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The Implications Of Signing A Professional Baseball Contract As A High School Senior As Opposed To Attending College, Adam Priest

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Railroad Capacity And Its Implications For Rail-Highway Intermodal Transportation, David Bruce Clarke

Doctoral Dissertations

After many years of decline in market share, railroads are now experiencing an increasing demand for their services. Service intensive intermodal transportation seems to be an especially promising market area. Since the historic decline in traffic has been accompanied by a reduction in network infrastructure, however, the railroads' ability to handle sizable traffic increases, at least in the short term, is in question. Since rail transportation is critical to the domestic economy of the nation, and is increasingly important in international logistics channels, shortfalls in railroad capacity are not desirable.

The published literature on railroad capacity is relatively sparse, especially …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, And Spoilage Microorganisms On Green Beans Affected By Salt, Antimicrobials, Modified Atmosphere Packaging, And Storage Temperature, Wei Tan

Doctoral Dissertations

Growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes. Salmonella typhimurium, and spoilage microorganisms in minimally processed green beans as influenced by modified atmosphere packaging, storage temperature, salt treatment, and antimicrobial dips were investigated. Green beans were snipped, washed, dipped in a chlorine solution (200 ppm), and soaked in a 20% NaCl solution for 20 min. Green beans were inoculated with 10³-10⁴ CFU/g of L. monocytogenes Scott A or S. typhimurium, packaged in plastic bags under air or vacuum, and stored at 5,10, or 15°C. Growth of L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, and spoilage microorganisms (mesophilic aerobes, psychrotrophs, coliforms, …

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 …

Comparison Between Variational And Bilinear Time Finite Element Methods Performance In Nonlinear Dynamical System Analysis, Irawan Malik

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to compare the performance of two finite element formulations when applied to nonlinear dynamic system analysis. One of these formulations is a new approach to the finite element method based on Hamilton's law of varying action. That approach will be called a bilinear approach or method in this thesis. Its performance will be compared against that of a widely used in nonlinear systems dynamics variational approach to the finite element method. This study evaluates the convergence characteristics and speed (CPU time) for these two approaches in application to such single and two-degree-of-freedom dynamical systems …

Bioavailability Of Dissolved Organic Carbon In Surface Water By Surface And Subsurface Environmental Bacteria, Udit Minocha

Masters Theses

Metabolism of naturally occurring dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in surface water was examined. Environmental bacteria isolated from the Savannah River Site, (SRS) Aiken, SC, (subsurface soil) and from Georgetown, SC (surface water) were grown in a minimal medium to which surface water containing DOC was added. Three DOC concentrations for each pure bacterial isolate were tested. The negative control, which was the same for all bacteria, consisted of minimal salts in place of the surface water. The two other concentrations of DOC were 2 and 10 mgC-DOC/1. The initial inoculum was ca. 10²-10³ CFU/ml. Bacteria were plated …

Axially Loaded Members Employing Limit State Design For Statistically Determinate Truss, Vernon Mills

Masters Theses

This study was undertaken to develop a design code for the design of planar trusses employing the "Load and Resistance Factor Design" (LRFD) philosophy. The design code employs matrix methods of structural analysis combined with the LRFD design philosophy focusing on the limit states of strength. for structural integrity. The design aid features a personal computer program which evaluates a planar truss system to determine truss member forces, system deflections, restraint loading, and member size based on the failure mode criteria. The modes of failure investigated for axially loaded members include tension, compression, and buckling. The design code has the …

A Study Of Pole-Zero Placement Options For Frequency Sampling Fir Filter Realizations, Reuben Daniel Morris

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates finite impulse response (FIR) digital filters implemented using a frequency-sampling structure with a different radius for the poles than for the zeros. Even though it is well known that both the poles and zeros of the filter should ideally fall at the same locations on the unit circle, practical implementations move both the poles and zeros slightly inside to make the filter stable. Another benefit gained is that as the poles are moved farther inside the unit circle the error due to roundoff noise decreases. In a recent thesis both the poles and zeros were moved inside …

Pressure Gradient Modeling During Subcooled Boiling In High Heat-Flux And High Mass Flux Systems, Joel Lee Mcduffee

Masters Theses

A historical overview of the methods used to predict the channel pressure drop in subcooled boiling is given in this study. It is recommended for the conditions of the Advanced Neutron Source reactor that the drift-flux model developed by Avdeev [1982-1988] be used to predict the local pressure gradient. This reactor has fuel cooling channels with a 1.27 mm gap, 80 mm span, and 0.507 m length. The average heat flux is 6 MW/m², the channel inlet temperature is 45°C, the nominal mass flux is 25,000 kg/m² s, and the exit pressure is 1.7 MPa. The model …

