Determinants of Land Use in the Densely Populated Kigezi Highlands of Southwestern Uganda

We use a multinominal logit model to examine the determinants of plot abandonment (unintentional fallows) and long fallows (intentional fallows) in order to propose policy interventions that lead to optimal and sustainable management of land use systems in Kigezi highlands. Household factors such as age, and post primary education positively influenced farmers' decision to abandon plots. Therefore, more fallows and abandoned terraces were common with older farmers compared to younger ones. However, farm size and household type had no significant influence on abandonment of plots. Plot variables such as slope and plot distance had the expected positive signs while soil fertility had a significant negative sign as predicted. Two types of interventions are recommended. Those aimed at highly cultivable, moderate slopes and those aimed at uncultivable and fragile areas. For the former, the probability of adoption and intensity of use of appropriate agrobased interventions is likely to be very high. The latter require specific interventions that are profitable and yet allowing farmers to keep the land under cover for a very long time. Furthermore, we recommend incentives aimed at minimizing distances to plot fields.abandoned terraces, Land use, Kigezi Highlands, multinominal logit, Land Economics/Use,

Development of a high temperature battery

High energy density battery for use on planet Venu

Computational experimentation to understand C2 for Teams of Autonomous Systems and People

The technological capabilities of autonomous systems (AS) continue to accelerate. Although AS are replacing people in many skilled mission domains and demanding environmental circumstances, people and machines have complementary capabilities, and integrated performance by AS and people working together can be superior to that of either AS or people working alone. We refer to this increasingly important phenomenon as Teams of Autonomous Systems and People (TASP), and we identify a plethora of open, command and control (C2) research, policy and decision making questions. Computational experimentation offers unmatched yet largely unexplored potential to address C2 questions along these lines. The central problem is, this kind of C2 organization experimentation capability has yet to be developed and demonstrated in the TASP domain. This is where our ongoing research project begins to make an important contribution. In this article, we motivate and introduce such TASP research, and we provide an overview of the computational environment used to experiment on TASP C2 organizations and phenomena. We summarize in turn the research method. Key results follow, and we conclude then by summarizing our agenda for continued research along these lines.Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER)Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER)Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Toward Computational Modeling of C2 for Teams of Autonomous Systems and People (19th ICCRTS)

19th ICCRTS, Toward Computational Modeling of C2 for Teams of Autonomous Systems and People, Autonomy Track – Paper 116The technological capabilities of autonomous systems (AS) continue to accelerate. Although AS are replacing people in many skilled mission domains and demanding environmental circumstances, people and machines have complementary capabilities, and integrated performance by AS and people working together can be superior to that of either AS or people working alone. We refer to this increasingly important phenomenon as Teams of Autonomous Systems and People (TASP), and we identify a plethora of open, command and control (C2) research, policy and decision making questions. Computational modeling and simulation offer unmatched yet largely unexplored potential to address C2 questions along these lines. The central problem is, this kind of C2 organization modeling and simulation capability has yet to be developed and demonstrated in the TASP domain. This is where our ongoing research project begins to make an important contribution. In this article, we motivate and introduce such TASP research, and we provide an overview of the computational environment used to model and simulate TASP C2 organizations and phenomena. We follow in turn with an approach to characterizing a matrix of diverse TASP C2 contexts, as well as a strategy for specifying, tailoring and using this computational environment to conduct experiments to examine such contexts. We conclude then by summarizing our agenda for continued research along these lines

Perceived Leisure Constraints of Students Attending Christian Colleges

Leisure research has historically addressed constraint theory as well as the relationship between spirituality and leisure. This study focused on the behavior codes for students and faculty at Christian universities. A qualitative approach addressed students’ awareness of these codes, whether they felt constrained in their leisure by the codes, and whether they adhered to the codes. Findings indicated that the students did not feel constrained by the behavior codes. They felt like campus culture and programming insulated them from inappropriate behavior. Students reported that they generally followed the codes, especially on campus. Finally, subjects identified groups of students on campus that they felt were less likely to exhibit the codified leisure behaviors

Development of a high temperature battery final report

Development of battery with lithium-magnesium alloy anode, molten cuprous chloride cathode, and zeolite separator cells and cupric oxide cathode and porous glass separator cell

Curriculum Materials for Elementary Reading: Shackles and Scaffolds for Four Beginning Teachers

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to learn how beginning elementary teachers understood and used curriculum materials for teaching reading, and how, in turn, these materials shaped teachers\u27 instruction. We followed 4 teachers who worked in markedly different school situations and were provided a variety of curriculum materials, ranging from scripted reading programs to supplemental materials without teaching guides. Data were gathered through classroom observations, interviews, and curriculum artifacts over the teachers\u27 first 3 years on the job. Our analysis suggested that curriculum materials interacted with teachers\u27 knowledge of reading and reading instruction, and with the contexts in which they worked. As a result, curriculum materials both fostered and inhibited teachers\u27 on-the-job learning. We found that the 2 teachers with weak knowledge or more restrictive materials and environments learned the least and were least able to adapt instruction to meet the needs of their students. The 2 teachers with stronger knowledge, access to multiple materials, and support for decision making regarding materials and instructional strategies learned the most and were most able to adapt instruction. Furthermore, early experiences with specific curriculum materials had effects 2 years later on these teachers\u27 instructional practices. Implications for curriculum mandates, material selection, and professional development are discussed

Disparities in access to musculoskeletal care: Narrowing the gap: AOA critical issues symposium

The current health-care system in the United States has numerous barriers to quality, accessible, and affordable musculoskeletal care for multiple subgroups of our population. These hurdles include complex cultural, educational, and socioeconomic factors. Tertiary referral centers provide a disproportionately large amount of the care for the uninsured and underinsured members of our society. These gaps in access to care for certain subgroups lead to inappropriate emergency room usage, lengthy hospitalizations, increased administrative load, lost productivity, and avoidable complications and/or deaths, which all represent a needless burden on our health-care system. Through advocacy, policy changes, workforce diversification, and practice changes, orthopaedic surgeons have a responsibility to seek solutions to improve access to quality and affordable musculoskeletal care for the communities that they serve

Going higher in the First-order Quantifier Alternation Hierarchy on Words

We investigate the quantifier alternation hierarchy in first-order logic on finite words. Levels in this hierarchy are defined by counting the number of quantifier alternations in formulas. We prove that one can decide membership of a regular language to the levels $\mathcal{B}\Sigma_2$ (boolean combination of formulas having only 1 alternation) and $\Sigma_3$ (formulas having only 2 alternations beginning with an existential block). Our proof works by considering a deeper problem, called separation, which, once solved for lower levels, allows us to solve membership for higher levels