The Problems of Analysing Markets for Irrigation Water

The view that the price of water is too low and that water does not flow to its highest value end use, have led many analysts to conclude that a market for water, in which price can adjust to accommodate changes in the supply and demand for the product, is essential. However, this solution assumes that the market could approach something close to perfect competition, purely by making minor changes within the existing regime of property rights. In this paper it is argued that problems evident in this market stem from a multitude of market failures and characteristics that are particular to it. To understand this case more fully it is necessary to come to terms with the theoretical formulations of the market for water and the practical difficulties associated with it. It is concluded that it may not be possible to obtain an optimal solution in the market for water, as it currently exists. Thus, the solutions to the problems evident in the water market may need to rely on controlling quantity of water that flows through it, even though price is an ideal economiser of information.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Estimating Distributional Impacts of an Innovation Across Sectors in an Industry: A case study of the Australian wool industry

In this paper an approach that can be used to determine the distribution of a productivity gain on an industry is detailed. In particular, the model developed in this paper extends earlier evaluations by emphasising the crucial role of substitution between inputs across different participants in the supply chain. Crucial to any analysis of an industry are the estimates of the elasticity's of derived demand at each stage and how it changes, as the product is further refined. The wool industry is used to illustrate the effects of an innovation across sectors.Agribusiness, Production Economics,

Is Animal Assisted Therapy Using Dogs an Effective Treatment for Positive and Negative Symptoms for Adult Inpatient Schizophrenics?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) using dogs is an effective treatment for positive and negative symptoms for adult inpatient schizophrenics. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of 3 articles published in English in peer reviewed journals between 2005-2009 DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials and one allocation by minimization controlled trial comparing the effects of AAT using dogs on positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia to control groups. All articles were found using PubMed and PROQuest OUTCOMES MEASURED: Focused questionnaires were given before and after AAT to analyze the effects on positive and negative symptoms. RESULTS: Chu et al. and Vilalta-Gil et al. showed improvement following treatment in positive symptoms. Vilalta-Gil et al. also showed improvement in negative symptoms. Nathans-Barel showed no improvement in positive or negative symptoms, but marked improvements in hedonic tone. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the three studies gave inconclusive evidence for the use of AAT in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms. Limitations in the study designs, such as size and lack of follow up, prevent the results from sufficiently identifying a relationship between AAT and positive and negative symptoms. However, the results encourage further study, especially when the relatively minimal risk of the intervention is considered

Economics of Wastewater Treatment and Recycling: An Investigation of Conceptual Issues

In the context of continuous droughts, the search for alternative water sources and increasing environmental restrictions on discharge of treated wastewater into natural water bodies, treated wastewater recycling offers a potential solution. In this paper the methods needed to assess the questions - to what extent treated wastewater can complement the existing water sources in different sectors and at what cost - are discussed? It was concluded that a comparative Benefit Cost Analysis of different combinations of uses and treatment levels would be a critical component in the development of a decision support tool which could be used by urban planners and water authorities. It was also found that community acceptance of recycled water, distribution of costs and benefits of recycling and its broader impact on regional development are issues that need to be considered, along with the economics of wastewater recycling.Wastewater, recycling, water quality, pricing, allocation, urban design, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Cryptic Genetic Introgression into an Appalachian Sky Island Population of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)

Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) hybridize with Carolina chickadees (P. carolinensis) along the species' contact zone across the eastern United States and in the northern Appalachian Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains harbor the last large breeding population of atricapillus in the southern Appalachians, isolated from the species main range by nearly 200 km. This population is believed to be reproductively isolated from local carolinensis due to a behaviorally-mediated elevational range gap during the breeding season, which may function as an incipient speciation mechanism. I characterized this population genetically, using hundreds of AFLP loci spread throughout the genome as well as cytochrome-b sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA. The Great Smoky Mountain population of atricapillus has experienced genetic introgression from carolinensis, but at a much lower level than other populations near the northern hybrid zone. This population is also differentiated from northern conspecifics, likely due to historically reduced gene flow

An Evaluation of Epithelial Membrane Antigen as a Target for Monoclonal Antibodies in the Investigation of Patients With Colorectal Cancer

The Epithelial Membrane Antigen(EMA) is known to be strongly expressed by the majority of adenocarcinomas including those of the breast, ovary and colon and also weakly by a variety of normal glandular tissues. This antigen has not, however, been investigated specifically in colorectal cancer. This thesis investigates the clinical applications in colorectal cancer of a monoclonal antibody(MAb), labelled ICR2 after the Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, which recognises EMA

Understanding and valuing the economic, social and environmental components of System Harmonisation

