Digital Commons Network^™

A Call To Every Citizen: The South Carolina State Council Of Defense And World War I, Allison Baker

Theses and Dissertations

The South Carolina State Council of Defense (SCSCD), under the auspices of the Council of National Defense (CND), worked to convince citizens to voluntarily change their daily habits in the name of the World War I home front effort. The CND developed programs designed to get people to eat less of specific foods, cut back on unnecessary spending, and to participate in war bond drives like the liberty loans. The SCSCD brought the national programs to the local level. This project also demonstrates the strained relationship between the SCSCD and its auxiliary organizations, the Woman’s Committee and the Colored Branch. …

Barriers To Success: Refugee Mobility In The New South Immigrant Gateway City Of Columbia, Sc, Usa, Alysha V. Baratta

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores mobility and service access of refugees who have been resettled in a non-traditional smaller-city immigrant destination of Columbia, South Carolina. I show that delivery of basic refugee social services varies based on support from individual states while federal expectations for refugees to reach economic selfsufficiency are applied equally across the US. I argue that mobility is a major challenge in obtaining these goals, further exacerbated in the context of a smaller resettlement site. Although redistribution to smaller metropolitan areas may provide refugees safer and more affordable housing, less spatial distance to traverse (Mott, 2010), they often lack …

Morphogenic Effects Of Dopamine In Cultured Rat Hippocampal Astrocytes, Ashley L. Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

Dopamine is critical for processing of reward and addictive behaviors brought about by drugs of abuse. Scientific investigation of drugs of abuse and their effects on CNS function has traditionally been directed at understanding the role of neurons. However, astrocytes, which constitute approximately half of all human brain cells, play a dynamic role in many essential nervous system functions, including neurotransmission, ion homeostasis, and immune defense. Dopamine effects on astrocytes have been historically understudied, yet research indicates that astrocytes express dopamine receptors and are sensitive to dopaminergic activity. Importantly, astrocytes, comprise a morphologically heterogeneous population of cells, and a distinction …

The Roots Of Perspective In The American Context: News Media Discourse And Stakeholder Perspectives About The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Nicholas Younginer

Theses and Dissertations

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves 46 million people but is controversial. The media is positioned to influence political and public opinions about SNAP policy. This study identifies the SNAP media discourse and investigates perspectives of SNAP participants and frontline workers about the program.

I employed a mixed-methods design with two aims. Aim 1 gathered 295 articles across six news outlets, semi-inductively coding the articles for characters, assignment of responsibility, and framing of the article. I then ran chi-square tests for difference between employed frame and responsibility and employed frame and political ideology.

Aim 2 collected a sample of 20 …

Empowering The Enemy: The Cold War And The East-West Battle For Information Superiority, 1945 - 1969, Stan Trembach

Theses and Dissertations

This comparative study employs a historical perspective to narrow the gap in the existing knowledge of the origins of an information explosion phenomenon that dates back to the early decades of the twentieth century. It argues that the root cause of the unprecedented growth of the overall amount of documents was the rapid expansion of scientific and technical advances across the world and the subsequent spread of modern technologies, particularly those applied to scientific and technical information (STI).

This research is based on the premise that the thriving of the Soviet militaryindustrial complex went hand in hand with the rise …

Leadership Preparation Programs And Social Justice, Lessons Learned From A Graduate School Of Education, Jason Robert Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the influence of a graduate school of education on adult learning to determine if transformative learning has taken place. This qualitative study analyzed the stories and experiences of six graduate students to determine if there had been transformative learning and if transformative learning had influenced leadership behaviors that promote social justice in schools. A steady demographic shift over the years has resulted in schools with a higher percentage of minority and poor students. Many of these students are in marginalized in schools. In these marginalized schools, social justice reforms are necessary to address the needs of all …

Measurements Of Electrostatic Double Layer Potentials With Atomic Force Microscopy, Jason Giamberardino

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to provide a thorough description of the development of theory and experiment pertaining to the electrostatic double layer (EDL) in aqueous electrolytic systems. The EDL is an important physical element of many systems and its behavior has been of interest to scientists for many decades. Because many areas of science and engineering move to test, build, and understand systems at smaller and smaller scales, this work focuses on nanoscopic experimental investigations of the EDL. In that vein, atomic force microscopy (AFM) will be introduced and discussed as a tool for making high spatial resolution …

Demand And Supply Factors Affecting Maternal Healthcare Utilization Pattern In Nigeria, Dumbiri Joy Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Given poor maternal services utilization and associated high maternal mortality risk in Nigeria, we document policy-amenable supply and demand factors impacting women’ use of skilled ANC and institutional delivery services. Using a cross-sectional design, we analyzed data from the Nigeria State Health Investment Project health facility and household surveys on 418 health facilities and 3,726 women with a pregnancy within 24 months prior to survey living in 241 geographic wards of two states. Logistic regression was used to study associations of women’s use of each maternal service with ward facilities’ ANC outpatient satisfaction, healthcare staff job satisfaction, surveyorverified facility infrastructure, …

