Study of non-equilibrium transport phenomena

Nonequilibrium phenomena due to real gas effects are very important features of low density hypersonic flows. The shock shape and emitted nonequilibrium radiation are identified as the bulk flow behavior parameters which are very sensitive to the nonequilibrium phenomena. These parameters can be measured in shock tubes, shock tunnels, and ballistic ranges and used to test the accuracy of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes. Since the CDF codes, by necessity, are based on multi-temperature models, it is also desirable to measure various temperatures, most importantly, the vibrational temperature. The CFD codes would require high temperature rate constants, which are not available at present. Experiments conducted at the NASA Electric Arc-driven Shock Tube (EAST) facility reveal that radiation from steel contaminants overwhelm the radiation from the test gas. For the measurement of radiation and the chemical parameters, further investigation and then appropriate modifications of the EAST facility are required

MARKETING CHANNELS USED BY WHOLESALE AND RETAIL NURSERY COMPANIES

Analysis of data collected from a questionnaire survey of randomly selected Tennessee nursery businesses revealed that wholesalers and retailers differed significantly in their stated reasons for attending and participating in industry trade shows. When controlled for business size (gross sales), wholesalers and retailers also differed significantly in their perception of the usefulness of catalogs, newspapers, trade journals, trade shows, and radio to advertise nursery products and services.advertising channels, business operation size, Chi-square tests of independence, nursery retail business, nursery wholesale business, strategic marketing, stratified random sample, Industrial Organization,

CONSUMER BIOTECHNOLOGY FOOD AND NUTRITION INFORMATION SOURCES: THE TRUST FACTOR

Although much has been written on consumer attitudes toward genetically modified foods, not much is known about how or where consumers get the information for the decisions they make about genetically modified foods. This paper reports on the media used by consumers in acquiring information about biotech food and nutrition issues, and examines how much trust consumers put in selected information sources. The paper also discusses how socio-economic variables affect level of trust in selected sources. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied to data collected from focus groups and a mail questionnaire survey. Analyses showed that consumers used newspapers (73.7%), television (73.2%), and magazines (71.2%) occasionally or more frequently than other sources to collect information about food and biotechnology. Health professionals, extension professionals, and University scientists were most trusted for providing information about GM foods. Findings of the study could provide information on choice of effective channels for communicating information about modified food and biotechnology.Consumer/Household Economics,

Efficiency and Productivity Changes in the Indian Food Processing Industry: Determinants and Policy Implications

This paper analyses efficiency and productivity changes in 12 broad segments of food manufacturing industries during pre and post liberalisation periods, covering a period of two decades, from 1980-1981 to 2001-2002. The nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach is used to compute the Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (TFP) change, which has been further decomposed into efficiency and technical change. This paper also evaluates the performance of major inputs used in the food processing industry and identifies the causes of inefficiency across various segments. Based on the findings, the paper gives suggestions that can be used by policy makers and food processors in making decisions regarding various technical and managerial aspects to improve productivity and efficiency.Technical Efficiency, Total Factor Productivity (TFP), Food Processing, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), India, Productivity Analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q10, Q11, Q13,

Trust in Food-Safety Information Sources: Examining Differences in Respondents’ Opinions from a Three-State Survey

This paper analyzes data from a telephone survey of 1,000 home-meal preparers from Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee. We evaluate the level of trust assigned by survey respondents to twelve sources used in gathering food safety information and provide guidance on effective ways of communicating food-safety information. Data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Health professionals, nutrition counselors, and food labels were highly trusted sources of food-safety information while the Internet, radio, and television were the least trusted.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

PART-TIME FARMING: PRODUCTIVITY AND SOME IMPLICATIONS OF OFF-FARM WORK BY FARMERS

Labor and Human Capital,

Producer Biotech Food Knowledge Differences: Findings from a Three-State Survey

Over the years, public opinion in the United States on agricultural biotechnology has shifted from one of extreme consumer concern to one of indifference. This paper analyzes gender, ethnic, education, age, and household-income differences in producersÂ’' biotechnology knowledge. Mail questionnaires were used in collecting data. Responses to selected questions were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Chi-squares tests showed statistically significant differences in biotechnology knowledge among farmers who participated in the three-state survey.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Magmatic processes at the volcanic front of Central Mexican volcanic belt: Sierra de Chichinautzin volcanic field (Mexico)

The Sierra de Chichinautzin (SCN) volcanic field is considered one of the key areas to understand the complex petrogenetic processes at the volcanic front of the Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB). New as well as published major- and trace-element and Sr and Nd isotopic data are used to constrain the magma generation and evolution processes in the SCN. From inverse and direct modelling, combined 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd data, and use of multi-dimensional log-ratio discriminant function based diagrams and other geological and geophysical considerations, we infer that mafic magmas from the SCN were generated by partial melting of continental lithospheric mantle in an extensional setting. Inverse modelling of primary magmas from the SCN further indicates that the source region is not depleted in high-field strength elements (HFSE) compared to large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and rare-earth elements (REE). The petrogenesis of evolved magmas from the SCN is consistent with the partial melting of the continental crust facilitated by influx of mantle-derived magmas. Generally, an extensional setting is indicated for the SCN despite continuing subduction at the Middle America Trench

Geothermal systems simulation: A case study

Geothermal reservoir simulation is a key step for developing sustainable and efficient strategies for the exploitation of geothermal resources. It is applied in the assessment of several areas of reservoir engineering, such as reservoir performance and re-injection programs, pressure decline in depletion, phase transition conditions, and natural evolution of hydrothermal convection systems. Fluid flow and heat transfer in rock masses, fluid-rock chemical interaction and rock mass deformation are some of the processes addressed in reservoir modelling. The case study of the Las Tres Virgenes (LTV) geothermal field (10 MWe), Baja California Sur, Mexico is presented. Three dimensional (3D) natural state simulations were carried out from emplacement and cooling of two spherical magma chambers using a conductive approach. A conceptual model of the volcanic system was developed on a lithostratigraphic and geochronological basis. Magma chamber volumes were established from eruptive volumes estimations. The thermophysical properties of the medium were assumed to correspond to the dominant rock in each lithological unit as an initial value, and further calibration was made considering histograms of experimentally obtained thermophysical properties of rocks. As the boundaries of the model lie far from the thermal anomaly, we assumed specified temperature boundaries. A Finite Volume (FV) numerical scheme was implemented in a Fortran 90 code to solve the heat equation. Static formation temperatures from well logs were used for validation of the numerical results. Good agreement was observed in those geothermal wells dominated by conductive heat transfer. For other wells, however, it is clear that conduction alone cannot explain observed behaviour, three-dimensional convective models are being implemented for future multiphysics simulations