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PurposeThe authors examined the impact of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments to United States agricultural producers on non-real estate agricultural loans.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used quarterly, state-level commercial bank data from 2016–2020 to estimate dynamic panel models.FindingsThe authors found MFP and CFAP payments not associated with the percentage of non-real estate agricultural loans with payments over 90 days late. However, these payments associated with the percentage of non-real estate agricultural loans with payments between 30 and 89 days late. The available data utilized cannot consider when producers received the actual payment and what they specifically did with those funds.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is for US policymakers and agricultural lenders. The findings could be helpful in designing and implementing future ad hoc payment programs and provide an understanding of potential shortcomings of the current safety net for agricultural producers in the Farm Bill. Additionally, findings can assist agricultural lenders in predicting the impact of ad hoc payments on their distressed loan portfolios.

The boundaries of topologically associating domains (TADs) are delimited by insulators and/or active promoters; however, how they are initially established during embryogenesis remains unclear. Here, we examined this during the first hours of Drosophila embryogenesis. DNA-FISH confirms that intra-TAD pairwise proximity is established during zygotic genome activation (ZGA) but with extensive cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Most newly formed boundaries are occupied by combinations of CTCF, BEAF-32, and/or CP190. Depleting each insulator individually from chromatin revealed that TADs can still establish, although with lower insulation, with a subset of boundaries (~10%) being more dependent on specific insulators. Some weakened boundaries have aberrant gene expression due to unconstrained enhancer activity. However, the majority of misexpressed genes have no obvious direct relationship to changes in domain-boundary insulation. Deletion of an active promoter (thereby blocking transcription) at one boundary had a greater impact than deleting the insulator-bound region itself. This suggests that cross-talk between insulators and active promoters and/or transcription might reinforce domain boundary insulation during embryogenesis.

PurposeNontraditional lenders are important credit providers for farmers. However, previous research has found that farmers who use nontraditional lenders are riskier lending opportunities. Using a unique dataset of Chapter 12 bankruptcy cases, the authors analyze the share of payment that is made or allowed by the courts on debt owed to traditional and nontraditional lenders.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a Tobit model to calculate parameter estimates and marginal effects of the impact of creditor type (traditional/nontraditional) and debt classification (secured, priority and unsecured) on the proportion of a bankruptcy claim that lenders receive or are expected to receive when a case is discharged.FindingsThe authors find that traditional lenders with secured debt receive a greater repayment than nontraditional lenders. Meanwhile, there are more than twice the number of nontraditional lenders that are owed debt in these bankruptcy claims. While this raises concern for nontraditional lenders, that is mitigated some by the level of debt that is on average about one-sixth the size of the average debt of traditional lenders. Finally, the authors show there are numerous opportunities for future research in this area using case level bankruptcy data.Originality/valueThis paper fills a research gap by focusing on the state of nontraditional lenders in Chapter 12 bankruptcy cases and their treatment in discharged cases.

To regulate gene expression, enhancers must come into proximity with their target gene. At some loci the timing of enhancer-promoter proximity is uncoupled from gene activation, while at others it is tightly linked. Here, we assessed this more globally for 600 characterized enhancers or promoters (E/P) with tissue-specific activity inDrosophilaembryos, by performing Capture-C and insulator ChIP in FACS-purified myogenic or neurogenic cells at different stages of embryogenesis. This high-resolution view enabled direct comparison between E/P interactions and activity across 5 developmental conditions. This revealed largely invariant E/P contacts between the blastoderm and cell fate specification stages, despite changes in activity. However, E/P interactions diverge during terminal tissue differentiation when many tissue-specific interactions are gained on top of a pre-existing topology. Changes in E/P proximity reflect changes in enhancer activity and gene activation, and are generally not accompanied by changes in insulator binding. Using transgenes and deletions, we show that many tissue-specific interactions represent functional E-P pairs. Our results reveal a shift in E-P landscapes as embryogenesis proceeds, from largely pre-formed topologies at early stages to more distal tissue-specific loops during differentiation, when E/P proximity appears coupled to activation.

