Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of A Literacy Program On Summer Reading Setback: Providing Access To Books And Project-Based Learning, Tiffany Gayle Robles

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the impact of a summer literacy program on summer reading setback. Gaining Ground is a summer intervention program designed primarily for economically disadvantaged students in Grades K–5. By granting access to self-selected books and implementing project-based curriculum, Gaining Ground aims to improve reading proficiency during the summer break. Faucet theory illuminated the challenge of reaching and maintaining proficiency over break, and constructivism and self-determination theory framed the program’s efforts to resolve this problem.

As the curriculum director, I used mixed methods to assess Gaining Ground’s impact. Quantitative methods revealed maintenance, improvement, or decline in student …

The Right To (Human) Counsel: Real Responsibility For Artificial Intelligence, Keith Swisher

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Navigating Rough Waters: Empowering Law Students To Act As Navigators For The Unrepresented, Alicia M. Forehand

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Sound Of Geological Targets On Mars From The Absolute Intensity Of Laser-Induced Sparks Shock Waves, C. Alvarez-Llamas, J. Laserna, J. Moros, P. Purohit, L. García-Gómez, S. M. Angel Ph.D., P. Bernardi, B. Bousquet, A. Cadu, E. Dauson, O. Forni, T. Fouchet, O. Gasnault, X. Jacob, G. Lacombe, N. L. Lanza, C. Larmat, J. Lasue, R. D. Lorenz, P. Y. Meslin, D. Mimoun, F. Montmessin, N. Murdoch, A. M. Ollila, P. Pilleri, N. Randazzo, A. L. Reyes-Newell, S. Schröder, A. Stott, J. Ten Cate, A. Udry, D. Vogt

Faculty Publications

Inspection of geological material is one of the main goals of the Perseverance rover during its journey across the landscape of the Jezero crater in Mars. NASA's rover integrates SuperCam, an instrument capable of performing standoff characterization of samples using a variety of techniques. Among those tools, SuperCam can perform laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) studies to elucidate the chemical composition of the targets of interest. Data from optical spectroscopy can be supplemented by simultaneously-produced laser-produced plasma acoustics in order to expand the information acquired from the probed rocks thanks to the SuperCam's microphone (MIC) as it can be synchronized with …

Better Days: A Minority Student’S Pathway Toward Upward Social Mobility, Brandi Nichole Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, many minority group members have lower social status and fewer economic resources than whites. In order to advance their social status, these individuals set goals that provide them access to more economic capital, many of which include obtaining a college degree. It must also be noted, however, that minority individuals, particularly those of African American and Hispanic descent, possess many alternative types of social and cultural capital that assist them in achieving their goals (Strayhorn, 2010). This qualitative study, designed to explore the types of cultural capital minority students use to achieve their career goals, analyzes …

Automated Fiber Placement Through Thickness Defect Stacking Optimization, Noah Christopher Swingle

Theses and Dissertations

In its 2022 commercial market outlook, Boeing forecasted an 80% increase in the global fleet through 2041 compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. This sharp rise in demand will drive pressure onto airframe manufacturers to ramp up production and find more efficient ways to design and manufacture airplanes. Complicating this challenge is the industry’s recent transformation from traditional metal-based airframes towards hybrid composite-metal aircraft. While composites have been used in aviation for decades, aircraft manufacturers are still struggling to design and manufacture quality parts at a high rate. Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is one of the main manufacturing techniques used to …

Through The Looking Glass: Professional Responsibility, The Public Interest, And The Future Of Legal Ethics And Lawyer Regulation In The United States: Speech: Welcome And Opening Remarks, William C. Hubbard

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Law School Faculty

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

In Re Anonymous Applicant For Admission To The South Carolina Bar, O. Gracie Fowler

South Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

1, 2, 3: Counting On Problem Based Learning To Improve Mathematical Achievement In African American Students, Kelley P. Spahr

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics is an important component of our everyday lives. It involves necessary skills, such as computation, problem solving, and critical thinking. In spite of this, a significant portion of our students are unable to demonstrate proficiency. These students are typically the underserved, marginalized students who are over represented in remedial classes and behavioral statistics (Gibson, 2022; Harper, 2010, 2021; Zilanawala, et al., 2018). This research study presented two instructional interventions, culturally relevant pedagogy and problem-based learning, to examine the impact of self-efficacy, critical thinking, and mathematical achievement. This study utilized a mixed-methods triangulation design. The participants of this study were …

Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics And Nutrient Cycling In Marine And Lacustrine Benthic Communities, Corrianna R. Boucher

Theses and Dissertations

The delivery of biodetritus to the sediment water interface supports a complex series of biogeochemical reactions collectively referred to as early diagenesis. From the abyssal ocean to littoral freshwater ecosystems, this work explores the dynamics of these reactions in deep ocean detrital aggregates and lacustrine benthic algal mats. In the ocean, periods of increased export flux to abyssal depths increase the organic carbon export as aggregates to the seafloor while in littoral freshwater, proliferations of benthic algae such as Microseira wollei have grown to fill much of the shallow water column they inhabit.

