Digital Commons Network^™

Electrodeposition Of Hydrogen Molybdenum Bronze Films And Electrochemical Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide At Low Over Potentials, Sami Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen molybdenum oxide, known has molybdenum bronze, is a material of interest due to catalyzing electron transfer reactions. Specifically, molybdenum bronze is an electrocatalyst toward carbon dioxide reduction. Electrochemical deposition from a peroxymolybdic acid solution is a method for preparing molybdenum bronze films. This work demonstrates reproducible electrodeposition on indium tin oxide substrates and conductive carbon paper. Film thickness depends on concentration, time and pH. After characterization by film thickness, resistance, XRD and XPS, the as deposited films served as the working electrode for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide in 0.1 M NaHCO₃. Ion chromatography determined formate resulting …

Comparing Structure From Motion Photogrammetry And Computer Vision For Low-Cost 3d Cave Mapping: Tipton-Haynes Cave, Tennessee, Clinton Elmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Natural caves represent one of the most difficult environments to map with modern 3D technologies. In this study I tested two relatively new methods for 3D mapping in Tipton-Haynes Cave near Johnson City, Tennessee: Structure from Motion Photogrammetry and Computer Vision using Tango, an RGB-D (Red Green Blue and Depth) technology. Many different aspects of these two methods were analyzed with respect to the needs of average cave explorers. Major considerations were cost, time, accuracy, durability, simplicity, lighting setup, and drift. The 3D maps were compared to a conventional cave map drafted with measurements from a modern digital survey instrument …

Robustness Of Semi-Parametric Survival Model: Simulation Studies And Application To Clinical Data, Isaac Nwi-Mozu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An efficient way of analyzing survival clinical data such as cancer data is a great concern to health experts. In this study, we investigate and propose an efficient way of handling survival clinical data. Simulation studies were conducted to compare performances of various forms of survival model techniques using an R package ``survsim". Models performance was conducted with varying sample sizes as small ($n5000$). For small and mild samples, the performance of the semi-parametric outperform or approximate the performance of the parametric model. However, for large samples, the parametric model outperforms the semi-parametric model. We compared the effectiveness and reliability …

The Salivary Alpha-Amylase Response To Resistance Training, Asher Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to investigate the response of salivary alpha-amylase to a single resistance training session and to a week-long resistance training over-reaching protocol. The major findings of this dissertation are as follows:

Study 1 – A single resistance training session consisting of 5 sets of 10 repetitions of squat and bench press at 95 percent of repetition maximum creates a statistically significant increase in salivary alpha-amylase concentrations.

Study 2 – Two resistance training sessions consisting of 5 sets of 10 repetitions of squat and bench press at 95 percent of repetition maximum within 5 days does …

Assessing Heat-Related Mortality And Morbidity Risks In Rural Populations And Sub-Populations, Emmanuel A. Odame

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress is an environmental and occupational hazard exacerbated by climate change. Rural populations and sub-populations continue to experience disproportionate risks of heat-related impacts due to their low adaptive capacities in terms of infrastructure, information and other resources which are critical in dealing with heat. The study goals were to determine heat-related mortality risks in rural populations globally, explore the contribution of the outdoor work environment and other factors in association with occupational heat-related illnesses (HRI), and assess the risk of heat stress among crop workers using the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). Published peer-reviewed scientific literature on heat-related mortality …

Heat Waves And Heat-Related Mortality In East Tennessee, Taiwo Adesoba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heat waves represent a public health challenge that requires multiple responses and warnings to protect vulnerable populations. Although studies have reported an increasing trend of heat wave occurrence in many areas of the world, no clear trend exists in East Tennessee. Using data from Parameter-elevated Relationships on Independent Slope Models (PRISM), CDC WONDER and the United States Census Bureau, the relationship between mortality rates and year was estimated during heat wave events between 1999 and 2010. Five heat wave definitions were tested. Overall, 2007 and 2010 stand out as the years with the highest number of heat wave days in …

The Captivity Narratives Of Cynthia Ann Parker : Settler Colonialism, Collective Memory, And Cultural Trauma., Treva Elaine Hodges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores representations of the captivity narrative of Cynthia Ann Parker, an Anglo woman captured as a child by Comanche, with whom she lived in a kinship relationship until her forced return to Anglo society twenty-four years later. The project draws upon trauma theory to explain the persistent appeal of Parker’s narrative. Interpretations analyzed include the original historical account of Parker’s narrative, and appearances in the genres of opera, film, graphic novel, and historical fiction. The dissertation reveals how appearances of Parker’s narrative correspond to periods in US history in which social change threated the dominant position of Anglo …