SUMMARYThe boundaries of Topologically-Associating Domains (TADs) are delimited by insulators and active promoters, however how they are initially established during embryogenesis remains unclear. Here, we examined this during the first hours of Drosophila embryogenesis. DNA-FISH on individual embryos indicates that domains form during zygotic genome activation (ZGA), but have extensive cell-to-cell heterogeneity compared to later stages. Most newly formed boundaries are occupied by combinations of CTCF, BEAF- 32 and/or CP190. Depleting each insulator from chromatin revealed that TADs can still establish during ZGA, although with lower insulation, with particular boundaries being more sensitive. Some weakened boundaries have aberrant gene expression, however the majority of mis-expressed genes have no obvious relationship to changes in domain-boundary insulation. Deletion of an active promoter (thereby blocking transcription) at one boundary had a greater impact compared to deleting the insulator-bound region itself. These results suggest cross-talk between insulators and transcription might reinforce domain formation during embryogenesis.

This chapter seeks to demystify metadata for archaeologists who are responsible for producing and managing digital documentation, but who are not themselves trained in library and information science. It provides a general overview of the role and importance of metadata in contextualizing digital documents and ensuring possibilities for future reuse. Following this overview, common metadata standards such as the Dublin Core are introduced, along with some simple, relatively easy strategies to incorporate metadata into data structures for digital archaeological documentation. After a discussion of Linked Data principles and approaches, the chapter concludes with a brief explanation of ontologies, semantic representations of data, and serialization. Archaeologists producing or using digital data are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these concepts to enhance the discipline’s capacity to produce discoverable, well-described, and reusable digital records.

Dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) systems increase farm sustainability by diversifying on-farm income. While these systems are common in the Southern Great Plains of the U.S., they are not often utilized in the Southeast. This study aimed to evaluate pre- and post-grazing herbage mass (HM) of four winter wheat varieties managed under a dual-purpose grazing and grain production system. The wheat varieties evaluated were generic feed-type wheat (unknown variety blend, Feed), seed-type wheat ‘GA Gore’ (Seed) and two forage-type varieties, ‘AGS 2024’ (AGS) and ‘Pioneer 26R41’ (Pioneer). The experiment was a randomized complete block design (n = 4) conducted during the winter of 2021 and 2022. Three grazing frequencies were utilized: an ungrazed control (NG), low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) grazing schedule. Low frequency plots received monthly grazing in January and February while HF treatments received a third grazing in March. Plots were grazed with 20 cow-calf pairs (Bos taurus) until an even defoliation height of 10 cm was achieved. Herbage mass was determined using three 0.1m2-quadrats per plot and clipped to a 10 cm stubble height before (PreG) and after (PostG) each grazing event. Forage samples were then dried at 45°C for 72 h. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS (SAS Inst., Cary, NC) with forage sample date as a repeated measure. Differences were declared at P < 0.05. Final biomass, including stems, chaff, and grain, was greatest for Pioneer but was not different from AGS or Feed (4,112 kg/ha and 4,003 kg/ha; P ≤ 0.94). Before grazing, AGS herbage mass (2,646 kg/ha) was greater (P ≤ 0.03) than all other varieties. There was an interaction (P ≤ 0.01) of variety and grazing frequency for Pre-G herbage mass. Compared with all other varieties, AGS had greater ADF (24.93%; P < 0.01) and least TDN (72.49%: P < 0.01). Forage nitrate-nitrogen was not different (P ≥ 0.49) among all varieties or grazing frequencies (157.73 ppm). Across grazing frequencies, Pioneer had greater final grain yield (3,619.43 kg/ha; P < 0.01) with Seed having the least (1,272.12 kg/ha; P < 0.01). These results indicate that common Southeastern wheat varieties can be successfully utilized in a dual-purpose management system; however, grazing frequency should be monitored to prevent grain yield losses.

Extension program participants tell story after story of the impact of Cooperative Extension on their lives, their families, and their businesses. Despite huge amounts of qualitative data, very little quantitative data exist showing the aggregated public value of Extension programs—especially across program areas. The lack of data leaves Extension administrators high and dry when they are asked to show public value, a circumstance sometimes resulting in reductions in human and financial resources. A simple, yet powerful Extension public value instrument was developed and used in Georgia along with analysis methods designed to showcase the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of Extension programs.

