Internet and Social Networks as a Tool for The Contemporary Marketing Campaigns

Záměrem této práce je analyzovat nové praktiky používané při plánování marketingových kampaní. Zřetel je dán zejména na použití internetu a sociálních sítí, které zaznamenávají v posledních letech značný růst počtu uživatelů. Navíc například oproti televizním kampaním, náklady na ně jsou podstatně nižší. Jak si na tom tedy stojí internetové kampaně a je vůbec internetová kampaň úspěšná? Tato otázka je jedním z hlavních témat, kterými se bude práce zabývat. Další částí bude analýza význačných a originálních kampaní, které přispěli k dalšímu vývoji užívání nových médií.The goal of this paper is to analyze new practices utilized for the planning of marketing campaigns. It is focused on the usage of internet and related social networks, which have significant growth of number of users in recent years. Moreover, compared to television campaigns for example, their costs are substantially lower. How do the internet campaigns stand with and are they genuinely successful? This is one of the fundamental questions, which is going to be discussed in the thesis. Furthermore, there will be analysis of distinguished and original campaigns which contributed to the development of new media utilization.

Minor industrial crops in the Southern Africa region: an appraisal of developmental potential with special reference to interregional trade. (June-July 1995). Vol.1: The main report

This report presents the findings and conclusions arising from a team study carried out in June-August 1995 of the potential for development of 'minor industrial crops' in the Southern Africa region. The study focussed on spices, essential oils, gums, resins, natural colourants and castor oil. Information was gathered on markets and production by means of field studies in South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia and was supplemented by examination of trade statistics and discussions with overseas traders. Time constraints on the study precluded a thorough investigation of all topics and, therefore, the conclusions reached must be regarded as a first phase overview of the regional market and a preliminary identification of the more promising crops for future development

発展途上国における日本の対外援助の役割 : アルメニアとキルギスにおける地域経済発展支援の事例から

筑波大学 (University of Tsukuba)201

Impact of irrigation on poverty and environment in Ethiopia. Draft Proceeding of the Symposium and Exhibition held at Ghion Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 27th -29th November, 2007

Poverty, Crop management, Irrigated farming, Rainfed farming, Irrigation systems, Food security, Water harvesting, Institutions, Environmental effects, Public health, Malaria, GIS, Remote sensing, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION OF TELECOM EQUIPMENT UNDER FREE AIR COOLING CONDITIONS

In recent years, about 40% of the total energy is devoted to the cooling infrastructures in data centers. One way to save energy is free air cooling (FAC), which utilizes the outside air as the primary cooling medium, instead of air conditioning, to reduce the energy consumption to cool the data centers. Despite the energy saving, the implementation of free air cooling will change the operating environment, which may adversely affect the performance and reliability of telecom equipment. This thesis reviews the challenges and risks posed by free air cooling. The increased temperature, uncontrolled humidity, and possible contamination may cause some failure mechanisms, e.g., Conductive anodic filament (CAF) and corrosion, to be more active. If the local temperatures of some hot spots go beyond their recommended operating conditions (RoC), the performances of the equipment may be affected. In this thesis, a methodology is proposed to identify the impact of free air cooling on telecom equipment performance. It uses the performance variations under traditional air condition (A/C) to create a baseline, and compares the performance variation under variable temperature and humidity representing FAC with the baseline. This method can help data centers determine an appropriate operating environment based on the service requirements, when FAC is implemented. In addition, a statics-based approach is also developed to identify the appropriate metric for the performance variations comparison. It is the first study focusing on the impact of FAC on the telecom equipment performance. This thesis also proposes a multi-stage (design, test, and operation) approach to mitigate the reliability risks of telecom equipment under free air cooling conditions. Specifically, a prognostics-based approach is proposed to mitigate the reliability risks at operation stage, and a case study is presented to show the implementation process. This approach needn't interrupt data center services and doesn't consume additional useful life of telecom equipment. It allows the implementation of FAC in data centers which were not originally designed for this cooling method

Ökologischer Landbau in Sri Lanka - unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Tee-Anbausystemen (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)

