TTU Published Journals @ Volpe Library
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Development and Application of an eDNA Assay to Delineate the Distribution of the Imperiled Striated Darter (Etheostoma striatulum, Page and Braasch 1977) in the Duck River, Tennessee
No full textEffective conservation of rare or imperiled species relies on efficient monitoring and accurate information regarding distribution, critical habitat locations, and occupancy. However, most imperiled species are inherently cryptic and difficult to capture due to patchy distributions and low population densities. To avoid these obstacles, environmental DNA (eDNA) detection techniques have been developed to provide a more sensitive and economical solution for species monitoring. Striated Darters are small, uncommon darters endemic to the middle-to-upper regions of the Duck River, Tennessee. Since their description in 1977, they have become increasingly rare throughout their range; as of 2011, their distribution had declined to nine of the 16 historically occupied tributaries. Due to this documented decline, Striated Darters are currently in review for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act and are currently listed as state threatened in Tennessee. Because of their reclusive and cryptic behavior, conventional techniques tend to be less effective for detection, requiring more sensitive methods. Our study aimed to develop an eDNA surveillance assay and protocol to detect presence of the Striated Darter at 30 historical sampling sites and to delineate their current distribution. Data were analyzed using a hierarchical occupancy model approach to estimate occurrence and detection probability at the scales of sites, sample replicates, and qPCR reaction replicates
Examination of Stylar Movement Among Floral Morphs in Passiflora incarnata L.
No full textPassiflora incarnata is a widespread vine that is native to the Southeast United States and is most common in open sunny habitats along roadsides, riverbanks, thickets, and abandoned agricultural fields. It is also an important larval host plant to several species of butterfly and is pollinated primarily by carpenter bees. This species experiences a range of stylar movement after the flower opens in the beginning of the day, of which have been categorized into five different morphs based on their position at the end of the day. Relatively little is known about the stylar movement expressed in Passiflora incarnata. To further study the tissues involved in this movement, various specimens were observed using light microscopy. We focused our attention on the ovary apex junction, examining the transmitting tissue and vascular bundles as they move down the style and into the ovary. On the most functional and abundant morph, we saw inflated cells on the abaxial side of the ovary apex junction, and deflated cells on the adaxial side; this leads us to suspect that an osmotic process is responsible for the movement. Several samples have been taken before and after the stylar movement to better understand the tissue structures and are currently being observed
Pollen tubes and reproductive success of Physaria globosa
No full textPhysaria globosa (Desv.) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz (Short's bladderpod) is a Federally endangered species limited to 31 populations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. This species may have anywhere from one to 40 compound racemes that undergo anthesis in April through June. This study aims to examine how timing of anthesis within the compound raceme may affect reproductive success. Flowers produced earlier in the season or at specific positions within the inflorescence may experience different probabilities of successful pollination. Likewise, the plant's total resource availability could limit ovule/seed development. To explore how flower position might relate to reproductive success, samples were collected from five populations: two in Tennessee, two in Kentucky, and one in Indiana. 10 plants with ample flowers and fruits were selected at random from each population. For each plant, one whole flowering stem was preserved in FAA and later examined with aniline blue under fluorescence. Pistils were numbered based on their location on the main raceme and their position along each branch. The presence of pollen tubes in the ovary was scored as an indirect measure of successful pollination and fertilization. Preliminary results show that pistils present along the primary inflorescence axis may have greater reproductive success relative to other positions within the inflorescence. These data will be considered with regard to their possible conservation implications for P. globosa
*WINNER* The Impact Social Capital has on Communication within Extension Education
No full textSocial capital is important within all communities – rural and urban, and especially important in Extension education. Social capital is defined as the network among people within a given community/society that work together for the common good. Extension personnel serve communities/societies through educational programming and support networks. More specifically, Extension education is an outreach program that provides non-formal education and learning activities to homeowners, youth, and agriculture producers. Therefore, strong communication; informed educational programming will be more impactful in communities/societies where social capital is increased. Social capital is important in rural areas – it has the potential to create opportunities within smaller communities that would not be as likely. With strong social capital, education and communication will be increased between the local Extension office and the community. This may lead to enhanced 4-H youth development, improved agriculture and natural resource practices, and more impactful and effective family and consumer sciences programming. Through a meta-analysis of the literature published the past 20 years on the effects of social capital on rural communities/societies shows that there will be more community involvement associated with church groups, 4-H, county fairs, county events, and extension education courses. According to research, without the trust and communication between community leaders and the citizens of the community: there will not be an increase in social capital and the community will work against one another. Results can include lack of community support and involvement through expenses, volunteerism, and education
Impact of Stimulus on Bank Liquidity
