Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Cellular Stress Responses In Innate Immune Defense Against Acute Respiratory Infections, Amit Sharma

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) is an important regulator of innate immune cells. However, its role in pulmonary innate host defenses remains poorly understood. This dissertation elucidates the dual, context-dependent role of IRE1α in host defense against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia. We demonstrate IRE1α’s function as both a detrimental mediator of acute pathology and an essential facilitator of innate immune memory. Our work revealed that acute IRE1α activation during primary MRSA infection is detrimental. In lungs and alveolar macrophages (AMs), IRE1α is activated in response to MRSA infection. Consequently, IRE1α activation triggers a hyperinflammatory …

Evaluation Of Internal Field In Ppln And Studies On Qpm Shg Efficiency Factor, Prasath Rk Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) crystals have attracted interest in optoelectronics and nonlinear optics. The response to the applied electric field is determined by their larger electro-optic and nonlinear optical coefficients. An internal electric field exists in congruent PPLN crystals due to its defects. Its evaluation is important in controlling the electro-optical behavior. A simple nondestructive diffraction method is proposed to estimate the internal electric field present in the congruent lithium niobate crystal.

Due to the presence of an unrelaxed internal field, the as-poled sample acts as an index grating. When a light is incident on such a sample, it …

The Impact Of Social Factors On Vagally Mediated Parasympathetic Activity, Andrew Scot Proctor

Theses and Dissertations

Loneliness and social disconnection are recognized risk factors for morbidity and mortality, yet the psychophysiological pathways remain contested. This dissertation examines how social factors relate to vagally mediated parasympathetic activity indexed by heart rate variability (HRV) and tests whether conversational interventions with a human or a large-language-model (LLM)-based companion can acutely reduce loneliness and enhance connection. Across two university sites (BYU, UCSD), N=297 participants (18-27 years) were randomized to (a) a reciprocal self-disclosure conversation with a trained human confederate, (b) a parallel, vocalized LLM chatbot conversation, or (c) a non-social, vocal reading control. Resting HRV (RMSSD, SDNN, HF-HRV) was recorded …

Addressing The Needs Of The Unhoused Population With Education And Wound Care Kits Based On Input From Healthcare Professionals, Presley Ann Cobble

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Awareness Under Anesthesia: A Scoping Review Of Risk Identification And Detection Strategies, Martin Nguyen

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Central Auditory Processing Is Altered After Traumatic Brain Injury In Tanzanian Adults, Jonathan D. Lichtenstein, Christopher E. Niemczak, Abigail Fellows, Lindsay J. Wood, Shufaa Masoud, Alexis Rooney, Monika Adhikari, Albert Magohe, Jay C. Buckey

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) damages pathways throughout the brain and is a significant global health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where the incidence is high and long-term deficits are prevalent. This study explores the utility of central auditory processing (CAP) testing as a marker of previous TBI. Seventy individuals with a history of moderate to severe TBI (msTBI) were matched by age and sex to 46 healthy controls in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Participants underwent comprehensive behavioral CAP testing, including tests of speech-in-noise ability, temporal resolution, and dichotic listening. Multivariate logistic regression showed the Triple Digit Test (TDT) …

Long-Term Calibration And Validation Of Stability Of The Auger Engineering Radio Array Using The Diffuse Galactic Radio Emission, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, R. Aloisio, B. Fick, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) measures radio emission from high-energy extensive air showers. Consisting of 153 autonomous radio-detector stations spread over 17 km^2, it detects radio waves in the frequency range of 30 to 80 MHz. Accurate characterization of the detector response is crucial for proper interpretation of the collected data. Previously, this was achieved through laboratory measurements of the analog chain and simulations and measurements of the antenna's directional response. In this paper, we perform an absolute calibration using the continuously monitored sidereal modulation of the diffuse Galactic radio emission. Calibration is done by comparing the average frequency …

A Case Study Of The Implementation Of Non-Linear Assessment Protocols For Pre-Service Music Teachers, Jeffrey Ward, Phillip Payne, Michele Henry

