Middle Tennessee State University
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The Future is Now: The Power and Promise of Afrofuturism
No full textIn the summer of 2020, with Covid-19 raging, the high-profile deaths of three African Americans—Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd— brought race and empathy into America’s political and social consciousness in a way not seen since the Civil Rights movement. A lack of empathy in America’s social and criminal justice systems became a major focus of study.
Lisa Blankenship, in Changing the Subject: A Theory of Rhetorical Empathy (2019), describes a way in which empathy can be enacted through rhetorical processes. Ytasha Womack, in Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy (2013), examines the burgeoning Afrofuturistic culture for Blacks who are interested in Science Fiction. Womack describes an Afrofuturistic aesthetic in which Black people are no longer marginalized by racism and prejudice. Afrofuturism tells futuristic stories through a Black lens, dealing with Black themes and issues relevant to the Black community.
Relying on recent scholarship by Blankenship, Womack, and others, Chapter One explains how rhetoric and empathy shape personal narratives and how Afrofuturism disrupts traditional narrative structures to promote new points of view. Chapter Two expands on the necessity of Afrofuturism and underscores the relevance of Black Panther (2018), a film that merges Blankenship’s rhetorical empathy with Womack’s Afrofuturism. Black Panther invites viewers to see how Afrofuturism, when deployed strategically and rhetorically, engenders empathy for those marginalized in society.
Chapter Three investigates the ways in which New Media, specifically video games, use Afrofuturism to break traditional barriers inhibiting empathy. Assassin’s Creed Origins (2017) and Spider-Man Miles Morales (2020) employ Black characters to engender empathy through narrative devices. Chapter Four contrasts Afrofuturism with another Black ideology: Afropessimism, or the feeling that nothing will ever change for Black people. This chapter explains how movements such as BlackLivesMatter and #OscarssoWhite speak to Afropessimism. This chapter explains that, ultimately, such movements align themselves more with Afrofuturism than Afropessimism to create a positive change in Western society for Black people.Ph.D
Utilizing Sensory Marketing to Enhance Client-Financial Advisor Relationships
No full textThe financial advising industry is rapidly changing because of technological
advancements. As the number of individuals seeking financial advice from remote or
Artificial Intelligence advisors rises, the need for on-ground financial advisors to employ
competitive marketing strategies increases. Sensory Marketing—adapting the five senses
to the business environment—is an effective strategy financial advisors can employ to
solidify client relationships. Data was collected from ninety-one clients at a single
financial institution using a Qualtrics survey. The survey asked about relationship
characteristics, sensory preferences, and demographic information. The results were
analyzed using SPSS data analysis software. Recommendations are provided for financial
advisors and marketing researchers based on the data collected from this survey
Community-Based Essentrics Training Program
No full textHealthy aging is associated with declines in functional performance and the ability to complete activities of daily living (ADLs) independently. Multicomponent exercise programs focused on the development of balance, flexibility, muscular fitness, and functional mobility contribute to maintenance of functional performance in healthy older adults. One such program is Essentrics, a low-impact group fitness program. The effects of Essentrics training on physical performance outcomes in community-dwelling older adults were investigated in these studies. Physical performance assessments included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Chair Sit and Reach (CSR), Back Scratch Test (BST), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG), and the 30-Second Chair Stand Test (30 CST).
The sample included 12 older adults (73 ± 6 years; 10 females, 2 males). Participants were recruited from fitness classes at a senior community center and had been engaged in different physical activities for at least 3 months, including programs focusing on aerobic endurance, muscular fitness, balance, and flexibility. Participants completed a pre-testing assessment prior to engaging in 8 weeks of Essentrics training. Post-testing assessments were conducted within one week after the end of the training intervention.
There were significant improvements in BBS, SPPB, TUG, and 30 CST scores. No significant improvement was observed in CSR or BST scores. Notably, participants demonstrated performance improvements greater than the minimum detectable change values for the SPPB and 30 CST, indicating meaningful improvements in functional performance. However, high baseline levels of performance on the BBS and TUG led to smaller relative improvements in the ability to complete ADLs.
