Digital Commons Network^™

Who Do I Play: Appraising The Impact Of Teacher-In-Role With Kindergartners In An Esol Classroom, Kathryn Perkins Brantley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators employing process drama, a non-presentational dramatic form, establish memorable classroom environments where students co-author their learning with teachers. Process drama facilitators often use the dramatic structure of teacher-in-role to guide and support the students. An instructor heightens tension, introduces new ideas, and encourages participation by engaging alongside students as a character. An educator employing process drama needs to determine the appropriate type of role to impact the development of a classroom drama; while negotiating tension felt between desires for student-led discovery and the necessity of meeting curriculum benchmarks. Academic studies establish process drama as a tool to aid English …

The Machine, The Victim, And The Third Thing: Navigating The Gender Spectrum In Margaret Atwood's Oryx And Crake And The Year Of The Flood, Lindsay Mccoy Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores Atwood's depiction of gender in Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood. In an interview from 1972, Margaret Atwood spoke on survival: "People see two alternatives. You can be part of the machine or you can be something that gets run over by it. And I think there has to be a third thing." I assert that Atwood depicts this "third thing" through her characters who navigate between the binaries of "masculine" and "feminine" in a third realm of gender. As the female characters—regardless of their passive or aggressive behavior—engage in a quest for agency, …

Harvesting The Seeds Of Early American Human And Nonhuman Animal Relationships In William Bartram's Travels, The Travel Diary Of Elizabeth House Trist, And Sarah Trimmer's Fabulous Histories, Leslie Blake Vives

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses ecofeminist and human-animal studies lenses to explore human animal and nonhuman animal relations in early America. Most ecocritical studies of American literature begin with nineteenth-century writers. This project, however, suggests that drawing on ecofeminist theories with a human-animal studies approach sheds light on eighteenth-century texts as well. Early American naturalist travel writing offers a site replete with human and nonhuman encounters. Specifically, naturalist William Bartram's travel journal features interactions with animals in the southern colonial American frontier. Amateur naturalist Elizabeth House Trist's travel diary includes interactions with frontier and domestic animals. Sarah Trimmer's Fabulous Histories, a conduct …

The Boys' Republic, Jonas Mueller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The young men in The Boys’ Republic live in a world that is continually falling apart. Their houses collapse into sinkholes, forest fires carve out chunks of their towns, plague spreads through their communes, the money runs out on the construction project where they work. This decay mirrors their own collapsing identities, as they are forced to question their mastery of nature, their nostalgia for their youth, their relationships with others, and the value of masculinity itself. Drawing on the work of writers like Dennis Cooper, Flannery O’Connor, and Benjamin Percy, The Boys’ Republic depicts men in the midst of …

Life History Response To Infection And The Potential For Dishonest Signals In The Ground Cricket, Allonemobius Socius, Emily Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to maximize fitness, individuals must partition their limited resources among competing physiological processes, creating negative statistical associations between processes known as “life-history trade-offs”. Evidence indicates that individuals tend to decrease their reproductive investment when confronted with a significant immunological challenge in order to increase investment in immune defense. This trade-off is often accompanied by a significant decrease in the sexual signal, which provides an honest signal of the male’s infection status to potential mates. However, if individual residual reproductive value is low, they may instead increase their reproductive investment to maximize reproductive success before the end of their …

Turtle Cam: Live Multimedia Interaction For Engaging Potential Visitor Population To Canaveral National Seashore, Brian Alfred Tortorelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project expands the outreach of the Canaveral National Seashore to its visitors, potential visitors, and virtual visitors through its goals in conservancy and preservation of its natural resources. This paper is involved with the current iteration of a series of digital media projects, the Sea Turtle Nest Camera, also known as, Turtle Cam. It details how and why this project was designed to be an ongoing initiative to assist in those goals.

