Digital Commons Network^™

For We See And Know In Part: An Examination Of The Portrayal Of African-American Female Athletes On The Covers Of Sports Illustrated, Chanel Leisa Lattimer

Masters Theses

This study examines the print media’s representation of African-American sportswomen’s femininity on the covers of Sport Illustrated. Sport is considered a male-dominated institution; a place where masculinity is expressed. Therefore, in spite of the increased participation for women in sport due to Title IX; the media’s coverage has been minimal and their representation of female athletes has been ambivalent at best, and trivializing at worse. The conveyance of African-American female athletes remains even more complex. Due to historical experiences, African-American women have developed a femininity that falls outside that of mainstream society. Therefore, the lack of coverage African-American female …

Self-Controlled Feedback And Activity Level In Learning A Simple Movement Skill, Tim Van Nguyen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if active and sedentary individuals differed in terms the effects of self-controlled feedback on the learning of a movement skill. The task consisted of a blindfolded beanbag toss using the non-preferred arm. Participants were prescreened according to their physical activity level using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Craig et al., 2003). An equal number of active (A) and sedentary (S) participants were assigned to self-control (SC) and yoked (Y) feedback conditions, creating four groups: Self-Control Active; Self-Control Sedentary; Yoked Active; and Yoked Sedentary. SC condition participants were provided feedback whenever they requested …

A Descriptive Epidemiologic Study Of Campylobacteriosis In East Tennessee, Karissa Laughter

Masters Theses

Campylobacteriosis is caused by the gram-negative bacteria Campylobacter and is a leading cause of gastrointestinal illness worldwide. In the United States an estimated 2.4 million cases occur annually with approximately $8.0 billion in associated costs. Due to the high cost of morbidity, understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of campylobacteriosis is important. It is unclear if the prevalence of campylobacteriosis is higher or lower in East Tennessee than other parts of the state or country or if the clinical characteristics of patients in the area are similar to the rest of the country. Therefore, the purpose of the study was …

The Effects Of Calpain On The Degradation Of Amyloid Beta (Aβ) Protein, Xin Lu

Masters Theses

Abnormal accumulation of amyloid beta-peptide (A-beta) is believed to be the primary event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two cellular mechanisms could contribute to the abnormal accumulation of Aβ in the brain: over production and/or failure in clearance of this A-beta peptide. In an effort to identify the cellular system that is involved in A-beta clearance, we conducted experiments to investigate the effects of calpain inhibitors on the production of secreted A-beta and the intracellular accumulated derivatives of APP, using a culture cell model. Our results revealed that at low concentration, calpain inhibitors caused an increase in the …

The Efficacy Of Oral Dexmedetomidine As An Anesthetic Pre-Operative Medication And As A Deterrent To Emergence Delirium, Brian W. Mountain

Masters Theses

Introduction: Emergence delirium (ED) has been described as “…a mental disturbance during the recovery from general anesthesia consisting of hallucinations, delusions and confusion manifested by moaning, restlessness, involuntary physical activity, and thrashing about in bed”(Sikich & Lerman, 2004). This phenomenon has been considered a common post-anesthetic problem in children and adults since its description in the literature in 1960. According to Cole, Muray, McAllister & Hirshberg (2002), ED occurs most frequently in the initial ten minutes of recovery, but many children who arrive in a post-anesthesia recovery area asleep experience agitation later during recovery. There are multiple definitions of ED …

Force-Velocity Characteristics Of The Leg Muscles And Anaerobic Performance In African-American And Caucasian College-Aged Males, Stacy D. Hunter

Masters Theses

PURPOSE: To compare vertical jump height and power and sprint time in African- American and Caucasian college-aged males, to compare isokinetic knee extension and flexion torques between the two groups, and to examine correlations between these variables. METHODS: The participants were fifty recreationally active, college-aged males (23 African-American and 27 Caucasian). Physical activity was assessed using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) Physical Activity module, body composition was determined using the Bod Pod, and anthropometric measures (height, weight, and thigh circumference) were taken. Subjects performed a 100-m sprint on an outdoor track and a countermovement vertical jump. Vertical jump …

Regulation Of Atp10c, A Novel Type 4 P-Type Atpase, In 3t3-L1 Mouse Adipocytes, Amanda Lynn Peretich

Masters Theses

A recently identified phospholipid translocase, Atp10c, may be involved in the modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in mouse adipocytes. Aminophospholipid translocases have previously been associated with cell signaling and intracellular protein trafficking. In this study, the role of Atp10c in the insulin signaling pathway and adipogenesis was investigated using the murine 3T3-L1 cell line.

