Digital Commons Network^™

The Daily Gamecock, Monday, October 7, 2019, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

October

No abstract provided.

October 2, 2019 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Aiming Higher: Looking Beyond Completion To Restore The Promise Of Higher Education, Deanne Loonin, Julie Margetta

The Journal of Law and Education

No abstract provided.

Improving Person-Independent Facial Expression Recognition Using Deep Learning, Jie Cai

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few years, deep learning, e.g., Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), have shown promise on facial expression recog- nition. However, the performance degrades dramatically especially in close-to-real-world settings due to high intra-class variations and high inter-class similarities introduced by subtle facial appearance changes, head pose variations, illumination changes, occlusions, and identity-related attributes, e.g., age, race, and gender. In this work, we developed two novel CNN frameworks and one novel GAN approach to learn discriminative features for facial expression recognition.

First, a novel island loss is proposed to enhance the discriminative power of learned deep …

The Judgement Of Southern Motherhood In Works By Doris Betts, Gail Godwin, Dorothy Allison, And Kaye Gibbons, Jennifer Martin

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation considers depictions of mothers in the works of four southern women writers published between the late 1970s and the early 1990s. During this period there was a conservative backlash to the progressive second-wave feminist movement. The tensions that women experienced between the ideas of feminism and the traditions in the South that women should aspire to motherhood above all other enterprises and should enact motherhood as selfless servants to their children and husbands are apparent in the fictional works examined in this study.

I consider texts by Doris Betts, Gail Godwin, Dorothy Allison, and Kaye Gibbons to explore …

When Legislatures Become The Ally Of Academic Freedom: The First State Intellectual Diversity Statute And Its Effect On Academic Freedom, Patrick M. Garry

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Emerging Populations: An Analysis Of Twenty-First Century Caribbean Short Stories, Jeremy Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

The Caribbean has always been a contested space, a space difficult to define, and the literary genre of the short story has always been difficult to define as well. As a region and as a genre, what they share is less prestige, and less development, than other regions and genres. This dissertation brings both of these elements together in a comparative literature study of three twenty-first century Caribbean short story anthologies from the three major linguistic traditions of the Caribbean (English, French, and Spanish). The distinguishing characteristic of these short stories, and the overarching framework for this study, is that …

Contexts Of Recovery And Displacement: Investigating The Impact Of The 2015 South Carolina Floods Across Communities, Van Phan

Theses and Dissertations

In October 2015, South Carolina was devastated by weather complications related to hurricane Joaquin that lead to historic amounts of rainfall and flash floods that destroyed local communities and infrastructure, ultimately displacing over 400,000 people. Natural disasters are destructive and have shown to be correlated with a variety of negative outcomes, including high levels of stress and hopelessness. These effects can be even more pronounced when compounded with displacement as these victims not only have to deal with the usual consequences in the aftermath of a natural disaster, but also the stress of integrating themselves into a different community and …

Critical Thinking In The Age Of Fake News: Developing Fairmindedness And Metacognition Among Gifted High School Learners, Tiffany Dimatteo

Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking has proved essential for college, career, and civic readiness, and K-12 educators have accepted its significance while being unsure of how to implement it in the classroom. The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to identify effective instructional practices for developing fairmindedness and metacognition, two elements of critical thinking identified by Paul and Elder (2012) and purposefully selected by the participating students and the practitioner-researcher as the focus for this study. A hybrid instructional approach that integrated direct instruction and collaborative learning was developed, enacted and studied using a pre-/post-assessment model with four weeks of …

The Relations Between Adherence To Behavioral Treatments And Parent Stress In Families Of Children With Asd, Aimee Rovane

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies suggest that parent involvement with behavior treatment for associated challenging behaviors (ACBs) may reduce parent stress in families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is not known whether high treatment adherence to protocols is associated with reduced parent stress, or which factors that may moderate this relation. The current study examined the relation between parents’ adherence to behavioral treatments and parent stress, and whether parents’ perceptions toward treatment moderate this association. Participants were 190 mothers, fathers, or caregivers of a child with ASD. A bivariate correlation matrix examined associations between each variable, and 3 separate linear regression …

Applying The Health Action Process Approach (Hapa) In Program Evaluation Of A Theory-Based Parental Hiv Disclosure Intervention Among Parents Living With Hiv (Plh) In China, Wendi Da

Theses and Dissertations

With prolonged lives thanks to antiretroviral therapy, parents living with HIV (PLH) face challenges regarding telling their HIV-positive status to children (i.e., parental HIV disclosure). With aims to assist PLH in making a well-planned and developmentally appropriate HIV disclosure to their uninfected children, a theory-driven intervention was conducted among 791 PLH with children aged between 6-15 years in Guangxi, China.

