Improving Information and Performance in Grain Marketing: an Assessment of Current Market Information Systems, and Recommendations for Developing a Public Grain MIS

This paper focuses on one dimension which is at the core of all modern economies: how to provide private and public agents with timely and accurate information regarding current and expected future market conditions. Its objective is to show the need for a public market information system for agricultural markets in Ethiopia, and to present concrete proposals that can be reviewed, debated, and modified as necessary by the relevant Ethiopian authorities in collaboration with Food Security Research Project (FSRP) personnel.food security, food policy, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing, Q18,

An Aquatic Gap Analysis of Iowa, 2005 Final Report

The Iowa Aquatic Gap Analysis Project (IAGAP) began in 2001 to identify areas in the state where fish species richness lacked adequate protection under existing land ownership and management regimes. Another ma in goal of the project was to create fish prediction data for Iowa streams and rivers. To accomplish these goals, the Iowa GAP team prepared an assortment of datasets that led to the creation of three main datasets: Iowa streams and rivers; Iowa fish habitat models for 157 species; Iowa land stewardship (ownership and management). When the project began, there were few statewide datasets available that provided the type of data needed for this project. Conse quently, much effort was devoted to building the previously mentioned key data layers at a sufficiently fine scale and resolution for subsequent analysis. The exception to this statement was land stewardship; it had been created for the terrestrial GAP project. It need ed minimal editing to serve as a dataset for IAGAP. At the completion of the project, these data became freely available, with the intent that they will be used by those responsible for managing the state’s valuable natural resources, and by the public, so that everyone can be better informed. With this in mind, we emphasize that these data are dyna mic, and in some places, already out of date. Nonetheless, the data and analyses which constitute IAGAP represent an important first step toward understanding the status of fish biodiversity and conservation in Iowa

A Comprehensive Biological Inventory Database for the Iowa Aquatic GAP Project

Before the implementation of the Iowa Aquatic Gap Analysis, project coordinators had no sense of the breadth of biological sampling data available for fish. However, it was considered important to have the most extensive biological data set possible. We were able to systematically compile a fish inventory database that we believe satisfies this objective. Other Aquatic GAP projects may find themselves in a similar situation and thus benefit from our approach to compiling a comprehensive biological inventory database

Augmentation of Staphylococcal α-Toxin Signaling by the Epidermal Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor

Staphylococcal α-toxin is a cytolytic toxin secreted by many strains of Staphylococcus aureus that has proinflammatory and cytotoxic effects on human keratinocytes. α-toxin exerts its effects by forming a transmembrane pore that behaves like an ionophore for ions such as calcium. Because cellular membrane disruption with resultant intracellular calcium mobilization is a potent stimulus for the synthesis for the lipid mediator platelet-activating factor, the ability of α-toxin to induce platelet-activating factor production was assessed, and whether the epidermal platelet-activating factor receptor could augment toxin-induced signaling in epithelial cells examined. Treatment of the human keratinocyte-derived cell line HaCaT with α-toxin resulted in significant levels of platelet-activating factor, which were approximately 50% of the levels induced by calcium ionophore A23187. α-toxin also stimulated arachidonic acid release in HaCaT keratinocytes. Pretreatment of HaCaT cells with platelet-activating factor receptor antagonists, or overexpression of the platelet-activating factor metabolizing enzyme acetylhydrolase II blunted α-toxin-induced arachidonic acid release by approximately one-third, suggesting a role for toxin-produced platelet-activating factor in this process. Finally, retroviral-mediated expression of the platelet-activating factor receptor into the platelet-activating factor receptor-negative epithelial cell line KB resulted in an augmentation of α-toxin-mediated intracellular calcium mobilization and arachidonic acid release. These studies suggest that α-toxin-mediated signaling can be augmented via the epidermal platelet-activating factor receptor

An integrated assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on Indiana forests