Data collected at Station M (Sta. M) …

Teaching About Transfer: Making The Invisible Visible Through Explicit Instruction, Brittany Morgan Capps

Theses and Dissertations

Transfer of learning—or the act of adapting previously learned knowledge to new contexts—is an inherently complex process made even more mystifying by its often unconscious and therefore “invisible” occurrence. Writing, too, is a complicated activity that depends on and responds to a number of internal and external factors. Transferring writing knowledge, then, is a challenging task for writers of all experience levels. Researchers in writing studies have designed curricula intended to help college students transfer writing skills, knowledge, and practices from the writing classroom to other disciplinary and workplace contexts. Those teaching for transfer (TFT) and writing about writing (WAW) …

The Impact Of Progerin On Genome Maintenance In Mammalian Cells, Liza Alexandra Joudeh

Theses and Dissertations

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic condition characterized by accelerated aging. The cause of HGPS is a point mutation in the LMNA gene, which encodes lamins A and the splice variant lamin C. Lamins are components of the nuclear lamina, a complex that plays structural and catalytic roles in the nucleus that are essential to chromatin organization, DNA replication, and DNA repair. The mutation associated with HGPS activates a cryptic splice donor site which alters the lamin A protein in a way that does not allow prelamin A to be fully processed, and ultimately results in the accumulation …

Cdk8 And Cdk19 Mediator Kinases As Novel Targets In Advanced Prostate Cancer, Jing Li

Theses and Dissertations

Following androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), prostate cancers (PCa) progress to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) status, where their growth becomes independent of androgen signaling, through altered androgen receptor (AR) signaling or other genetic or transcriptional changes. Metastatic CRPC remains incurable, and the most potent new drugs prolong survival by only a few months. There is an urgent need for novel agents against advanced CRPC. Here we have investigated the roles of CDK8 and CDK19, two isoforms of Mediator kinase, which regulates transcriptional reprogramming, in regard to their biological activities and as potential novel targets for the treatment of CRPC.

To …

Prevalence, Disparities, And Health Outcomes In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Dementia, And Mild Cognitive Impairment, Xiaomo Xiong

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), an umbrella term to describe progressive neurodegenerative disorders linked to cognitive impairment and dementia, impose significant disease and economic burdens on the patients. Therefore, understanding the prevalence of these disorders is crucial, particularly for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an intermediate phase between normal aging and dementia that may be reversible through early detection and intervention. Moreover, it is essential to identify the predictors of MCI to facilitate early detection. Additionally, addressing the existing health disparities in the prevalence and treatment of ADRD and MCI is imperative to help improve patients’ health outcomes. Meanwhile, …

Molecular Mediators Of Axonal Transport And Local Translation Of Cdc42, Rhoa Molecular Mediators Of Axonal Transport And Local Translation Of And Calreticulin Mrnas And Their Implications For Axon Growth And Regeneration, Matthew Davis Zdradzinski

Theses and Dissertations

Neurons are highly polarized cells with expansive cytoplasmic processes, axons and dendrites, which create unique subcellular domains. Localization and translation of mRNAs in these subcellular regions is now recognized as a critical mechanism through which polarized cells establish and maintain the specialized domains that are needed for their functions. RNA profiling studies have uncovered hundreds to thousands of mRNAs in axons and these axonal mRNA profiles differ across neuronal populations, physiological conditions, and developmental growth states. Functionally organizing these mRNA populations into cohorts of coregulated mRNAs via RNA binding proteins allows us to better understand how the transcriptome is regulated …

Empowering Teachers To Support Mtss Students: An Action Research Study, Sahalija Dentico

