Digital Commons Network^™

The Experience Of Place, Rosemary Kehoe Peacher

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the human experience of place. A phenomenological approach was utilized employing an unstructured open-ended dialogical interview method. Twenty participants, including ten younger and older adults, were asked to describe places which were special to them.

Interpretation of the interview transcripts revealed five themes descriptive of one's experience of place: Identity, Connection, Security, Possibilities, and Beauty/Awe. The experience of time was interwoven with all five themes.

The theme of Identity comprises the way in which a place can strengthen one's sense of self, provide continuity across the developmental life span, and trigger poignant …

Boosters, Bureaucrats, Politicians And Philanthropists: Coalition Building In The Establishment Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Daniel Smith Pierce

Doctoral Dissertations

The movement to establish a national park in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee in the 1920s and 1930s was an exceedingly lengthy and complex process. In the seventeen years between the beginning of the park movement and the dedication of the park supporters had to overcome a number of serious obstacles raising over $10 million during difficult economic times, purchasing over six thousand individual tracts of land, overcoming the resistance of well-financed opposition, and weathering the storms of political battles and economic depression that threatened the movement at almost every turn. In order to overcome the …

The Gothic Tradition In Southern Local Color Fiction, Lucia Ann Stretcher Sigmar

Doctoral Dissertations

The American local color movement, roughly spanning the end of the Civil War to the turn of the century, attempted to preserve traditional regional lifestyles which were in danger of disappearing entirely in a rapidly expanding, increasingly hegemonic society. Historically, local color fiction has been dismissed as too narrowly focused, too nostalgically charged, too stylistically detailed, too lacking in "literary" merit, too quaint, too insignificant to warrant serious, critical investigation. Critics have typically regarded the movement as a subdivision of regionalism, and have privileged the fiction's characteristic adherence to realistic detail (dialect, folklore, character types, and regional setting) above all …

The Relationship Among Parenting Styles, Home Environments, And Children's Curiosity, Amy Baldwin Crockett

Doctoral Dissertations

In this research, the relationships of parenting styles, attitudes, and child-rearing environments with children's curiosity, the relationships of parenting styles and attitudes with child-rearing environments, and the indirect relationships of parenting styles and attitudes with children's curiosity through child-rearing environments were explored. Seventy-four parent-child dyads were recruited from area day care centers. Oldest children between 3 and 6 years old were studied. Parents were administered a demographic information questionnaire, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory--Revised (HOME), and the Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). Children were administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised (PPVT-R), the Complexity Task, the Preference for …

Fatty Acids And Cholesterol In And Oxidation Measurement Of Different Cooked Ground Meats During 5-6°C Storage, Ying Zheng

Doctoral Dissertations

In the first of two studies, levels of cholesterol (CHOL) and fatty acids (FA) in nonpolar and polar lipids in raw and broiled ground turkey, beefalo, and beef were measured. Cooking losses including drip and evaporation also were determined. In the second study, raw and cooked, crumbled ground turkey, pork and beef after 0, 2, and 4 days of storage at 5-6°C were analyzed for levels of CHOL, fat, moisture, FA, conjugated dienoic acid (DIEN), TBA-value, fluorescent oxidation products (FOP), and cholesterol oxidation products (COP). Each successive stage including cooking and storage of the meat represented an increasing lipid oxidation …

Assessing The Role Of The Domestic Dog As A Native American Food Resource In The Middle Missouri Subarea Ad 1000 - 1840, Lynn M. Snyder

Doctoral Dissertations

The journals of early European explorers and fur traders, as well as ethnographic records, document the integral part domestic dogs played in the village life and economy of the Plains Villagers in the Middle Missouri Subarea. Early travelers on the plains also remarked on the consumption of dog meat in association with certain rituals and ceremonies, and noted the use of dogs as an emergency food resource.

