103,701 research outputs found

    Directions of U.S. Farm Programmes under a Freer Trade Environment

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    For the new round of WTO multilateral trade liberalisation negotiations to be successful, the world will need to be more enthusiastic and flexible about opening markets. Partisans will need to submerge their self-interests, and the U.S. will need to take the initiative for more open markets. This paper makes the case that only modest changes in the U.S. domestic grain, oilseed, and cotton programmes are needed for compatibility with global free trade. The Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996 and related policy changes in the 1990s brought fundamental reforms compatible with freer domestic and foreign markets. Chief among these were a shift from coupled deficiency payments to decoupled direct payments, an end to supply management, and less engagement of government in commodity stock accumulation and export subsidies. Converting commodity price support to recourse loans while ending all but administrative cost subsidies to crop insurance would go far to liberalise grain, oilseed, and cotton policies. Unilateral termination of commodity programmes including direct payments totalling 42 percent of net cash farm income in year 2000 would appear to be traumatic to producers. However, reduction of direct payments could be offset (for farm income) by rising farm commodity prices and receipts resulting from (1) less farm output attending lower loan rates and crop insurance subsidies, and (2) world farm commodity price-enhancement from freer global trade.

    Letter of recommendation

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    Letter of recommendation for Freer. Signed by G. Calvert Holland

    Alien Registration- Freer, Cecil G. (Mount Vernon, Kennebec County)

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    https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/16420/thumbnail.jp

    Antibodies generated in cats by a lipopeptide reproducing the membrane-proximal external region of the feline immunodeficiency virus transmembrane enhance virus infectivity.

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    The immunogenicity of a lipoylated peptide (lipo-P59) reproducing the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the transmembrane glycoprotein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was investigated with cats. In the attempt to mimic the context in which MPER is located within intact virions, lipo-P59 was administered in association with membrane-like micelles. Analyses showed that in this milieu, lipo-P59 had a remarkable propensity to be positioned at the membrane interface, displayed a large number of ordered structures folded in turn helices, and was as active as lipo-P59 alone at inhibiting FIV infectivity in vitro. The antibodies developed differed from the ones previously obtained by immunizing cats with the nonlipoylated version of the peptide (G. Freer, S. Giannecchini, A. Tissot, M. F. Bachmann, P. Rovero, P. F. Serres, and M. Bendinelli, Virology 322:360-369,2004) in epitope specificity and in the fact that they bound FIV virions. However, they too lacked virus-neutralizing activity and actually enhanced FIN infectivity for lymphoid cell cultures. It is concluded that the use of MPER-reproducing oligopeptides is not a viable approach for vaccinating against FIV

    Deposition velocities to Sorbus aria, Acer campestre, Populus deltoides X trichocarpa 'Beaupre', Pinus nigra and X Cupressocyparis leylandii for coarse, fine and ultra-fine particles in the urban environment

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    Trees are effective in the capture of particles from urban air to the extent that they can significantly improve urban air quality. As a result of their aerodynamic properties conifers, with their smaller leaves and more complex shoot structures, have been shown to capture larger amounts of particle matter than broadleaved trees. This study focuses on the effects of particle size on the deposition velocity of particles (Vg) to five urban tree species (coniferous and broadleaved) measured at two field sites, one urban and polluted and a second more rural. The larger uptake to conifers is confirmed, and for broadleaves and conifers Vg values are shown to be greater for ultra-fine particles (Dp < 1.0 ?m) than for fine and coarse particles. This is important since finer particles are more likely to be deposited deep in the alveoli of the human lung causing adverse health effects. The finer particle fraction is also shown to be transported further from the emission source; in this study a busy urban road. In further sets of data the aqueous soluble and insoluble fractions of the ultra-fines were separated, indicating that aqueous insoluble particles made up only a small proportion of the ultra-fines. Much of the ultra-fine fraction is present as aerosol. Chemical analysis of the aqueous soluble fractions of coarse, fine and ultra-fine particles showed the importance of nitrates, chloride and phosphates in all three size categories at the polluted and more rural locatio

    Urban woodlands: their role in reducing the effects of particulate pollution

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    In recent years a substantial research effort has focused on the links between particulate air pollution and poor health. As a result the PM10 value has been set as a measure of such pollutants which can directly cause illness. Due to their large leaf areas relative to the ground on which they stand and the physical properties of their surfaces, trees can act as biological filters, removing large numbers of airborne particles and hence improving the quality of air in polluted environments. The role of vegetation and urban woodlands in reducing the effects of particulate pollution is reviewed here. The improvement of urban air quality achieved by establishing more trees in towns and cities is also illustrated
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