Digital Commons Network^™

The Reality Of The Greene County School System Preschool Program., Kathryn E. Crumm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State funded preschool programs are recent phenomena in the United States and the state of Tennessee. The intent of the researcher was to explore the implementation of the preschool program in the Greene County Schools system and to develop a better understanding of the effects of this process at the classroom level. This study may provide significant information for other pre-k programs in the state of Tennessee or nationwide programs in partnership with Head Start.

The preschool program in the Greene County Schools system consisted of 16 classes with nine of the classes in partnership with Head Start and one …

A Longitudinal Study Of Fetal Tissue Transplantation Surgery For The Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease: Can Quality Of Life And Optimism At Baseline Predict Patient Outcome 10 Years Later?, Emily B. Fazio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive condition that affects the physical, emotional, and social functioning of individuals. Freed et al. (2001) conducted a double-blind sham-controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of fetal tissue transplantation for the treatment of advanced PD. The authors of that study examined the effects of the surgery across the dimensions of physical and neurological functioning. A quality of life (QoL) study was conducted to determine if there were differences in QoL when comparing those who received the fetal tissue transplantation with those who received the sham surgery (McRae et al., 2004).

While there is …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Conscientiousness, Self-Awareness, And Occupational Stress Outcomes In Culinary Chefs, Tanja M. Hinterstoisser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether, and to what extent, Conscientiousness, as part of the personality construct, and Self-Awareness, as part of the emotional intelligence construct, influence the occupational stress outcomes of absenteeism and burnout in culinary chefs. The research method and design selected for this study was a quantitative correlation and regression. The researcher selected the Self-Awareness factors from the ECI - 2.0, and the Conscientiousness factors from the NEO-FFI to measure the individual and interactive effect on absenteeism and burnout. The experience of burnout itself was measured the Maslach Burnout Inventory - GS, and absenteeism …

Assisted Living Facilities In Louisville Kentucky : A Case Study To Examine Aging In Place., James Luther Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the older adult population in the United States continues its accelerated growth, there is a growing concern about the long-term care options for these elders. While nursing homes are no longer desirable and costly for federal and state governments, viable alternatives are being sought to meet this need. The development and rapid expansion of the numbers of assisted living communities have grown as older adults, family caregivers and government bureaucrats are looking for lower cost options. How beneficial are assisted living communities for the older adults that live in them? Most older adults seek to avoid multiple moves to …

Sleep/Wake Activity And Energy Expenditure In Overweight And Obese Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients : A Pre- And Post-Cpap Comparison., Pamela A. Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Overweight and obesity is a major contributing factor in an estimated 70% of all obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) cases. Approximately five percent of the adult population has OSA, and the numbers continue to soar with the rising prevalence of obesity. As a primary therapy, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has demonstrated improvement in many comorbidities associated with both OSA and obesity. Although anecdotal and clinical references support increased energy, activity, and weight loss as a potential benefit of CP AP treatment, there remains little evidence to endorse CP AP as a significant weight-reduction measure for overweight and obese OSA patients. …

The Barriers And Enabling Factors To Public Health Advocacy Skills In Kentucky Local Health Departments., Joan Buchar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: One of the core functions of public health is to develop policies that support community and individual health. There are many historic examples in which public health practitioners have advocated successfully for policies that ultimately protected and improved populations' health. Prior research suggests that local health departments are not fully engaged in health policy advocacy, thereby missing opportunities to more effectively solve public health problems. Objective: To identify the barriers and enabling factors to advocacy in Kentucky local health departments. Methods: Kentucky health policymakers and advocates were interviewed to determine which advocacy skills were effective and appropriate for use …

The Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Polymorphisms And Risk Of Breast Cancer Among Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Women From The 4-Corners Breast Cancer Study : A Population-Based Case-Control Examination., Avonne Elish Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymorphisms in the adrenergic receptor beta-2 (ADRB2) gene have been studied in relation to risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity, but few studies have investigated associations with breast cancer. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the primary hypothesis that ADRB2 variants (rs1042713-Arg16Gly and rs1042714-Gln27Glu) are associated with breast cancer risk in non-Hispanic white (NHW) and Hispanic (H) women using data from a population-based case-control study conducted in the southwestern United States: 'The 4-Corners Breast Cancer Study'. A total of 1,244 NHW and 606 H cases with incident primary breast cancer were ascertained and 1,330 NHW and 728 …

