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• 1. [Article] Air-quality and Climatic Consequences of Bioenergy Crop Cultivation

  Bioenergy is expected to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy budget. In addition to the use of liquid energy forms such as ethanol and biodiesel, electricity generation using processed ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Air-quality and Climatic Consequences of Bioenergy Crop Cultivation Author: Porter, William Christian Year: 2013 Bioenergy is expected to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy budget. In addition to the use of liquid energy forms such as ethanol and biodiesel, electricity generation using processed energy crops as a partial or full coal alternative is expected to increase, requiring large-scale conversions of land for the cultivation of bioenergy feedstocks such as cane, grasses, or short rotation coppice. With land-use change identified as a major contributor to changes in the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), many of which are known contributors to the pollutants ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), careful review of crop emission profiles and local atmospheric chemistry will be necessary to mitigate any unintended air-quality consequences. In this work, the atmospheric consequences of bioenergy crop replacement are examined using both the high-resolution regional chemical transport model WRF/Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) and the global climate model CESM (Community Earth System Model). Regional sensitivities to several representative crop types are analyzed, and the impacts of each crop on air quality and climate are compared. Overall, the high emitting crops (eucalyptus and giant reed) were found to produce climate and human health costs totaling up to 40% of the value of CO2 emissions prevented, while the related costs of the lowest-emitting crop (switchgrass) were negligible. Title: Air-quality and Climatic Consequences of Bioenergy Crop Cultivation Author: Porter, William Christian Year: 2013 Bioenergy is expected to play an increasingly significant role in the global energy budget. In addition to the use of liquid energy forms such as ethanol and biodiesel, electricity generation using processed energy crops as a partial or full coal alternative is expected to increase, requiring large-scale conversions of land for the cultivation of bioenergy feedstocks such as cane, grasses, or short rotation coppice. With land-use change identified as a major contributor to changes in the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), many of which are known contributors to the pollutants ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), careful review of crop emission profiles and local atmospheric chemistry will be necessary to mitigate any unintended air-quality consequences. In this work, the atmospheric consequences of bioenergy crop replacement are examined using both the high-resolution regional chemical transport model WRF/Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) and the global climate model CESM (Community Earth System Model). Regional sensitivities to several representative crop types are analyzed, and the impacts of each crop on air quality and climate are compared. Overall, the high emitting crops (eucalyptus and giant reed) were found to produce climate and human health costs totaling up to 40% of the value of CO2 emissions prevented, while the related costs of the lowest-emitting crop (switchgrass) were negligible. Close

• 2. [Article] Reducing the Negative Human-Health Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Emissions through Region-Specific Crop Selection

  An expected global increase in bioenergy-crop cultivation as an alternative to fossil fuels will have consequences on both global climate and local air quality through changes in biogenic emissions of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Reducing the Negative Human-Health Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Emissions through Region-Specific Crop Selection Author: Porter, William Christian, Rosenstiel, Todd N., Guenther, Alex, Lamarque, Jean-Francois, Barsanti, Kelley Year: 2015 An expected global increase in bioenergy-crop cultivation as an alternative to fossil fuels will have consequences on both global climate and local air quality through changes in biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While greenhouse gas emissions may be reduced through the substitution of next-generation bioenergy crops such as eucalyptus, giant reed, and switchgrass for fossil fuels, the choice of species has important ramifications for human health, potentially reducing the benefits of conversion due to increases in ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels as a result of large changes in biogenic emissions. Using the Community Earth System Model we simulate the conversion of marginal and underutilized croplands worldwide to bioenergy crops under varying future anthropogenic emissions scenarios. A conservative global replacement using high VOCemitting crop profiles leads to modeled population-weighted O3 increases of 5–27 ppb in India, 1–9 ppb in China, and 1–6 ppb in the United States, with peak PM2.5 increases of up to 2 μg m−3 . We present a metric for the regional evaluation of candidate bioenergy crops, as well as results for the application of this metric to four representative emissions profiles using four replacement scales (10–100% maximum estimated available land). Finally, we assess the total health and climate impacts of biogenic emissions, finding that the negative consequences of using high-emitting crops could exceed 50% of the positive benefits of reduced fossil fuel emissions in value. Title: Reducing the Negative Human-Health Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Emissions through Region-Specific Crop Selection Author: Porter, William Christian, Rosenstiel, Todd N., Guenther, Alex, Lamarque, Jean-Francois, Barsanti, Kelley Year: 2015 An expected global increase in bioenergy-crop cultivation as an alternative to fossil fuels will have consequences on both global climate and local air quality through changes in biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While greenhouse gas emissions may be reduced through the substitution of next-generation bioenergy crops such as eucalyptus, giant reed, and switchgrass for fossil fuels, the choice of species has important ramifications for human health, potentially reducing the benefits of conversion due to increases in ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels as a result of large changes in biogenic emissions. Using the Community Earth System Model we simulate the conversion of marginal and underutilized croplands worldwide to bioenergy crops under varying future anthropogenic emissions scenarios. A conservative global replacement using high VOCemitting crop profiles leads to modeled population-weighted O3 increases of 5–27 ppb in India, 1–9 ppb in China, and 1–6 ppb in the United States, with peak PM2.5 increases of up to 2 μg m−3 . We present a metric for the regional evaluation of candidate bioenergy crops, as well as results for the application of this metric to four representative emissions profiles using four replacement scales (10–100% maximum estimated available land). Finally, we assess the total health and climate impacts of biogenic emissions, finding that the negative consequences of using high-emitting crops could exceed 50% of the positive benefits of reduced fossil fuel emissions in value. Close

