Research Investments and Market Structure in the Food Processing, Agricultural Input, and Biofuel Industries Worldwide

Meeting growing global demand for food, fiber, and biofuel requires robust investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) from both public and private sectors. This study examines global R&D spending by private industry in seven agricultural input sectors, food manufacturing, and biofuel and describes the changing structure of these industries. In 2007 (the latest year for which comprehensive estimates are available), the private sector spent 19.7 billion on food and agricultural research (56 percent in food manufacturing and 44 percent in agricultural input sectors) and accounted for about half of total public and private spending on food and agricultural R&D in high-income countries. In R&D related to biofuel, annual private-sector investments are estimated to have reached 1.47 billion worldwide by 2009. Incentives to invest in R&D are influenced by market structure and other factors. Agricultural input industries have undergone significant structural change over the past two decades, with industry concentration on the rise. A relatively small number of large, multinational firms with global R&D and marketing networks account for most R&D in each input industry. Rising market concentration has not generally been associated with increased R&D investment as a percentage of industry sales.agricultural biotechnology, agricultural chemicals, agricultural inputs, animal breeding, animal health, animal nutrition, aquaculture, biofuel, concentration ratio, crop breeding, crop protection, farm machinery, fertilizers, Herfindahl index, globalization, market share, market structure, research intensity, seed improvement, Productivity Analysis,

Efficacy of a New Angioplasty Catheter for Severely Narrowed Coronary Lesions

Conventional over the wire dilation catheters may be unsuccessful in crossing coronary lesions that are severely narrowed. Hence, a new, extremely low profile coronary angioplasty catheter specifically designed to dilate such lesions was investigated. The catheter features a 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0 mm (inflated diameter) balloon mounted on a guide wire. The deflated profile of the 2.0 mm balloon measures 0.020 ± 0.001 in. (0.51 ± 0.03 mm). The catheter can be used in conjunction with 7F angiographic or 8F guide catheters.The catheter was used in 61 patients, aged 43 to 86 years, with predominantly Canadian Cardiovascular Society class III-IV angina. Dilation was attempted in 77 lesions. Lesion length averaged 5.7 ± 3.1 mm (mean ± 1 SD), minimal diameter 0.51 ± 0.25 mm and internal vessel diameter 2.27 ± 0.43 mm. Sixty lesions (78%) were successfully dilated to <50% residual stenosis with this catheter alone; nine lesions were further dilated with a larger balloon catheter. The new catheter was unable to cross 13 lesions (17%); only 2 of these lesions were subsequently crossed with a conventional over the wire system. On the other hand, the catheter was used after failure of conventional dilating catheters in 21 lesions and was successful in 16. The new catheter was particularly valuable for distal lesions and those demonstrating 90 to 99 % diameter reduction. For all lesions crossed, stenosis decreased from 76 ± 11 to 29 ± 12% after 2.9 ± 2.7 inflations and peak inflation pressure of 8.0 ± 2.9 bar. Complications were rare; coronary occlusion occurred in two lesions (3%) and dissection in three lesions (4%). There were no instances of death or emergency coronary artery bypass surgery.Thus, this new angioplasty catheter was uniquely effective and safe in patients with severe coronary lesions. Importantly, success was often achieved after failure of conventional angioplasty catheters

Challenges and future perspectives for 3D cerebral organoids as a model for complex brain disorders

The human brain is made up of billions of neurons and glial cells which are interconnected and organized into specific patterns of neural circuitry, and hence is arguably the most sophisticated organ in human, both structurally and functionally. Studying the underlying mechanisms responsible for neurological or neurodegenerative disorders and the developmental basis of complex brain diseases such as autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease has proven challenging due to practical and ethical limitations on experiments with human material and the limitations of existing biological/animal models. Recently, cerebral organoids have been proposed as a promising and revolutionary model for understanding complex brain disorders and preclinical drug screening

The Effect of Pre-exercise Galactose and Glucose Ingestion on High-Intensity Endurance Cycling

