Impact of the CAP reform on small-scale grassland regions

This paper presents a regional land-use model that conceives farms as independent agents aiming at maximum individual utility. Farm agents optimize their utility with the help of a linear-programming algorithm that takes into account natural, economic and personal restrictions. Interactions between farms take place on the land market, which is modelled as an equilibrium market. The model is applied in three typical grassland regions in southern Bavaria. The results indicate that the CAP reform of 2003 has various significant consequences for grassland use. In particular, the decreasing profitability of dairy farming will lead to low-intensity forms of grassland use, including mulching. In general, land rents will increase due to the effects of decoupling.CAP Reform, linear programming, land-market simulation, agent-based modelling, farmers attitude, policy analysis, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Impact of the CAP Reform on Small-Scaled Grassland Regions in Bavaria, Germany

The CAP reform of 2003 will change farmer's business environment in Europe. This paper analyses the impact of the reform on the land use in southern German grassland regions. The assessment will be based on model calculations for two typical grassland regions. Each study area represents one village with its specific farm structure and natural conditions. These regions differ in their excellence with respect to agricultural use. In Southern Germany small to medium sized family farms is the most frequent type of farming. We use a regional land-use model that conceives farms as independent agents aiming at maximum individual utility. Farm agents optimize their farm organisation with the help of a linear-programming algorithm that takes into account natural, economic and personal restrictions. Interactions between farms take place on the land market, which is modelled as an equilibrium market. It becomes clear that the CAP reform of 2003 has various significant consequences with respect to grassland use. In particular the decreasing profitability of dairy farming will relatively promote low-intensive forms of grassland use, including mulching. If some payments (e. g. agri-environmental payments) remain coupled to livestock production area-wide agriculture can be maintained even in marginal areas. Land rents will generally increase in more marginal areas due to the effects of decoupling.CAP-reform, linear programming, land-market simulation, agent-based modelling, farmers attitude, policy analysis, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Arnold J. Heidenheimer: Disparate ladders. Why school and university policies differ in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. New Brunswick/London: Transaction Publishers 1997. [Rezension]

Rezension von: Arnold J. Heidenheimer: Disparate ladders. Why school and university policies differ in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. New Brunswick/London: Transaction Publishers 1997. 382 S

Artificial neural networks for controlling the temperature of internally cooled turning tools

Copyright @ 2013 Scientific Research PublishingBy eliminating the need for externally applied coolant, internally cooled turning tools offer potential health, safety and cost benefits in many types of machining operation. As coolant flow is completely controlled, tool temperature mea- surement becomes a practical proposition and can be used to find and maintain the optimum machining conditions. This also requires an intelligent control system in the sense that it must be adaptable to different tool designs, work piece materials and machining conditions. In this paper, artificial neural networks (ANN) are assessed for their suitability to perform such a control function. Experimental data for both conventional tools used for dry machining and internally cooled tools is obtained and used to optimise the design of an ANN. A key finding is that both experimental scatter characteristic of turning and the range of machining conditions for which ANN control is required have a large effect on the optimum ANN design and the amount of data needed for its training. In this investigation, predictions of tool tem- perature with an optimised ANN were found to be within 5°C of measured values for operating temperatures of up to 258°C. It is therefore concluded that ANN’s are a viable option for in-process control of turning processes using inter- nally controlled tools.This study is funded by the European Commission

Are Predictors for Overall Mortality in COPD Patients Robust over Time?

(1) Background: Mortality is a major outcome in research on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with various predictors described. However, the dynamic courses of important predictors over time are disregarded. This study evaluates if longitudinal assessment of predictors provides additional information on the mortality risk in COPD when compared with a cross-sectional analysis.; (2) In a longitudinal, prospective, non-interventional cohort study including mild to very severe COPD patients, mortality and its various possible predictors were annually assessed up to seven years.; (3) Results: 297 patients were analysed. Mean (SD) age was 62.5 (7.6) years and 66% males. Mean (SD) FEV1 was 48.8 (21.4)%. A total of 105 events (35.4%) happened with a median (95% CI) survival time of 8.2 (7.2/NA) years. No evidence for a difference between the raw variable and the variable history on the predictive value for all tested variables over each visit was found. There was no evidence for changing effect estimates (coefficients) across the study visits due to the longitudinal assessment; (4) Conclusions: We found no evidence that predictors of mortality in COPD are time dependent. This implies that cross-sectional measured predictors show robust effect estimates over time and multiple assessments seem not to change the predictive value of the measure

