Sustainable Knowledge Investment Increases Employment and GDP in the Spanish Agricultural Sector More Than Other Investments

Investment in every type of asset increases GDP and net employment differently. This paper compares the effect produced by a permanent unitary shock in Sustainable Knowledge for the Primary Sector (SKPS) on the Spanish employment and GDP growth with the effect produced by the other fourteen capital stock types. The methodology used is a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), where the complementary capital can affect SKPS instantaneously. The results suggest that SKPS produces the second-highest, short and long-term effects on both labor and production, per Euro invested; moreover, the investment of 4.3 thousand euros is retrieved in the first year and increases net employment in one person after four years. Accordingly, the 5 million Euro Budget to invest in sustainable machinery and processing techniques increases net employment by 827 employees.

A Comparative Study of the Influence of Different Types of Polymers on Viscosity Index and Pour Point of Iraqi Base Oils

In this study, the effects of blending the un-branched acrylate polymer known as Poly (n-decyl acrylate), and the branched acrylate polymer known as Poly (iso-octyl acrylate), on the viscosity index (VI), and the pour point of the Iraqi base stocks 40, and 60 respectively, were investigated. Toluene was used as a carrier solvent for both polymer types. The improvement level of oils (VI, & pour point) gained by blending the oil with the acrylate derived polymers was compared with the values of (VI, and pour point) gained by blending the oil with a commercial viscosity index, and pour point improver. The commercial lubricant additive was purchased and used by Al-Daura Refineries. It consisted of an un-known olefin copolymer dissolved in an un-known carrier solvent. All polyacrylate derivatives and the commercial lubricant additive named HITEC5748 were blended with each type of oil in weight percentage of (2, 4, 6, 8, & 10) wt. %. The result of the study was that the improvement in the viscosity index and the pour point of both base stock types was higher when using the polyacrylate derivatives than when using the commercial olefin copolymer additive.

A Comparative Study of the Influence of Different Types of Polymers on Viscosity Index and Pour Point of Iraqi Base Oils

In this study, the effects of blending the un-branched acrylate polymer known as Poly (n-decyl acrylate), and the branched acrylate polymer known as Poly (iso-octyl acrylate), on the viscosity index (VI), and the pour point of the Iraqi base stocks 40, and 60 respectively, were investigated. Toluene was used as a carrier solvent for both polymer types. The improvement level of oils (VI, & pour point) gained by blending the oil with the acrylate derived polymers was compared with the values of (VI, and pour point) gained by blending the oil with a commercial viscosity index, and pour point improver. The commercial lubricant additive was purchased and used by Al-Daura Refineries. It consisted of an un-known olefin copolymer dissolved in an un-known carrier solvent. All polyacrylate derivatives and the commercial lubricant additive named HITEC5748 were blended with each type of oil in weight percentage of (2, 4, 6, 8, & 10) wt. %. The result of the study was that the improvement in the viscosity index and the pour point of both base stock types was higher when using the polyacrylate derivatives than when using the commercial olefin copolymer additive.

Information Level Representation of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Managers about Securities

This research was carried out with private company owners and shareholders-managers in Yalova. These managers were asked about the general approach for the most commonly used securities in the financial system. They were asked to express the level of knowledge they felt. The interviews were conducted face to face with the managers. The level of knowledge expressed by the managers was evaluated on a triple scale. It was examined with various cross tables. Percentages were taken. According to the findings, most owners and shareholders - managers accept that they do not have enough knowledge about the securities used in the financial markets. The lowest level of knowledge is expressed for the derivative products. The highest level of knowledge is expressed for the stock types. As a first step, this study is important in terms of raising awareness on this issue. This research and its results can be used for the development of training and programs for businessman. Also, they can be used in the chambers of commerce and universities.

Railway Freight Transport and Logistics: Methods for Relief, Algorithms for Verification and Proposals for the Adjustment of Tunnel Inner Surfaces

In Europe, the attention to efficiency and safety of international railway freight transport has grown in recent years and this has drawn attention to the importance of verifying the clearance between vehicle and lining, mostly when different and variable rolling stock types are expected. This work consists of defining an innovative methodology, with the objective of surveying the tunnel structures, verifying the clearance conditions, and designing a retrofitting work if necessary. The method provides for the use of laser scanner, thermocameras, and ground penetrating radar to survey the geometrical and structural conditions of the tunnel; an algorithm written by the authors permits to verify the clearances. Two different types of works are possible if the inner tunnel surfaces interfere with the profile of the rolling stock passing through: modification of the railroad track or modification of the tunnel intrados by mean milling of its lining. The presented case study demonstrates that the proposed methodology is useful for verifying compatibility between the design vehicle gauge and the existing tunnel intrados, and to investigate the chance to admit rolling stocks from different states. Consequently, the results give the railway management body a chance to perform appropriate measurements in those cases where the minimum clearance requirements are not achieved.

The Effects of Propagation Techniques on Leaf Vascular Anatomy, Modulus of Elasticity, and Photosynthetic Traits in Micropropagated and Grafted Plants of the Dutch Elm Hybrid ‘Dodoens’

Understanding how plants are able to change their structural, physiological, and mechanical properties in response to various propagation methods can help to improve both their performance and their survival when transferred to field conditions. To identify changes between the routinely applied vegetative propagation techniques of in vitro micropropagation and splice grafting we assessed leaf performance for any differences in midrib vascular traits, nanomechanical properties of tracheary element cell walls, and photosynthetic traits in the dutch elm hybrid cultivar Dodoens (i.e., open-pollinated Ulmus glabra ‘Exoniensis’ × Ulmus wallichiana P39). The propagation techniques appear to have had a direct effect on a large portion of the vascular traits. In the micropropagated plants, the water-conducting area within the primary xylem tissue contained a significantly greater number of tracheary elements which suggests hydraulic safety. In the grafts, the water-conducting area contained a significantly smaller number of tracheary elements, in which the lumen areas were slightly larger than those of the micropropagated plants, resulting in a significantly higher size to number ratio which may indicate a fast and more effective water transport system. Quantitative nanomechanical mapping measurements from atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the tracheary elements of the micropropagated plants formed stiffer cell walls quantified by the reduced Young’s modulus of elasticity (MOE) than those of the grafts. The effect of the rootstock might contribute to the differences in vascular traits, as well as to the differences in cell wall stiffness and cell wall deformation observed between the stock types. The micropropagated plants were subjected to a more sensitive stomatal regulation of gas exchange resulting in the lower rates of net photosynthesis and transpiration. But the higher values of both instantaneous water-use efficiency (WUEinst) and chlorophyll a fluorescence yields found in the micropropagated plants indicate a higher acclimation capacity to stressful environmental conditions specifically for this stock type. Both stock types formed compact homogeneous clusters clearly separated from each other in the multivariate leaf trait analysis.