Impact of Several Chemical and Physical Properties of Two H-Coal Recycle Solvent Streams on Their Relative Solvent Quality

The purpose of this study was to follow the solvent quality curve of the recycle solvent streams of the H-Coal Pilot Plant run by Ashland Petroleum Company at Catlettsburg, Kentucky. This was done with the use of a microautoclave (shaker-bomb liquefaction unit). Several physical and chemical properties of these recycle oils were determined, and these values were correlated with the observed solvent quality. It is shown that the relative, solvent quality of these recycle oils correlate well with many of the chemical and some of the physical properties determined in this study

Regulatory Aspects of Electronic Charting The Perspective of the United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency

The development of electronic charting systems is one of the most exciting applications of marine technology to have taken place since the widespread introduction of radar aboard merchant ships in the aftermath of World War II. Such systems bring a new dimension to bridge watchkeeping and navigation through the integration of satellite position fixing and other shipboard sensors with advanced, electronically-derived, chart information. Properly implemented, electronic charts have a tremendous amount to offer the mariner for effective, safe and efficient navigation. This paper seeks to identify the current legal status of electronic charts within the UK’s merchant shipping regulatory regime to ensure that shipping companies and mariners, taking advantage of such systems, do so within the law

Answers in Diagenesis: Assessing Mussel Shell Diagenesis in the Modern Vadose Zone at Lyon\u27s Bluff (22Ok520), Northeast Mississippi

This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at Lyon\u27s Bluff, located in east-central Mississippi, changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell, and the effect bacteria have on archaeological freshwater shell. Thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, cathodoluminescence, and scanning electron microscopy were conducted on archaeological shell from four layers from Unit 20N20W, with a depth of 80 cm spanning 450 years. ICP-MS analysis was also conducted on a modern freshwater shell. Results of the microscopy indicate pristine crystal structure. ICP-MS data show that certain trace elements within the shell maintain their concentration after firing at 500°C. The broader implications are: 1) that diagenetic alteration does not hinder chemical sourcing of shell at Lyon’s Bluff, and 2) that certain trace elements are more reliable than others, namely Sr2+, Al2+, Ba2+, and Mn2+, when conducting provenance studies on shell temper

Neural Attractors and Phonological Grammar

This volume collects three articles which constitute the bulk of my PhD research. The overarching theme of the volume is the role of attractors - a concept from dynamical systems theory – in the neural realization of phonological grammar. The motivation for this line of inquiry begins with the claim that the study of language should provide some insight into the workings of the human mind/brain. Indeed this is one of few mantras shared by linguists of the seemingly irreconcilable “Generative” and “Cognitive” schools (e.g. Chomsky 2002; Lakoff 1988). Given this apparent consensus then, it is perhaps surprising that no breakthrough in our understanding of the brain can yet be attributed to some insight from the study of language. An analysis and critique of this state of affairs is given by Poeppel & Embick (2005), who identify (amongst other things) that we currently have no way of relating the ontologies of linguistics and neuroscience. This Ontological Incommensurability Problem (OIP) can be resolved, they argue, by the use of a Linking Hypothesis, which spells out linguistic computations at the relevant level of algorithmic abstraction, such that the neuroscientist need only find the exact implementations of those algorithms in the brain. If such a hypothesis were sufficiently complete then it could, in principle, predict the kinds of neural configurations required for natural language processing, using linguistic theories as their starting point. In this way, we could finally realize the long sought-after goal of cashing in theories of language for understanding of the human brain. Simultaneously, a Linking Hypothesis also has the potential to unearth lower-level explanations for linguistic phenomena, for example where those explanations might depend on purely neurobiological notions (e.g. neuronal morphology, synaptic density, metabolic efficiency, etc.)

The phonological latching network

Source: https://www.biolinguistics.eu/index.php/biolinguistics/issue/view/34This paper gives an analysis of an attractor neural network model dubbed the Phonological Latching Network. The model appears to reproduce certain quintessentially phonological phenomena, despite not having any of these phonological behaviours programmed or taught to the model. Rather, assimilation, segmental-OCP, and sonority sequencing appear to emerge spontaneously from the combination of a few basic brain-like ingredients with a phonology-like feature system. The significance of this can be interpreted from two angles: firstly, the fact that the model spontaneously produces attested natural language patterns can be taken as evidence of the model’s neural and psychological plausibility; and secondly, it provides a potential explanation for why these patters appear to frequently in natural language grammars. Namely, they are a consequence of latching dynamics in the brain

The Phonological Latching Network

This paper gives an analysis of an attractor neural network model dubbed the Phonological Latching Network. The model appears to reproduce certain quintessentially phonological phenomena, despite not having any of these phonological behaviours programmed or taught to the model. Rather, assimilation, segmental-OCP, and sonority sequencing appear to emerge spontaneously from the combination of a few basic brain-like ingredients with a phonology-like feature system. The significance of this can be interpreted from two angles: firstly, the fact that the model spontaneously produces attested natural language patterns can be taken as evidence of the model’s neural and psychological plausibility; and secondly, it provides a potential explanation for why these patters appear to frequently in natural language grammars. Namely, they are a consequence of latching dynamics in the brain

The Effects of Phosphorous and Selenium Treatments on Arsenic Uptake and Plant Growth in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Phosphorus (P) and Selenium (Se) supplementation to rice plants grown in Arsenic (As) contaminated conditions as be found by many studies to reduce As uptake and benefit growth in such conditions, however there are some inconsistencies as to how effective these treatments are. This study investigates the effect of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and double the recommended concentration of P and Se on the growth of rice seedlings both with and without the presence of As over a maximum 20 day period. Analysis of the growth data collected indicated that there is no significant difference in the leaf, maximum and minimum root lengths, leaf and root numbers or the As content of the plant material. This study finds that different concentrations of P and Se do not affect growth at early stages and do not affect As uptake

Characterization of Particulate Matter Species in an Area Impacted by Aggregate and Limestone Mining North of San Antonio, TX, USA

Aggregate and limestone mining in San Antonio\u27s Bexar and Comal counties in Texas, USA, has caused considerable health concerns as of late. Aggregate mining actions can result in localized air quality issues in any neighborhood. Furthermore, heavy truck traffic, hauling, and transportation of the mined material contribute to pollution. In this research, PM species were sampled at four locations north of the San Antonio city limits. The data were collected using a TSI Air Quality Sampler that sampled PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and relative humidity. Continuous data with 1 min averages were recorded during the study period from August to September 2019. The instrument was stationed at every location for a period of 7 days each. The four locations were a ranch, an open field, a residential compound, and an elementary school. PM1 and PM2.5 concentration levels were lower compared to PM10 concentrations at all four studied sites. Our results suggest that PM concentrations are primarily impacted by mining activities. PM species were highest at the residential compound due to its proximity to an active mining area, resulting in deleterious health effects for neighbors living in the vicinity of the sampled site