U.S. Fresh Produce Wholesale Sector Trade Practices: Initial Survey Results

The wholesale sector is an intermediate stage in the supply chain of fresh produce. In general, business operations in this sector do not transform a specific product, but rather provide services related to the sale of the product. The term 'wholesaler' refers to all merchants that are part of this intermediate stage in the supply chain; namely, wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, shippers, import/export merchants, agents, brokers, commission merchants, and other types of intermediaries (US Census 2004). This definition of wholesalers, however, does not accurately depict all the activities and relationships participants in this supply chain sector develop. Hence, in order to be consistent with a correct terminology and to understand the results presented in this report, the use of 'intermediaries' throughout this paper refers to all participants including grower-shipper/distributors, brokers, custom service providers and wholesalers.Agribusiness,

Michigan Tart Cherry Processors: Issues and Strategy

Michigan accounts for approximately 70 percent of the total number of tart cherry processing firms in the U.S. Changes in preferences of consumers and increasing participation of global competitors are driving down demand for traditional tart cherry products and imposing new pressures on the U.S. industry, particularly in Michigan. The objective of this report is to document main characteristics of the tart cherry processing industry in Michigan; namely, business characteristics, category of products, supply sources, and market outlets. Also, the study aims to assess business strategies and future expectations for the industry in Michigan. Interviews with managers of tart cherry processing companies were conducted to document the objectives of this research. For the purpose of this project only processing companies that at the time of the interviews reported processing raw tart cherries were contacted. Nineteen firms were selected from the Cherry Marketing Institute 2003 Statistical Handbook (CMI, 2003) and contacted for personal interviews in 2004. The scope of the study allows the results to present an important description of the tart cherry processing industry in Michigan. Moreover, results are useful indicators of where the industry's current position and challenges that participants perceive will be the most important in the future.Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries,

National and International Factors in Pickle Markets

This report presents global and domestic information regarding production, trade and market developments for pickled cucumbers. U.S. cucumber production and trade are commonly divided into two categories: fresh and pickling. Michigan is the largest producer of pickling cucumbers in the country, accounting for 18 percent of total U.S. production. Like many agri-food industries, this processed product sector has gone through numerous changes in the past decade which have influenced production and marketing trends, and assessing the influence of individual factors is difficult. However, using production and trade data it is possible to infer some possible drivers of trends and outcomes for the industry. Year-round supply from other countries, quality products at more competitive prices, changing consumer preferences, and more service-oriented business models have introduced new marketing structures likely to continue driving future trade and production patterns. The information presented in this report is important in order to assess competitiveness and develop a broad and well-informed perspective for the pickling industry in Michigan. The report is structured as follows: first, we present information on global volume produced in the period 1992 to 2004, including rates of change in production and shares of total world production by country. Second, we compare total acreage trends in the U.S and production and acreage trends in Michigan during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Third, we highlight information on pickled cucumber import and export volumes by country. Finally, we present a brief description of historic trends in food marketing and globalization that are likely to continue influencing the pickling industry in the future.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

Michigan: A State at the Intersection of the Debate over Full Planting Flexibility

Greater flexibility in U.S. farm programs with elimination of the restriction on the planting of fruit and vegetable crops (FAVR crops) is likely to be a major issue in congressional 2007 farm policy discussions. Michigan is a state with a wide range of both FAVR and program crops planted under the current policy. To capture the diversity of situations that would apply among of crops covered by the current policy, this research has examined a broad set of Michigan FAVR crops (dry beans, pickling cucumbers, processing tomatoes, fresh market tomatoes, squash, and blueberries). We evaluate both those factors that are likely to prevent the entry of DCP crop producers into the production of FAVR crops (barriers to entry or disincentives) and those factors that are likely to encourage DCP crop producers to enter the production of FAVR crops (inducements to entry or incentives). The balance will determine the likely outcome from elimination of the FAVR. With the exception of dry beans, a change in the FAVR would provide only small (or no) positive incentives for DCP crop producers to enter the production of FAVR crops. Similarly, barriers to entry would, in many cases, be high enough to significantly limit, or even prohibit, movement of DCP crop producers into the markets for FAVR crops. When considering these factors in combination, only dry beans appear to have the potential for entry of a significant number of new producers. In most other cases, the probability of entry by new producers appears to be low. Even with a low or zero response in total supply, equity issues will likely still arise.Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

