Economic Impacts of E. Coqui frogs in Hawaii

Eleutherodactylus coqui, a small frog native to Puerto Rico, was introduced to Hawaii in the late 1980s, presumably as a hitchhiker on plant material from the Caribbean or Florida (Kraus et al. 1999). The severity of the frogs' songs on the island of Hawaii has lead to a hypothesis touted both in the scientific community and in the popular media that the presence of the frog on or near a property results in a decline in that property's value. The objective of this study is to explicitly test the extent to which this hypothesis is true, and if it is, what the level of localized damage incurred on a property's value is. The invasion began on either Hawaii or Maui, and has now expanded to Oahu and Kauai. Spread has occurred through the movement of nursery plants and through intentional introduction of the frogs to previously uninfested areas. The coqui frogs have attained some of the highest densities ever observed for terrestrial amphibian populations (up to 133,000 per ha on Hawaii). These extremely dense populations have lead to both economic and ecological concerns, especially on the island of Hawaii. The loud mating song of the male frogs is the most widely cited complaint in Hawaii. The frog's song has been measured to range in the 80-100 decibel level (Beard and Pitt 2005). Given that 45 decibels may be enough to prevent the average person from sleeping , the song of the coqui is considered a form of noise pollution in Hawaii. In this study we focus only on the direct damage costs of the coqui's loud mating songs through a hedonic pricing model. Because this only one component of the economic costs of noise pollution, it should be considered a lower bound estimate of the true cost of their noise and their presence. Since this lower bound is generated through measurable losses in property value, its use in invasive species policy should be welcomingly straightforward compared to survey methods or other efforts to quantify damages from ecosystem change. We find that coqui frogs do impose localized damages to real estate values, but by 800 meters distance from a complaint this damage is declining relative to the effect at 500m. The per-transaction reduction in value when frog complaints have been lodged within 500m appears to be about 0.16%, holding constant district, acreage, financial conditions, zoning, and neighborhood characteristics. This is just over 1/3 of the impact that an increase of 1% in mortgage rates is estimated to have on price.Land Economics/Use,

Control of Invasive Species: Lessons from Miconia in Hawaii

Once established, invasive species can rapidly and irreversibly alter ecosystems and degrade the value of ecosystem services. Optimal control of an exotic pest solves for a trajectory of removals that minimizes the present value of removal costs and residual damages from the remaining pest population. The shrubby tree, Miconia calvescens, is used to illustrate dynamic policy options for a forest invader. Potential damages to Hawaii's forest ecosystems are related to decreased aquifer recharge, biodiversity, and other ecosystem values. We find that population reduction is the optimal management policy for the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. On the island of Kauai, where tree density is lower and search costs higher, optimal policy calls for deferring removal expenditures until the steady state population is reached.

The Expression of Anger as a Function of Self-Esteem

This study investigated the relationship between level of self-esteem and anger expression. Fifty female and 36 male university students completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Anger Self-Report. A 3 x 2 AVOVA showed a significant relationship between self-esteem and the ASR scales of Anger Awareness, Guilt, Mistrust, and Total Anger. In addition, women were found to experience significantly more anger-related guilt than men, while verbal and physical anger expression were both characteristic of men. The results further indicate that men experience greater mistrust and suspicion of others These finding suggest that low self-esteem individuals report more anger, but have fewer expressive outlets than do individuals with more favorable self-concepts. Furthermore, low self-esteem females tend to internalize their angry feelings, while low self-esteem males convert their anger into outer-directed hostility. Treatment implications and future research directions were discussed

Yabancı dil olarak İngilizce öğretilen sınıflarda yetişkinlerin bilinçli çalışmayı algılamaları

