Simulations of an impulsive model for the growth of fruit trees

Mediterranean agricultural systems have been severely affected because of the decrease in rainfall and more frequent and severe droughts due to the global warming phenomenon. The current and future scenario of water deficit could have a negative effect on the growth and development rates of the fruit trees, reflected in the drop of production. To help to face this problem, this work presents a mathematical simulation model of fruit growth with two-time scales: a continuous scale that governs the dynamics of fruit growth and a discrete scale representing the period of time in which the system is intervened with irrigation supply. The results obtained in the simulations allow us to describe and understand the physical phenomena involved in the growth dynamics of fruit trees. In addition, show the importance of the water resource for the growth and development of fruit trees; therefore, a scenario of water deficit would compromise the production and existence of fruit trees.

Kinetic and Metallography Study of the Oxidation at 1250 °C of {Co+Ni}-Based Superalloys Containing Ti to Form MC Carbides

Six conventionally cast chromium-rich titanium-containing alloys based on cobalt and nickel with various Co/Ni ratios were considered. They were tested in oxidation in air at 1250 °C for 70 h in a thermo-balance. The mass gain curves were exploited to specify different types of kinetic constants as well as several parameters characterizing the oxide spallation occurring during cooling. The obtained results show that, the higher the Ni content, the slower the mass gain and the better the quality of the protective external chromia scale. Secondly, no dependence of the oxide spallation characteristics on the Co content was clearly noted. Globally, the isothermal oxidation behavior becomes better when Ni is more and more present at the expense of Co. Titanium seems to be playing a particular role in the process of oxidation. It notably leads to the presence of an external thin TiO2 continuous scale beyond the chromia scale. The thermogravimetry records were numerically treated to determine the parabolic constant and the chromia volatilization constant. The values of these constants evidenced a double tendency: chromia growth acceleration and chromia volatilization slow-down. These trends are to be confirmed and further investigated.

Speed Is Associated With, But Does Not Cause, Polarization in the Moral Evaluation of Real-World Images

In human perceptual decision-making, the speed-accuracy tradeoff establishes a causal link between urgency and reduced accuracy. Less is known about how urgency affects the moral evaluation of visual images. Here, we asked participants to give ratings for a diverse set of real-world images on a continuous scale from -10 (“very immoral”) to +10 (“very moral”). We used a cueing procedure to inform the participants on a trial-by-trial basis whether they could make a Self-Paced (SP) evaluation or whether they had to perform a Time-Limited (TL) evaluation within 2 seconds. In the SP condition, fast responses were associated with more extreme evaluations. Compared to the SP condition, the responses in the TL condition were much faster, indicating that our urgency manipulation was successful. However, comparing the SP versus TL conditions, we found no significant differences in the moral evaluation of the real-world images. The data indicated that, while speed is associated with polarization, urgency does not cause participants to make more extreme evaluations. Instead, the correlation between speed and polarization likely reflects the ease of processing. Images that are obviously moral or immoral are categorized faster and given more extreme evaluations than images for which the moral interpretation is uncertain.

Spontaneous speech intelligibility: early cochlear implanted children versus their normally hearing peers at seven years of age

Speaking intelligibly is an important achievement in children’s language development. How far do congenitally severe-to-profound hearing-impaired children who received a cochlear implant (CI) in the first two years of their life advance on the path to intelligibility in comparison to children with typical hearing (NH)? Spontaneous speech samples of children with CI and children with NH were orthographically transcribed by naïve transcribers. The entropy of the transcriptions was computed to analyze their degree of uniformity. The same samples were also rated on a continuous rating scale by another group of adult listeners. The transcriptions of the NH children’s speech were more uniform, i.e., had significantly lower entropy, than those of the CI children, suggesting that the latter group displayed lower intelligibility. This was confirmed by the ratings on the continuous scale. Despite the relatively restricted age ranges, older children reached better intelligibility scores in both groups.

