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Modular Verification For Network-On-Chip Designs Using Probabilistic Verification And Assume-Guarantee Reasoning, Nicholas Waddoups

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

To satisfy increasing demands for computer chip performance in personal computing, mobile devices, and commercial server computing, a modern computer chip is constructed with tens (or hundreds) of small individual computing modules. Each of these modules must communicate with one other to share information about the running state of a computer. Historically, when chips were a few modules a simple communication method sufficied. However, as the number of modules in a chip grew, a more effecient method was needed in order to maintain performance across the system as a whole. A Network-on-Chip (NoC) design is the de-facto communication method for …

Reciprocal Teaching With Emergent Bilingual Students: Promoting Academic Reading Strategies And Fostering Hope, Lorissa K. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many students struggle with reading comprehension, and research shows that low literacy skills in a student’s first language can unfortunately lead to lower rates of university program completion, regardless of the language of instruction. When students feel empowered and confident in their ability to achieve their academic goals, they are much more likely to take ownership of their learning. In fact, students who actively demonstrate hopeful thinking and behaviors are consistently more successful in their academic journeys.

My research explores how we can better support these high school students— specifically concurrent enrollment (CE) students—by examining the impact of Reciprocal Teaching. …

"In Any Other Circumstance I Am Not In Work Mode. I Am Clocked Out": Chappell Roan And The Objectified Persona, Aubry Louise

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

It is known that celebrities have influence on their audience’s attitudes and behaviors. Within the last few decades, multiple celebrities have created distinctions between their public/stage self and their private self, however, less is known about the ways that they differentiate between the two. This paper looks at celebrity public persona’s and how these persona’s influence their audience. I use Kayleigh Amstutz, otherwise known as Chappell Roan, as my case study. This thesis offers an analysis of how Amstutz talks about Kayleigh differently than Chappell within social media posts, interviews, and commentary from media outlets. I use the concepts of …

Integrated Soil-Water Processes And Irrigation Management For Agricultural Water Optimization In Semi-Arid Regions, Tejinder Singh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Water is one of the most important resources for agriculture in the western United States. In semi-arid regions, farmers depend on irrigation to grow crops, but water supplies are becoming less reliable because of drought, declining snowpack, groundwater depletion, and increasing competition for limited water. Improving agricultural water use is therefore not simply about applying less water. It also requires understanding where water goes after it enters a field, how long it remains available to crops, and how farmers can use that information to make better irrigation decisions. This dissertation follows water through irrigated agricultural systems to better understand how …

Does Acceptance Matter? The Moderating Role Of Acceptance Of Pornography Use In Sexual And Relationship Satisfaction, Alexandra L. Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

With more or the general population reporting regular pornography use there has been an increase in interest in the consequences of regular use, especially for romantic relationships. Previously completed research has shown that there are likely other explanations for why pornography use is related to both positive and negative outcomes. This study examines how acceptance might change the influence the relationship between frequency of use and relationship and sexual satisfaction for individuals. This relationship may yield greater understanding of why some individuals report benefits and others report negative effects of pornography use. Findings indicated that for men their level of …

Mapler: An R Package For Estimating The Impact Of Climate Change On Maple Syrup Production, Matthew T. White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Successful maple sap tapping depends on the freeze/thaw cycle (i.e., temperatures fluctuating above/below freezing) during the winter and spring. Climate change threatens to alter the timing and duration of the tapping season. This necessitates research into how maple sap tapping will be impacted by climate change in order to help maple syrup producers prepare for the future. We define a sap day as a day where the freeze/thaw cycle occurred. Using information climate scientists use to predict future temperatures, we calculate how many sap days could occur each year. We develop software to analyze these sap day calculations to determine …

The Role Of Autonomy, Competence, And Relatedness In The Relationship Between Ai Use, Resilience, And Motivation Among Engineering Students, Daniel Kane

