Evaluation of Year-round Forage Management Systems for Spring- and Fall-Calving Beef Cows (A Progress Report)

A year-round grazing system for spring- and fall-calving cows was developed to compare animal production and performance, hay production and feeding, winter forage composition changes, and summer pasture yield and nutrient composition to that from a conventional, or minimal land system. Systems compared forage from smooth bromegrass-orchardgrass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures for both systems in the summer and corn crop residues and stockpiled grass-legume pastures for the year-round system to drylot hay feeding during winter for the minimal land system. The year-round grazing system utilized 1.67 acres of smooth bromegrassorchardgrass- birdsfoot trefoil (SB-O-T) pasture per cow in the summer, compared with 3.33 acres of (SB-O-T) pasture per cow in the control (minimal land) system. In addition to SB-O-T pastures, the year-round grazing system utilized 2.5 acres of tall fescue-red clover (TFRC) and 2.5 acres of smooth bromegrass-red clover (SBRC) per cow for grazing in both mid-summer and winter for fall- and spring-calving cows, respectively. First-cutting hay was harvested from the TF-RC and SB-RC pastures, and regrowth was grazed for approximately 45 days in the summer. These pastures were then fertilized with 40 lbs N/acre and stockpiled for winter grazing. Also utilized during the winter for spring-calving cows in the year-round grazing system were corn crop residue (CCR) pastures at an allowance of 2.5 acres per cow. In the minimal land system, hay was harvested from three-fourths of the area in SB-O-T pastures and stored for feeding in a drylot through the winter. Summer grazing was managed with rotational stocking for both systems, and winter grazing of stockpiled forages and corn crop residues by year-round system cows was managed by strip-stocking. Hay was fed to maintain a body condition score of 5 on a 9 point scale for spring-calving cows in both systems. Hay was supplemented as needed to maintain a body condition score of 3 for fall-calving cows nursing calves through the winter. Although initial condition scores for cows in both systems were different at the initiation of grazing for both winter and summer, there were no significant differences (P > .05) in overall condition score changes throughout both grazing seasons. In year 1, fall-calving cows in the year-round grazing system lost more (P < .05) body weight during winter than spring-calving cows in either system. In year 2, there were no differences seen in weight changes over winter for any group of cows. Average daily gains of fall calves in the yearround system were 1.9 lbs/day compared with weight gains of 2.5 lbs/day for spring calves from both systems. Yearly growing animal production from pastures for both years did not differ between systems when weight gains of stockers that grazed summer pastures in the year-round grazing system were added to weight gains of suckling calves. Carcass characteristics for all calves finished in the feedlot for both systems were similar. There were no significant differences in hay production between systems for year 1; however, amounts of hay needed to maintain cows were 923, 1373, 4732 lbs dry matter/cow for year-round fall-calving, year-round spring-calving, and minimal land spring-calving cows, respectively. In year 2, hay production per acre in the minimal land system was greater (P < .05) than for the year-round system, but the amounts of hay required per cow were 0, 0, and 4720 lbs dry matter/cow for yearround fall-calving, year-round spring-calving, and minimal land spring-calving cows, respectively.

Comparative Study of Digital Rights Management Systems for Music and Text Files

Digital Rights Management Systems (DRMS) are seen by content providers as the appropriate tool to, on the one hand, fight piracy and, on the other hand, monetize their assets. Although these systems claim to be very powerful and include multiple protection technologies, there is a lack of understanding about how such systems are currently being implemented and used by content providers. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it provides a theoretical basis through which we present shortly the seven core protection technologies of a DRMS. Second, this paper provides empirical evidence that the seven protection technologies outlined in the first section of this paper are the most commonly used technologies. It further evaluates to what extent these technologies are being used within the music and print industry. It concludes that the three main Technologies are encryption, password, and payment systems. However, there are some industry differences: the number of protection technologies used, the requirements for a DRMS, the required investment, or the perceived success of DRMS in fighting piracy.

