Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Multi-Targeting Natural Products For The Treatment Of Cancer, Wesley Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The paradigm shift in cancer treatments from traditional chemotherapeutics to targeted therapies has rapidly improved prognoses for patients for whom cancer was once a death sentence. This is especially true in the case of targeted immune therapies which activate the body’s own natural defense system to fight cancer. Despite these advances, however, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. The promise of targeted therapeutics has faced significant hurdles in providing effective cancer treatments, namely the limited percentage of susceptible cancers for each treatment, high cost burden, high toxicities, and significant risk of treatment induced resistance. …

Emergent Properties And Applications Of Self- Assembled Benzophenone-Containing Materials, Baillie A. Dehaven

Theses and Dissertations

Supramolecular assembly of benzophenone through urea hydrogen bonding interactions facilitates the formation of remarkably persistent triplet radical pairs upon UV-irradiation at room temperature, whereas no radicals are observed in solution. The generation of organic radicals is correlated to the microenvironment around the benzophenone carbonyl, the types of proximal hydrogens, and the rigid supramolecular network. High-Field EPR and variable temperature X-band EPR accompanied by simulations suggest a resonance stabilized radical pair through hydrogen abstraction. Previous work has shown that UV-irradiation of self-assembled benzophenone bis-urea host results in low quantities of radical pairs that can be used to enhance NMR signals …

A Litigation Analysis Of The Extraterritoriality Of U.S. Federal Laws In International Education, Sara M. Easler

Theses and Dissertations

U.S. higher education institutions and international educators have sought to improve the level of engagement and participation in education abroad among undergraduate college students as well as to diversify the types of available experiences and the students that benefit from them. Yet, this programmatic investment in international education and study abroad has occurred without fully understanding the discrimination and litigation risks of such endeavors. This study examines the relevant federal statutes and their interpretation as defined by trial outcomes and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) opinions in an effort to inform the field of international education and its practitioners of …

Development Of Acceptor-Integrated Crystalline Organic Materials, Brandon Yarbrough

Theses and Dissertations

We report the first example of fullerene-containing porous covalent-organic scaffold, which combines not only crystallinity and porosity, but also integrates the intrinsic properties of a redox-active buckyball, along with the ability to tune electronic properties. Thus, the presented studies not only demonstrate the possibility of merging the strong electron accepting properties of fullerene-based derivatives with the versatility of covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), but also begin the class of crystalline, entirely organic, donor-acceptor fullerene COFs through covalently modifying the channel walls. These studies could foreshadow new avenues for buckyball utilization for applications ranging from organic photovoltaics to molecular electronics.

Modeling And Loss Analysis Of Sic Power Semiconductor Devices For Switching Converter Applications, Soheila Eskandari

Theses and Dissertations

Since its inception, power electronics has been to a large extent driven by the available power semiconductor devices. Switching power converter topologies, modes of operation, switching frequencies, passive filtering elements are chosen based on the switching and conduction characteristics of power semiconductor devices. In recent times new wide bandgap power semiconductor devices, such as SiC MOSFETs, are emerging with superior performance as compared to conventional silicon devices.

In switching power converter design, power losses of the power semiconductor de- vices play a crucial role in determining the physical characteristics of power converter systems in terms of size, weight, efficiency and, …

“Philosophical Treatises On Life And Death”:Newspaper Coverage Of A Controversial Brain Death Case, Khadija Ejaz

Theses and Dissertations

The central concern of this multi-method research project was to investigate newspaper coverage of the controversial brain death case of Jahi McMath. This represents the first study of sense-making of the case in the news media, positioning it at the intersection of science communication and critical qualitative inquiry. First, framing theory was used to guide a textual analysis of 81 newspaper articles from high-circulation newspapers in California. This revealed four frames that first created uncertainty about brain death, thereby permitting two competing frames of Jahi being alive and also being dead to co-exist before merging into a frame that further …

