Digital Commons Network^™

Current Public Relations Status In China., Fang Meng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is to explore the status of public relations in China. It examines if J. Grunig and Hunt's (1994) four models of public relations-press agentry, public information, two-way asymmetrical, and two-way symmetrical-are practiced by Chinese public relations practitioners and if there are additional patterns of practicing public relations in China. It is a qualitative study. Long interviews with 10 participants were conducted to learn about the phenomenon of public relations in China. The interviews were based on one-to-one chat via the Microsoft Messenger software online. The data were collected using open-end questions that allowed the participants to provide in-depth …

The Virginia Sol Eighth Grade Writing Test In Relationship To The National Commission On Writing Recommendations, Grade Configuration, Region, And Socioeconomic Status., Jeffrey R. Comer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine Virginia Standards of Learning 8^th grade writing assessments to determine if there was any association between school passing rates and the recommendations suggested by the 2003 National Commission on Writing to improve writing proficiency. This study further examined the possible differences in school passing rates that may exist due to the grade configuration of a school, the location of a school, the availability of a comprehensive writing plan, and the student percentage on free and reduced-price lunch. Data collection consisted of a self-administered survey sent to all 364 schools in …

A Kenyan Revolution: Mau Mau, Land, Women, And Nation., Amanda Elizabeth Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Kikuyu, the largest ethnic group in Kenya, resisted colonial authority, which culminated into what became known as Mau Mau, led by the Kenya Land Freedom Army. During this time, the British colonial government imposed laws limiting their access to land, politics, and independence. The turbulent 1950s in Kenyan history should be considered a revolution because of its violent nature, the high level of participation, and overall social change that resulted from the war.

I compared many theories of revolution to the events of the Mau Mau movement. Then, I explained the contention for land in the revolution, the role …

Principal Leadership And Its Perceived Influence On Teacher Morale In Elementary Schools., Anne Runyan Littleford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to construct a theoretical framework explaining the connection between principal leadership practices and the phenomenon of teacher morale. The study also focused on principal leadership practices and the perceived effects that style has on how teachers feel about themselves and their jobs. First, a review of extant literature defined what constitutes effective leadership in school related environments. Second, the researcher defined teacher morale, both high and low, and how it relates to work performance. Third, the researcher attempted to explore how teacher morale and the leadership style of their principals relate.

This qualitative …

Life And Debt For Etsu Graduate Students., Laura Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through in-depth interviews with 21 participants, this thesis investigates how graduate students at East Tennessee State University feel about their finances. Although all adults, by necessity, have everyday money concerns, this study explores the unique experiences that post-baccalaureate students have with debt, how they talk about it, and what meanings they attach to student loans in their daily lives. This study is novel in that little research to date has examined how graduate students' perceptions of adulthood are connected to their financial situations and their stage in life. For example, saving money is important to this population mainly because it …

Women And The Men Who Oppress Them: Ideologies And Protests Of Redstockings, New York Radical Feminists, And Cell 16., Meggin L. Schaaf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American civil rights movement created a ready environment in which exploited people protested their social status and demanded change. Among the forefront, women contended against their male oppressors and demanded autonomy. Ultimately, however, women disagreed amongst themselves regarding the severity of their oppression and the ideal route to implement change. Thereafter, radical feminism became a strong force within the women's liberation movement. Group members denied that capitalism oppressed women, and countered that women's status as a sex-class remained the essential component in their subjugation. To obtain true freedom, women had to reject the deeply ingrained social expectations. As radical …

Evidence Of Ecological Speciation In Phacelia., Pamela Michele Glass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phacelia purshii Buckley and P. fimbriata Micheaux are two species that are nearly morphologically indistinguishable. Seed germination experiments showed that the high elevation endemic, P. fimbriata requires lower temperatures to trigger germination. Following interspecific crosses, pollen tubes enter ovules and maternal tissue of the gynoecium matures but hybrid diploid and triploid organs fail to develop. DNA sequences from the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed region showed that P. fimbriata and P. purshii comprise a monophyletic clade but that P. fimbriata is more differentiated from related species. In contrast, P. purshii supported significantly higher levels of intraspecific polymorphism. Phacelia fimbriata and P. …

