Middle Tennessee State University
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The Autopsy of Queen Christina of Sweden in Rome 1689
No full textThis Research Report, which focuses on the autopsy of Queen Christina of Sweden in Rome in 1689, should be of interest to the general public, specialists in anatomy and infectious diseases, those interested in Sweden’s history, and medicine as practiced in the 17th Century.Forensic Institute for Research and Education, Middle Tennessee State Universit
Exploring the Transitions of Veterans Attending College
No full textThis qualitative phenomenological study employs a phenomenological approach to investigate the lived experiences of veterans returning to higher education. It aims to explore and understand the experiences and difficulties faced by veterans as they reintegrate into college education.
Thematic analysis is used to analyze qualitative data, identifying prevalent themes and patterns in the gathered information. The outcomes of this research have the potential to offer valuable insights that can be utilized in developing more comprehensive and efficient initiatives to enhance veterans' educational journeys and address their specific needs. Additionally, the study provides evidence-based recommendations for college departments and academic institutions to enhance their support and accommodations for veteran students, promoting their academic achievements and overall well-being.
Schlossberg's Transitional Theory, supported by Cohen's Social Support Theory, serves as the theoretical framework for this study. Ten student veteran participants were interviewed via Zoom and in person, sharing their experiences in the military and how those experiences have influenced their college journey. Overall, participants expressed various barriers and challenges encountered in college, as well as different forms of support that enabled them to persevere through their programs. The research emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness about student veterans and the specific support services they may need in college. In addition, the findings suggest a need for more training for college faculty and staff on how to support veterans in higher education. The research aimed to discover effective strategies and support systems to enhance academic performance and well-being. The findings indicate that despite veterans' valuable skills, knowledge, and contributions to higher education institutions, they face multiple obstacles that hinder their learning and success. Colleges should prioritize establishing effective communication structures within their veteran centers to ensure prompt and necessary assistance for veteran students. Additionally, colleges should consider implementing a peer mentorship program to help new veteran students integrate into the academic community.Ed.D
Invasion of Phagocytic and Non-Phagocytic Cells by ‘Candidatus Berkiella cookevillensis’
No full textBacterium ‘Candidatus Berkiella cookevillensis’ (strain CC99) was isolated from an amoeba in cooling tower biofilm. CC99 is an obligate intracellular pathogen growing within vacuoles closely associated with the host cell nucleus and typically lysing its amoeba host in 3-4 days. CC99 that lyse from amoebae can infect both THP-1 and U937 human macrophage-like cell lines, but whether bacteria from human cell lines are transmissible to other human cells had not been investigated. In this study, CC99 bacteria lysed from amoebae productively infected both THP-1 and HeLa human epithelial cells, as evidenced by nuclear-associated vacuoles filled with bacteria. At least 50% of the cell populations were positive for CC99 at 72 hours as determined by histochemical staining. Furthermore, CC99 DNA was detected in these treated cells using quantitative PCR (qPCR). However, when CC99 was grown in either THP-1 or HeLa cells, no bacteria were detectable in these cells either by histochemical staining or by qPCR at 72 hours. These results suggest that although bacterium CC99 may be transmissible to human cells when lysed from amoebae, CC99 propagated in human cells may not be directly transmissible to other human cells. Therefore, this study has important implications for the safety procedures surrounding amoeba-derived infections, such as Legionella spp.M.S
MT Open Press Booklist
No full textMT Open Press is a hybrid publisher that supports authors with free production services and encourages everyone to read free digital books. MT Open Press books have had 5,000+ downloads as of December 2024 from readers around the world. This is the current booklist as of 2024. The press seeks to publish 2-3 books annually through an open call for book proposals. Learn more or access the free digital imprints at https://openpress.mtsu.edu or visit our storefront of a print (paperback) copy at https://lulu.com/spotlight/mtop
Screening Tetragenococcus halophilus for Bacteriophage in Smokeless Tobacco Production Streams Fermentation Process
No full textSmokeless tobacco is created through a heavily monitored fermentation process
but is prone to bacteriophage contamination. As a preventative measure, using samples
from our industry provider, we screened for bacteriophages capable of infecting
Tetragenococcus halophilus, a critical, lactic-acid-producing microorganism in the
smokeless tobacco fermentation process. Samples were enriched with T. halophilus,
filtered, and tested on nutritious Petri plates for the presence of these bacteriophages.
