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An Exploratory Examination Of The Interrelationships Among Parenting Beliefs, Parenting Stress, And Parenting-Child Interaction In The Context Of Maternal Polydrug Addiction And Prenatal Drug Exposure, Darlene Grant

Doctoral Dissertations

The focus in this dissertation was on the interrelationships among parenting beliefs, parenting stress, and parent-child interaction. It was hypothesized that mothers' addiction status moderated these interrelationships when controlling for the effects of income, levels of education, race, age, number of children, and child's prematurity status.

Data from a program evaluation of a residential addiction treatment program and comparison data from five day care centers were collected from August 1991 to August 1993 using the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory, the Parenting Stress Index, and the Parent-Child Interaction Form. The sample included 39 polydrug-addicted and 31 non-drug-addicted mothers of infants and young …

Application Of Fuzzy Logic For Performance Enhancement Of Drives, Gilberto Costa Sousa

Doctoral Dissertations

Fuzzy logic shows enormous potential for advancing power electronics technology. Its application to DC and AC drives control is discussed here.

Initially, a phase-controlled bridge converter DC drive was considered. Analysis of converter performance at continuous and discontinuous conduction modes was first conducted. Fuzzy control was used to linearize the transfer characteristics of the converter in discontinuous conduction mode. It was then extended to current and speed loops, replacing the conventional proportional-integral controllers. The control algorithms were developed in detail, and verified by PC-SIMNON (developed by Lund Institute of Technology Sweden) digital simulation. Significant performance improvement was achieved over conventional …

A Critique Of Moral Realism, Margaret Ayotte Levvis

Doctoral Dissertations

This work argues that leading forms of contemporary moral realism are inadequate, and that the philosophical attempt to vindicate the naive moral realism implicit within popular ethical opinion is misguided. In their place a form of moral anti-realism is defended which construes the appropriateness or inappropriateness of moral practices and the correctness or incorrectness of moral judgments as relative to linguistic conventions, but it is also argued that such relativism does not undermine the objectivity of moral truth if one is prepared to adopt Blackburn's (1984) quasi-realist conception of ontological comnitment.

Recirculating Sand Filter Design And Operating Criteria For Removal Of Nitrogen From Domestic Septic Tank Effluent, Efrain Enrique Ruiz

Doctoral Dissertations

A physical model of a recirculating sand filter (RSF) system was constructed to determine the ability of the system to remove nitrogen from domestic septic tank effluent and to learn the effects on the removal ability of the specific operating parameters depth of sand, recirculation ratio, loading rate.

The RSF system model consisted of a sand filter reactor, denitrification chamber reactor, and a polishing sand filter reactor. A research investigation was conducted with the help of twelve model units in which domestic septic tank effluent was treated on a continuous basis. Then, optimum and appropriate combinations of operating parameters were …

Identification And Molecular Mapping Of A Gene Restricting Nodulation In Soybean, Daqi Qian

Doctoral Dissertations

Successful establishment in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) nodules of Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains with improved nitrogen-fixing ability over indigenous strains has been suggested as an approach to enhance soybean productivity. A major obstacle to this achievement has been the superior competitive ability of indigenous strains over improved strains for developing nodules. The objectives of this study were to; (1) search for genes which restrict nodulation with certain strains of B. japonicum, (2) study the genetic pattern of restricted nodulation, (3) investigate at which stage nodulation development is blocked, and (4) use RFLP technology to map the gene restricting …

An Epidemiologic Study Of Toxoplasma Gondii In Swine In Tennessee, Amir Mohsen Assadi-Rad

Doctoral Dissertations

The reliability of the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT) to detect infection with Toxoplasma gondii was evaluated in a murine model. Thirty-five mice (ICR) were infected with bradyzoites of (UT-1 strain) and all acquired the infection. IgM and IgG titers were measured every two days in the twenty-five infected mice. IgM and IgG appeared seven days postinfection (PI). IgM peaked from 11-15 days PI and remained throughout the experiment (45 days). The presence of T. gondiiwas confirmed post-mortem in all infected mice by impression smear, hematoxylin and eosin and/or immunoperoxidase straining of brain sections. The MAT was proven a reliable …

