Digital Commons Network^™

The National Security Presidency In The Post-9/11 World, Thomas C. Scandlyn

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Identification Of An Unknown Meteorite Found In North Africa, Carroll C. Rigler

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Cultural Anthropological Research In The Business Environment, Caitlin Farmer

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Investigation Into Potential Cross-Resistance Of Enterococcus Faecalis Og1rf Induced By Adaptation To Nacl And Subsequent Sds Challenge, Vidisha Singh

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Teacher Efficacy And Classroom Management Among Botswana Junior Secondary School Teachers, Waitshega Tefo Smitta Dibapile

Doctoral Dissertations

Teacher efficacy – the beliefs of teachers in their capabilities to have an impact on students’ accomplishments in learning – has been researched for 30 years. This issue has been viewed as an important dimension of teacher professionalism, teacher practice, leadership, and collaboration as it is one of the teacher attributes associated with teaching and learning. Founded on Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (1997), those earlier findings suggested that self-efficacy involves “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to produce given attainments” (p. 2).

This study investigated Botswana junior secondary school teachers’ responses on the three …

Charge, Bonding, And Magneto-Elastic Coupling In Nanomaterials, Qi Sun

Doctoral Dissertations

Phonons are exquisitely sensitive to finite length scale effects in a wide variety of materials because they are intimately connected to charge, structure, and magnetism, and a quantitative analysis of their behavior can reveal microscopic aspects of chemical bonding and spin-phonon coupling. To investigate these effects, we measured infrared vibrational properties of bulk and nanoscale MoS₂ [molybdenum disulfide], MnO [manganese(II) oxide], and CoFe₂O₄ [cobalt iron oxide]. From an analysis of frequencies, oscillator strengths, and high-frequency dielectric constants, we extracted Born and local effective charges, and polarizability for MoS₂ and MnO. For MoS₂ nanoparticles, in …

Local Residents' Experience Of The Coal Ash Spill In Kingston, Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study, Amy Lynn Mathis

Doctoral Dissertations

On December 22, 2008, near Kingston, Tennessee, a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) retention pond holding approximately 1.7 million cubic yards of coal fly ash failed, spilling the ash into the nearby Emory River and inundating farms and homes in the Swan Pond community. As a result more than 100 people were permanently displaced from their homes and the clean-up effort is ongoing.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of living near Kingston, Tennessee, in the aftermath of the spill. Using existential phenomenology as the guiding research methodology, I interviewed 9 participants from the area and asked …

The Estimation Of Caloric Expenditure Using Three Triaxial Accelerometers, Tyrone Gene Ceaser

Doctoral Dissertations

Accelerometer-based activity monitors are commonly used to measure physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). Newly designed wrist and hip-worn triaxial accelerometers claim to accurately predict PAEE across a range of activities. Purpose: To determine if the Nike FuelBand (NFB), Fitbit (FB) and ActiGraph GT3X+ (AG) estimate PAEE in various activities. Methods: 21 healthy, college-aged adults wore a NFB on the right wrist, a FB on the left hip, and AG on the right hip, while performing 17 activities. AG data were analyzed using Freedson’s kcal regression equation. PAEE was measured using the Cosmed K4b² (K4). Repeated measures ANOVAs were used …

Steam Reheat In Nuclear Power Plants, Paul John Marotta

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, reheating steam from a commercial nuclear power plant is explored in order to increase efficiency and power output. A thermal source in the form of a High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) is considered. Engineering challenges include proof-of-principle, reactor sizing, evaluation, and feasibility.

The proposed thermodynamic process modifications have been evaluated for a range of inlet steam quality conditions. The evaluation of the steam tube dimensions and number of optimal tubes have been calculated utilizing the so-called Log Mean Temperature Difference method. Subsequently, the performance of the steam tubes was further analyzed within a water vapor and liquid …

Condensed Matter From Gauge/Gravity Duality, Jason Edward Therrien

Doctoral Dissertations

Currently strongly coupled systems present the greatest challenge to theoretical physics. For years conventional methods of approach have failed to describe these systems analytically. In recent years it has been shown that there is a duality between weakly coupled and strongly coupled systems, the Gauge Theory/Gravity Duality. In this dissertation I will discuss how the AdS/CFT is used to describe strongly coupled condensed matter systems as well as present the work done by the author and collaborators.

