Digital Commons Network^™

Procedurally Generating Biologically Driven Bird And Non-Avian Dinosaur Feathers, Jessica Renee Baron

All Theses

A key element in computer-graphics research is representing the world around us, and immense inspiration may be found in nature. Algorithms and procedural models may be developed that can describe the three-dimensional shape of objects and how they interact with light. This thesis focuses particularly on bird and other dinosaur feathers and their structure. More specifically, it addresses the problem of procedurally generating biologically driven geometry for modeling feathers in computer graphics. As opposed to previously published methods for generated feather geometry, data is derived from a myriad of real-world specimens of feathers and used in creating graphical models of …

Investigation Of Fungi Causing Twig Blight Diseases On Peach Trees In South Carolina, Martha Jennie Hudgins Froelich

All Theses

In 2016, fungal pathogens causing twig blight disease were isolated from symptomatic one-year-old shoots from peach orchards in 6 locations in South Carolina. Four twig blight pathogens, which included Phomopsis amygdali, Botryosphaeria obtusa, Leucostoma persoonii, and Cytospora sp., were isolated. L. persoonii was isolated in the highest frequency, followed by P. amygdali and B. obtusa. All pathogens were sensitive to thiophanate-methyl (FRAC 1), pyraclostrobin, and azoxystrobin (both FRAC 11). However, they were not sensitive to boscalid and fluopyram (both FRAC 7). L. persoonii exhibited less sensitivity to difenoconazole and propiconazole (both FRAC 3) while P. amygdali and B. obtusa were …

Are Values Valuable? Individual Difference Moderators On The Effects Of Economic Stress On Job Satisfaction, Elyssa Johnson

All Theses

Economic stress and financial strain have been shown to have a negative impact on both physical and mental well-being thus making it an important area to continue to perform research on to fully understand how stress impacts individuals (Leana, Mittal & Stiehl, 2012; Sinclair & Cheung, 2016). The proposed study looked to advance research on economic stress by understanding the mediated and moderated mechanisms that impact the relationship between economic stress and job satisfaction. By using a subjective measure of economic stress, perceived income adequacy, as opposed to an objective measure of economic stress such as income, individual differences were …

The Effects Of Planting Date And Varietal Susceptibility Of Gossypium Hirstutum L. On Thrips, Cody D. Kerns

All Theses

Thysanoptera (Haliday), or thrips, are minute, polyphagous insects known globally for their role as crop pests. One species important economically to South Carolina and the southeastern United States is the tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds). This species is the most predictable pest of upland cotton, Gossypium hirstutum (L.). Thrips are particularly damaging to cotton when they infest seedling cotton. In some years, tobacco thrips are recorded as the most detrimental pest of cotton in terms yield loss. Yield loss from tobacco thrips infestations varies widely between years and even within the same year. By analyzing agricultural control practices, an accurate …

The Realm Of Appearances, Dustin Lee Massey

All Theses

My work references images from social media to construct a world that exists somewhere between our physical world and the digital. I do this to help me understand how our reliance on technology, and our use of social media affects how we process information. I examine the cultural implications this media saturation has had, or will have on our society. Specifically, I am looking at the “digital divide.” My work explores the divide between the way we often think and behave online, and how it differs from our offline self. This is accomplished by elevating the value of the original …

Both Victims And Villains: A Discourse Analysis Of Shifting Portrayals Of The Unauthorized Immigrant In Two Partisan News Outlets, Andrew Moore

All Theses

This research was designed to examine how two examples of partisan news media contribute to America’s collective understanding of unauthorized immigration, and more specifically, the immigrant himself/herself. After tracing a general history of discourses of the unauthorized immigrant in America through a review of relevant literature, these understandings of immigration were then used as a point of reference and comparison for current journalism on the topic. More than 500 articles about unauthorized immigration were collected, derived from left-leaning Slate.com and right-leaning Breitbart.com. Then, using a discursive analysis in the tradition of poststructuralist philosopher Michel Foucault, emergent patterns of power within …

The Puzzled Landscape, Amanda Musick

All Theses

This series of work diverts landscape photography into object, material, and riddle. I investigate how we are conditioned to view and interact with the natural environment through constructing new, illusive vistas and forms using photographs I made in physical landscapes. Photographs that range from iconic views to details of rock textures are combined and altered to construct dioramas that represent forest, desert, ocean, and mountain landscapes. The dioramas are then photographed and deconstructed. Their remains are reorganized into piles and photographed as unrecognizable representations of the original place. The piles exist in a white, voided space portraying a sense of …

