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In this paper, we revisit the empirical observation that prices rise like rockets when input costs increase but fall like feathers when input costs decrease. The analysis draws on a novel data set that includes daily retail prices of gasoline from 12,804 stations in Germany from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018. Our findings based on pooled-panel asymmetric error correction models indicate that the pattern of rockets and feathers is the norm rather than the exception. Our results further show that temporal aggregation of station-level price data leads to inaccurate inferences and could account for the inconclusive findings in the literature. Keywords: Asymmetric Pricing, Market Transparency, Search Intensity, Tacit Collusion, 1. INTRODUCTION This paper revisits the debate on the asymmetric response of retail gasoline prices to crude oil price changes. Retail fuel pricing, in general, remains an area of significant [...]

The disposal of pharmaceutical wastewater has gained increasing attention due to its potential adverse effects on the environment and public health. This study aims to assess the concentration of pharmaceutical contaminants and their toxicity to aquatic organisms. A qualitative research approach was used. Composite samples were collected from the effluent storage system. Various analytical techniques, including high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were employed to detect and quantify pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater samples. The results revealed various pharmaceutical compounds (ibuprofen 28 μg/L, diclofenac 27.20 μg/L, paracetamol 22.03 μg/L, and tramadol <0.01 μg/L) in the wastewater. The maximal environmental concentration (MEC) for all the detected pharmaceuticals was high; hence, the risk quotients (RQs) indicated potential toxicity (RO > 1). It further indicates that the effluent was more toxic to animals (daphnia and fish) than algae (plants). It can be concluded that pharmaceutical effluent was toxic to aquatic organisms. Therefore, there is a need to implement stringent regulatory measures to mitigate untreated pharmaceutical effluent in water bodies. Addressing pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater is crucial to safeguarding the environment and public health in an increasing pharmaceutical use and production era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring genetic gain is crucial to ensure breeding programs' effectiveness and identify potential challenges and areas for their improvement. Our study provides a first overview of the trends in genetic gain for tuber yield and disease resistance traits in the IITA's (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) yam breeding program. We used historical data (2010–2022) from multiple generations of past breeding cycles evaluated at 31 sites in the white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) breeding pipeline and 28 sites in the water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) breeding pipeline of IITA and its national partners in West Africa. Our result shows positive genetic trends in fresh tuber yield while recording a gain of 1.38% or 99.17 kg ha−1 per year in the white Guinea yam and 2.18% or 252.41 kg ha−1 per year in the water yam breeding pipelines. Genetic trends for virus and anthracnose resistance were in the desired direction but negligible in white Guinea yam, while significant for virus and nonsignificant for anthracnose resistance in water yam. Our findings indicate that while the breeding program has succeeded in enhancing tuber yield, post‐harvest tuber dry matter content and disease resistance (yam mosaic virus and anthracnose) did not follow a similar trend in the material being developed. This implies that the yam breeding program needs to strike a balance between various traits, ensuring that increased yield does not come at a cost to food quality or disease resistance. Our results highlight the importance of continually monitoring and assessing the performance of a breeding program and making informed decisions about which traits to focus on for future improvement. Core Ideas: Periodic monitoring of genetic gain is crucial to making informed decisions about which traits to focus on.Yam breeding program needs to strike a balance between various traits for ensuring sustained genetic gain.High‐quality historical trial data crucial for assessing genetic gain trends in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ethnomedicinal study was initiated with herbalists in coastal Central Region Ghana to explore how cancer is defined, diagnosed, and treated within a traditional Fante-Akan context. The participatory, service-oriented investigation included international collaboration with herbalists and traditional plant experts. On-site meetings informed community leaders and members of project intent and methods, guided protocol, and gauged critical support. To provide immediate educational and economic opportunities, hands-on activities with villagers transferred academic and applied skills. Ethnographic interviews and voucher specimen collections were conducted with seven herbalists. Plant samples were dried and housed locally in a community herbarium cabinet constructed in Kormantse. Ten cancer ethnopharmacopoeia plants were identified, most of which are species considered native to tropical Africa. Fante Akan herbalists listed various types of cancers they treat with herbal remedies, along with ethnomedicinal descriptions of disease etiology, diagnoses, and treatments. The most common cancer type mentioned was "breast cancer." Topical application was the most often cited method of administering remedies. Researchers established key contacts in the Kormantse, Salt Pond, and Elmina communities, and identified local and international research collaborators for a proposed interdisciplinary project focused on longitudinal case studies with herbalists, patients, and medical physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potentials of organic soil amendments (OSA) to control plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) infection in yam production were evaluated in Ghana. The ability of organic soil amendments; neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) seed powder, cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) bean testa powder and cowitch (Mucuna pruriens L.) seed powder to suppress PPN in yam were compared to Fulan (a synthetic pesticide) and a non-treated control. The organic soil amendments suppressed Pratylenchus and Rotylenchulus soil population densities compared to the control. M. pruriens also reduced soil populations of Meloidogyne and Scutellonema with reductions similar to nematicide application. Only M. pruriens reduced population densities of plant parasitic nematodes in yam tubers compared to the control. There were no differences in yield. Mucuna pruriens treated plots yielded 32.1 t/ha while the control yielded 17.4 t/ha. In terms of relative yield, M. pruriens treated plots were 1.84 times higher than the control. The application of organic materials may be sufficient to keep some nematode populations below the economic threshold level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]