Learning Style Preferences Of East Asian Esl Students, Torpong Jamtawee Goodson

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding learning-style needs of foreign students can help teachers avoid focusing on just their own learning styles and systematically add variety to their teaching patterns. Knowing the ways all students learn, indeed, is very important to good teaching. The main purpose of this research study was to investigate the learning style preferences of East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese) ESL students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Specifically, the investigator attempted to: (1) identify ethnographic variables that affect the differences in learning styles of these ESL students; and (2) identify self-perceived changes in learning styles of these ESL students …

Cellular And Enzymatic Basis For Carnitine-Mediated Attenuation Of Ethanol Metabolism, Youn-Soo Cha

Doctoral Dissertations

(From the Introduction)

Alcohol (ethanol) is the most widely used of psychoactive drug and has been known in almost all civilizations since ancient times (Keller 1979). There are millions of people throughout the world who responsibly enjoy consuming alcoholic beverages served as food, medicines, and euphoriants. However, alcohol abuse, alcohol intolerance, alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disabilities are some of the most challenging social, economical and public health problems facing our modern-day society. In the United states alone, the annual cost of lost productivitity and health expenses related to alcohol is estimated to be $117 billion (Hoek et …

Consumer Use Of Innovativeness: An Empirical Conceptualization, Kyungae Park

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to empirically conceptualize consumer use innovative behavior. By separating use and purchase in innovative behavior, comparing these two innovative behaviors, and identifying the best predictor variables of use innovative behavior over the adoption and post-adoption processes, this study investigated whether use innovative behavior was a viable concept in consumer behavior.

Based on the theoretical framework of consumer innovative behavior and post-adoption usage behavior, this study tested use innovativeness for the clothing product. College students of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville participated in the questionnaire survey for data collection. Five hundred thirty nine responses were …

The Population Biology And Demography Of Cimicifuga Rubifolia Kearney And The Genetic Relationships Among North American Cimicifuga Species, Rebecca Ann Cook

Doctoral Dissertations

In this beginning study of the population biology of Cimicifuga species, the life history and demography of the long-lived herbaceous perennial, Cimicifuga rubifolia Kearney, were investigated, the genetic structure of some of its populations was studied, and an investigation of the genetic relationships among the North American species was begun.

The life history and demography were monitored in two populations, one of approximately 1400 individuals (1987-1990) and the second of about 400 individuals (1988-1990). A model of leaf area was used to determine the leaf area (photosynthetic size) of individuals and this was followed during the study. Relationships between the …

Depositional History, Sequence Stratigraphy And Diagenesis Of The Maryville Limestone (Middle Cambrian) Southern Appalachians, Krishnan Srinivasan

Doctoral Dissertations

The Conasauga Group constitutes part of a thick pericratonic Cambro-Ordovician passive-margin sequence along the eastern North American continent. The Cambrian carbonate platform was flanked by a high-relief shelf margin towards the east, facing the open ocean, while to the west the carbonate platform sloped into an intrashelf basin. It is this western shelf margin that is the topic of the present study. Detailed lithofacies analysis of the Middle Cambrian Maryville Limestone along a shelf-to-basin depositional transect reveals that the shelf evolved from a gently basinward sloping ramp to a rimmed platform fringed with steeper slopes. Cyanobacterial buildups (Renalcis-Girvanella) …

Betwixt And Between: The Liminality Of The Former College Football Player, Kathy B. Parker

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the experiences of former college football players upon exiting their intercollegiate careers and to explore the liminal period in which they pass from something that is known (their college athletic career) to something that is unknown. In order to address the suggestions of the literature, this study utilized an interpretist approach and a qualitative methodology to explore these experiences. Participants consisted of seven former NCAA Division I collegiate football players who completed their eligibility within the last three years and were at least eight months removed from collegiate football competition. …

Effect Of Environment On Plant Response To Dpx-Pe350 [Sodium 2-Chloro-6-(4,5-Dimethoxy-Pyrimidin-2-Ylthio)Benzoate], Mary Angela Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations

Environmental conditions at the time of spraying can affect the activity of foliar-applied herbicides. Evaluation of environmental effect on experimental herbicides is one important area of research. DPX-PE350 is a potential cotton herbicide for postemergence broadleaf weed control.

Greenhouse and growth chamber studies were conducted to determine the DPX-PE350 rate causing 50% growth reduction (GR₅₀) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) and sicklepod (Cassia obtusifolia), the effect of time until rainfall on DPX-PE350 activity on velvetleaf, and the effect of soil moisture on root uptake from foliar-applied DPX-PE350. Additional experiments were …

Relationships Between Energy Status And Reproductive Efficiency In First-Calf Beef Heifers, Lipalesa Motjope

Doctoral Dissertations

Study 1. Effects of increasing energy intake at breeding on reproductive performance was investigated with 26 first-calf Angus heifers. In separate but comparable pastures, half (lower energy group) were supplemented with 7 kg corn silage*heifer^-1*d^-1; half (higher energy group) were given 3.5 kg corn grain*heifer^-1*d^-1 in addition to silage. Supplementation period extended from 22 d before to 22 d into breeding. Body weight (BW) and backfat were taken on d 1 and d 44. Blood samples were collected on d 2, 11, 22, 33 and 44 of supplementation. Basal blood samples were analyzed …

A Fundamental Investigation Of The Effects Of Die Geometry And Process Variables On Fiber Diameter And Quality Of Melt Blown Polypropylene Webs, Ahamad Yacub A. Khan

Doctoral Dissertations

An elaborate investigation was carried out to study the effects of die geometry and process variables on fiber diameter and shot formation of melt blown polypropylene webs. This four part investigation included the study of die orifice di mansions such as diameter and UD ratio, die geometry variables such as nosetip angle, air gap, nosetip setback, face gap, and process variables such as polymer throughput rate, volumetric flow rate of primary air, die-to-collector-distance, resin melt flow rate (MFR), and melt shear viscosity. Also the effects of different process variables on physical and mechanical properties of the webs were studied during …

An Investigation Of Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs And Dietary Intake Of Women In A Poor Community As A Basis For Nutrition Education, Carolyn Patricia Parks

Doctoral Dissertations

A descriptive and exploratory design was employed to investigate nutrition knowledge, beliefs and dietary intake in poor women, using the health belief model, as a basis for developing a culturally relevant nutrition education program. Women from four housing developments in a metropolitan southern city were studied.

Twenty-four judges in nutrition, health education, poor populations of color, and communication were utilized to establish content, cultural and linguistic validity of the knowledge and beliefs instruments. Statistical analysis showed sufficient reliability: knowledge test - .88 (KR-21) and beliefs scale - .90 (Cronbach's alpha). Alpha reliabilities for beliefs subscales, except seriousness (.49), were also …

Lithostratigraphy, Structure, And Metamorphism Of A Crystalline Thrust Terrane, Western Inner Piedmont, North Carolina, Timothy L. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

The geology of the western Inner Piedmont of North Carolina, from knowledge gained in an area called the Columbus Promontory, is characterized by a stack of crystalline thrust sheets. In this study the stratigraphic, structural, and metamorphic development of this crystalline thrust terrane was examined.

The lithostratigraphic framework of the Columbus Promontory is divisible into four distinct and mappable rock units that include the Henderson Gneiss, Sugarloaf gneiss, Poor Mountain Formation, and the Mill Spring Complex. This lithostratigraphic framework helps define three crystalline thrust sheets within the Columbus Promontory herein, called the Tumblebug Creek, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Mill Spring thrust …

The Effect Of The Gorbachev Era (1985-1991) On Newsweek's Photo Coverage And Image Of The Soviet Union, Ruth Winchester Ware

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined 729 photos and cutlines published in NEWSWEEK's International Section that depicted events that occurred in the Soviet Union during the Gorbachev Era (1985-1991). The period saw change in Soviet domestic affairs (especially glasnost) and foreign relations (especially New Political Thinking or NPT) that cumulatively led to the end of the Cold War. NEWSWEEK coverage of the Gorbachev Era was compared to NEWSWEEK coverage of the Chernenko interlude (February 1984-February 1985) in order to have a base line for comparison.

