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Novel Synthesis Techniques For Nanostructures., Romaneh Jalilian 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crystalline beta-Ga2O3 nanowires with two distinct morphologies have been synthesized through simple physical evaporation of Te doped GaAs powder in argon atmosphere. The structure of the nanowires was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, EDX, and raman spectroscopy. Nanowires as long as hundreds of micrometers with diameters in the range of 20-200 nm have been produced with a high yield. Absence of Tellurium in the nanowires indicates that the growth mechanism is not VLS based. The role of Tellurium in the growth process is not clear. Substitution of sulfur in place of tellurium resulted in similar nanostructures. One of the morphologies …

Probing The Properties Of The Second Coordination Sphere Of Biologically Relevant Metal Complexes Using Amide Function., Lionel E. Cheruzel 1976-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation deals with various imidazole compounds with emphasis on hydrogen bond interactions and weaker intermolecular forces. New amide functionalized polyimidazole metal binding pockets are able to form intramolecular six-membered hydrogen bonded rings with apical ligands bonded to the metal. The design of such ligands has been successful in the stabilization and characterization of mononuclear Cu-OH and Cu-OOH species. The end-on Cu-OOH species was characterized by UV-visible(band at 365 nm with e = 1500 M-1cm-1), EPR, ESI-MS and Raman spectroscopy (vO-O = 854 cm-1 which shifts by 46 cm-1 upon 18O substitution). Simple imidazole ligands were synthesized by general Mannich-type …

Juveniles' Attitudes Toward The Police As Affected By Prior Victimization., Joshua A. Hardin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze juveniles' attitudes toward the police and how their attitudes were affected by prior victimization and delinquency, controlling for race, gender, and city of residence. All variables used in this study came from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) data collected by Esbensen (1999). The analysis indicated that females held more favorable attitudes toward the police than males, Whites held more favorable attitudes toward the police than non-Whites, and juveniles living in small rural/suburban areas held more favorable attitudes than those living in large urban areas. The major finding of this study …

The Bully-Free School Zone Character Education Program: A Study Of Impact On Five Western North Carolina Middle Schools., Richard Alan Spurling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today's schools bullies have the power to be more tenacious, more vicious, and meaner than ever. We are all beginning to understand that victims of bullying are at a greater risk for depression, suicide, and hurting others through violent acts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate common threads of effective Bully-Free School Zone character education programs as perceived by administrators, teachers, and parents in five middle schools in Western North Carolina. Through this strategic inquiry, I attempted to determine if the views of administrators, teachers, and parents were consistent with published research on anti-bullying programs.

Specifically, …

Middle And High School Principals' Knowledge Of Discipline Provisions Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act In The Upper East Tennessee Region., Ginger R. Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine school principals’ knowledge of discipline provisions of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 and to determine what additional training opportunities may be needed to ensure that school systems in the upper East Tennessee region are in compliance under IDEA. As instructional leaders, it is imperative that principals understand their responsibilities and the importance of adhering to the legal obligations under IDEA. Principals who do not comply with the act not only deny students the education to which they are entitled but also expose the school system to costly litigation. …

Trends In Sophomore Students' Perceptions Of Academic Advising Services At East Tennessee State University., E. Renθe Chaffin Couch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine sophomore students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU as reported in fall 2002 and trends in sophomore students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU from 1994 to 2002. Four research questions and seven hypotheses were examined.

The ACT Survey of Academic Advising was the instrument used in this study. This survey was administered to ETSU sophomores enrolled in 2000-level English literature classes during the fall semesters of 1994, 1998, and 2002. Data obtained from the survey regarding topics of discussion with advisors, satisfaction with assistance received, and impressions of advisors were analyzed …

Freedom Now!: Four Hard Bop And Avant-Garde Jazz Musicians' Musical Commentary On The Civil Rights Movement, 1958-1964., Lucas Aaron Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examined musical recordings from the jazz idiom that relate to events or ideas involved in the Civil Rights Movement during the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s. The study focused on the four following musicians' recordings: Charles Mingus, Fables of Faubus; Sonny Rollins, The Freedom Suite; Ornette Coleman, Free Jazz; and John Coltrane, A Love Supreme. The study relies primarily on the aforementioned recordings, critics analysis of those recordings, and events that took place during the Civil Right Movement.

The study concludes that these recordings are not only commentary about ideas and events but …

Inducing Knowledge By Enduring Experience: The Function Of A Postmodern Pragmatic Aesthetic In Linda Montano's "Living Art"., Alisa Anne Brandenburg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Has Modernism Failed? (1984), Suzi Gablik calls for a postmodern art that has preserved the values that modernism lost over the 20th century, stating that only through "direct knowing" may we be shocked out of art-for-art's-sake. In Art As Experience (1934), John Dewey similarly proposes that "thinking is a kind of doing," recommending an instrumental art in one's drive to better him/herself.

