Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Fox, C.; Martin, N.
1997-10-30
This report describes the educational efforts made by Minnesota Agri-Power to provide education to the general public, to agricultural professionals and to growers. Information on the management of alfalfa growth, as well as sharing of research results were some of the information made available. The education program was accomplished by participation in: workshops for producers; professional conferences; field days and informational meetings for producers, educators, and Ag professionals; demonstrations; community meetings and information dissemination; fact sheets and management guides; internet information; press releases, publications, and publicity.
Minnesota Agri-Power Project. Quarterly report, January--March, 1998
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wilbur, D.
1998-05-01
The Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers propose to build an alfalfa processing plant integrated with an advanced power plant system at the Granite Falls, Minnesota industrial park to provide 75 MW of base load electric power and a competitively priced source of value added alfalfa based products. This project utilizes air blown fluidized bed gasification technology to process alfalfa stems and another biomass to produce a hot, clean, low heating value gas that will be used in a gas turbine. Exhaust heat from the gas turbine will be used to generate steam to power a steam turbine and provide steam for the processing of the alfalfa leaf into a wide range of products including alfalfa leaf meal, a protein source for livestock. This progress report describes feedstock testing, feedstock supply system, performance guarantees, sales contracts, environmental permits, education, environment, economy, and project coordination and control.
EPA and DOJ announced a Clean Air Act settlement with Minnesota Power, an ALLETE company based in Duluth, that will cover its three coal-fired power plants and one biomass-and-coal-fired steam and electricity cogeneration plan
A view from Minnesota: A changing climate for wind power
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Noble, M.T. [Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Saint Paul, MN (United States)
1997-12-31
The author describes a program begun in Minnesota to address the problem of climate change and possible global warming. This projects aims at increasing understanding and appreciation of changes being seen in the US weather patterns and possible correlations with greenhouse gas emissions. Minnesota has taken a stance on mandating support for renewable power sources as a part of their electric utility mix. The author urges the business and industrial sectors of our economy to consider the impact on the US and its citizens of not supporting programs which are directed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including support for wind power projects.
AGRIS: Description of computer programs
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Schmid, H.; Schallaboeck, G.
1976-01-01
The set of computer programs used at the AGRIS (Agricultural Information System) Input Unit at the IAEA, Vienna, Austria to process the AGRIS computer-readable data is described. The processing flow is illustrated. The configuration of the IAEA's computer, a list of error messages generated by the computer, the EBCDIC code table extended for AGRIS and INIS, the AGRIS-6 bit code, the work sheet format, and job control listings are included as appendixes. The programs are written for an IBM 370, model 145, operating system OS or VS, and require a 130K partition. The programming languages are PL/1 (F-compiler) and Assembler
2013-10-18
.... 14540-000] Lock+ Hydro Friends Fund III, LLC; Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency; Notice...+ Hydro Friends Fund III, LLC for Project No. 14539-000 and Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency for... CFR 385.2001(a)(2) (2013). On October 21, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), the Secretary of the...
2013-11-26
.... 14540-000] Lock+ Hydro Friends Fund III, LLC, Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency; Notice...+ Hydro Friends Fund III, LLC for Project No. 14539-000 and Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency for... CFR.385.2001(a)(2) (2013). On November 25, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), the Secretary of the...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Angelina Sanderson Bellamy
2017-02-01
Full Text Available Today’s society faces many challenges when it comes to food production: producing food sustainably, producing enough of it, distributing food, consuming enough calories, consuming too many calories, consuming culturally-appropriate foods, and reducing the amount of food wasted. The distribution of power within the current mainstream agri-food system is dominated by multinational agri-businesses that control the flow of goods and wealth through the system. This hegemony has implemented a regime whose structures reinforce its control. A growing response to the current agri-food regime is the rise of agroecology, in both developed and developing country contexts. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has evolved over time from its Latin American origins. However, agroecology is not a monolithic block and represents many different perceptions of what it means to advance agroecology and ways in which it can help today’s society tackle the crisis of the agri-food system. This paper addresses these sometimes discordant view points, as well as the gaps in our knowledge regarding agroecology in an effort to lay out some guiding principles for how we can move forward in transforming the current agri-food system to achieve sustainability and a more equitable distribution of power and resources.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1976-01-01
The second joint INIS/AGRIS Training Seminar for the two essentially compatible information systems, INIS (International Nuclear Information System) and AGRIS (International System for the Agricultural Sciences and Technology), was held in Vienna, the first having taken place a year ago in Ankara. This year saw an expansion in the number of courses offered, which increased from nine to a total of 16. Additional courses in input preparation, and output utilization were offered, and improved retrieval facilities were available. Two joint courses for INIS and AGRIS magnetic tape users were given. With an increasing number of countries preparing input in machine-readable form, and with increasing utilization of magnetic tape output products, a forum for tape users was a logical addition at this time. Five courses were given in abstracting. INIS ATOMINDEX became the only international abstracting journal in the nuclear sciences with the cessation of Nuclear Science Abstracts at the end of June 1976, when INIS assumed responsibility for the inclusion of good abstracts. The significance of abstract quality and INIS specifications in terms of machine-readable format and characters, length and language were considered in specific courses. The courses on abstracting consisted of basic instruction on general principles, followed by abstracting in the areas of physics, chemistry, engineering and reactor technology, and the life sciences, where aspects specific to the particular field were emphasized. Participants were given an opportunity to attend demonstrations of the optical character recognition equipment and related hardware in use at the IAEA. Five computer terminals were placed at the disposal of seminar participants, thus permitting interactive retrieval of documents in on-line dialogue. An adaptation of STAIRS (STorage And Information Retrieval System by IBM) was used. An INIS test data-base of 60 000 documents and AGRIS test data-base of 80 000 documents were
2013-10-18
.... 14491-000] FFP Qualified Hydro 14, LLC; Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency; Notice Announcing... applications were filed by FFP Qualified Hydro 14, LLC for Project No. 13579-002 and Western Minnesota... regular business day. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(2) (2013). On October 21, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time...
Living Lab voor Informatiemanagement in Agri-Food
Wolfert, J.
2010-01-01
Het Living Lab is een specifieke open innovatie aanpak waarbij in feite het laboratorium naar de praktijk wordt gebracht. het Agri-Food Living lab is een informatiemanagementsysteem specifiek voor de agri-food sector.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mauchline, Alice L.; Mortimer, Simon R.; Park, Julian P.
2012-01-01
The Agri-Environment Footprint Index (AFI) has been developed as a generic methodology to assess changes in the overall environmental impacts from agriculture at the farm level and to assist in the evaluation of European agri-environmental schemes (AES). The methodology is based on multi-criteria......The Agri-Environment Footprint Index (AFI) has been developed as a generic methodology to assess changes in the overall environmental impacts from agriculture at the farm level and to assist in the evaluation of European agri-environmental schemes (AES). The methodology is based on multi......-criteria analysis (MCA) and involves stakeholder participation to provide a locally customised evaluation based on weighted environmental indicators. The methodology was subjected to a feasibility assessment in a series of case studies across the EU. The AFI approach was able to measure significant differences....... The applicability of the AFI in routine monitoring of AES impacts and in providing feedback to improve policy design is discussed....
Review of agriculture and agri-food sector performance in the ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
China encouraged the development of export-oriented agriculture and food processing industry to convert raw farm products to value added finished consumer products. This has been a powerful tool for economic development in the country. Keywords: agriculture, agri food industry, China, performance. Moor Journal of ...
Researches in agri-food supply chain: A bibliometric study
Hisjam, Muhammad; Sutopo, Wahyudi
2017-11-01
Agri-food is very important for human being. Problems in managing agri-food are very complicated. There are many entities involved in managing agri-food with conflict of interest between them makes the problems become more complicated. Using supply chain approaches in agri-food will help solving the problems. The purpose of this paper is to show that the publications in agri-food supply chain research area are still promising and to show the research trend in agri-food supply chain. The study was a bibliometric study by using some queries on the website with the largest database of peer-reviewed literature. The queries were using various categories and refinements. Firstly the study was exploring all publications in this research area in some categories and then divided the duration into 2 intervals. The last query was to know how many publications are review type publications. The results show that the number of the publications with agri-food supply chain topics are still limited, and tend to increase. It means researches in this area are still promising. The results also show the most publications are from which source title, country, and affiliation. The results also show the research trend in this research area. The quantities of review type publications in agri-food supply chain are still few. It shows the need for more review type publications in this area.
Eco-Innovation in Circular Agri-Business
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dong-Her Shih
2018-04-01
Full Text Available This study constructs a theory of eco-innovation in circular agri-business. Although previous studies have discussed eco-innovation in circular agri-business, they did not address eco-innovation from the perspective of a closed-loop sustainable supply chain. Hence, this study applied the fuzzy TOPSIS method to conduct the analysis and determine the interrelationship between eco-innovation and the closed-loop concept. The results are consistent with the theory and a significant improvement in terms of the decisive attributes. The findings suggest that improving water management, relationships with suppliers, knowledge sharing, environmental management systems, and new product and service development are the most effective and efficient ways to build eco-innovation in circular agri-business. The managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
Venezuelan Soils Bibliography with AGRIS System
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Brito, Julia; Marquez, Orfila; Ramos V, Dilia; Graterol, Orlando; Rivero, Aida
1997-01-01
The adoption of the AGRIS system to develop the soils bibliographical database, implies: 1) To adopt a bibliographical information system, specially designed for the agricultural area. 2) To use with precision the methodological rules and the computer platform offered by the system. 3) The possibility to be flowingly inserted in the bigger agricultural information network of in the Hispanic World. 4) The interinstitucional cooperation for the gathering and exchange of the Venezuelan documental information, related to the soils area. 5) To contribute to the enrichment of the documental information contained in the Venezuelan Agricultural Bibliographic Database, managered by the AGRIS/CARIS National Center, CENIAP headquarters (considered as the main agricultural investigation center, with a higher trajectory in the FONAIAP). The document briefly presents: the AGRIS (Agricultural Information System), the projects AGRIS/CARIS and VARIBEV (Valuation of Venezuelan Edaphology Bibliographic Information Files), the tematic contain characteristics and other bibliometric elements, the searching aided process, and the development of an agricultural vocabulary (AGROVOC), that became a Dictionary. Finally, the labor of the Venezuelan Edaphologists is recognized for the maintenance of the Venezuelan Edaphologic Bibliography, specialized in soils and related areas [es
Risk Management in the Agri-food Sector
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hrabrin Bachev
2013-03-01
Full Text Available This paper incorporates the interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics in a comprehensive framework for analyzing risk management in the agri-food sector. First, it specifies the diverse types of agri-food risks (natural, technical, behavioral, economic, policy, etc. and the modes of their management (market, private, public, and hybrid. Second, it defines the efficiency of risk management and identifies the factors (personal, institutional, dimensional, technological, and natural of governance choice. Next, it presents stages in the analysis of risk management and the improvement of public intervention in the governance of risk. Finally, it identifies the contemporary opportunities and challenges for risk governance in the agri-food chain.
Higgins, Vaughan; Dibden, Jacqui; Cocklin, Chris
2008-01-01
This paper examines the role of certification in alternative agri-food networks (AAFNs), which are "in the process" of building markets for their produce outside conventional supply chains. Drawing upon recent writing on "embeddedness", we argue that certification provides an important focus for exploring the relationship and…
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lindquist, O.H.; Malver, F.S.
1976-01-01
Honeywell, in a joint effort with Minnesota Power and Light Company (MP and L), Boeing Vertol Company, and Dr. C.G. Justus, Georgia Institute of Technology, has conducted a regional application study of wind energy systems. Minnesota Power and Light Company, an investor-owned company with 853-MW owned capacity, has served as the case study subject utility. An initial system definition was developed based on available wind information and near-term wind turbine generator (WTG) technology. The system was tailored to fit MP and L's forecasted generation needs and the company's existing transmission and distribution system. Honeywell developed a WECS simulation to convert wind data to wind energy available for input to the utility's grid. The simulation was used to evaluate the performance of preliminary design wind turbine generators developed for ERDA/NASA by the General Electric Company and Kaman Aerospace Corporation, and to evaluate the performance of a wind turbine optimized for the Northern Minnesota wind regime and developed by the Boeing Vertol Company under subcontract to Honeywell.
Supply chain performance within agri-food sector
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dinu Daniela Magdalena
2016-01-01
Full Text Available By setting the goals of this scientific paper has been outlined the research methodology. Thus were developed conclusion, and by using the methods, procedures, techniques, rules and tools and know-how has been demonstrated the central hypothesis: 'Inside the agri-food supply chain is created value through operations and logistics activities.' The value created leads to competitive advantages in order to identify companies within market, gaining loyal consumers. The article presents the components of agri-food supply chain, the main Key Performance Indicators measuring its performance, the difference between a traditional supply chain and sustainable supply chain by analyzing the waste management component. In order to get professional expertise referring to Key Performance Indicators a quantitative research has been organized. In closing the article present the development strategies of agri-food supply chain.
AGRIS: Categorization and information retrieval based on IBM's IRMS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Schmid, H.; Leatherdale, D.
1976-01-01
The subject breakdown of the AGRIS data base by categories interlinked with object and geographical codes is described. The use of these categories and codes in a mechanized information retrieval system is then considered. The system is a modification of IBM's Information Retrieval and Management System (IRMS); it allows for batch processing on an IBM/360 or /370 computer operated under OS or VS. As IRMS was developed for use with a controlled vocabulary, the search possibilities on the AGRIS files are necessarily limited. An artificial vocabulary is presented, derived from the AGRIS subject categories, object codes, geographic codes, language codes, and bibliographic data: type of record, literary indicator, volume/issue number, and the country code of the submitting centre. The use of the IRMS system for AGRIS is described, with details of programming deliberately omitted. Program descriptions with data set definitions and file formats are presented separately
Collaboration and Sustainable Agri-Food Suply Chain: A Literature Review
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Prima Dania Wike Agustin
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Maintaining collaboration among the entire stages in the agri-food supply chain to achieve sustainability is complex. All the stakeholders involved in the activities have to prioritize their financial benefits without putting aside social development and environmental responsibilities. Some scholars have paid attention to this topic. The objective of this paper is to review current research on sustainable supply chain and collaboration model in agri-food industry. Sustainability aspects that consist of economic, environment, and social and the model of sustainable supply chain in agri-food industry are analyzed. Moreover, collaboration in sustainable agri-food supply chain management is also studied thoroughly from vertical and horizontal perspectives. The result shows that there are few studies focusing on the integrated collaboration to achieve sustainable supply chain system. Additionally, not all sustainable aspects are covered thoroughly. The scholars pays more attention to economic and environmental aspects than social aspects. Furthermore, some studies only focus on one type of collaboration in sustainable agri-food supply chain. Often, these studies do not even consider all elements in the triple bottom line.
Social, economic and environmental evaluation of agri-environmental beneficial management practices
Kitchen, Amy Elizabeth
2012-01-01
In British Columbia, the Canada-British Columbia Environmental Farm Plan Beneficial Management Practices Program (BMP Program) encourages the adoption of agri-environmental practices on farms. The BMP Program is a voluntary and confidential program, which is jointly funded by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Since 2005 the BMP Program has provided funding to farmers to adopt agri-environmental Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) and during this time no e...
Factors underlying farmers’ intentions to perform unsubsidised agri-environmental measures
Dijk, van William F.A.; Lokhorst, Anne Marike; Berendse, Frank; Snoo, de Geert R.
2016-01-01
Over the last decades there is a growing body of literature on how to enhance farmers’ participation in voluntary subsidised agri-environmental programmes. However, additional unsubsidised agri-environmental measures that farmers perform are often ignored. The willingness to perform these
Quantifying the agri-food supply chain: Overview and research directions
Wijnands, J.H.M.; Ondersteijn, C.J.M.
2006-01-01
The Frontis workshop ‘Quantifying the agri-food supply chain’ aimed at discussing the possibilities and limitations of quantifying performance, risks and investments in the agri-food chain and at bringing people from international institutes together. Their contributions are organized around five
Guidelines for governance of data sharing in agri-food networks
Wolfert, J.; Bogaardt, M.J.; Ge, L.; Soma, K.; Verdouw, C.N.
2017-01-01
Big Data is becoming a new asset in the agri-food sector including enterprise data from operational systems, sensor data, farm equipment data, etc. Recently, Big Data applications are being implemented to improve farm and chain performance in agri-food networks. Still, many companies are refraining
2011-11-22
... Hydroelectric LLC; Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency; Notice of Application for Transfer of License, and Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene On October 14, 2011, CRD Hydroelectric LLC (transferor) and... Red Rock Hydroelectric Project, No. 12576, located on the Des Monies River in Marion County, Iowa...
Status and Prospects of Agri-Tourism in Selected Municipalities of the 4th District of Batangas
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
BIANCA VENUS L. RECIO
2014-08-01
Full Text Available – The study was to identify the profile of the agri-tourism sites in the selected municipalities in the 4th district of Batangas. Specifically, it determines the status and prospects of agri-tourism in the selected municipalities in the 4th district of Batangas in terms of Socio-Economic and Environmental Aspects; and have proposed an action plan to promote the agri-tourism as a destination. The researchers have conducted the study to see how the agri-tourism benefits the community in terms of their economy and environmental aspects. This study have provided more awareness to the community about the Agri-tourism in the place. In addition this research educates people to be more vigilant enough on giving importance on the Agri-tourism we have in Batangas. Results showed that the three major agri-tourism farms in the fourth district of Batangas were Vilela’s Farm, British Farm and Moca Farm. Agri-tourism in Batangas has socio-economic effects to the residents of the fourth district of Batangas. Agri-tourism has no environmental effect as assessed by the residents of Batangas.
COMPETITIVENESS OF CANADIAN AGRI-FOOD EXPORTS AGAINST COMPETITORS IN ASIA: 1980-97
Chen, Kevin Z.; Duan, Yufeng
2001-01-01
Asia is the second largest market for the Canadian agri-food exports after the United States market. The competition in Asia has become more intensive in recent years as the agri-food sector in developed nations such as Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States has increasingly relied on exports for growth because of their own slow-growing domestic food consumption. How did the performance of Canadian agri-food exports to Asia measure up to the performances of its main competitors? Thi...
Multilingual indexing and retrieval in bibliographic retrieval systems: The AGRIS experience
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bonnichon, M.; Lebowitz, A.I.; Portegies Zwart, R.; Schmid, H.
1990-05-01
In the field of agriculture, experience with AGRIS has shown that the language barrier is among thr greatest obstacles to preparing input to the database as well as to using its output products. The implementation of the multilingual thesaurus AGROVOC in AGRIS is described in this paper
Multilingual indexing and retrieval in bibliographic retrieval systems: The AGRIS experience
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bonnichon, M; Lebowitz, A I; Portegies Zwart, R; Schmid, H
1990-05-01
In the field of agriculture, experience with AGRIS has shown that the language barrier is among thr greatest obstacles to preparing input to the database as well as to using its output products. The implementation of the multilingual thesaurus AGROVOC in AGRIS is described in this paper.
European Agri-Environmental Policy Facing the 21st Century
Latacz-Lohmann, Uwe
2000-01-01
This paper: reviews the development to date of agri-environmental policy in Europe; provides a critical assessment of its achievements and shortcomings; explores its likely future trajectory in the context of continuing CAP reform; highlights potential conflicts that may result; and draws comparisons with policy approaches in Australia and the US. The paper argues that the first generation of agri-environmental measures, implemented by northern European states in the early 1980s, focused on p...
Specific elements of communication on agri-food products resulting from EU legislation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Laura Timiras
2012-12-01
Full Text Available In the European Union a significant number of regulations aimed at agricultural and food sector thus creating the legal framework regarding the mode of production, pricing, distribution and communication in relation to agri-food products. Specificity agri-food marketing communication at EU level resulting in most of the measures taken with regard to ensuring consumer protection, food safety and security, some of them, in force in early 2012, referring to the labeling, presentation and advertising of agri-food products, sponsorship and distinctive signs of quality are shown in this paper.
CHANGES IN FOREIGN TRADE IN AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS BETWEEN THE EU AND CHINA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Karolina Pawlak
2016-12-01
Full Text Available The aim of the paper was to identify the changes in bilateral trade in agri-food products between the EU and China, as well as to assess – in mutual relations – ex post competitive advantages of major groups of agri-food products in 2008–2015. The research is based on data from the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat. The analysis covered the value, trade balance, shares in total trade and commodity structure of trade in agri-food products between the EU and China. Selected indices of revealed comparative advantage (XRCA, MRCA, RTA, Coverage Ratios (CR, Specialization Indicators (SI, and the indices of Intra-Industry Trade (IIT were calculated for major product groups of the Combined Nomenclature. It was proved that bilateral trade in agri-food products between the EU and China has increased signifi cantly in 2008–2015, and the EU transformed from an importer to a net exporter. Despite the intensifi cation of mutual trade, the importance of China in the EU export of agri-food products remained relatively small. The structure of bilateral trade in agri-food products between the EU and China is consistent with the distribution of comparative advantages obtained by exporters and it is shaped under assumptions of the theory of similarity of preferences, the theory of product diff erentiation of the Armington type, and the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson theorem of resources abundance. It can be considered that the Chinese agri-food sector is still in the stage of a factor-driven economy, while the agriculture and food industry in the EU countries has reached the stage of an innovation-driven economy.
Orientation manual for INIS and AGRIS (OMINAS)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Binggeli, M.H.
1979-01-01
The manual is intended as a basic introduction to the computerized information systems, INIS (International Nuclear Information System) and AGRIS (International Information System for the Agricultural Sciences and Technology). Both systems contain information on already published literature, and include non-conventional literature (i.e. literature not available through normal commercial channels). Full bibliographic details and a subject classification are given. INIS, in addition, supplies descriptors, data-flagged where appropriate, and abstracts with every item of literature reported. The guiding principle followed by INIS and AGRIS is one of shared responsibility in development and operation. Both input is decentralized. The collection and preparation of documents relevant to the defined subject scopes are the responsibility of the country of publication. This decentralized input is transmitted to Vienna where centralized processing, merging and dispatching take place. The main output products are two printed journals, INIS Atomindex and AGRINDEX, and magnetic tape services. The manual is divided into four parts. The first is intended as a general introduction, and gives a bird's-eye view of the principles involved in the operation of the two systems. The second and third deal with INIS and AGRIS, respectively, and offer orientation in greater depth. The last part deals with the computer aspects of the system. The manual contains several appendices, a subject index and a list of basic references
The Agri-Territorial Energy System: Energy from Biomass as a Tool in Local Development
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tritz, Yvan
2012-01-01
Biomass is a high-potential energy source whose development has been one of the primary objectives of the debate over the environment in France. Among the projects emerging today, we highlight two types of logics: large-scale projects such as electrical power or biofuel production plants, and smaller, local initiatives launched in rural areas. This paper lays down and illustrates the bases for the Agri-Territorial Energy System (ATES). This was inspired by Local Productive Systems and Localized Agri-food Systems, and the concept was set up on the basis of analyses of local projects involving biomass energy production. The ATES option offers strong local rooting and an organizational innovation process linking multi-stake holders. The concept is illustrated by two case studies: the Miscanthus project in Ammerzwiller (Alsace), and the Bois Bocage energy project in Orne (Basse-Normandie). These examples bring up an important point, namely the multifunctional dimension of the ATES concept
Evaluating the financial performance of agri-food firms: a multicriteria decision-aid approach
Kalogeras, N.; Baourakis, G.; Zopounidis, C.; Dijk, van G.
2005-01-01
Food economists and financial researchers have long been preoccupied by the issue of evaluating the performance of agri-food firms. As the financial restructuring of the agri-business sector during the past two decades or so reflects sweeping changes that have occurred worldwide, questions have
Ethics, sustainability and logistics in agricultural and agri-food economics research
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pietro Pulina
2012-07-01
Full Text Available This study analyzes the changes osberved in the agri-food system with the advent of logistical management of the flow of goods and information along the food supply chain. Agri-food functions and responsibilities towards society are also analyzed. This field of research has been widely explored in recent years following the development of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR certification in agri-business. The analysis starts by examining the coherence of the ethical basis of human choices in a homo oeconomicus framework in which social relationships are merely exploitable activities. CSR development is then studied in the light of the new stakeholder theory for firms. The main fields of economic research into sustainable development and the most important goals achieved are examined and the methodological perspectives of agricultural economics research will also be discussed.
Minnesota agripower project. Quarterly report, April--June 1997
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Baloun, J.
1997-07-01
The Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers (MnVAP) propose to build an alfalfa processing plant integrated with an advanced power plant system at the Granite Falls, Minnesota Industrial Park to provide 75 MW of base load electric power and a competitively priced source of value added alfalfa based products. This project will utilize air blown fluidized bed gasification technology to process alfalfa stems and another biomass to produce a hot, clean, low heating value gas that will be used in a gas turbine. Exhaust heat from the gas turbine will be used to generate steam to power a steam turbine and provide steam for the processing of the alfalfa leaf into a wide range of products including alfalfa leaf meal, a protein source for livestock. The plant will demonstrate high efficiency and environmentally compatible electric power production, as well as increased economic yield from farm operations in the region. The initial phase of the Minnesota Agripower Project (MAP) will be to perform alfalfa feedstock testing, prepare preliminary designs, and develop detailed plans with estimated costs for project implementation. The second phase of MAP will include detailed engineering, construction, and startup. Full commercial operation will start in 2001.
Development of Industry-Wide IS Integration Model in the Agri-Industry
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hedman, Jonas; Henningsson, Stefan
2013-01-01
his paper presents a model explaining industrywide information systems (IS) integration in the agri-industry.Using a theoretical frame of value confi guration analysis and IS integration extent we study 15 organizations. We find that product sensitivity, continuous production, value chain captains...... sensitivity and continuous production process led to higher levels of integration......., and value creation logic explain the industry-wide IS integration. Incompatible value creation logic among stakeholders and the lack of presence of “value chain captains” – powerful actors dominating the entire industry - has and negative impact on industry-wide integration. On the other hand, product...
Interaction between national and international information systems: The case of AGRIS and CARIS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Samaha, E.K.
1990-05-01
The international cooperative information system as exemplified by IAEA's INIS and FAO's AGRIS and CARIS is based on national partnership. A unique type of interaction exists between this system and national systems. This paper outlines this relationship with examples drawn from AGRIS and CARIS, and looks at future prospects in the 1990s
Competitiveness of Slovak agri-food commodities in third country markets
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Iveta Ubrežiová
2012-01-01
Full Text Available The impression of a single “European” market is gradually generated mainly due to action of the Common Agricultural Policy. Most of the agro-food complex enterprises see opportunities especially in the internationalization, globalization and regionalization in the agri-food sector, in pursuance of this, they are gradually smouldering innovative activities and trying to work on their competitive advantages. Based on the written we can say, that the issue of the competitiveness of enterprises, as well as of various commodities is in the current period highly current and adequate. The importance of the trade with so-called third countries is still increasing. This increase is mainly caused by the enlargement of the European Union in the term of foreign trade and it can be also confirmed from the results of the research. As the results of the research shows, the most important customers of the Slovak agri-food commodities are the Commonwealth of Independent States, where in the followed four-year period went within third countries at the average of 32.9% of the total Slovak agriculture export, also countries of EUROMED, where this proportion was 18.4%, and Croatia, with the proportion of 19.1%. These countries are the largest buyers of such Slovak agri-food commodities as are for example malt, chocolate and live cattle. On the other hand, Slovak republic is in agri-food import mostly dependent on such countries as are for example MERCOSUR countries, Mediterranean countries EUROMED, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP, China, ASEAN and the U.S., which are the major suppliers of so-called „irreplaceable“ items, which Slovak republic can not produce.Results of the research also shows that while the importance of the trade with those countries (note- third countries is still increasing, Slovak export to third countries, in the contrast to its import, is still decreasing and that the most competitive agri-food commodities are for example live
Duncan, J.A.B.; Bevilaqua, D.
2010-01-01
In an increasingly interconnected world, where the widespread travel of goods highlights our interconnectedness, who has the power to decide the global regulations that shape the production, processing and exchange of agri-food products? How are such decisions made and by whom? Who decides what is
Predicting wind shear effects: A study of Minnesota wind data collected at heights up to 70 meters
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Artig, R. [Minnesota Dept. of Public Service, St. Paul, MN (United States)
1997-12-31
The Minnesota Department of Public Service (DPS) collects wind data at carefully selected sites around the state and analyzes the data to determine Minnesota`s wind power potential. DPS recently installed advanced new monitoring equipment at these sites and began to collect wind data at 30, 50, and 70 meters above ground level, with two anemometers at each level. Previously, the Department had not collected data at heights above ground level higher than 30 meters. DPS also, with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), installed four sophisticated monitoring sites as part of a Tall Tower Wind Shear Study that is assessing the effects of wind shear on wind power potential. At these sites, wind data are being collected at the 10, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 meter heights. This paper presents the preliminary results of the analysis of wind data from all sites. These preliminary results indicate that the traditional 1/7 power law does not effectively predict wind shear in Minnesota, and the result is an underestimation of Minnesota`s wind power potential at higher heights. Using a power factor of 1/5 or 1/4 may be more accurate and provide sound justification for installing wind turbines on taller towers in Minnesota.
Strategic advertising for enhanced agri-business development in ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Strategic advertising for enhanced agri-business development in Abia State, Nigeria. ... Advertising, a high-intensity consumer information medium, facilitates the latter. It is against this background that ... AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO ...
Evaluating the Sustainability in Complex Agri-Food Systems: The SAEMETH Framework
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cristiana Peano
2015-05-01
Full Text Available During the last few years, the definition of sustainability and the translation of its general principles into practical and operative tasks have come into the foreground of scientific research and political agendas throughout the world. The understanding and the evaluation of the environmental, social and economic performances of complex agricultural food systems is probably the real challenge, and the design of more sustainable alternatives has been recognized as necessary for a correct territorial management. This study’s primary goal is the proposition of an interpretive structure “Sustainable Agri-Food Evaluation Methodology” (SAEMETH, able to guide the evaluation of the sustainability of the various organizational forms of the small-scale agri-food supply chain. As a case study, the methodology was applied to 10 small-scale agri-food systems. The application of SAEMETH, as a monitoring tool based on qualitative indicators that are user-friendly and strongly communicative, demonstrates that it is possible to carry out sustainability evaluations of the small-scale agri-food systems through a long-term approach that is participatory, interdisciplinary and multi-institutional and that integrates a solid theoretical base with an operative framework tested in the field. SAEMETH can, in this way, generate a cyclical process that increases the probability of success in the design of sustainable alternatives and the implementation of projects and initiatives at the local/regional scale.
Sen2-Agri country level demonstration for Ukraine
Kussul, N.; Kolotii, A.; Shelestov, A.; Lavreniuk, M. S.
2016-12-01
Due to launch of Sentinel-2 mission European Space Agency (ESA) started Sentinel-2 for Agriculture (Sen2-Agri) project coordinated by Universite catholique de Louvain (UCL). Ukraine is selected as one of 3 country level demonstration sites for benchmarking Sentinel-2 data due to wide range of main crops (both winter and summer), big fields and high enough climate variability over the territory [1-2]. Within this county level demonstration main objectives are following: i) Sentinel's products quality assessment and their suitability estimation for the territory of Ukraine [2]; ii) demonstration in order to convince decision makers and state authorities; iii) assessment of the personnel and facilities required to run the Sen2-Agri system and creation of Sen-2 Agri products (crop type maps and such essential climatic variable as Leaf Area Index - LAI [3]). During this project ground data were collected for crop land mapping and crop type classification along the roads within main agro-climatic zones of Ukraine. For LAI estimation we used indirect non-destructive method which is based on DHP-images and VALERI protocol. Products created with use of Sen2-Agri system deployed during project execution and results of neural-network approach utilization will be compared. References Kussul, N., Lemoine, G., Gallego, F. J., Skakun, S. V., Lavreniuk, M., & Shelestov, A. Y. Parcel-Based Crop Classification in Ukraine Using Landsat-8 Data and Sentinel-1A Data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing , 9 (6), 2500-2508. Kussul, N., Skakun, S., Shelestov, A., Lavreniuk, M., Yailymov, B., & Kussul, O. (2015). Regional scale crop mapping using multi-temporal satellite imagery. The International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 40(7), 45-52. Shelestov, A., Kolotii, A., Camacho, F., Skakun, S., Kussul, O., Lavreniuk, M., & Kostetsky, O. (2015, July). Mapping of biophysical parameters based on high
Boosting youth employment in agri-business | IDRC - International ...
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)
Boosting youth employment in agri-business ... economic importance and could provide jobs for women and youth while increasing food security. ... “The main challenge youth face is poor access to credit and extension services,” she says.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fabrizio Celli
2015-05-01
Full Text Available AGRIS is the International System for Agricultural Science and Technology. It is supported by a large community of data providers, partners and users. AGRIS is a database that aggregates bibliographic data, and through this core data, related content across online information systems is retrieved by taking advantage of Semantic Web capabilities. AGRIS is a global public good and its vision is to be a responsive service to its user needs by facilitating contributions and feedback regarding the AGRIS core knowledgebase, AGRIS’s future and its continuous development. Periodic AGRIS e-consultations, partner meetings and user feedback are assimilated to the development of the AGRIS application and content coverage. This paper outlines the current AGRIS technical set-up, its network of partners, data providers and users as well as how AGRIS’s responsiveness to clients’ needs inspires the continuous technical development of the application. The paper concludes by providing a use case of how the AGRIS stakeholder input and the subsequent AGRIS e-consultation results influence the development of the AGRIS application, knowledgebase and service delivery.
AGRI-FOOD TRADE - A PATH TO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF MOLDOVA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Liliana CIMPOIES
2013-01-01
Full Text Available In this study we try to assess the progress in the development of the agricultural sector of Moldova. As indicator of the successful/unsuccessful development of the agri-food sector may serve the foreign trade activity. Thus, in the given research is analyzed the changes in the agri-food trade structure during 2007-2011, the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and the pattern trade flows. For this aim was computed Gruber-Lloyd index for evaluating the intra-industrial trade in this period, and RTA index for inter industrial trade. As well, some policy measures necessary for further integration will be discussed.
Leat, Philip M.K.; Lamprinopoulou-Kranis, Chrysa; Revoredo-Giha, Cesar; Kupiec-Teahan, Beata
2011-01-01
This paper examines the influence of agri-food supply chains on the sustainability-related activities and decisions of Scottish farmers, as well as the treatment of sustainability issues by food processors and retailers themselves. It is based on 8 whole chain case studies covering some of Scotland’s major agricultural products. The cases identify differing levels of understanding and activities related to sustainability, but widespread acknowledgement that sustainability involves the develop...
Bioproduction of vanillin using an organic solvent-tolerant Brevibacillus agri 13.
Wangrangsimagul, Nuttawat; Klinsakul, Kunticha; Vangnai, Alisa S; Wongkongkatep, Jirarut; Inprakhon, Pranee; Honda, Kohsuke; Ohtake, Hisao; Kato, Junichi; Pongtharangkul, Thunyarat
2012-01-01
Nowadays, majority of vanillin supplied to the world market is chemically synthesized from a petroleum-based raw material, raising a concern among the consumers regarding the product safety. In this study, an organic solvent-tolerant Brevibacillus agri 13 previously reported for a strong predilectic property was utilized as a whole-cell biocatalyst for bioproduction of vanillin from isoeugenol (IG). B. agri 13 is the first biocatalyst reported for bioproduction of vanillin at a temperature as high as 45°C. Both pH and temperature were found to affect vanillin production significantly. An extreme level of organic solvent tolerance of B. agri 13 allowed us to utilize it in a biphasic system using organic solvents generally considered as highly toxic to most bacteria. With an addition of butyl acetate at 30% (v/v) as an organic second phase, toxicity of IG exerted onto the biocatalyst was reduced dramatically while faster and more efficient vanillin production was obtained (1.7 g/L after 48 h with 27.8% molar conversion).
Innovation, Integration and Product Proliferation - Empirical Evidence for the Agri-Food Industry
Karantininis, Kostas; Sauer, Johannes; Furtan, William Hartley
2008-01-01
While mergers, both horizontal and vertical, have been shaping the landscape of the agri-food industry in Europe, the implications of the changing market structure on the level of innovation has not been studied yet. In this paper we deal with the link between innovation and market structure using the empirical example of the Danish agri-food industry. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First we test for the importance of vertical integration on innovation. While there exist several studi...
Nanotechnology in agri-food production: an overview
Sekhon, Bhupinder Singh
2014-01-01
Nanotechnology is one of the most important tools in modern agriculture, and agri-food nanotechnology is anticipated to become a driving economic force in the near future. Agri-food themes focus on sustainability and protection of agriculturally produced foods, including crops for human consumption and animal feeding. Nanotechnology provides new agrochemical agents and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity, and it promises to reduce pesticide use. Nanotechnology can boost agricultural production, and its applications include: 1) nanoformulations of agrochemicals for applying pesticides and fertilizers for crop improvement; 2) the application of nanosensors/nanobiosensors in crop protection for the identification of diseases and residues of agrochemicals; 3) nanodevices for the genetic manipulation of plants; 4) plant disease diagnostics; 5) animal health, animal breeding, poultry production; and 6) postharvest management. Precision farming techniques could be used to further improve crop yields but not damage soil and water, reduce nitrogen loss due to leaching and emissions, as well as enhance nutrients long-term incorporation by soil microorganisms. Nanotechnology uses include nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants for the development of insect-resistant varieties, food processing and storage, nanofeed additives, and increased product shelf life. Nanotechnology promises to accelerate the development of biomass-to-fuels production technologies. Experts feel that the potential benefits of nanotechnology for agriculture, food, fisheries, and aquaculture need to be balanced against concerns for the soil, water, and environment and the occupational health of workers. Raising awareness of nanotechnology in the agri-food sector, including feed and food ingredients, intelligent packaging and quick-detection systems, is one of the keys to influencing consumer acceptance. On the basis of only a handful of toxicological studies, concerns have
A conceptual framework for supply chain governance: An application to agri-food chains in China
Zhang, X.Y.; Aramyan, L.H.
2009-01-01
Purpose - Chinese agri-food chains consist of the millions of small scale farmers, who are not well structured and organized in the supply chain. Owing to market liberalization and globalization, one of the most challenging issues along agri-food chains in China is becoming the issue of how to link
Effect of Agri-SC as a soil conditioner on runoff, soil loss and crust ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This study was carried out to determine the effect of Agri-SC as a soil conditioner at different doses (0, 18.50, 37.00, 55.50 and 74.00 l ha-1) on water erosion and crust strengths under laboratory conditions with three replicates. The Agri-SC solutions were sprayed and two consecutive simulated rainfalls (60 mm h-1) were ...
Septiani, W.; Astuti, P.
2017-12-01
Agri-food supply chain has different characteristics related to the raw materials it uses. Food supply chain has a high risk of damage, thus drawing a lot of attention from researchers in supply chain management. This research aimed to investigate the development of supply chain risk management research on agri-food industries. These reviews were arranged in steps systematically, ranging from searching related to the review of SCRM paper, reviewing the general framework of SCRM and the framework of agri-food SCRM. Selection of literature review papers in the period 2005-2017, and obtained 45 papers. The results of the identification research were illustrated in a supply chain risk management framework model. This provided insight toward future research directions and needs.
Consumer perception of safety in the agri-food chain
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Verbeke, Wim; Scholderer, Joachim; Frewer, Lynn J.
2006-01-01
, former real or perceived food safety problems extended into food scares after extensive mass media coverage. A wide diversity of studies consistently report declining consumer confidence, deteriorating perception and decreasing consumption rates after exposure to adverse food-health communication. After......Introduction: The aim of this section is to describe the scope and objectives of this chapter on consumer perception of safety in the agri-food chain. Furthermore, the rationale for taking consumer behavioural issues into account in agri-food safety debates is provided. In order to shed some light...... on consumer behaviour with respect to food safety issues, this chapter both provides some basic principles of consumer behaviour and a selection of topical case studies. First, this chapter envisages introducing basic principles of consumer behaviour and consumer decision-making that are applicable in food...
agriGO v2.0: a GO analysis toolkit for the agricultural community, 2017 update.
Tian, Tian; Liu, Yue; Yan, Hengyu; You, Qi; Yi, Xin; Du, Zhou; Xu, Wenying; Su, Zhen
2017-07-03
The agriGO platform, which has been serving the scientific community for >10 years, specifically focuses on gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses of plant and agricultural species. We continuously maintain and update the databases and accommodate the various requests of our global users. Here, we present our updated agriGO that has a largely expanded number of supporting species (394) and datatypes (865). In addition, a larger number of species have been classified into groups covering crops, vegetables, fish, birds and insects closely related to the agricultural community. We further improved the computational efficiency, including the batch analysis and P-value distribution (PVD), and the user-friendliness of the web pages. More visualization features were added to the platform, including SEACOMPARE (cross comparison of singular enrichment analysis), direct acyclic graph (DAG) and Scatter Plots, which can be merged by choosing any significant GO term. The updated platform agriGO v2.0 is now publicly accessible at http://systemsbiology.cau.edu.cn/agriGOv2/. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.
Patterns of agri-environmental scheme participation in Europe
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pavlis, Evangelos S.; Terkenli, Theano S.; Kristensen, Søren Bech Pilgaard
2016-01-01
This paper investigates the personal and property characteristics of landowners who use EU Rural Development agri-environmental schemes (AES), as well as their motives for participation or non-participation in such schemes. The study is based on a questionnaire survey with landowners, in selected...... areas with marginal potential for agriculture. Motives for non-participation were also found to be dependent on the level of farming engagement and on case-area landscape types.......This paper investigates the personal and property characteristics of landowners who use EU Rural Development agri-environmental schemes (AES), as well as their motives for participation or non-participation in such schemes. The study is based on a questionnaire survey with landowners, in selected...... geographical particularities and on subjective factors, farmers' individualities, different rural cultures, landscape types, EU and national policies and special needs of the study areas—all areas where agricultural production is increasingly marginalized, for different reasons. Subsidy scheme participation...
Wynne-Jones, Sophie
2013-01-01
Policy debates in the European Union have increasingly emphasised "Payments for Ecosystem Services" (PES) as a model for delivering agri-environmental objectives. This paper examines the Glastir scheme, introduced in Wales in 2009, as a notable attempt to move between long standing models of European agri-environment regulation and…
The theoretical bases of the domestic agri-food market development
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kyryliuk O.F.
2017-01-01
Full Text Available the article explored the modern trends of the domestic agri-food market development, reasonable priorities of strengthening its role in the formation of socially oriented national economy.
Innovation dynamics of Salvadoran agri-food industry from an evolutionary perspective
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Peraza Castaneda, E.H.; Aleixandre Mendizábal, G.
