Dynamic Scale Model Research Articles

Steepness-fragility insights from the temperature derivative analysis of dielectric data of a highly nonsymmetric liquid crystal dimer.

A comprehensive dynamic analysis of the dielectric relaxation-time data across a broad temperature range for both isotropic and nematic phases has been conducted on the CBO3O.Py liquid crystal dimer, the shorter chain-length compound within the highly nonsymmetric pyrene-based series of liquid crystal dimers (CBOnO.Py, with n ranging from 3 to 11). It was known from another previous study that in the nematic phase, three different relaxation processes contribute to the complex dielectric permittivity depending on the orientation of the alignment axis with respect to the probing electric field direction. The temperature-derivative analysis of the relaxation-time data using different analytic functions reveals that the critical-like description, through the dynamic scaling model, best portrays the relaxation-time data in the nematic phase as the system approaches the glass transition. A single glass transition temperature is obtained which is consistent with thermal stimulated depolarization currents experimental determinations published elsewhere. From temperature-dependent steepness index m(T), the activation-critical model is also considered as a more general analytic function from which the dynamic scaling model is a terminal approximation. Additionally, the critical-like parametrization provides insight into obtaining a universal description of the temperature-dependent steepness index m(T), for all liquid crystal compounds belonging to symmetry-selected glass formers, such as rodlike liquid crystal monomers.

ВИВЧЕННЯ ЖИТТЯ БІЖЕНЦІВ ЗА ДОПОМОГОЮ ОСВІТНІХ ВІДЕОІГОР

In recent years, scholarly investigations have yielded the consensus that video games possess multifaceted attributes that extend beyond their conventional perception as mere sources of leisure, diversion, and entertainment. The immersive nature of video games has led to increased interest in their use as platforms for engaging in discourses across a diverse array of subject matters with the potential to reach a wider audience and generate meaningful impact. Combined with the sense of presence and ownership that allows players to be placed in the shoes of characters grappling with social or political issues, video games are converting into an effective and accessible tool for learning and engagement with pressing cultural, social and political issues. Current research aims to understand better the potential of educational video games to address these pressing problems, in this case, the refugee crisis, to evoke empathy and raise awareness by looking at the problem 'behind the scenes' with an audience that initially was not interested in the topic. This qualitative study (N=78) employed the narrative research method to examine experiential participatory learning with participants playing the educational video game Against All Odds developed by UNHCR. By immersing players in this virtual experience, this game was created to educate and encourage a greater understanding of the realities faced by refugees, the complexity, and dangers of the refugee experience, as well as the reasons behind their displacement. The promising results of the research show that a video game can address serious social issues by creating a simplified but still dynamic scale model of refugee reality. Participants reported an enjoyable gaming experience, newfound interest in the issue at hand, increased empathy toward refugees, and motivation to help people in need. The study illustrates that by putting players in the shoes of struggling characters, video games could make learning about these topics more engaging and, as a result, more accessible and appealing to a wider audience, including non-gamers and people previously disinterested in the topic. These results invite educators, researchers, and scholars from the fields of education, game studies, social sciences, and cultural studies to explore the potential of video games as a possible tool for engaging students, addressing social issues, raising awareness, and fostering empathy. The article also identifies several prospective domains for future research.

On the Similarity Relationship between the Structural-Steel Prototype and the 304-Stainless-Steel Dynamic Scale Model

Due to the size limitations of shaking tables, dynamic scale models of large-span space structures for engineering have small cross-sections and thin wall thicknesses. It is difficult to use the structural steels commonly used in prototypes to make dynamic scale models. In this paper, 304 stainless steel is proposed for making the scale model, and the similarity relationship between the structural-steel prototype and the 304-stainless-steel dynamic scale model was studied. Firstly, a uniaxial test was conducted to study the elastic modulus similarity and the yielding stress similarity. The test results demonstrated that the elastic modulus similarity ratio was 1:1, and the stress similarity ratios of the 304 stainless steel and the three typical structural steels were 1:1 (Q235 steel), 1:1.5 (Q355 steel) and 1:1.8 (Q420 steel). Then, the similarities of other variables were derived using the dimensional analysis method. In the end, a numerical analysis was conducted to verify the similarity relationship between the structural-steel prototype and the 304-stainless-steel dynamic scale model. In the numerical analysis, a single-layer spherical reticulated shell structure and a dynamic scale model with a length similarity ratio of 1:20 were established by using the ABAQUS 2021 software, and the node displacement, the element internal force and natural vibration characteristics were analyzed. The results show that standard deviations of the displacements, the internal forces and the natural vibration frequencies between the prototype and the scale model were within 5%. It turns out that the proposed similarity between the structural-steel prototype and the 304-stainless-steel dynamic scale model was applicable in the elastic stage. The findings provide a reference for designing a dynamic scale model of large-span space structures for engineering by using 304 stainless steel.