Contribution Of The Rv1985c Transcriptional Regulator To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Intracellular Adaptation., Nicholas B. Wantland 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the often-fatal infectious disease Tuberculosis, and infects approximately one third of the world's population. Gaining a better understanding of how these bacteria regulate gene expression for intracellular survival will likely aid in developing ways to reduce disease. Studies of bacterial RNA expression in experimentally infected primary human macrophages indicated open reading frame Rv1985c, encoding a putative transcriptional regulator, may contribute to intracellular survival. Comparison of a strain constitutively expressing Rv1985c and the isogenic wildtype parent by array hybridization identified genes potentially regulated by Rv1985c. These included a group encoding factors likely relevant to cell wall remodeling, particularly …

Using Simulation Techniques To Improve The Client Flow Of The Kentucky Cabinet For Health And Family Services., Russell Edward Harpring

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The client flow of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is a complex process that deals with a high volume of clients on any given beginning half of the month. A simulation model of an average busy day in the system was built using the Arena Simulation package. Methods for creating a simulation using Arena are included in this work. Statistics were generated from a number of different sources to create an accurate representation of the model. The simulation model shows long wait times for clients coming into the system to receive benefits. Working with a state budget …

Employee Health And Fitness Programs Within Educational Settings: An Examination Of Job Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, Jennifer Lea Malouff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are at the frontline of education and student learning; districts and schools are investigating innovated, yet cost-effective, ways to positively address organizational variables such as job satisfaction and immediate intent to stay. The implementation of employee health and fitness program could be a relatively simple way to not only address these issues but also positively impact the health and overall well-being of all employees. Even with the supporting research regarding employee health and fitness programs, gaps and contradictions still exist; future research is necessary in order to draw conclusions regarding program value and justification. The present study therefore sought …

Parental Involvement: Parent Perceptions And Teacher Perceptions., Penelope Odum Herrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding effective parental involvement with elementary students based on Epstein et al.'s (2009) 6 typologies of parental involvement. The population consisted of 77 teachers in a particular east Tennessee school district and the parents of 889 students enrolled in kindergarten through 6^th grade. Parents and teachers were asked to indicate the effectiveness of 4 activities within each of the 6 parental involvement categories: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Parents and teachers were asked to rank each activity …

Religious Commitment As A Predictor Of Lower Blood Pressure In High-Risk Pregnancies Of Southern Appalachia., Anna Vadimovna Ermakova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive literature review inspired a mediational model of the relationship between Religiosity/Spirituality (R/S) and Blood Pressure (BP) tested through secondary analyses of data from the TIPS program. Participants included 205 (92.1% Caucasian; age M=23.72, SD=5.33) pregnant Southern Appalachian women drawn from the region's at-risk pregnancy population. The only variables correlated with BP were women's weight (r=.430, r=.467, p<.01, for diastolic and systolic BP, respectively) and prenatal care use (r=.138, p<.05, with diastolic BP), but not R/S. Multiple regression analyses confirmed participant weight as the only significant independent predictor of BP. Previous findings of health benefits of R/S cannot be assumed to generalize to pregnant women without further study. Limitations of this study and possible explanations for the findings are discussed.

The Acculturation Of Sudanese Refugees In Maryville Tennessee: Has Self-Sufficiency Been Achieved?., Caitlin Ts Teaster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2000, a small group of refugees from Sudan were sponsored by three local churches in Maryville, Tennessee. The churches worked with the Bridge Organization in order to orchestrate the refugees' departure from Africa to Maryville. At the time of their sponsorship, it was believed that the Sudanese population in Maryville would be self-sufficient within two years of arrival. This study uses one-on-one, open-ended interviews and a paper-pencil questionnaire with the Sudanese population and a focus group with the American sponsors to assess the extent that the Sudanese refugee population in Maryville has become self-sufficient. While individual success depends on …

A Study Of Persistence In The Northeast State Community College Health-Related Programs Of Study., Allana R. Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that were positively associated with persistence to graduation by students who were admitted to Health-Related Programs leading to the degree associate of applied science at Northeast State Community College. The criterion variable in this study was persistence, which was categorized into two groups the persister group (program completers) and the nonpersister (program noncompleters) group. The predictor variables included gender, ethnic origin, first- (or nonfirst-) generation-student status, age, specific major program of study, number of remedial and/or developmental courses taken, grades in selected courses (human anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Achievement As Measured By North Carolina Reading And Math End-Of-Grade Tests., Wayne M. Eberle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers continue to experience an increased sense of responsibility as it relates to job performance while still being required to produce at the same level with relation to student performance. This can cause an increase in personal stress and result in lowered feelings of self- worth, having a negative impact on service delivery to children and overall job performance.