"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2010 repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy ended the ban on open lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military service (Alford & Lee, 2016). However, prior to 2015 transgender military personnel were still considered medically and psychologically unfit for service (Kerrigan, 2012; Yerke & Mitchell, 2013). From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) researched the implications of policy change, developed new policies and trainings, and implemented open service for transgender persons (Belkin, 2016; Carter, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transgender military service members prior to this transition in …

Comparative Spending Of Medicaid Dollars On Child Participants Of Kentucky’S Sobriety Treatment And Recovery Teams Program Versus A Matched Comparison Group., Matthew Thomas Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child protective services agencies have long observed the complicating role that parental substance use and addiction plays in cases of child maltreatment. Families who struggle with these problems present unique challenges for child welfare professionals. These families are typically more difficult to engage, more likely to have children removed from the home, and have poorer outcomes when compared to other families. These poorer outcomes often include health problems. Addiction has well-known effects on health, and the specific manifestations of these problems for parents have been documented for years in child protection casework. However, what has been less investigated are the …

Behavioral And Cognitive Correlates Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty In Children With And Without Anxiety Disorders., Colette Marie Gramszlo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) has long been identified as a proximal risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders, and more recently has been implicated in the development of emotional disorders broadly. However, little is known about how IU and psychopathology symptoms relate, limiting the degree to which IU can be identified prior to the development of emotional disorders and targeted during the intervention of disorder symptoms. The current study reviews several areas of literature to inform a model by which IU impacts anxiety symptoms. First, uncertainty processing and the development of uncertainty processing in childhood are reviewed. Next, IU …

An Integrated Model Of Eating Disorder Risk And Protective Factors: Implications For Research And Treatment, Leslie Alison Davis-Waddle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors are significant public health concerns, especially among college-age women. Despite extensive research, the complex nature of disordered eating and its etiology has prevented a satisfactory predictive model from being developed and validated and has therefore hindered the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to integrate four of the most common etiological theories into a model to predict disordered eating behaviors. Bivariate correlations and moderation analyses were conducted to determine the strength of relationships between variables and to determine whether a protective factor (i.e., self-compassion) moderates the effects of risk factors …

Servant Leadership Measures In Pk-12 Schools, Elizabeth Renfro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Servant leaders work for the betterment of their followers while also seeking to achieve goals for the organization. Servant leaders, in particular, are among those who strive to work for the greater good of those they serve. Servant leaders possess ethical and moral traits that allow them to serve as an example for followers within an organization, including the public school system.

Permission to use the Servant Leadership Measures Survey was given by the lead author of the survey. The survey measured the degree that leaders exhibit leadership characteristics that are most associated with the servant leadership dimensions of Emotional …

A Tactful Conceptualization Of Joint Attention: Joint Haptic Attention And Language Development, Lauren P. Driggers-Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research investigating associations between joint attention and language development have thus far only investigated joint attention by way of visual perceptions while neglecting the potential effects of joint attention engaged through other sensory modalities. In the present study, I aimed to investigate the joint attention-language development relationship by investigating the possible links between joint haptic attention and language development, while also exploring the likely contributions of joint visual attention through a mediation analysis. Using video recordings from an archival dataset, measures of joint haptic attention and joint visual attention were derived from behavioral tasks, and measures of vocabulary development were …

The Influence Of Strength In Load-Velocity Relationships In The Back Squat, Thaddeus Light

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Load-velocity relationships may vary between people of different strength levels and across different loads. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how external loads influence the velocity characteristics of the back squat exercise, and the influence of strength on these variables. Healthy male students with a history of resistance training completed repetitions at specified intensities of their estimated one-repetition maximum (1RM) until they reached 1RM. Back squat 3D motion analysis was captured using four Vicon T010 cameras (Vicon Motion Systems Ltd.; Oxford, UK) and Vicon Nexus 1.8.5 software. Data were transported into R custom coding statistical analysis software (version …

Roman Domination Cover Rubbling, Nicholas Carney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we introduce Roman domination cover rubbling as an extension of domination cover rubbling. We define a parameter on a graph $G$ called the \textit{Roman domination cover rubbling number}, denoted $\rho_{R}(G)$, as the smallest number of pebbles, so that from any initial configuration of those pebbles on $G$, it is possible to obtain a configuration which is Roman dominating after some sequence of pebbling and rubbling moves. We begin by characterizing graphs $G$ having small $\rho_{R}(G)$ value. Among other things, we also obtain the Roman domination cover rubbling number for paths and give an upper bound for the …

