HABIT FORMATION AND DEMAND SYSTEM ESTIMATES FOR FLUID MILK IN SPAIN

Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

Vitamin B12

What is vitamin B12? Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a water soluble vitamin required for several physiological processes, including normal nervous system functioning, and red blood cell development and maturation. It has antioxidant effects, is a co-factor in mitochondrial energy metabolism, and contributes to DNA synthesis, the methylation cycle, and epigenetic regulation. 1 2 B12 is present in foods of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, and milk, or via food fortification. Healthy adults require an average intake of 4-7 mcg daily to maintain B12 status. 3 4 Indications for B12 treatment, administration routes, and preparations Treatment with B12 may be required for a variety of reasons (table 1).</p

How Wages Change: Micro Evidence from the International Wage Flexibility Project

How do the complex institutions involved in wage setting affect wage changes? The International Wage Flexibility Project provides new microeconomic evidence on how wages change for continuing workers. We analyze individuals’ earnings in 31 different data sets from sixteen countries, from which we obtain a total of 360 wage change distributions. We find a remarkable amount of variation in wage changes across workers. Wage changes have a notably non-normal distribution; they are tightly clustered around the median and also have many extreme values. Furthermore, nearly all countries show asymmetry in their wage distributions below the median. Indeed, we find evidence of both downward nominal and real wage rigidities. We also find that the extent of both these rigidities varies substantially across countries. Our results suggest that variations in the extent of union presence in wage bargaining play a role in explaining differing degrees of rigidities among countries.Wage setting, Wage change distributions, Downward nominal wage rigidity, Downward real wage rigidity

The interaction of labor markets and inflation: analysis of micro data from the International Wage Flexibility Project

Inflation can “grease” the wheels of economic adjustment in the labor market by relieving the constraint imposed by downward nominal wage rigidity, but not if there is also substantial downward real wage rigidity. At the same time, inflation can throw “sand” in the wheels of economic adjustment by degrading the value of price signals. A number of recent studies suggest that wage rigidity is much more important for business cycles and monetary policy than previously believed (see Erceg, Henderson and Levin, 2000, Smets and Wouters, 2003, and Hall, 2005). Thus, our results on how wage rigidity and other labor market imperfections vary between countries and how they are affected by the rate of inflation should be of considerable value in formulating monetary policy and conducting related research.

Set Up and Calibration of a Spatial Tool for Simulating River Discharge of Western Java in Recent Decades: Preliminary Results and Assessments

This paper discusses a study of the application of global spatiotemporal climate datasets and the hydrological model STREAM (Spatial Tools for River Basin Environmental Analysis and Management Options). In the study, set up and calibration of STREAM for the reconstruction of monthly discharge for several locations in the western part of Java, Indonesia, for the period 1983 -2002 are carried out. The set up includes the preparation of monthly precipitation and temperature datasets, a digital elevation model of the domain being studied, and maps of land cover and soil water holding capacity. Discharge observations from six stations located mostly in the upper parts of major watersheds in the domain are used to calibrate the model by comparing simulated and observed discharge variables. The model performs reasonably well. Comparison between computed and observed mean monthly discharges yield correlation coefficients ranging from 0.72 to 0.93. The computed mean annual discharge in five out of six observation stations ranges between -8 and 5% with respect to the mean annual observed discharge. This study offers a tool which can be used for reconstructing historical discharg

Epidemiology and management of grey leaf spot : a new disease of maize in South Africa.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.Grey leaf spot is a relatively new fungal disease of maize in South Africa. It has become well established in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, and is capable of reducing grain yields by 20 to 60%. The disease is spreading to neighbouring provinces and countries. This study was conducted to establish solutions to the problem that could be easily implemented by maize farmers. Available literature was reviewed to establish the most appropriate epidemiologically based control measures that might be applicable in South Africa. Field trials were conducted to determine the effects of stubble and conventional tillage practices, cultivar susceptibility, fungicides, the correct time and frequency of fungicide treatment. and the financial benefits of fungicide treatment on grey leaf spot severity. The trials were evaluated for disease severity and grain yields. No commercial hybrids were identified to be resistant to grey leaf spot in the maize hybrid response to grey leaf spot trial. However, subsets of high-yielding hybrids less-susceptible to disease were identified - including PAN 6480, CRN 3584, SNK 2154 and PAN 6578. The most susceptible hybrids were identified to include RS 5206, PAN 6552, A 1849, PAN 6528 and PAN 6140. Fungicides containing carbendazim/flusilazole, were found to be most effective in controlling disease and increased maize yields. Hybrids such as RS 5206 and RS 5232 highly susceptible to disease and showed the highest grain yield response to fungicide treatment, whilst least-susceptible hybrids, such as PAN 6480, had the lowest response. The tillage trial aimed at management practices to reduce grey leaf spot indicated fungicides to be more effective in managing disease than tillage practices aimed at a reduction of initial inoculum. Trials on chemical control of grey leaf spot identified fungicides of the triazole and benzimidazole chemical groups to be effective in controlling disease, but only combination products of these chemical groups, were registered, in support of the pathogen resistance strategy. Products registered were carbendazim/flusilazole, carbendazim/flutriafol and carbendazim/difenoconazole. The frequency and timing of fungicide applications for the control of grey leaf spot in maize studies identified spray treatments initiated when disease had progressed to the basal five leaves and, before the exponential phase of the epidemic, provided the most effective disease control and concomitant high grain yields. Further spray treatments were necessary with early disease infections, in order to provide disease control until crop physiological maturity. The final study on the economic benefits of fungicide treatment of grey leaf spot in maize in KwaZulu-Natal indicated that the highest added yield response was not necessarily the best parameter to justify fungicide treatment. Rather, the expected added profit was a better parameter. In this study the highest added profits were R1 400 ha(-1) from the triple-spray programme in 1993/94 and R439 ha(-1) from a single-spray in 1992/93. The optimum treatment choice depended on the individual's risk-return preferences, which reflect his level of risk-aversion. An integrated approach using tillage practices, crop rotations, hybrids less- susceptible to the pathogen and the judicious use of fungicides is likely to be the most successful in controlling the disease. In the long term, the cornerstone of the integrated approach will be the development and use of hybrids resistant to the disease

How wages change : micro evidence from the International Wage Flexibility Project

How do the complex institutions involved in wage setting affect wage changes? The International Wage Flexibility Project provides new microeconomic evidence on how wages change for continuing workers. We analyze individuals’ earnings in 31 different data sets from sixteen countries, from which we obtain a total of 360 wage change distributions. We find a remarkable amount of variation in wage changes across workers. Wage changes have a notably non-normal distribution; they are tightly clustered around the median and also have many extreme values. Furthermore, nearly all countries show asymmetry in their wage distributions below the median. Indeed, we find evidence of both downward nominal and real wage rigidities. We also find that the extent of both these rigidities varies substantially across countries. Our results suggest that variations in the extent of union presence in wage bargaining play a role in explaining differing degrees of rigidities among countriesWage setting, Wage change distributions, Downward nominal wage rigidity, Downward real wage rigidity

EULOGY for choir and brass quintet

For my thesis, I wrote a musical work called Eulogy. It is a composition for brass quintet and choir that makes use of contrast, both in regard to the text and the music. Juxtaposing elements are used in order to give character to sections and to also create a hierarchy of moments. Through an examination of how contrasts are used, the way in which the music works can be determined. This paper defines the meaning of musical contrast and the ways in which it applies in Eulogy and then categorizes the different contrasts based on the functionality in the piece. Simultaneous and nonsimultaneous contrasts are found to work differently within the work to either recontexutalize and idea or to change existing musical material