Digital Commons Network^™

Seeking Solutions: The Impact Of State Policies On Mental And Behavioral Health, Angela Shoulders

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of state-level policies aimed at improving access to mental and behavioral health treatment in the United States. Using rigorous quasi-experimental methods and a variety of data sources, the three manuscripts analyze the effects of distinct but related policies: naloxone co-prescription laws, psychologist prescription privileges, and mental health parity laws mandating timely access to care. The findings suggest that naloxone co-prescription laws lead to unintended consequences, including an increase in opioid overdose deaths among certain demographics. The analyses of psychologist prescribing privileges show expanding prescribing privileges to psychologists increases the availability of mental health providers without …

Shared Trauma: An Evolutionary Model Concept Analysis In Light Of Covid-19, April Hutto, Phyllis Raynor Phd, Aprn, Pmhnp-Bc, Beverly Baliko Phd, Rn, Pmhnp-Bc

Publications

Shared trauma (ST) is a term historically applied to social work experiences, but other healthcare professionals (HCP) also experience ST. With the occurrence of COVID-19, ST has impacted HCP globally and has led to new discoveries and more questions regarding its scope, impact and duration. This article aims to explore the concept of ST applied to nurses in light of COVID-19 using the Rogers and Knafl Evolutionary Model for Concept Analysis. Further examination and evolution of ‘shared trauma’, particularly during COVID-19, has led to the development of an adapted model to explore the implications of ST on health-related outcomes for …

From Classical To Contemporary: Popular Music's Role In Shaping Opera And Vocal Training, Craig Allen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advocates for the integration of contemporary popular music into classical voice education, addressing the evolving landscape of the performing arts. As the boundary between classical and popular music fades, incorporating popular elements into traditional opera training equips performers for modern industry demands.

The first chapter offers a historical analysis, tracing opera’s origins from the late 16th century and showing how popular music influenced its development. Composers incorporated folk melodies and dance rhythms into early opera, setting a precedent for blending styles. Contemporary operas, such as Nkeiru Okoye’s Harriet Tubman and Nmon Ford’s House of Orfeus, continue this tradition, …

An Examination Of Civil Asset Forfeiture In South Carolina, Jeffrey Trowbridge

Theses and Dissertations

Civil asset forfeiture allows the government to seize and forfeit property that is associated with criminal activity without arresting or charging the property owner. Although expansive in its potential application, little is understood about the characteristics of civil asset forfeiture cases, the property owners involved in forfeiture cases, or the characteristics of any criminal cases pursued parallel to the civil cases. Utilizing open-source, public court records, this dissertation provides an exploratory analysis of these gaps in the literature by examining the types of civil asset forfeiture used, the value of asset forfeiture cases, how money from asset forfeiture is divided …

Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries: A Study On The Integration Of Social Studies Within Elementary Ela Education, Jill Knight

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study investigates the integration of social studies within English Language Arts (ELA) education, highlighting the challenges educators face in balancing curriculum demands amid increasing literacy and math instruction pressures. With over 20 years of experience teaching high school history, the researcher identified a concerning decline in social studies education at the elementary level, a situation worsened by legislative measures such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which prioritize tested subjects. The primary aim of this study was to collaborate with elementary teachers to explore their perceptions and experiences related …

Bayesian Nonparametric Models For Pooled Data, Yizeng Li

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines two applications of pooling: group testing and pooled biomonitoring. Group testing, introduced by Dorfman in the early 1940s, was initially developed to screen for syphilis among U.S. inductees during World War II. Since then, the approach has demonstrated cost-saving benefits in diverse fields, including drug discovery, genetics, and infectious disease testing. While various regression methods—parametric, nonparametric, and semiparametric—have been proposed to analyze group testing data, they fall short in addressing age-related disparities in disease presence if such variations exist. In Chapter 2, we address this gap by expanding varying coefficient regression within a Bayesian framework to accommodate …