The Big Five Personality Types And Music Performance Anxiety In Collegiate Piano Students, Lindsey Brooke Chattin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if relationships exist between the Big Five personality types and levels of music performance anxiety (MPA) in collegiate piano majors. Fifty-five (N = 55) collegiate music majors enrolled in private lessons in the fall 2017 semester participated in this quantitative study. Participants completed a survey consisting of three sections: demographic questions, the “International Personality Item Pool Big Five Factor Markers” questionnaire (Pettersson and Turkheimer, 2010), and the “Three-Dimensional Performance Anxiety Inventory” (Cheng, Hardy, and Markland, 2009).

The questionnaire had three primary focuses: (1) to collect demographic data and information of collegiate …

Effect Of Severe Economic Recession On The Psychological Distress: Evidence Of Modifying Effect Of Risky Behaviors And Insurance Status, Lumi Bakos

Theses and Dissertations

The investigation identified the effect of the 2007-2009 economic recession on the level of psychological distress (PD) as modified by engaging in risky behaviors and insurance status. The objective was to determine if engaging in risky behaviors and insurance status had an impact upon the level of psychological distress experienced during a recession; the timeframe for the study is 2007 representing pre-recession to beginning of recession year, to 2009 representing the recession year, to 2012-2013 representing post-recession years. The study involved the use of a nationwide non- institutionalized adult population, the Mental Health and Stigma optional module found in the …

Expanding Immediate Postpartum Contraceptive Options: South Carolina’S Medicaid Policy, Amy Mattison-Faye

Theses and Dissertations

Offering contraceptives is essential to allow women the opportunity to plan for pregnancy and help prevent mistimed or unintended pregnancy. Intrauterine devices and implants, also known as long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), are the most effective methods of contraception. South Carolina Medicaid in 2012 launched an innovative policy expanding contraceptive access and coverage for women delivering in hospitals to have the option to receive a LARC immediately postpartum. However, in order for this policy to be successful, it relies on the capacity of hospitals and providers to adopt and implement without assistance. Identifying the provisions necessary in order for successful policy …

The Impact Of A Science Fair On High School Students’ Feelings Of Self-Efficacy In Stem, Nathaniel P. Wharton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this present action research study was to describe secondary students’ feelings of self-efficacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through a curriculum linked to a science fair project, the teacher-researcher focused on student-participants’ perceptions of perseverance and task completion linked to STEM courses and postsecondary STEM careers. A Likert scale pretest (n=44) and posttest (n=33) based on Bandura’s model of four categories of self-efficacy (mastery experience, vicarious experiences, verbal/social persuasion, and emotional/psychological states) was administered to middle to low income students at a high school in Pennsylvania in the fall of 2018.). Data was also collected …

Three-Dimensional Plasma Cell Survival Microniche In Multiple Myeloma, Katrina A. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of long-lived plasma cells (PCs) in the bone marrow (BM), which constitute at least 10% of BM cellularity. Normally, long-lived plasma cells make up less than 1% of BM cells. Plasma cells become neoplastic when a clonal PC population produces a monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. A diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is made when there is an increase in monoclonal PCs within the BM, but less than 10%, and the patient does not present with end-organ damage, which is associated with active MM. Though not considered …

Effect Of Trb3 On Skeletal Muscle Mass Regulation And Exercise-Induced Adaptation, Ran Hee Choi

Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle, which composes over 40% of body mass, is responsible for daily locomotion and energy metabolism. It is a malleable tissue that can adapt its structure and function in response to internal and external environmental stimuli. Changing muscle mass and energy substrate utilization is a common skeletal muscle adaptation in response to various pathological conditions, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. Failure to maintain skeletal muscle mass and function has been correlated with increasing morbidity and mortality, as well as poor quality of life. Hence, maintenance of skeletal muscle integrity is a recommended strategy in achieving better quality of …

