Food Safety Information and Food Demand Effects of Temporary and Permanent News

This paper examines the cross-impacts of food safety news concerning one product on the demand for another product, using the Danish demand for pasteurized eggs versus shell eggs as an illustrative case. The study identifies news with a temporary impact and news with a permanent impact on consumers' food demand behavior. The techniques used to identify the permanent versus temporary news are recursive estimation and parameter stability. Whereas "permanent" news is identified to be represented by a specific individual event, "temporary" news concerning salmonella in eggs is aggregated into a news-index variable. Both temporary and permanent news concerning salmonella in shell eggs appear to have significant positive impacts on the demand for pasteurized eggs. The model is estimated as an Error Correction Model. Consumers are found to adjust quite rapidly to both temporary and permanent news. Both the composition of egg consumption accounted as mean budget shares varies across socio-demographic household groups as well as the impact of the considered permanent news.salmonella, news, egg demand, error correction model, socio-economic groups, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A study of marine stratocumulus using lidar and other FIRE aircraft observations

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) airborne infrared lidar system (NAILS) used in the 1987 First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) off the coast of California is a 10.6 microns wavelength carbon dioxide lidar system constructed by Ron Schwiesow and co-workers at NCAR. The lidar is particularly well suited for detailed observations of cloud shapes; i.e., height of cloud top (when flying above cloud and looking down) and cloud base (when flying below cloud and looking up) along the flight path. A brief summary of the lidar design characteristics is given. The lidar height resolution of plus or minus 3 m allows for the distance between the aircraft and cloud edge to be determined with this accuracy; however, the duration of the emitted pulse is approximately 3 microseconds, which corresponds to a 500 m pulse length. Therefore, variations in backscatter intensities within the clouds can normally not be resolved. Hence the main parameter obtainable from the lidar is distance to cloud; in some cases the cloud depth can also be determined. During FIRE the lidar was operational on 7 of the 10 Electra flights, and data were taken when the distance between cloud and aircraft (minimum range) was at least 500 m. The lidar was usually operated at 8 Hz, which at a flight speed of 100 m s(-1) translates into a horizontal resolution of about 12 m. The backscatter as function of time (equivalent to distance) for each laser pulse is stored in digital form on magnetic tape. Currently, three independent variables are available to the investigators on the FIRE Electra data tapes: lidar range to cloud, strength of return (relative power), and pulse width of return, which is related to penetration depth

Differentiated Food Taxes as a Tool in Health and Nutrition Policy

The purpose of the present study is to analyse the effects of using economic policy tools in nutrition policy, e.g. introduction of specific taxes on unhealthy food components or differentiated VAT on foods. The effects of such regulation instruments are demonstrated using Denmark as an illustrative case. A model concept combining econometric models of food consumption behaviour for different socio-demographic groups with a model for conversion between food consumption and nutrient intake is developed. The socio-demographic effects of four different tax or subsidy regulation schemes are investigated.obesity, food taxes, econometric model, socio-demographic differences, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Differentiated Food Taxes as a Tool in Health and Nutrition Policy

The purpose of the present study is to analyse the effects of using economic policy tools in nutrition policy, e.g. introduction of specific taxes on unhealthy food components or differentiated VAT on foods. The effects of such regulation instruments are demonstrated using Denmark as an illustrative case. A model concept combining econometric models of food consumption behaviour for different socio-demographic groups with a model for conversion between food consumption and nutrient intake is developed. The socio-demographic effects of four different tax or subsidy regulation schemes are investigated.obesity, food taxes, econometric model, socio-demographic differences, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

The Evolution of Conventions under Incomplete Information

We formulate an evolutionary learning process in the spirit of Young (1993) for games of incomplete information. The process involves trembles. For many games, if the amount of trembling is small, play will be in accordance with the games' (semi-strict) Bayesian equilibria most of the time. This supports the notion of Bayesian equilibrium. Further, often play will most of the time be in accordance with exactly one Bayesian equilibrium. This gives a selection among the Bayesian equilibria. For two specific games of economic interest we characterize this selection. The first is an extension to incomplete information of the prototype strategic conflict known as Chicken. The second is an incomplete information bilateral monopoly, which is also an extension to incomplete information of Nash's demand game, or a simple version of the so-called sealed bid double auction. For both games selection by evolutionary learning is in favor of Bayesian equilibria where some types of players fail to coordinate, such that the outcome is inefficient.

The evolution of conventions under incomplete information

We formulate an evolutionary learning process in the spirit of Young (1993a) for games of incomplete information. The process involves trembles. For many games, if the amount of trembling is small, play will be in accordance with the games' (semi- strict) Bayesian equilibria most of the time. This supports the notion of Bayesian equilibrium. Further, often play will most of the time be in accordance with exactly one Bayesian equilibrium. This gives a selection among the Bayesian equilibria. For two specific games of economic interest we characterize this selection. The first is an extension to incomplete information of the prototype strategic conflict known as Chicken. The second is an incomplete information bilateral monopoly, which is also an extension to incomplete information of Nash's demand game, or a simple version of the so-called sealed bid double auction. For both games selection by evolutionary learning is in favor of Bayesian equilibria where some types of players fail to coordinate, such that the outcome is inefficient.Games of incomplete information, Bayesian equilibrium, evolution, learning, conventions

Costs of Reducing Nutrient Losses in Denmark - Analyses of Different Regulation Systems and Cost Effective Measures

The economic calculations carried out prior to the Plan for the Aquatic Environment III included a comparison of regulation systems aimed at reducing nitrogen leaching, analyses of measures for reducing phosphorus losses and estimation of administrative costs. The conclusions were that taxation of the N-surplus introduced at the sector level was the most cost effective regulation when compared with administrative regulation and set a side. For phosphorus a balance between incoming and outgoing phosphorus is very costly as this requires that much slurry is transported from the western to the eastern part of Denmark. The final plan for the Aquatic Environment III from 2004 included a 13% reduction of N-leaching until 2015 based on cost effective administrative measures like wetlands and catch crops. Also a tax on mineral phosphorus in feedstuffs was included in order to half the phosphorus surplus. The measures in the Plan will have to be supplemented by more measures to meet the targets in the EU's Water Framework Directive.cost-effectiveness, cost of reducing nitrogen leaching, phosphorus, administrative costs, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q51, Q52, Q53,

Vital staining of calcifying tissue in animals with Tetracycline, Calcein green and Xylenol orange

Vital staining of calcifying tissue has been reported in previous studies‘ but such investigations have involved either a constant labelling with one dye. or double or triple labelling; with one or more dyes. 1n the present study five adult dogs had a constant oral administration of Tetracyclines and two infusions of Caleein green and Xylenol orange, each administered twice after 3 and 4 weeks and 11 and 12 weeks, respectively. This method caused all newly formed bone to be marked with Tetracycline. Qualitative information can be obtained by observing the location of the Caleein green bands and the Xy1enol orange bands. The bone formation rate can be determined by measuring the distance between labelling bands of Caleein green and Xylenol orange. We found this method of combined labelling to be of value in the investigation of bone remodelling, particularly in cases ofsurgieal trauma