Assessment Of A State Commodity Marketing Program: A Case Study Approach Using 2003-2004 Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program Evaluation

The Texas wine industry is a growing industry that impacts the states economy, offers gains in tourism and provides Texas jobs.  This study shows the gains recognized from Texas Wineries during their participation (2004 fiscal year) in the Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program (TWMAP) with comparisons made to the initial assessment for 2002 fiscal year.  A questionnaire was created to assess the benefits to the wineries of the state of Texas which participated in the TWMAP program.  When compared to the initial assessment (2002), participating wineries experienced an increase in all categories, for example, average sales, number of wineries participating in the program and visits to the wineries.  A greater number of wineries participated in the programs, and a higher percentage believed that the TWMAP was beneficial to their business.  Thirty percent more wineries reported sales increases, (67% in 2003, 97% in 2004) with average sales increase from $88,983 in 2003 to$109,387 in 2004 creating a total economic impact increase from $4.1 million to$10.1 million.  The ROI increased from 930% to 1,400%. The participants in the TWMAP attribute 35.4% of their sales increases directly to the TWMAP, amounting to $3.57 million in economic benefit for the state, with programming costs of$250,000.  The TWMAP returned over $14 for each$1 of state funds invested, or 1,400% return on state funding.  This was an increase in the already impressive 930% increase in returns reported in 2002.  In light of these trends in this program, it is clear that the TWMAP is establishing a pattern of success and the existence of a marketing campaign has had a successful economic impact on the growth of the Texas wine industry.

Supernova 2008bk and its red supergiant progenitor

Indexación: ISIHemos obtenido pocos datos fotométricos y espectroscópicos de supernova (SN) 2008bk en NGC 7793, principalmente a 150 días después de la explosión. Nos parece que se trata de un tipo II-Plateau (II-P) SN que más se asemeja a la de baja luminosidad SN 1999br en NGC 4900. Dada la similitud general entre las curvas de luz observadas y colores de SNs 2008bk y 1999br, inferimos que la extinción total visual a SN 2008bk ( A V = 0,065 mag) debe ser casi en su totalidad debido a un primer plano galáctico, similar a lo que ha supuesto para SN 1999br. Confirmamos la identificación de la supergigante roja putativo (RSG) estrella progenitora de SN en la alta calidad de g ' r ' i imágenes "que había obtenido en 2007 en el Gemini-Sur 8 telescopio m. Existe poca ambigüedad en esta identificación progenitor, calificándolo como el mejor ejemplo hasta la fecha, junto con la identificación de la estrella Sk -69 ° 202 como el progenitor de SN 1987A. A partir de una combinación de fotometría de las imágenes de Gemini con el de archivo, pre-SN, el Telescopio Muy Grande de JHK s imágenes, derivamos una precisa distribución observada energía espectral (SED) para el progenitor. Nos encontramos con índices de nebulares fuerte intensidad de emisiones de línea para varios H II regiones cercanas a la SN que la metalicidad en el medio ambiente es probable subsolar ( Z 0.6 Z ☉ ). El SED observado de la estrella concuerda bastante bien con SED sintéticos obtenidos a partir de modelos de atmósferas RSG eficaz con temperatura T eff = 3600 ± 50 K. Nos encontramos, por tanto, que la estrella tenía una luminosidad bolométrica con respecto al Sol de log ( L bol / L ☉ ) = 4,57 ± 0,06 y el radio R = 496 ± 34 R ☉ a ~ 6 meses antes de la explosión. Al comparar las propiedades del progenitor con teóricos masiva estrella modelos evolutivos, llegamos a la conclusión de que el progenitor RSG tenía una masa inicial en el rango de 8-8,5 M ☉ . Esta masa es consistente con, aunque en el extremo bajo de la gama inferido de masas iniciales para SN II-P progenitores. También es coherente con el límite superior estimado de la masa inicial de la progenitora de SN 1999br, y concuerda con las masas iniciales bajos encontrados para los progenitores RSG de otras supernovas de baja luminosidad II-P.http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0004-6256/es/http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-3881/143/1/19

The Economic and Environmental Indicators for Evaluating the National Pilot Project on Livestock and the Environment

The livestock and dairy industries are consolidating and concentrating within confined geographical areas. Accompanying these structural adjustments that are under way in the dairy and livestock industries is the potential for increased point and nonpoint source pollution problems from animal waste disposal. An assessment of optimal policies and best management practices to control pollution from CAFOs requires an integrated evaluation of economic and environmental consequences from alternative policies and practices. To perform this integrated assessment, a set of important economic and environmental indicators that these policies will affect have to be identified. This paper reviews indicators used in other site-specific studies and recommends a feasible set of economic and environmental indicators for the national pilot project