Development Of Reactions And Methods For Labeling Biomolecules In Cells, Enoch Agbesi Adogla

Theses and Dissertations

The complexity of cellular environments presents a challenge to efforts at studying and elucidating biomolecules in cells. Covalent ligation of biomolecules with fluorescent molecules that have a reactive functional group that can react with a complementary functional group on biomolecules is one way that has been utilized to study biomolecules. It enables visualization and tracking of ligation and transportation of molecules within the cell. However, the myriad of functional groups within the cell makes achieving selectivity difficult. To circumvent this problem, reactions that do not interfere with biology have been developed. These reactions, referred to as bioorthogonal reactions must be …

The Role Of Epidermal Stem/Progenitor-Like Cells In Hpv-Mediated Pre-Neoplastic Transformation, Yvon L. Woappi

Theses and Dissertations

The role of epidermal basal stem cells in dysplasia is a matter of great interest in the human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven cancers. To assess the relationship between “stemness” and HPV-mediated transformation, we made use of 3-D suspension culture and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to purify stem/progenitor-like cells from primary normal human keratinocyte (NHKc) cultures. We found that NHKc cells derived from multicellular keratinocyte spheroids were enriched for a basal subpopulation of epidermal stem-like cells, that could be maintained for prolonged time in culture and used to conduct transfection experiments with full-length HPV16 DNA. Thus, by using these stem cell enrichment …

Business And Security In The Age Of Terrorism: The Long-Term Effects Of The September 11 Terrorist Attacks On Seaport Governance And Control, Daniel J. Ostergaard

Theses and Dissertations

The primary research goal of this dissertation is to improve our theoretical understanding of the longterm effects of major transnational terrorist events on securityrelated institutional changes for business. To accomplish this goal, the September, 11, 2001, terror attack was chosen as the starting point for this research. The research context is the governance of seaport security. Using grounded theory to develop comparative case studies of several major security initiatives in the maritime industry after 9/11, this dissertation shows that a terrorist event initiates a process of institutional change that emerges over time as initial securityrelated ideas cascade into concrete actions. …

Mathematical Modeling Of Transport And Corrosion Phenomenon Inside High Temperature Molten Salt Systems, Bahareh Alsadat Tavakoli Mehrabadi

Theses and Dissertations

In today's world, alternative clean methods of energy are needed to meet growing energy demands. Concentrating solar thermal power, more commonly referred to as CSP, is unique among renewable energy generators because even though it is variable, like solar photovoltaic and wind, it can easily be coupled with thermal energy storage as well as conventional fuels, making it highly dispatchable. One challenge with concentrated solar power (CSP) systems is the potential corrosion of the alloys in the receivers and heat exchangers at high-temperature (700-1000 °C), which leads to a reduction of heat transfer efficiency and influences the systems durability. The …

Cobaltocenium Containing Polymers: Complexation With Organic Anion And Initial Assesment For Anion Exchange Membranes, Mohammad Pabel Kabir

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, cobaltocenium containing monomers and polymers are investigated for guest anion loading and alkaline anion exchange membrane for fuel cells. The properties of these polymers are characterized and discussed.

Chapter 1 describes overall background and potential applications of metallocene and metallocenium containing polymers. The research objectives of metallocenium containing polymers are discussed.

Cobaltocenium containing polymers have potential applications in biomedical science. Therefore, the effect of different parameters such as electrostatic charge, size, conformation, π-electron system and hydrogen bonding on the interactions between these polymers and small anionic probes has been studied qualitatively, as described in Chapter 2. A …

Exploring The Relationship Between Church Level Predictors Of Status And Obesity Risk In African American Women Of Faith, Kinjal Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

Although obesity is a nationwide epidemic, there are large racial, gender, socioeconomic, and geographical disparities in the rates of this condition. Specifically, African American women are more likely to be classified as obese as compared to all other gender and racial groups. Scholars have targeted African American churches to implement dietary and physical activity interventions in an attempt to combat the racial disparity in obesity rates. One of the main correlates studied in regards to obesity has been individual level markers of status such as socioeconomic status and subjective social status. Even though we focus on churches as a place …

An Investigation Of Mannequins’ Effect On Consumer Attitude And Intention, Hannah Shealy

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effect of mannequin type on consumers’ purchase decisions. Data was collected from a convenience sample of 165 respondents through an online survey to measure the variables of envisioning, consumer attitude toward the display, and purchase intention in their relationship to mannequin type. Hypothesis 1, 2, and 3 were confirmed, confirming the conceptual model and the overall investigation into whether mannequin type effects consumer purchase decisions. Mannequin type was found to have a significant effect on envisioning, and the relationships between envisioning and consumer attitude toward the display and between attitude and purchase intention were found to …

High-Throughput Sequencing-Based Approaches For The Identification And Development Of Molecular Targets For Cancer Therapy, David Joel Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Effective cancer treatment depends on the development of therapeutics that efficiently eliminate the disease without significant reduction to quality of life. Targeted therapeutics achieve these goals, but their long-term efficacy is limited by the ability of cancers to become resistant to these therapies over time. The identification of new therapeutic targets is crucial for the future of cancer treatment. In this work we present functional identification and characterization of novel targets for cancer therapy.

