Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee

An Interview with Dr. Taylor Eighmy

Sarah Russell — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:10 PDT

The University of Tennessee welcomed Dr. Taylor Eighmy in October of 2012 as the new Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement. Dr. Eighmy comes with many years of experience working to develop research initiatives, grants, and contracts for university research, having previously worked at Texas Tech University and the University of New Hampshire. In an interview on January 22, 2013, he discussed the importance of research at public universities, his personal experiences with research, and his goals for research development at the University of Tennessee.

Bringing to Life the World’s Tallest Structure

Jonathan Weigand — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:09 PDT

Intended as the centerpiece of constructional developments in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa now stands as the tallest building ever constructed. The uniquely designed foundation consists of a concrete raft supported by a cast-in-place pile system protected by waterproofing membrane to inhibit corrosion. The structural design integrates high-performance reinforced concrete and steel and incorporates an engineered “Y” shape that limits the lateral wind pressure on the building. Engineers applied the latest advancements in high-rise technology to develop an optimized construction plan that consisted of segmented tasks that promoted the staff to work at a quick yet manageable pace. This article details the innovative techniques involved in the foundation construction, overall structural design, wind engineering, and construction planning of the Burj Khalifa.

Peace Education and Its Discontents: An Evaluation of Youth, Violence, and School-based Peace Programs in Northern Uganda

Jayanni Webster — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:08 PDT

This research paper discusses current efforts and programs designed to address the issues of peace and conflict resolution, post-war recovery and education in northern Uganda. Through the collection of stories of life after war, I examine the experiences of children and youth and pilot peace education programs in secondary and primary schools. Northern Uganda was the site of a brutal civil war waged between the rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, and the government’s Uganda People’s Defense Force. The war resulted in the mass abduction of children and the forced displacement of the northern population into internally displaced persons’ camps. Although active combat ended in a 2006 cease-fire, there are still challenges and lessons to be learned that could aid in understanding the conditions that give rise to violent uprisings and movements and in turn mitigate those conditions for a healthier society. In addition, a decade of displacement has birthed various tensions between the youth and adults in the face of changing customs and the return of abducted children. The young people of northern Uganda occupy a unique position in their communities given the role they played in the war, their potential part in reconstruction process, and their national calling as “the pillars of tomorrow’s Uganda.” The government and international organizations, recognizing a need to remedy factors that could lead to a relapse into conflict, developed peace education programs with the goal of creating a “culture of peace” in the region. My fieldwork focuses on two such programs and this paper explores early attempts and outcomes to implementing these programs in schools. With conceptual issues surrounding peace education philosophy, practice and policy, I argue that these programs encourage, rather, a “culture of complacency” in the face of a harsh economic and sociopolitical reality for Ugandan children and youth.

In-Situ Condition Monitoring of Components in Small Modular Reactors Using Process and Electrical Signature Analysis

Victor Lollar — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:07 PDT

Components in small modular reactors (SMRs) are located in a hazardous environment and must be monitored remotely. Electrical signature analysis (ESA) is a viable option for component monitoring as it can be implemented on-line away from the actual equipment. This research attempts to use both electrical signatures from a pump motor and process variables such as flow and pressure to effectively monitor reactor components. An experimental flow loop with pump health monitoring equipment and a data acquisition system was used for experiments. Process variables analyzed include pressure, flow rate, water level, and motor vibrations. The electrical signatures monitored were the motor current and voltage drawn. It was observed that the pressure in the loop, vibration, flow and motor current signals show similar behavior in the transient region (start-up and shut-down) as well as during steady-state operation. It was demonstrated that a strong relationship exists between motor current and process variables such as flow, pressure, and motor vibrations. These relationships will be used to prove that the pump’s electrical signatures can be used to monitor the pump, flow, and pressure without direct measurement of the process variables.

Deutschland Unsere Mutter, Columbia Our Bride: German-America in the Progressive Era

Taylor Holmes — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:05 PDT

In many histories of American involvement in the First World War, the anti-German hysteria that exploded in the United States is often trivially attributed to the reality that America had declared war on Germany and the consequent propaganda the war effort generated. This, however, overlooks the significant presence of anti-German sentiment prior both to the outbreak of the First World War and American entry into the war. Precedent to and coincident with U.S. military intervention in Europe was the domestic cultural struggle between an ascendant and dominantly Anglo-American Progressive ideology and a cultural pluralism that German-American ethnic pride embodied. The First World War provoked these latent tensions into active violence. Through the use of secondary sources, this study analyzes the underlying motivations of anti-German prejudice and the driving ideologies behind Anglo-American cultural chauvinists and German-American ethnic pride. The waning of German ethnic institutions in America is likewise examined, as is the growth and decline of the National German-American Alliance. This study is not only a contribution to the relatively small amount of research completed on the history of German-American communities, but is also an addition to the histories of the Progressive Era as it analyzes the goal of Progressive ideology to produce conformity to a homogeneous “American” culture and its resulting manifestations of racism and prejudice.