Investigating Student Engagement Through The Implementation Of A Performance Task In Secondary Mathematics: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, Sulema Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Through teaching experiences in the math classroom, students voiced that solving mathematical problems did not benefit them in the real-world. This study discussed the use of a performance task in a high school geometry class as a way to engage students, increase their confidence when solving math problems, and determine the impact they have on engagement compared to supportive assignments. Students' perspectives were used as one measure in determining engagement, alongside, my perspective of using a tally table. Through the use of a performance task that connected to the life experiences, students’ perspectives proved that implementation increased their engagement in …

Inspecting The Foundations Of Natural Law Ethics And Politics: Looking For Cracks, Detecting Gaps, And Considering The Edifice That Can Be Built Thereon, Adam D. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I inspect the foundations of natural law ethics and politics. The inspection involves looking for cracks, detecting gaps, and considering the edifice that can be built thereon. To do so, I critically examine several of the many concepts and principles that are constitutive of those foundations. Some of my examination is done by means of direct consideration of such concepts and principles. And some of it is done by addressing such concepts and principles indirectly as I address questions about practical ethical or political concerns including: how can public officials make decisions that are not biased, what …

Panic At The Library: Origins And Manifestations Of Library And Technology Anxiety In High School Sophomores, Kelly A. Guistwhite

Theses and Dissertations

Constance Mellon formally identified library anxiety in the mid-1980s. Library anxiety can result in students avoiding the library, its resources, and its staff. Students with library anxiety perform worse on academic tasks than their more comfortable peers. Library anxiety causes procrastination on assignments and undermines academic success. Technology anxiety has evolved with library anxiety changing as new information technology becomes available. This exploratory research investigated to what extent library and technology anxiety manifests among sophomore students, the relationship between library anxiety and technology anxiety, and the perception of online services at Maple Bluff and Scarlett Woods High Schools. This study …

The State Math Assessment, I-Ready Diagnostic, And The State Accountability Plan: Is This An Assessment System To Support Learning For All Students?, Beverly Quinn

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between a state high-stakes summative mathematics assessment and an interim third-party math diagnostic assessment and data literacy among teachers in a Southeastern school district. Despite ongoing federal and state accountability efforts, the gap between policy intentions and student achievement continues to grow. In this quantitative correlational study, the relationship between the Spring 2023 state summative and interim assessment data for fourth and eighth-grade students was examined. Additionally, the Teacher Data Usage Survey (TDUS) responses were analyzed to examine how teachers utilize assessment data in instructional practices. Data were reported as percentages of responses per category …

Multi-Level Factors Associated With Hiv Late Presentation With Advanced Disease And Delay Time Of Diagnosis In South Carolina, 2005–2019, Fanghui Shi, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Shujie Chen, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Zhenlong Li, Sharon Weissman, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This study explored individual- and county-level risk factors of late presentation with advanced disease (LPAD) among people with HIV (PWH) and their longer delay time from infection to diagnosis in South Carolina (SC), using SC statewide Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS). LPAD was defined as having an AIDS diagnosis within three months of initial HIV diagnosis, and delay time from HIV infection to diagnosis was estimated using CD4 depletion model. 3,733 (41.88%) out of 8,913 adult PWH diagnosed from 2005 to 2019 in SC were LPAD, and the median delay time was 13.04 years. Based on the generalized estimating equations …

Reframing And Advancing Academic Mentorship To Support New And Early Career Faculty Members, Juanita-Dawne R. Bacsu, Patricia C. Heyn, Steffi Kim, Zahra Rahemi, Monique J. Brown, Darina V. Petrovsky, Justine S. Sefcik, Jodi L. Southerland, Jeremy Holloway, Elyse Couch, Ayse Malatyali, Matthew L. Smith

Faculty Publications

Mentorship is critical to fostering professional growth and career development in academia. However, academic mentorship is often an informal activity that is overlooked and under researched. There is much ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding mentorship roles and strategies in academia. This paper provides recommendations and strategies to reframe and advance academic mentorship to support new and early career faculty.

