bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Law of One Price in International Trade: A Critical Review
Authors: Miljkovic Dragan 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe law of one price (LOP) is one of the most frequently tested economic laws. Although called a law, it has probably been violated more than any other economic law (on the basis of the results of numerous empirical studies). Furthermore, the LOP is often utilized as the building block in international agricultural trade models without previously checking the validity of that assumption for that particular commodity. This can sometimes lead to erroneous conclusions that can have serious consequences on policy‐making decisions. This article represents a critical review of recent works that discuss how some factors, such as transportation (transaction) costs, tariffs, nontariff barriers, pricing to market, exchange rate risk, and trade regionalization, can prevent market arbitrage to force closer convergence of international prices. The validity of some methods often used for testing the LOP, such as cointegration analysis, is critically reviewed as well.
Quality Uncertainty in International Grain Markets: Analytical and Competitive Issues
Authors: Wilson William W. , Dahl Bruce L. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractOne of the important issues dominating the competitive environment of the world grain market is quality consistency and uncertainty. Quality uncertainty in the grain marketing chain can be defined in a number of ways and can result in variability of end‐use processing characteristics. Quality uncertainty is important because variability can increase costs for buyers, processors, and grain handlers. Quality uncertainty affects competition within countries and across international borders. Various strategies have been pursued by major exporters. Processors concerned with obtaining a high‐quality product may pursue vertical integration, purchase, loading, and contracting strategies to reduce quality uncertainty. Future research for grain quality could include examination of factors contributing to quality uncertainty and private and public strategies and policies to reduce or manage quality variability.
Vertical Integration of Production Agriculture Into Value‐Added Niche Markets: The Case of Wheat Montana Farms & Bakery
Authors: Brester Gary W. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThis case considers the complex decision making required to vertically integrate forward from the production of raw agricultural commodities into value‐added niche markets. Wheat Montana Farms & Bakery evolved from a traditional wheat‐production farm business. Wheat Montana's initial experience with vertically integrated niche marketing involved the production of differentiated specialty wheats. Eventually, the company entered the specialty‐flour, bakery‐products, and food‐service industries. Future success hinges critically upon decisions regarding growth, human resource and risk management, market expansion, and land and machinery acquisitions.
Preharvest Marketing Strategies Increase Net Returns for Corn and Soybean Growers
Authors: Wisner Robert N. , Blue E. Neal , Baldwin E. Dean 
Published: June 2006

AbstractGrain producers price grain prior to harvest to reduce financial risk and to enhance net returns. Because accomplishing the second objective is debatable, alternative corn and soybean preharvest options and hedge marketing strategies were designed to test the hypothesis that preharvest pricing could generate statistically higher average net returns than harvest sales without increasing variability. Weekly seasonal futures price patterns from 1975 to 1994 were used to time marketings. The strategies were applied to Iowa and Ohio model farms. The hypothesis was accepted for some strategies that included options but not for futures‐only strategies.
Incorrect Price Information for a Heterogeneous Commodity: A Conceptual Synthesis
Authors: Hudson Darren , Ethridge Don , Segarra Eduardo 
Published: June 2006

