bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients' and caregivers' views on conversations and shared decision making in diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's disease: The ABIDE project
Authors: Kunneman Marleen , Pel‐Littel Ruth , Bouwman Femke H. , Gillissen Freek , Schoonenboom Niki S.M. , Claus Jules J. , van der Flier Wiesje M. , Smets Ellen M.A.
Published: May 2017

Introduction

This study aims to assess patients' and caregivers' views on and experiences with (1) decisions about diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and (2) receiving test results.

Methods

We conducted separate focus groups with patients from three hospitals who underwent diagnostic testing for AD (N = 11) and their caregivers (N = 11). Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using MaxQDA.

Results

Patients and caregivers preferred and perceived active involvement in decision making, but the decision to initiate diagnostic testing seems to be made before the clinician‐patient encounter. Patients and caregivers indicate that decisions are driven by a strong need to explain the patient's symptoms. They missed information on why different diagnostic tests were used, what the results of these tests were, and to what extent these results were (ab)normal.

Discussion

The decision‐making process around diagnostic testing for AD and the information provision before and after diagnostic testing could be improved.
Non-linear aeroelastic response of high aspect-ratio wings in the frequency domain
Authors: Afonso F. , Vale J. , Oliveira É. , Lau F. , Suleman A.
Published: May 2017

A current trend in the aeronautic industry is to increase the wing aspect ratio to enhance aerodynamic efficiency by reducing the induced drag and thus reduce fuel consumption. Despite the associated benefits of a large aspect ratio, such as higher lift-to-drag ratios and range, commercial aircraft usually have a relatively low aspect ratio. This is partially explained by the fact that the wing becomes more flexible with increasing aspect ratio and thus more prone to large deflections, which can cause aeroelastic instability problems such as flutter. In this work, an aeroelastic study is conducted on a rectangular wing model of 20 m span and variable chord for a low subsonic speed condition to evaluate the differences between linear and non-linear static aeroelastic responses. Comparisons between linear and non-linear displacements, natural frequencies and flutter boundary are performed. An in-house non-linear aeroelastic framework was employed for this purpose. In this work, the influence of the aspect ratio and geometric non-linearity (highly deformed states) is assessed in terms of aeroelastic performance parameters: flutter speed and divergence speed. A nearly linear correlation of flutter speed difference (relative to linear analysis results) with vertical-tip displacement difference is observed. The flutter and divergence speeds vary substantially as the wing aspect ratio increases, and the divergence speeds always remain above the flutter speed. Furthermore, the flutter mechanism was observed to change as the wing chord is decreased.
Profit and Other Values: Thick Evaluation in Decision Making
Authors: van der Linden Bastiaan , Freeman R. Edward
Published: May 2017

Profit maximizers have reasons to agree with stakeholder theorists that managers may need to consider different values simultaneously in decision making. However, it remains unclear how maximizing a single value can be reconciled with simultaneously considering different values. A solution can neither be found in substantive normative philosophical theories, nor in postulating the maximization of profit. Managers make sense of the values in a situation by means of the many thick value concepts of ordinary language. Thick evaluation involves the simultaneous consideration of different values: making sense of a value always involves knowing how to engage with it given the other values in the situation. This also goes for profit: maximization is only one way of engaging with the value of profit, and grasping whether maximization is appropriate involves considering other values. We discuss some consequences of our approach for stakeholder theorists and profit maximizers.
Gerstner waves in the presence of mean currents and rotation
Authors: Constantin A. , Monismith S. G.
Published: May 2017

We present a Lagrangian analysis of nonlinear surface waves propagating zonally on a zonal current in the presence of the Earth’s rotation that shows the existence of two modes of wave motion. The first, ‘fast’ mode, one with wavelengths commonly found for wind waves and swell in the ocean, represents the wave–current interaction counterpart of the rotationally modified Gerstner waves found first by Pollard (J. Geophys. Res., vol. 75, 1970, pp. 5895–5898) that quite closely resemble Stokes waves. The second, slower, mode has a period nearly equal to the inertial period and has a small vertical scale such that very long, e.g. $O(10^{4}~\text{km})$ wavelength, waves have velocities etc. that decay exponentially from the free surface over a scale of $O(10~\text{m})$ that is proportional to the strength of the mean current. In both cases, the particle trajectories are closed in a frame of reference moving with the mean current, with particle motions in the second mode describing inertial circles. Given that the linear analysis of the governing Eulerian equations only captures the fast mode, the slow mode is a fundamentally nonlinear phenomenon in which very small free surface deflections are manifestations of an energetic current.
A BAYESIAN ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY AND RISKS TO ACHIEVE TARGET YIELDS FROM IMPROVED CHICKPEA AND MUNG BEAN VARIETIES USING ON-FARM TRIALS IN AFGHANISTAN
Authors: SINGH MURARI , TAVVA SRINIVAS , SAHARAWAT YASHPAL SINGH , RIZVI JAVED
Published: May 2017

