Digital Commons Network^™

“Caroline”: Deviance In Southern Women’S Poetry, Sage Aspyn Short

All Theses

Deviance in Southern women’s poetry can be characterized by uncertainty, religious images, and through the telling of stories often unheard of, forgotten, or erased, like racial and gendered violence. Glenis Redmond’s poetry in The Listening Skin and What My Hand Say both explore Southern womanhood alongside race, history, violence, illness, and legacy, among other themes and topics. In Caroline: Poems some deviances include religious metaphors alongside obsessive compulsive disorder, excessive cursing from a woman speaker, and historical graveyard musings. Critical texts about lyric theory and voice provide some background and historical significance to be used in this contemporary study and …

Identity War: World War I Through The Lens Of Carl Schmitt And Ideology, Charles Zambito

All Theses

This thesis will examine World War I from an ideological perspective through the lens of Carl Schmitt. The Central Powers and in particular how Germany represented Romanticism,Social Darwinism,militarism,and tradition more broadly; at the same time however Germany also paradoxically represented modernism and nationalism sometimes called Reactionary Modernism as all of these ideas were the key to German unification in 1871. The Entente powers and especially France and Britain represented liberalism,empiricism,rationalism, stoicism, and internationalism. The philosophical ideas of stoicism and classicism can especially be seen in Britain where the idea of a stiff upper lip and maintaining peace and order were …

“Home On The Phone”: How Black Students At A Pwi Use Digital Space To Form Community, Malaysia Barr

All Theses

College is a time when students are traditionally away from home in the hopes of not only securing a better future through higher education but have the ability to shape who they are as individuals. As Predominately White Institutions serve few minority students, this can prove to be challenging for them as they do not fit into the majority racial group. This thesis investigates how Black students at a PWI utilize the mobile app, GroupMe, as a method of connecting and networking within their racial community. Through focus groups and individual interviews, this study found that Black students use digital …

In Search Of A Blind Tiger: A Cultural And Historic Landscape Analysis Of Prohibition-Era Charleston, Chloe Martin

All Theses

Though Charleston, South Carolina is known as a historic city, many of its historic landscapes lack representation within modern compiled histories. One such landscape is that of Dispensary and Prohibition-era Charleston, which can be defined as the period between 1893, with the ratification of The Dispensary Act, and the repeal of the National Prohibition in 1933. This thesis research documents and assesses the cultural and historic landscape of the Charleston peninsula during the Dispensary and Prohibition eras. This study intends to create a baseline with which this period in Charleston can be studied, both culturally and architecturally.

The primary data …

The Star Caller: Shining A Light On Game Production And Real Time Cinematics, Jehoshaphat Chacko

All Theses

In the landscape of interactive entertainment, the synergy between game play and real-time cinematics has become a pivotal force driving innovation and engagement in modern video games. “The Star Caller” is a project made by a small group of talented artists that explores this intersection. It serves as a prime example of how these two features coexist in modern gaming. This project utilizes the fundamentals of not only video game storytelling, but also all the popular aspects of a single player experience. Artistic inspiration from popular works such as God of War: Ragnarok, Warframe, and films such as Children of …

“Playing The Blame Game”: How Social Media Users Make Sense Of Coach-Athlete Sexual Violence And Institutional Betrayal, Claire Waddell

All Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how users of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) responded to and assigned responsibility in two cases of coach-athlete sexual violence in elite North American sport. The cases of Kyle Beach, formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, and Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly, both formerly of the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League, were chosen for analysis because they represent the blending of (masculinized) sports culture and (feminized) sexual violence within the unique context of professional North American sports. A convenience sample of …

Effect Of Source Of Trace Minerals On Nutrient Digestibility And Rumen Fermentation Of Dairy Cows, Cesar Velasquez Rios

All Theses

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Symptom Clusters In Individuals Seeking Treatment For Gambling Disorder, Blaine Stiglets

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) presents the criteria for Gambling Disorder (GD) as a unidimensional construct where each additional symptom corresponds to increased severity. Many individuals experience addiction symptoms in specific symptom clusters, with membership to one profile of symptoms or other better-representing disorder severity than raw symptom counts. This study explored whether similarly informative symptom clusters exist among adults seeking treatment for gambling harms. The sample included 444 adults (Mage= 44.95) who completed an assessment of DSM criteria for GD at intake. Through a latent class analysis of GD criteria, three …

