The Impacts of Off-Farm Income on Farm Efficiency, Scale, and Profitability for Corn Farms

This paper estimates returns to scale and technical efficiency of corn farms following an input distance function approach and compares the relative performance of farm operator households with and without off-farm wages and salaries. We use 1995-2003 USDA data. The input distance function results suggest that off-farm outputs and inputs can be modeled in a multi-activity framework, which materially alter performance measures in the Corn Belt. We find that off-farm income boosts scale and technical efficiency of smaller operations. We also find that the number of hours worked off-farm by the spouse contributes to a higher technical efficiency.Farm Management,

OFF-FARM LABOR AND THE STRUCTURE OF U.S. AGRICULTURE: THE CASE OF CORN/SOYBEAN FARMS

While the growing importance of off-farm earnings suggests large benefits accrue to farmers from efforts to expand off-farm income opportunities, survival still depends on greater efficiency. To comprehensively gauge the economic health of farm operator households we interpret off-farm income as an output along with corn, soybeans, livestock, and other crops. To accomplish this task we use two related methodologies. First, using 2000 data, we setup a multiactivity cost function to analyze labor allocation decisions within the farm operator household and also to estimate returns to scale and scope. Second, using 1996-2000 data, we follow an input distance function approach to estimate returns to scale, technical progress, cost economies, and technical efficiency--and compare the relative performance of farm operator households with and without off-farm wages and salaries. Our preliminary results suggest that over our sample period, scale economies are a primary factor driving up farm operator household size and decreasing the competitiveness of small farm operator households in the base farm operator household model where off-farm income is constrained to zero. But small farm operator households appear to achieve efficiency levels more comparable to larger farm operator households when off-farm income is accommodated. The evidence therefore suggests that while short-falls in these productivity components are decreasing the competitiveness of small farm operator households as agricultural structure changes, corn/soybean farm operator households have partially adapted to such pressures by increasing off-farm income and, therefore, achieving economies of scope.Labor and Human Capital,

Volver a contar la Historia: Aranzueque y Gabilondo sobre la lectura Heideggeriana de la Metafísica de Descartes

[spa]El presente artículo tiene por objeto la revisión de ciertas tesis de inspiración heideggeriana, defendidas por A. Gabilondo y G. Aranzueque (2015), respecto al Cogito y a la noción de pensamiento en la filosofía de Descartes. Para ello efectuamos una revisión de la lectura filosófica que realizó M. Heidegger de la metafísica cartesiana, así como de las tesis mencionadas, a partir de una perspectiva histórica y contextual del proyecto filosófico cartesiano. Ello nos permitirá revisar tres tesis atribuidas a Descartes: la consideración de «Cogito ergo sum» como proposición fundante de su metafísica, la identificación entre pensamiento y representación y la supuesta identidad entre pensamiento y comportamiento.[eng]The purpose of this paper is to review some Heideggerian-inspired theses, defended by A. Gabilondo and G. Aranzueque (2015), regarding Cogito and the notion of thought in Descartes’ philosophy. For this purpose, we review the philosophical interpretation by Martin Heidegger of Cartesian metaphysics and the Heideggerian theses of these authors from a historical and contextual point of view of the Cartesian philosophical project. As a result, we review three treatises attributed to Descartes: «Cogito ergo sum» as the fundamental outline of Descartes’ metaphysics, the identification between thought and representation, and the supposed identity between thought and conduct

Neuroendocrine Regulation of Metabolism

Given the current environment in most developed countries, it is a challenge to maintain a good balance between calories consumed and calories burned, although maintenance of metabolic balance is key to good health. Therefore, understanding how metabolic regulation is achieved and how the dysregulation of metabolism affects health is an area of intense research. Most studies focus on the hypothalamus, which is a brain area that acts as a key regulator of metabolism. Among the nuclei that comprise the hypothalamus, the arcuate nucleus is one of the major mediators in the regulation of food intake. The regulation of energy balance is also a key factor ensuring the maintenance of any species as a result of the dependence of reproduction on energy stores. Adequate levels of energy reserves are necessary for the proper functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This review discusses valuable data presented in the 2015 edition of the International Workshop of Neuroendocrinology concerning the fundamental nature of the hormonal regulation of the hypothalamus and the impact on energy balance and reproduction.Fil: Cornejo, María Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Hentges, S.T.. State University of Colorado - Fort Collins; Estados UnidosFil: Maliqueo, M.. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Coirini, Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Becu Villalobos, D.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Elias, C. F.. University of Michigan; Estados Unido

Supersymmetric pairing of kinks for polynomial nonlinearities

We show how one can obtain kink solutions of ordinary differential equations with polynomial nonlinearities by an efficient factorization procedure directly related to the factorization of their nonlinear polynomial part. We focus on reaction-diffusion equations in the travelling frame and damped-anharmonic-oscillator equations. We also report an interesting pairing of the kink solutions, a result obtained by reversing the factorization brackets in the supersymmetric quantum mechanical style. In this way, one gets ordinary differential equations with a different polynomial nonlinearity possessing kink solutions of different width but propagating at the same velocity as the kinks of the original equation. This pairing of kinks could have many applications. We illustrate the mathematical procedure with several important cases, among which the generalized Fisher equation, the FitzHugh-Nagumo equation, and the polymerization fronts of microtubulesComment: 13 pages, 2 figures, revised during the 2nd week of Dec. 200

Influence of a transverse static magnetic field on the magnetic hyperthermia properties and high-frequency hysteresis loops of ferromagnetic FeCo nanoparticles

The influence of a transverse static magnetic field on the magnetic hyperthermia properties is studied on a system of large-losses ferromagnetic FeCo nanoparticles. The simultaneous measurement of the high-frequency hysteresis loops and of the temperature rise provides an interesting insight into the losses and heating mechanisms. A static magnetic field of only 40 mT is enough to cancel the heating properties of the nanoparticles, a result reproduced using numerical simulations of hysteresis loops. These results cast doubt on the possibility to perform someday magnetic hyperthermia inside a magnetic resonance imaging setup.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Conservation Tillage, Pesticide Use, and Biotech Crops in the U.S.A.

This paper presents the first part of an ongoing project whose objective is to present a long term relationship between conservation tillage, adoption of GE crops and pesticide use for major crops in the United States. In addition, the project aims to provide some innovative tests on causality using a panel data set. This paper presents preliminary results for soybeans.conservation tillage, biotechnology, genetically engineered crops, soybeans, herbicides, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Production Economics,

Nova tecnologia para secagem de filé salgado de cação.

bitstream/item/118250/1/nova-tecnologia-para-secagem-de-file-salgado-de-cacao.pd