Biofuels for all? Understanding the Global Impacts of Multinational Mandates

The recent rise in world oil prices, coupled with heightened interest in the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions, has led to a sharp increase in domestic biofuels production around the world. Previous authors have devoted considerable attention to the impacts of these policies on a country-by-country basis. However, there are also strong interactions among these programs, as they compete in world markets for feedstocks and ultimately for a limited supply of global land. In this paper, we evaluate the interplay between two of the largest biofuels programs, namely the renewable fuel mandates in the US and the EU. We examine how the presence of each of these programs influences the other, and also how their combined impact influences global markets and land use around the world. We begin with an analysis of the origins of the recent bio-fuel boom, using the historical period from 2001-2006 for purposes of model validation. This was a period of rapidly rising oil prices, increased subsidies in the EU, and, in the US, there was a ban on the major competitor to ethanol for gasoline additives. Our analysis of this historical period permits us to evaluate the relative contribution of each of these factors to the global biofuel boom. We also use this historical simulation to establish a 2006 benchmark biofuel economy from which we conduct our analysis of future mandates. Our prospective analysis of the impacts of the biofuels boom on commodity markets focuses on the 2006-2015 time period, during which existing investments and new mandates in the US and EU are expected to substantially increase the share of agricultural products (e.g., corn in the US, oilseeds in the EU, and sugar in Brazil) utilized by the biofuels sector. In the US, this share could more than double from 2006 levels, while the share of oilseeds going to biodiesel in the EU could triple. Having established the baseline 2006-2015 scenario, we proceed to explore the interactions between the US and EU policies. This involves decomposing the contributions of each set of regional policies to the global changes in output and land use. The most dramatic interaction between the two sets of policies is for oilseed production in the US, where the sign of the output change is reversed in the presence of EU mandates (rising rather than falling). In other sectors, the interaction is more modest. However, when it comes to the impacts of these combined mandates on third economies, the two policies combine to have a much greater impact than just the US or just the EU policies alone.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Oxidation characteristics of Beta-21S in air in the temperature range 600 to 800 C

The metastable beta-Ti alloy Beta-21S, Ti-15Mo-2.7Nb-3Al-0.2Si (weight percent), has been proposed as a candidate for use in metal matrix composites in future hypersonic vehicles. The present study investigated the oxidation behavior of Beta-21S over the temperature range 600 C to 800 C. Oxidation weight gain was evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis. Oxidized specimens were evaluated using x ray diffraction techniques, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x ray analysis, and electron microprobe analysis to identify oxidation products and evaluate oxidation damage to the alloy

Prevalence and predictors of postdischarge antibiotic use following mastectomy

OBJECTIVESurvey results suggest that prolonged administration of prophylactic antibiotics is common after mastectomy with reconstruction. We determined utilization, predictors, and outcomes of postdischarge prophylactic antibiotics after mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction.DESIGNRetrospective cohort.PATIENTSCommercially insured women aged 18–64 years coded for mastectomy from January 2004 to December 2011 were included in the study. Women with a preexisting wound complication or septicemia were excluded.METHODSPredictors of prophylactic antibiotics within 5 days after discharge were identified in women with 1 year of prior insurance enrollment; relative risks (RR) were calculated using generalized estimating equations.RESULTSOverall, 12,501 mastectomy procedures were identified; immediate reconstruction was performed in 7,912 of these procedures (63.3%). Postdischarge prophylactic antibiotics were used in 4,439 procedures (56.1%) with immediate reconstruction and 1,053 procedures (22.9%) without immediate reconstruction (P&lt;.001). The antibiotics most commonly prescribed were cephalosporins (75.1%) and fluoroquinolones (11.1%). Independent predictors of postdischarge antibiotics were implant reconstruction (RR, 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.23–2.60), autologous reconstruction (RR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.93–2.45), autologous reconstruction plus implant (RR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.92–2.31), hypertension (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.00–1.10), tobacco use (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01–1.14), surgery at an academic hospital (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07–1.21), and receipt of home health care (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04–1.18). Postdischarge prophylactic antibiotics were not associated with SSI after mastectomy with or without immediate reconstruction (bothP&gt;.05).CONCLUSIONSProphylactic postdischarge antibiotics are commonly prescribed after mastectomy; immediate reconstruction is the strongest predictor. Stewardship efforts in this population to limit continuation of prophylactic antibiotics after discharge are needed to limit antimicrobial resistance.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2017;38:1048–1054</jats:sec

Mechanical properties of coated titanium Beta-21S after exposure to air at 700 and 800 C

