Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of A Preventative Screen To Detect Heartworm Disease In Local Mosquito Populations, Ava Hurley, Emma Weissmeier, Lucy Corten, Jayden Ockert, Jackson Greenwold-Claiborne, Addison Levitz, Carson Mickey, Alexandra Bonner, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Heartworm disease, caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis, affects thousands of mammalian pets across the nation annually and is increasingly spreading. Various mammalian pets including dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses are affected by the disease, and currently dogs are the only mammalian pets with an approved treatment. This study aims to implement a preventative approach to combating the disease by utilizing a PCR-based screen to detect D. immitis in mosquito populations. Five key objectives were established in this study: refine a preventative screen to detect heartworm DNA in mosquitoes, implement the preventative screen through partnerships with local animal shelters, …

Development Of Genomic Detection Techniques Of Aquatic Pathogens To Aid In Disaster Relief After Hurricanes, Ana Rose Johnson-Redmon, Abigail F. Turka, Rylie Masterson, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, and flooding can introduce microbial contaminants into freshwater systems through stormwater runoff, animal waste, and damaged or overwhelmed wastewater infrastructure. Rapid detection of waterborne pathogens is important for environmental monitoring and public health response, especially in coastal regions vulnerable to hurricane-related flooding. This study developed and refined a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based environmental DNA detection technique to identify aquatic pathogens in freshwater systems. Water samples were collected from four freshwater sites, including three man-made ponds and one drainage ditch, during the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. Target organisms include Giardia, Cyclospora, …

Investigating The Prevalence Of Human Papilloma Virus In A College-Aged Sample Group And Its Link To Sexual Behaviors And Attitudes, Gabriela Lewczyk, Eva Pollak, Phoebe Stryker, Samantha Hickey, Emily Moyer, Katelyn Ambrose, Alexander Knight, Rahjai Thomas, Adriana Burk, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States, infecting up to 75% of sexually active individuals, with a prevalence rising significantly around age nineteen for oral and genital infections. Because the virus infects epithelial cells and is transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact, it is found mainly in the cervix, oral cavity, and on/within ones’ skin. While most of the 200+ HPV subtypes are benign and tend to self-clear within six months to two years, twelve of these strains are classified as high-risk oncogenic strains that drive malignant progression. Furthermore, HPV is linked …

The Structure And Regulatory Mechanism Of The Emrb Rna Motif In Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Isabella J. Mezzenga, Brian M. Lee

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters aid bacteria in expelling toxic compounds such as antibiotics, bile acids, and other substances. Previous bioinformatic studies identified the emrB motif as a potential regulatory RNA element. In Lactobacillus, this RNA motif is generally found in the intergenic region upstream of an MFS transporter gene with homology to the emrB gene from Escherichia coli. Secondary structure predictions of the intergenic region were used to define the structural features of this RNA motif. The emrB motif comprises two hairpins, though inclusion of neighboring regions is predicted to stabilize alternative secondary structures. A potential rho independent terminator …

Development Of A Molecular Screen For Community-Based Hookworm Detection, Emma Weissmeier, Ava Hurley, Jackson Greenwold-Claiborne, Morgan Deeringer, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Hookworm disease, caused by Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, is a soil-transmitted infection affecting over 700 million people worldwide. Transmission occurs through direct skin contact with contaminated soil, leading to health consequences including iron-deficiency anemia, malnutrition, and long-term developmental impacts. The CCU Disease Hunters program developed a PCR-based environmental screen to detect hookworm DNA in soil samples before transmission reaches human or animal hosts. Initiated in response to a request from All 4 Paws Animal Rescue, this project established protocols for soil collection, DNA extraction, and molecular identification of hookworm using the cytochrome c oxidase (COI) and cytochrome b (COB) …

Exploring The Dynamics Of Tilted, Truncated Accretion Disks, José L. Montés, Chris Fragile, Deepika Bollimpalli, Matthew Liska

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Tilted accretion disks are theoretically not uncommon in stellar mass black hole systems. The dynamics of tilted disks display interesting physical behaviors that could explain certain observational phenomena such as quasi-periodic oscillations. We present results of recent numerical simulations of tilted, truncated accretion disks around rotating black holes. Our simulations model systems composed of a thick inner torus surrounded by a thin outer disk and were run with the goal of investigating the behaviors of the torus because of the exchange of angular momentum between it and the outer disk. Multiple simulations produced surprising results, such as the potential tearing …

From Classification To Segmentation: Evaluating Machine Learning Defect Localization And Inspector Performance In Manufacturing, Gavin Smithson, Dakota Fulp, William M. Jones, Sharmistha Chakrabarti

