Economics of irrigation water management : a literature survey with focus on partial and general equilibrium models

Water policy is an important topic on the agenda of the international community, and efficiency and equity in the allocation of water have emerged as important factors to be considered. Water pricing can be used to mitigate both the quantity and quality dimensions of water scarcity. This paper reviews partial equilibrium models and general equilibrium models that are relevant to irrigation water management issues. The most widely discussed issues in these models are water markets and water pricing. The interrelationships between economic, cultural, social, and political aspects that are related to water policy make it difficult to provide a comprehensive policy analysis. General equilibrium models of irrigation water management allow incorporation of both the irrigation sector and the other sectors in the economy and analysis of policies affecting each of them and the interaction between them. In addition to being able to address sector and household specifications, production factors, time horizon, pricing policies, and institutions such as water markets, general equilibrium models allow the analysis of the impact of water policies on equity and poverty alleviation. The authors conclude that, although there has been a significant increase in efforts to analyzewater related problems, analytical and empirical research in the field is still deficient and more effort is needed to address them.Environmental Economics&Policies,Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions,Town Water Supply and Sanitation,Water Supply and Systems,Water Conservation

TGF-beta signaling at the cellular junctions

During cell communication, cells produce secreted signals termed morphogens, which traffic through the tissue until they are received by target, responding cells. Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, I have studied transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signal from the secreting to the receiving cells in the developing wing epithelial cells and at the neuromuscular junctions. Cell culture studies have suggested that cells modulate morphogenetic signaling by expressing the receptors and secreting the ligand in spatially defined areas of the cell. Indeed, I have found that TGF-beta ligands, receptors and R-Smads show a polarized distribution both in the epithelial cells and at the synapses. My results indicate that the cellular junctions define a signaling domain within the plasma membrane, to which TGF-beta signaling machinery is targeted. In the context of epithelial cells, the junctions play a role in TGF-beta signaling regulation through their component beta-cat. A complex forms between beta-cat and the R-Smad Mad, but the mechanism by which beta-cat modulates signaling is not yet understood. At the synapse, the sub-cellular localization of TGF-beta pathway components indicates the occurrence of an anterograde signal. Moreover, my results suggest a scenario in which TGF-beta signaling is coupled with synaptic activity: quanta of growth factor, released upon neurostimulation together with neurotransmitter quanta, could modulate therefore the development and the function of the synapse

Researching Children\u27s Lives and Social Situations with Respect and Integrity

In Research with children: Theory & practice, Michelle O’Reilly, Pablo Ronzoni and Nisha Dogra engage the readers in navigating the successes and hurdles of researching with diverse children. The book, which is meant for “researchers who are new to research with children” presents engaging descriptions on how to link in culturally sensitive ways the overall research process involving the lives and social situations of children who are participants in qualitative and quantitative research projects. Furthermore, the book balances the theory and practice of research with children through the activities used and the practical examples provided, some of which are drawn from the authors’ own wor

Exploring South African high school teachers’ conceptions of the nature of scientific inquiry: a case study

The paper explores conceptions of the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) held by five teachers who were purposively and conveniently sampled. Teachers’ conceptions of the NOSI were determined using a Probes questionnaire. To confirm teachers’ responses, a semi-structured interview was conducted with each teacher. The Probes questionnaire was based on six tenets of the nature of scientific inquiry but only three tenets are presented in this paper, namely: (1) scientists use a variety of methods to conduct scientific investigations; (2) scientific knowledge is socially and culturally embedded; and (3) scientific knowledge is partly the product of human creativity and imagination. The study found that the teachers held mixed NOSI conceptions. These conceptions were fluid and lacked coherence, ranging from static, empiricist-aligned to dynamic,  constructivist-oriented conceptions. Although all participants expressed some views that were consistent with current,  acceptable conceptions of NOSI, some held inadequate (naïve) views on the crucial three NOSI tenets. The significance of this study rests in recommending explicit teaching of NOSI during pre-service and in-service training which enables teachers to possess informed conceptions about NOSI. With these informed conceptions, teachers may internalise the instructional importance of the NOSI which, in turn, may help avoid the lack of attention to NOSI currently evidenced in teachers’  instructional decisions. This might result in teachers’ orientations shifting towards an explicit inquiry-based approach from that of an implicit science process and discovery approach.Keywords: informed views; naïve views; nature of scientific inquiry; NOSI tenets; scientific inquiry; scientific investigations; scientific method; teacher conception

