Digital Commons Network^™

Geographic Disparities In Unpaid Caregiving, Emma Kathryn Boswell, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Nicholas Yell, Taryn Farrell, Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Elizabeth Crouch Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Purpose: An updated, nationally representative examination of rural–urban differences in the experiences, health, and well-being of caregivers is needed; previous research on this topic uses older data or has limited generalizability. This study examines rural–urban differences in the characteristics, experiences, and health of caregivers. Methods: The 2021–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 44,274 unpaid caregivers) was used, with rurality defined according to the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme. Chi-square tests compared rural–urban differences in these caregivers’ characteristics, including demographic factors, caregiving intensity (e.g., weekly hours spent caregiving, reason for caregiving, past-month ADL/IADL assistance), …

Athletic Trainer Compensation Characteristics, J P. Young, K Ef Mair, L E. Eberman

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Athletic trainers (ATs) are integral to healthcare yet face ongoing challenges that affect job satisfaction and retention. Factors such as long work hours, low pay, and work-family conflict contribute to dissatisfaction and a desire to leave the profession. Salary disparities and lack of administrative support are key factors impacting professional fulfillment and career longevity. Identifying how compensation influences job satisfaction is essential for improving retention and advancing the profession. Our study aimed to examine the compensation characteristics of ATs and determine the key factors that predict gross income. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted. The survey was validated …

Exploring The Vitality Of Athletic Training: Insights Into Professional Identity, Commitment, And Retention, L E. Eberman, M J. Rivera, K E. Games, M J. Drescher, J P. Young, J Clifton-Gaw, K Condrey, H Mccarn, N Mondelli, X Yuan

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: The confluence of fluctuating retention, fewer students entering professional programs, and the profession’s identity crisis (conflict between being a sports profession or a health profession) has created a serious question about the vitality of the athletic profession. However, research on the vitality of the profession has often focused on singular variables influencing professional identity, burnout, and commitment. The purpose of this project was to explore multiple factors influencing the vitality of the profession across professional identity and commitment in athletic training. Methods: We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, including surveys and interviews with athletic training students and athletic …

The Daily Gamecock: February 2025, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

2025

No abstract provided.

Ideological Influences On Skills And Knowledge In Nonprofit Leadership, Faiza Venzant, Julianne Gassman

Journal of Ideology

Understanding the skills and knowledge required for effective nonprofit leadership can be challenging. This position paper suggests that skills and knowledge come from both formal training programs at colleges, universities, professional associations, and consultant presentations but is also based on the personal lived experiences of leaders. While Ideology such as neoliberalism intentionally or unintentionally influence both formal training and lived experiences, common good ideology, an ideology that grounds the idea that nonprofits exist for the betterment of society, should guide leaders of the nonprofit sector and be an important consideration. Embracing common good ideology better centers equity appropriately for the …

Ideology And Conflict Resolution: How Beliefs And Values Influence Negotiation Outcomes, Judith L. Millesen

Journal of Ideology

Ideology is a critical, yet often overlooked, consideration in conflict resolution. Understanding the ideological foundations of conflict can help shape strategies that not only address the symptoms of conflict but also provide the insight needed to effectively manage its root causes. This article explores the often overlooked, yet crucial role ideology plays in effectively managing conflict.

Mapping Ideology, Nonprofit Leadership, And Organizational Change, Christopher S. Collins, Regan Harwell Schaffer

Journal of Ideology

This article underscores the distinction between management and change, with change being a primary task of nonprofit leaders. It delves into the literature, both research and theory, on organizational change and its implications for leading a nonprofit organization. The implications discussed include how ideology can either inhibit or foster change. By highlighting the pivotal role of nonprofit leaders in promoting change, we aim to draw meaningful connections between self-awareness, ideology, and organizational action.

