Digital Commons Network^™

Barebacking And Rebellion: An Examination Using Reactance Theory To Investigate The Re-Emergence Of Unsafe Sexual Practices Among Gay And Bisexual Males, Jon W. Braddy

Doctoral Dissertations

The recent rise in unprotected anal intercourse among men who have sex with men and the possible reasons for that behavior despite general health concerns reflects the purpose and direction of this dissertation. Two issues are investigated within this study: first, is reactance the possible cause for bare-backing and second, how influential are the socially constructed reasons given by gay and bisexual men for the behavior increase? Results from 2036 questionnaires collected during a large, metropolitan circuit party found that there is a statistical link between higher reactance scores and the likelihood of engaging in unprotected anal intercourse. Secondly, two …

Characterization Of Porous Media And Refractory Materials, Xin Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

Because of its unique advantages on energy savings and casting complex shaper, Lost Foam Casting (LFC) has been widely used as a replacement to the conventional techniques (sand and investment castings). In order to continuously improve the quality of the Lost Foam Casting process for reducing scrap rate and increasing energy savings, the US Department of Energy through its National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment, and Economics (NICEEE) program sponsored the present study to develop new characterization techniques for enhancing the understanding of the fundamental properties of the refractory materials used in The Lost Foam Casting process. In this study, …

A Socio-Spatial Analysis Of Rural Poverty In East Tennessee, Margaret D. Foraker

Doctoral Dissertations

The incidence of poverty in rural areas is actually higher than that in urban places. This study fills a gap in geographic research by examining poverty in rural and small town communities in east Tennessee using the 1990 census. A cluster analysis of high poverty block groups identifies different categories of poor. Just as “who is poor?” varies across the United States, “who is poor?” in east Tennessee varies. The identity of the poor in rural east Tennessee is found to be contrary to popular images of povery in Appalachia.

The massive reorganization of rural economies in recent decades is …

Growth Stimulation Of Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma And Their Cells Of Origin By "Chemopreventive" Agents That Increase Intracellular Camp, Hussein Abdulhadi Nasser Al-Wadei

Doctoral Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality for men and women in the United States, with a high mortality rate and a five-year survival rate of less than 15%. Cancer ranks second as a cause of death for Americans after cardiovascular disease. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reported 171,900 new cases of lung cancer for 2003 (ACS, 2003). Peripheral adenocarcinoma (PAC) of the lung has increased dramatically over the last 20 years and is the leading histological type of lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers in industrialized countries, including the United States. Among the four main histological lung …

Seeking After Empire: Bioarchaeologists And American Indians In The New Millennium, Michelle Dawn Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations

New and amended cultural resource laws are changing the academic and scientific landscape of North American bioarchaeology and archaeology. The passage of the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act in 1990 was an important watershed event in the history of the discipline of biological anthropology, and the increasingly successful utilization of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act by federally recognized sovereign tribes is resulting in unanticipated legal restrictions on the scientific collection of bioarchaeological data from American Indian skeletal remains and mortuary site settings.

The evolving relationships between bioarchaeologists and American Indians is examined in the context …

Inhibition Of Angiogenesis Using Rnai Technology, Yunsang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

Ocular infection of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) causes Herpetic Stromal Keratitis (HSK), which is a leading cause of infectious blindness. Although complex interactions of molecular and cellular events involve in the department of HSK, it has been known that angiogenesis is a key step for the HSK pathogenesis. Treatment of neutralizing antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to inhibit VEGF activity reduced angiogenesis and HSK severity caused by infection of HSV-1 in mouse eyes. In addition, inactivation of cytokine which induces VEGF production and angiogenesis also reduced angiogenesis and HSK severity. Therefore, it has been proposed that VEGF or …

A Study Of Alabama Educators' Perceptions Of Electronically Delivered Professional Development Modules, Joel Wayne Mccay

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover which technological delivery media (web-based, CD-ROM, PDF documents as downloadable files for print from the Internet) Alabama public school educators select most often for delivery of their own professional development, as learning modules, why they select them, and whether or not they prefer those modes of professional development to the more traditional modes previously experienced. There were 28 participants in this study.

