Logistic Barriers to U.S.–Mexico Grain and Soybean Trade

Fourteen years after the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), border-crossing restrictions still remain with Mexico. Although studies have analyzed the impact of NAFTA trade liberalization, there has only been limited research on effects of informal trade barriers on U.S.–Mexico grain and soybean flows. This paper quantitatively measures the impact of logistic barriers impeding U.S.–Mexico grain and soybean trade. A conditional model testing for the presence of asymmetries in grain trade suggests that logistic barriers and transshipments are correlated. Econometric analysis rejects the null hypoInternational Relations/Trade,

THE POTENTIAL FOR REVENUE INSURANCE POLICIES IN THE SOUTH

The 1996 Farm Act and the 1994 Crop Insurance Reform Act are recent examples of policy changes that have increased risks for U.S. farmers. New products are emerging to help farmers manage risks. This article examines some of the policy changes, farmer responses, and new risk-sharing products. The focus turns to the new revenue insurance products and their potential in the South. While there are reasons to believe revenue insurance should be attractive in the South, any revenue products that use existing crop insurance rates will face difficulties since poor actuarial performance in the South has resulted in relatively high rates.Agricultural policy, Crop insurance, Revenue insurance, Risk, Southern agriculture, Risk and Uncertainty,

Managing Risk in Farming: Concepts, Research, and Analysis

The risks confronted by grain and cotton farmers are of particular interest, given the changing role of the Government after passage of the 1996 Farm Act. With the shift toward less government intervention in the post-1996 Farm Act environment, a more sophisticated understanding of risk and risk management is important to help producers make better decisions in risky situations and to assist policymakers in assessing the effectiveness of different types of risk protection tools. In response, this report provides a rigorous, yet accessible, description of risk and risk management tools and strategies at the farm level. It also provides never-before-published data on farmers' assessments of the risks they face, their use of alternative risk management strategies, and the changes they would make if faced with financial difficulty. It also compares price risk across crops and time periods, and provides detailed information on yield variability.crop insurance, diversification, futures contracts, leasing, leveraging, liquidity, livestock insurance, marketing contracts, options contracts, production contracts, revenue insurance, risk, vertical integration, Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty,

Ability of Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus to develop biofilm community on stainless steel and colonize rocket tissue

In the present study, the ability of S. Typhimurium (CDC 6516-60) and S. aureus strain COL (MRSA) to both develop a biofilm community on stainless steel (SS) and colonize rocket tissue was investigated (incubation at 20°C for 144 h). In parallel, the planktonic growth of these pathogens in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth, was followed

Population and resistance patterns of Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms to sublethal chemical disinfection under mono-and dual-species multi-strain conditions

To evaluate the possible influence of bacterial interactions encountered in mono- and dual-species multi-strain biofilms of Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) on: (i) the ability of strains to develop biofilm, and (ii) their subsequent resistance to sublethal chemical disinfection

Ability of Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus to develop biofilm community on stainless steel and colonize rocket tissue

Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus are important human pathogens capable of causing a diverse array of diseases, while international organization (EFSA, FAO/WHO) report that these are among the most related microorganisms for foodborne diseases. The ability of both species to form biofilm, together with the increased number of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains, including ones resistant to methicillin (MRSA), are of special interest for researchers. In addition, the consumption of raw plant tissues, have been recently associated with foodborne diseases outbreaks due to cross contamination. Obviously, the ability of pathogenic strains of these species to survive on either abiotic or plant surfaces needs to be further studied

Identification of meat spoilage gene biomarkers in Pseudomonas putida using gene profiling

While current food science research mainly focuses on microbial changes in food products that lead to foodborne illnesses, meat spoilage remains as an unsolved problem for the meat industry. This can result in important economic losses, food waste and loss of consumer confidence in the meat market. Gram-negative bacteria involved in meat spoilage are aerobes or facultative anaerobes. These represent the group with the greatest meat spoilage potential, where Pseudomonas tend to dominate the microbial consortium under refrigeration and aerobic conditions. Identifying stress response genes under different environmental conditions can help researchers gain an understanding of how Pseudomonas adapts to current packaging and storage conditions. We examined the gene expression profile of Pseudomonas putida KT2440, which plays an important role in the spoilage of meat products. Gene expression profiles were evaluated to select the most differentially expressed genes at different temperatures (30 °C and 10 °C) and decreasing glucose concentrations, in order to identify key genes actively involved with the spoilage process. A total of 739 and 1269 were found to be differentially expressed at 30 °C and 10 °C respectively; of which 430 and 568 genes were overexpressed, and 309 and 701 genes were repressed at 30 °C and 10 °C respectively

A targeted gene expression analysis during biofilm formation by Salmonella enterica on stainless steel surfaces

In the present study, the expression of 14 genes was comparatively evaluated between planktonic and biofilm cells of S. Enteritidis. These genes were selected based on previous knowledge on their putative involvement in stress related mechanisms and other colonization implications. Biofilms were left to be formed on stainless steel coupons incubated under static conditions in brain heart growth medium at either 10 or 20°C for 6 days (144 h). Results revealed significant differential expression for the genes studied between the two growth modes (planktonic, sessile)