7,076 research outputs found
Economic Impacts of Farm Program Payment Limits
The high levels of government payments to farmers resulting from the 1985 farm bill have once again led the Congress to examine the payment limit issue. Payment limits were initially established in 1970 and have since been revised several times. In this report, policy and farm management economists analyze the consequences of alternative payment limits on economic efficiency, economic viability of family-size farms, international competitiveness, and consumer food costs. Effective payment limits encourage reduced farm size and in the presence of economies of size, tend to increase production costs for program crops. The Agricultural and Food Policy Center is charged with evaluating economic impacts of policy alternatives -- not recommending, advocating, or opposing particular policies. The Center's orientation is toward Texas agriculture -- evaluating policy impacts on its producers and consumers. Farm prices and income, however, are determined in world markets that are influenced by national economic policy and farm programs. Texas impacts, therefore, must be evaluated in a much broader national and international market and policy context.Agricultural and Food Policy,
SN2013fs and SN2013fr: Exploring the circumstellar-material diversity in Type II supernovae
We present photometry and spectroscopy of SN2013fs and SN2013fr in the first
100 days post-explosion. Both objects showed transient, relatively narrow
H emission lines characteristic of SNeIIn, but later resembled normal
SNeII-P or SNeII-L, indicative of fleeting interaction with circumstellar
material (CSM). SN2013fs was discovered within 8hr of explosion. Its light
curve exhibits a plateau, with spectra revealing strong CSM interaction at
early times. It is a less luminous version of the transitional SNIIn PTF11iqb,
further demonstrating a continuum of CSM interaction intensity between SNeII-P
and IIn. It requires dense CSM within 6.510~cm of the
progenitor, from a phase of advanced pre-SN mass loss shortly before explosion.
Spectropolarimetry of SN2013fs shows little continuum polarization, but
noticeable line polarization during the plateau phase. SN2013fr morphed from a
SNIIn at early times to a SNII-L. After the first epoch its narrow lines
probably arose from host-galaxy emission, but the bright, narrow H
emission at early times may be intrinsic. As for SN2013fs, this would point to
a short-lived phase of strong CSM interaction if proven to be intrinsic,
suggesting a continuum between SNeIIn and II-L. It is a low-velocity SNII-L,
like SN2009kr but more luminous. SN2013fr also developed an IR excess at later
times, due to warm CSM dust that require a more sustained phase of strong
pre-SN mass loss.Comment: MNRAS accepted. 28 pages, 23 figures, 8 table
Highly Polarized Optically-Selected BL Lacertae Objects
Observations of candidate BL Lacertae objects spectroscopically selected from
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) reveal a large fraction with high
polarization (P > 3%). This result confirms that synchrotron radiation makes an
important contribution to the observed optical continuum for most objects in
the sample. The SDSS sample can be divided into separate categories, with
objects of undetermined redshift generally having the highest optical
polarization. Polarization as high as 23% and the lack of spectral features
suggests that the synchrotron continuum completely dominates the spectra of
these sources. The mean polarization levels observed for objects having
measured redshifts is much lower, with the maximum observed polarization for
this group being ~10%. The lower polarizations of these objects are reminiscent
of the less spectacular polarization levels shown by BL Lac objects discovered
in X-ray surveys. We find no SDSS BL Lac candidates at z > 1 with P > 3%,
calling their classification as BL Lac objects into question. In addition, the
existence of radio-quiet BL Lac objects is not verified since none of 10
potentially radio-weak BL Lac candidates observed are highly polarized.
Regardless of whether the high-redshift and radio-weak objects are included in
this optical sample, the overall levels of polarization observed are
intermediate between those seen for X-ray and radio-selected BL Lac objects.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 table
Underperforming policy networks : the biopesticides network in the United Kingdom
Loosely integrated and incomplete policy networks have been neglected in the literature. They are important to consider in terms of understanding network underperformance. The effective delivery and formulation of policy requires networks that are not incomplete or underperforming. The biopesticides policy network in the United Kingdom is considered and its components identified with an emphasis on the lack of integration of retailers and environmental groups. The nature of the network constrains the actions of its agents and frustrates the achievement of policy goals. A study of this relatively immature policy network also allows for a focus on network formation. The state, via an external central government department, has been a key factor in the development of the network. Therefore, it is important to incorporate such factors more systematically into understandings of network formation. Feedback efforts from policy have increased interactions between productionist actors but the sphere of consumption remains insufficiently articulated
Survivin as a therapeutic target in Sonic hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma.
Medulloblastoma (MB) is a highly malignant brain tumor that occurs primarily in children. Although surgery, radiation and high-dose chemotherapy have led to increased survival, many MB patients still die from their disease, and patients who survive suffer severe long-term side effects as a consequence of treatment. Thus, more effective and less toxic therapies for MB are critically important. Development of such therapies depends in part on identification of genes that are necessary for growth and survival of tumor cells. Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein that regulates cell cycle progression and resistance to apoptosis, is frequently expressed in human MB and when expressed at high levels predicts poor clinical outcome. Therefore, we hypothesized that Survivin may have a critical role in growth and survival of MB cells and that targeting it may enhance MB therapy. Here we show that Survivin is overexpressed in tumors from patched (Ptch) mutant mice, a model of Sonic hedgehog (SHH)-driven MB. Genetic deletion of survivin in Ptch mutant tumor cells significantly inhibits proliferation and causes cell cycle arrest. Treatment with small-molecule antagonists of Survivin impairs proliferation and survival of both murine and human MB cells. Finally, Survivin antagonists impede growth of MB cells in vivo. These studies highlight the importance of Survivin in SHH-driven MB, and suggest that it may represent a novel therapeutic target in patients with this disease
Simulated ecology-driven sympatric speciation
We introduce a multi-locus genetically acquired phenotype, submitted to
mutations and with selective value, in an age-structured model for biological
aging. This phenotype describes a single-trait effect of the environment on an
individual, and we study the resulting distribution of this trait among the
population. In particular, our simulations show that the appearance of a double
phenotypic attractor in the ecology induces the emergence of a stable
polymorphism, as observed in the Galapagos finches. In the presence of this
polymorphism, the simulations generate short-term speciation, when mating
preferences are also allowed to suffer mutations and acquire selective value.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, uses package RevTe
Can processes make relationships work? The Triple Helix between structure and action
This contribution seeks to explore how complex adaptive theory can be applied at the conceptual level to unpack Triple Helix models. We use two cases to examine this issue â the Finnish Strategic Centres for Science, Technology & Innovation (SHOKs) and the Canadian Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE). Both types of centres are organisational structures that aspire to be business-led, with a considerable portion of their activities driven by (industrial) usersâ interests and requirements. Reflecting on the centresâ activities along three dimensions â knowledge generation, consensus building and innovation â we contend that conceptualising the Triple Helix from a process perspective will improve the dialogue between stakeholders and shareholders
Resonant Auger spectroscopy at the L2,3 shake-up thresholds as a probe of electron correlation effects in nickel
The excitation energy dependence of the three-hole satellites in the
L3-M4,5M4,5 and L2-M4,5M4,5 Auger spectra of nickel metal has been measured
using synchrotron radiation. The satellite behavior in the non-radiative
emission spectra at the L3 and L2 thresholds is compared and the influence of
the Coster-Kronig channel explored. The three-hole satellite intensity at the
L3 Auger emission line reveals a peak structure at 5 eV above the L3 threshold
attributed to resonant processes at the 2p53d9 shake-up threshold. This is
discussed in connection with the 6-eV feature in the x-ray absorption spectrum.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; http://prb.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v58/i7/p3677_
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