Digital Commons Network^™

Software Integrity Management System., Joseph H. Brown 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to design, implement, and evaluate a software package that is mutli-platform and will provide software integrity management (SIM). The software package is implemented in Java and will perform two hashing algorithms, Message Digest version 5 (MD5) and Secure Hashing Algorithm 1 (SHA-1), in order to verify the integrity of executable files. These records of executables and their hash value will be stored in flat database files. The database files will be stored off site on multiple servers. Each server will hold a file corresponding to the hash algorithm that was used. By storing the …

Indicators Of Community Receptivity To International Service-Learning Programs., Henry R. Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory study of the indicators of receptivity that communities portray towards international service-learning programs. Historically, programs such as service learning programs choose communities and other working partners based on the needs of these communities. International service-learning on the other hand because of the high cost of travel to another country and accommodation needs to minimize the risk of having unsupportive partners. In this light, communities should be assessed to ensure that they are receptive to international service-learning programs. The study was conducted in a community that displayed a high level of receptivity to the University of …

The Transcriptional Repressor Protein Growth Factor Independence-1b In T Lymphopoiesis., Loretta L. Doan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

T lymphopoiesis has been an intense focus of immunological research since the discovery of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and T cell mediated transplant rejection. Additionally, researchers have long appreciated the role of T cells, and their development, in autoimmune disorders. Interest in this field has increased upon the realization that many leukemic oncoproteins are the very factors that control normal T cell development. Thus, the transcriptional networks that drive the function and development of T lymphocytes are closely linked with disease states.Growth Factor Independence 1 (GFI1) and GFI1B are two very similar transcriptional repressor oncoproteins that are encoded by …

Thermal Analysis Of Microhotplates Using Computer Aided Design And Simulation Software., Hiren Vrajlal Trada 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is based on work done as part of a bigger project supported by Naval Research Laboratories (NRL). A MOSIS fabricated micro hotplate is simulated using the CAD software CoventorWare. There are three different sized hotplates in one die; viz. small, medium and large. The files designed in L-EDIT, are imported into CoventorWare which is used to build a 3-D model and perform various simulations on the models. A voltage sweep is applied to the hotplate terminals for different values of convection coefficients and the resulting temperature data is gathered. This data is compared with experimental data to obtain …

A Church Crisis: A Rhetorical Criticism Of Communication Arguments From Proponents Of Both Sides Of The Homosexual Movement In The Christian Church, Garland Brent Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increased levels of homosexual discussion in mainstream media culture have aroused opinion diversity in both secular and religious circles. The case of Bishop Gene Robinson has brought the issue of homosexuality in the priesthood to the forefront. However, the main issue does not rest on the issue of homosexuality but rather on the inspiration, validity, and authority of the Bible as scripture. After the evaluation of two pieces of rhetoric, including an interview given by Bishop Gene Robinson on a local radio broadcast and a speech given by B. L. Mauser concerning homosexuality as sin, Kenneth Burke's pentad will …

A Model Racing Plant : Founding And Economic History Of Keeneland Racetrack., Scott A. Carmony 1967-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an economic and historical examination of Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky. The material commences with a historical overview of the role of sport and recreational activities in the United States. Putting sport and leisure activity in the context of mirroring changes in society is the focus of the section. Furthermore, this material explores the general sporting environment in United States history, moves to horseracing's place within that history, then concludes with the scope of the horse and horseracing in Kentucky, and particularly, the Bluegrass region of central Kentucky. The following material focuses on the unique and remarkable …

Cephalogram Pseudo-Color And Emboss Enhancements : Anatomical Landmark Clarity In Photostimuable Phosphor Cephalometrics., Ryan B. Wiesemann 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To evaluate baseline and 3 different image enhancements for the detection of landmarks and overall perceived quality in photostimuable phosphor cephalograms. Methods: DenOptix images of 48 patients (plus 12 repeats) were presented randomly to 10 observers who rated 11 anatomic landmarks and overall appearance (1 = poor; 2 = satisfactory; 3 = excellent). Equal numbers of 16-bit images with single peak (SP) 16-bit double peak (DP) histograms and 8-bit images were included. Enhancements used were: (1)emboss; (2)pseudocolor; and (3)emboss-pseudocolor. The Friedman Test with Wilcoxon post hoc analysis was applied. Results and conclusion: The results support the use of emboss …

