Digital Commons Network^™

The Historical And Cultural Meanings Of American Music Lyrics From The Vietnam War., Erin Ruth Mccoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes song lyrics written in the United States during the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War (1945-1975) by using social, historical, political, philosophical, and cultural criticisms. The majority of this dissertation focuses on Anti-Vietnam War protest lyrics, but neutral and pro-Vietnam War stances are also recognized. This work aims to primarily discuss music written in the United States during the Vietnam War era, but does recognize greater spheres of social protest against the war that occurred abroad. This dissertation asserts that the Anti-Vietnam War movement was on to something – an ideology that war was not the answer, …

An Inter-Theoretical Approach To Acting., Cara Elizabeth Mchugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines my inter-theoretical acting process, in which I associate Konstantin Stanislavsky with aesthetic theatre, Augusto Boal with social theatre, and Bertolt Brecht with political theatre. The paper explores my acting process, by which through fusing elements of aesthetic, political, and social theatre, I achieve my goal as a theatre practitioner to change an audience from passive to active. By re-defining my relationship with the audience, I hope to use theatre as a forum to create change within my audiences. Through learning about these different theatre theories and practices in both my undergraduate and graduate study, I was able …

A Qualitative Study Of Motivation To Read For Pleasure With Adolescent Struggling Readers Using A Theoretical Model : How To Begin?, Gary A. Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A mixed method study explored a theoretical model that employed, combined, and added to the theories of self-determination, the reading engagement perspective, and the four-phase model of interest to motivate adolescent struggling readers to read for pleasure. The model adds to the existing body of research because it specifies an instructional starting point focusing on the powerful intrinsic motivation to read constructs of curiosity, involvement, and interest. Three teachers at different schools implemented the model with 18 students. The results and implementation varied with each teacher. Initially, students responded with an increased motivation to read for pleasure. From there, success …

"Two Machines Similarly Constructed" : Humanity Between Apes And Clones., Emily Regina Freund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Two Machines Similarly Constructed”: Humanity Between Apes and Clones explores the development of scientific taxonomies of difference and the proliferation and evolution of the definition of the “human.” A focus on Enlightenment naturalists’ texts and images of apes reveals how these scientists defined the human “difference” and lends to Michel Foucault’s archaeology of the invention of “man.” This establishes the concept of a classifying discourse and argues that a narrative of human exceptionalism pervaded subsequent ideas of progress and civilization. Analyses of two texts, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, develop a discussion of how the …

Cigarette Smoke Promotes Genomic Evolution In The Periodontal Pathogen Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Josh George

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

P. gingivalis is an opportunistic, anaerobic, Gram-negative oral pathogen strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Clinical isolates of P. gingivalis exhibit great genetic diversity. Tobacco smoking greatly increases the risk of P. gingivalis infection. Furthermore, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) is an environmental stressor for P. gingivalis, differentially regulating multiple genes including ones that encode proteins involved in DNA translocation, replication and repair. Therefore, we hypothesized that CSE exposure would promote genomic instability in this important periodontal and systemic pathogen, which may contribute to increased virulence. P. gingivalis W83 was passaged 50 times in CSE-conditioned medium after which, genomic …

Sexual Dimorphism In Periodontitis In A Mouse Model., Robert C. Gleason 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Periodontal disease is an infection-driven chronic inflammatory disease. It occurs primarily from excessive inflammatory reactions that arise from complex exchanges between the host immune system and the tooth associated oral bacteria. It is the number one cause of tooth loss among adults. However, many factors confound results between males and females as to which sex is more susceptible to periodontal disease. Identifying the sex more prone to disease is integral in developing models of risk assessment and looking into the pathogenesis. Objective: To examine in vivo and in vitro the differences between male and female mice challenged with Porphyromonas …

I "Like" Slash : The Demographics Of Facebook Slash Communities., Janidean Bruner 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The slash fandom is comprised of a group of people who enjoy reading/writing/watching homoerotic interactions between popular heterosexual media characters. Past studies have determined that the fandom is made up of mainly white, heterosexual women. Some theories posited as to why slash is created by the fandom are that it is a remedy to the canon material lacking female role models, a form of empowerment by manipulating egalitarian M/M relationships, an expression of physical and/or mental desire, and a form of social activism. This study surveyed members of slash communities on Facebook in order to collect basic demographic information on …

