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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Modeling, Empirics And Policy Implications Of Firm Heterogeneity In International Trade, Zeynep Akgul
Modeling, Empirics And Policy Implications Of Firm Heterogeneity In International Trade, Zeynep Akgul
Open Access Dissertations
Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are essential computational tools for trade policy analysis. While traditional CGE models based on the Armington assumption of national product differentiation have been successfully applied to various policy scenarios, they also have significant limitations in explaining the firm-level information prevalent in the recent international trade literature. The pioneering work of Melitz (2003) has provided a firm heterogeneity theory that can help address the shortcomings of Armington-based CGE models by introducing additional productivity mechanisms and extensive margin effects. Incorporation of firm heterogeneity in mainstream CGE models offers great potential to improve computational policy analysis. Even though …
Are Cover Crops Worth It? It Depends, Joshua S. Leirer
Are Cover Crops Worth It? It Depends, Joshua S. Leirer
Open Access Theses
Society is becoming increasingly more aware of the environmental consequences of agricultural production. Farmers today are under increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable farm management practices. One method to improve the sustainability of crop production is the use of cover crops. Cover crops are planted "off-season" to provide agronomic and environmental benefits. The objective of this research is to quantify the impacts of cover crops and determine where and under which management practices cover crops provide the greatest benefit. Management practices include different crop rotations, tillage practices and residue removal rates. This paper will focus on soil erosion, nitrate leaching …
Does A Family-First Philosophy Affect Family Business Profitability? An Analysis Of Family Businesses In The Midwest, Maria Victoria Iglesias
Does A Family-First Philosophy Affect Family Business Profitability? An Analysis Of Family Businesses In The Midwest, Maria Victoria Iglesias
Open Access Theses
Previous family business literature has analyzed how various management strategies or family tension has impacted profit. However, profit can vary due to the different family values and goals placed on the firm. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the business philosophy of a family business influenced profit. The present study sought to examine how the family business' philosophy, as in if they have a family-first or business-first orientation, influences profit. This study also investigates how the distribution of the business to the next generation, as well as how hiring family members who may not have the qualifications …
Subsidizing Carbon Sequestration Via Forestry In Maryland: A Cost-Benefit Assessment, Rachel C. Hettich
Subsidizing Carbon Sequestration Via Forestry In Maryland: A Cost-Benefit Assessment, Rachel C. Hettich
Open Access Theses
Carbon sequestration by forestry is one way to mitigate climate change, and policy incentives are in place to encourage private investment in forestry. State and federal forestry cost-share programs subsidize the establishment of trees and the improvement of existing forested land. The objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of such programs in Maryland and to compare the monetized benefits from permanently sequestered carbon with the current subsidies. To meet this objective, private and social cost-benefit analyses were conducted for three forestry investment scenarios in Maryland that coincide with the main cost-share programs available there. Sensitivity analysis considered …
Market Participation And Profitability Of Cotton Production In Malawi, Daniel M. Ghambi
Market Participation And Profitability Of Cotton Production In Malawi, Daniel M. Ghambi
Open Access Theses
Cotton is traditionally a cash crop for smallholder farmers in Malawi, supporting more than 100,000 families. According to the government of Malawi, the cotton sector is a key element in poverty reduction and growth strategy. ^ In the market liberalized economy, the functioning of the market plays a major role in the allocation of resources for increased productivity. This paper investigates the impacts of cotton subsidy and marketing reforms on farm productivity, a key element for poverty alleviation, in rural Malawi. ^ The main objective of this study is to explore whether changes in market participation coupled with government policies …
Fuel Choice, Acute Respiratory Infection And Child Growth In Uganda, Onyekachi U. Aghasili
Fuel Choice, Acute Respiratory Infection And Child Growth In Uganda, Onyekachi U. Aghasili
Open Access Theses
This thesis seeks to explain the relationship between a household's choice of fuel and the health and nutrition outcomes of children below the age of 5 in Uganda. The first objective is to examine the association between the choice of fuel and the incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI). The second objective is to measure the relationship between choice of fuel, ARI and nutrition outcomes of children. ^ I use data from the 2006 and 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS). The total number of observations is 4,463. Data indicate that 94% of rural households in the DHS sample …
The Effect Of Biochar On The Growth Of Agricultural Weed Species, Karen Anne Mitchell
The Effect Of Biochar On The Growth Of Agricultural Weed Species, Karen Anne Mitchell
Open Access Theses
Biochar, a carbon-rich residue similar to charcoal, has been proposed as a soil amendment to improve soil quality and increase crop yields while simultaneously mitigating climate change by the sequestration of carbon. The beneficial effect of biochar on crops may extend to weed species and, although it is well known that weeds reduce crop yields, there is little published research on the effect of biochar on agricultural weed species. In a series of greenhouse and growth chamber experiments, three questions were addressed. First, how does nitrogen interact with biochar produced from a single feedstock to affect weeds? Second, how do …
