DETERMINANTS OF IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY CHOICE

Two discrete choice models relate the probability of choosing two water-saving irrigation technologies - —sprinkler and tailwater recovery pits- —to the underlying physical and economic attributes of the farming using a national cross section of farm level data. The results show that small farm size, high water or labor costs, and soils with low water-holding capacity increase the likelihood of adopting sprinkler irrigation. For gravity irrigators, large farms, high water costs, and solid with high water-holding capacity increase the probability of recirculating field runoff. In both models soil characteristics and, to a lesser extent, climate dominate the selection probabilities.Farm Management,

Intra-day Patterns in the Returns, Bidask Spereads, and Trading Volume of Stocks Traded on the New York Stock Exchange

Much research has demonstrated the existence of patterns in high-frequency equity returns, return volatility, bid-ask spreads and trading volume. In this paper, we employ a new test for detecting periodicities based on a signal coherence function. The technique is applied to the returns, bid-ask spreads, and trading volume of thirty stocks traded on the NYSE. We are able to confirm previous findings of an inverse J-shaped pattern in spreads and volume through the day. We also demonstrate that such intraday effects dominate day of the week seasonalities in spreads and volumes, while there are virtually no significant periodicities in the returns data. Our approach can also leads to a natural method for forecasting the time series, and we find that, particularly in the case of the volume series, the predictions are considerably more accurate than those from naïve methods.spectral analysis, peridocities, seasonality, intraday paterns, bid-ask spread, trading volume

Mortality in intensive care: The impact of bacteremia and the utility of systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of bacteremia on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and to develop a bacteremia prediction tool using systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria. Methods: Patients included those aged >18 years who had blood cultures taken in the ICU from January 1, 2011-December 31, 2013. Eligible patients were identified from microbiology records of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland. Clinical and outcome data were gathered from ICU records. Patients with clinically significant bacteremia were matched to controls using propensity scores. SIRS criteria were gathered and used to create decision rules to predict the absence of bacteremia. The main outcome was mortality at ICU discharge. The utility of the decision tools was measured using sensitivity and specificity. Results: One hundred patients had a clinically significant positive blood culture and were matched to 100 controls. Patients with bacteremia had higher ICU mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; P = .001) and longer ICU stay (OR, 17.0 vs 7.8 days; P ≤ .001). Of 1,548 blood culture episodes, 1,274 met ≥2 SIRS criteria (106 significant positive cultures and 1,168 negative cultures). There was no association between SIRS criteria and positive blood cultures (P = .11). A decision rule using 3 SIRS criteria had optimal predictive performance (sensitivity, 56%; specificity, 50%) but low accuracy. Conclusions: ICU patients with bacteremia have increased mortality and length of ICU stay. SIRS criteria cannot be used to identify patients at low risk of bacteremia

Stock assessment of protogynous fish: evaluating measures of spawning biomass used to estimate biological reference points

In stock assessments, recruitment is typically modeled as a function of females only. For protogynous stocks, however, disproportionate fishing on males increases the possibility of reduced fertilization rates. To incorporate the importance of males in protogynous stocks, assessment models have been used to predict recruitment not just from female spawning biomass (Sf), but also from that of males (Sm) or both sexes (Sb). We conducted a simulation study to evaluate the ability of these three measures to estimate biological reference points used in fishery management. Of the three, Sf provides best estimates if the potential for decreased fertilization is weak, whereas Sm is best only if the potential is very strong. In general, Sb estimates the true reference points most closely, which indicates that if the potential for decreased fertilization is moderate or unknown, Sb should be used in assessments of protogynous stocks. Moreover, for a broad range of scenarios, relative errors from Sf and Sb occur in opposite directions, indicating that estimates from these measures could be used to bound uncertainty

Identifying and Classifying Processes (traditional and soft factors) that Support COTS Component Selection

