In the familiar information hierarchy triangle (Figure 1), as one moves up the hierarchy closer to end-users -- decision makers, planners, executives, researchers -- the type of information and information products needed are of the value-added variety, that is, analyzed, synthesized, evaluated and repackaged information. Such information products are increasingly in demand in all the sectors,

the provision of which earns appreciation and support for the library and information system (LIS) and the personnel that design and/or provide them.

New information technologies (ITs), among other things, are able to relieve library and information professionals (LIP) of a good proportion of the routine repetitive library tasks, such as cataloguing and circulation, as well as enable them perform other management functions more efficiently. Therefore, LI— can and should devote more time and effort at providing value-added pro-ducts and services. This calls for the design and development of specialized non-bibliographic object-oriented databases (O-ODB) that can form the basis for the provision of value-added services and the development of knowledge bases for expert systems and intelligent information systems, decision support systems, etc. An O-ODB usually provides information about an 'object' which may be a market, an equipment, an hospital patient, a rocket launch vehicle, forest resources, chemicals, etc. End-users are usually interested in selected attributes of the object, with a view to manipulating, modifying, or using the object for particular purposes. Such databases can be home-grown on microcomputers to meet the needs of specialized user groups and can effectively supplement or be integrated with, conventional bibliographic and referral type databases and services thereof.

2. END-USER INVOLVEMENT

Availability of powerful microcomputers at reasonable cost together with sophisticated, portable software packages makes it possible even for small but specialized institutions to design O-ODBs to serve their respective specialized user groups. The designing of such O-ODBs and provision of value-added services, however, require:

• the involvement of end-users at various stages of the design and development of the system;

• close interaction between LIP and end-users;

• that the subject background and work experience of the information specialist(s) be generally compatible with those of the end-users served;

• that the education and training of LIP should cover in-depth information extraction, analysis, synthesis and repackaging methods, the theories and principles of knowledge organization, natural language interface with information systems, as well as IT applications in designing O-ODBs and preparation of value of value-added products.

In designing a bibliographical database as a component of an information storage and retrieval system (ISRS), involvement of end-users is usually minimal, except occasional assistance in the selection of subject descriptors and/or preparing abstracts in specialized fields. The other bibliographic data elements are mostly normalized (e.g. through cataloguing rules, authority lists, vocabulary control tools, etc.) and these are applicable to documents in all subjects. But with a specialized O-ODB the data elements (usually the attributes of the object and methods of manipulating them) differ from one type of object to another. For example, the data elements of a record in a database on bio-gas equipment will be different from those of a record in a data-base of hospital patients' recordsª and the latter will differ from those of a record in a database on rocket launch vehicle or one intended to support energy resources planning.

For a bibliographical record the source of information for input to most of the fields -- author, title, edition, publisher, series, subject, etc. -- is mainly the document being catalogued. On the other hand, for a record in a non-bibliographic O-ODB the input data may be taken from different sources including remarks of individuals, even for a single field, and the data may already be in an analyzed, evaluated and reorganized form.

Certain O-ODB (e.g. database of records of hospital patients or of forest resources), the system may be required to respond to queries, such as, whether a particular attribute or field is present or not, or whether a particular attribute is positive or negative, or whether a particular action (e.g a specific surgical procedure) was carried out or not and, if yes, then the details.

Of course, O-ODBs attempt to provide information/data them-selves rather than just references to other sources unlike the reference and referral databases.

The output record from a bibliographic database is largely standardized e.g. AACR2 format; on the other hand, end-users of a specialized O-ODB may demand different outputs in different out-put formats.

The information/data recorded in an O-ODB is mainly of local interest and use (e.g. hospital patients records, forest resource etc.) and may not be sourced in abstracting services at the inter national or national level. Therefore, such O-ODBs are usually home-grown at the institutional or small specialized group level.

These and other factors necessitate very close involvement of end-users at various stages in the design of non-bibliographic specialized O-ODBs.

