bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Right-to-Choose Auctions: A Field Study of Water Markets in the Limari Valley of Chile
Authors: Alevy Jonathan E. , Cristi Oscar , Melo Oscar
Published: September 2016

Field experiments were conducted with farmers in the Limari Valley of Chile to test extant theory on right-to-choose auctions. Water volumes that differed by reservoir source and time of availability were offered for sale by the research team. The auctions were supplemented by protocols to elicit risk and time preferences of bidders. We find that the right-to-choose auctions raise significantly more revenue than the benchmark sequential auction. Risk attitudes explain a substantial amount of the difference in bidding between auction institutions, consonant with received theory. The auction bidding revealed distinct preferences for water types, which has implications for market re-design.
An Experimental Analysis of a Points-Based System for Managing Multispecies Fisheries
Authors: Anderson Christopher M.
Published: September 2016

An industry group has proposed a novel system for managing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery. Each harvester would be endowed with a budget of points, and each species would have a “point price,” or number of points that must be paid out of his budget when landing that species. By varying the point prices throughout the season, management could redirect effort across species. This paper presents a benchmarked experimental testbed of this management system, and shows that harvesters do respond to point prices, which can be chosen to support harvest of most of the allowable catch of each species without severely over-harvesting any of them.
The Effective Use of Limited Information: Do Bid Maximums Reduce Procurement Cost in Asymmetric Auctions?
Authors: Hellerstein Daniel , Higgins Nathaniel
Published: September 2016

Conservation programs faced with limited budgets often use a competitive enrollment mechanism. Goals of enrollment might include minimizing program expenditures, encouraging broad participation, and inducing adoption of enhanced environmental practices. We use experimental methods to evaluate an auction mechanism that incorporates bid maximums and quality adjustments. We examine this mechanism's performance characteristics when opportunity costs are heterogeneous across potential participants, and when costs are only approximately known by the purchaser. We find that overly stringent maximums can increase overall expenditures, and that when quality of offers is important, substantial increases in offer maximums can yield a better quality-adjusted result.
Do Static Externalities Offset Dynamic Externalities? An Experimental Study of the Exploitation of Substitutable Common-Pool Resources
Authors: Giordana Gastón A. , Montginoul Marielle , Willinger Marc
Published: September 2016

Overexploitation of coastal aquifers may lead to seawater intrusion, which irreversibly degrades groundwater. The seawater intrusion process may imply that its consequences would not be perceptible until after decades of accumulated overexploitation. In such a dynamic setting, static externalities may enhance the users’ awareness about the resource's common nature, inducing more conservative individual behaviors. Aiming to evaluate this hypothesis, we experimentally test predictions from a dynamic game of substitutable common-pool resource (CPR) exploitation. The players have to decide whether to use a free private good or to extract from one of two costly CPRs. Our findings do not give substantial support to the initial conjecture. Nevertheless, the presence of static externalities does induce some kind of payoff reassurance strategies in the resource choice decisions, but these strategies do not correspond to the optimum benchmark.
Matching Grants and Charitable Giving: Why People Sometimes Provide a Helping Hand to Fund Environmental Goods
Authors: Kotani Koji , Messer Kent D. , Schulze William D.
Published: September 2016

Matching grants are a prevalent mechanism for funding environmental, conservation, and natural resource projects. However, economists have largely been silent regarding the potential benefits of these mechanisms at increasing voluntary contributions. To examine the behavioral responses to different match levels, this research uses controlled laboratory experiments with generically framed instructions and introduces a general-form matching-grant mechanism, referred to as the proportional contribution mechanism (PCM). Results show that contributions are positively correlated with both the match and the induced value of the public good even when a dominant strategy is free-riding. An implication of this partial demand revelation result is that manifestations of this type of “helping hand” social preference should be counted in benefit-cost analysis.
Estimating Hypothetical Bias in Economically Emergent Africa: A Generic Public Good Experiment
Authors: Caplan Arthur J. , Aadland David , Macharia Anthony
Published: September 2016

This paper reports results from a contingent valuation based public good experiment conducted in the African nation of Botswana. In a sample of university students, we find evidence that stated willingness to contribute to a public good in a hypothetical setting is higher than actual contribution levels. However, results from regression analysis suggest that this is true only in the second round of the experiment, when participants making actual contributions have learned to significantly lower their contribution levels. As globalization expands markets, and economies such as Botswana's continue to modernize, there is a growing need to understand how hypothetical bias will influence the valuation of public goods.
Forage Outsourcing in the Dairy Sector: The Extent of Use and Impact on Farm Profitability
Authors: Gillespie Jeffrey , Nehring Richard , Sandretto Carmen , Hallahan Charles
Published: September 2016

The extent of forage purchasing behavior in milk production and its impact on profitability are analyzed using data from the 2000 and 2005 dairy versions of the Agricultural Resource Management Survey. Forage outsourcing is more common with hay than with silage and haylage, and is more prevalent in the western United States. Though silage and haylage outsourcing is found to impact profitability, the major profitability drivers appear to be farm size and efficiency. Evidence of significant forage contracting is found in the western United States.
Economics and Environmental Markets: Lessons from Water-Quality Trading
Authors: Shortle James
Published: September 2016