• 3. [Article] Agricultural Classification of Multi-Temporal MODIS Imagery in Northwest Argentina Using Kansas Crop Phenologies

  Subtropical deforestation in Latin America is thought to be driven by demand for agricultural land, particularly to grow soybeans. However, existing remote sensing methods that can differentiate crop types ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Agricultural Classification of Multi-Temporal MODIS Imagery in Northwest Argentina Using Kansas Crop Phenologies Author: Keifer, Jarrett Alexander Year: 2014 Subtropical deforestation in Latin America is thought to be driven by demand for agricultural land, particularly to grow soybeans. However, existing remote sensing methods that can differentiate crop types to verify this hypothesis require high spatial or spectral resolution data, or extensive ground truth information to develop training sites, none of which are freely available for much of the world. I developed a new method of crop classification based on the phenological signatures of crops extracted from multi-temporal MODIS vegetation indices. I tested and refined this method using the USDA Cropland Data Layer from Kansas, USA as a reference. I then applied the method to classify crop types for a study site in Pellegrini, Santiago Del Estero, Argentina. The results show that this method is unable to effectively separate summer crops in Pellegrini, but can differentiate summer crops and non-summer crops. Unmet assumptions about agricultural practices are primarily responsible for the ineffective summer crop classification, underlining the need for researchers to have a complete understanding of ground conditions when designing a remote sensing analysis. Title: Agricultural Classification of Multi-Temporal MODIS Imagery in Northwest Argentina Using Kansas Crop Phenologies Author: Keifer, Jarrett Alexander Year: 2014 Subtropical deforestation in Latin America is thought to be driven by demand for agricultural land, particularly to grow soybeans. However, existing remote sensing methods that can differentiate crop types to verify this hypothesis require high spatial or spectral resolution data, or extensive ground truth information to develop training sites, none of which are freely available for much of the world. I developed a new method of crop classification based on the phenological signatures of crops extracted from multi-temporal MODIS vegetation indices. I tested and refined this method using the USDA Cropland Data Layer from Kansas, USA as a reference. I then applied the method to classify crop types for a study site in Pellegrini, Santiago Del Estero, Argentina. The results show that this method is unable to effectively separate summer crops in Pellegrini, but can differentiate summer crops and non-summer crops. Unmet assumptions about agricultural practices are primarily responsible for the ineffective summer crop classification, underlining the need for researchers to have a complete understanding of ground conditions when designing a remote sensing analysis. Close

• 4. [Article] Determinants of the Spatial Distribution of Peri-Urban to Rural Agriculture in the United States

