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A Comparative Study Of Photomultiplier Tubes And Charge Coupled Devices In Glow Discharge-Optical Emission Spectrometry, Robert James Broadwater

Masters Theses

This Masters Thesis compared two glow discharge-optical emission spectrometers designed around two different types of detectors: the photomultiplier tube (PMT) and the charge-coupled device (CCD). The two instruments compared were the LECO SA2000 (PMT-based) and the LECO GDS500a (CCD-based). Detection limit, dynamic range, precision, accuracy, and drift were determined to compare the detection systems between 165 and 450nm.

The PMT-based system outperformed the CCD-based system in all five of the categories studied based on the initial protocol. However, it was shown that improvements could be made in four of the five categories studied by exploiting the CCDs ability to monitor …

Laboratory Testing Of Select Geotextiles As Biointrusion Barriers And Sediment Filters, David R. Beck

Masters Theses

It has been proposed that placing a geotextile over sediments with adsorbed contaminants can prevent bioaccumulation of the contaminants in larger animals by isolating the benthic organisms living within these sediments from fish. In conjunction with a field study carried out at Gull Creek, a laboratory study testing two geotextiles as biointrusion barriers and sediment filters was conducted.

Constant-head permeameters were run for seven days using cores from the field study area with a geotextile placed over the cores. For biointrusion barrier tests, medium sand was placed over the geotextile and spiked with nutrients. Following each trial, benthic organisms in …

Fine-Scale Habitat Use Related To Crop Depredation By Female White-Tailed Deer In An Agricultural Landscape, Kent Allen Adams

Masters Theses

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is the most popular game animal in the United States but is also responsible for a large amount of damage to agricultural crops. Understanding how deer use agricultural landscapes on a small scale will facilitate management. Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry collars were attached to 16 female white-tailed deer at Chesapeake Farms, Kent County, Maryland, during 2 summer growing seasons (10 in 2001 and 6 in 2002). Twelve collars collected usable data and collar success averaged 90 and 86 percent in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Mean adaptive kernel home-range sizes (25.22 ha in …

An Analysis Of Liquid Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) Use In Broiler Production Houses To Control In-House Ammonia (Nh3) Concentrations And Naturally-Occurring Salmonella And Campylobacter; The Development Of An Nh3 Emission Factor For A Typical Tennessee Broiler House., Kenneth A. Armstrong

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Stream Water Quality Modeling In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park., Thomas Wayne Barnett

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine water quality in the acid-impacted Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Water samples have been collected roughly quarterly at ninety sampling sites throughout the Park. These samples were analyzed for pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), conductivity, major cations, and major anions. This thesis utilizes data from samples collected from October, 1993 to November, 2002.

The trout fisheries of the GRSM are considered some of the best in the eastern United States. However, fisheries biologists at the GRSM believe that some of the streams that once supported trout populations twenty or thirty years …

Initial Effects Of Silvicultural Treatments On Food Availability And Vegetation Structure For Wild Turkeys, Ryan G. Basinger

Masters Theses

The eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is an important game species in the mid-South region. Many non-industrial private landowners along with state and federal agencies actively manage property to enhance habitat for wild turkeys. In the past, diameter-limit cutting has been commonly used to harvest hardwood timber on public and private land in this region. Unfortunately, diameter-limit harvests typically “high-grade” stands, leaving low quality stems and altering forest composition in favor of less desirable species, such as red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), winged elm (Ulmus alata), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). While the most biologically sound method …

Comparison Of Microbial Cell Densities And Treatment Performance In Nitrifying Activated Sludge Reactors, Janalyn Rae Brown

Masters Theses

A thorough understanding of microbial dynamics in activated sludge treatment is currently unrealized due, in part, to quantitative techniques that rely on culture-dependent methods. The bias inherent with cultivation techniques may result in isolates that do not necessarily represent those dominant in the system evaluated. In situ analysis of microorganisms functioning in wastewater reactors will provide a greater understanding of how particular groups of organisms, such as nitrifiers, are impacted by system fluctuations. This information is vital for improved process design and control. The overall goal of this research was to investigate the use of the real-time polymerase chain reaction …

The Effects Of Temperature And Solids Retention Time On Activated Sludge Treatment Performance, Jack Mcclendon Carley

Masters Theses

A bench-scale treatment system with external clarifier was used to determine the effects of solids retention time (SRT) and temperature on treatment performance while simulating the full scale activated sludge process. Four bench-scale reactors, operating at SRTs of 20, 10, 5 and 2 days, were fed settled municipal wastewater collected after primary clarification from the Kuwahee wastewater treatment plant in Knoxville, TN. Three operational temperatures were investigated during this study, 22oC, 12oC and 7oC. The order and duration of operation at each temperature was first 22oC for 61 days, next 7oC for 47 days and lastly 12oC for 105 days. …

A Preliminary Study Of The Effects Of Exposure To A One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (Oaugdptm) On The Surface Energy And Strength Of Meltblown And Nanofiber Fabrics, Weiwei Chen

Masters Theses

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) methods have recently been developed to electrospin nano-scale non-woven webs and to improve their properties by exposure to the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDPä), as a collaborative effort by the UT Plasma Sciences Laboratory and the UT Textiles and Nonwovens Development Center (TANDEC).

