Digital Commons Network^™

Inappropriate Attire: Fashion, Nationality, And Shame In Quicksand And Pachinko, Minyoung Park

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article, Minyoung Park examines how fashion in Quicksand by Nella Larsen and Pachinko by Min Jin Lee functions not simply as a visual strategy for passing but as a site where the wearers’ conflicting feelings—shame, desire, and defiance—emerge and persist. Rather than evaluating the success or failure of passing, the article shifts focus to the process of dressing—selecting, maintaining, and reflecting on clothing—through which identity is negotiated and feelings are embodied. The protagonists, Helga and Sunja, often dismissed as failures, are reconsidered as figures whose attention to their inappropriate or excessive fashion reveals their emotional labor and strenuous …

Spartanburg County School Integration Project: Bob Coleman And John Keith Interview, Bob Coleman, John Keith, Clayton Whisnant, Dallas Green, Wade Toth

Oral History Interviews

Spartanburg County School Integration Project

Narrators: Bob Coleman (BC) and John Keith (JK)

Interviewers: Dr. Clayton Whisnant (CW)

Dallas Green (DG) and Wade Toth (WT)

at Wofford College

July 21, 2025

Polylactic Acid (Pla)-Based Multifunctional And Biodegradable Nanocomposites And Their Applications, Md Shariful Islam, G. M. Fazley Elahee, Xiong (Bill) Yu, Rigoberto Castillo Advincula, Changyong (Chase) Cao

Faculty Scholarship

Polylactic acid (PLA)-based nanocomposites are emerging as multifunctional, biodegradable materials, offering sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. This review examines recent advancements in PLA nanocomposites, focusing on enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, and biodegradability achieved through nanofillers like metallic particles, carbon-based materials, and ceramics. Techniques such as in situ polymerization, melt mixing, and electrospinning enable application-specific improvements. PLA's limitations, including brittleness and low barrier properties, are addressed to support diverse applications: in packaging (e.g., extended shelf life), biomedicine (e.g., degradable implants), and electronics (e.g., flexible devices). Despite challenges with filler dispersion and thermal resistance, continued innovations expand PLA's potential across multiple …

Global Incidence Of Female Birdsong Is Predicted By Territoriality And Biparental Care In Songbirds, Karan J. Odom, Marcelo Araya-Salas, Lauryn Benedict, Kristi Lim, James Dale, Wesley H. Webb, Catherine Sheard, Joseph A. Tobias, Gregory F. Ball, Michelle L. Hall, Naomi E. Langmore, Michael S. Webster, Katharina Riebel

Pacific Faculty Work

Pronounced sexual dimorphism is generally assumed to evolve through sexual selection for elaborate male traits. However, there is increasing evidence that sexual dimorphism in traits such as birdsong may also evolve through loss of elaboration in females, but the evolutionary drivers underlying this process are obscure. Here we analyse ecological and natural history traits for over 1300 songbird species and show that increased female song incidence and elaboration are most directly associated with year-round territoriality, biparental care, and large body size. Phylogenetic path analysis indicates that mating system and breeding latitude primarily have indirect effects on female song evolution. Stable, …

Insights Into Marine Biological Responses To Icelandic Glacial Outburst Floods From Remote Sensing Data, Cornelius Kaspar

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Cryospheric change has altered discharge patterns of the subglacial Skaftá cauldrons and Grímsvötn volcano beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap, SE Iceland (64.4220° N, 16.7902° W) at least since 1940. Jökulhlaup (glacial outburst floods) frequency has increased but their magnitude has decreased. This study examines jökulhlaup effects on the marine environment at the Gígjukvísl, Skaftá, and Kúðafljót estuaries. Remote sensing data integrated in situ, observational, and modelled data to analyse sea surface salinity (1/8° resolution), temperature (0.05° resolution), and observational chlorophyll-a data (1 km² resolution). Covering 11 jökulhlaups in Gígjukvísl/Skaftá and seven in Kúðafljót, a systematic response emerged in residual data. …

A Simple Action Reduces High-Fat Diet Intake And Obesity In Mice, M. R. Barrett, Y. Pan, C. L. Murrell, E. O. Karolczak, J. Wang, L. Z. Fang, J. M. Thompson, Y.-H. Chuang, E. Casey, J. E. Czarny, W. L. So, A. Reichenbach, R. Stark, H. Taghipourbibalan, S. R. Penna, K. B. Mccullough, S. R. Westbrook, G. C. Basu, B. Matikainen-Ankney, V. A. Cazares, K. Delevich, Wambura C. Fobbs, S. E. Maloney, A. S. Hickey, J. E. Mccutcheon, Z. B. Andrews, M. C. Creed, M. J. Krashes, A. V. Kravitz