Inquiring to Benefit Society While Protecting Subjects: The Debates, Complexities and Moral Obligations of the IRB Review Process

Whitney’s text Balanced Ethics Review: A Guide for Institutional Review Board Members highlights and problematizes pertinent issues in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review process with a focus on the USA. The book, which is meant for “IRB member or chair” engages readers in exploring in-depth and from multiple perspectives the debates on the roles and responsibilities of IRBs. Within this context, the author demonstrates the need for the IRB process that balances the protection of human subjects with the benefits of research to the society. Furthermore, the book engages readers in exploring and reflecting on the intersections between power relations, and the moral obligations of IRBs. Moreover, insights are provided into the work of federal agencies that “control the IRB system.

Packet aggregation for voice over internet protocol on wireless mesh networks

>Magister Scientiae - MScThis thesis validates that packet aggregation is a viable technique to increase call ca-pacity for Voice over Internet Protocol over wireless mesh networks. Wireless mesh networks are attractive ways to provide voice services to rural communities. Due to the ad-hoc routing nature of mesh networks, packet loss and delay can reduce voice quality.Even on non-mesh networks, voice quality is reduced by high overhead, associated with the transmission of multiple small packets. Packet aggregation techniques are proven to increase VoIP performance and thus can be deployed in wireless mesh networks. Kernel level packet aggregation was initially implemented and tested on a small mesh network of PCs running Linux, and standard baseline vs. aggregation tests were conducted with a realistic voice tra c pro le in hop-to-hop mode. Modi cations of the kernel were then transferred to either end of a nine node 'mesh potato' network and those tests were conducted with only the end nodes modi ed to perform aggregation duties. Packet ag- gregation increased call capacity expectedly, while quality of service was maintained in both instances, and hop-to-hop aggregation outperformed the end-to-end con guration. However, implementing hop-to-hop in a scalable fashion is prohibitive, due to the extensive kernel level debugging that must be done to achieve the call capacity increase.Therefore, end-to-end call capacity increase is an acceptable compromise for eventual scalable deployment of voice over wireless mesh networks

African eco-theology : land, ecology, and indigenous wisdom in the works of Samson Gitau, Kapya Kaoma, and Jesse Mugambi