Liposomal Combination Drug And Sirna Delivery To Combat Drug-Resistant Ovarian Cancer, Emily Margaret Miller

All Theses

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer death overall. Due to lack of early symptoms, ovarian cancer is most commonly diagnosed in the distant stages, drastically reducing the 5 year survival rate from 92% in early stage diagnoses to 29% in advanced stage cases. This large difference is thought to be linked to the high rate of recurrence and development of drug resistance to chemotherapeutics in ovarian cancer patients. First-line therapy includes a combination of tumor resection surgery and chemotherapy regimen including cisplatin, a DNA-alkylating agent, and paclitaxel, a microtubule stabilization agent. However, …

The Effect Of Retort Processing Factors On The Severity Of Film Surface Impression, Jirawich Panin

All Theses

Retort processing conditions of temperature, overpressure, and sterilization time were used to determine the impression depth on the pouch surface from contact with the retort rack during retort processing, also referred to as a waffling defect. Retortable flexible pouches were filled with 1,000 mL of water and processed in a horizontal water spray retort. A confocal laser scanning microscope was used to measure severity of the waffling defects. Data collected during this study showed that higher temperatures resulted in higher measured impression depth values (p<0.05) in all of the tested combinations. However, when the pouches were retorted at different temperatures, different effects of retort overpressure were observed. At a low temperature (111 deg. C), the higher overpressure resulted in higher severity of the waffling defects (p<0.05). In contrast, at a high temperature (131 deg. C), the higher overpressure resulted in lower severity of the waffling defects (p<0.05). When samples were retorted at different sterilization time settings, there was only one condition where a statistical difference in the impression depth values was observed (p<0.05). The longer sterilization time resulted in higher measured impression depth (p<0.05) only if the samples were retorted at a high temperature of 131 deg. C with a low overpressure of 26 psig. There was no statistical difference (p>0.05) in measured impression depth when samples were retorted at different sterilization time settings in …

An Experimental Investigation Of Combined Symmetric Asymmetric Composite Laminates, Guy Maximilian Kemmann

All Theses

It has been found that certain asymmetric composite laminates exhibit bistability, and are thus called bistable composite laminates. A bistable composite laminate is a composite laminate that exhibits multiple stable static equilibrium states. If the bistable composite is actuated it will snap to its secondary equilibrium state and then remain there without any further actuation. This unique behavior of bistable composites has made them the subject of much research in the areas of morphing structures as well as energy harvesting. Much of the research done on bistable laminates has been focused on the fundamental characterization of the bistable behavior and …

Combinatorial Therapy Of Doxorubicin And Mdr1 Sirna By Polymeric Micellar Nanoparticles In Treatment Of Multidrug Resistance In Breast Cancer, David Lamar Oglesby

All Theses

Despite tremendous progress within the field of oncology, highly metastatic forms of breast cancer remain particularly challenging to effectively treat. Systemically delivered chemotherapy with cytotoxic agents typically requires some convalescence time between treatments – allowing rapidly growing cancer types to develop resistance. Multidrug resistance, also known as pump-dependent, is particularly difficult to treat as it functions through overexpression of P-glycoprotein, an efflux pump which can produce resistance to a range of chemotherapeutics. We have previously developed the cationic micellar copolymer poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-g-poly(ethylenimine) (PgP) and demonstrated its capacity as a vector for gene therapy. Here, we examine the capacity of PgP in …

Histological Evaluation Of The Effects Of Diabetes On Renal Vasculature, David Pollard

All Theses

Diabetes mellitus currently affects 8.3% of the world’s population, roughly 387 million people as of 2014, with numbers rising steadily. Diabetes is a major risk factor for vascular pathology, affecting the vascular wall at the cellular and extracellular level. The field of tissue engineering has proven to have great potential in treating cardiovascular disease and kidney failure. In order to develop tissue-engineered replacements resistant to the alterations induced by a diabetic environment, the modifications of the native tissues are important to be elucidated. Cardiovascular remodeling is due to elevated levels of fatty deposits along the vessel wall, hyperglycemia and chronic …

