Marketing Tips for Small-scale, Local Honey Bee Keepers in Northwest Arkansas

The objective of this thesis was to gain market information for beekeepers regarding different honey bee products and to provide information about economic feasibility when produced on a small, local scale. Since cost-of-production information about operating an apiary is widely available, the focus of this work was on gaining marketing knowledge. One of the objectives of the surveys was to develop a better sense of what potential resellers of honey bee products considered locally produced. Another objective was to determine preferences for honey bee product packaging as well as bee pollination services. Using that feedback, a marketing plan for different niche markets can be developed for part-time beekeeping operations. The survey results pertaining to local retailers and end users in Northwest Arkansas in 2016 suggested a supply radius near 100 miles and a preference for small packaging in general. Least cost supply, and at least regional brand recognition were not deemed as important as ensuring locally sourced products that can be sold at a premium. Different niche markets revealed both similar and different priorities related to these marketing aspects

Non-verbal sound processing in the primary progressive aphasias

Little is known about the processing of non-verbal sounds in the primary progressive aphasias. Here, we investigated the processing of complex non-verbal sounds in detail, in a consecutive series of 20 patients with primary progressive aphasia [12 with progressive non-fluent aphasia; eight with semantic dementia]. We designed a novel experimental neuropsychological battery to probe complex sound processing at early perceptual, apperceptive and semantic levels, using within-modality response procedures that minimized other cognitive demands and matching tests in the visual modality. Patients with primary progressive aphasia had deficits of non-verbal sound analysis compared with healthy age-matched individuals. Deficits of auditory early perceptual analysis were more common in progressive non-fluent aphasia, deficits of apperceptive processing occurred in both progressive non-fluent aphasia and semantic dementia, and deficits of semantic processing also occurred in both syndromes, but were relatively modality specific in progressive non-fluent aphasia and part of a more severe generic semantic deficit in semantic dementia. Patients with progressive non-fluent aphasia were more likely to show severe auditory than visual deficits as compared to patients with semantic dementia. These findings argue for the existence of core disorders of complex non-verbal sound perception and recognition in primary progressive aphasia and specific disorders at perceptual and semantic levels of cortical auditory processing in progressive non-fluent aphasia and semantic dementia, respectively

Spectroscopic Evidence for Multiple Order Parameter Components in the Heavy Fermion Superconductor CeCoIn_5

Point-contact spectroscopy was performed on single crystals of the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn_5 between 150 mK and 2.5 K. A pulsed measurement technique ensured minimal Joule heating over a wide voltage range. The spectra show Andreev-reflection characteristics with multiple structures which depend on junction impedance. Spectral analysis using the generalized Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism for d-wave pairing revealed two coexisting order parameter components, with amplitudes Delta_1 = 0.95 +/- 0.15 meV and Delta_2 = 2.4 +/- 0.3 meV, which evolve differently with temperature. Our observations indicate a highly unconventional pairing mechanism, possibly involving multiple bands.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Synchronous OEIC integrating receiver for ORGA applications

This work presents a monolithically integrated synchronous optical receiver fabricated in a standard 0.35 mu m CMOS process. The receiver consists of a regenerative latch acting as a sense amplifier; two highly effective, low-capacitance pin photodiodes connected to its output nodes (one of them blocked to the light); and an adjustable reference current to compensate the dynamic offset created by the asymmetries between the parasitic capacitances of the photodiodes. For lambda = 635 nm, a sensitivity of -25.8 dBm, -26.0 dBm, and -28.4dBm is obtained, respectively, for 400 Mbit/s, 350 Mbit/s, and 250 Mbit/s (BER = 10(-9)). The power consumption is 670 mu W, which translates to an energy efficiency of 1.7 pJ/bit at 400 Mbit/s

Synchronous OEIC integrating receiver for optically reconfigurable gate arrays

A monolithically integrated optoelectronic receiver with a low-capacitance on-chip pin photodiode is presented. The receiver is fabricated in a 0.35µm opto-CMOS process fed at 3.3V and due to the highly effective integrated pin photodiode it operates at µW. A regenerative latch acting as a sense amplifier leads in addition to a low electrical power consumption. At 400 Mbit/s, sensitivities of -26.0dBm and -25.5dBm are achieved, respectively, for ¿ = 635nm and ¿ = 675nm (BER =10-9) with an energy efficiency of 2 pJ/bit

Large Broadening of the Superconducting Transition by Fluctuations in a 3D Metal at High Magnetic Fields: The MgB2_{2} case

It is shown that the transition to the low temperature superconducting state in a 3D metal at high magnetic field is smeared dramatically by thermal fluctuation of the superconducting order parameter. The resulting superconducting-to-normal crossover occurs in a vortex liquid state which is extended well below the mean-field $H_{c2}$. Application to MgB$_{2}$ yields good quantitative agreement with recently reported data of dHvA oscillation in the superconducting state

Break junctions of the heavy-fermion superconductors

Mechanical-controllable break junctions of the heavy-fermion superconductors can show Josephson-like superconducting anomalies. But a systematic study on the contact size demonstrates that these anomalies are mainly due to Maxwell's resistance being suppressed in the superconducting heavy-fermion phase. Up to day, we could not find any superconducting features by vacuum-tunnelling spectroscopy, providing further evidence for the pair-breaking effect of the heavy-fermion interfaces.Comment: 5 pages, EPS figures included, REVTeX, to be published in Physica B 9

Power Utility Maximization in Discrete-Time and Continuous-Time Exponential Levy Models

Consider power utility maximization of terminal wealth in a 1-dimensional continuous-time exponential Levy model with finite time horizon. We discretize the model by restricting portfolio adjustments to an equidistant discrete time grid. Under minimal assumptions we prove convergence of the optimal discrete-time strategies to the continuous-time counterpart. In addition, we provide and compare qualitative properties of the discrete-time and continuous-time optimizers.Comment: 18 pages, to appear in Mathematical Methods of Operations Research. The final publication is available at springerlink.co