Digital Commons Network^™

A Profile Of Strength And Conditioning Coaches At National Collegiate Athletic Association Division Ii And Iii Member Institutions., Leonard Haggerty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to compile demographic characteristics, educational backgrounds, coaching experiences, and duties of strength and conditioning (STC) coaches at NCAA Division II and III institutions, and compare the profile of Division II and III STC coaches to the Martinez (2004) study of Division I-A STC coaches. NCAA Division II and Division III athletic personnel (N=578) received an electronic survey for this study. The return rate from Division II and Division III STC coaches were as follows: Division II, 23 responses (n=175), Division III, 34 responses (n=403). Descriptive statistics were used …

A Comparison Of The Perceptions Between Novice And Veteran Teachers About The Teaching Profession In Elementary And Middle Schools In Sevier County, Tennessee., Julie Oliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers all over the country are leaving the profession at an alarming rate and by understanding the attitudes and perceptions of both first- and second-career teachers as well as novice and veteran teachers on various areas of teaching, we can begin to identify better and more specific ways to mentor and support all teachers regardless of their age, stage, and life experiences when they enter the profession.

The population of the study was limited to 677 kindergarten- through eighth-grade teachers in Sevier County, Tennessee.

The study revealed that whether a teacher is novice, veteran, first-career, or second-career, there is no …

The Associations Between The Scores On The Act Test And Tennessee's Value-Added Assessment In 281 Tennessee High Schools., Paul B. Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between and among various demographic and test score data with American College Testing (ACT) scores in 281 Tennessee high schools. This study also addressed which high school characteristics were related to the number of students meeting the ACT requirement for Tennessee lottery scholarships. In addition, this study examined Tennessee Value Added Assessment System's (TVAAS) assessment of ACT scores and its distribution of grades to Tennessee's high schools based upon its Value-Added analysis.

The researcher performed correlations and multivariable linear regressions using socioeconomic status, ethnicity, dropout rate, graduation rate, attendance, average …

Leadership Practices: Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers In Sullivan County., Mary E. Rouse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the teachers in Sullivan County perceive that principals used the same leadership practices as the principals reported they use.

The researcher used the survey method of data collection in which 897 teachers were given the opportunity to participate and 576 teachers returned completed surveys (63.2%). In addition, 29 out of 29 principals participated in the research (100%). The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2003a) was used to gather information regarding the principals' leadership practices. Principals self-reported their perception of their leadership practices, whereas teachers reported their perceptions of their …

Sullivan County K-12 Administrators' Perceptions And Attitudes Regarding Harassment And The Associated Legal Liability., Janie Weaver Stapleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

All students should be guaranteed a learning environment that is free from all forms of harassment that negatively affect the school climate as well as the learning environment.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceptions and attitudes of Sullivan County, Tennessee, K-12 administrators regarding harassment and the associated legal liability. The study also ascertained the attitudes of the administrators pertaining to various forms of student-to-student harassment in their schools, collected data regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of mandated anti-harassment measures, and examined administrators' attitudes toward the need for more harassment-avoidance training.

The research design was …

Indefinite Ethnicity In Fact And Fiction: "Invisible Color" Or "Honkified Meanderings"?, Anita Louise Hughes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Passing, both standard and reverse, is the process of changing ethnicity. The methodology of reverse passing varies, but claiming "no color" is ineffective in fact and fiction as can be seen in James McBride's The Color of Water, Shirlee Taylor Haizlip's The Sweeter the Juice, Danzy Senna's Caucasia, and Rosellen Brown's Half a Heart. The characters in these texts attempt indefinite ethnicity by denying color and are prone to restlessness and failure until they accept racial duality.

A Policy Discourse Analysis Of U.S. Land-Grant University Diversity Action Plans, Susan Van Deventer Iverson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Ontological View Of The Kingdom Of God In Gutierrez, Segundo, Boff, And Sobrino, Hugo Monroy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The great majority of the four hundred and fifty million people in Latin America are poor and oppressed. Presenting the gospel to them as good news is a challenge for any theologian. Theologians' lives are at risk in most places regardless of the ideology they endorse. Jon Sobrino escaped death because he was lecturing out of the country when a military squad came into his home and killed his six companions and the two women who helped them. To serve in a context of poverty and death, theologians need more than church doctrines, creeds, and traditions to sustain them in …

