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The Marriage Effect : An Intergenerational Analysis Of Marijuana Desistance., Rachel Coonce 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis takes a gendered look at the criminological age-graded theory of informal social control, which posits that social bonds are strongly influential in curbing crime and deviance over the course of an individual's life. However, the theory was based on an all-male sample and is therefore not as applicable to women. It is likely that social bonds for men and women have evolved differently over the course of the last century and it is therefore the goal of this study to analyze how these changes are operating within this informal social control theory. Specifically, this paper analyzes marriage and …

Discovering Domestic Cemeteries : History, Preservation, And Education., Savannah Leigh Darr 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historic cemeteries and graveyards hold the history of the people and community in which they were built. The inscriptions, iconography, and epitaphs on gravemarkers provide insight into the family, religion, social status, and culture of those interred within a specific cemetery or graveyard. They are primary resources for historical research, as some of the information on a gravemarker may not be found anywhere else. Few scholars have recognized the value of small domestic graveyards, which typically have fewer interments and tend to be more isolated in location. For these reasons, domestic graveyards are the most fragile and their preservation is …

Zif-8 : Novel Catalytic Material For The Conversion Of Co2 To Cyclic Carbonates., Minqi Zhu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effective utilization of CO2 as a renewable raw material for the production of useful chemicals is an area of great interest. There are several motivations for producing chemicals from CO2 whenever possible: (1) CO2 is a cheap, non-toxic and nonflammable feedstock that can frequently replace toxic chemicals such as phosgene or isocyanates; (2) CO2 is a totally renewable feedstock compared to oil or coal; (3) the production of chemicals from CO2 can lead to totally new materials such as polymers; (4) new routes to existing chemical intermediates and products could be more efficient and economical than current methods; and …

Knitting As Art., Deborah Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hand knitting is my chosen technique for making art. Because knitting is traditionally thought of as craft, my work must overcome several obstacles in order to be valued as art. First, objects made using craft techniques and materials are often functional; even when it is not, we view them as such and value them less than art. Second, the materials and techniques used for knitting are not traditional fine art materials. This has changed; process and materials are what much contemporary art is about. Yet the bias against craft techniques and materials persists. Finally, knitting is viewed as woman's work …

Anxiety In Children With Williams Syndrome : Association With Negative Reactivity, Self-Regulation, And Sensory Modulation., Nicole A. Crawford-Zelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a submicroscopic deletion of approximately 25 genes on chromosome 7q11.23 (Hillier et al., 2003). This genotype is associated with a characteristic set of phenotypic features including mild to moderate intellectual disability, a distinctive cognitive profile, facial dysmorphology, common personality traits, cardiovascular problems, and connective tissue disorders (Morris, 2010). In addition, behavioral difficulties such as anxiety symptoms (e.g., Leyfer, Woodruff-Borden, & Mervis, 2009), negative reactivity (e.g., Davies, Udwin, & Howlin, 1998), problems with self-regulation (e.g., Woodruff-Borden, Kistler, Henderson, Crawford, & Mervis, 2010), and sensory modulation difficulties (e.g., John & Mervis, 2010) are …

Face Recognition Using Statistical Adapted Local Binary Patterns., Abdallah Abd-Elghafar Mohamed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biometrics is the study of methods of recognizing humans based on their behavioral and physical characteristics or traits. Face recognition is one of the biometric modalities that received a great amount of attention from many researchers during the past few decades because of its potential applications in a variety of security domains. Face recognition however is not only concerned with recognizing human faces, but also with recognizing faces of non-biological entities or avatars. Fortunately, the need for secure and affordable virtual worlds is attracting the attention of many researchers who seek to find fast, automatic and reliable ways to identify …

Pyruvate Carboxylase Is Upregulated In Nsclc To Support Proliferation And Anabolism., Katherine Sellers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the number one cause of cancer-related death and, like all cancers, requires metabolic reprogramming to support the energetic and biosynthetic demands of the tumor cells to proliferate and survive the tumor microenvironment. This dissertation sought to uncover novel metabolic dysfunctions in NSCLC that may lead to new, targeted therapeutic strategies. To this end, a stable isotope-resolved metabolomics approach was used to study NSCLC in human patients in vivo, in cell culture, and in mouse xenograft tumors. This approach involves treating biological samples with tracers containing stable isotopes, such as 13C6-glucose, and monitoring the incorporation …

Comparison Of Temperamental Rating Bilingually In Ukraine Using Child Behavioral Questionnaire (Cbq): Short Form, Nelly Ostrovsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2 goals of the present investigation were to 1) examine the reliability of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire: Short Form (CBQ) in a sample of 4-7 year-old children from the Ukraine and 2) compare those children’s temperament profiles to a) one another when the form was administered in 2 different languages and b) their American counterparts from the CBQ standardization sample. Three waves of data were collected from the parents of 167 children residing in Kiev, Ukraine. Internal reliability analyses showed good internal consistency of the instrument. Comparative analyses conducted both within and between cultures showed similarities and differences across …