It should be noted that the theories, principles and techniques of concept categorization, classification and knowledge organization, and of the analytic-synthetic facet approach, as well as those of methods of vocabulary control and natural language indexing developed for organizing and retrieving subject information from bibliographic databases are helpful in designing non-bibliographic O-ODBs (Neelameghan, 1991).

End-user involvement in the design and development of a non-bibliographic O-ODB is needed, among other things, in some or all of the following aspects:

• to define the specialized subject areas in which databases are required at the institutional/individual/small group level.

• to develop a reference frame-work(s) to analyze and synthesize the information in a pattern acceptable to end-users;

• to identify and advice on relevant sources of information, including views of experts, and sometimes for providing the data/ information itself;

• to assist in the analysis, evaluation, filtering and organization of the data for input into the system;

• to advise on the fields/data elements of a record which is essentially the selection of attributes and other concepts relating to the object(s) of the database;

• for data rating;

• to provide the types of queries that the system should be designed to respond to;

• to advise on the specialized terminology to be used in the system; -- to specify the types of outputs and their formats that may be frequently required with a view to formulating pre-defined out put formats, while at the same time providing for the formulation of other formats as well; and

• to provide frequent feedback to the system.

Subject specialist/end-user involvement in the design of the systems mentioned below was secured in the following ways:

• Information specialist(s) designing the system working or interacting closely with subject specialists to get assistanceØ advice on the aspects mentioned above. (Exampleº Forest Resources database; rocket launch vehicle database).

• Subject specialist(s) himself/herself designing and developing the system after receiving short training and demonstration of the use of the software. (Exampleº Database of Hospital Patients);

• Information specialist having the subject background and experience in the field being in a position to gauge the information needs of end-users, develops appropriate databases and on the basis of user-feedback modifies them (Exampleº Databases for Technology Evaluationª database of Biogas Equipment).

Most of the examples presented here are taken from working information systems. Each database forms a component of a group of databases serving the needs of an institution or user group. Such a group of databases may consist of bibliographic databases, referral databases (e.g. profiles of institutions, experts, projects, etc., usually integrated into a single database) and other non-bibliographic databases. All the databases were developed on microcomputers using Micro CDS-ISIS software of Unesco1 , and in one way or another … was involved in their design and development. The types of specialized O-ODBs developed include:

• hospital patients records databases (³ databases);

• database of medical syndromes;

• forest resources database;

• databases to support technology evaluation;

• databases on the chemistry and toxicology of selected chemicals

• biogas equipment database;

• databases to support energy resources planning; and others.

3. EXAMPLES

Example 1: Hospital Patients Records Databases

In December 1986, the Head of a large hospital in Bombay, India, feeling that case history records of hospital patients could be better managed and utilized if the information contained in them could be easily accessed and retrieved in response to the specific queries of doctors and hospital administrators. Demonstration of the possibilities of computerizing the records was requested through the librarian of the institution.

Copies of patients' records of the Cardiac Department were made available and a database of them was developed using Micro CDS-ISIS ver. 1. Each record in the database was a mirror image of the corresponding case sheet, each field holding information on a particular attribute of the patient and/or the disease as recorded in the case sheets. Retrieval of information and records responding to specific queries was demonstrated to some fifty doctors.

Two years later a similar demonstration was organized in Madras. The system included in addition to patients records data-base, a bibliographical database, a database of medical syndromes and an integrated database of profiles of experts & institutions. Micro CDS/ISIS ver. 2.0 was used in creating the databases. The retrieval of various types of information (documentary materials, records of patients, syndrome information, profile of experts and of institutions) responding to a single query was demonstrated.

The doctors realized that a system of the kind demonstrated could provide them access to valuable information recorded in the case sheets thus facilitating clinical diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, comparative study of cases, research, education, research and writing of research papers in addition to administrative actions. Three doctors of different institutions subsequently requested for training in the use of Micro CDS/ISIS and assistance in designing databases in specialized areas:

• surgical cases of pituitary tumors

• tumors of the CNS

• heart diseases in pregnancy.

As several fields were common in the records in the first two databases, they could be integrated into a single database. Some examples of queries to this database:

In which cases, in how many cases and in what percentage of the total cases:

• of optic atrophy and bilateral field defect in males above 2µ years?

