Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of A Mindfulness Based Intervention On Diurnal Cortisol In Cancer Survivors, Susannah Small

Theses and Dissertations

Background. There are approximately 15.5 million individuals alive today in the U.S. with a personal history of cancer. For this large and growing population, ill effects associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment include both physical and psychosocial symptoms adversely affecting quality of life. One low-risk alternative to conventional pharmaceutical use in treating these symptoms is mindfulness practice. Research on self-reported measures provides strong evidence that this type of intervention improves quality of life for cancer survivors, but evidence of impact on objective measures is limited. Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, is one relatively easy to measure indicator that …

A Mechanistic Study Of Micro Rna 21 Induced Hepatic Fibrosis And Use Of Sparstolonin B In Remediation Of Environmental Nafld, Diptadip Dattaroy

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the increased prevalence of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health problem in the Western world and Asian countries. Approximately a third of the general population in the US has NAFLD. NAFLD includes a spectrum of histological characteristics ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis and can be characterized into to two major phenotypes: nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Water disinfection byproducts like trihalomethanes can act as crucial risk factors for NAFLD progression. Here I have studied the molecular mechanisms of a water disinfection byproduct, Bromodichloromethane, in induction …

Assessing The Relationship Between Periodontal Disease And Subsequent Inflammatory Responses And Headache Disorders, Bryn E. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Headaches are the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide, and the third leading cause of disability amongst those aged 50 and older. Several headache disorders, including migraines, have been associated with nitric oxide production. It is widely accepted that the pain associated with headache disorders is due to the ability of nitric oxide to function as a vasodilator. While nitric oxide is a known vasodilator and has been linked to headache disorder, it is also produced in response to bacterial infections. Periodontal disease is the result of long term bacterial infections occurring in the gum line and nitric oxide is …

Comparison Of Atypical Bacteriophages That Infect Caulobacter Crescentus, Doreen Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Several Caulobacter bacterial genomes have been recently sequenced, and all of the genomes contained one or more clusters of genes with phage origins. This observation indicates that bacteriophages contribute to the Caulobacter gene pool, so in order to understand bacteria genomes we will need to understand phage genomes as well. As part of understanding the phage genomes, we want to isolate novel bacteriophages and study their genomics. This study resulted in the isolation of 12 new phages, including four that differ from the well-studied CbKlike phages. Two of these novel phages are Podoviruses with icosahedral heads and small tails, and …

Early Economic Hardship, Maternal Support, And Depressive Symptoms Among Black Young Adults, Mia Brantley

Theses and Dissertations

Substantial associations between childhood economic hardship and adult mental health have been acknowledged within social science research. However, there is a scarcity of research examining this relationship among Black Americans, as well as the sociocultural factors that may assist Black Americans in dealing with the effects of childhood economic hardship. This study suggests that family structure, specifically maternal support, may be a significant resource for Black Americans in the face of early economic adversity and mental health outcomes. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a nationally representative sample of Black Americans, this study outlines …

Characterization Of Subgrade Resilient Modulus For Mepdg And The Effects On Pavement Rutting, Md Mostaqur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

In 2008, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a modified pavement design method (i.e., the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG)) based on Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) data from all over the United States. The MEPDG default design parameters developed from the LTPP database are expected to be significantly different than those for South Carolina material, traffic and weather conditions, thus the default design parameters may not be accurate for South Carolina. Therefore, the new pavement design method should be calibrated for South Carolina conditions by performing MEPDG local calibration.

Different input variables should …

Marginal Structural Cox Model For Survival Data With Treatment-Confounder Feedback, Yanan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

In an observational longitudinal study, there can be time-varying exposure/treatment and time-varying confounders. When the confounders affect the exposure and prior exposure also has an impact on levels of confounders, there is treatment confounder feedback. To admit estimation of unbiased causal effects, these conditions need to be hold, exchangeability, positivity, consistency. The traditional method of conditioning on potential confounders does not meet these 3 conditions. Therefore, parameter estimates from traditional Cox model are biased casual effect estimates when the treatment confounder feedback exists. The marginal structural Cox model can be used to address this issue. By calculating and including inverse …

Inflammatory Potential Of Diet And Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Interaction And Mediation Analysis In Two Prospective Cohorts, Jiali Zheng

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Inflammation plays a pivotal role in pancreatic cancer etiology and can be modulated by diet. We aimed to examine the association between inflammatory potential of diet, assessed with the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DIITM), and pancreatic cancer risk in two prospective cohorts, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial and the National Institutes of Health American Association of Retired Persons (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study. We explored effect modification by important inflammation-related lifestyle factors, and investigated whether type-2 diabetes mediated the association in a pooled analysis of both studies.

