17,148 research outputs found
Demand for Pasture-Raised Livestock Products: Results from Michigan Retail Surveys
Pasture-raised livestock production offers opportunity for product differentiation and enhanced sustainability. Shopper surveys at three Michigan retail locations measured consumersâ attitudes and beliefs regarding pasture-raised livestock products, and willingness to pay for pasture-raised milk and beef. The shoppers associate pasture-raised products with attributes important to purchase decisions. The shoppers express willingness to pay, on average, about 35% more for pasture-raised milk and beef. Informational messages appear to have no effect on these responses. We suggest pasture-raised is a viable marketing strategy and recommend premium pricing strategies and promotion based on verifiable health benefits.animal welfare, consumer demand, pasture-raised livestock products, sustainability, Tobit, willingness to pay, Agribusiness, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,
Demand for Pasture-Raised Livestock Products in Michigan: Results of Consumer Surveys and Experimental Auctions
Pasture-raised livestock products present a niche-marketing opportunity for small- and medium-scale farmers; growth of this market may enhance the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of livestock agriculture. Results from an earlier statewide poll in Michigan found that consumers place great importance on product attributes associated with the pasture-based production model. This report presents findings from a combination of consumer surveys conducted at three Michigan retail locations and a series of experimental auctions. Participants in both the survey and auction components view pasture-raised beef and milk products very favorably, believing these products are healthy for humans to eat and are raised in environmentally friendly and humane ways. Survey respondents reported high likelihood of purchase; both the survey and auction subjects expressed willingness to pay a premium for pasture-raised products. We discuss these findings, particularly implications for the ââŹĹfour Pâsâ⏠of marketing.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries,
The design and content of the HALCyon qualitive study: a qualitive sub-study of the National Study of Health and Development and the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.:CLS Working Paper 2011/5
Observational constraints on the types of cosmic strings
This paper is aimed at setting observational limits to the number of cosmic
strings (Nambu-Goto, Abelian-Higgs, semilocal) and other topological defects
(textures). Radio maps of CMB anisotropy, provided by the space mission Planck
for various frequencies, were filtered and then processed by the method of
convolution with modified Haar functions (MHF) to search for cosmic string
candidates. This method was designed to search for solitary strings, without
additional assumptions about the presence of networks of such objects. The
sensitivity of the MHF method is in a background of
. The comparison of these with previously known
results on search string network shows that strings can only be semilocal in an
amount of , with the upper restriction on individual strings tension
(linear density) of . The texture model is
also legal. There are no strings with . However,
comparison with the data for the search of non-Gaussian signals shows that the
presence of several (up to 3) of Nambu-Goto strings is also possible. For
the MHF method is ineffective because of
unverifiable spurious string candidates. Thus the existence of strings with
tensions is not prohibited but it is beyond
the Planck data possibilities.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures; accepted by the European Physical Journal
Morphology Development in Model Polyethylene via Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis
Two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis is applied to synchrotron X-ray scattering data to characterize
morphological regimes during nonisothermal crystallization of a model ethylene copolymer (hydrogenated polybutadiene,
HPBD). The 2D correlation patterns highlight relationships
among multiple characteristics of structure evolution, particularly the extent to which separate features change simultaneously versus sequentially. By visualizing these relationships during cooling, evidence is obtained for two separate physical processes occurring in what is known as âirreversible crystallizationâ in random ethylene copolymers. Initial growth of primarily lamellae into unconstrained melt (âprimary-irreversible crystallizationâ) is distinguished from subsequent secondary lamellae formation in the constrained, noncrystalline regions
between the primary lamellae (âsecondary-irreversible crystallizationâ). At successively lower temperatures (âreversible crystallizationâ), growth of the crystalline reflections is found to occur simultaneously with the change in shape of the amorphous halo, which is inconsistent with the formation of an additional phase. Rather, the synchronous character supports the view that growth of frustrated crystals distorts the adjacent noncrystalline material. Furthermore, heterocorrelation analysis of small-angle and wideangle X-ray scattering data from the reversible crystallization regime reveals that the size of new crystals is consistent with fringedmicellar structures (~9 nm). Thus, 2D correlation analysis provides new insights into morphology development in polymeric systems
Bulk Composition of GJ 1214b and other sub-Neptune exoplanets
GJ1214b stands out among the detected low-mass exoplanets, because it is, so
far, the only one amenable to transmission spectroscopy. Up to date there is no
consensus about the composition of its envelope although most studies suggest a
high molecular weight atmosphere. In particular, it is unclear if hydrogen and
helium are present or if the atmosphere is water dominated. Here, we present
results on the composition of the envelope obtained by using an internal
structure and evolutionary model to fit the mass and radius data. By examining
all possible mixtures of water and H/He, with the corresponding opacities, we
find that the bulk amount of H/He of GJ1214b is at most 7% by mass. In general,
we find the radius of warm sub-Neptunes to be most sensitive to the amount of
H/He. We note that all (Kepler-11b,c,d,f, Kepler-18b, Kepler-20b, 55Cnc-e,
Kepler-36c and Kepler-68b) but two (Kepler-11e and Kepler-30b) of the
discovered low-mass planets so far have less than 10% H/He. In fact, Kepler-11e
and Kepler-30b have 10-18% and 5-15% bulk H/He. Conversely, little can be
determined about the H2O or rocky content of sub-Neptune planets. We find that
although a 100% water composition fits the data for GJ1214b, based on formation
constraints the presence of heavier refractory material on this planet is
expected, and hence, so is a component lighter than water required. A robust
determination by transmission spectroscopy of the composition of the upper
atmosphere of GJ1214b will help determine the extent of compositional
segregation between the atmosphere and envelope.Comment: Updated the masses and radii of the Kepler-11 system, added
Kepler-30b as well in the analysis. Accepted in ApJ, 39 pages, 9 figure
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