The questionnaire which attempted to assess the role of the media for delivery of professional development learning modules was specifically designed for this research. Demographic information collected from the 28 …

Biological And Statistical Variation In Age Estimation From Pubic Symphyseal Morphology With Regard To Individual Identification And Demographic Profiling, Erin H. Kimmerle

Doctoral Dissertations

Population variation in the morphological aging process of the pubic symphysis has generated much debate. The question of whether age parameters derived from an American population will reliably estimate age-at-death for East European skeletal populations is important since the ability to accurately estimate an individual’s age-at-death hinges on what standard is used. Consequently, successful age estimation, individual identification, and demographic profiling rests on the ability to correctly define the skeletal parameters of age-at-death.

The purpose of this study is to assess the aging process of American and East European populations and to determine what age parameters should be applied to …

The Political Roles Of Presidential Children: Kennedy Through Clinton, Tabitha Alissa Warters

Doctoral Dissertations

Many facets of the institution of the presidency warrant examination. Individual presidents, cabinets, staffs, and first ladies have all been studied in-depth, but one aspect of the presidency remains fundamentally unexplored: the political activities of presidential children.

Role analysis using case studies was the method of examination used. Role analysis was the method used in early studies on first ladies and is replicated in this study on presidential children. The basic assumption is that all presidential children from Kennedy through Clinton have performed political roles. By examining the repeated political activities of the 24 presidential children, five political roles were …

Tennessee 4-H Center Summer Residential Camping Programs: Settings For Positive Youth Development As Perceived By Youth Campers, Jill T. Martz

Doctoral Dissertations

Adults involved in residential camping for children claim that the camp experience enhances children’s development in a variety of ways but there is little empirical research to document their claims. The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of the impact of residential camping on youth campers. The relationship between attributes of life skills practiced and the contextual features of the camp environment was the primary area of examination. The demographic variables of grade and gender were also examined to determine if significant differences in program effects existed.

The study population included fourth through sixth grade youth attending …

Current And Best Practices For Recruiting Qualified Rehabilitation Counselors, Kristi Turner Walker

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) in Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Region IV, along with their current recruitment practices. Written surveys and follow up phone interviews were used to gather data from the 19 Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs and the 12 Federal/State Vocational Rehabilitation programs in Region IV. Additionally, suggestions were obtained from key stakeholders regarding future recruitment activities.

Currently there are 891 positions not filled with qualified Rehabilitation Counselors. In addition, a majority of graduates from the Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs are not seeking employment from the …

Higher Education Accountability In Tennessee: A Corporate Perspective, Donna Ann Tipton-Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations

This in-depth, semi-structured interview study was undertaken to describe Tennessee corporate leaders’ perception of accountability in Tennessee higher education and of current accountability policies and/or programs. Answers to four research questions were sought:

1. What are Tennessee corporate leaders’ perceptions of the meaning of accountability in higher education?

2. What are Tennessee corporate leaders’ perceptions of current higher education accountability policies and/or programs?

3. What expectations do Tennessee corporate leaders have for accountability initiatives in higher education and what do they express as evidence of those initiatives?

