Cost and Efficiency in Alberta Dairy Production

This study investigates the relationships between farm size, milk yield, cost of production, and technical efficiency in the Alberta dairy industry. Estimates of a stochastic production frontier are obtained with two alternative methods; an iterative "average frontier: (AF) procedure and a maximum-likelihood composed error (CE) term method. An index of technical efficiency is calculated for every herd in the sample, with the AF method resulting in an average efficiency ratio of 85 percent, and the CE method producing an average efficiency ratio of 83 percent. Regressions of production cost on milk output, herd size, and efficiency are used to test for the effects of size economies, yield economies, and technical efficiency on production cost. These results suggest that herd expansion, on average, would lower the average cost of production throughout the province. Romain and Lambert use a similar method in a study of Quebec and Ontario dairy farmers which shows a limited potential to exploit economies of herd size. While not a formal test of the similarity of the two industries, the results of this study indicate a significant difference between the optimal structure of dairy production in Alberta and Quebec. Such regional differences will have important implications for the possible reapportionment of the national milk market, whether by regulatory or free-market mechanisms.Livestock Production/Industries,

Economic Performance in Alberta Dairy: An Application of the Mimic Model

Dairy production at the farm-level is undergoing a rapid transformation in preparation for more open competition in the future. However, the means by which dairy farms can best improve their economic performance is of some question. Using measures of allocative, technical, and overall efficiency as indicators of a latent "performance" variable, this study specifies and estimates a multiple-indicator, multiple-cause (MIMIC) model of Alberta dairy production. Variables thought to "cause" performance include herd size, milk yield, breeding and veterinary expense, capital-to-labour ratio, concentrate-to-forage ratio, and operator experience. The results show that gains in performance may be made through increased capital intensity, greater spending on breeding and herd health, and, albeit marginally, through increased milk yields. Despite current trends toward larger dairy herds, this may not be a fruitful avenue for future improvements in dairy efficiency.Livestock Production/Industries,

Getting the Best GRIP on Blood Pressure Control: Are Stress Balls and Computerized Handgrips Equally Effective?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified hypertension (HTN) as a global epidemic, and in accordance, has emphasized the need for cost effective, widely available alternative methods to lower blood pressure (BP) levels in all populations worldwide. Exercise, namely aerobic with dynamic resistance exercise as an adjunct, is a cornerstone method of reducing HTN. Recently, isometric handgrip (IHG) training, has become a formal recommendation of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the American Heart Association (AHA) in their recent guidelines. However, traditional IHG participation requires the use of a computerized dynamometer, which costs upwards of approximately $600 CAD, making the investigation of more cost-effective devices with a high probability for uptake warranted. However, prior to establishing the BP-lowering effectiveness of these devices, the acute stimuli need to be quantified. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to compare the heart rate (HR), BP, and rates of perceived exertion (RPE) to a bout of IHG performed using traditional computerized device and a more affordable inflatable stress ball (approximately$4 CAD) among 20 healthy adults with normal BP (average age of 24.70 ± 5.13 years; average resting BP 107.93 ± 16.14/58.68 ± 6.77; average HR 66.01 ± 8.61; 10 women). No statistically significant differences between these two devices were observed with respect to HR, BP, and RPE (all p \u3e 0.05). The similar cardiovascular and psychophysical responses between devices provide support for the potential use of the inflatable stress ball as an effective IHG device, and thus, lay the foundation for a future training study

The Legal, Rhetorical, and Iconographic Aspects of the Concept of the accessoire in Christine de Pizan

L’article explore l’usage que fait Christine de Pizan du mot accessoire et souligne comment son vocabulaire fait littéralement écho à sa situation linguistique, au carrefour de la langue vernaculaire et du latin en usage dans les cercles curiaux parisiens qu’elle fréquentait. Les deux premières parties, plus nettement philologiques, offrent une contextualisation des emplois que Christine fait du mot accessoire, alors que la troisième partie examine le concept d’accessoire dans le cadre de la pratique iconographiqueThe article explores how Christine de Pizan’s use of the term accessoire(s), a special case of “detail” in medieval culture affords a useful example of how her vocabulary literally echoes her linguistic situation at the interface of vernacular and Latin in the Parisian courtly circles which she frequented. The first two philologically oriented sections offer a clear contextualization of Christine’s two uses of this term, while the third, more speculative, section is based her use of the concept of an accessoire in the context of iconographic practic

Confidentially Speaking: Protecting the Press from Liability for Broken Confidentiality Promises—\u3ci\u3eCohen v. Cowles Media Co.\u3c/i\u3e, 111 S. Ct. 2513 (1991)

In Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment does not bar suits against newspapers for breaches of confidentiality promises. By following its cases holding that the press is subject to neutral laws, the Court ignored its precedent mandating that state laws inhibiting publication violate the First Amendment absent a compelling state interest. This Note explores both lines of cases and concludes that application of a state law that inhibits publication is unconstitutional if its utility in effecting a legitimate state interest is outweighed by the public\u27s interest in receiving the information. Therefore, courts should read Cohen narrowly, and legislatures should act to shield the press from liability for breach of confidentiality

Prison Research from the Inside: The Role of Convict Autoethnography

A perspective that has often been absent in criminal justice research is that of former prisoners. This article discusses the establishment, in 1997, of “convict criminology,” a group of scholars producing research informed by their experiences of crime and the criminal justice process; that is, either those who have served time themselves or who have operated alongside prisoners as professionals in custodial settings. It is argued that such scholars face similar dilemmas to others in terms of emotionalism, but suggests that their emotions are of a different nature. While an “insider” perspective cannot lay claim to scientific “objectivity,” the article argues that the existence of emotion does not invalidate an “insider” criminologist’s views. Rather, the passion engendered by the experience of incarceration can add color, context, and contour to data collection, findings, and analysis and may therefore be regarded as an essential thread in the tapestry of criminological inquiry

Preserving Our Digital Heritage: Information Systems for Data Management and Preservation

It is essential that we develop effective systems for the management and preservation of digital heritage data. This paper outlines the key issues surrounding access, sharing and curation, and describes current efforts to establish research infrastructures in a number of countries. It aims to provide a detailed overview of the issues involved in the creation, ingest, preservation and dissemination of 3D datasets in particular. The paper incorporates specific examples from past and present Archaeology Data Service (ADS) projects and highlights the recent work undertaken by the ADS and partners to specify standards and workflows in order to aid the preservation and reuse of 3D datasets