Improving Codon Evolution Models Using Complex Mutation Models

Preston Hewgley — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:04 PDT

This paper discusses an improvement in a Stochastic Evolutionary Model of Protein Production Rate (SEMPPR) by revising the method by which it models mutation. SEMPPR previously assumed unbiased mutation, an assumption whose inaccuracy is made clear by observed codon counts of low-expression genes, where mutation determines equilibrium state. This paper presents a new, more complex model generalized on a per-codon basis and calculated from observed codon frequencies using a maximum likelihood framework. Results obtained from SEMPPR using the codon specific mutation model proved more accurate in predicting a protein’s production rate, reaffirming that complex mechanisms govern codon mutation rates.

Contending Theories of Wage Determination: An Intersectoral Analysis of Real Wage Growth in the U.S. Economy

James Sheffield — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:02 PDT

In recent years, social movements and popular media have drawn attention to the issue of income inequality in the United States. This growing inequality in the distribution of income is often seen as a function of stagnating wage growth in the U.S. economy. There appears to be a fairly broad consensus among commentators that wage growth for many workers in the U.S. has stagnated in recent decades, though the precise causes and implications of this trend are a matter of considerable dispute. Some see it as a function of stagnant productivity growth, while others attribute it to the declining strength of the labor movement. This paper uses multiple regression analyses in an attempt to provide an empirical means to judge the theoretical salience of these contending viewpoints. The results of this study indicate that while wage growth has in fact maintained a positive correlation with productivity, this correlation is much weaker than expected, particularly for manufacturing industries. Furthermore, while labor union strength appears to be an insignificant factor in the determination of wages for manufacturing industries, it retains a strong statistical significance in service sector wages. I argue that this finding reflects a historical shift in the composition of U.S. industry. The data gathered in this study supports the view that labor union density plays a role in the strength of wage-productivity elasticity, which raises important questions of how best to conceptualize wage growth and aggregate income distribution from the standpoint of economic theory.

Metabolic Rescue of “Glucose Addicted” Cancer Cells In Vitro

Paolo Vignali — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:01 PDT

Transformations in the glycolytic metabolism of neoplasms modulate their robust cellular division. This characteristic leads to an “addiction” to glucose for continued proliferation and viability. This study investigated whether glucose metabolites could rescue cellular viability in glucose-starvation conditions, a model of the inter-tumoral nutrient-deficient environment. Findings illustrated potential cellular viability rescue with pyruvate addition in glucose-deprived conditions, yet the same potential was not observed with lactic acid, a metabolite that exists at characteristically high concentrations within the intertumoral microenvironment. These results could implicate a predominance of certain metabolic pathways in nutrient-starved cells. Molecular transport capacities across plasma membranes are tied closely to the effects of metabolites within the cell; therefore, the role of the MCT/CD147 transporter complex in lactic acid oxidation was investigated and was found to noticeably enhance this metabolic pathway.

A Message from the Editor

Sarah Russell — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:21:00 PDT

Acknowledgements

Sarah Russell — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:20:59 PDT

An Interview with Dr. Theda Skocpol

Sarah Russell — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:37 PST

Critique of Microcredit as a Development Model

Grace Levin — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:35 PST

The field of microcredit (otherwise known as microfinance, microlending, or microcapital) has expanded rapidly since the 1980s as an economic means of lifting people out of poverty. Generally, microcredit has been accepted as an effective method for empowering both individuals and communities. In recent years, however, critics have brought to light some of the problems associated with microlending, such as the complex socioeconomic factors that can cause loan programs to fail. These problems stem from the basic tenet of microfinance: the need for lending programs to be managed locally in order to understand the needs of a community and assess the sustainability of each project. Lending programs vary a great deal around the world due to cultural differences, and the success of each must be evaluated in a geographic context. The industry of microfinance cannot be standardized due to these vitally important differences, and there are few organizations which have the ability to watch over the practices of individual lenders. As a result, microfinance institutions are largely free to practice autonomously; this independence is vital to the success of each project but also creates a void of authority.

Financial Services Innovation: Local Strategy, Management, and Change – A Field Investigation

Ann-Catherine Nave — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:31 PST

This study examines the innovation sources and processes of regional financial services firms through inductive field research. Innovation in these firms, and presumably other financial services firms and other smaller organizations, originate primarily out of three sources, the drive for efficiency, the external environment, and strategic, ambidextrous management. Successfully innovative firms balance the short-term need for efficiency improvements with the long-term desire to grow primarily through visionary, yet adaptive, leadership.