The ‘material turn’ in history has coincided with an explosion in the quantity and quality of digital sources for material culture available to the historian. This is particularly true of archaeological evidence, which, unlike most historical sources, is constantly refreshed with new information from current fieldwork. The proliferation of online archaeological databases has made it easier for historians interested in materiality to engage with objects that would otherwise have been buried in obscure specialist publications or grey literature. At the same time, however, this ease of access to individual objects can encourage the neglect of their contextual relationships – not only in terms of stratigraphy and assemblage but also in terms of the social contexts that generated the digital records and surrogates for those objects, and the online contexts in which they are integrated or aggregated. This chapter explores those three contextual levels through case studies of three very different online archaeological databases, outlining both the pitfalls and the possibilities such resources create for historical research. Rather than establishing a particular methodology for the use of digital archaeological databases, the chapter highlights issues that the historian should bear in mind while consulting them. The case studies use coins as an interpretive key, since numismatic evidence can be used to good effect at different historical scales, from questions of regional economies to the reconstruction of the contents of an individual’s change-purse. The Open Context digital publication platform (https://opencontext.org) exemplifies the potential for historical insight through data aggregation. The UK’s Portable Antiquities Scheme (https://finds.org.uk/) highlights both data aggregation at a regional scale and the effect of crowdsourcing on the generation of digital archaeological datasets. And on the smallest scale, the database of the Corinth Excavations of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (http://corinth.ascsa.net) offers opportunities for the close reading of both the stratigraphic and the methodological context of a particular object and its digital surrogates. The chapter concludes with some observations on the future of digital material culture in historical research.

The PeriodO project seeks to fill a gap in the landscape of digital antiquity through the creation of a Linked Data gazetteer of period definitions that transparently record the spatial and temporal boundaries assigned to a given period by an authoritative source. Our presentation of the PeriodO gazetteer is prefaced by a history of the role of periodization in the study of the past, and an analysis of the difficulties created by the use of periods for both digital data visualization and integration. This is followed by an overview of the PeriodO data model, a description of the platform's architecture, and a discussion of the future direction of the project.

Designers of networked knowledge organization systems often follow a service-oriented design strategy, assuming an organizational model where one party outsources clearly delineated business processes to another party. But the logic of outsourcing is a poor fit for some knowledge organization practices. When knowledge organization is understood as a process of exchange among peers, a sharing-oriented design strategy makes more sense. As an example of a sharing-oriented strategy for designing networked knowledge organization systems, we describe the design of the PeriodO period gazetteer. We analyze the PeriodO data model, its representation using JavaScript Object Notation-Linked Data, and the management of changes to the PeriodO dataset. We conclude by discussing why a sharing-oriented design strategy is appropriate for organizing scholarly knowledge.

Cortical networks are composed of excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory interneurons. Finding the right balance between the two is important for controlling overall cortical excitation and network dynamics. However, it is unclear how the correct number of cortical interneurons (CIs) is established in the mammalian forebrain. CIs are generated in excess from basal forebrain progenitors, and their final numbers are adjusted via an intrinsically determined program of apoptosis that takes place during an early postnatal window. Here, we provide evidence that the extent of CI apoptosis during this critical period is plastic and cell-type specific and can be reduced in a cell-autonomous manner by acute increases in neuronal activity. We propose that the physiological state of the emerging neural network controls the activity levels of local CIs to modulate their numbers in a homeostatic manner. Denaxa et al. address how the number of interneurons in the cortex is regulated. They show that apoptosis of developing interneurons can be modulated by activity in the forebrain of young mice so that increases in activity can rescue interneurons from apoptosis. This feedback loop provides a mechanism for fine-tuning the number and repertoire of interneurons in the brain.

A new protocol has recently been developed and validated for the GreenScreen HC GADD45a-GFP genotoxicity reporter assay, enabling the incorporation of an S9 metabolic activation system into the assay. The S9 protocol employs flow-cytometric methodology for the detection of both reporter GFP fluorescence and propidium iodide fluorescence for the estimation of cellular viability. In the spirit of assay validation by bodies such as the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), the adapted metabolic activation protocol for the GADD45a-GFP assay has been undergoing 'pre-validation'. Results of phases I and II of this pre-validation, namely protocol refinement and protocol transfer, respectively, are presented here. In phase I the protocol was transferred to a second laboratory for initial assessment of method portability and subsequent refinement of the protocol. In phase II, the protocol was then transferred to two further laboratories along with the elaborated standard operating-procedure (SOP) for further assessment of transferability. The three transfer sites then undertook an assessment of the method's reproducibility by testing eight compounds. The outcome of the study was a refined protocol that was found to be highly transferable. It yielded 100% agreement in results between all four laboratories.

