Decomposing productivity and efficiency among Western Australian grain producers

We provide empirical evidence to decompose productivity growth of a group of producers into technical change and efficiency measures at the farm level. Using four years of farm-level data from forty-five grain producers in the low- to medium-rainfall zone of Western Australia, we decompose productivity numbers to analyze total factor productivity. The results show that producers are generally technical, mix, and scale efficient, but the results for input and output mix efficiencies vary. The outcomes for input mix efficiency suggest that producers face some rigidity in their production decisions. In contrast, output mix efficiency suggests that most producers adjust their output mixes to account for different seasonal conditions and enterprise mixes. Copyright 2013 Western Agricultural Economics Association

Market Differentials for Meat Quality Improvement: Meat Standards Australia

Eating quality is one of the most important factors influencing demand for beef. Meat Standards Australia is a voluntary beef grading system aimed at improving consumer certainty about beef quality, improving overall beef quality and strengthening supply chain linkages. Since its inception in 1999/2000, substantial improvements in beef quality, as measured by the system, have been identified. An evaluation was undertaken to estimate the economic value of these improvements to the industry. It was found that MSA graded beef consistently attracted premiums above nongraded beef, with mean values of 29c/kg and 39c/kg (carcass equivalent) at the wholesale and retail levels respectively, while the food service sector received an average of 39c/kg (carcass equivalent). The total retail value of the program to date is estimated to be between $218 to 230 million and$171 million at the wholesale level (in terms of 2005 prices).Livestock Production/Industries,

‘And yet I’m an adult now’. The influence of parental criticism on women’s body satisfaction/dissatisfaction during emerging adulthood

Body dissatisfaction is widely recognized as an important public health concern mainly for women because of its increasing incidence worldwide. The aim of this exploratory study was to test the predictive role of family influence on body satisfaction (BS) among young Italian women, during a decade conceptualized as \u2018emerging adulthood\u2019. Instruments designed to assess BS, appearance-focused parental comments, maternal and paternal criticism were administered to 688 women aged between 18 and 28 years (M age = 23.40; SD = 2.33). Two regression analyses were used with life satisfaction levels, parental comments, and maternal/paternal criticism as independent variables to explain variance in BS for younger (18\u201323 years) and older (24\u201328 years) women. The data reveal an interesting difference in the influence of parental criticism on BS depending on the age cohort: maternal criticism negatively predicts BS in younger women, while paternal criticism is a risk factor for BS in older women

The New World challenge : Performance trends in wine production in major wine-exporting countries in the 2000s and their implications for the Australian wine industry

© 2014 UniCeSV, University of Florence. Anderson, K., Nelgen, S., 2011. Global Wine Markets, 1961 to 2009: A Statistical Compendium. University of Adelaide Press, Adelaide publication of an index of revealed comparative advantage suggests that the Australian wine industry had come under increased competition from other "New World" producers in the first decade of this century. We examine this influence by comparing the transformation of wine grapes into wine volume and value in the 11 largest wine-exporting countries during the years, 2000-2009. Our focus is on the challenge issued by other New World producers from the Southern Hemisphere to Australian producers, and the continuing challenge to Old World global supremacy by New World producers and its response. Four performance measures are used this study. Two key trends are evident. First, all countries migrated to higher price points, albeit with differing degrees of success: slightly declining productivity in transforming wine grapes into wine output was over whelmed by price/quality effects, leading to substantial gains in transforming wine grapes in to wine value. Second, New World producers plus Portugal and Spain were much more successful in achieving gains in their export value proposition than they were in extracting value in their domestic markets. Results show that Australian wine producers had lost some of their competitive advantage during the 2000s as their pre- existing strategy dominated by the export of high-volume wines by large companies at low to medium price points, and their reliance on a reputation for reliable good quality for the price point was beginning to fail in the face of competition from both New World and Old World producers. Acknowledgement of this outcome has led to a good deal of introspection, and recognition of the need to promote the wine regions of Australia, based on higher-quality wines,and to select and promote quality indicators

Production of short-chain fatty acid from CO2 through mixed and pure culture in a microbial electrosynthesis cell

The continuous accumulation of atmospheric CO2 requires the development of new technologies for its mitigation. Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies aim to convert CO2 into precious compounds like chemicals and fuels. Biological fixation is an attractive CCU strategy in terms of cost, sustainability and variety of products. Chemoautotrophic microorganisms such as methanogens and acetogens are able to reduce CO2 into acetate and methane, respectively. Acetogens bacteria are able to use CO2 for cell growth through the Wood Liujhundal pathway, moreover, the final precursor (i.e. Acetyl-CoA) of the autotrophic metabolism, is also used in energy metabolism with acetate production as a waste product. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain multicarbon products of autotrophic origin starting from acetyl-CoA and acetate. The biotechnological use of these microorganisms requires the presence of H2 as substrate, which is used as an electron donor in the pathway. This reaction can be sustained by a biocathode in a microbial electrosynthesis cell, in which the reducing power is generated by a polarized electrode. This study proposes the use of a microbial electrosynthesis cell for conversion to acetate in H-cells by either a mixed culture enriched with Acetobacterium woodii or a pure culture of Acetobacterium woodii, to observe the difference in terms of acetate production and reducing power consumption efficiency. The mixed culture was obtained from a mixture of activated sludge and anaerobic digestate, treated by a protocol capable to select acetogenic microorganisms without the use of specific chemical inhibitors (2-Bromoethanesulfonate). Both inoculums were tested at room temperature (25°C) in the cathodic chamber of the H-cell at potentials in the range of -0.7 to -1.1 V vs SHE. The obtained results showed that the enriched mixed culture produced at -0.7 vs SHE a mixture of volatile fatty acids including C4 and C5 molecules with an overall coulombic efficiency of 50%, while at the potential of -0.9 vs SHE methane constituted the main product of the biocathode. The pure culture, on the other hand, showed a specific production of acetate with a coulombic efficiency of 44% at -0.9 vs SHE and 63% at -1.1 vs SHE. Furthermore, a drastic decrease in biocathode biomass was observed in pure culture, suggesting a higher tendency to form biofilms on the electrode unlike the mixed culture, which showed a standard growth profile in the bulk

Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes after Cancer Immunotherapy

INTRODUCTION: Neurological immune-related adverse events are a rare but potentially deadly complication after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. As multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease, it is unknown how ICI treatment may affect outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database for pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab, avelumab, and durvalumab 2 years prior their FDA approval until December 31, 2017, to include all cases with confirmed diagnosis/relapse of MS. We also included cases reported in the literature and a patient from our institution. RESULTS: We identified 14 cases of MS with median age of presentation of 52 years. Indications for ICI included melanoma in 7 (36.36%) cases, non-small cell lung carcinoma in 2 (18.18%) cases, 1 case (9.09%) each of pleural mesothelioma, renal cell carcinoma, and colorectal cancer, and unreported in 2 (18.18%) cases. History of MS was confirmed in 8 (57.1%) cases. Median time to beginning of symptoms was 29 days with rapid disease progression; two patients died due to their relapse. Median time for symptom resolution was 8 weeks. Outcomes did not vary by comparing CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Reported MS relapses after ICI are rare, but the adverse events described include rapid neurologic progression and death. Larger and prospective studies are warranted to assess disability and long-term outcomes and outweigh the risks of starting immunotherapy in patients with MS

Coexpression gene network analysis of cold-tolerant Solanum commersonii reveals new insights in response to low temperatures

Among abiotic stressors, cold is one of the most harmful for the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a frost-sensitive crop. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) profiling of two different clones of wild potato (S. commersonii Dun.) contrasting in their capacity to withstand low temperatures revealed a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under nonacclimated conditions (NAC) in tolerant clone cmm1T vs. the susceptible cmm6-6 (1,002 and 8,055 DEGs, respectively). By contrast, the number of DEGs was much more comparable when both genotypes were under acclimated conditions (AC). Indeed, a total of 5,650 and 8,936 DEGs were detected in the tolerant genotype vs. the susceptible. Gene ontology (GO) classification under NAC showed a significant role for transcription regulation, lignin catabolic genes, and regulation of plant type secondary cell wall in the cold-tolerant genotypes, suggesting an important role in conferring tolerance response. By contrast, response to stress and response to stimuli were enriched GO categories in both clones under AC. Unsigned weighted correlation networks analysis (WGCNA) allowed identification of coexpressed hub genes with possible main regulatory functions and major impacts on the phenotype. Among those identified, we clarified the role of CBF4. This gene showed contrasting expression profiles in the two clones under NAC, being induced in cold-tolerant cmm1T but suppressed in susceptible cmm6-6. By contrast, under AC, CBF4 was upregulated in both clones. Our study provides a global understanding of mechanisms involved following exposure to NAC and AC in S. commersonii. The mechanisms described here will inform future investigations for detailed validation in studies regarding cold tolerance in plants

Initial Management of Meningiomas: Analysis of the National Cancer Database

BACKGROUND: Meningiomas are the most common central nervous system tumor. We describe current trends in treatment and survival using the largest cancer dataset in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2014, for all patients with diagnosis of meningioma. RESULTS: 201,765 cases were analyzed. Patients were most commonly White (81.9%) females (73.2%) with a median age of 64 years. Fifty percent of patients were diagnosed by imaging. Patients were reported as grade I (24.9%), grade II (5.0%), grade III (0.7%), or unknown WHO grade (69.4%). Patients diagnosed by imaging were older, received treatment in community facilities, had higher Charlson-Deyo score, and a lower rate of private insurance. Watchful waiting was the most common treatment modality (46.7%), followed by surgery only (40%). Grade II and III patients were more likely to receive therapy. Watchful waiting increased from 35.2% in 2004 to 51.4% in 2014. Younger age, male gender, private insurance, and treatment in academic facilities were determinants for receipt of surgery and/or radiation. Median survival was 12.6 years, higher in histologically confirmed cases (13.1 years). Older patients, Blacks, males, those that received radiation plus surgery, and were treated in community facilities had an increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Over half of patients were diagnosed by imaging, suggesting a higher role of clinical determinants over histological confirmation in treatment decisions. Watchful waiting as initial management is increasing. Our survival analysis favored histological confirmation. Patients receiving radiation and surgery had an increased risk of mortality

Individual differences in naturalistic learning link negative emotionality to the development of anxiety

Organisms learn from prediction errors (PEs) to predict the future. Laboratory studies using small financial outcomes find that humans use PEs to update expectations and link individual differences in PE-based learning to internalizing disorders. Because of the low-stakes outcomes in most tasks, it is unclear whether PE learning emerges in naturalistic, high-stakes contexts and whether individual differences in PE learning predict psychopathology risk. Using experience sampling to assess 625 college students\u27 expected exam grades, we found evidence of PE-based learning and a general tendency to discount negative PEs, an optimism bias. However, individuals with elevated negative emotionality, a personality trait linked to the development of anxiety disorders, displayed a global pessimism and learning differences that impeded accurate expectations and predicted future anxiety symptoms. A sensitivity to PEs combined with an aversion to negative PEs may result in a pessimistic and inaccurate model of the world, leading to anxiety