Technological Leapfrogging as a Source of Competitive Advantage

This paper examines technological leapfrogging industries characterized by long term investments in perennial crops. Threshold farm size and economic valuation are used to evaluate adoption of harvester innovations. Less than 1 percent of Polish farmers are able to adopt overhead harvesters and sunk costs limit the ability of rapid adjustments in U.S. technology.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Using accessible digital resources for teaching database design: towards an inclusive distance learning proposal

[Proceedings of] 13th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE'08), Madrid, Spain, June 30-July 2, 2008This paper introduces a pilot experience in teaching database using accessible digital resources in 3er course of Computer Science degree at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. A platform containing learning material in different formats (video, audio, slides presentation) has been designed allowing students accessing resources as well as to be evaluated by means of tests. Preliminary results show that 46.81% of the students have already interacted with the system and 97.12% of the students passed the tests.Publicad

Postnatal anthropometric and body composition profiles in infants with intrauterine growth restriction identified by prenatal doppler

Introduction: Infant anthropometry and body composition have been previously assessed to gauge the impact of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) at birth, but the interplay between prenatal Doppler measurements and postnatal development has not been studied in this setting. The present investigation was performed to assess the significance of prenatal Doppler findings relative to postnatal anthropometrics and body composition in IUGR newborns over the first 12 months of life. Patients and methods: Consecutive cases of singleton pregnancies with suspected IUGR were prospectively enrolled over 12 months. Fetal biometry and prenatal Doppler ultrasound examinations were performed. Body composition was assessed by absorptiometry at ages 10 days, and at 4 and12 months. Results: A total of 48 pregnancies qualifying as IUGR were studied. Doppler parameters were normal in 26 pregnancies. The remaining 22 deviated from normal, marked by an Umbilical Artery Pulsatility Index (UA-PI) >95th centil or Cerebro-placental ratio (CPR) <5th centile. No significant differences emerged when comparing anthropometry and body composition at each time point, in relation to Doppler findings. Specifically, those IUGR newborns with and without abnormal Doppler findings had similar weight, length, body mass index, lean and fat mass, and bone mineral content throughout the first 12 months of life. In a separate analysis, when comparing IUGR newborns by Doppler (abnormal UA-PI vs. abnormal CPR), anthropometry and body composition did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Infants with IUGR maintain a pattern of body composition during the first year of life that is independent of prenatal Doppler findings. Future studies with larger sample sizes and correlating with hormonal status are warranted to further extend the phenotypic characterization of the various conditions now classified under the common label of IUGR

mcr-Colistin resistance genes mobilized by IncX4, IncHI2, and IncI2 plasmids in Escherichia coli of pigs and white stork in Spain

Colistin has become the last-line antimicrobial for the treatment of multidrug resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales in human medicine. To date, several colistin resistance genes have been described. Of them mcr-1 is disseminated worldwide in Escherichia coli of human and animal origin. The aim of this study was to characterize mcr-mediated resistance plasmids from E. coli of animal origin in Spain. From our strain collection, 70 E. coli of pig origin collected between 2005 and 2014 (10 per year, except for years 2009-2010-2013) were randomly selected and screened for the presence of mcr-genes. Additionally, 20 E. coli isolated in 2011 from white storks (Ciconia ciconia) from the same urban household waste landfill associated colony were also included. Whole genome sequencing of mcr-positive isolates was carried out on a MiSeq (Illumina). Hybrid whole genome sequencing strategy combining nanopore and Illumina technologies were performed in a selection of isolates to close the genomes and plasmids and identify the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was used to assess the susceptibility to colistin. Mating experiments were carried out to evaluate transferability of the mcr-genes. A total of 19 mcr-1 and one mcr-4 positive isolates were detected, 15 from pigs distributed during the study period, and five from storks collected in 2011. No other mcr-variants were found. The MICs for colistin ranged between 4 and >4 mg/L. High diversity of STs were detected among the mcr-1 positive E. coli isolates, with only ST-10 shared between pigs and white storks. Except for one isolate, all were genotypic and phenotypically MDR, and five of them also harbored cephalosporin resistance genes (bla CTX-M- 14, bla SHV- 12, and three bla CMY- 2). mcr-1 genes were mobilizable by conjugation, associated with IncX4, IncHI2, and IncI2 plasmids. In our study, mcr-1 genes have been circulating in pig farms since 2005 harbored by a variety of E. coli clones. Its persistence may be driven by co-selection since plasmids containing mcr-1 also exhibit resistance to multiple drugs used in veterinary medicine. Furthermore, this is the first report of the presence of mcr-1 gene in isolates from white storks in Spain. This finding highlights the potential importance of wildlife that forage at urban household waste landfills in the transmission and spread of colistin resistance genes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

mcr -Colistin Resistance Genes Mobilized by IncX4, IncHI2, and IncI2 Plasmids in Escherichia coli of Pigs and White Stork in Spain