Defining mechanisms that generate intratumour heterogeneity and branched evolution may inspire novel therapeutic approaches to limit tumour diversity and adaptation. SETD2 (Su(var), Enhancer of zeste, Trithorax-domain containing 2) trimethylates histone-3 lysine-36 (H3K36me3) at sites of active transcription and is mutated in diverse tumour types, including clear cell renal carcinomas (ccRCCs). Distinct SETD2 mutations have been identified in spatially separated regions in ccRCC, indicative of intratumour heterogeneity. In this study, we have addressed the consequences of SETD2 loss-of-function through an integrated bioinformatics and functional genomics approach. We find that bi-allelic SETD2 aberrations are not associated with microsatellite instability in ccRCC. SETD2 depletion in ccRCC cells revealed aberrant and reduced nucleosome compaction and chromatin association of the key replication proteins minichromosome maintenance complex component (MCM7) and DNA polymerase δ hindering replication fork progression, and failure to load lens epithelium-derived growth factor and the Rad51 homologous recombination repair factor at DNA breaks. Consistent with these data, we observe chromosomal breakpoint locations are biased away from H3K36me3 sites in SETD2 wild-type ccRCCs relative to tumours with bi-allelic SETD2 aberrations and that H3K36me3-negative ccRCCs display elevated DNA damage in vivo. These data suggest a role for SETD2 in maintaining genome integrity through nucleosome stabilization, suppression of replication stress and the coordination of DNA repair.

PMCID: PMC4636050.-- et al., Spatial and temporal dissection of the genomic changes occurring during the evolution of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may help elucidate the basis for its dismal prognosis.We sequenced 25 spatially distinct regions from seven operable NSCLCs and found evidence of branched evolution, with driver mutations arising before and after subclonal diversification. There was pronounced intratumor heterogeneity in copy number alterations, translocations, and mutations associated with APOBEC cytidine deaminase activity. Despite maintained carcinogen exposure, tumors from smokers showed a relative decrease in smoking-related mutations over time, accompanied by an increase in APOBEC-associated mutations. In tumors from former smokers, genome-doubling occurred within a smoking-signature context before subclonal diversification, which suggested that a long period of tumor latency had preceded clinical detection. The regionally separated driver mutations, coupled with the relentless and heterogeneous nature of the genome instability processes, are likely to confound treatment success in NSCLC., E.B. is a Rosetrees Trust fellow; M.J.H. has a Cancer Research UK fellowship; N.Mu. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust; M.G. is funded by the UK Medical Research Council; I.V. is funded by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad subprograma Ramón y Cajal; R.C.R. and D.M.R. are partly funded by the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and Cancer Research UK Cancer Centre; P.V.L. is a postdoctoral researcher of the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO); S.M.J. is a Wellcome Senior Fellow in Clinical Science; and C.S. is a senior Cancer Research UK clinical research fellow and is funded by Cancer Research UK, the Rosetrees Trust, European Union Framework Programme 7 (projects PREDICT and RESPONSIFY, ID:259303), the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the European Research Council and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This research is supported by the National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.-- et al., [Background]: Genomic analysis of multi-focal renal cell carcinomas from an individual with a germline VHL mutation offers a unique opportunity to study tumor evolution. [Results]: We perform whole exome sequencing on four clear cell renal cell carcinomas removed from both kidneys of a patient with a germline VHL mutation. We report that tumors arising in this context are clonally independent and harbour distinct secondary events exemplified by loss of chromosome 3p, despite an identical genetic background and tissue microenvironment. We propose that divergent mutational and copy number anomalies are contingent upon the nature of 3p loss of heterozygosity occurring early in tumorigenesis. However, despite distinct 3p events, genomic, proteomic and immunohistochemical analyses reveal evidence for convergence upon the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. Four germline tumors in this young patient, and in a second, older patient with VHL syndrome demonstrate minimal intra-tumor heterogeneity and mutational burden, and evaluable tumors appear to follow a linear evolutionary route, compared to tumors from patients with sporadic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. [Conclusions]: In tumors developing from a germline VHL mutation, the evolutionary principles of contingency and convergence in tumor development are complementary. In this small set of patients with early stage VHL-associated tumors, there is reduced mutation burden and limited evidence of intra-tumor heterogeneity., RF and JL received funding from EU FP7 (PREDICT project), EB is a Rosetrees Trust fellow, NM received funding from the Rosetrees Trust, MG is funded by the UK Medical Research Council, IV is funded by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad subprograma Ramón y Cajal, and CS is a senior Cancer Research UK clinical research fellow and is funded by Cancer Research UK, the Rosetrees Trust, EU FP7 (projects PREDICT and RESPONSIFY, ID:259303), the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This study was supported by researchers at the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres at University College London Hospitals and at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

