Bicategories of spans as cartesian bicategories

Bicategories of spans are characterized as cartesian bicategories in which every comonad has an Eilenberg-Moore ob ject and every left adjoint arrow is comonadic

Cartesian Bicategories II

The notion of cartesian bicategory, introduced by Carboni and Walters for locally ordered bicategories, is extended to general bicategories. It is shown that a cartesian bicategory is a symmetric monoidal bicategory

Chains of infinite order, chains with memory of variable length, and maps of the interval

We show how to construct a topological Markov map of the interval whose invariant probability measure is the stationary law of a given stochastic chain of infinite order. In particular we caracterize the maps corresponding to stochastic chains with memory of variable length. The problem treated here is the converse of the classical construction of the Gibbs formalism for Markov expanding maps of the interval

On three topical aspects of the N=28 isotonic chain

The evolution of single-particle orbits along the N=28 isotonic chain is studied within the framework of a relativistic mean-field approximation. We focus on three topical aspects of the N=28 chain: (a) the emergence of a new magic number at Z=14; (b) the possible erosion of the N=28 shell; and (c) the weakening of the spin-orbit splitting among low-j neutron orbits. The present model supports the emergence of a robust Z=14 subshell gap in 48Ca, that persists as one reaches the neutron-rich isotone 42Si. Yet the proton removal from 48Ca results in a significant erosion of the N=28 shell in 42Si. Finally, the removal of s1/2 protons from 48Ca causes a ~50% reduction of the spin-orbit splitting among neutron p-orbitals in 42Si.Comment: 12 pages with 5 color figure

Plate-impact loading of cellular structures formed by selective laser melting

Porous materials are of great interest because of improved energy absorption over their solid counterparts. Their properties, however, have been difficult to optimize. Additive manufacturing has emerged as a potential technique to closely define the structure and properties of porous components, i.e. density, strut width and pore size; however, the behaviour of these materials at very high impact energies remains largely unexplored. We describe an initial study of the dynamic compression response of lattice materials fabricated through additive manufacturing. Lattices consisting of an array of intersecting stainless steel rods were fabricated into discs using selective laser melting. The resulting discs were impacted against solid stainless steel targets at velocities ranging from 300 to 700 m s-1 using a gas gun. Continuum CTH simulations were performed to identify key features in the measured wave profiles, while 3D simulations, in which the individual cells were modelled, revealed details of microscale deformation during collapse of the lattice structure. The validated computer models have been used to provide an understanding of the deformation processes in the cellular samples. The study supports the optimization of cellular structures for application as energy absorbers. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd

Dominated Splitting and Pesin's Entropy Formula

Let $M$ be a compact manifold and $f:\,M\to M$ be a $C^1$ diffeomorphism on $M$. If $\mu$ is an $f$-invariant probability measure which is absolutely continuous relative to Lebesgue measure and for $\mu$ $a.\,\,e.\,\,x\in M,$ there is a dominated splitting $T_{orb(x)}M=E\oplus F$ on its orbit $orb(x)$, then we give an estimation through Lyapunov characteristic exponents from below in Pesin's entropy formula, i.e., the metric entropy $h_\mu(f)$ satisfies $$h_{\mu}(f)\geq\int \chi(x)d\mu,$$ where $\chi(x)=\sum_{i=1}^{dim\,F(x)}\lambda_i(x)$ and $\lambda_1(x)\geq\lambda_2(x)\geq...\geq\lambda_{dim\,M}(x)$ are the Lyapunov exponents at $x$ with respect to $\mu.$ Consequently, by using a dichotomy for generic volume-preserving diffeomorphism we show that Pesin's entropy formula holds for generic volume-preserving diffeomorphisms, which generalizes a result of Tahzibi in dimension 2

Exploring Agricultural Production Systems and Their Fundamental Components with System Dynamics Modelling

Agricultural production in the United States is undergoing marked changes due to rapid shifts in consumer demands, input costs, and concerns for food safety and environmental impact. Agricultural production systems are comprised of multidimensional components and drivers that interact in complex ways to influence production sustainability. In a mixed-methods approach, we combine qualitative and quantitative data to develop and simulate a system dynamics model that explores the systemic interaction of these drivers on the economic, environmental and social sustainability of agricultural production. We then use this model to evaluate the role of each driver in determining the differences in sustainability between three distinct production systems: crops only, livestock only, and an integrated crops and livestock system. The result from these modelling efforts found that the greatest potential for sustainability existed with the crops only production system. While this study presents a stand-alone contribution to sector knowledge and practice, it encourages future research in this sector that employs similar systems-based methods to enable more sustainable practices and policies within agricultural production