"Applying Optimization and the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Enhance Agricultural Preservation Strategies in the State of Delaware"

Using agricultural preservation priorities derived from an analytical hierarchy process by 23 experts from 18 agencies in the State of Delaware, this research uses weighted suitability attributes to evaluate the historical success of the State of Delaware’s agricultural protection fund, which spent nearly $100 million in its first decade. This research demonstrates how these operation research techniques can be used on concert to address relevant conservation questions. Results suggest that the state’s sealed-bid-offer auction, which determines the yearly conservation selections, is superior to benefit targeting approaches frequently employed by conservation organizations but is inferior to the optimization technique of binary linear programming that could have provided additional benefits to the state, such as 12,000 additional acres worth an estimated$25 million.Conservation Optimization, Farmland Protection, Analytic Hierarchy Process

The vacuum ultra violet spectrum of laser excited barium

Imperial Users onl

Applying Optimization and the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Enhance Agricultural Preservation Strategies in the State of Delaware

Using agricultural preservation priorities derived from an analytical hierarchy process by 23 conservation experts from 18 agencies in the state of Delaware, this research uses weighted benefit measures to evaluate the historical success of Delaware’s agricultural protection fund, which spent nearly $100 million in its first decade. This research demonstrates how these operation research techniques can be used in concert to address relevant conservation questions. Results suggest that the state’s sealed-bid-offer auction, which determines the yearly conservation selections, is superior to benefit-targeting approaches frequently employed by conservation organizations, but is inferior to the optimization technique of binary linear programming that could have provided additional benefits to the state, such as 12,000 additional acres worth an estimated$25 million.conservation optimization, farmland protection, analytic hierarchy process, binary linear programming, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Vanguard Management: An Emerging New Paradigm

There is an increasing body of evidence that significant and exciting changes are under way in how some organizations are seeing their world and transforming themselves to fit this new vision. The change is so fundamental as to constitute a paradigm shift. There is further evidence that some hospitality firms may be part of this transformation. The author advocates the use of vanguard management in this articl

Matching Grants and Charitable Giving: Why People Sometimes Provide a Helping Hand to Fund Environmental Goods

Matching grants are a prevalent mechanism for funding environmental, conservation, and natural resource projects. However, economists have largely been silent regarding the potential benefits of these mechanisms at increasing voluntary contributions. To examine the behavioral responses to different match levels, this research uses controlled laboratory experiments with generically framed instructions and introduces a general-form matching-grant mechanism, referred to as the proportional contribution mechanism (PCM). Results show that contributions are positively correlated with both the match and the induced value of the public good even when a dominant strategy is free-riding. An implication of this partial demand revelation result is that manifestations of this type of “helping hand†social preference should be counted in benefit-cost analysis.matching grants, public goods, charitable giving, voluntary contributions, experimental economics, warm glow, helping hand, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics,

An electron energy loss and ultraviolet photoemission study of VN[subscript]x, NbN[subscript]x and ZrN[subscript]x

The techniques of reflection electron energy loss (ELS) and angle-integrated ultraviolet photoemission (UPS) spectroscopies have been used to study the electronic structure and the collective electron behavior of the superconducting transition metal nitrides VN(,x), NbN(,x), and ZrN(,x). When possible, samples have been fabricated within the ultrahigh vacuum surface analysis chamber to insure the highest possible surface cleanliness. Some samples have also been fabricated externally. All samples were further characterized through Auger analysis (in situ), x-ray diffraction, and superconducting transition temperature measurements. ELS was used to study the collective electron (plasmon) and single electron (interband) excitations. UPS was used to probe the occupied valence band density of states. The experimental techniques and underlying theories are discussed. Results are presented and discussed for both the nitrides and the parent transition metals

The synthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids constitute an exceptionally large class of naturally occurring compounds. A number of the alkaloids are hepatotoxic and carcinogenic, but some derivatives have potentially useful physiological properties;A promising but seldom used reaction in alkaloid synthesis is the amidoalkylation of enolizable carbonyl derivatives. The reaction involves electrophilic attack on the enol by an (alpha)-acyliminium ion. This results in formation of a new carbon-carbon bond (alpha) to the nitrogen. This potentially useful reaction was used for the synthesis of several pyrrolizidine alkaloids;The simple pyrrolizidines, trachelanthamidine and isoretronecanol, were prepared from succinimide. The synthesis required only five steps and proceeded in good overall yield. The synthesis is the most direct and operationally convenient route yet reported;An intermediate for the synthesis of heliotridine was also prepared. The synthetic route gave good stereochemical control of the key asymmetric centers. Completion of the synthesis requires only reduction of a methyl ester and removal of a mesityl protecting group

"Integrating Optimization and Strategic Conservation to Achieve Higher Efficiencies in Land Protection"

Strategic land conservation seeks to select the highest quality lands given limited financial resources. Traditionally conservation officials implement strategic conservation by creating prioritization maps that attempt to identify the lands of highest ecological value or public value from a resource perspective. This paper describes the history of using optimization in strategic conservation and demonstrates how the combination of these approaches can significantly strengthen conservation efforts by making these programs more efficient with public monies.Mathematical Programming, Conservation Optimization, Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Strategic Conservation