Inclusive Leadership Ideology In Crisis Management: A Case Study Analysis On Serving The Homeless During Covid-19, Hee Soun Jang, Yu Shi, Lisa Dicke, Laura Keyes

Journal of Ideology

A core value and ethical tenet of public administration is to ensure the protection and care of the most vulnerable in the community. This research shows that inclusive leadership ideology among public managers can actively engage them in using responsive strategies that respect marginalized groups' diverse cultures, languages, identities, and special needs. Using interviews of homeless-serving nonprofit leaders during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, our research demonstrates how leaders navigated critical decision-making in response to the unique service needs of those who were unsheltered and experiencing homelessness. The D-A-I-C model (Shi et al., 2020) serves as a framework …

South Carolina Teacher Attrition, Mobility, And Retention Report For 2023–24, Svetlana Dmitrieva, Angela Starrett, Brian Cartiff

Reports

This report takes a comprehensive look at South Carolina’s public school teacher workforce through the lenses of attrition (when teachers leave the profession or the state), mobility (when teachers move between districts or schools), recruitment (when new and returning teachers enter the workforce), and retention (when teachers continue working in the state). By analyzing these data at the state, district, and school levels across 6 academic years, this research provides actionable insights into where, how, and why teachers are entering, leaving, and moving within our state education system. As such, findings can help guide data-informed strategies to improve teacher retention, …

Yinyang-Align: Benchmarking Contradictory Objectives And Proposing Multi-Objective Optimization Based Dpo For Text-To-Image Alignment, Amitava Das, Yaswanth Narsupalli, Gurpreet Singh, Vinija Jain, Vasu Sharma, Suranjana Trivedi, Aman Chadha, Amit Sheth

Publications

As Text-to-Image (T2I) models become more advanced, they face a fundamental challenge—balancing conflicting alignment goals such as faithfulness vs. artistic freedom, realism vs. stylization, and verifiability vs. creativity. Existing alignment methods often optimize for one objective at the cost of another, leading to inconsistencies in AI-generated images.
/="/">
/="/">In our latest work, YinYang-Align, we introduce a benchmarking framework to systematically evaluate these trade-offs and propose Contradictory Alignment Optimization (CAO)—a multi-objective extension of Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) that enables models to navigate competing alignment goals more effectively.

Amplifying Women's Voices In Menopause Research: The Importance Of Inclusive Perspectives, Camille Cronin, Sara Donevant Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Kerri Ann Hughes, Marja Kaunonen, Jette Marcussen, Rhonda Wilson

Publications

Menopause, a significant life transition for half the global population, intersects biological, cultural and social dimensions. Despite its universal occurrence, menopause research has historically been dominated by biomedical perspectives, often neglecting women's voices and diverse experiences. This article highlights the importance of including women's perspectives in menopause research to ensure relevance, accuracy and equity. It explores cultural variations in menopause experiences, the impact of socioeconomic status and the often-overlooked emotional and psychological dimensions. This article advocates for participatory approaches, emphasising that women's involvement enhances research design, implementation and policy development. Evidence-based interventions that are tailored to the individual can better …

Amplifying Women’S Voices In Menopause Research: The Importance Of Inclusive Perspectives, Camille Cronin, Sarah B. Donevant Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Kerri-Ann Hughes, Marja Kaunonen, Jette Marcussen, Rhonda Wilson

Faculty Publications

Menopause, a significant life transition for half the global population, intersects biological, cultural and social dimensions. Despite its universal occurrence, menopause research has historically been dominated by biomedical perspectives, often neglecting women's voices and diverse experiences. This article highlights the importance of including women's perspectives in menopause research to ensure relevance, accuracy and equity. It explores cultural variations in menopause experiences, the impact of socioeconomic status and the often-overlooked emotional and psychological dimensions. This article advocates for participatory approaches, emphasising that women's involvement enhances research design, implementation and policy development. Evidence-based interventions that are tailored to the individual can better …

Niaid Workshop Report: Systematic Approaches For Eskape Bacteria Antigen Discovery, Inka Sastalla, Keehwan Kwon, Clayton Huntley, Kimberly A. Taylor Dnp, Rn, Nea-Bc, Cnor, Clssbb, Liliana Brown, Tamika Samuel, Lanling Zou

Publications

On 14-15 November 2023, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) organized a workshop entitled "Systematic Approaches for ESKAPE Bacteria Antigen Discovery". The goal of the workshop was to engage scientists from diverse relevant backgrounds to explore novel technologies that can be harnessed to identify and address current roadblocks impeding advances in antigen and vaccine discoveries for the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species). The workshop consisted of four sessions that addressed ESKAPE infections, antigen discovery and vaccine efforts, and new technologies including systems immunology and vaccinology approaches. Each …

January 15, 2025 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Social Determinants Of Health And Mental Health Disorders Among U.S. Population: A Cross-Sectional Study, S. Tanarsuwongkul

Faculty Publications

Aims

The impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on mental health is increasingly realized. A comprehensive study examining the associations of SDOH with mental health disorders has yet to be accomplished. This study evaluated the associations between five domains of SDOH and the SDOH summary score and mental health disorders in the United States.