Allura Red Ac Is A Xenobiotic. Is It Also A Carcinogen?, Lorne J. Hofseth Ph.D., James Hébert Scd, Elizabeth Angela Murphy, Erica Trauner, Athul Vikas, Quinn Harris, Alexander A. Chumanevich

Faculty Publications

Merriam-Webster and Oxford define a xenobiotic as any substance foreign to living systems. Allura Red AC (a.k.a., E129; FD&C Red No. 40), a synthetic food dye extensively used in manufacturing ultra-processed foods and therefore highly prevalent in our food supply, falls under this category. The surge in synthetic food dye consumption during the 70s and 80s was followed by an epidemic of metabolic diseases and the emergence of early-onset colorectal cancer in the 1990s. This temporal association raises significant concerns, particularly given the widespread inclusion of synthetic food dyes in ultra-processed products, notably those marketed toward children. Given its interactions …

Allura Red Ac Is A Xenobiotic. Is It Also A Carcinogen?, Lorne J. Hofseth, James R. Hébert Scd, Elizabeth Angela Murphy, Erica Trauner, Athul Vikas, Quinn Harris, Alexander A. Chumanevich

Faculty Publications

Merriam-Webster and Oxford define a xenobiotic as any substance foreign to living systems. Allura Red AC (a.k.a., E129; FD&C Red No. 40), a synthetic food dye extensively used in manufacturing ultra-processed foods and therefore highly prevalent in our food supply, falls under this category. The surge in synthetic food dye consumption during the 70s and 80s was followed by an epidemic of metabolic diseases and the emergence of early-onset colorectal cancer in the 1990s. This temporal association raises significant concerns, particularly given the widespread inclusion of synthetic food dyes in ultra-processed products, notably those marketed toward children. Given its interactions …

Temporal Forecasting Of High-Rate Dynamic Using Physics-Informed Machine Learning And Hardware-Software Co-Design, Puja Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Due to aging, fatigue, corrosion, and even natural disasters; the health of the structure is prone to degradation throughout its service life. The explosively-fast growing efforts on Structural health monitoring (SHM) always try to exploit different aspects of the automation of damage detection, localization, and prognosis tasks. One of the main challenges is the hardware and software co-design to implement the model in real-life situations. On the other hand, the fast-advancing artificial intelligence draws the researchers' attention to adopt different data-driven approaches in this field. This brings other challenges like domain-specific model adaptation, data bias, data scarcity, model validation by …

Perceptions Of Virtual Reality In Cardiac Pharmacy Education, Morgan E. Mendes

Senior Theses

Background: The reformation of how educational content is portrayed is not a new phenomenon. However, the world of pharmacy has been slow to adapt, particularly considering higher education’s declining attendance rates and less engaging lectures. XR can be a great addition to learners’ curriculum, particularly VR, with various applications including adjunctive pharmacotherapy, patient counseling, pharmacist training, and pharmacological modeling. Despite the various barriers VR integration faces, the benefits of VR necessitate its future implementation into our COP curriculum as an augmentative form of learning.

Methods: An independent study of 11 students at the UofSC COP was conducted in the Spring …

Autonomous Real-Time Model Updating Within Digital Twin Frameworks For Thermal Systems, Braden Robert Priddy

Theses and Dissertations

As engineering systems increase in scale and complexity in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, data-driven solutions will become essential in enabling the next generation of these systems. One of the trending tools that can aid in this transition is digital twins. As physical systems degrade throughout their life cycles, their behavior also changes. Digital twins use data assimilation to continuously update virtual models to represent the current state of their physical counterparts. A reliable digital twin can be leveraged by a system operator to perform diagnostics, optimize, and tests without ever needing the physical system. However, implementing effective …

Discovering Therapeutic Strategies In Colorectal Cancer Via Synthetic Lethal Genetic Screens On Patient-Derived Organoid Models, Sana Khalili

Theses and Dissertations

Precision medicine is a revolutionary approach of targeting genetic alterations that are present only in tumor cells to find vulnerabilities that can be targeted with therapy. Identifying genetic dependencies in human colon cancer could help identify effective treatment strategies. Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screens can reveal all genetic dependencies, some of which could be exploited as therapeutic targets using existing drugs.