Employees' Perceptions Of Barriers In E-Learning : The Relationship Among Barriers, Demographics, And E-Learning Self-Efficacy., Penina Mungania 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this empirical study was to examine the types of e-learning barriers and to establish the nature of relationships among (a) barriers perceived by employee e-learners in the process of starting, continuing, and completing online training; (b) demographic variables; (c) background characteristics; and (d) e-learning self-efficacy. The population was comprised of employees (N = 4807; n = 865) who had participated in Web-based training delivered 100 percent online. Convenient samples of employees were drawn from seven organizations representing (a) IT Manufacturing, (b) Oil Exploration & Manufacturing, (c) Public School District, (d) Health insurance, (e) Wholesale Distribution, (f) IT …

Writing In The Crossroads : Examining First-Year Composition And Creative Writing., Leah Schweitzer 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The trend in writing curriculum has been to diversify and separate courses. This dissertation looks at one set of divided curricula--creative writing and composition--in order to examine the ways in which writing pedagogy has been affected by this parceling out of writing objectives into separate niches of the English department. I argue that there should be a way for different curricula and disciplines to share information between them and to bridge arbitrary gaps created by misguided binaries. My dissertation examines some of the problematic generalities propagated within the English department and interrogates the limits of such generalities. Using what scholars …

Fundamentalist Religious Movements : A Case Study Of The Maitatsine Movement In Nigeria., Katarzyna Z. Skuratowicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a historical analysis of reasons and dynamics behind the emergence of fundamentalist religious movements. Its purpose is to develop a new conceptual apparatus to the approach toward religious fundamentalist movements that would analyze both external and internal factors influencing their emergence. It is a case study of an Islamic fundamentalist religious movement called Maitatsine in Nigeria. The theoretical background is based upon the concepts of international division of labor and the role of the state taken from development theories, which explain the external factors influencing the dynamics in West Africa, the region where the analyzed religious movement …

An Empirical Investigation Of Factors Influencing Teacher Attraction To A Career As School Counselor., Beverly Cox Keepers 1948-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the administrative task of recruiting school counselors in the largest school district of Kentucky, a state undergoing systemic school reform. The participants (N = 553) were elementary (n = 162), middle (n = 113), and high (n = 278) school teachers.The independent variables included personal characteristics of the participants (age, gender, number of dependent children, ethnicity, education, current school enrollment, current school level, current school CATS level, years of teaching experience, years of teaching experience in JCPS, years of teaching experience in Kentucky) serving as control variables. The other independent variables were counselor job facets (predictor variables) …

The Effect Of Closed Versus More Liberal Visitation Policies On Work Satisfaction Beliefs And Nurse Retention., Suzanne M. Boswell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurses believe that more liberal visitation policies will cause greater work overload and decrease the quality of patient care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a liberal visitation policy on work satisfaction, beliefs, and retention of nurses.

In this study, nurses were asked to complete a survey before and after implementation of a more liberal visitation policy. The nurses were surveyed using Stamps (1997) Index of Work Satisfaction and the Boswell Beliefs Inventory. Statistical analyses were conducted to discover nurses level of satisfaction and beliefs related to the new policy.

Results indicate that nurses were …

Strategies To Address The Effects Of Reduced Funding For Music Education., Jill Leigh Hobby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a consensus from a panel of experts composed of public school music teachers both based in instrumental methods and/or choral methods, higher education music professors from various backgrounds, public school administrators, philanthropists, authors, researchers, state music supervisors, and leaders in professional music organizations on regional and national levels.

Through the use of the panel of experts from geographical regions across the United States and Canada, this study strove to build strategies that addressed the effects of reducing funding for music education. The vehicle used to build consensus was the Delphi Technique. Through …

Nutritional Content Of Supplemental Food Baskets Distributed By Charitable Agencies In Northeast Tennessee., Lillian Khalili Aliata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the nutritional needs of high-risk community members are met by supplemental food baskets distributed by charitable groups in northeast Tennessee. Hunger is a real problem among the area's elderly population, as 14.3% of the populations live at or below the poverty level. Data were collected using observation interviews at the food bank. A nutrient analysis tool was used to analyze the nutrient content of food items in a standard food basket. The findings were compared to the recommended dietary allowance for the elderly population. The supplemental food basket was adequate in …

Validity Of Self-Reported Data On Seat Belt Use: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System., Agnes Mary Banks Samples

