Economies of Size of Cattle Ranches and Wheat Farms and a Comparison of Management Alternatives for Marginal Cropland in Utah

Five long-run average cost curves were derived from questionnaire and interview data by connecting points corresponding to the per unit production costs and levels of beef output for four cattle ranch sizes (50, 150, 300, and 500 head of breeding cows). Analysis of the long-run average cost curves in combination with the 1968 weighted Utah beef price revealed that all four ranch sizes studied are capable of meeting cash costs. If the goal of the ranch operator is to meet both cash costs and depreciation, a cattle ranch supporting 105 breeding cows is the minimum size necessary. If provision is made to cover cash costs and depreciation in addition to receiving a fair return for operator and family labor, the ranch must support at least 360 breeding cows. None of the four ranch sizes studied were capable of meeting all production costs including five per cent interest on investment. The minimum ranch size necessary to cover all production costs including 1 . 4 per cent interest on investment is 500 head of breeding cows. Farmer questionnaires and the machine capacity technique provided data from which five long-run average cost curves were derived by connecting points representing average production costs and levels of wheat output for four sizes of wheat farms (500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 acres). The long-run average cost curves were analyzed in combination with the 1968 Utah wheat price. All four wheat farm sizes studied are capable of meeting cash costs. In order to cover both cash costs and depreciation a wheat farm of at least 940 acres is required. The minimum wheat farm size necessary to meet cash costs and depreciation as well as provide a fair return to operator and family labor is 2430 acres. None of the four sizes of wheat farms studied was large enough to cover all costs including interest on investment at five per cent. In order to cover all production costs including 0,64 per cent interest on investment a wheat farm of at least 3000 acres is required, Costs and returns to five management alternatives for marginal Utah cropland ( (1) wheat production by owner-operator, (2) leasing crop.. land to tenants for dryland wheat production, (3) leasing forage on an AUM basis, (4) leasing of forage on a livestock gain basis, and (5) stocker cattle production by the land owner) were compared in the shortrun, in the long-run assuming that all inputs were variable, and in the long-run assuming that land and operator and family labor were fixed, For the marginal cropland owner who also owns wheat production factors, wheat production on an owner-operator basis is the most favorable short-run alternative. Wheat production on a tenant basis is the only short-run alternative open to cropland owners who own neither wheat production factors nor the improvements necessary for grazing enterprises. Leasing forage on a livestock gain basis is the most favorable short-run alternative for cropland owners whose holdings are equipped with grazing improvements. For the long-run situation in which all inputs were considered variable, all five management alternatives yielded negative returns. Under such conditions a rational land owner would refuse to choose from among the five alternatives studied and would instead liquidate his land holdings. When operator and family labor and land were considered fixed, leasing cropland to tenants for dryland wheat production proved to be the most favorable long-run management alternative. Showing the second highest internal rate of return was leasing forage on a livestock gain basis followed ~ stocker cattle production by the land owner. Wheat production ~ the land owner and leasing forage on an AUM basis proved to be the least favorable long-run management alternatives on marginal cropland

Should Marketing be Cross-Functional? : Conceptual Development and International Empirical Evidence

While it has frequently been stated that decisions on marketing activities should be made cross-functionally, there is no empirical evidence that shows benefits of performing marketing activities in this way. This paper examines the link between the cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities and performance at the SBU level and considers dynamism of the market which may moderate the strength of this relationship. Using data from a cross-national study in three industry sectors, the authors find that cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities increases the performance of the SBU. They also find that the relationship between the cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities is negatively influenced by dynamism of the market. This research thus provides empirical evidence for the positive performance implications of cross-functional interaction in the context of marketing activities

Should Marketing be Cross-Functional? : Conceptual Development and International Empirical Evidence

While it has frequently been stated that decisions on marketing activities should be made cross-functionally, there is no empirical evidence that shows benefits of performing marketing activities in this way. This paper examines the link between the cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities and performance at the SBU level and considers dynamism of the market which may moderate the strength of this relationship. Using data from a cross-national study in three industry sectors, the authors find that cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities increases the performance of the SBU. They also find that the relationship between the cross-functional dispersion of influence on marketing activities is negatively influenced by dynamism of the market. This research thus provides empirical evidence for the positive performance implications of cross-functional interaction in the context of marketing activities