This study focuses on nearly 7000 large canid skeletal elements from six Plains Village sites in the Middle Missouri Subarea dating from approximately A.D. 1000 to 1840. Two indicators of the continued importance …

Storytelling: A Natural Mnemonic: A Study Of A Storytelling Method To Positively Influence Student Recall Of Instruction, Tommy Oaks

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine what, if any, effect storytelling as a method of teaching has on retention of information. More specifically, this work was designed to determine if storytelling is more effective than a more traditional lecture method in influencing student recall of lesson content. In the Spring Semester of 1994, experiments were conducted to test the following hypothesis: College Students who receive instruction in a storytelling fashion will demonstrate significantly greater recall of instructional content than students who receive the same instruction in a more traditional lecture method.

One hundred fourteen students were randomly selected …

Rima De Valbona Y La Evolucion De Una Narrativa Femenina Costarricense, Maritza Fernández Zarif

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation offers a broad study of the narrative of the Costarrican writer Rima de Valbona. In order to give an appropriate historical overview of her work, the first part of the study focuses on four importante women writers who served as precursors for Rima de Valbona. These writers are Carmen Lyra and Yolanda Oreamuno in the first part of the twentieth century and Julieta Pinto and Carmen Naranjo in the second part of the century. This section includes an analysis of their work, the obstacles that they have overcome, and the acknowledgement of their work which has influenced Valbona's …

Impact Of Organic Ligands On The Bioreductive Precipitation Of Hexavalent Uranium, Rajagopalan Ganesh

Doctoral Dissertations

Microbial reduction of soluble hexavalent uranium (U⁶⁺) to the less soluble tetravalent state (U⁴⁺) has recently been proposed as a treatment option for selective uranium removal from complex waste streams. This research focuses on the impact of various organic ligands present in uranium containing waste streams on the microbial reduction and subsequent precipitation of dissolved uranium. A sulfate reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio desulfuricans) and an iron reducing bacteria (Shewanella alga (BrY)) were used to study reductive precipitation of uranium. Five organic ligands (acetate, malonate, oxalate, citrate and tiron) were chosen to evaluate their impact …

Computer Applications And Student Achievement In A Model Technology School, Teresa Ann Garland

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships between time spent in minutes on different computer applications and student achievement in reading and language arts. Further, this study considered that relationships differed for male and female students. In addition, differences in computer usage between students of different grade levels and of different genders were reported. Data were collected from two hundred forty-eight students in grades one, two, and three at an elementary school in East Tennessee. Scores from the 1993 spring administration of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program …

A Bedtime Storybook Reading Intervention With Deaf Children, Catherine Wilson Gillespie

Doctoral Dissertations

Although it has been found that young deaf children's patterns of emergent literacy can parallel those of hearing children, deaf children's emergent literacy development and conventional reading abilities are often delayed when compared to hearing children. Storybook reading by adults is an empirically supported method for fostering hearing children's literacy development. In this study, storybook reading was investigated as an intervention technique with deaf children. Subjects were 9 experimental and 9 control children aged 4 to 11 who lived in randomly selected residential cottages at a state-sponsored school for the deaf. Experimental subjects and their peers participated in 30-minute bedtime …

A Morphometric Analysis Of Pleistocene And Recent Succineidae (Pulmonata) : The Dynamics Of Stasis, Michael David Green

Doctoral Dissertations

Members of the family Succineidae, like many other pulmonate landsnails of North America, are thought to have remained morphologically static during the Pleistocene. In order to evaluate this claim, it is necessary to (1) have the ability to identify the various succineid species from their shells, (2) grasp the functional significance of morphological change if it occurs, (3) understand the extent of succineid morphological variation and how it is partitioned in space, and (4) apply knowledge gained from modern species to their fossil representatives. Succineids are karyotypically diverse and conchologically conservative. Among and within related genera, it is often difficult …

Sand Burying Behavior In Neotropical Species Of Lizards, Liolaemus, Tropiduridae : A Phylogeny Of The Boulengeri Group, Monique Halloy De Grosse