Abstracts in English, Xhosa and Afrikaans.Using an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach, this study investigates the eco-theological contributions of three main interlocutors from East and Southern Africa, namely Samson Gitau, Kapya Kaoma and Jesse Mugambi, all of whom are African theologians. The three theologians seek to address ecological degradation from an African ecological perspective, by drawing on African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and African Christianity and Religiosity. The contributions of the three theologians in their respective chapters enable the study to identify the systems and practices that are under-researched and not utilised even though they are ecologically sensitive systems. Owing to a number of factors, African Indigenous Wisdom Knowledge Systems have not been adequately explored. African Indigenous Wisdom is a body of knowledge systems with ecological overtones. From a theological and African religiosity perspective, Gitau, Kaoma and Mugambi highlight the need for natural theology to be adopted by the Church as an institution. Gitau stresses the importance of relations based on the African concept of God, humanity and creation. The study addresses the gap in the existing knowledge by drawing on the main interlocutors to investigate the ecological crisis and by adopting an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach. According to this approach, as applied by Gitau, Kaoma and Mugambi, the indigene’s systems are not adequately explored and churches in Africa are ecologically insensitive. African churches ought to embrace Indigenous Wisdom Knowledge Systems and form an African eco-theology. The study has brought to the fore the ecological overtones of African religious belief systems and African Christianity that, together, provide the basis for Christian ecological ethics inside and outside the faith community. Gitau, Kaoma and Mugambi condemn the Church as an institution and other voices for not taking a leading role in addressing contemporary ecological issues.Olu phando lusebenzisa iindidi ngeendidi zophando, esi sifundo siphanda ngegalelo labangeneleli abathathu – uGitau, uKaoma kwakunye noMugambi – kwela candelo lengqiqo-buThixo eligqale kulwalamano oluphakathi kwenkolo nendalo. Bobathathu ke aba baziingcali zengqiqo-buThixo zase-Afrika. Ezi ngcali zontathu zijongene nokuthotywa kwesidima sendalo, kwakunye nokonakaliswa kwayo, besebenzisa ukuqonda kwase-Afrika, betsala kwizimvo zeeNkqubo Zolwazi Lwemveli Lwama-Afrika, ubuKhristu ngokwama-Afrika kwakunye nenkolo. Igalelo lengcali nganye, ngokwezahluko abathe bazibhala, libangela olu phando luzibone izithuba ezikhokhelela kwiinkqubo nezithethe ezingaphandisiswanga, nezingasetyenziswayo, nangona zona ziyihlonipha indalo. Ngenxa yeemeko ngeemeko, ulwazi lwesintu alunikwanga ngqalelo ngokwaneleyo. Xa kujongwa intlalo ngokwesintu, kuyacaca ukuba ulwazi lwesintu lulwazi olucwangcisekileyo, olukwaquke nolondolozo lwendalo. Xa sisondela kulo mba wolondolozo lwendalo ngokwengqiqo-buThixo, uGitau, uKaoma kwakunye noMugambi bagxininisa ukubaluleka kwecandelo lengqiqo-buThixo elijongene nokutyhileka kukaThixo endalweni, kwakunye nokwamkelwa kweli candelo emabandleni onke, kwiimvaba zonke, nakwinkolo yesintu. UGitau ugxininisa ukubaluleka kobudlelwane obusekwe kwindlela uThixo abonwa ngayo ngama-Afrika, kuluntu nakwindalo. Olu phando luzama ukuvala isikhewu esikulwazi olukhoyo ngokufumana ukuqonda kwaba bangeneleli bathathu, ngenjongo yokujongana nolondolozo lwendalo olusebenzisa iindidi ngendidi zokuphanda. Le nkqubo yophando phakathi kwamacandelo ngamacandelo isetyenziswa nguGitau, uKaoma kunye noMugambi ibonakalise inyani yokuba iinkqubo zesintu azihlolisiswanga ngokwaneleyo kwaye iinkonzo zaseAfrika aziyiniki ngqalelo indalo, kwaye kufuneka zamkele ulwazi lwesintu ukuze kwakheke icandelo lengqiqo-buThixo elingqale kulo mba wolondolozo lwendalo ngokwase-Afrika. Olu phando luveze into yokuba inkolo yesintu kunye neenkonzo zase-Afrika zilufanele ulondolozo lwendalo, kwaye imigaqo yokuziphatha yamaKhristu malunga nolu londolozo ezinkonzweni nasekuhlaleni, lusekwe phezu kwazo. UGitau, uKaoma kwakunye noMugambi bayalikhalimela ibandla lamaKhristu, kunye nezinye izimvo ezichazwayo kolu phando, ngokungathathi nxaxheba ikhokelayo ekulungisweni kwemiba yangoku yolondolozo lwendalo.Volgens 'n interdissiplinêre en multidissiplinêre benadering ondersoek hierdie studie die ekoteologiese bydraes van drie Afrika-teoloë uit Oos- en Suider-Afrika, naamlik Samson Gitau, Kapya Kaoma en Jesse Mugambi. Hierdie drie teoloë beskou die kwessie van ekologiese agteruitgang uit 'n Afrika- ekologiese perspektief en put uit inheemse Afrika- kennisstelsels en die Afrika-Christendom en religiositeit. ʼn Ondersoek na die bydraes van elke teoloog, elkeen s’n in ʼn afsonderlike hoofstuk, bring stelsels en praktyke aan die lig wat nog nie genoegsaam nagevors is nie, en nie gebruik word nie, alhoewel dit ekologies sensitiewe stelsels en praktyke is. As gevolg van verskeie faktore is inheemse Afrika- wysheid-en-kennisstelsels nog nie voldoende ondersoek nie. Inheemse Afrika-wysheid-en- kennisstelsels is kennisstelsels met 'n ekologiese ondertoon. Uit 'n teologiese perspektief dring Gitau, Kaoma en Mugambi daarop aan dat die Kerk as 'n instelling die ekologiese teologie volgens Afrika-religiositeit aanvaar. Gitau beklemtoon die belangrikheid van verhoudings wat op die Afrika-konsep van God, menslikheid en skepping gebaseer is. Hierdie studie vul 'n leemte in die bestaande kennis aan deur uit die primêre gespreksgenote se kennis te put om die ekologiese krisis deur ʼn interdissiplinêre en multidissiplinêre benadering aan te pak. Volgens hierdie benadering, wat deur Gitau, Kaoma en Mugambi volg word, is inheemse kennisstelsels nog nie na behore ondersoek is nie, is kerke in Afrika ekologies onsensitief, en moet hulle inheemse wysheid-en-kennisstelsels omhels om 'n Afrika-ekoteologie te ontwikkel. In die studie tree die ekologiese toonaard van die Afrika- gelowe en die Afrika-Christendom na vore, wat saam die grondslag vir ʼn Christelike ekologiese etiek binne en buite die geloofsgemeenskap vorm. Gitau, Kaoma en Mugambi veroordeel die Kerk as 'n instelling en ander stemme omdat hulle nie 'n leidende rol in die aanpak van hedendaagse ekologiese kwessies speel nie.Philosophy, Practical and Systematic TheologyM.Th (Systematic Theology

