Economic Regulation of Network Industries

This report was commissioned by Treasury in February 1999 as an input into its ongoing work programme on the regulation of network industries. Network industries are characterised by long-lived investments and increasing returns to scale. This raises two related concerns – protection of consumers from monopoly abuse and protection of investors from opportunistic behaviour by governments. This report reviews the underlying problems of economic regulation of network industries. In particular, it discusses the problems of monopoly and regulation, the objectives and principles of good regulation, the trade-offs that regulation must deal with, and international experience with network regulation in the UK, the US and Australia. Conclusions of the paper include that regulation should provide incentives for short and long-term efficiency, and that regulation should be based on the principles of openness, transparency, consistency and accountability.

Fossil trees, tree moulds and tree casts in the Palaeocene Mull Lava Field, NW Scotland: context, formation and implications for lava emplacement

Megafossils and macrofossils of terrestrial plants (trees, leaves, fruiting bodies, etc.) are found in sedimentary and pyroclastic units interbedded with lavas in many ancient lava fields worldwide, attesting to subaerial environments of eruption and the establishment of viable plant communities during periods of volcanic quiescence. Preservation within lava is relatively rare and generally confined to the more robust woody tissues of trees, which are then revealed in the form of charcoal, mineralised tissue or as trace fossil moulds (tree moulds) and casts of igneous rock (tree casts, s.s.). In this contribution, we document several such fossil trees (s.l.), and the lavas with which they are associated, from the Palaeocene Mull Lava Field (MLF) on the Isle of Mull, NW Scotland. We present the first detailed geological account of a unique site within the Mull Plateau Lava Formation (MPLF) at Quinish in the north of the island and provide an appraisal of the famous upright fossil tree – MacCulloch's Tree – remotely located on the Ardmeanach Peninsula on the west coast of the island, and another large upright tree (the Carsaig Tree) near Malcolm's Point in the district of Brolass, SW Mull; both occurring within the earlier Staffa Lava Formation (SLF). The taphonomy of these megafossils, along with palynological and lithofacies assessments of associated strata, allows speculation of likely taxonomic affinity and the duration of hiatuses supporting the establishment of forest/woodland communities. The Ardmeanach and Carsaig specimens, because of their size and preservation as upright (? in situ) casts enveloped by spectacularly columnar-jointed basaltic lava, appear to be unique. The aspect of these trees, the thickness of the enveloping lavas and the arrangement of cooling joints adjacent to the trees, implies rapid emplacement, ponding and slow, static cooling of voluminous and highly fluid basaltic magma. The specimens from Quinish include two prostrate casts and several prostrate moulds that collectively have a preferred orientation, aligning approximately perpendicular to that of the regional Mull Dyke Swarm, the putative fissure source of the lavas, suggesting local palaeo-flow was directed towards the WSW. The Quinish Lava is an excellent example of a classic pāhoehoe (compound-braided) type, preserving some of the best examples of surface and internal features so far noted from the Hebridean Igneous Province (HIP) lava fields. These Mull megafossils are some of the oldest recorded examples, remarkably well preserved, and form a significant feature of the island's geotourism industry

Deployment of quality assurance procedures for digital library programmes

Many digital library programmes have a development philosophy based on use of open standards. In practice, however, projects may not have procedures in place to ensure that project deliverables make use of appropriate open standards. In addition there will be occasions when open standards are not sufficiently mature for deployment in a service environment or use of open standards will require expertise or resources which are not readily available

Realnav: Exploring Natural User Interfaces For Locomotion In Video Games

We present an exploration into realistic locomotion interfaces in video games using spatially convenient input hardware. In particular, we use Nintendo Wii Remotes to create natural mappings between user actions and their representation in a video game. Targeting American Football video games, we used the role of the quarterback as an exemplar since the game player needs to maneuver effectively in a small area, run down the field, and perform evasive gestures such as spinning, jumping, or the juke . In our study, we developed three locomotion techniques. The first technique used a single Wii Remote, placed anywhere on the user\u27s body, using only the acceleration data. The second technique just used the Wii Remote\u27s infrared sensor and had to be placed on the user\u27s head. The third technique combined a Wii Remote\u27s acceleration and infrared data using a Kalman filter. The Wii Motion Plus was also integrated to add the orientation of the user into the video game. To evaluate the different techniques, we compared them with a cost effective six degree of freedom (6DOF) optical tracker and two Wii Remotes placed on the user\u27s feet. Experiments were performed comparing each to this technique. Finally, a user study was performed to determine if a preference existed among these techniques. The results showed that the second and third technique had the same location accuracy as the cost effective 6DOF tracker, but the first was too inaccurate for video game players. Furthermore, the range of the Wii remote infrared and Motion Plus exceeded the optical tracker of the comparison technique. Finally, the user study showed that video game players preferred the third method over the second, but were split on the use of the Motion Plus when the tasks did not require it

