Demand for Lottery Products: A Cross-Country Analysis

Varieties of lottery games are played regularly in more than half of the world’s countries. When considering the probability of winning a lottery jackpot, we have a sense of the illogicality in buying a lottery ticket. This begs the question, why do people buy lottery products? This paper investigates the socio-economic and demographic features that help to explain the behavioural trend of lottery product purchasing throughout the world. With a multivariate linear regression analysis, this study uses macroeconomic data and qualitative variables to explain the variation of a country’s per-capita lottery sales. Some very interesting results were obtained. For example, the higher a country’s level of education, percentage of males and Christians, the higher are the lottery sales. The relationship between lottery sales and per-capita GDP is an inverted U: lottery sales increase simultaneously with increases in per-capita GDP up to a point and then start to decrease. These results are of interest because they suggest a link between certain socio-economic and demographic characteristics and consumer behaviour and may give a boost to the use of these characteristics in consumer research.Gambling; Lotteries; Education; Religiosity; Culture; Cross-country.

Probabilistic estimation of microarray data reliability and underlying gene expression

Background: The availability of high throughput methods for measurement of mRNA concentrations makes the reliability of conclusions drawn from the data and global quality control of samples and hybridization important issues. We address these issues by an information theoretic approach, applied to discretized expression values in replicated gene expression data. Results: Our approach yields a quantitative measure of two important parameter classes: First, the probability $P(\sigma | S)$ that a gene is in the biological state $\sigma$ in a certain variety, given its observed expression $S$ in the samples of that variety. Second, sample specific error probabilities which serve as consistency indicators of the measured samples of each variety. The method and its limitations are tested on gene expression data for developing murine B-cells and a $t$-test is used as reference. On a set of known genes it performs better than the $t$-test despite the crude discretization into only two expression levels. The consistency indicators, i.e. the error probabilities, correlate well with variations in the biological material and thus prove efficient. Conclusions: The proposed method is effective in determining differential gene expression and sample reliability in replicated microarray data. Already at two discrete expression levels in each sample, it gives a good explanation of the data and is comparable to standard techniques.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Adoption of Recommended Varieties: A Farm-level Analysis of Wheat Growers in Irrigated Punjab

This study uses farm level data to analyse the determinants of adoption of recommended wheat varieties in irrigated Punjab, Pakistan. A notable proportion of wheat acreage is sown to non-recommended wheat varieties in the province. These cultivars had either lost (overtime) or did not have resistance against yellow rust. Farm size, education, and size of wheat enterprise on the farm are the important determinants of adoption of recommended wheat varieties while tractor ownership and irrigation source play a positive but insignificant role in the adoption decisions. Age and tenure proved to be less of a constraint towards adoption of the recommended wheat varieties. The likelihood of the adoption of recommended wheat varieties varied among tehsils, with the highest probabilities of adoption in Melsi and Arifwala tehsils of cotton-wheat zones I and II respectively.

Adoption of Recommended Varieties: A Farm level Analysis of Wheat Growers in Irrigated Punjab

This study uses farm level data to analyse the determinants of adoption of recommended wheat varieties in irrigated Punjab, Pakistan. A notable proportion of wheat acreage is sown to non-recommended wheat varieties in the province. These cultivars had either lost (overtime) or did not have resistance against yellow rust. Farm size, education, and size of wheat enterprise on the farm are the important determinants of adoption of recommended wheat varieties while tractor ownership and irrigation source play a positive but insignificant role in the adoption decisions. Age and tenure proved to be less of a constraint towards adoption of the recommended wheat varieties. The likelihood of the adoption of recommended wheat varieties varied among tehsils, with the highest probabilities of adoption in Melsi and Arifwala tehsils of cotton-wheat zones I and II respectively.Adoption; wheat varieties; Punjab; Pakistan

Seeking systematicity in variation : theoretical and methodological considerations on the “variety” concept

One centennial discussion in linguistics concerns whether languages, or linguistic systems, are, essentially, homogeneous or rather show “structured heterogeneity.” In this contribution, the question is addressed whether and how sociolinguistically defined systems (or ‘varieties’) are to be distinguished in a heterogeneous linguistic landscape: to what extent can structure be found in the myriads of language variants heard in everyday language use? We first elaborate on the theoretical importance of this ‘variety question’ by relating it to current approaches from, among others, generative linguistics (competing grammars), sociolinguistics (style-shifting, polylanguaging), and cognitive linguistics (prototype theory). Possible criteria for defining and detecting varieties are introduced, which are subsequently tested empirically, using a self-compiled corpus of spoken Dutch in West Flanders (Belgium). This empirical study demonstrates that the speech repertoire of the studied West Flemish speakers consists of four varieties, viz. a fairly stable dialect variety, a more or less virtual standard Dutch variety, and two intermediate varieties, which we will label ‘cleaned-up dialect’ and ‘substandard.’ On the methodological level, this case-study underscores the importance of speech corpora comprising both inter- and intra-speaker variation on the one hand, and the merits of triangulating qualitative and quantitative approaches on the other