Water-quality trading is an area of active development in environmental markets. Unlike iconic national-scale air-emission trading programs, water-quality trading programs address local or regional water quality and are largely the result of innovations in water-pollution regulation by state or substate authorities rather than by national agencies. This article examines lessons from these innovations about the “real world” meaning of trading and its mechanisms, the economic merits of alternative institutional designs, utilization of economic research in program development, and research needed to improve the success of environmental markets for water quality.
Prioritizing Ecosystem Service Protection and Conservation Efforts in the Forest Plantations of the Red Hills
Authors: Moore Rebecca
Published: September 2016

We use a stated choice experiment to estimate household willingness-to-pay for a program providing incentives to private forest land owners in the Red Hills region of southwest Georgia and northwest Florida. The estimated values of various program attributes inform a landscape analysis that identifies high-priority private forest land that could be targeted for conservation incentives. Households report an increase in utility from the program when it explicitly identifies a target ecosystem-service priority. Also, inclusion of stated preference values in the prioritization plan highlights a potential scarcity effect that has important implications for conservation targeting.
Agriculture in an Ecosystems Framework
Authors: Aillery Marcel , Hrubovcak Jim , Kramer-LeBlanc Carol , Shoemaker Robbin , Tegene Abebayehu
Published: September 2016

By broadening the definition of an ecosystem to include economic activities, can we better characterize the interactions and relationships among agricultural activities and important indicators of ecological system health? This paper addresses research approaches for assessing the role of agriculture in an ecosystems context. Environmental regulation and resource management policies have heightened the interest in understanding interactions among agricultural activities and the natural resource base, including the impacts of agriculture on environmental quality and the impacts on agriculture of ecosystem restoration efforts. What are the most meaningful indicators of environmental quality? Which agricultural practices and policies should be considered, along with which nonagricultural resource uses? Finally, does the evolving thinking about ecosystems permit us to link agricultural practices and policies more directly and meaningfully to conceptions of sustainability, of both natural and socioeconomic systems? This paper presents a brief synopsis of ecosystem management, drawing from several recent governmental initiatives. It then provides an overview of the economics of ecosystem management from the perspective of the role of agriculture; discusses two specific cases, the Pacific Northwest and South Florida; and concludes with a discussion of promising economic approaches, data needs, and caveats to those engaged in policy analysis involving ecosystem restoration.
Economics and Ecosystem Management: Discussion
Authors: Poe Gregory L.
Published: September 2016

The transitional period in the development of a new field is often characterized by competing articulations, recourse to philosophy, and a debate over fundamentals (Kuhn 1970). As exemplified by numerous articles and books providing alternative definitions in the recent academic and policy literature, it is clear that the emerging field of ecosystem management is still struggling to identify a shared paradigm. Thus it is not a surprise that, in surveying the ecosystem management literature, Swallow (1996, p. 83) finds this field to be “one of the vaguest ideas or mandates of the decade.” A critical concern is that this debate over definitions may not be resolved in the foreseeable future, inhibiting policy-relevant research progress in this important area.
Allocatable Fixed Inputs and Jointness in Agricultural Production: More Implications
Authors: Asunka Samuel , Shumway C. Richard
Published: September 2016

The presence of allocatable fixed inputs may cause truly joint technologies to appear nonjoint in the short run as well as truly nonjoint technologies to appear joint. This paper demonstrates theoretically why this can happen and then documents that it actually occurs in a significant way in aggregate U.S. agricultural production. A simple testing procedure is used that requires no data on input allocations. The important finding is that failure to reject true (apparent) nonjointness does not justify modeling short-run (long-run) supply independent of alternative output prices.
The Microeconomic Impact of IPM Adoption: Theory and Application
Authors: Fernandez-Cornejo Jorge
Published: September 2016

This paper develops a methodology to calculate the impact of integrated pest management (IPM) on pesticide use, yields, and farm profits. The methodology is applied to the IPM adoption among fresh market tomato producers in eight states. The method is of general applicability. It accounts for self-selectivity and simultaneity, and the pesticide demand and yield equations are theoretically consistent with a profit function. The results support the notion that fresh market tomato growers who adopt IPM for insects and diseases apply significantly less insecticides and fungicides, respectively, than do those who do not adopt IPM; IPM adoption has an insignificant effect on yields and a small effect on profits.
Trade Policy and Environmental Quality: The Case of Export Subsidies
Authors: Leetmaa Susan , Krissoff Barry , Hartmann Monika
Published: September 2016

The United States and the European Union both employ export subsidies to stimulate wheat trade and to increase their competitiveness in world markets. The environmental consequences of these policies are being questioned. We stimulate reducing or removing export subsidies for wheat from the United States and the EU using a multicountry partial equilibrium model, and we analyze the impact of export subsidy policy reform on nitrogen fertilizer and other chemical use. Our findings indicate that the U.S. EEP program cannot be blamed for environmental degradation in terms of nitrate leaching, while EU wheat subsidies make only a small contribution to nitrate pollution.
Productivity Divergence across Kansas Farms
Authors: Yeager Elizabeth A. , Langemeier Michael R.
Published: September 2016

