University Of Tennessee-Knoxville Research Articles

Double Reinforced Energy Storage of Graphene By KOH Activation and Nitrogen Doping

For the goal of synthesizing high performance supercapacitor electrode materials to meet the pressing requirements of energy storage, nitrogen doped activated graphene (N-AG) was successfully synthesized by employing two steps as KOH activating and following nitrogen doping using a hydrothermal method. Continuously increased ID/IG ratios were observed in Raman spectra after KOH activation and N-doping process, indicating increased defects due to the etching effect of KOH and the introduced nitrogen defects on graphene sheet. Stacked graphene with damaged sheets on the surface was clearly seen in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image after the KOH etching. The successful dopant of N was demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, confirming this effective hydrothermal N doping method. The N-AG exhibited largely enhanced capacitance (186.63 F/g) and cycling stability compared with that of nitrogen doped graphene (N-G, 50.88 F/g) and activated graphene (AG, 58.38 F/g) due to the combined positive effects of KOH activation and N-doping. This facile hydrothermal method is of great significance of scaling the production and the synthesized N-AG through combining the KOH activation and nitrogen doping processes represents a promising alternative candidate to commonly used electrode materials in supercapacitor. Experimental Graphite oxide (GO) was synthesized following the modified Hummers method.1 For the synthesis of nitrogen doped graphene (N-G) and KOH activated graphene (AG), 26.0 g homogeneous GO solution (0.338 g GO) was first transferred to a 40 mL teflon lined hydrothermal autoclave, 3 mL NH4OH solution or well dissolved KOH solution (4.05 g KOH, mass KOH : GO = 12:1) was added, the solution was diluted to 40 mL by DI water and sealed maintaining at 150 ºC for 3 hrs. After cooling down, the precipitates were collected by filtration and washed with water for 3 times, the products were dried naturally for 72 hours. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was also obtained following the same procedure using simple GO solutions as a control experiment. For the synthesis of N-AG, 0.2 g synthesized AG powders were uniformly grinded and dissolved in 30 mL water, which undergo a 30 min sonication to achieve a uniform distribution, the AG solution was then transferred to a 40 mL autoclave added with 1.80 mL NH4OH solution (same NH4OH/AG ratio as that of NH4OH/GO). Similar procedures were following proceeded to obtain the N-AG powder products. Results and Discussion The Raman spectroscopy and TEM have successfully demonstrated the increased defects and edge parts on graphene after the activation with KOH. Typical N peaks deconvoluted from XPS and uniform distribution of N observed from EDS mapping clearly indicate the successful doping of N using this facile hydrothermal method. Activation and N-doping processes can both contribute to the enhancement of energy storage through increasing active electronic sites and surface area. Increased capacitance, energy and power densities as well as cycling stability after the activation and N-doping processes are confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements,2demonstrating the effectiveness of this hydrothermal method and potential of this N-AG for practical energy storage applications. Conclusion A facile hydrothermal synthesis method combining KOH activation and N-doping was successfully employed to synthesize nitrogen doped activated graphene, which is economically and effectively at a very high yield, implying feasibility for mass production. The synthesized N-AG exhibited relatively decreased oxygen containing groups with increased defects due to the etching nature of KOH and N containing defects were also introduced with this effective N doping method. These unique properties endow them as promising electrodes for supercapacitors with high capacity, excellent rate capability, and long-term stability. Due to the possibility of scalable synthesis and prominent properties, the N-AG can offer attractive opportunities for both fundamental study and potential industrial applications in catalysis, adsorption, energy storage, and energy conversion systems. Acknowledgments The financial supports from University of Tennessee Knoxville are kindly acknowledged. Figure 1. Charge−discharge of RGO, N-G, AG and N-AG with a current density as 1 A/g. Background is a schematic representation of the synthesis process.

