scholarly journals Investigating Producer Preferences for Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica L.: Lythraceae) & Their Perceptions Regarding Crapemyrtle Bark Scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulkit Marwah ◽  
Yu Yvette Zhang ◽  
Mengmeng Gu
Keyword(s):  
Pest Resistance ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Parametric Test ◽  
Landscape Plants ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Control Research ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The U.S

Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica L.: Lythraceae) is the most popular summer flowering tree in the U.S. Its total value sold has almost doubled since 1998. Consumers prize crapemyrtles for their beauty and pest resistance. However, current crapemyrtle production and use is being threatened by crapemyrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana, 1907)) (CMBS), which has been confirmed in 12 U.S. states after its first sighting in Texas in 2004. Our survey results indicate that producers anticipate a significant decrease in the value of crapemyrtle due to CMBS, in the magnitude of 29.93% and 33.79%, in our 2018 and 2019 surveys respectively. Our findings indicate industry demand for CMBS control. We used a non-parametric test to compare the producers’ responses to several questions regarding CMBS-control, among the different producer categories included in our sample. Incorporated businesses showed the most support, followed by part-nerships, and family/individual operations were the least supportive of science-based CMBS control research. Large businesses predicted a more serious decrease in crapemyrtles’ value as compared to smaller businesses. More businesses with high volume of crapemyrtle-related business considered the benefits of CMBS-control to be higher than its cost, as compared to other businesses. We also used a relative importance index to illustrate the ranking of different attrib-utes of crapemyrtles that producers consider while making decisions about growing/purchasing the plants. Flower color was found to be the most important attribute, followed by disease re-sistance. If the issue of CMBS gets out of control, the industry might need to find potential re-placements to crapemyrtle. The most popular landscape plants that can potentially replace crapemyrtle, in the opinion of producers we surveyed, are vitex (Texas lilac) and magnolia.

scholarly journals Investigating Producers’ Preferences for Crapemyrtle and Their Perceptions Regarding Crapemyrtle Bark Scale

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Pulkit Marwah ◽  
Yu Yvette Zhang ◽  
Mengmeng Gu
Keyword(s):  
Disease Resistance ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Landscape Plants ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Agnus Castus ◽  
Control Research ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Flowering Tree

Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) is the most popular summer flowering tree in the U.S. Its total value sold has almost doubled since 1998. Consumers prize crapemyrtles for their beauty and being relatively pest free. However, current crapemyrtle production and use might be affected by crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS; Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae), which has been confirmed in at least 14 U.S. states after its first sighting in Texas in 2004. In this study, we conducted interviews of business representatives. Our survey results indicate that producers anticipate a significant decrease in the value of crapemyrtle if infested with CMBS, and suggest industry demand for CMBS control. An important finding of our research is that a majority of businesses support science-based CMBS control research. Another important finding from our study is that most producers believed that benefits of CMBS control outweigh the costs. We used a relative importance index to illustrate the ranking of different attributes of crapemyrtles that producers consider while making decisions about growing/purchasing the plants. Flower color was found to be the most important attribute, followed by disease resistance. The most popular landscape plants that can potentially serve as alternatives to crapemyrtle, in the opinion of producers we surveyed, are Vitex agnus-castus (Texas lilac), Magnolia spp., and Hibiscus spp.

scholarly journals Exploring the Strategic Motivation of Internationalisation: Indonesian Contractors’ Perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 64-83
Author(s):  
Wahyudi P Utama ◽  
Albert PC Chan ◽  
Hafiz Zahoor ◽  
Ran Gao ◽  
Martalius Peli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
International Construction ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Strategic Motivation

Although extensive research has been carried out on international construction, scant study in this domain exists which has paid attention to developing economies. The present study empirically investigates the above context from the perspective of one of the largest developing nations, Indonesia. Focus of this study is Indonesian contractors’ motivations to enter foreign marketplaces. An empirical approach integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques was adopted to address the research question. The primary data were collected through questionnaires distributed to large Indonesian contractors. Descriptive statistical method and relative importance index (RII) were employed for data analysis. In the discussion the survey results were triangulated with the interview findings. The results clarify that the reason to pursue overseas projects was motivated by multiple-motivations rather than a single one. The major motivations were to increase profitability, to benefit competitive advantage, to expand business, to capitalize on globalization/free trade regions, to respond to project sponsor’s invitation and to gain international experience. An implication of these findings is that the existing condition of the companies should be taken into consideration when measuring companies’ motivation levels in pursuing overseas projects.

Causes of Delay in Budget Hotel Construction Projects

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milind T. Phadtare
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Business Group ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Joint Effort ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Project Participants ◽  
Causes Of Delays ◽  
Industry Training

Delay in construction projects is a universal phenomenon. However, the topic is not adequately studied in the Indian context. This paper attempts to identify the causes of delays in construction of budget hotels in India and suggest remedies to avoid some delays. A business group constructing budget hotels across the country is approached for this study. Forty causes of delay have been identified and Relative Importance Index was calculated. The contribution of each category of causes of delay to overall delay in the projects was computed. Remedies such as, joint effort of the participants of the industry, training, coordination between project participants and project timing and scheduling are suggested and validated.