Molecular Bases Of Inherited Bone Marrow Failures : Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome And Diamond Blackfan Anemia., Adrianna Lee Henson 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inherited Bone Marrow Failure syndromes (IBMFS) are a heterogeneous class of diseases that converge on very few subjects. They are unified by a block in maturation of one or multiple blood lineages, are genetically inherited, and have an increased incidence of cancers and myelodisplastic syndromes. Several IBMFSs have been linked to defects in ribosome biogenesis. Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) which presents with a macrocytic anemia has 10 known affected genes all of which encode structural proteins of the large or small ribosomal subunit. In contrast, there is only a single gene known to be involved in the pathogenesis of Shwachman …

The Autodidact : Constantine Samuel Rafinesque And The Limits Of The Posthumanities., Elijah Pritchett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The autodidact has a curious structural relationship to knowledge, education, and that assumed distillation of institutional learning, the academy. Because of its subjectivity-producing function, knowledge represents a site of tremendous cultural investment, and one that is challenged, if not even undermined, by the renegade ethos and idiosyncratic approach of the autodidact. Nineteenth century self-taught scholar and Renaissance man, Constantine Rafinesque, serves as a vivid exemplar, or even theoretical matrix, for demonstrating certain problems that the autodidact raises for post-Enlightenment knowledge as it assumes the various institutional states, metaphysical postures, and ideological closures necessary for its culturally privileged function. As the …

From Farmer To Market : The Rhetorical Construction Of Farmers In The Local Food Movement., Hannah Virginia Harrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Master’s Thesis explores the rhetoric of the local food movement, a so-called “lifestyle movement.” Though the movement for environmentally sustainable agriculture in America has its twentieth century roots in the late-1960s and 1970s Cultural Revolution, the interest in alternative food and farming practices has become widespread in the last decade. Within food movement scholarship, few studies consider the rhetorical construction of the farmer in contemporary American culture. My thesis examines the ways in which rhetorical constructions of farmers in contemporary food literature contribute to participation in the local food movement. More specifically, my thesis questions how rhetoric regarding small-scale …

Role Of Ethanol As A Cofactor In Haart Induced Hepatic Steatosis And Injury., Hridgandh Donde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has led to a significant increase in the life expectancy of HIV patients; however, there are significant side effects including lipodystrophy and hepatotoxicity. Alcohol abuse is highly prevalent in HIV infected individuals and hence may be a significant negative cofactor in HAART induced hepatotoxicity. The present study examines the mechanisms underlying HAART and alcohol induced hepatotoxicity. The effects of HAART drugs (azidothymidine, and Indinavir sulphate) in combination with alcohol were examined in in vivo animal model. Alcohol and HAART drug interactions and hepatotoxicity were also assessed in-vivo using an animal model of chronic alcohol feeding. …

Vitamin D Plus Calcium Supplementation Among Postmenopausal Women : Effect On Risk Of Heart Failure In The Women's Health Initiative., Macarius Mwinisungee Donneyong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the impact of vitamin D plus calcium supplementation as a primary intervention for heart failure (HF) prevention and examines whether preexisting conditions that are precursors of HF modify this relationship in a large cohort of postmenopausal women. Analysis included 35,113 postmenopausal women (17,595 intervention, 17,518 control) aged 50 to 81 years enrolled in the randomized trial of vitamin D plus calcium (CaD) in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study. The women in this analysis cohort were free of HF at the time of randomization and during the first year of the trial. The intervention consisted of 1,000 …

The Secret Life Of Things, Maja Savic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses the work presented in The Secret Life of Things, her Master of Fine Arts exhibition held at Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, from March 18th through 22nd, 2013. The exhibition consists of sixteen illustrations (four of these are digitally enhanced photographs) and one animation that show the artist’s interest in bringing household objects to life. Pieces in the exhibition can be characterized as humorous with a strong narrative and attention to details. Savić’s ideas are based on traditional education with contemporary influences. All printed work is twenty inches wide, sixteen inches tall, framed, and hung in …

From The Committee Of 100 To The Committee To Re-Elect The President: The Political Campaigns Of Richard M. Nixon, Niklas Trzaskowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From the Committee of 100 to the Committee to Re-elect the President: The Political Campaigns of Richard M. Nixon offers the reader a comprehensive biography of Richard M. Nixon through the lens of his political campaigns. This thesis illustrates how Richard Nixon became one of the fiercest campaigners in 20^th century American political history. This thesis, furthermore, examines the key staff and strategy of each campaign Nixon waged. This thesis, additionally, presents to the reader insight on how Nixon often fought his campaigns independently from the Republican Party and how he relied on the help of a few dedicated …

A House Not Of Our Choosing, Melisa D. Cadell Ms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores our existence through the confinement of the human body. The exhibition of “A House Not of Our Choosing,” was presented at the Tipton Gallery, 126 Spring Street Johnson City, Tennessee, from March 1, 2013, to March 8, 2013. It will visually describe Cadell’s thoughts regarding the figure as a fragile vessel. The installation is designed to require the viewer to closely examine the work from multiple perspectives.