4. To whom is higher education accountable as perceived by Tennessee corporate leaders? …

An Adaptive Tool-Based Telerobot Control System, Ge Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Modern telerobotics concepts seek to improve the work efficiency and quality of remote operations. The unstructured nature of typical remote operational environments makes autonomous operation of telerobotic systems difficult to achieve. Thus, human operators must always remain in the control loop for safety reasons. Remote operations involve tooling interactions with task environment. These interactions can be strong enough to promote unstable operation sometimes leading to system failures. Interestingly, manipulator/tooling dynamic interactions have not been studied in detail. This dissertation introduces a human-machine cooperative telerobotic (HMCTR) system architecture that has the ability to incorporate tooling interaction control and other computer assistance …

The Evidence Does Not Lie: A Forensic Investigation Program To Bridge The Gaps Between Crime Scene Investigation And Forensic Science, Jacqueline Trinkle Fish

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a heightened pubic awareness of the importance of forensic science to crime scene investigation. This study examined current graduate programs in forensic science and criminal justice in the United States to determine if higher education provides curricula that meets the needs of crime scene investigators.

Using data collected from an online questionnaire, interviews, and a literature review, the researcher examined the perceptions of 51 crime scene investigators and practitioners affiliated with the National Forensic Academy at The University of Tennessee. The data gathered was used to identify and rank the skills most important for accurate processing and collection …

Convergence And Robustness Issues In Computational Fluids, Xiaoqiang Zeng

Doctoral Dissertations

The present research develops two methods to improve the convergence and robustness of CFL algorithm, the triple time method and error- limited time step ramping method.

A general formulation of the triple time scheme is developed by introducing three pseudo time-marching steps to control three preconditionings for artificial dissipation, non-linear equation iteration convergence and linear equation iteration convergence separately. It is proven that the triple time method can be degenerated to the single time method and the multiple DDLGS iteration method at special cases.

Stability analysis is used to choose the optimum combination of three preconditionings from the steady preconditioning, …

A Multi-State Molecular Epidemiological Survey Of 16 Beef, Dairy, Poultry And Swine Farms To Facilitate Risk Assessment Of Listeria Monocytogenes, David Dean Rasmussen

Doctoral Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes s an intracellular pathogen that poses serious risks for immuno-compromised individuals. On the farm risk assessment is needed to reduce exposure of such individuals to this pathogen. Base line epidemiological surveys for this pathogen are needed to identify common ecological reservoirs and sources. A 21 month survey of 4 animal farm types for L. monocytogenes in five different states was conducted to determine the level of occurrence in various environments. An overall occurrence of 1.4% (20/1432 samples) for L. monocytogenes was observed in this 21 month survey. Each sample type (soil, bedding/litter, feed/grass and animal rectal swabs) produced …

Single Muon Production And Implications For Charm In √Sn N = 200 Gev Au+Au Collisions, Andrew Miles Glenn

Doctoral Dissertations

The PHENIX experiment, located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Rela- tivistic Heavy Ion Collider, is designed to study high energy proton+proton and nu- cleus+nucleus collisions in order to characterize hot and dense nuclear matter. This dissertation presents the first analysis of single muon production in √sN N = 200 GeV Au+Au reactions. Implications of the forward rapidity measurements for charm pro- duction are discussed. Motivation for charm production measurements and the role of open charm in characterizing the medium created in relativistic heavy ion collisions are presented, and the importance of measurements at forward rapidity is established. The results of …

The Function Of The Stress Hormone Cortisol In Disease Susceptibility Of Channel Catfish, Ictalurus Punctatus, Todd David Sink

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of these studies was to examine the roles that the stress hormone cortisol plays in disease susceptibility of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, to enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). ESC is a serious disease of the channel catfish industry with annual losses in the millions. Few treatment options such as antibiotics and vaccines are available, but efficacy of treatments has proven to be limited. Deeper investigations into the physiological causes of disease in fish that accompany commercial production are needed to promote understanding of disease treatment and prevention.