NEWSWEEK increased its coverage of the Soviet Union during the Gorbachev Era. There were more editions, photos, …

Structural Development, Strain History, And Timing Of Deformation In The Eastern Great Smoky Mountains, Jeffrey B. Connelly

Doctoral Dissertations

The present investigation reveals that the Greenbrier and Dunn Creek thrust sheets preserve well-formed ramp-related folds within the Great Smoky Mountains area. The Greenbrier thrust sheet preserves a ramp anticline at klippes of the Greenbrier thrust sheet in the eastern Great Smoky Mountains that can be traced discontinuously to the western Great Smoky Mountains where this anticline has been modified by later displacement along the Rabbit Creek fault. A ramp-related fold is also preserved in the main Greenbrier thrust sheet. The main Greenbrier fault was subsequently folded by an underlying ramp anticline within the Dunn Creek thrust sheet. These earliest …

Studies On Procedures For Calculating The Base Temperature And Effects Of Temperature Regimes On Tomato Transplant Development And Yield, Senshan Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

In the prediction of crop development, the procedures to calculate the base temperature in heat unit systems are tedious and deficient in theoretical bases. Little information is available on effects of temperature regimes or temporal temperature distributions on crop development. The objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to develop new procedures for calculating the base temperature in heat unit systems for any crop, 2) to study the effects of temperature regimes for tomato seedlings in the preceding developmental stage on the succeeding developmental stage, 3) to study effects of temperature regimes for tomato transplants before transplanting on the subsequent yield …

Effect Of Cover Crop And Tillage On Fluometuron Bioavailability, Blake Alan Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies were conducted in 1991 and 1992 to determine the effects of long-term no-tillage and cover crops on efficacy and degradation of fluometuron in the field. Experiments were established on an area which had been planted no-till (NT) or conventional-till (CT) into either no cover crop (NC) or vetch (VE) continuously since 1981. The study utilized a two-by-two factorial arrangement of treatments in which the factors consisted of tillage systems (CT or NT) and cover crop (VE or NC).

Fluometuron was applied preemergence (PRE) at 1.7 kg ai ha⁻¹ broadcast. Soil samples were collected immediately after fluometuron application and at …

Battered/Breaded Apple And Mushroom Prepared And Baked To Resemble Their Deep-Fried Counterparts, Lori Lynn Huskey

Doctoral Dissertations

There is much interest in the development of food products which are compatible with the changing lifestyles of American consumers. The objectives of this research were: to develop acceptable snack foods using apple and mushroom; to develop an acceptable baked, low-fat coating system; to determine the effect of pretreatment on product characteristics; and to determine the effect of reheating method on product characteristics.

Stayman Winesap apple pieces and Snow White mushrooms were predusted or predried in an air impingement oven, then coated with a batter containing 3, 20 or 40% vegetable oil. Products coated with the 3% oil batter were …

The Vegetation Of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Past, Present, And Future, Mark D. Mackenzie

Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigates the vegetation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) using three different techniques: 1) analysis of vegetation data collected circa 1930, 2) remote sensing of current (1984) vegetation using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery, and 3) the integration of gradient analysis with forest succession modeling.

Analysis of the 1930's data revealed that Castanea dentata was the dominant species in the GRSM at that time, even with the introduction of the chestnut blight to the park in 1926. Classification of the 1930's plot data identified 16 unique vegetation types ranging from the low elevation, xeric Pinus rigida …

Specific Proteins Potentially Associated With Somatic Embryogenesis In Orchardgrass, Maureen E. Mcconnell

Doctoral Dissertations

Various biotechnological techniques studied to supplement conventional plant breeding procedures require the regeneration of whole plants from cells or tissue cultured in vitro. The objective of this study with orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) was to investigate specific protein differences associated with 'Embryogen-P', a genotype which produces somatic embryos in high numbers, and four nonembryogenic genotypes by one-and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Four proteins were present in Embryogen-P leaves that were not present in the leaves of the nonembryogenic genotypes. One protein appeared in the nonembryogenic genotypes that did not appear in Embryogen-P. Similar results were found in the embryogenic …

Agronomic And Allelopathic Effects Of Sequential Cropping And Tillage On Tobacco And Vegetable Production, William Terry Kelley

