Surface Phase Diagrams for Wetting on Heterogenous Substrates

We propose a simplified description of fluid adsorption on heterogenenous micropatterned substrates. Using this approach, we are able to rederive results obtained earlier using effective interfacial Hamiltonian methods and predict a number of new examples of surface phase behaviour for both singly and periodically striped substrates. In particular, we show that, for a singly striped system, the manner in which the locus of surface unbending phase transitions approaches the pre-wetting line of the infinite pure system, in the limit of large stripe widths, is non-trivial and sensitive to several characteristic lengthscales and competing free-energies. For periodic substrates, we investigate finite-size deviations from Cassie's law for the wetting temperature of the heterogeneous system when the domain sizes are mesoscopic.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure

Can online civic education induce democratic citizenship? Experimental evidence from a new democracy

How can democratic values and behavior be induced in new democracies? We designed and tested three original civic education interventions to answer this question, using Tunisia as a case study. Participants were recruited through Facebook and Instagram where they were randomly assigned to either one of three treatment groups or a placebo. Two treatments were derived from prospect theory, emphasizing the gains of a democratic system, or the losses of an autocratic system. A third treatment, derived from self-efficacy theory, provided practical information regarding participation in the upcoming 2019 elections. Our findings suggest that online civic education has a considerable effect on democratic citizenship, including a significant reduction in authoritarian nostalgia and increasing intended political behavior. We further find differences between the three treatments, with the loss and gain treatments having overall more consistent impact than self-efficacy, though the latter frame has notable effects on political efficacy and registration

Social networks and citizen election forecasting: the more friends the better

Most citizens correctly forecast which party will win a given election, and such forecasts usually have a higher level of accuracy than voter intention polls. How do citizens do it? We argue that social networks are a big part of the answer: much of what we know as citizens comes from our interactions with others. Previous research has considered only indirect characteristics of social networks when analyzing why citizens are good forecasters. We use a unique German survey and consider direct measures of social networks in order to explore their role in election forecasting. We find that three network characteristics – size, political composition, and frequency of political discussion – are among the most important variables when predicting the accuracy of citizens’ election forecasts

LABORATORY EVALUATION OF A TURN COMPENSATION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A GROUND SPRAYER

The ability to compensate sprayer nozzle flow across a horizontal boom has the potential to mitigate the problem of inaccurate chemical application rate due to lateral speed differences when sprayers are turning. A laboratory testing platform and procedure were developed and tested with a commercial turn compensation control system for a ground sprayer. Virtual paths consisting of simulated GPS signals representing right and left turns separated by straight segments were simulated with four turning radii (75%, 125%, 250%, and 500%) based on boom width. Actual application rates from 11 nozzles spread across the boom were measured using load cells in real time and were compared with desired application rate. Mean flow rate and coefficient of variation by nozzle position for each segment of the test paths showed a general consistency between the expected application rate and actual application rate for most nozzles at most cases with a small discrepancy for a few nozzles. Application errors were within the accepted ±10% range specified by ASABE. This study contributes to the formation of a test standard for turn compensation control systems calibration in the future

Control of Frey?s syndrome in patients treated with botulinum toxin type A

Aim: To identify the severity of Frey?s syndrome and its response to botulinum toxin type A. Methods: Minor test was performed in all cases to assess the extent of the affected area, using the contralateral side as control. Severity was assessed according to the proposal of Luna-Ortiz et al. Response was evaluated after 3 and 6 months, and was compared with the basal data. Results: Frey?s syndrome was documented in 38 patients, but only 23 cases accepted the botulinum toxin type A treatment. Severity was moderate in 8 (35%) and severe in 15 (65%) cases. Mean applied dose was 1.41 MU/cm2 in 21 patients (91%), whereas one patient was treated with 10 MU for a 0.8 cm2 affected area (12.5 MU/cm2 ) and another patient with 10 MU for a 0.5 cm2 affected area (20 MU/cm2 ) due to severity of their symptomatology. Average affected area at the beginning was 14.2 cm2 , while after 3 and 6 months of treatment it was 4.1 cm2 and 4.4 cm2 respectively (p0.05). In conclusion, botulinum toxin A remains as the treatment of choice for Frey?s syndrome

Geoestatística no estudo de modelagem temporal da precipitação.

A análise geoestatística é uma poderosa ferramenta utilizada em estudos de dependência espacial. No que tange à dependência temporal, poucas são as análises realizadas com essa metodologia. Neste trabalho foi utilizada a técnica de geoestatística para ajustar um modelo de série temporal de precipitação, cujo poder é avaliado em predizer valores futuros. O estudo foi realizado na Bacia do Rio Itapemirim em uma série de precipitação mensal de 1940 a 2006. O modelo geoestatístico foi comparado com um modelo de séries temporais de Box e Jenkins. O modelo geoestatístico ajustado foi aquele com 96 vizinhos utilizados na previsão e erro relativo absoluto médio de 80,46. A metodologia de geoestatistica apresentou melhores resultados na estimação da precipitação mensal, em relação ao modelo SARIMA (2,1,1)(0,1,1)12

Liquid-Solid Transition of Hard Spheres Under Gravity

We investigate the liquid-solid transition of two dimensional hard spheres in the presence of gravity. We determine the transition temperature and the fraction of particles in the solid regime as a function of temperature via Even-Driven molecular dynamics simulations and compare them with the theoretical predictions. We then examine the configurational statistics of a vibrating bed from the view point of the liquid-solid transition by explicitly determining the transition temperature and the effective temperature, T, of the bed, and present a relation between T and the vibration strength.Comment: 14 total pages, 4 figure

Theoretical description of phase coexistence in model C60

We have investigated the phase diagram of the Girifalco model of C60 fullerene in the framework provided by the MHNC and the SCOZA liquid state theories, and by a Perturbation Theory (PT), for the free energy of the solid phase. We present an extended assessment of such theories as set against a recent Monte Carlo study of the same model [D. Costa et al, J. Chem. Phys. 118:304 (2003)]. We have compared the theoretical predictions with the corresponding simulation results for several thermodynamic properties. Then we have determined the phase diagram of the model, by using either the SCOZA, or the MHNC, or the PT predictions for one of the coexisting phases, and the simulation data for the other phase, in order to separately ascertain the accuracy of each theory. It turns out that the overall appearance of the phase portrait is reproduced fairly well by all theories, with remarkable accuracy as for the melting line and the solid-vapor equilibrium. The MHNC and SCOZA results for the liquid-vapor coexistence, as well as for the corresponding critical points, are quite accurate. All results are discussed in terms of the basic assumptions underlying each theory. We have selected the MHNC for the fluid and the first-order PT for the solid phase, as the most accurate tools to investigate the phase behavior of the model in terms of purely theoretical approaches. The overall results appear as a robust benchmark for further theoretical investigations on higher order C(n>60) fullerenes, as well as on other fullerene-related materials, whose description can be based on a modelization similar to that adopted in this work.Comment: RevTeX4, 15 pages, 7 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.