Impact Of Glutathione Transporters On Subcellular Glutathione Pools And Cell Survival In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Crystal Conaway Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Thiol-disulfide redox homeostasis is integral for maintaining the redox status of proteins and other thiol-containing molecules within cells. Mitochondria are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in redox balance, due to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during oxidative metabolism. Among the many antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes existing in mitochondria, glutathione (GSH) has proven to be critical for the preservation of function and structural integrity of the organelle. Therefore, our studies are aimed at elucidating the factors that control mitochondrial GSH metabolism in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). A critical component of understanding subcellular GSH homeostasis is identifying routes of …

Successful Pressing Sequences In Simple Pseudo-Graphs, Hays Wimsatt Whitlatch

Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by the study of genomes evolving by reversals, the primary topic of this thesis is “successful pressing sequences” in simple pseudo-graphs. Pressing sequences where first introduced by Hannenhali and Pevzner in 1999 where they showed that sorting signed permutation problem can be solved in polynomial time, therefore demonstrating that the length of a most parsimonious solution to the genome in- version only rearrangement problem can be determined efficiently.

A signed permutation is an integer permutation where each entry is given a sign: plus or minus. A reversal in a signed permutation is the operation of reversing a subword and …

Development Of Models For Road-Rail Intermodal Freight Network Under Uncertainty, Md Majbah Uddin

Theses and Dissertations

Freight activities are directly related to a country’s Gross Domestic Product and economic viability. In recent years, the U.S. transportation system supports a growing volume of freight, and it is anticipated that this trend will continue in the coming years. To support the projected increase in freight volume, an efficient, reliable, and low-cost freight logistics system is necessary to keep the U.S. competitive in the global market. In addition, intermodal transport is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to shippers, and this trend is likely to continue as state and federal agencies are considering policies to induce a freight modal shift …

Consideration Of /ˈMem(Ə)Rē/: A Solo Performance Project, Elizabeth Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

On February 18, 2018, I performed a solo show in conjunction with my MFA cohort. This solo show, titled /ˈmem(ə)rē/, was written and produced by myself and dealt with a woman’s search through her memories to find something she’s been missing. Over the course of this paper, I discuss the genesis of the central theme, the evolution of each frame, as well as the success and failures of the piece during performance. I conclude by determining whether or not a re-mounting of this work would be beneficial in the future and examining what I learned in the process of …

Sustainable Polymers And Antimicrobial Biomaterials From Multicyclic Natural Products, Md Anisur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the development of sustainable polymers and antimicrobial biomaterials from multicyclic natural products is illustrated. In Chapter 1, an overall background and recent development of sustainable polymers from natural product-based renewable biomass, antimicrobial biomaterials, and polymerization methods are introduced. Afterward, the primary research objectives of my doctoral research work are illustrated.

In chapter 2, designing block copolymer architectures toward tough bioplastics from renewable natural rosin was described. One of the most abundant natural biomasses is resin acids, however, most of the polymers derived from resin acids are brittle because of their bulky hydrophenanthrene pendant group. To overcome the …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Thin Films For Heterojunction Solar Cells And Radiation Detectors, Towhid A. Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation study has undertaken research in two areas: (1) development of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin film photo-absorber using low-cost fabrication technique for roll- to-roll commercial production for photovoltaic application, and (2) development of enriched lithium-doped amorphous selenium alloy film, a new solid-state detector material for neutron detection.

