Analyzing Marketing Margins and Their Implications in Improving Performance of Small-Scale Producers in the Calamansi Chain in Region XI, Southern Philippines

Due to its wide range of uses and profitability, calamansi or calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa) is considered a high-value crop of the Philippines. But while there are many studies on the various uses of calamansi parts and technologies developed to help farmers, there is a dearth of studies on the structure and operation of the calamansi marketing chain and analysis of marketing margins of producers and other intermediaries. The present study aimed to examine marketing margins to understand the marketing system of the calamansi industry in Region XI, Southern Philippines, and identify opportunities, challenges, and solutions to improve the chain. A price transmission model was estimated using secondary data and supplemented by calculation of net margins for farmers, wholesalers, processors, and retailers using primary data collected from key informants. Results show that farm, wholesale, and fuel prices significantly explained changes in selling or retail prices. Price transmission elasticity is higher from farm to wholesale than from farm to retail, which implies that changes in farm prices are reflected more in wholesale than retail prices. Farmers received better margins even though calamansi is always subjected to seasonality of prices. Processors and wholesalers also earned positive net margins, but some retailers incurred negative net margins because of incidence of shrinkage/wastage. Given that this occurs very rarely, and with better management, retailers can still expect to gain positive net margins. Major actors in the chain may benefit by effectively managing costs, particularly post-production and wastage costs. A package of assistance that includes technology improvement, access to market, and credit is necessary to help farmers, as well as intermediaries, enhance productivity and manage costs to improve their performance in the chain

Will availability of inhaled human insulin (Exubera (R)) improve management of type 2 diabetes? The design of the Real World trial

Background: Common deterrents to insulin therapy for both physicians and patients are the complexity and burden of daily injections. In January 2006, the first inhaled human insulin (INH, Exubera(R) (insulinhuman [ rDNA origin]) InhalationPowder) was approved for use in adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the United States and European Union. Results from the INH clinical trial program have shown comparable efficacy of INH to subcutaneous (SC) insulin and superior efficacy versus oral antidiabetic agents; thus providing effective glycemic control in adult patients with T2DM without the requirement for preprandial injections. However, because subjects in those trials were randomized to either INH or an alternative, the studies could not estimate the effect of INH on patient acceptance of insulin therapy. Therefore, traditional study designs cannot provide answers to important and practical questions regarding real world effectiveness, which is influenced by psychological and other access barriers.Methods: To overcome these limitations, the Real World Trial was designed to estimate the effect of the availability of INH as a treatment option for glycemic control. A total of approximately 700 patients from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States with T2DM poorly controlled by oral agent therapy will be randomized to two different treatment settings. Patients and clinicians in both groups ( A & B) may choose from all licensed therapies for diabetes including SC insulin delivered by pens; INH will be an additional treatment option only available in Group A. The Real World Trial ( Protocol A2171018) has been registered with ClincalTrials. gov, registration id NCT00134147.Results: The primary outcome for the trial will be the difference in mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) at 6 months between groups. The design was based on a preceding feasibility study examining the theoretical effects of inhaled insulin availability on treatment choice in 779 patients. In that study, patients were three times more likely to choose insulin therapy when inhaled insulin was available.Conclusion: Innovations in study designs may provide an opportunity to reveal unbiased answers to important treatment questions that are more relevant to prescribers, funding agencies, and healthcare policymakers

Salvage Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfer for a Failed Achilles Repair: Endoscopic Technique

Flexor hallucis longus (FHL) transfer is a well-established treatment option in failed Achilles tendon (AT) repair and has been routinely performed as an open procedure. We detail the surgical steps needed to perform an arthroscopic transfer of the FHL for a chronic AT rupture. The FHL tendon is harvested as it enters in its tunnel beneath the sustentaculum tali; a tunnel is then drilled in the calcaneus as near to the AT footprint as possible. By use of a suture-passing device, the free end of the FHL is advanced to the plantar aspect of the foot. After adequate tension is applied to the construct, the tendon is fixed in place with an interference screw in an inside-out fashion. This minimally invasive approach is a safe and valid alternative to classic open procedures with the obvious advantages of preserving the soft-tissue envelope and using a biologically intact tendon

New observations on the integrity, structure and physiology of flesh cells from fully ripened grape berry

The physiological/structural status of the soft ripened berry is still a matter of debate. In this paper isolated mesocarp cells from ripened berries of both wine and table varieties were studied by bright-field, fluorescence and confocal microscopy and flow cytometry to highlight the organization of berry flesh cell, function and viability. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that protoplasting from grape berry mesocarp tissue yields a single heterogenous population of intact and viable cells. Also, the integrity of the plasma membrane and the architecture and complexity of the intracellular membranous system were shown by FM1-43 staining coupled to confocal microscopy imaging. The observed incorporation of the fluorescent glucose analogue 2-NBDG suggests that endocytosis is involved in the transport and intracellular compartmentation of apoplastic sugars. Neutral Red staining confirmed the intricate organization, size, diversity and integrity of the vacuolar apparatus that is probably related to the multifaceted roles of the vacuoles in the developing fruit.This work was supported in part by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (research projects PTDC/AGR-ALI/100636/2008 and PTDC/BIA-BCM/69448/2006 and grant no. SFRH/BD/23169/2005 to N.F)

Analysis of stress and strain in a rotating disk mounted on a rigid shaft

The plane state of stress in an elastic-perfectly plastic isotropic rotating annular disk mounted on a rigid shaft is studied. The analysis of stresses, strains and displacements within the disk of constant thickness and density is based on the Mises yield criterion and its associated flow rule. It is observed that the plastic deformation is localized in the vicinity of the inner radius of the disk, and the disk of a sufficiently large outer radius never becomes fully plastic. The semi-analytical method of stress-strain analysis developed is illustrated by some numerical examples.

