AGRICULTURAL POLICY PREFERENCES: WHEAT IN THE UNITED STATES, 1981-1990

This paper outlines DEBET (Decision Based Economic Theory), a method for determining revealed preferences of governments. DEBET is applied to US wheat policy decisions in the 1980s. This method has a number of advantages over alternative approaches to the analysis of revealed preferences of government. It makes use of information contained in policy alternatives contemplated but not agreed upon, and it is suitable for modeling the discrete - continuous choice problem of policy makers in a multi-instrument context.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Achieving zero hunger in Kenya: logistics management practices for enhancing organizational performance in agriculture and food authority

This study sought to determine logistics management practices that may be leveraged to enhance the organizational performance of the Agriculture and Food Authority in Kenya (AFA). The study was motivated by Sustainable Development Goal 2, which advocates for zero hunger in the United Nations member states. The study was grounded in the lean theory that advocates the pull approach. The research design adopted by the study is the explanatory research design that is anchored in the post-positivist research philosophy. The study targeted 623 staff of the AFA, drawn from fifteen silos under its management. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 380 employees. Structured questionnaires were developed and used to collect data. The standard multiple regression approach was used to analyze the collected data. The analysis results confirmed that the three components of logistics management, namely; inventory management, transport management, and warehouse management, were positive and significant predictors of operational efficiency of the AFA tested at the 95% level of confidence. The study concluded that inventory management, transport management, and warehouse management are practices that could place the AFA in a good position to realize zero hunger in Kenya. However, the study adopted appropriate measures in both policy and managerial recommendations that the food agencies should embrace in enhancing the implementation of the best and most efficient supply chain management practices at the disposal of organizations’ performance. Future studies endeavor to identify other logistic management practices that can be complementary to the three identified in this study in enhancing the AFA's potential to achieve the zero hunger goal

On the symbolic manipulation and code generation for elasto-plastic material matrices

A computerized procedure for symbolic manipulations and FORTRAN code generation of an elasto-plastic material matrix for finite element applications is presented. Special emphasis is placed on expression simplifications during intermediate derivations, optimal code generation, and interface with the main program. A systematic procedure is outlined to avoid redundant algebraic manipulations. Symbolic expressions of the derived material stiffness matrix are automatically converted to RATFOR code which is then translated into FORTRAN statements through a preprocessor. To minimize the interface problem with the main program, a template file is prepared so that the translated FORTRAN statements can be merged into the file to form a subroutine (or a submodule). Three constitutive models; namely, von Mises plasticity, Drucker-Prager model, and a concrete plasticity model, are used as illustrative examples

To Heck With Ethics: Thinking About Public Issues With a Framework for CS Students

This paper proposes that the ethics class in the CS curriculum incorporate the Lawrence Lessig model of regulation as an analytical tool for social issues. Lessig’s use of the notion of architecture, the rules and boundaries of the sometimes artificial world within which social issues play out, is particularly resonant with computing professionals. The CS curriculum guidelines include only ethical frameworks as the tool for our students to engage with societal issues. The regulation framework shows how the market, law, social norms, and architecture can all be applied toward understanding social issues

To Heck With Ethics: Thinking About Public Issues With a Framework for CS Students

This paper proposes that the ethics class in the CS curriculum incorporate the Lawrence Lessig model of regulation as an analytical tool for social issues. Lessig’s use of the notion of architecture, the rules and boundaries of the sometimes artificial world within which social issues play out, is particularly resonant with computing professionals. The CS curriculum guidelines include only ethical frameworks as the tool for our students to engage with societal issues. The regulation framework shows how the market, law, social norms, and architecture can all be applied toward understanding social issues

Digital forensics formats: seeking a digital preservation storage format for web archiving

In this paper we discuss archival storage formats from the point of view of digital curation and preservation. Considering established approaches to data management as our jumping off point, we selected seven format attributes which are core to the long term accessibility of digital materials. These we have labeled core preservation attributes. These attributes are then used as evaluation criteria to compare file formats belonging to five common categories: formats for archiving selected content (e.g. tar, WARC), disk image formats that capture data for recovery or installation (partimage, dd raw image), these two types combined with a selected compression algorithm (e.g. tar+gzip), formats that combine packing and compression (e.g. 7-zip), and forensic file formats for data analysis in criminal investigations (e.g. aff, Advanced Forensic File format). We present a general discussion of the file format landscape in terms of the attributes we discuss, and make a direct comparison between the three most promising archival formats: tar, WARC, and aff. We conclude by suggesting the next steps to take the research forward and to validate the observations we have made

Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants of Konso Ethnic Community, South Ethiopia

This paper presents the knowledge on wild/semi-wild edible plant species (WEPS) of Konso ethnic community of southern Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical information was collected through focus group discussions, observations, interviews, and preference ranking. A total of 154 edible parts were recorded from 127 plant species with fruit (71), leaves (35) and tubers/roots (18) accounted for the major edible parts. Fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica L., and leaves and young shoots of Leptadenia hastata Vatke were most sought after. Excessive harvesting and acquisition of land for crop cultivation is currently threatening Canthium pseudosetiflorum Bridson, Hyphaene thebaica (L.) Mart., Ficus sycomorus L. and O. ficus-indica, among others. Wise use of these plant species would ensure their sustainable availability and local food sovereignty

The use of accessibility metadata in e‑learning environments: a systematic literature review

E-learning environments constitute an essential element in education, as they help students to ensure their pass their courses and graduate on time. Although guidelines, techniques, and methods have been presented in some literature in recent years to contribute to the development of accessible e-learning environments that promote digital inclusion, their implementation is challenging. In this context, the use of accessibility metadata not only provides a way to enhance the description of adapted educational resources but also facilitates their search according to the needs and preferences of students, in particular those with disabilities. In this paper, a systematic review was conducted in order to provide the state of the art regarding the use of accessibility metadata in e-learning environments. A total of 746 documents were found during the period from 2012 to 2019, of which 31 were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria relevant to our review. The findings revealed an intensive use of models and standards of accessibility in e-learning environments, however, using accessibility metadata remains underused. In fact, the evaluation of accessibility and adaptability through the use of its metadata was not found. The fndings obtained also helped to establish challenges and opportunities in this research feld as well as to provide an overview that could support those who generate educational resources to keep their interest in making them accessible.publishedVersio

Numerical Simulation of Pavement Life Deterioration: Tree-Roots’ Effects

Conference ProceedingsFlexible pavement is usually designed to last for at least 20 years, however sometimes the first failure is formed after the first year of use. This failure has been associated with; overloading of the structure, use of poor materials, drainage problem and inadequate pavement thickness, and poor compaction; without considering presence of tree-root in pavement layers. However, with the numerous advantages of finite element model (FEM) in designing pavement structure and coupled with the fact that it’s a non-destructive tool, it makes its use sustainable. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the impact of tree-roots on design life of flexible pavement using FEM. Results of the study show that tree-roots within any layer, and most especially within the subgrade layer, have a great effect on its bearing capacity. Moreover, it was found that this effect decreases subgrade life by approximately 13 - 67 %, with respect to the root thickness and this consequently decreases the entire pavement life