Strain Sensing Polymer Nanocomposites at Ultralow Graphene Loading Level

An electrically conductive ultralow percolation threshold of 0.1 wt% graphene was observed in the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites. The homogeneously dispersed graphene effectively enhanced the mechanical properties of the TPU significantly at a low graphene loading of 0.2 wt%. These nanocomposites were subjected to cyclic loading to investigate the influences of graphene loading, strain amplitude and strain rate on the strain sensing performances. The two dimensional graphene and flexible TPU matrix were found to endow these nanocomposites with wide range of strain sensitivity (gauge factor ranging from 0.78 for TPU with 0.6 wt% graphene at the strain rate of 0.1 min-1 to 17.7 for TPU with 0.2 wt% graphene at the strain rate of 0.3 min-1) and good sensing stability for different strain patterns. In addition, these nanocomposites demonstrated good recoverability and reproducibility after stabilization by cyclic loading. An analytical model based on tunneling theory was used to simulate the resistance response to strain under different strain rates. This study provides a guideline for the fabrication of graphene based polymer strain sensors. Experimental The graphene/TPU nanocomposites were fabricated by co-coagulation plus compression molding technique1. Briefly, 2.0 g TPU was dissolved in 50 mL DMF at 40 °C by vigorously stirring for 30 min. The required amount of aqueous graphene dispersion was mixed with 15 mL DMF and treated under ultrasonication for 10 min to disperse the graphene homogenously. Subsequently, the TPU/DMF and graphene/DMF were mixed together and sonicated for additional 30 min. The mixture was then added dropwise into 300 mL methanol under strongly stirring to obtain the flocculate of graphene/TPU. The obtained flocculate was filtered, dried at 80 °C under vacuum for 20 h, and hot pressed at 210 °C for 10 min under a pressure of 15 MPa. The thickness of the nanocomposites sample was 0.5 mm. The neat TPU control sample was also fabricated in the same manner for comparison. The obtained nanocomposites were denoted as TPU-xG, where x represents the mass loading of graphene, G is the abbreviation of graphene. For example, TPU-0.2G represents the TPU/graphene nanocomposites containing 0.2 wt% graphene Results and Discussion The SEM and TEM of graphene demonstrated the full exfoliation of graphene after the ultrasonic dispersion in DMF. Significant enhancement of mechanical properties of graphene/TPU nanocomposites was obtained due to the good interfacial interaction between graphene and TPU. The XRD, SEM and TEM of graphene/TPU nanocomposites showed homogeneous dispersion of graphene in TPU matrix2, and an ultralow percolation threshold was obtained. Strain sensing behaviors of the nanocomposites were conducted under different graphene loadings, strain amplitudes and strain rates, good discernment, sensitivity and sensing stability were obtained. All of these are benefited from the two dimensional graphene and good flexibility of TPU3. Conclusion Graphene/TPU nanocomposites with an ultralow percolation threshold of 0.1 wt% graphene were successfully prepared by co-coagulation plus compression molding technique. The H-bonding interaction between graphene sheets and TPU was confirmed from FT-IR. Graphene was distributed in the TPU matrix homogeneously and the mechanical property of the nanocomposites was enhanced significantly. The nanocomposites exhibited good sensitivity and sensing stability for different strain patterns, showing good discernment in strain sensing. Good recoverability and reproducibility were also obtained after stabilization by cyclic loading. The change of the number of conductive pathways and tunneling distance were responsible for the resistance-strain sensing behaviors under different strain rates according to the fitting results. Due to the fascinating strain sensing behaviors, the nanocomposites have great potential for applications as strain sensors to meet various demands in detecting various external environment stimuli4. Acknowledgments The financial supports from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Contract Number: 11572290, U1204507), and the University of Tennessee Knoxville are kindly acknowledged. Figure 1. (a) AFM of graphene and its dispersion in TPU matrix; (b) Stable strain sensing behaviors of graphene/TPU nanocomposites with different graphene loadings after stabilization by cyclic loading.

ORNL actinide materials and a new detection system for superheavy nuclei

The actinide resources and production capabilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are reviewed, including potential electromagnetic separation of rare radioactive materials. The first experiments at the Dubna Gas Filled Recoil Separator (DGFRS) with a new digital detection system developed at ORNL and University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) are presented. These studies used 240 Pu material provided by ORNL and mixed-Cf targets made at ORNL. The proposal to use an enriched 251 Cf target and a large dose of 58 Fe beam to reach the N = 184 shell closure and to observe new elements with Z = 124, 122 and 120 is discussed.

Investigation into Seasonal Scavenging Patterns of Raccoons on Human Decomposition,

Although raccoons are known as one of the most common scavengers in the U.S., scavenging by these animals has seldom been studied in terms of forensic significance. In this research, the seasonal pattern of raccoon scavenging and its effect on human decomposition was investigated using 178 human cadavers placed at the Anthropological Research Facility (ARF) of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) between February 2011 and December 2013. The results reveal that (i) the frequency of scavenging increases during summer, (ii) scavenging occurs relatively immediately and lasts shorter in summer months, and (iii) scavenging influences the decomposition process by hollowing limbs and by disturbing insect activities, both of which eventually increases the chance of mummification on the affected body. This information is expected to help forensic investigators identify raccoon scavenging as well as make a more precise interpretation of the effect of raccoon scavenging on bodies at crime scenes.

