Monuments of Folly: The Persistence of he Lost Cause at the University of South Carolina

The recent controversies surrounding the Confederate flag and Confederate monuments has sparked increased interest understanding why many people, particularly in the South, celebrate the Confederate States of America. This thesis seeks to better understand the motivations and emotions behind the persistence of the Lost Cause among students at the University of South Carolina. This study utilizes both deep textual readings and sentiment analysis to analyze student-published newspaper articles printed in The Gamecock from 1960-2006 and survey responses from current University of South Carolina students to capture the scope and history of belief in the Lost Cause at the University of South Carolina. The Lost Cause has gradually lost support from the university’s student body over time, but some facets of the ideology remain

Increasing Relevance and Impact: Using Action Research With Middle Level Teachers’ Insights and Perceptions of Technology Professional Development

To move beyond technology use and realize the full benefits of technology integration, school districts need to provide effective technology professional development experiences. The purpose of this action research was to describe middle level teacher attitudes and perceptions regarding technology training and professional development in Woodcreek School District in order to recommend more effective technology professional development offerings. The research questions of this study focused on (1) the attitudes middle level teachers have toward technology professional development and (2) factors that may influence those attitudes. Going deeper into the influences on attitudes toward technology professional development, this study also explored (a) the influence of a teacher’s beliefs about technology integration and (b) the influence of a teacher’s perception of his or her personal technology skills. A teacher survey and teacher interviews were used for data collection. Middle level teachers (n = 84) responded to five survey categories: (a) introduction and informed consent, (b) general demographic information, (c) personal technology skills, (d) thoughts about technology integration, (e) thoughts about teaching and learning, and (f) thoughts about technology professional development. Teachers were invited to participate in in-depth, semi-structured interviews based on self-reported negative experiences with technology professional development. Three teachers volunteered. Findings revealed that most participants (80%) indicated that most of their technology learning took place on their own and in their own time. A majority enjoyed attending technology professional development (69%) and found it helpful (63%). However, fewer participants responded that technology professional development impacted their teaching practices, and only 43% indicated they felt adequately trained. Technology professional development was either too general or too overwhelming for participants. They also expressed preferences for hands-on, content-specific technology professional development sessions. Participants were proficient in technology skills (82%), but only 58% indicated they were confident in their ability to integrate technology. Most participants responded that technology integration was important for student success (74%), but only 48% indicated it was a priority for them in their classroom. The findings help inform school technology professional development practitioners in the design and implementation of effective opportunities for teacher technology growth

Aviation Law: Cases and Materials

Just to clarify my position from the beginning, this is a great book. However, to avoid the very appearance of impropriety I must disclose Robert M. Jarvis was my faculty advisor as a 1L while attending Nova southeastern University in 1995. I remember our initial meeting over a pizza lunch during which he solicited comments concerning our law school experience up to that point. I do not remember my answer but I believe it included some disdain for the law school educational process and probably the professors. Additionally, his wife was a guest lecturer for an international business class I took during the summer of my first year in conjunction with a study abroad program hosted by the law school. Having dealt with the reasons for any prejudicial treatment on my part, I still think it is a great book! It includes a seven page table of contents, a five page table of cases section, 676 pages of text and notes, followed by thirty appendixes (259 pages) and a five page index. The case book is supplemented by a ninety page Teacher\u27s Manual which provides the user insight into how the cases were selected, edited, and the authors\u27 opinions regarding the emphasis of the law and the legal conclusions drawn by the court. Regarding the last point, Jarvis, Crouse, Fox and Walden (hereafter, authors) take definite positions which I found myself at times agreeing with and at others disagreeing. However, I never felt they intended to imply theirs was the final authority on the matter. The manual also concisely summarized the various topics and helped clarify some of the issues which got lost in the editing process and in some cases supplied additional background information. Additionally, the manual suggests two methods to teach the material and could provide guidance to those new to the subject or teach as adjunct professors

Analyzing Equity Within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Physical Therapy Program Admissions Process

Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the admissions process of the University of Nevada Las Vegas Physical Therapy (UNLVPT) program through the lens of racial equity. Methods A retrospective cohort of UNLVPT applicants between 2014-2019 was obtained from the physical therapy centralized admissions system and the UNLVPT admissions office. Applicant and application characteristics were compared by racial group. Results: Our sample included 2937 total applicants with 212 (7.2%) that were admitted and matriculated into the program. Applicants identified as 49% White, 24% Asian, 13% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 2% Black, 0.2% American Indian, and 6% did not report their race. Those admitted were 56% White, 22% Asian, 11% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, 1% Black, and 5% did not report their race. The proportion of applicants admitted from within each racial group were not statistically different from the number that applied from each group X2 6.05(6), p=0.417. The proportions of applicants who submitted a complete application, before the deadline, and met minimum criteria were different across racial groups X2 39.6(6), p\u3c0.001; 21% White, 15% multiracial, 14% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 6% Black, and 12% among those not reporting their race. Black applicants had significantly lower overall GPA (mean=3.1, 95% CI=3.0-3.2), prerequisite GPA (2.5, 2.2-2.8), and GRE scores (33.5, 29.3-37.8) but significantly higher virtual (3.7, 1.0- 6.4) and on-site (33.0, 26.2-39.9) interview scores compared to other applicants. iv Discussion and Conclusion: The proportion of applicants from minority racial/ethnic groups was not significantly different from the proportion of students admitted from those groups. Underrepresented minority groups more frequently submitted an incomplete application, after the deadline, without meeting minimum criteria. Despite having the highest interview scores, Black applicants had the lowest GPA and GRE scores. As GPA and GRE are reliable indicators of ability to complete DPT curriculum and pass the NPTE, applicants from minority racial/ethnic backgrounds, especially Black applicants, may need more support during undergraduate preparation to be successful applicants and DPT students. As the field of Physical Therapy continues to grow, DPT programs should continue to evaluate their assessment methods for incoming students, especially for students from minority backgrounds. There continues to be a need for research in diversity, equity, and inclusion within DPT program admissions to increase application success among underrepresented groups

A novel laboratory method to simulate climatic stress with successful application to experiments with medically relevant ticks

Ticks are the most important vectors of zoonotic disease-causing pathogens in North America and Europe. Many tick species are expanding their geographic range. Although correlational evidence suggests that climate change is driving the range expansion of ticks, experimental evidence is necessary to develop a mechanistic understanding of ticks\u27 response to a range of climatic conditions. Previous experiments used simulated microclimates, but these protocols require hazardous salts or expensive laboratory equipment to manipulate humidity. We developed a novel, safe, stable, convenient, and economical method to isolate individual ticks and manipulate their microclimates. The protocol involves placing individual ticks in plastic tubes, and placing six tubes along with a commercial twoway humidity control pack in an airtight container. We successfully used this method to investigate how humidity affects survival and host-seeking (questing) behavior of three tick species: the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis). We placed 72 adult females of each species individually into plastic tubes and separated them into three experimental relative humidity (RH) treatments representing distinct climates: 32% RH, 58% RH, and 84% RH. We assessed the survival and questing behavior of each tick for 30 days. In all three species, survivorship significantly declined in drier conditions. Questing height was negatively associated with RH in Amblyomma, positively associated with RH in Dermacentor, and not associated with RH in Ixodes. The frequency of questing behavior increased significantly with drier conditions for Dermacentor but not for Amblyomma or Ixodes. This report demonstrates an effective method for assessing the viability and host-seeking behavior of tick vectors of zoonotic diseases under different climatic conditions

Delayed Endovascular Coil Extrusion following Internal Carotid Artery Embolization

Internal carotid artery injury is a rare and devastating complication of endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery that has an associated mortality rate of 15%. This case describes a patient who developed massive epistaxis following routine sinus surgery and was eventually diagnosed with a pseudoaneurysm of the cavernous internal carotid artery. Endovascular coiling and Onyx (Covidien, Irvine, California, United States) liquid embolization were ultimately used to completely occlude the internal carotid artery with resolution of bleeding; however, the patient had an unexpected late complication of coil extrusion through the pseudoaneurysm sac into the sphenoid sinus and nasal cavity. The endoscopic skull base team safely excised the coils endoscopically without recurrent bleeding. We describe the multidisciplinary operative management of this case of endovascular coil extrusion to increase awareness of this potentially life-threatening complication

FlgM gains structure in living cells

Intrinsically disordered proteins such as FlgM play important roles in biology, but little is known about their structure in cells. We use NMR to show that FlgM gains structure inside living Escherichia coli cells and under physiologically relevant conditions in vitro, i.e., in solutions containing high concentrations (≥400 g/liter) of glucose, BSA, or ovalbumin. Structure formation represents solute-induced changes in the equilibrium between the structured and disordered forms of FlgM. The results provide insight into how the environment of intrinsically disordered proteins could dictate their structure and, in turn, emphasize the relevance of studying proteins in living cells and in vitro under physiologically realistic conditions

Geospatial and socioeconomic patterns of patients referred for cochlear implant candidacy evaluation in North Carolina

Despite the growing body of literature citing the public health and economic concerns of untreated hearing loss, hearing healthcare still faces disparities in access1,2. The issues of accessibility in the general healthcare system are widely recognized by clinicians and researchers; however, there is limited research on this topic specific to cochlear implantation. Previous research demonstrates that patient characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status and place of residence) and provider characteristics (e.g., availability) impact access to hearing healthcare3-5. The intersectional and compounding nature of these variables make understanding individual barriers to care incredibly complex. As these studies demonstrate, disparities in access to care are particularly prevalent among patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) and those who reside in rural areas that are further from clinic sites4. It is likely that these disparities also influence access to the audiological and medical evaluations for cochlear implantation candidacy evaluation and associated postoperative care. To ameliorate barriers to cochlear implant (CI) access, clinicians must first examine the present demographic composition and spatial distribution of patients completing the candidacy evaluation. This study aims to elucidate potential barriers in hearing healthcare by examining the referral patterns and follow-up attendance of patients at an adult CI clinic in North Carolina to better understand hearing healthcare disparities from a geographic and socioeconomic perspective

Concurrent recording of the electrically-evoked compound action potential and the auditory brainstem response in cochlear implant users

Purpose and Technological Feasibility • In the ABR waveform, WI reflects activity in the 8th cranial nerve while WV reflects activity in the upper brainstem. The amplitude ratio between WI and WV is emerging as an important metric for auditory function. • In the electrically evoked ABR (eABR), eWI cannot be measured because of artifact associated with cochlear implant (CI) stimulation. The electrical eWI /eWV ratio therefore cannot be measured in a single test as the WI /WV ratio can for an acoustically evoked ABR. • For MED-EL Corporation CIs, the electrically evoked compound action potential (eCAP), equivalent to eWI, is measured with the Auditory nerve Response Telemetry (ART) test. The ART uses sequences of ‘masker’ and ‘probe’ biphasic pulses to extract an eCAP (see Fig. 1). Note that the ART also generates an external trigger