Guided by the stage model of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), three critical disclosure stages were defined: 1) the pre-intention stage, in which people have not yet decided to disclose; 2) the intention stage, in which people have decided …

Planning For Healthcare Quality Using Procurement As A Strategy: A Case Study Exploring An Outcomes-Oriented Approach To Healthcare Procurement, Kassandra A. Alia

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has one of the most costly healthcare systems in the world, yet also ranks lower in patient outcomes in comparison with many other developed countries. A focus on quality implementation may help accelerate ongoing efforts to improve healthcare quality. The overall purpose of this study was to explore outcomes-oriented contracting as a mechanism for embedding quality implementation planning proactively into the process for procuring healthcare services. A single case study methodology was utilized to examine changes in procurements over time following implementation of an outcomes-oriented contracting approach within an organization that provides funding for behavioral health and …

The Conversational Dynamic In American Public Life, Hannah Goff Spicher

Theses and Dissertations

A confluence of factors has sparked a sustained, public preoccupation with conversation. Brewing since the fifteenth century and overtly public since the middle of the nineteenth century, the explosion of public models of conversation that emerged in the European and American rhetorical traditions is significant—without precedent—in the history of rhetoric. This interest in conversation is so pronounced as to penetrate not just public speaking practices, but subtler interpretations of law, philosophy, commerce, and government. I identify this as the conversational turn. The extent to which this saturation was truly conversational is the subject of much debate. However, the contours …

When To “Make” And When To “Buy”: A Contingency Theory Of Making Versus Buying Managerial Human Capital, Dhuha Abdulsallam

Theses and Dissertations

When should firms build talent, and when should they buy? There is theoretical consensus that internal hires would exceed externals in performance because of their firm-specific human capital. However, by integrating the creativity and innovation literature, I present a non-traditional theoretical view which argues that in creative environments with a time-lag on related expectations and outputs, externally hired managers would exceed internally promoted managers in several different performance- related outcomes. I also explore the social influence associated with the hiring origin of middle managers by integrating psychology and economic rationale to study the impact of managerial hiring origin decisions on …

Early Behavioral And Physiological Markers Of Social Anxiety In Fragile X Syndrome, Conner J. Black

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Social Anxiety is diagnosed in approximately 10% of neurotypical children. If left untreated, negative outcomes are highly prevalent later in life. Thus, understanding the earliest features of social anxiety can help to mitigate detrimental outcomes. Fragile X Syndrome, which has a high prevalence of social anxiety, is a genetic syndrome which creates a unique opportunity to study the earliest predictors of social anxiety before formal diagnosis. Fragile X Syndrome presents with intellectual disability and an increased prevalence of maladaptive behaviors. The current study utilized a bio-behavioral approach to study the earliest marker of social anxiety in 12- month-old infants …

Insider’S Misuse Detection: From Hidden Markov Model To Deep Learning, Ahmed Saaudi

Theses and Dissertations

Malicious insiders increasingly affect organizations by leaking classified data to unautho- rized entities. Detecting insiders’ misuses in computer systems is a challenging problem. In this dissertation, we propose two approaches to detect such threats: a probabilistic graph- ical model-based approach and a deep learning-based approach. We investigate the logs of computer-based activities to discover patterns of misuse. We model user’s behaviors as sequences of computer-based events.

For our probabilistic graphical model-based approach, we propose an unsupervised model for insider’s misuse detection. That is, we develop Stochastic Gradient Descent method to learn Hidden Markov Models (SGD-HMM) with the goal of analyzing …

A Foundation For Understanding The Neurocognitive Processes That Underlie Mathematics Performance In Children, Christopher Anzalone

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the prognostic utility of resting state EEG coherence in the prediction of standardized mathematics scores. Quantitative EEG analyses were performed for 60 school-aged children (ages 7 to 12 years) with and without math learning disabilities (MLD). Analyses assessing intrahemispheric coherence at rest were performed across the entire sample and several coherence networks were extracted.

