Porous Ceramics Adsorbents Based on Glass Fiber-Reinforced Plastics for NOx and SOx Removal

To reuse waste glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRPs), porous ceramics (i.e., GFRP/clay ceramics) were produced by mixing crushed GFRP with clay followed by firing the resulting mixture under different conditions. The possibility of using ceramics fired under a reducing atmosphere as adsorbent materials to remove NOx and SOx from combustion gases of fossil fuels was investigated because of the high porosity, specific surface area, and contents of glass fibers and plastic carbides of the ceramics. NO2 and SO2 adsorption tests were conducted on several types of GFRP/clay ceramic samples, and the gas concentration reduction rates were compared to those of a clay ceramic and a volcanic pumice with high NO2 adsorption. In addition, to clarify the primary factor affecting gas adsorption, adsorption tests were conducted on the glass fibers in the GFRP and GFRP carbides. The reductively fired GFRP/clay ceramics exhibited high adsorption performance for both NO2 and SO2. The primary factor affecting the NO2 adsorption of the ceramics was the plastic carbide content in the clay structure, while that affecting the SO2 adsorption of the ceramics was the glass fiber content.

Consumers’ Travel Behavior to Shopping Centers

Based on the questionnaire data, this study analyzes the characteristics of Wuhu citizens’ travel behavior in shopping centers. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) the frequency of trips to shopping centers has a great correlation with consumers’ economic level and social status; (2) the time spent to purchase goods is positively correlated with the level of goods; (3) multipurpose shopping becomes the mainstream; (4) traffic becomes the primary factor for consumers to consider; (5) the availability of supermarkets and cinemas at shopping centers affect consumers’ choice of shopping centers.

Language dominance affects auditory translation priming in heritage speakers

Late second language (L2) learners show translation priming from the first language to the second (L1-L2), while L2-L1 effects are inconsistent. Typically, late L2 learners are both less dominant in the L2 and acquire the L2 after the L1, making the relative contribution of language dominance and order of acquisition in these results unclear. Here, Cantonese heritage and native speakers are tested in an auditory translation priming paradigm. As heritage speakers first learn Cantonese (L1) but later become more dominant in English (L2), this profile allows for the potential dissociation of dominance and order of acquisition in translation priming. If order of acquisition is the primary factor, stronger priming is expected to occur in the L1-L2 (Cantonese-English) direction; however, if dominance plays a stronger role, priming is expected to occur in the L2-L1 (English-Cantonese) direction. Native speakers showed stronger L1-L2 priming, consistent with previous findings, while heritage speakers showed priming in both directions, but stronger L2-L1 priming. The current results suggest that language dominance is a primary factor in explaining auditory translation priming results and that order of acquisition also plays a role in bilingual lexical processing.

The prosodic properties of narrow information focus in Central Mexican Spanish: Pitch accents, de-emphasis and phrasing

This paper investigates the different prosodic strategies used for the marking of information focus in Central Mexican Spanish. For this purpose, we carried out a study of the prosodic properties of information focus both in clause final position and in situ. Our results show important differences when compared to other varieties of Spanish. Specifically, we observe that the most frequent accent signaling information focus is a monotonal pitch accent (L* or !H*) and not L+H*. Furthermore, in many cases we observe that the pitch accent is not the only mechanism used to signal the focus: this is because we observe the presence of prosodic edges to the left of the focus, presumably functioning as an additional prosodic cue to identify it. Additionally, while we do not observe deaccenting of post-focal material, we do observe a sequence of non-rising forms (a flat pattern or “de-emphasis”) following the pitch accent that signals an in situ information focus forced by the test. With respect to phonological phrasing, our results confirm the analysis in Prieto (2006), where it is proposed that syntactic constituency is not the primary factor that regulates phrasing in Spanish.

