Browsing by Title

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    A 195Pt nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the solvolysis of sodium hexachloroplatinate by dimethyl sulfoxide.
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 1991) Allbritten, Jeffery ; Chemistry & Physics
    Platinum-195 Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to study the reaction of sodium hexachloroplatinate with dimethyl sulfoxide-dg in the mixed solvent dimethyl sulfoxide-dg: water, 1:2, V/V.
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    24-h Fluid Kinetics and Perception of Sweat Losses Following a 1-h Run in a Temperate Environment
    ( 2013-12-10) O’Neal, Eric K. ; Caufield, Christina R. ; Lowe, Jordan B. ; Stevenson, Mary C. ; Davis, Brett A. ; Thigpen, Lauren K.
    This study examined 24-h post-run hydration status and sweat loss estimation accuracy in college age runners (men = 12, women = 8) after completing a 1-h self-paced outdoor run (wet bulb globe temperature = 19.9 ± 3.0 °C). Sweat losses (1353 ± 422 mL; 1.9% ± 0.5% of body mass) were significantly greater (pp less than 0.001) than perceived losses (686 ± 586 mL). Cumulative fluid consumption equaled 3876 ± 1133 mL (218 ± 178 mL during) with 37% of fluid ingested lost through urine voids (1450 ± 678 mL). Fluid balance based on intake and urine production equaled +554 ± 669 mL at 12 h and +1186 ± 735 mL at 24 h. Most runners reported euhydrated (pre-run urine specific gravity (USG) = 1.018 ± 0.008) with no changes (p = 0.33) at hours 12 or 24 when both genders were included. However, USG was higher (p = 0.004) at 12 h post-run for men (1.025 ± 0.0070 vs. 1.014 ± 0.007), who consumed 171% ± 40% of sweat losses at 12 h vs. 268% ± 88% for women. Most runners do not need intervention concerning between bout hydration needs in temperate environments. However, repeated USG measurements were able to identify runners who greatly under or over consumed fluid during recovery. Practitioners can use multiple USG assessments as cheap method to detect runners who need to modify their hydration strategies and should promote assessment of sweat losses by change in body mass, as runners had poor perception of sweat losses.
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    3D PRINTING BODY PARTS: AN OVERVIEW OF HOW ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING IS SHAPING TISSUE ENGINEERING
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2014-2-23) Cross, Grant ; Boraiko, Carol ; Engineering Technology
    Additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D printing, is a manufacturing technique that emerged in the 1980 s mainly focused on engineering prototyping. Recent advances in the precision and cost of the techniques, as well as the widespread use of 3D modeling have increased 3D printing s scope of use from high-end engineering prototypes to a large variety of uses in manufacturing. 3D printing has been shown to improve the processing time, reduce waste, and increase the level of customization of certain products by eliminating the need for the specialty tooling and dies that are traditionally used in manufacturing. Additionally, the ability to physically print complex shapes based on a computer model has given rise to new products that would otherwise be simply impossible to create. The field of tissue engineering has taken advantage of this technology by printing organic cells and inorganic biomaterials with levels of control and precision that surpass previous production techniques. Furthermore, 3D printing allows for applications that can be customized on a case-by-case basis to fit the needs of individual patients. This review will overview the 3D printing-based techniques being used in tissue engineering, and discuss the current applications and challenges of this rapidly advancing field.
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    4-Bit Cellular Automata Encryption Analysis
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2017-07-13) Leitner, Dallas ; Salman, Karim ; Boles, Walter ; Sbenaty, Saleh ; Engineering Technology
    Forms of cellular automata have been used for decades in various niches. One such use is random number generation for data encryption. There are numerous ways that have been developed for this purpose, but they are largely centered on the use of the 3-bit rule space. While this rule space has been tested and proven to possess the desired traits, limiting CA to only the 3-bit rule space severely limits the potential for extreme levels of complexity. To that end, this research aims to explore the 4-bit rule space to find new potential rules that possess the desired level of complexity with the hope that the methods used can be applied to still greater rule spaces.
