Under the Queen’s Throne: Analysis of \u3cem\u3eThe Lily of Life\u3c/em\u3e

This essay explores one of the older fairy tales that is not widely known by many people. The Lily of Life, published in 1913 and written by Queen Marie of Romania, touches on several topics that are still in effect in today’s society. The fairy tale is about a royal family with beautiful twin sisters and happily married queen and king; however, a brave young prince challenges the happiness. The adventure one of the sisters takes to save the prince reveals the hidden meanings, morals, and values of the story. The further research of author Seth Lerer has been applied to the analysis to connect to find similar contents in The Lily of Life and Puritanism. This also serves the purpose to discover further into Queen Marie’s psychology and the culture. The findings create another dimension of analysis by reading the magical fairy tales through realistic lenses

Folding Mechanism of Small Proteins

Extensive Monte Carlo folding simulations for four proteins of various structural classes are carried out, using a single atomistic potential. In all cases, collapse occurs at a very early stage, and proteins fold into their native-like conformations at appropriate temperatures. The results demonstrate that the folding mechanism is controlled not only by thermodynamic factors but also by kinetic factors: The way a protein folds into its native structure, is also determined by the convergence point of early folding trajectories, which cannot be obtained by the free energy surface.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Collapse transition of a square-lattice polymer with next nearest-neighbor interaction

We study the collapse transition of a polymer on a square lattice with both nearest-neighbor and next nearest-neighbor interactions, by calculating the exact partition function zeros up to chain length 36. The transition behavior is much more pronounced than that of the model with nearest-neighbor interactions only. The crossover exponent and the transition temperature are estimated from the scaling behavior of the first zeros with increasing chain length. The results suggest that the model is of the same universality class as the usual theta point described by the model with only nearest-neighbor interaction.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Developing a Framework for Methanol Supply Chain Optimization Incorporating Renewable Production Technologies: A Case Study of Texas

Solving the environmental and societal problems associated with rising greenhouse gas (GHS) emissions and climate change are crucialchallenges our global society is currently facingin order tosecurea sustainable future.A potential solution to this global issueis the conversion of carbon free thermal and kinetic energy from the sun and wind into a manageable energy such as electricity. However, the intermittent natural ofsolar and wind energies greatly hinders the practical application of renewable technologies into electricity generation. Hence, theconversion of renewable energy into anenergy carriers, specificallymethanol,is investigated in this research. A Mixed Integral Linear Programming (MILP) model was developedas a framework for renewable energy generated methanol to meet the electricity demands of Texas.Renewable energy potentials of solar (kWh/m^2/day) and wind (m/s)and associated capacity factorswere consideredper county of Texas. Themodel calculatesall the costs associated with building and operating the selected renewable power plants, electrolyzer systems, methanol production plants, Carbon Capture Unit (CCU) for Carbon Dioxide (COv2) capture and compression, and transportation costs of water, Carbon Dioxide (COv2), and product. The total cost wasminimized to identify the most optimal locations of plantconstruction for renewable energy generated methanol. Based on the results of this supply chain optimization model, the Levelized Costof Energy (LCOE) for the production of renewable energy generated methanol to meet the demands of the top five energy consuming counties of Texas isestimated to be $29.58/GJ to$30.92/GJ without thesaleof Oxygen(Ov2)gas and $25.09/GJ to$26.28/GJ withthe sale ofOxygen. The sale of Oxygen is only considered at a 50% discount price of current selling priceto consider the price elasticity of the market.Wind power plantswas selected over solar power plants for methanol productionwhich showed that wind energy was more cost competitive than solar energy. A rudimentary case study was conducted to calculate theLCOE ofsolar energy poweredmethanol productionwhich is roughly $38/GJto meet the 44 % of total energy consumption of Texas. Further work can be doneon the supply chain networkto compare thecostcompetitiveness ofmethanol production asenergy carriersto that of hydrogen production

Between Nationalism and Internationalism; Yun Ch'I-ho and the YMCA in Colonial Korea

Studies of the Korean YMCA during the Colonial Period (1903–1938) have revolved around the popular theme of nationalism, solidifying the view that the YMCA was the paragon of a patriotic organization. Research on its first Korean General Secretary as well as longtime President, Yun Ch’i-ho, however, has shown a proclivity to echo the judgment of the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities in Korea that Yun collaborated with Japanese colonial schemes. Such studies polarize interpretations of one historical phenomenon by separating the institution and its key player, thereby either promoting or vilifying the two entities. In response, this study investigates the common ground between the two seemingly paradoxical topics, the Korean YMCA and Yun Ch’i-ho. This approach illumines the interplay of mission history and Korean history, giving voice to the YMCA missionaries and to Yun Ch’i-ho, both of whom have often been sidelined by historiographies that emphasize collaboration xi with colonialism. Archival sources reveal that the Christian internationalism of both the YMCA and Yun Ch’i-ho promoted Korea’s national reconstruction, even under Japanese colonialism. In order to understand the development of Yun Ch’i-ho’s Christian internationalism, this study begins by examining his interactions with Christian missionaries and missionary statesmen in China and the U.S. It also details the way in which Yun’s vision of national regeneration was integrated with his newly-absorbed Christian thought. The next chapter examines how Christian internationalism shaped Yun’s national reconstruction enterprises. The dissertation then analyzes the methods, messages, and dilemmas of the Korean YMCA as a Christian missionary organization consistent with Yun’s aspirations for Korean reforms, first manifested in the Kapsin Coup (1884) and then in the Independence Club (1896–1898). The final chapter briefly portrays the paralysis of the YMCA and Yun under a deified Japanese nationalism that ousted the YMCA missionaries from, and dismissed Christian internationalism in colonial Korea. The dissertation demonstrates how Christianity, through the vehicle of the YMCA and Yun Ch’i-ho, mediated both Koreans’ aspiration for national reconstruction and international missionaries’ vision for building the kingdom of God

Tensile Behavior and Cracking Pattern of an Ultra-High Performance Mortar Reinforced by Polyethylene Fiber

This paper presents an experimental study of the compressive strength, tensile behavior (including the tensile strength, tensile strain capacity, and toughness), and cracking patterns of an ultra-high performance mortar (UHPM) reinforced by polyethylene (PE) fiber as well as a discussion of the different tensile behaviors of the UHPM according to the types and contents of fibers used. The UHPM reinforced by microsteel fiber of 1.5 vol% and the UHPM reinforced by PE fibers with three different fiber contents were designed and prepared. A series of experiments was undertaken to assess the effect of PE fiber on the properties of the UHPM. The results found a lower strength level, higher tensile strain capacity and toughness, and a larger crack width in the PE fiber-reinforced UHPM compared to microsteel fiber-reinforced UHPM. It was also demonstrated that tensile strain capacity and toughness of 4.05% and 0.454 MPa m/m, respectively, can be attained when using the proposed polyethylene-fiber-reinforced UHPM