In this paper we study the evolution of 7Li in the Galaxy considering the contributions of various stellar sources : Type II supernovae, novae, red giant stars, and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We present new results for the production of 7Li in AGB stars via the hot bottom burning process, based on stellar evolutionary models. In the light of recent observations of dense circumstellar shells around evolved stars in the Galaxy and in the Magellanic Clouds, we also consider the impact of a very high mass-loss rate episode (superwind) before the evolution o † the AGB phase on the 7Li enrichment in the interstellar medium. We compare the Galactic evolution of 7Li obtained with these new 7Li yields (complemented with a critical reanalysis of the role of supernovae, novae and giant stars) with a selected compilation of spectroscopic observations including halo and disk Ðeld stars as well as young stellar clusters. We conclude that even allowing for the large uncertainties in the theoretical calculation of massloss rates at the end of the AGB phase, the superwind phase has a signiÐcant e †ect on the 7Li enrichment of the Galaxy.

Using Missouri Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifers Inc. sale data, this article uses hedonic modeling to assess the marginal implicit values of physical and genetic characteristics, expected performance characteristics of calves, and market factors to bred heifer price. In 2008, a higher quality standard, known as Tier II, was created combining minimum expected progeny difference (EPD) accuracies for a heifer's sire with previous heifer standards. Heifer characteristics and market factors as well as yearling and carcass weight EPDs were found to significantly influence heifer price. Results suggest that Tier II heifers receive a premium compared with traditional Show-Me-Select heifers.

Recent advances in cooperative theory have focused on membership heterogeneity as being a significant challenge for cooperative sustainability. We use predictive analytics to forecast U.S. farmer cooperative sustainability at an aggregate level and include multiple dimensions of membership heterogeneity. We report the importance and shape of the effect of membership heterogeneity when predicting and forecasting cooperative sustainability in the near-term. We also report forecasts of cooperative sustainability given expected changes to membership heterogeneity. The data this study used are from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Economic Research Service (ERS) Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) joined with USDA-Rural Development cooperative financial data at the state level. Membership heterogeneity was found to be less relevant than other variables included in the model for predicting cooperative business volume and number of cooperatives headquartered per state, and an estimate of cooperative sustainability. Membership heterogeneity effects were mostly offsetting given expected changes to member heterogeneity, and/or were offset due to changes to other macro factors. Consequently, we conclude membership heterogeneity may affect the number of cooperatives and extent consistent with theoretical literature at a micro level; however, we also expect a similar level of sustainability of cooperatives at an aggregate level in the near-term despite changes to membership heterogeneity.

Abstract. We examine outstanding issues in the analysis and interpretation of the halo Li plateau. We show that the majority of very Li-poor halo Li-plateau stars (5 out of 8) have high projected rotation velocities vsini between 4.7 and 10.4 km s −1 . Such stars have very different evolutionary histories to Li-normal plateau stars, and hence cannot be included in studies of Li depletion by normal halo dwarfs. Uncertainties in the effective temperature scale for metal-poor stars continue to challenge the analysis of Li.

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