Conceptual models underlying economic analysis of animal health and welfare with the inclusion of three components: people, products and resources.

Infectious animal diseases can spill across farm boundaries, so effective management requires coordinated responses. Costs and benefits from the management of infectious diseases are such that those who make the decisions have weak incentives to act, the levels of goods and services produced from animal agriculture are probably smaller than is socially optimal and resources are likely wasted. This work provides an overview of the existing literature on conceptual economic models in animal disease management, paying particular attention to inadequate incentives to make the required biosecurity efforts. A disease transmission model follows, emphasising policy and management issues which need to be addressed to enhance the benefits that consumers and producers obtain from animal protein markets. The article concludes with comments and suggestions on tackling infectious disease as a public good, and on directions for future research.

Les maladies animales infectieuses se propageant au-delà des limites des exploitations, leur gestion efficace requiert des réponses coordonnées. En raison de la nature même des coûts et des bénéfices induits par la gestion des maladies infectieuses, les personnes qui prennent les décisions ne sont pas nécessairement les plus motivées, ce qui se traduit par un niveau médiocre de production de biens et de services dans les élevages et par un gaspillage des ressources. L'auteur propose une synthèse de la littérature existante sur les modèles économiques théoriques en matière de gestion des maladies animales, en soulignant particulièrement l'inadéquation des incitations en faveur des mesures de biosécurité. Il fournit ensuite un modèle de transmission des maladies et met en exergue les problématiques de stratégie et de gestion à prendre en compte pour améliorer les bénéfices apportés aux consommateurs et aux producteurs par la filière de production de protéines animales. Pour conclure, l'auteur fait quelques commentaires et propositions pour la prise en compte en tant que bien public de la lutte contre les maladies infectieuses ainsi que sur les orientations futures de la recherche.

Dado que las enfermedades animales infecciosas pueden extenderse más allá de las lindes de una explotación agrícola, para combatirlas eficazmente se requieren respuestas coordinadas. Los costos y beneficios vinculados a la gestión de las enfermedades infecciosas son tales que: los responsables de adoptar decisiones se ven poco incentivados; los bienes y servicios resultantes de la actividad agropecuaria son probablemente demasiado escasos; y seguramente se despilfarran recursos. El autor hace un repaso general de la bibliografía existente sobre modelos económicos teóricos de gestión zoosanitaria, prestando especial atención a la endeblez de los incentivos existentes para dedicar los esfuerzos necesarios a las cuestiones de seguridad biológica. Después expone un modelo de transmisión de enfermedades, haciendo hincapié en las cuestiones normativas y de gestión que es preciso abordar para que consumidores y productores se beneficien en mayor medida de los mercados de proteínas animales. A modo de conclusión, el autor formula observaciones y sugerencias sobre la lucha contra las enfermedades infecciosas como bien de interés público y sobre las líneas de investigación que convendría seguir en el futuro.

Factors determining milk quality and implications for production structure under somatic cell count standard modification.

Consumer and processor demand for high-quality milk has placed increasing pressure on US milk producers to achieve higher product standards. International standards for somatic cell count (SCC) are becoming more stringent, but in May 2011, the United States National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments chose to retain the 750,000 cells/mL standard. Using ordinary least squares and quantile regressions on US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Resource Management Survey Dairy Costs and Returns Report data for 2005, we model producer and farm-level characteristics associated with SCC. Quantile regression analysis allows for a more parsed inquiry into statistical associations. Dairy Costs and Returns Report data provide cross-sectional information on the physical structure, input expenses, demographics, and outputs for farms in selected states. Location outside the Southeast, lower herd age, full-time farming status, use of biosecurity guidelines, good milking facilities and operations management, and application of related quality tests are all associated with lower SCC levels. Size of operation had little effect on SCC levels after controlling for other factors. Many of the operations that did not attain a more demanding SCC standard of 400,000 cells/mL had older operators, operators who expressed intention to exit within 10 yr, smaller size, and location in the Southeast when compared with those meeting the tighter standard. The results suggest that the stricter scheme favors larger farms that are more committed to production and are less likely to be sole or family proprietorships.

Further validation of the driving vengeance questionnaire.

The present study further validated the Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ), assessing the frequency of past acts of severe and dangerous violent driving behaviors, as well as milder driver aggression measured in actual driving conditions. DVQ scores were predicted by driver violence, where vengeful drivers reported greater acts of past violence. DVQ scores were also predicted by mild driver aggression measured in high traffic congestion, such that vengeful drivers were more likely to exhibit mild aggression in high congestion conditions. Finally, the DVQ demonstrated high internal consistency (alpha = 0.81), demonstrating the DVQ to be a reliable and valid measure of driving vengeance.

Identifying and developing tomorrow's trust nursing directors.

The recent National Health Service (NHS) reforms are having a fundamental impact upon the culture, structure and financing of the NHS, and the way in which patients receive care. The challenges this presents for the future of nursing practice, management and leadership are profound. This paper provides an account of how one NHS region, South West Thames, has sought to identify and develop the competencies required of future NHS trust nursing directors, and other top managers within the region, by participation in a sophisticated diagnostic process known as the Development Centre. The paper firstly explores the background to the Region's Career Development and Planning System (CDPS), then outlines the process of the identification of competencies, before exploring in detail the six stages of the Development Centre diagnostic process.

Effects of reduction of acute hospital services on district nursing services: implications for quality assurance.

Two questions of importance to those concerned with maintaining standards and increasing the efficiency of Community Nursing are: (1) does reducing hospital provision alter the number of patients referred for Community Nursing or the type of care provided; (2) are Community Nursing Services directed towards those who most require them? A base-line study was carried out in the first quarter of 1988, before the closure of one of two general hospitals in an inner London Health Authority and was replicated in the same quarter of 1989, after all acute inpatient services had been transferred to the other hospital. Comparison of patients discharged before and after closure showed no significant differences in patients' age, sex, proportion living alone, length of stay in hospital, readmissions or deaths within one month of discharge. There was some decline in general nursing care. Total discharges declined by 20% while the number of referrals remained the same, indicating that proportionately more patients were discharged with a referral. Comparing referred and unreferred patients showed that Community Nursing Services were already being directed towards those most in need both before and after hospital closure. Results suggest that Community Nursing helps to maintain patients in the community.