The Truth of the Angel in the House

The nineteenth century in the United States was a time that saw a resurgence of beliefs that would keep the modern family together. The Angel in the House is a phrase that is used to describe the type of woman that was worshipped in a cult-like fashion during this time, a domestic goddess of sorts. They were to be the paradigm of chastity; well-versed in the cleanliness and culinary arts. They were uncorrupted forces in a corrupting world. This article seeks to dismantle this patriarchal driven ideal and prove, through examples taken from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women as well as other scholarly sources, that this ideal is not only outdated at the time but is dangerous for the women who find themselves chained to the domestic sphere. By positing Jo and Beth next to each other the problems with the Angel in the House, Beth, are starkly highlighted against the free-spirited nature of Jo. While some argue that Beth’s early death serves to immortalize her innocence, it instead prevents her from maturing and eventually falling short of the ideal. There is much more for women than the domestic sphere and that is what this article intends to prove

Optimizing Union College\u27s Microgrid

Union College currently has a microgrid, or a localized electric grid, that meets 70 percent of the campus\u27 load. It is made up of a co-generation plant that uses natural gas from National Grid, as well as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, which are renewable energy sources. The goal of this project is to determine the least-cost, low-carbon energy mix that meets 100 percent of the campus\u27 load. To combat the variability of solar and wind power, storage is also considered. The simulation designed in this project tests worst case conditions on the peak load day of 2019 to ensure that the energy mix can reliably meet load. Different sizes and costs of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, batteries and other forms of generation are inputs to the optimization

Optimization of Union College’s Microgrid to Meet All Load with a Least-Cost, Low-Carbon Energy Mix

A microgrid is a localized electric grid that generates some or all of the power used to meet its load. Union College currently has a microgrid that meets 70 percent of the campus’ load and is connected to the main grid. It is made up of a cogeneration plant as well as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, which are renewable energy sources. The goal of this project is to determine the least cost, low-carbon energy mix that meets 100 percent of the campus’ load. The issue with solar and wind power is that they are variable based on time of day, time of year, and the weather. This is addressed in the planning of Union’s microgrid energy mix through considering storage and other low-carbon renewable generation. MATLAB is used for linear programming optimization with constraints. The output is input to the Simulink model designed to replicate Union’s microgrid. This verifies that the energy mix is reliable under worst case conditions on the peak load day, and mimics the design process an engineering firm would undertake for a similar project. The optimal energy mix determined by the code is made up of solar photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, geothermal power, lithium ion battery storage, and the current cogeneration plant. Specifically, adding 750kW of PV to the current 63kW on campus, adding 25kW of wind power to the current 36kW, adding 275kW geothermal generation plant, 4.5 MWh battery storage, and slightly raising the cogen to an average output of 2MW

TRANSITION-METAL-CATALYZED RADICAL REACTIONS: CARBON-CARBON BOND-FORMING REACTIONS UTILIZING ALKYL ELECTROPHILES

I. Alkyl Electrophiles in Cross-Coupling An overview of the importance and challenges of applying alkyl electrophiles to cross-coupling reactions is presented. The current state of alkyl cross-coupling is discussed, focusing on both reaction development and mechanistic investigation. Hybrid organometallic-radical reactivity is also described, along with relevant examples. II. Palladium-Catalyzed Intermolecular Heck-Type Cross-Couplings of Unactivated Alkyl Iodides A palladium-catalyzed, intermolecular Heck-type coupling of alkyl iodides and alkenes is described. This process is successful with a variety of primary and secondary unactivated alkyl iodides as reaction partners, including those with hydrogen atoms in the β position. The mild catalytic conditions enable intermolecular C-C bond formations with a diverse set of alkyl iodides and alkenes, including substrates containing base- or nucleophile-sensitive functionality. III. Manganese-Catalyzed Carboacylation of Alkenes Using Alkyl Iodides A manganese-catalyzed carboacylation of alkenes with alkyl halides and carbon monoxide is described. This reaction forms two C-C bonds in one step resulting in cyclized 5-, 6-, and 7-membered ring products. Primary and secondary unactivated iodides undergo reaction with a variety of alkene substitution patterns, including the formation of all-carbon quaternary centers. The reaction has promising applicability in organic synthesis due to the use of an inexpensive, earth-abundant catalyst and mild reaction conditions under low CO pressure.Doctor of Philosoph

Reactions to Supporters of the 2016 Presidential Candidates

Two experiments were carried out to explore responses to supporters of 2016 Presidential candidates. In Study 1, a field experiment was carried out on the effect of political affiliation on an individual’s willingness to reciprocate a smile. The prediction that more participants (90 females, 90 males) on the SHU campus would return a smile to confederates wearing Trump vs. Clinton vs. a Neutral t-shirt was not supported. In Study 2, 253 participants volunteered to participate in a social perception experiment in which they rated confederates wearing a neutral, Trump, or Clinton for President t-shirt. In line with the hypothesis, MANOVA results showed that Trump supporters were perceived as more prejudiced (p \u3c .003) and Clinton supporters as more liberal (p \u3c .000)