Specifically, networks that included Brodmann area 40 (BA 40) -- a region of the brain heavily involved in the cognitive processes responsible for mathematics performance (Anderson, Betts, Ferris, & Fincham, 2011; Cohen, Dehaene, Chochon, Lehericy, & Naccache, 2000; Kroger, Nystrom, Cohen, & …

Motivational And Physiological Dysregulation Due To Development And Onset Of Obesity Via Melanocortin 4 Receptor +/- Haploinsufficiency, Alex Steiner

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is one of the leading most health risks around the world, being especially problematic in the United States. A combination of high-fat diets and genetic abnormalities are to blame for the ever-growing number of obese individuals.

Melanocortin 4 receptors are vital for regulating energy expenditure and feeding behaviors; mutations of the receptors have been found to be the leading monogenetic cause of obesity. Using MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rats being fed a range of dietary fat, we investigated the physiological and motivational differences using a locomotor task, an operant task with fixed and progressive ratios, as well as a distraction …

Did Medicaid Expansion Under The Affordable Care Act Reduce The Likelihood That People Report Employment Status Changes Due To Health, U.S., 2009-2017, Songyuan Deng

Theses and Dissertations

Medicaid expansion of Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended coverage to low-income working adults. While Medicaid expansion led to increased healthcare use and national healthcare expenditures, current studies do not examine the effects of Medicaid expansion on health status from the perspective of social roles, for example, changes in employment status. This study use data from the Current Population Survey to examine the association between Medicaid expansion and the probability to attribute part-time work or not-in-labor- force to health issues among people with family annual income no more than 138 of Federal Poverty Level, with a difference-in-differences study design. We found …

Implications Of Social Networks On Medication Information- Seeking Among Middle Eastern International Students: An Exploratory Study, Esra Abdoh

Theses and Dissertations

The study examined how international students use their social networks to seek medication information, how their social networks provide social support, and how perceived social support is related to seeking medication information online. While there has been a paucity of research on the way international students seek information in their day-to-day lives (Sin and Kim, 2013), there is still a gap in the literature regarding how social networks employed by international students have a positive impact on building bridges toward home. In particular, no studies on the use of social support in social networks to retrieve medication information exist.

This …

The Association Of Health Insurance And Prescription Drug Coverage On Cost-Related Non-Adherence And Hospitalization Across Age-Related Groups Of Individuals With Copd, Shamika Martin Walls

Theses and Dissertations

Background: COPD patients have poor adherence to prescribed treatment. Individuals with COPD have higher out-of-pocket treatment cost than individuals without COPD. The significant out of pocket COPD related treatment cost can lead to prescription drug non-adherence especially for individuals without health insurance or prescription drug coverage.

Significance: Since the implementation of Medicare Part D on January 1, 2006, there are no studies that have used national data to evaluate the association of health insurance and prescription drug coverage on cost related non-adherence and hospitalization among individuals 50-64 years old with COPD compared to individuals 65 years and older …

“We Need Dawgs!”: Narrative Construction Of Athletic Identity Among Black High School Football Players, Victor Dion Kidd

Theses and Dissertations

Previous empirical inquiry of athletic identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, Linder, 1993) and participation has failed to examine how such identities and roles are developed at the high school level of competition. While focusing on salient athletic identities or role sets are important, research literature should target how devotion to athletic identities, roles, and responsibilities are developed and communicated to adolescent athletes by social interactions. Therefore, while adopting Narrative Identity Theory (Loseke, 2007; McAdams & McLean, 2013; Polkinghorne, 1991; Smith 2010) as an appropriate lens, the current study investigated how athletic identity, roles, and responsibilities are developed through complex interaction and …

Examining Women’S Perceptions Of Maternity Care In Public And Private Sectors Of National Guard Hospitals In Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study, Hanin M. Almahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Every second, a baby is born. The process of birth is a complex one – biologically, medically, and emotionally. In particular, women in labor need both physical and emotional care. They need to be heard, to be comforted, and to be safe.