PMCID: PMC4636053.-- et al., Clear cell renal carcinomas (ccRCCs) can display intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). We applied multiregion exome sequencing (M-seq) to resolve the genetic architecture and evolutionary histories of ten ccRCCs. Ultra-deep sequencing identified ITH in all cases. We found that 73-75% of identified ccRCC driver aberrations were subclonal confounding estimates of driver mutation prevalence. ITH increased with the number of biopsies analyzed, without evidence of saturation in most tumors. Chromosome 3p loss and VHL aberrations were the only ubiquitous events. The proportion of C>T transitions at CpG sites increased during tumor progression. M-seq permits the temporal resolution of ccRCC evolution and refines mutational signatures occurring during tumor development., C.S. and M. Gerlinger are supported by grants from Cancer Research UK Biomarkers and Imaging Discovery and Development Committee (BIDD), the Medical Research Council and the Seventh European Union Framework Programme, and C.S. is supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Rosetrees Trust. We acknowledge the Ramón y Cajal program of the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain, and Novartis for funding support for E-PREDICT clinical trials. This study was supported by researchers at the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres at University College London Hospitals and at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

For the majority of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) mutations, antisense oligonucleotide (AON)-mediated exon skipping has the potential to restore a functional protein. Here we show that weekly intravenous injections of morpholino phosphorodiamidate (morpholino) AONs induce expression of functional levels of dystrophin in body-wide skeletal muscles of the dystrophic mdx mouse, with resulting improvement in muscle function. Although the level of dystrophin expression achieved varies considerably between muscles, antisense therapy may provide a realistic hope for the treatment of a majority of individuals with DMD.

Connecticut Public Act 09-229 authorizes payments to farmers based on a monthly cost of production (COP) estimate and a federal market order one sustainable uniform price. Since the inception of this act the Connecticut Department of Agriculture used USDA ARMS survey data for Vermont to determine the applicable payments to dairy farmers because a Connecticut specific COP did not exist. In December 2012, the Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy published the first Connecticut specific raw milk COP estimate based on survey data from 2011. This process was undertaken to aid the Commissioner of Agriculture in the application of Connecticut Public Act 09-229 by moving to an estimate that more accurately portrays the costs faced by Connecticut dairy farms. The release of the 2012 report includes both an annual 2011 estimate as well as monthly estimates for January through September 2012. The 2011 annual COP in Connecticut was $31.52/cwt, which was slightly lower than Vermont ($32.61/cwt) yet representative of the state dairy farms. With a new baseline estimate the current task is to use the new Connecticut annual COP to compute fourth quarter (October – December) 2012 monthly COP estimates. This process amends the methodology that computed quarterly COP updates for Vermont and Maine during 2011 and 2012. The methodology now uses the Connecticut baseline, the UConn Modified Dairy Farm Management Business Summary (DFBS) Method, and monthly indices provided by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

The Spring 2012 letter to State dairy farmers from the Commissioner of Agriculture stated: -The Connecticut Dairy sustainability program relies on cost of production (COP) estimates, historically provided by the USDA -The Act states that when the federal pay price for milk drops bellow the sustainable monthly COP, farmers become eligible for financial support in the form of grant payments given on a quarterly basis -These grant payments are determined using the best available COP estimates-The USDA does not provide monthly COP estimates for CT, so numbers from the State of Vermont have been used as a proxy for CT -These numbers likely do not reflect the true COP in the State -This project was implemented to produce accurate COP estimates for CT dairy famers, so they receive the appropriate level of support.

