Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Family Structure On Juvenile Delinquency, Alisha B. Parks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies show that family structure is an important factor in explaining delinquency among adolescents (Price & Kunz, 2003). There is a lack of research, however, pertaining to cohabitation. The main goals of this study are to determine if there are variations in delinquency between cohabitating and other family types, and to examine the extent to which parental social control measures account for the variation in delinquency by family structure. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) are used for the purposes of this study (n = 4,389). While there are no significant differences in violent delinquency …

Physical Security Assessment Of A Regional University Computer Network, Nathan H. Timbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Assessing a network's physical security is an essential step in securing its data. This document describes the design, implementation, and validation of PSATool, a prototype application for assessing the physical security of a network's intermediate distribution frames, or IDFs (a.k.a. "wiring closets"). PSATool was created to address a lack of tools for IDF assessment. It implements a checklist-based protocol for assessing compliance with 52 security requirements compiled from federal and international standards. This checklist can be extended according to organizational needs.

PSATool was validated by using it to assess physical security at 135 IDFs at East Tennessee State University. …

Youth And Family Based In-Home Services Program In Tennessee: Factors For Success, Craig S. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program offering comprehensive treatment that includes family therapy, mental health treatment and parenting skills for caregivers, development of positive social systems, and assistance with accessing community resources for long-term support (Youth Villages, 2013b). Framed on family system theory, Intensive-In Home Services (IIHS) was developed from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Social Development, and Crisis Intervention models as a means to modify behaviors that place youth at risk for out-of-home placement. The socio-historical development of these models is examined in the literature review.

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program …

An Examination Of The Inhibitory Effects Of Antibiotic Combinations On Ribosome Biosynthesis In Staphylococcus Aureus, Justin Beach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacteremia initiated by Staphylococcus aureus infections can be a serious medical problem. Although a number of different antibiotics are used to combat staphylococcal infections, resistance has continued to develop. Combination therapy for certain infections has been used to reduce the emergence of resistance when a single agent has become ineffective. We hypothesize that the use of rifampicin and ciprofloxacin in combination with azithromycin, known for its inhibitory effects on the bacterial ribosome, can create potential synergistic effects resulting from indirect effects on ribosomal subunit synthesis.

To determine this we measured the effects of single and multiple antibiotics on cell growth …

Freshman Academy At One School In East Tennessee: A Mixed Method Study, Yvonne L. Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the student achievement prior to and after the implementation of a freshman academy at one school in East Tennessee. The researcher used student data from the end of course exam scores for Algebra I and English I. The failure rate of freshman prior to and after the implementation of the Freshman Academy was examined. The data were analyzed using a chi square statistical analysis. A significant difference was observed in the end of course exam scores for Algebra I and English I after the implementation of the Freshman Academy. Qualitative data examined …

Native American Empowerment Through Digital Repatriation, Michelle L. Fitch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the Enlightenment, Western adherence to positivist theory influenced practices of Western research and documentation. Prior to the introduction of positivism into Western scholarship, innovations in printing technology, literary advancements, and the development of capitalism encouraged the passing of copyright statutes by nation-states in fifteenth century Europe. The evolution of copyright and positivism in Europe influenced United States copyright and its protection of the author, as well as the practice of archiving and its role in interpreting history. Because Native American cultures practiced orality, they suffered the loss of their traditional knowledge and cultural expressions not protected by copyright. By …

Methylphenidate Conditioned Place Preference In Juvenile And Adolescent Male And Female Rats, Elizabeth D. Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation was an analysis of the effects of methylphenidate (MPH; trade name: Ritalin) on drug reward using the conditioned place preference (CPP) behavioral paradigm in a rodent model and underlying mechanisms of this effect. Animals were conditioned in adolescence from postnatal day (P)33-39) or P44-49 with saline, 1 or 5 mg/kg MPH. Rats administered 5 mg/kg but not 1 mg/kg MPH, resulted in a significant preference that was more robust in younger male adolescent rats. The 5 mg/kg dose of MPH also resulted in a significant decrease of the dopamine transporter in both the nucleus accumbens and striatum, revealing …

