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From 2005 to early 2007, California issued 85,000 Clean Air Access stickers that allowed three models of hybrid cars to avoid congestion by driving on High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV or carpool) lanes with a single occupant. Using data on used car prices, we estimate the willingness-to-pay for one of these Clean Air Access stickers as approximately $625 per sticker per year, or $270 million for all 85,000 of the stickers which were valid for six years. Despite having a high value, the stickers were less effective at stimulating the demand for hybrid electric vehicles than an equivalent cash subsidy. Many stickers were given out to vehicles that had been purchased before the program started. While many hybrid owners were willing to pay upwards of $3,200 per sticker, for others the stickers amounted to an under-valued perk. Given the high value drivers place on HOV access, a more effective policy would sell space in the HOV lane to drivers of any vehicle and use the revenue to stimulate hybrid demand.

Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programs in Botswana have had limited conservation effect because the provision of development benefits is not contingent on wildlife conservation. Building on existing discussions about which development initiatives these programs should implement, we use choice experiment data to empirically determine what value CBNRM community members place on both private and quasi-public development interventions. We show that these interventions are sufficient to incentivize households to engage in anti-poaching enforcement, revegetation of wildlife habitat and wildlife monitoring. Our methodology may be adapted to investigate a range of potential development interventions for which in-kind labor contributions are required.

Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programmes in Botswana were intended to create a wildlife conservation incentive by providing rural communities with tourism rights to wildlife—with limited effect. The 2007 CBNRM policy, increasing central control of CBNRM, is likely to further undermine communities' incentive to conserve wildlife. A complementary conservation corps is needed to create direct incentives to conserve wildlife and to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Responses to contingent behaviour questions indicate broad community support for such a programme and the availability of a suitable labour force willing to work at costs that can be financed from existing CBNRM revenues.

Between-farm animal movement is one of the most important factors influencing the spread of infectious diseases in food animals, including in the US swine industry. Understanding the structural network of contacts in a food animal industry is prerequisite to planning for efficient production strategies and for effective disease control measures. Unfortunately, data regarding between-farm animal movements in the US are not systematically collected and thus, such information is often unavailable. In this paper, we develop a procedure to replicate the structure of a network, making use of partial data available, and subsequently use the model developed to predict animal movements among sites in 34 Minnesota counties. First, we summarized two networks of swine producing facilities in Minnesota, then we used a machine learning technique referred to as random forest, an ensemble of independent classification trees, to estimate the probability of pig movements between farms and/or markets sites located in two counties in Minnesota. The model was calibrated and tested by comparing predicted data and observed data in those two counties for which data were available. Finally, the model was used to predict animal movements in sites located across 34 Minnesota counties. Variables that were important in predicting pig movements included between-site distance, ownership, and production type of the sending and receiving farms and/or markets. Using a weighted-kernel approach to describe spatial variation in the centrality measures of the predicted network, we showed that the south-central region of the study area exhibited high aggregation of predicted pig movements. Our results show an overlap with the distribution of outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, which is believed to be transmitted, at least in part, though animal movements. While the correspondence of movements and disease is not a causal test, it suggests that the predicted network may approximate actual movements. Accordingly, the predictions provided here might help to design and implement control strategies in the region. Additionally, the methodology here may be used to estimate contact networks for other livestock systems when only incomplete information regarding animal movements is available.

Noonan Syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant condition affecting 1 in 1000 to 1 in 2500 individuals worldwide. While congenital heart defects are prevalent in 1% of the general population, 80% of people with NS have some form of congenital heart defect. We report a 26-year-old pregnant female with NS who developed pre-term labor and acute cardiopulmonary decompensation due to underlying hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

The beef export prices of different countries seem to show significant convergence over the last three decades (figure 1). Such convergence might be caused by a number of factors, including changes in commercial policy following the Uruguay Round or the erosion of the price penalty traditionally faced by beef-producing countries with endemic foot and mouth disease (FMD). The conventional wisdom is that FMD has divided the international beef market

