Effect of updating training on fluid intelligence in children

Recent studies have indicated that working memory (WM) training can improve fluid intelligence.However,these earlier studies confused the impact of WM storage and central executive function on the effects of training.The current study used the running memory task to train the updating ability of 9-11 year-old children using a double-blind controlled design.The results revealed that children’s fluid intelligence was significantly improved by memory-updating training.Overall,our findings suggest that the increase in fluid intelligence achieved with WM training is related to improving central executive function.     

Multi-threshold second-order phase transition in laser

We present a theory of the multi-threshold second-order phase transition,and experimentally demonstrate the multi-threshold secondorder phase transition phenomenon.With carefully selected parameters,in an external cavity diode laser system,we observe secondorder phase transition with multiple(three or four) thresholds in the measured power-current-temperature three dimensional phase diagram.Such controlled death and revival of second-order phase transition sheds new insight into the nature of ubiquitous secondorder phase transition.Our theory and experiment show that the single threshold second-order phase transition is only a special case of the more general multi-threshold second-order phase transition,which is an even richer phenomenon.     

Flame spread over the surface of thermal insulation materials in different environments

Experiments were conducted in a plateau area in Lhasa and a plain area in Hefei China to investigate the flame spread characteristics on thermal insulation materials under different environmental conditions (pressure and oxygen concentration).Molded polystyrene foam (EPS) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) samples were placed horizontally on a small-scale flame spread experimental bench.Changes in the average length of the pool fire,flame spread speed,average flame height,and length of preheating zone were used to determine the effect of the plateau and plain environments on flame spread characteristics.These parameters were all larger in Hefei than in Lhasa,which indicates the fire hazard in Hefei will be higher than that in Lhasa if insulation materials of the same size are used.     

Membrane sorption property effects on transmembrane permeation

A theoretical study was carried out into membrane transport phenomena.Formulae for calculating the membrane transport resistance and transmembrane mass flux were given,variations in membrane resistance and moisture flux with the membrane sorption constant(C)under various humidity conditions were analyzed,and the value of C corresponding to the minimum membrane resistance or the maximum moisture flux was obtained.The results show that the membrane resistance and moisture flux relate not only to C but also to the relative humidities on both sides of the membrane.As C increases,membrane resistance initially decreases but then increases,i.e.,a minimum occurs,while the moisture flux first decreases and then increases,i.e.,a maximum occurs.The membrane resistance and moisture flux reach their extrema at the same value of C,which is determined by the relative humidities on both sides of the membrane.To reduce the membrane resistance,the value of C should be chosen based on the humidity conditions.     

Superfluid density of two-dimensional weakly interacting boson system at zero temperature

We compute the superfluid density of a two-dimensional boson system with weak two-body repulsive interactions at zero temperature using one-loop perturbation theory in the weak coupling region. The boson fields are taken to be in continuum form in real space, and the interactions are approximated by a δ function of the distance between the bosons. We find that the one-loop fluctuations slightly decrease the superfluid density of a classical level. The superfluid density is approximated by the condensate density multiplied by the mass of the boson particle.     

Upwind finite volume element methods for one-dimensional semiconductor device

A fully discrete implicit Euler upwind finite volume element method is derived and studied for one-dimensional semiconductor device. Upwind scheme is introduced to deal with the convection-dominated diffusion equations in the semiconductor model. With different time steps for the electrostatic potential and the other unknown quantities, the computational procedure of the method is obtained. The local mass conservation laws are preserved under the framework of the upwind finite volume element schemes. A first-order accuracy in the L ²-norm is proved. Numerical experiments are given to validate the usefulness and efficiency of the method.     

Sufficient Reason and Reason Enough

I offer an analysis of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and its relevancy for the scientific endeavour. I submit that the world is not, and cannot be, rational—only some brained beings are. The Principle of Sufficient Reason is not a necessary truth nor a physical law. It is just a guiding metanomological hypothesis justified a posteriori by its success in helping us to unveil the mechanisms that operate in Nature.     

Semi-global stabilization via homogeneous output feedback for a class of nonlinear time-delay systems

The semi-global stabilization problem for a class of nonlinear systems with state time-delay is addressed in this paper. By using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method and homogeneous domination approach, a homogeneous observer and an output feedback controller with a scaling gain are designed. Then the scaling gain is adjusted such that the closed-loop system is semi-global asymptotically stable. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results in this paper.     

Attentional negativity bias moderated by positive mood arousal

Automatically allocation of more attention to negative stimuli is called emotional negativity bias. An event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment investigated whether or not this bias was altered by positive mood arousal. The results suggested that the attention bias towards negative stimuli was attenuated when positive information was accessible.     

Teeming stream protection using an argon shroud during casting of steel ingots

Two kinds of argon shroud protection devices with two different basic structures were designed and investigated. Industrial experiments and numerical simulations were used to examine the protection effect, and the mechanism of air entrapment during the casting of steel ingots was analyzed. The influence of the structure of the argon shroud protection device on the protection effect was investigated. An argon shroud protection device mounted to the nozzle holder on the bottom of the ladle does not provide a good protection effect because air can easily flow into the teeming system and cause reoxidation of molten steel during teeming. By contrast, an argon shroud protection device seated on the top of the central trumpet provides an excellent protection effect, where air has little chance of flowing into the teeming system during casting. The feasibilities of the argon shroud protection devices are discussed.