Global Ecologies and the Environmental Humanities: Postcolonial Approaches edited by Elizabeth Deloughrey, Jill Didur, and Anthony Carrigan

Review of Elizabeth Deloughrey, Jill Didur, and Anthony Carrigan\u27s Global Ecologies and the Environmental Humanities: Postcolonial Approaches

In the Interval of the Wave: Prince Edward Island Women\u27s Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Life Writing by Mary McDonald-Rissanen

Review of In the Interval of the Wave: Prince Edward Island Women\u27s Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Life Writing by Mary McDonald-Rissanen

Characterization of a qubit Hamiltonian using adaptive measurements in a fixed basis

We investigate schemes for Hamiltonian parameter estimation of a two-level system using repeated measurements in a fixed basis. The simplest (Fourier based) schemes yield an estimate with a mean square error (MSE) that decreases at best as a power law ~N^{-2} in the number of measurements N. By contrast, we present numerical simulations indicating that an adaptive Bayesian algorithm, where the time between measurements can be adjusted based on prior measurement results, yields a MSE which appears to scale close to \exp(-0.3 N). That is, measurements in a single fixed basis are sufficient to achieve exponential scaling in N.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Published versio

Spectroscopic study of THCL+ by two-photon ionization

Despite the irreplaceable role experimental data plays for evaluating the performance of computational predictions, diatomic actinide species have not received much spectroscopic attention. As an early actinide element, thorium-containing species are ideal candidates for these types of studies. The electronic structure is expected to be relatively simple compared to later actinides, and therefore allows straightforward assessment of calculations. Here, we have studied ThCl$^{+}$ for the first time via resonant two-photon ionization of jet-cooled ThCl produced by laser ablation of the metal reacted with dilute Cl$_{2}$. Laser-induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectra have been recorded for the neutral molecule from 16000 - 23500 cm$^{-1}$ in search of a suitable intermediate state for subsequent two-photon ionization experiments. Monochromator dispersion of the fluorescence has recovered the ground state vibration and anharmonic constants of ThCl. Resonant Two-Photon Ionization (R2PI) within a time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to confirm ThCl production, and Pulsed Field Ionization Zero Kinetic Energy photoelectron spectroscopy (PFI-ZEKE) has been performed to identify the ionization energy as well as several of the low-lying states of the ThCl$^{+}$ molecule. These constants have been predicted at the CASPT2 and CCSD(T) levels of theory, and a discussion of the calculations' performance will be presented alongside the recorded spectra

Before nature\u27s nation : ecological thought and early American poetry

This project examines early American encounters with the natural world through the context of contemporary ecocriticism. In readings of Puritan poets Anne Bradstreet and Michael Wigglesworth, African-American poet Phillis Wheatley, and Mohegan minister Samson Occom, it demonstrates how poetic attentions to nature transformed collective antagonism toward the “howling wilderness” into personal feelings of affection and wonder. Likewise, it develops an understanding of the “ecological” that is both methodology, a way of thinking about specific things, such as trees or stones, and epistemology, a kind of thinking that emphasizes relational perception. It then situates these experiences amidst both canonical Americanist scholarship and recent work in new materialism, object oriented ontology, and the environmental humanities in order to demonstrate how the affective capabilities of the natural world shaped individual subjectivities in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New England

Assessing Competitive Reaction Rates in the Nitration of 2-Methylbiphenyl, Biphenyl, and Toluene to Determine Steric Restriction in Resonance-Stabilized Planarization of the Carbocation Intermediates

Electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) reactions have long been a fundamental addition to sophomore-level organic chemistry classes, allowing students the opportunity to explore the electron donating and withdrawing effects of electrons contained in the substituents of the aromatic reactant. In this paper we present preliminary findings on the nitration of methylated biphenyls using kinetic and regioselective assessments to analyze steric influences on the planarization of 2-methylbiphenyl after EAS nitration. Our preliminary findings show that nitration favors the methylated phenyl ring of 2-methylbiphenyl, indicating that the steric influence of the methyl group restricts planarization of the carbocation intermediate. Furthermore, a competition nitration reaction between biphenyl and toluene provides proof of concept for kinetic assessment of nitration rates that will eventually be applied to 2-methylbiphenyl; this competitive nitration showed that biphenyl nitrates 1.87 ± 0.61 (95% C.I.) times faster than toluene

Doses for X‐ray and electron diffraction: New features in RADDOSE‐3D including intensity decay models

New features in the dose estimation program RADDOSE‐3D are summarised. They include the facility to enter a diffraction intensity decay model which modifies the “Diffraction Weighted Dose” output from a “Fluence Weighted Dose” to a “Diffraction‐Decay Weighted Dose”, a description of RADDOSE‐ED for use in electron diffraction experiments, where dose is historically quoted in electrons/Å2 rather than in gray (Gy), and finally the development of a RADDOSE‐3D GUI, enabling easy access to all the options available in the program

Workforce Planning and Human Resource Development Strategies for Minnesota's Public Transportation Agencies

This study explored and examined possible causes of the workforce shortage in Minnesota’s transportation industry. Appropriate human resource strategies were proposed in response. Four interrelated approaches were undertaken: 1) a literature review, 2) a questionnaire, 3) audio interviews, and 4) integration of data to generate recommendations for Minnesota’s public transportation agencies. The findings showed a general level of agreement for a shortage of qualified individuals. Generational differences in the context of the transportation industry appeared to operate differently than in other sectors. Additional investigation will be needed to further examine whether differences in perceptions are more prominent at the industry or organizational level. When asked about recruitment strategies implemented by their agency, 17.4% of respondents reported that nothing was being done. The stated benefits of working for public agencies included job stability, set work hours for some positions, and work-life balance. Constraints of working in the public sector largely dealt with inflexible regulations, politics, and the complex barriers to new employee integration. Interviewees expressed overall satisfaction with their agency, but several noted problems that reflected bureaucratic policies. Standard pay scales, preferences for seniority, and lack of transparency for job roles were believed to be significant issues. In this report, we recommended a holistic approach to developing Minnesota’s public transportation industry through purposive change that focuses on existing opportunities related to the state’s and the nation’s changing demographics, as well as significant shifts related to the meaning and purpose of work

Differential physiological responses of resistant and susceptible grape cultivars to Eutypa dieback

Eutypa lata is a fungal pathogen of grapevine that causes widespread economic damage and threatens vineyard longevity worldwide. This study was initiated to further understanding of how grapevines resist E. lata infections, using an integrated approach combining inoculation assays in the greenhouse with physiological and biochemical measurements. Resistant 'Zinfandel' and susceptible 'Syrah' grapevines were subjected to control and inoculation treatments and assessed for gas exchange, water status, photosynthetic biochemistry, hydraulic conductivity, wood chemistry, and fungal spread (lesion length). Infection reduced leaf photochemical function and gas exchange in Zinfandel and increased these variables in Syrah (p<0.05). Infection produced shorter lesions in Zinfandel (p<0.05), suggesting that downregulating gas exchange limited pathogen spread by reducing the carbon supply to the pathogen or fungal movement in the transpiration stream. Neither cultivar upregulated wood defense compounds in response to infection, but proanthocyanidin and catechin levels were constitutively higher in Zinfandel and stilbenoid and flavonoid contents were constitutively higher in Syrah (p<0.05). Altogether, this study is the first to show that, counterintuitively, downregulating physiological function in response to infection improves long-term resistance to E. lata. Screening responses in photochemical function or gas exchange could provide a high-throughput alternative to measuring lesion lengths in assessing resistance