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2021-2023 Tennessee Nutrient Reduction Task Force: Triennial Report, Tennessee. Department Of Environment & Conservation.

Nutrient Strategy Taskforce

No abstract provided.

Research News, Publications, 2024, Volume 3, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period of July 1 through September 30, 2024.

Biomolecule Screen Identifies Several Inhibitors Of Salmonella Enterica Surface Colonization, Joseph Headrick, Amital Ohayon, Shannon Elliott, Jacob Schultz, Erez Mills, Erik Petersen

Faculty Open Access Works

Salmonella enterica is a foodborne pathogen commonly found in agricultural facilities; its prevalence, as well as increasing levels of disinfectant- and antibiotic-resistance, has significant costs for agriculture as well as human health. In an effort to identify potential new inhibitors of S. enterica on abiotic surfaces, we developed a biomolecule screen of nutrient-type compounds because nutrients would have lower toxicity in animal facilities and bacterial nutrient utilization pathways might prove less susceptible to the development of bacterial resistance. After screening 285 nutrient-type compounds, we identified ten that significantly inhibited the ability of S. enterica to colonize a plastic surface. After …

Observed Effects Of Physiological Melatonin Dosing On Mda-Mb-231 Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Wenli Wu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project seeks to evaluate pharmacological dosing of melatonin on the cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line in culture, using the two solubility carriers: DMSO/water and ethanol. This experiment is a component of ongoing research at the Eaton lab which will elucidate melatonin dose-response toxicology in zebrafish and a possible breast cancer xenograft model for novel treatment therapies.

Zebrafish Electroretinogram Responses, Brooke Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to be able to streamline a protocol for conducting ERGs on zebrafish from mice ERG protocol already present in Dr. Renna’s lab. The objective is to create a protocol specifically for zebrafish and to eliminate any issues that occur when transiting from a mice ERG protocol to a zebrafish ERG protocol and to obtain a light response from zebrafish retinae in differing light intensities. Dr. Renna’s lab has designed an Ex Vivo ERG system with less electrical interference creating defined electrical responses from mouse retina. The setup allows for continual perfusion of the retinal …

Compliance And Roughness In Relation To Gecko Locomotion, Brooklynn Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and …

Microglia Regulate Light Evoked Retinal Responses In The Zebrafish Retina., Brittney Moore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The primary goal of the project is to investigate the role of the interferon regulatory factor 9 (irf8) gene in the retinal function of zebrafish. My research aims to examine and compare the retinal responses of two subject groups: wildtype zebrafish and zebrafish with the irf8 gene knocked out. This project seeks to determine if irf8 knockout zebrafish lose visual system functionality before experiencing changes in retinal morphology. The primary technique to answer this research question is the electroretinogram, a commonly used method to examine retinal function. The final outcome of this project will be a scientific paper describing the …

Gait Kinematics In Sled Dog Fitness, Ashley Maio

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The sport of sled dog racing has become popular in recent years, where teams of dogs navigate Arctic conditions anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand miles, usually within 10 days. To prepare for these competitions, dogs are subjected to rigorous training months prior to the race that results in significant changes to the physiology of their bones and muscles. This study aims to determine differences in gait kinetics between female and male sled dogs. Ten dogs, five females and five males, were recorded trotting from a lateral view for three weightbased trials to simulate different amounts of weight …

The Effects Of Ethanol Exposure On Glucose And Lactate Levels In Crayfish, Mackenzie Kirwan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of the project is to investigate and determine the effects of sunlight exposure and hormone levels. The circadian rhyth, which is heavily influenced by sunlight, not only affects the amount of sleep someone achieves, but is also related to behavior and mood, and heavily relies on the body’s hormones for proper regulation. The hormones that are prevelant to the circadian rhythm, and which will be studied in this experiment are cortisol, serotonin and melatonin. In this experiment, these three hormones will be extracted prior to alterations of light exposure. Animal test subjects will then undergo treatment of light …

Climate Change's Effect On Flow Regime, Alexander Ialenti

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will test to see if there is a percent increase in non-perennial streams sampled from 2003-2021. Using data provided by The Cleveland Metroparks, sampling events will be separated by date, flow regime classification, and rain data. Current literature supports the claim that many perennial streams, streams that flow year-round, will become non-perennial streams over time. This shift is predicted to be caused by a change in rain patterns. Both the interval between rain events and the intensity of rainfall per event are predicted to increase. My hypothesis is that there will be an increase in the percentage of …

Animal Assisted Therapy And Its Effect On Loneliness In Older Adults: A Qualitative Study, Christina Pynda

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The number of Americans over the age of 65 is rapidly increasing. Loneliness and social isolation are common in this population. Research has shown that loneliness and social isolation can lead to adverse physical and mental conditions. Animal-assisted therapy uses human-animal interaction as a therapeutic intervention to provide mental, emotional, and physical benefits including decreased depression and anxiety, decreased loneliness, and increased socialization.