School of Music Faculty Publications

Grounded in previous research regarding admission and graduation standards of music education undergraduate candidates, we created a framework to assess student readiness to enter the music education profession across multiple points of inquiry. To determine the efficacy of the protocols, we conducted a case study to pilot implementation of the protocols with two university music education programs in the United States. Two of the authors–music education faculty at these universities–served as site coordinators implementing the protocols with multiple student cohorts (comprised of first-year, midpoint, and graduates) within their institution. The authors reviewed the reports employing a three-step process. In the …

Education In The Planetarium: A Practical Approach, Matthew Fyfe

Honors Projects

This project proposes live planetarium programming built within the 5E instructional model. It creates a practical application of this with lesson modules surrounding topics in observational astronomy. Specifically, there are investigations into instrumentation through CCD cameras and data collection and processing through spectroscopy and photometry with light curve folding with activities highlighting each. Each module is broken down into segments corresponding to the learning cycles of the 5E model, and as they are self contained in this way can be used piecemeal in different combinations.

Research Progress On Physiological Activities , Extraction , And Applications Of Bamboo Shoot Protein, Dai Nana, Chen Jun, Shuai Xixiang, Han Jialong, Dai Taotao

Food and Machinery

In recent years, plant proteins have become highly sought -after ingredients in health foods due to their wide range of sources, high nutritional value, low cost, and minimal environmental pollution.Bamboo shoot protein is abundant in resources and features a well -balanced amino acid composition.It possesses good solubility, oil-holding capacity, foaming ability, antioxidant activity, and anti -tumor activity, playing a significant role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other illnesses.However, under the conventional processing model from harvesting to final product, a large quantity of inedible by -products is discarded, and the complex high -fiber structure of bamboo …

Defect Detection Of Liquor Packaging Based On Improved Yolov 8n, He Gangjian, Zeng Shuiling, Lin Fangcong, Xiang Shuo, Zhang Jiaxiong

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To improve the accuracy of liquor packaging defect detection. [Methods] A detection model based on an improved YOLOv 8n is proposed.The ADown module is introduced into the model to effectively reduce parameter count and computational load while maintaining the original feature extraction capability.Large separable kernel attention (LSKA ) is integrated into the spatial pyramid pooling fusion (SPPF ) structure to further enhance the model's ability to capture and extract multi -scale features.In addition, the original CIOU loss function is replaced with the Inner -WIoU loss function, which combines Inner -IoU and Wise -IoU, thereby improving detection accuracy and accelerating …

Toxic Behaviors In Higher Education Institutions: Examining Demographic Factors Affecting Faculty Perceptions, Patrice C. Elder

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the relationship between demographic factors and faculty perceptions of organizational toxicity at four-year higher education institutions. Using the Perceived Organizational Toxicity Scale (POTS), data were collected from 131 faculty members across Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The study investigated four dimensions of toxic behaviors: narcissistic, aggressive, unethical, and rigid behaviors. Key findings revealed that unethical behaviors were the most prevalent form of organizational toxicity (M=2.59, SD=1.05), followed by narcissistic behaviors (M=2.32, SD=.93). Significant demographic differences emerged across academic rank and seniority. Assistant and associate professors reported significantly higher levels of …

Conditional Generative Adversarial Network Framework For Iot Anomaly Detection, Henry Onyeka

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

The growing scale and complexity of Internet-of-Things (IoT) edge networks complicate anomaly detection, particularly in identifying sophisticated Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and zero-day behaviors under highly dynamic and imbalanced traffic conditions. This thesis proposes SD-CGAN, a Conditional Generative Adverserial Network optimzied with Sinkhorn Divergence as a geometry-aware one-class framework for robust IoT anomaly detection. SD-CGAN trains solely on benign traffic flows to learn a stable representation of normal traffic. To address class imbalance and improve the variety of the sample, we combine SD-CGAN with CTGAN-based synthetic data augmentation. Replacing the adversarial objective function with Sinkhorn Divergence yields smooth …

The Meaning Of Travel: An Exploration Within The ‘Baby-Boomer’ Generation, Regan Hicks, Alison Warren

