TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE PRODUCTION AMONG SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN BATTICALOA, SRI LANKA

Maize is largely a subsistence food under promotion as food security and it is also the source of income for small-scale farmers in rural areas. Considering food insecurity and poverty, the study of technical efficiency directs small-scale farmers to compare the expected potential yield and the actual yield sustainably using productive resources. Especially small-scale farmers in Koralaipattu North Division tend to underutilize or over utilize some of the factors of production. Therefore, 100 maize farmers were randomly selected as respondents among 150 farmers for the study to estimate the technical efficiency of maize and its determinants in Koralaipattu North, DS division from December to March 2022. Cobb Douglas, Stochastic frontier production function was applied to identify the impact of each input on maize production and the findings revealed that log forms of the inputs such as land size, labour hours and fertilizer significantly affected the maize production in this study area. Further, the findings indicated that the mean value of technical efficiency was 78 percent. An inefficiency effect model indicated that the coefficient for farmers’ experience, education, and farm income and credit assistance were statistically significant and negative which reduced the technical inefficiency. The findings of the study suggest that the government should initiate programs to exchange farm experience among the community and promote farmers’ education which encourages the adoption of new farming techniques and management. Further, providing additional income and credit facilities improves the efficiency of maize farming and their income in the future

Understanding the retinal basis of vision across species

The vertebrate retina first evolved some 500 million years ago in ancestral marine chordates. Since then, the eyes of different species have been tuned to best support their unique visuoecological lifestyles. Visual specializations in eye designs, large-scale inhomogeneities across the retinal surface and local circuit motifs mean that all species' retinas are unique. Computational theories, such as the efficient coding hypothesis, have come a long way towards an explanation of the basic features of retinal organization and function; however, they cannot explain the full extent of retinal diversity within and across species. To build a truly general understanding of vertebrate vision and the retina's computational purpose, it is therefore important to more quantitatively relate different species' retinal functions to their specific natural environments and behavioural requirements. Ultimately, the goal of such efforts should be to build up to a more general theory of vision

Association of Health Literacy and Numeracy With Lupus Knowledge and the Creation of the Lupus Knowledge Assessment Test

Objective.Limited health literacy and numeracy are associated with worse patient-reported outcomes and higher disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but which factors may mediate this association is unknown. We sought to determine the association of health literacy and numeracy with SLE knowledge.Methods.Patients with SLE were recruited from an academic center clinic. Participants completed validated assessments of health literacy (Newest Vital Sign [NVS]; n = 96) and numeracy (Numeracy Understanding in Medicine Instrument, Short Version [S-NUMI]; n = 85). They also completed the Lupus Knowledge Assessment Test (LKAT), which consists of 4 questions assessing SLE knowledge that were determined through consensus expert opinion for their wide applicability and importance related to self-management of the disease. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression modeling were used to analyze the results.Results.In our SLE cohort (n = 125), 33% (32/96) had limited health literacy and 76% (65/85) had limited numeracy. The majority correctly identified that hydroxychloroquine prevented SLE flares (91%); however, only 23% of participants correctly answered a numeracy question assessing which urine protein to creatinine (UPC) ratio was &gt; 1000 mg/g. The mean LKAT score was 2.7 out of 4.0. Limited health literacy, but not numeracy, was associated with lower knowledge about SLE as measured by the LKAT, even after adjusting for education.Conclusion.Patients with SLE with limited health literacy had lower knowledge about SLE. The LKAT could be further refined and/or used as a screening tool to identify patients with knowledge gaps. Further work is needed to improve patients’ understanding of proteinuria and investigate whether literacy-sensitive education can improve care.</jats:sec