Digital Commons Network^™

Applying Marketing Concepts To Non-Profit/Educational Organizations: The Youth Professional’S Responsibilities In Program Marketing & Promotion, Keith G. Diem

Journal of Youth Development

The degree of participation in community-based youth development programs is typically affected by both the recruitment and retention of participants. A review of literature over more than forty years revealed the value of marketing and promotion to the viability of a company, product, or organization and how it may contribute to company sales or an organization’s membership. This article is focused on the application of marketing concepts to a non-profit organization or educational program. Using a marketing approach to program development can result in improved program quality as well as increased enrollment. Utilizing marketing activities such as needs assessment will …

A Study Of K-8 Preservice Teachers' Use Of Digital Technologies When Student Teaching, Richard Francis Coughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the advancements and availability of computers and digital technologies in today's schools and colleges, too many graduating K-8 teachers enter the teaching profession without the skills, knowledge, and experience to use technology as a teaching and learning tool. These issues directly affect whether teachers use technology in their schools. Too often preservice teachers lack the basic computer skills they need before they can use technology as a teaching and learning tool. Preservice teachers also need learning opportunities such as educational technology classes, faculty who model and demonstrate technology, and field placement schools with supervising teachers who use and encourage …

Evaluation Of Chitosan And Collagen As Scaffolding For A Tissue Engineered Aortic Heart Valve, Steven Christopher Waller

Theses and Dissertations

Children born with congenital heart valve defects require open-heart surgery to implant an artificial replacement valve. These valves are unable to grow with the developing child and need replacing every 5 years. Tissue engineered heart valves, capable of growing with the patient, would alleviate the need for repeat surgery. I hypothesize chitosan and collagen possess advantageous qualities as scaffolding for a tissue engineered heart valve. This study evaluated chitosan and collagen hydrogels as potential scaffold materials. Chitosan scaffolds had suitable pore size/distribution and scaffold strength; however, they were unable to sustain cell attachment or viability. Collagen gels were assessed for …

Characterization Of The Genes Involved In Biosynthesis And Transport Of Schizokinen, A Siderophore Produced By Rhizobium Leguminosarum Iari 917., David Jack Hammond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is the 4th most abundant metal on the earth's crust and is required by most organisms as a cofactor for many enzymes; however, at physiological pH and aerobic conditions iron forms insoluble ferric oxyhydroxide polymers. Siderophores are low molecular weight compounds that scavenge ferric ions, bind with high affinity, and transport it into the cell via multicomponent transport systems. Rhizobia are soil dwelling organisms that form symbiotic relationships with host plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen, while the bacteria receive nutrients. R. leguminosarum IARI 917 produces a siderophore characterized as 'schizokinen'. In the present study, we have characterized the binding …

The Characteristics Of School Culture That Influence College-Going Rate For High School Graduates In Northeast Tennessee., Annie Mbaire Kariuki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of school culture that influenced college-going rates for high school graduates in northeast Tennessee. The study involved one-toone interviews with selected high school teachers and principals. Six high schools in northeast Tennessee were used in the study.

The significance of this study was to generate a grounded theory that could be used to explain the characteristics of school cultures that were effective in supporting students' college-going rates. This knowledge could be used to inform high school principals, school boards, state legislatures and other government bodies, and colleges and universities.

Findings …

Iron Acquisition In Rhodococcus Erythropolis Strain Igts8: Characterization Of A Mutant Strain That Over Produces Siderophore., Melanie Anne Pratt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is an essential nutrient for most bacteria because enzymes like nitrate reductase and cytochromes use it as a cofactor. However, in most aerobic, neutral pH environments, iron is essentially insoluble and not easily available for bacteria to use. Many bacteria respond to this problem by releasing small organic compounds called siderophores that bind and effectively solubilize iron so that it can be transported into the cell for growth. The focus of this study was to learn more about the iron acquisition and especially the transport of iron by the soil bacterium Rhodococcus erythropolis. To fulfill this aim, mutant …

Exploring Changes In Nascar-Related Titles In The New York Times And The Johnson City Press., Wesley Michael Ramey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

NASCAR has become one of America's fastest growing spectator sports, and corporate sponsors have played an important part in this upsurge in popularity. Race teams, drivers, and sanctioning bodies use the income that sponsors provide to operate at NASCAR events. This study provides an analysis of how corporate sponsorships have changed the way that NASCAR is presented in print journalism. Using Burke's method of indexing, NASCAR-related titles in the New York Times and the Johnson City Press from 1950 to present day are analyzed. The analysis reveals not only a steady increase in the number of NASCAR-related titles, but 4 …

Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein D/Host Cell Surface Interaction Stimulates Chlamydia Trachomatis Persistence Via A Novel Pathway., Jennifer Vanover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When presented with certain unfavorable environmental conditions, C. trachomatis reticulate bodies (RBs) enter into a viable, yet noncultivable state called persistence. Two hallmarks of persistent chlamydiae are swollen, aberrantly shaped RBs, as viewed by transmission electron microscopy and a decrease in infectious progeny. Several models of chlamydial persistence have been described, including interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IFN-α, IFN-β, and tumor necrosis factor-α-exposure and nutrient deprivation. Previously, we established an in vitro co-infection model of two of the most common sexually transmitted pathogens in the United States, C. trachomatis and Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV). Data from this tissue culture model indicate that: i) …

Faculty Perceptions About Instructional Technology In Eight Community Colleges In The Tennessee Board Of Regents Higher Education System., Nicole Cardwell-Hampton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty members' perception of the status of technology support and services, their attitudes towards the incorporation of technology in general and with specific applications, and the barriers they perceive to technology use. Additionally, the study focused on the association among the predictor variables of faculty members' gender, age, professional status, years of higher education teaching experience, and tenure versus nontenure status with their degree of technology use.

An online survey was designed to collect data to address the research questions in the study. The survey consisted of 44 questions, including areas for …

Adult Texting In Context : Exploring Norms For Mature Users Of Text-Messaging Technologies., Angela M. Barlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An online survey exploring the patterns of adult text-message use was completed by 150 traditional college age young adults ages 18-24 and 171 adults ages 25-68. Because youth traditionally are among the first group to adopt new communication technologies, much research has been conducted among the adolescent and young adult population regarding the prevalence and importance of text-messaging; however, a research deficit exists regarding adult textmessage use. Data gathered from this survey were categorized and analyzed for emergent content regarding the use of text-messaging, what roll texting plays in adult's communication patterns, the sociological impact of text-messaging on survey respondents, …

Cytotoxic Effects Of Ruthenium Compounds On Human Cancer Cell Lines., Katie Beth Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chemotherapy is the most common cancer treatment. Traditionally, platinum-based drugs are used in chemotherapy. More recently, researchers have focused on ruthenium based compounds as a substitute for the platinum compounds. Ruthenium-based compounds appear to be less toxic to healthy cells than traditional platinum-based compounds. In this study, 7 ruthenium-based compounds were tested on HT-29 (colon) and MCF-7 (breast) human cancer cell lines with the specific aim of determining whether or not any of the ruthenium-based compounds exhibited cytotoxic properties. In addition, levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production were tested in supernate from the cancer cells treated with various …

Tea And Sympathy: The United States And The Sudan Civil War, 1985-2005., Peter William Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The specters of violence and economic insecurity have haunted the Sudan since its independence in 1956. The United States Congress has held numerous hearings on the Sudan's civil war and U.S. television news outlets have reported on the conflict since 1983. While attempting to engage the Sudan in a viable peace process, the U.S. Congress has been beset by ineffectual Cold War paradigms and an inability to understand the complexities of the Sudan civil war. U.S. television news programs, on the other hand, engaged in a process of oversimplification, using false dichotomies to reduce the conflict into easily digestible pieces. …

Characterization Of Murine Cardiac Cholinergic Innervation And Its Remodeling In Type 1 Diabetes., Abigail Marie Mabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Murine models have become increasingly popular to study various aspects of cardiovascular diseases due to their ease of genetic manipulation. Unfortunately, there has been little effort put into describing the distribution of autonomic nerves in the mouse heart, making it difficult to compare current findings from clinical and experimental models related to cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, determination of the requirements for the development of this system and its maintenance in adult mice remains largely unexplored. This study represents the first detailed mapping of cholinergic neuroanatomy of the mouse heart based on immunohistochemical staining using true cholinergic markers. We found cholinergic innervation …

Geochemical Impacts From Permanganate Oxidation Based On Field Scale Assessments., Kelly Ann Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) using permanganate is a technology for treatment of organic hazardous wastes. This research is a review of 30 permanganate (MnO₄^-) ISCO sites to determine whether there are long term impacts on groundwater quality due to the introduction of the oxidant into the subsurface. A second objective is to determine if manganese concentration can be predicted by trends in specific pre and postoxidation monitored parameters (i.e., pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP)). The final objective is to identify the effects of site and design conditions on groundwater conditions postoxidation. Results indicate that (1) …

Police Stress: An Examination Of The Effects Of Stress And Coping Strategies., Derrick Kenwright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How police officers deal with stress greatly affects how they carry out their daily lives and how they treat family and friends. In this study 2 police departments were issued surveys to see how the police officers experienced stress. Questions on the survey asked the officers about the sources of stress, sources of support, and which methods they used to alleviate the stress. The surveys were given to the respective departments over a period of 2 months, and 132 surveys were returned. The statistical analysis performed showed danger was a factor when examining stress. Administration support was found to be …