Modification Of Chemical Vapor-Deposited Carbon Electrodes With Electrocatalytic Metal Nanoparticles Through A Soft Nitriding Technique, Enoch Amoah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal nanoparticles have been widely used for many catalytic and electrocatalytic applications due to their larger surface area-to-volume ratios and higher densities of active sites compared to bulk materials. This has resulted in much interest in understanding the electrocatalytic behavior of metal nanoparticles with respect to their structure. However, most research on this topic has employed collections of nanoparticles. Due to difficulties in controlling and characterizing particle loading and interparticle distance in nanoparticle ensembles, single nanoparticles studies have recently become a topic of great interest. In this study, a soft nitriding technique was applied to chemical vapor-deposited carbon ultramicroelectrodes (UMEs) …

Parent, Teacher, And Administrator Perceptions Of School Community Relationships, Tammy Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this purposive qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of school community relationships of preschool parents, preschool teachers, and elementary administrators. In this purposive study, participants were chosen based on predetermined characteristics (Shenton, 2004). Parents from varying levels of academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as their level of parental involvement, were included in this study to eliminate bias.

The following themes emerged through coding and transcribing data: the family aspect at school; positive perception of principals; positive perception of teachers; open lines of communication between home and school; opportunities for parent involvement; the expectation of parent …

Synthesis Of Diazonium N-(Perfluoroalkyl) Benzenesulfonimide Polymers For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (Pemfcs), Helal Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the research is to synthesize the diazonium N-(perfluoroalkyl) benzenesulfonimide (PFSI)zwitterionicpolymers as electrolytes in polymerelectrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The proposed diazoniumPFSI zwitterionic polymer (I) is expected to enhance the thermal and chemical stability, increase the proton conductivity of electrolytes, and improve the catalyst efficiency for PEM fuel cells. Synthesis of the perfluorobenzoyl peroxide initiator, homopolymerization of perfluoro (3-oxapent-4-ene) sulfonyl fluoride,coupling reaction with4-sulfamonylacetanilide, couplingreaction with 4-nitrobenzene sulfonyl amide, n-deacetylation reaction, and diazotization reactionhave been carried outsuccessfully in the lab. The intermediate chemicals are characterized by GC-MS, IR, NMR, and GPC spectroscopies.

Peroxide Sensing Using Nitrogen-Doped And Platinum Nanoparticle-Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrodes, Chidiebere Ogbu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials have garnered much interest due to their abilities to behave as electrocatalysts for reactions important in energy production (oxygen reduction) and biosensing (hydrogen peroxide reduction). Here, we demonstrate fabrication methods and determine electrocatalytic properties of nitrogen-doped screen-printed carbon (N-SPCE) electrodes. Nitrogen doping of graphite was achieved through a simple soft-nitriding technique which was then used in lab-formulated screen-printing inks to prepare N-SPCEs. N-SPCEs displayed good electrocatalytic activity, reproducibility and long term stability towards the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide. N-SPCEs exhibited a wide linear range (20 µM to 5.3 mM), reasonable limit of detection of 2.5 µM, …

Is Corequisite Developmental Math Effective At East Tennessee State University?, Christine Padden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks at the corequisite developmental math program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and compares the effectiveness to the previous developmental math program by comparing the student outcomes in MATH 1530. MATH 1530 is a non-calculus based statistic and probability course that satisfies most majors’ general education math requirements. ETSU sees approximately 1,000 students a year pass through MATH 1530 which is around 6.7% of the total enrollment at ETSU[9]. We are interested in the last five years of the developmental math program before it was changed to corequisite developmental math and the first five years of corequisite …

Perceptions Of Tennessee Employees In Higher Education And K-12 Working With Confucius Institutes, Michael Novak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Confucius Institute has recently become more prevalent in political discussions and news headlines. Questions regarding its operations, influence from the Chinese government, and programing are common topics in news reports about the institution. The rise of China in the global economy has caused demand for language and culture education and the Confucius Institute has attempted to fill this demand.

The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of K-12 school and higher education employees that work closely with a Confucius Institute program in the state of Tennessee by exploring issues that have been presented in …

The Life And Political Career Of Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Dylan Mcnutt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hubert Horatio Humphrey never reached the Oval Office, but his accomplishments during his tenure as mayor, senator, and Vice President are just as noteworthy. During Humphrey’s political career he played a pivotal role in the most influential period of liberal American politics. During his youth and college years Humphrey became learned how to remain loyal to the people around him, and about the racial divisions of the South. Most research on Vice President Humphrey analyzes his time as a Senator, Vice President, and the 1968 Presidential election. The Life and Political Career of Hubert Humphrey, examines Humphrey’s life in its …

