A Bioeconomic Analysis of Protected Area use in Fisheries Management

The use of protected areas as a fishery management tool has been suggested as a hedge against management failures and variation in harvests. A stochastic bioeconomic model of a two-species fishery will be used to test the performance of protected areas as a management tool in a fishery with heterogenous environments. Protected areas are analysed under density-dependent and sink-source dispersal relationships between environments within the fishery. Differing levels of management control over fishery resource extraction are analysed. The model is applied to Manning Bioregion in NSW. The focus of the study is placed on the biological and institutional characteristics that yield benefits to the fishery.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Tariffs and Steel: The US Safeguard Actions

This paper presents a multi-product price linked spatial equilibrium model of world steel trade. The model is used to analyse the impacts of the safeguard trade barriers brought about by the United States in order to protect their domestic industry from so called unfair competition. Emphasis is placed on the likely effect to the Australian industry and possible policy responses available to the industry. A case study is made on Australia's three largest export products, namely slab, hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel, which share some substitutability in supply and demand due to the nature of the industry.trade, spatial equilibrium model, steel, International Relations/Trade,

Tariffs and steel: US safeguard actions

A multiproduct spatial equilibrium model of world steel trade is presented in this paper. The model is used to analyse the impacts of the safeguard trade barriers brought about by the USA in order to protect their domestic industry from the so-called unfair competition. Emphasis is placed on the likely effect on the Australian industry and possible policy responses available to the industry. A case study is made of Australia’s three largest export products; namely, slab, hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel, which share some substitutability in supply and demand because of the nature of the industry. As a result of the safeguard barriers to steel trade, world steel prices fell and trade shifted away from the USA to other importing regions.spatial equilibrium model, steel, trade, International Relations/Trade,

Bioeconomic analysis of protected area use in fisheries management

Protected areas in fishery management have been suggested to hedge management failures and variation in harvests. In this paper, a stochastic bioeconomic model of a two-species fishery in the Manning Bioregion is used to test the performance of protected areas as a management tool in a fishery. The establishment of a protected area is analysed under the assumption of heterogenous environments that are linked via density-dependent or sink-source stock dispersal relationships. The sensitivity of the results to different degrees of management is also explored. The model is applied to the Ocean Prawn Trawl, and Ocean Trap and Line fisheries within Manning Bioregion in New South Wales, Australia. The focus of the study is placed on the biological and institutional characteristics that yield benefits to the fishery. It was found that protected area use in the Manning Bioregion is likely to have differing effects on the two fisheries examined, benefiting Ocean Trap and Line fishers but adversely affecting Ocean Prawn Trawl fishers. Overall, it is unlikely that protected area use will lead to an increase resource rent in the fishery.bioeconomics, fisheries management, marine protected areas, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Untangling the Benefits of Protected Areas in Fisheries

Studies of marine protected areas as a tool for fisheries management have shown that protected areas have the potential to improve the level of resource rent generated in the fishery. The benefits to the fishery from protected areas have been shown to increase with sub-optimal management. However, some benefit that is derived from protected area creation in these circumstances is attributed to changes in effort levels. Both unique benefits, such as the hedge benefits of protected area creation, and non-unique benefits, such as shifts in effort levels towards optimal levels, are explored. Examples are taken from analysis of protected area creation in a predator-prey meta-population fishery under several different scenarios. It is suggested that much of the gain from protected area creation under sub-optimal management can be attributed to non-unique benefits, with the policy implications of this analysis also explored.Bioeconomics, fisheries management, marine protected areas, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q22,

Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management

The use of protected areas as a fishery management tool has been suggested as a hedge against management failures and variation in harvests. A stochastic bioeconomic model of a two-species fishery will be used to test the performance of protected areas as a management tool in a fishery with heterogenous environments. Protected areas are analysed under density-dependent and sink-source dispersal relationships between environments within the fishery. The model is applied to Manning Bioregion in NSW. Protected area performance as a tool for fisheries will be analysed given the existing management arrangement. The focus of the study is placed on the biological and economic characteristics that yield benefits to the fishery.Fisheries, Fisheries management, bioeconomics, marine protected areas, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q2, Q22, Q28, Q57,

The adaptive problem of absent third-party punishment

Language is a uniquely human behaviour, which has presented unique adaptive problems. Prominent among these is the transmission of information that may affect an individual’s reputation. The possibility of punishment of those with a low reputation by absent third parties has created a selective pressure on human beings that is not shared by any other species. This has led to the evolution of unique cognitive structures that are capable of handling such a novel adaptive challenge. One of these, we argue, is the propositional theory of mind, which enables individuals to model, and potentially manipulate, their own reputation in the minds of other group members, by representing the beliefs that others have about the first party’s intentions and actions. Support for our theoretical model is provided by an observational study on tattling in two preschools, and an experimental study of giving under threat of gossip in a dictator game