Do Emotion Dysregulation And Internalized Shame Mediate The Relationship Between Borderline Personality Disorder Symptomology And Criminal Involvement?, Madison Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and debilitating mental disorder that is over-represented within the criminal legal system (CLS), with 15-29.5% of individuals in the CLS meeting criteria. However, little research has examined mechanisms leading to criminal involvement within this population. Potential mechanisms include positive/negative emotion dysregulation and internalized shame, which (aside from positive emotion dysregulation) have been linked to criminal involvement in other populations. Research has yet to examine these constructs as mechanisms explaining criminal involvement among individuals with BPD. This study examined positive/negative emotion dysregulation and internalized shame as mechanisms of the relationship between BPD and criminal …

Exploring Knowledge And Perceptions Of Nursing Students: A Quantitative Study On Sexual Assault And Sex Trafficking Awareness, Isabella Marino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore nursing students' knowledge and perceptions of identifying and treating victims of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Survey data was collected from second to fifth semester nursing students in Eastern Tennessee. The study aims to identify students' perceptions of medical personnel's ability to identify and treat sexual assault and sex trafficking victims, examine whether adherence to myths affects knowledge and confidence levels, determine students' confidence in identifying and treating victims, and evaluate whether demographic characteristics affect identification and treatment. Results will help improve our approach towards these issues.

Electrochemiluminescence Using Pencil Graphite Electrodes And Screen-Printed Carbon Electrodes Interfaced With A Simple Imaging System, Sandra Ehigiator

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is a phenomenon whereby electrochemical reactions generate a product that is capable of emitting light. ECL’s high sensitivity, selectivity, extremely low background, and relatively simple instrumentation make it particularly well-suited for chemical sensing and biosensing strategies. Here we report a simple ECL imaging system based on a camera interfaced with a zoom lens to compare pencil graphite electrode (PGE) and screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) arrays as ECL platforms. With this system, ECL signals generated from tris(2,2′- bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride hexahydrate ([Ru(bpy)3]2+) using co-reactant tri-n-propylamine (TPA) were linear with respect to [Ru(bpy)3]2+ concentrations from 9 to 450 μM. Detection limits …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Undergraduate Students Who Participated In The Ronald E. Mcnair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, Alexandria C. Craft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of former McNair Program participants at a regional postsecondary institution in northeast Tennessee. More specifically, the study examined how past participants of a McNair Program perceived their program experiences related to their post-undergraduate educational endeavors and career pursuits. Although research has been conducted on McNair Programs, no research has been conducted on the lived experiences of individuals who participated in a McNair Program in northeast Tennessee within the last two decades, and little to no research has been conducted to identify the program components that former participants believe …

An Assessment Of The Current State Of Nursing Homes In The United States, Southern Region, And Tennessee, Nicole Galler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Nursing homes throughout the U.S. have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years because of staffing shortages, and under-investment, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. To gain insight into the current state of nursing homes, this study examined nursing home characteristics, quality, and accessibility from a national, regional and state perspective.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Community Survey, Medicare Beneficiary, and the Tennessee Department of Health. Nursing home characteristics and quality were assessed through bivariate and multivariate regression in the U.S. Assessment of HHS Region 4 nursing home characteristics and …

Preliminary Evidence For The Validity And Reliability Of A Modified Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Scale: The Variability In Aces Scale, Mary Jo Hedrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research has proliferated in the last twenty years with significant research demonstrating the detrimental effects of early childhood adversity. While many measures purport to measure ACEs, very few capture the intensity of ACEs while still calculating the traditional “ACEs tally.” Thus, it is the goal of this dissertation to collect evidence for an expanded ACES measure. The Variability in Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (VACE) measure builds upon the original ACEs and captures interval level data. Two survey-based studies were conducted in which convergent and criterion related validity and test-retest reliability evidence were collected. In …

Reclamation: The Towns Of The Virginia Coalfields, Craig Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The photographer discusses his work in Reclamation: The Towns of the Virginia Coalfields, a Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibit held at the Tipton Gallery from February 12th through February 23, 2024. The exhibition focuses on coal towns located in the southwestern part of Virginia. The exhibition consists of 20 framed, archival inkjet prints. Each framed work is 36” x 24” and is representative of the artist’s exploration of the towns. A catalog of the exhibit is included at the end of this thesis.

Owens examines formal and conceptual artistic influences, both historical and contemporary. Historic and contemporary photographic …

An Examination Of Early Childhood Leadership In Public Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Wesam Alshahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases.