This study used 30 years of continuous data for 135 farms in Kansas to explore changes in productivity using Malmquist productivity indices (MPI). The indices were used to determine whether there was productivity convergence or divergence in Kansas farms. The results showed there was significant divergence among the farms. The average annual productivity growth was 0.50 percent; the top farms based on MPI were larger in terms of value of farm production, crop farm income, and livestock farm income and received a larger percentage of their income from oilseeds, feed grains, and swine than the other farms on average.
Globalization and Northeast Agriculture: Implications of the Upcoming Round of World Trade Negotiations
Authors: Blandford David
Published: September 2016

The signing of the Uruguay Round agreement on agriculture (URAA) in 1994 was a significant step towards the liberalization of world agricultural trade. A new round of negotiations on agriculture is scheduled to begin under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the end of 1999. This paper discusses the likely agenda of those negotiations and their implications for agriculture in the northeastern United States.
Bargaining for European Union Farm Policy Reform through U.S. Pesticide Restrictions
Authors: Martin Lizbeth , Paarlberg Philip L. , Lee John G.
Published: September 2016

Future trade negotiations will incorporate environmental concerns. This study presents a framework to evaluate whether the United States would be willing to adopt a pesticide restriction in exchange for European Union liberalization of producer support. It outlines the conditions that must be met if a bargain is to occur. Partial equilibrium commodity models test whether the conditions for a bargaining solution are satisfied. The research results indicate that a potential bargain is possible for stricter U.S. environmental regulations in coarse grains if there is a sufficiently large positive EU externality. Conditions in the oilseed market preclude a bargain.
A Game Theoretic Analysis of Turkish Accession to a European Customs Union
Authors: Kennedy P. Lynn , Atici Cemal
Published: September 2016

The entrance of additional countries into a European customs union, in this case Turkey, and its impact on agriculture are examined. Results from a trade simulation model are used as components of a Political Preference Function and utilized within a game theoretic framework to identify the optimal strategies for Turkey, the EU, and the U.S. Turkey's best interest, from an agricultural perspective, involves adoption of agreements made in the Uruguay round of GATT as a developing country rather than applying EU protection. Although free trade is not the optimal solution, simulations indicate that the solution does involve the reduction of agricultural protection levels.
A Conjoint Analysis of Paper Demand by Commercial Graphic Designers
Authors: McDermott J. , Bacon J.R. , Pesek J. , Gempesaw C.M. , Tilmon H.D.
Published: September 2016

Conjoint analysis was used to evaluate the preferences of graphic designers toward kenaf paper. Results indicate that price is of overwhelming importance to designers in their purchasing decisions regarding paper stock. If priced competitively with existing wood and recycled papers, kenaf products should gain market share among designers.
Valuation of Agriculture's Multi-site Environmental Impacts: An Application to Pheasant Hunting
Authors: Hansen LeRoy , Feather Peter , Shank David
Published: September 2016

Pheasant hunting benefits of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) were approximately $80 million/year in 1991 in states where the CRP appears most critical to pheasant populations. To obtain this benefit measure, the demand for pheasant hunting was estimated using a recently developed multi-site demand model, a national survey on recreation, and environmental data processed through a geographic information system (GIS). Thus not only is the resulting evaluation of the CRP's environmental impacts more accurately assessed than through the use of the generalized, supply-demand equilibrium models of previous work, but, more importantly, the environmental benefits of program acreage can be compared across field locations allowing subtle changes in policy to be assessed and the design and operation of a program to be optimized.
The Demand for Economic Policy Analysis: Is Anyone Listening?
Authors: Batie Sandra S.
Published: September 2016

Economic policy analysis is extremely important for the relevancy of the agricultural economics profession, as applied economics is our professional niche. Economic policy analysis, however, as a public decision-support tool, is a challenging endeavor that is difficult to do well. Furthermore, if analysis is to be an input into public policy formulation and implementation, it is not sufficient for applied economists to merely supply high quality economic policy analysis; there must also be a demand for it. As a profession, applied economists appear to pay more attention to the supply of policy analysis, with less consideration of who wants and will use our analysis, or how they will come to know it.
Cattle Accumulation and Land Use Intensification by Households in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Caviglia-Harris Jill L.
Published: September 2016

In developing countries across the globe the impact of livestock on deforestation levels has been profound. This paper explores the role of the cattle industry in household decision making for small landholders in the Brazilian Amazon. Important inquiries raised in the literature are addressed, including the determinants of the co-evolution of deforestation and cattle herds, the possibility of production specialization, and the role of cattle in household livelihoods. Panel data suggest that households have changed focus from crop production to cattle. Empirical models reveal that location, wealth, and education are among the important determinants of production decisions and cattle accumulation. Policy recommendations include a focus on the cattle sector coupled with initiatives to establish and enforce protected areas.
Impact of Macroeconomic Policies on Agricultural Prices
Authors: Awokuse Titus O.
Published: September 2016

