The use of activity diaries for understanding the daily lives of farmers and their livelihood choices

This paper reviews the use of activity diaries in two Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) projects in PNG: a smallholder cocoa project in the East New Britain province (ASEM/2006/127) and a smallholder coffee project in Eastern Highlands province (ASEM/2008/036). Both projects were similarly concerned with identifying the production constraints on cocoa- and coffee-farming households and to better understand the range of socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing farmer decision-making and the allocation of household labour among various livelihood activities. In PNG, the household is the principal production unit underpinning livelihood activities such as commodity production. It is at the household level that decisions and negotiations are made regarding the organisation, mobilisation and management of family and extended family labour. Thus, examining in detail the daily economic and social livelihood activities of household members, through time-allocation studies, helps researchers to understand more comprehensively the factors influencing smallholder decision-making regarding livelihood choices, agricultural practices and the adoption of agricultural innovations. This paper outlines two different techniques using activity diaries employed in the projects, and discusses the methodological advantages and challenges of these techniques in smallholder studies in PNG

ABSTRACT A WIDELY DEPLOYABLE WEB-BASED NETWORK SIMULATION FRAMEWORK

Web-based network simulation frameworks are becoming highly portable and extensible. However, they still lack the degree of language and platform independence required for large-scale deployment on the World Wide Web. Our approach to enabling large-scale deployment uses a set of standard CORBA-IDL based programming interfaces, a publisher-subscriber model for communication, and dynamic composition of all simulation entities (simulated network hosts and links). A prototype application for testing distributed computing policies demonstrates that the CORBA components not only provide language and platform-independence, but also provide the ability for simulationists to connect objects to a third party distributed simulation. By using a uniform messaging approach to all simulation events, objects can be reassigned to different simulation entities without requiring code modifications. Dynamic loading and unloading of objects during a simulation run supports fault simulation, simulation entity polymorphism, and generation of dynamic topologies. A link-scheduling example has demonstrated that our language and platform-independent network simulation framework attains extensibility and flexibility.

Original article

Abstract – Honeybees (Apis) show an extremely polyandrous mating system. In general honeybee queens mate with at least ten drones. The reproductive success of the drones is usually biased giving rise to speculations of a first or last male advantage. Especially for A. andreniformis and A. florea a first male advantage was hypothesized due to the peculiar anatomy of their male genitalia. We reanalyzed data from the literature by using a sample size calibration method to survey the differences and similarities in paternity skew among species in the genus Apis. The paternity skew among seven honeybee species differed significantly, particularly due to the rare patrilines. The sorting algorithm, i.e. the ranking of the patrilines, had, however, a considerable effect on the paternity skew pattern. The frequent patrilines appeared to be similarly distributed in all tested species. As a consequence the proposed first male advantage in the dwarf honeybees is not supported by empirical data

Co-Investments of Sovereign Wealth Funds in Private Equity

Direct investments are the preferred vehicle for large institutional investors to have control over their portfolio investments. We study the deal structure of direct investments by sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in private equity transactions. We find that SWFs shift from investing in private equity funds to originating and co-investing together with private equity funds in deals. The choice for co-investment affects deal size, risk-bearing, fees and returns. Overall, our results show the strong interest of SWFs in direct investments in developed markets

Pamphlets - homoeopathic.

-- Work of the National Association of Homoeopathic Members of Examining and Licensing Boards / H.M. Paine -- Pabula Neonatorum, a guide to the feeding of infants / G.B. Peck -- Treatment of scarlatina and measles / G.B. Peck -- Flotsam and jetsam / O.S. Runnels -- Constitution and by-laws, code of ethics, officers and members / Southern Homoeopathic Medical Association -- Science and homoeopathy / F.P. WebsterLetter to the members of the American Institute from A.B. Norton / American Institute of Homeopathy -- Important notice to the members of the American Institute of Homoeopathy in relation to the repertory of the Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy / R. Hughes -- Constitution and by-laws / American Institute of Homeopathy -- Code of medical ethics, constitution, by-laws, and list of members of the American Institute of Homoeopathy / American Institute of Homeopathy -- Homoeopathy in the public service / B.F.Bailey -- Proof of the law of similia from the electro-chemico-physiological standpoint / E.H.S. Bailey -- Two cases of brain tumor : a contribution to cerebral surgery / C. Bartlett -- Concerning Hensel's Tonicum... / Boericke & Tafel -- Homoeopathy : some observations in regard to its progress for forty years / G.W. Bowen -- Tubercular cystitis / B.G. Carleton -- Proving of the Apis Mellifica / Central New-York Homoeopathic Society -- On supra-pubic cystotomy and catheterization as a guide in perineal section for obliterative urethritis / H. Crutcher -- Test at the bed-side / P. Dudley -- Dietetic, climatic and hygienic treatment of tuberculosis / F.A. Faust -- Concordance repertory, of the well proven and most reliable symptoms of the homoeopathic Materia Medica / W.D. Gentry -- Sanitation on the farm / W.B. Hinsdale -- June number of the New England Medical Gazette...contains a paper... / Editor of Homoeopathic Recorder -- Samuel Hahnemann : a lecture / H.P. Holmes -- Urine of uro-genital tuberculosis / G.F. Laidlaw -- Plea for homeopathic solidarity and independent work / S. Leavitt -- Ups and downs of a doctor's life, being the closing lecture of the course delivered in the Hahnemann Medical College for the session of 1863-64 / R. Ludlam -- Study of Materia Medica / C. Mohr -- Twentieth century homoeopathy / J.H. Moore -- Spinal Affections / E.A. Murphy, M.D. -- Yellow fever, its treatment and prevention / E.A. Murphy, M.D.Mode of access: Internet