Digital Commons Network^™

The Factors Associated With The Use Of Computers In The K-4 Classrooms Of The Maryville City School System., Jesse A. Robinette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of computers for instruction in the K-4 elementary schools of the Maryville City School System. A survey was distributed to every regular education classroom teacher in each of the four elementary schools of the system. Respondents were asked to provide: (a) demographic data in regard to age, gender, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, level of education, home computer ownership, and technology committee membership; (b) an implementation score based on teacher response to grade-level student performance indicators provided by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); and (c) …

Comparison Of Black And White Elderly Women On Muscle Mass Bone Mineral Density And Balance., Tyanez Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have compared balance between aging black (BW) and white women (WW) and examined its relationship to muscle mass and bone mineral density (BMD). Nineteen BW and 56 WW between 60-91 years participated. Upper and lower body strength, body composition, BMD, volitional and non-volitional control of dynamic balance, and physical activity ratings were assessed. There were no differences in strength between the groups. A trend was reported for total body BMD (p=0.07). WW exhibited better control of rapid volitional movements, in the limits of stability and rhythmic weight shift tests. The relationships of strength and muscle mass to BMD …

The Impact Of Dismissal Of Non-Tenured Teachers On Principals In Tennessee., David W. Messer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the issues that principals face in making the decision or recommendation to bring about the involuntary separation of non-tenured teachers. I was concerned with identifying the emotions, feelings, conflicts, and misgivings that principals experience during this process. Related concerns were identified. They included the issues of principals using professionally ethical ways to encourage or coach teachers to resign prior to dismissal, dealing with "lame duck" teachers between notification and the end of the school year, and writing positive letters of recommendation for teachers they have decided not to renew. These questions were …

Iron Acquisition In Rhodococcus Erythrolpolis: The Isolation Of Mutant(S) That Do Not Produce A Siderophore., Jaishree M. Vellore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhodococcus, a soil bacterium, displays a diverse range of metabolic capabilities with a number of potential practical applications. To exploit the metabolic potential of Rhodococcus, their basic physiology, genetics, and especially the acquisition of essential nutrients like iron, must be understood.

R. erythropolis strain IGTS8 releases a small compound called a siderophore, that scavenges ferric iron from the environment. To learn more about the genetic control of iron acquisition, mutant(s) defective in siderophore production were isolated. Mutants were generated, by inserting a mutagenic plasmid, pJCS506, into the bacterial cell using electroporation. The plasmid, which cannot replicate in these …

Antibiotic Resistance: Multi-Drug Profiles And Genetic Determinants., Lashan Denise Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were assembled for isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis collected from the Mountain Home Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) clinical laboratory in Johnson City, Tennessee. The goal of the study was to identify isolates for genetic characterization using comparisons of susceptibility profiles. Isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis collected from July 1984 through 1994 were analyzed for β-lactamase production using a Cefinase disk assay.

A multi-drug profile consisting of 11 β-lactam antibiotics was performed on the 41 M. catarrhalis isolates. Kirby Bauer disk assays were performed for 7 cephalosporin and 4 non-cephalosporin antibiotics.

In summary, 2 observations implicate more complex resistance …

Behavioral Changes In Adult C57bl/6j Mice Following Prenatal Exposure To Ethanol., Kevin Wade Nunley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) labels children with physical, mental and behavioral deficits exposed to alcohol in utero. Current research indicates that timing of alcohol exposure of the embryo/fetus is a critical determinant of the behavioral deficits associated with FAS. This study represents a model for binge drinking, in which C57BL mouse embryos were exposed to alcohol during 2 separate critical periods of brain development, gestational day (GD) 7 or 8. As adults, the offspring were tested to determine if loco-motor activity and emotional reaction to a novel environment had been affected. Significant differences due to treatment and sex were …

Molecular Studies Involving The Rev Protein Of Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus And Visna Virus., Bridget Michele Graves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caprine Arthirtis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) and Visna Virus are two viruses of the lentivirus family. They encode three structural genes (gag, pol, and env) and two regulatory genes (rev and tat). The Rev protein regulates Gag, Pol and Env expression by transporting their mRNAs to the cytoplasm by binding to the RRE (Rev Response Element) found on their mRNAs. Previous studies have indicated that Rev may be toxic to transfected cells, overexpression of exogenous RREs or a better binding RRE can inhibit Rev activity and Rev-C (CAEV Rev) can trans-activate RRE-V (Visna Virus …

Male Visual Dominance Continues: A Global Study Of Images Of Men And Women In 750 Online Newspapers In 74 Nations., Kelly Blake Price-Rankin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how women were represented globally in online newspapers. Depiction of men and women in online newspapers was investigated via cropping of photographs. The photograph was examined to determine if emphasis was placed on the face or body of the human image.