Legumes are essential to meet nutrition need of growing population in Afghanistan but have low productivity under the farmer practices. With an aim to introduce improved varieties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and mung bean (Vigna radiata) along with associated cultivation practices, a number of on-farm demonstration trials were conducted in eight districts covering three provinces to assess their performance in comparison with local practices. The data or information generation from on-farm trials is routine but remains unutilized under the commonly used analysis based on frequentist approach. This study makes use of such prior information to widen the statistical inference framework using a Bayesian approach (BA) for analysing any future on-farm trials. The statistical analysis evaluated the mean performance of the improved and local production packages and risks associated with them to meet a given target. Evaluated at the two districts during 2012, the improved variety of chickpea (Madad) yielded higher than the farmer variety (2.25–2.40 vs. 1.93–1.94 Mg/ha), while that of mung bean (Mash 2008) yielded higher than the farmer variety (1.22–1.24 vs. 0.93–0.94 Mg/ha), both with high probability. The stochastic dominance analysis showed that the recommended package with improved variety Madad has 95% probability of achieving a target of 2 Mg/ha while such a target for local practice was around its one-third when cultivated in Baghlan-e-sannati district. Crossover in the risk curves helped to identify and quantify the region specific risk to meet a given target. BA is then recommended in the analysis of on-farm trials data.
Prognostic factors for therapeutic sialendoscopy
Authors: Cox D , Chan L , Veivers D
Published: May 2017

Objective:

To review our experience with therapeutic sialendoscopy in both the submandibular and parotid glands in order to determine prognostic factors and improve successful outcomes.

Study design:

Single-centre, retrospective chart review.

Method:

The medical records of patients who had undergone sialendoscopy for sialolithiasis were reviewed, and demographic details, stone data (location, size, multiplicity, mobility), and operative technique and success were recorded.

Results:

Eighty-five patients were included: 70 patients with submandibular stones and 15 with parotid stones. Sialendoscopy was successful in all cases. Complete endoscopic removal was successful in 51 per cent of patients with submandibular stones and 47 per cent of those with parotid stones. Size (less than 5 mm) and distance from the papilla (less than 3 cm) were significant factors affecting success for patients with submandibular duct stones. However, this was not the case for patients with parotid duct stones, with neither variable achieving significance; nevertheless, numbers were small.

Conclusion:

Stone size and location significantly affect the success of therapeutic sialendoscopy in submandibular glands.
Anthropogenic influences on the distribution of a Vulnerable coniferous forest specialist: habitat selection by the Siberian musk deerMoschus moschiferus
Authors: Slaght Jonathan C. , Milakovsky Brian , Maksimova Dariya A. , Seryodkin Ivan V. , Zaitsev Vitaliy A. , Panichev Alexander M. , Miquelle Dale G.
Published: May 2017

The Siberian musk deerMoschus moschiferus, categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, is a small ungulate associated with coniferous forests of East Asia. In Russia the species is hunted both legally and illegally for the commercially valuable musk gland in males. Steep population declines recorded in recent decades have been generally attributed to intensive illegal hunting, but the decline has coincided with increased logging activity and the concomitant expansion of logging roads. We conducted an occupancy analysis in Primorskii Krai, Russia, to elucidate the relative importance of environmental, ecological and anthropogenic features associated with the presence of musk deer. The top model contained covariates related to the abundance of bearded lichenUsneaspp., the distance to a main road and the distance to logging sites, suggesting that both intensive hunting of musk deer (associated with greater accessibility via roads) and logging of habitat are influencing the occurrence of this species. We propose several management actions to limit the negative influence of logging and logging roads on musk deer in Russia, including encouraging logging companies to set aside high conservation value forests (to retain intact forests) and to close logging roads post-harvest (to reduce access by poachers).
Schistosoma mansonicercarial elastase (SmCE): differences in immunogenic properties of native and recombinant forms
Authors: EL-FAHAM MARWA H. , WHEATCROFT-FRANCKLOW KATHERINE J. , PRICE HELEN P. , SAYERS JON R. , DOENHOFF MICHAEL J.
Published: May 2017

