Essays on the Economics of Land Use and Adaptation to Climate Change.

Spatial patterns of land use can be explained by traditional concepts in the economic theory of agglomeration, such as natural advantages (climate) and input-output linkages. Chapter 1 uses a long-differences methodology to study land-use adaptation to observed climate change between 1982-2012 for six broad land categories. The results show that landowners respond in expected ways to temperature and precipitation shocks. The results for cultivated cropland are strongly consistent with previous research on the impact of climate change and weather on U.S. crop yields. Producers are more likely to remain in, or switch into, cultivated cropland when climate changes are favorable to crop yield. They are more likely to switch out of, or not switch into, cultivated cropland with increased exposure to extreme heat or to moderate cooling. Chapter 2 examines the effect of input-output linkages on spatial crop and rural development patterns using the quasi-experiment of 130 corn ethanol refinery openings in the U.S. Midwest from 2002-2012. A main finding is that the probability of growing corn increases after a plant opening and shows a distance-decay relationship that goes to zero after 45 kilometers. The respective probabilities of growing soybeans, wheat, and grassland show a countervailing effect to corn, decreasing after a plant opening in a distance-decay relationship that, again, goes to zero after 45-50 kilometers. Developed land increases in the buffer adjacent to the plant, providing limited evidence of rural development in response to new refineries. Chapter 3 examines whether climate-change adaptation is always beneficial when considered in a game theoretic context. We distinguish between climate-change mitigation strategies, which will reduce the scale of adverse effects, and adaptation strategies, which will lessen their impact. We conduct a thorough analysis of the trade-offs and consequences of adaptation investment, detailing the perverse incentives that can exist in strategic environments. Specifically, we derive conditions in which Nash equilibrium payoffs increase in response to reduced abilities or incentives to adapt, which we model using direct constraints, taxes, and shocks to adaptation benefits.PHDEconomicsUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135823/1/mrmcw_1.pd

Coordination of internal olefins, specifically fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), by transition metals

Structural and kinetic studies of several Cp\u27Ru(CO)(L)(eta2 -olefin)+ complexes, where Cp\u27 = Cp (eta5 -C5H5) or Cp* (eta5-C5Me5) and olefin = methyl oleate (18:1), cis-3-hexene, trans-3-hexene, or 1,4-pentadiene, were undertaken to determine the orientation and binding ability of the olefin. The X-ray structure of CpRu(CO)(PPh3)( cis-3-hexene)+ shows that in the solid state the olefin C=C double-bond is orientated parallel to the Cp ring and the ethyl group substituents are pointed up and away from the PPh3 ligand, presumably due to the steric bulkiness of the PPh3. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra for the complexes containing trans- 3-hexene show that the olefin is rotating rapidly around the metal-olefin bond based on the equivalence of the methyl groups on the olefin, which would appear inequivalent if the olefin were not rotating. Kinetic studies of the substitution of the olefin by PPh3 in Cp\u27Ru(CO)2(eta 2-olefin)+ complexes show that the lability of 18:1 and cis-3-hexene are similar. An increase in olefin lability is seen on replacing cis-3-hexene with trans-3-hexene and Cp with Cp*. Both changes increase the rate of olefin dissociation due to increases in steric crowding between the Cp\u27 ligand and the olefin.;Substitution of CpRu(CO)2(eta2-trans- olefin)+, where olefin = trans-3-hexene, trans-2- pentene, trans-3-octene, trans- 4-octene, or trans-5-decene, by incoming ligands (L) results in the formation of CpRu(CO)2(L)+ and the release of both trans-olefin and cis-olefin. Some of the more effective substituting ligands that favor the release of cis-olefins are para-substituted pyridine derivatives, which react with CpRu(CO)2(trans-3-hexene) + to give cis/trans ratios of 3-hexene that increase with the basicity of the amine: CF3- (18/82) \u3c H- (67/33) \u3c CH3- (74/26) \u3c CH3O- (76/24). Several factors influence the amount of cis-olefin released during the course of the reaction; specifically, increases in temperature, solvent polarity, olefin side-chain length, and substituting ligand size all serve to reduce the amount of cis-olefin released. A mechanism is proposed that invokes olefin slippage from eta2 to eta1-coordination in the rate-determining step.;Partial separation of polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) was accomplished using AgNO3/SiO2 adsorbents prepared by incipient wetness impregnation (IWI). In comparison to AgNO3/SiO 2 adsorbents prepared by wet impregnation (WI), the IWI-prepared adsorbents exhibit higher selectivities for the polyunsaturates 18:3 and 18:2 due to a more uniform AgNO3-covered surface. By extracting 9% of the methyl soyate feed solution, the amount of 18:3 can be reduced from 7.0% to 1.3% using 5.0 g of 40% AgNO3/SiO2-IWI. Complete removal of 18:3 from feed solutions of both methyl soyate and methyl canolate was accomplished by using a larger amount of adsorbent. The AgNO3/SiO 2- IWI adsorbents can be reused in multiple extractions without significant loss in selectivity for 18:3