Adoption and Use of Improved Maize by Small-Scale Farmers in Southeast Guatemala

This report is based on a study of the adoption and use of improved open-pollinated varieties and hybrids by small-scale farmers in the Department of Jutiapa, Guatemala. The majority of maize producers in Guatemala are small-scale subsistence farmers. Approximately 60% of the basic grains produced in the country are grown on farms that are too small to satisfy the basic nutritional needs of a typical family (5-6 persons). Increasing yields through the use of new technologies is seen as a critical step to ensuring adequate nutrition and increasing farmer income in the area. The study, conducted in June and July 1991, randomly surveyed 208 farmers in 18 municipalities of Jutiapa, apportioned according to the number of farms in each municipality. There was particular interest in assessing the impact of the Project of Generation and Transfer of Agricultural Technology and Seed Production (PROGETTAPS), which was launched in 1986 by the Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnolog�a Agr�colas (ICTA) and the General Directorate of Agricultural Services (DIGESA) with the goal of increasing small-scale farmers access to improved seeds. Study findings reveal a complex pattern of seed use in Jutiapa. Although the farmers there use several types of local and improved maize seed, they seem to prefer and use the local variety known as Arriquin, as well as two improved materials: an open-pollinated variety (B-1) and a hybrid (H-5). The reported forms of acquisition and preferences indicate that most of the farmers use the same material from 1 to 3 sowing seasons. Yield gains and relative prices, two important factors determining the profitability of adoption of new varieties, are adequate. By changing from their local varieties to OPVs and hybrids, farmers most likely can expect yield increases ranging from 35% to 70%. The decision to use improved materials in part or all of the area cropped with maize is associated with a change in the maize cropping system. Results suggest that farmers that sow a plot of maize in monoculture tend to plant the entire area with improved seed, particularly with hybrids. Results also show that the size of the family, taken together with the cropping system, is an important factor influencing the probability of full adoption, particularly of hybrid materials. The findings indicate that the probability of using hybrid materials, either in part or all of a cropped area, increases with farm size. Importantly, results from the estimating model confirmed the trend observed at the aggregate level. PROGETTAPS had a significant impact on the adoption of OPVs in Jutiapa. Farmers that have experience with PROGETTAPS are more likely to adopt OPVs than those who do not have contact with it. Furthermore, the probability of adoption increases with the years of association farmers have had with the program.Crop Production/Industries,

ON THE USE OF PRODUCTIVITY-INCREASING TECHNOLOGIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: THE CASE OF INLAND VALLEY SWAMP RICE FARMING IN SOUTHERN MALI

There is no improved seed-fertilizer technology available that can generate the needed growth in agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet food demand by the rapidly increasing population. This paper identifies factors associated with inland valley swamp rice farmers' decisions to adopt "improved" varieties and/or fertilizer. To achieve this objective, input-specific logistic models were estimated using survey-generated data collected from a random sample of 221 rice plots (one per farmer) selected from a purposive sample of 12 Mali-Sud bas-fond villages during the 1995-96 cropping season. The model estimation results show that the farther the village is from the closest market, the lower the probability to adopt the "improved" variety, increasing the size of the rice plot will decrease this probability, and men are more likely to adopt "improved" varieties than women because men have access to credit through CMDT, and more alternative sources of income to finance input purchases than women. For fertilizer, the use of "improved" varieties, the presence of water control infrastructure, and the village experience in cotton production increase the likelihood that a farmer will apply this input. The significance of the village experience in cotton production and women limited access to credit suggests that one of the constrains to a wider use of modern inputs is the absence of a reliable source of these inputs and/or seasonal credits. The significance of village distance to the closest market and the presence of water control the likelihood of using these inputs suggests that there exits some technological payoff associated with well-functioning markets and road improvements because such investments reduce the effective distance between the farm and the market.Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Rice Ecosystems and Factors Affecting Varietal Adoption in Rainfed Coastal Orissa: A Multivariate Probit Analysis

Hydrology, Coastal Orissa, Rice, Probit analysis, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q15, Q16,

Tools to integrate organoleptic quality criteria into breeding programs

This technical booklet provides methodologies and guidance to implement sensory evaluations for organoleptic quality assessment in multi-actor-projects for organic agriculture. It presents five detailed tests that can be used in sensory evaluation, methodologies on how to prepare the samples and a glossary. This booklet has been developed under Solibam project and updated during Diversifood project