2016-07-01
This paper presents a holistic approach to analyse the dynamics of innovation of a low-tech sector in a less developed economy, the agri-food industry in El Salvador, in the context of evolutionary economy. This requires using complementary quantitative and qualitative data and methodologies to better understand how Salvadoran agri-food industry innovation system works and how STI public policies can improve the performance of a key sector in terms of national socioeconomic development. The work already done shows a concentrated and vigorous sector with some upstream and downstream connections that innovate depending on firm size, age, R&D activities and use of industrial property rights. (Author)
Agri-Environmental Policy Measures in Israel: The Potential of Using Market-Oriented Instruments
Amdur, Liron; Bertke, Elke; Freese, Jan; Marggraf, Rainer
2011-05-01
This paper examines the possibilities of developing agri-environmental policy measures in Israel, focusing on market-oriented instruments. A conceptual framework for developing agri-environmental policy measures is presented, first in very broad lines (mandatory regulations, economic instruments and advisory measures) and subsequently focusing on economic instruments, and specifically, on market-oriented ones. Two criteria of choice between the measures are suggested: their contribution to improving the effectiveness of the policy; and the feasibility of their implementation. This is the framework used for analyzing agri-environmental measures in Israel. Israel currently implements a mix of mandatory regulations, economic instruments and advisory measures to promote the agri-environment. The use of additional economic instruments may improve the effectiveness of the policy. When comparing the effectiveness of various economic measures, we found that the feasibility of implementation of market-oriented instruments is greater, due to the Israeli public's preference for strengthening market orientation in the agricultural sector. Four market-oriented instruments were practiced in a pilot project conducted in an Israeli rural area. We found that in this case study, the institutional feasibility and acceptance by stakeholders were the major parameters influencing the implementation of the market-oriented instruments, whereas the instruments' contribution to enhancing the ecological or economic effectiveness were hardly considered by the stakeholders as arguments in favor of their use.
RFID Application Strategy in Agri-Food Supply Chain Based on Safety and Benefit Analysis
Zhang, Min; Li, Peichong
Agri-food supply chain management (SCM), a management method to optimize internal costs and productivities, has evolved as an application of e-business technologies. These days, RFID has been widely used in many fields. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of agri-food supply chain. Then the disadvantages of RFID are discussed. After that, we study the application strategies of RFID based on benefit and safety degree.
Changes in agri-business outcomes among the dairy beneficiaries ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This study compared changes in uptake of agri-business practices, productivity and wealth creation between dairy beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of Contracted Extension Service Delivery Model (CESDM) implemented by Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Project (KAPAP) in selected counties of Kenya ...
International agri-food chains and networks. Management and Organization
Bijman, J.; Omta, S.W.F.; Trienekens, J.H.; Wijnands, J.H.M.; Wubben, E.F.M.
2006-01-01
This book brings together a rich collection of papers on management and organization in agri-food chains and networks. Producers, processors, traders and retailers of agricultural and food products operate in an economic and institutional environment that is increasingly dominated by global
Nanotechnology in agri-food production: an overview
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sekhon BS
2014-05-01
Full Text Available Bhupinder Singh SekhonInstitute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PCTE Group of Institutes, Ludhiana, IndiaAbstract: Nanotechnology is one of the most important tools in modern agriculture, and agri-food nanotechnology is anticipated to become a driving economic force in the near future. Agri-food themes focus on sustainability and protection of agriculturally produced foods, including crops for human consumption and animal feeding. Nanotechnology provides new agrochemical agents and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity, and it promises to reduce pesticide use. Nanotechnology can boost agricultural production, and its applications include: 1 nanoformulations of agrochemicals for applying pesticides and fertilizers for crop improvement; 2 the application of nanosensors/nanobiosensors in crop protection for the identification of diseases and residues of agrochemicals; 3 nanodevices for the genetic manipulation of plants; 4 plant disease diagnostics; 5 animal health, animal breeding, poultry production; and 6 postharvest management. Precision farming techniques could be used to further improve crop yields but not damage soil and water, reduce nitrogen loss due to leaching and emissions, as well as enhance nutrients long-term incorporation by soil microorganisms. Nanotechnology uses include nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants for the development of insect-resistant varieties, food processing and storage, nanofeed additives, and increased product shelf life. Nanotechnology promises to accelerate the development of biomass-to-fuels production technologies. Experts feel that the potential benefits of nanotechnology for agriculture, food, fisheries, and aquaculture need to be balanced against concerns for the soil, water, and environment and the occupational health of workers. Raising awareness of nanotechnology in the agri-food sector, including feed and food ingredients, intelligent packaging and quick-detection systems, is
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Barbara WOŚ
2015-10-01
Full Text Available The aim of the article is to show the evolution stages of agri-tourism in the Opole Province between the years 2002 and 2014. The bases for the study are as follows: archival and current data on the development of rural tourism, field research and interviews conducted in agri-tourism farms of the Opole Province. The research presents the stages of agri-tourism development in the Opole Province and identifies its basic tendencies. During the study the following basic trends were observed: the shift from agri-tourism to rural tourism, creation of family businesses implying an increase in the number of beds and service offer; experiential marketing – forming a specific offer for a specific recipient; increase in the standard of services and the development of active recreation; development of eco-tourism enriched by educational activities.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda
2017-06-01
Full Text Available The aim of this article is to determine the potential trade effects of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP for the EU agri-food sector. The ex post analysis covered the characteristics of agri-food trade between the EU and the US in the years 2004–2014 on the basis of statistical data from the database of the World Bank WITS. The ex ante evaluation was carried out using SMART – a partial equilibrium model. The results of the study indicate that although bilateral agri-food trade relations of the EU–US have relatively little importance, but it is significant at the individual industries level. TTIP agreement, which includes the reduction of tariff barriers to agri-food trade between the EU and the US, will contribute to boosting bilateral agri-food trade to a greater extent for the US. The creation of a free trade produces mostly creation effect, whereby it will be asymmetric – concentrated in a few product groups.
Minnesota wood energy scale-up project 1994 establishment cost data
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Downing, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Pierce, R. [Champion International, Alexandria, MN (United States); Kroll, T. [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources-Forestry, St. Cloud, MN (United States)
1996-03-18
The Minnesota Wood Energy Scale-up Project began in late 1993 with the first trees planted in the spring of 1994. The purpose of the project is to track and monitor economic costs of planting, maintaining and monitoring larger scale commercial plantings. For 15 years, smaller scale research plantings of hybrid poplar have been used to screen for promising, high-yielding poplar clones. In this project 1000 acres of hybrid poplar trees were planted on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land near Alexandria, Minnesota in 1994. The fourteen landowners involved re-contracted with the CRP for five-year extensions of their existing 10-year contracts. These extended contracts will expire in 2001, when the plantings are 7 years old. The end use for the trees planted in the Minnesota Wood Energy Scale-up Project is undetermined. They will belong to the owner of the land on which they are planted. There are no current contracts in place for the wood these trees are projected to supply. The structure of the wood industry in the Minnesota has changed drastically over the past 5 years. Stumpage values for fiber have risen to more than $20 per cord in some areas raising the possibility that these trees could be used for fiber rather than energy. Several legislative mandates have forced the State of Minnesota to pursue renewable energy including biomass energy. These mandates, a potential need for an additional 1700 MW of power by 2008 by Northern States Power, and agricultural policies will all affect development of energy markets for wood produced much like agricultural crops. There has been a tremendous amount of local and international interest in the project. Contractual negotiations between area landowners, the CRP, a local Resource Conservation and Development District, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and others are currently underway for additional planting of 1000 acres in spring 1995.
Wolfert, J.; Verdouw, C.N.; Verloop, C.M.; Beulens, A.J.M.
2010-01-01
Agri-food enterprises operate in a complex and dynamic environment. To meet increasing demands of consumers, government and business partners, enterprises continuously have to work on innovations of products, processes and ways of cooperation in agri-food supply chain networks (AFSCN). Hence, a
Measuring supply chain performance in the agri-food sector
Aramyan, L.H.
2007-01-01
Keywords : PMS,agri-food, supply chain, efficiency, flexibility, responsiveness, food quality
The main objective of this research is to contribute to the development of a Performance Measurement System (PMS) foragri-food supply chains that involves the entire chain (i.e. all
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This shapefile describes water trails in the State of Minnesota as designated through legislation and recognized by the Department of Natural Resources. The...
Virtual water trade of agri-food products: Evidence from italian-chinese relations.
Lamastra, Lucrezia; Miglietta, Pier Paolo; Toma, Pierluigi; De Leo, Federica; Massari, Stefania
2017-12-01
At global scale, the majority of world water withdrawal is for the agricultural sector, with differences among countries depending on the relevance of agri-food sector in the economy. Virtual water and water footprint could be useful to express the impact on the water resources of each production process and good with the objective to lead to a sustainable use of water at a global level. International trade could be connected to the virtual water flows, in fact through commodities importation, water poor countries can save their own water resources. The present paper focuses on the bilateral virtual water flows connected to the top ten agri-food products traded between Italy and China. Comparing the virtual water flow related to the top 10 agri-food products, the virtual water flow from Italy to China is bigger than the water flow in the opposite direction. Moreover, the composition of virtual water flows is different; Italy imports significant amounts of grey water from China, depending on the different environmental strategies adopted by the two selected countries. This difference could be also related to the fact that traded commodities are very different; the 91% of virtual water imported by Italy is connected to crops products, while the 95% of virtual water imported by China is related to the animal products. Considering national water saving and global water saving, appears that Italy imports virtual water from China while China exerts pressure on its water resources to supply the exports to Italy. This result at global scale implies a global water loss of 129.29millionm3 because, in general, the agri-food products are traded from the area with lower water productivity to the area with the higher water productivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ondersteijn, C.J.M.; Wijnands, J.H.M.; Huirne, R.B.M.; Kooten, van O.
2006-01-01
Due to globalization and internationalization of agri-food production, the arena of competition and competitive advantage is moving from individual firms operating on spot markets towards supply chains and networks. Therefore, coordination between firms within the chain becomes more important.
Power quality affects teacher wellbeing and student behavior in three Minnesota Schools
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Havas, Magda; Olstad, Angela
2008-01-01
Background: Poor power quality (dirty electricity) is ubiquitous especially in schools with fluorescent lights and computers. Previous studies have shown a relationship between power quality and student behavior/teacher health. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the ability of power line filters to reduce dirty electricity in a school environment and to document changes in health and behavior among teachers and students. Method: We installed Graham Stetzer filters and dummy filters and measured power quality in three Minnesota Schools. Teachers completed a daily questionnaire regarding their health and the behavior of their students for an 8-week period. Teachers were unaware of which filters were installed at any one time (single blind study). Results: Dirty electricity was reduced by more than 90% in the three schools and during this period teacher health improved as did student behavior in the middle/elementary schools. Headaches, general weakness, dry eyes/mouth, facial flushing, asthma, skin irritations, overall mood including depression and anxiety improved significantly among staff. Of the 44 teachers who participated 64% were better, 30% were worse, and 6% did not change. Behavior of high school students did not improve but elementary/middle school students were more active in class; more responsive, more focused; had fewer health complaints; and had a better overall learning experience. Conclusions: Dirty electricity in schools may be adversely affecting wellbeing of teachers and behavior of their students, especially younger students in middle and elementary school. Power line filters improve power quality and may also protect those who are sensitive to this energy. Work on electric and magnetic field metrics with and without Stetzer filters urgently needs to be carried out to determine just what characteristics of the dirty electricity may be interacting with the people
Business Process Modelling in Demand-Driven Agri-Food Supply Chains
Verdouw, C.N.; Beulens, A.J.M.; Trienekens, J.H.; Wolfert, J.
2010-01-01
Agri-food companies increasingly participate in demand-driven supply chains that are able to adapt flexibly to changes in the marketplace. The objective of this presentation is to discuss a process modelling framework, which enhances the interoperability and agility of information systems as
Effectiveness of the Swiss agri-environment scheme in promoting biodiversity
Knop, E.; Kleijn, D.; Herzog, F.; Schmid, B.
2006-01-01
1. Increasing concern over the loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes was one of the reasons for the introduction of agri-environment schemes in Europe. These schemes compensate farmers financially for any loss of income associated with measures aimed to benefit biodiversity. Nevertheless,
An updated generic architecture describingcompliance in Agri-Food Supply Chains
Kruize, J.W.; Robbemond, R.M.; Verwaart, T.
2016-01-01
In this report a generic architecture is presented comprising an inventory of the most important actors, roles, processes and information that are relevant in the processes of standardisation, certification and compliance in Agri-Food Supply Chains. This architecture becomes part of an architectural
Quality and safety of agri-food systems: technological and economic innovations
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Domenico Ragazzi
2008-04-01
Full Text Available This study aims to point out the evolution of the economical approach to the topics of agri-food product quality and safety with particular attention to the schemes developed at European level. Thus, we wish to underline the forces which identified the insurance and certification systems as innovative tools for quality problem management in agri-food systems and what aspects they allow to manage according to the different needs of the stakeholders. In the last years, the proliferation of these schemes was so strong to considered the recent Iso 22000 Law as a possible solution for the harmonization process. Finally, some aspects of traceability systems are examined, apart from law obligations, identifying important opportunity of differentiation and acquisition of competitive advantages for the organization choosing them.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Minnesota county boundaries derived from a combination of 1:24,000 scale PLS lines, 1:100,000 scale TIGER, 1:100,000 scale DLG, and 1:24,000 scale hydrography lines....
Understanding the organization of sharing economy in agri-food systems
Miralles, Isabel; Dentoni, Domenico; Pascucci, Stefano
2017-01-01
Despite the proliferation of sharing economy initiatives in agri-food systems, the recent literature has still not unravelled what sharing exactly entails from an organizational standpoint. In light of this knowledge gap, this study aims to understand which resources are shared, and how, in a
Utilization of INIS and AGRIS by the food industry
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Loefflerova, J.
1982-01-01
The Technical Information Centre of the Food Industry has begun publishing user handbooks on various foreign services, such as Chemical Abstracts and the CAS, the International Food Information Service - Food Science and Technology Abstracts, the magnetic tape service Engineering Index - COMPENDEX, the DERWENT patent service, a handbook on the services provided by INIS and by AGRIS/FAO. (M.D.)
Design of Green Cold Chain Networks for Imported Fresh Agri-Products in Belt and Road Development
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yan Fang
2018-05-01
Full Text Available The development of Belt and Road has seen a boom of imported fresh agri-products in China. This stimulates the growth of refrigerated transport, which accounts for much more carbon emissions than traditional transport. Designing a sustainable cold chain network is of vital importance from both financial and environmental perspectives. In this research, a multi-objective linear programming model is proposed for green cold chain design for multiple imported fresh agri-products in China to balance between the two competing goals—the total cost and carbon emissions. The effect of the outdoor air temperature on the carbon emissions of transportation and maintaining distribution centers is considered. By applying the ε-constraint method, the multi-objective model is solved. Numerical examples derived from the scenario of imported fresh-agri products in China are conducted to shed light on green cold chain design under Belt and Road development.
Work-related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector
Lans, T.; Wesselink, R.; Biemans, H.J.A.; Mulder, M.
2004-01-01
This article presents a study on work-related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector. Accordingly, learning needs, learning preferences, learning motivation and conditions in the context of lifelong learning were identified. The results indicate that technology, IT and
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Henrik Barth
2017-09-01
Full Text Available This paper aims to increase our understanding of sustainable business model innovation in the agri-food sector in terms of its theoretical and practical approaches for sustainability and their degree of complexity and maturity. The paper is based on a systematic literature review of 570 journal articles on business models and business model innovation published between 1990 and 2014. Of these articles, only 21 have business model innovation as their main focus. The review shows that research interest in the agri-food sector has increased in these years. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for sustainable business model innovation in the agri-food sector that can be used to meet the challenges encountered in taking a sustainability perspective.
Brewster, C.A.; Wolfert, J.; Sundmaeker, H.
2012-01-01
This paper discusses the specific challenges of the agri-food sector in the light of research carried out in the SmartAgriFood project. Using questionnaires and focus groups, our research identifies a number of business needs and drivers which enable the identification of suitable Future Internet
2000-01-01
Software packages commercially marketed by Agri ImaGIS allow customers to analyze farm fields. Agri ImaGIS provides satellite images of farmland and agricultural views to US clients. The company approached NASA-MSU TechLink for access to technology that would improve the company's capabilities to deliver satellite images over the Internet. TechLink found that software with the desired functions had already been developed through NASA's Remote Sensing Database Program. Agri ImaGIS formed a partnership with the University of Minnesota group that allows the company to further develop the software to meet its Internet commerce needs.
Localized Agri-Food Systems and Biodiversity
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bolette Bele
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Interest in localized agri-food systems has grown significantly in recent years. They are associated with several benefits and are seen as important for rural development. An important share of the academic debate addresses the contribution of localized food systems to the current and/or future sustainability of agriculture. Sustainability is defined in several ways, but many scholars recognize that sustainability can only be achieved by a combination of socio-economic, cultural, and environmental aspects. However, the attributes and indicators used for sustainability analyses also differ. Biodiversity is, for instance, often not included in analyses of environmental sustainability even if biodiversity is of crucial importance for longer-term ecological sustainability. To contribute to the debate about the importance of localized food production for sustainability from the environmental point of view, specifically with regard to biodiversity, this is therefore discussed based on the results of several studies presented in this paper. The studies focus on Nordic low-intensity livestock systems related to species-rich semi-natural grasslands. All the studies show that low-intensive agriculture and use of semi-natural grasslands may play an important role in maintaining biodiversity on both small and large scales. They also show that milk and dairy products from free-ranging livestock in heterogeneous landscapes with semi-natural grasslands may have a unique quality associated with local grazing resources. Thus, producers can combine production of food of documented high nutritional and gastronomic value with maintenance of biodiversity, i.e., localized agri-food production based on low-intensive agriculture systems and semi-natural grasslands may be a win-win recipe for both farmers and the society.
Nanotechnologies associated to floral resources in agri-food sector
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ahmad S Ammar
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Nanotechnology advent in agri-food sector is set to prompt next revolution in agricultural engineering. However, there is a perpetually rising need for development of new nanotechnologies that could synchronically work with various agrochemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and growth promoters to potentially increase farmlands efficiency, preserve agro-ecosystems, and diminish the negative health risks imposed by conventional practices. In nanotechnology, smart delivery systems that utilize either nanoscale carriers such as clay nanotubes and carbon nanotubes or nanoparticles such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles, could enable not only the accurate and targeted delivery of functional ingredients but also their impartial dissemination over farmlands. Nanotechnology has found applications for bioremediation of irrigation water and agricultural runoff, crop breeding, agronomic traits via genetic manipulation of genomes at molecular level, and detection of minute quantities of contaminants and stressors as well as early detection of plant diseases and continuous monitoring of plant environment through employment of nano-biosensors. Scientists are diligently working to explore new substitutes for conventional technologies. Advancements in nanotechnology could help them to explore new frontiers and find novel applications in agri-food sector.
A Conceptual Framework for Agri-Food Tourism as an Eco-Innovation Strategy in Small Farms
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shang-Yu Liu
2017-09-01
Full Text Available The proposed conceptual framework explores how small-scale farms can combine agricultural products and tourism into an eco-innovation strategy. This paper presents a case study conducted on a family-run farm within the territory of the Paiwan tribal community of the North Dawu Mountain situated in the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. The area has become an important coffee-farming region since the Japanese colonial period between 1895 and 1945. For many years, most of the indigenous farmers of the area have cultivated varieties of coffee plants using traditional, non-commercial methods, such as a single-sale channel. The small-scale farmer implements an integrated approach that systematically optimizes supply chain relationships to improve both the upstream and downstream sides of agri-food tourism services. The upstream element of agri-food tourism, for example, can be adjusted to employ organic or “natural” farming methods that allow small-scale farmers to secure an “organic” certification. Based on this approach, a small farm is gradually transformed into a type of educational institution that can demonstrate to customers the methods for farming high-quality organic coffee while also attracting tourists of various backgrounds to experience the downstream components of agri-food tourism in a recreational setting. This case study highlights how a particular small-scale farmer plays an important role in attracting other tribal farmers to engage in sustainable practices that help preserve cultural, social, and environmental systems while also presenting agri-food tourism as a brand identity.
Some remarks on computational approaches towards sustainable complex agri-food systems
Perrot, N.; Vries, de Hugo; Lutton, Evelyne; Mil, van H.G.J.; Donner, Mechthild; Tonda, Alberto; Martin, Sophie; Alvarez, Isabel; Bourgine, Paul; Linden, van der E.; Axelos, M.A.V.
2016-01-01
Background: Agri-food is one of the most important sectors of the industry in Europe and potentially a major contributor to the global warming. Sustainability issues in this context pose a huge challenge for several reasons: the variety of considered scales, the number of disciplines involved, the
Work-Related Lifelong Learning for Entrepreneurs in the Agri-Food Sector
Lans, Thomas; Wesselink, Renate; Biemans, Harm J. A.; Mulder, Martin
2004-01-01
This article presents a study on work-related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector. Accordingly, learning needs, learning preferences, learning motivation and conditions in the context of lifelong learning were identified. The results indicate that technology, IT and entrepreneurial competencies will become of increasing…
Biohydrogen production from renewable agri-waste blend: Optimization using mixer design
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Prakasham, R.S.; Sathish, T.; Brahmaiah, P.; Subba Rao, Ch. [Bioengineering and Environmental Center, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 607 (India); Sreenivas Rao, R.; Hobbs, Phil J. [North-Wyke Research, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB (United Kingdom)
2009-08-15
Biohydrogen from untreated mixed renewable agri-waste using buffalo dung compost is reported. Corn husk (CH) supported 25% higher hydrogen (H{sub 2}) production and showed the maximum value (62.38%) with p value (1.2 x 10{sup -6}) revealing its significance at individual and interactive level, respectively, compared to ground nut shell (GNS) and rice husk (RH). Augmented-simplex-lattice design experimentation revealed that a partial supplementation of RH or GNS to CH improves H{sub 2} yield. Multiple-linear-regression analysis indicated that a quadratic model (low p = 0.0023, high F value = 35.99 and R{sup 2}{sub quadratic} = 0.99) was more significant compared to other (linear, cubic and special cubic) models. Acetate and butyrate were accounted >80% of the volatile fatty acids (VFAs). A maximum accumulation of 65.78 ml H{sub 2} g{sup -1} TVS was produced using agri-wastes in the ratio of CH:RH:GNS = 70:16:12. (author)
Minnesota County Boundaries - lines
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Minnesota county boundaries derived from a combination of 1:24,000 scale PLS lines, 1:100,000 scale TIGER, 1:100,000 scale DLG, and 1:24,000 scale hydrography lines....
Agri-envrionmental indicators: recommendations for priority data collection and dat combination
Velthof, G.L.
2011-01-01
This document is the result of the "DireDate project"'s tasks 4 and 5. The DireDate project focused on analysing the direct and indirect data needs linked to the farms, with the objective of setting up an efficient and sustainable data collection for agri-environmental indicators and policy
Agri-Environmental Schemes and Grassland Biodiversity: Another Side of the Coin
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Münch, Angela
2010-01-01
In this paper, the Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) of the European Union are evaluated on the basis of county-level data for the German Federal States Thuringia and Bavaria. The purpose is to disentangle the effects of AES on farming practice from their effects on biodiversity. One of the major ...
Henson, Spencer; Humphrey, John
2010-01-01
The increasing prevalence of private standards governing food safety, food quality and environmental and social impacts of agri-food systems has raised concerns about the effects on developing countries, as well as the governance of agri-food value chains more broadly. It is argued that current debates have been 'clouded' by a failure to recognise the diversity of private standards in terms of their institutional form, who develops and adopts these standards and why. In particular, there is a need to appreciate the close inter-relationships between public regulations and private standards and the continuing ways in which private standards evolve.
Assessing long-term sustainable environmental impacts of agri-environment schemes on land use
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Vesterager, Jens Peter; Teilmann, Kasper Aalling; Vejre, Henrik
2012-01-01
, and indicators of the environmental state at farm level. In a Danish test case, agricultural practices at twenty-five farms in two groundwater protection zones were assessed. Data was collected from databases, registers, maps and interviews with farmers. The index was calculated for 1996/7 and 2006/7 to track......The lack of generic methods to assess the environmental consequences of agricultural practices and the lack of consensus on monitoring and evaluation of environmental, agricultural and socio-economic effects of agri-environment schemes (AES) in EU Member States call for better evaluation methods....... It is important to consider the robustness of each indicator: to assess whether changes will occur over time; whether changes are linked to management practices or external factors; and whether data are available up to date. Indicators dependent upon uptake data from agri-environmental schemes should be used...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sun Yiling; Liu Yulong; Li Yuan; Bian Huahui; Bi Jinling; Qiu Mengyue; Liu Chunfeng
2011-01-01
Objective: To explore the personality features of nuclear power plant operators and the influencing factors thereof. Methods: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was used to examine the personality features of 136 nuclear power plant operators randomly selected from 2 cooperative units, all males. The results were compared with the nationwide norms and subsequently an inter-block contrast analysis was carried out. Results: Obvious difference was observed in the final scores between the nuclear power plant operators and nationwide norms. The former got higher scores on hysteria (t=3.05, P<0.05), and lower scores on hypochondriasis, depression, morbid personality, masculinity-femininity, paranoia, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, hypomania, and social introversion(t=7.47, 7.47, 7.31, 2.23, 15.09, 16.15, 19.28, 7.88, 11.10, P<0.05). The scores on hypochondriasis, depression, schizophrenia, and social introversion of those with the length of services over 3 years were all significantly higher than those of with the length of services less than 3 years (t=3.25, 2.51, 2.76, 3.00, P<0.05). The scores on hypochondriasis, depression, psychopathicdeviate, and social introversion of the operators aged over 30 were all significantly higher than those of the operators aged below 30 (t=2.36, 2.35, 2.01, 2.54, P<0.05). Conclusions: The psychological quality of the nuclear power plant operators is superior to that of the general population. (authors)
Minnesota Walk-In Access Sites
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — The Minnesota Walk-In Access site (WIA) GIS data represents areas of private land that have been made open to the public for the purpose of walk-in (foot travel)...
An updated generic architecture describingcompliance in Agri-Food Supply Chains
Kruize, J.W.; Robbemond, R.M.; Verwaart, T.
2016-01-01
In this report a generic architecture is presented comprising an inventory of the most important actors, roles, processes and information that are relevant in the processes of standardisation, certification and compliance in Agri-Food Supply Chains. This architecture becomes part of an architectural framework. The architectural framework aims to reduce the paper -based administration by improving digitalisation of compliance processes and to enable a more efficient and effective data exchange...
Orchestrating innovation networks: The case of innovation brokers in the agri-food sector
Batterink, M.H.; Wubben, E.F.M.; Klerkx, L.W.A.; Omta, S.W.F.
2010-01-01
This explorative study of network orchestration processes conducted by innovation brokers addresses new issues in bridging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutes in innovation networks. The study includes four in-depth case studies in the agri-food sector from different
Geomorphology of Minnesota - Isolated Landform Structures
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Geomorphology of Minnesota - Isolated Landform Structures are essentially cartographic arcs representing isolated glacial features that were mapped in conjunction...
Information and Communication Technology as a Driver for Change in Agri-food Chains
Poppe, Krijn J.; Wolfert, J.; Verdouw, Cor; Verwaart, Tim
2013-01-01
Agri-food chains will be changed in the coming years by Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Technological trends and economic analysis suggest that ICT will be a major driver for innovation. Satellites and sensors make precision agriculture possible. More and more data are being
Exploring the benefit of farming slideshow to agri-business marketing
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Peng Yung-Hsing
2017-01-01
Full Text Available In Taiwan agriculture, most of the production management is done by paperwork. This kind of approach is labor-costing, and unable to give real-time information, which makes it difficult to disclose sufficient information from production, and therefore results in the problem of food safety. To break the bottleneck, the Institute for Information Industry (III develops the Smart Agri-management Platform (S.A.M.P., providing cloud services for agricultural production and sale management. In this paper, we adopt the S.A.M.P. to collect farming records containing images, date, field location, and task name. Traditionally, farming records are used to generate a table of texts for traceability. However, it is difficult to arouse the interest from customers by merely using texts. Therefore, this paper proposes the mechanism of farming slideshow, a new presentation of traceability by dynamic arrangement to farming records on S.A.M.P. The experiment is performed in the Yongling organic farm in Kaohsiung, generating over 30,000 vegetable packages supporting farming slideshow. According to 42 valid questionnaires from customers, 83% of them express higher willing to buy products with farming slideshow than those with only texts. Therefore, food traceability with slideshow can offer benefit to agri-business marketing, which is a positive reference for future agriculture.
Chemical Dependency Regional Needs Assessment: Northeastern Minnesota.
Stone, Marylee
The Minnesota Model of Chemical Dependency Treatment, which evolved from a combination of the grassroots Alcoholics Anonymous movement and the State Mental Health Services in the 1960s has made Minnesota an international leader in chemical dependency treatment efforts. Northeastern Minnesota has shared this reputation with the state. In spite of…
Cumulative Student Loan Debt in Minnesota, 2015
Williams-Wyche, Shaun
2016-01-01
To better understand student debt in Minnesota, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (the Office) gathers information on cumulative student loan debt from Minnesota degree-granting institutions. These data detail the number of students with loans by institution, the cumulative student loan debt incurred at that institution, and the percentage…
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Statewide minor watershed delineations with major/minor watershed identifiers and names for provinces, major watersheds, and basins. Also included are watershed...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tomaž Bartol
2008-01-01
Full Text Available The paper tackles international information system for agriculture Agris and local processing of metadata with database management software WebAgris. Operations are coordinated by the central repository at the FAO in Rome. Based on international standards and unified methodology, national and regional centers collect and process local publications, and then send the records to the central unit, which enables global website accessibility of the data. Earlier DOS-run application was based on package Agrin CDS/ISIS. The Current package WebAgris runs on web servers. Database construction tools and instructions are accessible on FAO Web pages. Data are entered through unified input masks. International consistency is achieved through authority control of certain elements, such as author or corporate affiliation. Central authority control is made available for subject headings, such as descriptors and subject categories.Subject indexing is based on controlled multilingual thesaurus Agrovoc, also available freely on the Internet. This glossary has become an important tool in the area of the international agricultural ontology. The data are exported to the central unit in XML format. Global database is currently eccessible to everyone. This international cooperative information network combines elements of a document repository,electronic publishing, open archiving and full text open access. Links with Google Scholar provide a good possibility for international promotion of publishing.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marianne Hubeau
2017-06-01
Full Text Available In recent years, research, society and industry recognize the need to transform the agri-food system towards sustainability. Within this process, sustainability experiments play a crucial role in transforming the structure, culture and practices. In literature, much attention is given to new business models, even if the transformation of conventional firms toward sustainability may offer opportunities to accelerate the transformation. Further acceleration could be achieved through collaboration of multiple actors across the agri-food system, but this calls for a systems approach. Therefore, we developed and applied a new sustainability experiment systems approach (SESA consisting of an analytical framework that allows a reflective evaluation and cross-case analysis of multi-actor governance networks based on business and learning evaluation criteria. We performed a cross-case analysis of four agri-food sustainability experiments in Flanders to test and validate SESA. Hereby, the key factors of the success of collaboration and its performance were identified at the beginning of a sustainability experiment. Some of the key factors identified were risk sharing and the drivers to participate. We are convinced that these results may be used as an analytical tool for researchers, a tool to support and design new initiatives for policymakers, and a reflective tool for participating actors.
Regulatory aspects of nanotechnology in the agri/feed/food sector in EU and non-EU countries.
Amenta, Valeria; Aschberger, Karin; Arena, Maria; Bouwmeester, Hans; Botelho Moniz, Filipa; Brandhoff, Puck; Gottardo, Stefania; Marvin, Hans J P; Mech, Agnieszka; Quiros Pesudo, Laia; Rauscher, Hubert; Schoonjans, Reinhilde; Vettori, Maria Vittoria; Weigel, Stefan; Peters, Ruud J
2015-10-01
Nanotechnology has the potential to innovate the agricultural, feed and food sectors (hereinafter referred to as agri/feed/food). Applications that are marketed already include nano-encapsulated agrochemicals or nutrients, antimicrobial nanoparticles and active and intelligent food packaging. Many nano-enabled products are currently under research and development, and may enter the market in the near future. As for any other regulated product, applicants applying for market approval have to demonstrate the safe use of such new products without posing undue safety risks to the consumer and the environment. Several countries all over the world have been active in examining the appropriateness of their regulatory frameworks for dealing with nanotechnologies. As a consequence of this, different approaches have been taken in regulating nano-based products in agri/feed/food. The EU, along with Switzerland, were identified to be the only world region where nano-specific provisions have been incorporated in existing legislation, while in other regions nanomaterials are regulated more implicitly by mainly building on guidance for industry. This paper presents an overview and discusses the state of the art of different regulatory measures for nanomaterials in agri/feed/food, including legislation and guidance for safety assessment in EU and non-EU countries. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Student Loan Default Rates in Minnesota, 2007
Grimes, Tricia
2010-01-01
While Minnesota undergraduates are more likely to take out student loans, they are substantially less likely than their peers nationally to default on federal student loans. Fifty-four percent of Minnesota undergraduates took out student loans in 2007-2008, compared to 39 percent of undergraduates across the U.S. Minnesota undergraduates were also…
Minnesota State Park Trails and Roads
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This shapefile covers the trails in the State of Minnesota Parks, Recreation Areas, and Waysides as designated through legislation and recognized by the Department...
Uetake, Tetsuya
2015-01-01
Purpose: Large-scale collective action is necessary when managing agricultural natural resources such as biodiversity and water quality. This paper determines the key factors to the success of such action. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper analyses four large-scale collective actions used to manage agri-environmental resources in Canada and…
Empirical yield tables for Minnesota.
Jerold T. Hahn; Gerhard K. Raile
1982-01-01
Describes the tables derived from the 1977 Forest Survey of Minnesota and presents examples of how the tables can be used. These tables are broken down according to Minnesota's four Forest Survey Units, 14 forest types, and 5 site index classes. Presents 210 of the 350 possible tables that contained sufficient data to justify publication.
Bremmers, H.J.; Omta, S.W.F.; Kemp, R.G.M.; Haverkamp, D.J.
2007-01-01
This paper presents the results of a survey that included 492 companies in the Dutch agri-food sector with respect to the influence of stakeholder groups on the companies' level of environmental management system (EMS) implementation. It is concluded that primary stakeholders (government, clients)
Dedeurwaerdere, Tom; Polard, Audrey; Melindi-Ghidi, Paolo
2015-11-01
Compensation payments to farmers for the provision of agri-environmental services are a well-established policy scheme under the EU Common Agricultural Policy. However, in spite of the success in most EU countries in the uptake of the programme by farmers, the impact of the scheme on the long term commitment of farmers to change their practices remains poorly documented. To explore this issue, this paper presents the results of structured field interviews and a quantitative survey in the Walloon Region of Belgium. The main finding of this study is that farmers who have periodic contacts with network bridging organisations that foster cooperation and social learning in the agri-environmental landscapes show a higher commitment to change. This effect is observed both for farmers with high and low concern for biodiversity depletion. Support for network bridging organisations is foreseen under the EU Leader programme and the EU regulation 1306/2013, which could open-up interesting opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of the current payment scheme for agri-environmental services.
Elevation - LIDAR Survey - Roseau County, Minnesota
Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — LIDAR Data for Roseau County Minnesota. This project consists of approximately 87 square miles of LIDAR mapping in Roseau County, Minnesota at two sites: area 1,...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Amaranta Herrero
2015-08-01
Full Text Available Over the past twenty years, agricultural biotechnologies have generated chronically unresolved political controversies. The standard tool of risk assessment has proven to be highly limited in its ability to address the panoply of concerns that exist about these hybrid techno/organisms. It has also failed to account for both the conceptual and material networks of relations agricultural biotechnologies require, create and/or perform. This paper takes as a starting point that agricultural biotechnologies cannot be usefully assessed as isolated technological entities but need to be evaluated within the context of the broader socio-ecological system that they embody and engender. The paper then explores, compares and contrasts some of the methodological tools available for advancing this systems-based perspective. The article concludes by outlining a new synthesis approach of comparative cartographies of agri/cultures generated through multi-sited ethnographic case-studies, which is proposed as a way to generate system maps and enable the comparison of genetically modified (GM food with both conventional and alternative agri-food networks for sustainability assessment. The paper aims to make a unique theoretical and methodological contribution by advancing a systems-based approach to conceptualising and assessing genetically modified organisms (GMOs and proposing a synthesised methodology for mapping networks of relations across different agri/cultures.
Materia, Valentina C.; Pascucci, Stefano; Dries, Liesbeth
2017-01-01
We analyse European agri-food firms’ choices about innovation in-house or through outsourcing and provide empirical evidence about the correlation between these strategies. The relationship between the innovation strategy and firm-, industry- and innovation-specific characteristics is analysed
Materia, V.C.; Pascucci, S.; Dries, L.K.E.
2014-01-01
The paper investigates the determinants of innovation strategies in the agri-food sector and
the potential complementarity of these strategies. Innovation strategies are distinguished as
in-house and outsourcing. The choice between strategies is motivated by transaction
Biogas production from animal manure and agri-organic by-products. An analysis of the environment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
De Boo, W.
1997-12-01
Growing interest in sustainable energy has been directed to the production of biogas from organic matter in animal manure and agri-organic by-products. The technology of biogas production by anaerobic digestion of organic materials is used in several parts of the world. Based on this experience and on positive results in a Novem study for the Netherlands situation in 1995, an actor survey has been carried out. The introduction of combined digestion of animal manure and agri-organic by-products has been discussed with companies, business associations and governmental organisations in the energy, agricultural and waste sectors. The survey has revealed that commercial exploitation of biogas plants with a capacity of 100 kton per year is possible under the following conditions: (1) costs of investment should not be higher than 100 Dutch Guilders (45 ECU) per ton processing capacity; (2) yield demands on investment capital, both equity and debt, should not be higher than 8%; (3) selling price for biogas should be around 0,30 Dutch Guilders (0,135 ECU) per m o 3 natural gas equivalents; (4) supply for processing of agri-organic by-products with a received minimum fee of 35 Dutch Guilders (15,7 ECU) per ton should be guaranteed; (5) dairy, pig and arable farmers involved in the biogas plant should have both financial and quality incentives to participation; (6) environmental legislation on the level of heavy metals in animal manure mixed with agri-organic byproducts should not be different from the accepted levels in 'normal' animal manure; and finally (7) the site of the biogas plant accepted by local authorities should be suitable by logistic standards for the transports of animal manure, agri-organic by-products, the digested mixture and biogas. It has been concluded that these conditions are not unrealistic, although there is no absolute certainty that they will be fulfilled. However, circumstances for the implementation of biogas plants have improved in recent years
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Emilio J. González-Sánchez
2016-10-01
Full Text Available Conservation Agriculture is an ecosystem approach to farming capable of providing solutions for numerous of the agri-environmental concerns in Europe. Certainly, most of the challenges addressed in the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP could be tackled through Conservation Agriculture (CA. Not only the agri-environmental ones, but also those concerning farmer and rural communities’ prosperity. The optimisation of inputs and similar yields than conventional tillage, make Conservation Agriculture a profitable system compared to the tillage based agriculture. Whereas this sustainable agricultural system was conceived for protecting agrarian soils from its degradation, the numerous collateral benefits that emanate from soil conservation, i.e., climate change mitigation and adaptation, have raised Conservation Agriculture as one of the global emerging agrosciences, being adopted by an increasing number of farmers worldwide, including Europe.
Blurring the Boundaries between Vocational Education, Business and Research in the Agri-Food Domain
Wals, Arjen E. J.; Lans, Thomas; Kupper, Hendrik
2012-01-01
This article discusses the emergence and significance of new knowledge configurations within the Dutch agri-food context. Knowledge configurations can be characterised as arrangements between VET and (often regional) partners in business and research aimed at improving knowledge transfer, circulation or co-creation. Based on a literature review…
Farm data needed for Agri-environmental reporting
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Oenema, O.; Amon, B.; van Beek, C.
from the annual surveys of the annual Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) and sales data of market organization. Evidently, this proposal has the lowest farm data collection burden, but may face some loss of accuracy. Finally, the 28 AEIs capture the main agri-environmental interactions...... that will serve primarily European and national statisticians for creating the agreed 28 agrienvironmental indicators (AEIs) and thus serve policy makers, but as well agricultural and environmental researchers, observers of climate change and other environmental issues linked to agriculture”. The analysis of EU......): 1. Proceed as indicated in Regulation 1166/2008 with FSS in 2010, 2013 and 2016, and SAPM in 2010/2011. Include data from existing and additional survey(s) related to fertilizers, pesticides, energy, animal feeding and manure management in intermediate years, preferably at farm level. From 2016...
Nitrogen balances at farm level as a tool to monitor effects of agri-environment policy
Brouwer, F.M.
1998-01-01
Nitrogen balances at farm level are an important tool for monitoring the effects of agri-environmental policy in the European Union. Nitrogen surpluses, defined as the difference between input and output flows, are a pressure indicator to link agricultural activities with environmental quality
Land Cover - Minnesota Land Cover Classification System
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Land cover data set based on the Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) coding scheme. This data was produced using a combination of aerial photograph...
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRI-FOOD SPHERE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
V. Samofatova
2017-10-01
Full Text Available The article highlights the historical preconditions and principles of sustainable development of theagri-food sphere. The analysis of the evolution of the categorical content of sustainable development iscarried out. It has been noted that the main ideology of sustainable development is the integration andharmonization of the ecological, economic and social spheres of society. It is shown that the concept ofsustainable development has an interdisciplinary character, so it should be considered in many aspects andstudied from different angles. The basic advantages of sustainable development for the agri-food sphere areoutlined.
Regulatory aspects of nanotechnology in the agri/feed/food sector in EU and non-EU countries
Amenta, V.; Aschberger, K.; Arena, M.; Bouwmeester, H.; Botelho Moniz, F.; Brandhoff, P.; Gottardo, S.; Marvin, H.J.P.; Mech, A.; Quiros Pesudo, L.; Rauscher, H.; Schoonjans, R.; Vettori, M.V.; Weigel, S.; Peters, R.J.B.
2015-01-01
Nanotechnology has the potential to innovate the agricultural, feed and food sectors (hereinafter referred to as agri/feed/food). Applications that are marketed already include nano-encapsulated agrochemicals or nutrients, antimicrobial nanoparticles and active and intelligent food packaging. Many
Characterisation of Agri-Landscape Systems at a Regional Level: A Case Study in Northern Tuscany
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mariassunta Galli
2010-09-01
Full Text Available Preserving our landscape in sustainable development processes is now widely considered as fundamental. It is a complex and evolving issue that can be tackled from several perspectives. Agronomy can contribute to analyzing the relationships between agricultural production systems (cropping, farming and agricultural systems at different levels (field, farm, and region and the agricultural landscape (in terms of patches, matrixes, dynamics, etc. This is of particular interest where the relationships between “what and how” are produced by agricultural activities and the landscape are changing. In this case their own reciprocity may represent an opportunity to analyze complex systems, such as the characterization of agri-landscapes at a regional level. We propose a case study developed as an up-scaling analytical process from a farm to a regional level. The result was the identification of six main agri-landscape systems highlighting the landscape drivers that are changing the traditional landscape of a rural region in Northern Tuscany (Lunigiana.