Performance impacts of strategic consensus : the role of strategy type and market-related dynamism

The authors examine the relationship between consensus on the type of SBU-level strategy among senior marketing and R&D-managers and organizational performance for a sample of 101 US and German SBUs in three industry sectors: consumer packaged goods, electrical equipment and components, and mechanical machinery. Findings indicate that consensus on the type of strategy increases the performance of the SBU in the case of a differentiation strategy while there are no performance impacts in the case of a low cost strategy. The strength of the relationship between consensus on a differentiation strategy and performance is negatively influenced by market-related dynamism

Circular 64

Treatment of Alaska-produced food products by ionizing radiation may benefit the seafood and agricultural industries and the Alaskan consumer. A feasibility study to evaluate the potential social and economic benefits and risks as well as the costs of using the process in Alaska on Alaskan products is being coordinated by the Institute of Northern Engineering. A research and development project to determine effects on the quality o f Alaskan products could be the next phase in the introduction o f a new food-preservation technique to Alaska

Recent Emergence of Bovine Coronavirus Variants with Mutations in the Hemagglutinin-Esterase Receptor Binding Domain in U.S. Cattle

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) has spilled over to many species, including humans, where the host range variant coronavirus OC43 is endemic. The balance of the opposing activities of the surface spike (S) and hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoproteins controls BCoV avidity, which is critical for interspecies transmission and host adaptation. Here, 78 genomes were sequenced directly from clinical samples collected between 2013 and 2022 from cattle in 12 states, primarily in the Midwestern U.S. Relatively little genetic diversity was observed, with genomes having \u3e98% nucleotide identity. Eleven isolates collected between 2020 and 2022 from four states (Nebraska, Colorado, California, and Wisconsin) contained a 12 nucleotide insertion in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the HE gene similar to one recently reported in China, and a single genome from Nebraska collected in 2020 contained a novel 12 nucleotide deletion in the HE gene RBD. Isogenic HE proteins containing either the insertion or deletion in the HE RBD maintained esterase activity and could bind bovine submaxillary mucin, a substrate enriched in the receptor 9-O-acetylated-sialic acid, despite modeling that predicted structural changes in the HE R3 loop critical for receptor binding. The emergence of BCoV with structural variants in the RBD raises the possibility of further interspecies transmission

Ambulatory Electromyogram Activity in the Upper Trapezius Region: Patients With Muscle Pain vs. Pain-free Control Subjects

Study Design: This study compared the ambulatory electromyogram activity of persons reporting pain in the shoulder and cervical regions with an equal group of persons not reporting such pain. Ambulatory electromyogram data were obtained over 3-day periods. In addition, all participants completed several standard psychological questionnaires. Objectives: The results were analyzed with inferential statistics to determine whether subjects reporting significant pain in the shoulder and cervical regions had greater ambulatory electromyogram activity than an equal number of subjects not reporting pain. Summary of Background Data: Considerable controversy exists regarding the role of muscle activity in the etiology and maintenance of muscle pain disorders. Given the availability of ambulatory recording devices that can provide a detailed record of muscle activity over an extended period of time, the present research was conducted to determine whether persons reporting shoulder and cervical pain could be differentiated from a group of normal subjects. Methods: All subjects (N = 20) completed a battery of tests with standardized psychometric instruments and then were fitted with ambulatory electromyogram monitors to record electromyographic activity of the upper trapezius region of the dominant side; the time, duration, and amplitude of electromyogram activity greater than 2 μV was recorded. The monitors were worn during normal working hours (mean, 6.2 hours per day) over 3 consecutive days. In addition to wearing the monitors, all subjects completed hourly self-ratings of perceived muscle tension during the recording periods. Results: As expected, subjects with muscle pain reported significantly more pain (mean, 4.9) than did the normal control subjects (mean, 0.9), t(15) = 3.29, P \u3c 0.01. However, patients with muscle pain did not have greater average electromyogram activity (mean, 6.4 μV) over the 3-day period as compared to the normal controls (mean, 7.1 μV), t(18) = -0.25, P \u3c 0.80. Self-monitoring of perceived muscle tension also did not reveal differences between pain subjects and the normal control subjects (P \u3c 0.75). Conclusions: Ambulatory measurements of electromyogram activity did not differentiate persons reporting upper trapezius or cervical pain from those that did not report such pain. Persons reporting pain are also not distinguishable from normal control subjects on a variety of self-report measures. These results raise questions regarding the role of ambulatory electromyogram recordings in the evaluation and treatment of muscle pain disorders