• of astrocytoma patients complained of temporal headache, visual and hearing disturbances?

• of prolactinoma with high prolactin level and negative immunochemistry for prolactin secreting tumors?

• had second transphenoidal?

• of glioma or glioblastoma had previous CNS surgery?

• of acoustic nerve tumors showed 8th bilateral nerve deafness, abnormal spinal motor, abnormal gait, third ventricle dilated, periventricular lucency absent and single tumor in CT scan of head?

Each record in the database was more or less a mirror image of the corresponding patient's case record, that is, the fields were formulated and data entered by doctors -- the end-users. The fields of a patient's record may be grouped into the following broad categories:

• Patient's identity and administrative information (e.g. name, identification numbers, file references, address, contacts, date of birth, age group, sex, blood group, dates of admission and discharge, admitted for, hospital ward/bed number, duration of stay, etc.)

• Patient's general background (e.g. religion, community, education, economic class, residence environment, occupation, work environment, etc.)

• Complaints of the patient

• Signs and symptoms observed

• Interrogation findings (e.g. personal history, family history, social history, social worker's data, house officer's notes, etc.)

• Examinations/Investigations

• Treatment

• Follow-up, progress, complications, prognosis

• Recurrence, re-admission, treatment, progress.

This organization of the content of the patient's record is reflected in the Field Definition Table (of the database), in the online worksheet and in the display format(s) as desired by end-users. In each of the above broad categories, the recorded information is divided into subunits and of the latter again divided further as decided upon by the specialist doctors. For example:

Several display formats showing all fields or only selected fields were prepared to meet the needs of users. Micro CDS-ISIS permits index-based search, free text search as well as a combination of these. The query:

In which cases, in how many cases and in what percentage of the cases x-ray skull abnormal, CT scan intrasellar, prolactin level greater than or equal to 50, consciousness level not less than 15 (Glasgow sc.) and transethmoidal surgey and transphenoidal, were done?

The free text search expression will be:

? val(v210)>=15 and val(v260)>=50 and v320:'abnorm' and v330:'intrasel' and v350:'transethmo' and v352:'y'

Response:

Set 1: 7 hits out of a sample of 4¥ records (15.91%)

Further specification of the query:

Above query parameters plus diabetes insipidus as a post-operative complication?

Search expression:

? £1 v370:'diabetes insip'

Response:

Set 2: 1 hit out of 44 records (2.27%)

In the display of the record below, names of the hospital, the Department and of the patient and a few other details of the case are not displayed for reasons of confidentiality:

MEDICAL CENTRE DEPARTMENT OF

With a view to facilitating navigation through the fields of a patient's record for a new user, a thesaurus-like facility can be provided. This Pascal interface (ASSIST) to CDS-ISIS database suggests in the first screen that the user enters the term CASÅ and the system will display the broad categories of the fields as mentioned above. The cues in the submenu at bottom of the screen will enable the user to select a specific concept of interest in a series of successive screens.

Information specialists interacting with state energy planners (end users) helped in identifying and visualizing the broad issues and aspects of energy resources planning in the form of a matrix framework as shown in Figure 2.

A box formed by the cross-section of an issue and an aspect represents a specific area of interest of an end-user or a group of them. For example:
 

• Box A: Current status of energy supply

• Box B: Forecast on energy demand

• Box C: Current policy on energy pricing

• Box D: Future developments in energy plant technology

This analytical framework may be applied either to a particular form/source of energy (e.g.coal,solar, electricity, wind) or to a group of energy sources (e.g. non-conventional energy).

Each box can be further divided by geographical area or by local, district, state, national, and international levels. Each domain so formed can be used for providing SD… service as well as analyzed, consolidated and repackaged information.

The framework helped to determine the fields and subfields the fields and concepts to be indexed and arrangement of data in the output from the database. The issues were used as fields and the aspects and spatial divisions were used as descriptors. A sample of output from the ENERGY database is given below.