Bandura (1997) defined self-efficacy as a judgment of one's ability to organize and execute given types of performances. Furthermore, he suggests that the outcomes people anticipate depend largely upon their judgments of how well they will be able to perform in …

An Examination Of Third And Fourth Grade Tcap Scores And The Universal Breakfast Program In Unicoi County Tennessee., Harold Lamar Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of standardized test scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) of students enrolled in Unicoi County Schools, that offers a universal breakfast program, compared with mean scores of students in both public and private schools in the state of Tennessee during the 2007-2008 school year. Test results of 404 Unicoi County third and fourth graders were examined with only the mathematics and reading and language arts sections of the TCAP used in this research. The State means were calculated using data collected from TCAP mathematics and reading and language …

Flow Cytometric Analysis Of Crayfish Hemocytes., Sarah Kathryn Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crayfish exhibit innate immune responses via hemocytes and their products. There are 3 hemocyte populations: hyaline cells, granular cells, and semigranular cells. Hemocytes from laboratory housed, untreated crayfish (normal crayfish) have been quantified on the basis of cell type, cell size, and cell granularity using Flow Cytometry. These data present the first overall picture of normal hemocytes from Red Swamp Crayfish with regard to cell type, cell size, and cell granularity and will serve as a baseline for all future studies in our lab. Experiments using crayfish injected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, or crayfish saline alone showed …

Comparative Study Of Reading First Schools Reading Achievement To Non-Reading First Schools., Wandaleen Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any significant increase in the reading achievement of Reading First third grade students compared to the reading achievement of the third grade reading students in Non-Reading First schools located in southwest Virginia for 2004-2009. The Standards of Learning (SOLs) reading test scores were compiled from the Virginia Standards of Learning test scores that are available to the public from the Virginia Department of Education website. The elementary schools chosen for this study have a similar number of disadvantaged students and similar demographics. The reading achievement was being examined after …

Knowledge-Sharing Networks Of Hospital-Based Infection Preventionists In Kentucky., Timothy Lee Wiemken 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Infection preventionists (IPs) have a multitude of tasks aimed at the prevention and control of infections in the healthcare setting. These tasks require a great deal of knowledge that has been more challenging to gain over the past decade due to the rapidly changing healthcare environment, the IPs' increasing numbers of duties, limited staffing, and a number of other issues. Because of these challenges, other mechanisms of rapid and efficient knowledge acquisition are needed for optimal job performance. One possible mechanism is knowledge sharing through social or professional networks. Objective: To examine the knowledge-sharing network structure of hospital-based IPs …

Delinquency : A Trajectory Analysis Of African-American Males., Wyatt Brown 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The initial goals of this study include locating and identifying the taxonomic groups mentioned in Moffitt's (1993) (i.e. life-course persistent offenders, adolescent-limited offenders) using data from the National Longitudinal Survey 1997 (NLSY97). Further, this study compares the social demographics with the predictions of Moffitt (1993,1994) as her theory describes race, particularity those of African-American offenders. This study also examines the role of parental and peer relationships and their effect on the offender disparity among the typologies defined by Moffitt (1993). This study explores one hypothesis: there is a relationship between social bonds, particularly peer association and admittance into Moffitt's (1993) …

Counter-Reformation Agenda In The Paintings Of The Virgin Mary., Sharon Lynne Heaphy 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the objectives of Counter-Reformation leaders as seen through the visual culture of the Virgin Mary in the time period. This study was completed by examining three paintings by three different artists: Federico Barocci, Madonna del Popolo, 1579; Guido Reni, Immaculate Conception, 1627; and Annibale Carracci, Assumption of the Virgin, 1592. Although these painters all embrace the Catholic ideology of the time, this study highlights the many differences that exist between them as a result of their individualized influences as artists. In order to accurately interpret the artworks and the complex Catholic doctrine presented, the evolution of the …

Requirement Of Ssdelseed-Motif Of Escherichia Coli F1FO Atp Synthase In Antimicrobial Peptide Binding., Junior Kom Tayou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

F₁F_O ATP synthase is a membrane bound enzyme capable of synthesizing and hydrolyzing ATP. Lately, α-helical cationic peptides such as melittin and melittin related peptide (MRP) were shown to inhibit E. coli ATP synthase. The proposed but unconfirmed site of inhibition is βDELSEED-motif formed by the residues 380-386, located at the interface of α/β subunit of ATP synthase. This project was a mutagenic analysis of βDELSEED-motif residues to understand the binding mechanism and mode of action of peptide inhibitors. The study addressed 2 main questions: Are the antibacterial/anticancer effects of these peptides related to their inhibitory action …

Sulforaphane Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatic Injury In Mice., Robin H. Schmidt 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, is known to confer antioxidant protection in vivo. Rather than directly reacting with free radicals, however, SFN works by inducing Nrf2, a transcription factor that binds to the promoter regions of several known antioxidant genes and enhances detoxification. Because oxidative stress is a major contributor to acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity, SFN may defend the liver against APAP overdose by activating the Nrf2 pathway and increasing endogenous antioxidant response. To test this hypothesis, mice were pre-treated with SFN for four days, injected with APAP on the fifth day, and sacrificed shortly thereafter. APAP overdose …

