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Assessing the knowledge of county extension agents on geotextile applications for agricultural practices in Oregon and IdahoBrown, Linda Lee 04 November 1992 (has links)
The purpose of the study was to assess county extension agents'
knowledge of geotextiles; to determine their current level of
information and their location on an adoption-diffusion curve; and to
determine the agents' attitudes toward the potential use of
geotextiles in agriculture, specifically in soil erosion control.
A questionnaire was designed to investigate the extension agents'
basic knowledge of geotextiles and current uses; and through a
self-rating selection, to determine their position on an
adoption-diffusion curve. The 30- item questionnaire also
incorporated measures determining the agents' attitude toward, and
perception of potential for, geotextile use in agricultural practices.
The questionnaire was mailed to all 122 county extension
agricultural, horticultural, and farm management agents in Oregon and
Idaho. A total of 92 usable replies (75.4%) were received and included
in the study. Descriptive statistics were employed in the analysis of
the individual questions and the chi-square test was used in the
analysis of nominal data for all hypotheses. The level of significance
was set at .05.
The development of a profile of the agents' knowledge of basic
geotextile functions showed the agents were most familiar with
landscape fabric; they were first introduced to the fabrics through
commercial literature and extension agents/specialists; and they were
first made aware 2-5 years ago. The most important project which
used a geotextile in the agent's county(ies) was most frequently
designed and installed by a farmer or rancher, in use less than five
years, and increased productivity immediately or within one growing
season.
A significant relationship was found to exist between the agents'
self-rating of their level of knowledge and their area of expertise.
The horticultural agents' self-rating of their level of knowledge of
agro-textiles was most often cited as "moderate." The crops and
combination agents claimed to have "very little" knowledge and the
livestock agents said "very little" or "none."
Significant relationships could not be established between the
agents' self-rating of their level of knowledge and the most prevalent
farm or ranch land use in their county; their length of employment; and
their attitude toward, or perception of, geotextile use in agricultural
practices. No significant relationship could be confirmed between the
curve created by the agents' knowledge and Rogers' (1958, p. 351)
adoption-diffusion curve. Because agro-textiles are a relatively new
product, complete adoption has not yet taken place. Therefore, the
agents' curve is not expected to be normal.
Results showed the major benefits in using agro-textiles were
"increased productivity" and "dollars saved." Other benefits included:
the savings of water and time; and the control of frost and increased
soil warmth, which led to earlier harvests, longer seasons, and less
loss of crops. The real and/or perceived barriers against the use of
agro-textiles most cited were "too expensive" and "not cost effective." / Graduation date: 1993
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An impact model for evaluating 4-H programs for the handicapped childBranson, Floyd 03 June 2011 (has links)
The purpose of the study was to (1) determine the number of handicapped children being served by 4-H programs of the Indiana Cooperative Extension Service, (2) describe the organization and the presentation of the programs, and (3) develop a model for evaluating the impact a 4-H program for handicapped children has on the administration of the total 4-H program being offered in the county. For purposes of the study, the term handicapped referred to children that were emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, mentally retarded, and/or physically handicapped.The population for the study included all Extension Agents-Youth of the Indiana Cooperative Extension Service in each of the 92 Indiana counties. Where more than one Extension Agent-Youth was employed in a county, only one response was requested as the needed information concerned the total county 4-H program being offered.A questionnaire, developed from a review of selected literature, was used as the method to gather data from the study group. The survey instrument was submitted to a group of 20 doctoral students and three professors of Educational Administration and Supervision for recommendations, subsequently revised and mailed to the study population.Counties where 4-H programs for handicapped children have been developed were identified. Extension Agents-Youth working the counties where 4-H programs for handicapped children existed were asked questions regarding (1) the number of handicapped children being served in the county, (2) how the 4-H programs for handicapped children were organized and presented, and (3) the percent of impact the development of a 4-H program for handicapped children had on the total county 4-H program in the specific areas of (a) personnel and staffing, (b) facilities, (c) materials and supplies, (d) finance, (e) time allocation and (f) the overall expenditure of the program. In addition, Extension AgentsYouth were asked questions regarding specific perceptions of the 4-H program for handicapped children in relation to the total 4-H program being offered in the county.Data received from the questionnaire were compiled and used to provide an account of the involvement of handicapped children in 4-H programs in Indiana. Responses from the different Extension Agents-Youth in the 92 counties where 4-H programs for handicapped children existed were analyzed, summarized, and reported in table and narrative form.The findings and conclusions of the study support the following recommendations:1. Additional research in the study of increased 4-H programming for handicapped children is greatly needed.2. Formal programs and in-service training designed to provide proper and adequate training for leaders of 4-H programs for handicapped children should be increased.3. Extension Agents-Youth and leaders of 4-H programs for handicapped children should become more familiar with current laws affecting educational programming for handicapped children. 