Disease challenges using Edwardsiella ictaluri, the pathogenic bacterium that …

The Effects Of Nursing Back Rub On Pain And Wound Cytokines And The Relationship Between Pre-Cabg Mood And Post-Cabg Wound Cytokines, Kathlene D. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

This study, guided by psychoneuroimmunology theory, examined the effects of a 10-minute nursing back rub in 20 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients on pain and four proinflammatory wound cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α). It also examined the relationships between the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the proinflammatory cytokines. A control group (n = 8) received time with the researcher, and an experimental group (n = 12) received a slow stroke effleurage back rub. All participants initially completed the POMS and after surgery, wound fluid was collected from the mediastinal chest tube before and after the intervention. Analysis …

Identification Of Ligand-Receptor Interactions Between Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Α-Factor Pheromone Receptor (Ste2p) And Its Tridecapeptide Ligand, Çağdaş Devrim Son

Doctoral Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a class of integral membrane receptor proteins that are characterized by a signature seven-transmembrane (7TM) configuration. These receptors comprise a large and diverse gene family found in fungi, plants, and the animal kingdom. Recent studies with GPCRs have begun to elucidate their importance in many physiological processes, thus various human diseases are associated with GPCR pathology. Although the overall 3D structure of these receptors carry similar features, binding of an extraordinarily diverse array of ligands trigger many different biological pathways.

The α-factor receptor (Ste2p) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae belongs to the GPCR family. Upon the α-factor …

Have We Resolved The Issues Related To International Capital Structure? Empirical Evidence From The Oecd Countries, Joon-Young Song

Doctoral Dissertations

I report that most cross-sectional deviations in international capital structure are caused by the heterogeneities of firm-, industry, and country-specific determinants rather than the influence of legal-institutional differences such as legal environment. In particular, most variations in international capital structure originate in the heterogeneity of firm-specific characteristics. Although the legal environment representing creditor protection could explain some differences in international capital structure, this evidence is at best only suggestive. However, the legal system, in general, seems to have a rather indirect effect on firm leverage through a conduit of firm characteristics. I do not find clear evidence to support that …

Immunotoxicological Study Of Depleted Uranium, Bin Wan

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine toxicity of depleted uranium (DU) to the immune system and the gene expression profile of DU-exposed immune cells including peritoneal macrophages, primary CD4⁺ T-cells and T Cell Hybridoma (TCH) PLP1 5B6. Flow cytometry analysis of annexin-V and Propidium Iodide (PI) binding revealed that DU causes death in those cells at various concentrations. The non-cytotoxic concentrations of DU determined in macrophages, primary CD4⁺ T-cells, and T cells hybridoma are 50µM, 100 µM, and 500 µM, respectively. Findings also revealed that DU-exposed macrophages are able to promote CD4⁺ T-cell proliferation in …

High Accuracy Distributed Target Detection And Classification In Sensor Networks Based On Mobile Agent Framework, Xiaoling Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

High-accuracy distributed information exploitation plays an important role in sensor networks. This dissertation describes a mobile-agent-based framework for target detection and classification in sensor networks. Specifically, we tackle the challenging problems of multiple- target detection, high-fidelity target classification, and unknown-target identification.

In this dissertation, we present a progressive multiple-target detection approach to estimate the number of targets sequentially and implement it using a mobile-agent framework. To further improve the performance, we present a cluster-based distributed approach where the estimated results from different clusters are fused. Experimental results show that the distributed scheme with the Bayesian fusion method have better performance …

Synthesis And Ordering Of Nanostructures Using Laser Light, Yingfeng Guan

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the formation of 1-D and 2-D nanoscale structures induced by the KrF excimer UV laser irradiation of silicon (λ=248 nm). Relatively low laser energy density (E_d<=1 J/cm²) is required to produce nanostructures. Alignment of 2-D nanoripple structures and nanoprotrusions has been realized by using Lloyd’s mirror configuration.

