Digital Commons Network^™

Celebrity Impact On Fashion Brand Choice Using Social Media, Jaclyn Newbert

Theses and Dissertations

Today social media is rapidly growing. Many social media users, specifically Instagram users, are from the Millennial generation (born between 1982 and 1999), and Generation-Z (born between 2000 and 2020) (knoema.com, 2020). They love to share their life through social media, especially by posting and viewing others’ photos and videos on Instagram. Celebrity endorsement of products and brands has shown to increase both brand awareness and sales for companies. The purpose of this study is to investigate social media influence of celebrities on consumers’ brand choices. A conceptual model is developed to investigate the influences of physical attractiveness, celebrity credibility, …

Factors Influencing Intention To Introduce Accessibility In Makerspace Planning And Implementation, Heather Moorefield-Lang, Ana Dubnjakovic

Faculty and Staff Publications

Makerspaces continue to grow in popularity in public, academic, and school libraries. As makerspaces are included in library services, accessibility for all users is important. What motivates a school librarian to implement a makerspace accessible to all learners? Are they more likely to invest in accessibility if provided the necessary resources? In this study, researchers discuss which Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen 1985) variables significantly predict school librarians’ intentions to implement accessible makerspaces. Researchers also delve into how attitude towards accessibility in makerspaces influence the intention to implement accessible makerspace. Findings indicate identifying perceived behavior control is the principal predictor …

17 Β-Estradiol And Phytoestrogens Attenuate Apoptotic Cell Death In Hiv-1 Tat Exposed Primary Cortical Cultures, Sheila Marie Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), neurological disorders develop in most people infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The poor CNS delivery of anti-retrovirals allows continued virus production and renders neurons susceptible to the toxic effects of released viral proteins. The neurotoxic potential of HIV-1 viral protein Tat has been shown to include excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to subsequent cell death. Thus, Tat is thought to have a key role in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurodegeneration. Estrogens are universally considered to be neuroprotective, as such; estrogens have positive implications in the treatment …

Place-Making Through Performance: Spoken Word Poetry And The Reclamation Of “Chocolate City”, Tiffany Marquise Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Predominantly situated in an area formerly known as Black Broadway, my research is based on long-term immersion in the District’s network of Spoken Word poetry and poets. Specifically, I focus on two key sites that offer contrasting depictions of open mic culture: Busboys and Poets, a D.C.-based chain located in several well-known neighborhoods undergoing gentrification, and SpitDat D.C., a grassroots (and often displaced) movement known as the area’s longest running open mic series. At these venues, many artists – especially native and long-term residents of the area – illustrate the Black experience along with a fascinating correlation between place, performer, …

Hecho En South Carolina: K-12 Latinx Educators Made In, And Remaking, El Sur Latinx, Timothy P. Monreal

Theses and Dissertations

While there are burgeoning, and separate, lines of research about the shifting demographics of Latinx in the U.S South generally, as well a lack of diverse teacher representation nationally, there remains a dearth of research on how these two phenomenon intersect. This dissertation centers post-structural understandings of subjectivity and relational space with a qualitative social-spatial methodology to investigate how Latinx educators in South Carolina produce, affirm, reconstitute, refuse, and disrupt the social spatial relations that mark the boundaries of their subjectivities. I conducted interviews, photovoice, and (eco)maps with 25 Latinx K-12 educators in South Carolina to collect data and create …

An Exploratory Study Of The Effects Of A Technology-Based Graphic Organizer And 1:1 Chromebooks On The Persuasive Writing Of Third-Grade Students, Kathy L. Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research was to determine the effectiveness of a technology-based graphic organizer on student achievement, engagement, and motivation in writing. The study explored the usefulness of incorporating a mindmapping program, using Chromebooks to assist students when brainstorming ideas for a persuasive essay. Further, this study examined third-grade English language arts students’ perceptions of the use of technology to write persuasive essays using a specific writing prompt.

The teacher-researcher collected and recorded data on eight third-grade students over seven days. To identify and validate the study’s findings, field notes, student interviews, student reflective digital journals, surveys, …

Making Elearning Engaging: The Effect Of Technology Strategies On Student Engagement And Content Knowledge Development In A Secondary Mathematics Digital Classroom, Allison Knapp

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the effect of technology strategies on secondary students’ engagement and development of geometry content knowledge in an eLearning setting. Seeking to understand student preferences of the technology tools, this two-week study was conducted during a geometry unit on quadrilaterals and employed the following technology tools: student response systems (SRS), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), gamification, and teacher-made screencasts. Quantitative data was collected on student engagement, the usefulness of the technology, and student self-efficacy through a Likert-scale survey after each day of using technology. Qualitative data were collected through purposeful interviews with students …