TheSchistosoma mansonicercarial elastase (SmCE) has previously been shown to be poorly immunogenic in mice. However, a minority of mice were able to produce antibodies against SmCE after multiple immunizations with crude preparations containing the enzyme. These mice were partially protected against challenge infections ofS. mansoni. In the present study, we show that in contrast to the poor immunogenicity of the enzymatically active native form of SmCE derived from a crude preparation (cercarial transformation fluid), immunization of CBA/Ca mice with two enzymatically inactive forms, namely purified native SmCE or a recombinant SmCE fused to recombinantSchistosoma japonicumglutathione S-transferase (rSmCE-SjGST), after adsorption onto aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, induced specific anti-SmCE immunoglobulin G (IgG) in all mice within 2 weeks of the second immunization. The IgG antibody response to rSmCE-SjGST was mainly of the IgG1 subclass. These results suggest that inactive forms of the antigen could be used to obtain the optimum immunogenic effects as a vaccine candidate against schistosomiasis. Mice immunized with the rSmCE-SjGST on alum had smaller mean worm burdens and lower tissue egg counts when compared with adjuvant alone- and recombinant SjGST-injected controls. The native SmCE was antigenically cross-reactive with homologous enzymes ofSchistosoma haematobiumandSchistosoma margrebowiei.
Between Roundhouse and Villa: Assessing Perinatal and Infant Burials from Piddington, Northamptonshire
Authors: Hodson Claire M.
Published: May 2017

The discovery of perinatal and infant individuals is common in the excavation of Iron Age and Romano-British domestic sites. In recent years, the discovery of many such burials has led to interpretations of infanticide and unceremonious disposal. Although this has been a widely discussed phenomenon, much of the literature has focused on the funerary context, and the biological age and sex estimates of these individuals, with little consideration of the palaeopathological evidence. This article provides a detailed analysis of 17 perinates/infants from the late Iron Age/early Roman site of Piddington, Northants. It discusses the skeletal evidence for poor health and growth, and highlights the potential of these remains to reveal alternative insights into perinatal and infant death. Evidence of growth changes and pathological lesions were identified, suggesting that these individuals experienced chronic episodes of poor health that affected their skeletal development. The study explores the implications of these findings within the context of Iron Age and Roman Britain. At Piddington, the death of these infants is not associated with the cultural practice of infanticide, but occurred due to poor health, highlighting the precarious nature of infant survival in the past.
Apple Marketing Alternatives in Western New York
Authors: Kindinger Paul , Good Darrel
Published: May 2017

U. S. Department of Agriculture statistics indicate that New York, with 21.4 million bushels, produced approximately 14 percent of the total U. S. apple crop in 1974. Information concerning alternative market outlets is necessary if the apple marketing process is to be efficient and effective. A knowledge of the costs and net returns associated with each market is essential in determining the most profitable way for the grower to market his fruit.
Impact on Northeast Fruit and Vegetable Production of Expanding International Trade
Authors: Gavett Earle E.
Published: May 2017

The Northeast has sharply reduced its acreage of vegetables and production of most fruit except apples from 1950 to 1970. Much of this decline has occurred over time as production shifted from a relatively high cost area to areas having lower costs. We have seen canning factories close down in the Northeast and move operations to the Mid West and Far West as new varieties of sweet corn, snap beans, peas, and other vegetables were developed for those areas.
Recent Trends in cut Flower Imports – Impact on the Floricultural Industry in the Northeast
Authors: Jarvesoo Elmar
Published: May 2017

Until recently, cut flower imports to the United States have been largely of non-competitive type – mostly minor novelty crops rarely produced locally, or crops out of production here seasonally.
Controlling Sediment and Nutrient Losses from Agricultural Lands
Authors: Jacobs James J.
Published: May 2017

Quality of the environment is measured and evaluated by some criteria, such as composition, and by performance. However, quality, in terms of composition and/or performance, as a factor in environment has no meaning except as it relates to some use of the environment and scale of health, happiness and aspirations of man. For example, an environment is regarded as having a lower quality than 15 years ago because of an increase in the phosphorus contained in surface water and/or a change in the species of fish present in surface waters. In terms of performance, a particular environment (watershed) is not producing enough because the soil and phosphorus losses are twice the acceptable rate. Furthermore, the composition and performance of an environment are related. Measurement of the nitrogen and phosphorus content of water helps to determine if a given water resource can be used (perform) in a particular way.
Past, Present and Prospects of the Potato Industry in Maine
Authors: Johnston Edward F.
Published: May 2017

The principle potato producing portion of the State of Maine is located in Aroostook County adjacent to the boundary line which politically separates Maine and New Brunswick. A “natural home” for the potato, this area posesses a combination of climatic and soil features that has favored cultivation of the product to the extent that the area has become known as “The Potato Empire Of The East” for the past 52 years, over 80 percent of Maine's crop has come from Aroostook. For several years between 1920 and 1958, Aroostook County alone grew more potatoes than any other state except Maine. To speak of the potato industry in Maine is to refer primarily to Aroostook.
A Model of Milk Production and Disposition: Supply, Utilization, and Government Support in the Dairy Sector
Authors: Harrington David H.
Published: May 2017