Extending the Workers\u27 Compensation Act 1987 (N.S.W.) to include independent contractors and to allow more highly paid workers to insure fully their income, with particular reference to engineers

In mid-1987, the existing workers’ compensation system in New South Wales was replaced by a new Scheme, called ‘WorkCover’. While WorkCover solved a number of the financial problems that had plagued its predecessor, its enactment created other issues. Furthermore, WorkCover has failed to deal with a number of gaps in providing compensation for occupational injuries, most notably those suffered by independent contractors. By combining a study of aspects of industrial law and industrial relations, this thesis will examine some of those problems and gaps, in particular: (a) Should WorkCover be amended to enable independent contractors to come within its ambit? (b) Should there be additional insurance cover available (known as ‘top-up’ insurance) to insure those parts of workers’ wages presently left unprotected by WorkCover? (c) Should workers be permitted to take out another form of ‘top-up’ insurance to increase the quantum of death cover presently provided by the Scheme? (d) Should independent contractors who arc permitted to enter WorkCover also be permitted to obtain the extended cover set out in (b) and (c) above? Where appropriate, the thesis compares WorkCover to the workers’ compensation schemes in other Australian jurisdictions. It develops each of the matters referred to above by referring to the results of the writer’s survey of members of the Institution of Engineers (NSW Branch) which was conducted in May and June 1991

Examining Habitat Selection and Home Range Behavior at Multiple Scales in a Population of Eastern Box Turtles, (Terrapene c. carolina), With Notes on Demographic Changes After 17 Years

The Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene c. carolina, is a terrestrial species native to the eastern United States. Once considered common, it is currently declining in much of its range due to habitat destruction and disease. To conserve the species, knowledge of Eastern Box Turtle habitat selection and the factors influencing their movement is necessary. Although the home range behavior of the Eastern Box Turtle has been well studied, few studies have quantified habitat selection at the home-range scale. Therefore, I examined home-range selection and within home range habitat selection in a population of Eastern Box Turtles at Hungry Beech Nature Preserve, in Roane County, West Virginia. I tracked 10 turtles from May to October 2012 approximately twice weekly. I assigned habitat categories to each turtle’s location based on field observations and aerial images. Using LoCoH, I estimated home range for each turtle. I examined habitat selection at the home-range scale and within the home range using binary logistic regression using habitat type, proximity to creek-associated habitat, slope, and aspect as predictor variables. In addition, I conducted a mark recapture study at the preserve. I opportunistically captured turtles throughout the preserve and uniquely marked them using shell notching. I estimated sex ratio, total population and population density at the preserve. I compared my results with estimates from a 1996 study. I also estimated apparent survival of individuals marked in 1996. My results suggested that habitat type, proximity to aquatic habitat, and slope influence Eastern Box Turtle home-range selection. Specifically, turtles did not include aquatic habitats in their home ranges in proportion to their availability. Turtles selected steeper slopes in their home ranges, and avoided field habitat. However, my results suggested that turtles in areas with increased slopes may have had smaller home ranges. The inclusion of steep habitats could be caused by turtles moving around steep areas and inadvertently including them in their home ranges. Within home ranges, turtles selected habitats associated with the creek and mixed forest habitats. Eastern Box Turtles likely used creek-associated habitats to thermoregulate in extreme temperatures, and mixed forest habitat at the preserve contained a large amount of debris that may have been used as cover. Turtles may have selected habitats that contain a large amount of cover objects. Therefore, aquatic habitats and mixed forest habitats containing a large amount of cover should be considered when protecting Eastern Box Turtle habitat. I estimated population size and density as 332 box turtles and 6 turtles/ha, respectively. Apparent survival was 66% since 1996. Average home-range size appears to have increased since 1996, likely due to successional habitat changes. My results suggest that sex ratio has become male skewed since 1996. The skewed sex ratio could be the result of increased female mortality, as I found more male survivors than females. However, future survival studies are necessary to conclude if female mortality is high at the preserve, or if sex ratio has changed due to changes in nesting behavior. My study has increased our knowledge of Eastern Box Turtle habitat requirements and habitat selection, and has shed light on long-term demographic shifts in a population of Eastern Box Turtles. The results of my study, as well as those from continued research at the preserve, may prove useful in future conservation efforts

The Economic Case for Net Neutrality

Some have argued that over-the-top applications are undermining the capacity of network operators to invest and are free riding. Brian Williamson of Plum Consulting discusses their latest findings, which show that growth of internet based over-the-top applications is a key driver of investment in ubiquitous higher speed higher capacity access networks, and far from free riding creates the demand conditions that will support investment in next generation networks and contribute to the achievement of European Digital Agenda goals for high speed broadband