High Monetary Research Articles

Agronomic potential of different fermented organic composts based on agro-industrial plant waste.

Organic composts such as "bokashi", obtained from the fermentation of bran mixtures and inoculated with microorganisms, improve soil characteristics. In Brazil, the most widely used formulation for the production of this compost is obtained from a mixture of wheat and castor bean bran, but both have a high monetary cost. Replacing these components with regionally available sources represents the possibility of reducing costs and making more sustainable use of this waste. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical characteristics and determine the availability of nitrogen for the plants. The study was divided into two stages, consisting of an incubation test in the laboratory and a bioassay in the greenhouse using forage sorghum as an indicator species. In the laboratory trial, the treatments consisted of two raw material sources with a low C/N ratio (castor bean bran-CAB and cottonseed bran-COB), corresponding to 40% of the mixture; three sources with a high C/N ratio (wheat bran-WHB or rice bran-RIB), gradually replaced by passion fruit peel bran-PFPB), corresponding to 60% of the mixture. The materials were mixed, moistened, inoculated with microorganisms (Embiotic®) and kept in sealed containers with a capacity of 620 cm3 for 21days. In the greenhouse, in addition to the aforementioned treatments, seven controls were included: no addition of organic and synthetic N sources; ammonium nitrate; CAB; COB; WHB; RIB and PFPB. In the second stage, dry mass production and N content in sorghum plant tissues were determined, and the rates of N availability were estimated. It was found that the pH of the standard compost was 4.75, and in the other formulations it ranged from 4.62 to 5.3, the highest values being observed when WHB was fully replaced by RIB There was a significant difference in the EC values, but all were well below the value considered adequate. Replacing CAB with COB and WHB with RIB and PFPB resulted in a reduction in N content and an increase in the C:N ratio. Replacing WHB with PFPB led to an increase in K content and a reduction in P and Mg content. In the bioassay, the highest biomass production was in the treatments with the fermented composts, and the highest biological recovery of N was obtained in the ammonium nitrate treatment, followed by the CAB, COB and WHB treatments.

Impact of relative and absolute values on orienting attention in time.

Reward has been known to render the reward-associated stimulus more salient to block effective attentional orienting in space. However, whether and how reward influences goal-directed attention in time remains unclear. Here, we used a modified attentional cueing paradigm to explore the effect of reward on temporal attention, in which the valid targets were given a low monetary reward and invalid targets were given a high monetary reward. The results showed that the temporal cue validity effect was significantly smaller when the competitive reward structure was employed (Experiment 1), and we ruled out the possibility that the results were due to the practice effect (Experiment 2a) or a reward-promoting effect (Experiment 2b). When further strengthening the intensity of the reward from 1:10 to 1:100 (Experiment 3), we found a similar pattern of results to those in Experiment 1. These results suggest that reward information which was based on relative instead of absolute values can weaken, but not reverse, the orienting attention in time.

Investing in Social Capital

Social capital is akin to actual capital in that people with more money are typically better off and have easier access to investment opportunities. The purpose of the study is to determine how and why communities in Ifugao continue to invest in social capital in their cultural practices. Ethnography as a qualitative design, is the inquiry used in this study. Participant’s observation, along with interviews and coupled with focus group discussion are the tools used in collecting data. The data gathered were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that majority of the performers and participants are above 55 years old, male, married, college graduates, government employees, and have a monthly salary of over 40,000 Php. Most of the attendees to Ifugao birthdays, engagements, weddings, and death wakes perceived that non-monetary benefits were achieved such as strengthening bonds between families and close friends, bridging links with faraway friends, and connecting relationships with other participants. In terms of investment, the wedding has a high cost, high return, and high return monetary value, while death has a low cost and high return monetary value. Ifugao (Tuwali) cultural community invest in social capital strengthen their families, friends, and communities’ bonds, connections, trust, and reciprocity.

Evaluation of an organisational-level monetary incentive to promote the health and wellbeing of workers in small and medium-sized enterprises: A mixed-methods cluster randomised controlled trial.

