2,788 research outputs found
Southwestern Minnesota Farm Business Management Association 2008 Annual Report
Average net farm income was 242,267 in 2007 (Figure 1). 2008 ended a steady trend of increasing year-to-year incomes for these farms from 2001 to 2007. Crop farms, with historically high corn and soybean prices, remained very profitable. However, specialized hog farms, which had been very profitable for the past four years, experienced substantial losses. Highlights of association financial results for 2008: Median net farm income was 449,997 while the least profitable lost 115,999. The average debt-to-asset ratio improved slightly to 39%, down from 40% (Figure 4). • Corn yields were up but soybean yields were down. Corn averaged 172 bushels per acre compared to 162 in 2007. Soybeans yields decreased to 44 bushels from 49 in 2007 (Figure 5). • Both corn and soybean prices received increased by over 50% to 10.83 for soybeans. • The cost to raise an acre of corn (with land rent) increased by 23% while soybean costs increased by 21%. The cost to produce a bushel of corn on cash rented land increased from 2.90 in 2008, while soybean costs per bushel increased from 7.21. • The average specialized hog operation (those with 70% of sales from hogs or pigs) lost over 1,000,000, were the least profitable based on rate of return on assets. This group earned an average ROA of 7% compared to 14% for farms that grossed between 1,000,000. • With exceptionally high feed prices, no hog or beef enterprise, with the exception of contract growing of hogs (where the contractor provided the feed) covered even direct costs of production. The report provides additional information on profitability, liquidity, and solvency as well as other whole-farm information and detailed information on crop and livestock enterprises. Also reported are whole-farm financial condition and performance by county, sales size class, type of farm, debt-to-asset ratio, and age of operator.Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,
Effects Of Gender Presence In Senior Leadership Positions Upon Perspectives For Enhancing Workforce Diversity
The evidence gathered through this research supports the conclusion that the perceptions of leaders regarding who is more effective in addressing workforce diversity issues are more likely to be significantly different depending on the degree of presence of females’ leaders in senior management. In this regard, the presence of female’s leaders in senior management appears to be a significant factor in how males and females are perceived as to whom best allocates current operational resources when addressing workforce diversity issue
Online Search Strategies Of Educational Administrators For Determining The Credibility Of Information Gleaned From A Website
Based on a survey of 158 educational leaders situated in public schools, the level of educational leadership, whether a school superintendent or a principal in a secondary, middle-school, or elementary school, was not a significant factor in operational online strategies utilized or benchmarks relied upon for determining the credibility of information obtained from a website
AGN accretion and black hole growth across compact and extended galaxy evolution phases
The extent of black hole growth during different galaxy evolution phases and
the connection between galaxy compactness and AGN activity remain poorly
understood. We use Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the CANDELS fields to
identify star-forming and quiescent galaxies at z=0.5-3 in both compact and
extended phases and use Chandra X-ray imaging to measure the distribution of
AGN accretion rates and track black hole growth within these galaxies.
Accounting for the impact of AGN light changes ~20% of the X-ray sources from
compact to extended galaxy classifications. We find that ~10-25% of compact
star-forming galaxies host an AGN, a mild enhancement (by a factor ~2) compared
to extended star-forming galaxies or compact quiescent galaxies of equivalent
stellar mass and redshift. However, AGN are not ubiquitous in compact
star-forming galaxies and this is not the evolutionary phase, given its
relatively short timescale, where the bulk of black hole mass growth takes
place. Conversely, we measure the highest AGN fractions (~10-30%) within the
relatively rare population of extended quiescent galaxies. For massive galaxies
that quench at early cosmic epochs, substantial black hole growth in this
extended phase is crucial to produce the elevated black hole mass-to-galaxy
stellar mass scaling relation observed for quiescent galaxies at z~0. We also
show that AGN fraction increases with compactness in star-forming galaxies and
decreases in quiescent galaxies within both the compact and extended
sub-populations, demonstrating that AGN activity depends closely on the
structural properties of galaxies.Comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, submitted to MNRAS. Primary results are shown
in Fig 7 and summarised by Fig 12. See Fig 16 and 17 for key
interpretation/conclusion
Two minor determinants of myelin basic protein induce experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in SJL/J mice
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE)' is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease in the central nervous system (CNS) of animals immunized
with myelin basic protein (MBP). The disease is directly mediated by Thelper cells that recognize MBP in the context ofclass II antigens of the MHC (1-3). In nude
mice, a single clone of adoptively transferred MBP-reactive T helper cells can cause EAE (4), suggesting that these are the only T cells required for disease induction.
As a prototypic model of T helper cell-mediated autoimmune disease, observations in EAE could likely be applicable to other T helper cell-mediated diseases such as
murine lupus (5), thyroiditis (6), collagen arthritis (7), and adjuvant arthritis (8), as well as human autoimmune diseases. The MBP epitope is determined in part by the MHC. Using proteolytic peptide fragments of MBP, SJL/J (H-2s) and BIO.T(6R) (H-2q) mice were found to develop
EAE to the COOH-terminal peptide of MBP, whereas PL/J (H-2u) and A/J (H-2k) mice developed EAE to the NH2-terminal peptide of MBP (9). Recently, by
using synthetic peptides that overcome the difficulties of obtaining pure uncontaminated proteolytic peptides, a single T cell encephalitogenic epitope for PL/J mice
has been identified . This epitope consists of the first nine NH2-terminal amino acid residues of MBP which must be acetylated at the a amino group to induce disease
(10). Similar fine mapping of the encephalitogenic T cell epitope(s) for SJL/J mice has not been done, in part because of the large size of the COOH-terminal peptic
fragment of MBP (residues 89-169 of rat MBP, reference 9).
