Metro News Journalists Critique Food Biotechnology

The results of this study may encourage researchers, educators, and industry professionals to change behavior and to collaborate with journalists and the social institution of mass media to inform consumers about food biotechnology. Eighty-eight journalists for 65 of the nation’s largest newspapers provided data for the study. Major findings were as follows: journalists’ knowledge of food biotechnology was relatively low; most journalists considered genetic modification of plants as “acceptable,” and journalists had greatest faith in “university scientists” as sources. Too, “Writers” rather than “Editors” had greater acceptance of genetically modified organisms, greater faith in sources, and less fear of using biotechnology to produce food

Research Themes, Authors, and Methodologies in the Journal of Applied Communications: A Ten-Year Overview

The Journal of Applied Communications ( JAC) has been a primary outlet of agricultural communications research and professional scholarship—a claim validated by a survey of professionals in the field. The purpose of this study was to assess ten years of JAC to determine primary and secondary research themes, frequent primary and secondary research themes by year, prolific authorship, and research methods and types reported, using a mixed-methods design. Analyzed in the study were 91 research and/or professional articles with research methodologies published from 1997 through 2006. The research identified twenty-one primary research theme areas and 28 secondary research theme areas. A compiled list of primary and secondary research theme areas and frequent themes identified by year are reported. JAC authors were identified totaling 222 contributors; Tracy Irani and Ricky Telg (13.2%) were the most prolific authors. A majority of the articles (65.9%) employed quantitative research methods, and survey methodology (47.3%) was the most common data collection measure. Research themes appear cyclic, with specific themes moving in and out of primary and secondary areas, which may contribute to research theme diversity. Research must continue to determine whether cycles exist; if cycles do indeed exist then focus should be placed on determining cycle depth and the influence on research in agricultural communications as an integrated specialization area of agricultural education. This research should be used comparatively with priority areas identified in the National Research Agenda: Agricultural Education and Communication, 2007–2010, to determine where future research might be focused

Texas 4-H Members’ Sense of Community Engagement and Attachment

Previous researchers found that youth in 4-H were four times more likely to actively contribute to their communities, two times more likely to be civically active, and five times more likely to graduate from college than non-4- H members. In addition, youth who were more actively involved in community engagement tended to perform at an increased academic achievement level and were more likely to go to college, according to previous studies. The results of the research reported here described participants’ community service and engagement activities both in and outside of 4-H and their attachment to their home communities. Respondents were mostly residents of rural areas, farms, or small towns and cities. They were satisfied with where they lived, and they reported that contributing to their community was important to them and believed it made a positive influence on their life. Most participants also indicated that the community in which they lived and the people closest to them were important parts of their lives and contributed positively to their development. By determining current 4-H members’ level of community attachment, Extension professionals can better understand the influence a community and its stakeholders have in a young person’s leadership development and aspirations

Noise in laser speckle correlation and imaging techniques

We study the noise of the intensity variance and of the intensity correlation and structure functions measured in light scattering from a random medium in the case when these quantities are obtained by averaging over a finite number N of pixels of a digital camera. We show that the noise scales as 1/N in all cases and that it is sensitive to correlations of signals corresponding to adjacent pixels as well as to the effective time averaging (due to the finite sampling time) and spatial averaging (due to the finite pixel size). Our results provide a guide to estimation of noise level in such applications as the multi-speckle dynamic light scattering, time-resolved correlation spectroscopy, speckle visibility spectroscopy, laser speckle imaging etc.Comment: submitted 14 May 201

Parents\u27 Perceptions of Life Skills Gained by Youth Participating in the 4-H Beef Project

Does participating in the 4-H beef project help develop life skills in youth? Randomly selected parents of youth were mailed a survey asking them to determine if 13 life skills were enhanced as a result of their child participating in the 4-H beef project. The rank order for the top five mean scores were: accepting responsibility, setting goals, develop self-discipline, self motivation, and knowledge of the livestock industry. A Pearson product moment correlation coefficient also revealed a low-to-moderate positive relationship for life skill development and years of participating in the 4-H beef project

Understanding Afghan Opinion Leaders’ Viewpoints About Post-Conflict Foreign Agricultural Development: A Case Study in Herāt Province, Afghanistan