In this dissertation, I comprehensively characterized genetic dependencies present in a colon cancer organoid avatar, and validated tumor-specific selectivity of select pharmacologic agents. I identified all somatic mutations, all expressed genes, and conducted a genome-wide CRISPR dropout screen to elucidate …

Impacts Of Ing4-Deficiency On Hematopoietic Stem And Progenitor Cells & Characterizing The Concerns Of Novice Stem Graduate Teaching Assistant, Georgina Alice Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The hematopoietic compartment is tasked with the establishment and maintenance of the entire blood program in steady-state and in response to stress. Key to this process are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which possess the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate to replenish blood cells throughout an organism’s lifetime. Recent work has illustrated the vast mechanisms involved in regulating stress-induced hematopoiesis, including cytokine-mediated lineage bias, gene signature changes in aged HSCs associated with chronic inflammation, the impact of clonal hematopoiesis and stress tolerance. Inhibitor of Growth 4 (Ing4) has been identified as a critical regulator of HSC homeostasis. We show that …

Inducing And Interpreting Physical Transformation In Electroacoustic Chamber Music Via Experimental Applications Of Modular Synthesizers, Joseph Samuel Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most rapidly evolving musical genres of the 21st century is interactive electroacoustic chamber music. This is primarily due to the ongoing developments in creative technology that have increased both the idiom's technical accessibility and its potential for artistic expression. In particular, modern modular synthesizers enable electroacoustic musicians to transform the physical characteristics of sound with an extremely fine level of control. This research project has three major goals. The first goal is to explore the relationship between the many disciplines involved in this genre of music through a review of the scholarship of Aleister Crowley, Edgard Varèse, …

Mitochondrial Function In The Maternal Brain: A New Perspective On Gestational Stress And Pathology Of Postpartum Depression, Erin Rene Gorman-Sandler

Theses and Dissertations

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major psychiatric complication of childbirth, affecting up to 20% of mothers, yet remains understudied. Mitochondria, dynamic organelles crucial for cell homeostasis and energy production, share links with many of the proposed mechanisms underlying PPD pathology. Brain mitochondrial function is affected by stress, a major risk factor for development of PPD, and is linked to avoidance and social behaviors. Considering the importance of mitochondria in regulating brain function and behavior, we hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with behavioral alterations in a chronic stress-induced rat model of PPD. Chronic mild unpredictable (CMUS) stress during late gestation …

Practicing Strategy And Performance Preparation Of György Ligeti’S Musica Ricercata., Xiyao Wang

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923–2006) is renowned as one of the most significant composers of the twentieth century. Musicians around the world have admired his innovative musical language. “Through the 1950s and 1960s, he went from composing in the style of his countryman Béla Bartók to working at the cutting edge of the Western European avant-garde.” His folk elements and avant-garde compositional techniques expanded through various genres, including orchestral, chamber, and keyboard compositions. This study's primary purpose is to explore Ligeti's piano work Musica Ricercata and ultimately provide a resource to other musicians that will assist in preparing and …

Multi-Scale Ai-Assisted Gene Expression Decoding, Fengyao Yan

Theses and Dissertations

Genes can be treated as a graph that can be mapped. Tremendous information is coded in genes to ensure a complex functioning organism. Decoding this information is critical to understanding our biology and developing treatments for various diseases including cancer. Deep learning, a new branch of computer science, has gained traction over the past decade. It offers more insight into the data that is processed by the deeplearning models. Our study has shown that deep-learning models can be an effective tool in decoding genetic data such as gene tissue-deconvolution, gene graph mapping and genomic imputation. In tasks such as tissue …

Reaction Toward Potential Resurgent Multiple Risks: Understanding Risk Information Seeking And Behavior In The Post-Pandemic Era, Shudan Huang

Theses and Dissertations

This study applies the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to understand how individuals seek and process information related to overlapping pandemics, including COVID-19, flu, monkeypox, and polio. These overlapping health crises have created a complex media environment, contributing to pandemic fatigue, information overload, and varied preventive behaviors. The research explores how pandemic fatigue influences informational behaviors—such as information seeking, processing, and avoidance—and how these behaviors, in turn, predict preventive behavioral intentions.