Magnetic Amplifier-Based Power-Flow Controller

The concept of the magnetic amplifier, a common electromagnetic device in electronic applications in the past, has seldom been used in power systems. The magnetic amplifier-based power-flow controller (MAPFC), an innovative low-cost device that adopts the idea of the magnetic amplifier for power-flow control applications, is introduced in this paper. The uniqueness of MAPFC is in the use of the magnetization of the ferromagnetic core, shared by an ac and a dc winding, as the medium to control the ac winding reactance inserted in series with the transmission line to be controlled. Large power flow in the line can be regulated by the small dc input to the dc winding. A project on the R&D of an MAPFC has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Waukesha Electric Systems, Inc. since early 2012. Findings from the project are presented along with some results obtained in a laboratory environment.

(Invited) Electropolymerized Polyaniline/Manganese Iron Oxide Hybrids with Enhanced Electrochemical Energy Storage and Color Switching Response

Polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites embedded with manganese iron oxide (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles were prepared as thin films by electropolymerizing aniline monomers onto indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slides pre- spin-coated with MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The UV-visible absorption spectra, FT-IR and SEM results confirmed the formation of the composite films and the chemical interaction between the PANI matrix and MnFe2O4 particles. A coloration efficiency of 206.2 cm2 C-1 was obtained for the PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite film, higher than that of the pristine PANI film, 104.2 cm2 C-1, suggesting a synergistic effect between the MnFe2O4 particles and the PANI matrix. An enhanced areal capacitance as 4.46 mF cm-2 was also achieved in the PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite film compared with that of 3.95 mF cm-2 in the pristine PANI film from the CV at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1. The enhanced capacitance of the composite films are attributed to the pseudocapacitive property of MnFe2O4 and the rougher morphology caused by the embedment of MnFe2O4 particles into the PANI matrix. Finally, the positive roles of decreasing H2SO4 concentration and increasing temperature during a low temperature range were also demonstrated, however relative higher temperatures can destroy the PANI structure and cause the degradation of PANI. Experimental 1.0 mg Mn2FeO4 was dissolved in 10.0 mL ethanol solution under sonication. The MnFe2O4 film was prepared by drop casting about 1.0 mL MnFe2O4 suspension onto the ITO glass and maintained at 2000 rpm for 20 s. The film was dried naturally overnight. The electropolymerization of aniline onto the as-treated ITO glass or formed MnFe2O4 film was performed on an electrochemical working station VersaSTAT 4 potentiostat (Princeton Applied Research). A typical three electrode electrochemical cell was employed, in which a saturated calomel electrode (SCE) served as the reference electrode, a platinum (Pt) wire served as the counter electrode and the MnFe2O4 coated ITO glass or bare ITO glass slide with an effective area of 4.0 cm2 served as the working electrode. A long path length home-made spectroelectrochemical cell was used for optical characterizations. A typical electrochemical polymerization was performed 10 cycles scanned back and forth from 0 to +1.2 V vs. SCE at a scan rate of 50 mV/s in 0.5 M H2SO4aqueous solution containing 0.1 M aniline. Results and Discussion A fewer amount of PANI was deposited on the MnFe2O4 layer due to the increased resistance caused by the introduced MnFe2O4. The relationship between MnFe2O4 and PANI is probably caused by the π-π stacking, electrostatic interactions as well as hydrogen bonding between MnFe2O4 and the -NH group in PANI. The higher coloration efficiency and stable chronocoulometry of MnFe2O4/PANI nanocomposite further confirm the positive role of MnFe2O4 layer. Enhanced capacitance of MnFe2O4/PANI nanocomposite is probably due to the supercapacitive role of MnFe2O4 and resulted rougher morphology. Enhanced capacitances were obtained when increasing temperature in low temperature range and decreasing H2SO4concentration. Conclusion A PANI matrix embedded with MnFe2O4 particles nanocomposite film was successfully prepared by an electrodeposition of PANI monomer onto a MnFe2O4 coated ITO glass. Multi-color electrochromic phenomenon, higher coloration efficiency and faster switching response were obtained due to the major PANI and the inner interactions between the PANI matrix and the MnFe2O4 particles as well as the resulted rougher morphology. The PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite film also exhibits an enhanced areal capacitance compared to that of the pristine PANI film at low scan rates due to the capacitive role of MnFe2O4. A negative role of increasing the H2SO4 concentration and a positive role of increasing temperature on the supercapacitive behaviors of both the pristine PANI and PANI/MnFe2O4 composites films was also demonstrated. Acknowledgments The financial supports from University of Tennessee Knoxville are kindly acknowledged. Figure 1. CV curves of pureMnFe2O4 film, pristine PANI film and PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite film onto ITO glass in 1.0 M H2SO4 at a scan rate of 5 mV/s. Background is the TEM image of PANI/MnFe2O4nanocomposite accompanied with the color changing phenomenon.

