Digital Commons Network^™

Social Networks As Predictors Of Musculoskeletal Injury In U.S. Army Soldiers (Snap-Mski), Kristen L. Zosel

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are the leading cause of medical non-readiness among U.S. Army Soldiers, costing the Military Health System an estimated $4.7 billion annually in direct and indirect costs. Current MSKI mitigation efforts focus on individual attributes such as body mass index and gender. However, emerging research highlights the significance of social ties on health outcomes and behaviors. This study examined the patterns of MSKI within military social networks and how social interactions, along with health behaviors such as sleep, physical activity (PA), and diet, co-occur in Soldiers with and without MSKI. METHODS: Phase 1 involved a cross-sectional sociocentric …

Associations Between Parenting Factors, Self-Efficacy, And Physical Activity Levels In Overweight African American Adolescents, Noelle Mink

Senior Theses

While there is extensive research on physical activity (PA) and the role it plays in preventing obesity, African American populations remain understudied despite reporting lower levels of PA compared to White Americans. Particularly, PA in adolescence has several indications for the development of healthy adult lifestyles. Additionally, there is limited data on the relationship between parenting factors and adolescent PA in overweight African American adolescents, despite theories that suggest that authoritative parenting factors, such as demandingness (e.g., control, monitoring) and responsiveness (e.g., warmth), can influence adolescent behaviors, including their motivation and self-efficacy for engaging in PA. Confidence in one’s ability …

Exploring Alternative Approaches To Language Modeling For Learning From Data And Knowledge, Yuxin Zi, Kaushik Roy, Vignesh Narayanan, Amit Sheth

Publications

Despite their wide applications to language understanding tasks, large language models (LLMs) still face challenges such as hallucinations - the occasional fabrication of information, and alignment issues - the lack of associations with human-curated world models (e.g., intuitive physics or common-sense knowledge). Additionally, the black-box nature of LLMs makes it highly challenging to train them meaningfully in order to achieve a desired behavior. Specifically, the attempt to adjust LLMs’ concept embedding spaces can be highly intractable, which involves analyzing the implicit impact on LLMs’ numerous parameters and the resulting inductive biases. This paper proposes a novel architecture that wraps powerful …

K-Perm: Personalized Response Generation Using Dynamic Knowledge Retrieval And Persona-Adaptive Queries, Kanak Raj, Kaushik Roy, Vamshi Bonagiri, Priyanshul Govil, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Raxit Goswami, Manas Gaur

Publications

Personalizing conversational agents can enhance the quality of conversations and increase user engagement. However, they often lack external knowledge to tend to a user’s persona appropriately. This is particularly crucial for practical applications like mental health support, nutrition planning, culturally sensitive conversations, or reducing toxic behavior in conversational agents. To enhance the relevance and comprehensiveness of personalized responses, we propose using a two-step approach that involves (1) selectively integrating user personas and (2) contextualizing the response with supplementing information from a background knowledge source. We develop K-PERM (Knowledge-guided PErsonalization with Reward Modulation), a dynamic conversational agent that combines these elements. …

Academic Clustering: A Longitudinal Analysis Of A Division I Football Program, Jeffrey J. Fountain, Peter S. Finley

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

As NCAA Division I coaches feel greater pressure to produce winning teams while ensuring that athletes remain eligible and progress toward degrees to avoid sanctions under the NCAA’s academic reform initiatives, concerns regarding the clustering of athletes into limited numbers of academic majors has increased. Academic clustering occurs when 25% or more of the members of one team share a single academic major (Case, Greer, & Brown, 1987). Recent studies have extended the analysis of clustering to include the disparate impact on white and minority football players in a single athletic conference (Fountain & Finley, 2009), as well as consideration …

Liz Lochhead And The Fairies: Context And Influence In Grimm Sisters And Dreaming Frankenstein, William Donaldson

Studies in Scottish Literature

Examines the Scottish poet Liz Lochhead's period of North American travel and her response to American second-wave feminist poetics, particularly to the anthology No More Masks! (1973) and the poetry of Adrienne Rich and Anne Sexton, the treatment of myth by J.G. Frazer and Robert Graves, and the perspective on Scottish fairy tales offered by folklorists, to explore Lochhead's creative reworking of both fairy tale and classical myth in her collections Grimm Sisters (1981) and Dreaming Frankenstein (1984).

