Analysis of Beef Producers' Risk Management Perceptions and Desire for Further Risk Management Education

Beef cattle producers were surveyed in Texas and Nebraska to investigate perceptions of sources of risk, the effectiveness of risk management strategies, and interest in further risk management education, particularly production risk, using probit analysis. Important decision variables identified are age, prior use of risk management tools, previous attendances of risk management education, and risk aversion. Severe drought and cattle price variability are identified as primary risk factors with potential to affect farm income. Extremely cold weather and disease are of less importance. Understocking pasture and storing hay are perceived most effective as risk management options.     

Monopoly, competition and information acquisition

An incumbent monopolist is uncertain about its linear demand, but can acquire public information at a cost. We determine how an entry threat affects the firm's information acquisition. If returns to scale are constant and the state-contingent demands become more dispersed as output increases, then entry reduces information acquisition. If, however, either the incumbent or entrant has increasing returns; or if the state-contingent demands are nonlinear or fail increasing dispersion, then entry can increase information. Finally, entry can hurt consumers. Although entry always increases output, it can decrease information. Consumers sometimes prefer a better informed monopoly to a duopoly.     

Evaluating the stabilisation degree of digested sewage sludge: investigations at four municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Further reduction of volatile suspended solids (VSS) during a post-stabilisation step was applied to evaluate the stabilisation degree of digested sewage sludge. For this purpose digested sludge was collected at four municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and further stabilised in lab-scale chemostat reactors either under anaerobic or aerobic conditions. Experimental results showed that even in adequately digested sludge a consistent amount of VSS was degraded during aerobic post-stabilisation. It seems that aerobic conditions play a significant role during degradation of residual VSS. Additionally, specific VSS production (gVSS/peCOD110.d) as well as specific oxygen uptake rate were shown to be suitable parameters to assess the degree of sludge stabilisation at WWTPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to reveal changes in the sludge composition. Spectra of treated and untreated sludge samples indicated that the major component of residual VSS in stabilised sludge for instance consisted of biomass, while cellulose was absent.     

Increasing the corrosion resistance of equipment due to the use of film-forming amines

Results of a study of tube specimens cut from hot-water boilers show that film-forming octadecyl amine (ODA) used in the process of preservation removes deposition from the surface of the metal. An ODA film is preserved on the surface after repeated washing of the latter with hot water. The concentration of chlorides at the surface of the metal after treatment with ODA is lower than before the treatment. __________ Translated from élektricheskie Stantsii, No. 11, November 2005, pp. 15–18.     

Experience with Siberian Centralized Dispatch Regulation regarding location determination of damages sustained by intersystem high-voltage transmission lines

A set of measures that can be implemented by the Relay-Protection and Automated-Equipment Service for Centralized Dispatch Regulation (CDR) in Siberia to determine the location of damage sustained by inter-system 550-and 220-kV transmission lines maintained by the United Power System (UPS) of Siberia, and the methodology and technology of damage-location determination (DLD) are described. The damage sustained by the 500-kV high-voltage lines (HL), and the accuracy of DLD relative to zero-sequence emergency parameters are analyzed statically. __________ Translated from élektricheskie Stantsii, No. 5, pp. 59–62, May, 2006.     

Ecological problems of the Amu Darya delta

Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stvo, No. 3, pp. 6–8, March, 1992.     

A comparison of several approximations to the power function of the likelihood ratio test in covariance structure analysis*

In this paper we compare alternative asymptotic approximations to the power of the likelihood ratio test used in covariance structure analysis for testing the fit of a model. Alternative expressions for the noncentrality parameter (ncp) lead to different approximations to the power function. It appears that for alternative covariance matrices close to the null hypothesis, the alternative ncp's lead to similar values, while for alternative covariance matrices far from H_o the different expressions for the ncp can conflict substantively. Monte Carlo evidence shows that the ncp proposed in Satorra and Saris (1985) gives the most accurate power approximations.