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    4-Bit Cellular Automata Encryption Analysis
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2017-07-13) Leitner, Dallas ; Salman, Karim ; Boles, Walter ; Sbenaty, Saleh ; Engineering Technology
    Forms of cellular automata have been used for decades in various niches. One such use is random number generation for data encryption. There are numerous ways that have been developed for this purpose, but they are largely centered on the use of the 3-bit rule space. While this rule space has been tested and proven to possess the desired traits, limiting CA to only the 3-bit rule space severely limits the potential for extreme levels of complexity. To that end, this research aims to explore the 4-bit rule space to find new potential rules that possess the desired level of complexity with the hope that the methods used can be applied to still greater rule spaces.
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    A COBALT OXIDE CARBON NANOTUBE COMPOSITE FOR DOPAMINE DETECTION
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018) Kader, Mohammad Salauddin ; Chemistry
    Dopamine (DA) is a catecholamine and performs as a neurotransmitter in the human body. Dopamine plays an important role in the process of many biological networks. Research showed that unusual amounts of DA can cause several neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and other mental disorder. Cobalt oxide (CoO) particles were tethered to carboxylic-acid-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWNT) using sonication. The resulting composite (CoO/COOH-MWNT) was applied to glassy carbon electrodes for detecting DA within the 0.5-5 µM range and 10-100 µM range. Current versus concentration was measured using cyclic voltammetry. Different parameters such as loading, pH and sonication times (0 to 60 min) were varied to optimize current response. Good selectivity was found against uric acid and ascorbic acid. The (CoO/COOH-MWNT) composite was characterized by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), Raman spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
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    A comparative study of stress physiology in the common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon), the diamondback watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer), and the queen snake (Regina septemvittata).
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-04-13) McCallie, Katharine Louise ; Klukowski, Matthew ; Cobb, Vincent ; Otter, Ryan ; Biology
    Vertebrates respond to stressors in part by increasing the secretion of glucocorticoids from the adrenal gland. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors (e.g., age, sex, season) have been shown to influence glucocorticoid secretion within a species, but understanding of species differences in glucocorticoid secretory patterns is limited. In this study, I examined corticosterone, progesterone, and testosterone levels in the common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon), the diamondback watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer), and the queen snake (Regina septemvittata) at a capture baseline and in response to an acute 30 minute confinement stress. I also examined the same steroids in Nerodia sipedon subjected to three weeks of laboratory housing, a known chronic stressor. All three species exhibited elevated corticosterone in response to acute stress but baseline and post- stress levels varied among species. Overall, Nerodia sipedon and Nerodia rhombifer exhibited similar corticosterone and testosterone levels both at capture baseline and after 30 minutes of confinement stress. Regina septemvittata had substantially higher corticosterone levels than the two Nerodia species. Nerodia sipedon subjected to chronic stress showed no significant changes in corticosterone levels from the baseline to post-lab housing, suggesting downregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and glucocorticoid production.
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    A Comparative Study on Two Strategies for Distributed Classification
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-05-30) Xu, Honglan ; Wu, Qiang ; Hong, Don ; Liu, Yeqian ; Green, Lisa ; Basic & Applied Sciences
    Distributed learning is an effective tool to process big data. An easy and effective distributed learning approach is the divide and conquer method. It first partitions the whole data set into multiple subsets. A base learning algorithm is then applied to each subset. Finally the results from these subsets are coupled together. In the classification setting, many classification algorithms can be used in the second stage. Typical ones include the logistic regression and support vector machines. For the third stage, both voting and averaging can be used as the coupling strategies. In this thesis, empirical studies are done to thoroughly compare the effectiveness of these two coupling strategies. Averaging is found to be more effective in most scenarios.