The Application of Digital Rights Management Systems in the Music Industry - An Empirical Investigation

Technology advances in hardware, software and IP-networks such as the Internet or peer-to-peer file sharing systems are threatening the music business. The result has been an increasing amount of illegal copies available on-line as well as off-line. With the emergence of digital rights management systems (DRMS), the music industry seems to have found the appropriate tool to simultaneously fight piracy and to monetize their assets. Although these systems are very powerful and include multiple technologies to prevent piracy, it is as of yet unknown to what extent such systems are currently being used by content providers. We provide empirical analyses, results, and conclusions related to digital rights management systems and the protection of digital content in the music industry. It shows that most content providers are protecting their digital content through a variety of technologies such as passwords or encryption. However, each protection technology has its own specific goal, and not all prevent piracy. The majority of the respondents are satisfied with their current protection but want to reinforce it for the future, due to fear of increasing piracy. Surprisingly, although encryption is seen as the core DRM technology, only few companies are currently using it. Finally, half of the respondents do not believe in the success of DRMS and their ability to reduce piracy.

A survey of the implementation status of environmental management systems in U.S. colleges and universities, and, An environmental management system implementation model for U.S. colleges and universities

A census of 925 U.S. colleges and universities offering masters and doctorate degrees was conducted in order to study the number of elements of an environmental management system as defined by ISO 14001 possessed by small, medium and large institutions. A 30% response rate was received with 273 responses included in the final data analysis. Overall, the number of ISO 14001 elements implemented among the 273 institutions ranged from 0 to 16, with a median of 12. There was no significant association between the number of elements implemented among institutions and the size of the institution (p = 0.18; Kruskal-Wallis test) or among USEPA regions (p = 0.12; Kruskal-Wallis test). The proportion of U.S. colleges and universities that reported having implemented a structured, comprehensive environmental management system, defined by answering yes to all 16 elements, was 10% (95% C.I. 6.6%–14.1%); however 38% (95% C.I. 32.0%–43.8%) reported that they had implemented a structured, comprehensive environmental management system, while 30.0% (95% C.I. 24.7%–35.9%) are planning to implement a comprehensive environmental management system within the next five years. Stratified analyses were performed by institution size, Carnegie Classification and job title. ^ The Osnabruck model, and another under development by the South Carolina Sustainable Universities Initiative, are the only two environmental management system models that have been proposed specifically for colleges and universities, although several guides are now available. The Environmental Management System Implementation Model for U.S. Colleges and Universities developed is an adaptation of the ISO 14001 standard and USEPA recommendations and has been tailored to U.S. colleges and universities for use in streamlining the implementation process. In using this implementation model created for the U.S. research and academic setting, it is hoped that these highly specialized institutions will be provided with a clearer and more cost-effective path towards the implementation of an EMS and greater compliance with local, state and federal environmental legislation. ^

Competence Monitoring in Project Teams by using Web based portfolio management systems

This paper reports a learning experience related to the acquisition of project management competences. Students from three different universities and backgrounds, cooperate in a common project that drives the learning-teaching process. Previous related works on this initiative have already evaluated the goodness of this multidisciplinary, project-based learning approach in the context of a new educative paradigm. Yet the innovative experience has allowed the authors to define a rubric in order to measure specific competences in project management. The study shows the rubric’s main aspects as well as competence acquisition evaluation alternatives, based in the metrics defined. Key indicators and specific reports obtained from data base fields in the web tool will support this work. As a result, new competences can be assessed, such ones like teamwork, problem solving, communication and leadership. Final goal is to provide an overall competence map to the students at the same time they improve their skills.

The Road from Community Ideas to Organisational Innovation: A Life Cycle Survey of Idea Management Systems

This paper introduces a new emerging software component, the idea management system, which helps to gather, organise, select and manage the innovative ideas provided by the communities gathered around organisations or enterprises. We define the notion of the idea life cycle, which provides a framework for characterising tools and techniques that drive the evolution of community submitted data inside idea management systems. Furthermore, we show the dependencies between the community-created information and the enterprise processes that are a result of using idea management systems and point out the possible benefits.

