CHANGING STRUCTURES IN THE BARLEY PRODUCTION AND MALTING INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

Substantial changes have taken place recently in the regulation of agricultural trade in North America. The effect of these changes on trade in agricultural commodities is of particular interest to producers and policymakers in the Northern Plains and Rockies region. In this paper, we discuss specifically the malt barley production, malting, and brewing industries in light of these new trade agreements and their ramifications. We evaluate the incentives that free trade provides for mergers between barley malting firms, and then we assess the consequences of these mergers on the realized gains from trade for consumers, barley producers, and malting firms. The globalization of markets has fundamentally changed the world in which economic agents operate. Trade has been liberalized through multilateral world-wide agreements such as the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) and through regional free trade agreements such as those within the European Union, the Canadian/United States Trade Agreement (CUSTA), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A striking phenomena which has accompanied trade liberalization has been the international merger of firms and the creation of many jointly owned multinational operations. There are two distinct types of malt barley that differ in their yield and in their production areas in North America. Montana and the Canadian provinces grow primarily high-quality two row barley, while North Dakota and Minnesota produce primarily six row malting varieties. Two row barley yields more malt per bushel for maltsters, but it is more prone to disease for barley producers. The opening of the border between the United States and Canada has made large quantities of two row barley available to U.S. malting firms and brewers. The trade policy literature suggests that trade liberalization will have a profound impact on domestic policy choice, making the costs of any government action to increase market prices above the prevailing world price more expensive. Open borders should also provide discipline on how industries price in the domestic market. With import restrictions such as tariffs in place, the non-competitive industry structures that raise prices in the domestic market can exist with limited fear of foreign competition. With freer trade, however, the industry faces more potential competition. When a free trade policy merges formally distinct markets for which stable industry structures exist, this creates additional incentives for mergers within the newly combined industry that reduce these gains from free trade. This analysis was motivated by observing the malting barley industry in Canada and the United States. In 1985, prior to CUSTA, the two domestic markets for barley malt were distinctly separated by import license requirements into Canada and import tariffs in the United States. As such, both countries had large malting industries, but there was little trade flow between the two countries in malting barley, in barley malt, or in beer. Four firms controlled 90 percent of the Canadian malting market, and six firms controlled over 80 percent of the U.S. malting market before CUSTA. As a result of mergers after CUSTA, five firms owned 90 percent of the malting capacity in North America. Economies of scale and elimination of high cost plants often drive industry consolidation. Interestingly enough, despite all of the merger activity among malting firms, there were very few plant closures and very little new capacity built. Even new entrants to either the United States or Canadian industries purchased the assets of existing firms, rather than building new plants. We review relevant literature for firm behavior and report the results of a model for the incentives for plant mergers in the North American malting industry following CUSTA. We evaluate malting firm profits, the changes in malting margins, the price effects, and the overall welfare effects of the creation of the free trade area and subsequent mergers within the industry. We found that free trade, in the absence of mergers, increases output in both countries and reduces malting margins leading to large gains for consumers and producers of malt barley. The agreement, however, also increases incentives for mergers. With the mergers that took place, we show that merging barley malting firms have incentives to decrease output by about 21 percent, while their producers' surplus increased by approximately 34 percent. The net benefits of free trade to consumers and input suppliers are reduced by mergers, while the profits of merging firms are increased by them. Overall, with free trade and mergers, there is still a net social gain relative to pre-CUSTA. Malt production in Canada increases by over 12 percent, while that in the U.S. is slightly lower, leaving North American consumers, firms, and barley producers better off.malting barley, industry concentration, free trade agreement, Industrial Organization, Q1, F1,

The Growing Concern of Poverty in the United States: an exploration of food prices and poverty on obesity rates for low-income citizens

Studies demonstrate the link between income and obesity, determining factors to explain the strong correlation between high body mass index and low socioeconomic status. Many focus on uncovering predictors but few use a systems approach: identifying the interaction among predictors and their relative magnitude concerning obesity. This study asks: do poverty or food price indicators have a statistically stronger relationship with obesity? By collecting data, evaluating trends, and analyzing statistics, this study extends research by revealing a stronger relationship between obesity and food prices as opposed to obesity and poverty

