Evaluating Commodity Farm Program Selection and Economic Return Variability on Representative Farms in the Mississippi River Delta Region Using a Risk Return Framework

The Agricultural Act of 2014, signed February 7, 2014, introduces a new era of federal support in the production of major agricultural commodities in the United States for the 2014 through 2018 crop years. The ultimate result of the Act was a 954-page piece of legislation that represented market-oriented policies such as the creation of an area-wide shallow loss revenue support program for covered commodities and a greater reliance on crop insurance products offered as a suite of risk management tools available to producers. The impact that this law has on agricultural producers in the Mississippi River delta region of the Mid-south is not yet fully known. Moving forward, the elimination of the direct payment program is likely to have an impact on farm income, as these payments were made annually and were decoupled from actual market prices. Various combinations of federal farm programs, chosen irrevocable, paired with multiple crop insurance products, that are purchased annually, will act to mitigate the risks of production. Simulation analysis provides a basis for evaluating the variability associated with production systems in the Mississippi River delta region. Three representative rice and soybean farms and six corn, cotton, and soybean farms were modeled as to determine the five year net returns resulting from price and yield risk as well as to evaluate alternative farm program and crop insurance selection. Financial performance of these farms is measured for varying levels of risk using a stochastic efficiency criteria. Results are presented for multiple combinations of the agriculture risk coverage and price loss coverage programs of the commodity title and revenue protection, supplemental coverage option endorsement, and the stacked income protection plan for producers of upland cotton contained in crop insurance title of the current farm law. For each farm at each location, an estimate to the net present value of the cumulative net returns above variable costs to the producer for the five year life of the farm bill is provided. Results from different farming operations suggest the preferred pairing of farm programs and crop insurance policies does vary across locale and crops

Robotics and Inquiry: Addressing the Impact on Student Understanding of Physics Concepts (Force and Motion) from Select Rural Louisiana Elementary Students through Robotics Instruction Immersed within the 5E Learning Cycle Model

This embedded mixed methods study investigates the development of rural elementary students’ conceptual understanding of force and motion as a result of the implementation of robotics instruction immersed within a 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons. Three treatment groups and one controlled comparison group (n=96) participated in pretests and posttests (Science Series Assessment 1, Russell and McGuigan, 2001) the day the activities were completed as well as one week after the completion of the treatment, 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons and draw and tell interviews. Prior to the intervention, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills stanine scores were grouped into three levels: high, medium and low, and provided a sample size of 36, three from each ability level from each experimental and control groups. These participants were pulled three at a time and participated individually in the draw and tell activity before the intervention, during and one week following the close of the intervention. Observations, field notes, coded interviews and quantitative data were used for meta-inference. The data suggests that with respect to long term retention of accurate understanding of concepts related to force and motion, participants who utilize robotics instruction immersed within 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons are more likely to successfully retain correct concepts of force and motion (p\u3e.05). According to the findings from this study, participants who did not utilize robotics instruction were less likely to have accurate long term retention of concepts related to force and motion and were more likely to return to their original misunderstandings of said topic. With regards to ability level, low ability participants who utilized the robotics component were more likely to retain knowledge on topics related to force and motion; whereas only one participant in the control group identified as low ability could do the same. This study addresses a gap in the literature by providing the quantitative and qualitative data that supports the importance of immersing robotics into 5E Learning Cycle Model lessons as a means to assist students of various ability levels in addressing their understandings of physics concepts

Review of anthraquinone applications for pest management and agricultural crop protection

We have reviewed published anthraquinone applications for international pest management and agricultural crop protection from 1943 to 2016. Anthraquinone (AQ) is commonly found in dyes, pigments and many plants and organisms. Avian repellent research with AQ began in the 1940s. In the context of pest management, AQ is currently used as a chemical repellent, perch deterrent, insecticide and feeding deterrent in many wild birds, and in some mammals, insects and fishes. Criteria for evaluation of effective chemical repellents include efficacy, potential for wildlife hazards, phytotoxicity and environmental persistence. As a biopesticide, AQ often meets these criteria of efficacy for the non-lethal management of agricultural depredation caused by wildlife. We summarize published applications of AQ for the protection of newly planted and maturing crops from pest birds. Conventional applications of AQ-based repellents include preplant seed treatments [e.g. corn (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), wheat (Triticum spp.), millet (Panicum spp.), sorghum (Sorghumbicolor L.), pelletized feed and forest tree species] and foliar applications for rice, sunflower, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), turf, sugar beets (Beta vulgaris L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), sweet corn and nursery, fruit and nut crops. In addition to agricultural repellent applications, AQ has also been used to treat toxicants for the protection of non-target birds. Few studies have demonstrated AQ repellency in mammals, including wild boar (Sus scrofa, L.), thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus,Mitchill), black-tailed prairie dogs (Cyomys ludovicainus, Ord.), common voles (Microtus arvalis, Pallas), housemice (Musmusculus, L.), Tristram’s jirds (Meriones tristrami, Thomas) and black rats (Rattus rattus L.). Natural sources of AQ and its derivatives have also been identified as insecticides and insect repellents. As a natural or synthetic biopesticide, AQ is a promising candidate for many contexts of non-lethal and insecticidal pest management

