IMPACT OF DAIRY PRODUCT IMPORTS ON U.S. MILK PRICE

Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

The St. Louis milk market : three decades of change

Cover title.Includes bibliographical references

Electrical impedance along connective tissue planes associated with acupuncture meridians

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture points and meridians are commonly believed to possess unique electrical properties. The experimental support for this claim is limited given the technical and methodological shortcomings of prior studies. Recent studies indicate a correspondence between acupuncture meridians and connective tissue planes. We hypothesized that segments of acupuncture meridians that are associated with loose connective tissue planes (between muscles or between muscle and bone) visible by ultrasound have greater electrical conductance (less electrical impedance) than non-meridian, parallel control segments. METHODS: We used a four-electrode method to measure the electrical impedance along segments of the Pericardium and Spleen meridians and corresponding parallel control segments in 23 human subjects. Meridian segments were determined by palpation and proportional measurements. Connective tissue planes underlying those segments were imaged with an ultrasound scanner. Along each meridian segment, four gold-plated needles were inserted along a straight line and used as electrodes. A parallel series of four control needles were placed 0.8 cm medial to the meridian needles. For each set of four needles, a 3.3 kHz alternating (AC) constant amplitude current was introduced at three different amplitudes (20, 40, and 80 μAmps) to the outer two needles, while the voltage was measured between the inner two needles. Tissue impedance between the two inner needles was calculated based on Ohm's law (ratio of voltage to current intensity). RESULTS: At the Pericardium location, mean tissue impedance was significantly lower at meridian segments (70.4 ± 5.7 Ω) compared with control segments (75.0 ± 5.9 Ω) (p = 0.0003). At the Spleen location, mean impedance for meridian (67.8 ± 6.8 Ω) and control segments (68.5 ± 7.5 Ω) were not significantly different (p = 0.70). CONCLUSION: Tissue impedance was on average lower along the Pericardium meridian, but not along the Spleen meridian, compared with their respective controls. Ultrasound imaging of meridian and control segments suggested that contact of the needle with connective tissue may explain the decrease in electrical impedance noted at the Pericardium meridian. Further studies are needed to determine whether tissue impedance is lower in (1) connective tissue in general compared with muscle and (2) meridian-associated vs. non meridian-associated connective tissue

AN ANALYSIS OF BUYER-SELLER RELATIONS BETWEEN FOOD CHAINS AND FLUID MILK PROCESSORS IN THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION

Abstract not availabl

A Survey of Central Milk Programs in Midwestern Food Chains

A major structural change is occurring in the food chain segment of milk marketing channels in the North Central Region. Food chains increasingly are initiating central milk programs which represent various degrees of integration. Respondents in a survey gave savings obtained as the major reason for having central milk programs. Sources of savings included dealing with fewer suppliers, lower milk costs, and reduced delivery services. Savings in distribution costs was the main reason for chains operating their own milk plants. If the forces encouraging integration by food chains continue at the rate that existed at the time of the survey, 1968-69, a continuation of the recent structural trend can be expected

The Current Dairy Industry Setting-- Evolving Problems and Issues

The dairy industry has become concentrated in fewer and larger firms at the farm, processing, and distribution levels. Prices and terms of trade in the industry are undergirded by government milk pricing programs--primarily the price support program and the federal milk marketing order program. The goals and objectives of these programs are outlined and an evaluation is made of their performance. Emerging problems and issues resulting from price support levels, rapidly increasing energy costs, changing farm and market structure, improvements in transportation, and growth in cooperatives are enumerated

The World Dairy Market--Government Intervention and Multilateral Policy Reform

Milk is produced worldwide, but dairy trade is dominated by manufactured dairy products. Only about 5 percent of total world milk production is traded internationally. If freer trade existed, there would likely be higher international dairy prices but the effects on international price stability and trade volumes would be uncertain. The European Community would likely face the greatest changes in adapting to liberalized trade. The United States would likely remain a minor but potentially more active participant in international dairy markets. This is report describes international dairy production, consumption, and trade; trade policies of dairy trading nations; and examines market adjustments that might occur under agricultural trade liberalization