Digital Commons Network^™

Capitola, The Newsboy, As A Story-Paper: Movement, Serialization, And The Rewriting Of Domestic Space In E.D.E.N Southworth’S The Hidden Hand, Emma B. Pinson

All Theses

E.D.E.N. Southworth’s The Hidden Hand was immensely popular among nineteenth century American readers. These readers would have read the novel in a story-paper before it made its debut in novel form. Similar to a newspaper with the exception being that the content is fiction, readers would rush to purchase a new edition each week. In this thesis, I argue that both the content and print form of The Hidden Hand disrupt the separate gender spheres in nineteenth century America by encouraging a young girl’s movements in public spaces. What I call a separate separate gender sphere allows women and young …

Quantifying The Transformation Of The Built Environment As A Result Of Cooper River Bridge Construction In Charleston, South Carolina, Catherine Claire Jackson

All Theses

The demolition of historically undervalued vernacular architecture for the construction of transportation projects has created a large-scale, cumulative loss of architectural heritage nationwide. This thesis quantifies the architectural loss caused by the construction of the series of Cooper River bridges in peninsular Charleston and Mount Pleasant. This study assesses the transformation of the built environment as a result of each bridge’s construction by determining the quantity of architectural loss, identifying forms and materials of architectural loss, and differentiating the effects of bridge construction on the more rural Mount Pleasant side compared to the urban peninsular Charleston side. Also assessed in …

Migration And Diaspora: An Intersectional Feminist Reading Of Lucy By Jamacia Kincaid., Benjamin Oluwakayode Akinlabi

All Theses

This thesis explores how migration and diaspora shape the intersectional experience of Black women through a close reading of Jamaica Kincaid's Lucy. Drawing on Black feminist thought, I make a case using analytical and theoretical frameworks to expand intersectionality to account for global movement and memory. Intersectionality must move beyond national borders to account for how power travels with people. I argue that migration works externally through movement and displacement, and diaspora works internally through memory. There is a location in the United States, but there is always a look back through memory and the two conflict. Lucy's migration …

Modality Distillation Using A Sam-Guided Multimodal Teacher For Unimodal Wildfire Segmentation And Temperature Prediction, Michael N. Marinaccio

All Theses

Wildfires are one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters that affect the environment, communities, and more critically, humans that live in and around those communities. Due to the threat of large-scale destruction in landscapes and human inhabited areas, it has become increasingly more important to develop wildfire detection, management, and suppression strategies to mitigate and prevent these negative outcomes. Wildfire research encompasses many different areas. Most notably, the development of communication, navigation, remote sensing, and monitoring systems. In wildfire monitoring, limitations discovered in-ground and satellite observation have shifted the focus toward Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based wildfire research, which …

Micro Wind Turbine - Modelling And Testing, Mohammad Uzair Bhati

All Theses

The global energy demand continues to rise as people consume more electricity to power their personal electronics, electric vehicles, and consumer products such as outdoor tools. To generate renewable energy, large scale solar and wind farms continue to receive the most commercial attention. However, portable wind energy turbines have the potential to generate sufficient power for cell phones and other electronic devices. There are two types of wind turbines, horizontal and vertical axis each having their pros and cons. Vertical-axis wind turbines are the main focus of this thesis, with a reduction in their form factor or size and portable …

Speaking Up: A Courage Framework Of Bipoc Voices In The Workplace, Aishah Khan

All Theses

Despite the many beneficial outcomes of voice in the workplace, employers and employees do not often utilize it to its full potential, particularly those from historically marginalized groups. Past literature has examined the many ways in which the experience of minority-group members differs from that of majority-group members; however, scarce work has been done exploring the “mental calculus” that those from marginalized groups go through when deciding whether to advocate for themselves or others at work. To provide insight into this specific experience, I manipulated representation and context in a novel fashion – and examined if and how safety, risk, …

Athlete Soreness Self-Reporting For Increased Sports Recovery, Marissa Bennett

All Theses

With 70-80% of athletes choosing to withhold soreness/injury-related information from sports staff (Jessiman-Perreault et al., 2016; Whatman et al., 2018), the need for more research in this sector of sports communication is apparent. This study aimed to take a step in closing that research gap by identifying barriers to soreness reporting and taking measures to try and work around those barriers in partnership with a Division I, southeastern, public university football team over the course of the 2024 season. The 2024 season’s data was then compared to data collected in the 2021-2023 seasons. Exploratory research into a Division I, southeastern, …

The Impact Of Quality Of Life And Recovery Capital On Inhibitory Control In Patients On Medication For Opioid Use Disorder, Caroline K. Jeffries