Applications of Chemical Bird Repellents for Crop and Resource Protection: A Review and Synthesis

Non-lethal repellents are needed to protect newly planted and ripening crops, to prevent valuable resources from being damaged by some wild birds worldwide. We systematically searched all scientific publications, patents and product registrations to developa current review and synthesis regarding chemical bird repellents for wildlife researchers, ecologists, managers, and conservationists. We then developed a database regarding the testing procedures and repellency results associated with the published and unpublished literature. For this comprehensive database, we developed an ‘index of success,’ or relative efficacy level (e.g. effective in most experiments), associated with each tested bird repellent. We found 345 papers published in 1948–2022, including 2,994 tests of 1,478 repellent chemicals. From 224 publications regarding seed repellents, chemicals that were effective in most experiments and tested in three or more experiments include fungicides (cycloheximide, thiuram), insecticides (carbamates, imidacloprid), starlicide (3-chloro-p-toluidinehydrochloride), human pharmaceuticals (aminopyridine, quinine sulfate), petroleum distillate (paranapthalene), alkaloids (caffeine, quininesulfate), monoterpenes (d-pulegone) and naturally occurring or synthetic polyphenolic compounds (anthraquinone). Among 114 publications regarding repellents used for foliar/fruit applications, chemicals that were effective in most experiments include activated charcoal, anthraquinone and carbamate. Among other bird repellents that were reportedly effective in most experiments, chemicals used for water applications and tested in three or more experiments include benzaldehyde, ortho-aminoacetophenone, and sodium chloride; chemicals used as bait repellents include anthraquinone, methylanthranilate and 2-carbamoyloxyethyl(trimethyl)azanium chloride; and the single chemical regarded as an area repellent was methylanthranilate. There are currently 17 registered bird repellent products in the USA for five active ingredients, including anthraquinone, capsaicin, methiocarb, methylanthranilate, and polybutene. Future research and development of chemical bird repellents should include biopesticides (i.e. pesticides derived from natural materials) and pesticides that are already registered for human food use. The future discovery of repellent active ingredients and repellent products can be facilitated by an understanding of the scientific literature, patents and product registrations regarding bird repellent applications summarised in this review

Optimization of human, animal, and environmental health by using the One Health approach

Emerging diseases are increasing burdens on public health, negatively affecting the world economy, causing extinction of species, and disrupting ecological integrity. One Health recognizes that human, domestic animal, and wildlife health are interconnected within ecosystem health and provides a framework for the development of multidisciplinary solutions to global health challenges. To date, most health-promoting interventions have focused largely on single-sector outcomes. For example, risk for transmission of zoonotic pathogens from bush-meat hunting is primarily focused on human hygiene and personal protection. However, bush-meat hunting is a complex issue promoting the need for holistic strategies to reduce transmission of zoonotic disease while addressing food security and wildlife conservation issues. Temporal and spatial separation of humans and wildlife, risk communication, and other preventative strategies should allow wildlife and humans to co-exist. Upstream surveillance, vaccination, and other tools to prevent pathogen spillover are also needed. Clear multi-sector outcomes should be defined, and a systems-based approach is needed to develop interventions that reduce risks and balance the needs of humans, wildlife, and the environment. The ultimate goal is long-term action to reduce forces driving emerging diseases and provide interdisciplinary scientific approaches to management of risks, thereby achieving optimal outcomes for human, animal, and environmental health

Optimization of human, animal, and environmental health by using the One Health approach