This project’s aim was to explore older adults’ perception of animal therapy sessions and its effects on loneliness. Participants engaged in an animal-assisted therapy session in a community-based senior center. Six participants volunteered to be interviewed. Participants …

Jakub Polaczyk And His Kentucky Bluegrasp, Hyangwoo Lih

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation examines the contemporary composer, Jakub Polaczyk and his recent work, Kentucky Bluegrasp for Solo Viola. The dissertation is divided into seven chapters. Chapter I serves as an introduction. Chapter II presents interviews with Polaczyk conducted via Zoom and email. Chapter III explores two parts: Jakub Polaczyk’s early years of life, and education and career. Chapter IV, “Influences,” is further divided into three parts: Slavic music, Polish, heritages, and Diverse inspirations. Chapter V, “Unique Artistic Language,” delves into five parts: Exploration of Timbre, Unique Instrumentation, Extended Techniques, Cross-Cultural Influences, and Other Versatile Sources of Inspiration. Chapter VI, focuses on …

Navigating Export Control Laws In Animal Research: Key Considerations, Rani Muthukrishnan

All Faculty Scholarship (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Contextualizing The Triggering Event: Colonial White Supremacy, Anti-Blackness, And Black Lives Matter In Italy And The United States, Renee Nicole Allen

Faculty Publications

In the summer of 2020, spurred by George Floyd’s murder and amid a worldwide pandemic, Black Lives Matter demonstrations peaked in the United States. The viral nature of the police violence that caused Floyd’s death was a triggering event for transnational Black Lives Matter protests. Around the world, millions took to the streets to demand justice. In Italy, a resounding demand that “Black Lives Matter” filled the streets during solidarity protests that occurred in Milan, Naples, and Rome. Less than six months later, in September 2020, the fatal civilian beating of Willy Monteiro Duarte, a Black Italian, revealed the necessity …

The Stories We (Don’T) Tell: Using Case Briefing To Explore Bias And Oppression In The Law, Ashley B. Armstrong

Faculty Publications

Traditional case briefing focuses on the text of the opinion—how courts frame and resolve legal issues. This Essay explores how to teach case briefing to investigate bias and oppression in the law. By discussing socio-historical context during class or assigning reimagined judicial opinions alongside the original opinion, teaching case briefing this way asks students to consider the stories that judges don’t tell (and why). This Essay proffers two examples that illustrate these approaches: United States v. Robinson, 414 U.S. 218 (1973) and Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Co., 350 F.2d 445 (1965).

Understanding The Role Of Early-Stage Seed Development On Final Seed Weight By Linking Seed Physiology, Transcriptomics, And Environments In Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.), Ashwini Shivakumar

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Soybeans, which are widely grown in the United States, are used as food, animal feed, and industrial oil. The rise in plant-based diets highlights the high protein content and versatility of soybean. Understanding seed development is crucial for increasing yield. Soybean seed development includes three phases: lag, seed-filling, and maturation. Post-fertilization, the seed undergoes cell division in the lag phase, forming the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo absorbs the endosperm and develops into two cotyledons. During the seed-filling phase, cotyledon cells accumulate starch, proteins, and lipids. During maturation, seeds dry out and become quiescent. Studies indicate that the …

Nano-Pulse Treatment Overcomes The Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment To Elicit In Situ Vaccination Protection Against Breast Cancer, Anthony Nanajian, Megan Scott, Niculina I. Burcus, Brittney L. Ruedlinger, Edwin A. Oshin, Stephen J. Beebe, Siqi Guo

Bioelectrics Publications

We previously reported that nano-pulse treatment (NPT), a pulsed power technology, resulted in 4T1-luc mammary tumor elimination and a strong in situ vaccination, thereby completely protecting tumor-free animals against a second live tumor challenge. The mechanism whereby NPT mounts effective antitumor immune responses in the 4T1 breast cancer predominantly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unanswered. In this study, orthotopic 4T1 mouse breast tumors were treated with NPT (100 ns, 50 kV/cm, 1000 pulses, 3 Hz). Blood, spleen, draining lymph nodes, and tumors were harvested at 4-h, 8-h, 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, and 3-month post-treatment intervals for the analysis of frequencies, death, …

African American Adolescent Suicidality And Prevention From An Urban School Counselor Perspective, Shannon Franklin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

African American adolescent suicidality has become more prevalent, and urban school counselors are positioned uniquely to intervene. This research studied the overarching societal factors in the sociocultural, economic, and political spheres that influence increased suicidality behaviors in African American adolescents from the perspective of urban school counselors. The focus of this research was to hear the lived experiences of urban school counselors regarding the impact of racial discrimination on African American adolescent suicidality. The two theoretical frameworks that were used to support this study are the world-systems analysis theory and critical race theory. This study took a qualitative phenomenological approach …

Family Context And Executive Functioning In Preschool-Age Children, Kristin Aho

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Executive functioning is predictive of school readiness, successful life endeavors, and other positive outcomes. The literature frequently explores how child executive functions are associated with characteristics of mother-child interactions as well as adverse environmental conditions such as poverty and chronic stress. Fewer studies, however, have taken a more nuanced approach to understanding how features of the immediate environment, such as family context, help or hinder the development of executive functions in young children. To address this gap, the current study explored how aspects of family context are associated with executive performance in a sample of preschool-age children. Specifically, the study …

Suprachoroidal Space Injection Technique Expert Panel Guidance, Charles C. Wykoff, Robert L. Avery, Mark R. Barakat, David S. Boyer, David M. Brown, Alexander J. Brucker, Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., Jeffrey S. Heier, Nancy M. Holekamp, Peter K. Kaiser, Arshad M. Khanani, Judy E. Kim, Hakan Demirci, Carl D. Regillo, Glenn C. Yiu, Thomas A. Ciulla

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Purpose:

To develop professional guidelines for best practices for suprachoroidal space (SCS) injection, an innovative technique for retinal therapeutic delivery, based on current published evidence and clinical experience.