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    A Comparison of Giuseppe Verdi and Antonio Ghislanzoni's Aida and Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
    (University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-12) Gretz, Hayley
    A musical theatre fan knows many musicals have been based off books, but opera has also been a popular source of inspiration for musical composers. Aside from obvious genre differences, opera and musical theatre have different storytelling techniques. This comparative essay explores how Elton John and Tim Rice adapted Giuseppe Verdi and Antonio Ghislanzoni’s 19th century opera Aida into a Broadway musical. The thesis is organized into four main sections: the history of both shows, a plot comparison, character analysis, and the staging of both productions. These sections seek to discover what both productions have in common and more importantly, what is different and why Elton John and Tim Rice made specific choices in modifying the story. This thesis found that the opera and the musical share many similarities, but main plot points and character traits were changed in the musical to appeal to modern audiences. In an application of these findings, the second half of the project is an original script for a musical based off another Verdi opera, La Traviata. In addition to watching the opera, I also read Alexandre Dumas’ La Dame aux Camélias, upon which La Traviata is based. The time setting is unspecified, but the dialogue is completely modern. The opera is rather tragic, so I opted to make my adaption more of a comedy and make the characters more relatable. Just as Elton John and Tim Rice did, I kept to the same story of the opera, but made changes to reflect modern society.
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    A Comparison of Giuseppe Verdi and Antonio Ghislanzoni’s Aida and Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida
    (University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2022-05-06) Hayley Gretz
    A musical theatre fan knows many musicals have been based off books, but opera has also been a popular source of inspiration for musical composers. Aside from obvious genre differences, opera and musical theatre have different storytelling techniques. This comparative essay explores how Elton John and Tim Rice adapted Giuseppe Verdi and Antonio Ghislanzoni’s 19th century opera Aida into a Broadway musical. The thesis is organized into four main sections: the history of both shows, a plot comparison, character analysis, and the staging of both productions. These sections seek to discover what both productions have in common and more importantly, what is different and why Elton John and Tim Rice made specific choices in modifying the story. This thesis found that the opera and the musical share many similarities, but main plot points and character traits were changed in the musical to appeal to modern audiences. In an application of these findings, the second half of the project is an original script for a musical based off another Verdi opera, La Traviata. In addition to watching the opera, I also read Alexandre Dumas’ La Dame aux Camélias, upon which La Traviata is based. The time setting is unspecified, but the dialogue is completely modern. The opera is rather tragic, so I opted to make my adaption more of a comedy and make the characters more relatable. Just as Elton John and Tim Rice did, I kept to the same story of the opera, but made changes to reflect modern society. KEYWORDS: Opera; Musical Theatre; Musical Theater; Aida; Elton John; Tim Rice; Giuseppe Verdi; La Traviata
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    A COMPARISON OF NARRATIVE AND EXPOSITORY TEXT COMPREHENSION FOR STUDENTS AT VARYING LEVELS OF SES: A LATENT GROWTH CURVE ANALYSIS
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2017-04-10) Briggs, Laura C. ; Kim, Jwa ; Elleman, Amy ; Jin, Ying ; Education
    Research on secondary student reading comprehension performance is scant, yet demands for improved literacy at college and career levesl indicate that an understanding of trends and growth patterns is necessary to better inform teaching and learning for high school students. To improve understanding of reading performance at the secondary level, reading growth trajectories were investigated for 9th (n = 5752) and 11th (n = 3754) grade students. Free or reduced lunch membership (FRL) served as a proxy variable for student socioeconomic status (SES). Item performance of narrative and expository text was examined based on SES status by trend analysis and by latent growth curve anaylsis (LGCA) to determine if SES impacts initial starting point and growth on reading comprehension. Results revealed linear and quadratic trends of reading comprehension growth for 9th and 11th grade students. The dominant linear trend for 9th grade performance suggests that performance improved throughout the academic year. The dominant quadratic trend for 11th grade performance indicates that student performance declined at the second test administration before improving at the third test. Performance on English I expository tests showed a negative intercept-slope relationship indicating that students who scored lower initially performed better on subsequent exams compared to those who scored higher initially. The positive SES-intercept impact suggests that SES is correlated with performance on initial test administration. The negative SES-slope impact suggests that, during the academic year, student SES does not correlate with comprehension growth, possibly owing to the equalizing effects of the school environment on student achievement (Alexander, Entwistle, & Olson, 2007; Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Lindsay, & Greathouse, 1996; Entwistle & Alexander, 1992, 1994; Heyns, 1978; Jamar, 1994; Pfost, Hattie, Drfler, & Artelt, 2014). Performance on narrative items revealed a positive relationship on the intercept and slope as well as a positive impact for both SES-intercept and SES-slope. For English III scores, results indicated positive relationships on intercept-slope, SES-intercept, and SES-slope for expository items. Due to the poor model fit for the narrative models, impact and relationship among these variables could not be determined.