School of Health Professions

This qualitative research explored the underresearched area of subjective meaning(s) of travel for U.K. baby-boomers, from an occupational perspective. Using a descriptive phenomenology, a convenience sample of eight baby-boomers was recruited using social media. Participants took part in semistructured interviews, and narratives were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes were generated: (a) travel is important to me, (b) travel changes through time, (c) travel facilitators and barriers and (d) travel as a shared experience. Participants perceived travel as a meaningful and health-promoting occupation that represented freedom, choice, independence, connection and achievement. Greater comfort was sought with age while financial constraints …

Kenyon Collegian - December 11, 2025

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Challenges And Succession Planning Among Beginning, Young, And Minority Farmers In Tennessee, Christian Alexander Smith

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Tennessee has over 77,300 farms covering 10.8 million acres that counts for about forty-one percent of the state’s 26.4 million land acres (DeLong et al., 2023). However, access to land for young, beginning, or minority farmers who need farmland and starting their farm enterprise journey can be challenging. The challenges identified by farmers in general in the U.S. range from factors of production such as financial resources, labor, management, and physical resources. Land prices and insecure leasing terms have also been identified as factors that affect farm land ownership (Horst & Gwin, 2018). This study highlights and discusses the challenges …

Educational Leadership's Role In Understanding Nil Policy Perceptions Among College Football Players, Carlton Rice

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This study examined educational leadership's role in understanding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy perceptions among college football players at an American Athletic Conference institution. Using Expectancy-Value Theory as the theoretical framework, the research explored how educational leaders interpret and communicate NIL policies to student-athletes, assessed student-athlete perceptions of leadership effectiveness, and investigated how leadership experiences influence attitudes toward NIL policies. The mixed-methods study surveyed 97 college football student-athletes and conducted interviews with athletic administrators. Key findings revealed a moderately positive correlation (r=.340, p<.001) between administrative support and student-athlete knowledge of NIL policies, demonstrating that institutional investment in educational support directly impacts policy comprehension. The research found that 67% of student-athletes indicated NIL opportunities would influence their school choice decisions, fundamentally altering recruitment dynamics. Additionally, 57.7% of participants agreed that NIL affects team culture, though responses indicated this impact is highly contextual and dependent on institutional management. The study identified significant variation in educational leadership approaches across institutions, with some employing dedicated NIL strategy teams while others integrate responsibilities within existing compliance departments. A notable gap emerged between student-athlete NIL expectations and institutional support, with many athletes reporting they "do everything on our own." For higher education institutions, findings suggest the need for comprehensive NIL education programs extending beyond basic compliance to include financial literacy, contract negotiation, and personal branding. Institutions should develop values-based frameworks aligning NIL opportunities with institutional missions while protecting student-athlete interests. The research contributes valuable insights for navigating the evolving NIL landscape while supporting student-athlete success.

Teacher Perceptions On Commitment To Teaching In High-Poverty Urban Middle Schools, Ruth Michelle Hayslett

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined teacher perceptions of factors influencing retention in high-poverty urban middle schools within Metro Nashville Public Schools. The research addressed the critical issue of teacher turnover in challenging educational environments, where retention rates significantly impact student outcomes. The study surveyed 68 teachers from five high-poverty middle schools, followed by in-depth interviews with six participants. Using Herzberg's Two-Factor Motivation Theory as the theoretical framework, the research investigated four key areas: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, professional development, and demographic factors affecting teacher commitment. Quantitative findings revealed that extrinsic factors demonstrated the strongest correlation with teacher commitment …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Culturally Responsive Curriculum On Pre-K Social-Emotional Development, Deeanne Elaine Miree

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Fostering social-emotional intelligence (SEI), which affects relationships with peers, emotional regulation, and long-term academic success, requires early childhood development. One popular SEI program that supports social-emotional development in diverse Pre-K classes is the Second Step curriculum. However, little study has been done on the relationship between students' social-emotional development and teachers' use of Second Step, especially in culturally diverse settings. This study employed a correlational research design with a mixed methods approach to examine the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the Second Step curriculum and its impact on Pre-K students’ social-emotional development and behavior. It also investigated the potential effects …

