THE PROVISION OF RAIL SERVICE: THE IMPACT OF COMPETITION

Grain transportation is one of the most important economic issues for grain producers in the Northern Plains. The reliance on export markets and the long distances to port position means that transportation costs have a significant effect on the price received by farmers. In the prairie region of Canada, rail transportation is undergoing a major transformation that will affect the competitive positions of agriculture in both the United States and Canada and influence the direction of grain flows between the two countries. Rail rates are no longer legislated although a cap is still in place), restrictions on branch line abandonment have been lifted, and further deregulation of price and car allocation is being considered. Some parties, including the railways, argue that a completely deregulated system, similar to the U.S. system, is the only way to achieve transportation efficiencies. Other groups, supporting the status quo, argue that the regulation of rates is essential to control the monopoly power of the railways. There has been very little discussion of other policy options, with the exception of a limited discussion of nationalized railbeds. The U.S. experience provides a stark view of the likely outcome of deregulation. When railways are not faced with competition from other railways or from other forms of transportation such as barges, the evidence suggests railways will price freight services at or near truck competitive rates. Freight rates in Montana, where no effective rail and/or barge competition exists, are approximately twice those at Kansas City and Denver/Commerce City, where such competition exists. The current cost-based regulated rates in Western Canada are similar to those at Kansas City and Denver/Commerce City. Given similar distances to port and the existence of only two railways (and no likelihood of new entrants), deregulation in Western Canada is likely to result in freight rates closer to those in Montana than to the current regulated level. The increase in freight costs will result in transfers from producers to the railways, distort production incentives, and create losses elsewhere in the economy. While maintenance of a regulated freight rate structure would address the freight rate issue, other problems would result. The lack of price signals reduces incentives for industry participants to perform. Branch lines are less likely to be maintained in a regulated environment because railways may be unable to charge the extra amount necessary to make them viable. Railways may also disrupt the system - as a form of bargaining - to create pressure for deregulation. This report explores the option of the government encouraging entry into rail service provision. Just as telecommunication companies are required to allow competitors to use their phone lines, existing railways could be required to make their track and switching equipment available to rail operators who wish to run train service on a line, on the condition that the access price covers the infrastructure cost. The paper examines the case of the British railway system where the ownership of the track has been separated from the operation of the rail equipment and the provision of service, and explores the applicability of this model to grain transportation on the Great Plains. In Britain, ownership of the track rests with a company called Railtrack (although Railtrack was government-owned, it has been privatized). Railtrack leases access to thirty train operators for fees that are regulated by the Office of the Rail Regulator to cover maintenance costs and provide a return on investment. The thirty rail operators then compete to provide service to customers. This model and others similar to it need to be developed and articulated before they can be considered in the public policy forum. Nevertheless, given the importance of rail transportation to the grain industry in the Northern Plains, it is imperative that options such as these be investigated to address the very thorny issue of freight rate and entry regulation.barriers to entry, competition, grain handling, grain transportation, monopoly, railroads, regulation, Public Economics, K2, L1, L9, L5,

Geoheritage 1. Geodiversity: A New Paradigm for Valuing and Conserving Geoheritage

The term ‘geodiversity’ was first used in 1993 as the geological equivalent of biodiversity. It has gained in international acceptance and usage in recent years, and now warrants the status of a geological paradigm. Geodiversity forms the basis for the selection of geoconservation sites, which should be chosen to represent the geodiversity of a country, province or region. The objectives and methods of geoconservation vary, depending on which element of geodiversity is being considered. For example, the formal protection of static geological and geomorphological sites needs to be supported by legislation, but geoconservation of landscapes, soils and physical processes in the wider landscape is best promoted through both, policy and partnership approaches. SOMMAIRE Le terme "géodiversité" a été utilisé la première fois en 1993 comme équivalent géologique du terme biodiversité. Il a été accepté au niveau international ces dernières années, et c'est maintenant un paradigme géologique. La géodiversité constitue le critère de base de sélection de sites de géoconservation représentant la géodiversité d'un pays, d'une province ou d'une région. Les objectifs et les méthodes de géoconservation varient selon l'élément de géodiversité considéré. Par exemple, la protection en l'état de sites géologiques et géomorphologiques doit être faite par législation, alors que la géoconservation de paysages, de sols et de processus physiques au sein d'un cadre panoramique plus large est plus efficace par une approche intégrée de règlements et de partenariats