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    A COMPARISON OF PARALLEL IMPLEMENTATIONS OF PATHFINDING ALGORITHMS
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2021) Johnson, Charles W ; Pettey, Chrisila ; Seo, Suk ; Aderholdt, Ferrol
    Pathfinding algorithms are in constant use today – be it for generating driving directions or maintaining the routing tables that are used for routing traffic around the Internet. As would be expected, a given algorithm’s performance varies depending upon both the type and the scale of the application. Additionally, the use of parallel computing techniques may or may not decrease the runtime for a given problem. This thesis examines three commonly used pathfinding algorithms – Dijkstra, Bellman-Ford, and Floyd-Warshall – and seeks to illustrate their strengths and weaknesses when analyzing graphs that range from small and sparse to large and dense in various parallel computing environments. As well, focus is given to the use of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) as parallel computing devices themselves and the consequential reduction in the amount of hardware necessary for a given task.
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    A COMPARISON OF RICE BRAN OIL AND CORN OIL IN THE EQUINE DIET
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2019) Garrick, Morgan Wright ; Agribusiness and Agriscience
    Rice bran oil (RBO) has gained attention as a fat and potential antioxidant supplement, but there is limited research examining this supplement in the equine diet. This study compared the effect of RBO versus corn oil (CO) on non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations, rump fat (RF), forearm (ARM) and gaskin (GAS) circumference, and total antioxidant status (TAS) in lightly exercised horses. Twelve mature horses were randomly assigned to a cross-over design where they received either RBO or CO at a rate of 324 mg/kg BW/d for 35 days. After 5 weeks of supplementation, the horses were given a 3-week washout period with no oil supplement, followed by 35 days of the opposing treatment. During both periods, on days 0, 17, and 35, RF, GAS and ARM circumference, and BW were measured and blood was obtained. Serum NEFA, TAS, and TG were analyzed. No differences were found in RBO vs CO in any variables measured, BW (P = 0.11), RF (P = 0.68), GAS (P = 0.70), ARM (P = 0.33), TG (P = 0.70), NEFA (P = 0.46), or TAS (P = 0.16). The current study indicates that RBO has similar effects to CO when fed as a fat supplement to horses.
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    A COMPARISON OF SERIAL VERSUS PARALLEL ALGORITHMS FOR ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-03-24) Reavis, Gregg ; Gu, Yi ; Pettey, Chrisila ; Yoo, Sung ; Computer Science
    The majority of low-end sensors in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) operate on batteries, which either cannot be replaced or are not practical to replace. Therefore, it is important to measure the total energy consumption in WSNs, in order to minimize power consumption and maximize network lifespan. Many researchers have been devoting their efforts into this area, which shows that a heterogeneous network produces a better solution to prolonging the network lifespan. So far as we know, the algorithms for minimizing the energy consumption have all been implemented in serial algorithms. In this work, we propose a parallel programming approach for optimizing the minimum energy consumption and maximizing the lifespan of WSNs. The results from an extensive set of experiments on a large number of simulated sensor networks illustrate the performance superiority of the proposed parallel approach over an existing serial algorithm and confirms a parallel solution will provide faster results.