In Sri Lanka the agricultural structure of smallholder production has changed with population growth and land reforms. In former days a farm family could life from the production of their home garden through subsistence farming and barter economy. Additional income was achieved by selling surplus products like spices on the local markets. Today living standards and life style have changed and monetary needs for housing, schooling, electricity, telephone, household goods and transport facilities are much higher. Many smallholders are involved in single cash crop cultivation and outside employment for income generation. Lack of available arable land and infrastructure are main reasons for the limited economical success of many smallholders in Sri Lanka. This study investigated whether the formation of farmer groups under patronage of an organisation and private company next to adoption of organic agriculture practices can be recommended as an economical viable and ecological sound alternative. Hence a survey was conducted in Kandy District of Sri Lanka, as well as field and laboratory experiments carried out in co-operation with the Tea Research Institute, Talawakele and the Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. Data from 529 organic tea smallholders (TSHs) were collected between 1997 and 1999. From the findings the study describes the present situation of organic TSHs production systems in Kandy District, Sri Lanka organised under Bio Foods Ltd. Organic Tea and Spices and Gami Seva Sevana (GSS) a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO). Methods applied include taking of farm inventory, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with farmers and key respondents, drawing of land sketches, evaluation of data records from respective organisations and engagement in post harvest processes (extension, processing, packing, export, inspection). Results showed that 92 % of the organic tea smallholders cultivated plots on former tea plantation land with an average size of 0.4 ha and a given agricultural structure. Mainly seedling tea was grown on steep slopes and 70 % of the farmers cultivated less than 1000 bushes. In depth studies at 23 TSH sites revealed 77 plant species of economical value. For about 35 % of the organic holdings animal production served as an additional source of income (milk, meat, drought power). Out of the whole calculated farm income 42 % was generated from tea, 24 % from fruit and spices and 16 % from treacle, nuts, coffee and cacao. If dairy cows are present 18 % of the farm income is generated from milk sales. Through contract farming with experienced organisations, as well as professional processing and marketing of tea as an exclusive organic product, the farmers obtained premium green leaf prices and a stable income. The stable income served as an incentive to improve the performance of agricultural standards. Here the support of a dedicated extension service brings beneficial inputs. Tea production of the investigated organic TSHs rose by 16 % from 1998 until 2000. Including the marketing of organic fruit and spices there is a high potential for resource poor organic tea smallholders to overcome ecological and economical limitations. Next to the evaluation of the production system, maintaining and improving soil fertility is a major issue for the level of production. Organic manuring is often restricted due to the unavailability of recommended organic materials in adequate quantities. Preparation of compost is time consuming and work intensive and without animal faeces less effective and accepted. The dissemination of biogas plants in the project area gave the incentive to carry out investigations regarding the use of bioslurry for organic tea cultivation. Hence field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of organic amendments, namely bioslurry, goat compost and bokashi, on the establishment, growth and yield of tea (Camellia sinensis). Goat compost was made out of goat manure and the remaining materials from the roughage feed given to the goats. Bokashi is a special fermented fertilizer made according to a Japanese recipe (Ahmed, 1995) using soil (50 %), chicken manure (30 %), pressed rape seed oil cake (15 %), rice bran (2-3 %), charcoal (1 %) and boiled livestock bone (about 1 %). Cow and pig excreta passing through a biogas plant, undergoing an anaerobe digestion process for about 70 days are referred to as bioslurry. These three organic amendments at a rate of 3/48/63 t ha-1 year-1 DM were chosen for planting a new tea field. Growth assessments indicated higher plant growth rates of the bioslurry plots when compared with compost treatments. Nutrient balance of a mature tea field partly manured with bioslurry at a rate of 10 l plant-1 year-1 and 12 kg compost respectively showed that bioslurry in combination with mana grass mulch has the potential to add sufficient amounts of nutrients to the soil in order to replace nutrient loss through harvest material. However considering nutrient uptake for plant growth and volatile losses, especially of ammonia, bioslurry application has to be increased and a combination with compost application is recommended. Since organic agriculture plays a key role in maintaining soil fertility and biodiversity, protecting the environment and keeping social standards a model farm with organic tea cultivation as a cash crop was designed. Research findings and personal experiences were taken as a basis for a location specific model of plant production including fodder cultivation, SALT (Sloping Agriculture Land Techniques) hedges, animal husbandry and operation of a 4m3 biogas plant. As main cash crops about 3,000 tea plants are cultivated in a mixed cropping system with 50 pepper vines (Piper nigrum), 56 betel nut palms (Areca catechu) and 100 gliricidia trees (Gliricidia sepium). Remaining 148 plants are grown around the tea field, along the border and surrounding the house. From an average plant species richness of 41 per 0.47 ha with a total of 3,354 plants a monetary value of about 78,000 SL Rs (1998: 1,054 €) per year from plant production was calculated. The total monetary value of cow and goat milk yield added up to approximately 20,000 SL Rs (1998: 270 €) per year. Generated income from farming covers the costs of production. Initial investments for animals, stables and set up of a biogas plant have to be covered by savings and loans. Systematic conversion of smallholder lands with livestock integration becomes financially viable after three years. Specialisation next to diversification ensures income generation and biodiversity as well as an improved nutritional diet for the farm family. Integration of SALT hedges for erosion control also serves as fodder and mulch material. Cultivation of fodder grass assures continuous fodder supply and cuts down walking hours for carrying fodder material from further distances. Proper use of the biogas plant reduces the need for firewood, increases soil fertility through the distribution of bioslurry and improves the sanitary situation. In spite of favourable climatic and soil conditions, Sri Lanka is not self sufficient in its food crop production. Population growth, land fragmentation, ownership patterns, lack of infrastructure and erosion are main factors for low productivity causing land migration because of high rural poverty rates. Alternatives and different objectives of production are required for the survival of the existing population, to solve shortages of food and feed biomass and threats to sustainability. Organic practices use cheap and locally available resources. The productivity of agricultural systems can be improved in the absence of factors like mineral fertilizer, synthetic pesticides, improved seeds and access to credits over which farmers have little control. Organic agriculture techniques replace external inputs by ecological services and farmer’s management skills. This study investigated the status quo of an organic farming system. The interpretation of the survey results led to the design of a location specific model farm, where production goals were matched as close as possible to the resource base

