The EU, the US, and Trade Policy: Competitive Interdependence in the Management of Globalization

Competitive interdependence marked the European Union (EU) - United States (US) relationship as the GATT/ World Trade Organization (WTO) was strengthened and as each enlarged its territorial sphere of influence. The EU initially expanded its influence outside Europe by granting nonreciprocal preferences to the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) states while the US subsequently used the WTO to force the EU-ACP relationship into WTO-compliance. Adopting regional and bilateral strategies, the US negotiated NAFTA and Latin American and Asian free trade agreements. The US thereby expanded its sphere of influence. The EU responded by negotiating equivalent free trade agreements in both Latin America and Asia. As it expands its territorial sphere of influence, the EU may now be managing globalization by outstripping the US. The US-EU relationship thus is marked by both competition and interdependence

Reproductive health for rats

In the present paper the feeding experiment with laboratory rats, conducted at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Biological Agriculture from 1987-1989 is described in more detail to show the advantages, but also the difficulties of the method (Velimirov et al. 1992). Two groups of rats (Long Evans strain), each consisting of 20 pairs, were fed with products from organic resp. conventional growing systems. After chemical analyses of all products, vitamins, minerals and trace elements were added if needed to provide nutritionally balanced diets. With 2 harvests 3 generations (6 litters) were investigated. In the first litters significantly fewer offspring were born dead or died within the first week of their lives. The survival rate until weaning time at the age of 28 days and the weight development were slightly more successful. The weight gain of the female rats in connection with litter size and pup weight during lactation was significantly higher. But the change from the feed mixture of the 1st to the 2nd harvest showed a reverse tendency in the 2nd litters of the 2nd generation, although the same diet components were used. After the adaptation to the new diet the “organic” group again displayed better results. Contradictory results are difficult to explain, because the overall impact of diets from different production systems is investigated, not effects of single components at different levels. The results are not unequivocally accepted by the scientific community, but are easily understood by the public, since the method reflects reality. The linear resp. synergistic perception of biological systems corresponds with the research objective, which is inherently different. Analysis is focussed on objects and their material nature, whereas the systemic approach tries to reveal the interactions (system dynamics) between the objects in the course of time. For a profound understanding of systems clearly both positions are needed, to compensate for the limitations of each method on its own

The consistently superior quality of carrots from one organic farm in Austria compared with conventional farms

The aim of this 5 year investigation was to compare quality parameters of differently cultivated carrots of the same cultivar grown in the same region as well as to compare the relevance of different methods of analysis to differentiate between these products. The following quality tests were applied: • Sensory tests (all harvests) • Food preference tests with laboratory rats (all harvests) • Decomposition tests (all harvests) • P-value determination (all harvests) • Single-Photon-Counting (1999) • Chemical analysis of the main components (1998 and 1999) It could be shown that carrots (var. Tarvil) grown using an organic farming method were significantly preferred by humans and laboratory rats, lost significantly less dry matter during decomposition, had lower P-values, indicating better bioelectrical properties, revealed a significantly better capacity to store biophotons, but showed no conclusive differentiation concerning their main components. Holistic methods were well qualified to distinguish organic from conventional carrots on significant levels

The Albelda Clayton-Matthews Paid Family and Medical Leave Simulator Model Documentation

The basic strategy behind our approach to estimating the cost of a paid leave program in Massachusetts was to, as much as possible, base estimates of program costs on actual known leave-taking behavior, and where this was not possible, to estimate a range of program costs reflecting a range of reasonable assumptions about unknown aspects of behavior in the presence of a paid leave program. We wanted to be able to estimate the sensitivity of program costs estimates to these assumptions. We also wanted to be able to analyze the distribution of program benefits by demographic characteristics. Furthermore, we wanted users to be able to estimate the costs of similarly structured paid leave benefit programs in other states, to be able to have some control over the assumptions about behavior that affect program cost estimates, and to be able to undertake their own distributional analyses. We chose a simulation strategy as the best way to accomplish these goals. To obtain the best estimates possible about known leave-taking behavior, we use the Public Use Family and Medical Leave survey data collected by Abt Associates in 2012 for the Department Labor (referred to here as the DOL Survey) (McGarry, et al, 2013) to estimate behavioral models of leave-taking behavior conditional on the demographic characteristics of individuals, and use the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (hereinafter referred to as the ACS or ACS PUMS) to predict leave-taking behavior conditional on the demographic characteristics of individuals