All Theses

The opioid crisis persists as a global health challenge, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between psychological factors and neurocognitive responses among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). Two such psychological factors include recovery capital, an individual's internal and external resources to supporting recovery, and quality of life. Past work suggests that positive levels of recovery capital and quality of life may enhance individuals’ ability to regulate emotions and manage cravings. However, it is unclear how these variables are affected when buprenorphine is taken. This study investigates the influence of recovery capital and quality of life on inhibitory …

Evaluating Climate Benefits In The Conservation Reserve Program: Methane Emissions And Carbon Storage In Restored Wetlands, Annika Kuleba

All Theses

As climate change progresses, Nature-based Climate Solutions (NbCS) have emerged as a key strategy for mitigation. Historically, wetlands were drained to increase arable land area, resulting in habitat degradation and soil erosion. To address these issues, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) incentivizes wetland restoration under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), in which landowners retire agricultural land to reestablish native habitat. Although wetlands can act as carbon sinks, they are also sources of methane, a more potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Therefore, the effectiveness of wetlands as a NbCS remains under debate due to assumed high methane emissions. Wetland functions …

Crusade From Afar: British Conservative Revolutionaries And The Nationalist Cause In Spain, Russell Crosthwait

All Theses

The Spanish Civil War catalyzed a distinctive intellectual movement among Britain's interwar right—the Conservative Revolutionaries. This thesis explores how this conflict provided ideological coherence to figures like Arnold Lunn, Arthur Bryant, and Douglas Jerrold, who occupied a unique position between conventional conservatism and fascism. Through organizations such as the Friends of Nationalist Spain, these intellectuals translated their abstract critiques of liberalism, democracy, and industrial capitalism into concrete political action. The thesis demonstrates that these figures were neither simple conservatives nor card-carrying fascists, but proponents of a third way between the two. This study challenges the conventional narrative that portrays British …

Preserving Historic Houses: An Analysis Of Cleaning Methods For The Removal Of Fire Extinguisher Discharge On Historic Finished Plaster, Jessica Lynn Ridder

All Theses

Fire extinguishers are a necessity within any publicly accessible building, and their use is regulated by codes for public safety. When a fire extinguisher is used, the discharge residue can cause damage to the materials it comes into contact with. This potential damage presents an issue for many house museums, as the loss or removal of damaged material may affect the historic integrity of the site. With the ultimate goal of preserving the material integrity of historic sites, the ability to quickly and easily remove fire extinguisher discharge residue can allow materials, such as historic finished plaster, to remain in …

After Midnight: Analyzing Legacy Business Programs' Potential To Capture Patron Perspectives Through A Case Study Of Four Charleston, Sc Nightlife Spaces, Shawnya Peterson

All Theses

Within historic preservation, Legacy Business Programs (LBPs) are increasingly popular initiatives to support and celebrate businesses that have contributed to the history and culture of their communities and reached a certain operational age. LBPs are important to their communities and are part of a growing trend towards vernacular study and democratization within the preservation field. In particular, LBP application processes have the potential to document significant aspects of these important community businesses. Different LBP application questions can capture different types of business information from a range of perspectives. Within the movement towards greater inclusivity in historic preservation, understanding and documenting …

Impacts Of Cognitive Workload On Veteran Driver Reaction Time: Predictive Modeling Using Bayesian And Machine Learning Methods, Kenneth Ofosu-Kwabe

All Theses

In high-demand environments, the ability to manage cognitive workload can mean the difference between optimal or safe performance and critical failure or accidents. Veterans face an elevated risk of fatal motor vehicle accidents due to post-deployment stress, combat-related injuries, and challenges readjusting to civilian driving. This study explores how cognitive workload affects reaction time performance using a driving simulator by collecting and analyzing subjective workload ratings (using the NASA-TLX survey), physiological signals from eye-tracking and performance data from a sample of 28 Veterans.

We examined how task difficulty, cognitive indicators and personal attributes influence reaction times across an interactive driving …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Graffiti Inscriptions At Ecclesiastical Sites In The South Carolina Lowcountry, Hannah Truman

All Theses

The study of graffiti has become a multi-disciplinary study. Historical and modern forms of graffiti offer a unique perspective on the connection people have with religious sites over the span of three hundred years. Within South Carolina, the establishment of twenty-five churches throughout the Lowcountry from 1706 to 1775 offers an understanding of people’s connection to spaces from the beginning of South Carolina’s establishment to the present day. Their beliefs are reflected throughout the space of the building as congregations have left their imprint.

