Investigating the Chickadee \u3ci\u3eEthos\u3c/i\u3e.

Morality, as used within this dissertation, is conceptualized as having two distinct components – a shared, norm-based, cultural component and a subjective, character-based, emotion-based component. Using this dual-aspect model of morality, we examine the roots of morality using a comparative, 5th-Aim Ethological framework. This ethological framework was applied to study possible emotional states of the Carolina chickadees. Three experiments are presented which attempt to identify the most likely proximate emotion for the general call of the foraging chickadees. These studies examined food presence, food type and volume, and vocal cues of predator presence. Our data suggest that a homeostatic-related emotion is unlikely to be a significant proximate emotion for the general call of the chickadee in response to food discovery. A modest amount of evidence is also presented which suggests that threat-based motivation is not the dominant proximate emotion for the general call of the Carolina chickadee. In light of these findings, new motivational hypotheses are presented that may explain the subjective motivation elements preceding the chickadee call. We conclude with some scientific and philosophical parallels of our morality model, and some implications for the scientific investigation of morality

Mn-based borohydride synthesized by ball-milling KBH4 and MnCl2 for hydrogen storage

AbstractIn this work, a mixed-cation borohydride (K2Mn(BH4)4) with P21/n structure was successfully synthesized by mechanochemical milling of the 2KBH4–MnCl2 sample under argon. The structural and thermal decomposition properties of the borohydride compounds were investigated using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, TGA-MS and DSC. Apart from K2Mn(BH4)4, the KMnCl3 and unreacted KBH4 compounds were present in the milled 2KBH4–MnCl2. The two mass loss regions were observed for the milled sample: one was from 100 to 160 °C with a 1.6 ± 0.1 wt% loss (a release of majority hydrogen and trace diborane), which was associated with the decomposition of K2Mn(BH4)4 to form KBH4, boron, and finely dispersed manganese; the other was from 165 to 260 °C with a 1.9 ± 0.1 wt% loss (only hydrogen release), which was due to the reaction of KBH4 with KMnCl3 to give KCl, boron, finely dispersed manganese. Simultaneously, the formed KCl could dissolve in KBH4 to yield a K(BH4)xCl1−x solid solution, and also react with KMnCl3 to form a new compound K4MnCl6

Effects of low Ag additions on the hydrogen permeability of Pd–Cu–Ag hydrogen separation membranes

AbstractPd–Cu alloys are of potential interest for use as hydrogen purification membranes, but have relatively low permeability compared to the commercially used alloys such as Pd–Ag. In this work, the effects of partial Ag substitution on the hydrogen diffusivity, solubility and the permeability of Pd–Cu membranes with a bcc structure have been investigated. With the addition of 2.3 and 3.9at% Ag to Pd–Cu, lattice expansions of 0.11% and 0.35% were observed. Structural analyses by in-situ XRD showed that the bcc structure of the 2.3at% Ag alloy is retained upon heating to 600°C, whereas an fcc phase forms in the 3.9at% Ag alloy resulting in a mixed (bcc+fcc) structure. Whilst the diffusion coefficients between 350 and 400°C for both Pd–Cu–Ag ternary samples were shown to be lower than their binary alloys (which had similar structures), higher solubility values were obtained. The lower diffusion coefficients of the ternary alloys are related to an increase in the diffusion activation barrier in the presence of Ag, and the higher solubility values may be attributed to the lattice expansion and high Ag–H chemical interaction. Hydrogen permeation measurements showed that an enhancement in the hydrogen solubility of the bcc phase Pd45.8Cu51.9Ag2.3, does not have a substantial effect on the permeability of the membrane. In contrast, for the Pd45.1Cu51Ag3.9 sample with a mixed (bcc+fcc) phase, higher hydrogen solubility can lead to a remarkable improvement in permeability. Hence, it is suggested that the hydrogen permeability in the bcc phase is mainly controlled by hydrogen diffusion, and the solubility enhancement can only significantly improve the hydrogen permeability when the fcc phase is present