A learning community two years on: reflecting on successes and framing futures

This paper reports the results of a participatory action research (PAR) evaluation conducted with the members of the Granite Belt Learners Group in their rural 'learning community' in South East Queensland, and presents an action research and evaluation framework to guide the community on the next stage of its journey

Promoting lifelong learning partnerships, pathways and andragogies: issues in evaluating and redesigning the postcompulsory teacher education professional experience at The University Of Southern Queensland

[Abstract]: Drawing on criticality, critical theory and the humanist tradition in education, the authors explicate several issues in evaluating and redesigning the postcompulsory teacher education professional experience at USQ. The challenge rests with developing partnerships, pathways and andragogies that simultaneously fulfil stakeholder expectations and promote lifelong learning for all participants

Economic Analysis of Water Conservation Policies in the Texas Panhandle

Due to declining water availability from the Ogallala Aquifer, management policy alternatives for extending the life of the aquifer to sustain rural economies in the Texas Panhandle are evaluated. The study concludes that water conservation policies for the region significantly impact crop mix, resource usage, and net present value of farm profits over a sixty-year planning horizon.Ogallala Aquifer, Groundwater Conservation, Water Management Policy, Texas Panhandle, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

BSE, U.S. Beef Trade and Cattle Feeding Industry

A brief review of the beef and cattle market following the diagnosis of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada and U.S. in 2003 is conducted. The focus is on the recent changes in the beef market experienced by major exporting and importing countries with special emphasis on the beef trade and cattle industry in the U.S. A single case of BSE in the U.S. has significantly disrupted global beef trade. Many countries banned beef imports from the U.S. and Canada. Continuation of these bans through 2004, particularly for the U.S., resulted in reduced beef exports. Brazil has become the number one beef exporter with estimated exports of 1.47 million tons in 2004 and is forecast to export 1.62 million tons in 2005. U.S. is the largest beef importer in the world. U.S. beef exports were a record 1.143 million tons in 2003. Beef exports from the U.S. for 2004 have been 0.202 million tons, just 17.7 percent of 2003 exports. The value of beef export losses for 2004 has been estimated as $2.73 billion. U.S. is forecast to export 0.272 million tons in 2005, representing a 35 percent increase over 2004. However, the beef export forecast for 2005 is still far below the pre-BSE levels. On the other hand U.S. beef imports have increased from 1.36 million tons in 2003 to 1.63 million tons in 2004. Imports are expected to reach 1.7 million tons in 2005. The lack of Canadian beef and live cattle imports, in conjunction with already tight U.S. supplies and strong demand, drove both beef and cattle prices up in the latter part of 2003. However, a decline of 29 percent in beef prices was experienced from December 2003 until March 2004 after the diagnosis of BSE in the U.S. BSE has also impacted live cattle trade, especially among the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners.International Relations/Trade,

ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF PRECISION IRRIGATION IN THE NORTHERN TEXAS HIGH PLAINS

The benefit of changing to Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) from uniform application methods needs to be assessed for technology adoption. Precision irrigation involves water application in optimum amounts. Results indicate that feasibility of precision irrigation depends on field variability, crop value, economies of scale, and useful life of the equipment.Land Economics/Use,

Aquatic Diptera as Indicators of Pollution in a Midwestern Stream

Author Institution: Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center, Public Health Service, Cincinnati, Ohi

Effectiveness of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine Among Nursing Home Residents During an Influenza Type A (H3N2) Epidemic

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111257/1/j.1532-5415.1999.tb04574.x.pd

Inequality of Air Quality?: A Study of Air Quality within Housing Price Brackets in Gettysburg, PA

With the rise of cars and other motorized vehicles has come the rise of air pollution, which tends to have disproportionate environmental and health impacts on low-income and communities of color. This study analyzes car presence and air quality on a transect within Gettysburg, PA to determine if there is a relationship between air pollution and vehicle presence, and if there is a difference in air quality between higher price bracket housing compared to campus, commercial, and lower price bracket housing. To test our research questions, we identified nine sampling locations along a transect where we measured air pollutants, including particulate matter (2.5 um and 10 um), VOCs, and NO2, with Flow by Plume Labs and Atmotube Pro air quality monitors. Our hypotheses that car activity will increase the amount of air pollution in Gettysburg and that there will be a greater environmental justice disparity within lower housing price brackets were not supported. The air quality along the transect was not greatly affected by vehicle presence and was consistent with regional conditions, and while measurements of different pollutants changed with location, there was not one clear trend between these two variables. However, there were consistently higher levels of vehicle traffic in the commercial and low-income areas than in the high-income and campus areas. The main limitations of our study were the lack of functionality and accuracy of our air monitors, which reduced the sample size of our data. These results provide room for further study of racial and child health disparities caused by cars and air pollution, as well as the impact of higher traffic levels on the risk of car and pedestrian accidents