Sit down at the ball game: how trade barriers make the world less food secure

This paper analyses the impacts of trade policy responses to rising world food prices by carrying out a series of stylised experiments in the wheat market using a world trade model, GTAP. The sequence of events that is modelled comprises a negative wheat supply shock and subsequent implementation of an export tax by a major net exporter and a reduction in import tariffs by a small importer. The effects of trade policy responses are contrasted with those of full liberalisation of the wheat market. At the core are the (opposite) effects on producers and consumers, as well as the terms-of-trade and trade tax revenue effects. Food security is shown to depend crucially on changes in prices but also in incomes that are associated with changes in factor returns. The results reveal that major net exporters are generally better off when implementing export taxes for food security purposes. Large exporting countries export price instability causing world food prices to rise further. Net importing countries lose out and have limited leeway to reduce tariffs or subsidise imports. Liberalising wheat trade mitigates rising prices and contributes to food security, but to the detriment of production in Africa and Asia, making them more dependent on and vulnerable to changes in the world market. Concerted action at the WTO forum is required, notably clarifying and sharpening the rules regarding export measures.food security; world food crisis; international grain trade; trade measures; trade liberalisation; CGE modelling

Sit down at the ball game: how trade barriers make the world less food secure

This paper analyses the impacts of trade policy responses to rising world food prices by carrying out a series of stylised experiments in the wheat market using a world trade model, GTAP. The sequence of events that is modelled comprises a negative wheat supply shock and subsequent implementation of an export tax by a major net exporter and a reduction in import tariffs by a small importer. The effects of trade policy responses are contrasted with those of full liberalisation of the wheat market. At the core are the (opposite) effects on producers and consumers, as well as the terms-of-trade and trade tax revenue effects. Food security is shown to depend crucially on changes in prices but also in incomes that are associated with changes in factor returns. The results reveal that major net exporters are generally better off when implementing export taxes for food security purposes. Large exporting countries export price instability causing world food prices to rise further. Net importing countries lose out and have limited leeway to reduce tariffs or subsidise imports. Liberalising wheat trade mitigates rising prices and contributes to food security, but to the detriment of production in Africa and Asia, making them more dependent on and vulnerable to changes in the world market. Concerted action at the WTO forum is required, notably clarifying and sharpening the rules regarding export measures

Нефтяное загрязнение берегов Севастополя

Приводятся результаты изучения загрязнения береговых структур при низких уровнях нефтяных углеводородов в морской воде. В прибрежных водах и берегах на границе с морем нефтяные углеводороды в концентрациях, не достигающих поражающего уровня для морской биоты вступают в сложные взаимодействия с гидробионтами. Первым этапом этого процесса является накопление или поверхностное загрязнение морских организмов-обрастателей. Такие данные являются составной частью мониторинга прибрежных акваторий и первым этапом изучения роли биопотоков нефтяных углеводородов в общем потоке нефтяного загрязнения у морских берегов.Наводяться результати вивчення забруднення берегових структур при низьких рівнях нафтових вуглеводнів в морській воді. У прибережних водах і берегах на кордоні з морем нафтові вуглеводні в концентраціях, що не досягають вражаючого рівня для морської біоти вступають в складні взаємодії з гідробіонтами. Першим етапом цього процесу є накопичення або поверхневе забруднення морських організмів-обрастателей. Такі дані є складовою частиною моніторингу прибережних акваторій і першим етапом вивчення ролі біопотоков нафтових вуглеводнів в загальному потоці нафтового забруднення морських берегів.The results of the study of coastal structures pollution at low levels of oil hydrocarbons in the sea water are given. Oil hydrocarbons at concentrations that do not reach damaging levels for marine biota enter into complex interactions with marine life in coastal waters and sea shores. The first step of this process is the accumulation or surface contamination of marine fouling organisms. These data are a part of the monitoring of coastal waters and the first step in studying the role of oil hydrocarbons bioflows in the general flow of the oil pollution at sea coast

LMDA New and Noteworthy, April 2021

Contents include: LMDA 2021 Conference Update; International Dramaturgy Lab Check In; Dramaturging the Phoenix 2.0: A Renewed Challenge for LMDA Members; Thank You, Five (Podcast): Spotlighting Dramaturgy; Renew Your Membership Today!; Region Facebook Groups.https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdanewsletter/1056/thumbnail.jp

