Digital Commons Network^™

How Culture Shapes Personality: A Preliminary Study, Hing Man Amy Wong

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relevance of a collectivistic personality attribute indigenous to the Chinese culture to non-Asian collectivistic cultures. To measure this attribute, the CPAI-2 Interpersonal Relatedness factor scales were administered to current college students who self-identified as Mexican American, Chinese American, or Caucasian. Only less acculturated Mexican American and Chinese American participants, as measured by the ARMSA-II or SL-ASIA, respectively, were included in the analysis. Although the Mexican American and Chinese American participants did not significantly differ from one another, these two groups did significantly differ from the Caucasian participants on two scales, Traditionalism-Modernity …

Change From The Inside Out In Tanzania: Investigating Change In A Nonprofit Organization In Bagamoyo, Tanzania, Through Participatory Action Research, Katherine N. Balk

Theses and Dissertations

All over the globe, nonprofit organizations aim to strengthen communities while struggling with the restraints of limited resources. This research study involved Participatory Action Research (PAR) to examine how to build internal capacity in one such organization in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. This study was a partnership between me (the academic researcher) and organizational members and stakeholders of the Baobab Home. Through interviews and meetings, the project focus involved creating written contracts. Over the course of five meetings, contracts were researched, policies and procedures were discussed, and formal contracts were created in Swahili. Findings include a discussion of the role of the …

Called To Lead: An Examination Into The Phenomenon Of Calling, Hughie Jackson Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Perhaps the most widely known episode of a calling is the burning bush experience of Moses, leader of Israel's sojourn to freedom from Egyptian captivity. At present, the phenomenon of being called to a place, vocation, or career has limited social science research. Indeed, prior to the middle of the 21st century this concept was lacking both theoretically and empirically. Any coverage of the subject of a calling was primarily found in religious periodicals and similar publications (Newman, 2006). In 2007, Scott attempted to advance the discourse on career development by examining callings and the corollary meanings which college students …

In Search Of A Practice: Large-Scale Moderation In A Massive Online Community, Sheila Saden Pisa

Theses and Dissertations

People are increasingly looking to online social communities as ways of communicating. However, even as participation in social networking is increasing, online communities often fail to coalesce. Noted success factors for online communities are linked to the community's purpose and culture. They are also related to structures that allow for increased volume of exchange and quality of conversation. Ravelry.com provides a case of a successful, large-scale, online community that has information exchange and conversation as its foci. These activities are supported through the work of thousands of volunteer moderators who sometimes manage groups with more than 3 million members. However, …

Maintaining Adolescent Sobriety With Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: An Experiential Learning Intervention Guide, Elizabeth Jane Ledbetter

Theses and Dissertations

Given the prevalence of substance abuse among American adolescents, the implementation of innovative treatment modalities is highly indicated. The practice of animal assisted therapy, specifically equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), has been demonstrated to effect positive changes and personal growth within participants and is suggested within this work to be applicable to adolescents in residential substance abuse treatment facilities. Due to the benefits evidenced by the therapeutic modality of EAP, participation is hypothesized to promote and maintain abstinence among this population. Thus, this project focused on highlighting the empirical evidence associated with animal assisted therapy, particularly EAP, as well as reviewing …

Evaluation Of Mass Media Campaigns To Change Smokers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors In China And Taiwan, Li-Ling Huang

Theses and Dissertations

Research in high income countries (HICs) suggest that anti-smoking television advertisements are most effective if they contain emotionally evocative graphic messages or personal testimonials that depict serious consequences from smoking. The ability to effectively translate these messaging strategies to low- and middle-income (LMICs) countries outside of Western cultures remains understudied. It is critical to determine which smoking cessation messages work best in LMICs because they increasingly bear the global burden of tobacco-related disease. To date there is limited evidence on the efficacy of tobacco control mass media campaigns and the relative effectiveness of different tobacco control messaging strategies in China …

Three Musical Translations For Trumpet And Organ Based On Visual Artwork., John Harrison Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

Composers Petr Eben, Anthony Plog, and Jennifer Mitchell were each inspired by works of visual art to write pieces of music for trumpet and organ that sonically reflect their visual experiences. The main purpose of this document is to explore the unique "musical translation" the composers made of each respective work of visual art. In addition to providing valuable commentary and advice for informed performance, this document offers a complete formal analysis of each work.

