Digital Commons Network^™

Decision-Support Tool For Residential Pesticides In The South Carolina Coastal Zone, Lisa Claire Wickliffe

Theses and Dissertations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with ensuring pesticides do not pose unreasonable adverse risks to the public and to the environment. This is a daunting task with over one billion pounds of pesticides used across the nation each year. The U.S. EPA estimates approximately 75% of all pesticide usage in the U.S. are agricultural while 25% is for home, garden, industrial, commercial, and government applications. One area of application of concern to public health and the environment regarding misuse of pesticides is in residential settings. In these instances, individuals may not have any knowledge of identifying whether they …

Outsmarting The Brain: Augmenting Motor Training With Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation In Order To Facilitate Plasticity-Dependent, Functional Improvement Within The Motor Cortex, Raymond Joseph Butts

Theses and Dissertations

Brain stimulation techniques capable of optimizing cortical plasticity may provide the key to improved therapeutic techniques and functional outcomes. The primary aim of this dissertation was to examine the potential of motor training (MT) augmented with intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS). The secondary aim was to investigate whether the training would also be advantageous to older-adults. We hypothesized that right-handed, college-age students exposed to the treatment (n=17) would perform better short-term (directly following MT) and long-term (24 hours and 7 days following MT) on motor-skill retention tests than students receiving sham stimulation (n=14). …

The Effects Of A High Fat Diet On Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Inflammation In The Brain., Lauren Suzanne Vervaecke

Theses and Dissertations

INTRO: High fat diets (HFD) ingested over long periods of time have been shown to cause diet induced obesity leading to excessive adiposity and chronic low grade inflammation. Here we have shown how differing levels of saturated fats (SF), which are common storage fats, affect markers of inflammation and mitochondrial biogenesis. IL-1â and TNF-alpha are pro-inflammatory cytokines that have been shown to increase with a HFD, while molecular signalers, PGC-1alpha, cyt c, and SIRT1, related to mitochondrial biogenesis have been shown to decrease. Despite the risks of consuming a diet high in SF's, consumers continue to buy energy dense foods …

I Can Be Silent And Be Saying A Lot: Teachers' Racial Literacy In A Southern Elementary School, Kimberly J. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

In order to better understand how teachers make sense of race in schools today, this ethnographic study explores the following research question: How do teachers in this school make sense of race, and how does the spatiality of the school inform this process? The study was conducted over a 14-month period in a southern elementary school and is presented as a poetic, narrative, and thematic analysis of the connections between the geographic location of this particular school and the teachers' practices, pedagogies, and conversations about race both inside their classrooms and in other school spaces. This study demonstrates how teachers' …

La Quête D'Identité À Travers La Quête De L'Autre Dans Le Cinéma De Cédric Klapisch, Jade Marie Mathieu

Theses and Dissertations

Malgré une présence extrêmement populaire dans le cinéma français depuis la sortie de son premier film, Riens du Tout, en 1992, Cédric Klapisch est un cinéaste en général peu étudié. Pourtant, si ses comédies séduisent le public, c'est avant tout par leur côté réaliste, avec lequel de nombreux spectateurs peuvent s'identifier. Dans ses premiers films, Klapisch semble avant tout s'adresser aux jeunes en quête d'eux-mêmes, grâce à L'Auberge Espagnole, qui reste son film le plus célèbre, ou à la comédie Le Péril Jeune. Pourtant, au fil de son évolution, le cinéaste met un point d'honneur à intégrer cet esprit de …

Unique Perspectives And Struggles Of Parents Rearing Children With Phenylketonuria With Unaffected Siblings, Cassandra Nicole Hollinger

Theses and Dissertations

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal metabolic condition that is screened for via newborn screening. Individuals who are identified as having PKU require a protein-restricted diet to protect against neurological damage. Many parents who learn their child has PKU may already have children who are not affected, or may have children later who are not affected. This creates a unique situation in which parents are rearing children that require a strict protein-restricted diet with children who do not. Parents who are currently rearing children with and without PKU were surveyed to learn what unique perspectives and struggles they face, especially regarding …

The Relationship Of South Carolina Teachers' Work-Related Stress With Years Of Experience, Feelings And Coping Strategy, Michelle Munnell

Theses and Dissertations

Background. Stress has been found to affect workers in various occupations, and teaching appears particularly stressful. Work-Related Stress (WRS) affects teachers and people with whom they interact. Previous research suggests WRS may be related to characteristics including teaching experience, feelings, and coping strategy. Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate further the relationship of teacher stress, while expanding the investigation in several areas: utilizing a different geographic population, broadening the focus to generic WRS, and including teachers with less experience. Current model builds on Kyriacou and Sutcliffe's (1978) and Tolbert's (2007) teacher stress models. This study examined relationships …