In this paper I will present a model of milk production and disposition which has been used with great success in analyzing the effects of alternative levels of price support on the dairy sector. The purposes of the model are twofold: (1) to generate short-run predictive estimates of milk production, consumption by major product groupings, government support purchases, and farm level gross income from sale of dairy products; (2) to provide a facility for analysis of alternative support prices, or other policy instruments. It is one of a collection of models of the dairy industry being developed by Farm Production Economics Division at Purdue University. This particular model serves a central role since it forms both the linkage from the reported aggregate statistics to a series of regional production models and also the linkage from a model of the current institutional framework to models which can analyze alternative institutional frameworks (e.g., spatial equilibrium or competitive position models). Primary emphasis will be on the model but representative results will be presented to show validity and possible uses of the model.
Economic, Environmental, and Land-Use Planning Utilizing the Empiric Model
Authors: Green John W. , Glass Ronald J.
Published: May 2017

The New England River Basins Commission (NERBC) has placed first priority on implementation of its responsibilities for comprehensive planning. Its enabling legislation resulted in a resolution specifying that NERBC participate vigorously in the prosecution of a framework study for the region (The North Atlantic Study), and shall initiate promptly comprehensive studies of major subregions as elements of the comprehensive coordinated joint plan. The Southeastern New England (SENE) is the first such major subregion to be studied.
The Problem of Resource use and Quality of the Environment, Some Policy Issues: The Possibility of the Application of Effluent Charge in Maine
Authors: Delphendahl J.
Published: May 2017

The beginning of the last third of the twentieth century can generally be characterized by a broad public awareness of the increasing deterioration of the natural environment, especially of the quality of air and water resources. The degradation of the quality of the natural resources has thus emerged as a public policy issue. The Federal and state governments responded to this public concern through the creation of various policy programs and administrative agencies. The environmental protection agency of the federal government is an example of a nationwide effort to establish policies related to the quality of the environmental resources. Many states established the legal framework within which administrative agencies could execute policies and ordinances related to the quality of environmental resources. Legislation recently passed by the Maine Legislature will be cited as examples. The site selection law specifies that the Environmental Improvement Commission must issue or deny a license for any commercial or industrial development which requires a land area of 20 or more acres; for structures in excess of a ground area of 60,000 square feet, for drilling or excavating natural resources (pits requiring an area of more than 5 acres). The recent denial of the application of Maine Clean Fuels, Inc., to construct a $200 million oil refinery on Sears Island, off the coast, attracted national attention. The vast majority of the project applications processed, however, are small in value and in size though their total impact on the environmental resource of the state are potential.
Feed Transportation–A Northeast Dilemma
Authors: Seaver Stanley K.
Published: May 2017

The major portion of this paper is about railroads and the old saying, “That's a hell-of-a-way to run a railroad,” still obtains.
Socioeconomic Aspects of Farmer Bargaining
Authors: Webster Fred C. , Dickinson David J.
Published: May 2017

The subject of “farmer bargaining” is studied by econmists from the viewpoint of economics. Scant attention is given to the sociological aspects of bargaining even though bargaining is usually defined as “negotiation over the terms of trade on a contract.” With this in mind, the Departments of Resource Economics and Sociology at the University of Vermont initiated a study to determine both the economic and social objectives of farmer bargaining in the market place. Special attention was given to aspiration levels and attitudes toward bargaining structures and institutions of Vermont farmers.
Optimum Location, Number and Size of New England Apple Packing Plants
Authors: King F. Richard
Published: May 2017

Rapid changes are taking place in the commercial apple industry. Recent years have seen the development of controlled atmosphere and Tectrol storage, changes in the type of rootstock grown and changes in the techniques of packing. Furthermore, buyers of fresh apples are much more conscious of quality and demand a more uniform, higher quality pack. Certain problems relating to storage, packing, distribution, processing, and point of sale representation of grower interests have been of concern to the industry. Many of these problems are appearing due to the reflection of these industry changes in the New England commercial apple industry.
An Economic Evaluation of the Alternative School Financing Proposals in New York State
Authors: Mapp Harry P. , Boisvert Richard N.
Published: May 2017

The single most important source of financial support for public education today is the local property tax. It accounted for an estimated 52 percent of all revenues received by U. S. public schools in the 1970–71 school year. Despite this fact, the property tax is increasingly under attack. Local school districts are asked to finance the increasing demands placed on their school systems from a tax whose base is sharply eroded by exemptions. To make matters worse, the property tax may be inelastic with respect to income. That is, the rate of increase in market value of taxable property may be less than the rate of increase in income. In addition, some opponents claim that the property tax is regressive; that is, it places a greater burden on the poor than on the rich because the poor pay a greater proportion of their income in property taxes. They argue that real property is not a completely reliable indicator of wealth or ability to pay. The property tax is thus unacceptable to those who believe that schools should be financed by those best able to pay. In addition, the property tax is unacceptable to those who believe that schools should be financed by those who receive the benefits. However, since society in general benefits from education, allocation of benefits and costs is a difficult task.
The Relationship Between Stream Water Quality and Regional Income Generated by Water-Oriented Recreationists
Authors: Gamble Hays B. , Megli Leland D.
Published: May 2017

