MARKET SEGMENTATION PRACTICES OF RETAIL CROP INPUT FIRMS

While market segmentation and the associated idea of target marketing are not new, there are questions about how the strategy of market segmentation and target marketing is being used in retail agribusiness firms. Previous research has demonstrated that distinct groups of farmers/customers exist (Alexander). However, retail crop input firms tend to be of modest size and are geographically bound. Both lack of resources and confinement to a specific geographic market present challenges for successful implementation of a market segmentation/target marketing strategy (Stolp). In this study, market segmentation/target marketing practices were explored in two types of crop input retailers: independently owned and operated firms (9 firms) and agricultural cooperatives (11 firms). A number of questions related to market segmentation/target marketing strategy were assessed via a web-based survey and telephone interviews. Referencing Best's seven-step framework, market segmentation is compared and contrasted by firm type; gaps in market segmentation strategy execution are identified; and challenges to implementing a market segmentation strategy are considered. Results show that market segmentation/target marketing was employed by 85% of the crop input retailers in the sample. Key gaps identified in market segmentation strategy execution include measuring market segment attractiveness; evaluating market segment profitability; developing a product-price positioning strategy for a tailored offering; expanding the positioning strategy to include promotional and sales elements of the marketing-mix; and evaluating the progress/success with each target market segment. Addressing these key gaps will aid industry professionals as they work to serve the needs of a continuously evolving farmer/customer base.market segmentation, target marketing, crop inputs, distribution channel, retailer

Innovativeness and Innovation: Implications for the Renewable Materials Supply Chain

innovativeness, innovation, supply chain management, triple bottom line, corporate social responsibility, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Demand and Price Analysis, Financial Economics, Q10, Q27, Q42, Q47,

Chapter 1, a dichotomous key for the identification of nine salmonids of the Inland Northwest using six diagnostic skull bones; and associated equations to estimate total length and weight form bones ingested by piscivores or found in archeological sites; Chapter 2, Utilization of acoustic biotelemetry to define the movements of Lake Roosevelt Redband trout, oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri

The fish skull is a complex anatomical structure, comprised of numerous bones that are often unique to the fish\u27s genera or species. These unique qualities allow researchers to use bone to identify and quantify fish in piscivore and archeological investigations. Due to the high degree of similarity among skull bones of salmonids, adequate descriptions for keying out most salmoinds is limited in the available literature. To address this, eight different bones from a sample of 273 fish, representing nine salmonid species, were observed and measured. Observations and measurements were used to construct dichotomous keys and regression models for identifying and quantifying each the nine salmonids when a single bone is present. Of the eight bones, the premaxillary, maxillary, dentary, cleithra, preopercle and opercle displayed species specific qualities for all nine species. These unique qualities have been used to construct a dichotomous key. The remaining two bones, the pharyngeal arch and vertebra, were not different enough to key out these bones from each species. All eight bones provided a precise single or multilinear regression model usable to back calculate fish total length from the length of a single bone --Leaf 2.; The upper Columbia River Basin once produced annual runs of 1 to 3 million salmon and steelhead (8-12% of Columbia River run; UCUT 1985) and provided habitat for lamprey, sturgeon and other fish species. Today, resident redband rainbow trout and kokanee salmon, potential remnant populations of anadromous runs, remain in Lake Roosevelt. To better understand how naturally occurring redband rainbow trout currently use the reservoir, 51 acoustic tags were surgically implanted into wild Lake Roosevelt redband rainbow trout across several size classes (155-616mTL) in 2013. Tagging efforts were divided across five tributary groups, to infer whether each stock utilizes the reservoir in a distinctive pattern, or if they all rely upon key areas. Condition factor for all redbands averaged at 0.878 (SD, 0.121), with no statistical difference among tributary groups. The movements, generalized distribution, and entrainment rates of redbands were passively monitored between April and August, using 61 acoustic receivers permanently moored in the Sanpoil and Spokane Rivers and across 263km of the mainstem Columbia from Rufus Woods Lake to Huge Keenleyside Dam, British Columbia. Monthly kernel density plots were constructed to provide visual representations of fish movement and occupancy across the reservoir. Minimum displacement per hour (MDPH) was calculated and associated with daily values for reservoir elevation, inflow, discharge, water retention time, and temperature collected from the forebay at Grand Coulee Dam to asses the effects of reservoir operation on redband movement. Though there was a small amount of overlap between the tributary groups, we observed a general trend for tributary groups to reside in distinctive areas. Alder Creek redbands (n=5) ranged across the largest portion of the reservoir, Burbot Creek to Kettle Falls, but were most frequently found between Hunters and Castle Rock. Big Sheep Creek redbands (n=14) generally remained between the Little Dalles Eddy and Big Sheep Creek, with a number of fish remaining exclusively in this zone through August. Outside of this area, Big Sheep redbands were found from the international border to Bis-sell Island. Sanpoil redbands utilized the lower reservoir, particularly Spring Canyon, more than any other tributary group, however, they were most frequently found to remain in the Sanpoil and Keller Ferry region, with some fish remaining exclusively in this area through August. Only five of the total Spokane River redbands (n=13) left the Spokane River during this study. Of these five redbands, three ranged downstream to Spring Canyon, and two ranged upstream of Hunters. Redbands from Big Sheep Creek were the only group that displayed a marginal amount of correlation between MDPH and reservoir inflow (r²=0.122, p\u3c0.001), discharge (r²=0.087, p\u3c0.001), water retention time (r²=0.052, p=0.003), and temperature (r²=0.061, p=0.002). Sanpoil River redbands were the only group that lost tagged fish due to entrainment (n=3). All entrained fish were large (386-521mm TL) adults that left the reservoir between May and July 2013 --Leaf 133