Argentina and Uruguay eradicated foot and mouth disease (FMD) in 2000 and 1995, and subsequently gained greater access to FMD-free markets. Although both South American countries suffered from the reintroduction of FMD in late 2000, and had to temporarily cease exports to FMD-free markets, they are expected to eradicate FMD again and will continue to increase exports to FMD-free markets. This article analyzes the changes in international beef trade and, especially, in beef prices that are expected. We use a simulation model that captures the effects of market segmentation due to the FMD status and of the trade policies of exporting and importing countries. The ongoing realignment of trade flows has potential to significantly affect prices in both the FMD-free and the FMD-endemic segments of the world beef market. We demonstrate how growing beef exports from South America to FMD-free markets interact with other on-going changes in international beef markets. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [EconLit citations: Q110: Agriculture, Aggregate Supply and Demand; Q170: Agriculture, International Trade]

© 2014 Steenwerth et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Background: Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) addresses the challenge of meeting the growing demand for food, fibre and fuel, despite the changing climate and fewer opportunities for agricultural expansion on additional lands. CSA focuses on contributing to economic development, poverty reduction and food security; maintaining and enhancing the productivity and resilience of natural and agricultural ecosystem functions, thus building natural capital; and reducing trade-offs involved in meeting these goals. Current gaps in knowledge, work within CSA, and agendas for interdisciplinary research and science-based actions identified at the 2013 Global Science Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture (Davis, CA, USA) are described here within three themes: (1) farm and food systems, (2) landscape and regional issues and (3) institutional and policy aspects. The first two themes comprise crop physiology and genetics, mitigation and adaptation for livestock and agriculture, barriers to adoption of CSA practices, climate risk management and energy and biofuels (theme 1); and modelling adaptation and uncertainty, achieving multifunctionality, food and fishery systems, forest biodiversity and ecosystem services, rural migration from climate change and metrics (theme 2). Theme 3 comprises designing research that bridges disciplines, integrating stakeholder input to directly link science, action and governance. Outcomes: In addition to interdisciplinary research among these themes, imperatives include developing (1) models that include adaptation and transformation at either the farm or landscape level; (2) capacity approaches to examine multifunctional solutions for agronomic, ecological and socioeconomic challenges; (3) scenarios that are validated by direct evidence and metrics to support behaviours that foster resilience and natural capital; (4) reductions in the risk that can present formidable barriers for farmers during adoption of new technology and practices; and (5) an understanding of how climate affects the rural labour force, land tenure and cultural integrity, and thus the stability of food production. Effective work in CSA will involve stakeholders, address governance issues, examine uncertainties, incorporate social benefits with technological change, and establish climate finance within a green development framework. Here, the socioecological approach is intended to reduce development controversies associated with CSA and to identify technologies, policies and approaches leading to sustainable food production and consumption patterns in a changing climate.

Summary Brazil, the world’s largest coffee exporter, encouraged efforts in the 1960s to form the International Coffee Agreement (ICA), which restricted total coffee exports via country export quotas. The quotas led to significant domestic quota rents in producing countries. This paper analyzes the effects of rent seeking in Brazil. The Brazilian Institute of Coffee (IBC), which was responsible for coffee policy, was the focus of rent seeking. The paper models the policy instruments used by the IBC; shows how rent seeking affected policy, industry efficiency, and the distribution of rents; explains the causes and effects of IBC reforms in the late 1980s; and draws lessons from the experience.

Modern fruit sector development in Chile led to agricultural employment for women, though usually only as temporary workers and often at a piece rate. Nonetheless, fruit sector employment offered women access to income and personal fulfillment previously lacking. The authors link the fruit sector to improving female and family economic welfare in rural Chile and changing gender relations. Using a unique longitudinal data set, they examine women's decisions regarding labor force participation and employment, their earnings and contributions to household income, and their attitudes toward employment to understand how new opportunities are changing women, their households, and the rural sector.

Rent seeking is well known, but empirical evidence of its effects is relatively rare. This paper analyzes how the domestic and international rent seeking caused Brazil to provide coffee export tax rebates that transferred foreign exchange to coffee importers. Although Brazil was the world's largest exporter, it began to pay export tax rebates to selected coffee importers in 1965 and, by 1988, had paid rebates totaling $8 billion. Brazil explained these rebates as a mechanism to price discriminate among importers and expand exports within the context of the export quota imposed by the International Coffee Agreement. We show this explanation was invalid during most of the period. The net price fell for those who received rebates, causing Brazil to effectively transfer approximately $3 billion to foreign importers. The effects of the rebate policy were never recognized in Brazil, hidden largely by the complex nature of government intervention in the coffee sector.