Assessing The Spatial Variability Of Soils In Uganda, Joshua Okach Minai
Assessing The Spatial Variability Of Soils In Uganda, Joshua Okach Minai
Open Access Theses
Uganda's soils were once considered the most fertile in Africa, but soil erosion and soil nutrient mining have led to soil degradation and declining agricultural productivity. Lack of environmental awareness among farmers, traditional agricultural practices, minimal inorganic fertilizer use, and little to no use of improved crop varieties all contribute to continued soil degradation. The objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the spatial distribution of selected physical and chemical soil properties in Uganda on a national scale utilizing the data collected by Nkonya et al. (2008), and (2) to identify the major factors and processes that are dominant …
Stages Of Succession Planning And Factors Of Transferring Management And Ownership For The Family Agribusiness, Ryan D. Musselman
Stages Of Succession Planning And Factors Of Transferring Management And Ownership For The Family Agribusiness, Ryan D. Musselman
Open Access Theses
Although many family business owners want to maintain family control of the business for future generations, few businesses survive across generations. Neglecting to plan an entry and exit strategy for family members are just two factors that explains why more businesses don't succeed in transferring the business to the next generation in the family. Ordered Probit models and Probit models were used to discover factors that influence the process of family business transfer of management and ownership. Data came from a survey of 736 businesses in four Midwest states. ^ Four factors were found to be correlated with the transition …
Communication, Home Bias And Social Capital, Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky
Communication, Home Bias And Social Capital, Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky
Open Access Dissertations
This dissertation consists of three essays on the effects of communication, home bias and social capital. The first study analyzes three different laboratory treatments that determine if policies that introduce and improve communication are beneficial to a market. The control treatment has no communication. Then, two different types of communication mechanisms are introduced: cheap communication, where subjects are able to lie, and truthful communication, where only honest messages may be sent. The results demonstrate that truthful communication dramatically improves subjects' ability to trade efficiently, ultimately leading to higher social surplus and lower income inequalities. Cheap communication does not produce the …
Propionate Induces Gluconeogenesis In Dairy Cattle Through Direct Activation Of The Bovine Cytosolic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Gene Promoter, Qian Zhang
Open Access Dissertations
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK, GTP; EC4.1.1.32) catalyzes the conversion of oxaloacetate (OAA) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a critical reaction for gluconeogenesis. The two isoforms of PCK, namely cytosolic PCK (PCK1), and the mitochondrial PCK (PCK2) are abundantly expressed in liver and kidney. Increased PCK1 activity and mRNA expression in liver is observed as feed intake recovers during early lactation in dairy cows, a condition linked to increased ruminal propionate production. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that propionate regulates its own metabolism in liver of dairy cattle through regulation of the PCK1 gene. The objectives of this dissertation were to determine: …
Tracking Sales Activities In Agribusiness, Jiayu Li
Tracking Sales Activities In Agribusiness, Jiayu Li
Open Access Theses
Decisions in the sales area, including customer and product selection and margin discipline, shape profits for companies in agribusiness. Management of the sales function takes place at the organizational, managerial, and practitioner level, each of which requires data about the process. Individual salespeople benefit from better knowledge of customers (Dixon & Adamson, 2011), and sales managers benefit from understanding the activities of salespeople. Organizationally, data on sales activities may be used to determine progress toward organizational goals or to compensate salespeople. ^ This research utilized surveys to investigate how agribusiness companies differ in the ways they keep track of sales …
Male And Female Interaction In Apple: Pollen Tube Growth, Fruit Set, Fruit Quality, And Return Bloom, Khalil Rahman Jahed
Male And Female Interaction In Apple: Pollen Tube Growth, Fruit Set, Fruit Quality, And Return Bloom, Khalil Rahman Jahed
Open Access Theses
In apple, adequate and appropriate pollination and fertilization is required for fruit set, fruit quality and subsequent fruit growth. Pollen source, pollen-style interaction and compatibility, and ample pollen tube growth are potentially highly influential factors on the fertilization and fruit setting process. Pollinizer is considered to be one of the influential factors and has a remarkable impact on fertilization. However, basic information on the level of pollinizer compatibility and its contribution to yield is lacking for many commercial apple cultivars. Hence, we conducted these experiments to compare pollinizers in terms of pollen tube growth, fruit set, fruit quality and return …
Socio-Economic Factors Associated With The Adoption Of Conservation Agriculture Among Women Farmers In Balaka District, Malawi, Chimwemwe M. Chisenga
Socio-Economic Factors Associated With The Adoption Of Conservation Agriculture Among Women Farmers In Balaka District, Malawi, Chimwemwe M. Chisenga
Open Access Theses
The study was conducted in Balaka District, Malawi among women farmers. The study focused on three research questions: What socio-economic factors are associated with the rate of adoption of conservation agriculture among women farmers in Balaka District, Malawi? What are the levels of adoption of conservation agriculture among women farmers in Balaka District, Malawi? What are the main sources of information for conservation agriculture among women farmers in Balaka District, Malawi that lead to adoption of CA? Quantitative data were collected using a door-to-door survey. The survey was verbally administered to 60 women farmers. ^ Qualitative data were collected through …