We conducted an independent evaluation on the effectiveness of an organisational-level monetary incentive to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve employees' health and wellbeing. This was A mixed-methods cluster randomised trial with four arms: high monetary incentive, low monetary incentive, and two no monetary incentive controls (with or without baseline measurements to examine 'reactivity' The consequence of particpant awareness of being studied, and potential impact on participant behavior effects). SMEs with 10-250 staff based in West Midlands, England were eligible. We randomly selected up to 15 employees at baseline and 11 months post-intervention. We elicited employee perceptions of employers' actions to improve health and wellbeing; and employees' self-reported health behaviours and wellbeing. We also interviewed employers and obtained qualitative data. One hundred and fifty-two SMEs were recruited. Baseline assessments were conducted in 85 SMEs in three arms, and endline assessments in 100 SMEs across all four arms. The percentage of employees perceiving "positive action" by their employer increased after intervention (5 percentage points, pp [95% Credible Interval -3, 21] and 3pp [-9, 17], in models for high and low incentive groups). Across six secondary questions about specific issues the results were strongly and consistently positive, especially for the high incentive. This was consistent with qualitative data and quantitative employer interviews. However, there was no evidence of any impact on employee health behaviour or wellbeing outcomes, nor evidence of 'reactivity'. An organisational intervention (a monetary incentive) changed employee perceptions of employer behaviour but did not translate into changes in employees' self-reports of their own health behaviours or wellbeing. Trial registration: AEARCTR-0003420, registration date: 17.10.2018, retrospectively registered (delays in contracts and identfying a suitable trial registry). The authors confirm that there are no ongoing and related trials for this intervention.

Impact of Monetary Policy on Financial Inclusion in Emerging Markets

The study investigates the impact of monetary policy on the level of financial inclusion in the big-five emerging market countries from 2004 to 2020. Several indicators of financial inclusion and the central bank interest rate were used in the analysis. It was found that the monetary policy rate has a mixed effect on financial inclusion, and the effect depends on the dimension of financial inclusion examined. Specifically, a high monetary policy rate has a significant negative impact on financial inclusion through a reduction in the number of depositors in commercial banks. A high monetary policy rate also has a significant positive impact on financial inclusion through greater bank branch expansion. The policy implication is that both contractionary and expansionary monetary policies lead to positive improvements in specific indicators of financial inclusion, because increase in interest rate leads to bank branch expansion which is beneficial for financial inclusion and decrease in interest rate leads to increase in the number of depositors in commercial banks which is also beneficial for financial inclusion. It was also found that the rising monetary policy rate has a negative effect on all indicators of financial inclusion in the post-financial crisis period. Overall, the effect of monetary policy on financial inclusion seem to depend on the monetary policy tool used by the monetary authority and the dimension of financial inclusion examined. The monetary authorities should pay attention to how their monetary policy choices might affect the level of financial inclusion and reduce the benefits that society gains from financial inclusion.

Determinants and Potential of Trade Using the Gravity Model Approach: Empirical Evidence of Egyptian Rice Crop

The aim of this study is to examine the determinants of Egyptian trade in general and Egyptian rice trade in particular with 11 rice-importing partner countries (Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Jordan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Belgium, and Romania). To reach the main goals of the study, the gravity model was used to figure out which factors had the most impact on Egypt’s exports and imports. Using annual data on Egypt’s foreign and agricultural trade during the period 2001–2020 and data on the period 2001–2016 of rice crops with the 11 trading partners, the study reached several important conclusions. Among these conclusions, the Egyptian GDP variable had a negative effect on the total value of Egyptian imports and agriculture by increasing the value of total exports, agricultural exports, and rice exports to Egypt. Egyptian imports, exports, and population growth were all hurt by the Egyptian population variable. The study also shows that a 1% increase in export prices leads to a 3.97% increase in shipments of Egyptian rice to partner countries. According to economic theory, higher transportation expenses reduce trade volumes for both exports and imports. The variable distance between capitals has a negative effect on Egyptian exports. The study was designed based on the results of the main investigation. Based on the main investigation, the study made several important recommendations, including the need to take several measures to deflect the pace of economic growth of both the Egyptian total and agricultural export variables and rice export value, focusing on countries with high monetary and real GDP and a close geographical distribution. Improve economic relations between Egypt and its trading partners and shift from import-export cooperation to strategic food security cooperation.

Fish sperm cryopreservation using biodegradable containers: New low-cost and environment-friendly methodology.