Nanofiber webs are made by the electrospinning (ES) process, which uses the electrostatic force to spin fibers from a polymer solution or melt. Digitized SEM images show that the fiber diameters range from 10 nm to several microns. Such nanofiber fabrics have a significantly higher tensile strength than meltblown (MB) webs of the …

Citizen Police Academy Alumni: Attitudes And Perceptions Related To Law Enforcement, Larry E. Grant

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of training on attitudes and perceptions about law enforcement by participants of a Citizen Police Academy. The first goal was to identify any significant differences between attitudes or perceptions and demographic factors such as age, working status, education, ethnicity, gender, military experience, victimization, and relationships with officers. The second goal was to ascertain the existence of any correlation between certain variables related to attitudes or perceptions. The researcher surveyed 554 members of the Knoxville Police Department Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association. The alumni members received a three-part survey containing general …

3d Visualization Modules For Chemical Engineering – A Web-Based Approach Using Java And Opengl, Sharad Anant Gupta

Masters Theses

The main objective of this work is to implement web-based educational modules for chemical engineering students. Phase behavior is a topic with which the students seem to struggle with, particularly for mixtures, where a 2-D representation of the phase diagram falls far short of the understanding a 3-D model can provide. Using the platform-independence of Java and the graphics capability of OpenGL, three phase diagram Java applets have been developed. Users can view these web-based 3D applets by installing a plug-in. These modules provide users with an ability to rotate the 3D models, slice through them, zoom into them and …

Forest Certification: From The Perspectives Of Fsc Certified Land Managers In North America, Angela Hartsfield

Masters Theses

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification emerged nearly a decade ago from the realms of environmental non-governmental organizations, which sought greater environmental and social accountability from the forestry sector. Since its birth, FSC forest certification has had significant impacts on land managers who have adopted FSC forest management certification for their organizations. Given limited information on impacts of certification, and in order to better understand and assess the implications of FSC forest certification on land managers and on land management; I employ a mail survey, sent to all FSC certified land managers in North America. The results of this survey are …

Theoretical And Experimental Study Of Degradation Monitoring Of Steam Generators And Heat Exchangers, Xuedong Huang

Masters Theses

The objective of this research is focused on the modeling, analysis, and experimental study of steam generator and heat exchanger degradation monitoring and fault diagnosis. Experimental and analytical studies of tube fouling are performed and the system-level degradations are monitored using data-driven modeling of heat exchanger measurements. Initially, a comprehensive literature study was made on the steam generator and heat exchanger degradation types and mechanisms, including fouling and corrosion.

Based on the mass balance, energy balance, and momentum balance and the moving-boundary method, a multi-node SIMULINK model of a U-tube steam generator (UTSG) has been developed so as to simulate …

Instrumented Self-Propelled Sprayer To Determine Dynamic Boom Effects On Droplet Application Uniformity, Hong Young Jeon

Masters Theses

A self-propelled sprayer with a 27-m boom was instrumented to measure inadvertent boom movement and acceleration during field operation to quantity application uniformity. The instrumentation system was developed to monitor boom end heights, accelerations, and sprayer longitudinal position along a track. Acceleration measures included longitudinal (x), vertical (y), and transverse (z) components at the sprayer vehicle rear, boom center, and at each boom end. A PC-based data acquisition system polled sensors at 2.5 kHz. Software-implemented, 2^nd-order Butterworth band pass (0.1 to 15 Hz) filtering of raw data reduced signal noise. Y-accelerations at the boom center ranged from 1.5 …

Limestone Contactors As A Corrosion Control Technology For Small Public Water Systems: An Educational Module For Drinking Water Professionals, Azarina Mohd Jalil

Masters Theses

This thesis includes a review of literature of the limestone contactors technology for small water systems and discusses the process and methodology involved in developing the educational module on limestone contactors. It includes most of the narrative texts presented in the module. Both this thesis and the module are intended to be used as an educational tool by small public water system operators, owners, regulators, and engineers of limestone contactors as a corrosion control method to meet the lead and copper action level stated in the U.S. EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule. This module includes the description of the processes …

A Management Plan For The Imported Fire Ant (Ifa) Migration Into Gateway Communities In East Tennessee, Elizabeth Ann Long