Supernova 2008bk and Its Red Supergiant Progenitor

We have obtained limited photometric and spectroscopic data for supernova (SN) 2008bk in NGC 7793, primarily at ≳ 150 days after explosion. We find that it is a Type II-Plateau (II-P) SN that most closely resembles the low-luminosity SN 1999br in NGC 4900. Given the overall similarity between the observed light curves and colors of SNe 2008bk and 1999br, we infer that the total visual extinction to SN 2008bk (A_V = 0.065 mag) must be almost entirely due to the Galactic foreground, similar to what has been assumed for SN 1999br. We confirm the identification of the putative red supergiant (RSG) progenitor star of the SN in high-quality g'r'i' images we had obtained in 2007 at the Gemini-South 8 m telescope. Little ambiguity exists in this progenitor identification, qualifying it as the best example to date, next to the identification of the star Sk –69°202 as the progenitor of SN 1987A. From a combination of photometry of the Gemini images with that of archival, pre-SN, Very Large Telescope JHK_s images, we derive an accurate observed spectral energy distribution (SED) for the progenitor. We find from nebular strong-intensity emission-line indices for several H II regions near the SN that the metallicity in the environment is likely subsolar (Z ≈ 0.6 Z_☉). The observed SED of the star agrees quite well with synthetic SEDs obtained from model RSG atmospheres with effective temperature T_(eff) = 3600 ± 50 K. We find, therefore, that the star had a bolometric luminosity with respect to the Sun of log (L_(bol)/L_☉) = 4.57 ± 0.06 and radius R* = 496 ± 34 R_☉ at ~6 months prior to explosion. Comparing the progenitor's properties with theoretical massive-star evolutionary models, we conclude that the RSG progenitor had an initial mass in the range of 8-8.5 M_☉. This mass is consistent with, albeit at the low end of, the inferred range of initial masses for SN II-P progenitors. It is also consistent with the estimated upper limit on the initial mass of the progenitor of SN 1999br, and it agrees with the low initial masses found for the RSG progenitors of other low-luminosity SNe II-P

Epidermal Keratinocyte Self-Renewal Is Dependent upon Dermal Integrity

The epidermis is a major site of self-renewal in which there is constant replacement by cell division in the basal layers of cells lost by desquamation in the superficial layers. such a tissue is therefore likely to contain stem cells and in this study we have examined the role of the dermis in the maintenance of epidermal self-renewal. We have developed a mouse model to address the question of whether the maintenance of epidermal self-renewal is dependent, as in the hemopoietic system, upon a heterologous cell type. Intact epidermis separated from disaggregated epidermal cells, can reconstitute a stratified squamous epithelium when grafted onto the lumbo-dermal fascia of the mouse or onto an experimentally induced granulation tissue bed. However, we have shown that, after grafting the clonogenic capacity of the keratinocytes declines sharply and the colonies that are produced are incapable of self-renewal in vitro. Although initially hyperplastic, these epidermal grafts assume an atrophic appearance after 40–70 d this may be related to the loss of self-renewal observed in vitro. With both experimental murine grafts and clinical grafts the failure of keratinocytes to self-renew can be alleviated, partially, by the presence of the dermis in full-thickness or split-thickness grafts, which implies that the dermis has a functional role in epidermal role in epidermal stem cell maintenance. The relevance of these observations to the clinical experience with cultured autologous keratinocyte sheets as would dressings to patients is discussed

Photogrammetry Measurements During a Tanking Test on the Space Shuttle External Tank, ET-137

On November 5, 2010, a significant foam liberation threat was observed as the Space Shuttle STS-133 launch effort was scrubbed because of a hydrogen leak at the ground umbilical carrier plate. Further investigation revealed the presence of multiple cracks at the tops of stringers in the intertank region of the Space Shuttle External Tank. As part of an instrumented tanking test conducted on December 17, 2010, a three dimensional digital image correlation photogrammetry system was used to measure radial deflections and overall deformations of a section of the intertank region. This paper will describe the experimental challenges that were overcome in order to implement the photogrammetry measurements for the tanking test in support of STS-133. The technique consisted of configuring and installing two pairs of custom stereo camera bars containing calibrated cameras on the 215-ft level of the fixed service structure of Launch Pad 39-A. The cameras were remotely operated from the Launch Control Center 3.5 miles away during the 8 hour duration test, which began before sunrise and lasted through sunset. The complete deformation time history was successfully computed from the acquired images and would prove to play a crucial role in the computer modeling validation efforts supporting the successful completion of the root cause analysis of the cracked stringer problem by the Space Shuttle Program. The resulting data generated included full field fringe plots, data extraction time history analysis, section line spatial analyses and differential stringer peak ]valley motion. Some of the sample results are included with discussion. The resulting data showed that new stringer crack formation did not occur for the panel examined, and that large amounts of displacement in the external tank occurred because of the loads derived from its filling. The measurements acquired were also used to validate computer modeling efforts completed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Vertical and horizontal movements of southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) in the Great Australian Bight observed with ultrasonic telemetry

The vertical and horizontal movements of southern bluefin tuna (SBT), Thunnus maccoyii, in the Great Australian Bight were investigated by ultrasonic telemetry. Between 1992 and 1994, sixteen tuna were tracked for up to 49 h with depth or combined temperature-depth transmitting tags. The average swimming speeds (measured over the ground) over entire tracks ranged from 0.5 to 1.4 m/s or 0.5 to 1.4 body lengths/s. The highest sustained swimming speed recorded was 2.5 m/s for 18 hours. Horizontal movements were often associated with topographical features such as lumps, reefs, islands and the shelf break. They spent long periods of time at the surface during the day (nearly 30%), which would facilitate abundance estimation by aerial survey. At night, they tended to remain just below the surface, but many remained in the upper 10 m throughout the night. SBT were often observed at the thermocline interface or at the surface while travelling. A characteristic feature of many tracks was sudden dives before dawn and after sunset during twilight, followed by a gradual return to their original depth. It is suggested that this is a behavior evolved to locate the scattering layer and its associated prey when SBT are in waters of sufficient depth. SBT maintained a difference between stomach and ambient temperature of up to 9°C