TTU Published Journals @ Volpe Library
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*WINNER* The Need for STEM workshops and clubs in Carter County Tennessee
No full textSTEM education is the 5th fastest growing industry in the south and Tennessee has a goal to become one of the top 25 states for STEM education. (STEM Strategic Plan [TNDOE], 2018). However, most of the funding for STEM education, goes to schools that are double in size and income that are larger and better funded. Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) and Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE) have outlined the need for more STEM activities in communities and the need to bridge the gap between local universities and rural public schools, with additional highlighted needs for more educators to be proficient in STEM education (TNDOE, 2018). According to the United States Government Accountability Office (2019), the Carter County population in 2020 was approximately 56,356 individuals. The Census Bureau listed $38,092 as the median household income in 2019. Even though the need for STEM education increases every year, the funding has not kept pace for rural public schools in Carter County. The focus areas of my project are 1) identification of problems and solution options for STEM education activities in Carter County; 2) development of an online STEM activity curriculum with tutorial videos for at-home activities, after-school program activities for three elementary partnerships, and community events; and, 3) creation of connections with local universities, businesses, and schools to ensure children in Carter County have multiple options for STEM education activities.
Tennessee Department of Education. (2018). Stem Strategic Plan: An integrated K-12 STEM Proposal for Tennessee. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED604579.pdf
United States Government Accountability Office. (2019). Performance and accountability report: Fiscal year 2019. https://www.gao.gov/assets/710/702715.pd
Recycling strategies for Hyundai in Middle Tennessee
No full textRecycling decreases the amount of waste that would otherwise end up sitting in landfills and eventually be incinerated. Another benefit of recycling is the conservation of natural resources. Using recycled materials for the structure of cars is a relatively new method that is becoming more popular as people are growing more conscious of the environment's health. Hyundai Motor Company has stated, "our commitment to environment and mobility affects everything we do, from the cars we design to the buildings we design them in and everything in between." The all-new 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the living vision of the company's goal to be carbon neutral by 2045, which includes the production of cars and transportation methods for the company. The main obstacle standing in the way is more than likely the electrical infrastructure. "From January 2022 to July 2024, Electrify America plans new metro changing investments in the communities of Dallas, Detroit, Nashville, Orlando, Providence, Bakersfield, Stockton, and many other metropolitan areas across the nation." The Middle Tennessee area would have to have more spaces dedicated to charging stations and have eco-fuel available for purchase at many locations. This research aims to show marketing efforts from Hyundai in Middle Tennessee for electric platforms
Identity and Experience: The Binaries of The Sonnets
Get PDFBuilding upon other theorists' analyses of a queer presence in Shakespeare, this paper considers the relationship between poet and muse. If viewed as an early representation of fluidity, the poetic voice within the sonnets become a vehicle for gender exploration as well as free flowing sexuality and sexual orientation. Paying special attention to the constantly shifting gender of the sonnets, the poet and the muses are able to exist on a spectrum. The absence of a definite label, the allowance to just exist as queer without qualifier, brings Shakespeare's collection forward and within modern considerations of self-exploration. It is exactly the lack of concrete identity that draws away from the insatiable urge to label queerness. By analyzing a selection of sonnets, this paper aims to explore both vocabulary and structure as they apply to the spectrum of identity and infatuation the sonnets' speaker experiences. Allowing identity to stand for expansive possibility rather than binding categorization, this exploration reconsiders the power dynamic at play within Shakespeare's sonnets and how it challenges the accepted gender binary
*WINNER* Is King Richard a True Machiavellian? Comparing The Prince to The True Tragedy of Richard The Third
No full textRichard III is one of the most infamous villains in historical drama. His actions and mannerisms are often categorized as Machiavellian. However, his portrayal in The True Tragedy of Richard The Third by an unknown playwright does not entirely fit the criteria for a Machiavellian villain. In addition, upon comparing this Richard III with Machiavelli's The Prince the definition of a Machiavellian villain does not align with what The Prince establishes. In this paper I analyze the definition of a Machiavel, how this play's portrayal and other portrayals of Richard III fits this definition, and other portrayals, how the modern interpretation of Machiavel is skewed by historical controversy. In doing so, I assert that this portrayal of Richard III is not a traditional Machiavellian, and that the definition of Machiavel does not follow what its namesake intended
*WINNER* Expanding Water Line Infrastructure to Rural Residents of Putnam County, Tennessee
No full textApproximately 730 homes in Putnam County, Tennessee, do not have public, potable water access. Putnam County has acquired federal funds from the American Rescue Plan with the intent to make additions to the existing water line infrastructure. This research set out to gauge resident interest in receiving public water access, prioritize the order in which infrastructure projects were completed, and draw conclusions on resident perception towards receiving this added service. To confirm the hypothesis that most residents would be in favor and possess a positive perception of this added infrastructure, an online and mail-in survey was administered to each homeowner who doesn't currently have water access. A strategic communication plan was executed to promote and legitimize this survey. The results generated from the completed surveys demonstrate a significant desire for added water infrastructure from a considerable majority of homeowners in the county. It is concluded that residents without water access realize that families, communities, and economies rely on clean, reliable, and abundant water resources and services. This study calls attention to the select residents' desire not to be included in the project and a sampling of the reasons for this decision. The survey results are geocoded to pinpoint the areas with the most interest. On this basis, the water infrastructure projects should commence with the areas reflecting the highest number of supportive residents
*WINNER* Vibration Analysis of a Concrete Slab Floor Using Piezoelectric Accelerometers