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    A Comparison of the Perceptions and Experiences of Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, and Instructors in College and University Psychology Programs
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2021) Ganus, Sean Dylan ; Loveless, James ; Contreras, Bethany ; Pennington, John
    Extending the methods of previous research comparing the experiential perceptions of undergraduate and graduate psychology students by ethnic and gender identity, two survey instruments were developed for the purpose of comparing the experiential perceptions of psychology students with the experiential perceptions of psychology instructors by ethnic and gender identity. In contrast to earlier research, no significant differences were found in between undergraduate and graduate psychology student perceptions in relation to perceptions of ethnic diversity in academic environments. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between student satisfaction and reported student ethnic identity, student satisfaction and mentoring by instructors, encountered encouragement or barriers, perceived ethnic representation in psychology, and perceived ethnic and gender diversity in academic environments. Qualitatively, undergraduate and graduate students generally aligned in their experiential perceptions except with reported mentoring, with graduate students reporting having experienced greater degrees of mentoring. Additionally, graduate students reported lesser degrees of diversity in both psychology and their immediate academic environments. Instructor responses differed from undergraduate responses regarding mentoring, with undergraduates generally reporting having not been mentored by psychology instructors, and instructors reporting having mentored undergraduate and graduate students. Further refinement of the survey instruments used in the project is needed before the instruments can serve as effective tools to assist in gauging perceived representation and diversity in college and university psychology programs.
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    A Computational Electrostatic Modeling Pipeline for Comparing pH-dependent gp120-CD4 Interactions in Founder and Chronic HIV Strains
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2017-03-24) Howton, Jonathan ; Phillips, Joshua ; Barbosa, Sal ; Wright, Stephen ; Computer Science
    Though Human Immunodeficiency Virus has been studied for several decades, a consistently
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    A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-06-23) Okwera, Peter ; Beckman, Wendy ; Georgiou, Andrea ; Aerospace
    ABSTRACT
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    A Cross-Cultural Analysis of COVID-19 Mask Mandates and Social Distancing Measures
    (University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-12) Henley, Zoe
    Since its discovery at the end of 2019, COVID-19 has heavily affected the world in a myriad of ways. This recent viral outbreak has spurred a shift in societal behaviors globally, from a growing popularity of mask usage, to a normalization of social distancing procedures, along with highlighting cultural idiosyncrasies in regards to disease, illness, health and wellness. Based on the research gathered and presented in this thesis, I develop a cross-cultural inspection of the various components of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has affected the countries Spain, Japan, and the United States. Along with analyzing perceived risks, adaptations, and stigmas present in the advent of the novel pandemic, I also incorporate a holistic, anthropological approach in order to better elucidate deeper cultural components at play, such as how American ideals of freedom and personal responsibility and Japanese views of group adherence and public spiritedness influence how the virus and subsequently how social distancing procedures are perceived and followed.
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    A Cross-Cultural Comparison of US and Chinese Students' Perceptions of School Safety
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-08-15) Gong, Rong ; Marshall, Seth ; Rust, James ; Jin, Ying ; Psychology
    There is currently a lack of international cross-cultural research that compares students’ perception of school safety. To address this, the current study compared US and Chinese high school students’ perception of school safety. Participants (N= 5,377) were recruited from three high schools in China (n= 1,289) and 12 high schools in the US students (n= 4,088). To assess students’ perceptions of school safety, each student was administered the Modified Delaware School Climate Survey-Student (Yang et al., 2013), a measure that includes a school safety subscale among others. For the cross-cultural purposes of this study, the instrument was translated into Mandarin Chinese using a double-back translation method. Using independent t tests, results indicated that Chinese high school students’ perceptions of school safety were significantly higher than US peers. This finding was consistent across grade level and gender. Results are discussed in terms of important cross-cultural outlook dimensions that may account for the school safety perception differences.
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    A Detailed Description of Corrupt Events in Argentina's History: The Role of Corruption in Argentine Politics, 1966 to 2022
    (University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2023-01-05) Donati, Luciano
    KEYWORDS: Economics, Political Science, Corruption