Digital Commons Network^™

Ahr Expression On Rorc-Expressing Immune Cells Is Essential For I3c-Mediated Protection Against Colitis, Michal C. Williams

Senior Theses

Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) whose etiology is attributed to modification in the luminal microbiota and dysregulation in the immune response. Indole is a signaling molecule which is naturally produced by gut luminal microbiota. Indole-3- carbinol (I3C) is a compound commonly found in vegetables and a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Previous studies have detected decreased expression and activation on the AhR receptor in colitis patients, thought to possibly alter gut microbiota metabolism, subsequently promoting colitis. 1 AhR, expressed in a variety of immune and epithelial cells, contributes to gut homeostasis by affecting vital mediators such …

A Practical Approach For The Applied Voice Instructor Utilizing Limited Piano Skills In The Studio Setting, Lee Whittington Ousley

Theses and Dissertations

Providing a process for reducing accompaniments to commonly assigned undergraduate vocal repertoire could aid instructors with limited piano skills in the applied studio setting. Through the use of questionnaires and an online survey, it was determined that there is a population of undergraduate instructors of voice that do not have an accompanist present to play during student lessons. Without an accompanist, many teachers are unable to play the pieces as written, which warrants the creation of reduced scores as useful alternatives to pre-recorded tracks.

An online survey was distributed to determine if the population of teachers was significant enough to …

Making Executioners Out Of Pharmacists: Why South Carolina Should Not Adopt A Lethal Injection Secrecy Statute, Elizabeth T. French

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Capitalization Of The Global Green Economy: An Analysis Of South Carolina's Current Foreign Direct Investment Efforts And Suggestions For Continued Sustainability, William E. Hilger

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Inflammatory Processes By Tryptamine, Cannabidiol And 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin, Nicholas Dopkins

Theses and Dissertations

Host immunity is a complicated system of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes that respond to exogenous and endogenous threats to regulate host physiology, inhibit carcinogenesis, and protect from infections. Sustained deviance from normal immunological function occurs due to a variety of factors both endogenous and exogenous, with some factors that can dysregulate host immunity including: genetics, microbiota composition, toxin exposure, age, gender, and smoking. The etiology of inflammatory disorders is both convoluted and complex due to the sheer number of facets regulating host immunity. To better contribute to understanding how immunological dysregulation occurs we focused on how three anti-inflammatory compounds (tryptamine, …

John Laurens: An Artist Rediscovered In The Ethelind Pope Brown Collection, Nicole Alexandra Gerth

Theses and Dissertations

The Ethelind Pope Brown collection at the Irvin Department of Rare Books & Special Collections at the University of South Carolina contains thirty-two gouache paintings of south-eastern North American flora and fauna from the eighteenth century. Colonel John Laurens, a native South Carolinian from the eighteenth century, is the decided artist for the collection after appraisers and scholars confirmed that the works were painted by a local amateur artist. Historians respect Laurens for his abolitionist ideologies and his status as an officer under George Washington’s service, but his accomplishment as an amateur naturalist artist is not as well documented. From …

A Descriptive Study About Instructor And Student Attitudes Towards The Use Of Educational Technology In Nursing Instruction, David Lawrence Stanghellini

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, concern has been expressed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National League for Nursing (NLN) that nursing school graduates lack critical thinking skills needed to provide increasingly complex care to today’s hospitalized patient. Although the use of educational technology in the classroom has been associated with improved critical thinking and performance, some instructors at schools of nursing remain reluctant to integrating technology into their pedagogy. Barriers to technology integration include limited knowledge in the use of technology, perceived low self-efficacy, concerns about training, and long-term support.

This study examined factors that affect instructor and student …

Perspective: The Importance Of Water Security For Ensuring Food Security, Good Nutrition, And Well-Being, Sera L. Young, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Zeina Jamaluddine, Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Claudia Ringler, Asher Y. Rosinger

Faculty Publications

Water security is a powerful concept that is still in its early days in the field of nutrition. Given the prevalence and severity of water issues and the many interconnections between water and nutrition, we argue that water security deserves attention commensurate with its importance to human nutrition and health. To this end, we first give a brief introduction to water insecurity and discuss its conceptualization in terms of availability, access, use, and stability. We then lay out the empirical grounding for its assessment. Parallels to the food-security literature are drawn throughout, both because the concepts are analogous and food …

The Remains Of The Fray: Nascent Colonialism And Heterogeneous Hybridity, Charles R. Cobb, James B. Legg, Steven D. Smith, Chester B. Depratter, Brad R. Lieb, Edmond A. Boudreaux Iii

Faculty & Staff Publications

Investigations at the Native American site complex of Stark Farms in Mississippi, USA, have yielded numerous examples of metal artifacts of European origin. Our study suggests that they derive from contact between the AD 1540–1541 winter encampment of the Spanish Hernando de Soto expedition and the local Indigenous polity. The artifacts display a wide range of modifications, uses, and depositional contexts congruent with hybrid practices. We argue that the early colonial setting of Stark Farms requires a different perspective on cultural mixing than is often applied in studies of European colonialism. This is highlighted by the strongly improvisational nature of …

Uptake, Acuumulation, And Toixicity Of Silver Nanoparticles To Juvenile Bivalve Mollusc’S Hard Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria, Hanaa Radhi Jolan Al Hameed

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have gained attention in the last 20 - 30 years. Manufactured nanoparticles (NPs), which are defined as having at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm, are the main products of nanotechnology. Nanoscale materials often have novel properties due to their size and this has made them so attractive for a range of processes and sectors. These attractive properties have enhanced their use in a wide range of consumer products and applications including electronic, biomedical, and pharmaceutical. The overall objective of this dissertation was: 1) to investigate the transformation of well-characterized AgNPs, at environmentally relevant concentrations …

Examining The Cost And Quality Relationship In Medicare, Alexandria Fleming Delage

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cost and quality of care dynamic among physicians billing under Medicare Fee for Service in 2018 to examine the relationship between quality and total cost of care at the physician level. Examining this relationship will advance scientific knowledge regarding the impact of increasing high value service use on healthcare costs and will provide insight in terms of expected cost outcomes of quality programs for healthcare policymakers (Salmond and Echevarria 2017; Williams, Brown, and Healy 2018).

Methods.

The study used publicly available data sets provided by the Center for Medicare and …

Characterization Of Ph – Responsive Nanocage Based On The Ferritin Iron Storage Protein, Satyam Singh

Theses and Dissertations

The iron-storage protein ferritin (Ftn) assembles into a protein cage structure with 24 subunits and octahedral (4-fold, 3-fold, 2-fold) symmetry. Each monomeric subunit contains a robust four-helix bundle fold. The fully assembled Ftn structure has a high degree of thermal stability (up to 100°C), a mono dispersed size (12 nm in diameter), and a large central cavity (7-8 nm in diameter). The central cavity stores ferric iron in phylogenetically diverse group of organisms, including humans. The central cavity has been used for encapsulation of cargoes such as other metals, contrast agents for imaging, small molecule drugs for therapy, …

Verbal Fluency In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation And The Broad Autism Phenotype, Emily Szabo

Theses and Dissertations

Women who carry a premutation allele on the FMR1 gene can experience limitations due to their genetic status, including executive function deficits. These subtle deficits are often shared by women who possess the broad autism phenotype (BAP). Poor understanding and limited research on the extent of these executive functioning deficits has led to limited clinical management of these two groups. The current study aimed to clarity whether there is a difference in verbal fluency abilities in mothers that possess the FMR1 premutation, mothers of children with autism who are at risk for the BAP, and mothers of typically developing children, …

Colloidal Semiconductor Quantum Dots: Solution Processing And Heterostructure-Based Optoelectronics, Mathew L. Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are attractive candidates for high-efficiency solar cells and uncooled multiplexed photodetectors due to their favorable characteristics including large absorption cross-sections, size-tunable bandgap energies spanning the ultraviolet (UV) to short wave infrared, and solution processability. These QD-based optoelectronic devices operate on the basis of efficient photogenerated charge migration within QD solids and charge separation and recombination at electrical junctions, underscoring the need for (1) processing strategies that facilitate charge transport and (2) characterization techniques that robustly interrogate charge separation at QD interfaces. Here, my work on the post-synthetic processing and surface modifications of several semiconductor QDs, …

The Effect Of Product Likes On Consumer Behavior In Online Shopping, Quynh Le

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the impact of likes in the context of online shopping websites. Likes are popular metrics in digital and social media marketing. Previous research has investigated the roles of likes on consumer behavior and product sales in the context of social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram. However, little has been known about another type of likes, product likes, which are used on online shopping as an information cue for consumer’s purchase decisions. We propose four studies to understand the impact of product likes in the context of online shopping websites where transactions occur. We expect that the …

A Cost Effectiveness Analysis Of The Nutritious Eating With Soul Study, Mary Jones Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE Historically, African Americans (AA) have been underrepresented in nutritionrelated behavioral research despite their disproportionate higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) Study is one of the first of its kind to recruit an AA only study group to examine CVD prevention via a clinical trial to examine changes in CVD risk factors across two cohorts who are randomly assigned to a plant-based, soul food vegan diet or low-fat omnivorous (omni) diet. The purpose of cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) is to inform clinical and policy decisions and the costs of interventions that society is …

The Effects Of Holistic Grief Counseling Training On Master’S Level Counseling Students’ Grief And Loss Counseling Competency, Kathryn Paige Linich

Theses and Dissertations

Grief is a universal event, yet many counselors are not prepared to used evidence-based practices when recognizing and working with grieving clients. Researchers have explored ways to improve grief counseling education, but none of these recommendations have been put into practice. The aim of this dissertation study, which consists of two full studies, was to develop a holistic grief counseling training for master’s level counseling students that incorporates recommendations for curricular inclusion from the research. The training was designed to be incorporated into one full class period in any master’s level counseling course. The first study is a pilot study …

Innovation And Extended Producer Responsibility In Supply Chain Management, Yuqi Peng

Theses and Dissertations

Supply chain management is an important field in operations management. In recent decades, innovation and sustainability have drawn increasing attention in supply chain management research, while empirical research is still scarce due to data limitations. In this dissertation, we collect unique data and explore the propagation of innovation and sustainability across the supply chain networks.

In the first part of my dissertation, we study research and development (R&D) productivity transmission across supply chain network. Using a two-sided econometric model, we find that having R&D-productive partners plays a significant role in transforming an agent’s R&D into revenues.

In the second part …

Exploring Students’ Cosmopolitan Perspectives In An Undergraduate, Intermediate Spanish-Language Class, Erin Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how SPAN 121 might be designed to foster and support students’ development of cosmopolitan perspectives. Specifically, it explored how English-speaking students might demonstrate cosmopolitan perspectives in response to activities engaging them in Spanish with global Spanish speakers as part of their undergraduate, intermediate Spanish-language class. Theories of cosmopolitanism value responsible, global citizens engaged in open and respectful dialogue across geographic boundaries to learn about themselves and the world and may guide undergraduate college students in intercultural interactions. Through teacher action research utilizing qualitative case study, this study explored which activities might foster …

Dissolved Nitrogen Cycling In The Eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago From Stable Isotopic Data, Holly Westbrook

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is expected to drastically alter the input of inorganic nitrogen (N) sources in the Eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago (ECAA) with increasing discharge from glacial meltwater and permafrost thawing. Since dissolved inorganic N is generally depleted in surface waters, dissolved organic N (DON) could represent a significant source of nutrients limiting primary production in Arctic ecosystems. Yet, few DON data for this region exist. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ¹⁵N and δ ¹⁸O of DON and NO₃-) to investigate dissolved nitrogen cycling in glacial rivers and marine surface samples collected in the ECAA during summer …

Applying The Comprehensive Evaluation Of Return-On-Talent-Investment Model (Certi) In Higher Education, Mazen Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

Economic turmoil has forced higher education institutions (HEI) to reduce expenditures in many areas, including human resource operations such as talent development. Before considering these cuts, HEI should conduct robust assessments of their efficacy, including whether they generate more revenue than they cost to administer. These assessments were critical contextually as state divestment in higher education and mounting public pressure against tuition hikes forced HEI to heavily rely on external funding sources, which became essential in these economically uncertain times. This three-article dissertation critically examined existing evaluation methodologies of a type of talent development initiative, faculty research development (FRD) programs, …

Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Derived Cancers: A Novel Study On Growth And Growth Suppression Utilizing Common Colorectal Cancer Agents, Raymond Kennith Bogdon

Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a devastating gastrointestinal disease characterized by the production of mucinous ascites within the peritoneal cavity. Historically, this condition is discovered in the advanced state due to the lack of adequate screening tests and typically presents as an enlarged abdomen and with symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Treatment for this disease is a combination of cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy, but a successful operation does not guarantee full remission of this malignancy. This study focuses on 3 untested variants of PMP cancer, and 2 mucinous colorectal adenocarcinomas that had invaded into the peritoneal cavity. Clinical presentation of …

Simulation-Based And Data-Driven Approaches To Industrial Digital Twinning Towards Autonomous Smart Manufacturing Systems, Kaishu Xia

Theses and Dissertations

A manufacturing paradigm shift from conventional control pyramids to decentralized, service-oriented, and cyber-physical systems (CPSs) is taking place in today’s Industry 4.0 revolution. Generally accepted roles and implementation recipes of cyber systems are expected to be standardized in the future of manufacturing industry. Developing affordable and customizable cyber-physical production system (CPPS) and digital twin implementations infuses new vitality for current Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing initiatives. Specially, Smart Manufacturing systems are currently looking for methods to connect factories to control processes in a more dynamic and open environment by filling the gaps between virtual and physical systems.

The work presented …

Using Graphic Organizers And Spreadsheets To Increase Quantitative Literacy Skills In High School History Students, Bruce Alexander Thames

Theses and Dissertations

Students are leaving high school and college with insufficient Quantitative Literacy (QL) skills to fully understand lifelong decisions about citizenship, personal finances, and healthcare. These quantitative skills are not taught consistently across the curriculum, which prevents students from making connections across multiple courses and correctly applying math skills beyond the classroom. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the effectiveness of graphic organizers, spreadsheets, and authentic data on the QL skills of 11th grade students enrolled in an honors level United States History class enrolled at a suburban NJ high school (SHS).

This study focused on two overarching …

Genetic And Epigenetic Regulations Of Eds1-Mediated Plant Immunity And Identification Of Bacterial Type Iii Effectors Targeting De Novo Dna Methyltransferase Drm2 In Arabidopsis, Ming Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

In Arabidopsis thaliana, Enhanced Disease Susceptibility1 (EDS1) acts as an indispensable hub in plant immunity and is mainly responsible for plant basal defense, systemic acquired resistance (SAR), increase of endogenous content of salicylic acid (SA) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Epigenetic regulators play crucial roles in multiple important cellular processes. As one catalytic core of Polycomb Repressive Complex (PRC2), CURLY LEAF (CLF/SDG1) protein promotes H3K27me3 deposition at specific loci for genes repression. In this work, I found that EDS1 interacted with epigenetic regulators SDG1, SDG9, SDG15, SDG22 and SDG35 in yeast two-hybrid assays. The growth of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas …

Interstate Rivalry, Domestic Politics, And Economic Coercion, Shaoshuang Wen

Theses and Dissertations

As economic sanctions have been increasingly used to advance a range of foreign policy goals, a great deal of research has explored the determinants of sanctions use and sanctions success. Despite the fact that research on economic sanctions has produced significant advancement in our understanding of the causes and efficacy of the usage of these tools, a few important questions remain overlooked or unanswered in the sanctions literature. This dissertation aims to look into some of these overlooked questions by asking three interrelated questions. First, how do third-party rivals of the possible target state affect the onset of economic coercion? …

Does The Tendency Of Loss Aversion Depend On The Level Of Competition? Evidence From Multilevel Esports Tournaments, Zeqing Mao

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the relationships between the level of experience, the magnitude of payoffs, and the significance of loss aversion within the context of esports. In the behavioral economics literature, loss aversion describes why individuals prefer avoiding losses to obtaining equivalent gains depending on a reference point. While previous studies predominantly capitalize on experimental methods to examine how the significance of loss aversion is affected by market experience and payoff magnitude, there is also a growing body of research that examines the behavioral properties of loss aversion outside laboratory environments, with sport being one of the most utilized settings. This …

Two Aspects Of Magnetic Nanoparticle Self-Assembly On Thin-Film Multilayers: Custom Media Properties And Accurate Determination Of Nanoparticle Anisotropy Constant, Sara L. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

ZFC/FC moment versus temperature measurements are a common technique to determine magnetic properties of nanoparticles. In this work, I varied both applied field strength and nanoparticle concentration to study resulting changes in blocking temperature, T_B, and anisotropy constant, K. T_B and K values were obtained using both existing and new analytic methods. Accurate determination of these parameters helps researchers optimize the use of magnetic nanoparticles for a variety of applications, including magnetic heating, drug delivery, and magnetic field-directed self-assembly. For magnetic self-assembly particularly, not only nanoparticle properties, but also the magnetic properties of the substrate alter …

Characterization Of A High Affinity Glutathione Transporter And Its Impact On Glutathione Depleted Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay

Theses and Dissertations

Thiol-disulfide redox homeostasis is integral for maintaining the redox status of proteins and other thiol-containing molecules within the cell. Among the many antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes and small peptides, glutathione (GSH) has proven to be critical for the preservation of function and structural integrity of the cell due to its functionality in areas like oxidative protein folding, thiol redox control, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and xenobiotics removal as well as iron regulation and Fe-S cluster biogenesis. Therefore, our studies are aimed at elucidating the factors that control GSH trafficking and metabolism in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). Using …

Mix It Up: Blended Collaborative Professional Development To Impact High School Teacher Efficacy, Briana Ghan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore how a blended collaborative approach to professional development can influence teachers’ efficacy, collective efficacy, and collaboration in high school teachers. Three questions guided this study: (a) How and to what extent does teacher efficacy change with participation in a blended collaborative form of professional development?, (b) How and to what extent does collective teacher efficacy change with participation in a blended and collaborative form of professional development?, and (c) How does participation in a blended collaborative form of professional development affect sharing amongst participants?

Bandura’s sources of efficacy and the characteristics …