THE IMPACT OF LOCAL LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS ON THE OFF-FARM EARNINGS OF FARM OPERATORS

Local labor market characteristics are theoretically relevant to the determination of off-farm earnings of farm operators, but the empirical analysis of these effects has been hindered by a lack of appropriate data. This study employs the new census public use micro-data sample, PUMS-D, to investigate the effect of local labor market characteristics on off-farm earnings of farm operators. The PUMS-D data allow local characteristics to be defined on a labor market area basis, rather than on a political boundary basis. For a sample of Georgia farm operators, local labor market size, unemployment rates, and industrial structure were found to have significant impacts on off-farm employment and earnings.Labor and Human Capital,

ON- AND OFF-FARM DIVERSIFICATION

The present paper brings together two strands of literature by analysing the interrelationship between on-farm and off-farm diversification econometrically. Estimation results from simultaneous bivariate probit models suggest that on-farm and off-farm diversification decisions are closely related. The degree of diversification is significantly lower for farms where the farm operator works off-the farm. On the other hand, the probability of entering into the off-farm labour market declines with the degree of diversification in farm production.Farm Management,

Active galactic nucleus feedback in clusters of galaxies

Observations made during the last ten years with the Chandra X-ray Observatory have shed much light on the cooling gas in the centers of clusters of galaxies and the role of active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating. Cooling of the hot intracluster medium in cluster centers can feed the supermassive black holes found in the nuclei of the dominant cluster galaxies leading to AGN outbursts which can reheat the gas, suppressing cooling and large amounts of star formation. AGN heating can come in the form of shocks, buoyantly rising bubbles that have been inflated by radio lobes, and the dissipation of sound waves.Comment: Refereed review article published in Chandra's First Decade of Discovery Special Feature edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

Pyrolysis of Wastewater Biosolids Significantly Reduces Estrogenicity

Most wastewater treatment processes are not specifically designed to remove micropollutants. Many micropollutants are hydrophobic so they remain in the biosolids and are discharged to the environment through land-application of biosolids. Micropollutants encompass a broad range of organic chemicals, including estrogenic compounds (natural and synthetic) that reside in the environment, a.k.a. environmental estrogens. Public concern over land application of biosolids stemming from the occurrence of micropollutants hampers the value of biosolids which are important to wastewater treatment plants as a valuable by-product. This research evaluated pyrolysis, the partial decomposition of organic material in an oxygen-deprived system under high temperatures, as a biosolids treatment process that could remove estrogenic compounds from solids while producing a less hormonally active biochar for soil amendment. The estrogenicity, measured in estradiol equivalents (EEQ) by the yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay, of pyrolyzed biosolids was compared to primary and anaerobically digested biosolids. The estrogenic responses from primary solids and anaerobically digested solids were not statistically significantly different, but pyrolysis of anaerobically digested solids resulted in a significant reduction in EEQ; increasing pyrolysis temperature from 100 °C to 500 °C increased the removal of EEQ with greater than 95% removal occurring at or above 400 °C. This research demonstrates that biosolids treatment with pyrolysis would substantially decrease (removal \u3e 95%) the estrogens associated with this biosolids product. Thus, pyrolysis of biosolids can be used to produce a valuable soil amendment product, biochar, that minimizes discharge of estrogens to the environment

TAX INCENTIVES: AN EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES?

As national and local economies become more globalized, many rural areas are going to find it more difficult to compete for private capital investments. A traditional tool, modifications to tax policy, of state and local governments will not be as effective (for many communities it has never been effective) in the future. These communities will need to seek other avenues of growth. However, for many rural communities even alternative avenues will not lead to enhanced economic opportunity.agglomeration, rural development, tax policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, R51, R58, O21, O23, R11, R38,

Homogeneous cooling of rough, dissipative particles: Theory and simulations

We investigate freely cooling systems of rough spheres in two and three dimensions. Simulations using an event driven algorithm are compared with results of an approximate kinetic theory, based on the assumption of a generalized homogeneous cooling state. For short times $t$, translational and rotational energy are found to change linearly with $t$. For large times both energies decay like $t^{-2}$ with a ratio independent of time, but not corresponding to equipartition. Good agreement is found between theory and simulations, as long as no clustering instability is observed. System parameters, i.e. density, particle size, and particle mass can be absorbed in a rescaled time, so that the decay of translational and rotational energy is solely determined by normal restitution and surface roughness.Comment: 10 pages, 10 eps-figure

Market Success of Premium Product Innovation: Empirical Evidence from the German Food Sector.

It is well documented that a large share of new products does not survive their first year in the market. Research reported in this paper examined the relationship between product quality and innovation success. In contrast to existing product innovation literature that focused on industrial goods, this study used food product data from a 2002 German food manufacturing firm survey. Results of Sample Selection Model suggest that premium quality increases product?s success rate. Furthermore, firm size has a significant positive impact on success rate. Intensity of competition as well as retailers? market power reduce product?s success rate. --Product success,innovative behaviour,premium product quality,sample selection,German food industry

High-strength alloy with resistance to hydrogen-environment embrittlement

Alloy is precipitation-hardened, high-strength, and low-thermal-expansion materials. It is iron-based and contains nickel and chromium at lower levels than high-strength alloys. It is readily welded and brazed and has good oxidation resistance. Tests indicated there was no reduction of notched or smooth strength