4. Additional guidelines for organizing, developing, and implementing 4-H programs for handicapped children should be considered by Extension personnel. 5. Documentation regarding the number of handicapped children participating in 4-H programs should be more thoroughly recorded by Extension personnel and reported to the State Extension Office. 6. Since the life blood of 4-H programs for the handicapped is the volunteer leader, efforts should be increased to recruit highly motivated, sincere individuals with a keen interest in working with special children.7. A task force of representatives of special educators and Extension Agents- Youth should be established to explore the need for possible programs.
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Organizational and individual factors related to retention of county extension agents employed by Texas Cooperative ExtensionChandler, Galen Douglas 17 February 2005 (has links)
The purpose of this study was to determine the organizational and individual factors related to job retention of Texas county Extension agents and learn why agents choose to stay employed by Texas Cooperative Extension. The population for the study included 419 Texas county Extension agents employed for at least three years. The response rate for the web-based questionnaire was 87% or 364 respondents. The Likerttype scale instrument consisted of thirty-eight questions divided into four sections: eleven organizational factors; ten individual work related factors; five individual non-work related; and twelve demographic questions. Each section had one open-ended question for the respondents to comment. Employee turnover is costly to any organization as costs can be as high as over 100% of the employees annual salary. Retention of employees is important, not only, for economic reasons but to provide a quality product or service without interruption of services during an employees vacancy.
Of the respondents, 58% of the county Extension agents have been employed for more than eleven years and 35% have worked for over twenty years. 89% of the county Extension agents have served in more than one county during their tenure and of those 298, 56% have served in more than three counties.
The four, most important retention factors identified by county Extension agents were: interesting work; variety of work/scheduling; opportunity to contribute to my community; and personal satisfaction.
There was a very strong relationship between recognition from supervisor and the understanding/fairness of supervisor as a reason why county Extension agents choose to stay employed by Texas Cooperative Extension.
The recommendations from the study should be considered by Extension administration to put into practice to decrease employee turnover and increase retention among Texas county Extension agent.
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Design for the development of the Academy of Biblical Knowledge & Ministry facultyDouglas, John Charles. January 1991 (has links)
Thesis (M.A.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-153).
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Impact evaluation of cooperative extension education on GuamPearson, Carmen Leon Guerrero January 1979 (has links)
No description available.
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The role of extension during the evolution of the NW Indian HimalayaHintersberger, Esther January 2013 (has links)
The evolution of most orogens typically records cogenetic shortening and extension. Pervasive normal faulting in an orogen, however, has been related to late syn- and post-collisional stages of mountain building with shortening focused along the peripheral sectors of the orogen. While extensional processes constitute an integral part of orogenic evolution, the spatiotemporal characteristics and the kinematic linkage of structures related to shortening and extension in the core regions of the orogen are often not well known. Related to the India-Eurasia collision, the Himalaya forms the southern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and constitutes the most prominent Cenozoic type example of a collisional orogen. While thrusting is presently observed along the foothills of the orogen, several generations of extensional structures have been detected in the internal, high-elevation regions, both oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the strike of the orogen. In the NW Indian Himalaya, earthquake focal mechanisms, seismites and ubiquitous normal faulting in Quaternary deposits, and regional GPS measurements reveal ongoing E-W extension. In contrast to other extensional structures observed in the Himalaya, this extension direction is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the NE-SW regional shortening direction.
In this study, I took advantage of this obliquity between the trend of the orogen and structures related to E-W oriented extension in order to address the question of the driving forces of different extension directions. Thus, extension might be triggered triggered by processes within the Tibetan Plateau or originates from the curvature of the Himalayan orogen. In order to elaborate on this topic, I present new fault-kinematic data based on systematic measurements of approximately 2000 outcrop-scale brittle fault planes with displacements of up to several centimeters that cover a large area of the NW Indian Himalaya. This new data set together with field observations relevant for relative chronology allows me to distinguish six different deformation styles. One of the main results are that the overall strain pattern derived from this data reflects the regionally important contractional deformation pattern very well, but also reveals significant extensional deformation. In total, I was able to identify six deformation styles, most of which are temporally and spatially linked and represent protracted shortening, but also significant extensional directions. For example, this is the first data set where a succession of both, arc-normal and E-W extension have been documented in the Himalaya.
My observations also furnish the basis for a detailed overview of the younger extensional deformation history in the NW Indian Himalaya. Field and remote-sensing based geomorphic analyses, and geochronologic 40Ar/39Ar data on synkinematic muscovites along normal faults help elucidate widespread E-W extension in the NW Indian Himalaya which must have started at approximately 14-16 Ma, if not earlier. In addition, I documented and mapped fault scarps in Quaternary sedimentary deposits using satellite imagery and field inspection. Furthermore, I made field observations of regional normal faults, compiled structures from geological maps and put them in a regional context. Finally, I documented seismites in lake sediments close to the currently most active normal fault in the study area in order to extend the (paleo) seismic record of this particular fault. Taken together, this data sets document that E-W extension is the dominant active deformation style in the internal parts of the orogen. In addition, the combined field, geomorphic and remote-sensing data sets prove that E-W extension occurs in a much more larger region toward the south and west than the seismicity data have suggested.
In conclusion, the data presented here reveal the importance of extension in a region, which is still dominated by ongoing collision and shortening. The regional fault distribution and cross-cutting relationships suggest that extension parallel and perpendicular to the strike of the orogen are an integral part of the southward propagation of the active thrust front and the associated lateral growth of the Himalayan arc. In the light of a wide range of models proposed for extension in the Himalaya and the Tibetan plateau, I propose that E-W extension in the NW Indian Himalaya is transferred from the Tibetan Plateau due the inability of the Karakorum fault (KF) to adequately accommodate ongoing E-W extension on the Tibetan Plateau. Furthermore, in line with other observations from Tibet, the onset of E-W normal faulting in the NW Himalaya may also reflect the attainment of high topography in this region, which generated crustal stresses conducive to spatially extensive extension. / Die Hauptaufgabe von MHC-kodierten Proteinen ist die Erkennung von körperfremden Molekülen sowie das Einleiten einer adäquaten Immunantwort, womit sie eine Schlüsselrolle im Immunsystem der Wirbeltiere einnehmen. Man nimmt an, dass ihre außergewöhnliche Vielfalt eine Antwort auf die sich ständig anpassenden Parasiten und Krankheitserreger ist, durch adaptive Selektion erhalten wird und dass die individuelle Allelausstattung einen Großteil der Parasitenbelastung erklärt, wofür bereits zahlreiche MHC-Studien Hinweise gefunden haben. Trotzdem ist unser Verständnis über die wirkenden Mechanismen teilweise noch lückenhaft. Ein stark vernachlässigter Aspekt hierbei sind z.B. eventuelle Unterschiede in der Genexpression der MHC-Allele und eine geringere Expression wäre gleichbedeutend mit einer geringeren Aktivierung des Immunsystems. Ich habe hierzu zwei frei lebende Kleinsäugerarten (Delomys sublineatus, Apodemus flavicollis) unter natürlichen Selektionsbedingungen untersucht. Dabei habe ich neben der genotypischen Diversität von MHC-Genen auch deren Expression, sowie die Genexpression immunregulativer Zytokine mit in Betracht gezogen und in Relation zur individuellen Belastung mit gastrointestinalen Helminthen Das gleichzeitige Auftreten von Verkürzung und Dehnung (Extension) ist ein charakteristisches Kennzeichen bei der Bildung von Kollisionsgebirgen. Eine bis heute gängige These beinhaltet ein weit verbreitetes Auftreten von bschiebungen jedoch erst in späteren Stadien der Gebirgsbildung, bzw. nach deren Abschluÿ. Verkürzung ist hingegen während der gesamten Gebirgsbildung zu beobachten. Auch wenn Extensionsprozesse einen wesentlichen Bestandteil der Gebirgsbildung darstellen, ist deren räumlichen und zeitlichen Abfolge sowie ihre kinematische Kopplung zu Verkürzungstrukturen nur wenig gesichert. Der Himalaja, durch die Kollision von Indien und Eurasien entstanden, bildet den südlichen Rand des tibetischen Hochplateaus und stellt ein typisches aktives Kollisionsgebilde dar.
