Technical Efficiency of Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Dairies in Poland: Toward the First Link of the Supply Chain

Several studies conducted in various countries have addressed the technical efficiency of dairies. However, there is a paucity of research on the technical efficiency of dairies in Poland, particularly in relation to their legal form (i.e., cooperatives vs. non-cooperatives). The existing literature also does not provide insights into the technical efficiency of these entities with respect to different regions’ milk production capacity. Therefore, this paper aims to: (1) evaluate and compare the technical efficiency of cooperative and non-cooperative dairies in Poland, and (2) examine dairies’ technical efficiency due to spatial disparities in milk production potential. We use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to investigate the technical efficiency of 108 dairies in Poland for the year 2019. The milk production capacity of provinces is examined by applying the zero unitarization method. The results show that when assuming constant returns to scale (CRS), dairy cooperatives are less technically efficient than non-cooperatives, whereas when assuming variable returns to scale (VRS), these differences are not statistically significant. For inefficient dairies, we observe the greatest potential for improvement in labor costs and depreciation. Both cooperatives and non-cooperatives operate mostly under decreasing returns to scale. Thus, the potential for enhancing the technical efficiency of dairies through the consolidation process seems to be exploited. Our findings reveal that the technical efficiency of dairies in Poland is not differentiated by regional milk production potential.

Efficiency of banks in Croatia

Croatian banking sector amounts to the majority of its financial sector. Therefore, it is necessary that Croatian banks operate efficiently. In the past two decades, the Croatian banking sector went through a consolidation process that steadily decreased the number of banks and allocated the majority of assets and market share to a few large banks. A simple definition of efficiency is cost minimization and profit maximization. Therefore, a bank is efficient when it strives to minimize its costs while maximizing its profits. This paper aims to estimate efficiency of Croatian banks using the DEA methodology within the period 2014-2019. In addition, the performance indicators (return on assets, return on equity) calculated for the same period aim at comparing performance indicators to efficiency results. The results indicate that larger banks are generally more efficient in operating on the frontier. And, in comparison to performance indicators, they achieve higher levels of returns on assets and equity. Furthermore, some small banks tend to be efficient, while the benefits of being a medium bank are inconclusive since the results reveal that some medium banks have below average efficiency. Overall, average efficiency improved in the observed period, which means that the consolidation process of financial institutions creates large and efficient banks.

What are the effects of irrigation rates and cropping systems on the soybean agronomic traits?

The irregularity and uneven distribution of rainfall may restrict the potential productive development of soybeans, causing numerous losses to farmers. The use of irrigation systems in hydrically heterogeneous areas are important measures that should be adopted during the crop cycle. Furthermore, the implementation of conservationist strategies, such as crop rotation or intercropping and no-till (NT) farming systems, can minimize the damage caused by water deficit. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the soybean yield under different irrigation sheets and cropping systems in the extreme west of São Paulo. A completely randomized design was used, with 10 repetitions, in a subdivided plot scheme. The treatments were composed of different cropping systems in the plots, with four levels (conventional system; NT, using Urochloa brizantha cv Paiaguás; U. brizantha cv Piatã; and U. ruziziensis cv Ruziziensis), and different irrigation scheduling in the subplots, with three levels of irrigation scheduling (0%, 70% and 100%) based on reference evapotranspiration (ETo). Irrigation rates of 70% and 100% ETo in the conventional system provided higher grain yields under the climatic conditions in which the experiment was conducted. However, the continuity of long-term research is necessary, since NT is incipient, and have been implemented only two years ago. This is a relatively short period to observe the advantages of this cultivation system and for its consolidation process. Thus, the Brachiaria residual dry mass showed similar behavior in NT at the irrigation levels evaluated.

A review of level ice and brash ice growth models

Brash ice forms in harbours and ship channels from frequent ship passages and the resulting freezing–breaking cycles create a unique ice formation. The brash ice accumulation over the winter season is a result of meteorological, thermodynamical and mechanical processes. A reliable brash ice growth model is an important asset when determining navigation routes through ice conditions and when establishing port ice management solutions. This review aims to describe the brash ice development and its modelling as well as the key parameters that influence the brash ice growth and its estimation. This paper summarises the brash ice growth models and the fundamental theories of level ice growth upon which these models are based, and outlines the main knowledge gaps. The results highlight the importance of porosity and piece size distribution and their effect on the consolidation process. The inclusion of the brash ice lateral movement and the side ridge formation would improve the accuracy of forecast models. Furthermore, the findings of the study identify the effect of omitting meteorological parameters such as snow and radiation, from the brash ice growth models. Their contribution to the level ice thickness suggests a significant influence on the brash ice consolidation process.

Shallow Compaction Modeling and Upscaling: A One-Dimensional Analytical Solution and Upscaling

Natural depositional processes frequently give rise to the heterogeneous multilayer system, which is often overlooked but essential for the simulation of a geological process. The sediments undergo the large-strain process in shallow depth and the small-strain process in deep depth. With the transform matrix and Laplace transformation, a new method of solving multilayer small-strain (Terzaghi) and large-strain (Gibson) consolidations is proposed. The results from this work match the numerical results and other analytical solutions well. According to the method of transform matrix which can consider the integral properties of multilayer consolidation, a relevant upscaling method is developed. This method is more effective than the normally used weighted average method. Correspondingly, the upscaling results indicate that the upscaled properties of a multilayer system vary in the consolidation process.

