Heterogeneity in farmers' stage of behavioural change in intercropping adoption: an application of the Transtheoretical Model

Despite its potential economic and environmental benefits, intercropping adoption remains limited in Europe. Drawing upon the Transtheoretical Model, this paper views adoption decision as stages of behavioural change. The paper aims to investigate socioeconomic, behavioural, and policy factors associated with stage of change in intercropping adoption in Sweden. Exploratory factor analysis and generalized ordered logit regression were performed on data from a nation-wide farmer survey conducted in 2021 with 388 usable replies. Results show that farmers with better knowledge of intercropping, a higher evaluation of financial benefits and ease of intercropping, and ley growers were more likely to progress to higher stages of the adoption process. Farmers who have higher perceived seed separation costs, a lower education level, and are older tend to remain at lower stages. Perceived environmental benefits of intercropping, household income, and instrumental values of farming could turn non-adopters into either potential adopters or actual adopters. We found no significant association between policy support and stage of change in intercropping adoption. Policy implications aimed at fostering intercropping adoption were discussed

Heterogeneity in farmers’ stage of behavioural change in intercropping adoption: an application of the Transtheoretical Model

Despite its potential economic and environmental benefits, intercropping adoption remains limited in Europe. Drawing upon the Transtheoretical Model, this paper views adoption decision as stages of behavioural change. The paper aims to investigate socioeconomic, behavioural, and policy factors associated with stage of change in intercropping adoption in Sweden. Exploratory factor analysis and generalized ordered logit regression were performed on data from a nation-wide farmer survey conducted in 2021 with 388 usable replies. Results show that farmers with better knowledge of intercropping, a higher evaluation of financial benefits and ease of intercropping, and ley growers were more likely to progress to higher stages of the adoption process. Farmers who have higher perceived seed separation costs, a lower education level, and are older tend to remain at lower stages. Perceived environmental benefits of intercropping, household income, and instrumental values of farming could turn non-adopters into either potential adopters or actual adopters. We found no significant association between policy support and stage of change in intercropping adoption. Policy implications aimed at fostering intercropping adoption were discussed

A risk-benefit approach to the purchase and consumption of conventional vegetables in wet markets

The purchase and consumption of conventional vegetables from wet markets in Vietnam are like two sides of a coin: perceived food safety risks and perceived benefits. Drawing on a sample of 463 Hanoi consumers, this study employed a risk-benefit approach to analyze the purchase intention and consumption frequency of conventional vegetables at traditional markets. A confirmatory factor analysis examined the links among risk perception, perceived utilitarian benefits, perceived hedonic benefits, and trust. Finally, generalized ordered and Poisson regressions were performed on these psychological constructs and their identified links. We found that perceived hedonic benefits, trust in wet market actors, and the presence of homegrown vegetables determined purchase intention and consumption frequency. The joint influence of perceived hedonic and utilitarian benefits on purchase intention implies that consumers considered both benefit dimensions when thinking of their future purchase of conventional vegetables. The significant interaction between perceived risk and perceived hedonic benefits on consumption frequency supports the risk-benefit approach. The effect of perceived hedonic benefits and income on purchase intention and consumption frequency are evidence of wet markets' social and cultural relevance

Exclusion Statistics in a trapped two-dimensional Bose gas

We study the statistical mechanics of a two-dimensional gas with a repulsive delta function interaction, using a mean field approximation. By a direct counting of states we establish that this model obeys exclusion statistics and is equivalent to an ideal exclusion statistics gas.Comment: 3 pages; minor changes in notation; typos correcte

Farmers’ intention towards intercropping adoption: the role of socioeconomic and behavioural drivers

The adoption of intercropping, a sustainable agricultural technology, is limited in Europe. This  paper  investigates factors driving the  intention to  intercrop in Sweden. Factors included in the analysis are participation in private certification schemes, interactions with  peers  and  agricultural advisors, attitude, knowledge, innovativeness, perceived intercropping attributes and  perceived behavioural control. The  first  two  reflect  potential socioeconomic determinants and  the  last four  are  possible behavioural drivers. For  the  first  time,  the  theory  of  planned behaviour (TPB) and diffusion of innovation theory were integrated to understand farmers’ adoption of  sustainable farming practices like  intercropping .  Structural equation modelling was applied to understand the behavioural drivers, whereas logit  regression was  employed to  identify the  socioeconomic determinant of adoption intention. The  paper  highlights the  important role  of  knowledge in fostering intercropping adoption. Knowledge was associated with innovativeness (B = 0.18,

