Successfull Blossom Thinning and Crop Load Regulation for Organic Apple Growing with Potassium-bi-carbonate (Armicarb(R)): Results of Field Experiments over 3 Years and with 11 Cultivars

With field trials over 3 years in a commercial organic orchard in Switzerland we have tested the efficacy of Armicarb® (potassium-bi-carbonate) for flower thinning in organic apple production. Over time, Armicarb was tested on 11 cultivars, at different application periods, in different concentrations, and always in comparison to other agents that are already allowed for thinning in organic fruit production in the European Union as e.g. lime sulphur, molasses, mechanical rope-thinner or combinations of methods. Armicarb proved to be an efficient and reliable thinning agent with an efficacy similar to the now recommended methods with rope device, molasses or lime sulphur but has the advantage to be an environmentally very friendly product. On the other hand, the risk for fruit russeting is comparably elevated especially with cultivars ‘Elstar’, ‘Golden Del.’ ’and ‘Gala’. Finally, we have elaborated cultivar-specific recommendations for the use of Armicarb for thinning purposes, which were the basis for the Swiss Federal approval to use Armicarb for thinning in conventional and organic apple production in 2011/2012

OVERCOMING THE PASSIONS IN SPINOZA: A BUDDHIST READING

Spinoza’s philosophy and Buddhism have often been compared based upon their tendencies towards seeing the world as a single order and moving beyond our passions and desires. But the comparison of these philosophies also creates interesting problems. One problem is the way we relate to this order itself. In Spinoza we achieve enlightenment when we recognize that we are a part of a single substance which has its own order and necessity. This leads us to transcend the bondage of our passions through reason. And when we reach the highest level of the intellectual love of God, we show kindness on all beings still trapped in this bondage. Buddhist enlightenment is the recognition of the dependent origination of all things. It is a larger order of causality which we are a part. We suffer within this order through our attachments so our goal is to eliminate our attachments. When we see the world in this way, we do not judge through the categories of good and evil and we show compassion to all living creatures still in the state of ignorance. So there are obvious similarities. But a major difference in these two approaches is differing ways they regard the order itself. Spinoza focuses on the love of this order – intellectual love of God – which leads him affirm non-judgment and kindness. And Buddhism focuses on the non-attachment to this order which leads to compassion. Comparing and contrasting these two philosophies is valuable because it allows a deeper understanding of the Buddhist role of compassion as a special kind of (non-passive) passion which breaks the suffering of others. It also clarifies elements of Spinoza’s philosophy which are not easily understood, for instance, his claim that pity as a useless emotion. &nbsp

A Voltage Calibration Chain for Meters Used in Measurements of EV Inductive Power Charging

The inductive charging of electric vehicles requires specific measurement and calibration systems. In fact, the measurement of power on board involves DC signals, which are superimposed to a significant AC ripple up to or over 150 kHz, depending on the type of charging system. A calibration method that makes use of a phantom power, based on two independent but synchronized circuits, is considered, simulating the charging voltage and current. This paper describes in detail a solution in the realization of the voltage calibration chain, based on the use of a DC voltage calibrator, an injector and a voltage divider.Comment: 2 pages, Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM 2018), Paris

Non-linear response of ac conductivity in narrow YBCO film strips at the superconducting transition

Measurements of higher harmonics of the ac voltage response in YBCO thin film strips under low amplitude and low frequency harmonic excitation, as a function of temperature, show a non linear response of the conductivity in the superconducting transition interval. The third and fifth harmonics of the local voltage as a function of T exhibit a peak near Tc and their amplitudes seem to be closely related to the T-derivative of the first harmonic. The peaks are linearly dependent on the current amplitude and do not depend on frequency. The observed data are partially interpreted in terms of ac current induced thermal modulation of the sample temperature added to strong thermally activated fluctuations in the transition region. The fit of the model to the data gives information of some sample properties such as zero temperature critical current, zero onset resistance and thermal boundary conductance

Asymptotic Energy Dependence of Hadronic Total Cross Sections from Lattice QCD

The nonperturbative approach to soft high-energy hadron-hadron scattering, based on the analytic continuation of Wilson-loop correlation functions from Euclidean to Minkowskian theory, allows to investigate the asymptotic energy dependence of hadron-hadron total cross sections in lattice QCD. In this paper we will show, using best fits of the lattice data with proper functional forms satisfying unitarity and other physical constraints, how indications emerge in favor of a universal asymptotic high-energy behavior of the kind B log^2 s for hadronic total cross sections.Comment: Revised and extended version; 29 pages, 4 figure