How did technical change affect land use in Brazilian agriculture?

How did technical change affect land use in Brazilian agriculture? We use data from the last two Agricultural Censuses of 1995/1996 and 2006 to answer this question for five different regions. We focus on the estimation of the Hicksian bias induced by technical change over this period and found that technical change was, in general, land-using. In the Southeast region, we found labor-saving behavior. Both results can be interpreted in light of the induced innovation hypothesis under Acemoglu s approach that allows testing when prices are not available. Acknowledgement

Agricultural productivity and forest preservation in the Brazilian Amazon

In recent decades, the northern states of Brazil have experienced high rates of agricultural productivity change and also high rates of deforestation. In this article we examine the impact of the former on the latter. We pose the question whether technical change has been biased toward or against forest preservation decreasing or increasing the amount of agricultural commodities that must be given up to preserve a unit of forest. Here we estimate the rate and biases of technical change for municipalities in the arc of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Forest, 2003 to 2015. We represent the production possibility frontier between agriculture and deforestation with a directional distance function with deforestation as an undesirable output. Our results differ by municipality, showing an average annual rate of technical change of 4.9%, and an average bias toward agricultural outputs relative to deforestation, thus reflecting increasing opportunity costs for marginal reductions in deforestation. Acknowledgement

The Impact of Cooperative Membership on Farm Income

Brazilian South and Southeast regions produced more than 50% of the Brazilian agricultural production in 2006. The Brazilian government has implemented several policies to enhance farm income on these regions such as policies towards enhancement of cooperatives production management. This directly affects farmers in these regions given that around 24% of them were members of cooperatives. In this paper, we estimate the effect of this membership on farms profitability, output supplies and input demands. To calculate these effects, we estimate a quadratic normalized restricted profit function using the Brazilian Agricultural Census of 2006 for the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. Preliminary results suggest a positive effect of cooperative membership on profit of about US$ 4.1 million per year. A positive effect of membership on output supplies and on input demand was found. Acknowledgement : The authors acknowledge the suggestions of the reviewers. Some of them will still be implemented. Foundation for the Coordination and Improvement of Higher Level or Education Personnel (Capes - Brazil) Applied Economics Program, Dept. of Agricultural Economics Federal University of Vi osa-MG

Serum concentrations of acute phase proteins and immunoglobulins of calves with rotavirus diarrhea

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to characterize changes in acute phase protein levels according to the occurrence of rotavirus diarrhea in calves in the first month of life. Blood and fecal samples were taken before colostrum intake and at 1, 2, 7, 15, 21 and 30 days of age from 24 Holstein calves allotted in three experimental groups: calves that did not present diarrhea (group A), calves that presented diarrhea, but tested negative for rotavirus in feces (group B), and calves that presented diarrhea and tested positive for rotavirus in feces (group C) (experiment 1). When the animals presented episodes of diarrhea, blood and fecal samples were taken at 24-hour intervals until the end of clinical signs (experiment 2). Serum proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE technique and rotavirus in feces was detected by PAGE. Data of experiment 1 were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test, considered significant at P<0.05. Data of experiment 2 were subjected to the HSD test. Total protein, globulins, and IgG concentrations were lower in group C than in groups A and B. Ceruloplasmin and transferrin levels were higher in group C than in groups A and B. Serum concentrations of haptoglobin and α1-acid glycoprotein did not differ significantly between groups throughout the experimental period. Calves presented diarrhea between 10.4 and 14.6 days of age in group B, and between 10.3 and 14.6 days of age in group C. In the moments of diarrhea manifestation, least square means of IgA, haptoglobin and α1-acid glycoprotein concentrations did not differ significantly between groups B and C, but ceruloplasmin and transferrin concentrations were higher in group C than in group B, as opposed to what occurred with IgG levels. These findings show that optimizing passive immunity transfer of immunoglobulins decrease the likelihood of calves developing diarrhea caused by rotavirus. In addition, ceruloplasmin presents characteristics of a biomarker of rotavirus infection in calves

Radiografia intraoral e convencional da hemiarcada superior direita de gatos domésticos

A proposta com este trabalho foi avaliar a hemiarcada superior direita de gatos domésticos por meio de técnicas radiográficas odontológicas do paralelismo, empregando-se filmes intraorais aos posicionadores de Han Shin. As imagens obtidas por essa metodologia foram correlacionadas com as técnicas radiográficas convencionais (extraorais), com o intuito de se estabelecerem vantagens ou desvantagens para detectar possíveis afecções dentais e periodontais. Foram utilizados 30 gatos, sem raça definida, 17 machos e 13 fêmeas, faixa etária entre um e três anos, confinados em gatis do Departamento de Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)/MG. Com os animais sob anestesia geral, foram realizadas radiografias da hemiarcada superior direita, incluindo três incisivos, um canino, três pré-molares e um molar em radiografias intraorais e extraorais. As imagens radiográficas foram analisadas e efetuaram-se comparações qualitativas entre pares intraorais e convencionais dos mesmos animais. Para se estabelecer a técnica radiográfica dental mais bem adaptada, foram realizadas análises estatísticas pelo teste de McNemar (qui-quadrado modificado). A técnica intraoral mostrou ser superior à extraoral (P<0,05), para achados referentes a espaço periodontal aumentado, canal radicular amplo e arredondamento de ápice, e também para a avaliação mais bem detalhada de dentes caninos, pré-molares e molares em gatos.The aim of this research was to evaluate the right maxilla hemiarcade of cats through parallel dental radiographic techniques, applying Han Shin intraoral film positioner. Images obtained with this method were correlated with conventional radiographic techniques (extraoral). The goal was to establish the advantages and disadvantages to detect possible dental and periodontal diseases. Thirty mixed breed cats were evaluated, 17 males and 13 females, ages one to three years old, confined in catteries in the Department of Zootecnia of the Federal University of Lavras/MG. Radiographies of the right maxilla were taken with the animals under general anesthesia, and three incisors, one canine, three premolars and one molar teeth were included in the intraoral and extraoral images. The radiographic images were analyzed and a qualitative comparison of pairs of intraoral and conventional images from the same animals was achieved. To establish the dental image procedures that were better adapted for cats, the McNemar Test (Modified Qui-Square) was used for statistical analysis. The intraoral technique was superior than the extra oral (P<0,05), for findings relating to increased periodontal space, broad root canal and rounded apex, and also for a more detailed evaluation of canine, premolar and molar teeth in cats.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP