Recent PHENIX Results on Open Heavy Flavor

Throughout the history of the RHIC physics program, questions concerning the dynamics of heavy quarks have generated much experimental and theoretical investigation. A major focus of the PHENIX experiment is the measurement of these quarks through their semi-leptonic decay channels at mid and forward rapidity. Heavy quark measurements in $p+p$ collisions give information on the production of heavy flavor, without complications from medium effects. New measurements in $d+$Au and Cu+Cu indicate surprising cold nuclear matter effects on these quarks at midrapidity, and provide a new baseline for interpretation of the observed suppression in Au+Au collisions. When considered all together, these measurements present a detailed study of nuclear matter across a wide range of system size and temperature. Here we present preliminary PHENIX measurements of non-photonic electron spectra and their centrality dependence in $d$+Au and Cu+Cu, and discuss their implications on the current understanding of parton energy loss in the nuclear medium.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of Quark Matter 201

Health vs. Environmental Motivation in Organic Preferences and Purchases

Economic analyses generally incorporate environmental motivations in examining the factors that determine whether consumers will buy organic and ecolabeled foods, but have not typically considered health and wellness motivations. Market research studies, using both focus groups and surveys, have found that many consumers believe that organic foods are healthier to eat, and have segmented consumers using health and wellness concerns as a factor associated with organic buying behavior. These findings have been widely interpreted in the press as indicating that health and wellness concerns are a primary motivator for buying organic. This study compares the impact of these motivators, as well as demographic and economic factors, in determining how dedicated a consumer is to organic buying as measured by whether more than 50 percent of the consumer's produce purchases are organic. The buying level results are compared to a model of stated preferences.Health Economics and Policy,

Demand Elasticities for Fresh Fruit at the Retail Level

The obesity epidemic in the US and elsewhere has re-doubled efforts to understand determinants of the quality of consumers' diets. Part of the discussion has centered on the potential of "fat taxes" and/or the subsidization of the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables to coax consumers to better diets. Whether this discussion has merit or not, fundamental to the debate are the demand elasticities of the commodities involved. This study employs weekly data from several retail stores on fruit prices and sales to estimate elasticities of individual fruits. Estimates show consumers are more responsive to price than has been found previously.Consumer/Household Economics,

Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Washington Apples with Respect to Sensory Attributes

To evaluate consumers willingness to pay (WTP) for Washington apples, the effects of firmness and sweetness as the representative sensory attributes are investigated in addition to those of consumer demographics and preferences. A tasting survey was conducted in Portland, Oregon on two varieties of apples, Gala and Red Delicious. Survey data is analyzed by employing a dichotomous-choice contingent valuation method, the double-bounded model, and maximum likelihood estimates are obtained. This study shows that firmer and sweeter apples induce more WTP. Age is also an important factor affecting WTP for apples. Education, eating frequency, and race affect WTP in the Gala model but not the Red Delicious. Other variables, such as gender, annual household income level, and whether they buy organic food, do not add significant explanatory power in estimating consumers WTP.Consumer/Household Economics,

Ground data systems resource allocation process

The Ground Data Systems Resource Allocation Process at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory provides medium- and long-range planning for the use of Deep Space Network and Mission Control and Computing Center resources in support of NASA's deep space missions and Earth-based science. Resources consist of radio antenna complexes and associated data processing and control computer networks. A semi-automated system was developed that allows operations personnel to interactively generate, edit, and revise allocation plans spanning periods of up to ten years (as opposed to only two or three weeks under the manual system) based on the relative merit of mission events. It also enhances scientific data return. A software system known as the Resource Allocation and Planning Helper (RALPH) merges the conventional methods of operations research, rule-based knowledge engineering, and advanced data base structures. RALPH employs a generic, highly modular architecture capable of solving a wide variety of scheduling and resource sequencing problems. The rule-based RALPH system has saved significant labor in resource allocation. Its successful use affirms the importance of establishing and applying event priorities based on scientific merit, and the benefit of continuity in planning provided by knowledge-based engineering. The RALPH system exhibits a strong potential for minimizing development cycles of resource and payload planning systems throughout NASA and the private sector

The Irony of the “God Fearing Man”

In this essay, my class was required to summarize Martin Luther\u27s idea of justification by faith and then agree or disagree with his argument. I disagreed with Luther; then, I concluded my essay as to how his ideas still exist today in my hometown