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to determine how the widespread use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) influences engineering students’ motivation and resilience. Specifically, the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as defined in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was assessed to determine how these basic psychological needs interact with students’ AI use and motivation or resilience. The following research questions guided the study: (1) To what extent do the three basic psychological needs defined in SDT (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) mediate the relationship between the frequency of AI use and students’ levels of motivation (on the self-determination continuum) or resilience in an …

Integrative Taxonomic Analysis Of Cryptic Species Diversity In The Spiny Witch-Hazel Gall Aphid, Hamamelistes Spinosus (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Hormaphidini) In Eastern North America, Gavin Andrew Powell Munson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Taxonomy is the practice of identifying, classifying and categorizing species, providing structure for the vast diversity of life. Aphids are an ecologically important group of soft-bodied insects, but they can be difficult to identify because of their tiny anatomical size, reduced or simplified morphological features, and morphological variation within a single species across different generations. In this study, the taxonomy of the spiny witch-hazel gall aphid, Hamamelistes spinosus, is revised. The complex multi-generational life cycle of the aphids, which alternates between witch-hazel and birch trees, has led to confusion regarding past descriptions. Scientists in the late 1800s who were …

Nutrient Leaching Under Traditional And Intercropped Cover Crop Fields In Northern Utah, Katherine Hewitt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines whether cover crops can be used in Utah and the Intermountain West to improve water quality and reduce contamination due to nutrient leaching from agricultural soils into the groundwater. Cover crops such as grasses, clover, and other seed mixtures can be planted to improve soil health, increasing the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients, which reduces the amount of nitrate and phosphate fertilizers lost through leaching and contamination. In Utah, short growing seasons and limited irrigation water availability hinder the ability to establish cover crops. By planting the cover crop between the rows (intercropping) when the …

Advantages Of Dynamic Representation For Related Rates Problems In Calculus, Eri Osuna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Related-rates problems are a standard yet persistently difficult topic in first-semester calculus. Research increasingly recommends dynamic visualization tools such as GeoGebra, but direct comparisons of static and dynamic representations in related-rates settings remain scarce. This qualitative study examines how representation type shapes the quality of students' reasoning and their perceived experience during related-rates problem solving. Six mathematics students who had completed Calculus —a group of four undergraduates and a pair of graduate students—completed a static sliding-ladder task and a dynamic airplane-and-camera task supported by an interactive GeoGebra applet, followed by an interview. Findings indicate that the two representations supported reasoning …

Geodesic Completeness And The Hopf-Rinow Theorem, Christopher Farias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Differential geometry is concerned with the properties of calculus and geometry on curved n-dimensional manifolds. As a result, thinking about such a space often runs counter to the Euclidean geometer's intuition of distances, angles, and transformations. This thesis aims to build up to proving an important result in the study of Riemannian manifolds: the Hopf-Rinow theorem.

In Chapter 2, we begin by defining what a manifold is and showing that the collection of directional derivatives at a point on the manifold spans a tangent vector space. After defining a basis and a metric for this space, in Chapter 3, we …

"Dark And Loathsome": The Construction And Persistence Of Racial Theology In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Margaret Phillips

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned Black men from holding the priesthood until 1978, a policy many mistake for the whole of the faith's engagement with race. This thesis argues that the priesthood ban was only a symptom of a far deeper theology of race, one built into Mormonism's broader theology from its founding. Two intertwined beliefs anchor this theology: the default whiteness of the human body and soul, and twin curse narratives that mark Black and Indigenous peoples alike as bearers of a divine curse— dark skin read as the visible penalty for their ancestors' sin. …

Effects Of Photosynthetic Mode On Growth In Closely Related Tillandsia Species, Jeremy L. Read

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

To examine the effects of photosynthetic mode (C3 vs CAM) on plant productivity, subjects of the sister taxa Tillandsia confertiflora (a C3 species) and Tillandsia latifolia (a CAM species) were grown under controlled conditions via growth chamber over 30 weeks. These subjects were divided into non-stressed and drought stress groups. Subjects were compared for total biomass gained or lost over the time period as well as physiological stress measures and CAM activity. The primary conclusion is that usage of CAM does not show major differences or tradeoffs for overall productivity. Future work is needed to clarify if this holds true …

