SWINE PRODUCTION NETWORKS IN MINNESOTA: RESOURCES FOR DECISION MAKING

Swine production networks are becoming a significant part of the Minnesota swine industry, with at least 30 production networks in operation as of late 1995. There are probably at least 450 producers involved, representing at least nine percent of the state s sow inventory. Not counted in these numbers are a few other networks involved only in data-sharing or marketing as well as a large number of farmer-to-farmer custom/contract arrangements. We interviewed 20 producers involved in networks. None of the networks we surveyed had been in operation very long, with most in business no more than a year or two. It is too early to predict what their long-term success will be. Most of the respondents seemed pleased with the arrangements so far. An example financial analysis of a 1,400 sow network is presented in the paper. Pig pricing formulas and custom rates are discussed for sharing risks among the farrower, nursery and finisher members of the network. The staff paper is 34 pages plus a 26 page annotated reading list of other publications on networking and segregated early weaning.Livestock Production/Industries,

Guest Artist: Kyle Gregory

Kemp Recital HallApril 14, 2013Sunday Evening8:00 p.m

Guest Artist Recital: Sonic Exploration Society

Kemp Recital HallFebruary 9, 2012Thursday Evening8:00 p.m

Baseline Chest Computed Tomography as Standard of Care in High-Risk Hematology Patients

Baseline chest computed tomography (BCT) in high-risk hematology patients allows for the early diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). The distribution of BCT implementation in hematology departments and impact on outcome is unknown. A web-based questionnaire was designed. International scientific bodies were invited. The estimated numbers of annually treated hematology patients, chest imaging timepoints and techniques, IPA rates, and follow-up imaging were assessed. In total, 142 physicians from 43 countries participated. The specialties included infectious diseases (n = 69; 49%), hematology (n = 68; 48%), and others (n = 41; 29%). BCT was performed in 57% (n = 54) of 92 hospitals. Upon the diagnosis of malignancy or admission, 48% and 24% performed BCT, respectively, and X-ray was performed in 48% and 69%, respectively. BCT was more often used in hematopoietic cell transplantation and in relapsed acute leukemia. European centers performed BCT in 59% and non-European centers in 53%. Median estimated IPA rate was 8% and did not differ between BCT (9%; IQR 5-15%) and non-BCT centers (7%; IQR 5-10%) (p = 0.69). Follow-up computed tomography (CT) for IPA was performed in 98% (n = 90) of centers. In high-risk hematology patients, baseline CT is becoming a standard-of-care. Chest X-ray, while inferior, is still widely used. Randomized, controlled trials are needed to investigate the impact of BCT on patient outcome

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

SWINE PRODUCTION NETWORKS IN MINNESOTA: RESOURCES FOR DECISION MAKING

Swine production networks are becoming a significant part of the Minnesota swine industry, with at least 30 production networks in operation as of late 1995. There are probably at least 450 producers involved, representing at least nine percent of the state s sow inventory. Not counted in these numbers are a few other networks involved only in data-sharing or marketing as well as a large number of farmer-to-farmer custom/contract arrangements. We interviewed 20 producers involved in networks. None of the networks we surveyed had been in operation very long, with most in business no more than a year or two. It is too early to predict what their long-term success will be. Most of the respondents seemed pleased with the arrangements so far. An example financial analysis of a 1,400 sow network is presented in the paper. Pig pricing formulas and custom rates are discussed for sharing risks among the farrower, nursery and finisher members of the network. Comments: The staff paper is 34 pages plus a 26 page annotated reading list of other publications on networking and segregated early weaning.

SWINE PRODUCTION NETWORKS IN MINNESOTA: RESOURCES FOR DECISION MAKING

Swine production networks are becoming a significant part of the Minnesota swine industry, with at least 30 production networks in operation as of late 1995. There are probably at least 450 producers involved, representing at least nine percent of the state s sow inventory. Not counted in these numbers are a few other networks involved only in data-sharing or marketing as well as a large number of farmer-to-farmer custom/contract arrangements. We interviewed 20 producers involved in networks. None of the networks we surveyed had been in operation very long, with most in business no more than a year or two. It is too early to predict what their long-term success will be. Most of the respondents seemed pleased with the arrangements so far. An example financial analysis of a 1,400 sow network is presented in the paper. Pig pricing formulas and custom rates are discussed for sharing risks among the farrower, nursery and finisher members of the network. The staff paper is 34 pages plus a 26 page annotated reading list of other publications on networking and segregated early weaning