Laser-generated silicon microcone arrays were used as templates for the growth of nanocolumns. The formation mechanism of the microstructure is reviewed, and the origin and growth of nanocolumns are discussed. The formation mechanism of nanocolumns requires highly localized melting, which explains why they fail to form on …

Metallic Ferroelectricity And Superconductivity In The Transition Metal Oxide Pyrochlore Cd2Re2O7, Jian He

Doctoral Dissertations

Single crystalline samples of transition metal oxide Cd₂Re₂O₇, the first superconductor among pyrochlore oxides with general formula A₂B₂O₇ and the first example of “ferroelectric metal” theoretically proposed by P.W. Anderson and E.I. Blount back in 1960s, have been grown using vapor transport and carefully characterized, regarding its chemical stoichiometry and structure. In addition to the superconductivity transition, two normal state phase transitions and the anomalous high temperature phase have been comprehensively investigated, by means of transport, thermodynamic and spectroscopy techniques. The system undergoes a subtle continuous cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition …

A Study Of The Evolution Of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Microstructures On Silicon And Electronic Transport In Composite Carbon Nanotube Networks, Stephen Jesse

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation addresses two main topics, the formation of micron-scale surface structures on single crystal silicon by irradiation with a KrF (248 nm) pulsed excimer laser source, and an investigation into electronic transport through composites of polymer (PMMA) and single-walled carbon nanotubes. It is shown that the spacing between laser-generated surface structures is determined primarily by the melt time and that the crystal orientation of the substrate can determine whether surface structures will form at all and also influence the shape of individual surface structures. During the melt/solidification cycle, the shape of liquid-vapor interface in modified by surface tension, and …

Macroeconomic Monetary Policy And Sub-Macroeconomic Impacts: Evaluation Across Eras, Christopher Douglas Kauffman

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the impacts of monetary policy on regions of the United States. The purpose is to show how monetary policy decisions affect the average economy relative to disaggregate components, and to examine the effects over different periods. This will provide broader insight into the workings of the economy beyond the aggregate impacts, and should add a significant amount of information to the current literature on regional monetary effects. To allow for endogeneity between variables, the vector autoregression (VAR) method is used. Impulse response functions (IRFs) are derived to show dynamic responses of regions to a monetary policy shock. …

The Role Of Self- And Functional Congruity On Online Retail Patronage Behavior, Minsung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

Three research objectives were determined for this study. The first objective was to explore online store image using both qualitative and quantitative methods to compare traditional store image dimensions and online store image dimensions. The second objective was to explore the relationships among self-congruity, functional congruity, online retail patronage behavior, and the possible moderators between to two types of congruity and online retail patronage behavior. The last objective was to compare the observed relationships based on the second objective between two types of online retailers: General merchandise online retailers vs. Specialty online retailers.

To collect the data, in-depth interviews as …

Antimicrobial Activity And Effect Of Selected Essential Oil Components On Cell Membrane Lipids, Valerie W. Ling

Doctoral Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil components (EOC) against Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes and evaluate changes in bacterial membrane composition by observing changes in the fatty acids of Salmonella associated with exposure and adaptation to (or growth in the presence of) cinnamaldehyde (CIN) and carvacrol (CRV) EOC. Ten EOC were tested for efficacy using the broth microdilution and macrodilution methods. Beta-caryophyllene, limonene, alpha-pinene, and thymol were not lethal to Salmonella and Listeria at 2800mg/L. Dose-response models showed that the most effective EOC against Salmonella were CIN and CRV (50% probability of …

In Vitro Propagation, Regeneration, Attempted Tetraploid Induction, And Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Of Euphorbia Pulchurrima ‘Winter Rose’™, Kimberly Ann Pickens

Doctoral Dissertations

Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulchurrima, is the number one potted flowering plant in the United States. ‘Winter Rose’™ is a very popular cultivar with more than one million plants sold each year. To further improve this cultivar, particularly for larger flower heads and free branching, this research aimed at establishing some in vitro systems for application of biotechnology to poinsettia genetic improvement.

A protocol was established for in vitro axillary bud proliferation using greenhouse grown terminal buds. Buds were placed on Murashige-Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with benzlyaminopurine (BA). Explants produced the greatest number of axillary buds on medium containing between 2.2-8.8 …