You Define Me.

The work I created in conjunction with this paper is a representation of myself and my family, both individually and as a unit. The work was spawned by a search for my identity at my current age of 25. The outcome is an installation of photographs that focus on my heritage and family work ethic and a series of altar-like tables highlighting the personalities of my grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, and sister when they were experiencing life at my stage. I believe that this work culminates in defining me. Every element, every individual, reflects a part of myself in the people I love. The following paper explores the elements that come into play in the creation of this work

Economic Impacts of the Zero Tolerance Directive on the Cost Structure of Beef Packing Companies

Agribusiness, Livestock Production/Industries,

A Nonparametric Analysis of Efficiency for a Beefpacking Firm: Implications of Federal Food Safety Regulations

Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

PRICE DISCOVERY FOR STOCKER CATTLE FUTURES AND OPTIONS

Low trading volume in the CME stocker cattle contracts has made hedgers and speculators reluctant to use the contracts. Traders need decision tools to discover prices or to evaluate quoted prices that may not contain all the information in the market. The number of head of stocker weight cattle sold on the spot market has increased in recent years while the practice of cross-hedging stocker weight cattle against the feeder cattle contract remains risky. A model explains the spread between feeder cattle and stocker cattle futures prices as a function of feed prices, live cattle prices, and seasonal factors. The volatility of spot stocker cattle prices is comparable to spot feeder cattle prices, supporting the idea of using feeder cattle implied volatility measures as estimates of stocker cattle futures implied volatility in option pricing models. The model and relations proposed should be useful for traders evaluating observed prices or placing limit orders for stocker futures and options.stocker cattle, cross-hedging, volatility, limit order, thin markets, Marketing,

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,

THE WIDENING CORN BASIS IN SOUTH DAKOTA: FACTORS AFFECTING AND THE IMPACT OF THE LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENT

Crop Production/Industries,

Die Balanced Scorecard als Basis einer Customer Care Scorecard zur Konzeption einer systematischen Kundenpflege

Die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung der letzten Zeit hat gezeigt, wie schwierig es für die Unternehmen ist, langfristigen Erfolg zu gewährleisten. Nachdem in der Vergangenheit die meisten Faktoren innerhalb der Firmen wie beispielsweise Kosteneinsparungen oder Prozessoptimierung bereits auf dem Prüfstand waren und optimiert wurden, erkennen immer mehr Unternehmen die Bedeutung ihrer Kunden und der damit verbunden Gestaltung der Anbieter-Kundenbeziehungen. Bislang sind die Ansätze in dieser Richtung häufig noch zu unstrukturiert und daher kaum in der Lage, das mögliche Erfolgspotential auszuschöpfen. Dieser Beitrag stellt einen auf Basis der Balanced Scorecard entwickelten Customer Care Ansatz vor, der es Unternehmen ermöglicht, die Beziehungen zu ihren Kunden systematisch zu professionalisieren und somit die Chance zur Erreichung höherer Unternehmensziele zu nutzen. Zudem wird die Problematik aufgegriffen, so genannte Soft Facts zu quantifizieren und somit hinsichtlich ihrer Beiträge zur Zielerreichung überprüfbar zu machen und sie so den bislang vorherrschenden Hard Facts anzupassen. --Balanced Scorecard,Customer Care,Kundenorientierung,Kundenbetreuung,Kundenzufriedenheit,Kundenbindung

A Comparative Study of Human Decomposition Research Facilities in the United States: The Role of Body Farms in Forensic Applications

