Four-Letter Super Connoisseur\u27s Ladders

Four-letter words are famously well connected to each other. Fewer than one per cent of words connect to no other, whereas over 70 per cent in each of the four possible positions-on average, there are 23 neighbours for each word. For our present purpose, note that more than three-quarters are heterograms. This means that Connoisseur\u27s Ladders (those with sequential replacement between heterograms, plus a relationship between the first and last words) become commonplace. On the other hand, the number of such ladders is restricted by the relatively small number (fewer than 20,000) of four-letter words available

Bearing servicing tool

A tool for removing and/or replacing bearings in situ is presented. The tool is comprised of a brace having a first end adapted to engage a first end of the bearing housing, and a second end adapted to engage a second end of the bearing housing. If the two ends of the bearing housing are different in configuration, then the respective ends of the brace are configured accordingly. An elongate guide member integral with the brace has two parts, each projecting endwise from a respective end of the brace. A removable pressure plate can be mounted on either part of the guide member for longitudinal movement therealong and has first and second ends of different configurations adapted to engage the first and second ends of the bearing. A threaded-type drive is cooperative between the guide and the pressure plate to move the pressure plate longitudinally along the guide and apply a force to the bearing, either to remove the bearing from its housing, or to emplace a new bearing in the housing

Farmer cooperatives in Mexico : case studies in Jalisco : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in AgriCommerce at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Farmer cooperatives are businesses owned and controlled by (and for) their members in order to create welfare and satisfaction beyond simple profitability. In developing countries, farmer cooperatives have been formed in rural areas in an effort to improve social integration, social equity, market and information transfer. Additionally, cooperatives have reduced the negative economic impact of market power and uncertainty through lower transaction costs, higher incomes and collective bargaining power. However in Mexico, cooperatives have faced an increasingly competitive and dynamic environment and have not adhered to the principles and values, such as solidarity, self-help and mutual aid, established by cooperative legislation. There is a lack of education, training and culture in relation to cooperatives. In addition, there is limited government support for financing, no stimulation for their creation and development and no public technical assistance. Despite this situation, in the state of Jalisco, there are successful consumer farmer cooperatives, whose main objective is to supply feed input (concentrates) to their members at the lowest possible cost. They have been able to achieve this by leveraging the collective bargaining power of members via the cooperative union. In order to identify factors for success in relation to the farmer cooperatives in Jalisco, a mixed methodology study was undertaken, using three case studies and a survey. Three farmer cooperatives in Los Altos, Jalisco were selected for the research: Pedro Ezqueda, Nutrimentos and Prolea. The results from the study showed that the following factors influence the success of farmer cooperatives in Jalisco: leadership; member knowledge and continuity; effective communication; member satisfaction; training; and government support. Additionally, challenges faced by these cooperatives include: poor understanding of cooperative principles among members; low enthusiasm for attending training; individualistic members with limited trust between them; lack of member commitment and participation in their cooperative; lack of young people joining the agriculture industry (including cooperatives); and no clear public policies regulating the agricultural sector. Despite these issues, farmer cooperatives have been successful within the challenging and dynamic environment in Mexico. Keyword: Jalisco, Mexico, farmer cooperatives, factors for succes

A CASE FOR SUBVENTION OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN THE LOUISIANA COASTAL ZONE

The Louisiana Coastal Zone (LCZ) is experiencing an unparalleled crisis of wetland loss, most of which (75%) is occurring on private lands. This paper use agricultural conservation policy as a comparative construct in a commentary that examines the rationale and methodology of providing economic incentives to subsidize wetland restoration on private lands in the LCZ.Environmental Economics and Policy,