Existing empirical evidence on the impact of macroeconomic variables on agriculture remains mixed and inconclusive. This paper re-examines the dynamic relationship between monetary policy variables and agricultural prices using alternative vector autoregression (VAR) type model specifications. Directed acyclic graph theory is proposed as an alternative modeling approach to supplement existing modeling methods. Similar to results in other studies, this study's findings show that over the time period analyzed (1975–2000), changes to money supply as a monetary policy tool had little or no impact on agricultural prices. The primary macroeconomic policy instrument that affects agricultural prices is the exchange rate, which is shown to be directly linked to interest rate, a source of monetary policy shock.
Analysis of Cardinal and Ordinal Assumptions in Conjoint Analysis
Authors: Harrison R. Wes , Gillespie Jeffrey , Fields Deacue
Published: September 2016

Of twenty-three agricultural economics conjoint analyses conducted between 1990 and 2001, seventeen used interval-rating scales, with estimation procedures varying widely. This study tests cardinality assumptions in conjoint analysis when interval-rating scales are used, and tests whether the ordered probit or two-limit tobit model is the most valid. Results indicate that cardinality assumptions are invalid, but estimates of the underlying utility scale for the two models do not differ. Thus, while the ordered probit model is theoretically more appealing, the two-limit tobit model may be more useful in practice, especially in cases with limited degrees of freedom, such as with individual-level conjoint models.
The Changing Rural Policy Context
Authors: Smith Stephen M.
Published: September 2016

A characteristic of our rural policies is that we seem to treat farm policy and other rural policy as if agriculture and the rest of the rural economy and society are separate. Literature from each perspective tends to ignore the existence and context of the other. There has been enough change in the rural context, however, to require a different approach to rural policy analysis and formulation. We must start from a comprehensive view of the rural economy, including both the agricultural and nonagricultural rural economies. The paper discusses issues that have changed the rural policy context: the changed rural economic structure, macro forces, farm-nonfarm interdependence, and the political arena. These changing contexts create new opportunities for rural policy formulation. The paper concludes by suggesting that agricultural economists will contribute more to systematic knowledge and policy formulation if they base analysis on the changed objective conditions in rural areas, and utilize more theoretically-based analysis.
The Impact of an Aging Rural Population on Local Tax Structures
Authors: Kelsey Timothy W. , Smith Stephen M. , Luloff A.E.
Published: September 2016

The growing American retired population increasingly is viewed for its economic development potential. The relationship between the elderly and local taxes may have a critical effect on this potential, however. This paper examines the local tax implications of an increasing elderly population in communities prohibiting tax referenda. In such communities, citizens have no direct role in tax decisions. The elderly's attitudes towards different local taxes are examined using telephone survey data, before using aggregate data to investigate the relationship between the elderly and the specific taxes used in communities. The results suggest that a high proportion of elderly do not affect the mix of local taxes, but that an increasing proportion does have an influence.
Nonparametric Technical Efficiency with K Firms, N Inputs, and M Outputs: A Simulation
Authors: Tauer Loren W. , Hanchar John J.
Published: September 2016

Monte-Carlo simulation of nonparametric efficiency shows that even when the number of firms is large, defining ten or more inputs results in most firms being measured as efficient. Comparison of the simulated results with any empirical results may suggest that the dimension of the problem, rather than actual efficiencies, determines computed efficiencies.
Analysis of Marketing Margins in the U.S. Lamb Industry
Authors: Capps Oral , Byrne Patrick J. , Williams Gary W.
Published: September 2016

Factors affecting marketing margins were identified and assessed using a relative price spread technique. Margins were disaggregated into slaughter-to-wholesale and wholesale-to-retail for a more complete understanding. Marketing costs, concentration, demand, and price were used to explain variations within these margins. Results showed that packer concentration had a significant effect on margins. Forces of supply and demand (as represented by production and market price) and changes in marketing costs also explained the variation in margins. A higher degree of price transmission from slaughter-to-wholesale level was observed in comparison to the wholesale-to-retail level.
Place-Based Economic Policy: Innovation or Fad?
Authors: Johnson Thomas G.
Published: September 2016

This paper explores the emerging concept of place-based economic policy. It reviews recent literature on place-based economics policy, especially regional competitiveness policy, and explores the adoption and diffusion of this concept by economic development practitioners and social science researchers. It attempts to answer the question: Are place-based economic policy and the underlying conceptual foundations lasting innovations, or are they fads which economic development practitioners and social scientists will adopt until another fad emerges? The conclusion is that economic development practitioners and social scientists do tend to respond to fads. To ensure that regional economic development policy is not dominated by fads, social scientists must get out in front of economic development practitioners far enough to thoroughly develop and test regional competitiveness and other place-based economic theories.
Spatial Analysis of Rural Economic Development Using a Locally Weighted Regression Model
Authors: Cho Seong-Hoon , Kim Seung Gyu , Clark Christopher D. , Park William M.
Published: September 2016