Technology Use In Rural Appalachia: A Pilot Study Of The Implications For Pediatric Behavioral Health, Courtney E. Lilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology is a promising means for increasing rural individuals’ access to behavioral healthcare. However, the range of technology use in rural areas is currently unknown. The aims of this study were to examine the use of technology in rural areas, the relationship between technology use and willingness to access pediatric mental health services via videoconferencing, and this relationship within the context of other critical variables linked to service uptake. Data were collected at 2 pediatric primary care clinics. While no significant relationship was found between technology use and willingness to use videoconferencing, a significant relationship emerged between previous service seeking …

Instructor And Student Perceptions Of Online Courses: Implications Of Positioning Theory, Miriam S. Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increase in online course delivery in higher education has implications for students and instructors. In fall 2002, 1.6 million students took at least one online course and this number increased by the fall of 2012 to 6.7 million. The increase in the rate of enrollment in online courses in higher education provides an opportunity to examine the strategies and technologies used in course design and delivery and student engagement in the online culture. Two of the key factors in creating student engagement are the instructor's interaction with students and the course design and delivery itself. An examination of students’ …

Who Done It? Rurality Vs. Ses As Critical Factors In Evaluating The Prevalence Of Child Psychosocial Concerns In Primary Care, Robert M. Tolliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of child psychosocial concerns in rural primary care, hypothesized to be greater than national averages due to lacking mental health services in rural areas. This study was an examination of the role of SES, various definitions of “rural,” and the interaction of SES and rurality, in predicting parent-reported child psychosocial concerns in Appalachian primary care clinics. Caregivers presenting with their child at one of 8 pediatric primary care sites (n=2,672) were recruited to complete a measure assessing demographics and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). Results showed that while rural status …

Co2 Capture On Porous Adsorbents Containing Surface Amino Groups, Odette Amana Esam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The potential impact of carbon dioxide as a major source of global warming has led to extensive research in order to mitigate the greenhouse effect. In this work, four adsorbents were synthesized and studied. The adsorbents were obtained by grafting and sol-gel of amino-containing molecules such as bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine as monoamine and [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]- trimethoxysilane as diamine on the surface of silica gel. CO2 passed through adsorbents at room temperature for its capture, then desorbed at moderate heating, and stored in the form of insoluble BaCO3. The adsorbent synthesized by sol-gel synthesis was found to be more efficient due to its high …

Teaching Experience And Perceived Challenges For School Administrators Regarding Job Stress, Respect, Student Achievement, Assessment & Evaluation, And Professional Development, Erika H. Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether an administrators’ professional teaching background and years of administrative experience influence their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges they face guiding the improvement of teaching and learning. Specifically this research analyzed administrators’ perceptions of level of stress, respect among colleagues and school community, professional development, student achievement, and assessment and evaluation. Participants in this study consisted of Tennessee and North Carolina principals, assistant principals, and associate principals within a 60 mile radius of the East Tennessee State University campus. Data were collected through an online survey system, Survey Monkey. The …

“Between The Dream And Reality”: Divination In The Novels Of Cormac Mccarthy, Robert A. Kottage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Divination is a trope Cormac McCarthy employs time and again in his work. Augury, haruspicy, cartomancy, voodoo, sortition and oneiromancy all take their places in the texts, overtly or otherwise, as well as divination by bloodshed (a practice so ubiquitous as to have no formal name). But mantic practices which aim at an understanding of the divine mind prove problematic in a universe that often appears godless—or worse.

My thesis uses divination as the starting point for a close reading of each of McCarthy’s novels. Research into Babylonian, Greek, Roman and African soothsaying practices is included, as well as the …

The Sustainability Of Agriculture In Nigeria Using Rubber As A Case Study, Owen Osahon Ogbebor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study is an investigation of the sustainability of agriculture in Nigeria using Rubber as case study. Edo and Abia states were sampled for the study with 300 questionnaires administered in 10 communities among rubber farmers. The study is an investigation of the socio-demographic distribution of the rubber farmers, perception of rubber farmers, and influence of government activities. Sources of information and the data were cumulated for Nigeria as a whole. The data were analyzed using statistical analysis.

