1,721,006 research outputs found
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Why the inclusion of women’s perceptions in plant breeding programs is critical: An example from India
Get PDFVariations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Factors influencing the adoption of cocoa agroforestry systems in mitigating climate change in Ghana: The case of the Sefwi Wiawso district in Western Region
No full textClimate change is having great impact on agricultural productivity worldwide. Agriculture is strongly influenced by weather and climate [1,2]. Climate change and variability adversely affect environmental resources such as soil and water upon which agricultural production depends, which poses a serious threat to sustainable agricultural production [2]. In Ghana climate variability and change is expected to have an adversely effect on the agriculture sector. According to the NIC, (2009) by 2030 temperature are projected to rise by 0.5 °C. This situation would result in fewer rainy days and more extreme weather conditions like prolonged droughts. The impacts of a changing climate will have direct and indirect effects on global and domestic food systems [3,4]. Rioux [5] reported that climate change has affected yields in food crop production in many Africa countries. If the issues of climate change and variability are not addressed incomes and food security of rural households in Ghana would be undermined because there would be increased incidence of diseases and pest as well as prolonged variable rainfall patterns.
Cocoa production employs over 15 million people worldwide with over 10.5 million workers in West Africa [6]. Cocoa, in addition to cereals and other root and tuber crops contribute largely to food security in Ghana. In Ghana cocoa production is an essential component of rural livelihoods and its cultivation is considered a ‘way of life’ in many production communities [7]. The cocoa sub sector cocoa employs about 800,000 farm families spread across the cocoa growing regions of Ghana and generating about $2 billion in foreign exchange annually [8,9]. The expansion of cocoa production is replacing substantial areas of primary forest. It’s of no surprise that the total area under cocoa cultivation increased by 50,000 hectares between 2012 and 2013 and there is no indication that the rate is slowing down. According to Anim Kwapong et al. [10] the government of Ghana recognizes that climate change is already negatively affecting Ghana’s cocoa sector in myriad ways and that, it is likely to continue hampering Ghana’s environmental and socio-economic prospects in the coming decades. Cocoa agroforestry system has been identified as is an important strategy that can ameliorate climate change [11].
This system can play a dual role of mitigation and adaptation, which makes it one of the best responses to climate change. It is noted that agroforestry has multi-functional purposes which makes it one of the most promising strategies for climate change adaptation [11,12]. The use of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems help to tackle the triple challenge of securing food security, mitigation and reducing the vulnerability and increasing the adaptability of agricultural systems to climate change [13,14]. With this view, serious attention must be given to cocoa agroforestry which is capable of reducing temperatures and enhancing the growing of cocoa thus sustaining livelihood of many households in this climate changing pattern. According to previous studies [11,13,15] agroforestry as an adaptation strategy could sustain agricultural production and enhance farmers’ ability to improve livelihoods and will minimize the impacts of climate change which include drought, variable rainfall and extreme temperatures. Agroforestry as a forest-based system plays a significant role in conserving existing carbons, thereby limiting carbon emissions and also absorbing carbons that are released into the atmosphere [16]. Nair [17] also indicated that agroforestry has received international attention as an effective strategy for carbon sequestration and greenhouse mitigation. Cocoa agroforestry can increase farmers’ resilience and position them strategically to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. This system of cocoa production can be very useful because it generates quite substantial benefits on arable lands in diverse ways; trees in agricultural fields improve soil fertility through control of erosion, improve nitrogen content of the soil and increase organic matter of the soil [18,19]. Agroforestry can also transform degraded lands into productive agricultural lands and improves productive capacities of soils [18]. Although agroforestry is not new in Ghana, it is quite optimistic that effective adoption to climate change will contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development and to a large extent, the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the immeasurable benefits of cocoa agroforestry system, adoption is not widespread and for that matter success stories are found in isolated cocoa farming areas among few adapters of cocoa agroforestry system initiatives. Aidoo and Fromm [20] report that although cocoa farmers are aware about sustainability issues, they hardly adopt sustainable production practices. It is quite not always the case that policies are implemented as they were intended and so the need to assess farmers’ perspectives on cocoa agroforestry adoption and implementation especially when climate change has become a serious constraint to cocoa production in Ghana. Traditional coping mechanisms to the impact of climate change in the Western Region of Ghana include mixed cropping, non-farm activities and traditional agroforestry practices by some individual cocoa farmers. However, non-shade cocoa production systems, bush burning, slash and burn farming methods expose the cocoa communities to further impacts of climate change. This calls for swift attention from all, especially cocoa farmers in the study communities to tackle the problem. Despite the economic, environmental and sustainable cocoa production potential via agroforestry systems, farmers have not adopted cocoa agroforestry practices entirely especially in Sefwi Wiawso District. Understanding cocoa farmers decision making processes in ensuring sustainable food supply and cocoa yield in cocoa agroforestry system is critical. Research frontiers in cocoa agroforestry systems need to be identified and better understand barriers to adoption and the development of strategies to support cocoa agroforestry that enhance food security in climate changing conditions. The objectives of this study are therefore to empirically assess the factors that affect farmers’ decision to adopt cocoa agroforestry systems and determine cocoa farmers’ perception on cocoa agroforestry as an adaptation strategy to climate change