Psychology Faculty Works

Diets that are high in fat cause overeating and weight gain in multiple species of animals, suggesting that high dietary fat is sufficient to cause obesity. However, high-fat diets are typically provided freely to animals in obesity experiments, so it remains unclear whether high-fat diets would still cause obesity if these diets required more effort to obtain. We hypothesized that unrestricted access to high-fat diets is important for these diets to induce overeating and that requiring mice to perform small amounts of work to obtain a high-fat diet would reduce calorie intake and associated weight gain. To test this hypothesis, …

Investigating The Necessity Of Adaptive Radiotherapy In Tomotherapy Of Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Ali Chaparian, Mahsa Kianinia, Mahnaz Roayaei, Nadia Najafizade, Abolfazl Kanani, Leili Mahani, Hamidreza Nourzadeh

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Anatomical variations that occur during radiation therapy in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients can lead to significant dosimetric changes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate dosimetric and volume changes in key anatomical structures for different treatment sites in HNC patients, and to determine the percentage of patients who need adaptive radiotherapy (ART) per treatment site.

METHODS: A total of 1,740 megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) images from 58 HNC patients treated with helical tomotherapy (HT) were exported to the PreciseART™ (Accuray) software. Volume changes in the planning target volume (PTV) and the organs at risk (OARs) in …

Thrombocytopenia In Patients With Plasmodium Vivax In Colombia Is Associated With Anti-Phosphatidylserine Autoantibodies And Il-6, Ifnγ, Il-10 And Tgf-Β, María Camila Velasco-Pareja, Catalina Tovar-Acero, Miriam E. Cantero Guevara, Ana Rodriguez, Juan Rivera-Correa, María Fernanda Yasnot-Acosta

Publications and Research

Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human protozoan in the world. It is a causative agent of malaria, with thrombocytopenia being a frequent complication. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of P. vivax infection on plasma cytokine/chemokine levels and anti-phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) autoantibodies, to explore their potential role in thrombocytopenia during P. vivax malaria in Córdoba, Colombia. We included patients with P. vivax malaria and thrombocytopenia (MT); patients with malaria without thrombocytopenia (M) and healthy controls (HC). Plasma cytokines/chemokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-6, IL-10, IFNγ, IL-12p70, TGF-β1/IP-10, MCP-1, IL-8) were quantified. Evaluation of autoantibodies was performed by …

Ethical Implications Of Being A Holobiont, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

Developmental plasticity and holobiont theory have undermined the normative concepts of biological individuality. However, such traditional ideas of biological individuality have helped define and support Western ethical views into the 21st century. Guided by some of the ethical formulae of Simone Weil, Hans Jonas, and Alastair MacIntyre, this essay attempts to outline some possible trajectories for an ethics that is bounded by these new biological paradigms of environmental agency. Specifically, the ecological developmental biology concepts of plasticity and holobiont theory permit the “ethics of attention” to focus on the partnerships of living beings. Highlighting environmentally integrated life cycles and their …

Algorithmic Optimization Of Filter Bank: Harnessing Rapid Convergence And Its Applications, Keerthana B Ms

Theses and Dissertations

A novel optimization framework is proposed for the design of both uniform and non-uniform filter banks, aimed at improving the accuracy and computational efficiency of biomedical signal classification tasks, with a particular emphasis on the detection of sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.The proposed algorithm is grounded in multirate signal processing theory and aims to achieve Near Perfect Reconstruction (NPR) with minimal computational overhead. The process begins with the optimization of a uniform cosine-modulated filter bank (CMFB), achieved through iterative frequency-domain analysis and parameter tuning. This is followed by the derivation of a non-uniform filter bank via selective merging of bandpass …

Algorithmic Optimization Of Filter Bank: Harnessing Rapid Convergence And Its Applications, Keerthana B

Theses and Dissertations

A novel optimization framework is proposed for the design of both uniform and non-uniform filter banks, aimed at improving the accuracy and computational efficiency of biomedical signal classification tasks, with a particular emphasis on the detection of sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. The proposed algorithm is grounded in multirate signal processing theory and aims to achieve Near Perfect Reconstruction (NPR) with minimal computational overhead. The process begins with the optimization of a uniform cosine-modulated filter bank (CMFB), achieved through iterative frequency-domain analysis and parameter tuning.

This is followed by the derivation of a non-uniform filter bank via selective merging of …

The Effect Of Tranexamic Acid On Blood Coagulation In Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Rotational Thromboelastometry: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Uzung Yoon, David Beausang, Elia Elia, Marc Torjman, Jeffrey Mojica, James J. Purtill, David Nazarian, P. Maxwell Courtney, Yoogoo Kang

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Tranexamic acid (TXA), is commonly administered prophylactically to reduce blood loss in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, its effect has never been studied. We hypothesized that no difference exists in the degree of fibrinolysis and blood loss between patients receiving prophylactic TXA and placebo.