Theses and Dissertations

In 2018, the elementary school where I serve as an instructional interventionist adopted a data-based multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). Although our process has evolved over the years, I saw room for improvement. Therefore, the purpose of this action research study was to improve the MTSS process at my school, specifically by addressing teachers’ lack of awareness of their role. Framing the study with a combination of social cognitive theory and curriculum ideologies, I explored 12 English language arts teachers’ perceptions of the MTSS model, curricular views, and sense of self-efficacy. Through a two-phase, mixed-method approach, I investigated how sharing …

Exploring Literary Responses To Culturally Relevant Texts Through An Asiancrit Lens: A Collective Case Study Of Chinese American Students In A Community-Based Book Club, Wenyu Guo

Theses and Dissertations

Building on AsianCrit, reader response theory, and critical literacy perspective, this dissertation study investigated how second-generation Chinese American students at age eight to twelve respond to culturally relevant texts which portray contemporary and historical Chinese American people’s lives and experiences in the United States. In addition, this study explored how these students negotiate their understanding of race, racism, and anti-Asian racism through associating with the stories, their everyday experiences, family traditions, and interactions with peers and researcher in a community-based book club. Specifically, this study examined how students of Chinese descent respond to xenophobia, discrimination, and racism towards Asian people, …

What Are They Thinking?: A Qualitative Study Of Secondary Students’ Critical Thinking In Online Classes, Scott Allan Nolt

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study emerged in response to students’ struggle to understand what critical thinking is and teachers’ corresponding struggle to develop students’ critical thinking skills. In my role as an instructional designer, I studied student and teacher reactions to interdisciplinary course design that used disciplinary inquiry, problem-posing, and concept-based online learning. The primarily qualitative study focused on students’ reflections across five different social studies and English courses, along with interview data from their teachers and post-course survey data. Exploring how students experience instruction designed to develop their critical thinking skills and how instruction in critical thinking impacts students’ critical …

Where Race Has No Place: English Teachers’ Efforts To Maintain Space For Diversity In The Ela Classroom, Muzical D. Waite

Theses and Dissertations

The anti-critical race theory movement began in 2020, propelled by the fear of topics on race and racism overtaking lesson objectives, course content, and class discussion, and, in turn, making some students feel uncomfortable (Duhaney, 2022). Opposition to critical race theory (CRT) and any initiative considered adjacent to the concept, such as the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, set in motion legislative proposals in nearly every state and enactment in many (Greene, 2022). Anti- CRT regulation of the content and activities teachers can use comes at a time when American student enrollment has never been more diverse (Carrillo, 2022). …

Exploring Chinese International Students’ Motivational Factors In Non-Mandatory Event Participation, Aimin Liao

Theses and Dissertations

This action research investigated Chinese international students’ motivational/demotivational factors and their perspectives on Virginia Tech’s non-mandatory events. The theoretical framework guided the research questions, literature reviews, and data design collection/analysis process. The self-determination theory provided the primary motivational factors for Chinese international students. The literacy/discourse theory explained their difficulties when practicing secondary Discourses in an American college. This action research utilized open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews to understand Chinese international students’ motivations, struggles, and feedback in non-mandatory event participation. The qualitative research findings indicated that Chinese international students are motivated by autonomy, competency, and relatedness. Some Chinese international students’ inadequate …

Colored Lawyer, Topeka: The Legend And Legacy Of Elisa Scott, Jeffery Scott Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Attorney Elisha Scott’s reputation for fighting injustice grew so large he received letters addressed only, “Colored Lawyer, Topeka, Kansas.” He was born in obscurity in 1890, but his death made national news in 1963. Scott’s story may not be known at all if his name was not often listed as counsel in Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 case that desegregated public schools. But it was his sons who filed the case and helped fight it from Topeka to the United States Supreme Court. He was never officially part of the legal team. He had, however, won a …

Prosecutorial Discretion: District Attorneys, Public Opinion,And The Localized Rule Of Law, Yu-Hsien Sung

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses three fundamental questions regarding the politics of prosecutorial behavior. Specifically, it examines how the selectors of prosecutors influence prosecutorial decision-making under different selection methods, including electionbased systems and appointment-based systems. By using a political responsiveness framework and utilizing empirical strategies, including an experiment and the construction of prosecutor policy position data, this study offers novel insights into the subject. First, I find that voters care about prosecutors’ issue positions and rely on various cues to identify candidates whose policy positions align with their preferences, even in low-information elections. Second, elections show promise as a mechanism for holding …

Liquid Cooling System For A High Power, Medium Frequency, And Medium Voltage Isolated Power Converter, Hooman Taghavi