Towards The Design And Syntheses Of Novel Triads Comprising Single Robson-Type Macrocyclic Dicopper(Ii) Cores Flanked By Two Terminal Polypyridyl Ruthenium(Ii) Complexes., Leslie Shane Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Progress toward the syntheses of new tetranuclear bimetallic complexes of copper(II) and ruthenium(II) was realized. The designed triads comprise a central binuclear copper(II) complex with a tetraiminodiphenolate macrocyclic Robson-type compartmental ligand. In the envisioned complexes, the macrocyclic core is further functionalized by attachment of two polypyridyl ruthenium(II) complexes. A novel dibrominated dicopper(II) Robson complex was formed by the 2:2:2 condensation reaction of 4-bromo-2,6-diformylphenol and 1,3- diaminopropane with cupric chloride. Similarly, a new dibrominated dizinc(II) was synthesized from zinc tetrafluoroborate and the same diamine and dialdehyde. The new dicopper(II) complex did not heterocouple with borylated substrates under explored Suzuki reaction conditions. …

Beauty Standards: Negotiations Of Social Life Among African American College Women, Sheena Kaori Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

The literature concerning the relationship between black women and beauty has revealed conflicting findings: some argue that black women are negatively affected by ‘white’ beauty ideals while others argue for the existence of an alternative ‘black’ beauty standard. The purpose of this research is to describe and analyze young African American women’s awareness of beauty standards and their perception of themselves with relation to these standards, examine whether beauty standards are negotiable, and explore how perceptions of self affect daily social interactions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with black females between the ages of eighteen and twentyive that were …

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Forty-Ninth Annual Commencement, December 13, 2009, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University
One Hundred and Forty-Ninth Annual Commencement
December 13, 2008

The Effect Of Policy And Land Use Change On Water Quality In A Coastal Watershed City: An Analysis Of Covington, Louisiana, Kenneth Tyler Langley

Theses and Dissertations

There is currently a great need to expand the understanding of land use policy’s impact on water quality. The purpose of this thesis is to examine local policy in place in Covington, Louisiana in order to find out if it is having an impact on land use, which then has an impact on water quality. Methods used included reclassification of land use categories within a Geographical Information System and analysis of changes in the city over a four year period. Policy was assessed using a pre-existing evaluation method from The Center for Watershed Protection as well as by a more …

The Effect Of Used Broiler Litter On The Growth And Persistence Of Campylobacter, Zachary Thomas Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Litter is a possible source of Campylobacter colonization for broilers as well as contamination of crops when used as fertilizer. A survey of Arkansas broiler litter indicated that Campylobacter recovery rates were higher in pine shavings and rice hulls than sand. Two experiments utilized three types of litter, which were artificially contaminated with Campylobacter. After 24 hours no Campylobacter could be recovered from any sample. Campylobacter growth was also examined for used pine shaving litter in varying conditions: aerobic atmosphere, micro aerobic atmosphere (6% O2), and moisture content. Campylobacter was recovered for all treatments at the initial sampling, and by …

Social Capital Determinants Of Environmentalism In Spatial Context, Kim Marie Steil

Theses and Dissertations

Sociological studies of society-environment interactions are based on a premise that population well-being is dependent on the environment. Here, I argue that not only are people innately connected to the environment, but the environment also bonds people to one another. That is, people have a mutual obligation to one another to care for the environment. An often ignored factor is that individual participation toward protecting and improving the quality of the environment rests upon the local social and spatial context in which the individual is situated. The ability of individuals in a local environment to come together to identify issues, …

Nmr Backbone Chemical Shift Assignments Of The Hvdhfr1:Nadph Binary Complex, Karthikeshwar Vangala

Theses and Dissertations

Extremophiles are the organisms that survive in environments which are inhospitable to other creatures. This thesis made an attempt to understand the enviromental effects, in particular saline, on enzyme structure by using three dimensional NMR. The enzyme DHFR1 from halophile Haloferaxi volcanii is complexed with its coactor NADPH, and the saline effects on the complex are studied by comparison with its apoenzyme, hvDHFR1. Backbone chemical shift assignments of the hvDHFR1:NADPH complex were attained which can be functional (along with future work) in understanding the effect of salts on enzyme structure, function, and flexibility. A total of 27 amino acids were …

On A Slow Boat To Democracy: The Democratization Of Hong Kong And The Factors Hindering It, James Clapper

