3,654 research outputs found
The Impacts of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme on Economic and Environmental Factors
New Zealand implemented an emissions trading scheme, the NZ ETS, to regulate the production of Greenhouse Gases. This ETS is the first of its kind to include the agricultural sector, as is expected to significantly raise costs to both producers and consumers. The aim of the paper is to assess the potential impact of the New Zealand ETS on the economy and the environment. The paper reports first on the development and nature of the legislation itself, and then continues by mapping the cost of the ETS on producers, and then furthermore the transfer of these costs as increased prices. Then by utilising the Lincoln Trade and Environment Model, or LTEM, a partial equilibrium model which forecasts international trade and domestic production and consumption of agricultural commodities, a number of scenarios revolving around the NZ ETS are projected. The paper finally presents the results gathered from the LTEM, showing the impact of the NZ ETS on both the production of agricultural commodities, and the production of GHGs by the industry. These results demonstrate the potential cost of the NZ ETS on the agricultural sector, and its ability to reduce emissionsEnvironmental Economics and Policy,
Elasticity, fluctuations and vortex pinning in ferromagnetic superconductors: A "columnar elastic glass"
We study the elasticity, fluctuations and pinning of a putative spontaneous
vortex solid in ferromagnetic superconductors. Using a rigorous thermodynamic
argument, we show that in the idealized case of vanishing crystalline pinning
anisotropy the long-wavelength tilt modulus of such a vortex solid vanishes
identically, as guaranteed by the underlying rotational invariance. The
vanishing of the tilt modulus means that, to lowest order, the associated
tension elasticity is replaced by the softer, curvature elasticity. The effect
of this is to make the spontaneous vortex solid qualitatively more susceptible
to the disordering effects of thermal fluctuations and random pinning. We study
these effects, taking into account the nonlinear elasticity, that, in three
dimensions, is important at sufficiently long length scales, and showing that a
``columnar elastic glass'' phase of vortices results. This phase is controlled
by a previously unstudied zero-temperature fixed point and it is characterized
by elastic moduli that have universal strong wave-vector dependence out to
arbitrarily long length scales, leading to non-Hookean elasticity. We argue
that, although translationally disordered for weak disorder, the columnar
elastic glass is stable against the proliferation of dislocations and is
therefore a topologically ordered {\em elastic} glass. As a result, the
phenomenology of the spontaneous vortex state of isotropic magnetic
superconductors differs qualitatively from a conventional,
external-field-induced mixed state. For example, for weak external fields ,
the magnetic induction scales {\em universally} like , with .Comment: Minor editorial changes, version to be published in PRB, 39 pages, 7
figure
"Soft" Anharmonic Vortex Glass in Ferromagnetic Superconductors
Ferromagnetic order in superconductors can induce a {\em spontaneous} vortex
(SV) state. For external field , rotational symmetry guarantees a
vanishing tilt modulus of the SV solid, leading to drastically different
behavior than that of a conventional, external-field-induced vortex solid. We
show that quenched disorder and anharmonic effects lead to elastic moduli that
are wavevector-dependent out to arbitrarily long length scales, and non-Hookean
elasticity. The latter implies that for weak external fields , the magnetic
induction scales {\em universally} like , with
. For weak disorder, we predict the SV solid is a
topologically ordered vortex glass, in the ``columnar elastic glass''
universality class.Comment: minor corrections; version published in PR
The Land and the brand
The Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit at Lincoln University was commissioned to prepare this report assessing the contributions that the agriāfood sector has made to the wellbeing of New Zealanders over the decades and in the present day. The purpose of this research is to indicate how industryāled initiatives and privateāpublic partnerships might build on the sectorās historical successes for ongoing economic prosperity into the future.
The agriāfood sector continues to dominate the countryās merchandise exports. The dairy sector in 2013/14 generated export revenue of just over 8 billion), forestry (more than 3.8 billion)
and seafood (more than $1.7 billion)
Application of the COM-B model to barriers and facilitators to chlamydia testing in general practice for young people and primary care practitioners: a systematic review
Background
Chlamydia is a major public health concern, with high economic and social costs. In 2016, there were over 200,000 chlamydia diagnoses made in England. The highest prevalence rates are found among young people. Although annual testing for sexually active young people is recommended, many do not receive testing. General practice is one ideal setting for testing, yet attempts to increase testing in this setting have been disappointing. The Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Model of Behaviour (COM-B model) may help improve understanding of the underpinnings of chlamydia testing. The aim of this systematic review was to (1) identify barriers and facilitators to chlamydia testing for young people and primary care practitioners in general practice and (2) map facilitators and barriers onto the COM-B model.