After testing over 100 samples, no bacteriophages capable of infecting T. halophilus were
discovered. These results reassured our industry partner that there is not currently
bacteriophage capable of infecting T. halophilus contaminating their fermentation
process. Some options to further this research could be to screen for bacteriophages that
are capable of infecting other bacteria present in the fermentation process of smokeless
tobacco (or the fermentation processes of other industries) and to use the screening
protocol to search for bacteriophages capable of infecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Synthesis and Evaluation of Polyasparatate Peptoid Polymers against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
No full textPolyaspartic acid and its derivatives, such as peptoid polymers, have garnered attention for their potential as antimicrobial agents due to their biocompatibility and structural versatility. This research project delves into the synthesis and evaluation of novel polyaspartate peptoid polymers, aiming to unveil their antimicrobial potential and shed light on their structure-activity relationships. The primary objective is to explore the impact of these novel polyaspartate peptoid polymers on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, investigating their potential as disruptors or inhibitors of biofilm formation. Furthermore, an examination of their susceptibility to proteases aims to determine their stability and potential application as protease substrates. Central to this investigation is the comparison between peptide versions of polyaspartic acid and the peptoid versions being synthesized. Elucidating the differences in their structures and properties will provide valuable insights into the tailored design of antimicrobial materials. The study's methodology involves synthesizing polyaspartate peptoid polymers of varying lengths to evaluate their efficacy against microbial growth and biofilm formation. By systematically varying the length of these polymers, the aim is to discern the relationship between polymer structure and antimicrobial activity, thereby contributing to the understanding of structure-function correlations in these material
Female Athletes in the Media: Impact on College Student's Body Image
No full textBody related concerns among those in the college population have become increasingly apparent with the rise in social media usage that can then lead to comparative thought patterns. Media images of athletes may be particularly impactful on female college students’ body perceptions due to their potential for social comparison. The current study assessed the impact of performance-based and sexualized media images of popular female athletes on one’s own body image. Eighty-four college females completed an online survey including multiple body image measures completed before and after viewing either performance-based or sexualized media images of famous female athletes. There were no significant effects on body image of viewing the different media images. Participants did rate the performance-based images as demonstrating significantly more empowerment, more positive body image than the sexualized images. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.M.A
Twitter (X) Under Elon Musk and Political Polarization Among University Students
No full textPolitical Polarization has been increasing in prevalence within the last couple of decades, with social media being frequently blamed for its rise. This study examines the use of the social media app X, formally known as Twitter, and whether it correlates to increasing political polarization among university students at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The study was conducted within the context of the 2024 Presidential Election and after the enacted policy changes after Elon Musk’s purchase of the app in 2022. Data collection was performed by sending out a survey through email to students at MTSU with the survey gathering a total of 83 student responses (N = 83). The results demonstrated that MTSU students who have used Twitter (X) within the past year displayed greater levels of political polarization with polarization occurring more among participants who politically align on the Left/Liberal
The Capacity of Conservation and Regenerative Organic Agriculture to Positively Influence Soil Bulk Density, Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen and Microbiology
No full textConservation and regenerative organic agricultural management are potential
mitigation strategies for global soil quality degradation. However, comprehensive studies
on the success of these managements are limited. This study aimed to provide further
understanding on the ability of these managements to positively affect soil quality related
to bulk density, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and microbial activity and
diversity using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA). Conservation practices such as
no-till (NT) and cover cropping (CC) were compared with conventional practices of disc
tillage (T) and no cover cropping (NC). Regenerative organic practices were analyzed for
effectiveness at improving soils transitioning from conventional management. Results
showed that conservation management did not significantly lower bulk density when
compared to conventional management, however, significantly higher SOC, TN, and
microbial activity were measured. Regenerative organic management did improve all
aforementioned indicators, however, shifts in microbial structure posed potential issues
when analyzing fungal communities. Overall, these managements were found to be capable
of improving soil quality, but longer study duration is needed to accuratel y assess
implications to bulk density and microbial community structure
Bioluminescence of Firefly Luciferase in the Presence of Biologically Relevant Cations
No full textThe bioluminescent protein firefly luciferase is a possible biological intracellular
pH reporter because it has light emission dependent on the pH of its environment. For
firefly luciferase to be reliable as an intracellular pH reporter, its emission should not be
significantly disturbed by the presence of biologically relevant cations. To evaluate
firefly luciferase’s behavior in an environment where K+, Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ are
present, luciferase was combined with its substrate and different concentrations of these
cations in a microplate and analyzed on a plate reader to determine the emission of
550±10 and 610±10 nm light, which was used to obtain a 550:610 nm ratio. It was
discovered that the plate reader’s sensitivity to low levels of bioluminescence was
inconsistent, meaning that more experimentation with solutions containing higher
concentrations of firefly luciferase is needed to confidently conclude that biologically
relevant cations do not significantly alter the bioluminescence of firefly luciferase.
However, the experiments with monovalent cations produced promising results that fell
within the expected range of magnitude for the plate reader and showed small
fluctuations in the 550:610 nm ratio. Although the results for divalent cations were
inconclusive, firefly luciferase is still relevant for further study of possible intracellular
pH reporters