The objective of this report is to provide a benchmark of the percentage of Connecticut residents’ expenditures on locally-grown agricultural products. To this end, two specific assessments are conducted: • Consumer expenditures accounted for by locally-grown food (fruit, vegetables, dairy, poultry, eggs, meat and fish); and • Expenditures accounted for by locally-grown nursery and greenhouse (green industry) products relative to all such expenditures in the state. This report was produced at the request of the Connecticut Governor’s Council on Agricultural Development (GCAD). An overarching goal of GCAD is to “increase the percentage of consumer dollars spent on Connecticut-grown fresh produce and farm products, including, but not limited to, ways to increase the amount of money spent by residents of the state on locally-grown farm products, by 2020, to not less than five per cent of all money spent by such residents on food.” Thus, a corollary objective of this report is to document a methodology that can be replicated in the future to assess progress towards this goal.

Most residents in Connecticut have consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living. Yet each year there are households that experience limited access to food due to a lack of money or other resources. Between 2008 and 2010, 12.7 percent of residents in Connecticut were living in food insecure households (38% of which were living in ‘households with very low food insecurity’). Approximately one in seven CT households reported there had been times in the past year when they did not have enough money to buy food that they needed. Although it is extremely difficult to pinpoint where these food insecure households are located, one can look at certain town-level variables of food insecurity and draw comparisons on a town by town basis. For example, what towns have a population mix that are generally considered more likely to be food insecure? Are there some towns where proximity and thus geographic access to retail food is a particular challenge? Are food assistance eligible households accessing public programs to improve their food budgets? This report provides a picture of how towns in Connecticut compare to each other under three separate conditions: • What is the likelihood that a resident in a particular town is food insecure? • What is the geographic proximity from town population centers to food retailers? • How well are town residents being served through public food assistance services and public bus transportation?

The average total cost of production for milk in Connecticut in 2011 is $31.52/cwt, based on a sample of 39 state dairy producers. Additional total cost of production (COP) estimates are provided for different farm-size classes, ranging from $26.05/cwt for the largest size class to $35.76/cwt for the smallest. The most significant costs to CT dairies are feed and labor, which make up close to 60% of total COP and are primarily responsible for the variation seen in the projected 2012 monthly COP estimates. Monthly estimates of the 2012 CT COP for milk are based on the 2011 COP, which is adjusted using USDA NASS indices and CT production figures for the corresponding month. The estimated COP for milk in CT has increased in every month in 2012, from $31.97/cwt in January to $39.10/cwt in September. The Statistical Uniform Price (SUP) for milk in Hartford, CT decreased monthly for the first half of 2012 and increased in each month of the third quarter, resulting in a net increase from January to September. Given the monthly trends in COP and the SUP, the value of payments to CT dairy farms under CT Public Act 09-229 has increased month-to-month from $6.95/cwt in January to $12.71/cwt in September.

We introduce a model of dynamic price and advertising competition and use the model to investigate a popular segment of the Ready-To-Eat Cereal Market. It is well understood that advertising is a key non-price strategic demand determinant in differentiated product markets. Two popular and compatible models for the role of advertising have emerged. One model specifies advertising as a determinant of a consumer's level of product awareness (informative) and the other model specifies advertising as a complimentary product attribute (persuasive). Without specific information on a consumer's level of awareness the two roles cannot be simultaneously identified within a demand model. One must then decide how advertising enters the demand model. To explore the implications of this specification decision on the assessment of price and advertising competition we: Estimate heterogeneous consumer logit demand models for each advertising specification; define a model of price and advertising competition for multi-product firms; and compute the distribution of equilibrium price and advertising strategies to assess the fit against the observed price and advertising strategies. To illustrate how the market model may be applied we investigate a segment of the ready-to-eat cereal market and evaluate a hypothetical brand acquisition. The analysis provides three key empirical findings: Upward pricing pressure, due to the acquisition, is larger when advertising is incorporated into the demand model as a result of estimation bias; the informative advertising model yields downward pressure on price while the persuasive advertising model yields upward pressure on price; and the information theoretic model fits the data better.

In the United States, both industry and the federal government have worked to establish voluntary guidelines for how firms market food to children and to establish a threshold for the nutritional quality of foods marketed to children. The authors evaluate three US guidelines that deal with television advertising of breakfast cereals, which is both heavily advertised and a common meal item for children. They find that the majority of cereals advertised primarily to children from 2006-2008 do not meet any of the current and proposed self-regulatory nutrition guidelines, and that this is generally due to excessive sugar content. Further, children and adolescents are exposed to more advertising for products that do not meet the nutritional guidelines. We evaluate the extent to which each of the guidelines impacts advertising of cereals that are most viewed by children and purchased by households with children. The results provide insight for policy makers concerned with limiting the extent to which children see television advertising and ultimately consume unhealthy breakfast cereals.