Doctoral Dissertations

Sand burying behavior has been reported in many species of lizards spanning several taxonomic families. Burying behavior has been linked to possible functions such as predator escape, avoidance of extreme temperatures, or as an effective means of spending the inactive part of the daily or seasonal cycle. Rarely is the behavior itself described or, even more unusually, referred to in a historical context. This is understandable in light of a resistance to consider behavioral patterns stable enough within a species to be meaningful in an evolutionary setting. Nevertheless, many authors have verified the conclusion of early ethologists that behavioral characters …

The Evaluation And Reduction Of Complexity In Position-Dependent Interactions In Machines Of Significant Complexity, Olakunle Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations

In complex machines there are many functional interactions that depend on precise relative positions of functional elements, surfaces, subassemblies, and modules. Consequently, it is of utmost importance that the configuration of a complex machine be capable of satisfying the positional requirements of the various interacting elements. Traditionally, because of tight product schedules and the need to proceed to detailed design, only a limited amount of time is accorded this very important phase of the product development cycle. However, once the configuration of a complex machine is specified, it is only with great penalty that significant changes are made to the …

Leadership Characteristics And Work Ethic Of Tennessee Argicultural Extension Service Home Economists, Connie Hollingsworth

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the differences and relationships between leadership orientation and work ethic characteristics of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service (TAES) home economists. Secondarily, it investigated the impact of job classification and geographical dispersion (district) on leadership and work ethic, separately and in combination. Social action theory and adaptation theory provided the theoretical framework for this research. A survey design was utilized to gather data from the entire population (N=183) of TAES home economists; 166 responses yielded an overall response rate of 91% on a three-part questionnaire transmitted through electronic mail (e-mail). Part …

The Emergence Of Meaning In An Interdisciplinary Learning Environment : A Qualitative Study Of The James R. Stokely Institute For Liberal Arts Education, James K. Horn

Doctoral Dissertations

The present research project was initiated to explore and understand the experiences of teachers who participated in the residential, interdisciplinary learning communities of the Stokely Institutes for Liberal Arts Education. What began for many Stokely Fellows as an intimidating prospect became for some a transformative learning experience that brought participants closer to themselves and their own potential, to others in their diverse groups, and to the larger world. How those initial feelings of anxiety and intimidation were transformed into challenge, accomplishment, and confidence is the subject of this study. Some who came to the Stokely Institute came with a sense …

Relational Equity And Household Division Of Labor As Predictors Of Marital, Parental, And Work Satisfaction For Dual-Earner Men And Women, Linda Gaile Blanding

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive value of a model comprised of relational equity, weekly hours of paid employment, and household division of labor on the dependent variables of marital, parental, and work satisfaction of 104 men and 98 women in dual-earner marriages. Household labor was measured in hours per week as reported by respondents and in their perception of their spouses' participation in nine categories subdivided into masculine and feminine tasks. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that the first variable of relational equity was the most influential predictor of marital satisfaction for both men and …

Dna Restriction Fragment Analysis Using Size-Selective Capillary Electrophoresis With Laser Induced Fluorescence Detection, Brian Keith Clark

Doctoral Dissertations

The development of DNA fingerprinting, new therapeutic agents, £ind gene cloning has had a dramatic impact on the health and welfare of the human population. The key to their success lies hidden within the genetic code (DNA). The ability to rapidly and reliably analyze DNA is essential to the continued advancement of these promising technologies. Unfortunately, conventional analytical methodologies require large expenditures of time and effort to obtain useful information. Thus, there is a desire to decrease the overall analysis time. In this work, the development of capillary electrophoresis (CE) methodologies to decrease the overall DNA analysis time is undertaken …

Social, Economic And Political Origins Of The Iranian Revolution Of 1979, Hossein Daheshiar