No full textEconomic uncertainty leads consumers to save and stockpile money (Ghosh and Ostry,1997). The U.S. Department of Commerce reports the percentage of savings to income has increased from 7.6% in January 2020 to 13.4% in December 2020 (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2021). This led to significant rises in deposit accounts of banks across the country. At the same time, many companies facing uncertainty made cost-cutting measures, focusing on short-term liquidity. Delays on expansion and capital purchases reduced demand for commercial loans. Newly released data estimates 5.2 million businesses sought forgivable loans, like the PPP loans, to address their needs rather than using traditional commercial lending (New York Times).Some financial institutions found themselves with large supplies of cash but diminishing demands for loans. How did banks respond and how did their actions affect their financials?We examined the connections between ROA changes, bank size, provisions for loan losses changes, and the ratio of loans to deposits through careful regression analysis. We found that ROA was negatively correlated with bank size and the ratio of loans to deposits. The evidence implies that not all banks should follow similar tactics. They should always consider their own relative financial position before making these decisions. Our evidence suggests that small banks might benefit from finding any rare and/or little opportunity possible to loan more in a period of high liquidity but low loan demand while larger banks might benefit from finding ways to lower their loan portfolio in similar situations
*WINNER* Synthesis of INAP-ETSC and INAP-tButyl
No full textThiosemicarbazenes are a class of organic compounds that function extremely well as ligands that bind to transition metals to form metal complexes with interesting biological properties. This presentation focuses on synthesis and characterization of a new series of monoxime thiosemicarbozone. Two new compounds, namely α-isonitrosacetophenone ethyl thiosemicarbozone (INAP-ETSC) and α-isonitrosacetophenone tert-butyl thiosemicarbozone (INAP-tButyl), are synthesized and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). The synthesized compounds are further used to create the palladium-ligand complexes that can be tested for their anticancer properties by studying the inhibition of topo-isomerase 2ɑ
Educational Machine Learning Modules for Undergraduates in Cybersecurity
Get PDFMachine learning resources have developed by leaps and bounds in recent years and have become pervasive in many fields, including the field of Cybersecurity. As such, it is important that machine learning applications be taught at the undergraduate level in the context of Cybersecurity to provide students with a competitive advantage that will be useful in industry. We are seeking to provide versatile module-based solutions that can either be integrated into existing security courses or stand alone. Several of these modules are currently in development, including a convolutional neural network (CNN) implementation for the classification of malware samples, an adversarial attack on that model in a later module by use of the fast gradient sign method (FGSM), followed by an adversarial training lab in order to harden machine learning models against such adversarial attacks. Students will use virtualization with Oracle’s VirtualBox to sandbox their experiments in a Linux environment. They will make use of Python to train and test their models, making use of the Keras, Tensorflow, and Scikit-learn libraries. These modules are intended to make applied machine learning knowledge accessible to undergraduates sooner than grad school, but may be used at higher levels or even by themselves. They are self-contained with the lectures and lab materials required for students to succeed as they gain valuable knowledge for their careers in Cybersecurity
Development of a Hybrid Research Testbed for In-vehicle Security Research
No full textA modern automotive system consists of up to 100 Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and thousands of communication signals via the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, over a bus-based network topology. While the CAN protocol benefits from its low-cost, reliable, and real-time properties, it lacks information security mechanisms such as authentication and encryption, making it susceptible to fabrication, suspension, and masquerade attacks. In a real-world setting, some of these attacks could even cause the endangerment or loss of life. In-vehicle security researchers today use software-based solutions, actual vehicles, or simulated hardware testing to find solutions to these problems. While software-based solutions are often cost-effective and flexible, they do not typically provide realistic results. On the other hand, actual vehicles provide a realistic scenario, however, they can be cost-prohibitive and lack flexibility when modifications need to be made. Simulated hardware is created by simulating ECUs using low-cost equipment, such as Raspberry Pis, however, like the software-based solutions, these simulated ECUs are not accurate representations of realistic ECUs. We have developed a hybrid testbed that incorporate real ECUs as well as simulators. Our testbed provides the real time behavior of actual ECUs as well as the flexibility of simulators. We have also developed an easy-to-use software interface to develop and test in-vehicle communication algorithms on the testbed. The testbed has been validated by testing and experimental secured CAN protocol called SecCAN. The validation indicates that our testbed provides a low cost, very flexible, but realistic environment for in-vehicle network security research
Experiences and Perspectives of High School Football Coaches in Managing Athletic Injuries and Medical Conditions in A Rural Setting
Get PDFRural high schools are less likely than urban or suburban high schools to employ an athletic trainer, and this places the responsibility for injury evaluation and management on the coaches. This interpretive case study included interviews and observations of two football coaches from rural Tennessee high schools—one coach who had an athletic trainer and the other who did not have an athletic trainer prior to the fall of 2020. This study aimed to provide an understanding of the coaches’ experiences and perspectives in managing football players’ medical emergencies, acute and chronic injuries, and illnesses. Preliminary study findings will be discussed
*WINNER* Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives on Leisure Activities Participation by Adults with Developmental Disabilities
No full textLeisure activities refer to the voluntary use of one’s free time to participate in desired activities during an individuals’ unobligated time. Such activities provide an opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities to build relationships, gain skills, and develop competencies that are prerequisites for successful integration into the general public. Current literature shows that individuals with developmental disabilities have limited access to leisure activity participation. The purpose of the study is to understand from the perceptions and experiences of special education teachers how forces influence participation by adults with developmental disabilities in leisure activities. Identifying these forces could help policymakers to provide appropriate interventions to enable individuals with developmental disabilities to participate in leisure activities