Implications on Rural Adult Learning in the Absence of Broadband Internet

The purpose of this study was to establish a deeper understanding of the educational needs of rural-based learners within the context of online learning opportunities. It was hoped to ascertain whether rural learner’s needs differ in terms of learning choices from that of their urban counterparts. The basis for the urban examples is based totally upon available literature. This study is particularly interested in identifying predictors for why rural learners choose to participate in online based adult and community education using a case study approach. Seven themes were identified during this study and are presented as a model for potential predictors of formal and informal online learning in rural communities

Potential Solutions to Rural Broadband Internet Deployment

Broadband availability in rural areas continues to be a major topic of concern in many areas of the country but especially in our rural communities. Several grassroots organizations, including the Wireless Communication Association International and the Rural Broadband Coalition, were created for the sole purpose of closing the “Digital Divide” for underserved Americans. Government should support efforts to offer broadband to the masses, but in some cases special legislation is required to pave the way. In Kentucky, the Supreme Court rendered an August 2005 decision that may have severely hindered broadband deployment by restricting rural electric cooperatives from providing any service other than that of electricity. It is unclear whether this decision adversely affected rural cooperative’s plans to pursue providing high-speed Internet to their constituents but it certainly caused them to their entrance into a less than competitive market for rural areas. Reacting relatively quickly to this decision the Kentucky Legislature passed legislation that empowered these organizations to once again offer services like Internet, long distance telephone, and propane gas service (ConnectKentucky, 2006)

Teaching Undergraduate Business Students Data Analytics: Differences Between Male & Female F2F-WEB Students

Utilizing two class sections at a midwestern, public university, undergraduate students received instruction in basic data analytics concepts using SimNet® preparatory assignments with Microsoft Excel®, additional instructional materials, and analytics projects were assigned. Performance on each of the three analytics projects was measured against performance on the preparatory Excel assignments by sex with the intent to prepare students for basic analytics projects. The results of a Pearson correlation indicated for face-toface female learners there was no correlation observed between the first five SimNet projects. There was a statistically significant correlation between SimNet projects 1-5 and analytics project 2. For face-to-face male learners, correlations observed were between the first and second analytics projects and the first and third analytics projects. For female Web learners analytics project, 1 was correlated to SimNet projects 6 - 9 and to analytics project 2. SimNet projects 6 - 9 were correlated to analytics project 2. For male online students, a statistically significant correlation was observed between numerous projects

Sustaining wealth: simulating a sovereign wealth fund for the UK’s oil and gas resources, past and future

Exhaustible resources and the revenues they generate present a number of broad problems for macroeconomic management. For example, tax revenues can be large and highly volatile, and the stream of revenues is finite. An increasing number of countries now view resource funds and/or fiscal rules for resource revenues as the answer to these challenges. In this paper, we explore the consequences for the UK if past revenues arising from the depletion of subsoil assets had been channelled into a sovereign wealth fund. We show that had a decision been made to establish such a fund in 1975, this could have been substantial in size by 2018 (about GBP 354 billion) and, moreover, would have had a number of benefits such as a reduction in volatility of resource revenues flowing to the Treasury. Crucially, the fund’s value would have substantially boosted the size of the government balance sheet, yielding corresponding fiscal benefits. We argue this missed opportunity is underlined further by considering the current debate about shale gas development in the UK. Notwithstanding considerable un- certainties, favourable and optimistic projections for key parameters are required for any shale-based fund to match what we simulate based on past experience for conventional subsoil assets

Social Media and the Supply Chain: Improving Risk Detection, Risk Management, and Disruption Recovery

The introduction of social media has changed the methods in which many individuals, communities, and organizations communicate and interact (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). The increasing popularity of social media within a business context has forced executives to rethink how they operate their businesses (Ngai, Tao, and Moon, 2015). Chae (2015) observed that the field of supply chain management has been lagging in identifying the potential role and use of social media in both research and practice. Recently, greater attention is being given to social media and its potential uses within the supply chain. This paper investigates the potential use for social media as a technology to help with supply chain risk detection, risk management, and disruption recovery

Trade in'virtual carbon': empirical results and implications for policy

The fact that developing countries do not have carbon emission caps under the Kyoto Protocol has led to the current interest in high-income countries in border taxes on the"virtual"carbon content of imports. The authors use Global Trade Analysis Project data and input-output analysis to estimate the flows of virtual carbon implicit in domestic production technologies and the pattern of international trade. The results present striking evidence on the wide variation in the carbon-intensiveness of trade across countries, with major developing countries being large net exporters of virtual carbon. The analysis suggests that tax rates of $50 per ton of virtual carbon could lead to very substantial effective tariff rates on the exports of the most carbon-intensive developing nations.Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Environmental Economics&Policies,Climate Change Economics,Economic Theory&Research,Environment and Energy Efficiency

Social media and supply chain risk management: improving risk detection and supply chain resilience

The introduction of social media has changed the methods by which many individuals, communities, and organizations communicate and interact. The increasing popularity of social media within a business context has forced executives to rethink how they operate their businesses. Chae (2015) observed that the field of supply chain management (SCM) has been lagging in identifying the potential role and use of social media in both research and practice. Recently, greater attention is being given to social media and its potential uses within the supply chain. This paper investigates the potential use for social media as a technology to help with supply chain risk detection and supply chain resilience

Measurement of isotopically-exchangeable Zn in Zn-deficient paddy soil

The changes in soil chemistry following submergence of a soil for rice production result in zinc (Zn) being immobilized in very insoluble forms. Consequently, Zn deficiency is widespread in rice crops and in human populations that subsist on rice. We explored the use of stable isotopic dilution assays for assessing Zn dynamics in submerged paddy soil with two types of strongly Zn-deficient soil for rice cultivation in the Philippines. We optimized the isotope enrichment, electrolyte and equilibration time to measure isotopically-exchangeable Zn (E-values) without changing redox conditions. Available Zn was rapidly and strongly immobilized following submergence, which was controlled by CO2 accumulation. Addition of the isotopic tracer before submergence produced unreliable E-values because irreversible immobilization of the tracer progressed faster than isotopic exchange. Addition of the tracer to already reduced soil produced stable E-values for tracer–soil contact of up to 1 week. Longer periods produced unreliable E-values because of continuing irreversible fixation of the tracer. We discuss the implications for applications of isotopic dilution methods to measure trace-element dynamics in submerged soil