kind to explore their love letters and create from them a narrative of scandal, passion, and paradox. Before 1995, Arendt’s image was secure as a well-respected philosopher and guide for Vergangenheitsbewältigung. After 1995, Arendt’s image and legacy fragmented as artists and academics tried to make sense of how the celebrated philosopher could have had an affair with …

U.S. Abortion Care Providers’ Perspectives On Self-Managed Abortion, Aleta Baldwin, Dana M. Johnson, Kathleen Broussard, Luisa Alejandra Tello-Pérez, Melissa Madera, Carol Ze-Noah, Elisa Padron, Abigail R.A. Aiken

Faculty Publications

State-level restrictions on abortion access may prompt greater numbers of people to self-manage their abortion. The few studies exploring perspectives of providers towards self-managed abortion are focused on physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Little is known about the wider spectrum of abortion care providers who encounter self-managed abortion in their clinic-based work. To gain a deeper understanding of this issue and inform future care delivery, we conducted in-depth interviews with 46 individuals working in a range of positions in 46 abortion clinics across 29 states. Our interpretative analysis resulted in themes shaped by beliefs about safety and autonomy, and a …

School District Secession In Mobile County, Alabama: A Case Study Of Adaptive Discrimination And Threats To Multiracial Democracy, Sarah Asson, Erica Frankenberg

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Through The Looking Glass: A Systematic Review Of Longitudinal Evidence, Providing New Insight For Motor Competence And Health, Lisa M. Barnett, E. Kipling Webster, Ryan M. Hulteen, An De Meester, Nadia C. Valentini, Matthieu Lenoir, Caterina Pesce, Nancy Getchell, Vitor P. Lopes, Leah E. Robinson, Ali Brian, Luis P. Rodrigues

Faculty Publications

Introduction

In 2008, a conceptual model explaining the role of motor competence (MC) in children’s physical activity (PA), weight status, perceived MC and health-related fitness was published.

Objective

The purpose of the current review was to systematically compile mediation, longitudinal and experimental evidence in support of this conceptual model.

Methods

This systematic review (registered with PROSPERO on 28 April 2020) was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Separate searches were undertaken for each pathway of interest (final search 8 November 2019) using CINAHL Complete, ERIC, Medline (OVID), PsycINFO, Web of Science …

S-Equol: A Novel Therapeutic For Hiv-1 Induced Gut Dysbiosis, Mason T. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

HIV-1 infection affects approximately 38 million people around the world. The advent of cART has greatly improved the quality of life of infected individuals; however, roughly 50% of these individuals will still experience HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Additionally, the gut microbiome has been reported to be dysbiotic in HIV-1 infected individuals, regardless of adherence to cART. Current research has pointed to the gut-brain-microbiota axis as a potential target to treat both cognitive deficits and microbial changes. The present study investigated S-equol (SE) as a potential therapeutic for HAND by modulating the gut microbiome. The study included 21 HIV-1 Tg …

Cryptic Cryptophytes: The Plasticity In How Cryptophytes Respond To Changes In Resource Availability, Rachel Ann-Marie Schomaker

Theses and Dissertations

Resource variability and availability often drives competition within ecosystems, which can lead to the diversification of organismal niches and physiological capabilities. In aquatic systems, common resources that photosynthetic organisms, such as algae, compete for are light and carbon. Both the spectral characteristics (color) and carbon concentrations of an aquatic system vary with time and space, which means that algae need to be able to respond to changes in resource availability to survive. Using a group of ubiquitous unicellular eukaryotes known as cryptophytes, we investigated both how cryptophytes respond to changes in the available light spectrum at a physiological and genetic …

Highly Active And Stable Low-Pgm And Pgm-Free Catalysts For Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Horie Adabi Firouzjaie

Theses and Dissertations

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have recently seen significant growth in interest as their achievable current density, peak power density, and longevity have been dramatically improved. Though these advances in performance have been important for demonstrating the feasibility of the technology, nearly all AEMFCs reported in the literature have required a relatively high loading of platinum group metal (PGM)- based catalysts at both the anode and cathode electrodes. However, to take command of the low-temperature fuel cell market, AEMFCs cannot simply reach the same performance as incumbent proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which have had decades of development …

Molecular Architecture Of Cardiometabolic Responses To Regular Exercise, Jacob L. Barber

Theses and Dissertations

Background: To investigate the molecular mechanisms, determinants, and predictors of cardiometabolic responses to regular exercise, this dissertation had two primary aims: 1) Examine the molecular architecture of cardiometabolic responses to exercise training (unsupervised approach) and 2) Identify molecular signatures of responsiveness to regular exercise within clinically relevant lipoprotein traits (supervised approach).