Working from Within: Observations of Non-Governmental Efforts to Decrease Social Marginalization in Buenos Aires

Elisabeth Tilstra — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:30 PST

This essay is a modification of an excerpt from the senior thesis written for the Chancellor’s Honors Program at The University of Tennessee. The complete project—titled “Bringing the Outside In: An Examination of Non-Governmental Aid Organizations in Buenos Aires”—first examines the political and economic history of Argentina as a context from which to understand the current stage of actors in the social sector. Then, drawing from my fieldwork in the slums surrounding urban Buenos Aires, it introduces the twelve organizations I studied that work with issues of poverty and development, exploring organizational elements that aid or limit a nonprofit’s efficacy. Finally, it concludes with my own project proposal; a submission of a way to incorporate the most effective elements into one organization. As this paper is just a piece of a larger work, I have chosen to highlight only the data from my time spent in Buenos Aires in 2011, leaving out the introductory sections that give political and economic context, as well as the project proposal. This paper assumes the economic context as briefly mentioned above, and focuses wholly on the characteristics of the studied organizations, and how they enhance – or hinder – organizational efficacy. It examines the structure and program implementation of these organizations, critically reviewing them as agents of change.

Respiration and Carbon Dioxide Accumulation in Soil Microcosms

Jasity Murphy — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:28 PST

The thawing of permafrost leads to liberation of soil organic matter and microbial component resulting in significant effect on the carbon cycle. Changes in permafrost soils upon the global climate warming would significantly impact microbial soil activity. Currently, not a great deal is known about what happens to the microbial community after the permafrost thaws. The activity of microbial community was determined in microcosms experiment using respirometry. To assess the CO₂ fluctuations during permafrost thawing a titration experiment was performed. Based on calculations using the respirometric equation it was found that CO₂ production increases with temperature, core depth, ion amendments and duration of time.

Key Factors and Trends in Transportation Mode and Carrier Selection

Keith Roberts — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:27 PST

Companies across the country must deal with the daily question of determining the best way to get their product in the hands of their customers. Weighing all of the various factors that play into this decision can prove to be very difficult at times, and these factors are ever changing as the market fluctuates with varying consumer demand which, in turn, affects the demand for transportation. This paper will look into these factors and relevant market trends to determine what factors play the largest role in a company’s decision of how to deliver its products, focusing specifically on the modal and carrier choice decision process. Market trends such as shrinking capacity, tightening cost structures, and the growing importance of environmental friendliness all will be shown to play a significant role in this decision-making process.

African Irregular Migrants in Malta: Exploring Perceptions and Renegotiating the Socio-Cultural Siege of Malta

Hannah E. Durick — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:25 PST

This paper discusses the influx of African irregular migrants seeking asylum in Malta and how their arrival and growing presence in Malta is perceived by the Maltese. Since becoming an EU Member State in 2004 Malta has been overwhelmed by the number of irregular migrants arriving on its shores while en route to continental Europe. Due to its proximity to the North African coastline Malta becomes a frequent, albeit unintentional, destination for African migrants who are rescued in Maltese waters and subsequently placed in a closed detention facility until their legal status is determined in a court of law. Although it is simultaneously the smallest and most densely populated country in Europe, Malta is obligated to abide by the 2003 Dublin II Regulation, which places a disproportionately large burden on Malta—a small island nation with significant spatial and resource limitations. The international community’s criticism of Malta’s neglect and mismanagement of its humanitarian crisis, however, are not unwarranted. Social sanctums and domestic legal policies regarding how Malta’s irregular migrant population should be perceived and handled remain diametrically opposed and socio-economic, cultural and racial tensions between irregular migrants and Maltese citizens run high. Based on fieldwork conducted in Malta in 2011, this paper examines the problem of irregular migration in Malta and how existing Maltese perceptions are shaping some of the domestic policies that have been internationally criticized.

Beat Consumption: The Challenge to Consumerism in Beat Literature

Amien Essif — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:24 PST

Critics of the Beat generation, from their contemporaries to the present day, often contend that the Beats’ opposition to consumer culture was superficial. Writers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs failed, according to these critics, to present a coherent and principled response to consumerism. This paper, however, argues that while in many ways the Beats continued to participate in consumer culture, they developed a distinct form of consumption—Beat consumption—which attempted to regain sovereignty for the Beat consumer. Through an analysis of Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums and On the Road as well as several of Ginsberg’s seminal works, Beat consumption emerges as a significant concept in the Beat generation’s opposition to the status quo. Though the subsequent cultural revolution of the 1960s produced more radical and clearly articulated critiques of consumerism, the struggle of Beats and Beat writers to reclaim commodities and the act of consuming for their own counterculture was not a failed attempt but a first step.

A Message from the Editor

Sarah Russell — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:22 PST

Acknowledgements

Sarah Russell — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:56:19 PST