The containers used in cell cryopreservation are essential to maintain cell integrity and viability after thawing. This paper reveals the methodology of using biodegradable containers for fish sperm cryopreservation. Cryopreserved sperm in biodegradable containers showed high fertility capability. Biodegradable capsules could be alternative containers to plastic straws for sperm cryopreservation. Containers used to cryopreserve sperm are made with non-biodegradable plastic compounds, having a high monetary and environmental cost. Therefore, the development of biodegradable alternative containers for cell cryopreservation is necessary. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of hard-gelatin and hard-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) capsules as low-cost and biodegradable alternative containers for sperm cryopreservation. Sperm from 12South American silver catfish Rhamdia quelen were individually cryopreserved in plastic straws 0.25 mL (as control), hard-gelatin, and hard-HPMC capsules. The quality of post-thaw sperm cryopreserved in the different containers was checked by measuring spermatozoa membrane integrity, kinetic parameters, mitochondrial activity, fertilization, hatching, and normal larvae rates. The samples cryopreserved in straws showed a higher percentage of membrane integrity (68%) than those frozen in hard-gelatin (40%) and hard-HPMC capsules (40%). However, we did not observe differences between the samples stored in straws and hard capsules for the rest of the tested sperm parameters. Thus, based on the high sperm fertility capability, both capsules were efficient as cryopreservation containers for maintaining sperm functionality.

Evaluation of Customer Value of Securities and Investments Companies Using Quantitative Analysis

This article focuses on user evaluation procedures for Chinese investment companies. It uses a clustering process to identify different categories of users and uses regression to evaluate and provide a score. These two factors serve as the basis for this organization to develop unique tactics for its various clients, which benefit both the company and its users. This project aims to serve existing customers better and reduce the risk of losing critical new customers. Clean the data to remove inactive accounts and outliers, and use logarithmic processing to limit the impact of high monetary values. This is due to the significant relationship between variables. Running algorithms on raw data is difficult. So, to condense many data dimensions, we use component analysis to define the three dimensions (amount, transaction amount, profit) that reflect consumer information. For clustering, we use the commonly known K-means clustering algorithm. Customers are classified into four categories using an angled approach. The four groups formed include the high trading frequency group, the large and profit group, the large and loss group, and the majority trading contract group. Use a regression Tree to perform regression based on reduced dimensions and their contributions. This model achieves 97% accuracy, indicating that the financial characteristics of the users are fundamental to the business. Additional discussion validates the clustering results using classification and regression methods on several contributing variables to provide further insight into each dimension.

Laminectomy With Fusion is Associated With Greater Functional Improvement Compared With Laminectomy Alone for the Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Systematic review and Meta-analysis. To compare outcomes and complications profile of laminectomy alone versus laminectomy and fusion for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS). Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis is a common cause of back pain and functional impairment. DLS is associated with high monetary (up to $100 billion annually in the US) and nonmonetary societal and personal costs. While nonoperative management remains the first-line treatment for DLS, decompressive laminectomy with or without fusion is indicated for the treatment-resistant disease. We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for RCTs and cohort studies from inception through April 14, 2022. Data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute risk of bias tool. We generated odds ratio and standard mean difference estimates for select parameters. A total of 23 manuscripts were included (n=90,996 patients). Complication rates were higher in patients undergoing laminectomy and fusion compared with laminectomy alone (OR: 1.55, P <0.001). Rates of reoperation were similar between both groups (OR: 0.67, P =0.10). Laminectomy with fusion was associated with a longer duration of surgery (Standard Mean Difference: 2.60, P =0.04) and a longer hospital stay (2.16, P =0.01). Compared with laminectomy alone, the extent of functional improvement in pain and disability was superior in the laminectomy and fusion cohort. Laminectomy with fusion had a greater mean change in ODI (-0.38, P <0.01) compared with laminectomy alone. Laminectomy with fusion was associated with a greater mean change in NRS leg score (-0.11, P =0.04) and NRS back score (-0.45, P <0.01). Compared with laminectomy alone, laminectomy with fusion is associated with greater postoperative improvement in pain and disability, albeit with a longer duration of surgery and hospital stay.

Optimal Sensor Set for Decoding Motor Imagery from EEG

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to enable individuals to interact with devices by detecting their intention from brain activity. A common approach to BCI is to decode movement intention from motor imagery (MI), the mental representation of an overt action. However, research-grade electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition devices with a high number of sensors are typically necessary to achieve the spatial resolution required for reliable analysis. This entails high monetary and computational costs that make these approaches impractical for everyday use. This study investigates the trade-off between accuracy and complexity when decoding MI from fewer EEG sensors. Data were acquired from 15 healthy participants performing MI with a 64-channel research-grade EEG device. After performing a quality assessment by identifying visually evoked potentials, several decoding pipelines were trained on these data using different subsets of electrode locations. No significant differences (p = [0.18–0.91]) in the average decoding accuracy were found when using a reduced number of sensors. Therefore, decoding MI from a limited number of sensors is feasible. Hence, using commercial sensor devices for this purpose should be attainable, reducing both monetary and computational costs for BCI control.

