Technical efficiency of dairy farms : an empirical study of producers in Poland

Purpose: The main objective of this article was to determine the technical efficiency of Polish dairy farms in 2008-2017, taking into account the dependence on the herd size, the milk yield of cows and the effects of scale. Design/Methodology/Approach: The non-parametric DEA method based on the concept of border efficiency was used to assess technical efficiency. The research uses models assuming constant (CCR) and variable returns to scale (BCC). The source of the data was information collected by the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) in Poland. Data came from farms specializing dairying (type 45), with more than 15 cows. Findings: The results of the conducted research indicate a higher share of efficient farms using the model assuming variable returns to scale. The average efficiency ratio increased along with the increase in the size of the herd of cows and the improvement in the milk yields of cows. Practical Implications: The results of this study will be used to determine rationally the combination of inputs in dairy production. The result of these activities is an increase of efficiency and the use of economies of scale. The article clearly presents among which farm groups exists the lowest efficiency (cow herd size and milk yield). Originality/Value: The study fills a gap in approach methods to conducting research on dairy farm efficiency. On the one hand, the value of the article is built by the size of observation field, on the other – dairy farms classification by cow herd size and milk yield.peer-reviewe

Utah State University Youth Conservatory Spring Graduation

An event for all the participants in the Utah State University Youth Conservatory to perform piano pieces that they practiced and mastered in the months prior. The Utah State University Youth Conservatory accepts youth up to age 18 and provides them private lessons to develop their piano skills.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/music_programs/1114/thumbnail.jp

ANALYSIS OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHZIOPHRENIA, IN COMPARISON WITH A HEALTHY CONTROL - CASE STUDY

Introduction: Deficits in area of communication, crucial for maintaining proper social bonds, may have a prominent adverse impact on quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. Social exclusion, lack of employment and deterioration of family life, may be consequences of aggravated social competencies, caused by inability to properly exhibit and interpret facial expressions. Although this phenomenon is known since first clinical descriptions of schizophrenia, lack of proper methodology limited our knowledge in this area. Aim of our study was to compare facial expressivity of the patient with schizophrenia, and the healthy individual. Methods: 47-years old patient suffering from schizophrenia, and 36-years old healthy individual were invited to participate in our study. They underwent the examination in Human Facial Modelling Lab in Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology in Bytom (Silesia, Katowice). Both participants were presented with two video materials, first one contained different facial expressions, which they had to imitate. Second one a part of comedy show, during which spontaneous reactions were recorded. Acquisition of facial expressions was conducted with marker-based technology of modelling. Obtained data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results and conclusions: An overall facial expression intensity, expressed as an average value of distances traveled by markers during shifts from neutral position was higher in case of a healthy participant during both part of the study. The difference was especially visible in case of an upper half of the face. Utilization of marker-based methods in analysis of human facial expressions seem to be reliable and remarkably accurate

ANALYSIS OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHZIOPHRENIA, IN COMPARISON WITH A HEALTHY CONTROL - CASE STUDY

Introduction: Deficits in area of communication, crucial for maintaining proper social bonds, may have a prominent adverse impact on quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. Social exclusion, lack of employment and deterioration of family life, may be consequences of aggravated social competencies, caused by inability to properly exhibit and interpret facial expressions. Although this phenomenon is known since first clinical descriptions of schizophrenia, lack of proper methodology limited our knowledge in this area. Aim of our study was to compare facial expressivity of the patient with schizophrenia, and the healthy individual. Methods: 47-years old patient suffering from schizophrenia, and 36-years old healthy individual were invited to participate in our study. They underwent the examination in Human Facial Modelling Lab in Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology in Bytom (Silesia, Katowice). Both participants were presented with two video materials, first one contained different facial expressions, which they had to imitate. Second one a part of comedy show, during which spontaneous reactions were recorded. Acquisition of facial expressions was conducted with marker-based technology of modelling. Obtained data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results and conclusions: An overall facial expression intensity, expressed as an average value of distances traveled by markers during shifts from neutral position was higher in case of a healthy participant during both part of the study. The difference was especially visible in case of an upper half of the face. Utilization of marker-based methods in analysis of human facial expressions seem to be reliable and remarkably accurate