Shifting Landscapes: The Social And Economic Development Of Aqaba, Jordan, Kimberly K. Cavanagh

Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation, 'Shifting Landscapes: the Social and Economic Development of Aqaba, Jordan', I examine the role of the global in (re)defining the local by considering the anticipated impact of the planned large-scale urban development within Aqaba. I contend that the identities of the citizens change as the city itself undergoes `renovation' through political adjustments, globalization, tourism development, and commercialization. I argue that these transformations provide opportunities of empowerment, albeit often limited, for marginalized populations who attempt to broaden the dominant local identity by taking advantage of new economic opportunities and increasing their agency within the city. This research provides …

Evaluating The Impact Of Fishery-Related Claw Removal On Diet, Consumption Rate, Energetics And Reproduction In The Florida Stone Crab (Menippe Spp.), Jessica Mary Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

Many global fisheries are overexploited and working towards the development of sustainable fishing methods. Claw based crab fisheries, such as the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria, M. adina, and hybrids) fishery, use unique fishing techniques that reduce the overall mortality of harvested organisms. For example, the Florida stone crab fishery is regulated by requiring that fisherman only harvest crab claws and requires that fishermen return the live crab to the water following harvesting. This process takes advantage of the ability of crabs to autotomize and regenerate their claws, and enables crabs to re-enter the fishery in subsequent years if they …

Re:Creation, Heather Boone

Theses and Dissertations

This intent of this project is to explore the importance of handmade objects in the age of information.

Experience As An Experiment, James Walker

Theses and Dissertations

My work is an exploration of new media that demonstrates the influence a community has on visual communication. The community reveals content as objects go unnoticed after they become a permanent part of the landscape and assumptions are made from cultural archetypes. Through exploration, immersion, and reflection, I am able to recognize the invisible and expected, establish a familiarity with a community, and design responses that communicate directly to it.

Transforming Narratives, Lucia Weilein

Theses and Dissertations

Narrative, often considered synonymous with “story,” can be viewed from a structuralist perspective and analyzed independent of any particular content. Breaking narrative into categories of story and discourse, this autonomous structure makes possible a translation of content from one form to another. The various media and form types common in graphic design can serve as both recipient and translator of narratives, converting content into a framework that includes the concept of craftsmanship, aesthetic components and specifications, legibility and composition, and the physical form of the designed object. To examine how this framework functions in practice, I have developed a series …

Cannabinoid Modulation Of Hiv-1 Tat-Stimulated Adhesion Of Macrophage-Like Cells To The Extracellular Matrix, Johnathan Drevik

Theses and Dissertations

HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HANDs) are becoming one of the largest problems in patients infected with HIV-1. The ability of infected cells such as monocytes and microglial cells to act as viral reservoirs causes extreme inflammation in the CNS and has led to several different types of neurocognitive problems. Specifically these HIV-1 infected monocytes are able to secrete inflammatory factors such as the regulatory protein Tat which acts as a chemoattractant for monocytes while also promoting the adhesion of leukocytes to the extracellular matrix (ECM). We have shown that one of the major features of the Tat protein is that it …

Assessment Of The Feasibility Of Co-Administration Of Phenolic Dietary Compounds With Phenylephrine To Increase Its Bioavailability, Zhenxian Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

R-(-)-Phenylephrine (PE) is the most commonly used nonprescription oral nasal decongestant in the United States. It is a selective α1-adrenergic receptor agonist and has many years of safe usage. However, the efficacy of PE is controversial, due to its extensive pre-systemic metabolism, which leads to low and variable oral bioavailability (38 ± 9%, mean ± SD). Sulfation plays a very important role in pre-systemic metabolism of PE. The sulfation of PE occurs at its phenolic group, which is the preferred structural feature of many sulfotransferase (SULT) substrates. Compounds with phenolic groups have similar structures to PE, which may share the …

Thc-Mediated Induction Of Δfosb And Its Modulation Of Cb1r Signaling And Adaptation, Lazenka Matthew

Theses and Dissertations

The main psychoactive and therapeutic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are mediated through cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs). The therapeutic uses of THC are mitigated by the development of tolerance to these therapeutic effects, whereas tolerance does not readily develop to some of the side-effects of THC, like motor impairment and reward. The development of tolerance occurs through adaptations at CB1Rs, which include desensitization (G-protein uncoupling) and downregulation (receptor degradation). Brain region-dependent differences in THC-mediated adaptations are proposed to explain the differences in tolerance to various THC-mediated effects. These studies focused on whether ΔFosB, a stable transcription factor, could regulate CB1R …

Child Sexual Abuse In The Media: Is Institutional Failure To Blame?, Jane Long Weatherred

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a longitudinal content analysis study of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States national news media from 2002 through 2012. It finds that the U.S. national news media have shifted their focus from individual level causes to societal level causes for CSA. This shift has implications for changes in institutional policies and child protection laws throughout the country.

