Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Academic Role-Set Influence On The Student- Athlete Experience, Lydia F. Bell

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Informed by the words and experiences of 41 Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) student-athletes, this qualitative study reveals the complexities of the student-athlete academic experience as shaped by their relationships with academic role- set members. Using role-identity as a theoretical framework, the study identifies coaches, athletic academic advisors, fellow athletes, nonathlete peers, faculty and parents as the key actors in the academic role-set. A discussion around the various influences such relationships can have on the academic experience depending on their strength is provided, and future areas of inquiry are proposed.

Is There A Need For Social Workers In Intercollegiate Athletics? A Conceptual Study, Raymond Waller, Christina L. L. Martin, Samantha Morgan

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Research regarding eating disorders among intercollegiate female athletes is well-documented. Since eating disorders have been categorized as potentially serious mental illnesses by the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2013), professionals need to be knowledgeable and involved in the overall care of college athletes. However, those closest to the athlete such as athletic trainers and coaches often lack the knowledge to detect symptoms and/or ability to assist those afflicted with eating disorders. To make a difference, a health care professional, such as a clinically trained social worker, should be considered to assist with the well-being of athletes. This conceptual study explores the …

June 5, 2024 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Development And Validity Of The ‘Modified Mediterranean Prime Screen’ To Assess Dietary Intake Among Women Of Reproductive Age In Lebanon, Mariam Assaad, Sara Ajjour, Maya Rahme, Laila Al-Shaar, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, Jana Jabbour

Faculty Publications

The Mediterranean Region registers an increasing prevalence of obesity. The region lacks a diet screener to assess obesogenic nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the Modified Mediterranean Prime Screen (MMPS) in estimating obesogenic nutrients’ intake among women of reproductive age, as compared with a culturally validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), in Lebanon. We developed the MMPS consisting of thirty-two food/beverage items specific to the Lebanese Mediterranean culture. The MMPS and FFQ were administered in two visits (2 weeks–6 months apart), face to face and via telephone during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The reproducibility and …

Advancing Objective Mobile Device Use Measurement Inchildren Ages 6–11 Through Built-In Device Sensors: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Olivia L. Finnegan, Robert Glenn Weaver Med, Phd, Hongpeng Yang, James W. White, Srihari Nelakuditi, Zifei Zhong, Rahul Ghosal Ph.D., Yan Tong, Aliye B. Cepni, Elizabeth L. Adams, Sarah Burkart Mph, Ph.D., Michael W. Beets Med, Mph, Phd, Bridget Armstrong Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Mobile devices (e.g., tablets and smartphones) have been rapidly integrated into the lives of children and have impacted howchildren engage with digital media. The portability of these devices allows for sporadic, on-demand interaction, reducing theaccuracy of self-report estimates of mobile device use. Passive sensing applications objectively monitor time spent on a givendevice but are unable to identify who is using the device, a significant limitation in child screen time research. Behavioralbiometric authentication, using embedded mobile device sensors to continuously authenticate users, could be applied toaddress this limitation. This study examined the preliminary accuracy of machine learning models trained on iPad …

Ri2ap: Robust And Interpretable 2d Anomaly Prediction In Assembly Pipelines, Chathurangi Shyalika, Kaushik Roy, Renjith Prasad, Fadi El Kalach, Yuxin Zi, Priya Mittal, Vignesh Narayanan, Ramy Harik, Amit Sheth

Publications

Predicting anomalies in manufacturing assembly lines is crucial for reducing time and labor costs and improving processes. For instance, in rocket assembly, premature part failures can lead to significant financial losses and labor inefficiencies. With the abundance of sensor data in the Industry 4.0 era, machine learning (ML) offers potential for early anomaly detection. However, current ML methods for anomaly prediction have limitations, with F1 measure scores of only 50% and 66% for prediction and detection, respectively. This is due to challenges like the rarity of anomalous events, scarcity of high-fidelity simulation data (actual data are expensive), and the complex …

White Matter Trajectories Over The Lifespan, Stefania Conte, Dabriel Zimmerman, John E. Richards

