U.S. TOP DAIRIES: BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS

Agribusiness, Livestock Production/Industries,

Financial Performance Value-Added Dairy Operations in New York, Vermont and Wisconsin

Federal, state and local governments have funded various efforts to support value added agriculture, often implicitly assuming that the enterprises would be profitable and that the transition from commodity producer to producer-processor-marketer-distributor would be relatively easy. Some analysts (e.g., Streeter and Bills; 2003a, 2003b) have questioned both of these assumptions, noting that available aggregate data do not allow assessment of the financial performance of value-added enterprises. Our study collected detailed financial information from 27 value-added dairy enterprises with cows, goats or sheep in three states. These businesses processed and marketed cheese, fluid milk products and yogurt; 17 had begun processing during the previous three years. The financial information was used to develop income statements and balance sheets for both the milk production and the dairy processing and marketing enterprises. Our results suggest that value-added dairy is not a panacea: despite much higher revenues per unit milk produced or processed, mean net income for the processing enterprise and for the combined milk production and processing business were modest at best and often negative. More than half of the on-farm processors had negative net incomes from processing, and seven processing enterprises had negative net worth. On average, returns per cwt milk processed were $90 per cwt and$209 per cwt (for cow and goat/sheep milk producers, respectively) lower than the full economic costs of production and processing.small-scale dairy processing, value added, financial performance, profitability, Agricultural Finance,

Beyond resistance: social factors in the general public response to pandemic influenza

Background: Influencing the general public response to pandemics is a public health priority. There is a prevailing view, however, that the general public is resistant to communications on pandemic influenza and that behavioural responses to the 2009/10 H1N1 pandemic were not sufficient. Using qualitative methods, this paper investigates how members of the general public respond to pandemic influenza and the hygiene, social isolation and other measures proposed by public health. Going beyond the commonly deployed notion that the general public is resistant to public health communications, this paper examines how health individualism, gender and real world constraints enable and limit individual action. Methods: In-depth interviews (n = 57) and focus groups (ten focus groups; 59 individuals) were conducted with community samples in Melbourne, Sydney and Glasgow. Participants were selected according to maximum variation sampling using purposive criteria, including: 1) pregnancy in 2009/2010; 2) chronic illness; 3) aged 70 years and over; 4) no disclosed health problems. Verbatim transcripts were subjected to inductive, thematic analysis. Results: Respondents did not express resistance to public health communications, but gave insight into how they interpreted and implemented guidance. An individualistic approach to pandemic risk predominated. The uptake of hygiene, social isolation and vaccine strategies was constrained by seeing oneself 'at risk' but not 'a risk' to others. Gender norms shape how members of the general public enact hygiene and social isolation. Other challenges pertained to over-reliance on perceived remoteness from risk, expectation of recovery from infection and practical constraints on the uptake of vaccination. Conclusions: Overall, respondents were engaged with public health advice regarding pandemic influenza, indicating that the idea of public resistance has limited explanatory power. Public communications are endorsed, but challenges persist. Individualistic approaches to pandemic risk inhibit acting for the benefit of others and may deepen divisions in the community according to health status. Public communications on pandemics are mediated by gender norms that may overburden women and limit the action of men. Social research on the public response to pandemics needs to focus on the social structures and real world settings and relationships that shape the action of individuals

Barriers to wound debridement: Results of an online survey

This paper presents the results of an online survey which investigated healthcare professionals’ knowledge of wound debridement and the techniques used. The survey, using purposive sampling, was distributed to healthcare professionals working within tissue viability services (n=252) via survey monkey across the UK to investigate healthcare professionals’ knowledge of wound debridement and the techniques used. Response rate was 31% representing 77 participants practicing in wound care within various healthcare organisations throughout the United Kingdom (UK). The majority of respondents (72; 93.5%) reported that they debrided wounds with seventy one respondents (95.9%) reporting they were aware of the TIME concept of which 52 stated they used TIME in their wound management approach. The findings demonstrate that healthcare professionals are aware of the importance of preparing the wound bed for the healing process with the majority of respondents using the TIME (Tissue, Infection/Inflammation, Moisture, Epithelial Edges) concept to support their assessment of wounds. However the knowledge of wound debridement was limited. There was no consensus regarding whether or not health professionals recognised the differences between the terms desloughing and debridement. The majority of healthcare professionals identified time and lack of knowledge and skills as barriers to effective wound debridement techniques

