Distributional effects of direct payments in Switzerland

The switch from market-support to direct payments in Switzerland had impacts on the income distribution among farmers. In this paper, the distributional effect of the switch as a whole and of the different kinds of direct payments are elaborated through a presentation of different decomposed Gini coefficients. Although the income distribution in Swiss Agriculture is still more equal than in most other countries, the Gini coefficient has risen from 0.27 in 1990 to 0.38 in 2009 and is by now strongly dependent on the composition of direct payments. Off-farm income and direct payments decrease, while market income increases income inequality.income distribution, direct payments, Gini decomposition, agricultural policy, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q00, Q18, Q28.,

Entwined Paths, Difference Equations and the Dirac Equation

Entwined space-time paths are bound pairs of trajectories which are traversed in opposite directions with respect to macroscopic time. In this paper we show that ensembles of entwined paths on a discrete space-time lattice are simply described by coupled difference equations which are discrete versions of the Dirac equation. There is no analytic continuation, explicit or forced, involved in this description. The entwined paths are `self-quantizing'. We also show that simple classical stochastic processes that generate the difference equations as ensemble averages are stable numerically and converge at a rate governed by the details of the stochastic process. This result establishes the Dirac equation in one dimension as a phenomenological equation describing an underlying classical stochastic process in the same sense that the Diffusion and Telegraph equations are phenomenological descriptions of stochastic processes.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures Replacement 11/02 contains minor editorial change

The standing wave model of the mesons and baryons

Only photons are needed to explain the masses of the pi(0), eta, Lambda, Sigma(0), Xi(0), Omega(-), Lambda(c,+), Sigma(c,0), Xi(c,0), and Omega(c,0) mesons and baryons. Only neutrinos are needed to explain the mass of the pi(+-) mesons. Neutrinos and photons are needed to explain the masses of the K-mesons, the neutron and D-mesons. Surprisingly the mass of the mu-meson can also be explained by the oscillation energies and rest masses of a neutrino lattice. From the difference of the masses of the pi(+-) mesons and mu(+-) mesons follows that the rest mass of the muon-neutrino is 47.5 milli-eV. From the difference of the masses of the neutron and proton follows that the rest mass of the electron-neutrino is 0.55 milli-eV. The potential of the weak force that holds the lattices of the particles together can be determined with Born's lattice theory. From the weak force follows automatically the existence of a strong force between the sides of two lattices. The strong nuclear force is the sum of the unsaturated weak forces at the sides of each lattice and is therefore 10^6 times stronger than the weak force.Comment: 41 pages, 6 figure

Entwined Pairs and Schroedinger 's Equation

We show that a point particle moving in space-time on entwined-pair paths generates Schroedinger's equation in a static potential in the appropriate continuum linit. This provides a new realist context for the Schroedinger equation within the domain of classical stochastic processes. It also suggests that self-quantizing systems may provide considerable insight into conventional quantum mechanics.Comment: 16 pg. 1 fi

Imaging Gold Nanoparticles in Living Cells Environments using Heterodyne Digital Holographic Microscopy

This paper describes an imaging microscopic technique based on heterodyne digital holography where subwavelength-sized gold colloids can be imaged in cell environment. Surface cellular receptors of 3T3 mouse fibroblasts are labeled with 40 nm gold nanoparticles, and the biological specimen is imaged in a total internal reflection configuration with holographic microscopy. Due to a higher scattering efficiency of the gold nanoparticles versus that of cellular structures, accurate localization of a gold marker is obtained within a 3D mapping of the entire sample's scattered field, with a lateral precision of 5 nm and 100 nm in the x,y and in the z directions respectively, demonstrating the ability of holographic microscopy to locate nanoparticles in living cells environments

Self-similar motion for modeling anomalous diffusion and nonextensive statistical distributions

We introduce a new universality class of one-dimensional iteration model giving rise to self-similar motion, in which the Feigenbaum constants are generalized as self-similar rates and can be predetermined. The curves of the mean-square displacement versus time generated here show that the motion is a kind of anomalous diffusion with the diffusion coefficient depending on the self-similar rates. In addition, it is found that the distribution of displacement agrees to a reliable precision with the q-Gaussian type distribution in some cases and bimodal distribution in some other cases. The results obtained show that the self-similar motion may be used to describe the anomalous diffusion and nonextensive statistical distributions.Comment: 15pages, 5figure

Combined Analysis of Near-Threshold Production of omega and phi Mesons in Nucleon-Nucleon Collisions within an Effective Meson-Nucleon Model

Vector meson ($V = \omega, \phi$) production in near-threshold elementary nucleon-nucleon collisions $pp\to ppV$, $pn\to pnV$ and $pn\to dV$ is studied within an effective meson-nucleon theory. It is shown that a set of effective parameters can be established to describe fairly well the available experimental data of angular distributions and the energy dependence of the total cross sections without explicit implementation of the Okubo-Zweig-Iisuka rule violation. Isospin effects are considered in detail and compared with experimental data whenever available

Stent Grafting for Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease: Review of the VBX FLEX Study

Endovascular treatment has become an accepted method in the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. Bare metal stents have been used in the treatment of aortoiliac disease since the early 1990s. More recently, the use of covered stent grafts in the aortoiliac segment has shown clinical benefit in terms of patency, freedom from reintervention and quality of life. The VBX FLEX study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Gore VBX stent graft for use in the aortoiliac segment. The early and mid-term data on the Gore VBX stent graft have shown it to be a safe device for use in the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. This review examines the use of stents in aortoiliac occlusive disease with specific focus on the VBX FLEX Study

Aspects of phi-meson production in proton-proton collisions

We analyze near-threshold cross section data for the reaction pp->pp phi published by the DISTO collaboration and recent, still preliminary results presented by the ANKE Collaboration. We formulate a procedure to evaluate the OZI ratio at low energies by taking into account corrections from the kinematics and the final-state interaction. Combining the new data with the few measurements available at higher energies we give a limit for the OZI rule violation and estimate the possible contribution from a five-quark baryonic resonance coupled to the phi-p system.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

An analysis of a benchmarking initiative to help government entities to learn from best practices - the 'Dubai We Learn' initiative

Purpose: Benchmarking has been recognised as one of the most widely adopted business improvement tools. Whilst there have been many independent benchmarking studies comparing the practices and performance of public sector organisations, there has been little research on initiatives that involve coordinating multiple benchmarking projects within public sector organisations or report on the practices implemented and results from benchmarking projects. This research will be of interest to centralised authorities wishing to encourage and assist multiple organisations in undertaking benchmarking projects. Design: The study adopts a case study methodology. Data was collected on the coordinating mechanisms and the experiences of the individual organisations over a one-year period. Findings: The findings show successful results (financial and non-financial) across all 13 benchmarking projects thus indicating the success of a coordinated approach to managing multiple projects. The study concluded by recommending a six-stage process for coordinating multiple benchmarking projects. Originality: This research gives new insights into the application and benefits from benchmarking due to the open access the research team had to the ‘Dubai We Learn’ initiative. To the authors’ knowledge the research was unique in being able to report accurately on the outcome of 13 benchmarking projects with all projects using the TRADE benchmarking methodology