Digital Commons Network^™

Urban School Neighbourhoods Dominated By Unhealthy Food Retailers And Advertisements In Greater Tunis: A Geospatial Study In The Midst Of The Nutrition Transition, Christelle Akl, Nehmat El-Helou, Gloria Safadi, Aline Semaan, Aya El Sammak, Tarek Trabelsi, Sonia Sassi, Chaza Akik, Jalila El Ati, Pierre Traissac, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Objective:

Food environments are a major determinant of children’s nutritional status. Scarce evidence on food environments exists in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This study aims to fill this gap by documenting the obesogenicity of food environments around schools in Greater Tunis, Tunisia – an LMIC of the Middle East and North Africa region with an ongoing nutrition transition and increasing rates of childhood obesity.

Design:

In this cross-sectional study, we assessed built food environments around fifty primary schools. Ground-truthing was performed to collect geographic coordinates and pictures of food retailers and food advertisement sets within an 800-m road network …

Killing Stays, Madalyn K. Wasilczuk

Faculty Publications

For decades, the Supreme Court has been suspicious of litigation under warrant in capital cases. The Court has described last-minute litigation as manipulative and dilatory, a result of gamesmanship by people on death row and their lawyers. With the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, the Court began to extinguish the opportunity to assert death row detainees’ rights against unlawful death sentences and executions, reaching a crescendo of stay vacaturs and denials during the Trump executions. Despite this sea change in capital stay jurisprudence and practice, few scholars have focused on the capital stay as a vital component of …

Physical Activity, Anxiety, Depression, And Coping In Turkish Men And Women During The First Wave Of Covid-19, Bijen Filiz, Funda Coşkun Özyol, Bengü Güven, Ezel Nur Korur, Yılmaz Yüksel, Cavit Işık Yavuz, Kele Ding, Jingzhen Yang, J. Larry Durstine Phd, Facsm, Faacvpr, Fnak, Ming-Kai Chin, Gıyasettin Demirhan

Faculty Publications

A need exists to better understand the relationships between COVID-19, coping behaviors, physical activity and stress, and COVID-19’s impact on way of life. A cross-sectional study design was used to examine adult physical activity, hope, depression, anxiety, and coping status by gender during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the impact of these variables on the coping process. The study also examined the effect of gender on the relation between physical activity and dependent variables. A global survey instrument was used in this study, including 1,400 Turkish adults. This study identified significant gender-based differences regarding physical activity, hope, depression, anxiety, …

Common Questions And Misconceptions About Caffeine Supplementation: What Does The Scientific Evidence Really Show?, Jose Antonio, Daniel E. Newmire, Jeffrey R. Stout, Brandi Antonio, Maureen Gibbons, Lonnie M. Lowery, Joseph Harper, Darryn Willoughby, Cassandra Evans, Dawn Anderson, Erica Goldstein, Jose Rojas, Matías Monsalves-Álvarez, Scott C. Forbes, Jose Gomez Lopez, Tim Ziegenfuss, Blake D. Moulding, Darren Candow, Michael Sagner, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak

Faculty Publications

Caffeine is a popular ergogenic aid that has a plethora of evidence highlighting its positive effects. A Google Scholar search using the keywords “caffeine” and “exercise” yields over 200,000 results, emphasizing the extensive research on this topic. However, despite the vast amount of available data, it is intriguing that uncertainties persist regarding the effectiveness and safety of caffeine. These include but are not limited to: 1. Does caffeine dehydrate you at rest? 2. Does caffeine dehydrate you during exercise? 3. Does caffeine promote the loss of body fat? 4. Does habitual caffeine consumption influence the performance response to acute caffeine …

Britney Spears And Systemic Reform: Embracing Vulnerability In Conservatorship Laws, Helena Moradi, Bojan Perovic

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Tutorial: Knowledge-Infused Artificial Intelligence For Mental Healthcare, Kaushik Roy

Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems for mental healthcare (MHCare) have been ever-growing after realizing the importance of early interventions for patients with chronic mental health (MH) conditions. Social media (SocMedia) emerged as the go-to platform for supporting patients seeking MHCare. The creation of peer-support groups without social stigma has resulted in patients transitioning from clinical settings to SocMedia supported interactions for quick help. Researchers started exploring SocMedia content in search of cues that showcase correlation or causation between different MH conditions to design better interventional strategies. User-level Classification-based AI systems were designed to leverage diverse SocMedia data from various MH conditions, …

Disney Was Truly “Almost There”: The Controversy Of Racial Representation In The Princess And The Frog, Anna Kate Dyson