Modelação numérica da encurvadura lateral de vigas em aço inoxidável sujeitas a temperaturas elevadas

A utilização de elementos estruturais em aço inoxidável tem vindo a crescer nos últimos anos, devido quer à sua maior resistência à corrosão quer à sua maior resistência mecânica ao fogo, quando comparado com o aço carbono. Com o objectivo de modelar pelo Método dos Elementos Finitos a encurvadura lateral de vigas I em aço inoxidável sujeitas a altas temperaturas, introduziram-se as leis constitutivas de diferentes tipos de aço inoxidável no programa SAFIR. Trata-se de um programa de elementos finitos para análise não-linear geométrica e material, especialmente desenvolvido na Universidade de Liège para o estudo de estruturas sujeitas à acção do fogo. Neste trabalho pretende-se efectuar uma breve comparação das propriedades mecânicas do aço carbono com as do aço inoxidável a altas temperaturas e os resultados numéricos obtidos com esta nova versão do programa SAFIR, adaptado para tratar o aço inoxidável, com resultados obtidos com o programa comercial ANSYS, utilizando elementos finitos de viga e de casca

Modelação numérica do comportamento ao fogo de uma estrutura em aço inoxidável em situação de incêndio

O aço inoxidável tem reconhecidamente uma resistência ao fogo superior ao aço carbono pelo que é de prever uma crescente utilização deste tipo de aço para fins estruturais. De facto, embora mais caro que o aço carbono, o aço inoxidável pode conduzir a estruturas competitivas em virtude de necessitarem de uma menor quantidade de material de protecção térmica ou mesmo, em alguns casos, não ser necessária protecção contra incêndio, como sucede na estrutura apresentada neste artigo. Com o objectivo de modelar pelo Método dos Elementos Finitos o comportamento de uma estrutura porticada de um edifício em aço inoxidável em situação de incêndio, introduziu-se a sua lei constitutiva no programa SAFIR, um programa de elementos finitos para análise não-linear geométrica e material, especialmente desenvolvido na Universidade de Liège para estudo de estruturas sujeitas à acção do fogo. Neste programa as propriedades térmicas e mecânicas do aço são função da temperatura, de acordo com o Eurocódigo 3. Compara-se o comportamento da estrutura em aço inoxidável 1.4301 (também conhecido como 304) com o comportamento que teria se a estrutura fosse em aço carbono S235 e realçam-se os benefícios da utilização do aço inoxidável resultantes da sua maior resistência ao fogo

Modelação numérica de elementos estruturais em aço inoxidável com secções esbeltas em situação de incêndio

Neste trabalho, a resposta estrutural de elementos esbeltos em aço inoxidável submetidos a incêndio é analisada numericamente através de programas de elementos finitos geométrica e materialmente não lineares. Com o intuito de realizar estas simulações, foram necessárias duas alterações no programa SAFIR: i) foi introduzida a lei constitutiva 2D do aço inoxidável, para ser usada em elementos de casca e ii) foi introduzida a possibilidade do programa considerar tensões residuais em elementos finitos de casca. A lei constitutiva utilizada do aço inoxidável foi a apresentada na parte 1.2 do Eurocódigo 3. Para modelar o endurecimento exibido pelos aços inoxidáveis, usando a formulação de elementos de casca, foi necessária uma aproximação à referida lei constitutiva do Eurocódigo 3. Imperfeições geométricas locais e globais foram consideradas nas simulações numéricas. Por fim, este trabalho mostrará também a influência das tensões residuais na capacidade resistente em situação de incêndio, de elementos estruturais esbeltos em aço inoxidável

Numerical modelling of the behaviour of a stainless steel portal frame subjected to fire

It is known that stainless steel has a better fire performance than carbon steel, which can lead to a growing utilization of this kind of steel in structures. In fact, although more expensive than the carbon steel, structures in stainless steel can be competitive because of its smaller thermal protection need. With the purpose of modelling by Finite Element Method the behaviour of a stainless steel framed structure, without any protection, submitted to fire, has been introduced in the SAFIR program, the material properties of the stainless steel. SAFIR is a finite element program with geometrical and material non-linear analysis, specially developed in the University of Liège for studying structures subjected to fire. The thermal and mechanical properties of the stainless steel, introduced in the SAFIR program are temperature dependent, according to the Eurocode 3. The stress strain relationship, the thermal conductivity and the specific heat are the most important material properties for the structure analysis at high temperatures. These properties in stainless steel are considerable different from carbon steel. The behaviour of the structure will be compared in the two different materials: stainless steel 1.4301 (also known as 304) and carbon steel S235. The benefits of using stainless steel in the fire resistance of the structure, which is 3 times higher than the one obtained with carbon steel, avoiding any fire protection material needed to fulfil the necessary fire requirements will be shown

Evaluation of performance under fire of compressed earth blocks

In this paper are presented and discussed the main results of fire resistance tests on walls made of soil-cement and Kraftterra compressed earth blocks (CEB). Within this research it was intended to evaluate the fire resistance of walls made with CEB, with and without cellulose pulp incorporation deriving from recycling of cement sacks. Firstly, it is described the Kraftterra production processes and the fire resistance test campaign. Then, the performance of the blocks under analysis in terms of fire resistance is compared