The inter-, late- and post-glacial shorelines, and ice-limits of Lorn and eastern Mull

This thesis describes the author^ investigation of ice-limits and raised shorelines in the Lorn and eastern Mull areas of western Scotland. Criticism of many of the methods used by previous workers led to the adoption of the following techniques in this study» detailed morphological aerial photograph mapping of all identifiable raised marine and fluvioglacial landforms at the 1:10,560 scale followed by careful checking and modification in the field; stratigraphic investigations involving the study of sections, augering and the use of a limited amount of borehole data; accurate levelling from bench marks of the shorelines and other terraces at close intervals; the use of radiocarbon dates, pollen analyses and macrofossil investigations; analysis of the height data using height/ distance diagrams and employing linear regression and trend surface analysis.By using principally these techniques the following sequence of events has been established. The first definitely recognisable shoreline to be formed was the Main Rock Platform which probably dates from a late inter-glacial period. Despite its age it is very well developed and associated with it are some very impressive examples of raised marine erosion. The main trend of the shoreline is a westward slope from 10.5 m O.D. at Connel to 5 m O.D. at Carsaig and Salen on Mull, a gradient of 0.16 m/km, though it is distorted by a number of bends and one possible fault. Most of the deformation is probably explicable in terms of tectonic movement, and long distance correlation of rock platforms is therefore unwise. Lithology and exposure have been important factors in influencing the height and development of the platform and related landforms. Higher and lower rock benches exist but these pose problems of origin, correlation and chronology.Ice-limits related to high sea levels are found at and south of Oban but probably mark only brief, diachronous halts during deglaciation from a more extensive ice cover, possibly the Perth Readvance. As the ice retreated, relative sea level was falling rapidly and lateglacial beaches are therefore only poorly developed and can rarely be correlated. How far sea level fell and the ice retreated are unknown.Ice readvanced during the Zone III or Loch Lomond Readvance. On the mainland glaciers reached the seaward ends of lochs Etive and Creran and advanced to the head of Loch Feochan, while on Mull a small ice-cap and several separate corrie and valley glaciers existed. Sea-level at this time was below 13-14 m O.D. at lochs Etive and Creran and below about 10 m O.D, at Glen Forsa and Loch Ba on Mull, During retreat from the maximal extent of this readvance massive outwash spreads were deposited particularly at Loch Etive and Loch Creran.Around 6,500 B.P. relative sea level reached its post-glacial maximum and formed the Main Post-glacial Shoreline (PSl) which is the best developed depositional shoreline in the study area. It slopes from 14 m O.D, at Glennoe on Loch Etive to 12 m O.D. at Flshnish Bay and the head of Loch Buie on Mull, a gradient of 0.05 m/km. During the fall of relative sea level from the Main Post-glacial Shoreline to its present level two fairly clear shorelines were formed at about 8 m O.D. (PS3) and 4 m O.D. (PS5) with gradients of only about 0.01 ra/km. The influence of exposure and the Connel rock bar on the heights of the post-glacial shorelines and present high water mark has been considered. There are also traces of 2 vague post-glacial shorelines (FS2 and FS4) between the three well marked ones.The sequence of events identified in this study compares reasonably well with the work in S.E. Scotland but previous work in the study area has been criticised and several alternative interpretations have been put forward, The thesis concludes by stressing the need for further detailed studies of this type

Nurse Practitioner Knowledge, Attitudes, and Likelihood of CBD Use in Clinical Practice