Facilitating distributed generation in Australia - the opportunities and challenges of cogeneration

Stationary energy, predominately electricity and thermal energy production, is one of the largest sectors of primary energy consumption in industrialised countries. Electrification has delivered economic growth and improved standards of living while thermal energy provides comfort and sustains industrial growth. However, a range of economic, market, technological and environmental issues exist. In Australia, these include declining energy productivity and increasing energy prices, changing demand and usage patterns, accommodating emerging forms of electricity production and contribution to long-term climate change. Solutions to these issues include adoption of a mix of technical, regulatory and investmentrelated initiatives. In particular, the adoption of decentralised energy technologies, principally gas-fired cogeneration (also known as Combined Heat and Power or CHP) and solar photovoltaic (PV) appear to offer substantial technological and economic benefits over incumbent centralised technologies (especially, coal-fired generation). The adoption ofthese technologies may be enhanced by improved government incentives and regulatory reforms and a better appreciation of factors that influence the availability of investment capital. This study aims to identify the potential rate and extent of adoption of distributed generation in general and CHP in particular, by comparison with theoretical diffusion rates of other energy technologies. It seeks to expose and explore other factors which impact adoption, including supporting government policy and the need for demonstration to overcome technical risk. Finally, it examines the potential economic and environmental benefits associated with the large scale adoption of distributed energy technology. Through a mixture of literature review, analysis of a range of technical feasibility studies and a detailed case study, the extent to which distributed technologies may be adopted, and their financial, efficiency and environmental benefits are assessed. The analysis suggests that cogeneration is technically and economically feasible and is therefore a critical transition technology for the Australian stationary energy sector while distributed generation technologies in general, which are relatively mature and low risk, have the potential to substantially reduce emissions while also reducing costs and network and centralised generation investments

Social and Governance Implications of Improved Data Efficiency

Many researchers work on improving the data efficiency of machine learning. What would happen if they succeed? This paper explores the social-economic impact of increased data efficiency. Specifically, we examine the intuition that data efficiency will erode the barriers to entry protecting incumbent data-rich AI firms, exposing them to more competition from data-poor firms. We find that this intuition is only partially correct: data efficiency makes it easier to create ML applications, but large AI firms may have more to gain from higher performing AI systems. Further, we find that the effect on privacy, data markets, robustness, and misuse are complex. For example, while it seems intuitive that misuse risk would increase along with data efficiency -- as more actors gain access to any level of capability -- the net effect crucially depends on how much defensive measures are improved. More investigation into data efficiency, as well as research into the "AI production function", will be key to understanding the development of the AI industry and its societal impacts.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, accepted to Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Society 202

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of doped zinc oxide nanoparticles

In this study, we have investigated the effect of doping with cobalt and manganese oxide on the photocatalytic activity of nanoparticulate zinc oxide. Zinc oxide powders with controlled particle size, minimal agglomeration, and controlled chemical composition were manufactured by mechanochemical processing. The photocatalytic activity of the powders was measured using the spin trapping technique with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was found that the addition of cobalt oxide decreased the yield of photogenerated hydroxyl radicals. In contrast, doping with manganese oxide was found to substantially increase the rate of radical production.<br /

Amyloid \u3cem\u3eβ\u3c/em\u3e-Peptide (1–42)-Induced Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer Disease: Importance in Disease Pathogenesis and Progression

Significance: Alzheimer disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease. AD is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. One of the main histopathological hallmarks of AD brain is the presence of senile plaques (SPs) and another is elevated oxidative stress. The main component of SPs is amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ) that is derived from the proteolytic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein. Recent Advances: Recent studies are consistent with the notion that methionine present at 35 position of Aβ is critical to Aβ-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. Further, we also discuss the signatures of oxidatively modified brain proteins, identified using redox proteomics approaches, during the progression of AD. Critical Issues: The exact relationships of the specifically oxidatively modified proteins in AD pathogenesis require additional investigation. Future Directions: Further studies are needed to address whether the therapies directed toward brain oxidative stress and oxidatively modified key brain proteins might help delay or prevent the progression of AD. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 19, 823–835

Fish Passage Restoration for the Paskamanset River

River obstructions are contributors to the decline in the population of river herring in Massachusetts. Creating bypasses will benefit the herring by allowing them to migrate upstream to suitable spawning grounds. Two obstructions, Russells Mills Dam and Smith Mills Dam, were assessed to determine the possibility of fish passage restoration. To determine the feasibility of passage restoration, hydraulic and structural analyses were performed. Designs for new construction were prepared. Lastly, environmental assessments of the sites were completed