Understanding College Student Expectancies Of Simultaneous Engagement In Multiple Risk Behaviors: A Measurement Development And Model Testing Study, Shelby Whalen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Risky behaviors, actions that may cause physical, psychological, social, or economic harm to oneself or others, are prevalent among college students. While significant research has focused on single high-risk behaviors of alcohol use, drug use, gambling, and gaming separately, students frequently engage in multiple high-risk behaviors simultaneously, such as drinking alcohol while gambling. Research shows that students have distinct and specific expectancies about what happens when they engage in a risk behavior, however, minimal research has examined students’ perceptions or reasons for simultaneous poly-risk behavior engagement. This multi-phase project characterized students’ outcome expectancies for simultaneous poly-risk behavior combinations, developed and …

The Memphis Gambling Screen: A Clinical Validation Study Of An Enhanced-Readability Self-Report Measure For Gambling Disorder, Natasha Bourgoin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Precise identification of gambling disorder can be difficult when commonly used screeners vary in clarity and diagnostic accuracy. The Memphis Gambling Screen (MGS) was developed as an enhanced-readability self-report measure to improve item comprehension and strengthen the diagnostic accuracy of DSM-5 gambling disorder. This study evaluates the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the MGS with a combined sample of individuals seeking treatment for problem gambling or substance use disorder and college students with a recent history of gambling (N = 232). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the MGS, and another commonly used measure, the Problem Gambling Severity Index …

Race, Sex, And Age Disparities In Homicide Clearance Rates In Tennessee: An Intersectional Approach, Teliyah Cobb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Demographic factors can influence homicide solvability. This study examines the relationship between victim characteristics and homicide clearance rates in Tennessee from 2001 to 2023. Using an intersectional approach, it assesses whether victim characteristics both individually and in combination are related to case solvability. Variables of interest include: (1) victim race, age range, and sex; (2) year the case was reported; (3) crime type; (4) whether the case was cleared; and (5) the circumstances leading to clearance. A total of 11,534 homicide cases from the Tennessee Incident-Based Reporting System were analyzed.

Findings indicate that individual victim characteristics do not significantly predict …

Developing Solvent Tolerant Microbial Membranes: Lipid Extraction And Laurdan Fluorescence Approaches For Biofuel Optimization, Gladstone Anku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high demand for sustainable energy has increased interest in advanced biofuels, though production is limited by solvent toxicity to microbial hosts. This study investigated the role of lipid composition in modulating membrane fluidity and solvent tolerance using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism. Five strains were cultured, and membrane lipids were extracted and analyzed using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; however, inconsistent results limited compositional characterization. To address this problem, reconstituted vesicles composed of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were used as model membranes. Membrane fluidity was assessed using Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy by measuring generalized polarization (GP) values …

A Large And Robust Legless Lizard (Squamata, Anguinae) From The Gray Fossil Site Of Eastern Tennessee, Justice D. Lamer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee preserved an abundance of microfossils, including numerous anguid lizard specimens. This includes the following elements: dentaries, a pterygoid fragment, a jugal, frontals, parietal fragments, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, and many osteoderms. Because these specimens had not been placed taxonomically beyond the subfamily level, comparative anatomy of similar elements from extant anguids and some quantitative data were used to provide more refined identifications. Using these methods, it was determined that a new, robust type of Ophisaurus is represented at the Gray Fossil Site. Important novel features include relatively robust dentaries, fewer but broader …

Disruption, Recovery, And Divergence: How Prepandemic Achievement Levels Shaped Learning Loss, Recovery, And Spending Efficiency In Tennessee Public High Schools, Wilson Boyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant and uneven learning loss in Tennessee public high schools. The statewide ACT composite average fell from 20.2 in 2019 to 19.1 in 2021. By 2024-2025, it recovered only to 19.3. During the same period, Tennessee received approximately $3.86 billion in additional federal funds and $1.15 billion in new state funding. This ex post facto quantitative study examined whether prepandemic achievement levels predicted learning loss severity and recovery patterns of a census of 322 Tennessee public high schools from 2018-2019 through 2024-2025.