In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education …

An Examination Of Police Response To Individuals Suffering With Mental Illness, Aliss Copsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine police officer response to individuals suffering with mental illness. There had been little prior research that used qualitative methods and explored police officers in rural areas. Several research questions were explored, including stigmatizing beliefs held by police officers toward individuals with mental illness, perceived levels of preparedness, challenges experienced by police officers, improvements officers wish to see implemented, and the impact of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) training. This study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with 19 police officers who worked in East Tennessee in order to address the research questions. The results …

A Bright Point In A Dull Day: A Qualitative Exploration Of Middle School Students’ Perceptions Of Music Ensemble Participation, Kailee Amburgey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Music participation, specifically in an ensemble setting, is known to promote learning and social skills and to contribute to a well-rounded overall education. With this in mind, this qualitative, constructivist grounded theory study explored the impacts that participating in chorus, band, or orchestra has on students’ overall experience in middle school, with a focus on joy and identity development. The researcher interviewed fifteen students about their personal experiences and feelings about their lives as middle schoolers and musicians. The findings, shared in six theoretical concepts tied to the research question, reveal important facets of these students’ experiences that shed light …

The Role Of The Speech-Language Pathologist With Survivors Of Traumatic Brain Injury From Intimate Partner Violence And Providers’ Knowledge Of This Role, Nicolle Mcadams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence occurs globally at alarming rates. Many experience adverse health impacts such as traumatic brain injury. Healthcare providers do not know the role of the speech-language pathologist, or the rehabilitation needs of survivors.

Aims: This scoping review aims to identify speech-language pathology services for survivors of intimate partner violence with a resulting traumatic brain injury, and knowledge of healthcare providers on the rehabilitation needs of this population. A search was completed in May to October 2023, resulting in a total of 13 articles reviewed.

Main contributions: Speech-language pathologists lack knowledge to provide services to intimate partner violence survivors …

Interpreting Shift Encoders As State Space Models For Stationary Time Series, Patrick Donkoh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Time series analysis is a statistical technique used to analyze sequential data points collected or recorded over time. While traditional models such as autoregressive models and moving average models have performed sufficiently for time series analysis, the advent of artificial neural networks has provided models that have suggested improved performance. In this research, we provide a custom neural network; a shift encoder that can capture the intricate temporal patterns of time series data. We then compare the sparse matrix of the shift encoder to the parameters of the autoregressive model and observe the similarities. We further explore how we can …

The Greater Implications Of Self-Perceptions Of Aging Among Younger Adults: Results From The Socially Nutritious Volunteer Training Program, Ashlyn Cobble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapidly growing rate of the older adult population has created a need to better understand younger adults’ self-perceptions of aging and current trends of ageism. The purpose of this secondary data analysis research project was to determine changes, if any, in participants’ self-perception of aging after the Socially Nutritious facilitator or nutrition ambassador volunteer training, which aims to develop knowledge and skills related to aging trends, older adult nutrition, preventing ageism, and communication and educational considerations when working with older adults. Findings indicate that participants with more frequent interactions with older adults had a more positive perception of their …

Validation Of A Novel Heritable Rodent Model Of Drug Abuse Vulnerability In Psychosis And Investigation Of Therapeutic Targets, Loren D. Peeters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder of largely unknown etiology that is often accompanied by high rates of cigarette smoking, reduced quit success, and high relapse rates. Dysregulated dopamine signaling and aberrant synaptic plasticity in the mesocorticolimbic pathway are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and conferred substance abuse disorder and relapse vulnerability. Genetic factors are presumed to play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia, with a 40-50% concordance rate for monozygotic twins, although genetic markers are inconsistent. As such, epigenetic factors have instead been implicated. Specifically, there is strong evidence to suggest DNA methylation at several candidate …

Groundswell, Ursula Gullow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses the artwork of her Master of Fine Arts exhibition, Groundswell, held at Tipton Gallery in Johnson City, March 11 – 22, 2024. The exhibition includes wall pieces, sculpture, plaster, and ceramic objects that explore the traditional parameters of painting and its presentation.

Ideas discussed include the philosophy of history, and the origin of European art tropes such as odalisques, flowers, and birds. Framing devices, deconstructed paintings, fiber arts, ceramics, 18^th Century decorative art, plaster, the studio practice, Walter Benjamin, David Lowenthal, Gustave Courbet, Jean Honoré Fragonard, Titus Kaphar, Valerie Hegarty, and maximalism are also surveyed.

