Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Common Ultrasonic Predictive Failure Signatures In Bearing Elements For The Development Of An Automated Condition Based Ultrasonic Monitoring Controller., Jason Eric Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a new method for Condition Based Ultrasonic Monitoring to be applied in conjunction with a lubrication distribution controller. As part of this thesis, algorithms were developed using ultrasonic sensors to control the application of lubrication to machinery. The controller sensors detect an ultrasonic signal from rolling or sliding machine elements. This signal then alerts the controller to dispense the proper amount of lubrication when needed, as opposed to a time schedule based on average performance or history. The work from this thesis will be used to help reduce equipment downtime and maintenance cost when utilized in an …

An Analysis Of Bullying Behaviors At E. B. Stanley Middle School In Abingdon, Virginia., Elizabeth Wright Litz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many stakeholders in American education are concerned about the frequency of reported bullying incidents within schools in general and middle schools in particular. This nationwide problem has manifested itself in many ways over the past few decades. These manifestations include, but are not limited to, increased gang violence, school shootings, and attendance problems due to student concerns over safety.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the bullying behaviors of a single class of students as they progressed through E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia. Data were gathered over the course of three consecutive school years …

Remediating The Transient Music Student Using Hypermedia And Finale Performance Assessment™ : A Recorder Based Model., Nancy K. Philbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and test a tool designed to help transient students gain the basic musical knowledge and skills needed to successfully complete a fourth-grade unit of recorder study. The project resulted in the development of a hypermedia-based application.

The seven-week study consisted of 49 fourth-grade students. Students were given pitch reading and rhythm pattern identification pre-tests and post-tests. Students participated in weekly tests and tutorial sessions via the hypermedia-based application. At the conclusion of the study, the students were given post-tests and a performance test.

The pre-test and post-test scores for the transient …

Website Optimization, Design, And Restructuring., Christopher Thomas Gibson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The website has become a staple in the business environment, to provide information and services, and connect business-to-business and business-to-customers. Many of these sites require re-engineering in order to facilitate the needed complexities and frequent changes demanded. For such efforts, it is essential for web management to be adequately quantified with relevant metrics and measures. This thesis investigates useful metrics through a case study approach and presents usability and maintainability as the two primary categories of metrics, which provide useful information for web engineering analysis and development.

Fabrication Of A Microfluidic Platform For Impedance Analysis Of Cultured Endothelial Cell Monolayers., Stuart J. Williams 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing the functionality of the endothelium can provide insight into the initiation and formation of arterial diseases. One of the most important functions of the endothelial layer is its permeability. The integrity of the cell monolayer and its ability to transport molecules can be assessed in vitro by investigating the electrical impedance. In this study, a microfluidic platform was created using an electrode-patterned glass substrate and microfluidic poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) substrate. The electrode glass base of the structure was fabricated with platinum square electrodes of various sizes ranging from 10x10 ìm2 to 160x160 ìm2 and a larger, common counter electrode. …

Hanging The Moonbow : Tom Wallace And The Cumberland Falls Fight, 1926-1931., Noah Garland Huffman 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of Louisville Times editor Tom Wallace's fight to prevent the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky between 1926 and 1931. By mining Wallace's recently cataloged personal papers, this study provides a narrative of Wallace's lead role in the campaign that resulted in the preservation of Cumberland Falls and the establishment of a state park on the site in 1931. More importantly, however, as a case study of conservation activism during the understudied period from late 1920s and early 1930s, this thesis illustrates how Wallace developed certain arguments and strategies that were especially …

And Now A Punch, Kick, And Slap From Our Sponsors: A Content Analysis Of Aggression In Network Television Commercials., Robert C. Carpenter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the violent content of television news and entertainment programs has been widely documented, commercials have been rarely scrutinized for aggressive traits. This study sought to improve on this situation and gather additional data about television commercial violence. Because commercials make up 25 percent of each network hour of programming, the potential for exposure to violent content may be even greater than previously believed. To explore this issue, a content analysis was conducted of 2,162 prime-time television commercials on three major networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. The sample was coded with a scheme developed by Anu Mustonen and Lea Pulkkinen …

The Myth Of The Lost Cause And Tennessee Textbooks, 1889-2002., Rachel Christine Duby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Myth of the Lost Cause is an inaccurate account of the Civil War that remains prominent in American society. The myth alters key aspects of the war such as its cause, participants, and outcome. It is my hypothesis that one reason many Americans misunderstand the war is because they learned inaccurate information as children. Most children first learn of the war in school textbooks. I became curious as to the accuracy of Civil War information. As there is little research on this topic, this paper begins the process of bridging the gap between education curriculum and the Lost Cause. …

The Perception Of The Value Of The Use Of Primary Source Documents Among East Tennessee Lakeway Area History Teachers In Grades 5-12., Matthew Elliott Drinnon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of history and social studies teachers in the Lakeway Area of East Tennessee concerning the use of primary source materials in classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine what value the educators in the intact group held for the use of primary source documents, how much time was devoted to the analysis of primary source documents by students in those classes, and potential barriers to the implementation of the use of primary source materials.

