The Western Pacific Fishery Information Network: A Fisheries Information System

The Western Pacific Fishery Information Network (WPACFlN) is an intergovernmental agency cooperative program sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to help participating island fisheries agencies carry out data collection, analysis, reporting programs, and data management activities to better support fisheries management under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and to help meet local fisheries information and management needs. The WPACFlN is the central source of information for Federal fisheries management of most fisheries in American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and it plays an important role in acquiring fisheries data in Hawaii. This paper describes the development and status of this fishery information system

PASCAL/48 reference manual

PASCAL/48 is a programming language for the Intel MCS-48 series of microcomputers. In particular, it can be used with the Intel 8748. It is designed to allow the programmer to control most of the instructions being generated and the allocation of storage. The language can be used instead of ASSEMBLY language in most applications while allowing the user the necessary degree of control over hardware resources. Although it is called PASCAL/48, the language differs in many ways from PASCAL. The program structure and statements of the two languages are similar, but the expression mechanism and data types are different. The PASCAL/48 cross-compiler is written in PASCAL and runs on the CDC CYBER NOS system. It generates object code in Intel hexadecimal format that can be used to program the MCS-48 series of microcomputers. This reference manual defines the language, describes the predeclared procedures, lists error messages, illustrates use, and includes language syntax diagrams

On the trophic fate of Phaeocystis pouchetii: VII. Sterols and fatty acids reveal sedimentation of Phaocystis-derived organic matter via krill fecal strings

As part of a joint project on the fate of phytoplankton in Balsfjorden in Northern Norway, we investigated the trophic fate and sedimentation potential of Phaeocystis pouchetii by tracing the transition of biomarker patterns from a phytoplankton bloom to sediment traps and during a gut passage experiment. The phytoplankton biomass during the spring bloom 1996 was dominated by colonial P. pouchetii (ca. 85 %) and four members of the diatom family Thalassiosiraceae (ca. 10%). Particulate organic carbon in sediment traps largely consisted of fecal material from the Arctic krill Thysanoessa sp.. Sterol and fatty acid biomarker patterns in the phytoplankton bloom could be reproduced by combining the individual biomarker patterns of the isolated phytoplankters P. pouchetii and Thalassiosira decipiens in a ratio of ca. 75:25. In a laboratory experiment, Arctic krill (Thysanoessa raschii) fed with similar efficiency on Phaeocystis colonies and the Thalassiosiraceae. During gut passage, the abundance of Thalassiosiraceae biomarkers in fecal strings increased relative to Phaeocystis biomarkers, while biomarkers from krill became dominant. This transition of biomarker patterns due to gut passage in T. raschii closely resembled the biomarker transition from the surface bloom to material in sediment traps at 40-170 m depth, which was mainly composed of krill fecal strings. We conclude that krill grazed efficiently on Phaeocystis colonies in Balsfjorden, and caused sedimentation of Phaeocystis-derived organic matter below the euphotic zone via fecal strings. Hence, both transfer to higher trophic levels and sedimentation of Phaeocystis-derived organic matter can be more effective than commonly believed

Evaluation of Cattle Use of A Deer Winter Range in the Black Hills

Cattle use of a deer winter range in the Black Hills was investigated during the summer grazing seasons of 1971-1972. A U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment situated between Mystic and Redfern, South Dakota, was used as the study area. The allotment was divided into five grazing units or pastures managed collectively under a “rest-rotation” system of grazing. Three study sites were selected in each unit of the allotment, and 75 exclosures were erected on each site; a paired-plot method was used to collect data. Indices to use of sites by deer and cattle were obtained by counts of deer pellet groups and cow ships on belt transects. Bottom, upland meadow, and prairie study sites were dominated by Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and a variety of forbs. Western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) was the prevalent browse species on these sites. Vegetation on the open slope and open forest sites was comprised of a large variety of grasses, forbs, and browse, with timber oatgrass (Danthonia intermedia), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), and rose (Rosa spp.) as abundant species. Bottom, upland meadow, and prairie sites received the heaviest grazing use by cattle both years, with Kentucky bluegrass comprising the highest percentage of the total forage consumed. Most forage species were grazed inadvertently with Kentucky bluegrass, but preference by cattle was observed for white clover (Trifolium repens), white heath aster (Aster ericoides), and mountain-dandelion (Agoseris glauca). Grazing of browse was not considered severe on any site throughout the grazing season. Grazing by cattle was negligible on open slope and open forest sites. Use by cattle, measured by counts of cow chips per day of grazing, was highest on bottom, upland meadow, and prairie sites, and lowest on open slope and open forest sites. Counts of deer pellet groups were negligible on all sites throughout the grazing season both years. Use by deer in winter, however, as measured by counts of pellet groups, was high on all sites except the prairie site. Results of this study indicate that the winter carrying capacity of the study area for deer was not significantly affected by cattle grazing in summer