Während heutzutage an der Gebirgsfront Überschiebungen beobachtet werden, können mehrere Generationen an Extensionsstrukturen in den hochgelegenen Regionen des Himalajas dokumentiert werden, die sowohl parallel als auch senkrecht zur Gebirgsfront verlaufen. Im NW Indiens zeugen Erdbebendaten
sowie regionale GPS-Daten von andauernder E-W-Extension. Im Gegensatz zu anderen im Himalaja beschriebenen Extensionsstrukturen ist diese Extensionsrichtung jedoch weder parallel noch senkrecht zur NE-SW orientierten regionalen Verkürzungsrichtung.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit nutze ich diesen schiefen Winkel zwischen der Ausrichtung des Gebirges einerseits und den mit E-W-Extension assoziierten Strukturen andererseits, um mögliche Ursachen für verschiedene Extensionsarten differenzieren zu können. So könnte Extension entweder durch Prozesse innerhalb des tibetischen Hochplateaus gesteuert werden, oder durch die Krümmung des Himalajas, der bogenförmig verläuft. Um dies zu untersuchen, verwende ich einen neuen störungskinematischen Datensatz aus systematischen Messungen von ca. 2000 spröden Störungsflächen im Aufschlussmaßstab über den gesamten Bereich des Himalajas in NW Indien. Zusammen mit Geländebeobachtungen, aus denen eine relative Altersabfolge abgeleitet werden konnte, ermöglicht mir dieser Datensatz zwischen sechs einzelnen Deformationsarten zu differenzieren. Die meisten dieser Deformationsarten sind zeitlich und räumlich verbunden und zeigen fortschreitende Verkürzung an, gleichzeitig werden auch signifikante Extensionsrichtungen dokumentiert. Unter anderem kann ich hier zum ersten Mal eine separierte Abfolge von Extension parallel zum Himalaja-Bogen bzw. E-W-Extension dokumentieren.
Ein weiteres Ziel dieser Studie ist es, einen detaillierten Überblick über die E-W-Extension im NW indischen Himalaja zu erhalten. Basierend auf Kartierung von jungen Bruchstufen sowie geomorphologische Auswertungen, 40Ar/39Ar-daten von synkinematisch gewachsenen Muskoviten auf Abschiebungen, sowie einer Kompilierung von eigene Geländebeobachtungen gröÿerer Abschiebungen mit schon
publizierten Strukturen, konnte ich die räumliche Ausdehnung der E-W-Extension sowie deren zeitliche Einordnung als jüngstes Deformationsereignis belegen. Schlussendlich konnte ich anhand von Deformation in Seeablagerungen in der Nähe der momentan aktivsten Abschiebung im Untersuchungsgebiet den Nachweis an paläoseismologischen Ereignissen entlang dieser Störung ausweiten. Mit diesem Datensatz kann ich nachweisen, dass E-W-Extension in einem wesentlich ausgedehnteren Gebiet nach Süden und Westen hin auftritt, als bisher vorhandene Daten dies vermuten lassen, und dass E-W-Extension vor 14-16 Ma begann, wenn nicht sogar noch früher.
