Measurement of production asymmetries

The knowledge of charm production asymmetries is an important prerequisite for many of the possible searches for CP violation in charm. Measurements of these asymmetries at hadron colliders can also help to improve our understanding of QCD. These proceedings review existing measurements and discuss some of the experimental challenges of determining charge asymmetries at the per-mille level.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of The 6th International Workshop on Charm Physics (CHARM 2013

Incorporation of extracellular polysaccharide produced by Xanthomonas campestris into milk powders : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Food Technology at Massey University

The purpose of the research was to investigate the functional properties of milk powders following exopolysaccharide (EPS) addition to milk solutions and their subsequent spray-drying. The aim was to replace some of the milk proteins with polysaccharide in dairy products while maintaining or improving the functional characteristics. Both commercial xanthan EPS and ferment xanthan EPS were incorporated into whole milk powder (WMP), skim milk powder (SMP), and milk protein concentrate (MPC). Ferment EPS was produced from a by-product of the dairy industry, milk permeate, through the hydrolysis of the lactose and fermentation with a strain of Xanthomonas campestris. Ferment EPS had a characteristic and unpleasant odour. The main compound responsible for this odour was p-cresol which, in milk, is largely bound in the conjugate form. Xanthomonas campestris hydrolyses these conjugates releasing the odour compounds. Ultrafiltration (UF) of the ferment or passing the ferment through a bed of activated carbon was effective in reducing the odour. UF was proven to reduce the levels of p-cresol in the ferment from 138ppb to less than 5ppb after 98 concentration factors. Milk powders made with UF ferment were more acceptable to the consumer sensory panel than those made with untreated ferment. The incorporation of EPS into milk powders has beneficial effects on the product with small additions increasing the viscosity of reconstituted SMP and WMP considerably. The EPS addition could result in a thickened milk product or alternatively, substitute for some of the milk solids. Sensory testing showed that 13.3% WMP solution, containing 0.02% commercial EPS, was not detectably different from a 15% WMP solution. The addition of both commercial and ferment EPS into milk powders leads to the formation of separate flocculated casein and polysaccharide phases with reconstituted milk. Confocal microscopy showed that casein flocculation occurred at all EPS concentrations tested, but this only resulted in sedimentation at intermediate EPS concentrations. At high EPS concentrations of approximately 0.2% the high viscosity limited flocculation and prevented sedimentation. At low EPS concentrations of approximately 0.05% flocculation was insufficient to overcome Brownian motion. Fresh cheese (Panela) made from MPC containing either ferment or commercial EPS showed greatly decreased whey loss. This was attributed to (i) the increased viscosity of the continuous phase limiting the flow of liquid through the pores of the cheese, and (ii) diminished casein interaction in the presence of EPS leading to a looser curd and lower contraction forces. For example the incorporation of 0.161% ferment EPS decreased the whey lost by approximately 75%. Negative effects were also apparent. The addition of EPS led to a granular appearance, which became more apparent with increasing EPS concentration. Cheese firmness was also decreased by approximately 40% by the addition of the ferment EPS at 0.161%. This could also be attributed to the localised aggregation of protein during renneting and the increased heterogeneity of the network. Sensory testing of cheeses made with 15.6% MPC + 0.045% commercial EPS compared with cheese made with 17.37% MPC alone showed that the consumers had no significant preference for one cheese over the other, but did notice a difference in texture. For reasons of safety and health, the sensory testing of milk and cheese in this research was confined to commercial xanthan. Future sensory testing of milk and cheese should be conducted with ferment EPS after odour removal rather than commercial EPS, and use consumers familiar with these cheese and milk products. For commercial production of dairy powders containing UF ferment EPS it is vital that either the xanthan or casein micelle structure be altered to prevent casein flocculation. If this is not feasible then an alternative use of the product may need to be found. A potential option involves the addition of the powder containing UF ferment EPS into food products as a minor food constituent. This may limit the occurrence of phase separation while improving the functionality of the product. Commercialisation is also limited by the increasing costs caused by ferment EPS purification and the lower solids concentrations required for spray-drying. As such the viability of the powder production must be determined

Agricultural software : a case study of feed and animal information systems in the New Zealand dairy industry : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Masters of AgriCommerce at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Every farmer utilises agricultural software, either directly or indirectly, as part of feed and animal information systems (IS) used for decision making and compliance on New Zealand (NZ) dairy farms. With continued development and availability of advanced information and communication technologies (ICT), more farmers are using software in their IS. This study investigates: how NZ dairy farmers use agricultural software in their feed and animal IS; the software attributes that influence the use and impact of these software; and, the drivers and inhibitors of software use and impact. A case study research approach was used to investigate these questions. Evidence was collected using semi-structured interviews with six NZ dairy farmers with farms of different scale and ownership structure, and with five commercial agricultural software providers. Results show that feed and animal IS are particularly useful for farmer decision making and compliance at the operational and tactical management levels, but also produce data and information critical for strategic management. The number of software products used and the degree of data and information collation in animal IS compared to feed IS are considerably different. Animal IS were streamlined, with data and information collected and collated together in a limited number of software with only one or two ‘focal’ software as the centrepiece of the IS. In contrast, feed IS were less streamlined, with data and information flowing into a number of different software. Six important software attributes that influence use and impact of software were identified by farmers and providers, with ‘simplicity’ and, ‘integration with software and hardware’, the most highly recognised attributes. The delivery of software with these attributes was achieved by providers in a number of instances, however, other software failed to fully meet farmer needs. Organisational and people drivers/inhibitors had a greater effect on software use and impact than technological drivers/inhibitors indicating that these IS dimensions should be the focus of future improvements