Colistin has become the last-line antimicrobial for the treatment of multidrug resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales in human medicine. To date, several colistin resistance genes have been described. Of them mcr -1 is disseminated worldwide in Escherichia coli of human and animal origin. The aim of this study was to characterize mcr -mediated resistance plasmids from E. coli of animal origin in Spain. From our strain collection, 70 E. coli of pig origin collected between 2005 and 2014 (10 per year, except for years 2009-2010-2013) were randomly selected and screened for the presence of mcr -genes. Additionally, 20 E. coli isolated in 2011 from white storks (Ciconia ciconia) from the same urban household waste landfill associated colony were also included. Whole genome sequencing of mcr -positive isolates was carried out on a MiSeq (Illumina). Hybrid whole genome sequencing strategy combining nanopore and Illumina technologies were performed in a selection of isolates to close the genomes and plasmids and identify the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was used to assess the susceptibility to colistin. Mating experiments were carried out to evaluate transferability of the mcr -genes. A total of 19 mcr -1 and one mcr -4 positive isolates were detected, 15 from pigs distributed during the study period, and five from storks collected in 2011. No other mcr -variants were found. The MICs for colistin ranged between 4 and >4 mg/L. High diversity of STs were detected among the mcr-1 positive E. coli isolates, with only ST-10 shared between pigs and white storks. Except for one isolate, all were genotypic and phenotypically MDR, and five of them also harbored cephalosporin resistance genes (bla , bla , and three bla ). mcr -1 genes were mobilizable by conjugation, associated with IncX4, IncHI2, and IncI2 plasmids. In our study, mcr -1 genes have been circulating in pig farms since 2005 harbored by a variety of E. coli clones. Its persistence may be driven by co-selection since plasmids containing mcr -1 also exhibit resistance to multiple drugs used in veterinary medicine. Furthermore, this is the first report of the presence of mcr -1 gene in isolates from white storks in Spain. This finding highlights the potential importance of wildlife that forage at urban household waste landfills in the transmission and spread of colistin resistance genes

A new seipin-associated neurodegenerative syndrome

Background: Seipin/BSCL2 mutations can cause type 2 congenital generalised lipodystrophy (BSCL) or dominant motor neurone diseases. Type 2 BSCL is frequently associated with some degree of intellectual impairment, but not to fatal neurodegeneration. In order to unveil the aetiology and pathogenetic mechanisms of a new neurodegenerative syndrome associated with a novel BSCL2 mutation, six children, four of them showing the BSCL features, were studied. Methods: Mutational and splicing analyses of BSCL2 were performed. The brain of two of these children was examined postmortem. Relative expression of BSCL2 transcripts was analysed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in different tissues of the index case and controls. Overexpressed mutated seipin in HeLa cells was analysed by immunofluorescence and western blotting. Results: Two patients carried a novel homozygous c.985C>T mutation, which appeared in the other four patients in compound heterozygosity. Splicing analysis showed that the c.985C>T mutation causes an aberrant splicing site leading to skipping of exon 7. Expression of exon 7-skipping transcripts was very high with respect to that of the non-skipped transcripts in all the analysed tissues of the index case. Neuropathological studies showed severe neurone loss, astrogliosis and intranuclear ubiquitin(+) aggregates in neurones from multiple cortical regions and in the caudate nucleus. Conclusions: Our results suggest that exon 7 skipping in the BSCL2 gene due to the c.985C>T mutation is responsible for a novel early onset, fatal neurodegenerative syndrome involving cerebral cortex and basal ganglia.Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number PI 10/02873) and European Regional Development Fund, FEDER (grant number 10PXIB208013PR) and Consellería de Industria, Xunta de Galicia.S