The first human decomposition facility, the University of Tennessee’s Anthropological Research Facility, or the “Body Farm,” as it is more commonly known, was established in 1980. Not until the year 2006 did another of its kind open. In the past six years, the number of such facilities has tripled. Human decomposition facilities, and their amenities, are being used for research purposes more frequently each year, although there is little in the literature that describes the facilities themselves. Interviews with facility representatives were used to gather data in order to better understand how these facilities are initiated, the difficulties and successes that come with such a facility, and their uses beyond decomposition research. Also, surveys were distributed to forensic professionals (including Physical Anthropologists) in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and to university students to understand perceptions on the utilization and usefulness of human decomposition facilities, and what place they have in the future of the forensic sciences. Results show that the majority of those involved in the forensic sciences, and especially, forensic anthropology, find that human decomposition facilities provide vital research opportunities. Based on both interview and survey responses, more human decomposition facilities should be established, in unique climate regions, in order to better understand decomposition rates. Also, individuals affiliated with facilities that are already established intend to continue collaboration with one another, to extend research opportunities to other departments and universities, and to expand their own research goals. Finally, the perceptions of non-forensic professionals (as represented by university students), regarding both human decomposition facilities and the role of forensic anthropology, appear to be influenced by the popular media. In order to realize the full potential of these facilities, representatives and researchers must continue to provide factual information, and publishable material, to counter misconceptions that are so readily provided by popular culture. The human decomposition facility provides a unique opportunity for research, training, and hands-on experience for all that use them. The continuation of these facilities is vital to better understanding taphonomic changes and, thereby, assisting in a medicolegal context

Mindfulness-Based Practice in Schools

The effect of stress on children is pervasive and ongoing into adulthood. Stressful life events can vary in terms of frequency and intensity and can include stressors such as family discord, peer relationships, academics, and overuse of technology. These types of stress can occur as single, major events or as frequent minor events. Although certain types of stress can be positive, it is important that children develop adequate coping strategies in order to deal with negative stress. Without coping strategies, children can experience negative effects physically, emotionally, behaviorally, and intellectually. A major role of a school counselor is assisting children in developing coping strategies. One such strategy they can implement through individual, group, and classroom lessons are mindfulness-based practices. These practices include yoga, meditation, guided imagery, and muscle relaxation. The individualized application of these practices to students, in addition to the short amount of time needed for practice makes it highly useful within a school setting

Long Bone Histology of Sauropterygia from the Lower Muschelkalk of the Germanic Basin Provides Unexpected Implications for Phylogeny

BACKGROUND: Sauropterygia is an abundant and successful group of Triassic marine reptiles. Phylogenetic relationships of Triassic Sauropterygia have always been unstable and recently questioned. Although specimens occur in high numbers, the main problems are rareness of diagnostic material from the Germanic Basin and uniformity of postcranial morphology of eosauropterygians. In the current paper, morphotypes of humeri along with their corresponding bone histologies for Lower to Middle Muschelkalk sauropterygians are described and interpreted for the first time in a phylogenetic context. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Nothosaurus shows a typical plesiomorphic lamellar-zonal bone type, but varying growth patterns and the occurrence of a new humerus morphotype point to a higher taxonomic diversity than was known. In contrast to the enormous morphological variability of eosauropterygian humeri not assigned to Nothosaurus, their long bone histology is relatively uniform and can be divided into two histotypes. Unexpectedly, both of these histotypes reveal abundant fibrolamellar bone throughout the cortex. This pushes the origin of fibrolamellar bone in Sauropterygia back from the Cretaceous to the early Middle Triassic (early Anisian). Histotype A is assigned to Cymatosaurus, a basal member of the Pistosauroidea, which includes the plesiosaurs as derived members. Histotype B is related to the pachypleurosaur Anarosaurus. Contrary to these new finds, the stratigraphically younger pachypleurosaur Neusticosaurus shows the plesiomorphic lamellar-zonal bone type and an incomplete endochondral ossification, like Nothosaurus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Histological results hypothetically discussed in a phylogenetical context have a large impact on the current phylogenetic hypothesis of Sauropterygia, leaving the pachypleurosaurs polyphyletic. On the basis of histological data, Neusticosaurus would be related to Nothosaurus, whereas Anarosaurus would follow the pistosaur clade. Furthermore, the presence of fibrolamellar bone, which is accompanied with increased growth rates and presumably even with increased metabolic rates, already in Anarosaurus and Cymatosaurus can explain the success of the Pistosauroidea, the only sauropterygian group to survive into the Jurassic and give rise to the pelagic plesiosaur radiation