Faculty Publications

White matter (WM) changes occur throughout the lifespan at a different rate for each developmental period. We aggregated 10879 structural MRIs and 6186 diffusion-weighted MRIs from participants between 2 weeks to 100 years of age. Age-related changes in gray matter and WM partial volumes and microstructural WM properties, both brain-wide and on 29 reconstructed tracts, were investigated as a function of biological sex and hemisphere, when appropriate. We investigated the curve fit that would best explain age-related differences by fitting linear, cubic, quadratic, and exponential models to macro and microstructural WM properties. Following the first steep increase in WM volume …

April 24, 2024 General Faculty Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Identifying Multilevel Predictors Of Behavioral Outcomes Like Park Use: A Comparison Of Conditional And Marginal Modeling Approaches, Marilyn E. Wende, S. Morgan Hughey, Alexander C. Mclain, Shirelle Hallum, J. Aaron Hipp, Jasper Schipperijn, Ellen W. Stowe, Andrew T. Kaczynski Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This study compared marginal and conditional modeling approaches for identifying individual, park and neighborhood park use predictors. Data were derived from the ParkIndex study, which occurred in 128 block groups in Brooklyn (New York), Seattle (Washington), Raleigh (North Carolina), and Greenville (South Carolina). Survey respondents (n = 320) indicated parks within one half-mile of their block group used within the past month. Parks (n = 263) were audited using the Community Park Audit Tool. Measures were collected at the individual (park visitation, physical activity, sociodemographic characteristics), park (distance, quality, size), and block group (park count, population density, age structure, racial …

“A Perfect Storm”: Autistic Experiences Of Menopause And Midlife, Miranda J. Brady, Christine A. Jenkins, Rachel L. Moseley, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg

Faculty and Staff Publications

Previous research indicates that menopause can be an extremely difficult transition for some autistic people. This study asks how autistic people experience menopause and how they can better access services, support and information; autistic Community Research Associates played an important role in each stage of the research. Online focus groups and interviews were conducted with 24 autistic participants who lived in Canada (n = 13) or the United Kingdom (n = 11) and had experience with the menopausal transition. Transcripts were coded and analysed by four team members using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes and eight subthemes were …

Identifying A Group Of Factors Predicting Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults, Longgang Zhao, Yuan Wang, Eric Mishio Bawa, Zichun Meng, Jingkai Wei, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Tushar Trivedi, Hatice Hasturk, Roger Newman-Norlund, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Anwar T. Nerchant

Faculty Publications

Background

Cognitive impairment has multiple risk factors spanning several domains, but few studies have evaluated risk factor clusters. We aimed to identify naturally occurring clusters of risk factors of poor cognition among middle-aged and older adults and evaluate associations between measures of cognition and these risk factor clusters.

Methods

We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (training dataset, n = 4074) and the NHANES 2011–2014 (validation dataset, n = 2510). Risk factors were selected based on the literature. We used both traditional logistic models and support vector machine methods to construct a composite score …

April 3, 2024 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Inclusive Description Recommendations Of The Cooperative Metadata Team, University Of South Carolina Libraries Cooperative Metadata Team

University Libraries Policies and Reports

The University of South Carolina strives to “foster access and belonging” (University of South Carolina Strategic Priories, 2023/28), and the University Libraries endeavors to be “respectful and accessible” and “responsive to changes in user needs” by investing in initiatives that “promote inclusion for and within our community” (University of South Carolina Libraries Strategic Plan, 2022/24). The USC Libraries Cooperative Metadata Team (CoMeT) seeks to support these goals by providing guidelines for creating inclusive metadata and remediating existing records. These guidelines will allow for more efficient, timely, and thoughtful processing of materials.

”To Be Or Not To Be – It’S Good”: Actor And Student Experiences In A Drama Club For People With Aphasia, Jade K. Hannan

Senior Theses

Individuals with aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language network, confront a variety of social and emotional struggles. While leaving their cognition largely intact, aphasia tremendously impacts a person’s ability to communicate confidently, fracturing their social network and contributing to feelings of loneliness and frustration. To address this persistent need in the chronic aphasia population, the Play on Words drama club at the University of South Carolina provides a forum for people with aphasia (PWA) to engage in dramatic exercises focused on non-verbal communication of emotions, ideas, and stories, culminating the production of an original devised play. …

‘Kazakh Means Freedom’ - Kazakh Language Policy And National Identity Before And During The Ukraine War, Mclean T. Brown

