ECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING THE LEVEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MULTICOUNTY AREAS

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

INFORMATION AND THE ADOPTION OF PRECISION FARMING

This study examines the relationship between precision farming information sources and precision farming adoption. The analysis accounts for the fact that not all farmers are aware of precision farming techniques and that those who are aware may not be a random sample. Results indicate that many information sources increase adoption relative to information only from the media, but contact with crop consultants has had the greatest impact on the adoption of precision farming technologies.Farm Management,

INFORMATION AND THE ADOPTION OF PRECISION FARMING TECHNOLOGIES

Precision farming technologies have been commercially available since the early 1990s, but the pace of adoption among U.S. farmers has been modest. This study examines the relationship between the adoption of diagnostic and application techniques of precision farming and sources of information available to farmers about precision farming. The model used in the analysis accounts for sources of self-selection in the adoption process that could bias the results. Results indicate interpersonal information sources have increased adoption relative to information from the mass media, and the private sector has been the driving force behind the diffusion of precision farming. Information from crop consultants and input suppliers has had the greatest impact on the adoption of precision farming technologies. These sources likely provide the greatest technical expertise about precision farming, and thus are better equipped to ease the significant human capital requirement of precision farming technologies.information sources, logit analysis, precision farming, self-selection bias, technology adoption, Farm Management, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Design of a fast computer-based partial discharge diagnostic system

Partial discharges cause progressive deterioration of insulating materials working in high voltage conditions and may lead ultimately to insulator failure. Experimental findings indicate that deterioration increases with the number of discharges and is consequently proportional to the magnitude and frequency of the applied voltage. In order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration produced by partial discharges, instrumentation capable of individual pulse resolution is required. A new computer-based partial discharge detection system was designed and constructed to conduct long duration tests on sample capacitors. This system is capable of recording large number of pulses without dead time and producing valuable information related to amplitude, polarity, and charge content of the discharges. The operation of the system is automatic and no human supervision is required during the testing stage. Ceramic capacitors were tested at high voltage in long duration tests. The obtained results indicated that the charge content of partial discharges shift towards high levels of charge as the level of deterioration in the capacitor increases

Dimensional Crossover of Dilute Neon inside Infinitely Long Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Viewed from Specific Heats

A simple formula for coordinates of carbon atoms in a unit cell of a single-walled nanotube (SWNT) is presented and the potential of neon (Ne) inside an infinitely long SWNT is analytically derived under the assumption of pair-wise Lennard-Jones potential between Ne and carbon atoms. Specific heats of dilute Ne inside infinitely long (5, 5), (10, 10), (15, 15) and (20, 20) SWNT's are calculated at different temperatures. It is found that Ne inside four kinds of nanotubes exhibits 3-dimensional (3D) gas behavior at high temperature but different behaviors at low temperature: Ne inside (5, 5) nanotube behaves as 1D gas but inside (10, 10), (15, 15), and (20, 20) nanotubes behaves as 2D gas. Furthermore, at ultra low temperature, Ne inside (5, 5) nanotube still displays 1D behavior but inside (10, 10), (15, 15), and (20, 20) nanotubes behaves as lattice gas.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

FACTORS AFFECTING THE LIKELIHOOD OF CORN ROOTWORM BT SEED ADOPTION

The likelihood of adopting corn rootworm (CRW) Bt seed technology was analyzed using an ordered logit model. Data used to estimate the model came from USDAs 2001 Agricultural Resource Management Survey. Statistically significant variables include operator age, farm type, farm size, rootworm loss and current treatment for rootworm, off farm labor, and Bt technology for corn borer. The likelihood of adoption was not related to crop rotation, tillage system, new variant CRW region, or education.Crop Production/Industries,

Assessing Service Expectation and Perception of Public Library Users: Towards Development of User Needs and User Satisfaction Measurement Instruments for the National Library Service of Malawi

The research sought to develop user needs assessment and user satisfaction measurement instruments for the National Library Service of Malawi. Using focus group sessions and a questionnaire survey the research determined from a sample of users of the National Library Service their expectation and perception of the service/facility provisions of the National Library Service. Some of the findings from the research on services/facilities that act as indicators of library effectiveness to the sampled users are not evident in the literature. On basis of the findings, user needs assessment and user satisfaction measurement instruments have been developed for the National Library Service. The paper gives suggestions on the effective use of the developed instruments. The paper points out that the user needs assessment and user satisfaction measurement instruments can positively act as management tools that can assist the National Library Service in decision making, long term planning, budgeting, employee training and development in addition to being a mechanism for continually enhancing and improving the relationship between the National Library Service and its users. Keywords: service expectation; service satisfaction; management tools; public libraries; user survey

DECOMPOSING THE SIZE EFFECT ON THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIONS: AGROBIOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION FARMING

This study contrasts the relationship between farm-size and adoption for two types of innovations, genetically engineered crops and precision farming, controlling for other factors. The analysis uses an extension of the McDonald and Moffit decomposition for the two-limit Tobit model.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,