Contemporary artist Linda Montano challenges the status quo by exploring the nature of art beyond its material value. In her Living Art performances (1970-1986), Montano creates a postmodern pragmatic aesthetic that is conducive to the unique …

The Meaning Of The Moment: A Collection Of Short Stories., Jonathan David Benton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis consists of three short stories in very different genres but tied together by a intensely personal look at the lives of its protagonists culminating in epiphanies. One of these epiphanies is intended solely for the reader, but in two cases, the reader and character gains the insight. “The Tears of Angels” looks at the effect one person in a moment, even a stranger, can have on the protagonist’s life. “Climbing Heaven and Gazing on Earth” focuses on the haunting power of history and the need we as humans can feel to share a story, to make sense of …

A Reconstruction Of Moreau Chambers' 1937 Excavation Of A Chickasaw Village In Northeastern Mississippi, Ladonna F. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An analysis of the archival data relating to the earliest professional investigation of a Chickasaw village site was done in order to reconstruct the excavation and place the artifacts in their appropriate context. A progress report written near the beginning of the project, excavation photographs with annotations and catalogue entries for the primary documentation were available to begin reconstruction. The original field notes have been lost but there were a limited amount of data that were abstracted from them by an earlier researcher. Although an overview of the excavations was derived, there was not sufficient data to allow the reconstruction …

Genome-Wide Analysis Of Gene Expression Changes In Drosophila Melanogaster With Variable Sensitivity To Mptp, Xinyu Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treated mice and monkeys have been widely used as models for the study of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The similarities between the toxic action of MPTP in PD animal models and the occurrence of dopamine (DA) neuron degeneration in human mutant a-synuclein transgenic fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) suggested that the fruit fly may share the same toxic response to MPTP as primates and planaria. We have hypothesized that relative sensitivity to MPTP in the fruit fly may represent a correlate to genetic predisposition to developing PD in human. Using the MPTP survival test for selection of insensitive flies and …

The Java Cog Kit Grid Desktop : A Simple And Central Approach To Grid Computing Using The Graphical Desktop Paradigm., Pankaj R. Sahasrabudhe 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grid computing is evolving as a service based, flexible and secure resource sharing environment. Currently, with the help of Grid middleware toolkits, Grids are exposing their services through programming models and command line interfaces, requiring much technical knowledge of the backend Grid systems. Grid portals also exist, but fall short on integrating with native environments and maintaining a uniform user interface from portal to portal. In order to gain wider acceptance within the large and less technical oriented user communities, we need a homogeneous graphical user environment that supports the challenging task of providing Grid users an easy to use, …

Authentic Versus Tourist : Reexamining A Collection Of West African Art In Light Of New Debates And Old Ambiguities, Sarah Joy Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The issues in defining, describing, and ultimately displaying “authentic” West African traditional art in the museum environment are often wrought with arbitrary distinctions concerning aesthetic value, artistic intention, and function in a ritual atmosphere. I examine a West African art collection, the Fulton-Meyer Collection, at the University of Mississippi Museums, and identify these works of art in terms of contemporary criteria found in both ethnographic and art history texts for specific tribal and ethnic affinities. I compare works deemed “authentic” and those that meet the tourist art criteria. I explore the reasons for these distinctions, and apply the contemporary studies …

The Interrelationships Of Parent Rural Values, Parent Religiosity, Parent Involvement, And Student Outcomes In A Small, Southern, Rural Middle School., E. Carolyn Tucker 1949-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of 109 students and their parents from a small rural, middle school community in Western Kentucky. It seeks to determine the interrelationships between conservative Protestant Parent Values (Parent Rural Values and Parent Religiosity), Parent Involvement, and Student Outcomes. For the mixed-methods study, mail-administered Parent and Student Surveys provide quantitative data. Interviews, document analysis, and participant-observer field notes are utilized to supplement statistical findings. Ten Research Questions reflect Demographic Factors (Socioeconomic Status, Family Structure, and Specifically Designed Instruction), Independent Variables (Parent Values--Rural Values and Parent Religiosity), Mediating Factor (Parent Involvement), and the Dependent Variable (Student …

Cases Of University Faculty Conceptions And Practices Of Teaching, Assessment And Action Research., Carol Dianne Raubenheimer 1959-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conceptions of teaching and learning held by faculty in higher education broadly reflect two dominant approaches, those that are teacher-focused and content oriented, and those that are student-focused and learner oriented (Entwistle, Skinner, Entwistle & Orr, 2000). Conceptions of teaching may be reflected in the pedagogical choices and practices of instructors, but this has not been well established at college level. Thus, an examination of such conceptions may advance the understanding of good teaching at the college level (Fernandez-Balboa & Stiehl, 1995). Using a case study approach this research (a) examined conceptions of teaching and learning, assessment, and action research …

Internet-Based Courses: Observations Of Faculty Developers/Teachers And Students With Disabilities At 4-Year Public Institutions In Tennessee., Janet Mcdaniel Keener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study will be to identify important factors that should be considered by faculty members at selected public institutions of higher education as they plan, design, develop, implement, and evaluate Internet-based courses, in order to make the courses responsive to the needs of students with disabilities. In addition, the study will explore perceptions of students with disabilities in terms of Internet-based courses offered at their institutions. A total of 17 faculty developers/teachers and 7 students with disabilities were interviewed. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data.

