Ground Station Tracking System

One of the Eclipse Ballooning Project’s main goals was to stream live video of the eclipse to the internet. To accomplish this task a tracking antenna was built to follow the balloon payload. As an added challenge, the task had to be completed on a budget. The “ground station” is the center for communication between the payload and user. This system utilizes GPS position reports from the payload via the iridium network to determine the balloons position. The computer algorithm takes in additional GPS and IMU data from the ground station to determine a relative heading to orientate the antenna to point at the balloon payload. The heading and pitch are controlled with independent servos. These subsystems all jointly interact to keep the antenna pointed at the balloon to within a few degrees or the communication would be lost

Stretching the IR theoretical spectrum on Irish neutrality: a critical social constructivist framework

In a 2006 International Political Science Review article, entitled "Choosing to Go It Alone: Irish Neutrality in Theoretical and Comparative Perspective," Neal G. Jesse argues that Irish neutrality is best understood through a neoliberal rather than a neorealist international relations theory framework. This article posits an alternative "critical social constructivist" framework for understanding Irish neutrality. The first part of the article considers the differences between neoliberalism and social constructivism and argues why critical social constructivism's emphasis on beliefs, identity, and the agency of the public in foreign policy are key factors explaining Irish neutrality today. Using public opinion data, the second part of the article tests whether national identity, independence, ethnocentrism, attitudes to Northern Ireland, and efficacy are factors driving public support for Irish neutrality. The results show that public attitudes to Irish neutrality are structured along the dimensions of independence and identity, indicating empirical support for a critical social constructivist framework of understanding of Irish neutrality

Preliminary Research on Methods for Eradicating Autumn Olive

Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellate) is a deciduous shrub that is indigenous to China, Korea, and Japan. It was introduced into the United States in 1830, and today it is one of the most concerning invasive species. Autumn olive forms a dense canopy, creates poor soil conditions, reproduces rapidly and is dispersed quickly by birds. We began a transect study focusing on two goals: 1) to observe how Autumn olive affects the ecology of native species and 2) to find the most effective method to eradicate well established populations. We established fifteen 10 m2 plots and applied three treatments: destruction (cut out and spray entire plot with herbicide; N = 5), removal (cut out and paint stems with herbicide; N = 5), and control (original condition; N = 5). Prior to applying treatments to any plots, we recorded stem counts of all saplings and trees, stem diameter, vegetation and litter cover, canopy cover, and sapling and tree species. Considering the importance of mature deciduous trees in this community, the importance value of Ash trees (Genus Fraxinus) overwhelmingly exceeded any other species. Dense autumn olive populations coupled with the inevitable invasion of the emerald ash borer will have serious implications on forests with similar composition. Shade tolerance will play a major role in future of this forest, as autumn olive forms a dense canopy and prevents recruitment of species that are intolerant to shade

Ground Station Tracking System

One of the Eclipse Ballooning Project’s main goals was to stream live video of the eclipse to the internet. To accomplish this task a tracking antenna was built to follow the balloon payload. As an added challenge, the task had to be completed on a budget. The “ground station” is the center for communication between the payload and user. This system utilizes GPS position reports from the payload via the iridium network to determine the balloons position. The computer algorithm takes in additional GPS and IMU data from the ground station to determine a relative heading to orientate the antenna to point at the balloon payload. The heading and pitch are controlled with independent servos. These subsystems all jointly interact to keep the antenna pointed at the balloon to within a few degrees or the communication would be lost

Halide Non-Innocence and Direct Photo-Reduction of Ni(II) Enables Coupling of Aryl Chlorides in Dual Catalytic, Carbon-Heteroatom Bond Forming Reactions