Findings indicated the distribution of rubber farmers on socio-demographic distribution, sources of funds, and the effects on agricultural sustainability in Nigeria. Farmers’ …

Measurement Of Working Experience And Education Level In Earning Models Among African-American And Whites, Zhuang Zheqi

All Theses

Labor market attachment differs significantly between African-American males and white males; there are various reasons that account for the wage differential. It has long been agreed that the Mincer equation method, which analyzes earnings by using experience and education levels, is very reliable. Is it only these two variables that account for the wage inequality? For instance, does discrimination exist in the labor market? And is there any improvement in the measurement of experience variables that will affect the result? In this paper, I will generate accumulated experience variables in order to compare them to potential experience variables. I will …

Flying A Sailplane, Thomas Nelson Winter

Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Faculty Publications

Me: “You know, Jason, I believe we’re stuck up here!”
Jason: “Isn’t it grand!”
We are high over the Arizona desert in a Schweitzer 2-33 sailplane. Jason Stephens, CFI-G (and four-time national aerobatics champion) was my main instructor at the Estrella Sailport. “That mountain at three o’clock,” he added, “is on the other side of Tucson: 90-mile visibility!”
. . .

I was there a week, for my retirement present to myself, in quest of the glider rating.

Effect Of The Insecticide Lambda-Cyhalothrin On Rice Spider Populations In Southern Brazil, Everton N. L. Rodrigues, Milton De S. Mendonça Jr., Leila L. Fritz, Elvis A. Heinrichs, Lídia Fiuza

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The adverse effect that insecticides have on spider populations is of major concern since these predators are a component in the biological control of rice insect pest populations. This study was designed to determine the effect of the pyrethroid insecticide Lambda-cyhalothrin on spider populations in rice fields. Treatments consisted of plots treated once with the insecticide and untreated plots (control). Spiders were sampled four times per crop year over a two-year period in each of three sites in the state of Rio Grande dol Sul, Brazil. Treatments were replicated four times. Sweep net sampling was conducted to sample the araneofauna. …

Plasma Antibodies To Oral Bacteria And Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer In A Large European Prospective Cohort Study, Dominique S. Michaud, Jacques Izard, Charlotte S. Wilhelm-Benartzi, Doo-Ho You, Verena A. Grote, Anne Tjønneland, Christina C. Dahm, Kim Overvad, Mazda Jenab, Veronika Fedirko, Marie Christine Boutron-Ruault, Françoise Clavel- Chapelon, Antoine Racine, Rudolf Kaaks, Heiner Boeing, Jana Foerster, Antonia Trichopoulou, Pagona Lagiou, Dimitrios Trichopoulos, Carlotta Sacerdote, Sabina Sieri, Domenico Palli, Rosario Tumino, Salvatore Panico, Peter Siersema, Petra Hm Peeters, Eiliv Lund, Aurelio Barricarte, José-María Huerta, Esther Molina-Montes, Miren Dorronsoro, J. Ramón Quirós, Eric J. Duell, Weimin Ye, Malin Sund, Björn Lindkvist, Dorthe Johansen, Kay-Tee Khaw, Nick Wareham, Ruth C. Travis, Paolo Vineis, H. Bas Bueno-De-Mesquita, Elio Riboli

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Examine the relationship between antibodies to 25 oral bacteria and pancreatic cancer risk in a prospective cohort study.

Design: We measured antibodies to oral bacteria in prediagnosis blood samples from 405 pancreatic cancer cases and 416 matched controls, nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study (EPIC). Analyses were conducted using conditional logistic regression and additionally adjusted for smoking status and body mass index.