No full textAnalyzing and interpreting floor vibration responses experienced daily throughout a building could serve as a major asset by monitoring the well-being of the inhabitants, predicting the number of occupants, and acting as an additional unintrusive security measure. This preliminary study used piezoelectric accelerometers in conjunction with oscilloscopes to observe the excitation and response of a classroom concrete floor in a 1960's era building. Various known and unknown impact events were evaluated through a series of tests and configurations including excitation events such mass drops, footfalls, and strikes from an instrumented hammer. The acquired data was further analyzed using MATLAB and Microsoft Excel. Results indicate that it is possible to approximate the location and extent of impact; however, the rate of degradation of the response monitored is highly subjective to the extent and location of the initial impact and the location of the sensors relative to the supporting structures of the room. The initial results provide evidence that meaningful vibrational analysis of floor motion due to impacts is attainable. Further analysis and testing are required to refine and interpret these results to serve as background for future studies, specifically in the new engineering building. Simultaneous data acquisition with more elaborate sensor configurations as well as computational simulations for floor responses could serve as major additions to this study going forward
Emerging Biopharmaceuticals in Wastewater: A Classification of Treatment Approaches Based on Photo, Electro and Electro-Photo Catalytic Methods
No full textThere is an emerging family of biopharmaceutical contaminants present in wastewater that includes a sizeable number of molecules originated in the partial metabolism of medicines used for both animal and human treatment. These contaminants represent a health hazard that need to be addressed. For this purpose, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are suitable techniques in which highly oxidizing hydroxyl free radicals are generated by chemical or photochemical or electrochemical or photoelectrochemical methods that can indiscriminately attack and degrade them oxidatively into safer and simpler mineralized products such as water, carbon dioxide, and inorganic ions. Effectiveness and efficiencies of degradation depend upon the type of AOPs by which •OH is generated, operating conditions, and the chemical and physical properties of the contaminants. In this study, we review the general approaches of AOPs with a focused study on heterogeneous photocatalytic methods that are applicable for removing various classes of emerging biopharmaceuticals that are growing rapidly in modern-day-wastewaters. We present a classification of the AOPs based on the mechanistic pathways by which •OH radicals are generated. In addition to highlighting the removal effectiveness and degradation mechanisms of biopharmaceuticals by titanium dioxide based photocatalytic methods, a summary of early trends and recent advances in the advanced oxidation of biopharmaceuticals in wastewater is presented
Understanding Hyperthermia Treatments in Cancer Tumor Applications: Fundamentals, Technology, and Preliminary Heat Transfer Modeling
No full textHyperthermia is a method of treatment for cancer tumors in which bodily tissue is heated to temperatures as high as 45 degrees C in order to destroy and kill cancer cells while causing little or no injury to healthy tissue. This research project has a threefold goal approach: One goal of this research is to review the literature and understand the different types of tumors and their characteristics, e.g. porosity, shape, and geometry. The second goal is to review and present a classification of the different types of hyperthermia technologies to treat suitable tumors and briefly describe their key physical information. The third goal is to analyze the heat transfer process present in the treatment of the tumor and understand its key role. We are addressing research with a foundation in engineering, biology, and physics. Using the Renaissance Foundry model, Newton's Law of Cooling, Fourier's Law, and the Bioheat equation, a suitable quantity of energy can be directed as needed, based on the tumor's dimensions. In this case, the length will be the independent variable to consider. To cure the tumor, the longer the length, the more heat transfer area is necessary. Based on literary research, the evidence suggests that with a proper understanding of heat transfer and the usage of hyperthermia for cancer treatment, these methods can be applied and further perfected for clinical use
A survey overviewing technological aspects of wastewater treatment facilities in the state of Tennessee - Preliminary Observations
No full textWastewater is produced from several industrial, business, and anthropogenic. It contains microbes, pathogens, and several other organic and inorganic substances that are harmful to the environment and that must be removed before the water can safely be returned to receiving streams. This sewage is pumped to the cleaning facilities through the drainage system. The cleaning facilities called wastewater treatment plants are operated in the cities at different capacities suitable to handle the water volume that needs treatment. Although all these facilities display a basically similar wastewater treatment process, there exists a few variations depending upon the capacities, location, cost of operation, served populations and type/amount of contaminants required to remove. In this study a comprehensive report illustrating the different aspects of WWTPs in the State of Tennessee will be drafted. This report will include evaluating and summarizing the methods adapted by different WWTPs: For example, some implement chlorination methods in tertiary treatment unit. The research will also include a classification based on similarities and differences between the methods adapted by these plants and recommend some potentially novel technologies. These may be susceptible of upscaling and be adaptable to treat sewage more effective and be cost efficient. We believe that the outcome of this research will be a useful information for potentially improving sewage treatment across Tennessee
Mining Vehicle CAN Logs for Relationships Between Message Sequences
No full textTo protect themselves from hackers and competitors, automotive vehicle manufacturers obfuscate the Control Area Network (CAN) data being sent over their vehicle's internal networks. The rules used to obfuscate the data differ between the makes and models of today's vehicles. The inability to understand message semantics has become a major inhibitor to developing techniques for vehicle security and other types of automotive research. No small amount of research has been done to decode the obfuscation rules, but up until this point each researcher has primarily had to design their work independent of the work done by their predecessors. Further, to the best of our knowledge, no attempts to derive semantic meanings of messages have focused on the sequence that messages occur in. In the project, we utilized various data mining techniques to derive sequence rules from logs of recorded CAN messages. We use the decoding rules for a Tesla Model 3 to understand the relationship between the definitions of CAN messages and the order they occur in for the Tesla. The models that we create can be used in the future to extract general relationships between mapped CAN data and the sequence those messages occur in that can later be used to understand unmapped data. Additionally, using synthetic data, we show how these models can identify anomalies within the vehicle that might indicate intrusion or malfunction of the vehicle