Problem: Many Americans have begun to seek alternative and natural remedies for common medical conditions previously treated by prescription drugs. As highly trained clinical professionals, nurse practitioners (NP) are responsible for adequately educating patients about their clinical disease process and treatment options. Due to limited clinical research surrounding CBD, NPs may lack the proper qualifications and resources to counsel patients on CBD use adequately. Despite an increase in CBD curiosity and use among the American population, there are no studies that assess Nurse Practitioner (NP) provider\u27s knowledge and attitudes towards CBD or the factors affecting NP\u27s decisions for its use. Purpose: To explore NP provider\u27s CBD knowledge, attitudes towards CBD, and likelihood of CBD use in various medical conditions with the intent to identify knowledge gaps, misconceptions, and barriers to use. EBP Questions: What are NP\u27s attitudes and knowledge regarding CBD and the likelihood of using CBD in clinical practice? Is there a significant relationship between NP\u27s knowledge about CBD and the likelihood of using CBD in clinical practice? Is there a significant relationship between NP\u27s attitudes about CBD and the likelihood of using CBD in clinical practice? Methods: This study used a non-experimental descriptive correlational survey design. A convenience sample of 504 certified nurse practitioners was recruited via email and snowball sampling to complete an online questionnaire to assess their CBD knowledge, attitudes, and likelihood to use for chronic pain. Outcomes: This study measured NP\u27s knowledge of CBD, attitudes about CBD, and the use of CBD by a researcher derived tool. Significance: This study assessed NP\u27s provider knowledge, attitudes, and use of CBD. With this data, further research and educational training opportunities can be implemented to promote CBD use, thereby improving the overall quality of life and health of patients suffering from various medical conditions.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gradposters2021_healthsciences/1005/thumbnail.jp

TA Mentoring: Issues and Questions

The widespread use of graduate teaching assistants (TAs) in higher education has generated a search for techniques to improve the quality of teaching of TAs as well as enhance the entire TA experience. One such technique is mentoring. This paper attempts to accomplish four things: (a) delineate issues to be addressed, (b) share feedback from educators with mentoring experience, (c) present questions to guide decision making, and (d) provide a bibliography of literature on mentoring. The information presented comes from a questionnaire administered to basic course directors, a conference discussion on mentoring and the personal experiences of the authors

The niche of benthic foraminifera, critical thresholds and proxies

Ecological studies of benthic foraminifera are carried out to explain patterns of distribution and the dynamics of communities. They are also used to provide data to establish proxy relationships with selected factors. According to niche theory, the patterns of distribution of benthic foraminifera are controlled by those environmental factors that have reached their critical thresholds. For each species, in variable environments, different factors may be limiting distributions both temporally and spatially. For a species or an assemblage to be useful as a proxy its abundance must show a strong correlation with the chosen factor. Since numerous factors influence each species, it is only in those environments where the majority of factors show little variation but one particular factor shows significant variation that the proxy relationship for that factor can be determined. On theoretical grounds, the reliability of using foraminiferal abundance as a proxy of a selected environmental factor should be restricted to the range close to the upper and lower thresholds. For oxygen, foraminifera are potential proxies for the lower limits but once oxygen levels rise to values of perhaps >1 or 2 ml l-1, there is no longer a relationship between oxygen levels and abundance. By contrast, the flux of organic matter over a large range shows a sufficiently close relationship with foraminiferal assemblages so that transfer functions can be derived for the deep sea. However, the relationship at species level is far less clear cut. Much more accurate estimates of primary productivity and modern organic flux rates are required to improve the determination of past flux rates

A single-blind, pilot randomised trial of a weight management intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity: study protocol

Background: The prevalence of obesity in adults with intellectual disabilities has consistently been reported to be higher than the general population. Despite the negative impact of obesity on health, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of weight management interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity. Preliminary results from a single-stranded feasibility study of a multi-component weight management intervention specifically designed for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity (TAKE 5) and that satisfied clinical recommendations reported that it was acceptable to adults with intellectual disabilities and their carers. This study aims to determine the feasibility of a full-scale clinical trial of TAKE 5.<p></p> Methods: This study will follow a pilot randomised trial design. Sixty-six obese participants (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2) will be randomly allocated to the TAKE 5 multi-component weight management intervention or a health education ‘active’ control intervention (Waist Winners Too (WWToo)). Both interventions will be delivered over a 12-month period. Participants’ anthropometric measures (body weight, BMI, waist circumference, percentage body fat); indicators of activity (levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour) and well-being will be measured at three time points: baseline, 6 and 12 months. The researcher collecting outcome measures will be blind to study group allocation.<p></p> Conclusions: The data from this study will generate pilot data on the acceptability of randomisation, attrition rates and the estimates of patient-centred outcomes of TAKE 5, which will help inform future research and the development of a full-scale randomised clinical trial