Methods

We analyzed data from a diverse group of participants enrolled in the All of Us research programme, a research programme to gather data from one million people living in the United States, in a cross-sectional design. The primary exposure was SDOH based on Healthy …

Gotta Take My Avatar Shopping: Impacts Of Interactive Virtual Shopping In Esport, Yongjin Hwang, Keshav Gupta

Faculty Publications

Purpose

Esports game developers are incorporating interactive virtual shopping (IVS) experiences into their products to facilitate consumer–brand interactions. Despite the potential influence of IVS, existing research lacks an understanding of its impact on consumers’ overall affect– particularly game enjoyment, a critical factor in sustaining engagement with esports products – and on attitudinal change toward brands in the real world.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was designed to examine the impact of shopping in the virtually interactive esports marketplace on game enjoyment. Mediating effects of positive change in brand attitude, perceived realism and character attachment and the moderating effect of self-avatar gender congruity …

How Agency From Precollege Experiences Empowers Black Student-Athletes To Succeed And Find Belonging At Pwis: A Phenomenological Study, Deborah V. Hogan

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

In the ever-changing college football landscape, Division I (DI) student-athletes seek to maximize their athletic and financial potential while navigating the academic and social challenges of college life. For Black student-athletes (BSAs) at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), the campus racial climate shapes their college experience and sense of belonging. The current phenomenological study explores how DI Black football student-athletes (BFSAs) use agency from precollege experiences to navigate racial climates and find belonging at PWIs. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and sense of belonging frameworks, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 former BFSAs from DI PWIs. The study revealed three main …

A Survey On Food Ingredient Substitutions, Hyunwook Kim, Revathy Venkataramanan, Amit P. Sheth

Publications

Diet plays a crucial role in managing chronic conditions and overall well-being. As people become more selective about their food choices, finding recipes that meet dietary needs is important. Ingredient substitution is key to adapting recipes for dietary restrictions, allergies, and availability constraints. However, identifying suitable substitutions is challenging as it requires analyzing the flavor, functionality, and health suitability of ingredients. With the advancement of AI, researchers have explored computational approaches to address ingredient substitution. This survey paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research in this area, focusing on five key aspects: (i) datasets and data sources used to …

Exploring The Potential Of Large Language Models For Assisting With Mental Health Diagnostic Assessments: The Depression And Anxiety Case, Kaushik Roy, Harshul Surana, Darssan Eswaramoorthi, Yuxin Zi, Vedant Palit, Ritvik Garimella, Amit Sheth

Publications

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly attracting the attention of healthcare professionals for their potential to assist in diagnostic assessments, which could alleviate the strain on the healthcare system caused by a high patient load and a shortage of providers. For LLMs to be effective in supporting diagnostic assessments, it is essential that they closely replicate the standard diagnostic procedures used by clinicians. In this paper, we specifically examine the diagnostic assessment processes described in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for major depressive disorder (MDD) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We investigate various …

The Blue Economy Comes To Green Creek, Ursula Ramsey

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

Oceans, touted as the “next great economic frontier,” are projected to contribute three trillion dollars to the global economy. Beyond their economic potential, oceans provide a host of environmental benefits: oceans supply over half of the planet’s oxygen and contain nearly all of the Earth’s water and biosphere. Especially because the high seas represent one of the few remaining global commons, oceans present a governance challenge. Meeting this challenge is the concept of the blue economy, a form of governance that combines environmental stewardship, economic development, and social equity. This article, in discussing Mulvihill v. South Carolina Department of Health …

2024 - 2025 Faculty Senate Annual Report, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

The primary file includes the 2024 - 2025 Admissions Committee Report. Additional annual reports are attached.

