Middle Tennessee State University
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Are Gay Male Leaders Just as Hirable as Straight Male Leaders?
No full textThis study sought to clarify past research which presents conflicting mechanisms in which discrimination occurs between gay and straight applicants in leadership position. Hypothesis one predicted that negative attitudes towards gay men will result in straight male applicants being chosen for leadership positions more than gay male applicants. Hypothesis two predicted that a gay male applicant applying to the lead nurse position will be more likely to be chosen than the straight male applicant. Hypothesis three predicted that a straight male applicant applying to the accounts manager position will be more likely to be chosen than the gay male applicant. Hypothesis four predicted that gay men will be perceived as less effective in a leadership position and therefore be selected less often than a straight male for the leadership position. Hypothesis five predicted that straight men will be perceived as more effective in a leadership position and therefore will be selected more often than the gay male applicants for the leadership position. None of the hypotheses in the study were supported. Possible reasons for the lack of support are discussed.M.A
Differential Influences of Contextual and Affective Factors on Young Adolescent Reading Performance
No full textA person’s reading performance is the result of a combination of various factors. The current study was to investigate the influences of student and school background characteristics on student overall reading achievement. A sample of 2,922 tenth-grade students from 140 schools was included in this study from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 database. Several background characteristics were examined at each level. At the student level, home literacy environment (HLE), reading attitudes and reading self-concept as well as parental emotional support were included. School-level variables include student misbehavior in school, student SES composite, and class size. Multilevel linear modelling (MLM) was utilized to model the relationship between student and school-level variables and students’ overall reading achievement. The results suggested that students’ HLE, reading attitudes, and reading self-concept had significant positive influences on the reading outcome.
Moreover, model comparisons revealed that the model with both student and school-level variables had the best model fit. All the variables at the school level were significant predictors for reading achievement (i.e., school SES composition, class size, and student misbehavior). Finally, the findings of the current study were discussed in the context of previous studies, and limitations, as well as recommendations for future research, were addressed.Ph.D
Cloning Successive Generations of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa) to Assess Cannabinoid Profiles
No full textIndustrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) has made a remarkable impact worldwide due to the plant’s beneficial properties and versatile use. Vegetative cuttings (clones) of C. sativa are the preferred propagation technique to be the most effective to retain the same genetic information and to reduce hybridization and mutations. The objective of this project was to assess cannabinoid profile concentrations of successively cloned generations of 5 varieties: Cherry, Cherry Blossom, Cherry x Workhorse, Sour Space Candy, and The Wife. This research project focused on the idea that every cloned plant contains the exact same genetic information and, therefore, should have the same metabolic profile of cannabinoids through all the successive generations grown, which is shown to be true. The results of my study show that there is not a significant difference in cannabinoids over successive generations showing no major trends
Polyp Predicament: 2b-RAD reveals hidden dissimilarity in genus Zoanthus (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia)
No full textZoanthids (order Zoantharia, Gray 1832) are found in shallow reef systems throughout tropical oceans. These corals are also common in-home aquariums where their vibrant colors make them highly sought after. Over years of study these organisms have been grouped in a myriad of ways due to the complexity of identifying them morphologically. More recently, molecular techniques have been employed in zoanthid identification. Over the past twenty years researchers have produced many gene trees and used phylogenies to resolve zoanthid species relationships, but often produced contradictory results. In this study, we investigated 15 zoanthids that are popular within the aquarium trade, and one collected in the Florida Keys. Our aim was to identify potential linkages between morphology and genetics and determine how to best resolve species delimitations in the genus Zoanthus. 2b-RAD improved the ability to resolve species boundaries within the genus Zoanthus and a lack of consensus revealed a disconnect between molecular markers and morphology.M.S
Synthesis and evaluation of antifungal peptoid derivatives against Cryptococcus neoformans
No full textThe fungi Cryptococcus neoformans is often the cause of cryptococcal meningitis in immunocompromised individuals. High focus has been placed on searching for antimicrobial drugs that have a relatively long half-life in vivo while also retaining a low mammalian cytotoxicity. The purpose of this project is to synthesize repeat and multimeric derivatives of a known antifungal peptoid, termed β-5, in an effort to increase the potency against the fungi Cryptococcus neoformans without increasing cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. Repeats and multimeric derivatives of β-5 have successfully been synthesized, following protocols previously reported from our lab. These derivatives have been evaluated by traditional minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays to evaluate antifungal potency. These derivatives have also been tested against HepG2 hepatocytes and erythrocytes to evaluate mammalian cytotoxicity. The future plans for this project are to begin synthesizing cyclic derivatives of β-5. KEYWORDS: Chemistry;peptoid;synthesis;Cryptococcus neoforman
Volunteers on the Border: Middle Tennessee and the Road to Secession
No full textTennessee was the last state to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy in June of 1861, leaving behind 3 other Southern slave states who never seceded: Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland. But Tennessee has a lot more in common with Missouri and Kentucky than previously realized by most historians. Tennessee was a slave state, but its residents generally wanted to stay in the Union. The sentiment eventually changed in April of 1861 when President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 troops from each state to help put down the rebellion. Tennessee refused, and the newspapers in Middle Tennessee began to publish more center-right opinions rather than the moderate opinions they had published throughout the 1840s and 1850s. West Tennessee was quite pro-secession, while East Tennessee was quite anti-secession. Middle Tennessee found itself wedged in the middle of two extremes, and remained unionist until Lincoln’s call for troops and invasion of the South.
