Preparation and Analysis of Coal for Metals

The effect of sample preparation on the analysis of coal for metals is reported. Wet and dry ashing methods were investigated for the dissolution of coal samples. Nitric acid was the primary oxidizing acid. Sulfuric and perchloric acids were also used and their effect on the results is reported. Hydrofluoric acid was used to dissolve any siliceous material present in the coal. Different acid combinations were investigated for the dissolution of high temperature coal ash. The effect of particle size on oxidation was also investigated and the results are reported. A National Bureau of Standards’ coal sample was analyzed. The results were used to test the accuracy and precision of a method under investigation against an established method of analysis

Cheating by Video Game Participants

In this paper, I explore the concept of cheating in the medium of the video game. Why do people do it? How does online cheating differ from offline? The existence of cheat codes seems to imply that cheating is rampant and even encouraged - orperhaps it’s just that the codes are poorly named. I also look at criminal activity in games, and at some ways to reduce cheating activities in online games

Fitness Biasing for the Box Pushing Task

Anytime Learning with Fitness Biasing has been shown in previous works to be an effective tool for evolving hexapod gaits. In this paper, we present the use of Anytime Learning with Fitness Biasing to evolve the controller for a robot learning the box pushing task. The robot that was built for this task, was measured to create an accurate model. The model was used in simulation to test the effectiveness of Anytime Learning with Fitness Biasing for the box pushing task. This work is the first step in new research where an automated system to test the viability of Fitness Biasing will be created, as well as the first application of Fitness Biasing to a high level task such as box pushing

Scientific rationale for selecting northwest Isidis Planitia (14 deg - 17 deg N latitude, 278 deg - 281 deg longitude) as a potential Mars Pathfinder landing site

The northwest Isidis Basin offers a unique opportunity to land near a fretted terrain lowland/upland boundary that meets both the latitudinal and elevation requirements imposed on the spacecraft. The landing site lies east of erosional scarps and among remnant massif inselbergs of the Syrtis Major volcanic plains. The plains surface throughout Isidis exhibits abundant, low-relief mounds that are the local expression of the 'thumbprint terrain' that is common within a few hundred kilometers of the lowland/upland boundary. The massif inselbergs are not as numerous nor as massive as those fretted terrains to the northwest, so local slopes are not expected to be steep. Neither feature should pose a serious threat to the lander. Landing on or adjacent to one of these features would enhance the science return and would help to pinpoint the landing site in Viking and subsequent orbiter images by offering views of landmarks beyond the local horizon

DRM: A Publisher-Imposed Impediment to Progress, or a Legitimate Defense of Publisher/Author Intellectual Property Rights

Digital distribution of content provides clear advantages to all stakeholders in scholarly communications, but it also introduces new complexities and challenges. The exercise of control is a significant one. Is media — whether for scholarly or for entertainment purposes— going to be more open, instead of closed? Does stringent digital rights management (DRM) help or hinder the development and use of content? Do devices which enable broader and more immediate access to content affect pricing and control? How do librarians and publishers protect their interests, and ensure that content can be purchased, owned, and used most effectively? Representatives from book, journal, and multimedia publishers talk about how they’ve determined what (if any) DRM is appropriate for their content, and a librarian discusses the impact DRM (or lack thereof) has on scholarship

Plausible responses to the threat of rapid sea-level rise for the Thames Estuary

This paper considers the perceptions and responses of selected stakeholders to a scenarion of rapid rise in sea-level due to the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which could produce a global rise in sea-level of 5 to 6 metres. Through a process of dialogue involving one-to one interviews and a one-day policy exercise, we addressed influences on decision-making when information is uncertain and our ability to plan, prepare for and implement effective ways of coping with this extreme scenario. Through these interactions we hoped to uncover plausible responses to the scenario and identify potential weaknesses in our current flood management approaches to dealing with such an occurrence. By undertaking this exploratory exercise we hoped to find out whether this was a feasible way to deal with such a low probability but high consequence scenario. It was the process of finding a solution that interested us rather than the technical merits of one solution over another. We were not intending to produce definitive set of recommendations on how to respond but to gain insights into the process of making a decision, specifically what influences it and what assumptions are made.Sea level rise, London

Local Coordination Environments and Vibrational Dynamics of Protons in Hexagonal and Cubic Sc-Doped BaTiO3 Proton-Conducting Oxides

The proton local coordination environments and vibrational dynamics associated with the two order of magnitude change in proton conductivity in hydrated forms of hexagonal and cubic structured BaTi1-xScxO3Hx (0.16 < x < 0.7) were investigated using optical spectroscopy, neutron spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations. Whereas the cubic structure compositions display a single proton site, we show that protons occupy three distinct sites in compositions exhibiting the hexagonal structure. The principal site is characterized by interoctahedral hydrogen bonds, while two additional low occupancy sites are similar to those in the cubic structure, with classic intraoctahedral geometry. Furthermore, the proton hydrogen bond strength increases with decreasing scandium doping level. We infer from this that the stronger, more energetic hydrogen bonds in the hexagonal structure, resulting from proton sites with lower symmetry (lower multiplicity), are predominantly responsible for the significant reduction in macroscopic conductivity between cubic and hexagonal BaTi1-xScxO3Hx materials, rather than simply the absolute number of protons. Our findings are highly relevant to the field, clarifying the advantages of high-symmetry structures with high-multiplicity proton sites to favorable properties in ceramic proton-conducting oxides