An Evaluation Of The Military Extension Internship Program, Lynette Marie Griffin
An Evaluation Of The Military Extension Internship Program, Lynette Marie Griffin
Open Access Theses
The Department of Defense (DoD) identified a need in military communities, both on and off installations, to offer high quality child care and youth services to military families as well as civilian families who serve the military communities. In response, the Office of the Secretary of Defense - Military Community and Family Policy (OSD-MC and FP), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Purdue University created the Purdue University Military Extension Internship Program (MEIP) to help university students and recent graduates gain professional skills through unique internships that provide real-world work experience with …
International Comparison Of Cost Efficiency Of Corn And Soybean Production, Elizabeth Anne Lunik
International Comparison Of Cost Efficiency Of Corn And Soybean Production, Elizabeth Anne Lunik
Open Access Theses
Comparing detailed production costs and input use across countries allows producers to see if they are competitive with similar operations in other countries. This thesis looks at the cost efficiency of a sample of corn and soybean farms representing 16 countries to understand efficiency and cost trends at the farm-level, compare these farms, and identify factors that might explain farm-level performance. This analysis delves into detailed production data to calculate an important international benchmark, which is currently not available. ^ The data consist of a six-year (2008-2013) unbalanced panel of 35 corn-producing farms and 16 soybean-producing farms, which come from …
Power Of Peers: How Effective Are Indiana Farmer Networks?, Aaron D. Pape
Power Of Peers: How Effective Are Indiana Farmer Networks?, Aaron D. Pape
Open Access Theses
Several formal farmer networks have emerged throughout the Midwest to address the issue of nitrogen runoff and eutrophication. In Indiana, the On-Farm Network and Adapt Network attempt to enable farmers to learn together about improved nitrogen management practices. The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of these formal farmer networks. The research was guided by two main questions; (1) Are farmers who participate in the networks actually implementing better nutrient management practices? (2) Are participating farmers spreading their knowledge of better nutrient management practices to other farmers outside the formal networks? ^ Interviews with select network members …
Show Horse Welfare, Melissa A. Voigt
Show Horse Welfare, Melissa A. Voigt
Open Access Dissertations
In recent years there has been an increase in the public's attention to situations where trainers, owners, and handlers have compromised the well-being of show horses for the sake of winning. These situations may be due to training negligence or naivety of individuals working with the horse. Either way, due to these incidents, increasing pressure has been placed on the horse industry to address show horse welfare. The purpose of this research was to expound on the welfare of stock-type show horses through the perspective of those directly involved; considering the understanding of welfare, the value placed on welfare, and …
Investigating The Amino Acid Digestibility Of Alternative Protein Sources And Determining The Impact Of Dietary Fiber On Energy, Nitrogen, And Amino Acid Digestibility In Growing Pigs, Bradley M. Cotten
Open Access Theses
Three experiments were designed to quantify the nitrogen (N) and amino acid (AA) digestibility of various protein sources fed to growing pigs. The protein ingredients were sunflower meal, cottonseed meal, canola meal, camelina meal, egg albumen, casein, blood meal, plasma meal, potato protein concentrate, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, and linseed meal, which were fed as the sole source of amino acids for the animals and were included in semi-purified, corn starch-based diets. A semi-purified, nitrogen-free diet (NFD) was used to estimate endogenous losses of AA. In each experiment, pigs were surgically fitted with a simple T-cannula at the …
Job Mobility Among Young College Graduates, Kevin Camp
Job Mobility Among Young College Graduates, Kevin Camp
Open Access Theses
This study focuses on the question of whether job mobility relates to improved labor market outcomes among young college-educated individuals in the United States. I analyze unemployment duration, overeducation, and wage earnings among college graduates. The analysis centers around three specific questions: (1) Are there differences in labor market outcomes for those who migrate ("movers") and those who stay ("stayers")? (2) Did the recent economic crisis exacerbate the mover-stayer differences? (3) Do mover-stayer differences vary for individuals based on their demographic characteristics or where they live? I examine data on migrant status, location before and after a move, reasons for …
The Use Of Oral History And Narrative Research In Broadening The Historical Foundation Of The Agricultural Communication Field, Natalie L Federer
The Use Of Oral History And Narrative Research In Broadening The Historical Foundation Of The Agricultural Communication Field, Natalie L Federer
Open Access Dissertations
The historical foundation of the agricultural communication community (consisting of both academics and the profession) is shallow and void of humanistic perspective, and there is a minimal amount of historical content that focuses on academic and professional history. The need to explore and interpret historical dimensions of this field is vital to further development of the discipline as an academic and professional field. Oral history was utilized to capture and preserve the interview content from a small sample of agricultural communication and Extension professionals and faculty while narrative research, interpretative theory, and constructivism were utilized to further understand and interpret …