Methods: A total of 101,449 and …

The Impact Of Autoimmune Disease On Breast Cancer Survival, Samantha Truman

Theses and Dissertations

Background Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in developed countries, while autoimmune disease effects approximately 10 million people in the United States, of which approximately 80% are female. Both diseases are associated with hormonal risk factors and are related to the divergent effects of the cellular and humoral immunity that is associated with the T-helper 1 and T-helper 2 immune response. To investigate the potential implications that autoimmune disease may have on breast cancer-specific mortality, we have conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between January 1, …

Trends In Gestational Weight Gain In South Carolina, 2004 - 2015, Marilyn Elizabeth Wende

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Excessive and inadequate gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with a myriad of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine secular trends in GWG in South Carolina (SC) from 2004 to 2015. We hypothesized that there was a trend of higher GWG z scores (GWGZ) over this 11-year time period after adjusting for changes in population characteristics. We also hypothesize that a trend of higher mean GWGZ at higher percentiles is more apparent for African Americans, rural women, and women who are overweight or obese before pregnancy.

Data and Methods: Data came from SC …

The Association Of Changes In Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Changes In Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Leanna Marie Ross

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is well established as having a strong inverse association with numerous cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and mortality. As CVD remains the number one cause of death in America, the detrimental effects of low CRF present a substantial health threat. The studies presented in this dissertation syndicate both epidemiologic and clinical data that will enrich the knowledge base regarding the magnitude of change in CRF in relation to CVD risk factors.

Recently, the American Heart Association established a new construct termed ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), which is characterized by seven metrics known as Life’s Simple 7. The …

A Possible Mechanism For Leptin’S Role In Lung Function Independent Of Body Mass Index: Investigating Leptin’S Genotype, Dna, Methylation, And Serum Protein Levels, Mitra Yousefi

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Leptin, initially believed to simply be a satiety hormone responsible for obesity, is now recognized as a pleiotropic cytokine that is involved in many biological processes; including the body’s host inflammatory response. Clinically, leptin may affect lung function although research in this area is limited. It is also known that the leptin receptor is necessary for the activation of the leptin protein, making it an important protein to consider. Furthermore, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and DNA methylations of the leptin and leptin receptor genes (LEP and LEPR respectively) may provide important insight on the relationship that leptin has …

Still Runnin’ The Underground: A Critical Case Study Of An Adolescent African American Male Reflecting On School, Dalisha Shante Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast amount of research on effectively educating African American students, there are few studies capturing the educational narratives of African American students, and specifically Black males, in their own words. Much of the literature focuses on dismal statistics and outcomes concerning African American male students. Drawing upon Woodson’s (1933) timeless critique of the miseducation of the Negro, Afrocentricity in education (Asante, 1987; King & Swartz, 2014,2016) emancipatory pedagogies, and Ladson-Billings’ (1994) theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, this study explores one adolescent African American male’s reflections on school. Using a critical case study methodology, one participant, Merrick, participated in …

International Twitter Comments About 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidates Trump And Clinton: Agenda-Building Analysis In The U.S., U.K., Brazil, Russia, India And China, Jane O’Boyle

Theses and Dissertations

Based on agenda-building theory, this study performs content analysis on 6,019 international Twitter comments about Trump and Clinton in the 10 days prior to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Even excluding bots and trolls, the preponderance of Twitter comments were positive about Trump and negative about Clinton, in the U.S., Russia, India and China. In the U.K. and Brazil, Twitter comments were largely negative about both candidates. Twitter sources and topics were also identified and explored to expand knowledge about the evolving role and effect of agenda-building in six nations, and around the world.

Non-Destructive Evaluation Of Composites: Predictive Ultrasonic Guided-Waves Modeling, Non-Destructive Material Characterization, And The Application To Aerospace Structures, Darun Barazanchy

Theses and Dissertations

To predict guided wave dispersion curves, it is common to use different solution approaches depending on the material type (isotropic or anisotropic) of the medium in which the wave propagates. The two different solution methods are defined in different domains, frequency-phase velocity domain for isotropic materials and wavenumber-phase velocity domain for anisotropic materials. This may lead to difficulties and unsatisfying results when predicting the dispersion curves for hybrid laminates which contain both isotropic and anisotropic materials. Therefore, a unified formulation defined in the wavenumber-phase velocity domain to accomodate both isotropic and anisotropic materials, as well as hybrid combinations, is desired. …