Impact of Targeted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives on the Retention and Graduation Rates of Students of Color at Community Colleges

In the United States of America, students of color (SOCs) encounter significant barriers when they seek higher education. As a result, many institutions of higher learning pursue diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to enhance these students’ chances at social and academic attainment. For community colleges across the nation, because they enroll a disproportionately large number of SOCs due to their combination of open enrollment policies, low tuition and geographic proximity, targeted DEI initiatives are a strategy of choice in dealing with their abysmal retention and graduation rates among this student demographic. This dissertation, anchored in sociological-based theoretical frameworks—specifically William G. Spady’s Undergraduate Dropout Process Model and Vincent Tinto’s Institutional Departure Model, explores the relationship between targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at two Minnesota Community Colleges and their SOCs propensity to reenroll in school and to graduate from their academic programs in prescribed time. The dissertation utilizes the mixed methods approach to collect, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data describing how educational personnel at ARCC and at NHCC are engaged in deliberate, targeted DEI initiatives to improve retention and graduation rates of SOCs were collected through interviews conducted to a purposively selected sample of students of color at both colleges. In addition, quantitative data was collected via a 25-Item, 5-point Likert Scale Survey administered to study participants at the two focal institutions. Additional retention and graduation rate data for SOCs were pulled from the study’s focal institutions, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and Minnesota State Performance Metrics (MnSPM) system. Pearson r Correlation tests and multiple regression analysis were performed to ascertain correlations between community colleges’ targeted DEI initiatives and the propensity for their SOCs to reenroll and to graduate from their academic programs on time