Development And Processing Of Nickel Aluminide-Carbide Alloys, Timothy Scott Newport

Masters Theses

With the upper temperature limit of the Ni-based superalloys attained, a new class of materials is required. Intermetallics appear as likely candidates because of their attractive physical properties. With a relatively low density, high thermal conductivity, excellent oxidation resistance, high melting point, and simple crystal structure, nickel aluminide (NiAl) appears to be a potential candidate. However, NiAl is limited in structural applications due to its low room temperature fracture toughness and poor elevated temperature strength. One approach to improving these properties has been through the application of eutectic composites. Researchers have shown that containerless directional solidification of NiAl-based eutectic alloys …

Cultural Sensitivity Training And The African American Client : Are Colleges And Universities Doing Their Part?, Betty Marshall Ballard

Masters Theses

This research evaluates whether colleges and universities that are funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration are actually teaching multicultural courses that are sensitive to African American clients with disabilities. A total of fifty-five (55) colleges and university curricula for Rehabilitation Counselors Education programs were examined to determine whether these educational institutions offered a minimum of 9-12 credits hours of African American cultural sensitivity courses. Nine to twelve credit hours were utilized to determine cultural competency in pre-service rehabilitation education curricula. The educational institutions were represented by the colleges and the universities throughout the country. These colleges and universities were representative …

U.S. Foreign Policy And Human Rights Violations In El Salvador, Tony Lanier Barbee

Masters Theses

In this study, I will observe U.S. foreign policy and human rights in El Salvador during the Carter, Reagan, and Bush administrations. I am observing whether external factors contribute to human rights violations in a country. Particularly, stating that compared to the Carter and Bush administrations, the Reagan administration significantly contributed to human rights violations in El Salvador. I am trying to show how each administration had a distinct ideology towards El Salvador and how they tried to implement that ideology into their foreign policy. There were several ways each administration tried to execute their foreign policy, such as providing …

Meteorological Conditions Influencing Ground-Level Ozone Concentrations, Emmert L. Brant

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to investigate meteorological parameters which are systematically associated with ground-level ozone concentrations; and to identify specific meteorological parameters that can be used to predict expected ozone concentrations. The meteorological parameters evaluated include wind speed, solar radiation, temperature and relative humidity. The investigation employed data from a monitoring station in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for the years 1988 and 1990, which were high and moderate ozone concentration years, respectively. The data used in the analysis included average hourly meteorological data and hourly 1-hour maximum ozone concentrations. Using this data various regression analyses were performed on a …

Seismic Modeling Of Bridge Piers Supported By Piles In Loess, Anthony Kevin Bowling

Masters Theses

The Tennessee Department of Transportation uses a program called SEISAB to determine the dynamic response of bridges. In addition to the properties of the bridge, SEISAB allows spring stiffnesses to be input to represent soil stiffnesses at the foundation. Since current modeling techniques by TNDOT assume fixed foundations, it was desired to determine the implications of adding spring stiffnesses to the bridges being modeled. These stiffnesses were calculated using results of pluck tests performed on a single pile. The tests were conducted in loess, a soil which is predominant in West Tennessee, which is an area of high seismic risk. …

A Natural Language Interface To The Unix Operating System Using Recurrent Neural Networks, Renwick Lowell Conrad

Masters Theses

This paper presents an experiment that was done in natural language processing using a recurrent neural network, specifically attempting to construct a natural language interface to the Unix operating system. Most natural language experimentation with neural networks has been done using a small vocabulary. The experiments in this paper were done to try to address what would happen using a larger vocabulary. Several different trials were run using binary inputs, bipolar inputs and a variety of different network architecture. When the input to the network was binary the network was able to correctly classify 85 percent of the sentences using …

Modeling And Control Of A Hydraulically Actuated Flexible Robot Link Of Variable Length, Angela Michelle Gizelar

Masters Theses

Through research in and production of radioactive materials the Department of Energy (DOE) has been generating toxic waste that was commonly stored in large, underground storage tanks. Long-reach manipulators (LRMs) will be used to remove waste from the tanks. LRMs exhibit flexible behavior and present control problems that are different from those seen with conventional manipulators. Because of the large payload requirement for removing tank waste, LRMs will use hydraulic rather than electric actuators. To explore the behavior of LRMs the Flexible Beam Test Bed (FBTB) was constructed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). This thesis describes research performed on a …

A Computer Model And Parametric Study Of Earth-Atmospheric Entry Of Meteors, Richard Matthew Fought