Overall, Essentrics was a safe and effective training program which yielded improvements in balance, muscular fitness, and functional mobility in community-dwelling older adults. When taught in a group fitness setting, Essentrics encouraged exercise adherence through social interaction, with an added benefit of safety monitoring by a qualified instructor. As a low-impact form of exercise, Essentrics may be a suitable option when designing multicomponent fitness programs for older adults.Ph.D
Spring 2023 Areté
No full textA semiannual publication of the MTSU Honors College highlighting student, alumni, and faculty/staff accomplishments.A semiannual publication of the MTSU Honors College highlighting student, alumni, and faculty/staff accomplishments
Comparison of Conditioned and Non-conditioned University Horses After Semester Break
No full textDuring periods of disuse, horses often receive pasture turn-out without exercise. This study evaluated fitness of conditioned and non-conditioned horses after a semester break. Twelve mature horses were assigned to a conditioned group that maintained light-to-moderate riding or non-conditioned group receiving no ridden exercise during summer break. Research began at the beginning of Fall semester. On d 0, 14, and 28 heart rate and physical measurements were recorded. Peak heart rate was not different between treatments (P=0.17) but increased for both treatments throughout the study (P=0.04). Resting heart rate of conditioned horses tended to be lower (P=0.08). Gaskin circumference of non-conditioned horses was larger (P=0.04), although non-conditioned horses tended to have larger average body weight (P=0.07). Conditioned horses had higher topline muscling scores (P=0.02). Horses that were conditioned over a semester break had mixed improvement in fitness suggesting that horses retain a degree of fitness during rest with pasture turn-out.M.S
Early Sport Specialization and Collegiate Injury Rates in NCAA Division I Athletes
No full textSport specialization in adolescence has become a prominent and influential aspect of sports. Specialization is the focused participation in a single sport for much of the year without involvement in other sports or activities. The purpose of this study was to examine if sport specialization was related to injury rate and scholarship attainment in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. A survey was distributed to two NCAA institutions, where the athletes were asked questions regarding demographic, sport history, and injury history. A total of 64 athletes completed the survey (47 females and 17 males) from nine sports. The mean age of initial specialization was 8.3 3.4 years. Sport specialization and injury occurrence were not significantly related (p = .866). Further, the length of specialization was not significant in predicting whether an athlete would receive a scholarship (p = .392). With increasing numbers of adolescents specializing in sport at younger ages, creating appropriate restrictions and guidelines is important to protect the health of the athletes. Further it is important for coaches, parents, and sport organizations to understand the potential lack of relationship between specialization and earning a collegiate sports scholarship.M.S
The Relationship Between Carpenter Bees and Pyne’s Ground-plum (Astragalus bibullatus)
No full textAstragalus bibullatus is a federally endangered species, endemic to the limestone cedar glades of
Middle Tennessee. Cedar glades are an endangered ecosystem, and the plant is found in only a
few naturally occurring populations, all within Rutherford County, Tennessee. Insects in the
genus Xylocopa, known as carpenter bees, perform a phenomenon referred to as nectar robbing
on A. bibullatus. This method of nectar collection bypasses pollination and thus poses a threat to
the reproductive fitness of the plant. Scant data on nectar rubbing by carpenter bees exists,
especially regarding A. bibullatus.The goal of this research project has been to determine the
level of interference that carpenter bees have on the pollination and reproduction of A.
bibullatus. Carpenter bees started to visit plants of A. bibullatus 4 weeks after flowering started
in the species. The bees remained constant to A. bibullatus and did not move to the co-flowering
Pediomelum subacuale. No other insect species visited the holes made by carpenter bees to
collect nectar, in contrast to other researcher’s observations in previous years. While no fruit
production was observed on plants visited by carpenter bees, additional studies are needed to
determine the degree that carpenter bees impact the reproduction of A. bibullatus
The Nurse’s Role in the care of neonates diagnosed with Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome using an Individualized Family-Centered Care Approach
No full textKEYWORDS: nursing; nursing school; neonates; neonatal respiratory distress syndrome; family-centered care; individualized care; nursing car
Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry in Deep Eutectic Solvents
No full textElectrochemistry is an increasingly well-known method of organic synthesis due to its sustainability and specific reaction manipulation capabilities. Organic electrochemical synthesis requires an electrolyte, or a salt, to facilitate charge transport in addition to a solvent. Both the electrolyte and the solvent are sources of waste in an organic reaction and thus contribute to its environmental impact. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are increasingly well-known recyclable liquids that contain salts as at least one of their components. This thesis project explores the use of DESs as organic electrochemical solvents for the first time. By performing various allylations of aldehydes using different DESs and electrode pairings and analyzing the yields of each round, reaction conditions are optimized. The recyclability of the DES is also explored. It is discovered that DESs are excellent solvents to use for electrochemical allylations because each 2 mL of DES can be reused at least three times, and other reaction components such as SnCl2 are easily regenerated for future use. The combination of electrochemistry and DESs yields a doubly green synthetic reaction that can be replicated in many large-scale settings, such as the pharmaceuticals industry. This process would minimize waste production and allow for reusable materials, saving both money and the environment
Exploring Biology Instructors’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Higher Education
No full textWith the rapid emergence of educational technology in learning environments, instructors’ development of technology knowledge is necessary to select educational technologies for effective instruction. Online courses have also shown steady growth in higher education institutions over the past two decades. More recently, the rapid shift to online instruction in March 2020 increased the need for more online course offerings. The rapid shift to online instruction may have required significant change in instructional practice for science instructors because of the content and laboratory components. The growing use of educational technologies in higher education combined with an increased demand for online courses has reshaped how instructors, students, and technologies interact. Components of effective integration of educational technology require instructor knowledge of the technology, instructor knowledge of the disciplinary content associated with the technology, and the knowledge of instructional strategies to integrate the educational technology and content holistically, commonly known as Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Mishra, & Koehler, 2006). The TPACK framework can assist researchers in better understanding instructors’ technology knowledge and teacher practice in integrating educational technology in online courses. This mixed-method study first explored biology instructors’ TPACK and technology integration and if there is a relationship between the two, and then explored biology instructors’ teaching experiences online during the Covid-19 pandemic Spring 2020 semester, and the impact if any it had on their teaching practices. Through the lens of TPACK, this study explored what factors contributed to biology instructors’ technology integration and how those factors impacted online teaching.Ph.D