AbstractTheory and analysis of markets and market behavior have typically assumed that the information available to market participants is correct. Additionally, most analyses examine market behavior assuming homogeneous products. This article examines the implications of incorrect market price information, especially price differentials based on quality, first conceptually and then with evidence from prior research on cotton prices as an illustration. This evidence shows that price differences based on quality have direct implications on production and marketing processes. Incorrect price/quality information can lead to distortions in the market and market inefficiency.
Implications of U.S. Policy Changes for Corn Price Variability
Authors: Westcott Paul C. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractU.S. agricultural commodity policy has undergone large changes over the last ten to fifteen years, particularly regarding supply management programs and governmental stocks programs. In this article, I address die question of whether these policy changes have made the agricultural sector more or less variable, particularly for prices. Corn sector simulations under alternative policy environments are performed to analyze the short‐ and long‐run responsiveness to assumed yield shocks. In the current policy setting with lower stocks, shocks result in larger initial price impacts than if stocks were larger. However, greater supply responsiveness from increased planting flexibility of current law combined with the initially greater price impacts can result in lower price deviations over a multiyear, postshock adjustment period than occur in a higher stocks /lower supply response environment. Interestingly, the larger the negative yield shock, the lower the increment needed in the supply response elasticity in the lower stocks scenarios to result in equal postshock price deviations as occur in the higher stocks/lower supply responsiveness scenarios. This result illustrates the importance of the interaction of the supply response function with the magnitude of the price impacts in determining the ability of the sector to handle shocks and the speed at which it responds to shocks. For larger negative yield shocks, the supply elasticity increment needed in the lower stocks scenarios to equilibrate price deviations after the shock can be smaller because the initial price difference that the supply response function faces is larger.
Empirical Isoquants and Observable Optima: Cobb and Douglas at Seventy
Authors: Orazem Peter F. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe theory of production and derived demand for factor inputs seems abstract because of its dependence on unobservable marginal products. Seventy years ago, Charles Cobb and Paul Douglas showed that if the production function is linearly homogeneous, the theoretical propositions can be illustrated by observable wages and average products. This paper argues that economists can exploit this linkage between theory and observation to make production theory come alive in real‐world data. A multicountry data set is used to illustrate how information on output per worker, output per unit of capital, and input prices can trace out theoretically defensible isoquants and labor demand curves. Choice of high capital‐labor ratios are shown to be driven by relative wages across nations. Comparison of unit labor costs across nations demonstrates that high wages need not imply competitive disadvantage in international trade. Countries with inefficient input allocations are shown to be importers and/or highly protectionis, whereas countries with efficient input allocations are exporters. All these concepts are motivated by two‐dimensional plots of real‐world data that replicate textbook theoretical treatments with remarkable consistency. The paper closes with examples of how these plots have been used in classroom settings.
Gender Differences in Farm Management
Authors: Zeuli Kimberly A. , King Robert P. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractWomen farmers comprise a significant, increasing portion of the U.S. farm operator population, yet information on women farmers and the farms they manage is limited. Data from a thirteen‐state survey offered a unique opportunity to compare male and female farmers who operate large commercial farms. The survey sample included 2,888 farmers; of these, 112 (4%) were women. The purpose of this study was to identify differences and similarities associated with the gender of the principal farm decision maker of commercial farms in terms of operator characteristics, farm characteristics, farm financial performance, and record keeping and computer use. Significant differences were found in education level, type of farms operated, total acreage farmed, land tenure position, and financial performance. The results of this study are contrasted with those of previous studies that compared male and female farmers but did not distinguish farmers according to the size or type of farm operated. Farm size and type seem to explain some of the differences between farms operated by male and female farmers that have been attributed to gender.
Cost Structures of Pork Slaughter and Processing Firms: Behavioral and Performance Implications
Authors: Hayenga Marvin L. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractA survey of selected large pork slaughter and processing firms was conducted. Single‐ and double‐shift plant effects, varying capacity utilization effects, and multiple plant effects on fixed and variable costs are estimated. Two dollar per head reductions in operating costs were found for two‐shift versus single‐shift plants. Fixed plant and equipment costs declined $3/head for double‐ versus single‐shift plants. Capacity utilization rates can greatly affect variable costs per head and pricing behavior in the market for hogs, since approximately 60%–70% of variable costs in the medium run is essentially fixed within the first four days of the week. Increased market concentration seems likely in response to the economies of size in plants and in multiplant operations. Stronger long‐term vertical linkages between packer and hog producer (or vertical integration) will continue to increase in importance. Overall efficiency is likely to be enhanced, but market power issues will become more frequently raised.
Structural and functional diversities in lepidopteran serine proteases
Authors: Srinivasan Ajay , Giri Ashok , Gupta Vidya 
Published: June 2006

