Nonmarket valuation of water quality in a rural transition economy in Turkey applying an a posteriori bid design

In this paper, we investigate the economic benefits associated with public investments in wastewater treatment in one of the special protected areas along Turkey's touristic Mediterranean coast, the Köyceǧiz-Dalyan watershed. The benefits, measured in terms of boatable, fishable, swimmable and drinkable water quality, are estimated using a public survey format following the contingent valuation (CV) method. The study presented here is the first of its kind in Turkey. The study's main objective is to assess public perception, understanding, and valuation of improved wastewater treatment facilities in the two largest population centers in the watershed, facing the same water pollution problems as a result of lack of appropriate wastewater treatment. We test the validity and reliability of the application of the CV methodology to this specific environmental problem in a rural transition economy and evaluate the transferability of the results within the watershed. In order to facilitate willingness to pay (WTP) value elicitation we apply a novel dichotomous choice procedure where bid design takes place a posteriori instead of a priori. The statistical efficiency of different bid vectors is evaluated in terms of the estimated welfare measures' mean square errors using Monte Carlo simulation. The robustness of bid function specification is analyzed through average WTP and standard deviation estimated using parametric and nonparametric methods. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union

Exploring the feasibility of private micro flood-insurance provision in Bangladesh

This article was published in Disasters [ © 2011 The Author(s) ] and the definite version is available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7717.2010.01218.xThis paper aims to contribute to the debate on the feasibility of the provision of micro flood insurance as an effective tool for spreading disaster risks in developing countries and examines the role of the institutional-organisational framework in assisting the design and implementation of such a micro flood insurance market. In Bangladesh, a private insurance market for property damage and livelihood risk due to natural disasters does not exist. Private insurance companies are reluctant to embark on an evidently unprofitable venture. Testing two different institutional-organisational models, this research reveals that the administration costs of micro-insurance play an important part in determining the long-term viability of micro flood insurance schemes. A government-facilitated process to overcome the differences observed in this study between the nonprofit micro-credit providers and profit-oriented private insurance companies is needed, building on the particular competence each party brings to the development of a viable micro flood insurance market through a public-private partnership.Publishe

Elucidating the odor-active aroma compounds in alcohol-free beer and their contribution to the worty flavor

Alcohol-free beers (AFB) brewed by cold-contact fermentation exhibit a flavor reminiscent of wort which affects consumer acceptability. The aims of this study were to identify the odor-active compounds in AFB and elucidate the contribution of these to the overall aroma and worty character of the beer. Using a sensomics approach, 27 odor-active aroma compounds were identified and quantitated using GC-MS. The most odor-active compound was methional (boiled potato-like aroma), followed by 3-methylbutanal (cocoa-like), (E)-β-damascenone (apple, jam-like), 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone (curry, spicy-like), and phenylacetaldehyde (floral, honey-like). The important contribution of these flavor compounds to the worty and honey aroma of AFB was determined by sensory assessment of the recombinate in a beer-like matrix with omission tests. The role of 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone in AFB aroma was reported for the first time. The outcomes from this study are of relevance for the brewing industry to design strategies for the reduction of the wortiness of AFB

Trial Protocol: Randomised controlled trial of the effects of very low calorie diet, modest dietary restriction, and sequential behavioural programme on hunger, urges to smoke, abstinence and weight gain in overweight smokers stopping smoking

Background\ud Weight gain accompanies smoking cessation, but dieting during quitting is controversial as hunger may increase urges to smoke. This is a feasibility trial for the investigation of a very low calorie diet (VLCD), individual modest energy restriction, and usual advice on hunger, ketosis, urges to smoke, abstinence and weight gain in overweight smokers trying to quit. \ud \ud Methods\ud This is a 3 armed, unblinded, randomized controlled trial in overweight (BMI > 25 kg/$m^2$), daily smokers (CO > 10 ppm); with at least 30 participants in each group. Each group receives identical behavioural support and NRT patches (25 mg(8 weeks),15 mg(2 weeks),10 mg(2 weeks)). The VLCD group receive a 429-559 kcal/day liquid formula beginning 1 week before quitting and continuing for 4 weeks afterwards. The modest energy restricted group (termed individual dietary and activity planning(IDAP)) engage in goal-setting and receive an energy prescription based on individual basal metabolic rate(BMR) aiming for daily reduction of 600 kcal. The control group receive usual dietary advice that accompanies smoking cessation i.e. avoiding feeling hungry but eating healthy snacks. After this, the VLCD participants receive IDAP to provide support for changing eating habits in the longer term; the IDAP group continues receiving this support. The control group receive IDAP 8 weeks after quitting. This allows us to compare IDAP following a successful quit attempt with dieting concurrently during quitting. It also aims to prevent attrition in the unblinded, control group by meeting their need for weight management. Follow-up occurs at 6 and 12 months. \ud \ud Outcome measures include participant acceptability, measured qualitatively by semi-structured interviewing and quantitatively by recruitment and attrition rates. Feasibility of running the trial within primary care is measured by interview and questionnaire of the treatment providers. Adherence to the VLCD is verified by the presence of urinary ketones measured weekly. Daily urges to smoke, hunger and withdrawal are measured using the Mood and Physical Symptoms Scale-Combined (MPSS-C) and a Hunger Craving Score (HCS). 24 hour, 7 day point prevalence and 4-week prolonged abstinence (Russell Standard) is confirmed by CO < 10 ppm. Weight, waist and hip circumference and percentage body fat are measured at each visit. \ud \ud Trial Registration\ud Current controlled trials ISRCTN83865809\ud \u

Prioritising patients for bariatric surgery: building public preferences from a discrete choice experiment into public policy

