Census of Active Commercial Fishermen in Puerto Rico: 2008

The implementation of Puerto Rican Regulation No. 6768, which overhauled the existing fishery management framework, generated considerable hostility towards local managers. Among the controversial management measures adopted in 2004 were the assignment of fishing licenses based on fishing income, the establishment of closed seasons, and new minimum size restrictions for commercially valuable species. Though tensions have subsided, considerable opposition to these regulations remains. This paper provides a characterization of the current population of active small-scale fishermen, discusses their perceptions about the biological and socio-economic condition of the fishery, and describes their attitudes towards the new management framework. This study revealed that the number of active fishermen decreased from 1,731 in 1988 to 868 in 2008. Although a declining resource base was one of the main drivers behind these waning participation statistics, rising fuel costs and burdensome regulations exacerbated the rate of attrition. The majority of the fishermen were middleaged men (50 years) with moderate levels of formal education and high levels of fishing dependence which limited their employment opportunities outside the fishery. Most of the vessels were small (20 ft) and outfitted with a single outboard engine (80 hp). Hook and line and SCUBA were dominant gears because of their versatility and cost effectiveness. Fishermen suggested that their opposition to the regulations would continue unless they were afforded greater regulatory flexibility and provided with a larger role in the decision-making process. Fishermen were adamant about the need to reconsider the income reporting requirements to secure a fishing license because of the potential for losing public assistance benefits. They also objected to increasing the minimum size of many deepwater snapper (Lutjanidae) and grouper (Serranidae) species because it forced them to discard dead fish, a practice they consider wasteful since these species do not survive the ascent to the surface once hooked

Digital microfluidics on paper

This thesis is one of the first reports of digital microfluidics on paper and the first in which the chip’s circuit was screen printed unto the paper. The use of the screen printing technique, being a low cost and fast method for electrodes deposition, makes the all chip processing much more aligned with the low cost choice of paper as a substrate. Functioning chips were developed that were capable of working at as low as 50 V, performing all the digital microfluidics operations: movement, dispensing, merging and splitting of the droplets. Silver ink electrodes were screen printed unto paper substrates, covered by Parylene-C (through vapor deposition) as dielectric and Teflon AF 1600 (through spin coating) as hydrophobic layer. The morphology of different paper substrates, silver inks (with different annealing conditions) and Parylene deposition conditions were studied by optical microscopy, AFM, SEM and 3D profilometry. Resolution tests for the printing process and electrical characterization of the silver electrodes were also made. As a showcase of the applications potential of these chips as a biosensing device, a colorimetric peroxidase detection test was successfully done on chip, using 200 nL to 350 nL droplets dispensed from 1 μL drops

Goodness of fit in optimizing consumer's model

We provide two new indices of efficiency for determining the degree of coherence in an agent's consumption decisions. We analyze to which extent they improve the efficiency displayed by Varian's (Journal of Econometrics, 1990) index. We report on the results of a Montecarlo experiment that confirms that strict improvements of Varian's vector-index appear on a regular basis.Consumer behavior; GARP; revealed preference; goodness of fit

La investigación geográfica en la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

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Linfocitose monoclonal de células B: uma breve revisão para clínicos gerais

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is a recently described medical condition that displays biological similarities to the most common subtype of adult leukemia in the Western world, i.e. chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Diagnostic criteria have been published with the aim of differentiating between these two entities. The overall prevalence of MBL is at least 100 times higher than that of CLL, which indirectly suggests that MBL is not necessarily a pre-leukemic condition, although in some circumstances, CLL cases can really be preceded by MBL. In view of this high prevalence rate, general clinicians and even non-hematological specialists have a high chance of being faced with individuals with MBL in their routine clinical practice. MBL is classified as "clinical MBL", "population-screening MBL" and "atypical MBL" and the clinical management of affected individuals depends greatly on this differentiation. The present review provides a guide to diagnosing and following up MBL patients.A linfocitose monoclonal de células B (LMB) é uma condição médica recentemente descrita que exibe similaridades biológicas com o mais comum subtipo de leucemia em adultos de países ocidentais, qual seja, a leucemia linfocítica crônica (LLC). Critérios diagnósticos foram publicados com o intuito de separar as duas entidades. A prevalência global da LMB é pelo menos 100 vezes maior do que a da LLC, o que, indiretamente, sugere que a LMB não é necessariamente uma condição pré-leucêmica, embora, em algumas circunstâncias, casos de LLC possam realmente ser precedidos pela LMB. Em virtude dessa alta taxa de prevalência, clínicos gerais e mesmo outros especialistas não hematologistas têm grande chance de deparar-se com casos de LMB em suas rotinas clínicas. A LMB é classificada como "LMB clínica", "LMB de screening populacional" e "LMB atípica", sendo que o manuseio clínico dos indivíduos afetados depende substancialmente dessa diferenciação. A presente revisão fornece um guia para o diagnóstico e acompanhamento dos pacientes com LMB.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Universidad y territorio en el área metropolitana de Madrid

En este trabajo, que supone la presentación parcial de una investigación más amplia, abordamos el sistema universitario madrileño con una visión de conjunto y fundamentalmente diacrónica, mostrando algunas de sus características, así como su gestación y sus principales transformaciones (especialmente intensas desde finales de la década de 1960), además de su situación actual, lo que quizá pueda ser de alguna utilidad para tratar de planificar su futuro tan complicado. Para ello, nos ha parecido oportuno situarlo en coordenadas más amplias, aludiendo a los estudios que se han realizado con anterioridad sobre estas cuestiones y al marco teórico-conceptual en que se inserta nuestro estudio.Université et territoire dans la région métropolitaine de Madrid. Ce travail, qui fait partie d’une recherche plus approfondie, s’approche du système universitaire madrilène avec une perspective d’ensemble et fondamentalement diachronique pour signaler ses caractéristiques, ainsi que sa gestation et ses transformations principales, qui ont été spécialement intenses depuis la fin des années 1960. On fait aussi l’état de sa situation présente, ce qui peut se révéler utile pour essayer la planification d’un avenir qu’on prévoit assez compliqué. Dans ce but, nous jugeons opportun l’encadrer dans des coordonnées plus larges, en faisant allusion aux études déjà réalisées sur ce thème ainsi qu’au cadre théorique et conceptuel de notre étude.University and territory in the metropolitan area of Madrid. This work, which belongs to a larger search, approaches the Madrid university network with a comprehensive and primarily temporary perspective, showing not only their characteristics but also their origins and main changes, which have been specially strong since the end of 1960. Besides, we set out the present situation, which perhaps could help to draw up a plan for its quite uncertain future. To accomplish this aim we consider appropriate to put it in a larger framework, referring to former studies on the same subject as well as to the conceptual and theoretical frame of this work.Publicad