An Improved Thin-Film Microelectrode Array And Signal Conditioning Board For Measuring Cardiac Surface Potentials., Christopher Hayward Osborne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work outlined in this thesis expanded on previous work to improve a thin-film microfabricated electrode array intended for cardiac electrophysiology studies. A thin layer of silver was added in between titanium and platinum electrical trace layers to reduce electrode resistance. A 200 nm layer of silver decreased electrode resistance by an order of magnitude. In addition, a new high quality signal conditioning board was developed using precision operational amplifiers from Texas Instruments. Both new sensor and board design were verified together through in vivo studies using rabbit, goat, and dog hearts.

Retention Strategies For Medical Technologists: Addressing The Shortages And Vacancies In The Clinical Laboratory, Kathy S. Small

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is important to have well-trained and qualified laboratory professionals. Seventy percent of patient care is based on decisions made from laboratory results, yet there is a growing shortage of medical technologists. Although some baby boomers are delaying retirement, worsening of the shortage crisis is inevitable. Retention of medical technologists has become more important than recruitment. The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate innovative retention strategies used by clinical laboratory managers throughout the United States.

A significant finding of this study was the lack of qualified medical technologists entering the ranks of laboratory managers. This study identified …

The Mediating Effect Of Homework Between Self-Regulated Learning And Science Achievement., Matthew D. Kingsley 1968-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Homework has been shown to have a significant, positive effect on student achievement and grades, particularly at the secondary level (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006). However, homework completion and its effect on grades is controlled within the realm of the student and its success as a learning strategy depends on many things including the students’ interest in the subject, their confidence, the time they have to complete it, gender and other factors within the home such as parent education level and parent involvement (Trautwein & Ludtke, 2007; J. Xu, 2007; J. Xu, Corno, Lyn, 2006). Through the work of Eccles …

Synthesis Of Resveratrol Ester Derivatives, Daniel Ressler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to synthesize derivatives of transresveratrol. In order for resveratrol to be activated and used by the body it needs to bind to Human Serum Albumin (HSA), a protein in blood plasma. The derivatives were synthesized to improve the ability of resveratrol to enter cells as well as improve their ability to bind to HSA. The three derivatives that were synthesized have converted one of the hydroxyl groups on resveratrol to an ether with a methylene chain terminated by a carboxylic acid. By varying the lengths of the methylene chain we varied the water …

Women, Feminism, And Aging In Appalachia, Sherry Kaye Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aging has become a problem for men and women in Western societies where youth is touted and revered as a standard of success by which individual value is measured and esteemed. Older women in particular find that as they age they face discrimination in the form of ageism and social diminution. The purpose of the study is to remedy a lack of scholarship on aging in Appalachia and to establish a precedent for future studies. A liberal, feminist approach is used to analyze the results of recorded interviews and to interpret transcripts of relevant data. The results of the analysis …

Students With Disabilities: Perspectives Of Regular Education Teachers Of Increased Inclusion, Mindy D. Myers Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion. The participants of this study were K-12 regular education teachers located in Tennessee’s First region. Specifically, this research explored (1) perceptions of the impact of inclusion on instructional strategies, (2) perceived level of preparedness to effectively teach students with disabilities (3) professional development needs of regular education teachers instructing students with disabilities, and (4) collaborative relationships between regular and special educators. The data sources analyzed consisted of a survey design using a 4-point Likert scale. Each research question had a corresponding null hypothesis. Each research question …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A New Cyano-Substituted Tris(Pyrazolyl)Borate And Its Thallium(I) Complex, Bozumeh Som

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A new cyanoscorpionate - tris(4-cyano-3,5-diphenylpyrazolyl)borate (Tp^Ph2,4CN) has been synthesized and characterized. The thallium complex of this ligand TlTp^Ph2,4CN has also been prepared and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and single-crystal X-ray-diffraction. The complex TlTp^Ph2,4CN crystalized in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell a = 14.6697(10) Å, b = 13.9493(10) Å, c = 19.3347(12) Å, and b= 91.761(2)°. Structural comparison of TlTp^Ph2,4CN with analogous complexes demonstrated the effects of both steric and electron-withdrawing substituents on coordination geometry and the electronic properties of the metal ion. There were short contacts between the cyano groups …