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personal lifestyle and behavior are associated with the 10 leading causes of death for Americans. Motor vehicle crashes kill more than 40,000 people and injure more than 3 million people annually in the United States, representing one of America's most serious health and economic problems. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), someone in America is injured in a motor vehicle crash every 14 seconds and someone is killed every 12 minutes (as cited in Ad Council, 2003). It is widely accepted that increased use of safety belts and reductions in driving while impaired are two of the …

The Digital Divide: A Study Of The Intra-Ethnic Divide Within The African American Population In Johnson City, Tennessee., Sonja E. Schreckenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how much access African American adults 25 years and older, living in Johnson City, Tennessee had to computers, and the factors that most influenced such access. Data was collected from 271 persons living in the area. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software to determine how certain demographics would contribute to the level of computer access.

Results from the study revealed that a digital divide existed within the African American community, with income being a strong determinant of access to computers. The highest level of access for the sample was in the salary range of $50,000-74,999. Computer …

The Relationship Between The Use Of Developmentally Appropriate Practice And The Inclusion Of Product-Producing Art Activities In Infant Programs., April D. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Product-producing art activities (PPAA) produce visual products, disregarding developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) and the creative learning experience. Infant programs in Northeast TN were examined to determine if as PPAA levels increased DAP levels decreased, which was unfounded: t (2) = 1.80, n.s. In fact, significant differences were found between programs with high PPAA levels and DAP as indicated by scores on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford, 1990) sub-scales: Furnishings and Displays, t (2) = 7.59, p < .05; Listening and Talking, t (2) = 6.71, p < .05; and Learning Activities, t (2) = 7.29, p < .05. Caregivers' main reason for including PPAA was: positive sensory experience; main reason for exclusion: infant/teacher relationship is more important.

Power And Perfection In Karen Finley's The Constant State Of Desire: Creating A New Discourse., Melissa D. Greenwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Karen Finley's The Constant State of Desire merits attention because it acknowledges modern language's inability to represent the suffering of victims and creates awareness of our personal involvement in constructing gendered identities. Finley expresses her abhorrence of the desire for power and perfection by asserting that power is secured in American culture through physical and economic domination. In addition, the pursuit of perfection is engrained in one's psyche through media images and habituated behaviors. Finley does not offer a new language through which to communicate suffering, but she draws the reader's attention to the inadequacies of psychological and cultural rhetoric, …

The Use Of Rotation Model Sunday School., Heather Renee Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As outlined in this paper, Rotation Model (RM) Sunday school employs early childhood education practices. This study investigates the attitudes of parents, children's Sunday school leaders, and children in RM Sunday school compared to those in Non-Rotation Model (NRM) Sunday school. The purpose of the study was to determine if the attitudes of children and adults involved in RM were more positive than children and adults not participating in the model. Thirteen churches in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia participated in the study. Surveys rating attitudes toward Sunday school were completed by 100 children and 63 adults. Results showed no …

Methods Of Teaching The Holocaust To Secondary Students As Implemented By Tennessee Recipients Of The Belz-Lipman Holocaust Educator Of The Year Awards., Julie Patterson Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching the Holocaust is a challenging task. Not only do educators have a responsibility to impart the historical information surrounding these events, but issues of humanity are also an important part of the lessons. As of 2001, Holocaust education has been mandated by at least 6 states in the United States. At least 11 others, including Tennessee, have task forces or commissions responsible for promoting Holocaust education and providing professional development opportunities and materials for teaching such units. It is conceivable that additional states will enact legislation requiring Holocaust studies.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore methods …

Aftermath, Emily Frances Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My work is an attempt to express some of the deepest emotions held within myself; truths that seem to flow straight from my unconscious to the surface through forms that are raw, powerful, ambiguous, mysterious, emotional, and pure. In my paintings, I am dealing with the aftermath of rape.

In my paintings, I combine content with complex studio processes by using the figure, limited watercolor palette, expressive mark making, and a distressed surface.