AbstractPrimary protein-digestion in Lepidopteran larvae relies on serine proteases like trypsin and chymotrypsin. Efforts toward the classification and characterization of digestive proteases have unraveled a considerable diversity in the specificity and mechanistic classes of gut proteases. Though the evolutionary significance of mutations that lead to structural diversity in serine proteases has been well characterized, detailing the resultant functional diversity has continually posed a challenge to researchers. Functional diversity can be correlated to the adaptation of insects to various host-plants as well as to exposure of insects to naturally occurring antagonistic biomolecules such as plant-derived protease inhibitors (PIs) and lectins. Current research is focused on deciphering the changes in protease specificities and activities arising from altered amino acids at the active site, specificity-determining pockets and other regions, which influence activity. Some insight has been gained through in silico modeling and simulation experiments, aided by the limited availability of characterized proteases. We examine the structurally and functionally diverse Lepidopteran serine proteases, and assess their influence on larval digestive processes and on overall insect physiology.
The assessment of DNA from marine organisms via a modified salting-out protocol
Authors: Ferrara Giovanni , Murgia Barbara , Parodi Anna , Valisano Laura , Cerrano Carlo , Palmisano Giulio , Bavestrello Giorgio , Sara Michele 
Published: June 2006

AbstractWe developed a rapid, practical and non-toxic salting-out method for the extraction of DNA from marine organisms, and tested it on two representative species of Porifera and Cnidaria, both living in association with symbiotic zooxanthellae. We tested the efficiency of the protocol by comparing the output of the method for fresh tissue, frozen tissue and tissue stored in ethanol. It proved to be effective for extracting DNA in the case of the methods of preservation considered here, and for obtaining quantities of DNA comparable to those obtained via the traditional approach. The DNA from both species was of good quality. The DNA obtained was amplified by PCR using specific primers for the large ribosomal subunit, allowing the identification of the presence of both the host and symbiont genomes.
A novel recently evolved gene C19orf24 encodes a non-classical secreted protein
Authors: Wang Xin-Rong , Zhou Yu-Bo , Liu Feng , Wang Ke-Sheng , Shen Yan , Liu Jian-Hua , Han Ze-Guang 
Published: June 2006

AbstractSecreted proteins play important roles in many crucial biological processes, and can be new agents or targets for drug therapies. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of a novel human non-classical secreted protein which is encoded by the hypothetical gene C19orf24 (chromosome 19 open reading frame 24). It has no signal peptide, but can still secrete extracellularly despite the presence of the inhibitor brefeldin A (BFA), proving its non-classical secreted protein status. Via subcellular localization using C19orf24 in vivo and transfected pEYFP-Golgi plasmid in Hela cells, C19orf24 was shown not to co-localize in the Golgi apparatus, which suggested that it secretes via a new and unknown pathway. Deglycosylation analysis with PNGase F verified that it has no N-glycosylation modification sites. Via the reverse transcription-PCR method, it was found to be expressed only in the human liver, and preferentially in normal tissue. In addition, C19orf24 was shown to be a recently evolved gene, found only in Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes. By calculating its synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rate (d S/d N), we found that it experienced a purifying selection, which suggests that C19orf24 may have a special, irreplaceable biological function in the human organism.
In-silico prediction and observations of nuclear matrix attachment
Authors: Platts Adrian , Quayle Amelia , Krawetz Stephen 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe nuclear matrix is a functionally adaptive structural framework interior to the nuclear envelope. The nature and function of this nuclear organizer remains the subject of widespread discussion in the epigenetic literature. To draw this discussion together with a view to suggest a way forward we summarize the biochemical evidence for the modalities of DNA-matrix binding alongside the in-silico predictions. Concordance is exhibited at various, but not all levels. On the one hand, both the reiteration and sequence similarity of some elements of Matrix Attachment Regions suggest conservation. On the other hand, in-silico predictions suggest additional unique components. In bringing together biological and sequence evidence we conclude that binding may be hierarchical in nature, reflective of a biological role in replicating, transcribing and potentiating chromatin. Nuclear matrix binding may well be more complex than the widely accepted simple loop model.
En/Spm-like transposons in Poaceae species: Transposase sequence variability and chromosomal distribution
Authors: Altinkut Ahu , Raskina Olga , Nevo Eviatar , Belyayev Alexander 
Published: June 2006

