The impact of distance to nearest education institution on the post-compulsory education participation decision

This paper uses data sources with the unique capacity to measure distances between home addresses and education institutions, to investigate, for the first time, the effect that such distance has on an individual´s post–compulsory education participation decision. The results show that there is no overall net effect. However, when attention is focussed on young people who are on the margin of participating in post–compulsory education (according to their prior attainment and family background) and when post–compulsory education is distinguished by whether it leads to academic or vocational qualifications, then greater distance to nearest education institution is seen to have a significant impact on the decision to continue in full–time post–compulsory education. This finding has relevance for education participation in rural areas relative to urban areas

FORECASTING AGRICULTURAL PRICES USING A BAYESIAN COMPOSITE APPROACH

Forecast users and market analysts need quality forecast information to improve their decision-making abilities. When more than one forecast is available, the analyst can improve forecast accuracy by using a composite forecast. One of several approaches to forming composite forecasts is a Bayesian approach using matrix beta priors. This paper explains the matrix beta approach and applies it to three individual forecasts of U.S. hog prices. The Bayesian composite forecast is evaluated relative to composites made from simple averages, restricted least squares, and an adaptive weighting technique.Demand and Price Analysis,

MULTIPRODUCT PRODUCTION CHOICES AND PESTICIDE REGULATION IN GEORGIA

An increasing emphasis on surface and groundwater quality and food safety may result in some form of pesticide regulations. A restricted profit function model of Georgia agriculture is used to examine the short-run effects of 2 and 5 percent reductions in all pesticides. Point estimates of short-run impacts, along with their 90 percent confidence intervals are presented.Agricultural and Food Policy,

The solution of the Kato problem in two dimensions

We solve, in two dimensions, the "square root problem of Kato". That is, for $L\equiv -\operatorname{div} (A(x)\nabla)$, where $A(x)$ is a $2\times 2$ accretive matrix of bounded measurable complex coefficients, we prove that $L^{1/2}\colon L^2_1(\mathbb{R}^2) \rightarrow L^2(\mathbb{R}^2)$

Perithecial development in Nectria mammoidea, Phil. et Plowr; also, the study of Nectria mammoidea, Phil. et Plowr. in culture, with an account of the factors influencing perlthecial production in the genus; and, The parasitism of Nectria cinnabarina (Tode) Fries.

The paper deals with the development of the perithecium in Nectria mammoidea. Phil, et Plowr.The cells of the vegetative hyphae are multinucleate.The perithecial initial is a knot of vegitative hyphae, and at its inception and throughout its development no trace of a structure or structures resembling archicarps can be seen.The appearance and development of structures provisionally termed "interpolated" is described and it has been found impossible to homologise them with known existing structures in the ascocarps of other As corny ce te s. These structures disintegrate prior to the appearance of the ascogenous hyphae.These latter arise de novo from the cells lining the base of the perithecial cavity. They are simple binucleate structures and are not separated by a cell wall from their parent hyphae, but are merely prolongations of the latter. Without proliferation of these hyphae or division of their two nuclei, the latter fuse to give the definite ascus nucleus.The ascus grows and is a prolongation of the parent ascogenous hypha.The definite ascus nucleus divides three times, one reduction division only taking place.The spores are formed from the ascus cytoplasm by a free cell formation.The spore nucleus divides and a wall separates the two daughter nuclei which thus each occupy a cell in the spore. The latter becomes invested by a spore wall.The grosser features of the perithecial development are described throughout the account in the sequence of their occurrence in development.Pycnidia were not found in culture but structures which may be sterile perithecia were seen on a few occasions.- - - - - - -The variation in the literature dealing with observations on the parasitism of Nectria cinnabarina (Tode) Fries, is reported in the Introduction.These variations are concerned chiefly with two points in the parasitism of this species viz:- (a) the part of the host tissue primarily attacked, and (b) the reaction of the host to attack]The case of this fungus causing a canker of apricot, and the various symptoms observed are dealt with.With a view to trying to throw some light on the reason or reasons for this symptom variability in the host, cultural studies and inoculation experiments were carried out with two strains of the fungus (1) a strain from the beech, and (2) a strain from the apricot.The two strains were found to be separable on a cultural basis, while it appeared from inoculation experiments, that the beech strain might be a more virulent parasite of the apricot than the apricot strain. The latter was shown to be the cause of a canker on the apricot.It was concluded that, as seen in the Introduction, this fungus was capable of causing a variability of symptoms in its host plant. The investigation indicated that this latter might be due to the existence of physiological strains in the species, or be the result of the varying ages of the host parts attacked.A more extensive series of inoculation experiments than that carried out during this investigation, would probably decide which of these two factors was the causative one. Both, however, may be concerned

Integrating process and factor understanding of environmental innovation by water utilities

Innovations in technology and organisations are central to enabling the water sector to adapt to major environmental changes such as climate change, land degradation or drinking water pollution. While there are literatures on innovation as a process and on the factors that influence it, there is little research that integrates these. Development of such an integrated understanding of innovation is central to understanding how policy makers and organisations can stimulate and direct environmental innovation. In the research reported here a framework is developed that enables such an integrated analysis of innovation process and factors. From research interviews and the literature twenty factors were identified that affect the five stages of the environmental innovation process in English and Welsh water utilities. The environmental innovations investigated are measures taken by water utilities to reduce or prevent pollution in drinking water catchments rather than technical measures to treat water. These Source Control Interventions are similar to other environmental innovations, such as ecosystem and species conservation, in that they emphasise the mix of technology, management and engagement with multiple actors. Results show that in water utilities direct performance regulation and regulation that raises awareness of a ‘performance’ gap as a ‘problem’ can stimulate innovation, but only under particular organisational, natural physical and regulatory conditions. The integrated framework also suggests that while flexible or framework legislation (e.g. Water Framework Directive) does not stimulate innovation in itself, it has shaped the option spaces and characteristics of innovations selected towards source control instead of technical end-of-pipe solutions

KINETIC AND KINEMATIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TARGET AND FREE KICKING IN TAEKWONDO

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the kinematic and kinetic (EMG) changes induced by varying kicking target sizes and the absence of these in Taekwondo kicking. Peak velocities and intersegmental timing and coordination variables were used to assess the kinematic of kicking executions. The kinetics of kicking executions were assessed from muscle co-contraction indexes obtained from EMG recording from selected muscles. Expert participants (n = 20) performed a set of ten Ap chagi (front kick) and Dollyo chagi (round house kick) to a set of target paddles of different sizes and masses. Significant differences were found between kicking conditions in the intersegmental timing of Ap chagi (p = 0.02) and Dollyo chagi (p = 0.04). Peak linear velocity of the ankle joint of Ap chagi (p = 0.63) and Dollyo chagi (p = 0.12) executions showed no significant differences. Differences in the thigh and leg angular velocities ratio were however significant for Ap chagi (p =0.01) and Dollyo chagi (p = 0.03) kicks. A strong correlation between muscle co-contraction and the mass of the kicking target (r = 0.95) was found

XVIII. The amount of radium present in typical rocks in the immediate neighbourhood of Montreal

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LEADING INDICATORS FOR REGIONAL COTTON RESPONSE: STRUCTURAL AND TIME SERIES MODELING RESULTS

Resurging southeastern cotton production compels better cotton acreage forecasts for planning seed, chemical, and other input requirements. Structural models describe leading acreage response indicators, and forecasts are compared time-series models. Cotton price, loan rate, deficiency payments, lagged corn acreage, the PIK program, and previous cotton yield significantly influence response.Crop Production/Industries,