Fluctuating initial condition and smoothening effect on elliptic and triangular flow

In heavy ion collisions, event-by-event fluctuations in participating nucleon positions can lead to triangular flow. Generally, one uses Monte-Carlo Glauber model to obtain the participating nucleon positions. To use in a hydrodynamic model, the positions needs to be smoothened. We study the effect of smoothening of Glauber Monte-Carlo initial conditions on elliptic and triangular flow. It is shown that integrated as well as differential elliptic and triangular flow remain largely unaltered, irrespective of functional form of the smoothening function, or the smoothening parameterComment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Religiosity, ethnocentrism end corporate image towards the perception of young muslim consumers: structural equation modelling approach

The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between religiosity, ethnocentrism and corporate image towards the perception of purchasing foreign goods by the young Muslim consumers in Malaysia. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed for measuring the relationship from young Muslim consumers in Klang Valley area. Finally, 230 questionnaires became validated and tested for further statistical analysis through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied for testing the hypotheses of the study. Among all the variables, corporate image and ethnocentrism behavior plays the most significant on the perception of young Muslim consumer’s before purchasing foreign made products. The added value of this paper is to link between theory and practice, and explore the religiosity and ethnocentrism behavior on young Muslim consumer’s purchase decisions of foreign products. Few researches have conducted over the years under the young Muslim consumers that investigated the relationship between religiosity and ethnocentrism perspective. Moreover, this relatively new issue remains largely undiscovered by researchers under various market environments

Managing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Nutrients for Switchgrass Produced for Bioenergy Feedstock in Phosphorus-Deficient Soil

There is limited information available explaining the agronomic and economic relationships between yield and nitrogen and phosphorus applications to growing switchgrass produced in phosphorus-deficient soils. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on feedstock yield and measures of expected total cost, gross revenue, net return, and breakeven price of feedstock produced in phosphorus-deficient soils in the southern Great Plains. Data were collected from a three-year, two-location agronomic field study conducted in south-central Oklahoma. Two discrete nitrogen treatments (0 and 134 kg ha-1) and four discrete phosphorus treatments (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg ha-1) were randomly assigned to small plots arranged in a randomized complete block designed (RCBD) study. Random effects mixed ANOVA models were used to estimate the effects of nitrogen, phosphorus and nitrogen by phosphorus interactions on feedstock yield and the economic variables specified. Results showed that, on average over site-years, switchgrass yield increases from 10.5 to 12.3 Mg ha-1 with the highest (101-kg ha-1) treatment; however, we found no statistical difference in net profitability between phosphorus treatments. Yield and net return did respond significantly to 135 kg-1 of N ha-1. Our results suggest that phosphorus-deficient soils do not seem to have the same impact on switchgrass yield and profitability as they do for the yields and profitability of other crops traditionally grown in this region.bioenergy feedstock, economics, phosphorus-deficient soils, nitrogen, switchgrass, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Production Economics,

Cost effectiveness of bio-ethanol to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Greece

The purpose of this study is to evaluate ethanol cost- effectiveness with regards to carbon dioxide emissions. Actually, bio-fuel production is only viable thanks to the tax credit policy resulting in economic ‘deadweight’ loss. The environmental performance is assessed under the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework. Economic burden to society to support the activity divided by avoided CO2 equivalent emissions indicates the bio-ethanol cost effectiveness. Agricultural feedstock supply that comprises of sugarbeets, grains and industrial processing sub-models are articulated in a regional sector model. The maximization of total welfare determines optimal crop mix for farmers and the best configurations for industry. This is illustrated for bio-ethanol produced by the ex-sugar industry in Thessaly, Greece. Life cycle activity analysis showed that, at the optimum, CO2 emission is reduced between 1 and 1.5 t of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of ethanol. The unitary cost falls in the range of 100 to 250 euro per ton of CO2 and it is remarkably dependent on the agricultural policy scenario.Cost effectiveness, ethanol, mathematical programming, life cycle assessment, greenhouse gases