Loss of the Orphan Nuclear Receptor SHP Is More Pronounced in Fibrolamellar Carcinoma than in Typical Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major problem in oncology. The molecular mechanisms which underlie its pathogenesis are poorly understood. Recently the Small Heterodimer Partner (SHP), an orphan nuclear receptor, was suggested to be involved as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma development. To date, there are no such studies regarding fibrolamellar carcinoma, a less common variant of HCC, which usually affects young people and displays distinct morphological features. The aim of our project was to evaluate the SHP levels in typical and fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma with respect to the levels of one of the cell cycle regulators, cyclin D1. We assessed the immunoreactivity levels of SHP and cyclin D1 in 48 typical hepatocellular carcinomas, 9 tumors representing the fibrolamellar variant, 29 non malignant liver tissues and 7 macroregenerative nodules. We detected significantly lower SHP immunoreactivity in hepatocellular carcinoma when compared to non malignant liver tissue. Moreover, we found that SHP immunoreactivity is reduced in fibrolamellar carcinoma when compared to typical hepatocellular carcinoma. We also found that SHP is more commonly lost in HCC which arises in the liver with steatosis. The comparison between the cyclin D1 and SHP expression revealed the negative correlation between these proteins in the high grade HCC. Our results indicate that the impact of loss of SHP protein may be even more pronounced in fibrolamellar carcinoma than in a typical form of HCC. Further investigation of mechanisms through which the loss of SHP function may influence HCC formation may provide important information in order to design more effective HCC therapy

Statins Impair Antitumor Effects of Rituximab by Inducing Conformational Changes of CD20

Jakub Golab and colleagues found that statins significantly decrease rituximab-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against B cell lymphoma cells

The Effects of Hypoxia on Threshold Food Concentrations in Different Daphnia Species

Numerous studies have revealed a negative correlation between the body size and temperature among a variety of aquatic ectotherms. Many studies at individual and population levels indicated that this mechanism may be explained by the decrease of competitive abilities of larger- over smaller-bodied individuals, as the production of larger-bodied individuals is more limited due to greater susceptibility to decreased oxygen concentrations (i.e., environmental hypoxia) at elevated temperatures. However, this hypothesis is still not tested at the community level. To test this, we performed several experiments on the food thresholds (which is a proxy for competitive ability) of 6 zooplankton (Daphnia) species varying in body size, at high or low oxygen concentrations. Contrary to the hypothesis tested, hypoxia increased threshold food concentrations to a relatively greater extent in smaller species than in larger ones. This may be attributed to the better evolutionary adaptations of larger-bodied daphnids to oxygen-poor environments manifested in higher production of haemoglobin. The results obtained in this study cannot exclude the possibility that environmental hypoxia is responsible for the temperature-size pattern in aquatic ectotherms, as our experiments did not take into account the long-term energetic costs of expedited haemoglobin synthesis, which could shift size-dependent competitive power

The Effects of Hypoxia on Threshold Food Concentrations in Different <i>Daphnia</i> Species

Numerous studies have revealed a negative correlation between the body size and temperature among a variety of aquatic ectotherms. Many studies at individual and population levels indicated that this mechanism may be explained by the decrease of competitive abilities of larger- over smaller-bodied individuals, as the production of larger-bodied individuals is more limited due to greater susceptibility to decreased oxygen concentrations (i.e., environmental hypoxia) at elevated temperatures. However, this hypothesis is still not tested at the community level. To test this, we performed several experiments on the food thresholds (which is a proxy for competitive ability) of 6 zooplankton (Daphnia) species varying in body size, at high or low oxygen concentrations. Contrary to the hypothesis tested, hypoxia increased threshold food concentrations to a relatively greater extent in smaller species than in larger ones. This may be attributed to the better evolutionary adaptations of larger-bodied daphnids to oxygen-poor environments manifested in higher production of haemoglobin. The results obtained in this study cannot exclude the possibility that environmental hypoxia is responsible for the temperature-size pattern in aquatic ectotherms, as our experiments did not take into account the long-term energetic costs of expedited haemoglobin synthesis, which could shift size-dependent competitive power