Digital Commons Network^™

Organizational Structural And Cultural Variables As Predictors Of Quality In Federally Approved Nursing Homes., Lorraine V. Desormeaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which nursing home organizational structure and cultural variables were related to the outcomes reported by the Health Care Finance Administration public use data set (HCFA-NHCD). A second purpose was to examine the effects of a new style of nursing home management called the Eden Alternative™ concept. A related purpose was to test the usefulness of the HCFA-NHCD in predicting the quality of care for residents in federally approved nursing homes. Secondary data analysis was conducted on the HCFA-NHCD, as published in December 2001. Descriptive statistics and measures of association …

Students' Perceptions Of Multimedia Classrooms At East Tennessee State University., Shouhong Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms at East Tennessee State University regarding technologies in multimedia classrooms, students' learning achievements, instructors' instructional methods, and students' learning styles. Two surveys in multimedia classrooms and traditional classrooms were designed to measure and compare students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms. The VARK (Fleming, 2002b) learning style survey was used to calculate the students' learning styles.

The research was conducted during spring semester, 2002. Participants in this study included 187 students in multimedia classrooms and 110 students in traditional classrooms at East Tennessee State University. The majority of students …

Six Sigma : Changing A Culture., Lee E. Leathers 1966-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to apply what was learned from Six Sigma while working for General Electric, towards real applications to improve processes. Two manufacturing problems were targeted. One of the issues dealt with variation, in an assembly process, which caused a large amount of missed opportunities. The other issue was based on defects caused by a reflector coating process that was creating haze and affecting lumens generated by the lamp. While analyzing the missed opportunity issue, a DMAIC approach was followed, measuring the collected data and analyzing the variation and mean of the processes by the use …

Data Mining With Newton's Method., James Dale Cloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Capable and well-organized data mining algorithms are essential and fundamental to helpful, useful, and successful knowledge discovery in databases. We discuss several data mining algorithms including genetic algorithms (GAs). In addition, we propose a modified multivariate Newton's method (NM) approach to data mining of technical data. Several strategies are employed to stabilize Newton's method to pathological function behavior. NM is compared to GAs and to the simplex evolutionary operation algorithm (EVOP). We find that GAs, NM, and EVOP all perform efficiently for well-behaved global optimization functions with NM providing an exponential improvement in convergence rate. For local optimization problems, we …

The Effects Of Cycling Shoe Outsole Material On Plantar Stress., Nathan Edward Jarboe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if cycling shoes made with stiff material cause an increase in peak plantar stress over shoes with less stiff material. Shoe stiffness measurements were collected under controlled conditions and in two different configurations using a dynamic hydraulic tensile testing machine. Measurements of plantar stress were taken while subjects pedaled in a seated position at a controlled power output of 400 Watts. Capacitive-based sensor insoles were placed in the shoes to measure the peak stress under each foot during pedaling. The shoes made with carbon fiber produced peak plantar stresses 18% higher than …

Coverage Properties Of The Inverse Sinh Transformation And The Adjusted Wald Confidence Intervals For The Odds Ratio And The Relative Risk., Troy Allen Bowman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inverse sinh transformation on the Woolf interval is used to calculate the confidence interval for the odds ratio and the relative risk in a 2 x 2 table. According to Robert Newcombe, the new interval should improve the coverage probabilities and shorten the width of the confidence interval for these ratios, but the new interval requires evaluation of coverage properties. In this thesis, we will evaluate the exact coverage properties of this modified interval in extreme cases. Also, we will compare the coverage properties of this new interval to other widely-used adjusted intervals. Through comparisons of exact coverage probabilities …

Effectiveness Of Pre-Baccalaureate Health Careers Opportunity Programs (Hcop) For Disadvantaged Students In Three Southern States., Virloy Elizabeth Lewin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated three HCOP projects to determine, describe, and assess their overall effectiveness and identify successful strategies used by these projects to reach their specific objectives. Demographic and scholastic data were collected about 393 HCOP participants at the three HCOP projects in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia during the years 1990-1999. Detailed information about the activities used to incorporate the HCOP legislative purposes into the programs was also collected.

Sixty-seven percent of HCOP participants were Caucasian and 78% were female. Scholastic data was limited to data from the EKU and ETSU HCOP programs. The average high school GPA score for …

An Evaluation Of The Using Information Technology Program At East Tennessee State University., John Dalton Chenoweth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents information gathered and analyzed during an evaluation study of the Using Information Technology (UIT) program at East Tennessee State University. The UIT program, which all undergraduate students must complete before graduation, consists of satisfying a computer literacy foundation requirement and a two course UIT-intensive requirement. The foundation requirement is satisfied by completing a two credit hour course or a challenge exam. Students then take two courses that have been designated as UIT-intensive. One of these courses must be completed in the major.