Loss-of-function screens are a well-founded approach for the functional identification of new therapeutic targets, and, in combination with high-throughput sequencing technology, can now be performed at …

Delineation Of The Lower Permian Gas Sand Via Calibrated Avo And Pre-Stack Seismic Inversions In Majhol Field, Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Alhashel

Theses and Dissertations

The lower Permian formation in the central region of Saudi Arabia is a key hydrocarbon siliciclastic reservoir. However, in Majhol field, the reservoir properties vary laterally due to diagenesis and facies changes. Conventional seismic interpretation has failed to map the heterogeneities of the reservoir properties that control the gas production of this field. Therefore, there was an opportunity to employ more advanced quantitative seismic techniques to delineate the productive gas sand facies in the field.

The Majhol field was initially planned to be developed as an unconventional tight reservoir. Well-1 was drilled based on conventional seismic interpretation on the crest …

3d Seismic Depth Imaging And Velocity Model Building In Anisotropic Media: Serri Oil And Gas Field, Saudi Arabia, Ali Jomaah Alsalem

Theses and Dissertations

Seismic imaging is a significant element in hydrocarbon exploration to locate drilling prospects and it relies mainly on an accurate velocity model. Prestack depth migration (PreSDM) versus traditional post-stack time migration has become a common method for seismic velocity model building and imaging. This methodology accounts for seismic velocity anisotropy of the propagating waves in the subsurface with a higher level of accuracy in positioning the seismic events in their true positions in the subsurface.

In this thesis, we examine a 303 km2 of 3D seismic data acquired by Saudi Aramco in the Serri field of North-West Saudi Arabia. The …

Revealing Malicious Contents Hidden In The Internet, Muhammad Nazmus Sakib

Theses and Dissertations

In this age of ubiquitous communication in which we can stay constantly connected with the rest of the world, for most of the part, we have to be grateful for one particular invention - the Internet. But as the popularity of Internet connectivity grows, it has become a very dangerous place where objects of malicious content and intent can be hidden in plain sight. In this dissertation, we investigate different ways to detect and capture these malicious contents hidden in the Internet. First, we propose an automated system that mimics high-risk browsing activities such as clicking on suspicious online ads, …

The Application Of Lean Six Sigma To Improve A Business Process: A Study Of The Order Processing Process At An Automobile Manufacturing Facility, Sherrian Francina Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to explore the application of Lean Six Sigma to determine root causes of process inefficiency and make recommendations for improving the order processing process at an automobile manufacturing facility. State of the art process quality improvement initiatives Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma are used to explore literature and provide a strong theoretical background for this study. Since the study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data, the study’s methodological approach is classified as mixed methodology. The study is empirical in nature, and single case study is strategy chosen to complete the study. The …

Development Of Novel High-Throughput Methodologies To Evaluate The Thermal Stability Of High-Temperature Thin-Film Crystals For Energy Applications, Jonathan Kenneth Bunn

Theses and Dissertations

High temperature materials are used in a variety of energy applications such as jet turbines, high temperature sensors, and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Discovery of new materials and their optimization represents a difficult engineering challenge, as the materials have to be designed to have a high figure of merit during intense high temperature operations.

The large number of engineering considerations involved in the identification and optimization of such materials makes traditional one-by-one material investigations prohibitively time consuming. The time needed to explore large parameter domains can be significantly decreased through the use of high-throughput experimentation (HTE). HTE is an …

Finding Sanctuary In Sisterhood: A Middle School Literacy Group Critically Analyzes Race, Gender, And Size, Dywanna E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This critical qualitative study documented intersectionalities of race, gender, body image, and literacies as interpreted by five eighth grade Black female students during an eight-week after school literacy group. Ethnopoetic methodologies were used to represent findings and provide insights about how critical literacy engagements can be used to create discursive spaces where young Black girls describe and define these intersectionalities, how they are socialized into current beliefs, make meaning of beauty ideals portrayed in media, and interpret gender, obesity, and race. Through content analysis of field notes, audio recorded sessions, research partner interviews, researcher journals, and genre artifacts, this study …

Using Synthetic Lectins To Investigate Metastatic Potential In Colon Cancer, Erin E. Gatrone

