bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Production costs and input substitution in Zimbabwe's smallholder agriculture
Authors: Dalton Timothy J. , Masters William A. , Foster Kenneth A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn this study, we estimate production costs and elasticities of factor substitution for Zimbabwean smallholders, using a dual (cost function) approach with detailed data on prices paid and received by each of 65 farms across six survey sites over two years. We find that 95% of observed farm choices are consistent with optimal input use, and that there is moderate substitutability between labor, biochemical inputs and capital. These results indicate that farmers can substitute between factors as relative prices change, particularly to increase labor use as the rural population grows. By stratifying our sample, we investigate the degree to which production costs differ among the socioeconomic groups, tsting for higher costs among female‐headed households (who might be subject to gender discrimination), resource‐poor farmers without their own draft animals (who might have less timely operations), and isolated farms far from paved roads (who might have less access to markets and information). We find significant support only for the paved‐roads effect, indicating the importance of rural infrastraclure in determining production costs.
Production function for wheat: a case study of Southeastern Anatolian Project (SAP) region
Authors: Ozsabuncuoglu Ismail H. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractFunctions for total wheat production, the major agricultural crop of Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, and Mardin provinces in Southeastern Anatolian Project (SAP) region in Turkey were developed by using annual data lor the 1963‐1989 period. Regression analyses were carried out on the multiple‐linear, quadratic, and Cobb‐Douglas functional forms of total wheat production in the region effected by cultivation area, fertilizer usage, and rainfall. From the economical theories' point of view the model revealed good insight. The models were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Irrigation is valued quite substantially. Output elasticities of inputs are less than 1 and function coefficient is elastic. Thus input employment can be increased to increase wheat production. Further research based on factor analysis is recommended.
Water conveyance, return flows and technology choice
Authors: Umetsu Chieko , Chakravorty Ujjayant 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis paper develops a spatial conjunctive use model of an irrigation project in which the regulatory agency determines investments in the centralized distribution system and farmers decide the level of on‐farm technology in the field. Irrigation return flows are assumed to recharge the groundwater aquifer. It is shown that there is specialization in production with upstream farmers using surface water and downstream farmers pumping from the aquifer. An empirical model suggests that the proportion of return flows has a significant effect on the level of investments in water distribution as well as in the field. For example, if return flows are relatively high, it may be optimal to allow for significant water losses from the canal and the fields. It suggests that the project pricing and technology adoption policies may need to be tempered by consideration of the basinwide impacts of water diversions.
The demand for meat and fish in Spain: Urban and rural areas
Authors: Gracia A. , Albisu L.M. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe aim of the paper is to explain to what extent meat consumption patterns in Spain are different in rural and urban areas and which are the factors explaining differences and similarities. A demand system using cross‐section data from the latest Spanish National Survey has been estimated. Unit values have been used instead of market prices and price and quality effects have been obtained. The main conclusion is that meat consumption patterns in urban and rural areas are not really different as regards economic factors. Some small income and price effect differences have been found, specially for fresh pork and fish, Responses to changes in income and price are higher for fresh pork consumption in rural areas and for fish in urban areas.
Measuring the production efficiency of alternative land tenure contracts in a mixed crop‐livestock system in Ethiopia
Authors: Gavian Sarah , Ehui Simeon 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn this paper, we test the hypothesis that land held under varying configurations of property rights will be farmed at different levels of production efficiency. Production data were collected from 477 plots in a fairly productive, mixed fanning system in the Ethiopian highlands. Interspatial measures of total factor productivity, based on the Divisia index, were used to measure the relative production efficiency of three informal and less secure land contracts (rented, share‐cropped and borrowed) relative to lands held under formal contract witli the Ethiopian government. Although the informally‐contracted lands are farmed 10‐16% less efficiently, the analysis indicates that farmers of such lands actually apply inputs more, rather than less, intensively (i.e., more inputs per unit of land). The gap in total factor productivity thus results from the inferior quality of inputs (or lack of skills in applying them) rather than a lack of incentive to allocate inputs to mixed crop‐livestock farming. For this reason we find no empirical basis to support the hypothesis that land tenure is a constraint to agricultural productivity.
