Digital Commons Network^™

School And Community Drivers Of Child Diets In Two Arab Cities: The Scale Protocol And Innovative Tools To Assess Children’S Food Environments, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Zeina Jamaluddine, Aline Semaan, Nehmat El-Helou, Gloria Safadi, Tatiana Elghossain, Christelle Akl, Shady Elbassuoni, Ali Chalak, Jalila El Ati, The Scale Research Group

Faculty Publications

Background

In the context of the rapid nutrition transition experienced by middle-income countries of the Arab region, children and adolescent’s food choices and dietary behaviors are early risk factors for the development of non-communicable diseases. Assessment of factors influencing food choices among this age group is challenging and is usually based on self-reported data, which are prone to information and recall bias. As the popularity of technologies and video gaming platforms increases, opportunities arise to use these tools to collect data on variables that affect food choice, dietary intake, and associated outcomes. This protocol paper describes the SCALE study (School …

Three Dimensions Of Covid-19 Risk Perceptions And Their Socioeconomic Correlates In The United States: A Social Media Analysis, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Zhenlong Li Ph.D., Chen Liang Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Caroline Rudisill Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Social media analysis provides an alternate approach to monitoring and understanding risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 over time. Our current understandings of risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 do not disentangle the three dimensions of risk perceptions (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and negative emotion) as the pandemic has evolved. Data are also limited regarding the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on COVID-19-related risk perceptions over time. To address these knowledge gaps, we extracted tweets regarding COVID-19-related risk perceptions and developed indicators for the three dimensions of risk perceptions based on over502 million geotagged tweets posted by over 4.9 million Twitter users …

Three Dimensions Of Covid-19 Risk Perceptions And Their Socioeconomic Correlates In The United States: A Social Media Analysis, Shan Qiao, Zhenlong Li, Caroline Rudsill

Faculty Publications

Social media analysis provides an alternate approach to monitoring and understanding risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 over time. Our current understandings of risk perceptions regarding COVID-19 do not disentangle the three dimensions of risk perceptions (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and negative emotion) as the pandemic has evolved. Data are also limited regarding the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on COVID-19-related risk perceptions over time. To address these knowledge gaps, we extracted tweets regarding COVID-19-related risk perceptions and developed indicators for the three dimensions of risk perceptions based on over 502 million geotagged tweets posted by over 4.9 million Twitter …

Age-Related Changes In Diffuse Optical Tomography Sensitivity Profiles From Childhood To Adulthood, Xiaoxue Fu Ph.D., John E. Richards

Faculty Publications

Significance: Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) uses near-infrared light spectroscopy to measure changes in cerebral hemoglobin concentration. Anatomical interpretations of the brain location that generates the hemodynamic signal require accurate descriptions of the DOT sensitivity to the underlying cortex. DOT sensitivity profiles are different in infants compared with adults. However, the descriptions of DOT sensitivity profiles from early childhood to adulthood are lacking despite the continuous head and brain development.

Aim: We aim to investigate age-related differences in DOT sensitivity profiles in individuals aged from 2 to 34 years with narrow age ranges of 0.5 or 1 year.

Approach: We implemented …

Khsrp Loss Increases Neuronal Growth And Synaptic Transmission And Alters Memory Consolidation Through Rna Stabilization, Sarah L. Olguin, Priyanka Patel, Courtney N. Buchanan, Michela Dell'orco, Amy S. Gardiner, Robert Cole, Lauren S. Vaughn, Anitha Sundararajan, Joann Mudge, Andrea M. Allen, Pavel Ortinski, Jonathan L. Brigman, Jeffery L. Twiss, Nora L. Perrone-Bizzozero

Faculty Publications

KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) regulates levels of several neuronal mRNAs linked to nervous system development and function.

The KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is an RNA-binding protein linked to decay of mRNAs with AU-rich elements. KHSRP was previously shown to destabilize Gap43 mRNA and decrease neurite growth in cultured embryonic neurons. Here, we have tested functions of KHSRP in vivo. We find upregulation of 1460 mRNAs in neocortex of adult Khsrp(-/-) mice, of which 527 bind to KHSRP with high specificity. These KHSRP targets are involved in pathways for neuronal morphology, axon guidance, neurotransmission and long-term memory. Khsrp(-/-) mice …

And Then There Were Two: Splitting South Carolina's Department Of Health And Environmental Control, Arslan S. Valimohamed

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go? South Carolina's Nonlawyer Judges, Christel Purvis

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Disinfection Byproducts In Wastewater, Swimming Pools, And Tea: Identification, Quantification, And Drivers Of Toxicity, Caroline O. Granger