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the link between language policy and national identity in Kazakhstan, tracing the relationship between the two across history and describing how they have been affected by the Ukraine War. The Kazakh government has put considerable effort into developing a national identity for contemporary Kazakhstan, but conflicting standards of production make it difficult for a cohesive, well-defined Kazakh national identity to be put forth. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses, phenomenological critical discourse analysis, and ethnographic research, this thesis strives to alleviate existing gaps in Central Asian studies research while arguing that language policy is a lens through which …

Twisted Threads: A Novel And Exploration Of Fraternity Culture And Race, Christian S. Golden

Senior Theses

Twisted Threads: A Novel and Exploration of Fraternity Culture and Race is a project that seeks to explore questions about race and brotherhood through the lens of the urban fantasy genre. It is the first ten chapters of a full-length fantasy novel and can be considered the first half of the planned novel. The Introduction details some of my influences, both literary and cultural, as well as the thought process behind much of the worldbuilding in my manuscript. It also details some of the research that was conducted to help build accurate allegories and allusions. The novel follows a black …

Lyraquist: Language Learning Via Music App, Vivian D'Souza, Siri Avula, Mahi Patel, Tanvi Singh, Ashley Bickham

Senior Theses

Lyraquist is a new language learning mobile app that encourages the practice of a foreign language through music. Language learners can connect their Spotify Premium account to Lyraquist to listen to music in their target languages and utilize tools such as translation and vocabulary lists to facilitate language practice. Through integration with Spotify, users can import and create Spotify playlists and search the service’s entire catalog. By combining daily listening habits with several tasks associated with language learning in one place, Lyraquist hopes to be a useful language learning tool.

An Antidote To The Necropolitical Path Of Logic: Ice Pick Lodge's Pathologic Classic Hd, Rose Branton

Senior Theses

Much of the existing scholarly literature on video games analyzed with Achille Mbembe’s Necropolitics (2019) focuses on games that replicate the destructive, dehumanizing logic that Mbembe discusses. These are typically games involving the zombie genre or war and conquest that do not challenge Amanda Phillips’s idea of mechropolitics, a further development of Mbembe’s idea that implicates video games specifically. Nor do they challenge the dehumanization and warrant limitless destruction of zombies in the zombie genre of video games. This thesis focuses on Pathologic Classic HD (2015) as an example of a video game that presents a challenge to the logic …

Last Place: Is Arizona Due For School Finance Litigation?, Joe Aldridge

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

New Genera And Species Of Caulobacter And Brevundimonas Bacteriophages Provide Insights Into Phage Genome Evolution, Bert Ely, Michael Hils, Aaron Clarke, Maegan Albert, Nadia Holness, Jacob Lenski, Tannaz Mohammadi

Faculty Publications

Previous studies have identified diverse bacteriophages that infect Caulobacter vibrioides strain CB15 ranging from small RNA phages to four genera of jumbo phages. In this study, we focus on 20 bacteriophages whose genomes range from 40 to 60 kb in length. Genome comparisons indicated that these diverse phages represent six Caulobacter phage genera and one additional genus that includes both Caulobacter and Brevundimonas phages. Within species, comparisons revealed that both single base changes and inserted or deleted genetic material cause the genomes of closely related phages to diverge. Among genera, the basic gene order and the orientation of key genes …

Post-Discharge Follow-Up Call To Impact Heart Failure Re-Admission Rates, Regina Mitchell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: The clinical setting for this project, a 321-bed southeastern hospital in South Carolina, has an elevated re-admission rate for CHF patients of 22.67% (Ferguson, B. V.P. Quality, personal communication, October 21st, 2022), 1.57% above the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) benchmark of 21.1% for payment reduction penalties. Purpose: Determine if post-discharge interview phone calls decrease CHF re-admission rates. Methods: A two-group pretest-posttest design will be used. Data will be collected during retrospective unit chart review, weekly chart review of patient participants, and structured post-discharge phone interviews. Inclusion Criteria: English-speaking, adult (>18 years of age) patients with …

Evaluating The Impact Of Rapid Response Electroencephalogram In Post-Cardiac Arrest Patients, Lauren Lee Steffen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: Timely diagnosis and treatment of nonconvulsive seizures (NCS) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) are critical for improving patient outcomes after a cardiac arrest. However, NCSE can only be confirmed with an electroencephalogram (EEG), which is either considerably delayed or unavailable in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Purpose: This project aimed to describe the impact of a rapid response electroencephalogram (rrEEG) brain monitor on improving time- to- acquisition and length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit for post-resuscitated cardiac arrest survivors; additionally, does rrEEG increase nurse's knowledge and confidence in managing complex seizure patterns? Method(s): …