This study uses locally weighted regression to identify county-level characteristics that serve as drivers of creative employment throughout the southern United States. We found that higher per capita income, greater infrastructure investments, and the rural nature of a county tended to promote creative employment density, while higher scores on a natural amenity index had the opposite effect. We were also able to identify and map clusters of rural counties where the marginal effects of these variables on creative employment density were greatest. These findings should help rural communities to promote creative employment growth as a means of furthering rural economic development.
Financial Benefits of Florida Generic Orange Juice Marketing
Authors: Thomas Arthur M. , Canter Neil
Published: September 2016

The benefits to Florida orange growers of generic orange juice advertising are assessed using additive, nonlinear, regional econometric models, measuring the impact of category and brand marketing efforts on category demand while controlling for pricing and various other factors. The study shows that generic marketing efforts increased orange juice category demand by 8.3 percent, resulting in increased orange prices and a benefit-to-cost ratio to Florida growers of 3.5 to 1. Branded promotional activity was found to primarily fuel brand switching and pantry-loading, with only modest impacts on overall category demand.
Invasive Species Management: Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the U.S. Beef Industry
Authors: Zhao Zishun , Wahl Thomas I. , Marsh Thomas L.
Published: September 2016

A conceptual bioeconomic framework that integrates dynamic epidemiological-economic processes was designed to analyze the effects of invasive species introduction on decision making in a livestock sector (e.g., production and feeding). The framework integrates an epidemiological model, a dynamic livestock production model, domestic consumption, and international trade. The integrated approach captures producer and consumer responses and welfare outcomes of livestock disease outbreaks, as well as alternative invasive species management policies. Scenarios of foot-and-mouth disease are simulated to demonstrate the usefulness of the framework in facilitating invasive species policy design.
Simulating the U.S. Impacts of Alternative Asian Soybean Rust Treatment Regimes
Authors: Johansson Robert C. , Livingston Michael J. , Westra John , Guidry Kurt
Published: September 2016

Asian soybean rust (rust) is an emerging issue in U.S. crop production and was identified in nine states during 2004. Recent farm surveys indicate that many producers are adjusting their management practices to the possibility of a rust infestation. The economic and environmental impacts of such adjustments are not known in the medium run given these new developments. We combine 2005 data on the geographical distribution of the fungal pathogen that causes rust with 2005 information on the availability and material costs of fungicides to analyze three treatment strategies. Our results indicate a higher range of economic impacts than previous research has indicated, but are consistent with earlier findings indicating that rust infestations will likely result in reduced soybean production, reduced exports, and higher prices.
A Dynamic Principal-Agent Model of Human-Mediated Aquatic Species Invasions
Authors: Macpherson Alexander J. , Moore Rebecca , Provencher Bill
Published: September 2016

This paper presents a dynamic principal-agent model of aquatic species invasions in which a manager, concerned about the spread of invasive species across lakes by boaters, sets interseasonal management controls on a lake-by-lake basis, and boaters make a series of intraseasonal trip decisions to maximize random utility during the course of the season, conditional on the controls imposed by the manager. The results of a simulated invasion of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) highlight interesting aspects of the optimal management policies under two different management objectives: maximizing boater welfare and minimizing milfoil spread.
Land Abandonment in an Agricultural Frontier After a Plant Invasion: The Case of Bracken Fern in Southern Yucatán, Mexico
Authors: Schneider Laura , Geoghegan Jacqueline
Published: September 2016

Plant invasions and their impact on land use pose difficult research questions, due to the complex relationships between the ecological nature of the invasion and the human responses to the invasion. This paper focuses on the linkages between an invasion of bracken fern and land use decisions in an agricultural frontier in southern Mexico. Agriculture in this region is practiced on an extensive basis, using traditional slash-and-burn techniques of temporary cultivation and continuous rotation through forest fallow. We investigate the factors that affect the decision of a subsistence farmer to either continue cultivating an invaded agricultural plot or permanently abandon the plot and cultivate elsewhere. We develop an agricultural household model of land use choices, where households maximize utility subject to constraints on land, labor, and income. We subsequently test the hypotheses raised, using data from a small household survey performed in the region in 2002.
The Economic Impact of Shale Gas Development: A Natural Experiment along the New York / Pennsylvania Border
Authors: Cosgrove Brendan M. , LaFave Daniel R. , Dissanayake Sahan T. M. , Donihue Michael R.
Published: September 2016

We investigate local economic impacts of shale gas development using the natural experiment of the discontinuity in regulation caused by New York's 2008 moratorium on fracking. Using county- and zip-code-level data for 2001–2013 to examine differences in New York and Pennsylvania counties before and after the moratorium, we find that shale gas development has a positive local impact on employment and wages in the natural resource, mining, and construction sectors and an offsetting reduction in employment in the manufacturing sector. Overall, we find no statistically significant local effects on total employment or on wages.
PRIVATIVE NEGATION IN THE PORT ROYAL LOGIC
Authors: MARTIN JOHN N.
Published: September 2016