The mixing ratio in the Indonesian dairy industry
Authors: Riethmuller P. , Chai J. , Smith D. , Hutabarat B. , Sayaka B. , Yusdja Y. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe Indonesian dairy industry has been viewed by the Indonesian government as an industry that has the potential to improve the welfare of low income and landless farmers through providing them with an additional source of farm income. As well, the government sees the industry as a vehicle for providing opportunities for employment in rural areas. From an economy wide viewpoint, its development is viewed as a way Indonesia might save foreign exchange since a large share of its dairy requirements have to be imported. A variety of measures have been used to assist the industry. This paper investigates one of the measures, the BUSEP scheme or mixing ratio regulation which requires domestic processors to use Indonesian produced milk before imported milk.
The microeconomics of the developmental paradox: on the political economy of food price policy
Authors: Barrett Christopher B. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA longstanding puzzle in comparative economics is the ‘developmental paradox’, the tendency for government support for agriculture to increase with national income and to decrease with the proportion of economic activity and of the population in agriculture. This paper offers a microeconomic explanation for that puzzle. It establishes analytically the microeconomic basis for coalition alignments with respect to food price policy, then numerically simulates the comparative static effects of alternative food policies on coalition structure. A parsimonious household model applied to a heterogeneously endowed society demonstrates how variation in individual welfare effects might beget distinct coalitions in the debate over food price policy and how those policies are inextricably linked to land, population, and technology policies in food agriculture. Moreover, coalition alignments on particular policy debates are path‐dependent. In particular, food price policy creates its own political support.
Income risk and farm consumption behavior
Authors: Chen Kevin Z. , Meilke Karl D. , Turvey Calum 
Published: January 2020

AbstractUsing panel data from Illinois grain farmers, a direct test of the relationship between income risk and farm consumption behavior is conducted. The estimation results indicate that income risk significantly affects farm consumption and the results are robust using alternative risk measures. This finding casts doubt on the relevance of the conventional life‐cycle permanent income hypothesis, which implies that risk has no effect on consumption.
The impact of agricultural and household technologies on women: a conceptual and quantitative analysis in Burkina Faso
Authors: Lawrence Pareena G. , Sanders John H. , Ramaswamy Sunder 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAgricultural technologies (new cultivars, inorganic fertilizers, soil‐and water‐conservation techniques) in Sub‐Saharan Africa have been primarily introduced to male farmers by male‐dominated extension services on the family plots. These yield‐increasing, input‐intensive technologies increase the demand for farm labor. So, not only do men obtain most of the direct benefits from the introduction of technology but this labor‐intensive technology also increases the demands on women's time for additional labor. This raises the question: Are the combined effects of agricultural technologies beneficial or detrimental to women? We first develop a labor‐market model that examines the impact of agricultural and household technologies on labor allocation and income determination within the household. We then discuss the important issue of how household labor‐allocation decisions and division of income are made within the family in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We use a programming model to estimate the effects of these technologies on household incomes and the income of women. The results indicate that the impact of agricultural technologies depends on the type of decision‐making prevailing in the household. In contrast, household technologies increase the welfare of women regardless of the type of decision‐making. However, with bargaining behavior, agricultural technologies do benefit women and there is some empirical support for this type of household behavior in Sub‐Saharan African households.