Toroidal Carbon Nanotubes with Encapsulated Atomic Metal Loops

Toroidal carbon nanotubes can serve as hosts for encapsulated loops of atomic metal wires. Such composite structures have been analyzed using density functional theory for a semiconducting C$_{120}$ torus encapsulating chains of Fe, Au and Cu atoms. The sheathed metal necklaces form a zigzag structure and drops the HOMO/LUMO bandgap to less than 0.1 eV. The iron composite is ferromagnetic with a magnetic moment essentially the same as that of bcc iron. The azimuthal symmetry of these toroidal composites suggests that they may offer novel elecromagnetic properties not associated with straight, metal-encapsulated carbon nanotubes.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figure

Consumer Willingness-To-Pay for Different Organic Certification Logos in Turkey

Using data from focus group discussions with consumers and a choice experimentconducted in some of Turkey’s major cities, this study investigates whetherTurkish consumers prefer certain organic labelling schemes over others attemptsand to elicit their willingness to pay (WTP) for different organic certificationlogos. Although the level of awareness regarding organic certification logos waslow, consumers’ perceptions of the logos were generally positive. The results ofthe random parameter logit models indicated a positive WTP for the presence ofone of the three tested certification body logos in addition to the mandatorygovernmental logo. Given the low level of certification logo awareness, theconclusion is that both purchasing decisions and perceptions regarding logoswere affected by subjective criteria. Both the government and certification bodiesshould develop measures to increase consumer awareness of their logos and formconsumer perceptions and attitudes regarding the quality of the certificationimplied by the logo

Factors influencing the perception of organic certification logos in Turkey

Consumers’ perceptions on organic certification logos and the factors influencing these perceptions were explored. Data from surveys conducted in major cities of Turkey revealed that organic food consumers had little knowledge about logos, although the declared level of trust in organic logos was high. According to ordered logit models, consumer’s perceptions on organic certification logos were influenced by purchasing frequency and weight of organic foods in total food consumption. Dummy variables representing additional private certification company logos as well were generally found to have a significant effect on logo perception. This result suggests that consumers’ attitudes towards these logos and towards the governmental logo are not the same. Female and older people were more sceptical about the trustworthiness of the logos. While the credibility of the logos and the standards and control systems underlying the logos increased as frequency of purchasing organic food increased, those consumers who prefer organic open markets for buying organic food were hesitant to trust the credibility of the organic certification logos. The mandatory governmental logo and the underlying standards are trusted more than the private company logos. However, the difference of the attitudes toward logos decreases when the control system is in question. When a comparison between perceptions towards labels including different additional certification companies’ logos is made, the additional logo was found to affect the stated preferences more negatively when the companies were foreign. Enhanced interest and trust in the organic certification logos among consumers would foment the development of the organic sector, and the findings of this paper serve as an input for the achievement of this aim

The Economic Impact of North Dakota's Health Care Industry on the State's Economy in 1991

The health care industry's far-reaching economic influence within North Dakota is the focus of this report. An input-output model is used to estimate the economic impact of hospitals and long-term care nursing facilities. The analysis shows that nearly 8 percent of the state's total business activity, nearly 10 percent of the state's total retail sales, and nearly 19 percent of the state's total employment in 1991 were attributable to hospitals and long-term care nursing facilities. In addition, these facilities generated nearly $41 million of tax revenues for the state in 1991.Health Economics and Policy,