Multiwalled Cabon Nanotubes Functionalized Magnetic Fepd Alloy with Enhanced Activity for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction

Ultrafine Palladium iron alloy (FePd) nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on gamma phased iron oxide (r-Fe2O3), FePd-Fe2O3, which were further anchored on Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), FePd-Fe2O3/MWNTs, was successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot solution based method as thermal decomposing palladium acetylacetonate (Pd(acac)2) and iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)5) in a refluxing dimethylformamide (DMF) solution in the presence of carboxylic groups functionalized MWNTs (MWNTs-COOH). The formation of FePd alloy was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) through investigating the crystalline structures and verifying specific bonding energy. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that the ultrafine FePd NPs were uniformly deposited on the surface of superparamagnetic r-Fe2O3 NPs which were further evenly distributed on the MWNTs surface. A 3.65 increase of peak current density after normalizing to Pd mass was observed in cyclic voltammetry (CV) for ethanol oxidation reaction compared with that of Pd/MWNTs. Greatly enhanced tolerance stability towards poisoning species and largely reduced charge resistances were also obtained in chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) due to the formation of FePd alloy and the unique double deposited Pd structure. Experimental 100.0 mg MWNTs-COOH was first dispersed in 60 mL DMF solution undergoing 1h sonication, the solution was then transferred to a 250-mL 3-neck flask and heated to reflux (~160 °C) in ~ 20 min. For the synthesis of FePd-based nanocatalysts, 202.0 mg well dispersed Pd(acac)2 in 20 mL DMF was added to the refluxing MWNTs-COOH/DMF solution. Fe(CO)5 (130.2, 437.0, and 875.0 mg) was following added to the solution after boiling again in ~ 5 min, the products were donated as FePd-Fe3C/MWNTs, FePd-Fe2O3(3:5)/MWNTs and FePd-Fe2O3(3:10)/MWNTs, respectively(the composition was determined by Mössbauer spectrometer). For the control synthesis of Pd/MWNTs and Fe3O4/MWNTs, only 202.0 mg Pd(acac)2 or 875.0 mg Fe(CO)5 was added to the refluxing MWNTs-COOH/DMF solution. All the solutions were maintained refluxing for an additional 3 hours to complete the whole reaction. Finally, after cooling down to room temperature, the solid iron containing products were removed from the suspension using a permanent magnet and Pd/MWNTs were filtered under vacuum. All the final products were rinsed with acetone 3 times and collected after vacuum drying at 60 °C for 24 hours. Results and Discussion The Mössbauer spectrometer and XPS has successfully determined the compositions of catalysts with varying the amount of Fe(CO)5. Typical peaks of Fe2O3, Fe3O4 and FePd are clearly observed in XRD indicating the successful synthesis of FePd-Fe2O3/MWNTs. The interaction between NPs and MWNTs and the loading of catalysts was determined by Raman spectra and TGA. An greatly enhanced the peak current in CV and improved tolerance stability toward poisoning species are also demonstrated by CV, CV and EIS, which indicates the positive role of the FePd alloy and the Fe2O3 substrates. Conclusion Highly catalytic active and magnetic FePd-Fe2O3/MWNTs nanocatalysts have been prepared by simple thermal decomposing Pd(acac)2 and Fe(CO)5 in a refluxing dimethylformamide (DMF) solution in the presence of MWNTs-COOH. The formation of FePd alloy has been confirmed by the crystalline structures and composition investigation by XRD and XPS spectra. A unique structure as FePd NPs first deposited on Fe2O3 NPs which further uniformly dispersed on MWNTs was disclosed by TEM. Electro-characterizations as CV, CA and EIS demonstrated an enhanced catalytic performance compared with Pd/MWNTs towards EOR after the introduction of Fe. Modified electronic properties of Pd by Fe, easily proceeded poisoning species on γ-Fe2O3 and the optimal combination of promoter Fe2O3 and MWNTs substrate are mainly account for the greatly enhanced activity. This simple method is of great significance for the facile preparation of recyclable Pd catalysts with high catalytic activity. Acknowledgments The financial supports from University of Tennessee Knoxville are kindly acknowledged. Figure 1. CV of (a) Fe3O4/MWNTs, (b) Pd/MWNTs, (c) FePd-Fe2O3(3:10)/MWNTs, (d) FePd-Fe3C/MWNTs and (e) FePd-Fe2O3(3:5)/MWNTs in 1.0 M KOH solution containing 1.0 M ethanol with current density normalized to Pd mass at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. Background is the HRTEM of FePd-Fe2O3(3:5)/MWNTs. References 1 Y. Wang, Q. He, J. Guo, H. Wei, K. Ding et al, ChemElectroChem, 2(4) (2015) 559-570. 2. Z. Zhang, J. Ge, L. Ma, J. Liao, T. Lu, W. Xing, Fuel Cells, 9 (2) (2009) 114-120 Figure 1