Transcending The Essence Of Hair, Ashan Isaac Pridgon

All Theses

My work investigates the significant role and relationship that hair plays in African-American culture. Throughout history, African-Americans have used the styling of hair as a way of passing down tradition and expressing their individuality, cultural and political beliefs. Since the late 1970’s there has been a constant struggle for African-Americans to wear their hair naturally without backlash from society. In my work, I use culturally based objects such as hair combs, afro picks, head wraps and other accessories to symbolize black pride. I use this framework to generate abstracted ceramic vessels and sculptures. The content of my work becomes amplified …

Knowledge Of Mental Health Disorders And Resources By Military Personnel, Savanna Taylor

All Theses

With more soldiers returning home to the United States than any war era before, there is a need for research to understand military personnel’s mental health and how they use resources, like the Veteran’s Affairs and non-profit organizations. This study serves to further our understanding about service members’ knowledge on this subject. This study adds to the literature by conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 service members who had deployed on either United States military bases or ships, or peace-keeping missions, overseas after 9/11. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thoroughly analyzed using a narrative approach. Five important themes emerged from …

Ruination, Caren L. Stansell

All Theses

My work is an investigation of illegal dumpsites located in the Blue Ridge area. This body of work serves as a timeline of the impact on the local landscape. Using photography, printmaking, and sculpture, I explore the environmental impact of the dumpsites, the accumulations of trash it creates, and the reclamation by nature. I seek to bring the global concern of trash into a local perspective.

Thermal Neutron Characterization And Dose Modeling Of A Plutonium-239/Beryllium Alpha-Neutron Source, Adam Hunter Willey

All Theses

Determination of neutron dose can be challenging and requires knowledge of neutron energy and neutron flux. A plutonium-239/beryllium (239PuBe) alpha-neutron source was used to irradiate bacterial samples to create neutron dose response. The goal of this project was to characterize the thermal neutron flux of the 239PuBe alpha-neutron source and model the neutron dose using version MCNPX of the Monte-Carlo N-Particle transport codes. The 37 GBq 239PuBe alpha-neutron source was placed in a neutron “howitzer,” that is, a 2-ft diameter moderating barrel with four radial irradiation ports. Multi-foil activation was used at various distances to determine thermal neutron flux, which …

Sanctuary: A Virtual-Reality, Immersive-Environment Mobile Application To Promote Mindfulness, Meditation, And Relaxation, Amanda Caroline Smoak

All Theses

The World Health Organization calls stress the health epidemic of the twenty-first century [40]. Finding ways to manage stress – not just for our own health, but also for the health of our communities and children – is one of our most significant challenges for wellness. Virtual-reality (VR) therapy is the use of stimulated, interactive, and immersive environments as a tool for physical and psychological healthcare applications [31]. VR therapy and mindfulness practices have both been shown to alleviate stress and anxiety. The mobile application detailed here attempts to aid in stress reduction using virtual-reality therapy by immersing the user …

Same But Different: Characters With Developmental Disabilities In Current Juvenile Literature, Tina Taylor, Kellie Egan, Kimberly T. Moss, Hannah P. Grow, Sharon Black, Mary Anne Prater

Faculty Publications

As many children first encounter individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) through characters in children’s literature, these individuals must be depicted authentically. Using descriptive analyses, we evaluated 38 books written for children and adolescents (11 picture books, 17 chapter books) for their portrayals of characters with developmental disabilities, comparing the portrayals against those published in three previous studies. All books considered were eligible for the 2018 Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. Data were analyzed regarding personal portrayal, social interactions, and exemplary practices. Results indicated that most characters portrayed have ASD (80%) and the majority are male (65%). Generally, characters with DD …

Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto

Masters Theses

Schooling is often imagined as the great equalizer and the primary venue towards personal and collective liberation. However, hegemonic ideals and practices have limited the ability for educators to craft and utilize policy in a way that best benefits their students. In this thesis, I utilize the state of Michigan’s Common Core curriculum to examine the limits beyond policy and practice. Specifically, I argue that the demands for student passivity and institutional measurable as signs of success, prohibit student growth. Throughout the document, I describe hope in the ability to instill a variety of transformative educational theories and practices that …

Perceived Public Opinion Vs. Actual Public Opinion And Media's Influence., Sarah Carey

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This paper examines the extent of polarization in the United States in the current political climate. It was predicted that individual beliefs would be less polarized than news media makes it seem because while the political parties are moving further toward the poles, there is no evidence to suggest that individuals are doing the same. Using Berkeley’s Survey Documentation and Analysis tool, data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) was analyzed to test this premise. The ANES measured individuals’ party identification. The analysis focused on those who identify as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. The survey then asked those same …

