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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 …

Osmotic Concentration Of Potato In Corn Syrup Solutions Prior To Freezing, Ying Chen

Masters Theses

The feasibility of osmotic concentration of potato strips in corn syrup solutions, and the use of osmotic concentration as an intermediate step in producing frozen, French fried potato, were demonstrated. Potato strips were contacted with 26 DE and 43 DE com syrup solutions at three solute concentrations (40, 50 and 60%, w/w) and three temperatures (20, 30 and 40°C) for six time intervals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 h). Moisture loss from, and solids gain by, potato were monitored. In general, moisture loss for 43 DE com syrup solutions was higher than that for 26 DE solutions. For …

White-Tailed Deer Crown Height Measurements And Mortality Profiles From The Hayes Site, Middle Tennessee, Renee Beauchamp

Masters Theses

Previous research at the Hays Site (40ML139) prompted an investigation of white-tailed deer remains from the site. An evaluation of aging techniques revealed that the dental crown height measurement technique is the best method for aging white-tailed deer. A regression formula was developed with a known-age sample of Mississippi white-tailed deer. An investigation of mortality profile interpretations defines attritional, living structure, and prime-dominated mortality profiles. The mortality profile interpretations are used to define seasonality and hunting intensity for the white-tailed deer from the Hayes site. A modified iterated age length key is used to derive mortality profiles. Results for hunting …

An Investigation Into The Development And Operation Of The Waldens Ridge Producers Cooperative, Daniel David Harstin

Masters Theses

This study compared and contrasted the perceptions of members of a vegetable marketing cooperative with those of other "knowledgeable" individuals on the factors they believed contributed to the cooperative's failure.

A case study approach was used to detail the history of the cooperative's development and to determine individual perceptions of the problems contributing to the failure. Participants were personally contacted by the author, and were interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique. Only open-ended questions were asked to determine these perceptions. When necessary, the author followed with questions to prompt participants to clarify or elaborate on responses. The interviews were recorded …

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 …

Insect/Plant Interactions Among The Pyralid Dicymolomia Julianalis (Walker), Musk Thistle, The Common Bagworm, And Cat-Tail, Deborah Landau

Masters Theses

The pyralid Dicymolomia julianalis (Walker) has an unusually diverse range of hosts, yet relatively little information is available on this lepidopteran. Food sources of the pyralid larva include musk thistle, Carduus thoermeri, eggs, larvae and pupae of the common bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, and cat-tail, Typha spp.

A study was initiated to better understand the ecological interactions among D. julianalis and its hosts by monitoring the lifecycle of this pyralid and assessing its feeding habits. The potential of D. julianalis as a biological control agent of musk thistle and the common bagworm was also examined.

Adult D. julianalis moths …

Arthropod Dissemination Of Discula Destructiva : Conidia On Cornus Florida, Deanna M. Colby

Masters Theses

In 1978, a fungal disease, identified as Discula destructiva Redlin sp. Nov., was discovered killing native flowering dogwoods, Comus florida Link., in the northeastern United States. Since then, the pathogen has spread southward along the Appalachian mountain range to Georgia and Alabama, infecting dogwoods on more than 2.3 million hectares.

Known methods of pathogen dissemination include wind and rain. Other possible mechanisms for dispersing fungal conidia involve animal vectors, such as arthropods which may carry conidia externally and/or internally. The objective of this research was to determine if arthropods could disseminate viable D. destructiva conidia. The adult convergent lady beetle …

Attitudes Of Professionals, Volunteer Leaders, And 4-H Members Toward Competitive, Cooperative, And Individual Learning Styles Related To The 4-H Program In Tennessee, Darrell Edward Hale

Masters Theses

The major purpose of the study was to determine the attitudes of 4-H agents, volunteer leaders, and 4-H members toward competition, cooperation, and individualism in the 4-H program in Tennessee. Data was obtained from 906 respondents of which 69 were agents, 170 were volunteers, and 667 were 4-H members.

Survey questions dealt with demographic data of each group such as grade in school, gender, age, length of employment, leader training meetings attended, job location, job responsibility, and participation in livestock shows. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using mean scores and percentages. An attitudinal scale was developed to …

Municipal Sewage Sludge And Phosphorus As Soil Amendments For Enhancing Wildlife Habitat On Reclaimed Surface Mines, Cynthia L. Walker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefit of municipal sewage sludge and/or phosphorus as soil amendments for enhancing wildlife habitat on reclaimed surface mined land. Five forage seed mixtures beneficial to wildlife were tested: 1) Ladino clover and timothy 2) switchgrass, indiangrass, and little bluestem 3) kobe lespedeza and orchardgrass 4) korean lespedeza and orchardgrass 5) A. U. lotan lespedeza and orchardgrass. An unseeded control was included. The objectives of the experiment were 1) to compare species viability and plant productivity on surface mined land amended with and without sludge and/or phosphorus, 2) to evaluate minesoil acidity, …

A Genetic Algorithm For The Vehicle Routing Problem, Vickie Dawn Wester

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a version of a genetic algorithm (GA ) which would provide near optimal solutions for Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP) with both time and weight constraints. The genetic algorithm used for the experimentation was adapted from a GA which had been developed by James Bean at the University of Michigan to solve machine scheduling problems. The VRP data sets used in this research were obtained from the literature. Various aspects of the GA were experimented with in order to develop a version which would perform consistently well for all the data sets. The …

Perceptions Of Current Club Managers Regarding College Coursework Necessary For Preparation For A Career As A Club Manager, Candice E. Clemenz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to gather and interpret the perceptions of current club managers regarding the college coursework that they believed was necessary to prepare a student for a career as a club manager. First, a list of course areas was developed via a review of hospitality curriculums, and conversations with industry professionals. The list was used to design Part 1 of a questionnaire that featured 13 course areas with corresponding descriptive and ascending levels of competencies. Instructions clearly directed club managers to select the highest level of competency for each course area that they thought should be …

Arthropods Associated With Leaf Litter Of Fraser Fir In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, David Norman Hughes

Masters Theses

Fraser Fir, Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poiret, is a southern endemic conifer species restricted to the higher elevations of the southern Applachian mountains. This forest type is currently threatened by the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg), an exotic pest species native to Europe. This insect has destroyed more than 95% of the mature Fraser fir within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). The adelgid damages Fraser fir by disrupting the flow of nutrients in the vascular tissues of the bark. This disruption is due to abnormal growth of the vascular tissues resulting from a reaction to …

Relationships Between Tennessee Feeder Pig Producers' Personal Characteristics, Type Of Farm Operations, Contacts With Extension Agents, And Their Use Of Selected Swine Management Practices, Jerry Randall Kimes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to characterize feeder pig producers according to their personal characteristics, and their type of operation as related to their use of selected management practices, and their contacts with Extension. Data were collected through personal interviews with 1,167 randomly selected feeder pig producers in 75 Tennessee counties using the 1987 Swine Interview Schedule. Producers surveyed had a minimum of five sows. The data were coded and processed for computer analysis and computations at the University of Tennessee Computing Center. The chi square test was used to determine the strength of relationship between the dependent and …

Evaluation Of Transgenic 'Xanthi' Tobacco And Development Of Transgenic 'Burley' Tobacco Containing The Soybean Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Gene, Tonya A. Thompson

Masters Theses

Coat protein mediated protection results in delay of symptoms and lower virus concentration within tobacco plants. In this study, plants of two transgenic Nicotiana tabacum cv. ‘Xanthi’ lines expressing the soybean mosaic virus coat protein (SMV-CP) were inoculated with four potyviruses: potato virus Y (PVY), tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV), tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV), and tobacco etch virus (TEV). Protection varied from no delay in disease development to protection for up to 20 days. Xanthi was determined not to be a good host for TVMV since controls became only mildly infected. With PVY there was no delay in …

The Variables Which Effect Research Productivity And Extension Publications And Their Relationships To Performance Of Land-Grant University Extension Specialists, Louie R. Freeman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among demographic variables, research productivity. Extension publications, and job performance evaluations for Extension specialists in the 1862 southern land-grant universities. The final sample was composed of 241 agricultural Extension specialists in the southeast.