This investigation sprang from a yearlong immersion in post-conflict agricultural development environments in Herāt Province Afghanistan and from observing an array of NGO development projects. The purpose was to understand better the viewpoints of Afghan opinion leaders regarding the adoption–integration of foreign agricultural development. Objectives included (a) the identification of perceived strengths of foreign agricultural development, (b) perceived weaknesses, (c) opportunities, (d) threats, (e) anomalies, and (f)incentives and barriers. The case method fit the qualitative research design, and IRB approved the protocols. Researchers selected 15 opinion leaders (OLs) based on their knowledge, experience, and positional responsibilities. An interview guide framed 13 open-ended questions. A researcher fluent in Farsi/Pashto/English assisted with each interview. The findings from 15 interviews emerged as 11 themes. Fourteen OLs recognized agriculture and natural resources as strengths for development. Opinion leaders recognize government, infrastructure, and corruption as fundamental weaknesses. Opinion Leaders were slow to identify opportunities but generally identified opportunities to exploit labor, land, and water coupled with improving management and mechanization.They universally recognized threats related to to personal security and safety but had difficulty separating internal weaknesses from external threats. Two anomalies emerged as incongruous expectations about Afghan government and foreign NGOs. Improving market chains and increasing governmental subsidies were incentives for development. The authors conclude that indigenous knowledge is a fundamental resource and a foundation for local level decision making and sustainability. Opinion Leaders serve as channels to move the society from poverty and conflict toward security and peacebuilding. The tension between Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Max Neef’s interrelated and interactive needs should be explore

Great Yorkshire Livestock Show Attendees’ Attitudes about Agriculture

The purpose of our research was to determine if attending a U.K. livestock show changed attendees’ attitudes about agriculture and to compare those changes in attitudes to attendees of a U.S. state fair similar in size and dynamic. The sample was livestock show attendees at the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS). The mixed-method design included a then and now semantic differential scale with bipolar adjective pairs to measure attendees’ attitudes about agriculture before and after the experience and qualitative interviews with photo elicitation to learn about how attendees developed attitudes about agriculture. Participants had positive attitudes about agriculture before they attended the Show and had more positive attitudes after attending. Participants had more positive attitudes before and after attending the Show than did California State Fair attendees. In addition, participants lacked prior experiences with agriculture, but attending the GYS provided them the opportunity to develop positive attitudes through cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors. Fair attendance should be promoted because they provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and U.S. fairs should adopt experiential tactics used at the GYS. Further research is needed to better understand how GYS attendees developed positive attitudes about agriculture prior to attending the Show and what elements of the GYS experience were most influential to attendees’ attitude development

Sequential quasi-Monte Carlo: Introduction for Non-Experts, Dimension Reduction, Application to Partly Observed Diffusion Processes

SMC (Sequential Monte Carlo) is a class of Monte Carlo algorithms for filtering and related sequential problems. Gerber and Chopin (2015) introduced SQMC (Sequential quasi-Monte Carlo), a QMC version of SMC. This paper has two objectives: (a) to introduce Sequential Monte Carlo to the QMC community, whose members are usually less familiar with state-space models and particle filtering; (b) to extend SQMC to the filtering of continuous-time state-space models, where the latent process is a diffusion. A recurring point in the paper will be the notion of dimension reduction, that is how to implement SQMC in such a way that it provides good performance despite the high dimension of the problem.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of MCMQMC 201

A Profile of Wild Pig Hunters in Texas, USA

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a widespread exotic, invasive species that poses ecological, agricultural, and human health risks in invaded areas. Wildlife managers often manage wild pig abundance and expansion to mitigate these risks. The diversity of stakeholders involved in the issue of wild pig management complicates efforts to manage the species, and, to be successful, wildlife professionals should consider the human dimensions associated with wild pig management. The prevalence of privately owned lands in Texas, USA necessitates cooperation to enact effective management policies. In this study, we investigate the factors that affect a hunter’s likelihood to participate in wild pig hunting. Multiple factors affect participation in wild pig hunting activities. We found that participation in other types of big game hunting increased the likelihood of participation in wild pig hunting and that wild pig hunting does not deter individuals from participating in other types of hunting activities. Additionally, hunters’ attitudes toward wild pigs are important in determining the likelihood of participation in wild pig hunting. Finally, our results suggest that hunters are largely uninformed about wild pigs and do not hold the same perceptions, values, or tolerance levels of the species. The diversity of preferences among wild pig hunters necessitates that wildlife managers consider the desires of the public as well as natural resource needs in creating socially acceptable management plans for the species

Hunter Motivations and Use of Wild Pigs in Texas, USA

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a widespread exotic, invasive species that pose ecological, agricultural, and human health risks in their invaded range. Wildlife managers must manage wild pig abundance and range expansion to mitigate these risks. The diversity of stakeholders involved in the issue of wild pig management complicates efforts to manage the species, and, to be successful, wildlife professionals must consider the human dimensions associated with wild pig management. The prevalence of privately owned lands in Texas, USA necessitates cooperation to enact effective management policies. In this study, we investigate the impact of hunter motivations on wild pig harvest quantity. Motivations driving wild pig hunting are diverse. While the majority of wild pig hunters in Texas are motivated by trophy value, meat-motivated hunters harvest more wild pigs per day afield. Wildlife managers should develop plans that include various management techniques to control wild pig population growth and damage. Education and outreach will continue to be important for involving private landowners in effective wild pig management