"Reclaiming The Child": Mountain Mission School As A Successful Appalachian Home Mission., Rachel Rebecca Hood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mountain Mission School of Grundy, Virginia, founded by Samuel Robinson Hurley in 1921, is an anomaly of the mission school era of 1880 to 1940. Unlike other mission schools, Mountain Mission School was independent from its inception and was founded by a self-taught, self-made millionaire from southwest Virginia. The school's purpose to "reclaim" the child from material and spiritual poverty lay in Hurley's desire to develop a child's mind, body, and soul through a Christian, industrial education. Through personal commitment to the school and tireless fund-raising efforts for the school, he inspired others to continue the mission he began. Primary …

My Journey Home: A Study In Hand-Felted Wool., Ashleigh Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a supporting paper for a Master of Arts Graduate Exhibition entitled My Journey Home: A Study in Hand-Felted Wool, held at Slocumb Galleries October 30 through November 3, 2006. The work in the exhibition represents a concentrated study in the graduate program in Fiber Art at East Tennessee State University. My artwork is an expression of my feelings and emotions toward my family, particularly the women in my family.

The paper begins with an introduction detailing my artistic research and culminates with a reflection of the work shown in the exhibition. The cultural and historical influences that shaped …

Relationships Between Student Attendance And Test Scores On The Virginia Standards Of Learning Tests., Jeffrey Cassell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between student attendance and student test scores on a criterion-referenced test, using test scores of all 5^th graders in Virginia who participated in the 2005-2006 Standards of Learning tests in reading and mathematics. Data collection for this study was performed with the cooperation of the Virginia Department of Education using a state database of student testing information. Pearson correlation coefficients were determined for the overall student population and for the subgroups of economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, limited English proficient, white, black, and Hispanic. The results of this study indicate that there is a …

Claudius Greer Clemmer, Doctor Of Humane Letters January 4, 1911-November 20, 2005., Sheila Breen Agen Pedersen Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there are facts that are known about Claudius Greer Clemmer, there is much that is not known. By most accounts, he was a generous man who grew up during some of the hardest years of the Great Depression, worked to get an education, and had a successful teaching career. Clemmer worked diligently to do what he could to support himself and his family, working at two jobs. When his career track changed from teaching to business, in 1946, he experienced success in business and investments, sharing that wealth with East Tennessee State University and others. The intent of this …

I Think I Can: Identity And Social Experiences Of Adolescents With Physical Disabilities., Amy Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An online survey was completed by 40 adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 22) with physical disabilities for the purpose of exploring their social experiences. The survey focuses on key variables associated with individual identity, group identity, social relationships and activities, and future aspirations. Positive outcome variables were explored including: self-esteem, self-efficacy, body satisfaction, cultural identity, relationship quality, activity participation, and future orientation. Independent variables included sex, population size, ability level, and proximity to disability. Ability level proved to be the most predictive of positive outcomes. Sex, population size, and proximity to disability exhibited small associations to some of …

The Status Of Public Relations In Russia., Inga Lvovna Ragozina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the status of public relations in the fledgling democratic Russian Federation. The purpose was to determine: whether public relations practitioners in Russia practice Grunig and Hunt's (1984) press agentry, public information, two-way asymmetrical, and two-way symmetrical models of public relations; how public relations has contributed to the political and economic transformation in Russia; and how the former communist propaganda has affected contemporary public relations.

Telephone interviews were conducted with 10 Russian public relations practitioners. The findings revealed that the 4 models of public relations are practiced in Russia; communist propaganda affected contemporary public relations; and, the field …

The Rise And Fall Of The Hillbilly Music Genre, A History, 1922-1939., Ryan Carlson Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research will examine the rise in popularity of the hillbilly music genre as it relates to the early part of the twentieth century as well as its decline with the arrival of the western hero, the cowboy.

Chapter 1 examines the origins of traditional music and how instrumental the fiddle and banjo were in that development. Chapter 2 looks closely into the careers of recording artists who recorded what would later be called hillbilly music. Chapter 3 examines the string band and the naming of the hillbilly genre. Chapters 4 and 5 look at the aspect of radio programming …

Examining Significant Differences Of Gunshot Residue Patterns Using Same Make And Model Of Firearms In Forensic Distance Determination Tests., Heather Lewey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In many cases of crimes involving a firearm, police investigators need to know how far the firearm was held from the victim when it was discharged. Knowing this distance, vital questions regarding the re-construction of the crime scene can be known. Often, the original firearm used in commission of a suspected crime is not available for testing or is damaged. Crime laboratories require the original firearm in order to conduct distance determination tests. However, no empirical research has ever been conducted to determine if same make and model firearms produce different results in distance determination testing. It was the purpose …

