Orientation and distribution of recent gullies in the southern hemisphere of Mars: observations from HRSC/MEX and MOC/MGS data

Abstract not available

Site Specific Management: The Pros, the Cons, and the Realities

Site specific management (SSM) for agriculture involves the variable management of soils and crops according to localized conditions within a field. Known by many other names, such as Grid Farming , Farming by Soils or Variable Rate Technology (VRT), SSM is a rapidly emerging set of technologies that allow farmers to manage their soils and crops on-the-go as equipment moves across a field. In essence, SSM is about doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, in the right way. Thus, SSM is intuitively appealing because it represents a means of improving the economic and environmental performance of cropping systems. However, while proponents of SSM will endorse its great potential, the fact is that SSM is an emerging technology that is best described as still in its infancy. Thus, at this stage in its development, SSM has its strengths (Pros) and its weaknesses (Cons) which in combination clearly define the current status of SSM for agriculture (Realities). What follows is a brief overview describing some essential elements of SSM and the degree to which these elements have or have not been developed

Big Red, Ltd.

This case addresses two frequently heard questions in real-world business settings: “Why are sales going down?” and “What decisions must we make to reverse the sales decline?” These questions were directed to Dr. Felix Wilder, a professor of Marketing, by the senior management of Big Red, Ltd., headquartered in Waco, Texas, after sales reports indicated a significant decline in year-over-year sales in the Louisville, Kentucky, market region. This region represented one of Big Red’s most important market areas for soft drinks outside of its home base in Texas. Members of Big Red’s senior management team were unable to identify the specific factors that had contributed to the sales decline. As a result, they commissioned Dr. Wilder to conduct an extensive marketing research project to determine the factors contributing to the erosion in sales. Dr. Wilder proposed a multifaceted exploratory research project that involved an extensive review of industry and trade literature, in-depth interviews with grocery store and super center store managers, an in-store consumer survey of Big Red customers, and a consumer focus group. The research design focused on the marketing mix variables, environmental factors, the target market, and changing consumer purchase behavior and lifestyle issues as possible sources contributing to the sales erosion. The results of Dr. Wilder’s investigation conflicted with Big Red management’s preliminary hypotheses and revealed unexpected factors that may have contributed to the downward drift in sales.  Based on the research, Dr. Wilder presented management with various alternative courses of action to correct the sales decline.

Species recognition and phylogeny of Thelotrema species in Australia (Ostropales, Ascomycota)

Species circumscriptions based on morphological data are difficult in crustose lichens with limited characters as they often show remarkable variability. An example is the genus Thelotrema s.str., a speciose genus of mostly tropical lichens. Morphological studies on Australian Thelotrema spp. were accompanied by a phylogenetic analysis of mt SSU rDNA sequence data of 19 species, including 25 newly obtained sequences. We performed maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of 50 samples, representing 25 species. Our results indicate that more species need to be accepted in Thelotrema than previously thought. Subtle morphological differences were found to be associated with independent lineages in the phylogenetic trees. Furthermore, monophyly of Thelotrema s.str. is strongly supported. On the basis of the corroboration of morphological evidence by molecular data, the new species Thelotrema capetribulense Mangold, T. crespoae Mangold, Lumbsch & Elix, T. oleosum Mangold, and T. pseudosubtile Mangold are described. The new combinations Chapsa phlyctidioides (Müll.Arg.) Mangold and Thelotrema defossum (Müll.Arg.) Mangold are proposed

Excited states in bilayer graphene quantum dots

We report on ground- and excited state transport through an electrostatically defined few-hole quantum dot in bilayer graphene in both parallel and perpendicular applied magnetic fields. A remarkably clear level scheme for the two-particle spectra is found by analyzing finite bias spectroscopy data within a two-particle model including spin and valley degrees of freedom. We identify the two-hole ground-state to be a spin-triplet and valley-singlet state. This spin alignment can be seen as Hund's rule for a valley-degenerate system, which is fundamentally different to quantum dots in carbon nano tubes and GaAs-based quantum dots. The spin-singlet excited states are found to be valley-triplet states by tilting the magnetic field with respect to the sample plane. We quantify the exchange energy to be 0.35meV and measure a valley and spin g-factor of 36 and 2, respectively

The timing of alluvial activity in Gale crater, Mars

The Curiosity rover's discovery of rocks preserving evidence of past habitable conditions in Gale crater highlights the importance of constraining the timing of responsible depositional settings to understand the astrobiological implications for Mars. Crater statistics and mapping reveal the bulk of the alluvial deposits in Gale, including those interrogated by Curiosity, were likely emplaced during the Hesperian, thereby implying that habitable conditions persisted after the Noachian. Crater counting data sets and upper Peace Vallis fan morphology also suggest a possible younger period of fluvial activation that deposited ~10–20 m of sediments on the upper fan after emplacement of the main body of the fan. If validated, water associated with later alluvial activity may have contributed to secondary diagenetic features in Yellowknife Bay