Immobilization Of Electrocatalytically Active Gold Nanoparticles On Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Fiber Electrodes, Daniel Mawudoku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies of single, isolated nanoparticles provide better understanding of the structure-function relationship of nanoparticles since they avoid complications like interparticle distance and nanoparticle loading that are typically associated with collections of nanoparticles distributed on electrode supports. However, interpretation of results obtained from single nanoparticle immobilization studies can be difficult to interpret since the underlying nanoelectrode platform can contribute to the measured current, or the immobilization technique can adversely affect electron transfer. Here, we immobilized ligand-free gold nanoparticles on relatively electrocatalytically inert nitrogen-doped carbon ultramicroelectrodes that were prepared via a soft nitriding method. Sizes of the particles were estimated by a …

The Effects Of Urbanization On Avian Seed Dispersal Success Of Toxicodendron Radicans (Anacardiaceae), Aiden M. Stanley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization is increasing at a dramatic rate as the human population increases. While it is well-known that urbanization tends to decrease species diversity (i.e., biotic homogenization), it is not known how urbanization affects the frequency and efficiency of species interactions. Seed dispersal is a plant-animal interaction that depends on disperser feeding rate, disperser diversity, probability of seed dispersal and germination. How these factors are affected by urbanization however is unknown. In this study, we evaluate how urbanization alters these factors. Urban sites had 2x higher feeding rate and 3x higher number of disperser species. The probability of seed dispersal however …

The Distinct Expressions Of Integrins Αdβ2 And Αmβ2 Differently Regulate Macrophage Migration In 3d Matrix In Vitro And In Tissue During Inflammation, Kui Cui

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic inflammation is an essential mechanism during the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The outcome of diseases depends on the balance between the migration and accumulation of macrophages in damaged tissues. Macrophage motility is highly regulated by adhesive receptors, integrins. Namely, intermediate expression of integrin supports macrophage migration, while a high integrin density inhibits it. Our studies are focused on evaluation of the contribution of related integrins α_Dβ₂ and α_Mβ₂ to macrophage migration and development of chronic inflammation.

We found that integrin α_Dβ₂ is upregulated on M1-macrophages in vitro and …

Automation Of State Climate Office Processes & Products: Developing Efficient Approaches For Data Dissemination, Michael Shoop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State Climate Offices (SCO’s) in the United States are critical conduits for improving weather and climate data in local communities. Two states do not have a state-recognized SCO: Tennessee and Massachusetts. Efforts are underway at East Tennessee State University to develop the Tennessee Climate Office (TCO). Currently, climate services and products are severely lacking across Tennessee. This thesis provides an improved methodology for an existing TCO product and outlines the development of a new product using Python scripting. Daily storm reports within the monthly climate report are automated and a Weather Forecasts Hazard Index (WFHI) web application is developed. Both …

Programs For Language Minority Students At Tbr Community Colleges: A Study Of Factors Affecting Design, Caitlin Chapman-Rambo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to determine to what extent programs for language-minority students at TBR community colleges adhere to the recommendations contained in the Conference on College Composition and Communications 2009 Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers and to investigate the factors beyond these professional recommendations that influence administrative decision-making about these programs and their designs. This study contained a survey sent to individuals at all 13 community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents system and follow-up interviews with 5 survey respondents from different institutions.

Analysis of the results of the study indicates all TBR community …

Resilience Among Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Appalachia, Bridget Jeter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical investigation of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and their relationship with health and well-being outcomes in later life is increasing. Less is known about factors that may promote resilience for those who have survived such challenges, such as how resilience may be facilitated for those with ACEs residing in a marginalized region such as South Central Appalachia. Multidimensional spirituality, social support, stigma related to ACEs, and Appalachian acculturation may serve as both valid cultural factors and potential indicators of resilience. Cross-sectional, simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 272 adult patients of a South Central Appalachian …

Debris-Slide Susceptibility Modelling Using Gis Technology In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Raja Das

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Debris-slides are one of the most frequently occurring geological hazards in metasedimentary rocks of the Anakeesta ridge in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM), which often depends on the influence of multiple causing factors or geo-factors such as geological structures, slope, topographic elevation, land use, soil type etc. or a combination of these factors. The main objective of the study was to understand the control of geo-factors in initiating debris-slides using different knowledge and data-driven methods in GIS platform. The study was performed in three steps: (1) Evaluation of geometrical relationship between geological discontinuity and topographic orientation in initiation of …

The Effects Of Branched Chained Amino Acid Supplementation On Acute Markers Of Fatigue And Performance, Joseph Walters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to investigate the acute effects of branched-chain amino acids on psychological, physiological, and subsequent performance changes following high volume resistance training. The rationale for this study design was based on abrupt or contiguous training/ competitions that specific athletes encounter in a competitive season. This study design also sought to fill some gaps in the scientific literature concerning the efficacy of BCAAs for subjective fatigue in a resistance training paradigm. To address the purposes of this dissertation, a one-week study was conducted on resistance trained males, in which half of the subjects were randomly selected …