A Buffer Stocks Model for Stabilizing Price of Staple Food with Considering the Expectation of Non Speculative Wholesaler

This paper is a study of price stabilization in the staple food distribution system. All stakeholders experience market risks due to some possibility causes of price volatility. Many models of price stabilization had been developed by employing several approaches such as floor-ceiling prices, buffer funds, export or import taxes, and subsidies. In the previous researches, the models were expanded to increase the purchasing price for producer and decrease the selling price for consumer. Therefore, the policy can influence the losses for non-speculative wholesaler that is reflected by the descending of selling quantity and ascending of the stocks. The objective of this model is not only to keep the expectation of both producer and consumer, but also to protect non-speculative wholesaler from the undesirable result of the stabilization policy. A nonlinear programming model was addressed to determine the instruments of intervention program. Moreover, the result shows that the wholesaler behavior affects the intervention costs. Index Terms Buffer stocks, Price stabilization, Nonlinear programming, Wholesaler behavior

The Economics of Selling Crop Residue Biomass for Cellulosic Ethanol Production at the Farm Level

A partial budget decision making framework has been developed to assist crop producers in analyzing the profitability of selling cellulosic biomass from their fields for ethanol production. A multidisciplinary approach is taken in assessing the agronomic and economic factors relevant to biomass contract sales decisions – with direct application made to western Great Plains cropping systems and enterprises. Within this framework the benefits of increased revenue from cellulosic biomass contract sales and potential government assistance payments are considered against possible decreased revenue from diminished crop yields resulting from less crop residue cover and subsequent soil moisture evaporation. Increased biomass harvesting and handling are also considered, as is the cost of replacing crop nutrients removed as part of biomass harvest operations. Examples of the profitability of cellulosic biomass contract sales in center pivot irrigated corn and non-irrigated wheat enterprises are shown.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Investigating Nonlinearity: A Note on the Implementation of Hamilton's Methodology

In this paper we give an account of the new approach to nonlinear econometric modelling proposed by Hamilton (2001) and briefly describe some of the methods of nonlinear optimization that may be used in the Gauss computer program provided by Hamilton for the implementation of his methodology. The performance of this program is investigated using data relating to Hamilton's example concerning the US Phillips curve, two versions of the Gauss software and a range of alternative numerical optimization options and values for the important Gauss parameter _oprteps. Finally, the effects of changes in the sample data on the results produced by Hamilton's procedure are explored. The results presented suggest some clear conclusions, which will be of value to those contemplating working with Hamilton's new method.

THE EFFECT OF PERSONAL AND FARM CHARACTERISTICS UPON GRAIN MARKETING PRACTICES

A survey of Kansas, Texas, and Iowa agricultural producers was taken to examine the factors affecting their grain marketing practices. Sales indices models and models of qualitative choice are used to determine whether marketers' choices of cash market, forward contract, or futures and options oriented marketing practices are significantly affected by their personal farm business characteristics. Results indicate that geographic location, farm size, grain enterprise specialization, farming experience, use of grain storage, and use of crop insurance have significant effects upon the respondents' choice of grain marketing practices.agricultural options, cash marketing, futures, grain marketing practices, multinomial logit, Tobit, Marketing,

A study of the kinematics and binary-induced shaping of the planetary nebula HaTr 4

We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula HaTr 4, one of few known to contain a post-common-envelope central star system. Common envelope evolution is believed to play an important role in the shaping of planetary nebulae, but the exact nature of this role is yet to be understood. High spatial- and spectral- resolution spectroscopy of the [OIII]5007 nebular line obtained with VLT-UVES are presented alongside deep narrowband Ha+[NII]6584 imagery obtained using EMMI-NTT, and together the two are used to derive the three-dimensional morphology of HaTr 4. The nebula is found to display an extended ovoid morphology with an enhanced equatorial region consistent with a toroidal waist - a feature believed to be typical amongst planetary nebulae with post-common-envelope central stars. The nebular symmetry axis is found to lie perpendicular to the orbital plane of the central binary, concordant with the idea that the formation and evolution of HaTr 4 has been strongly influenced by its central binary.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

A Construction of Solutions to Reflection Equations for Interaction-Round-a-Face Models

We present a procedure in which known solutions to reflection equations for interaction-round-a-face lattice models are used to construct new solutions. The procedure is particularly well-suited to models which have a known fusion hierarchy and which are based on graphs containing a node of valency $1$. Among such models are the Andrews-Baxter-Forrester models, for which we construct reflection equation solutions for fixed and free boundary conditions.Comment: 9 pages, LaTe

Field testing of World Health Organization (WHO) 2003 recommendations for initiating anti-retroviral therapy (ART) where CD4 is not available revealed low sensitivity among stage I and II patients; a combination of Automated Total Lymphocyte Count (TLC) and Haemoglobin (Hgb) can ration the referral for CD4 testing.

2006 AIDS Conference, Toront

Metastable Vortex Lattice Phases in Superconducting MgB2

The vortex lattice (VL) symmetry and orientation in clean type-II superconductors depends sensitively on the host material anisotropy, vortex density and temperature, frequently leading to rich phase diagrams. Typically, a well-ordered VL is taken to imply a ground state configuration for the vortex-vortex interaction. Using neutron scattering we studied the VL in MgB2 for a number of field-temperature histories, discovering an unprecedented degree of metastability in connection with a known, second-order rotation transition. This allows, for the first time, structural studies of a well-ordered, non-equilibrium VL. While the mechanism responsible for the longevity of the metastable states is not resolved, we speculate it is due to a jamming of VL domains, preventing a rotation to the ground state orientation.Comment: Main paper: 5 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary material: 3 pages, 7 figure