Developing the Spatial Dimension of Farm Business Models

A non-linear mathematical farm business optimisation model, that is set within a spatial economic framework, has been developed. The model incorporates factors such as location, spatial market orientation and technology use, and identifies the business strategy that is optimal in different market and policy environments. Farm household time-use is incorporated centrally within the model, enabling it to examine how on-farm and off-farm activities compete for limited farm household human resources. The model is applied to a beef and sheep farm that can choose between selling livestock to meat processors or processing on-farm and selling direct to consumers. Model simulations reveal when it is optimal for the farm business to innovate in this way and how this decision is affected by changes in key parameters. The farm business model is solved using the GAMS/LINDOGlobal mathematical programming software package. While traditional nonlinear programming and mixed-integer nonlinear programming algorithms are guaranteed to converge only under certain convexity assumptions, GAMS/LINDOGlobal finds guaranteed globally optimal solutions to general nonlinear problems. The model and model results are discussed within the context of theoretical underpinnings, model tractability, and potential applications.Farm Management,

“Waiting for Godot”- Restructuring on Small Family Farms

This paper examines the extent to which favourable off-farm labour market conditions coupled with growth in land values have contributed to the observed resilience of small scale family farms. We use data from Northern Ireland and employ farm household optimisation models to analyse household decision making processes that contribute to the observed inertia in farm structure. The analysis indicates that farm household behaviour is influenced not just by current farm income, but also expected capital asset returns. Increased wealth, associated with continuing land ownership, gives rise to the proposition that the link between off-farm incomes, increased land values and remaining in farming may be associated with farmers pursuing wealth maximizing objectives, whilst still maintaining a rural way of life. Alongside increased wealth through land ownership the farm household model quantifies the importance of off-farm income removing the pressure from farming income to fund all family consumption needs. This enables households to sustain low-income farming activities in order to pursue other objectives such as wealth management (including tax efficient transfer of wealth) and lifestyle. Consequently, the results indicate that the survival of small-scale family farms may be much less sensitive to agricultural support policies than has been commonly suggested. In an extension that explores the effects of the recent economic turbulence due to the ‘credit crunch’ we find that the households remain resilient even when subjected to a protracted period of reduced off-farm employment.Farm households, resilience, wealth accumulation, off-farm income, Consumer/Household Economics, Productivity Analysis, C61, Q12,

Assessing the impact of participatory extension programme membership on farm business performance in Northern Ireland.

Publication history: Accepted - 26 September 2021; Published online - 30 September 2021.This paper evaluates the impact of membership of the Business Development Groups (BDG), a participatory extension programme in Northern Ireland on the economic performance of participating farmers for dairy and sheep enterprise groups. The study employs the conditional difference-in-differences approach which combines a non-parametric matching estimator with a difference-in-differences analytical technique to obtain a credible best-estimates of the causal effect of BDG membership on farmers’ economic performance assuming that BDG participation is as good as random after controlling for observable farm characteristics and that the parallel trends assumption holds between BDG participants and non-participants. The results of the analyses showed that membership in the BDG programme has a statistically significant impact on the economic performance of participating farmers. Specifically, the results showed that farmers who are members of the dairy and sheep BDGs increased their gross margin by £109.10 and £17.10 per head respectively compared to farmers that are non-members of the BDGs. The results of the study provide robust evidence to inform policy development around the area of participatory extension programmes. It also supports the design of efficient agricultural education and extension systems that incorporates the ideas of the farmers themselves through peer-to-peer learning thereby maximising the economic and social benefits accruable from such programmes.This research was undertaken as part of the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Evidence and Innovation Programme (DAERA E&I 18/1/01)—Impact of RDP: Evaluation of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020, Farm Business Improvement Scheme-Longitudinal Stud

Supporting physiotherapy learners in practice settings: a mixed methods evaluation of experiences of physiotherapy educators