Isolation, Antibiotic Resistance, And Molecular Characterization Of Campylobacter From Poultry, Swine And Dairy Cows, Willie James Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine presence, antibiotic resistance, and genetic relatedness of Campylobacter on diverse farm types. Cloacal fecal samples from poultry (broilers, layers, and turkey breeders), and fecal rectal samples from non-poultry animals (farrowing sows, finisher pigs, and lactating dairy cows) were tested for Campylobacter using BAM protocols. Agar disk diffusion method was used to determine antibiotic resistance, and PFGE analysis to determine genetic relatedness of isolates recovered within the different farm types. Campylobacter was detected in 34.8% (range of 6.7 to 62.0%, P < 0.001) of cloacal samples from poultry, in 61.4% (range of 55.0 to 69.0%, P < 0.05), and 26.0% (range of 19.0 to 34.0%, P < 0.05) of rectal samples from pigs, and dairy cows, respectively. Antibiotic resistance was detected in 30.2% (range of 0 to 82.4%, P …

The Roles Of Phosphatidylserine And Phosphatidylethanolamine In Candida Albicans Cell Wall Maintenance And Mitochondrial Function, Anthony Edward Montedonico

Doctoral Dissertations

Enzymes involved in phospholipid biosynthesis have been suggested as possible drug targets to treat Candida albicans infections because several key enzymes, such as phosphatidylserine synthase, differ from those of the human host.We have found that phosphatidylserine synthase of C. albicans is required for virulence in a mouse model of systemic Candida infection.In addition, the C. albicans phosphatidylserine synthase mutant (cho1∆/∆) has no detectable phosphatidylserine and loss of phosphatidylserine causes alterations in the fungal cell wall. The cho1∆/∆ mutants’ cell wall defects include altered calcofluor white staining, resistance to the cell wall perturbing drug Caspofungin, and an altered physical …

Teaching And Learning Algebra 1 Via An Intelligent Tutor System: Effects On Student Engagement And Achievement, Karen Kerner Lucas

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the implementation and outcomes of blended learning that integrated Apangea Math, an online intelligent tutor system (ITS), with face-to-face instruction for the teaching and learning of Algebra 1. It took place in a Title I urban high school where 75 ninth grade students and their teachers enacted the blended learning program for one semester. Students from the same high school who received face-to-face instruction alone during a previous semester served as a comparison group. Flow theory was proposed as an explanation for why the ITS program was expected to increase student engagement and improve student achievement.

This …

John Randolph Of Roanoke And The Politics Of Doom: Slavery, Sectionalism, And Self-Deception, 1773-1821, Aaron Scott Crawford

Doctoral Dissertations

In 1979, Robert Dawidoff wrote that it “was on the question of slavery that John Randolph contributed most decisively to American history.” Randolph’s stance on slavery has perplexed historians and biographers since his death in 1833. This dissertation examines the paradox of slavery in the life and career of John Randolph from the American Revolution until the Missouri Compromise. In an attempt to understand his public and private contradictions concerning slavery and the role of intense sectionalism in his politics, I have attempted to correlate his words with his actions. An examination of his letters reveal a man decidedly devoted …

Characteristics Of Foster Parents Willing To Care For Sexual Minority Youth, Justin Douglas Bucchio

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Sexual minority foster youth living in out-of-home care are in need of enhanced services to promote successful development. Scholars have focused on providing insight into the lives of these youth as well as effective treatment approaches. None have focused on the willingness of the providers of their care. This nationwide non-probability cross-sectional study assessed foster mothers’ (N = 304) willingness to care for sexual minority youth, using secondary data analysis.

Willingness was assessed using the Willingness to Foster Scale (WFS), which identifies four levels of willingness ranging from not willing at all to willing without any extra help …

Control Design And Filtering For Wireless Networked Systems, Xiao Ma

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with estimation and control over wireless networked systems. Several problems are addressed, including estimator design over packet loss links, control and estimation over cognitive radio systems, modeling and prediction of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), and localization with the Theater Positioning System (TPS). The first problem addressed is the state estimation of a discrete-time system through a packet loss link modeled by a Bernoulli random variable. The optimal filter is derived by employing exact hybrid filtering. The performance of the optimal filter is illustrated by numerical simulations. Next, we consider the problem of estimation and control over …