Using an online survey of 443 participants, structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that information insufficiency positively predicts both information seeking and …

Real-Time Robot Pose Estimation For Industry 4.0: Enhancing Motion Validation And Monitoring With A Vision-Based Framework, Jad Samaha

Theses and Dissertations

Amidst the era of Industry 4.0, robots became integral to automated production lines by performing complex tasks with high precision and adapting to changing production needs in real-time. Therefore, ensuring their precise and reliable operation is paramount for maintaining high-quality standards and operational efficiency. This invoked the need for an automated motion validation tool that guarantees accurate program task execution, by detecting deviations or anomalies that may indicate mechanical faults or software errors. Given the exponential advancements in AI, particularly in Computer Vision, a vision-based solution is ideal for ensuring the correct positioning of a robot in real-time. Operating independently …

Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Algorithms To Improve Low Birthweight Prediction, Yang Ren

Theses and Dissertations

Low birthweight (LBW) is a major public health issue resulting in increased neonatal mortality and long-term health complications. Traditional LBW analysis methods, focusing on incidence rates and risk factors through statistical models, often struggle with complex unseen data, and thus, their effectiveness is limited in early prevention of LBW, requiring more advanced LBW prediction models. Therefore, this dissertation delves into this important research area by proposing and examining novel machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms, aiming to predict LBW more accurately during the early stage of pregnancy. This dissertation consists of three studies, strategically designed to build upon …

"I Don't Want To Be Anywhere Near That Word!": The Experiences Of Jewish College Students Navigating Antisemitism, Sandra Greene

Theses and Dissertations

This comics-based research study was guided by HebCrit (Rubin, 2020) and explored the experiences of eight Jewish college students navigating antisemitism. This study was guided by four research questions including, (1) What are Jewish college students’ experiences with antisemitism?, (2) How do Jewish college students respond to personal experiences with antisemitism?, (3) How do Jewish college students respond to rising rates of antisemitism?, and (4) How does antisemitism intersect with other forms of oppression (e.g., racism, misogyny, etc.) for Jewish college students?

This study was conducted at a predominantly white and Christian university in the Southeastern United States with a …

Assessing The Accuracy, Validity, And Application Of A New Method For Sex Estimation Using Isotopic Ratios Of Fe, Cu, And Zn In Human Bone, Elizabeth Anne Wakefield

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the accuracy, validity, and application of a novel sex determination method based on isotopic variations in copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) within human bone, initially developed by Jaouen et al. (2012). The primary aim of this research was to test the reproducibility of the method, expand the sample to include a broader age range and ethnically diverse groups, and assess its applicability in forensic contexts using contemporary skeletal samples. Bone samples were collected from 60 individuals across two curated skeletal collections: the George S. Huntington Skeletal Collection and the Texas State Forensic Anthropology Donated Skeletal Collection. The …

Creating A Quality Feedback System Between School Administrators And Teachers, Gerald Keith Price

Theses and Dissertations

After moving to a new school district as superintendent, I recognized early on that student achievement was low and intentional work needed to be done to bring about academic improvement. As the district leadership team began to explore causes and discuss possible solutions, we decided we needed to focus on changing the perception around instructional leadership. School administrators are much more likely to have mutual dialogue with their teachers when they assume the role of a coach rather than a superior. With open lines of communication, teachers and administrators are able to discuss ways to maximize learning time with students …

Does Digital Deepen Discourse? A Case Study Of How Middle School Teachers Use Eureka Math2 To Promote High-Quality Mathematics Classroom Discussions, Michael Wilson Street

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate how teachers use Eureka Math² (EM²) curriculum and technology tools to promote high-quality mathematics classroom discussions. Research has indicated these discussions improve students’ mathematical knowledge, reasoning, and conceptual understanding. However, orchestrating these discussions is challenging, requiring adaptive thinking, deep content knowledge, and an unfamiliar facilitation role; implementing technology presents an additional challenge. This study was guided by three research questions. First, how and to what extent do teachers use EM² curriculum and technology tools to promote high-quality mathematics classroom discussions? Second, what are the perceptions of teachers about …