When danger lurks in the background: Attentional capture by animal fear-relevant distractors is specific and selectively enhanced by animal fear.

Across 2 experiments, a new experimental procedure was used to investigate attentional capture by animal fear-relevant stimuli. In Experiment 1 (N = 34), unselected participants were slower to detect a neutral target animal in the presence of a spider than a cockroach distractor and in the presence of a snake than a large lizard distractor. This result confirms that phylogenetically fear-relevant animals capture attention specifically and to a larger extent than do non-fear-relevant animals. In Experiment 2 (N = 86), detection of a neutral target animal was slowed more in the presence of a feared fear-relevant distractor (e.g., a snake for snake-fearful participants) than in presence of a not-feared fear-relevant distractor (e.g., a spider for snake-fearful participants). These results indicate preferential attentional capture that is specific to phylogenetically fear-relevant stimuli and is selectively enhanced in individuals who fear these animals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the off-design of a natural gas-fired combined cycle with CO2 capture

During the last 15 years cycles with CO₂ capture have been in focus, due to the growing concern over our climate. Often, a natural gas fired combined cycle with a chemical absorption plant for CO₂ capture from the flue gases have been used as a reference in comparisons between cycles. Neither the integration of the steam production for regeneration of amines in the combined cycle nor the off-design behaviour of such a plant has been extensively studied before.     

Formal methods: The next generation of system design tools

Because of the growing demand for increasingly complex computer-based systems there is now an urgent need to provide tools to assist during the design of such systems. Formal specifications and formal methods provide such assistance but their widespread adoption has been hindered by the so-called ‘math fear’ and the perception that the tools are too difficult, too time consuming and too costly to use in a commercial environment. The aim of this article is to dispel the mystery surrounding the topic and to explain what formal methods are, how and why they are used, the benefits that accrue and why the technology should be accepted on a broader front. The application of formal methods to the design of computer-based systems will be discussed without resorting to jargon or mathematics. The discussion will concentrate more on the software content of systems but the arguments apply equally well to hardware. Some of the available tools will also be introduced.     

新型无杆水力采油装置研制与应用

针对中原油田中后期开发存在的液面降低、泵挂加深使得抽油机载荷增加、冲程损失增大、杆管偏磨严重等问题,研制了新型无杆水力采油装置。该装置采用球阀换向,冲程长、冲次低。现场试验时SC38—74—4.8型无杆水力采油装置与常规管式抽油泵联用,下泵深度1650m,冲程4.8m,冲次2.7min-1,日注水量72m3,产出液60m3。结果表明,新型无杆水力采油装置延长了抽油泵的使用寿命,彻底根除了杆管偏磨,采用球阀换向,对动力液要求较低,日常维护简单。     

基于视频的现实人物运动创作

提出一种根据用户指定的人体运动和观察视角生成真实感视频的方法.首先采集演员进行少数基本运动时的多视角视频数据库,并使用无标记运动捕捉的方法获得任意时刻人体对应的骨骼和3D模型.其次,用户对人体骨架指定运动并设定视角,以此定义目标视频.实验结果验证了文中方法能够利用有限的数据库合成演员在用户指定运动和视角下的真实感视频.     

Efficient MgO-doped CaO sorbent pellets for high temperature CO2 capture

Novel MgO-doped CaO sorbent pellets were prepared by gel-casting and wet impregnation. The effect of Na⁺ and MgO on the structure and CO₂ adsorption performance of CaO sorbent pellets was elucidated. MgO-doped CaO sorbent pellets with the diameter range of 0.5-1.5 mm exhibited an excellent capacity for CO₂ adsorption and adsorption rate due to the homogeneous dispersion of MgO in the sorbent pellets and its effects on the physical structure of sorbents. The results show that MgO can effectively inhibit the sintering of CaO and retain the adsorption capacity of sorbents during multiple adsorption-desorption cycles. The presence of mesopores and macropores resulted in appreciable change of volume from CaO (16.7 cm³∙mol⁻¹) to CaCO₃ (36.9 cm³∙mol⁻¹) over repeated operation cycles. Ca2Mg1 sorbent pellets exhibited favorable CO₂ capture capacity (9.49 mmol∙g⁻¹), average adsorption rate (0.32 mmol∙g⁻¹∙min⁻¹) and conversion rate of CaO (74.83%) after 30 cycles.     

CCUS in a net-zero U.S. power sector: Policy design,rates, and project finance

Carbon capture utilization and storage is an important technology option to rapidly and profoundly decarbonize the power sector, but will not deploy without substantial incentives or regulation. Assessment of U.S. policy options reveals that current incentives only partially close the finance gap and are most sensitive to fuel type and ownership structure. Recent proposed legislation would in some designs attract private investment for many projects, leading to widespread deployment of CCUS in the power sector. Additional constraints and concerns (including technology options and presence of CO₂ infrastructure) could play an important secondary role. This study discusses the specific US incentive policies that can provide investors and lenders with net cash flows that are adequate to attract private capital to CCUS power projects in the US.     

Environmental and climate justice and technological carbon removal

Environmental justice (EJ) and climate justice are becoming central foci of climate policy. Awareness is also growing on the need for some amount of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to curb warming to 1.5 °C. In this paper we map dimensions of environmental and climate justice that stakeholders and communities will need to consider -- from local to global scales. Mapping issues is a step towards developing frameworks to undertake CDR in an environmentally just way.     

Reactivity study and kinetic evaluation of CuO-based oxygen carriers modified by three different ores in chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) process

In the chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) process,CuO is a promising material due to the high oxygen carrier capacity and exothermic reaction in fuel reactor but limited by the low melting point.The combustion rate of carbon is faster than the decoupling rate of oxygen carrier (OC).Hence,high tem-perature tolerance and rapid oxygen release rate of CuO modified by three different ores were investi-gated in this study.The kinetics analysis of oxygen decoupling with Cu-based oxygen carriers was also evaluated.Results showed that CuO modified by chrysolite had faster oxygen release rate than that of CuO.Limestone showed obvious positive effect on the oxidization process.The selected OCs could keep stable in at least 20 cycles,for about 1200 min.Shrinking core model (SCM) fitted well for the decoupling process in the temperature range of 1123-1223 K.Reduction rate kinetic information may aid in the development of chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) technologies during reactor design and process modeling.Ternary doped copper oxide with chrysolite and limestone could improve the reactivity of CuO in decoupling and coupling process and also improve the high temperature tolerance.     

Determination of tetrachloroethylene—Results of a collaborative study and the standardized method

The development, by collaborative study, of a standardized method for the determination of tetrachloroethylene in olive oils is described. The results of the study, which was carried out in 1989 under the direction of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), are presented and show that tetrachloroethylene can be readily determined, to an acceptable degree of precision, by gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detection. A limited number of results obtained for the determination of trichloroethylene and chloroform by the same method indicate that a similar precision could be obtained with the method when determining these solvents also.