Electric Vehicles In China: Emissions, Health Impacts, And Equity, Shuguang Ji

Doctoral Dissertations

E-bikes in China are the single largest adoption of alternative fuel vehicles in history, with more than 100 million e-bikes purchased in the past decade and vehicle ownership about 2× [time] larger for e-bikes as for conventional cars; e-cars sales, too, are rapidly growing. Electric vehicles (EVs) in China are being considered as a strategy to improve air quality, energy efficiency, and reduce health impacts due to transport emissions. Because EVs have different pollution sources, namely electric generating units (EGUs), quantitative analysis for health impacts requires understanding the exposure efficiency of related pollution sources. In this dissertation, EVs will be …

A Low-Power, Highly Stabilized Three-Electrode Potentiostat Using Subthreshold Techniques, Melika Roknsharifi

Doctoral Dissertations

Implantable micro- and nano- sensors and implantable microdevices (IMDs) have demonstrated potential for monitoring various physiological parameters such as glucose, lactate, CO₂ [carbon dioxide], pH, etc. Potentiostats are essential components of electrochemical sensors such as glucose monitoring devices for diabetic patients. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder associated with insufficient production or inefficient utilization of insulin. The most important role of this enzyme is to regulate the metabolic breakdown of glucose generating the necessary energy for human activities. Diabetic patients typically monitor their blood glucose levels by pricking a fingertip with a lancing device and applying the blood to a …

Self-Directed Learning: A Potential Predictor For Technology Integration Among K-12 Teachers, Julia Marie Kirk

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between technology integration and self-directed learning readiness among K-12 teachers in one large southeastern school district. The intent was to determine the extent to which self-directed learning might predict the level of technology integration. In this study, the Levels of Teaching Innovation (LoTi) (Moersch, 2010) instrument was utilized to measure the level of technology integration (Technology Integration), current instructional practices (CIP), and personal computer use (PCU) of K-12 teachers. Additionally, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) (Guglielmino, 1977) was employed to measure self-directed learning readiness in K-12 teachers.

To conduct …

New Insights On The Peopling Of The New World: Analysis Of Migration Waves And Ancestral Areas Of The First Americans, Barbara Kathleen Alsup

Doctoral Dissertations

There is much debate regarding the ancestral area(s) and migration patterns of the first migrants into the Americas, referred to here as Paleoamericans. Using craniometric data of a comprehensive sample of Paleoamericans, Archaic Americans and modern, worldwide populations, various statistical analyses were conducted to further investigate these research questions, such as principal component analysis, Mahalanobis squared distance matrices and matrix permutation and design matrix analysis.

Most results indicate that the Single Wave model for movement into the New World is best supported by this data. This finding is among the first in providing craniometric support for a single wave into …

Characterization Of Genes And Pathways Controlling Biofilm Formation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Neha Sarode

Doctoral Dissertations

Biofilms are a mode of growth where aggregated cells adhere to a foreign surface and grow as a complex community. Biofilms have found wide utility in commercial industries, however infections caused by biofilms in clinical settings are a major cause of concern. Understanding molecular details of biofilm formation could help in exploitation or elimination efforts.

We utilize Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study biofilm formation. S. cerevisiae strain belonging to genetic background Σ [sigma] 1278b is capable of forming biofilms, on low density (0.3%) agar media. When grown at 25°[degree] C for 5 days, it develops into an …

Migration, Residential Preference, And Economic Development: A Knowledge-Based Approach Regarding Locational Preferences Of Two Disparate Subgroups Of The Creative Class, Charlynn Alita Burd

Doctoral Dissertations

The creative class literature centers on regional economic development, urban policy, and amenities. The creative class literature is considered at the metropolitan scale and is argued to be highly mobile. According to Asheim and Hansen (2009) , there are three knowledge bases of the creative class, analytic, synthetic, and symbolic. The three knowledge bases vary across two dimensions of ‘climate’. People climate refers to factors that positively effect the location of people, while business climate refers to factors that positively effect the location of businesses. The analytic knowledge base is comprised of economic activities that are based …

Urban Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives And Practices, Meredith Elise Murray

Doctoral Dissertations

Urban teachers alone cannot solve the complex social and economic problems that plague urban communities and schools; however, their efforts to effectively educate inner-city youth can begin to break the cycle of disadvantage. Therefore, urban teachers’ perspectives are essential in understanding the process of effectively instructing urban youth. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives and practices of five urban educators through a postpositive theoretical lens. Participants for this study were five urban educators kindergarten through fourth grade, all of whom were teaching at one urban school. The participating teachers were chosen by criterion sampling with the …

Measurement Of Theta-13 Neutrino Mixing Angle From The Disappearance Of Electron Antineutrinos At The Double Chooz Experiment, Brandon Reed White