Histone H3 Methylation by Set2 Directs Deacetylation of Coding Regions by Rpd3S to Suppress Spurious Intragenic Transcription

SummaryYeast Rpd3 histone deacetylase plays an important role at actively transcribed genes. We characterized two distinct Rpd3 complexes, Rpd3L and Rpd3S, by MudPIT analysis. Both complexes shared a three subunit core and Rpd3L contains unique subunits consistent with being a promoter targeted corepressor. Rco1 and Eaf3 were subunits specific to Rpd3S. Mutants of RCO1 and EAF3 exhibited increased acetylation in the FLO8 and STE11 open reading frames (ORFs) and the appearance of aberrant transcripts initiating within the body of these ORFs. Mutants in the RNA polymerase II-associated SET2 histone methyltransferase also displayed these defects. Set2 functioned upstream of Rpd3S and the Eaf3 methyl-histone binding chromodomain was important for recruitment of Rpd3S and for deacetylation within the STE11 ORF. These data indicate that Pol II-associated Set2 methylates H3 providing a transcriptional memory which signals for deacetylation of ORFs by Rpd3S. This erases transcription elongation-associated acetylation to suppress intragenic transcription initiation

Activity of the DNA minor groove cross-linking agent SG2000 (SJG-136) against canine tumours

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the leading cause of death in older dogs and its prevalence is increasing. There is clearly a need to develop more effective anti-cancer drugs in dogs. SG2000 (SJG-136) is a sequence selective DNA minor groove cross-linking agent. Based on its in vitro potency, the spectrum of in vivo and clinical activity against human tumours, and its tolerability in human patients, SG2000 has potential as a novel therapeutic against spontaneously occurring canine malignancies. RESULTS: In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed using SRB and MTT assays, and in vivo activity was assessed using canine tumour xenografts. DNA interstrand cross-linking (ICL) was determined using a modification of the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. Effects on cell cycle distribution were assessed by flow cytometry and measurement of γ-H2AX by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. SG2000 had a multi-log differential cytotoxic profile against a panel of 12 canine tumour cell lines representing a range of common tumour types in dogs. In the CMeC-1 melanoma cell line, DNA ICLs increased linearly with dose following a 1 h treatment. Peak ICL was achieved within 1 h and no removal was observed over 48 h. A relationship between DNA ICL formation and cytotoxicity was observed across cell lines. The formation of γ-H2AX foci was slow, becoming evident after 4 h and reaching a peak at 24 h. SG2000 exhibited significant anti-tumour activity against two canine melanoma tumour models in vivo. Anti-tumour activity was observed at 0.15 and 0.3 mg/kg given i.v. either once, or weekly x 3. Dose-dependent DNA ICL was observed in tumours (and to a lower level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells) at 2 h and persisted at 24 h. ICL increased following the second and third doses in a repeated dose schedule. At 24 h, dose dependent γ-H2AX foci were more numerous than at 2 h, and greater in tumours than in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. SG2000-induced H2AX phosphorylation measured by immunohistochemistry showed good correspondence, but less sensitivity, than measurement of foci. CONCLUSIONS: SG2000 displayed potent activity in vitro against canine cancer cell lines as a result of the formation and persistence of DNA ICLs. SG2000 also had significant in vivo antitumour activity against canine melanoma xenografts, and the comet and γ-H2AX foci methods were relevant pharmacodynamic assays. The clinical testing of SG2000 against spontaneous canine cancer is warranted. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-015-0534-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users