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes political, cultural, and social factors that influence democratization using Hong Kong as a case study. Hong Kong is a transitional society which provides a unique set of political and social characteristics for which to study democratic transition. Additionally, reports of political repression from the 2004 Legislative Council election have possibly created a crisis for the democratization process. Drawing from existing literature in theories of democratization, political repression and Hong Kong politics several hypotheses were developed. It was hypothesized that unchecked hegemonic deterrence, antidemocratic elites, and a weak political culture have contributed to a lack of democratization. Furthermore, …

Determination And Compatibility Of Putatively Hypovirulent And Virulent Isolates Of Cryphonectria Parasitica Collected From The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, David Franklin Mcneill

Theses and Dissertations

A two-year study was conducted to collect and identify hypovirulent isolates of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) from American chestnut trees located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). During the survey, 339 isolates were obtained, 54 of which had abnormal morphological characteristics in culture and 3 of these contained dsRNA. Analysis of vegetative compatibility divided all 339 isolates into 34 distinct groups, 16 of which only contained a single isolate. A total of 19 isolates (compared to 3 controls) containing abnormal cultural morphologies or dsRNA were randomly selected for use in a field trial containing 44 natural …

Development Of A Geovisual Analytics Environment Using Parallel Coordinates With Applications To Tropical Cyclone Trend Analysis, Chad A. Steed

Theses and Dissertations

A global transformation is being fueled by unprecedented growth in the quality, quantity, and number of different parameters in environmental data through the convergence of several technological advances in data collection and modeling. Although these data hold great potential for helping us understand many complex and, in some cases, life-threatening environmental processes, our ability to generate such data is far outpacing our ability to analyze it. In particular, conventional environmental data analysis tools are inadequate for coping with the size and complexity of these data. As a result, users are forced to reduce the problem in order to adapt to …

Educational Video Impact On College Student Knowledge, Opinions, And Referral Attitudes Regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Nichol Frances Pritchard

Theses and Dissertations

The interaction of osteoclasts and osteoblasts regulates bone density and the maintenance of osseointegration of implants. To investigate osteoblastic response to strain, rat osteosarcoma cells were cultured on titanium plates and subjected to one of three treatments: a neutral control (0 microstrain), tension (1000 microstrain), and compression (1000 microstrain). Treatments were applied via 4 point bending for fifteen minutes each day to a strain of 1mm/m at a sinusoidal frequency of 1Hz. Cells were measured for DNA as indicator of proliferation, alkaline phosphatase as indicator of phenotype and total protein and calcium deposition as indicators of matrix formation. Results indicated …

An Examination Of Adult Age Differences In Implicit And Explicit Memory For Prescription Drug Advertisements, L Ty Abernathy

Theses and Dissertations

Prescription drug advertisements are commonly seen in magazines and on television, and as a result, the public is familiar with them. Many drug ads are targeted toward older adults, who tend to use more medications, because they suffer from more chronic conditions than younger adults. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of drug advertising at persuading older adults to ask physicians for specific medications remains uncertain. Older adults’ explicit memory for drug ads is poor, but their implicit memory for drug ads may be better. Therefore, older adults may be implicitly persuaded by drug ads even when they cannot explicitly remember seeing them. …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of Accelerated Nursing Programs On The Nursing Shortage In The Mississippi Delta, Sheba Jennings

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine students’ and faculty members’perceptions of the accelerated nursing programs at two colleges in the Mississippi Delta, Coahoma and Mississippi Delta Community College. The study centered on whether the age, race or gender of the students affected their perceptions of program support, key issues and challenges, and program limitations. The study explored differences in faculty and students’ perceptions of the accelerated nursing program in regards to local support, nursing faculty, most complicated areas of the program (which were clinical and exams), and barriers. A quantitative research design was used for this study. The …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Centers For Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: Central Gulf Of Mexico Program, Tracie Tingle Sempier

Theses and Dissertations

The 12 Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) are funded by the National Science Foundation and are designed to promote creative ways of disseminating marine science research and its importance to the public. The focus of this study is the COSEE Central Gulf of Mexico program which encourages active partnerships between research scientists and teachers. In these collaborative partnerships, teachers and scientists work together to create educational products and disseminate best practices in ocean sciences education. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the lesson plans and curricula created through the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: …

Marital Instability In East Asian Societies: A Comparative Study Of China, Taiwan, And South Korea, Susan Lynne Rich

Theses and Dissertations

The rising trend in marital instability and divorce is a topic of discussion nearly world-wide. While divorce affects considerably fewer people in non-Western societies, its rising trend and impact are quite alarming. Given the well established findings in the West, it is useful to study divorce and marital instability in non-Western societies so that prior findings from the West can be scrutinized and validated cross-culturally. This study is necessary because the theories developed in the West may not be entirely applicable to non-Western societies and cultural factors may in some cases be more important than socio-economic factors. By using the …