In order to understand the relationship of people to the site over time, various methods were …

A Review On Treatment, Prevention, And Research Of Worldwide Parasitic Disease: Toxoplasmosis, Hannah Skinner

All Theses

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide, yet often overlooked, parasitic disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite is capable of infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded vertebrates. Over a million people are infected in the United States with toxoplasmosis each year. Most infections are asymptomatic but severe cases can lead to vision impairment, neurological disorders, and congenital birth defects. T. gondii is transmitted through undercooked meat, infected feline feces, or contaminated water and soil. The burden of T. gondii infection is most notable in livestock, felines, and immunocompromised humans. Despite being a widespread disease, toxoplasmosis is neglected in …

Thymosin Beta-4: A Novel Treatment For Acanthamoeba Keratitis, Victoria A. Murphey

All Theses

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe corneal infection caused by the free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba. Both stages of its life cycle (trophozoite and cyst) cause infection, primarily in contact lens wearers. It is often misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and poor clinical outcomes. Current treatment options for AK rely on anti-amoebic agents that are toxic to corneal epithelial cells. Further, no single drug can eliminate both forms of the amoeba. Approximately 30% of all AK infections require a corneal transplant.

Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) is a G-actin binding protein synthesized in almost all human cells, including corneal epithelial cells. Tβ4 exhibits …

Environmental Concern And Its Relationship To Community Attachment And Satisfaction In Southern West Virginia, Terence Asitibasi

All Theses

Extractive industries, especially coal, in the Appalachia region, have contributed to severe environmental challenges. Over the past years, residents in these areas faced increased health risks and damage to natural landscapes, impacting on how connected they are attached to their communities and overall satisfaction with their quality of life. Previous studies have examined these issues but with a focus on amenity-rich rural west, low amenities, urban-suburban, tourist-dependent and Great Lakes regions; this study looks at southern West Virginia, a coal-dependent region. And as such fills that gap by exploring how environmental concerns - combined with a longstanding reliance on coal …

The Effect Corrugated Fiberboard Has On The Environment In Terms Of Compostability, Plant Growth, And Per-And-Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substance Contamination, Meredith Clem

All Theses

The “Lasagna Method” is a popular and sustainably perceived technique that many gardeners use as a free and convenient method to dispose of cardboard (corrugated fiberboard) packaging while also improving their gardens. Many claim that this creates benefits for your garden, but many others have proposed their concerns, including the safety of the practice. This research analyzes the compostability of cardboard, the effect it has on plant growth and development of lettuce, and its contamination of a prominent chemical that has known negative effects on human health. The results of these studies showed that cardboard, as it is currently produced …

Evaluating The Role Of Electrostatic Forces In The Adsorption Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances To Granular Activated Carbon, Thomas A. Mccall

All Theses

In response to new drinking water regulations announced by the EPA in 2024, many municipalities will need to monitor concentrations and implement new treatments to address PFAS, a class of anthropogenic organic contaminants. A leading technology for this application is GAC adsorption due to its familiarity and availability. The adsorption of four PFAS species (PFBA, PFBS, PFOA and PFOS) to Calgon Filtrasorb400 (F400) was evaluated for a range of pH and ionic strength conditions to investigate the role of electrostatic interactions in adsorption capacity. These PFAS are all strong acids, so pH was used as a control for GAC surface …

Graph Based Deep Reinforcement Learning Aided By Transformers For Multi-Agent Cooperation, Michael S. Elrod

All Theses

Mission planning for a fleet of cooperative autonomous drones in applications that involve serving distributed target points, such as disaster response, environmental monitoring, and surveil- lance, is challenging, especially under partial observability, limited communication range, and uncertain environments. Traditional path-planning algorithms struggle in these scenarios, particu- larly when prior information is not available. To address these challenges, I propose an innovative framework that integrates Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL), and transformer-based mechanisms for enhanced multi-agent coordination and collective task ex- ecution. My approach leverages GNNs to model agent-agent and agent-goal interactions through adaptive graph construction, enabling efficient …

Investigating The Influence Of Animation And Conversational Virtual Agent Features On The Usability And User Experience Of The Smartphone Mental Health Application “Airheart”, Victoria Hill

All Theses

Rates of depression in college students have skyrocketed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a need for effective, accessible mental health interventions. One potential intervention includes mental health (MHealth) apps. Virtual agents within MHealth apps may represent one way to provide human-like connection and therapeutic benefits. Despite the abundance of MHealth apps currently available for public use, few include virtual agents. Moreover, it is unclear which virtual agent features within mental health apps may be particularly beneficial in providing a positive user experience. The current study sought to evaluate how features of virtual agents, such as animation and …

Community Wastewater Treatment Resilience Assessment, Tristan Veal

All Theses

With the rising threat of climate change and cascading impacts from infrastructure failure there is a growing need to strengthen community resilience. Theoretical and practical resilience frameworks are available, but they vary in aim and scope; there is no standard tool to assess resilience. This research expands on the resilience matrix (RM) application methods of previous research completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Clemson University. That work focused on drinking water treatment systems and developed a few dozen specific indicators, or metrics, to quantify resilience. This research adds wastewater infrastructure with the aim of identifying …

Unsettling Femininity In Ottessa Moshfegh’S My Year Of Rest And Relaxation, Audrianna Witcher

