The Relationship Between Wildfire and Welfare

We used the well-being evaluation method, a technique for measuring individual utility, to study how people in the wildland urban interface of Colorado (USA) felt about their lives before and after two wildfire scenarios. Variables such as age, family size, fire frequency, and house value were found to affect initial well-being levels. However, after a significant life event, such as a wildfire, many variables that initially affected well-being were no longer significant. We found that after wildfire, the frequency of wildfire occurrence became the most important influence on well-being.well-being evaluation method, Colorado, happiness, wildland urban interface, wildfire intensity, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Health Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Land Economics/Use, Livestock Production/Industries, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty,

Tensile strength assay comparing the resistance between two different autologous platelet concentrates (leucocyte-platelet rich fibrin versus advanced-platelet rich fibrin): a pilot study

Background: Since the leucocyte-platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) was published in 2001, many studies have been developed, analyzing its properties, and also verifying new possibilities to improve it. Thereby, it emerges the advanced-platelet rich fibrin (A-PRF) with a protocol that optimizes the properties obtained by the L-PRF. Nonetheless, there is a gap in the literature to landmark the evolutive process concerning the mechanical properties in specific the resistance to tensile strength which consequently may influence the time for membrane degradation. Thus, this study had the goal to compare the resistance to the traction of membranes produced with the original L-PRF and A-PRF protocols, being the first to this direct comparison. Findings: The harvest of blood from a healthy single person, with no history of anticoagulant usage. We performed the protocols described in the literature, within a total of 13 membranes produced for each protocol (n = 26). Afterward, the membranes were prepared and submitted to a traction test assessing the maximal and the average traction achieved for each membrane. The data were analyzed statistically using the unpaired t test. Regarding average traction, A-PRF obtained a value of 0.0288 N mm−2 and L-PRF 0.0192 N mm−2 (p < 0.05 using unpaired t test). For maximal traction, A-PRF obtained 0.0752 N mm−2 and L-PRF 0.0425 N mm−2 (p < 0.05 using unpaired t test). Conclusion: With this study, it was possible to conclude that indeed A-PRF has a significative higher maximal traction score and higher average traction compared to L-PRF, indicating that it had a higher resistance when two opposing forces are applied.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

U.S. Outdoor Recreation Use Values: A Benefit Transfer Study

Past empirical benefit measures and other information originally obtained through primary data collection can be used for assessing and analyzing current management and policy actions. This use of past valuation information for current policy analysis is called benefit transfer. In this report, we present information from our database of 1239 consumer surplus estimates usable for benefit transfer that we created from our extensive literature review. The outdoor recreation use value database spans from 1967 through 2003 with activities ranging from birdwatching and picnicking to rock climbing and snorkeling. A park manager or other planner could easily use the information from our database to estimate consumer surplus values for a park, region, or activity, separately, or in combination. For instance, consumer surplus per person per day for wildlife viewing is US$35.30. However, if you are interested in a specific area, such as Alaska, you would find that the consumer surplus for wildlife viewing is US$41.11. Here, we see that the wildlife value in Alaska is higher than the overall average of wildlife viewing, which may be due to the fact that many people go to Alaska to see the big five: wolves, brown bears, dall sheep, caribou, and moose. Databases such as these provide a vast amount of valuable information and can easily be used by a wide range of audiences, from academics to land managers to politicians

The Relationship Between Wildfire and Welfare

We used the well-being evaluation method, a technique for measuring individual utility, to study how people in the wildland urban interface of Colorado (USA) felt about their lives before and after two wildfire scenarios. Variables such as age, family size, fire frequency, and house value were found to affect initial well-being levels. However, after a significant life event, such as a wildfire, many variables that initially affected well-being were no longer significant. We found that after wildfire, the frequency of wildfire occurrence became the most important influence on well-being

U.S. Outdoor Recreation Use Values: A Benefit Transfer Study

Past empirical benefit measures and other information originally obtained through primary data collection can be used for assessing and analyzing current management and policy actions. This use of past valuation information for current policy analysis is called benefit transfer. In this report, we present information from our database of 1239 consumer surplus estimates usable for benefit transfer that we created from our extensive literature review. The outdoor recreation use value database spans from 1967 through 2003 with activities ranging from birdwatching and picnicking to rock climbing and snorkeling. A park manager or other planner could easily use the information from our database to estimate consumer surplus values for a park, region, or activity, separately, or in combination. For instance, consumer surplus per person per day for wildlife viewing is US$35.30. However, if you are interested in a specific area, such as Alaska, you would find that the consumer surplus for wildlife viewing is US$41.11. Here, we see that the wildlife value in Alaska is higher than the overall average of wildlife viewing, which may be due to the fact that many people go to Alaska to see the big five: wolves, brown bears, dall sheep, caribou, and moose. Databases such as these provide a vast amount of valuable information and can easily be used by a wide range of audiences, from academics to land managers to politicians.Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,