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

High-volume manufacturing at Los Alamos National Laboratory requires rigorous quality assurance; however, sustained manual inspection can be inconsistent, costly, and fatiguing. This paper presents the model-evaluation component of a larger human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence project for manufacturing anomaly detection. MicroSentryAI uses pretrained models to identify potential anomaly regions, while AnnoMate provides accessible tools for annotating, validating, and comparing those regions. The study emphasizes the distinction between classification, which determines whether a sample is anomalous, and segmentation, which identifies the location of an anomaly. Using Intersection over Union (IoU), precision, recall, and Euclidean distance between centroids, experiments with simulated mask errors demonstrated …

Table Of Contents, Michele Harmon

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

2026 Persimmon Creek - Full Journal, Beth Keefauver, Wayne C. Robbins

Persimmon Creek

Dear Readers: Literary journals are a common component of colleges and universities spanning across many continents. As many students experience the drastic transition from childhood to independence, emotions can feel overwhelming, and life can quickly become flooded with anxiety. Writing is an outlet for many; a place humanity turns to as a form of secure therapy.

In William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, Berowne muses, “Never durst poet touch a pen to write until his ink were temper’d with Love’s sighs” (Act 4, Scene 3).

Without emotion, writing has no depth. The words on the page might seem eloquent, but the …

Meet Phoenix, Feng Jiang

Persimmon Creek

One act play

Comparing The Working Conditions Of Principals And Assistant Principals In South Carolina, Brian Cartiff, Angela Starrett, Svetlana Dmitrieva

Reports

School administrators’ working conditions are closely linked to important professional outcomes, including their well-being, job satisfaction, and future career plans (Collie et al., 2020; Marsh et al., 2023; Mitani, 2018; Starrett et al., 2026; Steiner et al., 2022). Yet research on administrators' working conditions has focused primarily on principals, with comparatively little attention to assistant principals despite their central role in school leadership and daily operations (Barnett et al., 2012; Goldring et al., 2021). As a result, it remains unclear whether the working conditions associated with principals’ job satisfaction and intent to remain in their school leadership roles operate similarly …

“Playing Mental Gymnastics”: Exploring Black Women College Athletes' Mental Health Experiences At Historically White Division I Universities, Ezinne D. Ofoegbu

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Between 2002 and 2022, over 125 college athletes died by suicide, and Division I athletes represented 45% of these deaths. In 2023, Black women college athletes at Division I universities identified racism as a mental health stressor at a higher rate than their non-Black peers. The intersectional nature of social identities and athlete status may create gendered and racialized stressors that are uniquely experienced by Black women athletes. Given the underrepresentation of Black students (i.e., athletes and nonathletes), coaches, faculty, and staff at historically white institutions (HWIs), Black women athletes are likely navigating campus relationships and environments that are shaped …

The Impact Of Toxic Leadership On Intercollegiate Athletics: Gender-Differentiated Perceptions, Tara Tietjen-Smith, Haley Blount

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

While some investigative research has been conducted to examine the impact of toxic, or destructive, leadership in sport, few studies have focused on intercollegiate athletics departments. The purpose of this study was to examine how common toxic leadership is in intercollegiate athletics departments as well as its impact. A quantitative cross-sectional survey study was designed to examine NCAA Division I and II athletics employee experiences using the Toxic Triangle of Sport Management (TToSM) as a theoretical framework. Respondents (N = 2,051) were asked questions concerning their perceptions of work environments, leadership, and organizational culture procured from three distinct and well-established …

Servingness On The Sidelines: Latina/O/X Athletic Administrators At Division I Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Guillermo Ortega

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This qualitative study examines how servingness is understood and enacted within NCAA Division I athletic departments at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Guided by Garcia et al.’s multidimensional servingness framework, the study draws on interviews with ten NCAA Division I Latina/o/x athletic administrators. Findings reveal that athletics is frequently disconnected from institutional HSI missions, with servingness often reduced to symbolic or performative practices. Limited Latina/o/x representation in athletic departments further constrains institutional capacity to serve. Despite structural exclusion, participants cultivate servingness through cultural affirmation and community building. Implications highlight the need to structurally integrate athletics into HSI missions and redistribute cultural labor.

Equal Goals, Unequal Standards: The Policy Debate On Goalpost Dimensions In Women’S Football, Tarlan Chahardovali, Johan Rewilak Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This study critically examines proposals to reduce goalpost sizes in women’s football; a debate often framed as a practical adjustment to accommodate physiological differences between male and female goalkeepers. Using data from men’s and women’s professional English football within two distinct periods (1951–1975 and 2011–2025), we investigate whether differences in goalkeepers’ height, gender and training are associated with variations in goals conceded. Our findings reveal that taller goalkeepers concede fewer goals; however, this relationship is U-shaped and this benefit diminishes beyond a certain point. We also find that improved coaching and investment, proxied by additional training via national team selection, …

