SMALL FARMS EXTENSION'S EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

MENUING SOFTWARE: APPLICATION TO THE GENERAL MANAGER'S NEED

This paper demonstrates a robust approach to general manager computer use. The approach is shown to systematically integrate a diverse collection of user selected applications. It is implemented through the use of currently available shareware and public domain software at low cost. The developed prototype follows accepted psychological choice, Management Information System (MIS) and/or Decision Support System (DDS) principles. It is easily modified by a user, said to be any general management team member, as the environment changes. Team member roles, concerns, styles, and interests can be accommodated in the design or re-design. The prototype and approach is friendly to occasional users. One basic installation can serve several users. It will work on a network of computers. It offers a sense of staying in control to the individual. Complexities of application choice and access are hidden. Data transfer between applications is automated. Extension educators and business consultants can also use a similar approach for accessing a wide variety of applications. Further work will likely improve the basic approach. In the meantime, the gain from using this approach as it stands is quickly available.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

MINNESOTA MODIFIED MISSISSIPPI STATE BUDGET GENERATOR (MNMMSBG)

Agricultural Finance,

A USER'S GUIDE FOR PVBUDGET

Agricultural Finance,

DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL FUTURES

Farm Management,

MICROCOMPUTER ACCURACY IN SOLVING LINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS WITH REDUNDANT CONSTRAINTS

This study reports on how different microcomputer systems performed in the solution of two linear programming models purposely specified with redundant vectors. Comparisons were made to a Cyber 720 that used both a Fortran and Basic version of the same primal-dual algorithm. Results are mixed. But Microsoft Basic with double precision under CP/M on a Z80A processor performed at least equally well to the Cyber 720 provided that an appropriate essential zero value was specified. Different coefficient scaling schemes were also tested. The results should be of interest to all users of matrix inversion schemes on microcomputers. Extensions of the study to new hardware and software systems are encouraged.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Non-radial Oscillations in Rotating Giant Planets with Solid Cores: Application to Saturn and its Rings

Recent observations have revealed evidence for the global oscillations of Jupiter and Saturn, which can potentially provide a new window into the interior structure of giant planets. Motivated by these observations, we study the non-radial oscillation modes of giant planets containing a solid core. Our calculations include the elastic response of the core and consider a wide range of possible values of the core shear modulus. While the elasticity of the core only slightly changes the frequencies of acoustic modes, which reside mostly in the fluid envelope, it adds two new classes of shear modes that are largely confined to the core. We also calculate the effects of the Coriolis force on the planetary oscillation modes. In addition to changing the mode frequencies, the Coriolis force can cause the shear modes to mix with the f-modes. Such mixing occurs when the frequencies of the shear mode and the f-mode are close to each other, and results in "mixed modes" with similar properties that are slightly split in frequency. We discuss our results in light of the recent work by Hedman & Nicholson (2013), which revealed the presence of density waves in Saturn's C-ring that appear to be excited by the gravitational perturbations associated with the f-mode oscillations within Saturn. We find that the fine splitting in wave frequencies observed in the rings can in principle be explained by the rotation-induced mixing between core shear modes and f-modes, possibly indicating the presence of a solid core within Saturn. However, in our current calculations, which assume rigid-body rotation and include only first-order rotational effects, significant fine-tuning in the planetary model parameters is needed in order to achieve these mode mixings and to explain the observed fine frequency splitting. We briefly discuss other effects that may modify the f-modes and facilitate mode mixing.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Icaru

USER'S GUIDE FOR MINNLP

The code MINNLP, or Minnesota Linear Programming, is an interactive linear programming algorithm which is efficient in the use of computer storage space and computational time. It is also easy to use and contains matrix modification options.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,