Incidence of Agro-Climate Variability over Grass-Fed Cattle Markets.

The marginal contribution of each of the selected variables was quantified in terms of premiums and discounts and mapped as dynamic iso-price regions that illustrate geographic and seasonal permanent price patterns for feeder cattle, as well as changing market conditions derived from unexpected climate and weather variability. The graphic representation of how price patterns may change with climate variability allows for a better understanding of short term market disequilibrium derived from this type of variability. This may help cattle operators and producers improve farm management and making informed decisions.cattle prices, climate variability, agro-ecological conditions, seasonal effects, price formation, differentiated products, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

A CENSORED SYSTEM ESTIMATION OF HISPANIC HOUSEHOLD FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS

A system of nine censored Engel curve equations was estimated for Hispanic households in the U.S.: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, legumes, fats, sugar, and beverages. Income and household size elasticities, with their respective confidence intervals, are reported and the results compared with other ethnic groups in the U.S.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

COMPARISONS OF HISPANIC HOUSEHOLDS' DEMAND FOR MEATS WITH OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS

The objective of this research was to analyze the demand patterns of Hispanic households for meats in comparison with other ethnic groups using data from the 1998 Consumer Expenditure Survey. A system of demand equations of the LinQuad form were estimated for ten meat products using an incomplete system of censored equations. Hispanic households showed a clear preference for beef. Price, income, and household-size elasticities were estimated for each meat product by ethnic group. The demand for ground beef was the most income-inelastic product regardless of ethnicity. Household size had a positive effect on the probability of consuming a particular meat product but a negative effect on actual item expenditures.Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis,

As organizações leiteiras da bacia oriental do Uruguai e o desenvolvimento do setor

In recent years, Uruguayan dairy has seen significant growth and development. From the territorial point of view, this has shown different intensities. The non-traditional basin of eastern Uruguay, consisting of the departments of Lavalleja, Maldonado and Rocha, showed lower levels of development compared to other areas of the country. This asymmetry would be influenced, at least partially, by weaknesses of the dairy producer organizations present in the eastern region, as they represent collective instruments of support, promotion and defense of the interests of the sector. The objective of this study is to analyze the structure and characteristics of these organizations and to inquire about the causes that limit dairy development in the region. The conceptual framework is based on the vision of social capital as a contributing factor to productive, economic and social development. The research was carried out between 2015 and 2017, and consisted of collecting primary information through semi-structured surveys and consulting secondary information. The results show that dairy producer associations have small social mass, low levels of partner participation and a low degree of articulation and cooperation with other entities of the local and national environment. In general terms and in a broad sense, there are weaknesses in the regional social capital related to dairy, which helps explain the relative lag of the sector in this region compared to the traditional basin.En los últimos años la lechería uruguaya tuvo un crecimiento y un desarrollo significativos. Desde el punto de vista territorial, esta manifestación mostró diferente intensidad. La cuenca no tradicional del este del Uruguay, constituida por los departamentos de Lavalleja, Maldonado y Rocha, evidenció niveles inferiores de desarrollo respecto a otras zonas del país. Esta asimetría podría estar influenciada, por lo menos parcialmente, por debilidades de las organizaciones de productores lecheros presentes en la región este, en tanto representan instrumentos colectivos de soporte, promoción y defensa de los intereses del sector. El objetivo del trabajo es analizar la estructura y las características de estas organizaciones, e indagar sobre las causas que limitan el desarrollo de la lechería en la región. El marco conceptual se basa en la visión del capital social como factor coadyuvante del desarrollo productivo, económico y social. La investigación se realizó entre los años 2015 y 2017, y consistió en el relevamiento de información primaria a través de encuestas semiestructuradas y la consulta de información secundaria. Los resultados muestran que las agremiaciones de productores lecheros cuentan con reducida masa social, escasos niveles de participación de los socios y bajo grado de articulación y cooperación con otras entidades del medio local y nacional. En términos generales y en sentido amplio, existen debilidades en el capital social regional relacionado con la lechería, lo que contribuye parcialmente a explicar limitaciones en el desarrollo del sector.Nos últimos anos, o laticínio uruguaio teve significativo crescimento e desenvolvimento. Do ponto de vista territorial, esta manifestação mostrou intensidade diferente. A bacia não tradicional do Leste do Uruguai, formada pelos departamentos de Lavalleja, Maldonado e Rocha, apresentou níveis de desenvolvimento mais baixos em comparação com outras áreas do país. Esta assimetria seria influenciada, pelo menos parcialmente, pelas fragilidades das organizações de produtores de leite presentes na região leste, visto que representam instrumentos coletivos de apoio, promoção e defesa dos interesses do setor. O objetivo do trabalho é analisar a estrutura e as características dessas organizações, e indagar sobre as causas que limitam o desenvolvimento da pecuária leiteira na região. O marco conceitual é baseado na visão do Capital Social como fator contribuinte para o desenvolvimento produtivo, econômico e social. A pesquisa foi realizada entre 2015 e 2017, e consistiu na coleta de informações primárias por meio de pesquisas semiestruturadas e consulta a informações secundárias. Os resultados mostram que as associações de produtores de leite apresentam uma pequena massa social, baixos níveis de participação dos associados e um baixo grau de articulação e cooperação com outras entidades a nível local e nacional. Em termos gerais e de forma ampla, existem fragilidades do Capital Social regional relacionadas com os produtos lácteos, o que ajuda a explicar a defasagem relativa do setor nesta região em relação à bacia tradicional