AbstractBelonging to Class II of transposable elements, En/Spm transposons are widespread in a variety of distantly related plant species. Here, we report on the sequence conservation of the transposase region from sequence analyses of En/Spm-like transposons from Poaceae species, namely Zingeria biebersteiniana, Zingeria trichopoda, Triticum monococcum, Triticum urartu, Hordeum spontaneum, and Aegilops speltoides. The transposase region of En/Spm-like transposons was cloned, sequenced, and compared with equivalent regions of Oryza and Arabidopsis from the gene bank database. Southern blot analysis indicated that the En/Spm transposon was present in low (Hordeum spontaneum, Triticum monococcum, Triticum urartu) through medium (Zingeria bieberstiana, Zingeria trichopoda) to relatively high (Aegilops speltoides) copy numbers in Poaceae species. A cytogenetic analysis of the chromosomal distribution of En/Spm transposons revealed the concurence of the chromosomal localization of the En/Spm clusters with mobile clusters of rDNA. An analysis of En/Spm-like transposase amino acid sequences was carried out to investigate sequence divergence between 5 genera — Triticum, Aegilops, Zingeria, Oryza and Arabidopsis. A distance matrix was generated; apparently, En/Spm-like transposase sequences shared the highest sequence homology intra-generically and, as expected, these sequences were significantly diverged from those of O. sativa and A. thaliana. A sequence comparison of En/Spm-like transposase coding regions defined that the intra-genomic complex of En/Spm-like transposons could be viewed as relatively independent, vertically transmitted, and permanently active systems inside higher plant genomes.The sequence data from this article was deposited in the EMBL/GenBank Data Libraries under the accession nos. AY707995-AY707996-AY707997-AY707998-AY707999-AY708000-AY708001-AY708002-AY708003-AY708004-AY708005-AY708005-AY265312.
Brefeldin a decreases the activity of the general amino acid permease (GAP1) and the more specific systems for L-leucine uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Alonso Manuel , Burgos Hilda , Pannunzio Vanesa , Hughes Andrea , Mattoon James , Stella Carlos 
Published: June 2006

AbstractBrefeldin A is a commonly used antifungal agent that reversibly blocks protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex. In this study, we aimed to characterize L-leucine uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of brefeldin A. For this purpose, we used a synthetic medium, containing L-proline and the detergent SDS, which allows the agent to permeate into the yeast cell. The results obtained with a wild type strain and a gap1 mutant indicate that BFA causes either direct or indirect modification of the transport and/or processing of L-leucine permeases. The presence of BFA affects the kinetic parameter values for L-leucine uptake and decreases not only the uptake mediated by the general system (GAP1), but also that through the specific BAP2 (S1) and/or S2 systems.
A proteomics study of the mung bean epicotyl regulated by brassinosteroids under conditions of chilling stress
Authors: Huang Bin , Chu Chien-Hua , Chen Shu-Ling , Juan Hsueh-Fen , Chen Yih-Ming 
Published: June 2006