Mechanical properties of Beta-21S (Ti-15Mo-3Al-2.7Nb-0.2Si, wt percent) with glass, aluminide, and glass-on-aluminide coatings less than 3-micron thick were studied. Coatings were deposited by sol-gel processing or electron-beam evaporation onto 4.5-mil (113-micron) thick Beta-21S sheet from which, after oxidizing in air at 700 or 800 C, tensile test specimens were machined. Plastic elongation was the most severely degraded of the tensile properties; the glass-on-aluminide coatings were the most effective in preventing degradation. It was found that oxygen trapping by forming oxides in the coating, and reactions between the coatings and the Beta-21S alloy played significant roles

Weed Control Research in South Dakota

Clean seed, proper seedbed preparation, good crop rotations, and sounds soil management practices are the most reliable procedures for the control of weeds. They will eliminate many annual weeds and prevent infestation by most perennial weeds. Chemicals have proved to be valuable supplements to these practices. However, too many people rely on 2,4-D and, at least partially, neglect the standard practices. Consequently, weeds resistant to 2,4-D are allowed to spread. Once weeds become established, special practices are needed to eliminate them. These practices include the use of special cultivation, competitive crops, and chemicals in addition to the old reliable methods already mentioned. One application of any one of the practices seldom eliminates all perennial weeds. Even though top growth is eliminated, new weeds come from the seeds in the soil. Some of these seeds remain viable for as long as 20 years and many years of diligent work are required to eliminate them. The major portion of this circular is devoted to a discussion of research results obtained in South Dakota and neighboring states. The discussion of special cultural and chemical practices in concerned primarily with the control and elimination of weed infestations. It does not dwell on practices needed to prevent reinfestation of areas on which weeds have been eliminated

Control and Elimination of Thistles

Canada thistle (Ci.rsium arvense L.) and perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis L. or S. ulignosus Bieb.) are deep-rooted perennials that spread by underground parts and by seed. All species emerge later in the spring and are less difficult to control or eliminate than leafy spurge, hoary cress, or Russian knapweed. They emerge about the same time as field bindweed. Prevention of seed production is more important for thistles than for most perennial weeds. Wind currents carry the seeds great distances. Thistles reduce crop yields. The amount of reduction depends on how thick they are. Two plants of Canada thistle per square yard reduced wheat yields 18%, and 19 plants per square yard decreased yields 36%. A heavy infestation of sow thistle caused a 69% reduction of oat yields. To control or eliminate these thistles, use intensive cultivation, soil sterilant chemicals, certain competitive crops, selective herbicides, or several combinations of cultivation, crops, and chemicals

Weed Control in Field Crops

Clean, seed, proper seedbed preparation, good rotations, and sound soil management practices are prime requisites for controlling weeds in crops. They will eliminate many annual weeds and prevent infestation by most perennial weeds. Chemicals are valuable supplements to these practices. However, if we rely on 2,4-D or other chemicals, we at least partially neglect the standard practices. Consequently, weeds resistant to chemicals are allowed to spread. Once weeds become established, special practices are needed to eliminate them. These practices include the use of special cultivation, competitive crops, and chemicals in addition to the old reliable practices already mentioned. One application of any one method seldom eliminates all perennial weeds. Even though they are eliminated, new weeds come from seeds in the soil. Some of these seeds remain viable for as long as 20 years and many years of diligent work are required to eradicate them. Numerous tillage and chemical methods that will control weeds in crops are available. In fact, it is possible to eliminate some of the most persistent perennial noxious weeds while growing crops if the proper combination of crops, cultivation, and chemicals is used. For detailed information on the control or elimination of any of South Dakota\u27s noxious weeds, refer to the circular that discusses the specific weed. If chemicals are to be used in the weed program, it is important to remember that chemicals cause more damage to crops when applied at certain stages than at others. This is particularly true when rates of application required to control perennial weeds are used. If the most tolerant stage of the crop does not occur when the weeds are in the most susceptible stage of growth, there are two choices-risk injuring the crop to get good weed control or get poor weed control with less chance of injuring the crop. Good weed control usually pays off in the long run. The maximum rate of chemical application that can be used on crops without much risk of reducing the yield is discussed on the following pages. Many annual weeds are killed with lower rates; consequently, the rate of application will frequently be lower than the maximums mentioned. On the other hand, many perennials will require higher rates than the safe rates mentioned. As a result one may have to use a more tolerant crop or risk injuring the crop if he wishes to eliminate the weed

