COMMUNITY PREFERENCES FOR TYPES OF BUSINESSES: A CASE STUDY OF THREE COUNTIES

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

The Diffusion of Renewable Energy Technology: An Analytical Framework and Key Issues for Research

During the last two decades there has been a great deal of research on renewable energy technologies. It is commonly thought that very little has come out of this research in terms of commercially interesting technologies. The first objective of this paper is to demonstrate that this perception is no longer entirely correct; in the 1990s there has been a double-digit growth rate in the market for some renewable energy technologies. The consequent alteration in the energy system, is, however, a slow, painful and highly uncertain process. This process, we argue, needs to be studied using an innovation system perspective where the focus is on networks, institutions and firms’ perceptions, competencies and strategies. The second objective of the paper is therefore to present the bare bones of such an analytical framework. A third objective is to identify a set of key issues related to the speed and direction of that transformation process which needs to be studied further

Property rights and collective action in watersheds

According to the authors, "watersheds define a terrain united by the flow of water, nutrients, pollutants, and sediment. Watersheds also link foresters, farmers, fishers, and urban dwellers in intricate social relationships. Both factors—the biophysical attributes and the policy and institutional environments—shape peoples' livelihoods and interactions within the watershed." In this brief the authors show that "watersheds have such broad impacts at so many levels, they raise special issues for the management of resources through collective action." They explore the relationships between property rights, collective action, watershed management, and stakehold participation and conclude that empowering local communities to take a leading role in watershed management is essential. from Text.Collective behavior ,Poverty alleviation ,Property rights ,Collective action ,Empowerment ,stakeholders ,

Using Student Roles During Group Supervision To Assess Counselor Dispositions

The purpose of this article is to present the use of student roles during group supervision in an online master\u27s program to assess counselor dispositions and CACREP Standards. Counselor dispositions are considered an aspect of counselor competence and will be explored through a model of dispositional values and the application of student roles in group supervision. The possibility of future qualitative and quantitative studies regarding student roles in group supervision will provide a wealth of information for consideration in group supervision

Quantifying physiological influences on otolith microchemistry

Trace element concentrations in fish earstones (‘otoliths’) are widely used to discriminate spatially discrete populations or individuals of marine fish, based on a commonly held assumption that physiological influences on otolith composition are minor, and thus variations in otolith elemental chemistry primarily reflect changes in ambient water chemistry. We carried out a long-term (1-year) experiment, serially sampling seawater, blood plasma and otoliths of mature and immature European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) to test relationships between otolith chemistry and environmental and physiological variables. Seasonal variations in otolith elemental composition did not track seawater concentrations, but instead reflected physiological controls on metal transport and biokinetics, which are likely moderated by ambient temperature. The influence of physiological factors on otolith composition was particularly evident in Sr/Ca ratios, the most widely used elemental marker in applied otolith microchemistry studies. Reproduction also triggered specific variations in otolith and blood plasma metal chemistry, especially Zn/Ca ratios in female fish, which could potentially serve as retrospective spawning indicators. The influence of physiology on the trace metal composition of otoliths may explain the success of microchemical stock discrimination in relatively homogenous marine environments, but could complicate alternative uses for trace element compositions in biominerals of higher organism

Qualitative Indicators of Social Resilience in Small-Scale Fishing Communities: An Emphasis on Perceptions and Practice

This paper reports on ethnographic research aimed at understanding what resilience means to those living within fishery-dependent communities. We draw on semi-structured and oral history interviews, focus groups, and household and business interviews in four Maine fishing communities to examine the reflections of fishermen and other community members on the past, present, and future of their communities, including the threats they face and how they are able to respond to them. Based on our analysis, we identify broad qualitative indicators of resilience: survival, social identity, diversification, getting by, and optimism. The indicators of resilience that we identify are difficult to fully understand using secondary data and, therefore, we argue that understanding them also requires an ethnographic research approach that focuses on the practices of fishermen and the context in which those fishermen live

Effects of flow rate and gas mixture on the welfare of weaned and neonate pigs during gas euthanasia

The objectives of this study were to assess efficacy and welfare implications of gas euthanasia when applied to weaned and neonate pigs. Parameters associated with welfare, which were measured before loss of consciousness, included open-mouth breathing, ataxia, righting response, and escape attempts. Two age groups (weaned and neonate) were assessed in 9 gas treatments arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial design, with 2 gas types (CO2 = 100% CO2 and 50:50 = 50:50 CO2:argon) and 4 flow rates (box volume exchange/min: slow = 20%; medium = 35%; fast = 50%; prefill = prefilled followed by 20%) and a control treatment in which ambient air was passed through the box. Pig pairs (10/treatment) were placed in a modified Euthanex AgPro system (Euthanex Corp., Palmer, PA). Behavioral and physiological responses were observed directly and from video recordings for latency, duration, prevalence (percent of pigs affected), and frequency (number of occurrences/pig). Data were analyzed as linear mixed models or with a Cox proportional hazard model as appropriate. Piglet pair was the experimental unit. For the weaned pig, welfare was superior with CO2 relative to 50:50 within 1 or more flow rates on the basis of reduced duration of open-mouth breathing, duration of ataxia, frequency of escape attempts, and duration and frequency of righting response (P \u3c 0.05). No measured parameters indicated superior welfare with the use of 50:50, whereas latencies to loss of posture and last movement favored CO2 (P \u3c 0.05). Faster flow rates were associated with reduced (P \u3c 0.05) duration or frequency of open-mouth breathing, ataxia, and righting response, as well as superior (P\u3c 0.05) indicators of efficacy, including latencies to loss of posture, gasping, and last movement, relative to slower flow rates. Weaned pigs were more likely to defecate (P \u3c 0.01), display nasal discharge (P \u3c 0.05), and display longer (P \u3c 0.001) latencies to loss of posture and last movement than neonates. Duration of ataxia was the only parameter for which neonates were superior (P \u3c 0.01) to weaned pigs during euthanasia. As such, a 50:50 CO2:argon gas mixture and slower flow rates should be avoided when euthanizing weaned or neonate pigs with gas methods. Neonate pigs succumb to the effects of gas euthanasia quicker than weaned pigs and display fewer signs of distress