Technological Implications of Supply Chain Practices in Agri-Food Sector: A Review
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rahul Mor
2015-08-01
Full Text Available Today, the global business environment compels enterprises to consider rest of the world in their competitive strategy analysis where firms ignore external factors such as economic trends, competitive positions or technology advancement in other countries. While going truly global with supply chain management, a company develops product in the United States, produce in India and trade in Europe, and they have changed the traditional operation management & logistical activities. This change in trade and the modernization of transport infrastructures have elevated the importance of flow management to new levels. Manufacturers and researchers have noticed many problems concerning supply chain activities, and usually either a system or subcomponent in supply chains is discussed in the literature, but they fails to answer the rational (why, what, how behind them. This paper addresses a review of the principles, bottlenecks and strategies of supply chain practices for organizations with an emphasis on the implications of Indian agri-food sector. Findings of this review reveal that the human & environmental issues, improved product visibility, food safety/quality and the associated economic benefits in sustainable agri-food supply chains can be achieved through innovation, collaboration, elimination of uncertainties and introducing global SCM practices into green & lean initiatives.
Elevation - LiDAR Survey - Roseau County, Minnesota
Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — LIDAR Data for Roseau County Minnesota. This project consists of approximately 87 square miles of LIDAR mapping in Roseau County, Minnesota at two sites: area 1,...
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — 1:100,000 scale geomorphology data describing a wide variety of conditions related to surficial geology within a hierarchical classification scheme that was devised...
Design of a groundwater sampling network for Minnesota
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kanivetsky, R.
1977-01-01
This folio was compiled to facilitate the use of groundwater as a sampling medium to aid in exploration for hitherto undiscovered deposits of uranium in the subsurface rocks of Minnesota. The report consists of the following sheets of the hydrogeologic map of Minnesota: (1) map of bedrock hydrogeology, (2) generalized cross sections of the hydrogeologic map of Minnesota, showing both Quaternary deposits and bedrock, (3) map of waterwells that penetrate Precambrian rocks in Minnesota. A list of these wells, showing locations, names of owners, type of Precambrian aquifers penetrated, lithologic material of the aquifers, and well depths is provided in the appendix to this report. Structural settings, locations, and composition of the bedrock aquifers, movement of groundwater, and preliminary suggestions for a sampling program are discussed below under the heading Bedrock Hydrogeology of Minnesota. The map sheet showing Quaternary hydrogeology is not included in this report because the chemistry of groundwater in these deposits is not directly related to bedrock mineralization
Rodrigo-Comino, Jesús
2017-04-01
Rainfall causes soil erosion on Mediterranean sloping vineyards (>25˚ of slope inclination), however, little is known about information related to cheap, effective and suitable soil erosion protection measures. In the vineyards of the Montes de Málaga (southern Spain), a concrete land management practice against soil erosion is actually conducted by building tilled rills to down-slope direction to canalize water and sediments. We decided to call them agri-spillways. In this study, by carrying out runoff experiments, we assessed two agri-spillways (from 10 m to 15 m length) under extreme conditions. A motor driven pump mobilizes a constant water inflow about of 1.33 L s-1during between 12 and 15 minutes (≈1000 litres). Finally, we observed: i) a high capacity of these agri-spillways to canalize a large volume of water and sediments; and, ii) higher speed of water flow (from 0.16 m s-1to 0.28 m s-1) and sediment concentration (SC) rates with ratios up to 1538.6 g l-1). By comparing among them, the speed of water flow and the SC were much higher in one of tested rills, which was 5 meters length less and 7 degrees more of inclination. So, we concluded that these agri-spillways, after correctly planning and long term maintenance from contribution area to down-slope direction, can be function as a potential tool for designing suitable and cheap plans to protect the soil in Mediterranean sloping vineyards. Acknowledgements Firstly, we acknowledge the farmer's syndicate UPA (Unión de Pequeños Agricultores) and the wine-grower Pepe Gámez (Almáchar) for providing access to the study area. Secondly, we thank the students of the Bachelor course and Master from Trier University for their hard efforts in the field and laboratory works in the Almáchar campaign. Thirdly, we acknowledge the geomorphology and soil laboratory technicians María Pedraza and Rubén Rojas of GSoilLab (Málaga University) for the soil analysis. Finally, we also thank the Ministerio de Educaci
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
René Audet
2017-02-01
Full Text Available In cities across the world, local food networks aim to make food systems more sustainable and secure for all. As part of that effort, some of these networks also seek to introduce social innovation in the mode of selling food, namely as a way to initiate a broader transition of the sector. Based on two years of action research conducted together with promoters of Montreal’s seasonal markets, this article offers an account of the co-constructed narrative of a transition of the agri-food sector. On the one hand, transition theory anticipates that the transition to sustainability of the agri-food sector would depend on the protection and empowerment of innovative ‘niches’ that are facing the locked-in structure of the agri-food ‘sociotechnical regime’. Yet, on the other hand, the seasonal markets do not fit well in this portrait: they are shown to evolve at the intersection of the sociotechnical regime and innovative niches. For this reason, they are subject to regime rules and become difficult to protect as an entity. As such, seasonal markets face ‘structuring tensions’ that generate both practical dilemmas and innovative solutions in their modes of organization. These solutions, however, rely on webs of resources and supports that constitute ‘key relations’ for unlocking the agri-food regime rules. It is through managing these tensions and relations that the seasonal markets end up reconfiguring social and material relations and providing solutions for food security and a more sustainable food system. Therefore, we argue that the structuring tension and key relation concepts are useful for understanding the dynamics of social innovation in the transition to sustainability in food systems.
Peerlings, J.H.M.; Polman, N.B.P.
2008-01-01
The paper examines the possibility of lock-in on the area contracted under an agri-environmental contract in Dutch dairy farming, using a mathematical programming model, and the interaction of these contracts with Dutch national manure policy. Stricter manure policies increase contract
The Seven Challenges for Transitioning into a Bio-based Circular Economy in the Agri-food Sector.
Borrello, Massimiliano; Lombardi, Alessia; Pascucci, Stefano; Cembalo, Luigi
2016-01-01
Closed-loop agri-food supply chains have a high potential to reduce environmental and economic costs resulting from food waste disposal. This paper illustrates an alternative to the traditional supply chain of bread based on the principles of a circular economy. Six circular interactions among seven actors (grain farmers, bread producers, retailers, compostable packaging manufacturers, insect breeders, livestock farmers, consumers) of the circular filière are created in order to achieve the goal of "zero waste". In the model, two radical technological innovations are considered: insects used as animal feed and polylactic acid compostable packaging. The main challenges for the implementation of the new supply chain are identified. Finally, some recent patents related to bread sustainable production, investigated in the current paper, are considered. Recommendations are given to academics and practitioners interested in the bio-based circular economy model approach for transforming agri-food supply chains.
75 FR 22167 - Minnesota Disaster #MN-00024
2010-04-27
... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 12132 and 12133] Minnesota Disaster MN-00024 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of MINNESOTA (FEMA- 1900-DR), dated...
Integrated cost-effectiveness analysis of agri-environmental measures for water quality.
Balana, Bedru B; Jackson-Blake, Leah; Martin-Ortega, Julia; Dunn, Sarah
2015-09-15
This paper presents an application of integrated methodological approach for identifying cost-effective combinations of agri-environmental measures to achieve water quality targets. The methodological approach involves linking hydro-chemical modelling with economic costs of mitigation measures. The utility of the approach was explored for the River Dee catchment in North East Scotland, examining the cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollutants. In-stream nitrate concentration was modelled using the STREAM-N and phosphorus using INCA-P model. Both models were first run for baseline conditions and then their effectiveness for changes in land management was simulated. Costs were based on farm income foregone, capital and operational expenditures. The costs and effects data were integrated using 'Risk Solver Platform' optimization in excel to produce the most cost-effective combination of measures by which target nutrient reductions could be attained at a minimum economic cost. The analysis identified different combination of measures as most cost-effective for the two pollutants. An important aspect of this paper is integration of model-based effectiveness estimates with economic cost of measures for cost-effectiveness analysis of land and water management options. The methodological approach developed is not limited to the two pollutants and the selected agri-environmental measures considered in the paper; the approach can be adapted to the cost-effectiveness analysis of any catchment-scale environmental management options. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1979-11-01
The New Ulm 1:250,000 scale quadrangle of southwestern Minnesota is entirely covered by variable thicknesses of Late Wisconsin age glacial deposits (drift). Precambrian bedrock is primarily exposed within the Minnesota River Valley, but only in very small, scattered outcrops. Approximately 50% of the bedrock is composed of Cretaceous sediments. There are no known uranium deposits (or occurrences) within the quadrangle. One hundred forty-six (146) groups of uranium samples were defined as anomalies and are discussed. None were considered significant
Verhulst, J.; Kleijn, D.; Berendse, F.
2007-01-01
1. In the Netherlands, agri-environment schemes are an important tool for halting the ongoing decline of meadow birds and, in particular, waders breeding on wet meadows. The effectiveness of the main scheme, postponed mowing, is heavily debated because it does not result in higher breeding
The seven challenges for transitioning into a bio-based circular economy in the agri-food sector
Borrello, Massimiliano; Lombardi, Alessia; Pascucci, Stefano; Cembalo, Luigi
2016-01-01
Background: Closed-loop agri-food supply chains have a high potential to reduce environmental and economic costs resulting from food waste disposal. This paper illustrates an alternative to the traditional supply chain of bread based on the principles of a circular economy. Methods: Six circular
Etude Climat no. 39 'More than 800 agricultural and agri-food sites affected by the EU ETS'
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Foucherot, Claudine; Bellassen, Valentin
2013-01-01
Among the publications of CDC Climat Research, 'Climate Reports' offer in-depth analyses on a given subject. This issue addresses the following points: Agriculture accounts for 9% of Europe's anthropogenic emissions, counting only emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from cattle, crops and pasture. These emissions have two characteristics making their inclusion in the European Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) difficult: they are diffuse and depend on a range of fairly complex pedo-climatic factors. Taking into consideration the whole of the agricultural sector, including upstream activities such as production of fertilizer, phyto-sanitary products, animal feed etc., as well as downstream emissions, dominated by the agri-food sector, and also emissions linked to energy consumption by farming installations, the sector's emissions contribution increases considerably. Within this expanded scope, some emissions sources are included in the EU ETS - mainly agri-food industries, but also producers of fertilizer, heated greenhouses and knackers' yards. Even if the proportion of the agricultural and agri-food sector's emissions covered by the emissions trading scheme is minimal, with just 1.5% of all emissions falling within the scope of the EU ETS, more than 800 industrial sites are covered, accounting for 8% of installations covered by the system. The agricultural and agri-food sector are among the net beneficiaries of the EU ETS in the first two phases (2005-2012), with a surplus of 33 million allowances over the period 2008-2011. This surplus, combined with gains from trading in allowances and credits, represents an estimated asset of 495 million euros. Although it has not been fully exploited on the market, this asset largely exceeds the cost of transactions associated with emissions monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) procedures and compliance work, which is estimated at 30 million euros over the same period. The emission trading scheme has therefore been
Efficacy and efficiency of Agri-environmental payments in impacts of crops' management
Blasi, Emanuele; Martella, Angelo; Passeri, Nicolo; Ghini, Paolo
2015-04-01
Since the 90s, in Europe the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) started to activate measures for improving the sustainability of European agriculture, these measures were systematized in 2000 with the tools of rural development, pursuing a synergistic environmental action trough the agri-environmental payments. Since their definition, those payments were designed to ensure the protection, maintenance and enhancement of natural resources (water, soil, forests), biodiversity (species and habitat), and landscape. In particular initiatives as set aside, afforestation, organic agriculture, integrated pest management, low input and precision agriculture have enriched the agricultural management practices. The aim of this work is to check the trend between agro-environmental subsidies and environmental performance (based on Ecological Indicators and CO2 evaluation) at country level in EU, in order to study the regulatory framework impact in addressing the European cropping system towards sustainability. In particular soils and their land use can storage CO2 as pool and so provide environmental services and, on the other hand the agricultural practices can stimulate the emission and the environmental footprint. Impacts (so called emissions/footprints and storage/environmental services) will be compared with the Agri-environmental Payments for calculating performances due to environmental management practices, supported by political initiatives. Such analysis sustains the European policy makers towards more suitable agricultural policies and in particular it can address national sustainability through agricultural practices.
Dijk, van W.F.A.; Schaffers, A.P.; Ruijven, van J.; Berendse, F.; Snoo, de G.R.
2013-01-01
Management of ditch banks of agricultural fields is considered to be a promising and multifunctional application of agri-environment schemes (AES) on farmland. Our previous research has shown that in the Netherlands, there is a small increase in the number of target plant species of AES in ditch
What drives firm profitability? A multilevel approach to the Spanish agri-food sector
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zouaghi, F.; Sánchez-García, M.; Hirsch, S.
2017-01-01
Strategic management research has demonstrated the importance of firm- and industry structure as drivers of firm profitability. However, less is known about how firms´ geographical locations affect profitability. Applying a multi-level approach of hierarchical linear modeling we estimated firm-, industry-, and region-specific effects on profitability of 3,273 agri-food firms operating in different Spanish districts over the time span 2006-2013. The results reveal the dominance of firm-specific effects which contribute up to 48.8% to variance in firm profitability while the contribution of industry effects (0.8-4.2%), geographical location (0.1-1.8%), and year effects (0.1-2.5%) is rather small. Moreover, firm size, risk, and innovative activity turn out as significant profit drivers at the firm level. Although firm-effects outweigh industry- and region-specific factors, the results indicate that industry concentration as well as regional education and unemployment influence profitability. In addition, proximity to technological institutes as well as the degree of urbanization of the region in which a firm operates can be drivers of profitability. Hence, despite the superiority of firm effects the results indicate that agri-food managers should also consider possible advantages from location-based resources in order to ensure competitiveness.
What drives firm profitability? A multilevel approach to the Spanish agri-food sector
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Zouaghi, F.; Sánchez-García, M.; Hirsch, S.
2017-07-01
Strategic management research has demonstrated the importance of firm- and industry structure as drivers of firm profitability. However, less is known about how firms´ geographical locations affect profitability. Applying a multi-level approach of hierarchical linear modeling we estimated firm-, industry-, and region-specific effects on profitability of 3,273 agri-food firms operating in different Spanish districts over the time span 2006-2013. The results reveal the dominance of firm-specific effects which contribute up to 48.8% to variance in firm profitability while the contribution of industry effects (0.8-4.2%), geographical location (0.1-1.8%), and year effects (0.1-2.5%) is rather small. Moreover, firm size, risk, and innovative activity turn out as significant profit drivers at the firm level. Although firm-effects outweigh industry- and region-specific factors, the results indicate that industry concentration as well as regional education and unemployment influence profitability. In addition, proximity to technological institutes as well as the degree of urbanization of the region in which a firm operates can be drivers of profitability. Hence, despite the superiority of firm effects the results indicate that agri-food managers should also consider possible advantages from location-based resources in order to ensure competitiveness.
Karst database development in Minnesota: Design and data assembly
Gao, Y.; Alexander, E.C.; Tipping, R.G.
2005-01-01
The Karst Feature Database (KFD) of Minnesota is a relational GIS-based Database Management System (DBMS). Previous karst feature datasets used inconsistent attributes to describe karst features in different areas of Minnesota. Existing metadata were modified and standardized to represent a comprehensive metadata for all the karst features in Minnesota. Microsoft Access 2000 and ArcView 3.2 were used to develop this working database. Existing county and sub-county karst feature datasets have been assembled into the KFD, which is capable of visualizing and analyzing the entire data set. By November 17 2002, 11,682 karst features were stored in the KFD of Minnesota. Data tables are stored in a Microsoft Access 2000 DBMS and linked to corresponding ArcView applications. The current KFD of Minnesota has been moved from a Windows NT server to a Windows 2000 Citrix server accessible to researchers and planners through networked interfaces. ?? Springer-Verlag 2005.
Albrecht, M.; Duelli, P.; Müller, C.; Kleijn, D.; Schmid, B.
2007-01-01
1. Agri-environment schemes attempt to counteract the loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services such as pollination and natural pest control in agro-ecosystems. However, only a few studies have evaluated whether these attempts are successful. 2. We studied the effects of managing
García-Magariño, Iván; Lacuesta, Raquel; Lloret, Jaime
2018-03-27
Smart communication protocols are becoming a key mechanism for improving communication performance in networks such as wireless sensor networks. However, the literature lacks mechanisms for simulating smart communication protocols in precision agriculture for decreasing production costs. In this context, the current work presents an agent-based simulator of smart communication protocols for efficiently managing pesticides. The simulator considers the needs of electric power, crop health, percentage of alive bugs and pesticide consumption. The current approach is illustrated with three different communication protocols respectively called (a) broadcast, (b) neighbor and (c) low-cost neighbor. The low-cost neighbor protocol obtained a statistically-significant reduction in the need of electric power over the neighbor protocol, with a very large difference according to the common interpretations about the Cohen's d effect size. The presented simulator is called ABS-SmartComAgri and is freely distributed as open-source from a public research data repository. It ensures the reproducibility of experiments and allows other researchers to extend the current approach.
Spatial analysis of agri-environmental policy uptake and expenditure in Scotland.
Yang, Anastasia L; Rounsevell, Mark D A; Wilson, Ronald M; Haggett, Claire
2014-01-15
Agri-environment is one of the most widely supported rural development policy measures in Scotland in terms of number of participants and expenditure. It comprises 69 management options and sub-options that are delivered primarily through the competitive 'Rural Priorities scheme'. Understanding the spatial determinants of uptake and expenditure would assist policy-makers in guiding future policy targeting efforts for the rural environment. This study is unique in examining the spatial dependency and determinants of Scotland's agri-environmental measures and categorised options uptake and payments at the parish level. Spatial econometrics is applied to test the influence of 40 explanatory variables on farming characteristics, land capability, designated sites, accessibility and population. Results identified spatial dependency for each of the dependent variables, which supported the use of spatially-explicit models. The goodness of fit of the spatial models was better than for the aspatial regression models. There was also notable improvement in the models for participation compared with the models for expenditure. Furthermore a range of expected explanatory variables were found to be significant and varied according to the dependent variable used. The majority of models for both payment and uptake showed a significant positive relationship with SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), which are designated sites prioritised in Scottish policy. These results indicate that environmental targeting efforts by the government for AEP uptake in designated sites can be effective. However habitats outside of SSSI, termed here the 'wider countryside' may not be sufficiently competitive to receive funding in the current policy system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
77 FR 2083 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, Bemidji, MN
2012-01-13
... Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; and the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota. History and... 21BK48 is located on land within the reservation boundaries of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota... [[Page 2084
Ecological Provinces of Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This coverage provides information for the first level of the Ecological Classification System. The boundaries of the polygons of this coverage were derived from...
Ecological Sections of Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This coverage provides information for the second level of the Ecological Classification System. The boundaries of the polygons of this coverage were derived from...
75 FR 32821 - Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024
2010-06-09
... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 12132 and 12133] Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024 AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Amendment 3. SUMMARY: This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Minnesota (FEMA-1900...
75 FR 29590 - Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024
2010-05-26
... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 12132 and 12133] Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024 AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Amendment 2. SUMMARY: This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Minnesota (FEMA-1900...
Pierangeli D; Donnoli A
2007-01-01
In this work, different proposal are reviewed that have been moved for geographical delineation and boundaries definition of the National Park "Val d'Agri and Lagonegrese" in Basilicata (Italy) and a working methodology is proposed for a better definition of the park boundaries, taking into consideration oil extraction activities carried out in the area.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cristiana Peano
2014-12-01
Full Text Available New and alternative models for agri-food production and consumption have brought up questions regarding the effects they have on local development processes in terms of the economic exploitation of rural areas as well as environmental, cultural, and social factors. The agri-food system proposed by the Slow Food (SF Presidia Project, which focuses on farm-to-market systems for local, high-quality, sustainable products, can respond to the new and emerging needs of both rural and urban populaces via several approaches in addition to food production itself. However, evaluating these parameters is challenging. The aim of this study was to develop an indicator-based tool to monitor the sustainability in agri-food systems that considers quality as well as economic, ecological, social, and cultural aspects. We: (i translated the major SF principles of "good," "clean," and "fair" into five major criteria to evaluate sustainability; (ii designed multiple indicators to monitor progress toward sustainability for each of those criteria; and (iii applied the monitoring tools to three case studies as a first attempt at end-use validation. Indicators and criteria were weighted either equally or based on their importance to surveyed stakeholders, i.e., consumers, producers, and scientists/experts. The proposed approach performed well as a tool for a broad sustainability evaluation by effectively combining the indicators with the same feedback. With this approach, we demonstrated that the SF Presidia project increases all dimensions of sustainability and in particular socioeconomic and cultural capital by preserving the environmental and quality aspects of the food products.
The Symbiotic Food System: An ‘Alternative’ Agri-Food System Already Working at Scale
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marc C. A. Wegerif
2016-08-01
Full Text Available This article is an analysis of the agri-food system that feeds most of the over four million residents of the fast growing city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. It is based on qualitative research that has traced the sources of some important foods from urban eaters back through retailers, processors and transporters to the primary producers. Particular attention is given to the functioning of the market places and how new actors enter into the food system. These reveal that more important to the system than competition are various forms of collaboration. Of particular interest is how a wide range of small-scale and interdependent actors produce the food and get it to urban eaters at a city feeding scale without large vertically- or horizontally-integrated corporate structures. This “symbiotic food system” is an existing alternative to the corporate-dominated agri-business food system; it can and does deliver at scale and in a way that better responds to the needs of people in poverty who are buying food and the interests of food producers. It is not perfect in Dar es Salaam, but the food system is working and is a model that should be built on.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pierangeli D
2007-01-01
Full Text Available In this work, different proposal are reviewed that have been moved for geographical delineation and boundaries definition of the National Park "Val d'Agri and Lagonegrese" in Basilicata (Italy and a working methodology is proposed for a better definition of the park boundaries, taking into consideration oil extraction activities carried out in the area.
Wever, M.
2012-01-01
Agri-food supply chains are characterized by strong interdependencies between the different stages. These interdependencies may lead to risk-spillovers, as when a downstream company is exposed to risks resulting from activities further upstream in the supply chain. For example, a change in the
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : telecommuting test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the telecommuting test plan for the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducing congestion by employing str...
Responsible tourism: A guide for tourism and sustainability in small-scale fisheries and agri-food
Ford, Adriana; Acott, Timothy
2015-01-01
‘Responsible Tourism: a guide for tourism and sustainability in small-scale fisheries and agri-food’ is a product of TourFish, a project funded by the EU INTERREG IVA 2 Seas programme. The aim of TourFish was to explore opportunities for coastal areas through developing responsible tourism that draws together food, small-scale inshore fisheries, regional branding and place-based marketing opportunities.
Minnesota State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1981-07-01
The Minnesota State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Minnesota. The profile is the result of a survey of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees in Minnesota conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Minnesota
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : tolling test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the test plan for collecting and analyzing toll data for the Minnesota Urban Partnership : Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The : Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducin...
Minnesota 4-H Youth Program Quality Improvement Model
Herman, Margo; Grant, Samantha
2015-01-01
The University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development made an organizational decision in 2011 to invest in a system-wide approach to implement youth program quality into the 4-H program using the Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) tool. This article describes the four key components to the Minnesota Youth Program Quality…
Minnesota Kids: A Closer Look. 1996 Data Book.
Kids Count Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Minnesota KIDS COUNT focuses on key risk indicators for children and describes the condition of children in each of Minnesota's 87 counties. According to this second annual report, another generation of children is at risk of growing up with decreasing resources, evidenced by increasing arrest rates for violent crimes and substantiated reports of…
Minnesota Measures: 2008 Report on Higher Education Performance
Minnesota Office of Higher Education, 2008
2008-01-01
For most of Minnesota's 150 years of statehood, its distinctive economic advantages were largely a function of its natural resources, such as timber, taconite and tourism. Today, while these and other resources remain cornerstones of the state economy, it is clear that the intellectual capacity of Minnesota's people is emerging as a promising…
Land of 10,000 Facts: Minnesota's New Digital Encyclopedia
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Molly Huber
2014-06-01
Full Text Available Mnopedia is the recently created, born digital encyclopedia of the state of Minnesota. It is a project of the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS, the state's leading cultural heritage institution and one of the largest and oldest historical societies in the nation. The MNHS has been in existence since 1849 and tells the story of Minnesota's past through exhibitions, extensive libraries and collections, twenty-six historic sites, educational programs, book publishing, and both financial and inkind assistance to county and local historical societies throughout the state. It provides a strong base for an encyclopedia to grow from.
Hyperspectral imaging for diagnosis and quality control in agri-food and industrial sectors
García-Allende, P. Beatriz; Conde, Olga M.; Mirapeix, Jesus; Cobo, Adolfo; Lopez-Higuera, Jose M.
2010-04-01
Optical spectroscopy has been utilized in various fields of science, industry and medicine, since each substance is discernible from all others by its spectral properties. However, optical spectroscopy traditionally generates information on the bulk properties of the whole sample, and mainly in the agri-food industry some product properties result from the heterogeneity in its composition. This monitoring is considerably more challenging and can be successfully achieved by the so-called hyperspectral imaging technology, which allows the simultaneous determination of the optical spectrum and the spatial location of an object in a surface. In addition, it is a nonintrusive and non-contact technique which gives rise to a great potential for industrial applications and it does not require any particular preparation of the samples, which is a primary concern in food monitoring. This work illustrates an overview of approaches based on this technology to address different problems in agri-food and industrial sectors. The hyperspectral system was originally designed and tested for raw material on-line discrimination, which is a key factor in the input stages of many industrial sectors. The combination of the acquisition of the spectral information across transversal lines while materials are being transported on a conveyor belt, and appropriate image analyses have been successfully validated in the tobacco industry. Lastly, the use of imaging spectroscopy applied to online welding quality monitoring is discussed and compared with traditional spectroscopic approaches in this regard.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Karolina Pawlak
2007-12-01
Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to assess main trends and changes in commodity structure of Polish agri-food trade in 2003-2006. Joining in the Common Market and adopting the Common Trade Policy rules caused the significant growth of Polish agri-food trade values and improvement in the positive trade balance. Taking into account loss or reduction of some cost advantages, as well as liberalization of world agricultural trade, next years can be much more difficult for Polish exporters. The highest export potential applies to trade in animal origin products. Considering commodity structure of Polish agri-food trade, it should be said that processed products dominate both in export and in import.
Scenarios for future agriculture in Finland: a Delphi study among agri-food sector stakeholders
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
P. RIKKONEN
2008-12-01
Full Text Available This article presents alternative scenarios for future agriculture in Finland up to 2025. These scenarios are the results of a large Delphi study carried out among Finnish agri-food sector stakeholders. The Delphi panel members gave their future view on desirable and probable futures. From these two dimensions, three scenarios were elaborated through the future images the subjective future path and the importance analysis. The scenarios represent a technology optimistic day-dream agriculture, a probable future as industrialised agriculture and an undesirable future path as drifting agriculture. Two mini-scenarios are also presented. They are based on a discontinuity event as an unexpected impact of climate change and an analogy event as an ecological breakdown due to the expansive animal disease epidemics. In both mini-scenarios, the directions of storylines are dramatically changed. The scenarios support strategic planning introducing not only one forecast but alternative outcomes as a basis for future strategy and decisions. In this study the scenarios were constructed to address the opportunities as a desired vision and also the threats as to an undesirable future in the agricultural sector. These results bring to the table a Finnish agri-food expert community view of the future directions of relevant key issues in the agricultural policy agenda.;
Minnesota Bouguer Anomaly Grid
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — A 1.5 kilometer Bouguer anomaly grid for the state of Minnesota. Number of columns is 404 and number of rows is 463. The order of the data is from the lower left to...
ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF MINERAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA
Maki, Wilbur R.
1980-01-01
The economic effects of mineral resource development addressed in this paper are the changes in employment, population and income in the State of Minnesota and in Northeast Minnesota. These include the present mining, processing and shipping of natural ores and taconite pellets and the potential copper-nickel development.
Canavari, M.; Fritz, M.; Hofstede, G.J.; Matopoulos, A.; Vlachopoulou, M.
2010-01-01
E-business adoption rates in the agri-food sector are rather low, despite the fact that technical barriers have been mostly overcome during the last years and a large number of sophisticated offers are available. However, concerns about trust seem to impede the development of electronic
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yiping Jiang
2018-05-01
Full Text Available The unique characteristics of perishable agri-products are a short lifespan and rapid quality deterioration. This establishes the need to significantly reduce the time from harvest to distribution. These features require reducing the processing time from harvest to distribution to being as short as possible. In this study, we focus on an integrated perishable agri-products scheduling problem that combines harvest and distribution simultaneously, with the purpose of reducing processing time and quality decay. We propose this problem as a mixed integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP to optimize the harvest time and the vehicle routing to consumers, and this MINIP is formulated as a vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW. We introduce a big M method to transform the nonlinear model into a linear model, then apply CPLEX to solve the transformed model. Numerical experiments and sensitive analysis are conducted to verify the efficiency of the proposed model and to provide managerial insights.
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : content analysis test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the content analysis test plan for the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducing congestion by employing ...
Patrick D. Miles; David Heinzen; Manfred E. Mielke; Christopher W. Woodall; Brett J. Butler; Ron J. Piva; Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Charles H. Perry; Dale D. Gormanson; Charles J. Barnett
2011-01-01
The second full annual inventory of Minnesota's forests reports 17 million acres of forest land with an average volume of more than 1,000 cubic feet per acre. Forest land is dominated by the aspen forest type, which occupies nearly 30 percent of the total forest land area. Twenty-eight percent of forest land consists of sawtimber, 35 percent poletimber, 35 percent...
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : safety data test plan.
2009-11-17
This report provides the safety data test plan for the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducing congestion by employing strat...
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : exogenous factors test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the exogenous factors test plan for the national evaluation of the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reduc...
MARKETING OF AGRI-BUSINESSES IN ICT ENVIRONMENT
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Davorin Turkalj
2012-06-01
Full Text Available By means of quantitative and qualitative research the doctoral dissertation has attained methodical insights into competences and usage levels of new technologies for marketing purposes in agri-businesses in the Republic of Croatia. The results and observations provided in the thesis indicate that swift action is required in order to improve the current situation and prepare farmers for forthcoming changes. In biotechnical sciences there is a need for continuous updating, research and control of interdependent processes and complex relations, which in turn creates a need for a unified system of knowledge dissemination. In order to manage a set of information arising from such processes, it is necessary to have a system that will allow us to store and transfer the acquired knowledge in a safe and simple way in real time, ensuring completeness of information. In today’s world, the key role in this process is to be played by information and communication technologies (ICT encompassing the use of computers and communication technologies, as well as technologies for information management and transfer. Together with other ICT, the Internet is a resource that can bridge the gap between professionals of different expertise on one hand and people living in rural areas and farmers on the other, as it provides a platform for interaction and dialogue. Furthermore, ICT can foster new cooperation and networking through inter-sectoral contacts between government institutions, different support agencies and farmers. The efforts to implement ICT in the agricultural sector are held back by a range of limiting factors, such as: the necessity to reconstruct the sector itself, required investments in new communication systems and adjunct platforms, low levels of computer literacy among farmers, insufficient infrastructure, etc. Taking all this into account, it is obvious that the Internet and modern technologies can be drivers of positive change in agriculture
Water Access Sites in Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This data shows the approximate locations of boat accesses in the state. This is not a comprehensive list but one that was generated through a cooperative effort....
Wildfires Tracked by Minnesota DNR
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This theme shows the locations of wildfires for which the DNR was the primary responding agency. These include fires not only on state lands, but also rural private...
Extending GIS Technology to Study Karst Features of Southeastern Minnesota
Gao, Y.; Tipping, R. G.; Alexander, E. C.; Alexander, S. C.
2001-12-01
This paper summarizes ongoing research on karst feature distribution of southeastern Minnesota. The main goals of this interdisciplinary research are: 1) to look for large-scale patterns in the rate and distribution of sinkhole development; 2) to conduct statistical tests of hypotheses about the formation of sinkholes; 3) to create management tools for land-use managers and planners; and 4) to deliver geomorphic and hydrogeologic criteria for making scientifically valid land-use policies and ethical decisions in karst areas of southeastern Minnesota. Existing county and sub-county karst feature datasets of southeastern Minnesota have been assembled into a large GIS-based database capable of analyzing the entire data set. The central database management system (DBMS) is a relational GIS-based system interacting with three modules: GIS, statistical and hydrogeologic modules. ArcInfo and ArcView were used to generate a series of 2D and 3D maps depicting karst feature distributions in southeastern Minnesota. IRIS ExplorerTM was used to produce satisfying 3D maps and animations using data exported from GIS-based database. Nearest-neighbor analysis has been used to test sinkhole distributions in different topographic and geologic settings. All current nearest-neighbor analyses testify that sinkholes in southeastern Minnesota are not evenly distributed in this area (i.e., they tend to be clustered). More detailed statistical methods such as cluster analysis, histograms, probability estimation, correlation and regression have been used to study the spatial distributions of some mapped karst features of southeastern Minnesota. A sinkhole probability map for Goodhue County has been constructed based on sinkhole distribution, bedrock geology, depth to bedrock, GIS buffer analysis and nearest-neighbor analysis. A series of karst features for Winona County including sinkholes, springs, seeps, stream sinks and outcrop has been mapped and entered into the Karst Feature Database
Latino Retail Entrepreneurship in Minnesota: Implications for Extension Educators
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hye-Young Kim
2014-02-01
Full Text Available Minnesota has become a “new destination” state for Latino migrants in the United States. What has made Latinos in Minnesota successful? In a narrower sense, what has provided them with a route out of poverty and an alternative to unemployment or discrimination in the labor market? Our purpose was to (a compile characteristics associated with the Latino community and successful Latino-owned retail businesses in Minnesota, (b identify unique problems encountered by Latino retail entrepreneurs, and (c develop recommendations to overcome obstacles encountered. To meet our objectives, we employed two methods: a Delphi study with Latino community leaders and a case study with Latino retail entrepreneurs. Implications for Extension educators are discussed.
Burykin, Y.; Klichova, G.; Bremmers, H.J.
2012-01-01
This paper focuses on the regulation of financial accounting in SMEs in the agri- and food sector in Russia. The paper presents the factors which influence the accounting system and the quality of the information it provides. The information and reports that are prepared according to international
Hess, Alexander J.; Trexler, Cary J.
2011-01-01
Agricultural literacy of K-12 students is a national priority for both scientific and agricultural education professional organizations. Development of curricula to address this priority has not been informed by research on what K-12 students understand about the agri-food system. While students' knowledge of food and fiber system facts have been…
Czechoslovak participation in IAEA's experiment with direct access to INIS and AGRIS data bases
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stanik, Z.
Since June, 1978 Czechoslovakia has been participating in the IAEA terminal network allowing direct access to INIS and AGRIS data bases. A display and a printer from Hungary and a modem of a home make were used for equipping the terminal station. The equipment has been fully proven in operation. The Building is prepared of a home terminal network connected to the IAEA computer for rapid and quality meeting the information needs of Czechoslovak users. The connection is also considered of the projected network to ESA/IRS data bases via IIASA. (Ha)
Residential Energy Efficiency Potential: Minnesota
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wilson, Eric J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2017-11-22
Energy used by Minnesota single-family homes that can be saved through cost-effective improvements. Prepared by Eric Wilson and Noel Merket, NREL, and Erin Boyd, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis.
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : transit system data test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the test plan for collecting and analyzing transit system data for the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) National Evaluation under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA...
Concurrent Use of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco in Minnesota
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Raymond G. Boyle
2012-01-01
Full Text Available Cigarette smokers are being encouraged to use smokeless tobacco (SLT in locations where smoking is banned. We examined state-wide data from Minnesota to measure changes over time in the use of SLT and concurrent use of cigarettes and SLT. The Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey was conducted four times between 1999 and 2010 and has provided state-wide estimates of cigarette smoking, SLT use and concurrent use of SLT by smokers. The prevalence of SLT was essentially unchanged through 2007, then increased significantly between 2007 and 2010 (3.1% versus 4.3%, P<0.05. Similarly, the prevalence of cigarette smokers who reported using SLT was stable then increased between 2007 and 2010 (4.4% versus 9.6%, P<0.05. The finding of higher SLT use by smokers could indicate that smokers in Minnesota are in an experimental phase of testing alternative products as they adjust to recent public policies restricting smoking in public places. The findings are suggestive that some Minnesota smokers are switching to concurrent use of cigarettes and SLT. Future surveillance reports will be necessary to confirm the results.
Achieving Technological Literacy in Minnesota.
Lindstrom, Mike
2002-01-01
Describes how Minnesota implemented the Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology. Includes the timeline, rationale, potential activities and estimated costs associated with all phases, and steps for implementing the plan: investigate, replicate, integrate, and mandate. (JOW)
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : traffic system data test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the traffic system data test plan for the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducing congestion by employi...
Minnesota urban partnership agreement national evaluation : cost benefit analysis test plan.
2009-11-17
This report presents the cost benefit analysis test plan for the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducing congestion by emplo...
Minnesota STAR Project: Meeting the Needs of Struggling Adult Readers
Johnson, Kimberly A.; Frank, Margaret M.
2012-01-01
This paper reports on findings and implications from a two-year evaluation of the Minnesota STudent Achievement in Reading (STAR) Project. This long-term, job-embedded, professional development activity is provided for Minnesota Adult Basic Education (ABE) practitioners serving intermediate-level adult students reading between 4.0 to 8.9 grade…
Zhang, Chen; Krimpen, Van Marinus M.; Sanders, Johan P.M.; Bruins, Marieke E.
2016-01-01
Rather than improving crop-production yield, developing biorefinery technology for unused biomass from the agri-food supply chain may be the crucial factor to reach sustainable global food security. A successful example of food-driven biorefinery is the extraction of protein from green tea residues,
Minnesota's Forest Trees. Revised.
Miles, William R.; Fuller, Bruce L.
This bulletin describes 46 of the more common trees found in Minnesota's forests and windbreaks. The bulletin contains two tree keys, a summer key and a winter key, to help the reader identify these trees. Besides the two keys, the bulletin includes an introduction, instructions for key use, illustrations of leaf characteristics and twig…
Dildine, Robert A.
This report analyzes interscholastic athletic programs offered by Minnesota high schools to identify errors in data reporting and suggest corrective action, identify areas of gender inequality in athletic offerings, and identify needed improvements in rule, law, or reporting requirements. The report outlines issues in sports equity, compares…
Open doorway to truth: legacy of the Minnesota tobacco trial.
Hurt, Richard D; Ebbert, Jon O; Muggli, Monique E; Lockhart, Nikki J; Robertson, Channing R
2009-05-01
More than a decade has passed since the conclusion of the Minnesota tobacco trial and the signing of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) by 46 US State Attorneys General and the US tobacco industry. The Minnesota settlement exposed the tobacco industry's long history of deceptive marketing, advertising, and research and ultimately forced the industry to change its business practices. The provisions for public document disclosure that were included in the Minnesota settlement and the MSA have resulted in the release of approximately 70 million pages of documents and nearly 20,000 other media materials. No comparable dynamic, voluminous, and contemporaneous document archive exists. Only a few single events in the history of public health have had as dramatic an effect on tobacco control as the public release of the tobacco industry's previously secret internal documents. This review highlights the genesis of the release of these documents, the history of the document depositories created by the Minnesota settlement, the scientific and policy output based on the documents, and the use of the documents in furthering global public health strategies.
Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Minnesota in 2015.
Fitzpatrick, Ann; Mor, Sunil K; Thurn, Mary; Wiedenman, Elizabeth; Otterson, Tracy; Porter, Robert E; Patnayak, Devi P; Lauer, Dale C; Voss, Shauna; Rossow, Stephanie; Collins, James E; Goyal, Sagar M
2017-03-01
The incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) into the United States during 2014 resulted in an unprecedented foreign animal disease (FAD) event; 232 outbreaks were reported from 21 states. The disease affected 49.6 million birds and resulted in economic losses of $950 million. Minnesota is the largest turkey-producing state, accounting for 18% of U.S. turkey production. Areas with concentrated numbers of turkeys in Minnesota were the epicenter of the outbreak. The first case was presumptively diagnosed in the last week of February 2015 at the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MVDL) and confirmed as HPAI H5N2 at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories on March 4, 2015. A total of 110 farms were affected in Minnesota, and the MVDL tested >17,000 samples from March to July 2015. Normal service was maintained to other clients of the laboratory during this major FAD event, but challenges were encountered with communications, staff burnout and fatigue, training requirements of volunteer technical staff, test kit validation, and management of specific pathogen-free egg requirements.
Ecological Land Type Associations of Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This coverage provides information for the fourth level of the Ecological Classification System. Polygon boundaries were delineated at a scale of 1:100,000 with a...
Minnesota Innovation Research Program.
1986-03-01
Petroleum, Magnetic Controls, Farm Credit Services Corporations, Bush Foundation, and Hospital Corporation of America . .. Unc lassifijed RUNOT...Paper #47 (March, 1986). 7. David Bastien, " Sociolinguistic Studies of Mergers and Acquisitions," to be presented at the Minnesota Conference on...Applied Sociolinguistics , 1986. 8. David Bastien and Andrew Van de Ven, "Managerial and Organizational Dynamics of Mergers and Acquisitions," SNRC
Mobilizing the regional eco-economy: evolving webs of agri-food and rural development in the UK
Terry Marsden
2010-01-01
The paper traces the emergence of the regional eco-economy with reference to a new conceptual model called the rural web. These webs are embedded into the fabric of regional systems of production and consumption and provide a key driver for both rural development generally and eco-economic development more specifically. Relocalized agri-food networks are playing a key integrating role in mobilizing the web and the regional eco-economy more generally. The web concept is used to (i) assess the ...
Shaded Relief of Minnesota Elevation - Color
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This file is a product of a shaded relief process on the 30 meter resolution Digital Elevation Model data (dem30im3). This image was created using a custom AML...
Nanotechnology and the millennium development goals: water, energy, and agri-food
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cozzens, Susan; Cortes, Rodrigo; Soumonni, Ogundiran; Woodson, Thomas
2013-01-01
The claim has often been made that nanotechnologies will contribute to the global development process. In 2005, a careful study identified specific areas where nanotechnologies could help developing countries achieve the millennium development goals. This article examines whether the research agenda of nanotechnology in the intervening period, as reflected in publications, has followed the directions identified at that time, in three key areas, water, energy, and agri-food. We find that the research community has taken up the broad directions indicated in the earlier study, although not so often the detailed applications of specific nanoscale techniques or phenomena. However, the impact on global development is unclear, both because the same applications can be useful in both developed and developing countries, and because the conditions in developing countries may not match the socio-technical requirements of the applications
Biological diversity of the Minnesota caddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David Houghton
2012-05-01
Full Text Available The caddisfly fauna of Minnesota contains at least 277 species within 21 families and 75 genera. These species are based on examination of 312,884 specimens from 2,166 collections of 937 Minnesota aquatic habitats from 1890 to 2007. Included in these totals is my own quantitative sampling of 4 representative habitat types: small streams, medium rivers, large rivers, and lakes, from each of the 58 major Minnesota watersheds from June through September during 1999–2001. All species are illustrated herein, and their known Minnesota abundances, distributions, adult flight periodicities, and habitat affinities presented. Four species: Lepidostoma griseum (Lepidostomatidae, Psilotreta indecisa (Odontoceridae, and Phryganea sayi and Ptilostomis angustipennis (Phryganeidae are added to the known fauna. An additional 31 dubious species records are removed for various reasons. Of the 5 determined caddisfly regions of the state, species richness per watershed was highest in the Lake Superior and Northern Regions, intermediate in the Southeastern, and lowest in the Northwestern and Southern. Of the 48 individual collections that yielded >40 species, all but 1 were from the Northern Region. Many species, especially within the families Limnephilidae and Phryganeidae, have appeared to decrease in distribution and abundance during the past 75 years, particularly those once common within the Northwestern and Southern Regions. Many species now appear regionally extirpated, and a few have disappeared from the entire state. The loss of species in the Northwestern and Southern Regions, and probably elsewhere, is almost certainly related to the conversion of many habitats to large-scale agriculture during the mid-20th century.
