Learning How to Digitize Community Histories in Horry County

To learn more about creating a Digital Studio, we digitized the history of our library system and produced a short documentary in celebration of our 70th anniversary. The production offers an example of the services we will be able to offer families and communities interested in preserving local histories

Effect of Macrophage Expressed α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (α7nAChR) on Migration of Macrophages During Inflammation

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by overwhelming inflammation, resulting in organ system damage, leading to a high mortality rate. Care in the clinical setting is supportive, and there are no approved sepsis-specific treatments. In septic mice, activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway decreases cytokine secretion by leukocytes and improves survival. The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is a reflex of the parasympathetic nervous system, converging on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (α7nAChR) at the surface of macrophages. Signaling through the receptor blocks NF-kB activation, thus cytokine secretion. Receptor activation has other effects on macrophages, including modulating their migration to target tissues during inflammation. The goal of this study was to describe the contribution of α7nAChR to macrophage migration during sepsis, using both activation with agonist PNU-282987 and α7nAChR-/- mice. We showed that α7nAChR-deficiency impedes migration to inflamed tissues, and that α7nAChR activation promotes macrophage accumulation in tissues, an effect mediated through altered expression of integrin aMb2

Environmental Law - Resource Investments, Inc. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

In Resource Investments Inc. v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit considered whether section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to require a landowner to obtain a dredge and fill permit from the Corps before constructing a municipal solid waste landfIll on a wetlands site. The Court held that when a proposed project affecting a wetlands area is a solid waste landfill, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), rather than the Corps, will have permit authority under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. §§6941 et seq.) (RCRA). If the project that will affect a wetlands area is not a solid waste landfill and the project involves the discharge of dredged or fill material, the Corps will have permit authority under section 404 of the CWA

Sugar Consumption Alters Perception of and Response to Stress in Undergraduate Students: Understanding the Freshmen Fifteen

Psychological stress is a common part in everyday life that directly affects the body through the nervous system and neuroendocrine hormones. A perceived stressor leads to the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and the synthesis and release of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol from the adrenal cortex. Studies have linked the release of cortisol during high-stress periods to an increased intake of sugary and fatty foods, consistent with a suspected glucocorticoid-metabolic-brain- negative pathway, with high sugar consumption leading to lower stress and subsequently cortisol levels. In this study, undergraduate students’ diets were supplemented with either a high sugar drink or water for one week and then subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Subjects’ perceived stress was measured with the Revised Undergraduate Student Hassle Scale (RUSHs) in terms of academic, social, and personal categories, and saliva samples were collected pre and post TSST to analyze salivary cortisol levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A consistent correlation was observed between sugar and water group participants’ perceived stress and baseline cortisol levels, along with statistically significant differences in perceived stress and cortisol response to the TSST. The results of this study indicate the need for specific stress-reduction interventions for college students to reduce unhealthy stress-induced changes in dietary habits

Community building toolkit in a (digital) box

As existing businesses and nonprofits age, many find they need new skill sets and tools to develop and engage an ever-changing, diverse community. Research has been done on the topic of community building, especially in online communities, but does not address how to make community building tactics easily available to small nonprofits or non-governmental organizations. This paper discusses the first iteration of a community building toolkit and an eHub created for St. Mary Church using design thinking and transmedia methods. A usability survey was conducted on the eHub, which provided ideas for future revisions. Ideas for the next iteration of the toolkit are also discussed.Thesis (M.A.)Department of Journalis

The Persuasiveness of Point of View

An obsession with the point of view, POV, as a craft element, drove the impetus of this research. The artist\u27s statement highlights a love affair with escapism through the written word in fiction. The critical paper reviews evidence of the persuasiveness of point of view, POV, as a critical craft element as seen in the nuances of POV in The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury and in first-person testimony in journalism. While some research into POV exists for literary classics, like Pride and Prejudice, this thesis shows the evidence of the persuasiveness of POV to warrant formal academic research into how each type of POV can be used to entertain and engage specific audiences. The creative manuscript will leverage the styles of POV referenced in the study to deliver a later-in-life romance, Pearls for Persephone