  Two issues are focal to the subject of the spatial distribution of crops in peri-urban zones. The first deals with developments in the fields of transportation, other technology, urbanization, and other ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Determinants of the Spatial Distribution of Peri-Urban to Rural Agriculture in the United States Author: Abdel-Karim, Ibrahim Amin Year: 1987 Two issues are focal to the subject of the spatial distribution of crops in peri-urban zones. The first deals with developments in the fields of transportation, other technology, urbanization, and other factors which are not only prevalent in developed world economies, but which also are thought to force the cultivation of freshly consumed agricultural commodities away from the immediate vicinity of the market center. The second issue pertains to indirectly consumed crops, which are thought to shun proximity to the market center, where land rents per unit area are characteristically high, even when conditions for productions are ideal. Traditional models have shown a zonal pattern of crop distribution in peri-urban areas. The present study sets forth two hypotheses, one pertaining to the spatial distribution of freshly consumed crops, and the other pertaining to the spatial distribution of indirectly consumed crops. It was hypothesized in the present study that freshly consumed crops will continue to be cultivated in the near vicinity of the market center due to characteristics of the crops and the urban market. It was further hypothesized that indirectly consumed crops will continue to be cultivated in the near vicinity of the market center by virtue of greater intensity of production that may be obtained through the use of the environment of designated places. In the case of both crops, the cited factors, as well as others, offset the disadvantages of higher land rent per unit area common to areas close to the market center. These offsetting factors permit agriculture to compete successfully for land in the peri-urban zone. To test these hypotheses, variables were selected to measure the influence that urbanization, transportation, other technologies, the market, the environment, and land use regulations have on agricultural siting patterns in the peri-urban zones of the "Wheat Region" of the central United States. These variables were expressed as equations and were subjected to multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis. The present findings tended to support the research hypotheses. On the basis of these findings, the present research offers a revised model of agricultural cropping patterns, one that reflects the sectoral, rather than the zonal, pattern of crop distribution in peri-urban zones. In the revised model, the mixing of different crops at various locations around the market is feasible, and low-priced grains may compete successfully for high-rent locations in the near vicinity of the urban market. The findings also show that the production of perishable crops in the iIl'.mediate vicinity of the urban market is here to stay, largely due to access to varied means of transportation as well as characteristics of the crops themselves. Furthermore, the findings show that environmental conditions influence the locating of grain production, although economic considerations were seen to supersede them, particularly at high-rent sites. Title: Determinants of the Spatial Distribution of Peri-Urban to Rural Agriculture in the United States Author: Abdel-Karim, Ibrahim Amin Year: 1987 Two issues are focal to the subject of the spatial distribution of crops in peri-urban zones. The first deals with developments in the fields of transportation, other technology, urbanization, and other factors which are not only prevalent in developed world economies, but which also are thought to force the cultivation of freshly consumed agricultural commodities away from the immediate vicinity of the market center. The second issue pertains to indirectly consumed crops, which are thought to shun proximity to the market center, where land rents per unit area are characteristically high, even when conditions for productions are ideal. Traditional models have shown a zonal pattern of crop distribution in peri-urban areas. The present study sets forth two hypotheses, one pertaining to the spatial distribution of freshly consumed crops, and the other pertaining to the spatial distribution of indirectly consumed crops. It was hypothesized in the present study that freshly consumed crops will continue to be cultivated in the near vicinity of the market center due to characteristics of the crops and the urban market. It was further hypothesized that indirectly consumed crops will continue to be cultivated in the near vicinity of the market center by virtue of greater intensity of production that may be obtained through the use of the environment of designated places. In the case of both crops, the cited factors, as well as others, offset the disadvantages of higher land rent per unit area common to areas close to the market center. These offsetting factors permit agriculture to compete successfully for land in the peri-urban zone. To test these hypotheses, variables were selected to measure the influence that urbanization, transportation, other technologies, the market, the environment, and land use regulations have on agricultural siting patterns in the peri-urban zones of the "Wheat Region" of the central United States. These variables were expressed as equations and were subjected to multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis. The present findings tended to support the research hypotheses. On the basis of these findings, the present research offers a revised model of agricultural cropping patterns, one that reflects the sectoral, rather than the zonal, pattern of crop distribution in peri-urban zones. In the revised model, the mixing of different crops at various locations around the market is feasible, and low-priced grains may compete successfully for high-rent locations in the near vicinity of the urban market. The findings also show that the production of perishable crops in the iIl'.mediate vicinity of the urban market is here to stay, largely due to access to varied means of transportation as well as characteristics of the crops themselves. Furthermore, the findings show that environmental conditions influence the locating of grain production, although economic considerations were seen to supersede them, particularly at high-rent sites. Close

• 5. [Article] The work values of secondary teachers : a comparative study by teaching assignment