Pd/MWNTs Nanocatalysts Toward Formic Acid Oxidation

Operating conditions such as the composition of electrolyte and temperature can greatly influence the performance of formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). In order to achieve the best performance at various conditions, we employed an as-synthesized high electrocatalytic palladium decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocatalysts (Pd/MWNTs) to investigate the effects of formic acid (HCOOH) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentrations as well as temperature on FAOR. Electro-characterization techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and slow linear sweep voltammetry (SLV) were employed to comprehensively investigate the catalyst performance and reaction kinetics, which indicate that the as-synthesized Pd/MWNTs gave the best performance under a condition with balanced adsorptions of HCOOH and H2SO4 molecules, and increasing temperature has a positive effect on FAOR. Two well acknowledged reaction pathways of FAOR as dehydrogenation and dehydration were detailed characterized by chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) conducted at various potentials. The dehydrogenation pathway was largely depressed by the increased dehydration pathway, which leads to the increased charge transfer resistance (Rct ) with increasing the relative ratio of HCOOH to H2SO4 concentration. Enhanced tolerance stability and reduced Rct with increasing temperature is observed due to the enhanced reaction kinetics which simultaneously increased the dehydration process. Experimental Briefly, 100.0 mg MWNTs was dispersed with 50 mL xylene in a 100 mL beaker under ultra-sonication for 1 hour, after which the MWNTs/xylene mixture was transferred into a 250 mL 3-neck flask. Then, the solution was heated to reflux ( ~140 °C) after 20 min. At the meantime, 304.0 mg Pd(AcAc)2was dispersed with 20 mL xylene in a 50 mL beaker under magnetic stirring for 10 min, and the mixture was then transferred into the 3-neck flask. The whole solution was then kept refluxing for an additional 3 hours to complete the reaction. After that, the final solution was cooled down to room temperature naturally, filtered under vacuum and rinsed with ethanol and distilled water 3 times, respectively. The final product (black powders) was collected after vacuum drying at 50 °C for 24 hours. Results and Discussion Pd NPs were uniformly dispersed and anchored on the MWNTs support due to the promoting function of carboxylic groups on the surface of MWNTs, which is demonstrated by TEM, Raman and XPS spectra. The hydrogen adsorption and the oxidation of poisoning species processes during the potential sweeping are essential for the enhancement of electroactivity. The main oxidation process shifts between dehydrogenation and dehydration with varying the ratio of HCOOH to H2SO4 concentration, which is illustrated by the variation of oxidation peak potential and current. Greatly facilitated reaction kinetics are demonstrated by the increased oxidation current and decreased charge transfer resistance with increasing temperature. Conclusion Pd/MWNTs as a representative of the Pd-based catalyst were employed to investigate the FAOR mechanism and poisoning effect on Pd/MWNTs electrode in H2SO4 solution. It is demonstrated that the hydrogen adsorption in low potential range and the oxidation of poisoning species during the high potential range both contribute to the enhancement of electroactivity of Pd/MWNTs. The dual pathway mechanism are comprehensively studied by CA and EIS which indicate that the oxidation of HCOOH through dehydrogenation pathway only proceeded in conditions with relatively lower HCOOH and H2SO4 concentrations. Increasing HCOOH concentration can directly increase the dehydration process proportion and cause the production of COads species. H2SO4 as donor of H+ can greatly facilitate the on-set oxidation of HCOOH in the beginning process but it will largely depress the HCOOH oxidation with excess amount of H+. Finally, increasing temperature can boast the mobility of ions thus enhance the reaction kinetics. Dehydration pathway is also existed at higher temperature due to the increasing produced COads species. Acknowledgments The financial supports from University of Tennessee Knoxville are kindly acknowledged. Figure 1. CV of the formic acid oxidation reaction on the Pd/MWNTs electrode in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution containing 0.2 M HCOOH. Background shows the TEM image of the Pd/MWNTs.

Book Review: Inventing Baseball Heroes: Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, and the Sporting Press in America, by Amber Roessner