Exploiting Structured Linked Data in Enterprise Knowledge Management Systems: An Idea Management Case Study

In parallel to the effort of creating Open Linked Data for the World Wide Web there is a number of projects aimed for developing the same technologies but in the context of their usage in closed environments such as private enterprises. In the paper, we present results of research on interlinking structured data for use in Idea Management Systems - a still rare breed of knowledge management systems dedicated to innovation management. In our study, we show the process of extending an ontology that initially covers only the Idea Management System structure towards the concept of linking with distributed enterprise data and public data using Semantic Web technologies. Furthermore we point out how the established links can help to solve the key problems of contemporary Idea Management Systems

Gi2MO: Interoperability, Linking and Filtering in Idea Management Systems

This thesis proposes how to apply the Semantic Web tech- nologies for the Idea Management Systems to deliver a solution to knowl- edge management and information over ow problems. Firstly, the aim is to present a model that introduces rich metadata annotations and their usage in the domain of Idea Management Systems. Furthermore, the the- sis shall investigate how to link innovation data with information from other systems and use it to categorize and lter out the most valuable elements. In addition, the thesis presents a Generic Idea and Innovation Management Ontology (Gi2MO) and aims to back its creation with a set of case studies followed by evaluations that prove how Semantic Web can work as tool to create new opportunities and leverage the contemporary Idea Management legacy systems into the next level.

Current Trends in Pan-European Identity Management Systems

The demand for electronic identity has grown as a result of governments? promotion of e-Government, in which the citizen-public administration relationship often has a strictly personal nature and requires digital identification systems that are univocal, secure, and global. The management of this identity by public administrations is an important challenge, accentuated when interoperability among public administrations of different countries become necessary. In this paper current trends in pan-euroean identity management systems are analysized and a outlook of the future European scenary is shown.

An analysis of the moderating effects of age in the acceptance of learning management systems

El presente estudio analiza las intenciones de los usuarios acerca del uso de sistemas de tele-enseñanza LMS (Learning Management Systems, basándose en un modelo que integra el Modelo de Aceptación Tecnológica (TAM, Technology Acceptance Model, la Teoría del Comportamiento Percibido (TPB, Theory of Planned Behavior) y la Teoría Unificada de la Aceptación y Uso de la Tecnología (UTAUT, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology), tomando la edad como variable moderadora. Así, este artículo estudia la influencia de la intención conductual, la actitud hacia el uso, la facilidad de uso percibida, la utilidad percibida, la norma subjetiva y la influencia social en la intención de utilizar sistemas e-learning LMS. Como antecedentes de estos factores de influencia se plantean las características del sistema y del usuario. El resultado de la revisión teórica es un modelo unificado que ha sido validado con datos recogidos de 94 estudiantes a través de un cuestionario en línea. Estos datos han sido analizados utilizando la técnica de mínimos cuadrados parciales, y los principales resultados confirman la relevancia predictiva del modelo para usuarios de entre 26 y 35 años y de entre 36 y 45 años.

The new challenges of end-of-life tyres management systems: a Spanish case study

Directive 2008/98/EC released by the European Union represents a significant step forward in all relevant aspects of waste management. Under the already established, extended produced responsibility (EPR) principle, new policies have been enunciated to continuously achieve better overall environmental performance of key products throughout their life phases. This paper discusses how the directive is being articulated in Spain by the main integrated management system (IMS) for end-of-life (EOL) tyres since its creation in 2006. Focusing on the IMS technological, economic and legal aspects, the study provides a global perspective and evaluation of how the IMS is facing the current issues to resolve, the new challenges that have appeared and the management vision for the coming years.

Quality assurance systems in the production and marketing of fresh peaches.

Due to the fast rate of peach post-harvest ripening, damage due to mechanical handling, externally appreciated as bruises and soft areas, is a real problem that leads to an early harvesting and poor quality of the fruits, as perceived by the consumers. More and more, the European consumer asks for good taste and freshness of fruits and vegetables, and these quality factors are not included in standards, nor in most of the producers' practices. Fruit processing and marketing centres (co-operatives) are increasingly interested in adopting quality controls in their processes. ISO 9000 procedures are being applied in some food areas, primarily milk and meat processors, but no generalised procedures have been developed until the present time to be applied to fresh product processes. All different peach and nectarine varieties that are harvested and handled in Murcia cooperatives and sold in a large supermarket in Madrid were analysed during the whole 1997 season (early May to late August). A total number of 78 samples of 25 fruits (co-operative) or 10 fruits (market), were tested in the laboratory for mechanical, optical, chemical and tasting quality. The variability and relationships between all these quality parameters are presented and discussed, and sampling unit sizes which would be advisable for quality control are calculated.