Healthcare Providers’ Screening And Counseling For Tobacco Use Among Youth In The United States: Prevalence, Practices, And Providers’ Perspectives, Adeola Omolade Ayo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Youth tobacco use is a public health concern in the United States (U.S.) with about 2.8 million middle and high school youth reporting current tobacco use in 2023. Healthcare providers (HCPs) can play a crucial role in addressing youth tobacco use through screening and counseling, yet rates of these interventions are suboptimal. Tennessee has a high prevalence of youth tobacco use and not much is known about these interventions in Northeast Tennessee. This study has several objectives: 1) conduct a scoping review of available evidence on screening and counseling for youth tobacco use and identify related gaps; 2) assess youth …

Exploring The Correlates And Predictors Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Uptake Among People Living With Hiv/Aids In Tennessee, Charles Olomofe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background

The administration of the COVID-19 vaccines has met with resistance and hesitance from different population groups including people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It is concerning to know that PLWHAs are showing a higher rate of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy than the general population. The objective of this study is to synthesize the literature and determine the correlates and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWHA using primary and secondary data.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to identify and summarize studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWHA using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Extension for …

An Environmental Struggle: Nature’S Role In The Poetry Of Seamus Heaney And Robert Frost, Jake Lawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Both New England’s Robert Frost and Northern Ireland’s Seamus Heaney are considered major poets of the 20^th century. Both poets present speakers who rely upon rural settings to explore troublesome feelings and difficult experiences. Their speakers project their human experience onto nature, but because nature is indifferent, they cannot find solutions for their personal discomfort and uncertainties. By examining the writers in this order—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mary Oliver, Seamus Heaney, and Robert Frost—a spectrum concerning the poet and their relationship to nature emerges. By considering John Ruskin’s pathetic fallacy, we will see a movement from irrationality in transcendental depictions, …

Design And Validation Of A Test For Teachers: Measuring Knowledge Of Trauma, Jennifer B. Bilbrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research and interest in trauma-informed pedagogy have grown substantially. Trauma-informed pedagogy includes knowledge of trauma symptoms, associated behaviors, and environmental and instructional trauma-informed strategies. Various scales measure attitudes and experiences with trauma-informed practices; however, the literature suggests a lack of validated tests measuring teachers' knowledge of trauma. Reliable and valid tests measuring knowledge are critical when determining the professional development needs of both pre-service and in-service teachers. This multi-phase study aimed to fulfill this need by creating the Teachers’ Knowledge of Trauma (TKOT) test. With the guidance of literature and qualitative data from eight early childhood professional peers, a 50-item …

Exploring Spatiotemporal Patterns In Hazardous Hydrologic Events: Assessment, Communication, And Mitigation Through Geospatial Technologies, Emmanuel Afriyie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tennessee has a long history of meteorological hazards that have caused property damage and loss of life. Given climate change and variability, it is imperative to look at trends to ascertain changes spatiotemporally. Space-time cubes, a novel geographic tool, were used to analyze historical heavy precipitation (1-, 2-, and 5-year returns), floods, and flash flood data in Tennessee counties to assess the trends, identify emerging hotspots/cold spots and display changes over space and time. For all return periods, trends analysis revealed that heavy precipitation events are increasing in several counties across the state, with middle Tennessee identified as a hotspot. …

Familial Sex Trafficking In East Tennessee, Mary K. Brannock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Public Health program at East Tennessee State University. The dissertation follows the Manuscript Format which includes three manuscripts, these manuscripts regard familial sex trafficking and are as follows, a scoping review, an empirical study on regional familial sex trafficking, and a policy implications paper on criminal record relief for survivors of familial sex trafficking.

The scoping review includes eight peer reviewed studies on familial sex trafficking and a summary of grey literature. Thematic analysis was used to map the existing literature onto the Three Ps of human trafficking: Prevention, …

The Association Between Prenatal Care And Postpartum Depression: Current State And Future Directions, Esther Adebayo-Abikoye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major public health challenge and associated with poor maternal and infant health outcomes. Quality prenatal care decreases adverse outcomes in pregnancy and may reduce PPD risk factors. This study critically reviews the evidence about the role of prenatal care practices in reducing PPD prevalence across population groups and examines the association between prenatal care timing and counseling content with PPD prevalence.

Methods

A scoping review was completed across eight databases to synthesize evidence about prenatal care and PPD across different contextual settings. National data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) was used …