Amber Roessner Inventing Baseball Heroes: Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, and Sporting Press in America. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2014. 227 pp.Roessner delves into heady days of what she calls gee whiz journalism (p. 2), when sportswriters and journalists embedded themselves with biggest stars, and how symbiotic relationship helped and, at times, disparaged both. The book primarily focuses on role of newspapers and magazines in shaping and bolstering images of Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson. Roessner has experience covering sports. Before becoming an assistant professor in School of Journalism and Electronic Media at University of Tennessee-Knoxville, she was a sportswriter for Gainesville (GÂ) Times.Roessner provides an interesting analysis of relationship between three groups: baseball consuming public, early stars, and some of pundits. Roessner shows how sportswriters influenced ways in which consumers of base- ball news viewed Cobb and Mathewson, while two baseball stars and those same consumers influenced how writers packaged information for public.In early twentieth century, sports journalists and major league baseball players shared close quarters. Journalists traveled with teams they covered, ate with players, spent leisure time with them, and even visited them in off-season. Journalists leveraged close relationships to provide personal tidbits and insights into play- ers' philosophies of game, on-field skirmishes and plays, and off-season activities. Grantland Rice, John Wheeler, Ring Lardner, Damon Runyon, and F.C. Lane, some of most prominent sportswriters of early twentieth century, had easy access to stars like Cobb and Mathewson. Roessner uses words of those writers to tell stories of Cobb and Mathewson and how those writers drenched two icons in American virtue and tenacity, while excusing Cobb when he displayed violent side of tenacity. Sportswriters painted Mathewson as baseball's archetypal saint and Cobb as the Major League's quintessential sinner . . . The more reliable sketched him for what he was-an anomaly, a chameleon-like trickster with an eerie knack of transforming just when sportswriters thought they had him figured out (p. 123).Roessner does a commendable job of showing free-wheeling journalistic styles of Rice, Wheeler, Lardner, and their colleagues. These writers experimenting with humor, characterization, and dialogue in their pieces-techniques that they put to good use in their literary journalism and in their fiction over next decade (p. 122). Rice even used poetry and verse to espouse nobility of Cobb and Mathewson. Roessner notes that editors gave their top writers more autonomy and independence than other reporters. Still, these writers knew there were constraints. Rice and other writers who developed close relationships with Cobb, Mathewson, and other players knew they could not betray their trust. Afraid of losing their insider status, they did not dare unearth controversial gossip (p. 166). Writers not only avoided disparaging stars they covered, they often served as promoters for players. Roessner spends a significant portion of book discussing conflict that writers faced in maintain- ing close relationships with stars like Cobb and Mathewson, while trying to maintain some objectivity to their reporting. Roessner couches discussion in W. Joseph Cambell's three paradigms of journalism: activist, narrative, and detached models. In era of yellow journalism and early-twentieth-century heydays of sports jour- nalism, activist and narrative models, or gee whiz journalism, became prevalent in coverage of Cobb and Mathewson. …

Electric bike sharing: simulation of user demand and system availability

This paper describes the operational concepts and system requirements of a fully automated electric bike (e-bike) sharing system demonstrated through a pilot project at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) campus (deployed in September 2011). This project is part of a movement to develop a sustainable transportation system, and is one of the green initiatives on UTK campus. E-bikes are more energy efficient and produce fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per person compared to other transport modes such as car, bus, and motorcycle. Without empirical demand information for an e-bike sharing system, we simulated the operations of such a system to gain insights during the design process before field deployment. The simulation exercise focused on three critical demand parameters – distributions of trip rates, trip lengths, and trip durations – and coupled them with supply parameters – number of e-bikes, number of swappable batteries, and battery recharging profiles. The primary purpose of these simulations is to evaluate the efficiency of an off-board battery recharging system, where the depleted battery is removed from an e-bike upon its return and inserted into one of the charging slots at the kiosk. We tested various scenarios with different number of batteries always maintaining an initial condition with the battery to e-bike ratio greater or equal to 1.0 to ensure battery availability. We applied empirical battery recharging rates and system operations rules to determine the number of e-bikes and batteries available under different potential demand situations, with a focus on optimizing the number of batteries to meet user demands. By adjusting input parameters, numerous scenarios were simulated for sensitivity analysis. Based on the results of the simulation, this paper presents a cost constrained e-bike sharing system design that can maintain a high level of system reliability (e-bike and battery availability) through optimal battery charging and distribution management. We found that high demand scenarios require multiple swappable batteries per e-bike to reasonably meet the maximum demand. Trip duration has the most influence on e-bike and battery availability, followed by trip rate, and then trip length.

Building better interdisciplinary scientists: creating graduate level courses to address the communication gap in interdisciplinary research

Background The SCALE-IT (Scalable Computing and Leading Edge Innovative Technologies) program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville is one of an increasing number of programs at institutions across the country that relies on the success of interdisciplinary research. To prepare students for interdisciplinary problem solving, universities typically offer advanced courses or seminars in interdisciplinary topics. While courses like this are ideal for advanced students who have extensive backgrounds in both computational science and domain sciences, most graduate students lack core competency in fields outside of their own disciplines and are thus unprepared to step up to high-level multidisciplinary courses. However, traditional institutional curricula do not provide opportunities for graduate students to develop an appropriate ground-level understanding in disciplines outside of their primary department. To address this issue, the SCALE-IT program has initiated the creation of introductory graduate level courses to overcome the lexical barrier between academic fields. Over the past two years, the SCALE-IT program has developed four successful graduate level courses dedicated to teaching introductory topics in bioinformatics at the University of Tennessee.