Mild acetabular dysplasia and risk of osteoarthritis of the hip : a case-control study

Objective To determine whether mild variation in acetabular depth (AD) and shape is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. Methods The unaffected contralateral hip of patients with unilateral hip OA was compared with hips of asymptomatic controls without hip OA, derived from the Nottingham Genetics Osteoarthritis and Lifestyle case–control study. Standardised anteroposterior x-rays of the pelvis were used to measure centre edge (CE) angle and AD. Cut-off points for narrow CE angle and shallow AD were calculated from the control group (mean −1.96×SD). The relative risk of hip OA associated with each feature was estimated using OR and 95% CI and adjusted risks were calculated by logistic regression. Results In controls, both the CE angle and the AD were lower in the left hip than in the right hip. The CE angle related to age in both hips, and AD of the right hip was lower in men than in women. The contralateral unaffected hip in patients with unilateral hip OA had a decreased CE angle and AD compared with controls, irrespective of side. The lowest tertile of the CE angle in contralateral hips was associated with an eightfold risk of OA (aOR 8.06, 95% CI 4.87 to 13.35) and the lowest tertile of AD was associated with a 2.5-fold risk of OA (aOR 2.53, 95% CI 1.28 to 5.00). Significant increases in the risk of OA were also found as the CE angle and AD decreased

The Legal Foundation–Defining the Legislative Format

Current and pending mediation legislative programs in the United States, Canada, and other countries were examined by speakers and panelists who are living under these new systems or were authors of their design. Topics included court annexed programs, mandatory programs, voluntary programs, private institutional programs, the Uniform Mediation Act, state and federal initiatives, and the impact each has, or will have, on the mediation practice

Habitat Characteristics Associated with the Distribution and Abundance of \u3cem\u3eHistrionicus histrionicus\u3c/em\u3e (Harlequin Ducks) Wintering in Southern New England

Histrionicus histrionicus (Harlequin Ducks) that winter along the east coast of North America are listed as a population of special concern in Canada, and they use several coastal wintering sites in southern New England that are subject to varying degrees of urbanization. We studied patterns of habitat use by Harlequin Ducks at 12 known wintering sites in southern New England. An average of 327 ± 114 Harlequin Ducks were found at the sites during the winters of 2001–2003. More Harlequin Ducks wintered at sites south of Cape Cod, MA that had greater mollusk (709,133 ± 504,568 versus 97,154 ± 72,427 kcal ha−1) and crustacean (27,907 ± 16,312 versus 1412 ± 1675 kcal ha−1) prey energy density, and a higher index of hunting activity (2.4 ± 1.2 versus 1.4 ± 0.5) than sites to the north. We used logistic regression analysis at 12 sites inhabited by Harlequin Ducks and 12 nearby sites of similar geomorphology that did not support Harlequin Ducks to identify habitat characteristics that best explained their distribution in southern New England. Our analysis identified two habitat characteristics that affected the likelihood a site was used by Harlequin Ducks: 1) the proportion of residential, commercial, and industrial land use within a 100-m radius of the perimeter of the site; and 2) distance to the nearest Harlequin Duck wintering site. However, other factors, including those related to their extremely low population size, need to also be considered as recommendations are developed for the conservation of east coast Harlequin Ducks

