Lead-oxygen closed-loop battery system

Calculations show that battery can deliver up to 35 watt-hours per pound, conventional lead-acid batteries deliver 10 to 15 watt-hours per pound. Weight reduction is due to replacement of solid lead-peroxide electrodes with metal current-collector screen, catalyst, and Teflon membrane

Crystal field states of Kondo lattice heavy fermions CeRuSn3 and CeRhSn3

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments have been carried out to determine the crystal field states of the Kondo lattice heavy fermions CeRuSn3 and CeRhSn3. Both the compounds crystallize in LaRuSn3-type cubic structure (space group Pm-3n) in which the Ce atoms occupy two distinct crystallographic sites with cubic (m-3) and tetragonal (-4m.2) point symmetries. The INS data of CeRuSn3 reveal the presence of a broad excitation centered around 6-8 meV which is accounted by a model based on crystal electric field (CEF) excitations. On the other hand, the INS data of isostructural CeRhSn3 reveal three CEF excitations around 7.0, 12.2 and 37.2 meV. The neutron intensity sum rule indicates that the Ce ions at both cubic and tetragonal Ce sites are in Ce3+ state in both CeRuSn3 and CeRhSn3. The CEF level schemes for both the compounds are deduced. We estimate the Kondo temperature T_K = 3.1(2) K for CeRuSn3 from neutron quasielastic linewidth in excellent agreement with that determined from the scaling of magnetoresistance which gives T_K = 3.2(1) K. For CeRhSn3 the neutron quasielastic linewidth gives T_K = 4.6 K. For both CeRuSn3 and CeRhSn3, the ground state of Ce3+ turns out to be a quartet for the cubic site and a doublet for the tetragonal site.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Trapped Liquid, Paleo-porosity and Formation Time Scale of a Chromitite-(Ortho)pyroxenite Cumulate Section, Bushveld, South Africa

To evaluate compaction and interstitial melt expulsion during cumulate formation, a 20 m cumulate section including the UG2 and UG3 chromitites from a 264 m drill core through the Upper Critical Zone of the Bushveld Complex (South Africa) has been studied. The cumulates in the studied section are as follows: 3 m plagioclase pyroxenite to pyroxenite, pegmatoid footwall pyroxenite at the lower contact to UG2, 0·7 m UG2 chromitite, 6·8 m pyroxenite, 0·24 m UG3 chromitite, 2·0 m plagioclase-rich pyroxenite changing locally to norite, the two 5 cm leader stringers UG3a and UG3b, and 7 m total of olivine pyroxenites grading into plagioclase pyroxenites. All pyroxenites are dominated by orthopyroxene (opx) and the cumulate sequence is topped by mottled anorthosite grading into norite. Stratigraphic concentrations of major and trace elements of 52 bulk-rock samples were determined. Bulk-rock Mg-numbers are 0·79-0·81 throughout the silicate cumulate units, and 0·40-0·46 in the chromitite layers. The stratigraphic distribution of six incompatible trace elements (K, Rb, Ba, Cs, Zr and Th) has been used to determine the amount of trapped liquid (FTL) or paleo-porosity in the cumulate rocks. Final porosities (volume fractions), based on averages from the six trace elements, are 0·06-0·33 in the pyroxenites. In chromitite layers, trapped melt fractions of 0·12-0·36 are calculated from incompatible trace element concentrations, but bulk SiO2 concentrations and X-ray tomography yield 0·04-0·17 higher porosities. Hence, the bulk silicate fraction in the chromitites may not necessarily correspond to the trapped liquid fraction, as poikilitic opx was crystallizing while the silicate melt still equilibrated. Using a previously derived experiment-based model for compaction time scales, gravitationally driven chemical compaction in the UG2-UG3-pyroxenite section is calculated to occur within 1-10 years. This time frame corresponds to the times necessary to cool a 20 m layer by 10-50°C, the temperature interval argued to encompass the liquidus and almost complete solidification. Compaction within a decade can in fact easily develop the paleo-porosities indirectly observed today and is probably stopped by crystallization of the interstitial liquid. Contrary to previous assertions, melt expulsion from the cumulate pile does not hinder compaction; calculated permeabilities would allow for the migration of an order of magnitude higher amount of melt than has to be expelled from the 20 m pile of cumulate. The pegmatoid zones in the chromitite footwalls enriched in incompatible trace elements are consistent with a collection of interstitial melts expelling from the underlying compacting pyroxenites. Their entrapment below the chromitite layers suggests that these act as permeability barriers. This is in part due to their finer grain size compared with the pyroxenites, but is mainly due to the crystallization of large poikilitic opx during compactio

Specialized antigen-presenting cells. Splenic-dendritic cells and peritoneal-exudate cells induced by mycobacteria activate effector T cells that are resistant to suppression