COINTEGRATION AND PRICE LINKAGES IN THE MERCOSUR BEEF CATTLE MARKETS

This research provides empirical evidence of the degree of integration of Mercosur region beef cattle markets with the international market. Prices for six spatially distinct cattle markets located in the four countries were analyzed using a fractional cointegration approach. The analysis included the computation of fractional integration parameters and the error term of the cointegration equations. The null hypothesis of ‘separate markets’ could not be rejected in any of the cases. This conclusion is absolute for Argentina; there is strong evidence of separate markets with Uruguay, which was chosen as a proxy of the international market. For Brazil and Paraguay, empirical results may suggest a weak degree of market integration but not enough to reject the null hypothesis. Despite the common price and industry trends in the different markets, their responses to specific price shocks were dissimilar and, most importantly, the reversion of the prices to equilibrium was always slow

Avaliação econômica e contábil das cadeias produtivas do arroz beneficiado no Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil) e Uruguai com aplicação da Matriz de Análise de Políticas

Rice is the basis of diet for almost half of the world population, and its culture is one of the strategic agroindustrial production chains in the agribusiness environment, in both economic and social levels. Thus, the comparative analysis between the production chains of rice milled in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, and Uruguay was mainly motivated by the interest in knowing the differences in the business environment and public policies that impact the competitiveness of this chain in both study regions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the economic efficiency, competitiveness, and effects of public policies of the rice production chain of milled rice in RS (Brazil) relative to Uruguay. The data collected in this study are from the 2011-2012 harvests and indicators were calculated by applying the concepts of the policy analysis matrix (PAM). Results showed that the chains in both study regions were competitive under the existing market and policy conditions, revealed comparative advantage, transferred a high load of resources to other sectors of the economy, and satisfactorily remuneration of the domestic production factors. However, the competitiveness and comparative advantage shown in this study were not due to the encouraging intervention policies, as both production systems pay high taxes.O arroz é a base da alimentação para quase metade da população mundial, e sua cultura se situa como uma das cadeias produtivas agroindustriais estratégicas no ambiente do agronegócio, tanto no nível econômico como no social. Assim, a análise comparativa entre as cadeias produtivas do arroz beneficiado no Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brasil e no Uruguai foi motivada, principalmente, pelo interesse em conhecer as diferenças no ambiente de negócios e nas políticas públicas que afetam a competitividade desta cadeia nas respectivas regiões. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficiência econômica, competitividade, e efeitos de políticas públicas da cadeia produtiva de arroz beneficiado no RS (Brasil) em relação ao Uruguai. Os dados coletados neste estudo são das safras de 2011-2012 e, os indicadores foram calculados aplicando os conceitos da matriz de análise de políticas (MAP). Os resultados mostraram que as cadeias em ambas as regiões de estudo foram competitivas sob as condições de mercado e políticas existentes, evidenciaram vantagem comparativa, transferiram alto volume de recursos para outros setores da economia, remunerando satisfatoriamente os fatores domésticos de produção. Entretanto, tal competitividade e vantagem comparativa demonstrada não se deveram às intervenções políticas de incentivo, pois ambos sistemas de produção pagam elevados tributos