Review—(Mn,Co)3O4-Based Spinels for SOFC Interconnect Coating Application

With the reduction of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating temperature to the range of 600 − 800℃, Cr-containing ferritic alloys have become the preferred interconnect material, which unfortunately are susceptible to continuous scale growth and Cr volatility at the SOFC operating temperatures. The (Mn,Co)3O4 spinel system is widely regarded as the most effective coating for SOFC interconnect protection, due to its high thermal and electrical conductivity, adequate coefficient of thermal expansion, and excellent Cr blocking capability. This article reviews the physical and chemical properties of the (Mn,Co)3O4-based spinels; different types of coating precursors and deposition techniques; and the effects of spinel composition, quality and thickness on the coating performance. It is concluded that the spinel coating composition, quality, and thickness are more critical than the coating process in affecting the overall coating performance.

Fall-to-the-centre as a PT symmetry breaking transition

The attractive inverse square potential arises in a number of physical problems such as a dipole interacting with a charged wire, the Efimov effect, the Calgero-Sutherland model, near-horizon black hole physics and the optics of Maxwell fisheye lenses. Proper formulation of the inverse-square problem requires specification of a boundary condition (regulator) at the origin representing short-range physics not included in the inverse square potential and this generically breaks the Hamiltonian’s continuous scale invariance in an elementary example of a quantum anomaly. The system’s spectrum qualitatively changes at a critical value of the inverse-square coupling, and we here point out that the transition at this critical potential strength can be regarded as an example of a PT symmetry breaking transition. In particular, we use point particle effective field theory (PPEFT), as developed by Burgess et al [1], to characterize the renormalization group (RG) evolution of the boundary coupling under rescalings. While many studies choose boundary conditions to ensure the system is unitary, these RG methods allow us to systematically handle the richer case of nonunitary physics describing a source or sink at the origin (such as is appropriate for the charged wire or black hole applications). From this point of view the RG flow changes character at the critical inverse-square coupling, transitioning from a sub-critical regime with evolution between two real, unitary fixed points ( PT symmetric phase) to a super-critical regime with imaginary, dissipative fixed points ( PT symmetry broken phase) that represent perfect-sink and perfect-source boundary conditions, around which the flow executes limit-cycle evolution.

From research to practice: a multifaceted and dimensional approach to psychopathy

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate trends in research and clinical practice that may contribute to the limited utility of assessment and treatment modalities designed to capture and address psychopathy. It identifies a lack of consistency between the academic understanding of psychopathy and how the construct is applied in clinical contexts. The authors provide clarity and direction for a more effective application of the psychopathy construct in practical contexts. Design/methodology/approach This review first examines the etiology of important limitations to psychopathy research and practical application, and proposes the adoption of the most recent empirical conceptualization of the construct into practical contexts. It then evaluates the current functionality of psychopathy in practical contexts. The review ultimately proposes a method for designing intervention practices based on the model used in the development of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder, which will improve the practical utility of the construct. Findings The present review provides evidence that a multifaceted and dimensional perspective of psychopathy will improve the practical utility of the construct and help move the field forward. It suggests that considering independent components of the psychopathy construct along a continuous scale, as with DBT, will contribute to improvements in assessments and treatments that target psychopathy. Practical implications The current review applies relevant research to a model for developing an intervention modality particularly in forensic or correctional settings where individuals high in psychopathy are often seen. The implications outlined provide a framework that could impact practice and assessment in forensic contexts moving forward. Originality/value Previous research has not concisely outlined problems concerning the link between psychopathy research and how the construct is applied in practical settings. Few researchers have proposed plausible solutions that could improve the utility of the construct in such settings.

Synthesis and Properties of MoAlB Composites Reinforced with SiC Particles

To develop MoAlB advanced ceramic with improved mechanical properties and oxidation resistance, the use of SiC particles to reinforce MoAlB composites has been adopted. 5–15 vol.% SiC/MoAlB have been prepared and characterized. A flexural strength of 380 MPa and a Vickers hardness of 12.7 GPa were achieved in the 5 vol. %SiC/MoAlB composite, increased by 24% and 51%, respectively, as compared with those for MoAlB. Oxidation at 1200°C and 1300°C for 10 h in air showed that the 5 vol. %SiC/MoAlB composite has good oxidation resistance than MoAlB due to the formation of a dense and continuous scale composed of Al2O3 and SiO2, which prevents oxygen inward diffusion and the evaporation of oxides. We expect that the general strategy of second phase reinforcing for materials will help to widen the applications of MoAlB.