Zusammenfassend bezeugen die hier präsentierten Daten die Relevanz von Extension in einer von Verkürzung geprägten Region. Die räumliche Verteilung von Störungen sowie Überschneidungskriterien lassen vermuten, dass Extension sowohl parallel wie auch senkrecht zum Himalaja-Bogen ein essentieller Teil des südwärts gerichteten Wanderns der aktiven Überschiebungsfront und des damit assoziierten lateralen Wachstums des Gebirges ist. Nach Abwägung der groÿen Bandbreite an Modellen für Extension im Himalaja und im tibetischen Hochplateau, bin ich der Meinung, dass E-W-Extension im NW indischen Himalaja ihren Ursprung im tibetischen Hochplateau hat. Grund dafür ist, dass die Bewegung entlang der Karakorum-Störung nicht ausreichend ist, um die fortdauernde E-W-Extension im tibetischen Hochplateau zu kompensieren. In Übereinstimmung mit anderen Beobachtungen in Tibet ist es auÿerdem möglich, dass das Einsetzen von E-W-Extension im NW Himalaja ebenfalls Erreichen der hohen Topographie in dieser Gegend widerspiegelt, durch die krustale Prozesse in Gang gesetzt werden, die wiederum zu räumlich ausgedehnten Extensionsprozessen führen können.. Anhand von Leber und Milzproben beider Arten habe ich die Methode der ‚real-time PCR‘ zur relativen Quantifizierung von mRNA im Labor etabliert. Bereits für die Labormaus etablierte PCR-Primersysteme wurden an beiden Arten getestet und so konnten stabile Referenzgene gefunden werden, die Grundvoraussetzung für zuverlässige Genexpressionsmessungen. Für D. sublineatus konnte gezeigt werden, dass Helminthenbefall eine typische Th2 Immunantwort induziert, und dass der Zytokin Il4 Gehalt mit Befallsintensität strongyler Nematoden zunimmt. Es wurde für D. sublineatus kein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen MHC Expression oder anderen Zytokinen mit Helminthenbefall gefunden. In A. flavicollis wurde ein negativer Zusammenhang zwischen haptischer MHC-Expression und dem parasitären Nematoden Heligmosomoides polygyrus festgestellt, was auf eine Immunvermeidungsstrategie des Nematoden hindeutet. Ich fand typische positive und negative Assoziationen zwischen MHC-Allelen und anderen Helminthenarten, sowie Zeichen eines positiven Selektionsdruckes auf den MHC-Sequenzen, was sich durch eine erhöhte Rate aminosäureverändernder Mutationen zeigte. Diese nicht-synonymen Veränderungen waren auf Positionen innerhalb des zweiten Exons des DRB-Genes beschränkt, wohingegen die untersuchten Bereiche des ersten und dritten Exons stark konserviert vorlagen. Diese variablen Positionen kodieren Schlüsselstellen im Bereich der Antigenbindungsstelle im MHC Molekül. Zusammenfassend zeigt diese Arbeit, dass Genexpressionsstudien auch an Wildtieren durchgeführt und verlässliche Daten erzeugt werden können. Zusätzlich zur strukturellen Vielfalt sollten zukünftig auch mögliche Genexpressionsunterschiede bei MHC-Studien berücksichtigt werden, um ein kompletteres Bild der koevolutiven Wirt-Parasiten-Beziehungen zeichnen zu können. Dies ist vor allem dann von evolutiver Bedeutung, wenn die Parasiten in der Lage sind die MHC Expression aktiv zu beeinflussen. Die Studien konnten nicht die exakte Bedeutung von MHC-Genexpression in der antagonistischen Koevolution definieren, aber sie konnten zeigen dass diese Bedeutung stark von den jeweils beteiligten Partnern abzuhängen vermag.
