Savings and technology choice for risk averse farmers

Farmers in developing countries have limited opportunities for borrowing to even out variability associated with risky farm income, but they can save. A dynamic programming model of savings is presented in the current paper which examines optimal savings strategies for farmers, using a case study of integrated rice-shrimp farms in Vietnam. It is shown that when savings are accounted for, the expected utility ranking of different risky farm choices may not differ that much between farmers with different levels of risk aversion.Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty,

The economics of land degradation and technological change: a case study in Vietnam

This paper explores the economics of land degradation in the rice-shrimp system in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. A bioeconomic NPV model was developed to evaluate and compare the long-term benefits of alternative production choices and farm technologies. There is an alternative rice-shrimp technology emerging in Vietnam that does not have the same land degrading impacts as the 'traditional' system, however the high capital outlay and risk associated with such technology presents its own problems. In the paper the economic incentives for adoption of the non-land degrading rice-shrimp technology are explored. Conclusions are drawn with regard to the opportunity cost of land degradation and technological change. Some conclusions are also provided on the policy implications arising from the results presented.land degradation, technological change, Vietnam, Environmental Economics and Policy,

The welfare costs of urban outdoor water restrictions

Outdoor water restrictions are usually implemented as bans on a particular type of watering technology (sprinklers), which allow households to substitute for labour-intensive (hand-held) watering. This paper presents a household production model approach to analysing the impact of sprinkler restrictions on consumer welfare and their efficacy as a demand management tool. Central to our empirical analysis is an experimentally derived production function which describes the relationship between irrigation and lawn quality. We demonstrate that for a typical consumer complete sprinkler bans may be little more effective than milder restrictions policies, but are substantially more costly to the household.household model, urban water demand, urban water restrictions, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Valuing Urban Wetlands of the Gnangara Mound: A Hedonic Property Price Approach in Western Australia

Up to 60% of potable water supplied to Perth in Western Australia is extracted from the Gnangara mound. Many of the urban wetlands above the Mound are groundwater-dependent. Excessive groundwater extraction and climate change have resulted in a decline in water levels in the wetlands. This study estimates the value of urban wetlands in three local government districts in the Perth metropolitan region using the hedonic property price approach. Preliminary results found that proximity to wetlands influences the sales prices of properties. The marginal implicit price of reducing the distance to the nearest wetland by 1 metre, evaluated at the mean sales value, is AU$463. If there is more than one wetland within 1.5 kilometres of a property, the second wetland will help increase the property price by AU$6,081. For a 50 ha wetland, we estimate the total premium of on sales due to wetland proximity is AU$220 million, based on average property characteristics and medium house density. These results will help inform policy makers and land developers on the value of conserving existing urban wetlands, creating new wetland areas and urbanising rural wetlands.groundwater, housing development, aquifer, marginal implicit price, Land Economics/Use,

Price formation on the Northern Victorian water exchange

The opportunity cost of water in the irrigation industry is a contentious issue at present because of the commitment made by the State and Commonwealth governments to get water out of the irrigation industry for environmental flows. The estimated value of the opportunity cost will affect farmers' claims for compensation. Variation in the opportunity cost over space and the functioning of the spatial market will determine whether the efficiency costs of a simple across the board reduction in rights can be mitigated by trade or whether strategic buy back of water is required. The extent of variation in the opportunity cost of water according to seasonal conditions will affect the cost of flow policies that impact on the reliability of rights. To date, most economic advice on this opportunity cost of water has centred on gross margin analysis of the main irrigation uses of water and the compensation of these industries across space compared to the quantity of rights held. However, there has been a large volume of trade on temporary water markets in recent years and there is potential for using this data to better understand some of the characteristics of water demand and the market for water. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of market data from the last 5 years of trade on the Northern Victorian water exchange. The nature of bidding behaviours and spatial and temporal variations in water prices is illustrated, and the impact of water allocations and seasonal conditions on water prices is estimated.Demand and Price Analysis, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

A Bio-economic Model of a Shrimp Hatchery in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam

Shrimp culture areas and production of the Mekong Delta cover about 60 percent of the total shrimp areas and production of Vietnam. Especially, the Delta contributes about 80 percent of the total shrimp production for export. Rapid development of the shrimp industry is raising a number of serious problems that need to be solved. Shrimp seed supply (post larvae production) plays an essential role in the shrimp industry and it is one of the most important constraints to the development of the shrimp industry in the Delta. The focus of this study is aimed at obtaining an improvement in both the profit per day and post larvae production of the shrimp hatchery in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam. A Monte Carlo simulation approach was applied to develop a stochastic and dynamic bio-economic model of a shrimp hatchery in the Delta. Initial results and policy recommendations are based on the analysis of the hatchery system simulation using a forward recursion approach and by changing the most important assumptions.Shrimp hatchery, larval stage, system simulation modelling, Agricultural and Food Policy, Production Economics,

Ibrutinib Unmasks Critical Role of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase in Primary CNS Lymphoma.

Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) links the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) and Toll-like receptors with NF-κB. The role of BTK in primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL) is unknown. We performed a phase I clinical trial with ibrutinib, the first-in-class BTK inhibitor, for patients with relapsed or refractory CNS lymphoma. Clinical responses to ibrutinib occurred in 10 of 13 (77%) patients with PCNSL, including five complete responses. The only PCNSL with complete ibrutinib resistance harbored a mutation within the coiled-coil domain of CARD11, a known ibrutinib resistance mechanism. Incomplete tumor responses were associated with mutations in the B-cell antigen receptor-associated protein CD79B

Cell Cycle- and Cancer-Associated Gene Networks Activated by Dsg2: Evidence of Cystatin A Deregulation and a Potential Role in Cell-Cell Adhesion

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (Mahoney, R01AR056067; Riobo, RO1 GM088256). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Current ecotoxicity testing needs among selected U.S. federal agencies

U.S. regulatory and research agencies use ecotoxicity test data to assess the hazards associated with substances that may be released into the environment, including but not limited to industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, food additives, and color additives. These data are used to conduct hazard assessments and evaluate potential risks to aquatic life (e.g., invertebrates, fish), birds, wildlife species, or the environment. To identify opportunities for regulatory uses of non-animal replacements for ecotoxicity tests, the needs and uses for data from tests utilizing animals must first be clarified. Accordingly, the objective of this review was to identify the ecotoxicity test data relied upon by U.S. federal agencies. The standards, test guidelines, guidance documents, and/or endpoints that are used to address each of the agencies’ regulatory and research needs regarding ecotoxicity testing are described in the context of their application to decision-making. Testing and information use, needs, and/or requirements relevant to the regulatory or programmatic mandates of the agencies taking part in the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods Ecotoxicology Workgroup are captured. This information will be useful for coordinating efforts to develop and implement alternative test methods to reduce, refine, or replace animal use in chemical safety evaluations