Fertilizer market reform and the determinants of fertilizer use in Benin and Malawi

Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have reduced or eliminated fertilizer subsidies and liberalized input marketing as part of the reform process that began in the early 1980s. The effect on fertilizer prices and use is one of the most frequently mentioned criticisms of liberalization. The effect of these reforms, however, has varied widely across countries. The study finds that fertilizer use is closely related to crop mix and access to inputs on credit, but not to household income.. In Benin, 88 percent of the fertilizer purchased by farmers is bought on credit through the integrated cotton marketing system managed by the parastatal SONAPRA. However, almost one third of this fertilizer is diverted to maize and other crops. In Malawi, tobacco is the most important cash crop among smallholders, but less than half the tobacco growers are able to purchase fertilizers on credit. Maize accounts for about 60 percent of the fertilizer use, compared to less than a third for tobacco. This difference in the tradability of the main crop being fertilized helps explain some of the difference in performance. The results demonstrate some of the paths by which cash crop and food crop production may be complementary. This can occur through the residual effect of fertilizer on food crop production, through the alleviation of cash constraints for the purchase of fertilizer, and through the availability of inputs on credit.Thus, the benefits of export liberalization must be weighed against the risk that it will weaken the enforceability of seasonal agricultural credit, with indirect consequences for food crop productivity.Cash crops Developing countries Case studies. ,Fertilizer industry. ,Subsidies. ,

Marketing constraints on rice exports from Viet Nam

The paper describes the spectacular growth of rice exports from Viet Nam during the period 1989 to 1997. From a situation of food shortages, the country is now the second largest rice exporter after Thailand. Export projections indicate that there is potential for further export growth in all but the most pessimistic scenarios. This potential is constrained, however, by the relatively underdeveloped marketing system. A few large state enterprises have access to capital and export licenses, but private traders and millers are generally small and medium enterprises with limited credit and no legal access to world markets. Recent policy changes to promote internal trade liberalization and competition between central and provincial state enterprises are encouraging, but need to be extended to allow private traders to export.Rice Viet Nam ,Export marketing ,trade liberalization ,

Regulation of Estrogen Receptor alpha Ubiquitination and Proteasome-mediated Receptor Degradation

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, 2008Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and the majority (~70%) express estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα), thereby exhibiting estrogen-dependent growth. Antiestrogen therapies block ERα-mediated cell growth, either by blocking ERα function or by triggering ERα degradation. ERα is recognized for degradation by the 26S proteasome through the addition of ubiquitin protein tags onto ERα lysine residues. However, the specific receptor lysines that are ubiquitinated have not been identified. Two receptor lysines, K302 and K303, located in the hinge-region of ERα, serve multiple regulatory functions, and we examined whether these residues might also regulate receptor ubiquitination or are targets themselves for ubiquitination. An ERα protein was generated that contained lysine-to-alanine substitutions at these two residues. Comparisons were made between the unmodified ERα (wtERα) and the mutant receptor ERα-K302A, K303A (ERα-AA). The effect of the proteasome inhibitor MG132, Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GA), and ER ligands 17β-estradiol (E2), tamoxifen (OHT), and the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 (ICI), were examined for their effect on receptor ubiquitination, degradation, and receptor activity. In the absence of ligand, ERα-AA displayed rapid ubiquitination and degradation due to elevated association with the ubiquitinylation enzyme CHIP and the proteasome-associated cochaperone Bag1. E2 or ICI induced rapid degradation of wtERα; however, ERα-AA was less efficiently degraded by these ligands. Furthermore, ERα-AA was also resistant to ICI-induced ubiquitination, suggesting that these lysines are ubiquitinated in response to the antiestrogen. ERα-AA activity was decreased in the unliganded state and elevated in response to E2, concordant with receptor stability in these two states. These data provide the first evidence that K302/303 protect ERα from basal degradation and are necessary for efficient E2 and ICI-induced turnover in breast cancer cells, revealing a previously unexplored mechanism for regulating ERα stability and activity

Loading system effect on performance, handling and meat quality attributes of finisher pigs

Handling and transport losses can encompass several challenges experienced frequently by producers and packers alike. Marketing and transportation stress not only costs the industry due to mortalities, but has direct impact on the quality of pork delivered to the consumer (Barton-Gade, 1992; Geverink et al., 1996; Hambrecht, 2005).;The primary objective of the current study was to determine if loading system affects the incidence of losses during transportation or at the packing plant, welfare parameters at the time of marketing, and meat quality attributes. Two loading systems (prototype loading gantry [P] vs. traditional chute [T]) were compared on the first pigs marketed from a finishing facility (first pull [FP] pigs) and on the last pigs marketed from a finishing facility (closeout [CO] pigs).;Loading system influenced the total number of dead pigs (P \u3c 0.06) and total losses (P \u3c 0.03) in FP pigs. Results indicated that pigs loaded on the P chute during the FP have fewer total deads and total losses. Loading system also influenced welfare parameters ( P \u3c 0.01) of both FP and CO pigs at the time of marketing. Pigs loaded on the P chute experienced significantly fewer electric prods, slips, falls, vocalizations, and pile ups, regardless of time of marketing.;Loading system did influence several meat quality attributes evaluated. In a comparison of FP pigs, loins from pigs loaded with the P loading system had higher (P \u3c 0.05) initial and 24 h pH and tended to have higher (P = 0.08) JCS cut values, but lower ( P = 0.03) loin L* values. The higher JSC cut values and lower L* values indicate a darker, redder color meat. Among CO pigs, loins from pigs loaded with the P loading system had higher (P = 0.01) 24 h pH and JCS rib values, but lower (P = 0.06) L* values. Understanding key factors influencing losses during this time frame enables targeted interventions to improve both welfare and meat quality. This investigation has provided data to support changes in facility design that may ultimately lead to the improvement of performance, welfare, and pork quality

Interview: Nicholas McGeehan of Human Rights Watch on links between the UK and undemocratic regimes in the Gulf

Democratic Audit features short audio interviews with leading experts on the state of democracy and human rights. For our first interview, Richard Berry spoke to Nicholas McGeehan, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, on the way rulers of Gulf states have been cracking down on dissent at home while simultaneously deepening their relationships within the UK. Listen to the interview here

TiK‐means: Transformation‐infused K ‐means clustering for skewed groups

The K ‐means algorithm is extended to allow for partitioning of skewed groups. Our algorithm is called TiK‐means and contributes a K ‐means‐type algorithm that assigns observations to groups while estimating their skewness‐transformation parameters. The resulting groups and transformation reveal general‐structured clusters that can be explained by inverting the estimated transformation. Further, a modification of the jump statistic chooses the number of groups. Our algorithm is evaluated on simulated and real‐life data sets and then applied to a long‐standing astronomical dispute regarding the distinct kinds of gamma ray bursts