Research Provides Evidence For Health Policy In Lao Pdr, Ian Bromage, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Sengchanh Kounnavong, Vanphanom Sychareun, Léonie Venroij

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Efficacy Of Political Apology Within A Settler-Colonial Framework, Hannah M. Bauer

Senior Theses

Government apologies issued for American settler-colonialism, instances of mis-racialization, and instances of misrepresentation of Native American peoples – such as the joint resolutions passed by President Clinton and the 103^rd Congress and President Obama and the 111^th Congress – reflect the strategies used to justify the United States’ removal and assimilation policies. These same strategies are evident in the ways which historic and modern media representations transform Native Americans into a monolithic racial ‘other.’ Trump’s evocation of “Pocahontas” as a racial slur and Warren’s participation in a DNA test during Donald Trump and Elizabeth Warren’s debate over Warren’s …

Justice For All? An In-Depth Look At Sexual Assault Kit Testing In The Carolinas, Jessalynn C. King

Senior Theses

Within the last few decades, technological advancements and an improved understanding of biological materials have led to an increase in evidence that can be submitted for forensic testing in criminal justice investigations. In a sexual assault investigation, a sexual assault kit (SAK) is often collected and contains the evidence found on the victim’s or suspect’s person. While the true total is unknown, it is estimated that several hundred thousand untested SAKs remain in the custody of law enforcement and forensic crime laboratories across the United States. Whether these SAKs were neglected due to law enforcement bias, the prioritization of other …

Fundamental Studies Of Oxygen Electrocatalysis In Alkaline Electrochemical Cells, Victoria F. Mattick

Theses and Dissertations

Until recently the world’s main source of energy has been fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum. However, these energy sources are polluting our planet, becoming scarce and increasingly inaccessible, and are costly to extract. Therefore, much attention has been directed to harvesting clean, abundant, and renewable energy, such as solar rays and wind. However, the intermittency of solar and wind power generation requires an effective energy buffering solution (aka energy storage) to become efficient and reliable. With high efficiency and energy density, rechargeable batteries and reversible fuel cells are two of the best methods for this purpose. Unfortunately, a …

Gun Violence And Advocacy Communication, Minhee Choi

Theses and Dissertations

Gun violence has been a major threat to the United States in recent decades. Through the concept of media advocacy from health communication and mass communication literature, this dissertation used an experiment with 331 respondents to test the strategic value of public health framing and certain types of mobilizing information on social media as part of the media advocacy process, including how those elements may lead to attitudinal and behavioral responses related to gun-related policies. Political orientation and gun ownership were examined as potential moderating factors that affect individuals’ perceptions of public health framing. Finding provide public health framing is …

Going Digital With Peer Review: Using Action Research To Explore The Effect Of Digital Peer Review On Student Writing Composition And Student Attitude In A Rural Primary School, Kemberly Jean Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore the use of peer review on student writing composition and student attitudes toward writing for third grade students at Little Rural Primary School. This study focused on two research questions. The first research question explored how and to what extent the use of digital peer review effects student writing composition. The second research question explored how and to what extent digital peer review effects student attitudes toward writing. The study took place in the third and fourth grade gifted and talented classroom at Little Rural Primary School in South Carolina and …

Mindfulness, Culture, And Clinical Practice: Clinician Experiences Utilizing Mindfulness And Acceptance With Hispanics/Latinos, Rebeca Castellanos

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that culturally adapted interventions are superior to unadapted interventions when used with diverse ethnic groups (Hall et al., 2016). There also exists a growing interest psychological interventions that utilize in mindfulness and psychological acceptance (Masuda, 2014). Moreover, there is a significant need to address health inequities among Hispanics/Latinos given that they comprise the fastest growing ethnically diverse population in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). A recent comprehensive review of the literature on cultural adaptations of MBIs for Hispanics/Latinos indicated several critical gaps in the study of culturally adapted MBIs which included a need to systematically assess …

Correlates Of Maternal Health Service Use And Women’S Experiences Using Antenatal Care In Ghana: A Mixed-Methods Study, Anna Cofie

Theses and Dissertations

The pace of improvements in maternal mortality has been slow in Ghana. While Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) decreased from 635 per 100,000 live births to 319 per 100,000 live births between 1990 and 2015, the country failed to meet the 75% reduction target set by Millennium Development Goal (MDG) goal 5A, to reduce maternal mortality ratio by 75% between 1990 and 2015. Antenatal care (ANC) is critical to improving maternal morbidity and mortality and child deaths. In 2003, Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme to ensure that all pregnant women have access to free maternal care, and in …

