Superficial Geology of the Guthrie North Quadrangle, Logan County, Oklahoma

This thesis is a study of the geology of the Guthrie North Quadrangle, Logan County, Oklahoma--the main interest being the Quaternary alluvial, eolian, and colluvial deposits along the Cimarron River. To aid in the correlation of the alluvial deposits, cross sections and longitudinal profiles were prepared, Also, this thesis includes an environmental study of twelve square miles just to the north of Guthrie, Oklahoma.Geolog

The Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Description of the Spitzer Legacy Science Database

We present the science database produced by the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems (FEPS) Spitzer Legacy program. Data reduction and validation procedures for the IRAC, MIPS, and IRS instruments are described in detail. We also derive stellar properties for the FEPS sample from available broad-band photometry and spectral types, and present an algorithm to normalize Kurucz synthetic spectra to optical and near-infrared photometry. The final FEPS data products include IRAC and MIPS photometry for each star in the FEPS sample and calibrated IRS spectra.Comment: 64 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ

Anachronistic Grain Growth and Global Structure of the Protoplanetary Disk Associated with the Mature Classical T Tauri Star, PDS 66

We present ATCA interferometric observations of the old (13 Myr), nearby (86pc) classical T Tauri star, PDS 66. Unresolved 3 and 12 mm continuum emission is detected towards PDS 66, and upper limits are derived for the 3 and 6 cm flux densities. The mm-wave data show a spectral slope flatter than that expected for ISM-sized dust particles, which is evidence of grain growth. We also present HST/NICMOS 1.1 micron PSF-subtracted coronagraphic imaging of PDS 66. The HST observations reveal a bilaterally symmetric circumstellar region of dust scattering about 0.32% of the central starlight, declining radially in surface brightness. The light-scattering disk of material is inclined 32 degrees from face-on, and extends to a radius of 170 AU. These data are combined with published optical and longer wavelength observations to make qualitative comparisons between the median Taurus and PDS 66 spectral energy distributions (SEDs). By comparing the near-infrared emission to a simple model, we determine that the location of the inner disk radius is consistent with the dust sublimation radius (1400 K at 0.1 AU). We place constraints on the total disk mass using a flat-disk model and find that it is probably too low to form gas giant planets according to current models. Despite the fact that PDS 66 is much older than a typical classical T Tauri star (< 5 Myr), its physical properties are not much different.Comment: 31 pages, 7 figure

Essays On Hybrid Bundle Pricing

Increasingly, firms are offering hybrid bundles — products that combine both good(s) and service(s). Some hybrid bundles, such as TiVo that combines a DVR and recording management are more visible, while some, such as GE‘s Powerplant System that includes a nuclear power plant and maintenance/project management are more obscure. While pricing strategies for a goods bundle have been well-studied, services bundles have been underexplored. Hybrid bundles, which are fundamentally different from bundles of goods or services, have received even less attention. In this dissertation, three essays offer important insights into different aspects of hybrid bundle pricing and provide important managerial implications and guidelines. Essay I develops an analytic model of optimal pricing for hybrid bundles by a monopolist. My results show that an increase in quality variability of the service is generally associated with a higher optimal hybrid bundle price and a lower optimal price of the good, but lower overall bundle profit. They also reveal that the optimal price of the service (good) in a hybrid bundle is higher (lower) when the good has diminishing unit cost and the service has constant unit cost. Essay II examines the effects of quality variability, independence, and complementarity on willingness-to-pay for hybrid bundle components using conjoint analysis experiments. The results show that higher quality variability of a service is associated with a wider distribution of willingness-to-pay, that independence between the good and the service has positive direct- and cross-effects on willingness-to-pay, that complementarity between components has a greater positive effect on the willingness-to-pay for the service than for the good, and that independence and complementarity interact to increase willingness-to-pay. Essay III develops a general model for the pricing of hybrid bundles offered in a competitive setting. I estimate the model using empirical data of a hybrid bundle comprising carpet and installation. The results show that the price of the service plays a crucial role in the demands of both the good and service and that the service cross-price effect on the demand for the good can be substantially higher than the direct-price effect of the good on its own demand

Sawja: Static Analysis Workshop for Java

Static analysis is a powerful technique for automatic verification of programs but raises major engineering challenges when developing a full-fledged analyzer for a realistic language such as Java. This paper describes the Sawja library: a static analysis framework fully compliant with Java 6 which provides OCaml modules for efficiently manipulating Java bytecode programs. We present the main features of the library, including (i) efficient functional data-structures for representing program with implicit sharing and lazy parsing, (ii) an intermediate stack-less representation, and (iii) fast computation and manipulation of complete programs