  The focus of this study was on the work values of secondary school teachers. Values have been defined in many ways. The common agreement is that values are standards, beliefs, or principles that do guide ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The work values of secondary teachers : a comparative study by teaching assignment Author: Klampe, Charlotte Marie Year: 1983 The focus of this study was on the work values of secondary school teachers. Values have been defined in many ways. The common agreement is that values are standards, beliefs, or principles that do guide and direct a person's behavior. The values a teacher holds will influence a student due to the natural role-modeling effect in the classroom. With the advent of career education and exploration of the world of work, the values held toward work become a timely topic. The discussion of values and value clarification in all aspects of a person's life is one that is becoming very popular in education. Title: The work values of secondary teachers : a comparative study by teaching assignment Author: Klampe, Charlotte Marie Year: 1983 The focus of this study was on the work values of secondary school teachers. Values have been defined in many ways. The common agreement is that values are standards, beliefs, or principles that do guide and direct a person's behavior. The values a teacher holds will influence a student due to the natural role-modeling effect in the classroom. With the advent of career education and exploration of the world of work, the values held toward work become a timely topic. The discussion of values and value clarification in all aspects of a person's life is one that is becoming very popular in education. Close

• 6. [Article] Agricultural Management Decisions Impact Isoprene Emission and Physiology of Arundo donax, an Emerging Bioenergy Crop

  Arundo donax (Giant Reed) is quickly being developed as a rapidly-growing, robust, and highly productive bioenergy crop, with large scale cultivation of this species planned for the Columbia River basin ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Agricultural Management Decisions Impact Isoprene Emission and Physiology of Arundo donax, an Emerging Bioenergy Crop Author: Maxfield, Jason Charles Year: 2014 Arundo donax (Giant Reed) is quickly being developed as a rapidly-growing, robust, and highly productive bioenergy crop, with large scale cultivation of this species planned for the Columbia River basin of the Pacific Northwest (USA). Despite its potential as a next generation biomass crop, relatively few studies have examined the physiological performance of A. donax under agricultural conditions. Unlike traditional crops, A. donax is known to be a high-emitter of the volatile compound isoprene, which may significantly impact regional air quality, but it has not been widely cultivated in North America and little is known about how this species will perform in the Pacific Northwest. Over two field seasons, we measured isoprene fluxes from A. donax plants in both greenhouse conditions and in an agricultural field setting under a variety of conditions and fertilizer treatments. We also measured several other attributes of A. donax productivity and leaf physiology including chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, specific leaf mass, water use efficiency and gas exchange. We found that A. donax physiologically performs well under cultivation in the Columbia River basin, but that it also emits isoprene at significantly higher rates than previous reports indicate. We also found that both isoprene emission and leaf physiology were highly affected by agricultural management decisions, including nitrogen and irrigation management. Our findings indicate that crop management strategies can be developed that simultaneously seek to minimize isoprene emission while maximizing biomass production in this newly emerging bioenergy crop. Title: Agricultural Management Decisions Impact Isoprene Emission and Physiology of Arundo donax, an Emerging Bioenergy Crop Author: Maxfield, Jason Charles Year: 2014 Arundo donax (Giant Reed) is quickly being developed as a rapidly-growing, robust, and highly productive bioenergy crop, with large scale cultivation of this species planned for the Columbia River basin of the Pacific Northwest (USA). Despite its potential as a next generation biomass crop, relatively few studies have examined the physiological performance of A. donax under agricultural conditions. Unlike traditional crops, A. donax is known to be a high-emitter of the volatile compound isoprene, which may significantly impact regional air quality, but it has not been widely cultivated in North America and little is known about how this species will perform in the Pacific Northwest. Over two field seasons, we measured isoprene fluxes from A. donax plants in both greenhouse conditions and in an agricultural field setting under a variety of conditions and fertilizer treatments. We also measured several other attributes of A. donax productivity and leaf physiology including chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, specific leaf mass, water use efficiency and gas exchange. We found that A. donax physiologically performs well under cultivation in the Columbia River basin, but that it also emits isoprene at significantly higher rates than previous reports indicate. We also found that both isoprene emission and leaf physiology were highly affected by agricultural management decisions, including nitrogen and irrigation management. Our findings indicate that crop management strategies can be developed that simultaneously seek to minimize isoprene emission while maximizing biomass production in this newly emerging bioenergy crop. Close

• 7. [Article] Collecting Image Cropping Dataset: A Hybrid System of Machine and Human Intelligence