Objectives To derive priority weights for access to bariatric surgery for obese adults, from the perspective of the public. Setting Australian public hospital system. Participants Adults (N=1994), reflecting the age and gender distribution of Queensland and South Australia. Primary and secondary outcome measures A discrete choice experiment in which respondents indicated which of two individuals with different characteristics should be prioritised for surgery in repeated hypothetical choices. Potential surgery recipients were described by seven key characteristics or attributes: body mass index (BMI), presence of comorbid conditions, age, family history, commitment to lifestyle change, time on the surgical wait list and chance of maintaining weight loss following surgery. A multinomial logit model was used to evaluate preferences and derive priority weights (primary analysis), with a latent class model used to explore respondent characteristics that were associated with variation in preference across the sample (see online supplementary analysis). Results A preference was observed to prioritise individuals who demonstrated a strong commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as individuals categorised with very severe (BMI≥50 kg/m2) or (to a lesser extent) severe (BMI≥40 kg/m2) obesity, those who already have obesity-related comorbidity, with a family history of obesity, with a greater chance of maintaining weight loss or who had spent a longer time on the wait list. Lifestyle commitment was considered to be more than twice as important as any other criterion. There was little tendency to prioritise according to the age of the recipient. Respondent preferences were dependent on their BMI, previous experience with weight management surgery, current health state and education level. Conclusions This study extends our understanding of the publics’ preferences for priority setting to the context of bariatric surgery, and derives priority weights that could be used to assist bodies responsible for commissioning bariatric services

Dietary diversity score is a useful indicator of micronutrient intake in non-breastfeeding Filippino children

Micronutrient malnutrition remains a problem of public health concern in most developing countries, partly due to monotonous, cereal-based diets that lack diversity. The study objective was to assess whether dietary diversity score (DDS) based on a simple count of food groups consumed and DDS using a 10-g minimum intake for each food group (DDS 10g) are good indicators of adequate micronutrient intake in 24–71-mo-old non-breast-feeding Filipino children. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression were used to assess the utility of DDS and DDS 10g as indicators of micronutrient intake. Sensitivity and specificity analysis were used to determine the most appropriate cut-off point for using DDS to categorize children with high probability of adequate micronutrient intake. The average diet of the sample population consisted of 4–5 food groups. The mean probability of adequate nutrient intake (MPA) of 11 micronutrients was 33%. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between MPA and DDS was 0.36 (P , 0.001) and for DDS 10g it increased to 0.44 (P , 0.001). Intake of individual micronutrients was correlated to DDS for most nutrients. When maximizing sensitivity and specificity, the best cut-off points for achieving 50 and 75% probability of adequate micronutrient intake were 5 and 6 food groups, respectively. DDS and DDS 10g were both significant predictors of adequate micronutrient intake. This study demonstrates the utility of indicators of dietary diversity to predict adequate intake of micronutrients in the diets of young non-breast-feeding childre

Introducing the 2-DROPS model for two-dimensional simulation of crop roots and pesticide within the soil-root zone

Mathematical models of pesticide fate and behaviour in soils have been developed over the last 30 years. Most models simulate fate of pesticides in a 1-dimensional system successfully, supporting a range of applications where the prediction target is either bulk residues in soil or receiving compartments outside of the soil zone. Nevertheless, it has been argued that the 1-dimensional approach is limiting the application of knowledge on pesticide fate under specific pesticide placement strategies, such as seed, furrow and band applications to control pests and weeds. We report a new model (2-DROPS; 2-Dimensional ROots and Pesticide Simulation) parameterised for maize and we present simulations investigating the impact of pesticide properties (thiamethoxam, chlorpyrifos, clothianidin and tefluthrin), pesticide placement strategies (seed treatment, furrow, band and broadcast applications), and soil properties (two silty clay loam and two loam top soils with either silty clay loam, silt loam, sandy loam or unconsolidated bedrock in the lower horizons) on microscale pesticide distribution in the soil profile. 2-DROPS is to our knowledge the first model that simulates temporally- and spatially-explicit water and pesticide transport in the soil profile under the influence of explicit and stochastic development of root segments. This allows the model to describe microscale movement of pesticide in relation to root segments, and constitutes an important addition relative to existing models. The example runs demonstrate that the pesticide moves locally towards root segments due to water extraction for plant transpiration, that the water holding capacity of the top soil determines pesticide transport towards the soil surface in response to soil evaporation, and that the soil type influences the pesticide distribution zone in all directions. 2-DROPS offers more detailed information on microscale root and pesticide appearance compared to existing models and provides the possibility to investigate strategies targeting control of pests at the root/soil interface

Climate change adaptation, flood risks and policy coherence in integrated water resources management in England

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) assumes coherence between cognate aspects of water governance at the river basin scale, for example water quality, energy production and agriculture objectives. But critics argue that IWRM is often less ‘integrated’ in practice, raising concerns over inter-sectoral coherence between implementing institutions. One increasingly significant aspect of IWRM is adaptation to climate change-related risks, including threats from flooding, which are particularly salient in England. Although multiple institutional mechanisms exist for flood risk management (FRM), their coherence remains a critical question for national adaptation. This paper therefore (1) maps the multi-level institutional frameworks determining both IWRM and FRM in England; (2) examines their interaction via various inter-institutional coordinating mechanisms; and (3) assesses the degree of coherence. The analysis suggests that cognate EU strategic objectives for flood risk assessment demonstrate relatively high vertical and horizontal coherence with river basin planning. However, there is less coherence with flood risk requirements for land-use planning and national flood protection objectives. Overall, this complex governance arrangement actually demonstrates de-coherence over time due to ongoing institutional fragmentation. Recommendations for increasing IWRM coherence in England or re-coherence based on greater spatial planning and coordination of water-use and land-use strategies are proposed