University Libraries Award for Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Common Questions And Misconceptions About Protein Supplementation: What Does The Scientific Evidence Really Show?, Jose Antonio, Cassandra Evans, Arny A. Ferrando, Jeffrey R. Stout, Brandi Antonio, Harry Cinteo, Patrick Harty, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Darren G. Candow, Scott C. Forbes, Chad M. Kerksick, Flavia Pereira, Drew Gonzalez, Richard B. Kreider

Faculty Publications

Protein supplementation often refers to increasing the intake of this particular macronutrient through dietary supplements in the form of powders, ready-to-drink shakes, and bars. The primary purpose of protein supplementation is to augment dietary protein intake, aiding individuals in meeting their protein requirements, especially when it may be challenging to do so through regular food (i.e. chicken, beef, fish, pork, etc.) sources alone. A large body of evidence shows that protein has an important role in exercising and sedentary individuals. A PubMed search of “protein and exercise performance” reveals thousands of publications. Despite the considerable volume of evidence, it is …

After Smith Falls: Corporate Free Exercise Lochnerism, Daniel J. H. Greenwood, Nicholas E. Tramposch

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Robot Inventors, Robot Patents, Robot Examiners, And Robot Patent Prosecutors, Henry H. Perrit Jr.

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

What Does It Mean To Create Art? Intellectual Property Rights For Artificial Intelligence Generated Artworks, Zachary Bozard

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

No abstract provided.

A Diminished First Amendment In Cyberspace: The Brussels Effect On Freedom Of Expression, Kurt A. Webber

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

This article introduces the reader to the European Union's attempts at moderating the internet through its Digital Security Act (DSA) and the primary voices heard in that effort, including the trusted flaggers, the member states' digital services coordinator, and the platforms themselves.

The article explores the EU's high hopes for the DSA to eliminate harmful and illegal content and ensure transparency through its collective database of moderation actions.

The article describes the transparency database and details its principal inadequacies.

Finally, the article highlights the conflict between the U.S. and EU's views on moderation.

Good Faith As Mechanism For An Efficient Market, Victor Caminha Cavalcante

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

This article explores the role of the principle of good faith in enhancing commercial efficiency within Brazilian, Italian and U.S. legal systems. The principle, recognized under Brazilian Civil Law since the enactment of the 2002 Civil Code, is compared with its application under U.S. law, particularly through the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and Restatement (Second) of Contracts, and under Italian Civil Code. The study analyzes how good faith, as an objective legal standard, fosters contractual fairness, transparency, and predictability, thereby contributing to a more structured and efficient market. By examining case law, scholarly perspectives, and the interaction between traditional and …

American Interests And Russian Arbitration: Overcoming Confusion And Concern, Blake Alderson

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

This article seeks to circumvent potential pitfalls for American investors by highlighting the key governing principles in Russian arbitration and the enforcement of associated awards, both foreign and domestic. To this end, the article will briefly orient the reader with the applicable commercial law and authorities behind the arbitral structure before engaging with the governing authorities of the Law on International Commercial Arbitration (ICA) and the New York Arbitration Convention (NY Convention) on recognizing foreign arbitral awards, with the end goal of establishing a cohesive path for prospective American businesses to pursue necessary arbitration actions on Russian soil. To aid …

Colonial Body-Logic In George Orwell's Burnese Days: A Contrapuntal Critique, Riley Mays

The Oswald Review: An International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Criticism in the Discipline of English

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Experiential Journey Of Women With Pcos Across The Lifespan: A Qualitative Inquiry, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Robin Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan

Publications

Introduction: Peri-postmenopausal women with the chronic condition polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remain at cardiometabolic risk and/or subsist with established comorbidity while continuing to manage persistent PCOS signs and symptoms, such as hirsutism. Thus, PCOS transcends the reproductive years, yet there is sparse scientific literature on the peri-postmenopausal years of women with PCOS.

Purpose: To explore how peri-postmenopausal women's perceptions about PCOS have changed over the lifespan since their PCOS diagnosis.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey with one qualitative question was conducted via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) among women with PCOS aged ≥43 years, who were all recruited …

Harnessing The Power Of Complementarity Between Smart Tracking Technology And Associated Health Information Technologies: Longitudinal Study, Youyou Tao, Ruilin Zhu, Dezhi Wu

Publications

Background: Smart tracking technology (STT) that was applied for clinical use has the potential to reduce 30-day all-cause readmission risk through streamlining clinical workflows with improved accuracy, mobility, and efficiency. However, previously published literature has inadequately addressed the joint effects of STT for clinical use and its complementary health ITs (HITs) in this context. Furthermore, while previous studies have discussed the symbiotic and pooled complementarity effects among different HITs, there is a lack of evidence-based research specifically examining the complementarity effects between STT for clinical use and other relevant HITs. Objective: Through a complementarity theory lens, this study aims to …