Empirical estimates of some of the external diseconomies from polluting activities have posed difficult measurement problems for economists. Yet it is important to have some notion of the probable magnitude of the costs of pollution if society is to rationally and efficiently allocate resources to pollution abatement. Otherwise, one would not know whether too many or too few resources were being used for such purposes in terms of marginal optimality.
Measurements of Economic Growth and Development of Various Sized Central Place Areas in Pennsylvania, 1960-70
Authors: Forsht R. Gar , Jansma J. Dean
Published: May 2017

There has been increasing concern over the past decade about the lack of economic activity in a number of major cities, many intermediate and small sized cities, and a significant number of rural areas within various regions of the United States. This concern about the depressed conditions in these urban and rural areas, relative to the nation, has attracted country-wide attention.
Interactive Computer Costs for Calculating Dairy Rations
Authors: Nott Sherrill B.
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this study was to analyze the cost and potential for extension field application of four computer systems. Each system was designed to provide a nutritionally balanced least cost ration for feeding one dairy cow for one day given a variety of roughages and concentrates.
Wage and Salary Income: A “Big Crop” for People with Farm Earnings
Authors: Larson Donald K.
Published: May 2017

Historically, farm families relied primarily on income from farming for family living needs. Income from off-farm sources was usually of minor importance to the family. However, as mechanical and technological revolutions reduced total labor requirements needed in farming, many farmers combined farming with a nonfarm job to stabilize or increase their family income and improve their overall economic situation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of off-farm income among people with farm earnings, especially the wage and salary component of off-farm income.
Economies of Size in Highway Maintenance and Administration: A Preliminary Analysis for the Counties of New York State
Authors: Lesher William G. , Mapp Harry P.
Published: May 2017

“Give the government back to the people,” a popular phrase in recent months, exemplifies the concern over the proper role of the federal, state and local units of government in providing and financing public services. Constituents are frustrated by bureaucratic programs, frequently insensitive to local needs, that are initiated at higher levels of government. They are equally frustrated by the inability of units of local government to initiate and finance programs designed to satisfy the needs of the local community.
Fuel and the Cost of Food
Authors: Lasley Floyd A.
Published: May 2017

Already we have felt the crunch of the energy shortage in many ways. However, you and I have not felt that impact equally. Just as we can expect to feel the effects of continued shortages, so, too, can we expect the pressure of that burden to bear unequally upon different segments of our population. It is this unequal impact that is the thrust of this paper.
The Regional Impact of a New Food Product: The Reconstituted Potato Chip
Authors: How R. Brian , Good Darrel L.
Published: May 2017

Potato chips are believed to have been first made in this country about the middle of the last century, and for many years were prepared only in the home kitchen. Commercial production did not develop to any great extent until improved peeling and frying methods became available. In 1939 the U. S. chip industry is estimated to have used only 2.1 million hundredweight of potatoes. Chip production increased rapidly during and immediately following World War II, and annual use of potatoes for chipping grew to 29.0 million hundredweight in 1950. Quantity of potatoes used for chipping reached a peak for the crop year ending June 30, 1972, of 35.1 million hundredweight but dropped about .5 million hundredweight the following year due to the smaller 1972 crop. Use of potatoes for chip production in 1972 amounted to about 11 per cent of the crop and 17 pounds per person. Potato chip markets were first developed in the Northcentral and Northeastern States and processing plants were established close to these major markets.
Economics of Dairy Manure Storage and Nutrient Losses from a Small Watershed
Authors: Schaffer W. Harry , Jacobs James J. , Casler George L.
Published: May 2017

Until recently, nutrient losses from livestock manure have been of little concern. Manure, a valuable by-product in the past, is now regarded as a waste product to be disposed of in the cheapest manner possible. The cost of manure handling frequently exceeds the value of the nutrients in it. This is still true in 1974 even though the price of fertilizer has increased substantially.
An Application of the Transhipment Model in Planning Regional Solid Waste Disposal Systems
Authors: Ching C. T. K. , Tonks P. E.
Published: May 2017

An important component of the current interests in environmental problems concerns solid waste. Not only has public interest in solid waste disposal been substantial, but legislators have restricted ways by which solid wastes may be disposed. New Hampshire's State Legislature, for example, has passed a law requiring municipalities to cease all open burning by 1975.
An Application of a Floodplain Land use Decision Framework with Zero-One Controls
Authors: Kaul Jawahar L. , Willis Cleve E.
Published: May 2017