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The Cooperative Extension Office at your serviceWaechter, James B. January 1985 (has links)
The purpose of this creative project was to develop a program on video tape that would briefly explain the local Cooperative Extension Office, the programs and the assistance available. Audio-visual material available prior to this consisted of one slide tape set approximately 10 years old. In the new video tape a short history of Extension, and an overview of each area of the local Extension Office are explained, using examples of how the local Extension Agents provide assistance to the community. The disciplines include 4-H, Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences and Community Development.Development of the video tape included planning, script writing, filming, editing and documentation of the project. The major task was to present the best, most informative material explaining the role of Extension with-out being long and boring. By showing preliminary tapes to control groups and making changes as suggested. A final format was established that should most effectively explain the Extension Office and its services.
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Hur uppnås framgång på lång sikt med varumärkesutvidgningar? : En fallstudie av Hennes & MauritzMedanhodzic, Nejra, Karamehmedovic, Nadina January 2013 (has links)
Sammanfattning – ”Hur uppnås framgång på lång sikt med varumärkesutvidgningar?” Frågeställning: - Hur kan Hennes & Mauritz's varumärkesutvidgning studeras och beskrivas för att ett företag inom klädbranschen ska kunna ta del av denna information och lyckas utvidga framgångsrikt på lång sikt?- Hur ställer sig konsumenter mot utökningar av ett varumärke? Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att studera varumärkesutvidgning ur ett långsiktigt perspektiv genom att analysera företaget Hennes & Mauritz. Detta genom att undersöka skillnader mellan det företaget vill förmedla med sina varumärkesutvidgningar och hur konsumenterna upplever det. Dessutom är syftet att ge rekommendationer till vad företag inom klädbranschen bör tänka på vid planer på vidareutvidgningar, samt att ge förslag på hur även H&M kan stärka sina vidareutvidgningar. Metod: Uppsatsen är en kombination av kvalitativ och kvantitativ studie där all empirisk material har arbetats samman med teoretiskt ramverk. Teorin behandlar varumärken och hur den är uppbyggd, samt varumärkesutvidgning med ett fokus på framgångsfaktorer. Empiriskt material består av tre intervjuer: personlig, e-post, samt enkätundersökning. Slutsats: Det går att konstatera att anledningen till att många företag misslyckas med sina utvidgningar på lång sikt beror på att viktiga faktorer har förbisetts. Den största anledningen kan bero på att företag inte anpassar sina utvidgningar till det varumärket förmedlar, där en passform eller liknelse mellan produkterna är väldigt viktigt att uppnå för att lyckas utvidga på lång sikt. Respondenterna har visat en positiv ställning och öppenhet för utökningar av ett varumärke. / Abstract - ”How to achieve long term success with brand extensions?” Research questions: - How can Hennes & Mauritz's brand extensions be studied and described in order that a company in the clothing industry could take advantage of this information and succeed to expand successfully over the long term?- What thoughts do consumers have of brand extensions? Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to study brand extension from a long term perspective by analyzing the company Hennes & Mauritz. This by examining the differences between what the company wants to convey with their brand extensions and how consumers perceive it. Furthermore, the purpose is to provide recommendations to what companies in the clothing industry should take in consideration when planning further extensions, but also to provide suggestions on how even Hennes & Mauritz can strengthen their further extensions. Method: The essay is a combination of qualitative and quantitative study in which all empirical material has been worked together with the theoretical framework. The theory deals with brands and how it is built, as well as brand extension with a focus on success factors. Empirical material consists of three interviews: personal, email and survey. Conclusion: It is possible to conclude that the reason why many companies fail with their extensions is because the important factors have been overlooked. The main reason may be that companies do not adjust their extensions to what the brand conveys, where a fit or simile between the products is very important to achieve in order to succeed with extensions in the long term. Respondents have shown a positive attitude and openness for brand extensions.
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Some bases for coordination of cooperative extension programs with research and resident instruction in selected land-grant instructionsHyatt, George, January 1961 (has links)
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1961. / Extension Repository Collection. Typescript (carbon copy). Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-136).
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A study of the characteristics, functions, and operation of state 4-H advisory committees in selected statesHull, George Ellsworth, January 1959 (has links)
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1959. / Extension Repository Collection. Typescript (carbon copy). Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.
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