Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Motor Neuronal And Circuit Level Mechanistic Determinants Of Spinal Excitability Following Cst Injury, Thelma Bethea

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The corticospinal tract (CST) is the primary descending motor pathway in mammals, essential for precise, dexterous movements, especially in humans and nonhuman primates. Damage to the CST, such as from spinal cord injury (SCI), impairs skilled motor function and triggers maladaptive changes including aberrant proprioceptive afferent sprouting and increased spinal excitability. These changes are closely linked to both muscle weakness and the development of hyperreflexia, compounding the functional deficits. Animal models of SCI are valuable for investigating mechanisms of injury and recovery, though traditional models often limit the ability to isolate circuit-specific contributions. To address this, I employed selective unilateral …

The Evolution And Reproduction Of Andean Miconia (Melastomataceae), Juan Angulo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Understanding the factors that shape diversification and distribution in tropical plant lineages is central to explaining the origins of Neotropical biodiversity. Assessing evolutionary history with trait evolution and climatic niche dynamics provides key insights into the drivers of diversification and biogeography, while natural history data remains critical for these evolutionary studies. The Tropical Andes, with its exceptional biodiversity and environmental heterogeneity, offers an ideal setting to explore these processes. In this dissertation, I investigate how reproductive systems, climatic niche dynamics, and pollination strategies influence the evolution and biogeography of Miconia III, a large and ecologically diverse clade in the …

From Sequence To Allostery: How Amino Acid Differences Rewire Coupled Conformational Heterogeneity In The Ptp Enzyme Family, Shivani Sharma

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases (PTPs) are critical regulators of cellular signaling, and their activity is often modulated through allosteric mechanisms. Allostery is defined as a chemical or conformational change in one site of the protein due to a binding event at another site. Although several studies have investigated aspects of allostery in PTPs, the mechanistic foundations underlying allosteric regulation remain poorly understood. Despite a highly conserved catalytic domain across PTPs, regions with low or no conservation suggest potential "rewiring" of allosteric networks. This raises key questions about the universality versus individuality of allosteric mechanisms across the PTP family.

In this work, …

Low-Resource Ecoacoustic Audio Classification, Enis Berk Coban

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ecoacoustic monitoring via machine learning enables scalable analysis but is often constrained by labeled data scarcity, particularly in remote regions like the Arctic. This thesis confronts low-resource ecoacoustic audio classification by developing and evaluating complementary machine learning methodologies. We introduce EDANSA, the first publicly available, expert- labeled Arctic dataset of its kind, curated via novel active learning, alongside a baseline CNN. We systematically evaluate transfer learning, showing general audio embeddings effectively bootstrap classifiers for challenging Arctic sounds, significantly outperforming direct label mapping. Optimizing label utility, we investigate standard data augmentation and introduce novel audio data valuation via Shapley values, revealing …

Retinal Precursor Cell Enriched Multiomic And Pseudo-Time Analysis Of Developing And Reprogrammed Photoreceptors, Brendon M. Patierno

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The vertebrate retina is a complex tissue made up of seven major cell subtypes which during development must differentiate and localize into a highly organized structure. These neuronal cells do not regenerate if damaged or diseased, and the progressive deterioration of cone photoreceptor cells is the leading cause of age related blindness. Currently there are no cures for this disease, but one promising therapeutic avenue is cell transplantation research. If we can further elucidate the gene regulatory networks that define cone cell development, this knowledge could be applied to the generation of healthy cone cells in clinically relevant models.

The …

Exploring The Role Of Ecological Traits In Shaping Spatial Patterns Of Genetic Diversity, Rilquer Mascarenhas Da Silva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The field of comparative phylogeography aims at uncovering common underlying causes for shared patterns of diversity and diversification at the population level. However, it is now widely accepted that intraspecific genetic diversity patterns can differ considerably across co-occurring taxa due to ecological processes acting at the population level (and influencing individual movement and abundance). To model the processes underlying lineage diversification and demographic shifts in response to environmental changes, phylogeographers and population geneticists are now faced with the challenge of incorporating measurements of species ecological traits into their molecular studies. This dissertation aimed at investigating how different types of ecological …