Using a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Select a Serials Vendor: The University of Tennessee Experience

In the fall of 2009 The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) Libraries began developing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a single serials vendor to acquire all periodicals/serials subscriptions. While the RFP was intended to save money by reducing service charges and standardizing invoicing processes, it also provided the opportunity for the Libraries to make the transition from print or print-plus-electronic to electronic-only subscriptions. This article describes the RFP process for the UTK Libraries and discusses some of the outcomes and lessons learned.

Surveying Campus GIS and GPS Users to Determine Role and Level of Library Services

This survey was created by The University of Tennessee (UT) Libraries to assess the need for providing geographic information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) services to the UT Knoxville, community. In the past few years, the UT Libraries have seen an increase in the number of students and faculty who need help with GIS-related technologies (GIS and GPS). To meet these needs, the library has expanded virtual training and begun to collaborate with other departments on campus to assist users with GIS needs. This survey attempts to answer the question: Where does the library fit into campus GIS-related services? Graduate students and faculty who participated in the survey agreed that the library should play a central role in offering GIS-related services. However, the survey results show that there is not enough training available with GIS-related technologies on campus. If the library is to play a central role, then additional resources should be considered to support GIS-related services in the library and across campus.

Using a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Select a Serials Vendor: The University of Tennessee Experience

In the fall of 2009 The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) Libraries began developing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a single serials vendor to acquire all periodicals/serials subscriptions. While the RFP was intended to save money by reducing service charges and standardizing invoicing processes, it also provided the opportunity for the Libraries to make the transition from print or print-plus-electronic to electronic-only subscriptions. This article describes the RFP process for the UTK Libraries and discusses some of the outcomes and lessons learned.

Review of Robert Kronick's Experiencing Service-Learning

Robert F. Kronick, Robert B. Cunningham, and Michele Gourley. Experiencing Service-Learning. Knoxville: U of Tennessee P, 2011. x, 173 p. ISBN 9781572337589. $19. One of the newest additions to the growing body of literature on service-learning, Experiencing Service-Learning seeks to define and illustrate this action-based pedagogy via the experiences of students and faculty from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. These experiences occur primarily in Knoxville within programs for at-risk and low-income elementary school children but also within a summer medical internship in Honduras. Disciplines directly represented in the chapters are counseling, medicine, and public administration, though the concepts covered are certainly transferable to other university disciplines.

Anderson to Head UT College

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderFeature1 May 2010Anderson to Head UT College Carol Polovoy Carol Polovoy Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.FTR5.15062010.38 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Noma Anderson, professor of communication sciences and disorders at Florida International University (FIU) and 2007 ASHA president, will become dean of the University of Tennessee (UT) Health Science Center’s College of Allied Health Sciences on July 1. The UT College of Allied Health Sciences is now home to the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology (ASP), a department that was slated for closure in 2008 due to budget cuts. In response to advocacy by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and clinic clients, the decision was rescinded. The department and its clinics remain open in Knoxville, with administration transferred to the UT Health Science Center in Memphis. The undergraduate program will continue to be administered by UT Knoxville’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Undergraduates with majors in audiology and speech pathology will earn a degree in special education with an emphasis on communication sciences and disorders. The department was subsequently named one of 52 “Lead Centers of Excellence” for mild traumatic brain injury, part of an initiative of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation to establish a seamless, standardized, evidence-based system of care accessible to children and their families throughout the country. Anderson is the immediate past chair of the FIU Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and was previously dean and professor in the FIU School of Health Sciences. Before joining FIU, she was chair and on the faculty of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University in Washington, D.C. “Being in a supportive administrative is what makes or breaks academic programs,” Anderson said. “Both personally and professionally, I am pleased to become dean of the college that welcomed the ASP department. The College of Allied Health Science is excited about the administrative shift and hopes that ASP students and faculty are sensing a welcoming and supportive administrative home. “One interesting challenge is that ASP is in Knoxville and the college is in Memphis, but with technology and creative minds, we’ll make it work. The ASP faculty and students are outstanding.” Author Notes Carol Polovoy, editorial production manager of the The ASHA Leader, can be reached at [email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 15Issue 6May 2010 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: May 1, 2010 Metrics Downloaded 33 times Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2010 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

Ready for the World: Preparing Nursing Students for Tomorrow

In 2004, a 5-year plan of international and intercultural education was developed by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) to help students become ready for the changing world in which they will live. This program is called "Ready for the World." The University of Tennessee College of Nursing in Knoxville has integrated many of the suggestions from this program into the undergraduate nursing curriculum to prepare students for the world by making the world their classroom. Intercultural learning includes both a solid base of knowledge obtained in the classroom and multiple experiences that involve cultural interaction. Experiences begin on UTK's diverse campus and expand to the surrounding city of Knoxville, including interactions with vulnerable populations such as the homeless or elderly persons, then to nearby Appalachian communities, and on to Central America. Many of these experiences are offered for credit in the Community Health Nursing or the Transcultural Nursing courses. The knowledge nursing students acquire and their varied experiences will help them gain cultural competence for their future nursing practice.