LMDA New & Noteworthy, May 2020

Contents include: #LMDA2020 // Conference Countdown; Managing Life and Work in the Time of COVID-19: Thoughts from the LMDA Executive Committee; The Kennedy Center Dramaturgy Intensive: Learn from the best. Work with the best; Regional Events; Your Dramaturgy Ad Here; Pandemic Response: Resources for Artists in the U.S. and Canada (link).https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdanewsletter/1033/thumbnail.jp

Pre-treatment psychoneurological symptoms and their association with longitudinal cognitive function and quality of life in older breast cancer survivors

Context Symptoms affect quality of life (QOL), functional status, and cognitive function in cancer survivors, but older survivors are understudied. Objectives To identify prototypical pre-systemic therapy psychoneurological symptom clusters among older breast cancer survivors, and determine whether these symptom clusters predicted cognition and QOL over time. Methods Women with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer (n=319) and matched non-cancer controls (n=347) aged 60+ completed questionnaires and neuropsychological tests before systemic therapy and 12- and 24-months later. Latent class analysis identified clusters of survivors based upon their pre-therapy depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain. Linear mixed-effects models examined changes in objective cognition, perceived cognition, and functional status (instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability, functional well-being, and breast cancer-specific QOL) by group, controlling for covariates. Results Nearly one-fifth of older survivors were classified as having a high pre-therapy symptoms (n=51; 16%); the remainder had a low symptoms (n=268; 84%); both groups improved over time on all outcomes. However, compared to the low symptom group and controls, survivors with high symptoms had lower baseline objective cognition and lower perceived cognition at baseline and 24-months, lower functional well-being at baseline and 12-months, greater IADL disability at baseline, and lower breast cancer-specific QOL at all time points (all p<0.05). Conclusion Nearly one-fifth of older breast cancer survivors had high psychoneurological symptoms at diagnosis, which, predict clinically meaningful decrements in perceived cognition and function in the first 24 months post-diagnosis. Pre-treatment psychoneurological symptom clusters could identify survivors for monitoring or intervention

Cancer-Related Cognitive Outcomes Among Older Breast Cancer Survivors in the Thinking and Living With Cancer Study

Purpose To determine treatment and aging-related effects on longitudinal cognitive function in older breast cancer survivors. Methods Newly diagnosed nonmetastatic breast cancer survivors (n = 344) and matched controls without cancer (n = 347) 60 years of age and older without dementia or neurologic disease were recruited between August 2010 and December 2015. Data collection occurred during presystemic treatment/control enrollment and at 12 and 24 months through biospecimens; surveys; self-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function; and neuropsychological tests that measured attention, processing speed, and executive function (APE) and learning and memory (LM). Linear mixed-effects models tested two-way interactions of treatment group (control, chemotherapy with or without hormonal therapy, and hormonal therapy) and time and explored three-way interactions of ApoE (ε4+ v not) by group by time; covariates included baseline age, frailty, race, and cognitive reserve. Results Survivors and controls were 60 to 98 years of age, were well educated, and had similar baseline cognitive scores. Treatment was related to longitudinal cognition scores, with survivors who received chemotherapy having increasingly worse APE scores (P = .05) and those initiating hormonal therapy having lower LM scores at 12 months (P = .03) than other groups. These group-by-time differences varied by ApoE genotype, where only ε4+ survivors receiving hormone therapy had short-term decreases in adjusted LM scores (three-way interaction P = .03). For APE, the three-way interaction was not significant (P = .14), but scores were significantly lower for ε4+ survivors exposed to chemotherapy (−0.40; 95% CI, −0.79 to −0.01) at 24 months than ε4+ controls (0.01; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.18; P < .05). Increasing age was associated with lower baseline scores on all cognitive measures (P < .001); frailty was associated with baseline APE and self-reported decline (P < .001). Conclusion Breast cancer systemic treatment and aging-related phenotypes and genotypes are associated with longitudinal decreases in cognitive function scores in older survivors. These data could inform treatment decision making and survivorship care planning