Thermochemical and biochemical biomass conversion activities

Considerable information has been collated on thermochemical biomass conversion activities around the world over the last 6 years and compiled into a database. This has been published in hard bound form covering 1984 to 1989 and made available as a text based computer file. The database has been maintained since 1989 and updated to early 1992. The results will be published in full when returns have been collated and input to the database. Meanwhile an analysis of the last three years has been carried out and is reported here. The database has been extended to cover biochemical conversion, and a preliminary analysis is included.     

High-order integration of smooth dynamical systems: Theory and numerical experiments

This paper describes a new class of algorithms for integrating linear second-order equations and those containing smooth non-linearities. The algorithms are based on a combination of ideas from standard Newmark integration methods and extrapolation techniques. For the algorithm to work, the underlying Newmark method must be stable, second-order accurate, and produce asymptotic error expansions for response quantities containing only even-ordered terms. It is proved that setting the Newmark parameter γ equal to 1/2 gives a desirable asymptotic expansion, irrespective of the setting for β. Numerical experiments are conducted for one linear and two non-linear applications.     

Computer Graphics for Ternary Phase Diagrams

A computer program has been developed for viewing ternary phase diagrams in full three-dimensional perspective. Several examples are given to demonstrate the utility of this program. The authors have also joined computer graphics techniques with the calculation and modeling of ternary systems. The computer graphics research is conducted in the overall context of experimental and theoretical work being done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in phase equilibria and thermodynamics.

     

Studies of sintering of coal ash relevant to pulverised coal utility boilers: 2. Preliminary studies of compressive strengths of fly ash sinters

The development of strength of pellets of fly ash with sintering temperature was investigated. Pellets heated below the shrinkage or electrical (Raask) sinter point did not develop strength over several hours. Hot crushing of pellets above the sinter point gave plastic deformation, presumably due to liquid on the particle surfaces. Cooling below the sinter point before crushing gave the same strength as crushing at room temperature, showing strength was due to solidification. Strength as a function of heat treatment temperature (1 h duration) above the sinter point went through a maximum, indicating that liquid is removed at higher temperature. SEM analysis of the cold pellets showed glassy sintering at conditions of maximum strength, and crystallization of mullite as strength decreased with higher heat treatment temperatures. Results suggest that iron silicate compositions increased the maximum sinter strength more than sodium silicate compositions. Water washing of fly ash reduced maximum strength. Addition of Na₂0 or surface films of sodium carbonate to a synthetic mineral mixture reduced the sinter point and led to strength development at lower temperatures: however, too high additions reduced the maximum strength.     

Memory for real-world scenes: The role of consistency with schema expectation.

This study tested the generalizability of the consistency effect to real-world settings. The consistency effect refers to the finding that items inconsistent with expectations are better recalled and recognized than items consistent with expectations. In two experiments, subjects walked into a graduate student's office or a preschool classroom. Half of the items in each setting were consistent with expectations about that setting, and half were inconsistent. A recall and a same-changed recognition memory test followed immediately or 1 day later. In both experiments, the consistency effect was affirmed; items inconsistent with expectations were significantly better recalled and recognized than items consistent with expectations. This result is discussed in terms of differences in the encoding processes that operate on inconsistent and consistent items. The present study extends the generalizability of results from picture memory studies to real-world settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Screening for neuropsychological impairment in alcoholics.

A short self-report instrument that could predict neuropsychological impairment in at-risk patients would be advantageous to clinicians treating alcoholics. Seventy-three Veterans Administration alcoholics and 36 control subjects were administered a 50-item self-report symptom checklist, the Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS); psychological measures of anxiety and depression; and a battery of neuropsychological tests known to be sensitive to brain dysfunction. Alcoholics differed from control subjects on the neuropsychological tests and in their NIS profiles. Multiple regression analyses revealed that select NIS subscales could predict neuropsychological impairment in alcoholic subjects. These subscales, however, were found to be more strongly correlated with standard measures of anxiety and depression than with cognitive performance. The confounding role of affect in predicting neuropsychological impairment from self-report questionnaires is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Infants' behavioral reenactment of "failed attempts": Exploring the roles of emulation learning, stimulus enhancement, and understanding of intentions.

Two studies were conducted to examine whether infants' reenactment of intended but unconsummated acts in A. N. Meltzoff's (1995) failed-attempt paradigm is due to reading the adult's underlying intention or to the effects of nonimitative social learning processes. Two novel conditions that emphasized the object affordances and the spatial contiguity of the object sets were devised. When infants' first actions only were counted, infants who observed the full-demonstration model produced more target acts. When all target acts produced within the 20-s response period were counted, infants in the emulation-learning and spatial contiguity conditions produced as many target acts as infants in the full-demonstration and failed-attempt conditions. This pattern of findings suggests that nonimitative social learning processes may influence infants' response in the behavioral reenactment paradigm. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)