Damon, Amy L.; Glewwe, Paul
2008-01-01
Chapter titles: Introduction; Higher education in Minnesota; Private benefits from a university education; Public benefits of university education-conceptual and practical issues; Distribution of private and public benefits; An assessment of the private and public benefits of subsidies of higher education in Minnesota; Conclusions and suggestions for further research; References.
Minnesota Land Use and Cover - A 1990's Census of the Land - Tiled
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This data set integrates six different source data sets to provide a simplified overall view of Minnesota's land use / cover. The six source data sets covered...
Verification testing of the Brome Agri Sales Ltd. Maximizer Separator, Model MAX 1016 (Maximizer) was conducted at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory Swine Educational Unit in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Maximizer is an inclined screen solids separator that can be used to s...
US National Grid - Minnesota 1000 meter Tile
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — The United States National Grid (USNG) is a nonproprietary alphanumeric referencing system derived from the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) that is being...
Young, I; Gropp, K; Pintar, K; Waddell, L; Marshall, B; Thomas, K; McEwen, S A; Rajić, A
2014-12-01
Policy-makers working at the interface of agri-food and public health often deal with complex and cross-cutting issues that have broad health impacts and socio-economic implications. They have a responsibility to ensure that policy-making based on these issues is accountable and informed by the best available scientific evidence. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study of agri-food public health policy-makers and research and policy analysts in Ontario, Canada, to understand their perspectives on how the policy-making process is currently informed by scientific evidence and how to facilitate this process. Five focus groups of 3-7 participants and five-one-to-one interviews were held in 2012 with participants from federal and provincial government departments and industry organizations in the agri-food public health sector. We conducted a thematic analysis of the focus group and interview transcripts to identify overarching themes. Participants indicated that the following six key principles are necessary to enable and demonstrate evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) in this sector: (i) establish and clarify the policy objectives and context; (ii) support policy-making with credible scientific evidence from different sources; (iii) integrate scientific evidence with other diverse policy inputs (e.g. economics, local applicability and stakeholder interests); (iv) ensure that scientific evidence is communicated by research and policy stakeholders in relevant and user-friendly formats; (V) create and foster interdisciplinary relationships and networks across research and policy communities; and (VI) enhance organizational capacity and individual skills for EIPM. Ongoing and planned efforts in these areas, a supportive culture, and additional education and training in both research and policy realms are important to facilitate evidence-informed policy-making in this sector. Future research should explore these findings further in other countries and contexts.
Civero, Gennaro; Rusciano, Vincenzo; Scarpato, Debora
2018-05-07
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the most important tool for implementing Sustainability Guidelines for Business (US20030018487A1), delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all the stakeholders and is currently the focus of international studies and debates (US7260559B1), especially in the agri-food sector as demonstrated by recent patents (CA2862273A1). In most agri-food businesses operating in Italy, there is little effectiveness in the communication strategies of this instrument to the stakeholders since they are often not advanced. Identifying the first two food companies in the European ranking of the 6th CSR Online Awards, through an empirical survey on consumers, their level of perception of the CSR strategies communication of this companies will be analyzed. In both case studies analyzed, there is the presence of a Sustainability Orientation and the evolution of CSR tools within such companies and their promotion and communication to all the stakeholders. Despite this, the level of perception of respondents on the CSR strategies communication of this companies and the promotion of CSR instruments is not optimal. The interviewed consumers has not enriched its knowledge on CSR due to the lack of an adequate communication strategy for both case studies. Consequently, to raise awareness on the subject, there is still a great deal of cooperation needed between public institutions, local communities, businesses and citizens. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marta Carpani
2010-09-01
Full Text Available A methodological framework was designed to assess the effectiveness of agri-environmental policy measures adopted by the Veneto Region to reduce diffuse water pollution of agricultural origin. Two already existing methodologies were combined in a new flexible approach for policy assessment: Conceptual Modelling and Bayesian Networks (BNs. The former supported the development of a shared conceptual model (a cognitive map of the agro-ecosystem of the study area; while the latter allowed the development of a probabilistic model coherent with the cognitive map. BNs were selected because they allow analyses with scarce data; they can be updated when further information becomes available, and are easily understandable by layperson. The paper reports the results obtained in the Venice Lagoon Watershed (VLW case study, where the current agri-environmental measures were assessed in order to identify their effectiveness in terms of reduction of nitrogen releases in water bodies connected to the lagoon ecosystem. Preliminary results obtained by implementing expert opinions in the BN pointed out the likely limited effects of the measures on the declared objective of
Integrative holistic medicine in Minnesota.
Torkelson, Carolyn J; Manahan, Bill
2009-05-01
Minnesota has played a leading role in the integrative holistic medicine movement in the United States for more than 2 decades. This article defines integrative holistic medicine and describes how it is practiced. It also discusses the reasons why institutions and providers here and elsewhere in the country have embraced this approach to patient care.
Minnesota's Soils and Their Uses.
Halsey, Clifton
There is an increasing need for land planning and understanding soil is one step toward assuring proper land use. This publication, written by soil scientists and teachers, is designed as a reference for high school teachers. It is designed to be a comprehensive collection about Minnesota soils (although the information can be applied to other…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Residential Provisions of the 2015 IECC for Minnesota
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mendon, Vrushali V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhao, Mingjie [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Taylor, Zachary T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Poehlman, Eric A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
2016-02-15
The 2015 IECC provides cost-effective savings for residential buildings in Minnesota. Moving to the 2015 IECC from the 2012 IECC base code is cost-effective for residential buildings in all climate zones in Minnesota.
Advancing the Renewable Industry in Minnesota
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Sparby, Michael [Agricultural Utilization Research Inst., Waseca, MN (United States); Doering, Alan [Agricultural Utilization Research Inst., Waseca, MN (United States); Timmerman, Denny [Agricultural Utilization Research Inst., Waseca, MN (United States); Chester-Jones, Hugh [Univ. of Minnesota, Waseca, MN (United States). Southern Research and Outreach Center; Ziegler, David [Univ. of Minnesota, Waseca, MN (United States). Southern Research and Outreach Center; Vetsch, Jeffrey [Univ. of Minnesota, Waseca, MN (United States). Southern Research and Outreach Center; Jaderborg, J. P. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Paulus, D. M. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Fink, R. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Diez-Gonzalez, F. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Crawford, G. I. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); DiCostanzo, A. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States); Drouillard, Jim [Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)
2012-09-28
to add significant value to Minnesota's soybean commodity production. However, as with the potential of any biobased product or technology, the development of these emerging soybean products and technologies will be heavily reliant on future market price environments (especially for petroleum) and government policies. This report identifies what the contractor believes are the top 8 products and technologies for soybeans at the time of publishing. 6. "Study Assessing the Opportunities and Potential of Corn-Based Products and Technologies": Based on demand/market potential, economic feasibility, stage of development and strength of institutional support, Informa Economics, Inc. ("Informa") narrowed down a list of more than 100 emerging corn products and technologies to 8 of the most promising for corn, considered to have the greatest potential to add significant value to Minnesota's corn commodity production. However, as with the potential of any biobased product or technology, the development of these emerging corn products and technologies will be heavily reliant on future market price environments (especially for petroleum) and government policies. This report identifies what the contractor believes are the top 8 products and technologies for corn at the time of publishing. 7. "Distributed Power Generation Technology (Roseau Gasification)."
2015-02-01
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN DOT) hosted a peer exchange February 3-4, 2015, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The event included peer representatives from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NV DOT), the Ohio Department of Transportatio...
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Raymond, Christopher Mark; Reed, Mark; Bieling, Claudia
2016-01-01
While multiple studies have identified land managers’ preferences for agri-environmental schemes (AES), few approaches exist for integrating different understandings of landscape stewardship into the design of these measures. We compared and contrasted rural land managers’ attitudes toward AES...... to the reduced amount of funding available for entry-level and higher-level stewardship schemes in the UK since 2008, changing funding priorities, perceived overstrict compliance and lack of support for farm succession and new entrants into farming. However, there were differences in concerns across...... understandings of landscape stewardship, with production respondents citing that AES do not encourage food production, whereas environmental and holistic farmers citing that AES do not support the development of a local green food culture and associated social infrastructure. These differences also emerged...
Minnesota DNR Forest Stand Inventory Version 2
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This layer is a digital inventory of individual forest stands. The data is collected by DNR Foresters in each DNR Forestry Administrative Area, and is updated on a...
Minnesota's Home-Grown Transportation Fuel
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
2002-10-01
Minnesota leads the country in production and consumption of ethanol E-85 transportation. DOE's State Energy Program supports energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in the states through the state energy offices.
Increased theta band EEG power in sickle cell disease patients
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Case M
2017-12-01
Full Text Available Michelle Case,1 Sina Shirinpour,1 Huishi Zhang,1 Yvonne H Datta,2 Stephen C Nelson,3 Karim T Sadak,4 Kalpna Gupta,2 Bin He1,5 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, 2Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 3Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 4Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, 5Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA Objective: Pain is a major issue in the care of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD. The mechanisms behind pain and the best way to treat it are not well understood. We studied how electroencephalography (EEG is altered in SCD patients. Methods: We recruited 20 SCD patients and compared their resting state EEG to that of 14 healthy controls. EEG power was found across frequency bands using Welch’s method. Electrophysiological source imaging was assessed for each frequency band using the eLORETA algorithm. Results: SCD patients had increased theta power and decreased beta2 power compared to controls. Source localization revealed that areas of greater theta band activity were in areas related to pain processing. Imaging parameters were significantly correlated to emergency department visits, which indicate disease severity and chronic pain intensity. Conclusion: The present results support the pain mechanism referred to as thalamocortical dysrhythmia. This mechanism causes increased theta power in patients. Significance: Our findings show that EEG can be used to quantitatively evaluate differences between controls and SCD patients. Our results show the potential of EEG to differentiate between different levels of pain in an unbiased setting, where specific frequency bands could be used as biomarkers for chronic pain. Keywords: sickle cell disease, electroencephalography, chronic pain, electrophysiological source imaging, thalamocortical dysrhythmia
Mortality experience among Minnesota taconite mining industry workers.
Allen, Elizabeth M; Alexander, Bruce H; MacLehose, Richard F; Ramachandran, Gurumurthy; Mandel, Jeffrey H
2014-11-01
To evaluate the mortality experience of Minnesota taconite mining industry workers. Mortality was evaluated between 1960 and 2010 in a cohort of Minnesota taconite mining workers employed by any of the seven companies in operation in 1983. Standardised mortality ratios (SMR) were estimated by comparing observed deaths in the cohort with expected frequencies in the Minnesota population. Standardised rate ratios (SRR) were estimated using an internal analysis to compare mortality by employment duration. The cohort included 31,067 workers with at least 1 year of documented employment. Among those, there were 9094 deaths, of which 949 were from lung cancer, and 30 from mesothelioma. Mortality from all causes was greater than expected in the Minnesota population (SMR=1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.04). Mortality from lung cancer and mesothelioma was higher than expected with SMRs of 1.16 for lung cancer (95% CI 1.09 to 1.23) and 2.77 for mesothelioma (95% CI 1.87 to 3.96). Other elevated SMRs included those for cardiovascular disease (SMR=1.10, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.14), specifically for hypertensive heart disease (SMR=1.81, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.33) and ischemic heart disease (SMR=1.11, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.16). Results of the SRR analysis did not show variation in risk by duration of employment. This study provides evidence that taconite workers may be at increased risk for mortality from lung cancer, mesothelioma, and some cardiovascular disease. Occupational exposures during taconite mining operations may be associated with these increased risks, but non-occupational exposures may also be important contributors. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
Price transmission in the agri-food value chain - from a farmer perspective
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hansen, Henning Otte
2015-01-01
Price transmission in the agri-food value chain - when changes in one price cause another price downstream to change - is an important issue for farmers, markets and the economy as an efficient market price setting is crucial for all market players. However, there are numerous examples of price...... transmission in the agriculture value chain not working optimally, and there are several different forms of incompleteness and imperfection. There are a number of possible causes, but it is difficult to document on the basis of empirical data. The aim of this article is therefore to document the presence...... of imperfect price transmission, to determine some of the underlying causes and driving forces behind the phenomenon as well as highlight farmers’ interests, role and opportunities in connection with ensuring more effective price transmission. On the basis of an example of a grain-bread value chain...
Primdahl, Jørgen; Vesterager, Jens Peter; Finn, John A; Vlahos, George; Kristensen, Lone; Vejre, Henrik
2010-06-01
Agri-Environment Schemes (AES) to maintain or promote environmentally-friendly farming practices were implemented on about 25% of all agricultural land in the EU by 2002. This article analyses and discusses the actual and potential use of impact models in supporting the design, implementation and evaluation of AES. Impact models identify and establish the causal relationships between policy objectives and policy outcomes. We review and discuss the role of impact models at different stages in the AES policy process, and present results from a survey of impact models underlying 60 agri-environmental schemes in seven EU member states. We distinguished among three categories of impact models (quantitative, qualitative or common sense), depending on the degree of evidence in the formal scheme description, additional documents, or key person interviews. The categories of impact models used mainly depended on whether scheme objectives were related to natural resources, biodiversity or landscape. A higher proportion of schemes dealing with natural resources (primarily water) were based on quantitative impact models, compared to those concerned with biodiversity or landscape. Schemes explicitly targeted either on particular parts of individual farms or specific areas tended to be based more on quantitative impact models compared to whole-farm schemes and broad, horizontal schemes. We conclude that increased and better use of impact models has significant potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness of AES. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
How the Food Processing Industry Is Diversifying Rural Minnesota. JSRI Working Paper.
Fennelly, Katherine; Leitner, Helga
The diversification of rural Minnesota is largely the result of the restructuring of the food processing industry and its recruitment of low-wage laborers. The relocation and expansion of food processing plants into rural areas of Minnesota creates a demand for low-wage labor that can not be met locally. Food processing businesses attract…
Wahyudi Sutopo; Muh. Hisjam; Yuniaristanto
2012-01-01
In general, small-scale vegetable farmers experience problems in improving the safety and quality of vegetables for supplying high-class consumers in modern retailers. Farmer Group and/or Cooperative (FGC) should be able to assist its members to meet the relevant provisions of modern retail on product specifications, delivery terms, and internal business requirements. This study proposed an agri-food supply chain (ASC) model that involves the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities t...
Trading Relationship Performance and Market Power in Food Supply Chains
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Xhoxhi, Orjon
The development of the agri-food industry has led to a considerable increase of intermediaries’ market power vis-à-vis farmers. There are studies and evidence that suggests that due to their power, intermediaries transfer risks and unexpected costs to farmers which compromise the innovation...... and livelihood. The overall objective of this PhD study was to investigate the intermediaries’ power over farmers and its effects on trading relationship performance between them. Two farms survey were conducted, the first one was carried out in the Adana region in Turkey and had an explorative focus aiming......), investigate how intermediaries’ power affects farmers-intermediaries trading relationship performance (paper 3) and analyse the determinants of contract farming and its effects on post-harvest losses (paper 4). The first paper investigates the determinants of intermediaries’ power over farmers’ margin related...
Minnesota's forests 1999-2003 (Part A)
Patrick D. Miles; Keith Jacobson; Gary J. Brand; Ed Jepsen; Dacia Meneguzzo; Manfred E. Mielke; Cassandra Olson; Charles H. (Hobie) Perry; Ronald J. Piva; Barry Tyler Wilson; Christopher Woodall
2007-01-01
The first completed annual inventory of Minnesota's forests reports more than 16.2 million acres of forest land. Additional forest attribute and forest health information is presented along with information on agents of change including changing land use patterns and the introduction of nonnative plants, insects, and diseases.
Shaded Relief of Minnesota Elevation - Black & White
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — This file is a product of a shaded relief process on the 30 meter resolution Digital Elevation Model data (dem30im3). This image was created using a custom AML...
Organisation as a key factor in Localised Agri-Food Systems (LAFS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Corrado Giacomini
2015-05-01
Full Text Available Most studies of Localised Agri-Food Systems (LAFS focus on the localised concentration of members and firms, and pay less attention to organisational factors, particularly those of an exogenous nature. This paper focuses on the role of organisation in a LAFS, assessing the efficacy of EU organisational measures aimed at strengthening the concentration of supply from the recent CAP reform 2014-2020. The paper has three sections. Part One describes the evolution of the concept of LAFS. Part Two examines the leading role played by institutions in organising relationships between firms in a LAFS. The example provided is that of the measures affecting the organisation of supply introduced by the recent CAP reform, 2014-2020. It makes particular reference to the Distretto del pomodoro da industria – Nord Italia (‘Industrial Tomato District – Northern Italy’. Part Three describes how organisational factors can lead to the creation of a LAFS, while the criterion of proximity is necessary but not sufficient.
Fisher, Eleanor; Sheppard, Hannah
2013-01-01
The article explores how fair trade and associated private agri-food standards are incorporated into public procurement in Europe. Procurement law is underpinned by principles of equity, non-discrimination and transparency; one consequence is that legal obstacles exist to fair trade being privileged within procurement practice. These obstacles have pragmatic dimensions, concerning whether and how procurement can be used to fulfil wider social policy objectives or to incorporate private standa...
2009-01-01
Abstract The significance of private standards and associated local level initiatives in agri-food value chains are increasingly recognised. However whilst issues related to compliance and impact at the smallholder or worker level have frequently been analysed, the governance implications in terms of how private standards affect national level institutions, public, private and non-governmental, have had less attention. This article applies an extended value chain framework for crit...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tkachenko Serhii A.
2016-02-01
Full Text Available The given article highlights features of solving retrospective (successive tasks of monitoring production and economic activity of the territorial-production system through a profound using of scientific principles in the developed and introduced enlarged block diagram of the control system for a functionally advanced solution of the task of monitoring labour force turnover at the entity in the agri-food sphere. Solving the task of monitoring the labour force turnover in the territorial-production system by means of electronic digital machines allows: to reduce the complexity of calculations performed by employees of Human Resources Department and make time for other research and control functions; to accelerate submission of necessary accounting and economic as well as analytical information on the labour force turnover at the entity in the agri-food sphere to consumers; increase the quality of accounting and economic as well as analytical information by eliminating errors, which occur at manual calculation; to build a real scientific basis for developing measures of technical, organizational and socio-economic nature aimed at reducing the labour force turnover. The given list of issues solved at development of the monitoring subsystem in strategic control systems of the regional structure and territorial organization of the agri-food sphere is not complete, the use of industrial methods for creating a monitoring subsystem, training specialists and a number of other issues, which are no less important, should be mentioned as well.
Assessing impacts to birds from the Buffalo Ridge, Minnesota windplant development
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Strickland, M.D.; Johnson, G.D.; Erickson, W.P. [WEST Inc., Cheyenne, WY (United States)] [and others
1997-12-31
Northern States Power (NSP) plans development of a 425 MW windpowered electrical generation facility within the Buffalo Ridge Wind Resource Area (WRA) in southwestern Minnesota. In 1996, Western EcoSystems Technology (WEST, Inc.) was contracted by NSP to develop an avian monitoring protocol for the Buffalo Ridge windplant. This protocol was developed and peer-reviewed by numerous individuals representing the wind energy industry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and conservation groups prior to finalization. The WRA currently consists of three phases of development. Phase I, constructed by Kenetech in 1994, consists of 73 Model 33 M-VS turbines and related facilities, including distribution lines, meteorological towers, communication systems, transformers, substations, roads, and operations and maintenance facilities in the approximate center of the WRA, and generates 25 MW of electricity. Phase II, consisting of 143 turbines and related facilities sufficient to generate 100 MW of electricity, will be constructed by Zond Systems, Inc. beginning in the spring of 1997. Phase II will be located in the northwestern portion of the WRA. Phase III facilities capable of generating an additional 100 MW are planned for the southeast portion of the WRA. Plans call for the eventual production of 425 MW of electricity within the WRA. Studies were conducted in these three areas and a permanent reference area not scheduled for windpower development located along Buffalo Ridge northwest of the WRA in Brooking County South Dakota.
Slope stabilization guide for Minnesota local government engineers.
2017-06-01
This user guide provides simple, costeffective methods for stabilizing locally maintained slopes along roadways in Minnesota. Eight slope stabilization techniques are presented that local government engineers can undertake using locally available ...
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Primdahl, Jørgen; Vesterager, Jens Peter; Finn, John A.
2010-01-01
Agri-Environment Schemes (AES) to maintain or promote environmentally-friendly farming practices were implemented on about 25% of all agricultural land in the EU by 2002. This article analyses and discusses the actual and potential use of impact models in supporting the design, implementation...... depended on whether scheme objectives were related to natural resources, biodiversity or landscape. A higher proportion of schemes dealing with natural resources (primarily water) were based on quantitative impact models, compared to whole-farm schemes and broad, horizontal schemes. We conclude...
Minnesota's forest statistics, 1987: an inventory update.
Jerold T. Hahn; W. Brad Smith
1987-01-01
The Minnesota 1987 inventory update, derived by using tree growth models, reports 13.5 million acres of timberland, a decline of less than 1% since 1977. This bulletin presents findings from the inventory update in tables detailing timer land area, volume, and biomass.
Restaurant Policies and Practices for Serving Raw Fish in Minnesota.
Hedeen, Nicole
2016-10-01
The number of restaurants serving sushi within Minnesota is continuously increasing. The practices and protocols of serving raw fish are complex and require detailed planning to ensure that food served to patrons will not cause illness. Although the popularity of sushi is increasing, there is a lack of research on food safety issues pertaining to preparation of raw fish and sushi rice. To address this gap, the Minnesota Department of Health Environmental Health Specialists Network Food program collected descriptive data on restaurant practices and policies concerning the service of raw fish and sushi rice in 40 Minnesota restaurants. At each restaurant, a specialist interviewed a restaurant manager, conducted an observation of the sushi prep areas in the restaurant kitchen, and reviewed parasite destruction letters and invoices from fish supplier(s). Over half of the restaurants (59%) were missing one or more of the parasite destruction letters from their fish supplier(s) guaranteeing that fish had been properly frozen to the time and temperature requirements in the Minnesota Food Code. A total of 42 parasite destruction letters from suppliers were observed; 10% were considered "adequate" letters. The majority of the letters were missing details pertaining to the types of fish frozen, the length of time fish were frozen, or details on what temperatures fish were held frozen or a combination of all three. Most restaurants were using time as a public health control for their sushi rice. For those restaurants using time as a public health control, 26% had a written procedure on-site, and approximately 53% were keeping track of time. Bare hand contact during sushi prep was observed in 17% of restaurants, and in more than 40% of the restaurants, at least one fish was mislabeled on the menu. Findings from this study indicate that many Minnesota restaurants are not complying with the Food Code requirements pertaining to parasite destruction for the service of raw fish or
Analyzing indicators of stream health for Minnesota streams
Singh, U.; Kocian, M.; Wilson, B.; Bolton, A.; Nieber, J.; Vondracek, B.; Perry, J.; Magner, J.
2005-01-01
Recent research has emphasized the importance of using physical, chemical, and biological indicators of stream health for diagnosing impaired watersheds and their receiving water bodies. A multidisciplinary team at the University of Minnesota is carrying out research to develop a stream classification system for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessment. Funding for this research is provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. One objective of the research study involves investigating the relationships between indicators of stream health and localized stream characteristics. Measured data from Minnesota streams collected by various government and non-government agencies and research institutions have been obtained for the research study. Innovative Geographic Information Systems tools developed by the Environmental Science Research Institute and the University of Texas are being utilized to combine and organize the data. Simple linear relationships between index of biological integrity (IBI) and channel slope, two-year stream flow, and drainage area are presented for the Redwood River and the Snake River Basins. Results suggest that more rigorous techniques are needed to successfully capture trends in IBI scores. Additional analyses will be done using multiple regression, principal component analysis, and clustering techniques. Uncovering key independent variables and understanding how they fit together to influence stream health are critical in the development of a stream classification for TMDL assessment.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1995-03-01
This 5-year joint project (FY 1990 to 1994) by Japan and the Philippines is aimed at joint research and development of (thermal decomposition/gasification and power generation system) for transforming large quantities of wood-wastes/agri-wastes left unutilized in the Philippines into electric power, in which thermal decomposition/gasification of the wastes is combined with a gas engine system. The field tests of the demonstration plant successfully produce power of 100 kW by burning only the low-calorie gas with a heating value near critical level for self-sustained combustion, obtained by gasification of sawdust by the fluidized gasifier and refined, attaining the object of the project. It is confirmed that a 200 to 300 kW class commercial plant can be designed and constructed basically by scaling up the 100 kW demonstration plant. The other data obtained by the field tests include those for improved operability and maintainability, gas purification, and reducing sizes of the facilities, including utility facilities. (NEDO)
Minnesota Digital Elevation Model - Tiled 93 Meter Resolution
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Digital Elevation Model (DEM) at a resolution of 93 meters. Original data resolution was 3 arc seconds which corresponds (approximately) to a matrix of points at a...
2013-12-24
... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 337 (Sub-No. 7X)] Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation--Abandonment Exemption--in Scott County, Iowa Dakota, Minnesota... as Blackhawk Spur, between milepost 0.33+/- and milepost 0.99 +/- in Scott County, Iowa (the Line...
First Report of Garlic Rust Caused by Puccinia allii on Allium sativum in Minnesota
In July 2010, Allium sativum, cultivar German Extra Hardy Porcelain plants showing foliar symptoms typical of rust infection were brought to the Plant Disease Clinic at the University of Minnesota by a commercial grower from Fillmore county Minnesota. Infected leaves showed circular to oblong lesio...
Lee, Kathy E.; Schoenfuss, Heiko L.; Barber, Larry B.; Writer, Jeff H.; Blazer, Vicki; Keisling, Richard L.; Ferrey, Mark L.
2010-01-01
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with St. Cloud State University, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, and the University of Minnesota, has conducted field monitoring studies and laboratory research to determine the presence of endocrine active chemicals and the incidence of endocrine disruption in Minnesota streams and lakes during 1994–2008. Endocrine active chemicals are chemicals that interfere with the natural regulation of endocrine systems, and may mimic or block the function of natural hormones in fish or other organisms. This interference commonly is referred to as endocrine disruption. Indicators of endocrine disruption in fish include vitellogenin (female egg yolk protein normally expressed in female fish) in male fish, oocytes present in male fish testes, reduced reproductive success, and changes in reproductive behavior.
Optimal set of agri-environmental indicators for the agricultural sector of Czech Republic
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jiří Hřebíček
2013-01-01
Full Text Available Current trends of agri-environmental indicators evaluation (i.e., the measurement of environmental performance and farm reporting are discussed in the paper focusing on the agriculture sector. From the perspective of agricultural policy, there are two broad decisions to make: which indicators to recommend and promote to farmers, and which indicators to collect to assist in agriculture policy-making. We introduce several general approaches for indicators to collect to assist in policy-making (European Union, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the first part of our paper and given the differences in decision-making problems faced by these sets of decision makers. We continue in the second part of the paper with a proposal of indicators to recommend and promote to farmers in the Czech Republic.
Timber resource of Minnesota's Prairie unit, 1977.
Jerold T. Hahn; W. Brad Smith
1980-01-01
The fourth inventory of Minnesota's Prairie Unit shows that although commercial forest area decreased 31.7% between 1962 and 1977, growing-stock volume increased 22%. This report gives statistical highlights and contains detailed tables of forest area as well as timber volume, growth, mortality, ownership, and use.
Lee, Kathy E.; Barber, Larry B.; Furlong, Edward T.; Cahill, Jeffery D.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Meyer, Michael T.; Zaugg, Steven D.
2004-01-01
Selected organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) such as household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, and sterols and hormones were measured at 65 sites in Minnesota as part of a cooperative study among the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Samples were collected in Minnesota during October 2000 through November 2002 and analyzed for the presence and distribution of 91 OWCs at sites including wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent; landfill and feedlot lagoon leachate; surface water; ground water (underlying sewered and unsewered mixed urban land use, a waste dump, and feedlots); and the intake and finished drinking water from drinking water facilities.
Cancer incidence among Minnesota taconite mining industry workers.
Allen, Elizabeth M; Alexander, Bruce H; MacLehose, Richard F; Nelson, Heather H; Ramachandran, Gurumurthy; Mandel, Jeffrey H
2015-11-01
To evaluate cancer incidence among Minnesota taconite mining workers. We evaluated cancer incidence between 1988 and 2010 in a cohort of 40,720 Minnesota taconite mining workers used between 1937 and 1983. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by comparing numbers of incident cancers with frequencies in the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System. SIRs for lung cancer by histologic subtypes were also estimated. We adjusted for out-of-state migration and conducted a probabilistic bias analysis for smoking-related cancers. A total of 5700 cancers were identified, including 51 mesotheliomas and 973 lung cancers. The SIRs for lung cancer and mesothelioma were 1.3 (95% CI = 1.2-1.4) and 2.4 (95% CI = 1.8-3.2), respectively. Stomach, laryngeal, and bladder cancers were also elevated. However, adjusting for potential confounding by smoking attenuated the estimates for lung (SIR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0-1.3), laryngeal (SIR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.8-1.6), oral (SIR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.2), and bladder cancers (SIR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.8-1.1). Taconite workers may have an increased risk for certain cancers. Lifestyle and work-related factors may play a role in elevated morbidity. The extent to which mining-related exposures contribute to disease burden is being investigated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1979-10-01
The Watertown 1:250,000 scale quadrangle of South Dakota/Minnesota is everywhere covered by variable thicknesses of Wisconsin age glacial deposits (drift). Bedrock is nowhere exposed, but is thought to be composed of primarily Cretaceous sediments. There are no known uranium deposits (or occurrences) within the quadrangle. Sixty-seven (67) groups of uranium samples were defined as anomalies and are discussed in the report. None of them are considered significant
M. Schiattarella; S. Piscitelli; V. Lapenna; S. I. Giano
2000-01-01
We present the results of a geophysical survey carried out to outline the structural modelling of Quaternary slopedeposits in the northern part of the Agri high valley (Basilicata, Southern Italy). Quaternary folding and brittle deformations of the subaerial slope deposits have been studied combining electrical imaging and self-potential surveys with geological structural analysis. This integrated approach indicates that the area underwent both transpressional and transtensional tectonics dur...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kathleen A. Culhane-Pera
2014-12-01
Full Text Available As a family physician and medical anthropologist, I have interacted with pregnant women and their families in Minnesota since 1983 and in one Hmong village in Northern Thailand since 1988. In the previous article I describe our recent research about Hmong families’ pregnancy and birth practices in Thailand. In this article, I reflect upon the differences in Minnesota and Thailand, consider what socio-cultural factors may be influencing people’s experiences, and speculate that Minnesota Hmong experiences could be helpful to Thai Hmong.
Hoffman, Pamela K.; Davey, Cynthia S.; Larson, Nicole; Grannon, Katherine Y.; Hanson, Carlie; Nanney, Marilyn S.
2016-01-01
Weight-related outcomes were examined among high school students in Minnesota public school districts according to the quality of district wellness policies. Wellness policy strength and comprehensiveness were scored using the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) for 325 Minnesota public school districts in 2013. The associations between…
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1979-12-01
The Fargo 1:250,000 scale quadrangle of Minnesota and North Dakota is almost everywhere covered with Wisconsin age glacial deposits (drift, lake sediments, etc.) of variable thickness. Where exposed, bedrock is Late Cretaceous age marine deposits. There are no uranium deposits (or occurrences) known within the quadrangle. Eighty-two (82) groups of uranium samples were defined as anomalies and are discussed briefly in this report. None of them are considered significant
Hmong Political Involvement in St. Paul, Minnesota and Fresno, California
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yang Lor
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Over the past several years, Hmong in the United States have gained prominence for their increasing involvement in politics. Most of the attention has understandably focused on Fresno, California and St. Paul, Minnesota, home to the two largest Hmong populations in this country. While the Hmong communities in both cities are similar in size and have made significant political progress as evidenced by the election of Hmong candidates, the Hmong community in St. Paul has made greater inroads in the political realm. In addition to the elections of two Hmong candidates to the Minnesota State Legislature and two to the St. Paul School Board, the Hmong community in St. Paul has been able to engage local and state governments in Minnesotato address issues that affect the Hmong community. Through interviews, census data, and newspaper coverage of political campaigns, I show that Hmong in St. Paul have achieved greaterrepresentation in local and state governments and received greater support from government officials than Hmong in Fresno because Minnesota offers a social, economic, and politicalcontext that is favorable to fostering Hmong political involvement. Compared to Hmong in Fresno, Hmong in St. Paul have higher levels of socioeconomic resources and are more visible given their large size relative to other minority groups. They live in a region with consistently high levels of political participation and have political candidates who devote resources to mobilizing the Hmong community. Moreover, the Hmong vote has been critical to the success of Hmong candidates in St. Paul, an indication of the increasing political clout of the Hmong community there and a major reason why politicians in Minnesota are more willing to respond toissues that affect the Hmong community. Overall, this study highlights the importance of local and regional context in understanding the political incorporation of immigrants.
75 FR 26814 - Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024
2010-05-12
... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 12132 and 12133] Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Amendment 1. SUMMARY: This is an amendment of... (FEMA-1900-DR), dated 04/19/2010. Incident: Flooding. Incident Period: 03/01/2010 and continuing...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ernst Jacobus Marais
2015-04-01
Full Text Available Section 25 of the Constitution provides two ways in which the state may interfere with property rights, namely deprivation (section 25(1 and expropriation (section 25(2. As only the latter requires compensation, there is an incentive for property holders to label any infringement upon their property as expropriation in the hope of being compensated for their losses. It is therefore essential to have a principled distinction between these two forms of state interference, especially given the danger that uncertainty in this regard can hold for legitimate land reform initiatives, which often entail severe limitations on property. In the Agri SA case the Constitutional Court recently revisited this distinction and held that the distinguishing feature of expropriation is that it entails state acquisition of property. Two aspects of this judgment are worthy of consideration. Firstly, the centrality of acquisition makes it necessary to clarify its meaning and role in our law. Secondly, the Court's effect-centred test to establish whether acquisition took place appears incapable of coherently categorising property infringements that fall within the grey area between deprivation and expropriation. To address these two questions this article is divided into two parts. Part I investigates the meaning and role of state acquisition in South African law. Pre-constitutional expropriation law reveals that expropriation is an original method of acquisition of ownership and that the objects of expropriation include ownership, limited real rights, and certain personal rights, which correspond to the meaning attributed to this requirement in Agri SA. However, post-constitutional judgments diverge from pre-constitutional law regarding the role of state acquisition, where it was merely regarded as a general hallmark of expropriation. After Agri SA state acquisition is (now the "key feature" that distinguishes expropriation from deprivation. A brief analysis of
STUDY ON THE EVOLUTION OF SEASONALITY IN AGRI-TOURISM, BY REGIONS OF ROMANIA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Florentina Daniela Matei
2015-03-01
Full Text Available Tourist activity, in general, is influenced by seasonality phenomenon, which means that the company's marketing policy must adapt supply to the specific needs of consumers, no matter the time of year. However, the services demand have identified opportunities in tourism, while implicit threats. It is therefore necessary to analyze the material, financial, technical and managerial aspects of agro pension. These resources illustrates the possibility of upgrading the capacity of existing accommodation. In the study we used as indicators the number of arrivals and the number of overnight stays in agro hostels in Romania, by region, for 2010 and 2014,by months, thus obtaining data on the influence of seasonality. We concluded that agri-tourism records the highest number of tourists in summer (July-September, but in some regions it begins to develop in winter also. The only region with almost permanent activity is Bucharest-Ilfov, which has the lowest number of rural locations.
75 FR 39059 - Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024
2010-07-07
... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [Disaster Declaration 12132 and 12133] Minnesota Disaster Number MN-00024 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Amendment 4. SUMMARY: This is an amendment of... (FEMA-1900-DR), dated 04/19/2010. Incident: Flooding. Incident Period: 03/01/2010 through 04/26/2010...
Rethinking I-94: Minnesota DOT: A TPCB Peer Exchange
2017-12-01
This report highlights key recommendations and noteworthy practices identified at Rethinking I-94: MnDOT Peer Exchange held on August 15-16, 2017 in St. Paul, Minnesota. This event was sponsored by the Transportation Planning Capacity Building ...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1993-03-01
It is urgently necessary for the Philippines, which has no promising energy source to replace imported oil and lacks hard currencies, to reduce dependence on oil. The country, consisting of a number of islands, has faced many difficulties in construction of large-scale power transmission grids covering wide areas, which greatly retard development of local industries and dissemination of electricity. Therefore, great expectations have been placed on the techniques this project plans to develop for utilization of wastes as the energy source. This 5-year project (FY 1990 to 1994) is aimed at joint research and development of (thermal decomposition/gasification and power generation system) for transforming large quantities of wood-wastes/agri-wastes left unutilized into electric power, in which thermal decomposition/gasification of the wastes is combined with gas engine/power generator systems, and thereby to establish the systems suitable for the developing country. The major R and D results obtained in FY 1992 as the third year include on-the-spot surveys, tests for validating elementary techniques, designs and fabrication of part of the demonstration plant, and invitation of Philippine researchers to Japan. (NEDO)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1992-03-01
It is urgently necessary for the Philippines, which has no promising energy source to replace imported oil and lacks hard currencies, to reduce dependence on oil. The country, consisting of a number of islands, has faced many difficulties in construction of large-scale power transmission grids covering wide areas, which greatly retard development of local industries and dissemination of electricity. Therefore, great expectations have been placed on the techniques this project plans to develop for utilization of wastes as the energy source. This 5-year project (FY 1990 to 1994) is aimed at joint research and development of (thermal decomposition/gasification and power generation system) for transforming large quantities of wood-wastes/agri-wastes left unutilized into electric power, in which thermal decomposition/gasification of the wastes is combined with gas engine/power generator systems, and thereby to establish the systems suitable for the developing country. The major R and D results obtained in FY 1991 as the second year include on-the-spot surveys, tests for validating elementary techniques, designs and fabrication of part of the demonstration plant, and invitation of Philippine researchers to Japan. (NEDO)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1991-03-01
It is urgently necessary for the Philippines, which has no promising energy source to replace imported oil and lacks hard currencies, to reduce dependence on oil. The country, consisting of a number of islands, has faced many difficulties in construction of large-scale power transmission grids covering wide areas, which greatly retard development of local industries and dissemination of electricity. Therefore, great expectations have been placed on the techniques this project plans to develop for utilization of wastes as the energy source. This 5-year project (FY 1990 to 1994) is aimed at joint research and development of (thermal decomposition/gasification and power generation system) for transforming large quantities of wood-wastes/agri-wastes left unutilized into electric power, in which thermal decomposition/gasification of the wastes is combined with gas engine/power generator systems, and thereby to establish the systems suitable for the developing country. The major R and D results obtained in FY 1990 as the initial year include negotiations with the Philippines, on-the-spot surveys for the demonstration plant sites and conditions, and conceptual designs of the demonstration plant. (NEDO)
Schmidt, Pete
2017-09-01
In 1972, the Minnesota United Power Association (UPA) teamed up with the Minnesota Cooperative Power Association (CPA) to initiate an electrification project designed to bring power from North Dakota to the Twin Cities area. A significant backlash and protest began once farmers across the state became aware of the plan and the potential impending land seizure. In the midst of these actions, one group sought to create an alternative to the power line transmission system by designing a system of wireless energy transmission based on the plans of Nikola Tesla. This self-funded conglomeration of farmers and amateur researchers formed the People's Power Project (PPP) and set about building Tesla's system for the wireless transmission of energy. Using archival documents, this paper recounts this episode and argues that, in this case, the potential for successful grassroots action was derailed by the influence of longstanding myths about Tesla and his devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Medication management in Minnesota schools: The need for school nurse-pharmacist partnerships.
Little, Meg M; Eischens, Sara; Martin, Mary Jo; Nokleby, Susan; Palombi, Laura C; Van Kirk, Cynthia; van Risseghem, Jayme; Wen, Ya-Feng; Wozniak, Jennifer Koziol; Yoney, Erika; Seifert, Randall
Pharmacist participation in school medication management (MM) is minimal. School nurses are responsible for increasingly complex medication administration and management in schools. The purpose of this study was to 1) assess the MM needs of school nurses in Minnesota, and 2) determine if and how interprofessional partnerships between nurses and pharmacists might optimize MM for students. Researchers from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, School Nurse Organization of Minnesota, and Minnesota Department of Health conducted a 32-item online survey of school nurses. Nurses administered the majority of medications at their school (69.9%) compared with unlicensed assistive personnel (29%). Stimulants (37.7%), asthma medications (25.7%), over-the-counter analgesics (17.8%), and insulin (6.6%) were the most commonly administered drug therapies. A clear majority of school nurses were interested in partnering with pharmacists: 90.3% thought that a pharmacist could assist with MM, 80% would consult with a pharmacist, and 12.3% reported that they already have informal access to a pharmacist. Topics that nurses would discuss with a pharmacist included new medications (71.6%), drug-drug interactions (67.1%), proper administration (52%), and storage (39.4%). The top MM concerns included 1) availability of students' medications and required documentation, 2) health literacy, 3) pharmacist consultations, 4) lack of time available for nurses to follow up with and evaluate students, 5) family-centered care, 6) delegation, 7) communication, and 8) professional development. Although the majority of school nurses surveyed indicated that partnerships with pharmacists would improve school MM, few had a formal relationship. Interprofessional partnerships focused on MM and education are high on the list of services that school nurses would request of a consultant pharmacist. Study results suggest that there are opportunities for pharmacists to collaborate with school nurses
Lenhart, Christian F; Brooks, Kenneth N; Heneley, Daniel; Magner, Joseph A
2010-06-01
The Minnesota River Basin (MRB), situated in the prairie pothole region of the Upper Midwest, contributes excessive sediment and nutrient loads to the Upper Mississippi River. Over 330 stream channels in the MRB are listed as impaired by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, with turbidity levels exceeding water quality standards in much of the basin. Addressing turbidity impairment requires an understanding of pollutant sources that drive turbidity, which was the focus of this study. Suspended volatile solids (SVS), total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity were measured over two sampling seasons at ten monitoring stations in Elm Creek, a turbidity impaired tributary in the MRB. Turbidity levels exceeded the Minnesota standard of 25 nephelometric units in 73% of Elm Creek samples. Turbidity and TSS were correlated (r (2) = 0.76), yet they varied with discharge and season. High levels of turbidity occurred during periods of high stream flow (May-June) because of excessive suspended inorganic sediment from watershed runoff, stream bank, and channel contributions. Both turbidity and TSS increased exponentially downstream with increasing stream power, bank height, and bluff erosion. However, organic matter discharged from wetlands and eutrophic lakes elevated SVS levels and stream turbidity in late summer when flows were low. SVS concentrations reached maxima at lake outlets (50 mg/l) in August. Relying on turbidity measurements alone fails to identify the cause of water quality impairment whether from suspended inorganic sediment or organic matter. Therefore, developing mitigation measures requires monitoring of both TSS and SVS from upstream to downstream reaches.