  Image cropping is a common tool that exists in almost any image editor, yet automatic cropping is still a difficult problem in Computer Vision. Since images nowadays can be easily collected through the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Collecting Image Cropping Dataset: A Hybrid System of Machine and Human Intelligence Author: Mai, Uyen T., Liu, Feng Year: 2016 Image cropping is a common tool that exists in almost any image editor, yet automatic cropping is still a difficult problem in Computer Vision. Since images nowadays can be easily collected through the web, machine learning is a promising approach to solve this problem. However, an image cropping dataset is not yet available and gathering such a large-scale dataset is a non-trivial task. Although a crowdsourcing website such as Mechanical Turk seems to be a solution to this task, image cropping is a sophisticated task that is vulnerable to unreliable annotation; furthermore, collecting a large-scale high-quality dataset through crowdsourcing is expensive. Alternatively, we introduce a system that uses automatic methods and human inputs to generate and evaluate image crops. Our system is a hybrid of machine and human intelligence. Given an image, the hybrid system generates image crops in three steps: identify main objects in the image; automatically generate a set of potential good crops around the identified main objects following principle photographic composition; and assess the generated crops. The second step is automatic while the first and third steps require inputs from the human. We obtain these user inputs by designing an online game. In the user’s perspective, our system is a website where users can access to play games. In our perspective, by letting people play games, we have them annotate the images for us with no cost. The games are carefully designed so that users’ feedbacks are helpful to our main goal. The system is embedded with a quality control model that assesses the user’s accuracy and the quality of the annotation. Title: Collecting Image Cropping Dataset: A Hybrid System of Machine and Human Intelligence Author: Mai, Uyen T., Liu, Feng Year: 2016 Image cropping is a common tool that exists in almost any image editor, yet automatic cropping is still a difficult problem in Computer Vision. Since images nowadays can be easily collected through the web, machine learning is a promising approach to solve this problem. However, an image cropping dataset is not yet available and gathering such a large-scale dataset is a non-trivial task. Although a crowdsourcing website such as Mechanical Turk seems to be a solution to this task, image cropping is a sophisticated task that is vulnerable to unreliable annotation; furthermore, collecting a large-scale high-quality dataset through crowdsourcing is expensive. Alternatively, we introduce a system that uses automatic methods and human inputs to generate and evaluate image crops. Our system is a hybrid of machine and human intelligence. Given an image, the hybrid system generates image crops in three steps: identify main objects in the image; automatically generate a set of potential good crops around the identified main objects following principle photographic composition; and assess the generated crops. The second step is automatic while the first and third steps require inputs from the human. We obtain these user inputs by designing an online game. In the user’s perspective, our system is a website where users can access to play games. In our perspective, by letting people play games, we have them annotate the images for us with no cost. The games are carefully designed so that users’ feedbacks are helpful to our main goal. The system is embedded with a quality control model that assesses the user’s accuracy and the quality of the annotation. Close

• 8. [Article] Mapping Meaningful Places on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Landscape Values

  Landscape values mapping has been widely employed as a form of public participation GIS (PPGIS) in natural resource planning and decision-making to capture the complex array of values, uses, and interactions ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Mapping Meaningful Places on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Landscape Values Author: Cerveny, Lee, Biedenweg, Kelly, McLain, Rebecca J. Year: 2017 Landscape values mapping has been widely employed as a form of public participation GIS (PPGIS) in natural resource planning and decision-making to capture the complex array of values, uses, and interactions between people and landscapes. A landscape values typology has been commonly employed in the mapping of social and environmental values in a variety of management settings and scales. We explore how people attribute meanings and assign values to special places on the Olympic Peninsula (Washington, USA) using both a landscape values typology and qualitative responses about residents’ placerelationships. Using geographically referenced social values data collected in community meetings (n = 169), we identify high-frequency landscape values and examine how well the landscape values are reflected in open-ended descriptions of place-relations. We also explore the various interpretations of 14 landscape values used in the study. In particular, we investigate any overlapping meanings or blurriness among landscape values and reveal potentially emergent landscape values from the qualitative data. The results provide insights on the use of landscape values mapping typologies for practitioners and researchers engaged in the mapping of social values for PPGIS. Title: Mapping Meaningful Places on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Landscape Values Author: Cerveny, Lee, Biedenweg, Kelly, McLain, Rebecca J. Year: 2017 Landscape values mapping has been widely employed as a form of public participation GIS (PPGIS) in natural resource planning and decision-making to capture the complex array of values, uses, and interactions between people and landscapes. A landscape values typology has been commonly employed in the mapping of social and environmental values in a variety of management settings and scales. We explore how people attribute meanings and assign values to special places on the Olympic Peninsula (Washington, USA) using both a landscape values typology and qualitative responses about residents’ placerelationships. Using geographically referenced social values data collected in community meetings (n = 169), we identify high-frequency landscape values and examine how well the landscape values are reflected in open-ended descriptions of place-relations. We also explore the various interpretations of 14 landscape values used in the study. In particular, we investigate any overlapping meanings or blurriness among landscape values and reveal potentially emergent landscape values from the qualitative data. The results provide insights on the use of landscape values mapping typologies for practitioners and researchers engaged in the mapping of social values for PPGIS. Close

