The Impact of Terminal Values and Yellow Press on Consumer Behavior

We investigate if pluralistic consumption styles (like "frugality", or "indulgence in luxury") can be identified and are correlated with different terminal values and if values and consumption styles prove to be stable or can be changed by drastic events. The results of two polls (before and after the war in Iraq) are compared. Using content analyses, media influence on consumers' values and consumption patterns is also analyzed. Marketing relevance of the research is substantiated by investigating whether values and/or specific consumer trends have a significant impact on the preference of advertising campaigns showing different lifestyle themes. --

The Impact of Increased Ethanol Production on Corn Basis in South Dakota

A basis model is used to empirically estimate the impact of ethanol production on the South Dakota corn basis on the district and State levels. Monthly data is used to estimate basis as a function of futures price, supply, demand, storage, and transportation costs. The independent variables used are corn futures prices, corn production, corn usage for ethanol production, corn usage by cattle, Midwest No. 2 Diesel retail sales prices, storage availability, and unit train transportation The regression results show the impact on corn basis varies by district from $0.04 to$0.27 per bushel, with a State impact of $0.24 in 2005. The impact from an additional 40 million gallon per year (MGY) ethanol plant ranges from$0.06 to $0.16 per bushel, with a State impact of$0.03. The impact from an additional 100 MGY ethanol plant ranges from $0.16 to$0.40 per bushel, with a State impact of $0.08.Crop Production/Industries,

Long-term outcome of ten children with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome

Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) in children is a rare neurological condition with opsoclonus, myoclonus, ataxia and irritability in the first 2 years of life. It can be idiopathic, parainfectious, or paraneoplastic with tumours of the neural crest. Few studies of long-term follow-up after OMS have been published. We investigated the motor, cognitive and behavioural outcome of ten patients (eight girls and two boys) seen between 1987 and 2002. We reviewed the records and reassessed the patients. A ganglioneuroma was found in one patient and a neuroblastoma in another. Tumour resection did not influence the OMS. The age at diagnosis was 10-24months and the follow-up period 1-17years (average 6.5years). The interval between the first signs and symptoms and starting treatment was 2-12weeks: treatment consisted of different immunosupressants. Remission was achieved within 5months in seven, and relapses were present in seven of ten. At follow-up, only one child had mild ataxia. IQ testing was performed in nine with scores below 75 in four and above 85 in four. Attention deficit and visuomotor difficulties led to school problems with special needs, also in those three children with normal IQs. Only two children were attending regular schools. Behavioural problems were reported in seven, and speech difficulties were present in five. In conclusion, the long-term outcome in our patients with OMS was dominated by cognitive and behavioural problems and not by ataxia. Compared with previous reports, our patients were treated earlier. Larger studies and uniform treatment protocols are needed to demonstrate whether early and prolonged immunosupressant therapy has a favourable influence on outcom

The Impact of Terminal Values and Yellow Press on Consumer Behavior

We investigate if pluralistic consumption styles (like "frugality", or "indulgence in luxury") can be identified and are correlated with different terminal values and if values and consumption styles prove to be stable or can be changed by drastic events. The results of two polls (before and after the war in Iraq) are compared. Using content analyses, media influence on consumers' values and consumption patterns is also analyzed. Marketing relevance of the research is substantiated by investigating whether values and/or specific consumer trends have a significant impact on the preference of advertising campaigns showing different lifestyle themes

Anomalous U(1)′U(1)' and Dark Matter

We have studied the lightest masses in the fermionic sector of an anomalous $U(1)'$ extension of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) inspired by brane constructions. The LSP of this model is an XWIMP (extremely weak interaction particle). We have studied its relic density in the cases in which there is mixing with the neutralinos of the MSSM and in the case in which there is not such mixing. We have showed that this extended model can satisfy the WMAP data. To perform this calculation we have modified the DarkSUSY package.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures, proceedings of the RICAP 2011 conferenc

Anomalous metallic state in quasi-two-dimensional BaNiS2_{2}

We report on a systematic study of the thermodynamic, electronic and charge transport properties of high-quality single crystals of BaNiS$_2$, the metallic end-member of the quasi-twodimensional BaCo$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$S$_2$ system characterized by a metal-insulator transition at $x_{cr}=0.22$. Our analysis of magnetoresistivity and specific heat data consistently suggests a picture of compensated semimetal with two hole- and one electron-bands, where electron-phonon scattering dominates charge transport and the minority holes exhibit, below $\sim$100 K, a very large mobility, $\mu_h\sim$ 15000 cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$, which is explained by a Dirac-like band. Evidence of unconventional metallic properties is given by an intriguing crossover of the resistivity from a Bloch-Gr\"uneisen regime to a linear$-T$ regime occurring at 2 K and by a strong linear term in the paramagnetic susceptibility above 100 K. We discuss the possibility that these anomalies reflect a departure from conventional Fermi-liquid properties in presence of short-range AF fluctuations and of a large Hund coupling.Comment: 21 pages 9 figures (colors

"Vom Lesesaal zum Learning Center" - Ein neues Raum- und Benutzungskonzept an der UB Mannheim

Der traditionelle Lesesaal der Universitätsbibliothek Mannheim ist 2014 in ein modernes Learning-Center umgewandelt worden. Ziel war ein Lernort, an dem Studierende insbesondere für kooperatives, aber auch für informelles Lernen jederzeit eine optimal unterstützende und variable Umgebung mit modernster technischer Ausstattung vorfinden. Der Beitrag beschreibt, wie dies in Raumkonzept, Innenarchitektur, technischer Ausstattung und Serviceangebot umgesetzt worden ist

Dating furniture and coopered vessels without waney edge – Reconstructing historical wood-working in Austria with the help of dendrochronology

AbstractIn the present study, 208 furniture and 168 coopered vessels from three Austrian museums were examined. Dendrochronology was used to date objects and to extract further information such as the necessary time for seasoning, wood loss through wood-working and methods of construction. In most cases sampling was done by sanding the cross section and making digital photographs using a picture frame and measuring digitally.The dendrochronological dates of the sampled furniture range between 1524 and 1937. The group of furniture includes cupboards, chests, tables, benches, commodes and beds. In many cases furniture was artfully painted and sometimes even shows a painted year. With the help of dendrochronology it was proved that some objects had been painted for some time after construction, or had been over-painted. Most furniture, however, was painted immediately after completion. In this case, the seasoning and storage time of the boards and the wood loss due to shaping can be verified. As an average value, 14 years have passed between the dendrochronological date of the outermost ring and the painting. The time span includes time of seasoning and storage and the rings lost by wood-working. This leads, on the one hand to a short storage time of less than 10 years and on the other hand to very little wood loss due to manufacturing. Those boards being less shaped turned out to be back panels of cupboards, therefore they are recommended to be sampled for dating.Coopered vessels were dated between 1612 and 1940. There was evidence that staves were split and not sawn in many cases. The staves were often split out of the outermost part of the tree and hardly any wood was worked away which was proved by the close dendrochronological dates of the single staves of a vessel.Since there is a short time of storage and only little wood loss through wood-working, dating of objects without a waney edge becomes reasonable