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Mapping urban growth and investigating its potential impact on surface water quality in Chattanooga, Tennessee using GIS and remote sensing
Get PDFUrban development involves the conversion of land cover from pervious to impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces (IS) can have ramifications for urban stormwater and facilitate the movement of pollutants and other substances to nearby water bodies. This study investigated the changes in IS in and around the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee using GIS and remote sensing technologies based on Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) acquired in 1986 and 2016, respectively. A model was developed utilizing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and a supervised image classification algorithm to detect IS growth. The changes in IS were quantified at watershed level scale including stream riparian areas. The obtained results show a net growth of 45.12 km2 of IS, 9.96 km2 being within 90 m of streams, a conversion of 6% of the study site’s land cover. A stream risk assessment study was conducted using the riparian zone percent imperviousness to assess the potential of stream impairment due to IS growth. This assessment shows a significant increase in the number of streams that are potentially at risk to be impaired due to current urban growth
The legal status of personhood in the wake of genetic editing
Get PDFPolicies and laws regarding human health require continual examination as technologies improve, and genetic editing technologies that have the ability to modify a person’s DNA are unquestionably relevant to examine. The technologies most intriguing to investigate are those with the ability to directly edit the nuclear genes (segments of DNA within the nucleus of cells) through techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 and Cpf1. This study intends to answer the questions of how should policy develop to accommodate for the improving medical technology of genetic editing and how could genetic editing technologies affect the legal status of personhood for the purposes of international human rights law? In my research, I use the examples of in vitro fertilization (IVF) on health law, specifically its varying interpretations of the legal status of personhood, as a scientific and legal precedent to genetic editing. In relating IVF to the CRISPR-Cas9 technique, an evaluative basis for analysis and future research emerges to advise as technologies continually improve. The second part describes both the ethical and legal considerations that need be considered as the genetic editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 evolves. CRISPR-Cas9 is used as the primary example of gene editing techniques because it is the current leading technique of genetic editing and is cheap, quick, and easy to use. The outcome of this research is the provision of a concise theory as to how law and policy should develop to accommodate advances in the medical technology of genetic editing
At the end of Magnolia Street: five chapters of Southern magical realism with a craft essay
Get PDF“At the End of Magnolia Street” is a magical realism novel set in a fictional rural town in Middle Tennessee, taking place from the early 1990s through the 2000s. The novel explores the challenges a family can both create and endure together, following the lives of two girls as they struggle through difficult childhoods, living under the shadow of shared family history, and a fatal curse that has haunted the town for generations. The narrative alternates between Noble Williams and Liberty Allen as they struggle with unique abilities, ostracization, loss, guilt, and the need for the love and support of their family while simultaneously trying to escape the restrictions of their roots. My craft essay explores the use of counterpointed characterization to create conflict and tension as well as to develop and progress plot based upon Charles Baxter\u27s essay “Counterpointed Characterization” and exploring works that have influenced my own writing
Developing the design of road going welded structures with special considerations for hot-dip galvanizing
Get PDFThe primary objective of this thesis is to provide accessible methods for numerical analysis of the mechanical behavior of welded structures specific to roadgoing trailers as defined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The area of highest interest is hot-dip galvanizing. The influence of temperature on steel has long been studied and several sources have found, or otherwise mathematical expressions were derived which describe the relationships between mechanical properties and temperature. Understanding all failure modes associated with the design of a structurally acceptable trailer goes beyond a simple static force analysis. Road going trailers undergo acceleration in the vertical, lateral, fore and aft directions sometimes in excess of three times the acceleration of gravity. Additionally, in the case of traversing uneven terrain, these loads can become cyclical and therefore, fatigue must be taken into consideration. This paper represents a proposed guideline for structural design
Does Defining More Anchors on Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales Increase Rater Accuracy in Employment Interviews?
