Testing the Effectiveness of Video to Complement or Replace the Lecture/demonstration Group Training Approach for Farmers in Kamuli District, Uganda

This study explored the effectiveness of video as a tool to either complement or replace existing lecture/demonstration training for small farmer groups. The effectiveness of video in decreasing the knowledge gap among farmers who differ by gender, bean production volume, and education level was also evaluated. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a quasi-experiment including a pre-test and a post-test design with three experimental groups. Results showed that video could be an effective complement and replacement for the conventional lecture/demonstration training method. The training method that included both video and traditional lecture/demonstration was especially effective for groups with relatively low prior knowledge of the training topic. Video alone or video plus traditional lecture/demonstration were as effective as traditional training in decreasing gaps in learning among subjects of both genders, varying education levels and scales of bean planting. Video has advantages in rural areas because it does not require face-to-face presentation by skilled trainers. Video might be an attractive alternative or supplement if the production cost is low enough, or if conventional lecture/demonstration cannot meet the demand for training. Using local actors, shooting video in the local environment and using local languages add to video\u27s advantages for training purposes. When used to demonstrate a farming technique or practice in a group setting, videos were found to enhance interaction (e.g. discussion and peer learning) among farmers

Location, Proximity, and M&A Transactions

In this paper, we examine how the geographic location of firms affects acquisition decisions and value creation for acquirers in takeover transactions. We find that firms located in an urban area are more likely to receive a takeover bid and complete a takeover transaction as a target than firms located in rural areas, and takeover deals involving an urban target are associated with higher acquirer announcement returns, after controlling for the proximity between the target and the acquirer. In addition, a target\u27s urban location significantly attenuates the negative effect of a long distance between the target and the acquirer on acquirer returns, a fact that is documented in the existing literature. Our findings reveal a previously underexplored force—firm location—that can affect takeover transactions, in addition to proximity. Our paper suggests that a firm\u27s location plays an important role in facilitating the dissemination of soft information and enhancing information-based synergies

Piston Modelling and Gas-Solid Mixing Characterization in JBR

The Jiggle Bed Reactor (JBR), a batch fluidized bed microreactor, is inexpensive and easy to operate with a small amount of solids. The main goal of this thesis was to provide practical tools for the design and operation of JBR systems that will ensure good gas-solids mixing. A model was developed to predict the piston motion. The model uses four empirical parameters that change depending on the equipment characteristics. Two parameters characterize the gas supply to the piston and two parameters are used to describe the frictional forces on the piston. The model was validated with high speed video. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of the reactor motion on the gas-solid mixing in the JBR. A good correlation between gas-solid mixing in the reactor and the maximum acceleration of the piston was identified: good gas-solid mixing was achieved with maximum accelerations greater than 55 m/s2

Astride two worlds: The Chinese response to changing citizenship in Western Australia (1901-1973)

Citizenship is central to understanding the nature of Chinese migrants and their relationships within the social and political environment in Australia. Utilising the concept of citizenship can be a new way to interpret the human experience of the Chinese survival in Australia and to show that a historical balance can be found between the Australian social environment on the one side and the Chinese experience in Australia on the other. How the Chinese community reacted to the changing issues in citizenship and attitudes towards Asian immigration become the focus of the thesis. This research is designed to ask how Chinese responded to changing issues in citizenship during the politically transitional periods of 1901-1973. The research deliberately focuses on the period commencing with the implementation of the ‘White Australia Policy’ to the official removal of this legislation , a period embracing two world wars and two Chinese revolutions, to enable the response of potentially different generations of Chinese to be analysed within these changing political and social contexts