The study used two theoretical frameworks. Baumol's cost disease theory predicted that structural productivity …

Characterization Of Catechol-Type Siderophore(S) From P. Mosselii Cfml 90-83, Kemper R. Rasnake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is essential for many biological processes, where it is used as a cofactor. Even though it is abundant in the Earth’s crust, it is in an insoluble form unavailable to microorganisms in the soil. To overcome this, bacteria produce siderophores, which are secondary metabolites that have a high affinity for iron. This allows bacterial cells to obtain insoluble iron that is essential for survival. Pseudomonas mosselii, a Gram negative bacterium, was isolated from soil. It was selected for further analysis as it was found to produce siderophore(s) under iron-limited conditions, which have not been characterized previously. Therefore, we aimed …

The Kings Are Dead. Long Live The Kings: The Legacy Of Roman Kingship In The Republican And Imperial Periods, Dylan Hillebrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From Romulus through Tarquinius Superbus, Rome’s kings occupied a major place within the collective cultural imagination of the ancient polity long after the office was abolished. For generations, no accusation was as odious as “king” and the entire period was seen as a cautionary tale. While the legacy of the kings remained an essential part of Roman identity, how the people related to that legacy changed eventually resulting in a restoration of kingship. A complete picture of the establishment-rejection-restoration cycle becomes clear through examination of the works of Roman (and Greek) historians. Central questions which guide this study: Why were …

Health Professions Students’ Perceptions Of Medical Laboratory Scientists: Professional Practice And Scope Of Practice, Thomas W. Williamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLSs) are vital yet often overlooked members of the healthcare team. This study investigated perceptions of MLSs among students in medicine, pharmacy, and nursing programs. Grounded in professional identity theory and literature on interprofessional stereotypes, the study utilized a quantitative survey distributed to 1,113 students, with 71 responses analyzed. Nine research questions explored differences in perceptions of MLSs’ professional practice, scope of practice, entry requirements, value as team members, and consultative roles. Results indicate students generally value MLSs as members of the healthcare team and acknowledge their contributions to patient care; however, their understanding is frequently restricted …

Kindergarten Aimsweb Ela Composite As A Predictor Of Third-Grade Reading Proficiency In A Rural, High-Poverty School District, Christi J. Gentry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone as students transition from learning to read to using reading as a tool for learning. In Tennessee, this proficiency is especially significant because promotion and retention decisions are linked to student performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) ELA assessment. This quantitative, longitudinal study examined the extent to which kindergarten readiness, operationalized as kindergarten AIMSweb ELA Composite scores, predicts third-grade reading proficiency status in one rural, high-poverty school district. Using archival student-level data, this study analyzed kindergarten AIMSweb ELA Composite scores and third-grade TCAP ELA proficiency. Logistic …

Staying The Course: Community College Student Lived Experiences On Program Completion And Motivation, Jessica Leigh Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of former community college students who successfully completed an associate degree, certificate, or program of study and to understand how they experienced the personal, institutional, and environmental factors that supported their persistence to completion. The study, guided primarily by Tinto’s (1975,1988) Model of Student Departure and was complemented by Bandura’s (1988) Social Learning Theory (SLT), and Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs, explored the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations students attributed to their successful completion of their associate degree, certificate, or program of study. Twelve former community college students who …