Grain price stabilization in India: Evaluation of policy alternatives
Authors: Jha Shikha , Srinivasan P.V. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractStabilization of prices is an important element of food policy in India as in most other countries — both developing and eveloped. However, since the magnitude of grain stocks held for this purpose as well as the costs of physical storage have become prohibitively high, there is now a need for finding cost‐effective alternatives including non interventionist and market‐oriented methods for price stabilization. In this paper we consider the case of rice and wheat which are staple foodgrains in India. We make a comparison between alternative price stabilization policies including that of holding buffer stocks in terms of their impact on domestic price stability, producer and consumer welfare and government costs. A multi‐market equilibrium framework is used where private storage, consumption, supply and prices of rice and wheat are determined simultaneously. Indian exports and imports are assumed to affect world prices. The alternative price stabilizing mechanisms are ranked according to both the criteria, welfare and price stability achieved. The main findings are as follows. The ranking of alternatives varies with the criterion used. Greater price stability need not necessarily imply greater welfare. The option of variable levies on private external trade turns out to be the most inexpensive and that of domestic buffer stocks the costliest in achieving price stability. Further, the efficacy of buffer stocks and subsidy to private storage in stabilizing prices is lower under free trade as compared to the case where the economy is closed to private external trade.
Imperfect competition, functional forms, and the size and distribution of research benefits
Authors: Alston Julian M. , Sexton Richard J. , Zhang Mingxia 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe effects of functional forms for supply and demand on the size and distribution of the returns to research are examined under a range of forms of competition. Under perfect competition, the choice of functional form is relatively unimportant for the estimation of research benefits. Under imperfect competition, the combination of the choice of functional forms for supply and demand and the nature of the research‐induced supply shift can have profound implications for the results. Functional form plays a much more important role than in the competitive model. The most important contrast is between the constant elasticity model and the linear model (along with various cases of a generalized linear model). These findings are illustrated using a combination of analytical results and numerical simulations.
A structural time series analysis of US broiler exports
Authors: Kapombe Crispin M. , Colyer Dale 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA structural time series model is used to determine the dynamic characteristics, forecasting properties, and policy implications of factors affecting the US broiler export market. The emphasis is on international market responsiveness. The analysis indicates that in addition to the explanatory variables a trend component has been vital in the expansion of the broiler industry during the study period. The results indicate that export markets are more price responsive than the domestic markets, that interventions in the Canadian and Mexican markets reduce their imports, and exchange rate changes have significant impacts on US exports.
Professor Harvey Goldstein at 80
Authors: Harron Katie , Leckie George , Browne Bill , Carpenter James , Steele Fiona , Cole Tim 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Goldstein's Otto Wolff Lecture was delivered on 30 October 2019, on the date of his 80th birthday. Earlier that day, his colleagues Katie Harron, George Leckie, Bill Browne, James Carpenter and Fiona Steele gave talks about their work with him. Here, Tim Cole joins them to offer a brief retrospective on Goldstein's career
Formation mechanism of Ti4O7 phase prepared by carbothermal reduction reaction
Authors: Wang Guangrui , Liu Ying , Ye Jinwen , Yang Xiaojiao , Lin Zifeng 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe unique structure of Ti4O7 endows it with excellent properties such as outstanding electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, which makes it one of the most promising electrode materials in the electrochemical field. Carbothermal reduction reaction (CRR) is widely used to synthesize Ti4O7, while thermodynamics, kinetics, and reaction mechanism are still limited. Besides, the purity of Ti4O7 powders prepared by CRR is also relatively low. It's necessary to study the reaction mechanism of CRR and synthesize single‐phase Ti4O7. In this work, the unknown thermodynamic data were firstly assessed by the rule of oxygen potential increasing with oxygen mole fraction in oxides. In addition, the isothermal thermal analysis suggested that the reduction process was composed of interfacial and diffusion‐controlled reactions. The activation energy of the two stages was 272.0 and 325.4 kJ mol−1 respectively. Based on this, single‐phase Ti4O7 was successfully synthesized, and a core‐shell model of the reaction mechanism was proposed and well verified by the TEM results. This study provided an in‐depth and systematic analysis of the CRR process, and it is significant to realize the preparation of single‐phase Ti4O7.
