BackgroundThe ferret (Mustela putorius furo) represents an attractive animal model for the study of respiratory diseases, including influenza. Despite its importance for biomedical research, the number of reagents for molecular and immunological analysis is restricted. We present here a parallel sequencing effort to produce an extensive EST (expressed sequence tags) dataset derived from a normalized ferret cDNA library made from mRNA from ferret blood, liver, lung, spleen and brain.ResultsWe produced more than 500000 sequence reads that were assembled into 16000 partial ferret genes. These genes were combined with the available ferret sequences in the GenBank to develop a ferret specific microarray platform. Using this array, we detected tissue specific expression patterns which were confirmed by quantitative real time PCR assays. We also present a set of 41 ferret genes with even transcription profiles across the tested tissues, indicating their usefulness as housekeeping genes.ConclusionThe tools developed in this study allow for functional genomic analysis and make further development of reagents for the ferret model possible.

Wholesale prices of iceberg lettuce m e in accord with fiee-on-board shipping point (FOB) price changes, unqormly adjusting in 1 week to rising and falling FOB prices. Retail prices, by contrast, adjust more slowly to FOB and wholesale price changes, and they respond slightly more to wholesale price increases than to decreases. Moreover, FOB and wholesale price changes often partially ')ass through" retail prices, suggesting retailers stabilize their short-run prices by absorbing FOB and wholesale price rises and not passing along these price declines. Packer-shipper efforts to stabilize weekly FOB prices for 1 month reduces estimated averages of the retail price and retail-FOBprice spread in I 1 of 12 cities. 01995 by

Detailed data on private providers of long-term community-based residential services for persons with developmental disabilities permit investigation of the causes of frontline worker turnover. The endogeneity of turnover with compensation variables is accounted for in the estimation using instrumental variables. Turnover is determined by resident characteristics, frontline-worker compensation, and establishment characteristics. The share of higher-need residents and agency size predict higher turnover, while compensation and non-profit status are associated with lower turnover. Our findings indicate that public policies to reduce turnover through compensation subsidization can be effective. Our preferred estimates suggest an approximate one-quarter increase in total compensation would cut turnover by one-third.

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An econometric analysis shows that the late-season suspensions of handler prorates in the Federal marketing order for California-Arizona navel oranges during the 1983 to 1989 seasons increased quantities used fresh and lowered prices for fresh navels. The suspensions also decreased quantities processed which increased prices for processing navels. Because demand is more price inelastic in the higher-priced, fresh-use market than for processing, growers' revenue fell during the suspensions. The suspensions boosted total marketers' and consumers' economic well-being as measured by economic surplus. The size of the suspension effects depends largely on the volumes of navels shipped during the suspension and crop size.Members of the California-Arizona (CA) navel orange industry had used seasonlong handler prorates continuously for nearly 30 years until the 1982/1983 marketing season, when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) limited the number of weeks prorates could be used. The share of the annual crop marketed after prorate had been suspended varied from 12% to 53% during the suspension seasons from 1982/1983 to 1988/1989. Prorates place an upper limit on the industry's volume of shipments each week to the fresh use. Marketing order opponents charge that growers have a revenue incentive to restrict annual quantities used fresh by using season-long prorates. This action presumably is at the The data used in this analysis are available to anyone sending an SASE and a 360K floppyThe helpful comments of anonymous Agribusiness reviewers improved the presentatiov ctf the POWERS expense of consumers of fresh navels who pay more for fewer navels. Marketing order proponents argue that growers administer season-long prorates to smoothout annual variations in quantities used fresh, prices for fresh navels, and growers' revenue. The objective of this article is to estimate the suspensions' effect on volumes to market uses, growers' prices, growers' economic rents, as well as marketers' and consumers' well-being. Findings from this work can help public administrators of marketing order programs, negotiators of international trade agreements, industry members, and consumers better understand the implications of selected regulatory changes.