Bridging The Gap Between Medical Science And Communication: An Interpretive Analysis Of Messages Portrayed On Endometriosis Websites., Lakesha Nichole Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined women's health messages found on ten endometriosis websites. Qualitative research methods were used to investigate messages available via Internet media about causes and treatments of endometriosis, particularly as they relate to the suggestion that hysterectomy and pregnancy are effective treatments. Messages about infertility, physician-patient communication, and accessibility were also examined. Findings indicate that the websites provided similar messages regarding the symptoms, causes, and treatments of endometriosis; results pertaining to infertility were mixed. Little information was available on methods of improving physician-patient communication. Most websites provided additional low-cost information while requiring minimal technological competency or additional software of …

Path Analysis Of Factors Affecting Student Outcomes And Continued Participation After Completing Alnu 1100 Basics Of Patient Care At East Tennessee State University., Melessia Dawn Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a causal analytic model for predictors of course outcomes and a second causal model for predictors of continued participation in post-secondary education. The demographic characteristics were compared for students who continued to participate in post-secondary education and those who did not continue to participate in post-secondary education after completing ALNU 1100 Basics of Patient Care at East Tennessee State University. The two models selected for testing were Henry and Basile’s (1994) “Decision Framework” for students’ decisions to continue participation, and Donaldson and Graham’s (1999) “Model of College Outcomes for Adults”, which focused …

Alternative Creatures For An Alternative Space: A Process Of Evolution., Celia Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the nature of the way body language and movement is perceived in the context of abstracted sculptures. The way these abstracted sculptures become creatures and the evolution thereof. It also explores the ways that concepts are altered in response to different media, evolving yet further.

Barriers To The Implementation Of The Oklahoma Learning Site Initiative., Robin L. Plumb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Oklahoma State Legislature and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have partnered to put forth an initiative to strengthen the state's intellectual power in hopes of preparing its citizens to compete in the global, knowledge-based economy of the 21^st Century. As a starting point for the Oklahoma Learning Site Initiative, the Oklahoma State Regents set forth two goals: (a) to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Oklahoma and (b) to improve Oklahoma's rankings on national economic indicators to achieve a condition in which Oklahoma's growth rate on national economic indicators is consistently above the …

Study Of The Excited-State Absorption Properties Of Polymethine Molecules, Richard Stanley Lepkowicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates excited-state nonlinearities in a series of polymethine dyes for the application of nanosecond optical limiting. Optical limiters are devices that for low intensity light exhibit a high linear transmittance, but for high intensity light strongly attenuate the incident radiation. These devices would serve to protect optical sensors from intense laser radiation by clamping the maximum energy allowed through an optical system below the damage threshold of the sensor. The search is ongoing for optical materials that are both broadband and have high damage thresholds to be effective materials for limiting applications. Polymethine dyes are promising compounds due …

The Effect Of Tourist Theft On Future Travel Decisions, Judith Lynn Holcomb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Past research has shown that theft is a prevalent crime against tourists. This study's purpose was to determine the effects of past incidents of personal theft on tourists' future decisions to travel by analyzing and comparing those who have experienced personal theft to those who heard of such incidents through personal accounts of friends or family. The findings, which were taken from a survey of 215 respondents, revealed that that experiencing personal theft, or knowing of someone who has, is not a deterrent for visiting a destination where the theft occurred. Results also showed that one aspect of theft that …

Molecular Typing Of Mycobacterial Isolates Cultured From The Tissue Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's Disease) Patients, Leanne M. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) in the etiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's Disease (CD), has been investigated. The fastidious characteristics and cross reactivity of MAP with other members in Mycobacteria have produced significant challenges in their detection and identification. In this two year pilot study, an array of three PCR molecular assays based on the detection of sequences from the16S rRNA, IS1245, and IS900 genes, belonging to members of the MAC, have been developed and optimized into a common protocol to be used as a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool regarding M. …

Morpheme Acquisition In Second Language Learners, Timothy Andrew Schuwerk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored morpheme acquisition in learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). Specifically, it looked at the development of eight selected individuals from Korea over the course of an intensive 8-week instruction program and tracked their acquisition of three specific English morphemes: indefinite articles used with singular count nouns, progressive -ing forms, and third person -s markers. The individuals were given an assessment test to place them at the correct level within the program prior to their selection for the study. The participants provided four sets of data in the form of writing samples at fixed intervals during …

Do You Have A Friend?: The Impact Of Personal Knowledge Of Someone With Aids On Attitudes Towards Aids, Leith Leonce Lombas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of attitudes towards those with AIDS is relatively recent. Most studies have examined attitudes concerning health and medical concerns. Little research has focused on attitudes toward social and behavior concerns. The few that have focused on such attitudes have employed relatively small samples collected primarily out of convenience. The studies that have used national samples have primarily addressed public policy issues. Using national data from the 1988 General Social Survey, this paper examines the effects of personal knowledge about the AIDS virus and other attitudinal variables on four dimensions of social and behavioral concern for those with AIDS …