Behavioral implications of shortlisting procedures

We consider two-stage “shortlisting procedures” in which the menu of alternatives is first pruned by some process or criterion and then a binary relation is maximized. Given a particular first-stage process, our main result supplies a necessary and sufficient condition for choice data to be consistent with a procedure in the designated class. This result applies to any class of procedures with a certain lattice structure, including the cases of “consideration filters,” “satisficing with salience effects,” and “rational shortlist methods.” The theory avoids background assumptions made for mathematical convenience; in this and other respects following Richter’s classical analysis of preference-maximizing choice in the absence of shortlisting

Microparticles from patients with metabolic syndrome induce vascular hypo-reactivity via Fas/Fas-ligand pathway in mice

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Bosonic and fermionic single-particle states in the Haldane approach to statistics for identical particles

We give two formulations of exclusion statistics (ES) using a variable number of bosonic or fermionic single-particle states which depend on the number of particles in the system. Associated bosonic and fermionic ES parameters are introduced and are discussed for FQHE quasiparticles, anyons in the lowest Landau level and for the Calogero-Sutherland model. In the latter case, only one family of solutions is emphasized to be sufficient to recover ES; appropriate families are specified for a number of formulations of the Calogero-Sutherland model. We extend the picture of variable number of single-particle states to generalized ideal gases with statistical interaction between particles of different momenta. Integral equations are derived which determine the momentum distribution for single-particle states and distribution of particles over the single-particle states in the thermal equilibrium.Comment: 6 pages, REVTE

What do patients want from their psychiatrist? A cross- sectional questionnaire based exploratory study from Karachi

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aspects of consultation that are important for psychiatric patients have always remained a less acknowledged area. The aim of this study was to identify these aspects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A Cross-sectional, questionnaire based study was carried out in a psychiatry outpatient clinic of two tertiary care hospitals in a developing country. The patients were asked to fill out the questionnaire containing a total of 11 close-ended questions plus 1 open-ended question. They graded them as not important, important, very important or do not know. Non-psychotic patients aged 18 and above, visiting the clinic were recruited into the study before they went in for their first consultation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The response rate of patients was 84%. More than 90% wanted the doctor to tell them the cause of their illness, talk to them about their condition, provide symptomatic relief, let them know that how long their illness would last and make the final decision about their treatment plan. Less than 20% wanted to be part of a support network. A significant 82% wanted talking therapy as part of their treatment plan.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The three issues, most important for patients were: the doctor should listen to them, make the final decision about treatment and provide symptomatic relief. Only 20% wanted to be a part of patients' support group.</p

Gender differences in disability after sickness absence with musculoskeletal disorders: five-year prospective study of 37,942 women and 26,307 men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gender differences in the prevalence and occupational consequences of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are consistently found in epidemiological studies. The study investigated whether gender differences also exist with respect to chronicity, measured as the rate of transition from sickness absence into permanent disability pension (DP).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Prospective national cohort study in Norway including all cases with a spell of sickness absence > eight weeks during 1997 certified with a MSD, 37,942 women and 26,307 men. The cohort was followed-up for five years with chronicity measured as granting of DP as the endpoint. The effect of gender was estimated in the full sample adjusting for sociodemographic factors and diagnostic distribution. Gender specific analyses were performed with the same explanatory variables. Finally, the gender difference was estimated for nine diagnostic subgroups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The crude rate of DP was 22% for women and 18% for men. After adjusting for all sociodemographic variables, a slightly higher female risk of DP remained. However, additional adjustment for diagnostic distribution removed the gender difference completely. Having children and working full time decreased the DP risk for both genders, whereas low socioeconomic status increased the risk similarly. There was a different age effect as more women obtained a DP below the age of 50. Increased female risk of chronicity remained for myalgia/fibromyalgia, back disorders and "other/unspecified" after relevant adjustments, whereas men with neck disorders were at higher risk of chronicity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Women with MSDs had a moderately increased risk of chronicity compared to men, when including MSDs with a traumatic background. Possible explanations are lower income, a higher proportion belonging to diagnostic subgroups with poor prognosis, and a younger age of chronicity among women. When all sociodemographic and diagnostic variables were adjusted for, no gender difference remained, except for some diagnostic subgroups.</p