The Use Of Figurative Suicidal Language By College Students And Its Impact On Mental Health And Suicide Stigma, Makayla Hooker

Senior Theses

Using suicidal language as a hyperbole in everyday conversation has become common for college students experiencing stress. Previous research analyzed use of suicidal language on social media with the intention of finding the best way to provide help to the individuals expressing true suicidal ideation on social media but found that many people do not literally mean what they are saying when they use suicidal language. It was hypothesized that the frequency with which individuals use suicidal statements figuratively as well as the frequency with which they hear others use these statements would negatively correlate with the level of seriousness …

Cuing Safety In The Law School Classroom: Using A Polyvagal Theory Framework In Support Of Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices, Naomi Grace Hodo Walker, Brian Flaherty

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

Societal Concerns Over The Drug Epidemic Have Turned America's Public Schools Into Constitutional Dead Zones, Sarah Catherine V. Gibson

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

Deciphering The Functional Connections Between The Nuclear Paraspeckle And Rad51 Homologous Recombination Proteins Using A Yeast Protein Interaction System, Eric J. Nutz

Senior Theses

Homologous recombination (HR) is a repair pathway for DNA double-stranded breaks. Mutations in HR genes contribute to genomic instability and increase the prevalence of cancer. Exploiting HR deficiency in tumor cells has led to improved synthetic lethality outcomes. RAD51 paralogue protein complexes are known to be involved with HR. Proteomic analysis of RAD51 paralogues reveals a connection to the nuclear paraspeckle. A paraspeckle is a little-known, specialized organelle found in the interchromatin space of the nucleus in mammalian cells. Its three central protein components include SFPQ, NONO, and PSPC1. RAD51D is an HR protein shown previously to interact with SFPQ …

Spectre Of Justice: Russian Reform In The Courtrooms Of Dostoevsky And Tolstoy, Abby Moore

Senior Theses

The Great Reforms of Alexander II are regarded as transformative policies in the history of Tsarist Russia, drastically changing the empire’s social and political fabric. The judicial reforms of 1864 in particular addressed longstanding issues within the existing criminal justice system, yet they also liberalized the institution at large. Following in the West’s footsteps, the reforms introduced an unprecedented level of democracy into Russia’s courtroom. Among the critics of these changes were renowned authors Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, both of whom used the realm of fiction to explore their respective concerns with reformed Russian jurisprudence. Both authors bring distinct …

A Third Way: Christian Philosophy Of Music, Eric S. Gardner

Senior Theses

Philosophers have posed many difficult-to-answer questions regarding music. For example, what counts as beautiful music? Can beauty be objectified, or is beauty in the eye of the beholder? What counts as a performance of a piece of music? Besides, what counts as music anyways? Where does the noise stop, and where does the music begin? In this thesis, I want to show that the Christian worldview offers the philosophical building blocks to answer these questions. By working with biblical truths and Christian presuppositions, I hope to show that the Christian worldview can offer satisfying answers to these philosophical questions.

Meme Stocks, Robinhood, And Wall Street: Retail Investors And Changing Market Dynamics, Nick Murray, Spencer Brosnan

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the rise of retail investors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they have changed the landscape of financial markets. We outline the full timeline of the GME and AMC social media craze that exemplified the power of retail investors in the market and investigate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on this group. Through the use of VandaTrack, a software that tracks retail investors’ trading activity, we were able to quantify the impact that retail investors have on US equities and ETFs and compare them to the market as a whole. We utilized this …

The Role Of Sport For Adolescents: The Effect Of Sport Participation As A Unique Form Of Physical Activity On Mental Health And Overall Subjective Well-Being During Adolescence, Caleb M. Rogers

Senior Theses

Well-being is an extremely multifaceted domain, as there are numerous factors that contribute to one’s way of life. Objective well-being focuses primarily on material factors such as access to food, housing, and a steady household income. Although these factors play a large role, it is important to analyze well-being from the perspective of the individual. Subjective well-being focuses on how one perceives one's own well-being. Physical activity has been well established as one factor associated with improvements within this domain for adolescents. This project investigates the role of one specific form of physical activity during adolescence: sport. The general assumption …