Reevaluation of the Phylogenetic Diversity and Global Distribution of the Genus "Candidatus Accumulibacter"

“Candidatus Accumulibacter” was the first microorganism identified as a polyphosphate-accumulating organism (PAO) important for phosphorus removal from wastewater. Members of this genus are diverse, and the current phylogeny and taxonomic framework appear complicated, with most publicly available genomes classified as “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis,” despite notable phylogenetic divergence. The ppk1 marker gene allows for a finer-scale differentiation into different “types” and “clades”; nevertheless, taxonomic assignments remain inconsistent across studies. Therefore, a comprehensive reevaluation is needed to establish a common understanding of this genus, in terms of both naming and basic conserved physiological traits. Here, we provide this reassessment using a comparison of genome, ppk1, and 16S rRNA gene-based approaches from comprehensive data sets. We identified 15 novel species, along with “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis,” “Candidatus Accumulibacter delftensis,” and “Candidatus Accumulibacter aalborgensis.” To compare the species in situ, we designed new species-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes and revealed their morphology and arrangement in activated sludge. Based on the MiDAS global survey, “Ca. Accumulibacter” species were widespread in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with phosphorus removal, indicating process design as a major driver for their abundance. Genome mining for PAO-related pathways and FISH-Raman microspectroscopy confirmed the potential for PAO metabolism in all “Ca. Accumulibacter” species, with detection in situ of the typical PAO storage polymers. Genome annotation further revealed differences in the nitrate/nitrite reduction pathways. This provides insights into the niche differentiation of these lineages, potentially explaining their coexistence in the same ecosystem while contributing to overall phosphorus and nitrogen removal. IMPORTANCE “Candidatus Accumulibacter” is the most studied PAO, with a primary role in biological nutrient removal. However, the species-level taxonomy of this lineage is convoluted due to the use of different phylogenetic markers or genome sequencing approaches. Here, we redefined the phylogeny of these organisms, proposing a comprehensive approach which could be used to address the classification of other diverse and uncultivated lineages. Using genome-resolved phylogeny, compared to phylogeny based on the 16S rRNA gene and other phylogenetic markers, we obtained a higher-resolution taxonomy and established a common understanding of this genus. Furthermore, genome mining of genes and pathways of interest, validated in situ by application of a new set of FISH probes and Raman microspectroscopy, provided additional high-resolution metabolic insights into these organisms

Re-evaluation of the phylogenetic diversity and global distribution of the genus Candidatus Accumulibacter

“Candidatus Accumulibacter” was the first microorganism identified as a polyphosphate-accumulating organism (PAO) important for phosphorus removal from wastewater. Members of this genus are diverse, and the current phylogeny and taxonomic framework appear complicated, with most publicly available genomes classified as “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis,” despite notable phylogenetic divergence. The ppk1 marker gene allows for a finer-scale differentiation into different “types” and “clades”; nevertheless, taxonomic assignments remain inconsistent across studies. Therefore, a comprehensive reevaluation is needed to establish a common understanding of this genus, in terms of both naming and basic conserved physiological traits. Here, we provide this reassessment using a comparison of genome, ppk1, and 16S rRNA gene-based approaches from comprehensive data sets. We identified 15 novel species, along with “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis,” “Candidatus Accumulibacter delftensis,” and “Candidatus Accumulibacter aalborgensis.” To compare the species in situ, we designed new species-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes and revealed their morphology and arrangement in activated sludge. Based on the MiDAS global survey, “Ca. Accumulibacter” species were widespread in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with phosphorus removal, indicating process design as a major driver for their abundance. Genome mining for PAO-related pathways and FISH-Raman microspectroscopy confirmed the potential for PAO metabolism in all “Ca. Accumulibacter” species, with detection in situ of the typical PAO storage polymers. Genome annotation further revealed differences in the nitrate/nitrite reduction pathways. This provides insights into the niche differentiation of these lineages, potentially explaining their coexistence in the same ecosystem while contributing to overall phosphorus and nitrogen removal. IMPORTANCE “Candidatus Accumulibacter” is the most studied PAO, with a primary role in biological nutrient removal. However, the species-level taxonomy of this lineage is convoluted due to the use of different phylogenetic markers or genome sequencing approaches. Here, we redefined the phylogeny of these organisms, proposing a comprehensive approach which could be used to address the classification of other diverse and uncultivated lineages. Using genome-resolved phylogeny, compared to phylogeny based on the 16S rRNA gene and other phylogenetic markers, we obtained a higher-resolution taxonomy and established a common understanding of this genus. Furthermore, genome mining of genes and pathways of interest, validated in situ by application of a new set of FISH probes and Raman microspectroscopy, provided additional high-resolution metabolic insights into these organisms