Advanced automation for space missions: Technical summary

Several representative missions which would require extensive applications of machine intelligence were identified and analyzed. The technologies which must be developed to accomplish these types of missions are discussed. These technologies include man-machine communication, space manufacturing, teleoperators, and robot systems

Towards Bamboo Commercialization in Ethiopia: Analysis of Technology Sources, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The purpose of this thesis is to explore factors, actors and processes which condition innovative commercialization of bamboo in Ethiopia. The thesis particularly focuses on how traditional technologies and entrepreneurial innovations can be a source of knowledge and foundation for bamboo commercialization in Ethiopia. In tandem with technology development, it also attempts to shed light on how variations in value chains and market availability result in differential levels of commercialization. The research is designed based on the system of innovation and value chain approaches as main theoretical lenses. Data is collected from three districts and cities. The main data collection method was surveys of key value chain actors, complemented by expert interviews, case studies, group discussions and analysis of secondary data sources. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques including inferential statistics are used for analysis. The results demonstrate that traditional knowledge and technical skills are key sources of innovation for bamboo commercialization. These technical skills are gradually transferred from rural to urban and from traditional to semi-modern via recreational houses and furniture production. The research found that the major factors which significantly explain the differences in technical skills are bamboo income, use knowledge, market distance and management regimes. The study further reveals that there are diversity of enterprises which have a major role both in generation of innovation and production of value added products. Innovation performance is influenced by level of technology, financial access and business experience while economic performance is influenced by the age of the enterprise owner, their innovativeness, level of technology and location (urban functions). Institutional actors play an intermediary role at the production and processing levels in promoting bamboo sector development through training provision, policy development and linking actors along the value chain. Similarly, consumers are also key actors in the value chain and are the major drivers of bamboo commercialization. Rates of commercialization are found different among regions where areas with a better access to consumer markets reportedly engage more in commercial extraction and earn a correspondingly higher income from bamboo than regions far from centers of consumption. In summary, the empirical analysis depicts that innovative commercialization is the result of a combination of technological capability, entrepreneurial competency and market accessibility. Thus, future policy for bamboo resource commercialization and development should be geared towards establishing and nurturing a bamboo sector innovation system which in turn supports the development of technology-led resource commercialization and facilitates entry into the global value chain.Diese Dissertation hat zum Ziel, Faktoren, Akteure und Prozesse zu erforschen, welche die innovative Kommerzialisierung von Bambus in Äthiopien bedingen. Insbesondere wird in dieser Arbeit darauf eingegangen, inwiefern traditionelle Technologien und unternehmerische Innovationen eine Wissensquelle und ein Fundament für die Bambuskommerzialisierung in Äthiopien sein können. Zusammen mit der Technologieentwicklung wird auch dargestellt, wie Variationen in der Wertekette und der Marktverfügbarkeit zu unterschiedlichen Graden der Kommerzialisierung führen. Die Forschung basiert auf dem System von Innovations- und Wertekettenverfahren als grundlegende theoretische Aspekte. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte in drei Distrikten und Städten. Die Haupterfassungsmethode war die Befragung von Schlüsselakteuren in den Werteketten, ergänzt durch Experteninterviews, Fallstudien, Gruppendiskussionen sowie Analysen von sekundären Datenquellen. Sowohl qualitative als auch quantitative Verfahren einschließlich der Interferenzstatistik dienen der Analyse. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass traditionelles Wissen und technische Fertigkeiten Schlüsselquellen für Innovationen in der Bambuskommerzialisierung sind. Diese technischen Fertigkeiten werden nach und nach vom Ländlichen zum Städtischen sowie vom Traditionellen zur Semimoderne überführt, was sich hauptsächlich durch den Erholungssektor sowie durch die Möbelherstellung zeigt. Die Forschung fand heraus, dass die Hauptfaktoren der Unterschiede in den technischen Fertigkeiten das durch Bambus erzielte Einkommen, das Wissen über dessen Verwendung, die Distanz zum Markt sowie Managementregime sind. Ferner zeigten die Untersuchungen, dass es eine Vielfalt von Betrieben gibt, welche eine Hauptrolle sowohl bei Innovationen als auch bei der Herstellung höherwertiger Produkte spielen. Die Innovationsleistung wird beeinflusst durch den Stand der Technik, durch finanziellen Zugang sowie Businesserfahrungen, während die ökonomische Leistung beeinflusst wird durch das Alter der Betriebsbesitzer, deren Innovation, den Stand der Technik, sowie durch die Lage (urbane Funktionen). Institutionelle Akteure spielen eine Zwischenrolle auf Produktions- und Verarbeitungsebene bei der Förderung der Entwicklung des Bambussektors durch Bereitstellung von Ausbildung, der Entwicklung von Methoden und verbindenden Akteuren entlang der Wertekette. Ähnlich sind auch die Konsumenten Schlüsselfaktoren in der Wertekette sowie Hauptantrieb für die Bambuskommerzialisierung. Die Kommerzialisierungsraten in den einzelnen Regionen sind unterschiedlich, wobei Gebiete mit besserem Marktzugang eine größere Kommerzialisierung bewirken und ein besseres Bambus-basiertes Einkommen erzeugen als Regionen, die sich fernab von den Zentren der Konsumption befinden. Zusammenfassend kann ausgeführt werden, dass die empirische Analyse zu dem Schluss kommt, dass innovative Kommerzialisierung das Ergebnis einer Kombination technischer Fähigkeit, unternehmerischer Kompetenz sowie der Marktzugänglichkeit ist. Folglich ist die zukunftsorientierte bambusbasierte Kommerzialisierung und Entwicklung so zu lenken, dass das Innovationssystem auf dem Bambussektor etabliert und gestärkt wird, wodurch auch die Entwicklung technologiegeführter Ressourcenkommerzialisierung gefördert sowie der Zugang zur globalen Wertekette begünstigt wird

Reconciling PH in Recirculating Aquaponic System Impacting Nitrification and Pepper Yield

M.S. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2016.Includes bibliographical references.The effective use of land for maximal food production is a forever-increasing worry to islands in the Pacific, which have experienced rapid population growth. To address this we examine linked fish and vegetable production using a recirculating water system. This system is designed to achieve a high degree of efficiency of water use for food production without soil. Twenty-four identical systems were used, in which each system contained a biomass of 1.5-kg tilapia species (Oreochromis spp.) grown in 400-L freshwater tanks associated with two ebb-and-flow 25-L bio-filters (cinder rocks). Capsicum frutescens (Hawaiian chili) was cultivated in these experimental aquaponic systems and analyzed for capsaicin content. The purpose of this investigation was to: 1) obtain baseline water quality criteria 2) remediate pH for ammonia bio-filtration and pepper yield in recirculating aquaponic system in order to compare buffering capacity and understand treatment effect, and 3) quantify and compare capsaicinoid concentration between treatments using Rapid-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (r-HPLC) for quality analysis. This work helps address the need for combined approaches to complex agricultural research questions and food sustainability