Productivity Growth and Biased Technological Change in Hydroelectric Generating Dams

This paper analyses productivity growth and the nature of techni- cal change in a sample of Portuguese hydroelectric generating plants over the period 2001 to 2004. In a ¯rst step, we employ the Luen- berger productivity indicator to estimate and decompose productivity change. The results paint a picture of mixed productivity performance in the Portuguese energy sector. In a second step, we analyse the na- ture of this technical change by using the recent concept of parallel neutrality (Briec et al., 2006). We observe a global shift in the best practice frontier as well as evidence of input bias in technical change.hydroelectric energy; Portugal; Luenberger productivity indicator; parallel neutrality.

Heterogeneity in Technical Efficiency of the French Urban Transport: 1995 to 2002

In this paper, we analyze the heterogeneity in the technical efficiency of a sample of French urban transport companies with a translog production frontier model. The model generates efficiency disentangling homogenous and heterogeneous variables. Our study concluded that outputs and inputs play a major role in transport efficiency and we find that the efficiency scores vary along the sample. Policy implication is derived.Urban Transport; France, Translog random Frontier Model and Decision-Making Unit.

On the suitability of longitudinal profile measurements using Coherent Smith-Purcell radiation for high current proton beams

The use of Smith-Purcell radiation to measure electrons longitudinal profiles has been demonstrated at several facilities in the picosecond and sub-picosecond range. There is a strong interest for the development of non intercepting longitudinal profile diagnostics for high current proton beams. We present here results of simulations on the expected yield of longitudinal profile monitors using Smith-Purcell radiation for such proton beams.Comment: Presented at IPAC 2014 - THPME08

A Luenberger index for the Greek life insurance industry

This paper uses the Luenberger productivity index to evaluate the productivity changes of Greek Life insurance companies between 1994 and 2003, combining operational and financial variables. It is found that the average annual productivity change was about 19% and was due to technological progress, whereas the impact of efficiency was minimal. It seems that deregulation, established by the Third Insurance Directive in 1994, provoked investments in new technologies which were not matched by superior managerial practices. For comparative purposes, a Malmquist productivity index is estimated.peer-reviewe

A lower bound on the blow-up rate for the Davey-Stewartson system on the torus

We consider the hyperbolic-elliptic version of the Davey-Stewartson system with cubic nonlinearity posed on the two dimensional torus. A natural setting for studying blow up solutions for this equation takes place in $H^s, 1/2 < s < 1$. In this paper, we prove a lower bound on the blow up rate for these regularities