Beach Quality and Recreational Values: A Pictorialized Stated Preference Analysis of Residents and Tourists

Much of Hawaii’s economy relies on its unique marine environments, which are threatened by degradation from stormwater runoff. Using a stated preference method of choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis, based on stylized photographs, this study examines both residents’ and visitors’ marginal value for levels of attributes associated with Hawaiian beach recreation. Each attribute (sand quality, water quality, congestion and water safety conditions) was significant for both residents and tourists, with water quality being the single most important attribute. There is little distinction between resident and tourist marginal value, except for a greater value lost for below average water quality among tourists.Nonmarket Valuation, WTP, Beach, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Values for Recreational Beach Quality in Oahu, Hawaii

Pristine coastal environments are the key to Hawaii’s worldwide fame and attraction to tourists, yet their economic value remains understudied. This article examines preferences for characteristics associated with beach recreation in Oahu, Hawaii, among residents and tourists. Consideration is given to sand quality, water quality, congestion levels, and swimming safety conditions in the context of a choice experiment. The choice experiment conveys attribute levels almost entirely through pictures, and results suggest that this novel portrayal is well understood by respondents. Excessive congestion and water quality are regarded as the most important beach attributes, specifically the avoidance of poor water quality in favor of a chance to experience excellent water quality. Some evidence suggests that significantly different willingness to pay (WTP) exists among residents and tourists on Oahu with poor water quality and excellent water quality being more important to tourists, while residents place greater value on avoiding excessive congestion

Beach Quality and Recreational Values: A Pictorialized Stated Preference Analysis of Residents and Tourists

Much of Hawaii’s economy relies on its unique marine environments, which are threatened by degradation from stormwater runoff. Using a stated preference method of choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis, based on stylized photographs, this study examines both residents’ and visitors’ marginal value for levels of attributes associated with Hawaiian beach recreation. Each attribute (sand quality, water quality, congestion and water safety conditions) was significant for both residents and tourists, with water quality being the single most important attribute. There is little distinction between resident and tourist marginal value, except for a greater value lost for below average water quality among tourists

A role for tetrahydrofolates in the metabolism of iron-sulfur clusters in all domains of life

Iron-sulfur (Fe/S) cluster enzymes are crucial to life. Their assembly requires a suite of proteins, some of which are specific for particular subsets of Fe/S enzymes. One such protein is yeast Iba57p, which aconitase and certain radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes require for activity. Iba57p homologs occur in all domains of life; they belong to the COG0354 protein family and are structurally similar to various folate-dependent enzymes. We therefore investigated the possible relationship between folates and Fe/S cluster enzymes using the Escherichia coli Iba57p homolog, YgfZ. NMR analysis confirmed that purified YgfZ showed stereoselective folate binding. Inactivating ygfZ reduced the activities of the Fe/S tRNA modification enzyme MiaB and certain other Fe/S enzymes, although not aconitase. When successive steps in folate biosynthesis were ablated, ∆folE (lacking pterins and folates) and ∆folP (lacking folates) mutants mimicked the ∆ygfZ mutant in having low MiaB activities, whereas ∆folE ∆thyA mutants supplemented with 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (lacking pterins and depleted in dihydrofolate) and ∆gcvP ∆glyA mutants (lacking one-carbon tetrahydrofolates) had intermediate MiaB activities. These data indicate that YgfZ requires a folate, most probably tetrahydrofolate. Importantly, the ∆ygfZ mutant was hypersensitive to oxidative stress and grew poorly on minimal media. COG0354 genes of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, protistan, animal, or plant origin complemented one or both of these growth phenotypes as well as the MiaB activity phenotype. Comparative genomic analysis indicated widespread functional associations between COG0354 proteins and Fe/S cluster metabolism. Thus COG0354 proteins have an ancient, conserved, folate-dependent function in the activity of certain Fe/S cluster enzymes

Osteogenesis imperfecta

Skeletal deformity and bone fragility are the hallmarks of the brittle bone dysplasia osteogenesis imperfecta. The diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta usually depends on family history and clinical presentation characterized by a fracture (or fractures) during the prenatal period, at birth or in early childhood; genetic tests can confirm diagnosis. Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by dominant autosomal mutations in the type I collagen coding genes (COL1A1 and COL1A2) in about 85% of individuals, affecting collagen quantity or structure. In the past decade, (mostly) recessive, dominant and X-linked defects in a wide variety of genes encoding proteins involved in type I collagen synthesis, processing, secretion and post-translational modification, as well as in proteins that regulate the differentiation and activity of bone-forming cells have been shown to cause osteogenesis imperfecta. The large number of causative genes has complicated the classic classification of the disease, and although a new genetic classification system is widely used, it is still debated. Phenotypic manifestations in many organs, in addition to bone, are reported, such as abnormalities in the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, skin fragility, muscle weakness, hearing loss and dentinogenesis imperfecta. Management involves surgical and medical treatment of skeletal abnormalities, and treatment of other complications. More innovative approaches based on gene and cell therapy, and signalling pathway alterations, are under investigation