In this paper I argue that negation in The Port Royal Logic is not a failed or incoherent approximation of Boolean complementation as maintained by Sylvain Auroux and Marc Dominicy, but is rather a version of privative negation from medieval logic, and that as such it has a perfectly coherent semantics. The discussion reviews the critiques of Auroux and Dominicy as well as the semantics of privative negation as found in Aristotle, Proclus, Ockham, Buridan, Descartes, and Arnauld.
Scaling-up services for psychosis, depression and epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: development and application of a mental health systems planning tool (OneHealth)
Authors: Chisholm D. , Heslin M. , Docrat S. , Nanda S. , Shidhaye R. , Upadhaya N. , Jordans M. , Abdulmalik J. , Olayiwola S. , Gureje O. , Kizza D. , Mugisha J. , Kigozi F. , Hanlon C. , Adugna M. , Sanders R. , Pretorius C. , Thornicroft G. , Lund C.
Published: September 2016

Background.

Although financing represents a critical component of health system strengthening and also a defining concern of efforts to move towards universal health coverage, many countries lack the tools and capacity to plan effectively for service scale-up. As part of a multi-country collaborative study (the Emerald project), we set out to develop, test and apply a fully integrated health systems resource planning and health impact tool for mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders.

Methods.

A new module of the existing UN strategic planning OneHealth Tool was developed, which identifies health system resources required to scale-up a range of specified interventions for MNS disorders and also projects expected health gains at the population level. We conducted local capacity-building in its use, as well as stakeholder consultations, then tested and calibrated all model parameters, and applied the tool to three priority mental and neurological disorders (psychosis, depression and epilepsy) in six low- and middle-income countries.

Results.

Resource needs for scaling-up mental health services to reach desired coverage goals are substantial compared with the current allocation of resources in the six represented countries but are not large in absolute terms. In four of the Emerald study countries (Ethiopia, India, Nepal and Uganda), the cost of delivering key interventions for psychosis, depression and epilepsy at existing treatment coverage is estimated at US$ 0.06–0.33 per capita of total population per year (in Nigeria and South Africa it is US$ 1.36–1.92). By comparison, the projected cost per capita at target levels of coverage approaches US$ 5 per capita in Nigeria and South Africa, and ranges from US$ 0.14–1.27 in the other four countries. Implementation of such a package of care at target levels of coverage is expected to yield between 291 and 947 healthy life years per one million populations, which represents a substantial health gain for the currently neglected and underserved sub-populations suffering from psychosis, depression and epilepsy.

Conclusions.

This newly developed and validated module of OneHealth tool can be used, especially within the context of integrated health planning at the national level, to generate contextualised estimates of the resource needs, costs and health impacts of scaled-up mental health service delivery.
Dialektisch-behaviorale Behandlungsansätze bei aggressiven Verhaltensstörungen
Authors: Stadler Christina , Manetsch Madleina , Vriends Noortje
Published: September 2016

Zusammenfassung. Aggressive Verhaltensstörungen umfassen die Diagnose Störung des Sozialverhaltens (SSV) und im Erwachsenenalter die dissoziale Persönlichkeitsstörung (DPS). Störungen des Sozialverhaltens gelten als ein schwer zu behandelndes Störungsbild mit hohem Risiko für eine persistierende Verhaltenssymptomatik und gehen in vielen Fällen der dissozialen Persönlichkeitsstörung voraus. Die von Marsha Linehan entwickelte dialektisch-behaviorale Therapie (DBT) wurde ursprünglich zur Behandlung von Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstörungen eingesetzt. In Anbetracht der mit aggressiven Verhaltensstörungen assoziierten Schwierigkeiten in der Emotionsregulation wird die von Marsha Linehan entwickelte dialektisch-behaviorale Therapie zunehmend auch für die Behandlung von Patienten mit einer DPS oder SSV diskutiert. Dieser Beitrag verfolgt das Ziel, Weiterentwicklungen der klassischen DBT für Patienten mit aggressiven Verhaltensstörungen vorzustellen und diskutiert die Frage, inwieweit DBT zur Behandlung von Störungen des Sozialverhaltens eine Behandlungsoption darstellen kann.
N-glycosylation enables high lateral mobility of GPI-anchored proteins at a molecular crowding threshold
Authors: Hartel Andreas J. W. , Glogger Marius , Jones Nicola G. , Abuillan Wasim , Batram Christopher , Hermann Anne , Fenz Susanne F. , Tanaka Motomu , Engstler Markus
Published: September 2016