Random Access Concatenated Libraries and dd Enable a Short-Latency, Content-Rich Website on an Inexpensive Shared Server

Content-rich websites typically house their images as individual files or as more costly binary database objects. Both methods place high demands on storage resources with commensurate high monetary cost. Inexpensive shared service accounts come with strict limits on disk and computing resources which prevent their use for hosting content-rich websites. To minimize the load on these limited resources, large numbers of images or other records may be concatenated into a single file and delivered with short latency independent of location within the file using Linux utility dd. This solution and its performance are presented for (a) a website which houses 8000+ genealogical reference books with more than 3.5 million 250-Kbyte page images, (b) a website-based database of 86 million death records, and (c) a cluster computing application which utilizes 800 neuroimaging databases, each with 1.5 million records. These disparate applications demonstrate the efficacy, scalability, and general utility of the solution.

Co-Movement of Indonesian State-Owned Enterprise Stocks

According to portfolio theory, diversifying investment to several stocks with negative correlations may reduce portfolio risk. In contrast, combining stocks with similar movement (co-movement) has no impact on portfolio risk reduction. This study aims to examine state-owned enterprise stock co-movement in Indonesia using orthogonal generalized auto-regressive conditional heteroscedasticity (O-GARCH) to help investors selectively choose stocks in a portfolio to reduce portfolio risks. Saturation sampling was used since all state-owned enterprise stocks listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange were selected as samples. Based on monthly data from January 2013 to December 2021, the O-GARCH method was able to simplify the covariance matrix of the 17 SOEs. Of 17 SOEs, 11 had co-movement, as indicated by their similar principal components, whereas the remaining 6 stocks had a different principal component. Hence, investment managers or investors should not put the eleven stocks in the same portfolio as they have similar risk factors; instead, they may combine them with the six remaining SOE stocks which have a different co-movement. In addition, when the fiscal deficit is high and unconventional monetary policy is implemented in a crisis period, the SOE stock co-movement is higher. Thus, the SOE stock co-movement also depends on government-related matters and faces slightly different risks compared to its private-sector counterparts. Hence, the regulators formulating the policy on SOE stock holdings may use the results of this study by considering the potential merging of the SOE stocks with a similar stock return co-movement by taking account the timing in relation to fiscal deficit and crisis period.

Learned value modulates the access to visual awareness during continuous flash suppression

Monetary value enhances visual perception and attention and boosts activity in the primary visual cortex, however, it is still unclear whether monetary value can modulate the conscious access to rewarding stimuli. Here we investigate this issue by employing a breaking continuous flash suppression (b-CFS) paradigm. We measured suppression durations of sinusoidal gratings having orthogonal orientations under CFS in adult volunteers before and after a short session of Pavlovian associative learning in which each orientation was arbitrarily associated either with high or low monetary reward. We found that monetary value accelerated the access to visual awareness during CFS. Specifically, after the associative learning, suppression durations of the visual stimulus associated with high monetary value were shorter compared to the visual stimulus associated with low monetary value. Critically, the effect was replicated in a second experiment using a detection task for b-CFS that was orthogonal to the reward associative learning. These results indicate that monetary reward facilitates the access to awareness of visual stimuli associated with monetary value probably by boosting their representation at the early stages of visual processing in the brain.

Don’t pay the highly motivated too much

One remaining puzzle in the literature on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives is the conflict between two oft-cited rules: “pay enough or don’t pay at all” and “pay, but not too much”. There is some evidence to suggest differing impact of incentives, depending on level of initial motivation. Our lab-in-the-field experiment, on a heterogeneous sample of the general public, allows us to test our intuitive prediction: that crowding out will be less (more) likely when motivation is low (high) to begin with. We use a real effort task and a within- and between-subject design to measure motivation before, during and after an incentive is applied. On average, we find support for “pay, but not too much”, as a low power monetary incentive is as effective as a high power monetary incentive when applied. However, high power monetary incentives strongly crowd out motivation for the high types. Monetary incentives (low or high) do not crowd out motivation in low motivation types. A charity incentive does not increase performance in the real effort task, but also has no crowding out effect. We show the importance of accounting for initial intrinsic motivation, and that the highly motivated are more susceptible to crowding out.