World processed food trade : a comparative analysis of New Zealand and selected exporters : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Applied Economics in Agricultural Economics at Massey University

International trade in processed food products has been a dynamic component of world economic activity over the past twenty years, with the value of world processed food trade more than tripling between 1976 and 1996. Fueling this growth has been recent dietary trends towards higher-valued processed foods, which has been accelerated by rising incomes, urbanisation and demographic and socio-economic factors. In highly developed markets such as the European Union, North America and Japan, consumer ready processed goods make up a large and growing share of the food and agricultural imports. Consumer ready processed goods are also making inroads in developing countries as consumers demand convenience foods such as frozen 'ready-meals' and evening 'meal solutions.' Despite this, most agro-food trade research has been concentrated on the trade in bulk commodities (non-processed food products). This research evaluates the performance of New Zealand's processed food exports, relative to the performance of five other leading processed food competitors. Combined with revealed comparative advantage indices, a constant market share model is applied to the data to determine factors responsible for enhancing or retarding the performance of a focus country's processed food exports. An important empirical finding is that New Zealand's competitive position in international processed food markets deteriorated over the 1976-1996 period. A combination of declining competitiveness, reduced comparative advantage and a heavy reliance on traditional export markets has eroded New Zealand's share of world processed food trade. The failure to capitalise on the potential offered by Asian markets has also limited the growth of New Zealand's processed food trade. However evidence suggests that since the early 1990s New Zealand has been able to diversify into the fast growing Asian markets and is beginning to increase her competitiveness

An analysis of the factors influencing New Zealand's trade with China, 1954 to 1984 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Economics at Massey University

Analysis of the Factors Influencing New Zealand's Trade with China- 1954 to 1984" In 2004 China became New Zealand's fourth largest trading partner taking approximately 5% of New Zealand's exports and 8% of New Zealand's imports. This study analyses the economic and political background to the rise of China as a pivotal trading partner for New Zealand. The nature and pattern of New Zealand-China trade between 1954 and 1984 is examined with emphasis given to factors that have assisted or hindered bi-lateral trade. Political factors are identified as the paramount influence on trade development and lead to the demarcation of three distinct periods of trading activity. Market forces, trade barriers, and transport issues are the other factors found to have influenced the pattern of trade between New Zealand and China over the subject period

Down with the drain : looking after our urban runoff and waterways in the era of sustainable management : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University

Recent reforms of environmental and local government legislation have radically changed the nature of environmental management in New Zealand. There is a new mandate for the "sustainable management" of natural and physical resources. This thesis examines how environmental considerations are currently being incorporated into the management of urban runoff and waterways in New Zealand. Three case studies of urban councils were conducted. Two main data collection methods were employed. Interviews were conducted with the relevant council staff and this information was supplemented by an analysis of regional policy statements, regional plans and district plans that employed a method of plan coding. This sought to establish what policies and programmes the councils were involved in, whether this was different from the late 1980s, and the extent to which they were carrying out various types of innovative solutions to environmental problems. The research findings suggest that councils vary considerably in their approach to urban runoff and waterways. It showed that urban streams in New Zealand have suffered levels of degradation including pollution and channel modification that are consistent with many urban areas overseas. Recently, elements of a new philosophy have been applied to their management, which has coincided with the introduction of the Resource Management Act (RMA). Following overseas trends, there has been a recognition by managers of our waterways and stormwater systems that former practices in managing urban runoff have neglected environmental issues and natural resource conservation. This research suggests that stormwater management practices are taking on board the considerations of water quality, quantity and biodiversity to a greater extent than that which happened in the past. The extent to which this is happening in any particular area depends on the scale of the issues, the sensitivity and utility of affected resources, and the level of commitment by both community and council to changing traditional practices

International sport marketing : practical and future research implications

Purpose &ndash; Sport is a global product and service that many people around the world enjoy playing, watching and participating in. Whilst there has been an abundance of global media attention on sporting events such as the Olympics and World Football Cup, there seems to be a lack of integration between the sports marketing and international business disciplines both from a practical and also academic standpoint. This paper aims to discuss international sport marketing and why it is an important attribute of business-to-business marketing. Design/methodology/approach &ndash; The aim of the paper is to provide practical implications and research avenues for those seeking to further investigate international sport marketing as a unique area of academic research. The introduction to the paper focuses on the importance of sport to the global economy and how entrepreneurship is ingrained in many sport businesses and organizations. Next, different areas of international business management that relate to entrepreneurial sport marketing ventures are discussed in terms of future research directions and practical implications. These include how entrepreneurial sport ventures affect internationalization, branding, corporate social responsibility, tourism, regional development, marketing and action sports.Findings &ndash; The paper concludes by finding that there are numerous research avenues for future research on international sport marketing that combine different areas of marketing together with the sport marketing and international business literature. In addition, there is enormous potential for linking the sports marketing and international business literature through focusing on entrepreneurial sport ventures that occur worldwide.Research limitations/implications &ndash; The authors demonstrate the need to take an international perspective of sports marketing and business-to-business relationships.Practical implications &ndash; The paper discusses how and why sport firms interact in the international marketplace and how future competition will benefit from more sport-based business-to-business partnerships.Originality/value &ndash; The paper examines the important area of international sports marketing and how businesses that are both profit and non-profit orientated collaborate. The paper explores the concept of international sports marketing, and discusses the practical and future research implications of this exciting new field of marketing research.<br /