Integration of biological, economic and sociological knowledge by Bayesian belief networks: the interdisciplinary evaluation of potential Baltic salmon management plan

There is a growing need to evaluate fisheries management plans in a comprehensive interdisciplinary context involving stakeholders. In this paper we demonstrate a probabilistic management model to evaluate potential management plans for Baltic salmon fisheries. The analysis is based on several studies carried out by scientists from respective disciplines. The main part consisted of biological and ecological stock assessment with integrated economic analysis of the commercial fisheries. Recreational fisheries were evaluated separately. Finally, a sociological study was conducted aimed at understanding stakeholder perspectives and potential commitment to alternative management plans. In order to synthesize the findings from these disparate studies a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) methodology is used. The ranking of management options can depend on the stakeholder perspective. The trade-offs can be analysed quantitatively with the BBN model by combining, according to the decision maker’s set of priorities, utility functions that represent stakeholders’ views. We show how BBN can be used to evaluate robustness of management decisions to different priorities and various sources of uncertainty. In particular, the importance of sociological studies in quantifying uncertainty about the commitment of fishermen to management plans is highlighted by modelling the link between commitment and implementation success.Baltic salmon, bio-economic modelling, Bayesian Belief Network, expert knowledge, fisheries management, commitment and implementation uncertainty, management plan, recreational fisheries, stakeholders., Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Growing into interdisciplinarity: how to converge biology, economics and social science in fisheries research?

It has been acknowledged that natural sciences alone cannot provide an adequate basis for the management of complex environmental problems. The scientific knowledge base has to be expanded in a more holistic direction by incorporating social and economic issues. As well, the multifaceted knowledge has to be summarized in a form that can support science-based decision making. This is, however, difficult. Interdisciplinary skills, practices, and methodologies are needed that enable the integration of knowledge from conceptually different disciplines. Through a focus on our research process, we analyzed how and what kind of interdisciplinarity between natural scientists, environmental economists, and social scientists grew from the need to better understand the complexity and uncertainty inherent to the Baltic salmon fisheries, and how divergent knowledge was integrated in a form that can support science-based decision making. The empirical findings suggest that interdisciplinarity is an extensive learning process that takes place on three levels: between individuals, between disciplines, and between types of knowledge. Such a learning process is facilitated by agreeing to a methodological epoch and by formulating a global question at the outset of a process.v2012o

QTR-FRET: Efficient background reduction technology in time-resolved förster resonance energy transfer assays

A novel homogeneous assay system QTR-FRET (Quencher modulated Time-Resolved Forster Resonance Energy Transfer) combining quenching resonance energy transfer (QRET) and time-resolved Forster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) was developed to reduce background signal in the conventional energy transfer applications. The TR-FRET functionality is often limited by the lanthanide donor background signal leading to the use of low donor concentration. QTR-FRET reduces this background by introducing soluble quencher molecule, and in this work the concept functionality was proven and compared to previously introduced QRET and TR-FRET technologies. Comparison was performed with three different Eu3+-chelates exhibiting different luminescent lifetime and stability. The side-by-side comparison of the three signaling systems and Eu3+ -chelates was demonstrated in a model assay with Eu3+-chelate conjugated biotin and streptavidin (SA) or Cy5-SA conjugate. Comparison of the methodologies showed increased signal-to-background ratios when comparing QTR-FRET to TR-FRET, especially at high Eu3+ -biotin concentrations. Quenching the non-bound Eu3+-biotin improved the assay performance, which suggests that an improved assay performance can be attained with the QTR-FRET method. QTR-FRET is expected to be especially useful for Eu3+-labeled ligands with low affinity or assays requiring high Eu3+-ligand concentration. The QTR-FRET indicated potential for multi-analyte approaches separately utilizing the direct QRET-type Eu3+-chelate signal and energy transfer signal readout in a single- well. This potential was hypothesized with Avi-KRAS nucleotide exchange assay as a second biologically relevant model system

Converging biology, economics and social science in fisheries research –lessons learned.

It has been acknowledged that natural sciences cannot provide an adequate basis for the management of complex environmental problems. The scientific knowledge base has to be expanded towards a more holistic direction by incorporating social and economic issues. Besides this, the multifaceted knowledge has to be summarized in a form that can support science-based decision making. Interdisciplinary skills and methodologies are required that enable the integration of knowledge from conceptually different disciplines. We built an integrated decision support tool for the long term management of the Baltic salmon stocks, using the Bayesian networks. It enabled the analysis of the outcomes of different management measures from biological, social and economic perspectives. The synthesis was the final output of a learning process of eight years. We reflect how and what kind of interdisciplinarity between natural scientists, economists and social scientists grew from the need to better understand complexity related to the salmon fisheries in the Baltic Sea, what we learned about the fishery, and what we learned about interdisciplinary collaboration

Integration of biological, economic and sociological knowledge by Bayesian belief networks: the interdisciplinary evaluation of potential Baltic salmon management plan