This thesis does not intend to argue any Lost Cause sentiment or any “War of Northern Aggression;” rather, this thesis intends to argue Middle Tennessee’s perception of a “War of Federal Aggression.”M.A
The Stressed-Out College Student and the Mood-Boosting Effects of Somatic Dance
No full textCollege students are well-acquainted with the stress associated with balancing their academic, personal, and professional lives. Many students leave self-care and personal wellbeing on the backburner while other projects take the lead. However, this can lead to symptoms of burnout that can contribute to negative academic outcomes. Coping mechanisms are tactics students can utilize to guide them through stressful situations. An example of a coping mechanism is dance, specifically somatic dance exercises. Somatic dance is a style of dance in which everyday movement is performed in a mindful way. Previous research has shown that somatic dance has beneficial outcomes for mental health. A noteworthy technique of somatic dance is BrainDance, which was created by Anne Green Gilbert. This research project invited students to take a questionnaire that surveyed their thoughts on dance as a coping mechanism before and after they took an online somatic dance movement class
Confucianism in Chinese Politics: Comparing Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping
No full textChina's recent and dramatic rise has both led to concerns in many democratic countries about its authoritarian leanings and increased interest in Chinese politics. This paper explores one aspect of modem China's political landscape by investigating how Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping have used Confucianism in their politics and whether this corresponds to how each leader claims to view Confucianism. It concludes that Mao's policies and the values he promoted were almost always antithetical to the fundamental principles of Confucianism, which is consistent with his habit of condemning the philosophy. On the other hand, Xi is consistent in his support of Confucianism, both praising it verbally and enacting many of its tenets in policy. Overall, the actions of each man correspond surprisingly well to the positions they claim to hold on Confucianism. KEYWORDS: Confucianism; Mao Zedong; Xi Jinping; Chinese politics; international relations; legitimac
Cardiovascular Emotional Dampening, Disgust, and Consumption Likelihood
No full textHigher levels of resting blood pressure have tended to be associated with lower levels of emotional awareness, reactivity, and emotion recognition accuracy among highly diverse samples across the normotensive and hypertensive blood pressure ranges. The behavioral consequences of this intimacy between resting blood pressure and emotional responsivity have yet to be appreciated in the research literature, especially as they relate to the absence of disgust in situations where the experience of disgust might be adaptive. The present study compares a group of 25 healthy high-worry female participants to a group of 26 healthy low-worry female participants in their responses to a visual disgust exposure paradigm featuring contaminated images (e.g. soiled food, toilet vomit, etc.). These groups were compared on several measures (while controlling for relevant covariates) including their average ratings of the disgusting stimuli they were asked to view, their estimated likelihood of eating within the next hour following the completion of the disgust paradigm, and a portion size selection of a food stimulus presented after the likelihood of eating within the next hour was estimated. It was hypothesized that the low-worry group would report less disgust in response to the disgust paradigm, greater likelihood of eating within the next hour following the disgust paradigm, and endorse desiring a larger portion size of the presented food stimulus relative to the high-worry group. Results were largely consistent with the expected hypotheses. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.M.A
Fall 2022 Areté
No full textA semiannual publication of the MTSU Honors College higlighting student, alumni, and faculty/staff accomplishments