Agricultural cooperatives around the world are facing major structural challenges as they respond to a more industrialized agriculture, globalization, and freer trade. Co-ops are responding to these changes by merging, by finding new ways of raising capital, and by developing new organizational forms such as New Generation Co-ops. One of the critically important issues co-ops face as they under...

This paper examines the organization and performance of Cuba’s private and state-run organizations following the economic liberalization that started in 2010-2011. The reforms reduced the constraints faced by private sector organizations and the sector expanded considerably. Additionally, worker cooperatives were newly permitted in the non-agricultural sector. All this while state owned and man...

The development of a theory of kin selection has proceeded along two lines. Inclusivefitness models have implicitly assumed that sel~tion is weak, whereas exact-population genetic models place no constraints on the strength of selection. Several examples are presented showing that qualitatively new behavior has emerged from the exact models. However, for many problems, the exact-population and ...

This study is the first to empirically investigate whether farmers’ assessment of their cooperatives’ environmental efforts related satisfaction with cooperatives, in addition cooperatives economic and social terms. A survey was conducted among a randomly selected sample 211 members 63 farmer Fujian Province, China. Binary logit analyses were test three theoretically derived hypotheses. There p...

PURPOSE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the porous polyethylene multipurpose conical orbital implant for use in evisceration. METHODS A retrospective review of 31 eyes that underwent evisceration and received the multipurpose conical orbital implant. The orbits were evaluated at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after final prosthetic fitting for implant exposure, superior sulcus deformity...

This paper is an investigation of completely mechanical quick changeable joints for multipurpose explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robots. With the assistance of a quick changeable joint, an ordinary EOD robot becomes a multipurpose robot with an end effector which can be switched during the task. This exchangeable end effector permits the robot to perform more complex duties. Making the joint ...

since 1980s, credit policy has been promoted as an important mechanism in job creation, especially for women. however, some researchers have showed that although microfinance programs have significant potential for contributing to women’s wellbeing, yet, many women borrowers have limited control over loans and/or resulted income. in such cases credit policy may not change women status. women’s ...