Health-Based Capitation Risk Adjustment in Minnesota Public Health Care Programs
Gifford, Gregory A.; Edwards, Kevan R.; Knutson, David J.
2004-01-01
This article documents the history and implementation of health-based capitation risk adjustment in Minnesota public health care programs, and identifies key implementation issues. Capitation payments in these programs are risk adjusted using an historical, health plan risk score, based on concurrent risk assessment. Phased implementation of capitation risk adjustment for these programs began January 1, 2000. Minnesota's experience with capitation risk adjustment suggests that: (1) implementation can accelerate encounter data submission, (2) administrative decisions made during implementation can create issues that impact payment model performance, and (3) changes in diagnosis data management during implementation may require changes to the payment model. PMID:25372356
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1979-12-01
The Grand Forks 1:250,000 scale quadrangle of Minnesota and North Dakota is almost everywhere covered with Wisconsin age glacial deposits (drift, lake sediments, etc.) of variable thickness. Where exposed, bedrock is Late Cretaceous age marine deposits. There are no uranium deposits (or occurrences) known within the quadrangle. Seventy-eight (78) groups of uranium samples were defined as anomalies and are discussed briefly in this report. None of them are considered significant
2013-11-26
... Subcommittee on Power Uprates; Notice of Meeting The ACRS Subcommittee on Power Uprates will hold a meeting on... hold discussions with the licensee, (Northern States Power Company of Minnesota), the NRC staff, and... made. Thirty-five hard copies of each presentation or handout should be provided to the DFO thirty...
Smith, Erik A.; Westenbroek, Stephen M.
2015-01-01
Groundwater recharge is one of the most difficult components of a water budget to ascertain, yet is an important boundary condition necessary for the quantification of water resources. In Minnesota, improved estimates of recharge are necessary because approximately 75 percent of drinking water and 90 percent of agricultural irrigation water in Minnesota are supplied from groundwater. The water that is withdrawn must be supplied by some combination of (1) increased recharge, (2) decreased discharge to streams, lakes, and other surface-water bodies, and (3) removal of water that was stored in the system. Recent pressure on groundwater resources has highlighted the need to provide more accurate recharge estimates for various tools that can assess the sustainability of long-term water use. As part of this effort, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, used the Soil-Water-Balance model to calculate gridded estimates of potential groundwater recharge across Minnesota for 1996‒2010 at a 1-kilometer (0.621-mile) resolution. The potential groundwater recharge estimates calculated for Minnesota from the Soil-Water Balance model included gridded values (1-kilometer resolution) of annual mean estimates (that is, the means for individual years from 1996 through 2010) and mean annual estimates (that is, the mean for the 15-year period 1996−2010).
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1979-11-01
The Thief River Falls 1:250,000 scale quadrangle of Minnesota and North Dakota is almost everywhere covered with Wisconsin age glacial deposits (drift, lake sediments, etc.) of variable thickness. Where exposed, bedrock is Late Cretaceous age marine deposits. There are no uranium deposits (or occurrences) known within the quadrangle. Sixty-six groups of uranium samples were defined as anomalies and are discussed briefly. None of them are considered significant
Making Health Easier: Worksite Wellness in Minnesota PSA (:60)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts
When firefighters in Minnesota discovered that over 50 percent of firefighter deaths were cardiovascular-related, they decided to implement healthy changes in the workplace. The firefighters now manage a garden near the fire station and eat fresh broccoli, squash, and tomatoes between shifts.
Weinberg, Richard A., Ed.; Moore, Shirley G., Ed.
This is a collection of papers based on presentations made by participants in the Minnesota Round Table II sponsored by the University of Minnesota and the Child Development Associate Consortium in 1974. Included are an introduction to the conference (Richard A. Weinberg and Shirley G. Moore) and the following articles: (1) Planning Evaluation…
Tim Kelly; Ron Sushak; Pamela Jakes
2001-01-01
A follow-up survey of residents in southeastern Minnesota shows that environmental values were stable over a 5-year period. The authors were unable to measure any impacts of a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources comprehensive watershed planning initiative in the Wells Creek watershed on residents' behaviors and attitudes and perceptions about the...
Reptile-associated salmonellosis in Minnesota, 1996-2011.
Whitten, T; Bender, J B; Smith, K; Leano, F; Scheftel, J
2015-05-01
Reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS) occurs when Salmonella is transmitted from a reptile to a human. This study describes the epidemiology of RAS in Minnesota during 1996-2011. All Minnesotans with confirmed Salmonella infections are reported to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Case patients are interviewed about illness characteristics and risk factors, including foods eaten, drinking and recreational water exposures, contact with ill people, and animal contact. Willing RAS case patients can submit stool from the reptile for culture. Serotype and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtype of Salmonella isolates from reptiles and case patients are compared. Of 8389 sporadic (not associated with an outbreak) non-typhoidal salmonellosis case patients in Minnesotans during 1996-2011, 290 (3.5%) reported reptile exposure. The median age of case patients with reptile exposure was 11 years, 31% were under the age of 5 years and 67% were under the age of 20 years; 50% were female. The median illness duration was 8 days; 23% required hospitalization. The most commonly reported reptile exposures were lizard (47%), snake (20%), turtle (19%) and a combination of reptile types (14%). Eighty-four per cent of isolates from case patients who reported reptile exposure were Salmonella enterica subspecies I. The three most common serotypes were Typhimurium (15%), Enteritidis (7%) and subspecies IV serotypes (7%). Of 60 reptiles testing positive for Salmonella, 36 (60%) yielded the same Salmonella serotype as the human isolate. Twenty-six of 27 reptile isolates that were subtyped by PFGE were indistinguishable from the human isolate. Of these, 88% were subspecies I; the most common serotypes were Enteritidis (12%), Typhimurium (8%), and Bareilly (8%). RAS accounts for approximately 3.5% of salmonellosis cases in Minnesota, primarily affecting children. The majority of isolates from case patients and reptiles belonged to Salmonella subspecies I, suggesting that
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1979-06-01
The technical and economic feasibility of retrofitting thermal power plants in Minnesota to accommodate both heat and power generation for district heating was examined and is discussed. Three communities were identified as viable sites for co-generation district heating. (LCL)
Collaborative Dental Hygiene Practice in New Mexico and Minnesota.
Hodges, Kathleen O; Rogo, Ellen J; Cahoon, Allison C; Neill, Karen
2016-06-01
This descriptive, comparative study was conducted to examine characteristics, services, models and opinions among collaborative dental hygiene practitioners in New Mexico and Minnesota. A self-designed online questionnaire, distributed via SurveyMonkey®, was utilized to collect data from 73 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. A multi-phase administration process was followed. Content validity and reliability was established. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of 6 research questions. The Mann-Whitney U, Pearson Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests were employed to analyze 4 null hypotheses (p=0.05). Most participants (n=36) were experienced clinicians who chose to work in an alternative setting after 28 years or more in the field and reported increased access to care as the reason for practicing collaboratively. A variety of services were offered and private insurance and Medicaid were accepted, although many practitioners did not receive direct reimbursement. The majority of New Mexico participants worked in private dental hygiene practices, earned advanced degrees and serviced Health Provider Shortage Areas. The majority of Minnesota respondents worked in various facilities, earned associate's degrees and were uncertain if Health Provider Shortage Areas were served. There were no significant differences in the variables between practitioners in both states. New Mexico and Minnesota collaborative dental hygiene practitioners are similar in characteristics, services, and opinions although models of practice vary. Collaborative dental hygiene practice is a viable answer to increasing access to care and is an option for patients who might otherwise go without care, including the unserved, underserved, uninsured and underinsured. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.
Ellison, Christopher A.; Groten, Joel T.; Lorenz, David L.; Koller, Karl S.
2016-10-27
Consistent and reliable sediment data are needed by Federal, State, and local government agencies responsible for monitoring water quality, planning river restoration, quantifying sediment budgets, and evaluating the effectiveness of sediment reduction strategies. Heightened concerns about excessive sediment in rivers and the challenge to reduce costs and eliminate data gaps has guided Federal and State interests in pursuing alternative methods for measuring suspended and bedload sediment. Simple and dependable data collection and estimation techniques are needed to generate hydraulic and water-quality information for areas where data are unavailable or difficult to collect.The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, completed a study to evaluate the use of dimensionless sediment rating curves (DSRCs) to accurately predict suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs), bedload, and annual sediment loads for selected rivers and streams in Minnesota based on data collected during 2007 through 2013. This study included the application of DSRC models developed for a small group of streams located in the San Juan River Basin near Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado to rivers in Minnesota. Regionally based DSRC models for Minnesota also were developed and compared to DSRC models from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, to evaluate which model provided more accurate predictions of SSCs and bedload in Minnesota.Multiple measures of goodness-of-fit were developed to assess the effectiveness of DSRC models in predicting SSC and bedload for rivers in Minnesota. More than 600 dimensionless ratio values of SSC, bedload, and streamflow were evaluated and delineated according to Pfankuch stream stability categories of “good/fair” and “poor” to develop four Minnesota-based DSRC models. The basis for Pagosa Springs and Minnesota DSRC model effectiveness was founded on measures of goodness
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rowe, Rebecca L.; Hanley, Mick E.; Goulson, Dave; Clarke, Donna J.; Doncaster, C. Patrick; Taylor, Gail [University of Southampton, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Southampton, S017 1BJ (United Kingdom)
2011-01-15
The cultivation of bioenergy crops (BECs) represents a significant land-use change in agri-environments, but their deployment has raised important issues globally regarding possible impacts on biodiversity. Few studies however, have systematically examined the effect of commercial scale bioenergy plantations on biodiversity in agri-ecosystems. In this study we investigate how the abundance and diversity of two key components of farmland biodiversity (ground flora and winged invertebrates) varied between mature willow Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) and two alternative land-use options (arable crops and set-aside land). Although the abundance of winged invertebrates was similar across all land-uses, taxonomic composition varied markedly. Hymenoptera and large Hemiptera (>5 mm) were more abundant in willow SRC than in arable or set-aside. Similarly although plant species richness was greater in set-aside, our data show that willow SRC supports a different plant community to the other land-uses, being dominated by competitive perennial species such as Elytrigia repens and Urtica dioica. Our results suggest that under current management practices a mixed farming system incorporating willow SRC can benefit native farm-scale biodiversity. In particular the reduced disturbance in willow SRC allows the persistence of perennial plant species, potentially providing a stable refuge and food sources for invertebrates. In addition, increased Hymenoptera abundance in willow SRC could potentially have concomitant effects on ecosystem processes, as many members of this Order are important pollinators of crop plants or otherwise fulfil an important beneficial role as predators or parasites of crop pests. (author)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Villanueva, A. J.; Gómez-Limón, J.A.; Arriaza, M.; Rodríguez-Entrena, M.
2015-07-01
Agri-environmental schemes (AES) in irrigated olive groves (IOG) in southern Spain were assessed based on farmers’ preferences toward these schemes. A choice experiment was used in this ex-ante assessment, with the inclusion of some innovative elements, such as collective participation and ecological focus areas (EFA). The results showed that farmers’ mean willingness to accept (WTA) participation in collective rather than individual AES was €124.5/ha. Their mean WTA for an additional 1% of EFA was €64.6/ha, while regarding the use of other agri-environmental practices, they showed a WTA of €6.3/ha and €114.7/ha for an additional 1% in the use of cover crops (CC) in olive grove areas and restrictive management of CC, respectively. These estimates were strongly influenced by farmers’ expectations and socio-economic characteristics, as well as farm management. We obtained that farmers’ expectations of no farm takeover reduce WTA for collective participation, whereas agricultural training and having at least a secondary-school education reduce farmers’ WTA for EFA and restrictive management of the CC, respectively. Conversely, harvesting ground olives increased farmers’ WTA for a high proportion of the area under CC. The analysis of the AES scenarios showed moderately high estimates of total WTA (€101-349/ha), especially when collective participation is required (€225-474/ha). The results supported the argument that there are efficient ways to encourage public goods provision, overcoming trade-offs with private goods provision by identifying the type of joint production. (Author)
Results of gas flux records in the seismically active area of Val d'Agri (Southern Italy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
V. Lapenna
2005-06-01
Full Text Available The Val d Agri area is well-known for oil exploration. An old 500 m deep exploration well in the northern part of this area has been used for long-term hydrogeochemical investigations. The well is characterized by a discharge of about 500 L/min of thermal water (27.8°C and a simultaneous methane gas emission of about 200 L/min. Gas analyses gave evidence that the methane come from a multiple deep reservoir. Continuous records of gas emission showed some anomalous variations occurred during the past three years. The gas flux anomalies were in a distinctive coincidence with self-potential anomalies of one station close to the hydrogeochemical station. The present paper describes the interpretation of these anomalies in relation to the geodynamic activity in the area.
Panitz, Emanuel
The Minnesota Private College Research Foundation - Indian Education Project (MPCRF-IEP) provided additional financial support for programs that were unique, developmental, and Indian in their approach to expansion of higher educational opportunities for Native American students. Funding allocated by the Project was made on a dollar for dollar…
John. Krantz
2001-01-01
Minnesota is a leading state in the production of holiday wreaths. It is estimated that the companies producing wreaths in Minnesota have total sales exceeding $20 million and growing. Wreaths are sold in all states in the U.S., mainly by non-profit groups for fundraising. The boughs harvested from the balsam fir (Abies balsamea) are used in 98...
Larson, Nicole; Davey, Cynthia S.; Coombes, Brandon; Caspi, Caitlin; Kubik, Martha Y.; Nanney, Marilyn S.
2014-01-01
Background: The purpose of this study was to describe promotions for unhealthy and healthy foods and beverages within Minnesota secondary schools from 2008 to 2012, and to examine associations with school-level coordination of environmental improvements and students' dietary behaviors. Methods: The Minnesota School Health Profiles and Minnesota…
Minnesota Kids: A Closer Look. 2000 Data Book.
Coffin, Linda
This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of Minnesota's children. The statistical portrait is based on 11 indicators of child well-being: (1) child poverty rate; (2) children receiving free or reduced-price school lunch; (3) children in families receiving food stamps; (4) births to teenage mothers; (5) low birth weight rates;…
Landon, M.K.; Delin, G.N.; Lamb, J.A.; Anderson, J.L.; Dowdy, R.H.
1998-01-01
Ground-water quality in an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer was monitored during 1991-95 at the Minnesota Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) near Princeton, Minnesota. The objectives of the study were to:
Market dynamics of community pharmacies in Minnesota, U.S. from 1992 through 2012.
Schommer, Jon C; Yusuf, Akeem A; Hadsall, Ronald S
2014-01-01
An understanding of community pharmacy market dynamics is important for monitoring access points for pharmacist services. The purpose of this study was to describe (1) changes in pharmacy mix (independent versus chain) between 1992 and 2002 and between 2002 and 2012 for 87 counties in Minnesota (state in U.S.) and (2) the number (and proportion) of community pharmacies in Minnesota for the years 1992, 2002, and 2012 using a new categorization method developed specifically for this study. Data included licensure records for 1992, 2002, and 2012 from the State of Minnesota Board of Pharmacy and county level demographics for 1990, 2000 and 2010 from the US Census Bureau. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings over time and to describe associations between study variables. The ratio of independent pharmacies to chain pharmacies changed from approximately 2:1 in 1992 to 1:2 in 2012. The primary market factors associated with changes in the number of community pharmacies per county were (1) the metropolitan designation of the county and (2) whether the population density (persons/square mile) was increasing or decreasing. The face of community pharmacy in Minnesota changed between 1992 and 2012. By 2012, pharmacies were located in traditional retail pharmacies, mass merchandiser outlets, supermarkets, and clinics/medical centers. Furthermore, specialty pharmacies grew in proportion to meet patient needs. Between 1992 and 2012, the market dynamics of community pharmacies in Minnesota was characterized by vigorous market entry and exit. In light of recent health reform that is exhibiting characteristics such as continuity-of-care models, performance-based payment, technology advances, and the care of patients becoming more "ambulatory" (versus in-patient), we suggest that the market dynamics of community pharmacies will continue to exhibit vigorous market entry and exit in this new environment. It is proposed that the community pharmacy categories developed
The Minnesota Articulation Project and Its Proficiency-Based Assessments.
Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline
1997-01-01
Reports on the Minnesota Articulation Project, providing an overview of the projects' three principal working groups: political action, curriculum, and assessment. The article then outlines the theoretical underpinnings of the proficiency-based assessment instruments developed in French, German, and Spanish and describes in detail the content and…
Intelligent Transportation Systems Research Data Exchange - Minnesota DOT Mobile Observation data
Department of Transportation — Registered users can download the RDE API client application and receive a real-time data feed from the Minnesota Integrated Mobile Observation (IMO) project. Mobile...
Characterizing challenged Minnesota ballots
Nagy, George; Lopresti, Daniel; Barney Smith, Elisa H.; Wu, Ziyan
2011-01-01
Photocopies of the ballots challenged in the 2008 Minnesota elections, which constitute a public record, were scanned on a high-speed scanner and made available on a public radio website. The PDF files were downloaded, converted to TIF images, and posted on the PERFECT website. Based on a review of relevant image-processing aspects of paper-based election machinery and on additional statistics and observations on the posted sample data, robust tools were developed for determining the underlying grid of the targets on these ballots regardless of skew, clipping, and other degradations caused by high-speed copying and digitization. The accuracy and robustness of a method based on both index-marks and oval targets are demonstrated on 13,435 challenged ballot page images.
Non-Double-Couple Component Analysis of Induced Microearthquakes in the Val D'Agri Basin (Italy)
Roselli, P.; Improta, L.; Saccorotti, G.
2017-12-01
In recent years it has become accepted that earthquake source can attain significant Non-Double-Couple (NDC) components. Among the driving factors of deviation from normal double-couple (DC) mechanisms there is the opening/closing of fracture networks and the activation of pre-existing faults by pore fluid pressure perturbations. This observation makes the thorough analysis of source mechanism of key importance for the understanding of withdrawal/injection induced seismicity from geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs, as well as of water reservoir induced seismicity. In addition to the DC component, seismic moment tensor can be decomposed into isotropic (ISO) and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components. In this study we performed a careful analysis of the seismic moment tensor of induced microseismicity recorded in the Val d'Agri (Southern Apennines, Italy) focusing our attention on the NDC component. The Val d'Agri is a Quaternary extensional basin that hosts the largest onshore European oil field and a water reservoir (Pertusillo Lake impoundment) characterized by severe seasonal level oscillations. Our input data-set includes swarm-type induced micro-seismicity recorded between 2005-2006 by a high-performance network and accurately localized by a reservoir-scale local earthquake tomography. We analyze two different seismicity clusters: (i) a swarm of 69 earthquakes with 0.3 ≤ ML ≤ 1.8 induced by a wastewater disposal well of the oilfield during the initial daily injection tests (10 days); (ii) 526 earthquakes with -0.2 ≤ ML ≤ 2.7 induced by seasonal volume changes of the artificial lake. We perform the seismic moment tensor inversion by using HybridMT code. After a very accurate signal-to-noise selection and hand-made picking of P-pulses, we obtain %DC, %ISO, %CLVD for each event. DC and NDC components are analyzed and compared with the spatio-temporal distribution of seismicity, the local stress field, the injection parameters and the water
Factors affecting members' evaluation of agri-business ventures' effectiveness.
Hashemi, Seyyed Mahmoud; Hedjazi, Yousef
2011-02-01
This paper presents work to identify factors affecting effectiveness of agri-business ventures (A-BVs) on the side of providers as perceived by their members. A survey was conducted among 95 members of A-BVs in Zanjan province, Iran. To collect data, a questionnaire was designed. Two distinct groups of A-BVs with low (group 1) and high (group 2) perceived (evaluated) levels of effectiveness were revealed. The study showed that there were significant differences between the two groups on important characteristics of A-BVs and their members. The study also found that there were statistically significant relationships between A-BVs' governance structure and capacity, management and organization characteristics and the perceived effectiveness, whereas there were no statistically significant relationships between A-BVs' advisory methods characteristic applied by members and the perceived effectiveness. Logistic regression results also showed that level of application of rules encouraging members' active participation in important decision makings, clear terms of reference to guide contracting procedures, roles, and responsibilities of parties involved, type of people served and geographical area of program coverage, and members' ability to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) were predictors of the perceived (evaluated) effectiveness of A-BVs. The study showed that evaluation of members of effectiveness of A-BVs would not be the same. It is suggested that Iranian public agricultural extension organization, as responsible organization for monitoring and evaluating services conducted by A-BVs, considered these differences between members with different levels of some important variables. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad: 1997
Paul R. Reed; Carol J. Cumber
1998-01-01
Approximately twenty-five years ago, a majority of the railroads in the industry were either in or near bankruptcy. As a partial cure, a series of federal and state legislation was enacted which freed the industry from archaic laws passed in the days railroads enjoyed a virtual monopoly in U.S. transportation. One of the outcomes of this new legislation was the freedom granted major railroads to abandon or sell off excess trackage to entrepreneurs. The Dakota Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) is a r...
Making Health Easier: Healthy Schools in Minnesota PSA (:60)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts
To bring healthier meals to students at the Dover-Eyota elementary school in Minnesota, school officials and parents started a partnership with local farmers. The farm-to-school program has brought better food, like watermelon and corn on the cob, to the children while building ties within the community.
DNA markers as a tool for genetic traceability of primary product in agri-food chains
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daria Scarano
2012-11-01
Full Text Available The agri-food components of the Made in Italy are well known all over the world, therefore they may significantly contribute to the Italian economy. However, also owing to a large number of cases of improper labelling, the Italian agro-food industry faces an ever-increasing competition. For this reason, there is a decline of consumers’ confidence towards food production systems and safety controls. To prevent erroneous classification of products and to protect consumers from false instore information, it is important to develop and validate techniques that are able to detect mislabelling at any stage of the food-chain. This paper describes some examples of genetic traceability of primary products in some important plant food chains such as durum wheat, olive and tomato, based on DNA analysis both of raw material and of processed food (pasta, olive oil, and peeled tomato.
Contaminants of emerging concern in ambient groundwater in urbanized areas of Minnesota, 2009-12
Erickson, Melinda L.; Langer, Susan K.; Roth, Jason L.; Kroening, Sharon E.
2014-01-01
A study of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in ambient groundwater in urbanized areas of Minnesota was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. For this study, water samples were collected from November 2009 through June 2012 from 118 wells located in different land-use settings. The sampled wells primarily were screened in vulnerable sand and gravel aquifers (surficial and buried glacial aquifers) or vulnerable bedrock aquifers such as the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. Sampled well depths ranged from 9 to 285 feet below land surface. Water samples were collected by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff. The water samples were analyzed at U.S. Geological Survey laboratories for steroidal hormones, human-use pharmaceutical compounds, human- and animal-use antibiotics, and a broad suite of organic chemicals associated with wastewater. Reported detections were censored and not counted as detections in the data analyses if the chemical was detected in a laboratory or field blank at a similar concentration.
Soderberg, Karen; Rajamani, Sripriya; Wholey, Douglas; LaVenture, Martin
2016-01-01
Minnesota enacted legislation in 2007 that requires all health care providers in the state to implement an interoperable electronic health record (EHR) system by 2015. 100% of hospitals and 98% of clinics had adopted EHR systems by end of 2015. Minnesota's 2008 health reform included a health care home (HCH) program, Minnesota's patient centered medical home. By end of 2014, 43% of HCH eligible clinics were certified with 335 certified HCHs and 430 eligible but not certified clinics. To study the association between adoption and use of EHRs in primary care clinics and HCH certification, including use of clinical decision support tools, patient registries, electronic exchange of patient information, and availability of patient portals. Study utilized data from the 2015 Minnesota Health Information Technology Clinic Survey conducted annually by the Minnesota Department of Health. The response rate was 80% with 1,181 of 1,473 Minnesota clinics, including 662 HCH eligible primary care clinics. The comparative analysis focused on certified HCHs (311) and eligible but not certified clinics (351). HCH clinics utilized the various tools of EHR technology at a higher rate than non-HCH clinics. This greater utilization was noted across a range of functionalities: clinical decision support, patient disease registries, EHR to support quality improvement, electronic exchange of summary care records and availability of patient portals. HCH certification was significant for clinical decision support tools, registries and quality improvement. HCH requirements of care management, care coordination and quality improvement can be better supported with EHR technology, which underscores the higher rate of utilization of EHR tools by HCH clinics. Optimizing electronic exchange of health information remains a challenge for all clinics, including HCH certified clinics. This research presents the synergy between complementary initiatives supporting EHR adoption and HCH certification
Divorce and Special Education in Minnesota. PHP-c104
PACER Center, 2004
2004-01-01
When parents divorce, they sometimes have questions about which parent has rights in special education. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Minnesota state special education laws and regulations clearly describe parental rights and the school district's duty to meet them. Most rights are unchanged by divorce. The…
Digital Learning Compass: Distance Education State Almanac 2017. Minnesota
Seaman, Julia E.; Seaman, Jeff
2017-01-01
This brief report uses data collected under the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Fall Enrollment survey to highlight distance education data in the state of Minnesota. The sample for this analysis is comprised of all active, degree-granting…
Crab spiders (Araeneae: Philodromidae, Thomisidae) of Ramsey County, Minnesota.
Daniel. T. Jennings; Bruce Cutler
1996-01-01
Crab spiders of 2 families, 10 genera, and 35 species were collected over a 31-year period in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Rarely collected species included Philodromus keyserlingi, Xysticus pellax, X. chippewa, X. banksi and X. alboniger. Identification source(s), season and collection frequency, and biology are summarized for each species.
Plaggenhoef, van W.
2007-01-01
Introduction During the last decade, concerns about quality and safety in agri-food supply chains have been raised. Several sector-wide crises, such as the BSE and the dioxin crises, classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease and Aviaire Influenza have fuelled these concerns. These
V Haaren, Christina; Bathke, Manfred
2008-11-01
Until now, existing remuneration of environmental services has not sufficiently supported the goals of spending money more effectively on the environment and of motivating farmers. Only a small share of the budgets for agriculture in the EU, as well as in US and other countries, is available for buying environmental goods and services beyond the level of good farming practice (GFP). This combined with the insufficient targeting of compensation payments to areas where special measures are needed leads to an unsatisfactorily low impact of agri-environment measures compared to other driving forces that stimulate the intensification of farming. The goal of this paper is to propose a management concept that enhances the ecological and cost efficiency of agri-environment measures. Components of the concept are a comprehensive environmental information base with prioritised goals and targets (available in Germany from landscape planning) and new remuneration models, which complement conventional compensation payments that are based upon predetermined measures and cost. Comprehensive landscape planning locates and prioritises areas which require environmental action. It contains the information that authorities need to prioritise funding for environmental services and direct measures to sites which need environmental services beyond the level of GFP. Also appropriate remuneration models, which can enhance the cost efficiency of public spending and the motivation of the farmers, can be applied on the base of landscape planning. Testing of the planning methodology and of one of the remuneration models (success-oriented remuneration) in a case study area ("Fuhrberger Feld" north of Hanover, Germany) demonstrated the usability of the concept and led to proposals for future development of the methodology and its application in combination with other approaches.
Sansanelli, Sabrina; Ferri, Maura; Salinitro, Mirko; Tassoni, Annalisa
2017-09-06
This research was carried out in a scarcely populated area of the Middle Agri Valley (Basilicata region, southern Italy). The aim of the study was to record local knowledge on the traditional uses of wild food plants, as well as to collect information regarding the practices (gathering, processing and cooking) and the medicinal uses related to these plants. Fifty-eight people still possessing traditional local knowledge (TLK), 74% women and 26% men, were interviewed between May-August 2012 and January 2013, using open and semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. For each described plant species, the botanical family, the Italian common and folk names, the plant parts used, the culinary preparation and, when present, the medicinal use, were recorded and the relative frequency of citation index (RFC) was determined. The 52 plant species mentioned by the respondents belong to 23 botanical families, with Asteraceae (12 plants) and Rosaceae (7 plants) being most frequently cited. The species with the highest RFC index is Cichorium intybus L. (0.95), followed by Sonchus spp. (S. oleraceus L., S. asper L. and S. arvensis L.) (0.76). The plant parts preferably used are leaves (22 plants), fruits (12) and stems (7). Only six wild plants were indicated as having both food use and therapeutic effect. The survey conducted on the traditional use of wild food plants in the Middle Agri Valley revealed that this cultural heritage is only partially retained by the population. Over the last few decades, this knowledge has been in fact quickly disappearing along with the people and, even in the rural context of the study area, is less and less handed down to younger generations. Nevertheless, data also revealed that the use of wild plants is recently being revaluated in a way closely related to local habits and traditions.
Climatic data for Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1983
Sturrock, A.M.; Rosenberry, D.O.; Engelbrecht, L.G.; Gothard, W.A.; Winter, T.C.
1984-01-01
Research on the hydrology of Williams Lake, north-central Minnesota includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies,including: water-surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and solar radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations.
The role of public policies in reducing smoking: the Minnesota SimSmoke tobacco policy model.
Levy, David T; Boyle, Raymond G; Abrams, David B
2012-11-01
Following the landmark lawsuit and settlement with the tobacco industry, Minnesota pursued the implementation of stricter tobacco control policies, including tax increases, mass media campaigns, smokefree air laws, and cessation treatment policies. Modeling is used to examine policy effects on smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths. To estimate the effect of tobacco control policies in Minnesota on smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths using the SimSmoke simulation model. Minnesota data starting in 1993 are applied to SimSmoke, a simulation model used to examine the effect of tobacco control policies over time on smoking initiation and cessation. Upon validating the model against smoking prevalence, SimSmoke is used to distinguish the effect of policies implemented since 1993 on smoking prevalence. Using standard attribution methods, SimSmoke also estimates deaths averted as a result of the policies. SimSmoke predicts smoking prevalence accurately between 1993 and 2011. Since 1993, a relative reduction in smoking rates of 29% by 2011 and of 41% by 2041 can be attributed to tobacco control policies, mainly tax increases, smokefree air laws, media campaigns, and cessation treatment programs. Moreover, 48,000 smoking-attributable deaths will be averted by 2041. Minnesota SimSmoke demonstrates that tobacco control policies, especially taxes, have substantially reduced smoking prevalence and smoking-attributable deaths. Taxes, smokefree air laws, mass media, cessation treatment policies, and youth-access enforcement contributed to the decline in prevalence and deaths averted, with the strongest component being taxes. With stronger policies, for example, increasing cigarette taxes to $4.00 per pack, Minnesota's smoking rate could be reduced by another 13%, and 7200 deaths could be averted by 2041. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Uranium in early proterozoic phosphate-rich metasedimentary rocks of east-central Minnesota
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
McSwiggen, P.L.; Morey, G.B.; Weiblen, P.W.
1986-01-01
Exploration for unconformity-type uranium deposits in the late 1970s in east-central Minnesota led to the discovery of several uranium-bearing phosphorite occurrences in rocks of early Proterozoic age. In this report the authors use the term phosphorite for a rock or specimen that contains substantial sedimentary apatite (Altschuler et al., 1958). The deposits in Minnesota are especially interesting because of their high uranium content but low metamorphic grade. These occurrences characteristically contain 0.025 to 0.085 percent U and locally as much as 0.157 percent U (Ullmer, 1981), whereas typical primary marine phosphorites have uranium contents of 0.005 to 0.02 percent U (Altschuler et al., 1958). The presence of uranium in a marine phosphorite generally is explained by either the replacement of calcium in the apatite crystal structure or the adsorption of uranium in admixed organic matter and cryptocrystalline apatite. In east-central Minnesota the uranium is closely associated with the finely crystalline apatite, but the uranium has also been involved in several episodes of remobilization and redeposition. Thus, even though the phosphorite deposits are an interesting geologic phenomenon in themselves, they also are important as a possible source for epigenetic uranium deposits that may occur in the area
Kretman Stewart, Sarah; Johnson, David C.; Smith, William P.
2013-01-01
Background High prevalence of physical inactivity contributes to adverse health outcomes. Active transportation (cycling or walking) is associated with better health outcomes, and bike-sharing programs can help communities increase use of active transportation. Community Context The Minneapolis Health Department funded the Nice Ride Minnesota bike share system to expand to the Near North community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Near North is a diverse, low-income area of the city where residents ...
Climatic data for Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1985
Sturrock, A.M.; Rosenberry, D.O.; Winter, T.C.
1987-01-01
Research on the hydrology of Williams Lake, north-central Minnesota includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies, including: water-surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and solar and atmospheric radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations.
Climatic data for Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1984
Sturrock, A.M.; Rosenberry, D.O.; Scarborough, J.L.; Winter, T.C.
1986-01-01
Research on the hydrology of Williams Lake, north-central Minnesota includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies, including: water-surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and solar and atmospheric radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations.
Characteristics of mercury speciation in Minnesota rivers and streams
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Balogh, Steven J. [Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, 2400 Childs Road, St. Paul, MN 55106-6724 (United States)], E-mail: steve.balogh@metc.state.mn.us; Swain, Edward B. [Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4194 (United States)], E-mail: edward.swain@state.mn.us; Nollet, Yabing H. [Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, 2400 Childs Road, St. Paul, MN 55106-6724 (United States)], E-mail: yabing.nollet@metc.state.mn.us
2008-07-15
Patterns of mercury (Hg) speciation were examined in four Minnesota streams ranging from the main-stem Mississippi River to small tributaries in the basin. Filtered phase concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg), inorganic Hg (IHg), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were higher in all streams during a major summertime runoff event, and DOC was enriched with MeHg but not with IHg. Particulate-phase MeHg and IHg concentrations generally increased with total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations but the event data did not diverge greatly from the non-event data, suggesting that sources of suspended sediments in these streams did not vary significantly between event and non-event samplings. The dissolved fractions (filtered concentration/unfiltered concentration) of both MeHg and IHg increased with increasing DOC concentrations, but varied inversely with TSS concentrations. While MeHg typically constitutes only a minor portion of the total Hg (THg) in these streams, this contribution is not constant and can vary greatly over time in response to watershed inputs. - Methylmercury and inorganic mercury concentrations in four Minnesota streams were characterized to determine controlling variables.
Characteristics of mercury speciation in Minnesota rivers and streams
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Balogh, Steven J.; Swain, Edward B.; Nollet, Yabing H.
2008-01-01
Patterns of mercury (Hg) speciation were examined in four Minnesota streams ranging from the main-stem Mississippi River to small tributaries in the basin. Filtered phase concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg), inorganic Hg (IHg), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were higher in all streams during a major summertime runoff event, and DOC was enriched with MeHg but not with IHg. Particulate-phase MeHg and IHg concentrations generally increased with total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations but the event data did not diverge greatly from the non-event data, suggesting that sources of suspended sediments in these streams did not vary significantly between event and non-event samplings. The dissolved fractions (filtered concentration/unfiltered concentration) of both MeHg and IHg increased with increasing DOC concentrations, but varied inversely with TSS concentrations. While MeHg typically constitutes only a minor portion of the total Hg (THg) in these streams, this contribution is not constant and can vary greatly over time in response to watershed inputs. - Methylmercury and inorganic mercury concentrations in four Minnesota streams were characterized to determine controlling variables
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Francesco Barreca
2014-06-01
Full Text Available The latest EU policies focus on the issue of food safety with a view to ensuring adequate and standard quality levels for the food produced and/or consumed within the EC. To that purpose, the environment where agricultural products are manufactured and processed plays a crucial role in achieving food hygiene. As a consequence, it is of the outmost importance to adopt proper building solutions which meet health and hygiene requirements as well as to use suitable tools to measure the levels achieved. Similarly, it is necessary to verify and evaluate the level of workers’ safety and welfare in their working environment. Workers’ safety has not only an ethical and social value but also an economic implication, since possible accidents or environmental stressors are the major causes of the lower efficiency and productivity of workers. Therefore, it is fundamental to design suitable models of analysis that allow assessing buildings as a whole, taking into account both health and hygiene safety as well as workers’ safety and welfare. Hence, this paper proposes an assessment model that, based on an established study protocol and on the application of a fuzzy logic procedure, allows assessing the global safety level of an agri-food building by means of a global safety buildings index. The model here presented is original since it uses fuzzy logic to evaluate the performances of both the technical and environmental systems of an agri-food building in terms of health and hygiene safety of the manufacturing process as well as of workers’ health and safety. The result of the assessment is expressed through a triangular fuzzy membership function which allows carrying out comparative analyses of different buildings. A specific procedure was developed to apply the model to a case study which tested its operational simplicity and the validity of its results. The proposed model allows obtaining a synthetic and global value of the building performance of
Legal and political obstacles to smoke-free regulation in Minnesota regions.
Cork, Kerry; Forman, Carolyn
2008-12-01
As communities move toward statewide smoke-free regulation, progress is often stymied by legal and political challenges that arise when multiple cities and counties share regulatory power within what is, for economic purposes, a single population center. Political challenges are exacerbated by legal inconsistencies and uncertainties, such as confusing and conflicting lawmaking power in boards of health, cities or counties, and diverse procedures and timelines for adopting and amending ordinances. Surprisingly little research is available about the legal and political obstacles communities face in regulating tobacco on a regional basis. Researchers used case study methodology to analyze legal and political challenges that seven multi-jurisdictional Minnesota regions faced in smoke-free ordinance campaigns between 2000 and 2006, to examine the approaches regulatory authorities took in each of these communities, and to identify strategies to help public health advocates, health organizations, policymakers, and legal professionals anticipate, avoid, and address these obstacles. Legal impediments included confusing rules for passing smoke-free laws via ballot measures (initiatives and referenda); distracting lawsuits; and conflicts over legal jurisdiction. Political challenges included the recurrent argument for regional consistency, protracted timelines, pending legislation and elections, and mayoral vetoes. Legal and political challenges similar to those in this study appear in smoke-free campaigns across the U.S. By recognizing the risks posed by these obstacles, advocates will be better prepared to advance smoke-free policies effectively.
Fish Consumption in Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, and North Dakota (Final Report)
In August 2013, EPA announced the availability of the final report,Fish Consumption in Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, and North Dakota. Many state and local health agencies throughout the United States conduct area-specific surveys that monitor and evaluate contaminant ...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Prakash, V.
2001-01-01
Today, with the advent of modern processing techniques in the area of value addition to agri resources, food irradiation has made a big dent in terms of extension of shelf life and confidence of making the food free from microbial and other contaminants and need to be really harnessed more than what we are doing. However, there is still certain amount of stigma attached to this technology not because the technology is un-ripe but it is because of lack of awareness with the masses as regards to the safety of the foods that are processed by irradiation
Migration of Hmong to Rochester, Minnesota: Life in the Midwest
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cathleen Jo Faruque
2003-01-01
Full Text Available This study was designed to investigate one of the newest refugee groups to the Midwestern United States, the Hmong refugees from Laos, China, Vietnam and Thailand. This study broadly examines how multigenerational Hmong families are adjusting and adapting to life in Rochester, Minnesota. The following questions guided this study: (1 What effect does non-voluntary migration have on the acculturation levels as measured by cultural awareness and ethnic loyalty of the Hmong in Rochester, Minnesota? (2 How do the Hmong perceive their host Anglo culture? (3 How do the Hmong adjust to their host social system in the United States? (4 How much do Hmong learn about their new environment? (5 How do the Hmong retain traditions within in the United States?Qualitative interviewing through in-depth individual interviews and participant observation was the method of data collection. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, volunteering, and snowball sampling techniques. Criteria for inclusion in this study were: 1 Being Hmong; 2 Residing in Rochester, Minnesota, and; 3 Being at least 13 years of age or older. Grounded theory methodology was the primary tool of data analysis.The findings clearly demonstrated that the Hmong subjects interviewed for this study showed a high degree of discrepancy between the acculturation levels based on age and country of origin from point of migration. This discrepancy has created an acculturation gap, which is related to the younger Hmong’s increased identification with the American culture and their decreased identification with their family’s culture of origin. This shift has created family difficulties and communication gaps between the generations.
Rajić, Andrijana; Young, Ian; McEwen, Scott A
2013-05-01
Knowledge translation and transfer (KTT) aims to increase research utilization and ensure that the best available knowledge is used to inform policy and practice. Many frameworks, methods, and terms are used to describe KTT, and the field has largely developed in the health sector over the past decade. There is a need to review key KTT principles and methods in different sectors and evaluate their potential application in agri-food public health. We conducted a structured mixed-method review of the KTT literature. From 827 citations identified in a comprehensive search, we characterized 160 relevant review articles, case studies, and reports. A thematic analysis was conducted on a prioritized and representative subset of 33 articles to identify key principles and characteristics for ensuring effective KTT. The review steps were conducted by two or more independent reviewers using structured and pretested forms. We identified five key principles for effective KTT that were described within two contexts: to improve research utilization in general and to inform policy-making. To ensure general research uptake, there is a need for the following: (1) relevant and credible research; (2) ongoing interactions between researchers and end-users; (3) organizational support and culture; and (4) monitoring and evaluation. To inform policy-making, (5) researchers must also address the multiple and competing contextual factors of the policy-making process. We also describe 23 recommended and promising KTT methods, including six synthesis (e.g., systematic reviews, mixed-method reviews, and rapid reviews); nine dissemination (e.g., evidence summaries, social media, and policy briefs); and eight exchange methods (e.g., communities of practice, knowledge brokering, and policy dialogues). A brief description, contextual example, and key references are provided for each method. We recommend a wider endorsement of KTT principles and methods in agri-food public health, but there are
Tahvanainen, Liisa; Ihalainen, Marjut; Hietala-Koivu, Reija; Kolehmainen, Osmo; Tyrväinen, Liisa; Nousiainen, Ismo; Helenius, Juha
2002-11-01
As a member of the European Union, Finland has committed itself to creating an environmental policy for agriculture. The aims of this study were to evaluate visual impacts of the General Agri-Environmental Protection Scheme (GAEPS) and Supplementary Protection Scheme (SPS) and general attitudes towards some activities in those policies and furthermore to examine the suitability of the method of Alho et al. (2001) for the scenic beauty assessment. The study areas consisted of three original, untreated, and 15 modified rural landscapes representing a variety of different activities. The scenic beauty of the landscapes was evaluated through pairwise comparisons of the responses of 68 people. Furthermore, attitudes towards environmental values, water protection, buffer strips and subsidies to agriculture were obtained. The respondents found the maintained buffer strips more pleasing than unmaintained strips and considered that the quality of watercourses was increased by buffer strips along them. A suitable width for the buffer strip along main ditches, brooks and waterways was regarded, on average, to be wider than the current recommendations. Although the opinions of farmers were basically in line with the existing recommendations, farmers' opininons on the second and third most important effects of buffer strips, an increase in weeds and a decrease in cultivated land, clearly differed from those of the other respondents. Afforestation, lack of building maintenance and abandoned fields were considered to be the most important factors impacting rural landscapes. This study indicates that the Finnish Agri-Environmental Protection Schemes have had positive impacts on the visual quality of landscapes. Attitudes towards other impacts are contradictory. This study also showed the improvement of the Alho et al. (2001) method in these kinds of studies relative to other methods of pairwise comparisons.