Soil Phosphorus Availability And Buffering Capacity In Eastern South Dakota Assessed Using Quantity-Intensity Relationships And Diffusive Gradients In Thin Films, Rose Eitemiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) availability is influenced by soil properties and depth, creating challenges for nutrient management across agricultural landscapes. This study evaluated two complementary approaches for quantifying P availability and adsorption dynamics in eastern South Dakota soils: Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) and P quantity–intensity (Q–I) relationships. The objectives were to (1) quantify bioavailable P using DGT, (2) compare DGT measurements with established soil test P (STP), (3) evaluate Q–I parameters describing P adsorption characteristics, and (4) assess spatial variability in P availability across eastern South Dakota soils. DGT-measured P increased with STP levels and was strongly correlated with Bray-1, …

Computationally Efficient Finite Element Models Of The Lumbar Spine For The Evaluation Of Spine Mechanics And Device Performance, Sean D. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Finite Element models of the lumbar spine are commonly used for the study of spine mechanics and device performance, but have limited usefulness in some applications such as clinical and design phase assessments due to long analysis times. In this study a computationally efficient L4-L5 FSU model and a L1-Sacrum multi-segment model were developed and validated. The FSU is a functional spine unit consisting of two adjacent vertebral bodies, in this case L4 and L5. The multi-segment model consists of all lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum. The models are able to accurately predict spine kinematics with significantly reduced analysis times, …

Synthesis Of Resveratrol Esters And Aliphatic Acids., Stanley Mofor Jing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resveratrol (RV) is a naturally occurring phytoalexin of the stilbenoid family produced by some plant species, and present in grape skin, peanuts, and red wine. It has been found to exhibit anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-aging, cardio protective, and anti-oxidant properties. Bioavailability is a huge setback that limits the potentials of RV. As a result, efforts have been made to design and synthesize RV esters and aliphatic acids in an attempt to increase its bioavailability, solubility in water, and possibly improving its biological activities. Resveratrol esters, 3,5,4'-triacetyloxystilbene (2) and Methyl 1,1',1''- (3,4',5-stilbenyl)-1,6-hexanedioate (3) have been synthesized. Compound 3 is a new …

Isolation Of A Rhodococcus Soil Bacterium That Produces A Strong Antibacterial Compound., Ralitsa Bogomilova Borisova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhodococci are notable for their ability to degrade a variety of natural and xenobiotic compounds. Recently, interest in Rhodococcus has increased due to the discovery of a large number of genes for secondary metabolism. Only a few secondary metabolites have been characterized from the rhodococci (including 3 recently described antibiotics). Twenty-four new Rhodococcus strains were isolated from soils in East Tennessee using acetonitrile enrichment culturing and identified using 16S rRNA analysis. Forty-seven Rhodococcus strains were screened for antibiotic production using a growth inhibition assay. One strain, MTM3W5.2, had 90% similarity to the Rhodococcus opacus 16S rRNA gene sequence and produced …

Correlation Between The Tcap Test And Thinklink Learnings Predictive Assessment Series Test In Reading Math And Science In A Tennessee School System., Jared Edwin Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if a correlation existed between the Predictive Assessment Series (PAS) Test, marketed by Discovery Education, and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test in reading, math, and science for grade 4, grade 6, and grade 8. The study included 4^th-grade, 6^th-grade, and 8^th-grade students during the 2008-2009 school year who had taken the ThinkLink Predictive Assessment Series for reading, math, and science in February 2009 and had taken the TCAP reading, math, and science test in April 2009.

The approach of the study was quantitative …

Mesoporous Functionalized Materials For Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture., Kolade Omoniyi Ojo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Novel highly functionalized hybrid organic-inorganic materials were synthesized by polycondensation of bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine in presence of cationic and anionic surfactants. Reaction media strongly affected gelation time. Thus, in basic media gelation occurred immediately while acid increased gelation time. Material structures were studied by IR spectroscopy, porosimetry, XRD, and SAXS methods. In spite of the absence of an inorganic linker, obtained bridged silsesquioxanes had mesoporous structure. A material prepared in the presence of dodecylamine as a template had higher surface area and narrow pore size distribution while the use of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfate resulted in formation of mesopores with wide size ranges. …

