Marine Protected Areas and commercial fisheries: the existing fishery in potential protected areas, and a modelling study of the impact of protected areas on North Sea Plaice

Dit rapport presenteert resultaten van onderzoek, dat in 2005/2006 is uitgevoerd. In het kader van de Europese Vogel en Habitat Richtlijnen dienen lidstaten te beschermen gebieden op zee aan te wijzen, wat mogelijk zou leiden tot beperkingen van visserijactiviteiten in deze gebieden. De vraag was, welke invloed dit zou hebben op de vis en visserij. In dit onderzoek is enerzijds een statische beschrijving opgesteld van de visserijinspanning en de vangsten in de voorgestelde gebieden, en is anderzijds een eerste analyse (simulatie-model) opgezet van het lange-termijn effect op migrerende vis (schol). Dit onderzoek werd eind 2006 afgerond met een concept-rapport

Introduction to the Special Issue: Policies for Inclusive Development in Africa

While there is increasing academic analysis and policy concern regarding growing inequality and the need for more inclusive development trajectories, it is equally important to advance our understanding of the pathways to attain more inclusive development in practice. This paper serves as the introduction to a special issue examining the empirical outcomes and processes of inclusive development policies in selected countries in Africa. The paper presents a policy implementation and assessment framework as a lens that connects the different case studies. The framework links general inclusive development strategies in employment, social protection and governance, to the participation and representation of the various stakeholders as well as the monetary and non-monetary transaction costs in accessing and/or implementing these programmes on the ground in different national and sub-national contexts. Based on the findings of the 9 case studies, the paper also advances policy directions and operational frameworks to attain more inclusive development in practice

Comparison of response surface methodology and the Nelder and Mead simplex method for optimization in microsimulation models

Microsimulation models are increasingly used in the evaluation of cancer screening. Latent parameters of such models can be estimated by optimization of the goodness-of-fit. We compared the efficiency and accuracy of the Response Surface Methodology and the Nelder and Mead Simplex Method for optimization of microsimulation models. To this end, we tested several automated versions of both methods on a small microsimulation model, as well as on a standard set of test functions. With respect to accuracy, Response Surface Methodology performed better in case of optimization of the microsimulation model, whereas the results for the test functions were rather variable. The Nelder and Mead Simplex Method performed more efficiently than Response Surface Methodology, both for the microsimulation model and the test functions.health;simulation;optimization

The physical environment and plant communities of the Messina Experimental Farm

A description of the climate, geology and plant communities of the study area is presented. The result of a TWINSPAN classification of 149 relevés was refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures. Eight plant communities of which one is divided into three variations, were distinguished. A hierarchical classification, ecological interpretation and vegetation map delineating the extent of the plant communities, are presented. An agro-ecological quantification of the woody vegetation was done in each plant community

Self Phase Modulation and Stimulated Raman Scattering due to High Power Femtosecond Pulse Propagation in Silicon-on-Insulator Waveguides.

Self Phase Modulation (SPM) and Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) in silicon waveguides have been observed and will be discussed theoretically using a modified Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation. The high optical peak powers needed for the experiments were obtained by coupling sub-picosecond (200fs) transform limited pulses with a spectral width of 12nm into a single mode silicon waveguide. Spectral broadening up to 50nm has been observed due to Self Phase Modulation. An intensity increase of the idler spectrum around 1650nm at the expense of the 1550nm pump signal has been observed as function of pump power, indicating the presence of Stimulated Raman Scattering

Measuring personality traits in the classroom.

In this article, a personality model for the description of children’s classroom behaviour is the main focus of interest. It is questioned whether the Five-Factor Personality Model can be used as an organizational structure for the description of personality characteristics in the field of educational practice. Two groups of Dutch school children (N 1296 and N 367), 4–12 years old, were rated by their teachers on scales of the School Behaviour Checklist–Revised (SCHOBL-R1). Analysis of the scales produced four meaningful and identical components in both samples: Extraversion, Attitude towards School Work, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability. The factorial structure of the scales remained stable over age as well as sex. Boys and girls were rated by their teachers as having dierent attitudes towards school work, and as diering on emotional stability and agreeableness. The items of the school behaviour checklist were then analysed in the context of other personality scales, leading to the conclusion that the four scales of the SCHOBL-R can be interpreted in terms of four of the five personality dimensions of the Five-Factor Model. The strong relationship between the contents o