Bayesian estimation and selection of nonlinear vector error correction models: The case of the sugar-ethanol-oil nexus in Brazil

Nonlinear adjustment toward long-run price equilibrium relationships in the sugar-ethanol-oil nexus in Brazil is examined. We develop generalized bivariate error correction models that allow for cointegration between sugar, ethanol, and oil prices, where dynamic adjustments are potentially nonlinear functions of the disequilibrium errors. A range of models are estimated using Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithms and compared using Bayesian model selection methods. The results suggest that the long-run drivers of Brazilian sugar prices are oil prices and that there are nonlinearities in the adjustment processes of sugar and ethanol prices to oil price but linear adjustment between ethanol and sugar prices.

Dirty tariffication revisited: The EU and sugar

It is widely believed that a number of countries, including the EU, engaged in dirty tariffication during the Uruguay Round of trade talks. This article examines the EU’s record on sugar and finds little evidence to substantiate the claim. However, world prices increased between the base period (1986-88) and the date of implementation (1995), and so tariffication resulted in an increase in the tax that would have been charged on sugar imports into the EU. As well, the Special Safeguard provisions meant that a substantial additional levy could be charged.

Biofuel policies in the EU, US and Brazil

The development of biofuels has been one of the most visible and controversial manifestations of the use of biomass for energy. Biofuels policies in the EU, US and Brazil have been particularly important for the development of the industry in these three important markets. All three have used a variety of measures, including consumption or use mandates, tax incentives and import protection to promote the production and use of biofuels. Despite this, it is uncertain whether the EU will achieve its objective of a 10 per cent share for renewables in transport fuels by 2020. The US is also running into difficulties in meeting consumption mandates for biofuels. Questions are being raised about the continuation of tax credits and import protection. Brazil has liberalised its domestic ethanol market and adopted a more market-oriented approach to biofuels policy, but the management of domestic petroleum prices and the inter-relationship between the sugar market and ethanol production are important factors affecting domestic consumption and exports. In both the EU and the US an ongoing debate about the benefits of reliance on biofuels derived from food crops and concern about the efficacy of current biofuels policies may put their future in doubt.

Evidence for the complex relationship between free amino acid and sugar concentrations and acrylamide-forming potential in potato

Free amino acids and reducing sugars participate in the Maillard reaction during high-temperature cooking and processing. This results not only in the formation of colour, aroma and flavour compounds, but also undesirable contaminants, including acrylamide, which forms when the amino acid that participates in the reaction is asparagine. In this study, tubers of 13 varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum), which had been produced in a field trial in 2010 and sampled immediately after harvest or after storage for 6 months, were analysed to show the relationship between the concentrations of free asparagine, other free amino acids, sugars and acrylamide-forming potential. The varieties comprised five that are normally used for crisping, seven that are used for French fry production and one that is used for boiling. Acrylamide formation was measured in heated flour, and correlated with glucose and fructose concentration. In French fry varieties, which contain higher concentrations of sugars, acrylamide formation also correlated with free asparagine concentration, demonstrating the complex relationship between precursor concentration and acrylamide-forming potential in potato. Storage of the potatoes for 6 months at 9°C had a significant, variety-dependent impact on sugar and amino acid concentrations and acrylamide-forming potential.

Adaptation of Rhizobium leguminosarum to pea, alfalfa and sugar beet rhizospheres investigated by comparative transcriptomics

Background The rhizosphere is the microbe-rich zone around plant roots and is a key determinant of the biosphere's productivity. Comparative transcriptomics was used to investigate general and plant-specific adaptations during rhizosphere colonization. Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae was grown in the rhizospheres of pea (its legume nodulation host), alfalfa (a non-host legume) and sugar beet (non-legume). Gene expression data were compared to metabolic and transportome maps to understand adaptation to the rhizosphere. Results Carbon metabolism was dominated by organic acids, with a strong bias towards aromatic amino acids, C1 and C2 compounds. This was confirmed by induction of the glyoxylate cycle required for C2 metabolism and gluconeogenesis in all rhizospheres. Gluconeogenesis is repressed in R. leguminosarum by sugars, suggesting that although numerous sugar and putative complex carbohydrate transport systems are induced in the rhizosphere, they are less important carbon sources than organic acids. A common core of rhizosphere-induced genes was identified, of which 66% are of unknown function. Many genes were induced in the rhizosphere of the legumes, but not sugar beet, and several were plant specific. The plasmid pRL8 can be considered pea rhizosphere specific, enabling adaptation of R. leguminosarum to its host. Mutation of many of the up-regulated genes reduced competitiveness for pea rhizosphere colonization, while two genes specifically up-regulated in the pea rhizosphere reduced colonization of the pea but not alfalfa rhizosphere. Conclusions Comparative transcriptome analysis has enabled differentiation between factors conserved across plants for rhizosphere colonization as well as identification of exquisite specific adaptation to host plants.