Actively Caring About The Actively Caring Survey: Evaluating The Reliability And Validity Of A Measure Of Dispositional Altruism, Philip Randall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geller’s Actively Caring Survey (ACS) was theorized to measure person states deemed necessary to “Actively Care” or act altruistically toward others. Empirical research of the ACS has been limited, and this researcher sought to evaluate its reliability, validity, and factorial consistency. Undergraduate students (n = 1,095) completed the measure online. Hypotheses were partially supported. Unrotated primary component analysis found the ACS to be a unitary measure with 73.3% of the items loading onto the first factor. The ACS showed excellent internal consistency. Convergent and divergent validity with existing measures (i.e., the Big 5 Personality, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability, Cognitive Failures …

Identification And Characterization Of Genetic Factors Involved In Candida-Bacterial Interactions, Sean J. Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout existence, fungi and bacteria have long shared ecological niches and thus engage in numerous interactions to mutually enhance survival or antagonistically gain competitive advantages. Of importance to human health are those interactions that involve bacteria with the opportunistic fungi, Candida albicans. An important virulence factor of C. albicans is the ability to control morphology, which allows the transition between yeast, pseudohyphal, and hyphal phenotypes. Morphological control in C. albicans is governed by quorum sensing and the secreted autoregulatory molecule farnesol. Quorum sensing allows individual cells to sense the environment and respond as a group. Bacteria also use quorum …

The Effects Of Family Structure On Juvenile Delinquency, Alisha B. Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies show that family structure is an important factor in explaining delinquency among adolescents (Price & Kunz, 2003). There is a lack of research, however, pertaining to cohabitation. The main goals of this study are to determine if there are variations in delinquency between cohabitating and other family types, and to examine the extent to which parental social control measures account for the variation in delinquency by family structure. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) are used for the purposes of this study (n = 4,389). While there are no significant differences in violent delinquency …

Youth And Family Based In-Home Services Program In Tennessee: Factors For Success, Craig S. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program offering comprehensive treatment that includes family therapy, mental health treatment and parenting skills for caregivers, development of positive social systems, and assistance with accessing community resources for long-term support (Youth Villages, 2013b). Framed on family system theory, Intensive-In Home Services (IIHS) was developed from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Social Development, and Crisis Intervention models as a means to modify behaviors that place youth at risk for out-of-home placement. The socio-historical development of these models is examined in the literature review.

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program …

An Examination Of The Inhibitory Effects Of Antibiotic Combinations On Ribosome Biosynthesis In Staphylococcus Aureus, Justin Beach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacteremia initiated by Staphylococcus aureus infections can be a serious medical problem. Although a number of different antibiotics are used to combat staphylococcal infections, resistance has continued to develop. Combination therapy for certain infections has been used to reduce the emergence of resistance when a single agent has become ineffective. We hypothesize that the use of rifampicin and ciprofloxacin in combination with azithromycin, known for its inhibitory effects on the bacterial ribosome, can create potential synergistic effects resulting from indirect effects on ribosomal subunit synthesis.

To determine this we measured the effects of single and multiple antibiotics on cell growth …

Methylphenidate Conditioned Place Preference In Juvenile And Adolescent Male And Female Rats, Elizabeth D. Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation was an analysis of the effects of methylphenidate (MPH; trade name: Ritalin) on drug reward using the conditioned place preference (CPP) behavioral paradigm in a rodent model and underlying mechanisms of this effect. Animals were conditioned in adolescence from postnatal day (P)33-39) or P44-49 with saline, 1 or 5 mg/kg MPH. Rats administered 5 mg/kg but not 1 mg/kg MPH, resulted in a significant preference that was more robust in younger male adolescent rats. The 5 mg/kg dose of MPH also resulted in a significant decrease of the dopamine transporter in both the nucleus accumbens and striatum, revealing …

Co2 Capture On Porous Adsorbents Containing Surface Amino Groups, Odette Amana Esam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The potential impact of carbon dioxide as a major source of global warming has led to extensive research in order to mitigate the greenhouse effect. In this work, four adsorbents were synthesized and studied. The adsorbents were obtained by grafting and sol-gel of amino-containing molecules such as bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine as monoamine and [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]- trimethoxysilane as diamine on the surface of silica gel. CO2 passed through adsorbents at room temperature for its capture, then desorbed at moderate heating, and stored in the form of insoluble BaCO3. The adsorbent synthesized by sol-gel synthesis was found to be more efficient due to its high …

“Between The Dream And Reality”: Divination In The Novels Of Cormac Mccarthy, Robert A. Kottage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Divination is a trope Cormac McCarthy employs time and again in his work. Augury, haruspicy, cartomancy, voodoo, sortition and oneiromancy all take their places in the texts, overtly or otherwise, as well as divination by bloodshed (a practice so ubiquitous as to have no formal name). But mantic practices which aim at an understanding of the divine mind prove problematic in a universe that often appears godless—or worse.

