Survey of older beam and slab bridges of Tennessee

A survey was conducted of older beam and slab bridges in the state of Tennessee. The types of bridges found were concrete slab, through girder, deck girder (steel, concrete and timber), and culverts. Simple, continuous and cantilever span types were identified. A historical context of the material and bridge type is provided. Over 3000 bridges were surveyed, with thirty-one being examined in more detail. Of the thirty-one examined in more detail, six were through girders, one was a 1915 slab, one was a 1920 two-way slab with column capitals, two were cantilever bridges, two were 1925 continuous concrete deck girder bridges built by Steel and Lebby, one 1917 concrete deck girder, two 1918 concrete deck girders, the 1919 Gay Street Viaduct in Knoxville, a 1929 concrete deck girder built by Bell and Bell, a concrete deck girder bridge over the dam at Standing Stone Park, a concrete deck girder on the side of Lookout Mountain, a memorial concrete deck girder bridge built in 1949, one was a 1910 steel I beam bridge, one was a 1935 steel I beam, and nine were bridges built by the WPA. Although strictly not part of the time period of the survey, a 1950 post-tensioned concrete block bridge in Madison County was also included, as it was the first prestressed bridge in the United States. Ten other similar post-tensioned bridges built in the early 1950\u27s were also identified

Predictors of Bullying in an Adolescent School Sample

Author\u27s abstract: Bullying is a pervasive problem in our society. Contributing to this problem is the fact that bullying is not well understood. This makes it difficult to design successful interventions. The current study aims to create a complete picture of bullying in order to increase understanding of this behavior. For this study, 59 adolescents completed a survey packet including measures of bullying behaviors and other variables expected to relate to bullying. The results revealed that bullying is a problem for both genders. Multivariate analyses revealed males to be more directly and indirectly aggressive, but there were no significant gender differences on verbal and physical aggression. Regression analysis revealed that age and negative coping created a significant model predicting cyber-bullying. Regression analysis also showed belief in a just world, self-esteem, age, and negative coping created a significant model predicting traditional bullying. The findings particularly highlight belief in a just world as a variable that should be further explored. The findings are discussed in relation to current research on bullying and interventions

Transpiration and leaf growth of potato clones in response to soil water deficit

Potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. Tuberosum) crop is particularly susceptible to water deficit because of its small and shallow root system. The fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) approach has been widely used in the evaluation of plant responses to water deficit in different crops. The FTSW 34 threshold (when stomatal closure starts) is a trait of particular interest because it is an indicator of tolerance to water deficit. The FTSW threshold for decline in transpiration and leaf growth was evaluated in a drying soil to identify potato clones tolerant to water deficit. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out in pots, with three advanced clones and the cultivar Asterix. The FTSW, transpiration and leaf growth were measured on a daily basis, during the period of soil drying. FTSW was an efficient method to separate potato clones with regard to their response to water deficit. The advancedclones SMINIA 02106-11 and SMINIA 00017-6 are more tolerant to soil water deficit than the cultivar Asterix, and the clone SMINIA 793101-3 is more tolerant only under high solar radiation

Heuristic Approaches for Near-Optimal Placement of GPS-Based Multi-Static Radar Receivers in American Coastal Waters

Narcotics smuggling across the Caribbean Sea is a growing concern for the United States Coast Guard. One vector for this illicit trafficking is via small aircraft. This thesis proposes a multi-static radar architecture using the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation as a transmission source to detect these aircraft as they transit a detection fence. The system developed in this thesis relies on the forward-scatter phenomenon in which a radar shadow is cast by a target as it crosses in front of a transmitter, creating a measurable difference in the signal amplitude at the receiver. This thesis first develops a mathematical model parametrizing such a multi-static radar system. This model is then used to build a novel simulation, and output from the simulation is used as input in a vast set covering problem whose goal is both to determine the smallest number of sensors along with their locations in order to detect 100 of transiting aircraft, and to determine the near optimal location of a fixed number of sensors. The research proves the problem can be modeled, albeit at great computational expense. It further demonstrates that near optimal solutions can be generated with almost no computational expense using the geometric heuristic

Mark Hufstetler Interview, November 29, 2022

Mark Hufstetler describes being born in Utah in 1958. He says his father was a career U.S. Forest Service employee, and Mark’s family lived at Forest Service ranger stations within the Challis, Bridger, and Dixie National Forests until his family purchased a homestead in the Uinta Mountains. Mark tells of visiting Twin Peaks and Fly Creek Point Lookouts in 1966, sparking an interest in lookouts. After attending college in Salt Lake City, Mark describes spending six years with Glacier National Park concessions, where he visited many lookouts. Mark discusses getting his master’s degree at Montana State University and then working as a historian in Glacier National Park. He describes working with the Flathead National Forest as a volunteer lookout for 24 days on Cooney, Cyclone, and Baptiste Lookouts. In 2018, Mark staffed Porphyry Peak Lookout with the Lewis and Clark National Forest before returning in 2019 to Baptiste Lookout as a paid staffer. Mark says he has worked there ever since and plans to return in 2023.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/nwmt-ffla/1020/thumbnail.jp

Mark Hufstetler Interview, January 30, 2023

In this second interview, Mark focuses on the Flathead National Forest’s volunteer program, which he says is a “unique opportunity for the community” by having volunteers who do all the duties of regular lookouts for ten days to two weeks. He says the volunteers have two days of training to learn weather, the firefinder, radios, and other equipment and duties. Mark tells of the uniqueness of lookouts he has staffed, like Baptiste’s remoteness, and the great interplay of weather. Cyclone Lookout has a view of Glacier National Park that Mark says equals or exceeds what tourists can see in the park. At Porphyry Lookout, he tells of being the only lookout for one hundred miles, but you can drive to the lookout, so there is no solitude. Mark talks about his own unique duties: working with main lookout, Leif Haugen, before lookouts return, helping with volunteer and Forest Service training, response to fires, and updating manuals. He discusses how things change seasonally and says he is gratified by learning self-reliance as a result of his lookout experiences.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/nwmt-ffla/1023/thumbnail.jp