Interactive Learning dalam Pembelajaran Speaking di Kelas V Sekolah Dasar

Penelitian ini bertujuan guna mengetahui efektivitas dari penerapan interactive learning dalam meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa pada pembelajaran bahasa Inggris di kelas V Sekolah Dasar Negeri Cileunyi 02 kecamatan Cileunyi Kabupaten Bandung. Penelitian Tindakan Kelas pada Siswa Kelas V dilakukan di Sekolah Dasar Negeri Cileunyi 02 Kecamatan Cileunyi, Kabupaten Bandung. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pedoman observasi, pedoman wawancara, catatan lapangan, lembar penilaian proses, dan rekaman poto. Data diperoleh, dianalisis, dan direfleksi dengan menggunakan metode deskripsi kualitatif. Dapat ditarik kesimpulan dalam penerapan pembelajaran interactive learning di kelas V Sekolah Dasar Negeri Cileunyi 02 telah berhasil menciptakan suasana belajar yang dapat meningkatkan minat belajar siswa sekaligus menciptakan suasana belajar menyenangkan dan bermakna bagi siswa. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian siklus I, II, dan III. Pada siklus I kemampuan siswa masih rendah, siswa masih malu-malu, takut, dan ragu-ragu dalam memperagakan dialog sederhana secara berpasangan didepan kelas. Nilai rata-rata untuk siklus I adalah 46.97. Pada siklus II kemampuan siswa mulai mengalami peningkatan, terlihat dari hasil nilai rata-rata pada siklus II adalah 65.15. Pada siklus III kemampuan siswa dalam pembelajaran speaking menggunakan interactive learning dengan teknik role playing semakin meningkat, terlihat dari hasil nilai rata-rata pada siklus III adalah 85.23. Hal ini menunjukan bahwa interactive learning dengan menggunakan teknik role playing dapat meningkatkan proses serta hasil belajar siswa dalam pembelajaran speaking

Video games in the implementation of climate change mitigation policies

Partiendo de la baja masa crítica de comportamiento medioambiental en España y el análisis de las limitaciones para alcanzar el reto urgente de lograr una reducción de emisiones GEI, este artículo tiene por objetivo evaluar la tendencia del videojuego serio medioambiental como medio digital interactivo para adquirir hábitos de comportamiento ecológico en España. Se analiza la revolucionaria aportación de la tecnología de “gamificación” para lograr entretener y divertir con videojuegos educativos. Se concluye y recomiendan actividades para que los actores sociales públicos y privados se impliquen en difundir y mejorar los videojuegos medioambientales actualmente disponibles en España. Y se destaca su oportunidad de participar en nuevos desarrollos participativos, con empresas del sector de videojuegos, orientados a atender necesidades de formación medioambiental de grupos sociales.Through almost 20 years of public policies to reduce GHG emissiones to mitigate climate change, fortunately the level of sensitivity facing the problem has been increasing among the citizens of contruies like Spain and similar countries. However, dates indicate that, in practice, civic and business behavior remain highly polluting in transport, agriculture, industry, waste, etc. The surveys confirm a strong imbalance between intellectual knowledge of the problem, by the citicenry or the business community, regarding the mitigating behavior of climate change, when consuming and producing. Serious environmental video games are emerging since 2005 as interactive digital instruments capable of accelerating the experimental learning of ecological behavioral habits. Others resources such as watching television, video, cinema, reading, etc, are passive and slower on their own and the video game is able to combine all of them together with the subject’s own imagination. This article delves into the imbalance between knowledge and behavior in order to outline the future unsatisfied demand for serious environmental video games in Spain. The study includes a tour of the video game sector in Spain and the current offer of serious environmental video games avaliable. The conclusions show a predominance of the game with role of politician, that abundantly documents the player in his decisions and directed to individual young men or for educational support. The unattended requirement of games for a multitude of feminine and masculine roles of different ages and professiones is observed practicing behaviors of daily life and work