Social, environmental, and COVID-19 pandemic-related effects on women's food security and health in Honduras
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected women in Honduras in terms of loss of employment and income opportunities, access to healthcare services, and increased poverty and food insecurity. The pre-pandemic gender inequalities in Honduras have resulted in harsher conditions for women since the onset of the pandemic. Early reports indicate that women have lost employment and incomes and have been burdened by other effects of the pandemic, such as more household work, childcare activities, and home schooling. Marginal groups such as indigenous women face greater challenges because of the structural and systemic inequalities which have existed for a long time. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has also differed across geographic areas and between rural and urban settings. In addition to the pandemic, the economic outlook for women in Honduras has worsened since the impact of Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November 2020, which displaced over a million people. The agricultural sector was devastated, and infrastructure was severely damaged. The recovery efforts have been slow because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores the root causes of gender inequalities and how it affects women’s food security and health
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Evaluation of improved pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) varieties for organoleptic dal quality in India
Get PDFPigeon pea (Cajanus cajanL.) is an important pulse crop in the Indian diet and one of the most important sources of dietary protein for the population. Organoleptic qualities of pigeon pea dal were tested to draw conclusions on the preferred varieties. Organoleptic qualities such as taste, texture, aroma, tenderness, sweetness and overall acceptance were tested by a trained sensory panel. Available and commercially viable improved varieties were selected for the analysis. All samples were milled and cooked under the same conditions. Results indicated that PUSA ARHAR 16, one of the improved varieties, presents a good potential in terms of agronomic characteristics for farmers and is also well accepted by the sensory panel during the organoleptic evaluation. Generating sound scientific evidence on organoleptic characteristics of pigeon pea is important for the breeders, as they will evaluate which varieties have a commercial potential and are accepted by the consumers
Transportation inefficiencies in the cocoa value chains in Ivory Coast: is sustainability possible?
Get PDFThe purpose of this investigation is to examine transportation inefficiencies and the sustainability of cocoa value chains in Ivory Coast. Problems addressed include unidentified major actors, types of transportation and how it is measured, and lastly, improving efficiency in transportation with respect to society, costs and greenhouse gas emissions. A mixed method methodology is followed in which qualitative and quantitative data are gathered and analysed. Results show that the major actors are planters, cooperative management, exporters, ports, chocolatiers and supermarkets. The main forms of transportation are trucks and motorcycles and are measured using the United Nations criteria for sustainable transportation. The conclusion is that cocoa transportation in Ivory Coast is unsustainable.
However, with the correct implementation of policy, financing and technological innovation, there is potential to improve the sustainability of cocoa transportation from farm gate to export harbour
Building Resilient Value Chains After the Impact of the COVID-19 Disruption: Challenges for the Coffee Sector in Central America
Get PDFCoffee is an important agricultural sector in Central American, directly employing over 1.2 million people in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Although export revenues from coffee trade have an overall positive effect on the gross domestic product (GDP) of these countries, poverty still prevails. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional pressure on the sector which is vulnerable to fluctuations in the international coffee prices, low productivity levels, and climate change effects and damages caused by pest and diseases. This paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzes if the sector is resilient to withstand unexpected external shocks such as the pandemic and the hurricanes which impacted the region in the last months of 2020. The capacity to absorb, adapt, and/or transform to these shocks was assessed from the perspective of small-scale coffee farmers, traders, exporters and the entire sector in two time periods—immediately after the start of the pandemic and after the coffee harvest. Although the actors in the coffee value chain absorbed these shocks and could withstand them, adaptation to the disruptions has been challenging for small-scale farmers. Despite the vulnerability to unexpected external shocks, results indicate that a long-term transformation of the sector to build resilience is likely to be slow
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