My thesis uses divination as the starting point for a close reading of each of McCarthy’s novels. Research into Babylonian, Greek, Roman and African soothsaying practices is included, as well as the …

The Sustainability Of Agriculture In Nigeria Using Rubber As A Case Study, Owen Osahon Ogbebor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study is an investigation of the sustainability of agriculture in Nigeria using Rubber as case study. Edo and Abia states were sampled for the study with 300 questionnaires administered in 10 communities among rubber farmers. The study is an investigation of the socio-demographic distribution of the rubber farmers, perception of rubber farmers, and influence of government activities. Sources of information and the data were cumulated for Nigeria as a whole. The data were analyzed using statistical analysis.

Findings indicated the distribution of rubber farmers on socio-demographic distribution, sources of funds, and the effects on agricultural sustainability in Nigeria. Farmers’ …

New Insights Into The Roles Of Human Dna Damage Checkpoint Protein Atr In The Regulation Of Nucleotide Excision Repair And Dna Damage-Induced Cell Death, Zhengke Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Integrity of the human genome is frequently threatened by endogenous and exogenous DNA damaging reagents that may lead to genome instability and cancer. Cells have evolved multiple mechanisms to repair DNA damage or to eliminate the damaged cells beyond repair and to prevent diverse diseases. Among these are ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR)-mediated DNA damage checkpoint and nucleotide excision repair (NER) that are the major pathways by which cells handle ultraviolet C (UV-C)- or other exogenous genotoxin-induced bulky DNA damage. However, it is unclear how these 2 pathways may be coordinated. In this study we show that ATR physically interacts …

Development Of In Vitro Chylomicron Assay Using Caco-2 Cells, Yuxi Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dietary fats are mainly transported by the intestine in lipoproteins: chylomicrons (CMs) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs). Unfortunately, studies of the intestinal absorption of dietary fat have been hampered by the lack of an adequate in vitro model system. As an in vitro model Caco-2 cells are able to secrete lipoproteins. We investigated the possible factors that may affect the secretion of CMs through the ultracentrifugation technique. The dose-dependent effects of oleic acid, mono-olein, egg lecithin, collagen matrix, and the effect of cell differentiation on CM secretion were then tested. We found that oleic acid, lecithin, and cell differentiation …

A Comparison Of Perceptions And Implementation Of Shared Governance Between American And Chinese Higher-Education Institutions, Dianyu Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the status of institutional stakeholders’ perceptions and application of shared governance on an American higher education campus and a counterpart in China and determine if there were differences among the groups of stakeholders both within and between the institutions. A 2-inventory researcher-developed survey of shared governance was used to measure each factor.

The data analysis found significant differences among the 4 categories of participants at the Chinese institution. For the General Acceptance dimension of the Perceptions of Shared Governance Inventory (PSGI) the Chinese staff members reported significantly higher scores than all …

Perceived Barriers And Facilitators To Mental And Behavioral Health Screening And Treatment In Primary Care For Women In Northeast Tennessee, Sarah K. Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between one quarter and one third of all primary care patients meet criteria for at least one mental disorder. However, many women are not screened for mental disorders as recommended by the literature. Some studies suggest even lower rates of screening and treatment in rural areas. This researcher sought to identify barriers and facilitators to mental and behavioral health screening and treatment for women in primary care and solicit feedback on how to ameliorate perceived barriers. Given the limited extant data describing rural Appalachian women’s perceptions of barriers and facilitators to receiving mental health services an exploratory qualitative analysis was …

Becoming The Best Mom Or The Best Doctor? Gender Inequality And Medical Students’ Specialty Choice, Casey L. Lawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In anticipation of an expected national shortage of primary care physicians, 24 medical students from the East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine were selected through a snowball sample and participated in in-depth interviews. A major aim of the study was to explore the social and economic factors influencing students’ specialty choice and career interests. Students’ perceptions of “rural” environments, student debt, professional obligations, specialties, and preceptorship experiences were analyzed. Students’ gender heavily influenced their feelings about choosing a medical specialty, as did their stereotypes of physicians in particular medical fields. The thesis concludes with recommendations for challenging negative …

Investigating Potential Bioactive Compounds From Rhodococcus And Their Effects On Mcf7 Breast Cancer Cells, Megan N. Crabtree

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many drugs used in the treatment of various cancers are derived from or influenced by compounds from nature. The soil bacterium Rhodococcus is of interest because of its identified secondary metabolic pathways and the production of novel natural antibiotics from several strains. In this study, a solid agar extraction method was used to collect compounds from strains of Rhodococcus. These bacterial compound extracts were then tested using a MTT assay in order to evaluate their effectiveness in augmenting MCF7 breast cancer cell death. The results of two way ANOVA analyses revealed 18 compound extracts from 15 strains of Rhodococcus that …