The study, which used a responsive evaluation methodology, involved generating a list of evaluation questions …

Construction Of Piecewise Linear Wavelets., Jiansheng Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well known that in many areas of computational mathematics, wavelet based algorithms are becoming popular for modeling and analyzing data and for providing efficient means for hierarchical data decomposition of function spaces into mutually orthogonal wavelet spaces. Wavelet construction in more than one-dimensional setting is a very challenging and important research topic. In this thesis, we first introduce the method of construction wavelets by using semi-wavelets. Second, we construct piecewise linear wavelets with smaller support over type-2 triangulations. Then, parameterized wavelets are constructed using the orthogonality conditions.

Models And Graphics In The Analysis Of Categorical Variables: The Case Of The Youth Tobacco Survey., Deborah Susan Hosler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Youth Tobacco Surveys have been conducted in several states in the U.S. in recent years, in order to design policies with the goal of reducing tobacco use among young people. Some primary analysis of those surveys has been done, but few analyses include modeling, and the study of independence has been addressed, mainly, in the bivariate context.

In this work contemporary methods, which are of relative recent appearance in categorical data analysis, will be examined, including logistic and log-linear modeling as well as graphical displays and correspondence analysis. These methods will be applied to data from the 2000 Tennessee Youth …

On The Construction Of Linear Prewavelets Over A Regular Triangulation., Qingbo Xue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, all the possible semi-prewavelets over uniform refinements of regular triangulations have been studied. A corresponding theorem is given to ensure the linear independence of a set of different pre-wavelets obtained by summing pairs of these semi-prewavelets. This provides efficient multiresolutions of the spaces of functions over various regular triangulation domains since the bases of the orthogonal complements of the coarse spaces can be constructed very easily.

Scalable And Reliable File Transfer For Clusters Using Multicast., Hardik Dikpal Shukla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A cluster is a group of computing resources that are connected by a single computer network and are managed as a single system. Clusters potentially have three key advantages over workstations operated in isolation—fault tolerance, load balancing and support for distributed computing.

Information sharing among the cluster’s resources affects all phases of cluster administration. The thesis describes a new tool for distributing files within clusters. This tool, the Scalable and Reliable File Transfer Tool (SRFTT), uses Forward Error Correction (FEC) and multiple multicast channels to achieve an efficient reliable file transfer, relative to heterogeneous clusters. SRFTT achieves scalability …

A Study Of Former Negro High School Students, Teachers, And Administrators In The Piedmont Area Of North Carolina., Carrie Smith Washington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative study of the perceptions of a purposeful sample of 27 individuals who were students, teachers, or administrators in North Carolina Negro high schools in the period from 1934 to 1966. I interviewed all of them personally or by telephone. All interviews were tape recorded, and the tapes were later transcribed by an individual who was familiar with the speech patterns of the interviewees. A commercial software program was used to help me identify any themes that emerged from the interviews.

One main theme was that the conditions of buildings and equipment varied with the particular high …

Integrated Software System For The Collection And Evaluation Of Wellness Information., Rebecca Elizabeth Sweeney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an absence of a complete, easy to use, software system that can evaluate all areas of wellness. Although there are software programs and equipment available to examine certain aspects of wellness, they are incomplete. The solution to the difficulties of assessing wellness is the design and development of a software system that can be used to collect and evaluate wellness information. The system allows for complete reporting as it entails the six major components to wellness: demographics, body composition, lab work, nutritional intake, physical activity, and body measures. The system allows for ease of use by providing a …

Comparison Of Inheritance Evaluation Algorithms For Express Edition 3., Judy Dawn Greer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information exchanged between computer applications is difficult, thus the need for data exchange standards. The ISO STEP project defines data exchange standards using the EXPRESS language, which supports inheritance. Currently there are two algorithms used to evaluate an inheritance hierarchy: the Test and Generate algorithms. In this thesis, enhancements are made to both algorithms to support the Total Over Constraint, which is proposed for the third edition of EXPRESS. A formal algorithm is derived for the Test algorithm. The two enhanced algorithms are compared and shown to be result equivalent. However, it is shown that the Test algorithm is the …

A Portrayal Of Gender And A Description Of Gender Roles In Selected American Modern And Postmodern Plays., Bonny Ball Copenhaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe how gender was portrayed and to determine how gender roles were depicted and defined in a selection of Modern and Postmodern American plays. This study was based on the symbolic interaction theory of gender that suggests that social roles are learned over time and are subject to constant reinforcement. The significance of this study was derived from the broad topic of gender because gender issues are relevant to a variety of fields and exploring the effects of gender in one field contributes to the understanding of gender in another field.

The plays …

An Experimental Approach To Teaching The Concept Of Functional Diversity., Cory Mckelvey Stanley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study tested an experimental approach to use in teaching the concept of functional diversity. The project culminated in a laboratory exercise for use in high schools.

Experimental design consisted of representatives of three functional groups of plants, (legumes, grasses, and forbs), planted singly, and in two, or three species combinations. Legumes were represented by Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina, grasses were represented by Cynodon dactylon and Festuca rubra, and forbs were represented by Helianthus annus and Raphanus sativa.