The research design was descriptive and used data gathered from a survey instrument constructed by the researcher. A …

Electrochemical Remedy And Analysis For The Environment Based On The New Polymer-Dna Composite Material., Noor Feuza Hussain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work a new material, the conducting polymer-DNA composite, has been reported for the first time due to its promise in micro extraction, transfer, and release of cations under controlled potential conditions by using electrochemically assisted solid phase micro extraction (SPME). The Polypyrrole/DNA composite can be formed easily by oxidation of pyrrole monomers in the presence of chromosomal DNA by electropolymerization. Environmental significant pollutants such as Cd, Pb, Hg, Co, Zn, Cu, and Bi metal ions can be extracted from the aqueous solution and are able to be transferred to another medium defined as the release solution where the …

Motivating Students For Success In Art Education., Melissa M. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is intended to analyze the differences of elementary age students from two different public elementary schools and their motivation to learn about art. The analysis will compare and contrast the results of my efforts as an art educator to present the same curricular information to both groups of students.

I have examined the demographics, the parent involvement, and the other areas affecting the students of the two schools in which I have taught during my seven years as an elementary art educator. My purpose in completing this study has been to better understand how to meet the needs …

Isolation, Purification, And Chemical Characterization Of The Dihydroxamate-Type Siderophore, "Schizokinen," Produced By Rhizobium Leguminosarum Iari 917., Erin P. Storey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is essential to the majority of microorganisms; it is an important cofactor in many cellular processes and enzymes. However in an aerobic environment and at biological pH, iron is primarily found as insoluble oxyhydroxides and is unavailable to microorganisms. Many bacteria have the ability to produce siderophores, low molecular weight compounds that have a high affinity for Fe³⁺. Siderophores are part of a multi-component system that actively transports the iron-siderophore complex into the cytoplasm. Rhizobia are characterized by their ability to form symbiotic relationships with leguminous plants, where they can fix nitrogen for the host plant and …

Aggression: Relationships With Sex, Gender Role Identity, And Gender Role Stress., Robin L. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sex, gender-role identity, and gender-role stress were assessed in terms of their relationship to observed gender differences in self-reported aggression. Physical and verbal aggression were explored, as well as the affective component of anger and cognitive component of hostility. The role of emotional intelligence in these relationships was also evaluated, as a possible correlate to the gender-related variables. The results indicated that both gender-role stress and gender-role identification were significantly associated with all components of aggression; however, only physical aggression was related to sex. Emotional intelligence was linked to sex and gender-role identity but not with gender-role stress. The results …

Images And Voices From The Cumberland Mountains: Surface Coal Mining And The Evolution Of Appalshop's Documentary Activism., Katherine Elisabeth Schram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1970s, Appalshop, a regional film workshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky, has been examining social, economic, and environmental issues important to the people of Appalachia. Appalshop’s goal has always been to give a voice to a community that is often stereotyped and misunderstood by the media. Since its creation, Appalshop has devoted ample attention to the practice of surface mining, its potential consequences to the region, and most importantly, local opposition to the practice. While Appalshop’s early surface mining documentaries are focused on educating the general public about the issue, its later documentaries appeal to viewers’ emotions and develop …