The significance of this study lies within the legal and …

A Characterization Of Micromanipulator Controlled Dry Spinning Of Micro- And Nanoscale Polymer Fibers., Scott Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No current microfabrication technique exists for producing room-temperature, high-precision, point-to-point polymer nanofibers in three dimensions. Producing rounded structures in a third dimension is particularly difficult to accomplish with conventional planar microfabrication techniques. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to characterize a novel method for fabricating such structures. In this investigation, PMMA micro- and nano-fibers have been fabricated using a technique which involves drawing a solvated polymer bridge between two liquid pools with a stylus positioned by an ultra-high-precision micromill. The solvent in the solution bridge rapidly evaporates, leaving a suspended PMMA fiber between the two pools. In order to …

Web Based Evaluation Of Material Handling Alternatives For Automated Manufacturing : A Parallel Replications Approach., John B. Casebier 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project describes the application of a master/slave configuration of processors to study a comparison of alternative material handling configurations for automated manufacturing. Such a study usually requires a large number of simulation replications, and carrying out those replications on a multi-processor platform can yield a significant savings in elapsed time. The objective of this study is to develop such a platform. In the present application, a parallel replication simulation system is developed to foster simultaneous processing. This system utilizes two separate applications to facilitate communication between master and slave computers. Additionally, the "master" and "slave" or "client" applications …

Developing A Database For Genbank Information., Nathan Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The thesis project, Gene Database, was done to create a way for the bioinformatics research group at the University of Louisville to have access to GenBank EST information in the form of a database. This database allows for a programmable front end to be used to conduct further research with the use of EST information. The database backend used is Oracle and was populated through a custom Java program. The loader was created in lieu of using Oracle's SQL*Loader because of the limitations in SQL*Loader. Previous ways of accessing the GenBank information included downloading the compressed files and using them …

Childhood Experiences Of Appalachian Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence During Adulthood., Amy L. Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent national surveys in the United States estimate one in five females will experience abuse by an intimate partner during her lifetime. Previous quantitative research linked childhood victimization to repeated victimization in adult relationships. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of childhood in eight female victims of intimate partner violence who were born and reared in southern Appalachia. Interviews were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretative phenomenological method, as described by Van Manen. The three essential themes from childhood were identified as: living 'as if' an orphan; surviving in chaos; and, manifesting a devalued self. These themes were congruent with findings …

Where Do They Fit In?: The Perceptions Of High School Students, Parents, And Teachers Regarding Appropriate Educational Placements For Children With High Incidence Disabilities., Annette Marie Tudor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) calls for the education of children with special needs in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Interpretation of what constitutes the Least Restrictive Environment has led to debate about how best to include children with disabilities into regular education environments. The process of inclusion has created an environment in which educators have conflicting feelings about the various types of special education placements. At one extreme are those who advocate all students belong in the general classroom all the time. At the other end of the continuum are those that contend …

Correlating Technology Surveys And Third- And Fifth-Grade Proficiency Levels In Math And Reading Throughout Tennessee., Gary L. Lilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used two different sets of data collected through two distinct means during the 2002-2003 school year. To fulfill the federal accountability requirements related to the distribution of monies known as EdTech (2002), the Tennessee State Department of Education required every school within districts that accepted the formula EdTech funds to complete an online survey called the EdTech Tennessee Online Technology Evaluation or E-TOTE. The E-TOTE survey collected information on a variety of topics related to educational technology including questions about teaching and learning, educators' preparation and development, infrastructure, and equipment counts. The other set of data came from …

Papain: A Novel Urine Adulterant., David Burrows

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The estimated number of employees in the United Stated screened annually for illicit drugs is approximately 20 million, with marijuana being the most frequently abused drug. Urine adulterants provide an opportunity for illicit drug users to obtain a false negative result on commonly used primary drug screening methods such as the Fluorescence Polarized Immunoassay (FPIA) technique. Typical chemical adulterants such as nitrites are easily detected or render the urine specimen invalid as defined in the proposed federal guidelines for specimen validity testing based on creatinine, specific gravity and pH. Papain is a cysteine protease with intrinsic ester hydrolysis capability. The …