Design and Manufacturing of the Carbon Fiber Roll Table

Backpacking and exploration of the great outdoors has surged in popularity in the 21st century, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic called for many to change their hobbies and interests. Additionally, many people explore new, remote locations as a way of breaking free from the chains of addiction to media and reliance on technology. Our team experienced this shift firsthand as our interest in backpacking and exploration has grown in recent years. Upon our reflection of this newfound hobby, we realized that the camping equipment market was missing one thing: a “do it all” backpacking table. Our team wanted to address this need in the backpacking community by creating a versatile, lightweight, and durable camping table that will help people experience the beauty found in nature. The product design, cost, and manufacturing process were all developed and chosen with these criteria in mind. In spring of 2022, we conducted market research through public polls and think tanks. From this research, we established a target market of individuals between the ages of 18-30 years old that are active backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. This target market is a niche sub-category of the camping equipment and accessory market. Additionally, market research identified four consumer considerations: durability, versatility, weight, and affordability, all of which were considered during each phase of the design and production process. After establishing a market for our product concept, an outline of future work and procedures was established to manufacture our product. To begin, we would need to convert our drawings and ideas into an initial prototype. This phase of the manufacturing process was critical for success because it served as the foundation of what our product would be down the road. Additionally, this initial prototype was a proof of concept to prove that our design drawing was feasible. Next, our timeline called for product design and material changes based on our review of the initial prototype. These changes factored in physical limitations and manufacturing process restrictions that would be problematic in the future. For example, the primary design change was related to the coupler that holds all three table legs together at a single point. The initial design was bulky and expensive, so creating a more efficient coupler was necessary. All three previous stages of our process lead to a final product that resembled the product we set out to create. The final product was lightweight, versatile, and strong. The product itself was nearly flawless. In review of our final product, the next stage was completing a holistic profitability analysis of the end product since the primary mission of all businesses is to create income for stakeholders. We were able to complete this holistic analysis by combining data from processing time studies, material purchase orders, industry research, and target market surveys. Although we utilized this same data when making design and material decisions, the result of this end-stage financial study proved that our final product and design would be profitable

Binary black hole late inspiral: Simulations for gravitational wave observations

Coalescing binary black hole mergers are expected to be the strongest gravitational wave sources for ground-based interferometers, such as the LIGO, VIRGO, and GEO600, as well as the space-based interferometer LISA. Until recently it has been impossible to reliably derive the predictions of General Relativity for the final merger stage, which takes place in the strong-field regime. Recent progress in numerical relativity simulations is, however, revolutionizing our understanding of these systems. We examine here the specific case of merging equal-mass Schwarzschild black holes in detail, presenting new simulations in which the black holes start in the late inspiral stage on orbits with very low eccentricity and evolve for ~1200M through ~7 orbits before merging. We study the accuracy and consistency of our simulations and the resulting gravitational waveforms, which encompass ~14 cycles before merger, and highlight the importance of using frequency (rather than time) to set the physical reference when comparing models. Matching our results to PN calculations for the earlier parts of the inspiral provides a combined waveform with less than half a cycle of accumulated phase error through the entire coalescence. Using this waveform, we calculate signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for iLIGO, adLIGO, and LISA, highlighting the contributions from the late-inspiral and merger-ringdown parts of the waveform which can now be simulated numerically. Contour plots of SNR as a function of z and M show that adLIGO can achieve SNR >~ 10 for some intermediate-mass binary black holes (IMBBHs) out to z ~ 1, and that LISA can see massive binary black holes (MBBHs) in the range 3x10^4 100 out to the earliest epochs of structure formation at z > 15.Comment: 17 pages, 20 figures. Final published versio

Port-Orford-cedar and Phytophthora lateralis : grafting and heritability of resistance in the host, and variation in the pathogen

Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is a forest tree native to a small area of Oregon and California. A root disease caused by Phytophthora lateralis causes widespread mortality of Port-Orford-cedar. This dissertation examines three important elements of the Port-Orford-cedar P. lateralis pathosystem related to breeding for disease resistance: use of resistant rootstocks to maintain genotypes of Port-Orford-cedar for breeding; the heritability and genetic basis of disease resistance; and variability in virulence and DNA fingerprint among a sample of P. lateralis isolates. Port-Orford-cedar was reciprocally grafted to western redcedar (Thuja plicata), incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), and Alaska yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis). Port-Orford-cedar scion graft success was moderate with western redcedar and incense cedar, but extreme overgrowth of the rootstock by the scion indicated incompatibility. Xylem union was good, but phloem union was incomplete or lacking. Nearly all Port-Orford-cedar rootstocks and seedlings exposed to P. lateralis died of root disease. Four percent of the Alaska yellow-cedar exposed also died, confirming this tree as a host for P. lateralis. Resistance of Port-Orford-cedar to P. lateralis is rare. A small number of trees have been identified exhibiting resistance. A number of families were tested to determine the genetic basis for resistance. Estimates of narrow-sense and family mean heritability of resistance, as exhibited by restriction of lesion length after inoculation, were determined. Both narrow-sense and family mean heritabilities were between 0.61 and 0.98 in most tests. Between 21% and 32% of the variance was due to differences among families. Thirteen isolates of P. lateralis were collected from three hosts throughout the geographic range of the fungus. Variation in growth rate on artificial media at three temperatures, virulence when used to inoculate Port-Orford-cedar, and DNA fingerprint were compared. There were significant differences in growth rate among isolates at 24C, but fewer differences at lower temperatures and on a rich medium. One isolate produced significantly shorter lesions in three different inoculation tests. Isolates differed at only two of 189 bands produced by Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) DNA primers, indicating very little genetic variation among isolates