INFORMATION AND THE ADOPTION OF PRECISION FARMING TECHNOLOGIES

Precision farming technologies have been commercially available since the early 1990s, but the pace of adoption among U.S. farmers has been modest. This study examines the relationship between the adoption of diagnostic and application techniques of precision farming and sources of information available to farmers about precision farming. The model used in the analysis accounts for sources of self-selection in the adoption process that could bias the results. Results indicate interpersonal information sources have increased adoption relative to information from the mass media, and the private sector has been the driving force behind the diffusion of precision farming. Information from crop consultants and input suppliers has had the greatest impact on the adoption of precision farming technologies. These sources likely provide the greatest technical expertise about precision farming, and thus are better equipped to ease the significant human capital requirement of precision farming technologies.information sources, logit analysis, precision farming, self-selection bias, technology adoption, Farm Management, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

INFORMATION AND THE ADOPTION OF PRECISION FARMING

This study examines the relationship between precision farming information sources and precision farming adoption. The analysis accounts for the fact that not all farmers are aware of precision farming techniques and that those who are aware may not be a random sample. Results indicate that many information sources increase adoption relative to information only from the media, but contact with crop consultants has had the greatest impact on the adoption of precision farming technologies.Farm Management,

Shuttle TPS thermal performance and analysis methodology

Thermal performance of the thermal protection system was approximately as predicted. The only extensive anomalies were filler bar scorching and over-predictions in the high Delta p gap heating regions of the orbiter. A technique to predict filler bar scorching has been developed that can aid in defining a solution. Improvement in high Delta p gap heating methodology is still under study. Minor anomalies were also examined for improvements in modeling techniques and prediction capabilities. These include improved definition of low Delta p gap heating, an analytical model for inner mode line convection heat transfer, better modeling of structure, and inclusion of sneak heating. The limited number of problems related to penetration items that presented themselves during orbital flight tests were resolved expeditiously, and designs were changed and proved successful within the time frame of that program

DECOMPOSING THE SIZE EFFECT ON THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIONS: AGROBIOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION FARMING

This study contrasts the relationship between farm-size and adoption for two types of innovations, genetically engineered crops and precision farming, controlling for other factors. The analysis uses an extension of the McDonald and Moffit decomposition for the two-limit Tobit model.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Dosage compensation in birds

AbstractThe Z and W sex chromosomes of birds have evolved independently from the mammalian X and Y chromosomes [1]. Unlike mammals, female birds are heterogametic (ZW), while males are homogametic (ZZ). Therefore male birds, like female mammals, carry a double dose of sex-linked genes relative to the other sex. Other animals with nonhomologous sex chromosomes possess “dosage compensation” systems to equalize the expression of sex-linked genes. Dosage compensation occurs in animals as diverse as mammals, insects, and nematodes, although the mechanisms involved differ profoundly [2]. In birds, however, it is widely accepted that dosage compensation does not occur [3–5], and the differential expression of Z-linked genes has been suggested to underlie the avian sex-determination mechanism [6]. Here we show equivalent expression of at least six of nine Z chromosome genes in male and female chick embryos by using real-time quantitative PCR [7]. Only the Z-linked ScII gene, whose ortholog in Caenorhabditis elegans plays a crucial role in dosage compensation [8], escapes compensation by this assay. Our results imply that the majority of Z-linked genes in the chicken are dosage compensated

The Adventist Home: Networks of Personal and Family Religious Practices

A network analysis of personal and family religious media use identifies Bible reading as a core religious practice. Nodes representing reading Ellen White’s and other religious authors’ writings occupy a position between infrequently-accessed religious media and core practices; reading these authors points Adventists to the ‘greater light’ of the Bible

Nurture and Church Member Well-Being in a Global Seventh-day Adventist Sample

We report a two-factor model of effective and failed nurture in the church—encouragement for wholeheartedness, efficacy in ministry, and belonging. Effective nurture explained a small amount of variance in well-being beyond controls including religious affiliation and behaviors, while failure to nurture explained substantial variance in religious stress and struggle

P-09 A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing the 2017-2018 Seventh-day Adventist Global Church Member Survey

We, along with others, developed the 2017-18 Global Church Member Survey currently being used by the Seventh-day Adventist Church to assess the quinquennial Church Strategic Plan. We included items for comparison to previous surveys, along with items to measure performance indicators from the Strategic Plan. However, our unique contributions were grounded in a novel theoretical framework based on Biblical principles and concepts in the social sciences. The Biblical contribution to the core of this framework focused on scriptural teaching on discipleship and God’s active role believer’s lives. The social science contribution to the core integrated theories of motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2008; Greenberg, Solomon, & Arndt, 2008; Koole, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 2006; Pyszczynski, Greenberg, & Goldenberg, 2003; Ryan & Deci, 2000) and hope (Bernardo, 2010; Snyder, 2002) from psychology, faith development (Dudley, 1994; Ji, 2004) from religious studies, social bonding (Hirschi, 1969; Yang et al., 2017) from sociology, and social capital (Häuberer, 2011; Putnam, 2003) from economics and development. We recognized several themes that repeated across the core. First, two motivational engines—on-going social relationships and hope for the future—drive beliefs and actions, both generally, and for believers particularly. Second, believers’ relationships and hopes involve both other human beings and God. Finally, differences in the availability (Gagné, 2003) of relationships and hope result in religious motivations ranging (Bailey & Timoti, 2015; Ryan, Rigby, & King, 1993) from wholeheartedness through perceived imposition to amotivation (lacking motivation). In our presentation, we will provide a description of the theoretical framework, review the research literature justifying the framework, and illustrate its utility through examples that demonstrate that model components measured by well-being, active church involvement, commitment to social justice, family bonding, and a strong personal devotional life positively relate to future commitment to the church and practicing an Adventist health life style

Pitot pressure in hypersonic flow with condensation.

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76722/1/AIAA-6518-763.pd

Religious Belief and Culture: The Curious Case of the Intuitive Soul

While Adventists recognize some of the straightforward and concrete ideas that are part of doctrinal training on human nature and the state of the dead, the core intuitive belief in mind-body dualism likely continues to influence how Adventists understand human nature