METHODS: This double-blinded randomized-controlled trial included 50 patients undergoing primary THA in 2021-2023. Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03897621). Rotational-thromboelastometry (ROTEM) were performed to test blood coagulability using non citrated whole blood (NATEM) and blood treated with TXA (T-APTEM). The intervention group received TXA intravenously. The placebo group received 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The primary outcome measure …

Injury And Illness: An Analysis Of Team Usa Athletes At The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Ashley N. Triplett, Eric G. Post, Travis Anderson, Olivia Samson, Alexis D. Gidley, Francisco Silva, Lea Thomann, Amber T. Donaldson, Jonathan T. Finnoff, Eric L. Dugan, Jeffrey S. Shilt, William M. Adams

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Injury and illness surveillance is essential for understanding the relative risks of sports participation to develop effective strategies to optimize athlete health, wellness, and performance. Epidemiological studies examining injuries and illnesses among Team USA youth athletes are limited, particularly among athletes competing in Winter sports. The purpose of this study was to characterize the injury and illness incidence rate among Team USA athletes participating in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

METHODS: Injuries and illnesses among 101 Team USA youth athletes (40.6% female; age, 17 ± 1 years) were prospectively documented. Injury and illness prevalence, and incidence rate …

The International Society For Clinical Spectroscopy; Reflections On The First 10 Years, Małgorzata Baranska, Hugh J. Byrne, Peter Gardner, Alex Henderson, Nick Stone, Bayden Wood

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The article provides a perspective overview of the development and current status of the field of biomedical spectroscopy, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the foundation of the International Society for Clinical Spectroscopy (CLIRSPEC). It provides a background into the prior evolution of the field, and international community, and rationale for the foundation of the legal entity, CLIRSPEC. It describes the continued dissemination and educational activities associated with the society, and maps out key technical developments, as well as trends towards clinical translation, and future perspectives.

Parents’ Experiences With Their Child’S Psychotherapy And Mental Illness, Valerie Marsman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low parental engagement—especially among fathers and ethnic minority groups like Latinx parents—in child psychotherapy increases the risk of treatment dropout, behavioral issues, and poorer outcomes, contributing to persistent disparities. More research was needed on perceptual barriers and facilitators to parental engagement such as attitudes, beliefs, and expectations. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of parents’ experiences with their child’s psychotherapy and mental illness to facilitate parental engagement in services that support the child. An interpretative phenomenological approach and multiperspectival focus group design were used to illuminate each participant’s voice and explore overarching themes. Hill’s theory …

Monitoring The Kinetic Evolution Of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation Using Raman Microspectroscopy, Francesca Ravera, Esen Efeoglu, Hugh J Byrne

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Raman microspectroscopy (RMS) offers a powerful, non-destructive approach for in situ monitoring of dynamic biochemical processes within cells. However, the ability to reliably data-mine the spectroscopic signatures and their evolution and extract meaningful information can be challenging. Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) regression analysis is a powerful chemometric technique that can potentially address this challenge by deconvoluting the spectra into individual component spectra, each representing a specific biochemical species, and regressing the solutions against kinetic constraints. In this study, MCR-ALS analysis was performed on spectral data of differentiation process of mesenchymal stem cells into chondrocytes, carried out on two …

A Comprehensive Deep Learning System With Mgrf Modeling For Predicting Breast Cancer Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Ahmed Sharafeldeen, Fatma Taher, Norah Saleh Alghamdi, Eman Alnaghy, Reham Alghandour, Khadiga M. Ali, Sameh Shamaa, Abdelrahman Gamal, Mohammed Ghazal, Sohail Contractor, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

Accurate prediction of breast cancer (BC) response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is critical for tailoring treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. This study introduces a novel deep learning-based framework that integrates multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (i.e., T1, T2, STIR, and DWI), along with clinical and molecular subtype markers, to classify tumor response into pathological complete response (pCR), partial response (PR), and stable disease (SD). First, tumor regions are delineated across MRI modalities and then modeled using a translation-invariant Markov-Gibbs random field (MGRF) with analytical parameter estimation to capture modality-specific spatial appearance patterns correlated with NAC response. Subsequently, diffusion-weighted MRI …

School Counselors’ Perceptions On Providing Mental Health Services In Schools, Kimberly Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing prevalence of mental health concerns among students in the United States has amplified the demand for comprehensive school-based mental health services. School counselors are often positioned as frontline providers of this support, yet research suggests they face numerous systemic and role-related challenges. This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to explore school counselors’ perceptions of their roles in providing mental health services, the barriers they encounter, and the ways in which self-efficacy is shaped by these experiences. Ten school counselors from diverse school settings participated in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed five central themes: (a) roles and responsibilities, (b) …