Value-driven modulation of visual perception by visual and auditory reward cues: The role of performance-contingent delivery of reward.

Perception is modulated by reward value, an effect elicited not only by stimuli that are predictive of performance-contingent delivery of reward (PC) but also by stimuli that were previously rewarded (PR). PC and PR cues may engage different mechanisms relying on goal-driven versus stimulus-driven prioritization of high value stimuli, respectively. However, these two modes of reward modulation have not been systematically compared against each other. This study employed a behavioral paradigm where participants' visual orientation discrimination was tested in the presence of task-irrelevant visual or auditory reward cues. In the first phase (PC), correct performance led to a high or low monetary reward dependent on the identity of visual or auditory cues. In the subsequent phase (PR), visual or auditory cues were not followed by reward delivery anymore. We hypothesized that PC cues have a stronger modulatory effect on visual discrimination and pupil responses compared to PR cues. We found an overall larger task-evoked pupil dilation in PC compared to PR phase. Whereas PC and PR cues both increased the accuracy of visual discrimination, value-driven acceleration of reaction times (RTs) and pupillary responses only occurred for PC cues. The modulation of pupil size by high reward PC cues was strongly correlated with the modulation of a combined measure of speed and accuracy. These results indicate that although value-driven modulation of perception can occur even when reward delivery is halted, stronger goal-driven control elicited by PC reward cues additionally results in a more efficient balance between accuracy and speed of perceptual choices.

Pain and gain: Monetary incentive moderates pain's impact on effort-related cardiac response.

Ample evidence suggests that pain leads to additional demand in cognitive functioning, presumably due to its negative affective component and its propensity to capture attention. To highlight the role of motivational incentive, two experiments tested the combined effect of pain and monetary incentive on effort-related cardiovascular response during cognitive performance. In both studies, healthy volunteers received individually adjusted painful or nonpainful thermal stimulations during a difficult cognitive task (4-back task in Experiment 1; short-term memory task in Experiment 2) and expected high (12 Swiss Francs in both experiments) or low monetary incentive (1 Swiss Franc in Experiment 1; 0.10 Swiss Francs in Experiment 2) for successful performance. Effort was primarily assessed as changes in cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP). We predicted pain to increase subjective task difficulty during cognitive performance. Moreover, according to motivational intensity theory, we expected this to increase effort only when high effort was justified by high monetary incentive. Correspondingly, pain should lead to low effort (disengagement) when monetary incentive was low. Effort in the nonpainful conditions was expected to fall in between these conditions. The results of both studies support our predictions. Our findings provide the first evidence for the moderating effect of monetary incentive on physical pain's impact on effort-related cardiovascular response. Accordingly, motivational incentives can counteract effort deficits associated with pain.

Assessment of Food and Nutrition Insecurity using Food Consumption Data in Central Sudan

This study aims to assess the food and nutrition insecurity among different income quintiles in Central Sudan. Particularly, it seeks to determine the level of dietary energy consumption (DEC) and other macronutrients intake. In addition, it estimates the Engel ratios and income elasticity of food demand. A sample of about 668 households was selected from Khartoum State to collect the primary data during the year 2017. Primary data was collected through two types of questionnaires, the structured household questionnaire, and the 24-hour food recall questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and One-way ANOVA Table. The outcomes prove that income contributes extensively to DEC as well as intakes of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The households in the lowest income quintile spend a high monetary value to purchase foods when compared with households in other income quintiles. The Engel ratios exhibit that the share of food consumption from the total income for the lowest income quintile is about 62%, which is higher relative to the highest income quintile (43.6%). In addition, Engel ratios varies significantly among the income quintiles at level 1%. The income elasticity of food demand in dietary energy consumption is higher for the lowest income quintile (0.49) than the highest income quintile (0.23). This indicates that a little increase in income will contribute significantly to better nutritional status for the lowest income quintile. Eventually, the paper recommends improving income earnings through income-based policies to reduce the level of food deprivation. The government should adopt specific market policies that focus on the low-income level to enhance access to nutritious foods.

