Valuing Fuelwood Resources Using a Site Choice Model of Fuelwood Collection

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Waste Management Behaviour of Households: A Case Study of a Strike in Saskatchewan

Environmental Economics and Policy,

ASSESSING IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ON ABORIGINAL PEOPLE: AN ECONOMIC EXAMINATION OF SUBSISTENCE RESOURCE USE AND VALUE

The report describes the research design, data collection and preliminary analysis of an economic assessment of non-timber resource use by Aboriginal People in Northwest Saskatchewan. The project is designed to develop methods of valuing resource use by Aboriginal People so that these values can be incorporated into forest resource management decisions and to evaluate the impact of forest management actions on the economic well-being of Aboriginal People living in the region. Data on non-timber resource use are collected and spatially explicit economic models are developed in order to construct estimates of behavioral change and value associated with changes in the environment and landscape (through forestry, access, or other landscape changes).Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Non-market Valuation Biases Due to Aboriginal Cultural Characteristics in Northern Saskatchewan: The Values Structures Component

Current non-market valuation techniques have been developed based on assumptions about values held within the Eurocentred culture. Contentions between cultures over natural resources are hypothesized to occur because of differences in held values resulting in different values being assigned to the resources in question. This study measured the held values of an Aboriginal band in Northern Saskatchewan as the first dimension of a non-market valuation study of natural resources. These held value structures are presented noting differences by age and gender and in comparison with the local Non-Aboriginal community and another Aboriginal group in northern Alberta.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Energy content in relation to the population dynamics of Mysis mixta (Lilljeborg) from the Southern Baltic

The energy content of Mysis mixta from the Southern Baltic in relation to its body weight was studied in June, August and October 1986, and April and May 1987. In June, immature animals (4-13 mm) and adult females (18-25 mm) dominated. The same composition was found in August, although the size had changed: the immature animals ranged from 10 to 21 mm and adult females from 21 to 30 mm. A more homogeneous population ranging from 12 to 22 mm was found in October. Males occurred in large numbers only in autumn. The dry weight was 15.04 % of the wet weight, and included 8.18% ash. The relationship between dry weight and body length fitted the power function W = 0.714 L2.835. The average energy content of M. mixta was high: 24.748 Jmg-1 OW and 27.055 Jmg-1 AFDW.There was no significant difference in energy content between adult females and males in October, when both sexes were present. Energy content per dry weight increased with the size of the animals. M. mixta obtained in the study area showed similar energy content to each other

The impact of pulsed electric field on the extraction of bioactive compounds from beetroot

Beetroot is a root vegetable rich in different bioactive components, such as vitamins, minerals, phenolics, carotenoids, nitrate, ascorbic acids, and betalains, that can have a positive effect on human health. The aim of this work was to study the influence of the pulsed electric field (PEF) at different electric field strengths (4.38 and 6.25 kV/cm), pulse number 10\u201330, and energy input 0\u201312.5 kJ/kg as a pretreatment method on the extraction of betalains from beetroot. The obtained results showed that the application of PEF pre-treatment significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the efficiency of extraction of bioactive compounds from beetroot. The highest increase in the content of betalain compounds in the red beet\u2019s extract (betanin by 329%, vulgaxanthin by 244%, compared to the control sample), was noted for 20 pulses of electric field at 4.38 kV/cm of strength. Treatment of the plant material with a PEF also resulted in an increase in the electrical conductivity compared to the non-treated sample due to the increase in cell membrane permeability, which was associated with leakage of substances able to conduct electricity, including mineral salts, into the intercellular space

Structural and paramagnetic properties of dilute Ga1-xMnxN

Systematic investigations of the structural and magnetic properties of single crystal (Ga,Mn)N films grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy are presented. High resolution transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and extended x-ray absorption fine structure studies do not reveal any crystallographic phase separation and indicate that Mn occupies Ga-substitutional sites in the Mn concentration range up to 1%. The magnetic properties as a function of temperature, magnetic field and its orientation with respect to the c-axis of the wurtzite structure can be quantitatively described by the paramagnetic theory of an ensemble of non-interacting Mn$^{3+}$ ions in the relevant crystal field, a conclusion consistent with the x-ray absorption near edge structure analysis. A negligible contribution of Mn in the 2+ charge state points to a low concentration of residual donors in the studied films. Studies on modulation doped p-type (Ga,Mn)N/(Ga,Al)N:Mg heterostructures do not reproduce the high temperature robust ferromagnetism reported recently for this system.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figure

On the structure of the set of bifurcation points of periodic solutions for multiparameter Hamiltonian systems

This paper deals with periodic solutions of the Hamilton equation with many parameters. Theorems on global bifurcation of solutions with periods $2\pi/j,$ $j\in\mathbb{N},$ from a stationary point are proved. The Hessian matrix of the Hamiltonian at the stationary point can be singular. However, it is assumed that the local topological degree of the gradient of the Hamiltonian at the stationary point is nonzero. It is shown that (global) bifurcation points of solutions with given periods can be identified with zeros of appropriate continuous functions on the space of parameters. Explicit formulae for such functions are given in the case when the Hessian matrix of the Hamiltonian at the stationary point is block-diagonal. Symmetry breaking results concerning bifurcation of solutions with different minimal periods are obtained. A geometric description of the set of bifurcation points is given. Examples of constructive application of the theorems proved to analytical and numerical investigation and visualization of the set of all bifurcation points in given domain are provided. This paper is based on a part of the author's thesis [W. Radzki, ``Branching points of periodic solutions of autonomous Hamiltonian systems'' (Polish), PhD thesis, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Toru\'{n}, 2005].Comment: 35 pages, 4 figures, PDFLaTe

Biosimilar G-CSF versus filgrastim and lenograstim in healthy unrelated volunteer hematopoietic stem cell donors

The World Marrow Donor Organization recommends original granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for the mobilization of stem cells in healthy unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donors. We report the comparison of a biosimilar G-CSF (Zarzio) with two original G-CSFs (filgrastim and lenograstim) in mobilization in unrelated donors. We included data of 313 consecutive donors who were mobilized during the period from October 2014 to March 2016 at the Medical University of Warsaw. The primary endpoints of this study were the efficiency of CD34+ cell mobilization to the circulation and results of the first apheresis. The mean daily dose of G-CSF was 9.1 μg/kg for lenograstim, 9.8 μg/kg for biosimilar filgrastim, and 9.3 μg/kg for filgrastim (p < 0.001). The mean CD34+ cell number per microliter in the blood before the first apheresis was 111 for lenograstim, 119 for biosimilar filgrastim, and 124 for filgrastim (p = 0.354); the mean difference was even less significant when comparing CD34+ number per dose of G-CSF per kilogram (p = 0.787). Target doses of CD34+ cells were reached with one apheresis in 87% donors mobilized with lenograstim and in 93% donors mobilized with original and biosimilar filgrastim (p = 0.005). The mobilized apheresis outcomes (mean number of CD34+ cells/kg of donor collected during the first apheresis) was similar with lenograstim, biosimilar filgrastim, and filgrastim: 6.2 × 10⁶, 7.6 × 10⁶, and 7.3 × 10⁶, respectively, p = 0.06. There was no mobilization failure in any of the donors. Biosimilar G-CSF is as effective in the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells in unrelated donors as original G-CSFs. Small and clinically irrelevant differences seen in the study can be attributed to differences in G-CSF dose and collection-related factors. Active safety surveillance concurrent to clinical use and reporting to donor outcome registry (e.g., EBMT donor outcome registry or WMDA SEAR/SPEAR) might help to evaluate the possible short- and long-term complications of biosimilar G-CSF