In this study CZTS thin film was developed by employing low-cost, high- throughput spray pyrolysis technique, followed by sulfurization under a 5% H2S flow at 550°C. Characterization of deposited films revealed better structural, compositional, and optical properties for sulfurized film compared to as-deposited film. The ‘sulfurized’ CZTS films deposited at 380°C substrate temperature …

Structural Health Monitoring And Non-Destructive Inspection Of Composite And Metallic Structures, Asaad Qasim Migot

Theses and Dissertations

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Nondestructive Testing (NDT) techniques are being used as effective tools for investigating variety of civil, mechanical, and aerospace applications. In recent years, these techniques become such incredible tools for continuously monitoring of various structures. The aim of the dissertation work is to develop SHM and NDT methodologies for acoustic emission sources localization, damage detection and quantification in metallic and composite structures using a network of sensors, guided wave and developed imaging methods. This work is implemented through preparing metallic and composite specimens, setting up experiments, designing efficient networks of sensors, modeling guided wave interaction with …

Identifying Predictors Of Racial Disparity In Treatment And Mortality Among Patients Diagnosed With Breast Cancer In South Carolina, Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Despite a lower incidence of breast cancer (BrCA) among Black women in the U.S. compared to White women, Black women experience consistently higher mortality rates. The aims of this study were 1) to assess the relationship between race and diagnosis-to-treatment times 2) to assess racial disparity in mortality among Black and White BrCA patients in SC and 3) assessment of the validity of the Mortality-to- incidence ration (MIR) as a proxy for survival and geospatial investigation of racial disparity among breast cancer (BrCA) patients.

Methods: Breast cancer cases diagnosed between 2002-2010 were obtained retrospectively from the SC Central Cancer …

Tracing The Genesis Of The English Requiem Through Selected Works, V. Dwight Dockery, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This document investigates the “English Requiem,” coined by the present author as a subgenre of the broader compositional genre of the Requiem. This subgenre demonstrates certain characteristics including grandeur in scale, implementation of non- standard religious text(s), especially the English Burial Service, and/or the utilization of (often secular) English poetry. The subgenre’s genesis is found in English composers’ response to the dead from the First World War (1914-1918), which coincided with the English Musical Renaissance of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. The purpose of this document is to provide a clear understanding of the development of the English Requiem within …

Role Of Size, Concentration, And Natural Organic Matter On The Fate, Behavior, And Toxicity Of Nanoparticle In Aquatic Environment, Mithun Sikder

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the impact of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) physicochemical properties such as size, surface coating and concentration; and environmental factors such as ionic strength, media composition and natural organic matter (NOM) on NP fate, behavior, and toxicity is crucial for ENP risk assessment. Thus, the overall aim of this dissertation is to evaluate the effects of ENP properties and water chemistry on the behavior, bioavailability, and toxicity of AgNPs and PtNPs.

The aggregation behavior of PtNPs was typical of Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO) type aggregation and the critical coagulation concentration of PtNPs was independent of particle size. PtNPs aggregate …

Biophysical Analyses Of Left Ventricular Remodeling Secondary To Myocardial Infarction And Left Ventricular Pressure Overload, William Manuel Torres

Theses and Dissertations

Left ventricular (LV) remodeling is nominally an adaptive process that restores biomechanical function following myocardial injury and/or sustained alterations in loading conditions. This remodeling can materialize as changes in myocardial geometry, composition, and mechanical properties. When these changes fail to restore LV biomechanical function, remodeling is termed maladaptive. It is generally accepted that maladaptive LV remodeling underlies the progression to heart failure in various forms of heart disease. The central hypothesis of this study is that we can leverage echocardiographic imaging techniques to non-invasively quantify changes in biomechanical function and mechanical properties in a serial manner throughout the progression towards …

Women’S Writing And The Poetics Of Scientific Knowledge, 1620-1740, Rachel Mann

Theses and Dissertations

Women’s Writing and the Poetics of Scientific Knowledge, 1620-1740 probes the porous boundary between science and literature, revealing that the methodologies undergirding scientific experimentation were developed communally and through a confluence of interdisciplinary and cultural concerns. Ultimately, it shows that our contemporary understanding of the natural world and the scientific method have a history that is largely one of fragments. Secondly, and more importantly, it demonstrates the value of reading imaginative writing alongside scientific developments of the day.