Theses and Dissertations

Drinking water disinfection is considered one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 20th Century because it significantly reduced the number of deaths related to waterborne diseases. However, in 1974 J.J. Rook discovered that chlorine, a commonly used disinfectant, can react with natural organic matter to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Since then, more than 700 DBPs have been identified, with several epidemiological and toxicological studies linking DBPs to several adverse health effects such as bladder and colorectal cancer, adverse birth outcomes, and asthma. Due to their ubiquity in disinfected water and their adverse health effects, studying the formation and identifying …

Understanding The Unseen: Invisible Disabilities In The Workplace, Ann Abney, Veronica Denison, Chris Tanguay, Michelle Ganz

Faculty and Staff Publications

Approximately 61 million (or 1 in 4) adults in the United States have a disability. Despite this prevalence, many people cannot name a coworker who is disabled, possibly due to the number of people who have invisible disabilities. This lack of understanding of both causes and prevalence can cause both the disabled and their supervisors or managers to be unaware of how to address a disabled person’s needs. In this article, the authors shed light on how to improve the professional environment for disabled archivists, staff, and patrons. People without disabilities or those with unrealized disabilities can all benefit when …

The Sultans Of Stream: How Big Streaming Services Have Used Their Oligopsony Power In The Music Industry To Leave Millions Of Musicians In Dire Straits, Benjamin Stevens

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Physical Activity And Breast Cancer Prevention Among Asian American Women, Jingxi Sheng

Theses and Dissertations

Asian Americans (AsAm) comprise about 7% of the United States population and are the only racial group for whom cancer is the leading cause of death. Breast Cancer (BrCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in this population, with the highest incidence in the age of 45-49 years, which is 30 years younger than for non-Hispanic Whites. The incidence of BrCa has been increasing for over three decades in AsAm.

Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable protective factor for BrCa. Unfortunately, AsAm women have a low PA prevalence of meeting PA recommendations. The increased BrCa risk, younger age at diagnosis, …

Where Are The Girls? Exploring Influences On Female Eighth Grade Public School Students’ Choices Of Technology Classes In Texas: A Mixed Method Action Research Study, Shasta Colon

Theses and Dissertations

There is a continuing trend of unrepresented female students in STEM classrooms, particularly in technology courses. There is a focus on the K-12 learning environment to increase the number of female STEM students, which will encourage a growth in participation for females in the STEM field (Sassler, Glass, Levitte, & Michelmore, 2017). The purpose of this study was to increase the number of females students who enroll in technology courses in a public school in Kether Independent School District (KISD). The participants were 66 eighth–grade female students who were enrolled in the College and Career Readiness (CCR) and Technology Applications …

Measuring Orthographic Influences On Phonological Processing In Beginning Readers: An Eyetracking Study, Emily Grace Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose – Both orthographic and phonemic awareness are essential to reading. However, the role of orthographic knowledge in phonemic awareness has not been thoroughly investigated in beginning readers until recently. The purpose of this study was to examine if orthographic knowledge influenced phonological processing in beginning readers and to establish a proof of concept for the use of eyetracking measures to examine these skills in young children.

Method – 22 participants, aged 6-7 years, completed norm-referenced assessments of language and reading ability as well as experimental measures of orthographic and phonological awareness while their eye movements were monitored.

Results – …

Quantifying Human Mobility Patterns During Disruptive Events With Geospatial Big Data, Yuqin Jiang

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding human mobility patterns is an essence for geography and geographical information science. Although existing studies have found that human mobility patterns are highly predictable, such patterns can be disrupted by events, ranging from sports games to natural hazard caused evacuations. However, traditional data collection methods that heavily rely on self-reported travel behaviors are often delayed and at a small scale, and thus are often not sufficient to reveal the disrupted human mobility patterns. Fortunately, with the development of geolocating-related technologies, multiple platforms are able to capture human mobility data in unprecedented spatiotemporal scales and granularities. These data, such as …

Distributed Interdigital Capacitor (Idc) Sensing For Cable Insulation Aging And Degradation Detection, Md Nazmul Al Imran

Theses and Dissertations

Nuclear power plants (NPPs) contain myriad power, control, instrumentation, and other types of cables. The polymer insulation and jacket materials of such cables degrade over time due to operation and environmental conditions e.g., heat, humidity, and radiation. Since the life span of NPPs may extend beyond 40-50 years regular monitoring of cable insulation and jacket polymers is critical to ensure safe and reliable operation. The agingrelated degradation of cables causes changes in the relative permittivity or dielectric constant of the insulation and jacket materials. Capacitor sensors, if properly designed and developed can measure this change and thus can provide an …