Exploring the Impact of Intermolecular Interactions on the Glassy Phase Formation of Twist-Bend Liquid Crystal Dimers: Insights from Dielectric Studies

The formation of the nematic to twist-bend nematic (NTB) phase has emerged as a fascinating phenomenon in the field of supramolecular chemistry, based on complex intermolecular interactions. Through a careful analysis of molecular structures and dynamics, we elucidate how these intermolecular interactions drive the complex twist-bend modulation observed in the NTB. The study employs broadband dielectric spectroscopy spanning frequencies from 10 to 2 × 109 Hz to investigate the molecular orientational dynamics within the glass-forming thioether-linked cyanobiphenyl liquid crystal dimers, namely, CBSC7SCB and CBSC7OCB. The experimental findings align with theoretical expectations, revealing the presence of two distinct relaxation processes contributing to the dielectric permittivity of these dimers. The low-frequency relaxation mode is attributed to an “end-over-end rotation” of the dipolar groups parallel to the director. The high-frequency relaxation mode is associated with precessional motions of the dipolar groups about the director. Various models are employed to describe the temperature-dependent behavior of the relaxation times for both modes. Particularly, the critical-like description via the dynamic scaling model seems to give not only quite good numerical fittings, but also provides a consistent physical picture of the orientational dynamics in accordance with findings from infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Here, as the longitudinal correlations of dipoles intensify, the m1 mode experiences a sudden upsurge in enthalpy, while the m2 mode undergoes continuous changes, displaying critical mode coupling behavior. Interestingly, both types of molecular motion exhibit a strong cooperative interplay within the lower temperature range of the NTB phase, evolving in tandem as the material’s temperature approaches the glass transition point. Consequently, both molecular motions converge to determine the glassy dynamics, characterized by a shared glass transition temperature, Tg.

Study on vibration characteristics of fine breccia soil subgrade reinforced with a new prestressed structure under train cyclic loading

Train cyclic loading generally results in significant dynamic responses of the breccia soil subgrade, resulting in a series of subgrade problems. A new prestressed reinforcement structure (PRS) is proposed to reinforce subgrade structures. However, characteristics of the prestressed subgrade under dynamic loading have not been investigated. This study investigates the vibration characteristics of a new prestressed subgrade structure under train cyclic loading. The acceleration responses of the subgrade surface under different train axle loads and prestress levels are measured and discussed by developing a 1:5 scale dynamic model test on a prestressed fine breccia soil subgrade structure. Subsequently, a three-dimensional dynamic finite element model of the prestressed subgrade is constructed for an in-depth analysis of the internal acceleration of the prestressed subgrade. The results showed that a periodic acceleration response of the subgrade should be observed, and its mean crest and mean trough are used to characterize the long-term vibration degree of the subgrade. The peak vertical acceleration of the subgrade is significantly affected by the prestress level, and the dynamic response of the subgrade around the lateral pressure plate (LPP) is reduced more obviously by the prestress than that of the subgrade’s inner region. The peak vertical acceleration at the subgrade shoulder presents linear increase and exponential attenuation with the rise in the train axle load and prestress level, respectively. In addition, an empirical model describing the relationships among the peak acceleration, train axle load, and prestress is proposed. The vertical dynamic displacement and dynamic stress decrease with the increase of the prestress. The average elastic deformation and peak dynamic stress of the subgrade under a prestress level of 100 kPa are found to be 95.8% and 87.22–90.07% of that with the absence of prestress, respectively. The vertical vibration of the prestressed subgrade structure can be reduced by taking measures such as adjusting the prestress magnitude and increasing the subgrade slope ratio, thereby achieving an effective prestress reinforcement effect.