The protein density in biological membranes can be extraordinarily high, but the impact of molecular crowding on the diffusion of membrane proteins has not been studied systematically in a natural system. The diversity of the membrane proteome of most cells may preclude systematic studies. African trypanosomes, however, feature a uniform surface coat that is dominated by a single type of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). Here we study the density-dependence of the diffusion of different glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored VSG-types on living cells and in artificial membranes. Our results suggest that a specific molecular crowding threshold (MCT) limits diffusion and hence affects protein function. Obstacles in the form of heterologous proteins compromise the diffusion coefficient and the MCT. The trypanosome VSG-coat operates very close to its MCT. Importantly, our experiments show that N-linked glycans act as molecular insulators that reduce retarding intermolecular interactions allowing membrane proteins to function correctly even when densely packed.
Mechanosensory neurons control sweet sensing in Drosophila
Authors: Jeong Yong Taek , Oh Soo Min , Shim Jaewon , Seo Jeong Taeg , Kwon Jae Young , Moon Seok Jun
Published: September 2016

Animals discriminate nutritious food from toxic substances using their sense of taste. Since taste perception requires taste receptor cells to come into contact with water-soluble chemicals, it is a form of contact chemosensation. Concurrent with that contact, mechanosensitive cells detect the texture of food and also contribute to the regulation of feeding. Little is known, however, about the extent to which chemosensitive and mechanosensitive circuits interact. Here, we show Drosophila prefers soft food at the expense of sweetness and that this preference requires labellar mechanosensory neurons (MNs) and the mechanosensory channel Nanchung. Activation of these labellar MNs causes GABAergic inhibition of sweet-sensing gustatory receptor neurons, reducing the perceived intensity of a sweet stimulus. These findings expand our understanding of the ways different sensory modalities cooperate to shape animal behaviour.
Coordinated nuclease activities counteract Ku at single-ended DNA double-strand breaks
Authors: Chanut Pauline , Britton Sébastien , Coates Julia , Jackson Stephen P. , Calsou Patrick
Published: September 2016

Repair of single-ended DNA double-strand breaks (seDSBs) by homologous recombination (HR) requires the generation of a 3′ single-strand DNA overhang by exonuclease activities in a process called DNA resection. However, it is anticipated that the highly abundant DNA end-binding protein Ku sequesters seDSBs and shields them from exonuclease activities. Despite pioneering works in yeast, it is unclear how mammalian cells counteract Ku at seDSBs to allow HR to proceed. Here we show that in human cells, ATM-dependent phosphorylation of CtIP and the epistatic and coordinated actions of MRE11 and CtIP nuclease activities are required to limit the stable loading of Ku on seDSBs. We also provide evidence for a hitherto unsuspected additional mechanism that contributes to prevent Ku accumulation at seDSBs, acting downstream of MRE11 endonuclease activity and in parallel with MRE11 exonuclease activity. Finally, we show that Ku persistence at seDSBs compromises Rad51 focus assembly but not DNA resection.
PRMT1-mediated methylation of MICU1 determines the UCP2/3 dependency of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in immortalized cells
Authors: Madreiter-Sokolowski Corina T. , Klec Christiane , Parichatikanond Warisara , Stryeck Sarah , Gottschalk Benjamin , Pulido Sergio , Rost Rene , Eroglu Emrah , Hofmann Nicole A. , Bondarenko Alexander I. , Madl Tobias , Waldeck-Weiermair Markus , Malli Roland , Graier Wolfgang F.
Published: September 2016

Recent studies revealed that mitochondrial Ca2+ channels, which control energy flow, cell signalling and death, are macromolecular complexes that basically consist of the pore-forming mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) protein, the essential MCU regulator (EMRE), and the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake 1 (MICU1). MICU1 is a regulatory subunit that shields mitochondria from Ca2+ overload. Before the identification of these core elements, the novel uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 (UCP2/3) have been shown to be fundamental for mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. Here we clarify the molecular mechanism that determines the UCP2/3 dependency of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. Our data demonstrate that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake is controlled by protein arginine methyl transferase 1 (PRMT1) that asymmetrically methylates MICU1, resulting in decreased Ca2+ sensitivity. UCP2/3 normalize Ca2+ sensitivity of methylated MICU1 and, thus, re-establish mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake activity. These data provide novel insights in the complex regulation of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter by PRMT1 and UCP2/3.
Exploring the transcriptome of Staphylococcus aureus in its natural niche
Authors: Chaves-Moreno Diego , Wos-Oxley Melissa L. , Jáuregui Ruy , Medina Eva , Oxley Andrew PA , Pieper Dietmar H.
Published: September 2016

Staphylococcus aureusis an important human pathogen and commensal, where the human nose is the predominant reservoir. To better understand its behavior in this environmental niche, RNA was extracted from the anterior nares of three documentedS. aureuscarriers and the metatranscriptome analyzed by RNAseq. In addition, thein vivotranscriptomes were compared to previously published transcriptomes of twoin vitrogrownS. aureusstrains. None of thein vitroconditions, even growth in medium resembling the anterior nares environment, mimickedin vivoconditions. Survival in the nose was strongly controlled by the limitation of iron and evident by the expression of iron acquisition systems.S. aureuspopulations in different individuals clearly experience different environmental stresses, which they attempt to overcome by the expression of compatible solute biosynthetic pathways, changes in their cell wall composition and synthesis of general stress proteins. Moreover, the expression of adhesins was also important for colonization of the anterior nares. However, differentS. aureusstrains also showed differentin vivobehavior. The assessment of generalin vivoexpression patterns and commonalities between differentS. aureusstrains will in the future result in new knowledge based strategies for controlling colonization.
BMS-708163 and Nilotinib restore synaptic dysfunction in human embryonic stem cell-derived Alzheimer’s disease models
Authors: Nishioka Hisae , Tooi Norie , Isobe Takehisa , Nakatsuji Norio , Aiba Kazuhiro
Published: September 2016

