Metal-air cells comprising collapsible foam members and means for minimizing internal pressure buildup

This invention provides a prismatic zinc-air cell including, in general, a prismatic container having therein an air cathode, a separator and a zinc anode. The container has one or more oxygen access openings, and the air cathode is disposed in the container in gaseous communication with the oxygen access openings so as to allow access of oxygen to the cathode. The separator has a first side in electrolytic communication with the air cathode and a second side in electrolytic communication with the zinc anode. The separator isolates the cathode and the zinc anode from direct electrical contact and allows passage of electrolyte therebetween. An expansion chamber adjacent to the zinc anode is provided which accommodates expansion of the zinc anode during discharge of the cell. A suitable collapsible foam member generally occupies the expansion space, providing sufficient resistance tending to oppose movement of the zinc anode away from the separator while collapsing upon expansion of the zinc anode during discharge of the cell. One or more vent openings disposed in the container are in gaseous communication with the expansion space, functioning to satisfactorily minimize the pressure buildup within the container by venting gasses expelled as the foam collapses during cell discharge

Emergency Toll-Free Telephone Services Part 2: A Police Line in Papua New Guinea

This In Brief presents a case study of a toll-free police telephone service that has been established in Papua New Guinea (PNG). A companion piece (Part 1) outlined some of the key challenges encountered when setting up and operating such telephone services in challenging contexts. IB 2020/09AusAI

Fish Assemblages and Benthic Biota Associated with Natural Hard-Bottom Areas in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

We report new observations of fish and benthic invertebrate assemblages at shallow-water (\u3c35 m depth), hard-bottom sites in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The biota of these previously unstudied areas and of three high-relief features in deeper water was observed during May 1980 using a combination of diver reconnaissance, videotape surveys, still-camera photography, and collection of invertebrates for identification. The six hard-bottom sites in shallow water typically comprised, small, often patchy, rock outcrops, and the associated sessile invertebrates included hydroids, bryozoans, sponges, octocorals, and ahermatypic stony corals. Sea urchins and arrow crabs were the most common motile epifauna. Fish assemblages were typified by red snapper, Atlantic spadefish, blue runner gray triggerfish, sheepshead, and tomtate. Three deeper stations had many of the same fish and invertebrate species, but also possessed a more tropical assemblage including fire corals, antipatharians, spiny lobsters, and a variety of tropical fish species. Hermatypic corals characteristic of some large, offshore banks were not abundant at any of the sites. Differences in the composition of fish assemblages between nearshore and deeper stations parallel those previously observed at petroleum platforms in the area. Shallow-water stations presumably experience a greater seasonal temperature range and lower absolute temperatures in winter and may be exposed to stresses such a lowered salinity and depleted oxygen levels due to their relative proximity to Mississippi River discharge. The fauna of these shallow hard-bottom sites has predominantly warm-temperate rather than tropical affinities

Ultramicrobacteria Genome Database Project

Ultramicrobacteria (UMB) are a largely uncultured, globally abundant, and metabolically active group of bacteria. UMB have cell diameters ≤0.3μm, cell volumes ≤0.1 μm3, and small streamlined genomes. Recent findings indicate that UMB aid in bioremediation and nutrient cycling, but future investigations and comprehension of current findings are skewed by highly variable nomenclature and a lack of databases for functional, genomic, geochemical, or spatial data specific to candidate UMB. We aim to develop a user-friendly open-access database of various UMB candidates linked to an open-access online map where researchers can gather genomic, spatial, and geochemical data. Our comprehensive review of literature and genomic databases revealed several mis-identified UMB candidates, unique highly-conserved fermentation pathways, and novel membrane proteins. We are actively updating this resource and working to link this database to the K-base bioinformatics platform on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Supercomputer. This database is one of the first steps towards further investigations of the function, structure, and potential biotechnical applications of UMB

Fluctuation-induced force in homogeneous isotropic turbulence.

Understanding force generation in nonequilibrium systems is a notable challenge in statistical physics. We uncover a fluctuation-induced force between two plates immersed in homogeneous isotropic turbulence using direct numerical simulations. The force is a nonmonotonic function of plate separation. The mechanism of force generation reveals an intriguing analogy with fluctuation-induced forces: In a fluid, energy and vorticity are localized in regions of defined length scales. When varying the distance between the plates, we exclude energy structures modifying the overall pressure on the plates. At intermediate plate distances, the intense vorticity structures (worms) are forced to interact in close vicinity between the plates. This interaction affects the pressure in the slit and the force between the plates. The combination of these two effects causes a nonmonotonic attractive force with a complex Reynolds number dependence. Our study sheds light on how length scale-dependent distributions of energy and high-intensity vortex structures determine Casimir forces