Atp10c mRNA is highly expressed in undifferentiated cells and 2-fold down-regulated during adipogenesis. Interestingly, Western blotting showed a band for ATP10C protein at 70 kDa, a lower molecular weight than expected; ATP10C expression increased during differentiation. Possible reasons for these discrepancies will be discussed. …

Anticipation Timing As A Function Of Expertise And Effector-Specific Training, Greg Young

Masters Theses

Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer (1993) suggested that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is needed to attain expertise. Consequently, it would be expected that expert soccer players who possess a high level of proficiency in intercepting a ball with their feet would demonstrate superior anticipation timing performance with the feet compared to novices who lack training. On the other hand, Keele, Ivry, and Porkorny (1987), and Studenka and Zelaznik (2008) provided support for a centrally controlled process for timed movements. If true, it would be expected that experts’ anticipation timing performance would be superior to novices’ regardless of the effector used. …

The Relationship Of The Language Skills Required For Reading And Speech Reading Skills For Children With Hearing Impairment, Christine Mcloone

Masters Theses

Currently there is no model of the development of reading skills currently exists for children with hearing impairments. Using the framework of a commonly excepted model of reading for children with typical hearing researchers have sought to determine how children with hearing impairments develop reading skills. The purpose of this is study was to examine a possible link between two components of reading development, speech reading and language. Participants consisted of 5 school aged children with severe to profound hearing loss with cochlear implants or hearing aids. These children were administered the CELF-4 and a department created speech reading test. …

Efficacy Of The Lidcombe Program For Early Stuttering In A Public School Setting: A Pilot Investigation, Joellen Marie Mellin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) To determine what type of early intervention for stuttering is being offered in the public schools and compare those interventions to the Lidcombe Program for early stuttering. 2) To find out if the Lidcombe Program can be effectively implemented in the public schools. A small focus group of speech language pathologists was conducted and a questionnaire was completed by 47 school speech language pathologists in Knoxville, TN. The questionnaire revealed that school clinicians have very little familiarity with the Lidcombe Program, most do not use any particular evidenced-based programs for fluency intervention, …

Physical Activity And Social Support For Exercise In A Sample Of College Sorority And Fraternity Members, Jennifer Autumn Minton

Masters Theses

PURPOSE: To provide 1) a description of the levels of physical activity and social support for exercise for fraternity and sorority members; 2) a comparison of gender differences in physical activity levels among fraternity and sorority members; and 3) to determine a relationship between levels social support for exercise and physical activity in fraternity and sorority members. METHODS: Three hundred thirty-seven members of fraternities and sororities completed an online survey (74.8% female). The online survey included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Social Support for Exercise Survey, and demographic questions. RESULTS: According to the IPAQ, the …

‘Balancing Acts’: A Qualitative Investigation Of Division I Football Players’ Roles Of Student And Athlete, Patricia Y. Jones

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine African-American Division I football players’ perceptions of their ability to balance their roles as “students” and “athletes”. Three major questions were addressed: Can student-athletes balance both the roles of “student” and “athlete”? If so, how are they able to do so? And, are they truly successful at it? Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight African-American football players at a Division I university. Six themes emerged which included: (a) parental emphasis on education and sport; (b) “childhood dreams” versus sport realities; (c) reality check; (d) perceptions of student-athletes; (e) pressure to become a …

The Validation Of The Sensewear Pro Armband To Assess Energy Expenditure During Field-Based Activities, Paige Dudley

Masters Theses

Purpose: To examine the validity of the SenseWear Pro3 armband in estimating energy expenditure during a wide range of field-based activities.

Methods: 41 participants (mean age = 34.5 + 11.7 yrs.) performed one of two routines with 6 activities each, Routine 1 (Outdoor Aerobic Activities) or Routine 2 (Indoor Home-based Activities), while wearing the SenseWear Pro3 (SW) and the Cosmed K4b2 portable metabolic unit. Routine 1 (n=16) included road walking, track walking, walking with 6.8 kg (15 lb.) bag, singles tennis, track running, and road running. Routine 2 (n=25) included TV watching, reading, doing laundry, ironing, light cleaning, and aerobics. …