Pamela On Directing Three The Hard Way: An Exploration Of Theatrical And Communicative Processes., Pamela S. Adolphi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The direction of the play Three the Hard Way by Linda Eisenstein achieved the playwright's intent and the super objective of the play. The application of theatrical and communicative processes facilitated the direction of the desired metacommunicatations associated with the family's dynamics by expressing the struggles and perceptions associated with the family and their relationships. The implementation of the director's prompt book illustrates the use of proxemics in creating picturizations for the stage. In addition, the exploration of the directing process and the progression of the production are examined in daily journal entries. The successes of the directorial approach and …

The Long March Of The German 68ers: Their Protest, Their Exhibition, And Their Administration., Gracie M. Morton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The postwar children coming of age in the late 1960s in West Germany mounted a widesweeping socio-political protest against what they saw as the strangling silence of their parents, the Nazi generation. These protesters, referred to as the 68ers for their pivotal year, continued their struggle in following decades, incorporating an important and controversial exhibition, and finally culminating in their own administration thirty years from their defining moment. Using such diverse kinds of information as parliamentary debates, interviews, and contemporary criticism, this thesis explores the impact of the 68ers' initial protest and the influence they ultimately had on their nation …

A Dual-Agent Approach For Securing Routing Protocols, Brian Lee Gaines

Theses and Dissertations

Ad hoc routing inherently serves two separate and conflicting divisions of interest: the needs of the user or individual and the needs of the network or community. These interests should be secured differently. The proposed research is a dual-agent approach for securing ad hoc routing protocols. This approach assumes a physical division of tasks into user agent tasks and tasks performed by a trustworthy network agent. The research, motivated by the need to reduce the tasks of the network agent, investigates strategies for an optimal division of labor while promoting the faithful execution of the routing protocol. This investigation employs …

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Forty-Eighth Annual Commencement, December 15, 2007, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University
One Hundred and Forty-Eighth Annual Commencement
December 15, 2007

The Effects Of Hurricane Katrina On The Structure, Performance, Capacity, And Future Of The Lumber Industry, Thomas Eric Mcconnell

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation focuses on the effects of hurricane Katrina on the structure, performance, capacity, and future of the lumber industry in the impacted area. The basis of the examination is a survey of both hardwood and softwood lumber mills in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Total response rate was 42.4%. Results support the hypothesis that the storm did have a significant and negative effect on the commerce of responding facilities. Contribuing factors, such as raw materials supply and procurement, physical damage tothe mill and resulting variations to operation, productivity and quality issues, as well as human resources, were impacted in differing …

Alice Daughtry

African American Funeral Programs

Funeral Program for Mrs. Alice Daughtry at Lane Grove Baptist Church in Millen, Georgia

The Impact Of A Large Automotive Manufacturing Plant On Demographic Expansion And Educational Changes In A Mississippi School District, Ronnie Lynn Mcgehee

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine one school district’s response to the largest automobile plant in North America being built in its county. An economic development package worth in excess of one billion dollars would surely change the landscape of the community and the district for years to come, but how should the district respond? Nissan North America announced in November of 2000 that it would build the largest automobile plant in North America in Canton, Mississippi. This plant would employee over four thousand employees and thirteen suppliers to that plant that would employee another five to six thousand employees …

The New Guideline For Goodwill Impairment, Nancy Jewel Swanson

Theses and Dissertations

Goodwill, for financial accounting purposes, is an intangible asset on the balance sheet that represents the excess of the amount paid for an acquired entity over the net fair value of the assets acquired. The Financial Accounting Standards Board has recently issued a new mandate. This new guideline eliminates annual amortization of goodwill and requires annual valuation for potential goodwill impairment and consequent writedown. Determining the amount of impairment requires management estimation, thus, allowing managerial discretion in developing the impairment amounts. Managerial discretion may then be used to manage earnings. Earnings management occurs when managers exercise their professional judgment in …

Professional Development In Business Education: Status, Needs, Motivators, And Impact On Instruction, Kellie Ann Shumack