Doctoral Dissertations

The measurement of the remaining neutrino-mixing angle, theta-130, is a critical step toward further understanding of neutrino properties and to guide future neutrino oscillation experiments. Double Chooz has a unique opportunity to perform this measurement building on the original CHOOZ reactor anti-neutrino experiment, the experience that set the previous limits on theta-13. In the first phase of Double Chooz, 101 days of data was analyzed with only the far detector operating of a two-detector plan. In this thesis I will describe the design of the low background neutrino detector and the oscillation analysis performed. From the deficiency between the expected …

An Analysis Of The Values And Spirituality Profiles Of College And University Presidents By Carnegie Classification, Harold Wayne Ballard

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether there are significant differences in the spirituality and value profiles of the presidents of institutions with differing Carnegie Classification: Associates Institutions, Arts & Sciences Plus Professions four year colleges and universities, and Research universities. This study extends the scope of the growing, but limited research conducted in the past twenty years on spirituality and leadership.

This study employed the use of three survey instruments, the Rokeach Value Survey, the Ballard & Bogue Spirituality Assessment, and a demographic questionnaire in an online survey. Three hundred and seventy seven presidents of American colleges …

Medication Adherence And Self-Efficacy Among African American Breast Cancer Survivors, Connie Jo Rust

Doctoral Dissertations

Accurate medication adherence and the self-efficacy to properly adhere are essential for breast cancer survivors. Not only are these patients often continuing their treatment with adjuvant therapies, they are frequently taking medications for other medical, or comorbid, issues such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, arthritis, and congestive heart failure. With the increasing number of breast cancer survivors (ACS, 2009), there is a growing need for empirical research of their medication usage and the influence that health literacy has on proper adherence.

Inadequate medication adherence, lack of perceived self-efficacy in proper adherence, and low health literacy are factors that have …

Investigating The Prediction Of High Resolution Heat Waves And Extreme Precipitation And The Impact Of Heat Waves On Air Quality In U.S. In The 21st Century, Yang Gao

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the perennial problem of scale is addressed with an updated set of modeling tools that include global climate, atmospheric chemistry simulation, mesoscale weather, and air quality simulations. The evaluation of coupled model performance across geographic scales and the assessment of local scale climate change impacts under a fossil fuel intensive climate change scenario Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP 8.5) was achieved by linking the global climate model Community Earth System Model (CESM), with the regional climate model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. This study is the first evaluation of dynamical downscaling using WRF on a 4km by …

Aspects Of Biomacromolecular Dynamics At Different Scales, Dennis Christian Glass

Doctoral Dissertations

Biological functions of biomacromolecules are often indispensably linked to their internal dynamics. To investigate the dynamic nature of biomolecules, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation offers unique advantages by providing high spatial and temporal resolution over orders of magnitude in time- and length scales. Here, simulations at two different scales are used to investigate different aspects of biomolecular dynamics. At the atomistic scale, the first study investigates the relationship between the axial methyl group order parameter and the corresponding entropy in protein side chains. Three classes of methyl group are characterized based on the methyl group’s “topological distance” from the backbone (that …

Functional Characterization Of Microbial Symbiotic Associations By Metaproteomics, Jacque Caprio Young

Doctoral Dissertations

Rarely are microbes found in isolation in the environment, but rather form symbiotic associations with other microbes or eukaryotic hosts. The advent of the systems biology era has allowed global characterization of these symbiotic associations at levels not previously possible. However, while metagenomic studies have revealed microbial membership and potential genomic information among members taking part in the symbiosis, there is still a significant lag in the functional characterization within these symbiotic associations. Thus, in this dissertation, we utilized a metaproteomic approach to study microbial symbiotic associations. We have developed and applied this robust platform to investigate various symbiotic associations …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Contagion Flow On Firm Value And Application To High Yield Bond Portfolio Optimization, Wendy Ann-Swenson Roth

Doctoral Dissertations

Portfolios of financial instruments are designed to increase returns and manage risk. In high-risk investment strategies, central measures of risk must be complemented with controls on tail measures of risk. An unanticipated event that impacts securities of one firm can contagiously effect those of other firms through a contagion flow process that may occur via a set of network connections. Such connections among firms arise due to a variety of factors, such as a shared supply chain member or auditing firm. These connections spread the contagion, potentially impacting numerous other firms in the network. This can adversely affect the level …