Results: Individuals with high levels of antibodies against Porphyromonas gingivalis ATTC 53978, a pathogenic periodontal bacteria, had a 2-fold higher risk of pancreatic cancer than individuals lower levels of …

Assessments Of Student-Teacher Relationships In Residential Treatment Center Schools, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Amy B. Gonshak, Patrick Pössel, Andrew Nichols, Natalie Stipanovic

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Students in residential treatment center (RTC) schools are likely to have histories of extreme or ongoing relational trauma (e.g., abuse and neglect by primary caregivers), have substantial interpersonal and relationship problems, and exhibit many high-risk behaviors. Accordingly, these students may have particular difficulty forming positive relationships with teachers, yet student-teacher relationship quality in RTC schools has not been empirically studied. This study examines links between RTC school students’ assessments of their relationships with teachers and their perceptions of self and others. Participants were 113 students in 2 RTC schools from 5th to 12th grade. Results indicate that male and female …

The Mir-17/92 Cluster: A Comprehensive Update On Its Genomics, Genetics, Functions And Increasingly Important And Numerous Roles In Health And Disease., Elena Mogilyansky, Isidore Rigoutsos

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

The miR-17/92 cluster is among the best-studied microRNA clusters. Interest in the cluster and its members has been increasing steadily and the number of publications has grown exponentially since its discovery with more than 1000 articles published in 2012 alone. Originally found to be involved in tumorigenesis, research work in recent years has uncovered unexpected roles for its members in a wide variety of settings that include normal development, immune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and aging. In light of its ever-increasing importance and ever-widening regulatory roles, we review here the latest body of knowledge on the cluster's involvement in …

Remote Estimation Of Nitrogen And Chlorophyll Contents In Maize At Leaf And Canopy Levels, Michael Schlemmer, Anatoly A. Gitelson, James S. Schepers, Richard B. Ferguson, Y. Peng, J. Shanahan, Donald Rundquist

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Leaf and canopy nitrogen (N) status relates strongly to leaf and canopy chlorophyll (Chl) content. Remote sensing is a tool that has the potential to assess N content at leaf, plant, field, regional and global scales. In this study, remote sensing techniques were applied to estimate N and Chl contents of irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) fertilized at five N rates. Leaf N and Chl contents were determined using the red-edge chlorophyll index with R2 of 0.74 and 0.94, respectively. Results showed that at the canopy level, Chl and N contents can be accurately retrieved using green and red-edge Chl …

Optimal Copper Supply Is Required For Normal Plant Iron Deficiency Responses, Brian M. Waters, Laura C. Armbrust

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) homeostasis are tightly linked across biology. Understanding crosstalk between Fe and Cu nutrition could lead to strategies for improved growth on soils with low or excess metals, with implications for agriculture and phytoremediation. Here, we show that Cu and Fe nutrition interact to increase or decrease Fe and/or Cu accumulation in leaves and Fe uptake processes. Leaf Cu concentration increased under low Fe supply, while high Cu lowered leaf Fe concentration. Ferric reductase activity, an indicator of Fe demand, was inhibited at insufficient or high Cu supply. Surprisingly, plants grown without Fe were more susceptible …

Elementary Implantable Force Sensor For Smart Orthopaedic Implants, Rebecca A. Wachs, David Ellstein, John Drazan, Colleen P. Healey, Richard L. Uhl, Kenneth A. Connor, Eric H. Ledet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Implementing implantable sensors which are robust enough to maintain long term functionality inside the body remains a significant challenge. The ideal implantable sensing system is one which is simple and robust; free from batteries, telemetry, and complex electronics. We have developed an elementary implantable sensor for orthopaedic smart implants. The sensor requires no telemetry and no batteries to communicate wirelessly. It has no on-board signal conditioning electronics. The sensor itself has no electrical connections and thus does not require a hermetic package. The sensor is an elementary L-C resonator which can function as a simple force transducer by using a …

Repeated Elevational Transitions In Hemoglobin Function During The Evolution Of Andean Hummingbirds, Joana Projecto-Garcia, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Hideaki Moriyama, Roy E. Weber, Angela Fago, Zachary A. Cheviron, Robert Dudley, Jimmy A. Mcguire, Christopher C. Witt, Jay F. Storz