Research on the Method of Simplifying Concrete Substructures of Suspen-Dome Prototype Structure in Shaking Table Test Scale Model

This paper proposed and studied the method of simplifying concrete substructures of the suspen-dome prototype structure in shaking table test scale model. Firstly, a method that replaces complex concrete substructures of the suspen-dome prototype structure with steel substructures in shaking table test scale model was proposed. And then, a dynamic integral scale model considering substructures was established. After that, the natural frequencies of the model were obtained by conducting white noise sweep test. Finally, the numerical scaled model was established by ABAQUS software, and the numerical model of the prototype structure was established by Midas/Gen software. The natural frequency, mode shape, and seismic response of the scale model were compared with the prototype structure. It is observed that the natural frequencies of the test scale model were very close to that of the prototype structure after considering the scale ratio, and the scaled model's first five modes were basically consistent with that of the prototype structure. Besides, the difference in acceleration response between the two modes is also small. It is proved that in shaking table test, the method of designing the integral scale model of replacing complex concrete substructures of the prototype structure with steel substructures is accurate and effective. The analysis results provides a reference for researchers and designers to more conveniently establish scaled models of suspen-dome structures in shaking table tests.

A dynamic model of tablet film coating processes for control system design

Aqueous film coating is a common and important step in the production of most pharmaceutical tablets. Controlling this process is beneficial to maintain stable and optimal operation and the use of a model capable of describing its main physical phenomena is fundamental for control system design. This paper presents the development of a dynamic macro scale model of a pan coater based on energy and mass transfer equations. Model complexity is kept low to simplify parameterization and allow for real-time applications, such as the development of system observers to estimate critical unmeasured variables. Pilot plant data from seven batches, ran according to designed experiments, are used for model calibration and validation. The final model adequately captures the global trajectories of the main process variables; mean differences between experimental and simulated values are below 2 °C for the outlet gas and tablet bed temperatures, and 2% for the outlet gas relative humidity.

Combined Description of the Equation of State and Diffusion Coefficient of Liquid Water Using a Two-State Sanchez-Lacombe Approach.

Water is one of the most important compounds on Earth, yet its material properties are still poorly understood. Here, we use a recently developed two-state, two-(time)scale (TS2) dynamic mean-field model combined with the two-state Sanchez-Lacombe (SL) thermodynamic theory in order to describe the equation of state (density as a function of temperature and pressure) and diffusivity of liquid water. In particular, it is shown that in a relatively wide temperature and pressure range (160 K < T < 360 K; 0 < P < 100 MPa), density and self-diffusion obey a special type of dynamic scaling, similar to the "τTV" scaling of Casalini and Roland, but with the negative exponent γ. The model predictions are consistent with experimental data. The new equation of state can be used for various process models and generalized to include multicomponent mixtures.

Increasing fire frequency may trigger eco‐hydrologic divergence

AbstractClimate‐induced fire regimes may change species abundance and species composition in affected forest types, potentially altering pyro‐eco‐hydrologic feedbacks. In some fire‐prone forests across the globe, eco‐hydrologic thresholds (changing points, or tipping points, in ecohydrology when vegetation shifts from one steady vegetation to another) are being exceeded due to changes in relationships between climate, fire and vegetation. Following compound disturbances, forests may fail to maintain ecological resilience. Under multiple burn conditions, Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. forests in south east Australia are highly vulnerable to ecological tipping points. In Victoria, over 189 000 ha of obligate seeder forests have been burned two or more times within 18 years. These short return‐interval fires allow Acacia dealbata to become the dominant overstorey species. Such a dramatic species replacement may result in a new evapotranspiration (ET) regime, leading to a new hydrologic state. Stand scale dynamic models were combined with field estimated ET in E. regnans and A. dealbata forests aged 10, 35 and 75/80 years. We found that long‐term forest structure, ET and water yield significantly diverge between E. regnans and A. dealbata forests with increasing age. These divergences imply a non‐equilibrium state after A. dealbata replaces E. regnans under high‐frequency fire conditions. In senescing A. dealbata, understorey transpiration contribution of 29.8% to system ET was similar to that of overstorey transpiration (31.2%), indicating the understorey and overstorey contribute equally to total ET at the final stage of Acacia forests. In contrast, in 75‐year‐old E. regnans forests, understorey contribution to the total system evapotranspiration is about 16%. This suggests that, after the Acacia life cycle finishes, the ET regime will transit into a new state that will be dominated by shrubby understorey species. Our findings suggest that this climate‐induced species replacement would decrease long‐term ET, inferring an increase in streamflow.

Nucleation-Growth Versus Spinodal Decomposition in Fe-Cr Alloys: An Experimental Verification by Atom Probe Tomography and Small Angle Neutron Scattering.

