CAPTIVE SUPPLY TRENDS AND IMPACTS SINCE THE ADVENT OF MANDATORY PRICE REPORTING

Captive supplies have been a contentious issue in the livestock industry for fifteen years and the subject of both theoretical and empirical research. In 2001, mandatory price reporting was implemented. One objective by its proponents was to increase the amount of information available on captive supplies. This paper examines data now available as a result of mandatory price reporting to determine what additional information is available compared to previously. Second, several models were specified and estimated to determine the impacts captive supplies had on fed cattle prices in the two years following implementation of mandatory price reporting. Models showed mixed results. There was a consistent negative effect on cash market prices from formula priced trades; generally a positive impact from negotiated trades and packer owned trades on cash market prices; and mixed but often a positive impact from forward contract trades on cash market prices.Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing,

MARKET ADJUSTMENT INSIGHTS: PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY DATA

Producers, researchers, and policy makers have an interest in market effects from meatpacking plant closings and openings. This paper presents results from a study taking a dual approach to determining impacts from an anticipated hog slaughtering plant opening and an unexpected fed cattle slaughtering plant closing. Secondary data are used in a price differences and partial adjustment model. Primary data are used in a logit model. Results indicate a clearer price effect from the plant opening than the plant closing. Primary data provide additional insight into the dynamics related to the two plant events.Industrial Organization,

Price Effects from an Anticipated Meatpacking Plant Opening and Unexpected Plant Closing

Livestock producers primarily, but policy makers also, have an interest in market effects from meatpacking plant closings and openings. This article presents results from a study to determine price impacts from an anticipated hog slaughtering plant opening and an unexpected fed cattle slaughtering plant closing. The estimated price effects for each plant event were modeled with price difference and partial adjustment models. The plant opening resulted in higher absolute and relative hog prices in the Provincial market where the plant was located. However, adverse price impacts from the fed cattle plant closing were less evident.buyer competition, fed cattle, hogs, livestock prices, market dynamics, meatpacking, Demand and Price Analysis,

Evolution of antiferromagnetic domains in the all-in-all-out ordered pyrochlore Nd2_2Zr2_2O7_7

We report the observation of magnetic domains in the exotic, antiferromagnetically ordered all-in-all-out state of Nd$_2$Zr$_2$O$_7$, induced by spin canting. The all-in-all-out state can be realized by Ising-like spins on a pyrochlore lattice and is established in Nd$_2$Zr$_2$O$_7$ below 0.31 K for external magnetic fields up to 0.14 T. Two different spin arrangements can fulfill this configuration which leads to the possibility of magnetic domains. The all-in-all-out domain structure can be controlled by an external magnetic field applied parallel to the [111] direction. This is a result of different spin canting mechanism for the two all-in-all-out configurations for such a direction of the magnetic field. The change of the domain structure is observed through a hysteresis in the magnetic susceptibility. No hysteresis occurs, however, in case the external magnetic field is applied along [100].Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B, 6 pages, 6 figure

Erektile Dysfunktion bei Männern in der zweiten Lebenshälfte

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Bisherige Studien zur Prävalenz der erektilen Dysfunktion (ED) zeigen unterschiedliche Ergebnisse. Mit der vorliegenden Studie werden die Häufigkeit und graduelle Ausprägung der ED, deren begünstigende Faktoren sowie das Hilfesuchverhalten der Betroffenen untersucht. Stichprobe und Methodik: Eine Zufallsstichprobe von 628 Deutschschweizer Männern (Durchschnittsalter 61,5Jahre) wurde mittels Fragebogen zur sexuellen Funktionsfähigkeit, Komorbidität und zu ihrem Hilfesuchverhalten befragt. Ergebnisse: 9,6% der Befragten berichten über eine vollständige, 18,0% über eine moderate und 41,4% über eine minimale ED. Alle Grade der Störung nehmen mit dem Alter zu und korrelieren mit somatischer bzw. psychischer Komorbidität sowie Medikamenteneinnahme. Nur 3,2% geben an, schon Mittel zur Verbesserung der Erektionsfähigkeit eingenommen bzw. verwendet zu haben. Schlussfolgerungen: Nur ein kleiner Teil von Männern mit ED sucht ärztliche Hilfe. Sachliche Aufklärung und kompetente ärztliche Beratung von Betroffenen erscheinen angesichts der guten Wirksamkeit von PDE-5-Hemmern angebrach