Cointegration analysis of selected commodity prices, focussing on the food price spike in 2007/08

In den Jahren 2007/08 sind die Preise vieler Rohstoffe dramatisch gestiegen. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, besseren Einblick in die Dynamik zwischen verschiedenen Nahrungsmittelpreisen und dem Ölpreis während dieser Zeitspanne zu gewähren. Sie analysiert die wechselseitigen Beziehungen zwischen den Preisen von Weizen, Mais, Zucker, Sojabohnen und Rohöl unter Verwendung täglicher Daten von 8. März 2006 bis 27. August 2009. Um auf Kointegration zwischen den Preisreihen zu testen und eine potentielle Gleichgewichtsbeziehung zu finden wird Johansens Testverfahren verwendet. Das wichtigste empirische Resultat ist, dass eine langfristige Gleichgewichtsbeziehung zwischen diesen Spotpreisen existiert, und dass es Evidenz für genau einen kointegrierenden Vektor zwischen diesen Variablen gibt.In 2007/08, prices of many commodities increased dramatically. This study attempts to provide better inside into the dynamics between different food prices and the oil price during this period. It analyses the interrelationships between the price series of wheat, corn, sugar, soybeans and crude oil using daily data running from March 8th, 2006 to August 27th, 2009. Johansen's cointegrating procedure is used to test for cointegration among the price series and find a potential equilibrium relation. The main empirical findings are that there exists a long-run equilibrium relation among these spot prices, and that there is evidence for exactly one cointegrating vector among these variables

QUALITY, SAFETY AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ORGANIC FOOD IN GERMANY AND PORTUGAL

The goal of this paper is to compare Portuguese and German consumer behaviour towards Organic Food Products (OFP). For this purpose, an extensive literature review on quality and food safety of organic food products was carried out and a consumer survey was implemented, with data collected by means of personal interviews in the capital cities of the two countries. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a comparison of Portuguese and German consumers was made with the help of chi-square tests and ANOVA. The results show positive consumer attitudes towards OFP. However, its consumption is much lower than could be expected from these attitudes. Intentions to buy OFP are quite high, suggesting that these products might obtain a substantial market share in the future. This is an encouraging sign for prospective producers of OFP, who might compensate the likely increase in unitary production costs with an increase in total production. The study presented in this paper is the result of a research project supported by the programme "CRUP - Acções Integradas Luso Alemãs 2004" in Portugal and by the programme "Des Projektbezogenen Personenaustauschs (PPP) 2004 mit Portugal" in Germany.Organic food products, consumer behaviour, Germany, Portugal.

Mais-Stangenbohnen-Silage als Futtermittel für Milchkühe und Mastschweine

In organic farming, appropriate protein feeding is challenging based on regional or farm-grown resources. Therefore, feeding maize-bean-silage to dairy cows and fattening pigs could be a viable option to increase the protein content in the diet. However, anti-nutritional compounds might impair animal performance. When exchanging maize silage with maize-bean-silage in the diet of dairy cows, no detrimental effects could be detected. Similarly, the on-top feeding of maize-beansilage to pigs revealed no differences in regard to animal performance compared to a grass-clover diet. Thus, the inclusion of a certain amount of maize-bean-silage in the diet of dairy cows and fattening pigs had no negative effects on the animals. Further studies are going to examine the effect of higher proportions of maize-bean-silage

Kritische Edition der Sahidischen Version des Johannesevangeliums: Text und Dokumentation

Sahidic is the most important dialect of the Coptic language. Criticial editions of the Sahidic translation of the New Testament are a desideratum since many years. A research project (P29315) funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) made the critical edition of the Sahidic Version of the Gospel of John possible. 172 different, mostly fragmentary manuscripts have been used for this edition.Sahidisch ist der wichtigste Literaturdialekt des Koptischen. Seit langem gelten moderne kritische Editionen der sahidischen Übersetzung des Neuen Testaments als Desiderat der Forschung. Ein Forschungsprojekt (P29315) des Österreichischen Wissenschaftsfonds (FWF) ermöglichte eine kritische Edition des sahidischen Johannesevangeliums. Ihr liegen 172 verschiedene, zu großen Teilen fragmentarisch erhaltene, Handschriften zugrunde

