Digital Commons Network^™

Maternal Care Utilization And Provision During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Voices From Minoritized Pregnant And Postpartum Women And Maternal Care Providers In Deep South, Ran Zhang, Tiffany Byrd, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Myriam E. Torres Phd, Msph, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jihong Liu Sc.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected maternal care services especially for minoritized individuals, creating challenges for both service users (i.e., African American and Hispanic pregnant/postpartum women) and maternal care providers (MCPs). Guided by a socioecological framework, this study aims to investigate the experiences of African American and Hispanic pregnant and postpartum women, as well as MCPs, in accessing and providing maternal care services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Deep South.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 African American women, 20 Hispanic women, and 9 MCPs between January and August 2022. Participants were recruited from Obstetrics and Gynecology …

Structural Homology Of Mite Profilins To Plant Profilins Is Not Indicative Of Allergic Cross-Reactivity, Andrea O'Malley, Sahana Sankaran, Avery Carriuolo, Kriti Khatri, Krzysztof Kowal, Maksymilian Chruszcz Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Structural and allergenic characterization of mite profilins has not been previously pursued to a similar extent as plant profilins. Here, we describe structures of profilins originating from Tyrophagus putrescentiae (registered allergen Tyr p 36.0101) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (here termed Der p profilin), which are the first structures of profilins from Arachnida. Additionally, the thermal stabilities of mite and plant profilins are compared, suggesting that the high number of cysteine residues in mite profilins may play a role in their increased stability. We also examine the cross-reactivity of plant and mite profilins as well as investigate the relevance of these profilins …

Study Of Interface Charges Between In-Situ Grown Dielectric And Gan/Algan Hfet Structure By Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition, Muhammad Hassan Tahir, Nifat Jahan, Md Ghulam Zakir

Faculty Publications

The integration of an oxide layer in metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MOSHFETs) plays a crucial role in minimizing gate leakage current and enabling wider gate voltage swings. In this study, we present the fabrication and characterization of GaN/AlGaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) capped with a Ga₂O₃ dielectric layer. The oxide was deposited via an in-situ process within a single MOCVD reactor without vacuum interruption. Our findings demonstrate that the in-situ capped HFETs exhibit a significantly lower interface charge density of 4 × 10¹² cm⁻² compared to 1 × 10¹³ cm⁻²·eV⁻¹ observed in ex-situ grown counterparts. These results highlight the …

Study Of Indium-Silicon Co-Doped Gallium Oxide For Effective N-Type Doping, Muhammad Hassan Tahir, Nifat Jahan, Md Ghulam Zakir

Faculty Publications

We present the research efforts to achieve effective n-type doping in gallium oxide (Ga2O3), an ultrawide bandgap semiconductor, grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The application of semiconductors for power electronics requires wide and ultrawide bandgap materials that can be doped to create higher electron (n-type) or hole (p-type) densities. Ga2O3, with a bandgap of 4.9 eV, is an emerging and promising material. The bandgap of Ga2O3 is much higher than other wide bandgap material that have been adopted by or in the process of adoption by the industry for power electronics. However, the doping of Ga2O3 has some …

Gallium Oxide Based Avalanche Photo Detector, Muhammad Hassan Tahir Mr, Nifat Jahan, Md Ghulam Zakir

Faculty Publications

Gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), an ultrawide bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap of 4.6 eV and a high critical electric field of 10.3 MV/cm, offers strong potential for high-performance avalanche photodetectors (APDs). This project explores the design and characterization of a Ga₂O₃-based APD featuring doped and undoped epitaxial layers optimized for high electric field generation and low thermal conductivity, enabling stable operation in high-temperature environments. Simulation results show a uniform electric field of 1 MV/cm under a 100 V applied bias, while material characterization confirms excellent surface smoothness with a mean roughness of ~1.1 nm and an electron mobility of 21.7 cm²/V·s …

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

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Systematic Review On The Impacts Of Agricultural Interventions On Food Security And Nutrition In Complex Humanitarian Emergency Settings, Melodie Al Daccache, Berthe Abi Zeid, Leila Hojeij, Ghassan Baliki, Tilman Brück, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Complex humanitarian emergencies are a main driver of food and nutritional insecurity. Agricultural interventions are key to improving nutrition and food security, and their positive impacts are well-documented in stable developing countries. However, it is unclear if their positive effects on food security hold in complex emergency settings, too. In this paper, we systematically review empirical articles that apply rigorous designs to assess the causal impacts of agricultural interventions on food security, nutrition, or health outcomes in complex humanitarian emergencies. We only find six articles matching these criteria, which have mixed results on dietary diversity and food security, and little …