Angiogenesis And Myogenesis In A Chronic Ischemic Heart., Esha Ibrahim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Miniswine underwent procedures to evaluate treating chronic ischemia with the implantation of autologous satellite cells and laser transmyocardial revascularization (TMR). The objective was to combine two therapies to restore cardiac function. This experiment involved three surgical procedures: (1) placing a constrictor on the coronary artery; (2) producing channels and implanting cells; (3) obtaining samples. The swine were divided into groups: Group 1, Ischemia; Group 2, Ischemia + Laser TMR; Group 3, Ischemia + Laser TMR+ Cells; Group 4, Ischemia + Cells. Sonomicrometry and Millar pressure transducers were used to determine contractility, left ventricular pressure, and pressure-volume loops. There were no …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polymer Nanofibers Produced By Emulsion Polymerization, Suxiang Wei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surfactants in aqueous media can form a variety of microstructures such as micelles of various geometries, emulsions, microemulsions and vesicles. Cetyltrimethylammonium p-toluene sulfate (CTAT) has been found to cause large increases in solution viscosity in certain concentration ranges. This phenomenon has been ascribed to the formation of wormlike micelles. Using this, we have synthesized polystyrene nanofibers by emulsion polymerization in wormlike CTAT admicelles in the presence of added sodium chloride (NaCl). Polystyrene nanofibers approximately 3 µm in length and 20~ 60 nanometers in width, were created by emulsion polymerization at 50°C for ten hours using 2, 2’-azobis-isobutyrInitrile initiator. The impact …

Cost Effective Human Protein C Purification From Cohn Fraction Iv-1 Using Mini-Antibody., Doh Gyeuhn Ahn 1969-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein C (PC) is an important anticoagulant, antithrombotic, and antiinflammatory in blood plasma. PC deficiency can lead to severe venous thrombotic events, including lung embolism, stroke, and heart attack. In the body, PC is activated only when it is needed, and, therefore, PC does not cause bleeding problems that currently available anticoagulants may do. Purification of PC from plasma is currently done by immunoaffinity chromatography using monoclonal antibodies (Mabs), which is very expensive. Single chain variable regions (mini-Mab) with a PC binding capability, which can be produced in recombinant E. coli , were developed for PC purification. Compared to Mabs, …

Groundwater Remediation Technologies For Trichloroethylene And Technetium-99., John Nicholas Uhl 1960-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Innovative Treatment Remediation Demonstration Program (ITRD) made technology recommendations after reviewing thirty in situ remediation technologies for implementation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) to treat groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and technetium-99 (Tc-99). The 1999 data used in the ITRD final report were considered to be obsolete as of the year 2004. In this work, cost and performance of the ITRD recommended technologies were updated and compared to newer technologies not in the original review. The technologies were described and case studies were used to evaluate cost and performance with costs …

Storytelling And Story Reading: A Comparison Of Effects On Children's Memory And Story Comprehension., Matthew P. Gallets

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years, storytellers have been going to schools to share stories with children. However, to date only limited research has been done on the effects of storytelling on children’s learning. This project was part of an ongoing study involving several researchers. In this portion of the project, the effects of storytelling and story reading were compared. The population studied consisted of kindergarten, first, and second grade students. Half the students were read stories aloud, the other half were told the same stories by a storyteller. Data were collected regarding students ability to recall facts they had heard, as well as …

Historical Study Of The Highlander Method: Honing Leadership For Social Justice., Joyce Denise Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Waging war against economic, political and social inequity, Highlander, founded in 1932 in Monteagle, Tennessee, near Chattanooga, served as a community-training center for southern industrial labor and farmers’ unions and as a major gathering place for black and white civil rights activists, even in those days when such activity was illegal. Teachers at Highlander believed in the capacity of people to educate and to govern themselves. Humanitarians or communitarians, those working at Highlander were concerned with the interrelated systems of class and race, which, they felt, consistently enabled a small segment of the population to exploit, dominate and oppress others. …

A Comparison Of Academic Achievement And Value-Added Grades On The State Report Cards In Tennessee, 2001-2003., Kyle Allen Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the state report cards published by the Tennessee Department of Education to compare the academic achievement grades to the value-added grades to determine if there is a relationship between the two grading systems. The data used for this study are from the 2001, 2002, and the 2003 state report cards published for each school using the five subject areas of reading, language, math, science, and social studies.

One thousand sixty schools in the state of Tennessee were for this study. The socioeconomic status (SES) of the schools was used as a covariate to determine if the socioeconomic …

Women In Leadership Positions In Tennessee Public Schools: A Qualitative Study Of Female Directors Of Schools., Joy O'Dell Yates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine the best methods for achieving key leadership roles in education. The problem was to define the qualities that are important in leadership positions and to determine how those qualities relate to the top-level positions in school systems across Tennessee.

