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Stability and Structure of Potentially Atmospherically Relevant Glycine Ammonium Bisulfate Clusters
Get PDFNew particle formation (NPF) is the process by which trace atmospheric acids and bases cluster and grow into particles that ultimately impact climate. Sulfuric acid concentration drives NPF, but nitrogen-containing bases promote the formation of more stable clusters via salt bridge formation. Recent computational efforts have suggested that amino acids can enhance NPF, predicting that they can stabilize new particles via multiple protonation sites, but there has yet to be experimental validation of these predictions. We used mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy to study the structure and stability of cationic clusters composed of glycine, sulfuric acid, and ammonia. When collisionally activated, clusters were significantly more likely to eliminate ammonia or sulfuric acid than glycine, while quantum chemical calculations predicted lower binding free energies for ammonia but similar binding free energies for glycine and sulfuric acid. These calculations predicted several low-energy structures, so we compared experimental and computed vibrational spectra to attempt to validate the computationally predicted minimum energy structure. Unambiguous identification of the experimental structure by comparison to these calculations was made difficult by the complexity of the experimental spectra and the fact that the identity of the computed lowest-energy structure depended strongly on temperature.If their vapors are present, amino acids are likely to be enriched in new particles by displacing more weakly bound ammonia, similar to the behavior of other atmospheric amines. The carboxylic acid groups were found to preferentially interact with other carboxylic acids, suggesting incipient organic/inorganic phase separation even at these small sizes
Miss Nancy
Get PDFAfter more than 35 years as a mentor and best friend to thousands of Furman students, Nancy Cooper is retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year
Kerstin Blomquist and Andy Coe
No full texthttps://scholarexchange.furman.edu/cothran/1009/thumbnail.jp
With Open Arms
Get PDFRev. Edward McCutcheon brings a philosophy of presence, understanding and dialogue to Furman\u27s Wesley Fellowship
Exploring Decision-Making in Caenorhabditis elegans: Utilization of Critical Thinking Skills in Navigating Dichotomous Environments
No full textAll living organisms thrive off of the survival choices they make and the factors they prioritize, but how exactly do they choose between scenarios where they must consider multiple factors? This study investigates decision-making in Caenorhabditis elegans, aiming to understand their utilization of critical-thinking skills when making nuanced choices. Despite their simple nervous system, C. elegans express behaviors indicating a level of advanced cognitive understanding, making them ideal models for studying decision-making processes. The experiment consisted of five separate petri-dish tests, each with three sections, side A and side B (containing natural or UV light and/or E.coli or ethanol) and the middle. It was hypothesized that when the C. elegans faced the dichotomous environments, they would demonstrate some critical-thinking by choosing sides with more beneficial conditions, even if it meant going against natural instincts, rather than settling for the unfavorable side’s lesser benefits. Results revealed that the nematodes demonstrated some critical-thinking, as a majority of the worms in each group chose environments favorable to their long term wellness over immediate dangers. Notably, their choice to move to a side at all was a thought-out decision on its own, as the control revealed that most worms remained in the center without external stimuli. Statistical-analysis revealed the significance of this data, suggesting there was a deliberate decision-making process involved. These findings can help advance the understanding of thought processes and priorities for all organisms, and can help improve future C. elegans experiments by taking their advanced neural capabilities into consideration
ISP or Personal Wireless Router in a Home Environment
No full textDue to the increasing development of internet of things (IoT) devices in the world and the COVID-19 pandemic the needs for more efficient internet speeds and security have never been so prevalent. Increasing usage of the internet is leading to an expected 73.1 zettabytes worth of internet data by 2025 and this can lead to speed issues and also security risks. Understanding wireless technology such as 5G and WiFi-6 is important in picking out a reliable router for an at home environment,especially if individuals work from home. This research is discovering whether or not knowledge of wireless technology influences a consumer’s choice in wireless router. This research is different from others because it is taking the research of not only speed but security as well and will be used to demonstrate the differences between personal wireless routers and Internet service provider routers. A survey was conducted to find out whether or not a person used their personal wireless router or ISP router in their household. Then a case study was conducted to decide whether or not an increase in knowledge of wireless technology would alter their choice of router. A final survey was conducted in person at the end of the case study to find out whether their choice has changed. Through a Chi-Square test, it was determined that a higher knowledge of wireless technology will lead to a preference for personal wireless routers
Bark Guard
No full textMany pet owners do not have an efficient and safe way to let their pets in and out when they are not home, which makes them susceptible to getting illnesses such as pneumonia. Often this can cause many people to not own pets as they do not have a quick and safe way to make sure their pet is inside or outside. According to Michelle Megna, an Insurance analyst and journalist, 44.5% of US households own a pet, so this product would affect a lot of people. Our project aims to give pet owners the ability to control a pet door when their pet needs to go in and out by notifying the owner of their need. The owner will be able to see their dog on their phone from a camera and they will be able to control if the door opens or not. This product should make it much easier for pet owners to keep their pets safe and healthy while not taking too much time out of their busy schedules. This also prevents other creatures from getting into the house. Our goal is to make a dependable product that is easy to use and install
Designing a double winch UAV delivery hook with a winch for lowering and a winch for releasing loads
No full textDrone deliveries are becoming increasingly more popular among delivery transport companies. Currently, Walmart, a leading company in drone delivery services in the United States, have delivered more than 6000 recorded drone deliveries from 36 different drone delivery hubs. Despite the popularity of these deliveries, these drones are still held back by a low weight capacity, manual release, and a dependency on human assistance. These issues reduce the potential for a more widespread use of drone deliveries, because they limit the options of payloads. The capabilities of this prototype increase weight capacity, add an automatic release on ground detection, and reduce dependency on human assistance. These both increase the potential for drone deliveries, and get technology closer to a fully automated drone delivery service. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to design a UAV release mechanism that had a high weight capacity, consistent securing, and an automatic release on ground detection. The device was designed by using a hollow outer ring with a gap in the bottom middle, and an inner ring inside the outer ring that closed and opened the gap. A motor that activated on ground detection pulled the inner ring when the device is on the ground, and releases the ring when the device is suspended. To test the device for its functionality, a payload was attached by rope inside the ring. The results found that the device successfully functioned while holding a 10 kilogram payload. This prototype shows that with some added capabilities, delivery UAVs could have a broader range of payloads and could get closer to automated delivery