Beyond Illinois Brick: The Law and Economics of Cost Pass-Through in the ADM Price Fixing Case

This article reviews the legal standards and the economics of indirect purchaser cases. Drawn from recent cases on behalf of consumers in the ADM price fixing case, it presents cost pass through models for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), one of the alleged price fixes in the wet corn milling industry. If soft drink bottlers, a primary user of HFCS, have fixed proportion production, constant returns to scale, and if other bottlers input prices are unaffected by variations in soft drink output due to the price fix, then the impact of the price fix on bottlers' cost is equal to the increase in the price of HFCS. The extent of pass through of the increase by bottlers is shown to depend critically upon the market structure of the bottling industry and the shape of the retail demand curve. Flexible demand functional forms are needed to avoid constraining estimated pass through rates to levels above or below full, 100 percent, pass through.Agribusiness, Demand and Price Analysis, Industrial Organization,

Methods to Enhance Verbal Communication between Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Formal and Informal Caregivers: A Systematic Review

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in older adults. Although memory problems are the most characteristic symptom of this disorder, many individuals also experience progressive problems with communication. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of methods to improve the verbal communication of individuals with Alzheimer's disease with their caregivers. The following databases were reviewed: PsychINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, REHABDATA, and COMDIS. The inclusion criteria were: (i) experimentally based studies, (ii) quantitative results, (iii) intervention aimed at improving verbal communication of the affected individual with a caregiver, and (iv) at least 50% of the sample having a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. A total of 13 studies met all of the inclusion criteria. One technique emerged as potentially effective: the use of memory aids combined with specific caregiver training programs. The strength of this evidence was restricted by methodological limitations of the studies. Both adoption of and further research on these interventions are recommended

An investigation into the efficacy of washing trucks following the transportation of pigs - a Salmonella perspective

A National Salmonella Control Program is in place in the Republic of Ireland, which requires the categorisation of all pigs according to their Salmonella status. Herds in Categories 1, 2, and 3 have a serological prevalence of infection with Salmonella serotypes of \u3c10%, \u3e10-\u3c50% and \u3e50-\u3c100%, respectively. Transport of animals constitutes a stress which may induce shedding of salmonellae by carrier pigs. Although washing of trucks before leaving the abattoir is mandatory in the Republic of Ireland, little is known about the efficacy of the cleaning methods in use on trucks following the transportation of live pigs

Infection of pigs following exposure to contaminated pen floors

The objective of these studies was to determine if pigs could acquire infection when exposed to different levels of environmental contamination with Salmonella typhimurium. In experiment 1, pigs were euthanised after 2, 3 and 24 hours of exposure to a highly contaminated environment (105 organisms/100cm2)

Contamination of the lairage of a pork abattoir with Salmonella species

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. In the lairage of a pork abattoir on different days of the week and to investigate the effect of daily washing routines and disinfection procedures on contamination levels with Salmonella spp. In total, 359 swabs were collected from lairage pen floors at three time points during the course of two slaughter days. All samples were analysed quantitatively

The efficacy of cleaning and disinfection on pig farms

Little is known about the effectiveness of the cleaning and disinfection methods in use on commercial pig farms either in Ireland or worldwide. A National Salmonella Control Programme was implemented in Ireland in August 2002 to monitor and control infection with Salmonella spp. in pigs

On-farm control measures for the reduction of Salmonellosis in pigs

A longitudinal study of the prevalence of Salmonella spp. was carried out on 12 Irish pig farms, which included farrow-to-finish herds and specialised finishing units. The main objective of the project was to evaluate the efficacy of control measures implemented at farm level on highly infected farms. Control measures included the use of in-feed additives and /or improved hygiene and biosecurity measures

Prevalence and number of Salmonella in retail pork sausages

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Salmonella in Irish pork sausage at retail level. Samples, comprising branded prepacked sausages, loose sausages from supermarket meat counters and butcher shops, were collected from selected retail sites in four cities from October to December 2001 and from June to August 2002. A 3-tube Most Probable Number (MPN) method was used to enumerate Salmonella in a selected number of samples, which were positive by enrichment. Salmonella serotypes were detected in 4.4% and 1.7% of samples at each of the respective sampling periods; a level similar to those reported in other U.S. and U.K. studies. Limited results available on enumeration suggest that contamination rates were low. This study revealed that Salmonella are present in a proportion of Irish sausages and further risk analysis work is necessary in order to quantify the risk posed to public health. Keywords: control programme, enumeration, serology, bacteriology, food safety

Investigation of MRSA transmission between pigs and the environment following intra-nasal inoculation

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST398 has not been detected in pigs in Ireland. However, other strains of MRSA, including MRSA t002, have been isolated from animals and humans in Ireland. The aim of this study was to determine if nasal colonization of pigs with a non-ST398 strain of MRSA could be reproduced using intra-nasal inoculation and to investigate subsequent transmission of this strain. Six pigs were inoculated intra-nasally with 2 x 109cfu MRSA t002. Six days post-inoculation these pigs were washed and moved to a clean house with 15 unexposed pigs (In-contact group). Another 15 unexposed pigs were added to the vacated house (Environment group)

Surveillance Data Highlights Feed Form, Biosecurity, and Disease Control as Significant Factors Associated with Salmonella Infection on Farrow-to-Finish Pig Farms

Copyright © 2018 Argüello, Manzanilla, Lynch, Walia, Leonard, Egan, Duffy, Gardiner and Lawlor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.[EN] Among the zoonotic pathogens affecting pigs, Salmonella stands out due to the high number of human cases linked to pork consumption. In the last two decades many countries have put considerable effort into the control of the infection by surveillance and control strategies on farm. Despite this effort, many herds still have a high Salmonella prevalence and they require guidance to address this problem. The present study, using the serological surveillance data of finishing pigs from the Irish National pig Salmonella Control Programme, aimed to highlight factors associated with increased risk or that might mitigate Salmonella occurrence on farm. A questionnaire with 33 questions regarding herd characteristics, management, feeding, biosecurity, and health was completed for 61 individual herds. After the multivariate analysis by linear regression, nine variables were retained in the final model and linked to herd seroprevalence. Home produced-feed linked to the use of meal showed an eight points reduction in Salmonella prevalence compared to purchased feed (p = 0.042). Different biosecurity measures were associated to lower seroprevalence. Changing of footwear from outside to inside the farm decreased seroprevalence nearly 20 units (p = 0.014) and policies not permitting access to the farmyard to feed trucks (p = 0.048) or avoiding the presence of cats on the farm (p = 0.05) were estimated in 10 units less of seroprevalence. In contrast, the lack of perimeter fence increased the chance to have higher seroprevalence in five units (p = 0.05). Finally, intestinal diseases such as swine dysentery (p = 0.044) and E. coli diarrhea (p = 0.1) were estimated to increase Salmonella prevalence in ~20 and 10 units, respectively, demonstrating the importance of controlling other enteric pathogens in an on-farm Salmonella control programme. These results show the usefulness of surveillance data to improve on-farm control and confirm that Salmonella infection in pigs is multi-factorial and the approach to its control should be multifaceted.SIThis study was funded by the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM) administered by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) (FIRM/RSF/CoFoRD 2011 Project 11/SF/329).The authors gratefully acknowledge the staff at Longtown Research Farm and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) Backweston for their expert help in the serological analyses of the study