Drivers of Demand for Imported Horticultural Commodities: A Cross-Country Comparison

International trade of horticultural commodities is increasingly important in many regions of the world, yet relatively little research has studied import patterns of key horticultural crops. Using data between 1991 and 2005, we find that import demand for horticultural commodities in developed countries has been driven primarily by prices and the level of trade openness while income and diet considerations were more important in emerging countries. Furthermore, our results show that the determinants of import demand differed across the selected crops, and therefore information can be lost if data for horticultural commodities are aggregated.Emerging markets, Horticultural commodities, Import demand, International trade, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Q10, Q13, Q17,

Import Demand for Horticultural Commodities in Developed and Emerging Countries

International trade of horticultural commodities is increasingly important in many regions of the world, yet import patterns of key horticultural crops are understudied in the agricultural economics literature. Using data between 1991 and 2005, we estimate the drivers of per capita import demand for six of the most highly traded horticultural commodities. The own price elasticity estimates were negative in all import demand models and, in most cases, the effects were statistically stronger for importers in emerging countries. Import demand for horticultural commodities in developed countries has been driven primarily by prices and the level of trade openness while income and diet considerations were more important in emerging countries. Furthermore, our results show that the determinants of import demand differed across the six models, and therefore, information can be lost when data for horticultural commodities are aggregated.Emerging markets, Horticultural commodities, Import demand, International trade, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, Q17,

Study of the Design of a First Generation Community College STEM Learning Community

First generation students attending college have difficulties achieving academic success, engaging with their peers and persisting (Jehangir, 2010); are growing in number on college campuses; and are significantly underrepresented in STEM programs of study. This research examined the role that a STEM focused Learning Community (STEM LC) and student participation in Early College programs with STEM exposure have on first generation student achievement engagement and retention. The purpose of the project was to research and design a framework for a community college STEM LC for first generation students as a means to increase academic achievement and student retention for this vulnerable population. The study involved 18 sophomore and 20 first generation high school students enrolled in an Early College program; 18 first generation college students enrolled in STEM majors as well as a focus group of college faculty and administrators involved in an Early College program. The research confirmed that student interest in STEM subjects waned from middle school to high school. It also revealed that college students enrolled in STEM programs of study did not fully avail themselves of student services. At the same time however, the students expressed interest in participating in STEM focused student services if they were available at the college. Recommendations include the creation of a STEM LC for first generation students at the community college; retention of full time STEM LC and Early College Program Coordinators; and enhancement of the Early College Program to include more purposeful infusion of STEM activities into the curriculum

Workplace Incivility: A Quantitative Study of Public University Staff Member Experiences in the Northeast

Workplace incivility is a construct similar to sexual harassment or bullying in that it is unwanted behavior and can cause negative emotions for those who experience it. However, it lacks the clear definition and legal repercussions that have been established for sexual harassment and bullying

A renormalization fixed point for Lorenz maps

A Lorenz map is a Poincar\'e map for a three-dimensional Lorenz flow. We describe the theory of renormalization for Lorenz maps with a critical point and prove that a restriction of the renormalization operator acting on such maps has a hyperbolic fixed point. The proof is computer assisted and we include a detailed exposition on how to make rigorous estimates using a computer as well as the implementation of the estimates.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figure

Import Demand for Horticultural Commodities in Developed and Emerging Countries

WP 2008-24 December 2008JEL Classification Codes: Q17International trade of horticultural commodities is increasingly important in many regions of the world, yet import patterns of key horticultural crops are understudied in the agricultural economics literature. Using data between 1991 and 2005, we estimate the drivers of per capita import demand for six of the most highly traded horticultural commodities. The own price elasticity estimates were negative in all import demand models and, in most cases, the effects were statistically stronger for importers in emerging countries. Import demand for horticultural commodities in developed countries has been driven primarily by prices and the level of trade openness while income and diet considerations were more important in emerging countries. Furthermore, our results show that the determinants of import demand differed across the six models, and therefore, information can be lost when data for horticultural commodities are aggregated

Collagen-mimetic peptide-modifiable hydrogels for articular cartilage regeneration

Regenerative medicine strategies for restoring articular cartilage face significant challenges to recreate the complex and dynamic biochemical and biomechanical functions of native tissues. As an approach to recapitulate the complexity of the extracellular matrix, collagen-mimetic proteins offer a modular template to incorporate bioactive and biodegradable moieties into a single construct. We modified a Streptococcal collagen-like 2 protein with hyaluronic acid (HA) or chondroitin sulfate (CS)-binding peptides and then cross-linked with a matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7)-sensitive peptide to form biodegradable hydrogels. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) encapsulated in these hydrogels exhibited improved viability and significantly enhanced chondrogenic differentiation compared to controls that were not functionalized with glycosaminoglycan-binding peptides. Hydrogels functionalized with CS-binding peptides also led to significantly higher MMP7 gene expression and activity while the HA-binding peptides significantly increased chondrogenic differentiation of the hMSCs. Our results highlight the potential of this novel biomaterial to modulate cell-mediated processes and create functional tissue engineered constructs for regenerative medicine applications