A Geometric Morphometric Analysis Of Acetabular Shape Variation Across Bat Families, Jordan L. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight, and research is concentrated on this adaptation. Their non-flight locomotion has received comparatively little attention. Previous studies show that non-flight locomotor behaviors vary across families. Members of Pteropodidae are efficient climbers but cannot effectively walk, whereas Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae are better at terrestrial locomotion but show reduced arboreal capabilities. The non-flight locomotion of Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae is less understood, although rhinolophids exhibit limited terrestrial locomotion. This study examined whether differences in locomotor behavior are associated with variation in acetabular morphology. A geometric morphometric analysis of acetabular shape was conducted across multiple …

Teacher Autonomy In Accountability-Driven Contexts: A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Mathematics Teachers In East Tennessee, Hollyann Perdue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore East Tennessee middle school mathematics teachers’ experiences of professional autonomy and how those experiences relate to institutional decision making within the accountability-driven educational environment. This study utilized the Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) as a framework to examine how teachers perceived their ability to make instructional decisions while navigating district expectations, pacing requirements, mandated curriculum, and state testing pressures. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured Zoom interviews with 12 East Tennessee middle school mathematics teachers representing varying levels of teaching experience, effectiveness ratings, and instructional settings, including both general …

Weathering More Than Storms: Understanding The Mental Health Disparities Of Black Farmers In The Appalachian Region, Aliyah Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black farmers in Appalachia represent a vital and historically marginalized population within one of America’s most economically distressed regions. Black farmers have endured generations of systemic racism, resulting in land loss, economic hardship, and mental stressors. This study examines the intersection of race, agriculture, and behavioral health to illustrate how structural barriers and cultural stigmas shape the mental well-being of Black farmers across Appalachia.

Findings from the analysis will guide the development of a conceptual model based on constructs from the Social-Ecological Model (SEM), Intersectionality Theory, and Critical Race Theory (CRT). This study will use Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) conducted …

Staff Education On The Implementation Of An Evidence-Based, Suicide-Risk-Assessment Education Program For Psychiatric Staff, Yemurai Emily Dzikiti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is a major public health concern, and consistent suicide risk assessment is essential for patient safety in psychiatric settings. This Doctor of Nursing Practice staff education project addressed a knowledge gap in evidence-based suicide risk assessment among psychiatric clinicians in an outpatient mental health setting. The practice-focused question examined whether an evidence-based suicide risk assessment education program would improve clinicians' knowledge from pre- to post-education. The educational intervention consisted of a 60-minute in-person training session on evidence-based suicide risk assessment using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and the Suicide Assessment Five-Step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) framework. Ten psychiatric …

A Mindfulness-Based Stop Technique Training To Improve Nurses’ Knowledge And Self-Efficacy In Stress And Burnout Prevention, Rukiat Abolanle Afinni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse burnout and stress are well-documented occupational concerns in outpatient clinical settings, where high patient acuity and chronic staffing shortages leave nurses with little structured support for proactive self-care. To address this gap, a mindfulness-based STOP (stop, take a breath, observe, proceed) training program was developed and evaluated for outpatient nurses. The evidence-based practice question was: Among nurses in an outpatient clinical setting, what is the impact of a mindfulness-based STOP technique training on nurses' knowledge of stress and burnout prevention and self-efficacy in applying the technique? A one-group pretest-posttest design was used with eight participants. A project-developed questionnaire measured …

The Relationship Between Maintenance And Overhaul Employee Spending, Business Model, Geographic Region, And The Financial Performance Of Commercial Airlines, Naumaan Khalid Sheikh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After nearly 5 decades of deregulation, commercial airline leaders still lack the capability to improve financial performance by structuring their maintenance operations to gain competitive advantages in highly competitive global markets. Without an effective strategy, airline maintenance affects service and financial performance. Framed with Porter’s competitive advantage theory, this quantitative nonexperimental correlational project was to examine the relationships between airline in-house maintenance and overhaul employee spending, business model, geographic region, and financial performance of global commercial full-service carrier (FSC) and low-cost carrier (LCC) airlines. Longitudinal panel data were collected from 121 LCCs and FSCs operating from 2001 to 2019 in …