Background Practice-based education is an essential component of pre-registration physiotherapy programs, and there is a need for a contemporary review of practice-based educational experiences. Purpose The aim of this study was to explore physiotherapy practice educators’ experiences of supporting learners to inform considerations for future workforce development. Methods This was a mixed methods sequential explanatory study based in the United Kingdom (UK). Phase one of the study utilized an online survey disseminated via the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) professional networks. Phase two consisted of three semi-structured focus group interviews with participants who expressed an interest via completion of the online survey. All were registered or associate CSP members who actively support practice-based education. Results A total of 208 participants completed the online survey and a sub-set of 15 participated in online focus groups. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Initial thematic analysis of qualitative data from both phases was undertaken by one researcher. Subsequent analyses were carried out independently by the remaining research team, and comparisons were made to agree on codes, categories, and themes. The practice educator is vital in developing the future workforce (30%, n = 61, strongly agree). Identified challenges included supervising more than one learner (34%, n = 67 not at all experienced) and using technology to provide alternative placement models (45%, n = 87 not at all experienced). Conclusion Practice educators need accessible opportunities for professional development. Practice-based education should be embedded as an integral component of all staff roles. A team approach is essential to developing the future physiotherapy workforce

Genome analysis and avirulence gene cloning using a high-density RADseq linkage map of the flax rust fungus, Melampsora lini

Agroinfiltration of avirulence gene constructs. The response of flax cultivars and near-isogenic lines to expression of avirulence gene candidates (AvrM14-A, AvrM14-B and AvrL2-A) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation. (PDF 2637 kb

Isotopic evidence for dominant secondary production of HONO in near-ground wildfire plumes

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important precursor to hydroxyl radical (OH) that determines atmospheric oxidative capacity and thus impacts climate and air quality. Wildfire is not only a major direct source of HONO, it also results in highly polluted conditions that favor the heterogeneous formation of HONO from nitrogen oxides (NOx= NO + NO2) and nitrate on both ground and particle surfaces. However, these processes remain poorly constrained. To quantitatively constrain the HONO budget under various fire and/or smoke conditions, we combine a unique dataset of field concentrations and isotopic ratios (15N / 14N and 18O / 16O) of NOx and HONO with an isotopic box model. Here we report the first isotopic evidence of secondary HONO production in near-ground wildfire plumes (over a sample integration time of hours) and the subsequent quantification of the relative importance of each pathway to total HONO production. Most importantly, our results reveal that nitrate photolysis plays a minor role (\u3c5 %) in HONO formation in daytime aged smoke, while NO2-to-HONO heterogeneous conversion contributes 85 %–95 % to total HONO production, followed by OH + NO (5 %–15 %). At nighttime, heterogeneous reduction of NO2 catalyzed by redox active species (e.g., iron oxide and/or quinone) is essential (≥ 75 %) for HONO production in addition to surface NO2 hydrolysis. Additionally, the 18O / 16O of HONO is used for the first time to constrain the NO-to-NO2 oxidation branching ratio between ozone and peroxy radicals. Our approach provides a new and critical way to mechanistically constrain atmospheric chemistry and/or air quality models on a diurnal timescale

Supporting physiotherapy learners in practice settings: a mixed methods evaluation of experiences of physiotherapy educators.

Practice-based education is an essential component of pre-registration physiotherapy programs, and there is a need for a contemporary review of practice-based educational experiences. The aim of this study was to explore physiotherapy practice educators' experiences of supporting learners to inform considerations for future workforce development. This was a mixed methods sequential explanatory study based in the United Kingdom (UK). Phase one of the study utilized an online survey disseminated via the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) professional networks. Phase two consisted of three semi-structured focus group interviews with participants who expressed an interest via completion of the online survey. All were registered or associate CSP members who actively support practice-based education. A total of 208 participants completed the online survey and a sub-set of 15 participated in online focus groups. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Initial thematic analysis of qualitative data from both phases was undertaken by one researcher. Subsequent analyses were carried out independently by the remaining research team, and comparisons were made to agree on codes, categories, and themes. The practice educator is vital in developing the future workforce (30%,  = 61, strongly agree). Identified challenges included supervising more than one learner (34%,  = 67 not at all experienced) and using technology to provide alternative placement models (45%,  = 87 not at all experienced). Practice educators need accessible opportunities for professional development. Practice-based education should be embedded as an integral component of all staff roles. A team approach is essential to developing the future physiotherapy workforce