Methods:

A panel of expert ophthalmologists reviewed current published evidence and clinical experience during a live working group meeting to define points of consensus and key clinical considerations to inform the development of guidelines for in-office SCS injection.

Results:

Core consensus guidelines for in-office SCS injection were reached and reported by the expert panel. Current clinical evidence and physician experience supported SCS injection as a safe and effective method for delivering retinal …

Epanorama January 2024, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This electronic issue of Panorama includes information on the FAFSA, the SVAD, and a letter from the president.

Animal Personality And Sentience As Distinct Concepts, Mark Briffa

Animal Sentience

Owens et al (2024) discuss how knowledge of both animal personality and sentience in target populations can be leveraged to enhance wildlife conservation programmes. In this commentary I expand on the distinction between these two concepts. Behavioural differences should be considered broadly across conservation programmes, not just those involving species deemed sentient.

Relationship Between Socking Rate And Production Of Stocker Hybrid Tilapia And Water Quality In A Mixtotrophic Biofloc System, Bartholomew W. Green, Steven D. Rawles, Candis L. Ray, Matthew E. Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Intensified production of stocker-size tilapia can be accomplished using the biofloc technology production system. Stocker-size tilapia (ca. 10–200 g/fish) are raised for subsequent stocking for grow-out to market size. The relationship between stocking rate and the production of stocker-size hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus) was evaluated in two studies in outdoor mixotrophic biofloc tanks. Hybrid tilapia were stocked in 18.6-m² (15.7-m³) tanks at 50–150 fish/m² (59–178 fish/m³) in 25 fish/m² (30 fish/m³) increments in Study 1 and grown for 141–143 days. Stocking rates evaluated in 4.7-m …

Incorporating A Framework For Compostable Materials Into Extended Producer Responsibility: Plastic Packaging Models In The Legal Fight Against The Plastic Problem, Brittney Beetcher

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Climate Change And Voter Outreach: The Irs's Prohibition On Political Campaign Activity And Climate Nonprofits, Natalie C. Negrelli

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Rise Of The Nondelegation Doctrine And The Decline Of Our Oceans, Stephanie Reifenberg

Colorado Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Befriending Your Anxiety Through The Polyvagal Lens By Utilizing Embodied Imagery, Cassandra Lacroix

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Many individuals experience anxiety disorders, which can significantly impact their well-being if not properly addressed. Recognizing the need for effective tools to support people with anxiety, this research aligns the key pillars of self-control and present focus awareness of physiological responses through art to harness emotional regulation. This research uses the lens of the polyvagal theory, and looking at embodied imagery, breathwork, and transitional objects to conceptualize ways to help decrease anxiety and enhance body perception and autonomic awareness will be witnessed in participants. The aim of this study was also to establish a strategy that individuals could turn to …

Three Stories On Urban Wildlife, Kevin J. Moriarty

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Three Rehabilitation Models On Cognitive-Linguistic And Psychosocial Well-Being Outcomes For Stroke Survivors With Chronic Aphasia, Jenna Ray Griffin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aphasia, a typically chronic language impairment that impacts expressive and receptive language but does not impact intelligence, occurs in approximately 30 - 40% of stroke survivors. Chronic aphasia negatively impacts functional communication, communicative participation, and psychosocial well-being in stroke survivors. Access to care during the post-acute phase of recovery is limited, requiring novel models of rehabilitation that are person-centered and holistic. The intensive comprehensive aphasia program (ICAP) model has shown proof-of-concept, feasibility, and acceptability to improve patient cognitive-linguistic outcomes, psychosocial well-being, and communicative participation. However, outcomes from an ICAP have not been compared to usual care aphasia therapy or to …

Wildfires, Climate, And Equity: Towards Sustainable Forest Management And Conservation, Mark Regier Kreider

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Forest and conservation sciences are both fields that inherently combine land and people, concerning topics such as the wildfire crisis, impacts of human-caused climate change on ecosystem functioning, and inequity of access to outdoor spaces. The research and science communication in this PhD dissertation explore these issues, integrating the biophysical and social sciences to promote understanding, stewardship, and conservation of human-forest systems. Chapter 1 assesses how humans shape patterns of fire through fire suppression, inadvertently ensuring that fires occur under the most severe conditions and effectively selecting for high-severity fire occurrences. Chapter 2 uses a wilderness area with a fire …