Trends in Farm Sector Output and Exports

Over time, the size of the farm sector has fallen relative to other sectors in the economy. However, the sector still has an important influence on the nation's pattern of economic growth and its exports. Over the last couple of decades the composition of farm production has moved towards crops and away from livestock. This has had an impact on how drought affects overall farm output, as crop production tends to fall sharply and then recover quickly when the drought breaks, while livestock production is relatively more resilient in the short term but is slower to recover.farm output; exports; drought; structural change

The Semantics of ja and ye: Semantic variation in Marathi motion verbs

Ja and ye ('go' and 'come' respectively, from the Indian language Marathi) are first semantically examined as basic verbs of physical motion. Then instances which vary from this basic 'sense' of the words are analysed with respect to theories of polysemy via semantic extension (through metaphor and metonymy), and deixis. Some evidence is found to support theories of 'figurative' deixis, utilizing the concept of 'subjectivity' as a primary grounding force in our construction of meaning. Subjectivity is also implicated in the dominant mechanism of semantic shift by 'result' metonymy, wherein the word designating the event is semantically narrowed to designate only the result or outcome of the event. In discussing semantic extension through metaphor, the fundamental problem of distinguishing metaphorical from literal meaning is addressed, and 'image schemas' are invoked in the analysis of ja and ye. Data are chiefly from books on Ayurveda, and hence largely focus on the use of the ja and ye with reference to the human body

Running anomalous dimensions in holographic QCD: from the proton to the sexaquark

In holographic models of QCD, the running of the anomalous dimension of the quark bilinear operator leads to chiral symmetry breaking when gamma=1 and the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound is violated. In that case, the running drives the sigma meson mass tachyonic inducing the chiral symmetry breaking. Here we include the running anomalous dimension in the computation of the spectrum of bound states associated with other operators made of light quarks, such as the nucleon and exotic sexaquark states. We show that including the one loop gauge theory running can have substantial effects on the predictions. For example, the nucleon mass to rho mass ratio is improved and lies much closer to the observed value. A similar result is obtained for the Lambda and Xi baryons when strange quarks are included. A uuddss sexaquark state with a low enough mass to make it stable can be achieved, but this depends on the input assumptions about the running dimension.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Health identities: from expert patient to resisting consumer

This article explores the formation of 'health identities': embodied subjectivities that emerge out of complex psychosocial contexts of reflexive modernity, in relation to data on health and illness practices among groups of people and patients using medical technologies including weight-loss drugs and the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil (Viagra). We examine a range of health identities, from the 'expert patient' - a person who broadly adopts a biomedical model of health and illness, to a 'resisting consumer', who fabricates a health identity around lay experiential models of health and the body. The understanding of health identities is developed within a theoretical framework drawing on previous work on body/ self and the work of Deleuze and Guattari. It is concluded that the constellation of health identities reflects the diversity of relations in an industrialized, technology-driven, consumer-oriented and media-saturated society

Is the pedagogic practice of elite rowing coaches unknowingly underpinned by a Constraints-Led Approach?

Background A Constraints Led Approach (CLA) theory has been applied widely to the coaching of a large number of sports, particularly team sports and invasion games. It has, though, seen little-to-no uptake in highly repetitive and technical sports such as cycling and swimming. The experiences of the researcher who has spent many years coaching rowing suggest that there are parts of everyday coaching practice which resemble a CLA, whether the theory is consciously applied or not. This study explores this perspective whether this is the case by exploring current practice in elite rowing coaching and its links to the CLA framework. Method A qualitative approach was taken to the study in the form of a multiple single case study design. Elite coaches of junior rowers, identified through their 1st eight crews’ success in 2019 National School final six placings, were invited to participate in the study. A total of nine coaches eventually took part with each undergoing a semi-structured interview conducted remotely via zoom on their coaching principles and coaching practice. Interview transcripts were coded for key factors that emerged from the interviews in an iterative process and from these, three main themes were identified: social understanding, barriers & approaches to understanding movement, and learning & understanding ‘what works’. The themes were then discussed in the context of the other coaches’ experience and with regard to the existing literature. Findings The varied positions and strategies held by the coaches’ practice were varied, reflecting differences in background and education. However, there were similarities and overlaps amongst the nine participants that both informed the extent to which a CLA was currently underpinning practice, as well as furthering understanding into the pedagogical philosophy of the coaches. The coaches understood the complexity of the athletes that they worked with, as well as the complexity/chaos of the sport itself. Consequently, they had developed a rationale that attempted to deal with that relationship, which resembled a constructivist learning environment; encouraging athletes to explore and develop movement solutions in accordance with exercises that the coaches set. Although there were elements of the data that did not wholly support this notion, there is little that directly contrasts it. The coaches were found to highly value internal athlete feeling and replicating races/performance environments which aligns with action fidelity and representative learning designs amongst other cornerstones of CLA-informing literature

Media Mixing Apparatus

The purpose of this project is to reduce the physical exertion and radiological exposure of the maintenance worker by reducing mixing time of water and resin beads when replacing resin beads in a shipboard tank. Presently, a maintenance worker empties ⅓ cubic foot of resin media into a bucket, and fills the bucket with about 1-⅓ gallons of water. Then the water and resin media is mixed with a paddle by hand, until it appears homogeneous, creating a slurry. The slurry is dumped into a funnel after the mixing process and introduced to the system after the discharge valve is opened. This process is ineffective, as the water and resin tend to separate before the funnel empties. The introduction of a mixing apparatus will increase the efficiency of the mixing process and thereby decrease the time necessary to create and maintain the homogeneous slurry prior to discharge into the onboard tank. This method will reduce worker fatigue, worker radiation exposure, and the overall time lost to constant remixing due to settling. The design will be easy to replicate and redesigned if necessary to fit alternate funnels. The construction of the mixing apparatus will require relatively inexpensive components and can be completed in a short amount of time, adding to the overall efficiency of the design.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1210/thumbnail.jp