Hemodynamic Regulation Of Cardiac Valve Development, Vinal Menon

Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that valvulogenesis is a result of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Hemodynamics is one such environmental stimulus that is well documented to influence the development of heart valves. Using advanced imaging modalities, such as optical coherence tomography, investigators have better understood the effects of altering hemodynamic loads in the embryonic (avian) heart. However, the field of valvulogenesis is currently stagnant with a paucity of studies aiming to understand the molecular mechanisms influenced/affected by hemodynamic stimuli. Deciphering these pathways is critical from a valve development perspective, but also becomes vital as potential therapeutic targets, …

Acculturation Stress And Depression Among First-Year International Graduate Students From China And India At The University Of South Carolina, Kyunghee Ma

Theses and Dissertations

This cohort study used a mixed-methods pretest/posttest measurement study design. The quantitative method was used to explore the relationship between acculturation stress and depression among first-year international graduate students from China and India enrolled at the University of South Carolina(UofSC), examine the role that social support plays in that relationship, and identify changes in acculturation, social support, and depression over one academic year. The qualitative method helped to further explore how Chinese and Indian international graduate students experienced acculturation stress and to what extent social support helped them cope with their stress.

The sample included 55 students. Primary data were …

Examining The Evolution Of A Teacher Induction Program In A Diverse, Urban, Southeastern School District, Karen Pack

Theses and Dissertations

Educational institutions struggle to increase student achievement. While the educational needs of students remain at the forefront, teachers’ needs must also be met—before and after entering the classroom. My experience in public education has shown most beginning teachers depend on the support a teacher induction program provides to manage the multitude of new responsibilities faced during the first year in the classroom. Induction programs are constructed and implemented within school districts in a variety of ways. This study is an in-depth analysis that identifies factors that impacted an effective teacher induction program, examines how the program changed as a result, …

Circling The Reality Of Public Institutions Anchoring Gentrification: An E-Delphi Study Of Information, Culture, And Community Stakeholders Voicing The Way Forward In Detroit, Michigan, Celeste L. Welch

Theses and Dissertations

Information, culture, and memory centers increasingly anchor urban redevelopment projects in historically marginalized communities challenged with contemporary social and economic disparities. This dissertation situated libraries, archives, and museums within a socio-cultural context and examined the role of cultural heritage institutions in gentrification. Librarians, archivists, curators, and community advocates in Detroit, Michigan shared their viewpoints and experiences of gentrification in a legacy city. Using a modified Delphi process, the e-Delphi panel explored the need for assessing policy, service delivery, and programming in a city of color at-risk to gentrification-induced displacement.

This mixed research study used a concurrent triangulation design. A panel …

Impact Of Leadership Education On Perceptions Of Job Readiness In Undergraduate Students, Christine R. Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

Based on previous findings from employers, undergraduate students, and universities regarding workforce readiness, action is needed to improve students’ knowledge and skills in areas such as professionalism, communication, problem solving, and leadership. The increase in undergraduate leadership education curricula and programs over the past few decades has been significant. While research has been done on the relationship between leadership education and specific knowledge and skillsets, further research is needed on the impact of leadership education on perceived job readiness. This paper outlines the purpose, background, methodology, and findings of an action research study on the relationship between leadership education and …

Feasibility Of Introducing Investor-Owned Hospitals In Korea, Hongseok Seo

Theses and Dissertations

Since 2002, there has been active debate regarding the introduction of for-profit hospitals in South Korea: the advocates highlight the multiplication of economic value after the introduction of for-profit hospitals, whereas the opponents voice their concern about the possible negative consequences for-profit entities can create within the health care system. Various stakeholders including doctors’ associations, hospital associations, and civic groups have been for or against the introduction of for-profit hospitals, according to their interests. The government has tried to develop the national health and medicine system based on the positive and negative impacts of their introduction. In December, 2015, the …

The Effects Of A Game Simulation On Muscle Activation And Knee Kinematics In Females, Geoffrey Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Intro: Female athletes experience non-contact ACL injuries at 5 times the rate of male athletes. These injuries occur more frequently at the end of halves and may be associated with exercise-induced fatigue causing knee instability. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of strenuous exercise on lateral knee movement during the landing phase of a jump. Methods: Ten subjects completed both the exercise and the control trial consisting of two 25-min game simulations on a treadmill or on a separate day the equivalent rest. Before, at half time, and immediately following the interventions subjects performed sets …

Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Study Of On-Task And Off-Task Behaviors In Traditional Versus Montessori Classrooms, Sara-Frances Crow Lail