Disability Theatre Communities: Engaging Artists And Audiences In Contemporary International Performance, Joseph Paul Hill

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Disability Theatre Communities” examines how communities are constructed in, through, and around contemporary international disability theatre performances. It explores ideas of community formation and intersection across three case studies to elucidate the various ways in which disability theatre artists, productions, companies, and organizations attract, engage, and educate variable artist and audience communities. The project analyzes Rome, Italy’s Teatro Patologico and its Integrated Theatre of Emotion, a theatrical training program for neurodivergent performers; Wales-based writer, theatre-maker, and dramaturg Kaite O’Reilly, whose international collaborations center d/Deaf and disabled performers and foreground audience accessibility; and the biennial BIT (Blind in Theatre) International Festival …

Non-Linear Heart Rate Variability: Investigating Cardiac Complexity Of Psychopathic Traits, Khaya A. Roach

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psychopathy is a complex personality disorder characterized by distinct emotional and interpersonal deficits, and affects approximately 25% of the prison population and 4.5% of nonincarcerated populations. The manifestation of psychopathy can be understood through two distinct variants, each demonstrating unique etiological pathways and clinical presentations. Primary psychopathy is characterized by core interpersonal and affective deficits, including shallow emotions and manipulativeness, while demonstrating reduced autonomic responsivity and lower anxiety levels. Secondary psychopathy presents with higher levels of impulsivity, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation, showing stronger associations with various psychopathologies. Treatment outcomes also vary between the variants, with primary psychopaths typically showing poor …

Repurposing Atractylenolide Iii, A Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound, For Alzheimer’S Disease, Angela M. Steele

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a debilitating neurological condition ranked as the fifth leading cause of death in adults over the age of 65. Despite the severity, 98% of drugs have failed as treatments for AD. Current novel drug development approaches have been unable to produce a disease-modifying treatment as they often have a one-target approach, not accounting for the complex nature of the disease. One of the hallmarks of the disease, inflammation, may provide a better target for treatment because it interacts with multiple facets of the disease. Drug repurposing to identify compounds that mitigate inflammation in AD could provide …

Media And Mindfulness: Associations Between Adolescent Mindful Social Media Use, Chenae Christensen-Duerden, Sarah Coyne

Journal of Youth Development

The objective of this study is to examine social media mindfulness and other social media habits as predictors of depression in adolescents. As depression and poor mental health increase for American adolescents, so does the research surrounding the positive outcomes associated with mindfulness. It is possible that mindfulness could be an effective tool in managing individual social media habits, however, very little research exists exploring the effects of mindfulness on media use. The sample for the current study includes a national quota sample of 1,158 adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 17 years old) from the United States. Participants …

Age & Dementia Friendly Bellingham: Assessment Of Community Needs And Ideas For Action, Caitlin E. Coyle, Katherine Burnes, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

In 2022 a steering committee of three Bellingham residents involved in the COA/Senior Center served as a catalyst in helping Bellingham attain the designation of Age and Dementia Friendly. A Task Force including an impressive mix of individuals from town government, schools, local organizations and older residents was formed to help Bellingham set and implement annual goals of activities designed to make Bellingham a good place to grow older for all residents.

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston on behalf of …

Racial Moderation Of Infant Mortality Risk And Protective Factors In The United States, Temitope Oluwaseun Akinsola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of infant mortality is a pressing health issue in the United States, as ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. This study addressed how race controls the predictive power of demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors on infant mortality. Using a quantitative correlational design, secondary data from 181 individuals listed in the CDC-National Vital Statistics System database were used, which contains nationally aggregated data related to infant mortality rates. Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological model guided the study, and multiple regression and moderation models were used to examine socioeconomic status and access to healthcare on infant mortality outcomes. Results indicated that race significantly …

Reducing Tennessee's Evidence Backlog By Expanding Forensic Crime Lab Capacity

Miscellaneous Reports

No abstract provided.

