FABRICATED CUT BEEF PRICES AS LEADING INDICATORS OF FED CATTLE PRICE

Temporal relationships are investigated among fabricated cut prices, carcass value, and fed cattle prices. Also, linkages between fed cattle and wholesale beef prices are examined using vector autoregressive (VAR) techniques. Results, using daily prices over the 1980-85 period, suggested that fabricated cut prices and cattle prices are related to the imputed carcass value, carcass quote, and fed cattle prices. In addition, three fabricated cuts dominate as leading indicators of fed cattle prices of most fabricated cut prices. They are strip loin and bottom and top round prices. VAR models outperform the univariate and random-walk models of forecasting ability.Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

The rise and fall of stand-alone social reporting in a multinational subsidiary in Bangladesh:a case study

Purpose -The main aim of this paper is to examine the underlying drivers for the development and subsequent discontinuation of stand-alone corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in a multinational subsidiary in Bangladesh. Design/Methodology/Approach - The research approach employed for this purpose is a case study using evidence from a series of in depth interviews conducted during the period 2002-2010. Interview data is supplemented by examining other sources of information including annual reports, stand-alone social reports and relevant newspaper articles during the study period. Findings - It appears that the stand-alone CSR reporting process was initiated to give the subsidiary a formal space in which to legitimise its activities in Bangladesh where both tobacco control regulation and a strong anti-tobacco movement were gaining momentum. At the start of the process in 2002 corporate interviewees were very receptive of this initiative and strongly believed that it would not be a one off exercise. However, in the face of subsequent significant national policy shifts concerning tobacco control, irreconcilable stakeholder demands and increasing criticism of the CSR activities of the organisation at home and abroad the process was brought to an abrupt end in 2009. Research Limitations/Implications - The paper has a number of implications for policy makers concerning the future prospects for stand-alone social/sustainability reporting as a means of enhancing organisational transparency and accountability. In addition the paper discusses a number of theoretical implications for the development of legitimacy theory. Originality/value - Using the lens of legitimacy the paper theorises the circumstances leading to the initiation and subsequent cessation of CSR reporting in the organisation concerned. As far as we know this is the first study which theorises and provides significant fieldwork based empirical evidence regarding the discontinuation of stand-alone social reporting by a multinational company operating in a developing country. Thus, it extends previous desk-based attempts at using legitimacy theory to explain a decrease (or discontinuity) in CSR disclosures by de Villiers and van Staden (2006) and Tilling and Tilt (2010)

The matrix permanent and determinant from a spin system

In contrast to the determinant, no algorithm is known for the exact determination of the permanent of a square matrix that runs in time polynomial in its dimension. Consequently, non interacting fermions are classically efficiently simulatable while non-interacting bosons are not, underpinning quantum supremacy arguments for sampling the output distribution of photon interferometer arrays. This work introduces a graph-theoretic framework that bridges both the determinant and permanent. The only non-zero eigenvalues of a sparse non-Hermitian operator $\breve{M}$ for $n$ spin-$1/2$ particles are the $n$th roots of the permanent or determinant of an $n\times n$ matrix $M$, interpreting basis states as bosonic or fermionic occupation states, respectively. This operator can be used to design a simple and straightforward method for the classical determination of the permanent that matches the efficiency of the best-known algorithm. Gauss-Jordan elimination for the determinant of $M$ is then equivalent to the successive removal of the generalized zero eigenspace of the fermionic $\breve{M}$, equivalent to the deletion of some nodes and reweighting of the remaining edges in the graph such that only $n$ nodes survive after the last step. In the bosonic case, the successive removal of generalized zero eigenspaces for $\breve{M}$ is also equivalent to node deletion, but new edges are added during this process, which gives rise to the higher complexity of computing the permanent. Our analysis may point the way to new strategies for classical and quantum evaluation of the permanent

Working Futures 2017-2027 : Long-run labour market and skills projections headline report

This report provides a concise overview of Working Futures 2017-2027 results for the UK. It presents historical trends and future prospects by sector for the UK and its constituent nations and the English regions. The prime focus of Working Futures is on the demand for skills as measured by employment by occupation and qualification, although the supply side is also considered. Its prime objective is to provide useful labour market information that can help to inform policy development and strategy around skills, careers and employment, for both policy makers and a much wider audience. The results are intended to provide a sound statistical foundation for reflection and debate among all those with an interest in the demand for and supply of skills. It is aimed at the general reader and focuses on the key messages from this very detailed study. It complements the more detailed outputs and results from the project available from the gov.uk website2 and cover sectors, occupations, geography and qualifications

Analysis induced reduction of a polyelectrolyte

The polymer, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA), is shown to undergo chemical change via a reduction mechanism during X-ray analysis. Examination of the N 1s spectrum of PDDA shows a time dependence on the degree of reduction, together with clear amplification of the extent of reduction through the charge compensation system and X-ray irradiation

Using GIS to Prioritize Green Infrastructure Installation Strategies in an Urbanized Watershed

2014 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Informing Strategic Water Planning to Address Natural Resource, Community and Economic Challenge

Deep images of cluster radio halos

New radio data are presented for the clusters A401, A545, A754, A1914, A2219 and A2390, where the presence of diffuse radio emission was suggested from the images of the NRAO VLA Sky Survey. Sensitive images of these clusters, obtained with the Very Large Array (VLA)at 20 cm confirm the existence of the diffuse sources and allow us to derive their fluxes and intrinsic parameters.The correlation between the halo radio power and cluster X-ray luminosity is derived for a large sample of halo clusters, and is briefly discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures, Astron. Astrophys. in pres

An interactive three dimensional approach to anatomical description—the jaw musculature of the Australian laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

The investigation of form-function relationships requires a detailed understanding of anatomical systems. Here we document the 3-dimensional morphology of the cranial musculoskeletal anatomy in the Australian Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae, with a focus upon the geometry and attachments of the jaw muscles in this species. The head of a deceased specimen was CT scanned, and an accurate 3D representation of the skull and jaw muscles was generated through manual segmentation of the CT scan images, and augmented by dissection of the specimen. We identified 14 major jaw muscles: 6 in the temporal group (M. adductor mandibulae and M. pseudotemporalis), 7 in the pterygoid group (M. pterygoideus dorsalis and M. pterygoideus ventralis), and the single jaw abductor M. depressor mandibulae. Previous descriptions of avian jaw musculature are hindered by limited visual representation and inconsistency in the nomenclature. To address these issues, we: (1) present the 3D model produced from the segmentation process as a digital, fully interactive model in the form of an embedded 3D image, which can be viewed from any angle, and within which major components can be set as opaque, transparent, or hidden, allowing the anatomy to be visualised as required to provide a detailed understanding of the jaw anatomy; (2) provide a summary of the nomenclature used throughout the avian jaw muscle literature. The approach presented here provides considerable advantages for the documentation and communication of detailed anatomical structures in a wide range of taxa

Boronic acids for functionalisation of commercial multi-layer graphitic material as an alternative to diazonium salts

A novel radical-based functionalisation strategy for the synthesis of functionalised commercially obtained plasma-synthesised multi-layer graphitic material (MLG) is presented herein. 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl boronic acid was utilised as a source of 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl radicals to covalently graft upon the graphitic surface of MLG. Such a methodology provides a convenient and safer route towards aryl radical generation, serving as a potential alternative to hazardous diazonium salt precusors. The structure and morphology of the functionalised MLG (Arf-MLG) has been characterised using XPS, Raman, TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM and BET techniques. The XPS quantitative data and Raman spectra provide evidence of successful covalent attachment of 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl groups to MLG