Forests provide myriad ecosystem services, many of which are vital to local and regional economies. Consequently, there is a need to better understand how predicted changes in climate will impact forests dynamics and the implications of such changes for society as a whole. Here we focus on the impacts of climate change on Indiana forests, which are representative of many secondary growth broadleaved forests in the greater Midwest region in terms of their land use history and current composition. We find that predicted changes in climate for the state – warmer and wetter winters/springs and hotter and potentially drier summers – will dramatically shape forest communities, resulting in new assemblages of trees and wildlife that differ from forest communities of the past or present. Overall, suitable habitat is expected to decline for 17-29 percent of tree species and increase for 43-52 percent of tree species in the state, depending on the region and climate scenario. Such changes have important consequences for wildlife that depend on certain tree species or have ranges with strong sensitivities to climate. Additionally, these changes will have potential economic impacts on Indiana industries that depend on forest resources and products (both timber and non-timber). Finally, we offer some practical suggestions on how management may minimize the extent of climate-induced ecological impacts, and highlight a case study from a tree planting initiative currently underway in the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area

A Smartphone-Based Tool for Rapid, Portable, and Automated Wide-Field Retinal Imaging.

Purpose:High-quality, wide-field retinal imaging is a valuable method for screening preventable, vision-threatening diseases of the retina. Smartphone-based retinal cameras hold promise for increasing access to retinal imaging, but variable image quality and restricted field of view can limit their utility. We developed and clinically tested a smartphone-based system that addresses these challenges with automation-assisted imaging. Methods:The system was designed to improve smartphone retinal imaging by combining automated fixation guidance, photomontage, and multicolored illumination with optimized optics, user-tested ergonomics, and touch-screen interface. System performance was evaluated from images of ophthalmic patients taken by nonophthalmic personnel. Two masked ophthalmologists evaluated images for abnormalities and disease severity. Results:The system automatically generated 100° retinal photomontages from five overlapping images in under 1 minute at full resolution (52.3 pixels per retinal degree) fully on-phone, revealing numerous retinal abnormalities. Feasibility of the system for diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening using the retinal photomontages was performed in 71 diabetics by masked graders. DR grade matched perfectly with dilated clinical examination in 55.1% of eyes and within 1 severity level for 85.2% of eyes. For referral-warranted DR, average sensitivity was 93.3% and specificity 56.8%. Conclusions:Automation-assisted imaging produced high-quality, wide-field retinal images that demonstrate the potential of smartphone-based retinal cameras to be used for retinal disease screening. Translational Relevance:Enhancement of smartphone-based retinal imaging through automation and software intelligence holds great promise for increasing the accessibility of retinal screening

A decade of movement ecology

Movement is fundamental to life, shaping population dynamics, biodiversity patterns, and ecosystem structure. Recent advances in tracking technology have enabled fundamental questions about movement to be tackled, leading to the development of the movement ecology framework (MEF), considered a milestone in the field [1]. The MEF introduced an integrative theory of organismal movement, linking internal state, motion capacity and navigation capacity to external factors. Here, a decade later, we investigated the current state of research in the field. Using a text mining approach on >8000 peer-reviewed papers in movement ecology, we explored the main research topics, evaluated the impact of the MEF, and assessed changes in the use of technological devices, software and statistical methods. The number of publications has increased considerably and there have been major technological changes in the past decade (i.e.~increased use of GPS devices, accelerometers and video cameras, and a convergence towards R), yet we found that research focuses on the same questions, specifically, on the effect of environmental factors on movement and behavior. In practice, it appears that movement ecology research does not reflect the MEF. We call on researchers to transform the field from technology-driven to embrace interdisciplinary collaboration, in order to reveal key processes underlying movement (e.g.~navigation), as well as evolutionary, physiological and life-history consequences of particular strategies

Indiana\u27s Future Forests: A Report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment

Over the next century, rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns across the Midwest will likely have profound consequences for Indiana’s forests. Such changes include shifts in the distributions and abundances of trees, understory plants and wildlife, as well as changes to the environmental, economic and cultural benefits these forests provide. This report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (IN CCIA) examines the direct and indirect impacts that climate change is expected to have on Indiana’s forests. The report specifically addresses forest regeneration, forest composition, tree growth and harvest, wildlife habitat and forest products