Results from a sensory test of edamame, which is soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) harvested near the end of the pod filling stage, followed by a non-hypothetical auction, and finally a questionnaire were used to determine WTP for GM labeled edamame in comparison to unlabeled and non-GM labeled edamame. The results showed a significant price premium for non-GM edamame even though overall sensory impression did not differ between GM and non-GM edamame. Interestingly unlabeled and GM labeled edamame bids were similar suggesting that consumers wanted to be informed. Preconceived consumer notions appeared to play a role as did knowledge, opinion, income, and consumption frequency in subsamples of respondents. Labeling edamame is in the interest of producers as all edamame produced in the U.S. is non-GM.

We apply five distributions–lognormal, double-Pareto lognormal, lognormal-upper tail Pareto, Pareto tails-lognormal, and Pareto tails-lognormal with differentiability restrictions–to estimate the size distribution of all Indian cities. Since India contains numerous small cities, it is important to explicitly model the lower-tail behavior for studying the distribution of all Indian cities. Our results rigorously confirm, using both graphical and formal statistical tests, that among these five distributions, Pareto tails-lognormal is a better suited parametrization of the Indian city size data, verifying that the Indian city size distribution exhibits a strong reverse Pareto in the lower tail, lognormal in the mid-range body, and Pareto in the upper tail.

In Ghana the cultivation of cisgenic rice could potentially decrease the current growing gap between domestic supply and demand. Using a consumer survey, the study tested if Ghanaians view cisgenic and transgenic rice differently and estimated consumers' willingness-to-pay for rice labeled as genetically modified (GM), cisgenic or environmentally beneficial. Employing an interval regression on the survey data showed that consumers were willing to pay a premium for environmentally beneficial rice and a discount for GM and cisgenic rice. In addition, a Likert scale and simple t test was used to show that respondents had a less negative attitude towards cisgenic rice relative to transgenic rice; and perceived cisgenic rice to be different from GM rice, but not different from transgenic rice. Based on the findings of this study and the high skepticism that Ghanaians have towards GM crops, labeling cisgenic as transgenic could mean that Ghanaians would reject cisgenic crops. Further, consumer perception and acceptance are important factors in improving the country's food security status. Therefore, the Government of Ghana should also make an effort to implement programme that would help increase awareness among Ghanaians about GM and the different types of GM products.Keywords: Rice, Rice Breeding, Cisgenics, GMO

The city size distribution for lower tail cities has received scant attention because a small portion of the population lives in rural villages, particularly in developed countries, and data are not readily available for small cities. However, in developing countries much of the population inhabits rural areas. The purpose of this study is to test whether power law holds for small cities in India by using the most recent and comprehensive Indian census data for the year 2011. Our results show that lower tail cities for India do exhibit a power law.

We analyze, using an instrumental variable approach, the effect of the number of fast-food restaurants on school level obesity rates in Arkansas. Using distance to the nearest major highway as an instrument, our results suggest that exposure to fast-food restaurants can impact weight outcomes. Specifically, we find that the number of fast-food restaurants within a mile from the school can significantly affect school level obesity rates.

We analyze the effect of the number of fast food restaurants at different distances from public schools in Arkansas on school-level obesity rates. We use instrumental variable estimation with fast-food restaurant proximity being instrumented by proportion of the population within the 15 to 24 year-old age group and nearness of the school to major highways. Although we find no consistent statistical evidence of the association between the number of fast food restaurants and school-level obesity rates, the impact is greatest when fast-food restaurants are within a quarter of a mile of schools and this impact generally declines as distance between the school and fast-food restaurants increases. The magnitudes of this impact are robust but statistical significance varied depending on model specification. Results also suggest that number of restaurants within a quarter of a mile from the school increases obesity rates in middle/high schools and non-low socioeconomic status schools. Increasing the number of restaurants within half a mile to a mile from the school increases obesity rates in low-socioeconomic status schools.

COTMAN is a cotton crop information system that records changes in the fruiting dynamics of the cotton plant as well as in plant growth parameters that are useful as a prompter of timely management decisions. The utility of COTMAN in describing the progress of a cotton crop will not be fully realized until such information improves decision making. We hypothesize that such decisions often will require consideration of the balance between square abscission (reproductive) and plant main-stem nodal growth (vegetative), but questions remain about our ability to measure this balance and to effectively use the information. The purpose of this research was to evaluate methods: (1) for detecting shifts in the balance between square abscission and plant growth, and (2) to determine if detection of the shifts could be used to improve management decisions. This is the second year of this study.