Get PDFThis research study seeks to determine if defining more anchors on behaviorally anchored rating scales increases rater accuracy in ratings of employment interview responses. Additionally, the study will investigate if there are differences in accuracy of ratings between situational and behavioral interviews. Past research has found that BARS produces more accurate ratings when compared to other scales such as a Likert scale. Little research has been conducted regarding how many anchors should include behavioral descriptions on BARS. We propose that defining five anchors on BARS will produce more accurate results compared to only defining three anchors. Participants will be recruited from a Southeastern University. Participants will view both situational and behavioral interviews and rate the responses on behaviorally anchored rating scales
Ups and downs of applied psychology in the elevator industry
No full textOrganizations around the world are beginning to appreciate and desire the knowledge of students and employees with a background in psychology (especially industrial/organizational psychology). I recently secured a position as a junior consultant with an international lean management consulting firm (STAUFEN) through networking with my advisor/professor. As a junior consultant, I was placed in an elevator company that required assistance of consultants to reverse the internal status of the company. I along with other consultants were responsible for training employees on lean management, implementing office daily management, coaching employees up to executives on leadership behaviors and traits, and executing training workshops. Implementing office daily management consisted of pulling together data from each department of the company, and creating visibility and transparency with the data during a daily meeting with team members. The data was utilized in decision making, proactive planning, and problem solving. Coaching leaders of the company consisted of self-reflection from leaders, and assisting them on increasing self-awareness. My main focus with most leaders was on improving and developing leadership behaviors for themselves and their team members. I’ve gained a further understanding of leadership behaviors, and especially how to visibly convey data in an easier way for it to be analyzed and comprehended by team members of a company. Keywords: leadership, organization, management, coachin
On a graph parameter related to vertex labelings and its application to minimum rank problems in graph theory
Get PDFThis thesis regards the minimum rank and minimum positive semidefinite rank of a simple graph. A graph parameter, called the minimum labeling degree (mld), is defined in terms of the concept of a vertex labeling of a graph, and its value is calculated for a few graph classes. It is proved here that there is a conception of mld that is independent of the notion of vertex labeling. Then, for a few other graph parameters β, including the zero-forcing number, a general inequality between mld and β is shown to hold. Further, it is demonstrated here that a certain upper bound for minimum rank in terms of minimum labeling degree holds for several classes of graphs for which minimum rank is known. Later, graphs whose complements both are K_{3,2}-free and have minimum labeling degree 2 are proved to have minimum positive semidefinite rank at most 4. Finally, two more labeling-independent conceptions of mld are given
Network connectivity tracking for a team of unmanned aerial vehicles
Get PDFAlgebraic connectivity is the second-smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix and can be used as a metric for the robustness and efficiency of a network. This connectivity concept applies to teams of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) performing cooperative tasks, such as arriving at a consensus. As a UAV team completes its mission, it often needs to control the network connectivity. The algebraic connectivity can be controlled by altering edge weights through movement of individual UAVs in the team, or by adding and deleting edges. The addition and deletion problem for algebraic connectivity, however, is NP-hard. The contributions of this work are 1) a comparison of four heuristic methods for modifying algebraic connectivity through the addition and deletion of edges, 2) a rule-based algorithm for tracking a connectivity profile through edge weight modification and the addition and deletion of edges, 3) a new, hybrid method for selecting the best edge to add or remove, 4) a distributed method for estimating the eigenvectors of the Laplacian matrix and selecting the best edge to add or remove for connectivity modification and tracking, and 5) an implementation of the distributed connectivity tracking using a consensus controller and double-integrator dynamics
Voltage collapse modes in power networks
Get PDFVoltage Collapse is instability of a heavily loaded electric power system, which leads to declining voltages and blackout, and it is typically associated with reactive power limitations of the power system. Therefore, knowledge of the critical loading point is vital to ensure a secure mode of operation for the power system. Over the years, different methods were proposed in the literature to identify proximity to voltage collapse. However, these techniques were derived utilizing only the voltage limitation of the load buses. Voltage collapse is often interlinked with static transfer stability limit. In this work, different voltage collapse modes are addressed and a new algorithm that takes into account both load bus voltage and generator bus angle behavior is proposed to estimate the collapse point. The proposed method was examined on several IEEE test systems. Also, superiority of the proposed method in comparison with the other techniques was proven
Oil preference in ants and arthropod diversity in urban environments
Get PDFThe success of certain ant species in urban areas is largely unknown. Available food in the environment could affect the composition of ants in urban areas due to a possible relationship between ant physiology and diet. I tested the oil preference of ants as a function of available arthropod prey in urban environments. I hypothesized that as arthropod diversity decreased, ant abundance at oil baits would decrease. Oil is an important nutrient that can affect ant body functions and activities. Ant foraging activities have been found to be affected by lipid depletion. A food source where ants can obtain oil in an urban environment is arthropod prey. However, their diversity in urban areas can be low due to high impervious surfaces and low plant diversity. Decrease in available arthropods could lead to an oil scarcity for ants, who need to fulfill their lipid requirements. To balance their nutrients ants will forage for a scarce nutrient the colony needs. In my research baits of sugar, water, and different concentrations of oil were chosen at random and deployed throughout Chattanooga, TN. The oil baits consisted of either 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1%. The habitats the baits were deployed in were neighborhoods, parks, and street medians during the months of August and September. Pitfall traps were also setup to measure available arthropod prey. A linear regression was used to view ant abundance against arthropod diversity, temperature, and soil moisture. Results showed that in most oil bait concentrations, there was a downwards trend in ant abundance as arthropod diversity increased. This demonstrates a weak relationship between oil preference of ants in regard to arthropod diversity. While my hypothesis was not supported, further research can still be done on lipids role in ant adaptability