A closer look at economic psychology

Economic History;Economic Psychology

The will to save money: An essay on economic psychology

Savings;Economic Psychology

Effects of test sample shape and surface production method on the fatigue behaviour of PMMA bone cement

There is no consensus over the optimal criterion to define the fatigue life of bone cement in vitro. Fatigue testing samples have been made into various shapes using different surface preparation techniques with little attention being paid to the importance of these variations on the fatigue results. The present study focuses on the effect of test sample shape and surface production method on the fatigue results. The samples were manufactured with two cross sectional shapes: rectangular according to ISO 527 and circular according to ASTM F2118. Each shape was produced using two methods: direct moulding of the cement dough and machining from oversized rods. Testing was performed twice using two different bone cements: SmartSet GHV and DePuy CMW1. At least 10 samples of each category were tested, under fully reversed tension-compression fatigue stress at ±20MPa, to allow for Weibull analysis to compare results. The growths of fatigue cracks were compared by means of the variations in energy absorption. It was found that fatigue crack growth can be altered by the sample shape and production method; however it is also dependent on the chemical composition of the cement. The results revealed that moulded samples, particularly those based on the ASTM F2118 standard, can lead to up to 5.5 times greater fatigue lives compared to the machined samples. It is thus essential, when comparing the fatigue results of bone cement, to consider the effect of production method along with the shape of the test sample

Evolution of flowering strategies in Oenothera glazioviana: an integral projection model approach

The timing of reproduction is a key determinant of fitness. Here, we develop parameterized integral projection models of size-related flowering for the monocarpic perennial Oenothera glazioviana and use these to predict the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) for flowering. For the most part there is excellent agreement between the model predictions and the results of quantitative field studies. However, the model predicts a much steeper relationship between plant size and the probability of flowering than observed in the field, indicating selection for a 'threshold size' flowering function. Elasticity and sensitivity analysis of population growth rate u and net reproductive rate R0 are used to identify the critical traits that determine fitness and control the ESS for flowering. Using the fitted model we calculate the fitness landscape for invading genotypes and show that this is characterized by a ridge of approximately equal fitness. The implications of these results for the maintenance of genetic variation are discussed

Influence of test specimen fabrication method and cross-section configuration on tension-tension fatigue life of PMMA bone cement

Different cyclic loading modes have been used in in vitro fatigue studies of PMMA bone cement. It is unclear which loading mode is most appropriate from the perspective of the in vivo loading experienced by the cement in a cemented arthroplasty. Also, in different in vitro fatigue studies, different test specimen configurations have been used. The present work considers the influence of test specimen fabrication method (direct moulding versus moulding followed by machining) and cross-section shape (rectangular versus circular) on the tension-tension fatigue performance of two bone cement brands (SmartSet GHV and CMW1), under force control conditions. Two trends were consistent: 1) for each of the cements, for molded specimens, a longer fatigue life was obtained with circular cross-sectioned specimens and, 2) for either rectangular or circular CMW1 specimens, a longer fatigue life was obtained using machined specimens. A comparison of the present results to those reported in our previous work on fully-reversed tension-compression loading under force control showed that, regardless of the test specimen fabrication method or cross-section configuration used, the fatigue life was considerably shorter under tension-compression than tension-tension loading. This finding highlights the fact the presence of the compression portion in the loading cycle accelerates fatigue failure

Universality in Voltage-driven Nonequilibrium Phase Transitions

We consider the non-equilibrium ferromagnetic transition of a mesoscopic sample of a resistive Stoner ferromagnet coupled to two paramagnetic leads. The transition is controlled by either the lead temperature T or the transport voltage V applied between the leads. We calculate the T and V dependence of the magnetization. For systems with a flat density of states we find within mean-field theory that even at finite bias the magnetization does not depend on the position along the sample axis, although the charge density and other quantities do vary. This may be relevant for possible spintronics applications. In addition, we establish a generalized control parameter in terms of T and V which allows for a universal description of the temperature- and voltage-driven transition.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. J. Low Temp. Phys., published version. Discussion of the relation to quantum phase transitions, cond-mat/0607256, has been adde

Measuring the Deformation of a Flat Die by Applying a Laser Beam on a Reflecting Surface

The design of extrusion dies depends on the experience of the designer. After the die has been manufactured, it is tested during an extrusion process and machined several times until it works properly. The die is designed by a trial and error method which is expensive interms of time consumption and the amount of scrap. Research is going on to replace the trial pressing with finite element simulations that concentrate on material and tool analysis. In order to validate the tool simulations, an experiment is required for measuring the deformation of the die. Measuring the deformation of the die is faced with two main obstacles: high temperature and little free space. To overcome these obstacles a method is tried, which works by applying a laser beam on a reflecting surface. This cheap method is simple, robust and gives good results. This paper describes measuring the deformation of a flat die used to extrude a single U shape profile. In addition, finite element calculation of the die is performed. Finally, a comparison is performed between experimental and numerical results