A Value-added Opportunity: Market Potential for Specialty Cheeses in Select New York Markets

E.B. 2006-01The specialty foods market is experiencing considerable growth. Within this category, value-added dairy products are estimated to generate $6.35 ($7.83) billion dollars in sales in 2004 (2007) (Sloan, 2004). In New York (NY), where dairy production resources are plentiful, specialty dairy food production is an attractive market development opportunity. Dairy producers interested in on-farm specialty food processing may find it a viable means of enhancing farm-level returns, particularly in the face of volatile commodity prices, and where dairy producers exhibit a complementary skill set advantage. This project characterizes key marketing dynamics associated with providing specialty dairy products to select NY markets. This project is motivated by the notion that there are value-added food processing opportunities available to NY State dairy producers that not only compliment existing NY food and drink enterprises, but also enhance non-food stakeholder interests through benefits associated with business and rural economic development. Despite the varied reasons for entering the specialty dairy products market, this report maintains that economic viability is necessary for long-term market involvement and that attention to marketing responsibilities is an integral part of venture sustainability. The report addresses market and product identification, distribution, and promotional activities associated with supplying value-added dairy products to NY State wineries and New York City (NYC) restaurants and specialty/gourmet shops. These three potential market outlets were surveyed to determine market potential for value-added cheeses

On the predictability of extremes: Does the butterfly effect ever decrease?

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Sterk, A. E., Stephenson, D. B., Holland, M. P. and Mylne, K. R. (2015), On the predictability of extremes: Does the butterfly effect ever decrease?. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.2627. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving: http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-820227.html#termsThis study investigates whether or not predictability always decreases for more extreme events. Predictability is measured by the Mean Squared Error (MSE), estimated here from the difference of pairs of ensemble forecasts, conditioned on one of the forecast variables (the 'pseudo-observation') exceeding a threshold. Using an exchangeable linear regression model for pairs of forecast variables, we show that the MSE can be decomposed into the sum of three terms: a threshold-independent constant, a mean term that always increases with threshold, and a variance term that can either increase, decrease, or stay constant with threshold. Using the generalised Pareto distribution to model wind speed excesses over a threshold, we show that MSE always increases with threshold at sufficiently high threshold. However, MSE can be a decreasing function of threshold at lower thresholds but only if the forecasts have finite upper bounds. The methods are illustrated by application to daily wind speed forecasts for London made using the 24 member Met Office Global and Regional Ensemble Prediction System from 1 January 2009 to 31 May 2011. For this example, the mean term increases faster than the variance term decreases with increasing threshold, and so predictability decreases for more extreme events.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO

The Men’s Safer Sex Trial: a feasibility randomised controlled trial of an interactive digital intervention to increase condom use in men

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the feasibility of an online randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the Men’s Safer Sex website, measuring condom use and sexually transmitted infection (STI). METHODS: For this study 159 men aged ≥16 with female sexual partners and recent condomless sex or suspected STI were recruited from three UK sexual health clinics. Participants were randomised to the intervention website plus usual clinic care (n = 84), or usual clinic care only (n = 75). Online outcome data were solicited at 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: Men were enrolled via tablet computers in clinic waiting rooms. Software errors and clinic Wi-Fi access presented significant challenges, and online questionnaire response rates were poor (36% at 3 months with a £10 voucher; 50% at 12 months with £30). Clinical records (for STI diagnoses) were located for 94% of participants. Some 37% of the intervention group did not see the intervention website (n = 31/84), and (as expected) there was no detectable difference in condomless sex with female partners (IRR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.96). New acute STI diagnoses were recorded for 8.8% (7/80) of the intervention group, and 13.0% (9/69) of the control group over 12 months (IRR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.90). CONCLUSIONS: It is likely to be feasible to conduct a future large-scale RCT to assess the impact of an online intervention using clinic STI diagnoses as a primary outcome. However, practical and technical challenges need to be addressed before the potential of digital media interventions can be realised in sexual health settings

Sedimentary geology of the Middle Carboniferous of the Donbas region (Dniepr-Donets basin, Ukraine)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD