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Quantifying Biomass Burning Impacts on Soil Nox Emissions and Reactive Nitrogen Cycling
No full textNitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO₂) are trace gases that play a critical role in the atmosphere by influencing air quality, oxidation chemistry, and the deposition of fixed nitrogen. Historically, NOx emissions have been primarily linked to anthropogenic sources such as fossil fuel combustion, industrial activities, and agriculture. However, as successful legislation has significantly reduced these emissions, the relative importance of natural NOx sources has become an increasing concern. Soil NOx emissions are of particular interest due to their strong temperature dependence and their connection to global climate change. Rising global temperatures are expected to accelerate soil NOx emissions as well as increase the likelihood and intensity of biomass burning events, which can further alter the nitrogen cycle. Further, biomass burns can trigger significant perturbations in the cycling of oxidized and reduced nitrogen species in soils, ultimately affecting NOx emission rates. While some field studies have documented variable impacts of biomass burning on soil NOx emissions across different landscapes, controlled laboratory investigations into the specific drivers of these changes remain limited. In this study, we present findings from controlled incubation experiments designed to investigate soil NOx emissions before and after biomass burning events of varying intensities. Soil core samples were collected from a rural forest site at the Savannah River Site both pre- and post-burn, and the impact of fire on soil properties—including pH, nutrient levels, and water content—was measured. Despite variations in burn intensity, no consistent significant changes were observed in soil pH, ammonium concentrations, or nitrate concentrations (p \u3e 0.05). A custom-built soil flux chamber was used to measure NOx and ammonia (NH3) fluxes from the collected soil samples, both before and after the burn. There was no consistent result observed between the soil samples before and after the biomass burning event. The average NOx flux before the biomass burning was determined to be 680 ± 540 ng-N/m2 (n=11) hour and after the biomass burning was 1,100 ± 860 ng-N/m2 hour (n=14). No statistical differences were detected between the NOx flux for the different plot conditions (p\u3c0.05). There were also no statistical differences detected between the NOx flux before and after the biomass burning event, which can be attributed to by the high variability in the flux (p\u3c0.05). One post-burn soil had unusually high flux compared to the other soils. The NH3 flux from the soil samples was determined to be nearly negligible across all experiments, likely due to the low soil acidity conditions (pH = 4.03 ± 0.22; n = 30), limiting NH3 volatilization. Additional flux experiments were performed to examine the response to an ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) spike. This spike indicated a strong NOx flux response (p\u3c0.05) which indicates that the absence of change in the NOx flux after the biomass burning is attributed to no increase in fixed nitrogen content in the soil. The results of this study suggest that a lack of increased nitrogen deposition or altered soil nitrogen pools can make biomass burning events alone insufficient to drive measurable changes in soil NOx flux or NH3 emissions in forested ecosystems in the southeastern United States
Navigating Complex Social Space: Assessing How and When Social Networks Affect Psychological Distress
No full textSocial networks are critical for accessing health-related resources and shaping mental health outcomes, yet significant gaps remain in understanding how stigma influences network structures and well-being. My dissertation introduces the concept of agentic holes—intentional concealment within social networks—and examines how stigma, multiplexity, and selective disclosure affect social support and psychological distress. A key finding is that stigma extends beyond traditionally marginalized and medicalized groups, affecting individuals across social positions. I differentiate between systemic and nonsystemic stigma, showing that systemic stigma, rooted in structural inequities, has far-reaching social and psychological consequences, while nonsystemic stigma is more context-dependent and does not impact networks or well-being in the same way. Additionally, I found that people of color, who are more likely to experience systemic stigma, had fewer cohesive subgroups of confidants, limiting their access to stigma-related support. My research also highlights the complexity of information management in social networks, showing that individuals both disclose and withhold important matters from the same people. While multiplexity itself was not linked to intentional information gaps, I found that selective disclosure strategies, including deception, can either mitigate or exacerbate psychological distress, depending on the type of stigma. Contrary to existing research, I discovered that concealing nonsystemic stigma may serve as a protective mechanism against psychological distress, while intentional concealment of important matters more generally was associated with lower perceived social support. By employing a three-study approach, my dissertation advances stigma research, social network analysis, and health disparities research by demonstrating how stigma shapes social structures, influences information flow, and affects mental health outcomes. These findings underscore the need for a more nuanced approach to stigma management that considers the type of stigma, the role of deception, and the structure of social networks
First Detrital Zircon Provenance Data from Oligocene-Pleistocene Sediment in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin, Arctic Ocean
No full textSediment, runoff, and nutrient input to the Arctic Ocean plays a critical role in both physical and biological processes that impact regional and global systems. The Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin, situated in the Arctic Ocean offshore northwestern Canada, contains more than 14 km of clastic strata and provides a record of erosion and sediment transport from the Cretaceous to present. Pliocene sedimentation rates within the basin jump nearly 2000% relative to underlying units, but the cause of this shift remains unknown. We used cuttings from the N. Issungnak L-86 well, focusing on the Oligocene-lower Miocene Kugmallit and Mackenzie Bay sequences and the Pliocene-Pleistocene Iperk sequence for U-Pb geochronology analysis. Overall, these units have consistent zircon populations with peaks at roughly 100, 400, 1200-1800, and 2700 Ma, indicating a relatively consistent sediment provenance between Oligocene and Pleistocene time. Based on the similarities between populations in our samples and those in the Northern Cordillera of Canada, we interpret that sediment in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin was derived from the adjacent mountains. Differences in populations of 0-300 Ma zircon grains between the Kugmallit-Mackenzie Bay and Iperk sequences suggest the drainage basins in this region evolved as the river system responsible for the Kugmallit-Mackenzie Bay sequences was redirected and an alternate river system delivered sediment to the Pliocene Iperk sequence. This change was likely caused by tectonic rock and surface uplift in the region associated with a Late Miocene-Early Pliocene episode of regional deformation
Using Critical Literacy to Illuminate Multicultural Perspectives in a Second Grade Classroom
No full textTeaching about equity and diversity can be a challenge for elementary school teachers due to many factors including lack of understanding, resistance from parents, and discomfort due to the current political climate. This action research aims to examine the experiences of the teacher and second grade students as they use cultural literacy to explore multicultural texts. This action research took place in an upper-middle class community in the suburban area of Long Island, near New York City, where most participants identified as white. The data for this research took place over a six-week period. Observations, transcripts, journaling, and artifacts were collected and analyzed. Eighteen students and a classroom teacher participated in a read aloud and discussion three times a week, for 30 minutes, during the social studies block of the class day. Using a qualitative, ethnographic approach, the data was categorized and triangulated. The positionality of the teacher was considered, as she was the classroom teacher, and a middle-class white woman. Themes that emerged from the data analysis were identifying the established norms of whiteness and class privilege, discovering discomfort in the discussions, and the importance of critical dialogue. These findings indicate a need for professional development for teachers around multicultural education, including space for reflection and discussion. The findings also indicate that explicit, repetitive use of critical literacy questions lead to deeper understanding from students
Comparing the Representations of Order and Behavior in James Joyce’s “The Dead” and Samuel Beckett’s Endgame
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Episode 97: Fraternities, man chats and sex and fried chicken: A look back at the McBryde Quad
No full textBuilt in the 1950s as USC\u27s first fraternity dorms, the McBryde Quad saw its share of keg parties and frat boy shenanigans back in the day. McBryde\u27s reputation for rowdiness eventually gave way to more serious conversations among its residents in later years. Now, as the last of McBryde\u27s buildings are slated for replacement, it\u27s an auspicious time to consider the long arc of McBryde\u27s story.https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/rememberingthedays/1098/thumbnail.jp
University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law Commencement Program, May 10, 2025
No full textFrom Magnetic Chains to Sheets: The Impact of Hydrofluoric Acid Quantities in Mild Hydrothermal Synthesis on Mixed-Metal Fluoride Formation
No full textMixed-metal fluorides are excellent candidates for geometrically frustrated magnetic materials due to their extensive structural diversity and ability to host a plethora of low oxidation state transition metals with large magnetic moments. The utilization of the mild hydrothermal synthesis route to grow a series of mixed-metal fluorides with the general formula MIIM2IIIF8(H2O)2 (MII = Co, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn; MIII = Cr and V), as well as a rare earth containing fluoride, CoCe2F10(H2O)2, is discussed. All synthesized MIIM2IIIF8(H2O)2 fluorides were isostructural (orthorhombic, Fmmm) with the exception of CuV2F8(H2O)2, which crystallizes in the monoclinic (C2/c) crystal system due to Jahn-Teller distortions. CoCe2F10(H2O)2 crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Cmce. The extreme sensitivity of the hydrothermal reaction conditions on phase formation is discussed, in particular how the volume of HF used impacts the formation of specific compositions and structure types. In addition, the complex magnetic behavior of the MIIM2IIIF8(H2O)2 family is discussed
Frenemies? Fascists and Conservatives in Interwar Britain
No full textThis thesis examines the attitudes, beliefs, and arguments of British Conservatives (Tories) in discussions about British fascism through the lens of two mainstream Conservative newspapers, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, focused primarily on the buildup and aftermath of the infamous Olympia rally in June 1934. This thesis identifies two key factions within the conservative movement which arose in reaction to the rise of Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF): (1) the staunchly anti-fascist “mainline Tories” who detested the BUF’s “foreign” character, propensity for violence, and antithesis to traditional liberal democratic principles, and (2) the fascist-sympathizing “reactionary Tories” who advocated a strategic political alliance with British fascism as a means of combating radical leftism and the National Government coalition engineered by Conservative Party leader Stanley Baldwin. Through careful qualitative analysis of both editorials and select letters written to the editor, this research identifies Daily Telegraph articles as embodying the former faction and Daily Mail articles the latter. Moreover, this thesis argues that any apparent Conservative support for British fascism stemmed not from a genuine belief in the fascist vision, but from underlying, opportunistic motivations to reverse the apparent decline of the Conservative Party’s “conservative” character. Finally, this research examines how evolving Tory attitudes towards domestic fascism sealed the fate of the BUF in the years leading up to the Second World War