Dietary Modulation Of Obesity-Specific Gut Microbial Signatures And Their Functional Roles, Anjula Swathi Sagam

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Obesity remains a major global health concern, contributing significantly to chronic diseases. While diet is a well-known driver of obesity, emerging evidence suggests the key role of gut microbiota in mediating diet-related metabolic outcomes. Numerous epidemiological and microbiome studies suggested diet-microbiome-obesity associations. However, consistent microbial markers and mechanistic insights remain limited. To address this gap, this study aimed to identify consistent microbial species associated with obesity and investigate how diet influences their growth and function. A review of over 200 publicly available 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic studies revealed consistent microbial patterns in obesity, including members of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. …

Development Of The Negative Attitudes Toward Nonbinary Individuals Scale, Jenna Sue Lehmann

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Research within the field of psychology examining the experiences of transgender individuals and prejudice toward transgender individuals has increased in recent history alongside the conscious awareness of transgender individuals within the United States. The research that has been conducted has primarily focused on transgender individuals broadly as a group on binary transgender individuals. As, such measures of prejudice toward these groups have been developed and validated. Although the study of nonbinary experiences and prejudice is developing, there has been no extant measure of prejudice toward nonbinary individuals specifically. A measure of prejudice toward this group is needed to (1) examine …

Dynamics And Controls Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Bioenergy Croplands, Lovish Kasrija

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture contributes considerably to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, requiring sustainable methods for tackling climate change. This thesis includes two mega-analyses and one field experiment to investigate the impact of conservation tillage and soil amendments on crop productivity and greenhouse gas emissions. The first mega-analysis combined data from 30 meta-analyses to assess the impact of no-tillage (NT), reduced-tillage (RT), and combination NT+RT on crop yields and soil GHG emissions. NT decreased yields by 3.3% and increased N₂O emissions by 8.7%, but RT and NT+RT had no effect. The second mega-analysis found that both NT and RT considerably increased soil organic …

Effects Of Soil Profile Rebuilding Techniques On Soil Properties And Tree Growth, Diksha Tamang

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Urban land development usually results in compacted soils, creating unfavorable conditions for tree establishment and growth. Soil Profile Rebuilding (SPR) is an urban soil rehabilitation technique to address soil compaction on site. However, the impacts of SPR on urban soils and tree growth in the southeast region remain unexplored. To address this research gap, this study assessed the efficacy of the SPR techniques in improving degraded urban soils including soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and tree growth. Twelve experimental plots (12.2 m L*0.5 m W; 5.6 m2) were established using a completely randomized experimental design (4 soil treatments; 3 …

Pd-Catalyzed Microwave Irradiated Cross-Coupling Of Carboxylic Acids And Amino Alcohols., Md Shahin Reza

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Amino esters are valuable pharmaceutical intermediates with anesthetic properties and applications as prodrugs. In this study, we have developed a new microwave-assisted method for the cross-coupling of aromatic carboxylic acids with amino alcohol using a palladium catalyst. This approach has enabled an efficient synthesis of amino esters, overcoming challenges such as side reactions and product separation.

Effects Of Tillage On Wheat Canopy, Stephanie Adanna Anyanwu

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Wheat canopy cover and greenness are useful crop performance indicators that provide significant insight into the performance of wheat crops. Understanding the effects of no-till and conventional tillage practices on winter wheat canopy cover and greenness will help inform agronomic decision making in wheat production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of no-till and conventional tillage practices on wheat canopy cover and greenness using drones. Wheat canopy cover mapping was carried out using deep learning supervised classification. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) and optimized soil adjusted vegetation …

Effects Of Straw Return On Crop Yield, Soil Organic Carbon And Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Maazeera Fatima

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Global crop residue production was substantial, at approximately 3758 × 106 mg annually. The practice of straw return, was found to enhance soil organic matter content, increase crop yield, and mitigate soil greenhouse gas emissions. However, individual studies showed inconsistent results. While meta-analyses synthesized multiple individual studies and provided overall effects of straw return, but their conclusions were varied. We evaluated meta-analyses on the effects of straw return on crop yield, soil organic carbon, and greenhouse gas emissions and proposed a grand mean response ratio to estimate an overall effect and the impacts of different properties. The result showed that …

Identification And Functional Verification Of Powdery Mildew Resistant Genes In Hydrangea Macrophylla, Christina Jennings