Masters Theses

This thesis outlines a management plan for Gateway communities to use as a preparedness guide dealing with the establishment of the hybrid species of the Imported Fire Ant (IFA). The red species of IFA, Solenopsis invicta Buren, and the black species of IFA, Solenopsis richteri Forel, are located in southern Tennessee, but it appears that it is the hybrid species of their crossbreeding that is migrating into east Tennessee. The two species of IFA and their hybrid are moving north, both by natural migration and by being brought into the east Tennessee area on landscape plant materials and by the …

“A Hybrid Method For Selecting Scheduling Schemes In A Manufacturing Environment, Panagiotis Martinis

Masters Theses

Scheduling is defined as the allocation of resources, machinery or people, to accomplish specific tasks over a certain time-slot. Scheduling is one of the most important functions within an industrial system. Throughout a successful scheduling policy, the utilization of resources is optimized and goods are produced on time to meet demand, the basic elements that contribute to the welfare of the business. Simultaneously, scheduling has always been one of the most difficult and challenging tasks given the dynamic nature of the industrial environment. Under certain circumstances, it is often required revision of existing schedules. The action of revising existing schedules …

Tax Structure And Political Support: Equity-Related Goods Taxation., Jonathan Mckernan

Masters Theses

We focus this paper on a political economic question, What determines the U.S. states’ sales tax treatment of equity-related goods? We consider a good to be “equity related” when its consumption is essential to survival. States sometimes choose to tax these goods uniquely, often exempting them from the sales tax base. The equity-related goods for this paper are food, clothing, water, electricity, household fuel, and natural gas. All these goods are for home consumption. This question is relevant to the larger issue of how tax structure evolves or is determined. We test the theoretical explanation of tax structure determination that …

A Simulation Based Approach For Determining Maintenance Strategies, Vasanth Murthi

Masters Theses

Manufacturing organizations are continuously in the mode of identifying and implementing mechanisms to achieve a competitive edge. To this point manufacturers have recognized the critical role of equipment in the productivity of manufacturing operations. With the current trend of manufacturers attempting to lean out their production processes, primary and auxiliary equipment have become even more important to manufacturers as measured by productivity, quality, delivery, and cost metrics. As a result of the focus on lean manufacturing, maintenance management has found a new vigor and purpose to increase equipment capacity and capability. However, the most proactive maintenance strategy is not always …

Screening Of Mutant Arabidopsis Thaliana And Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii For Their Potential Use As Phytosensors In 2,4,6 Trinitrotoluene (Tnt) Contaminated Environments, Nrupali Patel

Masters Theses

Plant biotechnology is a diverse field that is expanding from agricultural research towards environmental applications. The focus of this project was to exploit vegetative effects, such as photosynthesis and growth in genomic model organisms Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) with a goal to develop biomonitoring systems. Plants and algae have evolved with various biochemical pathways that have the potential to be exploited for the use of sensing explosives and chemical warfare agents in soil, water and air. The first part of the project involved characterizing the effects of TNT on germination and early seedling development of wild-type …

Parameter Study On Topology Optimization Of Constrained Layer Damping Treatments, Rohan Vinay Pai

Masters Theses

This study investigates the optimal topology of a constrained layer damping treatment involving viscoelastic materials under a static load for different boundary conditions in order to maximize the damping loss factor for the first vibrating mode of the base structure. Different parameter studies are carried out for the two boundary conditions and conclusions are drawn based on the loss factor results and the novel topologies that emerge from these optimization results. The novel topologies are then used to interpret shapes that are more reasonable to manufacture. Tremendous improvement in the loss factor (up to 1250%) is obtained by topology optimization …

Utilization Of Organic Co-Solvents To Enhance Bacterial Conversion Of Poorly Water-Soluble Compounds, Miguel Rodríguez Jr.

Masters Theses

Mass transfer of a poorly water-soluble gas in fermentations can reduce the performance of bioreactors. In aerobic fermentations, oxygen often becomes a limiting factor. In the biodegradation of volatile organic contaminants, their poor water solubilities often regulate the process. In fermentations of synthesis gas to fuels and chemicals, the issue of mass transfer is apparent. Since the mass transfer rate of the gaseous substrate to the aqueous phase is often the rate-limiting step in the bacterial conversion, many different reactor configurations have been suggested. An alternative approach could be to incorporate a co-solvent, which has properties that will increase the …

Subsistence, Butchery, And Commercialization In Knox County, Tennessee, Rachel Jeannine Windham

Masters Theses

A multifaceted approach to zooarchaeology is used to attain a broader diachronic view of Upland South subsistence and market activities as commercialization increased nationwide. Greater beef consumption is evidenced through faunal remains as availability and affordability increase with technological advancements. Paralleling this trend is an increased acceptance and purchase of Georgian cuts (individual hams and beef steaks) gaining popularity over time.