The Dilemma Of The Senior Woman Administrator Role In Intercollegiate Athletics, Jennifer Hoffman

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

All National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions designate the highest-ranking woman in athletic administration the senior woman administrator (SWA). This role is “intended to encourage and promote the involvement” of women in decision-making, enhance the representation women’s experiences and perspectives, and support women’s interests in intercollegiate athletics (NCAA, n.d. [a]). However, previous research reveals inconsistency in the tasks and responsibilities associated with the SWA role. Furthermore, it is not well established if this role is a mechanism to advance women to leadership roles or a terminal position (Hatfield, 2009). To better understand the influence of the SWA role on …

Academic Majors Of Upperclassmen Football Players In The Atlantic Coast Conference: An Analysis Of Academic Clustering Comparing White And Minority Players, Jeffrey J. Fountain, Peter S. Finley

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Studies on graduation rates of college athletes have typically utilized subdivisions based on race, gender, and sport to allow for more transparent scrutiny of potential problem areas. However, subdivision by race has not been utilized when examining clustering of football players into academic majors. Clustering occurs when 25% or more of an athletic team shares a single academic major (Case, Greer, & Brown, 1987). Football media guides from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools were utilized to determine the academic majors of upperclassmen to explore whether race could be a factor in academic clustering. The results showed that Minority players were …

December 6, 2023 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Menstrual Cycle And Contraceptive Pill Phase On Aspects Of Exercise Physiology And Athletic Performance In Female Athletes: Protocol For The Feminae International Multisite Innovative Project, Kirsty J. Elliott Sale, Tessa R. Flood, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Eimear Dolan, Bryan Saunders, Mette Hansen, Johanna K. Ihalainen, Ritva S. Mikkonen, Clare Minahan, Jane S. Thornton, Kathryn E. Ackerman, Constance M. Lebrun, Craig Sale, Trent Stellingwerff, Paul A. Swinton, Anthony C. Hackney

Faculty Publications

The idiom € more high-quality research is needed' has become the slogan for sport and exercise physiology-based research in female athletes. However, in most instances, it is challenging to address this gap of high-quality research in elite female athletes at a single study site due to challenges in recruiting enough participants with numerous menstrual cycle and contraceptive pill permutations. Accordingly, we have assembled an international multisite team to undertake an innovative project for female athletes, which investigates the effects of changes in endogenous and exogenous oestrogen and progesterone/progestins across the menstrual cycle and in response to second-generation combined monophasic contraceptive …

2023 Teacher Working Conditions In South Carolina Rural And Town Schools, Angela Starrett, Svetlana Dmitrieva, Alyssa Raygoza, Brian Cartiff, Ruiqin Gao, Shea Ferguson, Beatrice Quiroz, Henry Tran

Reports

This report builds off of the 2023 SC Teacher Working Conditions Survey to better understand nuances in teacher perceptions by location. Using National Center for Educations Statistics (NCES) designations of “town” and “rural,” key questions investigate how school profiles and working conditions vary within these categories to potentially inform distinct improvement strategies.

Sex Differences In Cholesterol And Triglyceride Levels Among Hospitalized Adolescents And Young Adults With Eating Disorders, Jason M. Nagata, Anita V. Chaphekar, Ruben Vargas, Anthony Nguyen, Amanda E. Downey, Khushi P. Patel, Kyle T. Ganson, Elena Stuart, Siena Vendlinski, Sara M. Buckelew, Andrea K. Garber

Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine sex differences in cholesterol and triglyceride levels among adolescents and young adults hospitalized for medical complications of eating disorders. METHODS: A retrospective electronic medical record review of patients aged 9-25 years admitted to the University of California, San Francisco Eating Disorders Program for medical stabilization, between 2012 and 2020, was conducted. Non-fasting total cholesterol and triglycerides were collected; however, LDL and HDL levels were not available. RESULTS: Among 83 males and 441 females, mean ± SD age was 15.5 ± 2.8 years, 64.1% had anorexia nervosa, and admission percent median body mass index was 87.3 ± 13.9. …