Methodology: Multi-omics data (17,945 muscle transcripts, 4,979 proteins, 411 metabolites) from participants (n=647) who completed 20 weeks of endurance training as part of the HERITAGE Family Study was collected before and after training. We employed an unsupervised machine learning approach (Aim 1) to identify patterns of molecular responses to …

The Comparative Neuroethology Of Distributed Visual Systems: Visual Neuroanatomy And Visually-Mediated Behaviors Of The Chiton Acanthopleura Granulata And The Bay Scallop Argopecten Irradians, Daniel Ritter Chappell

Theses and Dissertations

Vision is usually thought to be inextricably linked to cephalization; however, certain species of invertebrates deviate from this canonical association by having noncephalized visual systems that are composed of numerous photoreceptive organs distributed across their body paired with centralized, decentralized, or distributed neural architectures. In contrast to cephalized visual systems, we know comparatively little about the visual processing and visually-mediated behaviors of animals with distributed visual systems which are crucial towards understanding how and why these animals see with so many eyes. In this dissertation, we investigate the visual neuroanatomy and visually-mediated behaviors of two different marine molluscs with distributed …

Specific Learning Disability: Rates Across A Southeastern State, Joseph T. Ferraracci

Theses and Dissertations

Reading, writing, and mathematics are crucial academic and life skills. Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in these areas is the most common disability in children and account for almost 40% of all students in special education. Special education law permits for the identification of these students in multiple ways; IQ/Achievement Discrepancy, Response to Intervention, or the use of other, alternative research-based procedures (e.g. Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses Model. There is variability within and across these methods, causing incongruity and inconsistency in rates. Other variables associated with SLD such as socioeconomic status, age, sex, and race also play important roles when …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cholesterol Efflux Capacity In The Heritage Family Study, Joshua Adam Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk independent of HDL-C levels. However, the effect of regular exercise on CEC is not yet fully understood. Therefore, we examined the effects of exercise training on CEC in the HERITAGE Family Study. In HERITAGE, subjects participated in an endurance training program that consisted of exercise on a cycle ergometer three times per week for 20 weeks. Global and non-ABCA1 CEC were measured at baseline and post-training in 542 subjects via a cell- based radiolabeled CEC assay. Neither global nor non-ABCA1 CEC significantly changed with training in the whole cohort. …

Fundamentals Of Adsorption And Large Scale Pressure Swing Adsorption (Psa) Process Design, Huan Jiang

Theses and Dissertations

This work focused on both fundamental of adsorption and large-scale PSA design. Chapter 1 and 2 addressed the analysis of conditions for formation of adsorption azeotropes in binary systems. Chapter 1 theoretically assessed the necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of an adsorption azeotrope in a binary gas mixture when this mixture exhibits either intersecting or non-intersecting single gas isotherms. Chapter 2 confirmed theoretically whether adsorption azeotropes can form in a binary mixture at a pressure below the intersection pressure of the corresponding single gas isotherms. Analytical expressions derived for both general and dual thermodynamically consistent process Langmuir (DPL) …

The Impact Of Cannabis And Alcohol Use On The Management Of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Joshua Eric Sellner

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation sought to contribute to the evidence-base of diabetes management and acute complications associated with alcohol and cannabis use among individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM). Three interconnected studies were initiated to complete this goal. First, existing literature surrounding the potential consequences of cannabis consumption among individuals with T1DM were summarized within a systematic review. Study results were combined to provide a single measure of association through a meta-analysis. Second, identified associations were further investigated through a cross-sectional study using the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth data on alcohol and cannabis use on diabetes management and acute complications including …

In Vitro And In Vivo Studies Of Mediator Kinase, Lili Wang

Theses and Dissertations

This project addresses the molecular and in vivo activities of transcriptionregulating module CKM, comprised of CDK8 (or CDK19) kinases, Cyclin C, MED12 and MED13. Our lab has found that CDK8/19 potentiates NFkB-induced transcription. In this study, we confirmed that both CDK8 and CDK19 regulate gene expression in kinasedependent manner. CDK8 and CDK19 are not required for NFkB-induced transcription, which also occurs in HEK293-dKO (CDK8 and CDK19 double knockout) cells, but such transcription becomes CDK8/19-dependent upon re-expression of CDK8 or CDK19 in dKO. Surprisingly. pre-treatment with a CDK8/19 inhibitor decreases the effect of CDK8/19 on NFkB-induced transcription.

In another set of …

Comparative Assessment Of The Fate And Toxicity Of Chemically And Biologically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Toward Juvenile Clams, Mercenaria Mercenaria, Amar Yasser Al-Rshim

Theses and Dissertations

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with unique nanoscale properties, including novel optical behavior and superparamagnetic, are continually being developed for biomedical and industrial applications. In specific biomedical applications, ENMs are surface-functionalized using polymers, proteins, and other stabilizing agents to facilitate their resistance to salt-induced aggregation. Since their colloidal stability in high ionic-strength matrices, functionalized ENMs are anticipated to be persistent aquatic contaminants. Despite their potential environmental significance, the persistence of surface-functionalized ENMs as individually stabilized nanoparticles in marine environments is largely unknown. Further, few studies have investigated the fundamental factors that influence ENMs uptake and fate/transport processes in ecologically susceptible aquatic biota, …

Comfort Food For The Ears: Exploring Nostalgic Trends In Popular Music Of The Twenty-First Century, April K. Balay