Focusing on women’s imaginative writing in particular reveals the power and limits that ostensibly liminal voices have. As such, Women’s Writing and …

Mechanisms Of Radium Adsorption On Silica And Barite, Hamid Hamid

Theses and Dissertations

The use of experimental studies with computer modeling is vital in the development of cost-effective methods for treating radium containing wastewaters. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a multi-scale model to study radium removal mechanisms onto silica and barite, and the effect of water quality parameters on radium removal. The major tasks to be accomplished in this study are: to develop a multi-component isotherm model for radium removal on different ionized silica surfaces; to re-parameterize sulphate force fields to account for metal-sulfate interactions; and to simulate radium removal on barite under different water quality conditions. We conducted molecular …

Causes And Consequences Of Police Militarization, Edward Eugene Lawson, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

After the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, and many other incidents of police violence that followed, the militarization of policing and the use of violence by police became the subjects of contentious debate among the public, policymakers, and scholars. Research on these subjects necessary to inform the debate has been lacking. This work examines the causes and effects of police militarization in the United States. Specifically, I argue that militarization is a response to perceived threat from minority racial groups, but the rela- tionship between racial demographics and militarization is curvilinear. Militarized begin to see themselves as soldiers fighting on …

Nanoscale Control Of Metal Oxideand Carbonaceous Functional Materials, Benjamin W. Lamm

Theses and Dissertations

The controlled fabrication of nanometer scale devices is of fundamental concern for numerous technologies, from separations to electronics and catalysis. The complexity of device architectures calls for the development of synthetic methods that independently control each feature: pore dimensions, wall thickness, and any subsequent functional nanomaterial layers (e.g. photoactive electrocatalysts). Precision control over these orthogonal methods can be used to integrate 3D and 1D nanostructures.

This dissertation presents the development of techniques useful in fabricating highly controlled nanoscale devices. The growth of single-phase bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is demonstrated for the first time, allowing for the …

Modeling Complex Oxides: Thermochemical Behavior Of Nepheline-Forming Na-Al-Si-B-K-Li-Ca-Mg-Fe-O And Hollandite-Forming Ba-Cs-Ti-Cr-Al-Fe- Ga-O Systems, Stephen A. Utlak

Theses and Dissertations

High concentrations of Na2O and Al2O3 in the liquid high-level radioactive waste (HLW) stored at the Hanford Site can cause nepheline (NaAlSiO4) to precipitate in a vitrified monolithic waste form upon cooling. Nepheline phase formation removes glass- former SiO2 and -modifier Al2O3 from the immobilization matrix in greater proportion to alkalis, which can reduce glass durability and consequently increase the leach rate of radionuclides into the surrounding environment.

Current uncertainty in defining the HLW glass composition region prone to precipitating nepheline necessitates targeting a conservative waste loading, which raises operational costs by extending the liquid radioactive waste disposal mission and …

Three-Dimensional Plasma Cell Survival Microniche In Multiple Myeloma, Katrina A. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of long-lived plasma cells (PCs) in the bone marrow (BM), which constitute at least 10% of BM cellularity. Normally, long-lived plasma cells make up less than 1% of BM cells. Plasma cells become neoplastic when a clonal PC population produces a monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. A diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is made when there is an increase in monoclonal PCs within the BM, but less than 10%, and the patient does not present with end-organ damage, which is associated with active MM. Though not considered …

Catalytic Upgrading Of Aromatic Oxygenates Related To Lignin, Nicholas A. Delucia

Theses and Dissertations

Lignin is one component of lignocellulosic biomass and is the only renewable, naturally-occurring source of aromatics in the world. However, lignin also provides a highly-oxygenated, complex, heterogeneous structure making the procurement of isolated aromatic molecules quite difficult. There has been extensive research in recent years to develop approaches to catalytically breakdown the lignin polymer into monomeric units. This works aims to develop a number of catalytic techniques for the upgrading of these monomeric units of lignin to produce means for producing chemical building blocks as well as suitable fuels from biomass sources.

A method for the silanolysis of alcohols has …