Recent mechanistic studies of dual photoredox/Ni-catalyzed, light-driven cross-coupling reactions have found that the photocatalyst (PC) operates through either reductive quenching or energy transfer cycles. To date, reports invoking oxidative quenching cycles are comparatively rare and direct observation of such a quenching event has not been reported. However, when PCs with highly reducing excited states are used (e.g. Ir(ppy)3), photo-reduction of Ni(II) to Ni(I) is thermodynamically feasible. Recently, a unified reaction system using Ir(ppy)3 was developed for forming C–O, C–N, and C–S bonds under the same conditions, a prospect that is challenging with PCs that can photo-oxidize these nucleophiles. Herein, in a detailed mechanistic study of this system, we observe oxidative quenching of the PC (Ir(ppy)3 or a phenoxazine) via nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Speciation studies support that a mixture of Ni-bipyridine complexes form under the reaction conditions, and the rate constant for photoreduction increases when more than one ligand is bound. Oxidative addition of an aryl iodide was observed indirectly via oxidation of the resulting iodide by Ir(IV)(ppy)3. Intriguingly, persistence of the Ir(IV)/Ni(I) ion pair formed in the oxidative quenching step was found to be necessary to simulate the observed kinetics. Both bromide and iodide anions were found to reduce the oxidized form of the PC back to its neutral state. These mechanistic insights inspired the addition of a chloride salt additive, which was found to alter Ni speciation, leading to a 36-fold increase in the initial turnover frequency, enabling the coupling of aryl chlorides

Ideal CO₂/Light Gas Separation Performance of Poly(vinylimidazolium) Membranes and Poly(vinylimidazolium)-Ionic Liquid Composite Films

Six vinyl-based, imidazolium room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) monomers were synthesized and photopolymerized to form dense poly­(RTIL) membranes. The effect of polymer backbone (i.e., poly­(ethylene), poly­(styrene), and poly­(acrylate)) and functional cationic substituent (e.g., alkyl, fluoroalkyl, oligo­(ethylene glycol), and disiloxane) on ideal CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ membrane separation performance was investigated. The vinyl-based poly­(RTIL)­s were found to be generally less CO₂-selective compared to analogous styrene- and acrylate-based poly­(RTIL)­s. The CO₂ permeability of <i>n</i>-hexyl- (69 barrers) and disiloxane- (130 barrers) substituted vinyl-based poly­(RTIL)­s were found to be exceptionally larger than that of previously studied styrene and acrylate poly­(RTIL)­s. The CO₂ selectivity of oligo­(ethylene glycol)-functionalized vinyl poly­(RTIL)­s was enhanced, and the CO₂ permeability was reduced when compared to the <i>n</i>-hexyl-substituted vinyl-based poly­(RTIL). Nominal improvement in CO₂/CH₄ selectivity was observed upon fluorination of the <i>n</i>-hexyl vinyl-based poly­(RTIL), with no observed change in CO₂ permeability. However, rather dramatic improvements in both CO₂ permeability <i>and</i> selectivity were observed upon blending 20 mol % RTIL (emim Tf₂N) into the <i>n</i>-hexyl- and disiloxane-functionalized vinyl poly­(RTIL)­s to form solid–liquid composite films

Defective NOD2 peptidoglycan sensing promotes diet‐induced inflammation, dysbiosis, and insulin resistance

Abstract Pattern recognition receptors link metabolite and bacteria‐derived inflammation to insulin resistance during obesity. We demonstrate that NOD2 detection of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan (PGN) regulates metabolic inflammation and insulin sensitivity. An obesity‐promoting high‐fat diet (HFD) increased NOD2 in hepatocytes and adipocytes, and NOD2−/− mice have increased adipose tissue and liver inflammation and exacerbated insulin resistance during a HFD. This effect is independent of altered adiposity or NOD2 in hematopoietic‐derived immune cells. Instead, increased metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance in NOD2−/− mice is associated with increased commensal bacterial translocation from the gut into adipose tissue and liver. An intact PGN‐NOD2 sensing system regulated gut mucosal bacterial colonization and a metabolic tissue dysbiosis that is a potential trigger for increased metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance. Gut dysbiosis in HFD‐fed NOD2−/− mice is an independent and transmissible factor that contributes to metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance when transferred to WT, germ‐free mice. These findings warrant scrutiny of bacterial component detection, dysbiosis, and protective immune responses in the links between inflammatory gut and metabolic diseases, including diabetes