• 9. [Article] Real Options Methodology in Sportswear Retail Investment Valuation

  The net present value (NPV) approach has been widely accepted by corporate practitioners and academics as the principle tool for evaluating the feasibility of corporate financial investment opportunities. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Real Options Methodology in Sportswear Retail Investment Valuation Author: Gui, Hairong Karen Year: 2011 The net present value (NPV) approach has been widely accepted by corporate practitioners and academics as the principle tool for evaluating the feasibility of corporate financial investment opportunities. It conceptually provides an estimate in present value terms of a proposed investment's incremental contribution to the firm, enabling the company to pursue its goal of value maximization with more assurance. NPV uses a discount rate that in theory captures market risks. In the stable growth or mature industries, NPV works well. However, in high investment/high risk-return (HI/HRR) industries, where the investment environment is often profiled as highly uncertain with high returns, NPV is insufficient to reflect the multidimensional risks, hence unable to capture the extensive investment returns that may consist of non-financial values. This dissertation applies the real option (RO) valuation methodology, supplementing the NPV method to evaluate the return of the sports retail industry (SRI) flagship stores investments. This study further demonstrates that there are strategic values captured by the RO valuation method, complementing the financial values attained by the NPV. To test this assertion, we use case methodology to analyze four flagship investment activities (proprietary business data are concealed). These investments represent various investment options, including growth, expansion, staging, and delay. The cases include projections made prior to the investment, the retrospective application of RO to estimate strategic value, and the actual returns from these investments. Findings demonstrate convincingly RO methodology can and should be usefully applied to supplement the NPV method in HI/HRR industries, and SRI in particular. Title: Real Options Methodology in Sportswear Retail Investment Valuation Author: Gui, Hairong Karen Year: 2011 The net present value (NPV) approach has been widely accepted by corporate practitioners and academics as the principle tool for evaluating the feasibility of corporate financial investment opportunities. It conceptually provides an estimate in present value terms of a proposed investment's incremental contribution to the firm, enabling the company to pursue its goal of value maximization with more assurance. NPV uses a discount rate that in theory captures market risks. In the stable growth or mature industries, NPV works well. However, in high investment/high risk-return (HI/HRR) industries, where the investment environment is often profiled as highly uncertain with high returns, NPV is insufficient to reflect the multidimensional risks, hence unable to capture the extensive investment returns that may consist of non-financial values. This dissertation applies the real option (RO) valuation methodology, supplementing the NPV method to evaluate the return of the sports retail industry (SRI) flagship stores investments. This study further demonstrates that there are strategic values captured by the RO valuation method, complementing the financial values attained by the NPV. To test this assertion, we use case methodology to analyze four flagship investment activities (proprietary business data are concealed). These investments represent various investment options, including growth, expansion, staging, and delay. The cases include projections made prior to the investment, the retrospective application of RO to estimate strategic value, and the actual returns from these investments. Findings demonstrate convincingly RO methodology can and should be usefully applied to supplement the NPV method in HI/HRR industries, and SRI in particular. Close

• 10. [Article] What Drives Academic Bioscientists: Money or Values?

  The article determines the factors that drive academic bioscience to better understand the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Some challenges brought about ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: What Drives Academic Bioscientists: Money or Values? Author: Ervin, David E., Nag, Sharmistha, Yang, Hui, Buccola, Steven T. Year: 2010 The article determines the factors that drive academic bioscience to better understand the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Some challenges brought about by GE crops in the U.S. farm sustainability include tracking and controlling water pollution, protecting against herbicide resistance and nitrogen fixation. Professional norms are also considered as a great factor driving the academic bioscience. Title: What Drives Academic Bioscientists: Money or Values? Author: Ervin, David E., Nag, Sharmistha, Yang, Hui, Buccola, Steven T. Year: 2010 The article determines the factors that drive academic bioscience to better understand the role of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Some challenges brought about by GE crops in the U.S. farm sustainability include tracking and controlling water pollution, protecting against herbicide resistance and nitrogen fixation. Professional norms are also considered as a great factor driving the academic bioscience. Close