High Fat Diet Induced Obesity In A Mouse Model For Colorectal Cancer, Kennerly Clinton Patrick

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is widely correlated with the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). The exact mechanisms that link obesity to CRC risk have not yet been fully established, and only a limited number of animal models are available to study pathways involved in obesity-related colon carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of HFD-induced obesity on AOM/DSS-mediated colorectal tumorigenesis, tumor proliferation, and symptom severity. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a novel high fat diet, designed to mimic the standard American diet (12 % saturated fat & 28 % unsaturated fat), at 4 weeks of age until 16 weeks …

What?: Visual Interpretations Of The Miscommunication Between The Hearing And Deaf, Virginia Shou

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis visualizes the communication challenges both latent and obvious of my daily life as a hard of hearing individual. By focusing on a variety of experiences and examples I demonstrate the implications of a hard of hearing individual’s life. The prints, objects and videos that I have created for my visual thesis aim to enrich the understanding of a broader public on issues regularly faced by Deaf people. At the heart of my work my goal is to generate mutual empathy between the hearing and the Deaf.

Altar And Stage: Liturgical Drama In Three Theatrical Traditions, Patrick Kenneth Boos

Theses and Dissertations

This paper compares the historical, religious and political situations surrounding the origins of three important dramaturgical texts: Regularis Concordia in tenth-century England, The Natyasastra in seventh-century India, and Zeami's Fushikaden of fifteenth-century Muromaki Japan. It attempts to explore and identify the ways that their corresponding theatres have their roots in liturgical practice, and how those liturgical practices are intricately tied up in the historical and political situations in which they came to be. The fundamental qualities of theatre which I explore are five key areas in which the three traditions, surprisingly, converge as often as they diverge: in their emphasis …

Conrad Susa's Discovery And Praises: A Conductor's Guide To Performance Considerations, Keith Harry Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Conrad Susa (b. 1935) is an American composer who has contributed over thirty choral works that are of high quality incorporating texts written by well-known literary figures. His choral works are usually spiritual in nature though not strictly liturgical. Discovery and Praises is a presently unpublished cantata in four movements for mixed chorus, solos for two sopranos, an alto, a tenor, and a baritone. The accompaniment is scored for organ, harp, percussion, flute and handbells. Susa chose to set ancient poetry by Caedmon, Wipo of Burgundy, John Donne, and St. Patrick. Although the piece was composed in 1966 and revised …

Bioassay Guided Fractionation Of American Ginseng. A Hexane Fraction Of American Ginseng Suppresses Colitis And Associated Colon Cancer. Mechanism Of Action., Deepak Poudyal

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) [Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD)] is a group of chronic disorders of unknown etiology characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract associated with a high colon cancer risk. UC is characterized by periods of active disease ("flare-ups"), followed by periods when the disease is inactive ("remission"). The end result is an abnormal immune response with repeated episodes of colonic inflammation. Conventional treatment of UC by aminosalicylates, TNFα inhibitors, and steroids have modest effects, and come with a high risk of side effects including dyspeptic symptoms, gastric ulceration and sometimes hospitalization and deaths. Because of …

Plant Virus Based Materials For Cell Alignment And Differentiation, Elizabeth Balizan

Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on developing and using plant virus based scaffolds to understand substrate control over cell alignment and differentiation. The first part of this work centered on development of virus based patterns that were then used to align and elongate aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Virus patterns were generated in capillary tubes via a simple drying method. Three experimental parameters were used to control pattern formation: (1) protein concentration, (2) salt concentration, and (3) hydrophobicity of the pre-deposition surface. By controlling these parameters several aspects of the final virus patterns were controlled. First, virus orientation was controlled. Patterns were …

The Role Of The Trickster Figure And Four Afro-Caribbean Meta-Tropes In The Realization Of Agency By Three Slave Protagonists, David Sebastian Cross