Identifying the operative mode of phase separation [spinodal decomposition (SD) or nucleation-growth (NG)] remains an extremely important area of research. The present work examines this critically in the Fe-Cr system using atom probe tomography (APT) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and establishes the framework to distinguish the two different modes of α' phase separation in thermally aged Fe-35 at% Cr and Fe-20 at% Cr alloys. Independent APT analysis determines the mode of phase separation on the basis of (i) the presence/absence of periodic chemical fluctuation through radial distribution function analysis and (ii) interphase interface characteristics (diffuse/sharp). SANS analysis, in contrast, yields virtually indistinguishable correlation peaks for both the modes, which necessitates further investigation of the several different aspects of SANS profiles in the light of APT results. For the first time, key features of SANS profiles have been identified that can unambiguously distinguish SD from NG in the Fe-Cr system: (i) nature of temporal evolution of FWHM of the correlation peak and (ii) appropriate value of γ for fitting with the dynamic scaling model (γ = 6 for SD, Fe-35 at% Cr alloy; γ = 4 for NG, Fe-20 at% Cr alloy).

The effect of complex load on the reliable operation of solar photovoltaic and wind power stations integrated into energy systems and into off-grid energy areas

A mass renewable power stations commissioning, first of all solar photovoltaic stations (SPVS) and wind power stations (WPS) shall be associated with the properly implemented complex load modeling while calculating their electric operation modes. This article deals with the basic failures of standard algorithm of SPVS and WPS invertors/converters, Fault Ride Through (FRT), that has to reduce the active power output and to increase that of reactive power, in case of voltage drop. In order to prevent outages of SPVS and WPS equipment during emergency disturbances, the trip set points of SPVS and WPS inventors/converters shall be adjusted to those of the adjacent power network protective relay. In this article, an approach to selecting methods for complex loads modeling, in industrial energy areas, has been developed. A method for calculating the value of critical voltage across the load bars has been considered, and the relevancy to apply the dynamic scale model of electric motor has been substantiated. The specific aspects of the voltage-dependent and frequency-dependent load static characteristics employment, in calculations of electromechanical transient processes, have been analyzed. Recommendations on representing electric motors integrated into complex load circuits, in various software packages designed for operation modes calculations, have been stipulated. Various methods making it possible to take account of electromagnetic transient processes, in rotors of asynchronous motors, have been described. A proper account of complex loads enables to ensure reliable functioning of SPVS and WPS integrated into energy systems and operating in isolated energy areas avoiding their outages including those disturbances in power supply of power consuming equipment of industrial areas.

Shaking Table Test Research on the Influence of Center-Hung Scoreboard on Natural Vibration Characteristics and Seismic Response of Suspen-Dome Structures

The center-hung scoreboard is a large electronic display device, that usually has a significant weight and is flexibly suspended from the roof of the gymnasium. The suspen-dome structure is one of the common roof structures of gymnasiums. In order to investigate the effect of the center-hung scoreboard on the natural vibration characteristics and seismic response, including acceleration, displacement, and strain, of the suspen-dome structure and considering that the dynamic behavior of the structure under seismic action can be realistically reflected, a shaking table test was carried out based on the suspen-dome structure of the Gymnasium of the Lanzhou Olympic Sports Center. Firstly, according to the size of the shaking table, a dynamic scale model with a geometric similarity ratio of 1:20 was established. After that, the white noise excitation test and numerical modal analysis were conducted on the models with and without the center-hung scoreboard to compare the two modes’ natural vibration characteristics. Furthermore, the earthquake simulation test was carried out on the models with and without a center-hung scoreboard, and their various seismic responses, including acceleration, displacement, and strain, were compared and analyzed. Finally, the acceleration response and displacement response of the center-hung scoreboard were investigated. The results show that the higher-order natural frequencies of the suspen-dome structure will increase when the center-hung scoreboard is suspended from the roof, and the swing of the center-hung scoreboard will be excited first in the low-order mode. In addition, the various seismic responses, including acceleration, displacement, and strain, of the model with the center-hung scoreboard are all increased compared to the model without the center-hung scoreboard. Meanwhile, the influence of the center-hung scoreboard on the seismic response of the suspen-dome structure decreases from the inner ring to the outer ring of the structure. Moreover, under the action of an earthquake, the acceleration response and displacement response of the center-hung scoreboard are both extremely high. Considering the center-hung scoreboard in the analysis and design stage of the suspen-dome structure is necessary.