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research is to analyze the social, economic and political origins of Iranian Revolution. This analysis concentrates on two major questions. First, what factors led to the emergence of a pre-revolutionary society in Iran, and second, what variables were necessary to mobilize this revolutionary potential? This study found that both of the above conditions existed in Iran concurrently. A pre-revolutionary society had developed, and a highly organized contending elite, armed with a charismatic leadership and appealing ideology, and with access to mass scale communications network, had evolved with the intention to lead a revolution. Without the juxtaposition …

Expert-Novice Differences In Clinical Decision Making, William E. Deal

Doctoral Dissertations

This paper reviews the cognitive science literature on expertise and presents methodology designed to examine expert-novice differences in the domain of clinical (psychology/psychiatric) diagnosis. The study examines differences between experienced and novice clinicians on a clinical diagnostic task. 10 novice psychology graduate students and 9 experienced psychologists read two case histories, each divided into a series of clinical vignettes. Subjects were asked to "think aloud" about the case formulation and later asked to recall of information about the case. Recorded protocols were transcribed and coded according to frequencies of diagnostic hypotheses, symptom hypotheses, speculative ideas, case references, and case features. …

The Mechanical Response Of Cross-Ply Ceramic Matrix Composites, Donald Erdman

Doctoral Dissertations

This work concerns the development of an analytic model to predict the stress-strain and damage behavior of ceramic matrix cross-ply laminates. The validity of the model is to be assessed by experimental observations. Major features of the analysis include : prediction of transverse matrix cracking in the 90° plies at each increment of applied stress utilizing a fracture criterion to determine the increase in crack density, prediction of interfacial slip zones between the 0° and 90° ply groups, and a bilinear constitutive formulation to account for the non-linear behavior of the 0° ply groups within the cross-ply composite. This work …

Application Of A Gaussian Plume Model To Groundwater Contaminant Transport, Larry S. Blackwelder

Doctoral Dissertations

The Gaussian plume model is based on the assumptions that (1) the contaminant concentration profile in a porous medium can be represented by a Gaussian distribution and (2) that the contaminant plume can be modeled by a combination of discrete releases from a point source. The basic three-dimensional Gaussian equation is modified to reflect the transport processes encountered in groundwater contaminant transport, such as retardation and decay. The major advantages of the Gaussian plume model are demonstrated when modeling sources that are not point sources (line, area, or volume sources) or are not instantaneous (steady state or continuous). For the …

Personal Stories And Narrative Abilities Of Mainstream Six-Year-Old Children, Frieda Kalb Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was undertaken in an effort to learn what the favorite personal stories and narrative abilities are among a small group of mainstream, six-year-old children. Previous research has not singled out this group in order to explore the range of story patterns and narrative abilities they possess. The study also addresses a lack of naturally gathered data on the topics, themes, and affective stances of the stories children like to tell about themselves. Twelve participants met with me in their homes for to data gathering, open-ended interviews. Transcripts of the stories were qualitatively analyzed and compared to an oral …

"Blessings Left Behind" : Self And Social Obligation In The Novels Of Elizabeth Gaskell, Eileen D. Abel

Doctoral Dissertations

Far from supporting the domestic ideology of the Nineteenth Century as many writers contend, Elizabeth Gaskell's five major novels–Mary Barton, Ruth, North and South, Sylvia's Lovers and Wives and Daughters--reflect her overriding idea that the individual could effect social change only through the achievement of moral integrity. Gaskell believes that the primary responsibility of an adult participant of community life is moral awareness, and in these five novels Gaskell creates a sort of moral mythology, or stories by which women could guide their lives. Gaskell's heroines influence their specific communities by learning the supposed "feminine" virtues of love, mercy and …

Extraction Of Uranium By Dibutyl Carbitol In The System Uoℓ(Noℓ)ℓ-Hnoℓ-Hℓo-Ca(Noℓ)ℓ-Dbc, Joseph F. Birdwell

Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple experiments have been performed to evaluate aspects of uranium extraction by dibutyl carbitol (DEC) in the system UO₂(NO₃)₂-HNO₃-H₂O-Ca(NO₃)₂-DBC. Equilibrium distribution of the uranium solute between the aqueous and organic phases has been evaluated. Transfer rate tests have been performed to determine the effect of physical parameters on the rate of transfer. Evaluation of physical parameter correlations with transfer rate has been used to determine the controlling resistance to transfer: reaction kinetics, diffusion, or a combination of the two. Transfer tests have also been performed in …

"What A Bloody Family" : Power, Gender, And Sexuality In Contemporary British Drama, William C. Boles

Doctoral Dissertations

Since the conclusion of World War II, the traditional Victorian idealization of the British family as an extended, heterosexual, patriarchal institution has been challenged through governmental policies, post-war economic affluence, and social changes. Through the plays of Harold Pinter, Peter Nichols, Caryl Churchill, Stephen Poliakoff and Sarah Daniels, among others, the contemporary British theatre has reflected these challenges to the image of the British family. Building upon socio-historical studies of the post-war British family as well as traditional dramatizations of the family (by playwrights such as Noel Coward), this dissertation discusses the changing presentation of the British family between 1956 …

Phase Contrast Transmission Electron Microscopy Using Phase Plates, John Henry Blackson

Doctoral Dissertations

Transmission electron microscopy of weakly scattering materials like thin sections of cells and polymers often leads to poor image contrast and poor transfer of information with a spatial frequency lower than around 2 nm. In addition, the information contained in the phase of the specimen exit wave is often lost due to an inability to directly record phase changes. Electron Holography, which is difficult and expensive to practice has proven ineffective at significantly improving image contrast in many cases. Another method for generating phase contrast involves the use of phase plates that until now were not practical for routine transmission …

Formation Of N-Chloramine : Silver Ion Complexes, Isolation Of A Stable Nitrenium Ion And The Silver Ion-Induced Rearrangement Of N-Chlorocyclobutylamines, Edward L. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

Several secondary N-chloramines were characterized by both proton and carbon NMR revealing predictable chemical shift effects. The addition of silver ion to some of these N-chloramines produced N-chloramine: silver ion complexes that were studied using proton NMR. From this NMR study, it is clear that the site of silver complexation in these compounds occurs predominately at the nitrogen unshared electrons. Precipitation of silver chloride from one of these complexes left behind a crystalline material that was stable at ambient temperature to atmospheric moisture and air. Subsequent characterization by X-ray crystallography revealed a central nitrogen with two sigma bonds and a …

Application Of Pulse Calorimetry To Metal Systems, Debasis Basak

Doctoral Dissertations

The pulse calorimeter developed as a part of the author's masters thesis was used extensively in the doctoral research to determine the electrical resistivity and specific heat of Ni, Ni₄Mo, Fe-A1 alloys and Ni-A1. The temperature range of measurements varied with different specimens but in general were between 375 K to 1300 K.

The pulse calorimeter essentially consists of a specimen in series with a standard resistor and a programmable power supply. The specimen is inside a vacuum chamber. The programmable power supply can be triggered from the computer to send a specific current to the specimen for …

The Influence Of Zooplankton On Biogeochemical Fluxes And Stoichiometry In An Arctic Marine System, Kendra Lee Daly

Doctoral Dissertations

The role of the dominant zooplankton, calanoid copepods, in Arctic marine carbon and nitrogen cycles was investigated in the Northeast Water Polynya off the coast of Greenland during the summer of 1992 and 1993. This high-latitude system was characterized by relatively high molar carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratios for dissolved and particulate pools in the euphotic zone relative to Redfield stoichiometry. Elevated C:N ratios (8.9) of particulate organic matter were interpreted to be a response by phytoplankton to nutrient limitation in open water regions, particularly in larger cells, and C:N ratios (9.6) of female copepods were even higher due to lipid storage. …