MouseMBP consists offour major forms due to differential RNA splicing of exons II and VI (11), resulting in molecular masses of 21, 18.5, 17.5, and 14 kD, in the
relative amounts of 1 :10:3.5:35 . Since EAE can also be induced with the small form of rat MBP (14 kD), which has exons II and VI of the MBP gene deleted (12), the
COOH-terminal encephalitogenic determinant for SJL/J mice must be present within a segment ofonly 42 amino acid residues . Consistent withthis notion is the observation that this peptide sequence is identical among the MBPs of several mammalian species, including mouse, rat, bovine, guinea pig, and porcine, all of which can induce
EAE in SJL/mice (13, 14). To identify the SJL/J encephalitogenic T cell epitope(s), overlapping peptides to
the COOH-terminal region ofthe small form of mouse MBP were synthesized. Two overlapping peptides encompassing an 18-amino acid region were found to elicit EAE in SJL/J mice. The finding of a single peptide region of MBP that is responsible for encephalitogenic T cell epitopes in SJL/J mice is analogous to that of the PL/J mice and has implications for the development of specific therapy for T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases
Row Width Effects on Corn Yield at Varying Plant Densities
The majority of corn acres in Iowa are planted in “conventional” 30-inch row widths, with some farmers choosing to stay with the 38-inch row system. Questions often arise on the magnitude of yield penalty, whether there really is a yield penalty, or if there is actually a benefit to wider row corn in specific situations with today’s elite hybrids. Recommendations are difficult because current data do not exist. There also is growing interest in narrower row corn (20-inch) and any economical or environmental benefits associated with this practice. These two questions have created a need for more research involving modern hybrids and management practices. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify any row width benefits and (2) determine the optimum planting population for each row width. In addition to this site in 2000, this research was conducted at two other university research farms
Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 3.34): Programmer's Guide
This is a programmer's guide for the Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 3.34). Included are a brief history and review of the model since its origin in 1988 and a technical discussion of recent additions and modifications. Examples of how to run both the interactive and batch (subroutine) forms are presented. Instructions are provided on how to customize output of the model for various parameters of the Mars atmosphere. Detailed descriptions are given of the main driver programs, subroutines, and associated computational methods. Lists and descriptions include input, output, and local variables in the programs. These descriptions give a summary of program steps and 'map' of calling relationships among the subroutines. Definitions are provided for the variables passed between subroutines through common lists. Explanations are provided for all diagnostic and progress messages generated during execution of the program. A brief outline of future plans for Mars-GRAM is also presented
Infectivity of an Infectious Clone of Banana Streak CA Virus in A-Genome Bananas (Musa acuminata ssp.)
We have characterized the complete genome sequence of an Australian isolate of banana streak CA virus (BSCAV). A greater-than-full-length, cloned copy of the virus genome was assembled and agroinoculated into five tissue-cultured plants of nine different Musa acuminata banana accessions. BSCAV was highly infectious in all nine accessions. All five inoculated plants from eight accessions developed symptoms by 28 weeks post-inoculation, while all five plants of M. acuminata AA subsp. zebrina remained symptomless. Symptoms were mild in six accessions but were severe in Khae Phrae (M. acuminata subsp. siamea) and the East African Highland banana accession Igisahira Gisanzwe. This is the first full-length BSCAV genome sequence reported from Australia and the first report of the infectivity of an infectious clone of banana streak virus
Physics-Based Modeling for Determining Transient Current Flow in Multi-Layer Pcb Pi Designs
A physics-based modeling methodology for determining the transient current flow path in multi-layer PI designs is given in this paper using a commercial board with a complicated structure as an example. Board structure analysis is done first to provide a physical basis of post-layout analytical and equivalent circuit modeling. A match of the PDN impedance between commercial tool simulation, post-layout analytical calculation, and the physics-based equivalent circuit modeling was achieved to support the model for the transient simulation. By analyzing the current response in all the vias, a clear representation of transient current flow across all via segments can be given layer-by-layer. The maximum current density in vertical vias can also be extracted in this process, providing a reference for preventing transient overcurrent design
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Inhibition of adenovirus serotype 14 infection by octadecyloxyethyl esters of (S)-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonomethoxy)propyl]- nucleosides in vitro.
On September 22, 2008, a physician on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, notified the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (ADHSS) of an unusually high number of adult patients with recently diagnosed pneumonia (n = 10), including three persons who required hospitalization and one who died. ADHSS and CDC conducted an investigation to determine the cause and distribution of the outbreak, identify risk factors for hospitalization, and implement control measures. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which found that the outbreak was caused by adenovirus 14 (Ad14), an emerging adenovirus serotype in the United States that is associated with a higher rate of severe illness compared with other adenoviruses. Among the 46 cases identified in the outbreak from September 1 through October 27, 2008, the most frequently observed characteristics included the following: male (70%), Alaska Native (61%), underlying pulmonary disease (44%), aged > or = 65 years (26%), and current smoker (48%). Patients aged > or = 65 years had a fivefold increased risk for hospitalization. The most commonly reported symptoms were cough (100%), shortness of breath (87%), and fever (74%). Of the 11 hospitalized patients, three required intensive care, and one required mechanical ventilation. One death was reported. Ad14 isolates obtained during the outbreak were identical genetically to those in recent community-acquired outbreaks in the United States which suggests the emergence of a new, and possibly more virulent Ad14 variant. Clinicians should consider Ad14 infection in the differential diagnosis for patients with community-acquired pneumonia, particularly when unexplained clusters of severe respiratory infections are detected
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