Cigarettes and the Somali diaspora: tobacco use among Somali adults in Minnesota.
Giuliani, Kristin K W; Mire, Osman; Leinberger-Jabari, Andrea; Ehrlich, Laura C; Stigler, Melissa H; Pryce, Douglas J; DuBois, Diana K
2012-11-01
Since the onset of the Somali civil war in 1991, more than 1 million Somalis have been displaced from Somalia. Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S. Informal tobacco prevalence estimates among Somali populations in the U.S. and the United Kingdom range from 13% to 37%, respectively. Little research has been conducted to determine the extent of Somali tobacco use. This paper reports the results from a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey conducted and analyzed in 2009 that explores tobacco use and estimates prevalence among Somali adults aged ≥ 18 years in Minnesota. Modeled after validated state and national tobacco use surveys, the survey was adapted for Somalis and administered to ethnically Somali adults (N=392) from 25 neighborhood clusters in Minnesota. Participants were chosen through probability proportional to size and multistage random sampling methods. Estimated prevalence for cigarette use among Somalis was 24% (44% among men, 4% among women). Ever users were significantly more likely to be men, have attended college, and have friends who used cigarettes (pIslamic prohibition of tobacco was protective and affected current use and future intention to use tobacco (peducation levels. Positive peer pressure and religion are protective factors from tobacco use and should be integrated into prevention and cessation programs. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Klingner, Jill; Moscovice, Ira; Casey, Michelle; McEllistrem Evenson, Alex
2015-01-01
Previously published findings based on field tests indicated that emergency department patient transfer communication measures are feasible and worthwhile to implement in rural hospitals. This study aims to expand those findings by focusing on the wide-scale implementation of these measures in the 79 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Minnesota from 2011 to 2013. Information was obtained from interviews with key informants involved in implementing the emergency department patient transfer communication measures in Minnesota as part of required statewide quality reporting. The first set of interviews targeted state-level organizations regarding their experiences working with providers. A second set of interviews targeted quality and administrative staff from CAHs regarding their experiences implementing measures. Implementing the measures in Minnesota CAHs proved to be successful in a number of respects, but informants also faced new challenges. Our recommendations, addressed to those seeking to successfully implement these measures in other states, take these challenges into account. Field-testing new quality measure implementations with volunteers may not be indicative of a full-scale implementation that requires facilities to participate. The implementation team's composition, communication efforts, prior relationships with facilities and providers, and experience with data collection and abstraction tools are critical factors in successfully implementing required reporting of quality measures on a wide scale. © 2014 National Rural Health Association.
Biomass utilization at Northern States Power Company
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ellis, R.P.
1994-01-01
Northern States Power Company (open-quotes NSPclose quotes) generates, transmits and distributes electricity and distributes natural gas to customers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Michigan. An important and growing component of the fuel needed to generate steam for electrical production is biomass. This paper describes NSP's historical use of biomass, current biomass resources and an overview of how NSP plans to expand its use of biomass in the future
Perimeter security for Minnesota correctional facilities
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Crist, D. [Minnesota Department of Corrections, St. Paul, MN (United States); Spencer, D.D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
1996-12-31
For the past few years, the Minnesota Department of Corrections, assisted by Sandia National Laboratories, has developed a set of standards for perimeter security at medium, close, and maximum custody correctional facilities in the state. During this process, the threat to perimeter security was examined and concepts about correctional perimeter security were developed. This presentation and paper will review the outcomes of this effort, some of the lessons learned, and the concepts developed during this process and in the course of working with architects, engineers and construction firms as the state upgraded perimeter security at some facilities and planned new construction at other facilities.
Making Health Easier: Worksite Wellness in Minnesota PSA (:60)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts
2013-06-04
When firefighters in Minnesota discovered that over 50 percent of firefighter deaths were cardiovascular-related, they decided to implement healthy changes in the workplace. The firefighters now manage a garden near the fire station and eat fresh broccoli, squash, and tomatoes between shifts. Created: 6/4/2013 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). Date Released: 6/4/2013.
Lidar quantification of bank erosion in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.
Kessler, A C; Gupta, S C; Dolliver, H A S; Thoma, D P
2012-01-01
Sediment and phosphorus (P) transport from the Minnesota River Basin to Lake Pepin on the upper Mississippi River has garnered much attention in recent years. However, there is lack of data on the extent of sediment and P contributions from riverbanks vis-à-vis uplands and ravines. Using two light detection and ranging (lidar) data sets taken in 2005 and 2009, a study was undertaken to quantify sediment and associated P losses from riverbanks in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Volume change in river valleys as a result of bank erosion amounted to 1.71 million m over 4 yr. Volume change closely followed the trend: the Blue Earth River > the Minnesota River at the county's northern edge > the Le Sueur River > the Maple River > the Watonwan River > the Big Cobb River > Perch Creek > Little Cobb River. Using fine sediment content (silt + clay) and bulk density of 37 bank samples representing three parent materials, we estimate bank erosion contributions of 48 to 79% of the measured total suspended solids at the mouth of the Blue Earth and the Le Sueur rivers. Corresponding soluble P and total P contributions ranged from 0.13 to 0.20% and 40 to 49%, respectively. Although tall banks (>3 m high) accounted for 33% of the total length and 63% of the total area, they accounted for 75% of the volume change in river valleys. We conclude that multitemporal lidar data sets are useful in estimating bank erosion and associated P contributions over large scales, and for riverbanks that are not readily accessible for conventional surveying equipment. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
Higher Education in Times of Financial Distress: The Minnesota Experience
Severns, Roger
2012-01-01
Like many states, Minnesota has incurred large budget deficits during the past two years. Those deficits have, in turn, led to changes in a number of areas of state government, particularly higher education. Faculty have incurred pay freezes and layoffs, programs have closed, and tuition increased. Campuses within the MnSCU system have been…
Calvello, Mariarosaria; Caggiano, Rosa; Esposito, Francesco; Lettino, Antonio; Sabia, Serena; Summa, Vito; Pavese, Giulia
2017-11-01
A short-term intensive multi-instrumental measurement campaign (Integrated Measurements of Aerosol in Agri valley - IMAA) was carried out near the largest European oil and gas pre-treatment plant (Centro Olio Val d'Agri - COVA) in a populated area, where, so far, ample characterization of aerosol loading is missing. As such, between the 2 and 17 July in 2013, using a number of instruments analyses were carried out on physical, chemical, morphological and optical properties of aerosol at this distinctive site, at both ground and over the atmospheric column, including the investigation of the mixing and transformation of particles. The observation of slag silicates with a rough surface texture is consistent with the presence of oil-related activities which represent the only industrial activity in the area. Desulfurization/sulfur liquefaction processes occurring at COVA can explain the peculiar morphology of calcium-sodium-aluminum particles. The common COVA source was associated with high concentrations of sulfur, nickel and zinc, and with significant correlations between zinc-sulfur and zinc-nickel. The Optical Particle Sizer (OPS) data, hygroscopicity and optical properties of atmospheric aerosol are consistent with the typical oil-derived gaseous emissions (e.g. sulfur dioxide and methane) that strongly influence the mixing state of particles and their size distributions. Continuous combustion processes at COVA were found to be responsible for Equivalent Black Carbon (EBC) concentrations from their relevant contribution to the total number of fine particles. The expected significant contribution of WS (water soluble) and BC (Black Carbon) components to the total Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) are consistent with the results from the radiometric model especially for July 3 and 16.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alessandra La Notte
2015-08-01
Full Text Available The identification of an appropriate justification for Agri-Environment-Climate (AEC payments is a crucial issue in the new Rural Development Programme (RDP. Given the environmental importance of grasslands in Trentino (Italy, the Management Authority in charge of the RDP decided to integrate an approach based on Ecosystem Services (ES into the calculation of AEC payments. The paper presents the methodology used for this approach as well as the preliminary results. The first step entails building a probabilistic model for the ES, named Sustainable Fodder Production. Model outputs are then integrated with the accounting results based on the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN database (2009–2012 with the aim of calculating the additional costs and income waived due to the environmental commitments deriving from the sustainable management of permanent grassland in livestock farming. Sustainability measures imply more extensive management practices that maintain meadows in a healthy state.
Development of a macrophyte-based index of biotic integrity for Minnesota lakes
Beck, M.W.; Hatch, L.K.; Vondracek, B.; Valley, R.D.
2010-01-01
Traditional approaches for managing aquatic resources have often failed to account for effects of anthropogenic disturbances on biota that are not directly reflected by chemical and physical proxies of environmental condition. The index of biotic integrity (IBI) is a potentially effective assessment method to integrate ecological, functional, and structural aspects of aquatic systems. A macrophyte-based IBI was developed for Minnesota lakes to assess the ability of aquatic plant communities to indicate environmental condition. The index was developed using quantitative point intercept vegetation surveys for 97 lakes that represent a range of limnological and watershed characteristics. We followed an approach similar to that used in Wisconsin to develop the aquatic macrophyte community index (AMCI). Regional adaptation of the AMCI required the identification of species representative of macrophyte communities in Minnesota. Metrics and scaling methods were also substantially modified to produce a more empirically robust index. Regression analyses indicated that IBI scores reflected statewide differences in lake trophic state (R2 = 0.57, F = 130.3, df = 1, 95, p indicated a unique response of the IBI to human-induced stress separate from a response to natural lake characteristics. The IBI was minimally affected by differences in sample point density as indicated by Monte Carlo analyses of reduced sampling effort. Our analysis indicates that a macrophyte IBI calibrated for Minnesota lakes could be useful for identifying differences in environmental condition attributed to human-induced stress gradients. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
A Study of the Traffic Safety at Reduced Conflict Intersections In Minnesota
2017-05-23
In 2010, the Minnesota Department of Transportation installed the first Reduced Conflict Intersection (RCI) in the City of Willmar. Since 2010, seven more were constructed, with more planned. The RCI concept is gaining popularity in several states, i...
Salmonella enterica pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clusters, Minnesota, USA, 2001-2007.
Rounds, Joshua M; Hedberg, Craig W; Meyer, Stephanie; Boxrud, David J; Smith, Kirk E
2010-11-01
We determined characteristics of Salmonella enterica pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clusters that predict their being solved (i.e., that result in identification of a confirmed outbreak). Clusters were investigated by the Minnesota Department of Health by using a dynamic iterative model. During 2001-2007, a total of 43 (12.5%) of 344 clusters were solved. Clusters of ≥4 isolates were more likely to be solved than clusters of 2 isolates. Clusters in which the first 3 case isolates were received at the Minnesota Department of Health within 7 days were more likely to be solved than were clusters in which the first 3 case isolates were received over a period >14 days. If resources do not permit investigation of all S. enterica pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clusters, investigation of clusters of ≥4 cases and clusters in which the first 3 case isolates were received at a public health laboratory within 7 days may improve outbreak investigations.
Prevalence of antibody titers to leptospira spp. in Minnesota white-tailed deer
Goyal, S.M.; Mech, L.D.; Nelson, M.E.
1992-01-01
Serum samples (n = 204) from 124 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern Minnesota (USA) were collected from 1984 through 1989 and tested for antibodies to six serovars of Leptospira interrogans (bratislava, canicola, grippotyphosa, hardjo, icterohemorrhagiae, and pomona) using a microtiter agglutination test. Eighty-eight (43%) sera were positive at greater than or equal to 1:100 for antibodies against serovars pomona and/or bratislava; none was positive for any of the other four serovars. None of the 31 sera collected in 1984-85 was positive, whereas all 54 sera collected from 1986 through 1988 had titers of greater than or equal to 1:100. During 1989, only 34 (29%) of 119 sera had titers of greater than or equal to 1:100. Based on these results, we believe there to be wide variability in exposure of Minnesota deer to Leptospira interrogans.
Reducing Lead in Drinking Water: A Manual for Minnesota's Schools.
Minnesota State Dept. of Health, St. Paul.
This manual was designed to assist Minnesota's schools in minimizing the consumption of lead in drinking water by students and staff. It offers step-by-step instructions for testing and reducing lead in drinking water. The manual answers: Why is lead a health concern? How are children exposed to lead? Why is lead a special concern for schools? How…
Income and Poverty. What the 1990 Census Says about Minnesota.
Tichy, John; Craig, William J.
This report is a look at what the 1990 Census has to say about income and poverty in Minnesota and its major metropolitan area, the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul). The report is organized into five parts, each addressing a different variation on the central theme of income and poverty: (1) Income Overview; (2) Income Types; (3) Poverty…
Minnesota Needs Assessment: Research, Evaluation, Assessment, and Data Use in Schools
Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, 2016
2016-01-01
Minnesotans value education. Education is the largest financial investment in the state budget, and those investments place Minnesota students among the top performers in the nation. Still, substantial gaps in opportunity and performance persist. The three purposes of the needs assessment were to: (1) Describe infrastructure, capacity, and costs…
Leeds, Maureen; Muscoplat, Miriam Halstead
2017-10-27
Receiving recommended childhood vaccinations on schedule is the best way to prevent the occurrence and spread of vaccine-preventable diseases (1). Vaccination coverage among children aged 19-35 months in the United States exceeds 90% for most recommended vaccines in the early childhood series (2); however, previous studies have found that few children receive all recommended vaccine doses on time (3). The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), using information from the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) and the MDH Office of Vital Records, examined early childhood immunization rates and found that children with at least one foreign-born parent were less likely to be up-to-date on recommended immunizations at ages 2, 6, 18, and 36 months than were children with two U.S.-born parents. Vaccination coverage at age 36 months varied by mother's region of origin, ranging from 77.5% among children born to mothers from Central and South America and the Caribbean to 44.2% among children born to mothers from Somalia. Low vaccination coverage in these communities puts susceptible children and adults at risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, as evidenced by the recent measles outbreak in Minnesota (4). Increased outreach to immigrant, migrant, and refugee populations and other populations with low up-to-date vaccination rates might improve timely vaccination in these communities.
Impact of Minnesota's "Profile of Learning"
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Patricia G. Avery
2003-02-01
Full Text Available In 1990, the Minnesota State Board of Education declared its intention to develop a "results-oriented graduation requirement" based on student achievement as opposed to the usual credit/course completion requirement. In addition to a traditional test of basic skills, the state began developing the Profile of Learning, a set of performance-based standards grounded in a constructivist educational philosophy, an approach that differs from the content-based standards found in many states. The Profile was controversial from its inception. Conservatives characterized the Profile as too process- oriented and as lacking subject-matter content; teachers reported that the Profile required a significant amount of additional teacher preparation time; and parents, who were not adequately informed about the Profile, questioned the purpose of the Profile. Teachers were frustrated with the confusing and sometimes contradictory directions they received from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning charged with implementing the Profile. In 2000-2001, we surveyed and interviewed selected secondary English and social studies teachers in the state about their perceptions of the Profile’s impact on teaching and learning. Among the positive perceptions was an increase in students’ higher order thinking, students’ understanding of criteria for quality work, and teachers conversations with one another about instructional issues. Increased teacher preparation time and decreased enjoyment of teaching were among the negative perceptions. Teachers also experienced difficulty adopting performance assessment techniques. When teachers believed they received effective preparation and adequate resources for working with the Profile, they were much more likely to report beneficial effects in terms of teaching and learning. The majority of teachers, however, rated their preparation and resources as "fair" or "poor." Results are discussed in terms of
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michelle Carstensen
2011-01-01
Full Text Available Bovine tuberculosis (bTB has been found in 12 cattle operations and 27 free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus in northwestern Minnesota, following the state's most recent outbreak of the disease in 2005 in the northwest part of the state. Both deer and cattle have the same strain of bTB. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has been leading efforts to eradicate the disease in Minnesota's cattle, which have included the depopulation of all infected herds, a cattle buy-out program, and mandatory fencing of stored feeds. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources began surveillance efforts in free-ranging white-tailed deer in fall 2005. All bTB-infected deer have been found within a 16 km2 area in direct association with infected cattle farms. Aggressive efforts to reduce deer densities through liberalized hunting and sharpshooting have resulted in a 55% decline in deer densities. Also, recreational feeding of wild deer has been banned. Disease prevalence in deer has decreased from 1.2% in 2005 to an undetectable level in 2010.
Delin, G.N.; Landon, M.K.; Lamb, J.A.; Dowdy, R.H.
1995-01-01
The Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) program was a multiscale, interagency initiative to evaluate the effects of agricultural systems on water quality in the midwest corn belt. The primary objective of the Minnesota MSEA was to evaluate the effects of ridge-tillage practices in a corn and soybean farming system on ground-water quality. The 65-hectare Minnesota MSEA was located in the Anoka Sand Plain near the town of Princeton, Minnesota. Three fanning systems were evaluated: corn-soybean rotation with ridge-tillage (areas B and D), sweet corn-potato rotation (areas A and C), and field corn in consecutive years (continuous corn; area E). Water samples were collected four different times per year from a network of 22 multiport wells and 29 observation wells installed in the saturated zone beneath and adjacent to the cropped areas.
Mason, J. A.; Kasmerchak, C. S.; Keita, H.; Gruley, K. E.
2016-12-01
We studied soil response to late Holocene shifts in the dynamic boundary between forest and grassland, in two contrasting landscapes of Minnesota, USA. On both the glaciated landscape of northwestern Minnesota and steep bedrock slopes of southeastern Minnesota, forest has replaced grassland in the late Holocene (after 4 ka in the NW, during at least the last few 100 yr in the SE). Two distinct soil morphologies coexist in essentially the same climate and parent materials, Mollisols with deep SOM accumulation under grassland and Alfisols with most SOM in thin A horizons under forest. Organic carbon stocks of the Mollisols we sampled (to 1 m depth) are at least 50% greater than those of the Alfisols; thus, replacement of grassland by forest involves substantial SOM loss. Ultimately, the transition from Alfisols to Mollisols can probably be explained by much lower proportions of belowground SOM addition, and possibly less bioturbation, under forest; however, the timescale of this change is of great interest. Mollisols and transitional soils occur under forest today near the 19th century location of the vegetation boundary in NW Minnesota, and in certain slope positions in SE Minnesota. Stable C isotope profiles within those soils record the transition from C4 or mixed C3/C4 vegetation (tallgrass prairie or savanna) to C3 forest vegetation. Combined with 14C dating these data demonstrate a substantial lag in loss of the Mollisol morphology—thick SOM-rich A horizons with highly stable aggregates—after forest occupation. In fact, these thick A horizons may persist even when C4 grass-derived SOM has largely been replaced by SOM added after forest occupation. We are exploring possible explanations for this persistence in NW Minnesota. In SE Minnesota, it is likely related to parent material rich in dolomite fragments, with stable aggregation and SOM accumulation favored by abundant Ca2+and Mg2+. This parent material effect results in localization of high SOM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cecília Geraldes Martins
2007-03-01
Full Text Available This study was carried out to evaluate the shelf life of minimally processed (MP watercress exposed to gamma radiation with doses of 1.0; 3.0; 4.0 kGy. Packaged irradiated and non-irradiated MP watercress was subject to sensory analysis. A panel consisting of 25-30 non-trained members, aged 20-55 years, was used. Sensory evaluation was carried out on days 0, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 12 after treatment with packages maintained at 7 °C. The members of the panel rated each sample for overall liking on a hybrid 10 hedonic scale (0 = extremely dislike; 10 = extremely like. Microbiological analyses were also conducted. Compared to the non-irradiated sample, 1 kGy irradiated watercress increased its shelf life by one day (16 days. Shelf lives of samples exposed to higher doses were reduced to 9 days (3 kGy and 6 days (4 kGy due to changes in appearance. The microbiological quality was good throughout the experiment.Este estudo foi desenvolvido para avaliar a vida de prateleira de agrião minimamente processado exposto a doses de 1,0; 3,0 e 4,0 kGy. Amostras de agrião não irradiadas e irradiadas foram submetidas à análise sensorial. Um painel composto por 25-30 membros não treinados e idade entre 20 e 55 anos foi utilizado. A avaliação sensorial foi realizada nos tempos 0, 2, 5, 7, 9 e 12 após o tratamento com radiação, utilizando embalagens mantidas sob refrigeração (7 °C. Os provadores avaliaram cada amostra utilizando a escala hedônica híbrida de 10 cm (0 = desgostei muitíssimo; 10 = gostei muitíssimo. Em paralelo foram realizadas análises microbiológicas. A amostra de agrião irradiada com 1 kGy apresentou vida de prateleira de 16 dias, um dia a mais que a da amostra testemunha. Por outro lado, amostras expostas a doses de 3 e 4 kGy apresentaram vida de prateleira menor, com 9 dias e 6 dias, respectivamente. A qualidade microbiológica do produto permaneceu adequada durante o experimento.
Defining Child Exposure to Domestic Violence as Neglect: Minnesota's Difficult Experience
Edleson, Jeffrey L.; Gassman-Pines, Jenny; Hill, Marissa B.
2006-01-01
Policymakers are increasingly focusing on children exposed to domestic violence. The 1999 Minnesota legislature amended the definition of child neglect to include a child's exposure to family violence. What was initially seen as a simple change to bring more attention to children exposed to domestic violence resulted in great turmoil across…
Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Minnesota
Center on Education Policy, 2011
2011-01-01
This individual profile provides information on Minnesota's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…
Maloney, Betsy
2015-01-01
In this research study, I examined how institutional power affected the experiences of two dance educators attempting to gain their K-12 dance teaching license in Minnesota. My research analyzed the ways in which candidates applying for the portfolio review process constructed, amended, or abandoned their identities as teachers/artists/individuals…
Climatic data for Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1982
Rosenberry, D.O.; Sturrock, A.M.; Scarborough, J.L.; Winter, T.C.
1988-01-01
Research on the hydrology of Williams Lake, north-central Minnesota includes study of evaporation. Those climatic data needed for energy budget and mass transfer studies are presented , including: water surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and solar and atmospheric radiation. Some calculated values necessary for these studies are also presented, such as vapor pressure and Bowen-ratio values. Data are collected at raft and land stations.
Climatic data for Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1986
Rosenberry, D.O.; Sturrock, A.M.; Winter, T.C.
1988-01-01
Research on the hydrology of Williams Lake, north-central Minnesota includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies, including: water-surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and solar and atmospheric radiation. Some calculated values necessary for these studies, such as vapor pressure and Bowen ratio numbers, also are presented. Data are collected at raft and land stations.
Making Health Easier: Healthy Schools in Minnesota PSA (:60)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts
2013-06-05
To bring healthier meals to students at the Dover-Eyota elementary school in Minnesota, school officials and parents started a partnership with local farmers. The farm-to-school program has brought better food, like watermelon and corn on the cob, to the children while building ties within the community. Created: 6/5/2013 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). Date Released: 6/5/2013.
78 FR 57149 - Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Lock+TM
2013-09-17
... decided on a micro-turbine supplier but states that the capacity of the project would be based on an... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project Nos. 14540-000 and 14539-000... section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of a hydropower project at the...
2009-11-17
This report presents the test plan for developing, conducting, and analyzing surveys, interviews, and focus groups for evaluating the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Prog...
Adult Enrichment Learners in St. Cloud, Minnesota: Motivational Reasons for Participation
Wallner, Scott David
2012-01-01
The purpose of the study was to identify reasons and motivation of adult stakeholders that influence participation in adult community education enrichment classes in the St. Cloud Public School District, St. Cloud, Minnesota. The study also examined the perceptions about adult learners held by leaders, planners, and facilitators of these programs,…
GENOTOXICITY OF BIOREMEDIATED SOILS FROM THE REILLY TARSITE, ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
An in vitro approach was used to measure the genotoxicity of creosote-contaminated soil before and after four bioremediation processes. The soil was taken from the Reilly Tar site, a closed Superfund site in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. The creosote soil was bioremediated in bios...
Schroeder, Susan A.; Fulton, David C.; Lawrence, Jeffrey S.; Cordts, Steven D.
2012-01-01
This study extends modeling work on the leisure constraint negotiation process from physically active leisure and celebrity fandom to hunting. We test a model derived from the constraints–effects–mitigation model of leisure participation. The model is examined in the context of continued Minnesota waterfowl hunting among a sample of Minnesota residents who purchased a North Dakota waterfowl stamp. Results are from a mail survey conducted in 2006. In our modeling, successful constraint negotiation fully mediated the constraints–participation relationship, while involvement had both direct and indirect effects on participation. Hunter motivation was positively related to involvement. Results advance understanding of the relationships among factors that influence leisure participation, and suggest that constraint negotiation may differ among recreation activities with different participant profiles.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Schiattarella
2000-06-01
Full Text Available We present the results of a geophysical survey carried out to outline the structural modelling of Quaternary slopedeposits in the northern part of the Agri high valley (Basilicata, Southern Italy. Quaternary folding and brittle deformations of the subaerial slope deposits have been studied combining electrical imaging and self-potential surveys with geological structural analysis. This integrated approach indicates that the area underwent both transpressional and transtensional tectonics during Pleistocene times as testified by the existence of a push up structure in the basement buried by deformed Quaternary breccias. On this basis, the valley appears to be a more complex structure than a simple extensional graben, as traditionally assumed in the literature.
75 FR 60586 - Tuberculosis in Cattle and Bison; State and Zone Designations; Minnesota
2010-10-01
.... APHIS-2010-0097] Tuberculosis in Cattle and Bison; State and Zone Designations; Minnesota AGENCY: Animal... are amending the bovine tuberculosis regulations regarding State and zone classifications by... . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Alecia Naugle, Coordinator, National Tuberculosis Eradication...
Utility challenges in a competitive power industry
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roberts, J.
2001-01-01
Allete, formerly Minnesota Power, is no longer an electric utility, but a broadly-diversified company operating in 39 states and 8 Canadian provinces. Allete provides retail services in their water and energy business. In addition, they provide wholesale services in their automotive service business, they sell land to developers and have entered into the telecommunications and paper making industry. Diversification has been successful for Allete, and has resulted in a strong balance sheet and cash flow. Graphs depicting the company's business earnings, assets and growth rates were included in this power point presentation. Allete plans to triple its size and continue to maintain its annual growth of 10 per cent or better. tabs., figs
Riley, William; Briggs, Jill; McCullough, Mac
2011-01-01
This study presents a model for determining total funding needed for individual local health departments. The aim is to determine the financial resources needed to provide services for statewide local public health departments in Minnesota based on a gaps analysis done to estimate the funding needs. We used a multimethod analysis consisting of 3 approaches to estimate gaps in local public health funding consisting of (1) interviews of selected local public health leaders, (2) a Delphi panel, and (3) a Nominal Group Technique. On the basis of these 3 approaches, a consensus estimate of funding gaps was generated for statewide projections. The study includes an analysis of cost, performance, and outcomes from 2005 to 2007 for all 87 local governmental health departments in Minnesota. For each of the methods, we selected a panel to represent a profile of Minnesota health departments. The 2 main outcome measures were local-level gaps in financial resources and total resources needed to provide public health services at the local level. The total public health expenditure in Minnesota for local governmental public health departments was $302 million in 2007 ($58.92 per person). The consensus estimate of the financial gaps in local public health departments indicates that an additional $32.5 million (a 10.7% increase or $6.32 per person) is needed to adequately serve public health needs in the local communities. It is possible to make informed estimates of funding gaps for public health activities on the basis of a combination of quantitative methods. There is a wide variation in public health expenditure at the local levels, and methods are needed to establish minimum baseline expenditure levels to adequately treat a population. The gaps analysis can be used by stakeholders to inform policy makers of the need for improved funding of the public health system.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wojciech Gotkiewicz
2015-12-01
Full Text Available The aim of the research was to analyse the functioning of agricultural farms located in the areas of Natura 2000 network. The research was conducted in 2015 among 70 farmers whose lands were located in the Valley of Biebrza River in Podlaskie Voivodeship. The main research method was a questionnaire. According to the results of the research, the agri-environmental scheme is a proper tool that combines the environmental protection and local producers’ interests; however, it requires the implementation of a supplement adjusted to the nature of the areas. It is also indicated that even though the economic part of the program does not raise any doubts, the natural eff ects are practically not recognized, which may lead to an incomplete protection of precious species and habitats.
Market Transformation Pathways for Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar PV in Minnesota
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Abbey, Ross [Fresh Energy, St. Paul, MN (United States); Ross, Brian [CR Planning, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
2013-06-03
This report presents the market and policy findings of the Minnesota Solar Challenge program. The report draws on information collected from state agencies, local government units, solar industry participants, rooftop photovoltaic (PV) adopters (sometimes called customer-generators), state and national experts, the Commerce distributed generation stakeholder process, and the numerous reports and data sets referenced herein.
2005-03-01
The health care system in the United States, according to some, is on the verge of imploding. The rapidly rising cost of services is causing more and more Minnesotans to forego needed care. At the same time, the increasing costs are placing additional pressure on families, businesses, and state and local government budgets. The Minnesota Medical Association's (MMA) Health Care Reform Task Force has proposed a bold new approach that seeks to ensure affordable health care for all Minnesotans. The proposal is a roadmap to provide all Minnesotans with affordable insurance for essential health care services. In creating this plan, the task force strove to achieve three common reform goals: expand access to care, improve quality, and control costs. To achieve those ends, it has proposed a model built on four key features: (1) A strong public health system, (2) A reformed insurance market that delivers universal coverage, (3) A reformed health care delivery market that creates incentives for increasing value, (4) Systems that fully support the delivery of high-quality care. The task force believes that these elements will provide the foundation for a system that serves everyone and allows Minnesotans to purchase better health care at a relatively lower price. Why health care reform again? The average annual cost of health care for an average Minnesota household is about 11,000 dollars--an amount that's projected to double by 2010, if current trends continue. Real wages are not growing fast enough to absorb such cost increases. If unabated, these trends portend a reduction in access to and quality of care, and a heavier economic burden on individuals, employers, and the government. Furthermore, Minnesota and the United States are not getting the best value for their health care dollars. The United States spends 50 percent more per capita than any other country on health care but lags far behind other countries in the health measures of its population.
The Minnesota Maple Series: Community-Generated Knowledge Delivered through an Extension Website
Wilsey, David S.; Miedtke, Juile A.; Sagor, Eli
2012-01-01
Extension continuously seeks novel and effective approaches to outreach and education. The recent retirement of a longtime content specialist catalyzed members of University of Minnesota Extension's Forestry team to reflect on our instructional capacity (internal and external) and educational design in the realm of maple syrup production. We…
Delin, G.N.
1987-01-01
Ground-water flow in the confined- and unconfined-drift aquifers near Appleton and Benson, Minnesota, was simulated with a three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water-flow model. Model results indicate that 98 percent of the total inflow to the modeled area is from precipitation. Of the total outflow, 38 percent is ground-water discharge to the Pom me de Terre and Chippewa Rivers, 36 percent is evapotranspiration, 17 percent is ground-water pumpage, and 8 percent is ground-water discharge to the Minnesota River.
METHYLMERCURY BIOACCUMULATION DEPENDENCE ON NORTHERN PIKE AGE AND SIZE IN TWENTY MINNESOTA LAKES
Mercury accumulation in northern pike muscle tissue (fillets) was found to be directly related to fish age and size. Measurements were made on 173 individual northern pike specimens from twenty lakes across Minnesota. Best fit regressions of mercury fillet concentration (wet wt.)...
2011-01-10
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 301 [Docket No. APHIS-2008-0072] Emerald Ash Borer; Quarantined Areas; Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri..., Japan, Mongolia, the Russian Far East, Taiwan, and Canada, eventually kills healthy ash trees after it...
76 FR 61253 - Tuberculosis in Cattle and Bison; State and Zone Designations; Minnesota
2011-10-04
.... APHIS-2011-0100] Tuberculosis in Cattle and Bison; State and Zone Designations; Minnesota AGENCY: Animal... are amending the bovine tuberculosis regulations regarding State and zone classifications by... for tuberculosis. DATES: This interim rule is effective October 4, 2011. We will consider all comments...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Steen, M.; Lisell, L.; Mosey, G.
2013-01-01
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5, in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Atlas Industrial Park in Duluth, Minnesota, for a feasibility study of renewable energy production. The EPA provided funding to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support a feasibility study of solar renewable energy generation at the Atlas Industrial Park. NREL provided technical assistance for this project but did not assess environmental conditions at the site beyond those related to the performance of a photovoltaic (PV) system. The purpose of this study is to assess the site for a possible PV installation and estimate the cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV configurations. In addition, the study evaluates financing options that could assist in the implementation of a PV system at the site.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Giano, S I; Schiattarella, M [Basilicata Univ., Potenza (Italy). Centro di Geodinamica; Lapenna, V; Piscitelli, S [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Tito, PZ (Italy). Ist. di Metodologie Avanzate di Analisi Ambientale
2000-04-01
The paper presents the results of a geophysical survey carried out to outline the structural modelling of quarternary slope deposits in the northern part of Agri high valley (Basilicata region, Italy). Quaternary folding and brittle deformations of the subaerial slope deposits have been studied combining electrical imaging and self-potential surveys with geological structural analysis. This integrated approach indicates that the area underwent both transpressional and transtensional tectonics during Pleistocene times as testified by the existence of a push up structure in the basement buried by deformed Quaternary breccias. On this basis, the valley appears to be a more complex structure than a simple extensional graben, as traditionally assumed in the literature.
Water resources of the Pomme de Terre River Watershed, West-central Minnesota
Cotter, R.D.; Bidwell, L.E.
1966-01-01
The watershed is underlain by water-bearing glacial drift, cretaceous rocks, and Precambrian crystalline rocks. It is an elongate basin 92 miles long and has a drainage area of 977 square miles. The Pomme de Terre River flows within an outwash valley discharging into the Minnesota River at Marsh Lake.
Botvin, Judith D
2004-01-01
Fairview-University Medical Center and University of Minnesota Physicians, both in Minneapolis, are enjoying the benefits of a co-branded advertising campaign. It includes print ads, brochures, and other marketing devices.
Using Local Stories as a Call to Action on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Minnesota
Phipps, M.
2015-12-01
Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy and the University of Minnesota's Regional Sustainability Development Partnerships (RSDP) have developed a novel approach to engaging rural Minnesotans on climate change issues. Through the use of personal, local stories about individuals' paths to action to mitigate and or adapt to climate change, Climate Generation and RSDP aim to spur others to action. Minnesota's Changing Climate project includes 12 Climate Convenings throughout rural Minnesota in a range of communities (tourism-based, agrarian, natural resources-based, university towns) to engage local populations in highly local conversations about climate change, its local impacts, and local solutions currently occurring. Climate Generation and RSDP have partnered with Molly Phipps Consulting to evaluate the efficacy of this approach in rural Minnesota. Data include pre and post convening surveys examining participants' current action around climate change, attitudes toward climate change (using questions from Maibach, Roser-Renouf, and Leiserowitz, 2009), and the strength of their social network to support their current and ongoing work toward mitigating and adapting to climate change. Although the Climate Convenings are tailored to each community, all include a resource fair of local organizations already engaging in climate change mitigation and adaptation activities which participants can participate in, a welcome from a trusted local official, a presentation on the science of climate change, sharing of local climate stories, and break-out groups where participants can learn how to get involved in a particular mitigation or adaptation strategy. Preliminary results have been positive: participants feel motivated to work toward mitigating and adapting to climate change, and more local stories have emerged that can be shared in follow-up webinars and on a project website to continue to inspire others to act.
Family background buys an education in Minnesota but not in Sweden.
Johnson, Wendy; Deary, Ian J; Silventoinen, Karri; Tynelius, Per; Rasmussen, Finn
2010-09-01
Educational attainment, the highest degree or level of schooling obtained, is associated with important life outcomes, at both the individual level and the group level. Because of this, and because education is expensive, the allocation of education across society is an important social issue. A dynamic quantitative environmental-genetic model can help document the effects of social allocation patterns. We used this model to compare the moderating effect of general intelligence on the environmental and genetic factors that influence educational attainment in Sweden and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Patterns of genetic influence on educational outcomes were similar in these two regions, but patterns of shared environmental influence differed markedly. In Sweden, shared environmental influence on educational attainment was particularly important for people of high intelligence, whereas in Minnesota, shared environmental influences on educational attainment were particularly important for people of low intelligence. This difference may be the result of differing access to education: state-supported access (on the basis of ability) to a uniform higher-education system in Sweden versus family-supported access to a more diverse higher-education system in the United States.
Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, movements in Rainy Lake, Minnesota and Ontario
Adams, W.E.; Kallemeyn, L.W.; Willis, D.W.
2006-01-01
Rainy Lake, Minnesota-Ontario, contains a native population of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) that has gone largely unstudied. The objective of this descriptive study was to summarize generalized Lake Sturgeon movement patterns through the use of biotelemetry. Telemetry data reinforced the high utilization of the Squirrel Falls geographic location by Lake Sturgeon, with 37% of the re-locations occurring in that area. Other spring aggregations occurred in areas associated with Kettle Falls, the Pipestone River, and the Rat River, which could indicate spawning activity. Movement of Lake Sturgeon between the Seine River and the South Arm of Rainy Lake indicates the likelihood of one integrated population on the east end of the South Arm. The lack of re-locations in the Seine River during the months of September and October may have been due to Lake Sturgeon moving into deeper water areas of the Seine River and out of the range of radio telemetry gear or simply moving back into the South Arm. Due to the movements between Minnesota and Ontario, coordination of management efforts among provincial, state, and federal agencies will be important.
Minnesota's tax-forfeited land: some trends in acreages, sales, and prices.
David C. Lothner; Edwin Kallio; David T. Davis
1978-01-01
The area of tax-forfeited land that is county-administered in Minnesota is currently estimated at almost 2.9 million acres--a decrease of about 17% since the mid-1960's. This decrease is the result of a change in land sales, land forfeitures, and other land transfers. Not only have land sales decreased since the early 1960's, but also less land has been...
Egginton, Jason S.; Textor, Lauren; Knoebel, Erin; McWilliams, Deborah; Aleman, Marty; Yawn, Barbara
2013-01-01
Background: This study explores ways southeast Minnesota schools currently address asthma problems, identifies areas for improvement, and assesses the potential value of asthma action plans (AAPs) in schools. Methods: Focus groups were used to query stakeholder groups on asthma care in schools. Groups were held separately for elementary school…
Karunakaran, D; Hinshaw, V; Poss, P; Newman, J; Halvorson, D
1983-01-01
Avian influenza outbreaks in Minnesota involving the H10N7 subtype occurred on two turkey farms in 1979 and on a third in 1980. The H10N7 (Hav2 Neq1) subtype had not previously been detected in turkeys in Minnesota or reported in the United States. The clinical signs ranged from severe, with a mortality rate as high as 31%, to subclinical. Antigenically indistinguishable viruses were isolated from healthy mallards on a pond adjacent to the turkey farms, suggesting that the virus responsible for the outbreak may have been introduced by feral ducks.
Peterson, P D
2001-01-01
E.M. Freeman's role in early cereal disease research and the beginning of plant pathology at the University of Minnesota has been overshadowed largely by the enormous prestige of his student, E.C. Stakman. During the first decade of the twentieth century, Freeman was responsible for the transferral from Europe to the United States and the subsequent nurturing of important conceptual and technical developments in the area of cereal disease pathology. Under Freeman's leadership, these ideas would come to shape the direction of plant pathology research at the University of Minnesota for decades to follow.
1982-08-01
June 12, 1980. 0 rganochlorine and organophosphorus insecticides , PC B’s, and PC N’s were not detected in the sample. 2,4-D was the only chlorinated...within the floodplain of the Minnesota River and is vegetated with silver maple, cottonwood, willow and elm with scattered nettle , jewelweed and grasses...generally leaf litter and plant debris with heavy growth of nettle . The location of the Chaska Lake Unit is ideal for wildlife interpretation. Wildlife
University of Minnesota progress report No. 4215
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hintz, N.M.
1979-01-01
Medium-energy nuclear physics research at the University of Minnesota is reviewed. The following studies were undertaken: HRS development; 58 60 62 64 Ni(p,p') at 800 MeV; proton scattering on 2s-1d-shell nuclei; search for orbit flip states in 90 Zr, 120 Sn, 144 Sm, and 208 Pb; large-angle A 116 124 Sn, 208 Pb elastic scattering; proton scattering from heavy deformed nuclei; unnatural-parity states in 6 Li, 10 B, 12 C, 14 N, and 28 Si; microscopic form factor calculations - force studies; DEC PDP 11/60 computer; theoretical analysis computer programs; inelastic electron scattering on 90 Zr; and EPICS programs. Three of the above topics, with significant amounts of data, are indexed separately. 40 figures, 1 table
Radioprotective Properties of Detoxified Lipid A from Salmonella minnesota R595
1986-01-01
irradiated animals treated with bacterial endotoxins. Am. J. Physiol. 191, 124-130 (1957). 3. M. PARANT, Effect of LPS on nonspecific recistance to...Salmonella minnesota R595. Radiat. Res. 107, 107-114(1986). . in the past, the toxicity of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or its principal bioactive...contained significantly less CSA than those receiving either GLY or LAD. DISCUSSION The radioprotective effect of bacterial endotoxins has been known for over
Gran, K.B.; Belmont, P.; Day, S.S.; Finnegan, N.; Jennings, C.; Lauer, J.W.; Wilcock, P.R.
2011-01-01
The Minnesota River Valley was carved during catastrophic drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz at the end of the late Pleistocene. The ensuing base-level drop on tributaries created knickpoints that excavated deep valleys as they migrated upstream. A sediment budget compiled in one of these tributaries, the Le Sueur River, shows that these deep valleys are now the primary source of sediment to the Minnesota River. To compare modern sediment loads with pre-European settlement erosion rates, we analyzed incision history using fluvial terrace ages to constrain a valley incision model. Results indicate that even thoughthe dominant sediment sources are derived from natural sources (bluffs, ravines, and streambanks), erosion rates have increased substantially, due in part to pervasive changes in watershed hydrology.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Corren, Dean [Verdant Power, Inc.; Colby, Jonathan [Verdant Power, Inc.; Adonizio, Mary Ann [Verdant Power, Inc.
2013-01-29
Verdant Power, Inc, working in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), among other partners, used evolving Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models and techniques to improve the structure and fabrication of large, high-power composite Kinetic Hydropower System (KHPS) rotor blades. The objectives of the project were to: design; analyze; develop for manufacture and fabricate; and thoroughly test, in the lab and at full scale in the water, the improved KHPS rotor blade.
76 FR 75907 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, Bemidji, MN
2011-12-05
.... Consultation A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the MIAC professional staff in consultation.... Birch bark is found in both pre-contact and post-contact burial contexts in Minnesota. It is a known traditional American Indian burial practice to wrap human remains in birch bark as part of the internment...
An appraisal of ground water for irrigation in the Wadena area, central Minnesota
Lindholm, F.G.
1970-01-01
The Wadena area is part of a large sandy plain in central Minnesota whose soils have low water-holding capacity. Drought conditions which adversely affect plant growth frequently occur in the summer when moisture is most needed. To reduce the risk of crop failure in the area supplemental irrigation is on the increase.
