Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

The Cost Of Wisdom : A Comparative Theoretical Analysis Of Research Ethics In The United States, Germany And Hungary., Steven A. Drewry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a comparative theoretical analysis of human rights, research ethics and human subjects protection. The history of human rights is a long one, but for the sake of immediacy and focus, the author will limit the discussion to events pertaining to the last century and the beginning of a new one. Through a process of sociocultural review of significant human rights and scientific events pertinent to research involving human subjects, this work will examine the evolution of research ethics in the United States, Germany and Hungary. These nations are not intended to be representative of international research ethics …

The Design Of The Settings And Lighting For "Black Nativity"., Mark S. Krause

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The process of designing the settings and lighting for a show is an adventure; it's a story that has the normal components of any good story, a beginning, middle and end. There is tension, conflict, climax and resolution. It contains characters who love what they are doing and who have a passion to see the end product be as good as it can possibly be. A thesis, on the other hand, can tell only part of that story. My objective is to create a record of parts of the adventure, so that others maybe guided by the lessons I learned …

Leading Before, During, And After A Major Organizational Transition., Charles Davis Mccowan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This was a qualitative, multiple-site case study that examined the leadership styles before, during, and after a major organizational transition. The purpose of the study was to determine if a major organizational transition affected the leadership styles of organizational leaders. It also sought to determine how the major organizational transitions affected the climate and the culture of the three organizations studied.

The participants for this multiple-site case study were a hospital, a manufacturing plant, and a public library in Central Ohio. The organizational leaders were chosen because they had gone through a major organizational transition in the previous two years. …

Variants Of Volunteerism Among Mature Adults Within Communities Of Northeast Tennessee., Martha Wilcox Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A purposive study conducted among mature adults aged 55 and older in Northeast Tennessee examined variants of volunteerism as well as volunteer needs of agencies and organizations and what percent of volunteers in those agencies fall within the specified age group. Mature volunteers in the region match profiles of other studies -- predominantly white, married, homeowners, who are protestant, females with educational levels beyond high school, and who have income levels above the regional average. Findings show that most volunteers attend religious services at least once each week but found no association between gender and informal volunteerism, between health and …

Under The Influence: Adolescent Girls' Compliance In Competitive Softball., Cory Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how and why young female athletes participate in the competitive organized sport of softball. Based on participant observation and interviews with coaches and players of Team Z, this study examines how parents and coaches influence females to participate in athletics through incentives and punishments. This thesis also examines the cultural assumptions about work that organized sports introduce to female athletes. Furthermore, the study discusses how parents and competitive sports organizations perpetuate the existence of male domination in sports and in society more generally.

Religion And Crime: A Study Of Inmates In State And Federal Prisons In The United States., Dhanalakshmi Thirumalai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persistent high levels of crime in this country have provided support for the need for public programs that help in reducing crime rates through effective interventions. Spirituality and religion are considered to play a major part in determining an individual's attitude towards committing a crime. This study analyzed if inmates in State and Federal prisons in the US are involved in prison religious activities and personal prayers in order to determine if criminality (measured by offense type) of inmates affects their participation in religious activities. Based on logistic regression analysis, gender, race, and marital status of inmates were found to …

Psychological Stress During Exercise : Stress Hormone Responses And Immune Function, Michael Weldy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Certain professions involve duties that are physically and psychologically stressful. Physical stress alone and psychological stress alone are associated with increases in cardiorespiratory and stress hormone levels. Elevations in stress hormones, catecholamines and cortisol, are related to changes in blood lymphocyte populations. In particular, elevations in cortisol are related to reductions in helper T cells, helper T cell to cytotoxic T cell ratio, and natural killer cells. While numerous studies have investigated effects of physical and psychological stress alone, the effects of psychological stress during exercise has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to describe catecholamine and …

