SWINE PRODUCTION NETWORKS IN MINNESOTA: RESOURCES FOR DECISION MAKING

Swine production networks are becoming a significant part of the Minnesota swine industry, with at least 30 production networks in operation as of late 1995. There are probably at least 450 producers involved, representing at least nine percent of the state s sow inventory. Not counted in these numbers are a few other networks involved only in data-sharing or marketing as well as a large number of farmer-to-farmer custom/contract arrangements. We interviewed 20 producers involved in networks. None of the networks we surveyed had been in operation very long, with most in business no more than a year or two. It is too early to predict what their long-term success will be. Most of the respondents seemed pleased with the arrangements so far. An example financial analysis of a 1,400 sow network is presented in the paper. Pig pricing formulas and custom rates are discussed for sharing risks among the farrower, nursery and finisher members of the network. The staff paper is 34 pages plus a 26 page annotated reading list of other publications on networking and segregated early weaning.Livestock Production/Industries,

Fogler Library: William S. Cohen Lecture with Bob Woodward

Video recording of the 2007 conversation between William S. Cohen and Bob Woodward about the Watergate Investigations. The Cohen Lecture Series began in 1997 with the deposit of 1300 boxes of Cohen\u27s papers to Raymond H. Fogler Library Special Collections. The Cohen collection documents over 25 years of Mr. Cohen\u27s service to Maine and the United States. The Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Watergate Papers are held at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/umaine_video/1024/thumbnail.jp

A Tale of Two Duchies: An Architectural Primer

A Tale of Two Duchies is a series of four short episodic problems given in the Architectural Design Studio (ADS 1) course during the 1982 fall semester at Kansas State University

Tree species demographics and dynamics in the native forest at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource Management, central Ethiopia

The extent and ecological integrity of native forests in Ethiopia have been greatly diminished during the past century. Native forests continue to be threatened by conversion to agricultural fields or plantations of non-native tree species, by excessive harvesting and wood collection, and by climate change. Due to a paucity of research, we know little about the ecology of most native forest species, about the overall dynamics of native forest communities, or about the capacity of individual native tree species to respond to current and future threats. A group of students and faculty at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource Management in central Ethiopia examined the demography of two common tree species in a 8-ha tract of native forest located on the College campus. Numbers and diameters of Podocarpus falcatus and Croton macrostachus were tallied in six 200-600 m2 plots. The size class distribution of Podocarpus resembled an inverse J form, with a preponderance of smaller stems but some large individuals up to 226 cm dbh--indicative of a relatively stable population capable of regenerating beneath the established forest canopy. In contrast, most Croton were 20-50 cm dbh, with only a few larger or smaller individuals--reflecting a discrete pulse of regeneration, probably following a local disturbance that created gaps in the forest canopy. These results suggest that the shade-intolerant Croton is more resilient to clearing or harvesting than is the shade-tolerant Podocarpus. However, key questions remain, notably the date and nature of the disturbance that produced this documented pulse of Croton regeneration, the optimal and maximum size of opening can be colonized by Croton, and whether Podocarpus regeneration is restricted to intact canopy settings (as suggested by these findings) or if this species can regenerate in openings as well.National Science Foundation

Marinello One Acts: Live at 11, and The Original Last Wish Baby

Two one act plays performed at John Carroll University in February of 1999.https://collected.jcu.edu/plays/1111/thumbnail.jp

Domain specific software architectures: Command and control

GTE is the Command and Control contractor for the Domain Specific Software Architectures program. The objective of this program is to develop and demonstrate an architecture-driven, component-based capability for the automated generation of command and control (C2) applications. Such a capability will significantly reduce the cost of C2 applications development and will lead to improved system quality and reliability through the use of proven architectures and components. A major focus of GTE's approach is the automated generation of application components in particular subdomains. Our initial work in this area has concentrated in the message handling subdomain; we have defined and prototyped an approach that can automate one of the most software-intensive parts of C2 systems development. This paper provides an overview of the GTE team's DSSA approach and then presents our work on automated support for message processing

A climate-based approach to the restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems

Recurrent fires are integral to the function of many ecosystems worldwide. The management of fire-frequented ecosystems requires the application of fire at the appropriate frequency and seasonally, but establishing the natural fire regime for an ecosystem can be problematic. Historical records of fires are often not available, and surrogates for past fires may not exist. We suggest that the relationship between climate and fire can provide an alternative means for inferring past fire regimes in some ecosystems. © 2005 Society for Ecological Restoration International