Wheat Cleaning and its Effect on U.S. Wheat Exports

This analysis shows that there could be net gains to the U.S. wheat industry if all U.S. export wheat were to be cleaned to a dockage level between 0.35 to 0.40 percent. These results are based on survey results of major importers of U.S. wheat, and a model of world wheat trade. Larger benefits to the U.S. wheat industry would be possible from cleaning only wheat destined to countries that demand higher quality U.S. wheat. However, these gains in export revenue from selling cleaner wheat could be offset if other exporters, especially Canada, responded in ways that would maintain their market share.wheat, grain quality, trade model, Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

Reaching millennium development goal 4 - the Gambia.

UNLABELLED: To describe how, through a DSS in a rural area of The Gambia, it has been possible to measure substantial reductions in child mortality rates and how we investigated whether the decline paralleled the registered fall in malaria incidence in the country. METHODS: Demographic surveillance data spanning 19.5 years (1 April 1989-30 September 2008) from 42 villages around the town of Farafenni, The Gambia, were used to estimate childhood mortality rates for neonatal, infant, child (1-4 years) and under-5 age groups. Data were presented in five a priori defined time periods, and annual rates per 1000 live births were derived from Kaplan-Meier survival probabilities. RESULTS: From 1989-1992 to 2004-2008, under-5 mortality declined by 56% (95% CI: 48-63%), from 165 (95% CI: 151-181) per 1000 live births to 74 (95% CI: 65-84) per 1000 live births. In 1- to 4-year-olds, mortality during the period 2004-2008 was 69% (95% CI: 60-76%) less than in 1989-1992. The corresponding mortality decline in infants was 39% (95% CI: 23-52%); in neonates, it was 38% (95% CI: 13-66%). The derived annual under-5 mortality rates declined from 159 per 1000 live births in 1990 to 45 per 1000 live births in 2008, thus implying an attainment of MDG4 seven years in advance of the target year of 2015. CONCLUSION: Achieving MDG4 is possible in poor, rural areas of Africa through widespread deployment of relatively simple measures that improve child survival, such as immunisation and effective malaria control

Impacts of human hunting on spatial behavior of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

This study was funded by The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., and the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University.Predators can influence populations through top-down effects, but most large predators have been extirpated from the white-tailed deer’s (Odocoileus virginianus) range. Hunters have filled this predatory role, but also can indirectly influence prey species. Indirect behavioral responses can include altered resource selection, space use, or movement patterns. Herein, we developed a controlled study that contained both temporal and spatial risk levels to assess how deer behavior changes in space relative to temporal periods of risk. Total distance travelled (m) and micro-range area (m²) were calculated over two-day periods to determine the general effects of hunting season on deer spatial behavior. Generally, distance travelled, micro-range area, and exploratory behavior decreased during the course of the study, with the greatest decrease occurring during the active 16-day hunting period. Despite potential risk and disturbance from hunters, deer maintained site fidelity to previously established ranges and did not expand micro-range areas. These data indicate that deer recognize threats from humans on the landscape and adapt behavioral strategies by minimizing movement and exhibiting high residency times in well-established ranges, factors known to influence harvest susceptibility. This information can be used to assess potential impacts from hunting for management purposes, but also to test the adaptive ability of animals to risk.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Development of a Dynamic Investment Strategy under Alternative Inflation Cycle Scenarios

Inflation and inflation cycles have been a major underlying reason for the financial successes and failures of real estate investors in recent history. These cycles have complex impacts on cash flow variables and thus on real estate returns and investment values. This study presents a decision framework and operational model to project investment returns for alternative inflation cycle scenarios and demonstrates their application for developing a dynamic real estate investment strategy. Such a strategy provides for portfolio revisions during different stages of the inflation cycle and assumes that investors seek to maximize expected "real" rates of return and hence owner's wealth. A probabilistic discounted cash flow model is designed and used to inflation-adjust each cash flow variable affected. Mathematical relationships are developed for specifying unique cash flow variable linkages and sensitivities, with lead and lag periods consistent with empirical evidence of timing of inflation impacts. Finally strategic implications for acquisition and disposition policy are discussed.

Does Human Predation Risk Affect Harvest Susceptibility of White-Tailed Deer During Hunting Season?

Large carnivores are considered a primary source of mortality for many ungulate populations, but harvest by hunters is the primary means of population management. However, research is needed to evaluate how human predation risk influences observability (a surrogate to harvest susceptibility) of ungulates. We determined how hunting intensity and duration influence observation rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and how deer behavior (i.e., movement rate and resource selection) affects observation rates. We sampled 37 adult (≥2 yr) male deer at 2 levels of risk (i.e., low-risk = 1 hunter/101 ha; and high-risk = 1 hunter/30 ha) during 3 exposure periods (i.e., first, second, and third weekend of hunting) on a 1,861-ha property in Oklahoma, USA, during the 2008 and 2009 rifle deer-seasons. Observation rates (collared deer/hunter-hr/day) were greatest during the first weekend in both the low- and high-risk treatments, but declined each weekend thereafter in both treatments. Immediately prior to hunter observation, movement rate of observed collared deer was greater than that of unobserved collared deer, but only when hunting risk was high. Greater movement rates of deer in the high-risk treatment also led to a greater probability of observation. Hunters also had a greater probability of observing collared deer at higher elevations. Overall, deer modified their behavior to avoid detection by hunters. These results can be used to explain decreased observation rates to hunters and to modify harvest rates by altering timing and intensity of human predation risk during the recreational hunting season to help achieve population management goals through harvest