There is a growing need to evaluate fisheries management plans in a comprehensive interdisciplinary context involving stakeholders. In this paper we demonstrate a probabilistic management model to evaluate potential management plans for Baltic salmon fisheries. The analysis is based on several studies carried out by scientists from respective disciplines. The main part consisted of biological and ecological stock assessment with integrated economic analysis of the commercial fisheries. Recreational fisheries were evaluated separately. Finally, a sociological study was conducted aimed at understanding stakeholder perspectives and potential commitment to alternative management plans. In order to synthesize the findings from these disparate studies a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) methodology is used. The ranking of management options can depend on the stakeholder perspective. The trade-offs can be analysed quantitatively with the BBN model by combining, according to the decision maker’s set of priorities, utility functions that represent stakeholders’ views. We show how BBN can be used to evaluate robustness of management decisions to different priorities and various sources of uncertainty. In particular, the importance of sociological studies in quantifying uncertainty about the commitment of fishermen to management plans is highlighted by modelling the link between commitment and implementation success

Heterogeneous oligonucleotide-hybridization assay based on hot electron-induced electrochemiluminescence of a rhodamine label at oxide-coated aluminum and silicon electrodes

This paper describes a heterogeneous oligonucleotide-hybridization assay based on hot electron-induced electrochemiluminescence (HECL) of a rhodamine label. Thin oxide-film coated aluminum and silicon electrodes were modified with an aminosilane layer and derivatized with short, 15-mer oligonucleotides via diisothiocyanate coupling. Target oligonucleotides were conjugated with tetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA) dye at their amino modified 5′ end and hybridization was detected using HECL of TAMRA. Preliminary results indicate sensitivity down to picomolar level and low nonspecific adsorption. The sensitivity was better on oxide-coated silicon compared to oxide-coated aluminum electrodes and two-base pair mismatched hybrids were successfully discriminated. The experimental results presented here might be useful for the design of disposable electrochemiluminescent DNA biosensors

Helsingin seudun pääväylien liikenteen hallinta 2030 : Selvitys teknologian kehittymisen tuomista tarpeista ja mahdollisuuksista

Liikenteen automaatio etenee nopeasti ja automaattiajamisen sovelluksia tulee markkinoille 2020-luvun alussa. Sovellukset otetaan käyttöön ensin selkeästi rajoitetuilla alueilla, mutta teknisten ratkaisujen kuten anturien ja tekoälyn parantuessa ja halventuessa sekä toimintaympäristöjen infrastruktuurin rakentuessa ne otetaan käyttöön laajemmalti liikennejärjestelmässä. Autokannan hitaasta uudistumisesta johtuen korkean tason automaatiosovellukset yleistyvät varsin hitaasti. Yhteiskunnan kannalta merkittävien vaikutusten saavuttamiseksi on suositeltavaa, että Helsingin seudun tienpitäjät ja muut liikenneviranomaiset edistävät yhteiseen seudulliseen ohjelmaan koottavin kokeiluin ja investoinnein parhaiden automaatiosovellusten nopeaa käyttöönottoa seudun liikennejärjestelmässä. C-ITS eli yhteistoiminnallinen ajaminen voidaan nähdä tärkeänä kehitysaskeleena liikenteen automaatiossa. C-ITS sovellusten, jotka perustuvat ajoneuvojen keskinäiseen (V2V) tai ajoneuvojen ja infrastruktuurin väliseen (V2I) nopeaan tiedonvaihtoon, on arvioitu tulevan markkinoille jo 2019 ja yleistyvän kohtuullisen nopeasti 2020-luvun aikana jälkiasennettavien ja mobiilisovellutusten avulla. Helsingin seudun liikenneviranomaisten näkökulmasta kiinnostavimmiksi sovelluksiksi, joiden käyttöönottoa kannattaa edistää kokeiluin, määriteltiin nopeusrajoitustieto ajoneuvoon, punaisia päin ajamisen varoitus sekä suojattomien tienkäyttäjien turvaaminen. Liikenteen ohjaus ja liikenneinformaation välittäminen siirtyvät teknologian kehittyessä välitettäväksi suoraan ajoneuvoon. Tämä kehitys edellyttää liikenneviranomaiselta uudenlaista toimintatapaa ja yhteistyötä kaupallisten tietopalvelujen kanssa, jotta viranomaisten ja tienpitäjien liikenteen hallinnan tavoitteet ja laajempi yhteinen tietopohja voidaan huomioida tietopalveluissa. Vuorovaikutteisen ja yhteistoiminnallisen liikenteen hallinnan toteutus edellyttää laajoja investointeja tietojärjestelmiin, mutta toisaalta mahdollistaa pitkällä tähtäimellä tiettyjen tienvarsilaitteiden ja opasteiden korvaamisen digitaalisilla palveluilla. Uusien tarjolla olevien datalähteiden hyödyntäminen parantaa huomattavasti viranomaisten ajantasaista tilannekuvaa, mutta se edellyttää myös investointeja tiedon analytiikkaan. Analytiikan kehittäminen tulee tehdä tarkemman selvityksen pohjalta. Tämän lisäksi myös viranomaislähtöisen datan laadun hallintaa tulee systematisoida ja pyrkiä laadun jatkuvaan parantamiseen, jotta se täyttää uusien sovellusten ja esimerkiksi automaattiajoneuvojen toimintaympäristöjen vaatimukset. Saavutettavuus tarkistettu