AbstractMung bean CYP90A2 is a putative brassinosteroid (BR) synthetic gene that shares 77% identity with the Arabidopsis CPD gene. It was strongly suppressed by chilling stress. This implies that exogenous treatment with BR could allow the plant to recover from the inhibited growth caused by chilling. In this study, we used proteomics to investigate whether the mung bean epicotyl can be regulated by brassinosteroids under conditions of chilling stress. Mung bean epicotyls whose growth was initially suppressed by chilling partly recovered their ability to elongate after treatment with 24-epibrassinolde; 17 proteins down-regulated by this chilling were re-up-regulated. These up-regulated proteins are involved in methionine assimilation, ATP synthesis, cell wall construction and the stress response. This is consistent with the re-up-regulation of methionine synthase and S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase, since chilling-inhibited mung bean epicotyl elongation could be partially recovered by exogenous treatment with DL-methionine. This is the first proteome established for the mung bean species. The regulatory relationship between brassinosteroids and chilling conditions was investigated, and possible mechanisms are discussed herein.
Decreased expression of the human carbonyl reductase 2 gene HCR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Liu Shan , Ma Lijie , Huang Weixue , Shai Yin , Ji Xiaona , Ding Liya , Liu Yinkun , Yu Long , Zhao Shouyuan 
Published: June 2006

AbstractAltered gene expression was associated with the induction and maintenance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To determine the significance of HCR2 in HCC, here we compare the expression levels of HCR2 in carcinoma and in paired non-carcinoma tissues using semiquantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemical staining. The expression ratio (ER) of HCR2 between the tumor and paired tumor-free tissues was calculated for each case and the data was clinicopathologically analyzed. The expression of HCR2 mRNA was found to be significantly decreased in HCC tissues compared with paired normal tissues (P < 0.001). HCR2 was downregulated in 58% (n = 22) of 38 HCC patients. The ER of HCR2 was higher in Edmondson’s grade I/II carcinomas than that in Edmondson’s grade III/IV carcinomas (P < 0.05). Western blot analysis showed HCR2 to be notably depressed in carcinoma tissues in 3 out of 4 HCC patients. Immunohistochemical staining indicated most HCR2 protein accumulated in non-carcinoma cells. These results suggested that altered HCR2 expression might play roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC, and it could be a clinical marker for prognosis, and a molecular target for screening potential anti-HCC drugs.
The DefH9-iaaM-containing construct efficiently induces parthenocarpy in cucumber
Authors: Yin Zhimin , Malinowski Robert , Ziółkowska Agnieszka , Sommer Hans , Plcader Wojciech , Malepszy Stefan 
Published: June 2006

AbstractParthenocarpy (seedless fruits) is a desirable trait that has been achieved in many plant cultivars. We generated parthenocarpic cucumber fruits by introducing the chimeric DefH9-iaaM construct into the cucumber genome using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated protocol. The construct consists of the DefH9 promoter from Antirrhinum majus and the iaaM coding sequence from Pseudomonas syringae. Transgenic plants were obtained from nine independent transformation events: half of these were tetraploid and did not produce seeds following self-pollination, while the remaining half were capable of displaying parthenocarpy in the subsequent reproductive generation. Of the fruits produced by the transgenic lines, 70–90% were parthenocarpic. The segregation of the marker gene in the transgenic T1 progeny indicated single gene inheritance. The seed set in the transgenic lines and their F1 hybrids was lower than in the non-transgenic control plants. Some of the methodological details and the practical significance of the results are discussed.
Management of blunt liver trauma in children
Authors: Losty P D , Okoye B O , Walter D P , Turnock R R , Lloyd D A 
Published: June 2006

Abstract

Introduction
Management of liver trauma in childhood represents a rare but formidable challenge.

Methods
Clinical presentation, grade of liver injury and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were studied in 11 cases of blunt liver trauma to examine factors influencing outcome.

Results
Seven of the 11 children were injured severely and had an ISS greater than 16. Seven who were haemodynamically stable were treated without operation, but four required surgery for grade 111, IV and V liver injuries. Two children had primary repair of hepatic lacerations. Perihepatic packing was employed in two other cases (grade IV and V injury) for uncontrollable haemorrhage. Delayed debridement and thrombectomy plus vena cava repair with suturing of liver lacerations in these patients obviated heroic efforts at primary repair. Nine children survived. There were two deaths from head and neck trauma.

Discussion
Selected children with liver trauma can be managed non-operatively using established trauma guidelines. Perihepatic packing is recommended in unstable patients with complex injuries, followed by delayed definitive repair.