Validation Of An In Vivo Model For Monitoring Trabecular Bone Quality Changes Using Finite Element Analysis., Boon Horng Kam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A combination of three techniques – high resolution micro computed tomography (micro CT) scanning, Archimedes-based volume fraction measurement and serial sectioning or milling – were used to determine the volume fraction, trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, trabecular number and micro finite element analysis combined with mechanical testing was used to determine the apparent stiffness and tissue modulus to quantify bone quality in rabbit distal femur trabecular bone. The objectives of this dissertation were two-fold. First, to develop the capabilities of micro CT scanning and micro CT image segmentation based on a slice-by-slice global thresholding technique to investigate trabecular microstructural changes in …

Thermal Conductivity Measurement Of Thin Film Of Carbon Swnt Using The 3w Technique., Anton Nickolaevich Sidorov 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We have measured the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity, K(T) of single walled carbon nanotubes from 300 K to 8 K by 3w methods. K(T) exhibits linear temperature dependence in the entire temperature range. Our results are in good agreement with the results obtained by Hone et al. using a standard steady state technique. Also we measured the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity K(T) of quartz and SiO2 in the same temperature range (300 K to 8 K) as a standardization tool. Our technique shows promise for the thermal conductivity measurements of many nanostructures with slight modifications.

A Study Of Attrition In A Respiratory Care Associate Degree Program In A Northeast Tennessee Community College., Donna D. Lilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Walters State Community College's Respiratory Care (WSCC RC) Program had a 33% attrition rate during a five-year period from 1999 through 2003. This study analyzed demographic, pre-admission, and academic variables to identify reasons for attrition within the WSCC RC program. The population size was 90 students; this was the entire population of five consecutive classes graduating during a five-year period from 1999 through 2003. The criterion variables included high school attended, gender, age, college-level GPA, college-level credit hours, and developmental requirements.

Statistical tests revealed that college-level GPA, college-level credit hours, and developmental requirements influenced persistence within the population. The …

A Microreactor System For Measuring Size Selectivity In Porous Wo3 Sensor Materials, Meng Lu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our interest in studying reactions catalyzed by high surface area W0₃ powders is based on their potential application as the active material in sensors for low level (ppb) detection of flammable or toxic gases. A series of porous W0₃ powders with both meso- and micro-porosity have been synthesized by Waghe and Tripp. Preliminary results of the response of sensors fabricated from these materials indicated the possibility of size selectivity on the molecular scale. To provide support for the hypothesis of size selectivity and understand the reaction kinetics of alcohols over the new porous W0₃ powders for sensor …

A Middle School Standards-Based Science Curriculum Handbook, Eleanor B. Hess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As teachers implement the National Science Education Standards (1996) many must change the instructional methods they have used throughout their careers. This handbook will assist teachers to be facilitators in inquiry-based classrooms. The nine units of this handbook have been implemented for three years in an eighth grade classroom and have been used and modified by three different teachers to meet their own needs. The units in this handbook were chosen by MSAD #3, Unity, Maine, to reflect the curriculum requirements of The State of Maine Learning Results (1997). Included in this handbook are physics units covering motion, forces, work, …

Controllability, Observability And Realizability, Inna N. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this research project, we analyze three important concepts of the control theory, including controllability, observability and realizability. In particular, we analyze the theory of and solutions to linear time systems, continuous and discrete time systems, time-varying systems, and first-order matrix Sylvester systems. Examples and sample computed calculations are provided for both uncontrolled and controlled systems. We also develop a new method for computing the approximate values of matrix exponentials, and use this to estimate solutions to initial value problems.

Website Optimization, Design, And Restructuring., Christopher Thomas Gibson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The website has become a staple in the business environment, to provide information and services, and connect business-to-business and business-to-customers. Many of these sites require re-engineering in order to facilitate the needed complexities and frequent changes demanded. For such efforts, it is essential for web management to be adequately quantified with relevant metrics and measures. This thesis investigates useful metrics through a case study approach and presents usability and maintainability as the two primary categories of metrics, which provide useful information for web engineering analysis and development.