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I aim to demonstrate that the figure of the trickster is a key trope for the achievement of agency by the narrators of the three slave narratives Autobiografia de un esclavo, "Routes in North Africa by Abu Bekr es siddik" [sic], and Biografia de un cimarron. I also intend to show how both the realization of the trickster's role and the achievement of agency to which such a role is oriented are dependent on the use of the four Afro-Caribbean meta-tropes ndoki, nkisi, nganga, and simbi. To demonstrate this, I plan to analyze these four meta-tropes; their …

William, Allison Marie Mcnutt

Theses and Dissertations

William is a novel that examines the lives of a pair of protagonists who are separated by approximately three hundred years of history. Liam is a modern history PhD who studies the colonial south, specializing in the years immediately following the pioneering period of Carolana rice cultivation around the turn of the eighteenth century; this is the middle ground after survival in the colony was largely secured, but when social hierarchies and racial allegiances were still in flux as the cash crop best suited to the coastal settlements had only just been discovered. Will is Liam's historical counterpart and lives …

Complexity And Salience: Evaluating The Inter-Scene Variability Of Animated Choropleth Maps, Michael Dubois

Theses and Dissertations

Animated choropleth maps allow for the compilation of potentially massive time-series datasets which can portray space-time change in a congruent manner. They are also becoming increasingly common for data visualization. When users view and interact with these maps, however, there is the likelihood that the human cognitive-perceptual system may be overwhelmed by a large number of simultaneous changes in each scene: this so-called `change blindness' is a common malady when viewing successive scenes, unless scene-to-scene graphical changes are salient enough to attract the fixation of the user. Even then, there may be a limit to the number of simultaneous changes …

Rewriting The Human: Death Anxiety And Posthuman Vision In Literature Since 1945, John Allen Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

ISS_para>The technology-driven years following the close of World War II provided a new lens through which the human subject could be rethought and, theoretically, improved: no longer did physical and mental shortcomings have to limit the capacity of the individual. The atomic bomb and Colossus computer, though destructive forces, pushed scientists and philosophers to consider new models of the human, including flesh/machine amalgamation and reinscription as downloadable, digital information. While these posthuman constructions promised to distance the human from its material shortcomings, especially its vulnerability to bodily decay and death, they encountered significant resistance in the twentieth century.

By …

Insects As Indicators Of Environmental Stress, De Anna Estella Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

In the face of climate change-related events and anthropogenic disturbances, understanding the impacts of these events on species richness, abundance and distribution is important for us to mitigate biodiversity loss and better predict consequences for the environment and for human life. Insects are excellent models for understanding the consequences of environmental stress due to the sensitivity of their development and behavior. The overall focus of my dissertation research is the investigation of fluctuating asymmetry and oviposition behavior as indicators of environmental stress. My research includes a meta-analysis of published literature, and empirical research that was part of a collaborative initiative …

Characterizing Hypoxia And Its Behavioral Effects In 3-Dimensional Cell Aggregates, Matthew Lorincz Skiles

Theses and Dissertations

Cell transplantation can be considered a regenerative therapy, an intervention which attempts to replace or restore the function of compromised tissue by harnessing innate properties of cells that cannot be replicated artificially. For such therapies to succeed, it will be necessary to understand and closely match the physiological conditions that govern cell behaviors in vivo. One important factor is low oxygen tension, termed hypoxia, which is often overlooked in vitro. Because oxygen insufficiency can lead to cell death, hypoxia has traditionally been viewed as a negative condition. However, hypoxia can also serve as a potent regulator of crucial cell behaviors …

Policing Alcohol And Related Crimes On Campus, Andrea Nicole Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that college students drink alcohol frequently and heavily. This can compromise their health and well-being. Student drinking is also tied to crime. While prior work explores the nature and extent of crimes involving alcohol on campus, to date no study has examined how police handle these incidents or crime generally. This study fills that gap in the literature. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected by observing and interviewing campus officers at a large Southeastern university as they navigated through encounters with citizens. Findings include the following. Officers handle a variety of crimes, and do not have a single-faceted …

Impact Of Physical Activity In The Prevention Of Colorectal Cancer, Sarah Ashley Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

This review evaluates the current understanding of research on the impact of physical activity in the prevention of colorectal cancer. Current biological mechanisms implicated in physical activity and colorectal cancer risk reduction are blood glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, leptin and adiponectin profiles, inflammation as well as secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), an exercise induced myokine. Recent literature indicates that 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day is effective against colorectal cancer development, and there is convincing evidence of aerobic exercise as differently beneficial in recruiting mechanisms identified as preventative against colorectal cancer. This article provides …