Larson, Nicole; Davey, Cynthia S; Coombes, Brandon; Caspi, Caitlin; Kubik, Martha Y; Nanney, Marilyn S
2014-12-01
The purpose of this study was to describe promotions for unhealthy and healthy foods and beverages within Minnesota secondary schools from 2008 to 2012, and to examine associations with school-level coordination of environmental improvements and students' dietary behaviors. The Minnesota School Health Profiles and Minnesota Student Survey data were used along with National Center for Education Statistics data to conduct analyses accounting for school-level demographics. There was no significant improvement over time in the proportion of schools that banned advertising for unhealthy products in school buildings, on school grounds, on buses, or in publications. Whereas more than two thirds of schools had implemented strategies focused on the promotion of fruits/vegetables by 2012, only 37% labeled healthful foods with appealing names and just 17% used price incentives to encourage healthy choices. The number of stakeholders representing different roles on school health councils was positively correlated with implementation of healthy food and beverage promotion strategies. Little evidence was found to support an influence of in-school advertising bans or promotions on students' diets. Policy changes are needed to protect students from food and beverage advertising and additional opportunities exist to reduce disparities in the selection of healthy options at school. © 2014, American School Health Association.
Larson, Nicole; Davey, Cynthia S.; Coombes, Brandon; Caspi, Caitlin; Kubik, Martha Y.; Nanney, Marilyn S.
2014-01-01
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to describe promotions for unhealthy and healthy foods and beverages within Minnesota secondary schools from 2008 to 2012, and to examine associations with school-level coordination of environmental improvements and students’ dietary behaviors. METHODS The Minnesota School Health Profiles and Minnesota Student Survey data were used along with National Center for Education Statistics data to conduct analyses accounting for school-level demographics. RESULTS There was no significant improvement over time in the proportion of schools that banned advertising for unhealthy products in school buildings, on school grounds, on buses, or in publications. Whereas more than two-thirds of schools had implemented strategies focused on the promotion of fruits/vegetables by 2012, only 37% labeled healthful foods with appealing names and just 17% used price incentives to encourage healthy choices. The number of stakeholders representing different roles on school health councils was positively correlated with implementation of healthy food and beverage promotion strategies. Little evidence was found to support an influence of in-school advertising bans or promotions on students’ diets. CONCLUSIONS Policy changes are needed to protect students from food and beverage advertising and additional opportunities exist to reduce disparities in the selection of healthy options at school. PMID:25388594
75 FR 56051 - Bemidji to Grand Rapids Minnesota 230 kV Transmission Line Project
2010-09-15
..., USDA. ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement. SUMMARY: The Rural.../water/ees/eis.htm , or at the Minnesota Public Utilities Web site at http://energyfacilities.puc.state..., MN 56484; Bovey Public Library, Village Hall, 402 2nd Street, Bovey, MN 55709- 0130; and Coleraine...
Fieberg, John R; Shertzer, Kyle W; Conn, Paul B; Noyce, Karen V; Garshelis, David L
2010-08-12
Wildlife populations are difficult to monitor directly because of costs and logistical challenges associated with collecting informative abundance data from live animals. By contrast, data on harvested individuals (e.g., age and sex) are often readily available. Increasingly, integrated population models are used for natural resource management because they synthesize various relevant data into a single analysis. We investigated the performance of integrated population models applied to black bears (Ursus americanus) in Minnesota, USA. Models were constructed using sex-specific age-at-harvest matrices (1980-2008), data on hunting effort and natural food supplies (which affects hunting success), and statewide mark-recapture estimates of abundance (1991, 1997, 2002). We compared this approach to Downing reconstruction, a commonly used population monitoring method that utilizes only age-at-harvest data. We first conducted a large-scale simulation study, in which our integrated models provided more accurate estimates of population trends than did Downing reconstruction. Estimates of trends were robust to various forms of model misspecification, including incorrectly specified cub and yearling survival parameters, age-related reporting biases in harvest data, and unmodeled temporal variability in survival and harvest rates. When applied to actual data on Minnesota black bears, the model predicted that harvest rates were negatively correlated with food availability and positively correlated with hunting effort, consistent with independent telemetry data. With no direct data on fertility, the model also correctly predicted 2-point cycles in cub production. Model-derived estimates of abundance for the most recent years provided a reasonable match to an empirical population estimate obtained after modeling efforts were completed. Integrated population modeling provided a reasonable framework for synthesizing age-at-harvest data, periodic large-scale abundance estimates, and
Methods to estimate historical daily streamflow for ungaged stream locations in Minnesota
Lorenz, David L.; Ziegeweid, Jeffrey R.
2016-03-14
Effective and responsible management of water resources relies on a thorough understanding of the quantity and quality of available water; however, streamgages cannot be installed at every location where streamflow information is needed. Therefore, methods for estimating streamflow at ungaged stream locations need to be developed. This report presents a statewide study to develop methods to estimate the structure of historical daily streamflow at ungaged stream locations in Minnesota. Historical daily mean streamflow at ungaged locations in Minnesota can be estimated by transferring streamflow data at streamgages to the ungaged location using the QPPQ method. The QPPQ method uses flow-duration curves at an index streamgage, relying on the assumption that exceedance probabilities are equivalent between the index streamgage and the ungaged location, and estimates the flow at the ungaged location using the estimated flow-duration curve. Flow-duration curves at ungaged locations can be estimated using recently developed regression equations that have been incorporated into StreamStats (http://streamstats.usgs.gov/), which is a U.S. Geological Survey Web-based interactive mapping tool that can be used to obtain streamflow statistics, drainage-basin characteristics, and other information for user-selected locations on streams.
Trends in municipal-well installations and aquifer utilization in southeastern Minnesota, 1880-1980
Woodward, D.G.
1985-01-01
Water distributed by municipal systems has been the largest off-stream use of water in southeastern Minnesota for the past 100 years. Water pumped by these systems in 1980 totaled 102.3 billion gallons, with 60.1 billion gallons supplied by ground water. Ground water supplies 294 of the 309 municipal systems in the area.
Vegetative substrates used by larval northern pike in Rainy and Kabetogama Lakes, Minnesota
Anne L. Timm; Rodney B. Pierce
2015-01-01
Our objective was to identify characteristics of aquatic vegetative communities used as larval northern pike nursery habitat in Rainy and Kabetogama lakes, glacial shield reservoirs in northern Minnesota. Quatrefoil light traps fished at night were used to sample larval northern pike in 11 potential nursery areas. Larval northern pike were most commonly sampled among...
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ESTIMATING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
Ruttan, Vernon W.
2001-01-01
There is strong synergy among research, education, technology development and technology transfer. Examples of successful public-private technology transfer linkage institutions are provided. But efforts to document the benefits of research conducted at the University of Minnesota to the state have rarely been conducted with the rigor that would be required to meet the test of professional credibility. A program of research to develop more rigorous evidence on economic benefits to the State i...
Faour-Klingbeil, Dima
2018-01-01
Food safety standards are a necessity to protect consumers’ health in today’s growing global food trade. A number of studies have suggested safety standards can interrupt trade, bringing financial and technical burdens on small as well as large agri-food producers in developing countries. Other examples have shown that economical extension, key intermediaries, and funded initiatives have substantially enhanced the capacities of growers in some countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to meet the food safety and quality requirements, and improve their access to international markets. These endeavors often compensate for the weak regulatory framework, but do not offer a sustainable solution. There is a big gap in the food safety level and control systems between countries in the MENA region and those in the developed nations. This certainly has implications for the safety of fresh produce and agricultural practices, which hinders any progress in their international food trade. To overcome the barriers of legal and private standards, food safety should be a national priority for sustainable agricultural development in the MENA countries. Local governments have a primary role in adopting the vision for developing and facilitating the implementation of their national Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards that are consistent with the international requirements and adapted to local policies and environment. Together, the public and private sector’s support are instrumental to deliver the skills and infrastructure needed for leveraging the safety and quality level of the agri-food chain. PMID:29510498
Faour-Klingbeil, Dima; Todd, Ewen C D
2018-03-03
Food safety standards are a necessity to protect consumers' health in today's growing global food trade. A number of studies have suggested safety standards can interrupt trade, bringing financial and technical burdens on small as well as large agri-food producers in developing countries. Other examples have shown that economical extension, key intermediaries, and funded initiatives have substantially enhanced the capacities of growers in some countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to meet the food safety and quality requirements, and improve their access to international markets. These endeavors often compensate for the weak regulatory framework, but do not offer a sustainable solution. There is a big gap in the food safety level and control systems between countries in the MENA region and those in the developed nations. This certainly has implications for the safety of fresh produce and agricultural practices, which hinders any progress in their international food trade. To overcome the barriers of legal and private standards, food safety should be a national priority for sustainable agricultural development in the MENA countries. Local governments have a primary role in adopting the vision for developing and facilitating the implementation of their national Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards that are consistent with the international requirements and adapted to local policies and environment. Together, the public and private sector's support are instrumental to deliver the skills and infrastructure needed for leveraging the safety and quality level of the agri-food chain.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Justus Boehm
2010-10-01
Full Text Available Never before has food been as safe and secure as it is today, but simultaneously, society has become increasingly critical towards agricultural and food related issues. This two-sided development between society and agribusiness will be analyzed using Framing Theory. A quantitative semantic analysis was applied to evaluate the web-based social media in Germany. 50,931 web posts were collected covering 21 issues identified as relevant for the agri-food sector. The results show that all contentious issues are mainly framed in a two-sided way. The modern productivity-driven industry is judged as a negative development, trends returning to a more natural food production are seen as positive.
The Minnesota notes on Jordan algebras and their applications
Walcher, Sebastian
1999-01-01
This volume contains a re-edition of Max Koecher's famous Minnesota Notes. The main objects are homogeneous, but not necessarily convex, cones. They are described in terms of Jordan algebras. The central point is a correspondence between semisimple real Jordan algebras and so-called omega-domains. This leads to a construction of half-spaces which give an essential part of all bounded symmetric domains. The theory is presented in a concise manner, with only elementary prerequisites. The editors have added notes on each chapter containing an account of the relevant developments of the theory since these notes were first written.
Microwave Cooking Practices in Minnesota Food Service Establishments.
Hedeen, Nicole; Reimann, David; Everstine, Karen
2016-03-01
Uneven cooking due to consumer use of microwave ovens to cook food products that have been prepared but are not ready to eat has been a documented risk factor in several foodborne disease outbreaks. However, the use of microwave ovens in restaurants and other food service establishments has not been well documented. The aim of this study was to describe the types of food service establishments that use microwave ovens, how these ovens are used, types of foods heated or cooked in these ovens, types of microwave ovens used in food service establishments, and the level of compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. From 2008 to 2009, the Minnesota Department of Health collected data from a convenience sample of 60 food establishments within the state. Facility types included fast-food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, school food service, nursing homes, hotels and motels, and daycare centers. Food preparation practices were classified as prep-serve, cookserve, or complex. Minnesota environmental health specialists administered a study questionnaire to managers during routine inspections. Establishments included in this study reported using microwave ovens primarily to warm commercial ready-to-eat products (67%) and to warm foods for palatability (50%). No minimum temperatures are required for these processes because these foods do not require pathogen destruction. However, food establishments using complex preparation practices more often reported using microwave ovens for multiple processes and for processes that require pathogen destruction. For establishments that did report microwave oven use for food requiring pathogen destruction, the majority of managers reported following most FDA recommendations for cooking and reheating for hot-holding potentially hazardous foods, but many did not report letting food stand for 2 min after cooking. Additional training on stand time after microwave cooking could be beneficial because of low reporting
Energy use in Minnesota state-owned facilities
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hirst, E; Eastes, C; Tyler, R
1981-08-01
This paper describes and analyzes the contents of a large data base containing infomation on monthly energy use of state-owned facilities in Minnesota are described and analyzed. The data base includes information on 42 community colleges, state universities, hospitals, prisons, and the St. Paul Capitol Complex. The data span a seven year period (1972 - 1978) and include about 3,500 observations. Several data base management issues are discussed. These include errors and their correction, development of simple and consistent definitions for key terms, and collection of information on key determinants of energy use at these facilities. Regression equations were developed to predict monthly heating fuel use and total energy use. These equations show that more than 60% of the variation in energy use per unit floorspace can be explained by a few variables.
Big Business as a Policy Innovator in State School Reform: A Minnesota Case Study.
Mazzoni, Tim L.; Clugston, Richard M., Jr.
1987-01-01
The Minnesota Business Partnership (MBP) was studied as a policy innovator in state school reform (for kindergarten through grade 12) in relation to agenda setting, alternative formulation, and authoritative enactment. Focus is on the MBP's policy-making involvement during the 1985 state legislative session. Overall, the MBP's influence was…
Channel Width Change as a Potential Sediment Source, Minnesota River Basin
Lauer, J. W.; Echterling, C.; Lenhart, C. F.; Rausch, R.; Belmont, P.
2017-12-01
Turbidity and suspended sediment are important management considerations along the Minnesota River. The system has experience large and relatively consistent increases in both discharge and channel width over the past century. Here we consider the potential role of channel cross section enlargement as a sediment source. Reach-average channel width was digitized from aerial images dated between 1937 and 2015 along multiple sub-reaches of the Minnesota River and its major tributaries. Many of the sub-reaches include several actively migrating bends. The analysis shows relatively consistent increases in width over time, with average increase rates of 0.4 percent per year. Extrapolation to the river network using a regional relationship for cross-sectional area vs. drainage area indicates that large tributaries and main-stem reaches account for most of the bankfull cross-sectional volume in the basin. Larger tributaries and the main stem thus appear more important for widening related sediment production than small tributaries. On a basin-wide basis, widening could be responsible for a gross supply of more sediment than has been gaged at several main-stem sites, indicating that there may be important sinks for both sand and silt/clay size material distributed throughout the system. Sediment storage is probably largest along the lowest-slope reaches of the main stem. While channel width appears to have adjusted relatively quickly in response to discharge and other hydraulic modifications, net storage of sediment in floodplains probably occurs sufficiently slowly that depth adjustment will lag width adjustment significantly. Detailed analysis of the lower Minnesota River using a river segmenting approach allows for a more detailed assessment of reach-scale processes. Away from channel cutoffs, elongation of the channel at eroding bends is consistent with rates observed on other actively migrating rivers. However, the sinuosity increase has been more than compensated by
Ground-water availability from surficial aquifers in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota
Reppe, Thomas H.C.
2005-01-01
Population growth and commercial and industrial development in the Red River of the North Basin in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota have prompted the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, to evaluate sources of water to sustain this growth. Nine surficial-glacial (surficial) aquifers (Buffalo, Middle River, Two Rivers, Beach Ridges, Pelican River, Otter Tail, Wadena, Pineland Sands, and Bemidji-Bagley) within the Minnesota part of the basin were identified and evaluated for their ground-water resources. Information was compiled and summarized from published studies to evaluate the availability of ground water. Published information reviewed for each of the aquifers included location and extent, physical characteristics, hydraulic properties, ground-water and surface-water interactions, estimates of water budgets (sources of recharge and discharge) and aquifer storage, theoretical well yields and actual ground-water pumping data, recent (2003) ground-water use data, and baseline ground-water-quality data.
A satellite-based analysis of the Val d'Agri Oil Center (southern Italy) gas flaring emissions
Faruolo, M.; Coviello, I.; Filizzola, C.; Lacava, T.; Pergola, N.; Tramutoli, V.
2014-10-01
In this paper, the robust satellite techniques (RST), a multi-temporal scheme of satellite data analysis, was implemented to analyze the flaring activity of the Val d'Agri Oil Center (COVA), the largest Italian gas and oil pre-treatment plant, owned by Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI). For this site, located in an anthropized area characterized by a large environmental complexity, flaring emissions are mainly related to emergency conditions (i.e., waste flaring), as industrial processes are regulated by strict regional laws. While regarding the peculiar characteristics of COVA flaring, the main aim of this work was to assess the performances of RST in terms of sensitivity and reliability in providing independent estimations of gas flaring volumes in such conditions. In detail, RST was implemented for 13 years of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) medium and thermal infrared data in order to identify the highly radiant records associated with the COVA flare emergency discharges. Then, using data provided by ENI about gas flaring volumes in the period 2003-2009, a MODIS-based regression model was developed and tested. The results achieved indicate that the such a model is able to estimate, with a good level of accuracy (R2 of 0.83), emitted gas flaring volumes at COVA.
Integrated interpretation of seismic and resistivity images across the «Val d'Agri» graben (Italy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
E. Ceragioli
2002-06-01
Full Text Available Val d'Agri is a «recent SSW - NNE graben» located in the middle of the Southern Apennines thrust belt «chain» and emplaced in Plio-Pleistocene.The recent sedimentation of the valley represents a local critical geophysical problem. Several strong near surface velocity anomalies and scattering degrades seismic data in different ways and compromises the seismic visibility. In 1998, ENI and Enterprise, with the contribution of the European Community (ESIT R & D project - Enhance Seismic In Thrust Belt; EU Thermie fund acquired two «experimental seismic and Resistivity lines» across the valley. The purpose of the project was to look for methods able to enhance seismic data quality and optimize the data processing flow for «thrust belt» areas. During the work, it was clear that some part of the seismic data processing flow could be used for the detailed geological interpretation of the near subsurface too. In fact, the integrated interpretation of the near surface tomography velocity/depth seismic section, built for enhancing the resolution of static corrections, with the HR resistivity profile, acquired for enhancing the seismic source coupling, allowed a quite detailed lithological interpretation of the main shallow velocity changes and the 2D reconstruction of the structural setting of the valley.
Cooke, Valerie; Arling, Greg; Lewis, Teresa; Abrahamson, Kathleen A.; Mueller, Christine; Edstrom, Lisa
2010-01-01
Purpose: Minnesota's Nursing Facility Performance-Based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) supports provider-initiated projects aimed at improving care quality and efficiency. PIPP moves beyond conventional pay for performance. It seeks to promote implementation of evidence-based practices, encourage innovation and risk taking, foster collaboration…
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1993-01-01
The Freeway Sanitary Landfill National Priorities List (NPL) site in Burnsville, Minnesota is situated in the Lower Minnesota River Valley. Shallow groundwater beneath the site is contaminated with low levels of volatile organic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Under current conditions, no human exposures to site-related contaminants are known to occur at levels of health concern. Based on currently available information, the Minnesota Department of Health concludes that the site poses an indeterminate public health hazard under current conditions because exposure to volatile gases released to the air is possible, but cannot be evaluated from the very limited information available. There are also a few physical hazards on the site which pose a risk of accident or injury if trespassing occurs. Otherwise, there are no indications that people have been, or are being, exposed to site-related contaminants at levels that would be of health concern. The Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Health Activities Recommendation Panel has evaluated the Freeway Sanitary Landfill Public Health Assessment for appropriate follow-up activities. The Panel has recommended that health education be considered to assist site workers in better understanding their potential for exposure to landfill gases
Peter P. Wolter; Phillip A. Townsend
2011-01-01
The magnitude, duration, and frequency of forest disturbance caused by the spruce budworm and forest tent caterpillar in northern Minnesota and neighboring Ontario, Canada have increased over the last century due to a shift in forest species composition linked to historical fire suppression, forest management, and pesticide application that has fostered increased...
Andrews, W.J.; Fong, A.L.; Harrod, Leigh; Dittes, M.E.
1998-01-01
In the spring of 1996, the Upper Mississippi River Basin Study Unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program drilled 30 shallow monitoring wells in a study area characterized by urban residential and commercial land uses. The monitoring wells were installed in sandy river-terrace deposits adjacent to the Mississippi River in Anoka and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota, in areas where urban development primarily occurred during the past 30 years.
2010-05-25
..., Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have already been..., Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Scott, Shelby, Trimble, and Woodford.... Shelby County. The entire county. Trimble County. The entire county. Woodford County. The entire county...
Ana Melisa Pardo Montaño; Claudio Alberto Dávila Cervantes
2016-01-01
El objetivo de esta investigación es presentar un panorama general del acceso a los servicios de salud de inmigrantes mexicanos residentes en Estados Unidos, en particular en Minnesota. Primero se exponen los datos generales acerca de la población mexicana residente en ese país y estado, desagregando el acceso a la seguridad médica y el uso de los servicios de salud por parte de la población en estudio. Enseguida se analiza el caso de la población mexicana en Minnesota. Se finaliza reseñando ...
Integrated solid waste management of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1995-11-01
The subject document reports the results of an in-depth investigation of the fiscal year 1992 cost of the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota (Hennepin County) integrated municipal solid waste management (IMSWM) system, the energy consumed to operate the system, and the environmental performance requirements for each of the system`s waste-processing and disposal facilities. Actual data from records kept by participants is reported in this document. Every effort was made to minimize the use of assumptions, and no attempt is made to interpret the data reported. Analytical approaches are documented so that interested analysts may perform manipulation or further analysis of the data. As such, the report is a reference document for municipal solid waste (MSW) management professionals who are interested in the actual costs and energy consumption for a one-year period, of an operating IMSWM system.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The National Lacustrine Core Repository (LacCore), operated by the University of Minnesota is a partner in the Index to Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples...
Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.
Intended for the vocational instructor, the booklet presents a task list and competency record for the occupational program of automotive mechanic. The list was developed by a working committee of auto mechanics instructors and industry representatives throughout the state of Minnesota for use in program articulation between secondary and…
Cochliobolus miyabeanus (Bipolaris oryzae) is the causal agent of fungal brown spot (FBS) in wild rice (Zizania palustris L.), an aquatic grass, endemic in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and parts of Canada. Grain yield losses can reach up to 74% when the disease starts at the boot stage and continues until ...
2011-04-01
training area. The baseball/ softball field adjacent to Building 750. A parking lot and storage area on station property leased to the Minnesota Air...was constructed on this site to help reduce storm water runoff volume at MSPARS. The baseball/ softball field adjacent to Building 750. Site is the
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ana Melisa Pardo Montaño
2016-08-01
Full Text Available El objetivo de esta investigación es presentar un panorama general del acceso a los servicios de salud de inmigrantes mexicanos residentes en Estados Unidos, en particular en Minnesota. Primero se exponen los datos generales acerca de la población mexicana residente en ese país y estado, desagregando el acceso a la seguridad médica y el uso de los servicios de salud por parte de la población en estudio. Enseguida se analiza el caso de la población mexicana en Minnesota. Se finaliza reseñando algunos de los mecanismos de acceso a la salud que están disponibles para los migrantes en ese destino. Se han utilizado las estadísticas más recientes del Consejo Nacional de Población (México, la National Health Interview Survey (2009-2011 y el National Healthcare Disparities Report (2012; además de entrevistas semiestructuradas que se realizaron en Minnesota con inmigrantes y representantes de organizaciones de apoyo de esta población.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1992-10-01
This Addendum to the Final Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Amendment to Presidential Permit PP-63 and Associated Modifications to 500 kV International Transmission Line: Forbes, Minnesota to Manitoba, Canada (DOE/EA-587) addresses Northern States Power Company's (NSP) proposed expansion of the Forbes Substation. The applicant has requested that the expansion take place on the west side of the substation, within the existing property line, instead of on the north side as originally proposed. All of the proposed construction would take place on property already owned by NSP. DOE has reviewed the environmental impacts associated with this minor modification and has determined that the conclusions reached in the environmental assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact prepared in connection with NSP's original amendment request remain valid
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Álvaro J. Arnal
2018-03-01
Full Text Available In Europe, science and innovation are boosting the agri-food sector and, in parallel, are helping to decrease greenhouse gas emissions (GHG and European dependency on non-renewable resources. Currently, it is well-known that this sector contributes to the consumption of energy and material resources, causing significant environmental impacts that require a complex and comprehensive environmental evaluation in order to manage them effectively. This becomes even more complicated when new technologies are reaching the level of technological maturity needed to be installed in the production lines. To address this scientific challenge, the life cycle assessment (LCA has been used in this paper to evaluate the potential of pulsed electric fields (PEF technology at an industrial scale to facilitate the steam peeling of tomato fruits. Considering the thermo-physical peeling stage, the LCA has shown that PEF technology is environmentally friendly, because when PEF technology is applied, all the considered environmental indicators improve between 17% and 20%.
Public health foundations and the tobacco industry: lessons from Minnesota
Ibrahim, J; Tsoukalas, T; Glantz, S
2004-01-01
Objective: To investigate whether private foundations can be created in a way that will insulate them from attacks by the tobacco industry, using the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) as a case study. Design: Information was collected from internal tobacco industry documents, court documents, newspapers, and interviews with health advocates and elected officials. Results: The creation of MPAAT as an independent foundation did not insulate it from attacks by tobacco industry allies. During 2001–2002, MPAAT was repeatedly attacked by Attorney General Mike Hatch and major media, using standard tobacco industry rhetoric. This strategy of attack and demands for information were reminiscent of previous attacks on Minnesota's Plan for Nonsmoking and Health and the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST). MPAAT was ultimately forced to restructure its programme to abandon effective community norm change interventions around smoke-free policies and replace them with less effective individual cessation interventions. Neither MPAAT nor other health advocates mounted an effective public response to these attacks, instead relying on the insider strategy of responding in court. Conclusion: It is not possible to avoid attacks by the tobacco industry or its political allies. Like programmes administered by government agencies, tobacco control foundations must be prepared for these attacks, including a proactive plan to educate the public about the principles of community based tobacco control. Public health advocates also need to be willing to take prompt action to defend these programmes and hold public officials who attack tobacco control programmes accountable for their actions. PMID:15333877
Hunt, William C.; Nelson, James
1976-01-01
This article contains a letter which questions the value and ethics of the Program on Human Sexuality (University of Minnesota) and also contains the response to the letter by a member of the Theological-Ethical Task Force which sponsors the program. (Author)
Minnesota State Dept. of Public Service, St. Paul. Energy Div.
Franchise fees are a tax imposed on a private entity to compensate a municipality for use of a public property for private gain. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 grants municipalities the right to assess a 5% franchise fee to both cable companies and competitors of cable companies, such as operators of open video systems. The Minnesota State…
Hayes, Danielle; Granello, Darcy Haag
2009-01-01
Counselors who assess persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; T. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) may find scale elevations on Scales 1, 2, 3, and 8. These elevations may be due, at least in part, to specific questions on the MMPI-2 that…
Pergola, Nicola; Faruolo, Mariapia; Irina, Coviello; Carolina, Filizzola; Teodosio, Lacava; Valerio, Tramutoli
2014-05-01
Different kinds of atmospheric pollution affect human health and the environment at local and global scale. The petroleum industry represents one of the most important environmental pollution sources, accounting for about 18% of well-to-wheels greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The main pollution source is represented by the flaring of gas, one of the most challenging energy and environmental problems facing the world today. The World Bank has estimated that 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas are being flared annually, that is equivalent to 30% of the European Union's gas consumption. Since 2002, satellite-based methodologies have shown their capability in providing independent and reliable estimation of gas flaring emissions, at both national and global scale. In this paper, for the first time, the potential of satellite data in estimating gas flaring volumes emitted from a single on-shore crude oil pre-treatment plant, i.e. the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI) Val d'Agri Oil Center (COVA), located in the Basilicata Region (South of Italy), was assessed. Specifically, thirteen years of night-time Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data acquired in the medium and thermal infrared (MIR and TIR, respectively) bands were processed. The Robust Satellite Techniques (RST) approach was implemented for identifying anomalous values of the signals under investigation (i.e. the MIR-TIR difference one), associated to the COVA flares emergency discharges. Then, the Fire Radiative Power (FRP), computed for the thermal anomalies previously identified, was correlated to the emitted gas flaring volumes, available for the COVA in the period 2003 - 2009, defining a satellite based regression model for estimating COVA gas flaring emitted volumes. The used strategy and the preliminary results of this analysis will be described in detail in this work.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
John R Fieberg
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Wildlife populations are difficult to monitor directly because of costs and logistical challenges associated with collecting informative abundance data from live animals. By contrast, data on harvested individuals (e.g., age and sex are often readily available. Increasingly, integrated population models are used for natural resource management because they synthesize various relevant data into a single analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the performance of integrated population models applied to black bears (Ursus americanus in Minnesota, USA. Models were constructed using sex-specific age-at-harvest matrices (1980-2008, data on hunting effort and natural food supplies (which affects hunting success, and statewide mark-recapture estimates of abundance (1991, 1997, 2002. We compared this approach to Downing reconstruction, a commonly used population monitoring method that utilizes only age-at-harvest data. We first conducted a large-scale simulation study, in which our integrated models provided more accurate estimates of population trends than did Downing reconstruction. Estimates of trends were robust to various forms of model misspecification, including incorrectly specified cub and yearling survival parameters, age-related reporting biases in harvest data, and unmodeled temporal variability in survival and harvest rates. When applied to actual data on Minnesota black bears, the model predicted that harvest rates were negatively correlated with food availability and positively correlated with hunting effort, consistent with independent telemetry data. With no direct data on fertility, the model also correctly predicted 2-point cycles in cub production. Model-derived estimates of abundance for the most recent years provided a reasonable match to an empirical population estimate obtained after modeling efforts were completed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Integrated population modeling provided a reasonable
Subtask 1.24 - Optimization of Cooling Water Resources for Power Generation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Daniel Stepan; Richard Shockey; Bethany Kurz; Wesley Peck
2009-03-31
The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has developed an interactive, Web-based decision support system (DSS{copyright} 2007 EERC Foundation) to provide power generation utilities with an assessment tool to address water supply issues when planning new or modifying existing generation facilities. The Web-based DSS integrates water and wastewater treatment technology and water law information with a geographic information system-based interactive map that links to state and federal water quality and quantity databases for North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
1981-06-01
topography or in rugged terrain, majur road overcrossings may be attainable only by a forced alinement and rolling gradeline. Where there otherwise...Wisconsin PCB Interagency Task Force in 1976 indicated that the game fish in the Minnesota River near Mankato have higher polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB...Highway River Structures Job Sum 5,920,000.00 TOTAL BRIDGES $6,875,000.00 TOTAL ROADWAY AND BRIDGES $11,674,000.00 Force Accounts CNW T. Co. Track Removal
Corzo, Cesar A; Gramer, Marie; Lauer, Dale; Davies, Peter R
2012-09-01
Influenza virus infections can cause respiratory and systemic disease of variable severity and also result in economic losses for the turkey industry. Several subtypes of influenza can infect turkeys, causing diverse clinical signs. Influenza subtypes of swine origin have been diagnosed in turkey premises; however, it is not known how common these infections are nor the likely routes of transmission. We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of influenza viruses and examine factors associated with infection on Minnesota turkey premises. Results from influenza diagnostic tests and turkey and pig premise location data were obtained from the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, respectively, from January 2007 to September 2008. Diagnostic data from 356 premises were obtained, of which 17 premises tested positive for antibodies to influenza A virus by agar gel immunodiffusion assay and were confirmed as either H1N1 or H3N2 influenza viruses by hemagglutination and neuraminidase inhibition assays. Influenza infection status was associated with proximity to pig premises and flock size. The latter had a sparing effect on influenza status. This study suggests that H1N1 and H3N2 influenza virus infections of turkey premises in Minnesota are an uncommon event. The route of influenza virus transmission could not be determined; however, the findings suggest that airborne transmission should be considered in future studies.
Chute, Christopher G; Hart, Lacey A; Alexander, Alex K; Jensen, Daniel W
2014-01-01
The Southeastern (SE) Minnesota Beacon organized all the health care providers, county public health organizations, and school districts in the deployment and integration of health information exchange (HIE) and targeted health communication around childhood asthma and diabetes. The community cooperated to establish a clinical data repository for all residents in the 11-county region. Through this community of practice approach that involved traditional and nontraditional providers, the SE Minnesota Beacon was able to realize unique applications of this technology. This manuscript overviews the associated organization and infrastructure of this community collaboration. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus, established 17 projects throughout the United States targeting the introduction and meaningful use of health information technology (HIT). These 17 communities were intended to serve as an example of what could be accomplished. The SE Minnesota Beacon is one of these communities. The community ultimately opted for peer-to-peer HIE, using Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) Connect software. The clinical data repository was established using the infrastructure developed by the Regenstrief Institute, which operated as a trusted third party. As an extension to HIE, the consortium of county public health departments created a patient data portal for use by school nurses and parents. Childhood asthma was addressed by creating, exchanging, and maintaining an "asthma action plan" for each affected child, shared throughout the community, including through the patient portal. Diabetes management introduced patient treatment decision tools and patient quality of life measures, facilitating care. Influenza vaccination was enhanced by large-scale community reporting in partnership with the state vaccination registry. The methodology and
William H. Lane; David E. Andersen; Thomas H. Nicholls
1997-01-01
We conducted nocturnal auditory surveys from 1987-1992 to determine the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of Boreal Owls (Aegolius funereus) in northeast Minnesota. We concentrated our efforts in areas where documented nesting attempts by the owls had occurred, along roadways maintained for winter-time access by motor vehicles, and by...
Jensen, Murray; Mattheis, Allison; Loyle, Anne
2013-01-01
This article describes a one-semester anatomy and physiology course that is currently offered through the concurrent enrollment program at the University of Minnesota. The article explains how high school teachers are prepared to teach the course and describes efforts to promote program quality, student inquiry, and experiential learning.…
2013-05-01
The University of Minnesotas Center for Transportation : Studies is pleased to present its 24th Annual Transportation : Research Conference, May 22-23, 2013. The conference will : be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 West Kellogg : Boulevard...
A satellite-based analysis of the Val d'Agri (South of Italy) Oil Center gas flaring emissions
Faruolo, M.; Coviello, I.; Filizzola, C.; Lacava, T.; Pergola, N.; Tramutoli, V.
2014-06-01
In this paper the Robust Satellite Techniques (RST), a multi-temporal scheme of satellite data analysis, was implemented to analyze the flaring activity of the largest Italian gas and oil pre-treatment plant (i.e. the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi - ENI - Val d'Agri Oil Center - COVA). For this site, located in an anthropized area characterized by a~large environmental complexity, flaring emissions are mainly related to emergency conditions (i.e. waste flaring), being the industrial process regulated by strict regional laws. With reference to the peculiar characteristics of COVA flaring, the main aim of this work was to assess the performances of RST in terms of sensitivity and reliability in providing independent estimations of gas flaring volumes in such conditions. In detail, RST was implemented on thirteen years of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) medium and thermal infrared data in order to identify the highly radiant records associated to the COVA flare emergency discharges. Then, exploiting data provided by ENI about gas flaring volumes in the period 2003-2009, a MODIS-based regression model was developed and tested. Achieved results indicate that such a model is able to estimate, with a good level of accuracy (R2 of 0.83), emitted gas flaring volumes at COVA.
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Linda Glaser
Full Text Available Bovine tuberculosis (bTB was discovered in a Minnesota cow through routine slaughter surveillance in 2005 and the resulting epidemiological investigation led to the discovery of infection in both cattle and white-tailed deer in the state. From 2005 through 2009, a total of 12 beef cattle herds and 27 free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus were found infected in a small geographic region of northwestern Minnesota. Genotyping of isolates determined both cattle and deer shared the same strain of bTB, and it was similar to types found in cattle in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Whole genomic sequencing confirmed the introduction of this infection into Minnesota was recent, with little genetic divergence. Aggressive surveillance and management efforts in both cattle and deer continued from 2010-2012; no additional infections were discovered. Over 10,000 deer were tested and 705 whole herd cattle tests performed in the investigation of this outbreak.
A Study of How Secondary School Principals in Minnesota Perceive the Evaluation of Their Performance
Muenich, John Andrew
2014-01-01
The purpose for this study was to ascertain the perceptions principals of public secondary schools in Minnesota have in relation to the evaluation of their job performance. Responding principals reported that past evaluations have been fair and consistent but have questioned their value with regard to professional growth. When asked if student…
Prevalence of giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale) in wild mink (Mustela vison) in Minnesota
Mech, L. David; Tracy, Shawn P.
2001-01-01
Of 138 wild mink (Mustela vison) from eastern Minnesota, 27% contained Dioctophyma renale, primarily in the right kidney. No significant difference between prevalence in adult male and immature male mink was found, nor between the prevalence in males versus female mink. Thirteen worms were found in one male mink, representing the highest documented infection intensity of a single wild mink.
Fred Baker; Mark Hansen; John D. Shaw; Manfred Mielke; Dixon Shelstad
2012-01-01
We surveyed black spruce stands within 0.5 miles of US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots and compared dwarf mistletoe status with that of the FIA and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) forest inventories. Our results differed from FIA results in 3 of 16 stands with FIA plots, with FIA most often not recording dwarf mistletoe in...
An historical overview and update of wolf-moose interactions in northeastern Minnesota
Mech, L. David; Fieberg, John; Barber-Meyer, Shannon
2018-01-01
Wolf (Canis lupus) and moose (Alces americanus) populations in northeastern Minnesota, USA, have fluctuated for decades and, based on helicopter counts, moose numbers declined to a new low from 2006 to about 2012. Other steep declines were found in 1991 and 1998 during periods when moose counts were done with ®xed-wing aircraft; these declines also appeared to be real. Winter wolf numbers, monitored in part of the moose range, had been increasing since about 2002 to the highest population in decades in 2009. However, from 2009 to 2016, wolves decreased precipitously, and the moose-population decline leveled off from 2012 to 2017. Calf:population ratios from 1985 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2016 were inversely related to wolf numbers in the wolf-study area the previous winter both as wolves increased and decreased in abundance. Similarly, log annual growth rates of moose numbers were negatively correlated with counts of wolves in the prior year. Other factors such as nutrition and parasites, and possibly climate change, likely have been involved in the recent moose decline. However, wolves, as in other areas, appear to have contributed to the decline in the northeastern Minnesota moose population at least in part through predation on calves, supporting earlier reports. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Department of the Interior — The Minnesota Zoo’s Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program partners with numerous federal, state, and local agencies to establish the world’s first and only ex situ...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1981-01-01
Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey are reported for the Milbank Quadrangle, Minnesota; North Dakota; South Dakota. Statistical data and areal distributions for uranium and uranium-related variables are presented for 662 groundwater and 319 stream sediment samples. Also included is a brief discussion on location and geologic setting
Fishing for Northern Pike in Minnesota: A comparison of anglers and dark house spearers
Schroeder, Susan A.; Fulton, David C.
2014-01-01
In order to project fishing effort and demand of individuals targeting Northern Pike Esox lucius in Minnesota, it is important to understand the catch orientations, management preferences, and site choice preferences of those individuals. Northern Pike are specifically targeted by about 35% of the approximately 1.5 million licensed anglers in Minnesota and by approximately 14,000–15,000 dark house spearers. Dark house spearing is a traditional method of harvesting fish through the ice in winter. Mail surveys were distributed to three research strata: anglers targeting Northern Pike, dark house spearing license holders spearing Northern Pike, and dark house spearing license holders angling for Northern Pike. Dark house spearers, whether spearing or angling, reported a stronger orientation toward keeping Northern Pike than did anglers. Anglers reported a stronger orientation toward catching large Northern Pike than did dark house spearers when spearing or angling. Northern Pike regulations were the most important attribute affecting site choice for respondents in all three strata. Models for all strata indicated a preference for lakes without protected slot limits. However, protected slot limits had a stronger negative influence on lake preference for dark house spearing licensees (whether spearing or angling) than for anglers.
Yates, Wilson
1976-01-01
Describes the evolution of the Committee on Religion and Ethics, an interdisciplinary committee of theological and medical professors at the University of Minnesota. Its Sexual Attitude Reassessment seminars are the subject of much controversy. This article explains the purpose of the seminars. (HMV)
Bird mortality associated with wind turbines at the Buffalo Ridge wind resource area, Minnesota
Osborn, R.G.; Higgins, K.F.; Usgaard, R.E.; Dieter, C.D.; Neiger, R.D.
2000-01-01
Recent technological advances have made wind power a viable source of alternative energy production and the number of windplant facilities has increased in the United States. Construction was completed on a 73 turbine, 25 megawatt windplant on Buffalo Ridge near Lake Benton, Minnesota in Spring 1994. The number of birds killed at existing windplants in California caused concern about the potential impacts of the Buffalo Ridge facility on the avian community. From April 1994 through Dec. 1995 we searched the Buffalo Ridge windplant site for dead birds. Additionally, we evaluated search efficiency, predator scavenging rates and rate of carcass decomposition. During 20 mo of monitoring we found 12 dead birds. Collisions with wind turbines were suspected for 8 of the 12 birds. During observer efficiency trials searchers found 78.8% of carcasses. Scavengers removed 39.5% of carcasses during scavenging trials. All carcasses remained recognizable during 7 d decomposition trials. After correction for biases we estimated that approximately 36 ?? 12 birds (bird per turbine) were killed at the Buffalo Ridge windplant in 1 y. Although windplants do not appear to be more detrimental to birds than other man-made structures, proper facility sitting is an important first consideration in order to avoid unnecessary fatalities.
78 FR 26765 - Application to Export Electric Energy; ALLETE, Inc., d/b/a Minnesota Power
2013-05-08
... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [OE Docket No. EA-196-D] Application to Export Electric Energy; ALLETE, Inc... renew its authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to section 202... Power to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada as a power marketer for a five-year...
Department of the Interior — Waterfowl from northwestern Minnesota were sampled by cloacal swabbing for Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) from July – October in 2007 and 2008. AIV was detected in 222...
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Mustafa Mohebbi
2016-07-01
Full Text Available Understanding criminals' personality characteristics could engender appropriate solutions for preventing crimes and treating criminals and the aim of the current work is to predict criminals' (robbers, swindlers and smugglers personality characteristics by using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI in committing type of crime. The research falls under the applied category in terms of goal while in terms of nature it is among surveydescriptive researches. The sample under investigation includes 480 people who were selected by way of classified random sampling method in a systematic form from among the population of criminals in the Central Prison, province of Kermanshah. The tool used in this paper is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI (short form of 71 questions. The results obtained from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI indicated that prevalence of anti-social personalitycharacteristics and mental weakness among robbers; depression, anti-social personality and schizophrenia among swindlers as well as anti-social traits, mental weakness and schizophrenia among smugglers are seen significantly. Also, the results of the variance analysis demonstrated that there is a significant difference between the (MMPI clinical scales among three groups of criminals (robbers, swindlers and smugglers on D scales (depression, Pd (Psychopathy deviation, Pt (Anxiety and psychosis, Sc (Schizophrenia and Ma (Hypomania (p<%5. Research findings revealed that criminals enjoy lower level of normal and positive personality dimensions. To sum up, we can infer that all personality characteristics exist in the population of criminals and therapy experts need to pay attention to all sorts of personalities for treating criminals affected with personality disorder.
2017-06-01
As part of an Urban Partnership Agreement project, the Minnesota Department of Transportation added lanes : and began operating a priced dynamic shoulder lane (PDSL) on parts of Interstate 35W. Following the opening of : these improvements, the frequ...