OP68 Real-World Experience With The National Institute For Health And Care Excellence’s Willingness To Accept Less Costly, Less Effective Healthcare Technologies

IntroductionResearch suggests a different willingness to pay for more effective interventions than willingness to accept (WTA) for less effective interventions which has prompted debate as to whether the threshold in the southwest (SW) quadrant should be kinked to reflect this disparity. Acceptance of less costly, less effective interventions with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) in the SW-quadrant presents an opportunity for resource-constrained healthcare systems by releasing resources for other purposes, which is of particular importance during a pandemic. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)’s methods guide suggests the threshold for decision-making for SW-quadrant interventions be the same as for more expensive, more effective interventions. To assess NICE’s WTA less effective treatments, the objective was to review the outcomes and decision drivers for interventions presenting SW-quadrant ICERs.MethodsA review of NICE health technology appraisals (HTAs) containing SW-quadrant ICERs identified from 2015-2021 was conducted. Appraisal details were extracted and analyzed to identify trends in the WTA and decision drivers.ResultsThe HTA review identified twenty-one submissions containing SW-quadrant ICERs in the base-case/scenario analysis. Eighty-one percent received a positive recommendation, with ICERs ranging from GBP 30,000-GBP 4.2m (EUR 35,264-EUR 5m) compared to a range of GBP 789-GBP 50,905 (EUR 927-EUR 59,837) for negative recommendations. The HTAs covered a wide range of therapeutic areas including psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and multiple oncology indications. Decision drivers identified that may have had a positive influence on final outcomes included a high net monetary benefit, a small QALY difference, clinical unmet need, poor tolerability of existing treatments, and oral administration route.ConclusionsThe analysis suggests that there is a high rate of acceptance of interventions with ICERs in the SW-quadrant, however, the threshold for acceptance is unclear. The high frequency of HTAs with SW-quadrant ICERs identified in this review indicates the need for further guidance on such interventions in the NICE reference case.

​Production Performance and Economics of Forage Cropping Systems under Irrigated Condition of Western Maharashtra

Background: Green forages have important role in livestock sector as they are the main source of nutrition. Even then there is always deficit in green fodder supply as against the demand. Out of the total cultivated land at national level, area under fodder crops is about 4%. Under these circumstances the only way is to increase the productivity of fodder crops by adopting best forage cropping system. Growing of cereal-legume fodder crops, as intercrop, mixed crop and sequence crop increase the fodder production and also help to meet the balanced diet for livestock. Methods: A field study was conducted at Central Research Station of BAIF Development Research Foundation, Urulikanchan in three successive years from 2013-14 to 2015-16. The experiment was laid in a randomized block design with four replications and six different forage cropping systems. The experiment was conducted in light gravel soil. Result: Among the six different cropping systems studied, significantly higher green fodder yield of 792 q/ha/year, net monetary returns of Rs. 92891/ha/year and benefit-cost ratio of 1.92 was recorded in intercropping sequence of maize + cowpea (kharif), oat + berseem (rabi) and bajra + cowpea (summer). This cropping system has confirmed more fodder production from the cereal and legume inter crops with further additional benefits of provision of high quality fodder and net monetary returns.

Participant retention in a fully remote trial of digital psychotherapy: Comparison of incentive types.

Numerous studies have found that long term retention is very low in remote clinical studies (>4 weeks) and to date there is limited information on the best methods to ensure retention. The ability to retain participants in the completion of key assessments periods is critical to all clinical research, and to date little is known as to what methods are best to encourage participant retention. To study incentive-based retention methods we randomized 215 US adults (18+ years) who agreed to participate in a sequential, multiple assignment randomized trial to either high monetary incentive (HMI, $125 USD) and combined low monetary incentive ($75 USD) plus alternative incentive (LMAI). Participants were asked to complete daily and weekly surveys for a total of 12 weeks, which included a tailoring assessment around week 5 to determine who should be stepped up and rerandomized to one of two augmentation conditions. Key assessment points were weeks 5 and 12. There was no difference in participant retention at week 5 (tailoring event), with approximately 75% of the sample completing the week-5 survey. By week 10, the HMI condition retained approximately 70% of the sample, compared to 60% of the LMAI group. By week 12, all differences were attenuated. Differences in completed measures were not significant between groups. At the end of the study, participants were asked the impressions of the incentive condition they were assigned and asked for suggestions for improving engagement. There were no significant differences between conditions on ratings of the fairness of compensation, study satisfaction, or study burden, but study burden, intrinsic motivation and incentive fairness did influence participation. Men were also more likely to drop out of the study than women. Qualitative analysis from both groups found the following engagement suggestions: desire for feedback on survey responses and an interest in automated sharing of individual survey responses with study therapists to assist in treatment. Participants in the LMAI arm indicated that the alternative incentives were engaging and motivating. In sum, while we were able to increase engagement above what is typical for such study, more research is needed to truly improve long term retention in remote trials.