Impact of Biotechnology on Plant Breeding

The application of modern biotechnology to plant breeding is considered to be more efficient and quicker than conventional breeding techniques in the development of new and more resilient crop varieties. To test the impact that biotechnology is having on a industrial plant breeding activities, we relate firm level Plant Variety Protection Certificate (PVPC) applications to corresponding expenditure on research and development (R&D), agricultural biotechnology patents applications, field trials of genetically modified crops, firm structure, as well as industry specific characteristics. Regression results indicate agbiotech activities are directly related to PVP applications, hence the creation of new plant varieties.Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

MARKET STRUCTURE AND INNOVATION IN AG-BIOTECHNOLOGY

The objective of this paper is to make a contribution to a debated issue in industrial organization that of the relationship between market structure and innovation. We place this topic within a theoretical framework and in the context of the agricultural biotechnology research market. Our theoretical model addresses how firm R&D decisions are affected by upstream and downstream market structures, farmer adoption decisions, and patent strength.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Using social media to widen young people’s participation in social work education: final report for Nominettrust

Using a systematic review approach, this study set out to identify social media resources currently used by service users to share knowledge and experience, in order that they could be used to widen young people’s participation in social work education. Resources found were included in a database available to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to support and promote the use of these sites. The review was undertaken in partnership with young service users. The Review question was: • How do interventions/services using new social and other digital media technologies promote children and young people’s participation? Sub-questions were: • How do such interventions/services conceptualise participation? • What are the perceived facilitators and barriers of participation? • What are the implications for engaging young service users in social work education? A review of published literature provides a foundation to understand how and in what ways social media is currently being used and suggest ways in which it might be used in the future. In addition to academic studies, this project reviews social media, e.g. social networks, blogs, video conferencing, used by users of personal services to share experiences and contribute to knowledge. Social media resources identified are presented in tabular form and are also made accessible though the inclusion of hyperlinks to a range of digital material. Finding of this study suggest that social media is currently being used by adults for two purposes, to promote civic participation or to socialise young people. Consequently the potential biases and shortcomings of face-to-face communication between service providers and service users can be reproduced in online forms of communication. Conclusions drawn include: • Genuine engagement with young people requires digital technologies to provide complementary, more empowering public spaces and channels for expression which may lead to social change. • There is a need to consider ways group membership is constructed and established, both in terms of involvement in social work education in general, and in providing mechanisms that support the use of social media to facilitate this. The report concludes by making recommendations for future actio

Report on the ‘Health MOT Roadshow’ Community Health Check Project

The NHS Health Check is a national screening programme targeting cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the UK. Effectiveness of the NHS Health Check is still under evaluation and no randomised controlled trial (RCT) has been undertaken to date. Current research results are largely inconclusive. Initially low, programme uptake has been increasing in recent years, reaching nationally up to half of the eligible population. While the research data gives a mixed picture, concerns have been raised about differential uptake among different demographic groups, including those living in more deprived areas. Area deprivation is known to correlate with higher CVD risk. Public Health England, among other bodies, have called for further research into the impact and coverage of NHS Health Checks. The ‘Health MOT Roadshow’ is a community-based health check programme consisting of outreach, referrals, and on-site Health MOTs as well as NHS Health Check. It is delivered by Wellbeing People, a Kent-based private sector company, in co-operation with statutory and third sector services. Initial results from the project show promise in view of engaging hard-to-reach populations and improving service uptake at a competitive cost

Strong enhancement of Jc in binary and alloyed in-situ MgB2 wires by a new approach: Cold high pressure densification

Cold high pressure densification (CHPD) is presented as a new way to substantially enhance the critical current density of in situ MgB2 wires at 4.2 and 20 K at fields between 5 and 14 T. The results on two binary MgB2 wires and an alloyed wire with 10 wt.% B4C are presented The strongest enhancement was measured at 20K, where cold densification at 1.85 GPa on a binary Fe/MgB2 wire raised both Jcpara and Jcperp by more than 300% at 5T, while Birr was enhanced by 0.7 T. At 4.2K, the enhancement of Jc was smaller, but still reached 53% at 10 T. After applying pressures up to 6.5 GPa, the mass density dm of the unreacted (B+Mg) mixture inside the filaments reached 96% of the theoretical density. After reaction under atmospheric pressure, this corresponds to a highest mass density df in the MgB2 filaments of 73%. After reaction, the electrical resistance of wires submitted to cold densification was found to decrease, reflecting an improved connectivity. A quantitative correlation between filament mass density and the physical properties was established. Monofilamentary rectangular wires with aspect ratios a/b < 1.25 based on low energy ball milled powders exhibited very low anisotropy ratios, Gamma = Jcpara/Jcperp being < 1.4 at 4.2 K and 10T. The present results can be generalized to alloyed MgB2 wires, as demonstrated on a wire with B4C additives. Based on the present data, it follows that cold densification has the potential of further improving the highest Jcpara and Jcperp values reported so far for in situ MgB2 tapes and wires with SiC and C additives. Investigations are under work in our laboratory to determine whether the densification method CHPD can be applied to longer wire or tape lengths.Comment: Submitted to Superconductors Science and Technolog

Background independent quantization and the uncertainty principle

It is shown that polymer quantization leads to a modified uncertainty principle similar to that obtained from string theory and non-commutative geometry. When applied to quantum field theory on general background spacetimes, corrections to the uncertainty principle acquire a metric dependence. For Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology this translates to a scale factor dependence which gives a large effect in the early universe.Comment: 6 page

Fertility decline in Bangladesh: toward an understanding of major causes

Bangladesh has undergone a considerable decline in fertility, despite the absence of conditions believed to be necessary for such reproductive changes. Indeed, Bangladesh is the only one among the world’s twenty poorest countries where such a change has occurred. The paper examines the nature of fertility transition in Bangladesh, looks at the trends in contraceptive use and fertility, and identifies the major factors accounting for the fertility decline, despite poor socio-economic conditions. Two types of factors in the decline are: (a) positive factors which encourage eligible couples to contracept, and (b) negative factors which compel women to contracept, for spacing or limiting births. The effects of positive and negative factors on contraceptive use and fertility are analysed with data from a rural sample of 4,194 women from the 1993-94 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2,597 women from the MCH-FP Extension Project area, and 8,110 women from the Matlab MCH-FP Project area. Logistic regression is used in the analysis. Strong and highly significant effects of female education, female employment and access to media on contraceptive use and fertility have been found

A field study of factors and variables regarding tour destination loyalty of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh

It is a generally held belief that a tourism destination gets maximum benefit from loyal visitors compared to nonloyal visitors. Although literature on loyalty covers different issues, it lacks a comprehensive study of factors and variables that influence destination loyalty. Therefore, this article aims to investigate the main factors affecting destination loyalty in adopting and applying it to the world's longest beach, Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Initially a conceptual destination loyalty framework was developed based on the literature. An exploratory field study utilizing a deductive methodological approach was undertaken by conducting field interviews with 10 experienced visitors from multiple disciplines. Then, we utilized a content analysis based on transcription of the interviews to extract the factors and variables and further developed a loyalty framework. The outcomes of the field interviews identify three new factors (Religious Belief, Seasonal Variation, and Level of Income) that play important roles in destination loyalty judgment. In addition, nine variables (natural beauty, longest beach, reputed place, adjacent attractions, nontraditional items, time, rational price of tourism products, recommendable place, and visit again) are also found to be common and of utmost importance. The article concludes by highlighting the methodological, theoretical, managerial implications, and future research directions