5,180 research outputs found

    Response of coconuts to fertilizer and advice to Sri Lankan growers. an aggregative approach

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    Aggregative approach appears to be an useful alternative in modelling fertilizer response under non-experimental conditions. The results obtained using this approach seem to support some of the earlier findings on economically optimal rates of application. Response of palms to fertilizer under non-experimental conditions appear to be encouraging. For moderate rainfall conditions the profit maximising quantitiy of fertilizer appeared to be markedly stable under the market conditions which prevailed during 1956 to 1981. The simple estimation procedure developed here can be extended to measure profitability under different rainfall conditions if held data is available for coconut growing areas giving the nut production from unfertilized coconut lands under different rainfall conditions. Once this information is available definite statements on profit maximising quantity of fertilizer and the profitability aspect of fertilizer use in coconut production can be made in advisory pamphletes

    Electronic Structure Of The Hydride Pd3feh

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    A self-consistent calculation of the electronic structure of Pd3FeH is presented, using the linear combination of muffin-tin orbitals method. We first briefly discuss the paramagnetic phase of the hydride. We then proceed to the discussion of the ferromagnetic phase of Pd3FeH. The analysis of the energy bands and densities of states gives a good understanding of the influence of hydrogen in this compound. We show any hydrogen uptake drastically decreases the magnetic moments of Pd3Fe. We also find a marked increase in the linear coefficient of specific heat, showing great alterations in the physical properties of Pd3Fe upon hydrogenation. © 1987 The American Physical Society.36145245

    Magnetic Properties And Calculated Electronic Structure Of Iron-palladium Alloys

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    Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)The electronic structure of iron-palladium alloys are studied using the self-consistent linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method. In particular, three compounds are analyzed, namely, Pd3Fe, PdFe, and PdFe3 and their stability investigated with respect to the iron concentration. Results are obtained from ferromagnetic calculations for each alloy. Our discussion on internal excess energy shows the PdFe3 ordered structure to be at best metastable with respect to its disordered alloy, while Pd3Fe and PdFe are stable compounds. Results for PdFe3 show a collapse of its magnetic moment as a function of the lattice parameter. © 1992 The American Physical Society.461489158925 2010/00863-0; FAPESP; São Paulo Research Foundation; 2011/09240-9; FAPESP; São Paulo Research Foundation; 2012/21198-0; FAPESP; São Paulo Research FoundationFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

    New insights on measuring bank branches efficiency through DEA:transactional, operational, and profit assessments

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    This thesis presents a number of methodological developments that were raised by a real life application to measuring the efficiency of bank branches. The advent of internet banking and phone banking is changing the role of bank branches from a predominantly transaction-based one to a sales-oriented role. This fact requires the development of new forms of assessing and comparing branches of a bank. In addition, performance assessment models must also take into account the fact that bank branches are service and for-profit organisations to which providing adequate service quality as well as being profitable are crucial objectives. This study analyses bank branches performance in their new roles in three different areas: their effectiveness in fostering the use of new transaction channels such as the internet and the telephone (transactional efficiency); their effectiveness in increasing sales and their customer base (operational efficiency); and their effectiveness in generating profits without compromising the quality of service (profit efficiency). The chosen methodology for the overall analysis is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The application attempted here required some adaptations to existing DEA models and indeed some new models so that some specialities of our data could be handled. These concern the development of models that can account for negative data, the development of models to measure profit efficiency, and the development of models that yield production units with targets that are nearer to their observed levels than targets yielded by traditional DEA models. The application of the developed models to a sample of Portuguese bank branches allowed their classification according to the three performance dimensions (transactional, operational and profit efficiency). It also provided useful insights to bank managers regarding how bank branches compare between themselves in terms of their performance, and how, in general, the three performance dimensions are connected between themselves

    Inter- and intra-annual variability of wave energy in Northern mainland Portugal: Application to the HiWave-5 project

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    Ocean wave energy capacity has been pointed out as one of the unexplored renewable energy sources to help reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, contributing to meeting the European Green Deal targets. However, despite the broad range of wave energy converter technologies already developed in a sustainable and economic model, there is still a lack of structured projects with high performance beyond the prototype stage. This paper investigates the potential for large-scale electricity production by the innovative HiWave-5 project in Aguçadoura (on the Northern coast of mainland Portugal). Wind–wave data (1950–2020) from the ERA5 reanalysis model are used to estimate inter- and intra-annual wave energy variability in Aguçadoura. ERA5 data is compared with field wind–wave data recorded between 2012–2019 near the study area. A mean wave power resource of 25.84 kW/m is obtained, for a possible device capture equal to 119.45 kW, despite a considerable intra-annual variability (ranging between 8.03 and 47.57 kW/m) and inter-annual variability (between 18.29 and 35.47 kW/m). Results show that local wave conditions do not substantially compromise the absolute performance of the device, given its survival limitations to adverse conditions. Considering a Levelized Cost of Energy of around €60/MWh, an annual investment of €62 885 is estimated, tending to meet targets for large sustainable electricity generation with the exponential growth expected until 2030, aided by the increase of devices in an energy farm concept. Wave power resources estimated using ERA5 data can underestimate about 7.20% values obtained with the wave buoy data.The second and third authors thank FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM, Portugal (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/ 2020+ LA/P/0094/2020), through national funds. The authors also want to thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and suggestions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Environmental Services Associated With The Reclamation Of Areas Degraded By Mining: Potential For Payments For Environmental Services

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    This paper discusses the potential of associating environmental services (ES) with techniques for reclaiming degraded areas (RDA) used in the mining sector, considering the current trends in payments for environmental services (PES) in Brazil. A literature review with content analysis generated results which identified the ES generated for eight cases of RDA in mining. As an example, ES related to soil enhancement were found. A more extended review of general RDA techniques confirmed the potential for associating other ES to RDA techniques used in mining, an example here is the enhancement of carbon stocks. Support for actions could come from existing PES schemes, particularly for cases where the ES identified as associated with an RDA technique are related to soil and water conservation. Concluding remarks indicate that there is a potential scenario for ES diversification in the reclamation stage of mining operations. A first step towards accomplishing this diversification envisages the creation of a PES scheme specific to the mining sector. Further studies are needed to develop criteria for fostering a PES scheme specifically for the reclamation phase of mining operations in Brazil.19213716

    Aspects of safety: what should be considered?

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    Main objectives: 1. To appreciate the core competencies and the radiographer's role as a key element to ensure patient safety at the imaging department. 2. To learn about the main concepts of patient safety related to the radiographer's professional responsibility and ethics outlines at the imaging department level from a public or private hospital or even at the private practice level. 3. To discuss ways to promote patient safety and quality in imaging
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