Messaging About Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes (Vlncs) To Influence Policy Attitudes, Harm Perceptions And Smoking Motivations: A Discrete Choice Experiment, Reed M. Reynolds, Lucy Popova, David L. Ashley, Katherine C. Henderson, Charity A. Ntansah, Bo Yang, Emily E. Hackworth, James Hardin, Jim F. Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms

Faculty Publications

Background To reduce smoking and the harms it causes, countries, including the USA, are considering policies to reduce nicotine in combustible tobacco to minimally addictive levels. Effective messages about very low nicotine cigarettes (VLNCs) and this policy are crucial in combating misperceptions threatening the policy’s effectiveness.

Data and methods A discrete choice experiment assessed messages about VLNCs. Participants were 590 adults who smoked exclusively, 379 adults who both smoked and used e-cigarettes, 443 adults who formerly smoked and 351 young adults who never smoked (total n=1763). Seven message attributes were varied systematically (source, harm, chemicals, nicotine, satisfaction, addictiveness and quitting …

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 …

Discovery Of Strong 3-Nitro-2-Phenyl-2h-Chromene Analogues As Antitrypanosomal Agents And Inhibitors Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Glucokinase, Shane M. Carey, Destiny M. O’Neill, Garrett B. Conner, Julian Sherman, Ana Rodriguez, Edward L. D'Antonio

Natural Sciences Faculty Publications

Chagas disease is one of the world’s neglected tropical diseases, caused by the human pathogenic protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. There is currently a lack of effective and tolerable clinically available therapeutics to treat this life-threatening illness and the discovery of modern alternative options is an urgent matter. T. cruzi glucokinase (TcGlcK) is a potential drug target because its product, D-glucose-6-phosphate, serves as a key metabolite in the pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis. In 2019, we identified a novel cluster of TcGlcK inhibitors that also exhibited anti-T. cruzi efficacy called the 3-nitro-2-phenyl-2H-chromene analogues. This was achieved by performing a target-based …

Improving Dementia Symptoms Through Personalized Music, Lindsay Grainger

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) is a prevalent, costly, and complicated disease. With over 6 million Americans affected and the cost of treatment soaring to over $320 billion dollars annually, there is a growing need for low-cost interventions to treat symptoms. Routinely listening to personalized music selections has been shown to reduce agitation—the most common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The purpose of this study was to provide a personalized music listening (PML) intervention of thirty minutes to 10 nursing home residents with dementia. Thirty-minute PML sessions occurred multiple times a week over six weeks. The inclusion …

Hhp-8 Barriers And Facilitators To Regular Physical Activity And Healthy Eating Behaviors In Schools: Perspectives Of South Carolina School Personnel, Logan J. Camp-Spivey, Susan D. Newman, Robert N. Stevens, Michelle Nichols

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Background: In South Carolina (SC), 42% of youth are overweight or obese. Two sets of modifiable behaviors contributing to obesity are physical activity (PA) and dietary habits. School-based interventions have successfully improved these behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify SC public school personnel perspectives on the most common barriers and facilitators to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in schools.
Methods: A needs assessment survey was conducted with school personnel statewide. There were 17 questions on the survey that addressed: (1) demographic information about participants’ educational backgrounds, (2) barriers to regular PA and healthy eating behaviors in …

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 …

Do “In The Family” Coaching Hires Outperform External Hires In Ncaa Division I Men’S Basketball, Maxfield Lane, Nels Popp, Jonathan A. Jensen

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

When conducting searches to fill head coaching positions, many college athletics directors frequently look to candidates who have a connection to the university; former players, assistant coaches, or students. Hiring someone from a university’s “family” is often a popular decision among stakeholders, but utilizing such parameters in a search severely restricts candidate pools. More importantly, little empirical evidence suggesting such hires perform better. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether NCAA Division I men’s basketball coaches who are “In the Family” hires perform better than “External” hires in measures of (a) team success and (b) recruiting. The …