Design and Fabrication of an Infrared Optical Pyrometer Asic as a Diagnostic for Shock Physics Experiments

Optical pyrometry is the sensing of thermal radiation emitted from an object using a photoconductive device to convert photons into electrons, and is an important diagnostic tool in shock physics experiments. Data obtained from an optical pyrometer can be used to generate a blackbody curve of the material prior to and after being shocked by a high speed projectile. The sensing element consists of an InGaAs photodiode array, biasing circuitry, and multiple transimpedance amplifiers to boost the weak photocurrent from the noisy dark current into a signal that can eventually be digitized. Once the circuit elements have been defined, more often than not commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components are inadequate to satisfy every requirement for the diagnostic, and therefore a custom application specific design has to be considered. This thesis outlines the initial challenges with integrating the photodiode array block with multiple COTS transimpedance amplifiers onto a single chip, and offers a solution to a comparable optical pyrometer that uses the same type of photodiodes in conjunction with a re-designed transimpedance amplifier integrated onto a single chip. The final design includes a thorough analysis of the transimpedance amplifier along with modeling the circuit behavior which entails schematics, simulations, and layout. An alternative circuit is also investigated that incorporates an approach to multiplex the signals from each photodiode onto one data line and not only increases the viable real estate on the chip, but also improves the behavior of the photodiodes as they are subjected to less thermal load. The optical pyrometer application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for shock physic experiments includes a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) with a 100 kΩ gain operating at bandwidth of 30 MHz, and an input-referred noise RMS current of 50 nA that is capable of driving a 50 Ω load

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Hesitancy Among Community Health Fair Participants in Gwinnett County, GA

Purpose Vaccine uptake hesitancy is a key factor affecting public health, notably during this current COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing this is of utmost importance and poses a great challenge requiring effective communication and education. Presently, concerns raised by the public regarding hesitancy include uncertainty about vaccine safety, vaccines being produced too quickly, personal fears and beliefs, conspiracy theories, myths, misinformation, and religious leaders’ misinformation to their congregations. The purpose of this project was to identify some barriers for COVID -19 vaccine uptake hesitancy among non-vaccinated individuals attending community health fairs and possibly address their concerns through education and proper communication. Methods This service project was conducted over two consecutive health fairs in Gwinnett County, GA held in July and September 2021, respectively, each for 3 hours. The program was governed by an interdisciplinary team of eight students and two faculty advisors from the PCOM Georgia school of pharmacy, doctor of osteopathic medicine and masters of biomedical sciences programs and was carried out as a booth-led discussion with health fair attendees. The team held thorough and interactive sessions with both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals over the course of each health fair while seeking to ascertain the reasons behind non-vaccinated individuals’ hesitancy. Furthermore, the team educated all participants about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines in contrast to the risks of acquiring COVID-19 without prior immunity. This was in addition to addressing individual concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines. Pamphlets debunking common COVID-19 vaccine myths with cited facts were distributed to participants to facilitate communication and provide vaccine education. Results As expected per observation and during the booth-led discussions, most of the non vaccinated individuals’ concerns were related to the uncertainty about the COVID-19 vaccines and their safety, fears and beliefs, faith-based hesitations and the myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines prevalent on social media. Surprisingly, most of the participants who refused to take the vaccine disclosed a faith- based rationale. On the contrary, some individuals who delayed to be vaccinated were those who expressed concern about the uncertainty of the appropriate vaccine suitable for them. A subset of individuals also expressed concern about the side effects and a consequent delay of their vaccination due to their perceived risk of down-time due to side effects. Overall, we observed that most individuals who were non-vaccinated expressed concerns governed by fears and uncertainty of the vaccines themselves rather than of the governed by fears and uncertainty of the vaccines themselves rather than of the COVID-19 virus-induced disease itself. Conclusion In Gwinnett County, GA, as in much of the country, vaccine hesitancy is a great challenge posing a threat for adequate vaccine uptake. Individual beliefs and uncertainty can be curtailed through proper communication and education. The myths and conspiracies surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines can be addressed in a grassroots manner with interdisciplinary health professional students under faculty guidance. Increasing public awareness of these concerns through proper education, communication and helping to debunk some of these myths surrounding the COVID 19 vaccine can help alleviate these fears and possibly increase vaccination rates which will consequently bring us closer to herd immunity

How do individual-level sociodemographics and neighbourhood-level characteristics influence residential location behaviour in the context of the food and built environment? Findings from 25 years of follow-up in the CARDIA Study

Little is known about how diet-related and activity-related amenities relate to residential location behaviour. Understanding these relationships is essential for addressing residential self-selection bias