Language education for adults has traditionally proceeded from the assumption that the student is linguistically and communicatively aware, and furthermore, knows how to learn a language. Language teaching methodology and materials therefore concentrate upon the subject matter without even a passing glance at language, language learning, culture or communication awareness, and include no information about or suggestions for learning. This became apparent in the analysis of data collected in classroom-based research undertaken with adults studying English as a foreign language at the university level in Mexico. The ‘medium’ for the research was an introductory course written specifically for the learners, and was designed with a general-to-specific (or top-down) process which began with awareness training and included suggestions throughout for learning-to-learn strategies. Results from the research as to the adult learners’ perceptions of these aspects of the course are discussed in this article, and clearly indicate that such teaching practice helps to fulfill genuine and pressing adult learner needs.Yetişkinler için dil eğitimi, öğrencinin dilsel ve iletişimsel bilinci  olması ile birlikte bir dili nasıl öğrenmesini bilmesi varsayımdan  geleneksel olarak ileri gelmiştir. Bu yüzden dil öğretim yöntemi ve araçları ne öğrenmede ne de iletişimde rol oynayan bilincin  önemine dayanmaksızın asıl konu üzerinde yoğunlaşır. Bunun eksikliğini yabancı bir dil öğrenmek için üniversiteye döndüğümde ilk defa fark ettim.İngilizceyi  Meksika'da yabancı bir dil olarak öğretmeye başladığımda bu konu benim için daha  baskılayıcı bir hal aldı ki diğer yabancı dilleri öğrenen yetişkinlerin sınıf  içindeki  bilinçli çalışma algılayışları hakkında araştırma yapmaya karar verdim ve bunun yabancı dil öğrenme sürecinde faydalı olabileceğini düşündüm. Bu araştırma, Meksika da iki üniversitenin yabancı dil olarak İngilizce eğitim verdiği on bir sınıfta, birlikte çalıştığım  öğrenenler için bizzat kendim hazırladığım bir giriş dersi ile uygulanmıştır. Bu ders, ayrımsama eğitimiyle başlayan ve öğrenmeyi-öğrenme stratejileri sürecinde tavsiyeler barından genelden özele sıralanmış bir dil öğretim yöntemiyle tasarlanmıştır. Bu makalede, yetişkin öğrenenlerin dersin bu yönlerini algılayışıyla ilgili nitelikli araştırmanın sonuçları  ele alınmıştır. Ayrıca, ayrımsama eğitimi ve yukarıda bahsedilen  öğretim yöntemi yabancı dil öğrenen yetişkinlerin ihtiyaçlarını tamamlamakta yardımcı olduğu  belirtilmiştir

Control of Invasive Species: Lessons from Miconia in Hawaii

Once established, invasive species can rapidly and irreversibly alter ecosystems and degrade the value of ecosystem services. Optimal control of an exotic pest solves for a trajectory of removals that minimizes the present value of removal costs and residual damages from the remaining pest population. The shrubby tree, Miconia calvescens, is used to illustrate dynamic policy options for a forest invader. Potential damages to Hawaii's forest ecosystems are related to decreased aquifer recharge, biodiversity, and other ecosystem values. We find that population reduction is the optimal management policy for the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. On the island of Kauai, where tree density is lower and search costs higher, optimal policy calls for deferring removal expenditures until the steady state population is reached.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Beyond the Lamppost: Optimal Prevention and Control of the Brown Treesnake in Hawaii

In this paper, an integrated model for the prevention and control of an invasive species is developed. The generality of the model allows it to be used for both existing and potential threats to the system of interest. The deterministic nature of arrivals in the model allows for a clear examination of the tradeoffs inherent when choosing between prevention and control strategies. We illuminate how optimal expenditure paths change in response to various biological and economic parameters for the case of the Brown treesnake in Hawaii. Results suggest that it is more advantageous to spend money finding the small population of snakes as they occur than attempting to prevent all future introductions. Like the drunk that looks for his keys only where the light is, public policy may fail to look “beyond the lamppost” for snakes that have already arrived but have not yet been detected. Actively searching for a potential population of snakes rather than waiting for an accidental discovery may save Hawaii tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in future damages, interdiction expenditures, and control costs.invasive species, brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, prevention and control, Hawaii

Phase Variation of Poly-N-Acetylglucosamine Expression in Staphylococcus aureus

Polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), also known as poly-N-acetyl-β-(1–6)-glucosamine (PIA/PNAG) is an important component of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms and also contributes to resistance to phagocytosis. The proteins IcaA, IcaD, IcaB, and IcaC are encoded within the intercellular adhesin (ica) operon and synthesize PIA/PNAG. We discovered a mechanism of phase variation in PIA/PNAG expression that appears to involve slipped-strand mispairing. The process is reversible and RecA-independent, and involves the expansion and contraction of a simple tetranucleotide tandem repeat within icaC. Inactivation of IcaC results in a PIA/PNAG-negative phenotype. A PIA/PNAG-hyperproducing strain gained a fitness advantage in vitro following the icaC mutation and loss of PIA/PNAG production. The mutation was also detected in two clinical isolates, suggesting that under certain conditions, loss of PIA/PNAG production may be advantageous during infection. There was also a survival advantage for an icaC-negative strain harboring intact icaADB genes relative to an isogenicicaADBC deletion mutant. Together, these results suggest that inactivation of icaC is a mode of phase variation for PIA/PNAG expression, that high-level production of PIA/PNAG carries a fitness cost, and that icaADB may contribute to bacterial fitness, by an unknown mechanism, in the absence of an intact icaC gene and PIA/PNAG production

Prevention, Eradication, and Containment of Invasive Species: Illustrations from Hawaii

Invasive species change ecosystems and the economic services such ecosystems provide. Optimal policy will minimize the expected damages and costs of prevention and control. We seek to explain policy outcomes as a function of biological and economic factors, using the case of Hawaii to illustrate. First, we consider an existing invader, Miconia calvescens, a plant with the potential to reduce biodiversity, soil cover, and water availability. We then examine an imminent threat, the potential arrival of the Brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis). The arrival of the snake in Guam has led to native bird extirpations, power outages, and health costs.invasive species, bioeconomics, optimal control, Miconia calvescens, Boiga, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,