miR‐1254 inhibits progression of glioma in vivo and in vitro by targeting CSF‐1
Authors: Li Xin , Kong Shiqi , Cao Yingxiao 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe role of miRNAs (microRNAs) has been implicated in glioma initiation and progression, although the inherent biochemical mechanisms still remain to be unravelled. This study strived to evaluate the association between CSF‐1 and miR‐1254 and their effect on advancement of glioma cells. The levels of miR‐1254 in glioma cells and tissues were determined by real‐time RT‐PCR. Proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, invasion and migration, were assessed by CCK‐8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay and wound‐healing assay, respectively. The targeted relationship between miR‐1254 and CSF‐1 was confirmed by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. The effects of CSF‐1 on cellular functions were also assessed. The in vivo effect of miR‐1254 on the formation of a tumour was explored by using the mouse xenograft model. We found in both glioma tissues and glioma cells, the down‐regulated expressions of miR‐1254 while that of CSF‐1 was abnormally higher than normal level. The target relationship between CSF‐1 and miR‐1254 was validated by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. The CSF‐1 down‐regulation or miR‐1254 overexpression impeded the invasion, proliferation and migratory ability of U251 and U87 glioma cells, concurrently occluded the cell cycle and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, in vivo tumour development was repressed due to miR‐1254 overexpression. Thus, CSF‐1 is targeted directly by miR‐1254, and the miR‐1254/CSF‐1 axis may be a potential diagnostic target for malignant glioma.
Spatial relationship between telocytes, interstitial cells of Cajal and the enteric nervous system in the human ileum and colon
Authors: Veress Béla , Ohlsson Bodil 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTelocytes (TCs) are recently described interstitial cells, present in almost all human organs. Among many other functions, TCs regulate gastrointestinal motility together with the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). TCs and ICCs have close localization in the human myenteric plexus; however, the exact spatial relationship cannot be clearly examined by previously applied double immunofluorescence/confocal microscopy. Data on TCs and submucosal ganglia and their relationship to intestinal nerves are scarce. The aim of the study was to analyse the spatial relationship among these components in the normal human ileum and colon with double CD34/CD117 and CD34/S100 immunohistochemistry and high‐resolution light microscopy. TCs were found to almost completely encompass both myenteric and submucosal ganglia in ileum and colon. An incomplete monolayer of ICCs was localized between the TCs and the longitudinal muscle cells in ileum, whereas only scattered ICCs were present on both surfaces of the colonic myenteric ganglia. TC‐telopodes were observed within colonic myenteric ganglia. TCs, but no ICCs, were present within and around the interganglionic nerve fascicles, submucosal nerves and mesenterial nerves, but were only observed along small nerves intramuscularly. These anatomic differences probably reflect the various roles of TCs and ICCs in the bowel function.
Prognostic value of the expression of chemokines and their receptors in regional lymph nodes of melanoma patients
Authors: Xiong Ting‐feng , Pan Fu‐qiang , Liang Qian , Luo Ruijin , Li Dong , Mo Haiyan , Zhou Xiang 
Published: January 2020

AbstractChemokines and their receptors have been reported to drive immune cells into tumours or to be directly involved in the promotion or inhibition of the development of tumours. However, their expression in regional lymph node (LN) tissues in melanoma patients remains unknown. The present study investigated the relationship between the expression of mRNA of chemokines and their receptors and clinicopathology of the regional LN tissues of skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) patients available in The Cancer Genome Atlas. The relationship between chemokines and their receptors and the composition of immune cells within the tumour was analysed. In SKCM regional LN tissues, the high expression of 32 types of chemokines and receptors, namely CCL2, 4‐5, 7‐8, 13, 22‐25, CCR1‐9, CXCL9‐13, 16, CXCR3, 5, 6, XCL1‐2 and XCR1 in LN was associated with favourable patient prognosis. Conversely, high expression of CXCL17 was an indicator of poor prognosis. The expression of mRNA for CXCL9‐11, 13, CXCR3, 6, CCL2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 25, CCR1, 2, 5, and XCL1, 2 in regional LN tissues was positively correlated with the fraction of CD8‐positive T cells and M1 macrophages, and was negatively correlated with M0 macrophages. CCR4, 6‐9, CCL13, 22, 23 and XCR1 were positively correlated with the fraction of memory B cells and naive T cells, and negatively correlated with M0 macrophages and resting mast cells, suggesting that chemokines and their receptors may affect the prognosis of patients by guiding immune cells into the tumour microenvironment to eliminate tumour cells.
The combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir is effective and safe in treating patients with hepatitis C and severe renal impairment
Authors: Poustchi Hossein , Majd Jabbari Sara , Merat Shahin , Sharifi Amir‐Houshang , Shayesteh Ali Akbar , Shayesteh Elahe , Minakari Mohammad , Fattahi Mohammad Reza , Moini Maryam , Roozbeh Fatemeh , Mansour‐Ghanaei Fariborz , Afshar Behrooz , Mokhtare Marjan , Amiriani Taghi , Sofian Masoomeh , Somi Mohammad‐Hossein , Agah Shahram , Maleki Iradj , Latifnia Maryam , Fattahi Abdizadeh Mojtaba , Hormati Ahmad , Khoshnia Masoud , Sohrabi Masoudreza , Malekzadeh Zeinab , Merat Dorsa , Malekzadeh Reza 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackground and AimMany of the treatment regimens available for hepatitis C include sofosbuvir. Unfortunately, sofosbuvir has not been recommended for use in patients with severe renal impairment leaving these group of patients with very few options. Nevertheless, there are many reports in which these patients have been treated with sofosbuvir‐containing regiments without important adverse events. This study aims at determining the safety and effectiveness of a sofosbuvir‐based treatment in patients with severe renal impairment, including those on hemodialysis.MethodWe enrolled subjects with hepatitis C and estimated glomerular filtration rate under ml/min/1.73m2 from 13 centers in Iran. Patients were treated for 12 weeks with a single daily pill containing 400‐mg sofosbuvir and 60‐mg daclatasvir. Patients with cirrhosis were treated for 24 weeks. Response to treatment was evaluated 12 weeks after end of treatment (sustained viral response [SVR]). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03063879.ResultsA total of 103 patients were enrolled from 13 centers. Seventy‐five patients were on hemodialysis. Thirty‐nine had cirrhosis and eight were decompensated. Fifty‐three were Genotype 1, and 27 Genotype 3. Twenty‐seven patients had history of previous failed interferon‐based treatment. Three patients died in which cause of death was not related to treatment. Six patients were lost to follow‐up. The remaining 94 patients all achieved SVR. No adverse events leading to discontinuation of medicine was observed.ConclusionsThe combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir is an effective and safe treatment for patients infected with all genotypes of hepatitis C who have severe renal impairment, including patients on hemodialysis.
Actions, habits and forms of life
Authors: Rueda Garrido Daniel 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAfter a survey on the work of prominent philosophers within the Western tradition, it can be noticed a tendency to view habits as automatic, unfree and unconscious behaviour. In this context, this article attempts to show that habits are actually much closer to the characteristics that are otherwise attributed to actions. That is, following the dialectical approach of Sartre, I develop arguments to support that habits are conscious actions carried out with a sense of identification towards the form of life that actions, in turn, project as a whole; in this way, each form of life requires a set of habits that the agent performs freely and rationally, understanding the latter as the dialectical procedure by which the act itself brings about a totalizing identity. This vision implies that habits are interrelated and codependent within a network of social behavior, so they cannot be discarded without discarding the form of life to which they belong. That is, a change of habit requires a change in the totality of which it is a part. But that change can only occur if social agents become aware that their habits are a product of their free acceptance and not of necessity. In the article, this latter is paradigmatically exemplified by neoliberal capitalism as a form of life.