Understanding The Use Of Community Advisory Boards In Autism Research: A Scoping Review, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg, Elisa Niunin, Alexia Ostrolenk, Sydney Arsenault, Anja Wilson, Courtney Weaver, Valérie Courchesne, Robert M. Hock

Faculty and Staff Publications

Community engagement is increasingly promoted as a good practice in autism research, yet little is known about how Community Advisory Boards are used. This scoping review mapped the extent and nature of empirical literature on Community Advisory Boards in autism research. Five databases were searched, supplemented by reference list searching. Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria. Most were published recently, conducted in the United States, and used mixed methods. Community Advisory Boards were rarely formally defined and were typically described functionally rather than conceptually. Most operated in consultative roles, with inconsistent reporting of recruitment, compensation, onboarding, communication, and influence on decision-making. …

2026 Sc Teacher Exit Survey, Svetlana Dmitrieva, Brian Cartiff, Angela Starrett

Reports

Each year, SC TEACHER administers the SC Teacher Exit Survey to public PK–12 classroom teachers who are leaving teaching positions in their districts. The survey provides insight into departing teachers’ next steps, the factors that contributed to their decisions to leave, and the conditions that might encourage some educators to remain in or return to South Carolina public education.

This report summarizes results from the 2026 SC Teacher Exit Survey, focusing on teachers who left their positions at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. Findings are organized by exit type to distinguish different forms of teacher mobility, including teachers …

Autistic Menopause: Where Should Research Go From Here?, Christine A. Jenkins, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg

Faculty and Staff Publications

Plain language summary

This letter lists seven priorities for future research on autism and menopause. It is written by an early career researcher/assistant professor and a community researcher. Both are neurodivergent themselves.

Waste Streams From Next Generation Molten Salt Reactors: The Challenge Of Creating An Insoluble Ceramic For Chloride Salt Waste, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Jake W. Amoroso, Matthew Page, Gregory Morrison, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) design development is of interest to many research groups and companies. Waste management for MSRs is one of the most important issues that needs to be resolved due to its impact on environmental safety, primarily via the dissolution of radionuclides in water. Furthermore, the waste treatment strategy will have a significant influence on the operating cost of MSRs, which is why a reliable process for the immobilization, transportation, storage and disposal of MSR waste must be addressed. This work presents a new approach for the immobilization of chloride salts from molten salt reactors in stable oxyhalide …

The Evaluation Of A Soft Skills Curriculum In Athletic Training Education: A Mixed Methods Study, Emily A. Duckett, Heather Schugar, Alison Gardiner-Shires, Jacqueline S. Hodes

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Context: Developing athletic training students’ soft skills to effectively engage in patient-centered care is integrated throughout multiple Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Curricular Content Standards. Despite evidence supporting the importance of compassionate care, there is currently data to suggest that health care is experiencing a compassion crisis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways pre-professional athletic training students transfer knowledge from a soft skills curriculum to clinical experiences as students in an entry level master’s program.

Methods: This study is an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Phase 1 includes participants (n = 19) enrolled in …

Level Of Discrimination Experienced By Gender In Athletic Trainers And Professional Athletic Training Students, Emily Ghaussy, Seungyeon Kim, Jennifer Xu, Emily Madrak

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Context: Although women make up the majority of the athletic training field, gender-based discrimination continues to exist in the profession. Previous research exists; however, more current research on gender discrimination in the workplace is limited. This cross-sectional study examined level of perceived gender-based discrimination experienced by credentialed women athletic trainers and athletic training students in comparison to men athletic trainers and athletic training students. Four hundred forty-six cisgender men and women athletic trainers and athletic training students participated in our study. The median age was 28 years among cisgender women and 35 years among cisgender men.

Methods: Participants completed a …

Building On A Strong Foundation: Celebrating Our Past And Looking Toward The Future, Zachary K. Winkelmann

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

No abstract

Crystal Structure Of New Polar Rare Earth Borates Na2.62Ln2.12(Bo3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) Containing Isolated Bo3 Groups, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Three new rare earth borates, Na2.62Ln2.12(BO3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm), were synthesized via a high-temperature solution reaction using a BaCO3–H3BO3–NaF flux and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Amm2 with lattice parameters a = 5.0985(10) Å, b = 11.180(2) Å, c = 7.1483(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.48(14) ų (Z = 2) for Na2.62Pr2.12(BO3)3, a = 5.0983(10) Å, b = 11.181(2) Å, c = 7.1491(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.51(14) ų (Z = 2) for Na2.62Nd2.12(BO3)3, and a = 5.08630(10) Å, b …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Cigar Warnings Among Young People In The U.S., Leah M. Ranney, Rime Jebai, Michael Jetsupphasuk, Sonia A. Clark, Kristen L. Jarman, Sarah D. Kowitt, Jim Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Adam O. Goldstein, Jennifer Cornacchione Ross

Faculty Publications

Introduction: The effectiveness of warning size and format on cigar packaging in influencing youth and young adult smoking behaviors is not well understood. This study tested these cigar warning characteristics among youth and young adults who use or are susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos.