Perceptions Of Bermudian Leaders About The Philosophies, Major Purposes, And Effectiveness Of The Public School System In Bermuda Since 1987, Vincent Sinclair Williams Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a study of the perceptions, philosophies, purpose, and effectiveness of public education in Bermuda. It includes a purposeful sample of Bermuda leaders in education, government, business, and public life. I prepared a series of questions that I used as an interview guide to obtain the opinions of participants in the study. Most participants did not provide specific information about the official philosophy, major purposes, or specific educational outcomes of the public education system since its restructuring began in 1987. Many indicated their frustration about the lack of such basic data as enrollment, graduation, and dropout rates. Nearly all …

On The Cranial Osteology Of Eremiascincus And Its Use For Identification., William B. Gelnaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A persistent problem for Australian paleontology has been a lack of diagnostic characters for identifying lizard fossils. Eremiascincus is one of the most widespread genera in Australia, so it was examined for distinguishing features and how it fits into a model of skink evolution. Skulls of Eremiascincus were examined within five separate contexts: 1) a description of the cranial osteology, 2) a qualitative comparison of individual cranial elements of Eremiascincus to closely related Ctenotus, 3) a description of the cranial allometry in Eremiascincus using linear morphometrics, 4) using cranial morphometrics of skinks to deduce their phylogeny, and 5) using …

The Occurrence Of An Abdominal Fauna In An Articulated Tapir (Tapirus Polkensis) Recovered From The Miocene Gray Fossil Site Northeast Tennessee., Shannon M. Mcconnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of samples recovered from the abdominal area of an articulated tapir from the Late Miocene (4.5-7 million bp) Gray Fossil Site, revealed a rich palyno-fauna comprised of about 94% egg/oocyst-like structures and 6% pollen and other palynomorphs. In addition, a tight grouping of six hickory nuts (Carya) was recovered from the same area suggesting that the samples represent the abdominal contents. The analysis of a sample from immediately outside the tapir produced a sample with 98% pollen and less than 0.5% egg-like structures. The size, shape, and general morphology of egg-like structures were analyzed with light …

Female Genital Circumcision Social Indicators That Influence Attitudes On Abandonment Of Fgc In Nigeria, Joanna Eisele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than "100 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and more than three million girls are at risk for cutting each year on the African continent alone" (Population Reference Bureau 2009). The practice is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. Research has shown that reasons given for continuing the practice of FGC vary widely across cultural and social contexts. Little research has been conducted towards understanding and predicting attitudes toward FGC, which in turn can help inform program policy …

Molecular Analyses Of Changes Induced In The Microbial Populations Of Murine Colon After As(Iii) Exposure, Rishu Dheer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The gut microbiota is essential for mammalian health and metabolism. Thus identifying factors that influence the host microbiota is key to understanding the dynamic interplay between the host and its microbiota. Recent studies have shown the effect of chronic exposures of trivalent arsenic [As(III)] in environmentally relevant concentrations on host physiology, however, little is known of how it impacts the gut microbiota.

This study examined the hypothesis that environmentally relevant concentrations of As(III) in drinking water will directly affect the murine colon microbial composition and physiology. The colon microbial communities from 10 and 250 ppb of As(III) exposed mice were …

Nursing Homes' Compliance With State Nurse Staffing Standards And Its Relation To Quality-Of-Care Deficiencies, Seung Chun Paek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine nursing homes‟ compliance with state minimum nurse staffing standards and its relation to quality-of-care deficiencies. Specifically, this study, reviewing staffing standards from 50 states and the District of Columbia for the year 2007, proposes a unique algorithm to calculate the states‟ expected nurse staffing levels for individual nursing homes in order to investigate their compliance with the state nurse staffing standards. By using hierarchical linear modeling method, this study attempts to capture the impact of the staffing standards on actual nurse staffing levels under resource dependence perspectives. Path analysis using structural equation …

Family Involvement Within Assisted Living: Care-Receivers' And Caregivers' Roles And Relationships, Rachel Vineet Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family systems providing informal care and support to their aging relatives, who were residing in assisted living systems and receiving formal care were central to this study. A broader understanding of family involvement, with respect to exploring both care-receiver and caregiver roles and relationships, within the regulatory and environmental context of assisted living was sought through a qualitative research process. This study employed a phenomenological approach to conduct in-depth interview sessions with eight pairs of participants, comprising elderly residents in five assisted living facilities and their respective caregiving family members, typically a daughter or son and, in one case, a …