Combined evaluation of sexually transmitted infections in HIV-infected pregnant women and infant HIV transmission

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Treponema pallidum (TP), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) may lead to adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes. The role of combined maternal STIs in HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) was evaluated in mother-infant pairs from NICHD HPTN 040. Methodology Urine samples from HIV-infected pregnant women during labor were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for CT, NG, and CMV. Infant HIV infection was determined by serial HIV DNA PCR testing. Maternal syphilis was tested by VDRL and confirmatory treponemal antibodies. Results A total of 899 mother-infant pairs were evaluated. Over 30% had at least one of the following infections (TP, CT, NG, and/or CMV) detected at the time of delivery. High rates of TP (8.7%), CT (17.8%), NG (4%), and CMV (6.3%) were observed. HIV MTCT was 9.1% (n = 82 infants). HIV MTCT was 12.5%, 10.3%, 11.1%, and 26.3% among infants born to women with CT, TP, NG or CMV respectively. Forty-two percent of HIV-infected infants were born to women with at least one of these 4 infections. Women with these infections were nearly twice as likely to have an HIV-infected infant (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.0), particularly those with 2 STIs (aOR 3.4, 95% CI 1.5-7.7). Individually, maternal CMV (aOR 4.4 1.5-13.0) and infant congenital CMV (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.2-7.8) but not other STIs (TP, CT, or NG) were associated with an increased risk of HIV MTCT. Conclusion HIV-infected pregnant women identified during labor are at high risk for STIs. Co-infection with STIs including CMV nearly doubles HIV MTCT risk. CMV infection appears to confer the largest risk of HIV MTCT.NICHD (NICHD)(Brazilian AIDS Prevention Trials International Network), NIAID/ NIHNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BIPI)GlaxoSmithKline, on behalf of ViiV HealthcareCepheid for the testing of CTNG in a prior HPTNUCLA Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute (CDI) through the Harry Winston Fellowship AwardUCLA AIDS InstituteUCLA Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) NIH/ NIAIDUCLA Pediatric AIDS Coalition, and WestatNIH/NICHDDavid Geffen UCLA Sch Med, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USAWestat Corp, Rockville, MD USAFundacao Oswaldo Cruz FIOCRUZ, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUS Dept State, Off Global AIDS Coordinator, Washington, DC 20520 USAElizabeth Glaser Pediat AIDS Fdn, Washington, DC USAHosp Geral Nova Iguacu, Nova Iguacu, RJ, BrazilHosp Fed Servidores Estado, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Witwatersrand, SAMRC & Perinatal HIV Res Unit, Johannesburg, South AfricaStellenbosch Univ, Tygerberg Hosp, Cape Town, South AfricaHosp Conceicao, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHosp Femina, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilIrmandade Santa Casa Misericordia Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Sao Paulo, BrazilFdn Maternal & Infant Hlth FUNDASAMIN, Buenos Aires, DF, ArgentinaUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilEunice Kennedy Shriver Natl Inst Child Hlth & Hum, NIH, Bethesda, MD USAUCLA, Fielding Sch Publ Hlth, Los Angeles, CA USAUCSD Sch Med, La Jolla, CA USAUC Davis Sch Med, Davis, CA USABoston Univ, Sch Med, Boston, MA 02118 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilNICHD (NICHD): HHSN267200800001C, N01-HD-8-0001Brazilian AIDS Prevention Trials International Network: NIAID/ NIH [U01 AI047986National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID): U01 AI068632, UM1AI068632, UM1AI068616, UM1AI106716NIMH: AI068632NG in a prior HPTN :040UCLA Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) NIH/ NIAID: AI02869, AI28697NIH/NICHD: HHSN275201300003CWeb of Scienc