Methods
Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies published after 2000 were included. Seven databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed publications which examined barriers and facilitators to chlamydia testing in general practice. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Data (i.e., participant quotations, theme descriptions, and survey results) regarding study design and key findings were extracted. The data was first analysed using thematic analysis, following this, the resultant factors were mapped onto the COM-B model components. All findings are reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Results
Four hundred eleven papers were identified; 39 met the inclusion criteria. Barriers and facilitators were identified at the patient (e.g., knowledge), provider (e.g., time constraints), and service level (e.g., practice nurses). Factors were categorised into the subcomponents of the model: physical capability (e.g., practice nurse involvement), psychological capability (e.g.: lack of knowledge), reflective motivation (e.g., beliefs regarding perceived risk), automatic motivation (e.g., embarrassment and shame), physical opportunity (e.g., time constraints), social opportunity (e.g., stigma).
Conclusions
This systematic review provides a synthesis of the literature which acknowledges factors across multiple levels and components. The COM-B model provided the framework for understanding the complexity of chlamydia testing behaviour. While we cannot at this juncture state which component represents the most salient influence on chlamydia testing, across all three levels, multiple barriers and facilitators were identified relating psychological capability and physical and social opportunity. Implementation should focus on (1) normalisation, (2) communication, (3) infection-specific information, and (4) mode of testing. In order to increase chlamydia testing in general practice, a multifaceted theory- and evidence-based approach is needed
The impacts of changes in agricultural policies in the United Kingdom on trade and agriculture especially in New Zealand ā the WTO option
The United Kingdomās (UK) exit from the European Union (EU) will have a range of implications for the UK, the EU and other countries like New Zealand (NZ). The nature and extent of its impacts will be determined by the terms under which the UK exits, hence the impact of Brexit is yet unknown. This study assessed how the agricultural sector in the UK, the EU and NZ would be affected if the UK does not reach a trade agreement with the EU by 31st October 2019, then by default, the UK will have to comply with the WTO rules to trade with the EU, and third countries. The Lincoln Trade and Environment Model (LTEM), a partial equilibrium trade model that simulates international trade, production and consumption of agricultural commodities was used for the analysis. A WTO scenario was developed applying trade weighted outbound facing MFN (WTO) tariffs to imports from the EU and other third countries. In addition, the change in trade facilitation costs was set at 10 per cent. Modelling results showed a large impact on UKās production and consumption of agricultural goods while the agricultural sector in the EU and NZ would be only slightly affected by this trade policy. However, the UK leaving the EU could work to strengthen the trading relationship with NZ depending on the UKās access to the EUās Single Marke
The Short- and Long-Run Effects of Private Law Enforcement: Evidence from University Police
Over a million people in the United States are employed in private security and law enforcement, yet very little is known about the effects of private police on crime. The current study examines the relationship between a privately-funded university police force and crime in a large U.S. city. Following an expansion of the jurisdictional boundary of the private police force, we see no short-term change in crime. However, using a geographic regression discontinuity approach, we find large impacts of private police on public safety, with violent crime in particular decreasing. These contradictory results appear to be a consequence of delayed effect of private police on crime
The Southern 2MASS AGN Survey: spectroscopic follow-up with 6dF
The Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) has provided a uniform photometric
catalog to search for previously unknown red AGN and QSOs. We have extended the
search to the southern equatorial sky by obtaining spectra for 1182 AGN
candidates using the 6dF multifibre spectrograph on the UK Schmidt Telescope.
These were scheduled as auxiliary targets for the 6dF Galaxy Redshift Survey.
The candidates were selected using a single color cut of J - Ks > 2 to Ks ~
15.5 and a galactic latitude of |b|>30 deg. 432 spectra were of sufficient
quality to enable a reliable classification. 116 sources (or ~27%) were
securely classified as type 1 AGN, 20 as probable type 1s, and 57 as probable
type 2 AGN. Most of them span the redshift range 0.05<z<0.5 and only 8 (or ~6%)
were previously identified as AGN or QSOs. Our selection leads to a
significantly higher AGN identification rate amongst local galaxies (>20%) than
in any previous galaxy survey. A small fraction of the type 1 AGN could have
their optical colors reddened by optically thin dust with A_V<2 mag relative to
optically selected QSOs. A handful show evidence for excess far-IR emission.
The equivalent width (EW) and color distributions of the type 1 and 2 AGN are
consistent with AGN unified models. In particular, the EW of the [OIII]
emission line weakly correlates with optical--near-IR color in each class of
AGN, suggesting anisotropic obscuration of the AGN continuum. Overall, the
optical properties of the 2MASS red AGN are not dramatically different from
those of optically-selected QSOs. Our near-IR selection appears to detect the
most near-IR luminous QSOs in the local universe to z~0.6 and provides
incentive to extend the search to deeper near-IR surveys.Comment: 57 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables, to appear in vol.27/4 of Publications
of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA
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