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine trends in twenty-first-century American popular music characterized by a sonority sometimes labeled “retro” or “vintage,” the production of which, I contend, often corresponds to periods of cultural upheaval, and social, political, and economic change. Engaging specifically with music produced during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the economic recession of 2008, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, my work will strive to update the dialogue between music in this century with the styles of the past that it recalls. By examining music beginning in the year 2001 and analyzing airplay charts and recording techniques, I …

The Effect Of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction On Elementary Students’ Vocabulary Knowledge And Reading Comprehension: An Action Research Study, Tonia Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Reading comprehension seems to be a significant challenge for rising fifth graders with limited vocabulary knowledge. A possible solution is to provide them with explicit vocabulary instruction which may positively impact their reading comprehension. This action research aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing explicit vocabulary instruction delivered through Schoology on fifth graders’ vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension at an urban elementary school in the southeastern United States. This study also sought to analyze students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the online vocabulary learning modules. A convergent mixed-method approach was applied to answer the research questions. The quantitative data (e.g., …

Sustainable Polymers: Upcycling Poly(Vinyl Chloride) And Mimicking Low Density Polyethylene, Ian Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, increasing the sustainability of polymers was investigated through two main methods. The upcycling of poly(vinyl chloride) and the creation of polymer mimics to create degradable low-density polyethylene. In the first chapter, an overview of the sustainability issues of polymers is presented and approaches are described on how their sustainability may be increased through the upcycling of polymers or the synthesis of degradable polymers that mimic the properties of petrol-based polymers.

Chapter 2 contains the progress on the upcycling of PVC using high oleic soybean oil. Soybean oil can soften PVC making it less brittle than pure PVC. …

Evaluation Of The Perceived Benefit Of A Psychiatric Resource For Parents Of Children With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, Kayla Blankenship

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to assess the perceived utility of an educational resource booklet addressing the psychiatric manifestations and mental health considerations within 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS).

Seventy-three parents of children with 22q11.2DS completed online surveys before and after reading the booklet. The surveys assessed personality factors and feelings of empowerment, worry, self-stigma, and ability to tolerate uncertainty.

Participants reported that the booklet was easy to understand, provided better understanding of 22q11.2DS and mental illness, answered questions about mental illness associated with the condition, improved knowledge of strategies for protecting the mental health of children with the condition, …

That Strange Darkness, Matthew Boedy

Theses and Dissertations

This novel is about the past. It is a novel about how the past always encroaches on the present and the future. Even for those who are saved from it.

The Effects Of The Online Remediation Of Phonological Processing Deficits On Functional Reading Abilities In Students With Dyslexia, Fletcher Bowden

Theses and Dissertations

Dyslexia affects between 5% and 18% of Americans and is caused by difficulty with phonological processing. This study investigates the impact of an online intervention designed to remediate phonological processing deficits on reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. It also investigates changes to student self-concept and parent perceptions of their children’s reading attitudes and abilities as a result of the online intervention.

Ten students participated in the intervention; assessments were administered at the beginning and at the midpoint of the treatment. Scores in Phonological Processing and Alternate Phonological Processing, as measured by the CTOPP-2, demonstrated large to very large effect sizes, …

“Why Do I Have To Learn This Anyway?”: A Qualitative Investigative Action Research Study Into The Tension Between The Rural, Working-Class Masculine Student And The Formal Educative Structure, Joshua Matthew Bowers

Theses and Dissertations

The specific problem of practice on which this study was focused is the tension experienced between the rural (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016), workingclass (Draut, 2018) masculine (Connell, 1995) student and the formal educative structure. The purpose of this investigative action research study was to identify and clarify in my context the unique tension experienced between the rural, working-class masculine student and the formal educative structure. This tension I refer to as tention, as tention is a variant of tension (Oxford English Dictionary, 1994, p. 789), and the rural, workingclass masculine student is, at his unique nexus of intersectionality, …

Poetic Self-Representation Among Russian And British Female Poets In The Late 18Th And Early 19Th Centuries, Ulyana Brewer

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the development of self-representation by Russian women poets of the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century through comparison with the women poets in England of the same period. The comparative analysis of the works composed by Ekaterina Urusova, Aleksandra Murzina, Anna Bunina, Mary Julia Young, Mary Scott, Janet Little, and others provides insight into women poets’ practices of exceeding the boundaries of gender-defined art to inhabit literary discourse traditionally occupied by male poets and expose the artificiality of gender and literary genre relations and engage with a variety of political, …

Innovative Data-Driven Demand Estimation Strategies In Revenue Management, Sanghoon Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding customers’ choice behavior and decision-making process is crucial in many industries, including hotels, airlines, and retail, as it allows firms to offer the right product to the right customer. This has resulted in a growing focus on accurately estimating customer demand for a product or service in the revenue management space, which can serve as a valuable input to optimal pricing, inventory, and assortment decisions. However, much of the existing work in the literature has not been able to comprehensively address some common challenges that are observed in practice: unobservable no-purchases, heterogeneous customer preferences, and the impact of factors …