title: The dynamic adjustment of factor inputs and its policy implications for major wheat producing areas in China

authors: Chen, Shuzhang

subjects: China

abstract: China's major wheat producing areas play a crucial role in ensuring domestic grain production and food security more generally and it is therefore of significance, both empirically and theoretically, to investigate the current situation and future tendencies of the sector. Based on input- and output-oriented DEA models, overall technical efficiency was estimated for the sector, and both radial and slack adjustments were calculated. The course of the dynamic adjustments was identified and presented for factor inputs over the past decade. The results show that the radial adjustments have exhibited a decreasing trend, while structural, slack adjustments have practically disappeared. The course of the dynamic adjustments suggests that there has been a transformation from labor-intensive to land-intensive and capital-intensive operations which will continue to dominate China's wheat production sector. As a consequence, to optimize factor inputs and reduce radical and slack adjustments, it seems necessary that the major wheat producing areas reduce labor inputs; enhance land-intensive operations; and increase agricultural mechanization.

text: The dynamic adjustment of factor inputs and its policy implications for major wheat producing areas in China China's major wheat producing areas play a crucial role in ensuring domestic grain production and food security more generally and it is therefore of significance, both empirically and theoretically, to investigate the current situation and future tendencies of the sector. Based on input- and output-oriented DEA models, overall technical efficiency was estimated for the sector, and both radial and slack adjustments were calculated. The course of the dynamic adjustments was identified and presented for factor inputs over the past decade. The results show that the radial adjustments have exhibited a decreasing trend, while structural, slack adjustments have practically disappeared. The course of the dynamic adjustments suggests that there has been a transformation from labor-intensive to land-intensive and capital-intensive operations which will continue to dominate China's wheat production sector. As a consequence, to optimize factor inputs and reduce radical and slack adjustments, it seems necessary that the major wheat producing areas reduce labor inputs; enhance land-intensive operations; and increase agricultural mechanization.

year: 2013

title: Phenomenology for the decay of energy-containing eddies in homogeneous MHD turbulence

authors: Hossain, Murshed

subjects: magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)

abstract: We evaluate a number of simple, one‐point phenomenological models for the decay of energy‐containing eddies in magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) and hydrodynamicturbulence. The MHDmodels include effects of cross helicity and Alfvénic couplings associated with a constant mean magnetic field, based on physical effects well‐described in the literature. The analytic structure of three separate MHDmodels is discussed. The single hydrodynamic model and several MHDmodels are compared against results from spectral‐method simulations. The hydrodynamic model phenomenology has been previously verified against experiments in wind tunnels, and certain experimentally determined parameters in the model are satisfactorily reproduced by the present simulation. This agreement supports the suitability of our numerical calculations for examining MHDturbulence, where practical difficulties make it more difficult to study physical examples. When the triple‐decorrelation time and effects of spectral anisotropy are properly taken into account, particular MHDmodels give decay rates that remain correct to within a factor of 2 for several energy‐halving times. A simple model of this type is likely to be useful in a number of applications in space physics, astrophysics, and laboratory plasma physics where the approximate effects of turbulence need to be included.

text: Phenomenology for the decay of energy-containing eddies in homogeneous MHD turbulence We evaluate a number of simple, one‐point phenomenological models for the decay of energy‐containing eddies in magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) and hydrodynamicturbulence. The MHDmodels include effects of cross helicity and Alfvénic couplings associated with a constant mean magnetic field, based on physical effects well‐described in the literature. The analytic structure of three separate MHDmodels is discussed. The single hydrodynamic model and several MHDmodels are compared against results from spectral‐method simulations. The hydrodynamic model phenomenology has been previously verified against experiments in wind tunnels, and certain experimentally determined parameters in the model are satisfactorily reproduced by the present simulation. This agreement supports the suitability of our numerical calculations for examining MHDturbulence, where practical difficulties make it more difficult to study physical examples. When the triple‐decorrelation time and effects of spectral anisotropy are properly taken into account, particular MHDmodels give decay rates that remain correct to within a factor of 2 for several energy‐halving times. A simple model of this type is likely to be useful in a number of applications in space physics, astrophysics, and laboratory plasma physics where the approximate effects of turbulence need to be included.

year: 1995

title: A history of Māori literacy success

authors: Derby, Melissa

abstract: This article explores literacy in 19th century Māori society, and in particular, this work considers the initial interactions Māori tribal groups had with literacy following contact with British settlers. The overarching purpose of this article is to respond to the increasingly prevalent suggestion that literacy is a Western competency, and that to be concerned with ensuring Māori children are achieving well in reading and writing is an act of colonisation. This work illustrates that these narratives run counter to the history, behaviour, and values of many tribal groups in New Zealand. More specifically, the historical interactions Māori had with literacy illustrate that both the ability and the desire to succeed in reading and writing was a feature of Māori historical practices. Therefore, to ensure high levels of literacy achievement in contemporary times is not a colonising act but rather aligns with Māori history, behaviour, and values.

text: A history of Māori literacy success This article explores literacy in 19th century Māori society, and in particular, this work considers the initial interactions Māori tribal groups had with literacy following contact with British settlers. The overarching purpose of this article is to respond to the increasingly prevalent suggestion that literacy is a Western competency, and that to be concerned with ensuring Māori children are achieving well in reading and writing is an act of colonisation. This work illustrates that these narratives run counter to the history, behaviour, and values of many tribal groups in New Zealand. More specifically, the historical interactions Māori had with literacy illustrate that both the ability and the desire to succeed in reading and writing was a feature of Māori historical practices. Therefore, to ensure high levels of literacy achievement in contemporary times is not a colonising act but rather aligns with Māori history, behaviour, and values.

year: 2021