Theses and Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a common neurobehavioral disorder in childhood, negatively impacts academic and social functioning, both of which later influence adulthood (Bose, 2013). This action research study focuses on comparing the prevalence of on-task and off-task behaviors exhibited by elementary age students diagnosed with ADHD in a traditional classroom structure versus a Montessori classroom structure. While much time and research has been conducted to assist educators in meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities through interventions, less research has focused on non-conventional educational environments as an alternative for children with ADHD. In this study, on-task and off-task …

Association Between Job Satisfaction And Pay: The Case Of The Wage Payment System Of Dental Clinics In Korea, Eui Jeong Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate empirical type of the wage structures and the sub-items of wage applied at dental clinics and to analyze the determinants of pay satisfaction of dental employees. The questionnaire used in this study consists of personal characteristics, characteristics of workplace, administration of pay, Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ), Job Descriptive Index (JDI). PSQ and JDI were translated, and backward translation into Korean was implemented. A pilot test was conducted with 25 dental employees to complete the questionnaire. Survey was conducted from February to July in 2015, receiving 302 valid responses. ANOVA or t-test was …

Computational Wave Field Modeling Using Sequential Mapping Of Poly-Crepitus Green’S Function In Anisotropic Media, Sajan Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a meshless semi-analytical computational method is presented to compute the ultrasonic wave field in the generalized anisotropic material while understanding the physics of wave propagation in detail. To understand the wave-damage interaction in an anisotropic material, it is neither feasible nor cost-effective to perform multiple experiments in the laboratory. Hence, recently the computational nondestructive evaluation (CNDE) received much attention to performing the NDE experiments in a virtual environment. In this thesis, a fundamental framework is constructed to perform the CNDE experiment of a thick composite specimen in a Pulse-Echo (PE) mode. To achieve the target, the following …

Muscle Inflammatory Signaling Regulates Eccentric Contraction-Induced Protein Synthesis During Cancer Cachexia, Justin Perry Hardee

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer-related cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome that involves the unintentional loss of skeletal muscle mass that cannot be reversed by standard nutritional intervention. Skeletal muscle mass depletion directly impacts patient survival and life quality, and therefore treatments that preserve muscle mass and function may have significant implications for cancer patient treatment and survival. Systemic and muscle inflammation has been implicated in the regulation of skeletal muscle homeostasis, and the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and muscle gp130 receptor signaling have established roles in cancer-induced muscle wasting. Resistance exercise is a nonpharmacological treatment that can improve physical function and metabolic health in …

Intention To Deceive Alters Access To Semantic Memory, James Nye

Theses and Dissertations

I conceptualize a theory of deception within the perspective of discourse and pragmatics while choosing to examine the decision to engage in deception within the perspective of cognitive psychology. Currently, cognitive perspectives of deception have emphasized that inhibitory control of one’s motor processes are vital because in order to respond deceptively, one must prevent honest behavior from leaking into one’s actions. Although indirect evidence for inhibition is heavily linked with deception, current empirical data connecting motoric control with deceptive responses has been difficult to observe. I propose a theoretical perspective that shifts the role of inhibitory control in deception away …

Population Dynamics Of A Recently Described And Rare Plant Species: Stachys Caroliniana (Lamiaceae), Shelby Moody

Theses and Dissertations

Stachys caroliniana J.B. Nelson & D.A. Rayner, a newly described ‘hedge-nettle’ is found in two locations in South Carolina. The first known collection of this species is from the Santee Coastal Reserve in Charleston County. The second location (the type locality) is from the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center in Georgetown County, approximately 8 air miles northeast of the first location. This study focused on the population in Georgetown County. Population dynamics of Stachys caroliniana were studied in order to provide management guidelines to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for this species. This was achieved by assessing suitable habitat conditions, …

Recovery From Design, Cassandra J. Ellison

Theses and Dissertations

Through research, inquiry, and an evaluation of Recovery By Design, a ‘design therapy’ program that serves people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities, it is my assertion that the practice of design has therapeutic potential and can aid in the process of recovery. To the novice, the practices of conception, shaping form, and praxis have empowering benefit especially when guided by Conditional and Transformation Design methods together with an emphasis on materiality and vernacular form.

The Effect Of Loving-Kindness Meditation On Physiological And Psychological Reactions To Violent Stimuli, Joseph A. Garcia

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In the past, meditation research has focused primarily on mindfulness meditation, but little research has examined Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM). LKM may be an important addition to treatment or preventative programs for people at risk of exposure to violence or aggression in their lives or work. The current research aims to add to the currently growing body of literature concerning LKM and compassion based meditation practices. The researchers sought to determine if a 12-week course in LKM would have any effect on galvanic skin response (GSR) and heart rate in beats per minute (BPM) during the presentation of a video containing …