Experimental Realization of the Fuse Model of Crack Formation

In this work, we present an experimental investigation of the fuse model. Our main goal was to study the influence of the disorder on the fracture process. The experimental apparatus used consisted of an $L\times L$ square lattice with fuses placed on each bond of the lattice. Two types of materials were used as fuses: copper and steel wool wires. The lattice composed only by copper wires varied from a weakly disordered system to a strongly disordered one. The lattice formed only by steel wool wires corresponded to a strongly disordered one. The experimental procedure consisted of applying a potential difference V to the lattice and measuring the respective current I. The characteristic function $I(V)$ obtained was investigated in order to find the scaling law dependence of the voltage and the current on the system size $L$ when the disorder was changed. Our results show that the scaling laws are only verified for the disordered regime.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figures.ep

Microscopic mechanism for mechanical polishing of diamond (110) surfaces

Mechanically induced degradation of diamond, as occurs during polishing, is studied using total--energy pseudopotential calculations. The strong asymmetry in the rate of polishing between different directions on the diamond (110) surface is explained in terms of an atomistic mechanism for nano--groove formation. The post--polishing surface morphology and the nature of the polishing residue predicted by this mechanism are consistent with experimental evidence.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Citations, funding and influence in Energy-Policy research on Developing Economies

Energy research seeking to influence policy in low- and -middle-income countries (LMICs) is often funded by – and conceptualised by authors in - institutions from high-income countries (HICs). Research agendas and policy recommendations determined in HICs potentially yield the most influence on policymaking for LMICs. This leaves a multidimensional gap in how LMICs frame, contextualise, evidence and enact policy processes. The unique contribution of this paper is analysing the dynamics of prevalent energy research on LMICs through a multi-method approach using bibliometric, network science and regression-based techniques. An innovative data-driven framework was established using a sample of 6,636 papers from the Web of Science database, combined with journal impact data from Scimago Journal Ranking and country economic data from the World Bank. Results show the existence of a cycle of imbalances across research practices. Most papers recommending energy policy for LMICs have a first author based in a HIC, funded by a HIC institution. Total citations of articles on energy policy in LMICs increase with the GDP of the first author’s country (a 1% increase in GDP is correlated with a 0.68% increase in total citations). Funders support authors based in countries of the same income band as them, or higher. Therefore, we recommend revising research practices and HIC funding policies to place local actors and knowledge at the heart of energy policy research, enabling high-impact policymaking in LMICs

Avaliação de crescimento inicial de mudas de Amoreira-preta.

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Transmissão de luz em sistemas silvipastoris com eucalipto.

Conduziu-se um estudo preliminar para determinar os níveis de transmissão de luz em dois sistemas silvipastoris com eucalipto, de diferentes idades (2,5 e 5,5 anos), plantados no espaçamento de 10 x 4 m com as fileiras no sentido leste-oeste, objetivando conhecer melhor a evolução do sistema em termos de disponibilidade de luz para o sub-bosque. As avaliações foram realizadas em maio de 1999, em dias com céu claro, entre 11 e 13 horas. As determinações da densidade do fluxo de fótons (Dff) foram realizadas ao longo de dez transeções, transversais às fileiras de eucalipto. Determinou-se também a DFF a pleno sol. A variação espacial da transmissão de luz ao sub-bosque diferiu entre os sistemas, porém os valores médios de transmissão de luz foram idênticos (32% de pleno sol). Esse valor subestima a transmissão de luz aos sub-bosques dos sitemas silvipastoris estudados durante o verão, quando a altitude solar no local é maior. Nesta época, é provável que os valores estivessem superiores a 50%, nos dois sistemas

Is healthy children surveillance being duplicated by family physicians and paediatricians? A cross-sectional study in Portugal

Objectives To determine if children attend the family physician (FP) or the FP/paediatrician for their surveillance medical appointments, as well as analyse the variables associated with the parents’ choice between the two physicians. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Public, semiprivate and private kindergartens in the city of Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal). Participants Parents of children aged 6 years or less without chronic diseases, enrolled in the selected kindergartens. Main outcome measures Proportion of children attending the FP or FP/paediatrician for their surveillance appointments; association between the chosen physician and sociodemographic and household variables (parents’ age, educational level, professional situation and marital status; household net income; number of children; the child’s age; presence of private health insurance), assessment of the parents’ perception of clinical knowledge and accessibility regarding the FP and the paediatrician. Results A total of 697 children were included in the analysis: 30.6% attended only the FP and 69.4% attended both the FP and the paediatrician. Using a Poisson regression, the mother’s age (PR=1.02, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03), higher educational level (prevalence ratio (PR=1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.33), private health insurance (PR=1.30, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.46), number of children (PR=0.86, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.94) and the child’s age (PR=0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98) were statistically associated with attending both the FP and the paediatrician; parents of children who attended only FP rated the FP with a higher accessibility and knowledge mean score than those who consulted both physicians (2.91vs2.38, P<0.001, and 4.11vs3.85, P<0.001). Conclusions Our data show that 70% of our sample simultaneously attended an FP and a paediatrician. FPs are equally qualified to provide medical care to healthy children but this information is not properly transmitted to the general population

Influência da irrigação intermitente sobre o avanço e infiltração de água em sulcos, num Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro álico.

Conduziu-se uma pesquisa para avaliar as caracteristicas de avanco e infiltracao de agua em sulcos, num Latossolo Vermelho Escuro alico, utilizando-se irrigacao continua e intermitente. Foram testadas as vazoes de 0,4; 0,8; 1,2/s-1, bem como os tempos ciclicos de 20; 40 e 60 min, com taxa ciclica de 0,5. A velocidade de avanco da agua aumentou com a vazao de 0,4ls-1, nos tres tempos ciclicos, e com a vazao de 0,8ls-1, nos tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min, em relacao ao escoamento continuo. Entretanto, nao houve diferenca entre os tempos de avanco, quando se fizeram irrigacoes continua e intermitente, com a vazao de 1,2ls-1. Na primeira aplicacao de agua nos sulcos, os efeitos da irrigacao intermitente foram mais acentuados. Os volumes de agua aplicada, para a conclusao do avanco, foram menores no escoamento intermitente, com a vazao de 0,8ls-1 e nos tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min

Herborização de orgãos vegetais em condições refrigeradas.

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Estudo das características de avanço e infiltração da água em sulcos, em um Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro alico, com aplicação de água contínua e intermitente.

Conduziu-se uma pesquisa com a finalidade de estudar as caracteristicas de avanco e infiltracao da agua em sulcos com aplicacao de agua continua e intermitente. Foram testadas as vazoes de 0,4, 0,8 e 1,2 1.s-1 e tempos ciclicos de 20, 40 e 60 min com taxa ciclica de 0,5. A velocidade de avanco aumentou, para a vazao de 0,4 1.s-1, nos tres tempos ciclicos, em relacao ao escoamento continuo, e para a vazao de 0,8 1.s-1, nos tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min. Entretanto, nao houve diferenca entre os tempos de avanco com irrigacao continua e intermitente para a vazao de 1,2 1.s-1. Os efeitos da irrigacao intermitente foram mais acentuados durante a primeira irrigacao. Os volumes de agua aplicada para conclusao do avanco foram menores no escoamento intermitente com vazao de 0,8 1.s-1 e tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min