Systems Check: A Qualitative Case Study Of Educators And Parent-Educators Supporting Adolescent Readers From An Ecological Systems Perspective, Kristi Nicole Grooms

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of decades of research and an abundance of well-intentioned intervention efforts, supporting adolescent readers, particularly at the middle level, remains a significant area of concern for educators in the United States. The struggles are present for educators working to help underperforming readers reach grade-level and keep advanced readers motivated and engaged. At home, parents and guardians experience similar challenges. Data on adolescent comprehension performance continues to be frustrating in terms of producing consistent positive results. This qualitative action research study investigated the ongoing challenge of supporting adolescent readers, specifically within the context of 7th grade, through a systems …

Use Of Machine Learning Approaches To Predict Transition Of Retention In Care Among People Living With Hiv In South Carolina: A Real-World Data Study, Ruilie Cai, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Yunqing Ma, Hao H. Zhang, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Maintaining retention in care (RIC) for people living with HIV (PLWH) helps achieve viral suppression and reduce onward transmission. This study aims to identify the best machine learning model that predicts the RIC transition over time. Extracting from the enhanced HIV/AIDS reporting system, this study included 9765 PLWH from 2005 to 2020 in South Carolina. Transition of RIC was defined as the change of RIC status in each two–year time window. We applied seven classifiers, such as Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, eXtreme Gradient Boosting and Long–short–term memory, for each lagged response to predict the subsequent year's RIC transition. Classification …

K-Perm: Personalized Response Generation Using Dynamic Knowledge Retrieval And Persona-Adaptive Queries, Kanak Raj, Kaushik Roy, Vamshi Bonagiri, Priyanshul Govil, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Raxit Goswami, Manas Gaur

Publications

Personalizing conversational agents can enhance the quality of conversations and increase user engagement. However, they often lack external knowledge to tend to a user’s persona appropriately. This is particularly crucial for practical applications like mental health support, nutrition planning, culturally sensitive conversations, or reducing toxic behavior in conversational agents. To enhance the relevance and comprehensiveness of personalized responses, we propose using a two-step approach that involves (1) selectively integrating user personas and (2) contextualizing the response with supplementing information from a background knowledge source. We develop K-PERM (Knowledge-guided PErsonalization with Reward Modulation), a dynamic conversational agent that combines these elements. …

Proknow: Process Knowledge For Safety Constrained And Explainable Question Generation For Mental Health Diagnostic Assistance In The Age Of Large Language Models, Kaushik Roy, Manas Gaur, Misagh Soltani, Vipula Rawte, Ashwin Allen, Amit P. Sheth

Publications

Current Virtual Mental Health Assistants (VMHAs) primarily offer counseling and suggestive care but do not assist with patient diagnosis due to their lack of training in safety-constrained and specialized clinical process knowledge, referred to as ProKnow. In this work, we define ProKnow as an ordered set of information aligned with evidence-based guidelines or categories of conceptual understanding used by domain experts. We also introduce a new dataset of diagnostic conversations guided by safety constraints and Pro- Know, known as ProKnow-data. We develop a method for natural language question generation (NLG) designed to interactively gather diagnostic information from patients, termed ProKnow-algo. …

A Comprehensive Survey On Rare Event Prediction, Chathurangi Shyalika Jayakody Kankanamalage, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Amit Sheth

Publications

Rare event prediction involves identifying and forecasting events with a low probability using machine learning (ML) and data analysis. Due to the imbalanced data distributions, where the frequency of common events vastly outweighs that of rare events, it requires using specialized methods within each step of the ML pipeline, i.e., from data processing to algorithms to evaluation protocols. Predicting the occurrences of rare events is important for real-world applications, such as Industry 4.0, and is an active research area in statistics and ML. This paper comprehensively reviews the current approaches for rare event prediction along four dimensions: rare event data, …

The Leadership Blind Spot: Why Are Black Boys Missing From The School’S Leadership Positions?, Chima Ikeme

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological action research study was to explore the factors that have contributed to the absence of Black boys in school leadership positions. The study looked to answer the following research questions: How do Black male students perceive leadership and their connection to leadership roles on campus? What barriers exist that discourage or prohibit Black boys from engaging in school organization student leadership positions? How can student leadership from Black boys on campus be increased?Critical Race Theory, Transformational Leadership Theory, and Self Determination Theory served as the theoretical frameworks that grounded this study. Utilizing a qualitative approach …