Resource economists and the federal government have shown a growing awareness of the role of non-structural measures (such as floodplain zoning) as an important part of an overall flood damage reduction program. This awareness has come in part with the realization that structural measures often provide a false sense of security to floodplain occupants and, as such, often result in increased flood damages contrary to their intended purpose. To be sure, restrictions prohibiting all development in flood prone areas could eliminate all damages. There are no a priori reasons, however, to believe that all uses should be prohibited from all floodplain areas. Through sound land use management practices, some of these areas can, in fact, be put to economic use such that the benefits derived outweigh the costs associated with such development.
Land Ownership in Rural-Urban Fringe Areas of Pennsylvania
Authors: Daugherty Arthur B. , Epp Donald J.
Published: May 2017

Since land accounts for more than 23 percent of the wealth in the United States, information concerning who ultimately makes decisions about how the resource is used and claims returns or benefits from the resource assumes great importance. Land ownership effects land use decisions, including all activities on the land, and influences the distribution of wealth, income, and other measures of well-being. Additional knowledge of who owns the land and his attitudes, goals, and objectives of ownership is needed to analyze the effectiveness of existing policies and to develop new policies for application in guiding the development and use of the land resource.
Health Care Contact in Rural Areas of the Northeast: A Progress Report
Authors: Crawford Charles O. , Derr Donn A. , LeRay Nelson , Jansen Edmund F.
Published: May 2017

Problems in the delivery of community services to rural areas have received increasing attention in recent years. One concern has centered on questions of use, availability, accessibility, satisfaction, and problems in use by consumers, while a second focus has been on provider organization. A third important focus has been on the role of services in development of a community. Does service “mix” (amount of services provided in a community) have an effect on growth or decline of the community? Conversely, does growth or decline of the community have an effect on service mix? These are at least three more specific dimensions of the larger complex issue of service delivery for rural areas.
Costs of Altering the Quality of Water in Cayuga Lake by Reducing Phosphorus Losses from a Rural Watershed
Authors: Casler George L. , Jacobs James J.
Published: May 2017

The objective of this paper is to compare alternative ways of reducing the input of biologically available phosphorus to Cayuga Lake from the Fall Creek watershed. This watershed covers 125 square miles, contains 130 dairy farms, has a population of 12,000, and is one of the major tributaries of the lake. Comparisons are made on the basis of the cost per pound of biologically available phosphorus prevented from entering the lake. Four sources of phosphorus, three of them farm-related, are considered: (1) land runoff as related to soil erosion; (2) land runoff as related to manure applications; (3) barnyard runoff; and (4) municipal sewage.
Land Treatment of Municipal Wastewater: A Cooperative Approach to Management
Authors: Christensen Lee A.
Published: May 2017

Communities across the country are faced with the legal requirements to reduce water pollution from domestic and industrial wastes discharged into streams and rivers. Approximately 7½ billion gallons of wastewater were produced daily in the United States in 1972. This volume is estimated to quadruple over the next 50 years.
Dependence on Credit by Rural Retail Firms Compared to Urban Firms
Authors: St. Clair William C. , Nesius Ernest J.
Published: May 2017

Retail firms in rural small towns survive because of the basic goods and services they provide to the residents in and within driving distance of the town. Yet, many small town firms have been forced to close due to migration of people to larger cities. The economic problems associated with the migration have caused federal and state governments to be deeply concerned. The remaining small retail firms do provide a foundation upon which to stimulate rural economic development and thus they are important to the nation's economy. They provide income and employment; they pay local property taxes, and they provide the personal interest of a small entrepreneur in the development of his community, a characteristic rarely found in the larger urban centers.
A Model to Select Optimal Land-Use Mixes in Rural-Urban Fringe Areas
Authors: Lee Robert E. , Christensen Robert L.
Published: May 2017

Agricultural land in rural-urban fringe areas has received strong competition from expanding urban communities during recent years. Much of this urban growth has occurred haphazardly and has removed many acres of prime agricultural land from production as the private land market has failed to fully account for the social costs of land-use transitions. The impacts from these shifts in land use are felt by farmers, municipalities and the general public.
Some Observations on the Purposes and Functions of a Professional Society
Authors: Farrell Kenneth R.
Published: May 2017

As outgoing President of the AAEA I hold two somewhat contradictory emotions concerning my year in office. The first can be stated simply—thank God it is about to end ! The other is a sense of excitement deriving from opportunities of the Association to better serve its members and society. On the assumption that you are not particularly interested in my frustrations in operating a volunteer organization and coping with the insidious nature of the U.S. Postal Service I shall limit my remarks to what I perceive as opportunities of the AAEA and regional associations to better serve their members and society.
A New Degree is Needed: Master of Agricultural Economics
Authors: Epp Donald J.
Published: May 2017

Most members of the agricultural economics profession are aware of the changes that are taking place in society and the impact of these changes on our programs, particularly graduate and undergraduate training programs. Certainly the journals of our profession have included many articles relating to our changing mission and the changes that are occurring or should occur in our programs. The next section of this paper contains a brief review of some of these trends in order to establish the need for a new degree, which is described and discussed in the final two sections of the paper.
Energy Problems, Conservation, and Extension/Research Needs for Northeastern Agriculture
Authors: Rogers George B. , Frick George E.
Published: May 2017

