Pre-harvest Forecasting of County Wheat Yield and Wheat Quality Conditional on Weather Information

Wheat regression models that account for the effect of weather are developed to forecast wheat yield and quality. Spatial lag effects are included. Wheat yield, protein, and test weight level are strongly influenced by weather variables. The forecasting power of the yield and protein models was enhanced by adding the spatial lag effect. Out of sample forecasting tests confirm the models’ usefulness in accounting for the variations in average wheat yield and qualities.prediction, protein, spatial lag, test weight, weather, wheat yield, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Risk and Uncertainty,

Worker Militancy at the Margins: Struggles of Non-regular Workers in South Korea

This study explores the commonality and variation of non-regular workers struggles in Korea by drawing upon 30 major dispute cases which have taken place since 2000. The common features of those struggles are characterized as defensive claim-making, employers determined union-busting, protracted struggle outside workplace, transgressive protest repertoire, reliance on external solidarity, third actors mediation, dispute recurrence and unions organizational instability, and protest against large firms. At the same time, the non-regular workers struggle shows a great deal of variation in outcomes (i.e. bargaining gains and union membership) and key attributes (i.e. repertoire, duration, timing) of those struggles. The different outcomes of the struggles are closely correlated with the attitude of regular workers unions as well as the extent of external solidarity toward non-regular workers struggles, with some contingencies (i.e. public meaning of the struggle, the content and timing of related legal decision by the government or the court, the industry unions involvement, and claimants self-sacrificing protest) creating outliers from this patterned relationship. The outcome of non-regular workers struggles is also correlated with their repertoire and duration in a polarizing form like the spirals of moderatization (better outcome – low-risk repertoire – shorter duration) and extremization (worse outcome – high-risk repertoire – longer duration)

Structural Change in the Trend and Cycle in Korea

On the basis of regression of consumption on output, we develop a new approach to identify a structural break in business cycles. Using this approach, we find that a structural change in the trend and cycle in Korea occurred in 1993 and that the business cycles in Korea started to show the regularities of emerging market business cycles beginning in 1993. To explain these, we estimate the parameters of the productivity process in Korea, using data on Solow residuals. Our estimates show that the relative importance of trend growth shocks in the post-break period increased by a factor of 2.56 from that in the pre-break period

Experimental Study of the Injection System for CO2 Geologic Storage Demonstration

AbstractThe worldwide issue of greenhouse gas reduction has recently drawn great attention to carbon capture and storage (CCS). Almost CCS studies have been focused in the capture technology of carbon dioxide and the geological investigation for underground storage. The study of mechanical injection system for carbon dioxide has not implemented nearly. We are intended to develop a ground system for underground injection of carbon dioxide. In this study, we made lab-scale underground injection system and implemented injection simulation test experimentally. The 10,000 ton/year pilot plant for geological storage of carbon dioxide will be designed on the base of these test results. Major components of the lab-scale underground injection system include a pressure pump and an in-line heater to bring liquid carbon dioxide into its supercritical state. Test results assure that this system readily achieves the designed injection pressure and temperature, showing satisfactory control performance

Development of Laser Ruler in Rigid Laryngoscope

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to develop a new device that provides a simple, noninvasive method of measuring accurate lesion size while using an endoscope.MethodsWe developed a rigid laryngoscope with a built-in laser-ruler using a one-light emitting diode and an acrylic plate. The invention incorporates a built-in laser diode that projects an auto-parallel beam into the optical path of the rigid laryngoscope to form two spots in the field of view.ResultsWhile the interspot distance remains consistent despite changes in focal plane, magnification, or viewing angle of the laryngoscope, projection to an uneven surface introduces certain variations in the shape, and size of the spots, and the distance between the two spots.ConclusionThe device enables a laryngologist to easily measure the distance between landmarks, as well as the change in real size, and the progressive change of vocal fold lesions in an outpatient setting