Objective comparison of numerical spin study with aircraft model free-flight spin tests

This paper reports on the results of a research project that investigated the spin and recovery characteristics of a multirole fighter aircraft. In the first phase, numerical/computational methods were used to predict full scale aircraft spin and recovery characteristics. The aerodynamic data used in the numerical study was obtained from rotary balance steady coning and oscillatory coning motion dynamic wind tunnel tests conducted on 1/13th scale aircraft dynamic model. All the possible steady spin modes were numerically computed, a complete set of dynamic modes of the spinning aircraft were evaluated and six degree of freedom simulations of predicted flat spins were performed to investigate their dynamic stability and recovery characteristics. In the second phase, free-flight spin trials were conducted using 1/5th scale dynamic model of the understudy aircraft to validate the results of the analytical spin studies. Dynamic characteristics of the analytically predicted flat spins were objectively compared with flat spins found in free-flight spin trials as a validation process. Our results reveal that the numerically predicted full scale aircraft spin and recovery dynamic characteristics correlate well with those estimated from model test flights. The present study is an important step toward objective comparison of numerical spin studies based on dynamic wind tunnel tests data with free-flight spin trials, yielding important guidelines and results for future aircraft spin studies.

A unified Quasi-Spectral Viscosity (QSV) approach to shock capturing and large-eddy simulation

The Quasi-Spectral Viscosity (QSV) method is a novel closure for a high-order finite-difference discretization of the filtered compressible Navier-Stokes equations capable of unifying dynamic subfilter scale (SFS) modeling and shock capturing under a single mathematical framework. Its innovation lies in the introduction of a physical-space implementation of a spectral-like SFS dissipation term by leveraging residuals of filter operations, achieving two goals: (1) estimating the energy of the resolved solution near the grid cutoff; (2) imposing a plateau-cusp shape to the spectral distribution of the added dissipation. The QSV approach has been tested in a variety of flows to showcase its capability to act interchangeably as: a shock capturing method, in the Shu-Osher, shock/vortex or shock/wall interactions problems; or as a SFS closure, in subsonic Taylor Green Vortex (TGV), and supersonic/hypersonic turbulent channel flows. QSV performs well compared to previous eddy-viscosity closures and shock capturing methods in such test cases. In a supersonic TGV flow, a case which exhibits shock/turbulence interactions, QSV alone outperforms the simple superposition of separate numerical treatments for SFS turbulence and shocks. QSV's combined capability of simulating shocks and turbulence independently, as well as simultaneously, effectively achieves the unification of shock capturing and Large-Eddy Simulation.

Energy-aware offloading based on priority in mobile cloud computing

Smartphones and portable devices have been widely used in our daily life. However, these portable devices cannot be used in a lot of environments due to limitations in battery capacity and computing speed. Therefore, how to save energy consumption and improve processing ability has become a hot issue. The previous works were mainly to transfer some local tasks to remote compute nodes by intelligently selecting the execution route of tasks based on Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). Different from previous work, this work mainly attempts to consider task urgency and system load based on Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) model. Firstly, tasks are given different priorities according to the energy consumption of different locations and task urgency. Secondly, a reference working state is given according to system load to ensure that each task (regardless of job deadline) is completed with minimum energy consumption under the average system load. Finally, a heuristic algorithm is used to schedule tasks on mobile devices and remote cloud resources based on the priority of tasks and reference status of resources. Our method is called AODVFS-Adaptive Offloading based on DVFS model. Comparison with other methods shows that our method saves average energy consumption and increases the number of completed tasks.

Dynamic workload-aware DVFS for multicore systems using machine learning

With growing heterogeneity and complexity in applications, demand to design an energy-efficient and fast computing system in multi-core architecture has heightened. This paper presents a regression-based dynamic voltage frequency scaling model which studies and utilizes workload characteristics to obtain optimal voltage–frequency (v–f) settings. The proposed framework leverages the workload profile information together with power constraints to compute the best-suited voltage–frequency (v–f) settings to (a) maintain global power budget at chip-level, (b) maximize performance while enforcing power constraints at the per-core level. The presented algorithm works in conjunction with the workload characterizer and senses change in application requirements and apply the knowledge to select the next setting for the core. Our results when compared with two state-of-the-art algorithms MaxBIPS and TPEq achieve the average power reduction of 33% and 25% respectively across 32-core architecture for PARSEC benchmarks.