Writer, Jeffrey; Ferrer, Imma; Barber, Larry B.; Thurman, E. Michael
2013-01-01
Concentrations of 17 neuro-active pharmaceuticals and their major metabolites (bupropion, hydroxy-bupropion, erythro-hydrobupropion, threo-hydrobupropion, carbamazepine, 10,11,-dihydro-10,11,-dihydroxycarbamazepine, 10-hydroxy-carbamazepine, citalopram, N-desmethyl-citalopram, fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, 2-N-glucuronide-lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, venlafaxine and O-desmethyl-venlafaxine), were measured in treated wastewater and receiving surface waters from 24 locations across Minnesota, USA. The analysis of upstream and downstream sampling sites indicated that the wastewater treatment plants were the major source of the neuro-active pharmaceuticals and associated metabolites in surface waters of Minnesota. Concentrations of parent compound and the associated metabolite varied substantially between treatment plants (concentrations ± standard deviation of the parent compound relative to its major metabolite) as illustrated by the following examples; bupropion and hydrobupropion 700 ± 1000 ng L−1, 2100 ± 1700 ng L−1, carbamazepine and 10-hydroxy-carbamazepine 480 ± 380 ng L−1, 360 ± 400 ng L−1, venlafaxine and O-desmethyl-venlafaxine 1400 ± 1300 ng L−1, 1800 ± 2300 ng L−1. Metabolites of the neuro-active compounds were commonly found at higher or comparable concentrations to the parent compounds in wastewater effluent and the receiving surface water. Neuro-active pharmaceuticals and associated metabolites were detected only sporadically in samples upstream from the effluent outfall. Metabolite to parent ratios were used to evaluate transformation, and we determined that ratios in wastewater were much lower than those reported in urine, indicating that the metabolites are relatively more labile than the parent compounds in the treatment plants and in receiving waters. The widespread occurrence of neuro-active pharmaceuticals and metabolites in Minnesota effluents and surface waters indicate that
Morrison-Sandberg, Leslie F.; Kubik, Martha Y.; Johnson, Karen E.
2011-01-01
Elementary schools are an optimal setting to provide obesity prevention interventions, yet little is known about the obesity prevention practices of elementary school nurses. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into current obesity-related school nursing practice in elementary schools in Minnesota, opinions regarding school nurse-led…
Trippetta, Serena; Caggiano, Rosa; Telesca, Luciano
2013-10-01
Simultaneous measurements of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 (i.e., aerosol particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10, 2.5 and 1 μm, respectively) daily mass concentrations and daily particle number concentration were performed for the first time in Agri Valley (Basilicata Region - Southern Italy) from July to November 2011. This area is characterized by anthropogenic activities having high potential environmental and human health impacts. In fact, the Agri Valley houses the largest European on-shore reservoir and the largest crude oil pre-treatment plant within an anthropized area. The PM measurements were analyzed combining an innovative statistical methodology, the Singular Spectral Analysis, with forecast models and remote sensing observations. Our findings show that most of the PM collected was made up of particles in the fine and sub-micrometric fractions (i.e., PM2.5 and PM1, respectively) very likely originated by common anthropogenic sources. Moreover, PM2.5 and PM1 daily mass concentrations were characterized by a slightly increasing trend that could be related to the contribution of local sources, such as the crude oil pre-treatment plant, whose combustion processes also produce the emission of particles mainly in the fine and sub-micrometric size ranges. The integrated use of model forecasts, satellite observations and in-situ measurements shows that the only PM10 exceedance was affected by the contribution of Saharan dust, while the three PM2.5 exceedances were mainly due to local anthropogenic sources. Finally, the analysis of the PM10 and PM2.5 Air Quality Index (AQI) values shows that air quality was always “good” with respect to PM10 and “moderate” with respect to PM2.5 suggesting that fine particles, if they will be not kept under control, should represent a real problem also posing health risks to the population living close to the crude oil pre-treatment plant.
2012-12-11
... Transmission Limited Partnership (Respondent), alleging that the Respondent has failed to comply with the... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RP13-313-000] Essar Steel Minnesota, LLC v. Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on...
Department of the Interior — A mechanistic, biophysical water-quality model (CE–QUAL–W2) was developed and calibrated for Lake St. Croix, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Lake St. Croix CE–QUAL–W2...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
L. Telesca
2008-06-01
Full Text Available Variations detected in geophysical, especially electromagnetic, parameters in seismic active areas have been sometimes attributed to modifications of the stress field. Among the different geophysical methods, magnetotellurics (MT could be one of the most effective because it allows us to explore down to seismogenic depths. Continuous MT recording could allow us to evaluate whether possible variations are significantly correlated with the seismic activity of investigated area. To assess the significance of such observations we must be able to say how well an apparent resistivity curve should be reproduced when measurements are repeated at a later time. To do this properly it is essential to know that the estimated error bars accurately represent the true uncertainties in comparing the transfer functions. In this work we will show the preliminary results obtained from the analysis of the data coming from the new MT monitoring network installed in Agri Valley. This analysis gives us the possibility: i to better study the temporal stability of the signals, ii to better discriminate the noise affecting the measures by remote reference estimation. The performed analysis disclosed a relatively low degree of noise in the investigated area, which is a promising condition for monitoring.
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Marta Carpani
2008-09-01
Full Text Available One of the main concerns of the environmental scientists and policy makers is related to the environmental compatibility of current agricultural systems and, in particular, to the losses of chemical fertilizers and manure in surface and ground-waters, as a consequence of run-off and leaching phenomena. In most cases European recent agrienvironmental schemes envisaged specific measures for the reduction of fertilizer rates and the control of manure applications, in order to limit the releases of nutrients in surface and ground-waters. Substantial financial resources are invested in those measures and therefore the issue raises interest in monitoring and evaluating their effectiveness. Nutrient balance indicators are often used for quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of the measures in limiting the environmental impact of farming activities. N-surplus is one of the most commonly used indicators. The paper refers the results of a research project aimed at assessing the outcomes of agri-environmental measures implemented in the Venice Lagoon Watershed with an approach based upon the gross nitrogen balance, called “Nboxes”. The results of applying the Nboxes procedure to a sample of 550 farms set are presented, evidencing the expectations of greater effectiveness in terms of nitrogen surplus reduction from the measure C.5.1.3a and C.5.1.3b (low input farming and buffer strips. Measures supporting improved irrigation systems, controlled drainage and more rational livestock nutritional programmes and technologies, showed instead only limited potential for tangible contributions to the reduction of nitrogen surplus in cultivated soils.
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Patrizia Trevisiol
2011-02-01
Full Text Available One of the main concerns of the environmental scientists and policy makers is related to the environmental compatibility of current agricultural systems and, in particular, to the losses of chemical fertilizers and manure in surface and ground-waters, as a consequence of run-off and leaching phenomena. In most cases European recent agrienvironmental schemes envisaged specific measures for the reduction of fertilizer rates and the control of manure applications, in order to limit the releases of nutrients in surface and ground-waters. Substantial financial resources are invested in those measures and therefore the issue raises interest in monitoring and evaluating their effectiveness. Nutrient balance indicators are often used for quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of the measures in limiting the environmental impact of farming activities. N-surplus is one of the most commonly used indicators. The paper refers the results of a research project aimed at assessing the outcomes of agri-environmental measures implemented in the Venice Lagoon Watershed with an approach based upon the gross nitrogen balance, called “Nboxes”. The results of applying the Nboxes procedure to a sample of 550 farms set are presented, evidencing the expectations of greater effectiveness in terms of nitrogen surplus reduction from the measure C.5.1.3a and C.5.1.3b (low input farming and buffer strips. Measures supporting improved irrigation systems, controlled drainage and more rational livestock nutritional programmes and technologies, showed instead only limited potential for tangible contributions to the reduction of nitrogen surplus in cultivated soils.
Delin, G.N.
1986-01-01
Confined-drift aquifers in a 1,380-square-mile area of western Minnesota range in thickness from less than 10 feet to 114 feet. Transmissivities range from less than 1,000 square feet per day to over 16,000 square feet per day and theoretical well yields range from less than 100 gallons per minute to more than 1,800 gallons per minute.
Using a cellular model to explore human-facilitated spread of risk of EAB in Minnesota
Anantha Prasad; Louis Iverson; Matthew Peters; Steve. Matthews
2011-01-01
The Emerald Ash Borer has made inroads to Minnesota in the past two years, killing ash trees. We use our spatially explicit cell based model called EAB-SHIFT to calculate the risk of infestation owing to flight characteristics and short distance movement of the insect (insect flight model, IFM), and the human facilitated agents like roads, campgrounds etc. (insect ride...
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Hua Shi
2018-03-01
Full Text Available With strengthening global consciousness of environmental protection, green supply chain management plays an increasingly important role in modern enterprise production operation management. A critical means to implement green supply chain management is incorporating environmental requirements into the supplier selection practices. In this paper, we put forward a novel integrated approach by using interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic sets (IVIULSs and grey relational analysis (GRA-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS method for the evaluation and selection of green suppliers. First, various qualitative assessments of alternatives provided by decision makers are described by the IVIULSs. Then, the GRA-TOPSIS method is extended and employed to prioritize the alternative suppliers. The proposed model can handle the uncertainty and fuzziness of decision makers’ subjective evaluations more easily and get a more realistic and accurate ranking of green suppliers. Finally, an illustrative example in the agri-food industry is presented to verify the proposed green supplier selection model and demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness.
Tielemans, Susanne M A J; Geleijnse, Johanna M; Menotti, Alessandro; Boshuizen, Hendriek C; Soedamah-Muthu, Sabita S; Jacobs, David R; Blackburn, Henry; Kromhout, Daan
2015-03-09
Blood pressure (BP) trajectories derived from measurements repeated over years have low measurement error and may improve cardiovascular disease prediction compared to single, average, and usual BP (single BP adjusted for regression dilution). We characterized 10-year BP trajectories and examined their association with cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and life years lost. Data from 2 prospective and nearly extinct cohorts of middle-aged men—the Minnesota Business and Professional Men Study (n=261) and the Zutphen Study (n=632)—were used. BP was measured annually during 1947-1957 in Minnesota and 1960-1970 in Zutphen. BP trajectories were identified by latent mixture modeling. Cox proportional hazards and linear regression models examined BP trajectories with cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and life years lost. Associations were adjusted for age, serum cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes mellitus. Mean initial age was about 50 years in both cohorts. After 10 years of BP measurements, men were followed until death on average 20 years later. All Minnesota men and 98% of Zutphen men died. Four BP trajectories were identified, in which mean systolic BP increased by 5 to 49 mm Hg in Minnesota and 5 to 20 mm Hg in Zutphen between age 50 and 60. The third systolic BP trajectories were associated with 2 to 4 times higher cardiovascular mortality risk, 2 times higher all-cause mortality risk, and 4 to 8 life years lost, compared to the first trajectory. Ten-year BP trajectories were the strongest predictors, among different BP measures, of cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and life years lost in Minnesota. However, average BP was the strongest predictor in Zutphen. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.
Sorge, U S; Cherry, C; Bender, J B
2014-07-01
Proper cattle-handling techniques (stockmanship) are important to ensure calm animals and a safe work environment for dairy workers on farm. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess Minnesota dairy herd owners' attitudes toward stockmanship, its perceived importance for cow comfort and worker health, and the establishment of calm cattle movement; and (2) identify current resources and methods of stockmanship training on Minnesota dairy farms. A stratified-random sample of Minnesota dairy farmers were contacted via mail to participate in a 28-question survey. One hundred eight bovine dairy producers participated. Most commonly, respondents learned their cattle handling skills from family members (42.6%) and 29.9% of producers had participated in previous stockmanship training. Producers thought that the skill of the human handler was the most important factor in establishing good cattle flow. Cattle-handling techniques was the third most common topic for new-employee orientation after training in milking parlor protocols and milking parlor disinfection. Time limitations and language barrier were considered serious challenges for worker training. Work-related injuries were responsible for lost work days in the previous year in 13.3% of dairy herds and 73.3% of those injuries occurred while working with cattle. Producers perceived that cattle-related injuries were predominantly the handler's fault: either because of not paying enough attention to the animal or due to poor cattle handling skills. Facility design was considered the least important for the occurrence of worker injuries. Although no causal inference can be made, herds that had workers who had previously participated in stockmanship training had a 810 ± 378 kg (mean ± standard error of the mean) higher rolling herd average than those that did not, even after adjusting for herd size and bulk tank somatic cell count. However, 50% of respondents were not interested in attending future stockmanship
C. Dana Nelson; C. A. Mohn
1989-01-01
Significant family variation in female strobili incidence, ripeness-to-flower and production were found in a Minnesota black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) population tested at four locations. Heritability estimates indicated that gain in early flowering from selection would be possible. Height growth through age 12 years was positively correlated (genetic and...
Honoring Choices Minnesota: preliminary data from a community-wide advance care planning model.
Wilson, Kent S; Kottke, Thomas E; Schettle, Sue
2014-12-01
Advance care planning (ACP) increases the likelihood that individuals who are dying receive the care that they prefer. It also reduces depression and anxiety in family members and increases family satisfaction with the process of care. Honoring Choices Minnesota is an ACP program based on the Respecting Choices model of La Crosse, Wisconsin. The objective of this report is to describe the process, which began in 2008, of implementing Honoring Choices Minnesota in a large, diverse metropolitan area. All eight large healthcare systems in the metropolitan area agreed to participate in the project, and as of April 30, 2013, the proportion of hospitalized individuals 65 and older with advance care directives in the electronic medical record was 12.1% to 65.6%. The proportion of outpatients aged 65 and older was 11.6% to 31.7%. Organizations that had sponsored recruitment initiatives had the highest proportions of records containing healthcare directives. It was concluded that it is possible to reduce redundancy by recruiting all healthcare systems in a metropolitan area to endorse the same ACP model, although significantly increasing the proportion of individuals with a healthcare directive in their medical record requires a campaign with recruitment of organizations and individuals. © 2014 The Authors.The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.
They starved so that others be better fed: remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota experiment.
Kalm, Leah M; Semba, Richard D
2005-06-01
During World War II, 36 conscientious objectors participated in a study of human starvation conducted by Ancel Keys and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment, as it was later known, was a grueling study meant to gain insight into the physical and psychologic effects of semistarvation and the problem of refeeding civilians who had been starved during the war. During the experiment, the participants were subjected to semistarvation in which most lost >25% of their weight, and many experienced anemia, fatigue, apathy, extreme weakness, irritability, neurological deficits, and lower extremity edema. In 2003-2004, 18 of the original 36 participants were still alive and were interviewed. Many came from the Historic Peace Churches (Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker), and all expressed strong convictions about nonviolence and wanting to make a meaningful contribution during the war. Despite ethical issues about subjecting healthy humans to starvation, the men interviewed were unanimous in saying that they would do it all over again, even after knowing the suffering that they had experienced. After the experiment ended, many of the participants went on to rebuilding war-torn Europe, working in the ministries, diplomatic careers, and other activities related to nonviolence.
Stewardship as a Means to Create Organizational Reform: A View into Minnesota 4-H Youth Development
Skuza, Jennifer A.; Freeman, Dorothy M.; Bremseth, Tamara J.; Doering, Shirley A.; Quinlan, Robert B.; Morreim, Patricia A.; Deidrick, James C.
2010-01-01
Minnesota 4-H Youth Development (MN 4-H) used stewardship as a means to create organizational reform to address the public use of the 4-H name and emblem in terms of risk management, real estate and equipment, and finances. A task force implemented a participatory process with colleagues and stakeholders to build and implement the reform effort.…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cosimo Rota
2014-10-01
Full Text Available The competitiveness of a supply chain is driven by the ability of supply chain governance structures to adapt to the chains’ continuously changing technical and organizational characteristics. The present study addresses the adoption of sustainability improvement options in the area of organization and management in the agri-food sector; within this framework the study proposes a tool for assessing the impact of sustainability oriented processes on the supply chain governance structures, in turn influencing the competitiveness of the supply chain. Two different approaches, proposed by (Gereffi et al., 2005 and (Hobbs and Young, 2000 have been linked to provide a theoretical framework for the tool development. The proposed new conceptual framework links the dimensions defining five different governance structures complexity of transaction, ability to codify and capabilities in the supply-base (Gereffi et al., to the product characteristics, regulatory and technology aspects defined by Hobbs and Young as drivers influencing the vertical coordination of supply chains. The method suggested for measuring the relations between improvement options and the chain governance structure is the adoption of experts’ evaluations. This method improves the tool capacity to provide a context-related supply chain governance structure assessment and management.
Tuomas Aakala; Shawn Fraver; Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik
2013-01-01
Factors influencing tree growth in structurally complex forests remain poorly understood. Here we assessed the influence of competition on Pinus resinosa (n = 224) and Pinus strobus (n = 90) growth in four old-growth stands in Minnesota, using mixed effects models. A subset of trees, with...
Energy use and engineering audits at state-owned facilities in Minnesota
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hirst, E.
1980-01-01
The contents and results of two large computerized data bases maintained by the Minnesota Department of Administration are described and analyzed. One contains information on monthly fuel use from 1972 through 1978 for 42 large state facilities: community colleges, state universities, hospitals, prisons, and office buildings. The second contains the results of detailed engineering audits performed at 41 such institutions. The audits cover 270 buildings and include 2010 individual energy conservation recommendations. Several data base management issues are discussed. These include errors and their identification, development of simple and consistent definitions for key terms, and collection of information on the major determinants of energy use and conservation potentials at these facilities.
Lofquist, Lloyd H.; Dawis, Rene V.
This is one of a series of 30 monographs documenting the progress and accomplishments of the Minnesota Work Adjustment Project. Presented in this, the final report, is an overview of the project as well as detailed explanations of outcomes and activities. The conceptualized Work Adjustment Theory is the foremost accomplishment of the research…
Brian H. Hill; Terri M. Jicha; LaRae L.P. Lehto; Colleen M. Elonen; Stephen D. Sebestyen; Randy Kolka
2016-01-01
Wecompared nitrogen (N) storage and flux in soils froman ombrotrophic bogwith that of a minerotrophic fen to quantify the differences in N cycling between these two peatlands types in northernMinnesota (USA). Precipitation, atmospheric deposition, and bog and fen outflowswere analyzed for nitrogen species. Upland and peatland soil sampleswere analyzed for N content,...
Dooley, Patricia L.
In an effort to document the historical evolution of journalists' political involvement and determine when it began to affect journalistic behavior, a case study examined the personal and professional lives of journalists in Minnesota practicing in the 1920s and 1930s. The study investigated whether these journalists (1) were elected to public…
Sarkar, Sara F; Poon, Jacquelyne S; Lepage, Etienne; Bilecki, Lori; Girard, Benoit
2018-01-25
Science and innovation are important components underpinning the agricultural and agri-food system in Canada. Canada's vast geographical area presents diverse, regionally specific requirements in addition to the 21st century agricultural challenges facing the overall sector. As the broader needs of the agricultural landscape have evolved and will continue to do so in the next few decades, there is a trend in place to transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy, contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emission and our dependency on non-renewable resources. We highlight some of the key policy drivers on an overarching national scale and those specific to agricultural research and innovation that are critical to fostering a supportive environment for innovation and a sustainable bioeconomy. As well, we delineate some major challenges and opportunities facing agriculture in Canada, including climate change, sustainable agriculture, clean technologies, and agricultural productivity, and some scientific initiatives currently underway to tackle these challenges. The use of various technologies and scientific efforts, such as Next Generation Sequencing, metagenomics analysis, satellite image analysis and mapping of soil moisture, and value-added bioproduct development will accelerate scientific development and innovation and its contribution to a sustainable and prosperous bioeconomy. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A qualitative evaluation of medication management services in six Minnesota health systems.
Sorensen, Todd D; Pestka, Deborah; Sorge, Lindsay A; Wallace, Margaret L; Schommer, Jon
2016-03-01
The initiation, establishment, and sustainability of medication management programs in six Minnesota health systems are described. Six Minnesota health systems with well-established medication management programs were invited to participate in this study: Essentia Health, Fairview Health Services, HealthPartners, Hennepin County Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, and Park Nicollet Health Services. Qualitative methods were employed by conducting group interviews with key staff from each institution who were influential in the development of medication management services within their organization. Kotter's theory of eight steps for leading organizational change served as the framework for the question guide. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for recurring and emergent themes. A total of 13 distinct themes were associated with the successful integration of medication management services across the six healthcare systems. Identified themes clustered within three stages of Kotter's model for leading organizational change: creating a climate for change, engaging and enabling the whole organization, and implementing and sustaining change. The 13 themes included (1) external influences, (2) pharmacists as an untapped resource, (3) principles and professionalism, (4) organizational culture, (5) momentum champions, (6) collaborative relationships, (7) service promotion, (8) team-based care, (9) implementation strategies, (10) overcoming challenges, (11) supportive care model process, (12) measuring and reporting results, and (13) sustainability strategies. A qualitative survey of six health systems that successfully implemented medication management services in ambulatory care clinics revealed that a supportive culture and team-based collaborative care are among the themes identified as necessary for service sustainability. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dennis Neitzke
2007-01-01
This case study illustrates the positive effects of strategic fuels treatments in continuous heavy fuels. In 1999, a severe windstorm blew down close to 1,000 square miles of forest land in northern Minnesota and Canada. As much as 400,000 acres of the blowdown occurred in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Fire experts were invited to assess the hazardous...
David J. Nowak; Eric J. Greenfield
2010-01-01
This report details how land cover and urbanization vary within the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota by community (incorporated and census designated places), county subdivision, and county. Specifically this report provides critical urban and community...
Outcome of Minnesota's gambling treatment programs.
Stinchfield, R; Winters, K C
2001-01-01
This study measured the outcome of four state-supported outpatient gambling treatment programs in Minnesota. The programs were developed specifically for the treatment of pathological gamblers and offered multiple modalities of treatment including individual, group, education, twelve-step work, family groups, and financial counseling. The therapeutic orientation was eclectic with an emphasis on the twelve steps of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) and a treatment goal of abstinence. The sample included 348 men and 220 women treated between January 1992 and January 1995. A pretest-posttest design was utilized with multidimensional assessments obtained at intake, discharge, six-months, and twelve-months post-discharge. Variables assessed included a range of clinical and outcome variables. At six month follow-up, 28% reported that they had abstained from gambling during the six months following discharge and an additional 20% had gambled less than once per month. Almost half of the sample (48%) showed clinically significant improvement in gambling frequency at six month follow-up. Outcome variables of gambling frequency, SOGS scores, amount of money gambled, number of friends who gamble, psychosocial problems, and number of financial problems, all showed statistically significant improvements from pretreatment to follow-up. The treatment programs yielded outcome results similar to those reported for alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs.
2010-07-19
... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration University of Minnesota, et al.; Notice... can be viewed between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. in Room 3720, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and... chamber/pumping system allows it to operate properly at pressures in excess of 1 Torr. It also is designed...
2010-09-02
... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR10-86-000, Docket No. PR10-87-000, Docket No. PR10-88- 000, Docket No. PR10-89-000, Docket No. PR10-90-000] Notice of Baseline Filings: The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company, Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation, Louisville Gas...
Etnier, DA; Skelton, CE
2003-01-01
Based on examination of 655 ciscoes from Lake Saganaga, a Minnesota/Ontario border lake, three forms, about 90% separable on gill raker counts, are present. Form L, with the lowest gill raker counts (26-40, mean = 31.9, n = 96) is tentatively identified as Coregonus zenithicus. Form M, with
Professional development training through the veterinary curriculum at the University of Minnesota.
Kustritz, Margaret V Root; Nault, André J
2010-01-01
Veterinary education has traditionally focused on clinical skills. Success as a practicing veterinarian, however, also depends on good communication skills, emotional intelligence, and other "soft" skills that can lead to greater employee and employer satisfaction and increased practice revenue. The University of Minnesota has approached this curricular need by convening a task force and creating a series of courses aimed at improving leadership skills, teamwork, and verbal and written communication; managing conflict; and understanding ethics and personal finance. This article describes the evolution and structure of these soft-skill classes and the challenges in securing faculty and student buy-in essential for success.
The Mesaba Energy Project: Clean Coal Power Initiative, Round 2
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stone, Richard; Gray, Gordon; Evans, Robert
2014-07-31
The Mesaba Energy Project is a nominal 600 MW integrated gasification combine cycle power project located in Northeastern Minnesota. It was selected to receive financial assistance pursuant to code of federal regulations (?CFR?) 10 CFR 600 through a competitive solicitation under Round 2 of the Department of Energy?s Clean Coal Power Initiative, which had two stated goals: (1) to demonstrate advanced coal-based technologies that can be commercialized at electric utility scale, and (2) to accelerate the likelihood of deploying demonstrated technologies for widespread commercial use in the electric power sector. The Project was selected in 2004 to receive a total of $36 million. The DOE portion that was equally cost shared in Budget Period 1 amounted to about $22.5 million. Budget Period 1 activities focused on the Project Definition Phase and included: project development, preliminary engineering, environmental permitting, regulatory approvals and financing to reach financial close and start of construction. The Project is based on ConocoPhillips? E-Gas? Technology and is designed to be fuel flexible with the ability to process sub-bituminous coal, a blend of sub-bituminous coal and petroleum coke and Illinois # 6 bituminous coal. Major objectives include the establishment of a reference plant design for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (?IGCC?) technology featuring advanced full slurry quench, multiple train gasification, integration of the air separation unit, and the demonstration of 90% operational availability and improved thermal efficiency relative to previous demonstration projects. In addition, the Project would demonstrate substantial environmental benefits, as compared with conventional technology, through dramatically lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and mercury. Major milestones achieved in support of fulfilling the above goals include obtaining Site, High Voltage
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dedina Daniel
2013-09-01
Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to introduce a new certified applied methodology for Assessing Suppliers in Agri-Food Complex as a tool for company competitiveness. The work is based on the results obtained in the research project NAZV QG60148/2005 funded by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and on the requirements of agricultural practice. The novelty lies in the use of practices of the worldwide respected GLOBALG.A.P. standard (formerly EUREPGAP as yet not well known in our country. Based on the practical experience of the authors with the application of food safety standards in the food manufacturing industry and application of GLOBALG. A.P. standard in agricultural primary production, risk and hazard analysis was developed for the product group of fruit and vegetables. Subsequently, a checklist was designed for the implementation of the suppliers’ audit. The result is a methodology for food manufacturers based on the identification of sources of risks in primary production, which can threaten food safety. As part of the introduced methodology are proposed methodological criteria for evaluating suppliers of fruit and vegetables, including rating scales and the possibilities of its implementation. Different variations of the introduction of this approach are discussed from the management, time, and financial viewpoints. The use of this procedure in practice aims to reduce the likelihood of hygiene and health hazards of the basic input raw material according to the principles of the certified standards and thus strengthen the competitiveness of a given manufacturer on the market.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kathryn J. Draeger
2010-08-01
Full Text Available Both scenario visioning and participatory system dynamics modeling emphasize the dynamic and uncontrollable nature of complex socio-ecological systems, and the significance of multiple feedback mechanisms. These two methodologies complement one another, but are rarely used together. We partnered with regional organizations in Minnesota to design a future visioning process that incorporated both scenarios and participatory system dynamics modeling. The three purposes of this exercise were: first, to assist regional leaders in making strategic decisions that would make their communities sustainable; second, to identify research gaps that could impede the ability of regional and state groups to plan for the future; and finally, to introduce more systems thinking into planning and policy-making around environmental issues. We found that scenarios and modeling complemented one another, and that both techniques allowed regional groups to focus on the sustainability of fundamental support systems (energy, food, and water supply. The process introduced some creative tensions between imaginative scenario visioning and quantitative system dynamics modeling, and between creating desired futures (a strong cultural norm and inhabiting the future (a premise of the Minnesota 2050 exercise. We suggest that these tensions can stimulate more agile, strategic thinking about the future.
Rostad, John
1997-01-01
Describes the production of news broadcasts on video by a high school class in Le Center, Minnesota. Topics include software for Apple computers, equipment used, student responsibilities, class curriculum, group work, communication among the production crew, administrative and staff support, and future improvements. (LRW)
Coleman, Jo Evans
The primary purpose of this research was to identify perceived barriers affecting African-American and Caucasian female administrators' career mobility/advancement in education, business/industry, and government in Minnesota. The study explored women's perceptions of the effects that race/gender discrimination and gender underrepresentation have…
Cost and code study of underground building: a report to the Minnesota Energy Agency
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Sterling, R L
1979-11-01
The rapidly intensifying interest in the possible energy savings and environmental and land-use benefits associated with underground buildings has led increasing numbers of people to question restrictions that existing building codes place on underground construction and to make cost comparisons between underground structures and more-conventional buildings. Information in this report on earth-sheltered houses covers public policy issues (building code restrictions, taxation, insurance) and residential construction costs (cost breakdowns, general factors affecting costs, and life-cycle costs). The report also deals with regulatory and insurance issues (building codes, fire protection, insurance provisions) and construction costs for large underground buildings. The report recommends that: (1) the Minnesota Energy Agency consult with the Building Code Division of the Department of Administration on HUD Minimum Property Standards to examine the possibility of modifying several building-code requirements that affect earth-sheltered housing design; (2) HUD Minimum Property Standards be brought into line with the major building codes on the question of optional mechanical ventilation in houses; (3) model ordinances concerning setbacks, basement house provisions, and minimum square footage provisions to be drafted; (4) legal questions concerning the separation of ownership of the surface from that subsurface space be resolved; (5) questions concerning taxation of mined space be resolved; and (6) a life-cost inventory of underground residences and buildings in Minnesota be compiled.
Hellerstedt, Wendy L; Madsen, Nikki J; Gunnar, Megan R; Grotevant, Harold D; Lee, Richard M; Johnson, Dana E
2008-03-01
To conduct the first population-based surveillance in the United States of parents who adopted children from countries outside of the United States. A 556-item survey was mailed to 2,977 parents who finalized an international adoption in Minnesota between January 1990 and December 1998; 1,834 (62%) parents returned a survey. Eighty-eight percent of the parents reported transracial adoptions (97% of the parents were white); 57% of the adopted children were Asian; 60% were female; and on average, the children were 18 months-old at the time of placement. Only 15% of the parents reported household annual incomes less than $50,000 and 71% reported they had college educations. Sixty-one percent traveled to their child's country of birth prior to the adoption. Almost three-quarters involved their children in experiences related to their birth countries and 98% would recommend international adoption. Three-quarters of the parents believe that parental leave was an issue for them as they adopted. This is the first population-based survey of U.S. parents who have adopted internationally. The adoptive parents were socioeconomically different than birth parents in Minnesota and their families are most likely to be transracial. Because international adoption has become more prevalent, it is important to understand the strengths and needs of families that are created through this unique form of migration.
Jennelle, Christopher S.; Carstensen, Michelle; Hildebrand, Erik C.; Cornicelli, Louis; Wolf, Paul C.; Grear, Daniel A.; Ip, Hon S.; VanDalen, Kaci K.; Minicucci, Larissa A.
2016-01-01
In 2015, a major outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infection devastated poultry facilities in Minnesota, USA. To clarify the role of wild birds, we tested 3,139 waterfowl fecal samples and 104 sick and dead birds during March 9–June 4, 2015. HPAIV was isolated from a Cooper’s hawk but not from waterfowl.
Aerial gamma ray and magnetic survey: Eau Claire Quadrangle, Wisconsin/Minnesota. Final report
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1978-04-01
Data obtained from a high sensitivity airborne radiometric and magnetic survey of the Eau Claire Quadrangle in Wisconsin/Minnesota are presented. All data are presented as corrected profiles of all radiometric variables, magnetic data, radar and barometric altimeter data, air temperature and airborne Bismuth contributions. Radiometric data presented are corrected for Compton Scatter, altitude dependence and atmospheric Bismuth. These data are also presented on microfiche, and digital magnetic tapes. In addition, anomaly maps and interpretation maps are presented relating known geology or soil distribution to the corrected radiometric/magnetic data
Disparities persist in nutrition policies and practices in Minnesota secondary schools
Caspi, Caitlin Eicher; Davey, Cynthia; Nelson, Toben F.; Larson, Nicole; Kubik, Martha Y.; Coombes, Brandon; Nanney, Marilyn S.
2014-01-01
Access to healthy foods among secondary school students is patterned by individual-level socioeconomic status, but few studies have examined how school nutrition policies and practices are patterned by school-level characteristics. The objective of this study was to examine school nutrition policies and practices by school characteristics (location, racial/ethnic composition and free/reduced priced lunch eligibility [FRPL]) in Minnesota secondary schools between 2008 and 2012. Data from the 2008 to 2012 Minnesota School Health Profiles survey were used to assess school nutrition policies and practices, and National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) data were used for school characteristics (n = 505 secondary schools). Nutrition policies and practices included: 1) the availability of low-nutrient, energy dense (LNED) items, 2) strategies to engage students in healthy eating, and 3) restrictions on advertisements of LNED products in areas around the school. Among school-level characteristics, school location was most strongly related to school nutrition policies. Across all years, city schools were less likely than town/rural schools to have vending machines/school stores [prevalence difference (PD)=13.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) -25.0,-2.3], and less likely to sell sports drinks (PD= -36.3, 95% CI: -51.8, -20.7). City schools were also more likely to prohibit advertisements for LNED products in school buildings (PD=17.7, 95% CI: 5.5, 29.9) and on school grounds (PD=15.6, 95% CI: 1.7, 29.5). Between 2008 and 2012 the prevalence of some healthy eating policies/practices (limiting salty snacks, offering taste testing, banning unhealthy food advertisements in school publications) declined in city schools only, where these policies/practices had previously been more common. Monitoring of these trends is needed to understand the impact of these policies on student outcomes across school settings. PMID:25441964
Ellison, Christopher A.; Savage, Brett E.; Johnson, Gregory D.
2014-01-01
Sediment-laden rivers and streams pose substantial environmental and economic challenges. Excessive sediment transport in rivers causes problems for flood control, soil conservation, irrigation, aquatic health, and navigation, and transports harmful contaminants like organic chemicals and eutrophication-causing nutrients. In Minnesota, more than 5,800 miles of streams are identified as impaired by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) due to elevated levels of suspended sediment. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the MPCA, established a sediment monitoring network in 2007 and began systematic sampling of suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC), total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity in rivers across Minnesota to improve the understanding of fluvial sediment transport relations. Suspended-sediment samples collected from 14 sites from 2007 through 2011 indicated that the Zumbro River at Kellogg in the driftless region of southeast Minnesota had the highest mean SSC of 226 milligrams per liter (mg/L) followed by the Minnesota River at Mankato with a mean SSC of 193 mg/L. During the 2011 spring runoff, the single highest SSC of 1,250 mg/L was measured at the Zumbro River. The lowest mean SSC of 21 mg/L was measured at Rice Creek in the northern Minneapolis- St. Paul metropolitan area. Total suspended solids (TSS) have been used as a measure of fluvial sediment by the MPCA since the early 1970s; however, TSS concentrations have been determined to underrepresent the amount of suspended sediment. Because of this, the MPCA was interested in quantifying the differences between SSC and TSS in different parts of the State. Comparisons between concurrently sampled SSC and TSS indicated significant differences at every site, with SSC on average two times larger than TSS concentrations. The largest percent difference between SSC and TSS was measured at the South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin, and the smallest difference was observed at the Des Moines
Kleene, Marvin
1980-01-01
A study was conducted to determine the impact profitability factors have on farm labor earnings for farms enrolled in the Minnesota Vocational Agriculture Farm Management Education Program. The most important predictors of labor earnings were size of business, gross return per cropped acre, and index return per $100 of feed fed. (LRA)
Hartnett, Mary
2013-01-01
The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH) and the Minnesota Department of Education co-sponsored remote participation in two National Summits on Deaf Education in 2009 and 2010. The summits were focused on improved outcomes for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing students, partnerships, and collaboration. Summit…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Antonio Romano
2012-12-01
Full Text Available Italy is the European country with the highest amphibian richness and endemism. However distributional data from some Southern Italy areas are scanty, in particularly for the Basilicata region. In this study, we present the results of field and bibliographic survey on the amphibians of the “Appennino Lucano, Val d’Agri e Lagonegrese” National Park (almost 70,000 ha. We recorded breeding activity of 12 amphibian species in 307 sites, for a total of 493 records. For some endemic species we provide new ecological data, such as new altitudinal limit (Salamandrina terdigitata or expansion of the annual activity cycle (Bombina pachypus. Indices of diffusion, density and rarity were applied to test the status of each species in the Park. Correspondence analyses showed a clear aquatic habitat partitioning between anurans and urodelans and, concerning the latter, between newts and salamanders, newts being strictly dependent on artificial water bodies. Our results support the growing idea, recently formalized by the IUCN, that maintaining and restoring artificial water bodies may be fundamental for an appropriate conservation management of amphibian communities in Mediterranean rural landscapes.
Rajamani, Sripriya; Bieringer, Aaron; Wallerius, Stephanie; Jensen, Daniel; Winden, Tamara; Muscoplat, Miriam Halstead
2016-01-01
Immunization information systems (IIS) are population-based and confidential computerized systems maintained by public health agencies containing individual data on immunizations from participating health care providers. IIS hold comprehensive vaccination histories given across providers and over time. An important aspect to IIS is the clinical decision support for immunizations (CDSi), consisting of vaccine forecasting algorithms to determine needed immunizations. The study objective was to analyze the CDSi presentation by IIS in Minnesota (Minnesota Immunization Information Connection [MIIC]) through direct access by IIS interface and by access through electronic health records (EHRs) to outline similarities and differences. The immunization data presented were similar across the three systems examined, but with varying ability to integrate data across MIIC and EHR, which impacts immunization data reconciliation. Study findings will lead to better understanding of immunization data display, clinical decision support, and user functionalities with the ultimate goal of promoting IIS CDSi to improve vaccination rates.
Refuge Lake Reclassification in 620 Minnesota Cisco Lakes under Future Climate Scenarios
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Liping Jiang
2017-09-01
Full Text Available Cisco (Coregonus artedi is the most common coldwater stenothermal fish in Minnesota lakes. Water temperature (T and dissolved oxygen (DO in lakes are important controls of fish growth and reproduction and likely change with future climate warming. Built upon a previous study, this study uses a modified method to identify which of 620 cisco lakes in Minnesota can still support cisco populations under future climate and therefore be classified as cisco refuge lakes. The previous study used oxythermal stress parameter TDO3, the temperature at DO of 3 mg/L, simulated only from deep virtual lakes to classify 620 cisco lakes. Using four categories of virtual but representative cisco lakes in modified method, a one-dimensional water quality model MINLAKE2012 was used to simulate daily T and DO profiles in 82 virtual lakes under the past (1961–2008 and two future climate scenarios. A multiyear average of 31-day largest TDO3 over variable benchmark (VB periods, AvgATDO3VB, was calculated from simulated T and DO profiles using FishHabitat2013. Contour plots of AvgATDO3VB for four categories of virtual lakes were then developed to reclassify 620 cisco lakes into Tier 1 (AvgATDO3VB < 11 °C or Tier 2 refuge lakes, and Tier 3 non-refuge lakes (AvgATDO3VB > 17 °C. About 20% of 620 cisco lakes are projected to be refuge lakes under future climate scenarios, which is a more accurate projection (improving the prediction accuracy by ~6.5% from the previous study since AvgATDO3VB was found to vary by lake categories.
Pham, Mai T; Waddell, Lisa; Rajić, Andrijana; Sargeant, Jan M; Papadopoulos, Andrew; McEwen, Scott A
2016-12-01
The rapid review is an approach to synthesizing research evidence when a shorter timeframe is required. The implications of what is lost in terms of rigour, increased bias and accuracy when conducting a rapid review have not yet been elucidated. We assessed the potential implications of methodological shortcuts on the outcomes of three completed systematic reviews addressing agri-food public health topics. For each review, shortcuts were applied individually to assess the impact on the number of relevant studies included and whether omitted studies affected the direction, magnitude or precision of summary estimates from meta-analyses. In most instances, the shortcuts resulted in at least one relevant study being omitted from the review. The omission of studies affected 39 of 143 possible meta-analyses, of which 14 were no longer possible because of insufficient studies (studies generally resulted in less precise pooled estimates (i.e. wider confidence intervals) that did not differ in direction from the original estimate. The three case studies demonstrated the risk of missing relevant literature and its impact on summary estimates when methodological shortcuts are applied in rapid reviews. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Cowdery, Timothy K.
2005-01-01
Increased water demand in and around Windom led the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, local water suppliers, and Cottonwood County, to study the hydrology of aquifers in the Des Moines River Valley near Windom. The study area is the watershed of a 30-kilometer (19-mile) reach of the Des Moines River upstream from Windom.
Matthew B. Russell; Anthony W. D' Amato; Michael A. Albers; Christopher W. Woodall; Klaus J. Puettmann; Michael R. Saunders; Curtis L. VanderSchaaf
2015-01-01
Silvicultural strategies such as thinning may minimize productivity losses from a variety of forest disturbances, including forest insects. This study analyzed the 10-year postthinning response of stands and individual trees in thinned white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) plantations in northern Minnesota, USA, with light to moderate defoliation...
Assessment of ground-water contamination by coal-tar derivatives, St. Louis Park area, Minnesota
Hult, M.F.
1984-01-01
Operation of a coal-tar distillation and wood-preserving facility in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, during 1918-72 contaminated ground water with coal-tar derivatives and inorganic chemicals. Coal-tar derivatives entered the groundwater system through three major paths: (1) Spills and drippings that percolated to the water table, (2) surface runoff and plant process water that was discharged to wetlands south of the former plant site, and (3) movement of coal tar directly into bedrock aquifers through a multiaquifer well on the site.
Li, Jie; Ernst, Julie
2015-01-01
Research exploring urban youths' value orientations toward the human-nature relationship was conducted with 59 students from a school in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA) and 51 students from a school in Guangzhou, Guangdong (China). Quantitative findings suggest that the majority of participants in both groups shared a similar value orientation,…
Rice, Joshua E.; Rugg, Bradley; Davis, Sharon
2016-01-01
Youth involved in 4-H projects have been engaged in science-related endeavors for years. Since 2006, 4-H has invested considerable resources in the advancement of science learning. The new Minnesota 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge program challenges 4-H youth to work together to identify agriculture-related issues in their communities and to…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Peter A. Jordan
1998-03-01
Full Text Available Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou are native to Minnesota but started to decline in the mid 1800s and disappeared from the state by 1940. Their demise had been attributed to extensive timber harvest and ovethunting; but more recently mortality from the meningeal worm, Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, carried by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, and increased prédation by timber wolves (Canis lupus and black bears (Ursus americanus have been suggested as additional causes. We describe a current initiative to explore feasibility of restoring caribou to the boundary waters region of Minnesota and Ontario. Feasibility studies have been conducted under the guidance of the North Central Catibou Corporation (NCCC, a non-governmental organization with representation from relevant state, federal, Native American, and Canadian agencies. Results indicate a Within Minnesota the most suitable site for woodland caribou lies within the eastern sector of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW, and this is contiguous with a similarly suitable sector of Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park: Together these comprise the recommended 1300-km2 Boundary Waters Caribou Region (BWCR; b Vegetation in the BWCR has changed little since the 1920s when caribou were last present other than effects of fire suppression; c Level of white-tailed deer, hence the meningeal worm, is so low in the BWCR that this factor is unlikely to impede survival of re-introduced caribou; d While wolf numbers within the wider region are relatively high, their impacts may be minimized if caribou are released in small, widely scattered groups; in addition, an abundance of lakes with islands affords good summer-time prédation security; e Threat to calves from black bears, probably more numerous than in earlier times, appears lessened by the security of lakeshores and islands; and f A simulation model, combining knowledge from elsewhere with the BWCR assessment, suggests that