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Animals that sustain high levels of aerobic activity under hypoxic conditions (e.g., birds that fly at high altitude) face the physiological challenge of jointly optimizing blood-O₂ affinity for O₂ loading in the pulmonary circulation and O₂ unloading in the systemic circulation. At high altitude, this challenge is especially acute for small endotherms like hummingbirds that have exceedingly high mass-specific metabolic rates. Here we report an experimental analysis of hemoglobin (Hb) function in South American hummingbirds that revealed a positive correlation between Hb-O₂ affinity and native elevation. Protein engineering experiments and ancestral- state reconstructions revealed that this …

Making Advanced Trauma Life Support More Effective, Sanjay Meena, Amit Singla, Buddhadev Chowdhury

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Proximal Gastrectomy Versus Total Gastrectomy For Proximal Gastric Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis On Postoperative Complications, 5-Year Survival, And Recurrence Rate, Yu-Wei Pu, Wei Gong, Yong-You Wu, Qiang Chen, Teng-Fei He, Chun-Gen Xing

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To compare proximal gastrectomy (PG) with total gastrectomy (TG) for proximal gastric carcinoma, through the 5-year survival rate, recurrence rate, postoperative complications, and long-term life quality. METHODS: The meta-analysis was carried out in the General Surgery Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. We searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from June to November 2012. The literature searches were carried out using medical subject headings and free-text word: “proximal gastrectomy” “total gastrectomy” “partial gastrectomy” “stomach neoplasms” and “gastric cancer”. Two different reviewers carried out the search and evaluated studies independently. RESULTS: Two …

Effects Of Roselle On Arterial Pulse Pressure And Left Ventricular Hypertrophy In Hypertensive Patients, Ahmad I. Al-Shafei, Ola A. El-Gendy

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the effects of regular Roselle ingestion on blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with established moderate essential hypertension. METHODS: This non-randomized quasi-experimental study was conducted in Kafr El-Shaikh, Egypt, for 8 weeks, from September 2012 to November 2012. The effects of a 4-week period of regular Roselle ingestion followed by a 4-week recovery period on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and heart rates (HR) was studied in 2 equal, gender- and age-matched groups (n=50 each; average age - 50±5 years) of normotensive subjects, and patients with moderate essential …

Neonatal Hemochromatosis: Case Series From Bahrain, Hasan M. Isa, Afaf M. Mohamed

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To review clinical presentations, diagnosis, response to treatment, and outcome of infants with neonatal hemochromatosis (NH). METHODS: This is a retrospective review of all cases admitted to the Pediatric Department at Salmaniya Medical Center, Manama, Bahrain between March 2008 and May 2011. The diagnosis was based on serum iron and ferritin, alpha-fetoprotein levels (AFP), liver and buccal biopsies, and abdominal MRI scan. RESULTS: Ten patients (8 males and 2 females) were diagnosed with NH. Two patients were intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and 6 were preterm. The median birth weight was 1.700 grams. The median age at presentation was 16 …

Quality Of Life Among Children With Beta-Thalassemia Major Treated In Western Saudi Arabia, Mohammed D. Ayoub, Suhaib A. Radi, Abdulrahman M. Azab, Abdulrahman A. Abulaban, Abdulrahman H. Balkhoyor, Seif-Eleslam W. Bedair, Soad K. Aljaouni, Jameela A. Kari

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life among children and adolescents with thalassemia major. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Children and adolescents with beta-thalassemia major who attended the Day Care Unit at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from October 2012 to February 2013 were surveyed. The questions highlighted 4 health status scales, namely physical functioning (PF), emotional functioning (EF), school performance (SC), and social functioning (SF). Scores were calculated for each patient and data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. RESULTS: We recruited 46 children (60.9% males). The …

Perceptions And Effects Of Antenatal Education, Mohammed A. Al-Ateeq, Amal A. Al-Rusaiess, Aida A. Al-Dughaither

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality and effect of antenatal health education on health-related issues during pregnancy, and the benefits to women during the peripartum period. METHODS: This is a descriptive study of 300 women attending the Postnatal Clinics and Women Health Clinics in 2 Family Medicine centers at King AbdulAziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study was carried out between November 2009 and February 2010. A predesigned questionnaire was used. RESULTS: Three hundred women completed the questionnaire. Most women made their first antenatal visit during the fourth month of pregnancy, and most had 3-6 antenatal …