International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutritional Concerns Of The Female Athlete, Ralf Jäger, Jeffery L. Heileson, Sidney Abou Sawan, Broderick L. Dickerson, Megan Leonard, Richard B. Kreider, Chad M. Kerksick, Stephen M. Cornish, Darren G. Candow, Dean M. Cordingley, Scott C. Forbes, Grant M. Tinsley, Tindaro Bongiovanni, Roberto Cannataro, Bill I. Campbell, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Jeffrey R. Stout, Douglas S. Kalman, Jose Antonio

Faculty Publications

Position Statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) presents this position based on a critical examination of the literature surrounding the effects of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation on exercise performance, recovery, and brain health. This position stand is intended to provide a scientific foundation for athletes, dietitians, trainers, and other practitioners regarding the effects of supplemental ω-3 PUFA in healthy and athletic populations. The following conclusions represent the official position of the ISSN: Athletes may be at a higher risk for ω-3 PUFA insufficiency. Diets rich in ω-3 PUFA, including supplements, are effective strategies for …

Availability And Use Of Digital Technology Among Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Scoping Review, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Charlotte Burts, Carolyn Harmon, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan

Publications

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy among women that requires self-management to improve mental and physical health outcomes and reduce risk of comorbidity. Digital technology has rapidly emerged as a valuable self-management tool for people with chronic health conditions. However, little is known about the digital technology available for and used by women with PCOS. Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify what is known about digital technology currently available and used by women with PCOS for PCOS-specific knowledge, self-management, or social support. Methods: The databases PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Compendex were searched using …

C 3 An: Custom, Compact And Composite Ai Systems - A Neurosymbolic Approach: 4Th-Generation Evolution Of Intelligent Systems, Amit P. Sheth, Kaushik Roy, Revathy Venkataramanan, Venkatesan Nadimuthu

Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems continue to evolve rapidly. From the architecture perspective, it is evolving from large, monolithic models trained on massive internet data to complex, multi-component “compound” systems and “agentic” frameworks capable of semi-autonomous decision-making. These systems show immense promise yet face numerous challenges in reliability, consistency, transparency, and alignment with user goals. In this article, we propose Custom, Compact and Composite AI with Neurosymbolic (C3AN) approach, a framework that paves way to 4th-generation of AI that integrates data, knowledge, and human expertise to build robust, intelligent and trustworthy AI systems defined by 14 foundation elements.

Custom emphasizes …

Media Effects On Political Confidence In Autocratic Regimes, Makayla M. Stokes, Matthew Placek

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

In established autocracies, political control and support are integral to maintaining the regime. In an effort to do this, autocracies use media as a tool to persuade and manipulate public opinion in a favorable light. Negative media and messages are not tolerated as it threatens the legitimacy and continuation of the regime. The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the effects of social media and online news consumption on support for political institutions and overall satisfaction. This study will use hierarchical linear modeling to analyze data from the World Values Survey to test the hypothesis that social media …

#Mmiw On Instagram: Contemporary Representations Of Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, And Two-Spirit People​, Sydney E. Cathcart, Renu Pariyadath

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

This research paper overlooks the disproportionate number of missing persons and violence towards Indigenous groups, particularly women. Communication research has pointed to mass media lacking coverage on missing or murdered cases of Indigenous people, contributing to invisibility of the issue and lack of attention to the problem. Individual efforts to increase sources of information have been utilized in social media to make up for where mass media lacks. Social media creators who look to raise awareness, mobilize grassroot actions, and expand community ties. Content analysis was used to analyze content in Instagram under hashtags relevant to #MMIW–Missing and Murdered Indigenous …

Collegiate Athlete Branding And Name, Image, And Likeness On Instagram, Carson Shaw, Renu Pariyadath

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

This study explores how collegiate athletes use Instagram to build their personal brands and maximize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) potential in the era of digital self-promotion. Since the 2021 Supreme Court ruling allowing college athletes to profit from NIL, social media has become a key platform for visibility, engagement, and financial opportunity. Guided by Erving Goffman’s Self-Presentation Theory, this research employs a qualitative content analysis of 80 Instagram posts from eight collegiate athletes—four high-profile and four low-profile—representing diverse sports, genders, and institutions. Sixteen content themes drawn from prior research were analyzed, including personal life, business life, athletic performance, …

A Dog Tail: To Trust Or Not To Trust, Victoria A. Denishchich, Christa C. Christ

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Trust plays an important role in relationships and social functioning while also influencing communication, cooperation, and emotional well-being. Previous research has found that dogs enhance social relationships, approachability, and perceptions of safety and friendliness in everyday interactions. However, not much is known about how the effect dogs have on perceptions of trust applies when photographs are used. Such info is essential given the amount of online social interaction that occurs in society today. This current study examined whether the presence of a dog in a photo affects our trust levels in strangers. In Study 1, 74 participants viewed photos of …

Table Of Contents

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

No abstract provided.

The Dark Side Of The Internet: The Facilitation Of Csam By Social Media Companies And What Should Be Done About It, Megan Holderness

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

No abstract provided.