Function Of Gpr68 In Normal Hematopoiesis And Malignant Hematopoietic Diseases, Xiaofei He

Theses and Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptor 68 (GPR68), as a proton-sensing receptor, is involved in numerous physiological processes. However, its specific functions in normal hematopoiesis and malignant hematopoietic diseases were unknown. Using a genetic loss of function approach (i.e. whole-body Gpr68^-/- mouse model), B lymphocytes were reduced under stressed conditions, such as aging and hematopoietic regeneration. However, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from Gpr68^-/- mice exhibited comparable function as HSC from wild type mice either under steady-state or upon stress. To determine whether the unaltered HSC function of Gpr68^-/- mice was due to compensatory effects of Gpr68 in nonhematopoietic cells, a …

Novel Multi-User Chirp Signaling Schemes For Future Aviation Communication Applications, Nozhan Hosseini

Theses and Dissertations

Many wireless communication systems will need to accommodate a larger number of users in the future. One application in particular in which this is critical is low data rate, long range communication links with very large numbers of nodes, such as the internet of things (IoT), possibly the internet of flying things (IoFT), etc. These systems demand advanced multi-access techniques with minimal multiple access interference (MAI). They should also be robust to multiple impairments, including multipath channel distortions, Doppler spreading, and interference. Chirp waveforms are one type of waveform set that can satisfy future system demands in the presence of …

How Self-Sentiments And Personal Networks Impact Political Polarization, Matthew Facciani

Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates how identities, self-sentiments, and personal network composition impact political polarization. I apply the framework of Affect Control Theory to capture how Democrats and Republicans feel about their political ingroup and outgroups (through evaluation, potency and activity ratings) and evaluate the likelihood of events involving these groups. In my first experiment, I study if self-uncertainty and self-affirmation primes impact political bias. I also apply Affect Control Theory-Self to measure self-sentiment change (self-evaluation, self-potency, and self-activity) from these primes as well. I predict that priming self-uncertainty should increase political bias (due to inflated self-sentiments) and that priming self-affirmation should …

Fundamental Understanding Of Plasma Discharge Formation In Liquid And Multiphase Configurations Through Multiphysics Modeling, Ali Charchi Aghdam

Theses and Dissertations

During the last two decades, non-thermal plasma discharges in and in contact with liquids have received significant attention due to their wide range of applications including chemical analysis, medical, water treatment, fuel processing, etc. Despite the tremendous interest and advances attained in the experimental studies, modeling efforts providing a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physicochemical processes are limited. There is still no unified theory on plasma formation in dense medium and various theories have been proposed such as the presence of bubbles and tunneling which are topics of debate. In the first part of this study, a mathematical model is …

The Mbeya Antimicrobial Stewardship Team: Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship At A Zonal-Level Hospital In Southern Tanzania, Jeffrey W. Hall, Jeannette Bouchard, P Brandon Bookstaver, Matthew S. Haldeman, Peter Kishimbo, Godlove Mbwanji, Issakwisa Mwakyula, Davance Mwasomola, Megan Seddon, Mark Shaffer, Stephanie C. Shealy, Anthony Nsojo

Faculty Publications

In 2017, Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital (MZRH) and the University of South Carolina (UofSC) agreed to collaboratively strengthen antimicrobial prescribing in the southern highlands of Tanzania and train a new generation of clinicians in responsible antimicrobial use. Key stakeholders and participants were identified and the Mbeya Antimicrobial Stewardship Team (MAST) was created. The team identified assets brought by the collaborators, and four investigations of baseline needs were developed. These investigations included (a) a baseline clinician survey regarding antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, (b) a serial chart review of inpatient antimicrobial prescribing practices, (c) an investigation of antimicrobial resistance rates using existing …

Technical Colleges On The Cutting Edge: Implementing New Technologies At Hgtc Library, Jj Fickenworth, Richard J. Moniz Jr.

South Carolina Libraries

The integration of new technologies on college campuses is an imperative to enhance learning and prepare students for career success. This article describes the implementation of new technology at a technical college library. Thanks to a multi-layered grant from The Chapin Foundation HGTC Library was able to install a video wall, 10 zSpace machines, and a PolyCom system all in the same space located inside the library. Uses of this equipment in other settings as well as at HGTC are considered.

