Estimating Sampling Errors in REA Survey: A Model Approach for the Synthetic Presentation of Results for Main Variables Involved in Economic Analysis

A new sample business survey for agriculture, the REA survey, and a project of integration with the FADN network (RICA in Italy) have significantly changed the production of statistical information nowadays available with reference to the agricultural sector. On the basis of this relevant information, new economic analyses are being developed on farms’ performance, agricultural households’ income and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In this paper the authors estimate the relationship between the levels of variables of interest and their sampling errors using models in order to improve the accessibility of the information on estimates accuracy to the final users (agricultural analysts, policy makers). The paper is the result of a joint research of the three authors. Sections 1–3 and 6 by Pizzoli, Sects. 4 and 5 by Rondinelli, Sect. 7 by Filiberti, conclusions joint to the three authors.     

Energy of formation for and liquid binary alloys

We have investigated the free energy of formation for Ag_xIn_1-x and Ag_xSn_1-x liquid binary alloys at temperatures 1173 and 1250 K, respectively. A microscopic theory based on the first order perturbation has been applied. The interionic interaction and a reference liquid are the fundamental components of the theory. The interionic interaction is described by a local pseudopotential. A liquid of hard spheres (HS) of two different effective diametres and charges is used to describe the reference system. The results of the calculations for energy of formation agree very well with the available experimental data. Our calculations also reveal that a simple perturbative approach along with appropriate effective pair potentials can produce nearly quantitative results for the concerned alloys.     

基于SPA的双枝模糊决策分析

将集对理论(SPA)与双枝模糊决策理论相结合,用集对分析的方法研究进行双枝模糊决策的方法,分别对双枝模糊决策因素域和双枝模糊决策的上枝、下枝和双枝进行了集对分析,给出了用SPA进行双枝模糊决策的性质,同时讨论了双枝模糊决策的动态分析方法,以及双枝模糊决策度强弱态势预测的方法,从而为双枝模糊决策理论的研究提供了新的视角和方法,为双枝模糊决策的应用提供了更方便的工具和更强的理论支持。     

Cosmological Consequences of Scale-Related Comoving Masses for Cosmic Pressure, Mass, and Vacuum Energy Density

According to ideas of Mach, Whitrow, Dirac, or Hoyle, inertial masses of particles should not be a genuine, predetermined quantity; rather they should represent a relational quantity which by its value somehow reflects the deposition and constellation of all other objects in their cosmic environment. In this paper we want to pick up suggestions given by Thirring and by Hoyle of how, due to requirements of the equivalence of rotations and of general relativistic conformal scale invariance, the particle masses of cosmic objects should vary with the cosmic length scale. We study cosmological consequences of comoving cosmic masses which co-evolve by mass with the expansion of the universe. The vanishing of the covariant divergence of the cosmic energy-momentum tensor under the new prerequisite that matter density only falls off with the reciproke of the squared cosmic scale S(t) then leads to the astonishing result that cosmic pressuredoes not fall off adiabatically but rather falls off in a quasi-isothermal behaviour, varying with S(t) as matter density does. Hence, as a new cosmological fact, it arises that, even in the late phases of cosmic expansion, pressure cannot be neglected what concerns its gravitational action on the cosmic dynamics. We then show that under these conditions the cosmological equations can, however, only be solved if, in addition to matter, also pressure and energy density of the cosmic vacuum are included in the calculation. An unaccelerated expansion with a Hubble parameter falling off with S(t)⁻¹ is obtained for a vacuum energy density decay according to S(t)⁻² with a well-tuned proportion of matter and vacuum pressures. As it appears from these results, a universe with particle masses increasing with the cosmic sale S(t) is in fact physically conceivable in an energetically consistent manner, if vacuum energy at the expansion of the universe is converted into mass density of real matter with no net energy loss occuring. This universe in addition also happens to be an economical one which has and keeps a vanishing total energy.     

Electron beam induced modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films

Electron beam processing of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films is found to promote significant changes in the melting heat, intrinsic viscosity and polymer film-liquid (water, isooctane and toluene) boundary surface tension. These properties are featured with several maximums depending on the absorbed dose and correlating with the modification of PET surface functionality. Studies using adsorption of acid-base indicators and IR-spectroscopy revealed that the increase of PET surface hydrophilicity is determined by the oxidation of methylene and methyne groups. Electron beam treatment of PET films on the surface of N-vinylpyrrolidone aqueous solution provided graft copolymerization with this comonomer at optimum process parameters (energy 700 keV, current 1 mA, absorbed dose 50 kGy).     

