Efficiency and Productivity in the Spanish Food Distribution Sector

This study investigated the efficiency and productivity change of a sample of food distribution units (MERCAs) in Spain over the 1.997-1.999 period, applying non-parametric frontier methodology in a sales efficiency framework. We specified a mean sales model composed of two blocks of variables, the production block, and the marketing management block. Then we applied output oriented DEA methodology to perform the efficiency analysis, also taking into account the overall efficiency decomposition into pure and scale efficiency. The Malmquist index was calculated in order to analyse the components of the productivity change. The mean pure sales efficiency index was high, around 0.8, the mean scale index being 0,9. As appears from the results, six food distribution units were efficient, but some of the wholesale markets need to adapt their sales technology in order that their input bundle reaches a Most Productive Scale Size unit. We found no evidence of technical change during the period considered, but concluded that a notable scale efficiency change took place during the studied period. To summarise, we conclude that improvement in sales efficiency could be reached in the studied sector in both the pure and the scale efficiency.Efficiency, Productivity, DEA method, Malmquist index, Food Distribution Unit, Productivity Analysis,

Constraining the Milky Way Dark Matter Density Profile with Gamma-Rays with Fermi-LAT

We study the abilities of the Fermi-LAT instrument on board of the Fermi mission to simultaneously constrain the Milky Way dark matter density profile and some dark matter particle properties, as annihilation cross section, mass and branching ratio into dominant annihilation channels. A single dark matter density profile is commonly assumed to determine the capabilities of gamma-ray experiments to extract dark matter properties or to set limits on them. However, our knowledge of the Milky Way halo is far from perfect, and thus in general, the obtained results are too optimistic. Here, we study the effect these astrophysical uncertainties would have on the determination of dark matter particle properties and conversely, we show how gamma-ray searches could also be used to learn about the structure of the Milky Way halo, as a complementary tool to other type of observational data that study the gravitational effect caused by the presence of dark matter. In addition, we also show how these results would improve if external information on the annihilation cross section and on the local dark matter density were included and compare our results with the predictions from numerical simulations.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figure

Observable Medium Effects For Atmospheric Neutrinos

We discuss the possibility to observe matter effects in atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The main conclusion is that an impact on the nu_mu survival probability requires the action of the MSW resonance, which becomes visible for baselines above ~7000 km. The associated muon charge asymmetry carries information on theta_{13} and the sign of Dm^2_{31}.Comment: 7 pp, 2 fig. Talk given at the EPS-Conference on HEPP, Budapest (Hungary), July 2001, to be published in the Proceeding

The sign of dm2_{31} and the muon-charge asymmetry for atmospheric neutrinos

We discuss the possibility to measure the sign of dm2_{31} from matter-induced charge asymmetries in atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The main conclusion is that an impact on the nu_mu survival probability requires the action of the MSW resonance, which becomes visible for baselines above \~7000 km.Comment: 6 pp, 1 fig. Talk given at the 7th International Workshop on Topics in Astroparticles and Underground Physics (TAUP2001), Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, September 8-12, 200