Inhibition of yes-associated protein suppresses brain metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma in a murine model.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a main mediator of the Hippo pathway and promotes cancer development and progression in human lung cancer. We sought to determine whether inhibition of YAP suppresses metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma in a murine model. We found that metastatic NSCLC cell lines H2030-BrM3(K-rasG12C mutation) and PC9-BrM3 (EGFRΔexon19 mutation) had a significantly decreased p-YAP(S127)/YAP ratio compared to parental H2030 (K-rasG12C mutation) and PC9 (EGFRΔexon19 mutation) cells (P < .05). H2030-BrM3 cells had significantly increased YAP mRNA and expression of Hippo downstream genes CTGF and CYR61 compared to parental H2030 cells (P < .05). Inhibition of YAP by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly decreased mRNA expression in downstream genes CTGF and CYR61 in H2030-BrM3 cells (P < .05). In addition, inhibiting YAP by YAP shRNA significantly decreased migration and invasion abilities of H2030-BrM3 cells (P < .05). We are first to show that mice inoculated with YAP shRNA-transfected H2030-BrM3 cells had significantly decreased metastatic tumour burden and survived longer than control mice (P < .05). Collectively, our results suggest that YAP plays an important role in promoting lung adenocarcinoma brain metastasis and that direct inhibition of YAP by shRNA suppresses H2030-BrM3 cell brain metastasis in a murine model

Characterizing the Decision Process in Setting Corn and Soybean Seeding Rates

Selecting optimal corn and soybean seeding rates are difficult decisions to make. A survey of Ohio and Michigan farm operators finds that, although generally keen to learn from others, they tend to emphasize their own experience over outside information sources. Soybean growers declare university and extension recommendations as more important than do corn growers. In response to direct queries and in free comments, growers place more emphasis on understanding the agronomic and technological problems at hand than on adjusting to the market environment. Given the decision environment, we argue that these responses are reasonable

Will Adoption Occur if a Practice is Win-Win for Profit and the Environment? An Application to a Rancher’s Grazing Practice Choices

Rotational grazing has the potential to provide both economic and environmental benefits; however, the set of ranchers that adopts is much smaller than the set that regards rotational grazing as a win-win practice. To investigate this adoption gap and learn about adoption decisions and motivations, we survey 874 ranchers on the U.S. Great Plains. We find that a large proportion of surveyed ranchers who view rotational grazing as win-win for both profit and the environment do not adopt the practice. We also find that win-win non-adopters are a constrained group for most potential challenges to rotational grazing adoption, especially for high initial costs, water resource limitations, and ranch conditions. Some of these impediments could be relieved by capital to which, however, win-win non-adopters have limited access. Win-win non- adopters are more likely to adopt rotational grazing than others when a one-time subsidy is offered, suggesting that win-win non-adopters hold promise as a target group for subsidies to reduce the cost of adoption. Our analysis shows the importance of understanding the specifics of an adoption gap when making and implementing policies

Grazing Practice Choices, Capital Constraints, and the Environment

There is a large literature on “adoption gap” which describes the slower adoption of an apparent win-win technology for profit and the environment. The extent and reasons for such adoption gaps differ across technologies. We examine this adoption gap in the context of rotational grazing. Rotational grazing has the potential to provide both economic and environmental benefits. However, there remains a gap between the set of ranchers that could potentially adopt rotational grazing and the set that actually adopts. To investigate this gap, we use survey data from 874 ranchers on the Great Plains to learn about adoption decisions and motivations. In contradiction to basic economic reasoning, we find that over half (57%) of surveyed ranchers who view rotational grazing as win-win for both profit and the environment do not adopt it. We also find that win-win non-adopters are a very constrained group for most potential challenges to rotational grazing adoption, especially high initial costs, water resource limitations, and ranch conditions. Some of these challenges could be relieved by capital; however, win-win non-adopters have limited borrowing capacity and constrained access to operating capital. They are more willing to adopt rotational grazing than others when a one-time hypothetical subsidy is offered. These findings suggest that win-win non-adopters are an effective target group for investment subsidies to promote the adoption of rotational grazing practices. Consistent with the literature, our analysis shows the importance of understanding the specifics of the adoption gap for effective policymaking

Assessing Peer Effects and Subsidy Impacts in Technology Adoption: Application to Grazing Management Choices with Farm Survey Data

Rotational grazing provides potential private and social benefits. However, the average adoption rate among ranchers is just over 30 percent in the United States. Peer effects are increasingly recognized as an important driver of technology adoption. We develop a model to identify how peer networking affects ranchers’ adoption decision of grazing practices, and also the impacts of subsidies. With farm-level survey data, we apply a simultaneous-equations model to take account of endogeneity issues with peer effects that are measured as the number of adopters a rancher knows or the extent of adoption in a rancher’s neighborhood. Empirical analysis provides evidence that there are significant peer effects in the adoption of rotational grazing. This implies that incentive policies will have multiplier effects in the long run on adoption through the channel of peer networking

Grazing Practice Choices, Capital Constraints, and the Environment

There is a large literature on “adoption gap” which describes the slower adoption of an apparent win-win technology for profit and the environment. The extent and reasons for such adoption gaps differ across technologies. We examine this adoption gap in the context of rotational grazing. Rotational grazing has the potential to provide both economic and environmental benefits. However, there remains a gap between the set of ranchers that could potentially adopt rotational grazing and the set that actually adopts. To investigate this gap, we use survey data from 874 ranchers on the Great Plains to learn about adoption decisions and motivations. In contradiction to basic economic reasoning, we find that over half (57%) of surveyed ranchers who view rotational grazing as win-win for both profit and the environment do not adopt it. We also find that win-win non-adopters are a very constrained group for most potential challenges to rotational grazing adoption, especially high initial costs, water resource limitations, and ranch conditions. Some of these challenges could be relieved by capital; however, win-win non-adopters have limited borrowing capacity and constrained access to operating capital. They are more willing to adopt rotational grazing than others when a one-time hypothetical subsidy is offered. These findings suggest that win-win non-adopters are an effective target group for investment subsidies to promote the adoption of rotational grazing practices. Consistent with the literature, our analysis shows the importance of understanding the specifics of the adoption gap for effective policymaking