COTS-Based Systems (CBS) development focuses on building large software systems by integrating previously existing software components. CBS success depends on successful evaluation and selection of Commercial-Off-The- Shelf (COTS) software components to fit customer requirements. Literature shows that successful selection of offthe- shelf systems to fit customer requirements remains problematic. This paper presents the outcome of a study aimed at using a social-technical approach to identify and classify processes (including traditional and soft factors) that support COTS software selection. The identified factors and lessons learnt from case study assisted in elaborating and further development of Social-Technical Approach to COTS Evaluation framework (STACE)

Improving earthquake ground-motion predictions for the North Sea

Estimates of the expected ground motion are essential for the design, assessment and decommissioning of offshore critical infrastructure. The North Sea is an area of moderate seismic hazard that contains many high-value offshore structures (e.g. oil, gas and wind-turbine facilities). The most recent seismic hazard assessment for the North Sea is about 20 years old, before many innovations in ground-motion modelling were developed. In this study, firstly we investigate which ground-motion model from more than a dozen recent models is the most appropriate for this area based on a residual analysis of ground-motion data from onshore seismic stations surrounding the North Sea. The limited data that are available for this area and the poor magnitude and distance coverage are inherent weaknesses of this residual analysis. A recent model developed for Europe and the Middle East is the model that shows the lowest bias and minimal statistical trends with respect to magnitude and distance. Following this, we develop adjustments to this best-performing model to relax the ergodic assumption, i.e. to make the model more site- and path-specific thereby allowing a smaller aleatory variability (sigma) to be used within a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. The use of this adjusted model within seismic hazard assessments for the North Sea should lead to better estimates of the expected ground motion for critical offshore infrastructure sites, although this would require the effects of the geotechnical properties of the seafloor to be accounted for

MOSAIC: Teaching Cultural Competence

Emporia State University sponsors a weekend, off-site program, MOSAIC, where participants explore issues of identity development, privilege, social inequality, and discrimination - the tenants of cultural competency. MOSAIC helps participants enhance their worldview and a greater appreciation of cultural competence through a series of large and small group activities. By creating these experiences and opportunities, participants are more apt to work effectively in a variety of situations, with a mix of culturally diverse people such as those found on a college campus. By leveraging these skills the university community can be benefited to have better outcomes

An Organic Model of Leadership Development for the Rural, Traditional Church

This thesis project examines the nature of leadership development relating to an organization known as the local body of Christian believers. This study reveals that the average believer lacks confidence in his or her ability to clearly define what it means to be a Christian, what is required of a believer in the areas of discipleship and leadership, and how to be a disciple maker. Pursuant to completion of this thesis project, the pastor will progressively develop each member of the local body of believers at Woodland Trails Baptist Church into servant leaders who make disciples. The questionnaire results of 40 Southern Baptist church members of varying ages and levels of Christian maturity supports the need for developing a leadership infrastructure, a shared vision, and the execution of a detailed plan in order to implement a comprehensive program for leadership development

A neighborhood alternative energy plant

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH.Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-198).A design that proposes the redefinition of the role of a power plant facility within a community by creating a humane environment for recreation, education, community gathering, living, and energy production; rather than the traditional remote and often inhumane environments of the present. This thesis explores the design of a small scale alternative energy plant as the center of a new framework for revitalizing small industries, developing industrial cogeneration of energy, and redeveloping mixed use commercial, office, and residential areas within the context of a deteriorated urban neighborhood. Located in a historic area of Rockford, Illinois, the design incorporates some fifty new passive solar residences and a 34,000 square foot clean energy plant within an eleven and one- half acre inner-city site. Fueled by the sun, the wind, the Rock River, and the community's municipal refuse and sewage, this neighborhood alternative energy plant (NAEP) represents not only a renewable energy resource, but both a recreational and educational resource as well. The challenge of this project is to provide an integrated alternative method for both producing power and participating in its production. Included in the design of this NAEP are: an overview of alternative energy use in architecture and community planning; a history of small scale power generation within the context of the neighborhood; a master plan for the site; design of the facility; and energy and economic analysis, designed to demonstrate the viability of the project within a contemporary marketplace.by Douglas James Brooks.M.Arch