Adverse Outcome Pathways: A Framework For Identifying Chemical Mode Of Action During Zebrafish Embryogenesis, Krystle Yozzo

Theses and Dissertations

Human health and ecological risk assessors are currently facing increased demands and public pressure to evaluate the potential risk of hundreds to thousands of chemicals based on limited toxicity data. Therefore, scientifically sound models are needed to predict toxicity without sole reliance on conventional whole-organism (vertebrate) bioassays. To help address this challenge, adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) have recently been proposed as conceptual tools to help link direct, molecular-level initiating events to adverse outcomes at higher levels of biological organization. Additionally, using AOPs as frameworks, high-throughput screening (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) assays have been recently proposed as key components of …

The Effect Of Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors On Bone Marrow Derived Cells In The Intestinal Tumor Microenvironment, Grishma Acharya

Theses and Dissertations

Tumors have come to be known as independently functioning complex organs consisting of cancer cells coexisting with a heterogeneous mixture of host-derived non-neoplastic cells that form the tumor stroma. Tumor survival, progression, and metastasis depend on multiple close interactions between the cancer cells and the tumor stromal cells. These tumor stromal cells are mainly bone marrow derived cells (BMDCs) that are recruited to the primary tumor and sites of metastasis by a variety of signals secreted by the cancer cells. Because of the close interaction between the tumor and the tumor stroma, we propose that tumor stromal cells play an …

Uncovering The Structures In Ecological Networks: Multiple Techniques For Multiple Purposes, Peng Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Ecosystem structure and function are the product of biological and ecological elements and their connections and interactions. Understanding structure and process in ecosystems is critical to ecological studies. Ecological networks, based on simple concepts in which biological and ecological elements are depicted as nodes with relationships between them described as links, have been recognized as a valuable means of clarifying the relationship between structures and process in ecosystems. Ecological network analysis has benefited from the advancement of techniques in social science, computer science, and mathematics, but attention must be paid to whether the designs of these techniques follow ecological principles …

Using Multivariate Pattern Analysis To Identify Conceptual Knowledge Representation In The Brain, Jing Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Representation of semantic knowledge is an important aspect of cognitive function. The processing of concrete (e.g., book) and abstract (e.g., freedom) semantic concepts show systematic differences on various behavioral measures in both healthy and clinical populations. However, previous studies examining the difference in the neural substrates correlating with abstract and concrete concept representations have reached inconsistent conclusions. This dissertation used multiple novel data analyses approaches on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, to investigate representational differences of abstract and concrete concepts and to provide converging evidence that the representations of abstract and concrete semantic knowledge in the brain rely on …

Linking Obesity To Colorectal Cancer: Recent Insights Into Plausible Biological Mechanisms, Catherine Guffey

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has emerged as a leading environmental risk factor for the development of CRC. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have not yet been fully explained. Recent literature has focused on 1) inflammatory processes, 2) adipokines, and 3) estrogen. Obesity-enhanced inflammation is largely orchestrated by increases in adipose tissue macrophages leading to the secretion of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and IL-6, all of which are linked to CRC. Adiponectin is decreased with obesity and has been reported to be negatively associated with CRC, while leptin, which is increased, is positively associated with the disease. Estrogen has been shown to influence CRC, although …

Estimation Of Aerosolized Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Concentrations From Wastewater Treatment Facilities Using Spatially-Based Dispersion Modeling, Renee Nichole Dickman

Theses and Dissertations

Pathogenic bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics to which they were previously sensitive, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. The increase in drug resistance in bacteria is an emerging public health concern. The activated sludge tanks of wastewater treatment plants are known sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These resistant bacteria can become aerosolized and disperse downwind. Using previously sampled aerosol concentrations and meteorological data, a Gaussian dispersion model was developed to estimate the concentration downwind from a selected wastewater treatment facility. The emission rate was calculated to be 7,941 CFU/m²/sec ± 2,149 CFU/m²/sec. This value was used in …

The Effects Of Attentional Focus Cues And Feedback On Motor Skill Learning In Children, Melanie Elizabeth Perreault

Theses and Dissertations

Considerable research over the past decade has produced overwhelming evidence to support the motor learning advantage associated with an external focus of attention. Despite this robust finding, very few studies have investigated attentional focus effects with children. This is surprising given that considerable information processing differences exist between children and adults that have the potential to influence motor performance and learning. Therefore, two studies were conducted to determine the effect of attentional focus cues and feedback on motor learning in children. In the first study, 42 children ages 9 to 11 were recruited from an afterschool program and randomly assigned …

Teacher Perceptions Of Global Citizenship Education In A Southern Elementary Public School: Implications For Curriculum And Pedagogy, Tamela Jett

Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum for global citizenship education is gaining momentum as countries have experienced an increase in interdependence and interconnectedness through technology over the last century. Through qualitative research, this study employed a phenomenological methodology to understand how ten female elementary teachers in grades third- through fifth- at the site of the present study, located in Mundo Pax Elementary School (MPES), define global citizenship and how these teachers utilized their personal definitions to shape their curriculum within their classrooms. The data were collected through semi-structured personal interviews, the school-wide curriculum, teacher lesson plans, and final products projects. The researcher used the program …