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Cellular AD models derived from human pluripotent stem cells are promising tools in AD research. We recently developed human embryonic stem cell-derived AD models which overexpress mutant Presenilin1 genes, and which exhibit AD phenotypes, including synaptic dysfunction. In this study, we found that our AD models showed reduced levels of RAB3A and SV2B proteins in the pre-synapses, which is a possible cause of electrophysiological abnormalities. Through the screening of chemical compounds using our AD models, we have identified Aβ peptide inhibitors which decrease the concentration of Aβ in culture supernatant. Among these, BMS-708163 and Nilotinib were found to improve the expression levels of RAB3A and SV2B proteins and to recover the electrophysiological function in our AD models. These results suggest that the AD models we developed are promising materials for the discovery of AD drugs that target the expression of pre-synaptic proteins and synaptic function.
Potential pitfalls of mass spectrometry to uncover mutations in childhood soft tissue sarcoma: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group
Authors: Xu Lin , Wilson Raphael A. , Laetsch Theodore W. , Oliver Dwight , Spunt Sheri L. , Hawkins Douglas S. , Skapek Stephen X.
Published: September 2016

Mass spectrometry-based methods have been widely applied – often as the sole method – to detect mutations in human cancer specimens. We applied this approach to 52 childhood soft tissue sarcoma specimens in an attempt to identify potentially actionable mutations. This analysis revealed that 25% of the specimens harbored high-confidence calls for mutated alleles, including a mutation encoding FLT3I836M that was called in four cases. Given the surprisingly high frequency and unusual nature of some of the mutant alleles, we carried out ultra-deep next generation sequencing to confirm them. We confirmed only three mutations, which encoded NRASA18T, JAK3V722I and METR970C in three specimens. Beyond highlighting those mutations, our findings demonstrate potential pitfalls of primarily utilizing a mass spectrometry-based approach to broadly screen for DNA sequence variants in archived, clinical-grade tumor specimens. Duplicate mass spectrometric analyses and confirmatory next generation sequencing can help diminish false positive calls, but this does not ameliorate potential false negatives due in part to evaluating a limited panel of sequence variants.
Estimating the palliative effect of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in an observational registry using principal stratification and generalized propensity scores
Authors: Mishra-Kalyani Pallavi S. , Johnson Brent A. , Glass Jonathan D. , Long Qi
Published: September 2016

Clinical disease registries offer a rich collection of valuable patient information but also pose challenges that require special care and attention in statistical analyses. The goal of this paper is to propose a statistical framework that allows for estimating the effect of surgical insertion of a percutaneous endogastrostomy (PEG) tube for patients living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using data from a clinical registry. Although all ALS patients are informed about PEG, only some patients agree to the procedure which, leads to the potential for selection bias. Assessing the effect of PEG is further complicated by the aggressively fatal disease, such that time to death competes directly with both the opportunity to receive PEG and clinical outcome measurements. Our proposed methodology handles the “censoring by death” phenomenon through principal stratification and selection bias for PEG treatment through generalized propensity scores. We develop a fully Bayesian modeling approach to estimate the survivor average causal effect (SACE) of PEG on BMI, a surrogate outcome measure of nutrition and quality of life. The use of propensity score methods within the principal stratification framework demonstrates a significant and positive effect of PEG treatment, particularly when time of treatment is included in the treatment definition.
Hierarchical nanoporosity enhanced reversible capacity of bicontinuous nanoporous metal based Li-O2 battery
Authors: Guo Xianwei , Han Jiuhui , Liu Pan , Chen Luyang , Ito Yoshikazu , Jian Zelang , Jin Tienan , Hirata Akihiko , Li Fujun , Fujita Takeshi , Asao Naoki , Zhou Haoshen , Chen Mingwei
Published: September 2016

High-energy-density rechargeable Li-O2 batteries are one of few candidates that can meet the demands of electric drive vehicles and other high-energy applications because of the ultra-high theoretical specific energy. However, the practical realization of the high rechargeable capacity is usually limited by the conflicted requirements for porous cathodes in high porosity to store the solid reaction products Li2O2 and large accessible surface area for easy formation and decomposition of Li2O2. Here we designed a hierarchical and bicontinuous nanoporous structure by introducing secondary nanopores into the ligaments of coarsened nanoporous gold by two-step dealloying. The hierarchical and bicontinuous nanoporous gold cathode provides high porosity, large accessible surface area and sufficient mass transport path for high capacity and long cycling lifetime of Li-O2 batteries.