Strategies Elementary School Children Use To Influence Mothers' Food Purchasing Decisions, Nazratun N. Monalisa, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd, Susan E. Steck, Robin B. Dipietro

Faculty Publications

This study aimed to understand the strategies elementary-school-aged children used to influence mothers' food purchasing decisions. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 children aged 6–11 years and their mothers living in South Carolina. Strategies to influence mothers' food purchases were collected from children and their mothers separately. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and open-coded. The constant comparative method was used for data analysis. Coding matrices were used to compare children's and mothers' responses on the children's strategies. Children reported 157 instances of 25 distinct strategies to influence mothers' purchasing decisions. Mothers had concordance with 83 instances of these …

Implementation Of A Pcp Referral In Urgent Care For Patients With Hypertension, Teri Alesha Scott

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: Adult patients with uncontrolled hypertension at Saluda Pointe Urgent Care (SPUC) do not have an established primary care provider (PCP) for follow-up.

Purpose: To improve access to care by establishing patients with uncontrolled hypertension (>140/90) with a PCP.

Method: Implement a PCP referral at SPUC for patients with uncontrolled hypertension. The Primary Care Connection Center (PCCC) contacted the referred patients within 72 hours to schedule an appointment. An Organizational Change Management (OCM) Solutions survey measured provider attitude and readiness for change before and after implementation.

Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients 18 and older, without an …

Revolting Motherhood: [De]Generative Breast Stories Transmuting Medical/Moral Paradigms In Britain During The Long Nineteenth Century, Leslie Rene Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Eric Plemons writes in *The Look of A Woman* that “biological stories do more than describe biologies” (54). This dissertation explores what breast cancer stories do and how society creates meaning around the experience of breast cancer. I argue that, in the long nineteenth century in Britain, breast cancer was part of a two-sided medical/moral paradigm where medical diagnosis became enmeshed with morality. Health, then, became a result of proper domestic behavior, disease a result of straying from societal norms. Following the introductory chapter, chapter two traces the development of this paradigm as an outgrowth of the emergence of middle-class …

Geographic Differences In The Magnitude Of Black-White Disparities In Having Obesity, Steven A. Cohen, Monique J. Brown, Furong Xu, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney

Faculty Publications

Background

Obesity disparities in the United States are well documented, but the limited body of research suggests that geographic factors may alter the magnitude of these disparities. A growing body of evidence has identified a “rural mortality penalty” where morbidity and mortality rates are higher in rural than urban areas, even after controlling for other factors. Black-White differences in health and mortality are more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas.

Objective

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how rural-urban status and region moderate Black-White health disparities in obesity.

Methods

Data were abstracted from the 2012 …

Understanding Commitment Of Local Food Banks, Faith-Based Organizations, And Schools To Provide Nongovernment Food Programs, Eliza M. Fishbein, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Sharraf Samin, Audrey L. Richards, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd, Ruth P. Saunders, Cheri J. Shapiro

Faculty Publications

Background: Nongovernment food assistance is typically provided to families by faith-based organizations, schools, and food banks. Community organizations appear to be strongly committed to these programs, but little is known about the basis for this commitment. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the values and identities of community organizations to understand the reasons for their commitment to providing nongovernment food assistance. Methods: Thirty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with 36 leaders at faith-based organizations (19 participants), schools (14 participants), and a local food bank (3 participants) in South Carolina. Observations were made, and informational documents (e.g., flyers and …

Motivations And Barriers In College Students For Coffee Consumption From Coffee Shops: A Podcast, Khushi Dave

Senior Theses

The book, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, highlights the globalization of coffee; it was first discovered in the mountainsides of modern—day Ethiopia and has since swept the globe. Historically used for religious, medicinal, and recreational purposes, people flocked to coffee houses for the taste of the brew. Now, this beloved bean is ever prevalent on college campuses, especially through foodservice locations. This paper explores the role of foodservice locations, specifically coffee shops, in coffee consumption among college students. Specifically, it will survey the reasons that college students want to buy coffee from …