The exhibition consists of sculpted paper, etched, painted, manipulated glass slides, and projection. Research discusses the work produced over a three-year period. Exploration and reflection in the areas of religion, …

Preventing Skin Cancer In Adolescent Girls Through Intervention With Their Mothers, Mary K. Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indoor tanning (IT) before the age of 35 increases one’s risk for melanoma by 75%, and epidemiological data show a 6.1% annual increase in the incidence of melanomas in white women younger than age 44 in the US. Population-based studies reveal that 15% of adolescents and 8% to 14% of their primary caregivers have engaged in IT in the past year.

The compelling case for IT being a significant risk factor for melanoma, together with the high rates of IT in teen girls and their mothers, provided a strong rationale for conducting an antitanning intervention directed at mother-daughter dyads. This …

The Women Of Battlestar Galactica And Their Roles : Then And Now., Jesseca Schlei Cox 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used textual analysis to compare a science fiction television show from the 1970's to its remake in the 2000's concerning the representation of women in the shows and what that representation signifies about the United States' depiction of gender roles. Battlestar Galactica, its 1978 version and 2003 remake, was chosen. Coding sheets were utilized for each character for each episode of the show. Each coding sheet listed several themes such as toughness and gender stereotypes to be explored, and each character had a character profile based on the themes explored. It was predicted that the series would illustrate …

Genetic Mapping And Mechanism Of Action Of Rat Mammary Carcinoma Susceptibility Quantitative Trait Locus Mcs1b., Aaron D. Dendekker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a complex disease that involves genetic, epigenetic, and environmental components. High and moderate penetrant genes have been identified that affect risk to developing breast cancer; however, these risk alleles are present in a small percentage of breast cancer cases. Low penetrant modifier genes have risk-associated alleles that are common in the population. Although these genes have lower penetrance, it is expected that the majority of genetic risk to developing breast cancer is controlled by common genetic variation. Studying mechanisms of common genetic variants on breast cancer risk is difficult due to their small individual effects and overlapping …

The Feeling Of Faith : A Thomistic Account Of Religious Emotions., John K. Dryden 1976-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a philosophical analysis of religious emotions. It draws upon Thomas Aquinas’s theory of the passions to build and apply a framework for thinking about religious emotions and their role in the spiritual life. The first two chapters are dedicated to building the theoretical framework. Chapter one outlines Aquinas’s theory of emotions in a very general way and compares this account to recent versions of cognitivism. By placing Aquinas in conversation with contemporary accounts, I show that his theory is able to capture the central insights of this mainstream philosophical view. According to the Thomistic account that emerges …

Signs Of Blackness., William Fitzgerald Flood 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The life of an African American male homosexual artist, making his way in the theatre of America, is one of paradox. It is comprised of a litany of limited choices which also stay in flux. Yet in this void of choice, one must find a way to stay true to oneself, his racial heritage, and sexual/spiritual core. An artist of color, he must try to maintain this firm foundation while working as a commercial artist in the white supremacist, patriarchal, capitalistic, hetero-normative culture that is the American theatre. The signs of blackness that are intended, given, and received by my …

Strange Fruit : An Examination And Comparison Of Themes In The Anti-Lynching Dramas Of Black And White Women Authors Of The Early Twentieth-Century, 1916-1936., Anna Jo Paul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ten lynching dramas are analyzed and compared in this dissertation. In all ten, written by African American and white women authors, between 1916-1936, a combination of eight themes are presented: supremacy, hypocrisy, complicity, resistance, futility of black life, faith, trauma and motherhood. The intent of the analysis of themes is to determine each dramatist's representation of the themes through action, stage directions or elements of characterization. Following the examination of the dramas, a comparison is made between the similarities or differences that are apparent between those written by African American and white women authors. I have chosen to examine both …

Land Use Controls, Equine Landscapes And The Role Of Political Culture In Managing Sprawl Development., Lynn Roche Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of land development growth management programs at two communities that are thoroughbred horse centers - Ocala/Marion County, Florida and Lexington/Fayette County, Kentucky. The study period was 1970 to 2010. Marion County has had a state-mandated growth management program in place since 1985 and Fayette County has had an urban growth boundary since 1957. The agricultural use of the thoroughbred horse industry was selected because it is known to be highly sensitive to sprawl-type development and the long-term economic strength of each location is dependent upon a strong thoroughbred industry as it …