The New Evolutionary Synthesis: Around the Corner, or Impossible Chimaera?A review ofDevelopmental Plasticity and Evolution.ByMary Jane West‐Eberhard.Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.$100.00 (hardcover); $49.95 (paper). xx + 794 p; ill.; author, taxonomic, and subject indexes. ISBN: 0–19–512234–8 (hc); 0–19–512235–6 (pb). 2003.

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe New Evolutionary Synthesis: Around the Corner, or Impossible Chimaera? A review ofDevelopmental Plasticity and Evolution. By Mary Jane West‐Eberhard. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. $100.00 (hardcover); $49.95 (paper). xx + 794 p; ill.; author, taxonomic, and subject indexes. ISBN: 0–19–512234–8 (hc); 0–19–512235–6 (pb). 2003.Massimo PigliucciMassimo PigliucciDepartments of Botany and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee 37996–1100 USA[email protected] Search for more articles by this author Departments of Botany and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee 37996–1100 USA[email protected]PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 78, Number 4December 2003 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/379296 Views: 16Total views on this site Citations: 2Citations are reported from Crossref ©2003 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Mario Villalobos, Ramiro Frick, Sergio Vicencio-Jimenez Autopoiesis, Thermodynamics, and the Natural Drift of Living Beings: Another Way to the New Evolutionary Synthesis, Entropy 24, no.77 (Jun 2022): 914.https://doi.org/10.3390/e24070914Ken Richardson Evolution of Development, (Jan 2010): 69–89.https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230299245_5

INCORPORATION OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION INTO CHEMICAL HAZARD SCORING FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CURRENT LIST OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS

Research continues to support the theory of endocrine disruption. Endocrine disruption is defined as the ability of a chemical contaminating the workplace or the environment to interfere with homeostasis, development, reproduction, and/or behavior in a living organism or it's offspring. Certain classes of environmentally persistent chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, and some pesticides can adversely effect the endocrine systems of aquatic life and terrestrial wildlife. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTN), developed a method for hazard scoring chemicals for the aquatic ecosystem. The Indiana Clean Manufacturing Technology and Safe Materials Institute at Purdue University (CMTI) later expanded the scoring system to include terms for worker hazard as well as terms for contamination of soil and air quality, and for stratospheric ozone depletion. We call the CMTI chemical hazard score the Purdue score. At West Virginia University, two improvements of the Purdue chemical hazard score are developed, a normalizing of the term for soil contamination, and addition of hazard score terms for ecosystem endocrine disruption. The results of incorporating endocrine disruption terms into the hazard scoring equations resulted in increased hazard rankings, often substantially increased, for 26 endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) among 200 Superfund chemicals. Because data suggesting human endocrine disruption from such chemicals is still controversial, no endocrine disruptor term has been added to the human toxicity portions of the chemical hazard scoring system at this time. The third product of this work is assembly of a current consolidated list of (1) established or probable, mostly synthetic, industrial chemical and medication EDCs and (2) suspect (less certain) synthetic and natural (phytoestrogen) possible endocrine disrupting chemicals, with the goal of contributing to future development of quantitative structure activity relationship software for predicting whether an untested chemical is likely to be an endocrine disruptor. We conclude that enough endocrine disrupting chemicals are now identified to make an attempt at developing structure activity estimates of disrupting potential worthwhile. Further, we conclude that within a group of 200 chemicals of concern to the US EPA, the addition of endocrine disrupting terms to the Purdue score substantially increases its representativeness in reflecting ecological exposure hazard. We have developed this enhanced Purdue score risk management tool to be of assistance to industry.

Leading the Life of Angels: Ascetic Practice and Reflection in the Writings of Evagrius of Pontus

Leading the Life of Angels: Ascetic Practice and Reflection in the Writings of Evagrius of Pontus Get access David E. Linge David E. Linge Professor of Religious Studies at the University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN 37996-0450 (e-mail: dlinge@utk.edu.) Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 68, Issue 3, September 2000, Pages 537–568, https://doi.org/10.1093/jaarel/68.3.537 Published: 01 September 2000