A Teacher's Perceptions Of Inquiry: Where Inquiry Experiences, Beliefs And Practice Intersect, Michelle Avila Vanderburg

Theses and Dissertations

Linda Darling-Hammond (2008), a member of President Obama's education transition team, published a collection of chapters, each written by prominent researchers in the field of education. Throughout this compilation, the idea of using inquiry in the classroom was heralded again and again. Darling-Hammond argued for the "implementation of inquiry-based curriculum that engages children in extended, constructive work, often in collaborative groups, and subsequently demands a good deal of self-regulated inquiry" (p. 13). Significant in Darling-Hammond's message was that educators need to provide students with experiences that allow them to become inquirers who can construct their own knowledge. However, while the …

The Impact Of Age And Executive Function On Susceptibility To Misinformation, Michelle Phillips-Meek

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the impact of age and executive function on susceptibility to misinformation. A total of 41 healthy young (19-31) and older (59-77) adults were presented with visual misinformation in a paradigm originally used by Okado and Stark (2005). Participants then completed a recognition memory task while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Participants also completed a series of cognitive measures used to assess executive function. Results showed that age and executive function were both significant predictors of recognition memory accuracy. Activity in brain regions associated with conflict processing was greater for accurate versus false memory …

A Novel Approach To The Design Of Selective Inhibitors For Cell Cycle Cyclin Dependent Kinases, Tracy Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

CDK2/cyclin A and CDK4/cyclin D1 are proven targets for cancer drug discovery. The development of novel CDK inhibitors, with high selectivity, are being investigated by targeting the cyclin binding groove (CBG) located on the cyclin, the regulatory subunit of CDK. The CBG is a shallow area that is involved in signaling and the inhibition of cell cycle CDKs via endogenous tumor suppressors. Currently, non-peptidic inhibitors are being developed based on the recognition amino acid sequence, HAKRRLIF, of the C-terminal peptide sequence of the CDK inhibitor p21WAF1. Computational design and the utilization of non-natural amino acids are being proposed to identify …

Models And Software Development For Interval-Censored Data, Chun Pan

Theses and Dissertations

Interval-censored time-to-event data occur naturally in studies of diseases where the symptoms are not directly observable, and periodic clinical examinations are required for detection. Due to the lack of well-established procedures, interval-censored data have been conventionally treated as right-censored data, however, this introduces bias at the first place. This dissertation focuses on methodological research and software development for interval-censored data. Specifically, it consists of three projects. The first project is to create an R package for regression analysis and survival curve estimation of interval-censored data based on several published papers by our research team. In the second project, a Bayesian …

The Effect Of Αct-1 Peptide On Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Following Injury, Adam Clay Vandergriff

Theses and Dissertations

Connexin43 (Cx43) is a component of gap junctions and is involved in intercel- lular signaling following injury to tissues. The carboxyl terminus of Cx43 binds to the PDZ2 domain of ZO-1 in order to form gap junction plaques and connect to the cytoskeleton. A biomimetic peptide known as αCT-1, replicating the last 9 amino acids found in the carboxyl terminus of CX43, has been shown to improve wound healing by preferentially binding to the PDZ2 domain of ZO-1. A possible mecha- nism for its action is through the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation (EMT). Scratch assays were performed on rat bone marrow stromal …

The Music Of James Reese Europe For Vernon And Irene Castle, Ralph G. Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

James Reese Europe (1881-1919) was one of the leading African American musicians of the first two decades of the twentieth century. He was renowned as a conductor of theater and dance orchestras, a composer of syncopated dance music and popular song, and an advocate for improved opportunities and remuneration for African American professional musicians in New York. From late 1913 until mid-1915, Europe was musical director for the popular exhibition dance team of Vernon (1887-1918) and Irene (1893-1969) Castle. During their brief career, the Castle's were instrumental in changing the sordid image of social dancing during America's 'dance craze' of …

Some Assembly Required, Anthony Feggans

Theses and Dissertations

'Some Assembly Required' is a short story collection that explores the construction and deconstruction of identity within various fields of interest, generally hobbies or professions, and the type of people who do those professions or hobbies. It also explores dynamics of familial and romantic relationships.