Genetic Characterization Of The K2 Serotype Capsule Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Atcc 43816 And The Development Of A Bioluminescent Strain., Jacob Brandon Scott 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative enterobacterium that is a major cause of community-acquired and nosocomial infections. We performed a genetic characterization of K. pneumoniae strain ATCC 43816, which is a well-studied strain with a K2 serotype capsular polysaccharide. To provide the ability to monitor bacteria within a host, we will develop a bioluminescence strain of K. pneumoniae by integrating the lux operon into the chromosome. METHODS: The ATCC 43816 capsule cluster sequencing was performed by closing gapE, in the Next Generation Sequencing by long range peR for template and primer walking. We constructed a bioluminescent K. pneumoniae by using …

Impedance Analysis Of Endothelial Cells Undergoing Orbital Shear Stress., Mark Jacob Gruenthal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the endothelium at the cellular level could further knowledge of the cardiovascular system as a whole and could therefore lead to advances in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing is an in vitro technique that can be used for observing the behavior of endothelial cells in real-time using a fluid flow environment to simulate the circulatory system. This study examined the effect of fluid shear stress on human umbilical vein endothelial cells using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (impedance sensing). Circuit models were fit to empirical data to measure cell layer resistance and capacitance changes, and …

Analysis Of The Blancan Procyonids Of Florida, Laura S. Gilmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Procyonids are well known biologically but knowledge of their fossil record is comparatively sparse. This study seeks to describe a sample of late Blancan procyonid fossils composed mostly of postcranial and dental material. Fossils are analyzed using linear and 2D geometric morphometrics and compared with a large sample of modern specimens from a wide geographic area to understand the range of intraspecific variation. The large Procyon species is described as a new taxon based on morphology of the postcrania and lower dentition, while another Procyon species is also described as new due to an apomorphy in the upper dentition. A …

Language Arts Achievement Of Fourth Grade Students With Regard To Gender, Ethnicity, And Socioeconomic Status, Paula C. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the language arts proficiency levels of 2,080 fourth grade students with regard to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status from 2010 through 2012 on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. Specifically, this study considered the possibility that a difference existed in language arts proficiency levels between males and females.

A quantitative study was used to find differences in the language arts proficiency levels from 2010 through 2012 for males and females in the fourth grade in an upper East Tennessee urban school system. A quasi-experimental design was selected because preexisting data …

Zno Nanorods As Catalyst For Biodiesel Production From Olive Oil., Carmen Maria Miralda Molina 1990-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The motivation to determine a viable alternative to petroleum based energy has risen in recent years due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution, and the fear of exhausting oil and natural gas reserves. Biodiesel derived from the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats has emerged as a viable alternative to petroleum diesel. However, for this to become an option available to the average consumer it is vital to find an effective catalyst. Metal oxides have emerged as potential heterogeneous catalysts. ZnO in particular is attractive because it is abundant. The use of nanostructures has been shown to improve …

Force Sensing Glove For Quantification Of Joint Torques During Stretching After Spinal Cord Injury In The Rat Model., Erik Seibt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing amount of healthcare resources is used for the treatment and prevention of contractures in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), with stretch and passive movements remaining the most prominent intervention methods. The results of both clinical trials and animal studies in recent years have shown traditional stretch therapies to be ineffective at preventing contracture and joint immobility, and have encouraged further emphasis on evidence-based practices. However, these studies only analyzed one aspect of stretching, dosage, and failed to look at the characteristic of joint torque. Recent clinical trials have unearthed the fact that the joint torque application of …

The Day Of The Lord., Neil David James 1989-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This sci-fi screenplay confronts issues razed by the Transhumanism movement, a growing speculative science that deals with the merger of humans with technology. The Day of the Lord portrays a world where this merger could threaten the very soul of humanity. We follow Nathan, the protagonist, as he witnesses the political, and technological transformation of South Africa. This story envisions a futuristic Pretoria with towering skyscrapers, walkways, and hovering shuttles filling the sky. The advantage of obtaining robotic enhancements is presented through the struggle between lower class humans, like Nathan, and upperclass post-humans. Nathan’s classroom friend and love interest, Sarah, …

Genetic Imbalances In Endometriosis Detected By Oligonucleotide-Array Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization, Natalie Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases as it is thought to affect up to 15% of the female population. Characterized by the growth and proliferation of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity, it is a complex condition with varying degrees of severity and can affect multiple regions of the body with symptoms ranging from a total lack of symptoms to debilitating pain and infertility. The most accepted theory of how endometriosis initiates is that of retrograde menstruation; however, approximately 90% of women with unobstructed fallopian tubes are thought to have some menstrual debris in the peritoneal …