The researcher used the Body Index Scale coding instrument. A simple random sample of 1,969 published photographs in 750 global online newspapers was examined.

A major finding was that men dominate the front screens on global online newspaper Web sites. The data concluded men were cropped with an emphasis on the head, emphasizing intellect. Women were …

Image Compression By Wavelet Transform., Panrong Xiao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital images are widely used in computer applications. Uncompressed digital images require considerable storage capacity and transmission bandwidth. Efficient image compression solutions are becoming more critical with the recent growth of data intensive, multimedia-based web applications.

This thesis studies image compression with wavelet transforms. As a necessary background, the basic concepts of graphical image storage and currently used compression algorithms are discussed. The mathematical properties of several types of wavelets, including Haar, Daubechies, and biorthogonal spline wavelets are covered and the Enbedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZW) coding algorithm is introduced. The last part of the thesis analyzes the compression results to …

Comparison Of The Academic Achievement Of Primary School Students In Multiage And Traditional Classrooms., Mary Frances Harmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether students in a kindergarten/first-grade multiage class achieve at a different level than students enrolled in a traditional kindergarten or first-grade class in a selected primary school in East Tennessee. The question of the interaction between gender and type of instruction was also analyzed.

The causal comparative quantitative research method was used to analyze data differentiating between students enrolled in multiage and traditional classes, retrospectively. A t-test was used to determine the level of performance the students demonstrated on the BRIGANCE K Screen at the beginning of the study. The number of …

A Meta-Analysis And Risk Assessment Of Heavy Metal Uptake In Common Garden Vegetables., Trent David Lecoultre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peer reviewed literature was searched to identify research pertaining to the uptake of heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Zn) by vegetables (cabbage, carrot, lettuce, and radish). The objectives of this research were to 1) determine the relationship between heavy metal concentrations in the soil and heavy metal concentrations in vegetables, and 2) determine the level of risk associated with exposure to heavy metals through ingestion of contaminated vegetables. Highly variable estimates and biologically implausible regression equations resulted from this meta-analysis. Exposure to arsenic through the ingestion of lettuce grown on contaminated soil significantly increases cancer risk, especially in children. …

Weaving Accessibility And Art In Marilou Awiakta's Selu: Seeking The Corn-Mother's Wisdom., James David Basinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Selu: Seeking the Corn-MotherÆs Wisdom, Awiakta enlists the reader to participate on the path to knowing Selu, Corn-Mother to us all. In particular, the book provides a reader with a text that blends ancient Cherokee teachings of the oral tale of Selu with contemporary Western, Appalachian-American thought and experience. Awiakta adopts and adapts Selu in order to capture and express the essence of the tale within a contemporary American aesthetic.

Though Awiakta's approach is didactic, it rises above mere teaching to achieve an aesthetic characterized by accessibility, simultaneity, and liminality. She purposely combines stories, poems, teachings, histories, and cultural …

Electronic Books: An Overview Of The First Two Generations., Todd O. Doman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The electronic text reading device, or e-book, is an idea that has reached the implementation stage. Technology has only recently made possible the production of a device to challenge the printed book’s dominance as the media for information transmission. These microprocessor-based devices are attempts to exceed the limitations of printed texts while retaining their strengths. Two generations of these devices, and the companies that created them, have reached the marketplace.

This thesis provides a short history of electronic text readers and gives an overview of the first and second generations. The issues that will affect the adoption of the e-book …

Principal Selection And The Stories Superintendents Tell., Linda L. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In addition to licensure and certification, there are particular qualities and personal characteristics superintendents look for when hiring a principal. With fewer principal applicants and increased projected needs for principals, it was important to explore the superintendent's reasoning when hiring a principal.

A qualitative research method employing elite interviews was used to explore the criteria that superintendents employ in their process of selecting a principal. When talking about the hiring of principals, superintendents invariably began with the selection process. Teachers, community members, parents, former employers, and college professors gave input in formal or informal ways. Superintendents looked for experience both …

Involvement In Sports And Engagement In Delinquency: An Examination Of Hirschi's Social Bond Theory., Randy Hass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sports have been proposed as a means of reducing participation in delinquency. One criminological theory that would support this hypothesis is Travis Hirschi's social bond theory. The involvement element of that theory proposes that engaging juveniles in non-delinquent activities reduces engagement in delinquency. However, the relationship between sports and delinquency has not been adequately tested. Data from the first wave of the National Youth Survey were examined by ordinary least squares regression to determine if there was evidence supporting school sponsored sports programs as a means of reducing delinquency. No evidence was found to support the research hypothesis. Involvement in …

Stakeholder Beliefs, Satisfaction And Assessments Of School Climate After Implementation Of A Year-Round Calendar., Robin Lee Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Year-Round Schooling (YRS), a calendar or scheduling concept, has become quite common in this country over the past thirty years. Generally schools have adopted YRS scheduling in an effort to: (1) increase efficiency in the operation of the schools and (2) enhance student development and learning.