Risk Perceptions Of Adults In The Town Of Unicoi, Tennessee, Regarding The Possible Building Of A Uranium Enrichment Plant., Shannon Kathleen Sellards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A prolonged siting controversy for a uranium enrichment facility has occurred in the Town of Unicoi, Tennessee. One hundred-seventy residents of Unicoi were interviewed using a questionnaire regarding the building of a proposed uranium enrichment facility for Unicoi. The questionnaire sought to determine relationships between residents’ risk perceptions and 18 variables. When the Fisher’s exact procedure was applied at α< 0.05, the results indicated several associations. Odds ratio measured the strength of association. Results are reported as crude measures of association. Risk perceptions were influenced by the choice of possible locations for the facility [p=0.0003; OR=32.6]. Residents' risk perceptions were associated with a history of working with nuclear materials [p=0.0476; OR=3.2]. Finally, risk perceptions were associated with residents' beliefs that the nuclear facility would affect their health [p=0.0001; OR=18.8]. These results are discussed in light of risk perception and communication theories.

Perceived Indicators Of Support Leading To The Successful Attainment Of The National Board For Professional Teaching Standards Certification., Richard W. Bales

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been limited research completed to identify supports or supporting behaviors that assisted candidates while they were completing the national board certification process. Identifying support factors that assisted national board certified teachers to the successful completion of the process was the primary focus of this study.

A qualitative research method was used to interview national board certified teachers, their teaching colleagues, and their administrators. Questions were posed from the interview guides developed for each of the three targeted groups. Information derived from the interviews focused on the perceived supports that lead to the successful attainment of the national board …

Facilitators And Barriers To Incorporating Students With Disabilities In The General Education Classroom At The Secondary Level: A Study Of Teacher Perceptions., David L. Burgin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of incorporating students with disabilities in the general education classroom is driven by parents and advocates of children with disabilities. The push has been to educate all children in the least restrictive environment (LRE), changing the role of general education teacher from a subject matter specialist to include the responsibility of educating students with a wide range of special needs. While most agree that educating children with disabilities in the general education classroom alongside their non-disabled peers is better than excluding them from academic and social opportunities, general educators have been a noticeably absent voice in regards to …

Sexuality And Power In Elizabeth Inchbald's A Simple Story., Michelle Martini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Simple Story is controversial because of Inchbald's seemingly conflicting statements about women's "proper" education and because the most powerful character in the novel openly defies social norms. Miss Milner, the heroine of the first half of A Simple Story, overtly displays her sexuality and uses it to gain control of men. Her guardian Dorriforth, a Catholic priest, attempts to repress her sexual power. Miss Milner dies in exile, but Inchbald rewards her by saving her from a marriage in which her husband subdues her sexuality. Contrarily, Miss Milner's daughter Matilda represses her sexuality and conforms to eighteenth-century standards …

A Blending Of Purpose: The Juxtaposition Of Functional And Aesthetic Qualities In Pots Of Use., Jessica Lindsay Decker-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis supports the Master of Fine Arts exhibition entitled A Blending of Purpose at East Tennessee State University, Carroll Reece Museum, Johnson City, Tennessee, November 4 – 22, 2004. It discusses the artist’s desire to create exceptionally crafted functional work which focuses on both compelling aesthetics and strong utilitarian considerations. Topics include the artistic validity of functional works, aesthetic and functional qualities, tactile sensation as a consideration, machine-made works versus hand-made works, a characteristic described as the Life Quality, and the piece’s completion in use.

The artist examines her influences including work ceramists Dan Finnegan, Nick Joerling and …

Building A Model Of Campus Diversity: An Organization-As-The-Individual Based Approach, Ian Spencer Ray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diversity is a vital concept when engaging with modern social science research and among higher education practitioners. Despite the pervasive discourse surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, quantification of diversity remains a challenge across the social sciences. This study proposes a new conceptual framework, applies the framework to the quantification of diversity and measurement of its impacts. Further, this study demonstrates the robustness of the new conceptual framework alongside the positive impacts of diversity on institutional outcomes.

The Organization-As-The-Individual (OATI) framework arises from an integration of the social and biological sciences. The framework argues that humans, as biological organisms, …

Examining Multisystem Coordination In Response To Stressors In Early Childhood, Tiffany Phu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a set of two studies that investigate linkages between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) in response to a stressor paradigm among young children experiencing low-income. Contextual/child factors that shape multisystem physiologic coordination were also examined. A novel application of structural equation modeling was used to model sample-by-sample linkages between salivary analytes that indexed HPA axis and SNS functioning (respectively, salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase [sAA]). The preschoolers in Study 1 showed linkages between salivary cortisol and sAA across a novel research visit at their childcare center that included a stressor paradigm. Child …