Robustness of score-driven location and scale models to extreme observations: An application to the Chinese stock market

Recently, the use of dynamic conditional score (DCS) time series models are suggested in the body of literature on time series econometrics. DCS models are robust to extreme observations because those observations are discounted by the score function that updates each dynamic equation. Examples of the DCS models are the quasi-autoregressive (QAR) model and the Beta-t-EGARCH (exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity) model, which measure the dynamics of location and scale, respectively, of the dependent variable. Both QAR and Beta-t-EGARCH discount extreme observations according to a smooth form of trimming. Classical dynamic location and scale models (for example, the AR and the GARCH models) are sensitive to extreme observations. Thus, the AR and the GARCH modelsmay provide imprecise estimates of location and scale dynamics. In the application presented in this paper, we use data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange A-Share Index and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange A-Share Index for the period of 5th January 1998 to 29th December 2017. For the corresponding stock index return time series, a relatively high number of extreme values are observed during the sample period. We find that the statistical performance of QAR plus Beta-t-EGARCH is superior to that of AR plus t-GARCH, due to the robustness of QAR plus Beta-t-EGARCH to extreme unexpected returns.

Dynamic Scalability Model for Containerized Cloud Services

Cloud computing has become an important research area in large-scale computing systems and is being employed by many organizations in government, businesses, and industry. Schemes and appropriate models for dynamic resources provisioning in the cloud environment have been extensively studied. To date, the research literature is lacking schemes and models that offer dynamic scalability in which Quality of Service (QoS) and high performance are provided to customers with the usage of the least number of cloud resources, especially for containerized services hosted on the cloud. With dynamic scalability, cloud computing can offer on-demand, timely, and dynamically adjustable computing resources to services hosted on the cloud. This paper presents a dynamic scaling model based on queueing theory to scale containers virtual resources and satisfy the customer Service Level Agreements (SLA) while guarding costs of scaling very low. The aim is to improve the virtual computing resources utilization and satisfy SLA constraints in terms of CPU utilization, system response time, system drop rate, system number of tasks, and system throughput. Simulation results are provided using Java Modelling Tools simulation tool, which shows that our proposed model can determine under any offered workload the needed containers instances to satisfy the required QoS parameters.

Why are Fiscal Multipliers Asymmetric? The Role of Credit Constraints

Recent empirical evidence strongly points to the state dependence of fiscal multipliers that are larger in recessions than in expansions. Yet standard business cycle models face great difficulty in producing such asymmetric fiscal policy effects. By incorporating endogenously binding collateral constraints into a medium scale dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, we find that fiscal effectiveness can vary substantially across the business cycle. The key to our framework is the state‐dependent nature of collateral constraints—binding in bad times while slack in good times, amplifying the effectiveness of fiscal policy and hence generating fiscal multipliers that are larger during recessions.

Functional Trait Variation Among and Within Species and Plant Functional Types in Mountainous Mediterranean Forests.

Plant structural and biochemical traits are frequently used to characterise the life history of plants. Although some common patterns of trait covariation have been identified, recent studies suggest these patterns of covariation may differ with growing location and/or plant functional type (PFT). Mediterranean forest tree/shrub species are often divided into three PFTs based on their leaf habit and form, being classified as either needleleaf evergreen (Ne), broadleaf evergreen (Be), or broadleaf deciduous (Bd). Working across 61 mountainous Mediterranean forest sites of contrasting climate and soil type, we sampled and analysed 626 individuals in order to evaluate differences in key foliage trait covariation as modulated by growing conditions both within and between the Ne, Be, and Bd functional types. We found significant differences between PFTs for most traits. When considered across PFTs and by ignoring intraspecific variation, three independent functional dimensions supporting the Leaf-Height-Seed framework were identified. Some traits illustrated a common scaling relationship across and within PFTs, but others scaled differently when considered across PFTs or even within PFTs. For most traits much of the observed variation was attributable to PFT identity and not to growing location, although for some traits there was a strong environmental component and considerable intraspecific and residual variation. Nevertheless, environmental conditions as related to water availability during the dry season and to a smaller extend to soil nutrient status and soil texture, clearly influenced trait values. When compared across species, about half of the trait-environment relationships were species-specific. Our study highlights the importance of the ecological scale within which trait covariation is considered and suggests that at regional to local scales, common trait-by-trait scaling relationships should be treated with caution. PFT definitions by themselves can potentially be an important predictor variable when inferring one trait from another. These findings have important implications for local scale dynamic vegetation models.