In order to investigate this pattern, a sample of six historic archaeological sites in Knox County, Tennessee, differing in proximity to urban markets, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and temporal context was chosen. General time ranges from the late eighteenth through …

Monte Carlo Simulations And Analysis Of Single-Molecule Detection And Imaging, Peter Williams

Masters Theses

Computer modeling and analysis methods are developed for two modes of operation of an instrument for sensitive fluorescence detection of individual dye-labeled molecules in solution. First, Monte Carlo simulations of experiments for single-molecule imaging (SMI) are extended to include effects of sample flow, sticking of molecules to surfaces, and the finite depth-of-focus of the optics. The results have a bearing on a patented method for high-speed single-molecule DNA sequencing. They indicate that the imaging of freely moving fluorescent labels within a microfluidic flowcell will be considerably more involved than that of immobilized molecules at a surface, which is the usual …

A Study Of The Temperature Correction Methods For Reciprocating Engine Flight Testing Under Non Standard Conditions, Juan Carlos Valer

Masters Theses

Federal Aviation Regulations require aircraft reciprocating engines to comply with temperature limits under pre-defined hot-day conditions. When the test is conducted on other than those conditions, the Regulations provide equations to convert the temperature registered into values considered to be corresponding to a hot-day scenario.

It is known by the flight test community that those equations over compensate for flying in non-hot day conditions. As a consequence of that, an aircraft that could be certified under hot day conditions may not be certifiable in a colder atmosphere.

This thesis confirmed that the Piper Saratoga complies with the regulations on cooling …

Virtual And Augmented Reality Simulation Of Chattanooga Creek, Sirisha Vadlamudi

Masters Theses

Virtual reality involves reproducing all the details of a physical object or environment that has to be simulated in virtual space. Augmented reality is the mixing of computer-generated information with the user’s view of the real world. Augmented reality is an alternative for virtual reality. This thesis presents the interactive virtual reality simulation and augmented reality simulation of Chattanooga Creek in Chattanooga, TN. The augmented reality part involves implementation of the basic concept of augmenting the virtual graphics to the real world.

A Comparison Of The Differential Effects Of Atracurium And/Or Lidocaine On Succinylcholine-Induced Postoperative Myalgia, Tonya Lynn Dewitt Campbell

Masters Theses

It is well documented that the administration of succinylcholine (SCh), also known as suxamethonium, with general anesthesia causes muscle fasciculations, which may cause severe postoperative myalgia. However, such an association has not been well documented. Many authors have postulated that such pain is secondary to damage produced in the muscle during fasciculation. As a result, it is acceptable standard anesthetic practice to aim to prevent fasciculations when administering SCh during the administration of general anesthesia. Today, studies utilizing subtherapuetic doses of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade have shown the greatest promise in reducing postoperative myalgia secondary to the use of SCh. This …

Nano-Mechanics Of A Micro Cantilever Beam Excited By Interactive Atomic Forces, Lee Peter Doane

Masters Theses

The objective of this research was to predict the dynamic behavior of a microcantilever tip, commonly used in atomic force microscopes. This was done by examining the horizontal force component of the forces between one atom on the tip of a microcantilever and a single row of atoms lying within an adjacent surface. This model does not include an energy dissipation mechanism between the moving atom on the tip and the surface atoms. The system is conservative and therefore the interactive forces cannot be considered as true friction. The atomic force microscope (AFM) is typically used to measure friction at …

Identification Of Aircrew Tasks For Using Direct Voice Input (Dvi) To Reduce Pilot Workload In The Ah-64d Apache Longbow, Donald James Hunter

Masters Theses

Advances in helicopter design continue to saturate the pilot's visual channel and produce remarkable increases in cognitive workload for the pilot. This study investigates the potential implementation of Direct Voice Input (DVI) as an alternative control for interacting with onboard systems of the AH-64D Apache, in an attempt to reduce pilot workload during a "hands on" the controls and "eyes out" condition. The intent is to identify AH-64D cockpit tasks performed through Multi Purpose Displays (MPDs) that when converted to DVI will provide the greatest reduction in task execution time and workload. A brief description of applicable AH-64D audio and …

Rebuilding Burlington, Illabelle H. Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the extent to which architectural design contributes to the revitalization of a declining urban community. It contends that architecture is more than the building of shops and squares; it can be the building of community, pride, and hope. Buildings such as these are assembled from the visions of the local people, with respect for their history, their struggle, and their dreams. The setting for this thesis investigation is the Burlington community of Knoxville, Tennessee. Racist policies expressed in earlier years by overcrowded slums, urban renewal, and disinvestment have left Burlington in distress. Its continued decline is a …