Plants were grown inside a controlled growth chamber. During the growth phase, measurements were taken to highlight temporal …

A Study Of Grade Distribution And Grade-Point Averages Of The Tennessee Board Of Regents Associate-Degree Nursing Programs., Marylou Reagan Apple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

To Group Or Not To Group: A Qualitative Study Of Middle School Principals' Decision Making Processes Concerning Ability Level Grouping., Linda B. Stroud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topic of ability level grouping of students for instructional purposes is one of the most studied areas of research in educational literature. However, because of the inconclusive findings in the literature, no clear answer to the question of whether homogeneous or heterogeneous grouping is in the best educational interest of students has been established. Middle level administrators play a particularly important role in the debate concerning the use of ability grouping in individual schools because the pattern for future educational tracks of students is established at the middle level. An exploration of the factors that affect the decision making …

An Exploration Of Emotional Intelligence Scores Among Students In Educational Administration Endorsement Programs., Holly Solomon Click

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the emotional intelligence scores of students in educational administration endorsement programs. The relationship between the length of time in an educational endorsement program and emotional intelligence scores was examined. Relationships with other factors were also examined. The respondents were students in educational administration endorsement at three east Tennessee universities. A total of 85 students participated in the study. Basic frequency based analyses were calculated to identify any relationships between variables.

A literature review gave an explanation of emotional intelligence and examined the historical development of emotional intelligence. The existing literature concerning the …

Role Of Police, Prosecutors And Defense Attorneys In Traffic Accident Investigation And Adjudication In Chattanooga, Tennessee., Karen L. Beisel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study provides, via personal interviews, a qualitative examination of police, district attorneys, public defenders and private attorneys who were involved in traffic accident investigation and criminal court adjudication in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These data were compiled to develop a profile of the actors and their involvement in the process of a criminal charge stemming from a traffic accident. The literature suggests that the actors work as a team to process a case from investigation to adjudication; however, the actors in Chattanooga, Tennessee were fragmented in their handling of a case. This study collectively examines police and attorneys in relation to …

The Relationship Between Teacher Certification And The Use Of Developmentally Appropriate Practices In Kindergarten Classrooms In Northeast Tennessee., Tracey Marie Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined two types of teacher certification. The certifications of elementary teachers and early childhood teachers were the focus of the study. The purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between teacher certification (early childhood grades pre-kindergarten through fourth and elementary education grades one through eight) and the use of developmentally appropriate practices in kindergarten classrooms in northeast Tennessee.

The approach to the study was quantitative. Data were collected from teacher and classroom observations using the Early Childhood Rating Scale-Revised. Participants included kindergarten teachers in northeast Tennessee.

The researcher investigated the extent to which kindergarten …

Synesthetic Sensor Fusion Via A Cross-Wired Artificial Neural Network., Stephen Samuel Seneker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interdisciplinary study was to examine the behavior of two artificial neural networks cross-wired based on the synesthesia cross-wiring hypothesis. Motivation for the study was derived from the study of psychology, robotics, and artificial neural networks, with perceivable application in the domain of mobile autonomous robotics where sensor fusion is a current research topic. This model of synesthetic sensor fusion does not exhibit synesthetic responses. However, it was observed that cross-wiring two independent networks does not change the functionality of the individual networks, but allows the inputs to one network to partially determine the outputs of the …

How Domestic Factors Affect Militarized Dispute Initiation Behavior Of Democratic Countries : A Path Analysis,1950-1982, Wanfa Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Working Class And Working College : A Case Study Of First Generation, Working Class, First Year, White Male College Students., Robert Michael Longwell-Grice 1955-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study involving four, first generation, working class, college students. The dissertation study chronicled the experiences of these students during their first semester at the college. In order to more effectively focus on the aspects of social class and first generation status, the study was restricted to white males. First generation, working class students must negotiate a difficult transition from their working class culture to the culture of academia, in order to be successful in college. This transition typically requires significant re-negotiation of relationships with family members and friends, who are not always supportive of their …

Identification Of Surface Features Utilizing Landsat Imagery And An Evaluation Of Their Potential Association With Tectonic Features In Northwest Mississippi, James Alan Barck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Use Of High Pressure Liquid Chromatography To Detect And Quantify Oxytetracycline Marks In Walleye Otoliths And Dorsal Spines, Michael J. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is used to chemically mark calcified structures in walleye Stizostedion vitreum fry and fingerlings. Current visual methods for detection of these marks are subjective, and biologists are unable to quantify the amount of OTC in a sample. The goal of this study was to determine if high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a feasible and superior alternative for detecting and quantifying OTC in otoliths of fry-marked and spines of fingerlingmarked walleyes. Study objectives were to validate methodology of extraction of OTC from calcified tissue, detect and quantify extracted OTC using HPLC, and determine a cost comparison of current …

Electronic Cooling Of A Generic Transmitter, Anil L. Jeswani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Szemeredi's Regularity Lemma And Applications, Joshua Owen Hanes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Intentionality And Ontology / By Joseph W. Ulatowski, Joseph W. Ulatowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.