L.F. DORWARD and D.V. KULKARNI
During the last few years the teaching of electrical machinery has been increasingly influenced by the unified theory proposed by Gabriel Kron. This theory has been the subject…
Abstract
During the last few years the teaching of electrical machinery has been increasingly influenced by the unified theory proposed by Gabriel Kron. This theory has been the subject, at graduate level, of a number of special courses and it is likely that, in common with degree syllabuses, it will be introduced in Dip. Tech. courses. While it is true that a complete understanding of the theory requires elaborate mathematics, the physical basis of the theory can be usefully established when a student commences his study of electrical machines, e.g. at the ONC level.
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains…
Abstract
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.
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Ugochukwu K. Elinwa and Nothando Moyo
Conflicts are a form of man-made disaster changing the economy of nations, influencing energy concerns, food, shelter and demographic distributions. The breakdown of global…
Abstract
Conflicts are a form of man-made disaster changing the economy of nations, influencing energy concerns, food, shelter and demographic distributions. The breakdown of global systems has become a huge concern that needs working mechanisms to develop resilient cities. The working mechanisms vary from one country to another, thus making the process a complex reality. Resilience is a word that was derived from the Latin word “resalire” which means “to spring back”. In this work, the housing environment was considered as a system constituting of several subsystems (Social, Environmental, Political, Economic subsystems). It argues that for resilience to occur within the post-conflict housing environment there is a need for an inclusive evaluation of users' preferences and expectations. With a focus on the social subsystem, it tried to determine the level of significance of gender, age, income and level of exposure on the perceived social character of a post-conflict housing environment and the satisfaction derived thereof. The study showed the importance of inclusivity as it influences perception and satisfaction. Using regression analysis, the study revealed that Perception and satisfaction within a post-conflict housing environment were influenced by age (73%), gender (74%), income and level of exposure (54%).
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Dina Modestus Nziku and John Struthers
Rural farm and non-farm based entrepreneurial activities within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) play significant roles in job creation as well as food security for the majority of rural…
Abstract
Rural farm and non-farm based entrepreneurial activities within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) play significant roles in job creation as well as food security for the majority of rural dwelling citizens (UNCTAD, 2018). This chapter examines the policies and strategies for supporting both farm and non-farm entrepreneurial activities within rural communities in SSA. In order to achieve this, the authors have completed a systematic literature review of both conceptual and empirical work on the role of policies and strategies for rural entrepreneurship in selected SSA, namely Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and the United Republic of Tanzania (URT). This was completed alongside an assessment of the constraints and potential opportunities in order to stimulate linkages between rural entrepreneurship and structural economic transformation including the potential roles of both farm and non-farm based entrepreneurial activities. Key linkages between rural farm and non-farm based entrepreneurial activities are emphasised The chapter also highlights mechanisms through which governments and private sectors can work together for the maximisation of available opportunities and best practices that rural entrepreneurship can offer for job creation among rural communities in SSA.
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Mohamed Porgo, John K.M. Kuwornu, Pam Zahonogo, John Baptist D. Jatoe and Irene S. Egyir
Credit is central in labour allocation decisions in smallholder agriculture in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of credit constraints on…
Abstract
Purpose
Credit is central in labour allocation decisions in smallholder agriculture in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of credit constraints on farm households’ labour allocation decisions in rural Burkina Faso.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a direct elicitation approach of credit constraints and applied a farm household model to categorize households into four labour market participation regimes. A joint estimation of both the multinomial logit model and probit model was applied on survey data from Burkina Faso to assess the effect of credit constraint on the probability of choosing one of the four alternatives.
Findings
The results of the probit model showed that households’ endowment of livestock, access to news, and membership to an farmer-based organization were factors lowering the probability of being credit constrained in rural Burkina Faso. The multinomial logit model results showed that credit constraints negatively influenced the likelihood of a farm household to use hired labour in agricultural production and perhaps more importantly it induces farm households to hire out labour off farm. The results also showed that the other components of household characteristics and farm attributes are important factors determining the relative probability of selecting a particular labour market participation regime.
Social implications
Facilitating access to credit in rural Burkina Faso can encourage farm households to use hired labour in agricultural production and thereby positively impacting farm productivity and relieving unemployment pressures.
Originality/value
In order to identify the effect of credit constraints on farm households’ labour decisions, this study examined farm households’ decisions of hiring on-farm labour, supplying labour off-farm or simultaneously hiring on-farm labour and supplying family labour off-farm under credit constraints using the direct elicitation approach of credit constraints. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine this problem in Burkina Faso.
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Abiola John Asaleye, Philip O. Alege, Adedoyin Isola Lawal, Olabisi Popoola and Adeyemi A. Ogundipe
One of the challenging factors in achieving sustainable growth is the inability of the Nigerian government to diversify the country's revenue base. This study aims to investigate…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the challenging factors in achieving sustainable growth is the inability of the Nigerian government to diversify the country's revenue base. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cash crop financing and agricultural performance in Nigeria.
Design/methodology
Four crops were considered, namely, cotton, cocoa, groundnut and palm oil. The impact of cash crop finance shock on agricultural performance was investigated using the vector error correction model (VECM), while the long-run relationship was examined through the identification of long-run restrictions on the VECM.
Findings
The variance decomposition showed that financing shock is more sensitive to cause variation in aggregate employment than aggregate agricultural output in palm oil, while for cocoa, cotton and groundnut showed otherwise. The long-run structural equations exert a positive relationship between cash crop financing and agricultural performance, except for oil palm and cocoa financing that has a negative connection with agrarian employment.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to the unavailability of data for agriculture sector capital utilisation, which was not used.
Practical implications
These results show that long-run benefit can be maximised by appropriate funding in cotton and groundnut production to promote sustainable growth.
Originality/value
The study examines the impact of cash crop financing on agricultural performance with the aim to promote sustainable growth in Nigeria using identified VECM.
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Suhiyini I. Alhassan, John K.M. Kuwornu and Yaw B. Osei-Asare
This paper aims to investigate farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability in the northern region of Ghana.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability in the northern region of Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The study assessed the vulnerability of male-headed and female-headed farming households to climate change and variability by using the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) and tested for significant difference in their vulnerability levels by applying independent two-sample-student’s t-test based on gender by using a sample of 210 smallholder farming households.
Findings
The results revealed a significant difference in the vulnerability levels of female-headed and male-headed farming households. Female–headed households were more vulnerable to livelihood strategies, socio-demographic profile, social networks, water and food major components of the LVI, whereas male-headed households were more vulnerable to health. The vulnerability indices revealed that female–headed households were more sensitive to the impact of climate change and variability. However, female-headed households have the least adaptive capacities. In all, female-headed farming households are more vulnerable to climate change and variability than male-headed farming households.
Research limitations/implications
The study recommends that female-headed households should be given priority in both on-going and new intervention projects in climate change and agriculture by empowering them through financial resource support to venture into other income-generating activities. This would enable them to diversify their sources of livelihoods to boost their resilience to climate change and variability.
Originality/value
This is the first study that examined the gender dimension of vulnerability of smallholder farmers in Ghana by using the livelihood vulnerability framework. Female subordination in northern region of Ghana has been profound to warrant a study on gender dimension in relation to climate change and variability, especially as it is a semi-arid region with unpredictable climatic conditions. This research revealed the comparative vulnerability of male- and female-headed households to climate change and variability.
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Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Council, Reports and Technical Memoranda of the United States…
Abstract
Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Council, Reports and Technical Memoranda of the United States National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and publications of other similar Research Bodies as issued