The Dynamics of Agricultural Productivity and Industrial Transformation in Transition Countries

Relying on the frontier production approach, we investigated the performance of the agricultural sector in 28 transition countries and its changes over time, especially focusing on the dynamics of productivity changes and the effects of reform policy. Our findings are: (i) Asian and CEE transition countries performed better than CIS countries, while the performance improvement of CEE countries seems to be more prominent compared to that of Asian and CIS countries; (ii) The productivity growth is mainly attributable to the technical progress, particularly in CEE countries; (iii) Reform policy and industrial transformation seems to have positive effects on the performance of agricultural sector and its changes; (iv) The initial conditions do matter.transition countries, efficiency, productivity, directional distance function, agricultural reform, initial condition, industrial transformation, Productivity Analysis,

The Effects of Crop Generic Resources and Biodiversity on Agricultural Production: An Empirical Study on Rice Farming

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/20/06.Environmental Economics and Policy,

The Dynamics of Productivity Changes in Agricultural Sector of Transition Countries

Relying on frontier production approach (e.g., Luenberger's shortage function), we investigated the performance of agricultural sector in transition countries and its changes over time, especially focusing on the dynamics of productivity changes. We found that; (i) CEE countries have improved their performance during the sample period whereas CIS have not; (ii) productivity changes in the last decade was attributable to the technical progress; (iii) overall performance was decelerated for the second 5-year sub-period (1997-2001) in both regions; (iv) agricultural reform has positive effects on the productivity and its components especially in CEE countries.transition countries, productivity, directional distance function, agricultural reform, Productivity Analysis,

Effect of steroids and relevant cytokine analysis in acute tubulointerstitial nephritis

Background Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) is an important cause of acute kidney injury and often a potentially reversible disease. However, the role of steroids in ATIN remains controversial and the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. Methods A total of 113 adult patients with biopsy-proven ATIN were recruited from three tertiary referral centers. Of 102 patients with idiopathic or drug-induced ATIN, outcomes such as renal recovery, end-stage renal disease, and all-cause mortality were compared between the steroid-treated and non-treated groups. Plasma and urine inflammatory cytokine levels at the time of biopsy were analyzed in patients (n = 33) using a bead-based multiplex assay and compared with those of healthy individuals (n = 40). Results Steroids were used in 92 (81.4%) of the total patients and in 82 (80.3%) patients with idiopathic or drug-induced ATIN. The rate of renal recovery and the risks of end-stage renal disease and mortality were not different between the steroid-treated and non-treated groups. Despite using a propensity score matching method (n = 20 in each group), none of the outcomes were different between the two groups. Several cytokines, such as monocyte chemotactic protein-1, interferon-α, and interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels, were markedly elevated in plasma and urine of patients compared with those in healthy individuals. However, cytokines related to Th2 response, such as IL-10, IL-33, were not different between the two groups. Conclusions Steroid use does not affect the overall outcome of ATIN. Based on the fact that targeting therapy should be investigated to improve outcomes, the present cytokine results will be helpful for developing a novel therapy for ATIN.This work was supported by a grant from the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), which is funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2017R1D1A1B03031642)

The Dynamics of Agricultural Productivity and Industrial Transformation in Transition Countries

Relying on the frontier production approach, we investigated the performance of the agricultural sector in 28 transition countries and its changes over time, especially focusing on the dynamics of productivity changes and the effects of reform policy. Our findings are: (i) Asian and CEE transition countries performed better than CIS countries, while the performance improvement of CEE countries seems to be more prominent compared to that of Asian and CIS countries; (ii) The productivity growth is mainly attributable to the technical progress, particularly in CEE countries; (iii) Reform policy and industrial transformation seems to have positive effects on the performance of agricultural sector and its changes; (iv) The initial conditions do matter

The Spillover Effects of R&D Investment on the Performance of Individual Firms in Food Manufacturing Industry

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

The effects of agricultural extension service on crop production, revenue, and profit: evidence from Mbale district in Uganda

Extension service plays a crucial role in agricultural production and household food security in Africa south of the Sahara (SSA). Despite the growing evidence on the effects of extension service on various outcomes, including crop productivity, technology adoption, and income, the evidence is limited on the impact on farmers ability to select and allocate inputs. While the effects of the extension service can vary with spatial variation, our study examines the effects of extension crop (maize, bean, and rice) production, revenue, and profit in Mbale district, located in the Eastern region of Uganda. We decompose the effects of extension into three: worker effect, input-allocation effect, and input-selection effect. Using household-level data based on the 204 farmers' surveys, we examine the effects of extension service. Both worker and allocative effects of rice are found, while the former is more dominant than the latter. The results also show that the input-selection effect is more influential than the input-allocation effect. Overall, the findings suggest that much attention should be paid to rice farmers in Mbale district by supporting access to agricultural and market information with innovations in farm technology that enable farmers to receive optimal returns in crop production. Given the effects of extension service, tailored strategies and agricultural programs are suggested to enhance the capacity of farmers and increase profitable marketed output that will help to promote sustainable development.N