Mixed Methods Action Research: How Integrating Student Response Technology And Case Studies In A Largely Populated University Course Influences Student Engagement, Feedback, And Learning, Scott L. Matteson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementing student response technology (SRT) and case studies into a largely populated university undergraduate course would influence student engagement. When student engagement is influenced the potential for positive learning outcomes occurs leading to a higher likelihood of student success (Swap & Walter, 2015). Four research questions guided this study: How and to what extent does incorporating SRT and case studies in a largely populated undergraduate course at MSU influence: (1) student motivation; (2) cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement; (3) feedback; and (4) What are the effects of SRT and case studies …

Physical Activity And Stress Between American Students And Asian International Students At The University Of South Carolina, Hao Lei

Theses and Dissertations

Many college students are physically inactive and have high levels of stress, and this may be worse among increasing number of international students studying in the US. This study investigated the relationship between physical activity and stress among American students (n=92) and Asian international students (n=64). The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare MET minutes/week from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form between those two groups. The independent-samples t test compared the mean of stress from the Perceived Stress Scale between those two groups. Chi-square test was used to compare the percentage of Asian international students and American students …

A Hawaiian Heroine’S Journey: The Early Life And Career Of Dancer Jean Erdman Campbell, Diane B. Mcghee

Theses and Dissertations

This biographical study covers the early life and career of dancer, choreographer, and avant-garde theatre artist, Jean Erdman Campbell (1916-2020). Based on extensive research of historical literature and archival materials, the manuscript traces Erdman’s ancestry and follows the subject through age 32, when she became established as a star of modern dance and prepared for a world tour. The guiding question for this study was what influences shaped the life course, identity and artistry of Erdman, and how might the subject be presented as biography? The researcher examined the influences on Erdman as related to various dance traditions, especially Hawaiian …

Sex Differences And Potential Non-Invasive Treatments For Calcific Aortic Valve Disease, Henry Pascal Helms

Theses and Dissertations

Calcific Aortic Valve Disease (CAVD) is a progressive heart disease that ranges from aortic valve sclerosis to aortic valve stenosis. It is characterized by intense calcification and compromised valve function. CAVD affects 25% of people older than 65 and 50% of people older than 85. These rates are expected to increase in the United States due to higher levels of obesity and diabetes, as well as an aging population. CAVD is the leading cause of valve replacement surgery. Annual healthcare costs for these valve replacements are currently estimated to be approximately 2 billion dollars. There are currently no medications approved …

Healthy Aging Beyond Sex And Gender Binaries, Nicole M. Lampe

Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 2.7 million sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults 50+ reside in the United States (US) with this number projected to increase to more than 5 million by 2060 (Flatt et al. 2022; Fredriksen-Goldsen and Kim 2017). Medical research, education, and practice in the United States (US) often erase sex and gender variation, thus ignoring the experiences of older adults living beyond Western sex and gender binary systems (e.g., female/male and women/men), particularly transgender, non-binary, and/or intersex (TNBI) populations. Such erasure stems from TNBI older adult structural incompetency or the failure to understand how macro-level systems, institutions, and structures …

Mechanisms Of Connectivity In Neuronal Development, Janay Vacharasin

Theses and Dissertations

The development of neuronal connectivity requires the careful orchestration of multiple cellular processes including the control of neuronal arborization and synapse formation or function. Defects in these processes during neuronal development will give rise to disorders of neuronal connectivity like autism. In the present work, we examine the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that build the neuronal wiring of the developing brain. We use human stem cell-derived neurons to study neuronal arborization and function focusing on genetic and environmental risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders that include autism and intellectual disability. Specifically, we focused on the contribution of the endomembrane, chromatin, and …

The Devil And Tom Robot: The Use Of Robotics To Impact Empathy In Secondary Students Of American Literature, Susan K. Porter-Voss

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the effect of a robotics-based intervention on empathy for students enrolled in secondary English and literature courses. Empathy, as a concept, is an integral component of reading comprehension and student motivation. A decline in reported individual levels of empathy among young adults can negatively influence longitudinal academic and career success. Robotics present a promising method in which to impact student learning in K-12 environments. Student manipulation of Wonder Workshop Cue robots in designed challenges was integrated within literature content standards for English III. The outlined study measured the impact of …

A Finding Place: Social Justice Poetry Toward Empathy In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Patricia Vicino

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a combined reader-response and close reading approach to social justice poetry on the empathy levels of secondary level English Language Arts students in my classroom. This action research study occurred over a six-week period during a Fall 2021 English elective course with six student participants in a high school within South Carolina. Research was conducted via a mixed methods approach that analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data from prestudy and poststudy Likert scales along with surveys, interviews, observation notes, and artifacts. The data revealed that student empathy levels were elevated after the study unit …

Using Multimedia Vocabulary Games To Improve Newcomer Esol Students Motivation And Vocabulary Acquisition, Elizabeth E. Brittingham

Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the use of the multimedia learning platform, Quizlet, to help newcomer ESOL students learn English vocabulary. The use of Quizlet to learn vocabulary is supported by Mayer’s Cognitive Load Theory. With an influx of ESOL students, and a lack of teacher training, Quizlet may help to create a more equitable solution for newcomer ESOL students to learn English vocabulary. The findings of this study show that newcomers benefit from using Quizlet to learn vocabulary in the language 2 by matching it to the vocabulary in the language 1, but only if they are able to read …

Mechanisms And Impact Of Hypoxia Regulated Inhibins In Cancer, Ben Allen Horst

Theses and Dissertations

Inhibins are heterodimeric ligands within the TGFβ superfamily, comprised of an α-subunit (INHA) and a β-subunit (either INHBA or INHBB) with emergent roles in cancer. Inhibins are biomarkers of disease burden and prognosis in a subset of cancers and utilize the coreceptors betaglycan (TGFBR3) and endoglin (ENG) for physiological or pathological outcomes. Previously, we found inhibin promotes angiogenesis in ovarian cancer however no mechanism of regulation for inhibin expression in cancer has been established. Hypoxia, a driver of tumor growth and metastasis, regulates angiogenic pathways that are targets for vessel normalization and ovarian cancer management. …

Examining The Relationship Between School Policing Behaviors And The Depressive Symptoms Experienced By Black Students, Collin Perryman

Theses and Dissertations

The school policing literature has two major themes: (a) the negative safety outcomes of school safety (Gottfredson et al., 2020) and (b) the central role that school police play in placing Black students into the school-to-prison-nexus (Morris, 2016; Turner & Beneke, 2020). The study of school police roles, how school police interact with educators, and the safety effects of school police presence is important. Just as important is knowing the mental health effects of physical and nonphysical school policing behaviors on Black students. This dissertation sought to fill this gap in part by studying the relationship between school police behaviors …

A Performance Guide To “Four Piano Pieces, Opus 1” By Evgeny Kissin, Andrew Choi

Theses and Dissertations

This document provides a performance guide to Evgeny Kissin’s Four Piano Pieces, Opus 1. Although more musicians are becoming familiar with his compositions, there are no comprehensive scholarly resources available about this work. This document aims to provide that needed resource.

Evgeny Igorevich Kissin (b.1971) is a Russian-born internationally acclaimed pianist. He achieved stardom with a performance featuring the two piano concerti by Frederic Chopin in 1984. The event was recorded live and released as an album by RCA Victor. Since then, he has been in constant demand all over the world. Although he mainly performs, he occasionally composes as …

In Vivo And In Vitro Investigations Of Mammalian Stem Cell Development: Neurogenesis And Pituitary Progenitors, Allison Culver

Theses and Dissertations

Human development is tightly regulated by complex mechanisms to pattern the early embryo and form specialized tissues. Understanding this regulation is of fundamental importance and can help further understand disease pathologies. Because it is difficult to observe the processes of interest, researchers must rely on the use of model systems. Our research goal is to combine both animal models and in vitro stem cell cultures to address key questions about the mechanisms of development for both the pituitary gland and brain. It is estimated that there are 290-455 cases per million of congenital hypopituitarism. In addition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) …

Afro-Diasporic Literatures Of The United States And Brazil: Imaginaries, Counter-Narratives, And Black Feminism In The Americas, David E. S. Beek

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores contemporary Afro-diasporic literatures by black cultural producers in the United States and Brazil that resist, subvert, and dismantle the persistent myth of Brazilian racial democracy. From the US, I investigate John Keene’s 2015 collection of stories and novellas Counternarratives, in addition to Gayl Jones’ 2021 novel Palmares. Conversely, from Brazil, I examine Conceição Evaristo’s 2003 novel Ponciá Vicêncio, as well as the black trans musician and slam poet Bixarte’s social media performance art. Although these Afro-diasporic literatures deconstruct the myth of racial democracy in Brazil, at the same time, each is entangled with what …

Meaningful And Interactive Learning Experiences Provided Through A Learning Management System: An Action Research Study In Ninth Grade Advanced Placement Human Geography, Daniel Robert Plonski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods action research was to determine if increased interactive Schoology-based modules could alter learner perceptions concerning the lack of meaningful learning (learner-instructor, learner-learner, learner-content) in the culture unit of instruction in an Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) classroom. A series of instructional modules were facilitated through the learning management system (LMS) Schoology to students (n = 16) in APHG at a southeastern U.S. high school. The interactions were designed to enhance interaction based upon the criteria provided by Piaget’s (1981) social constructivist theory, specifically Moore and Kearsley’s (2011) systems approach and Miyazoe and Anderson’s (2010) …