Ethnicity As An Independent Predictor Of Incontinence Care Seeking When Theoretical Modeling Is Used., Michael Heit 1962-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urinary incontinence is a major public health problem affecting 30% of community dwelling women aged 35-85. Urinary incontinence may have a significant impact on activities of daily living depending on the severity of symptoms. Women with urinary incontinence suffer from psychological distress associated with the self-imposed social isolation required to hide their disorder from friends and family. The annual health care costs for managing urinary incontinence has been estimated at nearly 26 million dollars and 70% of these costs are attributed to remedies that are not covered by healthcare insurance. Yet, only 25-50% of incontinence sufferers seek professional care for …

Hanging The Moonbow : Tom Wallace And The Cumberland Falls Fight, 1926-1931., Noah Garland Huffman 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of Louisville Times editor Tom Wallace's fight to prevent the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky between 1926 and 1931. By mining Wallace's recently cataloged personal papers, this study provides a narrative of Wallace's lead role in the campaign that resulted in the preservation of Cumberland Falls and the establishment of a state park on the site in 1931. More importantly, however, as a case study of conservation activism during the understudied period from late 1920s and early 1930s, this thesis illustrates how Wallace developed certain arguments and strategies that were especially …

Remediating The Transient Music Student Using Hypermedia And Finale Performance Assessment™ : A Recorder Based Model., Nancy K. Philbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and test a tool designed to help transient students gain the basic musical knowledge and skills needed to successfully complete a fourth-grade unit of recorder study. The project resulted in the development of a hypermedia-based application.

The seven-week study consisted of 49 fourth-grade students. Students were given pitch reading and rhythm pattern identification pre-tests and post-tests. Students participated in weekly tests and tutorial sessions via the hypermedia-based application. At the conclusion of the study, the students were given post-tests and a performance test.

The pre-test and post-test scores for the transient …

Optimization Of Process Parameters For Direct Metal Deposition Of Nickel., Steven James Gravatte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was performed to establish the feasibility of using Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) technology to deposit nickel powder to a nickel substrate. The substrate is electrodeposited pure nickel, and the material to be deposited is Metco 56C-NS Nickel powder which is 99.5% nickel and 0.5% trace elements. The DMD process is a form of laser welding; metallica powder is fed into and melted by a high power C02 later, which also melts the substrate. As the melted substrate and power re-crystallize, they form a metallurgical bond, as opposed to the mechanical bond created in a normal welding process. The …

Human Performance In Agile Production Systems : A Longitudinal Study In System Outcomes, Human Cognition, And Quality Of Work Life., John K. Layer 1963-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines a research objective associated with human performance in agile production systems, with specific attention towards the hypothesis that system outcomes are the causal result of worker human cognition and quality of work life attributes experienced in an agile production system. The development and adoption of world class agile production systems has been an immediate economic answer to the world-wide competitive call for more efficient, more cost-effective, and more quality laden production processes, but has the human element of these processes been fully understood and optimized? Outstanding current literature suggests that the recent movements toward higher standards in …

Novel Processes For Large Area Gallium Nitride Single Crystal And Nanowire Growth., Hongwei Li 1975-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

III-nitrides (InN, GaN, AlN) are some of the most promising materials for making blue light emitting diodes (LED), blue laser diodes (LD) and high power, high temperature field effect transistors (FET). Current techniques produce GaN films with defect densities on the order of 107/cm2 or higher. The performance and life-time of the devices critically depend upon the defect densities and high power, high frequency devices require the defect densities to be lower than 104/cm2. So, the need for new processes to produce large size GaN crystals with defect densities less than 107/cm2 is immediate. In addition to large area single …

Factors Impacting Development Time For Online Postsecondary Instruction., Karen Hughes Miller 1945-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the development and validation of a web-based survey instrument designed to measure faculty perceptions on the importance of 24 variables that contribute to the facilitation of online postsecondary course development. It builds on the work of Lee (2001, 2002) and Easton (2003) who also investigated the faculty perceptions of the importance of specific variables in the development and delivery on online postsecondary education. Knowing which variables contribute most to online course development is important because it helps faculty members estimate the time needed to develop particular courses by considering which variables apply to their situation; and …

Indentation Response Of Polymer Films And Aircraft Wiring With Polymer Insulation., Kaushik Bindiganavile Nagendran 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The airline regulatory communities are interested in methods that can access degradation in the polymer insulation of aging aircraft wiring. This study investigates the response of bulk polymer films and aircraft wiring under indentation; changes in the behavior of the material may provide an indication of degradation. For this study, indentation tests are performed using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), which provides excellent force and displacement sensitivity and can test materials at a wide range of temperatures. Each indentation test consists of two test phases: loading and relaxation. During loading, the indenter is displaced into the material at a constant …