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

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Broad-Spectrum Lignin-Based Adhesives Using Thiol–Silyl Ether Crosslinkers, Yishayah Bension, Siteng Zhang, Tristan Menninger, Ting Ge, Chuanbing Tang

Faculty Publications

Lignin is a renewable feedstock that is abundant and inexpensive but still presents challenges for its valorization. In this work, we converted functionalized lignin into broad-spectrum adhesives using thiol–silyl ether crosslinkers. The curing behavior of adhesives was investigated via rheology of their resin forms. These materials exhibit good adhesion on diverse substrates, including wood, glass, steel, aluminium, carbon fiber, and different plastics, with the most adhesion strength in the range of 1–3 MPa. These adhesives were also explored for applications, ranging from wet conditions to different mechanically responsive materials. The mechanism of adhesion was further examined to understand the bonding …

Associations Between Sleep Duration, Sleep Disturbance And Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers Among Adults In The United States, Prince Nii Ossah Addo, Paddington T. Mundagowa, Longgang Zhao, Mufaro Kanyangarara, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Jihong Liu Sc.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

Sleep problems are associated with abnormal cardiovascular biomarkers and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, studies investigating associations between sleep problems and CVD biomarkers have reported conflicting findings. This study examined the associations between sleep problems and CVD biomarkers in the United States.

Methods

Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2007–2018) and analyses were restricted to adults ≥ 20 years (n = 23,749). CVD biomarkers [C-reactive Protein (CRP), low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), triglycerides, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and fasting blood glucose] were categorized as abnormal or normal using standardized cut-off …

‘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 …

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 …

Trois Chansons De Bilitis And Estampes–The Symbolist Movement And The Works Of Claude Debussy, Emma J. Devine

Senior Theses

“Nothing is dearer than the grey song where the vague and the precise meet.” Paul Verlaine, “Art poétique”

This thesis compiles information from biographies of Claude Debussy and excerpts from performers, musicologists, music commentators, poets, and art historians, in an attempt to examine Debussy’s work through a well-rounded portrait of the artistic climate in France. This qualitative research thesis begins with a brief summary of Claude Debussy’s life, followed by a portrait of Paris at the turn of the twentieth century. The next section explores the birth of the intertwined movements of Symbolism and Impressionism, their similarities and differences, and …

Promoting Empowerment Among Patients And Collaboration Between Obstetricians And Midwives During The Pregnancy And Birth Experience, Alexandra R. Mcdermott

Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate how obstetricians and midwives promote empowerment among patients and support effective collaboration between providers during pregnancy and childbirth. This thesis explores patient care and interprofessionalism as they relate to maternal health, addressing gaps in knowledge regarding how obstetricians and midwives practicing in or near Columbia, South Carolina view these concepts. An extensive literature review was conducted to fully understand pregnancy and childbirth across history and today, throughout the United States and beyond. Obstetrics, midwifery, and a comparison of these fields were explored thoroughly in addition to an analysis of maternal and infant …

A Comparison Of Curricula At The University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine And The Unité De Formation Et De Recherche Simone Veil And Their Impacts On Student Outcomes, Bailey Kicklighter

Senior Theses

This study examines the impact of medical school curricula on student outcomes. It does so by analyzing the current curricula at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine (USC School of Medicine) and the Unité de Formation et de Recherche Simone Veil (UFR Simone Veil). The UFR Simone Veil is a medical education program at the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. This research is important because it could encourage educators to examine the effectiveness of their current practices through comparison with the practices of other academic institutions. It also allows students to consider the course of study they might like …

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

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

Melissa A. Harness & Adam Z. Harness, A False Accountability Narrative: The Human Rights Implications Of Developed Nations Over-Testing Youth In Education, Melissa A. Harness, Adam Z. Harness

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

Religious Accommodations: The New Standard For South Carolina Employers Following Groff V. Dejoy, Dorothy Jane P. Modla

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Child's Right To Real Representation In Dependency Cases: A Proposal To Modify South Carolina's Child Representation System, Elizabeth G. Ward

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Inadequate Choice In School Choice: An Analysis Of South Carolina's House Bill 3843 And The Implications For Public School Students And Rural Schools, J. Meadows Welch

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

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 …