A proposed framework for accelerating technology trajectories in agriculture: a case study in China

Precision agriculture (PA) technologies have great potential for promoting sustainable intensification of food production, ensuring targeted delivery of agricultural inputs, and hence food security and environmental protection. The benefits of PA technologies are applicable across a broad range of agronomic, environmental and rural socio-economic contexts globally. However, farmer and land-manager adoption in low to middle income countries has typically been slower than that observed in more affluent countries. China is currently engaged in the process of agricultural modernisation to ensure food security for its 1.4 billion population and has developed a portfolio of policies designed to improve food security, while simultaneously promoting environmental protection. Particular attention has been paid to the reduction of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides. The widespread adoption of PA technologies across the Chinese agricultural landscape is central to the success of these policies. However, socio-economic and cultural barriers, farm scale, (in particular the prevalence of smaller family farms) and demographic changes in the rural population, (for example, the movement of younger people to the cities) represent barriers to PA adoption across China. A framework for ensuring an acceptable and accelerated PA technology trajectory is proposed which combines systematic understanding of farmer and end-user priorities and preferences for technology design throughout the technology development process, and subsequent end-user requirements for implementation (including demonstration of economic and agronomic benefits, and knowledge transfer). Future research will validate the framework against qualitative and quantitative socio-economic, cultural and agronomic indicators of successful, or otherwise, PA implementation. The results will provide the evidence upon which to develop further policies regarding how to secure sustainable food production and how best to implement PA in China, as well as practical recommendations for optimising end-user uptake.     

The Geography of a Mixed‐Race Society

The pattern and level of separation among ethnic groups continues to change, and there are certainly more mixed neighborhoods both in cities and suburbs than two decades ago. The immigration flows of the past decade have substantially altered the ethnic mix and neighborhood mixing. In addition, multi‐ethnic individuals themselves are altering the level of mixing among racial and ethnic groups. The research in this article shows that those who report themselves of more than one race have high levels of residential integration both in central cities and suburbs. These residential patterns can be interpreted as further evidence of tentative steps to a society in which race per se is less critical in residential patterning. The level of integration, for Asian mixed and black mixed is different and substantially higher than for those who report one race alone. The research in this article builds on previous aggregate studies of mixed‐race individuals to show substantial patterns of integration in California's metropolitan areas.     

Public Education Financing Trends and the Gray Peril Hypothesis

The effects of migrating seniors on the provision of local public services in rural communities is growing in importance because of the large number of retiring baby boomers and the increasing rate at which these retirees are locating outside traditional retirement destinations. Some communities are optimistic about attracting and retaining retirees as an economic development strategy, but others are concerned that inmigrating seniors may be reluctant to support local public services, such as education, bringing with them “Gray Peril.” This article attempts to clarify questions regarding the Gray Peril hypothesis and local ability and willingness to fund education in Tennessee, an increasingly popular retirement destination. To this end, county per pupil education expenditure growth is explained by growth trends in local property tax assessment and sales tax revenue, and migration patterns of the retirement‐aged population from 1962 to 2002.     

The role of Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides melaninogenicus in the aetiology of interdigital necrobacillosis in cattle

When cultures of known pathogenic strains of Fusobacterium necrophorum, isolated either from cattle or sheep were injected through the interdigital skin of cattle typical lesions of interdigital necrobacillosis were produced. The inclusion of Bacteroides melaninogenicus in the inoculum did not appear to contribute to the development of lesions.     

The End of an Era: Asian NIEs in the Global Economy

ABSTRACT Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan (the Asian newly industrialized economies [NIEs]) were the economic success stories of the 1970s and 1980s. While there are a number of competing explanations for their rapid growth, some focusing upon the process of export-led development, the Asian NIEs face a more hostile global competitive environment than heretofore acknowledged. Their competitiveness in labor-intensive and traded-goods manufactured industries has been undermined by new competitors including the ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, as well as China. With new competitors, the rise of trading blocs, and the shrinkage of export surpluses (over imports) it is doubtful if the NIEs will be able to sustain past rates of growth over the coming years. The capacity to adjust efficiently to changing circumstances has become a vital determinate of long-term growth of the NIEs. Whatever the virtues of past state-based industrial policies, restructuring is now a very important part of the life of firms in the NIEs’labor-intensive industries. Moreover, the significance of these industries in each of the NIEs has been undercut by the growing importance of the global finance industry and its attendant political economy.     

Kinetics and residues after intraperitoneal procaine penicillin G administration in lactating dairy cows

This paper describes the pharmacokinetic profile of procaine penicillin G after intraperitoneal (IP) administration in eight lactating dairy cows. Procaine pencillin G (PPG, 21 000 IU/kg) was deposited into the abdominal cavity of each cow following an incision in the right paralumbar fossa. Blood and milk samples were taken over the following 10 days, at which point the cows were euthanized. Plasma, milk, muscle, liver, and kidney penicillin concentrations were determined by HPLC, with a limit of quantification of 5 ng/mL for plasma and milk and 40 ng/g for tissue samples. A noncompartmental method was used to analyze plasma kinetics. The mean pharmacokinetic parameters (±SD) were: C _max, 5.5 ± 2.6 μg/mL; T _max, 0.75 ± 0.27 h; AUC _0-∞, 10.8 ± 4.9 μg·h/mL; MRT , 2.2 ± 0.9 h. All milk from treated cows contained detectable penicillin residues for a minimum of three milkings (31 h) and maximum of five milkings (52 h) after administration. Concentrations of penicillin in all muscle, liver, and kidney samples taken 10 days postadministration were below the limit of quantification. Necropsy examinations revealed foci of hemorrhage on the rumenal omentum of most cows but peritonitis was not observed. Systemic inflammation as determined by change in leukogram or plasma fibrinogen was noted in one cow. The results of this study demonstrate that IP PPG is absorbed and eliminated rapidly in lactating dairy cows.     

The protection given by pilus and whole cell vaccines of Bacteroides nodosus strain 198 against ovine foot-rot induced by strains of different serogroups

A highly purified pilus vaccine prepared from cells of Bacteroides nodosus strain 198 provided a high level of protection against homologous challenge and small, not statistically significant, levels of protection against challenge with 4 other strains each from different serogroups. In a second experiment, a partially purified pilus vaccine from strain 198 induced significant immunity to 1 of 4 heterologous strains which were different from those used in the first experiment. In a third experiment a strain 198 whole cell vaccine produced significant immunity against 3 of 6 heterologous strains used in the first 2 experiments. There was no obvious relationship between the colony type, degree of piliation and level of cross-protection obtained against a particular strain. The results provide further evidence that immunogens associated with, but distinct from, the pilus are involved in cross-protection and that cross-protective antigens are common to some, but not all, strains.