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics University of California Davis Worker and Firm Determinants of Piece Rate Variation in an Agricultural Labor Market by Constance Newman and Lovell Jarvis May, 2000 Working Paper No. 00-028 Copyright @ 2000 by Constance Newman and Lovell Jarvis All Rights Reserved. Readers May Make Verbatim Copies Of This Document For Non-Commercial Purposes By Any Means, Provided That This Copyright Notice Appears On All Such Copies. Contact Information: Lovell S. Jarvis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics University of California Davis One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616 lsjarvis@ucdavis.edu California Agricultural Experiment Station Giannini Foundation for Agricultural Economics

The provisions of the 1983 International Coffee Agreement (ICA) and proposed reforms to eliminate exports to nonmember importers at discounted prices are analyzed. The discounted sales were a key issue that led to the breakdown of negotiations for a new ICA and the end of export quotas under the current agreement. A model of the world coffee market incorporating the policy response of exporting countries is used to analyze the welfare implications of the different alternatives. The model shows that the price discounts result from the structure of the current agreement (the existence of nonmember importing countries) and allocation of export quotas for the member market, which does not reflect export capacity. Welfare calculations based on the model show that several small exporters derive substantial benefits from nonmember market sales. These exporters will not be willing to comply with an arrangement to allocate quotas for the nonmember market unless they receive a large share of this market. However, the large exporters appear determined to retain their market share. The results of the model predict that, unless importers no longer insist on eliminating the price discounts, a new agreement is unlikely.

Disaggregated demand analysis is beginning to receive increased importance in food policies for developing countries. Using household data from the Mexican expenditure survey we estimate the income and demographic effects on expenditures for nine aggregate food categories. In addition we use a Probit model to explore the effect of these variables on the purchase decision for five high protein supplying goods. The results indicate that demographic variables, as well as income, have important effects in determining food expenditures. We analyse these effects and indicate the role they might play in food policy programmes such as Pronal.

Microeconomic models, treating cattle as capital goods and producers as portfolio managers, provide a theoretical framework for an econometric model of the Argentine cattle sector. Argentine agricultural stagnation has been partially attributed to a lack of producer price response, but this paper shows that the cattle sector exhibits strong price response and that producers correctly differentiate their behavior toward animals of different age and sex. The long-run price response of slaughter is positive, but the short-run response is negative because animals must be withheld to permit increases in future output. This negative short-run response implies that devaluation is unlikely to increase beef exports for at least 2 years.

One hundred and sixty-three Australian Aboriginals, who were aged from four months to 60 years, were examined clinically and otologically. Audiometric tests were completed on 110 of these subjects. On the assumptions that the aural health of these people has remained stable for many years, the cross-sectional data which were obtained have been used to infer the natural history of ear disease. Seromucinous otitis media is manifest as a disease of early childhood, which recovers spontaneously in most cases and has no obvious sequelae. Perforated tympanic membranes likewise seem to heal spontaneously in the majority of cases. The evidence suggests that hearing loss is the main problem and treatment should be directed towards the level of hearing loss and its effects.

Background & Aims: Glecaprevir plus pibrentasvir (G/P) is a pangenotypic, once-daily, ribavirin-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In nine phase II or III clinical trials, G/P therapy achieved rates of sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12) of 93–100% across all six major HCV genotypes (GTs). An integrated efficacy analysis of 8- and 12-week G/P therapy in patients without cirrhosis with HCV GT 1–6 infection was performed. Methods: Data were pooled from nine phase II and III trials including patients with chronic HCV GT 1–6 infection without cirrhosis who received G/P (300 mg/120 mg) for either 8 or 12 weeks. Patients were treatment naïve or treatment experienced with peginterferon, ribavirin, and/or sofosbuvir; all patients infected with HCV GT 3 were treatment naïve. Efficacy was evaluated as the SVR12 rate. Results: The analysis included 2,041 patients without cirrhosis. In the intent-to-treat population, 943/965 patients (98%) achieved SVR12 when treated for eight weeks, and 1,060/1,076 patients (99%) achieved SVR12 when treated for 12 weeks; the difference in rates was not significant (p = 0.2). A subgroup analysis demonstrated SVR12 rates > 95% across baseline factors traditionally associated with lower efficacy. G/P was well tolerated, with one DAA-related serious adverse event (, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published