The Role Of Insulin Signaling In Controlling Oogenesis In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tancia W. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Adult stem cell activity responds to organismal nutrient status to maintain and support tissue homeostasis. Despite the intricate relationship between dietary input, adipose tissue and peripheral organ function, we are at the tip of the iceberg regarding our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying adipose communication to other tissues. The Drosophila ovary receives nutritional signals from the fat body with multiple nutrient-sensing pathways functioning in adipocytes to control distinct stages of oogenesis. Insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) within adult adipocytes remotely controls oocyte production at distinct stages of oogenesis. The PI3K/Akt1 axis in adipocytes promotes germline stem cell …

From Oceans To Public Health: Impact Of Climate Change And Socioecological Factors On Non-Cholera Vibrio Spp., Karlen Enid Correa Vélez

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change-induced stressors, such as temperature, salinity, pH, and wildfire, are contributing factors to the increase in frequency of Vibrio infections, altering Vibrio geographical constraints. At the same time, the expansion of the coastal population is resulting in increased input of treated municipal wastewater into areas that are also experiencing Vibrio proliferation. Given that increases in ocean temperature and sea level coupled with increases in human activity in coastal waters support greater Vibrio-human interactions, it is important to examine factors and mechanisms within this socio-ecological coupled system that may further strengthen this interaction. This study aimed to better understand the …

From The City To The Countryside – Gentrification Across The Us: Conceptualizing Displacement Pressure, Constructing Novel Measurement Methodology, And Exploring Connections To Health, Parthenia Louise Luke

Theses and Dissertations

In an era marked by profound neighborhood transformation, the phenomenon of gentrification emerges as a dominant force. This dissertation undertakes a holistic exploration of gentrification, unraveling its diverse typologies and consequential impacts on health outcomes. Manuscript 1 details the concept of displacement pressure, exploring the multi-faceted experiences of residents in transforming neighborhoods while highlighting psychological and physiological repercussions beyond mere physical relocation. Manuscript 2 leverages the innovative methodology of repeated measures latent profile analysis (RMLPA) to investigate the multiple manifestations of gentrification. Revealing five metropolitan and four nonmetropolitan profiles among gentrified neighborhoods, this analysis interrogates the complexity inherent in both …

Replenishment Of Essential Natural Resources: An Assessment Of The Ability Of Freshwater Algae To Enhance Crop Quality And Soil Health, Lala Christina Ek

Theses and Dissertations

Disregard for soil, an essential natural resource, hinders global food production. Food insecurity is a major concern for both public health officials and environmental scientists due to soil quality decline, pollution, and climate change. Alternatives or targeted additions to chemical fertilizers can bolster soil quality, improve crop yields, lengthen crop shelf life, and mitigate environmental pollution. One potential alternative to chemical fertilizers is replacement of them with biological soil amendments, including algae, to enhance crop growth and improve soil health. Research was conducted at the University of South Carolina-Columbia campus garden to determine impacts of non-toxic freshwater algae on crop …

Dietary Inflammatory Index During Pregnancy And Changes Over Time: Associations With Post-Partum Sleep Duration And Quality And Depressive Symptoms., Nowrin Tamanna

Theses and Dissertations

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep and mental health are two important factors for a new mother, as adequate sleep and a healthy mind help her prioritize self-care, seek support when needed, and create a nurturing environment for both her and her baby. Among various plausible theories exploring the etiology of sleep disturbances and depression, the concept of inflammation is gaining attention. This study examined the hypothesis that more pro-inflammatory diets during pregnancy are associated with a decrease in sleep quality and duration, abnormal sleep timing and higher Edinburg Postnatal depression score (EPDS) scores 6 months and 12 months post-partum.