The University School at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), a public K-12 school located on the ETSU campus, implemented a YRS calendar in the Summer of 1996. Over a period of six years data were collected to assess the effectiveness of YRS at University School. Study participants (students, parents and teachers) were surveyed initially …

The Accidental Experts: A Demonstration Of The Existence, Utility, And Emergence Of Implicitly Learned Tacit Knowledge In Assistive-Augmentative Technology Users., Douglas Eugene Masini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the presence, utility, and emergence of tacit knowledge in 9 study participants who used assistive-augmentative technology. I conducted phenomenologic interviews, audio-taping, and transcribed the interview with the written consent of the participants. Sixteen highly trained experts critiqued the final product of the interviews and answered a 25-question survey instrument. Non-parametric statistical processes were chosen to conduct inferential hypotheses testing. Wilcoxon - Mann Whitney U tests and Kruskal - Wallis One-Way ANOVA (alpha level of 0.05) were used for questions 1-10, and a 2 x R (R = 3 or 4) contingency table and Fisher's Exact Chi-Square were used …

Perceptions Of Online Distance Education Within The North Carolina Community College System By Chief Academic Officers And Chief Distance Education Officers., James A. Benton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of chief academic officers (CAOs) and chief distance education officers (CDOs) regarding faculty satisfaction in areas of released time for training and course development, workload, overall support of distance education, and extra compensation.

One-hundred-sixteen surveys were sent out by e-mail to all 58 community colleges in North Carolina. The data for this study came from the returned surveys. The combined return rate of surveys was 78%. The SAS Institute program procedures were used for the analysis of the data. An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical analyses. …

Hazardous Materials Transportation Flow Survey: An Evaluation Of Hazardous Materials Transported In Washington County., Daniel John O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the transportation of hazardous materials through Washington County, Tennessee. This study incorporates federal, state, and local data in assessing current transportation trends. Data gathering activities included local chemical inventories, hazardous materials transportation flow surveys, hazardous materials rail transportation trends, and hazardous materials incident data.

All data were compiled and then analyzed to identify hazardous materials transportation trends in Washington County, Tennessee. This information is pertinent to emergency planners for the preparation of hazardous materials transportation incidents. The data gathered further revealed the need for this type of study to identify changing trends in the transportation of hazardous …

Examining The Effects Of Deer Antler Velvet Supplementation On Muscular Strength, Performance, And Markers Of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness., Robyn Suzanne Percival

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To examine the effects of deer antler velvet on muscular strength, performance, and markers of delayed onset muscle soreness following a 10-week resistance training period.

Participants: 16 resistance-trained males (18-35) volunteered.

Measures: DEXA, 1-RM, a power test, and a 70% performance trial were measured. Creatine kinase and self-reported soreness levels were measured following an eccentric trial.

Results: No pre-experimental significant differences existed between the groups for any of the variables measured. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding body composition, strength, muscular performance, or improvements in creatine kinase and soreness levels from pre to post-intervention. Both groups …

Using An Importance-Performance Analysis Of Summer Students In The Evaluation Of Student Health Services., Candice Cline Duvernois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hitherto, students have not evaluated the importance and performance of services provided by the student health service (SHS) at East Tennessee State University. An evaluation could provide valuable feedback to providers and administration.

In 2001, there were 944 student visits in the summer sessions. Approximately 256 students were offered a survey containing an Importance-Performance scale of which 151 (59.0%) responded. The I-P scale rates the importance students place on healthcare services and the performance of the SHS in delivering services (i.e., patient satisfaction).

Based on mean scores, students reported high importance, high performance on urgent care, pharmacy and patient education. …

Laurel, Mississippi: A Historical Perspective., David Stanton Key

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laurel, Mississippi, exemplifies the new southern development that occurred in the years following Reconstruction. Coinciding with continental rail building and the depletion of northern timber resources, Laurel emerged as one of Mississippi's great industrial centers. Laurel's survival after the early twentieth century timber boom predicated itself on the diversification of its industry coupled with the continued growth of its infrastructure. Although Laurel's industrial ascension is not unique in the annals of southern history, its duality regarding northern capitalistic impulses and southern labor and material serves as a successful industrial model in the era of "cut out and get out" sawmill …

An Analysis Of The Academic Success Achieved By Five Freshman Cohorts Through A Community College Developmental Education Program., Nancy K. Gray-Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The challenge of underprepared students' entering America's colleges and universities is not new. Because of their "open door" policies, community colleges are more likely to enroll students who are not college prepared. This retrospective study focused on the performance of students who had completed required developmental education courses compared to the performance of students without developmental requirements. The study examined developmental education success measures for five cohorts of first-time degree-seeking freshmen each tracked for a six-year period enrolled at Walters State Community College located in Tennessee.