A benchmarking approach to the progress of green materials and systems’ use in the UAE construction industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aly Elgayar ◽  
Salwa Mamoun Beheiry ◽  
Alaa Jabbar ◽  
Hamad Al Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Green Materials ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Regulatory Guidelines

Purpose Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced several green regulatory guidelines, federal decrees, and a considerable number of environmentally friendly initiatives. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the top green materials and systems used currently in the UAE construction industry as per the new laws dictate as well as see if professionals are switching over to incorporate more green materials, systems, and/or designs. Design/methodology/approach The work involved reviewing internationally popular green materials and systems for construction, developing a questionnaire based on the literature review, surveying professionals in the seven UAE emirates, and ranking the findings based on the relative importance index. Findings Findings found the top used green materials and system in the UAE’s construction industry. As well as identified that there is a communication gap between the design and implementation phases that is possibly hindering the use of more green materials and systems. Originality/value This study sets a baseline to measure the UAE’s progress over the coming years in terms of integrating more green construction materials, systems, methodologies, and trends.

scholarly journals Consumer Attitudes toward the Use of Gene Technology in Breakfast Products: Comparison between College Students from the U.S. and China

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nanying Wang ◽  
Jack E. Houston ◽  
Gregory Colson ◽  
Zimin Liu
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Chinese Market ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Gm Foods ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The U.S

Second-generation Genetically Modified (GM) crops are associated with consumer-oriented benefits such as improvement of nutritional quality. Given such an evolving market environment, this paper presents differences in consumer preferences and valuations for genetically modified breakfast grain products. The perception of consumers from a developing country, China, is discussed and compared to attitudes in a developed country, the U.S. The survey results reveal that there are notable differences in the attitude and perception of college students across these two countries. Purchase intent for GM foods was low, unless a benefit was promised, and some modifications are viewed more positively than others. Overall, it appears that GM foods may be acceptable in the U.S. and Chinese market. The findings in this study have potential implications for establishing various GM marketing strategies and information campaigns.

scholarly journals Insights of project managers into the problems in project management

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Vincent Livesey
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Delphi Panel ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Team Management ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Importance Index

A Delphi study using project managers who had managed projects in excess of $500 million was used to confirm the significance and frequency of problems resulting from the nature of projects. Using the results obtained from the Delphi study a ranking of the problems experienced in these projects was obtained by calculating a Relative Importance Index. Additionally, the Delphi panel members were asked their views concerning the need for traditional project management skills (hard skills) and team management skills (soft skills) as project size increased from below $50 million to over $500 million. A substantial increase in the need for both skills was indicated with the increase in the need for soft skills being the most significant.

scholarly journals Assessing the Influence of Living and Working Conditions on Alcohol Consumption in Migrant Farmworkers in Mexico

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 12-21
Author(s):  
Luis A. Valdez ◽  
Melanie L. Bell ◽  
David O. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Ordinal Logistic Regression ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Migrant Farmworkers ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Working And Living Conditions ◽  
The U.S

Background and Purpose: Inadequate working and living conditions are associated with alcohol consumption in farmworkers in the U.S. However, the influence of these factors on alcohol consumption patterns in migrant farmworkers in Mexico remains unclear. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the influence of housing and working conditions on alcohol use in migrant farmworkers in Mexico. Methods: We used logistic and ordinal logistic regression to examine the association of living and working conditions on alcohol consumption and frequency in 3,132 farmworkers in Mexico with data from a Mexican national farmworker’s survey. Results: Living in inadequately built homes (OR=0.84; 95% CI=0.72, 0.98; p

scholarly journals Predicting Temperature Shifts off the U.S. East Coast

Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Stanley
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Ocean Temperature ◽  
Middle Atlantic Bight ◽  
Atmospheric Processes ◽  
Middle Atlantic ◽  
New Research ◽  
The U.S

New research reveals the relative importance of oceanic and atmospheric processes in year-to-year changes in ocean temperature along the Middle Atlantic Bight.

scholarly journals Feeding habits of Cocobolo Andinoacara pulcher in the cienaga Grande de Lorica, Colombia

2016 ◽  
pp. 5189-5197
Author(s):  
Charles W Olaya-Nieto ◽  
Liquey Camargo-Herrera ◽  
Vanessa Díaz-Sajonero ◽  
Fredys F Segura-Guevara
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Stomach Content ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Length Relationship ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Gut Length

