Economic and Organizational Aspects of Cooperative Feedlots

The cooperative organization of specialized large-scale feedlots, described in this bulletin, is not the only means open to South Dakota farmers and investors who want to enter the feeding business. A study of the cooperative feedlot was made because so little is known of its potential comparted with other forms of business organization. In no case should it be inferred that the Economics Department, South Dakota State College, is recommending that farmers and investors follow this route in all instances. Other ways of organizing a cattle feeding business include individual proprietorships with ample credit, private corporations, vertical integration, and partnerships

A Market News Service for Livestock Auctions in South Dakota

The livestock industry is the largest immediate source of cash farm income in South Dakota. Auctions are an important market for the state\u27s livestock when one considers the number of animals sold by them or the proportion of farmers and ranchers who sell or buy livestock at auctions. The number of livestock sold through auctions has been increasing steadily through the years. The increase from 1938 to 1954 was 317 percent. Livestock producers and feeders place enough importance in market news reports to warrant establishing an auction market news service in South Dakota. Auction market news is reported by the federal government and state governments in several states

Mutations in the Human Cytomegalovirus UL27 Gene That Confer Resistance to Maribavir

Previous drug selection experiments resulted in the isolation of a human cytomegalovirus (CMV) UL97 phosphotransferase mutant resistant to the benzimidazole compound maribavir (1263W94), reflecting the anti-UL97 effect of this drug. Three other CMV strains were plaque purified during these experiments. These strains showed lower-grade resistance to maribavir than the UL97 mutant. Extensive DNA sequence analyses showed no changes from the baseline strain AD169 in UL97, the genes involved in DNA replication, and most structural proteins. However, changes were identified in UL27 where each strain contained a different mutation (R233S, W362R, or a combination of A406V and a stop at codon 415). The mutation at codon 415 is predicted to truncate the expressed UL27 protein by 193 codons (32% of UL27) with a loss of nuclear localization. The expression of full-length UL27 as a green fluorescent fusion protein in uninfected fibroblasts resulted in nuclear and nucleolar fluorescence, whereas cytoplasmic localization was observed when codons 1 to 415 were similarly expressed. Viable UL27 deletion mutants were created by recombination and showed slight growth attenuation and maribavir resistance in cell culture. Marker transfer experiments confirmed that UL27 mutations conferred maribavir resistance. The UL27 sequence was well conserved in a sample of 16 diverse clinical isolates. Mutation in UL27, a betaherpesvirus-specific early gene of unknown biological function, may adapt the virus for growth in the absence of UL97 activity

Agricultural Innovation and the Role of Institutions : Lessons from the Game of Drones

In 2015, observers argued that the fourth agricultural revolution had been initiated. This article focuses on one part of this high-tech revolution: the origin, development, applications, and user value of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Institutional changes connected to the UAS innovation are analyzed, based on a Swedish case study. The methods included autoethnography. The theoretical frame was composed by four perspectives: innovation, institutions, sustainability, and ethics. UAS can help farmers cut costs and produce higher quantity with better quality, and also has environmental benefits. However, this promising innovation was exposed to institutional forces and suddenly became subordinated the Act of Camera Surveillance. This study illuminates how legislative institutions can inhibit responsible innovation. The study shows that different ethical perspectives can collide with each other