From Confederate Deserter To Decorated Veteran Bible Scholar: Exploring The Enigmatic Life Of C.I. Scofield 1861-1921., D. Jean Rushing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyrus Ingerson Scofield portrayed himself as a decorated Confederate veteran, a successful lawyer, and a Bible scholar who was providentially destined to edit his 1909 dispensational opus, The Scofield Reference Bible. This thesis offers a multilayered image of Dr. Scofield's life by considering political and regional influences, racial and gender attitudes, and religious views he encountered between 1861 and 1921. This study includes an examination of his participation in the American Civil War including his desertion of the South in 1862. After becoming a Union loyalist, Scofield excelled as a lawyer and Republican politician before corruption rumors radically altered …

Boundaries., Elizabeth Trabue Gorham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The photographer discusses the work in Boundaries, her Master of Fine Arts exhibition on display at Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee from October 31 to November 4, 2011. The exhibition consists of 20 black and white photographs, the main subject of which is the photographer's son. The photographs and supporting thesis explore the idea of boundaries real and implied, and how confinement can prompt a variety of behaviors. Topics include the process and evolution of the work and the artists who have influenced it, the importance of light and the challenge of photographing family. Included is …

Neo-Raconteur: Allocating Southern-Gothic Symbolism Into Design Media., Mark Daniel Compton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I created the term Neo-Raconteur to convey my interest in medium theory to support the artistic custom of revealing cultural conventions for allocation into artistic genres. The term evolved from the French word "Raconteur," meaning: somebody who tells stories or anecdotes in an interesting or entertaining way. In the past a Raconteur's anecdotes were verbally volleyed, ever voluble, yet quip. Neo-Raconteurs may decide not to speak at all choosing their anecdotal expression to manifest itself through singular or multiple means, manners, or methods of design and technology as well as or involving more traditional techniques of extraction to convey the …

The Digital Folklore Project: Tracking The Oral Tradition On The World Wide Web., Jasen Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I collected forty-two e-mail forwards over the course of four months, and from those I formulated a framework that adapts existing theory in collection and study of real-world folklore to the emerging folk communities that exist on the internet. Through this analysis I prove that the same genres of folklore that is routinely collected by folklorists have been adapted to fit the digital environment of the internet. I then use the framework that I lay out to perform a study of the e-mails themselves.

On The Imperishable Face Of Granite: Civil War Monuments And The Evolution Of Historical Memory In East Tennessee 1878-1931., Kelli Brooke Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After the Civil War individuals throughout the country erected monuments dedicated to the soldiers and events of the conflict. In East Tennessee these memorials allowed some citizens to promote their ideas by invoking both Union and Confederate Civil War sympathies. Initially, East Tennesseans endorsed the creation of a Unionist image to advertise the region's potential for industrialization. By 1910 this depiction waned as local and northern whites joined to promote reconciliation and Confederate sympathizers met less opposition to their ideas than in the past. After 1919 white East Tennesseans, enmeshed in the boom and bust cycles of the national economy, …

Survey Of Flavonoids And Their Distribution In Different Kinds Of Onions Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry., Archana Racharla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is done to determine the distribution of flavonoids in diverse varieties of onions (commercial and wild onions). Reflux extraction method was done on dried onions and the abstracts were analyzed subsequently by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Statistical calculations were done to see if there are significant differences in the varieties of onions studied from the chromatographic profiles obtained. The chromatograms obtained were patterned using visual observations, scatter plot study, correlation co-efficient, and ANOVA to evaluate the significant difference of the distribution of flavonoids in varieties of onions. The organic white onions seem …

Synthesis Of Resveratrol Ester Derivatives Using Selective Enzymatic Hydrolysis., Marian Osei-Mensah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resveratrol, a naturally derived stilbene, is an interesting compound mostly talked about recently because for its anti-cancer properties. Unfortunately it has some shortcomings due to its low bioavailability and low solubility in water. For this reason, my research is to overcome resveratrol's drawbacks by improving its bioavailability and hydrophilicity. My research is focused on syntheses of novel derivatives of resveratrol such as 3, 5-di-O-isobutyroyl resveratrol and 3, 5-di-O-hexanoyl resveratrol using lipase catalyzed hydrolysis. Therefore, the tri-acylated resveratrols 3, 5, 4'-tri-O-isobutyroyl resveratrol and 3, 5,4'-tri-O-hexanoyl resveratrol were first synthesized.

3,5,4'-tri-O-isobutyroyl resveratrol and 3,5,4'-tri-O-hexanoyl resveratrol were then hydrolyzed using lipase (C. …

Determination Of Select Metal Ions In Commercially Available Conventional And Organic Baby Foods., Neva S. Winters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to determine whether or not there is an appreciable difference between concentrations of various metal ions present in conventionally grown and processed and organically grown and processed baby foods. Two prominent, commercially available brands were chosen to undergo comparative studies between both their own conventional and organic varieties of second stage green beans and carrots. Samples were tested for cadmium, calcium, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc. Two containers of each variety of baby food were sampled in triplicate, with purchases of foods being made in separate areas to ensure that each set came from …

The Gastonia Novels And Ecofeminism: Rereading The Works Of Fielding Burke Grace Lumpkin And Myra Page., Amanda Leigh Aubrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Fielding Burke's Call Home the Heart, Grace Lumpkin's To Make My Bread, and Myra Page's Gathering Storm through the lens of ecofeminism, an interdisciplinary theory that contributes the necessary insight into the link between the abuse of power on personal, political, and economic levels that underlies the human oppression and environmental exploitation experienced by the novels' characters and communities. A resurrection of the Gastonia novels through the framework of ecofeminism will contribute to the scholarly discourse regarding this maturing theory as well as intensify the critical body of work concerning the Gastonia novels themselves.

This …

The Induction Of Positive Affect In A Community Setting Using Electronic Communications., Philip Andrew Smeltzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate the influence of positive affect inductions on daily and weekly Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS) in a community setting. Methods: Humor messages were distributed to participants four times per day during a treatment week with general health messages distributed in the crossover week. Subjects completed a series of self-report psychosocial and behavioral survey instruments on a weekly basis and daily PANAS responses. Messages were delivered through either email or SMS/text messages. Results: The daily and weekly PANAS scores were higher during treatment periods compared to the neutral periods. The observed trends were suggestive of successful positive …

Human Olfactory Epithelial-Derived Progenitors : A Potential Source For Cell Therapy For Parkinson's Disease., Meng Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human adult olfactory epithelium contains neural progenitors (hONPs) which replace damaged cellular components throughout life. Methods to isolate and expand the hONPs have been developed in our laboratory. In response to morphogens, the hONPs differentiate along several neural lineages. This study optimized conditions for the differentiation of hONPs towards dopaminergic neurons. The hONPs were treated with Sonic Hedgehog, in the presence or absence of Retinoic acid and/or forskolin. Transcription factors (Nurrl, Pitx3 and Lmxla) that promote embryonic mouse or chicken dopaminergic development were employed to determine if they would modulate lineage restriction of these adult human progenitors. Transcription factor expression …

Theoretical And Experimental Studies On Manipulation Of Fluorescence By Gold Nanoparticle : Application For Molecular Imaging., Jianting Wang 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have shown beneficial properties for biomedical use, e.g., their non-toxic nature and surface properties for easy modification. Upon receiving light, they generate a strong surface plasmon field, which can alter the fluorescence of fluorophores. The level and type of the fluorescence alteration depend on the GNP size and shape, excitation (Ex)/emission (Em) wavelengths and quantum yield of the fluorophore, as well as the distance between the fluorophore and GNP. In this dissertation, the effect of the properties listed above on the fluorescence output was theoretically analyzed for the fluorophores frequently used in biomedical studies. For fluorescence quenching, …

Structure-Based Design Of Inhibitors Of Cxcr4., Jason Bradley Meier 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metastasis is a complex process requiring directed migration of metastatic cells to favorable microenvironments. Increased CXCR4 expression has been implicated in more invasive, aggressive and metastatic tumor phenotypes and poor patient survival in twenty-three forms of cancer. CXCR4 has been linked to cancer metastasis and CXCR4 expression on the cell surface of tumor cells has been linked to increased migration and homing of neoplastic cells to sites where stromal cells express the chemokine CXCL 12 such as the lung and bone marrow. In this dissertation, we will utilize structure based drug design to identify inhibitors of CXCR4 targeting the extracellular …

A Survey Study Comparing Adult Orthodontic Patient Quality Of Life Between Invisalign And Fixed Appliances., Keith Christopher Nicholson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We aimed to examine differences in treatment impacts and quality of life between adult orthodontic patients with Invisalign and fixed appliances. Adults represent a burgeoning branch of orthodontics yet many prospective patients have been reluctant to pursue orthodontics due to concerns with treatment. It was hypothesized that removable aligners would be better tolerated by adult patients. Sixty-three adult patients (forty Invisalign, twenty-three fixed appliances) were recruited from private practice. The treatment groups were largely comparable although the braces group reported more frequent unplanned appointments and use of auxiliaries. The Invisalign group experienced less negative impacts and these differences were generally …

Effects Of Environmental Pollution On Endothelial Progenitor Cells And Vascular Regeneration., Laura A. Wheat Nissley 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acrolein is a common pollutant present in ambient air, automobile exhaust, and tobacco smoke. Previous studies show that exposure to acrolein increases cardiovascular disease risk. To determine whether acrolein affect cardiovascular regeneration, we investigated the cardiovascular effects of inhaled acrolein. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to room air or acrolein (O.5, 1 or 5 ppm) for and the endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) level in peripheral blood (PB) was measured by flow cytometry. To examine the proliferative capacity of EPCs, bone marrow cells (BMCs) were cultured on fibronectin-coated slides. Brief exposure to acrolein (5 ppm, 6h) or 4 day (1 …

Quidam Homo Est Asinus : The Originality And Influence Of Peter Abelard Upon Medieval Thought., Timothy Ernst 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historians and philosophers alike remember Peter Abelard as the most brilliant, original, and influential philosopher of the twelfth century. Much ofthis reputation stems not from Abelard's intellectual contributions but due to Abelard's scandalous personal life and the nonexistence of documents of Abelard's contemporary philosophers. Though brilliant, Abelard exerted little influence through his ideas. Unlike a modem professor who changes the paradigms of his discipline with innovative theses, Abelard was a skilled teacher who sought to teach students the skills they required to advance their careers within a reformed Catholic Church, which was newly interested in logic, philosophy, and theology. Seen …

Traf6 Signaling In Skeletal Muscle Atrophy And Regeneration., Pradyut K. Paul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue in our body that provides a structural framework and regulates important biological processes. It is also a primary reservoir of protein. Skeletal muscle maintains its structural and functional integrity by finely balancing the rates of protein synthesis and degradation. Skeletal muscle also has a very well defined regeneration program to cope with muscle injuries. A disruption in any of these delicately balanced intracellular mechanisms of skeletal muscle results in devastating conditions such as atrophies and chronic injuries. Majority of these debilitating conditions in skeletal muscle eventually lead to morbidity and increased mortality and …

Regulation Of Morphogenesis By Ammonium Transporters In Ustilgo Maydis., Jinny A. Paul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many species of fungi undergo a dimorphic transition to switch from a unicellular yeast-like growth form to a filamentous growth form. Ustilago maydis undergoes such a transition, in response to successful mating events and subsequent host cues, to form a filamentous pathogenic form. U maydis also undergoes haploid filamentous growth in response to several environmental cues including, but not limited to nutrient limitation, pH, lipids, among others. Ammonium transporter proteins (Amts) play an essential role in controlling the dimorphic transition in response to nutrient limitation, specifically nitrogen in the form of ammonium. I demonstrate a role for the U maydis …