Sex-Based Differences In Regulatory T Cells., Lum Doreen Nebane-Ambe 1975-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Females have a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases than males for reasons that are currently unknown. CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells play an important role in the maintenance of immunological homeostasis and self-tolerance by suppressing autoreactive T cells that could potentially cause autoimmune diseases. Given that autoimmune diseases are more prevalent in women compared to men, we hypothesized that sex steroids could influence the incidence and/or progression of autoimmune disease through an effect on CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell number and/or function. The overall objective of this project was then to determine whether sex steroids mediate sex-based differences in CD4+CD25+ regulatory T …

Comorbidity Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Gender With Internalizing And Externalizing Symptoms., Anna Louise Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the association between internalizing and externalizing symptoms, gender, and the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Participants included 104 males and 74 females, aged 6 to 16 from a diagnostic clinic. Parents and teachers completed the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale, Second Edition (ADDES-2) to determine whether they met the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) in order to measure internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Regression analyses indicated partial support for association between inattention and internalizing symptoms, with higher ratings of inattention found for both anxiety and depression as rated by parents and higher …

New Families Of Voltage-Mode And Current-Mode Filter Circuits., Tongfeng Qian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In some previous papers, feed forward configurations of realizing second order all pass transfer functions with complex poles by adding some configurations to a first order circuit are discussed. In this dissertation, the above idea extended to realize some other basic second order complex pole filter transfer functions. A new corollary for circuit conversion is proposed and proved. This corollary is useful for converting op amp based voltage-mode circuits to their CCII based equivalent circuits, as are other existing theorems. But the new corollary is useful for converting circuits that cannot be converted by other theorems.

A Local Model Of Writing Program Assessment : Fourteen Community College Faculty Define And Evaluate Writing Proficiency., Richard Anthony Butsch 1956-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The introduction to this doctoral dissertation is an argument for locating Writing Across the Curriculum programs on the community-college campus for several reasons, among them the proximity of the disciplines on the community college campus, the increasingly underprepared community college student, and movements toward accountability and assessment at the local and state levels. As an example of what a WAC program may accomplish in the area of program assessment, which developed from WAC proper in the last decade of the last century, Chapters One, Two and Three present data I collected from fourteen faculty volunteers who gave up a beautiful …

Origins Of Imperial Ottoman Architecture In Istanbul : A Cross-Cultural Interpretation On The Development Of A New Classical Tradition., Shannon P. Carneal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottomans, a new trend in architecture developed that achieved a balance between the traditional Ottoman building practices of Bursa and Edirne with the styles found in Byzantium and the West. This thesis uncovers what led to the creation of a new Classical Ottoman architecture through an examination of the architectural resources available to the Ottoman sultans and their architects. The goal of this thesis is to discover what, if anything, is Ottoman about Ottoman imperial architecture in Istanbul. Was this new architecture the result of a logical progression of a traditional …

All-Boy Mathematics Classes In Middle School., Amanda Neel Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A comparative case study focused on six mathematics teachers of all-boy classes in three middle schools. Each school chose to experiment with gendered classes to improve specific, yet somewhat different, outcomes. A purpose of this study was not to compare single-gender schooling with coeducation, but rather, to focus on each school's implementation process and to identify school and classroom factors that seemed to contribute to success of the single-gender program. Another purpose was to examine mathematics teaching. Observational analysis used as a framework the Five Strands of Mathematics Proficiency. Related areas of inquiry were classroom time allocation, textbook selection and …

At Work In The Fields : An Essay Into The Work Lives Of Nineteenth Century English Agricultural Wage Labouring And African American Slave And Freed Women., Anne Reeves 1948-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a historical study comparing the work-lives African-American and English nineteenth-century, field-working women. It focuses on the ideology and structure of the gender division of labour as it formed and informed the lives of these women. It explores the complex relationship among gender and racial ideologies, social and economic structures and the extent to which the women determined their own lives. It argues that the particular historical, ideological and economic forces at work in England and the South differentially constrained their lives. The work is divided into four chapters. The Introduction explains the study's purpose and explores the …