Consumer Willingness to Pay for Improved Attributes of Fresh Vegetables: A Comparison Between Atlanta and Berlin

Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Coral Population Trajectories, Increased Disturbance and Management Intervention: A Sensitivity Analysis

Coral reefs distant from human population were sampled in the Red Sea and one-third showed degradation by predator outbreaks (crown-of-thorns-starfish = COTS observed in all regions in all years) or bleaching (1998, 2010). Models were built to assess future trajectories. They assumed variable coral types (slow/fast growing), disturbance frequencies (5,10,20 years), mortality (equal or not), and connectivity (un/connected to un/disturbed community). Known disturbances were used to parameterize models. Present and future disturbances were estimated from remote-sensing chlorophyll and temperature data. Simulations and sensitivity analysis suggest community resilience at \u3e20-year disturbance frequency, but degradation at higher frequency. Trajectories move from fast-grower to slow-grower dominance at intermediate disturbance frequency, then again to fast-grower dominance. A similar succession was observed in the field: Acropora to Porites to Stylophora/Pocillopora dominance on shallow reefs, and a transition from large poritids to small faviids on deep reefs. Synthesis and application: Even distant reefs are impacted by global changes. COTS impacts and bleaching were key driver of coral degradation, coral population decline could be reduced if these outbreaks and bleaching susceptibility were managed by maintaining water quality and by other interventions. Just leaving reefs alone, seems no longer a satisfactory option

Brief of Amicus Curiae American Antitrust Institute in support of Appellants and Reversal of the District Court\u27s Decision, Federal Trade Commission and State of Minnesota v. Lundbeck, Inc. Nos. 10-3548 and 10-3549, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth District (2011)

The basis for the District Court’s ruling was its view that cross-price elasticity of demand was “very low” between the two drugs acquired by Lundbeck, and therefore that they could not be in the same relevant market.2 AAI urges reversal on three grounds. First, assuming arguendo that crossprice elasticity was low – even if it were zero – the court’s approach fundamentally misapprehended the law. A lack of price competition between two functionally interchangeable products does not preclude a determination that they are in the same relevant market. Second, regardless of “low” cross-price elasticity, the acquisition removed an actual or potential constraint on a monopolist’s ability to exercise monopoly power and was therefore anticompetitive and illegal under Section 7 of the Clayton Act and Section 2 of the Sherman Act. And third, the court’s finding of “low” crossprice elasticity should be rejected because it cannot be reconciled with the rest of its findings and is otherwise riddled with errors

Brief of Amicus Curiae American Antitrust Institute in support of Appellants and Reversal of the District Court\u27s Decision, Federal Trade Commission and State of Minnesota v. Lundbeck, Inc. Nos. 10-3548 and 10-3549, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth District (2011)

The basis for the District Court’s ruling was its view that cross-price elasticity of demand was “very low” between the two drugs acquired by Lundbeck, and therefore that they could not be in the same relevant market.2 AAI urges reversal on three grounds. First, assuming arguendo that crossprice elasticity was low – even if it were zero – the court’s approach fundamentally misapprehended the law. A lack of price competition between two functionally interchangeable products does not preclude a determination that they are in the same relevant market. Second, regardless of “low” cross-price elasticity, the acquisition removed an actual or potential constraint on a monopolist’s ability to exercise monopoly power and was therefore anticompetitive and illegal under Section 7 of the Clayton Act and Section 2 of the Sherman Act. And third, the court’s finding of “low” crossprice elasticity should be rejected because it cannot be reconciled with the rest of its findings and is otherwise riddled with errors

Calculation of coercivity of magnetic nanostructures at finite temperatures

We report a finite temperature micromagnetic method (FTM) that allows for the calculation of the coercive field of arbitrary shaped magnetic nanostructures at time scales of nanoseconds to years. Instead of directly solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation, the coercive field is obtained without any free parameter by solving a non linear equation, which arises from the transition state theory. The method is applicable to magnetic structures where coercivity is determined by one thermally activated reversal or nucleation process. The method shows excellent agreement with experimentally obtained coercive fields of magnetic nanostructures and provides a deeper understanding of the mechanism of coercivity.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Review of the Laguerre-Gauss mode technology research program at Birmingham

Gravitational wave detectors from the advanced generation onwards are expected to be limited in sensitivity by thermal noise of the optics, making the reduction of this noise a key factor in the success of such detectors. A proposed method for reducing the impact of this noise is to use higher-order Laguerre-Gauss (LG) modes for the readout beam, as opposed to the currently used fundamental mode. We present here a synopsis of the research program undertaken by the University of Birmingham into the suitability of LG mode technology for future gravitational wave detectors. This will cover our previous and current work on this topic, from initial simulations and table-top LG mode experiments up to implementation in a prototype scale suspended cavity and high-power laser bench

Coral Reefs: Threats and Conservation in an Era of Global Change

Coral reefs are iconic, threatened ecosystems that have been in existence for ∼500 million years, yet their continued ecological persistence seems doubtful at present. Anthropogenic modification of chemical and physical atmospheric dynamics that cause coral death by bleaching and newly emergent diseases due to increased heat and irradiation, as well as decline in calcification caused by ocean acidification due to increased CO2, are the most important large-scale threats. On more local scales, overfishing and destructive fisheries, coastal construction, nutrient enrichment, increased runoff and sedimentation, and the introduction of nonindigenous invasive species have caused phase shifts away from corals. Already ∼20% of the world\u27s reefs are lost and ∼26% are under imminent threat. Conservation science of coral reefs is well advanced, but its practical application has often been lagging. Societal priorites, economic pressures, and legal/administrative systems of many countries are more prone to destroy rather than conserve coral-reef ecosystems. Nevertheless, many examples of successful conservation exist from the national level to community-enforced local action. When effectively managed, protected areas have contributed to regeneration of coral reefs and stocks of associated marine resources. Local communities often support coral-reef conservation in order to raise income potential associated with tourism and/or improved resource levels. Coral reefs create an annual income in S-Florida alone of over $4 billion. Thus, no conflict between development, societal welfare, and coral-reef conservation needs to exist. Despite growing threats, it is not too late for decisive action to protect and save these economically and ecologically high-value ecosystems. Conservation science plays a critical role in designing effective strategies