Other foci of interest were also identified relating to specific energy forms, as flow models, from source to end uses.From these,the fields and subdivisions could be formulated.Example:

Considerable potential exists for expanding trade among developing countries in nonconventional energy producing equipment. The demand for such equipment as wind pumps, wind generators, water turbines and solar panels is expected to grow rapidly during the remainder of this century and into the next. International trade in such equipment has not yet developed, but there is a rapidly growing and attractive market which should be explored by developing countries.

FORECAST

Demand already exists in some developing countries in which nonconventional energy-generating technologies are being applied, for example, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Mexico and the Republic of Korea. Future sales prospects are much greater especially if there be change in oil price situation along with the expected overall expansion of energy needs in the long term. Demand in industrialized countries is also expected to follow an upward trend. Several of them are already well into nonconventional energy production. In USA, for example, a national programme has led to widespread use of solar energy systems in some parts of the country. This market as well as others in industrialized countries, could offer sales opportunities for developing countries. Although the overall market for nonconventional energy equipment is difficult to define because of the scarcity of data, general indicators point to attractive future sales prospects for developing countries for several types of equipment, more particularly wind energy converters, photovoltaic cells, small hydropower machinery and solar cookers.

POLICY

The viability and extent of application of energy systems depend greatly on government policy. One of the reasons for the development of the market for nonconventional energy technologies in the USA was the very favorable policy of the government: a national goal was set to obtain 20 per cent of national energy supplies from solar energy by 2000 A.D. This was supported by tax reductions for solar energy installations. The policy also led to the establishment of large "wind farms¢ on the east and west coasts. Other countries that have adopted national policies on energy systems development including nonconventional energy systems, have also achieved good results.The energy substitution project in Cape Verde is a good example.

OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Developed countries, particularly in Europe, are relatively more active in the trade of nonconventional energy equipment. Almost all exports of wind turbines and water turbines and about two-thirds of such imports over the past several years have been accounted for by developed countries. Developing countries have been importing about one-third of the world total, and they export about 2 per cent of the total traded. This export share is quite small given the relatively simple technology required to produce low-powered nonconventional energy equipment.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

1. Vorobiev, Andrei (International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva). Power-generating and transforming equipment for nonconventional energy: an overview of market prospects. International Trade Forum, 1987 April-June.

2. Attractive market prospects for nonconventional energy equipment. Asia-Pacific Tech Monitorì (APCTT), 1987 September-October, p. 20-22.

FILE : WIND --- 00001

TOPIC : Wind Energy Equipment.

DETAILS ON : Demand and market for equipment and machinery -- Wind pumps and wind mills.

COVERAGE : World. Developing countries.

CURRENT SITUATION

It is estimated that 10 per cent of the energy needs of most countries could be met by wind energy conversion, using contemporary technology. The areas with the best prospects are seashores, small islands, flat plains and mountainous regions. The number of wind pumps or wind mills in operation throughout the world is estimated at about 1 million. Most of these are installed in the plains of USA, Australia and Argentina.

FORECAST

The major prospective markets for wind pumps are countries frequently stricken by droughts and floods, those seeking to improve their water supply or those already widely using wind power. The latter are replacement markets or markets requiring spare parts. About 25,000 new windmills will be be required globally during the next 10-15 years, amounting to a market value of US§ 50 million. The demand may go up to 40,000 windmills, that is, a market value of US§ 80 million. As wind pumps are simple in design and can be/are being manufactured in many developing countries, the latter could supply a sizeable share of the market, including sales to industrialized countries, such as, the USA. The development of the market for replacement windmills and spare parts is another possibility. The market demand between the years 1986 and 2000 is estimated at US§ 50 million to 80 million for replacement windmills and US§ 10 million to 15 million for spare parts.

OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE

In Cape Verdea programme and strategy for wide utilization of nonconventional energy equipment including wind pumps and wind generators is underway. The call is for the installation of about 400 wind machines, of which 320 have already been imported and set up and 18 have been locally made. About 52 of the machines are for generating electricity. A number of other developing countries also have the potential to produce energy from wind, for example, Chile, Syria, Lesotho, Cyprus and Argentina.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

1. Vorobiev, Andrei (International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva). Power-generating and transforming equipment for nonconventional energy: an overview of market prospects. International Trade Forum, 1987 April-June.