The success measures compared included grade point averages earned in college-level mathematics and English …

The Detection Of Morphological Variation Across Time In Two Roan Mountain Endemics: Geum Radiatum And Houstonia Montana., Dalenia Medford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Morphological variation between geographically distant populations has long been recognized. The primary objective of this study was to test whether nonrandom shifts in morphology have occurred across a 150-year time span in two rare, endangered plant species Geum radiatum and Houstonia montana. During the last century the vegetation on Roan Mountain has undergone numerous environmental pressures that may have produced morphological shifts.

A diverse suite of morphological characters was measured from both species. Characters included vegetative and reproductive structures. Herbarium specimens and direct field measurements were the sources of material used. Results indicated a significant increase in size across …

Socioeconomic, Demographic, Attitudinal And Involvement Factors Associated With Math Achievement In Elementary School., Jennifer N. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which socioeconomic factors, demographic factors, parent and student attitudes, and parent involvement were associated with math achievement. Students in Grade 5 were selected as the population for this study. Random sampling procedures were used to select the sample. Students in the sample completed a modified version of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. Normal Curve Equivalent Scores (NCEs) from the math scales on the TerraNova Standardized Achievement Test were obtained for all students from the individual school records. Parents of the students also participated by answering questions pertaining to …

Figurative Sculpture In Paper Clay., Valarie G. Lyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses her Master of Fine Arts exhibition at East Tennessee State University, Carroll Reece Museum, Johnson City, Tennessee, March 9 - 17, 2001. The exhibition marked her return to organic, gestural work. Works are figurative, ceramic, sculpture, made of paper clay, ranging from 8-inch, wall mounted, bas-relief to life sized, full round figures. Most are slab constructed, unglazed or lightly glazed with soda wash.

Topics discussed: the artist's development, including the influences of Stephen De Staebler, in his treatment of the individual in mass culture, and of Mary Frank, in psychological content and in the use of negative …

The Impact Of Logging On Aquatic Salamander Communities., Heather Noel Mcdonald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For this study, the abundance of the salamander fauna in two streams was compared to determine the impact of logging activities. After five months of study, the area around one stream was logged by the National Forest Service. Following logging, the abundance of salamanders in the stream was greatly reduced, while the population in the undisturbed stream remained relatively unchanged. Six abundant species were used as indicators; two of these species (Desmognathus quadramaculatus and Desmognathus ochrophaeus) were negatively affected by the logging, while four species (Demognathus fuscus, Desmognathus monticola, Eurycea wilderae, and Gyrinophilus porphyriticus …

Theoretical Study On The Mechanism Of Removing Nitrogen Oxides Using Isocyanic Acid., Taraneh Nowroozi-Isfahani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mechanism of RAPRENO_x reactions - RAPid REduction of Nitrogen Oxides using Isocyanic acid - proposed by Robert A. Perry¹ in an attempt to help control the emission of nitrogen oxides pollutant into the atmosphere, has been re-investigated theoretically. The study of reaction mechanisms was carried out using Chemist software². All mathematically possible elementary steps have been evaluated and the chemically reasonable ones have been considered to propose new sets of reaction mechanisms. Density Functional Theory (B3LYP/6-31 G**) calculations using Gaussian 98³ were made in order to study the relative energies of all species and …

Using Software Engineering Metrics In Ap Modularization., Kwaku Owusu-Tieku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Significant amount of work has been done in software engineering in terms of reuse. With the use of object-orientation and design patterns that support the development of reusable modules, it appears that the development and reuse of software modules in creating new systems is becoming more and more common. The software engineering world, however has taken reuse more seriously than database; more research and improvement in reuse has been made in software engineering than in database. This paper investigates how software engineering metrics can be applied in the development of reusable database modules. This research provides a model for predicting …

Strategies To Ease The Negative Effects Of Mobility On Academic Achievement., D.Kaye Reed Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mobility, the movement of students from school to school, affects students, classrooms, schools, and systems. Extensive research has been conducted on the relationship between mobility and student academics. Although the research has not determined mobility is the cause of lower academic scores, it is certainly a contributing factor. Most students with high mobility rates also have difficulty in math, reading, or language. Teachers of classrooms with these students tend to "flatten" the curriculum by reviewing more than usual. Long-range planning for these students can be difficult. Schools and systems may plan programs for students who have moved on by the …