The aim of the Products and Markets component of the System Harmonisation project is to value the economic and environmental outcomes from an irrigation scheme that is operated by and in the interests of society. In this conceptual note the thinking underlying this component of the project are outlined. The aim of this note is to provide elements for debated. The nature and requirements of System Harmonisation demands that a 'systems approach' be taken throughout the project. What becomes important within this approach is how the different elements within a system are isolated and yet linked with one another. In many instances the extent and nature of irrigation systems are defined by the relevant Regional Irrigation Business Partnership (RIBP) under investigation. It is recognised that society has multiple uses for the water (agriculture, industry, households, recreation and the environment) as well as non-use (intrinsic) values for which it derives benefits from and incurs costs in distributing the water in any select manner. Further, it is assumed that the irrigation schemes are run for the benefit of society as a whole. Thus, there is a necessity to evaluate both the private and public costs and benefits associated with irrigation schemes. In order to identify what society values from an irrigation scheme, it is argued that a social matrix approach is needed. This analysis allows for a clustering of the issues people feel is important to them regarding the use of an irrigation scheme. Such an analysis will allow identification of the perceived most and least beneficial activities connected to water allocation, economic modelling of the most productive activities, evaluation of externalities and Cost Benefit Analysis. The net economic benefits that arise from irrigation need to be evaluated. The sectors where benefits are derived can be segregated into agriculture, households, the environment, recreation and industrial uses. The largest of these, by pure scale of the use of water, is agriculture. A gross margins approach is used to evaluate the returns for water in the agricultural sector. In the industrial and household sectors, a simple evaluation approach is used where the quantity of water demanded is multiplied by the price paid in each sector. Non-market valuation techniques are used to evaluate the recreational and environmental uses of water. The difficulty that arises in this analysis is how to evaluate the performance of irrigation schemes, where the outcomes are multifaceted. A 'meta' model approach is suggested in which the different elements from the project are brought together and assessed using a technique derived from the theory surrounding production possibility frontiers. This technique can be used to hypothesise a value for the ecosystem services derived from an irrigation scheme. The performance of an irrigation scheme is evaluated in terms of the suggestions raised to change it. Cost Effective Analysis is to be utilised to evaluate this performance. Then two issues need to be addressed. First, it is necessary to converse with those from other components, particularly those involved in the hydrological programs, to determine the nature of the schemes to be investigated. Second, it is necessary to implement the approach in each of the RIBPs. This work needs to commence with the evaluation of the social values in each region

A six-coordinate aryl-germanium complex formed by the Kläui ligand

PhGeCl₃ reacts with Na{[OP(OEt)₂]₃CoCp} to give the six-coordinate complex PhCl₂Ge{[OP(OEt)₂]₃CoCp}, characterised spectroscopically and by an X-ray crystal structure determination which showed a firmly-attached tridentate ligand [Ge–O 1.973(2) Å]

Localized U(1) Gauge Fields, Millicharged Particles, and Holography

We consider U(1) gauge fields in a slice of AdS_5 with bulk and boundary mass parameters. The zero mode of a bulk U(1) gauge field can be localized either on the UV or IR brane. This leads to a simple model of millicharged particles in which fermions can have arbitrarily small electric charge. In the electroweak sector we also discuss phenomenological implications of a localized U(1)_Y gauge boson. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence we present the 4D holographic interpretation of the 5D model. In particular the photon is shown to be a composite particle when localized near the IR brane, whereas it is elementary when localized near the UV brane. In the dual interpretation the ``millicharge'' results from an elementary fermion coupling to a composite photon via a vector current with large anomalous dimension.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figur

Characterization of the free energy dependence of an interprotein electron transfer reaction by variation of pH and site-directed mutagenesis

AbstractThe interprotein electron transfer (ET) reactions of the cupredoxin amicyanin, which mediates ET from the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor of methylamine dehydrogenase to cytochrome c-551i have been extensively studied. However, it was not possible to perform certain key experiments in that native system. This study examines the ET reaction from reduced amicyanin to an alternative electron acceptor, the diheme protein MauG. It was possible to vary the ΔG° for this ET reaction by simply changing pH to determine the dependence of kET on ΔG°. A P94A mutation of amicyanin significantly altered its oxidation–reduction midpoint potential value. It was not possible to study the ET from reduced P94A amicyanin to cytochrome c-551i in the native system because that reaction was kinetically coupled. However, the reaction from reduced P94A amicyanin to MauG was a true ET reaction and it was possible to determine values of reorganization energy (λ) and electronic coupling for the reactions of this variant as well as native amicyanin. Comparison of the λ values associated with the ET reactions between amicyanin and the TTQ of methylamine dehydrogenase, the diheme center of MauG and the single heme of cytochrome c-551i, provides insight into the factors that dictate the λ values for the respective reactions. These results demonstrate how study of ET reactions with alternative redox partner proteins can complement and enhance our understanding of the reactions with the natural redox partners, and further our understanding of mechanisms of protein ET reactions