ABSTRACTObjective. The feeding habits of Cocobolo (Andinoacara pulcher) in the cienaga Grande de Lorica, Sinu river basin, were studied. Materials and methods. The stomach content was analyzed using the Proportion of empty stomachs, Grade of digestion, Frequency of occurrence, numerical Frequency, Gravimetry, relative importance Index (RII) and the gut length-total length relationship. Results. 39.8% of stomachs were empty, 47.1% of preys were fresh and five food groups were identified. Vegetable remains was the most frequent group (63.8%) and the prey with greatest composition in weight (33.5%), while Rest of fishes was the most abundant group (34.7%). It was observed that in low and rising waters, fishes was the most consumed prey, while that in high and falling waters the most consumed prey was vegetable remains. Vegetable remains, detritus and fishes were food groups of secondary relative importance, while Insects and Others were circumstantial or incidental groups. Conclusions. The results achieved indicate that Cocobolo is a fish with omnivores feeding habits with a preference for fishes and vegetable remains. RESUMEN Objetivo. Se estudiaron los hábitos alimentarios de Cocobolo (Andinoacara pulcher) en la ciénaga Grande de Lorica, cuenca del río Sinú, Colombia. Materiales y Métodos. El contenido estomacal se evaluó con el Coeficiente de vacuidad, Grado de llenado, Grado de digestión, Frecuencia de ocurrencia, Frecuencia numérica, Gravimetría, Índice de importancia relativa y la relación longitud intestinal- longitud total. Resultados. El 39.8% de los estómagos se encontró vacío, el 47.1% de las presas en estado fresco y se identificaron cinco grupos alimentarios. Material vegetal fue el grupo más frecuente (63.8%) y con mayor composición por peso (33.5%), mientras que Restos de peces fue el más abundante (34.7%). Se observó que en aguas bajas y en aguas ascendentes, peces fue la presa más consumida, mientras que en aguas altas y aguas descendentes, fue material vegetal. Material vegetal, detritos y restos de peces fueron grupos alimentarios de importancia relativa secundaria, mientras que insectos y otros fueron circunstanciales o incidentales. Conclusiones. Los resultados alcanzados indican que Cocobolo es un pez de hábitos alimentarios omnívoros con preferencia por peces y material vegetal.

scholarly journals Faktor Penglibatan Pelajar dalam Aktiviti Bukan Akademik anjuran Universiti

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Nazriah Rasul ◽  
Rafiza Mohamed ◽  
Siti Nurhuda Abd. Wahid ◽  
Yusmady Md. Junus ◽  
Rosmiza Awang Noh
Keyword(s):  
Relative Importance ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Importance Index

Aktiviti-aktiviti yang dianjurkan di universiti tidak kira akademik atau bukan akademik haruslah boleh membentuk pelajar yang seimbang bukan sahaja dari aspek jasmani dan emosi, malah dari aspek rohani dan intelek juga. Walau bagaimanapun, trend terkini pelajar adalah kurang melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti-aktiviti anjuran universiti Oleh itu kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti faktor penglibatan pelajar dalam aktiviti bukan akademik anjuran universiti dan mengenal pasti langkah-langkah yang boleh diambil supaya lebih ramai pelajar melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti bukan akademik anjuran universiti. Ia dijalankan terhadap 888 orang responden daripada 5,534 pelajar diploma di Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (UTMKL). Berdasarkan kepada keputusan analisa menggunakan kaedah Relative Importance Index (RII), faktor pengaruh rakan telah dikenal pasti sebagai faktor yang paling mempengaruhi penglibatan pelajar terhadap aktiviti bukan akademik anjuran universiti iaitu dengan nilai RII sebanyak 0.79. Manakala faktor yang paling kurang mempengaruhi pelajar menyertai aktiviti bukan akademik anjuran universiti ialah faktor personaliti pelajar dengan nilai RII sebanyak 0.59. Maklum balas daripada pelajar berkenaan dengan langkah-langkah yang boleh diambil supaya lebih ramai pelajar melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti bukan akademik anjuran universiti dianalisis menggunakan kaedah Analisa Bertema. Maklum balas pelajar telah dikelaskan kepada 6 tema iaitu penambahan aktiviti yang aktif dan menarik, penambahan infrastruktur oleh universiti, menambah baik saluran komunikasi pelaksanaan aktiviti, merancang pelaksanaan aktiviti, sokongan universiti dalam bentuk kewangan dan memberikan galakan dan motivasi. Hasil daripada kajian ini boleh diguna pakai dalam membuat perancangan aktiviti akademik di universiti bagi menarik lebih ramai pelajar melibatkan diri. Kajian seperti ini harus dijalankan pada masa akan datang. Perincian mengikut jenis aktiviti bukan akademik dan perbandingan mengikut jantina terhadap faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi penglibatan pelajar terhadap aktiviti bukan akademik dapat membantu dalam menjelaskan dan memperincikan lagi penglibatan para pelajar dengan lebih menyeluruh.

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