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2020 Meeting Highlights, Alexander C. Razavi, Véronique Gingras, Erin D. Michos, Ann Marie Navar, Sherry Ann Brown, Erin Delker, Kathryn Foti, Stéphanie Harrison, Yifei Lu, Jovia L. Nierenberg, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Olive Tang, Alvin G. Thomas, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Amelia Wallace, Mingyu Zhang, Kristie J. Lancaster, Pamela L. Lutsey, Elizabeth Selvin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2020 Meeting Highlights, Alexander C. Razavi, Véronique Gingras, Erin D. Michos, Ann Marie Navar, Sherry Ann Brown, Erin Delker, Kathryn Foti, Stéphanie Harrison, Yifei Lu, Jovia L. Nierenberg, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Olive Tang, Alvin G. Thomas, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Amelia Wallace, Mingyu Zhang, Kristie J. Lancaster, Pamela L. Lutsey, Elizabeth Selvin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Linking Activity, Nutrition, And Child Health (Launch): Protocol For A Longitudinal Cohort Study Of Children As They Develop From Infancy To Preschool Age, Russell R. Pate, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Kerry Cordan, Marsha Dowda, Alexander C. Mclain, Myriam E. Torres, William H. Brown, Agnes Bucko, Emily R. Shull

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity is known to provide important health benefits in children ages 3 years and above, but little is known about the effects of physical activity on health in very young children under age 3. LAUNCH (Linking Activity, Nutrition, and Child Health) is a study designed to expand the body of knowledge on development of physical activity behavior and associations between physical activity and other health characteristics as children transition from infancy to preschool age.

Methods

Physical activity and sedentary behavior will be measured objectively in young children over a period of 30 months. Each child will complete a …

June 3, 2020 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Responding To Health Needs Of Women, Children And Adolescents Within Syria During Conflict: Intervention Coverage, Challenges And Adaptations, Chaza Akik, Aline Semaan, Linda Shaker-Berbari, Zeina Jamaluddine, Ghada E. Saad, Katherine Lopes, Joanne Constantin, Abdulkarim Ekzayez, Neha S. Singh, Karl Blanchet, Jocelyn Dejong, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background:

Women and children suffer disproportionately in armed-conflicts. Since 2011, the protracted Syrian crisis has fragmented the pre-existing healthcare system. Despite the massive health needs of women and children, the delivery of key reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N) interventions, and its underlying factors are not well-understood in Syria. Our objective was to document intervention coverage indicators and their implementation challenges inside Syria during conflict.

Methods:

We conducted 1) a desk review to extract RMNCAH&N intervention coverage indicators inside Syria during the conflict; and 2) qualitative interviews with decision makers and health program implementers to …

Introducing The Journal Of Nuclear Engineering: An Interdisciplinary Open Access Journal Dedicated To Publishing Research In Nuclear And Radiation Sciences And Applications, Dan Gabriel Cacuci

Faculty Publications

Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page.

In 1938, Strassmann, Hahn and Meitner discovered neutron-induced nuclear fission in uranium, forever changing our world and opening multiple paths to developing nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, instrumentation, space propulsion, environmental monitoring, remediation and nuclear security [...]

The Found World: The Role Of Findability In The History Of Botany, Douglas Tuers

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

This study will investigate how a community of botanists used the findability inherent in botanical localities to rediscover species that were previously lost to botany. This article will look at the literature that announced the rediscovery of three species in the vicinity of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. These species are Heuchera hispida, Phlox buckleyi, and Gaylussacia brachycera. These three plants were rediscovered over a short period of time, about 13 years from 1919 to 1932. This study will draw from the announcement of these rediscoveries. In each of these cases there was a surrounding literature that …

Objective Church Environment Audits And Attendee Perceptions Of Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Supports Within The Church Setting, Marilyn E. Wende, Andrew T. Kaczynski, John A. Bernhart, Caroline G. Dunn, Sarah Wilcox

Faculty Publications

Interventions in faith-based settings are increasingly popular, due to their effectiveness for improving attendee health outcomes and behaviors. Little past research has examined the important role of the church environment in individual-level outcomes using objective environmental audits. This study examined associations between the objectively measured physical church environment and attendees’ perceptions of physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) supports within the church environment, self-efficacy for PA and HE, and self-reported PA and HE behaviors. Data were collected via church audits and church attendee surveys in 54 churches in a rural, medically underserved county in South Carolina. Multi-level regression was …

Making Space For Makerspaces, Aubrey Jenkins, Charlotte Dunn, Shannon Ashley, David Ballinger, Jessica White

South Carolina Libraries

Makerspaces promote equity, diversity and creativity, and while different for each organization, can build peer-to-peer relationships and amplify learning by establishing shared, safe spaces where authentic experiences happen, allowing libraries to define the culture of their communities. The authors believe communities that learn and make together, stay and grow together.