Emerging diseases are increasing burdens on public health, negatively affecting the world economy, causing extinction of species, and disrupting ecological integrity. One Health recognizes that human, domestic animal, and wildlife health are interconnected within ecosystem health and provides a framework for the development of multidisciplinary solutions to global health challenges. To date, most health-promoting interventions have focused largely on single-sector outcomes. For example, risk for transmission of zoonotic pathogens from bush-meat hunting is primarily focused on human hygiene and personal protection. However, bush-meat hunting is a complex issue promoting the need for holistic strategies to reduce transmission of zoonotic disease while addressing food security and wildlife conservation issues. Temporal and spatial separation of humans and wildlife, risk communication, and other preventative strategies should allow wildlife and humans to co-exist. Upstream surveillance, vaccination, and other tools to prevent pathogen spillover are also needed. Clear multi-sector outcomes should be defined, and a systems-based approach is needed to develop interventions that reduce risks and balance the needs of humans, wildlife, and the environment. The ultimate goal is long-term action to reduce forces driving emerging diseases and provide interdisciplinary scientific approaches to management of risks, thereby achieving optimal outcomes for human, animal, and environmental health

Influence of extender, freezing rate, and thawing rate on post-thaw motility, viability and morphology of coyote (Canis latrans) spermatozoa

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the post-thaw effects of three cryoprotective extenders (Tris-fructose-citric acid extender, Tris-glucose-citric acid extender, and lactose extender), three linear freezing rates (À1, À6, and À20 8C/min), and three thawing rates (37 8C water bath for 120 s, 60 8C water bath for 30 s, and 70 8C water bath for 8 s) on coyote spermatozoa. After thawing, the findings supported that cryopreservation of coyote (Canis latrans) spermatozoa frozen at a moderate freezing rate (À6 8C/min), in either a Tris-fructose or Tris-glucose extender, and thawed at a slow rate (37 8C water bath for 120 s) or moderate rate (60 8C water bath for 30 s), resulted in a more vigorous post-thaw motility (range, 57.5-44.0%) and viability (range, 64-49.6%) with the least amount of morphological and acrosomal abnormalities.

A Cyclical Phenomenon among Stock & Commodity Markets

Considerable studies have examined the relationship between commodity markets and stock markets. This paper studies the cyclical relationship between commodity markets and stock markets with implications for investing based on index relationships. Stock markets are represented by the U.S. S&P 500 index and aggregate commodity markets by the U.S. producer price index (PPI). Tradeable market indexes readily available to investors, namely the S&P GSCI Index and the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM), are also studied. An optimal bandpass filter is used to estimate the cyclical component using a pricing-performance measure of the S&P 500 relative to the PPI, based on annual data from 1871 to 2022. The S&P GSCI and the BCOM indexes are also used to test the robustness of the findings. The impacts of the financial crisis of 2008 and the coronavirus pandemic are also assessed. The overriding conclusion of the study is that a cyclical relationship exists between stock markets and commodity markets for both aggregate and tradeable indexes which can last, from peak to peak, approximately 31 years. Measuring returns and risks in a manner consistent with these cycles can shed new light on the usefulness of commodity investing via tradeable indexes in seeking efficient portfolios

Determination of Cabergoline by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Picogram Detection via Column Focusing Sample Introduction

An electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for low-picogram detection of an ergot alkaloid, cabergoline, in coyote plasma extracts. Cabergoline is under investigation as an abortifacient in canid species. Central to the successful development of this method was the ability to introduce relatively large sample volumes into the mass spectrometer. This was achieved by focusing the analyte on a conventional high-performance liquid chromatography guard column prior to elution into the spectrometer. Volumes up to at least 900 μL could be injected onto the guard column using a 100% aqueous mobile phase. Cabergoline retained on the column was eluted as a discreet band into the mass spectrometer by the rapid addition of methanol (30%) to the mobile phase. As compared to flow injection sample introduction, the ability to inject larger sample volumes led to a greatly lowered detection limit. Using this technique and a modification of a previously reported extraction procedure, cabergoline could be determined in coyote plasma at concentrations as low as 9 pg of cabergoline/ mL of plasma

Determination of Cabergoline by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Picogram Detection via Column Focusing Sample Introduction

An electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for low-picogram detection of an ergot alkaloid, cabergoline, in coyote plasma extracts. Cabergoline is under investigation as an abortifacient in canid species. Central to the successful development of this method was the ability to introduce relatively large sample volumes into the mass spectrometer. This was achieved by focusing the analyte on a conventional high-performance liquid chromatography guard column prior to elution into the spectrometer. Volumes up to at least 900 μL could be injected onto the guard column using a 100% aqueous mobile phase. Cabergoline retained on the column was eluted as a discreet band into the mass spectrometer by the rapid addition of methanol (30%) to the mobile phase. As compared to flow injection sample introduction, the ability to inject larger sample volumes led to a greatly lowered detection limit. Using this technique and a modification of a previously reported extraction procedure, cabergoline could be determined in coyote plasma at concentrations as low as 9 pg of cabergoline/ mL of plasma