Profiling ambivalence in the context of nonsuicidal self-injury

Background: We aimed to identify profiles of ambivalence among individuals with a history of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and tested whether profiles differed across various theoretically informed constructs: NSSI-related characteristics, cognitive (outcome expectancies, self-efficacy to resist NSSI), emotional (psychological distress, difficulties in emotion regulation), personality, and incentives to engage/not engage in NSSI. Methods: Individuals with a lifetime history of NSSI (n = 224) reported the extent to which they wanted to and did not want to engage in NSSI and completed well-validated measures of the constructs of interest. Results: Latent profile analysis indicated four ambivalence profiles (avoid: n = 39; moderately ambivalent: n = 85; highly ambivalent: n = 30; approach: n = 70). The profiles differed across a number of NSSI-related characteristics, cognitive, emotional, and incentive-related variables. Differences between the ambivalence profiles and the avoid/approach profiles varied across constructs. For example, the ambivalence and approach profiles were similar for NSSI-related outcome expectancies, but the ambivalence and avoidance profiles were similar for self-efficacy to resist NSSI. Conclusion: Findings highlight variation between the desire to engage or not engage in NSSI that are consistent with the notion of ambivalence. Understanding these differences may allow for a more person-centered approach in treatment for NSSI

Senior Recital: Ethan Machamer, Trombone; Lu Witzig, Piano; Joseph Buczko, Trombone; Connor Franke, Trombone; Peyton Gray, Trombone; Nick Sisson, Trombone; Charlie Machamer, Piano; Jack O\u27Mahony, Bass; Sean Duffy, Drums; April 6, 2024

Kemp Recital HallApril 6, 2024Saturday Evening4:00 p.m

It’s a long shot, but it just might work! Perspectives on the future of medicine

Abstract What does the future of medicine hold? We asked six researchers to share their most ambitious and optimistic views of the future, grounded in the present but looking out a decade or more from now to consider what’s possible. They paint a picture of a connected and data-driven world in which patient value, patient feedback, and patient empowerment shape a continually learning system that ensures each patient’s experience contributes to the improved outcome of every patient like them, whether it be through clinical trials, data from consumer devices, hacking their medical devices, or defining value in thoughtful new ways

Characterization of systematic error in Advanced LIGO calibration

The raw outputs of the detectors within the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory need to be calibrated in order to produce the estimate of the dimensionless strain used for astrophysical analyses. The two detectors have been upgraded since the second observing run and finished the year-long third observing run. Understanding, accounting, and/or compensating for the complex-valued response of each part of the upgraded detectors improves the overall accuracy of the estimated detector response to gravitational waves. We describe improved understanding and methods used to quantify the response of each detector, with a dedicated effort to define all places where systematic error plays a role. We use the detectors as they stand in the first half (six months) of the third observing run to demonstrate how each identified systematic error impacts the estimated strain and constrain the statistical uncertainty therein. For this time period, we estimate the upper limit on systematic error and associated uncertainty to be $< 7\%$ in magnitude and $< 4$ deg in phase ($68\%$ confidence interval) in the most sensitive frequency band 20-2000 Hz. The systematic error alone is estimated at levels of $< 2\%$ in magnitude and $< 2$ deg in phase

The PhanSST global database of Phanerozoic sea surface temperature proxy data

Paleotemperature proxy data form the cornerstone of paleoclimate research and are integral to understanding the evolution of the Earth system across the Phanerozoic Eon. Here, we present PhanSST, a database containing over 150,000 data points from five proxy systems that can be used to estimate past sea surface temperature. The geochemical data have a near-global spatial distribution and temporally span most of the Phanerozoic. Each proxy value is associated with consistent and queryable metadata fields, including information about the location, age, and taxonomy of the organism from which the data derive. To promote transparency and reproducibility, we include all available published data, regardless of interpreted preservation state or vital effects. However, we also provide expert-assigned diagenetic assessments, ecological and environmental flags, and other proxy-specific fields, which facilitate informed and responsible reuse of the database. The data are quality control checked and the foraminiferal taxonomy has been updated. PhanSST will serve as a valuable resource to the paleoclimate community and has myriad applications, including evolutionary, geochemical, diagenetic, and proxy calibration studies