Improvements of rolling circle amplification (RCA) efficiency and accuracy using Thermus thermophilus SSB mutant protein

Rolling circle amplification (RCA) of plasmid or genomic DNA using random hexamers and bacteriophage phi29 DNA polymerase has become increasingly popular in the amplification of template DNA in DNA sequencing. We have found that the mutant protein of single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) from Thermus thermophilus (Tth) HB8 enhances the efficiency of amplification of DNA templates. In addition, the TthSSB mutant protein increased the specificity of phi29 DNA polymerase. We have overexpressed the native and mutant forms of TthSSB protein in Escherichia coli and purified them to homogeneity. In vitro, these proteins were found to bind specifically to single-stranded DNA. Addition of TthSSB mutant protein to RCA halved the elongation time required for phi29 DNA polymerase to synthesize DNA fragments in RCA. Furthermore, the presence of the TthSSB mutant protein essentially eliminates nonspecific DNA products in RCA reactions

The quantum Hall effect in graphene - a theoretical perspective

This short theoretical review deals with some essential ingredients for the understanding of the quantum Hall effect in graphene in comparison with the effect in conventional two-dimensional electron systems with a parabolic band dispersion. The main difference between the two systems stems from the "ultra-relativistic" character of the low-energy carriers in graphene, which are described in terms of a Dirac equation, as compared to the non-relativistic Schr\"odinger equation used for electrons with a parabolic band dispersion. In spite of this fundamental difference, the Hall resistance quantisation is universal in the sense that it is given in terms of the universal constant h/e^2 and an integer number, regardless of whether the charge carriers are characterised by Galilean or Lorentz invariance, for non-relativistic or relativistic carriers, respectively.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures; brief review article for Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences; references added with respect to previous versio

Grain Growth and Global Structure of the Protoplanetary Disk Associated with the Mature Classical T Tauri Star, PDS 66

We present Australia Telescope Compact Array interferometric observations of the old (13 Myr), nearby (86 pc) classical T Tauri star (cTTS), PDS 66. Unresolved 3 and 12 mm continuum emission is detected toward PDS 66, and upper limits are derived for the 3 and 6 cm flux densities. The millimeter-wave data show a spectral slope flatter than that expected for interstellar medium-sized dust particles, which is evidence of grain growth. We also present HST/NICMOS 1.1 μm point-spread-function-subtracted coronagraphic imaging observations of the circumstellar environment of PDS 66. The Hubble Space Telescope observations reveal a bilaterally symmetric circumstellar region of dust scattering ~0.32% of the central starlight, declining in surface brightness as r ^(–4.53). The light-scattering disk of material is inclined 32° ± 5° from a face-on viewing geometry, and extends to a radius of 170 AU. These data are combined with published optical and longer wavelength observations to make qualitative comparisons between the median Taurus and PDS 66 spectral energy distributions. By comparing the near-infrared emission to a simple model, we determine that the location of the inner disk radius is consistent with the dust sublimation radius (~1400 K at 0.1 AU). We place constraints on the total disk mass using a flat-disk model and find that it is probably too low to form gas giant planets according to current models. Despite the fact that PDS 66 is much older than a typical cTTS (≤5 Myr), its physical properties are not much different

Lay leadership dinner

Immanuel Janssen, master of ceremonies; R. Hopmann, L. Hempelmann, J. Klotz, R. Meyer, M. Miller, S. Nafzger, R. Bohlmann, speakers. Recorded May 7, 1981

How food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how they believe consumers understand their role in relation to food safety. The implications of this on the role of food regulators are considered. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 42 food regulators from Australia, New Zealand and the UK participated in a semi-structured interview about their response to food incidents and issues of food regulation more generally. Data were analysed thematically. Findings – Food regulators have a key role in communicating information to consumers about food safety and food incidents. This is done in two main ways: proactive and reactive communication. The majority of regulators said that consumers do not have a good understanding of what food regulation involves and there were varied views on whether or not this is important. Practical implications – Both reactive and proactive communication with consumers are important, however there are clear benefits in food regulators communicating proactively with consumers, including a greater understanding of the regulators’ role. Regulators should be supported to communicate proactively where possible. Originality/value – There is a lack of information about how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how food regulators perceive consumers to understand food regulation. It is this gap that forms the basis of this paper