In this paper we assess the economic viability of innovation by producers relative to two increasingly important alternative models: innovations by single user individuals or firms, and open collaborative innovation projects. We analyze the design costs and architectures and communication costs associated with each model. We conclude that innovation by individual users and also open collaborati...

Feedlot closeout data is an important tool for measuring cattle performance and management practices for cattle production systems. Often, closeouts are quickly scrutinized by feedlot managers and cattle owners for economics and typical performance measurements and then filed. Unfortunately, a plethora of data that is reported in closeout reports is never adequately analyzed. A dichotomy of dat...

Auction-based models and protocols introduce money and pricing as the technique for coordination between users and producers of resources in grids. In this paper, we propose a multi-attribute reverse auction protocol to allocate grid resource. In order to enhance the information efficiency we develop a novel interactive approach supporting both user agents and producer agents. In this approach,...

There is a growing body of evidence to support the proposition of product take back for remanufacturing particularly within the context of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Remanufacturing however presents challenges unlike that of traditional manufacturing environments due to its high levels of uncertainty which may further distract organizations from considering its potential benefits. ...

The study investigates consumers’ preference for cowpea reflected in the Nigerian markets through price discounts and premiums that consumers pay for different cowpea characteristics. The price data used for this study were obtained through a market survey. A common data collection protocol was employed. Every month, between October 2009 to December 2010, five cowpea samples per seller were bou...

In recent years audio tactile diagrams have emerged as a viable method of providing blind learners with access to diagrammatical material. It has proven beneficial, but obstacles remain to its widespread adoption, especially in situations where a teacher may not be skilled in tactile production. Current approaches to audio tactile production contain limitations in various areas namely reusabili...

The Kaplan-Meier (KM) method is used to analyze 'time-to-event' data. The outcome in KM analysis often includes all-cause mortality, but could also include other outcomes such as the occurrence of a cardiovascular event. The purpose of this article is to explain the basic concepts of the KM method, to provide some guidance regarding the presentation of the KM results and to discuss some importa...

Air Force (AF)-certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) play an important role in the support of the global war on terror. The purpose of the investigation was to use an AF CRNA-specific modification of the Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index Revised for AF Nurses to assess readiness for deployment. Dimensions included clinical competency, operational competency, soldier/survival ...