METHODS: A secondary …

Causes And Consequences Of The Risk Of Generalizability Biases In Health Behavioral Interventions, Lauren Von Klinggraeff

Theses and Dissertations

Preliminary testing of health behavior interventions (e.g., pilot, feasibility studies) are used to evaluate intervention viability prior to additional testing and resource investment (e.g., larger trials). This initial testing provides valuable information, but promising estimates of effectiveness produced during early testing are rarely reproduced in larger studies, stalling the development of effective, scalable health interventions. In the obesity intervention literature, external validity biases, features of the intervention that are not (or cannot) transfer to the larger study, are associated with these diminished effects. These study features, such who delivers the intervention, the characteristics of the population receiving the intervention or …

Impact Of Steroid Receptor And Hormone Manipulation In Skeletal Muscle: Implications For Glucose Metabolism And Insulin Sensitivity In Male Mice, Christian Aaron Unger

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to investigate the influence of modifying steroid receptor content and steroid production within skeletal muscle on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity within the context of diet-induced obesity. Specifically, our research focused on three key aspects:1) determining the role that skeletal muscle androgen receptor has on glucose metabolism and insulin action in male mice fed a high-fat diet and 2) determining if inducible skeletal muscle aromatase overexpression improves glucose intolerance and insulin action in male mice fed a high-fat diet and 3) determining if inducible skeletal muscle estrogen-receptor alpha (ER-α) overexpression improves glucose intolerance and insulin action in …

Quantification Of The Internalization Of A Commercially Available Silver Nanoparticle To The Bacterium Escherichia Coli, Samantha Mcneal Case

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticles (NPs), materials with dimensions ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers, are widely used in various consumer products, with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) being the most prominent. Exposure to AgNPs occurs through multiple sources, including food packaging, supplements, and disinfectants, owing to their antimicrobial properties. Prior research has identified adverse health effects, such as cytotoxicity, toxicity, and Ag bioaccumulation resulting from AgNP exposure to bacteria in biological systems and the environment. However, most studies employ pristine, highly concentrated NPs, which may not accurately represent realistic exposure scenarios at environmentally relevant concentrations. This project investigates the fate and internalization of AgNPs, found …

The Daily Gamecock, September 2023, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

September

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Covid-19 And The Use Of Health Information Technology Among People Who Are Uninsured: Multimethod Survey Study, Khushi S. Patel, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Elizabeth M. Combs, Sara B. Donevant, Margaret J. Selph, Lynette M. Gibson, Robin Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc, Amit P. Sheth, Ronda G. Hughes

Publications

BACKGROUND: As of May 2023, the novel SARS-CoV-2 has claimed nearly 7 million lives globally and >1.1 million lives in the United States. Low-income populations are often disproportionately affected by risk factors such as lifestyle, employment, and limited health literacy. These populations may lack the knowledge of appropriate infection precautions or have reduced access to care during illness, particularly in countries without universal health care.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of COVID-19, including symptoms and risk factors among uninsured individuals seeking care at a free medical clinic, and to obtain respondents' perceptions of and suggestions for …

Parenting During A Pandemic: Understanding The Impact Of Covid-19 On Early Childhood Development, Jessica A. Manes

Senior Theses

The early years of a child's life are crucial for their development, shaping their ability to process information, communicate, and form their identity. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted essential elements necessary for optimal early childhood development, including quality education, nurturing environments, and social stimulation. This study explored how parents in South Carolina perceived the pandemic's impact on their children's development. Five themes emerged from the study. Firstly, remote work due to pandemic protocols significantly affected the parent-child relationship. Secondly, the family's socioeconomic status influenced their ability to cope with and protect their children from the pandemic's impact. Thirdly, isolation resulting …

Barriers And Facilitators Of Diet, Physical Activity Levels, And Sleep Among Nursing Undergraduates And Early-Career Nurses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Michael D. Wirth, Jaclyn Meyer Phd, Rn, Faan, Angela Jessup, Robin M. Dawson Phd, Rn, Cpnp-Pc

Publications

Purpose: Mechanisms leading to burnout, associated with high turnover in nursing, may start as early as in nursing school. Given health habits (e.g., diet, physical activity, and sleep) can exacerbate or lessen the impact of burnout, this study examined current barriers and facilitators to healthy diet, physical activity levels, and sleep among nursing undergraduates (UGs) and early-career nurses (ECNs). Research Design: Qualitative descriptive study. Sample: 25 nursing UGs and 25 ECNs (within 3 years of graduation) from a Southeastern college of nursing. Data Collection and Analysis: After development of theory-informed interview guides, participants conducted interviews either in-person or by phone, …