This report is a follow up on previous reports for 2011 quarters two, three, and four and 2012 quarter one that use the current USDA methodology and continues the Vermont and Maine milk COP estimates previously calculated by the USDA’s ERS. The methodology used to estimate the milk COP for application of Public Act 09-229 relies upon the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) to provide an annual milk COP for Vermont and Maine. This survey, updated every five years by the USDA, is used as a benchmark to estimate monthly and annual changes using National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) indices. ERS estimates the 2011 ARMS annual milk COP for Vermont at $32.61/cwt and for Maine at $37.45/cwt. Following the USDA methodology, we estimate the monthly COP for quarter two of 2012 for both states.

Exposure to genotoxic carcinogens leads to increased expression of the GADD45a gene in mammalian cells. This signature of genotoxic hazard has previously been exploited in the GreenScreen HC assay, in which GADD45a expression is linked to green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in the human TK6 lymphoblastoid cell line. This article describes the development and validation of an alternative assay ("BlueScreen HC"), in which expression is linked to Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) expression, yielding a luminescent reporter, the preferred optical output in high-throughput screening. The coelentrazine substrate of GLuc is relatively unstable, and a new buffer is reported that improves its stability. A more sensitive method is demonstrated for the measurement of cell densities in the assay, using the fluorescent cyanine dye thiazole orange. A protocol amendment also allows the assessment of pro-genotoxicity using S9 liver extracts. Compounds from the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) recommended list for the assessment of new or improved genotoxicity assays were evaluated with and without S9 in the new assay. The new GLuc assay was as effective as the GFP assay in producing positive results for all classes of genotoxic carcinogen and negative results for all nongenotoxins tested.

This report is a follow up on previous reports for 2011 quarters two, three, and four that use the current USDA methodology and continues the Vermont and Maine milk COP estimates previously calculated by the USDA’s ERS.The methodology used to estimate the milk COP for application of Public Act 09-229 relies upon the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) to provide an annual milk COP for Vermont and Maine. This survey, updated every five years by the USDA, is used as a benchmark to estimate monthly and annual changes using National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) indices. ERS estimates the 2011 ARMS annual milk COP for Vermont at $32.61/cwt and for Maine at $37.45/cwt. Following the USDA methodology, we estimate the monthly COP for quarter one of 2012 for both states.

In July 2009, Connecticut Public Act 09-229 established an agricultural sustainability account to provide financial assistance to Connecticut milk producers during times when the federal milk pay price falls below a minimum sustainable monthly cost of production (COP). This legislation mandates that the Commissioner of Agriculture make payments to Connecticut dairy farmers on a quarterly basis. To determine whether payments are necessary to comply with the legislation, Public Act 09-229 defines the minimum sustainable monthly COP as eighty-two percent of the monthly average COP for a New England state, as calculated by the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the United States Department of Agriculture. To comply with state legislation, the Commissioner of Agriculture has requested that The Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Connecticut provide estimates of the monthly COP for a New England State based on data and variables published by the USDA. Since the PA 09-229, Vermont’s milk COP has served as the benchmark for Connecticut’s milk COP. This report is a follow up on previous reports for 2011 quarters two and three that use the current USDA methodology and continues the Vermont and Maine milk COP estimates previously calculated by the USDA’s ERS.1 This report presents milk COP estimates and prices for quarter four of 2011.

In the New England region, the U.S. Department of Agriculture only reports milk cost of production (COP) for Maine and Vermont. Basing Connecticut dairy support payments on USDA COP data for a New England state complies with Connecticut Public Acts 09-229 and 11-48. In the past two years, Vermont has served as the benchmark for this program. The objective of this report is to compare cost of production (COP) and dairy farming characteristics in Vermont and Maine in order to assess the suitability of using one or both New England states as a reference for Connecticut milk COP. To this end, this report compares 2010 USDA milk COP for Vermont and Maine, analyzes secondary data on dairy farming in these states and Connecticut, and conducted phone interview with expert dairy economists in New England and the USDA.