Relief Aircraft Dispatch Strategies Based on Different Levels of Information Sharing Systems

In the wake of a disaster, relief activities are expected to start immediately. To determine a better approach in dispatchment and transportation during relief activities, the primary factor is the communication and information sharing between the various parties such as airports, relief shelters and aircraft pilots. However, the effect of the information-sharing systems on the efficiency of transportation is yet to be clarified, and the differences between transport methods under different information-sharing systems are not yet known. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed different dispatch strategies corresponding to different information sharing levels and utilized the agent-based simulation modeling dynamic system to compare the air relief efficiency of different dispatch strategies. The simulation results demonstrate that the efficiency of relief activities increases as the level of information sharing improves, and different dispatch strategies have an impact on the effect of relief activities.

Disambiguating language attitudes held towards sociodemographic groups and geographic areas in South East England

Using a novel, digitized method, this paper investigates the language attitudes of 18- to 33-year-olds in South East England. More broadly, this paper demonstrates that disambiguating the language attitudes held towards sociodemographic groups and geographic areas is paramount to understanding the configuration of language attitudes in an area, particularly for areas with high cultural and linguistic heterogeneity. A total of 194 respondents evaluated the speech of 102 other south-eastern speakers. Results reveal an imperfect mapping between language attitudes held towards geographic areas and speakers from these areas. Although East London and Essex are the most negatively evaluated areas, speakers’ demographic and identity data is the primary factor conditioning language attitudes. Across South East England, working-class and/or ethnic minority speakers, as well as those who identify their accent in geographically marked terms, are evaluated most negatively, which is compounded if they are from East London or Essex.

SOME CURIOUS FINDINGS HAIR FOLLICLES BIOELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION EXPRESSED AS LIGHT DISPLACING MATTER IN ITS PATH AND THE CONTRALATERAL EMISSION OF MAGNETIC FIELDS FOUND IN THE HAIR SHAFT

BACKGROUND In physics the term light refers to electromagnetic radiation, which includes visible light, which has also been described as exerting physical pressure on matter in its path; this could be explained by the “particle nature of light”. To date light rays emission experiments has been done mainly on non-living matter. This manuscript will show in vitro results where biological tissue (hair follicles) is shown emitting electromagnetic radiation in a light form and displacing particles in its path. Additionally the hair shaft one-sided biomagnetism is shown. METHODS A mini-review of prior experiments by this author and others are herein presented where bioelectromagnetic fields expressed as light are shown displacing matter of ferric cyanide chemical compounds. A seminal paper published in 1980, is also included where human hair follicles had been documented as emitting magnetic fields when applying pressure on the human scalp. RESULTS Findings are presented where light rays or flashes emitted by hair follicles are documented to exert pressure in matter in its path causing displacement; and in one case a flash of light seen as a primary factor in totally reversing turmoil caused by a piezoelectric or pressure induced maneuver. As an incidental finding: The hair shaft is also found to express one-sided magnetic fields similar to inanimate magnets inhibiting human blood issue fibrin formation (clot formation). CONCLUSIONS Presented is a mini-review of biological tissue previously found to emit magnetic fields, now also expressed as light. The light is displayed shown as a “flash” or a “stream”, in both instances displacing matter in its path. The light flash also appears to be a primary factor in bringing equilibrium into the piezoelectric disturbed bioelectromagnetic field. Question arise: What is/are the biological/molecular consequences of living tissue under stress emitting light energy? Why is the hair shaft bioelectromamagnetic field shown in a contralateral fashion, this when the hair follicle is not? Further research is recommended.

Walkers on the way

This chapter looks at those who walk the pilgrimage many times. These are most commonly older retired male Japanese, and the chapter explores their various accounts of why they do this. It shows that faith is rarely an overtly stated or primary factor and that health and the wish to learn about themselves while keeping fit and meeting others remain dominant forces among such contemporary pilgrims. It also discusses a theme that runs through every chapter: how people who do the pilgrimage find themselves drawn back again and again to it, sometimes seeking new ways to do it in order to enhance their pilgrimage experiences. It demonstrates how pilgrims generally, and particularly walkers, devote immense energy and time between pilgrimages to preparing the ‘next journey’ and making records of their previous ones so that they are never really away from the pilgrimage. Instead they are mentally always on pilgrimage.