Chocolate Plantation: A Geophysical And Archaeological Examination Of A Sea Island Cotton Plantation On Sapelo Island, Georgia, Christopher William Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chocolate Field, the area containing the ruins of Chocolate Plantation, was occupied from the Late Archaic through the antebellum period into the 20th century. A complex overlay of architectural remains generated during the operation of the plantation by everyone from French nobles to 20^th century millionaires is buried at the site. A four- instrument geophysical survey in conjunction with test excavations provides data which make it possible to delineate the extent of the site, determine structure function, and separate the plantation into occupational phases. These results will ultimately serve to help link the Geechee/Gullah community presently living on Sapelo …

"My Partner Wasn't So Disgusting When We First Started Dating, What Happened?" : An Exploration Of Change Processes In Close Relationships And Their Causes., Stephen R. Shamblen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are more likely to "hurt the one's we love" than we are complete strangers (cf. R. Miller, 1991, 1997). Early in dating relationships, partners appear to me more likely to manage their impressions to present themselves as better than they really are (romantic inflation), and later in relationships, partners may behave in a manner that is worse than their typical behavior (post romanticism). The social allergy and social enrichment constructs are relevant to these phenomena, as these typologies focus on partner behaviors that are rather minor in their impact on an individual's affect to behaviors that have a major …

The Tracks Of My Tears : An Actor's Account Of Her Progression In The Role Of Jessie Cates In Marsha Norman's Play "'Night, Mother"., Kia Tomille Elizabeth Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is the progression of the knowledge, skill, and insight of an actress in the Theater Arts Department as she was in pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts Degree. This knowledge, skill and insight culminated in the performance of the role of Jessie Cates from "'Night, Mother" by Marsha Norman. The character was analyzed from research in books, articles, documents, and websites. Research about depression and suicide also informed the actress to assist her in the characterization of the role. A relationship in the play was developed by creating a personal relationship between the two actors. Exercises from …

A Comparison Of Brief, Single Sessions Of Physical Activity And Relaxation/Meditation On Affective Responses Of Female Undergraduates., Paul Gregory Salmon 1948-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compared brief, single sessions of physical activity (PA, self-paced treadmill walking) and relaxation/meditation (R/M, the "Body Scan") on positive and negative affect and anxiety measures in female undergraduates. Both were predicted to reduce negative and enhance positive affect. Differential effects of PA and R/M were predicted for participants with predominantly cognitive or somatic anxiety symptoms. Forty-six undergraduates were randomized to PA or R/M interventions. Changes in positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale, PANAS) and anxiety (Spielberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory) were assessed using multivariate, repeated-measures statistics. Both PANAS Negative Affect & STAI anxiety scores declined following …

An Enhanced Dialogic Reading Approach To Facilitate Typically Developing Pre-School Children's Emergent Literacy Skills., Sheri E. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated an enhanced dialogic reading (DR) approach in facilitating emergent literacy skills in typically developing preschool children. Eight children from a Title One preschool and their parents participated in five weekly 90-minute training sessions that focused on phonological awareness, print awareness, and alphabet knowledge. First order effects were examined in parent questioning and interaction behaviors on pre- and post-training videotapes. Second order effects were examined in the children's outcomes from pre- to posttesting of preliteracy, speech, and language skills. Results indicated that parents made significant increases in their initiations and responses and a significant decrease in their Mean …

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 …

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 …

The Visual Perception Of Distance In Action Space., Bing Wu 1973-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work examines our perception of distance within "action space" (about 2m ~ 30m), an ability that is important for various actions. Two general problems are addressed: what information can be used to judge distance accurately and how is it processed? The dissertation is in two parts. The first part considers the "what" question. Subjects' distance judgment was examined in real, altered and virtual environments by using perceptual tasks or actions to assess the role of a variety of intrinsic and environmental depth cues. The findings show that the perception of angular declination, or height in the visual field, is …

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 …

A Vulnerability Assessment Of The East Tennessee State University Administrative Computer Network., James Patrick Ashe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A three phase audit of East Tennessee State University's administrative computer network was conducted during Fall 2001, Spring 2002, and January 2004. Nmap and Nessus were used to collect the vulnerability data. Analysis discovered an average of 3.065 critical vulnerabilities per host with a low of 2.377 in Spring 2001 to a high of 3.694 in Fall 2001. The number of unpatched Windows operating system vulnerabilities, which accounted for over 75% of these critical vulnerabilities, strongly argues for the need of an automated patch deployment system for the approximately 3,000 Windows-based systems at ETSU.

Locating And Total Dominating Sets In Trees., Jamie Marie Howard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A set S of vertices in a graph G=(V,E) is a total dominating set of G if every vertex of V is adjacent to some vertex in S. In this thesis, we consider total dominating sets of minimum cardinality which have the additional property that distinct vertices of V are totally dominated by distinct subsets of the total dominating set.

Population Size And Movements Of Spotted Salamanders At South Holston Dam, Sullivan County, Tennessee., Eric Alexander Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the Southern Appalachians, there are growing concerns about Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) due to habitat destruction and the uncertain future of their forested riparian habitat. In this study, I establish baseline data of a population of Spotted Salamanders so future monitoring of this population can be performed. The study site is located in northeastern Tennessee, just east of the city of Bristol. It is a vernal pond at the Osceola Island Recreation Area one mile below the South Holston Dam on Holston View Dam road. A drift fence was established completely around the perimeter of the vernal …

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 …

The Effect Of Process Parameters On Laser-Deposited Ti-6a1-4v., Troy Austin Davis 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to understand how the process parameters surrounding the Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) process affect the properties of the deposition. The powder used in this research is pre-alloyed titanium powder (Ti-6Al-4V), containing 6% wt. aluminum and 4% wt. vanadium. A few process parameters involved with the DMD include the laser power, traverse speed, powder flow rate, and gas flow rates. Due to the detrimental effect of oxygen on titanium, oxygen content is one of the main deposition properties of significance involved with this research. In addition to the oxygen content, the powder efficiency, build rate, …

A Study Of Technological Literacy In Writing Programs., Katherine V. Wills 1957-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation empirically studies computer-assisted writing administration as a site of agency for social change by inquiring how writing program administrators (WPAs) use their agency and power when developing and maintaining computer-mediated spaces (CM) or computer-assisted instruction (CAI). This study asks, What are the results when individual agency meets technological literacy in the academic workplace? Numerous articles have examined WPAs as agents of social change (R. Miller, C. Selfe, M. Pemberton); few have used empirical data as their grounds. To date, no articles have examined the WPA's agency with technological literacy in computer-mediated environments. This study utilizes triangulated and multi-modal …

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 …

Contexts For Facilitating Emergent Literacy In Typically Developing Preschoolers., Karen Nicole Wilhjelm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is an additive benefit in training Emergent Literacy (EL) skills with typically developing preschoolers using a combined intervention approach, Dialogic Reading (DR) plus classroom Phonological Awareness (CL), than a single intervention approach providing only DR training.

The study consisted of 8 preschoolers (5 DR+CL, 3 DR). The classroom PA training was conducted 3 times a week for 5 weeks for 20 minutes, using play-based activities. The DR training programs were held once a week for 5 weeks for 90 minutes teaching strategies that could be used in the home environment. …

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.

Lifestyle Intervention Program With Calcium Supplementation To Promote Weight Loss And Body Fat Reduction In Overweight Individuals., Candee Meredith Spence

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in weight loss, body fat, waist circumference, or diet quality among participants taking calcium or placebo supplements in a lifestyle intervention program. Three participants ages 52-55 completed the 14 week program. Two participants took 1,000 milligrams calcium while one participant took a placebo. Changes in diet were analyzed by Nutribase IV and self perception. Anthropometrics were analyzed by analysis of variance, alpha level 0.05. There was significant decrease in weight and waist circumference for the calcium group and decrease in bioelectrical impedance for the placebo group; …

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 …