Kritische Edition der Sahidischen Version des Johannesevangeliums: Text und Dokumentation

Sahidic is the most important dialect of the Coptic language. Criticial editions of the Sahidic translation of the New Testament are a desideratum since many years. A research project (P29315) funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) made the critical edition of the Sahidic Version of the Gospel of John possible. 172 different, mostly fragmentary manuscripts have been used for this edition

Ultraviolet radiation-induced mitochondrial disturbances are attenuated by metabolites of melatonin in human epidermal keratinocytes

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is recognized as an effective antioxidant produced by the pineal gland, brain and peripheral organs, which also has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-tumour capacities. Melatonin has been reported as a substance that counteracts ultraviolet radiation B (UVB)-induced intracellular disturbances. Nevertheless, the mechanistic actions of related molecules including its kynurenic derivatives ($N^{1}$-acetyl-$N^{2}$-formyl-5-methoxykynurenine (AFMK)), its indolic derivatives (6-hydroxymelatonin (6(OH)MEL) and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT)) and its precursor N-acetylserotonin (NAS) are only poorly understood. Herein, we treated human epidermal keratinocytes with UVB and assessed the protective effect of the studied substances in terms of the maintenance of mitochondrial function or their radical scavenging capacity. Our results show that UVB caused the significant elevation of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), the dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential ($mt\Delta\Psi$), a reduction in ATP synthesis, and the enhanced release of cytochrome c into cytosol, leading subsequently to UVB-mediated activation of the caspases and apoptosis (appearance of sub-$G_{1}$ population). Our findings, combined with data reported so far, indicate the counteracting and beneficial actions of melatonin and its molecular derivatives against these deleterious changes within mitochondria. Therefore, they define a path to the development of novel strategies delaying mitochondrial aging and promoting the well-being of human skin

The Development of an Empathy Curriculum (Empathy in Health) for Healthcare Students Using VR Technology

Empathy in Health is an Erasmus + funded project, which aims to design a curriculum for empathetic skill development in healthcare practitioners and home carers based on up-to-date evidence and cutting-edge technology tools. A literature review was carried out that focused on empathy in health care using VR technology. The results of the literature review helped develop a focus group guide for the purposes of the qualitative part of the need assessment exercise. The data from the focus groups were transcribed and analysed using the methodology of content analysis. The themes that emerged from the analysis of the focus groups’ data lent themselves to three major working areas. These informed the development of the qualification framework, which in turn informed the development of the detailed curriculum. The Empathy in Health curriculum involves 21-hour classroom teaching, 3-hour Asynchronous Electronic Learning and 6-hour Directed Self Learning for graduate students or final year undergraduate students or Health Care Professionals. The curriculum covers understanding empathy and competencies necessary for empathy, understanding empathy in relationships and information exchanges in different health care contexts/environments, showing empathy in diverse environments and overcoming barriers/challenges to empathy

Hemorrhage rate after coblation tonsillectomy: a meta-analysis of published trials

After the surgical procedure of tonsillectomy, hemorrhage ranks among its serious postoperative complications. In this systematic review, we analyze hemorrhage following tonsillectomies performed using the coblation technique. 24 prospective, randomized, and controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis. Data of 796 patients who had undergone coblation tonsillectomy were analyzed. Hemorrhages occurred in 33 patients: 2 classified as primary and 26 as secondary hemorrhages. 5 could not be classified into either group. Overall, the total hemorrhage rate for the coblation procedure was 4.1% with a 95% confidence interval from 2.8 to 5.5%. The overall hemorrhage rate of 4.1% found in this meta-analysis shows that coblation is a safe and effective technique for tonsillectomies with a secondary bleeding rate similar to what is reported for comparable techniques such as bipolar diathermia

Der ἐπίτροπος χαρτηρᾶς und der procurator rationis chartariae. Zwei Prokuratoren im Dienste der Papyrusversorgung Roms

The ἐπίτροπος χαρτηρᾶς and the procurator rationis chartariae were freedmen procurators of the familia Caesaris, attested for the 2nd century AD. The inauguration of these offices was probably in the 1st century after the reign of Tiberius to secure the supply of writing materials to Rome. Probably as a result of the Severian administrative reform to avoid freedmen as procurators or in context with the vectigal chartae, a tribute in kind since Aurelian, the offices vanished