Theses and Dissertations

Controlling and transforming electrical power from one form into another is the Primary function of the power electronics systems that are employed today. These systems have a wide variety of applications and are utilized in things like industrial automation, electric cars, consumer electronics, and renewable energy systems, among other things. The functioning of power electronics systems results in the production of a substantial quantity of heat, despite the fact that these systems are very dependable and efficient. This heat must be dispersed to preserve system performance and avoid component damage. By ensuring that the working temperature of the components stays …

Statistical Methods For Single Cell Sequencing Data Analysis, Fei Qin

Theses and Dissertations

The recent emergence of single cell sequencing (SCS) technology has provided us with single-cell DNA or RNA sequencing (scDNA/RNA-seq) information to investigate cellular evolutionary relationships. Despite many analysis methods have been developed to infer intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, cluster cellular subclones, detect genetic mutations, and investigate spatially variable (SV) genes, exploring SCS data remains statistically challenging due to its noisy nature.

To identify subclones with scDNA-seq data, many existing studies use an independent statistical model to detect copy number profile in the first step, followed by classical clustering methods for subclone identification in downstream analyses. However, spurious results might be generated …

Comprehensive Method For Clarinet Latin American Music Heritage Case Study – Venezuela, Carmen Teresa Borregales

Theses and Dissertations

Latin American music and music-making have much to offer in their performance traditions and richness of genres, which demand technical proficiency and musicianship. In particular, some contemporary new music for clarinet carries traditional elements, including rhythmic patterns, accentuation, articulation, harmonic progressions, and instrumentation, among others. This study proposes an innovative approach to technical practice and skill development for clarinet, based on twelve etudes for clarinet, commissioned from twelve outstanding Venezuelan composers who explore Venezuelan traditional music genres. The results represent a comprehensive method for clarinet, appropriate for advanced-level players, and its application to pedagogical and performance practices.

Measurement Of The Total Cross-Section Of Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Coherent Pion Production In Nova Near Detector, Kuruppumullage Don Chatura Dilshan Kuruppu

Theses and Dissertations

Charged Current (CC) coherent neutrino-nucleus pion production is characterized by small momentum transferred to the nucleus, which is left in its ground state. Despite the relatively large uncertainties on the production cross-section, coherent production of mesons by neutrinos represents an important process, as it can shed light on the structure of the weak current and can also constitute a potential source of background for modern neutrino oscillation experiments and searches for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics. This Ph.D. thesis presents a new measurement of CC coherent pion production in the NOvA near detector at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). …

Modulation Of Eif2Α Signaling And The Integrated Stress Response By Targeted Therapeutic Attenuation Of Pkr Activity Contributes To Protection Of Dyt-Prkra Cells From Apoptosis, Kenneth L. Frederick

Theses and Dissertations

Luteolin is a natural flavonoid present in vegetables, fruits, and medicinal herbs that possesses anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of luteolin on the integrated stress response (ISR), which is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular signaling network essential for adapting to environmental stresses to maintain healthy cells. Dysregulated ISR is involved in the etiology of many human diseases including the movement disorder DYT-PRKRA which is caused by mutations in the PRKRA gene. PRKRA encodes for PACT, the protein activator of interferon-induced, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase PKR.PACT-mediated PKR activation regulates the …

Increasing Math Knowledge In 3Rd Grade: Evaluating Student Use & Teacher Perceptions Of Imagine Math, Paoze Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Students across the nation struggle with learning mathematics for a variety of reasons such as the abstract nature, there is only one correct answer and how math is foundational. With the recent increase in the use of digital programs, school districts across the nation have turned to digital math programs for math intervention and learning. School district leaders must weigh costs, effectiveness, and teacher perceptions. Eighty-seven percent of the third grade students at Reyes Elementary nearly met or did not meet California math standards, prompting the school to adopt Imagine Math. The purpose of this research was to evaluate if …

The Effects Of Poly-Strengths On Psychological Wellbeing Amongst Young Adults With Childhood Poly-Victimization, Nakisa Asefnia

Theses and Dissertations

The field of trauma and victimization has undergone many evolutions in its efforts to conceptualize the impacts of victimization and more recently poly-victimization. Poly-victimization refers to the experiencing of multiple types of victimization over the lifespan. This has led to an ever-growing base of literature highlighting the many deleterious effects of these experiences on individuals’ wellbeing, and the factors which may make a person more vulnerable to victimization. However, a growing movement in the field aims to take a more strengths-based perspective that highlights the resilience of individuals, rather than risk factors, in the hopes of better understanding the factors …