Control of Fruit Patterning in Arabidopsis by INDEHISCENT

AbstractThe Arabidopsis seedpod opens through a spring-loaded mechanism known as pod shatter, which is essential for dispersal of the seeds. Here, we identify INDEHISCENT (IND), an atypical bHLH protein, that is necessary for fruit opening and is involved in patterning each of the three fruit cell types required for seed dispersal. Previous studies suggested that FRUITFULL (FUL), a member of the MADS-domain transcription factor family, is required for fruit growth since ful mutant fruit fail to undergo the dramatic enlargement that normally occurs after fertilization. Here we show, however, that FUL is not directly required for fruit elongation and instead is required to prevent ectopic activity of IND. Our molecular and genetic studies suggest a model for the regulatory interactions among the genes that control fruit development and the mechanism that results in the expression of IND in a narrow stripe of cells

Origin of basaltic magmas of Perşani volcanic field, Romania: A combined whole 6 rock and mineral scale investigation

The Perşani volcanic field is a low-volume flux monogenetic volcanic field in the Carpathian–Pannonian region, 24 eastern-central Europe. Volcanic activity occurred intermittently from1200 ka to 600 ka, forming lava flow fields, 25 scoria cones andmaars. Selected basalts fromthe initial and younger active phaseswere investigated for major and 26 trace element contents and mineral compositions. Bulk compositions are close to those of the primitive magmas; 27 only 5–12% olivine and minor spinel fractionation occurred at 1300–1350 °C, followed by clinopyroxenes at about 28 1250 °C and 0.8–1.2 GPa. Melt generation occurred in the depth range from 85–90 km to 60 km. The estimated 29 mantle potential temperature, 1350–1420 °C, is the lowest in the Pannonian Basin. It suggests that no thermal 30 anomaly exists in the uppermantle beneath the Perşani area and that themaficmagmas were formed by decom- 31 pressionmelting under relatively thin continental lithosphere. Themantle source of themagmas could be slightly 32 heterogeneous, but is dominantly variously depleted MORB-source peridotite, as suggested by the olivine and 33 spinel composition. Based on the Cr-numbers of the spinels, two coherent compositional groups (0.38–0.45 and 34 0.23–0.32, respectively) can be distinguished that correspond to the older and younger volcanic products. This in- 35 dicates a change in themantle source region during the volcanic activity as also inferred from the bulk rockmajor 36 and trace element data. The younger basaltic magmas were generated by lower degree of melting, from a deeper 37 and compositionally slightly different mantle source compared to the older ones. The mantle source character of 38 the Perşanimagmas is akin to that ofmany other alkaline basalt volcanic fields in theMediterranean close to oro- 39 genic areas. The magma ascent rate is estimated based on compositional traverses across olivine xenocrysts using 40 variations of Ca content. Two heating events are recognized; the first one lasted about 1.3 years implying heating 41 of the lower lithosphere by the uprisingmagma,whereas the second one lasted only 4–5 days,whichcorresponds 42 to the time of magma ascent through the continental crust. The alkaline mafic volcanismin the Perşani volcanic 43 field could have occurred as a response to the formation of a narrow rupture in the lower lithosphere, possibly 44 as a far-field effect of the dripping of dense continental lithospheric material beneath the Vrancea zone. Upper 45 crustal extensional stress-field with reactivation of normal faults at the eastern margin of the Transylvanian 46 basin could enhance the rapid ascent of the mafic magmas

Efficacy, safety and quality of life in a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose peanut oral immunotherapy in children with peanut allergy

BACKGROUND: Only 2 small placebo-controlled trials on peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) have been published. OBJECTIVE: We examined the efficacy, safety, immunologic parameters, quality of life (QOL), and burden of treatment (BOT) of low-dose peanut OIT in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: A total of 62 children aged 3 to 17 years with IgE-mediated, challenge-proven peanut allergy were randomized (1:1) to receive peanut OIT with a maintenance dose of 125 to 250 mg peanut protein or placebo. The primary outcome was the proportion of children tolerating 300 mg or more peanut protein at oral food challenge (OFC) after 16 months of OIT. We measured the occurrence of adverse events (AEs), immunologic changes, and QOL before and after OIT and BOT during OIT. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 31 (74.2%) children of the active group tolerated at least 300 mg peanut protein at final OFC compared with 5 of 31 (16.1%) in the placebo group (P < .001). Thirteen of 31 (41.9%) children of the active versus 1 of 31 (3.2%) of the placebo group tolerated the highest dose of 4.5 g peanut protein at final OFC (P < .001). There was no significant difference between the groups in the occurrence of AE-related dropouts or in the number, severity, and treatment of objective AEs. In the peanut-OIT group, we noted a significant reduction in peanut-specific IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-2 production by PBMCs compared with the placebo group, as well as a significant increase in peanut-specific IgG4 levels and a significant improvement in QOL; 86% of children evaluated the BOT positively. DISCUSSION: Low-dose OIT is a promising, effective, and safe treatment option for peanut-allergic children, leading to improvement in QOL, a low BOT, and immunologic changes showing tolerance development