Nineteen female directors of schools were interviewed. Directors also completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (5X-Short). Characteristics of transformational and transactional leadership styles were included in the study. Most of the directors scored high on using the transformational factors (idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration) of leadership and on using …

The Perceptions Of Students, Teachers, And Parents Regarding The Value Of The Lifeskills And Lifelong Guidelines Program., Jessica Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of children committing extreme acts of violence prompting many schools to adopt and implement character education programs. Character education has been defined as educating students to understand, act upon, and care about universal virtues like respect, truthfulness, responsibility, and caring. There are many character education programs available from which a school's staff can choose. The LIFESKILLS and Lifelong Guidelines program is one that focuses on producing a caring community of responsible citizens for life.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to evaluate the perceptions of students, teachers, …

A Qualitative Study: Gendered Perceptions Of Bullying Among Adolescents At A Boys And Girls Club., Beverly Small Chandley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a form of peer violence needing extensive research to help understand the differences in gender for the prevention of such behavior. Most research has been performed in school settings and in a quantitative manner. This study was conducted by six researchers in an after-school facility with a qualitative approach. A minimum of 15 hours per researcher was spent observing behaviors and 20 interviews were performed. A grounded theory approach was used for the analysis of data which tend to show more similarities than differences in the way children bully as well as their perceptions of bullying.

Look Younger, Lose 10 Pounds, And Influence Your Audience: A Content Analysis Of Popular Men's And Women's Magazine Cover Blurbs And The Messages They Project To Their Readers., Rhajon Noelle Colson-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined cover blurbs on popular men’s and women’s magazines and the messages they communicate to their readers about women. The content analysis looked at the covers of Esquire, Gentlemen’s Quarterly, Vogue, and Good Housekeeping from 1999 through 2003 to see what these magazines were cultivating and framing through their cover text during the time surrounding the new millennium. The women’s magazines examined promoted gendered messages, messages encouraging an idealistic or unattainable ideal of women, to their readers more so than the men’s magazines researched. There also appeared to be an increase of gendered messages in the men’s and …

Stereotypes Of Arab And Arab-Americans Presented In Hollywood Movies Released During 1994 To 2000., Yasmeen Elayan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stereotypes routinely appear within Hollywood films. This study focuses on films released from 1994-2000 that feature Arab/Arab-American characters. A literature analysis reviewed the use of stereotypes in other portrayals of Arab/Arab-American characters. A qualitative analysis of six movies examined specific characteristics that were displayed by Arab/Arab-American characters. These characteristics included speaking with an accent, traditional/native attire, acts of hostility and aggression, affiliation with terrorism, and whether they were depicted as victimizers or victims. These films were selected in order to demonstrate the frequent existence of negative portrayals in popular films prior to 9/11. A primary coder, the author, analyzed 108 …

The Experiential Art And Crafts Preferences Of Senior Adults: A Preparatory Assessment For The Implementation Of The Project Senior Art Model., Charlynn Watson Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Project Senior Art was conceived in answer to the growing need for worthwhile directed activities in our community senior centers and to provide valuable community-based learning experiences for university art students. This intergenerational program recognizes the unique intellectual abilities of older adults and meets the educational needs of senior participants and college art students, providing both creative opportunities for personal growth. Fundamental to the successful development and implementation of the program, and the focus of this study, is ascertaining the experiential art and crafts preferences of the targeted senior adult population. Personal interviews, focus group discussions, and a survey instrument …

A Comparative Study Of The Perceptions Of Elementary School Administrators, Teachers, And Students Regarding Recess And Free Play In The Public School., Amy Bennett Banner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to recent studies, the number of schools that have severely limited or eliminated recess and free-play opportunities is on the rise across the nation. School officials cite the increasing levels of state and federal pressure to perform on standardized tests as the primary reason for this shift away from the playground. The threat of lawsuits and safety concerns are also listed as factors in this change of policy.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the perceptions of directors of schools, supervisors, principals, assistant principals, teachers, and students regarding recess and free play in three East …

Factors Associated With Successful High School Distance Education Programs., Kathy Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research project were to identify the extent to which online courses are available to high school students in Tennessee, to describe the characteristics of current online programs, to identify barriers to the implementation of online courses in school systems that are not currently offering such programs, and to offer recommendations that could facilitate implementation of these programs. The research went in two directions. A study of past and current online educational programs was completed in order to learn the nature of successful programs across the country. Then, a survey was constructed and sent to appropriate technology …

At-Risk Students' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Popular Culture And The Media On Their Lives., Rebecca Cupples Draper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study is comprised of indepth interviews with 16 at-risk high school students. The students were asked to give reasons for their discipline problems in high school. They were also asked to give their perspectives on various forms of popular culture. Questions regarding television, movies, music, video games, and sports were posed to determine the participants' interest level in each of the areas. The students were then asked to gauge how much these interests had taken away from their schoolwork. The students' perceptions and life experiences were explored in depth via the interview process.

In general, the lives of …