All Theses

This thesis covers how Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation critiques traditional understandings of femininity and the inadequacy of neoliberal feminism to address the systemic issues that women face. Using Lauren Berlant’s concept of femininity as a genre, this thesis traces how Moshfegh implements disgust and abjection to reject mandates of cleanliness and emotional labor that are central to traditional femininity. Moshfegh also utilizes disgust and the narrator’s attempt at a year-long sleep to resist the ideals of productivity and self-care that are central to neoliberal feminism. In employing these affects, Moshfegh resists the social structures that exploit …

When 'Weird' Means 'Dangerous': Viruses And Firewalls In Affective Polarization, Nathan J. Locke

All Theses

As traditional sources of epistemic authority face declining trust, alternative narratives have gained prominence - often leveraging the emotional and cultural resonance of seemingly simple terms. In the 2024 election cycle, the term “weird” emerged as a potent meme in American political discourse. Using a memetic perspective that incorporates elements of framing theory and Social Judgment Theory, this thesis investigates the use and reaction to “weird” and its role in shaping perception of Donald Trump, his political allies, his followers, and his opposition during and immediately after the 2024 Presidential election. The memetic perspective, which views ideas as units of …

Privacy Implications Of Data Collection In Android Automotive Os, Bulut Gözübüyük

All Theses

Modern vehicles have become sophisticated computational and sensor systems, as evidenced by advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), in-car infotainment, and autonomous driving capabilities. They collect and process vast amounts of data through various onboard subsystems. One significant player in this landscape is Android Automotive OS (AAOS), which has been integrated into over 100 million vehicles and has become a dominant force in the in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) market. With this extensive data collection, privacy concerns have become increasingly crucial. The volume of data gathered by these systems raises questions about how this information is stored, used, and protected, making privacy a …

Commodification And Objectification Of The Black Male Athlete In The Nfl, Jalen A. Terrell

All Theses

The black male body has often been viewed as a commodity in Western culture since the commodification of the black male body in the historical slave auction. Albeit slave owning ended in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, it was not until 1946 that the National Football League (NFL) became integrated, and the commodification of black bodies became prevalent once again. As such, this study looks to understand how the X population from the data set for this study demonstrates the commodification of the black male body, the general discourse around the black and white male athletes, and explores the language …

Essential Components For A Uas Standard Operating Procedure Manual For State Departments Of Transportation, Nurudeen Segun Lawal

All Theses

The integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) within state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) has become increasingly essential for improving efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance in transportation operations. However, the lack of a standardized approach to UAS program management has resulted in variability in policies, procedures, and implementation strategies across state agencies. This study examines how state DOTs incorporate the Association of Unscrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Organizational Implementation Guide (OIG) 35 essential components into their UAS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identifies 13 additional components that address agency-specific operational, regulatory, and administrative needs. Through an analysis of publicly available SOPs …

Connecting With Millennials: A Guide For Donor Engagement, Sydney A. Hopkins

All Theses

Millennials are emerging as a vital donor demographic, yet many resource-limited nonprofits, including Clemson Community Care (CCC), struggle to effectively engage this generation. This applied thesis project investigates how CCC can build meaningful connections with millennial donors by exploring nonprofit awareness, donor motivations, communication expectations, content preferences, and common barriers to giving. Using qualitative data gathered from two focus groups of millennial participants, this study reveals that millennials represent a diverse and distinct audience with unique expectations for nonprofit communication. Grounded in public relations theories of stewardship and organization-public relationships (OPR), the research highlights the importance of flexibility and autonomy …

Industrialization And Immigration: Latino And Hispanic Immigrants In The South Carolina Upstate, Matthew D. Girardeau

All Theses

European investment in the South Carolina Upstate created favorable conditions for Latino immigration. French tire manufacturer Michelin came to the region in the 1970s, and the construction of the largest BMW plant in the world in the 1990s greatly impacted the local economy. The Upstate had a history of outside investment, beginning with Northern industrialists in the textile industry and later European companies that provided equipment for textile mills. The automotive industry did not necessarily employ Latinos, but the money generated by the sector created booming construction and service industries. Latinos built a community in western Greenville County and established …

Motivations And Goals For Combatting Covid-19 Misinformation In Clinical Setting: A Case Study Of Nursing Students., Amarachi H. Okoronkwo

All Theses

The misinformation surrounding COVID-19 disrupted public health efforts to mitigate the virus. This study examined the motivations and goals of nursing students to combat COVID-19 misinformation within clinical settings. Medical professionals are best suited to combat health misinformation due to their expertise and lived experience, but they are not mandated but encouraged to address COVID-19 misinformation. Grounded in qualitative research methods and grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nursing students who have had clinical practice after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings reveal that the key motivations and goals for addressing misinformation include the need to educate patients, …