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is a disease that affects millions of people each year and it is well established that early diagnosis is a key factor towards improving survival rate, with that in mind there is a great need for better diagnostics. From the earliest onset of cancer, changes can be detected in the type and amount of carbohydrates expressed by the cancer cells, i.e., aberrant glycosylation. This process results in differing glycosylation patterns that can be used to detect cancer. Aberrant glycosylation can also greatly affect the potential of cancer cells to metastasize and can be used to stage the disease as …

Investigating The Effects Of Glutathione And Other Key Proteins On Iron Homeostasis And Subcellular Redox Balance In Yeast Model Systems, Kirsten Renee Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Iron homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is controlled through several pathways and is important because too much iron can cause cellular damage. Iron homeostasis in yeast is primarily controlled by transcription factors Aft1 and Aft2 which bind to the iron regulon to induce iron uptake when iron levels are low. When iron levels are sufficient, Aft1 and Aft2 are bound and inhibited by monothiol glutaredoxins (Grxs) Grx3 and Grx4. These Grxs are also involved in iron trafficking in the cell and bind to and deliver iron-sulfur clusters to multiple proteins.

The first part of this thesis focuses on determining if excess …

Exploration Of Appropriate And Inappropriate E-Disclosure: A Qualitative Investigation Of The Decision-Making Process Of Counselors In Training, Katherine H. Dewitt

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how counseling students in CACREP accredited counselor education program made meaning of and categorize appropriate and inappropriate self-disclosure in the digital age. In particular, how do future counselors consider and apply ethical codes to personal behavior on social media? Utilizing a qualitative design, the researcher explored student decision making and understanding of ethical considerations in the personal use of social media. A vital component to the professionalism of counseling is the constancy of the presentation-of-self in all identities (public, private, in-person, or online) of the counselor. The researcher asserts that there is an ethical obligation of all …

Surface Chemistry And Transport Properties Of Ii-Vi Semiconductor Nanowires, Pravin Paudel

Theses and Dissertations

Semiconductor nanowires have been widely studied due to their unique properties such as width comparable to critical length-scales, high aspect ratio, and high carrier mobility. These unique properties make them a suitable candidate for various optical and electronic devices like photovoltaics, photodetectors, and field effect transistors. The nanowire surface plays an important role in the performance of these devices because of their high surface to volume ratio. The larger surface area of nanowires may provide better charge separation than planar heterostructures in photovoltaics by providing shorter distance to move for carrier before separation, however, presence of surface states may lead …

Public Perceptions Of Genetically Modified Food On Social Media: A Content Analysis Of Youtube Comments On Videos, Nanlan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Controversy about genetically modified (GM) food prevails on social media. Discussion about GM food includes the implementation of mandatory labeling as well as public concerns about potential health hazards posed by GM food. Previous studies mainly focus on traditional press and broadcast media, few investigate such controversial topics on social media. Interested in public opinion about this issue and possible influences of social media on public opinion, this study uses quantitative content analysis to examine the characteristics of user comments on a specific social media platform, YouTube. The purpose of the study is to investigate YouTube comments from several aspects, …

A Spectacle Of The Odd: Constructing Otherness In The Odditoriums Of Ripley’S Believe It Or Not!, Sarah Haughenbury

Theses and Dissertations

Since Robert Ripley’s inception of the concept behind Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in 1918, Ripley Entertainment Inc. has continued to capture the attention of the public with their display of purportedly strange and unbelievable people, animals, and artifacts from across the globe. Using theories of categorization, Othering, materiality, the grotesque, the carnivalesque, and the gaze, this ethnographic study examines how persons and things in the company’s odditoriums are constructed as odd through the arrangement and decoration of exhibits and odditorium space and through the language used in advertisements and information panels.

I argue that Ripley’s uses similar techniques as …

Teachers’ Influence On Black/White Biracial Student Identity Development, Dawn M. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to report on what teachers and parents see as significant factors affecting Black-White biracial student identity development. Through a qualitative case study using individual interviews with parents and grandparents of a Black/White biracial child and the child’s teachers, various factors affecting Black/White biracial identity development emerged. Historical laws, court cases, U.S. Census reports, theoretical data, and identity models were examined and explored to provide a clear argument that Black/White biracial individuals have historically been marginalized and that this marginalization within society has carried over into our current curricular and instructional practices within schools. This …

Therapeutic Potential Of Catechins And Derivatives For The Prevention Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Shelby Elaine Chastain

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects 1 in 9 people over the age of 65, an estimated 5.4 million Americans. It is the only disease among the top 10 that cannot be prevented, cured, or treated. Based on the lack of a viable therapeutic for the prevention or cure of AD, it is vital that therapeutic research for AD continues. AD is characterized by the deposition of extracellular neuritic plaques comprised of insoluble amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils. These plaques are formed from the amyloidogenic aggregation of Aβ monomer, generated from the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) …