Masters Theses

This investigation involves the physics of meteors entering the Earth's atmosphere. A computer model coded in FORTRAN is developed that simulates the trajectory of such bodies through the atmosphere. Both new and old techniques are used to simulate the various aspects of the problem physics. An improvement is made over previous work primarily in the radiative heat transfer and ablation models. To this end a new, estimation technique for the thermodynamic properties of high-pressure, high-temperature equilibrium air is devised. This new radiative model produces energy fluxes and ablation rates much lower than previously calculated, and this significantly affects the predicted …

Analysis Of Controllability Of A Wastewater Treatment Plant, James Michael Grove

Masters Theses

This study presents the development of a dynamic simulator for a biotreatment wastewater bio-treatment plant and an operational and control analysis approach for evaluating potential control strategies for the plant-wide wastewater biotreatment plant patterned after a plant under construction by the DuPont Company in Victoria, Texas. The research first reviews existing modelling techniques and sensor technology. It then reviews concepts presented by the Activated Sludge Model No. 1 and utilizes these concepts in the creation of a dynamic simulator for a wastewater treatment plant using the Simulink™ package of Matlab™ as the programming platform. The dynamic simulator is designed to …

Benefiting Built Environment Education : The Use Of Scaled Three-Dimensional Urban Simulations As Teaching Tools In Elementary And Secondary School Curricula, Vincent Paul Gauthier

Masters Theses

The intent of this thesis has been to determine how three-dimensional scaled simulations, such as miniature villages and city planning models, can be used in built environment education. An extensive literature review uncovered a wide range of elementary and secondary school curricula oriented towards community design issues. In order to assess the programming associated with existing urban representations, surveys were mailed to a sample group) of 65 public and private entities, each featuring at least one form of simulation. Questionnaire recipients included: planning agencies, museums, architectural firms, universities, and tourist attractions. Three mini-case studies were also conducted. Over thirty organizations …

An Examination Of The Theoretical And Philosophical Foundations Of Reflective Thinking And Practice, Jerry D. Johnson

Masters Theses

The recent revival, especially in education, of a widespread interest in reflective thinking, has made the understanding of its theoretical and philosophical foundations of great importance. A corresponding practical application of reflective thinking, with an aspiration of achieving improvement in practice, has enunciated another aspect of the traditional connection of mind to matter. The clarification of the meaning of reflective thinking and practice involves an interdisciplinary consideration of the conceptual basis of its origins. By showing areas of agreement or apparent consensus among theorists and philosophers, some uniformity, consistency, and coherence in meaning begins to emerge. A comparison and cros-sreferencing …

Patterns Of Sexual Dimorphism In North American Indian Groups, Cathi Lee Sullivan

Masters Theses

This study examines patterns of sexual dimorphism in 26 North American Indian and Siberian groups. Past research on sexual dimorphism has looked into possible causative factors such as nutritional status, settlement type, marriage systems, sexual division of labor, and climate. No one explanation can be universally applied to all populations. Three measurements of height; standing height, sitting height, and sub-ischial height were examined for variation in sexual dimorphism. Univariate and multivariate statistical tests were performed to determine which component of stature contributes more to the variability in sexual dimorphism.

Results of this study indicate that the groups of the Northwest …

Adsorption, Dissipation And Movement Of Fluometuron And Norflurazon In Three Southeastern Soils, William Thomas Willian

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies were conducted in 1992 and 1993 to evaluate the adsorption, dissipation, and movement of fluometuron and norflurazon in three soils representative of the cotton growing regions of the southeastern United States. Field experiments were established in Jackson, Tennessee; Stoneville, Mississippi; and Griffin, Georgia on areas which had no fluometuron or norflurazon exposure for three years prior to plot establishment. The studies utilized a randomized complete block design and treatments were replicated four times in tilled areas.

Fluometuron and norflurazon were applied preemergence (PRE) at 1.7 kg ai ha^-1 broadcast. Soil samples were obtained in one of two ways: …

Foodservice Conditions In Licensed Urban And Rural Child Care Centers: An Application Of The National Health And Safety Performance Standards, Todd Michael Kirkpatrick

Masters Theses

Objectives: To assess the degree to which child care centers in urban and rural counties met foodservice standards as documented in the National Health and Safety Performance Standards; to determine if a difference in foodservice conditions existed between these two groups; to determine if the foodservice conditions at child care centers are related to the directors' perception of existing foodservice conditions or the importance of maintaining safe foodservice conditions, or previous environmental health inspection scores; to identify child care staffing needs.

Subjects: 36 urban and 34 rural child care centers in east Tennessee

Design: On-site assessment …