Report of Investigations No. 135 Oligocene Volcanism and Multiple Caldera Formation in the Chinati Mountains, Presidio County, Texas

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Evaluation of a Pound Net Leader Designed to Reduce Sea Turtle Bycatch

Offshore pound net leaders in the southern portion of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia waters were documented to incidentally take protected loggerhead, Caretta caretta, and Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, sea turtles. Because of these losses, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2004 closed the area to offshore pound net leaders annually from 6 May to 15 July and initiated a study of an experimental leader design that replaced the top two-thirds of the traditional mesh panel leader with vertical ropes (0.95 cm) spaced 61 cm apart. This experimental leader was tested on four pound net sites on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in 2004 and 2005. During the 2 trial periods, 21 loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were found interacting with the control leader and 1 leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, was found interacting with the experimental leader. Results of a negative binomial regression analysis comparing the two leader designs found the experimental leader significantly reduced sea turtle interactions (p=0.03). Finfish were sampled from the pound nets in the study to assess finfish catch performance differences between the two leader designs. Although the conclusions from this element of the experiment are not robust, paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test results determined no significant harvest weight difference between the two leaders. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests did not reveal any substantive size selectivity differences between the two leaders

MINTS The Next Economic Frontier for Investment – A Financial Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Industry

We have heard a great deal recently of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), and the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain) but now the focus seems to be on the MINT countries, (Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey) as the leading emerging economies in the world. Rising labor and other costs now have companies looking for new opportunities in rapid growth markets. But not without specific risks that companies must be willing to take. Corruption, rampant communicable disease, drug abuse and criminal activity, religious issues and disagreements are a few of the challenges companies must face in the new frontier. This paper will attempt to look at four pharmaceutical companies in each of the MINT countries to determine their potential profitability as an investment opportunity. This industry is especially unique since these countries have a growing population which will increase the labor force and also create a need for pharmaceutical products. Each of these countries is located in an advantageous geographical location which will provide an advantage in growing their economies. Mexico is next to the U.S. and the rest of Latin America. Indonesia is located in the heart of Southeast Asia with strong ties to China. Turkey has positioned itself to have both Eastern and Western influences. Nigeria is in a prime spot as it ls located in the prime economic powerhouse of a continent, Africa. If they get their acts together, solve their problems of corruption, energy, and infrastructure, these four countries could potentially overtake China as a leading economy of the world

Financial Analysis Of Various Companies In The Pigs Group Of Countries

This paper attempts to examine and offer insight in the investment opportunities in several industries of different sizes located in two of the PIGS countries (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain) looking at their similarities/differences as well as anomalies in comparison to their US counterpart. These companies were chosen because of a number of factors including size, age, and relevance to the current world economy:• The Buckle Corporation (US) and Inditex (SPAIN)• Coach (US) and Prada (ITALY)• Ford (US) and Fiat (ITALY)• Verizon Wireless (US) and Telefonica S.A.(SPAIN)By examining pertinent financial ratios, namely Net profit margin, Current ratio, Quick ratio, return on Assets, return on Equity, return on Investment, P/E ratio, and Price to Book Value ratio, and using various statistical methods we have determined the optimum investment alternatives

Contributors to the June Issue/Notes

Notes by Henry S. Romano, William C. Malone, Joseph F. Rudd, Leonard D. Bodkin, James D. Sullivan, Robert J. Callahan, Jr., William Meehan, Alphonse Spahn, Robert E. Sullivan, John F. Power, Francis J. Paulson, John Merryman, J. Barrett Guthrie, Robert T. Fanning, Robert T. Stewart, and R. L. Miller

Contributors to the June Issue/Notes

Notes by Henry S. Romano, William C. Malone, Joseph F. Rudd, Leonard D. Bodkin, James D. Sullivan, Robert J. Callahan, Jr., William Meehan, Alphonse Spahn, Robert E. Sullivan, John F. Power, Francis J. Paulson, John Merryman, J. Barrett Guthrie, Robert T. Fanning, Robert T. Stewart, and R. L. Miller