University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
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SACSCOC Response - New Program Notification - Sustainable Business Practices Graduate Certificate
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Evaluation of Leakage and Airflow Pattern in Different Fume Hood Styles
No full textScientific laboratories must ensure good workplace safety. Most laboratories employ fume hoods as local exhaust to prevent harmful contaminants in the hood from entering the rest of the laboratory. If the hood works well, worker exposure may be reduced. The ability to contain and remove airborne contaminants defines its effectiveness. The efficacy and safety of fume hood operation depend on several factors, one of the most important factors is the correct use of the fume hood by laboratory personnel. Unfortunately, researchers typically ignore the inherent restrictions of fume hoods.
Knowing the amount of material that may escape the fume hood, leading to worker exposure through inhalation and/or external deposition is crucial to determining if the hoods serve as adequate containment for the contaminants. Unfortunately, the literature indicates that such fume hoods leak, but qualitative and experimental results were the most prevalent, and quantitative results were scarce, with little study combining qualitative and quantitative data. Importantly, laboratory research conducted with radioactive particles was of limited quantity. From all the literature review conducted, only four studies were found related to radioisotopes, two of which looked at the laboratory environment [1, 2], while the other two looked at gaseous radioisotopes in fume hoods [3, 4].
This study evaluates the confinement and analyzes the airflow patterns, leakage, ejection of particles and/or granules in the hood, and workers’ arm and body position effect on two types of fume hoods: a standard laboratory fume hood and a floor-mounted fume hood. This research aims to employ a discrete phase model under transient-state fluid dynamic analysis to (1) evaluate the efficacy of fume hoods pollutant containment, (2) airflow patterns, (3) learn how workers\u27 arm and body position and work habits affect both a traditional laboratory fume hood and a floor-mounted fume hood performance experimentally and by modeling using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and (4) the impact and leakage of a second medium, such as small particles and/or granules, simulating a spill, or hood performance and leakage
THE UTILITY PLAYERS: UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS’ DECISIONS TO HIRE OR NOT TO HIRE CHIEFS OF STAFF
Get PDFLarge public R1 university presidents in the United States lead highly complex institutions, face ambiguous issues on a daily basis, and have little time to dwell on decision making while embodying a complex and evolving role. Presidents’ needs include efficiency, trust, confidants, and constant information flow through their offices. To address these needs, presidents may consider hiring a chief of staff. This qualitative study using a case study methodology examines the perceptions of six recently retired university presidents and why they did or did not hire a chief of staff to help them. Three presidents who did have a chief of staff and three presidents who did not have a chief of staff were interviewed for this study to better understand how they described the necessity of hiring a chief of staff as well as factors that influenced their decision to hire a chief of staff. Findings from this study can help presidents better understand the needs of their difficult roles and how they may address them through the hiring of a chief of staff. Additionally, findings may help chiefs of staff understand what presidents require of them should they desire to pursue the job
The Capital Market Effects of Machine-Readable Data Errors: Evidence from XBRL US Data Quality Committee Rules
Get PDFMotivated by Section 5825 of the 2022 Financial Data Transparency Act, I investigate the capital market effects of XBRL errors. Using XBRL US Data Quality Committee (DQC) rule errors, the SEC’s indicator of low-quality, machine-readable data, in 10-K XBRL filings, I find no evidence of an increase in information asymmetry or a decrease in the efficiency of stock price formation for filings with an error. Additional analyses reveal the findings are driven more by a weak association between DQC rule errors and a material decrease in the precision of value-relevant accounting information and less by limited investor usage of machine-readable financial data. Overall, this study provides valuable insights given this component of financial reporting quality is under increasing regulatory scrutiny, yet I document no adverse capital market effects between filings with and without XBRL errors. This suggests that investors will not see significant capital market benefits from the regulatory focus on increasing the quality level of XBRL filings through the elimination of DQC rule errors
Brook Trout Reintroductions: Does Genetics Matter?