Women’s satisfaction can be used as a legitimate way to measure the quality of maternity care. Moreover, when health systems practice patient-centered care and listen to women’s concerns and what they want out of their care, it can lead to improvements in their satisfaction. Hospitals in Saudi Arabia are considered to be among the best and most technologically …

Younger Residents Through The Looking Glass: Perceptions Of The Residential Experience Of Non-Traditionally Aged Residents Living In The Long Term Care Setting, Sara J. English

Theses and Dissertations

This embedded case study describes perceptions of the residential experience of non- traditionally aged persons (between the ages of 18-64), living in the Long Term Care (LTC) setting. Prior research identifies non-traditionally aged persons as the fastest growing group admitting to residential LTC care. Due to the complexity of need, younger residents may potentially languish in LTC for twenty, thirty, or more years. Non-traditionally aged residents currently comprise about 15% of the total residential LTC population; yet, little is known about this burgeoning group of younger persons, including how they perceive themselves as residents in LTC settings and how they …

Women’S Socio-Economic Empowerment And Uptake Of Hiv Testing In Ethiopia, Dawit Alemu

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Sub-Sahran Africa constitute two-thirds of all people living with HIV in the world. HIV infection rate is high in the continent with women comprising 56% of new HIV infections among adults 15 and older. Women 15 to 24 are the most affected constituting 66 % of new infections occurring among this age group. The purpose of this study was to examine how gender power relations between men and women affect health seeking behavior, particularly HIV testing, among Ethiopian women age15 to 49.

Methods: The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) from 2016 served as the data source for …

The Effect Of Patient Financial Liability On Physical Therapy Utilization And Patient Reported Outcomes For Patients With Low Back Pain: An Instrumental Variable Analysis, Adam D. Lutz

Theses and Dissertations

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common orthopedic complaint managed by physical therapists in the United States. Insurance plans that require greater patient financial liability per physical therapy visit are thought to disincentivize participation in recommended physical therapy plans of care. The primary purpose of this investigation was to use instrumental variable regression to investigate the effect of insurancemediated patient financial liability per visit on physical therapy visit count and functional patient reported outcomes. The secondary purpose of the study was to examine the generalizability of results to the broader excluded patient population—and beyond to patients that seek physical …

Predicting Change In Autism Symptomatology In Young Children At Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder: Fragile X Syndrome, Down Syndrome And Non-Syndromic Asd, Kelly Elizabeth Caravella

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of two manuscripts which examine the longitudinal development of autism symptomatology in young children at risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD); individuals with Fragile x syndrome (FXS) and Down syndrome (DS). The first study is a within group analysis of the longitudinal development of ASD symptomatology in young children with FXS, and how diagnostic stability, language and non-verbal cognitive functioning may predict these trajectories. This paper provides insight into ASD diagnostic stability patterns within FXS, and how symptoms change over time across these groups. The second paper will extend this work by presenting a pilot …

Sound-Evoked Activations Of Visual Cortex And The Principles Of Multisensory Integration, Spencer Lawrence Mac Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Multisensory integration (MSI) refers to the neural processes that integrate information from multiple different sensory systems and follows three established principles: the spatial, temporal and inverse effectiveness principles. Evidence now suggests that MSI can occur at the earliest stages of sensory processing in primary sensory cortices, including audiovisual integration in primary visual cortex; however, the mechanism responsible for audio-visual MSI enhancements remains elusive. Recently, unimodally presented sounds have been shown to activate visual cortex; however, no research has been conducted to evaluate if these sound-evoked responses reflect the auditory contribution to audiovisual integration in primary visual cortex. Here we conducted …

Fighting For The Users: Using Action Research To Examine The Impact Of Sustained Dialogue Through Effective Instructor Feedback On Student Satisfaction In An Online Undergraduate Course: A Dissertation In Practice, Timothy Paul Lombardo

Theses and Dissertations

As online courses continue to gain popularity in higher education, there is a need to ensure instructors are providing effective instructional feedback. Research in the theory of transactional distance points out the impact instructor interaction has on student satisfaction in courses. One way to address this is through high amounts of dialogue, feedback in this study. Throughout my years of teaching an online undergraduate course, students have continually reported in course evaluations the existence of a miscommunication gap. However, specific details around this request have been minimal. The purpose of this qualitative, action research study was to examine the impact …

Investigating Adult Learner Perseverance Through Practitioner Inquiry: Learning From The Voices Of Students And Teachers, Lisa H. Justice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to examine, through the process of action research and design of practitioner inquiry, the experiences of students and teachers in an adult learning program in order to better understand the problem of adult learner perseverance. The program is located in a rural community in the Southeastern United States and serves adults ages seventeen and older who do not have a high school diploma. Often, these specific adult learners are saddled with barriers that prevent their success in our program, and adult educators face challenges themselves to find ways to support learner perseverance. The …