2. Attractive market prospects for nonconventional energy equipment. Asia-Pacific Tech Monitorì (APCTT), 1987 September-October, p. 20-22.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An associated database is on equipment, specifical lybiogas generating equipment. In this case the users required data on the characteristic features of such equipment. A record output from the EQUIP database is presented below.
 

Sample Record from EQUIP Database

The rice husk produced electricity is cheaper than grid electricity - US$ 0.038 to 0.049 as compared to US$ 0.060 per unit. If there is no expenditure on husk, the cost comes down even further. Company claims that the plants are economical and most of the factories where the units are installed save enough energy that the gasifier will repay itself within 1 to 1.5 years.

LIMITATIONS

World Bank Expert Study Report points out that the company's figures regarding economics of the system have been arrived at taking into account only saved electricity charges, equipment and maintenance costs. If all other costs, such as of stand-by equipment, building, installation and training are included, the payback time would be more than two years. SOURCE Charung Engineering Co. Ltd. Thailand

DISTRIBUTOR-FOREIGN

Charung Engineering Co. Ltd. Thailand

REMARKS

The Charung gasifier is being promoted by APCTT. The Charung Engineering Co. has installed more than 20 units, mostly in rice mills and ice and jute factories in different parts of Thailand.

REFERENCES

Rice husk gasifier power plants. Asia-Pacific Tech Monitor, 1987 September-October, p. 17-19.

Example 3: Database for Technology Evaluation and Acquisition

Database for Technology Evaluation and Acquisition Highlighted here are some features of a pilot project on an information system designed to assist technology evaluation and acquisition for small enterprises in the Caribbean undertaken by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) in Trinidad. CARIR… plays, among other things, an active role in promoting as well as supporting the development of technology in the region by providing a range of scientific and technological services in to meet the needs of the industrial and business community as well as national agencies concerned.

Information support for technology

CARIR recognizes that in order to acquire the technology appropriate to the prevailing social, economic and cultural conditions in the countries of the region, it is necessary to have access to information on the commercially available technological options and their costs; the terms on which they can be obtained from different sources; and the negotiating skills necessary to obtain them on terms that are beneficial to the countries. There are different ways of acquiring technology. Different aspects of each modality may be subject to different national laws and regulations (of the recipient country and of the country providing the technology). Information about and texts of the laws/regulations should be made available to the parties concerned. Also, pertinent environmental laws and regulations need to be examined.

Small entrepreneurs need to gauge the market, for example, the demand and supply in the current, short term and even long term for the products to be produced using the technology and for the input raw materials, equipment, human resources, etc. Also, reliable information is needed on the socio-economic and political scenario and trends thereof at the national, regional, inter- national levels; who and in what quantities have been licensed to manufacture the products; what researches and technological developments are on-going in the countries within and outside the region on the products and materials concerned; where the work is most actively being pursued; what types and under what terms experts are available to advise on the application of particular technologies, etc.

Feasibility Study

CARIR… carried out a feasibility study on establishing a pilot project for an information system to assist in technology evaluation and acquisition for small enterprises. The team had discussions with representatives of prospective user agencies to identify their functions, activities and information needs. Also sources of information for the pilot project were selected. The study team site-visited a number of relevant information systems in and outside the Caribbean region.

The team recommended that the pilot project should:
 

• provide a demonstration package of information and data inputs required for the evaluation of foreign technology agreements (including computerized databases and sample information products);

• enable provision of timely answers to technical inquiries from users; and

• produce sample information products including newsletter, bulletin, information analysis and consolidation, etc.

The mounting of a workshop for the business community on negotiating for technology contracts was another recommendation. Such a workshop was also intended to provide an occasion to demonstrate to the participants the assistance that can be derived from information systems. The subject coverage of the demonstration system was decided as "Conversion of sugarcane molasses to ethanol¢ as Trinidad was then seeking alternative energy sources especially from indigenous materials.