Analysis of reflectance and modulation spectroscopic lineshapes in optoelectronic device structures

We discuss the spectral lineshapes of reflectance and modulated reflectance (MR) measurements on optoelectronic device structures such as epi-layers, quantum wells (QWs), vertical-cavity surface emitting-lasers (VCSELs) and resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes (RCLEDs). We consider the various methods for the extraction of built-in electric fields and band-gap energies from Franz-Keldysh oscillations (FKO), using the example of a tensilely strained InGaAs QW system, whose InGaAsP barriers yield strong FKO. We describe how critical point transition energies can be easily obtained by eye from Kramers-Kronig (KK) transforms of low field or QW modulation spectra, using the example of the modulated transmittance spectra of dilute-nitrogen InGaAsN p-i-n structures. We also discuss how the ordinary reflectivity spectrum, usually acquired at the same time as the MR signal, may also be exploited to extract layer thicknesses and compositions, and information about the active QW absorption spectrum in VCSEL and RCLED structures.     

Vibrational EELS and DFT study of propionic acid and pyruvic acid on Ni(1 0 0): Effects of keto group substitution on room-temperature adsorption and thermal chemistry

The room-temperature adsorption and thermally induced processes of propionic acid and pyruvic acid on Ni(1 0 0) have been investigated by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Computational vibrational analysis of the optimized bidentate structures for acid-Ni model complexes (involving the organic acid and a Ni atom) has been performed by using the two-layer ONIOM method with the Density Functional Theory and used to interpret the vibrational EELS data. Dehydrogenation of the hydroxyl group is found to result in bonding of the carboxylate group in the propionate and pyruvate adspecies to either a single Ni surface atom in a bidentate configuration or two neighbouring Ni atoms in a bridge configuration. Given the similarities in the total energies and related vibrational frequencies obtained by the calculations in the case of pyruvate adspecies, it is difficult to differentiate the alternate adsorption structure, in which the keto O and hydroxyl O atoms are bonded to a Ni atom in a five-member chelate ring configuration. Furthermore, temperature-dependent EELS studies show that both the propionate and pyruvate adspecies could decompose upon annealing to above 400 K and further dissociate to CO adspecies above 550 K and to C and/or O above 600 K.     

Microstructure of laser melted Al18B4O33w/2024Al composite

The microstructure of a laser treated Al₁₈B₄O₃₃w/2024Al composite has been investigated using transmission electron microscope (TEM), low-angle (glancing angle) X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Various surface microstructures were observed in the laser treated composite. The Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ whisker on the surface of the composite was decomposed during laser surface melting, various decomposition products were studied in the laser treated composite. Eutectic phases and the precipitation in the matrix of the composite with laser-treated were observed. The main phases detected in the molten zone were aluminum and decomposition products Al₂O₃. The effect of laser treatment on the hardness of the composite was also examined. A surface hardness of 400 Hv was noted.     

Characterization of iron surface modified by 2-mercaptobenzothiazole self-assembled monolayers

A self-assembled monolayer of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) adsorbed on the iron surface was prepared. The films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Besides, the microcalorimetry method was utilized to study the self-assembled process on iron surface and the adsorption mechanism was discussed from the power-time curve. The results indicated that MBT was able to form a film spontaneously on iron surface and the presence of it could protect iron from corrosion effectively. However, the assembling time and the concentration influence the protection efficiency. Quantum chemical calculations, according to which adsorption mechanism was discussed, could explain the experimental results to some extent.     

Magnetic and electrical transport properties of delta-doped amorphous Ge:Mn magnetic semiconductors

We report on the growth and characterization of delta-doped amorphous Ge:Mn diluted magnetic semiconductor thin films on GaAs (0 0 1) substrates. The fabricated samples exhibit different magnetic behaviors, depending on the Mn doping concentration. The Curie temperature was found to be dependent on both the Mn doping concentration and spacing between the doping layers. A sharp drop in magnetization and rise in resistivity are observed at low temperature in samples with high Mn doping concentrations, which is also accompanied by a negative thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) in the higher temperature range. The temperature at which the magnetization starts to drop and the negative TRM appears show a correlation with the Mn doping concentration. The experimental results are discussed based on the formation of ferromagnetic regions at high temperature and antiferromagnetic coupling between these regions at low temperature.