Economic Impacts of Soybean Rust on the US Soybean Sector

The spread of Asian Soybean Rust (ASR) represents a real threat to the U.S. soybean sector. We assess the potential impacts of ASR on domestic soybean production and commodity markets as well as the competitive position of the US in the soybean export market. We develop a mathematical stochastic dynamic sector model with endogenous prices to assess the economic impacts of ASR on US agriculture. The model takes into account the disease spread during the cropping season, the inherent uncertainty regarding the risk of infection, and the dichotomous decisions that farmers make (no treatment, preventive treatment, and curative treatment) facing the risk of infection. Our results suggest substantial impacts from potential ASR spread on agricultural output, prices and exports. Our simulation results suggest that substantial losses to the US soybean producers may be avoided by establishing effective soybean rust controls. ASR control policies can be particularly efficient if applied in the gateway regions on the path of the ASR spread. On the other hand, our results indicate a possible gradual shift in soybean production from lower-latitude states toward higher-latitude statesAsian Soybean Rust, Stochastic Models, Dynamic Models, Crop Production/Industries, C61, Q13,

Economic Impacts of Soybean Rust on the US Soybean Sector

The spread of Asian Soybean Rust (ASR) represents a real threat to the U.S. soybean sector. We assess the potential impacts of ASR on domestic soybean production and commodity markets as well as the competitive position of the US in the soybean export market. We develop a mathematical stochastic dynamic sector model with endogenous prices to assess the economic impacts of ASR on US agriculture. The model takes into account the disease spread during the cropping season, the inherent uncertainty regarding the risk of infection, and the dichotomous decisions that farmers make (no treatment, preventive treatment, and curative treatment) facing the risk of infection. Our results suggest substantial impacts from potential ASR spread on agricultural output, prices and exports. Our simulation results suggest that substantial losses to the US soybean producers may be avoided by establishing effective soybean rust controls. ASR control policies can be particularly efficient if applied in the gateway regions on the path of the ASR spread. On the other hand, our results indicate a possible gradual shift in soybean production from lower-latitude states toward higher-latitude states.Asian Soybean Rust, Stochastic Models, Dynamic Models, Agribusiness, Marketing, C61, Q13,

The Micro Slit Gas Detector

We describe the first tests with a new proportional gas detector. Its geometry consists in slits opened in a copper metallized kapton foil with 30 micron anode strips suspended in these openings. In this way the multiplication process is similar to a standard MSGC. The fundamental difference is the absence of an insulating substrate around the anode. Also the material budget is significantly reduced, and the problems related to charging-up or polarization are removed. Ageing properties of this detector are under study.Comment: 13 pages tex file, 10 figures ep

Controlled delivery of illegal drug parcels in Scotland:Does policing practice align with a public health approach focused on drug-related harm?

An increase in the flow of drugs into the UK via international postal systems poses challenges for law enforcement. ‘Controlled delivery’ can be used to disrupt supply networks and secure intelligence for prosecution; however, critics argue that law enforcement should instead focus on reducing drug-related harm. In Scotland, national drugs strategy adopts a public health approach but it is unclear whether this extends to policing practice. Therefore, this paper examines whether controlled delivery of drug parcels aligns with a public health policing approach. We find evidence of alignment in terms of potential harm to individual users, particularly in relation to legal highs, but not in terms of drug-related harms within the communities to which parcels were destined. We argue that further investigation is required in order to assess the extent to which political intent and policing practice in Scotland align around the principles of harm reduction and public health

Safety and effectiveness of propranolol in severely burned patients: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness and safety of propranolol compared to placebo or usual care for improving clinical relevant outcomes in severely burned patients (TBSA \u3e20%). Methods Relevant articles from randomized controlled trials were identified by a literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL. We included trials involving patients with a severe burn (\u3e20% of total body surface area affected). Trials were eligible if they evaluated propranolol and compared to usual care or placebo. Two investigators independently assessed articles for inclusion and exclusion criteria and selected studies for the final analysis. We conducted a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Results We included ten studies in our systematic review. These studies randomized a total of 1236 participants. There were no significant differences between propranolol and placebo with respect to mortality (RD −0.02 [95% CI −0.06 to 0.02]), sepsis (RD −0.03 [95% CI −0.09 to 0.04]), and the overall hospital stay (MD −0.37 [−4.52 to 3.78]). Propranolol-treated adults had a decrease in requirements of blood transfusions (MD −185.64 [95% CI −331.06 to −40.43]) and a decreased heart rate (MD −26.85 [95% CI −39.95 to −13.75]). Conclusions Our analysis indicates that there were no differences in mortality or sepsis in severely burned patients treated with propranolol compared with those who had usual care or placebo. However, the use of propranolol in these patients resulted in lower requirements of blood transfusion and lower values of heart rate. The evidence synthesized in this systematic review is limited to conclude that propranolol reduces the length of hospital stay among severely burned patients. Future trials should assess the impact of propranolol on clinically relevant outcomes such as mortality and adverse events

The Jalisco Seismic Accelerometric Telemetric Network (RESAJ)

The Jalisco region of western Mexico is the locus of interaction among the North America, Cocos, and Rivera plates, giving rise to the Jalisco block. This region is one of the most tectonically active in Mexico, and here took place the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Mexico the twentieth century, on 3 June 1932 (M 8.2), three important tsunamis in the last 100 yrs, and two of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. Nevertheless, the first seismicity studies here, undertaken with temporary networks, did not commence until 1994. In 2008, the Government of Jalisco and the University of Guadalajara funded a research project to install a seismic network in this region. The principal objective was to study the seismic hazard in the region and characterize seismic parameters in the different areas to design building codes. The Red Sismica y Acelerometrica Telemetrica de Jalisco (RESAJ) project was thus initiated in 2009. Its Central Lab is at Centro de Sismologia y Volcanologia de Occidente (SisVOc), located at the Universidad de Guadalajara in Puerto Vallarta. Currently, the RESAJ has 26 telemetered and 2 autonomous stations. The RESAJ serves as the seismological lab for the postgraduate program at SisVOc.Comment: Seismological Research Letters 201

La eficacia juridica de los convenios de la organizacion internacional del trabajo (OIT), en el sistema laboral chileno

67 P.La siguiente investigación abordará el tema de la eficacia jurídica de los Convenios de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) en Chile. Para ello primeramente, se efectuará una breve reseña histórica de la OIT, y se enunciará tanto su función normativa, como el proceso de elaboración de los Convenios internacionales. Luego se analizará tanto lo señalado por la doctrina, la jurisprudencia y cómo se han visto reflejados tales instrumentos normativos internacionales en la ley, en Chile. Para ello, se expondrá el tema de las lamadas “Declaraciones Constitutivas”, en relación a la Declaración de Principios de la OIT de 1998, que determina cuales son los derechos fundamentales del trabajador, y cómo ha sido recibida ésta en el sistema laboral chileno, y cuál es su implicancia con la jerarquía normativa de los Convenios de la OIT, en relación con las disposiciones internas de nuestro país./ ABSTRACT:The next investigation will address the issue of the legal effectiveness of the Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Chile. For this at first, a brief history of the ILO, and will set out their legislative functions and the preparation of international conventions. Then analyze what as indicated by the doctrine, jurisprudence and how been reflected such international regulatory instruments in the law, in Chile. For that, it will set out the theme of so-called "Statements Constituencies", in relation to the Declaration of Principles of the ILO 1998, which determines which are the fundamental rights of workers, and how it has been received in the Chilean labor system, and what is its relationship with the hierarchy of norms of ILO Conventions, concerning the internal regulations of our country

Rodent Animal Models of Endometriosis-Associated Pain: Unmet Needs and Resources Available for Improving Translational Research in Endometriosis

Chronic pain induced by endometriosis is a maladaptive pain experienced by half of women with this disease. The lack of pharmacological treatments suitable for the long-term relief of endometriosis-associated pain, without an impact on fertility, remains an urgent unmet need. Progress has been slowed by the absence of a reproducible rodent endometriosis model that fully replicates human physiopathological characteristics, including pain symptoms. Although pain assessment in rodents is a complicated task requiring qualified researchers, the choice of the behavioral test is no less important, since selecting inappropriate tests can cause erroneous data. Pain is usually measured with reflex tests in which hypersensitivity is evaluated by applying a noxious stimulus, yet this ignores the associated emotional component that could be evaluated via non-reflex tests. We conducted a systematic review of endometriosis models used in rodents and the number of them that studied pain. The type of behavioral test used was also analyzed and classified according to reflex and non-reflex tests. Finally, we determined the most used reflex tests for the study of endometriosis-induced pain and the main non-reflex behavioral tests utilized in visceral pain that can be extrapolated to the study of endometriosis and complement traditional reflex tests