Information Needs

Needs expressed by prospective users of the system may be summarized as follows:
 

• technologies in use in the country, both indigenous and imported;

• alternative suppliers of identified technologies;

• technical evaluation of new technology inflows into the country;

• life of relevant patents;

• texts of technology contracts from other countries when negotiating for similar technologies;

• comparative cost of technologies and technical assistance in other countries for use as reference to determine levels of payment for technology;

• track record of foreign companies including after-sales services, and competence of foreign firms;

• professional, technical and vocational skills available in the country and a system for identifying and evaluating such human resources;

• definition of professions in the country; and

• local sources of information with samples of the types of query that may be addressed to each source, this being of particular importance to small enterprises.

The feasibility study further analyzed and categorized the information and indicated their respective sources. A summary of the categories is as follows:

Legal Information
 

• National legislation or acts governing the importation of technology into the country.

• Exchange control acts and regulations.

• Aliens land holdings acts and regulation.

• Immigration laws.

• Laws governing the registration of companies, and other company laws.

• Individual decrees concerning the importation of items on the negative listing issued by the Ministry(ies) of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

• International norms governing technology agreements in particular industrial sectors.

• Regulations governing the export of selected items from specific countries.

• Regulations governing the import of selected goods/raw materials into the country.

• Bilateral agreements between the country and other countries in the field of science and technology.

• International trade conventions.

Technical Information
 

• Relevant technologies available in the country.

• Technologies available for the development of specific industrial sectors in the country.

• Alternative sources for the supply of identified commercial technologies.

• Existing capabilities and capacities of locsl engineering services.

• Consultancy services available in the country and their terms and conditions.

• Professional and technical expertise available in the country for the specific field. -- Testing facilities available in the country.

• Types and capacity of major laboratory equipment and production machinery available in manufacturing firms and other institutions in the country.

• Operational experience of users of technologies in selected industrial sectors.

• Status of patents relating to the selected technologies.

• Local and international standards/norms/specifications relating to the technologies under consideration.

• Research in progress in relevant areas.

• Financial/funding and supporting agencies -- local, regional, international -- for the acquisition, adaptation. and development of particular technologies and small industry sectors.

• Evaluation/validation of technology processes and plants.

Economic Information
 

• Export markets and market trends for identified products.

• Costs and levels of payment for technologies under consideration.

• Comparative cost data on identified technologies from different sources.

• Summary data on approved contracts in the country categorized by industrial sectors.

• Performance analysis of approved contracts.

• Data on national economic indicators.

• Details of national and sectorial development plans.
 

Databases were developed on a microcomputer using Micro CDS-ISIS. Data was collected on the following to create databases for demonstration purposes:
 

• details of technology transfer contracts;
• national inventory of technologies;
• skills bank;
• economic indicators;
• laws and regulations;
• market data; - technology suppliers, terms and conditions; and
• queries received by the Technical Information Services of CARIRI. Database         Information content

PROMAR       Market data on ethanol production

REGUL            Laws, acts, regulations of the country

CONTRA        Features of contracts and licenses

TECDAT         Bibliographic records, profiles of institutions, projects, persons, events

QUERY            Details of queries (and responses given) received by the Technical Information Service of CARIRI. Eventually, this database will be searched first when a query is received to see whether a similar query had been responded to earlier.

SOCECO           Socioeconomic data. The databases available with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Port-of-Spain will be used.

• Which agencies/institutions/firms are specializing/ providing services/producing or marketing products in a given field?

• From which sources financial assistance may be obtained and under what terms for particular purposes?

• What licensing or other agreements has a cooperate body in a particular field with whom?

• Which UÀ firms have joint ventures/branches in the country?

• Who can be called on for consultation on a particular subject?

• What is the demand and supply status for ethanol during the past three years in a particular country?

• What are the sources for a specific technology and under what conditions it may acquired?

• What are the recent advances in the technology for the conversion of molasses to ethyl alcohol and where such research is prominently being pursued? -- Can foreign investors/companies purchase land in the country; what are the related laws and regulations? and so on.
 