The study revealed that the average specialist was between the ages of 30 and 59, was located on the university campus, had an academic rank of full, had a terminal educational doctoral degree, and their major audiences were adults. Faculty average department size was almost 17 staff members. Faculty had memberships in 4.5 professional organizations, but they …

Effect Of Lead On Globin Mrna In Vivo And In Vitro, C. A. Aethranis

Masters Theses

The total amount of mRNA recovered from Pb²⁺-treated rabbits was not significantly influenced by lead but dose-dependent loss of template activity of the poly A+ fraction was observed. These observations lead to the conclusion that the messenger RNA of rabbit reticulocytes exposed to Pb²⁺ in vivo was damaged and inactivated without extensive depolymerization of the mRNA.

In vitro experiments on the effect of Pb²⁺ on purified rabbit globin mRNA were also performed. After incubation with Pb²⁺ at micromolar concentrations, the 7-methyl guanosine cap was removed from the mRNA, while damage to the remainder of the …

Identification And Evaluation Of Nutrition Education Materials For Use In Kindergarten, Mary Katherine Powers

Masters Theses

The purpose of this project was to determine the extent to which nutrition education lesson plans address the objectives covered in a kindergarten curriculum that is representative of other kindergarten curricula across the United States. Incorporating nutrition education into the kindergarten curriculum can allow children to be exposed to nutrition more often without adding additional subject areas and time to teachers' busy schedules.

We recruited volunteer teachers in a metropolitan school system and provided continuing education on the Dietary Guidelines. Teachers determined that four of the Dietary Guidelines were developmentally appropriate for kindergarten students and evaluated 400 lesson plans as …

The Effects Of Changing Subsistence Strategies On The Degree Of Sexual Dimorphism Of Skeletons From The Southeastern United States, William Edward Grant

Masters Theses

This study examines the effects of changing subsistence strategies on the degree of sexual dimorphism for prehistoric skeletal populations from the Southeastern United States. Changes in subsistence from hunting and gathering in the Archaic Period to intensive agriculture in the Mississippian Period caused increased levels of stress that affected growth and development, as well as incidence of disease. Eight long bone measurements were taken from 17 skeletal series (6 Middle/Late Archaic, 8 Early/Middle Woodland, and 3 Late Mississippian) from Tennessee and Alabama. These measurements were subjected to a series of univariate and multivariate statistical tests to determine whether or not …

Quantitative Genetic Analysis Of Third Metacarpal Morphometry In Baboons (Papio Hamadryas), Katherine Christine Park

Masters Theses

Osteoporosis is a very disabling disease in humans, and not until recently with the advent of modern technology has it been researched in a manner beneficial to medical applications. Initially, the use of animals in osteoporosis research served primarily as an avenue for testing and research. Recently the use of nonhuman primates has expanded the research potential for such studies on related individuals more similar to humans. Baboon colonies provide researchers with accessible nonhuman primate populations in which pedigrees can be determined and biomedical studies can be performed. This study is based on 186 hand-wrist radiographs of two baboon subspecies, …

Evaluation Of A Hypothetical Source Method For Discretization Of The Helmholtz Equation, Jonathan C. French

Masters Theses

This research examines the accuracy and benefits of a new discretization for linear field equations, with a particular focus on the Helmholtz equation. Instead of the typical Boundary Element Method (BEM) or integral methods, this technique uses local Green's functions to set up a block tri-diagonal system of equations. The Green's functions are computed with respect to local and hypothetical sources to generate an under-determined system of equations. Singular value decomposition (SYD) and pseudo-inversion is then applied to find the least-norm, least-squares local discretization. The local discretizations are then placed in a matrix along with appropriate boundary conditions to solve …

Misa And Dpx-Pe350 Effects On Cotton Development, Yield And Quality, Mark W. Shankle

Masters Theses

Field research was conducted at Jackson in 1991 and Milan in 1992 to compare the effect of MSMA and DPX-PE350 on cotton development, yield and quality. "Deltapine 50" cotton was planted in rows spaced 1 m apart. Individual plots were four rows by 9 m in length. Treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. MSMA at 2.24 kg ai ha^-1 and DPX-PE350 at 0.14 kg ai ha^-1 were applied to 15 to 25 cm (early) and 45 to 55 cm (late) cotton. Early treatments coincided with first square, while late applications were just prior …

Selection Criteria Used When Purchasing Bulls At The Breeders Performance Tested Bull Sale, Thomas Bruce Steelman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the selection criteria buyers use for purchasing performance tested bulls at the Breeders Performance Tested Bull Sale. Various criteria were examined including: trait selection, perception of the effectiveness of the performance program, perception of individuals purchasing bulls in relation to the buyer's demographic locations, and buyer characteristics.

To facilitate the purpose of this study, the following specific objectives were developed:

1. To develop an average profile of the individuals who commonly purchase performance tested bulls.

2. To determine most common selection criteria used by buyers when purchasing bulls and the relationships of …

Histological Differentiation Of Inflorescences In Two Cultivars Of Geranium (Pelargonium X Hortorum), Suzhen Yin

Masters Theses

Differentiation of the first inflorescence was determined in two seed propagated cultivars of geranium, 'Multibloom Scarlet' and 'Red Elite'. Histological evidence was recorded in photomicrographs of paraffin sections of shoot apex tissues and scanning electron micrographs of shoot tip surfaces. Morphological evidence was recorded in photographs when the first flowers were showing red petals. Inflorescence primordia appeared at the 5th and 8th leaf stages in 'Multibloom Scarlet' and 'Red Elite' respectively. Earlier growth stages of seedling shoots bore pairs of opposite leaves. An inflorescence formed in lieu of a leaf, and inflorescence primordia and leaf primordia formed laterally from a …

Biological Assays To Detect Seasonal Differences In Toxicity Among Four Tall Fescue Clone Pairs, John D. Harmuth

Masters Theses

Toxicity was compared among four tall fescue clone pairs. Seasonal comparisons were made by measuring development of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, in diets prepared with endophyte-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E-) tall fescue leaf powder. Toxicity was also evaluated by observing the behavior of the corn flea beetle, Chaetocnema pulicaria Melsheimer, on E+ and E- tall fescue leaf segments.

Clone pairs developed at The University of Tennessee were designated as 31, 38, 39 and 48. Diets containing 38E+ tall fescue had less fruit flies than other diets during most of the year. Diets containing 39E+ tall fescue had fewer fruit …

Flavor And Stability Of Potato Chips Fried In Canola, High Oleic Acid Sunflower, Sunflower, And Cottonseed Oils, Hung-Wei Lin

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of canola (CA), high oleic acid sunflower (HOSU), regular sunflower (SU), and cottonseed (CS) oils on the characteristics, flavor, and stability of potato chips. Oil degradation during frying was monitored also by peroxide value (PV), free fatty acid (FFA) levels, and fatty acid compositional changes. Chips were fried in the different oils and stored 0 wk (fresh) and under fluorescent light or in the dark at 23°C for 2 and 4 wk. Chips were analyzed for color, moisture and oil contents, PV of chip oil, concentrations of volatile components, flavor …

Women's Roles In Church And Community In An Urban Appalachian Neighborhood, Pamela Crant Owens

Masters Theses

In her 1922 Master's thesis, Sue Remaley uncovered a neighborhood type in Knoxville, Tennessee that contrasts with prevailing perceptions of urban poverty. The urban poor are often described as having high numbers of female headed families, high crime and unemployment rates, and are often portrayed as black or Hispanic. Remaley discovered that many poor neighborhoods in Knoxville are composed of two-parent families, have high employment rates, live in homes they own, and are predominantly white.

This thesis focuses on one such neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee that exhibits a strong sense of community and stability. Specifically, this research focuses on the …

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 …