Control and Elimination of Field Bindweed

Field bindweed (Convolvu.lus arvensis L.), sometimes called creeping jenny, is a deep-rooted perennial that spreads by underground parts and by seed. One seedling, when not competing with other plants, is able to produce in one season a root system that penetrates 4 feet deep and spreads out about 2 ½ feet in each direction. In three growing seasons, the roots may go down 18 to 20 feet and spread out to form a circle 17 or 18 feet in diameter. The yield of crops is normally reduced 30 to 50% by a bindweed infestation. Yield was reduced an average of 42% in eight South Dakota wheat fields and 33% in 12 South Dakota oats fields. In Kansas, barley yield was reduced 65% and sorghum yield 48%. Field bindweed emerges later in the spring than leafy spurge, Russian knapweed, or hoary cress and is less difficult to eliminate. It emerges about the same time as Canada thistle or perennial sow thistle. To control or eliminate field bindweed, use intensive cultivation, soil sterilant chemicals, certain competitive crops, selective herbicides, or combinations of these

Biofuels and their By-Products: Global Economic and Environmental Implications

The biofuel industry has been rapidly growing around the world in recent years. Several papers have used general equilibrium models and addressed the economy-wide and environmental consequences of producing biofuels at a large scale. They mainly argue that since biofuels are mostly produced from agricultural sources, their effects are largely felt in agricultural markets with major land use and environmental consequences. In this paper, we argue that virtually all of these studies have overstated the impact of liquid biofuels on agricultural markets due to the fact that they have ignored the role of by-products resulting from the production of biofuels. Feed by-products of the biofuel industry, such as Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and biodiesel by-products (BDBP) such as soy and rapeseed meals, can be used in the livestock industry as substitutes for grains and oilseed meals used in this industry. Hence, their presence mitigates the price impacts of biofuel production on the livestock and food industries. The importance of incorporating by-products of biofuel production in economic models is well recognized by some partial equilibrium analyses of biofuel production. However, to date, this issue has not been tackled by those conducting CGE analysis of biofuels programs. Accordingly, this paper explicitly introduces DDGS and BDBP, the major by-products of grain based ethanol and biodiesel production processes, into a worldwide CGE model and analyzes the economic and environmental impacts of regional and international mandate policies designed to stimulate bioenergy production and use. We first explicitly introduce by-products of biofuel production into the GTAP-BIO database, originally developed by Taheripour et al. (2007). Then we explicitly bring in DDGS and BDBP into the Energy-Environmental version of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP-E) model, originally developed by Burniaux and Truong (2002), and recently modified by McDougall and Golub (2007) and Birur, Hertel, and Tyner (2008). The structure of the GTAP-E model is redesigned to handle the production and consumption of biofuels and their by-products, in particular DDGS, across the world. Unlike many CGE models which are characterized by single product sectors, here grain based ethanol and DDGS jointly are produced by an industry, named EthanolC. The biodiesel industry also produces two products of biodiesel and BDBP jointly. This paper divides the world economy into 22 commodities, 20 industries, and 18 regions and then examines global impacts of the US Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and the European Union mandates for promoting biofuel production in the presence of by-products. We show that models with and without by-products demonstrate different portraits from the economic impacts of international biofuel mandates for the world economy in 2015. While both models demonstrate significant changes in the agricultural production pattern across the world, the model with by-products shows smaller changes in the production of cereal grains and larger changes for oilseeds products in the US and EU, and the reverse for Brazil. For example, the US production of cereal grains increases by 10.8% and 16.4% with and without by-products, respectively. The difference between these two numbers corresponds to 646 million bushels of corn. In the presence of by-products, prices change less due to the mandate policies. For example, the model with no by-products predicts that the price of cereal grains grows 22.7% in the US during the time period of 2006 to 2015. The corresponding number for the model with by-products is 14%. The model with no by-products predicts that the price of oilseeds increases by 62.5% in the EU during 2006-2015. In the presence of by-products, this price grows 56.4%. Finally, we show that incorporating DDGS into the model significantly changes the land use consequences of the biofuel mandate polices.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Application of a new screening model to thermonuclear reactions of the rp process

A new screening model for astrophysical thermonuclear reactions was derived recently which improved Salpeter's weak-screening one. In the present work we prove that the new model can also give very reliable screening enhancement factors (SEFs) when applied to the rp process. According to the results of the new model, which agree well with Mitler's SEFs, the screened rp reaction rates can be, at most, twice as fast as the unscreened ones.Comment: 8 RevTex pages + 7 ps figures. (Revised version). Accepted for publication in Journal of Physics