Doctoral Dissertations

Production of vegetables and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) have traditionally been through monocrop, conventionally tilled systems. With the increasing importance of low input practices and conservation, and the declining number of producers, there is a need to develop reduced tillage systems and sequential cropping. This need prompted an investigation into the effects of reduced tillage and sequential cropping of tobacco, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica L.) production systems. Three tillage systems (no-till, conventional till with a winter cover, and conventional till with no winter cover) and three cropping sequences (spring broccoli followed …

Characterization Of Bovine Uterine Glandular Epithelial And Stromal Cells, Scott Edward Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Bovine endometrial glandular epithelial and stromal cells were isolated by enzymatic digestion from uteri of cows harvested on days 15 - 17 of the estrous cycle. Cell types were separated by slow speed centrifugation and grown a on collagen matrix. In a separate study, isolated gland cells were grown on millicell inserts coated with Matrigel and cultured in the presence of stromal cells. Response of isolated cells and co-cultured cells to bovine serum albumin (BSA), recombinant bovine trophoblast protein-1 (rbTP-1), recombinant bovine interferon (brIFN) and oxytocin were analyzed by measuring prostaglandin (FSα) (PGF) and E2 (PGE) and protein secretion. Regulation …

Effect Of Fungal-Infected Fescue On Ovarian Development And Function In The Beef Heifer, Pamela Pecon Mckenzie

Doctoral Dissertations

Cattle that ingest tall fescue infected with the fungal endophyte, Acremonium coenophialum, exhibit signs of ergot alkaloid toxicity. Symptoms characteristic of fescue-toxicity include a reduction in weight gain, increased basal body temperature and exhibit reproductive problems including a delay in puberty, a reduced rate of conception, an increased rate of abortion, and an inhibition of pituitary prolactin secretion. A study was conducted to determine: 1) if follicular development and function were compromised in the heifer raised on endophyte-infected fescue, 2) if there were alterations in basal and stimulated pituitary and ovarian hormone secretion, and 3) if the toxins produced by …

Alternative Certification In New Hampshire: Perceptions Of Teachers And Principals, James Richard Jelmberg

Doctoral Dissertations

This study addresses the need for more research to help resolve the issues of the nationwide debate between advocates of state sponsored alternative certification programs, and advocates of collegiate sponsored, teacher education programs. The State of New Hampshire has both alternative certification and teacher education programs that are representative of those in other states.

A random sample of four hundred ninety-two teachers was selected. Two hundred ninety-five responded to the teachers' questionnaire, a 60% rate. Two hundred thirty of the respondents gave permission for their principals to rate their performance on a second questionnaire. One hundred sixty-one principals responded, a …

The Scattering Of Gas Phase Molecules Andvan Der Waals Clusters From Surfaces, John Norman Beauregard

Doctoral Dissertations

The interaction of gas phase species with surfaces plays an important role in a myriad of processes such as heterogeneous catalysis, corrosion and the etching of semiconductor surfaces in the microelectronics industry. Thus, the study of gas-surface interactions has become a field of intense research. In this dissertation, we present the results of a computational study of the scattering of gas phase molecules and van der Waals clusters from surfaces. We have used molecular dynamics calculations which allow for the examination of the microscopic details of gas-surface scattering.

In this work we study four distinct systems. In Chapter I the …

Genetic And Molecular Analyses Of Host Symbiotic Genes And An In Vitro Regeneration System For Cicer Arietinum L, Vijayashri Ganapathy Paruvangada

Doctoral Dissertations

Ineffectively nodulating plant mutants PM405B, PM638A, and PM796B were used in molecular/genetic analyses of root nodule formation in chickpea. To establish the mode of inheritance of the mutant nodule phenotype in chickpea mutant PM638A, reciprocal crosses were made between PM638A and wild-type ICC640. The F$\sb2$ segregation data fit a 3 mutants: 1 wild-type monohybrid phenotypic ratio, indicating that ineffective nodulation is due to a monogenic dominant, nuclear mutation, tentatively designated as "Rn$\sb7$". Segregation analysis of F$\sb3$ progeny confirmed this model.

Early (ENod2) and late (Lb) nodulin cDNAs were used as heterologous probes to identify and study the expression of corresponding …