Get PDFAnthropogenic impacts such as overlogging and the introduction of nonnative species threaten native species\u27 habitats. These forms of habitat degradation fragment populations across their historical ranges, reducing connectivity and creating isolated populations. Species reintroductions are a common conservation tool for restoring native species to their historical habitats after local extirpation caused by human activity. However, because many of these populations are isolated, fragmented, and often small in density, reintroductions require multiple source populations for initial stocking. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM), native Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) have lost 75% of their historical habitat due to extreme overlogging and the introduction of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Contemporary populations persist in isolated headwater streams with little connectivity. Park management implemented a reintroduction program using wild, native fish (rather than hatchery-reared fish) to restore Brook Trout to their historical distribution. However, using multiple source populations raises key concerns. Our research addresses three critical questions related to population mixing in reintroductions: (1) How well and evenly will source populations mix genetically? (2) How do physical barriers impact the mixture of sources? (3) How long have source populations been isolated, and does this exceed general guidelines for outbreeding concerns? In the first chapter, we reanalyze a 20-year-old dataset from one of the earliest reintroductions, which initially suggested assortative mating among three source populations in the restored site. We found that these conclusions were premature. After 23 years, the restored population showed no signs of assortative mating, with all three ancestral sources evenly represented. In the second chapter, we examine a reintroduction that inadvertently created a one-way migration scenario, leading to genetic swamping by one of the source populations. We use this case to highlight the importance of considering post-reintroduction dispersal. Lastly, we estimate isolation times between populations and compare our findings to the 500-year threshold, a general guideline for the maximum isolation period before mixing populations. Together, our findings emphasize the importance of careful source population selection, post-restoration genetic monitoring, and long-term planning to ensure the resilience of restored populations. These insights provide valuable guidance for future native species reintroduction
The Role Of Hydropower In An Energy Stable, Economically Viable, and Environmentally Sustainable Future
Get PDFHydropower’s ability to quickly adapt to the variable generation of wind and solar can allow the electricity grid to integrate more renewable capacity. However, changing hydroelectric output to increase or decrease generation in response to solar or wind output changes the quantity of water flowing through the generators. Rapid flow fluctuations, required to closely correlate with changes in solar wind output can negatively impact downstream aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, the dispatch of hydroelectric generation must consider other uses for the water and storage provided by the facility such as recreation and flood control. This dissertation explores the energy-environmental-economic nexus of five case study conventional hydropower facilities when operating in a range of run-of-river conditions. We also analyze pumped storage hydropower’s ability to meet future short-term energy dispatch needs, and the feasibility of converting non-powered dams to power producing ones using Archimedes screw turbine technology. Findings from this dissertation demonstrate operation of five case study facilities (without considering non-power license restrictions included within a project’s operating license) within a discharge range of 140% to 200% of inflow supports both environmental sustainability and energy system stability. Additionally, modeling pumped storage hydropower to assume increased conventional hydropower demands reveals that pumped storage can meet at least 75% of required demands, if output was not restricted by the project’s operating license. This need for pumped storage to meet demands is influenced by variable renewable energy generation and battery capacity within the same balancing area. Lastly, this dissertation identifies the potential of using Archimedes screw turbines as a dual-purpose technology, offering fish passage and energy generation. However, projected changes in precipitation trends from 2024 to 2050 are expected to reduce the number of viable sites for such implementations. Our result suggests hydropower operations can aid in increasing renewable energy generation while limiting environmental impacts because pumped storage in the region can make up for the potential generation loss. We also present a framework for considering social, environmental and economic impacts of non-powered dam conversions using Archimedes screw turbines in future changing precipitation trends
Tick Molecule(s) modulate arthropod innate immunity and mammalian cytokine signaling
No full textSoft ticks of the Ornithodoros genus, particularly O. turicata, are key vectors of the human relapsing fever agent, a neglected bacterial disease of public health significance. This dissertation explores two critical aspects of O. turicata biology: the role of Subolesin in innate immunity and blood feeding, and the effects of the salivary protein lipocalin on mammalian cells. Techniques like RNA extractions, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), in vitro blood feeding, Immunoblotting analysis, RNAi-mediated silencing, Bright/Fluorescent microscopy analysis, protein array and TUNEL analysis were used in these projects.
In the first study, subolesin, a conserved protein and potential anti-tick vaccine candidate, was examined in O. turicata americanus. Several immune genes, including Toll, Lysozyme precursor (Lp), Fibrinogen-domain containing protein (FDP), Cystatin, and ML-domain containing protein (MLD), were identified and cloned. qRT-PCR revealed their developmental and tissue-specific expression. Notably, FDP expression increased significantly during blood feeding. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Subolesin reduced feeding efficiency and downregulated key immune genes, including Toll and FDP. These findings underscore subolesin\u27s multifaceted role in tick biology and its potential as a vaccine candidate.
In the second study, the salivary protein lipocalin (Otlip) and its role in host cellular responses was examined. Cytokine array and cell culture experiments with purified Otlip and fed tick lysates showed increased expression of Insulin Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3), a pro-apoptotic protein in both murine and human cells lines. qRT-PCR and immunoblotting analysis validated the array results. Immunoblotting analysis revealed increased levels of IGFBP-3 and Caspase-3 and reduced levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 upon treatment of macrophages and HaCaT cells with Otlip, suggesting cell-death induction. Cell viability assays (MTT and live/dead) confirmed higher cell death rates in GST-Otlip-treated groups compared to controls. Additionally silencing of igfbp3 expression increased the Bcl2 protein levels. Furthermore, TUNEL staining indicated apoptotic cell death in Otlip-treated macrophages. Taken together, these studies provide significant insights into the molecular mechanisms underpinning O. turicata americanus biology and highlighting its molecular players as potential for therapeutic interventions and tick control strategies
Testing and Performance Evaluation of the Longitudinally Segmented Forward Hadronic Calorimeter (LFHCAL)
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the performance and calibration of the Longitudinally Segmented Forward Hadronic Calorimeter (LFHCAL) for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The primary objective was to validate the design predictions through experimental data collected during a test beam campaign at CERN’s T9 beamline. The LFHCAL module was subjected to Minimum Ionizing Particles (MIPs) using a 5 GeV muon beam to analyze its energy response, stability, and calibration. The study analyzed energy deposition using Landau-Gaussian fits to determine parameters like the Most Probable Value (MPV) and standard deviation. Results confirmed the detector’s stable response and are a first step in the direction of a full working calorimeter