Localization of eIF4A-III in the nucleolus and splicing speckles is an indicator of plant stress

The mechanisms of long-term adaptation to low oxygen environment are quite well studied, but little is known about the sensing of oxygen shortage, the signal transduction and the short-term effects of hypoxia in plant cells. We have found that an RNA helicase eIF4A-III, a putative component of the Exon Junction Complex, rapidly changes its pattern of localisation in the plant nucleus under hypoxic conditions. In normal cell growth conditions GFP- eIF4A-III was mainly nucleoplasmic, but in hypoxia stress conditions it moved to the nucleolus and splicing speckles. This transition occurred within 15-20 min in Arabidopsis culture cells and seedling root cells, but took more than 2 h in tobacco BY-2 culture cells. Inhibition of respiration, transcription or phosphorylation in cells and ethanol treatment had similar effects to hypoxia. The most likely consequence is that a certain mRNA population will remain bound to the eIF4A-III and other mRNA processing proteins, rather than being transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and thus its translation will be suspended.

Ionic calcium and pH as predictors of stability of milk to UHT processing

This paper describes the use of pH and calcium ion electrodes for investigating factors affecting the heat stability of UHT milk with added calcium chloride. Calcium chloride was added to raw milk to manipulate ionic calcium and pH to within the range that may be typically encountered in raw milk of different compositions and microbial quality. Addition of only 5 mM calcium chloride was sufficient to induce considerable changes in pH, ionic calcium and ethanol stability and alter its stability to UHT treatment. There was a strong relationship between pH decrease and increase in ionic calcium when pH was reduced, whether by addition of calcium chloride or by acidification. Calcium chloride addition was found to increase sediment formation in UHT treated milk. However, sediment could be reduced by addition of stabilizers. Those most effective were ones which decreased ionic calcium and increased pH, such as trisodium citrate and disodium hydrogen phosphate. Sediment formation following UHT treatment was only slight for milk samples whose ethanol stability was greater than 80%.

Developments in the Doha Round and WTO dispute settlement: some implications for EU agricultural policy

Progress in the Doha Round is assessed against the changes to the common agricultural policy (CAP) brought about by the Fischler reforms of 2003-2004, and that proposed for sugar. An elimination of export subsidies could place EU exports of processed foods at a competitive disadvantage because of high sugar and milk prices. Provided the single payment scheme falls within the green box, the likely new limits on domestic support should not be problematic for the post-Fischler CAP. However, an ambitious market access package could open up EU markets and bring pressure for further reform. If there is no Doha agreement, existing provisions will continue to apply, but without the protection of the Peace Clause; and increased litigation is likely. Further CAP reform is to be expected.

Novel charge transfer supramolecular assemblies with Keggin anions and 2-amino-5-nitropyridine

Several novel compounds with the non-linear optical chromophore 2-amino-5-nitropyridine (2A5NP) and Keggin polyoxoanions (alpha-isomers), having the general formula (2A5NP)(m)H-n[XM12O40]center dot xH(2)O, M = Mo, W, were synthesised. Compounds were obtained with X = P, n = 3, m = 3 and 4 and X = Si, n = m = 4 ( x = 2 - 6). Thus, for each of the anions [PMo12O40](3-) and [PW12O40](3-) two different compounds were obtained, with the same anion and organic counterpart but with a different stoichiometric ratio. These presented different charge transfer properties and thermal stability. All compounds were characterised by spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The single crystal X-ray diffraction structure of (2A5NP)(4)H-3[PMo12O40]center dot 2.5H(2)O center dot 0.5C(2)H(5)OH showed that the water solvent molecules and the organic chromophores are assembled via infinite one-dimensional chains of hydrogen bonds with formation of open channels, which accommodate [ PMo12O40] 3- and ethanol solvent molecules.

Changes in milk composition and processing properties during the spring flush period

The period, known to UK farmers and processors as the "spring flush", when the cows' diet changes from dry feed to spring pasture, has long been established as a time of change in milk properties and processing characteristics. Although it is believed to be a time when problems in processing are most likely to occur (e.g. milk that does not form clots or forms weak gels during cheesemaking), there is little evidence in the literature of detailed changes in milk composition and their impact on product manufacture. In this study, a range of physicochemical properties were analysed in milk collected from five commercial dairy herds before, during and after the spring flush period of 2006. In particular, total and ionic calcium contents of milk were studied in relation to other parameters including rennet clotting, acid gel properties, heat coagulation, alcohol stability, micelle size and zeta potential. Total divalent cations were significantly reduced from 35.4 to 33.4 mmol.L-1 during the study, while ionic calcium was reduced from 1.48 to 1.40 mmol.L-1 over the same period. Many parameters varied significantly between the sample dates. However, there was no evidence to suggest that any of the milk samples would have been unsuitable for processing - e.g. there were no samples that did not form clots with chymosin within a reasonable time or formed especially weak rennet or acid gels. A number of statistically significant correlations were found within the data, including ionic calcium concentration and pH; rennet clotting time (RCT) and micelle diameter; and RCT and ethanol stability. Overall, while there were clear variations in milk composition and properties over this period, there was no evidence to support the view that serious processing problems are likely during the change from dry feed to spring pasture.

Reducing acrylamide precursors in raw materials derived from wheat and potato

A review of agronomic and genetic approaches as strategies for the mitigation of acrylamide risk in wheat and potato is presented. Acrylamide is formed through the Maillard reaction during high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting, or baking, and the main precursors are free asparagine and reducing sugars. In wheat flour, acrylamide formation is determined by asparagine levels and asparagine accumulation increases dramatically in response to sulfur deprivation and, to a much lesser extent, with nitrogen feeding. In potatoes, in which sugar concentrations are much lower, the relationships between acrylamide and its precursors are more complex. Much attention has been focused on reducing the levels of sugars in potatoes as a means of reducing acrylamide risk. However, the level of asparagine as a proportion of the total free amino acid pool has been shown to be a key parameter, indicating that when sugar levels are limiting, competition between asparagine and the other amino acids for participation in the Maillard reaction determines acrylamide formation. Genetic approaches to reducing acrylamide risk include the identification of cultivars; and other germplasm in which free asparagine and/or sugar levels are low and the manipulation of genes involved in sugar and amino acid metabolism and signaling. These approaches are made more difficult by genotype/ environment interactions that can result in a genotype being "good" in one environment but "poor" in another. Another important consideration is the effect that any change could have on flavor in the cooked product. Nevertheless, as both wheat and potato are regarded as of relatively high acrylamide risk compared with, for example, maize and rice, it is essential that changes are achieved that mitigate the problem.

Transatlantic spaces: production, location and style in 1960s-1970s action-adventure TV series

This paper argues that transatlantic hybridity connects space, visual style and ideological point of view in British television action-adventure fiction of the 1960s–1970s. It analyses the relationship between the physical location of TV series production at Elstree Studios, UK, the representation of place in programmes, and the international trade in television fiction between the UK and USA. The TV series made at Elstree by the ITC and ABC companies and their affiliates linked Britishness with an international modernity associated with the USA, while also promoting national specificity. To do this, they drew on film production techniques that were already common for TV series production in Hollywood. The British series made at Elstree adapted versions of US industrial organization and television formats, and made programmes expected to be saleable to US networks, on the basis of British experiences in TV co-production with US companies and of the international cinema and TV market.

Effects of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization on free amino acids, sugars, and acrylamide-forming potential in potato

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is used routinely in potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivation to maximize yield. However, it also affects sugar and free amino acid concentrations in potato tubers, and this has potential implications for food quality and safety because free amino acids and reducing sugars participate in the Maillard reaction during high-temperature cooking and processing. This results in the formation of color, aroma, and flavor compounds, but also some undesirable contaminants, including acrylamide, which forms when the amino acid that participates in the final stages of the reaction is asparagine. Another mineral, sulfur (S), also has profound effects on tuber composition. In this study, 13 varieties of potato were grown in a field trial in 2010 and treated with different combinations of N and S. Potatoes were analyzed immediately after harvest to show the effect of N and S fertilization on concentrations of free asparagine, other free amino acids, sugars, and acrylamide-forming potential. The study showed that N application can affect acrylamide-forming potential in potatoes but that the effect is type- (French fry, chipping, and boiling) and variety-dependent, with most varieties showing an increase in acrylamide formation in response to increased N but two showing a decrease. S application reduced glucose concentrations and mitigated the effect of high N application on the acrylamide-forming potential of some of the French fry-type potatoes.