Multi-Criteria versus Data Envelopment Analysis for Assessing the Performance of Biogas Plants

This paper compares multi-criteria decision aiding (MCDA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) approaches for assessing renewable energy plants, in order to determine their performance in terms of economic, environmental, and social criteria and indicators. The case is for a dataset of 41 agricultural biogas plants in Austria using anaerobic digestion. The results indicate that MCDA constitutes an insightful approach, to be used alternatively or in a complementary way to DEA, namely in situations requiring a meaningful expression of managerial preferences regarding the relative importance of evaluation aspects to be considered in performance assessment.Multi-criteria decision analysis; DEA; Renewable energy; Biogas

Surge Flow Irrigation.

4 p

Irrigation Systems for Forage Crops.

12 p

Soil Moisture Monitoring.

8 p

4f-spin dynamics in La(2-x-y)Sr(x)Nd(y)CuO(4)

We have performed inelastic magnetic neutron scattering experiments on La(2-x-y)Sr(x)Nd(y)CuO(4) in order to study the Nd 4f-spin dynamics at low energies. In all samples we find at high temperatures a quasielastic line (Lorentzian) with a line width which decreases on lowering the temperature. The temperature dependence of the quasielastic line width Gamma/2(T) can be explained with an Orbach-process, i.e. a relaxation via the coupling between crystal field excitations and phonons. At low temperatures the Nd-4f magnetic response S(Q,omega) correlates with the electronic properties of the CuO(2)-layers. In the insulator La(2-y)Nd(y)CuO(4) the quasielastic line vanishes below 80 K and an inelastic excitation occurs. This directly indicates the splitting of the Nd3+ ground state Kramers doublet due to the static antiferromagnetic order of the Cu moments. In La(1.7-x)Sr(x)Nd(0.3)CuO(4) with x = 0.12, 0.15 and La(1.4-x)Sr(x)Nd(0.6)CuO(4) with x = 0.1, 0.12, 0.15, 0.18 superconductivity is strongly suppressed. In these compounds we observe a temperature independent broad quasielastic line of Gaussian shape below T about 30 K. This suggests a distribution of various internal fields on different Nd sites and is interpreted in the frame of the stripe model. In La(1.8-y)Sr(0.2)Nd(y)CuO(4) (y = 0.3, 0.6) such a quasielastic broadening is not observed even at lowest temperature.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures included, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Effect of Row Pattern and Spacing on Water Use Efficiency for Subsurface Drip Irrigated Cotton

Cotton production is an important economic base for Far West Texas; however, the region has erratic and limited rainfall and is dependent on limited groundwater supplies. Maximizing water use efficiency (WUE) for cotton lint yield is therefore a strategic goal in conserving limited water resources. In this study different plant row patterns, row spacings and irrigation levels were evaluated to investigate water use efficiency for cotton under subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). An experiment with three row-spacings, two plant row patterns, and four water levels was conducted during three years in Far West Texas. The row spacing treatments were ultranarrow rows (UNR), 0.76 and 1.02-m rows. The row patterns for the 0.76 and 1.02 m row spacings were every row planted, one planted and one skipped, and two rows planted and one skipped. The UNR cotton was solid-planted in 0.25-m rows in 1997 and 0.38-m rows in 1998 and 1999. The drip lines were placed beneath each planted row, except in the case of the UNR rows where the rows were planted over the 0.76-m drip line spacing. The UNR and the 0.76-m row spacing resulted in higher WUE than the 1.02-m row spacing for the highest water level in 1997, and the lowest water level in 1998 for the every row pattern. When the three years of data were combined for analysis, it was observed that for the lowest water treatment (0.6-mm/d inseason irrigation), the UNR spacing produced a higher WUE (0.258 kg/m3) than the 0.76 and 1.02-m row spacings (0.198 kg/m3). The average WUE of the UNR spacing for three years of the experiment was 11.7 and 21.3% higher than the 0.76-m and 1.02-m row spacing respectively. Although, the 0.76-m and 1.02-m row spacing were not significantly different, the WUE of 0.76- m row spacing was 10.5% higher than the 1.02-m row spacing. Therefore, we conclude under our conditions row spacing can have a moderate impact on WUE for SDI systems. The narrower cotton spacing exhibited trends toward higher WUE. When the row planting patterns were analyzed by combining three years of data, it was found that row pattern did not have an influence on WUE for the 0.76-m and 1.02-m row spacings

Electronic transport in EuB6_6

EuB$_6$ is a magnetic semiconductor in which defects introduce charge carriers into the conduction band with the Fermi energy varying with temperature and magnetic field. We present experimental and theoretical work on the electronic magnetotransport in single-crystalline EuB$_6$. Magnetization, magnetoresistance and Hall effect data were recorded at temperatures between 2 and 300 K and in magnetic fields up to 5.5 T. The negative magnetoresistance is well reproduced by a model in which the spin disorder scattering is reduced by the applied magnetic field. The Hall effect can be separated into an ordinary and an anomalous part. At 20 K the latter accounts for half of the observed Hall voltage, and its importance decreases rapidly with increasing temperature. As for Gd and its compounds, where the rare-earth ion adopts the same Hund's rule ground state as Eu$^{2+}$ in EuB$_{6}$, the standard antisymmetric scattering mechanisms underestimate the $size$ of this contribution by several orders of magnitude, while reproducing its $shape$ almost perfectly. Well below the bulk ferromagnetic ordering at $T_C$ = 12.5 K, a two-band model successfully describes the magnetotransport. Our description is consistent with published de Haas van Alphen, optical reflectivity, angular-resolved photoemission, and soft X-ray emission as well as absorption data, but requires a new interpretation for the gap feature deduced from the latter two experiments.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, submitted to PR

Geosciences Roadmap for Research Infrastructures 2025–2028 by the Swiss Geosciences Community

This community roadmap presents an integrative approach including the most urgent infrastructure requests for the future development of geosciences in Switzerland. It recommends to strengthen the multidisciplinary nature of the geosciences by putting all activities under the roof of the Integrated Swiss Geosciences supported by four specific research infrastructure pillars. The roadmap represents the view of the Swiss scientific community in the field of geosciences and is a formal element of the process to elaborate the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures 2023. This bottom-up contribution to the identification and selection of important national and international research infrastructures has been coordinated by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) on a mandate by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).ISSN:2297-1564ISSN:2297-157

Sensitivity in Multiobjective Programming by Differential Equations Methods. The Case of Homogeneous Functions

Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Multi-Objective Programming and Goal Programming, Torremolinos, Spain, May 16-18, 1996.The purpose of this paper is to characterize for convex multiobjective programming, the situations in which the sensitivity with respect to the right side vector of the constraints can be obtained as a solution of a dual program.Publicad

Case Management as a Significant Component of Usual Care Psychotherapy for Youth with Disruptive Behavior Problems

Youth with disruptive behavior problems (DBPs) represent the majority of youth served in usual care (UC) psychotherapy, and are at high risk for maladaptive outcomes. Little is known about UC psychotherapeutic strategies utilized with this population. Researchers and clinicians suggest that case management (CM) is a major activity occurring in usual care. CM includes coordinating care with service providers and individuals, including schools, psychiatrists, and community-based services. This study assesses the prevalence and predictors of clinician use of CM in usual care. Results from this study suggest that CM is frequently used in UC psychotherapy with youth with DBPs. The extent of use of CM in UC may have implications for implementation of evidence-based practices in usual care psychotherapy