Limit cycles in the presence of convection, a travelling wave analysis

We consider a diffusion model with limit cycle reaction functions, in the presence of convection. We select a set of functions derived from a realistic reaction model: the Schnakenberg equations. This resultant form is unsymmetrical. We find a transformation which maps the irregular equations into model form. Next we transform the dependent variables into polar form. From here, a travelling wave analysis is performed on the radial variable. Results are complex, but we make some simple estimates. We carry out numerical experiments to test our analysis. An initial `knock' starts the propagation of pattern. The speed of the travelling wave is not quite as expected. We investigate further. The system demonstrates distinctly different behaviour to the left and the right. We explain how this phenomenon occurs by examining the underlying behaviour.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

The Impact of Perceived Research and Teaching Competence on the Credibility of a Basic Course Director: A Case Study

1992 Award Winning Paper in Basic Course Research This case study provides an initial inquiry into graduate teaching assistants\u27 (GTA) perceived credibility of a basic course director (BCD), specifically isolating their perception of the teaching and research competence of the BCD. The results indicate that the perceived credibility may be tied to both teaching and research competence, appears to be extremely important to the GTAs, and implies that low credibility would have many unpleasant effects on the staff, their teaching and the graduate program as a whole. This case study points to the need for more research to identify variables associated with the credibility of BCDs as a way to strengthen the quality of the basic course

Promoting geodiversity in the sustainable management of nature

The diversity of nature, which includes biotic and abiotic elements, is the key for the sustainability of human society. Many people are now aware of the importance of biodiversity not only because of its intrinsic value but also in terms of ecosystem services, given its role in human well-being. The ecosystem services have been categorized in regulation, supporting, provisioning and cultural services and evaluated exclusively based on the contribution of living nature. Also national agreements and policies, including the Rio Earth Summit and UN Sustainable Development Goals, are heavily weighted to biotic nature and barely include any non-living, abiotic nature or “geodiversity” elements. Furthermore, nature conservation policy and national and regional levels (e.g. EU), usually excludes geodiversity from any effective conservation action. In fact, modern society benefits greatly from living on a geodiverse planet but this reliance is not reflected in public understanding or public policy. Using the successful model of promotion of biodiversity, the promotion of the role of geodiversity to sustainable development can be also based on “natural capital” and “ecosystem services” concepts. Geodiversity contributes to “natural capital”, defined as the “world’s stocks of natural assets, which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things”, sometimes also referred to as environmental assets that provide benefits to humanity. Geodiversity contributes to ecosystem services, based on its scientific, educational, economic, cultural, and aesthetic values. Provisioning services refers to extractable natural resources, the economic base of our modern society, which should be carefully managed. Among thousands of examples that can be presented on the importance of this service, it could be mentioned that the ubiquitous smartphone contains over half the non-radioactive elements in the periodic table, all of which are extracted from the lithosphere, a fact that the public is barely aware of. Non-extractable natural resources provide numerous benefits. Examples include the water cycle, the rock cycle, the carbon sequestration by rocks, regulation of soil erosion and regulation of natural disasters (regulating services), habitat provision, biodiversity support, platform for infrastructures (supporting services), hydrotherapy, artistic inspiration and knowledge of history and evolution of the Earth and life (cultural services). Thereby ,, non-extractable resources generate scientific, educational and economic uses (geoheritage), managed by geoconservation. In addition to geoheritage and its scientific value geoparks provide examples that address , many other benefits provided by geodiversity for human well-being. The approach to these benefits should stress the importance of the sustainable management of geodiversity. The finite character of non-renewable resources and impacts of their extraction should be always emphasized, as well as the conservation of renewable resources ensuring their sustainable use