Engaging With Culturally Relevant Curriculum Development Practice In First-Year Writing Courses Through A Community Of Practice, Mitchell Dallas Herring

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study provides a case study of a community of practice (CoP) comprised of six faculty who teach first-year writing at Southern Technical College (pseudonym) as they engaged with culturally relevant teaching to review their curriculum development practices. The guiding question of this study was: How does engagement with culturally relevant pedagogy within a community of practice impact faculty who teach first-year writing's curriculum development practice, especially given their perceptions of students' needs and literacies? The study used a case study research design to document the faculty's experiences discussing and reflecting on their practice and perceptions of …

Diversity Across Disciplines: Student Response To Dei Content In College Curricula, Angela Pettitt

Theses and Dissertations

Discussion and inclusion of diversity-related topics in higher education are often confined to specific courses designated as fulfilling a university-mandated diversity requirement such as courses in women's studies, Black history or literature, Eastern religions, among others. Mainstream general education courses in disciplines such as psychology, chemistry, or communications typically do not address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics as part of the curriculum, even if individual textbooks, courses, or faculty work to improve such courses' pluralism. However, as the U.S. population becomes both more diverse and segregated, and as DEI initiatives come under fire from state legislators, students receive conflicting …

Causal Event Graph-Guided Language-Based Spatiotemporal Question Answering, Kaushik Roy, Alessandro Oltramari, Yuxin Zi, Chathurangi Shyalika, Vignesh Narayanan, Amit Sheth

Publications

Large Language Models have excelled at encoding and leveraging language patterns in large text-based corpora for various tasks, including spatiotemporal event-based question answering (QA). However, due to encoding a text-based projection of the world, they have also been shown to lack a fullbodied understanding of such events, e.g., a sense of intuitive physics, and cause-and-effect relationships among events. In this work, we propose using causal event graphs (CEGs) to enhance language understanding of spatiotemporal events in language models, using a novel approach that also provides proofs for the model’s capture of the CEGs. A CEG consists of events denoted by …

Ontolog Summit 2024 Talk Report: Healthcare Assistance Challenges-Driven Neurosymbolic Ai, Kaushik Roy

Publications

Although Artificial Intelligence technology has proven effective in providing healthcare assistance by analyzing health data, it still falls short in supporting decision-making. This deficiency largely stems from the predominance of opaque neural networks, particularly in mental health care AI applications, which raise concerns about their unpredictable and unverifiable nature. This skepticism hinders the transition from information support to decision support. This presentation will explore neurosymbolic approaches that combine neural networks with symbolic control and verification mechanisms. These approaches aim to unlock AI’s full potential by enhancing information analysis and decision-making support for healthcare assistance1.

Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness: Ncaa Division Iii Administrator Core Values And Departmental Culturization, Coyte G. Cooper, Erianne A. Weight

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

The purpose of this study was to explore Division III athletic administrator perceptions of organizational values through a lens of core value culturalization literature. Survey methodology was utilized to garner responses from 192 Division III head athletic directors [n = 75] and lower level (senior, associate, or assistant) athletic directors [n = 117]. Cumulative administrator emphasis on the “student-athlete experience” and “academic excellence” as top priorities demonstrates support that the mission of these Division III departments is to provide student-athletes with a high quality educational experience both in the classroom and in athletic competition (NCAA Division III, 2011). Analysis of …

The Effects Of An Institution’S Athletic Success On The Future Freshmen Application Pool At Ncaa Division Ii Universities, Joshua Castle, Robert Kostelnik

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This exploratory study investigated the relationship of intercollegiate athletic success to the quantity of the freshmen application pool and the quality of first time enrolled freshmen at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institutions. Aggregate data from the fourteen member institutions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) served as the subjects for this study. All the institutions included in this study are members of the NCAA and classified as Division II universities. A correlation model was used to analyze the relationships between athletic success and the quantity of the …

The Football Factor: Shaping Community On Campus, Stacy Warner, Stephen L. Shapiro, Marlene A. Dixon, Lynn L. Ridinger, Scott B. Harrison

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Many American universities continue to invest in expensive intercollegiate football programs, and specifically cite the sport’s ability to foster a sense of community (SOC) as justification for the cost. This study sought to assess the importance of SOC and the influence of football on the cultivation thereof. A pre-post test design utilizing an online survey compared SOC levels for students (N = 886) before and after the implementation of Division I football on a large university campus. No significant differences were found in SOC levels before and after the football season (regardless of attendance). Post-test SOC perceptions differed based on …