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the impact of teacher in-service and individual professional development for business educators in the following areas: classroom instruction, teacher motivation, the continuity of individual professional development, the professional development needs of business educators compared with those of other teachers, the status of business education professional development, and the manner in and extent to which current professional development activities are meeting needs. Satisfaction levels with in-service and individual professional development were also identified. Lastly, this study examined the role of business educators in determining local in-service events. Participants included 109 Alabama business educators who completed an online survey …

Proteomic Analysis Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Sana Mujahid

Theses and Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is a deadly, Gram-positive foodborne pathogen that is ubiquitous in the environment. The bacterium expresses a number of virulence and stress adaptation proteins that support its pathogenic capabilities. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to map L. monocytogenes surface proteins, which play a central role in virulence, and to examine protein expression by L. monocytogenes grown on ready-to-eat meat, an important source of Listeria infections. A novel method for solubilization of surface proteins from L. monocytogenes for 2-DE was developed. Additionally, the unique proteome expressed by L. monocytogenes grown on a meat matrix was uncovered. The developed solubilization …

Reading Instruction And Long Term Changes In Reading Test Scores, Harriet Elizabeth Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT) reading scores of a cohort of eighth grade students in an east central Mississippi school to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the MCT reading scale scores between students taught by their learning style and those taught by a basal approach. Research in learning styles has demonstrated that the process of assessing and matching students’ learning styles with activities or styles of the teacher results in significant increases on standardized tests of reading achievement. Students who prefer a conventional setting (difficult classes in the …

Natural Hazards In Mississippi: Regional Perceptions And Reality, Patrick Lee Threatt

Theses and Dissertations

This study comprised of a survey of 807 students in geosciences classes at Mississippi State University to determine the perceived level of threat from eight natural hazards: hurricanes, hail, lightning, tornadoes, earthquakes, ice storms, floods, and wildfires. Responses were analyzed to detect spatial differences in perceptions of threats across the state of Mississippi for comparison. Actual occurrences of the natural hazards and preparations for dealing with these hazards were recorded by county and MEMA districts. Threat perceptions for hurricanes, ice storms, floods, and lightning showed spatial differences, whereas threats from hail, tornadoes, earthquakes, and wildfire showed no spatial differences. All …

Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowner Participation In Incentive Programs And Regeneration Behavior, Xing Sun

Theses and Dissertations

Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners have been major players in increasing forest productivity and improving forest health. Understanding what factors influence landowner participation in government programs, and furthermore, what factors determinate how quickly after harvest landowners regenerate, is critical for developing policies to improve landowner participation in government assistance programs and timely regeneration of harvested lands. Two studies were conducted to investigate these issues. The necessary data were obtained through a 2006 telephone survey of randomly selected Mississippi NIPF landowners. Factors considered included an array of land, ownership, management, and demographic characteristics. In the first study, a two-step landowner behavior …

Physiologically-Based Toxicokinetic And Toxicodynamic (Pbtk/Td) Modeling Of A Ternary Organophosphorus Insecticide Mixture In Rats: Model Development And Validation, Julian Thomas Pittman

Theses and Dissertations

A physiologically-based toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic (PBTK/TD) model was developed, from the open literature, to predict the toxicokinetic disposition and toxicodynamic response (acetylcholinesterase inhibition) of a ternary organophosphorus (OP) insecticide mixture: chlorpyrifos (CP), methyl parathion (MP) and parathion (P). In vivo studies were conducted in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, orally administered one of two CP/MP/P mixtures (2.5, 0.5, 0.5 mg/kg or 5, 1, 1 mg/kg) with selected tissues (blood, brain, diaphragm, liver, lung and skeletal muscle) collected at 30min, 4, 12 and 24hr postdosing. Low dosages were studied so the mixture did not result in significant disruption of cardiovascular function nor …

Postsecondary Transitions Of Mississippi Band Of Choctaw Indians Tribal Scholarship Program Students, Gregory A. Carlyle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the postsecondary education transition experiences of graduates of Choctaw Central High School (CCHS) who received support from the Tribal Scholarship Program (TSP) to better understand the barriers to successful postsecondary completion and the means to overcoming those barriers. Successful transitions are key for students to persist to academic completion. Studies show that American Indian students have low rates of college completion and experience a variety of factors attributed to withdrawal from college. This study provided insight into college success experienced by American Indian students and an understanding of the opportunities for a …