102.34 average annual imports. 57.07 standard deviation, average annual grown 36.8 percent, however the variance of annual changes is too large to use average annual grown as a predictive tool (see standard deviation). Factors which may be responsible for the large variance include U.S production, price of oil, trade barriers.

CAPACITY

Ethanol knocked by 'gas' (Chemical Market. Report. April 14, 1986 p. 3, 16.) Pressure from lower gasoline prices has caused 11 smaller ethanol units to close for current capacity of 975 bil. gal/yr, vs the record 1 bil.gal.reached at the end of 1985, according to Information Resources, which pre- dicts that up to 20-25 percent of current operating capacity could be closed by summer 1986. Wet millers, which account for 75 percent of existing capacity according to Renewable Resources, have greater flexibility in byproduct output and more efficient plants vs dry millers in severe market conditions. Gasohol advocates hope that United States Department of Agriculture will authorize the subsidized sale of grain stores accumulated by Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) under the govt's farm loan program to benefit the ethanol industry and save taxpayers money in storage and interest payments to farmers participating in the program. Total stores held by CCC from the 1985 crop are estimated at 3.5 bil.bu, with another 1.5 bil.bu expected to be added in 1986. Ethanol production will remain at 625 m.gallon in 1985-86. Ethanol consumption for gasohol totaled 720 m. gallon in 1985, with blends holding 7.26percent of the US gasoline market.

END USE

Trade prospects under the CBI: CBI removes tariff of 60 per cent on ethanol imports from the region providing CBI countries with a competitive advantage over other major suppliers to the U.S. e.g. Brazil. Under CBI laws and regulations, raw material can be imported from outside the beneficiary country or region as long as the final product has been substantially transformed. The final product must contain at least 35 per cent of local components which are produced or purchased in the beneficiary country or region. (Source: Money Index, July 8, 1986).
 
 

SUPPLIER
           Vogelbusch G.m.b.H.
           Blechturmstrasse 11
           A-1051 Wein
           Postfach 52
          Austria.

CONTRACT OBJECT
            Power alcohol plant, capacity 300,000 l/day, for product ethanol.

INDUSTRY CODE (ISIC): 3131

PRODUCT CODE: 512.161

CONTRACT CLASS
           Technical assistance; Software; Turnkey.

COLLABORATION TYPE
            Know-how; Patent; Basic engineering: Detailed engineering; Management of construction set-up; Start-up supervision; Equipment repair and maintenance; Pre-investment consulting; Construction or set-up; Training: Home training; Training abroad; Quality control.

CONTRACT TERMS

             Payment conditions: 20 percent down payment calculated from the contract value upon signing the contract; 80 percent against divisible irrevocable letter of credit, confirmed by an Austrian bank reimbursable against shipping documents for delivery of equipment or against commercial invoices for delivery of services. In case Vogelbusch's assistance is reduced to software only, a know-how fee of ³ percent of plant will be charged additional to cost. Supervision and start-up is charged on actual stay-basis at A.S.7,000/day.

PERSONNEL EXPENSES COVERED

Travel; Accommodation.

REMARKS

Details of the Company and the technology are given in the database TECDAT, entities Tech. supplier and Tech. profile.

The database forms a component of an information system developed at a forest research institute, and relates to forest divisions in a specific geographical area in India. Categorization of the geographical area into districts, and their respective physical features, meteorological data, features of the mountains in each district, farm products, etc. were identified by the librarian of the institute through interactions with the end-users and using appropriate information source materials. The interaction also helped in determining the fields and subfields, the sources of data and the type of outputs required frequently. For example, information/data relating to:

• a district or forest division as a whole; the products of a forest division in a district;

• temperature range (maximum and minimum) in a district;

• farm products or plantation crops output for the different districts over a period of years in a comparative tabular form.

The organization of data in each format was decided on the basis of the preferences of user-groups. Output formats could be predefined to provide the required information speedily.

Each record gives data about forest divisions in a district. The field definition table (FDT) of the database (FORD) is given in Apppendix 2 and samples of outputs using different display

REFERENCE

Neelameghan, A. (1991). "Concept categorization and knowledge organization in specialized databases: a case study," International Classification (Frankfurt) 18: 92-97.