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of the pre-exercise (30 minutes) ingestion of galactose (Gal) or glucose (Glu) on endurance capacity as well as glycaemic and insulinaemic responses. Ten trained male cyclists completed three randomised high-intensity cycling endurance tests. Thirty minutes prior to each trial cyclists ingested 1 litre of either 40g of glucose, 40g of galactose, or a placebo in a double blind manner. The protocol comprised: 20 minutes of progressive incremental exercise (70% to 85% maximal power output (W max )); ten 90 second bouts at 90% W max , separated by 180 seconds at 55% W max ; 90% W max until exhaustion. Blood samples were drawn throughout the protocol. Times to exhaustion were longer with Gal (68.7±10.2 minutes, P=0.005) compared to Glu (58.5±24.9 minutes), with neither being different to placebo (63.9±16.2 minutes). Twenty-eight minutes following Glu consumption, plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations were higher than with Gal and placebo (P&lt;0.001). Following the initial 20 minutes of exercise, plasma glucose concentrations increased to a relative hyperglycaemia during the Gal and placebo, compared to Glu condition. Higher plasma glucose concentrations during exercise, and the attenuated serum insulin response at rest, may explain the significantly longer times to exhaustion produced by Gal compared to Glu. However, neither carbohydrate treatment produced significantly longer times to exhaustion than placebo, suggesting that the pre-exercise ingestion of galactose and glucose alone is not sufficient to support this type of endurance performance

Leveraging Information Technology to Support Agents of World Benefit

There is much debate about social responsibility in the context of business and industry but not much in the context of information technology. We address this void by examining developments and innovations at the interface between information technologies and positive social change. In particular, the paper explores the role of information technology in three critical domains: connectivity, education, and economic development. The underlying premise of the authors is that information and communication technologies can serve agents of social innovation in underserved communities and that their consideration is vital to the success of many efforts that pursue global and sustainable change. We also submit that such issues ought to be integrated more centrally into the practice and scholarly mission of the IS discipline

Public perceptions of, and responses to, desalination in Australia : a report on findings

Desalination as a method of ensuring a rainfall independent source of potable water has become an increasingly favourable option for Australian governments, particularly over the last decade or so. This is especially true for metropolitan areas. The social acceptability of new sources of water, however, impacts on the readiness with which publics accept changed or augmented water supplies. Researchers at Deakin University, Victoria University and Murdoch University, with funding from the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia (NCEDA), have conducted a study of public attitudes to desalination in Australia. This report outlines the results of the 18 month project, which comprises three sections. The cornerstone of the project is a national survey (n=3077), conducted by Datacol Research. The second component of the study consists of focus groups in the vicinity of three existing or developing desalination plants: Wonthaggi (Victoria), Port Stanvac (South Australia), and Kwinana (Western Australia). The third component of the study presented in this report involves interviews with desalination scientists and other technical experts, in relation to their attitudes to communication with lay publics

Is the abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii relevant to Crohn's disease?

Reports that bacteria within the Firmicutes phylum, especially the species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, are less abundant in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients and supernatants from cultures of this bacterium are anti-inflammatory prompted the investigation of the possible correlations between the abundance of F.prausnitzii and the response to treatment in patients with gut diseases and healthy controls. In a randomized, double-blind trial, faeces were collected from healthy volunteers, and from patients with active CD, ulcerative colitis (UC) and irritable bowel syndrome before and after treatment. The levels of F. prausnitzii DNA in faecal suspensions were determined by PCR. Treatment by an elemental diet was effective, resulting in decreases in both the Harvey and Bradshaw index (P<0.001) and the concentrations of serum C-reactive protein (P<0.05). The total levels of F. prausnitzii in faecal samples from CD patients at presentation were lower than those in the other groups both before and after the treatment. There was no correlation between F. prausnitzii abundance and the severity of CD before treatment. Clinical improvement unexpectedly correlated with a significant decrease in the abundance of F. prausnitzii, especially the A2-165 subgroup (P<0.05). Our data suggest that a paucity of F. prausnitzii in the gastrointestinal microbial communities is likely to be a minor aetiological factor in CD: recovery following elemental diet is attributed to lower levels of gut flora