Impact Of Career Services On Graduation Rates At An Hbcu In Tennessee, Angela Marie Davis

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Career services have been shown to have a positive impact on students’ academic success and post-graduation outcomes, including retention and graduation rates (Weisman, 2020). This dissertation investigated the role of career services in enhancing graduation rates at an HBCU in Tennessee. This study examined the impact of career services on graduation rates at an HBCU in Tennessee and sought to answer the following research questions: (1) How does the utilization of career services at an HBCU in Tennessee impact students’ post-graduation employment opportunities? (2) To what extent do career services impact academic performance? (3) To what extent did specific components …

Bilstm-Based Zero-Aware Traffic Forecasting Using Lidar Data For Intersection Safety, Md Atiqur Rahman Mallick

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

LSTM retains information from long-term data and is highly effective in generating time-based forecasts. Recently, BiLSTM has enhanced the precision of traffic predictions by assimilating information from both antecedent and subsequent directions via bidirectional data flow. BiLSTM demonstrates exceptional efficacy in the analysis of long-term traffic data. Our study presents a custom forecasting model that leverages advanced LiDAR sensor technology in combination with state-of-the-art deep learning techniques to improve road conditions. Eight LiDAR sensors were strategically deployed along the 26th Clarksville Pike corridor to collect high-resolution traffic data—including vehicle speed and count/flow—over the period from September 1, 2024 to November …

Monitoring The Response Of Herpetofauna And Ophidiomyces Ophidiicola To Longleaf Pine Restoration, Samuel Mccabe Robinson

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

The combination of habitat loss and disease has dramatically reduced wildlife populations globally. Given this, widespread habitat restoration and monitoring is needed to conserve vulnerable populations. In recent decades, there have been efforts to restore longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests across its historic range. Simultaneously, a fungal pathogen known to infect snakes, Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), has been detected throughout the eastern United States. In this study, I investigated how herpetofauna in the William B. Bankhead National Forest responded to longleaf pine restoration while monitoring for the presence of Oo across a gradient of habitat types, species, and individual characteristics. From …

Building Our Own Curriculum: Black Women’S Stories Of Higher Education Leadership Development, Sabrina Louise Brown

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Despite increasing attention to gender equity in higher education leadership, Black women remain disproportionately underrepresented in senior administrative roles. Women's Leadership Development Programs (WLDPs) emerged to cultivate leadership talent, yet often reflect race-evasive, gender-centered frameworks that marginalize Black women's intersectional experiences. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black women who participated in a women-only higher education leadership development program in North Carolina. Guided by Black Feminist Thought and Endarkened Feminist Epistemology, this research centered Black women's knowledge systems and ways of knowing as legitimate sources of insight and resistance. Through interviews with eight Black women who completed the …

Perceived Value Of Radiologic Technology Degrees Among Community College Students In Tennessee, Tiffanie Harris

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This study explored how adult alumni perceive the value of earning an Associate of Applied Science in Radiologic Technology from a northern Middle Tennessee community college. It examined four questions: (1) How do alumni perceive the financial return on investment (ROI)? (2) What non-financial benefits or challenges do they report? (3) How did the program influence their career readiness and workforce entry? and (4) How did institutional support or barriers affect their educational experience? Using a convergent mixed-methods design, 18 alumni from the 2021–2024 cohorts (85.7% response rate) completed a survey with Likert and open-ended items. Quantitative data were …

Tennessee’S Green Industry: An Economic Impact Assessment, Savannah R. Lewis

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This study estimates the economic contributions of the greenhouse and nursery industry, commonly known as the "green industry," in Tennessee for 2023. Utilizing data on employment, labor income, value added, and industry output, alongside economic multipliers generated from the Input-Output modeling software, IMPLAN (Impact Analysis for Planning), we provide a comprehensive analysis of the green industry's impact on the state's agricultural economy. The findings are presented in 2025 dollars, highlighting the industry's significance for informing future policy decisions. The primary objectives were to assess total contributions at the state, regional, and county levels. Direct employment across all sectors was estimated …

The Impact Of Teacher Effectiveness Factors On Student Achievement: A Case Study, Renita Joy Perkins