Unidirectional Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Tape in Automated Tape Placement Process

Thermoplastic matrix composites are finding new applications in the different industrial areas, thanks to their intrinsic advantages related to environmental compatibility and process-ability. The tape placement process is one of the few techniques that have the potential to continuously process thermoplastic composites in large industrial applications. Fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes are subjected to high heating and cooling rates during the tape placement process. The application of laser heating for the tape placement process requires a thorough understanding of the factors involved in the process. Qualitative experimental analysis is presented to identify the important phenomena during the tape placement of carbon (PEEK, PEKK, PAEK PPS) tapes. The present chapter focuses on the input parameters in the process of manufacturing composite parts. The mechanical performance of the final parts depend on a number of parameters. It should be void-free and well consolidated for reliable use in the structure. In the present work, it is becoming increasingly wiser to introduce the production of high-quality laminates, using laser AFP and ATL with quality consolidation during the laying process. The experimental results in this chapter help to better understand the consolidation process during LATP.

The Four Books of Shiʿi Hadith: From Inception to Consolidation

Since their compilations in the tenth and eleventh centuries ce, the four hadith books, al-Kāfī, al-Faqīh, al-Tahdhīb, and al-Istibṣār, have left an indelible mark on Shiʿi religiosity. The present study takes as its starting point the earliest instance in which these four compilations were collectively referred to as the Four Books (al-kutub al-arbaʿa). I investigate the major developments in the period between the inception of this phrase in the fifteenth century and its consolidation as the demarcator of a unique Imami hadith corpus in the seventeenth century. Following the introduction, each section of the article focuses on a figure whose ideas contributed to this consolidation process. In the conclusion I summarize the findings of the previous sections and reflect on the notion of hadith canonicity within the context of Imami jurisprudence during the period under study.

Stability and Consolidation of Sediment Tailings Incorporating Unsaturated Soil Mechanics

Tailing dams are commonly used to safely store tailings without damaging the environment. Sand tailings (also called Sediment tailings) usually have a high water content and hence undergo consolidation during their placement. As the sediment tailings are usually placed above the ground water level, the degree of saturation and permeability of the sediment tailing is associated with the unsaturated condition due to the presence of negative pore-water pressure or suction. Current practices normally focus on the analyses saturated conditions. However, this consolidation process requires the flow of water between saturated and unsaturated zones to be considered. The objective of this study is to investigate the stability and consolidation of sediment tailings for the construction of road pillars considering the water flow between saturated and unsaturated zones. The scope of this study includes the unsaturated laboratory testing of sediments and numerical analyses of the road pillar. The results show that the analyses based on saturated conditions overestimate the time required to achieve a 90% degree of consolidation. The incorporation of the unsaturated soil properties is able to optimize the design of slopes for road pillars into steeper slope angles.

Reporting Cultural Adaptation in Psychological Trials – The RECAPT criteria

Background There is a lack of empirical evidence on the level of cultural adaptation required for psychological interventions developed in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies to be effective for the treatment of common mental disorders among culturally and ethnically diverse groups. This lack of evidence is partly due to insufficient documentation of cultural adaptation in psychological trials. Standardised documentation is needed in order to enhance empirical and meta-analytic evidence. Process A “Task force for cultural adaptation of mental health interventions for refugees” was established to harmonise and document the cultural adaptation process across several randomised controlled trials testing psychological interventions for mental health among refugee populations in Germany. Based on the collected experiences, a sub-group of the task force developed the reporting criteria presented in this paper. Thereafter, an online survey with international experts in cultural adaptation of psychological interventions was conducted, including two rounds of feedback. Results The consolidation process resulted in eleven reporting criteria to guide and document the process of cultural adaptation of psychological interventions in clinical trials. A template for documenting this process is provided. The eleven criteria are structured along A) Set-up; B) Formative research methods; C) Intervention adaptation; D) Measuring outcomes and implementation. Conclusions Reporting on cultural adaptation more consistently in future psychological trials will hopefully improve the quality of evidence and contribute to examining the effect of cultural adaptation on treatment efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability.

Do naps benefit novel word learning? Developmental differences and white matter correlates

Behavioural and neuroimaging data suggest that memory representations of newly learned words undergo changes during nocturnal sleep, including improvements in explicit recall and lexical integration (i.e., after sleep, novel words compete with existing words during online word recognition). Some studies have revealed larger sleep-benefits in children relative to adults. However, whether daytime naps play a similar facilitatory role is unclear. We investigated the effect of a daytime nap (relative to wake) on explicit memory (recall/recognition) and lexical integration (lexical competition) of newly learned novel words in young adults and children aged 10-12 years, also exploring white matter correlates of the pre- and post-nap effects of word learning in the child group with diffusion weighted MRI. In both age groups, a nap maintained explicit memory of novel words and wake led to forgetting. However, there was an age group interaction when comparing change in recall over the nap: children showed a slight improvement whereas adults showed a slight decline. There was no evidence of lexical integration at any point. Although children spent proportionally more time in slow-wave sleep (SWS) than adults, neither SWS nor spindle parameters correlated with over-nap changes in word learning. For children, increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the uncinate fasciculus and arcuate fasciculus were associated with the recognition of novel words immediately after learning, and FA in the right arcuate fasciculus was further associated with changes in recall of novel words over a nap, supporting the importance of these tracts in the word learning and consolidation process. These findings point to a protective role of naps in word learning, and emphasize the need to advance theories of word learning by better understanding both the active and passive roles that sleep plays in supporting vocabulary consolidation over development.