Assessing French Inflation Persistence with Impulse Saturation Break Tests and Automatic General-to-Specific Modelling

This paper has three different motivations. Firstly, we wish to contribute to the debate on whether French inflation has been persistent since the mid-eighties. Empirical evidence in this domain has been mixed. We use the standard method of testing for breaks in the mean of the inflation series to conclude whether possible unit root findings are the result of neglected breaks. Then, we build standard autoregressive representations of inflation, using an automatic general-to-specific approach. We conclude against inflation persistence in the sample period, and the point estimates of persistence we obtain are several percentage points below those achieved with other break tests and model selection methods. Moreover, our final model is congruent. Secondly, we provide the first empirical application of the new impulse saturation break test. The resulting estimates of the break dates are in line with other literature findings and have a sound economic meaning, confirming the good performance the test had revealed in theoretical and simulation studies. Finally, we also illustrate the shortcomings of the Bai-Perron test when applied to a small sample with high serial correlation. Indeed, we show the Bai- Perron break dates’ estimates would not allow us to build a congruent autoregressive representation of inflation.Inflation Persistence, Break Tests, Model Selection, General-to-Specific

Taste, Freshness and Nutrients Information to Retailers regarding Control of Quality and Safety in Organic Production Chains

This leaflet provides a practical overview for retailers of what is done to secure the quality and taste of seven types of organically produced foods, where improvements are possible, and what the retailers can do to support improvements and ensure the best possible food quality. Other leaflets for retailers cover authenticity and fraud or safety and contamination, and separate leaflets aim at consumers or at production of specific commodities

The effect of latent heat release on synoptic-to-planetary scale wave interactions and implications for satellite observations: Observational study

Researchers have been exploring methods to facilitate the prediction of rapidly intensifying surface cyclones. Recognizing that synoptic-scale systems, such as these cyclones, are less predictable at medium range and beyond than are planetary-scale circulations, researchers propose that the planetary-scale environment for explosive cyclogenesis could be better predicted than the cyclones themselves. Researchers have therefore constructed a planetary-scale climatology of explosive cyclogenesis by compositing together filtered 500 mb height fields (retaining planetary waves only) corresponding to a large sample of rapidly intensifying surface cyclones, stratified geographically and according to the direction of 500 mb geostrophic flow (southwesterly, northwesterly or westerly) over the cyclone center. The composites are calculated from five days preceding to five days following each rapid cyclogenesis event, and have climatology subtracted so that the evolution of planetary-scale anomalies before and after cyclogenesis can be followed. Whether the anomalies are distinct from background variability and thus provide predictive value is now being evaluated. Following explosive cyclogenesis over which the filtered 500 mb flow is southwesterly, there appear in the composites large positive 500 mb height anomalies downstream. In some cases, these anomalies are associated with blocking patterns. Whether the objectively-defined blocking patterns in the data set are preceded by upstream intense surface cyclone activity is being investigated. Finally, the contribution of synoptic-scale processes, notably warm air advection, to planetary-scale height rises during a block formation following an explosive cyclogenesis event is being diagnosed. Researchers hope to eventually evaluate the impact of satellite derived latent heat release upon the warm air advection in this case

Taste, Freshness and Nutrients Information to Consumers regarding Control of Quality and Safety in Organic Production Chains

This leaflet provides a practical overview for consumers of what is done to secure the quality and taste of 7 types of organically produced foods, where improvements are possible and what the consumer can do to support improvements and to preserve the food quality after purchase. Other leaflets for consumers cover authenticity and fraud or safety and contamination, and separate leaflets aim at retailers or at production of specific commodities