POVERTY AND PARKS: INCOME RISK AND OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING PARK USE AND PERCEPTIONS IN POOR, RURAL SOUTH AFRICA

Using panel data from a poor rural village adjacent to a game reserve in South Africa, this paper presents a simultaneous probit analysis of incursions into the park to gather resources and perceptions of the park. Distance of arable land from the park appears to be critical in determining negative perceptions but the effect tails off within a relatively short distance of the park. Income risk is found to play a key role in determining use of the natural capital in the park. Policy options are discussed.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Evaluation of multiple small volume aquaculture cage systems

The construction of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) American Soybean Association International Marketing (ASAIM) cage was documented and modifications were made to the original design. Testing included hydrostatics and solid modeling to ensure modifications would not violate cage parameters. To test alternate mooring systems, the finite element package Aqua-FE was used. Five mooring designs (three for single cage, two for multi-cage systems) were reduced to two through an initial feasibility study. Results from AquaFE demonstrated that transverse loadings, loads applied perpendicular to the mooring, supplied higher anchor tensions and system motions than in-line loadings, loads applied parallel to the mooring. The string mooring, a multi-cage design utilizing two main anchors at the fore and aft of the system and rope bridles to hold cages in-line, was identified as the best mooring configuration because it allowed for easy harvest, additional cages, and an even distribution of loads among the mooring lines

The green ICT initiative: an IEEE-wide focus building upon ComSoc's leadership

This month's President's Page is devoted to the IEEE Green Information and Communications Technology (ICT) initiative. By its very nature, Green ICT is a theme, not only of interest but also offering numerous opportunities, for virtually every IEEE Society and Council. Through this initiative, ComSoc seeks an IEEE-wide outreach to achieve even greater recognition for IEEE's mission of advancing technology for humanity

Mercury Methylation in Oxic Sub-Polar Marine Regions Linked with Nitrification

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates to potentially harmful concentrations in Arctic marine wildlife and in those that consume them. Monitoring and modeling MeHg bioaccumulation and biogeochemical cycling in the ocean requires understanding of the mechanisms behind net mercury (Hg) methylation. The key functional gene for Hg methylation, hgcAB, is widely distributed throughout ocean basins and spans multiple microbial phyla. While multiple microbially-mediated anaerobic pathways for Hg methylation are known, in the ocean, the majority of hgcA homologs have been found in oxic subsurface waters, in contrast to other ecosystems. In particular, microaerophilic Nitrospina, a genera of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria containing a hgcA-like sequence, has been proposed as a potentially important Hg methylator in upper ocean waters. The objective of this work was therefore to examine the potential of nitrifiers as Hg methylators and quantify total Hg and MeHg across three Arctic Seas (the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea and the Chukchi Sea) in regions where Nitrospina are likely present. In Spring 2021, samples for Hg analysis were obtained from all sites with a trace metal clean rosette. Hg methylation rates were quantified in concert with nitrification rates using on-board incubation experiments with Hg and 15NH4+ stable isotope additions. A significant correlation between Hg methylation and nitrification was observed across all sites, with the strongest correlation in the Chukchi Sea. Nitrospina-specific hgcA-like genes were detected at all sites. This study, linking Hg methylation and nitrification in oxic seawater, furthers understanding of MeHg cycling in these high latitude waters and the ocean in general. Furthermore, these studies inform predictions of how climate and human interactions could influence MeHg concentrations in the Arctic region in the future

Sequential Blind Beamforming for Wireless Multipath Communications in Confined Areas

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