Ecosystems can undergo sudden shifts to undesirable states, but recent studies with simple single-species ecosystems have demonstrated that advance warning can be provided by the slowing down of population dynamics near a tipping point. However, it is unclear how this 'critical slowing down' will manifest in ecosystems with strong interactions between their components. Here we probe the dynamic...

In our first two columns, we described innovative practices that Advanced Practices Council (APC) members shared with their colleagues at recent meetings. In this column, we describe the ideas that Jim Tosone, a long-standing APC member, shared at the October APC meeting. A contributor to the recently published “Complete Idiot’s Guide to the U.S. Constitution,” Tosone explained how understandin...

For approximately the last forty years industrial organization economists have undertaken empirical studies to determine if an increase in the number of producers results in more competitive market outcomes. In recent years a number of empirical studies, many under the inspiration and guidance of Leonard Weiss, have focused directly on the relationship between the price of output in a market an...

The literature on strategic alliances is vast. Most authors are pro-alliances and the casual reader may thereby be lulled into a false sense of security concerning the advantages of strategic alliances. There are several possible advantages of strategic alliances however by joining an alliance several opportunities are also forsaken. The opposite strategic option, a "go it alone strategy" gener...

As we outline a movement beyond the apparent creative stagnation in the videogames industry we envision possible transformations, beyond the gridlock a producer-consumer dichotomy, that propose to mobilize players as creative actors in a holistic experience. We propose to recognize the authoring roles players develop in their relation to the industry and the gaming community, that configure an ...

The literature on strategic alliances is vast. Most authors are pro-alliances and the casual reader may thereby be lulled into a false sense of security concerning the advantages of strategic alliances. There are several possible advantages of strategic alliances however by joining an alliance several opportunities are also forsaken. The opposite strategic option, a "go it alone strategy" gener...

Introduction Historically, India is the largest producer, consumer and importer of pulses. Although it is the world’s largest pulses producer, there is still a huge shortage of pulses and also, the prices are not affordable to a large section of consumers. An immediate need is the development and dissemination of low-cost technologies in pulses production, so that they can be affordable to the ...

In this paper we assess the economic viability of innovation by producers relative to two increasingly important alternative models: innovations by single user individuals or firms, and open collaborative innovation projects. We analyze the design costs and architectures and communication costs associated with each model. We conclude that innovation by individual users and also open collaborati...

Feedlot closeout data is an important tool for measuring cattle performance and management practices for cattle production systems. Often, closeouts are quickly scrutinized by feedlot managers and cattle owners for economics and typical performance measurements and then filed. Unfortunately, a plethora of data that is reported in closeout reports is never adequately analyzed. A dichotomy of dat...