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between teacher, evaluation scores and student achievement using Tennessee's Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM) evaluation system at Spencer Elementary School in rural Van Buren County. The study analyzed data from nine teachers across grades 3-5 and 150 students, investigating correlations between TEAM evaluation scores, Level of Effectiveness (LOE) ratings, and student performance on Tennessee Ready assessments in mathematics, English Language Arts, and science. Key findings revealed a counterintuitive experience-performance paradox: while teacher years of experience positively correlated with evaluation scores (r=.422, p<.001) and LOE ratings (r=.132, p=.024), it negatively correlated with student English Language Arts achievement (r=- .174, p=.039). The study demonstrated strong internal consistency within the TEAM evaluation system, with significant correlations between LOE scores and teacher evaluation ratings (r=.375, p<.001). However, only weak correlations emerged between teacher evaluation scores and student achievement outcomes, with a slight positive relationship found only in English Language Arts (r=.165, p=.049). The research revealed robust cross-subject correlations in student achievement (r=.706, p<.001), suggesting that effective teaching impacts learning holistically rather than in subject specific ways. These findings challenge assumptions about the predictive validity of observation-based evaluation systems and highlight the complexity of measuring teaching effectiveness. Implications for educational leaders include reconsidering the relationship between teacher experience and effectiveness, implementing differentiated professional development based on evaluation data rather than years of service, and developing more nuanced approaches to using evaluation systems that integrate multiple measures of teacher impact on student learning outcomes.

Predicting First-Year Retention Rates Of First Generation College Students, Trena Barksdale

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) often encounter academic, financial, and social commitments that elevate their risk of attrition. Although academic preparation and engagement are recognized persistence factors, predictive research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) remains scarce. This quantitative study utilized binary logistic regression to identify key predictors of first-year retention among FGCS at a public HBCU. The analysis specifically tested the influence of high school GPA, Pell Grant status, and on-campus housing. Findings confirmed that both GPA and on-campus housing were strong, statistically significant predictors of retention, while Pell Grant status was not. These results underscore the vital role …

Dynamic Urban Air Mobility Systems Modeling And Simulation, Amer M. Ibrahim

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

The use of electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to provide efficient, high-speed, on-demand air transportation within a metropolitan area is an increasingly popular topic, which is expected to bring fundamental changes to cities. The concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has the potential to make meaningful door-to-door trip time savings compared with other transportation. The capability to manage many of these eVTOL aircraft safely in a congested urban area presents an unprecedented challenge in air traffic management. In order to enable safe and efficient autonomous on-demand free flight operations in UAM, a computational guidance algorithm with collision avoidance …

Correlation Of Oncogenic Micrornas 21 And 22 Expression Level To The Different Grades Of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Of Salivary Glands (Ex Vivo Study), Mariam Mohamed Zaki, Heba Ahmed Farag, Olfat Gamil Shaker, Heba Khaled Rizk, Sara Abd Elwahed

Dentistry

Background: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) counts among the most frequent types of malignant salivary gland neoplasms. Brandwein system classified MEC into low, intermediate and high grade as per histological pattern, but this classification lacks the correlation with the genetic basis such as MicroRNA profile. This study aims to assess the expression level of MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) and MicroRNA-22 (miR-22) in different grades of MEC. Material And Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of MEC were obtained from Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University and General Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University within the period of (2014-2023). Reverse transcription polymerase …

Enhancing Graduate Employability Through The Role Of The School Career Center (Bursa Kerja Khusus) At Smkn 1 Bandung, Dwi Purwanto, Didik Nurhadi, Widiyanti Widiyanti

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study examines the role of the Bursa Kerja Khusus (BKK) in enhancing graduate employability at SMKN 1 Bandung. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through interviews with BKK staff, teachers, alumni, and industry partners, supported by observations and document analysis. The findings reveal that BKK functions as a strategic bridge between school and industry by providing digital job information services, facilitating structured recruitment processes, and maintaining strong industry partnerships. These practices effectively support graduates’ transition into the workforce. However, challenges persist, particularly related to limited soft skills and occasional mismatches between school competencies and industry demands. Supporting …