Climate Change Effects On Vibrio Bacteria In The Winyah Bay Estuary And The Projected Spread Of Vibrio Under Future Climatic Scenarios., Reem Deeb

Theses and Dissertations

While there are several studies on the distribution ofVibrio vulnificusandVibrio parahaemolyticusin estuarine waters around the world, there is little information on the distribution of both organisms in South Carolina waters. Monthly sampling of surface and bottom water from 9 sites in Winyah Bay was conducted over the period April-October 2012. Both organisms were enumerated on CHROMagarVibriomedia. TheVibriocounts obtained were mainly less than 20 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/ml which is typical for what was found elsewhere along the coast of the Carolinas. TheVibrio vulnificuscounts were the highest when salinity ranged between 5 ppt and 20 ppt.Vibrio parahaemolyticusdid not show a clear …

A Preliminary Study Exploring Racial Differences In Triage, Hospitalization Status, And Discharge Medication In An Emergency Department In Graniteville, Sc, Clare Pollock

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

This study seeks to identify any racial differences present in assigned triage scores, hospitalization status and discharge medications in a rural hospital likely experiencing a surge after a mass casualty incident involving chlorine gas as a result of a train derailment. Differences were examined between Non-Hispanic White and African American adults who were moderately ill and who presented to the emergency department of the closest hospital to the accident site within 24 hours of the incident.

Methods

Non-Hispanic White and African American adults who presented to the emergency department of the closest hospital to the accident site and who …

Associations Between Resting Metabolic Rate And Energy Storage In Young Adults, Robin Shook

Theses and Dissertations

At the most basic level obesity is the result of a chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. However, the exact etiology is considerably more complex and may involve a variety of physiological and behavioral factors. Metabolic disturbances, including reduced fat oxidation as measured by the respiratory quotient (RQ) and reduced resting metabolic rate (RMR), have been identified as possible predictors of changes in body weight and body composition. RMR represents the largest component (60-80%) of caloric expenditure that contributes to total daily energy expenditure in humans and has high inter-person variability (±25%) but not within individuals (<±5%). The cause of this variability between individuals and the exact role of RMR and RQ in determining body weight and body composition are uncertain.

This …

Characterization Of The Role Of Fro6 In Metal Homeostasis In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Margo Ellen Maynes

Theses and Dissertations

Iron deficiency is the most common human nutritional disorder in the world today, affecting approximately 2 billon people worldwide, almost a third of the world's population. For most of the world's population, plant foods serve as the major source of dietary iron. One approach that may contribute towards the solution of iron deficiency is the development of crop plants that contain higher levels of bioavailable iron. This project focuses on FRO6, a ferric chelate reductase in Arabidopsis thaliana that is thought to reduce apoplastic iron for transport across the plasma membrane in leaf cells. We hypothesize therefore that FRO6 controls …

Trophic Response To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Copper In Tidal Flats Of North Inlet, South Carolina, Leslie Lynn Muggelberg

Theses and Dissertations

The trophic link between benthic microalgae (BMA) and fiddler crabs is critical for the ecosystem functioning of estuaries and alterations in this linkage by anthropogenic activities could have cascading impacts on food webs and biogeochemical cycling in these sensitive habitats. Singular and interactive effects of two common pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and copper (Cu), were investigated by exposing field collected sediment communities to the contaminants and measuring changes in BMA biomass and community composition in a bioassay design. The consequential impacts on the food web were then explored by examining the effects of PAHs and copper …

The Role Of Host-Tumor Interactions In Liver Metastasis Of Colorectal Cancer, Yu Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Colon cancer is the third most frequent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Liver metastasis is the major cause of death in colon cancer. Successful metastases depend on productive collaborations between tumor cells and host-derived cells in the tumor microenvironment, target organ environments, and cells in the hematopoietic compartment.

To identify the host-tumor interactions promoting liver metastasis and their molecular and cellular mediators, an orthotopic mouse model of liver metastasis of colon cancer was established that recapitulates all stages of tumor growth and metastasis. A highly metastatic mouse carcinoma cell line CT26-FL3 was …

Care As The Essential Element In Teacher And Student Interactions: Examining Dialogue As A Vehicle For Building A Caring Environment, Crystal Plumley Mcswain

Theses and Dissertations

This present study considers to what extent dialogue between teachers and students can support a caring environment. Research investigating behavior and qualities of effective teaching has been liked with caring relationships (Anfara & Schmid, 2007; Marzano, 2007; Noddings, 2005). "Relationships and instruction are not an either-or-proposition, but rather an incredible combination." (Brown, 2010, p. 10) The present study will examine to what extent dialogue, as one of the components of a proposed model of caring, can build a caring environment in seventh grade classrooms at a local middle school (Noddings, 2005, p.53). Specifically, dialogue skills such as intonation, empathy, respect, …

A Veterinary Science Initiative: An Analysis Of Impact And Future Directions For Humane Education And Collaborative Partnerships, Brittany Watson Tisa

Theses and Dissertations

Humane education research is limited in its scope and structure and this has led to its inability to find a place in standard curriculum. As resources become scarcer for school districts and shelters, proving efficacy of programs is essential for successful partnerships and program achievements. VSI: Veterinary Science Initiative is a program developed by the education team at the Charleston Animal Society as a model for cooperative education between shelters, veterinarians, and other private organizations to collaborate with local school districts, while also conducting research about how this curriculum benefits student knowledge, organizational awareness, and community engagement.