In July 2009, Connecticut Public Act 09-229 established an agricultural sustainability account to provide financial assistance to Connecticut milk producers during times when the federal milk pay price falls below a minimum sustainable monthly cost of production. This legislation mandates that the Commissioner of Agriculture make payments to Connecticut dairy farmers on a quarterly basis. To determine whether payments are necessary to comply with the legislation, Public Act 09-229 defines the minimum sustainable monthly cost of production as eighty-two percent of the monthly average cost of production for a New England state, as calculated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Services (ERS).

In July 2009, Connecticut Public Act 09-229 established an agricultural sustainability account to provide financial assistance to Connecticut milk producers during times when the federal milk pay price falls below a minimum sustainable monthly cost of production. This legislation mandates that the Commissioner of Agriculture make payments to Connecticut dairy farmers on a quarterly basis. To determine whether payments are necessary to comply with the legislation, Public Act 09-229 defines the minimum sustainable monthly cost of production as eighty-two percent of the monthly average cost of production for a New England state, as calculated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Services (ERS).

Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated alternative splicing has great potential for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) caused by mutations within nonessential regions of the dystrophin gene. We have recently shown in the dystrophic mdx mouse that exon 23, bearing a nonsense mutation, can be skipped after intramuscular injection of a specific 2′- O -methyl phosphorothioate antisense oligoribonucleotide (2OMeAO). This skipping created a shortened, but in-frame, transcript that is translated to produce near-normal levels of dystrophin expression. This expression, in turn, led to improved muscle function. However, because DMD affects muscles body-wide, effective treatment requires dystrophin induction ideally in all muscles. Here, we show that systemic delivery of specific 2OMeAOs, together with the triblock copolymer F127, induced dystrophin expression in all skeletal muscles but not in cardiac muscle of the mdx dystrophic mice. The highest dystrophin expression was detected in diaphragm, gastrocnemius, and intercostal muscles. Large numbers of fibers with near-normal level of dystrophin were observed in focal areas. Three injections of 2OMeAOs at weekly intervals enhanced the levels of dystrophin. Dystrophin mRNA lacking the targeted exon 23 remained detectable 2 weeks after injection. No evidence of tissue damage was detected after 2OMeAO and F127 treatment either by serum analysis or histological examination of liver, kidney, lung, and muscles. The simplicity and safety of the antisense protocol provide a realistic prospect for treatment of the majority of DMD mutations. We conclude that a significant therapeutic effect may be achieved by further optimization in dose and regime of administration of antisense oligonucleotide.

Since November of 2002, the Food Marketing Policy Center has periodically conducted price surveys of milk in New York and Southern New England (Cotterill, et. al. 2002; Rabinowitz, et. al. 2003;Cotterill 2003). Results of these surveys, when coupled with data on the underlying cost of the raw milk, have shown that milk channel firms are continually charging unconscionably excessive prices for milk. While it was originally believed that both processors and retailers were exercising market power, information obtained on processing costs indicates that retailers are charging the bulk of the markup. Additionally, surveys conducted in 2003 found that average milk prices in New England were as much as 70 cents higher than prices of similar milk in New York. This is likely due to a New York State milk price gouging law, which states that retailers must offer at least one brand of each type of milk at a price no greater than 200% of the farm price of 3.5% butterfat milk (New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, 2004). No such law exists in New England.

Last November, the Food Marketing Policy Center conducted a survey of retail milk prices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and parts of southeast New York (Cotterill, et al., 2002). That look at the price distribution over space aided in answering several questions regarding milk pricing in the region, such as whether prices varied amongst states, channels, chains, and types of milk. Results of The November study indicated that milk prices in New England were high relative to prices in New York, raw milk prices, and estimated costs of processing and distribution. In November 2002, supermarket chains in New England, which dominate grocery store sales, charged an average of $3.01 per gallon of milk (Cotterill et al., 2002 p. 11). Milk sold in convenience stores, wholesale clubs (Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and Costco), and limited-assortment stores (Price Rite, Save-A-Lot, and Midland Farms) was less expensive than in supermarkets, but compared to New England stores, New York supermarket prices were even lower. Chain supermarkets in New York charged $2.42 on average (Cotterill et al., 2002 p. 8). Clearly, differences in processing and handling costs amongst channels and states could not account for all of this pricing discrepancy. While it was originally believed that both processors and retailers are exercising market power, processing cost information obtained from Diary Technomics in March 2003 indicates that retailers are the ones who are charging consumers unconscionably excessive prices for milk. (Cotterill, et al., 2003a).