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Ornamental plant production is a continuously expanding industry in the United States and worldwide. Hydrangea species are highly valued in ornamental plant production, especially bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Powdery mildew is of particular interest on bigleaf hydrangea as there are no resistant varieties. The causal agent of powdery mildew of bigleaf hydrangea is Golovinomyces orontii (formerly Erysiphe polygoni). The goal of this research was to provide solutions for powdery mildew disease of hydrangea through improved chemical control, development of laboratory-based research systems, and identification of genes related to powdery mildew. A detached-leaf assay was developed and evaluations correlated to whole …

Genetic Profiling Of Tennessee Johnsongrass And Pigweed Accessions Per Weedicide Resistance And Agronomic Traits, Gouse Mohiddin Shaik

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Herbicide-resistant weeds pose an escalating threat to crop productivity in Tennessee, leading to notable economic losses and complicated conventional weed control strategies. Among the most persistent species, Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass) and various Amaranthus species (pigweeds) have exhibited remarkable adaptability and increasing resistance to widely used herbicides. Addressing this growing issue necessitates a thorough understanding the genetic and biochemical mechanisms that drive herbicide resistance. This study conducted an extensive genetic analysis of Pigweed and Johnsongrass samples collected from a broad range of counties across Tennessee, ensuring representation from both the northern and southern portions of the state’s Eastern, Central, and Western …

Influence Of Parental Approval And Disapproval On Interracial Relationship Outcomes, Stefanie Boakye

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Interracial couples may encounter unique challenges in their relationships due to negative perceptions such as racial prejudice, discrimination, disapproval, cultural stereotypes, and opposition from society and family. These challenges can be especially difficult when the disapproval comes from their parents. This study explored how perceived parental approval influences interracial romantic relationship outcomes, specifically relationship satisfaction, commitment, and closeness. Data were collected from individuals in interracial relationships (N ≈ 80) using the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS), the Investment Model Scale (IMS), the Relationship Closeness Inventory (RCI), and the Parent-Adult Child Relationship Questionnaire (PACQ). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted …

Heat Stress On Germinating Tomato Pollen And The Molecular Mechanisms For Heat Response Using Single Cell Type Proteomics, Dibya Thapa Magar

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this study is to develop the technical workflow for collecting homogenous germinating pollen samples. Two tomato varieties, Black Vernissage (BV) and Micro Tom (MT), were grown in temperature-controlled plastic greenhouses. For the non-heated control conditions, greenhouse temperature was set at 25C/21oC (16/8 hours; day/night). For the heat-treated greenhouse, temperature was set at 32/25 oC (16/8 hours; day/night). Supplemental light was provided using plant growth LED light. Ten freshly opened flowers were collected and pollen were released into 2ml pollen germination medium (PGM) in 5-ml centrifuge tubes. After centrifugation, pollen pellets were washed three times in 2 …

Distribution And Occurrence Of Cyanohabs, Nutrients, And Water-Quality Data In The Tennessee State University Wetland, Kristi Hill

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Toxic algal blooms are an expanding issue for aquatic ecosystems because they are hazardous to human and environmental health. Algal blooms naturally occur from the combination of warm temperatures, sunlight, and abundant nutrients in water, but what triggers them to become harmful algal blooms (HABs) and begin synthesizing toxin is not well understood, and their threat to freshwater sources was not heavily researched until recently. Microcystin (MC), a freshwater algal toxin, is a HABs toxin which targets the liver and causes sickness and death in humans and animals (pets, livestock, and wildlife). Urban freshwater wetlands are among the most HAB …

Predisposed: Race, Disability, And Death Investigations, Britney Wilson

Articles & Chapters

Disability, preexisting conditions, or underlying conditions might seem like uncontroversial factors to cite when determining an individual’s cause of death. However, many death investigators have also cited these conditions in deaths caused by state violence or neglect. For example, a 2021 study found that medical examiners cited sickle cell trait, a gene mutation, as a cause or significant factor in the deaths of forty-seven Black people who died in police custody in the past twenty-five years. Sickle cell trait is a relatively common and benign trait disproportionately found in Black people in the United States. It is also distinct from …

Multidimensional Biocircuitry Of Exercise Adaptation, Jeremy S. Mcadam, Zachary A. Graham, S. Craig Tuggle, Kaleen M. Lavin, Marcas M. Bamman, Jeremy S. Mcadam, Zachary A. Graham, Brandon Peoples, Regina S. Seay, Kaleen M. Lavin, Amber B. Gargus, Sufen Yang, Samia M. O’Bryan, Devin J. Drummer, Christian J. Kelley, Margaret B. Bell, Inmaculada Aban, Gary R. Cutter, Marcas M. Bamman, Michael P. Craig, Jin Zhang, Akshay Hira, Timothy J. Broderick, Madhavi P. Kadakia, Zachary A. Graham, Kalyani Peri, Margaret B. Bell, Inmaculada Aban

Physiology Faculty Publications

In a randomized, dose-response trial, we used molecular and phenomic profiling to compare responses with traditional moder ate-intensity endurance and resistance training (TRAD) versus high-intensity tactical training (HITT) that encompassed explosive whole-body interval training and high-intensity resistance training. Ninety-four participants (18–27 yr) completed 12 wk of TRAD or HITT followed by 4 wk of detraining. Although similar performance and body composition improvements were observed in response to HITT and TRAD, some dose-dependent differences were observed for: 1) ex vivo muscle tissue changes in myofiber size, capillarization, satellite cell frequency, and mitochondrial function and 2) differential gene expression (DGE) of muscle …

Satellite Cells Choreograph An Immune Cell-Fibrogenic Cell Circuit During Mechanical Loading In Geriatric Skeletal Muscle, Nicholas T. Thomas, Camille R. Brightwell, Allison M. Owen, Alexander R. Keeble, Sabin Khadgi, Yuan Wen, Christopher S. Fry, Kevin A. Murach

Physiology Faculty Publications

Muscle stem cells, or satellite cells (SCs), decline in number throughout the lifespan and may become senescent in very old age. Whether and how remaining SCs contribute to muscle adaptation in the oldest-old is unclear. Using acute mechanical overload in geriatric SC replete and depleted mice (28-month-old) combined with single-cell RNA-sequencing, we show: (i) subsets of geriatric SCs display signs of senescence as well as normal fate progression during overload, (ii) SCs express markers that may contribute to the regulation of innervation, (iii) the presence of SCs during overload enhances global intercellular communication and increases mRNA levels of the cell …

Ibi-Dt: A Novel Approach Combining Individualized Bayesian Inference And Decision Tree For Identifying Cancer Drivers And Their Interactions, Md Asad Rahman, Gregory F. Cooper, Jinying Zhao, Xinghua Lu, Jinling Liu

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cancer is mainly caused by a relatively small portion of somatic genome alterations (SGAs), called cancer drivers. Despite success in identifying a good number of cancer drivers, many more remain to be discovered to explain various cancers. Moreover, limited tools are available to identify potential interactions among cancer drivers for a better understanding of oncogenesis. To tackle these challenges, we have developed a novel approach called individualized Bayesian inference using a decision tree (IBI-DT). IBI-DT recognizes the genetic heterogeneity among cancer patients, where different individuals or patient subgroups of distinct genomic makeup may have different drivers. IBI-DT works by constructing …

Comparing Dental Microwear In The Populations At An Iron Age (C. 4010 Bp) And Early Historic (C. 2600 Bp) Site In South India, Ruokuonuo Rose Yhome, Kalavathy Rajan, R. Sivanantham, M. Ramesh, R. Ajaykumar, R. Kaviya, M. Suresh, T. Arun Raj, V.P. Yathees Kumar, Peter Ungar

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) has proven to be a valuable tool for separating bioarchaeological samples by subsistence practice, preferred diet, food-processing technology, and cooking method. In this study, we compared samples of individuals from two South Indian sites-an Iron Age site (Adichchanallur, similar to 4010 BP, n = 27) and an Early Historical site (Keeladi, similar to 2600 BP, n = 31). Both samples represent farming communities that likely had broadly similar diets dominated by cultivated rice and mung beans, wild nuts and pulses, and both domesticated cattle and wild game. Moreover, the archaeological evidence indicates that both communities …