Antimicrobial resistance in dairy slurry tanks: A critical point for measurement and control

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Multi-omics Analysis Reveals Immune Features Associated with Immunotherapy Benefit in Patients with Squamous Cell Lung Cancer from Phase III Lung-MAP S1400I Trial

PURPOSE: Identifying molecular and immune features to guide immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based regimens remains an unmet clinical need. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Tissue and longitudinal blood specimens from phase III trial S1400I in patients with metastatic squamous non-small cell carcinoma (SqNSCLC) treated with nivolumab monotherapy (nivo) or nivolumab plus ipilimumab (nivo+ipi) were subjected to multi-omics analyses including multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), nCounter PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel, whole-exome sequencing, and Olink. RESULTS: Higher immune scores from immune gene expression profiling or immune cell infiltration by mIF were associated with response to ICIs and improved survival, except regulatory T cells, which were associated with worse overall survival (OS) for patients receiving nivo+ipi. Immune cell density and closer proximity of CD8+GZB+ T cells to malignant cells were associated with superior progression-free survival and OS. The cold immune landscape of NSCLC was associated with a higher level of chromosomal copy-number variation (CNV) burden. Patients with LRP1B-mutant tumors had a shorter survival than patients with LRP1B-wild-type tumors. Olink assays revealed soluble proteins such as LAMP3 increased in responders while IL6 and CXCL13 increased in nonresponders. Upregulation of serum CXCL13, MMP12, CSF-1, and IL8 were associated with worse survival before radiologic progression. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency, distribution, and clustering of immune cells relative to malignant ones can impact ICI efficacy in patients with SqNSCLC. High CNV burden may contribute to the cold immune microenvironment. Soluble inflammation/immune-related proteins in the blood have the potential to monitor therapeutic benefit from ICI treatment in patients with SqNSCLC

Household economic burden of type-2 diabetes and hypertension comorbidity care in urban-poor Ghana:a mixed methods study

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) predispose households to exorbitant healthcare expenditures in health systems where there is no access to effective financial protection for healthcare. This study assessed the economic burden associated with the rising burden of type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension comorbidity management, and its implications for healthcare seeking in urban Accra. Methods: A convergent parallel mixed-methods study design was used. Quantitative sociodemographic and cost data were collected through survey from a random community-based sample of 120 adults aged 25 years and older and living with comorbid T2D and hypertension in Ga Mashie, Accra, Ghana in November and December 2022. The monthly economic cost of T2D and hypertension comorbidity care was estimated using a descriptive cost-of-illness analysis technique from the perspective of patients. Thirteen focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among community members with and without comorbid T2D and hypertension. The FGDs were analysed using deductive and inductive thematic approaches. Findings from the survey and qualitative study were integrated in the discussion. Results: Out of a total of 120 respondents who self-reported comorbid T2D and hypertension, 23 (19.2%) provided complete healthcare cost data. The direct cost of managing T2D and hypertension comorbidity constituted almost 94% of the monthly economic cost of care, and the median direct cost of care was US$19.30 (IQR:10.55–118.88). Almost a quarter of the respondents pay for their healthcare through co-payment and insurance jointly, and 42.9% pay out-of-pocket (OOP). Patients with lower socioeconomic status incurred a higher direct cost burden compared to those in the higher socioeconomic bracket. The implications of the high economic burden resulting from self-funding of healthcare were found from the qualitative study to be: 1) poor access to quality healthcare; (2) poor medication adherence; (3) aggravated direct non-medical and indirect cost; and (4) psychosocial support to help cope with the cost burden. Conclusion: The economic burden associated with healthcare in instances of comorbid T2D and hypertension can significantly impact household budget and cause financial difficulty or impoverishment. Policies targeted at effectively managing NCDs should focus on strengthening a comprehensive and reliable National Health Insurance Scheme coverage for care of chronic conditions