The purposes of this paper are: (1) to outline some of the reasons for the energy problem and to discuss current philosophies for solving it, (2) to evaluate energy use in Northeastern agriculture, particularly in production, (3) to suggest some possibilities for conserving energy, and (4) to delineate some areas for future extension and research activities.
An Economic Impact of the Use of Sewage Sludge in Forage Production
Authors: Reisner Gary C. , Christenser Robert L.
Published: May 2017

In 1976 the Massachusetts Commission on Organic Recycling was formed to assess the feasibility of recycling several organic materials. One of the Task Forces operating under the auspices of the Commission was called the Task Force on “The Feasibility of Application of Municipal Sewage Sludge on Agricultural Land in Massachusetts”. The Task Force, composed of scientists and technical specialists from several public agencies prepared and submitted a report to the Commission.
The Impact of Housing Density on Site Development Costs
Authors: Small Leslie E. , Derr Donn A.
Published: May 2017

During the past decade, the cost of constructing new homes has risen dramatically. While the overall consumer price index rose by 74 percent between 1967 and the end of 1976, the cost of constructing new housing rose by about 103 percent nationally. This trend in costs has priced a growing proportion of lower and middle income groups out of the market for new houses. The national average price for new housing is currently $52,000 per unit. This has led to expressions of public concern that efforts need to be undertaken to find ways by which these low and middle income groups can obtain access to new housing.
The Profitability of Agricultural Loans by Commercial Banks
Authors: LaDue Eddy L. , Moss Jerry L. , Smith Robert S.
Published: May 2017

Data collected from a sample of New York banks were used to assess factors expected to influence the profitability of the various loan programs of commercial banks. Loan loss and loan service costs were lower for farm loans than for either installment or commercial loans. Although not required to maintain compensating balances, farmer time and demand deposits represented 23 percent of outstanding loan balances. The high rate of turnover on farm mortgage loans resulted in an average loan repayment period of 6.2 years, only 40 percent of the original financing period. Lower farm loan costs indicate that banks could charge 3/4 percent lower interest on farm loans than commercial loans.
Water-Rail Rate Competition and the Competitive Position of the Northeastern Poultry Industry
Authors: Spilka Walter , Kenyon David , Shabman Leonard
Published: May 2017

Differential grain transportation rates between the Northeast and South have been identified as a possible source of comparative disadvantage for Northeastern broiler producers. Low cost barge transportation into the South provides competition for railroads resulting in generally low transportation rates in the South. Barge transportation is low cost in part because the Federal improvements of waterways have resulted in a toll-free waterway system. Solutions for a transportation model were found with and without the subsidy. The results indicate that subsidy removal is unlikely to affect interregional broiler production and consumption.
A Spatial Analysis of Western New York Corn Prices
Authors: Riggins Steven K.
Published: May 2017

This paper develops the methodology used to investigate the pricing efficiency of farm level corn prices in a minor surplus production area (Western New York) located within a much larger regionally deficit, producing area. The results indicate that from January 1975-June 1976, farm level corn prices in Western New York were not competitively efficient. However, Western New York corn prices were competitively efficient after mid June 1976. A conclusion is that Western New York corn prices became competitively efficient after two new relatively large buyers located in the area.
Changing Undergraduate Degree Requirements for Agricultural Economics in the Northeastern Land Grant Universities
Authors: Thatch Daymon W.
Published: May 2017

Since the early 1960's, educators writing in the Journal of Farm Economics and its successor, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, have recommended three major curricular changes in agricultural economics programs. First, the curricula should be broadened and diversified, that is, offering more choice of electives of a general nature as opposed to more technical required couses [Hess, Kellogg, Sparks, Sledge, Spitze]. Second, more emphasis should be directed in terms of required formal courses in the written and oral communication skills [Kellogg, Koch, Mather, Sledge, Spitze]. Third, in support of broader curricula, an increase in courses in social sciences and humanities should be required [Hess, Koch, Manderscheid, Sparks, Spitze].
The “Ag College” Curricula: Accomodating Diverse Needs, Interest and Goals
Authors: Kelly William H.
Published: May 2017

I have divided this presentation into two parts, the first is a brief discussion of some of the major factors impacting on the curricula and the second part attempts to relate these factors to a new curricula and the possible future educational roles for Colleges of Agriculture.
The Analysis of Surf Clam Production Using an Exhaustible Resource Model
Authors: Cessine Robert S. , Strand Ivar
Published: May 2017

The surf clam (sp. Spisula solidissima) is the predominant clam species harvested in the United States. Starting from modest beginnings as a New England bait clam fishery, surf clam meats are now used in virtually all processed clam products, having crowded out other species from their bate or processed goods markets over the past 20 years. This has been due primarily to the surf clams’ greater availability, high meat yield and low cost of harvesting by mechanical means. In 1974, the surf clam fishery produced landings of 96 million pounds of meats, approximately 80 percent of the total catch of all species. The value of landings in 1974 was $12.2 million, over 30 percent of the value of all U.S. landings. Unfortunately, this trend is not expected to continue unabated. Catch in 1975 decreased by 10 percent to 87 million pounds. Current stocks available for harvesting are one-fourth of what they were in 1970 (Chang, Ropes, and Merrill). Due to the increased effort being applied to the remaining populations, it is doubtful that the resource will be able to reach previous harvest levels.
Aquaculture's Potential as a Fishery Management Tool
Authors: Greenwood Peter H.
Published: May 2017

One of the redeeming virtues of the study of economics is that it enables its practitioners to discuss subjects about which they know very little. This paper represents a case in point. The premise of the paper rests on the presumption that aquaculture provides an additional source of aquatic life; this presumption is, of course, true by definition. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of aquaculture to regulate the harvest from natural production, but more importantly the purpose is to consider the difficulties that even relatively simple tools pose for the fishery manager.
The Rural Labor Market and Some Manpower Problems: The State of Maine
Authors: Richard Will
Published: May 2017

In this paper, I discuss some of the more current problems of manpower planning for and in rural areas. Critical issues are seen as:

a.

Primary versus secondary labor market jobs,

b.

Poor statistical information with too much borrowing from urban oriented economic indicators such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims.

c.

The role of government in terms of fostering economic development through public service employment and the coordination and delivery of employment and training programs.

d.

Reverse migration and the role of public service employment, and

e.

Public sector versus private sector employment in rural areas.
University Input into Government Policy Decisions: Ivory Tower at the State House
Authors: Christensen Robert L. , Willis Cleve E.
Published: May 2017

The pages to follow describe an effort involving university researchers interacting with public decision-makers and agency staff to prepare recommendations on a specific issue facing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The issue is development of guidelines and procedures for using sewage sludge on land for agricultural purposes. The discussion will describe an interdisciplinary effort and an operating procedure for successful completion of a project. In the two-year process of this interaction, the authors gained more than the anticipated number of insights about modes of research and their relative chances for ultimate adoption. These insights are shared in the final section below.
The Feasibility of Lowering Energy Costs Through Reduced Delivery Frequency
Authors: Beierlein James G. , Campbell Robert J.
Published: May 2017

The feasibility of reducing delivery frequency as a means of lowering energy and transportation costs is examined. Four reduced delivery situations are examined using a net present value criteria. While substantial energy savings are possible the cost of equipment necessary to accommodate these reductions outweighs the energy savings at current fuel prices. Substantial fuel price increases are required before such reductions are worthwhile. Good management requires examination of the net effect of energy savings on net revenue.
Changes in the Elasticity of Demand for Fresh Choice Beef, 1950–1978
Authors: Nicholls Albert W. , Kuehn John P.
Published: May 2017

This study used least squares regression techniques to estimate the demand for fresh choice beef in the U.S., 1950–1978. From the demand equation, estimates of price, income and cross elasticity of demand were derived. An objective was to determine if elasticity of demand has been decreasing. Problems with pooling of data, serial correlation and multicollinearity were dealt with. Estimated price elasticity of demand was found to be .62. When this figure was compared to results of other studies (with the consideration that different estimating techniques and time periods were used) it was judged that elasticity of demand for fresh choice beef in the U.S. probably had declined between 1950 and 1978.
Use of Computer Testing Feedback for Instructional Improvement
Authors: Thatch Daymon W.
Published: May 2017

This study reports the development of a computer assisted testing (CAT) system and the use of this system over the past five years to develop a normative testing tool in an introductory microeconomics theory course. The CAT system is more than a testing tool and can be used to aid in instructional improvement by pinpointing difficulties in technical material areas, levels of learning abilities, general lack of understanding and patterns of mathematical, graphic and written problems. It would appear that the techniques used to develop the normative tests in this report could also be used to develop individual standarized examinations tailored to the learning objectives in other courses.
The Demand for Maine Resident Hunting and Fishing Licenses
Authors: Reiling Stephen D. , Kezis Alan S. , White Gregory K.
Published: May 2017

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is currently in the throes of a budgetary crisis. Negotiated employee salary increases and the general inflationary trend of the 1970's have resulted in significant increases in operating costs. The Department, like many of its counterpart agencies in other states, is funded primarily from dedicated revenues collected from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. Since there are no built-in adjustments for inflation in license fees, as there are in sales taxes or even income taxes. Department revenues have not kept pace with costs. As a result, the Department is projecting a budget deficit of around one million dollars for FY 1980–81.