Towards continuously programmable networks

While programmability has been a feature of network devices for a long time, the past decade has seen significant enhancement of programming capability for network functions and nodes, spearheaded by the ongoing trend towards softwarization and cloudification. In his context, new design principles and technology enablers are introduced (Section 7.2) which reside at: (i) service/application provisioning level, (ii) network and resource management level, as well as (iii) network deployment and connectivity level

The Results of the URRAH (Uric Acid Right for Heart Health) Project: A Focus on Hyperuricemia in Relation to Cardiovascular and Kidney Disease and its Role in Metabolic Dysregulation

The relationship between Serum Uric Acid (UA) and Cardiovascular (CV) diseases has already been extensively evaluated, and it was found to be an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality but also acute coronary syndrome, stroke and heart failure. Similarly, also many papers have been published on the association between UA and kidney function, while less is known on the role of UA in metabolic derangement and, particularly, in metabolic syndrome. Despite the substantial number of publications on the topic, there are still some elements of doubt: (1) the better cut-off to be used to refine CV risk (also called CV cut-off); (2) the needing for a correction of UA values for kidney function; and (3) the better definition of its role in metabolic syndrome: is UA simply a marker, a bystander or a key pathological element of metabolic dysregulation?. The Uric acid Right for heArt Health (URRAH) project was designed by the Working Group on uric acid and CV risk of the Italian Society of Hypertension to answer the first question. After the first papers that individuates specific cut-off for different CV disease, subsequent articles have been published responding to the other relevant questions. This review will summarise most of the results obtained so far from the URRAH research project

New Mediterranean marine biodiversity records (December, 2013)

Based on recent biodiversity studies carried out in different parts of the Mediterranean, the following 19 species are included as new records on the floral or faunal lists of the relevant ecosystems: the green algae Penicillus capitatus (Maltese waters); the nemertean Am- phiporus allucens (Iberian Peninsula, Spain); the salp Salpa maxima (Syria); the opistobranchs Felimida britoi and Berghia coerulescens (Aegean Sea, Greece); the dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus (central-west Mediterranean and Ionian Sea, Italy); Randall’s threadfin bream Nemipterus randalli, the broadbanded cardinalfish Apogon fasciatus and the goby Gobius kolombatovici (Aegean Sea, Turkey); the reticulated leatherjack Stephanolepis diaspros and the halacarid Agaue chevreuxi (Sea of Marmara, Turkey); the slimy liagora Ganon- ema farinosum, the yellowstripe barracuda Sphyraena chrysotaenia, the rayed pearl oyster Pinctada imbricata radiata and the Persian conch Conomurex persicus (south-eastern Kriti, Greece); the blenny Microlipophrys dalmatinus and the bastard grunt Pomadasys incisus (Ionian Sea, Italy); the brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus (north-eastern Levant, Turkey); the blue-crab Callinectes sapidus (Corfu, Ionian Sea, Greece). In addition, the findings of the following rare species improve currently available biogeographical knowledge: the oceanic pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Malta); the yellow sea chub Kyphosus incisor (Almuñécar coast of Spain); the basking shark Cetorhinus maximus and the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus (north-eastern Levant, Turkey).peer-reviewe