Holy Cross Choirs Newsletter (December 2018), Choir, College Of The Holy Cross

Holy Cross Choirs Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Point/Counterpoint: Is There A Case For Subsidizing Sports Stadiums?, Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

In recent decades, governments have committed enormous public resources to subsidize construction of new stadiums, and the dollar value of taxpayer contributions for these subsidies continues to climb. Spending of taxpayer dollars includes both direct subsidies from state and local governments, as well as indirect subsidies from the use of tax-exempt bonds to finance construction. In granting stadium subsidies, governments claim that the stadiums are a public good that attracts tourists and businesses, thereby generating increased spending and job creation—benefits that flow to the community rather than to team owners. But do such benefits exist, and are they large enough …

The Deaf Catholic, Winter 2018

ICDA The Deaf Catholic

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in USA

ICDA The Deaf CatholicFinding Aid

Whose Monster? A Study In The Rise To Power Of Al Qaeda And The Taliban, Nicholas Kotarski

History Theses

This thesis seeks to determine which factors and parties were most responsible for the transformation of the Mujahedeen who pushed the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan into what would eventually become al Qaeda and the Taliban in the 1990s. First brought to America's attention due to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, they would gain increased notoriety as the decade progressed due to the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women, and finally culminating in the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001.

Thermal Comfort In Heated-And-Ventilated-Only Warehouses, Christian Taber, Donald G. Colliver

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Building energy codes and standards contain minimum requirements that provide a path to energy efficient buildings and building systems. ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are the main national building code models in the United States. Both Standard 90.1 and the IECC are updated on three-year cycles with the goal of reducing building energy consumption.

What Do We Know About Digital Attribution?, John B. Ford

Marketing Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Digital attribution sounds rather simple in that it involves isolating advertising tactics and assessing their impact on consumer decision making. But in a complex digital environment, advertisers must navigate through a variety of consumer platforms and touch points to find the optimal vehicles and mechanisms to cost effectively have an impact on consumer choice. And, on each research occasion, the process has to be all but reinvented.

Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow (Tag)— A Strengths-Based Approach To Promoting Health In Youth, Emily R. Novick, Jamie Kim, Yasmin Mazloomdoost, Courtney Barthle

Journal of Youth Development

Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow® (TAG) is a national call to action to promote adolescent health and healthy development. Led by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health and developed with the input of national organizations, it builds on the collective wisdom of youth-serving professionals and seeks to raise the profile of adolescent health in the national discourse. Using TAG, the Office of Adolescent Health conducts outreach and delivers tools and information that support the integration of positive youth development precepts into the ongoing work of federal, state, and local public agencies; youth-serving health, public health, …

Perfection: The Fatality Of Down Syndrome, Mallory Baucom

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Down syndrome is a condition that carries with it a negative stigma and many negative assumptions. The advancement of the medical community has begun to allow expectant parents to anticipate whether their child will have Down syndrome. However, in recent years mothers are using the results of prenatal tests as a deciding factor to decide if they will continue the pregnancy. The negative stigma associated with Down syndrome has transformed into a discrimination against people with Down syndrome. There are many influencing factors that affect the decision-making process of expectant mothers. The decision to terminate one’s pregnancy is not made …

Examining Language Used In Science Instruction In Pupils’ Conceptualization Of Science Ideas In Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of One Tanzanian Public Secondary School, Alnaji Iddi

Master of Education

Language used in science instruction is regarded as a carrier of the science content to be delivered in the classroom. For the content to be implicit to students the language used in science instruction needs to be simple and understandable to learners during the instruction. The study was aimed at examining the language used in science instruction in conceptualization of science ideas. The study employed qualitative methodology using a case study design. The study involved three form one science teachers (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) of one secondary school who were purposefully selected. Data were collected using direct classroom observations, one-on-one …

Effects Of Teacher Degree And Teacher Experience On Literacy Achievement For Students Grades 3-6 In Arkansas, James Clay Hendrix

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effects of teacher degree and teacher experience on student achievement in literacy for Grades 3-6. School leaders are under pressure from state and national legislation to improve student achievement continuously. At the times hiring and teaching assignment decisions are made, often there is little verifiable data available about individual teacher applicants. Throughout most of the history of public education, teacher degree and teacher experience have been thought to have an impact on school quality and student achievement, so much so that nearly all teacher pay models are based on those two …