On Free-Electron Laser Growing Modes and their Bandwidth

Free-electron lasers play an increasing role in science, from generating unique femtosecond X- ray pulses for single short recording of the protein structures to amplifying feeble interactions in advanced cooling systems for high-energy hadron colliders. While modern Free-electron laser codes can describe their amplification mechanism, a deep analytical understanding of the mechanism is of extreme importance for a number of applications. Mode competition, their growth rates and amplification bandwidth are among the most important parameters of a free-electron laser. A dispersion relation, which defines these important characteristics, can be solved analytically only for a very few simple cases. In this letter we show that for a typical bell-shape energy distribution in electron beam there is no more that one growing mode. We also derive an analytical expression which determines the bandwidth of the free-electron laser.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to PR

Effect of praziquantel treatment of Schistosoma mansoni during pregnancy on immune responses to schistosome antigens among the offspring: results of a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Offspring of women with schistosomiasis may exhibit immune responsiveness to schistosomes due to in utero sensitisation or trans-placental transfer of antibodies. Praziquantel treatment during pregnancy boosts maternal immune responses to schistosome antigens and reduces worm burden. Effects of praziquantel treatment during pregnancy on responses among offspring are unknown. METHODS: In a trial of anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy in Uganda (ISRCTN32849447; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN32849447/elliott), offspring of women with Schistosoma mansoni were examined for cytokine and antibody responses to schistosome worm (SWA) and egg (SEA) antigen, in cord blood and at age one year. Relationships to maternal responses and pre-treatment infection intensities were examined, and responses were compared between the offspring of women who did, or did not receive praziquantel treatment during pregnancy. RESULTS: Of 388 S. mansoni-infected women studied, samples were obtained at age one year from 215 of their infants. Stool examination for S. mansoni eggs was negative for all infants. Cord and infant samples were characterised by very low cytokine production in response to schistosome antigens with the exception of cord IL-10 responses, which were substantial. Cord and infant cytokine responses showed no association with maternal responses. As expected, cord blood levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) G to SWA and SEA were high and correlated with maternal antibodies. However, by age one year IgG levels had waned and were hardly detectable. Praziquantel treatment during pregnancy showed no effect on cytokine responses or antibodies levels to SWA or SEA either in cord blood or at age one year, except for IgG1 to SWA, which was elevated in infants of treated mothers, reflecting maternal levels. There was some evidence that maternal infection intensity was positively associated with cord blood IL-5 and IL-13 responses to SWA, and IL-5 responses to SEA, and that this association was modified by treatment with praziquantel. CONCLUSIONS: Despite strong effects on maternal infection intensity and maternal immune responses, praziquantel treatment of infected women during pregnancy had no effect on anti-schistosome immune responses among offspring by age one year. Whether the treatment will impact upon the offspring's responses on exposure to primary schistosome infection remains to be elucidated. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: ISRCTN32849447

Genomic tools reveal complex social organization of an invasive large mammal (\u3ci\u3eSus scrofa\u3c/i\u3e)

A comprehensive understanding of sociality in wildlife is vital to optimizing conservation and management efforts. However, sociality is complicated, especially for widely distributed species that exhibit substantive behavioral plasticity. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa), often representing hybrids of European wild boar and domestic pigs, are among the most adaptable and widely distributed large mammals. The social structure of wild pigs is believed to be similar to European wild boar, consisting of matriarchal groups (sounders) and solitary males. However, wild pig social structure is understudied and largely limited to visual observations. Using a hierarchical approach, we incorporated genomic tools to describe wild pig social group composition in two disparate ecoregions within their invaded range in North America. The most common social unit was sounders, which are characterized as the association of two or more breeding-aged wild pigs with or without dependent offspring. In addition to sounders, pseudo-solitary females and male-dominated bachelor groups were observed at a greater frequency than previously reported. Though primarily composed of close female kin, some sounders included unrelated females. Bachelor groups were predominantly composed of young, dispersal-aged males and almost always included only close kin. Collectively, our study suggests social organization of wild pigs in their invaded range is similar to that observed among wild boar but is complex, dynamic, and likely variable across invaded habitats

Microbial community dynamics during lake ice freezing

Many freshwater environments experience dramatic seasonal changes with some systems remaining ice-covered for most of the winter. Freshwater systems are also highly sensitive to environmental change. However, little is known about changes in microbial abundance and community composition during lake ice formation and times of persistent ice cover. The goal of this study is to characterize temporal dynamics of microbial communities during ice formation and persistent ice cover. Samples were collected in triplicate, five days per week from surface water in the Keweenaw Waterway between November and April. Environmental conditions along with microbial abundance and microbial community composition was determined. Distinct community composition was found between ice-free and ice-covered time periods with significantly different community composition between months. The microbial community underwent dramatic shifts in microbial abundance and diversity during the transitions into and out of ice cover. The richness of the microbial community increased during times of ice cover. Relatives of microbes involved in nitrogen cycling bloomed during times of ice cover as sequences related to known nitrifying taxa were significantly enriched during ice cover. These results help to elucidate how microbial abundance and diversity change over drastic seasonal transitions and how ice cover may affect microbial abundance and diversity