Management Strategies of Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

Farm Management,

Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

USDA defines beginning farmers and ranchers as those who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less either as a sole operator or with others who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less. Beginning farmers tend to be younger than established farmers and to operate smaller farms or ranches, some of which may provide no annual production. Beginning farmers often face obstacles getting started, including high startup costs and limited availability of land. USDA—through the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service—provides loans and conservation assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers. This report draws on data from annual surveys and the Census of Agriculture to provide policymakers with a better understanding of beginning farmers and ranchers, including how they contribute to U.S. agricultural production.agricultural production, Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), beginning farmers and ranchers, Census of Agriculture, farm assets, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, Conservation Reserve Program, operator characteristics, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management,

Hearing in three dimensions: Sound localization

The ability to localize a source of sound in space is a fundamental component of the three dimensional character of the sound of audio. For over a century scientists have been trying to understand the physical and psychological processes and physiological mechanisms that subserve sound localization. This research has shown that important information about sound source position is provided by interaural differences in time of arrival, interaural differences in intensity and direction-dependent filtering provided by the pinnae. Progress has been slow, primarily because experiments on localization are technically demanding. Control of stimulus parameters and quantification of the subjective experience are quite difficult problems. Recent advances, such as the ability to simulate a three dimensional sound field over headphones, seem to offer potential for rapid progress. Research using the new techniques has already produced new information. It now seems that interaural time differences are a much more salient and dominant localization cue than previously believed

The uses of process modeling : a framework for understanding modeling formalisms

There is wide-spread recognition of the urgent need to improve software processes in order to improve the performance of software organizations. Process models are essential in achieving understanding and visibility of processes and are important for other uses including the analysis of processes for improvement. It has been increasingly difficult to compare and evaluate the variety of process modeling formalisms that have appeared in recent years without a clear understanding of precisely for what they will be used. The contribution of this paper is to provide an understanding and a fairly comprehensive catalog of the applications of process modeling for which formalisms may be used. The primary mechanism for doing this is a guided tour of the literature on process modeling supplemented by recent industrial experience. In the paper, basic definitions concerning processes, process descriptions and process modeling are reviewed and then uses of process modeling are surveyed under the following headings: communication among process participants, construction of new processes, control of processes, process· analysis, and process support by automation. Comments are offered on paradigms for process modeling formalisms and directions for future work to permit evolution of a discipline of process engineering are given

Microparticle assembly pathways on lipid membranes

Understanding interactions between microparticles and lipid membranes is of increasing importance, especially for unraveling the influence of microplastics on our health and environment. Here, we study how a short-ranged adhesive force between microparticles and model lipid membranes causes membrane-mediated particle assembly. Using confocal microscopy, we observe the initial particle attachment to the membrane, then particle wrapping, and in rare cases spontaneous membrane tubulation. In the attached state, we measure that the particle mobility decreases by 26%. If multiple particles adhere to the same vesicle, their initial single-particle state determines their interactions and subsequent assembly pathways: 1) attached particles only aggregate when small adhesive vesicles are present in solution, 2) wrapped particles reversibly attract one another by membrane deformation, and 3) a combination of wrapped and attached particles form membrane-mediated dimers, which further assemble into a variety of complex structures. The experimental observation of distinct assembly pathways induced only by a short ranged membrane-particle adhesion, shows that a cellular cytoskeleton or other active components are not required for microparticle aggregation. We suggest that this membrane-mediated microparticle aggregation is a reason behind reported long retention times of polymer microparticles in organisms.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures (including supporting material

Emergency Department Costs by Methods of Payment

This study analyzes how the health care system is utilized by people living in the United States. The primary focus is on the use of Emergency Rooms and the forms of payment used by patients, as we are concerned with the costs of moving the uninsured population to Medicaid. This research analyzes data from the Health Care Utilization Project’s (HCUP) 2006 National Statistics of all Emergency Department visits that resulted in discharge. Data specifically focuses on the recipients of Medicaid, the uninsured, recipients of Medicare, and those using private insurance. The 2006 population for each form of payment is also presented. Using the data, we have subtracted utilization rates between Medicaid and the uninsured and multiplied these rates by the mean cost of the Medicaid population. This result was then divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the total uninsured 2006 population to produce an estimated cost of moving the total uninsured population. After performing such steps, the results show that an estimated $280,085,549,000 dollars would be the cost of insuring 47 million uninsured individuals with Medicaid from 2006. Still, there are numerous factors to be considered, such as the maximum percent each individual state will cover for its residents under Medicaid, as well as the health habits patients may adopt with Medicaid and the growth in population. Such research will contribute to the growing field of work on how to provide the best quality of care for patients at the best cost.Ope

Factors Driving Sow Breeding Operations to Become Large

This study examines the influences of economic and non-economic variables on the size of U.S. sow breeding operations using a probit model. Data from a national survey of U.S. hog operations identifying two different size categories were used in this study. Findings indicate that factors such as operations located in Delta States, climate controlled facilities, specialized operation, breeding practices, and risk attitudes toward investments influence decisions to establish breeding operations with 500 or more sows. Producers located in Iowa were more likely to choose breeding operations with 499 or less sows.Farm Management,

African-American Parents: A New Partnership with Higher Education

A close association of African- American parents and universities can benefit the parents, the universities, and African-American students