Contingent weighting in judgment and choice.

Preference can be inferred from direct choice between options or from a matching procedure in which the decision maker adjusts one option to match another. Studies of preferences between two-dimensional options (e.g., public policies, job applicants, benefit plans) show that the more prominent dimension looms larger in choice than in matching. Thus, choice is more lexicographic than matching. This finding is viewed as an instance of a general principle of compatibility: The weighting of inputs is enhanced by their compatibility with the output. To account for such effects, we develop a hierarchy of models in which the trade-off between attributes is contingent on the nature of the response. The simplest theory of this type, called the contingent weighting model, is applied to the analysis of various compatibility effects, including the choice-matching discrepancy and the preference-reversal phenomenon. These results raise both conceptual and practical questions concerning the nature, the meaning and the assessment of preference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

设计智能电网系统以促进能源效率

由于智慧电网（smart grid）可望提供效率更高、更可靠、更环保、更经济的电力．因此,当智慧电网在全世界正式推出时,众人对其相关消息兴奋不已。世界各国的政府正注资在智慧电网的部署上。例如,美国政府已预留45亿美元特别预算．而中国则针对智慧电网．正在进行4兆人民币（5960亿美元）的投资。     

Reaction-bonded B4C/SiC composites synthesized by microwave heating

The reaction-bonding technique was used to synthesize boron carbide (B₄C) - silicon carbide (SiC) composites by microwave heating. Preforms of porous B₄C were obtained by compaction followed or not by partial densification. Then, the material was infiltrated by molten silicon under a microwave heating. The influence of the thermal cycles (T: 1400-1500°C, t: 5-120 minutes) is low. The hardness of boron carbide is comparable to that of alumina (15-19 GPa) for a much lower density (≈2.5 g/cm³ for B₄C-based material instead of 3.95 g/cm³ for alumina). These properties make this composite, obtained by microwave heating, a good candidate for ballistic applications.     

Crack identification by ‘arrival time’ using XFEM and a genetic algorithm

A computational framework is developed in which cracks in two‐dimensional structures are identified, in conjunction with non‐destructive testing of specimens. As opposed to a previous study by the authors, which was based on time‐harmonic excitation with a single frequency, here the transient response of the structure to a short‐duration signal is measured along part of the external boundary. Crack detection is performed using the solution of an inverse time‐dependent problem. It is shown that the arrival time of the input signal to the points of measurement is a good criterion for crack identification in the time domain. The inverse problem of identification is solved using a genetic algorithm, while each forward problem is solved by the time‐dependent extended finite element method (XFEM). The XFEM scheme is efficient in that it allows the use of a single regular mesh for a large number of forward time response problems with different crack geometries. Numerical examples involving a crack in a flat membrane are presented. Identification based on ‘arrival time’ is shown to perform better than that based on time‐harmonic response. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elastic–plastic multiplicative decomposition with a stressed intermediate configuration

This paper presents an extension to the elastic–plastic multiplicative decomposition to permit the origin, in stress space, to reside outside the closure of the elastic domain. In this work the classical assumption of a stress-free intermediate configuration is abandoned in favor of a new one where the intermediate configuration could be stressed. This stress is identified as the maximal unloading point in stress space, and denoted the plastic stress. To motivate the discussion, the infinitesimal plasticity model is considered first. A remarkable result is obtained, where, for the case of linear elastic response, the classical infinitesimal model is, after some reinterpretation, recovered. The fully nonlinear model is developed, and is shown to reduce to the classical one when the intermediate configuration is stress-free. The new framework is then applied to the case of J₂-plasticity, where it is shown that when coupled with neo-Hookean elasticity, as in the infinitesimal case, after some reinterpretation, the classical model is recovered (i.e., the total stress is independent of the plastic stress). Numerical simulations are used to illustrate the importance of properly modeling the hardening behavior even during (external) loading in cases where load redistribution may take place.     

Interactions of pendimethalin with organo-montmorillonite complexes

Pendimethalin (PM) is a dinitroaniline herbicide, highly hydrophobic and with a very low solubility in water. It is used for pre-emergence weed control, is usually applied before sowing, and mechanically incorporated into the soil. We tested sorption of PM on montmorillonite and on two different organo-montmorillonites in a mixed water–chloroform environment, to determine the feasibility of developing an environmentally oriented formulation of the herbicide. FTIR measurements show that the interactions of PM with montmorillonite on which difenzoquat (DZ) or mepiquat (MQ) were previously adsorbed are via the nitro and methyl groups of the herbicide. The pre-adsorbed organocations cause a dehydration of the interlayer space, leading to hydrophobicity of the organoclay. Changes in the electrokinetic surface charge of the organoclay, measured using a particle charge detector, confirm these results. The high affinity to PM and the hydrophobic behavior of the used organoclays were also demonstrated in experiments using a mixed chloroform–water environment. The crude clay mineral stayed in the water phase, whereas DZ- and MQ-montmorillonites concentrated in the PM-chloroform phase. Amounts of PM adsorbed to the organoclays using this method were very high (up to 0.65 mol PM kg⁻¹ compound), which suggests a very efficient technology of preparation of herbicide-clay formulations, compared with techniques used in the past for similar herbicide-organoclay compounds. Plant experiments using the organoclay-herbicide formulation with higher amount of active ingredient (based on DZ-clay) demonstrate efficient herbicidal activity with 30% less active ingredient.