Valve actuator Patent

Actuator using compressed gas as driving force to control valve handling large liquid flow

The Macroeconomics Shocks and the Brazilian Agricultural Price Evolution – A VAR Analysis Approach

The findings presented in this paper come from our study of the effects of Brazilian macroeconomic policy on the Brazilian Farm [product] Price Index using an adapted version of Frankel’s (1986 & 2006) theoretical model. The study examined the connection between Brazilian farm prices and external variables (worldwide importation of agribusiness products, international commodity prices, and foreign real interest rates) and between Brazilian farm prices and domestic variables (GDP, the real exchange rate, and local interest rates).

Modelling the statistical dependence of rainfall event variables by a trivariate copula function

In many hydrological models, such as those derived by analytical probabilistic methods, the precipitation stochastic process is represented by means of individual storm random variables which are supposed to be independent of each other. However, several proposals were advanced to develop joint probability distributions able to account for the observed statistical dependence. The traditional technique of the multivariate statistics is nevertheless affected by several drawbacks, whose most evident issue is the unavoidable subordination of the dependence structure assessment to the marginal distribution fitting. Conversely, the copula approach can overcome this limitation, by dividing the problem in two distinct parts. Furthermore, goodness-of-fit tests were recently made available and a significant improvement in the function selection reliability has been achieved. Herein the dependence structure of the rainfall event volume, the wet weather duration and the interevent time is assessed and verified by test statistics with respect to three long time series recorded in different Italian climates. Paired analyses revealed a non negligible dependence between volume and duration, while the interevent period proved to be substantially independent of the other variables. A unique copula model seems to be suitable for representing this dependence structure, despite the sensitivity demonstrated by its parameter towards the threshold utilized in the procedure for extracting the independent events. The joint probability function was finally developed by adopting a Weibull model for the marginal distributions

Hydrological and meteorological aspects of floods in the Alps: an overview

International audienceThis introductory paper presents and summarises recent research on meteorological and hydrological aspects of floods in the Alps. The research activities were part of the international research project RAPHAEL (Runoff and Atmospheric Processes for flood HAzard forEcasting and controL) together with experiments within the Special Observing Period-SOP conducted in autumn 1999 for the Mesoscale Alpine Programme ?MAP. The investigations were based on both field experiments and numerical simulations, using meteorological and hydrological models, of ten major floods that occurred in the past decade in the European Alps. The two basins investigated were the Ticino (6599 km2) at the Lago Maggiore outlet on the southern side of the Alps and the Ammer catchment (709 km2) in the Bavarian Alps. These catchments and their sub-catchments cover an appropriate range of spatial scales with which to investigate and test in an operational context the potential of both mesoscale meteorological and distributed hydrological models for flood forecasting. From the data analyses and model simulations described in this Special Issue, the major sources of uncertainties for flood forecasts in mid-size mountain basins are outlined and the accuracy flood forecasts is assessed

Quotas for Men: Reframing Gender Quotas as a Means of Improving Representation for All

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Diffuse radio sources in the cluster of galaxies Abell 548b

We report extensive VLA and ATCA observations of the two diffuse radio sources in the cluster of galaxies Abell 548b, which confirm their classification as relics. The two relics (named A and B) show similar flux density, extent, shape, polarization and spectral index and are located at projected distances of about 430 and 500 kpc from the cluster center, on the same side of the cluster's X-ray peak. On the basis of spectral indices of discrete radio sources embedded within the diffuse features, we have attempted to distinguish emission peaks of the diffuse sources from unrelated sources. We have found that both relics, in particular the B-relic, show possible fine structure, when observed at high resolution. Another diffuse source (named C) is detected close in projection to the cluster center. High-resolution images show that it contains two discrete radio sources and a diffuse component, which might be a candidate for a small relic source. The nature and properties of the diffuse radio sources are discussed. We conclude that they are likely related to the merger activity in the cluster.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 11 pages, 7 figures. Some figures are degraded to reduce their size. A version with high resolution images is available at http://www.ira.inaf.it/~lferetti/OUTGOING/papA548b.ps.g

FORMAÇÃO DE PREÇOS NO SETOR SUCROALCOOLEIRO DA REGIÃO CENTRO-SUL DO BRASIL: RELAÇÃO COM O MERCADO DE COMBUSTÍVEL FÓSSIL

The objective of this study is the construction and estimation of an analytical model which is able to explain the behavior of prices of products from the sugar and alcohol industries, taking into account the recent interrelationship observed between these sectors and the fossil fuel products when the hydrated alcohol has been considered a substitute for the C-gasoline. The methodology used is the Vector Auto-Regression Analysis and for the definition of the statistical model it is taken into account the integration and co-integration properties of the used time series. The results obtained with the Dickey-Fuller unit root tests and of co-integration of Johansem pointed to the need of the construction of a Vector Auto-Regression model with error correction - VEC. The results show that variations in the C-gasoline price for the retail segment present an immediate and high effect on the price of the hydrated alcohol for the retail segment, indicating a high degree of substitutability of the first product by the second one. The results also indicate that the variations in the price of the anhydrous alcohol for the producer present significant impacts in the price of the hydrated alcohol for the producer and retail segment, with a time lag of one month in the second case. The price variations of sugar in the domestic market are passed through the other products of the sector. However the elasticities are low. Also, it was not observed a significant effect of variations in the price of alcohol on the sugar price for the producer segment.

The Macroeconomics Shocks and the Brazilian Agricultural Price Evolution - A VAR Analysis Approach

The findings presented in this paper come from our study of the effects of Brazilian macroeconomic policy on the Brazilian Farm [product] Price Index using an adapted version of Frankel's (1986 & 2006) theoretical model. The study examined the connection between Brazilian farm prices and external variables (worldwide importation of agribusiness products, international commodity prices, and foreign real interest rates) and between Brazilian farm prices and domestic variables (GDP, the real exchange rate, and local interest rates)