Methods: The study recruited 506 U.S. youth and young adults, aged 15−20 years, between April and June 2023. Participants reported ever or past 30-day use of little cigars or cigarillos or were susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos. A 2 £ 2 between-subjects online experiment was conducted where youth and young adults were …

Consumer Prioritization Of Revenue Generation Strategies In College Football Programs, Nels Popp, Chris Greenwell

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Collegiate athletic departments face increasing financial pressures, making it vital to identify revenue generation strategies that align with fan preferences for sustainable growth. This study explores how various methods, including corporate logos on uniforms, increasing game-day costs, and accepting loans from private investors, are ranked by consumers in terms of their acceptability and potential impact on fan experience. Guided by prospect theory, we hypothesize fans prefer strategies seen as gains rather than losses and fan identification influences these preferences. Results from rank-ordered surveys of 7,110 respondents reveal that strategies enhancing program visibility without direct financial impact, such as corporate logos, …

“It’S Its Own Toxic”: Occupational Opportunities And Barriers For Lgbq+ Collegiate Athletic Administrators, Colleen S. O'Connell, Michelle E. Moosbrugger, Jill Kochanek, Elizabeth M. Mullin

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Athletic administrators hold positions of influence within intercollegiate sport, yet their experiences, especially in relation to sexual identity, remain underexamined. The purpose of this study was to explore the occupational experiences and environments of LGBQ+ intercollegiate athletic administrators using a narrative inquiry qualitative design. Sixteen administrators, who occupied various positions across all NCAA levels, were interviewed. Guided by Sexual Stigma and Prejudice Theory and Poststructuralism Theory, collected data were analyzed at the semantic and latent levels using reflexive thematic analysis. Two distinct themes were generated: LGBQ+ administrators described both positive and negative aspects of their workplaces. Inclusive environments were committed …

Recommendations For Conducting Ethical Network Research, Francisca Ortiz Ruiz, Paola Tubaro, José Luis Molina, Jennifer Watling Neal, Raffaele Vacca, Jana Diesner, Jimi Adams, Michelle Birkett, Jenny Godley, Juniper Lovato, Michael Schönhuth, Laura Teves, Michael Zimmer

Faculty Publications

Ethical considerations in social network studies are grounded in the general principles of human subjects’ research, including avoidance of harm, promotion of justice, equitable distribution of burdens and benefits, respect for human dignity, and protection of confidentiality. To help navigate these challenges, this article presents recommendations for conducting ethical network research, developed by a multi-disciplinary and multi-national working group. The article is divided in three main sections where there are certain recommendations identified for each one of them: data collections, use, and availability. Discovering how others addressed and solved problems can be a way for all of us to improve …

Winning Economically: A Statistical Analysis Of Payroll Allocation Within Major League Baseball, Ryan St.Clair

Senior Theses

This thesis analyzes payroll trends within Major League Baseball (MLB) across the last ten seasons (2015-2024). By examining spending habits across teams, several strategies have been identified, bucketing teams into profiles that allow for easier comparison and insight into optimizing roster construction.

Team success is measured through two statistics: Winning Percentage and Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Winning Percentage determines which teams succeeded each year, while WAR adds color to each team's record. WAR measures a player's value holistically. Essentially, it shows how many more wins he provides compared to a replacement level player. A replacement level player is a minor …

Spiritual Minimalism: Analytical Studies Of Selected Piano Works By Pärt, Górecki, And Tavener, Boran Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines selected solo piano works by Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, and John Tavener to explore how theological influences are reflected through their distinctive compositional languages. Current studies show that scholars primarily concentrate on their choral and orchestral repertoire, while their piano works have not received enough attention. This study argues that their solo piano works carry the same of theological influence found in their choral and orchestral compositions.

Through historical, analytical, and theological approaches, the dissertation explores how their compositional techniques convey spiritual meanings in selected solo piano pieces. Pärt’s Für Alina and Variations for the Healing of …

Life Without Privacy: The Fragmented Line Between The Private And Public Lives Of Enslaved Women In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Justine Casey Costa

Theses and Dissertations

Enslaved women provided the foundation for life and freedom for most children living in 19^th century Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Despite patrão (master) mistreatment and abuse, enslaved women in Rio de Janeiro kept the bustling port city alive and growing. Enslaved women both produced labor and reproduced labor. The exploitation of enslaved women took place by patrões visibly in the streets, and abolitionists exploited their stories through the spread of printed material to garner support for their cause. This thesis examines the fragmented boundary between the public and private lives of enslaved women in 19^th century Rio. Utilizing …