We have tested the ability of several types of trinitrophenyl (TNP)-labeled Ia+ cells to induce contact hypersensitivity (CS) after intravenous injection. Most labeled cell types (spleen cells, splenic macrophages, various types of peritoneal-exudate cells) not only fail to induce CS after this type of inoculation but, rather, activate T suppressor cells leading to specific immunological tolerance. Occasionally, some of these immunizing cells managed to bypass the T suppressor system and induced CS. In these cases the response was short-lived and could be blocked by concomitant injection of trinitrobenzelsulphonic acid (TNBS), a potent inducer of T suppressor cells. In sharp contrast to these results, TNP-labeled splenic dendritic cells and TNP-labeled peritoneal-exudate cells induced by complete Freund\u27s adjuvant had the following distinctive features: (a) They were always able to sensitize when injected intravenously, and the degree of sensitization they produced was roughly equivalent to that achieved by cutaneous application of picryl chloride, the chemically reactive form of TNP. (b) The response they elicited was long lived (i.e., lasted for \u3e3 wk). (c) Their sensitizing capacity could not be blocked by the concomitant injection of TNBS. (d) They elicited a response that could be adoptively transferred to untreated, normal recipients. These results indicate that the type of cell that first presents antigen to the immune system plays an important, even essential, role in determining the strength and duration of the subsequent immune response. In particular, the results suggest that some special antigen-presenting cells can induce a response that is relatively resistant to host suppressor mechanisms. Evidence that they do so by activating contrasuppressor cells is discussed

Impact of Agricultural and Trade Policy Reform on land-use within the EU

Land Economics/Use,

Scenario analysis for nutrient emission reduction in the European inland waters

International audienceDespite a large body of legislation, high nutrient loads are still emitted in European inland waters. In the present study we evaluate a set of alternative scenarios aiming at reducing nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from anthropogenic activities to all European Seas. In particular, we tested the full implementation of the European Urban Waste Water Directive, which controls emissions from point source. In addition, we associated the full implementation of this Directive with a ban of phosphorus-based laundry detergents. Then we tested two human diet scenarios and their impacts on nutrient emissions. We also developed a scenario based on an optimal use of organic manure. The impacts of all our scenarios were evaluated using a statistical model of nitrogen and phosphorus fate (GREEN) linked to an agro-economic model (CAPRI). We show that the ban of phosphorus-based laundry detergents coupled with the full implementation of the Urban Waste Water Directive is the most effective approach for reducing phosphorus emissions from human based activities. Concerning nitrogen, the highest reductions are obtained with the optimized use of organic manure

Linking an economic model for European agriculture with a mechanistic model to estimate nitrogen losses from cropland soil in Europe

International audienceFor the comprehensive assessment of the policy impact on greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils both socio-economic aspects and the environmental heterogeneity of the landscape are important factors that must be considered. We developed a modelling framework that links the large-scale economic model for agriculture CAPRI with the bio-geochemistry model DNDC to simulate greenhouse gas fluxes, carbon stock changes and the nitrogen budget of agricultural soils in Europe. The framework allows the ex-ante simulation of agricultural or agri-environmental policy impacts on wide range of environmental problems such as climate change (greenhouse gas emissions), air pollution and groundwater pollution. Those environmental impacts can be analysed in the context of economic and social indicators as calculated by the economic model. The methodology consists in four steps (i) the definition of appropriate calculation units that can be considered as homogeneous in terms of economic behaviour and environmental response; (ii) downscaling of regional agricultural statistics and farm management information from a CAPRI simulation run into the spatial calculation units; (iii) setting up of environmental model scenarios and model runs; and finally (iv) aggregating results for interpretation. We show first results of the nitrogen budget in cropland for the area of fourteen countries of the European Union. These results, in terms of estimated nitrogen fluxes, must still be considered as illustrative as needs for improvements in input data (e.g. the soil map) and management data (yield estimates) have been identified and will be the focus of future work. Nevertheless, we highlight inter-dependencies between farmer's choices of land uses and the environmental impact of different cultivation systems

Physical properties of noncentrosymmetric superconductor LaIrSi3: A {\mu}SR study

The results of heat capacity C_p(T, H) and electrical resistivity \rho(T,H) measurements down to 0.35 K as well as muon spin relaxation and rotation (\muSR) measurements on a noncentrosymmetric superconductor LaIrSi3 are presented. Powder neutron diffraction confirmed the reported noncentrosymmetric body-centered tetragonal BaNiSn3-type structure (space group I4\,mm) of LaIrSi3. The bulk superconductivity is observed below T_c = 0.72(1) K. The intrinsic \Delta C_e/\gamma_n T_c = 1.09(3) is significantly smaller than the BCS value of 1.43, and this reduction is accounted by the \alpha-model of BCS superconductivity. The analysis of the superconducting state C_e(T) data by the single-band \alpha-model indicates a moderately anisotropic order parameter with the s-wave gap \Delta(0)/k_B T_c = 1.54(2) which is lower than the BCS value of 1.764. Our estimates of various normal and superconducting state parameters indicate a weakly coupled electron-phonon driven type-I s-wave superconductivity in LaIrSi3. The \muSR results also confirm the conventional type-I superconductivity in LaIrSi3 with a preserved time reversal symmetry and hence a singlet pairing superconducting ground state.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Hamming weights and Betti numbers of Stanley-Reisner rings associated to matroids

To each linear code over a finite field we associate the matroid of its parity check matrix. We show to what extent one can determine the generalized Hamming weights of the code (or defined for a matroid in general) from various sets of Betti numbers of Stanley-Reisner rings of simplicial complexes associated to the matroid

Resolution of Acute Hydrocephalus and Migration of Neurocysticercosis Cyst with External Ventricular Drainage

Neurocysticercosis is endemic in the developing world, but is becoming more common in the US due to immigration. A 24-year-old man presented with acute hydrocephalus and headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Head CT revealed a 3rd ventricular cyst and immunological studies were suggestive of neurocysticercosis. EVD placement resulted in migration of the cyst interiorly and superiorly with return of normal CSF flow by MRI and resolution of symptoms. Review of this condition is important given increasing incidence in the United States