Time variation of the mass-loss rate (top left panel), pulsation period (top right), dust production rate (bottom left), and optical depth τ₁₀ (bottom right) of model stars with an initial mass of 4 M_⊙ (black lines and circles), 5 M_⊙ (red lines and squares), and 6 M_⊙ (blue lines and triangles), calculated with the mass-loss prescription by Blo95. The points in the bottom panels refer to the values in the middle of each inter-pulse phase. Green points refer to the inter-pulse phases, and indicate results from modelling based on the VW93 description of mass loss, where the value β = 3 was considered for the scattering parameter. The shadings in the top right panel are the same as in Fig. 3.